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

216 APPENDIX. are several small rocks, and about six miles from it there is a reef which runs perhaps half a mile off a low rocky point : the outer rock is high and detached from the others. About eleven miles to the northward of Point Lobo, is a very- rugged point, with several sharp peaks on it, about half a mile to the northward of which is the small port of Herradura, which can hardly be distinguished till quite close to it. Off the rugged point, and between it and the entrance to Herradura. there are outlying rocks and breakers, about a quarter of a mile from the shore : off the south entrance point there is a patch of low rocks, which in coming from the southward appear to extend right across the mouth of the port. The entrance faces the N.W., and is between this low patch of rocks, and a small islet to the N.E. of it : there is no danger witliin half a cable of either point. The port runs in about three-quarters of a mile to the eastward of the islet, and is sheltered from both northerly and southerly winds, but with a strong northerly breeze a swell rolls in round the islet. It is rather small for large vessels, and they would not be able to he at single anchor in the inner part of the cove, but there is quite room enough to moor across it. about a quarter of a mile above the islet, in four fathoms, fine sand. In this place an American ship, the Nile, of 420 tons, was moored during a northerly gale, which blew very hea- vily ; and she was perfectly sheltered. The landing is better than in any place between it and Coquimbo : but there is a very serious inconvenience in the want of water. There is a small lagoon about a mile from this place, in the valley at the head of Car- risal Cove, but it is worse than brackish ; yet the ' peones,' who are at work shipping the ore, make use of it. A deep valley runs in from the head of the cove, separating the high ranges of hills, and is a good mark to know it by. The range to the southward of the valley is the highest near the coast, and is distinctly seen from both the northward and southward ; there is a small nipple in the highest part of it. Carrisal is a small cove about a mile to the N.E. of Herradura, well sheltered from southerly winds, but as it is so close to Herradura, which is so much superior, it is not likely to be of much use. To the northward of Carrisal the coast is bold and rugged, with outlying rocks a cable's length off most of the points. About nine miles to the northward of Herradura there is a high point with a