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(.1' ST h; I'll Iv.VM, l!;ir' M .;/.)* I . t >■■ ■f?1J %'^. f!H ■*- !»■'■■ ;fi''#l' li;4' ■.^kM*^> '\V\'-t-'-''.t r.-** Hi, '•(**j* ?-k: f4lt*r ii' :Ui*-* «. „■»„ ,v-* -*,. "'* ' ^}•■< -'^•J' ♦•♦•^-.-**4. f!!! S' •' ! J (. t; -if;;* Mi-* -*■■ $*;■'« I -«, • •)Jr !>■■ (*4"i :i;i^ •It .> 4K«v- ii'^ '(') VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH ATLANTIC AND ROUND CAPE HORN INTO THE PACIFIC OCEAN, FOR THE PURl'OSE OF EXTENIMNG THE SPERMACETI WHALE FISHERIES, AND OTHER OBJECTS OP COIMMERCE, BY ASCERTAINING THE PORTS, BAYS, HARBOURS, AND ANCHORING BIRTHS, IN CERTAIN ISLANDS AND COASTS IN THOSE SEAS AT WHICH THE SHIPS OP THE BRITISH MERCHANTS MIGHT BE REFITTED. UNDERTAKEN AND PERFORMBD BY CAPTAIN JAMES COLNETT, OF THE ROYAL NAVY, IN THE SHIP RATTLER. LONDON PRTXTED FOR THK AUTHOR, BY W. BENNETT, MARSHAM STREET, WESTM Ix\ST£R. SOLD BY A. ARROWSMITH, CHARLES STREET, SOHO; STOCKDALE, PICCADILLY; EDGERTON, CHARING CROSS; EL.MSLV, STRAND ; AND WHITE, FLEET STREET. 'i^J 08. 1 : 1 I i I /• Uf3 Cll CONTENTS. Page. Dedication ----•. 1/04 IntroduSlton - - - - - ~ 1-18 CHAPTER I. Pajfage of the Rattler from Eftgland to Rio Janeiro 1-7 CHAPTER II. Attempt to difcover Ijle Grand; and Paffage Round Cape Horn - - - - - 8-18 CHAPTER III. Remarks on the Navigation round Cape Horn - 19 - 20 CHAPTER IV. Route from Cape Horn to making the Coqjl of Chili, and the Ifles St. Felix ana St. Amhrofe - a i - 37 CHAPTER V. Route of the Rattler from the Ifles Saint Felix and Saint Amhrofe, to the Coaft of Peru - 38-46 CHAPTER VI. The Galapagoe Ifles - - - - 47-61 Papge IV CONTENTS. CHAPTER VII. P'lIPW /''("" f^"-' Gahipagoc JJIcs, to IJle Coais CHAI^ER VIII. Route from IJle Cocas, to the Caaft of Mexico ■ and JJles Santo Berto, and Rocla Part'tdo, from thence to the Coafi of Calfornla, and account of our cruize in the Gulf of Calfornia, zvith our return to Socoro after fearching for Isle St. Thomas - - - _ _ Page, 62 to 74 75 - 121 CHAPTER IX. The Rattler quits the IJle of Socoro for the Coajl of Mexico : fome account of our tranfidlions there, and rvhile we lay at anchor hifore the IJland of Quiho, in the Gulf of Panama, to our arrival at the Iflcs of the Galapagoes, on and near the Equator - » - - , j^^ CHAPTER X. The Rattler leaves the Galapa^oe IJles and Coajl of Peru, for the Isles Saint Felix and Saint Amhrofe, on the Coafi of Chili : from thence fie rounds Cape Horn, on her PcJJ'age to Isle Saint Helena, in the Atlantic Ocean - . i^i CHAPTER XI. Fr/tm Isle Saivt Helena to England - - 17- 16^0 i;6 I7g TO TO Sir PHILIP STEPIIENS, Bakt. ONli OI- Tl[£ LORDS COMMISSIONERS OF THE ADMIRALTY, MEMBiai OP PARLIAINIENT FOR SANDWICH, F. II. S. kc. kc. kc Sir, IN dedicating to you the voyage, which is the fubjedl of the fol- lowing pages, my gratification would indeed be fincere, (did the work pofTefs an importance which might fullv claim your regard:) humble, however, as it's pre- IV DEDICATION, pretenfions are, the opportunity, it, gives, miift ferve to tcftify my iinccre rci])C(St, my lafting gratitude, for your favors; and I repofe with fome fecurity, on an extenfion, of that protection, tov^-ards this volume, which has io often been the encouragement, of my profefTional exertions. The difficulties which navigators have experienced, in traverfmg the South Seas and Pacific Ocean, have evidently, from the commencement of your conne6lion with the Admiralty, excited your parti- cular confideration: and it is certain, in all the changes to which that Board has been fubjed, that the explorer of remote feas, n DEDICATION. y Teas, has found in you, a zealous advocate to reprefent his claims to thofe, with whom it remained, to bellow the reward due to his endeavours and merits. As far as I am individually concerned, it is with fmcerity I aver, that in all fitu- ations of trial and difficulty on unknow^n and unfriendly coafls, I have found an unceafmg consolation in the hope that I poffefled your good opinion; and that in the end, my ferviccs would obtain, through the channel of your faithful explanation, a liberal requital. If any difLin6t praife can confer an honor on your name, (beyond \^hat it bears for the general ability, zeal and integritv, VI DEDICATION. integrity, which liavc been invariably manifelled, tkiring tlie cxtcnfive period of your official fervices), it is mofl al- furedly due for your public, as well as private ads of friendiliip to thofe, who like me, have embarked for the purpofe of enlarging the bounds of Navigation and Commerce; and I feel a decided con- vi6lion, that every follower of the able Captain Cook, will give a cordial ailent to this tribute. T am, Sir, Your truly obliged and mofl obedient humble Servant, No. 1 ';, MUiman St.-,; t, 11 JtlrJ JR, JAMES COLNETT, I --r-i. INTRODUCTION. i *, 1 It will not, I prefume, be confiderecl as alto- gether unneceilary or uninterefting, if I offer to the public attention a fummary account of my voyages previous to that which is the fubje6l of this volume. I had been already engaged in various commer- cial undertakings on the North -Weft coaft of America, during a period of fevcn years: But I never ccafed to blend the zeal of my naval cha- racter with the fpirit of commercial cntcrprizc, a lliid u JJJTRODUCTION. and accordingly Searched the coaft from 36'^ to 60" North ; the inland part of which was before little known to European navigators. I alfo fitr-' veyed fcveral bays, harbours and creeks, and dif- covcred many confideraJjlc inlets, particnlarly be- tween 5o- and 53- North, which were fuppofed to communicate with Hudfon's Bay*. 1 likewife made two voyages to China, but, on my re- turn from the iirft of them, v\is unfortunately captured by the Spaniards at Nootka-Sound, and fent a prifoner to the port of St. Bias in the Gulph of California. From thence I was per- mitted to go to Mexico, to make m3^ appeal to the Viceroy; a journey, including my re- turn to St. Bias, of eighteen hundred miles. Bu. after being detained as a prifoner thirteen months, nnd having loll four of my five vefTels, with moft of my Officers and half the crew, who had become the vi(9:ims of difeafe, I was at Icig^^h mdebted * Tliefe inlets liavc (iiicc been more particularly (■xaniiiicd by Capt. Van- •ouver of the Royal Navy, by oriler of the Board of Admiralty. Ill INTRODUCTION'. indebted for my liberty to the IpiriLed condu6l of the Court of Grcat-Biltain, as foon as it was officially informed of the infult offered to her co- lours, of the piracy committed on her merchants, and the cruelty exercifed towards her fubjedls. I now returned to Nootka, in the only veflel which remained to me ; and, after fuffering incre- dible hardfhips from a want of provifions, and the fhip getting feveral times on fhorc, I procured another valuable cargo of furs and proceeded to China. A ]m)hibition, however, of the fale of thefe articles, having taken place at that port during my abfence, I did not remain there, but, in a fhort time, fet Aiil, and, at the requeft of thofe gentlemen who were joint agents with me, coafted for a market to the Weft fide of Japan, and Eaft Hdc of Corea ; a coaft which had never before been vifited by an European veftlji. Here an encouraging profpe6l of a new and valuable commerce for my country unfole'cd a 3 itfclf IT INTRODUCTION, itfelf before me; when, in a tjphoon, in the Latitude of 38- North, on the coaft of Corea, I was fo unfortunate as to lofe my rudder, which obhged me to put back inta the port of Chufan in the Northern parts of China, where my lofs was repaired, as well as could be contrived, with- out the profeffional aid of a carpenter. At this place, I was, by no means,, well treated by the Chinefe : indeed, to prevent the being plundered of our cargo, and to fave ourfelves from the ill- ufage which we might perfonally fuiFer, if we Ihould fall into their hands, we cut from our anchor, and, baffling the purfuit of thirty-fix armed junks, returned to Canton *. Here I was threatened with fliJI greater evils, for being obliged from the wretched l^ate of the fliip, which was almoii: a wreck, to pafs the Bocca Tigris, without flopping to obtain the neceflliry pall'port, the * I communicated the frnck of this voyage to Mr. Airowfmitli, Geographer, iinil it may be re<;n in his chart of the Pacific Ocean which will be loon publilliea. INTnODUCTIOK. the Ghinefe made this slS: of neceflity on my part^ an official pretext on theirs to feizc the vefTel and cargo ; and having contrived by ftratagem, to get me out of her, detained me as a prifoner in Canton during five days: But when the various unfortunate circumftances which had befallen me were explained, and the truth of them duly attefted, before the judicial Mandarins, I was or- dered to be enlarged, while my velTel was fent for me, at the expence of the Chinefe Government^ to Macao to be fold, and myfelf and cargo, by the lame fuperior interpofition, put on board the Eaft-India Company's- fhip, General Coote, bound for England. On my arrival there, the India Company purchafed my cargo for nine thoufand feven hundred and fixty pounds fterling. A full account of this voyage and the circumflances connected with it, together with the charts and drawings made to illuftrate it, were left in Eng- land when I proceeded on my laft voyage; a narr rative of v/hich, as well as of that I made to Japan and VI IN'TRODUCTJOK, and Corca, will hereafter, I truil, be communU cated to the public. In a Ihort time after my arrival in England, an application was made to me by different merchants to undertake another voyage to tiie countries I had lately vifited, on a ialary of fix hundred pounds per ann. and the reimburicment of all mv expences, Avhicli were the conditions of xny for- mer voyages, or to go on my own terms. So long an abfence from my country as a period of (even years, had occafioned a very confiderable change in my fituation, During that interval, death had deprived me of my neareft re- lations ; many of thofe friends alfo whom I left in England, when I departed from it, and whom I hoped to fee again on my return to it, were now no more, fo that few or no objects were left to check or interrupt the honeft ambition 1 had never ceafed to pofTefs of rifing in the Royal Navy, which k IKTRODUCTIO^-, VII which was my original and favourite profeffion. I had fervcd on the Quarter-deck of a man of war from the year 1769, and performed the fe- cond circumnavigating voyage with Capt. Cooke as a middiipman, on board the Refolution: I had alfo enjoyed for fixtcen years the rank of a lieu- tenant. I accordingly addrelled a letter to the Right Honourable the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiraky, in which, after fetting forth my fervi- ces and fituation, I requeftcd their Lordfhips, if the profeflional exertions of my paft life did not appear, in their opinion, to merit profef- lional promotion, or if they had no employment to offer me in order to obtain it, that they would be pleafed to grant me pcrmiffion to re-eagage in my commercial purfuits. Captain Marfliall, one of the Commiffioners of the Vi6tualling Office, under whofe command I had the honour to fervf , during feveral years, in the rank of firft lieucenant, fupported me in this application, whicli was effedlually forwarded by Mr. Stephens ; who was.' TUl TNTHOnrCTlOT.-. was uninfluenced by any claim in my farour, but fuch as my fervices, whatever they might have been, fiiggefted to the juftice and gene- rofity of Jiis cliaradler. In confequence of this appHcation, I was in- formed that the Board of Admirahy had nominated me to undertake a voyage, planned in confequence of a memorial from merchants of the City of London, concerned in the South Sea Fiiheries, to the Board of Trade; for the purpofe of difcovering fuch parts for the South WJiaie Fifhers who voyage round Cape Horn, as might aftord them the neceffary advantages of refreshment and fecurity to refit. This memorial ftated the calamitous fituation of the ihip's crews employed in this trade, from the fcurvy and other difeafes, incident to thofe who are obliged to keep the feas, from the want of that relief and refrefhment, which is afforded by inter- mediate harbours. The INTRODUCTION IX The Spaniards, it is true, had, of late, admitted fhips into their ports for the ])urpofe of refitting ; but, from the lateft accounts received before I failed from England, this permiflion was (o re- ftri6led as to amount almoft to a prohibition, in which -t was continually expected to end. It became therefore an objed of great importance to obtain fuch a fituation as our commerce required, independant of the Spaniards ; as it would, in a great meafure, lefTen their jealoufv, and, at the fame time, accomplifh the fanguine wifhes of our merchants. Impelled by thefc views and interefts, thofe gentlemen made a propofal to Government to carry out an Officer in one of their iliips, in order to difcover fuch a fituation, for a gratuity of 500/. fterling. This propofal was accordingly accepted, and Meffi-s. Enderby and Sons, merchants of great property as well as commercial character in London, and mIio pofletred the largeft concern in this branch of rhe Whale FiHiery, were ])lealcd to cxprcis their b falls- X INTRODUCTION. fatlsfa(51:ion at my being named to condu6t the intended voyage. There being at this time, no private vefTel in the Thames for fale, which was properly con- ftrudled for the purpofes of this expedition, a proportion was made to the Lords Commiilioners of the Admiralty to lend one of his Majefty's fmall fhips of war for the fervice, to be returned in the fame ftate, at the conclufion of the enter- prize. This plan was favoured widi their Lord- fhips approbation ; and feveral veflels being propofed and examined with this view, the Rattler floop of three hundred and feventy-four tons burthen, was felc6led, then laying at his Majefty's yard at Woolwich, for confidcrable repairs. It was, however, found, on more mature confidcration, that the alterations neceflary to be made for the whaling trade, would render her unfit for his Majefty's future fervice. An offer was therefore made to tlic Lords of the Admiralty INTRODUCTION. xa Admiralty to jmrchafc the faid (loop; and their Lordlhips tliought proper to favour it with theii* acquiefcence ; a i)roof of their indulgent attention to any propofal that may tend to advance the intereib or extend the limits of the Britifh com- merce, and fiiheries An official order was accordingly given for the delivery of the Hoop, on the purchafe-money being paid, according to lier valuation ; and, on the following day, Hie was received from the Officers of the King's yard, and tranlported to Mr. Perry's dock, at Blackwall, in order to be repaired and fitted for the particular fervice i. which fhe was to be employed. Of this veffi:! I was appointed fole Commander, which, however, was a mere complimentary nomination, as no pecuniary advantage whatever >vas attached to it ; exclufive of w^hat 1 might derive from the fubfequent generofity of Govern- ment. A whaling mafter and a crew, confifting b 3 of I 1 Ml TMKODLl I loV of twenty-uvr perrons, men and boys, were alio ap]X)inted; and with the udviec and afliOance of my khitinan Mr. Bhimer, Hrll afhllant furveyor of the Navv, Mho had fupcrlntendcd the original conflru6tion of the lloop, fuch alteratier as they arofe in my mind from the appearance of things around me, or the circumllanees, whatever they might be, In whicli I happened to be involved. I cannot be llippofcd I f I .1 XVI Il^TRODUCnOM. fuppofcd to poflcfs any claim to literary qualifi- cations, which are only to be obtained in the calm of life, while fo many of my years have been part: amid the winds and waves, in various climes and diftant oceans. Neverthelefs, I poflcfs the hope that my work may contain fome portion of profcf- (lonal utility, or I fliould not have prcfumed to prefent it to Mr. Stephens, as a tcftimony, humble as it may be, of my gratitude for his condcfcending kindnefs to me. The owners, MeiTrs. Enderby and Sons, being perfe6^1y acquainted with the intention and bafis of the plan on which the voyage M'as to be conducted, made out their orders in a manner altogether comformable to the views of Govern- ment; and as a proof of their confidence, fumiflied me with fiill powers to a6l as I fhould think beft for our common intereft. ■ V. .1 1_» I »1 ..- I- ' s t^'l Iw t- .if i-^' I accord- m INTROnrCTION. xvn I accordingly joined the fliip on the 24th of December, 1^92, but was unfortunately detained by contrary winds. During tliis accidental delay, a bounty of five pounds Avas ofFered for feainen to enter into his Majefty's iorvice, which proved too great a temptation for all my crew to with- ftand, as it afforded a favourable opportunity to thofe who felt no compunc9:ion at robbing their employers of the advance given them to perform a long voyage, to flielter themfelves imder the proclamation. I employed every poUible precau- tion to prevent the defe^Vion of any of my people ; neverthelefs, three of them contrived to make their elcape : and 1 could not obtain any to fupply their place, but by payiii'^r a bounty equal to that of the Royal Navy. On this condition I procured three men, natives of the Ifle of Wicht. The iirft day of January, 1703, at length arrived, and by this delay, we loft the profpecT: of obtaining the premium given by the Britifh c Govern- win rMROLU'c Hon, Governuuni; to whalers lalliiig round Cape Iforu, without clearing out again, tor which I received the owners inftructions: but tlie collector at Cowes informed me, that it could not he allowed. On the fecond day of January, in the afternoon, the weather proi.ufnig to be fair, and the wind inclining to the North, I dropped down to Yarmouth Roads. We had a thick fog and Southerly wind all night, and during the next day and following night, there was an lieavy gale to the South, witli drizzling raui. At noon on the fourth, tlie wind ihifted to the Northward and brought clear weathcf, with which mc failed. CHAP CHAPTER I. PASSAGE OF THE RATTLER FROM ENGLAND JANEIRO. TO RIO The flant oi wind with which wc fct fail continued to be fa.r r-,3. no longer than midnight, and we were obliged to pl^ to wind- ward until the feventh of January at noon; when, being clofe Jan.. m ^vlth the Start, and threatened with a gale of wind from ' the Southward, we bore up and anchored in Torbay for the night. The wind at day-light flnfting to the North North Weft, we weighed and ftood out of the bay. This fpirt car ncd us as far as the Eddyftone Light-houfe, when it again netted to the Southward and blew frefh. We had now to beat off a lee-more, and. by the prefs of fa.I which we were obhged to carry, in order to accompli^ that obje^. and to f'ct ten leagues to the Southward and Weft«ard of the Li/ard, we had three feet water in the hold fron. a leak in the : VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. ^79J' the trunk:: that were funk to the hawle for the cables, in confequence of a fpar-dcck being fixed to join the forc-caftit and quarter-deck, and bringing the cables on the upper deck. At this time the gale had fo increafed, as to reduce our fails to the three {lurm ilay-fails;. and, at times,, during th... twenty-four hours it lafted, we could not carry all of them, from the rain, hail, fnow and blowing weather which we had experienced more or lefs every day, fuice we failed : while our crew confifted of no more than fevcntecn, officers and feamen, w ith three landmen and five boys, to work a ihip that,, in his Majcity's fervice, had a complement of 130 men : and all the alteration I had made was cutting four feet off the lower yards, two feet off the top-fail yards, and reducing the fails in proportion. Thus weak handed, wc were all obliged to be on deck when there was an extra duty, which our fituatlon and the flatc of the fliip often reqifired. The crew alfo, at this time, began to grow weary, and, in addition to our other exertions, it was nccefTary to keep the pump in continual employment. We were, how- ever, greatly indebted to the marine barometer, as it warned. me againft making fail when there was an appcL^rance only of moderate, and to fliorten fail on the approach of foul and lanuary 13. tempefluous, weather. At length, however, on the thirteenth at noon, when we w^erc within a few leagues of the Lizard, the wind Ihifting to the North Wefl, and from thence to the VOYAGE TO xrrr. sot'xii seas. the North Eall:, u llrong wind and great fwcU carricil us to Madeira in fix days ; on one oi" \s hirh alone wc had fair ^\•cather. On tlic twentieth I had run that dillance by two j.- oi" Arnold's time-pieces and account: it alfo blew a llrong gale, \ery variable, with dark cloudy weather and hcavv rain. I had not made any obfervation this day to be relied on, but lucli a< pointed out to me the lilc was not tlir dillant, and that it became ablblutcly neccilary for me to alcertain our true fituation before night. I depended on the qualities of the Ihip for clcari.ig the land if caught on a lec-lhore, and accordingly ihortened lail to clofc-recfed main-top-fail and tbrc-fail. We then hove too and lioufcd our boats: but ■vvc had no ibcnier bore up, ;han, half a mile on the lea- beam, \N e defcried the Deferters Rocks : and as it was impofiible to weather them on the tack we \\ere then on, Ave wore and ftretched out between Porto Sando and the Eall end of Madeira ; while it blew ih heavy at intervals, that the fliip lurched three Itreaks of the main-deck under water: at the fame time, flic made a better A\av '-hroufdi the uater than we could expeol or would general!} be believed. When the gale had ccafed, calms, light winds, and balliing weather, prevented our clearing tlic Well end of Madeira, until the evening of the twenty-feeond of January. My prcfent intention was to pafs in light to the Wcftvvard of the Canaries ; and at noon, on the twenty- A 2 iHuth 1/91 • '.nuary 2C. 32. 2f;. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH Sr.AS. t/93- ninth inftant, had the weather not been fo dark and cloiulcd, we ought, by our obfervations, to have i'ccn iomc of them. At four in the afternoon we got fight of the IHaud Fciro, ditlant about five or fix leagues. From hence I was perfuadcd to get in the Longitude ot' 21" Well, in the Latitude of the Ifle of Sal one of the Cape de Verds, and run down in that parallel for the Ifle with an expectation of catching whale. This was not merely a curious inclination, but a fenfc oi' duty, which infpired the wiih to begin my acquaintance with that bufmefs, at as early a period of the voyage as poUible. Dark, hazy and cloudy weather accompanied us all the way from the Canaries, and our rigging was covered with duft of the colour of brown fand, as if it had been laying on fliore. We ran the diftance by watch and reckoning to a few mi'^s, but the continuance of hazy weather prevented our feeing it: and as it blew ftrong with a heavy Tea, it was the whaling mailer's opinion, with fuch weather we could do nothing with fifh, if we fell in with them : I accordingly bore up, and run down the lee-fide of Bonavifla. Light winds prevented our Feb. 10. croffing the Equator until the tenth of February, at mid- night, in Longitude 24- 30' Weft of Greenwich, and all the fifh we had as yet caught, were a fliark and a porpoifc. In the Latitude of 19- South, and Longitude 55' Weft, we loft the South Eaft trade wind, which had accompanied us from .;4 ■A VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. I793- from 4"^ North : when a wind from the North Eall: fell in with us, and continued until we reached the Latitude 21- 30', and Longitude 36° Weft. At this time we had change- able weather, with lightening, heavy rain, and a fwcll from the South Weft. The wind then fliitted to the South- ward and Eaftward, and blew in that dircdlion until the twenty-third of February, when, at midnight, we made Feb. 21. Cape Frio: bu'; calms and light winds prevented cur getting into Rio Janeiro, until the twenty-fourth. We there found Governor Phillips on his homeward bound paflage from Botany Bay, in the Atlantic Tranfport; and, on the following day, a South Whaler came in to flop a leak. 24. The rigging of the Rattler was in fuch a ftate as to require confiderable repairs: the new work alfo wanted caulking; and that no further time might be loft, the feafon being already far advanced for doubling Cape Horn, I hired natives to fupply me with water, as well as a couple of caulkers to affift our carpenter in caulking the fhip and flopping our leak, which was under the hawfe-picccs. At length, all our re- pairs being compleatcd, and our ftock of provifions, including two live bullocks, being got on board, by the fifth of March 5. March, we fet fail with the Mediator, the whah^r already jrientioned. We parted, however, with her, on getting out of the harbour, and pafled, between the Rafor and Round Ifles, to the Sea. GovcrnoE '■'J- i J' VOTAOn TO THE SOVTIl SK * S. jygj. Governor Phillips failed the day bclbic me, and \va3 d kind, among other civilities, as to be tlic beiucr of a table of the rate cf the time-keepers to Phillip Stephens, Efq. as well as of letters to the owners and niv friends. On my return from taking leave of him, and at the dillance of about two cables length of his fliip, I llruck with an har- poon the largeft turtle I ever faw: it weighed at leaft five hundred -weight. Governor Phillips, on obferving our exer- tions on t"hc occafion, immediately fcnt a boat to uur aflill- anee, and I requefted his acceptance of the prize. On the arrival of a ^lip off Santa-Cruz at the mouth of Rio Janeiro, the Patrimorc or harbour maftcr comes on board, takes charge of the ^■cflel, carries her into the harbour and moors her in a good birth. Sometimes the mate is firft taken out, as was the ceremony \Nith me, to undergo an examination ; biit the captain is not fuffcred to leave the ih!p without orders ; neither will any fupplies be admitted until avifit has been made by the officers of police, to enquire into the health of the crew, from whence you come, whither you arc bound, what is the particular objecl of your voyage, and the time you willi to ftay. The mates are then taken on Ihore to be examined, when their declaration with that of the commanding officer, is laid before the Viceroy whofc ojSicial permiffion mufl be given before any commercial intcrcouric VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. intcrcourfc can take j)lacc between tlie fliip and the fliore : the captain and officers muft alio ilgn a declaration, acknowledging that they and their crew conlider thcmfelves as amenable to the laws of the country, while they remain in it. f793- The land-breeze, at this place, commences in the even- ing, and generally continues until the morning ; the length of time it blows, as well as its ftrength, depends on the different feafons of the year ; and all veffels leaving this port muft take the advantage of the land or leading w ind, the mouth of the harbour beinii; too narrow to turn out. We had no fooner left the harbour, than the Patrimorc took his leave of us. It may be proper, however, to remark in this place, that the commanders of merchant veiTels are required to give one day's notice, previous to their failing from this port. CHAP. TOr\GE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. CHAPTER II. ATTEMPT TO DISCOVER ISLE GRAND; AND PASSAGE HOUND CAPE HORX. ^793' On leaving Rio Janeiro, I flood away to the Southward and Eaftward to fcarch for Ihc IHand Grand, which is faid to lay in the Latitude of 45- South, and was the firft objca recommended to me by the Board of Admiralty. On March ly. the fevcntcenth of March, at noon, Latitude by obfer- VHtion 39- 2^' South; Longitude by the mean of chronometers 34- 21' Weft; and by account, 34- 25'; variation, 9^ Eaft. The fca appeared of a pale green, and we faw many birds, fomc of which were faid by fcvcral of my people, to be of thofc kinds \Nhi-h arc fuppofed to indicate the vicinity of land; fuch as fand-larks, and a large fpecics of curlew; but neither of the latter kinds of birds were feen by me. From noon of the fevcntcenth, until fix in the f vcning, the wind blew from the South, South Eaft, and wc ftood away to the Southward and Weft ward: it then became calm I I VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. y calm and continued fo till midnij^lit; when it hlevv from '793 the North Weft, bein^^, at this time, in the fituation which I had often heard my old commander. Captain Cook, men- tion, as the pofition of the Illc of Grand: I accordingly enter- tained great expedations of feeing it; more efpccially as the birds appeared in great numbers during the whole of the day. In the evening we ftood away to the Southward, in which direction I continued my courfe for the night. At day-light, on the eighteenth, the furface of the water was Manh iH covered with feathers; and frequently in the forenoon wc palfed fcveral birch twigs, as well as quantities of drift-wood and fea-w'ccd. Thefc appearances continued until noon of the fame day, w hen our ob^er^ ation was in Latitude 40-' i z South: Longitude by obfervation of Sun and Moon, 35^ 34' Weft; and by mean of chronometers 34'- 8'. At this time the appearance of the fea had changed to a dirty green; which could not be the effect of the fl.y, as it was very clear: thofc tokens of land induced me to jicavc to and try fur fc)undinsrs with an hundred and fifty fathoms of line, but got no bottom, we had no fooncr got the lead in, when to our great aftoniflimcnt, at three or four miles diftancc from us, the whole horizon was cov .red w ith birds of the blue pftercl kind, At the fame time black whales were feen ipouting in every direclion, and the boats purfued one to B jiarpoon lO VOYAGE TO TIIF. SOUTH SEAS. '793- harpooi. it, hut without fucccls. Indeed, we were not very folicitous to kill black -whales, and willingly gave up the chafe at this time, to make all the fail we could, and to exert our utmofh efforts in order, if poffible, to difcover the land before night ; which every one on board had pofTeffed themfelves with the idea of feeing, although at fuch a confidcrable dillance from the Latitude in which it was iuppofed to lay. During this afternoon we paiTed feveral fields of fpawnv which caufed the water to wear the appearance of barely covering the furface of a bank. At fun-fet we could fee as far as twelve or fourteen leagues; but did not perceive any other figns of land than the great flight of birds which continued to accompany us, and they were fo numerous at times, that had they all been on the wing together, and above us, inftead of rifing in alternate flocks and fkimming after the whales, the atmofphere mull have been altogether darkened by them. And the number of whales in fight prefented a fair opportunity of making a profitable voyage in the article of black oil; but my predominant objedl was to fulfil the particular fcrvices recommended to me by the Lords of the Admiralty; and in one point I had at this moment, the moft flattering hopes of fucceeding. Towards; VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. Towards the evening, the barometer fell, and the weather bc- jran to be cloudy: but I continued {landing to the Southward with a frefli breeze till midnight, when we hove to and founded; but did not find ground, with one hundred and feventy fathoms of line. The gale was Increafing every hour with an heavy fca; and, by day-light, we could only carry clofe- reefed top-fails and fore-fail. The weather was dark and hazy, the fea aiTumed a deep lead-colour, many birds and whales remained with us, and wc paffcd large quantities of fca- weed. At noon we were in the Latituxle of 43° 3' South, and Longitude 35^ 38' Weft. Here we founded, but found no bottom: ncverthelefs, every circumftancc ftrengthened our conjedures that we were nearing the land, which induced me to proceed on my courfc, although it con- tinued to blow hard from Weft North Weft. At midnight we hove to, and founded with one hundred and feventy fathon of line, but found no bottom. At day-light we founded again with two hundred fathoms of line, and were equally unfuccefsful. We now made fail, and at noon our Latitude was 44° 51'; Longitude by obfcrvatlon, 34° 59'; and by mean of chronometers 23^ 53 3°" Weft. If »79J- The birds Icflcncd greatly in numbers, and with them our hopes of finding the land which was the object of our fcarch. I continued, however, to cruize about for fcvcrai B 2 fucceffivG ■ 'ii a \ \ 1 ■ 1 ■ j ! f 1 ( f 1* ' VOYAGE TO THE SOUTFl SEAS. fucccffivc days near this Longitude, but faw nothing to- encourage any further endeavours. r93- The feafon was now far advanced for doubling Cape Horn^ and it appeared to mc, that the nioft rational courfe I could take, would be to run down Weft to the main land of Patagonia, in the Latitude in which the Illc of Grand is placed; as we were now to the Eaftvvard of Mr. Dahymple's pofitlon of it * : fo that if It was vjot found in that Latitude^ I might. Extract from Mi". Daliiymple. * In the Latitude of 45° Soutlvthere is a very large, pleafant ifland, difcovered by Ant, L:i Roche, a native of E'l^land, in his palVage from the South Seas, in the year 1675. The Spanifli author who gives the ablbad of L;i Roche's voyage, printed according to him, in 1678, fays, " That La Roche, l;aving the land, (difcovered by him in 55? South, and which was fince feen by the Leon, in 1756,) and failing one whole day to the North Weft, the wind came fo violently at South, tJiat he ftood North for tince days more, till they were got into 46^ South, when thinking tlvemfelves then fecure, they relate, that direfting their courfe for the Bahia de Todos Santos, in Brazil, they found, in 4,5° South, a very large, pleafant ifland, with a good port towards the Eaftern part; in which they found wood, water and filh, tliey faw no people, notwiihllanJing they flayed there (ix d/iys." The (izeof this ifland is not mentioned in the Sp;uufli abliraift; but the cxpreflion, Muy Grand, very huge, and the expedation of hnding iiihabit.nil-;, feemed to indicate that it is of great extent. The exiftence of this ifland, and, in fome meafure its extent, is confirmed by other ai thorities: for Ilalley, near this Longitude, in about 43 'i South fays, " the colour of the tea w.is changed to pale green, and in 45,'^ South he faw abundance of fmall fea-fowl and beds of weeds." Funnel, in his pairtgc, into I *-i' VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. might, on my return, fcarch for it in the Latitudes of 40*^ and 4^, having ftrong rcafon to believe, that there is land in or near thofc Latitudes, but to the Eaftward of the Longitude whieh I crofled; as othcrvvife, I am at a lofs to account for fuch a tjuantity of birch twigs, fea-wced, drift-wood and birds as were fecn in that fituation. Some of thefc birds a]ipeared to be quite young, from the difficult}- \\ith which tjicy feemcd to ufe their wings; though that circum- ftaucc, it is poffible, might have proceeded from their being gorged w 1th fea blubber, with which the farfucc of the water was covered. ^3 179J- From the land difcovered by Monfieur La Roche, in Lati- ^^^^^ SS""' South, whieh I touched at with Captain Cook, in the }ear 1771, who named it Georgia, I am difpoied to belie\e, that the Ille of Grand alfo exilb, and that my not being able to find it, arofe from an error in copying the Lati- tude the South Sea, alio mentions /igns of Kind from about 40? South, nenr this Longi- tude. The Nalfau fleet, 1624, had alfo figus of land here, fo as to think theni- fehes near ilic S.nilhei-n coniincrit. lliLfc tefilniLnies and tiie Leon, in 1756, finding the other land mentioned Ly La Roche, leave very little rcafon to doubt his veracity r and, if there is fuch at, idand, fituated in the middle of the ocean, in 45" South Latitude, it cannot fa-l of being a very temperate and plc.ifant country, in a fituation very tavourable for carrying on the whale fiihery and others, and alfo for the profccution of any vuunucrce, which may be found in the countries to the South. > 1 i1 ^19i- ^4 VOYAGl!; TO THE SOUTH SEAS. tudc given by La Roche: nor can I doubt, Irom the quantity of whales I perceived near its fuppofcd iituatlon, that it would prove a much greater acqulfition than the Ifland Georgia, to which many profitable voyagi-s had been made for fcal fkins alone. Thi; route, however, w ill be of fofne advantage to Britlfli navigators, even if no land fliould be dlfcovercd according to our expedations, as it will tend to undeceive the niaftcrs and owners of whalers, who have entertained an opinion that the black whale was never to be found in bodies, fo far to the Eaftward : for, if half the whalers belonging to Lon- don had been with me, they might have filed their vcflels with oil. March aj. The autumnal equlnodial gale came on us the twenty- third of March, and held upwards of four days, with fre- quent claps of thunder, accompanied by lightening, hail and rain. It blew as hard as I CAer remember, and, for fcveral hours, we could not venture to fliew any fail. At the fame time a whirlwind or typhoon arofe to windward, from whence in one of the fi^ualls, two balls of fire, about the fize of cricket balls, fell on board. One of them ftruck the anchor which was houfcd on the fore-caftle, and burfting into particles, flruck the chief mate and one of the fcajnen, who fell 1 i I I- VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. fell down ill excruciating tortures. On examining them fcvc- ral holes appeared to have been burned in their cloaths which were of flannel: and in various parts of their bodies there were fmall wounds, as if made w ith an hot iron of the fize of a fixpennv piece. I immediately ordered fomc of the crew to perform the operation of the Otahciteans, called Roro mee *, w^hich caufed a confiderable abatement of their pains, but feveral days eUipfed before they were perfedlly recovered. The "-herball ftruckthe funnel of the caboofe, made anexplo- fion equal to that of a fwivel gun, and burned ftveral holes in the mizen-flay-fail and main-fail wh'cn were handed. At the height of it the barometer was 38"^. The alarm which we may be fuppofcd to have experienced during the whirlwind, was not allayed by the nolle of the birds, who, not confider- Ing the fliip to be a place of fafety, as is the cafe in com- mon gales, appeared, by the violence of their flirieks and the irregularity of their flight, to be fcnfible of the danger: for as the fquall approached them numbers plunged into the fea, to avoid it; while thofc who could not efcape its influ- ence, were whirled in a fpiral manner out of fight In an mftant. It very fortunately reached us only within two cables length of each beam, and fo pafled a-head of the (hip to the North. From our firft feeing, to our Icjflng fight ^19i- * Roro nu'e. It coiififts in gral'plng the tklliy parts of Uic uody, legs, ai)i •arms, and working it with the fingers. :'li l6 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. i;9j. iiglit of it, was about halt' an hour. In this gale, I loft the greatell part of my h\c ftock, together with all the vegetables that hung at the llern of the fliip. Aprils. On the eighth day of Ap/il, in Latitude 50-, we ftruek foundings o.i" the North Well: end of Falkland's lilands. The whole way I faw plenty of black whales; and two days before ftriking foundings, we perceived a Ihoal of ipcrmaceti whales, apparently bound round Cape Horn ; but our boats being all houfed and well fecurcd for doubling the Cape, we did not purfue them. In this courfe I ran dircc^lv over the fituations in which the Ifle of Grand is placed in all the charts, without difcovering any appearance of land. On the g, ninth, in the afternoon, we ftruck foundings in fixty-five tathoms off the Weft end of Falkland's Illands; but the violence of the wind and the thick weather prevented me from making an accurate obfervation. The ftiallownefs of the bottom induced me to believe, that I was not fo far to the Weft as the watch gave me. When by my calculation I was to the South of Falkland's Ifles, I ftood away for Cape Saint John, Statcn Land. The winds were variable Nortli Weft, South, South Eaft, Eaft, and North Eaft. The grcateft depth at which I found bottom » was ninety fulioms; and then no bottom at one hundred and fifty fathoms. On tOYAOE TO rUE SOUTH SEAS, »7 ,3 ■•ft I On tin- eleventh at midnight when I fuppnfcd myfclt" off Cape Saint John, \vc founded and llruck ground at ninety fathoms, fmall dark ftoncs. In this depth of water I did not confidcr myfelf as far to the Eaflward ot the Cape as 1 wifhed, for which rcafon, I hauled on a wind, and beat to windward, with the wind at North Eafl: and Eall North Eaft, till fevcn o'clock in the morning, when having no fdundings at one hundred and fifty fathoms, I bore up for Cape Horn. On the twelfth at noon, the wind drew round to the South, South Eaft, as the preceding night indicated, by the cold being fo fcverc, that fomc of the crew were froft bitten for fevcral hours, and the fliip and rigging covered with fnow and ice. After this, the wind inclined to the Weft of South, which was foon fuccceded by moderate weather and fmooth water ; this was alfo of lliort duration, for it changed gradually round, until it got to the Eaft, and at midnight on the thirteenth, it fhifted fuddenly in a fquall of rain to the South, and brought me on a lec-fliorc. l79^ Apul 1 1. 12. IS- ,* ■■vith Captain Cook, in the year 1774; and, on my outward- bound pairaj!;c to the North Weil coail of America, In the year 1786, as commander of the merchant llilp, Prince of Wales*. I wooded and watered there, and left a party to kill fcals. For my ovMi part, I do not perceive the neceffity, according to thi opinion of different navigators, of going to 60^ South. I ne\er would m_\ felf exceed 57- 30', to g;\ e the lile oi' Diego Ramierc.^ a good birth, or, if w Inds and weather vvcnild permit, make it, for a frclh departure, had 1 not taken one at Cape Saint John, Staten Land, or the Eall end of Falkland Illes. Staten Land is well fituatedas a place of rendezvous both for men of war and merchant flilps ; while Uie harbours on the North and South fides, which arc divided by a fmall neck, woidd anfwer the purpofe of fliips bound out, or home. But the North fide offers the bell place for an eftabllfliment, if it lliould ever be in the view of our government to form one there f. CHAP, * To the ownrr of this lliip I was full introduced by one of the moil cniineiu merchants of the City of London. i' If the navigation round Cape Horn fliould ever become common, fuch a place we mull polfefs; and agreeable to the laft convention with Spain, we an- entitled to keep polToflion of it, and apply it to any purpofe of peace or war. Great advantages might arife from fuch a fcttlenuiit, Irom whence the black whale filheries might be carried on to the South Pole, in the opinion of all the North Greenland iiiliermcn, with whom, I have co.ucrfcd on the fubject. Befules, it is one of tho cafieft land-falls a Tailor cn.n make. la order to render this place adefenfible, and protciSting fettlement, many experienced men, lieutenants, in his Majeiiy's navy, might be found, at very little e.xtra expence to government, to live in a lituation, whicli would be far preferable to many llations in Norway, that I have feen. I'he otficer placed there, fliould be invellcd with full pow- ers to regulate all fifliers, filhing in tliofe parts, or navigating round Capf. Horn, that lliip at the port. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEVS, 21 CHAPTER IV. KOUTE FROM CAPE HOUX TO AfAKTXG THE COAST OP CIIIEI;, AND THE ISLES ST. lELlX AND ST. AMBUOSE. VV E doubled Cape Horn on the i ith of April, the day three months on wliich we departed from England, after having flop- ped at Rio Janeiro, during the fpace of ten days; and proceed- ing from thence, four hundred leagues to the Eall ward, in fcarch of the Ifland of Grand. On making Diego Ramicres Iflcs, \vc ftretched well into the Wcftward of them, with the wind at South, SouthWcft; and, at midnight, tacked to the Southward and Eaflward. During the following five days, we had the wind from Weft, and South Weft, and moftly with an heavy gale, and a tremendous fea, and as bad weather as could be produced by hail, rain, froft and fnow, which drove us as far to the Southward as 59°, and back to the Eaft as 6g°. Wc never thelefs llrove v ;11 againft it, and the crew being in good health I/O,}. April II, s I I * 22 VOYAGE TO TITF, SOUTH 8KA9. »793 health and fpirits, wc made fail, if it became m«)doratc, only for half an hour; and, at Icnt^th, fiirly beat round the land of Terra del Fucgo, No fooner had we attained this objcd, than we had fine weather, with a Southerly wind ; which pro- niifcd favourably, to my prcfent intention of examining Wager Ifland, on the Well: coaft of Patagonia, which wc faw on April 2S. t),f twenty-eighth, at midnight. Wager Iflc is high and rugged, and may be fecn at the dillanee of fourteen or fifteen leagues. It is about five or fix leagues in length, and lays, by compais, nearly in a North and South direction, with many iflets off both North and South ends. I place the body of it in Latitude 46^ 30', and Longitude 76° Weft. On the weftcrn fide, where nothing grows but a fmall quantity of grc?n mof'^, it wears a very barren appearance, and the diftant hills, bearing Eall 2^° North, I believe, were mountains on the main land, covered ■with fnovv. Capt. Cheap, who commanded the Wager, one of Lord Anfon's f(juadron, has given a full defcription of this jlland, where he was unfortunately caft away*. My dcUgn in making it, was to obtain fomc knowledge of Anna Pink Bay and Har- bour, but the coaft was fo forbidding, and the weather of fuch a dark, hazy, and wintry afped, as to difcouragc me rom pcrfcvering in it. Befides, having douMcd Cape Horn at the prccifc time of the year when Lord Anfon went round it, pnd being at Wager IHc. within a fortnight of the time, when Captain * III the year 1741, VOYVGF, TO THF. SOUTH STaS. Captain Cheap was ihipwrcck.d tlicrc, I \Nas dKcou raged from paying any further attention to it. The in!et, whieh was the object of my I'earch, is not a mile wide; a (pace, which can be defcried, but on a very near approach. The Anna Pink did not fee it, until (he was within a niilc or two of the rocks and breakers, among \Nhich it Hcs; and although thty may Ihew thcmfelves, the depth of water is fo great in the bay, tliut when foimd, no w haler \n ill attempt to make it, becaufe he cannot truft to his anchors. I tried for found- ing fevcral times off Wager Ifle, but got no bottom; neither was the colour of the water fo much changed here, as the day before wc made the land. By the Anna Pinks fuppofed Latitude of that place, and my own observations, I have no doubt, as was conjccflured, at the time, that the crew of the Wager heard the Anna Pinks guns; and that flic lay under the main to the Eafl: of Wager Ifland*. If the dcfign propofed by Captain Cheap had been adopted, of coafl;ing in the boats, it is more than probable that it would have fucceeded ; and the well-known diftrefles of that officer and his crew would then have been avoided. The many cfcapes and voyages which, from fhipwreck, views of gain, and other caufcs, have been made and performed in boats within thefc few years, are,. * The Anna Pink was a victualler belonging to Lgrd Anfon's fquadron, and drijken into this port in diflrels. '-'3 irJi- II I I' -H ~i :' I/9J- 24 VOYAGE TO TIIF. SOtTTII SHAS. arc, I prcrume. pretty general!)' known. My long-boat, wliicii was not more than twenty-ciglit tcct in the keel, coafted it in the depth of winter and in a tcmpelluous clime, from 38° No th to 50" North; and part of the fame courfe back to rejoin mo. The ; rcateft part of the cargoes of fliips voyaging to the North Welt Coall of America, have been collected in boats. The long-boat of the lliips 1 commanded in my firft voyage thither, coalted fron) Oo'-' North, many 'eagues to the Southward, as well as in various bays and inlets Aviach thefliip could not enter; whereby a more particvdar knowledge of that country has bcia obtained, as will appear on the publication of Capt. Vancouver's voyage. The known Ipirit of entcrprifc and fpeculation, polTefled by the Britilh merchant:^, and \n hich is not equalled, by thofe of any other nation, \\ ill again jIicw itfelf, when a peace takes place ; and the inland coimtries in the Southern parts of America, including tlic Eall and Weft coafts of Patagonia. Straits of Magellan, and Terra Del Fucgo, ■will, I doubt not, be traverfcd and explored, from the infor- mation of Mr. Falkner, who refided near forty years in that country, and publiflied an account of his travels in 1774. He remarks, that the Eaftcrn coafts abound with oftrichcs, whofc feathers are known to be fo valuable, bcfides otters, hares, rabbits, and other ani iials, yielding fur. He Hkcwife mentions the articles of trade neceffary for the Indians, and defcribes the Weftcrn fide as abounding alfo with oftriches, as well as hares of an extraordinary fizc, aivl VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. nnd black rabbits; whofc I'ur is fupcrior to that of the beaver. The otters and hares I have fcen, and their fkins would be a valuable article ot" commerce in China. He further declares, as his decided opinion, that it would prove very difadvantagcous to the Spaniards, if the Englifii were to form any fettlement to the South of Brazil; there being feveral rivers, which communicate with the Weftern fide of America; and he gives a particular defcription of the bay St. Fondo, and river Colorado. This idea, however, had not awakened the attention of any court, till difputes arofe about Nootka Sound, in which I unfor- tunately, had fo great a fliarc*. I cannot pafs over in fdencc the very * Mr. Thomas Falkuer wns the run of a furgcon of eminence at Manchef- ter, and was brought up in liis father's piofeflion, for whicli he always nianifcftod ihemort proniifuig difpofilions. To complete his profeflional ftudies, he was feiit to London to attend Saint Tliomas's Mofpital; and, happening to lodge inToolcy- ftreet, on the Surry bank of the Thames, lie made an acquaintance with the mailer of a lliip, employetl in the Guinea trade, who perfuaded the young furgcon to accompany him in his next voyage in his profeflional capacity. On his return to England, he engaged to go in the fame (iiuaiion on board a merchant fliip to Cadi/., from ^vlience he continued his voyage to Buenos Ayres, a Spanitli letilement on the River T,a Plata. Here hi' fell lick, and was in fo dangerous a dale when his fliip wa^ ready to depart, a> ncl to be in a comlilion to he carried on board, I'o (he fiiled without him. The Jefuits, of which there was a college at Buenos Ayrts, luirtcd him during his ilhiefs with "he greatelt care and kindetl U .illiJultj' j ".•} '7'>.; i •■] K93- 26 VOYAGE TO TTIE SOUTH SF.Xti. very finf^ular circumflance, that while the Spaniards were negotiating with Great-Britain, for arranging the difference between them, in an amicable manner, they a(5:lually fettled every port in the Atlantic, as far South as the Straits of Ma- gellan r affiduity; and perceiving tlie very grcai advantage wliich tliey would derive, in their millions, from poflefling a brother who was lb well Ikilled in medi- cine and furgery, fpared no pains to win hisatVeftiop and llcurehis confidence. In iliort, they fo worked upon his mind, as to perfuadc him to enter into their col- lege and finally to become one of their order. He now entered upon his ininiftry among the Indians, who inhabit the vail track of country between the River La Plata and the Straits of Magellan. His ikill in the cure of difcafes, and in performing chirurgical operations, together with his knowledge of mechanics, rendered his million fuccefsful beyond example. In this country he remained near forty years, and was among the perfons appoiuied by the Spanilh Government, to make a furvey of the coafts between the Lrazils and the Terra del Fuego, Falkland's Iflands, &c. When the fociety of Jefuits was diflblved, he was fent back to Spain, and after an abfencc of near forty years, arrived in his native country. Soon after his return to England, he becanifl) domeftic chaplain to Robert Berkeley, Efq. of Spetchley, near Worcefter, a Roman Catholic gentleman of dillinguiftied knowledge, moll refpethiblu cha- rafter, and large fortune. There he wrote the account of Patagonia, which has been quoted in this volume, and was afterwards publilhcd with a map cor- redledfrom that of D'Ainille, according to his own obfervations. Mr Falkner poflefTcd a very acute mind, a general knowledge and nioft retentive memory. (If his medical experience and praftice, I have heard pli} iicians of eminence fpeak in the higheft terms of commendation. His manners, as may be fuppofed, from the tenor of his life, were at once fingular and inoftcnfive: and he retained fomewhat of his Indian habits to the laft. He died, as I have been informed, about the year 1781. