Second expedition of David Douglas: Journal 2
Information
Title - Second expedition of David Douglas: Journal 2
Record type - Archive
Original Reference - RHS/Col/5/2/1/2
Date - 24 Jul 1824-13 Apr 1826
Scope & content - David Douglas's journal relating to his second expedition to the north-western coast of North America, covering the journey via Madeira, Cabo Verde, Brazil, Juan Fernandez Islands and Galapagos Islands to the Columbia River
Overview of contents:
(Additional leaf pasted on to the first leaf): 'Memorandum'
Page 1a: 'Memorandum'
Pages 1-287: Narrative of journey, 24 Jul 1824-3 Oct 1825
Pages 289-331: Narrative of journey, 4 Oct 1825-13 Apr 1826
Physical description: Bound in hard covers with marbled paper sides in red/brown shell pattern with blue veins. Labelled 'Douglas 5th. See also package of half-sheets' and 'Douglas, D. Journal, 1823-1827'. The text block is detached from the binding. Some foxing. The end of the volume contains a series of foolscap leaves, mounted on stubs, each leaf folded to fit within the covers. Some of the edges are brittle and have small tears. Fragile. Handle with care. Dimensions: 34 (h) 23.5 (w) cm
This volume covers the same period as RHS/Col/5/2/1/1, and overlaps partly with RHS/Col/5/2/1/3. A transcription combining the text in the different volumes was published by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1914, edited by the secretary of the society, Rev William Wilks and the librarian, H.R. Hutchinson ('Douglas' journal 1823-1827')
The journal is written on rectos only in David Douglas's hand
The volume contains two parts, each foliated separately, comprising the main volume paginated 1-140, followed by the added leaves, numbered 1-22. The volume was paginated during cataloguing on the upper right-hand corner of rectos
Illustrations: There is a small illustration of channels on page 108 [20 Jun 1825]
Summary of contents:
Includes a heading: 'Extracts from D. Douglas's journal' and a note on a loose leaf, which appears to have been previously pasted on the cover, in a later hand: 'This, watermarked 1824, is in fact a shortened fair copy & ends 13th April 1826'
The following note is written in an unidentified hand and pasted onto the page. Undated (c.1820s). 'Memorandum. There is a valley formed by a stream, which lies on the side of the house of the venerable Mr Van Renselaar [Stephen van Rensselaer III, landowner, businessman and politician in New York] (called the Patroon), which you ought to visit. Also an island below the city called the Patroons Island [Van Rensselaer Island, New York, United States of America] – excellent places for botanizing. On the latter I am told you will find two or three trees of the pecan nut, the Juglans olivaformis [Carya illinoinensis]. I speak from information. If true it is a great curiosity'
(24 Jul 1824) Saturday. Parting with Joseph Sabine [secretary of the Horticultural Society of London] 'and all other friends' after several weeks' preparation for a voyage to the Columbia River [Washington and Oregon, United States of America, and British Columbia, Canada] on the west coast of North America. Writing letters to his father [John Douglas senior], Dr Hooker [William Jackson Hooker, professor of botany at the University of Glasgow and director of the Glasgow Botanic Gardens] and Mr Murray of Glasgow [Stewart Murray, curator of Glasgow Botanical Garden]
Leaving London with his brother [John Douglas junior] on Sunday morning from the Spread Eagle office on Piccadilly [coaching inn at Webb's Hotel, 220 Piccadilly, London] by Times Coach to Gravesend to join the Hudson Bay Company ship William and Ann. A pleasant, cloudy and calm morning. Passing rye and barley fields. Meeting Mr John Scouler of Glasgow, the surgeon on the ship [John Scouler, naturalist and surgeon on the William and Ann] at Gravesend: 'this was to me news of the most welcome kind, being previously acquainted with each other and on the strictest terms of friendship'. Visiting the ship and returning on shore for dinner. Seeing his brother to the steamboat for London at 4pm: '[he] was affected at parting with me'. Boarding the ship
(26 Jul 1824) Monday. Stowing away and securing luggage. Sailing at 4pm with a fine breeze and light rain: 'we made only 7 miles when night stole on us'. Anchoring for the night
(27 Jul 1824) Tuesday. A cold, foggy morning. Sailing down the river at dawn. Striking the 'Shivering Sands' off the Nore [Thames estuary] at 7am and 'beat with great violence for an hour. Fortunately the wind was moderate with little swell at the time, otherwise our situation must have been perilous'. Getting clear, pleased little damage had been sustained, with only 'trifling' increase of water in the hold. The pilot leaving the ship off the coast at Deal at 6pm
