58 BERTHA'S VISIT TO HER 



Dec. 2Sth. During our passage from Brazil, 

 Captain M. lent me one of your old favourites, 

 Anson's Voyage ; and, next to Robinson Crusoe, 

 it interested me more than any thing of that 

 kind I ever read. You may guess then with 

 what pleasure I have been looking over the ac- 

 count of a late visit to Juan Fernandez by Mr. 

 Scouler, who was employed by the Hudson's 

 Bay Company to examine the natural history of 

 the north-west coast of America. I think two 

 or three little extracts will amuse you ; and I 

 must tell you, by the way, that Mr. Scouler 

 seems to feel great admiration for our city of 

 Rio, and the bay, and the view from the Cor- 

 covado, and all our beautiful plants, birds, and 

 insects. 



" Dec. 14, 1824. The island of Juan Fernan- 

 dez was approached with equal interest by every 

 one in the vessel, but with different feelings; as 

 classic ground by the seamen, and as a new 

 field for research by the naturalist. 



" We landed at a small bay at the northern 

 extremity of the island. The level land near 

 the coast had more resemblance to a European 

 corn-field, than to a desolate valley in the 

 Pacific Ocean, being entirely overgrown with 

 oats, interspersed in different places with wild 

 carrots. On penetrating through the corn- 

 fields, we discovered a small cavern, excavated 

 in the decomposing rock, and bearing evident 



