Oregon Historical Quarterly/Volume 6/Dr. John Scouler's Journal of a Voyage to N. W. America
DR. JOHN SCOULER'S JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO N. W. AMERICA.[a 1]
COLUMBIA, VANCOUVRE, & NOOTKA SOUND.
Attached to the study of medicine & its kindred sciences, I eagerly embraced the opportunity which unexpectedly presented itself of investigating the natural history of the N W coast of America[1]. Its botanical riches had already been explored by the zeal of Nelson & Menzies, but the interesting collection of Governor Lewis, convinced me that much remained to be done in the country West of the Stony Mountains. If many gleanings remained to reward the botanist; the geology & zoology of the country were yet untouched, and the success of Dr. Richardson in a country better known, encouraged me with the prospect of adding some new individuals to the class Rodentia. While in London I received much useful information from Mr. Menzies and Dr. Richardson & the inspection of their specimens enabled me to form some idea of American botany, & of the best manner of collecting and preserving the various subjects of natural history in the remote countries I was about to visit.
On the 25 July we left Gravesend furnished with every necessary for the collection and preservation of plants & animals. In the prospect of a long voyage I deemed myself particularly fortunate in the company of Mr. Douglass who was employed by the Horticultural Society in JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO N. W. AMERICA. 55 similar pursuits. In him I enjoyed the society of an old friend & zealous botanical associate. During our voyage from London to Madeira where we arrived on the 10 of August, nothing [of] any interest oc- curred to attract the attention of the naturalist. The weather was delightfull & my time was occupied in exam- ining the luminous appearance exhibited by the ocean & in making those arrangements which my new mode of life required. During our short passage the only bird we saw was the Proullaria Pelageia. On the 9 August we saw the island of Porto Santo, but the weather was so calm that it was the evening of the 10th before we came to an- chor of [f] Funchal. In the morning impatient to make the most of our time & in company with Mr. Douglass, I proceeded to the in- terior of the island. Although we had no difficulty in filling our vascula with plants and procured a few insects & lizards, the results of our journey did not satisfy our sanguine expectations. The phenogamous plants we pro- cured were sufficiently well known, we did not obtain a single moss or see a species of pinger-sucunia [?]. In the more alpine regions the plants are nearly the same as those that grow in the hills of Scotland as the Pteris aqu- lina L. and Genista scoparia L. To give any description of an island so well known as Madeira would be super- fluous & to acquire a knowledge of its vegetable produc- tions in a single day is impossible. Madeira consists of steap hills of rapid, abrupt ascent, intersected by numer- ous deap ravines and vallies generally watered by some small rivulet, that derives its water from the melting of the snow of the more elevated hills. The rocks are of a black colour inclining to blue & many of them are in a state of decomposition and afford a favourable soil for the cultivation of the vine. The rocks as far as I could judge appear to be of volcanic origin & in the progress of our 56 DR. JOHN SCOULER. voyage I was confirmed in my opinion by an examination of the rocks of Juan Fernandez which have much resem- blance to those of Madeira & where the volcanic relics are more distinct. The soil afforded by the decomposition of volcanic rocks seams to be the most favourable to the growth of the vine, which thrives luxuriantly on the sides of Mount Vesuvius, the hills of Madeira & the valleys of Juan Fernandez. At Madeira the method of cultivating the grape is different from that employed by the French or Italians. A number of poles about 6 feet high are fixed in the earth at short distances & others are put across the tops of the erect ones, by this method [the] vine obtains sufficient support & the air is allowed to circulate freely through the plants. 13th August we left Madeira & on the 18th our prox- imity to the tropic was indicated by the abundance of flying fish we saw. The best way of preserving these fish is to put them into spirits, & this method has the ad- vantage of putting it [in] our power at any future period to examine their internal organization as well as their external characters. In large fishes, however, the expense & inconvenience of this method would be very great; in such cases the more convenient plan is to dry the skin and preserve the viscera in spirits. 23d. The examination and dissection of a turtle we had procured at Madeira, contributed to add a little variety to constant uniformity of our voyage. The sp. of turtle found off Madeira appears to be the T. carucena. It is not to be expected that an animal so well known as the turtle should present anything new to the comparative anato- mist. It is curious that an aquatic animal like the turtle should be furnished with so large a lachrymal gland. This gland is a large granulated organ, loosely connected by cellu[l]ar substance to the internal part of the orbit. The larynx is destitute of epiglottis but the aperture is long and JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO N. W. AMERICA. 