PORTER S JOURNAL, 



221 



world, as to hold out encouragement for vessels to stop 

 there for water 



That the island affords water in the interior, there can- 

 not be a doubt ; but this can only be of service to the tor- 

 toises, whose patience and perseverance enable, and whose 

 instinct teaches, them to find it. But it certainly cannot be 

 supposed, after what captain Colnet has said of Fresh-wa- 

 ter Bay, and Fresh-water Valley, that it was from either of 

 those places that the Butterworth procured her supply ; for 

 it seems that an unsuccessful search was made there by 

 captains Colnet and Sharp on the first arrival of the ships. 

 They could not land on account of the surf; they rowed 

 close to the beach, but saw not the least sign of any spring 

 or rivulet. Boats were sent in different directions, and 

 the mate and whaling-master of captain Colnet's ship were 

 ordered on the search, but without success. Captain Col- 

 net proceeded also himself on the search, and was equally 

 unsuccessful with the rest ; yet the captain of the Butter- 

 worth found it within two miles of his ship, and we are not 

 informed in what direction ! Where is the advantage of 

 James' Island furnishing fresh water " sufficient to supply 

 a small ship," if we are ignorant where it is to be found ? 

 Surely captain Colnet could not have been ignorant of the 

 importance of this information, and, as he has not given it, 

 I must take the liberty of doubting the correctness of his 

 statement, page 153 of his journal.* However, he has 

 committed so many errors in his description of this island, 

 as well as in the chart he has drawn of the whole group, 

 that in their multiplicity, this single one might be passed 

 over in silence, were it not for the deplorable consequences 

 that might result to a whole ship's company, who, when 

 short of water, should (relying on Colnet's statement) put 

 into James' Island for a supply. To prevent the ill effects 

 of information so calculated to mislead, I felt it my duty to 

 point out the inaccuracy of the statement. If it is true 

 that the captain of the Butterworth obtained the supply of 

 water mentioned, it was more the duty of captain Colnet 

 to have particularized the spot, considering the object for 

 which (as he informs us) he was sent into this sea. 



I have now the painful task of mentioning an occurrence 



" See the quotations from Colnet, page 219. 



