PLAN OF VOYAGE. 31 



" Having now stated all that is most urgent to be done on 

 this side of the South American Continent as well as in the 

 circuit of Tierra del Fuego, the next step of the voyage will be 

 Conception, or Valparaiso, to one of which places the Beagle 

 will have to proceed for provisions, and where Captain King 

 satisfactorily determined the meridian distances. 



" The interval of coast between Valparaiso and the western 

 entrance of the Strait has been partly surveyed, as well as 

 most of the deep and narrow channels formed by the islands of 

 Hanover, Wellington, and Madre de Dios; but of the sea 

 face of that great chain of islands which stretches from Queen 

 Adelaide Archipelago to Campana Island, little has yet been 

 done. It presents a most uninviting appearance, can probably 

 afford but little benefit to the navigator, and the chief object 

 in urging its partial examination, is to remove a blank from 

 this great survey, which was undertaken by Great Britain from 

 such disinterested motives, and which was executed by Cap- 

 tains King and Fitz-Roy with so much skill and zeal. 



" The experience gained by the latter in that climate will 

 enable him to accomplish all that is now required in much less 

 time than it would have occupied in the beginning of the 

 former expedition. 



" At the Gulf of Penas the last survey terminated. Of the 

 peninsula de Tres Montes, and of the islands between that and 

 Childe, a Spanish manuscript has been procured from Don 

 Felipe Bauza, which may greatly abridge the examination of 

 that interval. 



" From thence to Valdivia, Conception, and Valparaiso, the 

 shore is straight, and nearly in the direction of the meridian, 

 so that it will require no great expenditure of time to correct 

 the outline, and to fix the positions of all the salient points. 

 Mocha Island is supposed to be erroneously placed : and the 

 depth, breadth, and safety of its channel are not known. 



" To the south of Valparaiso the port of Topocalmo and the 

 large shoal in the offing on which an American ship was 

 wrecked, require special examination ; and according to Captain 

 Burgess, of the Alert, the coast and islands near Coquimbo 



