A GEOGRAPHICAL SKF.TCH OF THE JUAN FERNANDEZ ISLANDS 



157 



Fig. "j^)- '"^ ^'^^^ '-'f ^^^^ iiUerior of C^uebr. Angosta, seen from the ridge X of this valley, 550 m 

 above sea-level. — ■ Photo C. Skottsberg ^/g 1917. 



The soittJi coast. The strip of beach is narrow S of Varadero, and the escarp- 

 ment reaches an imposing height at Pta Xegra (fig. 56). A short km beyond 

 this point a gorge with a cascade is passed, Clwno de Dona Maria, whetlier the 

 same lady to whom the chorro on Santa Clara was dedicated I cannot tell. The 

 talus \V of this place derives its name, Tierras Blajicas, from the light colour of 

 the deposits. Along Rodado del Sdndalo (rodar, to make a turn) the land rises gently; 

 the shore is fringed by a reef, on which the sea breaks with a thundering roar 

 (fig. T^). At Vicente Porras we arrive on the west coast. The long and broad abra- 

 sion terrace, Play a Larga, was referred to above (p. 142); a level plain like this is a 

 rare phenomenon on Juan F'ernandez. At Loben'a Vieja, "the old sealing grounds", 

 where some fur-seals were still to be seen, the width is i ^/g cable (277.5 m) ac- 

 cording to Giinther, a figure in good accordance with our estimation. Several hang- 

 ing gorges face the playa, coming down from Inocentes and C. Atravesado, and two 

 streams find their way across the plain to the sea. One of the gorges, described as 

 Q. de la Loberia Vieja (Skottsb. 3 p. 941) was surveyed by us. The entrance is 

 barred by very large boulders, and one has to climb along the wall to get into 

 the valley. Ouensel published a photograph of the entrance (2 fig. 15 on p. 58). 

 The short canyon ends in the ever-present cliff wall with its waterfall (fig. 78). 

 The altitude of the valley floor is only c. 190 m. 



A short but impassable stretch prevents us from reaching the remaining 



