became the Sicily of Peru, to the destruction of its own agricultural interests! We have devoted a long chapter to the earthquake of seventeen hundred and forty-six. The subject seemed to us as one of great interest, in which the reader cannot fail to participate with us, when he reflects that our goodly frigate now lay at anchor in the same port where the catastrophe occurred; that here "the sure and firm set earth" reeled to and fro as a drunken man; that the waters of the great deep burst from their limits, overwhelming and destroying a whole people, whose ruined edifices still lie partially visible, amid heaps of sand, over which we have often walked; and that, though tranquil now, no human being can foresee, or human power prevent, at any moment, the recurrence of another and similar tragedy; that here, among a people not devoid of superstition, as the anniversary of the twenty-eighth of October rolls round, a numerous procession moves through the streets of Callao, bearing and escorting the image of old Neptune, as figured by mythologists, with a long and flowing beard, a crown on his head, enriched and bespangled with the gems of the ocean, the three-forked sceptre in his hand, and supported on each side by a Triton, bearing anchors in theirs. Moving along, to the animating strains of music, this pageantry attracts universal attention, and formerly excited the most thrilling interest. The house-tops are lined with spectators, who cannot avoid the reflection, that over other edifices of equal elevation, on that day eighty-odd years ago, had passed heavy men-of-war, borne, on the swelling of the ocean! surges The procession moves to the water's edge, and the old sea-god is made to smite the ocean with his trident; while the Most High, "who holds the ocean in the hollow of his hand," is implored never to permit the ocean again to pass beyond its present bounds! Turn we again to our goodly ship, which had now been completely overhauled and painted anew. The Falmouth had been despatched to the ports of the north, and the Dolphin was actively employed. The interests of the station required the presence of the commodore in Valparaiso; and on the fifteenth of March, the Potomac lay snugly at anchor in that port. On our return to the north we made Coquimbo in the way, where we lay more than a month in quarantine, all hands being inoculated with the smallpox.* The commodore during this time remained at Coquimbo, a town founded by Valdivia, in fifteen hundred and forty-four, and about three leagues from the port. The purser, Slacum, also remained on shore, to look out for the fresh provisions of the ship; which was now canopied with an awning, the decks sanded, and in all respects turned into a great fighting hospital. The port of Coquimbo, in latitude 30° south, longitude 71° 16' west, is among the very best on the coast; the water shoaling gradually, so that anchorage may be selected at pleasure on the southwest side. The hills around are barren and rocky, while to the east, the towering snow-crowned Andes overlook the whole country. For three years had this province suffered with drought; vegetation had dried up, and the loss of animals had been immense. But while we lay here, the aerial cisterns were opened, and the rain descended in torrents. Numerous bonfires soon proclaimed the joy of the inhabitants, and shouts of gratitude were heard from every side, for the good that had been showered upon them. Vegetation, with astonishing rapidity, sprang up, and the hills and surrounding country were soon re-clothed in green. Leaving Coquimbo on the ninth, we arrived at Callao on the fifteenth July. Between the commanders and officers of the English and French men-of-war, such interchange of civilities took place as should always mark the intercourse of free nations, who, in spite of national predilection, have in truth so much cause to respect each other. The time had now come for the return of the Falmouth to the United States; and Captain Gregory having received his orders on this point from the commodore, and the Dolphin being stationed in the port to look out for our interests during the present disturbed state of Peru, on the twenty-second of August we set sail for the ports of the north, intending to go as far as the Galapagos Islands, making Payta in our way. * See Report of Dr. Foltz-Appendix. Galapagos Islands-Charles's Island, or La Floriana-Governor Vilamil's Colony -Its origin and advance-Description of the island-Its productions-Pure and wholesome water-Prohibition of spirituous liquors-Fowls, terapins, &c.— Climate and temperature-Abuses connected with our whale-fisheries--Improvements and reforms suggested. ON Monday, the twenty-sixth of August, we sailed from Payta for the Galapagos, and arrived at Charles's Island on the thirtyfirst. We came to anchor in Essex Bay, on the north end of the island, a place rendered somewhat famous as the anchorage of the old Essex, Commodore Porter, during the late war with Great Britain. Commodore Downes was then first lieutenant of that frigate, but commanded an armed prize, called the Essex, junior, during Porter's glorious but unfortunate action with the Phoebe and Cherub. We remained at Charles's Island, which the new colonists call La Floriana, for the period of ten or twelve days; and every one on board was agreeably disappointed with the visit. During the frigate's stay, we passed the time very pleasantly at the residence of Governor J. Vilamil, a native of Louisiana, in