March 18S8. santa lucia — madre de digs. 



157 



which proved to be that (Beagle Island) of which Lieut. Sky- 

 ring and I took the bearing last year, when we were on the 

 summit of Cape Victory. 



" Northward of Cape Victory the land forms a deep bight^ 

 of which Cape Santa Lucia is the north-eastern headland. The 

 coast in the interval is exceedingly rugged and mountainous^ 

 Cape Santa Lucia may be distinguished by a portion of flat 

 table-land, about one-third of the altitude of the mountain 

 from which it proceeds, and terminating at its outer face with 

 a perpendicular precipice. 



" The coast between Capes Isabel and Santa Lucia is dan- 

 gerous to approach nearer than ten miles, for there are within 

 that distance many sunken rocks, on which the sea only occa- 

 sionally breaks. Some of these breakers were seen to seaward 

 of us, as we proceeded along the coast, at the distance of five 

 or six miles. When off Santa Lucia, whales were very numer- 

 ous around us. 



" The general aspect of this portion of the coast is similar to 

 that of the most dreary parts of the Magalhaenic regions : bare, 

 rugged, rocky, and mountainous, intersected by inlets, and 

 bordered by islets, rocks, and breakers. 



The information we possessed respecting the prevalent 

 winds on this coast was very scanty ; yet, since all we could 

 procure represented them as prevailing from the northward and 

 north-westward, I considered it advisable to take advantag-e of 

 the present southerly wind to proceed to the northern part of 

 the coast assigned for our survey, instead of stopping to explore 

 the bight between Cape Isabel and Cape Santa Lucia. 



" From the bearings at sunset,* we ran along the land with 

 bright moonlight, sounding every hour ; and at daylight were 

 about ten miles from the Island of Madre de Dies. 



"We closed the land and proceeded to the northward, keep- 

 ing at a distance of about three miles off shore, sounding 



* Beag-le Island N. 71°. E., Cape Isabel N. 32°. E., a remarkable moun- 

 tain in the bight between Cape Santa Lucia and Cape Isabel N. 11°. W. 

 Cape Santa Lucia N. 33°. W. ; distance olf shore three leag'ues ; and 

 soundings fifty fathoms, sandy bottom. 



