BLACK PELICANS. 59 



of the 1 6th, we lay at anchor about half a mile from 

 the shore of the island of San Lorenzo, a bare rough 

 hill, mainly formed, it would seem, of volcanic rock 

 overlaid in places by beds of very modern formation. 

 All naturalists are familiar with the evidence adduced 

 by Darwin, proving the considerable elevation of the 

 island and the adjacent mainland since the period of 

 the Incas, as well as Tschudi's arguments going to 

 show that in more recent times there has been a 

 period of subsidence. 



Of the objects near at hand the most interesting 

 were the large black pelicans which in great numbers 

 frequent the bay or harbour of Callao, attracted, no 

 doubt, by the offal abundantly supplied from the town 

 and the shipping. Seemingly indefatigable and in- 

 satiable, these birds continued for hours to circle in 

 long sweeping curves over the water, swooping down 

 on any object that attracted their appetite. The body 

 appears to be somewhat slighter than that of the 

 white pelican of the East, but the breadth of wing 

 and length of the neck are about the same. When 

 on the wing the plumage appears to be black, but in 

 truth it is of a dark bluish slate colour. 



Our detention in quarantine might have been pro- 

 longed but for the fortunate circumstance that the 

 contents of the mail-bags carried by the Islay were at 

 this moment the object of anxious curiosity to the 

 Chilian authorities, and to the representatives of foreign 

 powers. The position of affairs was already sufficiently 

 critical, and the attitude recently assumed by the 

 Government of the United States had added a new 

 element of uncertainty to the existing difficulties. 



