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56 ST. PAUL KOCKS — BIRDS. Feb.
and the sky free from heavy threatening clouds. We had then
entered the south-east trade wind, without having had two
hours calm.
St. Paul Rocks, or Pehedo de San Pedro, were seen on the
horizon at sunset of the 15th. They appeared extremely small,
being about eight miles distant; and had we not been looking
out for them, I doubt whether they would ha\-e attracted
attention. Excepting “ Las Hormigas,” on the coast of Peru, I
never saw such mere rocks at so great a distance from any land.
A t dayhght next morning, two boats were sent to land
upon, and examine them; while the Beagle sailed round this
“ sunk mountain top,” sounding, and taking angles. Good
observations were made during the day, as the sky was clear,
and the water smooth.
When our party had effected a landing through the surf,
and had a moment’s leisure to look about them, they were
astonished at the multitudes of birds which covered the rocks,
and absolutely darkened the sky. Mr. Darwin afterwards said,
that till then he had never believed the stories of men knocking
down birds vith sticks; but there they might be kicked,
before they would move out of the way.
The first impulse of our invaders of this bird-covered
rock, was to lay about them like schoolboys; even the geological
hammer at last became a missile. “ Lend me the hammer.?”
asked one. “ No, no,” replied the owner, “ you’ll break
the handle but hardly had he said so, when, overcome by the
novelty of the scene, and the example of those around him,
away went the hammer, with all the force of his own right-arm.
While our party were scrambling over the rock, a determined
struggle was going on in the water, between the boats’
crews and sharks. Numbers of fine fish, hke the groupars (or
garoupas) of the Bermuda Islands, bit eagerly at baited hooks
put overboard by the men ; but as soon as a fish was caught,
a rush of voracious sharks was made at him, and notwithstanding
blows of oars and boat hooks, the ravenous monsters
could not be deterred from seizing and taking away more than
half the fish that were hooked.
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