The tongue of land which unites the two islands has not been formed for any great length of time, for the natives still speak of the "two islands." The shore is covered with villages touching each other, ar d the population is very numerous. Itououtou is the residence of the superior of the mission. In the season of the northerly winds you may anchor on the coral patches lying in front of the village, and on which there is a depth of 7 to 11 fathoms. On the tongue of land which forms the southern part of the Bay of Fao is the second establishment of the missionaries.* The longitude of Capt. Chramtschenko does not agree well with that of Duperrey. He makes the middle of the island to be in 176° 54', by means of lunars and chronometers. EAGLESTON REEF.-At 40 miles East of Rotuma is a shoal of unknown extent; the information respecting it was given to Mr. Forbes, of H.M.S. Hyacinth, by Capt. Eagleston, of the American ship Salem. This would be in about lat. 12° 30′ S., lon. 178° 0′ E. ISABELLA SHOAL, discovered by Mr. John Pearson, of the American ship Isabella, February 20, 1832, with a depth of 16 fathoms, coral bottom, is in lat. 12° 25′ S., lon. 177° 15′ W. It extended East and West as far as the eye could reach. A REEF, in lat. 15° 32′ S., and lon. 175° 20′ E., according to Capt. Hamond, H.M.S. Salamander.‡ ONASEUSE (or HUNTER) ISLAND was discovered July 20, 1823, by Capt. Hunter, in the ship Dona Carmelita. Its extent is not stated, but it is well peopled and well cultivated. It is of volcanic origin, and Capt. Hunter procured a quantity of yams, fruit, and some hogs. The natives were friendly, and all had the left finger cut off at the second joint, and their cheeks perforated; spears 24 to 40 feet long. Lat. 15° 31′ S., lon. 176° 11′ E. CARTER'S REEF is stated to be in lat. 15° 42' S., lon. 176° 28' E. Another REEF, in lat. 18° 10' S., lon. 175° 10' E. CHARLOTTE BANK and PANDORA REEF.-The English vessels Scarborough and Alexander discovered, June 4, 1788, a bank, on which the lead gave 15 fathoms. It extended far to the West, where there was probably an island, for a great quantity of birds took their flight towards that direction. Admiral Krusenstern places this bank, the Charlotte Bank, in lat. 11° 50' S., and lon. 173° 12′ E. The Pandora frigate discovered a reef in lat. 12° 11' S., and lon. * M. Dutaillis, Ann. Hyd., 1850, vol. i. p. 153; see also Krusenstern, Supp. p. 8. 172° 7' E. It is not unlikely but that these two may join, like many other of the reefs of these seas which are not isolated reefs, but composed of numerous separated portions. It may also be supposed that the birds might have been taking their course toward the latter reef.* MITRE ISLAND, or FATAKA, was discovered by Capt. Edwards, and has been also visited by the Russian captain, Kroutcheff, in 1822, who describes it as being 2 miles long, N.W. and S.E. It is steep, covered with wood, and consists of two hills and a rock, giving it the appearance of a mitre. Capt. Goodwyn says, that when seen from the eastward it appears like two separate haycocks, both of the same apparent height, but the one to the southward more rugged than the other. It is bare of vegetation. Capt. Kroutcheff places its S.E. point in lat. 11° 56' S., and lon. 170° 20′ E., and says it is uninhabited. ANNULA, or CHERRY ISLAND, according to the same authority, is in lat. 11° 35' S., and lon. 170° 0' E. Capt. Edwards places it in lat. 11° 37', and lon. 169° 40′ 30′′. It is lower than Mitre Island, and is 3 miles from N.E. to S.W. At the distance of a mile from its southern end is a rock, which is joined to the island by a rocky bank, and a similar bank runs off its northern part. TUCOPIA, or BARWELL ISLAND, it is supposed was discovered by Quiros, and derives its second name from the vessel which next saw it, in 1798. It has subsequently been visited by Capt. Golownin, and also by Capt. Tromelin, in 1828, and still later by Dillon and D'Urville. It is a small island, of 3 miles in diameter, in lat. 12° 21' 10" S., and lon. 168° 43′ 30′′ E., according to Tromelin. It was supposed that all these three last-named islands did not exist, two or more being identical with each other; but they have all been visited, and their positions fixed as above.† Tucopia is small and high, in the form of a compressed cone, with precipitous cliffs round the East side, and some lofty trees thinly scattered on the ridge at the southern extremity. When it bears South the island assumes the shape of a saddle; the N.E. end, much the highest, extends longitudinally to the S.W. Its altitude is computed to be 3,000 feet.