22 MEMOIR OF 



islands, and made the acquaintance of Dr. Donovan, 

 then president of Tortola, who being himself a 

 scientific man and a botanist, invited him to make 

 his house his head-quarters, and gave every fa- 

 cility in his power to forward his pursuits. In the 

 course of these excursions, Anegada was also visited, 

 the most northern of that group of islands which 

 are known under the name of the Virgin Isles, 

 and the most dangerous to navigators on account 

 of its low situation and extensive coral reefs, which 

 extend many miles in a south-eastern direction. 

 During the short time he remained in Anegada, he 

 witnessed the total wreck of three vessels, and all 

 the accompanying misery ; but the most vivid im- 

 pression was left by the intense human sufioring 

 connected with the loss of the Restanadora, a 

 Spanish slaver, loaded with one hundred and thirty- 

 five Africans, the ablest of whom, chained in the 

 hold when she struck, perished most miserably, 

 and he relates the horror with which he afterwards 

 visited the spot where the ill-fated vessel had sunk 

 and observed the numerous sharks, rockfish, and bara- 

 cuta which the clear and calm sea allowed distinctly 

 to be observed, diving in the hold where the human 

 carcases were still partly chained, to tear their share 

 from the bodies of the unfortunate Africans : and 

 here arose his first desire to contribute, if possible, 

 his share to the prevention of such an occurrence. 

 This turned his thoughts to a new department of 

 science, and on inspecting the existing charts of 

 that dangerous island, he did not consider them 



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