Leaving Isla Grande On The 30th November, We Continued Our Voyage Far To
The South, Where We Endured Great Cold,
Owing to which, a third part of
both ships companies fell sick while passing round Cape Horn, for which
reason
We bore away for the island of Juan Fernandez, which we had some
difficulty to find, owing to its being laid down differently in all the
charts. Even Captain Dampier was much at a loss, though he had been
there so often, and had as it were a map of the island in his head,
which exactly agreed with it when we came there. This ought to induce
sea-officers to prefer their own proper business to amusement, since,
with all this knowledge, we were forced to make the main land of Chili,
in order to find this island, and did not strike it at the last without
considerable difficulty.
We arrived at the island of Juan Fernandez on the 1st February 1709,
and having a good observation the day before, when we found our lat. 34 deg.
10' S.[219] In the afternoon we hoisted out our pinnace, in which
Captain Dover set off to go on shore, though not less than four leagues
from the ship. As it grew dark, we observed a light on shore, which some
were of opinion was from our boat, but it was evidently too large for
that, and we hung up a light to direct our boat, firing our quarter-deck
gun, and showing lights in our mizen and fore shrouds, that our boat
might find us, as we had fallen to leeward of the island. Our boat came
aboard again about two in the morning, having turned back on seeing the
light ashore when within a league, and we were glad they had got off so
well, as it now began to blow. We were all convinced that the light
which we had seen was from the shore, and therefore prepared our ships
for an engagement, supposing it might proceed from some French ships at
anchor, which we must either fight or want water. All this stir and
apprehension, as we afterwards found, arose from one poor man, who
passed in our imaginations for a Spanish garrison, a body of Frenchmen,
or a crew of pirates, and it is incredible what strange notions some of
our people entertained about this light; yet it served to show their
tempers and spirits, and enabled us to guess how our men would behave,
in case there really were enemies on the island.
[Footnote 219: Juan Fernandez is in lat 33 deg. 40' S. long. 79 deg. W. Massa
Faera, in the same latitude, is in long. 80 deg. 50' W. from Greenwich. - E.]
While under these apprehensions, we stood to the back of the island in
order to fall in with the southerly wind, till we were past the island.
We then stood back for it again, and ran close aboard the land that
begins to form its N.E. side.
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