CHAP. I. The Paſſage from the Downs to Rio de Janeiro.
[The longitude in this voyage is reckoned from the meridian of London, weſt to 180 degrees, and eaſt afterwards.]

ON the 21ſt of June 1764, I ſailed from the Downs,year 1764 month June day Thurſday 21 with his Majeſty's ſhip the Dolphin, and the Tamar frigate, which I had received orders to take under my command: as I was coming down the river, the Dolphin got a-ground; I therefore put into Plymouth, where ſhe was docked, but did not appear to have received any damage. At this place we changed ſome of our men, and having paid the people two months wages in advance, I hoiſted the broad pendant, and ſailed again on the 3d of July; month July day Tueſday 3 on the 4th we were off the Lizard,day Wedneſ. 4 and made the beſt of our way with a fine breeze, but had the mortification to find the Tamar a very heavy ſailer. In the night of Friday the 6th,day Friday 6 the officer of the firſt watch ſaw either a ſhip on fire, or an extraordinary pheno⯑menon which greatly reſembled it, at ſome diſtance: it con⯑tinued to blaze for about half an hour, and then diſappeared. In the evening of Thurſday, July the 12th,day Thurſday 12 we ſaw the rocks near the iſland of Madeira, which our people call the De⯑ſerters; from deſertes, a name which has been given them from their barren and deſolate appearance:day Friday 13 the next day we ſtood in for the road of Funchiale, where, about three o'clock in the afternoon, we came to an anchor. In the morning of Saturday the 14th, I waited upon the Governor,day Saturday 14 who re⯑ceived me with great politeneſs, and ſaluted me with eleven [4] guns,day Sunday 15 which I returned from the ſhip. The next day, he returned my viſit at the houſe of the Conſul, upon which I ſaluted him with eleven guns, which he returned from the fort. I found here his Majeſty's ſhip the Crown, and the Ferret ſloop, who alſo ſaluted the broad pendant.

Having completed our water, and procured all the refreſh⯑ment I was able for the companies of both the ſhips, every man having twenty pounds weight of onions for his ſea ſtock,day Thurſday 19 we weighed anchor on Thurſday the 19th, and pro⯑ceeded on our voyage.day Saturday 21 On Saturday the 21ſt, we made the iſland of Palma, one of the Canaries, and ſoon after ex⯑amining our water, we found it would be neceſſary to touch at one of the Cape de Verd iſlands for a freſh ſupply. During the whole of our courſe from the Lizard, we obſerved that no fiſh followed the ſhip, which I judged to be owing to her being ſheathed with copper.day Thurſday 26 By the 26th, our water was become foul, and ſtunk intolerably, but we purified it with a machine, which had been put on board for that purpoſe: it was a kind of ventilator, by which air was forced through the water in a continued ſtream, as long as it was neceſ⯑ſary.

In the morning of the 27th,day Friday 27 we made the iſland of Sal, one of the Cape de Verds, and ſeeing ſeveral turtle upon the water, we hoiſted out our jolly boat, and attempted to ſtrike them, but they all went down before our people could come within reach of them.day Saturday 28 On the morning of the 28th, we were very near the iſland of Bona Viſta,day Sunday 29 the next day off the Iſle of May,day Monday 30 and on Monday the 30th, we came to an anchor in Port Praya bay. The rainy ſeaſon was already ſet in, which renders this place very unſafe; a large ſwell that rolls in from the ſouthward, makes a frightful ſurf upon the ſhore, and there is reaſon every hour to expect a tornado, [5] of which, as it is very violent, and blows directly in,day Monday 30 the conſequences are likely to be fatal; ſo that after the 15th of Auguſt no ſhip comes hither till the rainy ſeaſon is over, which happens in November; for this reaſon I made all poſſible haſte to fill my water and get away. I procured three bullocks for the people, but they were little better than carrion, and the weather was ſo hot, that the fleſh ſtunk in a few hours after they were killed.

On Thurſday the 2d of Auguſt,month Auguſt day Thurſday 2 we got again under ſail, with a large cargo of fowls, lean goats, and monkies, which the people contrived to procure for old ſhirts, jackets, and other articles of the like kind. The intolerable heat, and almoſt inceſſant rain, very ſoon affected our health, and the men began to fall down in fevers, notwithſtanding all my attention and diligence to make them ſhift themſelves before they ſlept, when they were wet.

On Wedneſday the 8th,day Wedneſ. 8 the Tamar fired a gun, upon which we ſhortened ſail till ſhe came up: we found that ſhe had ſuffered no damage but the carrying away of her top-ſail-yard; however, as we were obliged to make an eaſy ſail till ſhe had got up another, and the wind ſeemed to be coming again to the ſouthward, we loſt a good deal of way. We continued, to our great mortification, to obſerve that no fiſh would come near enough to our copper bottom for us to ſtrike, though we ſaw the ſea as it were quickened with them at a little diſtance. Ships in theſe hot latitudes generally take fiſh in plenty, but, except ſharks, we were not able to catch one.

No event worthy of notice happened till Tueſday the 11th of September,month September day Tueſday 11 when, about three o'clock in the afternoon, we ſaw Cape Frio, on the coaſt of Brazil; and about noon, on Thurſday the 13th,day Thurſday 13 we anchored in eighteen fathom, in [6] the great Road of Rio de Janeiro.day Thurſday 13 The city, which is large, and makes a handſome appearance, is governed by the Viceroy of Brazil, who is perhaps, in fact, as abſolute a ſovereign as any upon earth. When I viſited him, he re⯑ceived me in great form; above ſixty officers were drawn up before the palace, as well as a captain's guard, who were men of a good appearance, and extremely well clothed: his Excellency, with a number of perſons of the firſt diſtinction, belonging to the place, met me at the head of the ſtairs, upon which fifteen guns were fired from the neareſt port: we then entered the room of ſtate, and after converſing about a quarter of an hour, in French, I took my leave, and was diſmiſſed with the ſame form that had been uſed at my re⯑ception. He offered to return my viſit at a houſe which I had hired on ſhore, but this I declined, and ſoon after he re⯑turned it on board.

The people in my own ſhip, who had as much freſh meat and greens as they could eat every day, were very healthy, but there being many ſick on board the Tamar, I procured a place for them on ſhore, where they ſoon recovered. I alſo engaged a number of Portugueſe caulkers, as the ſeams of both the ſhips were very open, who, after having worked ſome time, rendered them perfectly tight.

While we lay here, Lord Clive, in the Kent Indiaman, came to the port. This ſhip had ſailed from England a month before us, and had not touched any where, yet ſhe came in a month after us; ſo that her paſſage was juſt two months longer than ours, notwithſtanding the time we loſt in waiting for the Tamar, which, though the Dolphin was by no means a good ſailer, ſailed ſo much worſe, that we ſeldom ſpread more than half our canvas. The Kent had many of her people down in the ſcurvy.

[7]On Tueſday the 16th of October, we weighed anchor,month October day Tueſday 16 being impatient to get to ſea, for the heat here was intolerable; but we lay four or five days above the bar, waiting for the land breeze to carry us out, for there is no getting out with the ſea breeze, and the entrance between the two firſt forts is ſo narrow, and ſo great a ſea breaks in upon them, that it was not without much danger and difficulty we got out at laſt, and if we had followed the advice of the Portugueſe pilot, we had certainly loſt the ſhip. As this narrative is publiſhed for the advantage of future navigators, particu⯑larly thoſe of our own nation, it is alſo neceſſary I ſhould ob⯑ſerve, that the Portugueſe here, carrying on a great trade, make it their buſineſs to attend every time a boat comes on ſhore, and practiſe every artifice in their power to entice away the crew: if other methods do not ſucceed, they make them drunk, and immediately ſend them up the country, taking effectual care to prevent their return, till the ſhip to which they belong has left the place; by this practice I loſt five of my men, and the Tamar nine: mine I never reco⯑vered, but the Tamar had the good fortune to learn where her's were detained, and by ſending out a party in the night, ſurpriſed them, and brought them back.

CHAP. II. Paſſage from Rio de Janeiro to Port Deſire; with ſome Deſcription of that Place.

ON Monday the 22d,day Monday 22 being now once more at ſea, I called all hands upon deck, and informed them, that I was not, as they imagined, bound immediately to the Eaſt Indies, but upon certain diſcoveries, which it was thought might be of great importance to our country, in conſidera⯑tion of which, the Lords Commiſſioners of the Admiralty had been pleaſed to promiſe them double pay, and ſeveral other advantages, if during the voyage they ſhould behave to my ſatisfaction. They all expreſſed the greateſt joy imaginable upon the occaſion, and aſſured me, that there was no danger or difficulty that they would not with the utmoſt cheerful⯑neſs undergo in the ſervice of their country, nor any order that I could give them which they would not implicitly and zealouſly obey.

We continued our courſe till Monday the 29th,day Monday 29 having frequently hard gales with ſudden guſts, which obliged us to ſtrike our top-gallant-maſts, and get up our ſtumps; but this day it blew a ſtorm, with a terrible ſea, and the ſhip laboured ſo much, that, to eaſe her, I ordered the two fore⯑moſt, and two aftermoſt guns to be thrown overboard: the gale continued with nearly equal violence all the reſt of the day, and all night, ſo that we were obliged to lie to under a double-reefed main ſail; but in the morning, it being more moderate,day Tueſday 30 and veering from N. W. to S. by W. we made ſail again, and ſtood to the weſtward. We were now in lati⯑tude [9] 35° 50′ S. and found the weather as cold as it is at the ſame ſeaſon in England,day Tueſday 30 although the month of November here is a ſpring month, anſwering to our May, and we were near twenty degrees nearer the line: to us, who within little more than a week had ſuffered intolerable heat, this change was moſt ſeverely felt: and the men, who ſuppoſing they were to continue in a hot climate during the whole voyage, had contrived to ſell not only all their warm clothes, but their bedding, at the different ports where we had touched, now applied in great diſtreſs for ſlops, and were all furniſhed for the climate.

On Friday the 2d of November,month November day Friday 2 after adminiſtering the proper oath to the Lieutenants of both ſhips, I delivered them their commiſſions; for till this time they acted only under verbal orders from me, and expected to receive their commiſſions in India, whither they imagined we were bound. We now began to ſee a great number of birds about the ſhip, many of them very large, of which ſome were brown and white, and ſome black: there were among them large flocks of pintadoes, which are ſomewhat larger than a pigeon, and ſpotted with black and white. On the 4th,day Sunday 4 we ſaw a great quantity of rock weed, and ſeveral ſeals: our latitude was 38° 53′ S., longitude 51° W.; the variation 13° E.: the prevailing winds here were weſterly, ſo that be⯑ing continually driven to the eaſtward, we foreſaw that it would not be eaſy to get in with the coaſt of Patagonia. On the 10th, we obſerved the water to change colour,day Saturday 10 but we had no ground with one hundred and forty fathom: our la⯑titude was now 41° 16′ S.; our longitude 55° 17′ W.; the va⯑riation was 18° 20′ E. The next day we ſtood in for the land till eight in the evening, when we had ground of red ſand with forty-five fathom. We ſteered S. W. by W. all night, [10] and the next morning had fifty-two fathom with the ſame ground:day Sunday 11 our latitude was 42° 34′ S., longitude 58° 17′ W.; the variation 11° ¾ E.

On Monday the 12th,day Monday 12 about four o'clock in the afternoon, as I was walking on the quarter-deck, all the people upon the forecaſtle called out at once "Land right ahead;" it was then very black almoſt round the horizon, and we had had much thunder and lightning; I looked forward under the foreſail, and upon the lee bow, and ſaw what at firſt appeared to be an iſland, riſing in two rude craggy hills, but upon looking to leeward I ſaw land joining to it, and running a long way to the ſouth eaſt: we were then ſteering S. W. and I ſent officers to the maſt-head to look out upon the weather beam, and they called out that they ſaw land alſo a great way to the windward. I immediately brought to, and ſounded; we had ſtill fifty-two fathom, but I thought that we were em⯑bayed, and rather wiſhed than hoped that we ſhould get clear before night. We made ſail and ſteered E. S. E. the land ſtill having the ſame appearance, and the hills looking blue, as they generally do at a little diſtance in dark rainy weather, and now many of the people ſaid that they ſaw the ſea break upon the ſandy beaches; but having ſteered out for about an hour, what we had taken for land, vaniſhed all at once, and to our great aſtoniſhment appeared to have been a fog-bank. Though I had been almoſt continually at ſea for ſeven and twenty years, I had never ſeen ſuch a deception before; others however have been equally deceived; for the maſter of a ſhip, not long ſince, made oath, that he had ſeen an iſland between the weſt end of Ireland and Newfound⯑land, and even diſtinguiſhed the trees that grew upon it. Yet it is certain that no ſuch iſland exiſts, at leaſt it could never be found, though ſeveral ſhips were afterwards ſent [11] out on purpoſe to ſeek it. And I am ſure,day Monday 12 that if the weather had not cleared up ſoon enough for us to ſee what we had taken for land diſappear, every man on board would freely have made oath, that land had been diſcovered in this ſitua⯑tion. Our latitude this day was 43° 46′ S.; longitude 60° 5′ W.; and the variation 19° 30′ E.

The next day, at four o'clock in the afternoon,day Tueſday 13 the wea⯑ther being extremely fine, the wind ſhifted at once to the S. W. and began to blow freſh, the ſky at the ſame time be⯑coming black to windward: in a few minutes all the people that were upon the deck were alarmed with a ſudden and unuſual noiſe, like the breaking of the ſea upon the ſhore. I ordered the topſails to be handed immediately; but before it could be done, I ſaw the ſea approaching at ſome diſtance, in vaſt billows covered with foam; I called to the people to hawl up the foreſail, and let go the main ſheet inſtantly; for I was perſuaded that if we had any ſail out when the guſt reached us, we ſhould either be overſet, or loſe all our maſts. It reached us however before we could raiſe the main tack, and laid us upon our beam ends: the main tack was then cut, for it was become impoſſible to caſt it off; and the main ſheet ſtruck down the Firſt Lieutenant, bruiſed him dreadfully, and beat out three of his teeth: the main top⯑ſail, which was not quite handed, was ſplit to pieces. If this ſquall, which came on with leſs warning and more vio⯑lence than any I had ever ſeen, had taken us in the night, I think the ſhip muſt have been loſt. When it came on we obſerved ſeveral hundred of birds flying before it, which ex⯑preſſed their terror by loud ſhrieks; it laſted about twenty minutes, and then gradually ſubſided. The Tamar ſplit her main ſail, but as ſhe was to leeward of us, ſhe had more time to prepare. In a ſhort time it began to blow very hard [12] again,day Wedneſ. 14 ſo that we reefed our main ſail, and lay to under it all night. As morning approached, the gale became more moderate, but we had ſtill a great ſea, and the wind ſhifting to S. by W. we ſtood to the weſtward under our courſes. Soon after it was light, the ſea appeared as red as blood, being covered with a ſmall ſhell-fiſh of that colour, ſome⯑what reſembling our crayfiſh, but leſs, of which we took up great quantities in baſkets.

At half an hour paſt four in the morning of Thurſday the 15th of November,day Thurſday 15 we ſaw land, which had the appearance of an iſland about eight or nine leagues long, there being no land in ſight either to the northward or ſouthward, though by the charts it ſhould be Cape Saint Helena, which projects from the coaſt to a conſiderable diſtance, and forms two bays, one to the north, and the other to the ſouth. As the weather was very fine, I tacked and ſtood in for it about ten o'clock; but as there were many ſunken rocks at about two leagues diſtance from it, upon which the ſea broke very high, and the wind ſeemed to be gradually dying away, I tacked again and ſtood off. The land appeared to be barren and rocky, without either tree or buſh: when I was neareſt to it I ſounded and had forty-five fathom, with black muddy ground. To my great misfortune, my three Lieutenants and the Maſter were at this time ſo ill as to be incapable of duty, though the reſt of the ſhip's company were in good health. Our latitude was 45° 21′ S., longitude 63° 2′ W.; the variation 19° 41′ E.

The next day I ſhaped my courſe by the chart in the ac⯑count of Lord Anſon's voyage,day Friday 16 for Cape Blanco. In the even⯑ing it blew extremely hard at S. W. by S. ſo that we brought to for the night under our main ſail.day Saturday 17 In the morning we made ſail again, but we had a great ſea; and although it [13] was now almoſt midſummer in theſe parts, the weather was,day Saturday 17 in every reſpect, much worſe than it is in the Bay of Biſcay at the depth of winter. About ſix in the evening, having carried all the ſail I could, we made land, bearing about S. S. W. which as we had a good obſervation of the ſun, we knew to be Cape Blanco; but it now began to blow with more violence than ever, and the ſtorm continued all night, with a ſea that was continually breaking over us, ſo that the ſhip laboured very much. At four in the morning,day Sunday 18 we ſounded and had forty fathom, with rocky ground; having ſtood off in the night, we now wore and ſtood in again, the ſtorm ſtill continuing with hail and ſnow: and about ſix o'clock we ſaw the land again, bearing S. W. by W. The ſhip was now ſo light, that in a gale of wind ſhe drove bo⯑dily to leeward; ſo that I was very ſolicitous to get into Port Deſire, that I might put her hold in order, and take in ſuffi⯑cient ballaſt, to avoid the danger of being caught upon a lee ſhore in her preſent trim. We ſteered in for the land with the wind at N. E. and in the evening brought to; but the wind coming to the weſtward, we were driven off in the night. At ſeven the next morning, we ſtood in again,day Monday 15 ſteering S. W. by S. by the compaſs, and ſoon perceived the ſea to break right ahead of us; we immediately ſounded, and ſhoaled our water from thirteen to ſeven fathom, ſoon after deepening it again from ſeventeen to forty-two; ſo that we went over the end of a ſhoal, which a little farther to the northward might have been fatal to us. Cape Blanco at this time bore W. S. W. ½ S. diſtant four leagues: but we were ſtill at a loſs for Port Deſire, it being impoſſible that any de⯑ſcription ſhould be more confuſed than that which Sir John Narborough has given of this harbour. I ſtood into a bay to the ſouthward of the Cape, as he directs, but could find no ſuch place; I therefore ſtood along the ſhore to the ſouth⯑ward, [14] the wind blowing off the land very hard,day Monday 19 and ſaw ſe⯑veral large columns of ſmoke riſing in many places, but no tree or buſh, the country reſembling in appearance the bar⯑ren downs of England. We obſerved alſo that the water was frequently very ſhallow at the diſtance of ſeven or eight miles from the ſhore, for we had many times not more than ten fathom.

We continued to ſtand along the ſhore all day as near as poſſible, and in the evening we ſaw an iſland at the diſtance of about ſix leagues; day Tueſday 20 in the morning we ſtood in for it, and found that it correſponded with Narborough's deſcription of Penguin iſland. As Port Deſire is ſaid to lie about three leagues north weſt of this iſland, I ſent the boat to look for it, and when ſhe returned, having found it, I ſtood in for the land. There were thouſands of ſeals and penguins about the ſhip, and near Penguin Iſland ſeveral ſmaller iſlands, or rather rocks. In the evening, we ſaw a remarkable rock, riſing from the water like a ſteeple, on the ſouth ſide of the entrance of Port Deſire; this rock is an excellent mark to know the harbour, which it would otherwiſe be difficult to find. At night, there being little wind, we anchored at the diſtance of four or five miles from the ſhore; and in the morning,day Wedneſ. 21 with a breeze from the land, we turned up the harbour's mouth; we found it very narrow, with many rocks and ſhoals about it, and the moſt rapid tide I had ever known. I came to an anchor off the harbour in nine fa⯑thom, the entrance of the river being open, and bearing W. S. W.; Penguin Iſland S. E. ½ E. diſtant about three leagues; the Steeple rock S. W. by W.; the northermoſt land N. N. W.; and two rocks, which are covered at half tide, and lie at the ſouthermoſt extremity of a reef which runs from the ſame land, N. E. by N. I mention all theſe bearings particularly, becauſe I think it may be of importance to future navigators, [15] eſpecially as the deſcriptions that have been given of this place, by the few who have already viſited it,day Wedneſ. 21 are extremely defective. The wind blew very hard the greater part of this day, and there ran an ugly ſea where we were ſtationed, yet I ordered out two boats to ſound the harbour, and attended in my own boat myſelf. We found it very narrow for near two miles, with a tide running at the rate of eight miles an hour: we found alſo many rocks and ſhoals, but all the danger ſhows itſelf above water. When we came to the ſhore, I landed, and walked a little way into the country, which as far as I could ſee was all downs, without a ſingle tree or ſhrub. We ſaw the dung of many beaſts, and had a glimpſe of four, which ran away as ſoon as we came in ſight, ſo that we could not certainly determine what they were; but we believed them to be Guanicoes, many of which we after⯑wards ſaw come down to the water ſide: they reſemble our deer, but are much larger, the height of ſome being not leſs than thirteen hands; they are very ſhy, and very ſwift. After I returned to my boat, I went farther up the harbour, and landed upon an iſland that was covered with ſeals, of which we killed above fifty, and among them many that were larger than a bullock, having before half loaded our boat with different kinds of birds, of which, and ſeals, there are enough to ſupply the navy of England. Among the birds one was very remarkable: the head reſembled that of an eagle, except that it had a large comb upon it; round the neck there was a white ruff, exactly reſembling a lady's tippet; the feathers on the back were as black as jet, and as bright as the fineſt poliſh could render that mineral: the legs were remarkably ſtrong and large, the talons were like thoſe of an eagle, except that they were not ſo ſharp, and the wings, when they were extended, meaſured, from point to point, no leſs than twelve feet.

[16]The Tamar worked into the harbour with the tide of flood,day Wedneſ. 21 but I kept my ſtation with the Dolphin till I ſhould have a leading wind, and the wind ſhifting to the eaſtward, I weighed about five o'clock in the afternoon, intending to go up with the evening flood: before I could get under ſail, however, the wind ſhifted again to N. W. by N.; and it being low water, the ſhip lying but juſt within the harbour, and there being no tide to aſſiſt us, we were obliged to anchor near the ſouth ſhore. The wind came off the land in very hard flaws, and in a ſhort time, our anchor coming home, the ſhip tailed on ſhore againſt a ſteep gravelly beach. The anchoring ground indeed as far as we had yet ſounded was bad, being very hard; ſo that, in this ſituation, if the wind blows freſh, there is always the greateſt reaſon to fear that the anchor ſhould come home before the ſhip can be brought up. While we were on ſhore, it began to blow very hard, and the tide running like a ſluice, it was with the utmoſt difficulty that we could carry an anchor out to heave us off; however, after about four hours hard labour, this was ef⯑fected, and the ſhip floated in the ſtream. As there was only about ſix or ſeven feet of the after part of her that touched the ground, there was reaſon to hope that ſhe had ſuffered no damage; however, I determined to unhang the rudder, that it might be examined.

During all this night and the next morning the wind blew with great violence; day Thurſday 22 we had let go out beſt bower anchor when we were near the ſhore, in hopes it would have brought us up, and had not yet been able to weigh it. We now rode in a very diſagreeable ſituation with our ſmall bower, and that unfortunately came home again: we there⯑fore got a hawſer out of the Tamar, who lay in the ſtream, and after weighing the ſmall bower, we got out by her aſſiſt⯑ance, [17] and then dropped it again,day Thurſday 22 moſt ardently wiſhing for fair weather, that we might get the ſhip properly moored.

The next day we ſounded the harbour higher up,day Friday 23 and found the ground ſofter, and the water not ſo deep; yet the wind continued to blow ſo hard that we could not venture to change our ſtation. We had found a ſmall ſpring of wa⯑ter about half a mile inland, upon the north ſide of the bay, but it had a brackiſh taſte; I had alſo made another excur⯑ſion of ſeveral miles into the country, which I found barren and deſolate, in every direction, as far as the eye could reach. We had ſeen many guanicoes at a diſtance, but we could not get near enough to have a ſhot at them; we tracked beaſts of ſeveral kinds in the ſoil, near a pond of ſalt water, and among them a very large tyger: we found alſo a neſt of oſtriches eggs, which we eat, and thought very good. It is probable that all the animals which had left marks of their feet near the ſalt pond, drank the water, and indeed we ſaw no freſh water for them. The ſpring that we had found, which was not perfectly freſh, was the only one of the kind that we had been able to diſcover; and for that we had been obliged to dig, there being no appearance of it except a ſlight moiſture of the ground.

On the 24th, upon ſlack water,day Saturday 24 we carried both the ſhips higher up and moored them: the extreme points of the har⯑bour's mouth at low water bore from E. by S. ¼ S. to E.; and the Steeple rock S. E. ¼ E. We had here, at low water, but ſix fathom; but at ſpring tides the water riſes no leſs than four fathom and an half, which is ſeven and twenty feet. The tide indeed in this place is ſuch as perhaps it is not in any other. It happened by ſome accident that one of our men fell overboard; the boats were all alongſide, and the man was an exceeding good ſwimmer, yet before any aſſiſt⯑ance [18] could be ſent after him,day Saturday 24 the rapidity of the ſtream had hurried him almoſt out of fight; we had however at laſt the good fortune to ſave him. This day I was again on ſhore, and walked ſix or ſeven miles up the country: I ſaw ſeveral hares as large as a fawn; I ſhot one of them which weighed more than ſix and twenty pounds, and if I had had a good greyhound, I dare ſay the ſhip's company might have lived upon hare two days in the week. In the mean time the people on board were buſy in getting up all the cables upon deck, and clear⯑ing the hold, that a proper quantity of ballaſt might be taken in, and the guns lowered into it, except a few which it might be thought neceſſary to keep above.

On the 25th,day Sunday 25 I went a good way up the harbour in the boat, and having landed on the north ſide, we ſoon after found an old oar of a very ſingular make, and the barrel of a muſquet, with the King's broad arrow upon it. The muſ⯑quet barrel had ſuffered ſo much from the weather, that it might be crumbled into duſt between the fingers: I ima⯑gined it had been left there by the Wager's people, or per⯑haps by Sir John Narborough. Hitherto we had found no kind of vegetables except a ſpecies of wild peas; but though we had ſeen no inhabitants, we ſaw places where they had made their fires, which however did not appear to be recent. While we were on ſhore we ſhot ſome wild ducks, and a hare; the hare ran two miles after he was wounded, though it appeared when he was taken up that a ball had paſſed quite through his body. I went this day many miles up the country, and had a long chace after one of the guanicoes, which was the largeſt we had ſeen: he frequently ſtopped to look at us, when he had left us at a good diſtance behind, and made a noiſe that reſembled the neighing of a horſe; but when we came pretty near him he ſet out again, and at [19] laſt,day Sunday 25 my dog being ſo tired that he could not run him any longer, he got quite away from us, and we ſaw him no more. We ſhot a hare however, and a little ugly animal which ſtunk ſo intolerably that none of us could go near him. The fleſh of the hares here is as white as ſnow, and nothing can be better taſted. A Serjeant of marines, and ſome others who were on ſhore at another part of the bay, had better ſucceſs than fell to our ſhare, for they killed two old guanicoes and a fawn; they were however obliged to leave them where they fell, not being able to bring them down to the water ſide, near ſix miles, without farther aſſiſt⯑ance, though they were but half the weight of thoſe that are mentioned by Sir John Narborough; ſome however I ſaw which could not weigh leſs than ſeven or eight and thirty ſtone, which is about three hundred pounds. When we returned in the evening it blew very hard, and the deck being ſo full of lumber that we could not hoiſt the boats in, we moored them aſtern. About midnight, the ſtorm conti⯑nuing, our ſix oared cutter filled with water and broke adrift; the boat-keeper, by whoſe neglect this accident hap⯑pened, being on board her, very narrowly eſcaped drowning by catching hold of the ſtern ladder. As it was tide of flood when ſhe went from the ſhip, we knew that ſhe muſt drive up the harbour; yet as the loſs of her would be an irreme⯑diable misfortune, I ſuffered much anxiety till I could ſend after her in the morning,day Monday 26 and it was then ſome hours before ſhe was brought back, having driven many miles with the ſtream. In the mean time, I ſent another party to fetch the guanicoes which our people had ſhot the night before; but they found nothing left except the bones, the tygers having eaten the fleſh, and even cracked the bones of the limbs to come at the marrow. Several of our people had been fifteen miles up the country in ſearch of freſh water, [20] but could not find the leaſt rill:day Monday 26 we had ſunk ſeveral wells to a conſiderable depth where the ground appeared moiſt, but upon viſiting them, I had the mortification to find that, all together, they would not yield more than thirty gallons in twenty-four hours: this was a diſcouraging circumſtance, eſpecially as our people, among other expedients, had watch⯑ed the guanicoes, and ſeen them drink at the ſalt ponds. [...] therefore determined to leave the place as ſoon as the ſhip could be got into a little order, and the ſix oared cutter re⯑paired, which had been hauled up upon the beach for that purpoſe.

On the 27th,day Tueſday 27 ſome of our people, who had been aſhore on the north ſide of the bay to try for more guanicoes, found the ſcull and bones of a man, which they brought off with them, and one young guanicoe alive, which we all agreed was one of the moſt beautiful creatures we had ever ſeen: it ſoon grew very tame, and would ſuck our fingers like a calf; but, notwithſtanding all our care and contrivances to feed it, it died in a few days. In the afternoon of this day it blew ſo hard that I was obliged to keep a conſiderable number of hands continually by the ſheet anchor, as there was too much reaſon to fear that our cables would part, which however did not happen. In the mean time, ſome of our people that were on ſhore with the carpenters, who were repairing the cutter on the ſouth ſide of the bay, found two more ſprings of tolerable water about two miles from the beach,day Wedneſ. 28 in a direct line from the ſhip's ſtation. To theſe ſprings I ſent twenty hands early in the morning with ſome ſmall caſks called Barecas, and in a few turns they brought on board a tun of water, of which we began to be in great want. In the mean time, I went myſelf about twelve miles up the river in my boat, and the weather then growing bad, [21] I went on ſhore: the river, as far as I could ſee,day Wedneſ. 28 was very broad; there were in it a number of iſlands, ſome of which were very large, and I make no doubt but that it penetrates the country for ſome hundreds of miles. It was upon one of the iſlands that I went on ſhore, and I found there ſuch a number of birds, that when they roſe they literally darkened the ſky, and we could not walk a ſtep without treading upon their eggs. As they kept hovering over our heads at a little diſtance, the men knocked down many of them with ſtones and ſticks, and carried off ſeveral hundreds of their eggs. After ſome time, I left the iſland and landed upon the main, where our men dreſſed and eat their eggs, though there were young birds in moſt of them. I ſaw no traces of inhabitants on either ſide of the river, but great numbers of guanicoes, in herds of ſixty or ſeventy together: they would not however ſuffer us to approach them, but ſtood and gazed at us from the hills. In this excurſion the Surgeon, who was of my party, ſhot a tyger-cat, a ſmall but very fierce animal; for though it was much wounded, it maintained a very ſharp conteſt with my dog for a conſiderable time before it was killed.

On the 29th, we completed our ballaſt,day Thurſday 29 which the ſtrength of the tide, and the conſtant gales of wind rendered a very difficult and laborious taſk: we alſo got on board another ton of water. On the morning of the 30th,day Friday 30 the weather was ſo bad that we could not ſend a boat on ſhore; but employed all hands on board in ſetting up the rigging. It grew more moderate however about noon, and I then ſent a boat to procure more water. The two men who firſt came up to the well found there a large tyger lying upon the ground; having gazed at each other ſome time, the men, who had no fire-arms, ſeeing the beaſt treat them with as [22] much contemptuous neglect as the lion did the knight of La Mancha,day Thurſday 30 began to throw ſtones at him: of this inſult however he did not deign to take the leaſt notice, but conti⯑nued ſtretched upon the ground in great tranquillity till the reſt of the party came up, and then he very leiſurely roſe and walked away.

On the 1ſt of December,month December day Saturday 1 our cutter being thoroughly re⯑paired, we took her on board, but the weather was ſo bad that we could not get off any water: the next day we ſtruck the tents which had been ſet up at the watering-place, and got all ready for ſea. The two wells from which we got our water bear about S. S. E. of the Steeple rock, from which they are diſtant about two miles and an half; but I fixed a mark near them, that they might be ſtill more eaſily found than by their bearings. During our ſtay in this harbour, we ſounded every part of it with great care, as high as a ſhip could go, and found that there is no danger but what may be ſeen at low water; ſo that now freſh water is found, though at ſome diſtance from the beach, it would be a very conve⯑nient place for ſhips to touch at, if it were not for the rapi⯑dity of the tide. The country about the bay abounds with guanicoes, and a great variety of wild fowl, particularly ducks, geeſe, widgeon, and ſea-pies, beſides many others for which we have no name. Here is alſo ſuch plenty of excellent muſcles, that a boat may be loaded with them every time it is low water. Wood indeed is ſcarce, however in ſome parts of this coaſt there are buſhes, which in a caſe of neceſſity might produce a tolerable ſupply of fuel.

On Wedneſday the 5th of December,day Wedneſ. 5 I unmoored, in order to get out, but the beſt bower came up foul, and before we could heave ſhort upon the ſmall bower, the tide of ebb made ſtrong; for at this place ſlack water ſcarcely continues [23] ten minutes; day Wedneſ. 5 ſo that we were obliged to wait till it ſhould be low water. Between five and ſix in the evening, we weighed, and ſteered out E. N. E. with a freſh gale at N. N. W.

CHAP. III. Courſe from Port Deſire, in Search of Pepys' Iſland, and afterwards to the Coaſt of Patagonia, with a Deſcription of the Inhabitants.

AS ſoon as we were out of the bay, we ſteered for Pepys' Iſland, which is ſaid to lie in latitude 47° S. Our lati⯑tude was now 47° 22′ S., longitude 65° 49′ W.; Port Deſire bore S. 66 W. diſtant twenty-three leagues; and Pepys' Iſland, according to Halley's Chart, E. ¾ N. diſtant thirty-four leagues. The variation here was 19° E.

We continued our courſe the next day with a pleaſant gale and fine weather,day Thurſday 6 ſo that we began to think that this part of the world was not wholly without a ſummer. On the 7th,day Friday 7 I found myſelf much farther to the northward than expected, and therefore ſuppoſed the ſhip's way had been influenced by a current. I had now made eighty degrees eaſting, which is the diſtance from the main at which Pepys' Iſland is placed in Halley's chart, but unhappily we have no certain account of the place. The only perſon who pretends to have ſeen it, is Cowley, the account of whoſe voyage is now before me; and all he ſays of its ſituation is, that it lies in latitude 47 S.; for he ſays nothing of its longitude: he ſays, indeed, that it has a fine harbour; but he adds, that [24] the wind blew ſo hard he could not get into it,day Friday 7 and that he therefore ſtood away to the ſouthward. At this time I alſo was ſteering ſouthward; for the weather being extremely fine, I could ſee very far to the northward of the ſituation in which it is laid down. As I ſuppoſed it muſt lie to the eaſt⯑ward of us, if indeed it had any exiſtence, I made the Ta⯑mar's ſignal to ſpread early in the afternoon; and as the weather continued to be very clear, we could ſee, between us, at leaſt twenty leagues. We ſteered S. E. by the com⯑paſs, and at night brought to, being by my account in lati⯑tude 47° 18′ S.day Saturday 8 The next morning it blew very hard at N. W. by N. and I ſtill thought the iſland might lie to the eaſtward; I therefore intended to ſtand about thirty leagues that way, and if I found no iſland, to return into the latitude of 47 again. But a hard gale coming on, with a great ſea, I brought to about ſix o'clock in the evening under the main-ſail; day Sunday 9 and at ſix o'clock the next morning, the wind being at W. S. W. we made ſail again under our courſes to the north⯑ward. I now judged myſelf to be about ſixteen leagues to the eaſtward of the track I had run before: Port Deſire bore S. 80° 53′ W. diſtant ninety-four leagues; and in this ſitua⯑tion I ſaw a great quantity of rock-weed, and many birds. We continued to ſtand to the northward the next day under our courſes,day Monday 10 with a hard gale from S. W. to N. W. and a great ſea. At night, being in latitude 46° 50′ S., I wore ſhip, and ſtood in to the weſtward again, our ſhips having ſpread every day as far as they could be ſeen by each other: and on the 11th at noon,day Tueſday 11 being now certain that there could be no ſuch iſland as is mentioned by Cowley, and laid down by Halley under the name of Pepys' Iſland, I reſolved to ſtand in for the main, and take in wood and water, of which both ſhips were in great want, at the firſt convenient place I could [25] find, eſpecially as the ſeaſon was advancing very faſt,day Tueſday 11 and we had no time to loſe. From this time we continued to haul in for the land as the winds would permit, and kept a look-out for the iſlands of Sebald de Wert, which, by all the charts we had on board, could not be far from our track: a great number of birds were every day about the ſhip, and large whales were continually ſwimming by her. The weather in general was fine, but very cold, and we all agreed, notwithſtanding the hope we had once formed, that the only difference between the middle of ſummer here, and the middle of winter in England, lies in the length of the days. On Saturday the 15th,day Saturday 15 being in latitude 50° 33′ S. longitude 66° 59′ W. we were overtaken about ſix in the even⯑ing by the hardeſt gale at S. W. that I was ever in, with a ſea ſtill higher than any I had ſeen in going round Cape Horn with Lord Anſon: I expected every moment that it would fill us, our ſhip being much too deep waiſted for ſuch a voyage: it would have been ſafeſt to put before it under our bare poles, but our ſtock of freſh water was not ſufficient, and I was afraid of being driven ſo far off the land as not to be able to recover it before the whole was exhauſted; we therefore lay to under a balanced mizen, and ſhipped many heavy ſeas, though we found our ſkreen bulk-heads of in⯑finite ſervice.

The ſtorm continued with unabated violence the whole night, but about eight in the morning, began to ſubſide.day Sunday 16 At ten, we made ſail under our courſes, and continued to ſteer for the land till Tueſday the 18th,day Tueſday 18 when, at four in the morning, we ſaw it from the maſt-head. Our latitude was now 51° 8′ S. our longitude 71° 4′ W. and Cape Virgin Mary, the north entrance of the ſtreight of Magellan, bore S. 19° 50′ W. diſtant nineteen leagues. As we had little or no wind, we could not get in with the land tills day; the [26] next morning,day Wedneſ. 19 however, it being northerly, I ſtood in to a deep bay, at the bottom of which there appeared to be a harbour, but I found it barred, the ſea breaking quite from one ſide of it to the other; and at low water I could perceive that it was rocky, and almoſt all dry: the water was ſhoal at a good diſtance from it, and I was in ſix fathom before I ſtood out again. In this place there ſeemed to be plenty of fiſh, and we ſaw many porpoiſes ſwimming after them, that were as white as ſnow, with black ſpots; a very uncommon and beautiful ſight. The land here has the ſame appearance as about Port Deſire, all downs, without a ſingle tree.

At break of day, on the 20th,day Thurſday 20 we were off Cape Fair-weather, which bore about weſt at the diſtance of four leagues, and we had here but thirteen fathom water, ſo that it appears neceſſary to give that Cape a good birth. From this place I ran cloſe in ſhore to Cape Virgin Mary, but I found the coaſt to lie S. S. E. very different from Sir John Narborough's deſcription, and a long ſpit of ſand running to the ſouthward of the Cape for above a league: in the evening I worked up cloſe to this ſpit of ſand, having ſeen many guanicoes feeding in the vallies as we went along, and a great ſmoke all the afternoon, about four or five leagues up the ſtreight, upon the north ſhore. At this place I came to an anchor in fifteen fathom water, but the Tamar was ſo far to leeward, that ſhe could not fetch the anchoring ground, and therefore kept under way all night.

The next morning,day Friday 21 at day-break, I got again under ſail, and ſeeing the ſame ſmoke that I had obſerved the day be⯑fore, I ſtood in for it, and anchored about two miles from the ſhore. This is the place where the crew of the Wager, as they were paſſing the Streight in their boat, after the loſs of the veſſel, ſaw a number of horſemen, who waved what ap⯑peared []

[27] to be white handkerchiefs,day Friday 21 inviting them to come on ſhore, which they were very deſirous to have done, but it blew ſo hard that they were obliged to ſtand out to ſea. Bulkeley, the Gunner of the Wager, who has publiſhed ſome account of her voyage, ſays, that they were in doubt whether theſe people were Europeans who had been ſhip⯑wrecked upon the coaſt, or native inhabitants of the coun⯑try about the river Gallagoes. Juſt as we came to an anchor, I ſaw with my glaſs exactly what was ſeen by the people in the Wager, a number of horſemen riding backward and forward, directly abreaſt of the ſhip, and waving ſomewhat white, as an invitation to us to come on ſhore. As I was very deſirous to know what theſe people were, I ordered out my twelve oar'd boat, and went towards the beach, with Mr. Marſhall, my Second Lieutenant, and a party of men, very well armed; Mr. Gumming, my Firſt Lieutenant, fol⯑lowing in the ſix oar'd cutter. When we came within a little diſtance of the ſhore, we ſaw, as near as I can gueſs, about five hundred people, ſome on foot, but the greater part on horſeback: they drew up upon a ſtoney ſpit, which ran a good way into the ſea, and upon which it was very bad landing, for the water was ſhallow, and the ſtones very large. The people on ſhore kept waving and hallooing, which, as we underſtood, were invitations to land; I could not perceive that they had any weapons among them, how⯑ever I made ſigns that they ſhould retire to a little diſtance, with which they immediately complied: they continued to ſhout with great vociferation, and in a ſhort time we landed, though not without great difficulty, moſt of the boat's crew being up to the middle in water. I drew up my people upon the beach, with my officers at their head, and gave orders that none of them ſhould move from that ſtation, till I ſhould either call or beckon to them. I then went forward [28] alone,day Friday 21 towards the Indians, but perceiving that they retired as I advanced, I made ſigns that one of them ſhould come near: as it happened, my ſignals were underſtood, and one of them, who afterwards appeared to be a Chief, came towards me: he was of a gigantic ſtature, and ſeemed to realize the tales of monſters in a human ſhape: he had the ſkin of ſome wild beaſt thrown over his ſhoulders, as a Scotch Highlander wears his plaid, and was painted ſo as to make the moſt hideous appearance I ever beheld: round one eye was a large circle of white, a circle of black ſurrounded the other, and the reſt of his face was ſtreaked with paint of different colours; I did not meaſure him, but if I may judge of his height by the proportion of his ſtature to my own, it could not be much leſs than ſeven feet. When this fright⯑ful Coloſſus came up, we muttered ſomewhat to each other as a ſalutation, and I then walked with him towards his companions, to whom, as I advanced, I made ſigns that they ſhould ſit down, and they all readily complied: there were among them many women, who ſeemed to be pro⯑portionably large; and few of the men were leſs than the Chief who had come forward to meet me. I had heard their voices very loud at a diſtance, and when I came near, I per⯑ceived a good number of very old men, who were chanting ſome unintelligible words in the moſt doleful cadence I ever heard, with an air of ſerious ſolemnity, which inclined me to think that it was a religious ceremony: they were all painted and clothed nearly in the ſame manner; the circles round the two eyes were in no inſtance of one colour, but they were not univerſally black and white, ſome being white and red, and ſome red and black; their teeth were as white as ivory, remarkably even and well ſet; but except the ſkins, which they wore with the hair inwards, moſt of them were naked, a few only having upon their legs a kind of [29] boot, with a ſhort pointed ſtick faſtened to each heel,day Friday 21 which ſerved as a ſpur. Having looked round upon theſe enormous goblins with no ſmall aſtoniſhment, and with ſome difficulty made thoſe that were ſtill galloping up ſit down with the reſt, I took out a quantity of yellow and white beads, which I diſtributed among them, and which they received with very ſtrong expreſſions of pleaſure: I then took out a whole piece of green ſilk riband, and giving the end of it into the hands of one of them, I made the perſon that ſat next take hold of it, and ſo on as far as it would reach: all this while they ſat very quietly, nor did any of thoſe that held the riband attempt to pull it from the reſt, though I perceived that they were ſtill more delighted, with it, than with the beads. While the riband was thus extended, I took out a pair of ſciſſars, and cut it between each two of the Indians that held it, ſo that I left about a yard in the poſſeſſion of every one, which I afterwards tied about their heads, where they ſuffered it to remain without ſo much as touching it while I was with them. Their peaceable and orderly beha⯑viour on this occaſion certainly did them honour, eſpecially as my preſents could not extend to the whole company: neither impatience to ſhare the new finery, nor curioſity to gain a nearer view of me and what I was doing, brought any one of them from the ſtation that I had allotted him. It would be very natural for thoſe who have read Gay's fables, if they form an idea of an Indian almoſt naked, returning to his fellows in the woods adorned with European trinkets, to think of the monkey that had ſeen the world; yet before we deſpiſe their fondneſs for glaſs, beads, ribands, and other things, which among up are held in no eſtimation, we ſhould conſider that, in themſelves, the ornaments of ſavage and civil life are equal, and that thoſe who live nearly in a ſtate of nature, have nothing that reſembles glaſs, ſo much [30] as glaſs reſembles a diamond; day Friday 21 the value which we ſet upon a diamond, therefore, is more capricious than the value which they ſet upon glaſs. The love of ornament ſeems to be a univerſal principle in human nature, and the ſplendid tranſparency of glaſs, and the regular figure of a bead, are among the qualities that by the conſtitution of our nature excite pleaſing ideas; and although in one of theſe qualities the diamond excels glaſs, its value is much more than in proportion to the difference: the pleaſure which it gives among us is, principally, by conferring diſtinction, and gratifying vanity, which is independant of natural taſte, that is gratified by certain hues and figures, to which for that reaſon we give the name of beauty: it muſt be remembered alſo, that an Indian is more diſtinguiſhed by a glaſs button or a bead, than any individual among us by a diamond, though perhaps the ſame ſacrifice is not made to his vanity, as the poſſeſſion of his finery is rather a teſtimony of his good fortune, than of his influence or power in conſequence of his having what, as the common medium of all earthly poſſeſſions, is ſuppoſed to confer virtual ſuperiority, and in⯑trinſic advantage. The people, however, whom I had now adorned, were not wholly ſtrangers to European commodi⯑ties, for upon a cloſer attention, I perceived among them one woman who had bracelets either of braſs, or very pale gold, upon her arms, and ſome beads of blue glaſs, ſtrung upon two long queues of hair, which being parted at the top, hung down over each ſhoulder before her: ſhe was of a moſt enormous ſize, and her face was, if poſſible, more frightfully painted than the reſt. I had a great deſire to learn where ſhe got her beads and bracelets, and enquired by all the ſigns I could deviſe, but found it impoſſible to make myſelf underſtood. One of the men ſhewed me the bowl of a tobacco pipe, which was made of a red earth, but [31] I ſoon found that they had no tobacco among them; day Friday 21 and this perſon made me underſtand that he wanted ſome: upon this I beckoned to my people, who remained upon the beach, drawn up as I had left them, and three or four of them ran forward, imagining that I wanted them. The Indians, who, as I had obſerved, kept their eyes almoſt con⯑tinually upon them, no ſooner ſaw ſome of them advance, than they all roſe up with a great clamour, and were leaving the place, as I ſuppoſed to get their arms, which were pro⯑bably left at a little diſtance: to prevent miſchief, therefore, and put an end to the alarm, which had thus accidentally been ſpread among them, I ran to meet the people who were, in conſequence of my ſignal, coming from the beach, and as ſoon as I was within hearing I hallooed to them, and told them that I would have only one come up with all the tobacco that he could collect from the reſt. As ſoon as the Indians ſaw this, they recovered from their ſurprize, and every one returned to his ſtation, except a very old man, who came up to me, and ſung a long ſong, which I much re⯑gretted my not being able to underſtand: before the ſong was well finiſhed, Mr. Cumming came up with the tobacco, and I could not but ſmile at the aſtoniſhment which I ſaw expreſſed in his countenance, upon perceiving himſelf, though ſix feet two inches high, become at once a pigmy among giants; for theſe people may indeed more properly be called giants than tall men: of the few among us who are full ſix feet high, ſcarcely any are broad and muſcular in proportion to their ſtature, but look rather like men of the common bulk, run up accidentally to an unuſual height; and a man who ſhould meaſure only ſix feet two inches, and equally exceed a ſtout well-ſet man of the com⯑mon ſtature in breadth and muſcle, would ſtrike us rather as being of a gigantic race, than as an individual accidentally [32] anomalous; day Friday 21 our ſenſations therefore, upon ſeeing five hun⯑dred people, the ſhorteſt of whom were at leaſt four inches taller, and bulky in proportion, may be eaſily imagined. After I had preſented the tobacco, four or five of the chief men came up to me, and, as I underſtood by the ſigns they made, wanted me to mount one of the horſes, and go with them to their habitations, but as it would upon every ac⯑count have been imprudent to comply, I made ſigns in re⯑turn that I muſt go back to the ſhip; at this they expreſſed great concern, and ſat down in their ſtations again. During our pantomimical conference, an old man often laid his head down upon the ſtones, and ſhutting his eyes for about half a minute, afterwards pointed firſt to his mouth, and then to the hills, meaning, as I imagined, that if I would ſtay with them till the morning, they would furniſh me with ſome proviſions, but this offer I was obliged to decline. When I left them, not one of them offered to follow us, but as long as I could ſee them, continued to ſit quietly in their places. I obſerved that they had with them a great number of dogs, with which I ſuppoſe they chaſe the wild animals which ſerve them for food. The horſes were not large, nor in good caſe, yet they appeared to be nimble, and well broken. The bridle was a leathern thong, with a ſmall piece of wood that ſerved for a bit, and the ſaddles reſem⯑bled the pads that are in uſe among the country people in England. The women rode aſtride, and both men and women without ſtirrups; yet they gallopped fearleſsly over the ſpit upon which we landed, the ſtones of which were large, looſe, and ſlippery.

CHAP. IV. Paſſage up the Streight of Magellan, to Port Famine; with ſome Account of that Harbour, and the adjacent Coaſt.

SOON after I returned on board, I got under way,day Friday 21 and worked up the Streight, which is here about nine leagues broad, with the flood, not with a view to paſs through it, but in ſearch of ſome place where I might get a ſupply of wood and water, not chuſing to truſt wholly to the finding of Falkland's Iſlands, which I determined afterwards to ſeek. About eight in the evening, the tide of ebb beginning to make, I anchored in five and twenty fathom. Point Poſſeſ⯑ſion bore N. N. E. at about three miles diſtance, and ſome re⯑markable hummocks on the north, which Bulkeley, from their appearance, has called the Aſſes Ears, W. ½ N.

At three in the morning, of the 22d,day Saturday 22 we weighed with the wind at E. and ſteered S. W. by W. about twelve miles. During this courſe we went over a bank, of which no notice has hitherto been taken: at one time we had but ſix fathom and a half, but in two or three caſts we had thirteen. When our water was ſhalloweſt, the Aſſes Ears bore N. W. by W. ½ W. diſtant three leagues, and the north point of the firſt Narrow W. by S. diſtant between five and ſix miles. We then ſteered S. W. by S. near ſix miles to the entrance of the firſt Narrow, and afterwards S. S. W. about ſix miles, which brought us through: the tide here was ſo ſtrong, that the paſſage was very rapid. During this courſe we ſaw a ſingle [34] Indian upon the ſouth ſhore,day Saturday 22 who kept waving to us as long as we were in ſight: we ſaw alſo ſome guanicoes upon the hills, though Wood, in the account of his voyage, ſays there were none upon that ſhore. As ſoon as we had paſſed the firſt Narrow, we entered a little ſea, for we did not come in ſight of the entrance of the ſecond Narrow till we had run two leagues. The diſtance from the firſt to the ſecond Narrow is about eight leagues, and the courſe S. W. by W. The land is very high on the north ſide of the ſecond Narrow, which continues for about five leagues, and we ſteered through it S. W. ½ W. with ſoundings from twenty to five and twenty fathom: we went out of the weſt end of this Narrow about noon, and ſteered ſouth about three leagues for Elizabeth's iſland; but the wind then coming right againſt us, we anchored in ſeven fathom. The iſland bore S. S. E. diſtant about a mile, and Bartholomew's Iſland bore E. S. E. In the evening, ſix Indians upon the Iſland came down to the water ſide, and continued waving and hallooing to us for a long time; but as my people wanted reſt, I was unwilling to employ them in hoiſting out a boat, and the Indians ſeeing their labour fruitleſs, at length went away. While we were ſteering from Point Poſſeſſion to the firſt Narrow, the flood ſet to the ſouthward, but as ſoon as we entered the Narrow, it ſet ſtrongly over to the north ſhore: it flows here at the full and change of the moon about ten o'clock. Between the firſt and the ſecond Narrow the flood ſets to the S. W. and the ebb to the N. E.: after the weſt end of the ſecond Narrow is paſt, the courſe, with a leading wind, is S. by E. three leagues. Between the iſlands of Elizabeth and Saint Bartholomew, the channel is about half a mile over, and the water is deep: we found the flood ſet very ſtrongly to the ſouthward, with a great rippling, but round the Iſlands the tides ſet many different ways.

[35]In the morning of the 23d,day Sunday 23 we weighed with the wind at S. by W. and worked between Elizabeth and Bartholomew's iſland: before the tide was ſpent, we got over upon the north ſhore, and anchored in ten fathom. Saint George's Iſland then bore N. E. by N. diſtant three leagues; a point of land, which I called PORPOIS POINT, N. by W. diſtant about five miles; and the ſouthermoſt land S. by E. diſtant about two miles. In the evening, we weighed and ſteered S. by E. about five miles along the north ſhore, at about one mile's diſtance, with regular ſoundings, from ſeven to thirteen fa⯑thom, and every where good ground. At ten o'clock at night, we anchored in thirteen fathom; Sandy Point then bearing S. by E. diſtant four miles; Porpois Point W. N. W. three leagues; and Saint George's Iſland N. E. four leagues. All along this ſhore the flood ſets to the ſouthward; at the full and change of the moon, it flows about eleven o'clock, and the water riſes about fifteen feet.

The next morning,day Monday 24 I went out in my boat in ſearch of Freſh Water Bay; I landed with my Second Lieutenant upon Sandy Point, and having ſent the boat along the ſhore, we walked abreaſt of her. Upon the Point we found plenty of wood, and very good water, and for four or five miles the ſhore was exceedingly pleaſant. Over the Point there is a fine level country, with a ſoil that, to all appearance, is extremely rich; for the ground was covered with flowers of various kinds, that perfumed the air with their fragrance; and among them there were berries, almoſt innumerable, where the bloſſoms had been ſhed: we obſerved that the graſs was very good, and that it was intermixed with a great number of peas in bloſſom. Among this luxuriance of herbage we ſaw many hundreds of birds feeding, which from their form, and the uncommon beauty of their plumage, we called [36] painted geeſe.day Monday 24 We walked more than twelve miles, and found great plenty of fine freſh water, but not the bay that we ſought; for we ſaw no part of the ſhore, in all our walk from Sandy Point, where a boat could land without the utmoſt hazard, the water being every where ſhoal, and the ſea breaking very high. We fell in with a great number of the huts or wigwams of the Indians, which appeared to have been very lately deſerted, for in ſome of them the fires which they had kindled were ſcarcely extinguiſhed; they were in little receſſes of the woods, and always cloſe to freſh water. In many places we found plenty of wild celery, and a variety of plants, which probably would be of great benefit to ſeamen after a long voyage. In the evening, we walked back again, and found the ſhips at anchor in Sandy Point Bay, at the diſtance of about half a mile from the ſhore. The keen air of this place made our people ſo vora⯑ciouſly hungry that they could have eaten three times their allowance; I was therefore very glad to find ſome of them employed in hauling the ſeine, and others on ſhore with their guns: ſixty very large mullets were juſt taken with the ſeine, as I came up; and the gunners had good ſport, for the place abounded with geeſe, teale, ſnipes, and other birds, that were excellent food.

On the 25th,day Tueſday 25 Chriſtmas day, we obſerved by two altitudes, and found the latitude of Sandy Point to be 53° 10′ S. At eight in the morning, we weighed, and having ſailed five leagues from Sandy Point, in the direction of S. by E. ½ E. we anchored again in thirty-two fathom, about a mile from the ſhore; the ſouth point of Freſh Water Bay then bearing N. N. W. diſtant about four miles; and the ſouthermoſt land S. E. by S. As we ſailed along the ſhore, at about two miles diſtance, we had no ground with ſixty fathom; but at the diſtance of one mile, we had from twenty to thirty-two fa⯑thom. [37] At the full and change of the moon,day Tueſday 25 the tide flows off Freſh Water Bay at twelve o'clock; it runs but little, yet flows very much by the ſhore.

On the 26th, at eight o'clock in the morning, we weighed,day Wedneſ. 26 with the wind at E. N. E. and ſteered S. S. E. for Port Famine. At noon, St. Anne's Point, which is the northermoſt point of that port, bore S. by E. ½ E. diſtant three leagues. Along this ſhore, at the diſtance of two or three miles, we had very deep water; but within a mile had ground with twenty-five or thirty fathom. From St. Anne's Point a reef of rocks runs out S. E. by E. about two miles; and at the diſtance of two cables length from this reef the water will ſuddenly ſhoal from ſixty-five to thirty-five and twenty fa⯑thom. The Point itſelf is very ſteep, ſo that there is no ſounding till it is approached very near, and great care muſt be taken in ſtanding into Port Famine, eſpecially if the ſhip is as far ſouthward as Sedger river; for the water will ſhoal at once from thirty to twenty, fifteen, and twelve fathom; and at about two cables length farther in, at more than a mile from the ſhore, there is but nine feet water, when the tide is out. By hauling cloſe round St. Anne's Point, ſound⯑ings will ſoon be got; and as the water ſhoals very faſt, it is not ſafe to go farther in, when there is no more than ſeven fathom; the ſtreight here is not more than four leagues wide.

The next day at noon, having had little wind, and calms,day Thurſday 27 we anchored in Port Famine, cloſe to the ſhore, and found our ſituation very ſafe and convenient: we had ſhelter from all winds except the S. E. which ſeldom blows, and if a ſhip ſhould be driven aſhore in the bottom of the bay, ſhe could receive no damage, for it is all fine ſoft ground. We found drift wood here ſufficient to have furniſhed a thouſand ſail, [38] ſo that we had no need to take the trouble of cutting green.day Thurſday 27 The water of Sedger river is excellent, but the boats cannot get in till about two hours flood, becauſe at low water it is very ſhallow for about three quarters of a mile. I went up it about four miles in my boat, and the fallen trees then rendered it impoſſible to go farther: I found it, indeed, not only difficult but dangerous to get up thus far. The ſtream is very rapid, and many ſtumps of trees lie hidden under it: one of theſe made its way through the bottom of my boat, and in an inſtant ſhe was full of water. We got on ſhore as well as we could; and afterwards, with great difficulty, hauled her up upon the ſide of the river: here we contrived to ſtop the hole in her bottom, ſo as that we made a ſhift to get her down to the river's mouth, where ſhe was ſoon properly repaired by the carpenter. On each ſide of this river there are the fineſt trees I ever ſaw, and I make no doubt but that they would ſupply the Britiſh navy with the beſt maſts in the world. Some of them are of a great height, and more than eight feet in diameter, which is pro⯑portionably more than eight yards in circumference; ſo that four men, joining hand in hand, could not compaſs them: among others, we found the pepper tree, or winter's bark, in great plenty. Among theſe woods, notwithſtanding the coldneſs of the climate, there are innumerable parrots, and other birds of the moſt beautiful plumage. I ſhot every day geeſe and ducks enough to ſerve my own table and ſe⯑veral others, and every body on board might have done the ſame: we had indeed great plenty of freſh proviſions of all kinds; for we caught as much fiſh every day as ſerved the companies of both ſhips. As I was much on ſhore here, I tracked many wild beaſts in the ſand, but never ſaw one; we alſo found many huts or wigwams, but never met with an Indian. The country between this Port and Cape For⯑ward, [39] which is diſtant about four leagues, is extremely fine; day Thurſday 27 the ſoil appears to be very good, and there are no leſs than three pretty large rivers, beſides ſeveral brooks.

While we lay here, I went one day to Cape Forward, and when I ſet out I intended to have gone farther; but the wea⯑ther became ſo bad, with heavy rain, that we were glad to ſtop there, and make a great fire to dry our clothes, which were wet through. From the place where we ſtopped, the Indians had been gone ſo lately, that the wood, which lay half burnt, where they had made their fire, was ſtill warm; and ſoon after our fire was kindled, we perceived that another was kindled directly oppoſite to it, on the Terra del Fuego ſhore; probably as a ſignal, which, if we had been Indians, we ſhould have underſtood. After we were dried and refreſhed at our fire, the rain having abated, I walked croſs the Cape, to ſee how the Streight ran, which I found to be about W. N. W. The hills, as far as I could ſee, were of an immenſe height, very craggy, and covered with ſnow quite from the ſummit to the baſe. I made alſo another excurſion along the ſhore to the north⯑ward, and found the country for many miles exceedingly pleaſant, the ground being, in many places, covered with flowers, which were not inferior to thoſe that are commonly found in our gardens, either in beauty or fragrance; and if it were not for the ſeverity of the cold in winter, this coun⯑try might, in my opinion, be made, by cultivation, one of the fineſt in the world. I had ſet up a ſmall tent at the bot⯑tom of this bay, cloſe to a little rivulet, and juſt at the ſkirts of a wood, ſoon after the ſhip came to an anchor, where three men were employed in waſhing: they ſlept on ſhore; but ſoon after ſunſet were awakened out of their firſt ſleep by the roaring of ſome wild beaſts, which the darkneſs of the night, and the ſolitarineſs of their ſituation in this path⯑leſs [40] detail,day Thurſday 27 rendered horrid beyond imagination: the tone was hollow and deep, ſo that the beaſts, of whatever kind, were certainly large, and the poor fellows perceived that they drew nearer and nearer, as the ſound every minute be⯑came more loud. From this time ſleep was renounced for the night, a large fire was immediately kindled, and a conſtant blaze kept up: this prevented the beaſts from invading the tent; but they continued to prowl round it at a little diſtance, with inceſſant howlings, till the day broke, and then, to the great comfort of the affrighted ſailors, they diſappeared.

At this place, not far from where the ſhip lay, there is a hill that has been cleared of wood, and we ſuppoſed this to be the ſpot where the Spaniards formerly had a ſettlement^*. One of the men, as he was paſſing over this hill, perceived that, in a particular part, the ground returned the ſound of his foot, as if it was hollow: he therefore repaſſed it ſeveral times, and finding the effect ſtill the ſame, he conceived a ſtrong notion that ſomething was buried there; when he came on board, he related what he had remarked to me, and I went myſelf to the ſpot, with a ſmall party, furniſhed with ſpades and pickaxes, and ſaw the ſpot opened to a conſiderable depth, but we found nothing, nor did there appear to be any hollow or vault as was expected. As we were returning through the woods, we found two very large ſkulls, which, by the teeth, appeared to have belonged to ſome beaſts of prey, but of what kind we could not gueſs.

Having continued here till Friday the 4th of January,year 1765 month January day Friday 4 and completed the wood and water of both ſhips, for which purpoſe I had entered the Streight, I determined to ſteer back again in ſearch of Falkland's Iſlands.

CHAP. V. The Courſe back from Port Famine to Falkland's Iſlands, with ſome Account of the Country.

WE weighed anchor at four o'clock in the morning,day Friday 4 and worked to windward out of the harbour: the wind continued contrary at N. N. E. till about one o'clock the next day,day Saturday 5 when it ſhifted to W. S. W. and blew a freſh gale. We ſteered N. W. by N. four leagues, and then three leagues north, between Elizabeth and Bartholomew iſlands: we then ſteered from the iſlands N. by E. three leagues, to the ſecond Narrow; and ſteered through N. E. ½ E. continu⯑ing the ſame courſe from the ſecond Narrow to the firſt, which was a run of eight leagues. As the wind ſtill conti⯑nued to blow freſh, we ſteered through the firſt Narrow againſt the flood, in the direction of N. N. E.; but about ten o'clock at night, the wind dying away, the flood ſet us back again into the entrance of the firſt Narrow, where we were obliged to anchor, in forty fathom, within two cables length of the ſhore. The tide flows here, at the full and change of the moon, about two o'clock, and runs full ſix knots an hour.

At one o'clock the next morning, we weighed,day Sunday 6 with a light northerly breeze; and about three, we paſſed the firſt Nar⯑row a ſecond time. Having now ſeen the ſhip ſafe through, and being quite exhauſted with fatigue, as I had been upon the deck all the preceding day, and all night, I went into my cabbin to get ſome reſt. I lay down, and ſoon fell aſleep; [42] but in leſs than half an hour,day Sunday 6 I was awakened by the beat⯑ing of the ſhip upon a bank: I inſtantly ſtarted up, and ran upon the deck, where I ſoon found that we had grounded upon a hard ſand. It was happy for us, that at this time it was ſtark calm; and I immediately ordered out the boats to carry an anchor aſtern, where the water was deepeſt: the anchor took the ground, but before we could work the cap⯑ſtern, in order to heave the ſhip off to it, ſhe went off, by the mere riſing of the tide. It happened fortunately to be juſt low water when ſhe went aground, and there was fifteen feet forward, and ſix fathom a very little way aſtern. The Maſter told me, that at the laſt caſt of the lead, before we were aground, he had thirteen fathom; ſo that the water ſhoaled at once no leſs than ſixty-three feet.

This bank, which has not been mentioned by any navi⯑gator who has paſſed the Streight, is extremely dangerous; eſpecially as it lies directly in the fair way between Cape Virgin Mary and the firſt Narrow, and juſt in the middle be⯑tween the ſouth and north ſhores. It is more than two leagues long, and full as broad; in many places alſo it is very ſteep. When we were upon it, Point Poſſeſſion bore N. E. diſtant three leagues; and the entrance of the narrow S. W. diſtant two leagues. I afterwards ſaw many parts of it dry, and the ſea breaking very high over other parts of it, where the water was ſhallow. A ſhip that ſhould ground upon this ſhoal in a gale of wind, would probably be very ſoon beaten to pieces.

About ſix o'clock in the morning, we anchored in fifteen fathom, the ſhoal bearing N. N. W. ½ W. at the diſtance of about half a mile. At noon, we weighed with a light breeze at N. E. and worked with the ebb tide till two, but finding the water ſhoal, we anchored again in ſix fathom and an [43] half,day Sunday 6 at about the diſtance of half a mile from the ſouth ſide of the ſhoal. The Aſſes Ears then bearing N. W. by W. diſtant four leagues, and the ſouth point of the entrance of the firſt Narrow W. S. W. diſtant about three leagues. At this time the opening of the Narrow was ſhut in, and upon ſending out the boats to ſound, they diſcovered a channel between the ſhoal and the ſouth ſhore of the Streight. The Tamar in the mean time, as ſhe was endeavouring to come near us, was very near going on ſhore, having once got into three fathom, but ſoon after came to an anchor in the chan⯑nel between the ſhoal and the north ſhore.

The next morning, about eight o'clock, we weighed,day Monday 7 with little wind at W. S. W. and ſteered about half a mile S. E. by E. when, having deepened our water to thirteen fathom, we ſteered between the E. and E. N. E. along the ſouth ſide of the ſhoal, at the diſtance of about ſeven miles from the ſouth ſhore, keeping two boats at ſome diſtance, one on each bow, to ſound. The depth of water was very irregular, varying continually between nine and fifteen fathom; and upon hauling nearer to the ſhoal, we had very ſoon no more than ſeven fathom: the boats went over a bank, upon which they had ſix fathom and an half; it being then low water, but within the bank they had thirteen fathom. At noon, we were to the eaſtward of the ſhoal, and as we hauled over to the north ſhore, we ſoon deepened our water to twenty fathom. Point Poſſeſſion at this time bore N. N. W. diſtant between four and five leagues, the Aſſes Ears W. N. W. diſtant ſix leagues, and Cape Virgin Mary N. E. ½ E. diſtant about ſeven leagues. From this ſituation we ſteered N. E. by E. for the ſouth end of the ſpit which runs to the ſouthward of the Cape, and had no ſoundings with five and twenty fathom. At four in the afternoon, Cape Virgin Mary bore N. E. and the ſouth end of the ſpit N. E. by E. diſtant three leagues. At [44] eight the next morning,day Tueſday 8 the Cape bore N. by W. diſtant two leagues. Our latitude was 51° 50′, and our ſoundings were eleven and twelve fathom. We now brought to for the Tamar, who had come through the north channel, and was ſome leagues aſtern of us, and while we were waiting for her coming up, the officer of the watch informed me that the head of the main-maſt was ſprung: I immediately went up to look at it myſelf, and found it ſplit almoſt in a ſtrait line perpendicularly for a conſiderable length, but I could not diſcover exactly how far the fiſſure went, for the cheeks that were upon the maſt. We imagined this to have hap⯑pened in the very hard gale that had overtaken us ſome time before, but as it was of more importance to contrive how to repair the damage, than diſcover how it happened, we im⯑mediately put on a ſtrong fiſh, and woolded it ſo well, that we had reaſon to hope the maſt would be as ſerviceable as ever. Cape Virgin Mary now bore S. 62 W. diſtant twenty-one leagues, and our latitude was 51° 50′ S., longitude 69° 56′ W.; the variation 20° E.

On the 9th,day Wedneſ. 9 having ſailed S. 67 E. our latitude was 52° 8′ S. our longitude 68° 31′ W. and Cape Virgin Mary bore S. 83 W. diſtant thirty-three leagues.

On the 10th,day Thurſday 10 there having been little wind for the laſt twenty-four hours, between the north and eaſt, with thick foggy weather, our courſe was N. 18 W. for thirty-nine miles. Our latitude was 51° 31′ S. longitude 68° 44′ W.; variation 20° E. and Cape Virgin Mary bore S. 60 W. diſtant thirty-three leagues.

On the 11th,day Friday 11 we had ſtrong gales at S. W. with a great ſea; our courſe was N. 87 E. for ninety-nine miles. Our latitude was 51° 24′ S. longitude 66° 10′ W. Cape Virgin Mary bore S. 73° 8′ W. diſtant ſixty-five leagues, and Cape Fairweather [45] W. 2 S. diſtant ſeventy leagues; the variation was now 19° E.day Friday 11 About ſeven in the evening, I thought I ſaw land a-head of us, but the Tamar being ſome leagues a-ſtern, I wore ſhip, and made an eaſy ſail off: the next morning,day Saturday 12 at break of day, I ſtood in again, the wind having ſhifted in the night to N. W. and about four o'clock, I recovered ſight of the land a-head, which had the appearance of three iſlands: I imagined they might be the iſlands of Sebald de Wert, but intending to ſtand between them, I found that the land which had appeared to be ſeparated, was joined by ſome very low ground, which formed a deep bay. As ſoon as I had made this diſcovery, I tacked and ſtood out again, and at the ſame time ſaw land a great way to the ſouthward, which I made no doubt was the ſame that is mentioned in the charts by the name of the New Iſlands. As I was haul⯑ing out of this bay, I ſaw a long, low ſhoal of rocks, ſtretching out for more than a league to the northward of us, and another of the ſame kind lying between that and what we had taken for the northermoſt of De Wert's iſlands. This land, except the low part, which is not ſeen till it is approached near, conſiſts of high, craggy, barren rocks, which in appearance very much reſemble Staten Land. When I had got to near as to diſcover the low land, I was quite embayed, and if it had blown hard at S. W. ſo great a ſea muſt have rolled in here as would have rendered it almoſt impoſſible to claw off the ſhore; all ſhips, therefore, that may hereafter navigate theſe parts, ſhould avoid falling in with it. The ſeals and birds here are innumerable; we ſaw alſo many whales ſpouting about us, ſeveral of which were of an enormous ſize. Our latitude now was 51° 27′ S., longitude 63° 54′ W.; the variation was 23° 30′ E. In the evening we brought to, and at day-break the next morning,day Sunday 13 ſtood in for the north part of the iſland by the coaſt of which [46] we had been embayed:day Sunday 13 when we had got about four miles to the eaſtward, it fell calm, and rained with great violence, during which there aroſe ſuch a ſwell as I never remember to have ſeen: it came from the weſtward, and ran ſo quick and ſo high, that I expected every moment it would break: it ſet us very faſt towards the ſhore, which is as dangerous as any in the world, and I could ſee the ſurge breaking at ſome diſtance from it, mountains high: happily for us a freſh gale ſprung up at ſouth eaſt, with which, to our great joy, we were able to ſtand off; and it behoves whoever ſhall afterwards come this way, to give the north part of this iſland a good birth. After I had got to ſome diſtance, the weather being thick, and it raining very hard, I brought to. Our latitude was now 51° S. and longitude 63° 22′ W.

On Monday the 14th,day Monday 14 the weather having cleared up, and the wind ſhifted to the S. S. W. we ſteered along the ſhore S. E. by E. four miles, and ſaw a low flat iſland full of high tufts of graſs, reſembling buſhes, bearing ſouth, at the diſtance of two or three leagues, the northermoſt land at the ſame time bearing weſt, diſtant about ſix leagues: we had here thirty-eight fathom, with rocky ground. We con⯑tinued our courſe along the ſhore ſix leagues farther, and then ſaw a low rocky iſland bearing S. E. by E. diſtant about five miles: here we brought to, and having ſounded, we had forty fathom water, with a bottom of white ſand. This iſland is about three leagues diſtant from the land we were coaſting, which here forms a very deep bay, and bears E. by N. of the other iſland on which we had ſeen the long tufts of graſs: we ſaw the ſea break at a good diſtance from the ſhore, and during the night ſtood off and on. The next morning at three o'clock we made ſail, and ſtood in for the land to look for a harbour.day Tueſday 15 At ſix, the eaſt end of the rocky iſland bore W. S. W. diſtant about three miles, and our ſound⯑ings [47] then were ſixteen fathom, with rocky ground,day Tueſday 15 but when we got within the iſland we had twenty fathom, with fine white ſand. The coaſt from this rocky iſland lies E. by S. diſtant about ſeven or eight leagues, where there are two low iſlands, which make the eaſtermoſt land in ſight. At eight o'clock we ſaw an opening, which had the appearance of an harbour, bearing E. S. E. and being be⯑tween two and three leagues diſtant. Upon this diſcovery we brought to, and ſent a boat from each of the ſhips to ex⯑amine the opening; but it beginning to blow very hard ſoon after, and the weather growing thick, with heavy rain, we were obliged to ſtand out to ſea with both the ſhips, and it was not without great difficulty that we cleared the two rocky iſlands which were to the eaſtward of us. We had now a great ſea, and I began to be under much concern leſt we ſhould be blown off, and our people in the boats left behind: however, about three in the afternoon, the weather clearing up, I tacked and ſtood in again, and pre⯑ſently after had the ſatisfaction to ſee one of the boats, though it was a long way to leeward of us. I immediately bore down to her, and found her to be the Tamar's boat, with Mr. Hindman, the Second Lieutenant, on board, who having been on ſhore in the opening, had ventured off, not⯑withſtanding the great ſea and bad weather, to inform me that he had found a fine harbour: we immediately ſtood in for it, and found it equally beyond his report and our ex⯑pectations: the entrance is about a mile over, and every part of it is perfectly ſafe, the depth of water, cloſe to the ſhore, being from ten to ſeven fathom. We found this harbour to conſiſt of two little bays on the ſtarboard ſide, where ſhips may anchor in great ſafety, and in each of which there is a fine rivulet of freſh water. Soon after we entered an har⯑bour of much greater extent, which I called PORT EGMONT, [48] in honour of the earl,day Tueſday 15 who was then Firſt Lord of the Ad⯑miralty; and I think it is one of the fineſt harbours in the world. The mouth of it is S. E. diſtant ſeven leagues from the low rocky iſland, which is a good mark to know it by: within the iſland, and at the diſtance of about two miles from the ſhore, there is between ſeventeen and eighteen fathom water; and about three leagues to the weſtward of the harbour, there is a remarkable white ſandy beach, off which a ſhip may anchor till there is an opportunity to run in. In ſtanding in for this ſandy beach, the two low rocky iſlands, which we found it difficult to clear when the weather obliged us to ſtand off, appear to the eaſtward, and Port Egmont is about ſixteen leagues from the north end of theſe iſlands. We moored in ten fathom, with fine holding ground. The northermoſt point of the weſtern ſhore was diſtant two miles and an half, the watering-place on that ſhore bore W. N. W. ½ W. and was diſtant half a mile, and the iſlands on the eaſt ſide bore E. by S. and were diſtant four miles. The whole navy of England might ride here in perfect ſecurity from all winds. Soon after the ſhip came to an anchor, the other boat which had remained on ſhore when Mr. Hindman put off, came on board. In the ſouth⯑ermoſt part of the harbour there are ſeveral iſlands, but there is no paſſage out for a ſhip; I went, however, through in my boat, about ſeven leagues diſtant from where the ſhip lay, and entered a large ſound, which is too much expoſed to a weſterly wind for ſhips to lie in it ſafely; and the Maſter of the Tamar, who had been round in her boat, and entered this ſound from without, reported that many ſhoals lay off it, ſo that if the harbour was ever ſo good, it would not be prudent to attempt getting in. In every part of Port Egmont there is freſh water in the greateſt plenty, and geeſe, ducks, ſnipes, and other birds are ſo numerous that [49] our people grew tired of them: it was a common thing for a boat to bring off ſixty or ſeventy fine geeſe, without ex⯑pending a ſingle charge of powder and ſhot, for the men knocked down as many as they pleaſed with ſtones: wood however, is wanting here, except a little that is found adrift along the ſhore, which I imagined came from the Streight of Magellan. Among other refreſhments, which are in the higheſt degree ſalutary to thoſe who have contracted ſcorbu⯑tic diſorders, during a long voyage, here are wild celery, and wood ſorrel, in the greateſt abundance; nor is there any want of muſſels, clams, cockles, and limpets: the ſeals and penguins are innumerable, ſo that it is impoſſible to walk upon the beach without firſt driving them away: and the coaſt abounds with ſea lions, many of which are of an enor⯑mous ſize. We found this animal very formidable; I was once attacked by one of them very unexpectedly, and it was with the utmoſt difficulty that I could diſengage myſelf from him: at other times we had many battles with them, and it has ſometimes afforded a dozen of us an hour's work to diſ⯑patch one of them; I had with me a very fine maſtiff dog, and a bite of one of theſe creatures almoſt tore him to pieces. Nor were theſe the only dangerous animals that we found here, for the Maſter having been ſent out one day to ſound the coaſt upon the ſouth ſhore, reported, at his return, that four creatures of great fierceneſs, reſembling wolves, ran up to their bellies in the water to attack the people in his boat, and that as they happened to have no fire-arms with them, they had immediately put the boat off into deep water. The next morning after this happened, I went upon the ſouthern ſhore myſelf, where we found one of the largeſt ſea lions I had ever ſeen: as the boat's crew were now well armed, they immediately engaged him, and during the conteſt one of the other animals was ſeen running towards us: he was [50] fired at before he came up, and was preſently killed, though I afterwards wiſhed that we had endeavoured to take him alive, which, if we had been aware of his attack, I dare ſay might eaſily have been done. When any of theſe creatures got fight of our people, though at ever ſo great a diſtance, they ran directly at them; and no leſs than five of them were killed this day. They were always called wolves by the ſhip's company, but except in their ſize, and the ſhape of the tail, I think they bore a greater reſemblance to a fox. They are as big as a middle-ſized maſtiff, and their fangs are remarkably long and ſharp. There are great numbers of them upon this coaſt, though it is not perhaps eaſy to gueſs how they firſt came hither, for theſe iſlands are at leaſt one hundred leagues diſtant from the main: they burrow in the ground like a fox, and we have frequently ſeen pieces of ſeal which they have mangled, and the ſkins of penguins, lie ſcattered about the mouth of their holes. To get rid of theſe creatures, our people ſet fire to the graſs, ſo that the country was in a blaze as far as the eye could reach, for ſeveral days, and we could ſee them running in great numbers to ſeek other quarters. I dug holes in many places, about two feet deep, to examine the ſoil, which I found firſt a black mould, and then a light clay. While we lay here, we ſet up the armourer's forge on ſhore, and completed a great deal of iron work that was much wanted. Our people had every morning an excellent breakfaſt made of portable ſoup, and wild celery, thickened with oatmeal: neither was our attention confined wholly to ourſelves, for the Surgeon of the Tamar ſurrounded a piece of ground near the water⯑ing-place with a fence of turf, and planted it with many eſculent vegetables as a garden, for the benefit of thoſe who might hereafter come to this place. Of this harbour, and all the neighbouring iſlands, I took poſſeſſion for his Majeſty [51] King George the Third of Great Britain, by the name of FALKLAND's ISLANDS; and there is I think little reaſon to doubt that they are the ſame land to which Cowley gave the name of Pepys's Iſland.

In the printed account of Cowley's voyage, he ſays, ‘we held our courſe S. W. till we came into the latitude of forty-ſeven degrees, where we ſaw land, the ſame being an iſland, not before known, lying to the weſtward of us: it was not inhabited, and I gave it the name of PEPYS's ISLAND. We found it a very commodious place for ſhips to water at, and take in wood, and it has a very good har⯑bour, where a thouſand ſail of ſhips may ſafely ride. Here is great plenty of fowls, and, we judge, abundance of fiſh, by reaſon of the grounds being nothing but rocks and ſands.’

To this account there is annexed a repreſentation of Pepys's Iſland, in which names are given to ſeveral points and head lands, and the harbour is called Admiralty Bay; yet it ap⯑pears that Cowley had only a diſtant view of it, for he im⯑mediately adds, ‘the wind being ſo extraordinary high that we could not get into it to water, we ſtood to the ſouth⯑ward, ſhaping our courſe S. S. W. till we came into the latitude of 53;’ and though he ſays that ‘it was com⯑modious to take in wood,’ and it is known that there is no wood on Falkland's Iſlands, Pepys's Iſland and Falkland's Iſlands may notwithſtanding be the ſame; for upon Falk⯑land's Iſlands there are immenſe quantities of flags with narrow leaves, reeds and ruſhes which grow in cluſters, ſo as to form buſhes about three feet high, and then ſhoot about ſix or ſeven feet higher: theſe at a diſtance have greatly the appearance of wood, and were taken for wood by the French, who landed there in the year [52] 1764, as appears by Pernetty's account of their voyage. It has been ſuggeſted that the latitude of Pepys's Iſland might, in the M. S. from which the account of Cow⯑ley's voyage was printed, be expreſſed in figures, which, if ill made, might equally reſemble forty-ſeven, and fifty-one; and therefore as there is no iſland in theſe ſeas in lati⯑tude forty-ſeven, and as Falkland's Iſlands lie nearly in fifty-one, that fifty-one might reaſonably be concluded to be the number for which the figures were intended to ſtand: recourſe therefore was had to the Britiſh Muſaeum, and a manuſcript journal of Cowley's was there found. In this manuſcript no mention is made of an iſland not before known, to which he gave the name of Pepys's Iſland, but land is mentioned in latitude forty-ſeven degrees, forty minutes, expreſſed in words at length, which exactly anſwers to the deſcription of what is called Pepys's Iſland in the printed account, and which here, he ſays, he ſuppoſed to be the iſlands of Sebald de Wert. This part of the manu⯑ſcript is in the following words: ‘January 1683, This month wee were in the latitude of forty-ſeaven degrees and forty minnetts, where wee eſpyed an iſland bearing weſt from us, wee having the wind at eaſt north eaſt, wee bore away for it, it being too late for us to goe on ſhoare, wee lay by all night. The iſland ſeemed very pleaſant to the eye, with many woods, I may as well ſay the whole land was woods. There being a rock lying above water to the eaſt⯑ward of it, where an innumerable company of fowles, being of the bigneſſe of a ſmall gooſe, which fowles would ſtrike at our men as they were aloft: ſome of them wee killed and eat: they ſeemed to us very good, only taſted ſomewhat fiſhly. I ſailed along that iſland to the ſouth⯑ward, and about the ſouth weſt ſide of the iſland there ſeemed to me to be a good place for ſhipps to ride; I [53] would have had the boat out to have gone into the har⯑bour, but the wind blew freſh and they would not agree to go with it. Sailing a litle further, keeping the lead, and having ſix and twenty, and ſeaven and twenty fathoms water, untill wee came to a place where wee ſaw the weeds ride, having the lead againe, found but ſeaven fathoms water. Fearing danger went about the ſhipp there, were then fearefull to ſtay by the land any longer, it being all rocky ground, but the harbour ſeemed to be a good place for ſhipps to ride there; in the iſland ſeeming likewiſe to have water enough, there ſeemed to me to be harbour for five hundred ſaile of ſhipps. The going in but narrow, and the north ſide of the entrance ſhallow water that I could ſee, but I verily believe that there is water enough for any ſhipp to goe in on the ſouth ſide, for there cannot be ſo great a lack of water, but muſt needs ſcowre a chan⯑nell away at the ebbe deepe enough for ſhipping to goe in. I would have had them ſtood upon a wind all night, but they told me they were not come out to goe upon diſ⯑covery. Wee ſaw likewiſe another iſland by this that night, which made me thinke them to be the Sibble D'wards.’

‘The ſame night wee ſteered our courſe againe weſt ſouth weſt, which was but our ſouth weſt, the compaſſe having two and twenty degrees variation eaſtwardly, keeping that courſe till wee came in the latitude of three and fifty degrees.’

In both the printed and manuſcript account, this land is ſaid to lie in latitude forty-ſeven, to be ſituated to the weſt⯑ward of the ſhip when firſt diſcovered, to appear woody, to have an harbour where a great number of ſhips might ride in ſafety, and to be frequented by innumerable birds. It [54] appears alſo by both accounts, that the weather prevented his going on ſhore, and that he ſteered from it W. S. W. till he came into latitude fifty-three: there can therefore be little doubt but that Cowley gave the name of Pepys's Iſland after he came home, to what he really ſuppoſed to be the iſland of Sebald de Wert, for which it is not difficult to aſſign ſeve⯑ral reaſons; and though the ſuppoſition of a miſtake of the figures does not appear to be well grounded, yet, there being no land in forty-ſeven, the evidence that what Cowley ſaw was Falkland's Iſlands, is very ſtrong. The deſcription of the country agrees in almoſt every particular, and even the map is of the ſame general figure, with a ſtreight run⯑ning up the middle. The chart of Falkland's that accom⯑panies this narrative, was laid down from the journals and drawings of Captain Macbride, who was diſpatched thither after my return, and circumnavigated the whole coaſt: the two principal iſlands were probably called Falkland's Iſlands by Strong, about the year 1689, as he is known to have given the name of Falkland's Sound to part of the ſtreight which divides them. The journal of this navigator is ſtill unprinted in the Britiſh Muſaeum. The firſt who ſaw theſe iſlands is ſuppoſed to be Captain Davies, the aſſociate of Cavendiſh, in 1592. In 1594, Sir Richard Hawking ſaw land, ſuppoſed to be the ſame, and in honour of his miſtreſs, Queen Elizabeth, called them HAWKINS's MAIDEN LAND. Long afterwards, they were ſeen by ſome French ſhips from Saint Maloes, and Frezier, probably for that reaſon, called them the Malouins, a name which has been ſince adopted by the Spaniards.

Having continued in the harbour which I had called Port Egmont till Sunday the 27th of January,day Sunday 27 we ſailed again at eight o'clock in the morning with the wind at S. S. W.; but [55] we were ſcarcely got out of the Port before it began to blow very hard,day Saturday 27 and the weather became ſo thick that we could not ſee the rocky iſlands. I now moſt heartily wiſhed my⯑ſelf again at anchor in the harbour we had quitted; but in a ſhort time we had the ſatisfaction to ſee the weather be⯑come clear, though it continued to blow very hard the whole day. At nine the entrance of Port Egmont harbour bore E. S. E. diſtant two leagues; the two low iſlands to the north⯑ward E. by N. diſtant between three and four miles; and the Rocky iſland W. ½ N. diſtant four leagues. At ten the two low iſlands bore S. S. E. diſtant four or five miles; and we then ſteered along the ſhore eaſt by the compaſs, and after having run about five leagues, we ſaw a remarkable head-land, with a rock at a little diſtance from it, bearing E. S. E. ½ E. diſtant three leagues. This head-land I called CAPE TAMAR. Having continued the ſame courſe five leagues farther, we ſaw a rock about five miles from the main bear⯑ing N. E. at the diſtance of four or five leagues: this rock I called the EDISTONE, and then ſteered between it and a re⯑markable head-land which I called CAPE DOLPHIN, in the direction of E. N. E. five leagues farther. From Cape Tamar to Cape Dolphin, a diſtance of about eight leagues, the land forms, what I thought, a deep ſound, and called CARLISLE SOUND, but what has ſince appeared to be the northern entrance of the Streight between the two principal iſlands. In the part that I ſuppoſed to be the bottom of the ſound, we ſaw an opening, which had the appearance of a harbour. From Cape Dolphin we ſteered along the ſhore E. ½ N. ſixteen leagues, to a low flat cape or head-land, and then brought to. In this day's run the land, for the moſt part, reſembled the eaſt ſide of the coaſt of Patagonia, not having ſo much as a ſingle tree, or even a buſh, being all downs, with here and there a few of the high tufts of graſs that we had ſeen [56] at Port Egmont; day Sunday 27 and in this account I am ſure I am not miſtaken, for I frequently ſailed within two miles of the ſhore; ſo that if there had been a ſhrub as big as a gooſe⯑berry buſh, I ſhould have ſeen it. During the night we had forty fathom water with rocky ground.

