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. 24)7 larly over the cliff on the north side of the bay ; and three leagues to the eastward, a short distance from the coast, a high bluff head, the termination of a range of a table land. Between this bluff and the harbour the land is low and level, with few exceptions, and has a number of rocks lying off it to the distance of half a mile. S.W. three-quarters of a mile from Steep Point (the southern point of the harbour) lies a small black rock, always visible, with a reef of rocks extending a quarter of a mile to the northward ; and nearly two miles to the S.E., there is an islet that shows distinctly. A passage may exist between this reef and the point, but prudence would forbid its being attempted ; the safest plan is to pass to the northward, giving it a berth of a cable's length ; and not close the shore until well within the next point (a sunken rock Hes off it), when you may haul your wind and work up to the anchorage at the head of the bay, and come to in any depth from five to fifteen fathoms, muddy bottom. In working up, the northern shore may be approached boldly ; it is steep-to, and has no outlying dangers. The harbour of San Nicolas lies N. 41° W, eight miles from San Juan, is quite as commodious and free from danger as the latter, but the landing is not so good. Harmless Point may be rounded wdthin a cable ; there are a niun- ber of scattered rocks to the southward of it, but as they all appear, there is no danger to be feared. There are no inhabitants at either of these ports, so that vessels wanting any repairs may be sure of not being interrupted while so employed. N. 59° W., eight and a half miles from Harmless Point, is Point Beware, high and clifiy, with a number of smaU rocks and bhnd breakers round, and some heights close above it ; from this point the coast is alternately chff and small sandy bays, till you reach Point Nasca, round which is what has been termed Port CabaUos. Point Nasca may be readily distinguished : it is a bluff head of a dark brown colour, 1,020 feet in height, with two sharp topped hummocks of a moderate height at the foot of it ; the coast to the westward falls back to the distance of two miles, and is composed of white sand hills ; in the depth of this bight is Caballos, a rocky shallow hole, that should only be kno-wn to be avoided ; we lay at anchor in seven fathoms, as far in as it was thought prudent to go, for twenty four hours, without being able to effect a landing : the wind came round the head in heavy gusts, which, combined with the