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. 225 there is a projecting point, with some small rocky islets off it, which we supposed to be Point BaUena, from the description given at Port Caldera. Between the point and the Sugar Loaf Island, the coast runs hack a Uttle, and is rocky, with a high range of hills running close to the shore. A Httle to the northward of Point Ballena there is a small bay, with a rocky islet about half a mile off the south point of it ; the top of the islet is white, and answers the descrip- tion given to us of a port called Ballenita : but it is not worth the name of a port; it is very rocky, with two or three small patches of sandy beaches, in which a heavy surf was breaking ; the hills run close to the water, and have a very rugged appearance. A little to the northward of this there is another bay, which seemed to be Lavata : the south point has several low rugged points upon it, and in-shore the hills rise very steep. There is a small cove with excellent landing, directly behind this point, on which we anchored there was a better-looking port inside, but it was so far from the outer coast, that our time would not allow more than a hasty glance. The inner cove of the bay in which we anchored appeared to afford good shelter from southerly winds, and the water was very smooth. A little to the northward of this bay there is a point, which, till close, appears to be an island: but it is joined to the shore by a low shingle spit : the summit of it is rugged, with several steep peaks on it : several rocky islets lie scattered off the point. Near three miles and a half to the northward of this, there is ano- ther point, very rugged, and with a high round hummock a little in-shore : to the southward of this point there is a deep bay, in which we expected to find Paposo, as we were some distance to the north- ward of its position in the old charts, but there were no appearances of any houses or inhabitants : the bay is very rocky, and does not afford good anchorage ; several rocks lie off the south point, and a little inside it there is a reef running half-a-mile from the shore: in the bottom of the bay there are several small white islets ; and two or three small sandy coves, which are not large enough to afford shelter for a vessel. This bay is called Isla Blanca. About three miles from the north point of the bay, there is a white islet, with some rugged hummocks upon it : a little in-shore there is a hill of a much lighter colour than any round it ; to the north- ward of this there is a deep bay, in which we were certain of finding Paposo, and, as wc were becalmed, I went in a boat to search for it