The next morning,day Monday 28 at four o'clock, we made ſail, the low flat cape then bearing S. E. by E. diſtant five leagues: at half an hour after five it bore S. S. E. diſtant two leagues; and we then ſteered from it E. S. E. five leagues, to three low rocky iſlands which lie about two miles from the main. From theſe iſlands we ſteered S. S. E. four leagues, to two other low iſlands, which lie at the diſtance of about one mile from the main. Between theſe iſlands the land forms a very deep ſound, which I called BERKELEY's SOUND. In the ſouth part of this ſound there is an opening, which has the appearance of a harbour; and about three or four miles to the ſouth⯑ward of the ſouth point of it, at the diſtance of about four miles from the main, ſome rocks appear above the water, upon which the ſea breaks very high, there being here a great ſwell from the ſouthward. When we were abreaſt of theſe breakers, we ſteered S. W. by S. about two leagues, when the ſouthermoſt land in ſight, which I took to be the ſouthermoſt part of Falkland's Iſlands, bore W. S. W. diſ⯑tant five leagues. The coaſt now began to be very dange⯑rous, there being, in all directions, rocks and breakers at a great diſtance from the ſhore. The country alſo inland had a more rude and deſolate appearance; the high ground, as far as we could ſee, being all barren, craggy rocks, very much reſembling that part of Terra del Fuego which lies near Cape Horn. As the ſea now roſe every moment, I was afraid of being caught here upon a lee ſhore, in which caſe there would have been very little chance of my getting off, [57] and therefore I tacked and ſtood to the northward; day Monday 28 the lati⯑tude of the ſouthermoſt point in ſight being about 52° 3′ S. As we had now run no leſs than ſeventy leagues along the coaſt of this iſland it muſt certainly be of very conſide⯑rable extent. It has been ſaid by ſome former navigators to be about two hundred miles in circumference, but I made no doubt of its being nearer ſeven. Having hauled the wind, I ſtood to the northward about noon; the entrance of Berkeley's Sound at three o'clock bore S. W. by W. diſtant about ſix leagues. At eight in evening, the wind ſhifting to the S. W. we ſtood to the weſtward.

CHAP. VI. The Paſſage through the Streight of Magellan as far as Cape Monday, with a Deſcription of ſeveral Bays and Harbours, formed by the Coaſt on each Side.

WE continued to make ſail for Port Deſire till Wedneſ⯑day the 6th of February,month February day Wedneſ. 6 when about one o'clock in the afternoon we ſaw land, and ſtood in for the Port. During the run from Falkland's Iſlands to this place, the number of whales about the ſhip was ſo great as to render the naviga⯑tion dangerous; we were very near ſtriking upon one, and another blew the water in upon the quarter deck: they were much larger than any we had ſeen. As we were ſtanding in for Port Deſire, we ſaw the Florida, a ſtore-ſhip that we ex⯑pected from England; and at four we came to an anchor off the harbour's mouth.

The next morning,day Thurſday 7 Mr. Dean, the Maſter of the ſtore-ſhip, came on board; and finding from his report that his fore⯑maſt was ſprung, and his ſhip little better than a wreck, I determined to go into the harbour, and try to unload her there, although the narrowneſs of the place, and the rapi⯑dity of the tides, render it a very dangerous ſituation. We got in in the evening, but it blowing very hard in the night, both the Tamar and the ſtore-ſhip made ſignals of diſtreſs; I immediately ſent my boats to their aſſiſtance, who found that, notwithſtanding they were moored, they had been driven up the harbour, and were in the greateſt danger of [59] being on ſhore. They were got off,day Thurſday 7 not without great difficul⯑ty, and the very next night they drove again, and were again ſaved by the ſame efforts, from the ſame danger. As I now found that the ſtore-ſhip was continually driving about the harbour, and every moment in danger of being loſt, I gave up, with whatever reluctance, my deſign of taking the proviſions out of her, and ſent all our carpenters on board, to fiſh the maſt, and make ſuch other repairs as they could. I alſo lent her my forge to complete ſuch iron work as they wanted, and determined, the moment ſhe was in a condition to put to ſea, to take her with us into the Streight of Magellan, and unload her there. While this was doing, Captain Mouat, who commanded the Tamar, informed me that his rudder was ſprung, and that he had reaſon to fear it would in a ſhort time become wholly unſerviceable. Upon this I or⯑dered the carpenter of the Dolphin on board the Tamar, to examine the rudder, and he reported it to be ſo bad that in his opinion the veſſel could not proceed in her voyage with⯑out a new one. A new one however it was not in our power to procure at this place, and I therefore deſired Cap⯑tain Mouat to get his forge on ſhore, and ſecure his rudder with iron clamps in the beſt manner he could, hoping that in the Streight a piece of timber might be found which would furniſh him with a better.

On Wedneſday the 13th, the ſtore-ſhip being ready for ſea,day Wedneſ. 13 I put on board her one of my petty officers, who was well acquainted with the Streight, and three or four of my ſea⯑men to aſſiſt in navigating her; I alſo lent her two of my boats, and took thoſe belonging to her, which were ſtaved, on board to get them repaired, and then I ordered her Maſter, to put to ſea directly, and make the beſt of his way to Port Famine; though I did not doubt but that I [60] ſhould come up with her long before ſhe got thither,day Wedneſ. 13 as I intended to follow her as ſoon as the Tamar was ready, and Captain Mouat had told me that, the rudder having been patched together by the joint labour and ſkill of the carpen⯑ter and ſmith, he ſhould be in a condition to proceed with me the next morning.

The next morning we accordingly put to ſea,day Thurſday 14 and a few hours afterwards being abreaſt of Penguin Iſland, we ſaw the ſtore-ſhip a long way to the eaſtward.

On Saturday the 16th,day Saturday 16 about ſix o'clock in the morning, we ſaw Cape Fairweather bearing W. S. W. at the diſtance of five or ſix leagues; and at nine, we ſaw a ſtrange ſail to the N. W. ſtanding after us.

On the 17th,day Sunday 17 at ſix in the morning, Cape Virgin Mary bearing ſouth, diſtant five miles, we hauled in for the Streight, and the ſtrange ſhip ſtill followed us.

On the 18th we paſſed the firſt Narrow,day Monday 18 and as I perceived the ſtrange ſhip to have ſhaped the ſame courſe that we had, from the time ſhe had firſt ſeen us, ſhortening or making ſail as we did, ſhe became the ſubject of much ſpeculation; and as I was obliged, after I had got through the firſt Narrow, to bring to for the ſtore-ſhip, which was a great way aſtern, I imagined ſhe would ſpeak with us, and therefore I put the ſhip in the beſt order I could. As ſoon as he had paſſed the Narrow, and ſaw me lying to, he did the ſame about four miles to windward of me. In this ſituation we remained till night came on, and the tide ſetting us over to the ſouth ſhore, we came to an anchor; the wind however ſhifted be⯑fore morning, and at day-break I ſaw our ſatellite at anchor about three leagues to leeward of us. As it was then tide of ſtood, I thought of working through the ſecond Narrow; [61] but ſeeing the ſtranger get under way,day Monday 18 and work up towards us, I ran directly over into Gregory Bay, and brought the ſhip to an anchor, with a ſpring upon our cable: I alſo got eight of our guns, which were all we could get at, out of the hold, and brought them over on one ſide. In the mean time the ſhip continued to work up towards us, and various were our conjectures about her, for ſhe ſhowed no colours, nei⯑ther did we. It happened about this time that the ſtore-ſhip, as ſhe was endeavouring to come to an anchor near us, ran aground; upon which the ſtranger came to an anchor a little way aſtern, at the ſame time hoiſting French colours, and ſending his launch, and another boat, with an anchor to aſſiſt her. Still however I ſhowed no colours, but ſent my own boats, and a boat of the Tamar's, to aſſiſt the ſtore-ſhip, giving orders at the ſame time to the officers, not to ſuffer the French boats to come on board her, but to thank them in polite terms for the aſſiſtance they intended. Theſe or⯑ders were punctually obeyed, and with the aſſiſtance of our own boats only, the ſtore-ſhip was ſoon after got off: my people reported that the French ſhip was full of men, and ſeemed to have a great number of officers on board.

At ſix o'clock in the evening, I made the ſignal and weighed; we worked through the ſecond Narrow, and at ten o'clock paſſed the weſt end of it: at eleven, we anchored in ſeven fathom off Elizabeth's Iſland; and the French ſhip at the ſame time anchored in a bad ſituation, to the ſouth⯑ward of Saint Bartholomew's Iſland, which convinced me that ſhe was not acquainted with the channel.

At ſix o'clock the next morning,day Tueſday 19 I weighed and ſailed be⯑tween Elizabeth and Bartholomew Iſlands, with the wind at N. W. and after ſteering S. S. W. five or ſix miles, we croſſed a bank, where among the weeds we had ſeven fathom [62] water.day Tueſday 19 This bank lies W. S. W. five or ſix miles from the middle of George's Iſland, and it is ſaid in ſome former ac⯑counts that in many places there is not three fathom water upon it: the danger here therefore is conſiderable, and to avoid it, it is neceſſary to keep near Elizabeth's Iſland till the weſtern ſhore is but at a ſhort diſtance, and then a ſouthern courſe may be ſteered with great ſafety, till the reef, which lies about four miles to the northward of Saint Anne's Point, is in ſight. At noon this day, the north point of Freſh Water Bay bore W. by N.; and Saint Anne's Point S. by E. ½ E. The French ſhip ſtill ſteered after us, and we imagined that ſhe was either from Falkland's Iſlands, where the French had then a ſettlement, to get wood, or upon a ſurvey of the Streight. The remaining part of this day, and the next morning,day Wedneſ. 20 we had variable winds with calms; in the after⯑noon therefore I hoiſted out the boats, and towed round Saint Anne's Point into Port Famine: at ſix in the evening we anchored, and ſoon after the French ſhip paſſed by us to the ſouthward.

Here we continued till Monday the 25th,day Monday 25 when both the Dolphin and Tamar having taken out of the ſtore-ſhip as much proviſion as they could ſtow, I gave the Maſter of her, orders to return to England as ſoon as he could get ready, and with the Tamar ſailed from Port Famine, intending to puſh through the Streight before the ſeaſon ſhould be too far advanced. At noon, we were three leagues diſtant from Saint Anne's Point, which bore N. W. and three or four miles diſtant from Point Shutup, which bore S. S. W. Point Shutup bears from Saint Anne's Point S. ½ E. by the compaſs, and they are about four or five leagues aſunder. Between theſe two Points there is a flat ſhoal, which runs from Port Famine before Sedger river, and three or four miles to the ſouthward.

[63]We ſteered S. S. W. with little wind, along the ſhore,day Monday 25 from Point Shutup towards Cape Forward; and about three o'clock in the afternoon we paſſed by the French ſhip, which we ſaw in a little cove, about two leagues to the ſouthward of Point Shutup. She had hauled her ſtern cloſe into the woods, and we could ſee large piles of the wood which ſhe had cut down, lying on each ſide of her; ſo that I made no doubt of her having been ſent out to procure that neceſſary for their new ſettlement, though I could not conceive why they ſhould have come ſo far into the Streight for that pur⯑poſe. After my return to England, I learnt that this veſſel was the Eagle, commanded by M. Bougainville, and that her buſineſs in the Streight was, as I conjectured, to cut wood, for the French ſettlement in Falkland's Iſlands. From Cape Shutup to Cape Forward the courſe by compaſs is S. W. by S.; and the diſtance is ſeven leagues. At eight o'clock in the evening. Cape Forward bore N. W. ½ W. and was diſtant about a mile, and we brought to for the night. This part of the Streight is about eight miles over, and off the Cape we had forty fathom within half a cable's length of the ſhore. About four o'clock in the morning,day Tueſday 26 we made ſail; and at eight, having had light airs almoſt quite round the compaſs, Cape Forward bore N. E. by E. diſtant about four miles; and Cape Holland W. N. W. ½ W. diſtant about five leagues. At ten we had freſh gales at W. N. W. and at intervals ſudden ſqualls, ſo violent as to oblige us to clew all up every time they came on. We kept however working to windward, and looking out for an anchoring-place, endea⯑vouring at the ſame time to reach a bay about two leagues to the weſtward of Cape Forward. At five o'clock I ſent a boat with an officer into this bay to ſound, who finding it fit for our purpoſe, we entered it, and about ſix o'clock an⯑chored in nine fathom: Cape Forward bore E. ½ S. diſtant [64] five miles; day Tueſday 26 a ſmall iſland which lies in the middle of the bay, and is about a mile diſtant from the ſhore, W. by S. diſtant about half a mile; and a rivulet of freſh water N. W. by W. diſtant three quarters of a mile.

At ſix o'clock the next morning,day Wedneſ. 27 we weighed and conti⯑nued our courſe through the Streight: from Cape Holland to Cape Gallant, which are diſtant about eight leagues, the coaſt lies W. ½ S. by the compaſs: Cape Gallant is very high and ſteep, and between this and Cape Holland lies a reach about three leagues over, called Engliſh Reach. About five miles ſouth of Cape Gallant lies a large iſland, called Charles's Iſland, which it is neceſſary to keep to the northward of: we ſailed along the north ſhore of it, at about two miles diſ⯑tance, and ſometimes much leſs. A little to the eaſtward of Cape Holland is a fair ſandy bay, called Wood's Bay, in which there is good anchoring. The mountains on each ſide the Streight are, I think, higher, and of a more deſolate appearance, than any other in the world; except perhaps the Cordeliers, both being rude, craggy, and ſteep, and covered with ſnow from the top to the bottom.

From Cape Gallant to Paſſage Point, which are diſtant about three leagues, the coaſt lies W. by N. by compaſs. Paſſage Point is the eaſt point of Elizabeth's bay, and is low land, with a rock lying off it. Between this and Cape Gal⯑lant there are ſeveral iſlands, ſome of them are very ſmall; but the eaſtermoſt, which is Charles's Iſland, that has been juſt mentioned, is two leagues long; the next is called Mon⯑mouth's Iſland, and the weſtermoſt, Rupert's Iſland: Rupert's Iſland lies S. by E. of Point Paſſage. Theſe iſlands make the Streight narrow; between Point Paſſage and Rupert's Iſland it is not more than two miles over, and it is neceſſary to go to the northward of them all, keeping the north ſhore on [65] board: we ſailed within two cables' length of it,day Wedneſ. 27 and had no ground with forty fathom. At ſix in the evening, the wind ſhifted to the weſtward, upon which we ſtood in for Eliza⯑beth's Bay, and anchored in ten fathom with very good ground; the beſt anchoring however is in thirteen fathom, for there was but three or four fathom about a cable's length within us. In this Bay there is a good rivulet of freſh wa⯑ter. We found the flood here ſet very ſtrong to the eaſtward; and according to our calculation, it flows at the full and change of the moon about twelve o'clock. We found the variation two points eaſterly.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, of Thurſday the 28th,day Thurſday 28 the wind being between the N. W. and W. with freſh gales and ſqualls, we made the ſignal to weigh, and juſt as we had got the ſhip over the anchor, a violent guſt brought it home; the ſhip immediately drove into ſhoal water, within two cables' length of the ſhore, upon which we let go the ſmall bower in four fathom, and had but three fathom under our ſtern: the ſtream anchor was carried out with all poſſible expedition, and by applying a purchaſe to the capſtern, the ſhip was drawn towards it: we then heaved up both the bower an⯑chors, ſlipt the ſtream cable, and with the gibb and ſtay-ſails ran out into ten fathom, and anchored with the beſt bower exactly in the ſituation from which we had been driven.

At five o'clock the next morning, the wind being northerly,day Friday 1 and the weather moderate, we weighed again, and at ſeven paſſed Muſcle bay, which lies on the ſouthern ſhore, about a league to the weſtward of Elizabeth's Bay. At eight, we were abreaſt of Bachelor's River, which is on the north ſhore, about two leagues W. by N. from Elizabeth's Bay. At nine, we paſſed St. Jerom's Sound, the entrance of which is about a league from Bachelor's River: when St. Jerom's Sound [66] was open,day Friday 1 it bore N. W. We then ſteered W. S. W. by the compaſs for Cape Quod, which is three leagues diſtant from the ſouthermoſt point of the Sound. Between Elizabeth Bay and Cape Quod, is a reach about four miles over, called Crooked Reach. At the entrance of Jerom's Sound, on the north ſide, we ſaw three or four fires, and ſoon afterwards, perceived two or three canoes paddling after us. At noon, Cape Quod bore W. S. W. ½ W. diſtant four or five miles, and ſoon after, having light airs and calms, we drove to the eaſt⯑ward with the flood tide; in the mean time the canoes came up, and after having paddled about us ſome time, one of them had the reſolution to come on board. The canoe was of bark, very ill made, and the people on board, which were four men, two women, and a boy, were the pooreſt wretches I had ever ſeen. They were all naked, except a ſtinking ſeal ſkin that was thrown looſely over their ſhoulders; they were armed, however, with bows and arrows, which they readily gave me in return for a few beads, and other trifles. The arrows were made of a reed, and pointed with a green ſtone: they were about two feet long, and the bows were three feet: the cord of the bow was the dried gut of ſome animal. In the evening, we anchored abreaſt of Bachelor's River, in fourteen fathom. The entrance of the River bore N. by E. diſtant one mile, and the northermoſt point of Saint Jerom's Sound W. N. W. diſtant three miles. About three quarters of a mile eaſtward of Bachelor's River, is a ſhoal, upon which there is not more than ſix feet water when the tide is out: it is diſtant about half a mile from the ſhore, and may be known by the weeds that are upon it. The tide flows here, at the full and change of the moon, about one o'clock. Soon after we were at anchor, ſeveral Indians came on board us, and I made them all preſents of beads, ribands, and other trifles, with which they appeared to be greatly [67] delighted.month March day Friday 1 This viſit I returned by going on ſhore among them, taking only a few people with me in my jolly boat, that I might not alarm them by numbers. They received us with great expreſſions of kindneſs, and to make us welcome, they brought us ſome berries which they had gathered for that purpoſe, and which, with a few muſcles, ſeem to be a principal part, if not the whole of their ſubſiſtence.

At five o'clock, in the morning of the 2d, we weighed,day Saturday 2 and towed with the tide, but at ten, having no wind, and finding that we drove again to the eaſtward, we anchored, with the ſtream anchor in fifteen fathom, upon a bank which lies about half a mile from the north ſhore: after veering about two-thirds of a cable, we had five and forty fathom along-ſide, and ſtill deeper water at a little diſtance. The ſouth point of Saint Jerom's Sound bore N. N. E. diſtant two miles, and Cape Quod W. S. W. diſtant about eight miles. From the ſouth point of Saint Jerom's Sound, to Cape Quod, is three leagues, in the direction of S. W. by W. The tides in this Reach are exceedingly ſtrong, though very irregular: we found them ſet to the eaſtward from nine o'clock in the morning till five o'clock the next morning, and the other four hours, from five to nine, they ſet to the weſtward. At twelve o'clock at night, it began to blow very hard at W. N. W. and at two in the morning,day Sunday 3 the ſhip drove off the bank: we immediately hove the anchor up, and found both the flukes broken off: till three o'clock we had no ground, and then we drove into ſixteen fathom, at the entrance of Saint Jerom's Sound; as it ſtill blew a ſtorm, we imme⯑diately let go the beſt bower, and veered to half a cable. The anchor brought the ſhip up at ſo critical a moment, that we had but five fathom, and even that depth was among breakers. We let go the ſmall bower under foot, and at five, finding the tide ſet to the weſtward, and the weather [68] more moderate,day Sunday 3 we got up both the anchors, and kept working to windward. At ten, we found the tide ſetting again ſtrongly to the eaſtward, and we therefore ſent the boat back to ſeek for an anchoring-place, which ſhe found in a bay on the north ſhore, about four miles to the eaſtward of Cape Quod, and a little way within ſome ſmall iſlands: we endeavoured to get into this bay, but the tide ruſhed out of it with ſuch violence, that we found it impoſſible, and at noon, bore away for York Road, at the entrance of Bache⯑lor's River, where we anchored about an hour afterwards.

At ſix o'clock the next morning,day Monday 4 we weighed, and worked with the tide, which ſet the ſame as the day before, but we could not gain an anchoring-place, ſo that at noon we bore away for York Road again. I took this opportunity to go up Bachelor's River in my jolly boat, as high as I could, which was about four miles: in ſome places I found it very wide and deep, and the water was good, but near the mouth it is ſo ſhallow at low water, that even a ſmall boat cannot get into it.

At ſix o'clock on the 5th,day Tueſday 5 we weighed again, and at eight, it being ſtark calm, we ſent the boats a-head to tow; at eleven, however, the tide ſet ſo ſtrong from the weſtward, that we could not gain the bay on the north ſhore, which the boat had found for us on the 4th, and which was an ex⯑cellent harbour, fit to receive five or ſix ſail: we were there⯑fore obliged to anchor upon a bank, in forty-five fathom, with the ſtream anchor, Cape Quod bearing W. S. W. diſtant five or ſix miles, the ſouth point of the iſland that lies to the eaſt of the Cape, being juſt in one with the pitch of it, and a remarkable ſtone patch on the north ſhore bearing N. ½ W. diſtant half a mile. Cloſe to the ſhore here, the depth of water was ſeventy-five fathom. As ſoon as we were at an⯑chor, [69] I ſent an officer to the weſtward to look out for a har⯑bour, but he did not ſucceed.day Tueſday 5 It was calm the reſt of the day, and all night, the tide ſetting to the eaſtward from the time we anchored till ſix o'clock the next morning,day Wedneſ. 6 when we weighed, and were towed by the boats to the weſtward. At eight, a freſh breeze ſprung up at W. S. W. and W. and at noon, Cape Quod bore E. by S. at the diſtance of about five miles. In this ſituation I ſent the boats out again to look for an anchoring-place, and about noon, by their direction, we anchored in a little bay on the ſouth ſhore, oppoſite to Cape Quod, in five and twenty fathom, with very good ground. A ſmall rocky iſland bore W. by N. at the diſtance of about two cables' length, the eaſtermoſt point E. ½ S. and Cape Quod N. E. by N. diſtant about three miles: in this place we had ſhell-fiſh of various kinds in great plenty. The Tamar, not being able to work up to us, anchored about two o'clock in the bay on the north ſhore, about ſix miles to the eaſtward of Cape Quod, which has been mentioned al⯑ready. During the night, it was ſtark calm, but in the morning, having little airs of wind weſterly,day Thurſday 7 I weighed about eight o'clock, and worked with the tide. At noon, Cape Quod bore E. by S. diſtant between two and three leagues, and Cape Monday, which is the weſtermoſt land in ſight on the ſouth ſhore, W. by N. diſtant about ten or eleven leagues. This part of the Streight lies W. N. W. ½ W. by the compaſs, and is but four miles over; ſo that the craggy mountains which bound it on each ſide, towering above the clouds, and covered with everlaſting ſnow, give it the moſt dreary and deſolate appearance that can be ima⯑gined. The tides here are not very ſtrong; the ebb ſets to the weſtward, but with an irregularity for which it is very difficult to account. About one o'clock, the Tamar anchored in the bay on the ſouth ſhore, oppoſite to Cape Quod, which [70] we had juſt left,day Thurſday 7 and we continued working to windward till ſeven in the evening, when we anchored in a ſmall bay on the north ſhore, about five leagues to the weſtward of Cape Quod, with very good ground. This bay may be known by two large rocks that appear above water, and a low point which makes the eaſt part of the bay. The an⯑choring-place is between the two rocks, the eaſtermoſt bear⯑ing N. E. ½ E. diſtant about two cables' length, and the weſtermoſt, which is near the point, W. N. W. ½ W. at about the ſame diſtance: there is alſo a ſmall rock which ſhows itſelf among the weeds at low water, and bears E. ½ N. diſtant about two cables' length. If there are more ſhips than one, they may anchor farther out in deeper water. During the night it was calm, and the weather became very foggy; day Friday 8 but about ten in the morning it cleared up, and I went on ſhore. I found abundance of ſhell-fiſh, but ſaw no traces of people. In the afternoon, while the people were filling water, I went up a deep lagoon, which lies juſt round the weſtermoſt rock: at the head of it I found a very fine fall of water, and on the eaſt ſide ſeveral little coves, where ſhips of the greateſt draught may lie in perfect ſecurity. We ſaw nothing elſe worthy of notice, and therefore, having filled our boat with very large muſcles, we returned.

At ſeven o'clock the next morning,day Saturday 9 we weighed and towed out of the bay, and at eight, ſaw the Tamar very far aſtern, ſteering after us. At noon, we had little wind at E. N. E. but at five o'clock, it ſhifted to W. N. W. and blew freſh. At ſix, we were abreaſt of Cape Monday, and at ſix the next morn⯑ing,day Sunday 10 Cape Upright bore E. by S. diſtant three leagues. From Cape Monday to Cape Upright, which are both on the ſouth ſhore, and diſtant from each other about five leagues, the courſe is W. by N. by the compaſs: the ſhore on each ſide is rocky, with broken ground. At about half an hour after [71] ſeven, we had a very hard ſquall,day Sunday 10 and the weather being then exceedingly thick, we ſuddenly perceived a reef of rocks cloſe under our lee bow, upon which the ſea broke very high: we had but juſt time to tack clear of them, and if the ſhip had miſſed ſtays, every ſoul on board muſt in⯑evitably have periſhed. Theſe rocks lie at a great diſtance from the ſouth ſhore, and are about three leagues to the north of Cape Upright. At nine, the weather cleared a little, and we ſaw the entrance of Long Reach, upon which we bore away, keeping neareſt the ſouth ſhore, in hopes of finding an anchoring-place. At ten, we had ſtrong gales and thick weather, with hard rain, and at noon, we were again abreaſt of Cape Monday, but could find no anchoring-place, which, however, we continued to ſeek, ſtill ſteering along the ſouth ſhore, and were ſoon after joined by the Tamar, who had been ſix or ſeven leagues to the eaſtward of us all night. At ſix in the evening, we anchored in a deep bay, about three leagues to the eaſtward of Cape Monday: we let go the anchor in five and twenty fathom, near an iſland in the bottom of the bay; but before we could bring up the ſhip, we were driven off, and the anchor took the ground in about fifty fathom. The extream points of the bay bore from N. W. to N. E. by E. and the iſland W. ½ S.: we veered to a whole cable, and the anchor was about a cable's length from the neareſt ſhore. In the night, we had freſh gales weſterly, with ſudden ſqualls and hard rain; but in the morning, the weather became more moderate,day Monday 11 though it was ſtill thick, and the rain continued. As a great ſwell ſet into this place, and broke very high upon the rocks, near which we lay, I got up the anchor, and warped the ſhip to a bank where the Tamar was riding: we let go our anchor in fourteen fathom, and moored with the ſtream, anchor to the eaſtward, in forty-five fathom. In the bottom of this [72] bay there is a baſon,day Monday 11 at the entrance of which there is but three fathom and an half at low water, but within there is ten fathom, and room enough for ſix or ſeven ſail to lie where no wind can hurt them.

We continued here till Friday the 15th, and during all that time had one continued ſtorm, with impenetrable fogs, and inceſſant rain.day Tueſday 12 On the 12th, I ſent out the boat, with an officer, to look for harbours on the ſouthern ſhore: the boat was abſent till the 14th,day Thurſday 14 and then returned, with an account that there were five bays between the ſhip's ſtation and Cape Upright, where we might anchor in great ſafety. The offi⯑cer told me, that near Cape Upright he had fallen in with a few Indians, who had given him a dog, and that one of the women had offered him a child which was ſucking at her breaſt. It is ſcarcely neceſſary to ſay that he refuſed it, but the offer ſeems to degrade theſe poor forlorn ſavages more than any thing in their appearance or manner of life: it muſt be a ſtrange depravity of nature that leaves them deſti⯑tute of affection for their offspring, or a moſt deplorable ſituation that impreſſes neceſſities upon them by which it is ſurmounted. Some hills, which, when we firſt came to this place, had no ſnow upon them, were now covered, and the winter of this dreary and inhoſpitable region ſeemed to have ſet in at once: the poor ſeamen not only ſuffered much by the cold, but had ſcarcely ever a dry thread about them: I therefore diſtributed among the crews of both the ſhips, not excepting the officers, two bales of a thick woollen ſtuff, called Fearnought, which is provided by the government, ſo that every body on board had now a warm jacket, which at this time was found both comfortable and ſalutary.

At eight o'clock in the morning of the 15th,day Friday 15 we weighed and made ſail, and at three o'clock in the afternoon, we were [73] once more abreaſt of Cape Monday, and at five,day Friday 15 we anchored in a bay on the eaſt ſide of it. The pitch of the Cape bore N. W. diſtant half a mile, and the extream points of the bay from E. to N. by W. We lay at about half a cable's length from the neareſt ſhore, which was a low iſland between the ſhip and the Cape.

At ſix o'clock the next morning, we weighed,day Saturday 16 and found that the palm was gone from the ſmall bower anchor. The wind was at W. N. W. with hard rain: at eight o'clock, we found a ſtrong current ſetting us to the eaſtward, and at noon, Cape Monday bore W. N. W. diſtant two miles. The Tamar being to windward of us, fetched into the bay, and anchored again. We continued to loſe ground upon every tack, and therefore, at two o'clock, anchored upon the ſouthern ſhore in ſixteen fathom, about five miles to the eaſt⯑ward of Cape Monday. At three, however, I weighed again, for the boat having ſounded round the ſhip, found the ground rocky. The wind was N. W. with hard rain, and we continued working all the reſt of the day, and all night, every man on board being upon deck the whole time, and every one wet to the ſkin, for the rain, or rather ſheets of water that came down, did not ceaſe a moment.

In the morning,day Sunday 17 we had again the mortification to find that, notwithſtanding all our labour, we had loſt ground upon every tack, in conſequence of the current, which con⯑tinued to ſet with great force to the eaſtward. At eight o'clock, we bore away, and at nine, anchored in the ſame bay from which we ſailed on the 15th.

The wind continued W. and W. N. W. without any tide to the weſtward, all the 18th and 19th,day Monday 18 day Tueſday 19 and the weather was exceedingly bad, with hard ſqualls and heavy rain. In the mean time I had ſent an officer with a boat to ſound a bay [74] on the north ſhore,day Wedneſ. 20 but he found no anchorage in it. On the 20th, at ſix o'clock in the morning, a hard ſquall coming on, the ſhip drove, and brought the anchor off the bank into forty fathom, but by heaving up the bower, and carrying out the kedge anchor, we got the ſhip on the bank again. At eight,day Thurſday 21 the day following, though the wind was from W. N. W. to S. W. we weighed, and once more ſtood out of the bay; the current ſtill ſet very ſtrongly to the eaſtward, but at noon, we found that we had gained about a mile and a half in a contrary direction. The wind now became vari⯑able, from S. W. to N. W. and at five in the afternoon, the ſhip had gained about four miles to the weſtward; but not being able to find an anchoring-place, and the wind dying away, we drove again very faſt to the eaſtward with the cur⯑rent. At ſix, however, we anchored in forty fathom, with very good ground, in a bay about two miles to the weſtward of that from which we ſailed in the morning. A ſwell rolled in here all night, ſo that our ſituation was by no means de⯑ſirable, and therefore, although the wind was ſtill at W. S. W. we weighed and made ſail about eight o'clock the next day:day Friday 22 we had ſtill inceſſant rain, ſo that the people were continually wet, which was a great aggravation of their fa⯑tigue; yet they were ſtill cheerful, and, what was yet leſs to be expected, ſtill healthy. This day, to our great joy, we found the current ſetting to the weſtward, and we gained ground very faſt. At ſix in the evening, we anchored in the bay on the eaſt ſide of Cape Monday, where the Tamar lay in eighteen fathom, the pitch of the Cape bearing W. by N. diſtant half a mile. We found this place very ſafe, the ground being excellent, and there being room enough for two or three ſhips of the line to moor.

CHAP. VII. The Paſſage from Cape Monday, in the Streight of Ma⯑gellan, into the South Seas; with ſome general Remarks on the Navigation of that Streight.

AT eight the next morning we weighed,day Saturday 23 and ſoon after we made ſail opened the South Sea, from which ſuch a ſwell rolled in upon us as I have ſeldom ſeen. At four o'clock in the afternoon, we anchored in a very good bay, with a deep ſound at the bottom, by which it may be known, about a league to the eaſtward of Cape Upright, in fourteen fathom. The extream point of the bay bore from N. W. to N. E. by E. and Cape Upright W. N. W. about a cable's length to the eaſtward of a low iſland which makes the bay.

At three o'clock in the morning of the 24th, I ſent a boat,day Sunday 24 with an officer from each ſhip, to look for anchoring-places to the weſtward; but at four in the afternoon they returned, without having been able to get round Cape Upright.

The next morning I ſent the boats again to the weſtward,day Monday 25 and about ſix in the evening they returned, having been about four leagues, and found two anchoring-places, but neither of them were very good. We made ſail, however, about eight in the forenoon of the next day, and at three,day Tueſday 26 Cape Upright bore E. S. E. diſtant about three leagues, a re⯑markable cape on the north ſhore at the ſame time bearing N. E. diſtant four or five miles. This cape, which is very lofty and ſteep, lies N. N. W. by compaſs from Cape Upright, [76] at the diſtance of about three leagues.day Tueſday 26 The ſouth ſhore in this place had a very bad appearance, many ſunken rocks lying about it to a conſiderable diſtance, upon which the ſea breaks very high. At four the weather became very thick, and in leſs than half an hour we ſaw the ſouth ſhore at the diſtance of about a mile, but could get no anchoring-place; we therefore tacked, and ſtood over to the north ſhore. At half an hour after ſix I made the Tamar's ſignal to come under our ſtern, and ordered her to keep ahead of us all night, and to ſhow lights, and fire a gun every time ſhe changed her tack. At ſeven, it cleared up for a moment juſt to ſhow us the north ſhore, bearing W. by N.; we tacked immediately, and at eight the wind ſhifted from N. N. W. to W. N. W. and blew with great violence. Our ſituation was now very alarming; the ſtorm increaſed every minute, the weather was extremely thick, the rain ſeemed to threaten another deluge, we had a long dark night before us, we were in a narrow channel, and ſurrounded on every ſide by rocks and breakers. We attempted to clew up the mizen-topſail, but before this ſervice could be done it was blown all to rags: we then brought to, with the main and fore-top⯑ſail cloſe reefed, and upon the cap, keeping the ſhip's head to the ſouth weſt; but there being a prodigious ſea, it broke over us ſo often that the whole deck was almoſt continually under water. At nine, by an accidental breaking of the fog, we ſaw the high Cape on the north ſhore that has been juſt mentioned, bearing eaſt, at about a mile diſtance, but had entirely loſt ſight of the Tamar. At half an hour after three in the morning,day Wedneſ. 17 we ſuddenly perceived ourſelves cloſe to a high land on the ſouth ſhore, upon which we wore, and brought to to the northward. The gale ſtill continued, if poſſible, with increaſing violence, and the rain poured down in torrents, ſo that we were, in a manner, immerſed in wa⯑ter, [77] and expected every moment to be among the breakers.day Wedneſ. 27 The long wiſhed-for day at length broke, but the weather was ſtill ſo thick that no land was to be ſeen, though we knew it could not be far diſtant, till after ſix, when we ſaw the ſouth ſhore at about the diſtance of two miles; and ſoon after, to our great ſatisfaction, we ſaw the Tamar: at this time Cape Monday bore S. E. diſtant about four miles, and the violence of the gale not abating, we bore away. About ſeven, both ſhips came to an anchor in the bay which lies to the eaſtward of Cape Monday, notwithſtanding the ſea that rolled in; for we were glad to get anchorage any where. We had now been twice within four leagues of Tueſday's Bay, at the weſtern entrance of the Streight, and had been twice driven back ten or twelve leagues by ſuch ſtorms as we had now juſt experienced. When the ſeaſon is ſo far ad⯑vanced as it was when we attempted the paſſage of this Streight, it is a moſt difficult and dangerous undertaking, as it blows a hurricane inceſſantly night and day, and the rain is as violent and conſtant as the wind, with ſuch fogs as often render it impoſſible to diſcover any object at the diſ⯑tance of twice the ſhip's length. This day our beſt bower cable being quite rubbed to pieces, we cut it into junk, and bent a new one, which we rounded with old, rigging eight fathom from the anchor.

In the afternoon of the day following,day Thurſday 28 the Tamar parted a new beſt bower cable, it being cut by the rock, and drove over to the eaſt ſide of the bay, where ſhe was brought up at a very little diſtance from ſome rocks, againſt which ſhe muſt otherwiſe have been daſhed to pieces.

At ſeven o'clock in the morning of the 29th,day Friday 29 we weighed and found our ſmall bower cable very much rubbed by the foul ground, ſo that we were obliged to cut no leſs than ſix [78] and twenty fathom of it off,day Friday 29 and bend it again. In about half an hour, the Tamar, being very near the rocks, and not being able to purchaſe her anchor, made ſignals of diſ⯑treſs. I was therefore obliged to ſtand into the bay again, and having anchored, I ſent hawſers on board the Tamar, and heaved her up while ſhe purchaſed her anchor, after which we heaved her to windward, and at noon, being got into a proper birth, ſhe anchored again. We continued in our ſtation all night,day Saturday 30 and the next morning a gale came on at W. N. W. which was ſtill more violent than any that had preceded it; the water was torn up all round us, and carried much higher than the maſts heads, a dreadful ſea at the ſame time rolling in; ſo that, knowing the ground to be foul, we were in conſtant apprehenſion of parting our cables, in which caſe we muſt have been almoſt inſtantly daſhed to atoms againſt the rocks that were juſt to leeward of us, and upon which the ſea broke with inconceivable fury, and a noiſe not leſs loud than thunder. We lowered all the main and fore yards, let go the ſmall bower, veered a cable and an half on the beſt bower, and having bent the ſheet cable, ſtood by the anchor all the reſt of the day, and till midnight, the ſea often breaking half-way up our main ſhrouds. About one in the morning, the weather became ſomewhat more moderate,day Sunday 31 but continued to be very dark, rainy, and tempeſ⯑tuous, till midnight, when the wind ſhifted to the S. W. and ſoon afterwards it became comparatively calm and clear.

The next morning,month April day Monday 1 which was the firſt of April, we had a ſtark calm, with now and then ſome light airs from the eaſtward; but the weather was again thick with hard rain, and we found a current ſetting ſtrongly to the eaſtward. At four o'clock we got up the lower yards, unbent the ſheet cable, and weighed the ſmall bower; at eight we weighed [79] the beſt bower,day Monday 1 and found the cable very much rubbed in ſeveral places, which we conſidered as a great misfortune, it being a fine new cable, which never had been wet before. At eleven, we hove ſhort on the ſtream anchor; but ſoon after, it being calm, and a thick fog coming on with hard rain, we veered away the ſtream cable, and with a warp to the Tamar, heaved the ſhip upon the bank again, and let go the ſmall bower in two and twenty fathom.

At ſix in the evening, we had ſtrong gales at W. N. W. with violent ſqualls and much rain, and continued in our ſtation till the morning of the 3d,day Wedneſ. 3 when I ſent the Tamar's boat, with an officer from each ſhip, to the weſtward, in ſearch of anchoring-places on the ſouth ſhore; and at the ſame time I ſent my own cutter with an officer to ſeek an⯑choring-places on the north ſhore.

The cutter returned the next morning at ſix o'clock,day Thurſday 4 hav⯑ing been about five leagues to the weſtward upon the north ſhore, and found two anchoring-places. The officer reported, that having been on ſhore, he had fallen in with ſome In⯑dians, who had with them a canoe of a conſtruction very different from any that they had ſeen in the Streight before; this veſſel conſiſted of planks ſewed together, but all the others were nothing more than the bark of large trees, tied together at the ends, and kept open by ſhort pieces of wood, which were thruſt in tranſverſely between the two ſides, like the boats which children make of a bean ſhell. The people, he ſaid, were the neareſt to brutes in their manner and ap⯑pearance of any he had ſeen: they were, like ſome which we had met with before, quite naked, notwithſtanding the ſeverity of the weather, except part of a ſeal ſkin which was thrown over their ſhoulders; and they eat their food, which was ſuch as no other animal but a hog would touch, [80] without any dreſſing:day Thurſday 4 they had with them a large piece of whale blubber, which ſtunk intolerably, and one of them tore it to pieces with his teeth, and gave it about to the reſt, who devoured it with the voracity of a wild beaſt. They did not however look upon what they ſaw in the poſſeſſion of our people with indifference; for while one of them was aſleep, they cut off the hinder part of his jacket with a ſharp flint which they uſe as a knife.

About eight o'clock, we made ſail, and found little or no current. At noon, Cape Upright bore W. S. W. diſtant three leagues; and at ſix in the evening, we anchored in the bay, on the ſouthern ſhore, which lies about a league to the eaſt⯑ward of the Cape, and had fifteen fathom water.

While we were lying here, and taking in wood and water, ſeven or eight Indians in a canoe came round the weſtern point of the bay, and having landed oppoſite to the ſhip, made a fire. We invited them to me on board by all the ſigns we could deviſe, but without ſucceſs; I therefore took the jolly boat, and went on ſhore to them. I introduced myſelf by making them preſents of ſeveral trifles, with which they ſeemed to be much gratified, and we became very intimate in a few minutes: after we had ſpent ſome time together, I ſent away my people, in the boat, for ſome bread, and remained on ſhore with them alone. When the boat returned with the bread, I divided it among them, and I remarked with equal pleaſure and ſurpriſe, that if a bit of the biſcuit happened to fall, not one of them offered to touch it till I gave my conſent. In the mean time ſome of my people were cutting a little graſs for two or three ſheep which I had ſtill left on board, and at length the Indians perceiving what they were doing, ran immediately, and tearing up all the weeds they could get, carried them to the [81] boat,day Thurſday 4 which in a very ſhort time was filled almoſt up to her gunwale. I was much gratified by this token of their good⯑will, and I could perceive that they were pleaſed with the pleaſure that I expreſſed upon the occaſion; they had indeed taken ſuch a fancy to us, that when I returned on board the boar, they all got into their canoe, and followed me. When we came near the ſhip, however, they ſtopped, and gazed at her as if held in ſurpriſe by a mixture of aſtoniſhment and terror; but at laſt, though not without ſome difficulty, I pre⯑vailed upon four or five of them to venture on board. As ſoon as they entered the ſhip I made them ſeveral preſents, and in a very little time they appeared to be perfectly at eaſe. As I was very deſirous to entertain them, one of the midſhipmen played upon the violin, and ſome of my people danced; at this they were ſo much delighted, and ſo impa⯑tient to ſhow their gratitude, that one of them went over the ſhip's ſide into the canoe, and fetched up a ſeal ſkin bag of red paint, and immediately ſmeared the fiddler's face all over with it: he was very deſirous to pay me the ſame com⯑pliment, which however I thought fit to decline; but he made many very vigorous efforts to get the better of my mo⯑deſty, and it was not without ſome difficulty that I defended myſelf from receiving the honour he deſigned me in my own deſpight. After having diverted and entertained them ſeve⯑ral hours, I intimated that it would be proper for them to go on ſhore; but their attachment was ſuch, that it was by no means an eaſy matter to get them out of the ſhip. Their canoe was not of bark, but of planks ſewed together.

On Sunday the 7th,day Sunday 7 at ſix o'clock in the morning, we weighed, with a moderate breeze at E. N. E. and fine wea⯑ther. At ſeven, we were abreaſt of Cape Upright; and at noon, it bore E. S. E. diſtant four leagues: ſoon after we tried [82] the current,day Sunday 7 and found it ſet to the eaſtward at the rate of a knot and an half an hour. At three it fell calm, and the current driving us to the eaſtward very faſt, we dropped an anchor, which before it took the ground was in one hun⯑dred and twenty fathom.

This day, and not before, the Tamar's boat returned from the weſtward: ſhe had been within two or three leagues of Cape Pillar, and had found ſeveral very good anchoring-places on the ſouth more.

At one o'clock the next morning,day Monday 8 having a freſh gale at weſt, we weighed, notwithſtanding the weather was thick, and made ſail; at eleven it blew very hard, with violent rain and a great ſea, and as we perceived that we rather loſt than gained ground, we ſtood in for a bay on the ſouth ſhore, about four leagues to the weſtward of Cape Upright, and anchored in twenty fathom: the ground was not good, but in other reſpects this was one of the beſt harbours that we had met with in the Streight, for it was impoſſible that any wind ſhould hurt us. There being leſs wind in the after⯑noon, and it inclining a little towards the ſouth, we un⯑moored at two, and at four, the wind having then come round to the S. S. E. and being a moderate breeze, we weighed and ſteered to the weſtward: we made about two leagues and an half, but night then coming on, we an⯑chored, not without great difficulty, in a very good bay on the ſouth ſhore in twenty fathom. As very violent guſts came from the land, we were very near being driven off be⯑fore we could let go an anchor, and if we had not at laſt ſucceeded we muſt have paſſed a dreadful night in the Streight; for it blew a hurricane from the time we came to an anchor till the morning, with violent rain, which was ſometimes intermingled with ſnow.

[83]At ſix o'clock,day Tueſday 9 the wind being ſtill freſh and ſqually at S. S. E. we weighed and ſteered W. by N. along the ſouth ſhore. At eleven, we were abreaſt of Cape Pillar, which by compaſs is about fourteen leagues W. ½ N. from Cape Up⯑right. Cape Pillar may be known by a large gap upon the top, and when it bears W.S.W. an iſland appears off it which has an appearance ſomewhat like a hay-ſtack, and about which lie ſeveral rocks. The Streight to the eaſtward of the Cape is between ſeven and eight leagues over; the land on each ſide is of a moderate height, but it is loweſt on the north ſhore, the ſouth ſhore being much the boldeſt, though both are craggy and broken. Weſtminſter Iſland is nearer to the north than the ſouth ſhore; and, by the compaſs, lies N. E. from Cape Pillar. The land on the north ſhore, near the weſt end of the Streight, makes in many iſlands and rocks, upon which the ſea breaks in a tremendous manner. The land about Cape Victory is diſtant from Cape Pillar about ten or eleven leagues, in the direction of N. W. by N. From the Cape weſtward, the coaſt trends S. S. W. ½ W. to Cape Deſeada, a low point, off which lie innumerable rocks and breakers. About four leagues W. S. W. from Cape Deſeada lie ſome dangerous rocks, called by Sir John Nar⯑borough the Judges, upon which a mountainous ſurf al⯑ways breaks with inconceivable fury. Four ſmall iſlands, called the Iſlands of Direction, are diſtant from Cape Pillar about eight leagues, in the direction of N. W. by W. When we were off this Cape it was ſtark calm; but I never ſaw ſuch a ſwell as rolled in here, nor ſuch a ſurge as broke on each ſhore. I expected every moment that the wind would ſpring up from its uſual quarter, and that the beſt which could happen to us would be to be driven many leagues up the ſtreight again. Contrary however to all expectation, a [84] fine ſteady gale ſprung up at S. E. to which I ſpread all the ſail that it was poſſible for the ſhip to bear,day Tueſday 9 and ran off from this frightful and deſolate coaſt at the rate of nine miles an hour; ſo that by eight o'clock in the evening we had left it twenty leagues behind us. And now to make the ſhip as ſtiff as poſſible, I knocked down our after bulk-head, and got two of the boats under the half-deck, I alſo placed my twelve oared cutter under the boom; ſo that we had no⯑thing upon the ſkids but the jolly boat; and the alteration which this made in the veſſel is inconceivable: for the weight of the boats upon the ſkids made her crank, and in a great ſea they were alſo in danger of being loſt.

It is probable, that whoever ſhall read this account of the difficulties and dangers which attended our paſſage through the Streight of Magellan, will conclude, that it ought never to be attempted again; but that all ſhips which ſhall here⯑after ſail a weſtern courſe from Europe into the South Seas ought to go round Cape Horn. I, however, who have been twice round Cape Horn, am of a different opinion. I think that at a proper ſeaſon of the year, not only a ſingle veſſel, but a large ſquadron might paſs the Streight in leſs than three weeks; and I think, to take the proper ſeaſon, they ſhould be at the eaſtern entrance ſome time in the month of December. One great advantage of this paſſage, is the faci⯑lity with which fiſh is almoſt every where to be procured, with wild celery, ſcurvy-graſs, berries, and many other vegetables in great abundance; for to this I impute the heathineſs of my ſhip's company, not a ſingle man being affected with the ſcurvy in the ſlighteſt degree, nor upon the ſick liſt for any other diſorder, notwithſtanding the hardſhip and labour which they endured in the paſſage, which coſt us ſeven weeks and two days, as we entered [85] the Streight on Sunday the 17th of February,day Tueſday 9 and quitted it on Tueſday the 9th of April. Wood and water are alſo to be procured almoſt at every anchoring-place beyond Freſh Water Bay. Our ſufferings I impute wholly to our paſſing the Streight juſt as the ſun approached the equinox, when, in this high latitude, the worſt weather was to be expected; and indeed the weather we had was dreadful beyond all deſcription.

CHAP. VIII. The Run from the Weſtern Entrance of the Streight of Magellan, to the Iſlands of Diſappointment.

HAVING cleared the Streight, we purſued our courſe to the weſtward, as appears by the track in the chart, till Friday, April the 26th,day Friday 26 when we diſcovered the iſland of Maſafuero bearing W. N. W. ½ W. diſtant about ſixteen leagues; but as to the northward it was hazey, the iſland of Don Juan Fernandes was not in ſight. During this run, the variation had gradually decreaſed from 22° to 9° 36′ E.

We bore away for Maſafuero, and at ſun-ſet, being within about ſeven leagues of it, we brought to, and afterwards kept the wind all night.day Saturday 27 At day-break the next day, we bore away again for the iſland, at the ſame time ſending an officer, with a boat from each ſhip, to ſound the eaſtern ſide of it. About noon, the middle of the iſland bore W. diſtant about three miles, and as I ſaw the boats run along the ſhore, without being able to land any where for the ſurf, I bore down to the north part of the iſland, off which a reef runs for the diſtance of about two miles, and lay by for them. This iſland is very high, and the greater part of it is covered with wood; but towards the north end, where I lay, ſome ſpots ſeemed to have been cleared, upon which great numbers of goats were feeding, and they had a green and pleaſant appearance. When the boats returned, the officer informed me that he had found a bank, on the eaſt ſide of the iſland neareſt to the ſouth point, at a conſiderable diſtance from the ſhore, where we might anchor, and op⯑poſite [87] to which there was a fine fall of freſh water; day Saturday 27 but near the north point, he ſaid, he could find no anchorage. The boats brought off a great quantity of very fine fiſh, which they had caught with hook and line near the ſhore; and as ſoon as we had taken them on board, which was late in the afternoon, we made ſail, and worked to windward in the night.

At ſeven o'clock in the morning,day Sunday 28 we anchored with the ſmall bower, on the bank which the boats had diſcovered, in twenty-four fathom, with black ſandy ground. The ex⯑tream points bore from S. to N. W. and the fall of water bore S. S. W. diſtant about a mile from the ſhip's ſtation. This part of the iſland lies north and ſouth, and is about four miles long: the ſoundings are very regular, from twenty to fifteen fathom, within two cables' length of the ſhore. Soon after we were come to an anchor, I ſent out the boats to en⯑deavour to get ſome wood and water, but as I obſerved the ſhore to be rocky, and a ſurf to break with great violence upon it, I ordered all the men to put on cork jackets, which had been ſent with us to be made uſe of upon ſuch occaſions. By the help of theſe jackets, which not only aſſiſted the men in ſwimming, but prevented their being bruiſed againſt the rocks, we got off a conſiderable quantity of water and wood, which, without ſuch aſſiſtance, we could not have done: there was, however, another ſpecies of danger here, againſt which cork jackets afforded no defence, for the ſea abounded with ſharks of an enormous ſize, which, when they ſaw a man in the water, would dart into the very ſurf to ſeize him: our people, however, happily eſcaped them, though they were many times very near: one of them, which was upwards of twenty feet long, came cloſe to one of the boats that was watering, and having ſeized a large ſeal, inſtantly devoured it at one mouthful; and I myſelf ſaw another [88] of nearly the ſame ſize,day Sunday 28 do the ſame thing under the ſhip's ſtern. Our people killed and ſent off ſeveral of the goats, which we thought as good as the beſt veniſon in England; and I obſerved, that one of them appeared to have been caught and marked, its right ear being ſlit in a manner that could not have happened by accident. We had alſo fiſh in ſuch plenty, that one boat would, with hooks and lines, catch, in a few hours, as much as would ſerve a large ſhip's company two days: they were of various ſorts, all excellent in their kind, and many of them weighed from twenty to thirty pounds.

This evening, the ſurf running very high, the gunner and one of the ſeamen who were on ſhore with the water⯑ers, were afraid to venture off, and the boat therefore, when ſhe came on board the laſt time, left them behind her.

The next day we found a more convenient watering-place,day Monday 29 about a mile and a half to the northward of the ſhip, and about the middle-way between the north and ſouth points of the iſland, there being at this place leſs ſurf than where the boats firſt went on ſhore. The tide here ſet twelve hours to the northward, and twelve to the ſouthward, which we found very convenient, for as the wind was ſoutherly, with a great ſwell, the boats could not otherwiſe have got on board with their water. We got off ten tons of water from the new watering-place this day, and in the afternoon, I ſent a boat to fetch off the gunner and ſeaman, who had been left on ſhore at the old watering-place the night before; but the ſurf was ſtill ſo great, that the ſeaman, who could not ſwim, was afraid to venture: he was therefore again left behind, and the gunner ſtayed with him.

As ſoon as this was reported to me, I ſent another boat to inform them that as, by the appearances of the weather, [89] there was reaſon to believe it would ſoon blow hard,day Monday 29 I was afraid I might be driven off the bank in the night, the con⯑ſequence of which would be that they muſt be left behind upon the iſland. When the boat came to the ſurf, the people on board delivered my meſſage, upon which the gunner ſwam through the ſurf, and got on board her; but the ſeaman, though he had a cork jacket on, ſaid he was ſure he ſhould be drowned if he attempted to get off to the boat, and that, chuſing rather to die a natural death, he was determined at all events to remain upon the iſland: he then took an affectionate leave of the people, wiſhing them all happineſs, and the people on board returned his good wiſhes. One of the midſhipmen, however, juſt as the boat was about to return, took the end of a rope in his hand, jumped into the ſea, and ſwam through the ſurf to the beach, where poor John ſtill continued ruminating upon his ſituation, in a dejected attitude, and with a moſt diſcon⯑ſolate length of countenance. The midſhipman began to expoſtulate with him upon the ſtrange reſolution he had taken, and in the mean time having made a running knot in his rope, he dexterouſly contrived to throw it round his body, calling out to his companions in the boat, who had hold of the other end of it, to haul away; they inſtantly took the hint, and the poor ſeceder was very ſoon dragged through the ſurf into the boat: he had, however, ſwallowed ſo great a quantity of water, that he was to all appearance dead, but being held up by the heels, he ſoon recovered his ſpeech and motion, and was perfectly well the next day. In the evening, I removed Captain Mouat from the Tamar, and appointed him Captain of the Dolphin, under me; Mr. Cumming, my Firſt Lieutenant, I appointed Captain of the Tamar, taking Mr. Carteret, her Firſt Lieutenant, on board [90] in his room, and gave Mr. Kendal, one of the mates of the Dolphin, a commiſſion as Second Lieutenant of the Tamar.

On the 30th,day Tueſday 30 at ſeven o'clock in the morning, we weighed, and ſteered to the northward, along the eaſt and north eaſt ſide of the iſland, but could find no anchoring-place; we bore away therefore, with a freſh gale at S. E. and hazey weather, and at noon, the middle of the iſland was diſtant eight leagues, in the direction of S. S. E. I continued to ſteer N. 3° W. the next day,month May day Wedneſ. 1 day Thurſday 2 and at noon on the 2d of May, I changed my courſe, and ſteered W. intending, if poſſible, to make the land, which is called Davis's Land in the charts, and is laid down in latitude 27° 30′ S. and about five hundred leagues weſt of Copiapo in Chili; day Thurſday 9 but on the 9th, finding little proſpect of getting to the weſtward, in the latitude which I at firſt propoſed, being then in latitude 26° 46′ S., longitude 94° 45′ W. and having a great run to make, I determined to ſteer a north weſt courſe till I got the true trade-wind, and then to ſtand to the weſtward till I ſhould fall in with Solo⯑mon's Iſlands, if any ſuch there were, or make ſome new diſcovery.

On the 10th,day Friday 10 we ſaw ſeveral dolphins and bonettas about the ſhip,day Saturday 11 and the next day ſome ſtraggling birds, which were brown on the back and the upper part of their wings, and white on the reſt of the body, with a ſhort beak, and a ſhort pointed tail. The variation was now decreaſed to 4° 45′ E. our latitude was 24° 30′ S. our longitude 97° 45′ W.

On the 14th,day Tueſday 14 we ſaw ſeveral grampuſes, and more of the birds which have juſt been deſcribed, ſo that, imagining we might be near ſome land, we kept a good look-out, but ſaw nothing. In latitude 23° 2′ S. longitude 101° 28′ W. the variation, by azimuth, was 3° 20′ E.

[91]On the morning of the 16th,day Thurſday 16 we ſaw two very remarkable birds; they flew very high, were as large as geeſe, and all over as white as ſnow, except their legs, which were black: I now began to imagine that I had paſſed ſome land, or iſlands, which lay to the ſouthward of us, for the laſt night we obſerved, that, although we had generally a great ſwell from that quarter, the water became quite ſmooth for a few hours, after which the ſwell returned.

On the 22d, being in latitude 20° 52′ S.,day Wedneſ. 22 longitude 115° 38′ W. with a faint breeze at E. S. E. we had ſo great a ſwell from the ſouthward, that we were in perpetual danger of our maſts rolling over the ſhip's ſide, ſo that I was obliged to haul more to the northward, as well to eaſe the ſhip, as in hopes of getting the true trade-wind, which we had not yet; and now to my great concern ſome of my beſt men began to complain of the ſcurvy. This day, for the firſt time, we caught two bonettas; we alſo ſaw ſeveral tropic birds about the ſhip, and obſerved that they were larger than any we had ſeen before; their whole plumage was white, and they had two long feathers in the tail. The va⯑riation now had changed its direction, and was 19′ W.

On the 26th, we ſaw two large birds about the ſhip,day Sunday 26 which were all black, except the neck and the beak, which were white; they had long wings, and long feathers in their tail, yet we obſerved that they flew heavily, and there⯑fore imagined that they were of a ſpecies which did not uſually fly far from the ſhore. I had flattered myſelf, that, before we had run ſix degrees to the northward of Maſa⯑fuero, we ſhould have found a ſettled trade-wind to the S. E. but the winds ſtill continued to the north, though we had a mountainous ſwell from the S. W. Our latitude was now 16° 55′ S., longitude 127° 5′ W. and here the needle, at this time, had no variation.

[92]On the 28th,day Tueſday 28 we ſaw two fine large birds about the ſhip, one of which was brown and white, and the other black and white; they wanted much to ſettle upon the yards, but the working of the ſhip frighted them.

On the 31ſt,day Friday 31 the wind ſhifted from N. by W. to N. W. by W. and the number of birds that were now about the ſhip was very great; from theſe circumſtances, and our having loſt the great ſouth weſt ſwell, I imagined ſome land to be near, and we looked out for it with great diligence, for our people began now to fall down with the ſcurvy very faſt.

We ſaw no land however till one o'clock in the morning of Friday the 7th of June,month June day Friday 7 when we were in latitude 14° 5′ S., longitude 144° 58′ W.; and obſerved the variation to be 4° 30′ E. After making the land, I hauled upon a wind un⯑der an eaſy ſail till the morning, and then a low ſmall iſland bore from us W. S. W. at the diſtance of about two leagues. In a very ſhort time we ſaw another iſland to windward of us, bearing E.S.E. diſtant between three and four leagues: this appeared to be much larger than that which we firſt diſcovered, and we muſt have paſſed very near it in the night.

I ſtood for the ſmall iſland, which as we drew near it had a moſt beautiful appearance; it was ſurrounded by a beach of the fineſt white ſand, and within, it was covered with tall trees, which extended their ſhade to a great diſtance, and formed the moſt delightful groves that can be imagined, without underwood. We judged this iſland to be about five miles in circumference, and from each end of it we ſaw a ſpit running out into the ſea, upon which the ſurge broke with great fury; there was alſo a great ſurf all round it. We ſoon perceived that it was inhabited; for many of the natives appeared upon the beach, with ſpears in their hands [93] that were at leaſt ſixteen feet long.day Friday 7 They preſently made ſeveral large fires, which we ſuppoſed to be a ſignal; for we immediately perceived ſeveral fires upon the larger iſland that was to windward of us, by which we knew that alſo to be inhabited. I ſent the boat with an officer to look for an anchoring-place, who, to our great regret and diſap⯑pointment, returned with an account that he had been all round the iſland, and that no bottom could be found within leſs than a cable's length of the ſhore, which was ſurrounded cloſe to the beach with a ſteep coral rock. The ſcurvy by this time had made dreadful havock among us, many of my beſt men being now confined to their hammocks; the poor wretches who were able to crawl upon the deck, ſtood gazing at this little paradiſe which Nature had forbidden them to enter, with ſenſations which cannot eaſily be con⯑ceived; they ſaw cocoa-nuts in great abundance, the milk of which is perhaps the moſt powerful antiſcorbutic in the world: they had reaſon to ſuppoſe that there were limes, bananas, and other fruits which are generally found be⯑tween the tropics; and to increaſe their mortification they ſaw the ſhells of many turtle ſcattered about the ſhore. Theſe refreſhments, indeed, for want of which they were languiſhing to death, were as effectually beyond their reach as if there had been half the circumference of the world between them; yet their being in ſight, was no in⯑conſiderable increaſe of the diſtreſs which they ſuffered by the want of them. Their ſituation in itſelf indeed was no worſe than it would have been if the obſtacle to their wiſhes had been diſtance, and not a reef of rocks; and both being alike inſuperable, a Being wholly under the influence of reaſon, would, by both, have been equally affected; but this is a ſituation, among many others, that may be remarked by a diligent obſerver, in which reaſon cannot preſerve man [94] kind from the power which fancy is perpetually exerting to aggravate the calamities of life.day Friday 7 When I knew the ſound⯑ings, I could not forbear ſtanding cloſe round the iſland with the ſhip, though I alſo knew it was impoſſible to procure any of the refreſhments which it produced. The natives ran along the ſhore abreaſt of the ſhip, ſhouting and dancing; they alſo frequently brandiſhed their long ſpears, and then threw themſelves backward, and lay a few minutes motionleſs, as if they had been dead: this we underſtood as a menace that they would kill us, if we ventured to go on ſhore. As we were ſailing along the coaſt, we took notice that in one place the natives had fixed upright in the ſand two ſpears, to the top of which they had faſtened ſeveral things that flut⯑tered in the air, and that ſome of them were every moment kneeling down before them, as we ſuppoſed, invoking the aſſiſtance of ſome inviſible Being to defend them againſt us. While I was thus circumnavigating the iſland with the ſhip, I ſent the boats out again to ſound, and when they came near the ſhore, the Indians ſet up one of the moſt hi⯑deous yells I had ever heard, pointing at the ſame time to their ſpears, and poiſing in their hands large ſtones which they took up from the beach. Our men on the contrary made all the ſigns of amity and good-will that they could deviſe, and at the ſame time threw them bread and many other things, none of which they vouchſafed ſo much as to touch, but with great expedition hauled five or ſix large canoes, which we ſaw lying upon the beach, up into the wood. When this was done, they waded into the water, and ſeemed to watch for an opportunity of laying hold of the boat, that they might drag her on ſhore: the people on board her, apprehending that this was their deſign, and that if they got them on ſhore they would certainly put them to death, were very impatient to be before-hand with them, [95] and would fain have fired upon them; day Friday 7 but the officer on board, having no permiſſion from me to commit any hoſti⯑lities, reſtrained them. I ſhould indeed have thought my⯑ſelf at liberty to have obtained by force the refreſhments, for want of which our people were dying, if it had been poſſible to have come to an anchor, ſuppoſing we could not have made theſe poor ſavages our friends; but nothing could juſtify the taking away their lives for a mere imagi⯑nary or intentional injury, without procuring the leaſt ad⯑vantage to ourſelves. They were of a deep copper colour, exceedingly ſtout and well limbed, and remarkably nimble and active, for I never ſaw men run ſo faſt in my life. This iſland lies in latitude 14° 5′ S., longitude 145° 4′ W. from the meridian of London. As the boats reported a ſecond time that there was no anchoring ground about this iſland, I determined to work up to the other, which was accord⯑ingly done all the reſt of the day and the following night.

At ſix o'clock in the morning of the 8th,day Saturday 8 we brought to on the weſt ſide of it, at the diſtance of about three quarters of a mile from the ſhore, but we had no ſoundings with one hundred and forty fathom of line. We now perceived ſeveral other low iſlands, or rather peninſulas, moſt of them being joined one to the other by a neck of land, very nar⯑row, and almoſt level with the ſurface of the water, which breaks high over it. In approaching theſe iſlands the cocoa⯑nut trees are firſt diſcovered, as they are higher than any part of the ſurface. I ſent a boat with an officer from each ſhip to ſound the lee-ſide of theſe iſlands for an anchoring-place; and as ſoon as they left the ſhip, I ſaw the Indians run down to the beach in great numbers, armed with long ſpears and clubs: they kept abreaſt of the boats as they went ſounding along the ſhore, and uſed many threatening [96] geſtures to prevent their landing,day Saturday 8 I therefore fired a nine pound ſhot from the ſhip over their heads, upon which they ran into the woods with great precipitation. At ten o'clock the boats returned, but could get no ſoundings cloſe in with the ſurf, which broke very high upon the ſhore. The middle of this cluſter of iſlands lies in latitude 14° 10′ S., lon⯑gitude 144° 52′ W.; the variation of the compaſs was here 4° 30′ E.

At half an hour after ten, we bore away and made ſail to the weſtward, finding it impoſſible to procure at theſe iſlands any refreſhment for our ſick, whoſe ſituation was becoming more deplorable every hour, and I therefore called them the ISLANDS OF DISAPPOINTMENT.

CHAP. IX. The Diſcovery of King George's Iſlands, with a Deſcrip⯑tion of them, and an Account of ſeveral Incidents that happened there.

AT half an hour after five o'clock in the afternoon of the 9th. we ſaw land again,day Sunday 9 bearing W. S. W. at the diſtance of ſix or ſeven leagues; and at ſeven we brought to for the night. In the morning,day Monday 10 being within three miles of the ſhore, we diſcovered it to be a long low iſland, with a white beach, of a pleaſant appearance, full of cocoa-nut and other trees, and ſurrounded with a rock of red coral. We ſtood along the north eaſt ſide of it, within half a mile of the ſhore; and the ſavages, as ſoon as they ſaw us, made great fires, as we ſuppoſed, to alarm the diſtant inhabitants of the iſland, and ran along the beach, abreaſt of the ſhip, in great numbers, armed in the ſame manner as the natives of the Iſlands of Diſappointment. Over the land on this ſide of the iſland we could ſee a large lake of ſalt water, or la⯑goon, which appeared to be two or three leagues wide, and to reach within a ſmall diſtance of the oppoſite ſhore. Into this lagoon we ſaw a ſmall inlet about a league from the ſouth weſt point, off which we brought to. At this place the natives have built a little town, under the ſhade of a fine grove of cocoa-nut trees. I immediately ſent off the boats, with an officer in each, to ſound; but they could find no anchorage, the ſhore being every where as ſteep as a wall, except at the very mouth of the inlet, which was [98] ſcarcely a ſhip's length wide,day Monday 10 and there they had thirteen fathom, with a bottom of coral rock. We ſtood cloſe in with the ſhips, and ſaw hundreds of the ſavages, ranged in very good order, and ſtanding up to their waiſts in water; they were all armed in the ſame manner as thoſe that we had ſeen at the other iſlands, and one of them carried a piece of mat faſtened to the top of a pole, which we ima⯑gined was an enſign. They made a moſt hideous and inceſ⯑ſant noiſe, and in a ſhort time many large canoes came down the lake to join them. Our boats were ſtill out, and the people on board them made all the ſigns of friendſhip that they could invent, upon which ſome of the canoes came through the inlet and drew near them. We now began to hope that a friendly intercourſe might be eſtabliſhed; but we ſoon diſcovered that the Indians had no other deſign than to haul the boats on ſhore: many of them leaped off the rocks, and ſwam to them; and one of them got into that which belonged to the Tamar, and in the twinkling of an eye ſeized a ſeaman's jacket, and jumping overboard with it, never once appeared above water till he was cloſe in ſhore among his companions. Another of them got hold of a midſhipman's hat, but not knowing how to take it off, he pulled it downward inſtead of lifting it up; ſo that the owner had time to prevent its being taken away, otherwiſe it would probably have diſappeared as ſuddenly as the jacket; our men bore all this with much patience, and the Indians ſeemed to triumph in their impunity.

About noon, finding there was no anchorage here, I bore away and ſteered along the ſhore to the weſtermoſt point of the iſland: the boats immediately followed us, and kept founding cloſe to the beach, but could get no ground.

[99]When we came to the weſtermoſt point of this iſland,day Monday 10 we ſaw another, bearing S. W. by W. about four leagues diſtant. We were at this time about a league beyond the inlet where we had left the natives, but they were not ſatisfied with having got rid of us quietly; for I now perceived two large double canoes ſailing after the ſhip, with about thirty men in each, all armed after the manner of their country. The boats were a good way to leeward of us, and the canoes, paſſing between the ſhip and the ſhore, ſeemed very eagerly to give them chace. Upon this I made the ſignal for the boats to ſpeak with the canoes, and as ſoon as they per⯑ceived it, they turned, and made towards the Indians, who ſeeing this, were ſeized with a ſudden pannic, and imme⯑diately hauling down their ſails, paddled back again at a ſurpriſing rate. Our boats however came up with them; but notwithſtanding the dreadful ſurf that broke upon the ſhore, the canoes puſhed through it, and the Indians immediately hauled them up upon the beach. Our boats followed them, and the Indians, dreading an invaſion of their coaſt, prepared to defend it with clubs and ſtones, upon which our men fired, and killed two or three of them: one of them received three balls which went quite through his body; yet he af⯑terwards took up a large ſtone, and died in the action of throwing it againſt his enemy. This man fell cloſe to our boats, ſo that the Indians who remained unhurt did not dare to attempt the carrying off his body, which gave us an opportunity to examine it; but they carried off the reſt of their dead, and made the beſt of their way back to their companions at the inlet. Our boats then returned, and brought off the two canoes which they had purſued. One of them was thirty-two feet long, and the other ſomewhat leſs, but they were both of a very curious conſtruction, and [100] muſt have coſt thoſe who made them infinite labour.day Monday 10 They conſiſted of planks exceedingly well wrought, and in many places adorned with carving; theſe planks were ſewed to⯑gether, and over every ſeam there was a ſtrip of tortoiſe-ſhell, very artificially faſtened, to keep out the weather: their bottoms were as ſharp as a wedge, and they were very nar⯑row; and therefore two of them were joined laterally to⯑gether by a couple of ſtrong ſpars, ſo that there was a ſpace of about ſix or eight feet between them: a maſt was hoiſted in each of them, and the ſail was ſpread between the maſts: the ſail, which I preſerved, and which is now in my poſſeſ⯑ſion, is made of matting, and is as neat a piece of work as ever I ſaw: their paddles were very curious, and their cord⯑age was as good and as well laid as any in England, though it appeared to be made of the outer covering of the cocoa-nut. When theſe veſſels ſail, ſeveral men fit upon the ſpars which hold the canoes together.

As the ſurf which broke very high upon the ſhore ren⯑dered it impoſſible to procure refreſhments for the ſick in this part of the iſland, I hauled the wind, and worked back to the inlet, being determined to try once more what could be done there.

I recovered that ſtation in the afternoon, and immediately ſent the boats to ſound the inlet again, but they confirmed the account which had been made before, that it afforded no anchorage for a ſhip. While the boats were abſent, I ob⯑ſerved a great number of the natives upon the point near the ſpot where we had left them in the morning, and they ſeemed to be very buſy in loading a great number of large canoes which lay cloſe to the beach. As I thought they might be troubleſome, and was unwilling that they ſhould ſuffer [101] by another unequal conteſt with our people,day Monday 10 I fired a ſhot over their heads which produced the effect I intended, for they all diſappeared in a moment.

Juſt before the evening cloſed in, our boats landed, and got a few cocoa-nuts which they brought off, but ſaw none of the inhabitants. In the night, during which we had rain and hard ſqualls, I ſtood off and on with the ſhips, and at ſeven o'clock in the morning brought to off the inlet.day Tueſday 11 I im⯑mediately ſent the boats on ſhore in ſearch of refreſhments, and made all the men who were not ſo ill of the ſcurvy as to be laid up, go in them; I alſo went on ſhore myſelf, and continued there the whole day. We ſaw many houſes or wigwams of the natives, but they were totally deſerted, except by the dogs, who kept an inceſſant howling from the time we came on ſhore till we returned to the ſhip: they were low mean hovels, thatched with cocoa-nut branches; but they were moſt delightfully ſituated in a fine grove of ſtately trees, many of which were the cocoa-nut, and many ſuch as we were utterly unacquainted with. The cocoa-nut trees ſeem to furniſh them with almoſt all the neceſſa⯑ries of life; particularly food, ſails, cordage, timber, and veſſels to hold water; ſo that probably theſe people always fix their habitations where the trees abound. We obſerved the ſhore to be covered with coral, and the ſhells of very large pearl oyſters; ſo that I make no doubt but that as pro⯑fitable a pearl fiſhery might be eſtabliſhed here as any in the world. We ſaw but little of the people, except at a diſtance; we could however perceive that the women had a piece of cloth of ſome kind, probably fabricated of the ſame ſtuff as their ſail, hanging from the waiſt as low as the knee; the men were naked.

[102]Our people,day Tueſday 11 in rummaging ſome of the huts, found the carved head of a rudder, which had manifeſtly belonged to a Dutch longboat, and was very old and worm-eaten. They found alſo a piece of hammered-iron, a piece of braſs, and ſome ſmall iron tools, which the anceſtors of the preſent in⯑habitants of this place probably obtained from the Dutch ſhip to which the longboat had belonged, all which I brought away with me. Whether theſe people found means to cut off the ſhip, or whether ſhe was loſt upon the iſland or after ſhe left it, cannot be known; but there is reaſon to believe that ſhe never returned to Europe, becauſe no ac⯑count of her voyage, or of any diſcoveries that ſhe made, is extant. If the ſhip ſailed from this place in ſafety, it is not perhaps eaſy to account for her leaving the rudder of her longboat behind her; and if ſhe was cut off by the natives, there muſt be much more conſiderable remains of her in the iſland, eſpecially of her iron-work, upon which all Indian na⯑tions, who have no metal, ſet the higheſt value; we had no opportunities however to examine this matter farther. The hammered-iron, braſs, and iron tools, I brought away with me; but we found a tool exactly in the form of a carpen⯑ter's adze, the blade of which was a pearl oyſter-ſhell; poſ⯑ſibly this might have been made in imitation of an adze which had belonged to the carpenter of the Dutch ſhip, for among the tools that I brought away there was one which ſeemed to be the remains of ſuch an implement, though it was worn away almoſt to nothing.

Cloſe to the houſes of theſe people, we ſaw buildings of another kind, which appeared to be burying-places, and from which we judged that they had great veneration for their dead. They were ſituated under lofty trees, that gave a thick ſhade; the ſides and tops were of ſtone; and in their [103] figure they ſomewhat reſembled the ſquare tombs,day Tueſday 11 with a flat top, which are always to be found in our country church⯑yards. Near theſe buildings we found many neat boxes full of human bones, and upon the branches of the trees which ſhaded them, hung a great number of the heads and bones of turtle, and a variety of fiſh, incloſed in a kind of baſket⯑work of reeds: ſome of the fiſh we took down, and found that nothing remained but the ſkin and the teeth; the bones and entrails ſeemed to have been extracted, and the muſcular fleſh dried away.

We ſent off ſeveral boat-loads of cocoa-nuts, and a great quantity of ſcurvy-graſs, with which the iſland is covered; refreſhments which were of infinite ſervice to us, as by this time I believe there was not a man among us wholly un⯑touched by the ſcurvy.

The freſh water here is very good, but it is ſcarce; the wells which ſupply the natives are ſo ſmall, that when two or three cocoa-nut ſhells have been filled from them, they are dry for a few minutes; but as they preſently fill again, if a little pains were taken to enlarge them, they would abundantly ſupply any ſhip with water.

We ſaw no venomous creature here; but the flies were an intolerable torment, they covered us from head to foot, and filled not only the boat, but the ſhips. We ſaw great num⯑bers of parrots and parroquets, and ſeveral other birds which were altogether unknown to us; we ſaw alſo a beautiful kind of dove, ſo tame that ſome of them frequently came cloſe to us, and even followed us into the Indian huts.

All this day the natives kept themſelves cloſely concealed, and did not even make a ſmoke upon any part of the iſlands as far as we could ſee; probably fearing that a ſmoke might [104] diſcover the place of their retreat.day Tueſday 11 In the evening, we all returned on board the ſhip.

This part of the iſland lies in latitude 14° 29′ S., longitude 148° 50′ W. and after I got on board, I hauled a little way farther from the ſhore, intending to viſit the other iſland in the morning, which had been ſeen to the weſtward of that before which the ſhip lay, and which is diſtant about ſixty-nine leagues from the Iſlands of Diſappointment, in the di⯑rection of W. ½ S.

The next morning,day Wedneſ. 12 at ſix o'clock, I made ſail for the iſland which I intended to viſit, and when I reached it, I ſteered S. W. by W. cloſe along the north eaſt ſide of it, but could get no ſoundings: this ſide is about ſix or ſeven leagues long, and the whole makes much the ſame appearance as the other, having a large ſalt water lake in the middle of it. As ſoon as the ſhip came in ſight, the natives ran down to the beach in great numbers: they were armed in the ſame man⯑ner as thoſe that we had ſeen upon the other iſland, and kept abreaſt of the ſhip for ſeveral leagues. As the heat of this climate is very great, they ſeemed to ſuffer much by run⯑ning ſo far in the ſun, for they ſometimes plunged into the ſea, and ſometimes fell flat upon the ſand, that the ſurf might break over them, after which they renewed the race with great vigour. Our boats were at this time ſounding along the ſhore, as uſual, but I had given ſtrict orders to the officers who commanded them never to moleſt the natives, except it ſhould become abſolutely neceſſary for their own defence, but to try all poſſible means to obtain their confi⯑dence and good-will: our people therefore went as near to the ſhore as they durſt for the ſurf, and made ſigns that they wanted water; the Indians readily underſtood them, and directed them to run down farther along the ſhore, [105] which they did,day Wedneſ. 12 till they came abreaſt of ſuch a cluſter of houſes as we had juſt left upon the other iſland; to this place the Indians ſtill followed them, and were there joined by many others: the boats immediately hauled cloſe into the ſurf, and we brought to, with the ſhips, at a little diſtance from the ſhore, upon which a ſtout old man, with a long white beard, that gave him a very venerable appearance, came down from the houſes to the beach. He was attended by a young man, and appeared to have the authority of a Chief or King: the reſt of the Indians, at a ſignal which he made, retired to a little diſtance, and he then advanced quite to the water's edge; in one hand he held the green branch of a tree, and in the other he graſped his beard, which he preſſed to his boſom; in this attitude he made a long oration, or rather ſong, for it had a muſical cadence which was by no means diſagreeable. We regretted infinitely that we could not underſtand what he ſaid to us, and not leſs that he could not underſtand any thing which we ſhould ſay to him; to ſhew our good-will, however, we threw him ſome trifling preſents, while he was yet ſpeaking, but he would neither touch them himſelf, nor ſuffer them to be touched by others till he had done: he then walked into the water, and threw our people the green branch, after which he took up the things which had been thrown from the boats. Every thing now having a friendly appearance, our people made ſigns that they ſhould lay down their arms, and moſt of them having complied, one of the midſhipmen, encouraged by this teſtimony of confidence and friendſhip, leaped out of the boat with his clothes on, and ſwam through the ſurf to the ſhore. The Indians immediately gathered round him, and began to examine his clothes with great curioſity; they ſeemed particularly to admire his waiſtcoat, and being willing to gratify his new friends, he took it off, and pre⯑ſented [106] it to them; day Wedneſ. 12 this courteſy, however, produced a diſ⯑agreeable effect, for he had no ſooner given away his waiſtcoat, than one of the Indians very ingeniouſly untied his cravat, and the next moment ſnatched it from his neck, and ran away with it. Our adventurer, therefore, to pre⯑vent his being ſtripped by piece-meal, made the beſt of his way back again to the boat: ſtill, however, we were upon good terms, and ſeveral of the Indians ſwam off to our people, ſome of them bringing a cocoa-nut, and others a little freſh water in a cocoa-nut ſhell. But the principal object of our boats, was to obtain ſome pearls; and the men, to aſſiſt them in explaining their meaning, had taken with them ſome of the pearl oyſter ſhells which they had found in great numbers upon the coaſt; but all their en⯑deavours were ineffectual, for they could not, even with this aſſiſtance, at all make themſelves underſtood. It is indeed probable that we ſhould have ſucceeded better, if an intercourſe of any kind could have been eſtabliſhed between us, but it was our misfortune that no anchorage could be found for the ſhips. As all Indians are fond of beads, it can ſcarcely be ſuppoſed that the pearls, which the oyſters at this place contained, were overlooked by the natives, and it is more than probable that if we could have continued here a few weeks, we might have obtained ſome of great value in exchange for nails, hatchets, and bill-hooks, upon which the natives, with more reaſon, ſet a much higher value. We obſerved, that in the lake, or lagoon, there were two or three very large veſſels, one of which had two maſts, and ſome cordage aloft to ſupport them.

To theſe two iſlands, I gave the name of KING GEORGE's ISLANDS,place K. George's Iſlands in honour of his Majeſty. That which we laſt viſited, lies in latitude 14° 41′ S., longitude 149° 15′ W.; the variation of the compaſs here was 5° E.

CHAP. X. The Run from King George's Iſlands to the Iſlands of Saypan, Tinian, and Aguigan; with an Account of ſeveral Iſlands that were diſcovered in that Track.

WE purſued our courſe to the weſtward the ſame day,day Thurſday 13 and the next, about three o'clock in the afternoon, we ſaw land again, bearing S. S. W. diſtant about ſix leagues. We immediately ſtood for it, and found it to be a low and very narrow iſland, lying eaſt and weſt: we ran along the ſouth ſide of it, which had a green and pleaſant appearance, but a dreadful ſurf breaks upon every part of it, with foul ground at ſome diſtance, and many rocks and ſmall iſlands ſcattered at about three leagues from the ſhore. We found it about twenty leagues in length, and it appeared to abound with inhabitants, though we could get only a tranſient glance of them as we paſſed along. To this place I gave the name of the PRINCE OF WALES's ISLAND.place Prince of Wales's Iſland It lies in latitude 15° S. and the weſtermoſt end of it in longitude 151° 53′ W. It is diſtant from King George's Iſlands about eight and forty leagues, in the direction of S. 80 W.; the variation here was 5° 30′ E.

From the weſtern extremity of this iſland, we ſteered N. 82 W. and at noon on the 16th, were in latitude 14° 28′ S.,day Sunday 16 longitude 156° 23′ W.; the variation being 7° 40′ E. The wind was now eaſterly, and we had again the ſame moun⯑tainous ſwell from the ſouthward that we had before we made the Iſlands of Direction, and which, from that time to [108] this day we had loſt:day Sunday 16 when we loſt that ſwell, and for ſome days before, we ſaw vaſt ſtocks of birds, which we obſerved always took their flight to the ſouthward when evening was coming on. Theſe appearances perſuaded me that there was land in the ſame direction, and I am of opinion, that if the winds had not failed me in the higher latitudes, I ſhould have fallen in with it: I would indeed at this time have hauled away to the ſouthward, and attempted the diſcovery, if our people had been healthy, for having obſerved that all the iſlands we had ſeen were full of inhabitants, I was ſtill more confirmed in my opinion; as I could account for their being peopled only by ſuppoſing a chain of iſlands reaching to a continent; but the ſickneſs of the crews, in both ſhips, was an inſuperable impediment.

The next day,day Monday 17 we again ſaw many birds of various ſorts about the ſhip, and therefore ſuppoſed that ſome other iſland was not far diſtant, for the ſwell continuing, I concluded that the land was not of very great extent: I proceeded, how⯑ever, with caution, for the iſlands in this part of the ocean render the navigation very dangerous, they being ſo low, that a ſhip may be cloſe in with them before they are ſeen. We ſaw nothing,day Tueſday 18 day Wedneſ. 19 day Thurſday 20 however, on the 18th, the 19th, nor the 20th, during which we continued to ſteer the ſame courſe, though the birds ſtill continued about the veſſel in great numbers. Our latitude was now 12° 33′ S., longitude 167° 47′ W. The Prince of Wales's Iſland was diſtant three hun⯑dred and thirteen leagues, and the variation of the needle was 9° 15′ E.day Friday 21 The next morning, about ſeven o'clock, we diſcovered a moſt dangerous reef of breakers, bearing S. S. W. and not farther diſtant than a ſingle league. In about half an hour afterwards, land was ſeen from the maſt-head, bearing W. N. W. and diſtant about eight leagues: it had the appearance of three iſlands, with rocks and broken [109] ground between them.day Friday 21 The ſouth eaſt ſide of theſe iſlands lies N. E. by N. and S. W. by S. and is about three leagues in length between the extream points, from both which a reef runs out, upon which the ſea breaks to a tremendous height. We ſailed round the north end, and upon the north weſt and weſt ſide, ſaw innumerable rocks and ſhoals, which ſtretched near two leagues into the ſea, and were extremely dangerous. The iſlands themſelves had a more fertile and beautiful appearance than any we had ſeen before, and, like the reſt, ſwarmed with people, whoſe habitations we ſaw ſtanding in cluſters all along the coaſt. We ſaw alſo a large veſſel under ſail, at a little diſtance from the ſhore; but to our unſpeakable regret we were obliged to leave the place without farther examination, for it was ſurrounded in every direction by rocks and breakers, which rendered the hazard more than equivalent to every advantage we might procure. At this time, I took theſe for part of the iſlands called Solo⯑mon's Iſlands, and was in hopes that I ſhould fall in with others of them, in ſome of which we might find an harbour.

The reef of rocks which we firſt ſaw as we approached theſe iſlands, lies in latitude 10° 15′ S., longitude 169° 28′ W. and it bears from Prince of Wales's Iſland N. 76° 48′ W. diſtant 352 leagues. The iſlands bear from the reef W. N.W. diſtant nine leagues: I called them the ISLANDS OF DANGER, and ſteered from them N. W. by W. allowing for the vari⯑ation.

After having ſeen the breakers ſoon after it was light in the morning, I told my officers that I apprehended we ſhould have frequent alarms in the night; at night, therefore, every body was upon the watch, which a very hard ſquall of wind, with rain, rendered the more neceſſary. About nine o'clock, having juſt gone down into my cabbin, I heard a [110] great noiſe above,day Friday 21 and when I enquired what was the mat⯑ter, I was told that the Tamar, who was ahead, had fired a gun, and that our people ſaw breakers to leeward: I ran inſtantly upon deck, and ſoon perceived that what had been taken for breakers was nothing more than the undulating reflection of the moon, which was going down, and ſhone faintly from behind a cloud in the horizon; we therefore bore away after the Tamar, but did not get ſight of her till an hour afterwards.