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. gellan; and attempted it at New Year's Harbour, Statcn Land. At that place I left a tadory in my firft voyage, in 1 786 ; bnt the fliip which was lent to carry them fupplics being call away, they quitted it in boats. Another body of EngUlh merchants, engaged in a fimilar crtablilhmcnt, and was tliere, whei\ the Spaniards arrived, which induced tiie latter to abandon their defign, and, by a violent gale from the Kafiward on the night after their arrival, their lliip was cither wrecked or driven to fea between the New Year's Illcs. KO.f I i This was not the only political manoeuvre of the Spaniards; for they intimated to Lord Saint Helens, as his Lordihip informed me, that their fettlements in the Californias, ex- tended a long way to the North of Port St. Francifco. This circumftance, I reprcfentcd to his Lordfhip to be altogether untrue, as my long-boat had coafted from Saint Francifco to Nootka, and faw no fettlements. I have no doubt, never- thelefs, of its being their defign to fettle the intermediate fpace, as well as the Sandwich Ifles, for which they had made every preparation, at the tinie I was releafed from their naval port of Saint Bias, in the Gulph of California. Indeed, while I was on my prclent voyage, they fettled the Port of Sir Francis Drake, where I wooded and watered, in my preceding voyage. But it is probable that Captain Van- couver, whofc voyages are now preparing for publication, \[\\ give a more particular account of this fcttlcment. D 2 u ; I! { ' ;l r J II 179.5 Mav VOYAGE TO TIIK SOUTH SC\S, If fucli an cntcrprizc has not commenced, the pciiod, how over, cannot be diftant, when a commercial fearch after liirs, fcals and whales, will lead adventurers to traverfe the Coalls of Terra del Fuci^o and Patagonia, for them. The whales and leals arc grown fljy, and become fcarce in other parts w here they ha\ e been hitlierto taken, fo that new haunts mull: be refortcd to, in order to keep up the fpirit of our fifli- eries ; and thofe coafts w ill probably employ fifty or fixty fail of mercliant fliips, as they abound not only wi'.h black whales- and feals, but the fea elephant, and the fea lion. The Southernmoft fettlemcnt of the Spaniards, known on the Weftern fide, is Brewers, or Englifli Harbour, in Lati- fcud-^ 44° ::o' South *. To the South of it, is a great archipelago, and many deep inlets, which perhaps, are unknown to the Spaniards. As from the circumilances already mentioned, I had civet?.. up all fearch after Anna Pink Bay, I was, from the fame caufe, induced to relinq^uifli my defign of looking into Brewers Har- bour, and did not make land again, till we were in the Lati- tude 38'=' 39', when we faw the Ille Moc'u. In 40" South, wc faw fpermaceti whales, but did not take any till the firll of May, when we made the Ille, the fea being then * This Harbour is iiamcd from Mr. Henry Brewnr, wlio commandeil a I'liuadroii of Dutcli fliips in i6^i, belonging to the Dutch Well-India Conipn.i^ on aij txpcdition to the coill of Cliili, who found in lliis port rtfrellimcnts of every Knui, and aUo .(I'ci'Ju and good anclioragc. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 39 then covered with them: but ot fix which wc killed, and of J79,^ four fccured along fide, the weather proved fo bad, that we could only favc the bodies of two filli, and one head. N We beat to windward off Mocha for fevcral days, during which time we fiw u great number of whales, but killed no more than two, of which ^> e fa\ed one. Several of my people getting hurt in. flinching them*, and others break- ing out in boils from the bad rtate of tlie weather, I was obliged to purfuc my voyage ; but, by ordering tiie fick two oranges every day each perfon, with a large glafs of lime juice and water every morning, they foon recovered, as well as thofe alfo who were hurt in whaling. I place Mocha Ille in Latitude 38° 24', and Longitude y^^° 00'. It is of an height to be feen at the dillance of fifteen or fixtccn leagues, in clear weather, and on approaching it, its fummit appears rugged. It is about three or four leagues in length, laying in a North and South direction by compafs. The Northern part of the iflanddefcends gradually into a low, fandy point, or long tongue of land, on which is a rock or crofs, that has thefemblance of afail. The South point, at the dillance we were, appeared to end in a more abrupt manner, and there extends * Tliis ejtprcfliou is iifed for taking oft" the fat from ths Htli i Hi , 50 VOYAGF. TO THK SOUTH SEAS. 179J- extends from it, for a confidcrable diltance, a range of fmall rugged rocks, fomc of tlicni on a level with the water; while others rofe Iwldly from it, io that it was a matter of fome doubt with me, whether they compofed an actual part of the ifland. Breakers alio run ott" frop-i it a groat way to the Wellward, at leaft three leagues. There is a hare, white fpot on one part of the ifland, having the appearance, at an offing, of eight or nine miles, as if not bcianging to It. i'lom the great number of feals, which I faw otf this Illand, I lliould fuppolc that it *nwft abound with them. The main land of Chili, within the ifle, is .>i' a moderate height, and as it appeared to me, about fix or feveii leagues diftant. ./ / ) I k I The only account I have been able to obtain of this Ifland is from Mr. Wafer's voyage, who was there, vn ith Capt. Davis, in the year 1686, at which time, they lay there during the fpace of eight days. He r'^.lates, that they wooded, watered and ftored themfclves with frefli provifions, particularly the guanaco*. In fliort, he gives a very interefliing account of the neceflaries Extraft from Mi'. Water. * The ifland afforded both water and frefh jirovifioii foroiir men. The land is very low and flat, and upon the fca coaft Aindy ; but the middle ground is good tnouU], and produces maize, wheat and barley, with variety of fruit.s, kc. Here were feveral lioufes, belonging to the Spanifli Indians, which were very well flored wiili dunghill fowl. They have here alfo feveral horfes : but that *hich is niofl worthy of note, is a fort of flieep they have, which the inhabitants* c«il ' 'A VOY\GF. TO TIIF, SOTTII Sr.AS. ncccfTaries which they procured. He favs the land is low and flat; but he mult certainly ipc.ik only of the Eaft fide, or North and South points: IF whales arc as plentiful in the offing in the fine feafon, as at the time when I was there, it 3r C.iil C'>n;:'\i ,/<,■ 'Vni-.i. This ere itiin: i^ ,i!)i.;it lour t'ct-l and ;i\i lijli If ^h ,it the b;i(k, :i!k1 .1 wry iLUciy huall. Thc-fc llicep art; fo tame, that we ficijiu rilly ulcd to hxiWc one of th?iu, n;).>ii whole bick twD of ihc huliiil men would ride at onee round the illaild, to tliuc the fell to the fold. His ordinary pace is citlier an aniblu or a good liand-gallop ; nor does lie care for going any other pace, during the time his rider is upon his back. His mouth is like that of a hare; and the liair-lip above opens as well as the main-lips, when he biles the grafs, wjiicli he does very ne.ir. His head is much like an antelope, but they had no horns when we were there; yet we found very large horns, much twifted, in tiie form of a fnail-lhell, which we fuppofed thev had flicd ; there laid many of them fcattered upon the fandy bays. His ears refemble thofe of an afs, his neck fmall, and refembling a camels. He carries his head bending, and very llately, like a f-'an; is full chefted like i horfe, and has his loins much like a well fhaped grey- hound. His buttocks refemble thofe of a lull grown deer, and he has much Aich a tail. He is cloven-footed like a flieep, but, on the infide of each foot has a large claw, bigger than ones finger, bet fliarp, .nnd refembling thofe of an eagle. Thefe claws ftand about two inches above the divifion of the hoof; and they ferve him in climbing rocks, holding faft, by whatever they bear againft. His flefh eats as like mutton as can be : he bears wool of twelve or fourteen inches long upon the belly ; but it is Hiorter on the bh^k, Ihaggy, and a little inclining to a curl. It is an innocent anc' very ferviecable beali, 'it for any drudgery. 'M" thcfe we killed forty- three ; oat of tiie maw of one of which I took thirteen Bexoar ftones, of which fome were rajrged, and of fevrral forms ; fome long, refembling coral ; fome round, and fome oval ; but all green when taken out of the maw : yet by long keeping they turned ofau a)h colour. i/W- £- , $2 VOVAOE TO TFlp SOUTFf SEAS. »r9J- ^i i". it is an excellent whaling ground; and the IHc iticlf very con- venient for the purpofes of refreflinicnt. For although Mr. Wafer, on his return, found that the S})aniards had deftroved all the produce of the Ifland, of wliich they could poilcfs thcmfelves, to prevent its affording relief to tr.c I'.uccaneers; {o long a period has fince elapfed, that it is no wild con- jedlure to fuppofe, it may now have regained its former plenty. We T^ept the land of Chili in fight, from the maft-head or deck, until vvc reached the Latitude of ^u- jo'; in which parallel, the Iflands of Saint Felix and Saint Ambrofe, were fuppofed to lie, but at the diftancc of one hundred and fifty leagues from the main. When I firft fitted out, my intention was to vifit the Iflc^ Juan Fernandes, and Mafa Fucro: but, before I left England, Europe was in fuch an unfettled ftate, as to induce me to confider a rupture between Great Britain and Spain, as no improbable event, when the cruizers, of the latter nation, would certainly b" Rationed off thefe iflands: befides, I had every reafon to believe, that, at the Saint Felix and Saint Ambrofe Ifles, I fliould find refreflimcnts equal to, thofe which Mafa Fucro is known to afford. Befides, having learned, at Rio Janeiro, that Lieutenant Mofs, of the royal navy, whofc nautical abilities are known and approved, had been lately fealing at Mafa Fuero, and taken great pains to afccrtain their fituation, I conceived it unneccflary, for me to go there fc. that purpofe only. All SJ <■ * VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. All the way to the Latitude of Saint Felix and Saint Ambrofe, and alfo running down the Longitude to thofe ifles, we never faw a Tingle fpermaceti whale, except a flinched one, the day before we quitted fight of the main; but there were a great number of feals along the whole coaft. 33 ms- On the twentieth day of May, at day-light, wc faw one of the May 20. lilcs of Saint Felix and Saint Ambrofe; and foon after the other. By four in the afternoon, we were within fix or feven miles of the Eafternmoft; when, accompanied by the wh. ling mafler, I made an attempt to land, as well as to find an anchoring ground. The ifle proved to be a rugged, perpendicular, barren rock, fixty or feventy fathoms in height; and, in its craggy breaks and flielvings, feals had found a rcfting place. There was, indeed, an appearance of verdure on its fummit, which induced me to conjedure, that it is, by fome means or other, fupplied with moiflurc. But night coming on, and it beginning to fnifHe and rain, with the w ind far to the North, and no place to fhelter the boat, or where we could land, on the North fide, wc returned on board. It was a Iqually night, with ihowcr.-^ of rain; and, on the twcnty-firll, at day -light, as much wind blew from Weft North Weft, as would admit of double reefed top-fails, with very heavy fliowers, which continued the whole of the forenoon; fo that wc were obliged to pafs to the Southward of the Eafternmoft ifle, wnich prefents the fame inhofpitablc afped as that of the North fide. At noon, the rain ceafed, and the wind became variable with cloudy E weather II. i* iJI I 34 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. j-fjj. wCvithcr and mvich Tea. By fun-let, wc got well up with the Wcllcr'i iilc, and being moon-light, I fentthe chief niate, in one of the boats, to fifli during the night, as well as to take foundings round the ifle for the bell anchoring place; and in the morning to make an attempt to land. At noon, on the fol- lowing day, he returned with plenty of lilh (>f the fpecies of cod and bream, weighing from four to fix pounds each; and in- formed me he had taken fuundings round the ifle, and that the only bay was on the South fide; but that he could not find any bottom except clofe to the Ihore, \n hich was at eighteen fathoms depth and rocky : That he had alio founded, on the North fide, round the ille,to eight fathoms,within half a mile of the fliore, and founda fandy bottom; but beyond that, could find no ground, at thirty fathoms; and, that the late gale had occa- fioned fo great a furf as to render it impofTible to land. He added, that the illand appeared to be covered with feals. I had by this time furrounded the ille, with the fliip, and fre- quently tried for foundings, but no bottom could be found, with one hundred and fevcnty fathoms of line, at the dillance of from four to fix miles from the Ihore. Mny The whaling maftcr and fecond mate attempted to land in the evening, the fwell having confiderably abated; but they could not accomplilh their defign. Thty fet out again, at four o'clock the next morning, tw enty-fccond, with a fimilar defign; andj VOTVGE TO THE fiOtJTH SE\S. and, having with great riik and difficulty cffcdlcd a landing, they traverfed the ilk, which produced nothing but a plant, rc- fcmbling the common nettle, of a fait taftc and dilagrccahlc odor. They could find no frcfli water, and the foil was mere fand, from one to fix inches deep on a folid rock, and waflicd into furrows, as it appeared, by heavy rains. No land-bird, quadruped, or even infeft, except flies, were {ccn on the ifland ; but great numbers of birds-nefls, containing addled eggs : nor was there any kind of fliell-filh. On the ifland, w^ere the remains of feals and a quantity of decayed feal-fkins, fuppofed to have been left there by Mr. Ellis, (who vifited this place in the year 1791,) and probably, from the difficulty of taking them away. 35 1793 Of the danger, of getting from this Ifland, we had a very melancholy experience; as our people were upfet feveral time:, before they got from the furf, and one of our beft fcamen, was unfortunately killed, having his back broken, by the jolly- boat falling, upon him. ^1 The only landing place, is on a fandy beach on the North fide of the ifle; and the tide ebbed on it, while they were on fliore, between fix and feven feet, and the ebb and flood runs to the Northward and Eaftward. At the time they landed, which was at fix in the morning, it was near E 2 high r y ; I ' )'. i'li li ' 1 |p % 8' ^^ ^V! •■ ■fl ■ , ||i ^ ii' ' i Jl ." ,1 « ^ 36 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. '795- high water, and when tlicy got off, at two o'clock, P.M., it was ^ow water. Neither, ofthcfc iflcs is more, than five or fix miles in circumference, and they arc diftant from each other four leagues and an half. The Eaflernmoft iflc, appearing to be inacccflible, can never be of much ufe, except as a place for catching filh or taking feals: But the other ifle, might be made to anfwer, as a place of rendezvous in war or peace. It contains a fpace, where tents might be pitched, and the fick accommodated, if the want of wood, water and vegetables, could hy any means, be furmounted. As to the firft, an hull or two, of a prize, would afford a fufficicnt fupply; and as for the fccond, aftill, might be provided, to diflil falt-water; and a fmall quantity of foil,, would be fufficient, to raifc fallad herbs. A whaler, indeed, never want? wood or water; of the lat- ter, fhe has always a very large quantity; becaufe, all her empty calks, which fhe carries out for oil, are filled with water, by way of ballafl; and as it is to be hoped, that the fifheries will not be difcontinued, fhe might always leave her furplus quantity here, by ftarting it into a tank. A few buts of earth, might alfo be brought, and feveral kinds of fmall herbs, be raifed. Should this retreat be difcovered, by the capture of any vefi'el, it is fo fituated, that a fmall force would be enabled to defend it againfl a large one. In the winter feafon,, however, I cannot fuppofe, that any cruizer, as VOYAGE TO THE SOUTII SEAS. as the prevailing winds are Northerly and tempcftuous, will attempt to anchor on a lec-fhore; but, during the fummcr, when the winds are changeable, moderate and Southerl} , I have no doubt, but fliips might remain here in perfeft fecurity. ^7 mi- i When South of the Wellcrn ifle, the whole has the appearance of a double-headed fliot; but the Eailern hum- mock is feparated from it, by a very narrow reef, which divides it, as it were, into two ifles; the loweft land, commencing from the reef, and joining the hummock to the Well:. There is alfo a remarkable fmall rock off the North Weft end, which, in moft points of view, lliews itfelf, like a lliip under fail. Thefe ifles I place by obfervation corrected of Sun, Moon^ Stars, and chronometer, between the Latitude of 26" 19', and 26° 13'; and Longitude, ycy 4', and 79° 36' Weft. CHAP. {8 VOVAGE TO THE SOUTH 6E\S, CHAPTER V. ROUTE OF THE RATTLER FROM THE ISLES SAINT FELIX AND SAIXT AMBROSE, TO THE COAST OF FERU. ill P i m ms- JVIR. Dalrymplc "onjedurcs, that, to the Wcfl of the Iflos Saint Felix ami Saint Ambrofc, there arc others, of the fame name, which were called Saint Felix and Ambrofc Rocks, To afcertain the truth of this opinion, T ran as far to the Wcftward, as 84", when feeing neither land, birds or feals, to juftify a belief that aii) fuch illcs cxifted near this fituation, I hauis^d on a wind for the coaft of IVru, intending to make it, in Latitude i f South; but, the wind hangint^ to the Eaft- ward, I did not get on the filhing ground, until I was in the Latitude of 1 5'' 30', There was now fo large an extent of coaft, in every part £)f which, I might meet with thof*^' Britifli Ihips, employed in fpermaccti < s VOVAOE TO THE SOUTH SF.AR. ^g fpcrmaccti whaling, to whom, I was inftrudcd, to communi- j..^. catc, the circumftances and iituation of Europe, when 1 quitted it, that I did not think it necelfary to beat again to the Soutliward. I was indeed, pcriiiaded, that the greatell l)o(K of' filhcrnu'ii was to the Northward; as thev would find the hell fealun there, and might then return with the Sun, without being liable to the uneertainty ot' getting filh to the Southward, in the winter rea(i)n; from whence, if' thev were not fuccclst'ul, they would be obliged to proceed to the Northward, and thus have two winters to encounter. On the third of June, P. M. we v\ere, within fix or l*e\en i„„. ^ June J. leagues of the Ifle Lobas or Seals, n( ar the port of Pif'eo, where we faw great numbers of that animal, and wc had even fallen in with them, as far as fifty or fixty leagues from the land. Mr. Frefier fays, that this ifle is only one league and an half f'rom the main land; but to me, it appeared to be twice that diflance. He alfo adds, that the chaiuiel. between it, and the main land, is dangerous; but that, to the Northw;u-d of the ifles, there is a fmooth Hat bank of fand, which forms a creek, where the fca is fo llill, that a fliip can anchor there, in eight fathoms water, and might careen in fafety. This illanu is of a moderate height, but, tVom the bell obfcrvations I could make, in hazy weather, its coall appeared to be altogether barren to the Weflward. This place offer.s a good port for whalers, or in time r i ib.i|i i i;;l '.( .z.> 40 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. I79J' time of war, for vcffcls of fmall force, to lay at, in order to watch an enemy ; the hind, being of fufficient height, to afford fecurity and concealment. T continued my route along the coaft to the Northward, running under an eafy fail, or {landing off and on in the day, and laying to at night. I never diftanccd the land, more than fourteen or fifteen leagues, and was fometimcs as near it, as two or three leagues. I cruized fcvcral days off Lima, at a fmall diffance from the Iflc Saint Lawrence, which forms the roadofCallo*. I kept near this fituation, in hopes of meeting fome veffel, which might afford me information, whether any Englifh filhermen were in the road, and without any appre- henfion, of being known by theSpaniards, as the fupcrior fliiling of my fhip, alwa}s left it to my own option, to fpcuk with whom I pleafcd. June 6. On the fixth of June, at fun-fet, I faw the dangerous rocks and Ihoalsof Ormigas, appearing like a fail, and laying nearly Eaft and Weft of Ille Saint Lawrence. At noon our Latitude obferved was 1 1° 48', the lile Saint Lawrence Eaft, 80'^ North, and the rocks of Ormigas, North 28" Weft, at the diftance of fcven or eight miles. Thcfe rocks are very dangerous; the joftieft part being little higher than the hull of a fmall Ihip; and the fca breaks, for fcvcral leagues, around, and off, them. They are quite barren, and I obferved with my glals, two croflcs eredcd on them, which in a fliort time difap- pearcd, * In 1614, the Dutch foitified theml'clves at this iUe, whcu they were milking prepur.itions to attack Lima. 4 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTir SEAS, peared. I concluded, tlierctbrc, that they were placed by filhermon, who arc fiiid to rcfort here from Lima, as fignals, to engage in Ibme kind of contraband trade : but I had taken the neccffary precautions, at the outfit of my •NcfTcl, that no commodities fhould be put on board which could promote fuch a dcfign, being determined, to adhere ftridly to the arti- cles, entered into by the courts of Great-Britain and Spain, refpeding veflcls, \oyaging round Cape Horn. I accordingly lliewcd no colours, and as I kept my courfe, the fifhermen, I prefume, removed their fignals. 41 »791 On the eleventh day of June, at noon, I had got up the June :i. main, as high as the Iflcs Lobas le Mar*. I accordingly flood clofe in, within a mile or two of the fliore, and then bore up for the ifle, which we foon made, and got well in with it before it was quite dark, and then brought to, \n ith our head to the Southward. This ifle, by my log, is fixtcen leagues from the main, which, is a much greater diftance, than is laid down, in mod of the charts. My expcdation was enlivened, in common with every one on board, by the opinion, that we lliould fee fomc of our countrymen in the morning ; and when we bore up at break * This iilc was formerly the rcfort of tlie Buccaneers, but tlu-re is no frod> water on ii. J/9J- 4^ YOTAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. f of day, a confiderablc quantity of tar was fccn floating on the furface of the water ; a circumllance, which flrengthcncd our hope, that we fliould find a velfel refitting there. M »'i i i III I had fome intention of anchoring here myfclf, and having hove to, off the South Well part of the ille, I fent the chief mate to found for a dangerous rock under water, over which, the feas feldom or never breaks. It lays fomcwherc, in the middle of the roads, and fevcral whalers had ftruck on it ; but I had not been able to procure tiie bearings of it. There was but little wind throughout the day, and the Ihip fet confider- ably to the Northward and Weftward, which opened the bay to us, when we were greatly difappointcd, at not perceiving any ihip at anchor in it. However, before the boat returned Jn the evening, we faw a fail {landing down on us, and it being ho.iy, as it generally is on this coaft, the boat had at one time miftaken her for the Rattler. ! f 1, The chief mate returned on board by feven in the evening, and informed me, that he had, not been able to difcovcr the rock, or to catch any thing but one turtle; but from the frefli carcafles of feals which he had fecn, he very rcafonably fuppofed, that a vefTel could not have left the ifland more than four or five days. The \()Y\OE TO THE SDVTII SEAS. The fail, already mejitioncd, kept ftandinii; towards us, and, as nii^ht advanced, flicwcd a light ; at cif!;ht. being within a couple of miles of us, the whaling-mafter fet out to board her, but, difcovcring on a near approacli, that 11 ic was a Spanilh vcflll, he thought it right to return ; I hauled on a wind for the night, .-, , did the Spaniard, with a view of continuing together till morning; but the thick weather, which was not difpcrled on the return of day, prevented us from feeing each other again; nor did wc perceive the land till ten A. M. when we found ourfclvcs fet, during the night, within a few leagues of the Ifles of Lobas Ic Terra, which, in certain pofitions, bear fuch a refemblance to each other, that it was difficult to diftinguifli any difference between them: while, from the uncertainty of the currents on this coaft, it might have been as natxtrally conjeAured, that the current had fet us as much one way as the other. As I had no inducement to beat back airair- nor any probability of accomplilhing it, without takin«' a great offing, I continued on my courfc, but never failed to confult with the whaling-mafter; before I fhifted my ground. 