57 narrow & easily shut by the approximation of its mar- gins [?]. The entrance of foreign bodies may be further guarded against by the curvated projecting emminence formed by the body of os hyoides. 2d September. Great abundance of that beautifull zoo- phyte the Medusa Velella of Gmelin is now to be seen floating in every direction. This animal belonging to the genus Velella of Lamarck is distinguished from the Phy- salise of the same author in the direction of the projecting crest which is oblique in the velella & from the presence of a mouth which is absent in the Physalise, The Velella is of an ovate oblong shape, cartilaginous and laminated, the circumferance of a beautifull azure colour umbell, a little convex, with a fine pellucid crest extending ob- liquely from one pole of the animal to the other. The tentacular are not marginal but placed around the orifice of the mouth & of a deep azure colour. The mouth termi- nates, in a deep concave oval cavity of a red granulated appearance. 3d. Last night we had rather foul weather, & accord- ing to the report of those on deck the sea exhibited an uncommonly beautifull phosphorescent appearance. Sev- eral specimens of the zoophyte to whose presence this appearance was probably owing were procured. This animal belongs to the genus Beroe of Mueller. The body is from 1 to 2 inches in length & about the thickness of the finger & round & transparent. On its surface are numerous scattered .tubercles. At the one pole is the mouth which is a circular orifice, but I could detect no trace of tentaculae ; the other pole has a somewhat globu- lar for in, but has no aperture. The cavity .extends through the axis of the body & has an oval form. On the surface of the cavity are many little yellowish papillse which have little black points [orifices?] in the centre ; these papillse 58 DR. JOHN SCOULER. appear to communicate by means of short tubes with the external tubercles. 82d. These few days past we have been accompanied by many birds we did not se[e] in the Northern hemis- phere, the most abundant and beautifull of these is the Procellarias Capensis, but although they greedily devoured the oily substances we threw over to them all our en- deavours to procure a specimen have been unsuccessfull. 25th. The presence of several land birds, the quantity of Fuci [?] floating past us and the number of butterflys that alighted on the vessell, indicated our approach to land. In the afternoon these prognostics were verified by the agre[e]able report of land ahead & Cape Frio was the first land in the New World I had the pleasure of seeing. 26th. While sailing into the harbour of Rio De Ja- neiro my mind was entirely occupied in anticipating the rich harvest of natural objects which awaited me. Every thing I had read of the beauty & riches of tropical coun- tries & the recollection of the tropical plants I had an opportunity of examining at home, now presented them- selves to my memory. To see from the deck of the ves- sell. the hills covered with richest verdure and the palms raising their head above their breathren of the forest could not but please the imagination and try the patience of the naturalist. 28th. This morning we landed at Rio, & neglecting its public edifices, I made my way to the country fur- nished with my vasculum & box for holding insects. I soon filled my vasculum and loaded with as many more plants as I could well carry I returned to the ship along the sea coast, where every variety of marine animal abounded, as Holothuria, Limuli, Actiniae, & Echini, etc., etc. JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO N. W. AMERICA. 59 29th. To-day my expectations of exploring the botany of Rio was dissapointed by the heavy showers that fell & drove the musquitoes into the shade, so that one is ex- posed to the double inconvenience of the wet and the bite of the insects. I called on Dr. Hookers friend Mr. Bray [?] to whose kindness I was much indebted during my stay here. His politeness added some fine serpents to my collection of reptiles & his country house was open to me in all my excursions. 30th. Although the rain continues very heavy, fatigued with yesterday's inactivity I resolved to venture forth. In my progress toward the hills I had no difficulty in select- ing specimens among the profusion of Begonire, Melas- tornse & Filices among which I pursued my journey. In the afternoon as I returned loaded with plants and mois- ture, I finished this day by a pleasing adventure. As I was returning to the town, I was met by a gentleman who entered into conversation with me on botanical subjects & as he spoke French fluently we had no difficulty in carrying on our discourse. On parting Dr. Gomez said our love for the same science, was a sufficient introduc- tion among botanists & invited me to spend all my leisure hours with him. Dr. G. had studied in Paris & was well versed in the natural system, a partiality for it he had derived