140 ALLAN HANCOCK PACIFIC EXPEDITIONS VOL.1 



dalena, and Cleopha, follow in a series to the southeast. The islands are 

 volcanic, with their western sides high, barren, inaccessible cliffs and the 

 sea bottom dropping abruptly into deep water, but with the eastern sides 

 low, sandy, and less barren. From the shores of all the islands there are 

 extensive reefs and outlying rocks. 



Maria Madre, 2 miles from San Juanito Island, is the largest, 12 

 miles long and 3 to 6 wide. A channel, 4 miles wide, separates it from 

 Magdalena Island, the second largest, 8 miles long and 4y 2 wide, which, 

 in turn, is separated from Cleopha, a nearly circular island, with a dia- 

 meter of 3 miles, by a channel, Sy 2 miles wide. There are one shore sta- 

 tion on the east coast of Magdalena Island and two dredging stations east 

 of this island. 



Port San Bias is situated where the low, sandy shore and low back- 

 country plains change over to the more rugged coast, where the mountains 

 or high hills come much nearer the sea. Sandy beaches do not entirely dis- 

 appear, but, when they do appear, there are usually rocky bluffs on each" 

 side and small islands offshore. 



From Port San Bias, the coast turns eastward, then southward and 

 southwestward to Punta Mita, 50 miles away, from which it turns ab- 

 ruptly eastward again to form the northern boundary of a 20-mile deep 

 indentation, Banderas Bay, 15 miles across, with the southwestern limit 

 at Cape Corrientes. 