Nothing worthy of notice happened till Monday the 24th,day Monday 24 when, about ten o'clock in the morning, we diſcovered an⯑other iſland, bearing S. S. W. diſtant about ſeven or eight leagues: we ſteered for it, and found it to be low, but covered with wood, among which were cocoa-nut trees in great abundance. It had a pleaſant appearance, and a large lake in the middle, like King George's Iſland: it is near thirty miles in circumference, a dreadful ſea breaks upon almoſt every part of the coaſt, and a great deal of foul ground lies about it. We ſailed quite round it, and when we were on the lee-ſide, ſent out boats to ſound, in hopes of finding anchorage: no ſoundings, however, were to be got near the ſhore, but I ſent the boats out a ſecond time, with orders to land, if it were poſſible, and procure ſome refreſhments for the ſick: they landed with great difficulty, and brought off about two hundred cocoa-nuts, which, to perſons in our circumſtances, were an ineſtimable treaſure. The people who were on ſhore, reported that there were no ſigns of its having ever been inhabited, but that they found thouſands of ſea fowl ſitting upon their neſts, which were built in high trees: theſe birds were ſo tame that they ſuf⯑fered themſelves to be knocked down without leaving their neſts: the ground was covered with land crabs, but our people ſaw no other animal. At firſt I was inclined to be⯑lieve [111] that this iſland was the ſame that in the Neptune Fran⯑çois is called Maluita, day Monday 24 and laid down about a degree to the eaſtward of the great iſland of Saint Elizabeth, which is the principal of the Solomon's Iſlands; but being afterwards convinced of the contrary, I called it the DUKE of YORK's ISLAND,place Duke of York's Iſland in honour of his late Royal Highneſs, and I am of opinion that we were the firſt human beings who ever ſaw it. There is indeed great reaſon to believe that there is no good authority for laying down Solomon's Iſlands in the ſitu⯑ation that is aſſigned to them by the French: the only perſon who has pretended to have ſeen them is Quiros, and I doubt whether he left behind him any account of them by which they might be found by future navigators.

We continued our courſe till the 29th,day Saturday 29 in the track of theſe iſlands, and being then ten degrees to the weſtward of their ſituation in the chart, without having ſeen any thing of them, I hauled to the northward, in order to croſs the equi⯑noxial, and afterwards ſhape my courſe for the Ladrone Iſlands, which, though a long run, I hoped to accompliſh before I ſhould be diſtreſſed for water, notwithſtanding it now began to fall ſhort. Our latitude, this day, was 8° 13′ S., longitude 176° 20′ E. and the variation was 10° 10′ E.

On Tueſday the 2d of July,month July day Tueſday 2 we again ſaw many birds about the ſhip, and at four o'clock in the afternoon, diſ⯑covered an iſland bearing north, and diſtant about ſix leagues: we ſtood for it till ſun-ſet, when it was diſtant about four leagues, and then kept off and on for the night. In the morning, we found it a low flat iſland,day Wedneſ. 3 of a moſt de⯑lightful appearance, and full of wood, among which the cocoa-nut tree was very conſpicuous; we ſaw, however, to our great regret, much foul ground about it, upon which the ſea broke with a dreadful ſurf. We ſteered along the [112] ſouth weſt ſide of it,day Wedneſ. 3 which we judged to be about four leagues in length, and ſoon perceived not only that it was inhabited, but very populous; for preſently after the ſhip came in ſight, we ſaw at leaſt a thouſand of the natives aſſembled upon the beach, and in a very ſhort time more than ſixty canoes, or rather proas, put off from the ſhore, and made towards us. We lay by to receive them, and they were very ſoon ranged in a circle round us. Theſe veſ⯑ſels were very neatly made, and ſo clean that they appeared to be quite new: none of them had fewer than three perſons on board, nor any of them more than ſix. After theſe Indians had gazed at us ſome time, one of them ſuddenly jumped out of his proa, ſwam to the ſhip, and ran up the ſide like a cat: as ſoon as he had ſtepped over the gunwale, he ſat down upon it, and burſt into a violent fit of laughter, then ſtarted up, and ran all over the ſhip, attempting to ſteal whatever he could lay his hands upon, but without ſucceſs, for being ſtark naked, it was impoſſible to conceal his booty for a moment. Our ſeamen put him on a jacket and trowſers, which produced great merriment, for he had all the geſtures of a monkey newly dreſſed; we alſo gave him bread, which he eat with a voracious appetite, and after having played a thouſand antic tricks, he leaped over⯑board, jacket and trowſers and all, and ſwam back again to his proa; after this ſeveral others ſwam to the ſhip, ran up the ſide to the gun-room ports, and having crept in, ſnatched up whatever lay in their reach, and immediately leaped again into the ſea, and ſwam away at a great rate, though ſome of them, having both hands full, held up their arms quite out of the water, to prevent their plunder from being ſpoiled. Theſe people are tall, well proportioned, and clean-limbed: their ſkin is a bright copper colour, their features are extremely good, and there is a mixture of intrepidity [113] and cheerfulneſs in their countenances that is very ſtriking.day Wedneſ. 3 They have long black hair, which ſome of them wore tied up behind in a great bunch, others in three knots: ſome of them had long beards, ſome only whiſkers, and ſome nothing more than a ſmall tuft at the point of the chin. They were all of them ſtark naked, except their ornaments, which con⯑ſiſted of ſhells, very prettily diſpoſed and ſtrung together, and were worn round their necks, wriſts, and waiſts: all their ears were bored, but they had no ornaments in them when we ſaw them: ſuch ornaments as they wear, when they wear any, are probably very heavy, for their ears hang down almoſt to their ſhoulders, and ſome of them were quite ſplit through. One of theſe men, who appeared to be a perſon of ſome conſequence, had a ſtring of human teeth about his waiſt, which was probably a trophy of his military proweſs, for he would not part with it in exchange for any thing that I could offer him. Some of them were unarmed, but others had one of the moſt dangerous weapons I had ever ſeen: it was a kind of ſpear, very broad at the end, and ſtuck full of ſhark's teeth, which are as ſharp as a lancet, at the ſides, for about three feet of its length. We ſhewed them ſome cocoa-nuts, and made ſigns that we wanted more; but inſtead of giving any intimation that they could ſupply us, they endeavoured to take away thoſe we had.

I ſent out the boats to ſound ſoon after we brought to off the iſland, and when they came back, they reported that there was ground at the depth of thirty fathom, within two cables' length of the ſhore; but as the bottom was coral rock, and the ſoundings much too near the breakers for a ſhip to lie in ſafety, I was obliged again to make ſail, without procuring any refreſhments for the ſick. This iſland, to which my officers gave the name of BYRON's ISLAND,place Byron's Iſland lies in lati⯑tude [114] 1° 18′ S.,day Wedneſ. 3 longitude 173° 46′ E.; the variation of the compaſs here, was one point E.

In our courſe from this place, we ſaw, for ſeveral days, abundance of fiſh, but we could take only ſharks, which were become a good diſh even at my own table. Many of the people now began to fall down with fluxes, which the Surgeon imputed to the exceſſive heat, and almoſt perpetual rains.

By the 21ſt,day Sunday 21 all our cocoa-nuts being expended, our people began to fall down again with the ſcurvy. The effect of theſe nuts alone, in checking this diſeaſe, is aſtoniſhing: many whoſe limbs were become as black as ink, who could not move without the aſſiſtance of two men, and who, beſides total debility, ſuffered excruciating pain, were in a few days, by eating theſe nuts, although at ſea, ſo far recovered as to do their duty, and could even go aloft as well as they did before the diſtemper ſeized them. For ſeveral days, about this time, we had only faint breezes, with ſmooth water, ſo that we made but little way, and as we were now not far from the Ladrone Iſlands, where we hoped ſome re⯑freſhments might be procured, we moſt ardently wiſhed for a freſh gale, eſpecially as the heat was ſtill intolerable, the glaſs for a long time having never been lower than eighty-one, but often up to eighty-four; and I am of opinion that this is the hotteſt, the longeſt, and moſt dangerous run that ever was made.

On the 18th, we were in latitude 13° 9′ N., longitude 158° 50′ E.,day Monday 22 and on the 22d, in latitude 14° 25′ N., longitude 153° 11′ E. during which time we had a northerly current. Being now nearly in the latitude of Tinian, I ſhaped my courſe for that iſland.

CHAP. XI. The Arrival of the Dolphin and Tamar at Tinian, a De⯑ſcription of the preſent Condition of that Iſland, and an Account of the Tranſactions there.

ON the 28th,day Sunday 28 day Tueſday 30 we ſaw a great number of birds about the ſhip, which continued till the 30th, when about two o'clock in the afternoon we ſaw land, bearing W. ½ N. which proved to be the iſlands Saypan, Tinian, and Aigui⯑gan. At ſunſet, the extremes of them bore from N. W. ½ N. weſtward to S. W.; and the three iſlands had the appearance of one. At ſeven, we hauled the wind, and ſtood off and on all night; and at ſix the next morning,day Wedneſ. 31 the extremes of the iſlands, which ſtill made in one, bore from N. W. by N. to S. W. by S. diſtant five leagues. The eaſt ſide of theſe iſlands lies N. E. by N. and S. W. by S. Saypan is the northermoſt; and from the north eaſt point of that iſland to the ſouth weſt point of Aiguigan, the diſtance is about ſeventeen leagues. Theſe three iſlands are between two and three leagues diſtant from each other; Saypan is the largeſt, and Aiguigan, which is high and round, the ſmalleſt. We ſteered along the eaſt ſide of them, and at noon hauled round the ſouth point of Tinian, between that iſland and Aiguigan, and anchored at the ſouth weſt end of it, in ſixteen fathom water, with a bottom of hard ſand and coral rock, oppoſite to a white ſandy bay, about a mile and a quarter from the ſhore, and about three quarters of a mile from a reef of rocks that lies at a good diſtance from the ſhore, in the very [116] ſpot where Lord Anſon lay in the Centurion.day Wedneſ. 31 The water at this place is ſo very clear that the bottom is plainly to be ſeen at the depth of four and twenty fathom, which is no leſs than one hundred and forty-four feet.

As ſoon as the ſhip was ſecured, I went on ſhore, to ſix upon a place where tents might be erected for the ſick, which were now very numerous; not a ſingle man being wholly free from the ſcurvy, and many in the laſt ſtage of it. We found ſeveral huts which had been left by the Spaniards and Indians the year before; for this year none of them had as yet been at the place, nor was it probable that they ſhould come for ſome months, the ſun being now almoſt vertical, and the rainy ſeaſon ſet in. After I had fixed upon a ſpot for the tents, ſix or ſeven of us endeavoured to puſh through the woods, that we might come at the beautiful lawns and meadows of which there is ſo luxuriant a de⯑ſcription in the Account of Lord Anſon's Voyage, and if poſſible kill ſome cattle. The trees ſtood ſo thick, and the place was ſo overgrown with underwood, that we could not ſee three yards before us, we therefore were obliged to keep continually hallooing to each other, to prevent our being ſeparately loſt in this trackleſs wilderneſs. As the weather was intolerably hot, we had nothing on beſides our ſhoes, except our ſhirts and trowſers, and theſe were in a very ſhort time torn all to rags by the buſhes and brambles; at laſt, however, with incredible difficulty and labour, we got through; but, to our great ſurpriſe and diſappointment, we found the country very different from the account we had read of it: the lawns were entirely overgrown with a ſtub⯑born kind of reed or bruſh, in many places higher than our heads, and no where lower than our middles, which conti⯑nually entangled our legs, and cut us like whipcord; our [117] ſtockings perhaps might have ſuffered ſtill more,day Wedneſ. 31 but we wore none. During this march we were alſo covered with flies from head to foot, and whenever we offered to ſpeak we were ſure of having a mouthful, many of which never failed to get down our throats. After we had walked about three or four miles, we got ſight of a bull, which we killed, and a little before night got back to the beach, as wet as if we had been dipt in water, and ſo fatigued that we were ſcarcely able to ſtand. We immediately ſent out a party to fetch the bull, and found that during our excurſion ſome tents had been got up, and the ſick brought on ſhore.

The next day our people were employed in ſetting up more tents, getting the water-caſks on ſhore,month Auguſt day Thurſday 1 and clearing the well at which they were to be filled. This well I ima⯑gined to be the ſame that the Centurion watered at; but it was the worſt that we had met with during the voyage, for the water was not only brackiſh, but full of worms. The Road alſo where the ſhips lay was a dangerous ſituation at this ſeaſon, for the bottom is hard ſand and large coral rocks, and the anchor having no hold in the ſand, is in per⯑petual danger of being cut to pieces by the coral; to pre⯑vent which as much as poſſible, I rounded the cables, and buoyed them up with empty water caſks. Another precau⯑tion alſo was taught me by experience, for at firſt I moored, but finding the cables much damaged, I reſolved to lie ſingle for the future, that by veering away or heaving in, as we ſhould have more or leſs wind, we might always keep them from being ſlack, and conſequently from rubbing, and this expedient ſucceeded to my wiſh. At the full and change of the moon, a prodigious ſwell tumbles in here, ſo that I never ſaw ſhips at anchor roll ſo much as ours did while we lay here; and it once drove in from the weſtward with ſuch [118] violence, and broke ſo high upon the reef, that I was ob⯑liged to put to ſea for a week; for if our cable had parted in the night, and the wind had been upon the ſhore, which ſometimes happens for two or three days together, the ſhip muſt inevitably have been loſt upon the rocks.

As I was myſelf very ill with the ſcurvy, I ordered a tent to be pitched for me, and took up my reſidence on ſhore; where we alſo erected the armourer's forge, and began to repair the iron-work of both the ſhips. I ſoon found that the iſland produced limes, four oranges, cocoa-nuts, bread-fruit^*, guavas, and paupaus in great abundance; but we found no water-melons, ſcurvy-graſs, or ſorrel.

Notwithſtanding the fatigue and diſtreſs that we had en⯑dured, and the various climates we had paſſed through, nei⯑ther of the ſhips had yet loſt a ſingle man ſince their ſailing from England; but while we lay here two died of fevers, a diſeaſe with which many were ſeized, though we all recovered very faſt from the ſcurvy. I am indeed of opinion that this is one of the moſt unhealthy ſpots in the world, at leaſt during the ſeaſon in which we were here. The rains were violent, and almoſt inceſſant, and the heat was ſo great as to threaten us with ſuffocation. The thermometer, which was kept on board the ſhip, generally ſtood at eighty-ſix, which is but nine degrees leſs than the heat of the blood at the heart; and if it had been on ſhore it would have riſen much higher. I had been upon the coaſt of Guinea, in the Weſt Indies, and upon the iſland of Saint Thomas, which is un⯑der the Line, but I had never felt any ſuch heat as I felt here. Beſides the inconvenience which we ſuffered from the weather, we were inceſſantly tormented by the flies in the [119] day, and by the muſquitos in the night. The iſland alſo ſwarms with centipieds and ſcorpions, and a large black ant, ſcarcely inferior to either in the malignity of its bite. Be⯑ſides theſe, there were venomous inſects without number, altogether unknown to us, by which many of us ſuffered ſo ſeverely, that we were afraid to lie down in our beds; nor were thoſe on board in a much better ſituation than thoſe on ſhore, for great numbers of theſe creatures being carried into the ſhip with the wood, they took poſſeſſion of every birth, and left the poor ſeamen no place of reſt either below or upon the deck.

As ſoon as we were ſettled in our new habitations, I ſent out parties to diſcover the haunts of the cattle, ſome of which were found, but at a great diſtance from the tents, and the beaſts were ſo ſhy that it was very difficult to get a ſhot at them. Some of the parties which, when their haunts had been diſcovered, were ſent out to kill them, were abſent three days and nights before they could ſucceed; and when a bullock had been dragged ſeven or eight miles through ſuch woods and lawns as have juſt been deſcribed, to the tents, it was generally full of fly-blows, and ſtunk ſo as to be unfit for uſe: nor was this the worſt, for the fatigue of the men in bringing down the carcaſs, and the intolerable heat they ſuffered from the climate and the labour, fre⯑quently brought on fevers which laid them up. Poultry however we procured upon eaſier terms: there was great plenty of birds, and they were eaſily killed; but the fleſh of the beſt of them was very ill-taſted, and ſuch was the heat of the climate that within an hour after they were killed it was as green as graſs, and ſwarmed with maggots. Our principal reſource for freſh meat, was the wild hog, with which the iſland abounds. Theſe creatures are very fierce, [120] and ſome of them ſo large that a carcaſs frequently weighed two hundred pounds. We killed them without much diffi⯑culty, but a Black belonging to the Tamar contrived a me⯑thod to ſnare them, ſo that we took great numbers of them alive, which was an unſpeakable advantage; for it not only enſured our eating the fleſh while it was ſweet, but enabled us to ſend a good number of them on board as ſea-ſtores.

In the mean time we were very deſirous of procuring ſome beef in an eatable ſtate, with leſs riſk and labour, and Mr. Gore, one of our Mates, at laſt, diſcovered a pleaſant ſpot upon the north weſt part of the iſland, where cattle were in great plenty, and whence they might be brought to the tents by ſea. To this place therefore I diſpatched a party, with a tent for their accommodation, and ſent the boats every day to fetch what they ſhould kill; ſometimes how⯑ever there broke ſuch a ſea upon the rocks that it was im⯑poſſible to approach them, and the Tamar's boat unhappily loſt three of her beſt men by attempting it. We were now, upon the whole, pretty well ſupplied with proviſions, eſpe⯑cially as we baked freſh bread every day for the ſick; and the fatigue of our people being leſs, there were fewer ill with the fever: but ſeveral of them were ſo much diſor⯑dered by eating of a very fine looking fiſh which we caught here, that their recovery was for a long time doubtful. The Author of the Account of Lord Anſon's Voyage ſays, that the people on board the Centurion thought it prudent to abſtain from fiſh, as the few which they caught at their firſt arrival ſurfeited thoſe who eat of them. But not attend⯑ing ſufficiently to this caution, and too haſtily taking the word ſurfeit in its literal and common acceptation, we ima⯑gined that thoſe who taſted the fiſh when Lord Anſon firſt came hither, were made ſick merely by eating too much; [121] whereas, if that had been the caſe, there would have been no reaſon for totally abſtaining afterwards, but only eating temperately. We however bought our knowlege by experi⯑ence, which we might have had cheaper; for though all our people who taſted this fiſh, eat ſparingly, they were all ſoon afterwards dangerouſly ill.

Beſides the fruit that has been mentioned already, this iſland produces cotton and indigo in abundance, and would certainly be of great value if it was ſituated in the Weſt In⯑dies. The Surgeon of the Tamar encloſed a large ſpot of ground here, and made a very pretty garden; but we did not ſtay long enough to derive any advantage from it.

While we [...]ay here, I ſent the Tamar to examine the iſland of Saypan, which is much larger than Tinian, riſes higher, and, in my opinion, has a much pleaſanter appearance. She anchored to the leeward of it, at the diſtance of a mile from the ſhore, and in about ten fathom water, with much the ſame kind of ground as we had in the road of Tinian. Her people landed upon a fine ſandy beach which is ſix or ſeven miles long, and walked up into the woods, where they ſaw many trees which were very fit for topmaſts. They ſaw no fowls, nor any tracks of cattle; but of hogs and guani⯑coes there was plenty. They found no freſh water near the beach, but ſaw a large pond inland, which they did not ex⯑amine. They ſaw large heaps of pearl oyſter-ſhells thrown up together, and other ſigns of people having been there not long before: poſſibly the Spaniards may go thither at ſome ſeaſons of the year, and carry on a pearl fiſhery. They alſo ſaw many of thoſe ſquare pyramidal pillars which are to be found at Tinian, and which are particularly deſcribed in the Account of Lord Anſon's Voyage.

[122]On Monday the 30th of September,month September day Monday 30 having now been here nine weeks, and our ſick being pretty well recovered, I ordered the tents to be ſtruck, and with the forge and oven carried back to the ſhip; I alſo laid in about two thouſand cocoa-nuts,month October day Tueſday 1 which I had experienced to be ſo powerful a remedy for the ſcurvy, and the next day I weighed, hoping that be⯑fore we ſhould get the length of the Baſhe Iſlands, the N. E. monſoon would be ſet in. I ſtood along the ſhore to take in the beef-hunters; day Wedneſ. 2 but we had very little wind this day and the next till the evening,day Thurſday 3 when it came to the weſtward and blew freſh: I then ſtood to the northward till the morning of the 3d, when we made Anatacan, an iſland that is re⯑markable high, and the ſame that was firſt fallen in with by Lord Anſon.

CHAP. XIII. The Run from Tinian to Pulo Timoan, with ſome Account of that Iſland, its Inhabitants and Productions, and thence to Batavia.

WE continued our courſe till Thurſday the 10th,day Thurſday 10 when being in latitude 18° 33′ N., longitude 136° 50′ E. we found the ſhip two and twenty miles to the ſouthward of her account, which muſt have been the effect of a ſtrong current in that direction. The variation here was 5° 10′ E. and for ſome time we found it regularly decreaſing, ſo that on the 19th, being in latitude 21° 10′ N., longitude 124° 17′ E. the needle pointed due north.

On the 18th,day Friday 18 we had found the ſhip eighteen miles to the northward of her account, and ſaw ſeveral land birds about the ſhip, which appeared to be very much tired: we caught one as it was reſting upon the booms, and found it very re⯑markable. It was about as big as a gooſe, and all over as white as ſnow, except the legs and beak which were black; the beak was curved, and of ſo great a length and thickneſs, that it is not eaſy to conceive how the muſcles of the neck, which was about a foot long and as ſmall as that of a crane, could ſupport it. We kept it about four months upon biſ⯑cuit and water, but it then died, apparently for want of nouriſhment, being almoſt as light as a bladder. It was very different from every ſpecies of the Toucan that is re⯑preſented by Edwards, and I believe has never been de⯑ſcribed. [124] Theſe birds appeared to have been blown off ſome iſland to the northward of us,day Friday 18 that is not laid down in the charts.

The needle continued to point due north till the 22d,day Tueſday 22 when, at ſix o'clock in the morning, Grafton's Iſland, the northermoſt of the Baſhé Iſlands bore ſouth, diſtant ſix leagues. As I had deſigned to touch at theſe iſlands, I ſtood for that in ſight; but as the navigation from hence to the Streight of Banca is very dangerous, and we had now both a fine morning and a fine gale, I thought it beſt to proceed on our way, and therefore ſteered weſtward again. The principal of theſe iſlands, are five in number, and by a good obſervation Grafton's Iſland lies in latitude 21° 8′ N., longi⯑tude 118° 14′ E. The variation of the compaſs was now 1° 20′ W.

On the 24th,day Thurſday 24 being in latitude 16° 59′ N., longitude 113° 1′ E. we kept a good look-out for the Triangles, which lie without the north end of the Praſil, and form a moſt dangerous ſhoal. On the 30th,day Wedneſ. 30 we ſaw ſeveral trees and large bamboos floating about the ſhip, and upon ſounding had three and twenty fathom, with dark brown ſand, and ſmall pieces of ſhells. Our latitude was now 7° 17′ N., lon⯑gitude 104° 21′ E.; day Thurſday 31 the variation was 30′ W. The next day we found the ſhip thirteen miles to the northward of her account, which we judged to be the effect of a current; and on the 2d of November,month November day Saturday 2 we found her thirty-eight miles to the ſouthward of her account. Our latitude by obſervation was 3° 54′ N., longitude 103° 20′ E. We had here ſoundings at forty-two and forty-three fathom, with ſoft mud.

At ſeven o'clock the next morning,day Sunday 3 we ſaw the iſland of Timoan, bearing S. W. by W. diſtant about twelve leagues. As Dampier has mentioned Pulo Timoan as a place where [125] ſome refreſhments are to be procured,day Sunday 3 I endeavoured to touch there, having lived upon ſalt proviſions, which were now become bad ever ſince we were at Tinian; but light airs, calms, and a ſoutherly current, prevented our coming to an anchor till late in the evening of the 5th.day Tueſday 5 We had ſixteen fathom at about the diſtance of two miles from the ſhore, in a bay on the eaſt ſide of the iſland.

The next day I landed to ſee what was to be got,day Wedneſ. 6 and found the inhabitants, who are Malays, a ſurly inſolent ſet of people. As ſoon as they ſaw us approaching the ſhore, they came down to the beach in great numbers, having a long knife in one hand, a ſpear headed with iron in the other, and a creſſit or dagger by their ſide. We went on ſhore, however, notwithſtanding theſe hoſtile appearances, and a treaty ſoon commenced between us; but all we could procure, was about a dozen of fowls, and a goat and kid. We had offered them knives, hatchets, bill hooks, and other things of the ſame kind; but theſe they refuſed with great contempt, and demanded rupees: as we had no rupees, we were at firſt much at a loſs how to pay for our purchaſe; but at laſt we bethought ourſelves of ſome pocket handker⯑chiefs, and theſe they vouchſafed to accept, though they would take only the beſt.

Theſe people are of a ſmall ſtature, but extremely well made, and of a dark copper colour. We ſaw among them one old man who was dreſſed ſomewhat in the manner of the Perſians; but all the reſt were naked, except a handker⯑chief, which they wore as a kind of turban upon their heads, and ſome pieces of cloth which were faſtened with a ſilver plate or claſp round their middles. We ſaw none of their women, and probably ſome care was taken to keep them out of our fight. The habitations are very neatly [126] built of ſlit bamboo,day Wedneſ. 6 and are raiſed upon poſts about eight feet from the ground. Their boats are alſo well made, and we ſaw ſome of a large ſize, in which we ſuppoſed that they carried on a trade to Malacca.

The iſland is mountainous and woody, but we found it pleaſant when we were aſhore; it produces the cabbage and cocoa-nut tree in great plenty, but the natives did not chuſe to let us have any of the fruit. We ſaw alſo ſome rice grounds, but what other vegetable productions Nature has favoured them with, we had no opportunity to learn, as we ſtaid here but two nights and one day. In the bay where the ſhip rode there is excellent fiſhing, though the ſurf runs very high: we hauled our ſeine with great ſucceſs, but could eaſily perceive that it gave umbrage to the inhabitants, who conſider all the fiſh about theſe iſlands as their own. There are two fine rivers that run into this bay, and the water is excellent: it was indeed ſo much better than what we had on board, that I filled as many caſks with it as loaded the boat twice. While we lay here, ſome of the natives brought down an animal which had the body of a hare, and the legs of a deer; one of our officers bought it, and we ſhould have been glad to have kept it alive, but it was impoſſible for us to procure for it ſuch food as it would eat; it was therefore killed, and we found it very good food. All the while we lay here, we had the moſt violent thunder, lightning and rain, that I had ever known; and finding that nothing more was to be procured, we ſailed again on Thurſday morning,day Thurſday 7 with a fine breeze off the land. In the afternoon, we tried the current, and found it ſet S. E. at the rate of a mile an hour. The variation here was 38′ W. We certainly made this paſſage at an improper ſeaſon of the year; for after we came into the latitude of Pulo Condore, [127] we had nothing but light airs, calms, and tornados, with violent rain, thunder and lightning.

At ſeven o'clock in the morning of Sunday the 10th,day Sunday 10 we ſaw the eaſt end of the iſland of Lingen, bearing S. W. by W. diſtant eleven or twelve leagues. The current ſet E. S. E. at the rate of a mile an hour. At noon, it fell calm, and I anchored with the kedge in twenty fathom. At one o'clock, the weather having cleared up, we ſaw a ſmall iſland bear⯑ing S. W. ½ S. diſtant ten or eleven leagues.

At one o'clock the next morning,day Monday 11 we weighed and made ſail; and at ſix, the ſmall iſland bore W. S. W. diſtant about ſeven leagues, and ſome very ſmall iſlands, which we ſup⯑poſed to be Domines iſlands, W. ½ N. diſtant about ſeven or eight leagues, a remarkable double peak on the iſland of Lingen, bearing at ſame time W. by N. diſtant about ten or twelve leagues. Our latitude by obſervation was now 18′ S. The latitude of the eaſt end of Lingen is 10′ S., lon⯑gitude 105° 15′ E. Pulo Taya beard from it nearly S. by W. and is diſtant about twelve leagues.

At ten o'clock in the morning of Tueſday the 12th,day Tueſday 12 we ſaw a ſmall Chineſe junk to the north eaſt; and at ſeven the next morning a ſmall iſland, called Pulo Toté, bearing S. E. by E. diſtant about twelve leagues. A little to the northward of Pulo Taya is a very ſmall iſland, called Pulo Toupon.

The next day, at four in the afternoon,day Wedneſ. 13 there being no wind, we came to an anchor in fourteen fathom with ſoft ground, Pulo Taya bearing N. W. diſtant about ſeven leagues. We tried the current, and found it ſet by E. by S. at the rate of two knots two fathom an hour. We ſaw a ſloop at anchor about four miles from us, which hoiſted Dutch [128] colours.day Wedneſ. 13 In the night, we had violent rain, with hard ſqualls, during one of which we parted the ſtream cable, and therefore let go the ſmall bower. At eight in the morning,day Thurſday 14 the wind became moderate and variable, from N. N. W. to W. S. W. We got out our longboat and weighed the ſtream anchor, and at nine made ſail. We found the current ſtill very ſtrong to the eaſtward; and at two, we anchored again in fourteen fathom, Pulo Taya bearing N.W. ½ N. diſtant between ſeven and eight leagues. The veſſel which we had ſeen the day before under Dutch co⯑lours, ſtill lying at anchor in the ſame place, I ſent a boat with an officer to ſpeak with her: the officer was received on board with great civility; but was extremely ſurpriſed to find that he could not make himſelf underſtood, for the people on board were Malays, without a ſingle white man among them: they made tea for our men immediately, and behaved with great chearfulneſs and hoſpitality. The veſſel was of a very ſingular conſtruction; her deck was of ſlit bamboo, and ſhe was ſteered, not by a rudder, but by two large pieces of timber, one upon each quarter.

The next morning,day Friday 15 at ſix o'clock, we weighed and made ſail: at two, Monopin Hill bore S. by E. diſtant about ten or eleven leagues, and had the appearance of a ſmall iſland. It bears S. by W. from the ſeven iſlands, and is diſtant from them about twelve leagues: its latitude is 2° South. From the ſeven iſlands we ſteered S. W. by S. and had re⯑gular ſoundings from twelve to ſeven fathom, and ſoon after ſaw the coaſt of Sumatra, bearing from W. S. W. to W. by N. at the diſtance of about ſeven leagues. In the evening,day Saturday 16 we anchored in ſeven fathom; and the next morn⯑ing at four, we made ſail again, and continued our courſe S. by E. till the peak of Monopin Hill bore eaſt, and Bata⯑carang [129] Point, on the Sumatra ſhore, S. W. to avoid a ſhoal,day Saturday 16 called Frederick Hendrick, which is about mid-way between the Banca and Sumatra ſhore: the ſoundings were thirteen and fourteen fathom. We then ſteered E. S. E. and kept mid-channel to avoid the banks of Palambam River, and that which lies off the weſtermoſt point of Banca. When we were abreaſt of Palambam River, we regularly ſhoaled our water from fourteen to ſeven fathom; and when we had paſſed it, we deepened it again to fifteen and ſixteen fathom. We continued to ſteer E. S. E. between the Third and Fourth Points of Sumatra, which are about ten leagues diſtant from each other: the ſoundings, neareſt to the Su⯑matra ſhore, were all along from eleven to thirteen fathom; and the high land of Queda Banca appeared over the Third Point of Sumatra, bearing E. S. E. From the Third Point to the Second, the courſe is S. E. by S. at the diſtance of about eleven or twelve leagues. The high land of Queda Banca, and the Second Point of Sumatra bear E. N. E. and W. S. W. of each other. The Streight is about five leagues over, and in the mid-channel there is twenty-four fathom. At ſix o'clock in the evening, we anchored in thirteen fathom; Monopin Hill bearing N. ½ W.; and the Third Point of Su⯑matra, S. E. by E. diſtant between two and three leagues. Many ſmall veſſels were in ſight, and moſt of them hoiſted Dutch colours. In the night we had freſh gales and ſqualls, with thunder and lightning, and hard rain; but, as our cables were good, we were in no danger, for in this place the anchor is buried in a ſtiff clay.

In the morning the current or tide ſet to the S. E. at the rate of three knots; at five we weighed,day Sunday 17 with a moderate gale at weſt and hazey weather, and in the night the tide ſhifted, and ran as ſtrongly to the N. W.; ſo that it ebbs and flows here twelve hours.

[130]On the 19th,day Tueſday 19 we ſpoke with an Engliſh ſnow, belonging to the Eaſt India Company, which was bound from Bencoo⯑len to Malacca and Bengal. We had now nothing to eat but the ſhip's proviſions, which were become very bad, for all our beef and pork ſtunk intolerably, and our bread was rotten and full of worms; but as ſoon as the Maſter of this ſnow learnt our ſituation, he generouſly ſent me a ſheep, a dozen fowls, and a turtle, which I verily believe was half his ſtock, beſides two gallons of arrack, and would accept nothing but our thanks in return. It is with great pleaſure that I pay this tribute to his liberality, and am very ſorry that I cannot recollect his name, or the name of his veſſel. In the afternoon, we worked round the Firſt Point of Sumatra, and our ſoundings on the north-ſide, at the diſ⯑tance of about a mile and a half from the ſhore, were four⯑teen fathom. At half an hour after three we anchored, and ſent a boat to ſound for the ſhoals which lie to the north⯑ward of the iſland called Laſipara, which bore from us S. E. by S. diſtant about ſix leagues. Little wind, and a ſtrong tide of flood to the northward, prevented our working be⯑tween theſe ſhoals and the coaſt of Sumatra till the after⯑noon of the twentieth:day Wedneſ. 20 the ſoundings were very regular, being nine or ten fathom as we ſtood over to the iſland, and five or ſix when we ſtood over to Sumatra. As this Streight has been often navigated, and is well known, it is not ne⯑ceſſary to inſert all the particulars of our paſſage through it; I ſhall therefore only ſay, that at ſix o'clock in the evening of Tueſday the 27th,day Tueſday 27 we ſteered between the iſlands Edam and Horn, and entered the road of Batavia. At eight, we anchored without the ſhips, Onruſt bearing W. N. W. diſtant five or ſix miles.

CHAP. XIII. Tranſactions at Batavia, and Departure from that Place.

THE next day, which by our account was the 28th,day Wedneſ. 28 but by the account of the Dutch at this place, was the 29th, we having loſt a day by having ſteered weſtward a year, we anchored nearer to the town, and ſaluted the water fort with eleven guns, which were returned. We found here above a hundred ſail great and ſmall, and among others, a large Engliſh ſhip belonging to Bombay, which ſaluted us with thirteen guns.

There is always lying here a Dutch Commodore belonging to the Company, who, among his countrymen, is a perſon of very great conſequence. This gentleman thought fit to ſend his boat on board of me, with only the cockſwain in her, who was a very dirty ragged fellow: as ſoon as he was brought to me, he aſked whence I came, whither I was bound, and many other queſtions, which I thought equally impertinent, at the ſame time pulling out a book, and pen and ink, that he might ſet down the anſwers; but as I was impatient to ſave him this trouble, he was deſired imme⯑diately to walk over the ſhip's ſide, and put off his boat, with which he was graciouſly pleaſed to comply.

When we came to this place, we had not one man ſick in either of the ſhips; but as I knew it to be more unhealthy than any other part of the Eaſt Indies, as the rainy ſeaſon was at hand, and arrack was to be procured in great plenty, I determined to make my ſtay here as ſhort as poſſible. I went on ſhore to wait upon the Dutch Governor, but was [132] told that he was at his country houſe, about four miles diſtant from the town. I met however with an officer, called a ſhebander, who is a kind of maſter of the ceremonies, and he acquainted me, that if I choſe to go to the Governor immediately, rather than wait for his coming to town, he would attend me; I accepted his offer, and we ſet out to⯑gether in his chariot. The Governor received me with great politeneſs, and told me, that I might either take a houſe in any part of the city that I ſhould like, or be provided with lodgings at the hotel. This hotel is a licenſed lodging-houſe, the only one in the place, and kept by a Frenchman, an artful fellow, who is put in by the Governor himſelf. It has indeed more the appearance of a palace than a houſe of entertainment, being the moſt magnificent building in Ba⯑tavia; nor would a ſmall edifice anſwer the purpoſe, for as there is a penalty of five hundred dollars upon any perſon in the city who ſhall ſuffer a ſtranger to ſleep a ſingle night at his houſe, the ſtrangers who make it their reſidence are never few: all the houſes indeed have a ſtately appearance on the outſide, and are elegantly fitted up within, and we were told that the Chineſe, of whom there are great numbers at this place, were the architects. The city is large, and the ſtreets well laid out, but they have greatly the appearance of thoſe in the cities of Holland, for a canal runs through moſt of them, with a row of trees planted on each ſide: this is con⯑venient for the merchants, who have every thing brought up to their own doors by water, but it probably contributes to the unhealthineſs of the place; the canal, indeed, as the city is built in a ſwamp, might be neceſſary as a drain, but the trees, though they have a pleaſant appearance, muſt certainly prevent the noxious vapours that are perpetually ariſing, from being diſperſed, by obſtructing the circulation of the air.

[133]The number of people here is incredible, and they are of almoſt every nation in the world, Dutch, Portugueſe, Chi⯑neſe, Perſians, Moors, Malays, Javaneſe, and many others: the Chineſe, however, have a large town to themſelves, without the walls, and carry on a conſiderable trade, for they have annually ten or twelve large junks from China; and to theſe the opulence of the Dutch at Batavia is in a great meaſure owing. The beef here is bad, and the mutton ſcarce, but the poultry and fiſh are excellent and in great plenty. Here are alſo the greateſt variety and abundance of the fineſt fruit in the world, but the muſquitos, centipieds, ſcorpions, and other noxious vermin, which are innu⯑merable, prevent all enjoyment, and even reſt, as well by night as by day. The roads, for many miles about the city, are as good as any in England: they are very broad, and by the ſide of them runs a canal, ſhaded by tall trees, which is navigable for veſſels of a very large ſize: on the other ſide of the canal are gardens, of a very pleaſant appearance, and country houſes of the citizens, where they ſpend as much of their time as poſſible, the ſituation being leſs unwholeſome than the city; and there are ſo few of them who do not keep a carriage, that it is almoſt a diſgrace to be ſeen on foot.

At this place I continued from the 28th of November to the 10th of December, when,month December day Monday 10 having procured what refreſh⯑ments I could for my people, and taken on board a ſufficient quantity of rice and arrack, to ſerve for the reſt of the voyage, I weighed anchor and made ſail. The fort ſaluted me with eleven guns, and the Dutch Commodore with thir⯑teen, which I returned; we were ſaluted alſo by the Engliſh ſhip. We worked down to Prince's Iſland, in the Streight of Sunda, and came to an anchor there on the 14th.day Friday 14 In this paſſage, the boats came off to us from the Java ſhore, and ſupplied us with turtle in ſuch plenty, that neither of the [134] ſhips' companies eat any thing elſe.day Wedneſ. 19 We lay at Prince's Iſland till the 19th, and during all that time we ſubſiſted wholly upon the ſame food, which was procured from the inhabitants at a very reaſonable rate. Having now taken on board as much wood and water as we could ſtow, we weighed, and got without Java Head before night: but by this time a dangerous putrid fever had broken out among us; three of my people had died, and many others now lay in ſo dangerous a condition that there were little hopes of their recovery: we did not, however, bury one at Batavia, which, notwithſtanding our ſtay was ſo ſhort, was thought to be a very extraordinary inſtance of good fortune; and our ſick gradually recovered after we had been a week or two at ſea.

CHAP. XIV. The Paſſage from Batavia to the Cape of Good Hope, and from thence to England.

WE continued our courſe,year 1766 month February without any event worthy of notice, except that one of my beſt men unhappily fell overboard and was drowned, till Monday the 10th of February,day Monday 10 when, at ſix o'clock in the morning, we ſaw the coaſt of Africa, bearing from N. N. W. to N. E. diſtant about ſeven leagues: it made in ſeveral high hills, and white ſandy cliffs, and its latitude was 34° 15′ S., longitude 21° 45′ E.; the variation here was 22° W. and our depth of water fifty-three fathom, with a bottom of coarſe brown ſand.

I ſtood in for the land, and when I was within about two leagues of it, I ſaw a great ſmoke riſing from a ſandy beach. I imagined the ſmoke to be made by the Hottentots; yet I was aſtoniſhed at their chuſing this part of the coaſt for their reſidence, for it conſiſted of nothing but ſand banks as far as we could ſee, without the leaſt buſh or a ſingle blade of verdure, and ſo heavy a ſea broke upon the coaſt, that it was impoſſible to catch any fiſh.

On Wedneſday the 12th, at three o'clock in the afternoon,day Wedneſ. 12 we were abreaſt of Cape Lagullas, from which the coaſt lies W. N. W. to the Cape of Good Hope, which is diſtant about thirty leagues. The next day,day Thurſday 13 we paſſed between Penguin [136] Iſland and Green Point,day Thurſday 13 and worked into Table Bay with our top-ſails cloſe reefed, there being a ſtrong gale, with hard ſqualls at S. S. E. At three o'clock in the afternoon, we anchored, and ſaluted the fort, which was returned. The Dutch told me, that none of their ſhips could have worked in in ſuch a gale of wind, and that we ſeemed to come in faſter than they were generally able to do when the wind was fair.

The next morning,day Friday 14 I waited upon the Governor, who had ſent his coach and ſix to the water-ſide for me. He is an old man, but is a favourite with all ranks of people: he received me with the greateſt politeneſs, and not only offered me the Company's houſe in the garden for my reſidence while I ſhould continue at the Cape, but his coach whenever I ſhould think fit to uſe it. As I was one day at dinner with him, and ſome other gentlemen, I took occaſion to mention the ſmoke that I had ſeen upon one of the ſandy beaches on a deſolate part of the coaſt, and the ſurpriſe with which it had ſtruck me: they then told me that another ſhip, ſome time before, had fallen in with that part of the coaſt, and had ſeen large ſmokes as I had done, although the place was uninhabited, and ſuppoſed to be an iſland: to account for the ſmokes, however, they told me alſo, that two Dutch Eaſt Indiamen had, about two years before, ſailed from Batavia for the Cape, and had never afterwards been heard of; and it was ſuppoſed that one or both of them had been ſhip⯑wrecked there, and that the ſmokes which had been ſeen, were made by ſome of the unfortunate crew: they added, that they had more than once ſent out veſſels to look for them, but that there broke ſo dreadful a ſea upon the coaſt, they were obliged to return without attempting to go on [137] ſhore. When I heard this melancholy account, I could only regret that I had not known it before, for I would then cer⯑tainly have made every effort in my power to have found theſe unhappy wretches, and taken them from a place where now, in all probability, they muſt miſerably periſh.

The Cape is certainly a moſt excellent place for ſhips to touch at; it is a healthy climate, a fine country, and abounds with refreſhments of every kind. The Company's garden is a delightful ſpot, and at the end of it there is a paddock belonging to the Governor, in which are kept a great number of rare and curious animals, and among others, when I was there, were three fine oſtriches, and four zebras of an uncommon ſize. I gave all the people leave to go on ſhore by turns, and they always contrived to get very drunk with Cape wine before they came back. Many ſhips came in while we lay here; ſome were Dutch, ſome French, ſome Danes, but all were outward bound.

Having continued here three weeks, and during that time refreſhed our men, and completed our water, I took leave of the good old Governor on the 6th of March, and on the 7th,month March day Thurſday 6 day Friday 7 ſailed out of the bay, with a fine breeze at S. E.

On Sunday the 16th, at ſix in the morning,day Sunday 16 we ſaw the iſland of Saint Helena, bearing W. by N. at the diſtance of about ſixteen leagues, and about noon, a large ſhip, which ſhewed French colours. We purſued our courſe, and a few days afterwards, as we were ſailing with a fine gale, and at a great diſtance from land, the ſhip ſuddenly received a rude ſhock, as if ſhe had ſtruck the ground: this inſtantly brought all who were below upon the deck in great con⯑ſternation, and upon looking out we ſaw the water, to a very large extent, tinged with blood; this put an end to our [138] fears,day Sunday 16 and we concluded that we muſt have ſtruck either a whale or a grampus, from which the ſhip was not likely to receive much damage, nor in fact did ſhe receive any. About this time alſo we had the misfortune to bury our car⯑penter's mate, a very ingenious and diligent young man, who had never been well after our leaving Batavia.

On the 25th,day Tueſday 25 we croſſed the equator, in longitude 17° 10′ W. and the next morning, Captain Cumming came on board, and informed me that the Tamar's three lower rudder braces on the ſtern were broken off, which rendered the rudder unſerviceable. I immediately ſent the carpenter on board, who found the condition of the braces even worſe than had been reported, ſo that the rudder could not poſſibly be new hung; he therefore went to work upon a machine, like that which had been fixed to the Ipſwich, and by which ſhe was ſteered home: this machine in about five days he completed, and with ſome little alterations of his own, it was an excellent piece of work. The Tamar ſteered very well with it, but thinking that it might not be ſufficient to ſecure her in bad weather, or upon a lee ſhore, Lordered Captain Cumming to run down to Antigua, that he might there heave the ſhip down, and get the rudder new hung, with a freſh ſet of braces which he had with him for that purpoſe; for the braces with which the ſhip went out, being of iron, were not expected to laſt as long as our's, the lower ones, with the ſheathing, being of copper.

Purſuant to theſe orders, the Tamar parted company with us on the 1ſt of April,month April day Tueſday 1 and ſteered for the Caribbee Iſlands. When we came into latitude 34° N., longitude 35° W. we had ſtrong gales from W. S. W. to W. N. W. with a great ſea, which broke over us continually for ſix days ſucceſſively, and [139-360] run us into latitude 48° N., longitude 14° W.month May day Thurſday 7 On the 7th of May, at ſeven o'clock in the morning, we made the Iſlands of Scilly, having been juſt nine weeks coming from the Cape of Good Hope, and ſomewhat more than two and twenty months upon the voyage; the 9th,day Saturday 9 the ſhip came to anchor in the Downs, and on the ſame day I landed at Deal, and ſet out for London.

CHAP. I. The Paſſage to the coaſt of Patagonia, with ſome account of the Natives.
[The longitude in this voyage is reckoned from the meridian of London.]

HAVING received my commiſſion, which was dated the 19th of June 1766,year 1766 month June 19 I went on board the ſame day, hoiſted the pendant, and began to enter ſea⯑men, but, according to my orders, took no boys either for myſelf or any of the officers.

The ſhip was fitted for the ſea with all poſſible expe⯑dition, during which the articles of war, and the act of parliament were read to the ſhip's company:day Sat month July 26 on the 26th of July we ſailed down the river, and on the 16th of Auguſt,day Sat month Aug. 16 at eight o'clock in the morning, anchored in Plymouth Sound.

On the 19th I received my ſailing orders,day Tueſday 19 with directions to take the Swallow ſloop, and the Prince Frederick ſtore-ſhip under my command: and this day I took on board, among other things, three thouſand weight of portable ſoup, and a bale of cork jackets. Every part of the ſhip was filled with ſtores and neceſſaries of various kinds, even to the ſteerage and ſtate-room, which were allotted to the ſlops and portable ſoup. The ſurgeon offered to purchaſe an extraordinary quantity of medicines, and medical ne⯑ceſſaries, which, as the ſhip's company might become ſickly, [364] he ſaid would in that caſe be of great ſervice, if room could be found to flow them in; I therefore gave him leave to put them into my cabbin, the only place in the ſhip where they could be received, as they conſiſted of three large boxes.

On the 22d,day Friday 22 at four o'clock in the morning, I weighed and made ſail in company with the Swallow and Prince Frederick, and had ſoon the mortification to find that the Swallow was a very bad ſailer.

We proceeded in our voyage, without any remarkable in⯑cident, till Sunday the ſeventh of September,month September day Sunday 7 when, about eight o'clock in the morning, we ſaw the iſland of Porto Santo, bearing weſt; and about noon ſaw the eaſt-end of the iſland of Madeira.

About five o'clock we ran between this end of the iſland and the Deſerters. On the ſide next the Deſerters is a low flat iſland, and near it a needle rock; the ſide next to Ma⯑deira is full of broken rocks, and for that reaſon it is not ſafe to come within leſs than two miles of it.

At ſix in the evening we anchored in Madeira Road, about two-thirds of a mile from the ſhore, in 24 fathom with a muddy bottom: about eight the Swallow and Prince Frederick alſo came to an anchor; and I ſent an officer on ſhore to the Governor, to let him know that I would ſalute him, if he would return an equal number of guns, which he promiſed to do; day Monday 8 the next morning therefore, at ſix o'clock, I ſaluted him with thirteen guns, and he returned thirteen as he had promiſed.

Having taken in a proper quantity of water at this place, with four pipes and ten puncheons of wine, ſome freſh beef, and a large quantity of onions, we weighed anchor on the 12th,day Friday 12 and continued our voyage.

[365]At ſix o'clock in the morning, of Tueſday the 16th,day Tueſday 16 we ſaw the iſland of Palma, and found the ſhip 15 miles to the ſouthward of her reckoning. As we were ſailing along this iſland, at the rate of no leſs than eight miles an hour, with the wind at eaſt, it died away at once; ſo that within leſs than two minutes the ſhip had no motion, though we were at leaſt four leagues diſtant from the ſhore. Palma lies in lat. 28° 40′ N. long. 17° 48′ W.

On the 20th we tried the current,day Saturday 20 and found it ſet S. W. by W. one mile an hour: this day we ſaw two herons flying to the eaſtward, and a great number of bonettos about the ſhip, of which we caught eight.

In the night between the 21ſt and 22d we loſt our com⯑panion the Swallow,day Sunday 21 day Monday 22 and about eight in the morning we ſaw the iſland of Sal, bearing S. ½ W.; at noon it bore S. ¾ W. diſtant 8 leagues; and at noon on the 23d,day Tueſday 23 the neareſt land of the iſland of Bonaviſta bore from S. to W. S. W. diſtant ſeven or eight miles, the eaſt-end, at the ſame time, bearing W. diſtant two leagues. In this ſituation we ſounded, and had only 15 fathom, with rocky ground; at the ſame time we ſaw a very great rippling, which we ſuppoſed to be cauſed by a reef, ſtretching off the point about E. S. E. three miles, and breakers without us, diſtant alſo about three miles in the direction of S. E. We ſteered between the rippling and the breakers, but after hauling the ſhip off about half a mile, we had no ſoundings. The Prince Fre⯑derick paſſed very near the breakers, in the S. E. but had no ſoundings; yet theſe breakers are ſuppoſed to be dan⯑gerous. The middle of the iſle of Sal is in lat. 16° 55′ N. long. 21° 59′ W.; the middle of Bonaviſta is in lat. 16° 10′ long. 23° W.

[366]On the next day,day Wedn. 24 at ſix in the morning, the iſle of May bore from W. to S. W. ſix leagues; and ſoon after the Swallow again joined company. At half an hour after 10 the weſt-end of the iſle of May bore north at the diſtance of five miles, and we found a current here, ſetting to the ſouth⯑ward at the rate of twenty miles in four and twenty hours. The latitude of this iſland is 15° 10′ N. longitude 22° 25′ W.

At noon the ſouth-end of the iſland St. Iago bore S. W. by W. diſtant four leagues; and the north-end N. W. diſtant five leagues. At half an hour after three we anchored in Port Praya, in that iſland, in company with the Swallow and Prince Frederick, in eight fathom water, upon ſandy ground. We had much rain and lightning in the night, and early in the morning I ſent to the commanding-officer at the fort,day Thurſ. 25 for leave to get off ſome water, and other refreſhments, which he granted.

We ſoon learnt that this was the ſickly ſeaſon, and that the rains were ſo great as to render it extremely difficult to get any thing down from the country to the ſhips: it hap⯑pened alſo, unfortunately, that the ſmall-pox, which is ex⯑tremely fatal here, was at this time epidemic; ſo that I per⯑mitted no man to go aſhore who had not had that diſtemper, and I would not ſuffer even thoſe that had to go into any houſe.

We procured, however, a ſupply of water and ſome cattle from the ſhore, and caught abundance of fiſh with the ſeine, which was hauled twice every day: we found alſo in the valley where we got our water, a kind of large purſlain, growing wild in amazing quantities: this was a moſt wel⯑come refreſhment both raw as a ſallad, and boiled with the [367] broth and peaſe; and when we left the place we carried away enough of it to ſerve us a week.

On the 28th,day Sunday 28 at half an hour after twelve we weighed and put to ſea; at half an hour after ſix in the evening the peak of Fuego bore W. N. W. diſtant 12 leagues, and in the night the burning mountain was very viſible.

This day I ordered hooks and lines to be ſerved to all the ſhip's company, that they might catch fiſh for themſelves; but at the ſame time I alſo ordered that no man ſhould keep his fiſh more than four and twenty hours before it was eaten, for I had obſerved that ſtale, and even dried fiſh, had made the people ſickly, and tainted the air in the ſhip.

On the firſt of October,month October day Wedneſ. 1 in lat. 10° 37′ N. we loſt the true trade-wind, and had only light and variable gales; and this day we found that the ſhip was ſet twelve miles to the north⯑ward by a current; day Friday 3 on the third we found a current run S. by E. at the rate of ſix fathom an hour, or about twenty miles and a half a day:day Tueſday 7 on the ſeventh we found the ſhip 19 miles to the ſouthward of her reckoning.

On the 20th, our butter and cheeſe being all expended,day Monday 20 we began to ſerve the ſhip's company with oil, and I gave orders that they ſhould alſo be ſerved with muſtard and vinegar once a fortnight during the reſt of the voyage.

On the 22d we ſaw an incredible number of birds,day Wedneſ. 23 and among the reſt a man of war bird, which inclined us to think that ſome land was not more than 60 leagues diſtant: this day we croſſed the equator in longitude 23° 40′ W.

On the 24th I ordered the ſhip's company to be ſerved with brandy, and reſerved the wine for the ſick and convaleſcent.day Friday 24 On the 26th the Prince Frederick made ſignals of diſtreſs,day Sunday 26 upon which we bore down to her, and found that ſhe had [368] carried away her fore-top-ſail-yard. To ſupply this loſs we gave her our ſprit-ſail-top-ſail-yard, which we could ſpare, and ſhe hoiſted it immediately.

On the 27th ſhe again made ſignals of diſtreſs,day Monday 27 upon which I brought to, and ſent the carpenter on board her, who re⯑turned with an account that ſhe had ſprung a leak under the larboard cheek forward, and that it was impoſſible to do any thing to it till we had better weather. Upon ſpeaking with Lieutenant Brine, who commanded her, he informed me that his crew were ſickly; that the fatigue of working the pumps, and conſtantly ſtanding by the ſails, had worn them down; that their proviſions were not good, that they had nothing to drink but water, and that he feared it would be impoſſible for him to keep company with me except I could ſpare him ſome aſſiſtance. For the badneſs of their proviſion I had no remedy, but I ſent on board a carpenter and ſix ſeamen to aſſiſt in pumping and working the ſhip.

On the eighth of November,month November day Saturday 8 being in latitude 25° 52′ S. longitude 39° 38′ we ſounded with 160 fathom, but had no ground: on the ninth, having ſeen a great number of birds, called albatroſſes, we ſounded again with 180 fathom, but had no ground.

On the 11th,day Tueſday 11 having by ſignal brought the ſtore-ſhip under our ſtern, I ſent the carpenter, with proper aſſiſtants, on board to ſtop the leak; but they found that very little could be done: we then compleated our proviſions, and thoſe of the Swallow, from her ſtores, and put on board her all our ſtaves, iron hoops, and empty oil jars. The next day I ſent a carpenter and ſix ſeamen to relieve the men that had been ſent to aſſiſt her on the 27th of October, who, by this time, began to ſuffer much by their fatigue. Several of her crew having the appearance of the ſcurvy, I ſent [369] the ſurgeon on board her with ſome medicines for the ſick. This day, having ſeen ſome albatroſſes, turtles, and weeds, we ſounded, but had no ground with 180 fathom.

On the 12th, being now in latitude 30 ſouth,day Wedneſ. 12 we began to find it very cold; we therefore got up our quarter cloths, and fitted them to their proper places, and the ſeamen put on their thick jackets. This day we ſaw a turtle, and ſeveral albatroſſes, but ſtill had no ground with 180 fathom.

We continued to ſee weeds and birds on board the ſhip, but had no ground till the 18th,day Tueſday 18 when we found a ſoft muddy bottom at the depth of 54 fathom. We were now in lat. 35° 40′ S. long. 49° 54′ W.; and this was the firſt ſound⯑ing we had after our coming upon the coaſt of Brazil.

On the 19th, about eight o'clock in the evening,day Wedneſ. 19 we ſaw a meteor of a very extraordinary appearance in the north⯑eaſt, which, ſoon after we had obſerved it, flew off in a ho⯑rizontal line to the ſouth-weſt, with amazing rapidity: it was near a minute in its progreſs, and it left a train of light behind it ſo ſtrong, that the deck was not leſs illuminated than at noon-day. This day we ſaw a great number of ſeals about the ſhip, and had ſoundings at 55 fathom, with a muddy bottom. The next day the ſeals continued,day Thurſday 20 and we had ſoundings at 53 fathom, with a dark coloured ſand; upon which we bent our cables.

On the 21ſt we had no ground with 150 fathom.day Friday 21 Our lat. at noon was 37° 40′ S. long. 51° 24′ W.

On the 22d we had ſoundings again at 70 fathom,day Saturday 22 with a dark brown ſand, and ſaw many whales and ſeals about the ſhip, with a great number of butterflies, and birds, among which were ſnipes and plover. Our lat. at noon was 38° 55′ long. 56° 47′ W.

[370]Our ſoundings continued from 40 to 70 fathom, till the eighth of December,month December day Monday 8 when, about ſix o'clock in the morning, we ſaw land bearing from S. W. to W. by S. and appearing like many ſmall iſlands. At noon it bore from W. by S. to S. S. W. diſtant 8 leagues; our latitude then being 47° 16′ S. long. 64° 58′ W. About three o'clock Cape Blanco bore W. N. W. diſtant ſix leagues, and a remarkable double ſaddle W. S. W. diſtant about three leagues. We had now ſound⯑ings from 20 to 16 fathom, ſometimes with coarſe ſand and gravel, ſometimes with ſmall black ſtones and ſhells. At eight in the evening the Tower rock at Port Deſire bore S. W. by W. diſtant about three leagues; and the extreams of the land from S. by E. to N. W. by N. At nine, Penguin Iſland bore S. W. by W. ½ W. diſtant two leagues; and at four o'clock in the morning of the ninth,day Tueſday 9 the land ſeen from the maſt⯑head bore from S. W. to W. by N.

At noon Penguin iſland bore S. by E. diſtant 57 miles; our latitude being 48° 56′ S. longitude 65° 6′ W. This day we ſaw ſuch a quantity of red ſhrimps about the ſhip, that the ſea was coloured with them.

At noon the next day, Wedneſday the 10th,day Wedneſ. 10 the extreams of the land bore from S. W. to N. W. and Wood's Mount, near the entrance of Saint Julian's, bore S. W. by W. diſtant three or four leagues. Our latitude was 49° 16′ S. our lon⯑gitude 66° 48′ W.; and our ſoundings were from 40 to 45 fathom, ſometimes fine ſand, ſometimes ſoft mud.

At noon, on Thurſday the 11th,day Thurſday 11 Penguin iſland bore N. N. E. diſtant 58 leagues. Our latitude was 50° 48′ S. our longitude 67° 10′ W.

We continued our courſe till Saturday the 13th,day Saturday 13 when our latitude being 50° 34′ S. and our longitude 68° 15′ W. [371] the extreams of the land bore from N. ½ to S. S. W. ½ W. and the ſhip was about five or ſix miles diſtant from the ſhore. Cape Beachy-head, the northermoſt cape, was found to lie in latitude 50° 16′ S. and Cape Fairweather, the ſouth⯑ermoſt cape, in latitude 50° 50′ S.

On Sunday the 14th, at four in the morning,day Sunday 14 Cape Beachy-head bore N. W. ½ N. diſtant about eight leagues; and at noon, our latitude being 50° 52′ S. and longitude 68° 10′ W. Penguin iſland bore N. 35° E. diſtant 68 leagues. We were ſix leagues from the ſhore, and the extreams of the land were from N. W. to W. S. W.

At eight o'clock in the morning, of Monday the 15th,day Monday 15 being about ſix miles from the ſhore, the extreams of the land bore from S. by E. to N. by E. and the entrance of the river Saint Croix S. W. ½ W. We had 20 fathom quite croſs the opening, the diſtance from point to point being about ſeven miles, and afterwards keeping at the diſtance of about four miles from each cape, we had from 22 to 24 fathom. The land on the north ſhore is high, and appears in three capes; that on the ſouth ſhore is low and flat. At ſeven in the eve⯑ning, Cape Fairweather bore S. W. ½ S. diſtant about four leagues, a low point running out from it S. S. W. ¾ W. We ſtood off and on all night, and had from 30 to 22 fathom water, with a bottom of ſand and mud. At ſeven the next morning, Tueſday the 16th,day Tueſday 16 we ſhoaled gradually into 12 fathom, with a bottom of fine ſand, and ſoon after into ſix: we then hauled off S. E. by S. ſomewhat more than a mile; then ſteered eaſt five miles, then E. by N. and deepened into 12 fathom. Cape Fairweather at this time bore W. ½ S. diſtant four leagues, and the northermoſt extremity of the land W. N. W. When we firſt came into ſhoal water, Cape Fairweather bore W. ½ N. and a low point without it W. S. W. [372] diſtant about four miles. At noon Cape Fairweather bore W. N. W. ½ W. diſtant ſix leagues, and a large hummock S. W. ½ W. diſtant ſeven leagues. At this time our lat. was 51° 52′ S. long. 68° W.

At one o'clock, being about two leagues diſtant from the ſhore, the extreams of three remarkable round hills bore from S. W. by W. to W. S. W. At four, Cape Virgin Mary bore S. E. by S. diſtant about four leagues. At eight, we were very near the Cape, and upon the point of it ſaw ſeveral men riding, who made ſigns for us to come on ſhore. In about half an hour we anchored in a bay, cloſe under the ſouth ſide of the Cape, in ten fathom water, with a gravelly bottom. The Swallow and ſtore-ſhip anchored ſoon after between us and the Cape, which then bore N. by W. ½ W. and a low ſandy point like Dungeneſs S. by W. From the Cape there runs a ſhoal, to the diſtance of about half a league, which may be eaſily known by the weeds that are upon it. We found it high water at half an hour after eleven, and the tide roſe twenty foot.

The natives continued abreaſt of the ſhip all night, making ſeveral great fires, and frequently ſhouting very loud. As ſoon as it was light,day Wedneſ. 17 on Wedneſday morning the 17th, we ſaw great numbers of them in motion, who made ſigns for us to land. About five o'clock I made the ſignal for the boats belonging to the Swallow and the Prince Frederick to come on board, and in the mean time hoiſted out our own. Theſe boats being all manned and armed, I took a party of marines, and rowed towards the ſhore, having left orders with the maſter to bring the ſhip's broad-ſide to bear upon the landing place, and to keep the guns loaded with round ſhot. We reached the beach about ſix o'clock, and before we went from the boat, I made ſigns to the natives to retire [373] to ſome diſtance: they immediately complied,day Wedneſ. 17 and I then landed with the captain of the Swallow, and ſeveral of the officers: the marines were drawn up, and the boats were brought to a grappling near the ſhore. I then made ſigns to the natives to come near, and directed them to ſit down in a ſemicircle, which they did with great order and chearful⯑neſs. When this was done, I diſtributed among them ſeve⯑ral knives, ſciſſars, buttons, beads, combs, and other toys, particularly ſome ribands to the women, which they re⯑ceived with a very becoming mixture of pleaſure and reſpect. Having diſtributed my preſents, I endeavoured to make them underſtand that I had other things which I would part with, but for which I expected ſomewhat in return. I ſhewed them ſome hatchets and bill-hooks, and pointed to ſome guanicoes, which happened to be near, and ſome oſtriches which I ſaw dead among them; making ſigns at the ſame time that I wanted to eat; but they either could not, or would not underſtand me: for though they ſeemed very deſirous of the hatchets and the bill-hooks, they did not give the leaſt intimation that they would part with any pro⯑viſions; no traffick therefore was carried on between us.

Each of theſe people, both men and women, had a horſe, with a decent ſaddle, ſtirrups, and bridle. The men had wooden ſpurs, except one, who had a large pair of ſuch as are worn in Spain, braſs ſtirrups, and a Spaniſh cimeter, without a ſcabbard; but notwithſtanding theſe diſtinctions, he did not appear to have any authority over the reſt: the women had no ſpurs. The horſes appeared to be well made, and nimble, and were about 14 hands high. The people had alſo many dogs with them, which, as well as the horſes, appeared to be of a Spaniſh breed.

[374]As I had two meaſuring rods with me,day Wedneſ. 17 we went round and meaſured thoſe that appeared to be talleſt among them. One of theſe was ſix feet ſeven inches high, ſeveral more were ſix feet five, and ſix feet ſix inches; but the ſtature of the greater part of them was from five feet ten to ſix feet. Their complexion is a dark copper colour, like that of the Indians in North America; their hair is ſtrait, and nearly as harſh as hog's briſtles: it is tied back with a cotton ſtring, but neither ſex wears any head-dreſs. They are well made, robuſt, and boney; but their hands and feet are remarkably ſmall. They are cloathed with the ſkins of the guanico, ſewed together into pieces about ſix foot long, and five wide: theſe are wrapped round the body, and faſtened with a girdle, with the hairy ſide inwards; ſome of them had alſo what the Spaniards have called a puncho, a ſquare piece of cloth made of the downy hair of the guanico, through which a hole being cut for the head, the reſt hangs round them about as low as the knee. The guanico is an animal that in ſize, make, and colour, reſembles a deer, but it has a hump on its back, and no horns. Theſe people wear alſo a kind of drawers, which they pull up very tight, and buſkins, which reach from the mid-leg to the inſtep before, and behind are brought under the heel; the reſt of the foot is without any covering. We obſerved that ſeveral of the men had a red circle painted round the left eye, and that others were painted on their arms, and on different parts of the face; the eye-lids of all the young women were painted black. They talked much, and ſome of them called out Ca-pi-ta-ne; but when they were ſpoken to in Spaniſh, Portugueſe, French, and Dutch, they made no reply. Of their own lan⯑guage we could diſtinguiſh only one word, which was chevow: we ſuppoſed it to be a ſalutation, as they always [375] pronounced it when they ſhook hands with us, and when,day Wedneſ. 17 by ſigns, they aſked us to give them any thing. When they were ſpoken to in Engliſh, they repeated the words after us as plainly as we could do; and they ſoon got by heart the words "Engliſhmen come on ſhore." Every one had a miſſile weapon of a ſingular kind, tucked into the girdle. It conſiſted of two round ſtones, covered with leather, each weighing about a pound, which were faſtened to the two ends of a ſtring about eight feet long. This is uſed as a ſling, one ſtone being kept in the hand, and the other whirled round the head till it is ſuppoſed to have acquired ſufficient force, and then diſcharged at the object. They are ſo expert in the management of this double-headed ſhot, that they will hit a mark, not bigger than a ſhilling, with both the ſtones, at the diſtance of fifteen yards; it is not their cuſtom, however, to ſtrike either the guanico or the oſtrich with them in the chace, but they diſcharge them ſo that the cord comes againſt the legs of the oſtrich, or two of the legs of the guanico, and is twiſted round them by the force and ſwing of the balls, ſo that the animal being unable to run, becomes an eaſy prey to the hunter.

While we ſtayed on ſhore, we ſaw them eat ſome of their fleſh meat raw, particularly the paunch of an oſtrich, with⯑out any other preparation or cleaning than juſt turning it inſide out, and ſhaking it. We obſerved among them ſeveral beads, ſuch as I gave them, and two pieces of red baize, which we ſuppoſed had been left there, or in the neighbour⯑ing country, by Commodore Byron.

After I had ſpent about four hours with theſe people, I made ſigns to them that I was going on board, and that I would take ſome of them with me if they were deſirous to go. As ſoon as I had made myſelf underſtood, above an hundred [376] eagerly offered to viſit the ſhip; day Wedneſ. 17 but I did not chuſe to in⯑dulge more than eight of the number. They jumped into the boats with the joy and alacrity of children going to a fair, and having no intention of miſchief againſt us, had not the leaſt ſuſpicion that we intended any miſchief againſt them. They ſung ſeveral of their country ſongs while they were in the boat, and when they came on board did not ex⯑preſs either the curioſity or wonder which the multiplicity of objects, to them equally ſtrange and ſtupendous, that at once preſented themſelves, might be ſuppoſed to excite. I took them down into the cabbin, where they looked about them with an unaccountable indifference, till one of them happened to caſt his eyes upon a looking-glaſs: this however excited no more aſtoniſhment than the prodigies which offer themſelves to our imagination in a dream, when we con⯑verſe with the dead, fly in the air, and walk upon the ſea, without reflecting that the laws of nature are violated; but it afforded them infinite diverſion: they advanced, retreated, and played a thouſand tricks before it, laughing violently, and talking with great emphaſis to each other. I gave them ſome beef, pork, biſcuit, and other articles of the ſhip's pro⯑viſions: they eat, indiſcriminately, whatever was offered to them, but they would drink nothing but water. From the cabbin I carried them all over the ſhip, but they looked at nothing with much attention, except the animals which we had on board as live ſtock: they examined the hogs and ſheep with ſome curioſity, and were exceedingly delighted with the Guinea hens and turkies; they did not ſeem to deſire any thing that they ſaw except our apparel, and only one of them, an old man, aſked for that: we gratified him with a pair of ſhoes and buckles, and to each of the others I gave a canvas bag, in which I put ſome needles ready threaded, a few ſlips of cloth, a knife, a pair of ſciſſars, ſome twine, a [377] few beads, a comb, and a looking-glaſs,day Wedneſ. 17 with ſome new ſix⯑pences and halfpence, through which a hole had been drilled, that was fitted with a riband to hang round the neck. We offered them ſome leaves of tobacco, rolled up into what are called ſegars, and they ſmoked a little, but did not ſeem fond of it. I ſhowed them the great guns, but they did not appear to have any notion of their uſe. After I had carried them through the ſhip, I ordered the marines to be drawn up, and go through part of their exerciſe. When the firſt volley was fired, they were ſtruck with aſtoniſhment and terror; the old man in particular, threw himſelf down upon the deck, pointed to the muſkets, and then ſtriking his breaſt with his hand, lay ſome time motionleſs, with his eyes ſhut: by this we ſuppoſed he intended to ſhew us that he was not unacquainted with fire-arms, and their fatal effect. The reſt ſeeing our people merry, and finding them⯑ſelves unhurt, ſoon reſumed their cheerfulneſs and good humour, and heard the ſecond and third volley fired without much emotion; but the old man continued proſtrate upon the deck ſome time, and never recovered his ſpirits till the firing was over. About noon, the tide being out, I acquainted them by ſigns that the ſhip was proceeding farther, and that they muſt go on ſhore: this I ſoon perceived they were very unwilling to do; all however, except the old man and one more, were got into the boat without much difficulty; but theſe ſtopped at the gang-way, where the old man turned about, and went aft to the companion ladder, where he ſtood ſome time without ſpeaking a word; he then uttered what we ſuppoſed to be a prayer; for he many times lifted up his hands and his eyes to the heavens, and ſpoke in a manner and tone very different from what we had obſerved in their converſation: his oraiſon ſeemed to be rather ſung than ſaid, ſo that we found it impoſſible to diſtinguiſh one [378] word from another.day Wedneſ. 17 When I again intimated that it was proper for him to go into the boat, he pointed to the ſun, and then moving his hand round to the weſt, he pauſed, looked in my face, laughed, and pointed to the ſhore: by this it was eaſy to underſtand that he wiſhed to ſtay on board till ſun-ſet, and I took no little pains to convince him that we could not ſtay ſo long upon that part of the coaſt, before he could be prevailed upon to go into the boat; at length however he went over the ſhip's ſide with his companion, and when the boat put off they all began to ſing, and con⯑tinued their merriment till they got on ſhore. When they landed, great numbers of thoſe on ſhore preſſed eagerly to get into the boat; but the officer on board, having poſitive orders to bring none of them off, prevented them, though not without great difficulty, and apparently to their extream mortification and diſappointment.

When the boat returned on board, I ſent her off again with the maſter, to ſound the ſhoal that runs off from the point: he found it about three miles broad from north to ſouth, and that to avoid it, it was neceſſary to keep four miles off the Cape, in twelve or thirteen fathom water.

CHAP. II. The Paſſage through the Streight of Magellan, with ſome further account of the Patagonians, and a deſcription of the Coaſt on each ſide, and its Inhabitants.

ABOUT one o'clock, on Wedneſday the 17th of Decem⯑ber,day Wedneſ. 17 I made the ſignal and weighed, ordering the Swallow to go a-head, and the ſtore-ſhip to bring up the rear. The wind was right againſt us, and blew freſh, ſo that we were obliged to turn into the Streight of Magellan with the flood-tide, between Cape Virgin Mary and the Sandy Point that reſembles Dungeneſs. When we got a-breaſt of this Point, we ſtood cloſe into the ſhore, where we ſaw two guanicoes, and many of the natives on horſe⯑back, who ſeemed to be in purſuit of them: when the horſemen came near, they ran up the country at a great rate, and were purſued by the hunters, with their ſlings in their hands ready for the caſt; but neither of them was taken while they were within the reach of our ſight.

When we got about two leagues to the weſt of Dungeneſs, and were ſtanding off ſhore, we fell in with a ſhoal upon which we had but ſeven fathom water at half flood: this obliged us to make ſhort tacks, and keep continually heav⯑ing the lead. At half an hour after eight in the evening, we anchored about three miles from the ſhore, in 20 fa⯑thom, with a muddy bottom: Cape Virgin Mary then bear⯑ing N. E. by E. ½ E.; Point Poſſeſſion W. ½ S. at the diſtance of about five leagues.

[380]About half an hour after we had caſt anchor,day Wedneſ. 17 the natives made ſeveral large fires a-breaſt of the ſhip, and at break of day we ſaw about four hundred of them encamped in a fine green valley, between two hills, with their horſes feeding beſide them.day Thurſday 18 About ſix o'clock in the morning, the tide being done, we got again under ſail: it's courſe here is from eaſt to weſt; it riſes and falls thirty feet, and its ſtrength is equal to about three knots an hour. About noon there being little wind, and the ebb running with great force, the Swallow, who was a-head, made the ſignal and came to an anchor; upon which I did the ſame, and ſo did the ſtore-ſhip, that was a-ſtern.

As we ſaw great numbers of the natives on horſeback a-breaſt of the ſhip, and as Captain Carteret informed me that this was the place where Commodore Byron had the confe⯑rence with the tall men, I ſent the lieutenants of the Swal⯑low and the ſtore-ſhip to the ſhore, but with orders not to land, as the ſhips were at too great a diſtance to protect them. When theſe gentlemen returned, they told me that the boat having lain upon her oars very near the beach, the natives came down in great numbers, whom they knew to be the ſame perſons they had ſeen the day before, with many others, particularly women and children; that when they perceived out people had no deſign to land, they ſeemed to be greatly diſappointed, and thoſe who had been on board the ſhip waded off to the boat, making ſigns for it to ad⯑vance, and pronouncing the words they had been taught, "Engliſhmen come on ſhore," very loud, many times; that when they found they could not get the people to land, they would fain have got into the boat, and that it was with great difficulty they were prevented. That they preſented them [381] with ſome bread, tobacco, and a few toys, pointing at the ſame time to ſome guanicoes and oſtriches, and making ſigns that they wanted them as proviſions, but that they could not make themſelves underſtood; that finding they could obtain no refreſhment, they rowed along the ſhore in ſearch of freſh water, but that ſeeing no appearance of a ri⯑vulet, they returned on board.

At ſix o'clock the next morning, we weighed,day Friday 19 the Swallow being ſtill a-head, and at noon we anchored in Poſſeſſion bay, having twelve fathom, with a clean ſandy bottom. Point Poſſeſſion at this time bore Eaſt, diſtant three leagues; the Aſſes Ears weſt, and the entrance of the Narrows S. W. ½ W.: the bottom of the bay, which was the neareſt land to the ſhip, was diſtant about three miles. We ſaw a great num⯑ber of Indians upon the Point, and at night, large fires on the Terra del Fuego ſhore.

From this time, to the 22d,day Monday 22 we had ſtrong gales and heavy feas, ſo that we got on but ſlowly; and we now anchored in 18 fathom, with a muddy bottom. The Aſſes Ears bore N. W. by W. ½ W. Point Poſſeſſion N. E. by E. and the point of the Narrows, on the ſouth ſide, S. S. W. diſtant between three and four leagues. In this ſituation, our longitude, by ob⯑ſervation, was 70° 20′ W. latitude 52° 30′ S. The tide here ſets S. E. by S. and N. E. by N. at the rate of about three knots an hour; the water riſes four and twenty feet, and at this time it was high water at four in the morning.

In the morning of the 23d, we made ſail,day Tueſday 23 turning to wind⯑ward, but the tide was ſo ſtrong, that the Swallow was ſet one way, the Dolphin another, and the ſtore-ſhip a third: there was a freſh breeze, but not one of the veſſels would anſwer her helm. We had various ſoundings, and ſaw the rippling in the middle ground: in theſe circumſtances, [382] ſometimes backing,day Tueſday 23 ſometimes filling, we entered the firſt Narrows. About ſix o'clock in the evening, the tide being done, we anchored on the ſouth ſhore, in 40 fathom, with a ſandy bottom; the Swallow anchored on the north ſhore, and the ſtore-ſhip not a cable's length from a ſand bank, about two miles to the eaſtward. The ſtreight here is only three miles wide, and at midnight, the tide being ſlack, we weighed and towed the ſhip through. A breeze ſprung up ſoon afterwards,day Wedneſ. 24 which continued till ſeven in the morning, and then died away. We ſteered from the firſt Narrows to the ſecond S. W. and had 19 fathom, with a muddy bottom. At eight we anchored two leagues from the ſhore, in 24 fa⯑thom, Cape Gregory bearing W. ½ N. and Sweepſtakes Fore⯑land S. W. ½ W. The tide here ran ſeven knots an hour, and ſuch bores ſometimes came down, with immenſe quantities of weeds, that we expected every moment to be adrift.

The next day,day Thurſday 25 being Chriſtmas day, we ſailed through the ſecond Narrows. In turning through this part of the Streight we had 12 fathom within half a mile of the ſhore on each ſide, and in the middle 17 fathom, 22 fathom, and no ground. At five o'clock in the evening, the ſhip ſuddenly ſhoaled from 17 fathom to 5, St. Bartholomew's iſland then bearing S. ½ W. diſtant between three and four miles, and Elizabeth iſland S. S. W. ½ W. diſtant five or ſix miles. About half an hour after eight o'clock, the weather being rainy and tempeſtuous, we anchored under Elizabeth iſland in 24 fathom, with hard gravelly ground. Upon this iſland we found great quantities of celery, which, by the direc⯑tion of the ſurgeon, was given to the people, with boiled wheat and portable ſoup, for breakfaſt every morning. Some of the officers who went aſhore with their guns, ſaw two ſmall dogs, and ſeveral places where fires had been recently [383] made, with many freſh ſhells of muſcles and limpets lying about them: they ſaw alſo ſeveral wigwams or huts, conſiſt⯑ing of young trees, which, being ſharpened at one end, and thruſt into the ground in a circular form, the other ends were brought to meet, and faſtened together at the top; but they ſaw none of the natives.

From this place we ſaw many high mountains, bearing from S. to W. S. W.; ſeveral parts of the ſummits were co⯑vered with ſnow, though it was the midſt of ſummer in this part of the world: they were clothed with wood about three parts of their height, and above with herbage, except where the ſnow was not yet melted. This was the firſt place where we had ſeen wood in all South America.

At two o'clock in the morning of the 26th, we weighed,day Friday 26 and having a fair wind, were a-breaſt of the north end of Elizabeth's iſland at three: at half an hour after five, being about mid-way between Elizabeth's iſland and St. George's iſland, we ſuddenly ſhoaled our water from 17 fathom to ſix: we ſtruck the ground once, but the next caſt had no bottom with 20 fathom. When we were upon this ſhoal, Cape Porpoiſe bore W. S. W. ½ W. the ſouth-end of Elizabeth's iſland W. N. W. ½ W. diſtant three leagues, and the ſouth-end of Saint George's iſland N. E. diſtant four leagues. The ſtore-ſhip, which was about half a league to the ſouthward of us, had once no more than four fathom, and for a con⯑ſiderable time not ſeven; the Swallow, which was three or four miles to the ſouthward, had deep water, for ſhe kept near to St. George's iſland. In my opinion it is ſafeſt to run down from the north-end of Elizabeth's iſland, about two or three miles from the ſhore, and ſo on all the way to Port Famine. At noon, a low point bore E. ½ N. Freſh-water Bay S. W. ½ W. At this time we were about three miles diſtant [384] from the north ſhore,day Friday 26 and had no ground with 80 fathom. Our longitude, by obſervation, which was made over the ſhoal, was 71° 20′ W. our latitude 53° 12′ S.

About four o'clock we anchored in Port Famine Bay, in 13 fathom, and there being little wind, ſent all the boats, and towed in the Swallow and Prince Frederick.

The next morning,day Saturday 27 the weather being ſqually, we warped the ſhip farther into the harbour, and moored her with a cable each way in nine fathom. I then ſent a party of men to pitch two large tents in the bottom of the bay, for the ſick, the wooders, and the ſail-makers, who were ſoon after ſent on ſhore with the ſurgeon, the gunner, and ſome midſhipmen. Cape St. Anne now bore N. E. by E. diſtant three quarters of a mile, and Sedger River S. ½ W.

On the 28th we unbent all the ſails,day Sunday 28 and ſent them on ſhore to be repaired, erected tents upon the banks of Sedger River, and ſent all the empty caſks on ſhore, with the coopers to trim them, and a mate and ten men to waſh and fill them. We alſo hauled the ſeine, and caught fiſh in great plenty: ſome of them reſembled a mullet, but the fleſh was very ſoft; and among them were a few ſmelts, ſome of which were twenty inches long, and weighed four and twenty ounces.

During our whole ſtay in this place, we caught fiſh enough to furniſh one meal a day both for the ſick and the well: we found alſo great plenty of celery and pea-tops, which were boiled with the peaſe and portable ſoup: beſides theſe, we gathered great quantities of fruit that reſembled the cranberry, and the leaves of a ſhrub ſomewhat like our thorn, which were remarkably ſour. When we arrived, all our people began to look pale and meagre; many had the ſcurvy to a great degree, and upon others there were ma⯑nifeſt ſigns of its approach; yet in a fortnight there was not [385] a ſcorbutic perſon in either of the ſhips. Their recovery was effected by their being on ſhore, eating plenty of vegetables, being obliged to waſh their apparel, and keep their perſons clean by daily bathing in the ſea.

The next day we ſet up the forge on ſhore; day Monday 29 and from this time, the armourers, carpenters, and the reſt of the people were employed in refitting the ſhip, and making her ready for the ſea.

In the mean time, a conſiderable quantity of wood was cut, and put on board the ſtore-ſhip, to be ſent to Falkland's iſland; and as I well knew there was no wood growing there, I cauſed ſome thouſands of young trees to be care⯑fully taken up with their roots, and a proper quantity of earth; and packing them in the beſt manner I could, I put them alſo on board the ſtore-ſhip, with orders to deliver them to the commanding officer at Port Egmont, and to ſail for that place with the firſt fair wind, putting on board two of my ſeamen, who being in an ill ſtate of health when they firſt came on board, were now altogether unfit to proceed in the voyage.

On Wedneſday the 14th of January,year 1767 month January day Wedneſ. 14 we got all our people and tents on board; having taken in ſeventy-five tons of water from the ſhore, and twelve months proviſions of all kinds, at whole allowance, for ourſelves, and ten months for the Swallow, from on board the ſtore-ſhip, I ſent the maſter in the cutter, which was victualed for a week, to look out for anchoring places on the north ſhore of the Streight.

After ſeveral attempts to ſail,day Saturday 17 the weather obliged us to continue in our old ſtation till Saturday the 17th, when the Prince Frederick Victualer ſailed for Falkland's iſland, and [386] the maſter returned from his expedition. The maſter re⯑ported that he had found four places, in which there was good anchorage, between the place where we lay and Cape Froward: that he had been on ſhore at ſeveral places, where he had found plenty of wood and water cloſe to the beach, with abundance of cranberries and wild celery. He reported alſo, that he had ſeen a great number of currant buſhes full of fruit, though none of it was ripe, and a great variety of beautiful ſhrubs in full bloſſom, bearing flowers of different colours, particularly red, purple, yellow, and white, beſides great plenty of the winter's bark, a grateful ſpice which is well known to the botaniſts of Europe. He ſhot ſeveral wild ducks, geeſe, gulls, a hawk, and two or three of the birds which the ſailors call a Race-Horſe.

At five o'clock in the morning of Sunday the 18th,day Sunday 18 we made ſail, and at noon, being about two miles from the ſhore, Cape Froward bore N. by E. a bluff point N. N. W. and Cape Holland W. ½ S. Our latitude at this place, by obſer⯑vation, was 54° 3′ S. and we found the Streight to be about ſix miles wide. Soon after I ſent a boat into Snug bay, to lie at the anchoring place, but the wind coming from the land, I ſtood off again all night; and at a mile from the ſhore, we had no ground with 140 fathom.

In the morning of Monday the 19th,day Monday 19 the Swallow having made the ſignal for anchoring under Cape Holland, we ran in, and anchored in 10 fathom, with a clear ſandy bottom. Upon ſending the boats out to ſound, we diſcovered that we were very near a reef of rocks; we therefore tripped the an⯑chor, and dropped farther out, where we had 12 fathom, and were about half a mile from the ſhore, juſt oppoſite to a large ſtream of water which falls with great rapidity from [387] the mountains, for the land he [...] is of a ſtupendous height. Cape Holland bore W. S. W. ½ W. diſtant two miles, and Cape Froward E. Our latitude, by obſervation, was 53° 58′ S.

The next morning we got off ſome water,day Tueſday 20 and great plenty of wild celery, but could get no fiſh, except a few muſcles. I ſent off the boats to ſound, and found that there was good anchorage at about half a mile from the ſhore, quite from the Cape to four miles below it; and cloſe by the Cape a good harbour, where a ſhip might refreſh with more ſafety than at Port Famine, and avail herſelf of a large river of freſh water, with plenty of wood, celery, and berries; though the place affords no fiſh except muſcles.

Having completed our wood and water,day Thurſ. 22 we ſailed from this place on the 22d, about three o'clock in the afternoon. At nine in the evening, the ſhip being about two miles diſtant from the ſhore, Cape Gallant bore W. ½ N. diſtant two leagues, Cape Holland E. by N. diſtant ſix leagues; Cape Gallant and Cape Holland being nearly in one: a white patch in Monmouth's iſland bore S. S. W. ¾ W. Rupert's iſland W. S. W. At this place the Streight is not more than five miles over; and we found a tide which produced a very un⯑uſual effect, for it became impoſſible to keep the ſhip's head upon any point.

At ſix the next morning,day Friday 23 the Swallow made the ſignal for having found anchorage; and at eight we anchored in a bay under Cape Gallant, in 10 fathom, with a muddy bottom. The eaſt point of Cape Gallant bore S. W. by W. ¼ W. the ex⯑tream point of the eaſtermoſt land E. by S. a point making the mouth of a river N. by W. and the white patch on Charles's iſland S. W. The boats being ſent out to ſound, found good anchorage every where, except within two cables length S. W. of the ſhip, where it was coral, and [388] deepened to 16 fathom. In the afternoon I ſent out the maſter to examine the bay and a large lagoon; and he reported that the lagoon was the moſt commodious harbour we had yet ſeen in the Streight, having five fathom at the entrance, and from four to live in the middle; that it was capable of re⯑ceiving a great number of veſſels, had three large freſh water rivers, and plenty of wood and celery. We had here the misfortune to have a ſeine ſpoiled, by being entangled with the wood that lies ſunk at the mouth of theſe rivers; but though we caught but little fiſh, we had an incredible number of wild ducks, which we found a very good ſucce⯑daneum.

The mountains are here very lofty, and the maſter of the Swallow climbed one of the higheſt, hoping that from the ſummit he ſhould obtain a fight of the South Sea; but he found his view intercepted by mountains ſtill higher on the ſouthern ſhore: before he deſcended, however, he erected a pyramid, within which he depoſited a bottle containing a ſhilling, and a paper on which was written the ſhip's name and the date of the year; a memorial which poſſibly may remain there as long as the world endures.

In the morning of the 24th we took two boats and ex⯑amined Cordes bay,day Saturday 24 which we found very much inferior to that in which the ſhip lay; it had indeed a larger lagoon, but the entrance of it was very narrow, and barred by a ſhoal, on which there was not ſufficient depth of water for a ſhip of burden to float: the entrance of the bay alſo was rocky, and within it the ground was foul.

