April 1828. 



trUAIANECO ISLANDS. 



167 



fish. Muscles and limpets were pretty abundant, and the shells 

 {Co7icholepas 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 Fort 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 



