IN THE PACIFIC. 155 



their wings poised upwards for a few moments 

 to steady themselves ; we only shot a few of 

 these little birds for specimens. In the woods 

 we saw many beautiful varieties of jays, pigeons, 

 and woodpeckers, which we did not molest as 

 we had a good bag, with which we returned on 

 board. 



Having completed our coaling, we left 

 Acapulco and steered for the Gulf of Fonseca, 

 where we had orders to call ; whilst steaming 

 down the coast in a flat calm, we passed great 

 quantities of turtle asleep on the top of the 

 water. I sent away a boat with a clever 

 harpooner to secure some of them, and he 

 returned in about an hour with twenty-two, 

 enough for all hands ; we could have got any 

 number of them, as the sea was dotted with 

 them in all directions, but we could not afford 

 the time. It was very amusing to watch the 

 boat stealthily approach the sleeping victim, 

 sometimes the turtle was asleep with one eye 

 open, and would dive in time to save his bacon, 

 but generally the harpooner was too quick for 