In this place we ſaw an animal that reſembled an aſs, but it had a cloven hoof, as we diſcovered afterwards by tracking it, and was as ſwift as a deer. This was the firſt animal we had ſeen in the Streight, except at the entrance, where we [389] found the guanicoes that we would fain have trafficked for with the Indians. We ſhot at this creature, but we could not hit it; probably it is altogether unknown to the natura⯑liſts of Europe.

The country about this place has the moſt dreary and for⯑lorn appearance that can be imagined; the mountains on each ſide the Streight are of an immenſe height: about one fourth of the aſcent is covered with trees of a conſiderable ſize; in the ſpace from thence to the middle of the mountain there is nothing but withered ſhrubs; above theſe are patches of ſnow, and fragments of broken rock; and the ſummit is altogether rude and naked, towering above the clouds in vaſt crags that are piled upon each other, and look like the ruins of Nature devoted to everlaſting ſterility and deſolation.

We went over in two boats to the Royal Iſlands, and ſounded, but found no bottom: a very rapid tide ſet through wherever there was an opening; and they cannot be ap⯑proached by ſhipping without the moſt imminent danger. Whoever navigates this part of the Streight, ſhould keep the north ſhore cloſe on board all the way, and not venture more than a mile from it till the Royal Iſlands are paſſed. The current ſets eaſterly through the whole four and twenty hours, and the indraught ſhould by all means be avoided. The latitude of Cape Gallant road is 53° 50′ S.

We continued in this ſtation, taking in wood and water, and gathering muſcles and herbs,day Tueſday. 27 till the morning of the 27th, when a boat that had been ſent to try the current, re⯑turned with an account that it ſet nearly at the rate of two miles an hour, but that the wind being northerly, we might probably get round to Elizabeth bay or York road before night; we therefore weighed with all expedition. At noon on the 28th,day Wedneſ. 28 the weſt point of Cape Gallant bore W. N. W. [390] diſtant half a mile, and the white patch on Charles's iſland S. E. by S. We had freſh gales and heavy flaws off the land; and at two o'clock the weſt point of Cape Gallant bore E. diſtant three leagues, and York Point W. N. W. diſtant five leagues. At five, we opened York road, the Point bearing N. W. at the diſtance of half a mile: at this time the ſhip was taken a-back, and a ſtrong current with a heavy ſquall drove us ſo far to leeward, that it was with great difficulty we got into Elizabeth bay, and anchored in 12 fathom near a river. The Swallow being at anchor off the point of the bay, and very near the rocks, I ſent all the boats with an⯑chors and hauſers to her aſſiſtance, and at laſt ſhe was happily warped to windward into good anchorage. York Point now bore W. by N. a ſhoal with weeds upon it W. N. W. at the diſtance of a cable's length, Point Paſſage S. E. ½ E. diſtant half a mile, a rock near Rupert's iſle S. ½ E. and a ri⯑vulet on the bay N. E. by E. diſtant about three cable's length. Soon after ſun-ſet we ſaw a great ſmoke on the ſouthern ſhore, and another on Prince Rupert's iſland.

Early in the morning I ſent the boats on ſhore for water,day Thurſday 29 and ſoon after our people landed, three canoes put off from the ſouth ſhore, and landed ſixteen of the natives on the eaſt point of the bay. When they came within about a hundred yards of our people they ſtopt, called out, and made ſigns of friendſhip; our people did the ſame, ſhewing them ſome beads and other toys. At this they ſeemed pleaſed, and be⯑gan to ſhout; our people imitated the noiſe they made, and ſhouted in return: the Indians then advanced, ſtill ſhouting and laughing very loud. When the parties met they ſhook hands, and our men preſented the Indians with ſeveral of the toys which they had ſhewn them at a diſtance. They were covered with ſeal ſkins, which ſtunk abominably, and ſome of them were eating the rotten fleſh and blubber raw, [391] with a keen appetite and great ſeeming ſatisfaction.day Thurſday 29 Their complexion was the ſame as that of the people we had ſeen before, but they were low of ſtature, the talleſt of them not being more than five foot ſix: they appeared to be periſhing with cold, and immediately kindled ſeveral fires. How they ſubſiſt in winter, it is not perhaps eaſy to gueſs, for the wea⯑ther was at this time ſo ſevere, that we had frequent falls of ſnow. They were armed with bows, arrows, and javelins: the arrows and javelins were pointed with flint, which was wrought into the ſhape of a ſerpent's tongue; and they diſ⯑charged both with great force and dexterity, ſcarce ever fail⯑ing to hit a mark at a conſiderable diſtance. To kindle a fire they ſtrike a pebble againſt a piece of mundic, holding under it, to catch the ſparks, ſome moſs or down, mixed with a whitiſh earth, which takes fire like tinder: they then take ſome dry graſs, of which there is every where plenty, and putting the lighted moſs into it, wave it to and fro, and in about a minute it blazes.

When the boat returned ſhe brought three of them on board the ſhip, but they ſeemed to regard nothing with any degree of curioſity except our cloaths and a looking-glaſs; the looking-glaſs afforded them as much diverſion as it had done the Patagonians, and it ſeemed to ſurprize them more: when they firſt peeped into it they ſtarted back, firſt looking at us, and then at each other; they then took another peep, as it were by ſtealth, ſtarting back as before, and then eagerly looking behind it: when by degrees they became familiar with it, they ſmiled, and ſeeing the image ſmile in return, they were exceedingly delighted, and burſt into fits of the moſt violent laughter. They left this however, and every thing elſe, with perfect indifference, the little they poſſeſſed being to all appearance equal to their deſires. They [392] eat whatever was given them,month February but would drink nothing but water.

When they left the ſhip I went on ſhore with them, and by this time ſeveral of their wives and children were come to the watering-place. I diſtributed ſome trinkets among them, with which they ſeemed pleaſed for a moment, and they gave us ſome of their arms in return; they gave us alſo ſeveral pieces of mundic, ſuch as is found in the tin mines of Cornwall: they made us underſtand that they found it in the mountains, where there are probably mines of tin, and perhaps of more valuable metal. As this ſeems to be the moſt dreary and inhoſpitable country in the world, not excepting the worſt parts of Sweden and Norway, the people ſeem to be the loweſt and moſt deplorable of all human beings. Their perfect indifference to every thing they ſaw, which marked the diſparity between our ſtate and their own, though it may preſerve them from the regret and anguiſh of unſatisfied deſires, ſeems, notwithſtanding, to imply a defect in their nature; for thoſe who are ſatisfied with the gratifications of a brute, can have little pretenſion to the prerogatives of men. When they left us and em⯑barked in their canoes, they hoiſted a ſeal ſkin for a ſail, and ſteered for the ſouthern ſhore, where we ſaw many of their hovels; and we remarked that not one of them looked be⯑hind, either at us or at the ſhip, ſo little impreſſion had the wonders they had ſeen made upon their minds, and ſo much did they appear to be abſorbed in the preſent, without any habitual exerciſe of their power to reflect upon the paſt.

In this ſtation we continued till Tueſday the 3d of Fe⯑bruary.day Tueſday 3 At about half an hour paſt twelve we weighed, and in a ſudden ſquall were taken a-back, ſo as that both ſhips were in the moſt imminent danger of being driven aſhore [393] on a reef of rocks; the wind however ſuddenly ſhifted,day Tueſday 3 and we happily got off without damage. At five o'clock in the afternoon, the tide being done, and the wind coming about to the weſt, we bore away for York road, and at length an⯑chored in it: the Swallow at the ſame time being very near Iſland bay, under Cape Quod, endeavoured to get in there, but was by the tide obliged to return to York road. In this ſituation Cape Quod bore W. ½ S. diſtant 19 miles, York Point E. S. E. diſtant one mile, Bachelor's River N. N. W. three quarters of a mile, the entrance of Jerom's Sound N. W. by W. and a ſmall iſland on the ſouth ſhore W. by S. We found the tide here very rapid and uncertain; in the ſtream it ge⯑nerally ſet to the eaſtward, but it ſometimes, though rarely, ſet weſtward ſix hours together. This evening we ſaw five Indian canoes come out of Bachelor's River, and go up Je⯑rom's Sound.

In the morning,day Wedneſ. 4 the boats which I had ſent out to ſound both the ſhores of the Streight and all parts of the bay, re⯑turned with an account that there was good anchorage with⯑in Jerom's Sound, and all the way thither from the ſhip's ſtation at the diſtance of about half a mile from the ſhore; alſo between Elizabeth and York Point, near York Point, at the diſtance of a cable and a half's length from the weeds, in 16 fathom with a muddy bottom. There were alſo ſeveral places under the iſlands on the ſouth ſhore where a ſhip might anchor; but the force and uncertainty of the tides, and the heavy guſts of wind that came off the high lands, by which theſe ſituations were ſurrounded, rendered them unſafe. Soon after the boats returned, I put freſh hands into them and went myſelf up Bachelor's River: we found a bar at the entrance, which at certain times of the tide muſt be dangerous. We hauled the ſeine, and ſhould have caught plenty of fiſh if it had not been for the weeds and [394] ſtumps of trees at the bottom of the river. We then went aſhore, where we ſaw many wigwams of the natives, and ſeveral of their dogs, who, as ſoon as we came in ſight, ran away. We alſo ſaw ſome oſtriches, but they were beyond the reach of our pieces: we gathered muſcles, limpets, ſea-eggs, celery, and nettles in great abundance. About three miles up this river, on the weſt ſide, between Mount Miſery and another mountain of a ſtupendous height, there is a ca⯑taract which has a very ſtriking appearance: it is precipitated from an elevation of above four hundred yards; half the way it rolls over a very ſteep declivity, and the other half is a perpendicular fall. The ſound of this cataract is not leſs awful than the ſight.

In this place, contrary winds detained us till 10 o'clock in the morning of Saturday the 14th,day Saturday 14 when we weighed, and in half an hour the current ſet the ſhip towards Bachelor's River: we then put her in ſtays, and while ſhe was coming about, which ſhe was long in doing, we drove over a ſhoal where we had little more than 16 feet water with rocky ground; ſo that our danger was very great, for the ſhip drew 16 feet 9 inches aft, and 15 feet one inch forward: as ſoon as the ſhip gathered way, we happily deepened into three fathom; within two cables' length we had five, and in a very ſhort time we got into deep water. We continued plying to windward till four o'clock in the afternoon, and then finding that we had loſt ground, we returned to our ſtation, and again anchored in York road.

Here we remained till five o'clock in the morning of the 17th,day Tueſday 17 when we weighed, and towed out of the road. At nine, though we had a fine breeze at weſt, the ſhip was car⯑ried with great violence by a current towards the ſouth ſhore: the boats were all towing a-head, and the ſails aſleep, yet we [395] drove ſo cloſe to the rock,day Tueſday 17 that the oars of the boats were entangled in the weeds. In this manner we were hurried along near three quarters of an hour, expecting every mo⯑ment to be daſhed to pieces againſt the cliff, from which we were ſeldom farther than a ſhip's length, and very often not half ſo much. We ſounded on both ſides, and found that next the ſhore we had from 14 to 20 fathom, and on the other ſide of the ſhip no bottom: as all our efforts were in⯑effectual, we reſigned ourſelves to our fate, and waited the event in a ſtate of ſuſpenſe very little different from deſpair. At length, however, we opened Saint David's Sound, and a current that ruſhed out of it ſet us into the mid-channel. During all this time the Swallow was on the north ſhore, and conſequently could know nothing of our danger till it was paſt. We now ſent the boats out to look for an anchor⯑ing place; and at noon Cape Quod bore N. N. E. and Saint David's head S. E.

About one o'clock the boats returned, having found an anchoring place in a ſmall bay, to which we gave the name of Butler's bay, it having been diſcovered by Mr. Butler one of the mates. It lies to the weſt of Rider's bay on the ſouth ſhore of the Streight, which is here about two miles wide. We ran in with the tide which ſet faſt to the weſtward, and anchored in 16 fathom water. The extreams of the bay from W. by N. to N. ½ W. are about a quarter of a mile aſun⯑der; a ſmall rivulet, at the diſtance of ſomewhat leſs than two cables' length, bore S. ½ W. and Cape Quod N. at the diſtance of four miles. At this time the Swallow was at an⯑chor in Iſland bay on the north ſhore, at about ſix miles diſtance.

I now ſent all the boats out to ſound round the ſhip and in the neighbouring bays; and they returned with an ac⯑count [396] that they could find no place fit to receive the ſhip, neither could any ſuch place be found between Cape Quod and Cape Notch.

In this place we remained till Friday the 20th,day Friday 20 when about noon the clouds gathered very thick to the weſtward, and before one it blew a ſtorm, with ſuch rain and hail as we had ſcarcely ever ſeen. We immediately ſtruck the yards and top-maſts, and having run out two hauſers to a rock, we hove the ſhip up to it: we then let go the ſmall bower, and veered away, and brought both cables a-head; at the ſame time we carried out two more hauſers, and made them faſt to two other rocks, making uſe of every expedient in our power to keep the ſhip ſteady. The gale continued to increaſe till ſix o'clock in the evening, and to our great aſtoniſhment the ſea broke quite over the fore-caſtle in upon the quarter-deck, which, conſidering the narrowneſs of the Streight, and the ſmallneſs of the bay in which we were ſtationed, might well have been thought impoſſible. Our danger here was very great, for if the cables had parted, as we could not run out with a ſail, and as we had not room to bring the ſhip up with any other anchor, we muſt have been daſhed to pieces in a few minutes, and in ſuch a ſituation it is highly probable that every ſoul would immediately have pe⯑riſhed; however, by eight o'clock the gale was become ſome⯑what more moderate, and gradually decreaſing during the night,day Saturday 21 we had tolerable weather the next morning. Upon heaving the anchor, we had the ſatisfaction to find that our cable was ſound, though our hauſers were much rubbed by the rocks, notwithſtanding they were parcelled with old ham⯑macoes, and other things. The firſt thing I did after perform⯑ing the neceſſary operations about the ſhip, was to ſend a boat to the Swallow to enquire how ſhe had fared during the gale: the boat returned with an account that ſhe had felt but [397] little of the gale, but that ſhe had been very near being loſt,day Saturday 21 in puſhing through the Iſlands two days before, by the rapidity of the tide: that notwithſtanding an alteration which had been made in her rudder, ſhe ſteered and worked ſo ill, that every time they got under way they were apprehenſive that ſhe could never ſafely be brought to an anchor again; I was therefore requeſted, in the name of the captain, to conſider that ſhe could be of very little ſervice to the expedition, and to direct what I thought would be beſt for the ſervice. I anſwered, that as the Lords of the Admiralty had appointed her to accompany the Dolphin, ſhe muſt continue to do it as long as it was poſſible; that as her condition rendered her a bad ſailer, I would wait her time, and attend her motions, and that if any diſaſter ſhould happen to either of us, the other ſhould be ready to afford ſuch aſſiſtance as might be in her power.

We continued here eight days, during which time we completed our wood and water, dried our ſails, and ſent great part of the ſhip's company on ſhore, to waſh their cloathes and ſtretch their legs, which was the more neceſſary, as the cold, ſnowy, and tempeſtuous weather had confined them too much below. We caught muſcles and limpets, and gathered celery and nettles in great abundance. The muſ⯑cles were the largeſt we had ever ſeen, many of them being from five to ſix inches long: we caught alſo great plenty of a fine, firm, red fiſh, not unlike a gurnet, moſt of which were from four to five pounds weight. At the ſame time, we made it part of the employment of every day to try the current, which we found conſtantly ſetting to the eaſtward.

The maſter having been ſent out to look for anchoring places, returned with an account that he could find no ſhelter, except near the ſhore, where it ſhould not be ſought but in [398] caſes of the moſt preſſing neceſſity.day Saturday 21 He landed upon a large iſland on the north ſide of Snow Sound, and being almoſt periſhed with cold, the firſt thing he did was to make a large fire, with ſome ſmall trees which he found upon the ſpot. He then climbed one of the rocky mountains, with Mr. Pickerſgill, a midſhipman, and one of the ſeamen, to take a view of the Streight, and the diſmal regions that ſurround it. He found the entrance of the Sound to be full as broad as ſeveral parts of the Streight, and to grow but very little narrower, for ſeveral miles in land on the Terra del Fuego ſide. The country on the ſouth of it was ſtill more dreary and horrid than any he had yet ſeen: it conſiſted of craggy mountains, much higher than the clouds, that were alto⯑gether naked from the baſe to the ſummit, there not being a ſingle ſhrub, nor even a blade of graſs to be ſeen upon them; nor were the vallies between them leſs deſolate, being intirely covered with deep beds of ſnow, except here and there where it had been waſhed away, or converted into ice, by the torrents which were precipitated from the fiſſures and crags of the mountain above, where the ſnow had been diſſolved; and even theſe vallies, in the patches that were free from ſnow, were as deſtitute of verdure as the rocks between which they lay.

On Sunday the firſt of March,month March day Sunday 1 at half an hour after four o'clock in the morning, we ſaw the Swallow under ſail, on the north ſhore of Cape Quod. At ſeven we weighed, and ſtood out of Butler's bay, but it falling calm ſoon afterwards, the boats were obliged to take the veſſel in tow, having with much difficulty kept clear of the rocks: the paſſage being very narrow, we ſent the boats, about noon, to ſeek for anchorage on the north ſhore. At this time, Cape Notch bore W. by N. ½ N. diſtant between three and four leagues, and Cape Quod E. ½ N. diſtant three leagues.

[399]About three o'clock in the afternoon, there being little wind, we anchored, with the Swallow, under the north ſhore, in a ſmall bay, where there is a high, ſteep, rocky mountain, the top of which reſembles the head of a lion, for which reaſon we called the bay Lion's Cove. We had here 40 fathom, with deep water cloſe to the ſhore, and at half a cable's length without the ſhip, no ground. We ſent the boats to the weſtward in ſearch of anchoring places, and at midnight they returned with an account that there was an indifferent bay at the diſtance of about four miles, and that Goodluck bay was three leagues to the weſtward.

At half an hour after 12 the next day,day Monday 2 the wind being northerly, we made ſail from Lion's Cove, and at five an⯑chored in Good Luck bay, at the diſtance of about half a cable's length from the rocks, in 28 fathom water. A rocky iſland at the weſt extremity of the bay bore N. W. by W. diſtant about a cable's length and a half, and a low point, which makes the eaſtern extremity of the bay, bore E. S. E. diſtant about a mile. Between this point and the ſhip, there were many ſhoals, and in the bottom of the bay two rocks, the largeſt of which bore N. E. by N. the ſmalleſt N. by E. From theſe rocks, ſhoals run out to the S. E. which may be known by the weeds that are upon them; the ſhip was within a cable's length of them: when ſhe ſwung with her ſtern in ſhore, we had 16 fathom, with coral rock; when ſhe ſwung off, we had 50 fathom, with ſandy ground. Cape Notch bore from us W. by S. ½ W. diſtant about one league; and in the intermediate ſpace there was a large lagoon which we could not ſound, the wind blowing too hard all the while we lay here. After we had moored the ſhip, we ſent two boats to aſſiſt the Swallow, and one to look out for anchorage beyond Cape Notch. The boats that were ſent to aſſiſt the Swallow, towed her into a ſmall bay, where, [400] as the wind was ſoutherly, and blew freſh, ſhe was in great danger, for the Cove was not only ſmall, but full of rocks, and open to the ſouth-eaſterly winds.

All the day following,day Tueſday 3 and all the night, we had hard gales, with a great ſea, and much hail and rain. The next morning we had guſts ſo violent,day Wedneſ. 4 that it was impoſſible to ſtand the deck; they brought whole ſheets of water all the way from Cape Notch, which was a league diſtant, quite over the deck. They did not laſt more than a minute, but were ſo frequent, that the cables were kept in a conſtant ſtrain, and there was the greateſt reaſon to fear that they would give way. It was a general opinion that the Swallow could not poſſibly ride it out, and ſome of the men were ſo ſtrongly prepoſſeſſed with the notion of her being loſt, that they fancied they ſaw ſome of her people coming over the rocks towards our ſhip. The weather continued ſo bad, till Saturday the ſeventh,day Saturday 7 that we could ſend no boat to enquire after her; but the gale being then more moderate, a boat was diſpatched about four o'clock in the morning, which, about the ſame hour in the afternoon, returned with an ac⯑count that the ſhip was ſafe, but that the fatigue of the peo⯑ple had been incredible, the whole crew having been upon the deck near three days and three nights. At midnight the guſts returned, though not with equal violence, with hail, ſleet and ſnow. The weather being now extremely cold, and the people never dry,day Sunday 8 I got up, the next morning, eleven bales of thick woollen ſtuff, called Fearnought, which is provided by the government, and ſet all the taylors to work to make them into jackets, of which every man in the ſhip had one.

I ordered theſe jackets to be made very large, allowing, one with another, two yards and thirty-four inches of the cloth [401] to each jacket. I ſent alſo ſeven bales of the ſame cloth to the Swallow, which made every man on board a jacket of the ſame kind; and I cut up three bales of finer cloth, and made jackets for the officers of both ſhips, which I had the pleaſure to find were very acceptable.

In this ſituation we were obliged to continue a week, during which time, I put both my own ſhip, and the Swal⯑low, upon two-thirds allowance, except brandy; but conti⯑nued the breakfaſt as long as greens and water were plenty.

On Sunday the 15th, about noon,day Sunday 15 we ſaw the Swallow under ſail, and it being calm, we ſent our launch to aſſiſt her. In the evening the launch returned, having towed her into a very good harbour on the ſouth ſhore, oppoſite to where we lay. The account that we received of this har⯑bour, determined us to get into it as ſoon as poſſible; the next morning therefore, at eight o'clock, we ſailed from Good Luck bay, and thought ourſelves happy to get ſafe out of it. When we got a-breaſt of the harbour where the Swal⯑low lay, we fired ſeveral guns, as ſignals for her boats to aſſiſt us in getting in; and in a ſhort time the maſter came on board us, and piloted us to a very commodious ſtation, where we anchored in 28 fathom, with a muddy bottom. This harbour, which is ſheltered from all winds, and excel⯑lent in every reſpect, we called SWALLOW HARBOUR. There are two channels into it, which are both narrow, but not dangerous, as the rocks are eaſily diſcovered by the weeds that grow upon them.

At nine o'clock the next morning,day Monday 16 the wind coming eaſt⯑erly, we weighed, and ſailed from Swallow harbour. At noon we took the Swallow in tow, but at five there being little wind, we caſt off the tow. At eight in the evening, the boats which had been ſent out to look for anchorage, [402] returned with an account that they could find none: at nine we had freſh gales, and at midnight Cape Upright bore S. S. W ½ W.

At ſeven the next morning,day Tueſday 17 we took the Swallow again in tow, but was again obliged to caſt her off and tack, as the weather became very thick, with a great ſwell, and we ſaw land cloſe under our lee. As no place for anchorage could be found, Captain Carteret adviſed me to bear away for Up⯑right bay, to which I conſented; and as he was acquainted with the place, he went a-head: the boats were ordered to go between him and the ſhore, and we followed. At eleven o'clock, there being little wind, we opened a large lagoon, and a current ſetting ſtrongly into it, the Swallow was driven among the breakers cloſe upon the lee ſhore: to aggravate the misfortune, the weather was very hazey, there was no anchorage, and the ſurf ran very high. In this dreadful ſituation ſhe made ſignals of diſtreſs, and we immediately ſent our launch, and other boats, to her aſſiſtance: the boats took her in tow, but their utmoſt efforts to ſave her would have been ineffectual, if a breeze had not ſuddenly come down from a mountain, and wafted her off.

As a great ſwell came on about noon, we hauled over to the north ſhore. We ſoon found ourſelves ſurrounded with iſlands, but the fog was ſo thick, that we knew not where we were, nor which way to ſteer. Among theſe iſlands the boats were ſent to caſt the lead, but no anchorage was to be found; we then conjectured that we were in the bay of iſlands, and that we had no chance to eſcape ſhipwreck, but by hauling directly out: this, however, was no eaſy taſk, for I was obliged to tack, almoſt continually, to weather ſome iſland or rock. At four o'clock in the afternoon, it happily cleared up for a minute, juſt to ſhew us Cape Up⯑right, [403] for which we directly ſteered, and at half an hour after five anchored, with the Swallow, in the bay. When we dropped the anchor, we were in 24 fathom, and after we had veered away a whole cable, in 46, with a muddy bottom. In this ſituation, a high bluff on the north ſhore bore N. W. ½ N. diſtant five leagues, and a ſmall iſland within us S. by E. ½ E. Soon after we had anchored, the Swallow drove to leeward, notwithſtanding ſhe had two anchors a-head, but was at laſt brought up, in 70 fathom, about a cable's length a-ſtern of us. At four o'clock in the morning I ſent the boats, with a conſiderable number of men, and ſome hauſers and anchors, on board her, to weigh her an⯑chors, and warp her up to windward. When her beſt bower anchor was weighed, it was found entangled with the ſmall one; I therefore found it neceſſary to ſend the ſtream cable on board, and the ſhip was hung up by it. To clear her anchors, and warp her into a proper birth, coſt us the whole day, and was not at laſt effected without the utmoſt difficulty and labour.

On the 18th we had freſh breezes,day Wedneſ. 18 and ſent the boats to ſound croſs the Streight. Within half a mile of the ſhip, they had 40, 45, 50, 70, 100 fathom, and then had no ground, till within a cable's length of the lee ſhore, where they had 90 fathom. We now moored the ſhip in 78 fa⯑thom, with the ſtream anchor.

The next morning,day Thurſday 19 while our people were employed in getting wood and water, and gathering celery and muſcles, two canoes, full of Indians, came along ſide of the ſhip. They had much the ſame appearance as the poor wretches whom we had ſeen before in Elizabeth's bay. They had on board ſome ſeal's fleſh, blubber, and penguins, all which they cat raw. Some of our people, who were fiſhing with a [404] hook and line,day Thurſday 19 gave one of them a fiſh, ſomewhat bigger than a herring, alive, juſt as it came out of the water. The Indian took it haſtily, as a dog would take a bone, and inſtantly killed it, by giving it a bite near the gills: he then pro⯑ceeded to eat it, beginning with the head, and going on to the tail, without rejecting either the bones, fins, ſcales, or entrails. They eat every thing that was given them, indif⯑ferently, whether ſalt or freſh, dreſſed or raw, but would drink nothing but water. They ſhivered with cold, yet had nothing to cover them but a ſeal ſkin, thrown looſely over their ſhoulders, which, did not reach to their middle; and we obſerved, that when they were rowing, they threw even this by, and ſat ſtark naked. They had with them ſome ja⯑velins, rudely pointed with bone, which they uſed to ſtrike ſeals, fiſh, and penguins, and we obſerved that one of them had a piece of iron, about the ſize of a common chiſſel, which was faſtened to a piece of wood, and ſeemed to be in⯑tended rather for a tool than a weapon. They had all ſore eyes, which we imputed to their ſitting over the ſmoke of their fires, and they ſmelt more offenſively than a fox, which perhaps was in part owing to their diet, and in part to their naſtineſs. Their canoes were about fifteen foot long, three broad, and nearly three deep: they were made of the bark of trees, ſewn together, either with the ſinews of ſome beaſt, or thongs cut out of a hide. Some kind of ruſh was laid into the ſeams, and the outſide was ſmeared with a reſin, or gum, which prevented the water from ſoaking into the bark. Fifteen ſlender branches, bent into an arch, were fewed tranſverſely to the bottom and ſides, and ſome ſtrait pieces were placed croſs the top, from gunwale to gunwale, and ſecurely laſhed at each end: upon the whole, however, it was poorly made, nor had theſe people any thing among them in which there was the leaſt appearance of ingenuity. [405] I gave them a hatchet or two, with ſome beads,day Thurſday 19 and a few other toys, with which they went away to the ſouthward, and we ſaw no more of them.

While we lay here, we ſent out the boats, as uſual, in ſearch of anchoring places, and having been 10 leagues to the weſtward, they found but two: one was to the weſtward of Cape Upright, in the Bay of Iſlands, but was very diffi⯑cult to enter and get out of; the other was called Dolphin bay, at 10 leagues diſtance, which was a good harbour, with even ground in all parts. They ſaw ſeveral ſmall coves, which were all dangerous, as in them it would be neceſſary to let go the anchor within half a cable's length of a lee ſhore, and ſteady the ſhip with halſers faſtened to the rocks. The people belonging to one of the boats, ſpent a night upon an iſland, upon which, while they were there, ſix canoes landed about thirty Indians. The Indians ran immediately to the boat, and were carrying away every thing they found in her: out people diſcovered what they were doing, juſt time enough to prevent them. As ſoon as they found them⯑ſelves oppoſed, they went to their canoes, and armed them⯑ſelves with long poles, and javelins pointed with the bones of fiſh. They did not begin an attack, but ſtood in a threatening manner: our people, who were two and twenty in number, acted only on the defenſive, and by parting with a few trifles to them, they became friends, and behaved peaceably the reſt of the time they ſtaid.

For many days, we had hail, lightning, rain, and hard gales, with a heavy ſea, ſo that we thought it impoſſible for the ſhip to hold, though ſhe had two anchors a-head, and two cables an end. The men, however, were ſent fre⯑quently on ſhore for exerciſe, which contributed greatly to [406] their health, and procured an almoſt conſtant ſupply of muſcles and greens. Among other damages that we had ſuſtained, our fire-place was broken to pieces, we therefore found it neceſſary to ſet up the forge, and employ the ar⯑mourers to make a new back; we alſo made lime of burnt ſhells, and once more put it into a uſeful condition.

On Monday the 30th,day Monday 30 we had the firſt interval of moderate weather, and we improved it in drying the ſails, which, though much mildewed, we had not before been able to looſe, for fear of ſetting the ſhip adrift: we alſo aired the ſpare ſails, which we found much injured by the rats, and employed the ſail-makers to mend them. Captain Carteret having repreſented that his fire-place, as well as ours, had been broken to pieces, our armourers made him alſo a new back, and ſet it up with lime that we made upon the ſpot, in the ſame manner as had been done on board our own ſhip. This day we ſaw ſeveral canoes, full of Indians, put to ſhore on the eaſt ſide of the bay,day Tueſday 31 and the next morning ſeveral of them came on board, and proved to be the ſame that our people, who were out in the boat, had met with on ſhore. They behaved very peaceably, and we diſmiſſed them with a few toys, as uſual.

The day following,month April day Wedneſ. 1 ſeveral other Indians came off to the ſhip, and brought with them ſome of the birds called Race-Horſes. Our people purchaſed the birds for a few trifles, and I made them a preſent of ſeveral hatchets and knives.

On Thurſday, the ſecond of April,day Thurſday 2 the maſter of the Swal⯑low, who had been ſent out to ſeek for anchoring places, returned, and reported that he had found three on the north ſhore, which were very good; one about four miles to the eaſtward of Cape Providence, another under the eaſt ſide of [407] Cape Tamer,day Thurſday 2 and the third about four miles to the eaſtward of it; but he ſaid that he found no place to anchor in under Cape Providence, the ground being rocky.

This day two canoes came on board, with four men and three young children in each. The men were ſomewhat more decently dreſſed than thoſe that we had ſeen before, but the children were ſtark naked. They were ſomewhat fairer than the men, who ſeemed to pay a very tender atten⯑tion to them, eſpecially in lifting them in and out of the ca⯑noes. To theſe young viſitors I gave necklaces and bracelets, with which they ſeemed mightily pleaſed. It happened that while ſome of theſe people were on board, and the reſt waiting in their canoes by the ſhip's ſide, the boat was ſent on ſhore for wood and water. The Indians who were in the canoes, kept their eyes fixed upon the boat while ſhe was manning, and the moment ſhe put off from the ſhip, they called out with great vociferation to thoſe that were on board, who ſeemed to be much alarmed, and haſtily hand⯑ing down the children, leaped into their canoes, without uttering a word. None of us could gueſs at the cauſe of this ſudden emotion, but we ſaw the men in the canoes pull after the boat with all their might, hallooing and ſhouting with great appearance of perturbation and diſtreſs. The boat outrowed them, and when ſhe came near the ſhore, the people on board diſcovered ſome women gathering muſcles among the rocks. This at once explained the my⯑ſtery; the poor Indians were afraid that the ſtrangers, either by force or favour, ſhould violate the prerogative of a huſ⯑band, of which they ſeemed to be more jealous than the na⯑tives of ſome other countries, who in their appearance are leſs ſavage and ſordid. Our people, to make them eaſy, immediately lay upon their oars, and ſuffered the canoes to paſs them. The Indians, however, ſtill continued to call [408] out to their women, till they took the alarm and ran out of ſight, and as ſoon as they got to land, drew their canoes upon the beach, and followed them with the utmoſt expe⯑dition.

We continued daily to gather muſcles till the 5th,day Sunday 5 when ſeveral of the people being ſeized with fluxes, the ſurgeon deſired that no more muſcles might be brought into the ſhip.

The weather being ſtill tempeſtuous and unſettled, we re⯑mained at anchor till 10 o'clock in the morning of Friday the 10th,day Friday 10 and then, in company with the Swallow, we made ſail. At noon, Cape Providence bore N. N. W. diſtant four or five miles; at four in the afternoon Cape Tamer bore N. W. by W. ½ W. diſtant three leagues, Cape Upright E. S. E. ½ S. diſtant three leagues, and Cape Pillar W. diſtant 10 leagues. We ſteered about W. ½ N. all night, and at ſix o'clock in the morning,day Saturday 11 had run eight and thirty miles by the log. At this time Cape Pillar bore S. W. diſtant half a mile, and the Swallow was about three miles a-ſtern of us. At this time there being but little wind, we were obliged to make all the ſail we could, to get without the Streight's mouth. At 11 o'clock I would have ſhortened ſail for the Swallow, but it was not in my power, for as a current ſet us ſtrongly down upon the Iſles of Direction, and the wind came to the weſt, it became abſolutely neceſſary for me to carry ſail, that I might clear them. Soon after we loſt ſight of the Swallow, and never ſaw her afterwards. At firſt I was inclined to have gone back into the Streight, but a fog coming on, and the ſea riſing very faſt, we were all of opi⯑nion that it was indiſpenſibly neceſſary to get an oſſing as ſoon as poſſible; for except we preſſed the ſhip with ſail, be⯑fore the ſea roſe too high, it would be impracticable either to weather Terra del Fuego on one tack, or Cape Victory on [409] the other. At noon,day Saturday 11 the Iſlands of Direction bore N. 21′ W. diſtant three leagues, Saint Paul's cupola and Cape Victory in one, N. diſtant ſeven leagues, and Cape Pillar E. diſtant ſix leagues.

Our latitude, by obſervation, was 52° 38′ and we com⯑puted our longitude to be 76° W.

Thus we quitted a dreary and inhoſpitable region, where we were in almoſt perpetual danger of ſhipwreck for near four months, having entered the Streight on the 17th of De⯑cember 1766, and quitted it on the 11th of April 1767; a region where, in the midſt of ſummer, the weather was cold, gloomy, and tempeſtuous, where the proſpects had more the appearance of a chaos than of Nature, and where, for the moſt part, the vallies were without herbage, and the hills without wood.

CHAP. III. A particular Account of the Places in which we anchored during our Paſſage through the Streight, and of the Shoals and Rocks that lie near them.

HAVING cleared the Streight, we ſteered a weſtern courſe. But before I continue the narrative of our voyage, I ſhall give a more particular account of the ſeveral places where we anchored, plans of which are depoſited in the Admiralty Office for the uſe of future navigators, with the ſhoals and rocks that lie near them, the latitude, longi⯑tude, tides, and variation of the compaſs.

I. CAPE VIRGIN MARY. The bay under this Cape is a good harbour, when the wind is weſterly. There is a ſhoal lying off the Cape, but that may eaſily be known by the rock weed that grows upon it: the Cape is a ſteep white cliff, not unlike the South Foreland. Its latitude, by obſer⯑vation, is 52° 24′ S. and its longitude, by account, 68° 22′ W. The variation of the needle, by the medium of five azimuths and one amplitude, was 24° 30′ E. In this place we ſaw no appearance either of wood or water. We anchored in 10 fa⯑thom, with coarſe ſandy ground, about a mile from the ſhore, Cape Virgin Mary bearing N. by W. ½ W. diſtant about two miles, and Dungeneſs Point S. S. W. diſtant four miles. We anchored here on the 17th of December, and ſailed the next day. There is good landing, on a fine ſandy beach, all along the ſhore.

II. POSSESSION BAY. In ſailing into this bay, it is ne⯑ceſſary to give the point a good birth, becauſe there is a reef [411] that runs right off it about a ſhort mile. The ſoundings are very irregular all over the bay, but the ground is every where a fine ſoft mud and clay, ſo that the cables can come to no damage. The Point lies in latitude 52° 23′ S. longitude, by account, 68° 57′ W.: the variation is two points eaſterly. In the bay the tide riſes and falls between four and five fa⯑thom, and runs at the rate of about a mile an hour; in the mid-channel without the bay, it runs nearly three miles an hour. In this place we ſaw no appearance either of wood or water. The landing appeared to be good, but we did not go on ſhore. We anchored here on the 19th of December, and ſailed again on the 22d.

III. PORT FAMINE. At this place, the Spaniards, in the year 1581, built a town, which they called Phillippeville, and left in it a colony, conſiſting of 400 perſons. When our celebrated navigator, Cavendiſh, arrived here in 1587, he found one of theſe unhappy wretches, the only one that re⯑mained, upon the beach: they had all periſhed for want of ſubſiſtence, except twenty-four; twenty-three of theſe ſet out for the river Plata, and were never afterwards heard of. This man, whoſe name was Hernando, was brought to England by Cavendiſh, who called the place where he had taken him up, Port Famine. It is a very fine bay, in which there is room and conveniency for many ſhips to moor in great ſafety. We moored in nine fathom, having brought Cape St. Anne N. E. by E. and Sedger River S. ½ W. which perhaps is the beſt ſituation, though the whole bay is good ground. In this place there is very good wooding and watering; we caught many fine ſmall fiſh with a hook and line off the ſhip's ſide, and hauled the ſeine with great ſucceſs, in a fine ſandy bay, a little to the ſouthward of Sedger River: we alſo ſhot a great number of birds, of various kinds, particularly geeſe, ducks, teal, ſnipes, plover, and race-horſes, and we [412] found wild celery in great plenty. The latitude of this place is 53° 42′ S. longitude, by obſervation, 71° 28′ W.; the vari⯑ation is two points eaſterly. We anchored here the 27th of December 1766, and ſailed again the 18th of January 1767.

IV. CAPE HOLLAND BAY. There is no danger in ſailing into this bay, and there is good anchoring ground in every part of it. We lay at about three cables' length from the ſhore, in 10 fathom, the ground coarſe ſand and ſhells, Cape Holland bearing W. S. W. ½ W. diſtant three miles, Cape Froward a little to the N. of the E. Right a-breaſt of the ſhip there was a very fine rivulet, and cloſe under Cape Holland a large river, navigable for boats many miles: the ſhore alſo affords fire wood in great plenty. We found abundance of wild celery and cranberries, muſcles and lim⯑pets, but caught very little fiſh, either with hook and line, or the ſeine. We killed ſome geeſe, ducks, teal, and race-horſes, but they were not plenty. This bay lies in latitude 53° 57′ S. longitude, by account, 72° 34′ W.; the variation is two points eaſterly. The water roſe about eight feet; we found, however, no regular tide, but for the moſt part a ſtrong current ſetting to the eaſtward. We anchored here on the 19th of January, and ſailed again on the 23d.

V. CAPE GALLLANT BAY. In this bay, which may be entered with great ſafety, there is a fine large lagoon, where a fleet of ſhips may moor in perfect ſecurity. There is a depth of four fathom in every part of it, with a ſoft muddy ground. In the bay, the beſt anchoring is on the eaſt ſide, where there is from ſix to ten fathom. Here is good watering from two rivers, and plenty of wood. The lagoon abounded with wild fowl, and we found wild celery, muſcles, and limpets in plenty. We did not haul the ſeine, having torn one to pieces, and the other being unpacked, [413] but if we had, there is reaſon to believe that we ſhould have been well ſupplied with fiſh. The landing is good. The latitude of the bay and lagoon is 53° 50′ S. longitude, by ac⯑count, 73° 9′ W.; the variation is two points eaſterly. I ob⯑ſerved the water to riſe and fall about nine feet, but the tide was very irregular. We anchored here the 23d of January, and ſailed again the 28th.

VI. ELIZABETH's BAY. At the entrance of this bay there are two ſmall reefs, which appear above water. The moſt dangerous lies off the eaſt point of the bay, but this may eaſily be avoided, by keeping at the diſtance of about two cables' length from the point. There is good landing all round the bay, but it is much expoſed to the weſterly winds. The beſt place for anchoring is Paſſage Point, at half a mile diſtance, bearing S. E. and the river bearing N. E. by E. diſtant three cables' length; in this ſituation, a bank or ſhoal, which may be known by the weeds, bears W. N. W. diſtant a cable's length: the ground is coarſe ſand, with ſhells. Sufficient wood is to be procured here for the uſe of ſhips, and there is good watering at a ſmall river. We found a little celery and a few cranberries, but neither fiſh nor fowl. The latitude of this place is 53° 43′ S. the longi⯑tude, by account, 73° 24′ W.; the variation is two points eaſterly. We anchored here the 29th of January, and ſailed the 4th of February.

VII. YORK ROAD. The only danger of ſailing into the bay, that is formed by two points in this road, ariſes from a reef that runs off to about a cable's length from the weſtern point, which once known, may be eaſily avoided. To an⯑chor in this bay, it is ſafeſt to bring York Point E. S. E. Ba⯑chelor's River N. by W. ½ W. the weſt point of the bay or reef N. W. ½ W. and St. Jerom's Sound W. N. W. at the diſtance of [414] half a mile from the ſhore. There is good watering about a mile up Bachelor's River, and good wooding all round the bay, where the landing alſo is, in all parts, very good. We found plenty of celery, cranberries, muſcles, and limpets, many wild fowl, and ſome fiſh, but not enough to ſupply the ſhip's company with a freſh meal. The latitude here is 53° 39′ S. longitude, by account, 73° 52′ W.; the variation two points eaſterly. The water riſes and falls about eight feet, but the tide is irregular. The maſter, who croſſed the Streight many times to examine the bays, frequently found the current ſetting in three different directions. We anchored here on the 4th of February, and ſailed again the 11th.

VIII. BUTLER's BAY. This is a ſmall bay, intirely ſur⯑rounded by rocks, ſo that no ſhip ſhould anchor here if ſhe can poſſibly avoid it. We found, however, ſufficient wood and water to keep up our ſtock, muſcles and limpets in plenty, ſome good rock-fiſh, and a few wild fowl, but celery and cranberries were very ſcarce. This bay lies in latitude 53° 37′ S. longitude, by account, 74° 9′ W.; the variation is two points eaſterly. The water riſes and falls here about four feet, but the current always ſets to the eaſtward. We an⯑chored here the 18th of February, and ſailed the 1ſt of March.

IX. LION COVE. This is a ſmall bay, and ſurrounded by rocks. The water is deep, but the ground is good. It is not a bad place for one ſhip, nor a good one for two. Here is good watering up a ſmall creek, but no wood. There is good landing at the watering-place, but no where elſe. We found no refreſhment but a few muſcles, limpets, and rock-fiſh, with a little celery. The latitude is 35° 26′ S. longitude, by account, 74° 25′ W.; the variation was two points eaſterly. The water, as far as we could judge by the appearance of [415] the rocks, riſes and falls about five feet, and the current ſets at the rate of about two knots an hour. We anchored here on the 2d of March, and ſailed the next day.

X. GOOD-LUCK BAY. This is a ſmall bay, and like ſeveral others in this Streight, intirely ſurrounded by rocks. The ground is very coarſe, and the cable of our beſt bower anchor was ſo much rubbed, that we were obliged to con⯑demn it, and bend a new one. At this place there is a little wood, and plenty of good water, but the rocks render it very difficult of acceſs. No man that ſees this part of the coaſt, can expect to find any kind of refreſhment upon it; and indeed we caught nothing except a few rock-fiſh, with hook and line. There may be circumſtances in which it may be good luck to get into this bay, but we thought it very good luck to get out of it. It lies in latitude 53° 23′ S. lon⯑gitude, by account, 74° 33′ W.; the variation is two points eaſterly. The water riſes and falls between three and four feet, though whenever we had an opportunity of trying the current, we found it run eaſterly. We anchored here the 3d of March, and ſailed the 15th.

XI. SWALLOW HARBOUR. This harbour, when once entered, is very ſafe, being ſheltered from all winds, but the entrance is narrow and rocky; the rocks, however, may be eaſily avoided by keeping a good look-out, as there are large bunches of rock-weed upon them all. We found here a ſufficient ſupply of wood and water, the wood however was very ſmall. As the water is conſtantly ſmooth here, the landing is every where good; but we found no ſupply of proviſions, except a few muſcles and rock-fiſh. The moun⯑tains round it have the moſt horrid appearance, and ſeem to be altogether deſerted by every thing that has life. The la⯑titude is 53° 29′ S. the longitude, by account, 74° 35′ W.; the [416] variation is two points eaſterly, and the tide riſes and falls between four and five feet. We anchored here the 15th of March, and left the place the next day.

XII. UPRIGHT BAY. This bay may be ſafely entered, as there is no obſtruction but what is above water. The wood here is very ſmall, but we found ſufficient to keep up our ſtock. The water is excellent, and in great plenty. As to proviſions, we got only a few wild fowl, rock-fiſhes, and muſcles. The landing is bad. The latitude of this place, is 53° 8′ S. longitude 75° 35′ W.; the variation two points eaſt⯑erly. The water riſes and falls about five feet, but the tide or current is very irregular. We anchored here on the 18th of March, and ſailed again on the 10th of April.

There are three very good bays a little beyond Cape Shut-up, which we called RIVER BAY, LODGING BAY, and WAL⯑LIS's BAY. Wallis's bay is the beſt.

About half way between Elizabeth's bay and York road, lies Muſcle bay, where there is very good anchorage with a weſterly wind. There is alſo a bay, with good anchorage, oppoſite to York road, and another to the eaſtward of Cape Croſs-tide, but this will hold only a ſingle ſhip. Between Cape Croſs and Saint David's Head, lies Saint David's Sound, on the ſouth ſide of which we found a bank of coarſe ſand and ſhells, with a depth of water from 19 to 30 fathom, where a ſhip might anchor in caſe of neceſſity; and the Maſter of the Swallow found a very good ſmall bay a little to the eaſtward of Saint David's Head. A little to the eaſtward of Cape Quod, lies Iſland bay, where the Swallow lay ſome time, but it is by no means an eligible ſituation. The ground of Chance bay is very rocky and uneven, and for that reaſon ſhould be avoided.

[417]As all the violent gales by which we ſuffered in this navi⯑gation, blew from the weſtward, it is proper to ſtand about a hundred leagues or more to the weſtward, after ſailing out of the Streight, that the ſhip may not be endangered on a lee ſhore, which at preſent is wholly unknown.

The following table ſhews the courſes and diſtances, from point to point, in the Streight of Magellan, by compaſs.

CHAP. IV. The Paſſage from the Streight of Magellan, to King George the Third's Iſland, called Otaheite, in the South Sea, with an account of the Diſcovery of ſeveral other Iſlands, and a deſcription of their Inhabitants.

AS we continued our courſe to the weſtward,day Sunday 12 after having cleared the Streight, we ſaw a great number of gannets, ſheerwaters, pintado birds, and many others, about the ſhip, and had for the moſt part ſtrong gales, hazy weather and heavy ſeas, ſo that we were frequently brought under our courſes, and there was not a dry place in the ſhip for ſome weeks together.

At eight in the morning of the 22d,day Wedneſ. 22 we had an obſerva⯑tion, by which we found our longitude to be 95° 46′ W. and at noon, our latitude was 42° 24′ S. and the variation, by azimuth, 11° 6′ E.

By the 24th,day Friday 24 the men began to fall down very faſt in colds and fevers, in conſequence of the upper works being open, and their cloaths and beds continually wet.

On the 26th, at four in the afternoon, the variation,day Sunday 26 by azi⯑muth,day Monday 27 was 10° 20′ E. and at ſix in the morning of the next day, it was 9° 8′ E. Our latitude, on the 27th at noon, was 36° 54′ S. our longitude, by account, 100° W. This day, the weather being moderate and fair, we dried all the people's cloaths, and got the ſick upon deck, to whom we gave ſalop, [420] and wheat boiled with portable ſoup, every morning for breakfaſt, and all the ſhip's company had as much vinegar and muſtard as they could uſe; portable ſoup was alſo con⯑ſtantly boiled in their peaſe and oatmeal.

The hard gales, with frequent and violent ſqualls, and a heavy ſea, ſoon returned, and continued with very little in⯑termiſſion. The ſhip pitched ſo much, that we were afraid ſhe would carry away her maſts, and the men were again wet in their beds.

On the 30th,day Thurſday 30 the variation, by azimuth, was 8° 30′ E. our latitude was 32° 50′; longitude, by account, 100′ W. I began now to keep the ſhip to the northward, as we had no chance of getting weſting in this latitude; and the ſurgeon was of opinion, that in a little time the ſick would ſo much in⯑creaſe, that we ſhould want hands to work the ſhip, if we could not get into better weather.

On the third of May,month May day Sunday 3 about four in the afternoon, we had an obſervation of the ſun and moon, by which we found our longitude to be 96° 26′ W. the variation by the azimuth was 5° 44′ E. at ſix in the evening,day Monday 4 and at ſix the next morning, it was 5° 58′ E. Our latitude, this day at noon, was 28° 20′ S. At four in the afternoon we had ſeveral obſervations for the longitude, and found it to be 96° 21′ W.; at ſeven in the eve⯑ning, the variation was 6° 40′ E. by the azimuth, and the next morning at 10 it was,day Tueſday 5 by amplitude, 5° 48′ E.; at three in the afternoon, the variation, by amplitude, was 7° 40′ E. This day we ſaw a tropic bird.

At ſix o'clock in the morning, of Friday the eighth of May,day Friday 8 the variation of the needle, by amplitude, was 7° 11′ E. In the afternoon we ſaw ſeveral ſheerwaters and ſea ſwal⯑lows. At eight in the morning of the 9th,day Saturday 9 the variation by [421] azimuth was 6° 34′ E. and in the morning of the 11th,day Monday 11 by azimuth and amplitude, it was 40° 40′ E. Our latitude was 27° 28′ S. longitude, by account, 106° W. This day, and the next, we ſaw ſeveral ſea ſwallows, ſheerwaters,day Tueſday 12 and por⯑poiſes, about the ſhip.

On the 14th of May, the variation, by four azimuths,day Thurſday 14 was 2° E. About four o'clock in the afternoon, we ſaw a large flock of brown birds, ſlying to the eaſtward, and ſomething which had the appearance of high land, in the ſame quar⯑ter. We bore away for it till ſun-ſet, and it ſtill having the ſame appearance, we continued our courſe; but at two in the morning, having run 18 leagues without making it, we hauled the wind, and at day-light nothing was to be ſeen. We had now the ſatisfaction to find our ailing people mend apace. Our latitude was 24° 50′ S. our longitude, by ac⯑count, 106° W. During all this time, we were looking out for the Swallow.

At four in the afternoon of the 16th, the variation,day Saturday 16 by azi⯑muth and amplitude, was 6° E. and at ſix the next morning, by four azimuths, it was 3° 20′.

The carpenters were now employed in caulking the upper works of the ſhip, and repairing and painting the boats, and on the 18th,day Monday 18 I gave a ſheep among the people that were ſick and recovering.

On Wedneſday the 20th, we found our longitude,day Wedneſ. 20 by ob⯑ſervation, to be 106° 47′ W. and our latitude 20° 52′ S. The next day we ſaw ſeveral flying fiſh,day Thurſday 21 which were the firſt we had ſeen in theſe ſeas.

On the 22d, our longitude, by obſervation,day Friday 22 was 111° W. and our latitude 20° 18′ S. and this day we ſaw ſome bonet⯑toes, dolphins, and tropic birds.

[422]The people who had been recovering from colds and fevers, now began to fall down in the ſcurvy, upon which, at the ſurgeon's repreſentation, wine was ſerved to them: wort was alſo made for them of malt, and each man had half a pint of pickled cabbage every day. The variation from 4 to 5 E.

On the 26th we ſaw two grampuſes; on the 28th we ſaw another,day Tueſday 26 day Thurſday 28 day Friday 29 and the next day ſeveral birds, among which was one about the ſize of a ſwallow, which ſome of us thought was a land bird.

Our men now began to look very pale and ſickly, and to fall down very faſt in the ſcurvy, notwithſtanding all our care and attention to prevent it. They had vinegar and muſtard without limitation, wine inſtead of ſpirits, ſweet wort and ſalop. Portable ſoup was ſtill conſtantly boiled in their peas and oatmeal; their birth and cloaths were kept perfectly clean; the hammocks were conſtantly brought upon the deck at eight o'clock in the morning, and carried down at four in the afternoon. Some of the beds and ham⯑mocks were waſhed every day; the water was rendered wholeſome by ventilation, and every part between decks frequently waſhed with vinegar.

On Sunday the 31ſt of May,day Sunday 31 our longitude, by obſervation, was 127° 45′ W. our latitude 29° 38′ S. and the variation, by azimuth and amplitude, 5° 9′ E.

The next day,month June day Monday 1 at three in the afternoon, our longitude, by obſervation, was 129° 15′ W. and our latitude 19° 34′ S. We had ſqually weather, with much lightning and rain, and ſaw ſeveral men of war birds.

On the 3d,day Wedneſ 3 we ſaw ſeveral gannets, which, with the uncer⯑tainty of the weather, inclined us to hope that land was not [423] very far diſtant.day Thurſday 4 day Friday 5 day Saturday 6 The next day a turtle ſwam cloſe by the ſhip; on the 5th we ſaw many birds, which confirmed our hope that ſome place of refreſhment was near, and at 11 o'clock in the forenoon of the 6th, Jonathan Puller, a ſea⯑man, called out from the maſt-head, "Land in the W. N. W." At noon it was ſeen plainly from the deck, and found to be a low iſland, at about five or ſix leagues diſtance. The joy which every one on board felt at this diſcovery, can be con⯑ceived by thoſe only who have experienced the danger, ſick⯑neſs, and fatigue of ſuch a voyage as we had performed.

When we were within about five miles of this iſland, we ſaw another, bearing N. W. by W. About three o'clock in the afternoon, being very near the iſland that was firſt diſ⯑covered, we brought to, and I ſent Mr. Faurneaux, my ſecond lieutenant, my firſt lieutenant being very ill, with the boats manned and armed, to the ſhore. As he approached it, we ſaw two canoes put off, and paddle away with great expe⯑dition towards the iſland that lay to leeward. At ſeven in the evening the boats returned, and brought with them ſeveral cocoa nuts, and a conſiderable quantity of ſcurvy-graſs; they brought alſo ſome fiſh hooks, that were made of oyſter-ſhells, and ſome of the ſhells of which they were made. They reported that they had ſeen none of the inha⯑bitants, but had viſited three huts, or rather ſheds, conſiſt⯑ing only of a roof, neatly thatched with cocoa nut and palm leaves, ſupported upon poſts, and open all round. They ſaw alſo ſeveral canoes building, but found no freſh water, nor any fruit but cocoa nuts. They ſounded, but found no an⯑chorage, and it was with great difficulty that they got on ſhore, as the ſurf ran very high. Having received this ac⯑count, I ſtood off and on all night,day Whitſunday 7 and early the next morn⯑ing I ſent the boats out again to ſound, with orders, if poſſible, to find a place where the ſhip might come to an [424] anchor; day Whitſunday 7 but at 11 o'clock they returned, with no better ſuc⯑ceſs than before. The people told me that the whole iſland was ſurrounded by a reef, and that although on the weather ſide of the iſland there was an opening through it, into a large baſon, that extended to the middle of the iſland, yet they found it ſo full of breakers, that they could not venture in; neither indeed had they been able to land on any part of the iſland, the ſurf running ſtill higher than it had done the day before. As it would therefore anſwer no purpoſe to con⯑tinue here, I hoiſted the boats in, and ſtood away for the other iſland, which bore S. 22° E. diſtant about four leagues. The iſland which I now quitted, having been diſcovered on Whitſun-eve, I called it WHITSUN ISLAND.place Whitſun-iſland It is about four miles long, and three wide. Its latitude is 19° 26′ S. and its longitude, by obſervation, 137° 56′ W.

When we came under the lee of the other iſland, I ſent Lieutenant Furneaux, with the boats manned and armed, to the ſhore, where I ſaw about fifty of the natives armed with long pikes, and ſeveral of them running about with fire⯑brands in their hands. I ordered Mr. Furneaux to go to that part of the beach where we ſaw the people, and endeavour to traffick with them for fruit and water, or whatever elſe might be uſeful; at the ſame time, being particularly careful to give them no offence. I ordered him alſo to employ the boats in ſounding for anchorage. About ſeven o'clock he returned, and told me that he could find no ground with the line, till he came within half a cable's length of the ſhore, and that there it conſiſted of ſharp rocks, and lay very deep.

As the boat approached the ſhore, the Indians thronged down towards the beach, and put themſelves upon their guard with their long pikes, as if to diſpute the landing. Our men then lay upon their oars, and made ſigns of friend⯑ſhip, [425] ſhewing at the ſame time ſeveral ſtrings of beads,day Whitſunday 7 ribands, knives, and other trinkets. The Indians ſtill made ſigns to out people that they ſhould depart, but at the ſame time eyed the trinkets with a kind of wiſhful curioſity. Soon after ſome of them advanced a few ſteps into the ſea, and our people making ſigns that they wanted cocoa nuts and water, ſome of them brought down a ſmall quantity of both, and ventured to hand them into the boat: the water was in cocoa nut-ſhells, and the fruit was ſtripped of its out⯑ward covering, which is probably uſed for various purpoſes. For this ſupply they were paid with the trinkets that had been ſhewed them, and ſome nails, upon which they ſeemed to ſet a much greater value. During this traffick, one of the Indians found means to ſteal a ſilk handkerchief, in which ſome of our ſmall merchandize was wrapped up, and carried it clear off, with its contents, ſo dexterouſly, that no body obſerved him. Our people made ſigns that a hand⯑kerchief had been ſtolen, but they either could not, or would not underſtand them. The boat continued about the beach, ſounding for anchorage, till it was dark; and having many times endeavoured to perſuade the natives to bring down ſome ſcurvy-graſs, without ſucceſs, ſhe returned on board.

I ſtood off and on with the ſhip all night,day Monday 8 and as ſoon as the day broke, I ſent the boats again, with orders to make a landing, but without giving any offence to the natives, that could poſſibly be avoided. When our boats came near the ſhore, the officer was greatly ſurpriſed to ſee ſeven large canoes, with two ſtout maſts in each, lying juſt in the ſurf, with all the inhabitants upon the beach, ready to embark. They made ſigns to our people to go higher up; they readily complied, and as ſoon as they went aſhore, all the Indians embarked, and ſailed away to the weſtward, being joined [426] by two other canoes at the weſt end of the iſland.day Monday 8 About noon, the boats returned, laden with cocoa nuts, palm nuts, and ſcurvy-graſs. Mr. Furneaux, who commanded the ex⯑pedition, told me that the Indians had left nothing behind them but four or five canoes. He found a well of very good water, and deſcribed the iſland as being ſandy and level, full of trees, but without underwood, and abounding with ſcurvy-graſs. The canoes, which ſteered about W. S. W. as long as they could be ſeen from the maſt-head, appeared to be about thirty feet long, four feet broad, and three and an half deep. Two of theſe being brought along ſide of each other, were faſtened together, at the diſtance of about three feet aſunder, by croſs beams, paſſing from the larboard gunwale of one, to the ſtarboard gunwale of the other, in the middle and near to each end.

The inhabitants of this iſland were of a middle ſtature, and dark complexion, with long black hair, which hung looſe over their ſhoulders. The men were well made, and the wo⯑men handſome. Their cloathing was a kind of coarſe cloth or matting, which was faſtened about their middle, and ſeemed capable of being brought up round their ſhoulders.

In the afternoon, I ſent Lieutenant Furneaux with the boats again on ſhore. He had with him a mate and twenty men, who were to make a rolling way for getting the caſks down to the beach from the well. I gave orders that he ſhould take poſſeſſion of the iſland, in the name of King George the Third, and give it the name of QUEEN CHAR⯑LOTTE's ISLAND,place Queen Char∣lotte's Iſland in honour of her Majeſty. The boats re⯑turned freighted with cocoa nuts and ſcurvy-graſs, and the officer told me that he had found two more wells of good water, not far from the beach. I was at this time very ill, yet I went aſhore with the Surgeon, and ſeveral of the people, [427] who were enfeebled by the ſcurvy, to take a walk.day Monday 8 I found the wells ſo convenient, that I left the mate and twenty men on ſhore to fill water, and ordered a week's proviſions to be ſent them from the ſhip, they being already furniſhed with arms and ammunition. In the evening I returned on board, with the Surgeon and the ſick, leaving only the waterers on ſhore. As we had not been able to find any anchorage, I ſtood off and on all night.

In the morning,day Tueſday 9 I ſent all the empty water caſks on ſhore: the Surgeon and the ſick were alſo ſent for the benefit of another airing, but I gave them ſtrict orders that they ſhould keep near the water-ſide, and in the ſhade; that they ſhould not pull down or injure any of the houſes, nor, for the ſake of the fruit, deſtroy the cocoa trees, which I ap⯑pointed proper perſons to climb. At noon, the rolling-way being made, the cutter returned laden with water, but it was with great difficulty got off the beach, as it is all rock, and the ſurf that breaks upon it, is often very great. At four, I received another boat-load of water, and a freſh ſupply of cocoa nuts, palm nuts, and ſcurvy-graſs; the Sur⯑geon alſo returned with the ſick men, who received much benefit from their walk. The next morning,day Wedneſ. 10 as ſoon as it was light, I diſpatched orders to the mate, to ſend all the water that was filled on board, and to be ready to come off with his people when the boats ſhould return again, bring⯑ing with them as many cocoa nuts, and as much ſcurvy-graſs as they could procure. About eight o'clock, all the boats and people came on board, with the water and refreſh⯑ments, but the cutter, in coming off, ſhipped a ſea, which almoſt filled her with water: the barge was happily near enough to aſſiſt her, by taking great part of her crew on board, while the reſt freed her, without any other damage than the loſs of the cocoa nuts, and greens that were on [428] board.day Wedneſ. 10 At noon, I hoiſted the boats in, and there being a great ſea, with a dreadful ſurf rolling in upon the ſhore, and no anchorage, I thought it prudent to leave this place, with ſuch refreſhments as we had got. The people who had reſided on ſhore, ſaw no appearance of metal of any kind, but ſeveral tools, which were made of ſhells and ſtones, ſharpened and fitted into handles, like adzes, chiſſels, and awls. They ſaw ſeveral canoes building, which are formed of planks, ſewed together, and faſtened to ſeveral ſmall timbers, that paſs tranſverſely along the bottom and up the ſides. They ſaw ſeveral repoſitories of the dead, in which the body was left to putrefy under a canopy, and not put into the ground.

When we ſailed, we left a union jack flying upon the iſland, with the ſhip's name, the time of our being here, and an account of our taking poſſeſſion of this place, and Whitſun Iſland, in the name of his Britannic Majeſty, cut on a piece of wood, and in the bark of ſeveral trees. We alſo left ſome hatchets, nails, glaſs bottles, beads, ſhillings, ſix⯑pences, and halfpence, as preſents to the natives, and an atonement for the diſturbance we had given them. Queen Charlotte's Iſland is about ſix miles long, and one mile wide, lies in latitude 19° 18′ S. longitude, by obſervation, 138° 4′ W. and we found the variation here to be 4° 46′ E.

We made ſail with a fine breeze, and about one o'clock, ſaw an iſland W. by S. Queen Charlotte's Iſland, at this time bearing E. by N. diſtant 15 miles. At half an hour after three, we were within about three quarters of a mile of the eaſt end of the iſland, and ran cloſe along the ſhore, but had no ſoundings. The eaſt and weſt ends are joined to each other by a reef of rocks, over which the ſea breaks into a lagoon, in the middle of the iſland, which, therefore, had [429] the appearance of two iſlands,day Wedneſ. 10 and ſeemed to be about ſix miles long, and four broad. The whole of it is low land, full of trees, but we ſaw not a ſingle cocoa nut, nor any huts: we found, however, at the weſtermoſt end, all the canoes and people who had fled, at our approach, from Queen Charlotte's Iſland, and ſome more. We counted eight double canoes, and about, fourſcore people, men, women, and children. The canoes were drawn upon the beach, the women and children were placed near them, and the men advanced with their pikes and firebrands, making a great noiſe, and dancing in a ſtrange manner. We obſerved that this iſland was ſandy, and that under the trees there was no verdure. As the ſhore was every where rocky, as there was no anchorage, and as we had no proſpect of obtaining any refreſhment here, I ſet ſail at ſix o'clock in the evening, from this iſland, to which I gave the name of EGMONT ISLAND,place Egmont Iſland in honour of the Earl of Egmont, who was then firſt Lord of the Admiralty. It lies in latitude 19° 20′ S. lon⯑gitude, by obſervation, 138° 30′ W.

At one o'clock, on the 11th,day Thurſday 11 we ſaw an iſland in the W. S. W. and ſtood for it. At four in the afternoon, we were within a quarter of a mile of the ſhore, and ran along it, ſounding continually, but could get no ground. It is ſur⯑rounded on every ſide by rocks, on which the ſea breaks very high. It is full of trees, but not one cocoa nut, and has much the ſame appearance with Egmont iſland, but is much narrower. Among the rocks, at the weſt end, we ſaw about ſixteen of the natives, but no canoes: they carried long pikes or poles in their hands, and ſeemed to be, in every reſpect, the ſame kind of people that we had ſeen before. As nothing was to be had here, and it blew very hard, I made ſail till eight in the evening, and then brought to. To this iſland, which is about ſix miles long, and from [430] one mile to one quarter of a mile broad, I gave the name of GLOUCESTER ISLAND,place Glouceſter Iſland in honour of his Royal Highneſs the Duke. It lies in latitude 19° 11′ S. and longitude, by obſer⯑vation, 140° 4′ W.

At five o'clock in the morning,day Friday 12 we made ſail, and ſoon after ſaw another iſland. At 10 o'clock, the weather being tempeſtuous, with much rain, we ſaw a long reef, with breakers on each ſide of the iſland, and therefore brought the ſhip to, with her head off the ſhore. To this iſland, which lies in latitude 19° 18′ S. longitude, by obſervation, 140° 36′ W. I gave the name of CUMBERLAND ISLAND,place Cumberland Iſland in honour of his Royal Highneſs the Duke. It lies low, and is about the ſame ſize as Queen Charlotte's Iſland. We found the variation of the needle here to be 7° 10′ E. As I had no hope of finding any refreſhment here, I ſtood on to the weſt⯑ward.

At day-break, on Saturday the 13th,day Saturday 13 we ſaw another ſmall low iſland, in the N. N. W. right to windward. It had the appearance of ſmall flat keys. This place I called PRINCE WILLIAM HENRY's ISLAND,place Prince Wil∣liam Henry's Iſland in honour of his Majeſty's third ſon. It lies in latitude 19° S. longitude, by obſervation, 141° 6′ W. I made no ſtay here, hoping, that to the weſt⯑ward I ſhould find higher land, where the ſhip might come to an anchor, and ſuch refreſhments as we wanted be pro⯑cured.

Soon after day-light, on the 17th,day Wedneſ. 17 we ſaw land bearing W. by N. and making in a ſmall round hummock. At noon, when it bore N. 64. W. diſtant about five leagues, its appearance greatly reſembled the Mewſtone in Plymouth Sound, but it ſeemed to be much larger. We found the ſhip this day, 20 miles to the northward of her reckoning, which I imputed to a great S. W. ſwell.

[431]At five in the evening,day Wedneſ. 17 this iſland bore N. W. diſtant about eight miles. I then hauled the wind, and ſtood on and off all night. At ten, we ſaw a light upon the ſhore, which, though the iſland was ſmall, proved that it was in⯑habited, and gave us hopes that we ſhould find anchorage near it. We obſerved with great pleaſure, that the land was very high, and covered with cocoa trees; a ſure ſign that there was water.

The next morning,day Thurſday 18 I ſent Lieutenant Furneaux to the ſhore, with the boats manned and armed, and all kinds of trinkets, to eſtabliſh a traffick with the natives, for ſuch re⯑freſhment as the place would afford. I gave him orders alſo to find, if poſſible, an anchoring place for the ſhip. While we were getting out the boats, ſeveral canoes put off from the iſland, but as ſoon as the people on board ſaw them make towards the ſhore, they put back. At noon, the boats re⯑turned, and brought with them a pig and a cock, with a few plantains and cocoa nuts. Mr. Furneaux reported, that he had ſeen at leaſt an hundred of the inhabitants, and believed there were many more upon the iſland; but that having been all round it, he could find no anchorage, nor ſcarcely a landing-place for the boat. When he reached the ſhore, he came to a grapling, and threw a warp to the Indians upon the beach, who caught it and held it faſt. He then began to converſe with them by ſigns, and obſerved that they had no weapon among them, but that ſome of them had white ſticks, which ſeemed to be enſigns of authority, as the people who bore them kept the reſt of the natives back. In return for the pig and the cock, he gave them ſome beads, a looking-glaſs, a few combs, with ſeveral other trinkets, and a hatchet. The women, who had been kept at a diſtance, as ſoon as they ſaw the trinkets, ran down in a croud to the beach, with great eagerneſs, but were ſoon driven away by [432] the men,day Thurſday 18 at which they expreſſed much diſappointment and vexation. While this traffick was carrying on, a man came ſecretly round a rock, and diving down, took up the boat's grappling, and at the ſame time, the people on ſhore who held the warp, made an effort to draw her into the ſurf. As ſoon as this was perceived by the people on board, they fixed a muſket over the man's head who had taken up the grappling, upon which he inſtantly let it go, with marks of great terror and aſtoniſhment; the people on ſhore alſo let go the rope. The boats after this, lay ſome time upon their oars, but the officer finding that he could get nothing more, returned on board. Mr. Furneaux told me that both the men and women were cloathed, and he brought a piece of their cloth away with him. The inhabitants appeared to him to be more numerous than the iſland could ſupport, and for this reaſon, eſpecially as he ſaw ſome large double canoes upon the beach, he imagined there were iſlands of larger extent, not far diſtant, where refreſhments in greater plenty might be procured, and hoped that they might be leſs difficult of acceſs. As I thought this a reaſonable conjecture, I hoiſted in the boats, and determined to run farther to the weſtward. To this place, which is nearly circular, and about two miles over, I gave the name of OSNABURGH ISLAND,place Oſnaburgh Iſland in honour of Prince Frederick, who is biſhop of that ſee. It lies in latitude 17° 51′ S. and longitude 147° 30′ W.; the variation here was 7° 10′ E.

CHAP. V. An Account of the Diſcovery of King George the Third's Iſland, or Otaheite, and of ſeveral Incidents which hap⯑pened both on board the Ship, and on Shore.

AT two o'clock, the ſame day, we bore away,day Thurſday 18 and in about half an hour, diſcovered very high land in the W. S. W. At ſeven in the evening, Oſnaburgh Iſland bore E. N. E. and the new diſcovered land, from W. N. W. to W. by S. As the weather was thick and ſqually, we brought to for the night, or at leaſt till the fog ſhould break away. At two in the morning, it being very clear, we made ſail again; day Friday 19 at day-break we ſaw the land, at about five leagues diſtance, and ſteered directly for it; but at eight o'clock, when we were cloſe under it, the fog obliged us again to lie to, and when it cleared away, we were much ſurpriſed to find our⯑ſelves ſurrounded by ſome hundreds of canoes. They were of different ſizes, and had on board different numbers, from one to ten, ſo that in all of them together, there could not be leſs than eight hundred people. When they came within piſtol ſhot of the ſhip, they lay by, gazing at us with great aſtoniſhment, and by turns conferring with each other. In the mean time we ſhewed them trinkets of various kinds, and invited them on board. Soon after, they drew together, and held a kind of council, to determine what ſhould be done: then they all paddled round the ſhip, making ſigns of friendſhip, and one of them holding up a branch of the plantain tree, made a ſpeech that laſted near a quarter of an [434] hour,day Friday 19 and then threw it into the ſea. Soon after, as we continued to make ſigns of invitation, a fine, ſtout, lively young man ventured on board: he came up by the mizen chains, and jumped out of the ſhrouds upon the top of the awning. We made ſigns to him to come down upon the quarter-deck, and handed up ſome trinkets to him: he looked pleaſed, but would accept of nothing till ſome of the Indians came along ſide, and after much talk, threw a few branches of plantain tree on board the ſhip. He then ac⯑cepted our preſents, and ſeveral others very ſoon came on board, at different parts of the ſhip, not knowing the proper entrance. As one of theſe Indians was ſtanding near the gang-way, on the larboard ſide of the quarter-deck, one of our goats butted him upon the haunches: being ſurpriſed at the blow, he turned haſtily about, and ſaw the goat raiſed upon his hind-legs, ready to repeat the blow. The appear⯑ance of this animal, ſo different from any he had ever ſeen, ſtruck him with ſuch terror, that he inſtantly leaped over board; and all the reſt, upon ſeeing what had happened, followed his example with the utmoſt precipitation: they recovered however, in a ſhort time, from their fright, and returned on board. After having a little reconciled them to our goats and ſheep, I ſhewed them our hogs and poultry, and they immediately made ſigns that they had ſuch ani⯑mals as theſe. I then diſtributed trinkets and nails among them, and made ſigns that they ſhould go on ſhore and bring us ſome of their hogs, fowls and fruit, but they did not ſeem to underſtand my meaning: they were, in the mean time, watching an opportunity to ſteal ſome of the things that happened to lie in their way, but we generally detected them in the attempt. At laſt, however, one of the midſhipmen happened to come where they were ſtanding, with a new laced hat upon his head, and began to talk to [435] one of them by ſigns: while he was thus engaged,day Friday 19 another of them came behind him, and ſuddenly ſnatching off the hat, leaped over the taffarel into the ſea, and ſwam away with it.

As we had no anchorage here, we ſtood along the ſhore, ſending the boats at the ſame time to ſound at a leſs diſtance. As none of theſe canoes had ſails, they could not keep up with us, and therefore ſoon paddled back towards the ſhore. The country has the moſt delightful and roman⯑tic appearance that can be imagined: towards the ſea it is level, and is covered with fruit trees of various kinds, par⯑ticularly the cocoa nut. Among theſe are the houſes of the inhabitants, conſiſting only of a roof, and at a diſtance having greatly the appearance of a long barn. The country within, at about the diſtance of three miles, riſes into lofty hills, that are crowned with wood, and terminate in peaks, from which large rivers are precipitated into the ſea. We ſaw no ſhoals, but found the iſland ſkirted by a reef of rocks, through which there are ſeveral openings into deep water. About three o'clock in the afternoon, we brought to, a-breaſt of a large bay, where there was an appearance of anchorage. The boats were immediately ſent to ſound it, and while they were thus employed, I obſerved a great number of canoes gather round them. I ſuſpected that the Indians had a deſign to attack them, and as I was very deſirous to prevent miſchief, I made the ſignal for the boats to come aboard, and at the ſame time, to intimidate the Indians, I fired a nine pounder over their heads. As ſoon as the cutter began to ſtand towards the ſhip, the Indians in their canoes, though they had been ſtartled by the thunder of our nine pounder, endeavoured to cut her off. The boat, however, ſailing faſter than the canoes could paddle, ſoon got clear of thoſe that were about her; but ſome others, that [436] were full of men,day Friday 19 way-laid her in her courſe, and threw ſeveral ſtones into her, which wounded ſome of the people. Upon this, the officer on board fired a muſquet, loaded with buck-ſhot, at the man who threw the firſt ſtone, and wounded him in the ſhoulder. The reſt of the people in the canoes, as ſoon as they perceived their companion wounded, leapt into the ſea, and the other canoes paddled away, in great terror and confuſion. As ſoon as the boats reached the ſhip, they were hoiſted on board, and juſt as ſhe was about to ſtand on, we obſerved a large canoe, under ſail, making after us. As I thought ſhe might have ſome Chief on board, or might have been diſpatched to bring me a meſſage from ſome Chief, I determined to wait for her. She ſailed very faſt, and was ſoon along ſide of the ſhip, but we did not obſerve among thoſe on board, any one that ſeemed to have an authority over the reſt. One of them, however, ſtood up, and having made a ſpeech, which con⯑tinued about five minutes, threw on board a branch of the plantain tree. We underſtood this to be a token of peace, and we returned it, by handing over one of the branches of plantain that had been left on board by our firſt viſitors: with this and ſome toys, that were afterwards preſented to him, he appeared to be much gratified, and after a ſhort time, went away.

The officers who had been ſent out with the boats, in⯑formed me that they had ſounded cloſe to the reef, and found as great a depth of water as at the other iſlands: how⯑ever, as I was now on the weather ſide of the iſland, I had reaſon to expect anchorage in running to leeward. I therefore took this courſe, but finding breakers that ran off to a great diſtance from the ſouth-end of the iſland, I hauled the wind, and continued turning to windward all night, in order to run down on the eaſt ſide of the iſland.

[437]At five o'clock in the morning, we made ſail,day Saturday 20 the land bearing N. W. by W. diſtant 10 leagues; and there ſeemed to be land five leagues beyond it, to the N. E.; a re⯑markable peak, like a ſugar loaf, bore N. N. E. when we were about two leagues from the ſhore, which afforded a moſt delightful proſpect, and was full of houſes and inha⯑bitants. We ſaw ſeveral large canoes near the ſhore, under ſail, but they did not ſteer towards the ſhip. At noon, we were within two or three miles of the iſland, and it then bore from S. ¾ W. to N. W. by W. We continued our courſe along the ſhore, ſometimes at the diſtance of half a mile, and ſometimes at the diſtance of four or five miles, but hitherto had got no ſoundings. At ſix o'clock in the evening, we were a-breaſt of a fine river, and the coaſt having a better appearance here than in any other part that we had ſeen, I determined to ſtand off and on all night, and try for anchor⯑age in the morning. As ſoon as it was dark, we ſaw a great number of lights all along the ſhore. At day-break,day Sunday 21 we ſent out the boats to ſound, and ſoon after, they made the ſignal for 20 fathom. This produced an univerſal joy, which it is not eaſy to deſcribe, and we immediately ran in, and came to an anchor in 17 fathom, with a clear ſandy bottom. We lay about a mile diſtant from the ſhore, oppo⯑ſite to a fine run of water; the extreams of the land bearing from E. S. E. to N. W. by W. As ſoon as we had ſecured the ſhip, I ſent the boats to ſound along the coaſt, and look at the place where we ſaw the water. At this time, a con⯑ſiderable number of canoes came off to the ſhip, and brought with them hogs, fowls, and fruit in great plenty, which we purchaſed for trinkets and nails. But when the boats made towards the ſhore, the canoes, moſt of which were double, and very large, ſailed after them. At firſt they kept at a diſtance, but as the boats approached the [438] ſhore,day Sunday 21 they grew bolder, and at laſt three of the largeſt ran at the cutter, ſtaved in her quarter, and carried away her out-rigger, the Indians preparing at the ſame time to board her, with their clubs and paddles in their hands. Our people being thus preſſed, were obliged to fire, by which one of the aſſailants was killed, and another much wounded. Upon receiving the ſhot, they both fell overboard, and all the people who were in the ſame canoe, inſtantly leaped into the ſea after them: the other two canoes dropped a-ſtern, and our boats went on without any farther interrup⯑tion. As ſoon as the Indians, who were in the water, ſaw that the boats ſtood on without attempting to do them any farther hurt, they recovered their canoe, and hauled in their wounded companions. They ſet them both upon their feet to ſee if they could ſtand, and finding they could not, they tried whether they could ſit upright: one of them could, and him they ſupported in that poſture, but perceiv⯑ing that the other was quite dead, they laid the body along at the bottom of the canoe. After this ſome of the canoes went aſhore, and others returned again to the ſhip to traffick, which is a proof that our conduct had convinced them that while they behaved peaceably they had nothing to fear, and that they were conſcious they had brought the miſchief which had juſt happened upon themſelves.

The boats continued ſounding till noon, when they re⯑turned with an account that the ground was very clear; that it was at the depth of five fathom, within a quarter of a mile of the ſhore, but that there was a very great ſurf where we had ſeen the water. The officers told me, that the inhabitants ſwarmed upon the beach, and that many of them ſwam off to the boat with fruit, and bamboos filled with water. They ſaid that they were very importunate with them to come on ſhore, particularly the women, who came down to the [439] beach, and ſtripping themſelves naked,day Sunday 21 endeavoured to allure them by many wanton geſtures, the meaning of which could not poſſibly be miſtaken. At this time, however, our people reſiſted the temptation.

In the afternoon, I ſent the boats again to the ſhore, with ſome barecas, or ſmall caſks, which are filled at the head, and have a handle by which they are carried, to endeavour to procure ſome water, of which we began to be in great want. In the mean time, many of the canoes continued about the ſhip, but the Indians had been guilty of ſo many thefts, that I would not ſuffer any more of them to come on board.

At five in the evening, the boats returned with only two barecas of water, which the natives had filled for them; and as a compenſation for their trouble, they thought fit to detain all the reſt. Our people, who did not leave their boat, tried every expedient they could think of to induce the Indians to return their water veſſels, but without ſucceſs; and the Indians, in their turn, were very preſſing for our people to come on ſhore, which they thought it prudent to decline. There were many thouſands of the inhabitants of both ſexes, and a great number of children on the beach, when our boats came away.

The next morning,day Monday 22 I ſent the boats on ſhore again for water, with nails, hatchets, and ſuch other things as I thought moſt likely to gain the friendſhip of the inhabitants. In the mean time, a great number of canoes came off to the ſhip, with bread-fruit^*, plantains, a fruit reſembling an apple only better, fowls, and hogs, which we purchaſed with beads, nails, knives, and other articles of the like kind, ſo [440] that we procured pork enough to ſerve the ſhip's company two days,day Monday 22 at a pound a man.

When the boats returned, they brought us only a few calibaſhes of water, for the number of people on the beach was ſo great, that they would not venture to land, though the young women repeated the allurements which they had practiſed the day before, with ſtill more wanton, and, if poſſible, leſs equivocal geſtures. Fruit and proviſions of various kinds were brought down and ranged upon the beach, of which our people were alſo invited to partake, as an additional inducement for them to leave the boat. They continued, however, inexorable, and ſhewing the Indians the barecas on board, made ſigns that they ſhould bring down thoſe which had been detained the day before: to this the Indians were inexorable in their turn, and our people therefore weighed their grapplings, and ſounded all round the place, to ſee whether the ſhip could come in near enough to cover the waterers, in which caſe they might venture on ſhore, in defiance of the whole iſland. When they put off, the women pelted them with apples and bananas, ſhouting, and ſhewing every mark of deriſion and contempt that they could deviſe. They reported, that the ſhip might ride in four fathom water, with ſandy ground, at two cables' length from the ſhore, and in five fathom water at three cables' length. The wind here blew right along the ſhore, raiſing a great ſurf on the ſide of the veſſel, and on the beach.

At day-break,day Tueſday 23 the next morning, we weighed, with a deſign to anchor off the watering-place. As we were ſtand⯑ing off, to get farther to windward, we diſcovered a bay about ſix or eight miles to leeward, over the land, from the [441] maſt-head, and immediately bore away for it,day Tueſday 23 ſending the boats a-head to ſound. At nine o'clock, the boats making the ſignal for 12 fathom, we hauled round a reef, and ſtood in, with a deſign to come to an anchor; but when we came near the boats, one of which was on each bow, the ſhip ſtruck. Her head continued immoveable, but her ſtern was free; and, upon caſting the lead, we found the depth of water, upon the reef or ſhoal, to be from 17 fathom to two and a half: we clewed all up as faſt as poſſible, and cleared the ſhip of what lumber there happened to be upon the deck, at the ſame time getting out the long-boat, with the ſtream and kedge anchors, the ſtream cable and hauſer, in order to carry them without the reef, that when they had taken ground, the ſhip might be drawn off towards them, by applying a great force to the capſtern, but unhappily without the reef we had no bottom. Our condition was now very alarming, the ſhip continued beating againſt the rock with great force, and we were ſurrounded by many hundred canoes, full of men: they did not, however, attempt to come on board us, but ſeemed to wait in ex⯑pectation of our ſhipwreck. In the anxiety and terror of ſuch a ſituation we continued near an hour, without being able to do any thing for our deliverance, except ſtaving ſome water caſks in the fore-hold, when a breeze happily ſpring⯑ing up from the ſhore, the ſhip's head ſwung off. We immediately preſſed her with all the ſail we could make; upon which ſhe began to move, and was very ſoon once more in deep water.

We now ſtood off, and the boats being ſent to leeward, found that the reef ran down to the weſtward about a mile and a half, and that beyond it there was a very good har⯑bour. The maſter, after having placed a boat at the end of the reef, and furniſhed the long-boat with anchor and hauſers, [442] and a guard to defend her from an attack of the Indians,day Tueſday 23 came on board, and piloted the ſhip round the reef into the harbour, where, about twelve o'clock, ſhe came to an an⯑chor in 17 fathom water, with a fine bottom of black ſand.

The place where the ſhip ſtruck appeared, upon farther examination, to be a reef of ſharp coral rock, with very un⯑equal ſoundings, from ſix fathom to two; and it happened unfortunately to lie between the two boats that were placed as a direction to the ſhip, the weathermoſt boat having 12 fathom, and the leewardmoſt nine. The wind freſhened almoſt as ſoon as we got off, and though it ſoon became calm again, the ſurf ran ſo high, and broke with ſuch vio⯑lence upon the rock, that if the ſhip had continued faſt half an hour longer, ſhe muſt inevitably have been beaten to pieces. Upon examining her bottom, we could not diſ⯑cover that ſhe had received any damage, except that a ſmall piece was beaten off the bottom of the rudder. She did not appear to admit any water, but the truſsle-trees, at the head of all the maſts, were broken ſhort, which we ſuppoſed to have happened while ſhe was beating againſt the rock. Our boats loſt their grapplings upon the reef, but as we had reaſon to hope that the ſhip was ſound, they gave us very little concern. As ſoon as the ſhip was ſecured, I ſent the maſter, with all the boats manned and armed, to ſound the upper part of the bay, that if he found good an⯑chorage we might warp the ſhip up within the reef, and anchor her in ſafety. The weather was now very pleaſant, a great number of canoes were upon the reef, and the ſhore was crouded with people.

About four in the afternoon the maſter returned, and reported, that there was every where good anchorage; I therefore determined to warp the ſhip up the bay early in []

[443] the morning, and in the mean time,day Tueſday 23 I put the people at four watches, one watch to be always under arms; loaded and primed all the guns, fixed muſquetoons in all the boats, and ordered all the people who were not upon the watch, to re⯑pair to the quarters aſſigned them, at a moment's warning there being a great number of canoes, ſome of them very large, and full of men, hovering upon the ſhore, and many ſmaller venturing to the ſhip, with hogs, fowls, and fruit, which we purchaſed of them, much to the ſatisfaction of both parties; and at ſun-ſet, all the canoes rowed in to the ſhore.

