Two Of Our Crew, Who Remained On Board, Caught In A Few
Minutes Enough To Last Us For Several Days, And One Of The Men,
Who Was A Marblehead Man, Said That He Never Saw Or Heard Of Such
An Abundance.
There were cod, breams, silver-fish, and other kinds
whose names they did not know, or which I have forgotten.
There is an abundance of the best of water upon the island, small
streams running through every valley, and leaping down from the
sides of the hills. One stream of considerable size flows through
the centre of the lawn upon which the houses are built, and furnishes
an easy and abundant supply to the inhabitants. This, by means
of a short wooden aqueduct, was brought quite down to our boats.
The convicts had also built something in the way of a breakwater,
and were to build a landing-place for boats and goods, after which
the Chilian government intended to lay port charges.
Of the wood I can only say, that it appeared to be abundant; the
island in the month of November, when we were there, being in all
the freshness and beauty of spring, appeared covered with trees.
These were chiefly aromatic, and the largest was the myrtle.
The soil is very loose and rich, and wherever it is broken up,
there spring up immediately radishes, turnips, ground apples,
and other garden fruits. Goats, we were told, were not abundant,
and we saw none, though it was said we might, if we had gone into
the interior.
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