from the lectures of M. Richard. The few remaining days I had to spend at Rio were entirely occupied in making excursions to the neighbour- ing woods & mountains ; but although I easily collected as many plants as I was well able to carry, the continual rains rendered them so difficult to prepare, that I lost above half the collection I had amassed. In one of my excursions I ascended the highest hills in the neighbourhood of the town & although the height was very moderate the heat of the climate rendered it a sufficiently fatiguing journey. I walked for about 2 miles 60 DR. JOHN SCOULER. along the course of the little stream which supplies the aqueduct with water & had a fine opportunity of examin- ing the geological structure of the country. On the coast the granite extends along all that part of the bay to which my observations extended, these, however, were confined to the south western part. The granite near the sea is curious from the large size of its crystals of felspar, they are frequently two or three inches long ; the crystals of mica are also large. Near the coast the granite is pro- tected from the weather by a thin stratum of soil, but as we ascend to the elevation of a thousand feet the rocks are entirely exposed & destitute of vegetables. These rocks have a white bleached appearance, & consist of de- composing granite, so altered that its component minerals can with difficulty be recognized. The summit of this hill is about 2000 feet above the level of the sea, & is occupied by the Brazilian government as a signal post, for which purpose, it is admirably adapted as it com- mands a beautifull & extensive prospect of the neigh- bouring country. At the base of the hill the bay of Rio, the town [&] adjacent country apear like a map spread at one's feet. To the north Cape Frio sixty miles distant is to be seen, & the eye is lost in the boundless ocean ; to the south the bay of Bota Fogo with numerous little islands & promontories gives variety to the scene. The summit of the hill is composed of granite, but riot in so decomposing a state as that of the inferior part of the hill, & is of a more fine structure than that of the sea coast. The crystals of mica and felspar are much smaller, & the former is frequently of a dark [color], which is not the case with the mica of the coast. In the journey the variety of natural objects that at- tracted my attention were endless, every step I advanced presented me with some new gift [?] from [the] Flora & on every twig some beautifull insect attracted my attention. JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO N. W. AMERICA. 61 I collected ferns of all kinds from the minute Trichomones & Hymenophyllum to the gigantic Polypodia, & the variety of Salana & Piper [?] was sufficient to satisfy the most zealous botanist. I had also an opportunity of seeing the beautifull Iguana heterolepina [?] ; this beautifull lizard feeds on leaves & fruits & is a much prized luxury among the people of Rio. The procuring of reptiles was a haz- ardous undertaking & I only procured one snake which was reckoned one of the most venomous species about Rio. On my return to town I made rather a curious appearance, I had a large vasculum on my back, my pockets were filled with the granite of Rio ; my hat out- side & inside was pinned full of insects & both my arms full of plants. My next excursion was to the botanic gar[d]en at Bota Fogo. It is about 6 miles from town, & is finely situated at the foot of a range of lofty hills. & has a distant view of the ocean. It occupies a large space of ground & is more a nursery for introducing foreign plants than a scientific garden. This garden may boast of several in- teresting plants, as the breadfruit, cloves, tea, & other valuable oriental vegetables. I had a note to Mr. Harris the curator of the garden & from him expected much botanical [information] of which I was dissapointed by his absence. In the town there is a sort of botanic garden which serves as a public walk and possesses a few inter- esting plants. From the great number of foreigners that frequent Rio & from the short distance between it & Europe, the society is probably much superior to that of any of the other Spanish or Portugese colonies of S. America. When a naturalist visits Rio he will not fail to find agreeable so- ciety & to find many, who though they may not be natu- ralists themselves will give their countenance to all who are engaged in such pursuits. Indeed science seams to 62 DR. JOHN SCOULER. be more talked & more interest taken in its improvements than in many towns at home. Although the native Bra- zilians are not altogether excluded from these remarks, still they apply with far greater force to the English set- tlers. The people of Rio have probably derived improve- ment from their intercourse with our countrymen. 