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

268 APPENDIX. This is a tolerable harbour, with good anchorage any where in from three and a half to ten fathoms, over a fine sandy bottom. Fire-wood is the principal commodity, for which it is the best and cheapest place on the whole coast. Vessels of considerable burthen touch here for that article, which they carry up to CaUao, and derive great profit from its sale. There are also some saltpetre works, established by a Frenchman, but httle business is done in that line. The town Hes in a north-easterly direction, about two miles from the anchorage, but is hid by the surrounding trees, which grow to the height of thirty feet. It has only one street, and cannot contain more than five or six hundred inhabitants. At the anchorage there is a small house, used to transact business, but no other building, which is unusual, as at most of these places there is a small village near the sea. Large stacks of wood are piled up on the beach, ready for embarking. Fresh provisions, vegetables, and fruit, are plentiful and moderate ; but water is not to be depended on. It is true, there is a river, and for several months after March there is a plentiful supply ; but in the summer season there is sometimes great drought. At the time we were there, a whale-ship put in to supply her wants, and had to remain several days, waiting for the water to come down from the mountains. Legarto Head is a steep cliff, with the land faUing immediately inside it and rising again to about the same height. In saUing in, after having passed the head, a small, white islet will be seen in the middle of the bay ; steer for it, that you may not border on the southern shore, for there are many straggling rocks running off the points ; and when sufficiently far to the northward to shape a mid- channel course between the white islet and the point opposite it, to the southward, do so, and it will lead to the anchorage. In standing in, in this direction, the water shoals gradually to the beach ; but the southern shore must on no account be approached nearer than a quarter of a mUe. The best anchorage is in four fathoms, with Harbour Islet bearing N. 26° W., and the ruins of a fort on a hUl in-shore E. 5° N. about a quarter of a mile from the landing-place on the beach. This land- ing-place does not seem to be so good a one as a steep rock on the outer side of the bluff, where the sand beach commences ; but pro- bably it is the most convenient for loading boats. The rise and faU of tide is irregular, and the time of high water