218 The V O Y 
barkationj the ohc being ufeiefs without the other ; and all 
the Stock we had, was one Cask of Beef, five or fix 
Bufhels of Farina, or Caffador Flour, together with four or 
five live Hogs. I made feveral Experiments to lave both Fifh 
and Seel, but it was impoffible to be done without Salt : At 
length; we luckily thought on a Method of curing the 
Conger-eel, by fplitting them, and taking out the Back- 
bone ; then dipped them in Sea-water, and, laftly , hung them 
up to dry in a great Smoke. But no other Fifh could be 
preferved after that manner : Therefore the Fifhermen were 
ordered to make it their Bufinefs to catch what Congers 
they could •, and now feveral of the People, who had not 
yet firruck a Stroke, began to repent of their Folly, as they 
grew weary of living on this Place ; and offered their Ser- 
vice to go a fi fhing, with fome fooiifii Excufe or other, for 
being fo long idle, and asked my Pardon, promifirg not to 
lofe a Moment for the time to come. The new Boat, 
being fent to try her Fortune, returned at Night, and 
brought with them a great Parcel of Fifii of feveral Sorts ; 
amongfi: which were 200 Eels, which was a good Begin- 
ning, and every Tent took their Proportion of them to 
fave and cure, and the Boat was haled up every Night, 
and a ftrift Watch was kept over her, to prevent any 
making their Efcape. Having this Conveniency of a large 
Boat, I defired Mr. Brooks , our only Diver, to try what 
he could recover from that Part of the Wreck which lay 
without : He accordingly went, and could find but one 
fmall Gun, which he weighed, and brought afhore, to- 
gether with two Pieces of a large Church Candleftick, 
which was a Part of the Gentlemen Owners Plate. Our 
Boat was daily employed in fifhing, the Armourer con- 
flan tly fupplying them with Hooks, and there was no want 
of Lines, which were made of twilled Ribband, of which, 
a great Quantity was driven afhore. In the mean time, 
thofe who were afhore made Twine-fluff for Rigging, &c. 
and patched up the Canvas for Sails •, the Cooper completed 
his Casks, and, in a fhort time, we had Mails on-end, 
tolerably well rigged, and made a good Figure. But, 
notwithftanding this Shew, I had aDamp upon my Spirits, 
when I reflected within myfelf on the certain and un- 
avoidable Difficulty we fhould find in calking her tight, 
which was like to prove a very ugly Piece of Work, 
where one had bad Seams, wretched Tools, and indif- 
ferent Artifls to deal with, which was our Cafe : However, 
when we had done it, and came to put it in the Water, to 
try the Fitnefs of our Work, it was followed by an uni- 
verfal Outcry, A Sieve ! a Sieve ! And now every one 
appeared truly melancholy and defpirited, infomuch that 
I was afraid they would not have uied any farther Means ; 
but, in a little time, by inceffant Labour, we brought her 
into a tolerable Condition, and, having repaired the Ship's 
Pumps, I contrived them to fit our Bark : This, they 
cry’d, was a poor Dependence ; but I defired them to 
have Patience, and continue their Aid, in doing what mere 
could be thought of, and prepare to launch her, and then 
we fhould be better able to judge what we might expefit 
before we ventured to Sea in her •, and that, in the mean 
time, the Cooper fhould make a Bucket for each Man, if 
his Materials would hold out. This being approved on by 
all, we agreed to put her in the Water the next Spring- 
tide, which fell out the 5th of October 1720. by which 
time we had faved 2300 Eds, weighing, one with another, 
one Pound each, and about fixty Gallons of Seels Oil, to 
. fry them in. This, with what I mentioned before, was 
all our Sea-flock. The appointed Time being come, we 
were ail ready ; but, in launching her, as fire fell from the 
Blocks, that which was to receive her abaft gave way, and 
down file fettled, and flock faft, our Launch being with 
the Head towards the Sea. I thought we were irretriev- 
ably fpoiled now ; but, when we came to make Purchaces 
to raife her again, happily found file did not hang fo heavy 
as I dreaded ; by which means we got her clear off, and 
faved the fame Tide. As fhe went off, I named her 'The 
Recovery, though I was fadly afraid of hearing ill News 
from thofe afloat in her. All Things, however, anfwering 
pretty well, we refolved to run the Hazard of going off in 
her ; and, with that View, made all poffible Difpatch in 
getting Things on board : After all, a dozen of our 
People chofe to remain on fhore, rather than run the Ha- 
zard of going to Sea in fuch a Veffel ~ and fent me Word, 
2 
AGES of Book I. 
when I preffed them to it, That as yet they did not think 
themfelves fufficiently prepared for the other World •, and 
with them remained about as many Negroes and Indians. 