At ſix o'clock the next morning,day Wedneſ. 24 we began to warp the ſhip up the harbour, and ſoon after, a great number of canoes came under her ſtern. As I perceived that they had hogs, fowls, and fruit on board, I ordered the gunner, and two midſhipmen, to purchaſe them for knives, nails, beads, and other trinkets, at the ſame time prohibiting the trade to all other perſons on board. By eight o'clock, the number of canoes was greatly increaſed, and thoſe that came laſt up were double, of a very large ſize, with twelve or fifteen ſtout men in each. I obſerved, with ſome concern, that they ap⯑peared to be furniſhed rather for war than trade, having very little on board except round pebble ſtones; I therefore ſent for Mr. Furneaux, my firſt lieutenant being ſtill very ill, and ordered him to keep the fourth watch conſtantly at their arms, while the reſt of the people were warping the ſhip. In the mean time more canoes were continually coming off from the ſhore, which were freighted very dif⯑ferently from the reſt, for they had on board a number of women who were placed in a row, and who, when they came near the ſhip, made all the wanton geſtures that can be conceived. While theſe ladies were practiſing their al⯑lurements, the large canoes, which were freighted with [444] ſtones,day Wedneſ. 24 drew together very cloſe round the ſhip, ſome of the men on board ſinging in a hoarſe voice, ſome blowing conchs, and ſome playing on a flute. After ſome time, a man who ſat upon a canopy that was fixed on one of the large double canoes, made ſigns that he wiſhed to come up to the ſhip's ſide; I immediately intimated my conſent, and when he came along ſide, he gave one of the men a bunch of red and yellow feathers, making ſigns that he ſhould carry it to me. I received it with expreſſions of amity, and immediately got ſome trinkets to preſent him in return, but to my great ſurpriſe he had put off to a little diſtance from the ſhip, and upon his throwing up the branch of a cocoa-nut tree, there was an univerſal ſhout from all the canoes, which at once moved towards the ſhip, and a ſhower of ſtones was poured into her on every ſide. As an attack was now begun, in which our arms only could render us ſupe⯑rior to the multitude that aſſailed us, eſpecially as great part of the ſhip's company was in a ſick and feeble condition, I ordered the guard to fire; two of the quarter-deck guns, which I had loaded with ſmall ſhot, were alſo fired nearly at the ſame time, and the Indians appeared to be thrown into ſome confuſion: in a few minutes, however, they renewed the attack, and all our people that were able to come upon deck, having by this time got to their quarters, I ordered them to fire the great guns, and to play ſome of them con⯑ſtantly at a place on ſhore, where a great number of canoes were ſtill taking in men, and puſhing off towards the ſhip with the utmoſt expedition. When the great guns began to fire, there were not leſs than three hundred canoes about the ſhip, having on board at leaſt two thouſand men; many thouſands were alſo upon the ſhore, and more canoes coming from every quarter: the firing, however, ſoon drove away the canoes that were about the ſhip, and put a ſtop to the [445] coming off of others.day Wedneſ. 24 As ſoon as I ſaw ſome of them re⯑treating, and the reſt quiet, I ordered the firing to ceaſe, hoping that they were ſufficiently convinced of our ſuperi⯑ority, not to renew the conteſt. In this, however, I was unhappily miſtaken: a great number of the canoes that had been diſperſed, ſoon drew together again, and lay ſome time on their paddles, looking at the ſhip from the diſtance of about a quarter of a mile, and then ſuddenly hoiſting white ſtreamers, pulled towards the ſhip's ſtern, and began again to throw ſtones, with great force and dexterity, by the help of ſlings, from a conſiderable diſtance: each of theſe ſtones weighed about two pounds, and many of them wounded the people on board, who would have ſuffered much more, if an awning had not been ſpread over the whole deck to keep out the ſun, and the hammocks placed in the nettings. At the ſame time ſeveral canoes, well manned, were making towards the ſhip's bow, having probably taken notice that no ſhot had been fired from this part: I therefore ordered ſome guns forward, to be well pointed and fired at theſe canoes; at the ſame time running out two guns abaft, and pointing them well at the canoes that were making the attack. Among the canoes that were coming toward the bow, there was one which appeared to have ſome Chief on board, as it was by ſignals made from her, that the others had been called to⯑gether: it happened that a ſhot, fired from the guns for⯑ward, hit this canoe ſo full as to cut it aſunder. As ſoon as this was obſerved by the reſt, they diſperſed with ſuch haſte that in half an hour there was not a ſingle canoe to be ſeen; the people alſo who had crouded the ſhore, immediately fled over the hills with the utmoſt precipitation.

Having now no reaſon to fear any further interruption, we warped the ſhip up the harbour, and by noon, we were [446] not more than half a mile from the upper part of the bay,day Wedneſ. 24 within leſs than two cables' length of a fine river, and about two and a half of the reef. We had here nine fathom water, and cloſe to the ſhore there were five. We moored the ſhip, and carried out the ſtream-anchor, with the two ſhroud hauſers, for a ſpring, to keep the ſhip's broad-ſide a-breaſt of the river; we alſo got up and mounted the eight guns which had been put into the hold. As ſoon as this was done, the boats were employed in ſounding all round the bay, and in examining the ſhore where any of the in⯑habitants appeared, in order to diſcover, whether it was pro⯑bable that they would give us any further diſturbance. All the afternoon,day Thurſday 25 and part of the next morning, was ſpent in this ſervice; and about noon, the maſter returned, with a tolerable ſurvey of the place, and reported, that there were no canoes in ſight; that there was good landing on every part of the beach; that there was nothing in the bay from which danger could be apprehended, except the reef, and ſome rocks at the upper end, which appeared above water; and that the river, though it emptied itſelf on the other ſide of the point, was freſh water.

Soon after the maſter had brought me this account, I ſent Mr. Furneaux again, with all the boats manned and armed, the marines being alſo put on board, with orders to land oppoſite to our ſtation, and ſecure himſelf, under cover of the boats and the ſhip, in the cleareſt ground he could find. About two o'clock the boats landed without any oppoſition, and Mr. Furneaux ſtuck up a ſtaff, upon which he hoiſted a pendant, turned a turf, and took poſſeſſion of the iſland in his Majeſty's name, in honour of whom he called it KING GEORGE THE THIRD's ISLAND: he then went to the river, and taſted the water, which he found excellent, and mixing ſome of it with rum, every man drank his Majeſty's health. [447] While he was at the river,day Thurſday 25 which was about twelve yards wide, and fordable, he ſaw two old men on the oppoſite ſide of it, who perceiving that they were diſcovered, put them⯑ſelves in a ſupplicatory poſture, and ſeemed to be in great terror and confuſion. Mr. Furneaux made ſigns that they ſhould come over the river, and one of them complied. When he landed, he came forward, creeping upon his hands and knees, but Mr. Furneaux raiſed him up, and while he ſtood trembling, ſhewed him ſome of the ſtones that were thrown at the ſhip, and endeavoured to make him apprehend that if the natives attempted no miſchief againſt us, we ſhould do no harm to them. He ordered two of the water caſks to be filled, to ſhew the Indian that we wanted water, and produced ſome hatchets, and other things, to intimate that he wiſhed to trade for proviſions. The old man, during this pantomimical converſation, in ſome degree recovered his ſpirits; and Mr. Furneaux, to confirm his profeſſions of friendſhip, gave him a hatchet, ſome nails, beads, and other trifles; after which he reimbarked on board the boats, and left the pendant flying. As ſoon as the boats were put off, the old man went up to the pendant, and danced round it a conſiderable time: he then retired, but ſoon after re⯑turned with ſome green boughs, which he threw down, and retired a ſecond time: it was not long, however, before he appeared again, with about a dozen of the inhabitants, and putting themſelves in a ſupplicating poſture, they all ap⯑proached the pendant in a ſlow pace, but the wind happening to move it, when they were got cloſe to it, they ſuddenly retreated with the greateſt precipitation. After ſtanding ſome time at a diſtance, and gazing at it, they went away, but in a ſhort time came back, with two large hogs alive, which they laid down at the foot of the ſtaff, and at length taking courage, they began to dance. When they had per⯑formed [448] this ceremony,day Thurſday 25 they brought the hogs down to the water ſide, launched a canoe, and put them on board. The old man, who had a large white beard, then embarked with them alone, and brought them to the ſhip: when he came along ſide, he made a ſet ſpeech, and afterwards handed in ſeveral green plantain leaves, one by one, uttering a ſen⯑tence, in a ſolemn ſlow tone, with each of them as he de⯑livered it; after this he ſent on board the two hogs, and then turning round, pointed to the land. I ordered ſome preſents to be given him, but he would accept of nothing; and ſoon after put off his canoe, and went on ſhore.

At night, ſoon after it was dark, we heard the noiſe of many drums, with conchs, and other wind inſtruments, and ſaw a multitude of lights all along the coaſt.day Friday 26 At ſix in the morning, ſeeing none of the natives on ſhore, and obſerving that the pendant was taken away, which probably they had learnt to deſpiſe, as the frogs in the fable did King Log, I ordered the lieutenant to take a guard on ſhore, and if all was well, to ſend off, that we might begin watering: in a ſhort time I had the ſatisfaction to find that he had ſent off for water caſks, and by eight o'clock, we had four tons of water on board. While our people were employed in filling the caſks, ſeveral of the natives appeared on the oppoſite ſide of the river, with the old man whom the officer had ſeen the day before; and ſoon after he came over, and brought with him a little fruit, and a few fowls, which were alſo ſent off to the ſhip. At this time, having been very ill for near a fortnight, I was ſo weak that I could ſcarcely crawl about; however, I employed my glaſſes to ſee what was doing on ſhore. At near half an hour after eight o'clock, I perceived a multitude of the natives coming over a hill at about the diſtance of a mile, and at the ſame time a great number of canoes making round the weſtern point, and [449] keeping cloſe along the ſhore.day Friday 26 I then looked at the water⯑ing-place, and ſaw at the back of it, where it was clear, a very numerous party of the natives creeping along behind the buſhes; I ſaw alſo many thouſands in the woods, puſh⯑ing along towards the watering-place, and canoes coming very faſt round the other point of the bay to the eaſtward. Being alarmed at theſe appearances, I diſpatched a boat, to acquaint the officer on ſhore with what I had ſeen, and order him immediately to come on board with his men, and leave the caſks behind him: he had, however, diſcovered his danger, and embarked before the boat reached him. Having perceived the Indians that were creeping towards him under ſhelter of the wood, he immediately diſpatch⯑ed the old man to them, making ſigns that they ſhould keep at a diſtance, and that he wanted nothing but water. As ſoon as they perceived that they were diſcovered, they began to ſhout, and advanced with greater ſpeed. The of⯑ficer immediately repaired to the boats with his people, and the Indians, in the mean time having croſſed the river, took poſſeſſion of the water caſks, with great appearance of exulta⯑tion and joy. The canoes now pulled along the ſhore, to⯑wards the place, with the utmoſt expedition, all the people on land keeping pace with them, except a multitude of women and children, who ſeated themſelves upon a hill which overlooked the bay and the beach. The canoes from each point of the bay, as they drew nearer to that part of it where the ſhip was at anchor, put on ſhore, and took in more men, who had great bags in their hands, which after⯑wards appeared to be filled with ſtones. All the canoes that had come round the points, and many others that had put off from the ſhore within the bay, now made towards the ſhip, ſo that I had no doubt but that they intended to try [450] their fortune in a ſecond attack.day Friday 26 As to ſhorten the conteſt would certainly leſſen the miſchief, I determined to make this action deciſive, and put an end to hoſtilities at once; I therefore ordered the people, who were all at their quarters, to fire firſt upon the canoes which were drawn together in groups: this was immediately done ſo effectually, that thoſe which were to the weſtward made towards the ſhore as faſt as poſſible, and thoſe to the eaſtward, getting round the reef, were ſoon beyond the reach of our guns. I then di⯑rected the fire into the wood in different parts, which ſoon drove the Indians out of it, who ran up the hill where the women and children had ſeated themſelves to ſee the battle. Upon this hill there were now ſeveral thouſands who thought themſelves in perfect ſecurity; but to convince them of the contrary, and hoping that when they ſaw the ſhot fall much farther than they could think poſſible, they would ſuppoſe it could reach them at any diſtance, I ordered ſome of the guns to be let down as low as they would admit, and fired four ſhot towards them. Two of the balls fell cloſe by a tree where a great number of theſe people were fitting, and ſtruck them with ſuch terror and conſternation, that in leſs than two minutes not one of them was to be ſeen. Having thus cleared the coaſt, I manned and armed the boats, and putting a ſtrong guard on board, I ſent all the carpenters with their axes, and ordered them to deſtroy every canoe that had been run aſhore. Before noon, this ſervice was effectually performed, and more than fifty canoes, many of which were ſixty feet long, and three broad, and laſhed together, were cut to pieces. Nothing was found in them but ſtones and ſlings, except a little fruit, and a few fowls and hogs, which were on board two or three canoes of a much ſmaller ſize.

[451]At two o'clock in the afternoon,day Friday 26 about ten of the natives came out of the wood with green boughs in their hands, which they ſtuck up near the water ſide, and retired. After a ſhort time, they appeared again, and brought with them ſeveral hogs, with their legs tied, which they placed near the green boughs, and retired a ſecond time. After this they brought down ſeveral more hogs, and ſome dogs, with their fore legs tied over their heads, and going again into the woods, brought back ſeveral bundles of the cloth which they uſe for apparel, and which has ſome reſemblance to Indian paper. Theſe they placed upon the beach, and called to us on board to fetch them away. As we were at the diſtance of about three cables' length, we could not then perfectly diſcover of what this peace-offering conſiſted: we gueſſed at the hogs and the cloth, but ſeeing the dogs, with their fore legs appearing over the hinder part of the neck, riſe up ſeveral times, and run a little way in an erect poſture, we took them for ſome ſtrange unknown animal, and were very impatient to have a nearer view of them. The boat was therefore ſent on ſhore with all expedition, and our wonder was ſoon at an end. Our people found nine good hogs, beſides the dogs and the cloth: the hogs were brought off, but the dogs were turned looſe, and with the cloth left behind. In return for the hogs, our people left upon the ſhore ſome hatchets, nails, and other things, making ſigns to ſome of the Indians who were in ſight, to take them away with their cloth. Soon after the boat had come on board, the Indians brought down two more hogs, and called to us to fetch them; the boat therefore returned, and fetched off the two hogs, but ſtill left the cloth, though the Indians made ſigns that we ſhould take it. Our people reported, that they had not touched any of the things which [452] they had left upon the beach for them,day Friday 26 and ſomebody ſug⯑geſting that they would not take our offering becauſe we had not accepted their cloth, I gave orders that it ſhould be fetched away. The event proved that the conjecture was true, for the moment the boat had taken the cloth on board, the Indians came down, and with every poſſible demonſtra⯑tion of joy, carried away all I had ſent them into the wood. Our boats then went to the watering-place, and filled and brought off all the caſks, to the amount of about ſix tons. We found that they had ſuffered no injury while they had been in the poſſeſſion of the Indians, but ſome leathern buckets and funnels which had been taken away with the caſks, were not returned.

The next morning I ſent the boats on ſhore,day Saturday 27 with a guard, to fill ſome more caſks with water, and ſoon after the people were on ſhore, the ſame old man who had come over the river to them the firſt day, came again to the farther ſide of it, where he made a long ſpeech, and then croſſed the water. When he came up to the waterers, the officer ſhewed him the ſtones that were piled up like cannon balls upon the ſhore, and had been brought thither ſince our firſt landing, and ſome of the bags that had been taken out of the canoes which I had ordered to be deſtroyed, filled with ſtones, and endeavoured to make him underſtand that the Indians had been the aggreſſors, and that the miſchief we had done them was in our own defence. The old man ſeemed to apprehend his meaning, but not to admit it: he immediately made a ſpeech to the people, pointing to the ſtones, ſlings, and bags, with great emotion, and ſometimes his looks, geſtures, and voice were ſo furious as to be frightful. His paſſions, however, ſubſided by degrees, and the officer, who to his great regret could not underſtand one [453] word of all that he had ſaid, endeavoured to convince him,day Saturday 27 by all the ſigns he could deviſe, that we wiſhed to live in friendſhip with them, and were diſpoſed to ſhew them every mark of kindneſs in our power. He then ſhook hands with him, and embraced him, giving him at the ſame time ſeve⯑ral ſuch trinkets as he thought would be moſt acceptable. He contrived alſo to make the old man underſtand that we wiſhed to traffick for proviſions, that the Indians ſhould not come down in great numbers, and that they ſhould keep on one ſide of the river and we on the other. After this the old man went away with great appearance of ſatisfaction, and before noon a trade was eſtabliſhed, which furniſhed us with hogs, fowls, and fruit in great abundance, ſo that all the ſhip's company, whether ſick or well, had as much as they could uſe.

CHAP. VI. The Sick ſent on Shore, and a regular Trade eſtabliſhed with the Natives; ſome Account of their Character and Manners, of their Viſits on board the Ship, and a Variety of Incidents that happened during this Inter⯑courſe.

MATTERS being thus happily ſettled,day Saturday 27 I ſent the Sur⯑geon, with the Second Lieutenant, to examine the country, and fix upon ſome place where the ſick might take up their reſidence on ſhore. When they returned, they ſaid, that with reſpect to health and convenience, all the places that they had ſeen upon the iſland ſeemed to be equally proper; but that with reſpect to ſafety, they could recom⯑mend none but the watering-place, as they would be there under the protection of the ſhip and the guard, and would eaſily be prevented from ſtraggling into the country, and brought off to their meals. To the watering-place therefore I ſent them, with thoſe that were employed in filling the caſks, and appointed the gunner to command the party that was to be their guard. A tent was erected for them as a ſhelter both from the ſun and the rain, and the Surgeon was ſent to ſuperintend their conduct, and give his advice if it ſhould be wanted. It happened that walking out with his gun, after he had ſeen the ſick properly diſpoſed of in the tent, a wild duck flew over his head, which he ſhot, and it fell dead among ſome of the natives who were on the other ſide of the river. This threw them into a panic, and [455] they all ran away:day Saturday 27 when they got to ſome diſtance they ſtopped, and he made ſigns to them to bring the duck over: this one of them at laſt ventured to do, and, pale and trem⯑bling, laid it down at his feet. Several other ducks happen⯑ing at the inſtant to fly over the ſpot where they were ſtanding, he fired again, and fortunately brought down three more. This incident gave the natives ſuch a dread of a gun, that if a muſquet was pointed at a thouſand of them, they would all run away like a flock of ſheep; and probably the eaſe with which they were afterwards kept at a diſtance, and their orderly behaviour in their traffick, was in a great meaſure owing to their having upon this occaſion ſeen the inſtrument of which before they had only felt the effects.

As I foreſaw that a private traffick would probably com⯑mence between ſuch of our people as were on ſhore, and the natives, and that if it was left to their own caprice, perpetual quarrels and miſchief would enſue, I ordered that all mat⯑ters of traffick ſhould be tranſacted by the gunner, on behalf of both parties, and I directed him to ſee that no injury was done to the natives, either by violence or fraud, and by all poſſible means to attach the old man to his intereſt. This ſervice he performed with great diligence and fidelity, nor did he neglect to complain of thoſe who tranſgreſſed my orders, which was of infinite advantage to all parties; for as I puniſhed the firſt offenders with a neceſſary ſeverity, many irregularities, that would otherwiſe have produced the moſt diſagreeable conſequences, were prevented: we were alſo indebted for many advantages to the old man, whoſe cau⯑tion kept our people perpetually upon their guard, and ſoon brought back thoſe who ſtraggled from the party. The natives would indeed ſometimes pilfer, but by the terror of a gun, without uſing it, he always found means to make them bring back what was ſtolen. A fellow had one day the [456] dexterity and addreſs to croſs the river unperceived,day Saturday 27 and ſteal a hatchet; the gunner, as ſoon as he miſſed it, made the old man underſtand what had happened, and got his party ready, as if he would have gone into the woods after the thief: the old man, however, made ſigns that he would ſave him the trouble, and immediately ſetting off, returned in a very ſhort time with the hatchet. The gunner then inſiſted that the offender ſhould be delivered up, and with this alſo the old man, though not without great reluctance, com⯑plied. When the fellow was brought down, the gunner knew him to be an old offender, and therefore ſent him pri⯑ſoner on board. I had no intention to puniſh him otherwiſe, than by the fear of puniſhment, and therefore, after great entreaty and interceſſion, I gave him his liberty, and ſent him on ſhore. When the natives ſaw him return in ſafety, it is hard to ſay whether their aſtoniſhment or joy was greateſt; they received him with univerſal acclamations, and immediately carried him off into the woods: the next day, however, he returned, and as a propitiation to the gunner, he brought him a conſiderable quantity of bread-fruit, and a large hog, ready roaſted.

At this time, the people on board were employed in caulking and painting the weather-work, over-hauling the rigging, ſtowing the hold, and doing other neceſſary buſi⯑neſs, but my diſorder, which was a bilious cholic, increaſed ſo much, that this day I was obliged to take to my bed; my Firſt Lieutenant alſo ſtill continued very ill, and the Purſer was incapable of his duty. The whole command devolved upon Mr. Furneaux, the Second Lieutenant, to whom I gave general directions, and recommended a particular attention to the people on ſhore. I alſo ordered that fruit and freſh proviſions ſhould be ſerved to the ſhip's company as long as they could be procured, and that the boats ſhould never be [457] abſent from the ſhip after ſun-ſet.day Saturday 27 Theſe directions were fulfilled with ſuch prudence and punctuality, that during all my ſickneſs I was not troubled with any buſineſs, nor had the mortification to hear a ſingle complaint or appeal. The men were conſtantly ſerved with freſh pork, fowls, and fruit, in ſuch plenty, that when I left my bed, after having been confined to it near a fortnight, my ſhip's company looked ſo freſh and healthy, that I could ſcarcely believe them to be the ſame people.

Sunday the 28th was marked by no incident; day Sunday 28 but on Mon⯑day the 29th,day Monday 29 one of the gunner's party found a piece of ſaltpetre near as big as an egg. As this was an object of equal curioſity and importance, diligent enquiry was im⯑mediately made from whence it came. The ſurgeon aſked every one of the people on ſhore, ſeparately, whether he had brought it from the ſhip; every one on board alſo was aſked whether he had carried it on ſhore, but all declared that they had never had ſuch a thing in their poſſeſſion. Appli⯑cation was then made to the natives, but the meaning of both parties was ſo imperfectly conveyed by ſigns, that nothing could be learnt of them about it: during our whole ſtay here, however, we ſaw no more than this one piece.

While the gunner was trafficking for proviſions on ſhore, we ſometimes hauled the ſeine, but we caught no fiſh; we alſo frequently crawled, but with no better ſucceſs: the diſ⯑appointment, however, was not felt, for the produce of the iſland enabled our people to "fare ſumptuouſly every day."

All matters continued in the ſame ſituation till the 2d of July, when our old man being abſent,month July day Thurſday 2 the ſupply of freſh proviſions and fruit fell ſhort; we had, however, enough to [458] ſerve moſt of the meſſes, reſerving plenty for the ſick and convaleſcent.

On the 3d,day Friday 3 we heeled the ſhip, and looked at her bottom, which we found as clean as when ſhe came out of dock, and to our great ſatisfaction, as ſound. During all this time, none of the natives came near our boats, or the ſhip, in their canoes. This day, about noon, we caught a very large ſhark, and when the boats went to fetch the people on board to dinner, we ſent it on ſhore. When the boats were putting off again, the gunner ſeeing ſome of the natives on the other ſide of the river, beckoned them to come over; they immediately complied, and he gave them the ſhark, which they ſoon cut to pieces, and carried away with great appearance of ſatisfaction.

On Sunday the 5th,day Sunday 5 the old man returned to the market-tent, and made the gunner underſtand that he had been up the country, to prevail upon the people to bring down their hogs, poultry, and fruit, of which the parts near the water⯑ing-place were now nearly exhauſted. The good effects of his expedition ſoon appeared, for ſeveral Indians, whom our people had never ſeen before, came in with ſome hogs that were larger than any that had been yet brought to market. In the mean time, the old man ventured off in his canoe, to the ſhip, and brought with him, as a preſent to me, a hog ready roaſted. I was much pleaſed with his attention and liberality, and gave him, in return for his hog, an iron pot, a looking-glaſs, a drinking-glaſs, and ſeveral other things, which no man in the iſland was in poſſeſſion of but himſelf.

While our people were on ſhore, ſeveral young women were permitted to croſs the river, who, though they were not averſe to the granting of perſonal favours, knew the [459] value of them too well not to ſtipulate for a conſideration:day Sunday 5 the price, indeed, was not great, yet it was ſuch as our men were not always able to pay, and under this temptation they ſtole nails and other iron from the ſhip. The nails that we brought for traffick, were not always in their reach, and therefore they drew ſeveral out of different parts of the veſ⯑ſel, particularly thoſe that faſtened the cleats to the ſhip's ſide. This was productive of a double miſchief; damage to the ſhip, and a conſiderable riſe at market. When the gun⯑ner offered, as uſual, ſmall nails for hogs of a middling ſize, the natives refuſed to take them, and produced large ſpikes, intimating that they expected ſuch nails as theſe. A moſt diligent enquiry was ſet on foot to diſcover the offenders, but all to no purpoſe; and though a large reward was offered to procure intelligence, none was obtained. I was mortified at the diſappointment, but I was ſtill more morti⯑fied at a fraud which I found ſome of our people had prac⯑tiſed upon the natives. When no nails were to be procured, they had ſtolen lead, and cut it up in the ſhape of nails. Many of the natives who had been paid with this baſe mo⯑ney, brought their leaden nails, with great ſimplicity, to the gunner, and requeſted him to give them iron in their ſtead. With this requeſt, however reaſonable, he could not com⯑ply; becauſe, by rendering lead current, it would have en⯑couraged the ſtealing it, and the market would have been as effectually ſpoiled by thoſe who could not procure nails, as by thoſe who could; it was therefore neceſſary, upon every account, to render this leaden currency of no value, though for our honour I ſhould have been glad to have called it in.

On Tueſday the 7th,day Tueſday 7 I ſent one of the mates, with thirty men, to a village at a little diſtance from the market, hoping [460] that refreſhments might there be bought at the original price; day Tueſday 7 but here they were obliged to give ſtill more than at the water-ſide. In the mean time, being this day able to get up for the firſt time, and the weather being fine, I went into a boat, and rowed about four miles down the coaſt. I found the country populous, and pleaſant in the higheſt degree, and ſaw many canoes on the ſhore; but not one came off to us, nor did the people ſeem to take the leaſt notice of us as we paſſed along. About noon I returned to the ſhip.

The commerce which our men had found means to eſta⯑bliſh with the women of the iſland, rendered them much leſs obedient to the orders that had been given for the regu⯑lation of their conduct on ſhore, than they were at firſt. I found it neceſſary therefore, to read the articles of war, and I puniſhed James Proctor, the corporal of marines, who had not only quitted his ſtation, and inſulted the officer, but ſtruck the Maſter at Arms ſuch a blow as brought him to the ground.

The next day,day Wedneſ. 8 I ſent a party up the country to cut wood, and they met with ſome of the natives, who treated them with great kindness and hoſpitality. Several of theſe friendly Indians came on board in our boat, and ſeemed, both by their dreſs and behaviour, to be of a ſuperior rank. To theſe people I paid a particular attention, and to diſcover what preſent would moſt gratify them, I laid down before them a Johannes, a guinea, a crown piece, a Spaniſh dollar, a few ſhillings, ſome new halfpence, and two large nails, making ſigns that they ſhould take what they liked beſt. The nails were firſt ſeized, with great eagerneſs, and then a few of the halfpence, but the ſilver and gold lay neglected. Having preſented them, therefore, with ſome nails and halfpence, I ſent them on ſhore ſuperlatively happy.

[461]From this time, our market was very ill ſupplied,day Wedneſ. 8 the Indians refuſing to ſell proviſions at the uſual price, and making ſigns for large nails. It was now thought neceſſary to look more diligently about the ſhip, to diſcover what nails had been drawn; and it was ſoon found that all the belaying cleats had been ripped off, and that there was ſcarcely one of the hammock nails left. All hands were now ordered up, and I practiſed every artifice I could think of to diſcover the thieves, but without ſucceſs. I then told them that till the thieves were diſcovered, not a ſingle man ſhould go on ſhore: this however produced no effect, except that Proctor, the corporal, behaved in a mutinous manner, for which he was inſtantly puniſhed.

On Saturday the 11th,day Saturday 11 in the afternoon, the gunner came on board with a tall woman, who ſeemed to be about five and forty years of age, of a pleaſing countenance and ma⯑jeſtic deportment. He told me that ſhe was but juſt come into that part of the country, and that ſeeing great reſpect paid her by the reſt of the natives, he had made her ſome preſents; in return for which ſhe had invited him to her houſe, which was about two miles up the valley, and given him ſome large hogs; after which ſhe returned with him to the watering-place, and expreſſed a deſire to go on board the ſhip, in which he had thought it proper, on all accounts, that ſhe ſhould be gratified. She ſeemed to be under no reſtraint, either from diffidence or fear, when ſhe firſt came into the ſhip; and ſhe behaved, all the while ſhe was on board, with an eaſy freedom, that always diſtinguiſhes con⯑ſcious ſuperiority and habitual command. I gave her a large blue mantle, that reached from her ſhoulders to her feet, which I threw over her, and tied on with ribands; I gave her alſo a looking-glaſs, beads of ſeveral ſorts, and many other things, of which ſhe accepted with a very good [462] grace,day Saturday 11 and much pleaſure. She took notice that I had been ill, and pointed to the ſhore. I underſtood that ſhe meant I ſhould go thither to perfect my recovery, and I made ſigns that I would go thither the next morning. When ſhe inti⯑mated an inclination to return, I ordered the gunner to go with her, who, having ſet her on ſhore, attended her to her habitation, which he deſcribed as being very large and well built. He ſaid, that in this houſe ſhe had many guards and domeſticks, and that ſhe had another at a little diſtance, which was encloſed in lattice-work.

The next morning I went on ſhore for the firſt time,day Sunday 12 and my princeſs, or rather queen, for ſuch by her authority ſhe appeared to be, ſoon after came to me, followed by many of her attendants. As ſhe perceived that my diſorder had left me very weak, ſhe ordered her people to take me in their arms, and carry me not only over the river, but all the way to her houſe; and obſerving that ſome of the people who were with me, particularly the Firſt Lieutenant and Purſer, had alſo been ſick, ſhe cauſed them alſo to be carried in the ſame manner, and a guard, which I had ordered out upon the occaſion, followed. In our way, a vaſt multitude crouded about us, but upon her waving her hand, without ſpeaking a word, they withdrew, and left us a free paſſage. When we approached near her houſe, a great number of both ſexes came out to meet her: theſe ſhe preſented to me, after having intimated by ſigns that they were her relations, and taking hold of my hand, ſhe made them kiſs it. We then entered the houſe, which covered a piece of ground 327 feet long, and 42 feet broad. It conſiſted of a roof, thatched with palm leaves, and raiſed upon 39 pillars on each ſide, and 14 in the middle. The ridge of the thatch, on the inſide, was 30 feet high, and the ſides of the houſe, to the edge of the roof, were 12 feet high; all below the []

[463] roof being open. As ſoon as we entered the houſe,day Sunday 12 ſhe made us ſit down, and then calling four young girls, ſhe aſſiſted them to take off my ſhoes, draw down my ſtockings, and pull off my coat, and then directed them to ſmooth down the ſkin, and gently chafe it with their hands: the ſame operation was alſo performed upon the Firſt Lieutenant and the Purſer, but upon none of thoſe who appeared to be in health. While this was doing, our Surgeon, who had walked till he was very warm, took off his wig to cool and refreſh himſelf: a ſudden exclamation of one of the Indians who ſaw it, drew the attention of the reſt, and in a moment every eye was fixed upon the prodigy, and every operation was ſuſpended: the whole aſſembly ſtood ſome time motion⯑leſs, in ſilent aſtoniſhment, which could not have been more ſtrongly expreſſed if they had diſcovered that our friend's limbs had been ſcrewed on to the trunk; in a ſhort time, however, the young women who were chafing us, reſumed their employment, and having continued it for about half an hour, they dreſſed us again, but in this they were, as may eaſily be imagined, very aukward; I found great bene⯑fit, however, from the chafing, and ſo did the Lieutenant and Purſer. After a little time, our generous benefactreſs ordered ſome bales of Indian cloth to be brought out, with which ſhe clothed me, and all that were with me, accord⯑ing to the faſhion of the country. At firſt I declined the ac⯑ceptance of this favour, but being unwilling not to ſeem pleaſed with what was intended to pleaſe me, I acquieſced. When we went away, ſhe ordered a very large ſow, big with young, to be taken down to the boat, and accompanied us thither herſelf. She had given directions to her people to carry me, as they had done when I came, but as I choſe rather to walk, ſhe took me by the arm, and whenever we came to a plaſh of water or dirt, ſhe lifted me over with as [464] little trouble as it would have coſt me to have lifted over a child if I had been well.

The next morning I ſent her by the gunner,day Monday 13 ſix hatchets, ſix bill-hooks, and ſeveral other things; and when he re⯑turned, he told me that he found her giving an entertain⯑ment to a great number of people, which, he ſuppoſed, could not be leſs than a thouſand. The meſſes were all brought to her by the ſervants that prepared them, the meat being put into the ſhells of cocoa nuts, and the ſhells into wooden trays, ſomewhat like thoſe uſed by our but⯑chers, and ſhe diſtributed them with her own hands to the gueſts, who were ſeated in rows round the great houſe. When this was done, ſhe ſat down herſelf, upon a place ſomewhat elevated above the reſt, and two women, placing themſelves one on each ſide of her, fed her, ſhe opening her mouth as they brought their hands up with the food. When ſhe ſaw the gunner, ſhe ordered a meſs for him; he could not certainly tell what it was, but he believed it to be fowl picked ſmall, with apples cut among it, and ſeaſoned with ſalt water; it was, however, very well taſted. She ac⯑cepted the things that I ſent her, and ſeemed to be much pleaſed with them. After this correſpondence was eſta⯑bliſhed with the queen, proviſions of every kind became much more plenty at market; but though fowls and hogs were every day brought in, we were ſtill obliged to pay more for them than at the firſt, the market having been ſpoiled by the nails which our men had ſtolen and given to the women; I therefore gave orders that every man ſhould be ſearched before he went on ſhore, and that no woman ſhould be ſuffered to croſs the river.

On the 14th,day Tueſday 14 the gunner being on ſhore to trade, per⯑ceived an old woman on the other ſide of the river, weeping [465] bitterly:day Tueſday 14 when ſhe ſaw that ſhe had drawn his attention upon her, ſhe ſent a young man, who ſtood by her, over the river to him, with a branch of the plantain tree in his hand. When he came up, he made a long ſpeech, and then laid down his bough at the gunner's feet: after this he went back and brought over the old woman, another man at the ſame time bringing over two large fat hogs. The woman looked round upon our people with great attention, fixing her eyes ſometimes upon one, and ſometimes upon another, and at laſt burſt into tears. The young man who brought her over the river, perceiving the gunner's concern and aſtoniſhment, made another ſpeech, longer than the firſt: ſtill, however, the woman's diſtreſs was a myſtery, but at length ſhe made him underſtand that her huſband, and three of her ſons, had been killed in the attack of the ſhip. During this explanation, ſhe was to affected that at laſt ſhe ſunk down unable to ſpeak, and the two young men, who endeavoured to ſupport her, appeared to be nearly in the ſame condition: they were probably two more of her ſons, or ſome very near relations. The gunner did all in his power to ſooth and comfort her, and when ſhe had in ſome meaſure recovered her recollection, ſhe ordered the two hogs to be delivered to him, and gave him her hand in token of friendſhip, but would accept nothing in return, though he offered her ten times as much as would have purchaſed the hogs at market.

The next morning, I ſent the Second Lieutenant,day Wedneſ. 15 with all the boats, and ſixty men, to the weſtward, to look at the coun⯑try, and try what was to be got. About noon he returned, having marched along the ſhore near ſix miles. He found the country very pleaſant and populous, and abounding as well with hogs and fowls, as fruit, and other vegetables of various kinds. The inhabitants offered him no moleſtation, [466] but did not ſeem willing to part with any of the proviſions which our people were moſt deſirous to purchaſe:day Wedneſ. 15 they gave them, however, a few cocoa-nuts and plantains, and at length ſold them nine hogs and a few fowls. The Lieu⯑tenant was of opinion, that they might be brought to trade freely by degrees, but the diſtance from the ſhip was ſo great, that too many men would be neceſſary for a guard. He ſaw a great number of very large canoes upon the beach, and ſome that were building. He obſerved that all their tools were made of ſtone, ſhells, and bone, and very juſtly inferred, that they had no metal of any kind. He found no quadrupeds among them, beſides hogs and dogs, nor any earthen veſſel, ſo that all their food is either baked or roaſted. Having no veſſel in which water could be ſubjected to the action of fire, they had no more idea that it could be made hot, than that it could be made ſolid. As the queen was one morning at breakfaſt with us on board the ſhip, one of her attendants, a man of ſome note, and one of thoſe that we thought were prieſts, ſaw the Surgeon fill the tea⯑pot by turning the cock of an urn that ſtood upon the table: having remarked this with great curioſity and attention, he preſently turned the cock, and received the water upon his hand: as ſoon as he felt himſelf ſcalded, he roared out, and began to dance about the cabbin with the moſt extravagant and ridiculous expreſſions of pain and aſtoniſhment: the other Indians, not being able to conceive what was the mat⯑ter with him, ſtood ſtaring at him in amaze, and not with⯑out ſome mixture of terror. The Surgeon, however, who had innocently been the cauſe of the miſchief, applied a re⯑medy, though it was ſome time before the poor fellow was eaſy.

On Thurſday the 16th,day Thurſday 16 Mr. Furneaux, my Second Lieu⯑tenant, was taken very ill, which diſtreſſed me greatly, as [467] the Firſt Lieutenant was not yet recovered,day Thurſday 16 and I was ſtill in a very weak ſtate myſelf: I was this day alſo obliged once more to puniſh Proctor, the corporal of marines, for muti⯑nous behaviour. The queen had now been abſent ſeveral days, but the natives made us underſtand, by ſigns, that the next day ſhe would be with us again.

Accordingly the next morning ſhe came down to the beach, and ſoon after a great number of people,day Friday 17 whom we had never ſeen before, brought to market proviſions of every kind; and the gunner ſent off fourteen hogs, and fruit in great plenty.

In the afternoon of the next day,day Saturday 18 the queen came on board, with a preſent of two large hogs, for ſhe never con⯑deſcended to barter, and in the evening ſhe returned on ſhore. I ſent a preſent with her, by the Maſter, and as ſoon as they landed, ſhe took him by the hand, and having made a long ſpeech to ſhe people that flocked round them, ſhe led him to her houſe, where ſhe clothed him, as ſhe had before done me, according to the faſhion of the country.

The next morning,day Sunday 19 he ſent off a greater quantity of ſtock than we had ever procured in one day before; it conſiſted of forty-eight hogs and pigs, four dozen of fowls, with bread-fruit, bananas, apples, and cocoa-nuts, almoſt without number.

On the 20th, we continued to trade with good ſucceſs,day Monday 20 but in the afternoon it was diſcovered that Francis Pinckney, one of the ſeamen, had drawn the cleats to which the main ſheet was belayed, and, after ſtealing the ſpikes, thrown them over board. Having ſecured the offender, I called all the people together upon the deck, and after taking ſome pains to explain his crime, with all its aggravations, I ordered that he ſhould be whipped with nettles while he ran [468] the gauntlet thrice round the deck:day Monday 20 my rhetoric, however, had very little effect, for moſt of the crew being equally cri⯑minal with himſelf, he was handled ſo tenderly, that others were rather encouraged to repeat the offence by the hope of impunity, than deterred by the fear of puniſhment. To preſerve the ſhip, therefore, from being pulled to pieces, and the price of refreſhments from being raiſed ſo high as ſoon to exhauſt our articles of trade, I ordered that no man, except the wooders and waterers, with their guard, ſhould be permitted to go on ſhore.

On the 21ſt,day Tueſday 21 the queen came again on board, and brought ſeveral large hogs as a preſent, for which, as uſual, ſhe would accept of no return. When ſhe was about to leave the ſhip, ſhe expreſſed a deſire that I ſhould go on ſhore with her, to which I conſented, taking ſeveral of the officers with me. When we arrived at her houſe, ſhe made us all ſit down, and taking off my hat, ſhe tied to it a bunch or tuft of feathers of various colours, ſuch as I had ſeen no perſon on ſhore wear but herſelf, which produced by no means a diſagreeable effect. She alſo tied round my hat, and the hats of thoſe who were with me, wreaths of braided or plaited hair, and gave us to underſtand that both the hair and workmanſhip were her own: ſhe alſo preſented us with ſome matts, that were very curiouſly wrought. In the eve⯑ning ſhe accompanied us back to the beach, and when we were getting into the boat, ſhe put on board a fine large ſow, big with young, and a great quantity of fruit. As we were parting, I made ſigns that I ſhould quit the iſland in ſeven days: ſhe immediately comprehended my meaning, and made ſigns that I ſhould ſtay twenty days; that I ſhould go two days journey into the country, ſtay there a few days, bring down plenty of hogs and poultry, and after that leave the iſland. I again made ſigns that I muſt go in ſeven days; [469] upon which ſhe burſt into tears, and it was not without great difficulty that ſhe was pacified.

The next morning,day Wedneſ. 22 the gunner ſent off no leſs than twenty hogs, with great plenty of fruit. Our decks were now quite full of hogs and poultry, of which we killed only the ſmall ones, and kept the others for ſea ſtores; we found, how⯑ever, to our great mortification, that neither the fowls nor the hogs could, without great difficulty, be brought to eat any thing but fruit, which made it neceſſary to kill them faſter than we ſhould otherwiſe have done: two, however, a boar and a ſow, were brought alive to England, of which I made a preſent to Mr. Stephens, Secretary to the Admiralty; the ſow afterwards died in pigging, but the boar is ſtill alive.

On the 23d, we had very heavy rain,day Thurſday 23 with a ſtorm of wind that blew down ſeveral trees on ſhore, though very little of it was felt where the ſhip lay.

The next day, I ſent the old man,day Friday 24 who had been of great ſervice to the gunner at the market-tent, another iron pot, ſome hatchets and bills, and a piece of cloth. I alſo ſent the queen two turkies, two geeſe, three Guinea hens, a cat big with kitten, ſome china, looking-glaſſes, glaſs bottles, ſhirts, needles, thread, cloth, ribands, peas, ſome ſmall white kidney beans, called callivances, and about ſixteen different ſorts of garden ſeeds, and a ſhovel, beſides a con⯑ſiderable quantity of cutlery wares, conſiſting of knives, ſciſſars, bill-hooks, and other things. We had already planted ſeveral ſorts of the garden ſeeds, and ſome peas in ſeveral places, and had the pleaſure to ſee them come up in a very flouriſhing ſtate, yet there were no remains of them when Captain Cook left the iſland. I ſent her alſo two iron pots, and a few ſpoons. In return for theſe things, the gun⯑ner brought off eighteen hogs, and ſome fruit.

[470]In the morning of the 25th,day Saturday 25 I ordered Mr. Gore, one of the mates, with all the marines, forty ſeamen, and four midſhipmen, to go up the valley by the river as high as they could, and examine the ſoil and produce of the country, noting the trees and plants which they ſhould find, and when they ſaw any ſtream from the mountains, to trace it to its ſource, and obſerve whether it was tinctured with any mineral or ore. I cautioned them alſo to keep continually upon their guard againſt the natives, and directed them to make a fire, as a ſignal, if they ſhould be attacked. At the ſame time, I took a guard on ſhore, and erected a tent on a point of land, to obſerve an eclipſe of the ſun, which, the morning being very clear, was done with great accuracy.

The latitude of the point, on which the obſervation was made, was 17° 30′ S. the ſun's declination was 19° 40′ N. and the variation of the needle 5° 36′ E.

After the obſervation was taken, I went to the queen's houſe, and ſhewed her the teleſcope, which was a reflector. After ſhe had admired its ſtructure, I endeavoured to make her comprehend its uſe, and fixing it ſo as to command ſeveral diſtant objects, with which ſhe was well acquainted, but which could not be diſtinguiſhed with the naked eye, I made her look through it. As ſoon as the ſaw them, ſhe ſtarted back with aſtoniſhment, and directing her eye as the glaſs was pointed, ſtood ſome time motionleſs and ſilent; ſhe then looked through the glaſs again, and again ſought in vain, with the naked eye, for the objects which it diſco⯑vered. As they by turns vaniſhed and re-appeared, her [471] countenance and geſtures expreſſed a mixture of wonder and delight which no language can deſcribe.day Saturday 25 When the glaſs was removed, I invited her, and ſeveral of the Chiefs that were with her, to go with me on board the ſhip, in which I had a view to the ſecurity of the party that I had ſent out; for I thought that while the queen, and the prin⯑cipal people were known to be in my power, nothing would be attempted againſt any perſon belonging to the ſhip on ſhore. When we got on board, I ordered a good dinner for their entertainment, but the queen would neither eat nor drink; the people that were with her eat very heartily of whatever was ſet before them, but would drink only plain water.

In the evening our people returned from their excurſion, and came down to the beach, upon which I put the queen and her attendants into the boats, and ſent them on ſhore. As ſhe was going over the ſhip's ſide, ſhe aſked, by ſigns, whether I ſtill perſiſted in my reſolution of leaving the iſland at the time I had fixed; and when I made her underſtand that it was impoſſible I ſhould ſtay longer, ſhe expreſſed her regret by a flood of tears, which for a while took away her ſpeech. As ſoon as her paſſion ſubſided, ſhe told me that ſhe would come on board again the next day; and thus we parted.

CHAP. VII. An Account of an Expedition to diſcover the inland Part of the Country, and our other Tranſactions, till we quitted the Iſland to continue our Voyage.

AFTER the mate came on board,day Saturday 25 he gave me a written account of his expedition, to the following effect:

"At four o'clock in the morning, of Saturday the 25th of June, I landed, with four midſhipmen, a ſerjeant and twelve marines, and twenty-four ſeamen, all armed, beſides four who carried hatchets and other articles of traffick, and four who were loaded with ammunition and proviſions, the reſt being left with the boat: every man had his day's allowance of brandy, and the hatchet men two ſmall kegs, to give out when I ſhould think proper.

"As ſoon as I got on ſhore, I called upon our old man, and took him with us: we then followed the courſe of the river in two parties, one marching on each ſide. For the firſt two miles it flowed through a valley of conſiderable width, in which were many habitations, with gardens walled in, and abundance of hogs, poultry, and fruit; the ſoil here ſeemed to be a rich fat earth, and was of a blackiſh colour. After this the valley became very narrow, and the ground riſing abruptly on one ſide of the river, we were all obliged to march on the other. Where the ſtream was precipitated from the hills, channels had been cut to lead the water into gardens and plantations of fruit trees: in theſe gardens we found an herb which had never been brought down to the [473] water-ſide, and which we perceived the inhabitants eat raw.day Saturday 25 I taſted it, and found it pleaſant, its flavour ſomewhat re⯑ſembling that of the Weſt Indian ſpinnage, called Calleloor, though its leaf was very different. The ground was fenced off ſo as to make a very pretty appearance; the bread-fruit and apple trees were planted in rows on the declivity of the hills, and the cocoa nut and plantain, which require more moiſture, on the level ground: under the trees, both on the ſides and at the foot of the hills, there was very good graſs, but no underwood. As we advanced, the windings of the ſtream became innumerable, the hills on each ſide ſwelled into mountains, and vaſt crags every where projected over our heads. Travelling now became difficult, and when we had proceeded about four miles, the road for the laſt mile having been very bad, we ſat down to reſt ourſelves, and take the refreſhment of our breakfaſt; we ranged our⯑ſelves upon the ground under a large apple tree, in a very pleaſant ſpot; but juſt as we were about to begin our repaſt, we were ſuddenly alarmed by a confuſed ſound of many voices, and a great ſhouting, and preſently afterwards ſaw a multitude of men, women, and children upon the hill above us; our old man ſeeing us riſe haſtily, and look to our arms, beckoned to us to ſit ſtill, and immediately went up to the people that had ſurpriſed us. As ſoon as he joined them they were ſilent, and ſoon after diſappeared; in a ſhort time, however, they returned, and brought with them a large hog ready roaſted, with plenty of bread-fruit, yams, and other refreſhments, which they gave to the old man, who diſtributed them among our people. In return for this treat, I gave them ſome nails, buttons, and other things, with which they were greatly delighted. After this we proceeded up the valley as far as we could, ſearching all the runs of water, and all the places where water had run, for [474] appearances of metal or ore,day Saturday 25 but could find none, except what I have brought back with me. I ſhewed all the people that we met with, the piece of ſaltpetre which had been picked up in the iſland, and which I had taken with me for that purpoſe, but none of them took any notice of it, nor could I learn from them any thing about it. The old man began now to be weary, and there being a mountain before us, he made ſigns that he would go home: before he left us, however, he made the people who had ſo liberally ſupplied us with proviſions, take the baggage, with the fruit that had not been eaten, and ſome cocoa nut-ſhells full of freſh water, and made ſigns that they ſhould follow us up the ſide of the mountain. As ſoon as he was gone, they gathered green branches from the neighbouring trees, and with many ceremonies, of which we did not know the meaning, laid them down before us: after this they took ſome ſmall berries with which they painted themſelves red, and the bark of a tree that contained a yellow juice, with which they ſtained their garments in different parts. We began to climb the mountain while our old man was ſtill in ſight, and he, perceiving that we made our way with difficulty through the weeds and bruſh-wood, which grew very thick, turned back, and ſaid ſomething to the natives in a firm loud tone; upon which twenty or thirty of the men went before us, and cleared us a very good path; they alſo re⯑freſhed us with water and fruit as we went along, and aſſiſted us to climb the moſt difficult places, which we ſhould otherwiſe have found altogether impracticable. We began to aſcend this hill at the diſtance of about ſix miles from the place where we landed, and I reckoned the top of it to be near a mile above the river that runs through the valley below. When we arrived at the ſummit, we again ſat down to reſt and refreſh ourſelves. While we were [475] climbing we flattered ourſelves that from the top we ſhould command the whole iſland,day Saturday 25 but we now ſaw mountains before us ſo much higher than our ſituation, that with reſpect to them we appeared to be in a valley; towards the ſhip indeed the view was enchanting: the ſides of the hills were beautifully clothed with wood, villages were every where interſperſed, and the vallies between them afforded a ſtill richer proſpect; the houſes ſtood thicker, and the ver⯑dure was more luxuriant. We ſaw very few habitations above us, but diſcovered ſmoke in many places aſcending from between the higheſt hills that were in ſight, and there⯑fore I conjecture that the moſt elevated parts of the country are by no means without inhabitants. As we aſcended the mountain, we ſaw many ſprings guſh from fiſſures on the ſide of it, and when we had reached the ſummit, we found many houſes that we did not diſcover as we paſſed them. No part of theſe mountains is naked; the ſummits of the higheſt that we could ſee were crowned with wood, but of what kind I know not: thoſe that were of the ſame height with that which we had climbed, were woody on the ſides, but on the ſummit were rocky and covered with fern. Upon the flats that appeared below theſe, there grew a ſedgy kind of graſs and weeds: in general the ſoil here, as well as in the valley, ſeemed to be rich. We ſaw ſeveral buſhes of ſugar-cane, which was very large and very good, growing wild, without the leaſt culture. I likewiſe found ginger and turmerick, and have brought ſamples of both, but could not procure ſeeds of any tree, moſt of them being in bloſſom. After traverſing the top of this mountain to a good diſtance, I found a tree exactly like a fern, except that it was 14 or 15 feet high. This tree I cut down, and found the in⯑ſide of it alſo like a fern: I would have brought a piece of it with me, but found it too cumberſome, and I knew not [476] what difficulties we might meet with before we got back to the ſhip,day Saturday 25 which we judged to be now at a great diſtance. After having again recruited our ſtrength by refreſhment and reſt, we began to deſcend the mountain, being ſtill attended by the people to whoſe care we had been recom⯑mended by our old man. We kept our general direction to⯑wards the ſhip, but ſometimes deviated a little to the right and left in the plains and vallies, when we ſaw any houſes that were pleaſantly ſituated, the inhabitants being every where ready to accommodate us with whatever they had. We ſaw no beaſt, except a few hogs, nor any birds, ex⯑cept parrots, parroquets, and green doves; by the river, however, there was plenty of ducks, and every place that was planted and cultivated, appeared to flouriſh with great luxuriance, though in the midſt of what had the appearance of barren ground. I planted the ſtones of peaches, cherries, and plums, with a great variety of garden ſeeds, where I thought it was moſt probable that they would thrive, and limes, lemons, and oranges, in ſituations which reſembled thoſe in which they are found in the Weſt Indies. In the afternoon, we arrived at a very pleaſant ſpot, within about three miles of the ſhip, where we procured two hogs and ſome fowls, which the natives dreſſed for us very well, and with great expedition. Here we continued till the cool of the evening, and then made the beſt of our way for the ſhip, having liberally rewarded our guides, and the people who had provided us ſo good a dinner. Our men behaved through the whole day with the greateſt decency and order, and we parted with our Indian friends in perfect good-hu⯑mour with each other."

About 10 o'clock,day Sunday 26 the next morning, the queen came on board according to her promiſe, with a preſent of hogs and fowls, but went on ſhore again ſoon afterwards. This day, [477] the Gunner ſent off near thirty hogs,day Sunday 26 with great plenty of fowls and fruit. We completed our wood and water, and got all ready for ſea. More inhabitants came down to the beach, from the inland country, than we had ſeen before, and many of them appeared, by the reſpect that was paid them, to be of a ſuperior rank. About three o'clock in the afternoon, the queen came again down to the beach, very well dreſſed, and followed by a great number of people. Having croſſed the river with her attendants and our old man, ſhe came once more on board the ſhip. She brought with her ſome very fine fruit, and renewed her ſolicitation, that I would ſtay ten days longer, with great earneſtneſs, intimating that ſhe would go into the country, and bring me plenty of hogs, fowls, and fruit. I endeavoured to ex⯑preſs a proper ſenſe of her kindneſs and bounty, but aſſured her that I ſhould certainly ſail the next morning. This, as uſual, threw her into tears, and after ſhe recovered, ſhe en⯑quired by ſigns when I ſhould return: I endeavoured to ex⯑preſs fifty days, and ſhe made ſigns for thirty: but the ſign for fifty being conſtantly repeated, ſhe ſeemed ſatisfied. She ſtayed on board till night, and it was then with the greateſt difficulty that ſhe could be prevailed upon to go on ſhore. When ſhe was told that the boat was ready, ſhe threw herſelf down upon the arm-cheſt, and wept a long time with an exceſs of paſſion that could not be pacified; at laſt, however, though with the greateſt reluctance, ſhe went into the boat, and was followed by her attendants and the old man. The old man had often intimated that his ſon, a lad about fourteen years of age, ſhould go with us, and the boy ſeemed to be willing: he had, however, now diſappeared for two days; I enquired after him when I firſt miſſed him, and the old man gave me to underſtand that he was gone into the country to ſee his friends, and would return time [478] enough to go with us; day Sunday 26 but I have reaſon to think that, when the time drew near, the father's courage failed, and that to keep his child he ſecreted him till the ſhip was gone, for we never ſaw him afterwards.

At break of day, on Monday the 27th,day Monday 27 we unmoored, and at the ſame time I ſent the barge and cutter to fill the few water-caſks that were now empty. When they came near the ſhore, they ſaw, to their great ſurpriſe, the whole beach covered with inhabitants, and having ſome doubt whether it would be prudent to venture themſelves among ſuch a mul⯑titude, they were about to pull back again for the ſhip. As ſoon as this was perceived from the ſhore, the queen came forward, and beckoned them; at the ſame time gueſſing the reaſon of what had happened, ſhe made the natives retire to the other ſide of the river: the boats then proceeded to the ſhore, and filled the caſks, in the mean time ſhe put ſome hogs and fruit on board, and when they were putting off would fain have returned with them to the ſhip. The offi⯑cer, however, who had received orders to bring off none of the natives, would not permit her; upon which ſhe preſently launched a double canoe, and was rowed off by her own people. Her canoe was immediately followed by fifteen or ſixteen more, and all of them came up to the ſhip. The queen came on board, but not being able to ſpeak, ſhe ſat down and gave vent to her paſſion by weeping. After ſhe had been on board about an hour, a breeze ſpringing up, we weighed anchor and made ſail. Finding it now neceſſary to return into her canoe, ſhe embraced us all in the moſt affectionate manner, and with many tears; all her attend⯑ants alſo expreſſed great ſorrow at our departure. Soon after it fell calm, and I ſent the boats a-head to tow, upon which all the canoes returned to the ſhip, and that which had the queen on board came up to the gun-room port, where her [479] people made it faſt.day Monday 27 In a few minutes ſhe came into the bow of her canoe, where ſhe ſat weeping with inconſolable ſorrow. I gave her many things which I thought would be of great uſe to her, and ſome for ornament; ſhe ſilently ac⯑cepted of all, but took little notice of any thing. About 10 o'clock we were got without the reef, and a freſh breeze ſpringing up, our Indian friends, and particularly the queen, once more bade us farewel, with ſuch tenderneſs of affec⯑tion and grief, as filled both my heart and my eyes.

At noon, the harbour from which we ſailed bore S. E. ½ E. diſtant about twelve miles. It lies in latitude 17° 30′ S. lon⯑gitude 150° W. and I gave it the name of Port Royal Har⯑bour.

CHAP. VIII. A more particular Account of the Inhabitants of Otaheite, and of their domeſtic Life, Manners, and Arts.

HAVING lain off this if iſland from the 24th of June to the 27th of July,day Monday 27 I ſhall now give the beſt account of its inhabitants, with their manners and arts, that I can; but having been in a very bad ſtate of health the whole time, and for great part of it confined to my bed, it will of neceſ⯑ſity be much leſs accurate and particular than I might other⯑wiſe have made it.

The inhabitants of this iſland are a ſtout, well-made, active, and comely people. The ſtature of the men, in ge⯑neral, is from five feet ſeven to five feet ten inches, though a few individuals are taller, and a few ſhorter; that of the women from five feet to five feet ſix. The complexion of the men is tawney, but thoſe that go upon the water are much redder than thoſe who live on ſhore. Their hair in general is black, but in ſome it is brown, in ſome red, and in others flaxen, which is remarkable, becauſe the hair of all other natives of Aſia, Africa, and America, is black, with⯑out a ſingle exception. It is generally tied up, either in one bunch, in the middle of the head, or in two, one on each ſide, but ſome wear it looſe, and it then curls very ſtrongly: in the children of both ſexes it is generally flaxen. They have no combs, yet their hair is very neatly dreſſed, and thoſe who had combs from us, made good uſe of them. It is a univerſal cuſtom to anoint the head with cocoa-nut oil, in [481] which a root has been ſcraped that ſmells ſomething like roſes. The women are all handſome, and ſome of them extremely beautiful. Chaſtity does not ſeem to be con⯑ſidered as a virtue among them, for they not only readily and openly trafficked with our people for perſonal favours, but were brought down by their fathers and brothers for that purpoſe: they were, however, conſcious of the value of beauty, and the ſize of the nail that was demanded for the enjoyment of the lady, was always in proportion to her charms. The men who came down to the ſide of the river, at the ſame time that they preſented the girl, ſhewed a ſtick of the ſize of the nail that was to be her price, and if our people agreed, ſhe was ſent over to them, for the men were not permitted to croſs the river. This commerce was car⯑ried on a conſiderable time before the officers diſcovered it, for while ſome ſtraggled a little way to receive the lady, the others kept a look-out. When I was acquainted with it, I no longer wondered that the ſhip was in danger of being pulled to pieces for the nails and iron that held her together, which I had before puzzled myſelf to account for in vain, the whole ſhip's company having daily as much freſh pro⯑viſion and fruit as they could eat. Both men and women are not only decently but gracefully clothed, in a kind of white cloth, that is made of the bark of a ſhrub, and very much reſembles coarſe China paper. Their dreſs conſiſts of two pieces of this cloth: one of them, a hole having been made in the middle to put the head through, hangs down from the ſhoulders to the mid-leg before and behind; an⯑other piece, which is between four and five yards long, and about one yard broad, they wrap round the body in a very eaſy manner. This cloth is not woven, but is made, like paper, of the macerated fibres of an inner bark, ſpread out and beaten together. Their ornaments are feathers, flowers, [482] pieces of ſhells, and pearls the pearls are worn chiefly by the women, from whom I purchaſed about two dozen of a ſmall ſize: they were of a good colour, but were all ſpoiled by boring. Mr. Furneaux ſaw ſeveral in his excurſion to the weſt, but he could purchaſe none with any thing he had to offer. I obſerved, that it was here a univerſal cuſtom both for men and women to have the hinder part of their thighs and loins marked very thick with black lines in various forms. Theſe marks were made by ſtriking the teeth of an inſtrument, ſomewhat like a comb, juſt through the ſkin, and rubbing into the punctures a kind of paſte made of foot and oil, which leaves an indelible ſtain. The boys and girls under twelve years of age, are not marked; but we ob⯑ſerved a few of the men whoſe legs were marked in che⯑quers by the ſame method, and they appeared to be perſons of ſuperior rank and authority. One of the principal attend⯑ants upon the queen, appeared much more diſpoſed to imi⯑tate our manners than the reſt; and our people, with whom he ſoon became a favourite, diſtinguiſhed him by the name of Jonathan. This man, Mr. Furneaux clothed completely in an Engliſh dreſs, and it ſat very eaſy upon him. Our officers were always carried on ſhore, it being ſhoal water where we landed, and Jonathan, aſſuming new ſtate with his new finery, made ſome of his people carry him on ſhore in the ſame manner. He very ſoon attempted to uſe a knife and fork at his meals, but at firſt, when he had ſtuck a mor⯑ſel upon his fork, and tried to feed himſelf with that inſtru⯑ment, he could not guide it, but by the mere force of habit his hand came to his mouth, and the victuals at the end of the fork went away to his car.

Their food conſiſts of pork, poultry, dog's fleſh, and fiſh, bread-fruit, bananas, plantains, yams, apples, and a four fruit which, though not pleaſant by itſelf, gives an agree⯑able [483] reliſh to roaſted bread-fruit, with which it is frequently beaten up. They have abundance of rats, but, as far as I could diſcover, theſe make no part of their food. The river affords them good mullet, but they are neither large nor in plenty. They find conchs, muſcles, and other ſhell-fiſh on the reef, which they gather at low water, and eat raw with bread-fruit before they come on ſhore. They have alſo very fine cray-fiſh, and they catch with lines, and hooks of mother of pearl, at a little diſtance from the ſhore, parrot⯑fiſh, groopers, and many other ſorts, of which they are ſo fond that we could ſeldom prevail upon them to ſell us a few at any price. They have alſo nets of an enormous ſize, with very ſmall meſhes, and with theſe they catch abun⯑dance of ſmall fiſh about the ſize of ſardines; but while they were uſing both nets and lines with great ſucceſs, we could not catch a ſingle fiſh with either. We procured ſome of their hooks and lines, but for want of their art we were ſtill diſappointed.

The manner in which they dreſs their food is this: they kindle a fire by rubbing the end of one piece of dry wood upon the ſide of another, in the ſame manner as our carpen⯑ters whet a chiſſel; then they dig a pit about half a foot deep, and two or three yards in circumference: they pave the bottom with large pebble ſtones, which they lay down very ſmooth and even, and then kindle a fire in it with dry wood, leaves, and the huſks of the cocoa-nut. When the ſtones are ſufficiently heated, they take out the embers, and rake up the aſhes on every ſide; then they cover the ſtones with a layer of green cocoa-nut-tree leaves, and wrap up the animal that is to be dreſſed in the leaves of the plantain; if it is a ſmall hog they wrap it up whole, if a large one they ſplit it. When it is placed in the pit, they cover it with the hot em⯑bers, and lay upon them bread-fruit and yams, which are [484] alſo wrapped up in the leaves of the plantain; over theſe they ſpread the remainder of the embers, mixing among them ſome of the hot ſtones, with more cocoa-nut-tree leaves upon them, and then cloſe all up with earth, ſo that the heat is kept in. After a time proportioned to the ſize of what is dreſſing, the oven is opened, and the meat taken out, which is tender, full of gravy, and, in my opinion, better in every reſpect than when it is dreſſed any other way. Excepting the fruit, they have no ſauce but ſalt water, nor any knives but ſhells, with which they carve very dexte⯑rouſly, always cutting from them. It is impoſſible to deſcribe the aſtoniſhment they expreſſed when they ſaw the Gunner, who, while he kept the market, uſed to dine on ſhore, dreſs his pork and poultry by boiling them in a pot, having, as I have before obſerved, no veſſel that would bear the fire, they had no idea of hot water or its effects: but from the time that the old man was in poſſeſſion of an iron pot, he and his friends eat boiled meat every day. The iron pots which I afterwards gave to the queen, and ſeveral of the Chiefs, were alſo in conſtant uſe, and brought as many people together, as a monſter or a puppet-ſhow in a country fair. They appeared to have no liquor for drinking but water, and to be happily ignorant of the art of fermenting the juice of any vegetable, ſo as to give it an intoxicating quality: they have, as has been already obſerved, the ſugar⯑cane, but they ſeemed to make no other uſe of it than to chew, which they do not do habitually, but only break a piece off when they happen to paſs by a place where it is growing.

Of their domeſtic life and amuſements, we had not ſuffi⯑cient opportunity to obtain much knowlege, but they appear ſometimes to have wars with each other, not only from their weapons, but the ſcars with which many of them were [485] marked, and ſome of which appeared to be the remains of very conſiderable wounds, made with ſtones, bludgeons, or ſome other obtuſe weapon: by theſe ſcars alſo they appear to be no inconſiderable proficients in ſurgery, of which indeed we happened to have more direct evidence. One of our ſea⯑men, when he was on ſhore, run a large ſplinter into his foot, and the Surgeon being on board, one of his comrades endeavoured to take it out with a penknife; but after putting the poor fellow to a good deal of pain, was obliged to give it over. Our good old Indian, who happened to be preſent, then called over one of his countrymen that was ſtanding on the oppoſite ſide of the river, who having looked at the ſeaman's foot, went immediately down to the beach, and taking up a ſhell, broke it to a point with his teeth; with this inſtrument, in little more than a minute, he laid open the place, and extracted the ſplinter; in the mean time the old man, who, as ſoon as he had called the other over, went a little way into the wood, returned with ſome gum, which he applied to the wound upon a piece of the cloth that was wrapped round him, and in two days time it was perfectly healed. We afterwards learned that this gum was produced by the apple tree, and our Surgeon procured ſome of it, and uſed it as a vulnerary balſam with great ſucceſs.

The habitations of theſe happy people I have deſcribed already; and beſides theſe, we ſaw ſeveral ſheds incloſed within a wall, on the outſide of which there were ſeveral uncouth figures of men, women, hogs, and dogs, carved on poſts, that were driven into the ground. Several of the na⯑tives were from time to time ſeen to enter theſe places, with a ſlow pace and dejected countenance, from which we con⯑jectured that they were repoſitories of the dead. The area within the walls of theſe places, was generally well paved [486] with large round ſtones, but it appeared not to be much trodden, for the graſs every where grew up between them. I endeavoured, with particular attention, to diſcover whether they had a religious worſhip among them, but never could find the leaſt traces of any.

The boats or canoes of theſe people, are of three different ſorts. Some are made out of a ſingle tree, and carry from two to ſix men: theſe are uſed chiefly for fiſhing, and we conſtantly ſaw many of them buſy upon the reef: ſome were conſtructed of planks, very dexterouſly ſewed together: theſe were of different ſizes, and would carry from ten to forty men. Two of them were generally laſhed together, and two maſts ſet up between them; if they were ſingle, they had an out-rigger on one ſide, and only one maſt in the middle. With theſe veſſels they ſail far beyond the ſight of land, probably to other iſlands, and bring home plantains, bananas, and yams, which ſeem alſo to be more plenty upon other parts of this iſland, than that off which the ſhip lay. A third ſort ſeem to be intended principally for plea⯑ſure and ſhow: they are very large, but have no ſail, and in ſhape reſemble the gondolas of Venice: the middle is covered with a large awning, and ſome of the people ſit upon it, ſome under it. None of theſe veſſels came near the ſhip, except on the firſt and ſecond day after our arrival; but we ſaw, three or four times a week, a proceſſion of eight or ten of them paſſing at a diſtance, with ſtreamers flying, and a great number of ſmall canoes attending them, while many hundreds of people ran abreaſt of them along the ſhore. They generally rowed to the outward point of a reef which lay about four miles to the weſtward of us, where they ſtayed about an hour, and then returned. Theſe proceſ⯑ſions, however, are never made but in fine weather, and all [487] the people on board are dreſſed; though in the other canoes they have only a piece of cloth wrapped round their middle. Thoſe who rowed and ſteered were dreſſed in white; thoſe who ſat upon the awning and under it in white and red, and two men who were mounted on the prow of each veſſel, were dreſſed in red only. We ſometimes went out to obſerve them in our boats, and though we were never nearer than a mile, we ſaw them with our glaſſes as diſtinctly as if we had been upon the ſpot.

The plank of which theſe veſſels are conſtructed, is made by ſplitting a tree, with the grain, into as many thin pieces as they can. They firſt fell the tree with a kind of hatchet, or adze, made of a tough greeniſh kind of ſtone, very dex⯑terouſly fitted into a handle; it is then cut into ſuch lengths as are required for the plank, one end of which is heated till it begins to crack, and then with wedges of hard wood they ſplit it down: ſome of theſe planks are two feet broad, and from 15 to 20 feet long. The ſides are ſmoothed with adzes of the ſame materials and conſtruction, but of a ſmaller ſize. Six or eight men are ſometimes at work upon the ſame plank together, and, as their tools preſently loſe their edge, every man has by him a cocoa nut-ſhell filled with water, and a flat ſtone, with which he ſharpens his adze almoſt every minute. Theſe planks are generally brought to the thickneſs of about an inch, and are after⯑wards fitted to the boat with the ſame exactneſs that would be expected from an expert joiner. To faſten theſe planks together, holes are bored with a piece of bone that is fixed into a ſtick for that purpoſe, a uſe to which our nails were afterwards applied with great advantage, and through theſe holes a kind of plaited cordage is paſſed, ſo as to hold the planks ſtrongly together: the ſeams are caulked with dried ruſhes, and the whole outſide of the veſſel is paid with a [488] gummy juice, which ſome of their trees produce in great plenty, and which is a very good ſuccedaneum for pitch.

The wood which they uſe for their large canoes, is that of the apple tree, which grows very tall and ſtrait. Several of them that we meaſured, were near eight feet in the girth, and from 20 to 40 to the branches, with very little di⯑minution in the ſize. Our carpenter ſaid, that in other reſpects it was not a good wood for the purpoſe, being very light. The ſmall canoes are nothing more than the hol⯑lowed trunk of the bread-fruit tree, which is ſtill more light and ſpongy. The trunk of the bread-fruit tree is ſix feet in girth, and about 20 feet to the branches.

Their principal weapons are ſtones, thrown either with the hand or ſling, and bludgeons; for though they have bows and arrows, the arrows are only fit to knock down a bird, none of them being pointed, but headed only with a round ſtone.

I did not ſee one turtle all the while I lay off this iſland, but upon ſhewing ſome ſmall ones which I brought from Queen Charlotte's Iſland, to the inhabitants, they made ſigns that they had them of a much larger ſize. I very much re⯑gretted my having loſt our he-goat, which died ſoon after we left Saint Iago, and that neither of our ſhe-goats, of which we had two, were with kid. If the he-goat had lived, I would have put them all on ſhore at this place, and I would have left a ſhe-goat here if either of them had been with kid; and I doubt not, but that in a few years they would have ſtocked the iſland.

The climate here appears to be very good, and the iſland to be one of the moſt healthy as well as delightful ſpots in the world. We ſaw no appearance of diſeaſe among the in⯑habitants. The hills are covered with wood, and the vallies [489] with herbage; and the air in general is ſo pure, that, not⯑withſtanding the heat, our fleſh meat kept very well two days, and our fiſh one. We met with no frog, toad, ſcor⯑pion, centipied, or ſerpent of any kind: and the only trouble⯑ſome inſects that we ſaw were ants, of which there were but few.

The ſouth-eaſt part of the iſland ſeems to be better culti⯑vated and inhabited than where we lay, for we ſaw every day boats come round from thence laden with plantains and other fruit, and we always found greater plenty, and a lower price, ſoon after their arrival, than before.

The tide riſes and falls very little, and being governed by the winds, is very uncertain; though they generally blow from the E. to the S. S. E. and for the moſt part a pleaſant breeze.

The benefit that we received while we lay off this iſland, with reſpect to the health of the ſhip's company, was beyond our moſt ſanguine expectations, for we had not now an in⯑valid on board, except the two Lieutenants and myſelf, and we were recovering, though ſtill in a very feeble condition.

It is certain that none of our people contracted the venereal diſeaſe here, and therefore, as they had free commerce with great numbers of the women, there is the greateſt pro⯑bability that it was not then known in the country. It was, however, found here by Captain Cook, in the Endeavour, and as no European veſſel is known to have viſited this iſland before Captain Cook's arrival, but the Dolphin, and the Boudeuſe and Etoil, commanded by M. Bougainville, the re⯑proach of having contaminated with that dreadful peſt, a race of happy people, to whom its miſeries had till then been unknown, muſt be due either to him or to me, to Eng⯑land or to France; and I think myſelf happy to be able to exculpate myſelf and my country beyond the poſſibility of doubt.

[490]It is well known, that the Surgeon on board his Majeſty's ſhips keeps a liſt of the perſons who are ſick on board, ſpe⯑cifying their diſeaſes, and the times when they came under his care, and when they were diſcharged. It happened that I was once at the pay-table on board a ſhip, when ſeveral ſail⯑ors objected to the payment of the Surgeon, alleging, that although he had diſcharged them from the liſt, and reported them to be cured, yet their cure was incomplete. From this time, it has been my conſtant practice when the Surgeon re⯑ported a man to be cured, who had been upon the ſick liſt, to call the man before me, and aſk him whether the report was true: if he alleged that any ſymptoms of his complaint remained, I continued him upon the liſt; if not, I required him, as a confirmation of the Surgeon's report, to ſign the book, which was always done in my preſence. A copy of the ſick liſt on board the Dolphin, during this voyage, ſigned by every man in my preſence, when he was diſcharged well, in confirmation of the Surgeon's report, written in my own hand, and confirmed by my affidavit, I have depoſited in the Admiralty; by which it appears, that the laſt man on board the ſhip, in her voyage outward, who was upon the ſick liſt for the venereal diſeaſe, except one who was ſent to England in the Store ſhip, was diſcharged cured, and ſigned the book on the 27th of December 1766, near ſix months before our arrival at Otaheite, which was on the 19th of June 1767; and that the firſt man who was upon the liſt for that diſeaſe, in our return home, was entered on the 26th of February 1768, ſix months after we left the iſland, which was on the 26th of July 1767, ſo that the ſhip's company was intirely free four⯑teen months within one day, the very middle of which time we ſpent at Otaheite; and the man who was firſt entered as a venereal patient, on our return home, was known to have contracted the diſeaſe at the Cape of Good Hope, where we then lay.

CHAP. IX. Paſſage from Otaheite to Tinian, with ſome Account of ſeveral other Iſlands that were diſcovered in the South Seas.

HAVING made ſail from King George the Third's Iſland,day Monday 27 we proceeded along the ſhore of the Duke of York's Iſland, at the diſtance of about two miles. There ap⯑peared to be good bays in every part of it, and in the middle a fine harbour; but I did not think it worth while to go on ſhore. The middle and weſt end is very mountainous, the eaſt end is lower, and the coaſt juſt within the beach is covered with cocoa-nut, bread-fruit, apple, and plantain trees.

At day-light, the next morning, we ſaw land,day Tueſday 28 for which we made ſail, and ran along the lee-ſide of it. On the wea⯑ther-ſide there were very great breakers, and the lee-ſide was rocky, but in many places there appeared to be good an⯑chorage. We ſaw but few inhabitants, and they appeared to live in a manner very different from thoſe of King George's Iſland, their habitations being only ſmall huts. We ſaw many cocoa-nut and other trees upon the ſhore; but all of them had their heads blown away, probably in a hur⯑ricane. This iſland is about ſix miles long, and has a moun⯑tain of conſiderable height in the middle, which ſeems to be fertile. It lies in latitude 17° 28′ S. and longitude, by our laſt obſervation, 151° 4′ W. and I called it SIR CHARLES SAUNDERS's ISLAND.place Sir Charles Saunders's Iſland

On the 29th, the variation of the compaſs, by azimuth,day Wedneſ. 29 was 7° 52′ E.; and early the next morning, at day-break,day Thurſday 30 we ſaw land bearing from N. by E. to N. W. We ſtood for it, but could find no anchorage, the whole iſland being ſur⯑rounded [492] by breakers.day Thurſday 30 We ſaw ſmoke in two places, but no inhabitants. A few cocoa-nut trees were growing on the lee-part of it, and I called it LORD HOW's ISLAND.place Lord How's Iſland It is about ten miles long, and four broad, and lies in latitude 16° 46′ S. longitude, by obſervation, 154° 13′ W.

In the afternoon, we ſaw land bearing W. by N. and ſtood for it. At five o'clock, we ſaw breakers running a great way out to the ſouthward, and ſoon after, low land to the S. W. and breakers all about it in every direction.

We turned to windward all night, and as ſoon as it was light, crowded ſail to get round theſe ſhoals. At nine we got round them, and named them SCILLY ISLANDS.place Scilly Iſlands They are a group of iſlands or ſhoals extremely dangerous; for in the night, however clear the weather, and by day, if it is hazey, a ſhip may run upon them without ſeeing land. They lie in latitude 16° 28′ S. longitude 155° 30′ W.

We continued to ſteer our courſe weſtward, till day-break on the 13th of Auguſt,month Auguſt day Thurſday 13 when we ſaw land bearing W. by S. and hauled towards it. At 11 o'clock in the forenoon, we ſaw more land in the W. S. W. At noon, the firſt land that we ſaw, which proved to be an iſland, bore W. ½ S. diſtant about five leagues, and had the appearance of a ſugar loaf; the middle of the other land, which was alſo an iſland, and appeared in a peak, bore W. S. W. diſtant ſix leagues. To the firſt, which is nearly circular, and three miles over, I gave the name of BOSCAWEN's ISLAND; place Boſcawen's Iſland and the other, which is three miles and a half long, and two broad, I called KEPPEL's ISLE.place Keppel's Iſle Port Royal at this time bore E. 4° 10′ S. diſtant 478 leagues.

At two o'clock, being about two miles diſtant from Boſ⯑cawen's Iſland, we ſaw ſeveral of the inhabitants; but Kep⯑pel's Iſle being to windward, and appearing more likely to afford us anchorage, we hauled up for it. At ſix, it was not [493] more than a mile and an half diſtant, and, with our glaſſes,day Thurſday 13 we ſaw many of the inhabitants upon the beach; but there being breakers at a conſiderable diſtance from the ſhore, we ſtood off and on all night.

At four o'clock the next morning,day Friday 14 we ſent off the boats to ſound, and viſit the iſland; and as ſoon as it was light, we ran down and lay over-againſt the middle of it. At noon, the boats returned, and reported that they had run within a cable's length of the iſland, but could find no ground: that ſeeing a reef of rocks lie off it, they had hauled round it, and got into a large deep bay which was full of rocks: that they then ſounded without the bay, and found anchorage from 14 to 20 fathom, with a bottom of ſand and coral: that afterwards they went again into the bay, and found a rivu⯑let of good water, but the ſhore being rocky, went in ſearch of a better landing-place, which they found about half a mile farther, and went aſhore. They reported alſo, that from the water to this landing-place, a good rolling-way might be made for ſupplying the ſhip, but that a ſtrong guard would be neceſſary, to prevent moleſtation from the inhabitants. They ſaw no hogs, but brought off two fowls and ſome cocoa-nuts, plantains and bananas. While the boats were on ſhore, two canoes came up to them with ſix men: they ſeemed to be peaceably inclined, and were much the ſame kind of people as the inhabitants, of King George's Iſland, but they were clothed in a kind of matting, and the firſt joint of their little fingers had been taken off; at the ſame time about fifty more came down from the country, to within about an hundred yards of them, but would advance no farther. When our people had made what obſervations they could, they put off, and three of the natives from the canoes came into one of the boats, but when ſhe got about half a mile from the ſhore, they all ſuddenly jumped over⯑board and ſwam back again.

[494]Having received this account,day Friday 14 I conſidered that the water⯑ing here would be tedious, and attended with great fatigue: that it was now the depth of winter in the ſouthern hemi⯑ſphere, that the ſhip was leaky, that the rudder ſhook the ſtern very much, and that what other damage ſhe might have received in her bottom could not be known. That for theſe reaſons, ſhe was very unfit for the bad weather which ſhe would certainly meet with either in going round Cape Horn, or through the Streight of Magellan: that if ſhe ſhould get ſafely through the Streight, or round the Cape, it would be abſolutely neceſſary for her to refreſh in ſome port, but in that caſe no port would be in her reach; I therefore determined to make the beſt of my way to Tinian, Batavia, and ſo to Europe by the Cape of Good Hope. By this rout, as far as we could judge, we ſhould ſooner be at home; and if the ſhip ſhould prove not to be in a condition to make the whole voyage, we ſhould ſtill ſave our lives, as from this place to Batavia we ſhould probably have a calm ſea, and be not far from as port.

In conſequence of this reſolution, at noon I bore away, and paſſed Boſcawen's Iſland without viſiting it. It is a high round iſland, abounding in wood, and full of people; but Keppel's Iſle is by far the largeſt and the beſt of the two.

Boſcawen's Iſland lies in latitude 15° 50′ S. longitude 175° W. and Keppel's Iſle in latitude 15° 55′ S. longitude 175° 3′ W.

We continued a W. N. W. courſe till 10 o'clock in the morning of Sunday the 16th,day Sunday 16 when we ſaw land bearing N. by E. and hauled up for it. At noon, we were within three leagues of it: the land within ſhore appeared to be high, but at the water-ſide it was low, and had a pleaſant appearance; the whole ſeemed to be ſurrounded by reefs, that ran two or three miles into the ſea. As we ſailed along the ſhore, which was covered with cocoa-nut trees, []

[495] we ſaw a few huts,day Sunday 16 and ſmoke in ſeveral parts up the coun⯑try. Soon after we hauled without a reef of rocks, to get round the lee-ſide of the iſland, and at the ſame time ſent out the boats to ſound, and examine the coaſt.

The boats rowed cloſe along the ſhore, and found it rocky, with trees growing cloſe down to the water-ſide. Theſe trees were of different ſorts, many of them very large, but had no fruit: on the lee-ſide, however, there were a few cocoa-nuts, but not a ſingle habitation was to be ſeen. They diſcovered ſeveral ſmall rills of water, which, by clearing, might have been made to run in a larger ſtream. Soon after they had got cloſe to the ſhore, ſeveral canoes came up to them, each having ſix or eight men on board. They appeared to be a robuſt, active people, and were quite naked, except a kind of mat that was wrapped round their middle. They were armed with large maces or clubs, ſuch as Hercules is repreſented with, two of which they ſold to the Maſter for a nail or two, and ſome trinkets. As our people had ſeen no animal, either bird or beaſt, except ſea⯑fowl, they were very deſirous to learn of the natives whether they had either, but could not make themſelves underſtood. It appears that during this conference, a deſign was formed to ſeize our cutter, for one of the Indians ſuddenly laid hold of her painter, and hauled her upon the rocks. Our people endeavoured, in vain, to make them deſiſt, till they fired a muſket croſs the noſe of the man that was moſt active in the miſchief. No hurt was done; but the fire and report ſo af⯑frighted them, that they made off with great precipitation. Both our boats then put off, but the water had fallen ſo ſud⯑denly that they found it very difficult to get back to the ſhip; for when they came into deep water they found the points of rocks ſtanding up, and the whole reef, except in one part, was now dry, and a great ſea broke over it. The Indians probably perceived their diſtreſs, for they turned back, and [496] followed them in their canoes all along the reef till they got to the breach,day Sunday 16 and then ſeeing them clear, and making way faſt towards the ſhip, they returned.

About ſix in the evening, it being then dark, the boats re⯑turned, and the Maſter told me, that all within the reef was rocky, but that in two or three places, at about two cables' length without it, there was anchorage in 18, 14, and 12 fathom, upon ſand and coral. The breach in the reef he found to be about 60 fathom broad, and here, if preſſed by neceſſity, he ſaid a ſhip might anchor or moor in 8 fathom; but that it would not be ſafe to moor with a greater length than half a cable.

When I had hoiſted the boats in, I ran down four miles to leeward, where we lay till the morning; and then, finding that the current had ſet us out of ſight of the iſland, I made ſail. The officers did me the honour to call this iſland after my name.place Wallis's Iſland WALLIS's ISLAND lies in latitude 13° 18′ S. longi⯑tude 177° W.

As the latitudes and longitudes of all theſe iſlands are ac⯑curately laid down, and plans of them delivered in to the Admiralty, it will be eaſy for any ſhip, that ſhall hereafter navigate theſe ſeas, to find any of them, either to refreſh or to make farther diſcoveries of their produce.

I thought it very remarkable, that although we found no kind of metal in any of theſe iſlands, yet the inhabitants of all of them, the moment they got a piece of iron in their poſſeſſion, began to ſharpen it, but made no ſuch attempt on braſs or copper.

We continued to ſteer N. weſterly, and many birds were from time to time ſeen about the ſhip till the 28th,day Friday 28 when her longitude being, by obſervation, 187° 24′ W. we croſſed the line into North latitude. Among the birds that came about the ſhip, one which we caught exactly reſem⯑bled a dove in ſize, ſhape, and colour. It had red legs, []

[497] and was web-footed. We alſo ſaw ſeveral plantain leaves, and cocoa-nuts, paſs by the ſhip.

On Saturday the 29th,day Saturday 29 about two o'clock in the afternoon, being in latitude 2° 50′ N. longitude 188° W. we croſſed a great rippling, which ſtretched from the N. E. to the S. W. as far as the eye could reach from the maſt-head. We ſounded, but had no bottom with a line of two hundred fathoms.

On Thurſday the 3d of September,month September day Thurſday 3 at five o'clock in the morning, we ſaw land bearing E. N. E. diſtant about five miles: in about half an hour we ſaw more land in the N. W. and at ſix, ſaw in the N. E. an Indian proa, ſuch as is deſcribed in the account of Lord Anſon's voyage. Perceiv⯑ing that ſhe ſtood towards us, we hoiſted Spaniſh colours; but when ſhe came within about two miles of us, ſhe tacked, and ſtood from us to the N. N. W. and in a ſhort time was out of ſight.

At eight o'clock, the iſlands which I judged to be two of the Piſcadores, bore from S. W. by W. to W. and to wind⯑ward, from N. by E. to N. E. and had the appearance of ſmall flat keys. They were diſtant about three leagues; but many others, much farther off, were in ſight. The latitude of one of thoſe iſlands is 11° N. longitude 192° 30′ W.; and the other 11° 20′ N. longitude 192° 58′ W.

On the 7th, we ſaw a curlieu and a pewit,day Monday 7 and on the 9th we caught a land-bird, very much reſembling a ſtarling.

On the 17th, we ſaw two gannets,day Thurſday 17 and judged the iſland of Tinian to bear Weſt, at about one and thirty leagues diſtance; our latitude being 15° N. and our longitude 212° 30′ W. At ſix o'clock, the next morning,day Friday 18 we ſaw the iſland of Saypan, bearing W. by N. diſtant about ten leagues. In [498] the afternoon,day Saturday 19 we ſaw Tinian, and made ſail for the road; where, at nine o'clock in the morning, of Saturday the 19th, we came to an anchor in two and twenty fathom, ſandy ground, at about a mile diſtant from the ſhore, and half a mile from the reef.

CHAP. XI. Some Account of the preſent State of the Iſland of Tinian, and our Employment there; with what happened in the Run from thence to Batavia.

AS ſoon as the ſhip was ſecured, I ſent the boats on ſhore to erect tents, and bring off ſome refreſhments; and about noon they returned, with ſome cocoa-nuts, limes, and oranges.

In the evening, the tents being erected, I ſent the Sur⯑geon, and all the invalids on ſhore, with two months pro⯑viſions, of every kind, for forty men, the ſmith's forge, and a cheſt of carpenter's tools. I then landed myſelf, with the Firſt Lieutenant, both of us being in a very ſickly condition, taking with us alſo a mate, and twelve men, to go up the country and hunt for cattle.

When we firſt came to an anchor,day Sunday 20 the North part of the bay bore N. 39° W. Cocoa Point N. 7° W. the landing-place N.E. by N. and the ſouth end of the iſland S. 28° E.; but next morning, the Maſter having ſounded all the bay, and being of opinion that there was a better ſituation to the ſouthward, we warped the ſhip a little way up, and moored with a cable each way.

[499]At ſix in the evening,day Sunday 20 the hunters brought in a fine young bull, of near four hundred weight: part of it we kept on ſhore, and ſent the reſt on board, with bread-fruit, limes, and oranges.

Early the next morning,day Monday 21 the carpenters were ſet at work to caulk the ſhip all over, and put every thing in repair as far as poſſible. All the ſails were alſo got on ſhore, and the ſail-makers employed to mend them: the armourers at the ſame time were buſy in repairing the iron-work, and making new chains for the rudder. The number of people now on ſhore, ſick and well, was fifty-three.

