37° 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Sept. 8, 1906. 
could not get back to the Ship, by reason of a 
Southerly Wind that blew from off the Ocean, 
and hindred our Return. Thus we were forced 
to lie still in a Water-hole, and wait till the 
Wind was over, for a safer Opportunity. While 
the Violence of the Wind increased, our Ship 
was forced to get under sail, and make away, 
not without Danger of being forced ashore. 
Hereupon, we sailed out of the Harbour, to seek 
another Place of Anchoring: At Noon I ven¬ 
tured out, to try if could follow the Ship, but 
was forced in again by the Wind and raging 
Sea; thus we lay still for some while longer, till 
the Evening came on: This being come, we 
ventured out again, both Canoes together; but 
the Winds were then so high, that we were 
forced to throw all our Jars of Water over-board 
to lighten our Boats, otherwise we had inevitably 
perished. I ought to bless Almighty God for this 
Deliverance; for in all human Reason, the least 
Wave of that Tempest might have sunk us: 
Nothwithstanding, we came that Night to our 
Place of Harbour, where we expected to have 
found our Ship (called False mild Harbour) but 
found her not. Hereupon not knowing what to 
do, we went ashore, and hauled up our Canoes 
dry. Having done this, we went higher up into 
the Island, along a Gully, for the Space of half 
a Mile, there to clear ourselves of the Noise and 
Company of the Seals, which were very trouble¬ 
some on the Shore. Here we kindled a Fire, 
and dried our Clothes, and rested ourselves all 
Night, though with extream hungry Bellies, as 
having eaten very little or nothing all the Day 
before. In the Sides of the Hill, under which 
we lay, we observed many Holes like Coney- 
holes: These Holes are the Nests and roosting 
Places of Multitudes of Birds that breed in this 
Island, called by the Spaniards Pardelas. One of 
these Birds, as we lay drying and warming our¬ 
selves, fell down into our Fire. 
The next Morning being come, very early be¬ 
fore Sun-rise, we went farther to the North¬ 
ward, to seek for our Ship, which we feared we had 
lost; but we were not gone far, when we espied 
her at Sea. Hereupon we passed a Point of 
Land, and entred a certain Bay, which was about 
a Mile deep, and not above half a League over; 
In this Bay we put, and instantly made a Fire, 
thereby to shew the Ship whereabouts we were. 
Here we found good Watering and Wooding 
close to the Shore. In this Bay we also saw 
another Sort of amphibious Animal, which I 
imagined to be the same, that by some Authors 
is called a Sea-lion: These Animals are like 
Times bigger than Seals: Their Heads are like 
that of a Lion, and they have four Fins not un 
like a Tortoise. The hinder Parts of these 
Creatures are much like Fins, but are drawn 
after them, as being useless upon the Shore: 
They roared as if they had been Lions, and were 
full of a short thick Hair, of a Mouse-colour; 
but that of the young Ones was something 
lighter: The old Ones are between twelve and 
fourteen Feet in Thickness, or Circumference. 
A Seal is very easily killed, as we often experi¬ 
mented ; but two of our Men with great Stones 
could not kill one of these Animals. 
That Day in the Afternoon there came a Canoe, 
from on board the Ship, with Provisions for us, 
they fearing lest we should be starved: Also 
the Launch came with Men to cut Wood. They 
told 11s that the Ship came to an Anchor in the 
other Bay; but that within half an Hour the 
Cable broke, and they were forced to leave their 
Anchor behind them, and get out to Sea again: 
Night being come, we made our Beds of Fern, 
whereof there is great Plenty upon this Island; 
together with great Multitudes of Trees like 
English Box, the which bore a Sort of green 
Berries, smelling like Pimento, or Pepper. All 
this Day the Ship was forced to ply off at Sea. 
not being able to get in. 
December the 30th. The Morning of this Day 
we employed in filling Water, and cutting down 
Wood; but in the Afternoon, eight of us eleven 
went aboard the Ship, all in one and the same 
Canoe, sending her ashore again with Provisions 
for the Men that were there. This Day in like 
manner we could not get into the Harbour, for 
no sooner came the Ship within Land, but the 
Wind coming out of the Bay, blew us clear out 
again: Thus we were forced to ply out all that 
Night, and great Part of the following Day. 
