his proposed return, owing to which they never were
settled. A settlement at the latter might have afforded a proper place
for ships to careen and refit at, and to procure wood and water, after
the long voyage from Europe, before entering the Straits of Magellan,
and Juan Fernandez would have afforded every convenience for repairing
any injuries that might have been sustained in passing through these
straits, or going round Cape Horn. Whatever nation may revive and
prosecute this plan, will certainly acquire in a few years as rich and
profitable a commerce as is now possessed by the Spaniards with Mexico
and Peru, or the Portuguese with Brazil.[6]

[Footnote 6: Britain once tried a settlement at Falkland islands, and
had nearly gone to war with Spain on the occasion; and there can be no
doubt that Spain could never have submitted to the settlement of Juan
Fernandez by any other power. There is now a fort and small garrison
kept in that island.--E]

SECTION IV.

_Continuation of the Voyage from Juan Fernandez till the Shipwreck of
the African Galley._

On leaving Juan Fernandez, Roggewein proposed to visit that part of
the southern lands which was reported to have been discovered by Davis
in 1680.[1] As the Dutch author of this voyage is rather dark on this
subject, I shall here insert Mr Wafer's account of this discovery, as
it is very short. Wafer was a man of sense and knowledge, who sailed
along with Davis when this discovery was made.

[Footnote 1: We have omitted a long, inconclusive, and uninteresting
discussion about the climate and productions of the proposed
discovery, the _Terra Australis_, which still remains _incognito_, or
rather has been clearly shewn to have no existence.--E.]

"We steered from the Gallapagos island S. by E. 1/2 E. until we came
into the lat. of 27 deg. 20' S. when we fell in with a low sandy island,
and heard a great roaring noise right a-head of the ship, like that
of the sea beating on the shore. It being some hours before day, and
fearing to fall foul of the shore, the ship put about, and plied off
and on till next morning, and then stood in for the land, which
proved to be a small flat island, not surrounded by any rocks. To the
westwards, about twelve leagues by estimation, we saw a range of high
land which we took to be islands, as there were several partitions
in the prospect, and this land seemed to extend fourteen or sixteen
leagues. There came great flocks of fowls