25th. We are now proceeding rapidly to Cape Horn & are beginning to experience a corresponding change of climate. The Procellaria pelagia has now dissapeared, but we still see abundance of P. Capensis, & the albatross, Diomedea fuliginosa, has begun to make his appearance. By means of a fish hook baited with a small piece of fat pork I succeeded in procuring four individuals of P. ca- pensis. When taken hold of they always vomited a quan- tity of yellow oily matter. This seams to [be] a means of defense they are provided with, as they generally aim it at some one, & throw it to a considerable distance. The aesophagus is capacious & dilatable & is terminated in a large membranous stomach, which leads to a smaller muscular one. The first stomach when cut into was found to contain a great quantity of small crabs which seam to form the principal food of the bird, at least in this part of the ocean. The liver consists of two lobes of nearly equal size, & the convolutions of the intestines are numerous. 29th. The weather very cold the thermometer is now down to 50, certainly a great change to those who had been accustomed to a temperature of 80 for three months. During the time we were becalmed today vast quantity of seaweed floated past, which we suspected might be carried of[f] the coast by the current of the La Plata. We suc- ceeded in procuring a large mass of this fucus. The roots of this plant were a treasure to the zoologist, & might be called a menagerie of marine animals. We obtained two sp. of shell, three Asterias, an Echinus, two sp. of Cancer & Heruda [?] & several other articulated animals. JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO N. W. AMERICA. 63 November J^ih. Last night was the first disagreeable one we have experienced since leaving England. It blew very hard during the night and we shipped several heavy seas. However we esteemed ourselves fortunate in getting around Cape Horn with so little bad weather. It must be acknowledged that the dangers of C. Horn have been greatly exaggerated & we invariably find that the most experienced sailor talks le[a]st about them. No doubt as hard gales as those that blow offf] C. Horn are often experienced in the western ocean. Many travellers are apt to throw an air of the marvellous over what they have seen, but these horrid phantoms dissapear before the intelligent visitor. 8th. This [day] as it was nearly calm & the ship was surrounded by albatrosses, in the course of an hour we succeeded in catching 20 of them ; they were all of dusky black colour, & belonged to the species D, fulginasa. They were very large and one of them measured seven [feet] from wing to wing. The physiognomy of these animals is very curious. Their flat forhead & large eyes & very convex corneas, make them resemble an owl, & renders it probable that they seek their prey by night. Their oesophagus is large & plentifully furnished with nerves ; it is prolonged into a stomach of about the same capacity, but is more muscular & has many longitudinal rugw on its internal surface ; it is, however, destitute of glandular bodies. The stomach of P. Capensis on the other hand is quite covered on its internal surface with little glands which serve to secrete the oleaginous fluid. The second stomach of the albatross is moderately mus- cular. The intestines and liver resemble those of the P. Capensis. Their flesh tasted fishey & disagre[e]able, but was much prized by the sailors who preferred them to salt beef. What forms their chief food is most assuredly not fishes, for inspecting the stomach of a great many 64 DR. JOHN SCOULER. individuals, I only found a species of crab & some Phy- salia3. One of them when taken vomited a large pulpey [mass] which with difficulty was recognized to be a Sepia. 20th. Today we had very blowey weather & the wind unfavourable which obliged us to be under close reefed top sails. This weather did not last long & we were soon enabled to bear away to the northward. December 5th. Mr. Douglass caught three albatross, they were very different from those we had procured further south. Their plumage was more light, than in the D. fuliginosa & their bill was of a milk white colour. These birds were very large, one of them weighed 18 pounds, & measured 12 feet between the extremities of the wings. They appeared to be the D. exulans ; but unfor- tunately were incapable of preservation as this was their moulting season. The feathers of these birds abounded in a large species of Painus [Mallophaga] probably a new one ; & in their intestines I found two different kinds of worms, one of them approached the diameter of the genus Fuseola j ?j & the [other] I did not decide. I have pre- served specimens of these three animals. 14th. Since 5th we have seen very few birds the alba- trosses & Procellaria have disappeared ; but this morning the abundance of birds about us seemed to indicate the vicinity of land & we were not dissapointed. In the fore- noon the island of Masafuera was seen bearing NNE. The surface of this island was unequal & rugged & ter- minating abruptly toward the sea; so as to render it of very difficult access. The highest land we saw might be about 200 feet above the level of the ocean. 15th. To-day the Island of Juan Fernandez was seen, though still at a very great distance. The fascinating de- scriptions of this island in the voyages of Anson and others, but still more I believe the popular romance in- timately connected with its history, rendered every one JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO N. W. AMERICA. 