4J} '7?J. The Ifle Lobas Ic Mar, is divided into two parts, by a fmall channel, which will only admit the paifage of boats, and where the tide is very rapid. F2 The .u ,»,,(' m- "IT i ! * i« i ' V i w f m P 44 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. '793' The Ifle Lobas le Terra, appears, towards the Eallcrn point, to be much broken into fmall hillocks, while the land, or main near it, is low and vifiblc, only on a near approach. During the fliort time I remained off thefe ifles, the weather was fo hazy, as to prevent my making any accurate obfervations concerning them. June i6. On the fixteenth of June, I reached Cape Blanco, the South Cape of the Gulf of Guiaquil, which is level land, of a moderate height, and, by fevcral obfcrvations taken off it, I make it in Latitude 4° 8' South, and Longitude 83° 20 Weft. Off this cape, there is a ftrong, wefterly current, making out of the Gulf of Guiaquil ; and afterwards, in croffmg the gulf, I was in twenty-four hours, fet forty miles to the Weftward. ? i it . i I 11 i9« On the nineteenth, I faw Point Saint Helena and lilc Plata, where Admiral Sir Francis Drake divided his plunder. By feveral oWervations taken off the ifle, I place it in Latitude 1° 16' South, and Longitude 85" 42' Weft; and Point Saint Helena in Latitude 2" o' South, and Longitude 82° ao' Weft. The I I VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. The winds had now began to Wcftern on me, and knowing it, to be an objeft of" the board of Admiralty, that I fhould vifit the GaUipagocs Ifles, it became me to exert my bcft endeavours to do fb, before I got further to the North- ward; when, if the wind Ihould Weftcrn more upon us, which it frequently does in this Latitude, I fliould not have been able to fetch them. 4,5 » J79J- On the fame day I took my departure from Cape Saint Helena for Gallipagoes Ifles, for the reafons already mentioned, the wind wefting on us; but, at thirty leagues diftance from the coaft, it returned to the South Eaft quarter, and continued there,^ till we made the ifles. On the fecond day, after we had left the coaft, we fell in with a large flinched whale, which could not have been killed, more than three days. On the twenty-fourth, at four A. M., we made one June 24. of the Gallipagoc Ifles, bearing Weft by North, fix or {c\cn leagues. In the courfe of our pafl'age, we fell in frequently 'th ftreams of current, at leaft a mile in breadth, and of which there was no apparent termination. They frequently, changed the fliip's courfe, againft her helm, half the compafs, although running, at the rate of three miles and an half an hour. I never idtid- "W ;■' lf.ik 4^ VOy.VGE TO TIIIL SOUTH SEAS. »Wa* never experienced a fimllar current, but on the coaft of iN^orway. The froth, and boll, of thcle ftrcams, appear, at a very fmall diftance, like heavy breakers; we founded in feveral of them, and found no bottom ^vith two hundred fathoms of hne. 1 alfo tried the rate, and courfe of the ftream, which was, South Weft by Wefl, two miles and an half an hour. Thef' Ireanis are very partial, and we avoided them, >vh r v • it was in our power. Birds, fifh, turtles, fcals, fun- ^ '„i other marine animals kept con- Handy on the edge of tliL;.., and they were often feen, to contain large beds of cream-coloured blubber, ui t-he fame kind as thofe of a red hue, which arc obfervabic on the coaft of Peru. The only feals, we faw, were in herds fiihing, or in their palTage, between the Gallipagoes, and the main. I do not affirm it as a faxft, but as we faw no feals in my route back, and as the few, we killed there, were with young, I am difpofed to conje or buflios without leaves, and very tew fpoLs of verdure were viiible to us; a few feuls were fecn on the fhore. The land rifes at fliort intervening diftanccs in fmall hills or hillocks, of very fmgular forms, which, when obferved through a glali>, and at no great dillance from the fliore, have the appearance of habitations, while the prickly pear-trees, and the torch thiftles, look like their owners, ftanding around them. In other parts, the hills rife fo fudden on the low land, that, having a fmall offing, they appear to be fo many feparatc iflands. About four miles off the North Eaft end, there is a fmall iflet, which is connefted by a reef with the main ifle : i: is covered with feiils, and the breakers reach fome diftance from the fliore. The higheft land, at this part of the ifle, is of a very moderate height, defcending gradually to the ftiore, which confifts, alternately of rocks, and fand : fome, of the rocky parts, being much infulated, they form winding inlets, of two or three miles in depth, and from one to two cables in breadth. •1 ; m ' .if ft**' At the diftance of two or three miles, to the Weftward of the iflet, I hove to, and fent the chief mate on fliorc to found and land. At eight, P. M. he returned with green turtle and tortoifes, turtle doves and guanas; but they faw no efculent vegetable. \ , ! i-| VOYAGE TO Tim SOUTH SF.\». 49 \cgctablc, iior found any water tliat was lufficicntly palatable to drink. He run four miles along the coaft, at three quarters of a mile from the fViorc, without getting any foundings ; at that length, found bottom at ten fathoms. This was near the Uirtancc we had fallen to Icew ard, from the time the boat had left us. I had founded, fevcral times, with the deep fea lead, at four or five miles from fliorc, and gut no bottom, with one hundred and fifty fathoms of line. We ftood off and on during the night, the wind being between the South and South Eaft. At break of day, we difcovered, that the current had taken a different diredion, and had fct us confiderably to the North- ward and Weftward, and we could not fetch our fituation of the preceding night. At noon, we were by obfervation, in latitude 37' South. '79i ■^ , s I now thought it prudent to come to an anchor, in order to refrefh the people, and to determine the fituation of the ifle. As we drew in with the fliore, I kept the deep fca lead going, and at the difi:ance, of about five or fix miles, wc obtained foundings, from thirty-eight, to thirty-fix fathoms, which continued to diminifh, till wc were within a mile of the fhore, when wc got into nineteen fathoms water, fine fand bottom, and near the center of the ille ; in which depth wc came to anchor. G The fmm t-t ^H' 50 VOYAGE TO TUn SOUTH SKAS. i'93- The land forms a kiirl of bay, the extremes of which bore, from South 43- Weft, an high bluff; to Eaft 34° North, a low point; there is a diftant high rock, off the South Weft point. Weft ;^^° South, which lavs oft" the Eaft nirt of a deep com- modious bay. South by Eaft t)f us. was a fmall bay, formed by two rocky points; in the Eaft part of which, was one of thofe fmall creeks, alread) mentioned. I founded roiuid the fliip with two boats, as well as between U'^, and the fliore : here we found a good bottom, the i'oundings increafmg or decreafmg, as we diftanced or neared the land. I •' Two boats now landed abreaft of the fliip, and the crews dividing, took the feparate courfes of Eaft and Weft, in fearch of water and vegetables : a third boat I fent off to the large bay, which is diftinguiflied by the high rock, on a fmiilar purfuit, but they all returned in the evening, without having attained the objeds of their fearch. The boat from the Weft, had found an uncommon kind of fand ; we fuppofcd it, from its weight, to contain fome kind of ore, and which ue afterwards found, to be fmall topazes. This ifle is of a moderate height, the higheft parts being to the Weftward. All the North fide defccnds gradually to the fea, forming low points. Many parts arc -well wooded, but as it was winter, there was no appearance of verdure, but :i .■ VUVVGE TO THE SOUTH SE.nS. but from the evergreen trees and plant?, fuch as the box and the prickly pear, \Mth the torcli thillle. and the mangrove. The middle of the ille is low land, and at a very fmall dillance has the appearance of being divided into two parts, particxdarly on the South fide. On the Wellern part of the bay, in which we anchored, the land is barren and rocky ; in fome parts, it has the appearance of being covered with cinders; and in others, witii a kind of iron clinker, in flakes of feveral feet in circiimference, and from one to three inches thick : in pailii.g over them, they found like plates of iron : the earth is alio frequently rent in cracks, that run irregularly from Eaft to Wefl:, and are many fathoms deep: there were alfo large caves, and on the tops of every hill, which we afccnded, was the mouth of a pit, whofe depth mull be immtnfe, from the length of time, during which, a llone, that was thrown into it, was heard. Many of the cavities on the fides of the hills, as well as on the level ground, contained water, but of fuch a brackifli talle, as to render it unfit to be drank. In moft of them, there were confiderable Hocks of teals, which were by no means fliy, and were eafily caught: they are of the fame kind as thofe known in England. This Ifland contains no great number, or variety, of land birds, and thofe I faw, were not remarkable for their G 2 novelty 51 i?93 h I- -W^ 52 m k -h VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 179.1- novelty or beauty: they were the fly-catcher and creeper, like thofe of New Zealand; a bird, rerembling the fmall mockingbird, of the lame ifland ; a black hawk, fomewhat larfi;cr than our fparrovv hawks, and a bird of the fize and fliape of our black-bird. Ringdoves, of a dufky plumage, were fecn in the greatcft number : they feldom approached the fca till fun-fct, wlicii they took their flight to the Weftward, and at fun-rife returned to the Eailward ; fo that if there is any water on the iiic, I fhould fuppofe it would be found in that part. Befides, it is the higheft land, and a fmall quantity of water, lodged in the hollow of a rock, would fupply thefe birds for a confiderable time. M) fecond vifit, to thefe iflcs confirmed, my fuppofition, as fmall oozings, were then found, at the foot of two or three hills, which may be occafioned by pools of rain water coUeded on the tops of them, as is frequently feen on the North Weil coaft of America. An officer and party, whom I fent to travel inland, faw many fpots, which had very lately contained frefli water, and about which, the land tortoifes appeared to be pining in great numbers. Several of them, were fecn within land, as well as on the fca coafl, which, if they had been in flelli, would have weighed three hundred weight, but were now fcarccly one third of their full fize. 1 was VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. S3 I was very much perplexed, to form a fatisfadory conjec- ture, how the fmall birds, which appeared to remain in one fpot, fupported themfelves without water; but the party on their return informed me, that, having exhaufted all their water, and repofmg beneath a prickly pear-tree, almoll choaked with third, they obferved an old bird in the ail of fupplying three young ones with drink, by fqueezing the berry of a tree into their mouths. It was about the {vie ot a pea, and contained a watery juice, of an acid, but not unpleafant, talle. Tiie bark of the tree, produces a cnnfidcr- ablc quantity of moifture, and, on being eaten, allays the thirll. In dry feafons, the land tortoife is feen to gnaw and fu^ic it. The leaf of this tree, is like that of the bay tree, the fruit grows like cherries, whilft the juice of the bark dies the flelh a deep purple, and emits a grateful odor : a (juality in common with the greater part of the trees and plants in this ifland ; though it is foon loll, when the branches arc feparated from the trunks, or ftems. The leaves of thelc trees alfo abforb the copious dews, which fall during the night, but in larger quantities at the full and change of the moon ; the birds then pierce them with their bills, for the nioifture they retain, and which, I believe, they alfo procure from the various plants and ever-greens. But when the dews fail in the fummcr feafon, thoufands of thefe creatures perifli; for, on our return hither, wc found great numbers dead in their J79i- ff ' I*,?.'," 54 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SE\S. j^pj. their nclts, ami fomc of thcni almoll: fledged. It may, how- ever, be remarked, that this curious iiilliiidi\c mode, of finding a fubftitute for water, is not peculiar, to the birds of this llland ; as nature has provided them with a fimilar rcfource in the lountain tree, that Hourilhes on the Ifle Ferro, one ot the Canaries ; and Icvcral other trees and canes, which, Churchill tells us in his voyages, arc to be found, on the /nountains of the Phillipinc lllands. There is no tree, in this ifland, which mcafurcs more than twelve inches in circumference, except the prickly pear, fome of which were three feet in the girth, and fifty feet in height. The torch thiftle, which was the next in height, contains a liquid in its heart, which the birds drank, when it \\i\^ rut down. They fometimes, even extraded it iVom the voung trees, by piercing the trunks with their bills. i if». We fearched with great diligence for the mineral moun- tain, mentioned by Dampier, but were not ib fortunate as to difco\er it; unleis it be that, from which the heavy fand or fmall topa/es were colledcd, and of which, I ordered a barrel to be filled, and brought it away. :^ niif tiTcat rock, bearing from our anchoring place, South 4j'-Wcll, makes the Eall point of a large bay, in which, 1 anchored, VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS, 55 anchored, at our return. The winds that prevailed, while ! lav here, were from South, South Eaft, to South, South Weft, always moderate weather, but the tide runs very ftrong, paiticularly the flood, which comes from the Eaft- ward : fo that we were never wind rode ; the ebb returns the fame way, but not fo ftrong ; it is hij2;h water here, at the full and change of the moon, at half pail three, and its rife twc-lve or thirteen feet. 1 place this ifle between Latitude 4^' South, and i- 5' South, and Longitude 8y- 24', and it l>cars from Cape St. Helena, Weft 5- North, by compafs, one iiundred and thirty-five leagues. It lays in a North Eaft and South Weft direction; and its greateft extent is thirteen leagues in length, and ten miles in breadth. «793- The various kinds of fea-birds, which I had feen on the Coaft of Peru, we found here, but not in equal abundance. There were alfo flamingos, fea-pies, plovers, and fand-larks : The latter, were of the fame kind, as thofc of New Zealand. No quadruped was feen on this ifland, and the greateft part of its inhabitants appeared to be of th^ reptile kind, as land tortoifes, lizards, and fpiders. We faw alfo dead fnakes, which probably pcriflied in the dry feafon. Thero were, bcfides, feveral fpecics of infeds, as ants, moths, and common flies, in great numbers ; as well as grafs-hoppers, and crickets. i I iiii '•^ N' » The fea guana is a non defcript : it is left than the land giiana and muoli uglier, they go to fea in herds, a filliiiig, and fun themlVlvcs, on the rocks, Hk» &al8, and may be called alligators, in miniature, ] . I Vl)V\(iE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. j» 58 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 1793- On feveral parts of the lliore, there -was drift-wood, of a larger fize, than any of the trees, that grow on the ifland : alfo bamboos and wild fugar canes, with a few fmall cocoa nuts at full growth, though not larger than a pigeon's egg. Wc obferved alfo, fome burnt wood, but that might have drifted from the continent, been thrown over-board from a fhip, or fired by lightening on the fpot. u u ,* The deep-water fi(h, were of every kind, that is ufually found, in the tropical Latitudes, except fpermaceti whale, and of them we faw none, but Iharks were in great abundance. The dip of the needle I found here to be at 84°, and the variation of the compafs 8° 10'. The thermometer was never higher than 73^, and in the morning, cvenijig and night, it was below fummer heat in England. 1 confidcr it as one of the moft delightful climates under heaven, although fituatcd, within a few miles of the Equator. The barometer generally flood at 29-8-4. The evening, night, and morning, were always cloudtd; and during the nights, there generally fell, as heavy dews, as ofF the main. i ' l*ffe Eveiy VOVAGE TO THE SOUTH 3E\S. Every one was charmed vvi.h the place; but, as all apprehcnlions of the fcurvy or any other dircafc was at an end, and we had got a large provifion ot" turtle on board, the anxiety of my people, to commence tho fiflicry, in which, they all had a proportionate intercA, began to fhew itfelf ; nor was I difpofcd to check their fpirits, or delay their wilhes ; being well aflured, that they would be over- joyed to return hither, at no \cry diftant period, when I Ihould have an opportunity to vifit the reft of thefc iflands. 59 •79? On the twenty-eighth of June we weighed anchor, and June 2S. failed round the Eaft point, with a view of beating a fmall diftance to the. Southward, in order to determine the particular ifle, ve had vi'.ited, according to the defcription of the Buccaneer:^ and the Spanifh map, but my endeavours were not fuccefsful. While wc were at anchor, it was fuppofed, that wc law land in the North Weft, at the diftance of fourteen or fifteen leagues; but this was by no means afccrtained; though, according to Dampier, moll of the illcs ought to have been in fight of us, by allowing the difference of u few miles of Latitude between us and him. On the firft of July, we faw a fmall iflc which I beat up July to; and, taking obftrvations within a few miles of It, place Hz \t i;9ji- 60 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. it in Latitude i*^ 24' South, and Longitude 89° 47' Weft. It bears f^rom the Eafl: point of the ifle, before which we had anchored, South, diftance five leagues, and lays in the dirc<^ion of North, North Weft, and South, South Eaft, and may be fourteen miles in extent. The fide we faw, rcfcmbles the Eaft point of the large ifle, but is enlivened with an higher degree of verdure : wc alfo faw a greater number of feals, oft" this, than off the other illand. I do not hefitate to confide r it, as the Southernmoft and E^ftern- moft of the Galapagoe liles. In the accounts of Wood, Rogers and others, the Spaniards are laid to be acquainted with an ifland in the Latitude of i" 16' South, which has plenty of water on it. This may be true during a rainy feafon, or fur fome time after it ; but I am not in the habit of giving an implicit faith to Spanifli accounts. ; "1 m. As I could not trace thefe ifles, by any accounts or maj)s in my pofteflion. I named one Chatham Ifle, and the other Hood's Uland, after the Lords Chatham and Hood. CHAP. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS* 6i CHAPTER Vir. PASSAGE FROM THE GALAPAGOE ISES, TO ISLE COCAS.. From the Southcmmoft Galapagoc Iflc, we flood over again for the main, keeping between the Latitude of 2} South, and the Equator, and had a. ftrong Earterly current conftantly againft us : but it was not fo perceptible, as on our pafliigc from the main, although we fell in with fcveral beds of cream-coloured blubber : we did not, however, fee fo many fmall fifli, birds, or feals ; of the latter, we only favv two, and they were not at any confiderablc diftance from cither ille or main. Porpoifes and black fifli were con- tinually around us, with a few albecores and bonettas. 1793. The winds were much the fame, as on my paflage to the Galapagocs, blowing fteadily from between the South and Eaftward, after twenty-four hours fail from the ifles; andj V , ! I mr 62 VOVAOE TO THF. SOUTH SEAS. »79J' and, when witliiu the fiimc diftancc from the main hind, they inchncd to the Wfllward : the w -cither was gcncrally cloudy, and fomctimcs accompftnicd with an lieavy, Soutli V.'r;"^ fwcU, and at tlic change and luil of the moon, witli a drizzHng rain. July 10. On the tenth oi July, P.M., we law the III of Plata, bearing Eaft North Eafl, nine or ten leagues , and, on the following day, in the morning, we faw fpermaceti whales, but did not get up with them until the afternoon, the lilc Plata bearing Eafl: by South, at the dilhmce of five or fix leagues. One of them was ilruck, but the boat was acci- dentally ftovc to pieces, and we beat off for feveral days, but never got another view of them. The Ifle Plata* had been a favourite place of refort to the Buccaneers, it being moll conveniently fituated to watch the Plata fleets to and from Lima ; but all traders, cither to or from the coaft of Mexico, or between Panama and the coaft of Peru, mak« the land a little to the Northward of it. If we may believe the Buccaneers, this ifland has plenty of water and turtle, and abounded with goats, till the Spaniards defl:roycd them. The watering and anchoring places arc faid to be on the Eaftern fide, in a fmall fandj; bay, half a mile from the Ihore, in eighteen or twenfy fathoms water. It * So named by the Spaniards, from Admiral Sir Francis Drake dividing hit plunder at it. I ^ VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. It is of a moderate height, and of a verdant fliaggy appear- ance, from the largo bulhcs or low trees that cover it. Its length is from fix to ieven miles ; and the Weftern fide is an entire cliff of an inacccfTiblc appearance. A few fmall iflcts appear otf the South end of it. ^3 I793- In a war with Spain this ifland would form an excellent Illation, as well as a place to look out and accommodate the fick, as it lies four leagues from the neareil main land, which is Cape Lorenzo. Afliip getting in there, when it was dark, would not be dlfcovercd, if her fails were handed, the land being much higher than her maft head ; unlefs the people on board betrayed her fituation by fome aft of indifcre- tion, as making too much fire, the fmoke of which might dif- cover them. It is true that a veffel might cfcape by keeping an ofEng ; but in fo fine a climate as this, the long boats might form a chain to the Galapagoes, which is as far Weft as any Ihips are known to pafs. We continued a very afliduous fearch up the coaft for whales, carrying an cafy fail by day, and laying too at night, with an hourly expeftation that we Ihould fall in with them ; but no whales fliewed themfclves, except fome of the humpbacked fpecics. On ;- i ■Ju A^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 I.I 1.25 2.5 u Itti I '- IIIIIM UUI- III 1.8 M. 11.6 V 6^ •■^w" 179,1- July i6, 64 VOYAGE TO THi: SOUTH SEAS. On 'the fixtecnth, at noon, off Cape Paf^ado, the hind behin; invifiblc trom the hazv weather, we were, bv obllr- ration, hi fifty-feven miles South. On the fame day, wc gave chace to, and came up with, a Spaniili fnow, from Acapuleo to Lima, from whom wc procured fome frelli beef, and two cocks ; for which we returned a few bottles of wine and porter, with fome fwcet-mcats, the mailer beinsz; fick. i8. On the eighteenth, the weather became clouded and threatening, and I was every hour expefting to fall in with the heavy rains, which happen on the coail of Mexico, from No- vember to July. The air alfo became hot and fnltry, and we had frequent fliowers of rain. The thermometer now rofe to 80°, and we may be faid to ha\ e felt, at every pore, that we had left the moft dehghtful climate in the world, to encounter the parching airs of the torrid zone *, The feals and birds, which are inhabitants of the frigid zone, but which I have fecn as far South, as 70"^, appearing to be delighted on the coaftof Peru, as ifinflind had forbidden them to venture no farther, now left us. At this time it became ncceffary to determine, what route we fhould take, whether we fhould return to the Southward, or proceed to the Northward ; but, as the whaling * On the coaft of Peru it never rains. ■■ \ VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH .SF.AS. ^v\laUng mailer and mates were in favour of a Northern Latitude, it was foon refolvcd to take our departure from Cape Pailado; which, from feveral obfervations, I place in Latitude ten miles South, and Longitude 82" Wcfh. 6.^ 1793- i I now ftood acrofs the gulf, and, on the twentieth of July ^o. July, fell in with the Ifle Malpelo; I had no defcription of this place, and I w;is not induced from its name, which fignifies bald head, to expeft any advantage from it. I calculated its Latitude to be 4° 20 North, and its Longitude 80° 45' Weft, diftant from Cape PaiTado eighty-fix leagues. It is a barren, and high, perpendicular rock, which may be feen, in clear weather, at the diftance of twenty leagues. A fmall quantity of green mofs, and a few dwarf buflies, which grow in its cracks or guUies, afford the only verdure that it pofleffes: It is furroundcd with iflets, and the whole may extend about nine or ten miles from North to South. The center, of this illand, bears a refemblanc*, in feveral points of view, to the crown of an head; and its being barren, accounts naturally enough for the name, which the Spaniards, have bcftowed upon it. Had I feen any feals off this place, I fliould ha^e confidercd it as a good fituation for them. t i I The : 1 ■» m—iif. r^,r}'mimm "h ' fj,. 66 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 1793. The Illand of Malpclo, can be of no ufc, but as a place of rendezvous ; it is furrounded, as it were, by a ftrong current, having much the appearance of breakers, which, fetting into the gulf and being accompanied by light winds, with thick and hazy weather, I did not think it deferring of any further attention. We tried the current and found it to fet North Eaft by Eatl, by compafs two miles and an half in the hour. From the Ifland Malpelo, we ftretehcd away, to the Weftward for Ifle Cocas, which we made on the twenty-fifth July 2j- at midnight. The whole of the paffage thither, we liad threatening, fqually and flio\\ery weather, with inccffant and heavy rain, and, at intervals, thunder and lightning : we had a fliort, irregular head fea, with winds from South, South Weft, to Weft South Weft. Porpoifes accompanied us in great numbers ; and as we approached the Iflc Cocas, there appeared large flights of boobies, egg-birds, and man of war hawks. We alfo faw a fin-back \Nhale, and two grampufes, with innumerable bonettas, dolphins, and albeccrcs. At break of day, the weather was thick and rainy; and, though the land was covered by the fog, wc dif- ccrncd „ 1 VOVkOF, TO THE SOUTH SEAS. ccrncd {'cvcral iflands that lay aroiuid ic. When we had a;ot within ibur or five miles of the North Eaft end, I ient a boat away with the chief mate, to fearch for an anchoring place ; though, at times, I could not fee the jib-boom end, fo thick and frequent were the iliowers. At noon, the boat returned, having been in a bay near the North end of the ille, which was fmall, and open to the North Eaft, with great depth of \\ater, within three quarters of a mile of the ihore. As tliis defcription did not anfwer to that of Mr. Wafer's bay, I ftood in to examine it, as I could not lune ventured to anchor in deep water, with a crippled windlafs that occupied two hours, in a ftart calm, to heave in nineteen fathoms of cable : beildcs, the tide, A\hich I found afterwards fetting on both points of the bay, was f> ftrong. that if the boats had not been very ready, the lliip mull have gone on ihore ; and, if in fuch a fituation, there had been an anchor to heave up, it muft have been cut away. I therefore ordered the boats to examine more to the Weftward, and they accordmsrlv difcovered Mr. Wafer's harbour*. The land of I z this I/9J- Extraa from Mr. AVaiek's Voyage, who wa:, at Anchor in this Bay, in 1685. * Some or other of our men went on Ihort- every day ; and, one d.iy among the rfft, being minded to make tiienifehes very merry, they went on Ihore, and cut (ilown a great many cocoa trees, fioni which they gathered the fruit, and drew ahoui y 1! ■MIU . L.J.!