NORTH WEST COAST OF AMERICA. 43 



at once convinced me that thofe animals we faw at Ker- ^ ^^^^ ^• 

 guelen's Land were really fea elephants, and that we were ^— -x^-— * 

 totally miftaken in calling them fea lions. I have already January. 

 taken notice how very different thefe animals are in their "" *^ '^^' 

 nature, and I now had a moft cciwincing proof of it ; for 

 the elephant was killed with all the eafe imaginable, but at 

 the North point of the bay a number of fea lions were 

 drawn up in a kind of rank on the beach, and difputed 

 our paflage with the greateft ferocity ; far from attacking 

 them, we aded only on the defenlive, and it was not 

 without difficulty we got round the point. 



In the courfe of our walk we found feveral pieces of 

 white wax, and faw a top, fome fpars, and various other 

 pieces of a wreck. I mention this circumftance more par- 

 ticularly, as it may pofTibly throw fome light on the fol- 

 lowing accident. 



Some years ago two Spanifh veffels came round Cape 

 Horn, bound to Buenos Ayres, laden principally with 

 white wax ; one of them arrived fafe, the other has never 

 yet been heard of, but there is too much reafon to fear 

 that fhe was loft on Falkland's Iflands. 



The day being pretty far advanced, I repaired on board 

 my fhip with a determination to put to fea at daylight in 

 the morning, if the weather permitted. 



Having a fine Southerly breeze, at four o'clock in the Monday 23. 

 morning of the 23d we unmoored, and at five weighed 

 and came to fail. We run clear of Ball Ifiand, which is 

 fituated on the Weft fide of the entrance into Swan Ifland 



G 2 Bay, 



