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

260 APPENDIX. N.W. and S.E. direction, and a mile and a half deep from the outer part of the cheek, with regular soundings from fifteen to ten, and three fathoms near the beach. ^, The best anchorage is with the inner part of the south cheek, bear- ing about S.S.E. a quarter of a mile off shore, in seven fathoms water by not going farther in you escape, in a great measure, the sudden gusts of wind that at times come do^^m the valley with great vio- lence. Captain Ferguson, of H.M.S. Mersey, mentions a rock with nine feet water on it, on the south side, half a mUe from the shore, that sometimes breaks : we saw nothing of it while we were there, but doubtless it exists. This place seemed quite deserted ; the only things that indicated its ever having been visited, were a few stacks of wood piled up on the beach. The best distinguishing mark for Casma, is the sandy beach in the bay, with the sand hdlls in-shore of it contrasting strongly with the hard dark rocks, of which the heads at the entrance are formed there is also a small black islet lying a Httle to the westward of it. From Casma the coast takes rather a more westerly direction, but continues bold and rocky. N. 44° W., five leagues from Casma, is the Harbour of Samanco, or Hu/^MBACHo ; midway between them is a bay, almost hidden by two islands that lie across the entrance : this bay is four miles long and two miles deep ; but as the Bay of Samanco is so near at hand, it was not examined by us as to its capabUities. The Bay of Samanco is the most extensive on the coast to the northward of Callao ; it is two leagues in length, in a N.W. and S.E. direction, and a league and a half wide : at its entrance it is two miles wide, formed by Point Samanco on the south, and Seal Island on the north, and has regular soundings all over it. At the S.E. comer, in a sandy bay, is a small \illage (the resi- dence of some fishermen), situated at the termination of the River Nepena. This river, like most on the coast, has not sufficient strength to force a passage for itself through the beach, but termi- nates in a lagoon within a few yards of the sea. The tovra of Huambacho is the nearest place to this bay ; it lies about a league distant, at the east extreme of the valley. Nepena, which is the principal town, lies to the north-east about five leagues off. Tliere is very little trade at this place ; small coasting vessels