Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 5.djvu/246

236 A few years ago the Spaniards formed a colony here, but it is now abandoned, the houses and fort are destroyed, and twenty-six pieces of large cannon lay upon the beach. The vestiges of a church are still to be seen, with the following inscription upon the lintel of the door: "La casa de Dios es la puerta del cielo, y se colocada, 24 Septembre, 1811." The house of God is the gate of heaven, built 24th September, 1811. Near this is a circular oven built of London fire-brick, seven feet in diameter within, bearing a date 1741, and there fore probably built by Anson during his residence. Some pigeons, of a small blue species, now occupy it as their cote. There were eggs in, but no young ones; I pointed it out to Clark, and advised him to make use of this colony. In the old gardens were Peaches of three or four sorts, growing luxuriantly with fruit about half ripe; Quinces, Apples, and Pears. We took some of these fruits for puddings, with abundance of Figs in a vigorous state of bearing. Vines thrive well, and were in blossom. The only fruit which was, however, in perfection, was a large, pale-reddish Strawberry, of which the fruit had a not unpleasant flavour; the leaves, stem, and calix very downy. I dried a paper full of its seeds lest the species should prove indigenous to this island or the coast of Chili.

Before leaving Juan Fernandez I sowed a small quantity of Vine, Pears, and other fruit-seeds which I had brought with me, and a portion of culinary vegetables, leaving some with Clark, whom I recommended to try them in various parts of the island, as radishes were the only vegetable he had. We spent part of a day in fishing, and caught a sort of rock cod and a small fish, which was unknown to me. Both were good eating. On quitting the shore Clark presented us with a fine female goat (not, however, one that had belonged to Robinson Crusoe, as it was quite young); we left him standing on a large stone on the beach, expecting to see us again the next morning, but hardly had we reached the ship when a strong easterly wind set in, and we were speedily carried far from that enchanting spot, and from my new and