New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-04-27

6eniv he stood quite still; and. delighted
Trith nv own success and with the susceptl
hilitv Of the uucOuth creature, | drew
gently, always singing, and oeckonlng
meanwhiIe--thOugh not without certain
sel(-reproach for taking such Unfair adNah-
tagp of his love of muslc--to one OF our
spnrtsruen behind 20 come up cautiously
and eve the fatal blow. He approached
silently and quickly. but suddenly ex-
claimed: why. Mrs. Agasstz. he's tied
The emotional side of his character vas
at once EXPLAINED; lis seemingly breatLiess
appreciation of my music was wholly uue
TO the fact that he had twisted his rope
round the tree ill he could not move al
other step; and think more mOTtlned
pFima donna was never hissed OH the stage.
Some of our sailors Lad caught him on com
ing up, and had tied him there 10 await our
return The rope having slipped down TO
the root of the tree, / had not seen 1t. Net
withstauding NV failure. other means wer"
found more efficient, and we succeeded n
capturing q number. both alive and dead
We left AlhemaCle island with tue greatest
regret. Indeed. our visits to all these
islands were the interest recOnnolssanteS'
giving tine for nothing more than super
fetal survey of their geology and zoology.
Our collections were. indeed, large ami va
rious because our small corps Of naturahsts
Was multiplied by the whole working force
OF the ship officers and men Joining IN the
search with hearty good will which trebled
and quadrupled the strength of the scien-
tltic party; but they woLld have been tar
more interesting had we been less hurried.
Leaving A!bermuTle on Che fourteenth "f
Aune, we passed the fifteenth at James %S-
land. the aspect OF (which was greeuer anB
more inviting than that OF either Charles OF
ALTERNATE, because the fires OF this island
were earlier GXtIuguished, and 1t has had
time to put on garme Mt of vegetation.
And yet. even here, ono vast lava stream
started from the higher ground and, though
comparatively narrOU N its upper course,
Widened into bt ,aG a ca below until II
reached the sea These volcanic regions
take strong aOld OF the imagination. so
perfectly DO they tell the story OF past
eruptions that, to the fancy, the blackened
field IL once more Il heaying, palpltatlng
sheet of fire the hardened stream turns 10
a flowing river of molten lava, the dead
siags are aglow. and the burned out fur
naces are alive again. throwing mp hame
and smoke IA of o!o. fou can track the
course OF the whole ~ il it had happened
yesterday.
After the steep rocky walls of Fagus
sound, winch hardly al ,rded ledge vide
enough for a safe and steady spring on
shore. the broad sand beach OF James
island, presenting a safe and easy landing,
was pleasant change As | sat under a
belle Of trees on the beach ridge, a superb
lock of lamlngOea swept past me, their
pink necks stretched, their red wings tipped
with black giitteriug in the Sunshine. Part
of them alighted. some on the water, some
ON land, and | had the greatest pleasure in
watching them. Swimming they are pref
TEST They look then like pink swans.
Their attitude IN the water is full of ease
and grace, and they arch their long Decks
proudly as if they liked TO turn the soft.
rose colored plumage in the light. On land
they are very attractive also.
ASA sat hidden BY the trees. eve % Them
promenadea seas s1e, walking along the
edge OF the surE Thsy stepped fGgh0 With
% certain dainty eauHios, SD arlstOerstie dee
i.he'ateness os movement which seemed ss
imply that haste ws.s VuigaH. Ela eurge DS
tue neck WAS 10 less graceful in walking
than in swimming bus n thghts though
their color 10 Gondertu!lg brilliant snd
shows 90 great advantage. their slGon.
with the leg. snG neck stretched et "a
awkward shall l confess thst, beautiful
az they were, and seemingly unfit fOr
eOarser uses. We dinc9 on sUssted Hamlngo
that EVENING" Very tender and delicate il
was, and "t delicious 9avet. la the sO8e-
VIVA. munetuuous state ~ euE reduced
James ISLAND. however, abeunded in game
ducks, snipe.. end other small birds-so
that, foE a day OF sH". ouS table ~as 1Os
without its luxus:e..
On the 10Y entrsn'h ". arrived AZ .Jsryis
tsls y l. where We passed the afternoon en- u
be t1n which was covered with large 81 ais.
As We a preached they looked CuriOusly at
rs, and then wadCled int, iii. water, remain
ing, however, IN the surf. sometimes coming
up on the sand. sometimes POLLING over ana
over in the waves. playing vith one another,
rubbing their sheals together. and in,lu.c,
lng Ia "Hdles. .ami'Ols and sun. These
cr.Atures we're quite tonne, fo- we found =
little family oi them en- land who were aot
10 the least Gi,turbe., by our presence.
mother had !Hate kind 81 nursery f"s
Aacsel. and hry two little Cubs IN Il green
as5oz forI.ed ry Che l.S growing branch
&c Hi t-ea few Yards tgom The
beach. 1L"u2. thes looked ~ Us
with inaair!ns wonGcro ,hcg were
periscsi. NncONternea a. "ss approach; al
loved Hs to SIS down close bE them, and
pal them. and tines Bould even smell ~ the
bread and crackesS WITH which We tried TO
was amusin. =" watch them in their home;
the little ones cuddlinG up - the mother,
auarrellug Gur the nearest, wamrest place,
with that selfish instinct Of Dependence and
affection which rtarte4 us III animals as
something strangely human. The happy
family" 80 ottt u represented in menageries,
WAS to be seen here in nature. Small
lizards rawlcd over the mother seal and
ate flies from her back. and little birds
hoped close 0ser her Aeaa aud between
her and her !itrs ones, without the
slightest fras.
At the further eahSi this beach wa. a
very lofty, picturesque cliff OF dark red
rock and soil. HALF crumbling, it was full
"f riffs and broken lodges, which made su-
prrs shadows on the rich background of
color, | passed n pleasant hour sitting
alone unHer it's shade 10 the soft summer
afternoon, ana watching the seals at their
play i'll the surf. Bhs was my last expert
ence in the Ealapagos islands. We stopped
she next day !ot few hours under shelter
of interchangeable island to mend Cur engine.
but did not 20 90 shore.
These '7fud- are exceedingly interesting
ca the naturalist, from their recent volcanic
origin and from the fact that they have a
singuisr and characteristic fauna snd fora.
Darwin gIve the lst specific and detailed
account Of their zoology more than thirty
gears 20. Hs fisst named the large marine
sDS terQcetTial Lizards which haunt the
ah0Fee an65 che iRtsiiu@ ~ s0ee of them
Here a.me ~0 Gise best cork ID his y,slsh
% his life, 1850 very islande Gonnest
sfs;Dse o. sa oGA coincidence.
~lth ale tn."ry Of enc origin OF species.
Ehsse volcanic &lsnds, OF so 4sse aaamS
,i"s ttste theSs lasa fields SELL lie black and
care, supse.sIhs tIss idea that the old fires
nsy sTaaS out again at any moment. are
llb. hiteG ~ o Fauna specifically distinct
!r!'Fn tAtt ~ sf@ rBanlanS. Whence sl,n,e
snls fsuns cCane. go peculiar and so csrcufS-
scs1btd' Eithog ~ uRiginated ghepe ie il
found, nP s!7s those changes ~ whose sub
s!es nnpercsssibe alchemy! ~ b argued fhas
all Aisie4csa OF sPeses h0Ye been lssoIagl ?
soor' a~ much UoEe TayiS in their astiou
than has "et'S supposed az zine 9a N,e be
rut, 5hrn ''' srDisI'ion sySee ah'sll6 aos