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

236 APPENDIX. N. 2°W., sixteen miles from Paquiqui, is Point Arena, a low, sandy point, with rocky outline : between the two is a small fishing village, near a remarkable hummock : anchorage may be obtained under Point Arena, in ten fathoms ; fine sandy bottom. N. 6° E., twelve miles from Point Arena, is the gully and river of LoA, which forms the boundary hne between Bolivia and Peru. It is the principal river on this part of the coast ; but its waters are extremely bad, in consequence of rimning over a bed of salt- petre, and the hiUs surrounding it containing a quantity of copper ore. It is sedd that the ashes of a volcano faU into it, which add greatly to its unwholesomeness ; but bad as it is, the people residing on its banks have no other. At Chacansi, in the in- terior, where it di\ades, it is tolerably good. In the summer sea- son it is about fifteen feet broad and a foot deep, and runs with considerable strength to within a quarter of a mile of the sea, where. it spreads, and flows over, or filters through the beach ; but does not make even a swatchway, or throw up any banks, ever so small. A chapel on the north bank, half a mile from the sea, is the only remains of a once populous village. People from the interior visit it occasionally for guano, which is in abundance. There is good anchorage, but rather exposed to the sea-breeze, with the chapel bearing north, half a mile from the shore, in from, eight to twelve fathoms, muddy bottom ; and landing may be eflFected under Point Chileno ; but the best anchorage near here is the Bay of Chipana, six miles N. 39° W. from the river, and a snug cove for landing, near the extreme of the point ; but at the full and change, a heavy swell sets in, and I doubt a boat being able to land with. goods at those times. The best distinguishing mark for the Loa is the gully through which it runs, that may be easily known from its being in the deepest part of the bay, formed by Point Arena on the south and Point Lobo on the north ; and the liiUs on the south side being nearly leve^ while those on the north are much higher and irregular. For the Bay of Chipana — after making the land in the latitude of the Loa, a large white double patch is seen on the side of a hill near the beach, and another similar one, a little to the northward : on discovering these marks (which may be seen three or four leagues), a course should be shaped directly for the southern end, where lies the anchorage in seven fathoms, sand and broken shells, under a low.