Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/165

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Leaving the Galapagos Islands for the North Pacific Coast.

10th.—To-day we left James's Island & in the evening we passed Albemarle Island. We were much surprised to see a fire on the beach, & on burning a blue light the signal was in some degree answered by an increase of the fire on the shore; this left little doubt in our minds that there were some European castaways on shore, who in all likelihood belonged to some South sea whaler.

21st.—To-day rather blowy & numerous herds [of] fish sporting about the vessel, & we succeeded in obtaining two species. One species proved to be the——[illegible] & the other was a Diodon, which I have preserved in spirits. When inflated the fish is of an orbicular shape. The back is of a blue colour & interspersed with dark purple spots; belly white; a purple line about half an inch in breadth runs across the throat from one eye to the other. Eyes large; iris, azure blue. The whole body is covered with spines; those of the back arise from a purple base & have white points; the belly spines are entirely white. Pectoral fins placed at the posterior side of the bronchial aperture, of a blue colour, rays about 1% bifurcating towards the margins of the fin. Dorsal fin situated near the caudal, with fine purple spots at the base; margin green. Anal fin opposite the dorsal free from spots. Caudal fin of six rays with many spots generally placed at the base of the rays. Bronchial apertures somewhat semilunar. Lips fleshy