to the few who remained healthy; and therefore
our commodore, according to his accustomed humanity, not only
assisted in this himself, but obliged all his officers to give their
helping-hand.

The extreme weakness of our sick may be collected, in some measure,
from the numbers that died after they got on shore. It has generally
been found that the land, and the refreshments it affords, very
soon produce recovery in most stages of the scurvy, and we flattered
ourselves that those who had not perished on their first exposure to
the open air, but had lived to be placed in the tents, would have
been speedily restored to health and vigour. Yet to our great
mortification, it was nearly twenty days after they landed, before
the mortality entirely ceased, and for the first ten or twelve days we
rarely buried less than six each day, and many of those who survived
recovered by very slow and insensible degrees. Those, indeed, who had
sufficient strength, at their first getting on shore, to creep out
of the tents, and to crawl about, were soon relieved, and speedily
recovered their health and strength: But, in the rest, the disease
seemed to have attained a degree of inveteracy altogether without
example.

Before proceeding to any farther detail of our proceeding, I think it
necessary to give a distinct account of this island of Juan Fernandez,
including its situation, productions, and conveniences. We were well
enabled to be minutely instructed in these particulars, during our
three months stay at this island; and its advantages will merit a
circumstantial description, as it is the only commodious place in
these seas, where British cruizers can refresh and recover their men,
after passing round Caps Horn, and where they may remain for some
time without alarming the Spanish coast. Commodore Anson, indeed, was
particularly industrious, in directing the roads and coasts of this
island to be surveyed, and other observations of all kinds to be made;
knowing, from his own experience, of how great benefit these materials
might prove hereafter, to any British cruizers in these seas. For the
uncertainty we were in of its position, and our standing in for
the main on the 28th May, as formerly related, cost us the lives of
between seventy and eighty of our men; from which fatal loss we might
have been saved, had we possessed such an account of its situation as
we could have fully depended upon.

The island of Juan Fernandez is in lat. 33