Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.1): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

164 SAXTA BARBARA DUNDEE ROCK. Aprill828. when, having moderated, we bore up and steered N.E. to close the land. At noon a good meridional altitude gave our latitude 48° 30' south, and about the same time we saw the land bearing N.E. b. E., which we soon made out to be Parallel Peak. After allowing amply for heave of sea, and lee-way, we were considerably southward of our reckoning, which indicates a southerly current ; but under such circumstances of wind and weather its exact direction, or strength, could not be ascertained. " We proceeded along the land, taking angles and bearings for the survey, and at sunset the N.W. end of Campana bore from us north (magnetic), distant five leagues. Being now off the N.W. end of the island of Campana, which forms the south-western headland of the Gulf of Penas, I considered that, before I proceeded to examine its inlets, I ought to look for the Harbour of Santa Barbara, whicli has been placed on the old charts in this neighbourhood. Accordingly we lay-to during the night, and at 4 a.m. bore up to close the land ; at daylight the extremes of it were seen indistinctly through a very cloudy and hazy atmosphere, from N. 39° E. to S. 53° E. About noon the weather cleared off, and we ffot the meridian altitude of the sun, which gave our latitude 48° 09' south.* We directed the course for the Dundee Rock, and when abreast of it, steered N.E. (compass) for an opening in the low part of the coast ahead, backed by very high mountains, which we found was the entrance of Port Santa Barbara. The coast to the southward was lined with rocky islets, rocks, and breakers, extending a league to seaward, and there were others to the north- ward. We were in a channel half a mile wide, through which we continued our course, sounding from fifteen to eleven fathoms, and in the evening anchored near the entrance of the harbour. • The N.W. end of the Island de la Campana bearing N. 71°. 40'. E. Two distant hummocky islands (answering pretty well in position with the Guaianeco Islands of the Spanish charts) N. .53°. 30'. E., and N. 55°. 48'. E., and a remarkable rock, the 'Dundee' of Bulkeley and Cummings, about forty-five feet high, rising like a tower fi-om the sea, distant offshore five miles, bearing east of us, distant one mile.