4-4 Porter s Voifage 



at the very bottom, where is the only landing for boats, at a 

 small ravine, having three fathoms water along side of the rocks, 

 which from every side to the middle, gradually deepens to twelve 

 fathoms, and has every where a clear, dark, sandy bottom, free 

 from rocks and every other danger. Vessels should moor here 

 head and stern, and when bound in should keep mid-channel, and 

 choose their distance from the shore and depth of water. But as 

 they may be liable to be deceived from the great height of the 

 hills, it would be advisable to send in a boat to anchor a buoy at 

 the spot where the ship should let go her anchor. We saw here 

 an abundance of fish and green turtle, and on landing found both 

 the sea and land guanas, lizards, a small grey snake, and a variety 

 of birds ; also, trees of a considerable size, which would afford 

 wood for shipping, and among them a species, from which oozed a 

 resinous substance, in very large quantities, dripping from the 

 trunk and limbs. This tree produces a fruit nearly as large as 

 a cherry ; it was then green, and had a very aromatic smell and 

 taste. 



On our return we perceived a little moisture on a flat rock, about 

 half a mile from the mouth of the basin, and with much difficulty I 

 succeeded in landing. This I found to be the watering-place we 

 were in search of. In this rock I found four holes, each about 14r 

 inches square, and from six to seven deep, which had apparently 

 been cut by some person with a pickaxe, for the purpose of catch- 

 ing the water as it dripped from the rocks above. The 

 whole island is a light and thirsty soil, composed entirely 

 of volcanic matter, and probably owes its origin to no distant 

 period, for the volcanic cinders and other appearances lying 

 on every part of the surface, as well as the innumerable 

 craters, and hills composed of ashes and lava, all apparent- 

 ly fresh, and in most parts destitute of verdure, suffi- 

 ciently prove that they have not long been thrown from the 

 bowels of the ocean. These thirsty mountains, like a sponge, 

 soak from the passing clouds the moisture, which serves to keep 

 alive the scanty vegetation scattered over their sides ; but they, 

 permit none of it to escape in springs or streams of water, for the 

 support of animal life. On the side of a rock at this watering- 

 place, we found the names of several English and American ships 

 cut, whose crews had been there ; and but a short distance from 

 thence was erected a hut, built of loose stones, but destitute of a 

 roof. In the neighbourhood of it were scattered, in considerable 

 quantities, the bones and shells of land and sea tortoises. This I 

 afterwards understood was the work of a wretched English sailor, 

 who had been landed there by his captain, destitute of every thing, 

 for having used some insulting language to him. Here he ex- 

 isted near ^ year on land tortoises and guanas, and his sole d^^f 



