i767- is much the higheft: on the north end there are feveral fpots
—X~j o f clear ground, which perhaps might admit o f cultivation.
The author o f the account o f Lord Ahfon’s voyage mentions
only one part o f this ifland as affording anchorage,
which is on the north fide, and in deep water, but we faw
no part where there was not anchorage: on the weft fide in
particular there is anchorage at about a mile from the fhore
in twenty fathom, and at about two miles and a h a lf in
forty, and forty-five fathom, with a fine black fand at the
bottom. This author alfo fays, that “ there is a reef of rocks
running off the eaftern point of the ifland about two miles in
length, which may be feen by the fea’s breaking over them
but in this he is miftaken, there is no reef of rocks, or fhoal
running off the eaftern point, but-there is a reef of rocks
and fand running off the weftern fide, near the fouth end o f
it. He is alfo miftaken as to the diftance o f this ifland from
Juan Fernandes, add its direffioh,1 for b e fays the diftance is
twenty-two leagues, and the dire&ion W."by S„ but we
found the diftance nearly one-third more, and the direction
is due weft, for, as I have before obferved, the latitude of
both iflands is nearly the fame. The goats that he mentions
we found upon it in the fame abundance, ami equally eafy
to be caught.
On the fouth-weft point o f the ifland there is a remarkable
rock, with a hole in it,' which is a good mark to’cdtne to ah
anchor on the weftern fidey where there’ is the ;beft bank of
any about the place. About a mile and a half to the n'ortH-
ward o f this hole, there is a low point o f land, and from this
point runs the reef that has been juft mentioned, in the di-
re&ion o f W. by S. to'the diftance Of about three quarters of
a mile, where the fea continually breaks upon it. To an-
2 chor,
chor, run in till the hoje in the rock is ftiut in, about a ^ 7-
cable'» length upqn this: low poipt pf land then bearing >---- |—
S. by E. i E, and anchor in twenty,and twenty-two fathom,
fine black fand and fhetls : there is anchorage alfo at feveral
places on the other fides qf .the ifland, particularly off the
north point, in fourteen and fifteen: fathom, with fine fand.
There is plenty of wood and water all round the ifland,
but they are not to be procured without much difficulty, a
great quantity of ftones, and large fragments o f the rock
have fallen from the high land all round the ifland, and
upon thefe there breaks fuch a fu rf that a boat cannot fafely
come within a cable’s length o f the fhore; there is therefore
no landing here but by fwimming from the boat, and then-
mooring her without the rocks, nor is there any method of
getting off’ the wood and water but by hauling them to the
boat with ropes r there are however many places where it
would be very eafy to make a commodious landing by building
a wharf, which it would be worth while even for a
Angle fhip to do i f fhe was to continue any time at the
ifland.
This part of Mafafuero is a very good place for refrefh-
ment, efpecially in the fummer feafon: the goats have been-
mentioned already, and there is all round the ifland fuch.
plenty of fifh, that a boat may, with three hooks and lines,,
catch as much as will ferve an hundred people: among,
others we caught excellent coal fifh, cavallies, cod, hallibut,
and cray-fifh. We took a king-fifher that weighed eighty-
feven pounds, and was five feet and an half long, and the
fharks were fo ravenous,, that when we were founding one
o f them fwallowed the lead, by which we hauled him above
water, but as he then difgorged it, we loft him. The feals-.
were fo numerous, that I verily think i f many thoufands of.
them».