Page:Narrative of a Voyage around the World - 1843.djvu/396

338 valorously repelled by one of our dogs, a mixture of Nootka and Pointer.

In conchology, size made up for deficiency in number, the cardium measuring about six or seven inches.

On the 20th November we reached Cape San Lucas, and succeeded in establishing its position, the ship anchoring about two, in thirteen fathoms sand. They were nearly making a sad mistake after shortening sail, by finding, after the cast ten, that they had no bottom with eighty-eight fathoms, just as they were about to let go the anchor. This shows the necessity of keeping the lead on the bottom, before letting go an anchor. I recollect a corvette losing an anchor and cables, at Teneriffe, by a similar neglect.

After taking in a supply of wood, water, and ten bullocks, surveying the bay, examining the country, and completing our astronomical and magnetic observations, (during twenty-six hours,) we quitted this bay for San Blas, where our stores and provisions were to await our arrival.

The bay of San Lucas offers safe anchorage, and shelter from westerly winds, but is exposed to a very heavy and most dangerous sea from the S. W. The soundings are very irregular, and the anchorage, by reason of its great depth in the centre, is completely on a lee-shore.

At the village, consisting of four houses, inhabited by two Americans and some Californians, water, wood, cattle, cheese, oranges, and pumpkins, were