(28 Jul-3 Aug 1824) The winds light and variable all the way down the channel. The weather warm during the day and pleasant in the evenings, with a beautiful sky. On the evening of 31 Jul, seeing the 'delightful view' of the rocky shore of Cornwall. 'Great variety' in the scenery of sky and water. Medusae, Physalae and other zoophytes at night 'giving off their phosporing or illuminating particles over a vast expanse of water, produces a very fine effect'
(3 Aug 1824) A cold, northerly wind. The sun visible at midday. Latitude 45°22, longitude 12°45W. 'A year has now elapsed since I arrived at New York after a tedious passage of 57 days'. Seeing two birds resembling gulls: 'seemed shy'
(4-8 Aug 1824) Winds continuing favourable, the ship making rapid progress. Saturday night spent singing songs with the sailors: 'the goodwill shown was more to be admired than the melody'. Sunday pleasant and warm. Prayers read in the forenoon, with a sermon by the captain and the surgeon. At 3pm, coming in sight of Porto Santo [Madeira, Portugal]. Expecting to land at dawn
(9-12 Aug 1824) Coming within 12 miles of the island in the morning. Passing the north-east point of the island at 7am in a pleasant breeze. On the eastern side of the island the hills rising into high, rugged, barren peaks and numerous large rocks rising above the water 200-400 yards from the shore. On the west side, the ground lower and more fertile. The town of Porto Santo 'pleasantly situated on a gentle declivity' on the south side of the island. Seeing the high mountains of Madeira at 11am. Passing the rugged and barren eastern extremity of the island, with low rocks, copper or blackish colour, resembling volcanic remains. Seeing on the left, 12 miles away, the barren Deserters Islands [Desertas Islands, Madeira], 'where the Portuguese transport their criminals'. The ship becalmed in the afternoon. Admiring the view of several 'rich and romantic' valleys 4-10 miles from Funchal [Madeira], the capital of the island
Anchoring in the Bay of Funchal at dusk. Being visited by boats from the Board of Health, objecting to their anchoring in the bay without a bill of health from London: 'matters were soon adjusted after a little explanation' Writing to Joseph Sabine in the morning. Going on shore. Visiting Mr Veitch's [Henry Veitch, British consul in Madeira] house, but finding Veitch was on a tour to Italy. The vice consul advising Douglas about the best way of spending his time on shore
Visiting the vegetable and butcher market on the south-west side of the town, a square of 50 yards enclosed on two sides by sheds fitted as stalls, on one side by a house serving as the butcher market, and the only entrance, with a high iron rail and a gate on the north side, and four rows of wooden houses or shops with pavilion roofs in the centre of the square. The square neatly paved with round stones, clean and 'has a genteel appearance'. The daily market overseen by officers: '[their] services I valued as [it] was evident, like most merchants, [they were] liable to impose on strangers'. Among the few vegetables, seeing cabbage ('of one sort, seemingly a late one of inferior quality'), yam ('in lieu of potatoes, and are preferred by the inhabitants to them. They are prepared in the same manner as potatoes. I am informed they are excellent for taking to sea, being not so liable to grow as potatoes in warm latitudes and of course keep much longer'), onion ('large, chiefly of one sort, red and flat, and appeared good. I judge it to be a favourite vegetable from the innumerable quantity exposed for sale'), two varieties of pepper ('one small, longish, of a red colour; one small round yellow; the former is a native of the island) and tomato ('generally small') [here the journal includes a list of 9 more vegetables], but 'not even a blade of parsley could be seen'. The fruits being more plentiful and of a better quality, including banana or Musa sapientum ('extensively cultivated and perfects its fruit in abundance. Usually eaten without any preparation; when fried in a little butter it tastes like a pancake'), lemon ('abundant, finer by far what [than] any I ever saw'), apple ('one sort of apple, large, round and red-streaked, dry and mealy, an insipid fruit'), three kinds of pears, including a pear resembling 'what is called in Scotland Crawford pear', four or five varieties of grapes and two varieties of peach
