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. SHOALS ABROLHOS. 63 fresh air, a pleasing view, and freedom from annoyances, the less his organs will be offended, and his temper tried. We sailed from Bahia on the 18th. The bank which pro- jects from the light-house point had been minutely examined by us, during the Beagle's stay in port ; on one day, indeed, she went out and anchored at the outer end of the shoal, in order to determine its extent, and assist the boats in sounding therefore I did not hesitate to stand across it ; but there is not water enough over the shallower parts for any ship dra\nng more than fourteen feet, especially if there is a swell. The shoalest spot is near the outer end ; ships of any size may pass between the inner extremity and the pcant of land adjacent to it. There are rocks and dangerous shallows southward of the port, which it is extremely necessary to guard against in approaching it from sea, because the current generally sets towards the south, and ships have got ashore on those shoals in consequence. The land northward of Bahia should be made, and some white sandy patches, looking like linen hung out to dry, should be seen before a ship steers more southerly. After losing sight of the land, our course was shaped to the south-east, towards the eastern limit of the great bank of soundings which extends so far to seaward of the Abrolhos islets. Having reached the parallel of the islands, and being to the eastward of the easternmost soundings laid down in any chart, without finding any ground with three hundred fathoms of line, I began to steer westward — sounding continually, and keeping a sharp look-out at the mast-head. At two in the afternoon of the 26th, we had no bottom, with three hundred fathoms of line; and at the next cast, about an hour afterwards, found only thirty fathoms, without there being the slightest change in the colour of the water, or in its temperature, or any other indication of so sudden a change in the depth. We hauled to the wind directly, worked to the eastward in order to ascer- tain the precise limit of the bank, and lost soundings as sud- denly as we had previously struck them. A grapnel was then put overboard, with two hundred fathoms of line, and we