[35] WORK OF STEAMER ALBATROSS. 405 



Leaving Wreck Bay on the morning of the 7th, we steamed to Hood 

 Island, anchoring at 10 a. m. in Gardner's Bay. The naturalists, with 

 large parties of volunteers, spent the day on shore, and added many 

 specimens to our collection. Birds, lizards, and hair seals were found 

 on the island, while several species of fish were taken by parties on 

 board. The anchorage was infested with small sharks, which were taken 

 by the dozens until the fishermen tired of the sport. 



Hood Island is low compared with others of the group, its surface 

 being covered with masses of broken lava rock. A little soil has formed 

 between the blocks, in which bushes of various kinds find root, and, 

 during the season of rains, lend a rich green hue to the otherwise 

 barren surface. It is wholly devoid of fresh water during the dry sea- 

 son, and has no commercial value. Gardner's Bay is a good anchor- 

 age in the fine weather that usually prevails, but is open to northerly 

 and westerly winds. 



At 5.08 p. m. we got under way and made two hauls with the dredge 

 over a rough bottom, then one with the tangles, and finally the small 

 beam-trawl was lowered, but came up a wreck. The submarine electric 

 light was used for surface collecting during the evening. A sounding 

 was made in 286 fathoms, fine gray sand, latitude 1° 23' S., longitude 

 89° 58' W.; another in 191 fathoms, latitude 1° 25' S., longitude 90° 07' 

 W., and at 7.47 on the morning of the 8th we anchored in Black Beach 

 Eoad in 11 fathoms, saud. 



This anchorage is an open bay, but, being on the west (or lee) side of 

 Charles Island, affords good shelter from the trades, which blow most 

 of the year. It is the sea-port of what was at one time a flourishing 

 settlement, now abandoned, and derives its name from a short stretch 

 of black sand beach lying at the head of the bay, between low cliffs of 

 dark lava rock. To make the anchorage, bring the sand beach to bear 

 east (magnetic), having the highest peak visible on the island a little 

 on the starboard bow, and stand in carefully, anchoring in from 10 to 

 11 fathoms. The bottom is very rocky outside of that depth, and has 

 the reputation of being foul inside. 



The settlement mentioned was a penal colony of Ecuador, established 

 about 1830, and was in a flourishing condition until 1879, or near that 

 time, when the convicts mutinied, murdered those in authority, and 

 seizing the vessels in the harbor put to sea, landing, it is supposed, on 

 the coast of their native country. Buildings, stock, etc., were left un- 

 molested, and at the time of our visit great numbers of cattle, horses, 

 mules, donkeys, sheep, and hogs were running wild. The buildings 

 were falling to ruin, but there was a plentiful supply of fruit on the 

 trees, from which we procured many bushels of oranges and limes, a 

 pleasant addition to our monotonous fare. The distance from the land- 

 ing to the first improvements was about 3 miles, over what had been a 

 good wagon-road. 



The naturalists, with numerous volunteers, were soon on shore, and, 



