JUAN FERNANDEZ. 351 
rather fatiguing ; and we were glad to sit down under a large quince 
tree on a carpet of balm bordered with roses, now neglected, and 
rest, and feast our eyes with the lovely view before us. Lord Anson 
has not exaggerated. the beauty of the place, or the delights. of the 
climate ; we were rather early for its fruits ; but even at this time we 
have gathered delicious figs, and cherries, and pears, that a few more 
days’ sun would have perfected. I was quite sorry to leave our station 
in the park, and return to the landing-place to embark for the dark 
close ship. 
The landing-place is also the watering-place ; and there a little 
jetty is thrown out, formed of the beach pebbles, making a little 
harbour for the boats, which lie there close to the fresh water, which 
comes conducted by a pipe, so that with a hose the casks may be 
filled, without landing, with the most delicious water. Along the 
beach some old guns are sunk to serve as moorings for vessels, which 
are all the safer the nearer in-shore they lie: violent gusts of wind. 
often blow from the mountain for a few minutes. During our ab- 
sence, we found that Glennie had been calculating the height of the 
island, which he makes about 3000 feet. 
26th. —I went ashore with Lord Cochrane’s party early to-day, as 
I wished to make some sketches, and, if possible, to climb up some 
of the hills in-search of plants; therefore, when they all resumed 
their scheme for reaching the highest point in order to see the other 
side of the island, I remained behind. They were soon out of sight : 
the vessel was far from hearing; no boat was ashore ; and I was left 
alone among the ruins of the once-flourishing colony. I did not 
long stay there; but walked, or rather crawled—for the steepness of 
the land rendered it necessary often to depend partly on my hands 
in the ascent — to a place where the marks of cultivation led me to 
search for the herbs or trees which might have been imported ; and 
there I found the vine grown wild over a pretty considerable track ; 
pot-herbs, particularly parsley, I found abundance of ; and such beds 
of sweet mint spread along the water-courses, that I think it must be 
native ; so are the strawberry and the winter cherry. 