Next Day, having overcome all Difficulties, 
and many Dangers, we came to an Anchor in 
the Afternoon, in fifteen Fathom Water, at the 
Distance of a Cable’s Length from Shore. Here 
it was observable, that we were forced to keep 
Men ashore on purpose to beat off the Seals, 
while our Men filled Water, at high Water 
Mark, because the Seals covet greatly to lie in 
fresh water. About this Island Fish is so plenti¬ 
ful, that in less then an Hour’s Time, two Men 
caught enough for our whole Company. 
Saturday, January 1st, 1680. This Day we put 
up a new Main-Top, larger than the old One; 
and we caught Craw-Fish that were bigger than 
our English Lobsters. 
The next Day, being January the 2d, died a 
chief Man of our Company, whose Name was 
John Hilliard: This Man, till our weighing An¬ 
chor from the Port of Coquimbo, had been our 
Master all the Space of this Voyage: But from 
that time we chose John Cox for the Star-board, 
and John Fall for the Lar-board Watch. He 
died of the Dropsy. That Evening we buried our 
dead Companion, and gave him a Volley for his 
Funeral, according to the usual Custom. 
January the 3d, we had terrible Gusts of Wind 
from the Shore every Hour: This Day our 
Pilot told us, that many Years ago a certain 
Ship was cast away upon this Island, and only 
one Man saved, who lived alone upon this Island 
five Years before any Ship came this Way to 
carry him off. The Island has excellent Land in 
many Valleys belonging thereto: This Day like¬ 
wise we fetched our Anchor which we left in 
the other Bay, when the Ship broke her Cable. 
Tuesday , January the 4th, 1680. This Day we 
had such terrible Flaws of Wind, that the Cable 
of our Ship broke, and we had undoubtedly 
been on Shore, had not the other held us fast: 
At last it came home, and we drove outwards: 
By the Way it caught hold of a Rock, and held 
some Time, but at last we hauled it up, and the 
Wind came with so much Violence, that the 
Waves flew as .high as our Main-top, and made 
all the Water of a Foam. 
January the 5th, nothwithstanding these great 
Gusts of Wind had continued all the Night past, 
yet this Day at Noon it was brave and calm: 
But in the Morning the Anchor of our Ship gave 
way again, and we drove to the Eastward more 
than half a Mile, till at last we happened to 
fasten again in the Depth of sixty Fathom Water. 
In ,this Bay where we rid at Anchor, ran a vio¬ 
lent Current, sometimes into, and at other Times 
out of the Bay; so that all was uncertain with 
us: But our greatest Discomfort was, that our 
Men were all in Mutiny against each other, and 
much divided among themselves: Some of them 
being for going home towards England, or our 
foreign Plantations, and that round about 
America thro’ the Streights of Magellan, as Cap¬ 
tain Saw kins had designed to do; others of them 
being for staying longer, and searching farther 
into those Seas, till such time as they had got 
more Money. This Day at Noon our Anchor 
drove again; whereupon, to secure us from that 
dangerous Place, we sailed into the West Bay, 
and anchored there in twenty-five Fathom Water, 
and moored our Ship a Quarter of Mile from 
Shore. 
Thursday, January the 6th. Our Dissentions 
being now grown to a great Height, the Mu¬ 
tineers made a new Election of a Person to be 
our chief Captain and Commander, by vertue 
whereof they deposed Captain Sharp, whom thsy 
protested they would obey no longer: They 
chose therefore one of our Company, whose 
Name was John Watling, to command in chief, 
he having been an old Privateer, and gained the 
Esteem of being a stout Seaman. The Election 
being made, all the Rest were forced to give 
their Assent to it, and Captain Sharp gave over 
his Command, whereupon, they immediately 
made Articles with Watling, and signed them. 
The Day following, being the. 7th, we burnt 
and tallowed the Star-board Side of our Ship. 
