28 THE VOYAGE. 



the Straits of Juan de Feuca on July 12. Ke- 

 ference to the track-chart shows how we idled 

 and idled along on the sea, sauntering, rather 

 than sailing ; with a blazing sun right over 

 the masthead, the heat was intolerable, and at- 

 tended with a depressing languor, that forbade 

 all energy, and fairly melted one in body and 

 mind. The only land sighted was a very distant 

 view of the Gallopagos Islands, a mere black look- 

 ing spot on an interminable surface of blue. This 

 group of volcanic islands, so strangely isolated, 

 might have been a monster fish, a phantom ship, 

 or even the great sea-serpent, for anything that 

 could be definitely made out, even aided by a 

 ship's telescope. 



We caught great numbers of dolphins ( Cory- 

 phcena liippuris^ which are far more lovely to 

 the eye than agreeable to the palate, in my esti- 

 mation. This fish, usually from four to five feet 

 in length, is built for rapid passage through the 

 water : the tail, forked like horns, together with 

 the long dorsal fin, reaching from head to tail, 

 enables it to turn with an ease and celerity 

 during even its swiftest transit through the sea. 

 All who have written (in prose or poetry) about 

 the dolphin have attempted a description of its 

 marvellous colouring : to convey, by word-paint- 



