TRAVELS IN THE CALIFORNIAS. 
405 
which they traverse its pathless immensity. And it may be 
that they are right, and I am wrong. 
During the day we passed near to the coast. A fruitful 
strip of land running along the shore; broken by hills in¬ 
creasing in height from the water-side towards the interior, 
and bounded by high mountains partially covered with trees, 
but generally burnt and barren, is a true showing of that 
part of California. It was a bright day, with a cool whole¬ 
some air. Every sail was out and filled, as white as snow, 
the wind on the larboard quarter, the crew lounging, and the 
dolphins chasing, and the gulls screaming, and the spray 
dashing at the bows. Home, and the mother of my buried 
boy, if I may speak of myself, the heart’s guiding star on 
those wastes of soul and of nature, were drawing near me, 
and in thought were there. Speed on, noble ship, speed on ; 
it is the illusion of happy memories, speed on! 
On the sixth and seventh the breeze continued favorable. 
The coast was generally in sight, and appeared to be more 
and more barren as we followed it down ! 
On the eighth we sailed along the east side of Guadeloupe. 
This island is about thirty miles in circumference, somewhat 
mountainous, evidently of volcanic origin, surrounded by im¬ 
mense reefs of black rocks, and destitute of coral formations. 
There are two places of access, the one on the southwest, the 
other on the northwest side. It has no harbor for anything else 
than small boats; and though containing considerable quantities 
of arable land, is uninhabited except by sea birds, turtles and 
goats. The latter are the offspring of a few of these animals 
landed upon it by the early Spanish navigators. They have 
been in unmolested possession of the island for the last eighty 
years, and are now so very numerous, that they could be profita¬ 
bly hunted for their skins and tallow. In former times this island 
used to abound in sea elephants and hair seal; but the Ame¬ 
rican hunters and whalers have nearly destroyed them. As 
we passed, a right whale spouted near the shore. The cir- 
