Mr Scolder's Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. 211 



iieavy surf which beat against the beach. The place where 

 we now were consisted of a low sandy bank which separated 

 a small salt water lake from the sea. Here we found traces of 

 previous visitors, but the most unequivocal and most affecting 

 was the tomb of an American officer. This unassuming crave 

 was only accidentally discovered, as it is concealed from no- 

 tice by a thick bush- wood, cotton trees, and Toumefortice. At 

 the head of the grave was a board painted black, and bearing 

 the following inscription, so honourable to the deceased. " Sa- 

 cred to the memory of John Cowan, lieutenant of the U. S. 

 frigate Essex, who died here September 1818. His memory 

 is lamented by his friends and country, and honoured by his 

 brother officers." * 



On penetrating into the country, we found very few plants, 

 at least few in comparison to what we might expect in such a 

 climate. The abundance and interesting nature of the ani- 

 mals well compensated for the scarcity of plants ; but the 

 heat was so intense, and the moisture of the country so great, 

 that we were unable to preserve many birds and fishes which 

 we thought new or curious. The rocks were covered by 

 pelicans and other web-footed birds watching the fish, and, 

 near the coast, various species of heron were very common. 

 The pelican belonged to the common species, (P. onocrotalus,) 

 but most of them were young individuals. 



In this excursion we trode, for the first time, on volcanic 

 ground, and made our way, with difficulty, through the loose 

 lava, which readily gave way under us, and reminded us of the 

 slag and melted matter in the vicinity of a smelting furnace. 

 Near this place we saw a large column of volcanic matter, si- 

 tuated amidst a stream of lava; its surface was rough and un- 

 even, and in many places deeply excavated — it reached to the 

 height of sixty or seventy feet. During my excursion, I had 

 not the good fortune to see any vestiges of a crater ; but Mr 

 Douglas, who had taken a different route, informed me he 



* This unfortunate gentleman was killed in a duel with one of his fel- 

 low-officers. In another part of the island we saw the remains of a small 

 hut, or rather cave, which had been occupied by a Spaniard, who spent 

 two years on this wretched place, where he had been left by his com 

 panions. 



VOL. V. NO. J I. OCTOB£K 1826. I- 