In this Bay we found a Cross cut in the Bark 
of a Tree, and several Letters besides: Here¬ 
upon, in another Tree up the Gully, I engraved 
the two first Letters of my Name, with a Cross 
over them. This Day likewise searching the 
Writings of William Cook, Servant to Captain 
Edmard Cook, we found a Paper with all our 
Names in it, which it was suspected he designed 
to have given to the Spanish Prisoners: For 
these Reasons, this Evening our Captain thought 
it convenient to put him in Irons, which was ac¬ 
cordingly done. January the 8th, we finished the 
other Side of our Ship. 
Sunday, January the 9th. This was the first 
Sunday that ever we kept by Command and com¬ 
mon Consent since the Loss and Death of our 
valiant Commander Captain Sawkins, who would 
throw the Dice over-board, if he found them in 
Use on that Day. 
January the 10, the Weather was • very clear 
and settled again: We caught every Day, in this 
Bay, great Plenty of Fish; and I saw this Day 
a Shoal of Fish a Mile and more long. 
Next Day, being the nth, we filled our Wa¬ 
ter, and carried our Wood on board the Ship. 
Our two Canoes went to the other Side of the 
Island to catch Goats; for on the barren Side 
thereof are found and caught the best; and by 
Land it is impossible to go from one Side of the 
Island to the other. 
Wednesday, January the 12th. This Morning 
our Canoes returned from Catching of Goats, 
firing of Guns as they came towards us to give 
11s warning: Being come on board, they told us 
they had espied three Sail of Ships, which they 
conceived to be Men of War coming about the 
Island. Within half an Hour after this notice 
given by our Boats, the Ships came in Sight to 
Leeward of the Island: Hereupon we immedi¬ 
ately slipt our Cables, and put to Sea, taking all 
our Men on board, that were ashore at that time; 
only one William, a Mosquito Indian, was then 
left behind upon the Island, because he could not 
be found at this our sudden Departure. Upon 
the Island of Juan Fernandes grow certain Trees 
called Bilby-Trees. The Tops of these Trees 
we used as we do Cabbage in England: Here 
Fish abounds in such Quantities, that on the 
Surface of the Water, I have taken Fish with 
a bare Hook: Abundance of Fish is taken here 
of 20 Pound Weight; the smallest that is taken 
being almost two Pound: Very good Timber for 
building of Homes, and other Uses, is likewise 
found upon this Island. It is distant from the 
main Continent the Space of ninety-five Leagues, 
or thereabouts, being situate in 33 Deg. 40 S. 
The Plats of the Islands lie N. W. and S. E. 
Being got out of the Bay, we stood off to Sea, 
and kept to Windward as close as we could. 
The biggest of these Spanish Men of War, for 
such they proved to be. was of the Burthen of 
800 Tons, and was called El Santo Christo, being 
mounted with 12 Guns: The second, named San 
Francisco, carried 600 Tons, and 10 Guns: The 
third carried 350 Tons, whose Name I have for¬ 
got. As soon as they saw us, they instantly put 
out their bloody Flags; and we, to shew them 
that we were not as yet daunted, did the same 
with ours: We kept close under the Wind, and 
were, to confess the Truth, very unwilling to fight 
them, by reason they kept all in a Knot together, 
and we could not single out any one of them 
from the Rest; especially considering that our 
present Commander Watling had shewed him¬ 
self at their Appearance to be faint-hearted. As 
for the Spaniards themselves, they might have 
easily come to us, by reason we lay by several 
times; but undoubtedly they were cowardly given, 
and peradventure as unwilling to engage us, as 
we were to engage them. 
The Day following, being January the 13th, in 
the Morning, we could see one of the afore¬ 
mentioned Men of War, under the Leeward Side 
of the Island; and we believed that the Rest 
were at Anchor thereabouts. 
At Noon that Day, we stood in towards the 
Island, making as if we intended to be with them. 
But in the Afternoon our Commander propound¬ 
ed the Question to us, Whether we were will¬ 
ing, now that the Fleet was to Windward, to 
bear away from them? To this we all agreed 
with one Consent:. And hereupon, Night being 
come, with a fresh Wind at S. S. E., we stood 
away N. E. by N. and gave them handsomely the 
Slip, after having out-braved them that Day, and 
the Day before. 
