sist them in hauling up
the boat, in order to secure her; intending, as they had no hope of the
ship's return, to wait till the summer season and then attempt to make
the island of Juan Fernandes. They had now better hopes, and all sense
of the dangers that were before us was for a while obliterated by the
joy of our escape from those that were past.

From the 16th, when we were first driven from our anchoring-ground, to
this time, we suffered an uninterrupted series of danger, fatigue, and
misfortunes. The ship worked and sailed very ill, the weather was dark
and tempestuous, with thunder, lightning, and rain, and the boats, which
I was obliged to keep always employed, even when we were under sail, to
procure us water, were in continual danger of being lost, as well by the
hard gales which constantly blew, as by the sudden gusts which
frequently rushed upon us with a violence that is scarcely to be
conceived. This distress was the more severe as it was unexpected, for I
had experienced very different weather in these parts about two years
before with Commodore Byron. It has generally been thought, that upon
this coast the winds are constantly from the S. to the S.W., though
Frezier mentions his having had strong gales and high seas from the
N.N.W. and N.W. quarter, which was unhappily my case.

Having once more got my people and boats safe on board, I made sail from
this turbulent climate, and thought myself fortunate not to have left
any thing behind me except the wood, which our people had cut for
firing.

The island of Masafuero lies in latitude 33 deg.45'S., longitude 80 deg.46'W. of
London. Its situation is west of Juan Fernandes, both being nearly in
the same latitude, and by the globe, it is distant about thirty-one
leagues. It is very high and mountainous, and at a distance appears like
one hill or rock: It is of a triangular form, and about seven or eight
leagues in circumference. The south part, which we saw when we first
made the island, at a distance of three-and-twenty leagues, is much the
highest: On the north end there are several spots of clear ground, which
perhaps might admit of cultivation.

The author of the account of Lord Anson's voyage mentions only one part
of this island as affording anchorage, which is on the north side, and
in deep water, but we saw no part where there was not anchorage: On the
west side in particular, there is anchorage at about a mile from the
shore in twenty fathom, an