‡ Tucopia, or as it is called by D'Urville, Tikopia, is somewhat triangular in shape, and may be 7 miles in circumference; from the East to the West points about 2 miles; from the S.W. to the N.W. points from 1 to 2 miles; the other side, between the East point and the N.W. point, about 3 miles. It can be approached with safety all round, is of considerable height, and may be seen at the distance of 40 miles in clear weather. Supplies of all kinds, such as yams, cocoa-nuts, &c., are scarce and dear. A ship may anchor with the point of the reef which lies off the S.W. part of the island bearing S. by W., the N.W. part of the island bearing N.E. E., and the landing place or bluff head bearing Krusenstern, vol. i. p. 22, and Supplement, p. 8. + Krusenstern, vol. i. pp. 21, 199; vol. ii. p. 431; Supplement, p. 7; and Nautical Magazine, July, 1841, p. 449. Notes on Society in New South Wales in 1832, &c., by A. Osborne. E. by S., in 27 fathoms, 2 cables' length off shore, bottom of coarse sand and shells. Immediately outside of these are from 50 to 100 fathoms.* inhabitants do not exceed 400 or 500 in number. The It was on Tucopia that the remains of the expedition of La Pérouse-the swordhilt, &c., were found, which led to the discovery of the site and particulars of the wreck (see page 956). CHAPTER XXVIII. GALAPAGOS ISLANDS. THE Galapagos Islands are a group lying on the equator, extending 11° on each side of it, and about 600 miles from the West coast of the republic of Ecuador, to which they belong. Dampier, who visited them in May, 1684, says :t-"The Spaniards, when they first discovered these islands, found multitudes of guanoes (iguanas) and land-turtle or tortoise, and named them the Galapagos Islands. I do believe there is no place in the world that is so plentifully stored with those animals. The guanoes here are fat and large as any that I ever saw; they are so tame that a man may knock down twenty in an hour's time with a club. The land-turtle are here so numerous, that 500 or 600 men might subsist on them alone for several months, without any other sort of provision; they are extraordinarily large and fat, and so sweet, that no pullet eats more pleasantly." The surveys of Capt. FitzRoy, in the Beagle, have given us a very accurate knowledge of their condition; and therefore from his description, combined with the interesting observations of Mr. Darwin, we chiefly derive the following: There are six principal islands, nine smaller, and many islets, scarcely deserving Dillon's Voyage, vol. ii. p. 129; see also D'Urville, Voyage de L'Astrolabe, vol. v. p. 198, et seq. + His description of them appears to require some modification in the present day. Perhaps they may have slightly changed their character. "They are of a good height, most of them are flat and even on the top; four or five of the easternmost are rocky, barren, and hilly, producing neither tree, herb, nor grass, but a few dildo trees (cacti), except by the sea-side. There is water on these barren islands, in ponds and holes among the rocks. Some of the westernmost of these islands are 9 or 10 leagues long, and 6 or 7 broad; the mould deep and black. These produce trees of great and tall bodies, especially mammee trees, which grow here in great groves." The barrenness is only applicable to the western islands, where the volcanic forces are in frequent activity. See Darwin, p. 456. A New Voyage Round the World, by Capt. William Dampier, vol. i. pp. 102-3. The name Galapagos is derived from the tortoise or land-turtle, which abounds on them, this word being the Spanish for these reptiles, the testudo indicus of naturalists. The accent is on the second syllable, as above written, and not as would be pronounced from Dampier's, Colnett's, and other authors' erroneous orthography. Many most interesting particulars of the habits and formation of these animals are given in Mr. Darwin's excellent work, which should be a portion of every seaman's library in the Pacific (pp. 462-466). Capt. Basil Hall, who, as mentioned hereafter, visited these islands in 1821, quotes the following in his entertaining journal:-"The most accu to be distinguished from mere rocks. The largest island, Albemarle, is 60 miles in length and about 15 miles broad, the highest part being 4,700 feet above the level of the sea. The constitution of the whole is volcanic. With the exception of some ejected fragments of granite, which have been most curiously glazed and altered by the heat, every part consists of lava, or of sandstone, resulting from the attrition of such materials. The higher islands, generally, have one or more principal craters towards their centre, and on their flanks smaller orifices. Mr. Darwin affirms that there must be, in all the islands of the