Mr Atkinson [William Atkinson, architect in London, who Douglas knew from Scotland; Atkinson also employed Douglas's brother John Douglas] had given Douglas several varieties of grapes, 'which I carried here in a good state of preservation', one possibly the White Muscat of Alexandria. Seeing only a few heavier bunches, and none with large berries: 'on the whole, although they had been cut 15 days, I would prefer the flavour of it to any at Madeira'. A bunch of grapes weighing about a pound costing three farthings. Bananas being sold 'according to the number of fingers on a bunch', one with 40-50 selling for 1s 6d, pears being sold by number, 30 for 3d, and two varieties of figs, 50 of the small green fruit or 30 of the long black fruit, for 4 1/2d. Soft fruits carried to the market on the head in baskets, and pears, apples and lemons being carried in hog skin bags on mules: 'the poorer class carry them on their backs'
Going to the north of the town to see the vineyards, the vines thriving in the valleys and deep ravines as well as on high grounds, on top of old walls and on the roofs of thatched cottages. The soil light brown, resembling burned sand. Not being able to learn what, if any, manure was used. The vines planted 6-12 feet apart and supported on horizontal wood railings four or five feet from the ground. When pruning, very little old wood being left, with two or four-inch spurs left on the principal shoots. Water conveyed to the plantations by way of channels dug in the numerous rivulets: 'a cheap mode of watering, and at the same time adds variety to the place'. The clusters daubed with mud or lime: 'for what purpose, I do not know', possibly to prevent damage from wasps and other insects. The undersides of the leaves covered with white mealy bugs, similar to those on pineapple plants in England. Old women and young girls being employed to pinch off leaves shading the fruit, stooping under the trellises. Douglas being disappointed with the quantity and quality of the grapes, seeing only a few weighing more than 2.5-3.5lbs. The clusters thinned early in the season. Passing along the lanes through the vineyards, escorted 'by an elderly matron with her distaff, a little boy or girl, whose suspicious eyes indicated their profession'. The best, most sheltered locations for cultivation reserved for bananas. Figs thriving in low, moist, partially shaded locations. Seeing other plants cultivated and growing around the island, including Eugenia jambos [Syzygium jambos], called jambos in Portuguese, producing abundant fruit in dry sandy or rocky soils
Going to the summit of the high mountains north of the town on 11 Aug. Seeing plants including Castanea ('the only forest tree to which the Portuguese direct their attention. All the valleys and the less fertile spots are planted with this tree. Most of the large ones have a large protuberance 4 feet from the ground. I thought they had been grafted, but on inquiring found it to be done by way of ornament'), Fuchsia coccinea and the common Chinese rose (which 'decorate old walls and constitute the hedges surrounding the vineyards'), a species of Aspidium ('tall, on moist rocks on the hills') and an annual species of Lobelia ('flowers small, blue') [here the journal includes a list of approximately 20 more plants]. Seeing in Henry Veitch's garden many fine forest trees, larger than elsewhere, fruit trees including lemon, orange, peach, Eugenia jambos [Syzygium jambos], grape ('all in great perfection') and a fine breadfruit tree (Artocarpus incisa) [Artocarpus altilis], 20 feet high
Temperature on board the ship at 10am and 800 feet above the sea 80°, and on the summit of the highest peak at 4pm 72°. Purchasing with John Scouler '1/16 of a pipe of wine (about 6 and 1/2 dozen [bottles]), for which we paid £7'. Sailing at 6pm on Wednesday, with a pleasant south-easterly breeze, pleased with the short stay in Madeira
(12 Aug 1824) Thursday. Losing sight of the mountains of Madeira. A north-easterly wind speeding up the voyage. 'I shall just state briefly what [I] observed during the time from Madeira to Rio de Janeiro [Brazil]'
(12-24 Aug 1824) The weather unremarkable, largely pleasant. The heat increasing on the approach to the Equator, with 21 Aug the warmest day, the temperature 84° under an awning in the shade. Being delighted with flying fish (Exocoetus volans) [Exocoetus volitans] and the noise of the tropical birds Phaeton aethereus in the early mornings, the latter becoming numerous on approaching the Cape de Verd Islands [Cabo Verde], but very shy, never coming within shooting distance. Several flying fish jumping on board the ship on 24 Aug. Seeing a curious species of Beroes [cigar comb jelly], retaining 'their transparent principle for a long time in a bucket of water'
