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

210 APPENDIX. Point Lengua de Vaca is a very low, rocky point, rising gradually in- shore to a round hummock, about a mile to the southward of the Point. There are rocks nearly awash about a cable's length from the Point, and at two cables' lengths distant there are but five feet. After rounding Point Lengua de Vaca, the coast runs to the south- east, and is rocky and steep for about two miles from the Point, where there are fifteen fathoms about half a mile from the shore. About three miles from the Point, a long, sandy beach commences, which extends the whole length of the large bay as far as the island or peninsula of Tongoy. The south part of the beach is called Play a de Tanque, the north and north-east side of the bay Playa de Tongoy. Off the south-west extreme of the beach there is anchorage about half a mile from the shore, in from five to seven fathoms ; the bot- tom is a soft, muddy sand in some places, but in others it is hard. With a southerly wind it is very smooth, and the landing is very good, but a heavy sea sets in with a northerly breez^. This is an anchorage that was once frequented by American whalers. The vil- lage, which is called the Rincon de Tanque, consists of about a dozen ' ranchos.' The only water to be got is brackish ; about two miles and a half to the E.N.E.* where there is good water, the landing is gene- rally very bad, and the water is some distance from the beach. From Tanque to the peninsula of Tongoy there is anchorage in any part of the bay, at from one to two miles from the shore, in from seven to ten fathoms, sandy bottom. There is good anchorage with a northerly wind for small vessels, to the southward of the peninsula, abreast of the small village on the Point, with the outer Point bear- ing W.N.W. in four fathoms sandy bottom, with clay underneath it but no vessel, however small, should go into less than four fathoms, as the sea breaks a little inside that depth when blowing hard from the north^vard. Large vessels would also find a little shelter with the wind to the northward of north-west. With a strong southerly breeze a vessel would not be able to remain at anchor to the south- ward of the peninsula ; but there is a small b \j on the north side, which is completely sheltered from southerly winds. In the south- east corner of this bay there is a small creek, into which, when smooth, boats can go ; it runs about a mile inland, and near the head there is fresh water for which the whalers sometimes send their boats. * All bearings are magnetic, unless otherwise specified.