| 709 to eat. To it we tied a fish and let it down to the bottom; in a few moments we raised it and there were about thirty piled on to it. We soon caught a barrel or two of them, and then went aboard of the ship; dressed our fish, cut off head and backbone, packed them in salt, and we had ten barrels.
While fishing we saw a French flag flying on shore; we went to it and found a company of fishermen from the Isle of France; among them was an American, a native of Albany, New York. Soon after we arrived, the ship Manhattan of Sag harbor arrived, and joined us. The next day Capt. Plaskett told the passengers if we wished to go on shore, he would send a boat to wait on us: we embraced the opportunity and found St. Pauls to be one of the greatest natural curiosities I ever saw: it is evident that the east half of the island is sunk; the island has been thrown up from the bed of the ocean by volcanic eruptions. On that side the shore is perpendicular. From the north and south points, it rises with a gradual ascent towards the centre [center], where there is a curious basin. This was once the crater through which this island was thrown up; the island fell off so near to it that the sea has broken into it a passage: there are nine feet water on the bar at high tides. As soon as you pass this, there are twenty seven fathoms all over it: it is one mile and a half in diameter, with almost perpendicular sides of two thousand feet elevation, and as round and regular as if it had been excavated by art. On the north side of the entrance are the fisher's huts; near them they had cut a zigzag foot-path to the top, and we went up; it was a hazardous tour, and I think none but sailors would have attempted it. Near the top the ascent was almost perpendicular. In many places we had to crawl on our hands and knees, pulling ourselves up by the projecting rocks, and had we made one misstep, we should have been dashed to the bottom. When we arrived at the top, we found the rim of the basin to be the highest part of the island. From it on every side but the east, the land had a gradual slope to the water. The island is about five miles long, and is covered with a rank growth of coarse grass, like that on the prairies; but not a tree nor shrub. The two ship masters, Plaskett and Cooper, were with us. We found a place where the steam was coming up; Capt. Cooper commenced digging into the dirt and burnt his fingers to a blister. The bank on the east side is an awful precipice. I laid down and crept to the edge and looked off; as I looked down the awful steep to the water, (two thousand feet,) a sensation came over my brain, that is more easily imagined than described.
Near the huts where we landed, is a number of boiling springs; the water is boiling hot. We had come crawfish in the boat; we put one into the spring, it soon cooked and we ate it.
The Commedant [Commandant] was a polite Frenchman; he could not speak a word of English. Doctor Winslow, one of our passengers, could speak good French, and he was highly delighted with our visit; treated us with great hospitality, and took much pains to go with us over the island, and show its curiosities. Near his huts were the graves of two American sailors. By their headboards we found one's name to be Charles Mallory, aged 21 years; he was first mate of a whale ship; was killed by a whale. The other was Pardon Howland jr., aged 13 years. He was killed by falling from a loft.-How lonely was the sight of those graves, on a desolate island of the sea-far, far from their friends and home!
The soil looks very rich, but the ground is so full of steam, it kills all the seed they put into the earth; and they can raise nothing.-They are bountifully supplied with every thing they need from the Isle of Franee [France]. They treated us with green peas that had been preserved in tin flasks; they were as sweet as if just taken from the garden.
At night Capt. Cooper invited us all to go on board his ship and take supper; we accepted the invitation. After we got on board both ships stood out to sea, as they had got what fish they wanted; twenty or thirty barrels each. We were waited on with much politeness and friendship; were served with fresh fish, both chowdered and fried in excellent style, with warm biscuit, butter, cheese, &c., &c. About 11 o'clock, the night being very dark, the ships made signals by hoisting lanterns; they both hove to nearly a mile apart. Our boat was hauled up to the gangway and twelve men of us got into it, which loaded her nearly to the gunwales; there was a heavy swell but not much wind. We paddled slowly over the rolling billows; the night was dark and cloudy; and when between the ships, we could see nothing but their glimmering tapers. You can better judge of our feelings in this situation, than I can describe them. Suffice it to say, we got safely on board our ship; and I felt thankful. We then filled away and stood on our course; both ships bound to the Pacific. We shaped our course for Cape Chatham, the south west point of Australia.
On this part of our passage, I often used to watch the sun as it was setting, and think it
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