Part 4

Luckily, the strong on-shore wind made it possible for us to go very close and not run any danger of getting in poisonous gases or smoke, for there were great clouds of smoke.

The shore rocks were black, there were two colors in the water, green close to shore and blue out beyond, and these big masses of very white steamy smoke. And then as we came closer we could see huge openings at the end of the lava flow, like pipes emptying red hot lava out into the water. It looked like bright blood.

All day till dark, we circled around and kept passing near it, keeping about a quarter of a mile from shore. There were high waves and a strong breeze and the smoke was blowing steadily up the mountain side so that by sunset time we couldn’t see the little cones up on the higher slopes from which the whole flow had come down.

But after dark we could tell just the line the stream had flowed down, a rather zigzag course, and right over the place to which Uncle Will and John had climbed two months earlier. There were great hot patches which glowed red in the dark and little specks of hot fiery places all along the slopes. And then at the bottom right at the shore, these great huge open hot red streams spilling out into the sea. Once or twice it would break out in bigger flows or whole big chunks would fall off into the water, and then it would shoot out and throw boiling lava into the air, way up, like blasting or skyrockets.

Through the glasses we could see several birds which had flown too near and their bodies were floating along in the water. Once we saw a poor sea lion throw himself straight up into the air five times and then flop down dead right near the terrible stream. A great big octopus floated by, just about dead. And we watched a whole wave so full of fish it looked black, swimming as fast as they possibly could straight out to the cold water. Once too, we saw a shark in a kind of daze, swimming along, and probably not knowing why the water was so suddenly growing hotter and hotter.

Shorty took some fine pictures of the whole thing, the smoke spurting up in the air, the pieces of rock crunching off and exploding into the water, and the great streams of melted rock.

The last thing at night when we left, we saw six big outlets or hot glowing spouts dimmer and dimmer as we turned eastward. Next morning we left the Galápagos Islands for Panama.

(A Little Song Written by Don Dickerman for David’s Birthday Party)

SONG TO DAVIE PUTNAM

Oh, his name was Davie Putnam, And the youngest man aboard, In truth we guessed they shipped him for a lark. Didn’t need no powder monkey, Guests we couldn’t quite afford, But he sailed with William Beebe on the Ark.

Oh, we took this Davie Putnam, And we sailed away I say, To those desert islands cruel, bleak and stark. There we captured giant lizards, Sharks and tortoise in the bay, As we sailed with William Beebe in the Ark.

And this little Davie Putnam, Who was only twelve y’see, With his mates t’home a’friskin’ in the park, Steps out with all his olders, Hunts and fishes with the best, As he sailed with William Beebe in the Ark.

So this little Davie Putnam, Smallest man aboard the ship, As the topmost fightin’ pirate makes his mark; And besides we liked his spirit And his many a merry quip, As we sailed with William Beebe on the Ark.