28 
VOYAGE TO THE 
CHAP, have been gathered upon the island, and thence inferred its particular 
formation. 
1825 Sala-y-Gomez, when first seen, has the appearance of three rocks : 
its direction is N. W. andS. E. ; and it is something less than half 
a mile in length, and a fifth of a mile in width. Some sunken rocks 
lie off the N . E. and S. E. points : in other directions the island may 
be approached within a quarter of a mile. N. o0° W. | mile there 
are soundings; in 46 fathoms sand and coral; and N. 33° W. 1^ mile, 
140 fathoms gray sand. A reference to the geographical table will 
show the position of the island, and I shall here only remark, that 
Captain Kotzebue's latitude is nine miles in error, which perhaps 
may be a typographical mistake. 
From hence we bore away to the westward, with the intention of 
passing near the situation of an island named Washington and Coffin, 
reported to have been discovered by an American ship. At sunset 
we were within four leagues of the spot, with a perfectly clear sky and 
horizon, but could see nothing of it ; nor had we any indication of land 
in the immediate vicinity, but rather the contrary, as the birds which 
had followed us from Sala-y-Gomez had quitted the ship some time 
before. As the night was fine, and the moon gave sufficient light to 
discover in time any danger that might lie in the route of the ship, 
the course was continued toward Easter Island, and daylight appeared 
without any thing being seen. Had such an island been in existence, 
and answered the description of that upon which Davis was so near 
losing his vessel, geographers would not have been long in reconciling 
their opinions on the subject of his discovery ; as, in all probability, 
they would have waived their objection to its distance from Copiapo, 
in consideration of its identity. 
The subject of this supposed discovery has been often dis- 
cussed ; and where the data are so unsatisfactory as to allow one 
. party to choose the Islands of Felix and Ambrose for the land in 
question, and the other, Easter Island, two places nearly 1600 miles 
apart, they are not likely to be speedily reconciled, unless tw'o islands 
exactly answering the description given by Davis, and situated in the 
proper latitude, shall be found. Such persons as are curiously dis- 
