APPENDIX. 215 



nii:sed with the other rocks behind it ; to the south-west of this 

 island there are several other small rocky islets, which appear as 

 two small islands when seen from a distance. A little in-shore of 

 the extreme point there is a short range of low hUls, forming four 

 rugged peaks, which show very distinctly from the southward and 

 westward : the land falls again inside them for a short distance 

 more, and then rises suddenly to a high range running east and 

 west, which is directly to the southward of the anchorage. The 

 top of the range forms three roimd summits, the easternmost of 

 which is a little higher, and the middle a Httle lower than the other. 



Nearly three miles to the N.E. of the anchorage, there is another 

 range of hills about 1 ,400 feet high : on the south slope of which 

 there is a sharp peak, from which it slopes to the valley that the 

 river runs through. The river is small, and a heavy surf breaks 

 outside it, the water however is excellent ; there is another lagoon 

 small river in the valley, neai-er the port, but the water is very 

 brackish. The anchorage is very much exposed to northerly winds, 

 and a heavy sea then rolls in, but a heavy norther does not occur 

 more than once in two or three years. The village consists of about 

 a dozen small houses, scattered among the rocks on the point 

 dividing the old and new ports. Tlie country rovmd presents a 

 more barren and miserable appearance than any part even of this 

 desolate coast : the ground is composed of a mass of small stones 

 mixed -with sand, out of which project masses of rugged, craggy 

 rocks. A Httle in-shore the stony ground is changed for a loose 

 yeUow sand, which covers the sides and bases of nearly all the hills 

 round : the summits are stony without any appearance of vegeta- 

 tion ; but in the low grounds a few stunted bushes grow among the 

 stones, and after rain (a rare blessing) they look much fresher than 

 might be expected in such soU, and then the vaUey through which 

 the river runs also appears green, forming a striking contrast to 

 the country around. 



Point Lobo, about ten miles to the northward of Huasco, is 

 rugged, with several small hummocks on it ; to the southward of 

 this there are several small sandy beaches with rocky points between 

 them, but a tremendous surf breaks on them, allowing no shelter 

 even for a boat. A httle in-shore of the point, there are two low 

 hills, and within them the land rises suddenly to a range about 

 1,000 feet high. In the bay to the northward of Point Lobo, there 



