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. 215 nii:sed with the other rocks behind it ; to the south-west of this island there are several other small rocky islets, which appear as two small islands when seen from a distance. A little in-shore of the extreme point there is a short range of low hUls, forming four rugged peaks, which show very distinctly from the southward and westward : the land falls again inside them for a short distance more, and then rises suddenly to a high range running east and west, which is directly to the southward of the anchorage. The top of the range forms three roimd summits, the easternmost of which is a little higher, and the middle a Httle lower than the other. Nearly three miles to the N.E. of the anchorage, there is another range of hills about 1 ,400 feet high : on the south slope of which there is a sharp peak, from which it slopes to the valley that the river runs through. The river is small, and a heavy surf breaks outside it, the water however is excellent ; there is another lagoon small river in the valley, neai-er the port, but the water is very brackish. The anchorage is very much exposed to northerly winds, and a heavy sea then rolls in, but a heavy norther does not occur more than once in two or three years. The village consists of about a dozen small houses, scattered among the rocks on the point dividing the old and new ports. Tlie country rovmd presents a more barren and miserable appearance than any part even of this desolate coast : the ground is composed of a mass of small stones mixed -with sand, out of which project masses of rugged, craggy rocks. A Httle in-shore the stony ground is changed for a loose yeUow sand, which covers the sides and bases of nearly all the hills round : the summits are stony without any appearance of vegeta- tion ; but in the low grounds a few stunted bushes grow among the stones, and after rain (a rare blessing) they look much fresher than might be expected in such soU, and then the vaUey through which the river runs also appears green, forming a striking contrast to the country around. Point Lobo, about ten miles to the northward of Huasco, is rugged, with several small hummocks on it ; to the southward of this there are several small sandy beaches with rocky points between them, but a tremendous surf breaks on them, allowing no shelter even for a boat. A httle in-shore of the point, there are two low hills, and within them the land rises suddenly to a range about 1,000 feet high. In the bay to the northward of Point Lobo, there