138 



COLOMBIA. 



of Mexico, for which we were bound, and we re- 

 joiced at the prospect of again faUing in with 

 them. Something, however, interfered to alter 

 their plans, for we never had the pleasure of meet- 

 ing them again. 



We finally left the river and the Bay of Guay- 

 aquil on the morning of the 30th of December. It 

 was no small mortification to us not to have seen 

 Chimborazo, the highest mountain of all the 

 Andes. It was covered with clouds, in the most 

 provoking manner, during the whole of the eight 

 days we had been considerably within the distance 

 at which it is easily discernible in clear weather. 



From Guayaquil we stretched ofi^ to the west- 

 ward to the Galapagos, an uninhabited group of 

 volcanic islands, scattered along the equator, at 

 the distance of two hundred leagues from the 

 mainland. 



As this is a place of resort for the South Sea 

 whaling ships, I called there to see whether any 

 assistance was required by that important branch 

 of the British shipping interests. But we fell in 

 with only two ships, at one of the most southern 

 islands of the group ; after which we proceeded 



