40 



Porter'^s Voyage 



On the 29th of May, 1809, I sail from the enchanted island in 

 the Black Prince, bound to the Marquesas. 



Do not kill the old hen ; she is now sitting, and will soon have 

 chickens. (Signed) FATHERLESS OBERLUS. 



Patrick arrived alone at Guayaquil in his open boat, the rest 

 who sailed with him having perished for want of water, or, as is 

 generally supposed, were put to death by him on his finding 

 the water to grow scarce. From thence he proceeded to Payta, 

 where he wound himself into the affection of a tawny damsel, 

 and prevailed on her to consent to accompany him back to his 

 enchanted island, the beauties of which he no doubt painted in 

 glowjng colours ; but, from his savage appearance^ he was there 

 considered by the police as a suspicious person, and being found 

 under the keel of a small vessel then ready to be launched, and 

 suspected of some improper intentions, he was confined in Payta 

 gaol, in 1810. ^ 



If Patrick should be liberated from durance, and arrive with 

 his love at this enchanting spot, perhaps (when neither he nor 

 the Gallipagos are any longer remembered) some future navi- 

 gator may surprise the world by a discovery of them, and his 

 accounts of the strange people with which they may probably 

 be inhabited. From the source from which they shall have 

 sprung, it does not seem unlikely that they will have one trait 

 in their character which is common to the natives of all the 

 islands in the Pacific, a disposition to appropriate to themselves 

 the property of others. 



We were little prepared to meet our second disappointment, 

 in not finding vessels at Charles' Island, but consoled ourselves 

 with the reflection that we should now soon arrive at Albermarle, 

 and that in Banks' Bay, the general rendezvous, find an ample 

 reward for all our loss of time, sufferings, and disappointments. 

 As we had a fine breeze from the east, I made all sad, steering 

 west from Charles' Island, to make the south head of Albemarle, 

 which was distant from us about forty-five miles, and in the 

 morning found ourselves nearly up with it. I took my boat and 

 proceeded to Essex point, where I arrived in about two hours 

 after leaving the ship, and found in a small bay, behind some 

 rocks which terminate the point, a very good landing, where we 

 went on shore, and to our great surprise and no little alarm, on 

 entering the bushes, found myriads of guanas, of an enormous 

 size and the most hideous appearance imaginable. The rocks 

 forming the cove were also covered with them, and, from their 

 taking to the water very readily, we were induced to believe 

 them a distinct species from those found among the keys of the 

 West Indies. In some spots half an acre of ground would be 



