porter's journal. 



229 



seals are enabled to devour their prey when in the water,, 

 which had hitherto been a mystery to me, they not having 

 feet to assist them in tearing to pieces the large fish they 

 frequently take. One ran near the ship with a large red 

 fish, of the snapper kind, in his mouth. This fish was still 

 alive, and made considerable struggle ; the seal reared him- 

 self out of the water as far as his breast ; then throwing his 

 head around on one shoulder, appeared to rally all his 

 strength, and jerking it with great violence to the other, 

 throwing the fish at a great distance from him, tearing off 

 with a jerk a mouthful, which he greedily swallowed. By 

 repeating this action, he in a few minutes devoured the 

 w^hole fish, which, from its size, I should suppose, weighed 

 at least ten pounds. It was in vain that the man-of-war 

 hawks, boobies, pelicans, and other birds which hovered 

 over him, endeavoured to seize on his prey ; his activity 

 baffled all their attempts, and prevented them even from 

 picking up the scraps which frequently flew off from the 

 fish as he threw it from him. 



After getting clear of the sound, I stood out of the bay, and 

 at 12 o'clock at night was olfthe south head of Albemarle- 

 Here I continued beating to windward until the 29th, with- 

 out gaining much ground, on account of the prevalence of a 

 rapid current setting to the westward. At length, however, 

 the wind hauled to the southward, and enabled us to make 

 Charles' Island on the 31st, where I sent my boat on shore, 

 with a letter for lieut. Downes, similar to that left at James' 

 Island. On her return, I was informed that every thing re- 

 mained as I had left it, there being no appearance of visiters 

 having been there since my departure. We had had seve- 

 ral showers of rain while in the neighbourhood of the isle, 

 and, from the heavy clouds hanging over it, I had hoped to 

 obtain there a supply of water, and gave directions that our 

 former watering-places should be examined, but was inform- 

 ed that they were entirely dried up, not a drop of water re- 

 maining in the places where we had formerly obtained it, 

 I now made sail for Chatham Island, running along to wind- 

 ward of Barrington Island, which appears bold and free 

 from danger. Towards sunset, the man on the look-out 

 cried out, a sail to the northwest! All sail was made in chase, 

 but in a short time we discovered from the masthead, by 

 our glasses, that it was one of two rocks that fie otf the 



