PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 35 



CHAPTER II. 



Leave the Coast of Chili — Visit Sala-y-Gomez — Easter Island — 

 Hostile Reception there — Description of the Inhabitants, Island, 

 &c. — Enter the dangerous Archipelago — Davis' Island — Eliza- 

 beth or Henderson's Island, its singular Formation — See Pit- 

 cairn Island. 



On leaving Valparaiso, my intention was, if pos- 

 sible, to pass within sight of Juan Fernandez, in 

 order to determine its position ; but finding the wind 

 would not allow us to approach sufficiently near 

 even to see it, we kept away for the island of Sala-y- 

 Gomez, and with the view of making this part of 

 the voyage useful, the ship's course was directed 

 between the tracks of Vancouver and Malespina on 

 the south side, and many other navigators on the 

 north, who, engaged in pursuits similar to our own, 

 had run down the parallels of 27° and 28° S. in 

 search of the land discovered by Davis. These pa- 

 rallels, during the summer months, are subject to 

 light and variable airs ; and we, in consequence, 

 made very slow progress, particularly as we ap- 

 proached the meridian of the island, where it be- 

 came necessary to adopt the precaution of lying-to 

 every night, that the object of our search might not 

 be passed unobserved. 



D 2 



