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

2 PORT SANTA ELENA. NoV. 1826. Our course was therefore southerly, and in latitude 45° south, a few leagues northward of Port Santa Elena, we first saw the coast of Patagonia. I intended to visit that port ; and, on the 28th, anchored, and landed there. Seamen should remember that a knowledge of the tide is of especial consequence in and near Port Santa Elena. During a calm we were carried by it towards reefs which line the shore, and were obliged to anchor until a breeze sprung vip. The coast along which we had passed, from Point Lobos to the north-east point of Port Santa Elena, appeared to be dry and bare of vegetation. There were no trees ; the land seemed to be one long extent of undulating plain, beyond which were high, flat-topped hills of a rocky, precipitous character. The shore was fronted by rocky reefs extend- ing two or three miles from high-water mark, which, as the tide fell, were left dry, and in many places were covered with seals. As soon as we had secured the ships. Captain Stokes accom- panied me on shore to select a place for our observations. We found the spot which the Spanish astronomers of Malas- pina's Voyage (in 1798) used for their observatory, the most convenient for our purpose. It is near a very steep shingle (stony) beach at the back of a conspicuous red-coloured, rocky projection which terminates a small bay, on the western side, at the head of the port. The remains of a wreck, which proved to be that of an American whaler, the Decatur of New York, were found upon the extremity of the same point ; she had been driven on shore from her anchors durinsf a s;ale. The sight of the wreck, and the steepness of the shingle beach just described, evidently caused by the frequent action of a heavy sea, did not produce a favourable opinion of the safety of the port : but as it was not the season for easterly gales, to which only the anchorage is exposed, and as appear- ances indicated a westerly wind, we did not anticipate danger. While we were returning on board, the wind blew, so strongly that we had much difficulty in reaching the ships, and the boats were no sooner hoisted up, and every thing