|Jft||,«. "^^tiim t ii' 68 VOrAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. I79J. ■f-';r this ifland i> high, but that, on the Weft fide, Is the highcft and prelcnts itfch' in the form of a round hi!L The Eallcrn fide appears to be much broken, the hind floping in moft parts, abruptly to the fea, but in others, prcfenting bold and perpendicular cliffs. There are alfo many furrounding iflets whofe tops are generally covered with trees ; but the foil nevcrthclefs is fliallow, and the lower part is, as if it were a ring of white barren rock, uown to the furface of the fea. m yj >' -i'S: The main inland does not appear to poiTefs a fpot, where trees can grow, that is not covered with them, or fome kind of bufliy plant, which when blended with the barrenefs of Intervening rocks, produces a pifturefquc effed; while the ftreams, that pour down from their various fountains to the fea, greatly heighten the beauty of the fcene. It is Otahcite on a fmall fcale, but without the advantage of its climate, or the hofpitality of its inhabitants. Here about twenty gallons of the milk : then they all fat down, and drank healths to the King, Queen, &c. They drank an exccflive quantity, yet it did not end in drunkennefs ; but, however, that fort of liquor had fo chilled and benumbed their nerves, that they could neither go nor ftand : nor could they return on hoard the fliip, without the help of thofe, who had not been partakers in the frolic ; nor did they recover it under four or five days time. f i VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. Here arc two anchoring places at this ifland ; one, a fniall bay, near the North point of the iflc ; but the anchorage is in deep water, within three-quarters ot" a mile of the fliorc, from whence the bottom deepens ahiiofl immediately, to no foundings at fixty fathoms. It is alfo entirely open to the Northerly wind; but as Captain \''ancouNcr anchored here after I left it, a more cxaft di'fcription may be cxpeded from the promifed publication of his voyage. I found the prevailing wind to be to the Southward and Weftward; but, it often varied; and I had it frequently blowing ftrong from North Eaft and North. The other bay, or harbour, is three miles to the Weftward and Southward of the North point, and is cafily known by a fmall rugged, barren rock, about the fize of a large boat, bearing Well of the body of the bay, about five or fix miles: The bay alfo lies Eaft and Weft; its greateft depth is not two miles, nor is it one in breadth: but I would not venture into it, in a vefiel of more than two hundred tons. Its anchor- age is from feven to fifty fathoms, and is nearly flieltered from all v/inds ; this bay is alfo preferable to the one at the North point, becaufe the fliorc of the firft is fteep; while that of the latter, confifts of a beautiful valley and fandy beach. 69 i79i- !- mmmam Hii i > VUYAGE TO THE SOUTH SKaS. ^79->- beach, where cocoa trees appear in greater nvuribers, than 1 have ic.en hi any otlicr place. There is alio a ri\ulet of water eighteen or twenty tect in breadth, which is fupplied from a balbn, one mile diilant within land, in which (jur crew, to avoid the fnarks, went and bathed. Although this bay is ih fmall, it is very convenient, and as fecure, as the anchoring places generally are, which are not entirely flieltered. Its principal inconvenience arifes from the conllant rains; as (nit of the four davs we were beating off it, it rained during three of them, in the offing, and fometimes with heavy ftorms of lightning and thunder. Thofc, who were on Ihore, experi- enced an equal continuance of the wet weather ; and fo thick was the rain, that, for eight hours together, we have not been able to fee twice the length of the fliip ;; but this may not be the cafe at all feafons. The v -lUen clothes of thofc who went on flaorc, which, had bee '. cularly moiff from perfpiration, and were hung on tac bulhes to dry, were foon fly-blown, in the different parts that had ffuck nearelt to the body, and covered with maggots. Should a veffel touch here to recover her fick, or to water, or to wait any time, fire would remove theflies; and, as no tent would be fufficicnt to keep out the water, I would recommend the eretftion of an houfe, wood being in great plenty, and at hand, with cocoa tree Ica\es in abundance, to thatch it. I favv no plant, buflj !: t- VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. bufli, or tree, but fuch as are quite familiar to my eye; they chieriy confuted of the mangrove, the cocoa nut, and cotton tree. r» TW- Fifli were in great abundance, but would not take the bait, which we attributed to the great number of Iharks off this illand. Some of them followed the boat until the water left them almolt dry: thofe we caught, were full of fquid and cray-fifli, as were the porpoifes which we llruck. Theie were innumerable, and we took them, whenever we pleafed. Etls are plenty, and very large: wc caught feveral of them among the rocks, as well as fomc toad fifli. Shell-fifli, were fcarcc, though we col- Icfted very large limpets, of a new kind, and a few dead conches. The latter wore fecn in great numbers on the beach, and moftly inhabited by the Diogenes crab. Com- mon land crabs were in great plenty, and fca-birds of every kind, common to tropical Latitudes, in the Atlan- tic, were in great abundance here; particularly the Saint Helena pisceon, and wliite-headed noddy. They all perched on trees, like land-birds; and, at a fmall diftance, gave the tree on which they fat, the appearance of being covered with white bloiToms. Of the land-birds, we faw fome. i >. -'^mm t- "i ■ I vov.v(;e to the south sr.As. '793' fomc, which rcfcmblcd tlic thrufli and blackbinl, in Ihape, colour, and fizc, with a tcvv herons and a variety of rmaller birds. kh ! '-'. The tide muil be an object of particular attention, in anchoring at, or fliiling from, this place : it ebbs and flows from fixtcen to eighteen feet, perpendicular, and, from the obfcrvations made by mylclf and the officers in the boats, it flows fevcn, and ebbs five hours; the ebb fetting to the Eallward, and the flood to the Wefl:ward: but the flood runs not near fo ftrong, as the ebb, which runs at the rate of four or five knots an iiour. The t'me of weighing and anchoring mufl: alfo be attended to, as both fets are right on the points of the bay; and, if its rife and falls are regular, it will be high water at full and change, at four, A. M. The rats, which are numerous, in this iiland, exaclly refemble the common rat in England, and were, pro- bably, left here by the Buccaneers. As wc found their nefl:s in the top of mofl: of the trees which we cut down. I am difpofcd to conjedlurc, that this is a very humid fpot, at all times and feafons. I was f i VOYAGE TO THL SOUTH SEAS. I was much difappointcd, at not being able to procure turtles; for wc faw but two, and they cfcajjcd us. That there fliould be fo few turtles here, muft be owhig to the groat number of fliarks that infcft the coaft, or the chilling rains, which dcftroy the eggs, when laid on the fhorc, which, in Itfelf. is very favourable to their becoming produftivc. There is as fine and foft a beach, as I ever fiiw, and there arc few vcflels, but might lay a-ground on it, and repair and clean their bottoms. Whoever may. hereafter, wifli to anchor in this bay, will do well, to come round the South and Weft points of the ifle, and hug the South point of the bay, clofe on board, and when in the bay, to moor head and ftcrn. /.> '793- We were much wearied, during the four days, wc pafled off this ifland, and prepared to quit it. We therefore took on board, two thoufand cocoa nuts; and, in, return, left on fhorc, in the North bay, a boar, and fow, with a male and female goat. In the other bay, we fowed garden feeds, of every kind, for the benefit and com- fort of thofc who might come after us. I alfo left a bottle tied to a tree, containing a letter. Over it, I ordered a board, with a fuitable infcription, which Captain Vancouver thought proper to remove, when he anchored at this ifle, fome time after me. The letter gave only an K account =:l ■KfWVRx i 11 74 VOYAGE TO THE SOrTII SEAS. ,7^,3. account of my arrival and departure. Having made the uecefTary arrangements, wc fct fail for the North- ward. I I 11 Ifle Cocas lays in a North Eafl: and South Well dirc<5lion ; its grcateil length does not exceed twelve miles, nor breadth fou'* miles. It may be proper to remark, in this place, that, in all parts of the Eafl Indies, a vinegar is made of the milk of the cocoa nut, equal to our llrong white wine vinegar. I am unacquainted with the particular nrocefs, but am difpofcd to think it at once (hort and fmiple. The old cocoa nut left in water for two hours, and then ilrained, produces a liquid, in colour and tafte, little inferior, if not equal, to fkim milk, which removed all fcorbutic complaints from among the crew, and preferved them m. health, for many month.^. CHAP. . !'!■ I.; 1 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 75 CHAFFER VIU. ROUTE FUOM ISLE COCAS, TO THE COAST OF MEXICO; AND FROM THENCE, TO THE ISLES SOCOUO, SANTO BERTO AND UOCKA I'AKTIDO. 1 HE Iflc Cocas, was the farth eft point to the Northward, to wlucli it was recommended to me, by the Board of Admiralty, to extend my refearches ; but an anxiety and emulation to afcertain every part, and defcribc the whole lurface of the feas, where the fifliery could be extended, would ha\'e enlarged the circle of my voyage, if my ftock of provifions and ftores had been fufficient for fuch a defign : 1 was therefore obliged to check my intentions, ha\ ing, for the rcafons above-mentioned, time only to examine as far as 2^° o North, on the coaft and gulf of California, down the coaft of Mexico to Hies Socoro, Santo Berto and R.ocka Partido, and off the North Weil point of the gulf of Panama. K 2 This 179J- ri n • i l j ll JH M y$ VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 179J- This was an undcitaking that few, who had fuffcrcd as I had done, from the ycliow fever, in the prifons of New Spain, as well as from all the horrors of a rainy feafon on that coaft, would have encountered; but I was pcrfuadcd, within myfelf, that there muft be plenty of i'permaceti whales on this coaft; and it w^as very evident, that if fuccel'iful in killing them in the rainy feafon, it muft be much more eafily done m the dry feafon. At all events, I was determined to make the expcr»mcr»t. On leaving the Ille Cocas, we ftood away to the Wcftward and Northward, in thj hope of, avoiding the rain in fome dco-rcc, bv keeping at a fmall diftancc from the land. |t!r^ * it yfi Auguft I. On the firft of Auguft we were in Latitude by obfervation 9° 2, and Longitude correded 90° o' Weft. We bettered our weather greatly ; but the heat was almoft intolerable ; the thermometer ftanding at 86^, and tlie barometer at 29-7-8 ; the wind now began to vary to the Eaftward. On the third of Auguft our Latitude was (y 30' and Longitude correi^ed 89*^ 44 . The bad weather returned and continued v/ith frequent tornados and heavy rain. On » it VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. TJ Ott the Tcventh of Auguft, we faw the famous burning . ^l^i\. mountain of Guata-mala. From that time, to our crofiing the gu!f of Tccoantcpeak, and reaching point Angels in Latitude 1 6° and Longitude loo", there was, for nine days^ little or no ceffation of calms, and the change that followed was a fcries of tornados, torrents of rain and tremendous thunder and lightning, more violent than any I ever heard or faw on tlic coail of Guinea, or oft' the capes of Virginia in North America. If there was any difference, in the fervid feverity of the feafon, during the twenty-four hours, it was in favor of the day ; for in the night the lightning and thunder were rnofl violent. From fun-fet till fun-rife, the heavens were one entire flame, which was heightened, by the irequcnt explofions of the burning mountains. This awful and alarming ftate. of the weather, was accompanied with an almoft infuffcrable heat, and a fuftocating, iulphureous air. From the light airs, calms and variable currents, we had little hopes to fliift our fituution. Thus furroundcd, as wc were, with thele opprcifivc clrcumftiinces, and divided only by a few leagues acrols the main, from the bay of Honduras, it v/as impofTible to fupprc/s an occafional wilh. that we were there. A traveller that had vlfitcd Peru or its coafts, (where the dews of bounteous Heaven fupply every call of rain, and where thunder and lightning are feldom or ncvec •"¥« ,'■'1 ' , ' w E' 78 VOTAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. ^793- never known, and nature refts in pcrfcdl tranquility), ayou1<1 Avhcn here, naturally rcinark, that Providence had blefi'ed the coalls.of Peru, by cxemptins; that country from all convul- fions to be dreaded from the aerial clcmont.s, and doubly be- llowed them as a curfe on this; unlefs they are to be confidercd as a bleffnig, to imprefs the untutored Indian inhabitanr, " by iceing God in clouds and licaring him in the winds", with a due idea of his Almighty power. It is alfo to be hoped, that a native and reddent in Peni, feels, fometlmes, ideas of grati- tude and thankfulnes towards }fl^ maker, for his goodnefs. We founded frequently, in the gulf, at twelve or thirteen leagues diftancc from the fhore, and found no bottom with one hun- dred and fifty fathoms of line : but when in Latitude 14'^ ^^y', and at ten or eleven leagues dlftant, we g(jt bottom, at one hundred and five fathoms, which was muddy. Auguft 19, On the nlnct-'cnth of 7\ugu{l:, when two papps over point Angels, bore North Eaft, and our Latitude was 16" 13' North, we favv a large body of fpermaccti whales, and though the fpirits of my people, were in fome degree dcprcfTcd, by rcflcd- ing on the immenfe body of water over which we had failed, the little fuccefs which we had hitherto experienced, and our being at lead a ftven months voyage from England, they were now elated, with all the eagcrnefs of fanguine expe of my crew ; and I was fo fortunate as to fucceed in the a^jplications I ufed, as to reftore health throui^h means, whichthefuggeftionaof the moment only dilated to me. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. were in fuch numbers floating on the furfacc of the water, ?3 to be taken whenever they were required. To this food, wc may be faid to owe the prefervation of our healths, and the crew, in general, grew fat upon it. 8j »793- Other voyagers have alledgcd, that living on turtle, caufcs the flux, fcursy and fever ; I can firft account for fuch a con- fcquence, by its not being fufficiently boiled, or cooked in unclean utcnflls ; and, fccondly, every man who has expe- rienced a long A'oyage, is well informed, that a fudden change of food, and particularly from an ordinary fca or fait diet, to an entirely frcfli one, will produce the flux, ficknefs of ftomach and other complaints. My method, to prevent fuch cfi^ecfls, was to allow the crew as much vinegar as they could ufe, and fupcrintcnd myfelf the preparation of the fcamen's meal. I ufcd to tafl;c the broth, in order to know if , it was properly dure, that it contained a fufliclcnt quantity of pearl barley, and was dul) fcafoned by boiling with it fait beef or pork. I alfo ordered that the proportion of the fait meats cooked with the turtle, fliould be pre\ioufly towed and frcflicned, and when the crew were tired of foup, I gave tiiem flour to make their turtle-meat into pies, and, at other times, fat pork to chop up with it, But in mofl: of their meflcs, I L 2 took and ma'vc fuufagcs I ■ i m m»mu H VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. Se \e^'b ^^^^ ^^^'^ ^^^^^ ^" powerful an antifcptic, as four crout, flioulJ not be forgotten. For the rcafons already ir.entloned, I determined to ftretcFi off to the Weft ward, to fearch for Iflc Socoro, Santo Berto, //',' .. u and Rocka Partida, but, although I thought it right to leave the coaft for the prefent, I did not give up my opinion, that a whaling voyage might be made in the dry fcafon, which would probably commence within Icfs than two months; at the expiration of which time, I was determined to re- turn. Nothing, indeed, would have deterred me from it, at prefent, ii' we had pofleflcd fufficicnt wind to fliift our fituation, and keep the run of the filh, or clear weather, to afcertaln the true Latitude and diftance, from the land,, at which, we fell in with them.. There were many ports near this, into which I NNiflicd to have entered, particularly the famous one of Guatalco» where Sir Francis Drake, got a bulhcl of money, out ©fonchoufc, in 1579; and, in 1587, Sir Thomas Cavendilh, pofll-fled himfelf of great riches: but being naturally led to believe, that the above circumftances would not be forgot by the natives, and my ill treatment at Nootka, and St. Bias, being alfo frefli in my memory, I though it moft prudent to give up, for the prefent, all ideas of going into any harbour on the Spanifh coaft. M' n '■ VOYAOE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 85 On the ninth of September, in Latitude 17° 16', and. ''9.J- ' ' Septeiiiber9. Longitude 102"^ 32', wc met with as irregular a fwcU as I ever faw, off Cape Horn, accompanied with very changeable weather, faint lightning round the compafs, frequent lliowcrs of rain, and light variable winds, blowing North Weil by Weft, round the compafs, to Eaft South Eaft, and continually fliifting till the 17th of i^. September, at midnight^ when, in a heavy fquall of wind from the Nort.. Weft by Weft, there fell, as great a tor- rent of rain, as I had fecn, with tremendous thunder and lightning, which I concluded was the forerunner of the cquinocflial gale: on the 17th at noon, our Latitude was 18° 2/ North, Longitude, 109° o' Weft; ther- mometer 30^ barometer 29 6 4 ; at this time blowing a ftrong breeze, and unfettled weather,, which, by the eighteenth, at noon, had incrcafcd to a perfed ftorm, '--■ from the Weft North Weft, with a verv heavy fca that we could fhcw little or no fail,, till eight o'clock the fame evening; when the weather moderated, thun- der, lightning, and rain ceaJed, and the wind fettled ia. tlie Weftern quarter. At day-break, on the twentieth, we faw the Ifland of Socoro: a number of thoie birds that generally follow the co». ■■I i i '^ wm 85. VOTAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. »?9J' the fpermaccti whales, as well as others, of a different {pecks, accompanied us. At five o'clock in the even- ing, when wc were within icvcn or eight mile- f the fliore, it being a moon-light night, I i'ci z chict* mate to fifli, found tor an anchoring place, and, if pofll- ble, to land, in order to difcovcr what this ifland pro- • duced. Wc flood on and off during the whole night, and, at break of day, found that the current had fct us confidcrably to the Southward and Wellward. Jn the morning, we paffed great quantities of pumice ftonc, and the fea was covered with fmall flirimps, the common food of the black whale. It being calm, or light winds all night, and the firft part of the day, we did not get in with the ihore, till two o'clock in the afternoon. Wc founded within five miles of it, but found no bottom, with one Imndred and fiftv fathoms of line. m-^ If !■ i {it*. I: U In the evening, the boat returned, when the mate informed xne, that he had founded off the lee-fide of the ille, and ■could not find a place of fafcty for the fliip to lay in, or a landing for the boat, except in a fmall cove, near the South point. They had caught a fufficient quantity of fifli for all liands, confiftingof a kind of cod, fnapper, and filver-fifli; and they might have taken more, but the Iharks, which were very numerous, ran away with the hooki^. On the illand they had m VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. had gathered a large quantity of beans, known, I believe, by the name of the Spaiiilh broom: they alfo brought with them a conftdcrablc number of prickly pears. As foon as it was light, I fcnt the boat, with cocoa nuts and garden feeds of every kind, which I caufcd to be fown in the fmall cove, at the South point, and Itood with the fliip off and on till they returned. In the afternoon, being within three or four miles of the cove, we got bottom, at forty-eight fathoms, fine fand. I then fcnt a boat, to found between us and the land, as well as to the Weftward, when bottom was found at ten fathoms depth, at half a mile from the Ihore, to fifty fathoms, at three or four miles dillance. 87 i;9j By ten the next day, I had coafted the South and Weft parts of the ifle, and founded frequently, particularly in a fmall bay, at the North \ 'eft, where we found good bottom, but it was expofed to the North Weft winds, which are reprcfentcd to be the prevailing ones: though I foimd the winds, in general, Eaftcrly. The unfettled weather we had lately experienced, was fiifRcient to prevent m^- anchoring at this feafon, although in with the ifle. imlefs in a more fecurcl} fheltcrcd bay, then I had as yet difcovcrcd. We 8S -VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. *7y3' y^c faw Iflc Santo Bcrto trom the Weft end of tlii^ ilk, bearing North 20- Eail. Ildxhig made Socoro and Santo Berto, by the Spanlfli manufcrlpt chart, which I procured, while a prilbncr at St. Bias, and got a lufficicnt ftnrc of beans and prickly pears; I llreched away to fearch for Rocka Partida and St. Tiiomas's, by the fame chart. Two of the crew were affec^kd with «*■ violent purging and vomiting, from eating too much of the fruits juft mentioned. It hilled twenty-four hours, and, in the end, proved iK-ncficiul to them. Indeed, we were all in perfecit healtii, except the fecoud mate, who had a lamenefs and contradion in one of his knees* and had been in an oiling Hate, ever fuicc wc left Riu Janeiro. n Sept. 24. On the twenty-fourth, at nine, A. M. we faw Rocka Partida, on our A'eather bow, which had the appearance of a fall. By four o'clock, we worked np with it, and found it a dangerous barren rock, laying North, North Weft, and South, South Eaft, by compafs. Its greateft length, is fifty or fixty fathoms: and its breadth, about twenty-five or thirty: both ends are fifteen or twenty fathoms in height. The North Weft end is forked; the South and Eaft end, is like a ragged hay-cock. The two heights are Separated by a ragged faddle, that rifes about three or four iKs, ( '^« VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. four fathoms from the furface of the fca, and is nearly perpendicular. On founding all around, at a boats lengtli, we had thirty-five fathoms; and, at half a mile dillance, fifty fathoms; and then no bottom, with an hundred fathoms of line. It flicws itfclf, on every bearing of the compafs, from a fmall to a great diftance, like a fail under a jury-maft. This rock is fituated in Latitude '9^ 4 3o"» and Longitude, by obfervation of Sun and Moon, and chronometer, corre>?«■,> VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 91 1793- and the information I received from the Spaniards, while I I refided among them, I was determined to make a trial of filhing there, till the fair weather came on to the Southward; which might reafonably be expecfled to begin at Cape Coti- cntes, the latter end of Odober, or beginning of November. In my route to the coall, I endeavoured to make Clippcrton's Ifle from the beft accounts I poflefled; but they differed fo widely in Latitude, that I was at a lofs where to look for it; and, as it was not in my dcfign to come this way when I failed from England, I had left behind me ray manufcript chart of the feas, &c. laying North of Ifle Socoro, with all the infor- mation I had received from the Spaniards concerning them. From the twenty-ninth to the thirtieth, wc beat to sep. 20-50. the Northward, in fliort tacks, with the hope of dcfcrying Clippcrton's Ifle; wc fuw frequently man-of-war hawks, and at times a few folitary feals. As we had fome expedation of feeing land, every cloud that rofe in the horizon was declared, by the fcamcn, to be the objcfl: in fcarch : but as I could not be per- fuadcd it was, I did not think proper to purfuc the various momentary opinions which frequently were rtarted. On the fourth of Odobcr, in Latitude 23° 15', we Odober 4. made the coaft of California. The winds from the time of our leaving Socoro, b];w from North North Eaft, to North North Well:, \Vefting as we made the land of Cialifornia, witli very plcafant weather, butfomctlmcs ( idy, On our pallagc wc favv a few turtles, with killers, por- M Z poifc i iL y > ^ "" f 92 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. V93- poifes, and black-fifli: the letter -were innumerable as we approached the land. fi ( ; If I [if* I \l )' Oaober la. We cruizcd off this coaft till the twelfth, feeing only the kind of fifh already mentioned, with the addition of fome fin-back and hump-back whales ; fo that we had no inducement to remain there, after we had afcertained that the fpecics of whale on this coaft is of no value. Our cruizing ground was between the Latitudes 23° and 25% and Longitude 112° and 1 1 3", off a remarkable moun- tain near Cape St. Lazarus ; to which I have given the fame name: I make it to be in Latitude 25° 15', and Longitude 112° 20'. To the South of it, is very low land, till within a few leagues of Cape St. Lucas, which makes the South point of California, when the land rifes to fuch an eminence, as to be feen at the diftance of twenty leagues: but the Cape itfelf is of a very moderate height. Though the weather was fair and pleafant, it was fo hazy while we were on this low^ and dangerous coaft, as to require a continual employment of the lead. We frequently got foundings with feventy fathoms of line at the diftance of nine leagues from the ftiore. I am ready to confefs, that I was deceived refpcd- ing the fpecics of whale which I faw when I was on. t VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEASr on the coall before ; and at this time the hump-back whale was fo much larger than generally believed, and fpouted in a manner fo different from their ufual mode of throwing up the water, that the moft experienced fifliermen I had on board believed them to be black whale, and purfucd them as fuch; and I very much doubt whether that fpecies of whale, which the Spa- niards call the fmall whale, is any other than black filh. This opinion was confirmed by a whaler, with whom. I fell in company fome time after. He had cortie down the coaft of California, and boafted of the number of fpermaceti whales which he had feen. I was very much aftoniflied that, provided as he was for the pur- pofe, he had not even attempted to kill one of them» But he foon fatisfied my doubts on the fubjedl : for being with me on board the Rattler, and feeing a Ihoal of black filh, he infilled that they were fpermaceti whales. While I thus difcovered his ignorance, T had reafon to be fatisfied with myfclf, in having been able to afcertain, from the deck of my Ihip, the difference between thefe two fpecies of whale, but this I muff acknowledge, that black filh, in their feeding and mode of fpouting, refemble the fpermaceti whale nearer than any other filh hitherto k:.own. 9S J79J- On t 94 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 1793- On th€ twelfth at noon, Cape St. Lucas, the North Cape to the gulf of California, bore North twelve of thirteen leagues. I make this cape by the mean of a number of obferv'ations, of Sun, Moon, and Sta.s, in Latitude 22" 45', and Longitude 110°. The fea, at this time, was almoft covered with turtles, and other tropical fifli. At four, A. M. we faw a large fpermaceti whale, which we ftruck and j^ot faft : but night coming on, the irons drew, and it was loft. We cruized between the Cape Coricntes, the South cape of the gulf of California, and the northcmmoft of Maria Ifles, till the feventh of Novem- ber, and faw great numbers of fpermaceti whales, fome of them the largeft we had ever feen, but we may be truly faid to be unfortunate, as we only killed two of them. Two of the cfeW, \.ho complained of fome fcorbutic Nov. I. fymptoms, on the firft of November, were now grow- ing worfe; and, as feVeial others were apprehenfive of being attacked' by this terrible difordcr, it became necelTary for- me to repair to fome port, where a proper atten- tion might be paid tp the invalid part of my people. Our cruizing was gcrcndly at the diftance of from three to fevcn leagues to the Wcftv>crd of the Ifles the largeft of which has been faid to have Tfea Marias, ifi. .1 VOYAGE TO THE flODTII SEAS. have a good road, and to afford various articles of rcfrefti- ment : but the French navigator, Monfieuf SaUvage le Muet, who vifited thefe ides in this month, in the year 1 741, mentions, that his crew grew worfe while he remained there. 