Being all supply’d with Wood, Water, and Turtle, we came to sail at Eleven this Forenoon, Wind at N. by W. a fine Gale; but e’er I proceed with my Journal, I will give a short Description of these Islands.
The Islands of Tres Marias lie N. W. in a Range at equal Distances from each other, about 4 Leagues asunder: The largest Island is the Westermost, appears to be high double Land, and about 5 Leagues in Length; the middle Island about 3 Leagues the longest way, and the Eastermost scarce 2 Leagues; these are also middling high Lands, and full of Trees. Near the least Island are 2 or 3 small broken white Islands, one of the outermost of these appear’d so much like a Ship under Sail at a distance, that we gave the usual Signal for a Chase, but soon found our Mistake.
These Islands have abundance of different sorts of Parrots, Pigeons, Doves, and other Land Birds, of which we kill’d great Numbers, with excellent Hares, but much less than ours. We saw abundance of Guanas, and some Raccoons; the latter bark’d and snarl’d at us like Dogs, but were easily beat off with Sticks.
I think the Water more worthy of Remark than any thing we saw here, because we found but two good Springs, which ran down in large Streams near others, that were very bitter and disagreeable, which I suppose might proceed from Shrubs and Roots that grow in the Water, or from some Mineral.
The Turtle here is very good, but of a different Shape from any I have seen; and tho’ vulgarly there’s reckon’d but 3 sorts of Turtle, we have seen 6 or 7 different sorts at several Times, and our People have eat of them all, except the very large hooping or logger-head Turtle (as they are call’d) found in Brazil in great plenty, and some of them above 500 l. Weight. We did not eat of that sort, because then our Provisions were plentiful, which made those Turtles to be slighted as coarse and ordinary Food. Those at the Gallapagos Islands, both He’s and She’s, I observed came ashore in the Day-time, and not in the Night, quite different from what I have seen or heard of the rest.
All that we caught in this Island was by turning ’em in the Night, and were She’s, which came ashore to lay their Eggs, and bury them in the dry Sand: One of these had at least 800 Eggs in its Belly, 150 of which were skin’d, and ready for laying at once. I could not imagine that Turtle were 6 Weeks in hatching, as some Authors write, considering the Sun makes the Sand so very hot wherever these Eggs are found, and instead of a Shell they have nothing but a very thin Film. In order therefore to be better informed, I order’d some of our Men ashore to watch carefully for one, and suffer her to lay her Eggs without disturbance, and to take good notice of the Time and Place. Accordingly they did so, and assur’d me they found the Eggs addled in less than 12 Hours, and in about 12 more they had young ones in ’em, compleatly shap’d, and alive. Had we staid a little longer, I might have given my self and others a thorough Satisfaction in this quick Production of Nature. From hence I am inclinable to credit the Report of divers of our Sailors, who assert, that where they have found Eggs in the Sand, and look’d for ’em 3 Days after in the same place, they found nothing but Films; this shews that the young ones are hatch’d within that time. They assured me also, that they had observed oftener than once, that the young Brood run out of the Sand every day directly for the Sea in great Numbers, and quicker than the old ones.
At Anchor at Tres Marias.
At this time here was little Fish about the Shores of this Island, and of the same sorts mention’d at other Places in these Seas; but the Plenty of Turtle at this time supplies that Defect. We the chief Officers fed deliciously here, being scarce ever without Hares, Turtle Doves, Pigeons, and Parrots of various Sizes and Colours, many had white or red Heads, with Tufts of Feathers on their Crowns. I wish ’twould hold, but ’tis in vain to tantalize our selves; for we must soon fare otherwise, and take to our old Food of almost decay’d Salt Pork and Beef, which we must prize, and heartily wish we had more on’t. We found good Anchor Ground about this middle Island, and gradual Soundings from 20 to 4 Fathom Water close by the Shore. Between this and the least Island ’tis about the same Depth; where we were between them I found no Shole, but what was visible, as a Rock off the S. W. Point, and a Shole off the N. E. Point of the same, with another at a greater distance from that Point off the least Island, but neither runs above half a Mile from the Shore. I know no Danger about them, but what with Care might be easily avoided.
Where we rode we could see Spots of high Land, which I suppose was the Continent join’d by low Land between it; the Northermost bore N. by E. half E. about 16 Leagues distance: I take it to be the Starboard Entrance into the Gulph or Strait of California; the nearest Land to us bore E.N.E. about 12 Leagues, and the Southermost E. S. E. at least 17 Leagues, very high, which I believe is the next Headland to the Northward of Cape Corientes. I had but two Opportunities to see it just at Sun-rising, because ’twas very hazey during our Stay here, so that I might err in the Distance; but the best Directions for these Islands is thus: We account the nearest bears N.N.W. from Cape Corientes 28 Leagues, and that it lies in the Lat. 21°. 15´´. N. and Longit. 111°. 40´´. West from London. I return to my Journal.
Octob. 28. At 6 this Evening the Westermost Island bore E.N.E. 15 Leagues. The Wind has been very little, and veerable, with a great Swell out of the N.W. I sent our Yawl with a Lieutenant aboard the Dutchess and Marquiss, with whom we agreed to spread as we ran to the Northward, that the Acapulco Ship might not pass us, if they should arrive sooner than we expected: We agreed to be to the Leeward, the Marquiss to Windward, and the Dutchess between us, and all to keep in sight of each other. I order’d our Surgeons and Mr. Vanbrugh to see the Inside of the Physick Chest that Capt. Dover left us, and take an Inventory of what was in it. We saw no more of the Islands.