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. 221 S.E.; there are several small rocky patches in it, and at the north end of the long sandy beach there is a piece of rocky coast, the north ex- treme point of which has a small island off it. The entrance to Port Yngles is to the southward of this point, round a low rocky point, to the southward of which, close in-shore, there is a small island off a sandy cove ; there is a rock a- wash at high-water, about a cable's length to the N.W. of the south extreme point, but it always shows ; after passing this rock the point is steep-to, and may be approached w'ithin a cable's length. The harbour inside forms several coves, in the first of which, on the starboard hand going in, there is anchorage for small vessels, but the bottom is stony and bad. There is a low island to the S.E. of this cove, above which is the best anchorage, with southerly winds. About half-way between it and a projecting rocky point on the east shore, small vessels may go much closer into the cove, to the southward of the island, where the landing is very good. The bay in the N.E. corner is well sheltered from northerly winds, and no sea could ever get up in it ; but the landmg is not so good there, the best is at a rocky point at the south end of the northern- most beach, where there is a small cove among the rocks perfectly smooth : it is by far the best harbour, but there is no fresh water near. The cove at the head of the harbour is very shoal; no vessel should go higher up than abreast of the projecting rocky point on the east shore, where she would have four and five fathoms in mid-channel. The bottom is hard sand, and may be seen in twelve fathoms water, which makes it appear very shallow. In the entrance there are eighteen fathoms close to the shore on both sides. PoBT Caldera is close to the northward of Port Yngles, and is directly round the point with the small island ofF it ; it is a fine bay, well sheltered, but the entrance more open than Port Yngles, and the landing not so good. There was a cargo of copper ore ready to be shipped in the south comer of the bay ; but no vessel had then ever taken a cargo away. There were a few fishermen Hving in a hole in the cliflT during the fishing season : the only vessel they had ever seen in the port was a brigantine, with provisions for the mines. No vessel had ever been in Port Yngles. There is water near the beach, on the east side, but it is very salt ; it appears wonderful how they can make use of it. but they have no other nearer than Copiapo. The land is entirely covered with loose sand, except a few