'793- perpendicularly into the ocean. From the line of the two outer points-
the fhores of the bay fell back about five miles, they appeared to be much
expofed; and, unlefs the conical rock is connected with the fhores, they
did not feem to form any projecting point, but were compofed o f a
fandy beach, that ftretched from a margin of low land, extending from
the rugged mountains that form the more interior country ; from whence
four fmall ftreams were feen from the mall-head to flow into the bay.
This bay was the firft indent in the fhores to the fouthward of Car-
melo bay, and, according, to the Spanilh charts, is called Los Efleros;
the north point above mentioned is called Ponto del Efleros, which is
placed in Senr- Quadra’s chart only two miles further fouth than the- fitu-
ation of it by our obfervations,; but in the printed chart it is placed
ten miles further fouth, and is reprefented in a different point of view
from that in which it had appeared to us.
T o the fouthward of Ponto del Efleros, the whole exterior country
had a fleril, dreary, unpleafant afpeCl; yet I had underflood that the
Spaniards had fome eflablifhments, in fertile and pleafant fituations, not
far from the fhores of this neighbourhood.. Near the northern parts of
the bay was the miffion of St. Luis, formed in the year 1772, and
about 25 leagues to the north-eaft o f it was another named St. Antonio,
eftablifhed the fame year. The precife fituation o f thefe miflions may
be liable to error, as the information refpefting them was principally
obtained from curfory eonverfation.
The fouth point o f Efleros forms the north-weft extreme o f a con-
fpicuous promontory ; this takes a rounding direction about s. 36: e.,
eight miles, where the coaft retires again to the eaflward, and forms the
northern fide o f an extenfive open bay. This promontory, is named in
the printed chart The Mountain del Buchon, off which* at thediftance
of about 8 leagues, I underftood an ifland had lately been difcovered,
but we law nothing of it. Our view however was very confined, oc-
cafioned by a very thick haze, fometimes approaching to a fog, which
totally prevented our feeing any objeCt further than from 2 to 4 leagues
in any direction; infomuch' that we flood into this bay to the fouthward
of Mount del Buchon, without knowing it to be fuch, until the fouth
point
R O U N D T H E W O R L D .
point difcovered itfelf through the haze, at the diftance of about 3 No^ 3b'cl.
leagues. '-----v '
This not being named in the Spanilh charts, I have, after our friend
the commandant at St. Francifco, called it P o i n t S a l ; and being in
the line of the two points o f this bay, they were found to lie from each
other ”:S‘. 4O5- e . , and N . 40L w . , 20 miles afunder, the neareft part of the
bay bearing byoompafs N . e . , was 5 or 6 miles diflant. As the day was
faft declining, we hauled our wind to preferve our fituation during the
night, with fo ftrong a gale from the N . w . as obliged us to clofe-reef our
topfails-. In the morning, the weather being more moderate and the at-
mofphere more clear, we fleered for point Sal, and had a good opportunity
of feeing the northern fhores of the bay, which like thofe of Efte-
ros, feemed compaCt, without any projecting points that would afford,
fhelter or fecurity for {hipping.
The interior country confifted of lofty barren mountains, in double
and treble ridges, at fome.diftance from the fhore; the intermediate land
defended gradually from their bafe, interfperfed with eminences and
vallies, and terminated on the coaft in fandy beaches, or low white cliffs.
Point Sal, which is a high fteep rocky cliff, projecting from the low
fhore, with a country of fimilar appearance to the fouth of it, is fituated
in latitude 34°-57', longitude 239° 43^', from whence the coaft takes a
direction s. 4 E. nineteen miles, to, another high fteep rocky point projecting
in the like manner, and rifing very abruptly in rugged craggy
cliffs,. This I called Point A rguello ; near it are two or three detached
rocks lying clofe to the fhore ; the coaft between thefe two points
falls a little back to the eaflward. The intermediate fhores and interior
country continued to bear the -fame appearance; the whole was deftitute
of wood, and nearly fo of other vegetable produClions, excepting, near a
rivulet that we palled about nine in the forenoon, fituated from point
Arguello N. 12 e ., at the diftance o f about fix miles. This appeared to-
be the largeft flow of water into the ocean we had yet feen,, excepting-
that of Columbia river; but the breakers that extended acrofs its entrance,
feemed to preclude the poffibility of its being navigable even for,
boats. In the Spanilh charts it is called Rio de St. Balardo.
Ahout