ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 659 



It is for the moft part high land, but not 'deftitute of fome plains, though thefe are part 

 of the mountains themfelves. Its valleys are full of trees, and fome of them an excellent 

 timber. Here is likewife the piemento tree, refembling the chiapa in New Spain. The 

 plains and little hills produce a fort of ftraw, refembling that of oats, and growing 

 higher than the ufual ftature of a man. The waters, of which feveral ftreams fall from 

 the eminences into the fea, is very light, creates an appetite, and, among other medici- 

 nal qualities, is excellent againft indigeftion. Here are many dogs of different fpecies, 

 particularly of the greyhound kind ; and alfo a great number of goats, which it is very 

 difficult to come at, artfully keeping themfelves among thofe crags and precipices, where 

 no other animal but themfelves can live. The dogs owe their origin to a colony fent 

 thither, not many years ago, by the prefident of Chili, and the viceroy of Peru, in order 

 totally to exterminate the goats, that any pirates or fhips of the enemy might not here be 

 furniflied with provifions. But this fcheme has proved ineffedual, the dogs being in- 

 capable of purfuing them among the faftneffes where they live, thefe animals leaping 

 from one rock to another with furprifmg agility. Thus, far, indeed, it has anfwered 

 the purpofe ; for ihips cannot now fo eafily furnifli themfelves with provifions here, it 

 being very difficult to kill even a fingle goat. 



Very few birds frequent this ifland j and, though we found feveral white feathers on 

 the ground, and alfo parts of carcafes, which feemed to have been gnawed by the dogs, 

 we faw but very few flying, and thofe wholly black. It is not indeed improbable but 

 thefe iflands may be the winter retreats of fome kinds of birds, which on the approach 

 of fummer remove to another climate. 



In this ifland are mountains of a great height ; and the fides of thofe towards the 

 north are covered with trees of good timber : but few or none are feen on thofe of the 

 fouth part, except in the breaches and valleys, owing doubtlefs to the piercing violence 

 of the fouth winds, which deftroys them or checks their growth. On the other hand, 

 €very part is covered with tall grafs or ftraw, already mentioned. Among the various 

 forts of trees with which the ifland is decorated, there are none of the American fruit- 

 trees, owing to the coldnefs of the climate, which is increafed by the violence of the 

 winds, fo that even the heats of fummer are moderate. 



In this ifland are three harbours or bays ; but thofe on the weft and eaft fides have 

 only water fufficient for fmall veflels, fo that the only one proper for large ftiips is that 

 on the north, or rather north-eaft, fide of the ifland. The latter, which is properly 

 called Juan Fernandes, confifts of a bay formed by the coaft, but expofed to the nOrth 

 and north-eaft winds, fo that in winter no fliip can lie fafely in it ; and even in fummer 

 it is not free from danger, on account of the great depth of water ; for within the dif- 

 tance of a cable's length or two from the fliore it has fifty fathoms, and growing deeper 

 as the diftance increafes. To this muft alfo be added the badnefs of the ground, which 

 being of fand, and a tenacious mud, mixed with fhells and gravel, the cables are greatly 

 ''rubbed by it, and confequently the anchorage unfafe. The ftiips are alfo expofed to con- 

 tinual fqualls caufed by the Sures, which produce a very troublefome fea ; violent cur- 

 rents likewife fet into the bay, and form dangerous eddies. I^aftly, the fteepnefs of the 

 coaft renders it very difficult to be approached on account of the dafhing of the waves 

 againft it ; and accordingly the only fhips that put into this port are fuch as belong to 

 pirates, or the enemy, this ifland being the fole refuge for them in the South Seas : and 

 they expofe themfelves to thefe dangers, merely through the neceffity of taking in water 

 and wood, refrefhing their crews, and furnifhing themfelves with fifh, which is caught 

 jhere in great abundance. 



4 p 2 Thefe 