In this place we got beef, pork, poultry, papaw apples, bread-fruit, limes, oranges, and every refreſhment that is mentioned in the account of Lord Anſon's voyage. The ſick began to recover from the day they firſt went on ſhore: the air, however, was ſo different here from what we found it in King George's Iſland, that fleſh meat, which there kept ſweet two days, could here be ſcarcely kept ſweet one. There had been many cocoa-nut trees near the landing-place, but they had been all waſtefully cut down for the fruit, and none being grown up in their ſtead, we were forced to go three miles into the country before a ſingle nut could be procured. The hunters alſo ſuffered incredible fatigue, for they were frequently obliged to go ten or twelve miles through one continued thicket, and the cattle were ſo wild that it was very difficult to come near them, ſo that I was obliged to re⯑lieve one party by another; and it being reported that cattle were more plenty at the North end of the iſland, but that the hunters being quite exhauſted with fatigue when they got thither, were not able to kill them, much leſs to bring them down, I ſent Mr. Gore, with fourteen men, to eſtabliſh themſelves in that part of the iſland, and ordered that a boat ſhould go every morning, at day-break, to bring in what [500] they ſhould kill.day Monday 21 In the mean time, the ſhip was laid by the ſtern to get at ſome of the copper ſheathing which had been much torn; and in repairing the copper, the carpenter diſcovered and ſtopped a large leak under the lining of the knee of the head, by which we had reaſon to hope moſt of the water that the veſſel had lately admitted in bad wea⯑ther, came in. During our ſtay here, I ordered all the people on ſhore by turns,month October day Thurſday 15 and by the 15th of October, all the ſick being recovered, our wood and water completed, and the ſhip made fit for the ſea, we got every thing off the ſhore, and embarked all our men from the watering-place, each having, at leaſt, five hundred limes, and there being ſeveral tubs full on the quarter-deck, for every one to ſqueeze into his water as he ſhould think fit.

At break of day, on Friday the 16th,day Friday 16 we weighed, and ſailed out of the bay, ſending the boats at the ſame time to the North end of the iſland, to bring off Mr. Gore and his hunters. At noon, we received them and their tents on board, with a fine large bull which they had juſt killed.

While we lay at anchor in this place, we had many obſer⯑vations for the latitude and longitude, from which we drew up the following table:

We continued a weſterly courſe, inclining ſomewhat to the North,day Wedneſ. 21 till the 21ſt, when, Tinian bearing S. 71° 40′ E. diſtant 277 leagues,day Thurſday 22 we ſaw many birds; and the next day, ſaw three reſembling gannets, of the ſame kind that we had ſeen when we were within about thirty leagues of Tinian.

[501]On the 23d, we had much thunder, lightning, and rain,day Friday 23 with ſtrong gales and a great ſea. The ſhip laboured very much, and the rudder being looſe again, ſhook the ſtern as much as ever. The next day,day Saturday 24 we ſaw ſeveral ſmall land birds, and the gales continuing, we ſplit the gib and main-top-maſt-ſtay-ſail; the wind increaſed all the remainder of the day, and all night, and on Sunday it blew a ſtorm.day Sunday 25 The fore-ſail and mizen-ſail were torn to pieces, and loſt; and having bent others, we wore and ſtood under a reefed fore-ſail, and balanced mizen. We had the mortification to find the ſhip admit more water than uſual. We got the top-gal⯑lant maſts down upon the deck, and took the gib-boom in; ſoon after which a ſea ſtruck the ſhip upon the bow, and waſhed away the round-houſes, with all the rails of the head, and every thing that was upon the fore-caſtle: we were, however, obliged to carry as much ſail as the ſhip would bear, being, by Lord Anſon's account, very near the Baſhee Iſlands, and, by Mr. Byron's, not more than thirty leagues, with a lee-ſhore.

The next morning, we ſaw ſeveral ducks and ſhags,day Monday 26 ſome ſmall land birds, and a great number of horſe-flies about the ſhip; but had no ground with 160 fathom. The inceſſant and heavy rain had kept every man on board conſtantly wet to the ſkin for more than two days and two nights; the wea⯑ther was ſtill very dark, and the ſea was continually break⯑ing over the ſhip.

On the 27th, the darkneſs, rain, and tempeſt continuing,day Tueſday 27 a mountainous ſea that broke over us, ſtaved all the half-ports to pieces on the ſtarboard-ſide, broke all the iron ſtan⯑chions on the gunwale, waſhed the boat off the ſkids, and carried many things overboard. We had, however, this day, a gleam of ſunſhine, ſufficient to determine our lati⯑tude, [502] which we found to be 20° 50′ N. and the ſhip appeared to be fifty minutes North of her reckoning.

The weather now became more moderate. At noon, on the 28th,day Wedneſ. 28 we altered our courſe, ſteering S. by W.; and at half an hour after one, we ſaw the Baſhee Iſlands bearing from S. by E. to S. S. E. diſtant about ſix leagues. Theſe iſlands are all high, but the northermoſt is higher than the reſt. By an obſervation made this day, we found Grafton Iſland to lie in the longitude of 239° W. and in latitude of 21° 4′ N. At midnight, the weather being very dark, with ſudden guſts of wind, we miſſed Edmund Morgan, a marine taylor, whom we ſuppoſed to have fallen overboard, having reaſon to fear that he had drunk more than his allowance.

From this time, to the 3d of November,month November day Tueſday 3 we found the ſhip every day from ten to fifteen miles North of her reckoning. The day before we had ſeen ſeveral gannets; but upon ſounding many times during the day and the next night, we had no ground with 160 fathom. This morning, at ſeven o'clock, we ſaw a ledge of breakers bearing S. W. at the diſtance of about three miles: we hauled off from them, and at eleven ſaw more breakers bearing S. W. by S. diſtant about five miles. At noon, we hauled off the eaſt end of them, from which we were not diſtant more than a quarter of a mile.

The firſt ſhoal lies in latitude 11° 8′ N.; longitude, from Baſhee Iſlands, 8° W.

The ſecond ſhoal lies in latitude 10° 46′ N.; longitude of the N. E. end, from Baſhee Iſlands, 8° 13′ W.

We ſaw much foul ground to the S. and S. S. E. but had no bottom with 150 fathom. Before one, however, we ſaw ſhoal water on the larboard bow, and ſtanding from it, paſſed [503] another ledge at two. At three, we ſaw a low ſandy point,day Tueſday 3 which I called SANDY ISLE,place Sandy Iſle bearing N. ½ E. diſtant about two miles. At five, we ſaw a ſmall iſland, which I called SMALL KEY,place Small Key bearing N. by E. diſtant about five miles; and ſoon after, another larger, which I called LONG ISLAND,place Long Iſland beyond it. At ſix in the evening, the largeſt iſland being diſtant between two and three leagues, we brought to, and ſtood off and on from mid-night till break of day, continually ſounding, but having no ground.

At ſeven in the morning, of Wedneſday the 4th,day Wedneſ. 4 we ſaw another iſland, which I called NEW ISLAND,place New Iſland bearing S. E. by E. and a large reef of rocks bearing S. ½ W. diſtant ſix miles. At ten, we ſaw breakers from W. S. W. to W. by N. At noon, the North end of the great reef bore S. E. by E. diſtant two leagues, and another reef bore W. N. W. at about the ſame diſtance.

The latitudes and longitudes of theſe iſlands and ſhoals, appear by the following table:

Soon after we ſaw another reef in latitude 10° 15′, longi⯑tude 248°.

The next day, we found the ſhip,day Thurſday 5 which had for ſome time been to the northward of her reckoning, eight miles to the ſouthward.

[504]We continued our courſe, often ſounding, but finding no bottom. On the 7th,day Saturday 7 we paſſed through ſeveral ripplings of a current, and ſaw great quantities of drift-wood, cocoa-nut leaves, things like cones of firs, and weed, which ſwam in a ſtream N. E. and S. W. We had now ſoundings at ſixty-five fathom, with brown ſand, ſmall ſhells, and ſtones; and at noon, found the ſhip again to the northward of her reckon⯑ing ten miles, and had decreaſed our ſoundings to twenty-eight fathom, with the ſame ground. Our latitude was 8° 36′ N. longitude 253° W. At two o'clock, we ſaw the iſland of Condore, from the maſt-head, bearing W. ½ N. At four, we had ground with twenty fathom; the iſland bearing from W. to N. W. by W. diſtant about thirteen leagues, and having the appearance of high hummocks. The latitude of this iſland is 8° 40′ N.; longitude, by our reckoning, 254° 15′.

We now altered our courſe; and the next morning,day Sunday 8 I took from the petty officers and ſeamen, all the log and journal books relative to the voyage.

On the 10th,day Tueſday 10 being in latitude 5° 20′ N. longitude 255° W. we found a current ſetting four fathom an hour S. by W.; and during our courſe to the iſlands Timoun, Aros, and Peſang, which we ſaw about ſix in the afternoon of the 13th,day Friday 13 we were every day from ten to twenty miles ſouth⯑ward of our reckoning.

On the 16th,day Monday 16 at ten in the morning, we croſſed the line again into South latitude, in longitude 255°; and ſoon after we ſaw two iſlands, one bearing S. by E. diſtant five leagues, the other S. by W. diſtant ſeven leagues.

The next morning,day Tueſday 17 the weather became very dark and tempeſtuous, with heavy rain; we therefore clewed all up, [505] and lay by till we could ſee about us. The two iſlands proved to be Pulo Toté, and Pulo Weſte; and having made ſail till one o'clock, we ſaw the Seven Iſlands. We con⯑tinued our courſe till two the next morning,day Wedneſ. 18 the weather being very dark, with heavy ſqualls of wind, and much lightning and rain. While one of theſe blaſts was blowing with all its violence, and the darkneſs was ſo thick that we could not ſee from one part of the ſhip to the other, we ſud⯑denly diſcovered, by a flaſh of lightning, a large veſſel cloſe aboard of us. The ſteerſman inſtantly put the helm a-lee, and the ſhip anſwering her rudder, we juſt cleared each other. This was the firſt ſhip we had ſeen ſince we parted with the Swallow; and it blew ſo hard, that not being able to underſtand any thing that was ſaid, we could not learn to what nation ſhe belonged.

At ſix, the weather having cleared up, we ſaw a ſail at an⯑chor in the E. S. E.; and at noon, we ſaw land in the W. N. W. which proved to be Pulo Taya, Pulo Toté bearing S. 35° E. Pulo Weſte S. 13° E. At ſix in the evening, we anchored in fifteen fathom, with ſandy ground; and obſerved a current running E. N. E. at the rate of five fathom an hour.

At ſix in the morning, we weighed and made ſail,day Thurſday 19 and ſoon after ſaw two veſſels a-head; but at ſix in the evening, finding that we loſt much ground, we came again to an an⯑chor in fifteen fathom, with a fine ſandy bottom.

At ſix o'clock the next morning, the current being ſlack,day Friday 20 we hove ſhort on the ſmall bower, which ſoon after parted at a third from the clench. We immediately took in the cable, and perceived that, although we had ſounded with great care before we anchored, and found the bottom clear, it had been cut through by the rocks. After ſome time, the cur⯑rent [506] becoming ſtrong,day Friday 20 a freſh gale ſpringing up, and the ſhip being a great way to the leeward, I made ſail, in hopes to get up and recover the anchor; but I found at laſt that it was impoſſible, without anchoring again; and being afraid of the conſequences of doing that in foul ground, I determined to ſtand on, eſpecially as the weather was become ſqually.

We were,day Saturday 21 however, able to make very little way till the next day, when, about three in the afternoon, we ſaw Mo⯑nopin Hill bearing S. ¾ E. and advancing very little, ſaw the coaſt of Sumatra at half an hour after ſix the next morning.day Sunday 22 We continued to ſuffer great delay by currents and calms, but on Monday the 30th of November,day Monday 30 we anchored in Ba⯑tavia Road.

CHAP. XII. Tranſactions at Batavia, and an Account of the Paſſage from thence to the Cape of Good Hope.

WE found here fourteen ſail of Dutch Eaſt India ſhips,month December a great number of ſmall veſſels, and his Majeſty's ſhip the Falmouth, lying upon the mud in a rotten con⯑dition.

I ſent an officer on ſhore, to acquaint the Governor of our arrival, to obtain his permiſſion to purchaſe refreſhments, and to tell him that I would ſalute him, if he would engage to re⯑turn an equal number of guns. The Governor readily agreed; and at ſun-riſe, on Tueſday the 1ſt of December,day Tueſday 1 I ſaluted him with thirteen guns, which he returned with fourteen from the fort. Soon after, the Purſer ſent off ſome freſh beef, and plenty of vegetables, which I ordered to be ſerved immediately; at the ſame time I called the ſhip's company together, and told them that I would not ſuffer any liquor to come on board, and would ſeverely puniſh thoſe who ſhould attempt to bring any: and I took ſome pains to reconcile them to this regulation, by aſſuring them that in this coun⯑try intemperance would inevitably deſtroy them. As a fur⯑ther preſervative, I ſuffered not a man to go on ſhore, except thoſe who were upon duty; and took care that none even of theſe ſtraggled into the town.

On the 2d, I ſent the boatſwain and the carpenter,day Wedneſ. 2 with the carpenter of the Falmouth, to look at ſuch of her ſtores as had been landed at Onruſt, with orders, that if any were [508] fit for our uſe they ſhould be bought.day Wedneſ. 2 At their return, they informed me that all the ſtores they had ſeen were rotten, and unfit for uſe, except one pair of tacks, which they brought with them: the maſts, yards, and cables were all dropping to pieces, and even the iron work was ſo ruſty that it was worth nothing. They alſo went on board the Fal⯑mouth to examine her hulk, and found her in ſo ſhattered a condition, that in their opinion ſhe could not be kept to⯑gether during the next monſoon. Many of her ports were waſhed into one, the ſtern-poſt was quite decayed, and there was no place in her where a man could be ſheltered from the weather. The few people who belonged to her were in as bad a ſtate as their veſſel, being quite broken and worn down, and expecting to be drowned as ſoon as the monſoon ſhould ſet in.

Among other neceſſaries, we were in want of an anchor, having loſt two, and of three inch rope for rounding the cables; but the officers whom I had ſent to procure theſe articles, reported, that the price which had been demanded for them was ſo exorbitant, that they had not agreed to give it. On Saturday the 5th,day Saturday 5 therefore, I went on ſhore myſelf, for the firſt time, and viſited the different ſtorehouſes and arſenals, but found it impoſſible to make a better bargain than my officers. I ſuſpected that the dealers took advan⯑tage of our apparent neceſſity, and ſuppoſing that we could not ſail without what we had offered to purchaſe, determined to extort from us more than four times its value. I was, however, reſolved to make any ſhift rather than ſubmit to what I thought a ſhameful impoſition, and therefore told them that I ſhould certainly ſail on the next Tueſday; that if they would agree to my terms in the mean time, I would take the things I had treated for; if not, that I would ſail without them.

[509]Soon after I returned on board,day Saturday 5 I received a petition from the Warrant-Officers of the Falmouth, repreſenting, that there was nothing for them to look after: that the Gunner had been long dead, and his ſtores ſpoiled, particularly the powder, which, by order of the Dutch, had been thrown into the ſea: that the boatſwain, by vexation and diſtreſs, had loſt his ſenſes, and was then a deplorable object in a Dutch hoſpital: that all his ſtores had been long ſpoiled and rotten, the roof of the ſtorehouſe having fallen in during a wet monſoon, and left them expoſed many months, all en⯑deavours to procure another place to put them in being in⯑effectual: that the carpenter was in a dying condition, and the cook a wounded cripple. For theſe reaſons, they re⯑queſted that I would take them home, or at leaſt diſmiſs them from their charge. It was with the greateſt regret and compaſſion that I told theſe unhappy people it was not in my power to relieve them, and that as they had received charge of ſtores, they muſt wait orders from home. They replied, that they had never received a ſingle order from England ſince they had been left here, and earneſtly in⯑treated that I would make their diſtreſs known, that it might be relieved. They had, they ſaid, ten years pay due, in the expectation of which they were grown old, and which now they would be content to forfeit, and go home ſweepers, rather than continue to ſuffer the miſeries of their preſent ſituation, which were indeed very great. They were not ſuffered to ſpend a ſingle night on ſhore, whatever was their condition, and when they were ſick, no one viſited them on board; they were, beſides, robbed by the Malays, and in perpetual dread of being deſtroyed by them, as they had a ſhort time before burnt the Siam prize. I aſſured them that I would do my utmoſt to procure them relief, and they left me with tears in their eyes.

[510]As I heard nothing more of the anchor and rope for which I had been in treaty,day Saturday 5 I made all ready for ſea. The ſhip's company had continued healthy and ſober, and been ſerved with freſh beef every day, from the time of our firſt coming to an anchor in the Road; we had alſo ſome beef, and a live ox, to carry out with us. We had now only one man upon the ſick liſt, except a ſeaman, who had been afflicted with rheumatic pains ever ſince our leaving the Streight of Ma⯑gellan: and at ſix o'clock in the morning, of Tueſday the 8th of December,day Tueſday 8 after a ſtay of juſt one week, we ſet ſail.

On the 11th,day Friday 11 at noon, we were off a ſmall iſland called the Cap, between the coaſts of Sumatra and Java, and ſeveral of our people fell down with colds and fluxes.day Saturday 12 The next day, a Dutch boat came on board, and ſold us ſome turtle, which was ſerved to the ſhip's company. At night, being at the diſtance of about two miles from the Java ſhore, we ſaw an incredible number of lights upon the beach, which we ſup⯑poſed were intended to draw the fiſh near it, as we had ſeen the ſame appearance at other places.

On Monday the 14th,day Monday 14 we anchored off Prince's Iſland, and began to take in wood and water.day Tueſday 15 The next morning, the natives came in with turtle, poultry, and hog-deer, which we bought at a reaſonable price. We continued here, fitting the ſhip for the ſea,day Saturday 19 till the 19th, during which time many of the people began to complain of intermitting diſorders, ſomething like an ague.day Sunday 20 At ſix o'clock the next morning, having completed our wood, and taken on board ſeventy-ſix tons of water, we made ſail.

While we lay here, one of the ſeamen fell from the main yard into the barge, which lay along ſide the ſhip. His body was dreadfully bruiſed, and many of his bones were broken: it happened alſo, that in his fall he ſtruck two other [511] men,day Thurſday 24 one of whom was ſo much hurt that he continued ſpeechleſs till the 24th, and then died, though the other had only one of his toes broken. We had now no leſs than ſixteen upon the ſick liſt, and by the 1ſt of January,month January day Friday 1 the num⯑ber was increaſed to forty; we had buried three, among whom was the Quarter-Maſter, George Lewis, who was a diligent, ſober man, and the more uſeful, as he ſpoke both the Spaniſh and Portugueſe languages. The diſeaſes by which we ſuffered, were fluxes, and fevers of the putrid kind, which are always contagious, and, for that reaſon alone, would be more fatal on board a ſhip than any other. The Surgeon's mate was very ſoon laid up, and thoſe who were appointed to attend the ſick, were always taken ill in a day or two after they had been upon that ſervice. To re⯑medy this evil, as much as it was in my power, I made a very large birth for the ſick, by removing a great number of people from below to the half deck, which I hung with painted canvaſs, keeping it conſtantly clean, and directing it to be waſhed with vinegar, and fumigated once or twice a day. Our water was well taſted, and was kept conſtantly ventilated; a large piece of iron alſo, uſed for the melting of tar, and called a loggerhead, was heated red hot, and quenched in it before it was given out to be drank. The ſick had alſo wine inſtead of grog, and ſalep or ſago every morning for breakfaſt: two days in a week they had mutton broth, and had a fowl or two given them on the inter⯑mediate days; they had, beſides, plenty of rice and ſugar, and frequently malt meſhed; ſo that perhaps people in a ſickly ſhip had never ſo many refreſhments before: the Sur⯑geon alſo was indefatigable; yet, with all theſe advantages, the ſickneſs on board gained ground. In the mean time, to aggravate our misfortune, the ſhip made more than three [512] feet water in a watch; year 1768 and all her upper works were very open and looſe.

By the 10th of January,day Sunday 10 the ſickneſs began, in ſome de⯑gree, to abate, but more than half the company were ſo feeble, that they could ſcarcely crawl about. On this day, being in latitude 22° 41′ S. longitude, by account, 300° 47′ W. we ſaw many tropic birds about the ſhip.

On the 17th,day Sunday 17 being in latitude 27° 32′ S. longitude 310° 36′ W. we ſaw ſeveral albatroſſes, and caught ſome bonettas. The ſhip was this day ten miles to the ſouthward of her account.

On the 24th,day Sunday 24 in latitude 33° 40′ S. longitude, by account, 328° 17′ W. we met with a violent gale, which ſplit the main-top-ſail and the main-top-maſt-ſtay-ſail all to pieces. The ſea broke over the ſhip in a dreadful manner, the ſtarboard rudder-chain was broken, and many of the booms were waſhed overboard. During the ſtorm we ſaw ſeveral birds and butterflies; and our firſt attention, after it ſubſided, was to dry the bedding of the ſick: at the ſame time, every one on board who could handle a needle was employed in re⯑pairing the ſails, which were now in a ſhattered condition.

On the 26th and 27th,day Tueſday 26 day Wedneſ. 27 being in latitude 34° 16′, and be⯑calmed, we had ſeveral obſervations, by which we deter⯑mined the longitude of the ſhip to be 323° 30′; and it appeared that we were ſeveral degrees to the Eaſtward of our reckoning.

At ſix in the evening, of the 30th of January,day Saturday 30 we ſaw land, and on the 4th of February,month February day Thurſday 4 we anchored in Table Bay, at the Cape of Good Hope.

Our run from Prince's Iſland to the Cape was, by our reckoning, 89 degrees longitude, which makes the longitude [513] of the Cape 345° W.; but the longitude of the Cape being, by obſervation, 342° 4′, it appeared that the ſhip was three de⯑grees to the Eaſtward of her reckoning.

CHAP. XIII. An Account of our Tranſactions at the Cape of Good Hope, and of the Return of the Dolphin to England.

AS ſoon as the ſhip was at anchor, I ſent an officer on ſhore, with the uſual compliments to the Governor, who received him with great civility, telling him that we were welcome to all the refreſhments and aſſiſtance that the Cape afforded, and that he would return our ſalute with the ſame number of guns.

We found riding here a Dutch Commodore, with ſixteen ſail of Dutch Eaſt Indiamen, a French Eaſt India ſhip, and the Admiral Watſon, Captain Griffin, an Eaſt India packet boat, for Bengal. We ſaluted the Governor with thirteen guns, and he returned the ſame number; the Admiral Wat⯑ſon ſaluted us with eleven guns, and we returned nine; the French ſhip afterwards ſaluted us with nine guns, and we returned ſeven.

Having got off ſome mutton for the ſhip's company, with plenty of greens, I ſent the Surgeon on ſhore to hire quar⯑ters for the ſick, but he could procure none for leſs than two ſhillings a day, and a ſtipulation to pay more, if any of them ſhould take the ſmall-pox, which was then in almoſt every houſe, in proportion to the malignity of the diſeaſe. [514] The firſt expence being great, and it appearing, upon en⯑quiry, that many of our people had never had the ſmall-pox, ſo that the increaſe was likely to be conſiderable, beſides the danger, I requeſted the Governor's permiſſion to erect a tent upon a ſpacious plain, at about two miles diſtance from the town, called Green Point, and to ſend my people on ſhore thither during the day, under the care of an officer, to prevent their ſtraggling. This permiſſion the Governor im⯑mediately granted, and gave orders that they ſhould ſuffer no moleſtation.

In this place, therefore, I ordered tents to be erected, and the Surgeon and his mate, with proper officers, to attend; at the ſame time ſtrictly charging that no man ſhould be ſuffered to go into the town, and that no liquor ſhould be brought to the tents. All the ſick, except two, left the ſhip early in the morning, with their proviſions and firing; and for thoſe that were reduced to great weakneſs, I ordered the Surgeon to procure ſuch extraordinary proviſions as he ſhould think proper, particularly milk, though it was ſold at an exceſſive price. About ſix in the evening, they re⯑turned on board, and ſeemed to be greatly refreſhed. At the ſame time, being extremely ill myſelf, I was obliged to be put on ſhore, and carried about eight miles up the coun⯑try, where I continued all the time the ſhip lay here; and when ſhe was ready to ſail, returned on board without having received the leaſt benefit.

No time, however, was loſt in refitting the veſſel: the ſails were all unbent, the yards and top-maſts ſtruck, the forge was ſet up, the carpenters were employed in caulking, the ſail-makers in mending the ſails, the cooper in repairing the caſks, the people in over-hauling the rigging, and the boats in filling water.

[515]By the 10th of February,day Wedneſ. 10 the heavy work being nearly diſpatched, twenty of the men who had had the ſmall-pox, were permitted to go aſhore at the town, and others, who were ſtill liable to the diſtemper, were landed at ſome diſtance, with orders to go into the country, and return in the evening, which they punctually obeyed: this liberty, therefore, was continued to them all the while the veſſel lay at this port, which produced ſo good an effect, that the ſhip's company, except the ſick, who recovered very faſt, had a more healthy and vigorous appearance than when they left England. We purchaſed here the neceſſaries that we endea⯑voured to procure at Batavia, at a reaſonable price, beſides canvas and other ſtores; we alſo procured freſh water by diſtillation, principally to ſhew the captains of the India⯑men, and their officers, that, upon an emergency, wholeſome water might be procured at ſea. At five o'clock in the morning, we put fifty-ſix gallons of ſalt water into the ſtill, at ſeven it began to run, and in about five hours and a quar⯑ter afforded us ſix and thirty gallons of freſh water, at an expence of nine pounds of wood, and ſixty-nine pounds of coals. Thirteen gallons and two quarts remained in the ſtill, and that which came off had no ill taſte, nor, as we had often experienced, any hurtful quality. I thought the ſhewing this experiment of the more conſequence, as the being able to allow plenty of water not only for drink, but for boiling any kind of proviſion, and even for making tea and coffee, eſpecially during long voyages, and in hot cli⯑mates, conduces greatly to health, and is the means of ſaving many lives. I never once put my people to an allowance of water during this whole voyage, always uſing the ſtill when we were reduced to five and forty tons, and preſerving the rain water with the utmoſt diligence. I did not, however, allow water to be fetched away at pleaſure, but the officer of [516] the watch had orders to give ſuch as brought proviſions of any kind, water ſufficient to dreſs it, and a proper quantity alſo to ſuch as brought tea and coffee.

On the 25th,day Thurſday 25 the wood and water being nearly completed, and the ſhip almoſt ready for the ſea, I ordered every body to go on board, and the ſick tents to be brought off; the people being ſo well recovered, that in the whole ſhip's com⯑pany there were but three men unable to do duty, and hap⯑pily, ſince our leaving Batavia, we had loſt but three. The next day,day Friday 26 day Saturday 27 and the day following, the carpenters finiſhed caulking all the out-works, the fore-caſtle, and the main-deck; we got all our bread on board from the ſhore, with a con⯑ſiderable quantity of ſtraw, and thirty-four ſheep for ſea-ſtores. In the mean time I came on board, and having un⯑moored,month March day Thurſday 3 lay waiting for a wind till the evening of Thurſday the 3d of March, when a breeze ſpringing up, we got under ſail. While we were on ſhore at Green Point, we had an opportunity of making many celeſtial obſervations, by which, we determined Table Bay to lie in latitude 34° 2′ S. longitude, from Greenwich, 18° 8′ E. The variation of the needle, at this place, was 19° 30′ W.

On the 7th,day Monday 7 being in latitude 29° 33′ S. longitude, by ac⯑count, 347° 38′ the ſhip was eight miles to the Northward of her dead reckoning.

On the 13th,day Sunday 13 having ſailed weſtward 360 degrees from the meridian of London, we had loſt a day; I therefore called the latter part of this day Monday, March 14th.

At ſix o'clock in the evening, of Wedneſday the 16th,day Wedneſ. 16 we ſaw the Iſland of Saint Helena, at the diſtance of about four⯑teen leagues; day Thurſday 17 and at one the next morning, brought to. At break of day, we made ſail for the iſland, and at nine, an⯑chored in the bay. The fort ſaluted us with thirteen guns, [517] and we returned the ſame number.day Thurſday 17 We found riding here the Northumberland Indiaman, Captain Milford, who ſa⯑luted us with eleven guns, and we returned nine. We got out all the boats as ſoon as poſſible, and ſent the empty caſks to be filled with water; at the ſame time ſeveral of the people were employed to gather purſlain, which grows here in great plenty. About two o'clock, I went on ſhore myſelf, and was ſaluted by the fort with thirteen guns, which I re⯑turned. The Governor and the principal gentlemen of the iſland did me the honour to meet me at the water-ſide, and having conducted me to the fort, told me, that it was ex⯑pected I ſhould make it my home during my ſtay.

By noon the next day, our water was completed,day Friday 18 and the ſhip was made ready for ſea; ſoon after, ſhe was unmoored, to take advantage of the firſt breeze, and at five in the after⯑noon, I returned on board. Upon my leaving the ſhore, I was ſaluted with thirteen guns, and ſoon after, upon getting under way, I was ſaluted with thirteen more, both which I returned; the Northumberland Indiaman then ſaluted me with thirteen guns, ſo did the Oſterly, which arrived here the evening before I made ſail, and I returned the compli⯑ment with the ſame number.

On the 21ſt, in the evening,day Monday 21 we ſaw ſeveral men of war birds; and at midnight, heard many birds about the ſhip.day Tueſday 22 At five o'clock in the morning of the 23d,day Wedneſ. 23 we ſaw the Iſland of Aſcenſion; and at eight, diſcovered a ſhip to the Eaſt⯑ward, who brought to, and hoiſted a jack at her main-top-maſt-head, upon which we ſhewed our colours, and ſhe then ſtood in for the land again. We ran down cloſe along the north-eaſt ſide of the iſland, and looked into the bay, but ſeeing no ſhip there, and it blowing a ſtiff gale, I made the beſt of my way.

On Monday the 28th, we croſſed the equator,day Monday 28 and got again into North latitude.

[518]On Wedneſday, the 13th of April,month April day Wedneſ. 13 we paſſed a great quan⯑tity of gulph weed; and on the 17th,day Sunday 17 we paſſed a great deal more. On the 19th,day Tueſday 19 we ſaw two flocks of birds, and obſerv⯑ing the water to be diſcoloured, we thought the ground might be reached, but, upon ſounding, could find no bottom.

At five o'clock in the morning of Sunday the 24th,day Sunday 24 we ſaw the peak of the Iſland of Pico bearing N. N. E. at the diſtance of about eighteen leagues. We found, by obſerva⯑tion, that Fyal lies in latitude 38° 20′ N. longitude 28° 30′ W. from London.

No incident worth recording happened till about noon on the 11th of May,month May day Wedneſ. 11 when, being in latitude 48° 44′ N. longi⯑tude 7° 16′ W. we ſaw a ſhip in chace of a ſloop, at which ſhe fired ſeveral guns. We bore away, and at three, fired a gun at the chace, and brought her to; the ſhip to windward, being near the chace, immediately ſent a boat on board her, and ſoon after, Captain Hammond, of his Majeſty's ſloop the Savage, came on board of me, and told me that the veſſel he had chaced, when he firſt ſaw her, was in company with an Iriſh wherry, and that as ſoon as they diſcovered him to be a man of war, they took different ways; the wherry hauled the wind, and the other veſſel bore away. That he at firſt hauled the wind, and ſtood after the wherry, but finding that he gained no ground, he bore away after the other veſſel, which probably would alſo have eſcaped, if I had not ſtopped her, for that he gained very little ground in the chace. She appeared to be laden with tea, brandy, and other goods, from Roſcoe in France; and though ſhe was ſteering a ſouth-weſt courſe, pretended to be bound to Ber⯑gen in Norway. She belonged to Liverpool, was called the Jenny, and commanded by one Robert Chriſtian. Her brandy and tea were in ſmall kegs and bags; and all ap⯑pearances [519] being ſtrongly againſt her, I detained her, in order to be ſent to England.

At half an hour after five, on the 13th,day Friday 13 we ſaw the Iſlands of Scilly; on the 19th, I landed at Haſtings in Suſſex; day Thurſday 19 and at four the next morning,day Friday 20 the ſhip anchored ſafely in the Downs, it being juſt 637 days ſince her weighing anchor in Plymouth Sound. To this narrative, I have only to add, that the object of the voyage being diſcovery, it was my conſtant practice, during the whole time of my navigating thoſe parts of the ſea which are not perfectly known, to lie to every night, and make ſail only in the day, that nothing might eſcape me.

CHAP. I. The Run from Plymouth to Madeira, and from thence through the Streight of Magellan.
[The longitude in this voyage is reckoned from London weſtward to 180, and eaſtward afterwards.]

SOON after I returned from a voyage round the world with the Honourable Commodore Byron,year 1766 month Auguſt I was appoint⯑ed to the command of his Majeſty's ſloop the Swallow, by a commiſſion bearing date the 1ſt of July 1766; the Swallow then lay at Chatham, and I was ordered to fit her out with all poſſible expedition. She was an old ſhip, having been in the ſervice thirty years, and was in my opinion by no means fit for a long voyage, having only a ſlight thin ſheath⯑ing upon her bottom, which was not even filled with nails to ſupply the want of a covering that would more effectually keep out the worm. I had been given to underſtand that I was to go out with the Dolphin; but the diſparity of the two ſhips, and the difference in their equipment, made me think that they could not be intended for the ſame duty; the Dol⯑phin, which was ſheathed with copper, being ſupplied with every thing that was requiſite for a long and dangerous navigation; and the Swallow having only a ſcanty ſupply of common neceſſaries. However, I ventured to apply for a forge, ſome iron, a ſmall ſkiff, and ſeveral other things [526] which I knew by experience would be of the utmoſt import⯑ance, if it was intended that I ſhould make another voyage round the world; but I was told that the veſſel and her equipment were very fit for the ſervice ſhe was to perform, and none of the requiſites for which I applied were allowed me. I was therefore confirmed in my opinion, that, if the Dolphin was to go round the world, it could never be in⯑tended that I ſhould go farther than Falkland's Iſlands, where the Jaſon, a fine frigate, which was, like the Dolphin, ſheathed with copper, and amply equipped, would ſupply my place. I was however deficient in junk, an article which is eſſentially neceſſary in every voyage, and for this I applied when I got to Plymouth, but I was told that a quan⯑tity ſufficient for both the ſhips had been put on board the Dolphin.

On Friday the 22d of Auguſt,day Friday 22 1766, the ſhip's company having the evening before received two months pay, I weighed, and made ſail from Plymouth found in company with the Dolphin, under the command of Captain Wallis, and the Prince Frederic ſtore-ſhip, commanded by Lieutenant James Brine.month September day Sunday 7 We proceeded together without any remark⯑able incident till the 7th of September, when we came to an anchor in Madeira road.

While I lay at this place, not being yet acquainted with my deſtination, I repreſented my want of junk, and the re⯑ply that had been made to my application for a ſupply by the commiſſioner at Plymouth, in a letter to Captain Wallis, who ſent me five hundred weight. This quantity however was ſo inadequate to my wants, that I was ſoon afterwards reduced to the diſagreeable neceſſity of cutting off ſome of my cables to ſave my rigging.

[527]On the 9th, very early in the morning,day Tueſday 9 the Lieutenant ac⯑quainted me that, in the night, nine of my beſt men had ſecretly ſet off from the ſhip to ſwim on ſhore, having ſtrip⯑ped themſelves naked and left all their clothes behind them, taking only their money, which they had ſecured in a hand⯑kerchief that was tied round their waiſt; that they pro⯑ceeded together till they came very near the ſurf, which breaks high upon the ſhore, and that one of them, being then terrified at the ſound, had ſwum back again to the ſhip, and been taken on board, but that the reſt had ventured through. As the loſs of theſe men would have been very ſeverely felt, I immediately ſat down to write a letter to the Conſul, entreating his aſſiſtance to recover them; but, before I had finiſhed it, he ſent me word, that all of them having, to the great aſtoniſhment of the natives, been found naked on the beach, they had been taken into cuſtody, and would be delivered up to my order. The boat was diſpatched immediately, and as ſoon as I heard they were on board, I went upon the deck. I was greatly pleaſed to ſee a contrition in their countenances, which at once ſe⯑cretly determined me not to inflict the puniſhment by which they ſeemed moſt heartily willing to expiate their fault; but I aſked them what could have induced them to quit the ſhip, and deſert the ſervice of their country, at the riſk of being devoured by ſharks, or daſhed to pieces by the ſurf againſt the ſhore. They anſwered, that though they had indeed at ſuch riſks ventured to ſwim on ſhore, they never had any in⯑tention of deſerting the ſhip, which they were determined to ſtand by as long as ſhe could ſwim; but that being well aſſured they were going a long voyage, and none being able to tell who might live, or who might die, they thought it hard not to have an opportunity of ſpending their own mo⯑ney, and therefore determined, as they ſaid, once more to [528] get a ſkinful of liquor,day Tueſday 9 and then ſwim back to the ſhip, which they hoped to have done before they were miſſed. As I had reſolved to remit their puniſhment, I did not too ſeverely ſcrutinize their apology, which the reſt of the ſhip's company, who ſtood round them, ſeemed very much to ap⯑prove; but, obſerving that with a ſkinful of liquor they would have been in a very unfit condition to ſwim through the ſurf to the ſhip, I told them that hoping they would for the future expoſe their lives only upon more important oc⯑caſions, and that their conduct would thenceforward give me no cauſe of complaint, I would for this time be ſatisfied with the ſhame and regret which I perceived they ſuffered from a ſenſe of their miſbehaviour: I then admoniſhed them to put on their clothes, and lie down, as I was confident they wanted reſt; and added, that as I might poſſibly during the courſe of the voyage have occaſion for good ſwimmers, I was very glad that I knew to whom I might apply. Having thus diſmiſſed theſe honeſt fellows from their fears, I was in⯑finitely gratified by the murmur of ſatisfaction which in⯑ſtantly ran through the ſhip's company; and was after⯑wards amply rewarded for my lenity, there being no ſer⯑vice during all the toils and dangers of the voyage which they did not perform, with a zeal and alacrity that were much to their honour and my advantage, as an example to the reſt.

We ſailed again on the 12th,day Friday 12 and I was then firſt acquainted with the particulars of our voyage by Captain Wallis, who gave me a copy of his inſtructions, and appointed Port Fa⯑mine in the Streight of Magellan to be the place of rendez⯑vous, if we ſhould happen to be ſeparated.

I was now convinced that I had been ſent upon a ſervice to which my veſſel and her equipment were by no means [529] equal,month November but I determined at all events to perform it in the beſt manner I was able.

We proceeded on our voyage without any remarkable event till we anchored off Cape Virgin Mary, where we ſaw the Patagonians, of which I have given ſome account in a letter to Dr. Matty, which was publiſhed in the ſixtieth vo⯑lume of the Tranſactions of the Royal Society, and which it is not neceſſary here to repeat, as it is in general the ſame as thoſe which have been given by Commodore Byron and Captain Wallis.

When we entered the Streight, I was ordered to keep ahead of the Dolphin and the ſtoreſhip, to pilot them through the ſhoals; but my ſhip worked ſo ill, that we could but very ſeldom make her tack without the help of a boat to tow her round: however, with much labour, and at no inconſiderable riſk, we anchored in Port Famine on Friday the 26th of December.month December day Friday 26 At this place we unhung our rud⯑der, and added a piece of wood to it, in hopes that by mak⯑ing it broader, we ſhould obtain ſome advantage in working the ſhip; in which however we were altogether diſap⯑pointed.

After many difficulties and dangers,year 1767 month February day Tueſday 17 we got into Iſland Bay on the 17th of February; and before we made ſail again, I repreſented the condition of my ſhip by letter to Captain Wallis, and requeſted him to conſider what was beſt for his Majeſty's ſervice, whether ſhe ſhould be diſmiſſed, or conti⯑nue the voyage. Captain Wallis replied, that as the Lords of the Admiralty had ordered the Swallow on this ſervice, with the nature of which I was well acquainted, he did not think himſelf at liberty to alter her deſtination.

[530]We continued therefore for ſome time to navigate the Streight together, and as I had paſſed it before, I was or⯑dered to keep ahead and lead the way, with liberty to an⯑chor and weigh when I thought proper; but perceiving that the bad ſailing of the Swallow would ſo much retard the Dolphin as probably to make her loſe the ſeaſon for getting into high ſouthern latitudes, and defeat the intention of the voyage, I propoſed to Captain Wallis, that he ſhould lay the Swallow up in ſome cove or bay, and that I ſhould attend and aſſiſt him with her boats till the Streight ſhould be paſſed, which would probably be in much leſs time than if he continued to be retarded by my ſhip, and I urged as an additional advantage that he might complete not only his ſtock of proviſions and ſtores, but his company, out of her, and then ſend her back to England, with ſuch of his crew as ſickneſs had rendered unfit for the voyage: propo⯑ſing alſo, that in my way home, I would examine the eaſtern coſt of Patagonia, or attempt ſuch other diſcoveries as he ſhould think proper. If this was not approved, and my knowlege of the South Seas was thought neceſſary to the ſucceſs of the voyage, I offered to go with him on board the Dolphin, and give up the Swallow to be commanded by his Firſt Lieutenant, whoſe duty I would perform during the reſt of the voyage, or to make the voyage myſelf with only the Dolphin, if he would take the Swallow back to Europe; but Captain Wallis was ſtill of opinion that the voyage ſhould be proſecuted by the two ſhips jointly, purſuant to the orders that had been given.

The Swallow was now become ſo foul, that with all the ſails ſhe could ſet ſhe could not make ſo much way as the Dolphin,month April day Friday 10 with only her top-ſails and a reef in them: we continued in company, however, till Friday the 10th of [531] April, when the weſtern entrance of the Streight was open,day Friday 10 and the great South Sea in ſight. Hitherto I had, purſuant to my directions, kept ahead, but now the Dolphin being nearly abreaſt of us, ſet her foreſail, which ſoon carried her ahead of us; and before nine o'clock in the evening, as ſhe ſhewed no lights, we loſt ſight of her. We had a fine eaſtern breeze, of which we made the beſt uſe we could during the night, carrying all our ſmall ſails, even to the top-gallant ſtudding ſails, notwithſtanding the danger to which it expoſed us; but at day-break the next morning,day Saturday 11 we could but juſt ſee the Dolphin's top-ſails above the horizon, we could perceive, however, that ſhe had ſtudding ſails ſet, and at nine o'clock, we had entirely loſt ſight of her; we judged that ſhe was then clear of the Streight's mouth, but we, who were ſtill under the land, had but light and va⯑riable airs. From this time, I gave up all hope of ſeeing the Dolphin again till we ſhould arrive in England, no plan of operation having been ſettled, nor any place of rendezvous appointed, as had been done from England to the Streight. I thought myſelf the more unfortunate in this ſeparation, as no part of the woollen cloth, linen, beads, ſciſſars, knives, and other cutlery-ware, and toys, which were intended for the uſe of both ſhips, and were ſo neceſſary to obtain re⯑freſhments from Indians, had, during the nine months we had ſailed together, been put on board the Swallow, and as we were not provided either with a forge or iron, which many circumſtances might render abſolutely neceſſary to the preſervation of the ſhip: I had the ſatisfaction, however, to ſee no marks of deſpondency among my people, whom I encouraged, by telling them, that although the Dolphin was the beſt ſhip, I did not doubt but that I ſhould find more than equivalent advantages in their courage, ability, and good conduct.

[532]At noon,day Saturday 11 this day, we were abreaſt of Cape Pillar, when, a gale ſpringing up at S. W. we were obliged to take down our ſmall ſails, reef our top-ſails, and haul cloſe to the wind: ſoon after it freſhened to the W. S. W. blowing right in from the ſea, and after making two boards, we had the mortification to find that we could not weather the land on either tack. It was now almoſt dark, the gale increaſed, driving before it a hollow ſwell, and a fog came on, with violent rain; we therefore got cloſe under the ſouth ſhore, and ſent our boat a-head to find out Tueſday's Bay, which is ſaid by Sir John Narborough to lie about four leagues within the Streight, or to find out any other place in which we might come to an anchor. At five o'clock, we could not ſee the land, notwithſtanding its extream height, though we were within leſs than half a mile of it, and at ſix, the thickneſs of the weather having rendered the night ſo dark that we could not ſee half the ſhip's length, I brought to for the boat, and was indeed, with good reaſon, under great concern for her ſafety: we hoiſted lights, and every now and then made a falſe fire, but ſtill doubting whether they could be ſeen through the fog and rain, I fired a gun every half hour, and at laſt had the ſatisfaction to take her on board, though ſhe had made no diſcovery either of Tueſday's Bay, or any other anchoring-place. We made ſail the reſt of the night, endeavouring to keep near the ſouth ſhore, and our ground to the weſtward as much as poſſible; and as ſoon as it was light the next morning,day Sunday 12 I ſent the Maſter again out in the cutter, in ſearch of anchorage on the ſouth ſhore. I waited in a ſtate of the moſt painful ſuſpenſe for her return, till five o'clock in the afternoon, fearing that we ſhould be obliged to keep out in this dangerous paſs another night, but I then ſaw her ſounding a bay, and immediately ſtood in after her: in a ſhort time the Maſter came on board, and [533] to our unſpeakable comfort,day Sunday 12 reported that we might here come ſafely to an anchor; this, with the help of our boat, was effected about ſix o'clock, and I went down into my cabbin to take ſome reſt: I had, however, ſcarcely lain down, before I was alarmed with a univerſal ſhout and tumult among the people, all that were below running haſtily upon the deck, and joining the clamour of thoſe above: I inſtantly ſtarted up, imagining that a guſt had forced the ſhip from her anchor, and that ſhe was driving out of the bay, but when I came upon the deck, I heard the people cry out, the Dolphin! the Dolphin! in a tranſport of ſurprize and joy which appeared to be little ſhort of diſtraction: a few minutes, however, convinced us that what had been taken for a ſail was nothing more than the water which had been forced up, and whirled about in the air, by one of the violent guſts that were continually coming off the high land, and which, through the haze, had a moſt deceitful appearance. The people were for a few minutes ſomewhat dejected by their diſappointment, but before I went down, I had the pleaſure to ſee their uſual fortitude and cheerfulneſs return.

The little bay where we were now at anchor, lies about three leagues E. by S. from Cape Pillar: it is the firſt place which has any appearance of a bay within that Cape, and bears S. by E. about four leagues from the iſland which Sir John Narborough called Weſtminſter Hall, from its reſem⯑blance to that building in a diſtant view. The weſtern point of this bay makes a very remarkable appearance, being a perpendicular plane like the wall of a houſe. There are three iſlands about two cables' length within its entrance, and within thoſe iſlands a very good harbour, with anchor⯑age in between twenty-five and thirty fathom, with a bottom of ſoft mud. We anchored without the iſlands, the paſſage [534] on each ſide of them being not more than one-fourth of a cable's length wide. Our little bay is about two cables' length broad, the points bearing eaſt and weſt of each other: in the inner part there is from ſixteen to eighteen fathom, but where we lay it is deeper; we had one anchor in ſeventeen fathom, and the other in forty-five, with great over-falls between them, and rocks in ſeveral places. Here we rode out a very hard gale, and the ground being ex⯑tremely uneven, we expected our cables to be cut in two every minute, yet when we weighed, to our great ſurprize, they did not appear to have been rubbed in any part, though we found it very difficult to heave them clear of the rocks. The land round this bay and harbour is all high, and as the current ſets continually into it, I doubt not but it has an⯑other communication with the ſea to the ſouth of Cape De⯑ſeada. The Maſter ſaid he went up it four miles in a boat, and could not then be above four miles from the Weſtern Ocean, yet I ſtill ſaw a wide entrance to the S. W. The land⯑ing is every where good, there is plenty of wood and water, and muſcles and wild geeſe in abundance.

From the north ſhore of the weſtern end of the Streight of Magellan, which lies in about latitude 52° ½ S. to latitude 48°, the land, which is the weſtern coaſt of Patagonia, runs nearly north and ſouth, and conſiſts wholly of broken iſlands, among which are thoſe that Sharp has laid down by the name of the Duke of York's Iſlands; he has indeed placed them at a conſiderable diſtance from the coaſt, but if there had been many iſlands in that ſituation, it is impoſſible but that the Dolphin, the Tamar, or the Swallow, muſt have ſeen them, as we ran near their ſuppoſed meridian, and ſo did the Dolphin and the Tamar the laſt voyage. Till we came into this latitude, we had tolerable weather, and little [535] or no current in any direction, but when we came to the northward of 48°, we found a current ſetting ſtrongly to the north, ſo that probably we then opened the great bay, which is ſaid to be ninety leagues deep. We found here a vaſt ſwell from the N. W. and the winds generally blew from the ſame quarter; yet we were ſet every day twelve or fifteen miles to the northward of our account.

On Wedneſday the 15th,day Wedneſ. 15 at about four o'clock in the morning, after ſurmounting many dangers and difficulties, we once more got abreaſt of Cape Pillar, with a light breeze at S. E. and a great ſwell. Between five and ſix o'clock, juſt as we opened Cape Deſeada, the wind ſuddenly ſhifted to S. and S. by W. and blew ſo hard that it was with great dif⯑ficulty we could carry the reefed top-ſails: the ſudden changing of the wind, and its exceſſive violence, produced a ſea ſo dreadfully hollow, that great quantities of water were thrown in upon our deck, ſo that we were in the utmoſt danger of foundering; yet we did not dare to ſhorten ſail, it being neceſſary to carry all we could ſpread, in order to weather the rocky iſlands, which Sir John Narborough has called the Iſlands of Direction, for we could not now run back again into the Streight, without falling down among the broken land, and incurring the dangers of the northern ſhore, which was to leeward; towards this broken land, however, and lee ſhore, the ſhip ſettled very faſt, notwith⯑ſtanding our utmoſt efforts: in this preſſing emergency we were obliged to ſtave all the water-caſks upon the deck, and between decks, to clear the veſſel, and to make her carry better ſail, and at length happily eſcaped the danger which threatened us. After we got clear of theſe iſlands, and drew off from the Streight's mouth and the land, we found [536] the ſea run more regularly from the S. W. and the wind ſoon after coming from S. S. W. to S. S. E. we had by noon got a pretty good offing,day Wedneſ. 15 about nine leagues from Cape Vic⯑tory, which is on the north ſhore. Thus we cleared the weſtern entrance of this Streight, which, in my opinion, is too dangerous for navigation; a deliverance which happened in the very criſis of our fate, for almoſt immediately after⯑wards the wind came again to the S. W. and if it had con⯑tinued in that quarter, our deſtruction would have been inevitable.

CHAP. II. The Paſſage from Cape Pillar, at the Weſtern Entrance of the Streight of Magellan, to Maſafuero; with ſome Account of that Iſland.

I TOOK my departure from Cape Pillar,day Wedneſ. 15 which I make to lie in the latitude of 52° 45′ S., and in the longitude 75° 10′ W. of the meridian of London, and as ſoon as I got clear of the Streight, ſteered to the northward along the coaſt of Chili. Upon examining what quantity of freſh water we had now on board, I found that it amounted only to between four and five and twenty tons, which I thought not ſufficient for ſo long a voyage as was probably before us; I therefore hauled to the northward, intending to make the iſland of Juan Fernandes, or Maſafuero, that we might increaſe our ſtock before we ſailed to the weſtward.

In the middle of the night of the 16th,day Thurſday 16 we had the wind firſt to the S. S. E. and then to the S. E. with which we kept away N. W. and N. N. W. in high ſpirits, hoping that in a ſhort time we ſhould be in a more temperate climate; we had the miſfortune, however, very ſoon to find ourſelves diſappointed, for on the 18th,day Saturday 18 the wind came to the N. N. W. and blew directly from the point upon which we were ſteering. We had now got about a hundred leagues from the Streight's mouth; our latitude was 48° 39′ S., and we were, by account, 4° 33′ W. of Cape Pillar; but from this time, till the 8th of May, the wind continued unfavourable, and blew a continued ſtorm, with ſudden guſts ſtill more [538] violent,day Saturday 18 and much rain and hail, or rather fragments of half melted ice: at intervals alſo we had thunder and lightning, more dreadful than all the paſt, and a ſea which frequently laid the whole veſſel under water.

From the time of our clearing the Streight, and during our paſſage along this coaſt, we ſaw a great number of ſea birds, particularly albatroſſes, gannets, ſheerwaters, and a thick lumpiſh bird, about as big as a large pigeon, which the ſailors call a Cape of Good Hope hen: they are of a dark brown or blackiſh colour, and are therefore ſometimes called the black gull: we ſaw alſo a great many pintado birds, of nearly the ſame ſize, which are prettily ſpotted with black and white, and conſtantly on the wing, though they frequently appear as if they were walking upon the water, like the peterels, to which ſailors have given the name of Mother Carey's chickens; and we ſaw alſo many of theſe.

In the evening of Monday the 27th,day Monday 27 which was very dark, as we were ſtanding to the weſtward under our courſes, and a cloſe reefed top-ſail, the wind, in a hard ſquall, ſuddenly ſhifted, and took the veſſel right ahead; the violent jerk with which the ſails were inſtantly thrown a-back, was very near carrying the maſts away by the board, and overſetting the ſhip: the ſails being at this time extremely wet, and the gale in the higheſt degree violent, they clung ſo faſt to the maſts and rigging, that it was ſcarcely poſſible to get them either up or down; yet by the dexterous activity of our people, we got the main-ſail up, clewed up the main top-ſail, and got the ſhip's head round without receiving much damage. The violence of the wind continued ſeveral hours, but before morning it veered again to the N. W. and con⯑tinued in that quarter till the afternoon of the 29th,day Wedneſ. 29 when [539] it died away, and we had a dead calm for ſix hours.day Wedneſ. 9 During this time we had a high ſea, which ran in great confuſion from all quarters, and broke againſt the ſhip in a ſtrange manner, making her roll with ſo violent and ſudden a motion, that I expected every moment to loſe our maſts. The wind afterwards ſprung up at W. S. W. which was fair, and we carried all the ſail we could ſet to make the moſt of it. It blew very hard in this direction, with heavy rain for a few hours, but by noon on the 30th,day Thurſday 30 it returned to its uſual quarter, the N. W. and was ſo violent as to bring us again under our courſes, there being at the ſame time a pro⯑digious ſwell, which frequently broke over us.month May day Friday 1 At five o'clock the next morning, as we were lying to under the reefed main-ſail and balanced mizen, a vaſt ſea broke over the quarter where the ſhip's oars were laſhed, and carried away ſix of them, with the weather-cloth; it alſo broke the mizen gaff cloſe where the ſail was reefed, and the iron ſtrap of one of the main dead eyes, laying the whole veſſel for ſome time under water: we were however fortunate enough to haul up the main ſail without ſplitting, though it blew a hurricane, and a deluge of rain, or rather of half melted ice, at the ſame time poured down upon us. The wind ſoon after ſhifted again from N. W. to S. W. and for about an hour blew, if poſſible, ſtronger than ever. This wind made the ſhip come up with her head right againſt the vaſt ſea which the north weſt wind had raiſed, and at every pitch which ſhe made againſt it, the end of the bowſprit was under water, and the ſurge broke over the forecaſtle as far aft as the main-maſt, in the ſame manner as it would have broke over a rock, ſo that there was the greateſt reaſon to apprehend ſhe would founder. With all her defects ſhe was indeed a good ſea boat, and if ſhe had not, it would have been impoſſible for her to have outlived this ſtorm, in which, [540] as well as on ſeveral other occaſions,day Friday 1 we experienced the be⯑nefit of the bulk-heads which we had fixed on the fore-part of the half deck, and to the after-part of the forecaſtle.

Notwithſtanding this wind was fair, we durſt not venture to put the ſhip before it, for if in wearing, any of theſe enor⯑mous ſeas had broken on her ſide, it would inevitably have carried away all before it. After ſome time, however, it became more moderate, and we then got up our yards and made ſail, ſteering N. by W.; and now the men having been up all night, and being wet to the ſkin, I ordered every one of them a dram.

By the next morning, the 2d of May,day Saturday 2 the wind came again to the N. W. and N. N. W. but by this time we had got down the broken mizen gaff, repaired it as well as we could, got it up again in its place, and bent the ſail to it; but we now moſt ſenſibly felt the want of a forge and iron.

On the 3d,day Sunday 3 at day-break, we found the rudder-chain broken, and upon this occaſion we again moſt feelingly re⯑gretted the want of a forge; we made, however, the beſt ſhift we could,day Monday 4 and the next day, the weather being more moderate, though the wind was ſtill contrary, we repaired our rigging, and the carpenters fixed a new dead eye where the old one had been broken; the ſail-maker alſo was buſy in mending the ſails that had been ſplit.

On the 5th,day Tueſday 5 we were again brought under our courſes by a hurricane from the N. by W. and N. N. W. and the ſhip was toſſed about with ſuch violence that we had no command of her. During this ſtorm, two of our chain-plates were broken, and we continued toiling in a confuſed hollow ſea till midnight, when a light gale ſprung up at N. W. which ſoon blew very hard; day Wedneſ. 6 but at two in the morning, we were again taken right ahead by a ſudden and violent ſquall at [541] weſt, which at once threw all our ſails aback,day Wedneſ. 6 and before we could get the ſhip round, was very near carrying all by the board. With this gale we ſtood north, and in the forenoon the carpenters fixed new chain-plates to the main ſhrouds, and one to the fore ſhrouds, in the place of thoſe which had been broken in the ſquall during the night. This was an⯑other occaſion on which it was impoſſible not to regret the want of a forge and iron.

The gale continued in this direction till eight in the morn⯑ing of the 7th,day Thurſday 7 when it returned to the N. W. with unſettled weather. On the 8th, it came to ſouth,day Friday 8 and this was a fine day, the firſt we had ſeen after our leaving the Streight of Magellan. Our latitude at noon was 36° 39′ S., and we were about five degrees to the weſtward of Cape Pillar.day Saturday 9 day Sunday 10 The next day we made the iſland of Maſafuero, and on the 10th, the iſland of Juan Fernandes: in the afternoon we got cloſe to the eaſtermoſt part of it, and ſoon after hauled round the north end, and opened Cumberland Bay. As I did not know that the Spaniards had fortified this iſland, I was greatly ſurprized to ſee a conſiderable number of men about the beach, with a houſe and four pieces of cannon near the water-ſide, and a fort about three hundred yards farther from the ſea, juſt upon the riſing of the hill, with Spaniſh colours flying on the top of it. This fort, which is faced with ſtone, has eighteen or twenty embraſures, and within it a long houſe, which I ſuppoſed to be barracks for the gar⯑riſon: five and twenty or thirty houſes of different kinds are ſcattered round it, and we ſaw much cattle feeding on the brow of the hills, which ſeemed to be cultivated, as many ſpots were divided by encloſures from each other; we ſaw alſo two large boats lying on the beach. The guſts of wind which came right out of this bay, prevented my going ſo near as I intended, for they were ſo violent as to oblige us [542] many times to let fly our top-ſail ſheets,day Sunday 10 though the ſails were cloſe reefed; and I think it is impoſſible to work a ſhip into this bay when the wind blows hard from the ſouth⯑ward. As we ſtood croſs the bay to the weſtward, one of the boats put off from the ſhore, and rowed towards us; but perceiving that the guſts, or flaws, made us lie at a con⯑ſiderable diſtance from the land, ſhe went in again. We then opened Weſt Bay, on the eaſt part of which, cloſe to the ſea ſide, is a ſmall houſe, which I took for a guard-houſe, and two pieces of cannon mounted upon their carriages, without any works about them. We now wore, and ſtood again for Cumberland Bay, but as ſoon as we opened it, the boat again put off, and made towards us: as the hard guſts would not permit us to come any nearer to the land than before, we ſtood along it to the eaſtward, the boat ſtill making after us till ſhe was very far out of the bay: at length it grew dark, and we loſt ſight of her, upon which we made all the ſail we could to the eaſtward.

During all this time I hoiſted no colours, having none but Engliſh on board, which at this time I did not think it proper to ſhew.

As I was diſappointed of wood and water at this place, and of the refreſhments, of which, after the dangers and fatigue of our voyage through the Streight, and our paſſage from it,day Tueſday 12 we ſtood in the moſt preſſing need, I made all the ſail I could for the iſland of Maſafuero. On the 12th of May we arrived off the ſouth eaſtermoſt part of it, but it blowing hard, with a great ſea, we did not dare to come near it on this ſide, and therefore went round to the weſt ſide, where, in the evening, we caſt anchor upon an excellent bank, ſit to receive a fleet of ſhips, which, in the ſummer, might ride here with great advantage. I ſent out both the boats to en⯑deavour [543] to get ſome water,day Tueſday 12 but they found it impoſſible to land, for the beach is rocky, and the ſurf at this time was ſo great, that the ſwimmers could not get through the breakers: this was the more mortifying, as we ſaw a fine run of freſh water from the ſhip, with plenty of trees ſit for fire-wood, and a great number of goats upon the hills.

The next morning, as ſoon as it was light,day Wedneſ. 13 I ſent the boats out again, to examine any place where they could get on ſhore. They returned with a few caſks of water, which they had filled at a ſmall rill, and reported, that the wind being at S. E. blew ſo ſtrong on the eaſt ſide of the iſland, and raiſed ſo great a ſea, that they could not come near the ſhore.

We continued here till the 15th, at day-break, and then,day Friday 15 the weather becoming more moderate, we weighed, and in the evening, juſt at ſun-ſet, we anchored on the eaſt ſide of the iſland, in the ſame place where Commodore Byron had anchored about two years before. We loſt no time, but immediately got off fifteen caſks of water, and ſent a num⯑ber of men on ſhore with others, that were empty, to be filled againſt the next morning, and a ſtrong party to cut wood:day Saturday 16 but it happened that about two o'clock in the morning a hard gale of wind came on from the N. W. with violent guſts from the ſhore, which drove us off the bank, though we had two anchors ahead, which were in the utmoſt danger of being loſt; we got them up, however, with great difficulty, and immediately ſet the ſails, and worked under the lee of the iſland, keeping as near the ſhore as we could; the weather ſoon afterwards became more moderate, ſo that we could carry double reefed top-ſails; we had alſo very ſmooth water, yet we could not make the ſhip tack, and were forced to wear her every time we wanted to go about.

[544]At day-break,day Saturday 16 though we were at a good diſtance from the ſhore, I ſent the cutter to get off a load of water, before the ſurf ſhould be ſo great upon the beach as to prevent her landing. About ten o'clock, the wind came to the N. N. E. which enabled us to get within a little diſtance of the water⯑ing-place, and we might have recovered our anchoring ground upon the bank from which we had been driven, but the weather had ſo bad an appearance, and the gale freſhened ſo faſt, that we did not think it prudent to venture: we brought to, however, as near the ſhore as poſſible, for the advantage of ſmooth water to unload the cutter, which ſoon after came along-ſide with twelve caſks of water. As ſoon as we had taken theſe on board, I ſent the cutter again for another freight, and as we were at a very little diſtance from land, I ventured to ſend our long-boat, a clumſey, heavy, four-oared veſſel, with proviſions for the people on ſhore, and orders to bring back a load of water, if ſhe could get it: as ſoon as theſe boats were diſpatched, we made a tack off to keep our ground. At noon it blew hard, with heavy rain and thick weather, and at one, as we were ſtanding in again, we ſaw the boats running along the ſhore, for the lee part of the iſland, this ſide being open to the wind; we therefore followed them, and brought to as near the ſhore as poſſible, to favour their coming on board: they preſently made toward us, and we hoiſted them in, but the ſea was now riſen ſo high, that in going it they received conſiderable damage, and we ſoon learnt that they found the ſurf ſo great as not to be able even to land their empty water caſks. We continued to lie to, under a balanced mizen, off the lee part or the iſland all the afternoon, and although all hands had been conſtantly employed ever ſince the ſhip had been driven off her anchoring ground, the carpenters worked all night in repairing the boats.

[545]At four o'clock in the morning, the iſland bore weſt of us,day Sunday 17 being four leagues diſtant, and right to windward: we had now a fine gale and ſmooth water, and about ten o'clock we fetched very near to the ſouth part of it, and with the help of the boat made the ſhip tack. As it was not probable that with ſuch a veſſel we could regain the anchoring-ground, I took advantage of our being ſo near the ſhore, though at a good diſtance from the watering-place, to ſend the cutter for another load. In the mean time I ſtood on and off with the ſhip, and about four o'clock in the after⯑noon the cutter brought her freight of water on board. I enquired of the Lieutenant after the people on ſhore, and he told me, that the violent rain which had fallen in the night, had ſuddenly brought down ſuch torrents of water through the hollow or gully where they had taken up their ſtation, that they were in the utmoſt danger of being ſwept away before it, and though with great difficulty they ſaved them⯑ſelves, ſeveral of the caſks were intirely loſt. It was now too late for the boat to make another turn to the place where we had hitherto got our water; but Mr. Eraſmus Gower, the Lieutenant, whoſe diligence and ability in all our dangers and diſtreſs I cannot ſufficiently commend, having, as he returned with the cutter, obſerved that many runs of water had been made by the night's rain, on that part of the iſland which was neareſt to us, and knowing how impatient I was of delay, offered to go thither with the boat, and fill as many caſks as ſhe could bring back. I gladly accepted this offer, Mr. Gower went away in the boat, and in the mean time I made a tack off with the ſhip; but before they had been gone an hour, the weather began to grow gloomy, and the wind to freſhen, a heavy black cloud at the ſame time ſettled over the iſland ſo as to hide the tops of the hills, and ſoon after it began to thunder and lighten at a dreadful [546] rate:day Sunday 17 as theſe appearances were very threatening, I ſtood in again towards the iſland in hopes of meeting with the boat; but though we ran in as cloſe as we durſt, we ſaw nothing of her. In the mean time night came on, which the thick⯑neſs of the weather rendered extremely dark, the gale in⯑creaſed, and it began to rain with great violence: in this ſituation I lay to under a balanced mizen, firing guns, and burning falſe fires, as a guide to the boat; and not being able to account for her delay, I ſuffered the moſt diſtreſsful anxiety, and had indeed but too much reaſon to fear that ſhe was loſt. About ſeven o'clock, however, to my un⯑ſpeakable ſatisfaction ſhe came ſafe alongſide, and as I had long ſeen a ſtorm gathering, which I expected every mo⯑ment to burſt upon us, we got her in with all poſſible expe⯑dition. It was indeed happy for us all that no time was loſt, for before ſhe could be got into her place, the ſquall came on, which in a moment laid the ſhip down in a ſurpriſing manner, and broke the mizen gaff juſt where the ſail was reefed; ſo that if another minute had paſſed before the boat had been got in, we muſt inevitably have loſt her, and every ſoul on board would have periſhed. This wind and wea⯑ther continued till midnight, when it became ſomewhat more moderate, ſo that we were able to ſet our courſes and top-ſails. In the mean time I had enquired of Mr. Gower how it came to be ſo long before he returned to the ſhip, and he told me, that after he had got to the place where he intended to fill the caſks, three of the boat's crew had ſwum aſhore with them for that purpoſe; but that within a few minutes, the ſurf had riſen ſo high, and broke with ſuch fury on the ſhore, that it was impoſſible for them to get back to the boat: that being unwilling to leave them behind, eſpecially as they were ſtark naked, he had waited in hopes that an opportunity might be found for their coming on [547] board; day Sunday 17 but that being intimidated by the appearance of the weather, and the uncommon darkneſs of the night, he had at laſt, with whatever reluctance, been obliged to come on board without them. The ſituation of theſe poor fellows now furniſhed another ſubject of ſolicitude and anxiety; they were naked, upon a deſolate iſland, at a great diſtance from the watering-place where their ſhip-mates had a tent, without food, and without ſhelter, in a night of violent and inceſſant rain, with ſuch thunder and lightning as in Europe is altogether unknown. In the evening of the 19th, how⯑ever, I had the ſatisfaction to receive them on board, and to hear an account of their adventures from their own lips. As long as it was light they flattered themſelves, like their friends in the boat, that they ſhould find an opportunity to return on board her; but afterwards when the darkneſs of the night was broken only by the flaſhes of lightning, and the tempeſt became every moment more violent, they knew that to reach the boat was impoſſible, if it ſtill remained in its ſtation; and that moſt probably the people on board had provided for their own ſafety, by returning on board the ſhip: to reach the tent of their ſhip-mates, during the dark⯑neſs and tempeſt, was equally beyond their power, and they were reduced to the neceſſity of paſſing ſuch a night, in ſuch a place, without the leaſt defence againſt either the rain or the cold, which now began to be ſeverely felt. Ne⯑ceſſity is ſaid to be ingenious, and they contrived to pro⯑cure a temporary ſuccedaneum both for apparel and a ſhed, by lying one upon another, each man alternately placing himſelf between the other two; in this ſituation it may eaſily be believed that they longed moſt ardently for the dawn, and as ſoon as it appeared they ſet out for the tent: they were obliged however to make their way along the ſea ſhore, for the inland country was impaſſable; nor was this the worſt, [548] for they were frequently ſtopped by high ſteep bluff points,day Sunday 17 which they were obliged to ſwim round at a conſiderable diſtance, for if they had not taken a compaſs, they would have been daſhed to pieces againſt the rocks by the ſurf, and as it was, they were every moment in danger of being devoured by a ſhark. About ten o'clock in the morning, however, they reached the tents, almoſt periſhed with hun⯑ger and cold, and were received with equal ſurpriſe and joy by their ſhip-mates, who immediately ſhared with them ſuch proviſions and clothes as they had. When they came on board, I gave orders that they ſhould have ſuch refreſh⯑ments as were proper, and remain in their hammocks the whole night. The next day they were as hearty as if no⯑thing had happened, nor did they ſuffer any farther incon⯑venience from the accident. Theſe were three of the honeſt fellows who had ſwum naked from the ſhip at the iſland of Madeira to get a ſkinful of liquor. I now return to my nar⯑rative in the order of time.

On the 18th,day Monday 18 the weather was moderate, and in the even⯑ing we were within half a mile of the anchoring-ground from which we had been driven; but the wind ſuddenly failing, and a current making againſt us, we could not reach it: we took advantage however of being ſo near the waterer's tent to ſend a boat on ſhore to enquire after the three men whoſe adventure has been juſt related, and ſoon after ſhe brought them on board. The carpenters were all this time employed in making a new mizen-gaff, out of a gib-boom, and in the mean while we were obliged to make ſhift with the old one, keeping the ſail balanced. It conti⯑nued a ſtark calm all the night,day Tueſday 19 ſo that in the morning we found the current and the ſwell had driven us no leſs than nine miles from the land: the weather however being good, [549] I ſent the cutter for a load of water,day Tueſday 19 which ſhe brought on board about one o'clock. Soon after a breeze ſprung up at N. N. W. and as we now approached the land very faſt, I ſent the boat on ſhore again for water; it happened however that before we could reach our anchoring-ground, it again fell calm, and we were again kept off by the current: the boat in the mean time, as ſhe rowed along the ſhore, caught as much fiſh with hook and line as ſerved all the ſhip's company, which was ſome alleviation of our diſappointment. At eight o'clock in the evening, it began again to blow hard with ſudden ſqualls, ſo that we paſſed another toil⯑ſome and dangerous night. In the morning,day Wedneſ. 20 having a ſtiff gale at N. W. we made towards our anchoring-ground with all the ſail we could ſpread, and happily regained it about four o'clock in the afternoon, when we anchored, at two cables' length from the beach, in eighteen fathom, with a bottom of fine ſand, and moored with a ſmall anchor in ſhore. By the time the ſhip was properly ſecured, it was too late to proceed with our watering; the long-boat however was ſent along the ſhore to fiſh, and though before ſeven o'clock it blew ſo hard that ſhe was obliged to return, ſhe brought fiſh enough on board to ſerve all the people. In the night we had foul weather, with hard ſqualls and much rain; and in the morning,day Thurſday 21 the wind blowing with great violence along the ſhore, we frequently drove, though we had not leſs than two hundred fathom of cable out; for the bank is a looſe fine ſand that eaſily gives way. We rode out the ſtorm however without damage, but the rain was ſo vio⯑lent, and the ſea ran ſo high, that nothing could be done with the boats, which was the more mortifying as it was for the ſake of completing our watering that we had en⯑dured almoſt inceſſant labour far five days and nights to re⯑gain the ſituation in which we now lay. About eight in the [550] evening,day Thurſday 21 the wind became more moderate, and though it was then too late to fetch off any water, we got out one of the boats, and ſent three men on ſhore, right abreaſt of the ſhip, to kill ſeals, and make oil of their fat, for burning in lamps and other uſes on board the ſhip.

The wind blew very hard the next morning,day Friday 22 as it had done all night, but being at W. N. W. which was off the land, we ſent the boats away ſoon after it was light, and about ten, they returned with each of them a load of water, and a great number of pintado birds: theſe birds they got from the people on ſhore, who told them, that when a gale of wind happened in the night they flew faſter into their fire than they could well take them out, ſo that during the gale of the laſt night, they got no leſs than ſeven hundred of them. The boats were employed in getting water on board all this day, although the ſurf was ſo great that ſeve⯑ral of the caſks were ſtaved and loſt: they were ſent out again a little before it was light the next day,day Saturday 23 and by ſeven o'clock a few caſks only were wanting to complete our ſtock. The threatening appearances of the weather made me now very impatient to get the people on board, with the caſks that were ſtill at the watering-place; as ſoon therefore as the boats were cleared of their loading, I diſpatched them again, with orders to bring off all the hands, with the tent, and every thing elſe that was on ſhore, with all poſſible expedition. From this time the wind increaſed, very faſt, and by eleven o'clock it blew ſo hard, with violent guſts from the land, that the ſhip began to drive off the bank: we heaved the ſmall anchor up, and got it in out of the way of the other; the gale ſtill increaſed, but as it was right off the land, I was in no pain about the ſhip, which continued to drive, ſtill dragging the an⯑chor through the ſand, with two hundred fathom of cable [551] out; day Saturday 23 for being very ſolicitous to give the boats time to bring all on board before we were quite off the bank, I would not weigh. At two o'clock, however, the anchor was quite off the ground, and the ſhip was in deep water; we were now therefore obliged to bring the cable to the capſtern, and with great difficulty we got the anchor up. The guſts off the land were ſo violent that, not daring to ſhow any canvas, we lay to under our bare poles, and the water was frequently torn up, and whirled round in the air much higher than our maſts heads. As the ſhip now drove from the iſland at a great rate, and night was coming on, I began to be in great pain for the boats, in which, beſides my Lieutenant, there were eight and twenty of my beſt men; but juſt in the duſk of the evening, I perceived one of them ſcud⯑ding before the ſeas and making towards the ſhip: this proved to be the longboat, which in ſpight of all the efforts of thoſe on board, had been forced from her grappling, and driven off the land. We took the beſt opportunity that of⯑fered to get her on board, but notwithſtanding all our care, ſhe received conſiderable damage as we were hoiſting her in. She had on board ten of my people, who informed me, that when they were firſt driven from the ſhore, they had ſome fire wood on board, but that they were obliged to throw that, and every thing elſe, into the ſea, to lighten the boat. As we had yet ſeen nothing of the cutter, and had reaſon to fear that ſhe alſo, with the tents, and the other eighteen people, beſides the Lieutenant, had been driven off the iſland, I gave her up for loſt; knowing that if the night, which was now at hand, ſhould overtake her in ſuch a ſtorm ſhe muſt inevitably periſh. It was however poſſible that the people might be aſhore, and therefore that if the boat ſhould be loſt, they might ſtill be preſerved; for this reaſon, I determined to regain the land as ſoon as poſſible. At mid⯑night, [552] the weather became more moderate,day Sunday 24 ſo that we could carry our courſes and topſails, and at four o'clock in the morning we crowded all the ſail we could make. At ten o'clock, we were very near the ſhore; to our great concern, we ſaw nothing of the cutter, yet we continued to ſtand on till about noon, when we happily diſcovered her at a grap⯑pling, cloſe under the land: we immediately ran to our glaſſes, by the help of which we ſaw the people getting into her, and about three o'clock, to our mutual and inexpreſ⯑ſible joy, ſhe came ſafe on board with all her people: they were however ſo exhauſted with fatigue, that they could ſcarcely get up the ſhip's ſide. The Lieutenant told me, that the night before he had attempted to come off, but that as ſoon as he had left the ſhore, a ſudden ſquall ſo nearly filled the boat with water that ſhe was very near going to the bottom; but that all hands bailing with the utmoſt dili⯑gence and activity, they happily cleared her: that he then made for the land again, which, with the utmoſt difficulty, he regained, and having left a ſufficient number on board the boat, to watch her, and keep her free from water, he with the reſt of the people went on ſhore. That having paſſed the night in a ſtate of inexpreſſible anxiety and diſ⯑treſs, they looked out for the ſhip with the firſt dawn of the morning, and ſeeing nothing of her, concluded that ſhe had periſhed in the ſtorm, which they had never ſeen exceeded. They did not however ſit down torpid in deſpair, but began immediately to clear the ground near the beach of bruſhes and weeds, and cut down ſeveral trees of which they made rollers to aſſiſt them in hauling up the boat, in order to ſe⯑cure her; intending, as they had no hope of the ſhip's re⯑turn, to wait till the ſummer ſeaſon, and then attempt to make the iſland of Juan Fernandes. They had now better hopes, and all ſenſe of the dangers that were before us []

[553] was for a while obliterated by the joy of our eſcape from thoſe that were paſt.

From the 16th, when we were firſt driven from our an⯑choring ground, to this time, we ſuffered an uninterrupted ſeries of danger, fatigue, and misfortunes. The ſhip worked and ſailed very ill, the weather was dark and tempeſtuous, with thunder, lightning, and rain, and the boats, which I was obliged to keep always employed, even when we were under ſail, to procure us water, were in continual danger of being loſt, as well by the hard gales which conſtantly blew, as by the ſudden guſts which frequently ruſhed upon us with a violence that is ſcarcely to be conceived. This diſtreſs was the more ſevere as it was unexpected, for I had expe⯑rienced very different weather in theſe parts about two years before with Commodore Byron. It has generally been thought, that upon this coaſt the winds are conſtantly from the S. to the S. W. though Frazier mentions his having had ſtrong gales and high ſeas from the N. N. W. and N. W. quarter, which was unhappily my caſe.

Having once more got my people and boats ſafe on board, I made ſail from this turbulent climate, and thought myſelf fortunate not to have left any thing behind me except the wood, which our people had cut for firing.

The iſland of Maſafuero lies in latitude 33° 45′ S., longitude 80° 46′ W. of London. Its ſituation is weſt of Juan Fernandes, both being nearly in the ſame latitude, and by the globe, it is diſtant about thirty-one leagues. It is very high and moun⯑tainous, and at a diſtance appears like one hill or rock: it is of a triangular form, and about ſeven or eight leagues in cir⯑cumference. The ſouth part, which we ſaw when we firſt made the iſland, at the diſtance of three and twenty leagues, [554] is much the higheſt: on the north end there are ſeveral ſpots of clear ground, which perhaps might admit of cultivation.

The author of the account of Lord Anſon's voyage men⯑tions only one part of this iſland as affording anchorage, which is on the north ſide, and in deep water, but we ſaw no part where there was not anchorage: on the weſt ſide in particular there is anchorage at about a mile from the ſhore in twenty fathom, and at about two miles and a half in forty, and forty-five fathom, with a fine black ſand at the bottom. This author alſo ſays, that "there is a reef of rocks running off the eaſtern point of the iſland about two miles in length, which may be ſeen by the ſea's breaking over them;" but in this he is miſtaken, there is no reef of rocks, or ſhoal running off the eaſtern point, but there is a reef of rocks and ſand running off the weſtern ſide, near the ſouth end of it. He is alſo miſtaken as to the diſtance of this iſland from Juan Fernandes, and its direction, for he ſays the diſtance is twenty-two leagues, and the direction W. by S., but we found the diſtance nearly one-third more, and the direction is due weſt, for, as I have before obſerved, the latitude of both iſlands is nearly the ſame. The goats that he mentions we found upon it in the ſame abundance, and equally eaſy to be caught.

On the ſouth weſt point of the iſland there is a remarkable rock, with a hole in it, which is a good mark to come to an anchor on the weſtern ſide, where there is the beſt bank of any about the place. About a mile and a half to the north⯑ward of this hole, there is a low point of land, and from this point runs the reef that has been juſt mentioned, in the di⯑rection of W. by S. to the diſtance of about three quarters of a mile, where the ſea continually breaks upon it. To an⯑chor, [555] run in till the hole in the rock is ſhut in, about a cable's length upon this low point of land, then bearing S. by E. ½ E. and anchor in twenty and twenty-two fathom, fine black ſand and ſhells: there is anchorage alſo at ſeveral places on the other ſides of the iſland, particularly off the north point, in fourteen and fifteen fathom, with fine ſand.

There is plenty of wood and water all round the iſland, but they are not to be procured without much difficulty, a great quantity of ſtones, and large fragments of the rock have fallen from the high land all round the iſland, and upon theſe there breaks ſuch a ſurf that a boat cannot ſafely come within a cable's length of the ſhore; there is therefore no landing here but by ſwimming from the boat, and then mooring her without the rocks, nor is there any method of getting off the wood and water but by hauling them to the boat with ropes: there are however many places where it would be very eaſy to make a commodious landing by build⯑ing a wharf, which it would be worth while even for a ſingle ſhip to do if ſhe was to continue any time at the iſland.

This part of Maſafuero is a very good place for refreſh⯑ment, eſpecially in the ſummer ſeaſon: the goats have been mentioned already, and there is all round the iſland ſuch plenty of fiſh, that a boat may, with three hooks and lines, catch as much as will ſerve an hundred people: among others we caught excellent coal fiſh, cavallies, cod, hallibut, and crayfiſh. We took a king-fiſher that weighed eighty-ſeven pounds, and was five feet and an half long, and the ſharks were ſo ravenous, that when we were ſounding one of them ſwallowed the lead, by which we hauled him above water, but as he then diſgorged it, we loſt him. The ſeals were ſo numerous, that I verily think if many thouſands of [556] them were killed in a night, they would not be miſſed in the morning: we were obliged to kill great numbers of them, as, when we walked the ſhore, they were continually running againſt us, making at the ſame time a moſt hor⯑rible noiſe. Theſe animals yield excellent train oil, and their hearts and plucks are very good eating, being in taſte ſomething like thoſe of a hog, and their ſkins are covered with the fineſt fur I ever ſaw of the kind. There are many birds here, and among others ſome very large hawks. Of the pintado birds, our people, as I have before obſerved, caught no leſs than ſeven hundred in one night. We had not much opportunity to examine the place for vegetable productions, but we ſaw ſeveral leaves of the mountain cab⯑bage, which is a proof that the tree grows here.

CHAP. III. The Paſſage from Maſafuero to Queen Charlotte's IſIands; ſeveral Miſtakes corrected concerning Davis's Land, and an Account of ſome ſmall Iſlands, ſuppoſed to be the ſame that were ſeen by Quiros.

WHEN we took our departure from Maſafuero, we had a great ſea from the N. W. with a ſwell of long billows from the ſouthward, and the wind, which was from the S. W. to the W. N. W. obliged me to ſtand to the north⯑ward, in hope of getting the ſouth eaſt trade-wind, for the ſhip was ſo dull a ſailer, that there was no making her go without a ſtrong wind in her favour. Having thus run farther to the northward than at firſt I intended, and finding myſelf not far from the parallel of latitude which has been aſſigned to two iſlands called Saint Ambroſe, and Saint Felix or Saint Paul, I thought I ſhould perform an acceptable ſer⯑vice by examining if they were fit for ſhipping to refreſh at, eſpecially as the Spaniards having fortified Juan Fernandes, they might be found convenient for Great Britain, if ſhe ſhould hereafter be engaged in a Spaniſh war. Theſe iſlands are laid down in Green's charts, which were publiſhed in the year 1753, from latitude 26° 20′, to 27° S. and from 1° ¼ to 2° ½ W. of Maſafuero; I therefore hauled up with a deſign to keep in that latitude, but ſoon afterwards conſulting Robert⯑ſon's Elements of Navigation, I found the iſland of Saint Ambroſe there laid down in latitude 25° 30′ S., and 82° 20″ longitude weſt of London, and ſuppoſing that iſlands of ſo [558] ſmall an extent, might be laid down with more exactneſs in this work than in the chart, I bore away more northward for that latitude; the event, however, proved that I ſhould not have truſted him ſo far: I miſſed the iſlands, and as I ſaw great numbers of birds and fiſh, which are certain indica⯑tions of land not far off, there is the greateſt reaſon to con⯑clude that I went to the northward of them. I am ſorry to ſay that upon a farther examination of Robertſon's tables of latitudes and longitudes, I found them erroneous in many particulars: this cenſure, however, if I had not thought it neceſſary to prevent future miſchief, ſhould have been ſup⯑preſſed.

Upon examining the account that is given by Wafer, who was Surgeon on board Captain Davis's ſhip, I think it is pro⯑bable that theſe two iſlands are the land that Davis fell in with in his way to the ſouthward from the Gallapago iſlands, and that the land laid down in all the ſea charts under the name of Davis's Land, has no exiſtence, notwithſtanding what is ſaid in the account of Roggewein's voyage, which was made in 1722, of land that they called Eaſtern Iſland, which ſome have imagined to be a confirmation of Davis's diſcovery, and the ſame land to which his name has been given.

It is manifeſt from Wafer's narrative, that little credit is due to the account kept on board Davis's ſhip, except with reſpect to the latitude, for he acknowledges that they had like to have periſhed by their making an allowance for the variation of the needle weſtward, inſtead of eaſtward: he tells us alſo that they ſteered S. by E. ½ E. from the Gallapa⯑gos, till they made land in latitude 27° 20′ S. but it is evident that ſuch a courſe would carry them not to the weſtward but to the eaſtward of the Gallapagos, and ſet them at about the [559] diſtance of two hundred leagues from Capiapo, and not five hundred leagues as he has alleged, for the variation here is not more than half a point to the eaſtward now, and it muſt have been ſtill leſs then, it having been increaſing to the eaſtward on all this coaſt. The courſe that Davis ſteered therefore, if the diſtance between the iſlands of St. Ambroſe and St. Felix, and the Gallapagos, as laid down in all our ſea charts, is right, muſt have brought him within ſight of St. Ambroſe and St. Felix, when he had run the diſtance he mentions. The truth is, that if there had been any ſuch place as Davis's Land in the ſituation which has been allotted to it in our ſea charts, I muſt have ſailed over it, or at leaſt have ſeen it, as will appear in the courſe of this narrative.

I kept between the latitude 25° 50′ and 25° 30′, in ſearch of the iſlands I intended to examine, till I got five degrees to the weſtward of our departure, and then ſeeing no land, and the birds having left us, I hauled more to the ſouthward, and got into latitude 27° 20′ S. where I continued till we got between ſeventeen and eighteen degrees to the weſtward of our departure. In this parallel we had light airs and ſoul winds, with a ſtrong northerly current, which made me conjecture that we were near this Davis's Land, for which we looked out with great diligence, but a fair wind ſpringing up again, we ſteered weſt by ſouth, which gradually brought us into the latitude of 28° ½ S. ſo that it is evident I muſt have ſailed over this land, or at leaſt have ſeen it if there had been any ſuch place. I afterwards kept in the la⯑titude of 28° for forty degrees to the weſtward of my depar⯑ture, or, according to my account, 121 degrees weſt of London, this being the higheſt ſouth latitude the winds and weather would permit me to keep, ſo that I muſt have gone to the ſouthward of the ſituation aſſigned to the ſuppoſed con⯑tinent called Davis's Land in all our charts.

[560]We continued our ſearch till Wedneſday the 17th of June,month June day Wedneſ. 17 when, in latitude 28° S., longitude 112° W. we ſaw many ſea birds, which flew in flocks, and ſome rock weed, which made me conjecture that we were approaching, or had paſſed by ſome land. At this time the wind blew hard from the northward, which made a great ſea, but we had notwith⯑ſtanding long rolling billows from the ſouthward, ſo that whatever land was in that quarter, could be only ſmall rocky iſlands; and I am inclined to believe that if there was land at all it was to the northward, poſſibly it might be Roggewein's eaſtern iſland, which he has placed in latitude 27° S. and which ſome geographers have ſuppoſed to be about ſeven hundred leagues diſtant from the continent of South America, if indeed any credit is to be given to his account.

