562 ULLOa's voyage to south AMERICA. 



that, the pomt of it being applied to the part afFefted, it entirely removes the pain in 

 half an hour. The firft account I had of this fingular virtue was from a Frenchman, 

 who was my pilot ; but as reafon would not permit me to give credit, without expe* 

 rience, to a circumftance feemingly fo void of probability, the affeverations of the man 

 increafed my defire of putting it to the proof, which I did feveral times, and always 

 with fuccefs. I did not fail to communicate a difcovery of fuch great benefit ; and 

 accordingly feveral of my acquaintance, who laboured under that excruciating pain, 

 made trial of it, and found from it the fame happy eifefts ; with this particular circum^ 

 fiance, that foon after the application of the bone to the part afFedled, it became 

 infenfible of pain, a drowfinefs fucceeded, and they awaked free from the torture. I 

 obferved that the fpongy fubftance at the root, during the operation, became gradually 

 inflated, and fofiter than in its natural ftate, which could not be effeded folely by 

 the moifture of the mouth, the part put into it being compad, hard, and fmooth as 

 ivory. I am therefore inclined to think, that it has an attradive virtue, which extracts 

 the morbific humour, and colledts it in the root. The common length of thefe 

 anodyne fpurs, or bones, is two inches and a half, of which one moiety, together 

 with the root, is within the body of the fifh. Each face of the triangle is about four 

 lines in breadth. They are taken in the fame plenty as the others. 



The abundance of fifh about thefe iflands is fuch, that two hours fifhing in the 

 morning, and as many in the evening, with only fix or eight nets, procured not only 

 a fufficiency for all the fhip*s company, but a confiderable quantity remained for 

 faking. The chief kinds are cod, berrugates, the fpur-fifh, fole, turbot, jureles, and 

 lobflers ; befides an infinite number of fmall fifh, which covered the water ; a circum- 

 ftance the more furprifmg, as there are fuch multitudes of fea-wolves all along the 

 coafl, which live on nothing elfe. For though there is very little fifhing near thefe 

 iflands, yet doubtlefs the conflant ravages of fuch enormous creatures may be thought 

 at leafl equal to the capture of a large fifhery. 



Thefe feveral fpecies are all fo delicate and palatable, that the epicure would be at 

 a lofs which to prefer. The lobflers are often half a yard in length, and are taken 

 even with greater eafe than the others. They are of an exquifite tafle, though the 

 meat is fomething hard. The berrugate is a large fcaly fifh. 



We continued at anchor near this ifland till the 2 2d of January ; during which time, 

 we reconnoitred every part of it, and particularly vifited the place where the Englifh had 

 ereded their tents, in order to difcover any private fignal they might have left for the 

 information of any other fhips that fhould afterwards touch at this ifland. The pre- 

 fident of Chili had, with the fame view, fent a fhip hither fome months before our 

 arrival ; but all they met with was two bottles, in each of which was a writing in 

 cypher ; and all we difcovered were the piquets and poles of the tents ; with their 

 fmall wooden bridges for crofTmg the breaches, and other things of that kind. Both 

 our frigates having taken in water and wood, we failed at three in the afternoon for the 

 ifland of Santa Maria, which we made on the 5th of February, and after carefully 

 furveying it on all fides, continued our courfe till half an hour after feven of the fame 

 day, when we came to an anchor at Puerto Tome, on the eaft fide of the bay of 

 Conception. 



At our departure from the ifland of Fernandes, we fleered firfl eafl one quarter 

 foutherly, and the winds continuing between the fouth and fouth-eafl, we tacked on the 

 23d, and fleered between the wefl-fouth-wefl and fouth-fouth-wefl, but on the 28th, being 

 m the latitude of 35" 33' 30", 33' 30" fouth latitude, and a degree wefl of the meridian De 



Afuer^ 