95 I7W- The healthy fcafbn, which was now only beginning at St. Bias, fituatcd in the mouth of the river St. Jago,. at little more than twenty leagues from them, might not extend to thofe illes fo early as November ; and, in the bad feafon, at that place, it is not uncom- mon for fix or fevcn of the natives to die in the courfe of a day, out of the fmall number of five or fix hund- red inhabitants. Befides, I could not help recurring, with many a melancholy thought, to the fate of my crew, in my former voyage, when we were cap- tured by the Spaniards at Nootka, carried to St. Bias, and treated with the greateft inhumanity.. I was deter- mined, therefore, itot to rifk a fecond capture and imprilon- ment by the Spaniards, which would not have been improbable, if we had anchored at the Tres Marias: the launches from the royal dock at St. Bias, frequently vifiting thefe ifles, in order to get flax and lignum vitae: nor have I the leaft doubt of their attempting it, if they rJ 1 9^ VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 'yW' they had found me there in fo capital a fliip as the Rattler, and in fo defencelefs a ftate as ihe then was, armed with only two three-pounders, and hali a dozen old mufquets *. The i I-, .f.f i; ; ; 'i i ■* As tliere have been various miireprefentations of the real ftate and progrel's of the tranfadtions between Don Martinez, commander of certain fhips in the fervice of his moft Catholic Majeliy at Nootka Sound, and feveral trading veflels belonging to fubjeCts of Great Britain, wliich threatened to produce a rupture between the two courts; and, as thole mifreprefentations may be hereafter repeated, I fliall beg leave to give a fair and correft ftate- ment of thofe tranfaAions, fo far as I was unfortunately, involved in them: the reft of that unpleafant bufinefs is detailed at large, and accompanied by authentic documents, in the Appendix to the voyage of Captain Mears, publiflicd in London, 1790. It is unneceffary upon this occafion, to have recourfe to any circumftances in that xinfortunate voyage, prior to the time when I appeared off Nootka, viz. the third day of July, 1789. At nine in the evening, when it was almott dark, we hailed a boat J aud the perfons in it defiring to come on board, their requeft was immediately granted. It proved to be a Spanifh launch, with Don Eftevan Martinez, commodore offome Spani^li fhips of war, then lying in Friendly Coves we were vifited at the fame time by another Spanilh launch, and the boat of an American fliip. I had no fooner received Don Martinez in my cabin, than he prefented me a letter from Mr. Hudfon, commander of the Princefs Royal Sloop, which was under my orders. The commovlore then informed nie, that the veflels under his command were in great diftrefs, fron the want of provifions and other neceffaries; and requef^^d me, in a very urgent manner, to go into port, in order to afford him the neceffary fuppHes, I hefitated, however, to comply with this demai.d, as I entertained very rea- /onable doubts, of the propriety of putting myfelf under fhe command of two 1 I < .( i ^{■■•- I 'I M I VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. The Trcs Marias, or the iflands, fo named by the Spaniards, off" wliich we had been cniizing, are four in number, if the Ifle Saint John is included, which is not more two Spanirti men of war. The Spaniard dbferviiig my unwilliiigncls to coiii[)ly will) Jiis rc'- on the coaft. It may not be amifs to obfei v, that the Spaniards confider it contrary to Treaty, and are extremely jealous, if any European power trades in thofe fcas, but tiiis cannot juftify Don Martinez, who, not content with fecuring inc and my people, carried nir from iliip to lliip, like a criminal, rove ^■' •',i| VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 99 lay between the Latitude of 21'^ 15' and 2Z° and Longitude 107° Weft. The center ific is the largeft; the Northern- moft, which is named Saint John, is low and tabling, but rove a halter to the yard-arm, and frequently threatened me witii inftant death, by hanging me as a pirate. This treatment, at length, nearly coft me my life ; and threw me into fo violent a fever, that I was delirious for feveral days : After recovering, I was fent in my own fhip prifoner to St. Bias a Spanilh port in the Gulf of California. On my palliige thither, I was confined in the Mates-Cabin, (a place not fin feet fcjuare) for two and thirty days, with a fcanty fupply of niiferable proviftons, and a fliort allowance of water. The Biiiifli part of my Ihip's company, with two officers, were confined in the fall room with their feet in irons, and kept in a ftate too iliocking to relate, and which decency forbids me to defcrlbe. In going into the harbour, the Spaniards ran the fliip aground and damaged her bottom. On landing, few of my people had any change of clothes, for the Spaniards had broke open their chefts and plundered them j however, when under tlie care of the Governor of St. Bias, we were better treated, being permitted to walk about the town, in charge of a guard of foldiers, and allowed fufficio it provifions. About this time the Princefs Royal and crew arrived, and Ihared the fame fate. Soon after, under a promife that our detention could not be long, they perfuaded us to heave down and repair the Argonaut, new copper her bottom, and fit new rigging. The idea of rclcafe tUmu- Jated us to work on the lliip with great alacrity, fo much fo, that our exertions threw feveral into fevers ; and on the vefTel being nearly ready, the Governor threw off the maik, informing U5 fhe was to be employed for their ufe, and laughed again at our credulity. This treatment, added tu little thefts committed on us with impunity, worked on the minds of the fickly part of the crew, feveral of whom took it to heart and died, and one dertroyed himfeh in defpair. Not being Catholics, we were ordered to inter them on the fea-beech. After we had buried them, the Native Creoles dug up the bodies of one N a or »793- "i^fim 'f fOO VOYAOE TO THR SOUTH Sr\s. '793- but of the moft plcafaiit appearance. The others arc of great licight, and may be feen at the dllbince of fix- tecn or eighteen leagues. The Northernmo(t is diftant from Cape or Iwn, and left thcin to be d(!vourcd hy the dogs and vuhuret. On the r.ime day th« Spaniards fiiiled wi:h our \■ciTc^^, wc were removed to Tcpeak, a place fixty miles up ilie country : here we were allowed i^rcat liberty, and belter treatment; and morc^ p;nii iilariy fo on the -"-rrival of Don Bodega Quadra, who was commander of his Catlio!;'. M.ii'"tty's Hpndron, on t!)e Coart of California. To this officer I am greatly indebted lor his kind attention, and obtaining permiffuji) for me to go 'o Mexico, to claim redrcfs for our part treat- ment. On my arrival at Mexico, a d during my relidcnee there, I was treated by the Viceroy, Don Rivella Gigeda, with grea politencfs and humanity, and indeed by all ranks of people in that City. This Viceroy, in the moll liandfome manner, gave me an order to take poil'eHion of my velfcl, and a palfport direded to all clnrtes of his fubjefts, to render me every fervice I Itood in need of whilft in his government : and fuch was his noble and generous treatment during my continuance of fome months in Mexico and his fubfequent correfpondence, that I am bound to acknowledge my lading gratitiiJc to him. I alfo underftood the condaf^ of Martinez had, upon its being inveftigatcd, occafioncd him very fevere difgrace. On my return to St. Bias, I found the Spaniards were unloading my veflel, whic.i l)ad been laden with corn ; and during my abfence, they had fent her to Acapulco for guns and broke lier back ; ilic was not only hogged, but other- wife greatly damaged, and they had alfo made ufe of every part of the ftore.s, cargo and provifif)ns ufefu! to them. For thefe they made out an account on a partial valuation of their own, and with an affefted difplay of liberality, calculated and allowed wages to my people, which they counterbalanced by charging them with maintenance, travelling expences, medical aflilbncc, .Sec. &:c. and alfo for an allowance of eight months ftores and provifions, in iibich lucre inchiileil our hcef and pork, which we were obliged to fait before we pe.t to fca under a vertical fun. After all, our departure was retarded, by their infifting I (hould fign a paper, exprefling my complete and entire fatisfaiSion of their ufage to me and my people. As !l VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. !Ol Cape St. Lucas, \\hlch is the North Cape of the Gulf oi' Calit'ornia, Tixty-fivc leagues ; and the fouthcramoft is diftant from Cape Coricntcs, which is the South Cape of As the tcvur began again to make its appearance among (bnif, of my crew, and the rcll being extremely clamorous to depart, I was obliged, Lo\vc\cr, rclndantly, to fubmil. At length after thirteen monllis captivity, \vc obtained permiflioti to Tail, wiih orders to go to Nootka, and take poflcflion ol' the Priucefa Royal, w I >rc crew 1 Iiad with me, although tlie Spaniards mud have well known it was imi)oHiblc for me to have fallen in with her there, as appeared by the orders whicli the Spauill) commander had on board, when I met with him by accident fome time afterwards at the Sandwich Kles. Thus on the approach of winter, in a miferable vellel, badly equipped, and worfe vidtualled, we failed from St. Bias, altogether in fiich a fituation, that from the numberlefs accidents we AifFered in confcquencc of our bad outfit, my arrival at Macao appeared almoft miraculous. On my arrival at China, the refident agent D. Beal, Efq. who had taken no fmall degr.e of pains to inform himfelf of every particular concerning my capture, paid fuch of the crew as furvived the wages due to them, and requelkd me once more to embark in the hme concern, on a voyage to Japan and Corea. 1 readily con' fented, and he fitted me out at a great expence, and in his inftruftions to nie, dated Canton, July 2j, 1791, lie fiys — " After the mortifications and difiippointmeut.i yon have already ex- peiieiued, from the capture of your veifels by the Spaniards, it may be an addi- tional ciieumftnnee of regret, ilioiild difappointment and ill-fortune flill purfue you: you mult, lu)we\(r, eonfole yniirfelf, by lelleifling that no imputation refts ngainli \our charaftcr or ronduft, for tlie \iolencf and 7W' of that Gulf, fixtcen leagues. Between thcfe ifles, and about half-way to the main, are other fmall ifles, called the Ifabellas, which arc remarkable for appearing, in all fituations, to truth ! In bis appendix to his voyage, fpeaking of the fever and delirium with which I vas afflirtoJ whilft in tlie liands of the Spaniard-., he had flated on Mr. Duffin's ill-foi'ndfd authority, that die delirium attending that fever was a family infirmity, and after wounding the feelings of all connciited with me publiflicd the following by way of apology and reparation : January r, 1791. " It is with particular fatisfaftion that I poflefs the opportunity of contrndiding thcmif-informaticn ofMr. Duffin, relative to Captain Colnctt'silliiefs, in his letter to me from Nootka Sound, publiihed in my memorial to the Houfe of Commons, No. 9, and in the appendix to my voyages. No. 13 : Mr. Duffin there mentions, but I am fure very innocently, that Mr. Colneti's infanity is fuppofed to be a family dilbrder; it therefore becomes my duty to declare, from the bcft authorities, that fuch a report is diftant of any foundation whatever." On my return to England in 1792, part of the money produced by the fale of the furs, mentioned in my introdudlion, was placed in one of the firfl banking houfes in London, in the names of Meffrs. Mears and Etches, to pay the amount afcertained at that lime wliich was due to the heirs or alFignsof fuch of the feamen as died on the voyage. If there are any monies remaining due to their reprefentatives, &c. for lofs of clothes and private property not yet fettled, I am not accountable. The nioft particular papers relating to the tranfadlion at Nootka, being loft in his Majefty's frigate the Huflar which I had tlio honour to command in December, 1796, I have here given as circumflantial a detail as I can remember, from fo long a period as nine years paft. ■ ■ ■ i-rl VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. fituatlons, V 'icn at a fmall dillance, like iVilps under fail. Tliat part of the gulph, which lies between the Tres Marias and the main, forms a deep bay of fifteen or twenty leagues, and affords a good and fafe anchorage, having regular foundings from the fliore, and at the dillance of four or five miles, five fathom; but whether the foundings extend to the Tres Marias, I have had no oppor- tunity to inform myfelf: but when the Ifabcllas bore North, half Eaft, diftant five miles, I had good anchorage in twenty fathom water, muddy bottom. t03 1 793' The native Indians have a large eftablilhment in this bay, known, in moft of the charts, by the name of Mazatlan, but pronounced by the Creole Spaniards, Mauf- kelta town. It is remarkable for the great quantity of large fifli, not unlike falmon in fize and fliape, which, during the fummer fcafon, are taken in the mouth of a fmall ri\er near it: but previous to the capture of the veflels under my command, the inhabitants were unacquainted with a proper method of falting them. In this ufeful fcicnce they were intruded by fomc of my crew, who had been employed in the Newfoundland firtieries*. Several * The f.iltiiig of this filli proved, however, a very unplcafant 'i-cum- flance to v-s, ns it oecal'jiicd oui being employed to fait beef and pork for a flfct, \ j ^ fi'i T04 VOYAGE TO THE bOUTT. SEAS. 179J' Several ctlicr flialhnv rivers ciTi])ty tlicnifclvcs into this bay, the principal of which is called Saint Jago, on wliofe Southern fide, at th.c dillancc of two or three miles from the mouth, is fituatcd the town of Saint Bias, that contains the trrand arfenal and dock-yard of the pro- vince of Mexico, and is the chief depot for all the riches coIlc<^ted in the California^. The principal llore-houfes and trcafury arc built on a fmall mount, that rifes in the middle of the marih which joins, the dock-yard, and is about two miles from it. The face of the mount towards the fea is a perpendicular rock of one hundred fathom, and prefents a very formidable appearance; but, on the land fide, gradually fmks in fcveral places to the plain. In the rainy feafon, when I was there, the marfh was fo overflowed, as to render it a matter of difficulty to pafs on foot to the dock-yard. There are not even at fpring tides, more than ten or twelve feet water on the bar, at a tied, then fitting out in the fpring, at Saint Bias; with which the Spa- niards were fo well fatisfiril, that tliey took for tlienifelves ail the Euriii>can fait provifions they found on board the ved'els wliich lliry had rapt\ired, m having no doubt, but we could lalt our own proviliuiis when we Hiould be relcafcd, whicli hapjiencd at the tini(^ the Sun was vt-rlieal; in eonfequencc tjf which, though we did contrive, by cutting the meat in finall pieces, to make it take the fait, yet, when we got out to fea, it was totally fpoilevi, and we were threatened with famiuc. u VOYAOK TO THE SOtTTH Sr.\S. ;U the cntriincc of the river, and the frigates belonginp; to the ftation in the Gulf of California, though they are capable of carrying fifty guns, arc conftru^lcd To, as to pafs over the bar, and to protccil: the fettlcmcnts on the gulf, from the attacks of the native Indians; w^ho arc contin\ially at war with the Spaniards, particularly on the Eaft fide, which is faid to contain the richcft mines of gold, that have been yet difcovered; bcfidcs fevcral of fihcr. 105 i7'>: The deepcll water at the entrance of this river is clofe along fide the North point: uherc, on a gentle afcent, there is an irregular battery of fourteen or fifteen pieces of cannon, ( for the better protedlion of the arfenal. As I conceived it would be an ae, which was the only good landing place we difcovercd, and is cafily known, being a ftony beech at the firft inlet in the fhorc to the Eaftward of the South point : all other part of the coaft on the South iide of the ifland is iron bound, which makes it extremely difficult, if not impoffible to land, except in very iSne weather. I According to the accounts given of the winds in this Latitude by former navigators, the South Eaft bay would at all times afford a fccure anchorage ; but I found it otherwifc : though fuch a change might be owing to the feafons falling later now than formerly, or in one year later than another The Buccaneers affert, and Lord Anfon confirms their affertion, that at the time he was cruizing for the Galeon, there was no reafon to apprehend danger on the ( oaft of Mexico, from the middle of Odober till May. But my journal will Ihew^ from what .VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. what wc experienced, the beginning or middle of January is full early to exped good weather, for cruifmg, or fifliing. To the Southward of Cape Corientes, and to the North- ward of it Cape St. Lucas, the lightning, thunder and heavy rains had not fubfided the beginning of November; and had not my crew been rather in a ftate of convalefcencc, I would have returned to the Northward for better weather. The Spaniards themfelves never leave the Port of Saint Bias for Acapulco, till the latter end of November, when the North winds fet in and blow flcadily. ixi 1793. re-' CHAP. mm iM t i'. izi VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. I ■*" 1^ ^■If CHAPTER IX. THB EATTLER QUITS THE ISLE OF SOCORO FOR THE eOAST OP MEXICO : SOME ACCOUNT OF OUR TRANS- ACTIONS THERE, AND WHILE WE LAY AT ANCHOR BEFORE THE ISLAND OF QUIBO, IN THE GULF OP PANAMA, TO OUR ARRIVAL AT THE ISLES OF THE GALIPAGOES, ON AND NEAR THE EQUATOR. December 6. A T "was the fixth day of December, when we loft fight 8. of Socoro; and on the eighth in the afternoon, we made More Corona on the Coaft of Mexico; we had pleafant weather and the winds were between the North Weft and the North Eaft. I entertained a ftron!^ defire to fee Paflion Ifle before I made the coaft, as it might have been of tuLure advantage to fifhers and crulzcrs ; but my bread was become fo bad as to be no longer in a ftate to be eaten, v/hich made every perfon on board anxious to get to L'S., -V VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. to the Southward and reach tlic Galipagoc Ifles where we might refit for England; unlcfs wc fliould fall in with fome European Vcird that would fupply us with the neccifarics which wc fo much wanted; or from being made acquainted with the llatc of Europe, might venture into fome Spanlih port. 12$ 1793. In our pailage to the Coafl, which we made in Latitude 19° 28', wc palled great quantities of herring, turtle, porpolfcs, black-fiHi, dcvil-fiili, and fin-back whale, but the number of birds appeared to be greatly diminiftied fince ■we left the coaft : for at that time there were Innumerable flocks of boobies, which were fo tame, as not only to perch on the different parts of the Ihip, but even on our boats^ and the oars while they were actually employed in rowing. When the appearance of the weather foretold a fquall, or on the approach of night, the turtle generally afforded a place of reft for one of thefe birds on his back ; and though this curious perch was ufually an objed of conteft, the turtle appears to be perfectly at cafe and unmoved on the occafion. The vidorious bird generally eafcd the turtle of the fucking fifli and maggots that adhere to and troubled him. We now faw dolphins and porpoifcs in abundance, and took many of the latter, which we mixed with fait pork, and made excellent Q, 5 faufages. MataBrjcajta- ' M W 'ly i I &■ 134 VOYAGF, TO THE SOUTH SEAS. faufagcs, indeed they became our ordinary food. Sea fnakcs were alfo in great plenty, and many of the crew made :i plcafant and nutritious meal of them. We kept along the Ihore, under an eafy fail, dunng the day and at night lay to. The winds were generally light and very variable, and we did not get offAcapulco till the Dec. 19. nineteenth of Decenib';r, the moon having then pafled its full near three days, and the fun approaching to its greateft Southern declination. As we had not lately experienced anv changeable or bad weather, we entertained the plcafing hopes that the unfavourable fcafon was nearly pafled, but at fun-fet the blackcil clouds I ever faw, gathered around us, and the fucceeding night produced rain, with thunder, lightning, and heavy fqvialls of wind from all points of the compafs, but chiefly from South to Eaft. The rain continued to pour, in never-ceafmg torrents, throughout the following day; but on the winds inclining to the North of Eaft the nun began to abate, and towards the evening it fell only in hciivy fliowcrs, and faint lightning continued to gleam through the ni2;ht ; but it was not till ten o'clock A. M. on the twcntv- firft, that the fliowers became moderate and we got fight of land: as we were within nine or ten leagues of it, ^vith dark and unpromiflng weather, wc made fail off fhore with iO. ■J I. •^x VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. '\^ With an Eaftcrly winu ; when, troin the general bad ftatc of '^■'^■ my Hills, I oru.red the top-fails to be furled, and lay to under Ray-fails, On the twenty-fccond of December the weather Dec.:- became moderate, with fettled North Eallerly winds and frequent fliowers, which continued without any variation to the end of this year, I lliall not, however, omit to mention that, after the example of my hrll commander and patron Captain Cooke, I did nut futier our Chrillmas, the grand feftiA-al of the chriftian world, to pafs by without a ftnccre, though im.pcrfed: celebration of it. 20 Wc had now an alternate fucccflioii of calms and light winds, which blew from the North Weft quarter, and at times thunder and lightening. We procecucd down the coaft under top-iails during the day, and lay to at night. When we faw an\- ipouting hih, wc ftood off and on to afccrtain their clafs, but of theie there were very few, which proved to be hump-back and fin-back whale, black- filh and porpoifes, but there were great numbers of albicores, bonncttas, dolphins and turtle, and of the two latter we caught as many as were nccclfary for our confumption. :S On the thirty-firft of December our ^.atitudc was 14- 53' and wc had paffed ovci the ground w here wc had reafon to expect the grcateft fuccefs in fifhing, but had been dri\ en off by bad I h H n 136 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 'r94- bad weather, without killing more than two or three whales; and as \\c did not now perceive the fmalleft trace of there being any fi(h of the fpermaccti kind, and having every reafoii to believe, from the obfervations 1 had made, that their return like many other fea animals are periodical, under thcfc doubtful circumftances it would have manifefted an unpar- donable degree of imprudence to have remained longer on this flation with no more than fix months provifion, fuch as it was at two thirds allowance, and at fuch an immenfe diftance from any of our own fettlcments. We continued for thcfc rcafons to pafs under an eafy fail along fhorc, flatter- ing ovirfelvcs, at the fame time, that we fliould either fall in with fpermaccti whale, or meet with fome veflel, who could afford us the affiftance which we wanted. Wc now put the Rattler in the beft pofture of defence our fituation would admit, as we were determined to fpeak to the firfl (hip we met, and if Ihe fhould prove an enemy, to truft either to our ftrength or fuperiority of failing, the latter we had great faith in. January i. On January the firfl in Latitude 14° 36' we had a heavy gale of wind from the North Eaft quarter, which occafioned a prodigious fca, and the fliip to labour more than when Ihe was off Cape Horn, fo much fo, that I was under fome apprchcnfion that wc Ihould lofe our main mafl. On the fecond (•i*ll VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. i^:* fccond the weather moderated, but became very changeable , ''"^^ -' " J.inu;ny 5 and foggy, with alternate calms and light winds. Tlie night was moift with heavy dews, the colour of the fea frequently changed and there was much broken and white water. I kept the deep fea-lead conftantly employed, but found no bottom at one hundred and fifty fathom, in Latitude 13° 2^' North. The winds weftercd on us and were fuc- ceeded by light and changeable breezes till wc got into the Latitude 1 2° 48', when we fell in with innumerable flights of thofe birds which are known to follow whale, and of which we had not feen fuch numbers fmce we were fearching for the Ille Grande in the Atlantic Ocean. On the fixteenth we faw a fail to the Southward between us and the fhore, and {landing to the Northward and Weft- ward. At noon, being in Latitude 13- 14' 15" North, we hove too to fpcak to her, our Ibimdings were fixty fathoms, the volcano of Guatamala bearing North Eaft by North, diftant ten or eleven leagues. The veflel neared us confider- ably by one o'clock, and difplayed Spanifh colours: when it proved calm I fent the boat with the whaling mafter to board her, which he accordingly did, and returned with two iheep, fix fowls, twelve tongues, feveral pumpkins and two bags of bread. The fupercargo, who accompanied this prcfent, brought an excufe from the mafter of the vclTcl, for (6. 