THE ANTARCTIC SEAL FISHERIES. 409 



The islands of Saint Felix, Saiut Ambrose, ami other small islands off the west coast of South 

 America, were of greater or less importance in the early days of the fur-seal fishery. Even as far 

 north as the Galapagos Islands, on the equator, fur-seals were fouud and captured by American 

 sealers. All of those grounds have now been abandoned by the fur-seals. 



In the letters of Ebeu Townseud, of ship Neptune, which are quoted at the close of this chapter, 

 will be found an interesting description of Mas a-Fuera and other seal islands along this coast. 



PITCAIRN ISLAND. 



Among the numerous islands that have been visited-by- American vessels in search of fur- 

 seals is Pitcairn Island, in the South Pacific Ocean, in latitude 25 2' south, and longitude 133 21' 

 west, about 3,000 miles west of South America. It was discovered in 1767 by Carteret, who 

 describes it as not more than 5 miles in circumference, covered with trees, and apparently 

 uninhabited. It received its name in honor of a son of Major Pitcairn, who accompanied the 

 expedition. 



Capt. Mayhew Folger, in the sealing-ship Topaz, of Boston, in February, 1808, visited the 

 island in search of fur-seals. He found no seals, but did find one of the mutinous crew of the 

 English ship Bounty, lost to England for twenty years.* 



The Bounty left England in December, 1787, on an expedition to Otaheite to obtain the 

 bread-fruit tree for the West Indies. There were on board forty four men in all, under command 

 of Lieutenant Bligh. They arrived at Otaheite in October, 1788, and remained there until April, 

 1789, when, having a sufficient quantity of plants, they set sail for the West Indies. On the 28th 

 of April part of the crew mutinied and put Lieutenant Bligh with eighteen others in a boat and set 

 them adrift, while the mutineers, twenty-five in number, took possession of the vessel. The lieu- 

 tenant with eleven of his company reached England after a se ries of adventures. The vessel 

 returned to Otaheite, when a part of the mutineers tarried at Otaheite, while nine of their number 

 took the Bounty and sailed for a more remote place. They arrived at Pitcairn Island on the 21st 

 of September, 1790, and finding some difficulty in landing they ran the vessel on the rocks and 

 destroyed her. They had brought six Otaheitan men and some women with them. 



After a few years' residence on this lonely isle, the Otaheitan men killed all but one of the 

 Englishmen, when the women turned and killed the six Otaheitan men. There was now left a 

 number of women and one man, who lived in peace and seclusion for many years. 



November 19, 1790, the ship Pandora sailed from England in search of the Bounty and her 

 mutinous crew. Ten of the mutineers were found at Otaheite and taken back to England, where 

 they were tried and three were executed, the others being acquitted or pardoned. The party on 

 Pitcairn Island saw no vessel, or at least none landed there until Captain Folger came there in 

 1808. Subseqeuut to that date many vessels have visited the island. 



THE FALKLAND ISLANDS. 



These islands, just prior to the beginning of the present century, were among the most important 

 sealing-grounds in southern seas, but lor many years past no seals have been taken there. They 

 form a group of some two hundred islands about 250 miles northeast of Terra del Fuego, between 

 latitude 51 to 53 south and longitude 57 to 62 west. Only two of them are of any size, East 

 and West Falkland, separated by Falkland Sound. The former of these two islands is 85 miles 

 long by 53 miles broad, and the latter 80 miles long by 40 miles broad. The number of inhabitants 

 there in 1876 was 1,153, who are subjects of Great Britain. The islands were discovered in 1592 by 



' For full details seo Delano's Voyages and Travels, Boston, 1817, pp. 1U-144. 



