PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 37 



imagination might convert into the remains of some chap. 

 miserable vessel whose timbers had there found a ^— y— 

 resting-place. Though several vessels have been 18 25 

 missing in these seas, we have no intelligence of any 

 having been wrecked here. Sala-y-Gomez, when he 

 discovered the island, imagined he found the frame 

 of a vessel upon it, and in all probability the wood 

 which we saw was the same ; but whether it was so 

 or not, our curiosity and desire to land were fully 

 awakened, though we were disappointed by the high 

 breakers which rolled over every part of the shore. 



We remained some time under the lee of the 

 island, narrowly scrutinizing it with our telescopes, 

 but without adding to our information. During 

 this time the ship was surrounded by sharks and 

 bonitos, but none were taken, nor were our fisher- 

 men more fortunate at the bottom. The feathery 

 tribe,* disturbed from their roost, came fearlessly 

 around us ; we shot several, and in the stomach of a 

 pelican a volcanic pebble was found, which some of 

 us conjectured to have been gathered upon the island, 

 and thence inferred its particular formation. 



Sala-y-Gomez, when first seen, has the appearance 

 of three rocks: its direction is N. W. and S. E.; and 

 it is something less than half a mile in length, and a 

 fifth of a mile in width. Some sunken rocks lie off 

 the N.E. and S. E. points: in other directions the 

 island may be approached within a quarter of a 

 mile. N. 50° W. f mile there are soundings; in 

 46 fathoms sand and coral ; and N. 33° W. 1% mile, 

 140 fathoms gray sand. A reference to the geogra- 

 phical table will show the position of the island, and 



* Phaeton ethereus, Pelican us leucocephalus, sterna stolida, and 

 a small dove-coloured tern. 