65 on board impatient to pay a visit to the far famed island. 17th. To-day we landed in a small bay on the north- ern extremity of the island, & the botanists & sailors of our party were equally anxious to satisfy their curiosity. The place we landed in more resembled a European corn field than a desolate vall[e]y in the Pacific Ocean. The level ground near the shore was entirely overgrown with oats interspersed with a species of carduus & a few wild carrot, D. carota. On penetrating through this field we discovered a small cavern excavated from the decompos- ing rock & having evident traces of having been recently inhabited. We here found a pair of goatskin shoes and a sort of lamp suspended from the roof of the cavern ; & the number of bones & horns scattered about, showed that there was no scarcity of cattle on the island. On proceed- ing a little to the eastward of this cavern which our sail- ors were certain had belonged to Robinson Crusoe, our curiosity was amply recompensed [by] a beautifull'exam- ple of romantic scenery. A natural elliptic arch about seven feet in height, admitted us to a small bay, bounded on all sides by steap perpendicular rocks against whose bases the waves maintained a perpetual conflict. Its steap & almost inaccessible crags afforded a secure retreat to the sea fowl that resort thither to deposite their eggs. These rocks are of a volcanic nature & contain interspersed through them many minute crystals perhaps olivine. In this wild retreat I picked up sponges of which a consid- erable portion had been washed ashore ; we also succeeded in detaching by means of long sticks a fine species of Spergula which adhered to the surface of the rocks. Having now satisfied our curiosity respecting the shore, we betook ourselves to the vall[e]y in expectation of find- ing some more plants. Here we found a streamlet of ex- cellent water, which was first detected by its rippling; as its surface was entirely concealed from our notice by the 66 DR. JOHN SCOULER. immense quantities of Mentha piperita& Melissa officinalis which grew on its margins. In the afternoon we returned to the ship well satisfied with our collection, but with very little water as the stream lost itself in the sand about 1 and ^ mile from the beach. 17th. We now landed in Cumberland Bay which we found much superior to the bay we had visited yesterday for procuring water & refreshments. On approaching the landing place we were surprised by the appearance of a smoke arising among the trees & of two goats feeding near the shore. On landing we were pleased at the unex- pected appearance of an Englishman who came & offered us all the assistance in his power. He told us that at first he had taken us for the boat's crew of a Spanish privateer & had betook himself to the woods as his little establish- ment on shore had been formerly destroyed by a Royalist party. His name was William Clark, he had sailed from Liverpool several years ago and he had visited almost every port of the S. Pacific. At present he belongs to a party of English & Chilians employed by a merchant of Coquimbo engaged in killing the goats & bullocks which are so plentifull here & in remitting their flesh & skins to different parts of Chili. We were all highly delighted with this beautifull spot. A fine stream of water fell into the bay a few yards from our boat, the sea abounded in excellent fish & European fruits were scattered about in profusion. We enumerated the following foreign vege- tables: oats, pears, apples, strawberries, peaches, vines, rue, mint, balm, radishes, Indian mess [mace] & figs. Our new acquaintance informed us that his companions were at the other extremity of the island killing cattle & that he was left to take care of the house and property. He had a little European furniture in his cottage but it was in an injured state. He had an iron pot to boil his meat in but the bottom was knocked out ; to get over this diffiJOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO N. W. AMERICA. 67 culty he had repaired it with a wooden one & when he had occasion to boil anything he buried his pot in the earth so high as to prevent the fire from injuring the wood, & then made a fire around the sides. During our short excursion to the interior, we had no occasion to complain of the poverty of the country, which abounded in the most beautif ull plants & shrubs ; the dry soil was covered by an ever green arbutus & a herbaceous species of Campanula, & almost every shady rock afforded a different species of ferns. Cumberland Bay used to be the favourite resort of the English cruisers & whalers & its utility to them in time of war was so great as to excite the jealousy of the Span- iards who in 1765 constructed a battery mounting 50 guns to command the harbour, & at the same time formed a settlement on the island. In a few years the Spaniards abandoned their establishment which was revived in 1811 by the Chilean government as a place of banishment for their convicts. This settlement like the preceding one was abandoned after a short trial. At present the island is visited only by the English & American whalers, & is the more permanent residence of the adventurers who are employed in killing & curing cattle. The battery which still remains almost uninjured is situated on an emminence about 500 yards from the beach & effectually commands the landing place. Most of the guns remained till a few years ago when they were removed by the Chilians to prevent their falling into the hands of the Royalist privateers. There are also the remains of the church which the in- dependents had erected and of many houses. The church is built in the form of the latin cross & bears the follow- ing inscription : La cara de Dios puerto del cielo y saco- lac aesta 24d septembre 1811. Although the doors & windows of the building are removed it was still possessed 68 DR. JOHN SCOULER. of the font and the walls in some parts preserved their whitewashed appearance. To the N. E. of the church is a beautiful plane watered by the largest rivulet we had seen, & quite covered by corn fields which are still sepa- rated from one another by their ancient land marks. As this valley approaches the hills, the clusters of Pteris raising their green fronds on the margins of the stream has a most pleasing appearance, & is in my opinion the most beautifull vegetable ornament of the island. Land animals are by no means numerous on Juan Fer- nandez, nor can it boast of a single indigenous mammif- erous animal. The bullock, the goat & the rat are the only animals of this class found on it, & all of them have been introduced. The cattle are now driven from the north side of the island by the frequent visits it receives. The people who are employed in procuring them adopt the following methods: The bullocks are driven into a small plane bounded on all sides by steap hills & are then shot. In taking the goats a different method is pursued. The hunters lay down in those situations that goats fre- quent & as they leap over them they cut their hamstrings with a sharpe knife. The island is entirely destitute of lizards and serpents. The rocky shores afford a safe retreat to the Procellaria & other sea fowls which abound near the island. Land birds are not so numerous, we only saw a species of pigeon & those only of small size. The bay abounds in inex[h]aus.tible supplies of fish so that although the visitor may be dissapointed in procuring any cattle from the shore, he may be certain of an abun- dant supply of fresh provisions. Our limited time did not allow me to examine the fish we caught with sufficient care. The most abundant & the best is a species of Gadus & the rocks are almost covered by a sp. of Cychpterus. JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO N. W. AMERICA. 69 The articulata are much more numerous than the ver- tebrata on Juan Fernandez. Although we saw but five insects I have every reason to suppose that at a more ad- vanced period of the year they are very plentifull, for almost every bush has its peculiar caterpillars on it. The rocks & stones abounded in crabs & the deap water afforded a sp. of Astaeus. After some labour I succeeded in obtain- ing a specimen, & as far as I can judge it appears to be a new sp. The antennae of this lobster are as long as its body, which is covered with spines & is of a red colour. Radiated animals are by no means uncommon, a sp. of Asterias is very common furnished with from 25 to 38 rays. Actinise, are very beautifull & abundant. We also found Spongias, Sertularia & Corallinise. Concerning the geological structure of Juan Fernandez I obtained very little information. The island consists of deep vallies, bounded by elevated hills which terminate in the rocky mountains of the islands. The rocks which I had an opportunity of seeing were basaltic, of a dark bluish colour & contained crystals of olivine. In some situations these rocks were in a state of rapid deca} The whole appearance of the island bears a close resemblance to that of Madeira. 19th. Today we left Juan Fernandez & directed our course to the N. W. This island for beauty of & richness of verdure exceeds any place we have yet visited, & is well entitled to the encomiums bestowed on it by navigators. Independent of its natural scenery the deserted houses & ruined gardens give variety to the appearance of the place, &give it an air of stillness & solitude that the unsettled desert never possesses. January 7th. This evening for the first time during our voyage the Sterna Stolida alighted on our vessel. It seams to be entirely confined to the tropics, & is remark- able for the stupidity with which it allows itself to be taken. 70 DR. JOHN SCOULER. 9th. Chatham Island, one of the Gallipagos, appeared in sight this morning. Its appearance did not indicate any great fertility. The land consisted of low round con- ical hills & of a flat sandy beach against which the sea beat with some violence. 