tion, then, allowing no room for deliberation, we
stood for the island of Juan Fernandez. On the 28th of May, being nearly
in the parallel upon which it is laid down, we had great expectations of
seeing it; but not finding it in the position in which the charts had
taught us to expect it, we began to fear that we had got too far to the
westward; and therefore, though the Commodore himself was strongly
persuaded that he saw it on the morning of the 28th, yet his officers
believing it to be only a cloud, to which opinion the haziness of the
weather gave some kind of countenance, it was on a consultation resolved
to stand to the eastward in the parallel of the island; as it was certain
that by this course we should either fall in with the island, if we were
already to the westward of it, or should at least make the mainland of
Chili, whence we might take a new departure, and assure ourselves, by
running to the westward afterwards, of not missing the island a second
time.

On the 30th of May we had a view of the continent of Chili, distant
about twelve or thirteen leagues. It gave us great uneasiness to find
that we had so needlessly altered our course when we were, in all
probability, just upon the point of making the island; for the mortality
amongst us was now increased to a most dreadful degree, and those who
remained alive were utterly dispirited by this new disappointment and the
prospect of their longer continuance at sea. Our water, too, began to
grow scarce, so that a general dejection prevailed amongst us, which
added much to the virulence of the disease, and destroyed numbers of our
best men; and to all these calamities there was added this vexatious
circumstance that when, after having got sight of the main, we tacked and
stood to the westward in quest of the island, we were so much delayed by
calms and contrary winds that it cost us nine days to regain the westing
which, when we stood to the eastward, we ran down in two. In this
desponding condition, with a crazy ship, a great scarcity of water, and a
crew so universally diseased that there were not above ten foremast men
in a watch capable of doing duty, and even some of these lame and unable
to go aloft; under these disheartening circumstances, I say, we stood to
the westward; and on the 9th of June, at daybreak, we at last discovered
the long-wished-for island of Juan Fernandez.

It appeared to be a mountainous place, extremely ragged and irregular;
yet as