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which grow 
the forests. Every part of theisland is covered wi 
‘sort of. or straw, like the stalk of oats,’ which 
ws to the height of a man; and there is a great va- 
riety of esculent canny antiscorbutics, 
as water cresses, sorrel, turnips, 
** 
3 
for ing, vi ing, wi and” ren- 
pyr vate ysl the B and 
other cruizers in quarters ; and, in order to'de- 
prive them of the supplies which it afforded, the Spa- 
fe FERNANDEZ. 
805 
sufficierit to heave the 
scarcely able to muster 
Juan 
anchor. In 1766, the Spaniards formed a settlement, Fernandez. 
and established a garrison on the island. In the year 
following, Captain Carteret, in the course of his voy: 
round the world, attem to enter Cumberland-bay, 
and was surprised to find it in the possession of the Spa- 
niards. He neither anchored, nor had any communi- 
i- cation with the shore; but was able to observe a num- 
ber of men upon the beach, a house, and four pieces of 
cannon near the water side, a.fort upon a rising ground 
about 300 yards farther from the sea, faced with stone, 
provided with 18 or 20 embrazures, with the Spanish 
colours fying on the top of it. There were 20 or 30 
houses i t kinds scattered around it, a number 
of cattle re ee the brow of the hills, and several 
spots enclosed for cultivation. Since that period no ac- 
counts respecting this settlement were laid before the 
public, as all access to its shores was invariably denied 
to strangers. But-in 1792, Lieutenant John Moss of 
the royal seas then commanding the ship William, 
Hs a Se on southern whale and seal fishery, visit- 
ed the islands of Fernandez; and ‘from his MS. 
the following notices were first published in the Athe- 
neum vc: 1807. rs was not aware of its having been 
occupi the Spaniards, and went in his boat to look 
Pp aed and to catch fish. Upon finding the 
pee inhabited, he landed, and ied to the governor 
‘or leave to anchor and fish. Neither of his requests 
was formally ; but getting into a position where 
none of the guns could bear on the boat, he caught as 
many fish as served the whole ship’s company. Several 
months afterwards, however, touching a second time at 
Juan Fernandez, ‘he obtained from vernor, ‘Don 
Juan Calvo de la Canteza, free permission to supply the 
wants of his crew. The town, or village, is pleasantly 
situated in a fine valley between two high hills. A 
battery of five guns is placed round’ the west’ point of 
the harbour, and commands the road. It is built en- 
tirely of loose stones, piled up breast high, and formed 
into embrazures ; but on the left of the valley, on a 
little eminence, another was then constructing 
of masonry, which had two faces with fourteen embra- 
‘the town, and several others in different parts ‘of the 
‘island. Every house has a garden, with arbours of 
grape vines ; and figs, cherries, plumbs, and almonds, 
= state. There was abundance also 
ptain Moss entered, the women ted 
him with maté, the infusion of the herb of ‘araguay, 