the United States, but for many years a resident of Guayaquil. Believing that some account of this infant establishment may be interesting to the reader, we shall particularly allude to it, in a very short and hasty description of the Galapagos Islands. This, in some respects, interesting group, which comprises a large number of small islands, is situated nearly under the equator, between the eighty-ninth and ninety-second degrees of west longitude-about two hundred and forty leagues west of the American continent. A majority of these islands are situated a little south of the equinoctial line, though a few scattering islands are found north of it. Albemarle Island, which is the largest of the cluster, is more than seventy miles in length, and stretches north and south, with an eastern coast that is nearly straight; but its western side is deeply concave, embracing the volcanic Island of Narborough. The north head of Albemarle terminates westwardly in Cape Berkley, which is exactly on the line. South and east of Albemarle are Charles's Island, Hood's, Chatham's, Barrington's, Downes's, Porter's, and James's Islands. The name of this group is derived from the Spanish word galapago, a fresh water tortoise; and it was given to these islands because they abound with the largest class of these animals, a species of terapin, to which Commodore Porter has given the name of elephant tortoise, as their legs, feet, and clumsy movements strongly resemble those of the elephant. Their flesh is most excellent food, and they seem to have been placed here, in these lonely regions, for the sole purpose of refreshing the adventurous mariner, whose hazardous calling is the pursuit of the great leviathan of the deep. Many of them weigh from three to four hundred pounds, and they will live in the hold of a vessel a remarkable length of time without sustenance, and still retain much of their original fatness and richness of flavour. Their drink is pure water, which they carry with them in a vessel provided by nature for that purpose, containing about two gallons, which remains cool, fresh, and sweet for a long time after they are made prisoners. The hill-sides of these islands, near the shore, are covered with prickly pear-trees, upon which these terapin feed, and thrive in a most wonderful manner. These animals have doubtless saved the lives of many seamen employed in the whale-fisheries in those seas, who would otherwise have perished or suffered much with the scurvy. They sometimes take from six to nine hundred of the smallest of these tortoises on board, when about leaving the islands for their cruising grounds; thus providing themselves with fresh and wholesome provisions for six or eight months, and securing the men from the attacks of scurvy. Charles's Island, or Floriana, at the northern end of which is Essex Bay, in which the Potomac lay at anchor, is about eighteen or twenty miles southeast of Cape Woodford, which projects from the south head of Albemarle Island. The centre of Charles's Island is in latitude 1° 17' south, longitude 90° 30' west; and is about twenty miles in length from north to south, and fifteen in breadth from east to west; giving a superficial area of more than G g three hundred miles. Like every other island in the Galapagos group, it was uninhabited until eighteen hundred and thirty-two, when Vilamil first established his long-projected colony. He informed us that he had this enterprise in view as long ago as the year eighteen hundred and eleven; two years previous to the appearance of Commodore Porter in these seas, during the late war with Great Britain. At this early period, the information which Vilamil had acquired of the Galapagos Islands was so interesting, that at one time he thought of applying to the government of Spain for permission to make a settlement on one of them; but was deterred from this design, being assured by the Spanish authorities in Peru, that the court of Seville would never permit a settlement to be made on this group of islands. On the establishment of the government of Colombia, and its entire independence of the dominion of Spain, his attention was again turned to an enterprise he had had so long in contemplation. His friends at this time did every thing to dissuade him, pronouncing the plan to be chimerical and rash. Though not entirely discouraged, he remained inactive until the year eighteen hundred and twenty, when he suffered severe misfortunes in his family, in the death of his wife and two children, in the short space of twenty-one days. Tired of society, and worn down with afflictions, he turned his whole mind and energies towards his favourite scheme, the establishment of a colony. The government of the equator was at once petitioned, and in the year eighteen hundred and thirty-one, a charter in due form was granted, conceding the possession of the islands, and authorizing the establishment of a colony. In January, eighteen hundred and thirty-two, Colonel Hernandez, with only twelve colonists, was despatched to take formal possession of Charles's Island; and in April and June, settlers of both sexes followed the first. Vilamil, in person, accompanied by eighty colonists, arrived in October, and at once assumed his station as proprietor and governor of the island. Previous to his arrival, little or no improvement had been made; but with this accession, all took greater courage, and began to labour with much zeal; more especially when they found that the whale-ships would |