archipelago, at least 2,000 craters. These are of two kinds; one, as in ordinary cases, consisting of scoriæ and lava, the other of finely-stratified volcanic sandstone. The latter, in most instances, have a form beautifully symmetrical; their origin is due to the ejection of mud, that is, fine volcanic ashes and water, without any lava. Considering that these islands are placed directly under the equator, the climate is far from being excessively hot; a circumstance which, perhaps, is chiefly owing to the singularly low temperature of the surrounding sea. Excepting during one short season, very little rain falls, and even then it is not regular; but the rate and full account of these curious animals which I have anywhere seen is contained in a very amusing book, Delano's Voyages and Travels, printed at Boston, in 1807. From the fidelity with which such of their habits as we had an opportunity of observing are described, I am satisfied with the correctness of the whole picture. We took some on board, which lived for many months, but none of them survived the cold weather off Cape Horn. I preserved one in a cask of spirits, and it may now be seen in the museum of the college at Edinburgh: it is about the medium size." Capt. Delano says:-"The terrapin, or as it is sometimes called, the land-tortoise, that is found at the Galapagos Islands, is by far the largest, best, and most numerous, of any place I ever visited. Some of the largest weigh three or four hundred pounds; but their common size is between fifty and one hundred pounds. Their shape is somewhat similar to that of our small land-tortoise which is found upon the upland, and is, like it, high and round on the back. They have a very long neck, which, together with their head, has a disagreeable appearance, very much resembling a large serpent. I have seen them with necks between two and three feet long, and when they saw anything that was new to them, or met each other, they would raise their heads as high as they could, their necks being nearly vertical, and advance with their mouths wide open, appearing to be the most spiteful of any reptile whatever. Sometimes two of them would come up to each other in that manner, so near as almost to touch, and stand in that position for two or three minutes, appearing so angry, that their mouths, heads, and necks, appeared to quiver with passion, when, by the least touch of a stick against their heads or necks, they would shrink back in an instant, and draw their necks, heads, and legs into their shells. This is the only quick motion I ever saw them perform. I was put in the same kind of fear that is felt at the sight or near approach of a snake, at the first one I saw, which was very large. I was alone at the time, and he stretched himself as high as he could, opened his mouth, and advanced towards me. His body was raised more than a foot from the ground, his head turned forward in the manner of a snake in the act of biting, and raised two feet and a half above its body. I had a musket in my hand at the time, and when he advanced near enough to reach him with it, I held the muzzle out so that he hit his neck against it, at the touch of which he dropped himself upon the ground, and instantly secured all his limbs within his shell. They are perfectly harmless, as much so as any animal I know of, notwithstanding their threatening appearance. They have no teeth, and of course they cannot bite very hard. They take their food into their mouths by the assistance of the sharp edge of the upper and under jaw, which shut together, one a little within the other, so as to nip grass, or any flowers, berries, or shrubbery, the only food they eat. "Those who have seen the elephant have seen the exact resemblance of the leg and foot of a terrapin. I have thought that I could discover some faint resemblance to that animal in sagacity. They are very prudent in taking care of themselves and their eggs, and in the manner of securing them in their nests; and I have observed on board my own ship, as well as others, that they can easily be taught to go to any place on the deck, which may be wished for them to be constantly kept in. The method to effect this is, by whipping them with a small line when they are out of place, and to take them up and carry them to the place assigned for them; which, being repeated a clouds generally hang low. From these circumstances, the lower parts of the islands are extremely arid, whilst the summits, at an elevation of 1,000 feet, or more, possess a tolerably luxuriant vegetation. This is especially the case on the windward side, which first receives and condenses the moisture from the atmosphere. Dampier also states:-"The air of these islands is temperate enough considering the clime. Here is constantly a fresh sea-breeze all day, and cooling refreshing winds in the night; therefore the heat is not so violent here as in most places near the equator. The time of the year for the rains is in November, December, and January, then there is oftentimes excessive hard tempestuous weather, mixed with much thunder and lightning. Sometimes before and after these months there are moderate refreshing showers; but in May, June, July, and August, the weather is always very fair."