220 



FORTER'S JOURNAL. 



an English ship called the Butterworth, commanded by 

 a Mr. Sharp, whom he accidentally met off Banks' Bay 

 in distress for want of water; and that he persuaded Mr. 

 Sharp to proceed to this place, where he was confident 

 he would procure a supply. But as he did not find it 

 immediately on his arrival, he sent the Butterworth dai- 

 ly supplies of that article, which produced a consequence 

 captain Colnet little apprehended, for from that moment 

 Mr. Sharp neglected to look for water. Captain Col- 

 net, it seems, from civility to the owners of that ship, 

 had determined to keep company with her during the 

 voyage, and to give her only a monthly supply ; and this 

 information, it appears, stimulated Mr. Sharp to search for 

 water, which he found within two miles of his ship. Now 

 it seems extraordinary that the place where so important a 

 discovery was made, should not have been pointed out by 

 captain Colnet. I have, however, reason to doubt the cor- 

 rectness of his statement, as 1 have carefully examined 

 James' Island for fresh water, and so have many others of 

 my officers and crew, for at least twelve miles to the south- 

 ward of our anchorage, and as much as six miles to the 

 northward. Indeed, several have searched to the north- 

 east eighteen or twenty miles, and none of us yet have been 

 able to discover any of that precious article, except the 

 small damp place on the cliff at Fresh-water Valley, and 

 the small quantity in the bottom of the crater of the afore- 

 mentioned mountain. It is true, he might have arrived 

 there after a long spell of rainy weather ; but it seems it 

 was in the latter part of April, after cruising some time 

 among the islands for whales ; and if he had experienced 

 so extraordinary a thing as heavy rains among the Galli- 

 pagos, I think he would have noticed it in some part of his 

 journal. There can be no doubt, that, at some former pe- 

 riod, small quantities of water have been procured from 

 the place called Fresh-water Valley ; and, indeed, the old 

 captains of some of the captured ships have informed me, 

 that they have, by great care, obtained from ten to twelve 

 gallons in twenty-four hours. This is the most they have 

 ever known to be procured ; and it rarely happens that this 

 much can be got. When so inconsiderable a quantity can 

 be obtained, how could captain Colnet so far impose on the 



