SANDWICH ISLANDS. 
91 
the water’s edge. Close to it lies Gardiner’s Island, and a 
singular rock through the middle of which there is a natural 
arch, both of which we passed early; but, owing to the 
currents, we did not reach Banks’s Cove in Albemarle Island 
until the morning of the 26th. This is the largest and 
loftiest of the Gallapagos group ; several extinct craters 
show that fire has, at no remote period, been as active here 
as it now is in Narborough and some of the others. Its 
length from north to south is about 75 miles, and the 
southern end appears to be well wooded. The heat was 
very great as we approached the land, the thermometer 
standing at 84°; and as we shot into the cove we disturbed 
such a number of aquatic birds and other animals, that we 
were nearly deafened with their wild and piercing cries. 
The place is like a new creation: the birds and beasts do 
not get out of our way; the pelicans and sea-lions look in 
our faces as if we had no right to intrude on their solitude; 
the small birds are so tame that they hop upon our feet; 
and all this amidst volcanoes which are burning around 
us on either hand. Altogether it is as wild and desolate a 
scene as imagination can picture. 
27th March.—Our first care this morning was to search 
for the water with which we were to complete the ship, but 
to our great mortification we found the springs, which are 
