Departure from St. Paul. 319 



haven which would afford substantial facilities for ships, to 

 which, on their voyage to China, Australia, or anywhere in the 

 East Indies, any accident has happened, necessitating complete 

 and speedy repair, or which might require fresh provisions for 

 their crews, stricken with scurvy after a long voyage. For, 

 although the depth of the basin of the crater in the centre is 

 very considerable, and although the squalls of wind from the 

 N.W. are often very violent, the ship can always make fast to 

 the land, and so ensure the requisite security. How far the 

 assistance so cheerfully rendered by science may have been 

 called for, or how far the route at present traversed by sailing 

 vessels makes that assistance desirable, must be left to the 

 judgment of those nations, such as the English, French, and 

 Dutch, which, as having possessions washed by the Indian 

 Ocean, have a direct interest in the future condition of such a 

 harbour of refuge, situate equidistant from Asia, Africa, and 

 Australia. 



The morning after our departure from St. Paul, that is to 

 say, on 7th Dec, we found ourselves not more than ten 

 miles distant from Amsterdam. The first view of the island 

 greatly resembles that of St. Paul, and the hypothesis gained 

 constantly in probability that the geological formation of 

 Amsterdam is nearly identical with that of St. Paul. 



A whaler was cruising in the neighbourhood of the island, 

 while one of his slim whaleboats was pursuing a school of 

 sperm whales, which sported about in great numbers. 

 , Towards 7 a.m., a boat approached from the whaler 



