108 SHOALS OFF CAPE BLANCO. ~ Jan. 1828. 
body, from its buoyancy and the sea not breaking against it, 
would not be readily seen. 
On the 4th, being about one hundred miles to the N.E. of 
Cape Blanco, I communicated with Captain Stokes, and gave 
him directions to proceed to Port Desire for chronometrical 
observations, and then follow me immediately to Cape Fair- 
weather or Cape Virgins. We had light winds during the 
night, so that the Beagle made very little progress. In the 
afternoon, Cape Blanco, a long level-topped ridge, came in 
sight, of which good views are given in Lord Anson’s voyage. 
We steered towards the land, and at six o’clock were in eigh- 
teen fathoms, the rocky hill at the extremity of the Cape 
bearing S. 10° E. thirteen miles; at seven o'clock, the same 
hill was six miles and a half off, bearing S. 3° E., when we 
observed a line of rippling water, extending from east to as far 
as we could see on the south horizon. The depth was seven- 
teen fathoms, but as we proceeded it gradually decreased to 
twelve and ten, and soon afterwards to seven fathoms, when 
the Beagle was observed to be firmg guns; but whether they 
were intended to warn us of danger, or as signals of her own 
distress, we could not determine, and I hauled to the wind to 
cross where the ripple appeared least violent. In passing 
through it we had not less than seven fathoms, and then it 
deepened to twelve and fifteen fathoms. We had now leisure to 
attend to the Beagle, and soon saw that her signals were only to 
warn us, for she had resumed her course under a press of sail. 
After steering four miles to the S.E., we again found our- 
selves in the midst of ripplings, in which the water shoaled to 
six fathoms. It being then dark, and not knowing how to 
proceed, we shortened sail and brought to the wind, in order 
that if the ship struck it might be with less force; but hap- 
pily we passed on without any further decrease of soundings. 
In going through the ripple, the Adelaide, though deeply 
laden, behaved well. 
Commodore Byron passed over these shoals, which he describes 
as lying at a greater distance from the shore: it was to avoid 
them that we passed so near the land. 
