Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific and Beering's Strait: To Co-operate with the Polar Expeditions : Performed in His Majesty's Ship Blossom, Under the Command of Captain F.W. Beechey, R.N. ... in the Years 1825,26,27,28. ...

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Carey & Lea, 1832 - 493 pages
 

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Page 303 - Solano, but sickness and death have dealt with an unsparing hand among the others. The huts of the absentees, at the time of our visit, had all fallen to decay, and presented heaps of filth and rubbish; while the remaining inmates of the mission were in as miserable a condition as it was possible to conceive, and were entirely regardless of their own comfort. Their hovels afforded scarcely any protection against the weather, and were black with smoke: some of the Indians were sleeping on the greasy...
Page 67 - alter his kettle into a still,' a contrivance which unfortunately succeeded too well, as frequent intoxication was the consequence, with M'Coy in particular, upon whom at length it produced fits of delirium, in one of which, he threw himself from a cliff and was killed. The melancholy fate of this man created so forcible an impression on the remaining few, that they resolved never again to touch spirits ; and Adams, I have every reason to believe, to the day of his death kept his vow.
Page 53 - ... could not fail to produce a temporary embarrassment, heightened, perhaps, by the familiarity with which he found himself addressed by persons of a class with those whom he had been accustomed to obey.
Page 52 - The activity of the young men outstripped that of old Adams, who was consequently almost the last to greet us. He was in his sixty-fifth year, and was unusually strong and active for his age, notwithstanding the inconvenience of considerable corpulency. He was dressed in a sailor's shirt and trousers and a low-crowned hat, which he instinctively held in his hand until desired to put it on. He still retained his sailor's gait, doffing his hat and smoothing down his bald forehead whenever he was addressed...
Page 53 - ... embarrassment, heightened, perhaps, by the familiarity with which he found himself addressed by persons of a class with those whom he had been accustomed to obey. Apprehension for his safety formed no part of his thoughts : he had received too many demonstrations of the good feeling that existed towards him, both on the part of the British government and of individuals, to entertain any alarm on that head ; and as every person endeavoured to set his mind at rest, he very soon made himself at...
Page 160 - Pacific, it has a lagoon in the centre surrounded by a stripe of low land about seventy miles in extent, the part which is dry being about a quarter of a mile in width. On the inner side, a few yards from the margin of the lake, there is a bank consisting of finely broken coral ; and at the outer edge, a much higher bank of large blocks of the same material, long since removed from the reach of the waves, and gradually preparing for the usual process of vegetation.
Page 435 - N. and beyond, but that was the utmost limit of our view to the southward. The northern cluster consists of small islands and pointed rocks, and has much broken ground about it, which renders caution necessary in approaching it. I distinguished it by the name of Parry's Group, in compliment to the late hydrographer, under whose command 1 had the pleasure to serve on the northern expedition.
Page 38 - ... but regained their position the instant the attention of the persons in the boat was called to some other object. Just within the gunwale there were many small things •which were highly prized by the swimmers ; and the boats being brought low in the water by the crowd hanging to them, many of these articles were stolen, notwithstanding the most vigilant attention on the part of the crew, who had no means of recovering them — the marauders darting into the water, and diving the moment they...
Page 331 - ... contributing to the necessities of vessels, plains overrun with cattle, excellent ports, and navigable rivers to facilitate inland communication. Possessing all these advantages, an industrious population alone seems requisite to withdraw it from the obscurity in which it has so long slept under the indolence of the people and the jealous policy of the Spanish Government. Indeed it struck us as lamentable to see such an extent of habitable country lying almost desolate and useless to mankind,...
Page 304 - Though there may be occasional acts of tyranny, yet the general character of the padres is kind and benevolent, and in some missions the converts are so much attached to them that I have heard them declare they would go with them if they were obliged to quit the country. It is greatly to be regretted that, with the influence these men have over their pupils, and the regard those pupils seem to have for their masters, the priests do not interest themselves a little more in the education of their converts.

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