(25 Aug-10 Sep 1824) The weather changing between 25 Aug and 10 Sep, with thunder, lightning, torrential rain and gusts of wind interspersed with calm periods. Temperature 84-86°, once measuring 88° in the cabin, and the only time comfortable enough to sleep being a little after sunrise. Encountering the ship Jane, from Philadelphia [Pennsylvania, United States of America] on 1 Sep, bound for Valparaiso [Chile]. Hoping to continue the journey with her, but losing sight of the ship in a storm the following night. Passing the Equator on 10 Sep, with the 'usual ceremony' performed with 'much merriment': 'all unqualified sons of the deep had an interview with old Neptune' [refers to the line-crossing ceremony, performed on persons first crossing the Equator and often involving the figure of Neptune, the Roman god of sea]. Heavy dews at night
(10-28 Sep 1824) The weather continuing variable for the first two days, then a fine south-easterly breeze speeding up the journey. Coming in sight of Cape Frio [Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro] on 26 Sep. The temperature lower than at the same northern latitude: 'this would naturally be the case at this season'. Temperature 79°-82°, water temperature 65°. The ship surrounded by sea birds, some of them very large. Seeing several turtles. Arriving in the bay [Rio de Janeiro] at 4pm on Tuesday. Being visited by officers from the Custom House, Board of Health and police. Two officers from a British man-of-war enquiring after mail and spare newspapers. Going on shore in the evening with the captain [Henry Hanwell, captain of the William and Ann]
(29 Sep 1824) Wednesday. Visiting John Dickson [British Royal Navy surgeon in Brazil], a friend of Joseph Sabine and a Horticultural Society correspondent. Douglas being received 'with much kindness' and invited to stay at Dickson's house. Showing Dickson his instructions and explaining the purpose of his journey, and learning he had hosted 'the late Mr Forbes [John Forbes, Horticultural Society plant collector, who died in Mozambique in 1823'; for the papers of Forbes, 1821-1823, see RHS/Col/3]' two years before: 'the affectionate manner [in] which he spoke of him, of his disposition and the becoming way [in] which he conducted himself during his residence, reflects much honour on his memory'. Dickson introducing Douglas to his friends. Being unable to make long journeys due to rain
The approach to Rio [Rio de Janeiro] being 'particularly grand', the entrance to the bay or harbour about half a mile wide, with several small wooded islands, one with a telegraph station. The land mountainous but not rugged, covered with luxurious vegetation to the summit, with palms growing high up. Seeing on the left Sugarloaf Mountain [Rio de Janeiro], a hill composed of 'primitive rock, not unlike the Aberdeen granite, with which the London streets are paved', a small fort at its base with a few guns, and a larger fort on the opposite side. The town having a fine appearance from the water. The houses regularly built, 'but of coarse workmanship', with lofty rooms and large doors, the windows generally not glazed, but with latticed shutters. 'The only buildings worthy of notice' being churches, including the emperor's [Pedro I] private chapel and another Gothic church in the Palace Square, both 'reflect credit on the architect'. Going to a service at the Gothic church at midnight: 'the gorgeous tapestry hung round the saints, the brilliancy of the candles and lamps, together with the general neatness of the edifice, impress on the mind of a stranger a pleasing sensation'
Meeting William Harrison [merchant in Brazil] of Liverpool, 'one of the most respectable English merchants' and brother of Arnold Harrison of Aighburgh, a fellow of the Horticultural Society. Harrison, being 'fond of plants and birds', and having introduced many plants to the Botanic Garden of Liverpool. Visiting Harrison's fine garden with a collection of African, European and indigenous plants, and seeing on an old wall about 70 species of Epidendrum and Orchideae: 'only the branch or stump on which the plant originally grew was nailed on the wall without any earth, many of them were thriving luxuriantly'. Harrison having nearly 80 beautiful live birds in cages, mostly Brazilian. Seeing a curious orange, probably not cultivated in England, resembling a lemon in shape, colour and size, but lacking the acidity of lemon and the saccharine taste of an orange: 'most assuredly a much pleasanter fruit than either. This, if not in Britain, would form a valuable addition'. Being unable to send young plants, fearing they would not survive the voyage, and being informed by Harrison that the seeds would not vegetate. Harrison promising to send plants collected by Douglas on one of his ships. Harrison giving Douglas a letter of introduction to his friends, Messrs McCulloch and Hartnell of St Barbara [Messrs McCulloch and Hartnell, merchants in Santa Barbara, California, United States of America] on the coast of New California [Alta California, comprising California, Nevada, Utah and parts of Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico, United States of America]
