162 



FORTER S JOURNAL. 



After the Georgiana left us, I proposed to Mr. Adams 

 that he should take two boats and proceed to the large 

 island, for the purpose of making an accurate survey of it, 

 and examining the resources it would afford us. Mr. Adams 

 (whose zeal for promoting geographical and mathematical 

 knowledge does him great honour) grasped at the proposal 

 with avidity, and at four P. M. of the same day, (supplied 

 with a week's provisions, and every necessary for the same 

 period,) he sailed on his voyage of discovery, in a whale- 

 boat belonging to the Essex, and accompanied by midship- 

 man Odenheimer in another belonging to the Montezuma, 

 I directed them to be back to the ship between the fifth 

 and sixth day from their departure, and during this inter- 

 val we occupied ourselves in painting our ship's bends and 

 upper-works, keeping parties every day on shore bringing^ 

 down to the beach tortoises for the ship's company, of 

 which they succeeded in getting on board between four 

 and five hundred. Although the parties on this employ- 

 ment (which were selected every day, to give all an op- 

 portunity of going on shore) indulged themselves in the 

 most ample manner in tortoise meat, (which by them was 

 called Gallipagos mutton,) yet their relish for this food did 

 not seem in the least abated, nor their exertions to get them 

 on board in the least relaxed, for every one appeared desi- 

 rous of securing as large a stock of this provision as possi- 

 ble for the cruise. They were brought the distance of from 

 three to four miles, through thorns and over sharp rocks ; 

 yet it was no uncommon thing for them to make three and 

 four trips a day, each with tortoises weighing from fifty to 

 a hundred weight. We were enabled to procure here, also, 

 in large quantities, an herb in taste much resembling spi- 

 nage, and so called by our people ; likewise various other 

 pot-herbs, and prickly pears in great abundance, which 

 w^ere not only of an excellent flavour, but a sovereign anti- 

 scorbutic. It afforded me great pleasure to observe that 

 they were so much relished by our people. 



The cotton plant was found growing spontaneously, and 

 a tree of a very aromatic flavour and taste, which was no 

 other than the one formerly mentioned, found on the island 

 of Albemarle, and producing in large quantities a resinous 

 substance. This Mr. Adams declared was the alcornoque^ 

 so famous for the cure of consumptions, and is probably 



