APPENDIX. 243 



as much as one knot per hour) setting to the westward, have been 

 prevented from anchormg for several days. 



This, no doubt, has been partly owing to the hitherto inaccurate 

 position assigned it, and from a proper reluctance to expose a vessel 

 on an imperfectly known coast, to be baffled and drifted about by 

 light and variable airs, in addition to a heavy swell continually roUing 

 directly toward the shore. 



With the following directions, it is to be hoped that more confi- 

 dence wiU be acquired, and consequently less delay occasioned in 

 sailing to the seaport of the second city of Peru. 



Coming from the southward, the land abreast of Tambo should 

 be made, and a certainty of that place ascertained, which (according 

 to the state of the weather) may be seen from three to six leagues : 

 the course should then be shaped toward a gap in the mountain to 

 the westward, with a defined sharp-topped hill in the near range, a 

 short distance from it. In this gap is the road leading to Arequipa, 

 which winds along the foot of the before-named hill from Islay. 



As the coast is approached, the foot of the hills wiU be seen to be 

 covered with white ashes (said to have been thrown from the volcano 

 of Arequipa), not found on any other part of the coast. This 

 peculiarity commences a httle westward of Tambo, and continues 

 as far as Point Omilius, and when within three leagues, the Point 

 Islay and white islets forming the bay, will be plainly observed, and 

 should be steered for. 



Care must be taken in closing the point, as a rock, barely covered, 

 lies a quarter of a mile to the southward. It is the custom to go to 

 the w .stward of all the islands ; but, with a commanding breeze, it 

 would unquestionably be better to run between the third outer and 

 next island,* which enables you to choose your berth at once ; this 

 can seldom be done by the other route, the wind heading as you 

 enter, obliging you to anchor, and use warps. The best anchorage 

 is just within Flat Rock Point, off the landing-place, in ten or twelve 

 fathoms. A hawser is necessary to keep the bow to the swell, to 

 prevent rolling heavily, even in the most sheltered part. Vessels 

 from the eastward should close the land about Tambo, and observe 

 the same directions. 



If from the eastward the parallel of seventeen degrees five minutes 



• His Majesty's ships Menai and Challenger passed in between these 

 islands. 



