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The Flinders papersletters and documents about the explorer Matthew Flinders (1774-1814)
 
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Portion of Flinders' journal on HMS Providence (1791-93) (FLI08a) Page 3


The Churches here are ^ richly ornamented with Images as in other
Roman Catholic Countries, and attended by a number of all-
-pious Priests, cloathd [sic] very shabbily, I suppose to shew their
Contempt of the World – this side of the Island is very moun-
-tainous much encumberd [sic] with Stones and has a very parched
and barren Appearance, some Figs, Vines, Euphorbia canarien-
-sis, Aloe americanae and the Semper vivum canariensa are
met with on the Hills but few or no other Plants – The Road
to Laguna is ascending, extremely stoney and uneaven, distance
5 or 6 Miles – in going there "we" met with a Syngenesious Plant
like the Baccharis menifolia, a small Trifolium and a
Number of Aloes, which at this Time were beautifully in Bloom.
The Laguna Town of Laguna is nearly as large as Santa Cruz
built in the same Stile [sic] but has a more ancient Appearance – it
contains a Square in a Corner of which is a fine Fountain, by
which "I" suppose the Town is principally supplied with Water –
near the Fountain is a large Prison which at this Time containd [sic]
many Prisoners of both Sexes, who looked thro' the Bars and
begd [sic] very heartily – In "our" Return, we met with an old Gen
-tleman who took a particular Fancy to a large ugly Knife "we"
had to gather Lichens with, and wanted to purchase it, with much
ado he was prevaild [sic] on to accept it, in return he askd [sic] "us" to his
House and entertaind [sic] us with Fruit and some excellent Wine
with the Spirit of true Spaniard, making a great display of
his Plate and riches, in many Utensils "we" had not the least
Occasion for – "We" visited a Nunnery of the Order of St Dominic
in the Chappel [sic] was a fine statue of the Virgin Mary, with four
Wax Candles burning before her, peeping thro the Bars of the
Convent "we" perceivd [sic] several fine young Women at Prayers, a
middle aged Woman opend [sic] the Door half way but would by


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Related people
Pope Clement XIII
Guthrie, James
Nichols, William
Bligh, William
Flinders, Matthew
Smith, Christopher

Places
Tenerife
Cape of Good Hope
Timor

Vessels
Providence

Words and phrases
Marvel of Peru
Candelaria
Aloe americanae
Euphorbia
Semper vivum
Hottentot
Trifolium
Aloes
Order of St Dominic
Spanish mackerel
Hedgehog fish
Portuguese man of war
Dolphin fish
Time keeper
Spermaceti whale
Nautili

Related Documents
Other documents written by Flinders, Matthew