The
Anchoring Place Is On The North Side Of The Island, And Is Distinguished
By A Little Mountain, With A High Peak On Each Side.
It is not safe to
anchor in less than forty fathoms, and even there, ships are very much
exposed to sharp gales from the north, which blow frequently.
There
cannot well be a more unpleasant place to anchor in, as the bay is
surrounded by high mountains, and is subject to alternate dead calms and
sudden stormy gusts of wind. This island enjoys a fine wholesome air,
insomuch that out of seventy of us, who remained here five months and
eleven days, not one among us had an hour's sickness, though we fed upon
such foul diet, without bread or salt; so that we had no complaints
among us, except an incessant craving appetite, and the want of our
former strength and vigour. As for myself, from being corpulent, and
almost crippled by the gout, I lost much of my flesh, but became one of
the strongest and most active men on the island, walking much about,
working hard, and never in the least afflicted with that distemper. The
soil is fertile, and abounds with many large and beautiful trees, most
of them aromatic. The names of such as we knew were the Pimento, which
bears a leaf like a myrtle, but somewhat larger, with a blue blossom,
the trunks being short and thick, and the heads bushy and round, as if
trained by art.
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