To The Northwest Of The Shore
There Are Three Small Islands, Forming Between Them And The Shore A
Narrow Passage Of Shallow Water Closed To The Southwest.
This bay is all
surrounded with hills with few trees, which are mostly laurel and oak,
but at a distance to the west-northwest, is visible a wood of what seems
to be pines.
In the middle of this bay is standing a high farallon with
submerged rocks around it. On the northeast of it there is sufficient
water for anchorage, as is shown on the map. There is no doubt of its
being good anchorage for vessels, provided they have good cables and
anchors, for they are subject to great stress because of the current,
which at this point, cannot be less than four miles an hour[69].
North-northeast of said bay there is a mouth about two miles wide, where
there are four small white rocks, the two north ones with the two south
ones[70] form a channel of nine brazas depth. From this, one passes to
another bay[71] more spacious, the diameter of which is about eight
leagues, its shape a perfect isosceles triangle; its mouth is divided
into two channels, - one, on the side of the southwest coast, turns to
the northwest at about the distance of a mile and ends in two large
harbors which are situated in the same shore at about four league's
distance from the mouth that communicates with the first bay; from the
northwest point of the furthest harbor to the north of it, distant about
one and a half leagues, in turning a point to the west-northwest, a
large body of water[72] is seen, which I did not examine because the
channel which leads to it is extremely limited, its depth not having
three codos[73] of water; from here to the east-northeast follows a
low-lying island, just above the water level, ending in a division made
by the hills[74]. The other channel, which is roomy and deep, runs
directly in a northeast direction till it reaches the division of the
hills through a canon that runs in the same direction.
All the bay, which is called the round bay (Bahia Redondo), though it is
not shaped that way, is surrounded with steep hills, without trees,
excepting two spots on the slopes fronting the two harbors to the
southwest. The rest of it is arid, rugged, and of a melancholic aspect.
Outside of the channels there is in this bay about five codos of water,
and at low tide two and a half, and in some places it is dry. It is not
difficult to enter this bay, but going out will be difficult on account
of the wind from the southwest. After a careful examination of its
shore, I did not find any fresh water or any signs of it. Standing in
the canon, which is to the northeast, there is a channel[75] a mile and
a half wide, deep and clear.
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