[56] Juan Fernandez. A Spanish pilot of that name discovered the islands in 1563. Our buccaneers sighted them on Christmas eve, 1680.
[57] The eastern is called Mas-á-tierra ("nearer the land"), the western Mas-á-fuera ("farther out"). The distance between is about 100 miles.
[58] John Watkins. The new pirate chief had severe principles as to the Sabbath. "Sunday January the ninth [1681, three days after his election], this day was the first Sunday that ever we kept by command and common consent since the loss and death of our valiant Commander Captain Sawkins. This generous spirited man [Sawkins] threw the dice over board, finding them in use on the said day." Ringrose, p. 121. The Spanish accounts call the new captain Juan Guarlen.
[59] This was a Mosquito Indian named William. A precursor of Alexander Selkirk, he lived alone upon the island for more than three years, till in March, 1684, when Capt. Edward Davis, in the Batchellor's Delight, in his voyage from the Chesapeake, touched at the island. William Dampier and several others of Captain Sharp's crew were now with Davis. They bethought them of William, and found and rescued him. Dampier, New Voyage, I. 84-87, describes the Crusoe-like expedients by which the ingenious William maintained himself. He was not the first precursor of Selkirk on the island, for Ringrose, p. 119, says that the pilot of their ship told this present crew of buccaneers "that many years ago a certain ship was cast away upon this Island, and onely one man saved, who lived alone upon the Island five years before any ship came this way to carry him off." Several of Davis's men lived there three years, 1687-1690. Selkirk's stay was in 1704-1709.
[60] Iquique.
[61] Barros Arana, Historia Jeneral de Chile, V. 204-205, points out the impossibility of such numbers.
[62] Sp. lingua, language.
[63] In better Spanish, "Valientes soldados, buen valientes soldados", i.e. "Valiant soldiers, very valiant soldiers".
[64] Ilo, between Islay and Arica.
[65] Choros bay must be meant. The present Obispo lies too far north, and was not named till 1709.