214 A HISTORY OF THE WHALE FISHERIES 



of Socoro, Santo Berto, and Rocka Partida. " This 

 was an undertaking that few who had suffered, as I 

 had done, from the yellow fever in the prisons of 

 New Spain, as well as from all the horrors of a 

 rainy season on that coast; and it was very evident 

 that if successful in killing them in the rainy season, 

 it must be much more easily done in the dry 

 season." On the iQth August off Point Angles 

 (Mexico) they encountered a large school of Sperm- 

 aceti Whales, none of which was captured. Here 

 they cruised for sixteen days, killing three whales. 

 The heart of one was cooked in a large " sea-pye," 

 and afforded an excellent meal. On the 4th October 

 they made the coast of California, where they found 

 the " species of whale on this coast is of no value." 



Between Cape Corrientes and the Maria Islands 

 they saw large numbers of Spermaceti Whales, but 

 were again unfortunate, only killing two. On the 

 return journey, near Quibo (January, 1794), they 

 fell in with several Spermaceti Whales, killing four. 

 This induced Colnett to prolong his cruise in this 

 neighbourhood until the 8th February, but with- 

 out further success. By this time Colnett recognised 

 that his whaling business had definitely failed, 

 largely, it would appear from the unskilfulness of 

 his crew, and he decided to return to the Gallipagos 

 for salt for salting seal skins which he proposed to 

 get at the St Felix and St Ambrose Islands. While 

 at the Gallipagos, however, in April, they saw many 

 Spermaceti Whales, especially young ones. They 

 killed five here, and Colnett believed he had dis- 



