gun, and several muskets, showing lights
in our mizen and fore-shrouds, that our boat might find us whilst we
were in the lee of the island: About two in the morning our boat came on
board, having been two hours on board the Duchess, that took them up
astern of us; we were glad they got well off, because it began to blow.
We were all convinces the light was on the shore, and designed to make
our ships ready to engage, believing them to be French ships at anchor,
and we must either fight them, or want water. All this stir and
apprehension arose, as we afterwards found, from one poor naked man, who
passed in our imagination, at present, for a Spanish garrison, a body of
Frenchmen, or a crew of pirates. While we were under these
apprehensions, we stood on the backside of the island, in order to fall
in with the southerly wind, till we were past the island; and then we
came back to it again, and ran close aboard the land that begins to make
the north-east side.

[Footnote 1: _Juan Fernandez._]

We still continued to reason upon this matter; and it is in a manner
incredible, what strange notions many of our people entertained from the
sight of the fire upon the island. It served, however, to show people's
tempers and spirits; and we were able to give a tolerable guess how our
men would behave, in case there really were any enemies upon the island.
The flaws came heavy off the shore, and we were forced to reef our
topsails when we opened the middle bay, where we expected to have found
our enemy; but saw all clear, & no ships, nor in the other bay next the
north-east end. These two bays are all that ships ride in, which recruit
on this island; but the middle bay is by much the best. We guessed there
had been ships there, but that they were gone on sight of us. We sent
our yawl ashore about noon, with Captain Dover, Mr. Fry, and six men,
all armed: Mean while we and the Duchess kept turning to get in, and
such heavy flaws came off the land, that we were forced to let go our
top sail sheet, keeping all hands to stand by our sails, for fear of the
winds carrying them away: But when the flaws were gone, we had little or
no wind. These flaws proceeded from the land; which is very high in the
middle of the island. Our boat did not return; we sent our pinnace with
the men armed, to see what was the occasion of the yawl's stay; for we
were afraid, that the Spaniards had a garrison there, and might have
seized them. We put out a signa