18 ME. H. N. EIDLET ON THE 



even this portion of the fauna and flora was introduced previously 

 to the deposition of the basalt over the masses of phonolite, 

 which form as it were the skeleton outline of the island. 



I cannot find any recorded observations of the flow of a current 

 in the sea now from the direction of the West Indies ; on the 

 contrary, the current marked on the maps, and which was cer- 

 tainly during our visit throwing up fleets of Velellas, Physalias, 

 Algse, and other marine drift, was flowing from the south. No 

 Pliysalias or Velellas, nor anything of the kind was to be found 

 on the north side of the group, although the former at least 

 were very plentiful in the open sea to the north. It is true that 

 we did find some pieces of rotten timber on the north side of 

 the island at the foot of the cliffs of the Sapate, but they may 

 have been, aud I think were, portions of the mast of a ship. 

 They were buried under debris from the cliff and quite decom- 

 posed. And, again, I should add that during our visit the wind 

 blew from the south, while we were informed that at other 

 seasons it blew strongly from the north. 



Published Accounts of the Island. 



The earliest account is that by Amerigo Vespucci, mentioned 

 above. The next which I have been able to find embodying any 

 notes on natural history is that published by Juan and Ulloa in 

 their Voyage to South America. These travellers arrived there 

 on their way north from Cape Horn on May 21, 1744. They 

 describe the island as very barren, from want of rain, saying that 

 previous to their visit there had been no rain for two years. 

 However, it must be remembered that the time of their visit was 

 not long after the end of the normal dry season. They mention 

 abundance of fish, including lampreys aud morenos {MurcBtia), 

 and describe a fish called a cope. 



In the account of the voyage of the ' Chanticleer,' under 

 Capt. Henry Foster, Mr. Webster, in vol. ii. pp. 326-339 of 

 his narrative of the Voyage, gives a very good account of the 

 geology, and some remarks on the botany and zoology. Even at 

 that time there were few large trees on the island, the commonest 

 being the " Bara." He mentions the Jatroplia, Cassia occiden- 

 talism C.falcata, and several species of Indir/ofera. The laro-est 

 trees on the island were the " Erythrina exaltata." " The 

 Acacias are the graces of the woods, and cast a sweet perfume 

 around." By these I conclude he alludes to Acacia Farnesiana, 



