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. 213 southward of it is the small cove of Polillao, where there is shelter for small vessels, but the landing is bad : there are two small rocky islets off the south point of the cove. To the northward of Point Carrisal is the bay of the same name, but it is not fit for vessels ; at the bottom of the bay a heavy surf breaks about half a mile from the shore. The north side of the bay is formed by a rocky point, with outlying rocks and breakers about a quarter of a mile off all sides of it. There is a landing-place in the bay, near the south-east corner, where the rocky coast joins the beach, but in bad weather the surf breaks outside it. Nearly one mile to the northward of the north point of Carrisal Bay is the Port of Chaneral ; it is well sheltered from northerly and southerly winds, but the swell sets in heavily from the south- west, which makes the landing bad ; the best is in a small cove on the north side of the port, near the beach at the head of it : there is also a landing-place on the south side, but it is bad when there is any swell. On the beach at the head of the port there is always too much surf to land, except after very fine weather. About four miles and a half to the westward of it is the Island of Chaneral ; it is nearly level, except on the south side, near which there is a remarkable mound %vith a nipple in the centre of it. Tliere are rocks nearly half a mile from the south point of the island, and one about the same distance off the north-west point. On the north side there is a small cove, where boats can land with the wind from the southward there is anchorage close off it, but the water is deep. An Ameri- can sealing schooner was lost there a few years ago, from a norther coming on while she was at anchor. The land round Chaneral is low, with ridges of low hUls running from the points, the tops of which are very rugged and rocky, and the land is sandy and very barren ; the range of high hiUs is several miles from the shore at this part, but between the range and coast there are several smaller hiUs rising out of the low land. The vil- lage of Chaiieral is about three nailes from the port, and is said to consist of about twenty houses. There are no houses near the port. We were told by some of the people that came off, that the only vessel that had ever been here was a small schooner, called the Con- stitucion (our vessel), which had taken a cargo of copper to Huasco. There was a large quantity of copper, said to belong to Mr. Edwards, ready to be embarked.