*-(Vol. i. p. 108.) Capt. FitzRoy says:-"I can add nothing to this excellent description, except that heavy rollers occasionally break upon the northern shores of the Galapagos, during the rainy season above mentioned, though no wind of any consequence accompanies them. They are caused by the Northers' or 'Papagayos,' which are so well known on the coast between Panamá and Acapulco."-(P. 502.) few times, will bring them into the practice of going themselves, by being whipped when they are out of their place. They can be taught to eat on board a ship, as well as a sheep or a goat; and will live for a long time if there is proper food provided for them. This I always took care to do, when in a place where I could procure it. The most suitable to take on board a ship is prickly-pear trees; the trunk of which is a soft, pithy substance, of a sweetish taste, and full of juice. Sometimes I procured grass for them. Either of these being strewed on the quarterdeck, the pear tree being cut fine, would immediately entice them to come from all parts of the deck to it; and they would eat in their way as well as any domestic animal. I have known them live several months without food; but they always, in that case, grow lighter, and their fat diminishes, as common sense teaches, notwithstanding some writers have asserted to the contrary. If food will fatten animals, to go without it will make them lean. "I carried at one time from James's Island three hundred very good terrapins to the Island of Massa Fuero; and there landed more than half of them, after having them sixty days on board my ship. Half of the number landed died as soon as they took food. This was owing to their stomachs having got so weak and out of tone that they could not digest it. As soon as they ate any grass after landing, they would froth at the mouth, and appeared to be in a state of insanity, and died in the course of a day or two. This satisfied me that they were in some sort like other animals, and only differed from them by being slower in their motions; and that it takes a longer time to produce an effect upon their system than upon that of other creatures. Those that survived the shock which was occasioned by this sudden transition from total abstinence to that of abundance, soon became tranquil, and appeared to be as healthy and as contented with the climate as when they were at their native place; and they would probably have lived as long, had they not been killed for food. Their flesh, without exception, is of as sweet and pleasant a flavour as any that I ever ate. It was common to take out of one of them ten or twelve pounds of fat when they were opened, besides what was necessary to cook them with. This was as yellow as our best butter, and of a sweeter flavour than hog's lard. They are the slowest in their motions of any animal I ever saw, except the sloth. They are remarkable for their strength; one of them would bear a man's weight on his back and walk with him. I have seen them at one or two other places only. One instance was, those brought from Madagascar to the Isle of France; but they were far inferior in size, had longer legs, and were much more ugly in their looks, than those of the Galapagos Islands. I think I have likewise seen them at some of the Oriental Islands which I have visited." One very singular point connected with them is, that on the different islands of the group, these animals are different from each other, so that the settlers can at once tell from what island any one is brought. This is another notable feature. Mr. Darwin remarks:-"The natural history of this archipelago is very remarkable; it seems to be a little world in itself; the greater number of its inhabitants, both vegetable and animal, being found nowhere else."-Pp. 454, 465. This subject is shown clearly in the second edition of this gentleman's work. During the rainy season, or from November to March (which is not, however, at all to be compared to a continental rainy season), there are calms, variable breezes, and sometimes westerly winds, though the latter are neither of long duration nor frequent.-Capt. Fitz Roy. |