10th. Today we were of[f] James Island & the boat was sent ashore to ascertain what was to be found. The land is in some places abundant in trees & shrubs & have a verdant aspect, while other parts are completely desti- tute of vegetables & consist entirely of melted lava. Such at least was its appearance from the ship. In the after- noon the boat returned bringing two very large turtles, Chelonia syranas [?], & plenty of fine fish. llth. Today I visited the shore in the long boat & we had a little difficulty in landing on account of the surf. The place where we landed was a low & sandy bar of sand which separated a small lagoon or salt water lake from the sea. Here we found many indications of former visitors, in several places there were remains of island tortoises near the situations where fires had been. The most affect- ing & unexpected memorial of former visitors was the tomb of an American officer. It was situated on the sandy beach & was accidentally discovered, as it [was] concealed from notice by the thick shrubbery. At the head of the grave there was a board painted black, & bearing the fol- lowing inscription : Sacred to the memory of John Cowan, Lieutenant of the U. S. frigate Essex, who died here Sep- tember, 1813. His memory is lamented by his friends & country & honoured by his brother officers. On penetrating into the country we found very few plants, at least few in comparison to what one might ex- pect in such a climate. The abundance & interesting nature of the animals amply compensated for the scarcity of the plants. Indeed, the heat & moisture of the country JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO N. W. AMERICA. 71 was so great as to prevent us from preparing even the few that we thought were nondescript. 12th. In this day's excursion we detected a wood about tolerably free from brush wood & abounding in [illegible] & grass ; this situation afforded plenty of food to the land tortoises which abound here. Our principal difficulty consisted in taking them to the shore which was a most fatiguing occupation under such a sun & travelling over loose masses of lava. The birds here were such strangers to man as to allow us to knock them of(f) the branches on which they were perched, & it was not an uncommon thing for them to alight upon the stick which we carried in our hand. In pursuing this amusement I lost my way among a very dense brush wood composed of Gossypia T. & it cost me an hour & a half fatiguing exertion to extricate myself from the labarynth & reach the boat. In the evening we returned to the ship with an ample supply of such refreshments as the place afforded. We had as many as we thought fit to carry off, about 2 doz. teal killed by Mr. Douglass, six large green turtles, & two land tortoises, & plenty of Iguanas. It is an extensive labour, & would require a more exten- sive knowledge of the island than can be acquired in a transient visit of two days, to give an account of the natural productions. The only mammiferous animal we saw was a species of seal with very short brown hair, & very small external ears. Birds are very numerous, particularly ma- rine onx & gralla). It is remarkable that the penguin (Aptenodytes) an animal which generally delights in cold latitudes should take its abode under the equator. The Pelecanus onocrotulus [?] abounds on every rock, there was a beautifull species of Sula equally abundant, & is in all probability a new species. Its colours are very fine & the feet are of a very bright azure blue. On the most elevated 72 DR. JOHN SCOULER. rocks we frequently saw a small eagle of a golden yellow colour, & in the woods the most common species of Co- lumba. This bird was the size of a large sparrow, & the feathers of the neck had a bright metallic lustre. I have preserved a specimen of this bird which is probably new. The animals of the class Reptilia are numerous & inter- esting ; & belong to the genera Testuda, Iguana, Lacerta. The land tortoise (T.indica) abounds in the mountains, & was of very large size. They are very peac[e]able ani- mals & withdrew themselves into their shells on the ap- pearance of danger. They live entirely upon grass, of which they seem to eat large quantities. Their flesh was excellent & entirely free from the fishy flavour of the sea turtles. The green turtle (T. viredes) is exceedingly abundant & is of very great size, frequently weighing 240 Ibs. We had two methods of taking them, we either sur- prised them while they were asleap on shore or caught them while in the water which was more difficult. We approached them -in the boat making as little noise as possible, while a man stood ready to fix a tomahawk into his back, & to hold the animal till it could be lifted into the boat. This plan was attended by one inconvenience that the turtle may often [be] so much injured as to die in a few days. The woods abound in a large species of Iguana which I think is new. I attempted to preserve a specimen but it became so putrid as to oblige me to throw it away. It is about 29 inches long. The back & sides are of a brown colour & the belly is yellow. The whole skin was covered by small scaly tubercles ; & had a ridge of very large & pointed ones extending from the occiput to the extremity of the tail. There was a dilitation under the throat but no large tubercles in that situation. The tongue was fleshy, inextensible & slightly bilobed at the point. The lungs were of large size & of a very delicate texture. & extended far into the abdomen. The stomach was very JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO N. W. AMERICA. 