in ihe Pacific Occcin. 



owing their being deprived of streams of water ; for although it 

 seldom rains on shore, and never at sea here, yet the tops of the 

 mountains are almost constantly covered with thick clouds, great 

 part of the moisture from which, instead of being soaked up by 

 the light and spongy soil of the mountains, would find its way in 

 running streams to the sea, were the islands sufficiently furnished 

 with trees to condense more constantly the atmosphere, and in- 

 terlace their roots to prevent its escape into the bowels of the 

 mountains. 



These islands are all evidently of volcanic production ; every 

 mountain and hill is the crater of an extinguished volcano ; and 

 thousands of smaller fissures, which have burst from their sides, 

 give them the most dreary, desolate, and inhospitable appearance 

 imaginable. The description of one island will answer for all I 

 have yet seen ; they appear unsuited for the residence of man, or 

 any other animal that cannot, like the tortoises, live without food, 

 or draw its subsistence entirely from the sea. 



Lieutenant Downes saw on the rocks with which the bay wa§ 

 in many parts skirted, several seals and pelicans, some of which 

 he killed ; but, on searching diligently the shore, was unable to 

 find any land tortoises, though they no doubt abound in other 

 parts of the island. Doves were seen in great numbers, and were 

 so easily approached, that several of them were knocked over with 

 stones. While our boat was on shore, Captain Randall sent his 

 boat to a small beach in the same bay, about a mile from where 

 our boat landed, and in a short time she returned loaded with 

 fine green turtle, two of which he sent us, and we found them 

 excellent. On the east side of the island there is a landing, 

 which he called Pafs landing ; and this place will probably im- 

 mortalize an Irishman, named Patrick Watkins, who some years 

 since left an English ship, and took up his abode on this island, 

 and built himself a miserable hut, about a mile from the landing 

 called after him, in a valley containing about two acres of ground 

 capable of cultivation, and perhaps the only spot on the island 

 which affords sufficient moisture for the purpose. Here he suc- 

 ceeded in raising potatoes and pumpkins in considerable quantities, 

 which he generally exchanged for rum, or sold for cash. The 

 appearance of this man, from the accounts I have received of 

 him, was the most dreadful that can be imagined ; ragged 

 clothes, scarce sufficient to cover his nakedness, and covered with 

 vermin; his red hair and beard matted, his skin much burnt, 

 from constant exposure to the sun, and so wild and savage in his 

 manner and appearance, that he struck every one with horror. 

 For several years this wretched being lived by himself on this 

 desolate spot, without any apparent desire than that of procuring 

 ^rum in sufficient quantities to keep himself intoxicated, and, at 



