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

APPENDIX. 209 Maytencillo is a little cove, fit only for a boat to land in at particular times. The next opening in this high rugged coast is that of the river LiMARi, which looks large from seaward, but is inaccessible. The coast near Limari is steep and rocky. Two miles from the en- trance of the river, there is a low, rocky point, with a small beach on which boats sometimes land ; but a heavy surf breaks on it. Near a mile from the coast the land rises suddenly to a range of hills, about one thousand feet high, which runs parallel to the coast, and extends two or three miles north and south of the river ; the summits of the hills to the northward are covered with wood. The north entrance point is low and rocky ; the south is a steep slope, with a remarkable white sandy patch on the side of it. The river at its mouth is about a quarter of a mile wide ; but the surf breaks heavily right across inside it turns a little to the north-east, and then runs to the east- ward through a deep gully in the range of hiUs before-mentioned. Moimt Tahnay is a remarkable hiU, 2,300 feet high ; it is three miles from the coast, and seven miles southward of the river ; it is thickly wooded on the top ; the sides are quite bare. Ten mUes southward of Mount Talinay lies a deep valley, with a remarkable sandhill on its north side, close to the coast ; at the mouth of the valley there is a small sandy beach. Within five miles of Maytencillo there is a point with several rocks, miming oiF it about a quarter of a mile ; from which to Maytencillo the coast is composed of blue rocky cliffs, about one hundred and fifty feet high ; the land above the cliffs rises to between three and four hundred feet ; and then about three miles in shore the range of hills runs from three to four thou- sand feet high. About fourteen miles northward of Limari is a small bay, with a sandy beach in the north corner ; but a heavy surf. From this bay northward the coast is rocky and much broken : about eight miles southward of Point Lengua de Vaca is a small rocky peninsula, with a high, sharp rock in the centre of it, southward of which Ues a smaU, deep cove, vdth a sandy beach at the head ; but the entrance is nearly blocked up by small islets, and rocks both above and below water. The entrance is too bad for the smallest vessel ; though in fine weather boats can land in the cove. The outer breaker is not more than two cables from the shore ; but when calm the swell sets directly on it. This cove is Tortoral de Lengua de Vaca.