Mr Scoulcr's Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. 207 



but we were much surprised at the extent of his library, as he 

 possessed upwards of twenty English books on different sub- 

 jects. The most curious article he had was an iron pot with the 

 bottom knocked out. It was, however, too valuable an article 

 to be thrown away, and he had fitted a wooden one to it ; when 

 he had occasion to boil any thing, he immersed it in the earth 

 and kindled a fire round its sides. 



During our short excursion to the interior we had no occasion 

 to complain of the poverty of the country, as it abounded in 

 the most beautiful plants and shrubs. The dry soil was co- 

 vered by an evergreen Arbutus and a shrubby Campanula, 

 (bell-flower,) and almost every sheltered rock afforded a differ- 

 ent species of fern. During this excursion we were tempted to 

 stop in the vicinity of the old fort by the abundance of ripe 

 strawberries which grew on the sides of the hill ; these straw- 

 berries were of small size and pale colour, but of a very agree- 

 able flavour. One curious circumstance is the redness of the 

 soil in this situation, which is, however, much exaggerated by 

 Lord Anson, when he says it equals vermilion in brightness ; 

 but the redness of the ground was so inconsiderable that it 

 would not have attracted our attention had we not been di- 

 rected to it by Lord Anson's statements.* 



Cumberland Bay used to be the favourite resort of the Eno-- 

 lish privateers and whalers ; and in time of war its utility to 

 them was so great as to excite the jealousy of the Spaniards, 

 who, in 1765, constructed a battery mounting fifty guns, to 

 command the harbour, and at the same time formed a set- 

 tlement on the island ; but in a few years this colony was 

 abandoned. In 1811 the island was resettled and used as a 

 place of banishment for convicts from Chili. This attempt, 

 however, like the preceding, was given up after a short trial. 

 At present the island is seldom visited by ships, but is still 

 the occasional residence of the adventurers employed in pro- 

 curing cattle and fishing. The battery, which still remains 



* These two statements may be reconciled by supposing that Lord An- 

 son saw the soil when the sun was near the western horizon. We have seen 

 the same soil exhibit the same discrepancy of colour under different cir- 

 cumstances. — Ed. 



