 twenty at a
time, Too-wit being suffered to remain during the entire period. We saw no
disposition to thievery among them, nor did we miss a single article after their
departure. Throughout the whole of their visit they evinced the most friendly
manner. There were, however some points in their demeanor which we found it
impossible to understand; for example, we could not get them to approach several
very harmless objects - such as the schooner's sails, an egg, an open book, or a
pan of flour. We endeavored to ascertain if they had among them any articles
which might be turned to account in the way of traffic, but found great
difficulty in being comprehended. We made out, nevertheless, what greatly
astonished us, that the islands abounded in the large tortoise of the
Gallipagos, one of which we saw in the canoe of Too-wit. We saw also some biche
de mer in the hands of one of the savages, who was greedily devouring it in its
natural state. These anomalies, - for they were such when considered in regard
to the latitude, - induced Captain Guy to wish for a thorough investigation of
the country, in the hope of making a profitable speculation in his discovery.
For my own part, anxious as I was to know something more of these islands, I was
still more earnestly bent on prosecuting the voyage to the southward without
delay. We had now fine weather, but there was no telling how long it would last;
and being already in the eighty-fourth parallel, with an open sea before us, a
current setting strongly to the southward, and the wind fair, I could not listen
with any patience to a proposition of stopping longer than was absolutely
necessary for the health of the crew and the taking on board a proper supply of
fuel and fresh provisions. I represented to the captain that we might easily
make this group on our return, and winter here in the event of being blocked up
by the ice. He at length came into my views (for in same way, hardly known to
myself, I had acquired much influence over him), and it was finally resolved
that, even in the event of our finding biche de mer, we should only stay here a
week to recruit, and then push on to the southward while we might. Accordingly
we made every necessary preparation, and, under the guidance of Too-wit, got the
Jane through the reef in safety, coming to anchor about a mile from the shore,
in an excellent bay, completely landlocked, on the southeastern coast of
