Voyages Round the World: With Selected Sketches of Voyages to the South Seas, North and South Pacific Oceans, China, Etc. ... |
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Common terms and phrases
American ship Volunteer anchor answer appeared arrived attended beach bearing birds boat breeze brig cabin called canoes Canton Cape Horn Captain Captain Palmer cargo casks chief Chili Chiloe Island coast cocoa-nuts command Coquimbo crew Crook Crozetts deck discovered distance east eastward Edmund Fanning excellent Falkland Falkland Islands farther fathoms favor feet fish friendly frigate fur seal skins fur seals gale Gomez hand harbor head hove instantly island Josh king latitude leagues distant leave longitude miles mountain natives noon observed obtained officer Pacific passage passed pilot port proceeded procuring purser received reef regent rocks rookery round sail schooner seamen sent ship's shore side sight soon SOUTH SEAS South Shetland Islands South Shetlands sperm whales stay-sail surf tain taken tion trade trade wind vessel voyage weather westward wind wood Yankee Harbor York
Popular passages
Page 194 - ... which were of a light dun color, the wings and tail being both of a jet black, and the last tipped off with white; it was a most beautiful and lovely bird, with its brilliant and richly variegated plumage. We were much chagrined, while observing these, to see a man-of-war hawk flying by with one in his mouth, apparently having just caught it.
Page 455 - ... not less than 100,000 newly-born young died in consequence of the destruction of their mothers." (See Elliott's Report, 1884, p. 118.) In 1830 the supply of fur-seals in the South Seas had so greatly decreased that the vessels engaged in this enterprise "generally made losing voyages, from the fact that those, places which were the resort of seals had been abandoned by them.
Page 405 - ... Stonington, Connecticut, on a voyage to the South Shetlands. From Captain Pendleton's report, as rendered on their return, it appeared that while the fleet lay at anchor in Yankee Harbor, Deception Island, during the season of 1820 and 21, being on the lookout from an elevated station, on the mountain of the island during a very clear day he had discovered mountains (one a volcano in operation) in the south ; this was what is now known by the name of Palmer's Land ; from the statement it will...
Page 204 - mast high, directly ahead, and towards which our ship was fast sailing' : It was a coral reef or shoal, in the form of a crescent, about six leagues in extent from north to south; under its lee, and within the compass of the crescent there appeared to be white and shoal water. We did not discover a foot of ground, rock, or sand, above water, where a boat might have been hauled up.
Page 407 - American vessel apparently in as fine order as if it were but yesterday she had left the United States ; not only this, but her master is ready to pilot my vessels into port ; we must surrender the palm to you Americans,' continued he, very flatteringly. His astonishment was yet more increased when Captain Palmer informed him of the existence of an immense extent of land to the south, whose mountains might be seen from the masthead when the fog should clear away entirely. Captain Palmer, while on...
Page 412 - The valleys and gulleys were mainly filled with those never-dissolved icebergs, their square and perpendicular fronts, several hundred feet in height, glistening most splendidly in a variety of colors as the sun shone upon them. The mountains on the coast, as well as those to all appearance in the interior, were generally covered with snow, except when their black peaks were seen here and there peeping out.
Page 407 - The commodore thanked him kindly, "but previous to our being enveloped in the fog," said he, "we had sight of those islands, and concluded we had made a discovery, but behold when the fog lifts, to my great surprise, here is an American vessel apparently in as fine order as if it were but yesterday she had left the United States; not only this, but her master is ready to pilot my vessels into port. We must surrender the palm to you Americans," continued he, very flatteringly.
Page 448 - ... we had no encouragement of passing in the vicinity of any land. Our crew, now being much worn down by fatigue, and being almost constantly wet in this region of rough sea, and cold rugged weather, with alarming symptoms of that dread disease, the scurvy; it was judged judicious to bear up, and proceed for the coast of Chili to refresh and recruit our men, also to replenish our wood and water.
Page 408 - Land ; he then traced the coast to the eastward, keeping as near the shore as the ice would suffer; at times he was able to come along shore, at other points he could not approach within from one to several miles, owing to the firm ices, although it was in December and January, the middle summer months in this hemisphere. In this way he coasted along this continent upwards of fifteen degrees, viz. from 64 and odd, down below the 49th of west longitude.
Page 405 - He found it to be an extensive mountainous country, more sterile and dismal if possible, and more heavily loaded with ice and snow, than the South Shetlands. There were sea leopards on its shore, but no fur seals. The main part of its coast was icebound, although it was in the midsummer of this hemisphere, and a landing consequently difficult.