m the Pacific Ocmn. 



suid the winds light, we were enabled to examine it more mi- 

 nutely. We discovered the sea boiling violently in many places^ 

 and wherever this was the case, vast numbers of seals, large fish, 

 and birds, were apparently in pursuit of small fish. On ap- 

 proaching one of these places, the water had so much the appear- 

 ance of having been put into action by violent currents, opposed / 

 by sunken rocks, that I felt some uneasiness, and directed tlie 

 helm to be put a- weather to avoid it ; however, the next one had 

 the same appearance, and was equally attended with fish. I 

 therefore steered close to it, and saw that in the centre of the 

 agitated spot (which bore the appearance of water boiling in a 

 pot) were myriads of small fish, collected together, and appeared 

 as though it were impossible for them to escape from this violent 

 whirlpool, which was so powerful as to effect considerably the 

 steerage of the ship. Whether this boiling of the v/ater was occa- 

 sioned by the vast numbers of seals and large fish which kept con- 

 stantly darting in among the small fry, which were drawn as it 

 were to a focus, I will not pretend to say. It is possible, how- 

 ever, that whales, or some fish perhaps nearly as large as whales, 

 which did not show themselves above the surface, might also 

 have been concerned in the pursuit, and occasioned the agitation 

 that so much surprised us ; for I cannot think it possible that the 

 seals and bonetas, numerous as they were, could have produced 

 so violent a commotion. 



A breeze springing up, we stood away for Payta, with a view 

 of looking into that port. The weather at sunrise was hazy, and 

 prevented us for some time from seeing the saddle of Payta, 

 which is a remarkable irregular mountain to the south of Payta, 

 and when once seen cannot be mistaken, the highest part making 

 something like a saddle, and running away to a low point to th 

 northward, which is the point forming the harbour of Payta. As 

 we stood in shore we discovered two small sail coming out, and 

 as we approached them were at a loss to know what to make of 

 them ; but at last discovered them to be rafts or catamarans, 

 steering by the wind, having each six men to work tliem. I had 

 at first believed them to be fishing rafts from Payta, but was 

 surprised they should have ventured so great a distance from the 

 land, as we were, when we spoke them, about seven leagues off 

 shore, and was induced, from their strange appearance, to visit 

 them. On going along side, I learnt, to my astonishment, that 

 they were from Guayaquil, with cargoes of cocoa, bound to 

 Guacho, a port to leeward of Lima, and had already been out 

 thirty days. They were destitute of water, and had no other 

 provisions on board than a few rotten plantains. We, how- 

 ever, perceived a number of fish bones and pieces of fish scattered 

 about the rafts, which induced us to believe that they were ena- 



VoYASES and Travfj-s, No. XLVII. Vol. VIII. f 



