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. 217 round hummock on It, and several rugged hummocks a little in- shore. To the northward of this there is a cove, sheltered from the southward, where small vessels may anchor, but it is not fit for large vessels ; there is another cove similar to it about a mile to the northward of it. A Httle to the northward of the second cove, there is a high rocky point, which is the termination of the high part of the coast ; to the northward of the point there is a small port, wliich from the chart appears to be Tortoralillo : it is well sheltered from southerly winds, and the landing is good. In the inside part of it a vessel, not drawing more than ten or twelve feet, might moor shel- tered from northerly winds, in three and four fathoms, but with a northerly wind there would be a heavy swell in : there is anchorage farther out imder the point, in from eight to ten fathoms ; but a ves- sel should not go nearer the shore than eight fathoms, as the bottom inside is rocky. During the summer months this would be a very good port for small merchant vessels ; but there is no appearance of water near. Abreast of it the high range of hills recedes from the coast, which is low, with some low rocky hills a little in-shore. About two miles to the northward of Matamores there is a low rocky point, a little to the northward of which there is a small deep bay, at the mouth of a valley, in which, apparently, there is an- chorage for a vessel ; but there was a hea^y surf on the beach, and as the landing was bad we did not w^ait to examine it. To the northward of this the low hills are not so rocky, but are covered with yellow sand, except near the summits, where they are stony. About six miles to the northward of this bay there is a remarkable rocky point, with a detached white rock off it, and a lump with a nipple on it, a little in-shore. About half a mile to the northward of this, is the small port of Pajonal, which, in coming from the southward, may be easily known by this nipple, and a small island, with a square topped lump in the centre of it, which is off the point to the northward of the port. A range of hUls, higher than any near, rises directly from the north side of the port ; and in the valley, about a mUe from it, there is a range of small and very rugged Mils rising out of the low land. The anchorage is better sheltered from southerly winds than any to the southward, except Herradura, and there would not be much swell, as the point and island to the northward project considerably