body, from its buoyancy and the sea not breaking against it,
would not be readily seen.
On the 4th, being about one hundred miles to the N.E. of
Cape Blanco, I communicated with Captain Stokes, and gave
him directions to proceed to Port Desire for chronometrical
observations, and then follow me immediately to Cape Fair-
weather or Cape Virgins. We had light winds during the
night, so that the Beagle made very little progress. In the
afternoon. Cape Blanco, a long level-topped ridge, came in
sight, of which good views are given in Lord Anson’s voyage.
We steered towards the land, and at six o’clock were in eighteen
fathoms, the rocky hiU at the extremity of the Cape
hearing S. 10° E. thirteen miles; at seven o’clock, the same
hill was six miles and a half off, bearing S. 3°E., when we
observed a line of rippling water, extending from east to as far
as we could see on the south horizon. The depth was seventeen
fathoms, but as we proceeded it gradually decreased to
twelve and ten, and soon afterwards to seven fathoms, when
the Beagle was observed to be firing guns ; but whether they
were intended to warn us of danger, or as signals of her own
distress, we could not determine, and I hauled to the wind to
cross where the ripple appeared least violent. In passing
through it we had not less than seven fathoms, and then it
deepened to twelve and fifteen fathoms. We had now leisure to
attend to the Beagle, and soon saw that her signals were only to
warn us, for she had resumed her course under a press of sail.
After steering four miles to the S.E., we again found ourselves
in the midst of ripplings, in which the water shoaled to
six fathoms. It being then dark, and not knowing how to
proceed, we shortened sail and brought to the wind, in order
that if the ship struck it might be with less force ; but happily
we passed on without any further decrease of soundings.
In going through the ripple, the Adelaide, though deeply
laden, behaved well.
CommodoreByron passed over these shoals, which he describes
as lying at a greater distance from the shore: it was to avoid
them that we passed so near the land.
During the following evening there was a very heavy dew,
the never-failing prognostic of a northerly wind ; the horizon,
also, was very hazy, and the water perfectly smooth. We were
not more than ten miles off shore, yet the land was completely
distorted in appearance by mirage.
Next morning we were very close to the position assigned to
the Bellaco, or St. Estevan’s Shoal, the existence of which has
been very much doubted. It was discovered by theNodales, and
in the diary of their voyage is thus described : “At five o’clock,
or later in the evening, we discovered a rock a-wash (‘ una baxa
que lababa la mar en eUa’) about five leagues from the shore,
more or less. It is a very deceitful rock (‘ Es muy bellaco baxo’),
because it is under water, over which, in fine weather and
smooth water, the sea breaks. We sounded near it, and found
twenty-six fathoms stony bottom. Its latitude is 48)°, according
to our noon observation, and the course and distance we
have since run.”*
The late Don Felipe Bauza, one of the companions of Males-
pina, informed me, that on the voyage of the Descubierta and
Atrevida, their boats were sent to look for it, hut were unsuccessful.
At noon we were in lat. 48° 40' S., long. 66° 6', depth forty-
two fathoms, but without any signs of the Bellaco. Sailing
on, the coast was seen in the neighbourhood of Beachy Head (so
named from its resemblance to the well-known promontory).
Afterwards, Cape Fairweather came in sight, and on the
10th Cape Virgins, which we passed in the evening, and, half
an hour afterwards, rounding Dungeness, we again entered the
Strait of Magalhaens; and anchored near the northern
shore.
In Possession Bay we were detained several days, although
repeated attempts to pass the First Narrow were anxiously
made.
One evening, clouds gathered, and the weather assumed such
a threatening appearance, that I expected to be obliged to run
to sea; but to our surprise, when the cloudy mass seemed on
* Nodales, p. 48.