IN THE PACIFIC. 267 



start, taking the native as a guide, when I 

 bagged a fine deer, and Ricketts wounded, but 

 lost another. We slept at the ranch that night, 

 and hunted again the next day, but without suc- 

 cess, although we saw several splendid bucks ; 

 and the coaling being completed, we returned on 

 board. The coal which we obtained here was 

 anthracite, from Philadelphia, a description not 

 suited to our furnaces ; the result was, that 

 when we tried to steam out of the harbour, we 

 were unable to do so, and had to anchor again ; 

 but when once it was well alight, it burnt so 

 furiously that there was no getting it to burn 

 out, and we steamed for several hours without 

 putting fresh coal on the fire. 



Passing by the Island of Espritu- Santo, we 

 anchored the following day on the north-west 

 side of the Island of San Joseph. 



This island is barren and mountainous, like 

 the adjacent coast, from which it is separated 

 by a channel from three to four miles 

 wide. Abreast of where we anchored was a 

 salt-water lagoon, abounding in turtle and fish 



