3 H ' I'If
■iá I fr! ‘
I'l
4 Id
■ 7 | n
il I S | " 7
\ ; i | ¡
11 if
IL ..
100 TOSCA BLANCO BAY. Sept.
Finding this to be the case, I liad a stout hawser ‘ bent’ to the
‘ crown’ of the anchor, and after shortening in cable, tripped
the anchor by the hawser, and then weighed it, uninjured,
without much difficulty.
Along this extent of sea-coast, half way between the currents
in the vicinity of the Plata, and those occasioned by strong
tides near Blanco Bay and the river Negro, we found no current.
AVhether there was a rise of tide it was not easy to ascertain
by the lead-line, when at anchor, from the bottom being
so uneven; and to land was impossible, on account of a furious
surf.
Several kinds of fish were caught at our temporary anchorages,
and noticed carefully by Mr. Darwin. Anchorage is not
a word I should use in this case (where the anchor was only let
go for a short time while the ship’s position could be fixed
with accuracy, and our triangulation carried on in a satisfactory
manner), as it might deceive a stranger to the coast: stopping-
place would be better.
While examining the positions nearest to Blanco Bay, we
had occasional alarms—such as the wind shifting and blowing
strong directly towards the land ; our soundings shoaling suddenly
to three, or less than three fathoms; or thick weather
coming on while a boat was away sounding;—but these are
evei-y-day events in a surveying vessel actively employed.
Near Blanco Bay we found the water greatly discoloured,
and the soundings were not such as to tempt us onwards; however,
it was necessary to proceed. We steered towards a little
hill, which I fancied must be Mount Hermoso,* and soon
after sun-set, on the 5th, anchored in what we afterwards found
to be the roadstead near that hillock, at the head of Blanco
Bay, close to the entrance of Port Belgrano, but divided from
it by a bank.
As the bad apologies for charts of this place, which we possessed
at our first visit, left us as much at a loss as if we had
* Mount Hermoso is but 140 feet above the sea; yet, on this low coast,
it is somewhat remarkable, as beings the only peaked hill close to the
water; and having under it a low cliffy point, the only one thereabouts.
1832. MOUNT HEllMOSO PORT BELGRANO. 101 I ' 3 i i
it
none, I set out with the boats next morning to seek for a passage
into Port Belgrano.*
Our boats were soon stopped by shoal water, and I found,
to my vexation, that the Beagle was anchored at the head of
an inlet, between the shore and a large bank extending far
towards the south-east, and that before going farther west she
must retreat eastward, and look for another passage. This
was an unexpected dilemma ; but our prospect was improved
by the appearance of a small schooner running towards us,
from Port Belgrano, with a Buenos Ayrean (or Argentine) flag
flying.
Very soon she came near enough for our boat to reach her,
and an Englishman came on board, who offered to pilot the
Beagle to a safe anchorage within the port. This was Mr.
Harris, owner of the little schooner in which he sailed, (a resident
at Del Carmen, on the river Negro, and trading thence
along the coast), with whom we had much satisfactory intercourse
duripg the next twelvemonth.
By his advice we weighed anchor, stood across the great
north bank, in very little more water than we drew, until we
got into a channel where there was water enough for any ship,
and a soft muddy bottom : there we hauled up west-north-west,-f-
by his direction, and with a fresh wind sailed rapidly into the
extensive and excellent, though then little known harbour,
called Port Belgrano; and at dusk anchored near the wells
under Anchorstock Hill (or Point Johnson).
To give an idea of the general appearance, or almost disappearance,
of the very low land around this spacious port, I will
mention, that when the Beagle had crossed the north bank,
and hauled up in the fair way. Mount Hermoso was nearly
beneath the horizon ; some bushes on the flat land southward
j
ii
• Often erroneously called Bahia Blanco; a name originally given to
the outer bay, in compliment to General Blanco.
t So constantly did Mr. Harris give this course, on subsequent occasions,
that it became quite a joke; but it is nevertheless a strong corroboration
of what I stated respecting- the general direction of the inlets,
and ridges, or ranges of hills.
1»
til