It was now the depth of winter in theſe parts, and we had hard gales and high ſeas that frequently brought us under our courſes and low ſails: the winds were alſo variable, and though we were near the tropic, the weather was dark, hazey, and cold, with frequent thunder and lightning, ſleet and rain. The ſun was above the horizon about ten hours in the four and twenty, but we frequently paſſed many days together without ſeeing him; and the weather was ſo thick, that when he was below the horizon the darkneſs was dreadful: the gloomineſs of the weather was indeed not only a diſagreeable but a moſt dangerous cir⯑cumſtance, as we were often long without being able to make an obſervation, and were, notwithſtanding, obliged to carry all the ſail we could ſpread, day and night, our ſhip being ſo bad a ſailer, and our voyage ſo long, to prevent our periſhing by hunger, which, with all its concomitant horrors, would otherwiſe be inevitable.

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[561]We continued our courſe weſtward till the evening of Thurſday the 2d of July,month July day Thurſday 2 when we diſcovered land to the northward of us. Upon approaching it the next day, it ap⯑peared like a great rock riſing out of the ſea: it was not more than five miles in circumference, and ſeemed to be unin⯑habited; it was, however, covered with trees, and we ſaw a ſmall ſtream of freſh water running down one ſide of it. I would have landed upon it, but the ſurf, which at this ſeaſon broke upon it with great violence, rendered it im⯑poſſible. I got ſoundings on the weſt ſide of it, at ſomewhat leſs than a mile from the ſhore, in twenty-five fathom, with a bottom of coral and ſand; and it is probable that in fine ſummer weather landing here may not only be practicable but eaſy. We ſaw a great number of ſea birds hovering about it, at ſomewhat leſs than a mile from the ſhore, and the ſea here ſeemed to have fiſh. It lies in latitude 20° 2′ S., longitude 133° 21′ W. and about a thouſand leagues to the weſtward of the continent of America. It is ſo high that we ſaw it at the diſtance of more than fifteen leagues, and it having been diſcovered by a young gentleman, ſon to Ma⯑jor Pitcairn of the marines, who was unfortunately loſt in the Aurora, we called it PITCAIRN's ISLAND.place Pitcairn's Island

While we were in the neighbourhood of this iſland, the weather was extremely tempeſtuous, with long rolling bil⯑lows from the ſouthward, larger and higher than any I had ſeen before. The winds were variable, but blew chiefly from the S. S. W. W. and W. N. W. We had very ſeldom a gale to the eaſtward, ſo that we were prevented from keep⯑ing in a high ſouth latitude, and were continually driving to the northward.

On the 4th,day Saturday 4 we found that the ſhip made a good deal of water, for having been ſo long labouring in high [562] and turbulent ſeas,day Saturday 4 ſhe was become very crazy; our ſails alſo being much worn, were continually ſplitting, ſo that it was become neceſſary to keep the ſail-maker conſtantly at work. The people had hitherto enjoyed good health, but they now began to be affected with the ſcurvy. While we were in the Streight of Magellan, I cauſed a little awning to be made, which I covered with a clean painted canvas, that had been allowed me for a floor-cloth to my cabbin, and with this we caught ſo much rain water, with but little trouble or attendance, that the people were never put to a ſhort allowance of this important article: the awning alſo afforded ſhelter from the inclemency of the weather, and to theſe precautions I imputed our having eſcaped the ſcurvy ſo long, though perhaps it was in ſome meaſure owing to the mixture of ſpirit of vitriol with the water that was thus pre⯑ſerved, our Surgeon putting a ſmall quantity into every caſk when it was filled up.

On Saturday the 11th,day Saturday 11 we diſcovered a ſmall, low, flat iſland, which appeared to be almoſt level with the water's edge, and was covered with green trees: as it was to the ſouth, and directly to windward of us, we could not fetch it. It lies in latitude 22° S., and longitude 141° 34′ W.; and we called it the BISHOP OF OSNABURGH's ISLAND,place Oſnaburgh Iſland in honour of his Majeſty's ſecond ſon^*.

On the 12th,day Sunday 12 we fell in with two more ſmall iſlands, which were covered with green trees, but appeared to be un⯑inhabited. We were cloſe in with the ſouthermoſt, which proved to be a ſlip of land in the form of a half moon, low, flat, and ſandy: from the ſouth end of it a reef runs out to the diſtance of about half a mile, on which the ſea breaks [563] with great fury. We found no anchorage,day Sunday 12 but the boat landed. It had a pleaſant appearance, but afforded neither vegetables nor water; there were however many birds upon it, ſo tame that they ſuffered themſelves to be taken by hand. The other iſland very much reſembles this, and is diſtant from it about five or ſix leagues: they lie W. N. W. and E. S. E. of each other. One of them is in latitude 20° 38′ S., longitude 146° W.; the other 20° 34′ S., longitude 146° 15′ W. and we called them the DUKE OF GLOUCESTER's ISLANDS; place Duke of Glouceſter's Iſlands the variation here is five degrees eaſt. Theſe iſlands are probably the land ſeen by Quiros, as the ſituation is nearly the ſame; but if not, the land he ſaw could not be more conſiderable: whatever it was we went to the ſouth⯑ward of it, and the long billows we had here convinced us that there was no land near us in that direction. The wind here being to the eaſtward, I hauled to the ſouthward again, and the next day, Monday the 13th, in the evening,day Monday 13 as we were ſteering W. S. W. we obſerved that we loſt the long ſoutherly billows, and that we got them again at ſeven o'clock the next day. When we loſt them we were in latitude 21° 7′ S., longitude 147° 4′ W. and when we got them again we were in latitude 21° 43′ S., longitude 149° 48′ W. ſo that I ima⯑gine there was then ſome land to the ſouthward, not far diſtant.

From this time, to the 16th,day Thurſday 16 the winds were variable from N. E. round by the N. the N. W. and S. W. and blew very hard, with violent guſts, one of which was very near being fatal to us, with thick weather and hard rain. We were then in latitude 22° S., and 70° 30′ W. of our departure, where we found the variation 6° 30′ E. and the tempeſtuous gales were ſucceeded by a dead calm. After ſome time, however, the wind ſprung up again at weſt, and at length ſettled in the W. S. W. which ſoon drove us again to the northward, ſo that on the 20th we were in latitude 19° S.,day Monday 20 [564] longitude 75° 30′ W. of our departure: the variation was here 6° E.

On the 22d,day Wedneſ. 22 we were got into latitude 18° S., longitude 161° W. which was about one thouſand eight hundred leagues to the weſtward of the continent of America, and in all this track we had no indication of a continent. The men now began to be very ſickly, the ſcurvy having made great progreſs among them, and as I found that all my endea⯑vours to keep in a high ſouthern latitude at this time, were ineffectual, and that the badneſs of the weather, the vari⯑ableneſs of the winds, and above all the defects of the ſhip, rendered our progreſs ſlow, I thought it abſolutely neceſſary to fix upon that courſe which was moſt likely to preſerve the veſſel and the crew; inſtead therefore of attempting to return back by the ſouth eaſt, in which, conſidering our condition, and the advanced ſeaſon of the year, it was ſcarcely poſſible that we ſhould ſucceed, I bore away to the northward, that I might get into the trade-wind, keeping ſtill in ſuch a track as, if the charts were to be truſted, was moſt likely to bring me to ſome iſland, where the refreſhments of which we ſtood ſo much in need might be procured; intending then, if the ſhip could be put into a proper condition, to have pur⯑ſued the voyage to the ſouthward, when the fit ſeaſon ſhould return, to have attempted farther diſcoveries in this track; and, if I ſhould diſcover a continent, and procure a ſufficient ſupply of proviſions there, to keep along the coaſt to the ſouthward till the ſun had croſſed the equinoctial, and then, getting into a high ſouthern latitude, either have gone weſt about to the Cape of Good Hope, or returned to the eaſt⯑ward, and having touched at Falkland's Iſlands if ne⯑ceſſary, made the beſt of my way from thence back to Europe.

[565]When I got into latitude 16° S. and not before,day Wedneſ. 22 I found the true trade-wind; and as we proceeded to the north weſt, and the northward, we found the variation increaſe very faſt; for when we had advanced to latitude 18° 15′ S. and were in longitude 80° ¼ W. of our departure, it was 7° 30′ E. We had bad weather, with hard gales, and a great ſea from the eaſtward till the 25th,day Saturday 25 when being in latitude 12° 15′ S. we ſaw many birds flying in flocks, and ſuppoſed ourſelves to be near ſome land, particularly ſeveral iſlands that are laid down in the charts, and one which was ſeen by Com⯑modore Byron in 1765, and called the Iſland of Danger; none of theſe iſlands however could we ſee. At this time it blew ſo hard that, although we went before the wind, we were obliged to reef our topſails, and the weather was ſtill very thick and rainy. The next morning,day Sunday 26 being in latitude 10° S., longitude 167° W. we kept nearly in the ſame pa⯑rallel, in hopes to have fallen in with ſome of the iſlands called Solomon's Iſlands, this being the latitude in which the ſouthermoſt of them is laid down. We had here the trade wind ſtrong, with violent ſqualls and much rain, and con⯑tinuing our courſe till Monday the 3d of Auguſt,month Auguſt day Monday 3 we were then in latitude 10° 18′ S., longitude by account 177° ½ E.; our diſtance weſt from the continent of America about twenty-one hundred leagues, and we were five degrees to the weſtward of the ſituation of thoſe iſlands in the charts. It was not our good fortune however to fall in with any land; probably we might paſs near ſome, which the thick weather prevented our ſeeing; for in this run great num⯑bers of ſea-birds were often about the ſhip: however, as Commodore Byron in his laſt voyage ſailed over the north⯑ern limits of that part of the ocean in which the iſlands of Solomon are ſaid to lie, and as I ſailed over the ſouthern limits without ſeeing them, there is great reaſon to con⯑clude [566] that,day Monday 3 if there are any ſuch iſlands, their ſituation in all our charts is erroneouſly laid down.

From the latitude 14° S., longitude 163° 46′ W. we had a ſtrong gale from the S. E. which made a great ſea after us, and from that time I did not obſerve the long billows from the ſouthward till we got into latitude 10° 18′ S., longitude 177° 30′ E. and then it returned from the S. W. and S. S. W. and we found a current ſetting to the ſouthward, although a current in the contrary direction had attended us almoſt all the way from the Streight of Magellan; I conjectured therefore that here the paſſage opened between New Zea⯑land and New Holland. The variation here was 11° 14′ E. On the 5th,day Wedneſ. 5 being in latitude 10° ½ S., longitude 175° 44′ E.; the variation was 11° 15′ E.; day Saturday 8 and on the 8th, in latitude 11° S., longitude 171° 14′ E. it was 11° ½ E.

About this time we found our ſtock of log-lines nearly expended, though we had already converted all our fiſhing lines to the ſame uſe. I was ſome time in great perplexity how to ſupply this defect, but upon a very diligent enquiry found that we had, by chance, a few fathom of thick untarred rope. This, which in our ſituation was an ineſtimable treaſure, I ordered to be untwiſted; but as the yarns were found to be too thick for our purpoſe, it became neceſſary to pick them into oakham: and when this was done, the moſt difficult part of the work remained; for this oakham could not be ſpun into yarn, till, by combing, it was brought into hemp, its original ſtate. This was not ſeamen's work, and if it had, we ſhould have been at a loſs how to perform it for want of combs; one difficulty therefore roſe upon another, and it was neceſſary to make combs, before we could try our ſkill in making hemp. Upon this trying oc⯑caſion we were again ſenſible of the danger to which we [567] were expoſed by the want of a forge: neceſſity, however, the fruitful mother of invention, ſuggeſted an expedient. The armourer was ſet to work to file nails down to a ſmooth point, with which we produced a tolerable ſuccedaneum for a comb; and one of the Quartermaſters was found ſuf⯑ficiently ſkilled in the uſe of this inſtrument to render the oakham ſo ſmooth and even that we contrived to ſpin it into yarn, as fine as our coarſe implements would admit; and thus we made tolerable log-lines, although we found it much more difficult than to make cordage of our old cables, after they had been converted into junk, which was an ex⯑pedient that we had been obliged to practiſe long before. We had alſo long before uſed all our ſewing ſail twine, and if, knowing that the quantity with which I had been ſupplied was altogether inadequate to the wants of ſuch a voyage, I had not taken the whole quantity that had been put on board to repair the ſeine into my own cuſtody, this defi⯑ciency might have been fatal to us all.

CHAP. IV. An Account of the Diſcovery of Queen Charlotte's Iſlands, with a Deſcription of them and their Inhabitants, and of what happened at Egmont Iſland.

THE ſcurvy ſtill continued to make great progreſs among us, and thoſe hands that were not rendered uſeleſs by diſeaſe, were worn down by exceſſive labour; our veſſel, which at beſt was a dull ſailer, had been long in ſo bad a condition that ſhe would not work; and on the 10th,day Monday 10 to render our condition ſtill more diſtreſsful and alarming, ſhe ſprung a leak in the bows, which being un⯑der water it was impoſſible to get at while we were at ſea. Such was our ſituation,day Wedneſ. 12 when on the 12th, at break of day, we diſcovered land: the ſudden tranſport of hope and joy which this inſpired can perhaps be equalled only by that which a criminal feels who hears the cry of a reprieve at the place of execution. The land proved to be a cluſter of iſlands, of which I counted ſeven, and believe there were many more. We kept on for two of them, which were right ahead when land was firſt diſcovered, and ſeemed to lie cloſe together; in the evening we anchored on the north eaſt ſide of one of them, which was the largeſt and the higheſt of the two, in about thirty fathom, with a good bottom, and at the diſtance of about three cables' length from the ſhore. We ſoon after ſaw too of the natives, who were black, with woolly heads, and ſtark naked; I imme⯑diately ſent the Maſter out with the boat to fix upon a []

[569] watering-place, and ſpeak to them,day Wedneſ. 12 but they diſappeared be⯑fore ſhe could reach the ſhore. The boat ſoon after returned with an account that there was a fine run of freſh water abreaſt of the ſhip and cloſe to the beach, but that the whole country in that part being an almoſt impenetrable foreſt quite to the water's edge, the watering would be very diffi⯑cult, and even dangerous, if the natives ſhould come down to prevent it: that there were no eſculent vegetables, for the refreſhment of the ſick, nor any habitations as far as the country had been examined, which was wild, forlorn, and mountainous.

Having conſidered this account, and finding that a ſwell, which came round the eaſtern part of the bay, would ren⯑der watering troubleſome and inconvenient, excluſive of the danger that might be apprehended from the natives, if they ſhould attack us from ambuſhes in the wood, I determined to try whether a better ſituation could not be found.

The next morning, therefore, as ſoon as it was light,day Thurſday 13 I diſpatched the Maſter with fifteen men in the cutter, well armed and provided, to examine the coaſt to the weſtward, our preſent ſituation being on the lee of the iſland, for a place where we might more conveniently be ſupplied with wood and water, and at the ſame time procure ſome refreſh⯑ments for the ſick, and lay the ſhip by the ſtern to examine and ſtop the leak. I gave him ſome beads, ribbons, and other trifles, which by chance I happened to have on board, to conciliate the good-will of the natives, if he ſhould hap⯑pen to meet with any of them; but at the ſame time en⯑joined him to run no riſk, and gave him particular orders immediately to return to the ſhip if any number of canoes ſhould approach him which might bring on hoſtilities; and if he ſhould meet the Indians in ſmall parties, either at ſea [570] or upon ſhore,day Thurſday 13 to treat them with all poſſible kindneſs, ſo as to eſtabliſh a friendly intercourſe with them; charging him, on no account to leave the boat himſelf, nor to ſuffer more than two men to go on ſhore at a time, while the reſt ſtood ready for their defence; recommending to him, in the ſtrongeſt terms, an application to his duty, without regard⯑ing any other object, as the finding a proper place for the ſhip was of the utmoſt importance to us all; and conjuring him to return as ſoon as this ſervice ſhould be performed, with all poſſible ſpeed.

Soon after I had diſpatched the cutter on this expedition, I ſent the longboat with ten men on board well armed to the ſhore, who before eight o'clock brought off a tun of water. About nine, I ſent her off again, but ſoon after ſee⯑ing ſome of the natives advancing along the ſhore towards the place where the men landed, I made the ſignal for them to return, not knowing to what number they would be ex⯑poſed, and having no boat to ſend off with aſſiſtance if they ſhould be attacked.

Our men had not long returned on board, when we ſaw three of the natives ſit down under the trees abreaſt of the ſhip. As they continued there gazing at us till the afternoon, as ſoon as the cutter came in ſight, not caring that both the boats ſhould be abſent at the ſame time, I ſent my Lieute⯑nant in the longboat, with a few beads, ribbons, and trin⯑kets, to endeavour to eſtabliſh ſome kind of intercourſe with them, and by their means with the reſt of the inhabitants; theſe men, however, before the boat could reach the ſhore, quitted their ſtation, and proceeded along the beach. As the trees would ſoon prevent their being ſeen by our people who were making towards the land, we kept our eyes fixed upon them from the ſhip, and very ſoon perceived that they [571] were met by three others. After ſome converſation,day Thurſday 13 the firſt three went on, and thoſe who met them proceeded towards the boat with a haſty pace. Upon this I made the ſignal to the Lieutenant to be upon his guard, and as ſoon as he ſaw the Indians, obſerving that there were no more than three, he backed the boat in to the ſhore, and making ſigns of friendſhip, held up to them the beads and ribbons which I had given him as preſents, our people at the ſame time carefully concealing their arms. The Indians, however, taking no notice of the beads and ribbons, reſolutely advanced within bow-ſhot, and then ſuddenly diſcharged their arrows, which happily went over the boat without doing any miſchief; they did not prepare for a ſecond diſcharge, but inſtantly ran away into the woods, and our people diſcharged ſome muſquets after them, but none of them were wounded by the ſhot. Soon after this happened, the cutter came under the ſhip's ſide, and the firſt perſon that I particularly noticed was the Maſter, with three arrows ſticking in his body. No other evidence was neceſſary to convict him of having acted con⯑trary to my orders, which appeared indeed more fully from his own account of the matter, which it is reaſonable to ſuppoſe was as favourable to himſelf as he could make it. He ſaid, that having ſeen ſome Indian houſes with only five or ſix of the inhabitants, at a place about fourteen or fifteen miles to the weſtward of the ſhip's ſtation, where he had ſounded ſome bays, he came to a grappling, and veered the boat to the beach, where he landed with four men, armed with muſquets and piſtols: that the Indians at firſt were afraid of him, and retired, but that ſoon after they came down to him, and he gave them ſome beads and other trifles, with which they ſeemed to be much pleaſed: that he then made ſigns to them for ſome cocoa-nuts, which they brought him, and with great appearance of friendſhip and [572] hoſpitality,day Thurſday 13 gave him a broiled fiſh and ſome boiled yams: that he then proceeded with his party to the houſes, which, he ſaid, were not more than fifteen or twenty yards from the water ſide, and ſoon after ſaw a great number of canoes coming round the weſtern point of the bay, and many In⯑dians among the trees: that being alarmed at theſe appear⯑ances, he haſtily left the houſe where they had been re⯑ceived, and with the men, made the beſt of his way towards the boat; but that, before he could get on board, the In⯑dians attacked as well thoſe that were with him as thoſe that were in the boat, both from the canoes and the ſhore. Their number, he ſaid, was between three and four hundred; their weapons were bows and arrows, the bows were ſix feet five inches long, and the arrows four feet four, which they diſcharged in platoons, as regularly as the beſt diſciplined troops in Europe: that it being neceſſary to defend himſelf and his people when they were thus attacked, they fired among the Indians to favour their getting into their boat, and did great execution, killing many and wounding more: that they were not however diſcouraged, but continued to preſs forward, ſtill diſcharging their arrows by platoons in almoſt one continued flight: that the grappling being foul, occaſioned a delay in hauling off the boat, during which time he, and half of the boat's crew, were deſperately wounded: that at laſt they cut the rope, and ran off under their foreſail, ſtill keeping up their fire with blunderbuſſes, each loaded with eight or ten piſtol balls, which the Indians returned with their arrows, thoſe on ſhore wading after them breaſt high into the ſea: when they had got clear of theſe, the canoes purſued them with great fortitude and vigour, till one of them was ſunk, and the numbers on board the reſt greatly reduced by the fire, and then they returned to the ſhore.

[573]Such was the ſtory of the Maſter, who,day Thurſday 13 with three of my beſt ſeamen, died ſome time afterwards of the wounds they had received; but culpable as he appears to have been by his own account, he appears to have been ſtill more ſo by the teſtimony of thoſe who ſurvived him. They ſaid, that the Indians behaved with the greateſt confidence and friendſhip till he gave them juſt cauſe of offence, by ordering the people that were with him, who had been regaled in one of their houſes, to cut down a cocoa-nut tree, and inſiſting upon the execution of his order, notwithſtanding the diſ⯑pleaſure which the Indians ſtrongly expreſſed upon the oc⯑caſion: as ſoon as the tree fell, all of them except one, who ſeemed to be a perſon of authority, went away; and in a ſhort time a great number of them were obſerved to draw together into a body among the trees, by a Midſhipman who was one of the party that were on ſhore, and who im⯑mediately acquainted the Maſter with what he had ſeen, and told him, that from the behaviour of the people he imagined an attack was intended: that the Maſter made light of the intelligence, and inſtead of repairing immediately to the boat, as he was urged to do, fired one of his piſtols at a mark: that the Indian who had till that time continued with them then left them abruptly, and joined the body in the wood: that the Maſter, even after this, by an infatuation that is altogether unaccountable, continued to trifle away his time on ſhore, and did not attempt to recover the boat till the attack was begun.

As the expedition to find a better place for the ſhip had iſſued thus unhappily, I determined to try what could be done, where we lay; the next day therefore,day Friday 14 the ſhip was brought down by the ſtern, as far as we could effect it, and the carpenter, the only one of the crew who [574] was in tolerable health,day Friday 14 caulked the bows, as far down as he could come at the bottom; and though he did not quite ſtop the leak, he very much reduced it. In the afternoon a freſh gale ſet right into the bay, which made the ſhip ride with her ſtern very near the ſhore, and we obſerved a great number of the natives ſculking among the trees upon the beach, who probably expected that the wind would have forced the ſhip on ſhore.

The next morning,day Saturday 15 the weather being fine, we veered the ſhip cloſe in ſhore, with a ſpring upon our cable, ſo that we brought our broadſide to bear upon the watering-place, for the protection of the boats that were to be employed there. As there was reaſon to ſuppoſe that the natives whom we had ſeen among the trees the night before, were not now far diſtant, I fired a couple of ſhot into the wood, before I ſent the waterers aſhore; I alſo ſent the Lieutenant in the cutter, well manned and armed, with the boat that carried them, and ordered him and his people to keep on board, and lie cloſe to the beach to cover the watering-boat while ſhe was loading, and to keep diſcharging muſquets into the wood on each ſide of the party that were filling the water. Theſe orders were well executed, the beach was ſleep, ſo that the boats could lie cloſe to the people that were at work, and the Lieutenant from the cutter fired three or four vollies of ſmall arms into the woods before any of the men went on ſhore, and none of the natives appearing, the waterers landed and went to work. But notwithſtanding all theſe precautions, before they had been on ſhore a quarter of an hour, a flight of arrows was diſcharged among them, one of which dangerouſly wounded a man that was filling water in the breaſt, and another ſtuck into a bareca on which Mr. Pitcairn was ſitting. The people on board the cutter imme⯑diately [575] fired ſeveral vollies of ſmall arms into that part of the wood from which the arrows came,day Saturday 15 and I recalled the boats that I might more effectually drive the Indians from their ambuſcades with grape-ſhot from the ſhip's guns. When the boats and people were on board, we began to fire, and ſoon after ſaw about two hundred men ruſh out of the woods, and run along the beach with the utmoſt precipita⯑tion. We judged the coaſt to be now effectually cleared, but in a little time we perceived that a great number had got together on the weſtermoſt point of the bay, where they probably thought themſelves beyond our reach: to con⯑vince them therefore of the contrary, I ordered a gun to be fired at them with round ſhot; the ball juſt grazing the water roſe again, and fell in the middle of them, upon which they diſperſed with great hurry and confuſion, and we ſaw no more of them. After this we watered without any farther moleſtation, but all the while our boats were on ſhore, we had the precaution to keep firing the ſhip's guns into the wood on both ſides of them, and the cutter which lay cloſe to the beach, as ſhe did before, kept up a conſtant fire of ſmall arms in platoons at the ſame time. As we ſaw none of the natives during all this firing, we ſhould have thought that none of them had ventured back into the wood, if our people had not reported that they heard groans from ſeveral parts of it, like thoſe of dying men.

Hitherto, though I had been long ill of an inflammatory and bilious diſorder, I had been able to keep the deck; but this evening, the ſymptoms became ſo much more threaten⯑ing that I could keep up no longer, and I was for ſome time afterwards confined to my bed. The Maſter was dying of the wounds he received in his quarrel with the Indians, the Lieutenant alſo was very ill, the Gunner and thirty of my men incapable of duty, among whom were ſeven of the [576] moſt vigorous and healthy,day Saturday 15 that had been wounded with the Maſter, and three of them mortally, and there was no hope of obtaining ſuch refreſhments as we moſt needed in this place. Theſe were diſcouraging circumſtances, and not only put an end to my hopes of proſecuting the voyage far⯑ther to the ſouthward, but greatly diſpirited the people; ex⯑cept myſelf, the Maſter, and the Lieutenant, there was no body on board capable of navigating the ſhip home; the Maſter was known to be a dying man, and the recovery of my⯑ſelf and the Lieutenant was very doubtful. I would however have made a further effort to obtain refreſhments here, if I had been furniſhed with any toys, iron tools, or cutlery-ware, which might have enabled me to recover the good⯑will of the natives, and eſtabliſh a traffic with them for ſuch neceſſaries as they could have furniſhed us with; but I had no ſuch articles, and but very few others fit for an In⯑dian trade, and not being in a condition to riſk the loſs of any more of the few men who were capable of doing duty, I weighed anchor at day-break on Monday the 17th,day Monday 17 and ſtood along the ſhore for that part of the iſland to which I had ſent the cutter. To the iſland I had given the name of EGMONT ISLAND,place Egmont Iſland in honour of the Earl: it certainly is the ſame to which the Spaniards have given the name of Santa Cruz, as appears by the accounts which their writers have given of it, and I called the place in which we had lain, SWALLOW BAY. From the eaſtermoſt point of this bay, which I called SWALLOW POINT, to the north eaſt point of the iſland which I called CAPE BYRON, is about ſeven miles eaſt, and from the weſtermoſt point of the bay, which I called HANWAY's POINT, to Cape Byron, is about ten or eleven miles. Between Swallow Point and Hanway's Point, in the bottom of the bay, there is a third point, which does not run out ſo far; and a little to the weſtward of this point [] []

[577] is the beſt anchoring-place,day Monday 17 but it is neceſſary to give it birth, as the ground near it is ſhoaly. When we were at anchor in this bay, Swallow Point bore E. by N. and Han⯑way's Point W. N. W. From this Point there runs a reef, on which the ſea breaks very high: the outer part of this reef bore N. W. by W. and an iſland which has the appearance of a volcano, was juſt over the breakers. Soon after we had paſſed Hanway's Point, we ſaw a ſmall village, which ſtands upon the beach, and is ſurrounded by cocoa-nut trees. It is ſituated in a bay between Hanway's Point and another, to which I gave the name of HOW's POINT. The diſtance from Hanway's Point to How's Point is between four and five miles: cloſe to the ſhore there is about thirty fathom of water, but in croſſing the bay at the diſtance of about two miles, we had no bottom. Having paſſed How's Point, we opened another bay, or harbour, which had the appearance of a deep lagoon, and which we called CARLISLE HARBOUR. Over-againſt the entrance of Carliſle Harbour, and north of the coaſt, we found a ſmall iſland, which we called PORT⯑LAND's ISLAND. On the weſt ſide of this iſland there is a reef of rocks that runs to the main, the paſſage into the harbour therefore is on the eaſt ſide of it, and runs in and out E. N. E. and W. S. W.: it is about two cables' length wide, and has about eight fathom water. I believe the harbour within it to be good, but a ſhip would be obliged to warp both in and out, and would after all be in danger of an attack by the natives, who are bold even to temerity, and have a perſe⯑verance which is not common among undiſciplined ſavages. When the ſhip was a mile from the ſhore, we had no ground with fifty fathom. About four or five miles weſt from Port⯑land's Iſland, is a fine, ſmall, round harbour, juſt big enough to receive three ſhips, which we called BYRON's HARBOUR. When we were abreaſt of the entrance of it, it [578] bore from us S. by E. ½ E. and the Volcano Iſland bore N. W. ½ W.day Monday 17 Our boat entered it, and found two runs of water, one freſh and the other ſalt; by the run of ſalt water we judged that it had a communication with Carliſle Harbour. When we had proceeded about three leagues from the harbour, we opened the bay where the cutter had been attacked by the Indians, to which, for that reaſon, we gave the name of BLOODY BAY. In this Bay is a ſmall rivulet of freſh water, and here we ſaw many houſes regularly built: cloſe to the water-ſide ſtood one much longer than any of the reſt, which ſeemed to be a kind of common-hall, or council-houſe, and was neatly built and thatched. This was the building in which our people had been received who were on ſhore here with the Maſter, and they told me that both the ſides and floor were lined with a kind of fine matting, and a great number of arrows, made up into bundles, were hung up in it ready for uſe. They told me alſo, that at this place there were many gardens, or plantations, which were encloſed by a fence of ſtone, and planted with cocoa-nut trees, bananas, plantains, yams, and other vegetables: the cocoa-nut trees we ſaw from the ſhip, in great numbers, among the houſes of the village. About three miles to the weſtward of this town, we ſaw another of conſiderable extent, in the front of which, next to the water-ſide, there was a breaſt-work of ſtone, about four feet ſix inches high, not in a ſtrait line, but in angles, like a fortification; and there is great reaſon to ſuppoſe, from the weapons of theſe people, and their military courage, which muſt in great meaſure be the effect of habit, that they have frequent wars among themſelves. As we proceeded weſt⯑ward from this place, we found, at the diſtance of two or three miles, a ſmall bight, forming a kind of bay, in which a river empties itſelf. Upon taking a view of this river from the maſt-head, it appeared to run very far into the country, [579] and at the entrance, at leaſt,day Monday 17 to be navigable for ſmall veſ⯑ſels. This river we called GRANVILLE's RIVER, and to the weſtward of it is a point, to which we gave the name of FERRERS's POINT. From this point the land forms a large bay, and near it is a town of great extent, which ſeemed to ſwarm like a bee-hive: an incredible multitude came out of it as the ſhip paſſed by, holding ſomething in their hands which looked like a whiſp of green graſs, with which they ſeemed to ſtroke each other, at the ſame time dancing, or running in a ring. About ſeven miles to the weſtward of Point Ferrers, is another, that was called CARTERET POINT, from which a reef of rocks, that appears above water, runs out to the diſtance of about a cable's length. Upon this point we ſaw a large canoe, with an awning or ſhade built over it; and a little to the weſtward, another large town, fronted, and probably ſurrounded, with a breaſt-work of ſtone like the laſt: here alſo the people thronged to the beach as the ſhip was paſſing, and performed the ſame kind of circular dance. After a little time they launched ſeveral canoes, and made towards us; upon which we lay to, that they might have time to come up, and we conceived great hopes that we ſhould prevail upon them to come on board, but when they came near enough to have a more diſtinct view of us, they lay upon their paddles and gazed at us, but ſeemed to have no deſign of advancing farther, and therefore we made ſail, and left them behind us. About half a mile from Carteret Point, we had ſixty fathom, with a bottom of ſand and coral. From this point the land trends away W. S. W. and S. W. forming a deep lagoon, at the mouth of which lies an iſland, that with the main forms two entrances into it: the iſland we called TREVANION's ISLAND. This entrance is about two miles wide, and the lagoon, if there is anchorage in it, is certainly a fine harbour for ſhip⯑ping. [580] After croſſing the firſt entrance,day Monday 17 and coming off the north weſt part of Trevanion's Iſland, which we called CAPE TREVANION, we ſaw a great rippling, and therefore ſent the boat off to ſound; we had, however, no bottom with fifty fathom, the rippling being cauſed only by the meeting of the tides. Having hauled round this Cape, we found the land trend to the ſouthward, and we continued to ſtand along the ſhore, till we opened the weſtern paſſage into the lagoon between Trevanion's Iſland and the main. In this place, both the main and the iſland appeared to be one con⯑tinued town, and the inhabitants were innumerable. We ſent a boat to examine this entrance or paſſage, and found the bottom to be coral and rock, with very irregular ſound⯑ings over it. As ſoon as the natives ſaw the boat leave the ſhip, they ſent off ſeveral armed canoes to attack her: the firſt that came within bow-ſhot diſcharged her arrows at the people on board, who being ready, fired a volley, by which one of the Indians was killed, and another wounded; at the ſame time we fired a great gun from the ſhip, loaded with grape-ſhot, among them, upon which they all pulled back to the ſhore with great precipitation, except the canoe which began the attack, and that being ſecured by the boat's crew, with the wounded man in her, was brought to the ſhip. I immediately ordered the Indian to be taken on board, and the Surgeon to examine his wounds: it appeared that one ſhot had gone through his head, and that his arm was broken by another: the Surgeon was of opinion that the wound in his head was mortal, I therefore ordered him to be put again into his canoe, and, notwithſtanding his con⯑dition, he paddled away towards the ſhore. He was a young man, with a woolly head, like that of the negroes, and a ſmall beard, but he was well-featured, and not ſo black as the natives of Guinea: he was of the common ſtature, and, [581] like all the reſt of the people whom we had ſeen upon this iſland, quite naked. His canoe was very ſmall,day Monday 17 and of rude workmanſhip, being nothing more than part of the trunk of a tree made hollow; it had, however, an outrigger, but none of them had ſails.

We found this place to be the weſtern extremity of the iſland on the north ſide, and that it lay in exactly the ſame latitude as the eaſtern extremity on the ſame ſide. The diſ⯑tance between them is about fifty miles due eaſt and weſt, and a ſtrong current ſets weſtward along the ſhore.

I was ſtill confined to my bed, and it was with infinite re⯑gret that I gave up the hopes of obtaining refreſhments at this place, eſpecially as our people told me they ſaw hogs and poultry in great plenty as we ſailed along the ſhore, with cocoa-nut trees, plantains, bananas, and a variety of other vegetable productions, which would ſoon have reſtored to us the health and vigour we had loſt, by the fatigue and hardſhips of a long voyage; but no friendly intercourſe with the natives could now be expected, and I was not in a ſitu⯑ation to obtain what I wanted by force. I was myſelf dan⯑gerouſly ill, great part of my crew, as I have already obſerved, was diſabled, and the reſt diſpirited by diſappoint⯑ment and vexation, and if the men had been all in health and ſpirits, I had not officers to lead them on or direct them in any enterprize, nor even to ſuperintend the duties that were to be performed on board the ſhip. Theſe diſadvan⯑tages, which prevented my obtaining refreſhments at this iſland, prevented me alſo from examining the reſt that were near it. Our little ſtrength was every minute becoming leſs; I was not in a condition to purſue the voyage to the ſouthward, and was in danger of loſing the monſoon, ſo that no time was now to be loſt; I therefore gave orders to [582] ſteer northward,day Monday 17 hoping to refreſh at the country which Dampier has called Nova Britannia. I ſhall, however, give the beſt account I can of the appearance and ſituation of the iſlands that I left behind me.

I gave the general name of QUEEN CHARLOTTE's ISLANDS to the whole cluſter, as well to thoſe that I did not ſee diſtinctly, as to thoſe that I did; and I gave ſeveral of them particular names as I approached them.

To the ſouthermoſt of the two, which when we firſt diſ⯑covered land were right ahead, I gave the name of LORD HOW's ISLAND,place Lord How's Iſland and the other was Egmont Iſland, of which ſome account has already been given. The latitude of Lord How's Iſland is 11° 10′ S., longitude 164° 43′ E.: the latitude of Cape Byron, the north eaſt point of Egmont iſland, is 10° 40′ S., longitude 164° 49′ E. The eaſt ſides of theſe two iſlands, which lie exactly in a line with each other, about N. by W. and S. by E. including the paſſage between them, extend about eleven leagues, and the paſſage is about four miles broad; both of them appear to be fertile, and have a pleaſant appearance, being covered with tall trees, of a beautiful verdure. Lord How's Iſland, though more flat and even than the other, is notwithſtanding high land. About thirteen leagues W. N. W. ½ N. by compaſs, from Cape Byron, there is an iſland of a ſtupendous height, and a conical figure. The top of it is ſhaped like a funnel, from which we ſaw ſmoke iſſue, though no flame; it is, however, cer⯑tainly a volcano, and therefore I called it VOLCANO ISLAND.place Volcano Iſland To a long flat iſland that, when How's and Egmont's Iſlands were right ahead, bore N. W. I gave the name of KEPPEL's ISLAND.place Keppel's Iſland It lies in latitude 10° 15′ S., longitude, by account, 165° 4′ E. The largeſt of two others to the S. E. I called LORD EDGCOMB's ISLAND,place Lord Edg∣comb's Iſland. place Ourry's Iſland the ſmall one I called OURRY's [583] ISLAND. Edgcomb's Iſland has a fine pleaſant appearance,and lies in latitude 11° 10′ S., longitude 165° 14′ E. The la⯑titude of Ourry's Iſland is 11° 10′ S., longitude 165° 19′ E. The other iſlands, of which there were ſeveral, I did not particularly name.

The inhabitants of Egmont Iſland, whoſe perſons have been deſcribed already, are extremely nimble, vigorous, and active, and ſeem to be almoſt as well qualified to live in the water as upon the land, for they were in and out of their canoes almoſt every minute. The canoes that came out againſt us from the weſt end of the iſland, were all like that which our people brought on board, and might probably, upon occaſion, carry about a dozen men, though three or four manage them with amazing dexterity: we ſaw, how⯑ever, others of a large ſize upon the beach, with awnings or ſhades over them.

We got two of their bows, and a bundle of their arrows, from the canoe that was taken with the wounded man; and with theſe weapons they do execution at an incredible diſ⯑tance. One of them went through the boat's waſhboard, and dangerouſly wounded a midſhipman in the thigh. Their arrows were pointed with flint, and we ſaw among them no appearance of any metal. The country in general is woody and mountainous, with many vallies intermixed; ſeveral ſmall rivers flow from the interior part of the coun⯑try into the ſea, and there are many harbours upon the coaſt. The variation here was about 11° 15′ E.

CHAP. V. Departure from Egmont Iſland, and Paſſage to Nova Bri⯑tannia; with a Deſcription of ſeveral other IſIands, and their Inhabitants.

WE made ſail from this iſland in the evening of Tueſday the 18th of Auguſt,day Tueſday 18 with a freſh trade-wind from the eaſtward, and a few ſqualls at times. At firſt we only hauled up W. N. W. for I was not without hope of falling in with ſome other iſlands, where we might be more fortunate than we had been at thoſe we left, before we got the length of Nova Britannia.

On the 20th,day Thurſday 20 we diſcovered a ſmall, flat, low iſland, and got up with it in the evening: it lies in latitude 7° 56′ S., longitude 158° 56′ E. and I gave it the name of GOWER's ISLAND.place Gower's Iſland To our great mortification we found no anchorage here, and could procure only a few cocoa-nuts from the in⯑habitants, who were much the ſame kind of people that we had ſeen at Iſle Egmont, in exchange for nails, and ſuch trifles as we had; they promiſed, by ſigns, to bring us more the next day, and we kept off and on all night: the night was extremely dark,day Friday 21 and the next morning, at day-break, we found that a current had ſet us conſiderably to the ſouth⯑ward of the iſland, and brought us within ſight of two more. They were ſituated nearly eaſt and weſt of each other, and were diſtant about two miles. That to the eaſtward is much the ſmalleſt, and this we called SIMPSON's ISLAND:place Simpſon's Iſland to the other, which is lofty, and has a ſtately appearance, we gave [585] the name of CARTERET's ISLAND.day Thurſday 20 place Carteret's Iſland The eaſt end of it bears about ſouth from Gower's Iſland, and the diſtance between them is about ten or eleven leagues. Carteret's Iſland lies in about the latitude 8° 26′ S., longitude 159° 14′ E. and its length from eaſt to weſt is about ſix leagues: we found the variation here 8° 30′ E. Both theſe iſlands were right to windward of us, and we bore down to Gower's Iſland. It is about two leagues and a half long on the weſtern ſide, which makes in bays: the whole is well wooded, and many of the trees are cocoa-nut. We found here a conſiderable number of the Indians, with two boats or canoes, which we ſuppoſed to belong to Carteret's Iſland, and to have brought the people hither only to fiſh. We ſent the boat on ſhore, which the natives endeavoured to cut off, and hoſtilities being thus commenced, we ſeized their canoe, in which we found about an hundred cocoa-nuts, which were very acceptable; we ſaw ſome turtle near the beach, but were not fortunate enough to take any of them. The canoe, or boat, was large enough to carry eight or ten men, and was very neatly built, with planks well jointed: it was adorned with ſhell-work, and figures rudely painted, and the ſeams were covered with a ſubſtance ſomewhat like our black putty, but it appeared to me to be of a better conſiſtence. The people were armed with bows, arrows, and ſpears; the ſpears and arrows were pointed with flint. By ſome ſigns which they made, pointing to our muſkets, we imagined they were not wholly unacquainted with fire-arms. They are much the ſame kind of people as we had ſeen at Egmont Iſland, and like them, were quite naked; but their canoes were of a very different ſtructure, and a much larger ſize, though we did not diſcover that any of them had ſails. The cocoa-nuts which we got here, and at Egmont Iſland, were of infinite advantage to the ſick.

[586]rom the time of our leaving Egmont Iſland, we had ob⯑ſerved a current ſetting ſtrongly to the ſouthward, and in the neighbourhood of theſe iſlands we found its force greatly increaſed: this determined me, when I ſailed from Gower's Iſland, to ſteer N. W. fearing we might otherwiſe fall in with the main land too far to the ſouthward; for if we had got into any gulph or deep bay, our crew was ſo ſickly, and our ſhip ſo bad, that it would have been impoſſible for us to have got out again.

About eight o'clock in the morning of the 22d,day Saturday 22 as we were continuing our courſe with a fine freſh gale, Patrick Dwyer, one of the marines, who was doing ſomething over the ſhip's quarter, by ſome accident miſſed his hold and fell into the ſea; we inſtantly threw overboard the canoe which we had ſeized at Gower's iſland, brought the ſhip to, and hoiſted out the cutter with all poſſible expedition, but the poor fellow, though remarkably ſtrong and healthy, ſunk at once, and we ſaw him no more. We took the canoe on board again, but ſhe had received ſo much damage by ſtrik⯑ing againſt one of the guns, as the people were hoiſting her overboard, that we were obliged to cut her up.

In the night of Monday the 24th,day Monday 24 we fell in with nine iſlands; they ſtretch nearly N. W. by W. and S. E. by E. about fifteen leagues, and lie in latitude 4° 36′ S., longitude 154° 17′ E. according to the ſhip's account. I imagine theſe to be the iſlands which are called Ohang Java, and were diſcovered by Taſman; for the ſituation anſwers very nearly to their place in the French chart, which in the year 1756 was corrected for the King's ſhips. The other iſlands, Carteret's, Gower's, and Simpſon's, I believe had never been ſeen by an European navigator before. There is cer⯑tainly much land in this part of the ocean not yet known.

[587]One of theſe iſlands is of conſiderable extent,day Monday 24 the other eight are ſcarcely better than large rocks; but though they are low and flat, they are well covered with wood, and abound with inhabitants. The people are black, and woolly-headed, like the Negroes of Africa: their weapons are bows and arrows; and they have large canoes which they navi⯑gate with a ſail, one of which came near us, but would not venture on board.

We went to the northward of theſe iſlands, and ſteered W. by S. with a ſtrong ſouth weſterly current. At eleven o'clock at night, we fell in with another iſland of a conſide⯑rable extent, flat, green, and of a pleaſant appearance; we ſaw none of its inhabitants, but it appeared by the many fires which we ſaw in the night to be well peopled. It lies in latitude 4° 50′ S. and bears weſt fifteen leagues from the northermoſt of the Nine Iſlands, and we called it SIR CHARLES HARDY's ISLAND.place Sir Charles Hardy's Iſland

At day-break the next morning,day Tueſday 25 we diſcovered another large high iſland, which, riſing in three conſiderable hills, had, at a diſtance, the appearance of three iſlands. We gave it the name of WINCHELSEA's ISLAND; place Winchelſea's Iſland it is diſtant from Sir Charles Hardy's Iſland about ten leagues, in the direction of S. by E. We had here the wind ſqually, with unſettled weather, and a very ſtrong weſterly current.

About ten o'clock in the morning of the 26th,day Wedneſ. 26 we ſaw ano⯑ther large iſland to the northward, which I ſuppoſed to be the ſame that was diſcovered by Schouten, and called the iſland of Saint John. Soon after we ſaw high land to the weſtward, which proved to be Nova Britannia, and as we approached it we found a very ſtrong S. S. weſterly current, ſetting at the rate of no leſs than thirty-two miles a day. The next day, having only light winds,day Thurſday 27 a north weſterly [588] current ſet us into a deep bay or gulph,day Thurſday 27 which proved to be that which Dampier has diſtinguiſhed by the name of Saint George's Bay.

On the 28th,day Friday 28 we anchored in a bay near a little iſland at the diſtance of about three leagues to the N. W. of Cape Saint George, which was called WALLIS's ISLAND.place Wallis's Iſland I found the latitude of this Cape to be about 5° S. and its longitude by account 152° 19′ E. which is about two thouſand five hundred leagues due weſt from the Continent of America, and about one degree and an half more to the eaſtward than its place in the French chart which has been juſt mentioned. In the afternoon I ſent the cutter to examine the coaſt, and the other boat to get ſome cocoa-nuts, and hawl the ſeine. The people in this boat caught no fiſh, but they brought on board about an hundred and fifty cocoa-nuts, which were diſtributed to the men at the ſurgeon's diſcretion. We had ſeen ſome turtle as we were coming into the bay, and hop⯑ing that ſome of them might repair to the iſland in the night, eſpecially as it was ſandy, barren, and uninhabited, like the places theſe animals moſt frequent, I ſent a few men on ſhore to watch for them,day Saturday 29 but they returned in the morn⯑ing without ſucceſs.

We anchored here only to wait till the boats could find a fit place for our purpoſe, and ſeveral very good harbours being diſcovered not far diſtant, we now endeavoured to weigh anchor, but, with the united ſtrength of our whole company, were not able: this was an alarming proof of our debility, and with heavy hearts we had recourſe to an addi⯑tional purchaſe; with this aſſiſtance, and our utmoſt efforts, we got the anchor juſt clear of the bottom, but the ſhip caſt⯑ing in ſhore, it almoſt immediately hooked again in foul ground. Our taſk was now to begin again, and though all []

[589] hands that were able to move applied their utmoſt force,day Saturday 29 the whole remaining part of the day, with the greateſt purchaſe we could make, we were not able to ſtir it: we were very unwilling to cut the cable, for though it was much worn, we could at this time ill ſuſtain the loſs of it, as we intended to make ſmall cord, which we much wanted, of the beſt part of it. We therefore, with whatever reluc⯑tance, deſiſted for the night, and the next day,day Sunday 30 having a little recruited our ſtrength, we were more ſucceſsful; we got the anchor up, but we found it ſo much injured as to be wholly unſerviceable, the palm being broken.

From this place we ſailed to a little cove about three or four miles diſtant, to which we gave the name of ENGLISH COVE: here we anchored, and immediately began to get wood and water, which we found in great plenty, beſides ballaſt; I alſo ſent the boat out every day to different places with the ſeine, but though there was plenty of fiſh, we were able to catch very little; a misfortune which was probably owing in part to the clearneſs of the water, in part to the rockineſs of the beach, and perhaps in ſome degree alſo to our want of ſkill: we plied this labour day and night, notwith⯑ſtanding the want of ſucceſs, and at the ſame time had re⯑courſe to the hook and line, but to our great mortification not a ſingle fiſh would take the bait. We ſaw a few turtle, but they were ſo ſhy that we could not catch one of them; here therefore we were condemned to the curſe of Tantalus, perpetually in the ſight of what our appetites moſt importu⯑nately craved, and perpetually diſappointed in our attempts to reach it. We got, however, from the rocks at low water, a few rock oyſters, and cockles of a very large ſize; and from the ſhore ſome cocoa-nuts, and the upper part of the tree that bears them, which is called the cabbage: this cab⯑bage [590] is a white, criſp, juicy ſubſtance, which, eaten raw, taſtes ſomewhat like a cheſnut, but when boiled is ſuperior to the beſt parſnip; we cut it ſmall into the broth that we made of our portable ſoup, which was afterwards thickened with oatmeal, and made a moſt comfortable meſs: for each of theſe cabbages however we were forced to cut down a tree, and it was with great regret that we deſtroyed, in the parent ſtock, ſo much fruit, which perhaps is the moſt powerful antiſcorbutic in the world; but neceſſity has no law. This ſupply of freſh vegetables, and eſpecially the milk, or rather the water of the nut, recovered our ſick very faſt. They alſo received great benefit and pleaſure from the fruit of a tall tree, that reſembles a plum, and particularly that which in the Weſt Indies is called the Jamaica plum; our men gave it the ſame name; it has a pleaſant tartiſh taſte, but is a little woody probably only for want of cul⯑ture: theſe plums were not plenty, ſo that having the two qualities of a dainty, ſcarcity and excellence, it is no won⯑der that they were held in the higheſt eſtimation.

The ſhore about this place is rocky, and the country high and mountainous, but covered with trees of various kinds, ſome of which are of an enormous growth, and probably would be uſeful for many purpoſes. Among others, we found the nutmeg tree in great plenty, and I gathered a few of the nuts, but they were not ripe: they did not indeed ap⯑pear to be the beſt ſort, but perhaps that is owing partly to their growing wild, and partly to their being too much in the ſhade of taller trees. The cocoa-nut tree is in great per⯑fection, but does not abound. Here are, I believe, all the different kinds of palm, with the beetle-nut tree, various ſpecies of the aloe, canes, bamboos, and rattans, with many trees, ſhrubs and plants altogether unknown to me; but no [591] eſculent vegetable of any kind. The woods abound with pigeons, doves, rooks, parrots, and a large bird with black plumage, that makes a noiſe ſomewhat like the barking of a dog; with many others which I can neither name nor de⯑ſcribe. Our people ſaw no quadruped but two of a ſmall ſize that they took for dogs; the carpenter and another man got a tranſient glimpſe of them in the woods as they were cutting ſpars for the ſhip's uſe, and ſaid that they were very wild, and ran away the moment they ſaw them with great ſwiftneſs. We ſaw centipieds, ſcorpions, and a few ſerpents of different kinds; but no inhabitants. We fell in however with ſeveral deſerted habitations, and by the ſhells that were ſcattered about them, and ſeemed not long to have been taken out of the water, and ſome ſticks half burnt, the re⯑mains of a fire, there is reaſon to conclude that the people had but juſt left the place when we arrived. If we may judge of the people by that which had been their dwelling, they muſt ſtand low even in the ſcale of ſavage life; for it was the moſt miſerable hovel we had ever ſeen.

While we lay here, having cleared and lightened the ſhip, we heeled her ſo as to come at her leak, which the carpen⯑ter ſtopped as well as he could; we found the ſheathing greatly decayed, and the bottom much eaten by the worms, but we payed it as far as we could get at it with a mixture of hot pitch and tar boiled together. The carpenter alſo cut down many ſpars, for ſtudding-ſail booms, having but few left of thoſe which he had brought from England.

Engliſh Cove lies N. E. ½ N. three or four miles from Wallis's Iſland; there is a ſmall ſhoal on the ſtarboard hand going in, which will be eaſily ſeen by the ſea's breaking upon it. The water ebbs and flows once in four and twenty hours; the flood came in about nine or ten o'clock, and it [592] was high water between three and four in the afternoon, after which it ebbed all night, and was low water about ſix in the morning. The water riſes and falls between eight or nine feet, ſometimes more, ſometimes leſs; but I doubt whether this fluctuation is not rather the effect of the ſea and land breeze, than of a regular tide. We anchored here with our beſt bower in twenty-ſeven fathom water, with a bottom of ſand and mud; we veered into the cove a cable and a half from the anchor, moored head and ſtern with the ſtream anchor, and ſteadied with hawſers on each bow; the ſhip then lay in ten fathom, at the diſtance of a cable's length from the ſhore at the bottom of the Cove, Wallis's Point bearing S. W. ½ S. diſtant about three or four miles. At this place there is plenty of excellent wood and water, and good ſhingle ballaſt. The variation was 6° ½ E.

On Monday the 7th of September,month September day Monday 7 I weighed anchor, but before I ſailed, I took poſſeſſion of this country, with all its iſlands, bays, ports, and harbours, for his Majeſty George the Third, King of Great Britain; and we nailed upon a high tree a piece of board, faced with lead, on which was en⯑graved the Engliſh Union, with the name of the ſhip, and her Commander, the name of the Cove, and the time of her coming in and ſailing out of it. While we lay here, I ſent the boat out to examine the harbours upon the coaſt, from one of which expeditions ſhe returned with a load of cocoa-nuts, which ſhe procured in a fine little harbour, about four leagues W. N. W. from the ſtation we were in. The officer on board reported that the trees grew where he had gathered the fruit in great plenty; but as he had obſerved that ſeve⯑ral of them were marked, and that there were many huts of the natives near them, I did not think it proper that the boat ſhould return: but the refreſhment which now offered [593] was of ſuch importance to the ſick,day Monday 7 that I determined to go into the harbour with the ſhip, and place her ſo as to pro⯑tect the men who ſhould be employed to fell the trees, and cut off the cabbages and the fruit. We ſailed from Engliſh Cove with the land breeze early in the morning, and in the evening ſecured the ſhip abreaſt of the grove, where the cocoa-nuts had been gathered, and at very little diſtance from the ſhore. Here we procured above a thouſand cocoa-nuts, and as many of the cabbages as we could uſe while they were good, and I would have ſtaid long enough to have given my people all the refreſhments they wanted, but the ſeaſon of the year made the ſhorteſt delay dangerous. There was too much reaſon to ſuppoſe that the lives of all on board depended upon our getting to Batavia while the monſoon continued to blow from the eaſtward; there was indeed time enough for any other ſhip to have gone three times the diſtance, but I knew it was ſcarcely ſufficient for the Swallow in her preſent condition; and that if we ſhould be obliged to continue here another ſeaſon, it would probably become impoſſible to navigate her at all, eſpecially as ſhe had but a ſingle ſheathing, and her bottom was not filled with nails, ſo that the worms would have eaten through it; beſides that our proviſion would long before that time have been totally exhauſted. I therefore weighed anchor and quitted this ſtation, which was much the beſt that had been our lot during the whole run from the Streight of Magellan, on the 9th in the morning, at break of day,day Wedneſ. 9 with a light breeze from the land.

To this place we gave the name of CARTERET's HARBOUR; it is about W. N. W. four leagues from Engliſh Cove, and formed by two iſlands and the main; the largeſt, which is to the N. W. we called COCOA-NUT ISLAND, and the other,place Cocoa-nut Iſland [594] which is to the S. E. we called LEIGH's ISLAND.day Wedneſ. 9 place Leigh's Iſland Between theſe two iſlands there is ſhoal water, and each of them forms an entrance into the harbour; the ſouth eaſt or wea⯑ther entrance is formed by Leigh's Iſland, and in this there is a rock that appears above water, to which we gave the name of BOOBY ROCK; the paſſage is between the rock and the iſland, nor is the rock dangerous, there being deep water cloſe to it. The north weſt, or lee entrance, is formed by Cocoa-nut Iſland, and this is the beſt, becauſe there is good anchorage in it, the water in the other being too deep: we entered the harbour by the ſouth eaſt paſſage, and went out of it by the north weſt. At the ſouth eaſt end of the harbour there is a large cove, which is ſecure from all winds, and fit to haul a ſhip into. Into this cove a river ſeemed to empty itſelf, but our boats did not examine it. In the north weſt part of the harbour there is another cove, which our boat did examine, and from which ſhe brought us very good water: this alſo is fit for a ſhip to haul into, and very convenient for wooding and watering: ſhe may lie in any depth from thirty to five fathom, and at any diſtance from the ſhore, with a bottom of ſoft mud. The harbour runs about S. E. by S. and N. W. by N. and is about three miles long, and four cables' length broad. We anchored in thirty fathom, near the north weſt entrance, and abreaſt of the trees on Cocoa-nut Iſland.

CHAP. VI. Diſcovery of a Streight dividing the Land called Nova Britannia into two Iſlands, with a Deſcription of ſeveral ſmall Iſlands that lie in the Paſſage, and the Land on each Side, with the Inhabitants.

WHEN we got about four leagues off the land,day Wedneſ. 9 after leaving this harbour, we met with a ſtrong gale at E. S. E. a direction juſt contrary to that which would have favoured our getting round the land, and dou⯑bling Cape Saint Maria. We found at the ſame time a ſtrong current, ſetting us to the N. W. into a deep bay or gulph, which Dampier calls Saint George's Bay, and which lies between Cape Saint George and Cape Orford. As it was impoſſible to get round the land, againſt both the wind and current, and follow the track of Dampier, I was under the neceſſity of attempting a paſſage to the weſtward by this gulph, and the current gave me hopes that I ſhould ſucceed. When I had got, therefore, about five miles to the ſouth weſt of Cocoa-nut Iſland, I ſteered to the N.W. and the N. N. W. as the land trends, and had ſoon good reaſon to believe that what has been called Saint George's Bay, and thought to be formed by two points of the ſame iſland, was indeed a channel between two iſlands, and ſo the event proved it to be.

Before it was dark, we found this channel divided by a pretty large iſland which I called the DUKE OF YORK's ISLAND, [596] and ſome ſmaller iſlands that were ſcattered about it.day Wedneſ. 9 On the ſouthermoſt ſide of the main, or the largeſt of the two iſlands that are divided by the channel or ſtreight, which I left in poſſeſſion of its ancient name, New Britain, there is ſome high land, and three remarkable hills cloſe to each other, which I called the MOTHER AND DAUGHTERS. The Mother is the middlemoſt and largeſt, and behind them we ſaw a vaſt column of ſmoke, ſo that probably one of them is a volcano: they are eaſily ſeen in clear weather at the diſtance of twenty leagues, and will then, by thoſe who do not know them, be taken for iſlands: they ſeem to lie far inland and the Mother bears about weſt from the Duke of York's Iſland. To the eaſt of theſe hills there is a point making like a cape land, which I called CABE PALLISER; and another to the weſtward, which I called CAPE STEPHENS. Cape Stephens is the northermoſt part of New Britain. North of this Cape is an iſland, which I called the ISLE OF MAN.place Iſle of Man Cape Palliſer and Cape Stephens bear about N. W. and S. E. of each other; and between them is a bay, the land of which near the water-ſide is low, pleaſant, and level, and gradually riſes, as it retires to⯑wards the Mother and Daughters, into very lofty hills, in general covered with vaſt woods, but having many clear ſpots like plantations intermixed. Upon this part of the country we ſaw many fires in the night, and have therefore reaſon to ſuppoſe that it is well inhabited. The Duke of York's Iſland lies between the two points, Cape Palliſer and Cape Stephens. As it was not ſafe to attempt either of the paſ⯑ſages into which the Streight was divided by this iſland in the dark, we brought to for the night, and kept ſounding, but had no ground with one hundred and forty fathom. The Streight here, including the two paſſages, is about fif⯑teen leagues broad. The land of the Duke of York's Iſland [597] is level, and has a delightful appearance:day Wedneſ. 9 inland it is co⯑vered with lofty woods, and near the water-ſide are the houſes of the natives, which ſtand not far from each other, among groves of cocoa-nut trees, ſo that the whole forms a proſpect the moſt beautiful and romantic that can be ima⯑gined. We ſaw many of their canoes, which are very neatly made, and in the morning, ſoon after I made ſail,day Thurſday 10 ſome of them came off towards the ſhip; but as we had a freſh gale at that time, we could not ſtay for them. The latitude of this iſland is 4° 9′ S., longitude 151° 20′ E.; and it is five and twenty leagues diſtant from Cape George. As I coaſted not New Britain, but the northermoſt coaſt of the Streight, I paſſed through the paſſage that is formed by that coaſt, and the correſponding ſide of the Duke of York's Iſland, which is about eight leagues broad, and may be conſidered as the Firſt Narrow of the Streight; and then ſteering N. W. by W. all night,day Friday 11 we found at day-break that we had loſt ſight of the ſouthermoſt iſland, or New Britain, and having now aſcertained the ſuppoſed bay to be a Streight, I called it SAINT GEORGE's CHANNEL,place St. George's Channel place New Ireland and to the northern iſland I gave the name of NOVA HIBERNIA, or NEW IRELAND. The wea⯑ther being hazey, with a ſtrong gale and ſudden guſts, I continued to ſteer along the coaſt of New Ireland at about the diſtance of ſix leagues from the ſhore, till I came off the weſt end of it, and then, altering our courſe, I ſteered W. N. W. I could plainly perceive, that we were ſet along the ſhore by a ſtrong weſterly current. At noon, we found by obſervation that we were much to the northward of the log; but as it was impoſſible the current could ſet due north, as that would be right againſt the land, I was obliged, for the correction of my account, to allow no leſs than four and twenty miles W. N. W. which is nearly as the land lies along the ſhore. At this time we had about half a point [598] eaſt variation; day Friday 11 and at night we diſcovered a fine large iſland, forming a ſtreight or paſſage with New Ireland. As it was very dark and ſqually, with rain, we brought to, not know⯑ing to what danger the navigation of this ſtreight might expoſe us. The night was tempeſtuous, with much thun⯑der and lightning,day Saturday 12 but about two in the morning the wea⯑ther cleared: the guſts ſettled into a light breeze, and the the moon ſhone very bright. At this time therefore we made ſail again, and found a ſtrong current ſetting us to the weſtward, through the paſſage of the Second Narrow, which is about five leagues wide. The iſland, which has a pleaſant appearance, and is very populous, I called SAND⯑WICH ISLAND,place Sandwich Iſland in honour of the Earl, now Firſt Lord of the Admiralty: it is larger than the Duke of York's Iſland, and there ſeems to be ſome good bays and harbours upon the coaſt. On the north part of it there is a remarkable peak, like a ſugar loaf; and oppoſite to it, upon the coaſt of New Ireland, there is juſt ſuch another: they are diſtant about five leagues, in the direction of S. by E. ½ E. and N. by W. ½ W. All the while we lay to off this iſland, we heard an in⯑ceſſant noiſe in the night, like the beating of a drum: and being becalmed juſt as we got through the Streight, ten canoes put off from New Ireland, with about one hundred and fifty men on board, and rowed towards the ſhip; they came near enough to exchange ſome trifles with us, which were conveyed at the end of a long ſtick, but none of them would venture on board. They ſeemed to prefer ſuch iron as we gave them to every thing elſe, though none of it was manufactured except nails; for, as I obſerved before, we had no cutlery ware on board. The canoes were very long and very narrow, with an outrigger, and ſome of them were very neatly made: one of them could not be leſs than ninety feet long, for it was very little ſhorter than the ſhip; it was, [599] notwithſtanding, formed of a ſingle tree; day Saturday 12 it had ſome carved ornaments about it, and was rowed or paddled by three and thirty men: we ſaw no appearance of ſails. The people are black, and woolly-headed, like Negroes, but have not the flat noſe and thick lips; and we thought them much the ſame people as the inhabitants of Egmont's Iſland: like them, they were all ſtark naked, except a few ornaments made of ſhells upon their arms and legs. They had, how⯑ever, adopted a practice without which none of our belles and beaus are ſuppoſed to be completely dreſt, for the hair, or rather the wool upon their heads, was very abundantly powdered with white powder: the faſhion of wearing pow⯑der, therefore, is probably of higher antiquity than it is generally ſuppoſed to be, as well as of more extenſive in⯑fluence; it is indeed carried farther among theſe people than among any of the inhabitants of Europe, for they powder not only their heads but their beards too. Their heads how⯑ever were decorated with more ſhowy ornaments, for I ob⯑ſerved that moſt of them had, juſt above one ear, ſtuck a fea⯑ther, which appeared to have been taken from the tail of the common dunghil cock; ſo that theſe gentlemen are not without poultry for their table. They were armed with ſpears, and long ſticks or poles, like the quarter-ſtaff; but we did not ſee any bows and arrows among them: poſſibly they might have them on board, and think proper to keep them out of ſight. On my part, I kept every body at their quarters while they were hovering about the ſhip, and I obſerved that they had a very watchful eye upon our guns, as if they apprehended danger from them; ſo that poſſibly they are not wholly unacquainted with the effect of fire-arms. They had fiſhing nets with them, which as well as their cordage, ſeemed to be very well made. After they had [600] been ſome time with us,day Saturday 12 a breeze ſprung up, and they re⯑turned to the ſhore.

The peak upon Sandwich Iſland lies in latitude 2° 53′ S., longitude 149° 17′ E. After the Indians had left us, we ſteered nearly weſt, and ſoon after ſaw a point of land, which proved to be the ſouth weſt extremity of New Ireland, to which I gave the name of CAPE BYRON:place Cape Byron it lies in latitude 2° 30′ S., longitude 149° 2′ E. Over-againſt the coaſt of New Ireland, to the weſtward of Cape Byron, lies a fine large iſland, to which I gave the name of NEW HANOVER.place New Han∣over Between this iſland and New Ireland, there is a ſtreight or paſſage, which turns away to the N. E. In this paſſage lie ſeveral ſmall iſlands, upon one of which there is a remark⯑able peak: this iſland I called BYRON's ISLAND,place Byron's Iſland and the paſſage, or ſtreight, I called BYRON's STREIGHT. The land of New Hanover is high; it is finely covered with trees, among which are many plantations, and the whole has a moſt beautiful appearance. The ſouth weſt point of it, which is a high bluff point, I called QUEEN CHARLOTTE's FORELAND, in honour of her Majeſty. This foreland, and the land about it, is remarkable for a great number of little hummocks or hills, but night coming on, with thick wea⯑ther, hard ſqualls, and much rain, we could not ſee more of it diſtinctly enough to deſcribe its appearance.

We ſteered weſtward all night,day Sunday 13 and in the morning, the weather being ſtill thick, our view of New Hanover was very imperfect; but we ſaw, about eight leagues to the weſtward of it, ſix or ſeven ſmall iſlands, which I called the DUKE OF PORTLAND's ISLANDS,place Duke of Port∣lands Iſlands two of which are pretty large. I now perceived by the ſwell of the ſea that we were clear of all the land, and I found Saint George's Channel to [601] be a much better and ſhorter paſſage,day Sunday 13 whether from the eaſt⯑ward or the weſtward, than round all the land and iſlands to the northward; the diſtreſs therefore which puſhed me upon this diſcovery, may probably be, in its conſequences, of great advantage to future navigators, eſpecially as there can be no doubt but that refreſhments of every kind may eaſily be procured from the natives who inhabit either of the coaſts of the channel, or the iſlands that lie near them, for beads, ribands, looking-glaſſes, and eſpecially iron tools and cut⯑lery-ware, of which they are immoderately fond, and with which, to our great misfortune, we were not furniſhed.

Queen Charlotte's Foreland, the ſouth weſt part of New Hanover, lies in latitude 2° 29′ S., longitude 148° 27′ E.; and the middle of Portland's Iſlands in latitude 2° 27′ S., longi⯑tude 148° 3′ E. The length of this ſtreight or channel, from Cape Saint George to Cape Byron, the ſouth weſt extremity of New Ireland, is above eighty leagues; the diſtance from Cape Byron to Queen Charlotte's Foreland is about twelve leagues, and from the Foreland to Portland's Iſlands about eight leagues; ſo that the whole length of Saint George's Channel is about one hundred leagues, or three hundred miles.

Though we cleared the Streight in the morning of Sun⯑day the 13th of September, we had no obſervation of the ſun till the 15th, which I could not but greatly regret, as it prevented my being ſo exact in my latitude and longitude as might be expected. The deſcription alſo of the country, its productions and people, would have been much more full and circumſtantial, if I had not been ſo much infeebled and diſpirited by ſickneſs, as almoſt to ſink under the duty that for want of officers devolved upon me, being obliged, when I was ſcarcely able to crawl, to keep watch and watch, and [602] ſhare other duties with my Lieutenant,day Sunday 13 whoſe health alſo was greatly impaired.

CHAP. VII. The Paſſage from Saint George's Channel to the Iſland of Mindanao, with an Account of many Iſlands that were ſeen, and Incidents that happened by the Way.

AS ſoon as we had cleared Saint George's Channel, we ſteered weſtward, and the next day we diſcovered land bearing W. N. W. and hauled up for it; it proved to be an iſland of conſiderable extent, and ſoon afterwards we ſaw another to the north eaſt of it, but this appeared to be little more than a large rock above water. As I had here ſtrong currents, and for ſeveral days had not been able to get an obſervation of the ſun, I cannot ſo exactly aſcertain the ſitu⯑ation of theſe iſlands as I might otherwiſe have done. As we proceeded to the weſtward, we diſcovered more land, con⯑ſiſting of many iſlands lying to the ſouthward of the large one which we had firſt diſcovered. As the nights were now moonlight, we kept on till eleven o'clock, and the Lieu⯑tenant, who was then officer of the watch, finding that the courſe we were ſteering would carry us among them, and not being willing to awaken me till it was my turn to watch, hauled off S. by E. and S. S. E. I came upon deck about midnight,day Tueſday 15 and at one in the morning, perceiving that we were clear of them, I bore away again to the weſtward with an eaſy ſail: the iſlands, however, were not far diſtant, and about ſix o'clock, a conſiderable number of canoes, with ſeveral hundred people on board, came off, and paddled [603] toward the ſhip: one of them, with ſeven men on board,day Tueſday 15 came near enough to hail us, and made us ſeveral ſigns which we could not perfectly underſtand, but repeated, as near as we could, to ſhew that whatever they meant to us we meant to them; however, the better to beſpeak their good-will, and invite them on board, we held up to them ſeveral of the few trifles we had: upon this they drew nearer to the ſhip, and I flattered myſelf that they were coming on board; but on the contrary, as ſoon as they came within reach of us they threw their lances, with great force, where we ſtood thickeſt upon the deck. As I thought it better to prevent than to repreſs a general attack, in which, as the number would be more, the miſchief would be greater, and having now no doubt of their hoſtile intentions, I fired ſome muſkets, and one of the ſwivel guns, upon which, ſome of them being killed or wounded, they rowed off and joined the other canoes, of which there were twelve or four⯑teen, with ſeveral hundred men on board. I then brought to, waiting for the iſſue, and had the ſatisfaction to ſee, that, after having long conſulted together, they made for the ſhore: that I might ſtill farther intimidate them, and more effectually prevent their return, I fired a round ſhot from one of my ſix-pounders, ſo as to fall into the water beyond them: this ſeemed to have a good effect, for they not only uſed their paddles more nimbly, but hoiſted ſail, ſtill ſtanding towards the ſhore. Soon after, however, ſeveral more canoes put off from another part of the iſland, and came towards us very faſt: they ſtopped at about the ſame diſtance as the other had done, and one of them alſo in the ſame manner came forward: to the people on board this veſſel we made all the ſigns of friendſhip we could deviſe, ſhewing them every thing we had which we thought would pleaſe them, opening our arms, and inviting them on board: but [604] our rhetoric was to no effect,day Tueſday 15 for as ſoon as they came within a caſt of the ſhip, they poured in a ſhower of darts and lances, which, however, did us no harm. We returned the aſſault by firing ſome muſkets, and one man being killed, the reſt precipitately leaped into the ſea, and ſwimming to the others, who waited at a diſtance, all returned together from whence they came. As ſoon as the canoe was deſerted, we got out our boat and brought it on board: it was full fifty feet long, though one of the ſmalleſt that came againſt us; it was very rudely made out of one tree, but had an outrigger. We found in it ſix fine fiſh, and a turtle, ſome yams, one cocoa-nut, and a bag full of a ſmall kind of apple or plum, of a ſweetiſh taſte and farinaceous ſub⯑ſtance; it had a flattiſh kernel, and was wholly different from every thing we have ſeen either before or ſince: it was eatable raw, but much better boiled, or roaſted in the em⯑bers: we found alſo two large earthen pots, ſhaped ſome⯑what like a jug, with a wide mouth, but without handles, and a conſiderable quantity of matting, which theſe people uſe both for ſails and awning, ſpreading it over bent ſticks, much in the ſame manner as the tilts of the London wher⯑ries. From the contents of this veſſel we judged that it had been fiſhing, and we obſerved that the people had a fire on board, with one of their pots on it, in which they were boiling their proviſion. When we had ſatisfied our curioſity by examining it, we cut it up for fire-wood.

Theſe Indians were the ſame kind of people that we had ſeen before on the coaſt of New Ireland, and at Egmont Iſland: they were of a very dark copper colour, nearly black, with woolly heads. They chew beetle-nut, and go quite naked, except the rude ornaments of ſhells ſtrung together, which they wear round their legs and arms: they were alſo pow⯑dered []

[605] like our laſt viſitors, and had, beſides,day Tueſday 15 their faces painted with white ſtreaks; but I did not obſerve that they had any beards. Their lances were pointed with a kind of bluiſh flint.

Having diſengaged ourſelves from this fierce and un⯑friendly people, we purſued our courſe along the other iſlands, which are between twenty and thirty in number, and of conſiderable extent; one in particular would alone make a large kingdom. I called them the ADMIRALTY ISLANDS,place Admiralty Iſlands and ſhould have been glad to have examined them, if my ſhip had been in a better condition, and I had been provided with ſuch articles as are proper for an Indian trade, eſpecially as their appearance is very inviting: they are clothed with the moſt beautiful verdure; the woods are lofty and luxuriant, interſperſed with ſpots that have been cleared for plantations, groves of cocoa-nut trees, and houſes of the natives, who ſeem to be very numerous. No⯑thing would be more eaſy than to eſtabliſh an amicable in⯑tercourſe with them, as they would ſoon be ſenſible that our ſuperiority would render conteſt vain, and traffic advan⯑tageous. I judge the middle of the largeſt to lie in latitude 2° 18′ S., longitude 146° 44′ E. and at the diſtance of five and thirty leagues from Queen Charlotte's Foreland in New Ha⯑nover, in the direction of W. ½ N. On the ſouth ſide of this iſland, there is a ſmall one, which riſes conically in a high peak. The latitude of this peak is 2° 27′ S. and it lies five degrees and an half weſtward of Cape Saint George in New Ireland. As we ran along the ſouth ſide of the large iſland, we found it to be eighteen leagues long, in the direction of eaſt and weſt; how far it runs to the northward, I do not know, but by its appearance there is reaſon to ſuppoſe a very conſiderable diſtance. I think it probable, in the higheſt degree, that theſe iſlands produce many valuable [606] articles of trade,day Tueſday 15 particularly ſpices, eſpecially as they lie in the ſame climate and latitude as the Malaccas, and as I found the nutmeg-tree in a ſoil comparatively rocky and barren upon the coaſt of New Ireland.

Having paſſed theſe iſlands, we continued our courſe W. by N. with a fine eaſtern breeze, and ſmooth water. On the 16th in the morning,day Wedneſday. 16 we found the variation, by a me⯑dium of ſeveral azimuths, to be 6° 30′ E, our latitude being 2° 19′ S., and our longitude 145° 40′ E. by obſervation. I was ſurpriſed to find the variation on this ſide the land of New Britain and New Ireland ſo much, as we had found it gra⯑dually decreaſing during our progreſs to the N. W. but I re⯑collected that about two years before I had found nearly the ſame variation in this meridian, about the iſland of Tinian.

On Saturday evening the 19th,day Saturday 19 we diſcovered two ſmall iſlands, both low land, level, and green: one of them we ſaw only from the main-top-gallant-maſt head; this I called DUROUR's ISLAND.place Durour's Iſland Its latitude is about 1° 14′ or 16′ S., its longitude 143° 21′ E. The other iſland, which I called MATTY's ISLAND,place Matty's Iſland we coaſted during the night, and ſaw the inhabitants, in great numbers, run along the beach, abreaſt of the ſhip, with lights: the ſide along which we ſailed ſeemed to be about ſix miles in length, E. by N. and W. by S. As it was dark we could ſee no more of it, and having a fine breeze, which we could not afford to loſe, we kept on. Its latitude is about 1° 45′ S., and its longitude about 143° 2′ E.: the variation here was 4° 40′ E. and we found a ſtrong north weſterly current. We had now freſh gales and ſqualls, with rain, the wind blowing very unſteadily from E. S. E. to E. N. E. till the 22d,day Tueſday 22 when it became variable. Our latitude was then 53′ S., longitude 140° 5′ E.; the variation was 4° 40′ E.

[607]On the 24th, we ſaw two ſmall iſlands to the ſouth weſt,day Thurſday 24 but it being calm, with light airs, and a ſtrong weſterly cur⯑rent, we could not get nearer to them than four or five leagues: they had a green, pleaſant appearance, and were well covered with trees; but whether they are inhabited I do not know. They run about N. W. by W. S. E. by E. One is about three miles long, and the other about ſix: the paſ⯑ſage between them appeared to be about two miles broad. They lie in latitude 22′ S. longitude 138° 39′ E. and I gave them the name of STEPHENS's ISLANDS. We kept ſteering N. W. by W. with a light variable wind, and a ſtrong north weſt current.

On the 25th, we ſaw land ahead,day Friday 25 which proved to be three ſmall iſlands; and before it was dark, we got pretty near them. Several canoes ſoon came off, filled with the natives, who, after making ſigns of peace, came on board without the leaſt appearance of fear or diſtruſt: they had nothing with them but a few cocoa-nuts, which they ſold with great joy for a few pieces of an iron hoop; we ſoon found that they were not unacquainted with that metal, which they called Parram, and they made us underſtand, by ſigns, that a ſhip like ours ſometimes touched at their iſlands for re⯑freſhment. I gave one of them three pieces of an old iron hoop, each about four inches long, which threw him into an extaſy little ſhort of diſtraction: I could not but ſympa⯑thize in his joy, nor obſerve, without great pleaſure, the changes of countenance, and extravagance of geſture, by which it was expreſſed. All theſe people indeed appeared to be more fond of iron than any we had ſeen before, and I am ſure, that for iron tools, we might have purchaſed every thing upon the iſlands which we could have brought away. They are of the Indian copper colour, the firſt of that com⯑plexion [608] that we had ſeen in theſe parts,day Friday 25 with fine long black hair, and little beards, for we obſerved that they were con⯑tinually plucking the hair from their chin and upper lip by the roots. Their features are pleaſing, and their teeth re⯑markably white and even: they were of the common ſtature, but nimble, vigorous, and active in a ſurpriſing degree, run⯑ning up to the maſt-head much faſter than our own people. Their diſpoſition was free and open, they eat and drank whatever was given them, went without heſitation into every part of the ſhip, and were as familiar and merry with the crew as if they had been of long and intimate acquaint⯑ance. They were not, like the people on all the other iſlands that we had viſited, quite naked, though they had only a ſlight covering for the waiſt, which conſiſted of a nar⯑row piece of fine matting. Their canoes were very well and neatly made, having a hollow tree for the bottom, and planks for the ſides, with a ſail of fine matting, and an out⯑rigger: their ropes and netting were alſo very good. They urged us ſtrongly to go on ſhore, offering to leave an equal number of their own people behind, as a pledge of their ſafe return; and indeed I would gladly have conſented if it had been in my power, but a ſtrong weſterly current hurried me to ſo great a diſtance, that I had no opportunity to ſeek for anchorage, and night coming on, we purſued our courſe. When our viſitors perceived this, one of them inſiſted upon going with us, and, notwithſtanding all that I and his companions could ſay or do, obſtinately refuſed to go on ſhore. As I thought it poſſible that this man might be the means of our making ſome uſeful diſcovery, I did not put him aſhore by force, but indulged him in his deſire: we learnt from him that there were other iſlands to the north⯑ward, the inhabitants of which he ſaid had iron, and always []

[609] killed his countrymen when they could catch them out at ſea.day Friday 25 It was with great concern that I perceived this poor fellow, whom I called Joſeph Freewill, from his readineſs to go with us, become gradually ſickly after he had been ſome time at ſea: he lived till I got to the iſland of Celebes, and there died. As the iſlands from which I had taken him were very ſmall and low, the largeſt being not more than five miles in compaſs, I was ſurpriſed to ſee with how many of the productions of Celebes he was acquainted; beſide the cocoa-nut and palm, he knew the beetle-nut and the lime, and the moment he got a bread-fruit, he went to the fire and roaſted it in the embers. He made us underſtand alſo, that in his country they had plenty of fiſh, and turtle in their ſeaſon. It is however very probable, notwithſtanding the number of people who ſubſiſt upon theſe iſlands, that they have no freſh water but what falls in rain: how they catch and preſerve it, I had no opportunity to learn, but I never met with a ſpring in a ſpot ſo ſmall and low, and in ſuch a ſpot I believe no ſpring was ever found. The largeſt of theſe iſlands, which the natives call Pegan, and to which I gave the name of FREEWILL ISLAND,place Freewill Iſland lies fifty minutes north of the line, and in 137° 51′ eaſt longitude. They are all ſurrounded by a reef of rocks. The chart of theſe iſlands I drew from the Indians' deſcription, who delineated them with chalk upon the deck, and aſcertained the depth of water by ſtretching his arms as a fathom.

I now ſteered N. W. by N. to get from under the ſun, and had light winds at E. S. E. with which almoſt any ſhip but the Swallow would have made good way, but with every poſſible advantage ſhe went at a heavy rate. We now found our variation begin again to decreaſe, as will appear by the following table:

On the 28th,day Monday 28 being in latitude 2° 53′ N., longitude 136° 10′ E. we fell in with a very dangerous ſhoal, which is about eleven or twelve miles in circuit, and ſurrounded with ſmall ſtones that juſt ſhew themſelves above water. We found here a ſtrong northerly current, but could not deter⯑mine whether it inclined to the eaſt or weſt.

In the evening, we diſcovered from the maſt-head another iſland to the ſouthward of us: the eaſt end of it ſeemed to riſe in a peak, and had the appearance of a ſail, but we did not go near enough to ſee any thing of it from the deck. I ſuppoſe its latitude to be about 2° 50′ N., and its longitude, eaſt of London, about 136° 10′ E.

We continued to have a current to the northward, till Monday the 5th of October,month October day Monday 5 when, being in latitude 4° 30′ N. I found it ſoutherly, and very ſtrong. I had, among other deficiencies and misfortunes, no ſmall boat on board, ſo that I could not try theſe currents, which I had a great deſire to do; but I am of opinion, that when the current ſet ſouth⯑ward it inclined to the eaſt, and that when it ſet northward it inclined to the weſt.

On Monday the 12th,day Monday 12 we diſcovered a ſmall iſland with trees upon it, though ſcarcely bigger than a rock, and I called it CURRENT ISLAND.place Current Iſland It lies in latitude 4° 40′ N., longitude 14° 24′ W. of Queen Charlotte's Fore-land. The next day, we diſcovered two other ſmall iſlands, which [611] I called SAINT ANDREW's ISLANDS:day Monday 12 place Saint An∣drew's Iſlands they lie in latitude 5° 18′ N., longitude 14° 47′ W. of Queen Charlotte's Fore⯑land. I called the ſmall iſland Current iſland, becauſe we had here a ſoutherly current ſo ſtrong that it ſet us from twenty-four to thirty miles ſouthward every day, beſides the difference it might make in our longitude. The wind was now variable, blowing by turns from every point in the compaſs, with much rain, and hard ſqualls. On Tueſday the 20th,day Tueſday 20 being in latitude 8° N. it blew with ſuch violence that we were obliged to lie to ſixty-four hours. This gale, which made a very great ſea, I ſuppoſed to be the ſhifting of the monſoon, and notwithſtanding the ſoutherly current, it drove us, while we lay to, as far as nine degrees north⯑ward.

CHAP. VIII. Some Account of the Coaſt of Mindanao, and the Iſlands near it, in which ſeveral Miſtakes of Dampier are corrected.

ON the 26th, we diſcovered land again,day Monday 26 but not being able to make an obſervation, we could aſcertain our latitude and longitude only by our dead reckoning; the next day,day Tueſday 2 how⯑ever, was more favourable, and I then found the effect of the current had been ſo great, that I was obliged to add to the log S. W. by S. no leſs than 64 miles for the laſt two days. We now knew that the land we had ſeen was the north eaſt part of the iſland of Mindanao: as I had many ſick people on board, and was in the moſt preſſing need of re⯑freſhments, [612] I determined to try what could be procured in a bay which Dampier has deſcribed as lying on the ſouth eaſt part of the iſland,day Tueſday 27 and which, he ſays, furniſhed him with great plenty of deer from a ſavannah. I therefore coaſted that ſide of the iſland, and that I might be ſure not to miſs the bay, I ſent out the Lieutenant with the boat and a proper number of hands, to keep in ſhore ahead of the ſhip. No ſuch bay however was to be found, but at the very ſouthermoſt extremity of the iſland they opened a little nook at the bottom of which was a town, and a fort. As ſoon as our boat was diſcovered by the people on ſhore, they fired a great gun, and ſent off three boats or canoes full of people. As the Lieutenant had not a ſufficient force to oppoſe them, he immediately made towards the ſhip, and the canoes chaced him till they came within ſight of her, and being then over-matched in their turn, they thought fit to go back. Being thus diſappointed in my ſearch of Dampier's Bay and Savannah, I would have anchored off this town, not⯑withſtanding theſe hoſtile appearances, if it had not been neceſſary firſt to get up ſome guns from the hold, and make a few neceſſary repairs in the rigging; this however being the caſe,month November day Monday 2 I ran a little to the eaſtward, where, on the 2d of November, I came to an anchor in a little bay, having a bottom of ſoft mud, and ſeven fathom of water, at the diſ⯑tance of a cable's length from the ſhore; the weſtermoſt point of the bay bore W. S. W. diſtant about three miles; the eaſtermoſt point E. by S. diſtant about one mile; a river, which empties itſelf into the bay, about N. W. and the peak of an iſland, called Hummock Iſland, S. 7° E. diſtant about five leagues. Before it was dark the ſame day, our two boats went to the river, and brought off their loads of water: they ſaw no ſigns of inhabitants where they were on ſhore, but we obſerved a canoe come round the weſtermoſt point of the [613] bay, which we ſuppoſed had been diſpatched from the town,day Monday 2 to learn what we were, or at leaſt to ſee what we were doing. As ſoon as I diſcovered this canoe, I hoiſted Engliſh colours, and was not without hope that ſhe would come on board, but after viewing us ſome time, ſhe returned. As we had ſeen no inhabitants, nor any ſigns of inhabitants, where we got our water, I intended to procure a further ſupply the next day from the ſame place, and endeavour alſo to re⯑cruit our wood; but about nine o'clock at night, we were ſuddenly ſurpriſed by a loud noiſe on that part of the ſhore which was abreaſt of the ſhip: it was made by a great number of human voices, and very much reſembled the war-whoop of the American Savages, a hideous ſhout which they give at the moment of their attack, and in which all who have heard it agree there is ſomething inexpreſſibly terrifying and horrid.