128 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SF.AS, ¥ ■■ *') . ir94- Tor liis milking fail from us, which he attributed to the variabio w inds and his great anxiety to get to Acapulco, to which place he was bound from Lima. From this perf'jn I learned that Ivouls the Sixteenth King of France, had been beheaded by his own fubjeds, that the two Nations of Great Britain and France were engaged in war, and that there were on the Coail of Pen.), a French privateer, two fnows and a fchooner, which had already captured feveral velfels. I fent the Spanifli fupcrcargo back to his fliip, with a quantity of wine, nun, porter and cheefe, which, far exceeded in value the prefent I had received, but it wa? impoffible by any argument I could employ to procure any addition to it. The whaling mafter who was twice on board the Spanifli veflel, might, on the firft vifit have had his boat filled with whatever he had demanded; but on his fecond appearance, the Spauilh Commander had recovered his fpirits but loft his liberality, for he would not part with any thing more. F^rom his general converfation, and the manner in which he ftated the probability of our being taken by the French cruizcrs as we went down the coaft, we had fbme rcafon to believe that Great Britain was at war with Spain as well as France. We foon parted company with ':he Spanifti trader, and flood to the South, diftancing the land, at the fame time, from i «: VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 1-9 from twelve to fifteen leagues. The fca was continually '794. varying in its colour, but we could not obtain any foundings. On the twenty-third of January at noon, our Latitude Januar> 2^ was 8- 49 51" North, Cape Blanco bearing North 3" Eall. Our {lock of water was now very much reduced, and the greater part of that which remained, was, from its havmg been kept in oily cafks, become fo naufeous as to produce ficknefs inftead of allaying thirft : I therefore made fail for the Ifland of Quibo, in order to obtain a frefh fupply of fuch a material article, on which our future health depended. Our winds fmce we loft fight of Guatimala, were between the South Eaft, and North Eaft ; and w ould at times vary for a few hours to the Wcftcrn Quarter. On the twenty-fixth we had moderate breezes from 26. North Weft to South Weft, our Latitude was ;• 54' North. On the twenty-fcventh, being in the \icinity of the Iflc 27, Mentuofa, between Cape Dulcc and Quibo, we fell in with feveral fpermaceti whales, of which wc killed four, and after- wards were fo unfortunate as to lofe one along-fidc. The fight of thefe whales prolonged our cruize until the eighth February 8. of February, in the hope of getting more of them, but we only added four to thofc wc had already taken. The winds R on T n " 1 '; ■ 130 t'l I 1 r 1* ;i K ul , 1 .« '■•'i .'« 1 '"ll ■1 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTrt SEAS. «r94- on this cruize were very variable, but rather more in Ihe wcftcrn than tlic caftcrn quarter. Between Cape Dulcc and the South end of Quibo, arc the Iflcs Zed/ones, Mcntuofa and Quicaras. The Zcdzon.JS confift of final 1 barren rocks. Mcntuofa rifes to a confider- able height, and is five or fix miles in circumference, its fummit is covered with trees, the greater part arc thofc which bear the cocoa nut, which gives it a very pleafant appearance, but iflets and breakers extend oif Its Eaft and Weft ends to the diftancc of three or four miles. The bottom is rocky on the South fide, as is the fliore near the fea. There is a beach of fand behind fome little creeks that runs in between the rocks, which makes a fafe landing for boats. Here we went on Ihorj, and got a quantity of cocoa nuts with a few birds. The Spaniards or Indians had been lately here, to fifh on the reef for pearls, and had left great heaps of oyfter Ihells. It may not, therefore, be im- proper to fuggeft to thofe who may hereafter find it convenient to land in this ifland, to be prepared to defend themfelves, in cafe they Ihould be attacked by any of its occaflonal vifitors. There were a great plenty of parrots, doves and guanos, and it is probable that other refrefhments might be obLained of which we are ignorant. At all events, it may »3i VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. may be ufeful to whalers or cruizcrs, by offering a place i:94- where there fick may be landed, and cocoa nuts procured, whofc milk will fupply the want of water. This ifland, according to my obfcrvations, lies in Latitude f 15' North, and Longitude 82° 40' Weft. The quicaras conllft of two illes : the larger one is about fix or feven miles, and the leffer about two or three miles, ii» length ; they lay North and South of each other, with but a fmall fpace between them ; and diftant from the South end of Quibo, about twelve miles. The leaft of thefe illcs is entirely covered with cocoa trees ; and the larger one bears an equal appear- ance of leafy verdure, but very few of the trees which produce it arc of the cocoa kind. The whole of ,my Ihip's company longed fo much to get fome good water to their bad bread, and our fuccefs in fifhing had fallen fo fhort of our expeftations, that I was induced to quit the whaling fooner, than I ihould otherwifc have done : therefore on the eighth day of February at Noon, FeLaary 8. we rounded the South end of Quibo, the Latitude by l^er- vation being f 19' 25" North, foundings thirty-eight fothom. The South point of Quibo bearing South 42- Weft, the North Eaft point bearing North 45" Weft, and C^pe Manato bearing Eaft 4" 30' South. We had light airs and pleafant ■^ 2 weather m; ^' hi; ,1; k 132 1794. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. weather, during the greater part of the afternoon, the winds were at South Eaft by Eaft, and we fleered Nortii, North Weft with all fail fct to get to an ancLtjr before night, keep- ing the lead conftantly going, and during a run of eleven miles, our foundings were from thirty to thirty-fix fathoms, and on drawing near to the North Eaft point of Quibo, flioaled quick to ten fathom and an half, in which bottom we came to anchor; the North end of Quibo bearing North Weft by North ; and the South end. South Eaft by South. The boats were imrnediatcly fent to dlfcovcr the watcringpiacc. It was calm through the night and the early part of the morning, when a c weighed anchor on the flood tide, to tow to a more convenient fituation, but finding the water flioal to four fathom, and the bottom very vifible, it was difcovered that we were nearly furrounded by a reef which extended four or five miles from the fhore. By the adive ccndu but generally a ftifF breeze from North by Eaft, to North, by Weft : but in the day we had pleafant weather. As I could depend on the failing of the Rattler, I determined March i; on my route the firft of March, and fleered away to the Southward in a direift line for the iHes. r^ i On the fourth day of the fame month, being In Latitude 4' North, the winds varied between the South JEaft and South Weft points, and at intervals blew from the Wettward; but \Vhcti they returned to the Northward, they were very light and of ftiort duration. At this period an innumerable flight of bitds accompanied us, and we had turtles ih gre&t plenty, but they foon grew fcarcc ; though we continued to take bonnettas, dolphins, porpoifes and black-fifh in great abundance. The weather then changed to rain with thunder and lightning; and we every day remarked our pafting VOVAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. I 39 paflhig through ft rong ripplings and veins of currents, all of '/?+• which run to the Weft till \vc made the iflcs. Oa the twelfth, at break of day, \vc faw Chatham Ifle, Ma"t!> • andi by fun-fet came to an anchor in Stephen's bay, near the South Weft point of the ifle in twenty-eight fathom water ; the two points of the bay bearing North Eaft and South Weft, and the Kicker rock, bearing Weft, North Weft, at the diftance of two miles. We attempted to get into this bay to the Wcftward of the rock, but as there was little wind, with a current running right out, and no foundings to be got, with fifty fathom of line, till within three quarters of a mile of the Ihore, and then a rocky bottom, we hauled out to the North, and went in to the Eaft ward of the Kicker rock, there being regular foundings between it and the bluff, which formed the Eaftern point of the bay : the greateft depth between them thirty fathoms, but the deepeft water is near the rock. We lay in this bay till the feventeenth of March, employed in fearching for fait, procuring a ftoqk of turtles, and recovering fcvcral of the crew, who were afflided with boils, they were foon reftored by the fruit $ « of 17- iV i m 140 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 1794- of t)ic molic tree, wild mint tea, and a diet of turtle and teal loup, &c. Our boats travcrfed all the Ice-fide of the ifle for fait, but without imy fuccefs; though they difcovercd feveral rills of frefli water. One of them proceeded from a bluff which forms the Eaft point of the bay, and others were fccn at the bluff at the Eaftern part of the ifle. The latter were not eramincd. as ihc party did not land there; and the former was ..i . re than fufficient to fill a ten gallon cag in a quarter o' -r. As thcfe high bluffs are at the extremity of the low la ' the rilh muft proceed from fomc bafon or lake on the interior high grounds. One of thefe I afterwards found on a hill which I afcended, from whence the water was entirely drained. On the coaft of America,, in the dry feafon, I have fcen a long fucceffion of lagoons of this kind, without the fmalleft drain on the beach below. The head of Stephen's bay pofTcfles the convenience of a fmall interior cove, with th/ee fathom water, that will hold four or five fail, and where they would be Iheltercd from all winds. Alfo a fine fandy beach beneath the rocks, on which a vcflel may be hauled on Ihore, or heave down if occafion fhould require it ; and great abundance of turtles, mullet, and other fifh might be caught in a feinc. The turtles pafs over the rocks, at high water, into fait lagoons to feed. The land is fo low in this part of the ifland, as, at VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. at a fmall difttince, to give it the appearance of being divided by a channel of the fea. Near the Well part of the ille in a fmall bay was a part of the wreck of a fhip, that appeared to have been but lately caft away, as a whole wale plank was found undccayed. On fome of the fmall ifles in: this bay, were the largeft prickly pear-trees I had ever fecn. 141 1794- After weighing from Stephen's bay, it was with great diffi- culty we cleared iti)y night, from the light, variable winds and torrents of rainr When we had got well out, we hove to for day-light, and then made fail for an \-t -vhich bore from our ai.choring birth, Weft by South, to We 7 North. By noon of the next day, we faw many m< -c illes and iflets to the North and Weft ward of us : snC at fun-fct, we faw breakers a long way to the Nort ivard and Weft ward of Lord Hood's ifle. Our Latitude «t Noon was 0° 31' 51" South. Wc now fhortened fail and ftood on and off for the night. The next day we found ourfelves fet confidcrably to the Southward and Weftward ; and la fight of Charles Ifle, fo named by the Buccaneers. At noon our Latitude March 20. was 1° 28' 13" South; the extremes of Charles Ifle bearing from Weft 6- North, to Weft 29° North. In the early part of the evening we got clofe in with the South end of the ifland : we then Ihortened fail, and ftood off and on during « w , 1, ^' . 5 1 1 ■1( n i 'k n% 142 ^794 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTJI iF.Af. during the night, with the dcdgn of going on lliore in tin- morning. Tliis illc is ot' a moderate iicight, prclcnts a plealant afpedl, and is furrounded with fniall iflets, the two largcft of wliich I named after the admirals Sir Alan Gardner and Caldwell. There are fcvcral fandy beaches on it, and a great number of ieals were fecn oft' it. At day-light the current had fct us lb confidcrahly to the Southward and Weftward, as to have loft fight of the ifland, though we plycd to Windward all the forenoon we gained but little. Wc got ilght, however, of Albemarle Iflc, and two fmallcr ones which lie between it and Charles Ifle. I take them to be the Croflman and Brattles Ifles of the Buccaneers. March ao. At noon on the twentieth, our Latitude was i° 23' South ; the extremes of Charles Ifle bearing from Eaft 14° North, to Eaft 24° North; and Albemarle ifle from North 45" Weft, to North lo" Weft; with a fmall flat ifle between them. We faw feveral fpermaccti whales, and gave chafe with boats and (hip but could not come up with them. We beat off here for forty hours, and loft ground confider- ably from the current running fo ftrong to the Weftward. At noon on the twenty-firft, our Latitude was 1° ig South, Albemarle Iflc bearing from North 20° Eaft, to North 31° Weft; and Perry Ifthmus, North 5" Weft. By four o'clcck in the afternoon, wc got within two miles of the South and SI. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. and Eaft end of Albemarle lile, when wc tried lor founding with one hundred fathom of line but found no bottom. The following day, as foon as it was light, we bore up to round the South and Weft end of Albemarle Ifle, called, by the Buccaneers, Chriftopher's Point. Within a few miles of it, the Latitude was, by obfervation, o° 5$ H" South. The extremities of Albemarle Ifle, bearing from Eaft 32" South, to North lo- Eaft; and of Naxborough Ifle from North, to North 30° Weft. M3 1794. A large bay opened to our view, which was formed by March aj, the South and Weft points of Albemarle Ifle, and the Eaft part of Narborough Ifle, having received originally from the Buccaneers 'lie name of Elizabeth Bay. As it is very capacious, we conjedured that we fhould find good anchorage; I therefore accompanied the chief mate to examine it, but we could find no bottom for two kagues at the diftance of a mile or a mile and an half from the fliore, with one hundred and fifty fathom of line. The inhofpitabic appearance of this place was fuch as I had never before fecn, nor had I ever beheld fuch wild clutters of hillocks, in fuch ftrange irregular fliapes and forms, as the ftiorc prcfented, except on the fields of ice near the South Pole. The bafe appeared to be one entire clinker to a confiderable diftance from n I": f 144 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. ''^*' from the v/atcr-fidc, and the little verdure that was villblc was on the tops of ..he hills, which were crowned with low, Ihaggy buflics, that gradually diminiflied in quantity as they hung down the declivities ; and were fomctimcs divided by veins of an hard, black, Ihining earth, which, at a fmall dillance, had the appearance of llreamlets of water. The ftorm peterels accompanied us in great numbers : but the wind coming right out with a current or tide, that was fo rapid, as to be attcnde'' with fome degree of danger, \ve gave up our defign of reaching the head of the bay, particularly as night was approaching, and darknefs would have overtaken tis. When I returned on board, I found the (hip laying between two winds, and becalmed within half a mile of the fliore, where no bottom could be obtained with one hundred and fifty fathom of line. In this fituation we were near an hour, with flaws of wind all round the compafs, and heavy fliovvers. At laft, \vc caught a Southerly wind and made fail to the Weftward, and when clear of the fhore, hove to for the night. The weather was dark and gloomy, with heavy dews and a llrong fouthcrly current; fo that at day-light we were fet nearly as far to the South as we were on the preceding noon. At noon our Latitude was 0° 35' 6" South: the extremities of land bearing from North 12," Eafl, to Eall 37- South. In VOV.VGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. U5 In the evening we got well up with the South end ot' Narhorough Ille, and rtood along to the Tsorth Wcftward, by the Well fliore. The current or tide had now changed its courfe, and fct, from the Well and So\jth, to the Northward, dirctilly on that ille, and the night proving calm, with fomc difficulty we cleared it ; tor we could not find anv bottom at the dillance ot* hall' a mile from the iliore, with one hundred and titty tathom of line. At the return of day the weather was dark and cloudy, with lightning in the South Eaft. At noon I obfervcd on the Equator, the extreme points of Narhorough Ille, bearing from South 21° Eaft, to South 52- B:aft. The North Weft Cape of Albemarle Ille, (which I have named Cape Berkeley, from the honourable Captain Berkeley), bearing Eaft 4- North, North end Eaft 27- North. The North point of land in fight, bearing Eift 36^ North, and the Rodondo Rock North 5'^ Eaft, at the diftance of five or fix leagues. >794. I fent away a boat in the forenoon to found a large bay, formed by the North end of Narhorough Ille and Berkeley point, (which I have named Banks's Bay in honour of Sir Jofcph Banks), or under Berkeley point, in order to difcover a place of anchorage: the boat, however, did not ^ get ! 1 , '9 INI •I: I4O VOYAGE TO THE SOL'TII SEAS. •T54- get itito the b.iy ; but rowed imdcr the North jioint of Albemarle Kle, wlierc the party landed, and returned in the evening. They found this part ot" the Ifle equally inhofpltable as the Southern part of it : but had procured S few rock-cod, with fome hump-baek turtles, and liiw a confiderable number of feals. Narborough Iflc is the higheft land among the Galipagoe Iflands, lying near the center of Albemarle Ifle, which almoft furrounds it, in the form of two crcfcents, and making two bays. The apparent point of dividon of thefe iflands, is fo low on both, that I am in doubt whether they arc feperatcd. On the next morning we faw fpcrmaceti whales, we killed fcvcn and got them along fide; Rock Ilodondo bearing Eall 32° South, the Northernmoft land bearing Eafl 18" South, and the South Weft land bearing South 28° Eaft. The weather was hazy, and the Latitude by obfervation Aprils. 00° 27' 13" North. Here we cruiied till the eighth of April, and fnw fpermaceti whales in great numbers, but only killed five, of which we fecured four. 'J'he current ran fo fl:rong to the Weftward, aud the winds were lb light, that after lii)ing to, to fecure the whales and cut them up, we were liivcn days in returning to the ground from whence we i\ W VOYAGE TO TIIR SOUTH SEAS. we drifted. In the winter fcafon, when the winds arc more iVclh, thcfc difficulties might not occur, othcrwifc, it would l)c impoflible for any veflel, which was not a very prime lliilcr, to whale here with fuccefs; though at a certain fcafon any quantity of fperm oil might be pr^Kured. The oldelt whale-filhers, with whom I have convcrfed, as ■well as thofe on board my fliip, uniformly declared that they had ncNcr fecn fpermaccti whales in a llatc of copulation, or I'quid their principal food in Ihoals before; but both thefe objeds were very common off thefe illes, and we frequently killed thcjatter, of four or live feet in length, with the grancs. Young fpermaccti whales were alfo fecn in great numbers, which were not larger than a fmall porpoife. I am difpofcd to believe tliat wc were now at the general rendczAous of the fpermaccti whales from the coafts of Mexico, Peru, and the Gulf of Panama, who come here to calve : as among thofc we killed, there was but one bull-whale. The fituation I recommend to all cruizcrs, is between the jouth end of Narborough lile and the Rock Rodondo : though great care mull be taken, not to go to the North of the latter ; for there the current fets at the rate of four and five miles an hour due North, Narborough Iflc falls gradually down to a point at the North, South, and Eall ends, and may be equal in produce to any of the neighbouring ifles; but of this I can only T i con- 14; 1794 111 iiSI i{ 1 148 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. J794- coiijcdurc, as I did not myfclf examine it; nor docs it appear that the Buccaneers ever landed upon it. The Rodondo is an hii^h barren rock, about a quarter of a mile in circumference, and is vifiblc as far as eiglit or nine leagues, has foundinsrs round it at the diftance of a quarter of a mile thirty fathom. Here our boats caught rock-cod in great abundance. I frequently obfer\cd the whales leave thefe ifles and go to the Weftward, and in a few days, return with augmented numbers. I have alfo fccn the whales coming, as it were, from the main, and paffing along from the dawn of day to night, in one extended line, as if they were in hafte to reach the Galipagoes. It is \ery much to be regretted that thefe ifles have to this period, been fo little known but only to the Spaniards. Though we met with fo ftrong a current, it did net difhcarten ws, as wc found, by keeping between the North point of Narborough Ifle, and North point of Albem.arlc Ifle, and not going to the Northward of the latter, that we were able to maintain our ground ; and the hope which now poffeffed us of making a very fuccefsful voyage, difperfed every complaint of ba^l bread and fliort allowance, which were no longer confidercd cither with regret or impatience. We , ■. i7i>4- ourfelvci in the bcftpofturc ot" defence in our power. Finding at four o'clock in the afternoon that ihe ftill gained ground upon us, but would not be able to get \ip with us till \t was dark, we all agreed to a man, to heave tn, and if (he proved an enemy, to board her; as luch a defperatc proceeding would be altogether unexpected, we thought it w ould afford fomc of us a better chance of cfcaping, than by a more regular engagement. As to myfelf, death, in almoft any fliape would have been far preferable than falling again into the hands of the Spaniards. By lun-fet, however the .lip joined us, and proved, after all our alarm and preparations, to be the Buttervvorth of London, Mr. Sharp, from a trading voyage on the North Well Coaft of America, and lately from California. We were right in our conjedlurc.^ concerning her appearance, as flie w as taken from the French in the laft war. She had been Searching for water in thcle illes but had found none; and was bound to the Marquifes for it, with only feven butts on board ; a route of near eight hundred leagues, when there were fo many places within two days fail, whc c (he might have found it. Mr. Sharp had fix^-y tons of i;ttt in bulk, for the purpofc of faking ikins; and on the coail of California, he had procured an hundred tons of oil from the fea lion and fea tlcphant; and he added, that he alfo might have procured ten VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. ten tlioufaiid tons of oil from tlic fame animals, if he had poflcllcd :\ fufficicnt number of cafks to have con- tained it. T51 1794. I recommended him to proceed to Jiimes's Ifle, and offered him a copy of a chart, which I had received from Mr. Stephens, which would dired: him to the watering place, defcribcd by the Buccaneers, whofe information I had no reafon to doubt : but if he had no faith in it, he might t^j to Ifle Cocas or Quibo, where I had procured plenty; but no perfuafion of mine, however, had any weight, as his principal objcd appeared to be that I Ihould accompany him. In addition to my other inclinations to render him every ferAice in my power, the feveral adls of civihty I had received from Mr. Perry of Blackwall, one of his owners, had the greatcft weight with me ; and underftanding his intention was alfo to continue in company to our arrival in England, I undertook to Ihew him the way into port. In confequcncc of light winds, thick weather and itrong Northerly currents, wc were driven a> far North as ; 5', and faw Culpepper's Ifle, which js to a confiderabic height, though it is of fmall extent , but the weather was i I i '■;. is J 15^ VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SF.AS. ^794. lb hazy, and \vc were at fucli u diftancc, that I am not <2inUlicd to give a further account of it. Though our fliips were excellent failer.s, \Ne were fifteen days in getting into James's Ba) ; they alternately had the advantage of each other ; but the Rattler wa^ entirely out of trim, the fore-hold being filled with oil. The Butter- worth had fo far got the advantage to wiiidvvard, as, at one time, to be within a few miles of the anchoring ground; and wc could only fee her top-gallant fails; flic bore up to join us again, with only three butts of water on board. At this time we were dole under Abington Ifle, which is very fmall, and was well known to the i'uccanecrs; and, according to my obfervation, is in Latitude o^ 33' North, and Longitude 90'- 45'. It is high towards the South end, which has a very pleafant appearance, and where is the only bay or anchorint, place in the illand. The North end is low, barren, and one entire clinker, with breakers ftretching out to a confiderable diliancc. I fent a party in the boat to round it, where they caught plenty of fmall filh with their hook and line. They alio landed on the ifland and found both tortoifes and turtles. This d.iv wc alfo faw If Bindlocs Ife, which is a fmall, rugged fpot, laying to the Soutl'.ward and EafVward of Abington lilc, and aho\it fKv ni.id-way between it and James's Illc. On VOYAGE TO THE SOUTIf SRA». 