in the Pacific Ocean. 57 



M every place where it was possible for a boat to land. I can 

 say with safety, that the Island of La Plata affords no fresh water, 

 except during heavy rains, which are very uncommon on this 

 coast ; ^nor does it afford wood in sufficient quantities to supply 

 ships. 



This island has been much frequented by the pearl-fishers, and 

 those employed in salting fish. Of this we had sufficient testimony 

 in the large piles of shells of the pearl oysters, as well as consi- 

 derable heaps of salt, and ground cleared away, levelled, and 

 otherwise prepared for drying fish, which are more abundant at 

 this island than any other place I have visited in these seas, and 

 are of the same kind as those found among the GaUipagos. The 

 only birds we found here were boobies, and man-of-war hawks. 

 We saw no seals on or about the island, and only two turtles at 

 some distance from the shore. No animals or their traces were 

 discovered on the shore ; and the aspect of the whole island was the 

 most desolate imaginable. It is about eight miles in circumfer- 

 ence, and offers no advantages whatever, that I could discover, 

 to induce navigators to touch there. Although it is represented 

 to have been a favourite resort for the buccaniers, who stopped 

 there for the purpose of watching the Spanish fleets, I am induced 

 to believe that the want of anchorage would have prevented their 

 using it for that purpose. 



On the 19th, made the island of St, Close, or Deadman's 

 Island. It lies in the mouth of the Bay or Gulf of Guayaquil, and 

 owes its last name to the strong resemblance it bears to a corpse, 

 the head lying to the westward. It is equally desolate in its ap- 

 pearance with the island of La Plata, is about three miles in 

 length, extremely narrow, and is said to have anchorage on the 

 north side. The soundings off this gulf extend out of sight of 

 land, where you have from forty to forty-five fathoms, soft 

 muddy bottom. We all ran in for the river Tumbez, which 

 lies on the south side of the gulf, and anchored in a depth of 

 five fathoms and a half water, soft bottom. 



Soon after anchoring, Captain Randall proceeded to Tumbez, 

 at my request, to sound the governor as to the reception he was 

 disposed to give us, taking with him a handsome present, and an 

 invitation for him to come on board. 



On the 22d, observed Captain Randall's boat crossing the bar 

 of the river, w4th some strangers, and soon afterwards saw one 

 of them dressing himself in uniform. On her coming alongside, 

 was informed that this was the governor of Tumbez, accompanied 

 by the collector of the customs, and an old gentleman who called 

 himself the god-father of the governor, and the governor"'s son. 

 Although the appearance of the whole was as wretched as can 

 ^ Voyages and Travels, No. XLVII. Vol. VIII. i 



