PORTER’S JOURNAL* 
Un¬ 
imaginable. The description of one island will answer for all I 
have yet seen ; they appear unsuited for the residence of man, or 
any other animal that cannot, like the tortoises, live without food, 
or cannot draw its subsistence entirely from the sea. 
Lieutenant Downes saw on the rocks with which the bay was 
in many parts'skirted, several seals and pelicans, some of which 
he killed; but, on searching diligently the shore, was unable to 
find any land-tortoises, though they no doubt abound in other 
parts of the island. Doves were seen in great numbers, and were 
so easily approached, that several of them were knocked over 
with stones. While our boat was on shore, captain Randali sent 
his boat to a small beach in the same bay, about a mile from 
where our boat landed, and in a short time she returned loaded 
faith fine green turtle, two of which he sent us, and we found 
them excellent. It may be seen by captain Macy’s letter, that 
on the east-side of the island there is another landing, which he 
calls Pat’s landing; and this place will probably immortalize an 
Irishman, named Patrick Watkins, who some years since left an 
English ship, and took up his abode on this island, built himself 
a miserable hut, about a mile from the landing called after him, 
in a valley containing about two acres of ground capable of culti¬ 
vation, and perhaps the only spot on the island which affords suf¬ 
ficient moisture for the purpose. Here he succeeded in raising 
potatoes and pumpkins in considerable quantities, which he gene¬ 
rally exchanged for rum, or sold for cash. The appearance of this 
man, from the accounts I have received of him, was the most 
dreadful that can be imagined ; ragged clothes, scarce sufficient 
to cover his nakedness, and covered with vermin ; his red hair 
and beard matted, his skin much burnt, from constant exposure 
to the sun, and so wild and savage in his manner and appearance, 
that he struck every one with horror. For several years this 
wretched being lived by himself on this desolate spot, without 
any apparent desire than that of procuring rum in sufficient quan¬ 
tities to keep himself intoxicated, and at such times, after an ab¬ 
sence from his hut of several days, he would be found in a state 
of perfect insensibility, rolling among the rocks of the mountains. 
He appeared to be reduced to the lowest grade to which human 
