PORTER S JOURNAL. 



163 



the same as that mentioned bj Colnet, and called by him 

 the algarrooa. 



The only quadrupeds found on the island were tortoises, 

 lizards, and a few sea guanas ; the land guana was not to be 

 found. Doves peculiar to these islands, of a small size, 

 and beautiful plumage, were very numerous, and afforded 

 great amusement to the younger part of the crew in killing 

 them with sticks and stones, which was nowise difficultj 

 as they were very tame. The English mocking-bird was 

 also found in great numbers, and a small black bird, with a 

 remarkably short and strong bill, and a shrill note. These 

 were the only birds except aquatic found here ; the latter 

 were not numerous, and consisted of teal, which frequented 

 a lagoon on the east part of the bay, pelicans, boobies, and 

 other birds common to all the islands of these seas. Sea 

 turtles and seals were scarce and shy. 



That every person might be employed to the most ad- 

 vantage, I directed that those having charge of prizes 

 should paint them, and otherwise put them in good order 

 as to appearance, in the expectation that they would bring 

 a higher price among the Spaniards, to whom I intended 

 olTering them for sale the first opportunity. They were 

 noble ships, and a little paint added greatly to the beauty 

 of their appearance. I also recommended to captain Ran- 

 dall to change as much as possible the paint and appear- 

 ance of his ship, in order that we might not be traced by 

 her, as she was well known on this coast. The appear- 

 ance of the Essex had been so frequently changed, that I 

 had but little apprehensions of her being known again by 

 those who had seen her before, or from any description that 

 could be given of her. While we lay here, I permitted all 

 the prisoners to go on shore whenever they wished it, as 

 many of them were affected with the scurvy. One in par- 

 ticular was so bad with it as to be scarcely able to move. 

 But on getting him on shore, where he could procure a 

 kind of sorrel and the prickly pear, and burying his legs 

 in the earth every day, he was so far recovered before our 

 departure, as scarcely to complain of his disease, and could 

 walk as briskly as any among us, assisting frequently in 

 bringing down water and tortoises from the rocks and 

 mountains. 



W e here found the tomb of a seaman who had been bii- 



