CHAPTER II.
Leave tlie Coast of Chili—Visit Sala-y-Gomez—Easter Island—Hostile Reception tliere—
Description of tlie Inhabitants, Island, &c.—Enter the dangerous Archipelago—
Davis' Island—Elizabeth or Henderson’s Island, its singular Formation—See Pitcairn
Island.
CH AP .
II.
Ox leaving Valparaiso, my intention was, if possible, to pass
within sight of Juan Fernandez, in order to determine its position ;
but finding the wind would not allow us to approach sufficiently near
even to see it, we kept away for the island of Sala-y-Gomez, and with
the view of making this part of the voyage useful, the ship’s course
was directed between the tracks of Vancouver and Malespina on the
south side, and many other navigators on the north, who, engaged
in pursuits similar to our own, had run down the parallels of 27°
and 28’ S. in search of the land discovered by Davis. These parallels,
during the summer months, are subject to light and variable airs; and
we, in consequence, made very slow progress, particularly as we approached
the meridian of the island, where it became necessary to
adopt the precaution of lying-to every night, that the object of our
search might not be passed unobserved.
Y’hen the nights were clear, we continued our observations on the
comet. On the SOth the coma had increased to the enormous length
of 24°; the nucleus was larger and more brilliant than before; and
the ray, before mentioned as forming part of the coma, was more distinct,
and apparently at a greater angle with it than when first seen.
The day after we quitted the coast of Chili, all the birds left u s ;
even the pintados, which had been our constant attendants for upwards
of 5000 miles, deserted us on this occasion. We afterwards
saw very little on the wing, 1 believe nothing, except a wandering
albatross, until we approached the island of Sala-y-Gomez.
In the I’acific, in particular, the navigator should not be inattentive
to the presence or absence of birds, as they will generally be
found in the vicinity of islands, and especially of such as are uninhabited
and of coral formation. On the 14th, several tropic birds, boatswains,
and gannets, flew round the ship, and were hailed as an omen which
did not deceive us, for at daylight, on the following morning, the island
of Sala-y-Gomez was seen from the mast-head, bearing N . N. W., fifteen
miles distant.
We shortly closed with this isolated spot, and found its extent
much less than has been stated. It is, indeed, scarcely more
than a heap of rugged stones, which the elements appear to have
thrown together, and in a gale of wind would not be distinguished
amidst the spray. The rocks, except such parts as have been selected
for roosting places by the sea-gulls, are of a dark-brown colour. E pon
a small flat spot there was a moss-like vegetation, and near it a few
logs of wood, or planks, which the imagination might convert into the
remains of some miserable vessel whose timbers had there found a
resting-place. Though several vessels have been missing in these
seas, we have no intelligence of any having been wrecked here. Sala-y-
Gomez, when he discovered the island, imagined he found the frame of
a vessel upon it, and in all probability the wood wliich we saw was
the same; but whether it was so or not, our curiosity and desire to
land were fully awakened, though we were disappointed by the high
breakers which rolled over every part of the shore.
We remained some time under the lee of the island, narrowly
scrutinizing it with our telescopes, but without adding to our information.
During this time the ship was surrounded by sharks and
bonitos, hut none were taken, nor were our fishermen more fortunate at
the bottom. The feathery tribe*, disturbed from their roost, came
fearlessly around u s ; we shot several, and in the stomach of a
pelican a volcanic pebble was found, which some of us conjectured to
CH A P .
II.
Nfrt-.
182.1.
“ PliEeton ethereiis, Pelicamis leiicoceplialiis, sterna stolida, and a small dove-coloured tern.