73 capacious & quite membranous. These creatures live en- tirely on fruit & leaves & burrow very far into the ground. They are exceedingly abundant & easily killed. They are harmless & timid creatures & always run from their assail- ant except when wounded, when in that predicament they sometimes turn on their pursuer. We found them to be excellent eating, & much superior to the green turtle. An aquatic species of smaller size and less frequent occurrence was also procured & I succeeded in preserving an example of it. The shore abounded in a large species of Lacerta. It is probably one of the largest species of the genus. Snakes are said to be frequent on these islands, & to be of large size. During the three days we were on the island not a single serpent was seen by any individual of our party. The sea in the vicinity of these islands abounded in fish of different kinds, the most abundant was a species of Gadus. It was our practice when returning to the ship to spend half an hour in fishing & in that time we procured more than we would consume in two days. Shells & molluscous animals were by no means abundant. The articulate were more abundant. The shore abounded in an endless variety of crabs many of them of considerable size and remarkable beauty. The woods contained plenty of fine insects, & the most beautifull one was a species Gryllus with fine purple elytra. Radiata were very limited in number & of very little interest. No species of Asterias or Echinus was seen, & only individuals belonging to the Echinodermata one a species of Holothuria. To one whose knowledge of rocks & of geological phe- nomena had been confined to the primitive & transition districts of Scotland, James Island presents a new series of geological phenomena of the utmost interest to those who cultivate that science. The appearance of the island varies in different places; in some parts the coast rises into perpendicular ragged 74 DR. JOHN SCOXJLER. cliffs, attaining to the height of 80 or 100 feet; in other situations it assumes the form of a low sandy beach, form- ing the bar[r]ier between the sea & some salt water lake. The mountains are generally of a conical shape & of a very gradual ascent & moderate elevation. The country is generally covered by a rich vegetation, except where the lava has run down and there very few plants grow. While walking over these streams of volcanic matter, it gives a peculiar crackling sound, precisely similar to that caused by walking over the ashes of the smelting furnace. In some places there are large colum[n]s formed entirely by lava. Near the landing place I examined one of these columns. It was situated amidst a stream of lava, & had an exceed- ingly rough & uneven surface, & reached to the height of 60 or 70 feet. This wild inaccessable abode was occupied by the golden eagle of the Gallipagos. The lava was of the three following varieties : 1 Of a black colour, very vesicular & rather light. 2 Colour black or brown ; slaggy & very hard. 3 Of a red ochr[e]ous colour, very soft & subvesicular & heavy. During my excursion I had not the good fortune to de- tect a vestige of craters; but Mr. Douglass informed me he had seen one a little to the S. E. of where we landed. In all the pieces of lava I examined I did not find any vestiges of imbedded minerals. The Gallipagos as will be seen by this very incomplete notice of their productions are peculiarly rich in the objects of scientific research. While the perplexing varieties of natural objects Rio affords, & the romantic scenery & fertile vallies of Juan Fernandez are recollected, the Gallipagos will not lose by the contrast. The uncommon nature of its productions & the interest of its geological phenomena, easily recon- cile one to its arid soil and fatiguing journey under a vertical sun. When landing the first object that strikes one's attention is the beauty & variety of its Crustacea?, & here & there on the beach the Testudo veridis [?] is seen sleeping; on wandering along the rocks the rich variety of aquatic birds must satisfy the most zealous ornithologist. On the same piece of rock he may see the pelican, the penguin, the Sula & a[l]batross watching their prey; and in the woods he will find abundance of passeres, Columba & a species of Falo of the most beautifull colour. On advancing a little the remarkable and numerous individuals of the reptilia & insects will please him still more; among grasses of Gossypium, Tournefortia & trees of the most beautifull inflorescence he will find the land tortoise grazing upon the most interesting Graining. An island that abounds in so many interesting volcanic appearances, & bearing so closely upon the most interesting geological phenomena will always command the attention of the investigator of this department of nature.
- ↑ Dr. Scouler was the ship surgeon on the Hudson Bay Company's vessel "William and Anne." His voyage occupied the latter part of 1824 all of 1825, and the first part of 1826.
- ↑ See "Editorial Prefatory Notes," volume V, pages 215-222. The editor had the kind assistance of Dr. David Starr Jordan, Professor Albert Sweetzer, and Mr. E. P. Sheldon in identifying the scientific names found in this journal. The journal was not written in a plain hand and much of it had become very faint.