126 L O R D A N S O N ’S V O Y A G E
water s edge, that the boat-hooks often ftruck into them, in
putting the boats to and from the fhore.
Theft, are the moii material articles renting to the accommo-
dations, foil, vegetables, .animals, and other productions, o f the
Ifland o f ju an Fernandes: by which it muft appear, how properly
that place was adapted for recovering us from the deplorable fix a tion,
to which our tedious and unfortunate navigation round Cape
Horn had reduced us. And, having thus given the reader fome
idea o f the fite and circumftances o f this place, which was to be
our refidence for three months, I (hall now proceed, in the next
chapter, to relate all that occurred to us in that interval; refuming
my narration from the 18th day of June, being the day in which
the Tryal Sloop, having, by a (quail, been driven out to fea three
days before, came again to her moorings, the day in which we
finiihed the (ending our fick on (hore, and about eight days after
ourfirft anchoring at this Ifland.
C H A P .
C H A P . i r .
T h e arrival o f th e Gloucejler and Anna Pink a t th e
Iflan d o f Juan Fernandes, and th e tranfaclions a t th a t
plac e d u rin g this interval.
THE arrival o f the Tryal Sloop at this Ifland, fo foon after"
we came there ourfelves, gave us great hopes o f being
fpeedily joined by the reft of the fquadron; and-we were
for fome days continually looking out, in expeftation o f their
coming in fight. But near a fortnight being elapled, without any
of-them having appeared, we began to -defpatr of ever meeting
them- again; as we- knew, that had our (hip continued fo much
longer at fea, we (hould every man -of us have perifhed, and the
veflel, occupied by dead bodies only, would have been left to the
eaprice of the winds and -waves r and this we had great reafon ter
fear was the fate of our conforts,- a® each hour added -to the probability
of thefa defpondmg fuggeftions.-
But, on-the 2ift- of June, fame o f our people, from an eminence*
on (hore, difeerned a (hip to leeward; with her courfes even with
the horizon; and they, at the fame time, particularly obferved,
that (he had no fail abroad, except her courfes and her main-top--
fail. This* circumftanee made’ them' conclude, that it was one o f
our fquadrony which had probably fuffered in her fails and rigging-
as feverely-as we had-- done: but-they were prevented from forming
more definitive conjectures about her; for, after viewing.her
for a (hort time, the-weather grew thick and hazy, and they-loft
fight of her. On this report, and-no (bip appearing for fome days,~
we were all-under the greateft-concern, iiifpeding that her people
were in the utmoft diftrefs-for want of water, and fo diminilhed-
and weakened by ficknefs, as-not to be able to ply up to windward
that, we feared, that, after having been -imfight o f the.
Ifland^,