Harrison introducing Douglas to Mrs Maria Graham [author and illustrator], a travel writer in Chile and Brazil: 'she is a lady of much information, of very amiable manners, is fond of botany and tolerably conversant on most departments of natural history'. Listening 'with delight' to her descriptions of the plants around Valparaiso and Juan Fernandez [Juan Fernandez Islands, Chile]
Seeing at the fish, butcher and vegetable market on the east side of the town 'Convolvulus batatas [Ipomoea batatas], Dioscorea, Arum esculentum [Colocasia esculenta] and two kinds of pepper. Seeing plenty of orange, lemon and coconut. The only cabbage seen being purchased by the captain of the Hudson's Bay Company ship for half a dollar. 100 oranges or lemons costing a dollar ('about two bushels of Winchester measure'), with coconuts also cheap, about three half pence each, but culinary vegetables being more expensive than potatoes in England. Beef and pork ('both of inferior quality') the only meat at the market, with poultry plentiful and comparatively cheap. The fish market having a plentiful supply with a great variety of shellfish ('many of them singular and beautiful'), for 'a very moderate price'
During his walks around the city, being delighted to see many of the plants cultivated in England growing much more luxuriantly, including the 'almost endless' quantity of Scitamineae and Orchideae. Seeing Maranta zebrina [Calathea zebrina], another small species of Maranta ('lately figured at Bayswater [?Flora Tea Gardens in Bayswater, London]'), Gloxinia speciosa [Sinningia speciosa], Passiflora racemosa, Passiflora microcarpa [Passiflora punctata], two fine species of Rhexia and several unknown species
Never having seen a place 'so inviting, and never laboured under greater disadvantages', with only six fair days during Douglas's 12-day stay. Collecting two boxes of plants to send to England: 'this afterwards I thought as useless work, as they would arrive in England in the depth of winter. On the other hand, I regretted to allow any opportunity to pass without endeavouring to fulfil the objects of my voyage'. Packing them in closed boxes, there being no room for them on the deck, hoping they would reach England 'in such a state as will at the least compensate for the expense of collecting'. Taking with him the collection of about 200 species of dried plants. The specimens not quite dry, and Douglas unable to identify them 'for want of a book of general reference'
(8 Oct 1824) Writing to Joseph Sabine, Mr Munro [Donald Munro, gardener at the Horticultural Society of London], William Atkinson and Douglas's brother [John Douglas]. John Dickson giving Douglas £10 'on the Society to purchase several articles for the voyage and the country I was about to visit. All this was done [by] him and his servants with his usual politeness'. Expecting the ship to sail the following day, Dickson inviting some friends for dinner on Saturday 9 Oct, comprising Mr Louden, the British admiral's secretary, and Dr Scott ('his physician'): 'the good feeling and harmony manifested by every guest towards each other and at parting the good wishes towards my success was, I confess, to me gratifying'. Leaving this 'agreeable society' at 8pm. On stepping on the boat, heavy rain starting to fall with thunder and lightning. Taking off his coat and vest to keep his specimens dry. Having difficulty finding the correct vessel in the harbour, the ship having 'hauled out to a more commodious place for sailing since I was last on board'
(10 Oct 1824) Sunday. Cloudy with light rain and unfavourable winds. Going on shore at 5pm. Not finding John Dickson at home, but spending two hours with his assistant Mr Gogerty [unidentified] ('the intimate friend of Mr Forbes [?John Forbes, Horticultural Society plant collector, who visited Brazil in 1822 and stayed with John Dickson; for the papers of John Forbes, see RHS/Col/3]'). Gogerty accompanying Douglas to the ship
(11-13 Oct 1824) Not being able to leave the ship, as they were expecting favourable weather for sailing: 'this I regretted, the weather being dry and finer than any during my stay'
