in the Pacijtc Ocean. 



55 



wished it, to go for their amusement to the other side of the island. 

 No one attempted to desert, or to make his escape ; whenever a 

 gun was fired every man repaired to the beach, and no one was 

 ever missing when the signal was made. 



On the 6th June we were abreast the island of Narborough, 

 and in the afternoon saw a thick column of smoke rising rapidly, 

 as from its centre, ascending to a great height in the air, where 

 it spread off in large white curls, and presented to us a grand and 

 majestic spectacle We soon discovered that one of the numer- 

 ous volcanoes had burst forth ; but there were various opinions 

 as to its situation. Some supposed it to be on Narborough, others 

 to the east of Narborough, and on the island of Albemarle. I was 

 of the latter opinion, which was confirmed next day, wben we 

 had changed our position. At night the whole atmosphere was 

 illuminated by it ; and yet we could perceive neither flames nor 

 sparks thrown out by the crater. I am induced to believe the 

 irruption was of short continuance, as, on the night of the 7th, I 

 could perceive no appearance of it, although our distance, I 

 should have supposed, would have admitted of our seeing it, had 

 it not become extinct. 



The winds now began to freshen from the southeast, and gave 

 us at length some hope of getting from those islands, where we 

 had been so long and unexpectedly delayed by calms and currents. 

 The Spaniards call them the Enchanted Islands, probably from 

 the great difficulty vessels have found in getting from among 

 them. The title seems well applied, and is such a one as I should 

 have felt disposed to give them, had they been destitute of a 

 name. We have been since the 18th April afnong them, and the 

 greatest part of the time making every effort in our power to 

 escape ; and although good fortune in making prizes has well re- 

 warded us for the time we have spent, still I think it not unlikely 

 we should have been equally successful on the coast of Peru, had 

 we been enabled to return there. 



At each end of the longest beach, or landing-place, opposite 

 the anchorage, in Essex Bay, is a deep ravine, formed by the 

 torrents of water which come, during the heavy rains, from the 

 mountains, and are bedded with a hard and porous kind of rock, 

 or lava. We ascended each of those, to the distance of from one 

 and a half to two miles, where we found small hollows, contain- 

 ing, some half a barrel of water, and others more, but seldom 

 any that contained more than six or seven barrels. 



It may also be necessary to describe particularly the route to 

 the springs, in order that it may be found by those who have not 

 been there before. On the west part of the island, about six miles 

 from Essex Bay, is a dark sandy beach, called by the whalers, by way 

 of distinction, the Black Beach, opposite to which is an anchorage 



