118 A DISCOVERY— INEXCUSABLE BARBARITY. [1823 



CHAPTER IX. 



A Discovery — Inexcusable Barbarity — Hopeless Sufferings and joyful Preserva- 

 tion — Lobos Afuero — Lobos de Terra — Indian Catamarans, and Balzas — River 

 and Town of Tumbes — Pizarro in Peru — Port and Town of Tacames — Nat- 

 ural Productions — Volcanic Mountains — Height of Chimborazo — Cities of Quito 

 and Cuzco — Monuments of ancient Splendour — Walls of the Temple of the 

 Sun still standing — Ruins of the Incas' Palace — Gallapagos Islands — Elephant 

 Tortoises — Island of Juan Fernandez — Natural Productions — Escape of the 

 Convicts — Alexander Selkirk, or Robinson Crusoe. 



While standing in for the island of St. Felix, my attention was ar- 

 rested by the appearance of a flag or signal from the top of the island ; 

 which, on approaching nearer, I concluded to be a sailor's shirt fastened 

 to a pole. In a few minutes afterward the man at the mast-head re- 

 ported that he could distinguish several persons near the signal-pole, 

 making strong gesticulations, as if anxious to attract our attention. 

 The idea of shipwrecked sufferers on a desert island, pleading for 

 succour, now very naturally occurred to our minds, and we lost no time 

 in making a favourable reply to their signals. 



As soon as we had approached sufficiently near the island I hove- 

 to, and ordered the boats to be lowered, manned, and furnished with 

 refreshments of every kind. As soon as these movements were per- 

 ceived by the men on shore, they evinced the most extravagant sensa- 

 tions of joy, which seemed to increase as the boats approached the 

 shore. The interview between these poor fellows and their deliverers 

 was such as might be expected under such circumstances, a brief de- 

 tail of which was soon furnished by the sufferers, in substance as 

 follows : — 



The schooner Francisco, Captain Van Doras, had sailed from Val- 

 paraiso on a sealing voyage, and touched at these islands in the latter 

 part of the month of May, three months previous to our arrival. The 

 captain concluded to leave five of his crew on the island of St. Felix, 

 to take seal-skins, while he proceeded with the vessel to some other 

 place, on the same business. He left with them sufficient water and 

 provisions to last three weeks, pledging himself to be back in a fort- 

 night, and take them off. They went cheerfully to work, and faith- 

 fully performed the duties assigned them for fourteen days, at the ex- 

 piration of which they began to look out for the return of the vessel ; 

 but they looked in vain. Another week elapsed, and they began to 

 grow alarmed. 



Their provisions and water were now nearly all exhausted ; and 

 nothing like a sail could be seen in the circling horizon which bounded 

 the vast waste of waters that surrounded the island. Day after day 

 passed by, and their situation became desperate. The horrid idea of 

 being purposely left here to perish irresistibly fastened itself on their 



