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

A])ril 1828. guaianeco islands. 167 fish. Muscles and limpets were pretty abundant, and the shells (Concholepas Peruviana) used by the Magalhaenic tribes as drinking cups, were found adhering to the rocks in great numbers. " Nothing could be worse than the weather we had durino- nine days' stay here ; the wind, in whatever quarter it stood, brought thick heavy clouds, which precipitated themselves in torrents, or in drizzling rain. We were well sheltered from the regular winds ; but many troublesome eddies were caused by the surrounding heights, while the passing clouds showed that strong and squally north-west winds were prevalent. " On the morning of the 24th, we put to sea with a southerly bi-eeze. The extent of coast from the eastern part of Port Santa Barbara to the outer of the Guaianeco Islands presents several inlets running deep into the land ; but it is completely bound by rocks and rocky islets, which, with its being generally a lee- shore, renders it extremely unsafe to approach. Observing an opening between some islets, of which we had taken the bear- ing at noon, we stood in' to see whether it afforded anchorao-e and approaching the extremity of the larger island, proceeded along it at the distance of only half a mile, when, after runnino- two miles tlirough a labyrinth of rocks and kelp, we were com- pelled to haul out, and in doing so scarcely weathered, by a ship's length, the outer islet. Deeming it useless to expend further time in the examination of this dangerous portion of the gulf, we proceeded towards Cape Tres Montes, its north- western headland. " At sunset Cape Tres Montes bore N. 25° W., distant eighteen miles. In this point of view the cape makes very liigh and bold ; to the eastward of it, land was seen uninter- ruptedly as far as the eye could reach. We stood in sliore next morning, and were then at a loss to know, precisely, which was the cape. The highest mountain was tlie southern pro- jection, and has been marked on the chart as Cape Tres Montes: but none of the heights, from any point in which we saw them, ever appeared as ' three mounts.' The land, though mountainous, seemed more wooded, and had a less