iill
d istin g u ish in g m a rk ; and n’lien n ea r enough the rock o f Q u e b ra Ollas will be seen lying
off th e N. W . end o f th e peninsula. A bout one tld rd o f th e way betwe en Q u eb ra Ollas
an d S ain t Vincent's Bay, th ere is a larg e rock called th e S u g ar Loaf. A ll this coast is bold,
an d may be sailed along a t a mile and h a lf distance. Q u e b ra Ollas rock lies tlie fa rth est
off shore, an d is d ista n t exa ctly one mile and a q u a rte r from th e cliff; it may be rounded
a t a q u a rte r o f a mile distance, if necessary, b u t notiiing can go within it.
H a v in g passed Q u e b ra Ollas, steer to th e eastward, in order to ro u n d Pujaros Ninos as
closely as possible, an d immediately haul to the wind (supposing it from the southward), fo r a
long b e a t up to tlie ancliorage. T h e r e are two passages into Conception, b u t tlie e a ste rn is
th e only one in use. On th e ea ste rn shore o f this cliannel th e re is no liidden danger, until
n e a r P u n ta P a ra and L irq u e n , when care m u st be taken o f tlie P a ra Reef, th e P en co Shoal,
and th e fiat o f Rogiian. W h e n n e a r th e two la tte r th e southern head o f S ain t V in cen t’s
Bay comes open with Talc ah u an a He ad , it will he time to go round ; an d it is n o t advisable
a t a n y time to open th e northern cape o f Saint Vincent’s Bay, distinguished by a tuft o f trees
upon it, with Ta lc ah u an a He ad. T h e se two land-marks a little open, and th e pointed rock
a t th e south ex trem ity o f Q u iriq u in a a little open with P o in t Garzos, th e N . E . extremity of
th e peninsula, will p u t you on a two and a h a lf fathom slioal. Tlie re is a safe cliannel all round
tills sh o a l: b u t ships can have no necessity for going to th e southward or eastward o f it.
On th e Quiriqrirna side o f th e cliannel avoid th e Aloe shoal (situated one-sixtli o f a
mile oif th e first bluff to th e northward o f th e low sandy p o in t), by k ee p in g the north-west
bluff o f Espinosa ridge open a sail’s-breadth (5°) with Talcalmaiia H e a d » , and do not stand
into th e bay betwe en th e Aloe slioal an d th e sandy p oint. T h e low sandy p oint, P u n ta
Arena, may be approached witliin th ree hundred yards, afte r which it is advisable n o t to simt
in Espinosa Bluff witli Talc aliuana He ad, b o th mentioned b e fo re ; for altiiougir tliere is a
wide cliannel betwe en th e Belen Ban k and F ro n to n R e e f (off th e south end o f Q u iriquina),
ye t, as th e re are no good cross marks for th e shoal, a s tran g e r had b e tte r n o t ru n th e risk,
p a rtic u la rly as tlie re will be found ample space to work between this line an d th e P a ra Reef.
W h e n th e h u t on Look-out H ill is over tlie N. W . ex trem ity of Ta lc ah u an a village and the
F o rt S . Jo a bears W . by S. J S. the Belen is p a s t f , and tlie anchorage may be safely approached
by a p ro p e r a tten tio n to tlie lead. Be careful to avoid d rifting down upon tlie
Belen, either in b rin g in g up in squally weatlier, or in c a stin g ; and remember th a t on
approaching it th e soundings are no g uide, as it has eig h t fathoms close to it. T h e re is no
passage inside the shoal for ships, ex c ep t in case o f u rg e n t necessity. Tlie fe is no good land-
mark for th e cliannel.
M en o f war anchor in six or eiglit fa thoms; F o r t St. A u g u stin e S. 45° W ., tru e ; F o rt
Galvez, N. 67° W .. t r u e ; Talc ah u an a He ad, S, 7° 30'. W ., true. Merch an t vessels usually go
quite close in shore, between tlie Shag Rock, a flat rock n e a r the anchorage, and F o rt Galvez,
and anclior in th ree or four fa th om s; in doing this, u n til tlie Sliag Rock is passed, k e e l
a red mark , which will be seen upon a liill soutli of Espinosa R id g e , open witli Talcahuana
He ad. A good berth will be found in three fathoms’ mud, close off the tow n ; tiie eastern
• These ate two remarkable bluffs situated to the left of Talcalmaiia, Espinosa being the furthest inland.
t This mark, it must be remembered, carries you well clear of llio Belen, nnd in bringing them on, take
care not to slloot too far over toward Talcahuana Head, orto shoal the water on that side to less than five fathoms.
slope o f Espinosa H ill in one with Talc ah u an a He ad. A t Taic aiiuana moor open hawse
to th e n o rth -e a s tw a rd ; b u t m an y th in k this unnecessary, as th e holding g ro u n d is so ex-
cellent, that it is sufficient to steady th e ship with a stream.
