IN THE PACIFIC. 265 



secure, but is not suited for ships drawing 

 more than fifteen or sixteen feet of water, and 

 the passage leading up to it is so intricate, that 

 it is advisable to take a. pilot; whilst steaming 

 through this channel we could see the bottom 

 the whole way, and frequently had not more 

 than six inches of water under our keel. 



After a stay of four days at La Paz, we ran 

 down to Pichilinque Harbour to coal, stopping 

 on our way to assist an American schooner, 

 which had run ashore, in attempting the 

 passage without a pilot. This is one of the 

 best harbours on the coast; the anchorage is 

 sheltered and spacious, with plenty of water in 

 it. The morning after our arrival, I landed 

 abreast of the ship before daylight, accom- 

 panied by E -, to see what chances of sport 



there might be. We soon found abundant 

 tracks of deer, hares, and quail, so after 

 arranging upon a rendezvous, we separated, 

 each following up a valley leading inland. We 

 found the country to be barren and desolate, 

 little better than a sandy desert, covered with 



