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

168 CAPE TREs MONTEs. April 182S, rugged outline than that we had been hitherto coasting, since leaving the Strait. We steered along the western coast of the land near Cape Tres Montes, and at noon, lieing three miles from the shore, observed, in latitude 46° 5. south, the cape, bearing N. 80° E. (mag.), distant seven miles. The northern- most cape in sight N. 26° W., distant ten miles, soundings ninety- seven fathoms. Shortly afterwards another cape opened at N. 37° W. (mag.). " The parallel of forty-seven degrees, the limit assigned for our survey, being already passed, I did not venture to follow the coast further, although we were strongly tempted to do so by seeing it trend so differently from what is delineated on the old charts. An indentation in the coast presenting itself between movmtainous projections on each side of low land (of which the northernmost was the cape sot at noon), we hauled in to look for an anchorage ; but it proved to be a mere unsheltered bight, at the bottom of which was a furious surf. We then stood to the southward, along the land of Cape Tres Montes, Avith the view of examining the north side of the Gulf of Penas. " The following morning was fine : Cape Tres Montes bore N.E., distant about three leagues. We lay off and on during the day, while the master went in the whale-boat, to examine a sandy bay (of which Cape Tres Montes was the easternmost point) for anchorage : he returned about sunset, and reported that it did afford anchorage ; but was quite unsheltered from wind, and exposed to a great swell. The boat's crew had fallen in with a number of seals, and the quantity of young seal's fry they brought on board afforded a welcome regale to their mess- mates and themselves. " At daylight (27th) we were four leagues from Cape Tres Montes, bearing N. 68° W. (magnetic) a remarkable peak, marked in the chart the ' Sugar Loaf,' N. 19° E., distant twenty-four miles, and our soundings were sixty-eight fathoms. This peak resembled in appearance, the Sugar Loaf at Rio de Janeiro : it rises fi-oin a cluster of high and thickly-wooded islands, forming apparently the eastern shore of an inlet, of which