When we firfl came on fhore, the Weather would not 
permit us to go a fifhing, fo that we were then conflrained 
to live upon Seels ; the Entrails of which, I mull confefs, 
are tolerable Food ; but the conflant and prodigious 
Slaughter we made of them, frighted them from our Side 
of the Ifland. Such as eat Cats, which I could not do, 
declared them to be fweet nouriffiing Food. When we 
were able to fifh, we were in a great meafure delivered 
from thefe Hardfifips ; but fome of our mifehievous Crew, 
for what Purpofe it is impoffible to fay, fet the Boat adrift, 
and fo file was loft. We were then reduced to the Me- 
ceffity of making Wicker-boats, covered with Sea-lions 
Skin, which did well enough on the Coaft ; but we durft not 
venture with them into the Bay, and, confequently, were 
worfe provided with Fifh than we need have been. We 
fry’d our Fifh in Seel-oil, and then eat it, without Bread, 
Salt, or any thing to relifli it, except a little wild Sorrel. 
Weflept under as indifferent Covering as ever People had, 
our Habitations being partly covered with the Boughs of 
Trees, and partly with Seel and Sea-lions Skins, which 
were often torn away in the Night by fudden Flaws of 
W ind from the Mountains. It is certain, that, take it all 
together, a moll wretched Life we led ; and therefore 
there is nothing more afloniftiing, than that the Senfe of 
common Mifery did not oblige us to live in Unity, and 
in a friendly Correfpondence ; which might have leffened 
many of thefe Inconveniencies, and have rendered the reft 
tolerable. Some Men, however, are of fuch boifterous 
and unruly Tempers, that neither good Ufage can oblige, 
or Hardfhips compel them to a reafonable Behaviour. 
18. This Ifland of Juan Fernandez has been fo often 
deferibed, that I fhall give the Reader only my particular 
Remarks as an Eye-witnefs, intending thereby to reprefent 
the State of the Ifland as we left it. It lies in the Lati- 
tude of 3 0 30 South, at the Diflance of about 90 Leagues 
Weft from the Continent of Chili. It may be about three 
Leagues long, and two broad, made up intirely of Moun- 
tains and Valleys •, fo that there was no walking a Quarter 
of a Mile upon a Fiat. The Anchoring-place is on the 
North Side of the Ifland, which is diftinguifhed by a Ta- 
ble-mountain, with an high fharp Peak on each Side. It is 
not fafe to anchor in lefs than forty Fathom Water; and, 
even there, Ships are very much expofed to fharp Gales 
from the North, which blow frequently, and do fpmetimes 
a great deal of Mifchief. To fay the Truth, there cannot 
be a more unpleafant Place to anchor in ; for the Bay being 
furrounded with high Mountains, there is a conflant Suc- 
ceffion of dead Calms, and of fudden flormy Gulls of 
Wind. But it is now time to confine ourfelves to the 
Land, and deferibe what is met with on fhore. It enjoys 
a fine wholfome Air, infomuch that, out of feventy of 
us that were on it for the Space of five Months and eleven 
Days, not one had an Hour’s Sicknefs, notwithftanding that 
we fed on fuch foul Diet without Bread or Salt ; fo that we 
had no Complaints amongfi us, except an inceffant craving 
Appetite, and the want of our former Strength and Vi- 
gour. For my own Part, I mull acknowledge the Bounty 
of Providence, that gave me Strength to cope with fuch 
Vexations as I met with ; for, although I loft much of 
my Flefh, I became one of the ftrongeft and moft aflive 
Men on the Ifland : From being very corpulent, and almoft 
crippled with the Gout, I walked much, and worked hard 
every Day, without being in the leafl afflitfled with that 
Diftemper ; and may fay, that, if it had not pleafed God fo 
to have enabled me, we might probably have remained 
there for Years to come, fince it is a Place little frequented 
by the Spaniards. The Soil is fruitful, abounding with 
various forts of large and beautiful Trees, moftly aroma- 
tic ; the Names of thofe we knew were the Pimento- 
tree, which bears a Leaf like a Myrtle, but fomewhat 
larger, with a blue Bloffom ; their Trunks are fhort and 
thick, and their Heads very bufhy, and as round and re- 
gular as if they were kept fo by Art. There is another 
Sort, much fuperior in Bulk to the former, which I take 
to be fomewhat like that which affords the Jefuits Bark. 
On the Tops of fome of the Mountains are Plains covered 
with Groves of the Italian Laurel, mentioned by Frezier 
in 
