Having Some Linen Cloth, He Sewed
Himself Some Shirts By Means Of A Nail For A Needle, Stitching Them With
Worsted, Which He Pulled Out On Purpose From His Old Stockings, And He
Had The Last Of His Shirts On When We Found Him.
At his first coming on
board, he had so much forgotten his language, for want of use, that we
could scarcely understand him, as he seemed to speak his words only by
halves.
We offered him a dram, which he refused, not having drank any
thing but water all the time he had been on the island, and it was some
time before he could relish our provisions. He could give us no farther
account of the productions of the island than has been already, except
that there were some very good black plums, but hard to come at, as the
trees which bear them grow on high mountains and steep rocks. There are
many pimento trees, some of them being sixty feet high and two yards
round; and we saw cotton trees still higher, and near four fathoms round
the stems. The climate is excellent, and the trees and grass are quite
verdant the whole year. The winter lasts no longer than June and July,
and is not then severe, there being then only slight frosts and a little
hail, but sometimes very great rains. The heat of summer is equally
moderate, and there is not much thunder or tempestuous weather. He saw
no venomous, or savage creature on the island, nor any other beasts
besides goats, bred there from a few brought by Juan Fernandez, a
Spaniard, who settled there with a few families, till the continent of
Chili began to submit to the Spaniards when they removed to that country
as more profitable.
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