1825, JANUARY APRIL. AT SEA 55 



1825. 



We passed along the eastern side of Chatham Island, and on to James' 

 Island, thirty-seven miles further to the west. The whole of these islands 

 are mountainous and volcanic, with numerous vestiges of volcanoes to be 

 seen, and in many places covered with lava. The verdure is scanty compared 

 with tropical countries, arising no doubt from the uniformity of soil, 

 more especially from the parched ground and nearly total want of springs. 

 The birds are exceedingly numerous, and so little acquainted with 

 man's devices that the smaller ones we killed with sticks. A species 

 of Eock Cod was taken in great abundance near to the steep rocks on 

 the north-east side of the bay, without any bait, and so voracious were 

 the sharks that they kept biting the points of the oars as they 

 left the water. The woods teemed with land tortoise of prodigious 

 size. The sandy part of the shore was slated 1 with turtle ; we took in 

 one day thirteen in the water while they were performing their sacrifices 

 to Venus. They are powerful. 



Of the many plants and choice collection of birds I had prepared 

 with no ordinary care, I lost, I may say, all, in consequence of the 

 almost incessant rains for twelve days after leaving the island, not being 

 sufficiently dry to pack away. Nothing did I regret so much as a new 

 species of Lacerta, 20 to 30 inches long, of a dark orange colour, a rough 

 warty skin, and which made good soup. 



We then proceeded towards the Columbia. A few degrees north 

 of the Equator we were becalmed for nearly ten days, but we found 

 a powerful current which carried us 10 to the westward from forty- 

 five to forty-six miles a day. The remainder of our voyage within the 

 tropics was attended with lightning in the evenings, variable winds, 

 and frequent rains. 



In the latitude of 34 N., long. 130 W., I caught an undescribed 

 species of Diomedea, akin to D. fuliginosa, but a less powerful bird. 

 D. exulans found in the higher latitudes in the Pacific is a much smaller 

 bird than that found in the Southern hemisphere, and will on comparison 

 prove a distinct bird. On February 12th we were in the latitude of the 

 river, long. 136 W., but the weather was so terribly boisterous, with 

 such a dreadfully heavy sea, that we were obliged to lay to, day after day, 

 till April 1st. During this period we endured a thousandfold more 

 bad weather than on all our voyage. At the beginning of the month 

 the weather became a little inviting, and we drew in to the land. On 

 Sunday the 3rd, at daybreak, Cape Disappointment was seen at twenty- 

 eight miles distant. With a fine breeze we came close in with the shore, 

 when a violent westerly blast obliged us to again run to sea. No channel 

 whatever could be seen, only the water breaking furiously the whole breadth 

 of its bar. The following Thursday (7th) the wind again moderated, 

 and we made a second attempt. At 6 A.M. we were only forty miles distant 

 when all sail was set, and, the breeze improving as the day advanced, 

 we had the pleasure of entering in perfect safety this dangerous place, 

 1 Probably meaning ' as close together as the slates on a roof.' ED. 



