in the Pacific Ocean. 



49 



Island, as did all the prisoners who were acquainted with its 

 appearance ; but they all declared, that although it had some 

 resemblance to that island, they could not recollect the sandy 

 beaches and fine bays with which this appeared indented. As I 

 could not find any correspondence between the position of this 

 and other islands in sight, witli those laid down on Colnet's chart, 

 the only one which has been drawn of the Gallipagos, I felt my- 

 self much staggered in the belief of this being James'; but 

 though it is not unlikely that the want of correspondence might be 

 owing to the general incorrectness of the chart, as we have found 

 it filled with errors, none of the islands being laid down agreeable 

 to their true position : nor are the shores of any of them cor- 

 rectly traced ; and there are also many islands in this group not 

 noticed in his chart. But it is not to be wondered at that Captain 

 Golnet did not make a correct chart of the Gallipagos, as he 

 merely sailed around the group, without passing through it ; and 

 had he even passed, as we have done, twice through them, strong 

 currents and foggy weather would have tended greatly to mislead 

 his judgment, and baffle all calculation as to distance. 



I now bore away for Charles' Island, where I anchored at 

 four P. M., in eight fathoms water, at the distance of one and a 

 half miles of the long sandy beach within the reef, the DeviPs 

 Rock, or Rock Dismal, bearing E. N. and the west point of 

 the island S. W. by S. ; the bottom, however, appeared rocky, and 

 on a closer examination of the harbour, I found we should have 

 lain in deeper water, with much better shelter and bottom, closer 

 in shore. The prizes and Barclay followed us in, and anchored 

 between us and the beach. 



Early in the morning of the third day of our arrival, a sail 

 was discovered to the westward, standing in for the island. I 

 immediately caused preparation to be made for sending the boats 

 after her, as the wind was very light ; but on her nearer ap- 

 proach, when she made her private signal, discovered it to be the 

 Georgiana. Her arrival, although unexpected, gave me much 

 pleasure ; and on Lieutenant Downes coming on board, he in- 

 formed me, that, on doubling the southwest part of the island 

 which we had supposed to be James', he had discovered several 

 other small islands, and had experienced rapid currents, which 

 had put the safety of the ship in jeopardy, as they had swept 

 him very near to a high rock, which lies in a passage of about two 

 miles wide, formed l3y the southwest part of the island and 

 another smaller island. He had felt the same embarrassments as 

 myself with respect to the island, and it was with no little diffi- 

 culty that he extricated himself from the dangers of rocks and 

 breakers, with which he was environed in this unknown navi- 

 gation. After getting clear of them, and finding himself in the 

 Voyages and Travels, No. XLVII. Vol. VIII. h 