Should it happen by a n y accident th a t ships, afte r having passed Q u e b ra Ollas, should
n o t be able to weather P ajaros Ninos (supposing th e wind to be from th e n o rthwa rd), or
should be set upon the n orthern shore of Talc ahuana Peninsula , off which lie sca tte red rocks,
th e y may ru n through th e channel betwe en Q u iriq u in a and th e peninsula. In doing this it
is safest to keep close over on the island side, b u t n o t in less th an seven fathoms water.
O n the opposite shore a re e f ex te n d s, eastward from the Bu ey Rock, to th e distance o f seven
or eig h t hundred yards from the foot o f the cliffs; th e mark for clearing it is F o rt St.
Augustine, open with all the capes of Talc ah u an a P e n in s u la : b u t this d an g e r will gene rally
show itself, except the wa te r be p a rticula rly smooth, as th ere is a small rock n ea r its outer
edge which dries a t half tide *.
Ha v in g passed th e B u ey Rock, haul a little to the westward to avoid a re e f o ffth e S.AV.
ex trem ity of Quiriquina, and be careful not to stand in to eith e r of th e sandy bays of Q u iriquina,
between this point and th e range of cliffs to th e northward of it, or towards the
peninsula, so as to brin g th e Bu ey Ro ck to b ea r to th e eastward o f N., tru e, un til you have
advanced full h a lf a mile to th e southward, when th e lead will serve as a guide. I f it be
found necessary to anchor, haul into Tombez Bay in tlie peninsula, an d brin g up in seven
or eig h t fathoms’ mud. T h is is the northernmost b ay, an d may be known b y several huts
and a large storehouse. AATen through, give the S. and S. AAA points o f Qu iriq u in a a berth
o f h a lf a mile, and having passed them, steer over towards L irq u e n , u n til the two heads
(Espinosa and Talc ahuana ) are o p e n ; th en pursue th e directions before given.
I f vessels p u t into Conception for supplies, the anchorage of Talc ahuana is unquestionably
th e best, on account of bein g n ea r th e town ; b u t if wood and wa te r only be required,
or i f it be for the purpose o f avoiding bad weather from th e northward, &c., th e anchorage
u nder the sandy point o f Qu iriq u in a will be found very c o n v e n ie n t: it is in m an y respects
be tte r sheltered than Talcahuana, p a rticula rly from tlic n o rtherly, north-westerlj", and no rth easterly
winds. T h e dep th is twelve fathoms, the bottom a blue clay, an d th e marks for the
anchorage south point of Fronton S. 76° 20' AV., t r u e ; P u n ta A ren a N. 45° E ., t r u e ; oiie-
sixth of a mile off sh o re ; th e sandy point bein g shut in with P o in t Da rca , and th e south
end o f Quiriquina in one witli a h u t which will be seen in a sandy bay in the peninsula.
On rounding the sandy point (P u n ta de Aren a), which may be done qu ite close, clew all
up, and the ship will shoot into a good berth. AVood may be procured a t th e island a t a
cheaper ra te than a t Talc ahuana , and several streams o f w a te r empty themselves into the
bay to th e northward of the point.
T h e common supplies o f Talc ah u an a are wood, wa te r, fresh beef, live stock, flour, and
a bad sort of coal. AA e found stock o f all kinds dear, and paid the following prices:
for a bullock, twenty-nine dollars; sheep, th ree dollars; fowls, th ree reals each, or four and
a h a lf dollars a dozen; nine dollars p e r ton for coal, althougli we d ug it ourselves.
I t is high water, full and change, a t Talc ahuana a t 3h. 20m . ; and th e tide rises six feet
seven inches; hut this is influenced by tbe winds.
* The narrowest distance betiTeen this rock and the reef on Qim-iquina sides is exactly half a njile.;.