As I was now farther convinced that it was neceſſary to diſpoſe of our little force to the greateſt advantage, we began the next day by getting the guns up from the hold,day Tueſday 3 and making the neceſſary repairs to our rigging. At eleven o'clock, not having ſeen any thing of the people, who had endeavoured to terrify us by their yells in the night, I ſent the longboat on ſhore for more water; but, as I thought it probable that they might have concealed themſelves in the woods, I kept the cutter manned and armed, with the Lieutenant on board, that immediate ſuccour might be ſent to the waterers, if any danger ſhould threaten them. It ſoon appeared that my conjectures were well founded, for our people had no ſooner left their boat, than a number of armed men ruſhed out of the woods, one of whom held up ſomewhat white, which I took to be a ſignal of peace. Upon this occaſion I was again ſenſible of the mortifying defi⯑ciency in the ſhip's equipment, which I had ſo often experi⯑enced [614] before.day Tueſday 3 I had no white flag on board, and therefore, as the beſt expedient in my power, I ordered the Lieutenant, whom I ſent on ſhore in the cutter, to diſplay one of my table-cloths: as ſoon as the officer landed, the ſtandard-bearer and another came down to him unarmed, and re⯑ceived him with great appearance of friendſhip. One of them addreſſed him in Dutch, which none of our people underſtood; he then ſpoke a few words in Spaniſh, in which one of the perſons of the cutter was a conſiderable pro⯑ficient: the Indian however ſpoke it ſo very imperfectly, that it was with great difficulty, and by the help of many ſigns, he made himſelf underſtood; poſſibly if any of our people had ſpoken Dutch, he might have been found equally deficient in that language. He aſked for the Captain how⯑ever by the name of the ſkipper, and enquired whether we were Hollanders; whether our ſhip was intended for mer⯑chandize or for war; how many guns and men ſhe carried; and whether ſhe had been, or was going to Batavia. When we had ſatisfied him in all theſe particulars, he ſaid that we ſhould go to the town, and that he would introduce us to the Governor, whom he diſtinguiſhed by the title of Raja. The Lieutenant then told him, that we intended to go to the town, but that we were in immediate want of water, and therefore deſired permiſſion to fill ſome caſks; he alſo requeſted that the people who were armed with bows and arrows might be ordered to a greater diſtance. With both theſe requiſitions the Indian, who ſeemed to be inveſted with conſiderable authority, complied; and as he ſeemed to take particular notice of a ſilk handkerchief which the Lieutenant had tied round his neck, it was im⯑mediately preſented to him; in return for which he deſired him to accept a kind of cravat, made of coarſe callico, which was tied round his own, his dreſs being ſomewhat [615] after the Dutch faſhion. After this interchange of cravats,day Tueſday 3 he enquired of the officer whether the ſhip was furniſhed with any articles for trade; to which he anſwered that ſhe was ſufficiently furniſhed to trade for proviſions, but nothing more: the Chief replied, that whatever we wanted we ſhould have. After this conference, which I conſidered as an ear⯑neſt of every advantage which this place could afford us, the boats returned on board laden with water, and we went cheerfully on with our buſineſs on board the ſhip. In about two hours, however, we ſaw, with equal ſurpriſe and con⯑cern, many hundreds of armed men, poſting themſelves in parties at different places among the trees, upon the beach, abreaſt of the ſhip; their weapons were muſquets, bows and arrows, long pikes or ſpears, broad ſwords, a kind of hanger called a creſs, and targets: we obſerved alſo, that they hauled a canoe, which lay under a ſhed upon the beach, up into the woods. Theſe were not friendly appear⯑ances, and they were ſucceeded by others that were ſtill more hoſtile; for theſe people ſpent all the remainder of the day in entering and ruſhing out of the woods, as if they had been making ſallies to attack an enemy; ſometimes ſhooting their arrows, and throwing their lances into the water towards the ſhip; and ſometimes lifting their targets, and brandiſhing their ſwords at us in a menacing manner. In the mean time we were not idle on board: we got up our guns, repaired our rigging, and put every thing in order before evening, and then, being ready to ſail, I determined, if poſſible, to get another conference with the people on ſhore, and learn the reaſon of ſo ſudden and unaccount⯑able a change of behaviour. The Lieutenant therefore was again diſpatched, and as a teſtimony that our diſpoſition was ſtill peaceable, the table-cloth was again diſplayed as a flag of truce. I had the precaution, however, to order the boat [616] to a part of the beach which was clear of wood,day Tueſday 3 that the people on board might not be liable to miſchief from ene⯑mies whom they could not ſee; I alſo ordered that nobody ſhould go on ſhore. When the Indians ſaw the boat come to the beach, and obſerved that nobody landed, one of them came out of the wood with a bow and arrows in his hand, and made ſigns for the boat to come to the place where he ſtood. This the officer very prudently declined, as he would then have been within bow-ſhot of an ambuſcade, and after waiting ſome time, and finding that a conference could be procured upon no other terms, he returned back to the ſhip. It was certainly in my power to have deſtroyed many of theſe unfriendly people, by firing my great guns into the wood, but it would have anſwered no good purpoſe: we could not afterwards have procured wood and water here without riſking the loſs of our own people, and I ſtill hoped that refreſhment might be procured upon friendly terms at the town, which, now I was in a condition to defend myſelf againſt a ſudden aſſault, I reſolved to viſit.

The next morning therefore,day Wedneſ. 4 as ſoon as it was light, I ſailed from this place, which I called DECEITFUL BAY, with a light land breeze, and betweeen ten and eleven o'clock we got off the bay or nook, at the bottom of which our boats had diſcovered the town and fort. It happened however that juſt at this time the weather became thick, with heavy rain, and it began to blow hard from a quarter which made the land here a lee ſhore; this obliged me to ſtand off, and having no time to loſe, I ſtood away to the weſtward that I might reach Batavia before the ſeaſon was paſt.

I ſhall now give a more particular account of our navi⯑gating the ſea that waſhes the coaſts of this iſland, the rather as Dampier's deſcription is in ſeveral particulars erroneous.

[617]Having ſeen the north eaſt part of the iſland on the twenty-ſixth of October, without certainly knowing whe⯑ther it was Mindanao or Saint John's, we got nearer to it the next day, and made what we knew to be Saint Auguſtina, the ſouth eaſtermoſt part of the iſland, which riſes in little hummocks, that run down to a low point at the water's edge; it bears N. 40 E. at the diſtance of two and twenty leagues from a little iſland, which is diſtinguiſhed from the other iſlands that lie off the ſouthermoſt point of Mindanao by a hill or hummock, and which for that reaſon I called HUM⯑MOCK ISLAND. All this land is very high, one ridge of mountains riſing behind another, ſo that at a great diſtance it appears not like one iſland but ſeveral. After our firſt diſcovery of the iſland, we kept turning along the eaſt ſide from the northward to Cape Saint Auguſtina, nearly S. by W. ½ W. and N. by E. ½ E. for about twenty leagues. The wind was to the ſouthward along the ſhore, and as we ap⯑proached the land, we ſtood in for an opening which had the appearance of a good bay, where we intended to an⯑chor; but we found that it was too deep for our purpoſe, and that ſome ſhoals rendered the entrance of it dangerous. To this bay, which lies about eight or ten leagues N. by E. from Cape Saint Auguſtina, the ſouth eaſt extremity of the iſland, I gave the name of DISAPPOINTMENT BAY. When we were in the offing ſtanding in for this Bay, we obſerved a large hummock, which had the appearance of an iſland, but which I believe to be a peninſula, joined by a low iſthmus to the main; this hummock formed the northermoſt part of the entrance, and another high bluff point oppoſite to it formed the ſouthermoſt part; be⯑tween theſe two points are the ſhoals that have been men⯑tioned; and ſeveral ſmall iſlands, only one of which can be ſeen till they are approached very near. On this part of the [618] coaſt we ſaw no ſigns of inhabitants; the land is of a ſtu⯑pendous height, with mountains piled upon mountains till the ſummits are hidden in the clouds: in the offing there⯑fore it is almoſt impoſſible to eſtimate its diſtance, for what appear then to be ſmall hillocks, juſt emerging from the water, in compariſon of the mountains that are ſeen over them, ſwell into high hills as they are approached, and the diſtance is found to be thrice as much as it was imagined; perhaps this will account for the land here being ſo ill laid down, and in ſituations ſo very different as it appears to be in all our Engliſh charts. We found here a ſtrong current ſetting to the ſouthward along the ſhore, as the land trended. The high land that is to the north of Saint Auguſtina, be⯑comes gradually lower towards the Cape, a low flat point in which it terminates, and off which, at a very little diſtance, lie two large rocks. Its latitude is 6° 15′ N. and the longi⯑tude by account 127° 20′ E.

From this Cape the land trends away W. and W. by S. for ſix or ſeven leagues, and then turns up to the N. W. making a very deep bay, the bottom of which, as we croſſed it from Saint Auguſtina to the high land on the other ſide, which is not leſs than twelve leagues, we could not ſee. The coaſt on the farther ſide of it, coming up from the bottom, trend firſt to the S. and S. S. W. and then to the S. W. by W. to⯑wards the ſouth extremity of the iſland.

Off this ſouthern extremity, which Dampier calls the ſouth eaſt by miſtake, the ſouth eaſt being Saint Auguſtina, at the diſtance of five, ſix, and ſeven leagues, lie ten or twelve iſlands, though Dampier ſays there are only two, and that together they are about five leagues round. The iſlands that I ſaw could not be contained in a circuit of leſs than fifteen leagues, and from the number of boats that I ſaw [619] among them I imagine they are well inhabited. The largeſt of theſe lies to the S. W. of the others, and makes in a re⯑markable peak, ſo that it is firſt ſeen in coming in with the land, and is indeed viſible at a very great diſtance. Its lati⯑tude I make 5° 24′ N. and its longitude by account 126° 37′ E. This iſland, which I called HUMMOCK ISLAND,place Hummock Iſland bears from Saint Auguſtina S. 40 W. at the diſtance of between twenty and two and twenty leagues; and from the ſame Cape, the ſouthermoſt part of the iſland Mindanao bears S. W. ¾ W. at the diſtance of between twenty-one and twenty-three leagues. This ſouthermoſt extremity conſiſts of three or four points, which bear eaſt and weſt of each other for about ſeven miles. They lie in latitude 5° 34′ N., longitude 126° 25′ E. according to my account. The variation here was one point eaſt.

I paſſed between theſe Iſlands and the main, and found the paſſage good, the current ſetting to the weſtward. Dam⯑pier has placed his Bay and Savannah four leagues N. W. from the eaſtermoſt iſland, and there I ſought it, as indeed I did on all the S. E. part of the iſland till we came to the little creek which ran up to the town.

All the ſouthern part of Mindanao is extremely pleaſant, with many ſpots where the woods had been cleared for plantations, and fine lawns of a beautiful verdure: this part alſo is well inhabited, as well as the neighbouring iſlands. Of the town I can give no account, as the weather was ſo thick that I could not ſee it; neither could I ſufficiently diſ⯑tinguiſh the land to ſet off the points, at which I was not a little mortified.

When I came to open the land to the weſtward of the ſouthermoſt point, I found it trend from that point W. N. W. and N. W. by W. forming firſt a point at the diſtance of [620] about ſeven or eight leagues, and then a very deep bay run⯑ning ſo far in to the N. and N. E. that I could not ſee the bot⯑tom of it. The weſtermoſt point of this bay is low, but the land ſoon riſes again, and runs along to the N. W. by W. which ſeems to be the direction of this coaſt, from the ſouthermoſt point of the iſland towards the city of Min⯑danao.

To the weſtward of this deep bay, the land is all flat, and in compariſon of the other parts of the iſland, but thinly wooded. Over this flat appears a peak of ſtupendous height, which riſes into the clouds like a tower. Between the en⯑trance of this bay and the ſouth point of the iſland there is another very high hill, the top of which has the funnel ſhape of a volcano, but I did not perceive that it emitted either fire or ſmoke. It is poſſible that this deep bay is that which Dampier mentions, and that it is miſplaced by an error of the preſs; for, if inſtead of ſaying it bore N. W. four leagues from the eaſtermoſt of the iſlands, he had ſaid it bore N. W. fourteen leagues from the weſtermoſt of the iſlands, it would correſpond well with his deſcription, the bearings being the ſame, and the land on the eaſt ſide of it high, and low on the weſt: he is alſo nearly right in the latitude of his iſlands, which he makes 5° 10′ N.; for probably ſome parts of the ſouthermoſt of them may lie in that latitude; but as I did not go to the ſouthward of them, this is only conjecture.

Between Hummock Iſland, which is the largeſt and weſtermoſt of them, and the iſlands to the eaſtward of it, which are all flat and even, is a paſſage running north and ſouth, which appears to be clear. The north eaſtermoſt of theſe iſlands is ſmall, low, and flat, with a white ſandy beach all round it, and a great many trees in the middle. [621] Eaſt, or north eaſt of this iſland, there are ſhoals and break⯑ers; and I ſaw no other appearance of danger in theſe parts. Neither did I ſee any of the iſlands which are mentioned by Dampier, and laid down in all the charts, near Mindanao in the offing: perhaps they are at a more remote diſtance than is commonly ſuppoſed; for without great attention naviga⯑tors will be much deceived in this particular by the height of the land, as I have obſerved already. As I coaſted this iſland, I found the current ſet very ſtrong to the ſouthward along the ſhore, till I came to the ſouth end of it, where I found it run N. W. and N. W. by W. which is nearly as the land trends. We had the winds commonly from S. W. to N. W. with light airs, frequent rain, and unſettled wea⯑ther.

We now bid farewel to Mindanao greatly diſappointed in our hope of obtaining refreſhments, which at firſt the in⯑habitants ſo readily promiſed to furniſh. We ſuſpected that there were Dutchmen, or at leaſt Dutch partiſans in the town; and that, having diſcovered us to be Engliſh, they had diſpatched an armed party to prevent our having any intercourſe with the natives, who arrived about two hours after our friendly conference, and were the people that de⯑fied us from the ſhore.

CHAP. IX. The Paſſage from Mindanao to the Iſland of Celebes, with a particular Account of the Streight of Macaſſar, in which many Errors are corrected.

AFTER leaving Mindanao,day Saturday 14 I ſtood to the weſtward for the paſſage between the iſlands of Borneo and Cele⯑bes, called the Streight of Macaſſar, and made it on Satur⯑day the fourteenth. I obſerved, that during the whole of this run we had a ſtrong north weſterly current; but that while we were nearer to Mindanao than Celebes, it ran ra⯑ther towards the north than the weſt; and that when we came nearer to Celebes than we were to Mindanao, it ran rather towards the weſt than the north. The land of Cele⯑bes on the north end runs along to the entrance of the paſſage, is very lofty, and ſeems to trend away about W. by S. to a remarkable point in the paſſage, which makes in a hummock, and which at firſt we took for an iſland. I believe it to be the ſame which in the French charts is called Stroomen Point, but I gave it the name of HUMMOCK POINT. Its latitude according to my account is 1° 20′ N., longitude 121° 39′ E.; and it is a good mark for thoſe to know the paſſage that fall in with the land coming from the eaſtward, who, if poſſible, ſhould always make this ſide of the paſſage. From Hummock Point the land trends more away to the ſouthward, about S. W. by W. and to the ſouthward of it there is a deep bay, full of iſlands and rocks, which ap⯑peared to me to be very dangerous. Juſt off the Point [623] there are two rocks, which, though they are above water,day Saturday 14 cannot be ſeen from a ſhip till ſhe is cloſe to the land. To the eaſtward of this Point, cloſe to the ſhore, are two iſlands, one of them very flat, long, and even, and the other ſwelling into a hill: both theſe iſlands, as well as the adjacent coun⯑try, are well covered with trees: I ſtood cloſe in a little to the eaſtward of them, and had no ground with an hundred fa⯑thom, within half a mile of the ſhore, which ſeemed to be rocky. A little to the weſtward of theſe iſlands, we ſaw no leſs than ſixty boats, which were fiſhing on ſome ſhoals that lie between them and Hummock Point. This part of the ſhore appeared to be foul, and I think ſhould not be ap⯑proached without great caution. In this place I found the currents various and uncertain, ſometimes ſetting to the ſouthward, and ſometimes to the northward, and ſometimes there was no current at all; the weather alſo was very un⯑ſettled, and ſo was the wind; it blew, however, chiefly to the ſouth and ſouth weſt quarter, but we had ſometimes ſudden and violent guſts, and tornadoes from the N. W. with thunder, lightning, and rain: theſe generally laſted about an hour, when they were ſucceeded by a dead calm, and the wind would afterwards ſpring up freſh from the S. W. or S. S. W. which was right againſt us, and blow ſtrong. From theſe appearances I conjectured that the ſhifting ſeaſon had commenced, and that the weſt monſoon would ſoon ſet in. The ſhip ſailed ſo ill that we made very little way; we frequently founded in this paſſage, but could get no ground.

On the 21ſt of November,day Saturday 21 as we were ſtanding towards Borneo, we made two ſmall iſlands, which I judged to be the ſame that in the French chart are called Taba Iſlands: they are very ſmall, and covered with trees. By my ac⯑count, they lie in latitude 1° 44′ N., longitude 7° 32′ W. of the ſouth end of Mindanao, and are diſtant from Hummock, [624] or Stroomen Point,day Saturday 21 about fifty-eight leagues. The weather was now hazy, but happening ſuddenly to clear up, we ſaw a ſhoal, with breakers, at the diſtance of about five or ſix miles, from the ſouth to the north weſt. Off the north end of this ſhoal we ſaw four hummocks cloſe together, which we took for ſmall iſlands, and ſeven more from the S. ½ W. to the W. ½ S.: whether theſe are really iſlands, or ſome hills on the iſland of Borneo, I could not determine. This ſhoal is certainly very dangerous, but may be avoided by going to the weſtward of Taba Iſlands, where the paſſage is clear and broad. In the French chart of Monſieur D'Apres de Mande⯑villette, publiſhed in 1745, two ſhoals are laid down, to the eaſtward, and a little to the north of theſe iſlands: one of them is called Vanloorif, and the other, on which are placed two iſlands, Harigs; but theſe ſhoals and iſlands have cer⯑tainly no exiſtence, as I turned through this part of the paſ⯑ſage from ſide to ſide, and ſailed over the very ſpot where they are ſuppoſed to lie. In the ſame chart ſeven ſmall iſlands are alſo laid down within half a degree to the north⯑ward of the line, and exactly in the middle of the narroweſt part of this paſſage; but neither have theſe iſlands any exiſt⯑ence, except upon paper, though I believe there may be ſome ſmall iſlands cloſe to the main land of Borneo: we thought we had ſeen two, which we took to be thoſe that are laid down in the charts off Porto Tubo, but of this I am not certain. The ſouthermoſt and narroweſt part of this paſſage is about eighteen or twenty leagues broad, with high lands on each ſide. We continued labouring in it till the 27th,day Friday 27 before we croſſed the line, ſo that we were a fort⯑night in ſailing eight and twenty leagues, the diſtance from the north entrance of the ſtreight, which we made on the 1 [...]th. After we got to the ſouthward of the line, we found a ſlight current ſetting againſt us to the northward, which [625] daily increaſed: the weather was ſtill unſettled,day Friday 27 with much wet: the winds were chiefly S. W. and W. S. W. and very ſel⯑dom farther to the northward than W. N. W. except in the tornadoes, which grew more frequent and violent; and by them we got nothing but hard labour, as they obliged us to hand all our ſails, which indeed with our utmoſt effort we were ſcarcely able to do, our debility daily increaſing by the falling ſick of the few that were well, or the death of ſome among the many that were ſick. Under theſe circumſtances we uſed our utmoſt endeavours to get hold of the land on the Borneo ſide, but were not able, and continued to ſtruggle with our misfortunes till the 3d of December,month December day Thurſday 3 when we fell in with the ſmall iſlands and ſhoals called the Little Pater⯑noſters, the ſouthermoſt of which, according to my account, lies in latitude 2° 31′ S. and the northermoſt in 2° 15′ S. the longitude of the northermoſt I made 117° 12′ E.: they bear about S. E. ¼ S. and N. W. ¼ N. of each other, diſtant eight leagues, and between them are the others; the number of the whole is eight. They lie very near the Celebes ſide of the ſtreight, and being unable either to weather them, or get to the weſtward of them, we were obliged to go between them and the iſland. We had here tempeſtuous weather and contrary winds, with ſudden and impetuous guſts, which, as we had not a number of hands ſufficient to bend the ſails, often endangered our maſts and yards, and did great da⯑mage to our ſails and rigging, eſpecially at this time, as we were obliged to carry all the ſail we could to prevent our falling into a deep bight, on the Celebes ſhore. The ravages of the ſcurvy were now univerſal, there not being one indi⯑vidual among us that was free, and the winds and currents being ſo hard againſt us, that we could neither get weſting nor ſouthing to reach any place of refreſhment; the mind participated in the ſufferings of the body, and a univerſal [626] deſpondency was reflected from one countenance to another, eſpecially among thoſe who were not able to come upon the deck. In this deplorable ſituation we continued till the 10th,day Thurſday 10 and it is not perhaps very eaſy for the moſt fertile imagination to conceive by what our danger and diſtreſs could poſſibly be increaſed; yet debilitated, ſick, and dying as we were, in ſight of land that we could not reach, and expoſed to tempeſts which we could not reſiſt, we had the additional misfortune to be attacked by a pirate: that this unexpected miſchief might loſe none of its force, it hap⯑pened at midnight, when the darkneſs that might almoſt be felt could not fail to co-operate with whatever tended to pro⯑duce confuſion and terror. This ſudden attack, however, rather rouzed than depreſſed us, and though our enemy attempted to board us, before we could have the leaſt appre⯑henſion that an enemy was near, we defeated his purpoſe: he then plied us with what we ſuppoſed to be ſwivel-guns, and ſmall arms, very briſkly; but though he had the ſtart of us, we ſoon returned his ſalute with ſuch effect, that ſhortly after he ſunk, and all the unhappy wretches on board periſhed. It was a ſmall veſſel, but of what country, or how manned, it was impoſſible for us to know. The Lieu⯑tenant, and one of the men, were wounded, though not dangerouſly; part of our running rigging was cut, and we received ſome other ſlight damage. We knew this pirate to be a veſſel which we had ſeen in the duſk of the evening, and we afterwards learnt that ſhe belonged to a freebooter, who had more than thirty ſuch veſſels under his command. The ſmallneſs of our veſſel encouraged the attack, and her ſtrength being ſo much more than in proportion to her ſize, ſuppoſing her a merchantman, rendered it fatal.

On Saturday the 12th,day Saturday 12 we fell in with the dangerous ſhoals called the Spera Mondes, and had the mortification to [627] find that the weſterly monſoon was now ſet in,day Saturday 12 againſt which, and the current, it was impoſſible for any ſhip to get as far weſtward as Batavia. As it was now neceſſary to wait till the return of the eaſtern monſoon, and the ſhifting of the current; as we had buried thirteen of our crew, and no leſs than thirty more were at the point of death; as all the petty officers were among the ſick, and the Lieutenant and myſelf, who did all duties, in a feeble condition; it was impoſſible that we ſhould keep the ſea, and we had no chance of preſerving thoſe who were ſtill alive, but by getting on ſhore at ſome place, where reſt and refreſhment might be procured; I therefore determined that I would take advantage of our being ſo far to the ſouthward, and endea⯑vour to reach Macaſſar, the principal ſettlement of the Dutch upon the iſland of Celebes.

The next day,day Sunday 13 we made ſome iſlands which lie not far from that place, and ſaw, what ſometimes we took for ſhoals, and ſometimes for boats, with men on board, but what afterwards appeared to be trees, and other drift floating about, with birds ſitting upon them; we ſuddenly found ourſelves twenty miles farther to the ſouthward than we expected, for the current, which had for ſome time ſet us to the northward, had ſet us to the ſouthward during the night. We now hauled up eaſt, and E. ½ N. intending to have gone to the northward of a ſhoal, which has no name in our Eaſt India Pilot, but which the Dutch call the Thumb: by noon, however, we found ourſelves upon it, our water ſhallowing at once to four fathom, with rocky ground. We now hauled off to the ſouth weſt, and keeping the boat ahead to ſound, ran round the weſt ſide of the ſhoal in ten and twelve fathom; our water deepening when we hauled off to the weſt, and ſhallowing when we hauled off eaſt. [628] Our latitude,day Sunday 13 by obſervation, when we were upon the ſhoal, was 5° 20′ S. and the northermoſt of the iſlands, called the Three Brothers, then bore S. 81 E. at the diſtance of five or ſix leagues. This iſland is, in the Engliſh Pilot, called Don Dinanga, but by the Dutch the North Brother.

Between the Three Brothers, and the main of Celebes, there is another iſland, much larger than either of them, called the Iſland of Tonikiky; but none of them are inhabited, though there are a few huts belonging to fiſhermen upon them all. The paſſage between the ſhoal and this iſland is clear and good, with from ten to thirteen fathom, and a ſandy bottom; but the ſoundings are to be kept on the ſide of the iſland in twelve fathom, and never under ten: it is, however, very difficult and dangerous for ſhips to fall in with the land this way without a pilot on board, for there are many ſhoals and rocks under water. I ran in by a chart in the Engliſh Eaſt India Pilot, which upon the whole I found a good one, though the names of the iſlands, points, and bays, differ very much from thoſe by which they are now known. When we got near to the Celebes ſhore, we had land and ſea breezes, which obliged us to edge along the coaſt, though our ſtrength was ſo much reduced, that it was with the utmoſt difficulty we could work the ſtream anchor.

In the evening of Tueſday the 15th,day Tueſday 15 we anchored at about the diſtance of four miles from the town of Macaſſar, which, according to my account, lies in latitude 5° 10′ or 5° 12′ S., longitude 117° 28′ E. having ſpent no leſs than five and thirty weeks in our paſſage from the Streight of Magellan.

I have been the more particular in my deſcription of as much as I ſaw of this Streight, becauſe all the charts, both Engliſh and French, that I conſulted, are extremely deficient [629] and erroneous,day Tueſday 15 and becauſe an exact knowlege of it may be of great ſervice to our China trade: the ſhips by which that trade is carried on, may paſs this way with as little danger as by the common one, which lies along the Praſſel ſhoals; and when they miſs their paſſage to China, in the ſouth eaſt monſoon, and loſe the ſeaſon, they may be ſure of a clear channel here, and fair winds at W. S. W. W. and round to W. N. W. in November, December, and the four following months: I am alſo of opinion, that it is a better and ſhorter way to go to the N. E. and eaſtward of the Phillipine Iſlands, than to thread the Moluccas, or coaſt New Guinea, where there are ſhoals, currents, and innumerable other dangers, as they were forced to do when the French were cruizing for them in the common paſſage during the laſt war.

CHAP. X. Tranſactions off Macaſſar, and the Paſſage thence to Bonthain.

THE ſame night that we came to an anchor,day Tueſday 15 at about eleven o'clock, a Dutchman came on board, who had been diſpatched by the Governor, to learn who we were. When I made him underſtand that the ſhip was an Engliſh man of war, he ſeemed to be greatly alarmed, no man of war belonging to the King of Great Britain having ever been there before, and I could not by any means perſuade him to leave the deck, and go down into the cabbin; we parted, however, to all appearance, good friends.

The next morning,day Wedneſ. 16 at break of day, I ſent the Lieutenant to the town, with a letter to the Governor, in which I ac⯑quainted him with the reaſon of my coming thither, and requeſted the liberty of the port to procure refreſhments for my ſhip's company, who were in a dying condition, and ſhelter for the veſſel againſt the approaching ſtorms, till the return of a ſit ſeaſon for ſailing to the weſtward. I ordered that this letter ſhould, without good reaſon to the contrary, be delivered into the Governor's own hand; but when my officer got to the wharf of the town, neither he nor any other perſon in the boat was ſuffered to land. Upon his re⯑fuſal to deliver the letter to a meſſenger, the Governor was made acquainted with it, and two officers, called the ſhe⯑bander and the fiſcal, were ſent down to him, who, as a reaſon why he could not deliver the letter to the Governor himſelf, pretended that he was ſick, and ſaid, that they [631] came by his expreſs order to fetch it; day Wedneſ. 16 upon this the letter was at length delivered to them, and they went away. While they were gone, the officer and men were kept on board their boat, expoſed to the burning heat of the ſun, which was almoſt vertical at noon, and none of the country boats were ſuffered to come near enough to ſell them any refreſhment. In the mean time, our people ob⯑ſerved a great hurry and buſtle on ſhore, and all the ſloops and veſſels that were proper for war were fitted out with the utmoſt expedition: we ſhould, however, I believe, have been an overmatch for their whole ſea force, if all our people had been well. In the mean time I intended to have gone and anchored cloſe to the town, but now the boat was ab⯑ſent, our united ſtrength was not ſufficient to weigh the anchor, though a ſmall one. After waiting five hours in the boat, the Lieutenant was told that the Governor had ordered two gentlemen to wait upon me with an anſwer to my let⯑ter. Soon after he had returned, and made this report, the two gentlemen came on board, and we afterwards learnt that one of them was an enſign of the garriſon, named Le Cerf, and the other Mr. Douglas, a writer of the Dutch Eaſt India Company: they delivered me the Governor's letter, but it proved to be written in Dutch, a language which not a ſingle perſon on board could underſtand: the two gentle⯑men who brought it, however, both ſpoke French, and one of them interpreted the contents to me in that language▪ The purport of it was "that I ſhould inſtantly depart from the port, without coming any nearer to the town; that I ſhould not anchor on any part of the coaſt, or permit any of my people to land in any place that was under his juriſdic⯑tion." Before I made any reply to this letter, I ſhewed the gentlemen who brought it the number of my ſick: at the ſight of ſo many unhappy wretches, who were dying of lan⯑guor [632] and diſeaſe,day Wedneſ. 16 they ſeemed to be much affected, and I then urged again the preſſing neceſſity I was under of pro⯑curing refreſhment, to which they had been witneſſes, the cruelty and injuſtice of refuſing to ſupply me, which was not only contrary to treaty, as we were in a King's ſhip, but to the laws of Nature as we were human beings: they ſeemed to admit the force of this reaſoning, but they had a ſhort and final anſwer ready, "that they had abſolute and in⯑diſpenſible orders from their maſters, not to ſuffer any ſhip, of whatever nation, to ſtay at this port, and that theſe orders they muſt implicitly obey." To this I replied, that perſons in our ſituation had nothing worſe to fear than what they ſuffered, and that therefore if they did not immediately allow me the liberty of the port, to purchaſe refreſhments, and procure ſhelter, I would, as ſoon as the wind would permit, in defiance of all their menaces, and all their force, go and anchor cloſe to the town; that if at laſt I ſhould find myſelf unable to compel them to comply with requiſitions, the reaſonableneſs of which could not be controverted, I would run the ſhip aground under their walls, and, after ſelling our lives as dearly as we could, bring upon them the diſgrace of having reduced a friend and ally to ſo dreadful an extremity. At this they ſeemed to be alarmed, as our ſituation alone was ſufficient to convince them that I was in earneſt, and urged me with great emotion to remain where I was, at leaſt till I had heard again from the Governor: to this, after ſome altercation, I conſented, upon condition that I heard from the Governor before the ſea-breeze ſet in the next day.

We paſſed all the remainder of this day, and all the night, in a ſtate of anxiety, not unmixed with indignation, that greatly aggravated our diſtreſs; and very early the next morning,day Thurſday 17 we had the mortification to ſee a ſloop that [633] mounted eight carriage-guns,day Thurſday 17 and one of the veſſels of the country, fitted out for war, with a great number of ſoldiers on board, come from the town, and anchor under each of our bows. I immediately ſent my boat to ſpeak with them, but they would make no reply to any thing that was ſaid. About noon, the ſea breeze ſet in, and not having then heard again from the Governor, I got under ſail, and proceeded towards the town, according to my declaration, reſolving, if the veſ⯑ſels that had anchored under our bows, ſhould oppoſe us, to repreſs force with force as far as we were able: theſe two veſſels, however, happily both for us and for them, con⯑tented themſelves with weighing anchor, and attending our motions.

Very ſoon after we had got under ſail, a handſome veſſel, with a band of muſick, and ſeveral gentlemen on board, made up to us, and told us that they were ſent by the Go⯑vernor, but could not come aboard if we did not drop our anchor again; our anchor therefore was immediately dropped, and the gentlemen came on board: they proved to be Mr. Blydenburg, the fiſcal, Mr. Voll, the ſhebander, an officer called the licence maſter, or maſter of the port, and Mr. Douglas the writer, who has been mentioned already. They expreſſed ſome ſurprize at my having got under ſail, and aſked me what I intended to have done; I told them that I intended, neither more nor leſs than to fulfill the declara⯑tions I had made the day before; that juſtified by the common rights of mankind, which were ſuperior to every other law, I would, rather than have put again to ſea, where our deſtruction either by ſhipwreck, ſickneſs, or famine, was inevitable, have come up to their walls, and either have compelled them to furniſh the neceſſaries we wanted, or have run the ſhip on ſhore, ſince it was better to periſh at once in a juſt conteſt, than to ſuffer the lingering miſery of [634] anticipating the perdition that we could not avoid.day Thurſday 17 I ob⯑ſerved alſo, that no civilized people had ever ſuffered even the captives of war to periſh for want of the neceſſaries of life, much leſs the ſubjects of an ally, who aſked nothing but permiſſion to purchaſe food with their money. They readily allowed the truth of all I had ſaid, but ſeemed to think I had been too haſty: I then obſerved that I had waited the full time of my ſtipulation, and they in return made ſome excuſe for their not having come ſooner, telling me, that, as a proof of their having admitted my claim, they had brought me ſuch proviſions as their country would afford. Theſe were immediately taken on board, and con⯑ſiſted of two ſheep, an elk ready killed, and a few fowls, with ſome vegetables and fruit. This moſt welcome ſupply was divided among the people, and that moſt ſalutary, and to us exquiſite dainty, broth, made for the ſick. Another letter from the Governor was then produced, in which, to my great diſappointment, I was again ordered to leave the port, and to juſtify the order, it was alleged, that to ſuffer a ſhip of any nation to ſtay and trade either at this port, or any other part of the iſland, was contrary to the agreement which had been made by the Eaſt India Company with the native Kings and Governors of the country, who had already expreſſed ſome diſpleaſure on our account; and for farther particulars I was referred to the gentlemen that brought the letter, whom the Governor ſtiled his commiſſaries. To theſe gentlemen I immediately obſerved, that no ſtipulation con⯑cerning trade could affect us, as we were a King's ſhip; at the ſame time I produced my commiſſion, it not being poſſible to bring under the article of trade the ſelling us food and refreſhments for our money, without the utmoſt violence to language and common ſenſe. After this they made me ſeveral propoſitions, which I rejected, becauſe my departure [635] from this place, before the return of the ſeaſon, day Thurſday 17 was in⯑cluded in them all. I then recurred to my former decla⯑ration, and to enforce it, ſhewed them the corpſe of a man who had died that morning, and whoſe life would probably have been ſaved, if they had afforded us refreſhments when we firſt came to an anchor upon their coaſt. This put them to a ſtand, but after a ſhort pauſe, they enquired very par⯑ticularly whether I had been among the ſpice iſlands; I an⯑ſwered them in the negative, and they appeared to be con⯑vinced that I ſpoke truth. After this we came to a better underſtanding, and they told me, that though they could not, without diſobedience to the moſt direct and poſitive orders of the Company, ſuffer us to remain here, yet that I was welcome to go to a little bay not far diſtant, where I ſhould find effectual ſhelter from the bad monſoon, and might erect an hoſpital for my ſick, aſſuring me at the ſame time that proviſion and refreſhments were more plenty there than at Macaſſar, from whence, whatever elſe I wanted ſhould be ſent me, and offering me a good pilot to carry me to my ſtation. To this I gladly conſented, upon condition that what they had offered ſhould be confirmed to me by the Governor and Council of Macaſſar, that I might be conſidered as under the protection of the Dutch nation, and that no vio⯑lence ſhould be offered to my people: for all this they en⯑gaged their honour on behalf of the Governor and Council, promiſing me the aſſurance I had required on the next day, and requeſting that in the mean time I would remain where I was. I then enquired why the two veſſels which were at anchor under our bows were allotted to that ſtation, and they told me, for no other reaſon than to prevent the people of the country from offering us any violence. When matters were thus far ſettled between us, I expreſſed my concern that, except a glaſs of wine, I could preſent them with [636] nothing better then bad ſalt meat,day Thurſday 17 and bread full of wea⯑vels, upon which they very politely deſired that I would permit their ſervants to bring in the victuals which had been dreſſing in their own veſſel; I readily conſented, and a very genteel dinner was ſoon ſerved up, conſiſting of fiſh, fleſh, vegetables, and fruit. It is with the greateſt pleaſure that I take this opportunity of acknowledging my obligations to theſe Gentlemen for the politeneſs and humanity of their behaviour in their private capacity, and particularly to Mr. Douglas, who being qualified by his knowlege of the French language to interpret between us, undertook that office with a courteſy and politeneſs which very much increaſed the value of the favour. After this we parted, and at their leav⯑ing the ſhip, I ſaluted them with nine guns.

The next morning the Shebander was ſent to acquaint me,day Friday 18 that the Governor and Council had confirmed the en⯑gagement which had been made with me on their behalf. Every thing was now ſettled much to my ſatisfaction, ex⯑cept the procuring money for my bills upon the govern⯑ment of Great Britain, which the Shebander ſaid he would ſolicit. At eight o'clock in the evening, he came on board again, to let me know that there was not any perſon in the town who had money to remit to Europe, and that there was not a dollar in the Company's cheſt. I anſwered, that as I was not permitted to go on ſhore to negociate my bills myſelf, I hoped they would give me credit, offering him bills for any debt I ſhould contract, or to pay it at Batavia. To this the Shebander replied, that the Reſident at Bonthain, the place to which I was going, would receive orders to ſupply me with whatever I ſhould want, and would be glad to take my bills in return, as he had money to remit, and was himſelf to go to Europe the next ſeaſon. He told me []

[637] alſo, that he had conſiderable property in England,day Friday 18 being a deniſon of that country; ‘and, ſaid the Shebander, he has alſo money in my hands, with which I will purchaſe ſuch things as you want from Macaſſar, and ſee that they are ſent after you.’ Having ſpecified what theſe articles were to be, and agreed with him for the quantity and the price, we parted.

The next day, in the afternoon, I received a letter,day Saturday 19 ſigned by the Governor and Council of Macaſſar, containing the reaſons why I was ſent to Bonthain, and confirming the ver⯑bal agreement which ſubſiſted between us.

Soon after, the Enſign M. le Cerf, the Secretary of the Council, and a pilot, came on board to attend us to Bon⯑thain. Le Cerf was to command the ſoldiers who were on board the guard-boats; and the Secretary, as we afterwards diſcovered, was to be a check upon the reſident, whoſe name was Swellingrabel. This Gentleman's father died Second Governor at the Cape of Good Hope, where he mar⯑ried an Engliſh lady of the name of Fothergill. Mr. Swel⯑lingrabel, the Reſident here, married the daughter of Cor⯑nelius Sinkclaar, who had been Governor of Macaſſar, and died about two years ago in England, having come hither to ſee ſome of his mother's relations.

CHAP. XI. Tranſactions at Bonthain, while the Veſſel was waiting for a Wind to carry her to Batavia, with ſome Account of the Place, the Town of Macaſſar, and the adjacent Country.

THE next morning at day-break we ſailed,day Sunday 20 and the day following in the afternoon we anchored in Bon⯑thain road with our two guard-boats,day Monday 21 which were immedi⯑ately moored cloſe in to the ſhore, to prevent the country boats from coming near us, and our boats from going near them. As ſoon as I arrived at this place, I altered our reck⯑oning. I had loſt about eighteen hours, in coming by the weſt, and the Europeans that we found here having come by the eaſt had gained about ſix, ſo that the difference was juſt a day.

I immediately waited upon the Reſident, Mr. Swellingrabel, who ſpoke Engliſh but very imperfectly, and having ſettled with him all matters relating to money and proviſions, a houſe was allotted me near the ſea-ſide, and cloſe to a little palliſadoed fort of eight guns, the only one in this place, which I converted into an hoſpital, under the direction of the Surgeon; to this place I immediately ſent all the people who were thought incapable of recovering on board, and reſerved the reſt as a ſecurity againſt accidents. As ſoon as our people were on ſhore, a guard of thirty-ſix private men, two Ser⯑jeants, and two Corporals, all under the command of Enſign [639] Le Cerf, was ſet over them; and none of them were ſuffered to go more than thirty yards from the hoſpital, nor were any of the country people allowed to come near enough to ſell them any thing; ſo that our men got nothing of them, but through the hands of the Dutch ſoldiers, who abuſed their power very ſhamefully. When they ſaw any of the country people carrying what they thought our inva⯑lids would purchaſe, they firſt took it away, and then aſked the price: what was demanded ſignified little, the ſoldier gave what he thought proper, which was ſeldom one fourth of the value; and if the countryman ventured to expreſs any diſcontent, he gave him immediately an earneſt of perfect ſatisfaction, by flouriſhing his broad-ſword over his head; this was always ſufficient to ſilence complaint, and ſend the ſufferer quietly away; after which the ſoldier ſold what he had thus acquired for profit of ſometimes more than a thou⯑ſand per Cent. This behaviour was ſo cruel to the natives, and ſo injurious to us, that I ventured to complain of it to the Reſident, and the other two Gentlemen, Le Cerf and the Secretary. The Reſident, with becoming ſpirit, reprimanded the ſoldiers; but it produced ſo little effect that I could not help entertaining ſuſpicions that le Cerf connived at theſe practiſes, and ſhared the advantages which they produced. I ſuſpected him alſo of ſelling arrack to my people, of which I complained, but without redreſs, and I know that his ſlaves were employed to buy things at the market which his wife afterwards ſold to us for more than twice as much as they coſt. The ſoldiers were indeed guilty of many other irregularities: it was the duty of one of them by rotation to procure the day's proviſion for the whole guard, a ſervice which he conſtantly performed by going into the country with his muſquet and a bag; nor was the honeſt providetor always content with what the bag would contain, for one of [640] them, without any ceremony, drove down a young buffalo that belonged to ſome of the country people, and his com⯑rades not having wood at hand to dreſs it when it was killed, ſupplied themſelves by pulling down ſome of the palliſadoes of the fort. When this was reported to me, I thought it ſo extraordinary that I went on ſhore to ſee the breach, and found the poor black people repairing it.

On the 26th,day Saturday 26 a ſloop laden with rice was ſent out from this place in order to land her cargo at Macaſſar; but after having attempted it three days ſhe was forced to return. The weather was now exceedingly tempeſtuous, and all na⯑vigation at an end from eaſt to weſt till the return of the eaſtern monſoon. On the ſame day two large ſloops that were bound to the eaſtward anchored here, and the next morning alſo a large ſhip from Batavia,day Sunday 27 with troops on board for the Banda Iſlands; but none of the crew of any of theſe veſſels were ſuffered to ſpeak to any of our people, our boats being reſtrained from going on board them, and theirs from coming on board us. As this was a mortifying reſtriction we requeſted Mr. Swellingrabel to buy us ſome ſalt meat from the large ſhip; and he was ſo obliging as to procure us four caſks of very good European meat, two of pork and two of beef.

On the 28th a fleet of more than an hundred ſail of the ſmall country veſſels,day Monday 28 called Proas, anchored here; their burden is from twelve to eighteen and twenty ton, and they carry from ſixteen to twenty men. I was told that they carried on a fiſhery round the Iſland, going out with one monſoon, and coming back with the other, ſo as always to keep under the lee of the land: the fiſh was ſent to the China market, and I obſerved that all theſe veſſels carried Dutch colours.

[641]No event worthy of notice happened till the 18th of Ja⯑nuary,year 1768 month January day Monday 18 day Thurſday 28 and then I learnt by a letter from Macaſſar that the Dolphin had been at Batavia. On the 28th the Secretary of the Council, who had been ſent hither with Le Cerf, as we ſuppoſed to be a check upon the Reſident, was recalled to Ma⯑caſſar. By this time our carpenter, having in a great degree recovered his health, examined the ſtate of our veſſel, and to our great regret ſhe appeared to be very leaky: our main yard alſo was found not only to be ſprung, but to be rotten and unſerviceable. We got it down and patched it up as well as we could, without either iron or a forge, ſo that we hoped it would ſerve us till we got to Batavia, for no wood was to be procured here of which a new one could be made. To our leaks very little could be done, and we were there⯑fore reduced to an intire dependance upon our pumps.

On Friday the 19th of February, Le Cerf,month February day Friday 19 the military of⯑ficer who commanded the ſoldiers on ſhore, was recalled, as it was ſaid, to fit out an expedition for the iſland of Bally; month March day Monday 7 on the 7th of March, the largeſt of our guard-boats, a ſloop about forty-five tons, was ordered back to Macaſſar with part of the ſoldiers; and on the 9th, the Reſident,day Wedneſ. 9 Mr. Swel⯑lingrabel, received a letter from the Governor of that place, enquiring when I ſhould ſail for Batavia. I muſt confeſs, that I was ſurpriſed at the recal of the officer and the guard-boat; but I was much more ſurpriſed at the contents of the Governor's letter, becauſe he knew that it was impoſſible I ſhould ſail till May, as the eaſtern monſoon would not ſooner ſet in. All matters however remained in the ſame ſituation till near the end of the month, when ſome of my people took notice, that for a ſhort time paſt a ſmall canoe had gone round us ſeveral times at different hours of the night, and had diſappeared as ſoon as thoſe on board per⯑ceived [642] any body ſtirring in the ſhip.day Tueſday 29 On the 29th, while theſe things were the ſubjects of ſpeculation, one of my officers who came from the ſhore brought me a letter, which he ſaid had been delivered to him by a black man: it was directed, "To the Commander of the Engliſh ſhip at Bon⯑thyn." That the Reader may underſtand this letter, it is ne⯑ceſſary to acquaint him, that the iſland of Celebes is divided into ſeveral diſtricts, which are diſtinct ſovereignties of the native Princes. The town of Macaſſar is in a diſtrict called alſo Macaſſar, or Bony, the King of which is in alliance with the Dutch, who have been many times repulſed in an at⯑tempt to reduce other parts of the iſland, one of which is inhabited by a people called Buggueſes, and another is called Waggs or Toſora. The town of Toſora is fortified with cannon, for the natives had been long furniſhed with fire-arms from Europe, before the Dutch ſettled themſelves at Macaſſar in the room of the Portugueſe.

The letter acquainted me, that a deſign had been formed by the Dutch, in conjunction with the King of Bony, to cut us off: that the Dutch however were not to appear in it: that the buſineſs was to be done by a ſon of the King of Bony, who was, beſides a gratuity from the Dutch, to receive the plunder of the veſſel for his reward, and who, with eight hundred men, was then at Bonthain for that purpoſe: that the motive was jealouſy of our forming a connection with the Buggueſes, and other people of the country, who were at enmity with the Dutch and their allies, and driving them out of the iſland; or at leaſt a ſuſpicion that, if we got back to England, ſome project of that kind might be founded upon the intelligence we ſhould give, no Engliſh man of war, as I have already obſerved, having ever been known to have viſited the iſland before.

[643]This letter was a new ſubject of ſurpriſe and ſpeculation.day Tueſday 29 It was extremely ill written with reſpect to the ſtyle and manner, yet it did not therefore the leſs deſerve notice. How far the intelligence which it contained was true or falſe, I was utterly unable to determine: it was poſſible that the writer might be deceived himſelf; it was alſo poſſible, that he might have ſome view in wilfully deceiving me: the falſhood might procure ſome little reward for the kindneſs and zeal which it placed to his account, or it might give him an importance which would at leaſt be a gratifica⯑tion to his vanity. It behoved me however to take the ſame meaſures as if I had known it to be true; and I muſt con⯑feſs, that I was not perfectly at eaſe when I recollected the recal of the Secretary and Le Cerf, with the large ſloop, and part of the ſoldiers, who were ſaid to have been ſent hither for no other reaſon than to guard us againſt the inſults of the country people; the aſſembling an armed force at Ma⯑caſſar, as it was ſaid, for an expedition to Bally; and the little canoe that we had ſeen rowing round us in the night, not to mention the Governor's enquiry by letter, when we intended to leave the iſland. However, whether either our intelli⯑gence or conjectures were true or falſe, we immediately went to work: we rigged the ſhip, bent the ſails, unmoored, got ſprings upon our cables, loaded all our guns, and barri⯑cadoed the deck. At night every body ſlept under arms,day Wedneſ. 30 and the next day we warped the veſſel farther off from the bot⯑tom of the bay, towards the eaſtern ſhore, that we might have more room, fixed four ſwivel guns on the forepart of the quarter-deck, and took every other meaſure that ap⯑peared to be neceſſary for our defence.

The Reſident; Mr. Swellingrabel, was at this time abſent twenty miles up the country upon the Company's buſineſs, but had told me, that he ſhould certainly return on the 1ſt of [644] April, a day which I now expected with great impatience, eſpecially as an old drunken Serjeant was the moſt reſpect⯑able perſon at the fort.day Thurſday 31 In the evening of the 31ſt, a packet of letters for him arrived here from Macaſſar, which I con⯑ſidered as a good omen, and a pledge of his return at the time appointed; but I conceived very different ſentiments when I learnt that they were ſent to him. I did not ſuſpect that he was privy to any ſuch deſign as had been intimated to me by the letter; but I could not help doubting, whether he was not kept in the country that he might be out of the way when it ſhould be executed. In this ſtate of anxiety and ſuſpenſe I ſent a meſſage to the fort, deſiring that an expreſs might be diſpatched to him, to acquaint him that I wiſhed to ſee him immediately upon buſineſs of great importance, which would admit of no delay. Whether my meſſage was forwarded to him or not, I cannot tell; but having waited till the 4th of April,month April day Monday 4 without having ſeen him or received any anſwer, I wrote him a letter, requeſting to ſpeak with him, in the moſt preſſing terms,day Tueſday 5 and the next day he came on board. A few minutes convinced me that he was wholly a ſtranger to any ſuch deſign as I had been made to apprehend; and he was clearly of opinion that no ſuch deſign had been formed. He ſaid, indeed, that one Tomilaly, a counſellor or miniſter of the King of Bony, had lately paid him a viſit, and had not well accounted for his being in this part of the coun⯑try; and, at my requeſt, he very readily undertook to make farther enquiries concerning him and his people. The Reſi⯑dent and his attendants took notice that the ſhip was put into a ſtate of defence, and that every thing was ready for immediate action; and he told us, that the people on ſhore had acquainted him, before he came on board, with our vi⯑gilance and activity, and in particular, with our having ex⯑erciſed the ſhip's company at ſmall arms every day. I in⯑formed [645] him, that we ſhould, at all events,day Tueſday 5 continue upon our guard, which he ſeemed to approve, and we parted with mutual proteſtations of friendſhip and good faith. After a few days, he ſent me word that having made a very ſtrict enquiry, whether any other perſons belonging to the King of Bony had been at Bonthain, he had been credibly informed that one of the Princes of that kingdom had been there in diſguiſe; but that of the eight hundred men who were ſaid in my intelligence to be with him, he could find no traces; ſo that, except they too, like the troops of the King of Brentford, were an army in diſguiſe, I knew that no ſuch people could be in that country.

On the 16th, in the morning, the Reſident ſent me word,day Saturday 16 that M. Le Cerf was returned from Macaſſar with another officer, and that they would come on board and dine with me. When dinner was over, I aſked Le Cerf, among other converſation, while we were taking our wine, what was become of his expedition to Bally, to which he anſwered drily, that it was laid aſide, without ſaying any thing more upon the ſubject. On the 23d, he returned to Macaſſar by ſea, and the other officer, who was alſo an enſign, remained to take the command of the ſoldiers that were ſtill left at this place.

The ſeaſon now approached in which navigation to the weſtward would be again practicable, which gave us all great pleaſure; eſpecially as putrid diſeaſes had begun to make their appearance among us, and a putrid fever had carried off one of our people.

On the 7th of May,month May day Saturday 7 the Reſident gave me a long letter from the Governor of Macaſſar, which was written in Dutch, and of which he gave me the beſt interpretation he was [646] able.day Saturday 7 The general purport of it was, that he had heard a letter had been ſent to me, charging him, in conjunction with the king of Bony, with a deſign to cut us off: that the letter was altogether falſe, exculpating himſelf with the moſt ſolemn proteſtations, and requiring the letter to be de⯑livered up, that the writer might be brought to ſuch puniſh⯑ment as he deſerved. It is ſcarcely neceſſary to ſay that I did not deliver up the letter, becauſe the writer would cer⯑tainly have been puniſhed with equal ſeverity whether it was true or falſe; but I returned the Governor a polite an⯑ſwer, in which I juſtified the meaſures I had taken, without imputing any evil deſign to him or his allies; and indeed there is the greateſt reaſon to believe, that there was not ſufficient ground for the charge contained in the letter, though it is not equally probable that the writer believed it to be falſe.

At day-break on Sunday the 22d of May,day Sunday 22 we ſailed from this place, of which, and of the town of Macaſſar, and the adjacent country, I ſhall ſay but little, there being many ac⯑counts of the iſland of Celebes and its inhabitants already extant. The town is built upon a kind of point or neck of land, and is watered by a river or two which either run through, or very near it. It ſeems to be large, and there is water for a ſhip to come within half cannon ſhot of the walls: the country about it is level, and has a moſt beauti⯑ful appearance; it abounds with plantations, and groves of cocoa-nut trees, with a great number of houſes interſperſed, by which it appears to abound with people. At a diſtance inland, the country riſes into hills of a great height, and becomes rude and mountainous. The town lies in latitude 5° 10′, or 5° 12′ S. and longitude by account 117° 28′ E. of London.

[647]Bonthain is a large bay, where ſhips may lie in perfect ſecurity during both the monſoons: the ſoundings are good and regular, and the bottom ſoft mud; nor is there any danger coming in, but a ledge of rocks which are above water, and are a good mark for anchoring. The higheſt land in ſight here is called Bonthain hill, and when a ſhip is in the offing at the diſtance of two or three miles from the land, ſhe ſhould bring this hill north, or N. ½ W. and then run in with it and anchor. We lay right under it, at the diſtance of about a mile from the ſhore. In this bay there are ſeveral ſmall towns; that which is called Bonthain lies in the north eaſt part of the bay, and here is the ſmall palliſadoed fort that has been mentioned already, on which there are mounted eight guns that carry a ball of about eight pounds weight: it is juſt ſufficient to keep the coun⯑try people in ſubjection, and is intended for no other pur⯑poſe: it lies on the ſouth ſide of a ſmall river, and there is water for a ſhip to come cloſe to it. The Dutch Reſident has the command of the place, and of Bullocomba, another town which lies about twenty miles farther to the eaſtward, where there is ſuch another fort, and a few ſoldiers, who at the proper ſeaſon are employed in gathering the rice, which the people pay as a tax to the Dutch.

Wood and water are to be procured here in great plenty; we cut our wood near the river, under Bonthain hill: our water was procured partly from that river, and partly from another; when from the other, our boat went above the fort with the caſks that were to be filled, where there is a good rolling way; but as the river is ſmall, and has a bar, the boat, after it is loaded, can come out only at high water. There are ſeveral other ſmall rivers in the bay, from which water may be got upon occaſion.

[648]We procured plenty of freſh proviſions all the while we lay here at a reaſonable rate: the beef is excellent; but it would be difficult to procure enough of it for a ſquadron. Rice may be had in any quantity, ſo may fowls and fruit: there are alſo abundance of wild hogs in the woods, which may be purchaſed at a low price, as the natives, being Ma⯑hometans, never eat them. Fiſh may be caught with the ſeine, and the natives, at times, ſupplied us with turtle; for this, like pork, is a dainty which they never touch.

Celebes is the key of the Molucca, or ſpice iſlands, which, whoever is in poſſeſſion of it, muſt neceſſarily command: moſt of the ſhips that are bound to them, or to Banda, touch here, and always go between this iſland and that of Solayer. The bullocks here are the breed that have the bunch on the back, beſides which the iſland produces horſes, buffaloes, goats, ſheep, and deer. The arrack and ſugar that are con⯑ſumed here are brought from Batavia.

The latitude of Bonthain hill is 5° 30′ S., longitude by ac⯑count 117° 53′ E. The variation of the compaſs while we were here was 1° 16′ W. The tides are very irregular; com⯑monly it is but once high water and once low water in four and twenty hours, and there is ſeldom ſix feet difference between them.

CHAP. XII. Paſſage from Bonthain Bay, in the Iſland of Celebes, to Batavia; Tranſactions there, and the Voyage round the Cape of Good Hope to England.

WHEN we left Bonthain Bay, we kept along the ſhore,day Sunday 22 at the diſtance of two or three miles, till evening, and then anchored for the night, in the paſſage between the two iſlands of Celebes and Tonikaky, in ſeven fathom and a half, with a bottom of ſoft mud. The next morning,day Monday 23 we got again under ſail, and took our departure from Tonikaky, which, according to my account, lies in latitude 5° 31′ S, longitude 117° 17′ E.; the variation here was 1° W. We went to the ſouthward of Tonikaky, and ſtood to the weſt⯑ward. About three o'clock in the afternoon, we were abreaſt of the eaſtermoſt of the iſlands which in the Dutch charts are called Tonyn's Iſlands. This iſland bore from us about N. by W. at the diſtance of four miles, and the two weſtermoſt were in ſight. Theſe three iſlands make a kind of right angle triangle with each other: the diſtance between the eaſtermoſt and weſtermoſt is about eleven miles, and their relative bearings are very nearly eaſt and weſt. The diſtance between the two weſtermoſt is nearly the ſame, and they bear to each other S. by E. and N. by W. About ſix o'clock, having juſt ſounded, and got no ground, we ſuddenly found ourſelves upon a ſhoal, with not three fa⯑thom, and the water being ſmooth and clear, we could ſee great crags of coral rocks under our bottom: we imme⯑diately threw all the ſails aback, and happily got off with⯑out [650] damage:day Monday 23 we had juſt paſſed over the eaſtermoſt edge of it, which is as ſteep as a wall, for we had not gone back two cables' length before we were out of ſoundings again. At this time, we had the two weſtermoſt of the Tonyn Iſlands in one, hearing N. by W. at the diſtance of ſomewhat more than four miles from the neareſt. This is a very dangerous ſhoal, and is not laid down in any chart that I have ſeen: it ſeemed to extend itſelf to the ſouthward and weſtward, all round the two weſtermoſt of theſe three iſlands, for near ſix miles, but about the eaſtermoſt iſland there ſeemed to be no danger; there was alſo a clear paſſage between this iſland and the other two. The latitude of the eaſtermoſt and weſt⯑ermoſt of theſe iſlands is 5° 31′S. The eaſtermoſt is diſtant thirty-four miles due weſt from Tonikaky, and the weſter⯑moſt lies ten miles farther.

In the afternoon of the 25th,day Wedneſ. 25 we found the water much diſcoloured, upon which we ſounded, and had five and thirty fathom with ſoft mud: ſoon after we went over the northermoſt part of a ſhoal, and had no more than ten fa⯑thom, with ſoft mud. In this place, where we found the water ſhalloweſt, it was very foul; it ſeemed to be ſtill ſhallower to the ſouthward, but to the northward of us it appeared to be clear. We had no obſervation this day, by which I could aſcertain the latitude, but I believe this to be the northermoſt part of the ſhoals that lie to the eaſtward of the iſland Madura, and in the Engliſh Eaſt India Pilot are called Bralleron's Shoals, the ſame which in the Dutch charts are called Kalcain's Eylandens. By my reckoning, the part that we went over lies in 5° 50′ or 5° 52′ S. and 3° 36′ to the weſtward of the iſland Tonikaky, or S. 84° 27 W. diſtance ſixty-nine leagues. At eleven o'clock the ſame night, we ſaw, to the northward of us, the ſouthermoſt of the iſlands Salombo. I make its latitude to be 5° 33′ S. and [651] its longitude weſt of Tonikaky 4° 4′,day Wedneſ. 25 at the diſtance of about eighty-two or eighty-three leagues. It bears from the laſt ſhoal N. W. by W. ¾ W. at the diſtance of about fourteen leagues. It is to be remarked, that hereabout, off the iſland of Madura, the winds of the monſoons are commonly a month later in ſettling than at Celebes. The variation here was not more than half a degree weſt, and we found the current, which before ſet to the ſouthward, now ſetting to the N. W.

In the afternoon of the 26th,day Thurſday 26 we ſaw from the maſt-head the iſland of Luback, and had ſoundings from thirty-five to forty fathom, with a bottom of bluiſh clay. The latitude of this iſland is 5° 43′ S., and its longitude, 5° 36′ weſt of To⯑nikaky, from which it is diſtant about one hundred and twelve leagues. Its diſtance weſt from the iſlands of Sa⯑lombo, is thirty-one leagues: we went to the northward of this iſland, and found a current ſetting to the W. N. W.

In the evening of Sunday the 29th,day Sunday 29 we ſaw the cluſter of ſmall iſlands called Carimon-Java. The latitude of the eaſt⯑ermoſt, which is alſo the largeſt, is 5° 48′ S. and its longi⯑tude, weſt of Tonikaky, 7° 52′. From this iſland it is diſtant about 158 leagues, and forty-five leagues from Luback.

On Thurſday the 2d of June,month June day Thurſday 2 we hauled in and made the land of Java, which proved to be that part of the iſland which makes the eaſtermoſt point of the bay of Batavia, called Carawawang Point. When we firſt got ſight of the land, we had gradually decreaſed our ſoundings from forty to eight and twenty fathom, with a bottom of bluiſh mud. As we ſteered along the ſhore for Batavia, we decreaſed them gradually, ſtill farther, to thirteen fathom, the depth in which, night coming on, we anchored near the two ſmall iſlands called Leyden and Alkmar, in ſight of Batavia; and [652] in the afternoon of the next day,day Friday 3 we anchored in the Road, which is ſo good that it may well be conſidered as an har⯑bour. We had now great reaſon to congratulate ourſelves upon our ſituation, for during the whole of our paſſage from Celebes, the ship admitted ſo much water by her leaks, that it was all we could do to keep her from ſinking, with two pumps conſtantly going.

We found here eleven large Dutch ſhips, beſides ſeveral that were leſs, one Spaniſh ſhip, a Portugueſe ſnow, and ſeveral Chineſe junks.day Saturday 4 The next morning we ſaluted the town with eleven guns, and the ſame number was returned. As this was the birth-day of his Britannick Majeſty, our So⯑vereign, we afterwards fired one and twenty guns more on that occaſion. We found the variation here to be leſs than half a degree to the weſtward.

In the afternoon, I waited upon the Governor, and ac⯑quainted him with the condition of the ſhip, deſiring liberty to repair her defects, to which he replied, that I muſt petition the Council.

On the 6th therefore,day Monday 6 which was Council-day, I addreſſed a letter to the Governor and Council, ſetting forth more par⯑ticularly the condition of the ſhip; and after requeſting leave to repair her, I added, that I hoped they would allow me the uſe of ſuch wharfs and ſtore-houſes as ſhould be ne⯑ceſſary.day Tueſday 7 In the afternoon of the next day, the ſhebander, with Mr. Garriſon, a merchant of the place, as interpreter, and another perſon, came to me. After the firſt compli⯑ments, the ſhebander ſaid, that he was ſent by the Governor and Council for a letter which they had heard I had received when I was at Bonthain, acquainting me, that a deſign had been formed to cut off my ſhip, that the author of it, who had injured both me, and their nation, in the perſon of the [653] Governor of that place, might be puniſhed.day Tueſday 7 I readily ac⯑knowledged that I had received ſuch information, but ſaid, that I had never told any body it was by letter. The ſhe⯑bander then aſked me if I would take an oath that I had re⯑ceived no ſuch letter as he had been directed to demand; to which I anſwered, that I was ſurpriſed at the queſtion, and deſired, that if the Council had any ſuch uncommon requi⯑ſition to make of me, it might be in writing, and I would give ſuch reply, as, upon mature conſideration, I ſhould think proper. I then deſired to know what anſwer he had been inſtructed to give to my letter, concerning the refitting of the ſhip; upon which he told me, that the Council had taken offence at my having uſed the word hope, and not written in the ſtile of requeſt, which had been invariably adopted by all merchants upon the like occaſon: I replied, that no offence was intended on my part, and that I had uſed the firſt words which occurred to me, as proper to expreſs my meaning. Thus we parted, and I heard nothing more of them till the afternoon of the 9th, when the ſhebander,day Thurſday 9 and the ſame two gentlemen, came to me a ſecond time. The ſhebander ſaid, that he was then commiſſioned from the council, to require a writing under my hand, ſignifying that I believed the report of an intention formed at the iſland of Celebes to cut off my ſhip, was falſe and malicious, ſaying that he hoped I had a better opinion of the Dutch nation than to ſuppoſe them capable of ſuffering ſo execrable a fact to be perpetrated under their Government. Mr. Garriſon then read me a certificate, which, by order of the council, had been drawn up for me to ſign: as, whatever was my opinion, I did not think it adviſable to ſign ſuch a certi⯑ficate, eſpecially as it appeared to be made a condition of complying with my requeſt by the delay of an anſwer during this ſolicitation, I deſired the ſhebander to ſhew me [654] his authority for the requiſition he had made:day Thursday 9 he replied, that he had no teſtimony of authority but the notoriety of his being a public officer, and the evidence of the gentlemen that were with him, confirming his own declaration, that he acted in this particular by the expreſs order of Council. I then repeated my requeſt, that whatever the Council required of me might be given me in writing, that the ſenſe of it might be fixed and certain, and that I might have time to conſider of my reply; but he gave me to underſtand that he could not do this without an order from the Council, and I then abſolutely refuſed to ſign the paper, at the ſame time deſiring an anſwer to my letter, which they not being pre⯑pared to give, we parted, not in very good humour with each other.

After this, I waited in a fruitleſs expectation till the 15th,day Wedneſ. 15 when the ſame three gentlemen came to me the third time, and ſaid they had been ſent to tell me that the Council had proteſted againſt my behaviour at Macaſſar, and my having refuſed to ſign the certificate which had been required of me, as an inſult upon them, and an act of injuſtice to their na⯑tion. I replied, that I was not conſcious of having in any inſtance acted contrary to the treaties ſubſiſting between the two kingdoms, unworthy of my character as an officer, ho⯑noured with a commiſſion of his Britannic Majeſty, or un⯑ſuitable to the truſt repoſed in me, though I did not think I had been uſed by the Governor of Macaſſar as the ſubject of a friend and ally; deſiring that if they had any thing to allege againſt me, it might be riduced to writing, and laid before the King my Maſter, to whom alone I thought my⯑ſelf amenable. With this anſwer they again departed, and the next day,day Thurſday 16 having not yet received any anſwer to my let⯑ter, I wrote a ſecond, directed like the firſt, in which I re⯑preſented that the ſhip's leaks were every day increaſing, [655] and urged, in more preſſing terms,day Thurſday 16 my requeſt that ſhe might be repaired, and that the uſe of wharfs and ſtore-houſes might be afforded me.

On the 18th, the ſhebander came again to me,day Saturday 18 and ac⯑quainted me, that the Council had given orders for the re⯑pair of the ſhip at Onruſt, and as there was no ſtore-houſe empty, had appointed one of the Company's veſſels to attend me, and take in my ſtores. I enquired whether there was not an anſwer to my letter in writing; to which he anſwered in the negative, adding, that it was not uſual, a meſſage by him, or ſome other officer, having been always thought ſufficient.

After this I was ſupplied, for my money, with every thing I could deſire, from the Company's ſtores, without any fur⯑ther difficulty.

A pilot was ordered to attend me, and on the 22d,day Wedneſ 22 we an⯑chored at Onruſt, where, having cleared the ſhip, and put her ſtores on board the Company's veſſel, we found the bow⯑ſprit and cap, as well as the main yard, rotten, and alto⯑gether unſerviceable, the ſheathing every where eaten off by the worms, and the main planks of the ſhip's bottom ſo much damaged and decayed, that it was abſolutely neceſſary to heave her down, before ſhe could be ſufficiently repaired to ſail for Europe; but as other ſhips were already heaved down, and conſequently the wharfs at this time pre-occu⯑pied, the carpenters could not begin their work till the 24th of July.month July day Sunday 24

Under the hands of theſe people the ſhip continued till Tueſday the 16th of Auguſt.month Auguſt day Tueſday 16 When they came to examine her bottom, they found it ſo bad that they were unanimouſly of opinion it ſhould be ſhifted: this, however, I ſtrenuouſly oppoſed; I knew ſhe was an old ſhip, and I was afraid that [656] if her bottom was opened it might be found ſtill worſe than it was thought,day Tueſday 16 and poſſibly ſo bad as that, like the Fal⯑mouth, ſhe might be condemned; I therefore deſired that a good ſheathing only might be put over all; but the bawſe, or maſter carpenter, would not conſent, except I would cer⯑tify under my hand, that what ſhould be done to the ſhip was not according to his judgment but my own, which he ſaid was neceſſary for his juſtification, if, after ſuch repairs only as I thought fit to direct had been made, the ship ſhould come ſhort of her port. As I thought this a reaſon⯑able propoſition, I readily complied; but as I was now become anſwerable for the fate of the ſhip, I had her care⯑fully examined by my own carpenter and his mate, myſelf and officers always attending. The but ends of the planks that joined to the ſtern were ſo open, that a man's hand might be thruſt in between; ſeven chain-plates were broken and decayed, the iron work, in general, was in a very bad ſtate; ſeveral of the knees were looſe, and ſome of them were broken.

While I remained here, two ſhips belonging to our India Company put into this port, and we found, among other private ſhips from India, one called the Dudly, from Bengal, which had proved ſo leaky that it was impoſſible to carry her back. Application had been made to the Governor and Council for leave to careen her, which had been granted; but as the wharfs had been kept in continual uſe, ſhe had been put off above four months. The Captain, not without reaſon, was apprehenſive that he might be kept here till the worms had eaten through the bottom of his veſſel, and knowing that I had received particular civilities from Ad⯑miral Houting, applied to me to intercede for him, which I was very happy to do with ſuch ſucceſs, that a wharf was immediately allotted her. M. Houting is an old man, and [657] an Admiral in the ſervice of the States, with the rank of Commander in Chief of their marine, and the ſhips belong⯑ing to the Company in India. He received his firſt maritime knowlege on board an Engliſh man of war, ſpeaks Engliſh and French extremely well, and does honour to the ſervice both by his abilities and politeneſs: he was ſo obliging as to give me a general invitation to his table, in conſequence of which I was often with him, and it is with pleaſure that I take this opportunity of making a public acknowledgment of the favours I received from him, and hearing this teſtimony to his public and private merit: he was indeed the only officer belonging to the Company from whom I received any civility, or with whom I had the leaſt communication; for I found them, in general, a reſerved and ſupercilious ſet of people. The Governor, although the ſervant of a repub⯑lic, takes upon himſelf more ſtate, in ſome particulars, than any ſovereign prince in Europe. Whenever he goes abroad, he is attended by a party of horſe guards, and two black men go before his coach, in the manner of running footmen, each having a large cane in his hand, with which they not only clear the way, but ſeverely chaſtiſe all who do not pay the homage that is expected from people of all ranks, as well thoſe belonging to the country as ſtrangers. Almoſt every body in this place keeps a carriage, which is drawn by two horſes, and driven by a man upon a box, like our chariots, but is open in front: whoever, in ſuch a car⯑riage, meets the Governor, either in the town or upon the road, is expected not only to draw it on one ſide, but to get out of it, and make a moſt reſpectful obeiſance while his Excellency's coach goes by; nor muſt any carriage that follows him drive paſt on any account, but keep behind him, however preſſing be the neceſſity for haſte. A very mortifying homage, of the ſame kind, is alſo exacted by the [658] members of the Council, called Edele Heeren, for whoever meets them is obliged to ſtop his coach, and, though not to get out, to ſtand up in it, and make his reverence: theſe Edele Heeren are preceded by one black man with a ſtick, nor muſt any perſon preſume to paſs their carriage any more than that of the Governor. Theſe ceremonies are generally complied with by the Captains of Indiamen, and other trading ſhips; but having the honour to bear his Majeſty's commiſſion, I did not think myſelf at liberty to pay to a Dutch Governor, any homage which is not paid to my own Sovereign: it is, however, conſtantly required of the King's officers; and two or three days after I came hither, the land⯑lord of the hotel where I lodged told me, he had been ordered by the ſhebander to let me know that my carriage, as well as others, muſt ſtop, if I ſhould meet the Governor or any of the Council; but I deſired him to acquaint the ſhebander that I could not conſent to perform any ſuch ceremony; and upon his intimating ſomewhat about the black men with ſticks, I told him that if any inſult ſhould be offered me, I knew how to defend myſelf, and would take care to be upon my guard; at the ſame time pointing to my piſtols, which then happened to lie upon the table: upon this he went away, and about three hours afterwards he returned, and told me he had orders from the Governor to acquaint me that I might do as I pleaſed. The hotel at which I reſided is licenſed by the Governor and Council, and all ſtrangers are obliged to take up their abode there, except officers in his Majeſty's ſervice, who are allowed private lodgings, which, however, I did not chuſe.

At this place I continued between three and four months, and during all that time I had the honour to ſee the Gover⯑nor but twice: the firſt time was at my arrival, when I waited upon him at one of his houſes, a little way in the country; [659] the next was in town, as he was walking before his houſe there, when I addreſſed him upon a particular occaſion. Soon after the news of the Prince of Orange's marriage arrived here, he gave a public entertainment, to which I had the honour of being invited; but having heard that Commodore Tinker, upon a like occaſion, finding that he was to be placed below the gentlemen of the Dutch Coun⯑cil, had abruptly left the room, and was followed by all the Captains of his ſquadron; and being willing to avoid the diſagreeable dilemma of either ſitting below the Council, or following the Commodore's example, I applied to the Gover⯑nor to know the ſtation that would be allotted me, before I accepted his invitation, and finding that I could not be per⯑mitted to take place of the Council, I declined it. On both theſe occaſions I ſpoke to his Excellency by an Engliſh mer⯑chant, who acted as an interpreter. The firſt time he had not the civility to offer me the leaſt refreſhment, nor did he the laſt time ſo much as aſk me to go into the houſe.

The defects of the ſhip were at length repaired, much to my ſatisfaction, and I thought ſhe might then ſafely proceed to Europe, though the Dutch carpenters were of a different opinion. The proper ſeaſon for ſailing was not yet arrived, and my worthy friend, Admiral Houting, repreſented that if I went to ſea before the proper time, I ſhould meet with ſuch weather off the Cape of Good Hope as would make me repent it; but being very ill myſelf, and the people being ſickly, I thought it better to run the riſk of a few hard gales off the Cape, than remain longer in this unhealthy place, eſpecially as the weſt monſoon was ſetting in, during which the mortality here is yet greater than at other times.

On Wedneſday the 15th of September,month September day Wedneſ. 15 therefore, we ſet ſail from Onruſt, where the ſhip had been refitted, without [660] returning,day Wedneſ. 15 as is uſual, into Batavia Road; and as I was not well, I ſent my Lieutenant to take leave of the Governor on my behalf, and offer my ſervice, if he had any diſpatches for Europe. It was happy for me that I was able to procure a ſupply of Engliſh ſeamen here, otherwiſe I ſhould not at laſt have been able to bring the ſhip home, for I had now loſt no leſs than four and twenty of the hands I had brought out of Europe, and had four and twenty more ſo ill, that ſeven of them died in our paſſage to the Cape.

On the 20th,day Monday 20 we anchored on the ſouth eaſt ſide of Prince's Iſland, in the Streight of Sunda, and the next morning, I ſent out the boats for wood and water: of water, however, we could not get a ſufficient quantity to complete our ſtock, for there had not yet been rain enough to ſupply the ſprings, the wet monſoon having but juſt ſet in. At this time we had the wind ſo freſh from the ſouth eaſt, which made this part of the iſland a lee ſhore, that I could not get under ſail till the 25th,day Friday 25 when, it being more moderate, we weighed, and worked over to the Java ſhore. In the evening, we anchored in a bay called by ſome New Bay, and by others Canty Bay, which is formed by an iſland of the ſame name. We had fourteen fathom water, with a fine ſandy bottom. The peak of Prince's Iſland bore N.13 W. the weſtermoſt point of New Iſland S. 82 W. and the eaſtermoſt point of Java that was in ſight, N. E. Our diſtance from the Java ſhore was about a mile and a quarter, and from the watering-place a mile and an half. New Bay is the beſt place for wooding and watering of any in theſe parts: the water is extremely clear, and ſo good that I made my people ſtave all that we had taken in at Batavia and Prince's Iſland, and ſupply it from this place. It is procured from a fine ſtrong run on the Java ſhore, which falls down from the land into the ſea, and by means of a hoaſe it may be laded into the boats, [661] and the caſks filled without putting them on ſhore,day Friday 25 which renders the work very eaſy and expeditious. There is a little reef of rocks within which the boats go, and lie in as ſmooth water, and as effectually ſheltered from any ſwell, as if they were in a mill-pond; nor does the reef run out ſo far as to be dangerous to ſhipping, though the contrary is aſſerted in Herbert's Directory; and if a ſhip, when lying there, ſhould be driven from her anchors by a wind that blows upon the ſhore, ſhe may, with the greateſt eaſe, run up the paſſage between New Iſland and Java, where there is ſufficient depth of water for the largeſt veſſel, and a harbour, in which, being land-locked, ſhe will find perfect ſecurity. Wood may be had any where either upon Java or New Iſland, neither of which, in this part, are inhabited.

Having in a few days completed our wood and water, we weighed and ſtood out of the Streight of Sunda, with a fine freſh gale at South Eaſt, which did not leave us till the iſland of Java was ſeven hundred leagues behind us.

On Monday the 23d of November,month November day Monday 23 day Saturday 28 we diſcovered the coaſt of Africa; at day—break on the 28th we made the Table Land of the Cape of Good Hope, and the ſame evening an⯑chored in the bay. We found here only a Dutch ſhip from Europe, and a ſnow belonging to the place, which however was in the Company's ſervice, for the inhabitants are not permitted to have any ſhipping.

Table Bay is a good harbour in ſummer, but not in winter; ſo that the Dutch will not permit any of their veſſels to lie here longer than the 15th of May, which anſwers to our November. After that time, all ſhips go to Falſe Bay, which is well ſheltered from the north weſt winds, which blow here with great violence.

[662]At this place we breathed a pure air, had wholeſome food, and went freely about the country which is extremely plea⯑ſant, ſo that I began to think myſelf already in Europe. We found the inhabitants open, hoſpitable and polite, there being ſcarcely a Gentleman in the place, either in a public or private ſtation, from whom I did not receive ſome civility; and I ſhould very ill deſerve the favours they beſtowed, if I did not particularly mention the Firſt and Second Governor, and the Fiſcal.

The recovery of my people made it neceſſary to continue here till the 6th of January 1769; year 1769 month January day Wedneſ. 6 in the evening of this day I ſet ſail, and before it was dark cleared the land.

On the 20th,day Wedneſ. 20 after a fine and pleaſant paſſage, we made the iſland of Saint Helena; and ſet ſail again on the morning of the 24th.day Sunday 24 day Saturday 30 At midnight on the 30th, we made the north eaſt part of the Iſland of Aſcenſion, and brought to till day-light, when we ran in cloſe to it. I ſent a boat out to diſcover the anchoring-place which is called Croſs-hill Bay, while we kept running along the north eaſt and north ſide of the iſland, till we came to the north weſt extremity of it, and in the afternoon anchored in the bay we ſought. The way to find this place at once, is to bring the largeſt and moſt conſpicuous hill upon the iſland to bear S. E.; when the ſhip is in this poſi⯑tion, the Bay will be open, right in the middle between two other hills, the weſtermoſt of which is called Croſs-hill, and gives name to the Bay. Upon this hill there is a flag-ſtaff, which if a ſhip brings to bear S. S. E. ½ E. or S. E. by E. and runs in, keeping it ſo till ſhe is in ten fathom water, ſhe will be in the beſt part of the Bay. In our run along the north eaſt ſide of the iſland, I obſerved ſeveral other ſmall ſandy bays, in ſome of which my boat found good anchor⯑age, [663] and ſaw plenty of turtle,day Saturday 30 though they are not ſo con⯑venient as this, where we had plenty of turtle too. The beach here is a fine white ſand; the landing-place is at ſome rocks, which lie about the middle of the Bay, and may be known by a ladder of ropes which hangs from the top to mount them by. In the evening I landed a few men to turn the turtle that ſhould come on ſhore during the night, and in the morning I found that they had thus ſecured no leſs than eighteen, from four hundred to ſix hundred weight each, and theſe were as many as we could well ſtow on the deck. As there are no inhabitants upon this iſland, it is a cuſtom for the ſhips that touch at it to leave a letter in a bottle, with their names and deſtination, the date, and a few other particulars. We complied with this cuſtom,month February day Monday 1 and in the evening of Monday the 1ſt of February, we weighed anchor and ſet ſail.

On Friday the 19th,day Friday 19 we diſcovered a ſhip at a conſiderable diſtance to leeward in the ſouth weſt quarter, which hoiſted French colours; ſhe continued in ſight all day, and the next morning we perceived that ſhe had greatly outſailed us during the night; ſhe made a tack however in order to get farther to windward, and as it is not uſual for ſhips to turn to windward in theſe parts, it was evident that ſhe had tacked in order to ſpeak with us. By noon ſhe was near enough to hail us, and, to my great ſurpriſe, made uſe both of my name and that of the ſhip, enquiring after my health, and telling me, that after the return of the Dolphin to Eu⯑rope, it was believed we had ſuffered ſhipwreck in the Streight of Magellan, and that two ſhips had been ſent out in queſt of us. I aſked, in my turn, who it was that was ſo well acquainted with me and my ſhip, and with the opinions that had been formed of us in Europe after the return of our [664] companion,day Friday 19 and how this knowlege had been acquired. I was anſwered that the ſhip which hailed us was in the ſer⯑vice of the French Eaſt India Company, commanded by M. Bougainville; that ſhe was returning to England from the Iſle of France; that what was thought of the Swallow in England, had been learnt from the French Gazette at the Cape of Good Hope; and that we were known to be that veſſel by the letter which had been found in the bottle at the Iſland of Aſcenſion a few days after we had left that place. An offer was then made of ſupplying me with refreſhments, if I wanted any, and I was aſked if I had any letters to ſend to France. I returned thanks for the offer of refreſhments, which however was a mere verbal civility, as it was known that I had lately ſailed from the places where M. Bougainville himſelf had been ſupplied; but I ſaid that I had received letters for France from ſome Gentlemen of that country at the Cape, and if he would ſend his boat on board they ſhould be delivered to his meſ⯑ſenger. Thus was an occaſion furniſhed for what I have reaſon to believe was the principal object of M. Bougainville in ſpeaking with us: a boat was immediately ſent on board, and in her a young officer, dreſt in a waiſtcoat and trowſers; whether he was thus dreſſed by deſign I ſhall not determine, but I ſoon perceived that his rank was much ſuperior to his appearance. He came down to me in my cabbin, and after the uſual compliments had paſſed, I aſked him how he came to go home ſo ſoon in the ſeaſon; to which he replied, that there had been ſome diſagreement between the Governor and inhabitants of the Iſle of France,, and that he had been ſent home in haſte with diſpatches: this ſtory was the more plauſible, as I had heard of the diſpute between the Gover⯑nor and inhabitants of the Iſle of France, from a French Gentleman, who came from thence, at the Cape of Good [665] Hope; yet I was not perfectly ſatisfied: for,day Friday. 19 ſuppoſing M. Bougainville to have been ſent in haſte to Europe with diſ⯑patches, I could not account for his loſing the time which it coſt him to ſpeak with me; I therefore obſerved to this Gentleman, that although he had accounted for his coming before the uſual time from the Iſle of France, he had not ac⯑counted for his coming at an unuſual time from India, which muſt have been the caſe. To this, however, he rea⯑dily replied, that they had made only a ſhort trading voyage on the weſtern coaſt of Sumatra. I then enquired, what commodities he had brought from thence; and he anſwered, cocoa-nut oil, and rattans: but, ſaid I, theſe are commodi⯑ties which it is not uſual to bring into Europe; it is true, ſaid he, but theſe commodities we left at the Iſle of France, the oil for the uſe of the iſland, and the rattans for ſhips which were to touch there in their way to China, and in exchange we took in another freight for Europe; this freight I think he ſaid was pepper, and his whole tale being at leaſt poſſible, I aſked him no more queſtions. He then told me, he had heard at the Cape, that I had been with Commodore Byron at Falkland's Iſlands; and, ſaid he, I was on board the French ſhip that met you in the Streight of Ma⯑gellan, which muſt have been true, for he mentioned ſeveral incidents that it was otherwiſe highly improbable he ſhould know, particularly the ſtore-ſhip's running aground, and many of the difficulties that occurred in that part of the Streight which we paſſed together: by this converſation he contrived to introduce ſeveral enquiries, concerning the weſtern part of the Streight, the time it coſt me to get through, and the difficulties of the navigation; but per⯑ceiving that I declined giving any account of theſe particu⯑lars, he changed his ſubject. He ſaid, he had heard that [666] we loſt an officer and ſome men in an engagement with the Indians; day Friday 19 and taking notice that my ſhip was ſmall, and a bad ſailer, he inſinuated that we muſt have ſuffered great hardſhip in ſo long a voyage; but, ſaid he, it is thought to be ſafer and pleaſanter ſailing in the South Sea than any where elſe. As I perceived that he waited for a reply, I ſaid, that the great ocean, called the South Sea, extended almoſt from one pole to the other; and therefore, although that part of it which lay between the Tropics might juſtly be called the Pacific, on account of the trade-winds that blow there all the year; yet without the Tropics, on either ſide, the winds were variable, and the ſeas turbulent. In all this he readily acquieſced, and finding that he could not draw from me any thing to ſatisfy his curioſity, by ſtarting leading ſubjects of converſation, he began to propoſe his queſtions in direct terms, and deſired to know on which ſide the equator I had croſſed the South Seas. As I did not think proper to anſwer this queſtion, and wiſhed to prevent others of the ſame kind, I roſe up ſomewhat abruptly, and I believe with ſome marks of diſpleaſure: at this he ſeemed to be a little diſconcerted, and I believe was about to make an apology for his curio⯑ſity, but I prevented him, by deſiring that he would make my compliments to his Captain, and in return for his ob⯑liging civilities preſent him with one of the arrows that had wounded my men, winch I immediately went into my bed⯑room to fetch: he followed me, looking about him with great curioſity, as indeed he had done from the time of his firſt coming on board, and having received the arrow, he took his leave.

After he was gone, and we had made ſail, I went upon the deck, where my Lieutenant aſked me, if my viſitor had entertained me with an account of his voyage. This led me [667] to tell him the general purport of our converſation,day Friday 19 upon which he aſſured me that the tale I had heard was a fiction, for, ſays he, the boat's crew could not keep their ſecret ſo well as their officer, but after a little converſation told one of our people, who was born at Quebec, and ſpoke French, that they had been round the globe as well as we. This naturally excited a general curioſity, and with a very little difficulty we learnt that they had ſailed from Europe in company with another ſhip, which, wanting ſome repair, had been left at the Iſle of France; that they had attempted to paſs the Streight of Magellan the firſt ſummer, but not being able, had gone back, and wintered in the river De la Plata; that the ſummer afterwards they had been more ſuc⯑ceſsful, and having paſſed the Streight, ſpent two months at the iſland of Juan Fernandes. My Lieutenant told me alſo, that a boy in the French boat ſaid he had been upon that iſland two years, and that while he was there, an Engliſh frigate put into the road, but did not anchor, mentioning the time as well as he could recollect, by which it appeared that the frigate he had ſeen was the Swallow. On the boy's being aſked how he came to be ſo long upon the iſland of Juan Fernandes, he ſaid that he had been taken upon the Spaniſh coaſt in the Weſt Indies in a ſmuggling party, and ſent thither by the Spaniards; but that by the French ſhip, in whoſe boat he came on board us, having touched there, he had regained his liberty. After having received this in⯑formation from my Lieutenant, I could eaſily account for M. Bougainville's having made a tack to ſpeak to me, and for the converſation and behaviour of my viſitor; but I was now more diſpleaſed at the queſtions he had aſked me than before, for if it was improper for him to communicate an account of his voyage to me, it was equally improper for me to communicate an account of my voyage to him; and I [668] thought an artful attempt to draw me into a breach of my obligation to ſecrecy,day Friday 19 while he impoſed upon me by a fiction that he might not violate his own, was neither liberal nor juſt. As what the boat's crew told my people, differs in ſeveral particulars from the account printed by M. Bougain⯑ville, I ſhall not pretend to determine how much of it is true; but I was then very ſorry that the Lieutenant had not communicated to me the intelligence he received, ſuch as it was, before my gueſt left me, and I was now very deſirous to ſpeak with him again, but this was impoſſible; for though the French ſhip was foul from a long voyage, and we had juſt been cleaned, ſhe ſhot by us as if we had been at anchor, notwithſtanding we had a fine freſh gale and all our ſails ſet.

On the 7th of March,month March day Sunday 7 we made the Weſtern Iſlands, and went between Saint Michael and Tercera; in this ſituation we found the variation 13° 36′ W. and the winds began to blow from the S.W. The gale, as we got farther to the weſtward,day Thurſday 11 increaſed, and on the 11th, having got to W.N.W. it blew very hard, with a great ſea; we ſcudded before it with the foreſail only, the foot rope of which ſuddenly breaking, the ſail blew all to pieces, before we could get the yard down, though it was done inſtantly. This obliged us to bring the ſhip to, but having, with all poſſible expedition, bent a new foreſail, and got the yard up, we bore away again; this was the laſt accident that happened to us during the voyage.day Tueſday 16 On the 16th, being in latitude 49° 15′ N. we got foundings.day Thurſday 18 On the 18th, I knew by the depth of water that we were in the Channel, but the wind being to the northward,day Friday 19 we could not make land till the next day, when we ſaw the Start Point; day Saturday 20 and on the 20th, to our great joy, we anchored at Spithead, after a very fine paſſage, and a fair wind all the way from the Gape of Good Hope.