(14-22 Oct 1824). Sending a note on shore to John Dickson. Sailing at 7am with a light north-westerly wind: 'we left that interesting country with regret, but [...] with the hope of visiting it at a future period'. The wind continuing variable for a few days, with rain in the evenings. Temperature 66°-82°. Benefitting from a fine breeze from 4am on Tuesday, 'we pursued our voyage along the Brazilian coast with pleasure. Day after day passes away almost imperceptibly; at breakfast enquiries are made how the wind has been during the night, and the like. Such questions at home among friends this would appear ridiculous, but here are of the greatest importance'. Calculations being made of the wind direction and the speed of reaching destinations
Seeing immense shoals of a species of seaweed passing the ship. Catching one specimen measuring 60 feet in length, the stems round, three inches in diameter at the thickest part, the leaves 'alternate, lanceolate, crisped', the vesicles large and oval, and starfish, shells, white sand and lime clinging to the roots: 'having no fresh water to immerse them in, previous to laying them in paper, I put up a large jar in spirits, which will convey a good idea of its magnitude'. The weather 'much like that usually experienced in the Gulf of Florida'
Petrels abundant, 'and easily caught with a small hook and line baited with fat of pork'. Catching and preserving three mottled petrels, possibly Procellaria capensis [Daption capense]. Seeing two other shy species, but not managing to catch them, one of them large and jet black, the other brown. Seeing two species of albatross, one large, white and brownish-black, possibly Diomedea exulans, and a smaller black one. Catching the latter off the Falkland Islands with a stronger line and hook, preserving two of them, 'one of which has since spoiled with me', possibly a Diomedea fuliginosa [Phoebetria fusca]
(5 Nov 1824) Saturday. Off the Falkland Islands, latitude 54.5°S: 'I now began to feel the chilliness of Cape Horn [Chile] and experience the bad weather of its forbidding, dreary climate'. Managing to catch albatrosses only 'when the wind blows furiously and the ocean is covered with foam like a washing tub', contrary to earlier accounts of albatrosses which suggested they could only be caught in calm weather. The call of the birds resembling the bleating of goats. The birds emitting an oily matter from their mouths when killed, possibly caused by their diet of Physaleae, Beroe and other zoophytes. Seeing a third species off the Cape,, with a white belly and greyish back, blackish-brown on the upper side of the wings, with a light azure neck, black and yellow beak and black legs and feet. Catching two, but only managing to preserve one due to the bad weather. 'One of the sailors, in assisting me to lay hold of the one now sent home, was bit through the trousers in the thigh. The piece was taken out as if with a knife'. Catching altogether 49 of the black birds and two of the other kind: 'their flesh is fishy and rancid'. Catching two petrels, of a bluish-white colour, with legs and beak partly red, graceful in the water, their call resembling 'the chuckling of young ducks'
The weather stormy with a 'mountainous angry sea' during the ten days of 'doubling around the Cape, as the sailors term it'. The ship rocking, with waves frequently breaking over it: 'no sleep could be had until completely worn out with fatigue'. The southerly and south-westerly wind very cold, and the temperature varying between 39° and 45°, with 'a piercing rawness in the atmosphere', unlike that of similar latitudes in the northern hemisphere. Daylight lasting 16 hours, with clear skies and beautiful sunsets
(16 Nov 1824) Rounding Cape Horn, 'gladly I bade adieu to such inhospitable regions'. Gradually navigating more peaceful waters
(17 Nov 1824) Catching two Diomedea exulans, the larger weighing 18lbs and measuring 12 feet and four inches, or four feet from the beak to the tail. Both moulting, and 'not worth preserving'. When taking off from the water, the birds raising their wings like swans, but not shaking them, rising from the water partly running and partly flying for several hundred yards. The birds being unable to fly from the deck of a ship, and flying with their wings curved when fishing. At latitude 54°S, longitude 77°W seeing a curious species of porpoise, with a pure white stripe on each side, from the snout to the tail, much smaller than the common porpoise, moving too quickly to be caught. The weather continuing variable until the Straits of Magellan [Chile], with boisterous winds, rough sea, rain and thick fogs
(21 Nov-14 Dec 1824) 'Nothing worthy of notice took place'
