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

Jan. 1835. pout refuge — san hafael. 373 fusion, and inlets or arms of the sea penetrating in every direction. On the 4th we moved to Port Refuge, a safe, but out of the way place. In the " narrative of what befel the Anna Pink," given in Anson's Voyage, this harbour is described in very glowing colours ; but we may remember that those who dis- covered it, were there saved from destruction ; and naturally looked upon all things around them with excited feelings.* How the officers of the Santa Barbara made their survey of this port and its neighbourhood I am at a loss to know ; a mere eye-sketch, drawn upon the spot, might have been much better than that which they gave to the world as a mathema- tical plan. In their distorted representation of Port Refuge, many soundings have been scattered, apparently at random, and quite at variance with truth. This is so unlike most Spanish works of a similar nature, some of which are very accurate,-f- considering the date of their manufacture, and the means em- ployed, — that I conclude the officers of that frigate, not under- standing marine surveying, merely drew rough sketches of what they saw, which were afterwards ' cooked' into a more regular ' appearance,' by some one who was not on board with them. Had time allowed I should have explored the Gulf of San Rafael, at the back of Tres Montes Peninsula,:|: but know- ing that it could only be an object of geographical, not imme- diately practical interest to do so, I refrained from indulging mere curiosity, much as I desired to corroborate the account of Spanish missionaries who often went there, crossing tlie Isthmus of Ofqui, in search of Indians aiuong the Guaianeco islands, and even farther south, of whom they might make converts to Christianity. Doubtless some of these voyages were undertaken and completed with benevolent and single- minded intentions; but I suspect that others were conducted on a different principle; and that their chief object was to procure able-bodied slaves to be employed in the mines of * Anson's Voyage, chapter iii. t Exclusive of mistakes made by compilers or translators. I Appendix, No. 24.