FORTEP.. S JOURNAL. 



143 



vessel, and which he kept off with the stick that served him 

 as a paddle, he succeeded at length in getting along side an 

 American ship early in the morning, where his unexpected 

 arrival not only surprised but alarmed the crew. His ap- 

 pearance was scarcely human ; clothed in the skins of seals, 

 his countenance haggard, thin, and emaciated, his beard 

 and hair long and matted, they supposed him a being from 

 another world. The commander of the vessel where he 

 arrived felt a great sympathy for his sufferings, and deter- 

 mined for the moment to bring to punishment the villain 

 who had, by thus cruelly exposing the life of a fellow-being, 

 violated every principle of humanity ; but from some cause 

 or other he was prevented from carrying into effect his 

 laudable intentions, and to this day the poor sailor has not 

 had justice done him. 



At the landing-place at the head of the basin, we found 

 a bag, which, from its appearance, had been there but 

 a very short time ; also a fresh turtle shell and bones, as 

 well as those of fish, and fresh ashes, where a fire had 

 been kindled. From these traces we knew that some per- 

 sons had been there but a short time before us ; and in 

 searching about we found the leaf of an English political 

 pamphlet, from which we were led to suppose they had 

 heen English. We were in hopes of finding also a bottle 

 containing letters, as it is a frequent practice for vessels en- 

 gaged in the whale trade, to leave them at their stopping- 

 places ; but, after the most diligent search, we were una- 

 ble to find any. In the neighbourhood of this place we 

 killed an enormous sea-lion, and several seals, and in the 

 course of half an hour caught as many fish as the boat could 

 conveniently carry. Every boat belonging to the ship, had 

 they been properly provided with hooks and lines, might 

 have been loaded* There were a great variety, and all of 

 an excellent quality. The sharks proved troublesome to 

 us in taking away hooks, and sometimes snatching the fish 

 from the lines ; but on the whole we were well compensated 

 for the time we spent, and the few hooks we lost, by the ex- 

 cellent repast they afforded. 



Proceeding along shore to the northward of the basin, 

 on a small sandy beach, among some rocks, we saw a num- 

 ber of turtle, which we turned on their backs. A short dis- 

 tance farther to the north, in a small and shallow cove near 



