I
222 Ai'rENDix.
rocks on the points ; the bottom of the bay is low, but the hills rise
a little iiilimd, and the ranges become liigher as they recede from the
coast: the first hill to the eastward is a very remarkable sharp-topped
hill, the sides of which are corered with sand, with two low paps to
the eastward of it. They have had strong northers here for two
days, and sometimes a good deal of sea m the south corner of the
bay; but in the north-east corner, which they call Calderillo, it is
then smooth; they very seldom have hea\y northers. There ai'e
fish to be got in the bay, but only with a net ; in all the ports we
visited we caught none alongside. Near the outer points of the ports
there are rock fish to be caught, but there is always a heavy swell
in such places.
P O I N T CABEZA DE VACA is a remarkable point, about twelve miles
to the northward of Caldera: it has two small hummocks near its
extreme; inside them the land is neaily level for some distance inshore,
where it rises to several low hills, which form the extremity of
a range. Tlie coast between Caldera and the point forms several
small bays, with rocky points between them, oft" all of which tliere
are rocks a short distance : tliere is no danger ivithin a quaiter of
a mile from Pomt Cabeza de Vaca. To the northward of the point
there is a small rocky bay, called Tortoralillo, off the north entrance
point of which there is a reef of rocks, with a high rock at the exti-eme
of it, which extends above a quai'ter of a mile from the shore : about
half a mile to the north-west of this there is a hea\7 breaker when
there is much swell.
To the northward of this the coast is steep and rocky for three or
four miles, with a high range of hills running close to the shore ; then
there is a small cove, called Obispito, with a white rock on the south
potQt of i t ; to the northward of this the land is low and vciy rocky,
with breakers about a quarter of a mile from the shore. About two
miles from the cove there is a point, with a small white islet oft' i t ; to
the northward of which the coast trends to the eastward, and forms
the small cove of Obispo, in w^hich we anchored, but it is not fit for any
vessel. Tliere was a fire on shore in the night, but we saw no ore, and
as the landing was badwedidnotat tempt i t . Tliere is aver j 'high sand
bin, with the summit stony, a httle in-shore of the cove, and to the
northward of it a higher range of stony hiUs rumiing close to the
* For more information respecting- the vicinity of Copiajjo, see pages
229 and 230.
ä
APl'liNDIX.
coast for about sewn miles, where it terminates in low rugged hiUs
a little in-shore of a brown rugged point, with a large white patch
on its extreme, which is an islet, but does not show as one from the
sea. To the northward of this point there is a fine bay, in which
we anchored, and, from a fisherman who came off, learned that it is
FLAMENCO : it is a very good port, well sheltered from southerly
wmds, and better from northerly, as the pomt projects far enough
to prevent a heavy sea gettmg up. The landing is good in the S.E.
corner of the bay, either on the rocks, or on a beach in a smaU cove
m the middle of a latch of rocks, a little more to the northwai-d.
where there are a few huts, in which two brothers, with theh fami-
Hes, were living ; then chief employment was catching and salting
fish, called congre, and drying them to supply Copiapo. In one
day they had caught four hundred. They appeared to live in a
miserable way, in huts made of seal and guanaco skins, much worse
than a Patagonian " toldo" ; the only water they had to drink was
half salt, and some distance from the shore. They sometimes get
guanacoes, that they run down mtli dogs, of which they have a
great number.
The only vessel they had ever seen here, was a slnp which
anchored one night, on her way to Las Anhnas for copper ore, six
years ago ; they described Las Animas as a very bad place, not St for
any vessel, and m consequence no cargo had ever been shipped again,
but taken to Chaneral, which was better, but not so good as Flamenco.
Tliere are no mines so near Flamenco as to Chaneral.
Flamenco may be known by the white patch on the brown
rugged point, to the southward of which, in-shore, there are low
rugged hills, rising to a high range. On the north side of the bay
t h ^ l a n d is very low: the north point is a low rocky pouit, witii a
detached hill rising out of the low land a Uttle in-shore. To the
northward there is another hill very much lilce i t ; in the depth of
the bay the land is very low, and a deep valley runs back bet\veen
two ranges of rugged hills. The hills are aU covered with yellow
sand neax their bases, and to about half way up their sides, the tops
are stony, with a few stunted bushes.
In the bay, to the northward of Flamenco, ui which Las Animas
was said to be, we could see no place fit even for a boat to land; the
whole bay is. rocky, with a few Httle patches of sand, and a heavy
surf was breaking on the shore. The north point of this bay is
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