BAY OF SAN MIGUEL. 



361 



places where it was practicable to run in, and he 

 was afraid to make the attempt. 



Our plan was to disembark at the rancho of Don 

 Vicente Albino, and the patron did not know 

 where it was. It was too late to look for it, and, 

 saihng along till he saw a passage among the reefs, 

 he laid the old canoa into it, and then threw out the 

 big stone, but at some distance from the shore. On' 

 the outer reef was the wreck of a brig ; her naked 

 ribs were above the water, and the fate of her mar- 

 iners no one knew. 



The next morning, after some hours spent in 

 groping about, we discovered the rancho of Don 

 Vicente, distant about three miles. Here we en- 

 countered a strong current of perhaps four miles an 

 hour ; and, taking the wind close hauled, in a Httle 

 while found that El Sol was not hkely to have a 

 very brilliant career that day. At length we went 

 close in, furled sails, and betook ourselves to poles, 

 by means of which, after two hours' hard work, we 

 reached the httle Bay of San Miguel, on which stood 

 the rancho of Don Vicente. The clearing around 

 it was the only one on the island, all the rest being 

 thick woods. This bay had a sandy beach ex- 

 tending some distance to a rocky point, but even 

 here the water was discoloured by sunken reefs. 

 In the case of a norther it was an unsafe anchor- 

 age ground ; El Sol would be driven upon the rocks, 

 and the captain wished to leave us on shore, and go 

 in search of a better harbour; but to this we object- 



VoL. IL— Z z 31 



