434 ST. FRANCIS BAY—DIEGO RAMIREZ. April 1830. 
soundings, does that plan correspond with the place now called 
St. Francis Bay; but it does agree very closely, considering 
the date of its being made, with the part I have mentioned. 
The words Cape Horn may have misled the compiler, as the 
plan does not show any latitude or longitude, and those who 
since visited the place, previously to the Beagle’s arrival, had 
not been in Nassau Bay. 
“ 26th. Another fine day. I went up the peak again and 
obtained the desired angles; but Diego Ramirez appeared 
nearly as distant ‘as when seen from the top of Henderson 
Island. Meanwhile the Beagle was unmoored and got under 
sail. I reached her outside the cove, and stood to seaward ; 
but the day was too fine, there being little or no wind till 
dark, when a light breeze carried us out of the bay. I steered 
for the Diego Ramirez Islands, anxious to profit by the fine 
weather, and examine them more closely. 
“ 27th. The water being smooth, we had a good opportunity 
of taking angles for placing the coast between West Cape and 
Cape Spencer, which completed what was wanting in that part ; 
afterwards, we again steered towards the Diego Ramirez. 
“ 28th. A fine morning with a fresh breeze, just such as we 
desired. Having kept our wind under easy sail during the 
night, we bore up, and, at daylight, ran along the east side of 
the rocky cluster, the wind being from the N.E. We hove-to 
frequently to take angles and soundings, and sailed quite round 
the islands at the average distance of half a mile, and then stood 
away to the northward. They are quite similar to the Ilde- 
fonsos ; the top of a ridge of hills showing above the water, and 
broken through by the sea. The two largest are about two 
hundred feet high, and are covered with tussac: there is a 
shingle beach on one (the second in size), where a boat may be 
hauled up in safety ; and there is enough good water on the 
east side of the same island to supply thirty men. A furious 
surf breaks against the west shore, and sends a spray over the 
whole island. There is no sheltered anchorage for a vessel : 
for though she might bring up in deep water, on the eastern 
side of the group, for a short time, she would even then risk 
