who
were well, by destroying the lurking seeds of the scurvy, from which
none of us, perhaps, were totally exempted, and in refreshing and
restoring us to our wonted strength and activity. To the vegetables
already mentioned, of which we made perpetual use, I must add that we
found many acres of ground covered with oats and clover. There were
some few cabbage-trees, as before observed, but these grew generally
on precipices and in dangerous situations, and as it was necessary to
cut down a large tree to procure a single cabbage, we were rarely able
to indulge in this dainty.

The excellence of the climate, and the looseness of the soil, renders
this island extremely proper for all kinds of cultivation: for, if
the ground be any where accidentally turned up, it becomes immediately
overgrown with turnips and Sicilian radishes. Our commodore,
therefore, having with him garden-seeds of all kinds, and stones of
different kinds of fruits, sowed here lettuces, carrots, and other
garden-plants, and set in the woods great numbers of plumb, apricot,
and peach-stones, for the better accommodation of our countrymen who
might hereafter touch at this island. These last have since thriven
most remarkably, as has been since learnt by Mr Anson. For some
Spanish gentlemen having been taken on their passage from Lima to
Spain, and brought to England, having procured leave to wait upon him,
to thank him for his generosity and humanity to his prisoners, some
of whom were their relations, and foiling into discourse about his
transactions in the South Seas, asked if he had not planted a great
number of fruit-stones on the island of Juan Fernandez, as their late
navigators had discovered there a great many peach and apricot trees,
which, being fruits not observed there before, they supposed to have
been produced from kernels set by him.

This may suffice in general as to the soil and vegetable productions
of Juan Fernandez; but the face of the country, at least of its
northern part, is so extremely singular as to require a particular
consideration. I have already noticed the wild and inhospitable
appearance of it to us at first sight, and the gradual improvement
of its uncouth landscape as we drew nearer, till we were at last
captivated by the numerous beauties we discovered on landing. During
our residence, we found the interior to fall no ways short of the
sanguine prepossessions we at first entertained. For the woods, which
covered most