April 1828. GUAIANECO ISLANDS. 167 
fish. Muscles and limpets were pretty abundant, and the shells 
(Concholepas Peruviana) used by the Magalhaenic tribes as 
drinking cups, were found adhering to the rocks in great 
numbers. 
“Nothing could be worse than the weather we had during 
nine days’ stay here; the wind, in whatever quarter it stood, 
brought thick heavy clouds, which precipitated themselves in 
torrents, or in drizzling rain. We were well sheltered from 
the regular winds ; but many troublesome eddies were caused 
by the surrounding heights, while the passing clouds showed 
that strong and squally north-west winds were prevalent. 
**On the morning of the 24th, we put to sea with a southerly 
breeze. The extent of coast from the eastern part of Port Santa 
Barbara to the outer of the Guaianeco Islands presents several 
inlets running deep into the land ; but it is completely bound 
by rocks and rocky islets, which, with its being generally a lee- 
shore, renders it extremely unsafe to approach. Observing an 
opening between some islets, of which we had taken the bear- 
ing at noon, we stood in to see whether it afforded anchorage ; 
and approaching the extremity of the larger island, proceeded 
along it at the distance of only half a mile, when, after running 
two miles through a labyrinth of rocks and kelp, we were com- 
pelled to haul out, and in doing so scarcely weathered, by a 
ship’s length, the outer islet. Deeming it useless to expend 
further time in the examination of this dangerous portion of 
the gulf, we proceeded towards Cape Tres Montes, its north- 
western headland. 
** At sunset Cape Tres Montes bore N. 25° W.., distant 
eighteen miles. In this point of view the cape makes very 
high and bold; to the eastward of it, land was seen uninter- 
ruptedly as far as the eye could reach. We stood in shore next 
morning, and were then at a loss to know, precisely, which 
was the cape. The highest mountain was the southern pro- 
jection, and has been marked on the chart as Cape Tres 
Montes: but none of the heights, from any point in which 
we saw them, ever appeared as ‘three mounts.’ The land, 
though mountainous, seemed more wooded, and had a less 
