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PORTER'S JOURNAL. 



niards. She was a small brig from Guyaquii, bound to die 

 southward, and could give us no information whatever. 

 In our run we passed near to the islands of Lobos de la 

 Mare, and Lobos de la Terre ; they are two small islands, 

 situated some distance from the continent, and at the dis- 

 tance of five leagues from each other, bearing N. N. W. 

 and S. S. .E. ; they appear to be perfectly destitute of ve- 

 getation, and serve as a residence to an immense number 

 of birds, with which the hills were covered. There can 

 be no doubt that an abundance of seals may be caught on 

 them, as in passing we were surrounded with them, one of 

 which we struck with the harpoon. The sea was here also 

 covered with pelicans, and various other aquatic birds, 

 feeding on the schools of small fish, which were to be seen 

 in great numbers, constantly purs-ued by seals, bonetas, and 

 porpoises ; and such as attempted to escape their ravenous 

 jaws by jumping out of the water, were immediately snap- 

 ped up by the innumerable swarms of birds that were ho- 

 vering over them. 



On our arrival off Ajugia, we had another opportunity of 

 witnessing a similar scene ; and as the water was perfectly 

 smooth and the winds light, we were enabled to examine it 

 more minutely. We discovered the sea boiling violently 

 in many places, and wherever this was the case, vast num- 

 bers of seals, large fish, and birds, were apparently in pur- 

 suit of small fish. On approaching one of these places, 

 the water had so much the appearance of having been put 

 into action by violent currents, opposed by sunken rocks, 

 that I felt some uneasiness, and directed the helm to be put 

 a-weather to avoid it ; however, the next one had the same 

 appearance, and was equally attended by fish. I there- 

 fore 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 

 affect considerably the steerage of the ship. Whether this 

 boiling of the water was occasioned by the vast numbers of 

 seals and large fish which kept constantly darting in among 

 the small fry, which were drawn as it were to a focus, I 

 will not pretend to say. It is possible, however, that 

 whales, or some fish perhaps nearly as large as whales. 



