APPENDIX. 



213 



southward of it is the small cove of Polillao, where there is shelter 

 for small vessels, but the landing is bad : there are two small rocky- 

 islets off the south point of the cove. To the northward of Point 

 Carrisal is the bay of the same name, but it is not fit for vessels ; at 

 the bottom of the bay a heavy surf breaks about half a mile from the 

 shore. The north side of the bay is formed by a rocky point, with 

 outlying rocks and breakers about a quarter of a mile off all sides of 

 it. There is a landing-place in the bay, near the south-east corner, 

 where the rocky coast joins the beach, but in bad weather the surf 

 breaks outside it. 



Nearly one mile to the northward of the north point of Carrisal 

 Bay is the Port of Chaneral ; it is well sheltered from northerly 

 and southerly winds, but the swell sets in heavily from the south- 

 west, which makes the landing bad ; the best is in a small cove on 

 the north side of the port, near the beach at the head of it : there is 

 also a landing-place on the south side, but it is bad when there is 

 any swell. On the beach at the head of the port there is always too 

 much surf to land, except after very fine weather. About four miles 

 and a half to the westward of it is the Island of Chaneral ; it is nearly 

 level, except on the south side, near which there is a remarkable 

 mound with a nipple in the centre of it. There are rocks nearly half 

 a mile from the south point of the island, and one about the same 

 distance ofi" the north-west point. On the north side there is a small 

 cove, where boats can land with the wind from the southward; 

 there is anchorage close off it, but the water is deep. An Ameri- 

 can sealing schooner was lost there a few years ago, from a norther 

 coming on while she was at anchor. 



The land round Chaneral is low, with ridges of low hills running 

 from the points, the tops of which are very rugged and rocky, and 

 the land is sandy and very barren ; the range of high hills is several 

 miles from the shore at this part, but between the range and coast 

 there are several smaller hills rising out of the low land. The vil- 

 lage of Chaneral is about three miles from the port, and is said to 

 consist of about twenty houses. There are no houses near the port. 

 We were told by some of the people that came off", that the only 

 vessel that had ever been here was a small schooner, called the Con- 

 stitucion (our vessel), which had taken a cargo of copper to Huasco. 

 There was a large quantity of copper, said to belong to Mr. Edwards, 

 ready to be embarked. 



