nt trip, though I
believe it might easily have been found without farther directions. In
these islands there are many kinds of sea-fowl, and some land-birds,
particularly hawks and turtle-doves, both so very tame that we often
knocked them down with sticks. I saw no kind of beasts, but there are
guanas in abundance, and land-tortoises almost on every island, besides
vast numbers of turtles or sea-tortoises. It is very strange how the
land-tortoises have got here, as there are none on the main, and they
could not have come of themselves. Some of these islands are the haunts
of seals, but not in such numbers as at Juan Fernandez, neither is their
fur so good. A very large one made at me three several times, and if I
had not happened to have a pike-staff headed with iron, he might have
killed me. I was on the level sand when he came open-mouthed at me from
the water, as fierce and quick as an angry dog let loose. All the three
times he made at me, I struck the pike into his breast, which at last
forced him to retire into the water, snarling with an ugly noise, and
shewing his long teeth. This animal was as big as a large bear.

[Footnote 228: In Cowley's voyage, formerly given, one of these
islands, which he calls the Duke of York's Island, is said to have
abundance of wood and water, but none to be had in any of the rest.
Perhaps the Duke of York's Island of Cowley, and Santa Maria del Aguada
of Morel, may be the same.--E.]

On the 1st October we made the main-land of Mexico, which Captain
Dampier immediately recognized as near the place where he had attacked
the lesser Manilla ship in the St George. Our men began again to fall
sick, and two of them dropped down on the deck in a kind of scorbutic
appoplexy, but recovered on being let blood. The 2d we made _Cape
Corientes_, on the coast of Mexico, in lat. 20 deg. 25' N. which we knew by
our charts. Captain Dampier had been here, but it was a long time ago,
and he did not seem to remember much of the matter; yet when he came to
land at different places, he very readily recollected them. Our purpose
now was to look for the islands called _Tres Marias_, to procure some
refreshments, but found this somewhat difficult, being very uncertain as
to their true situation. In the afternoon of the 4th, Cape Corientes
bore E.N.E. about ten leagues, and next morning, being fine clear
weather, we discovered two islands at the distance of about fourteen
leagues, one bearing N. by W. and