i i8 L O R D A N S O N ’ S V O Y A G E
the long courfe of fait diet which we had been confined to ; but
were lifcewife of the molt falutary confequence to our fick in recovering
and invigorating them, and o f no mean fervice to us who
were well, in deftroyiug the lurking feeds o f the fcurvy, from
which perhaps none of us were totally exempt, and in refrething
and reftoring us to our wonted ftrength and activity.
T o the vegetables I have already mentioned, o f which we made
perpetual ufe, I muil add, that we found many acres o f ground
covered with oats and clover. There were alfo fome few cabbage-
trees upon the Ifland, as was obferved before j but, as they generally
grew on the precipices, and in dangerous fituations, and as it
was neceflary to cut down a large tree for every fingle cabbage, this
was a dainty that we were able but rarely to indulge in.
The excellence o f the climate, and the loofenefs o f the foil
render this place extremely proper for all kinds of vegetation ; for
i f the ground be any where accidentally turned up, it is immediately
overgrown with turnips and Sicilian radilhes: Mr. Anfon,
therefore, having with him garden feeds of all kinds, and ftoaes
o f different forts o f fruits, he, for the better accommodation of
his countrymen who fhould hereafter touch here, fowed both lettuces,
carrots, and other garden plants ; and fet in the woods a
great variety of plumb, apricot, and peach ftones: and thefe laft
he has been informed, have fince thriven to a very remarkable degree
; for fome Gentlemen, who, in their paffage from Lima to
Old Spain, were taken and brought to England, having procured
leave to wait upon Mr. AnJ'on, to thank him for his generofity and
humanity to his prifoners, fome o f whom were their relations
they, in cafual difcourfe with him about his tranfadlions in the
South-Seas, particularly alked him, i f he had not planted a great
number o f fruit-ftones on the Ifland of Juan Fernandes; for they
told him, their late Navigators had difcovered there numbers o f
peach-trees and apric'ot-trees, which being fruits before unob-
ferved in that place, they concluded them to have been produced
from kernels fet by him.
This
R O U N D T H E W O R L D . n 9
This may in general fuffice, as to the foil and vegetable productions
o f this place : but the face of the country, at leaft o f the
North part of the Ifland, is fo extremely Angular, that I cannot
avoid giving it a particular confideration. I have already taken
notice of the wild, inhofpitable air with which it firft appeared to-
us, and the gradual improvement o f this uncouth landlkip as we
drew nearer, till we were at la-fl: captivated by the numerous beauties
we difcovered on the thore. And I muft now add, that we
found, during the time o f our refidence there, that the inland parts
o f the Ifland did no ways fall (hort of the fanguine prepofleflions
which we firft entertained in their favour: for the woods, which
covered moft of the fteepeft hills, were free from all bullies and
underwood, and afforded an eafy paffage through every part o f
them; and the irregularities o f the hills and precipices, in the
northern part of the Ifland, neceflarily traced out, by their various-
combinations, a great number o f romantic vallies; moft o f which
had a ftream of the cleareft water running, through them,, that
tumbled in cafcades from rock to rock, as the bottom of the valley,
by the courfe of the neighbouring hills, was at any time
broken into a fudden lharp defcent: fome particular {pots occurred
in thefe vallies, where the {hade and fragrance o f the. contiguous
woods, the loftinefs o f the overhanging rocks, and the tranfpa-
rency and frequent falls o f the neighbouring ftreams, prefented
fcenes of fuch elegance and dignity, as would with difficulty be
rivalled in any other part o f the globe. It is in this place, perhaps,
that the Ample productions of unaffifted nature may be faid
to excel all the fi&itiaus defcriptions o f the moft animated, imagination.
I (hall finifh this article with a Ihort account of that lpot
where the Commodore pitched, his- tent, and which he made choice;
of for his own refidence, though I delpair of conveying an adequate
idea of its beauty. The. piece of ground.which he chofe
was a fmall lawn, that lay on a little afcent, at the diftance o f
about half a mile from the fea. In the front o f his tent there was
a large avenue cut through the woods to the fea-fide,. which,
floging