408 HISTORY AND METHODS OP THE FISHERIES. 



Concerning the voyage of the ship Eliza to China with skins from Mas-a-Fuera, Captain Delano 

 says : 



"The first ship that came to Mas a-Fuera for the purpose of procuring seals for the Chinese 

 market was the Eliza, Capt. William R. Stewart, which I took command of on her arrival at Can- 

 ton, in the year 1793. She had been a long time on her voyage. Captain Palmer, who started from 

 the United States with her, had left her previous to her arrival in China. Captain Stewart wished 

 to find a market for his skins, and after I became acquainted with him we concluded to go to 

 Canton together, leaving his ship in the harbor of Larksbay. I had come to Macao for the pur- 

 pose of getting a passage home to America, and thought the Eliza would afford me one opportunely. 

 It was in March when we were in Canton. * * * The price of seal-skins was very low at this 

 time, and Stewart was not able to raise funds enough to load his ship on his own account, although 

 she was small. He therefore took a freight of sugar for Ostend, in Flanders. * * * Having 

 agreed for a freight, Captain Stewart ordered his ship to Canton. He sold his cargo of seal-skins, 

 38,000, for only $16,000, so reduced was the price of this article." 



Concerning the abundance of fur-seals on the island of Juan Fernandez in 1683, Dampier thus 

 writes in his work, entitled "A New Voyage Round the World," published in 1703 : il Seals swarm 

 as thick about this Island of John Fernando as if they had no other place in the World to live in ; 

 for there is not a Bay nor Rock that one can get ashoar on, but is full of them. * * * These at 

 John Fernando's have fine thick short Purr; the like I have not taken notice of any where but in 

 these Seas. Here are always thousands, I might say possibly millions of them, either sitting on 

 the Bays, or going and coming in the Sea round the Island, which is covered with them (as they lie 

 at the top of the Water playing and sunning themselves) for a mile or two from the shore. When 

 they come out of the Sea they bleat like Sheep for their young, and though they pass through 

 hundreds of other's young ones before they come to their own, yet they will not suffer any of them 

 to suck. The young ones are like Puppies and lie much ashoar, but when beaten by any of us, 

 they, as well as the old ones, will make towards the Sea and swim very swift and nimble ; tho' 

 on shoar they lie very sluggishly, and will not go out of our way unless we beat them, but snap 

 at us. A blow on the Nose soon kills them. Large Ships might here load themselves with Seal 

 Skins and Trayne oyl ; for they are extraordinary fat." 



Captain Scammon states that the sealing fleet off the coast of Chili in 1801 numbered thirty 

 vessels, many of them ships of the larger class, and nearly all carried the American flag. 



" The two islands discovered by Juan Fernandez in 1563," says Captain Morrell, " are about 

 110 leagues from the continent, bearing nearly west by south from Valparaiso. The largest of the 

 two, or Robinson Crusoe's Island, is nearest to the main, and is therefore called by the Spaniards 

 Mas-a tierra, or 'near the land,' while the other, which lies 3 leagues farther west, is termed in 

 the Spanish language Mas-a-Fuera, signifying ' farther off,' or more remote. Juan Fernandez, or 

 Robinson Crusoe's island, is in latitude 33 40' south, longitude 78 58' west, being 90 miles east- 

 ward of Mas-a-Fuera, which is in latitude 33 46' south, longitude 30 38' west. The former island, 

 which is of very irregular shape, about 10 miles long and 5 wide, was formerly frequented by fur 

 and hair seals, bnt as early as 1824 these animals had found some other place of resort, though no 

 cause has been assigned for the change. Mas-a-Fuera is of circular form, and about 20 miles in cir- 

 cumference. Its surface is well covered with wood, and is generally very fertile, although it has evi- 

 dently suffered from frequent volcanic eruption. This island has been celebrated for the immense 

 numbers of seals which have been found on its shores. From 1793 to 1807 there were constantly 

 more or less ships' crews stationed here for the purpose of taking fur-seal skins, a part of which 

 time there were from twelve to fifteen crews on shore at the same time, American and English." 



