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. 237 level point. No danger need be feared in entering- ; as although the land is low, it may be approached within half a mile, in from six to ten fathoms. The anchorage inside the long kelp-covered reef mio-ht perhaps, be preferred ; but the landing is not so good. N. 27° W. of this bay, at the distance of eighteen miles, is Point LoBo, or Blanca, high and bold, on its extreme are several hillocks. Between these two is a small fishing village, called Chomache, under a point, which has a long reef off it, on the outer part of which a cluster of rocks shew themselves a few feet above water. The people of this village get their water from the Loa — a passage requiring, on a balsa, four days or more. N. 21° W., fourteen miles off Point Lobo, is Point Pacache, a low rugged projecting point, with an islet a quarter of a mile off it, but quite clear outside this islet : half way between these two points is the Cone (PabeUon) of Pica, a remarkable hillock of guano ap- pearing as if it had been covered with snow which had thawed at the top, leaving the lower half frozen, contrasting strongly vnth the surrounding hills, which are of a barren sun-burnt brown. This is also a place of resort for the guano vessels ; they find pretty good an- chorage close to the northward of the Pabellon. East, a little southerly, a few mOes in-shore of this, is a beU- shaped mountain, named Carrasco, 5,500 feet high : in clear wea- ther it is a good mark for the neighbourhood of Iquique. From Point Pacache to Point Grande, N. 8°W. twenty-eight miles, the coast is low and rocky, the termination of a long range of table land, CEdled the heights of Oyarvide, or Barrancas, from its cliffy appearance : it has innumerable rocks and shoals off it, and should • not be approached on any account nearer than a league, for the fre- quent calms and heavy swell pecuHar to this coast render it unsafe for nearer approach. Point Grande at the north end of the Barrancas, is a low cliffy point, with three white patches on its northern side ; round this point is the Bay of Cheuranatta. N. 3°W., eleven miles from Point Grande is the anchorage and town of Iquique ; a miserable place that affords scarcely sufficient provisions for the consumption of its inhabitants, about five hundred souls ; and no water nearer than Pisagua (a distance of nearly forty miles), from which place it is brought by boats built for the purpose, and is very dear. Yet, with these disadvantages, it is a place of con-