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

234 APPENDIX. rocks, but no danger of any description outside it. The hill of Mexillones is 2,650 feet high, has the appearance of a cone with the top cut oflF, and stands conspicuously above the surround- ing heights. This in clear weather is undoubtedly the best of the two marks ; but as the tops of hills on the coast of Peru are frequently covered with heavy clouds, the bluff is the surer mark, for it cannot be mistaken ; as, besides its chalky appearance, it is the northern extreme of the peninsula, and the land falls back several miles to the eastward of it. Round this head is the spacious bay of Mexillones, eight miles across — but of little use, as neither wood or water is to be obtained- The shore is steep-to ; there is anchorage on the west side, tw^o miles inside the blufF, a cable's length off a sandy spit, in seven fathoms sandy bottom : at the distance of three cables there is thirty fathoms. From this bay the coast runs nearly north and south, without any thing worthy of remark, until you reach the Bay of Cobija, or La Mar. This lies N. 13° E. thirty-one mUes from Leading BlufF, is the only port of the Bolivian Republic, and contains about fourteen hundred inhabitants. Vessels call occasionally to take in copper ore and cotton ; but the trade is small (particularly in 1835, as the revolution in Peru had destroyed the little they had). Water is scarce, at least, that which is good : there are wells, but the water from them is very brackish, and will not keep in casks. Fresh meat may be procured at a high price ; but fruit and vegetables, even for their owti consumption, are brought from Valparaiso, a distance of seven hundred miles. They have a mud-built fort, of five or six guns, on the summit of the Point ; the only fortification about the place. If coming from the southward toward this bay : after having passed the Leading BlufF (which should always be made), it would be advis- able to shape a course so as to close the land two or three leagues to windward of the port, and then coast along until two white-topped islets, ofF False Cobija Point, are seen ; a mile and a quarter to the northward of them is the port. On the Cobija Point there is a white stone, which shews very plainly, in relief against the black rocks at the back of it : a white flag is usually hoisted at the fort, when a ves- sel appears in the offing — which is also a good guide. In going in there is no danger ; the point is steep-to, and may be rounded at a