Page:Narrative of a Voyage around the World - 1843.djvu/186

132 Starling, but by the blow of an oar. Of him we tasted, but it was coarse meat.

The soil on the banks is generally a loose mixture of sand and clay, entirely alluvial. The bottom varies, from very loose mud to stiff red clay, and occasionally a very quick sand. Two varieties of mytilus and some univalves were obtained.

As we neared the actual mouth of the Sacramento, we were rather more minute in our examination of the creeks, but found nothing to change in our former opinions. On the 18th November we sighted the Starling, and having carried the triangulation up to her nearest position, before sunset had the satisfaction, after twenty-three days confinement in the boats, of again luxuriating in a wholesome bed. As the work of each day was entirely completed on paper before we retired to rest, (sometimes at four ) the severe part of our labours was here ended.

It was my intention to have waited a couple of days at this position, and afforded the party amusement in shooting geese, ducks, elk, and deer, which were in great abundance. But as the Starling's provisions had been forwarded to us, and we had barely sufficient to carry us down, this was necessarily abandoned; although in the course of our operations we were not idle at this work, particularly about sunset; generally bagging our eight or ten heavy geese for the ensuing day. On one excursion the assistant-surgeon of the Starling killed