1835. 



MISTAKE ABOUT LEUBU 



471 



explain. A momentary reference to my instructions shows 

 that the Beagle was only expected to " correct the oiitline, and 

 to fix the positions of all the salient points"^ of the coast be- 

 tween Childeand Topocalma (near Valparaiso); and the Beagle's 

 charts of that coast prove that a great deal more was accom- 

 plished than was thought practicable when those instructions 

 were framed. 



Between Cape Tirua opposite Mocha, and Tucapel Head, 

 the shore was laid down on our chart as determined by trian- 

 gulation connected with the ship under sail, her distance from 

 the land varying from one mile to five miles ; and as no river 

 >vas seen thereabouts, nor any break in the coast-line where a 

 river''s mouth could be, our chart contained merely a note, 

 saying, " River Lebo, according to the Spanish chart." Now, 

 the erroneous place of this Lebo (meant for Lelibu) was twenty 

 miles south of the real position, which, shut in behind Tucapel 

 Head, could never have been seen from any vessel sailing 

 past, however near the shore she might have been. The coast-line 

 in the Beagle's chart was proved to be perfectly correct ; but 

 the place of the Lelibu, which could only have been obtained 

 by landing, or having a local pilot on board, was not known ; 

 and not being a navigable river, I did not deem it of suflS- 

 cient consequence to be worth our delaying on an exposed coast, 

 without an anchorage or a landing-place — so far as I then 

 knew— while it was sought for. 



Considering the multiplicity of places the Beagle had to 

 visit subsequently, I often found it necessary to sacrifice such 

 details as seemed to me of least consequence. Every seaman 

 knows how very difficult it is to make out the openings of some 

 small rivers, while he is sailing along a coast little known, and 

 all marine surveyors know that there is seldom any way of 

 making sure of such openings without landing ; or entering 

 them in a boat. I do not say this to excuse neglect — not feeling 

 culpable — but simply to explain how the case stood. 



On each day, when near the land, guns were fired at inter- 

 vals, and sometimes three or four were fired at once; blue 

 * Hydrographer's Memorandum, p. 31. 



