porter's journal* 



135 



need not be any longer surprised at the different varieties 

 in human nature. 



If Patrick should be hberated from durance, and arrive 

 with his love at this enchanting spot, perhaps (when nei- 

 ther he nor the Galhpagos are any longer remembered) 

 some future navigator may surprise the world by a disco- 

 very of them, and his accounts of the strange people with 

 which they may probably be inhabited. From the source 

 from which they shall have sprung, it does not seem un- 

 likely that they will have one trait in their character which 

 is common to the natives of all the islands in the Pacific, a 

 disposition to appropriate to themselves the property of 

 others. From this circumstance, future speculators may 

 confound their origin with that of all the rest. 



We were little prepared to meet our second disappoint- 

 ment, in not finding vessels at Charles' Island, but consoled 

 ourselves with the reflection that we should now soon ar- 

 rive at Albemarle, and that in Banks' Bay, the general ren- 

 dezvous, find an ample reward for all our loss of time, suf- 

 ferings, and disappointments. As we had a fine breeze from 

 the east, I made all sail, steering west from Charles' Island, 

 to make the south head of Albemarle, which was distant 

 from us about forty-five miles, and in the morning found 

 ourselves nearly up with it. When we had arrived within 

 eight or nine miles of a point, which I have named Point Essex, 

 projecting to the southwest, and lying between Point Chris- 

 topher and Cape Rose, the wind died away. I took my 

 boat and proceeded for the aforesaid point, where I arrived 

 in about two hours after leaving the ship, and found in a 

 small bay, behind some rocks which terminate the point, 

 a very good landing, where we went on shore, and to our 

 great surprise and no little alarm, on entering the bushes, 

 found myriads of guanas, of an enormous size and the most 

 hideous appearance imaginable. The rocks forming the 

 cove were also covered with them, and, from their taking 

 to the water very readily, we were induced to believe them 

 a distinct species from those found among the keys of the 

 West Indies. In some spots a half acre of ground would 

 be so completely covered with them as to appear as though 

 it was impossible for another to get in the space ; they 

 would all keep their eyes fixed constantly on us, and we at 

 fis>)t supposed them prepared to attack us» We soon, ho^) - 



