Situated upon the broad bosom of the vast Atlantic Ocean, about two
hundred leagues from the coast of Brazil, is a small but fertile island,
which has retained from the period of its first discovery, the familiar
name of Trinidad. This beautiful island, although a lovely and
sequestered spot, has been for various general reasons, but rarely
visited by the hardy mariners of the deep, and never permanently settled
or inhabited by man. Its surface is agreeably diversified with high
hills and low beautiful valleys, whilst its circumference is almost
wholly surrounded by a chain of dark, rocky cliffs, which gives to this
remote island a somewhat fantastic appearance to the eye of the
beholder, as he approaches it from the sea. On this circumscribed but
favored spot of earth, nature seems to have reveled in almost boundless
profusion, scattering here and there throughout its valleys her choicest
favors, in the shape of delicious tropical fruits, and ever green
luxuriant herbage, whose fragrance as it mingled with the pure fresh
breeze of the ocean, has proved to be a sweet balsam of health to many a
sick and weary mariner as he sailed within reach of its invigorating
influence. Although this fair island possessed no convenient harbor for
its vessels of any class, still there was upon its southern side, a
small piece of white sandy beach, upon which a single boat might easily
land, and here upon this same spot, a boat did land about an hour after
sunrise, on the thirty-first day of October, 1717.

The boat in question, was occupied by six persons, who, as soon as its
keel grazed upon the clear white sand, immediately disembarked and
dispersed themselves singly and by twos, in different directions for the
purpose of enjoying a short ramble amongst the shady trees and fragrant
foliage of the island.