(14 Dec 1824) Seeing the island of Massefuera [Alejandro Selkirk Island, Juan Fernandez Islands, Chile] about seven leagues away, resembling a conical black rock. Passing within two miles of the island, but being unable to land due to the surf. The island looking barren, with some 'verdure' in the valleys and some trees on the hills, and goats on the rocks. Sailing towards Juan Fernandez Island [Juan Fernandez Islands], about 80 miles north-east. The winds calming, therefore not reaching the island until 'the morning of the second day'. Embarking on a boat sent to search for fresh water, but being unsuccessful, returning in a few hours
Going to the north side to Cumberland Bay [Robinson Crusoe Island, Juan Fernandez Islands] ('so named by Anson in 1741 [George Anson, British Royal Navy commodore, who navigated around the world in the 1740s]') the following day. The island mountainous, volcanic and covered with trees to the summits of the hills, their tops enveloped in clouds. Going on shore on Friday and Saturday: 'was much gratified with my visit'. Seeing a small vessel anchored on the shore, and a hut on the beach with smoke rising from it
Stepping out of the boat, a man 'sprang out of the bushes to our astonishment', directing them to a sheltered creek. 'He gave me the following account of his adventures': William Clark, a sailor from Whitechapel in London, was discharged in Chile five years ago from a Liverpool ship called Lolland. He was now employed by Spaniards visiting the island for hunting seals and wild bullocks, with his five companions who stayed on the other side of the island, and visited him once a week, he being left to take care of the little bark [boat] and other property. On seeing the boat, he had at first fled to the woods, thinking Douglas and his companions were pirates: 'he sprang from his place of retreat as soon as he heard us speak English. No language can bespeak the pleasure he seemed to feel'
Clark had been on the island for five weeks, and intended to stay for another five. His clothing consisted of a pair of coarse blue woollen trousers, a flannel and a cotton shirt and a hat ('but he preferred to go bareheaded'), and no coat. Douglas and the surgeon [John Scouler] giving him 'as much as we could spare from our small stocks, for which he was very thankful'. Visiting his little hut made of turf and stones, thatched with wild oat straw, his bed a bunch of straw and a blanket in one corner, the only furniture a log of wood to sit on. The only cooking utensil was a 'common cast-iron pot with a wooden bottom, in which he boiled his food by sinking it a few inches in the floor of his lodge and placing the fire round the sides'. Clark had a longing to taste roast beef, not having had any for seven years, and tried to 'bake some, as he termed it, but in the baking the bottom, as might naturally be expected, gave way - so poor Clark could not accomplish his new mode of cooking. I told him under his circumstances roasting beef was an easier task than boiling'
Clark's library amounting to 17 volumes ('he was a man of some information'), including the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer ('which he had to keep in a secret place when his companions were with him'), 'Tales of my landlord [Sir Walter Scott, 1816-1832]', 'Old Mortality [Sir Walter Scott, 'The Tale of Old Mortality', 1816]', 'several volumes of voyages, Cauper's poems [William Cowper]: '[he] had the one partly by heart addressed to Alexander Selkirk [William Cowper, 'Verses supposed to be written by Alexander Selkirk', 1782; Selkirk was a castaway in the South Pacific Ocean in 1704-1709, whose story is said to have inspired Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe], but what is still more worthy of notice, a fine bound copy of Crusoe's adventures [Daniel Defoe, 'Robinson Crusoe', 1719], who himself was the latest and most complete edition'. Like 'all English sailors, he had no aversion to rum', and on being given a single dram by Douglas, being unaccustomed to it, it 'made him forget his exile. He was then like the heroes of Troy: 'fought his battle over again and slew the slain three times''
Seeing the now-abandoned Spanish colony, the houses and the fort destroyed, and 26 cannons lying on the shore. Seeing the vestiges of a church, the lintel of the door inscribed 'La casa de Dios puerta del cielo y so colocoesta [y se coloco esta] a 24 de Septiembre, 1811' - 'The house of God consecrated 24 Sep, 1811'. Seeing a circular brick oven nearby, seven feet in diameter, dated 1741 and possibly built by Anson [George Anson] during his residence: 'it is now occupied by a small species of blue pigeon as their cote; in it I found some eggs, but no young ones. This I told Clark he should use'. Seeing in the old gardens three or four species of peach ('very luxuriant'), apple, quince, two kinds of pear ('a qua
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