Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

1832. MOUNT HERMOSO POET BKLGBANO. 101 none, I set out with the boats next morning to seek for a pas- sage into Port Belgrano.* Our boats were soon stopped by shoal water, and I found, to my vexation, that the Beagle was anchored at the head of an inlet, between the shore and a large bank extending far towards the south-east, and that before going farther west she must retreat eastward, and look for another passage. This was an unexpected dilemma ; but our prospect was improved by the appearance of a small schooner running towards us, from Port Belgrano, with a Buenos Ayrean (or Argentine) flag flying. Very soon she came near enough for our boat to reach her, and an Englishman came on board, who offered to pilot the Beagle to a safe anchorage within the port. This was Mr. Harris, owner of the little schooner in which he sailed, (a resi- dent at Del Carmen, on the river Negro, and trading thence along the coast), with whom we had much satisfactory inter- course during the next twelvemonth. By his advice we weighed anchor, stood across the great north bank, in very little more water than we drew, until we got into a channel where there was water enough for any ship, and a soft muddy bottom : there we hauled up west-north- west,-f- by his direction, and with a fresh wind sailed rapidly into the extensive and excellent, though then little known harbour, called Port Belgrano ; and at dusk anchored near the wells under Anchorstock HiU (or Point Johnson). To give an idea of the general appearance, or almost disap- pearance, of the very low land around this spacious port, I will mention, that when the Beagle had crossed the north bank, and hauled up in the fair way. Mount Hermoso was nearly beneath the horizon ; some bushes on the flat land southward * Often erroneously called Bahia Blanco ; a name originally given to the outer bay, in compliment to General Blanco. + So constantly did Mr. Harris give this course, on subsequent occa- sions, that it became quite a joke; but it is nevertheless a strong cor- roboration of what I stated respecting the general direction of the inlets, and ridges, or ranges of hills.