15.; On the twenty-fourth, in the very early part of the ^^;^*;^ afternoon, we came to an anclior at the North end of James's Ille, a little to the South of Frefli-water bay, \\hcre the Buttcrworth followed us; Albany Hie bearing North 34^ Well ; bottom of the bay Eall i 7° South ; South j)oint of James's Ille, on with Cowley's enchanted Hie, and South part of Albemarle Hie South 24- Well: North point of Albemarle Hie Well 23^ North. As foon as the fliip was fccxired, I let out with Mr. Sharp to fearch for water in Frelh-water bay, where the Buccaneers had formerly fupplicd themfelvcs, but the furf prevented us from landing. We rowed dole to the beach, but law not the leall ligns of any fpr/ng or rivulet. Boats were dil'patchcd from both the velfels to ditfercnt parts of the fliore ; and mv chief mate was lent away to the South for a night and a day. On the following morning at dawn of day, the whaling-mailer was ordered to land if the furf was fallen, and fearch Frelli-water bay. He accompliflicd getting on fliore, but found no water; and in the c\ening, the chief mate returned with the fame account of his unfuccefsful errand. For my own part, I never ga\c up my opinion that there was plenty of water in the ille; but as neither of my boats were in a condition to encounter the leall 'if »54 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. *"94- tad -vvcachcr, I deferred taking a furvey of the iflc tili they were repaired. Though we fcnt the Buttcrworth daily fupplies of water, I did not forefee the coiifequcnce of our gencrofity ; for from that moment, the commander never gave himfelf the leaft concern to look for any ; but employed his crew in cutting a very large quantity of wood, and flocking himfelf with land tortoife privately, from a fpot which wc agreed Ihould remain facred, till wc were ready for failing, and then fhare our Hock together. Indeed I not only fupplied Mr. Sharp with water, but may be faid alfo to have added to his food; for he did not know that the tortoife was an wholcfomc eatable till I informed him of it. As I had at this time many reafons to doubt his continuing long in company with mc, and in cafe of reparation the Rattler had no boat belonging to her calculated to bring water any diftancc, it awakened my precaution to provide for any unfor:fcen accident fhould it befall us refpeding that ncceflary article. I determined therefore, to fupply him monthly throughout our voyage, and tin, information of this arrange- ment produced a better effedl than I cxpc6ted, as it (limulatcd him to fcarch for water, which he foxxnd within two miles of his fhip, After 1 '1 VOYAGE TO TITF. SOUTH SEAS. After anchoring and his prcfcnt wants bcini^ accommodated, he varied fo in his future plans, to his former ones propofcd, that I could not comprehend he liad any fixed one at all; and his condu(ft in general not correfponding to my ideas or expetftations, I had only to lament, tiiat after putting myfclf to lb great an inconvenience, there was fo little probability that it would be attended with any advantage to his employers. Finding my advice of no farther ufe I failed witiiout hinj. ■^5: TM- As foon as a boat was repaired, I fet out to furvcy the South Eall: part of this and Albemarle Ifle. On reaching the South point of James's IHe, I got fight of three other illes which I had not fecu before, nor can I trace them in the Buccaneers accounts, no more than the ifle which we faw to Weftward, when at anchor in Stephens's bay, Chatham lile. Thefe three ifles now feen, I named after the admirals Barrington, Duncan, and Jarvis. The two Northernmoft, which are neareft to James's Ifle, arc the highcft, and prcfcnted the moil agreeable appearance, being covered with trees. The Southcrnmoft, which I named Barrington Ifle, is the largcll and was the greateft diftance from me, it is of a moderate height, and rifes in hummocks ; the South end is low, running on U ;; a parallel f ■'■'V i • f ■ r y^ ! 1 1: : i ' ; 'i'^. ■! I 11 it: I^O VtHACiK To HfV. ifOVrn .sr.AS, 1/94- a j)aralkl \\ith tlic \\atcr'.s edge. W'c did not land uii cither of tlicin. In this expedition -ve faw jrreit nunihers of penguins, and three f>r four hundred lial-. There were Al'o finall bird.-, \\ith a red hreaft, Inch a> I lia\c Jeen at tlic New Hebrides; and other- refeinbhng the Java f|)arr()\v, in fliape and fi/.i , but of a blaek plumage ; the male wa.s the darkeft, and had a ^ery dehglitt'ul note. At every place wlicrc we landed on the W'eftern fide, v.e might have \valked for miles, through long grafs and beneath groves of trees. It only wanted a ftream to compofe a >ery charming landfcaj>e. This ille apjicara to have been a favourite refort of the Buccaneers, as we not c)nly found feats, which had been made by them of earth and Hone, but a con- fiderable number of broken jars fcattcred about, and fome entirely -whole, in which the Peruxian wine and lii]uors of that country are prefer\ed. We alfo found fome old dangers, nails and other implements. This place is, in e\ery rei'pet^t, calculated k)r refrefliment or relief for crews after a long and tedious vo}age, as it aboiuids with wood, and good anchorage, for any number of lliips, and fheltcred from all winds b) Albemarle lile. The watering- place of the Buccaneers was entirely dried up, and there was onh found a fniall rivulet between two hills running into the fea; thcNurtherumoll ot'the hill formsthe South point of Frcih- water !' VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SE\S. water hay. Though there is a great plenty of wood, that which is near the lliore, i^ not large enough for any purjKife, but to ufc as fire- wood. In the mountains the trees ma} he of a larger fize, as they grow to the fiimmit of them. I do not think that the vvaterlng-})lace which we faw, is the only oneonthc ifland; and I have no doubt, if wells u ere dug an> where beneath the hills, that it would be found in great plenty ; they niuft be made, howe\er, at fv)me diitance from the fandy beach, as within a few yards behind them, is a large lagoon of fait water, from three to eight feet in depth, which ri(e^ and falls with the tide; and in a few hours a channel might be cut into it. The woods abound %% ith tortoifes, doves, and guana.s, and the lagoons with teal. The earth produces wild mint, forrcl, and a plant rcfembling the cloth-tree of Otaheite and tlic Sandwich lllcs whofc leaves arc an excellent fubftitutc for the China tea, and was indeed preferred to it by my people as well as myfelf. Tlierc are numy other kinds of trees, particularly the moli-tree, mentioned by Mr. Falkner, and the al-arrooa, but that which abounds, in a iliperior degree, is the cotton tree. There is great plenty of every kind of f.fii that inhabit the tropical Latitudes; nudlet, dcN il-fiili. and green turtle were in great abundance. But all the luxuries of the fea. yielded to that which the idand afforded us in the land tortoife, vshieli J.v"' 1794- IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /, ^ I.U lis I.I 1.25 2.8 IM 2.2 t 1^ iiio U IIIIII.6 1 ^ I.II ^1 u ■'I v] <^ /] o c^] /. 0% -> y /^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 4 V ^9> '^^ V \ ■^^ 1^ \\ ^'l 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. M5B0 (716) 872-4503 O^ '. m »58 if: 1794. VOYAGE TO THE SOTTTlf SKAS. which in wliatcvcr way it was drcllcu, was confidcred by all of us as the moft delicious ioud wc had ever tailed. The fat of thcfc animals when melted down, was equal to frelh butter; thofc vvhich weighed from thirty to forty pounds, were the beft, and yielded two quarts of fat : fome of the largefl:, when {landing on their feet, meafured near a yard from the lower part of the neck. As they advance in age their fliell becomes proportionablv thin, and I have ieen them in fiich a ftate, that a pebble would fliatter them. I falted feveral of the middle fize, with fonic of the eggs, which are quite round, and as big as thofe of a goofc, and brought them to England. The moft extraordinary animal in this ifland is the fea guana, which, indeed abounds in all thefe iflcs. Wc did not fee the land guana in any of the ifles but James's, and it differs from that which I have feen on the coaft of Guinea, in having a kind of comb on the back of its neck. t|: Thefe ifles dcferve the attention of the Britifh navigators beyond any imfettlcd fituation : but the preference muft be given to James's Ifle, as it is the only one wc foimd fufficient frelh water at to fupply a fmall (hip. But Chatham Ifle being one of the Southcrnmoft, I recom- mend to be the firft made, in order to afcertain the (hips true fituation ,1 VtJYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. fituation, In which you may be otherwifc mlftakcn, from the unccitain and ftrong currents, as well as the thick weather which is fo prevalent there. As it Hands bv itfelf there is no danger, and in Stephens's bay, thirty or forty fail may ride in fafety, befides thofe which might go into the cove. Veflels bound round Cape Horn to any part North of the Equator, or whalers on their voyage to the North or South Pacific Ocean, or the Gulf of Panama, will find thefe iflands very convenient places for refitting and rcfrefliment. They would alfo in future ferve as a place of rendezvous for Britifh fifhing Ihips, as they are con- tiguous to the bcft fifhing grounds. 15^ 1/94' CHAP. i6o VOYAGJ', TO THE SOlTTir SEAS. CHAl^Ell X. if' %. % lk:|i Mav I ?. THE It.VTTLER LEAVES THE GALIPAGOE ISLES AND COAST OF PERU, roil THE ISLES SAINT 1-ELIX AND SAINT AMBROSE, OX THE COAST OF CHILI : FUO.M THENCE SHE HOUNDS CAPE HORN, ON HER PASSAGE TO ISLE SAINT HELENA, IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. vJN the. thirteenth of May, h;ning o\er-haulccl the rigging, caulked, wooded, &c. we fet fail with the intention to crui/e for Ccycn days off Rock Rodondo, and then to proceed to the Ifles Saint FeHx and Saint Anibrofe, on the coafi: o{ Cliih, We accordingly ho\e t(j for the nighr, otY the North end of Albemarle Klc, and aj break uf day, faw fe\cral fpermaceti as hales, of uhieh \nc killed t\\o. The winds had let in from the Southward and Eaihvard, with a ftrong Northerly current; fo that all our endeavours were in vain to get to the Weflward and round to the South, k-^h '!■ VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. lor South, ■vsitliout ^vaflmp; us much time as wc had before >794' done, to .iret to the Kallward, when we wanted to reach James's Iflc. From the South the current let trum three to four miles an hour, due North, and vse had in general, thick, toggy weather. We Irequcntly favv w hales ; and on the i6th of May, got fight of Wenam's Illc, bearing Well Mjv :6- North Weft, feven or eight Leagues. It is fmall,, but of con- fiderable height, like Culpe{)per's Hie, and I make it in Latitue i' ^i' North, and Longitude 91'' 46' Weft, The time of our propofed cruize oft" thelc ifles was expired, and the winds obliged me to ftand away to the Eaftward and Northward, with the ftrong current fetting againft me, to the Weftward and Northward; fo that I was fifteen days making Cape Blanco, the South Cape of the Gulf of (}uiai.[uil, a diftancc we had run before in four days. Half way over wc fell in with a body of fpermaceti whales, we got up with them, tliough not without iltmc difticulty, and killed three, hut were fo unfortunate as to li;ne t\\<. boats ftove in the ftrugglc. Within Cape Blanco \\l law a liiil (.rouding cvcr\ thing from u?, which Induced us to conjecture that it was no longer peace between Great Britain and Spain. But this -Nclfel was too far up the (nilf, a-^ \m-II .i- in X. trio T I j6z 111: 1794- June S- VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. too fliallow water for us to follow her. On the following, mornhii^, being the fifth of June, we got v. ftciuly wuid from the South Vv'eft, but a-; vvc dilbuced tlie ihorc and Southcrd our Latitude, it hauled to the South Eaft, encrcafing daily in llrength, with an heavy iea. The weather was fometimes fqually, with frequent fliowcrs of rain; and when \vc got into Latitude if South, and Longitude 90^ Weft, the wind hauled well to the Eail. 19. it V On the 19th of June, when we were in Latitude 24-, and Longitude 90"^ 30', an heavy gale of A\ind blew from the Northward. From the time of our leaving Cape Blanco the Ihip had made water, which now began to gain on us: and in the afternoon of the twenty-fu'lt, in a violent fquall of wind and rain, our fair weather top-fails and courfes were blown to pieces, and ha\;ng neirlier can'\as or twine to repair them, we were under the nccefTity of bending our bed and only luit. At night, being in the fuppofed fituatK^n ot Samt Feii:c and Saint Ambrofe Illes by ditierent na\ igator^, we hove to till dav-li'iht, and then feudded till nijjht and ag;'in hn\c to, as we did, on the fucceeding night, at which time tlie weatlier niodeniled, ILuing now nui down l)oth to the 4i-.h' \ h i' VOYAGE TO THR SOUTH SEAS, F/ifl: and Weft in the fuppofcd Latitude of thcfc iilcs. 1 am convinced that there arc no other near this fituation than thofe I villted in my outward-bovmd pafliige; and where I wr.s at this time determined to land a part) lor the purpofe of' laltin^ and drying feal-fkins; intending then to [irocccd to the Eailward as far as Eallcr Ifle, to fearch for ifics mentioned in the following cxtraCl of a letter m the poflcirion of Philip Stephens, Efq., and of whofe cxiilencc I entertain not the Icall doubt, as in their defcrip- tion they ditrer much from Eafter Ifle, which I vifited with Captain Cook, there not being a tree on it. EXTRACT. i^tli Septembei-, 1773. '■ The Achilles left Calloa the feventh of April, and arrived at Cadi/, the tenth, by \\hich wc learn that the frigate Le Llcvrc (the Hare) had difccv.cred five iflands in the South fea, in about 27- of Soutli Latitude; that one of them was confiderably I.irirc, and inhabited by Indian- ibmewhat tracbible, and governed by a chief. They have liatchets and i.'tlier ntenlUs. \\hich they Ca} the Englilh left there three month? befou- tb.c Lievre arrhed there." F.XTI! \CT. 2-t!i SriiU'nibf!', t;; ;. . " The tenth initant c;ime lino Cadi/, tlie iiu'reliant Ihip Achilles, uhlcii left Calloa oil Lima, tiic rc\eiitli ol X -: Apni 163 ':';■<■ ■ * J I ., 164 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 1^94. April ]d{[, This \ciVd brought news to the court of tlie dilcovfry, and the taking pofleffion, in the name of the King, of fcveral fmall illands in the South fcas, to 27^ of Latitude South of Lima. There is one ifland rather large, and has an excellent harbour. This ifland they have called Saint Charles; and the difcovery was made by the King's frigate the Eagle, which the Viceroy of Peru fent upon that expedition. They fay that thefc iflands are inhabited by favage Indians, but that they were very well difpofed; and that the country abounded with wood, fowls, hogs, and certain roots of which they made bread, perhaps caflada." .'ii " It would appear that the court means to make ufe of this difcovery; and that they mean to build forts thereon, and to eftablifh a communication between thefc iflands, and the continent of South America. It is probnblc that the famous Mr. Hudfon had difcovered thefe iflcs ii\ his voyage round the world, and that the largeil: of them are called Davis's land. What renders this conjeClure more probable is, that they found the interior inhabitants- poireffed ot hatchets, fpades and hoes." Re oggewem s ^ ^^"4 * VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 1^5 Roggewein's account of an iflc in this Latitude, differs '7^4- fo much trom Eaftcr Illc, that I cannot fuppofe it to be the fame. Mr. Wafer, who was furgeon with Captain Davis, in 1685, and after whom land in this Latitude is named, differs very widely from Roggeweia's account, and alfo Captain Cook. If I had not found thefe ifles, the potatoes wdilch I entertained the hopes of procuring at Eafter Ifle, would have enabled me to lengthen my voyage, and to double Cape Horn in the fummer feafon. On the twenty-fecond at noon, we made the Illcs Saint Ambrofc and Saint Felix, and prepared every thmg for landing. During the laff twenty-four hours, the wind had hauled to the Southward, and we had to beat up againfl it. Throughout the night it blew very ffrong in fqualls, while the fliip laboured very much, and the leak encreafed fo as to keep both pumps employed. By the quantity of water perceived in the hold, wc fufpecflcd that it rufhcd in forward, and that part oi' the wooding ends were ftartcd. Oa M l66 VOTAOE TO TUF. SOUTrf- sr.AS. J794- On the North fulc of the Weltornmofl: ifle, at half a mile diftancc from the Ihorc, there was fafc anchorage, with a foutherly wind, which now blew : but as we had fb lately experienced an heavy Northerly gale, which is the pre- vailing v\ind in winter, and I)!ows direclly into the anchoring birth, the genervil o]-)ini')a was to mal..- I'lil \y,ick to tlie Northward, to get into better \N;-athcr or in v.itii the main land, and endeavour to flop the leak. — In lliort, any fituatioti howe\er inconvenient, or evci; dangerous, was ])ielerred by the Nshole crew, to tlie putting into a Spaniih port, and truftinsr to the tender mercies we m:Lr!:t find there. It becomes an ael of juirice in me to declare that, in every awkward and unplcafant circumftance, in which we fome- times found ourfclves, e\ery jierfoii on board, from the whaling-maffcer to the ](j',\ell feamean, man.ifcfted a perfect confidence in nie, and paid an imjificit obedience to my opinion. — But tlie fuperftition of a kanian's mind is not -cafily fubdnctl, and it was with fome difticulry tliat I could preferve an hen who had been hatched and bred on h.-ard, and who at this time was accompanied by a fi-.^ali brood of cljickens, from being deftroyed, in order to quit the ill omen that had been occafioned by tlu' unexpected crdwina; of the animal during t)ie preceeding night. i^ . , Ou 81 ▼ OYAGE TO Trie SOUTH SEAS. 167 On the- twenty-third, Latitude ziy o', the weather mode- rated fo mucli iis to atTord an opportunity of cxamuiinLf the leak, when we found the lower cheek of the head loolened, and the wafh-boards of the flarboard cheek, entirely waflied away; the oakum worked out of the wooden ends, fo as to admit an arm-full to be fluffed in by hand, and no one was yet convinced but that the plank had fcarted from the llcm. We made our utmoft exertions to i: ;t every thing afr, in order to raife the leak above water: and here, to add to our diliippointmcnt, it became neceflary, for want of food tf) fuftain them, to kill our fmall llock of pigs which had been rtferved to regale us on our homeward paffagc round Cape Horn. By the tvventy-fevcnth we had returned again to the Northward as far as i8^' South, when we finiihcd caidking and leading over ttie leak, the only method we had of fecuring it, ha\ing neither pitch, tar, or rofm mi board, fiir marine fiorcs being all expended. Our bread was not fit to eat, and our otlicr provifions fo fliort, that owing to its bad I'U.ilitiei we could fcarce exifr on it: thus fituated, wc nror':-\d as our lair trial in theic i'eas, to continue on to the Ncr-uh'vV,\rd till v.c made the land, in hopes to fall in V. ith. '794- June :j. \i I 168 '7H- vovAwK TO rriE south seas. "vvith 101110 ICuropcaii \c\T<:\ to ol)t-:iin fLipplii'S to cnaMc us to wait tor i» more lll^ourablc pi-riod to round Cape Horn. How far I may be light in my conjecture mull be decided by future trials, !)ijt I am very much dilpofed to bchc^e, tliat the tar we liad on board was of a bad quahty, and dellroycd not only the cojiper but iron, and was, in fomc degree, the caufe of our leak : fjr the copper, wherever it was paid with it, was become as thin as paper, and the copper-headed nails, as well as tii(;fc ol iron, liad received confulerablc injury. If n 4 h )uiic iQ. O.. the twenty-ninth we reached as far Northward as j^- 1 6- 50' South, and made the coall: (jf Peru ; on the thirtieth at noon wc were within a lew miles of the llaorc, and not feeing any ihips, we conceived our opinion of a war vith Spain was confirmed, and the only rational alternative left us, was to brave all the difficulties that wc experienced and was further threatened with; and force ourfclves as foon as poflible out of them, by lofing no time in getting round the Cape into the Atlantic ; this being determined we took our departure for England, As we ftretched to the Southward, the wind hung more to the Eaftward of South, than on the former part of our voyage. When irii n; VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. When we w"c in Latitude zy, a very fingular circum- ftancc happenci}, which as it fprcad fomc alarm among my people, and awakened their luperltitious apprehenfions, I fliall beg leave to mention. About eight o'clock in the evening an animal rofe along-llde the flaip, and uttered I'ueh flirieks and tones of lamentation fo like thole produced by the female human voice, when cxprefilng the deepell dillrefs, as to occafion no fmall degree of alarm among thofc who firfc heard it. Thefe cries continued for upwards of three hours, and feemed to encreafe as the fhip failed frorw it : I conjc^lurcd it to be a female feal that had loft its cub, or a cub that had loft its dam ; but I never heard any noife ^vhatcver that approached fo near thofe founds which proceed from the organs of utterance in the human fpecies. The crew conliderrd this as another evil omen, and the difficulties of our iituation were fufficient, without the additional inconvenience of thefe accidental events, to caufc any temporary deprelTion of thofe fpirits which were fo necelVary to meet the diftreffes we might be obliged to encounter. As wc failed up tlic coaft of Chill and Peru, from the Latitude 38- wSuuth, wc never had oecailon to reef trom the llrenuth of the wind; while the barometer, from that Y Latitude^ 16^ 1794. ;i At ' Vi :i I70 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS, 3794. Latitude, ftood niollly at 2()-q, and the thermometer at 60, rifmg gradually till in the Latitude of r 30' South, till it reached yz; but in the evening, it was generally belo\v lummer heat in England. Along the whole ot'this coalt, the dews were \ cry heaA y during the night : and in proportion as thcv were heavier, the fucceeding day w as more or lefs clear. At the lull and change of the moon we perceived no dew. which appeared to be iupplied by an licavy dri/./ling rain and mirty weather. The morning, evening, and night, were always cloudy, but the middle of the day was generally clear, fo that I feldom enjoyed a dillincl view of the Cordileras des Andes. The .'.niftlnels of the early part of the dav, proceeded from the iun rifmg behind the Andes, and the clearnefs of the noon was oceafioned by the fun, which had then over-topped the mountains; but I am yet to learn the caufe of the ha/.inefs of the evening. i The current- on thiscoaft are \ery irregular. I tried them feveral times, and found that they fet as often one way as the other, and generally from half a mile to two miles an hour. The iet, may at all times be difeovered by obfer\ini: the diredion of lartre beds of fnudl blubber, with which this coall abound ^, and from whence the water deri\es t '11 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. derives a colour like that of blood ; I have fomctimcs been engaged for an whole day in paffing through the various fcts of them. ^7i 1794- The fifli, common to this coaft, are dolphins, and all thofe w hich inhabit tropical Latitudes ; and in calm nights, there arc flxn large flioals of fmall fi(h which have the appearance of breakers. Of turtle, we faw none till we were North of Lima, they were of that kind called the lojrger- head, and North of the Eqviator we found the hump-backed fpecics on the furface of the water in great numbers. We frequently took out of the feals and porpoifes large quantities of fquid, which is the food of the fpermaceti whales, and at times we faw many devil-fifli and fun-fifh, the latter of which prt)ved an agreeable and wholefomc addition to our daily fare. All the birds which are ufually feen at fea in fmiihvr Latitudes are to be found on this coalL There are alio the Port Kgmont hen and albatrofs, which arc generally fuppofeil to be the conftaut inhabitants of colder climates. i. -'i- 1794. u- VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. We lometimcs paiTed great numbers of fmall birds, lying dead on the water ; a circuinftancc tor which I am not able to afllgn a probable conjerture. The greateil number of pelicans appeared off Lobas le Mar, and if that place fliould be their conftant rcfort, they will, in thick weather, deter- mine the vicinity of the ifland. I tried for foundings, in many parts of the coaih at the diftancc of live and fix leagues from the Ihore, but could not obtain any bottom with one huiidred and fifty fathoms of line. In thick weather, however, when you draw near land, large quantities of lea-weed will appear, and birds, in great numbers, fitting on the water. Seals are no certain criterion for Ix ;ng near the Ihore; as I have often feen them, at the dillance of an hundred and fifty leagues from land, lleepmg in great numbers on the furtacc of the water, with the tail and one fin out of it, fo as to offer the appearance of a crooked billet. On any part of the coalt i >' Chili, or I'eru, a fealing voyage might be made with great profpect of fuccefs, as well as at the Ifles ot Saint Felix and Saint Ambrofe. Ill our palTage down the coaft of Chili, we had South Eall and Eallerly winds, witli variable, but in general plcafant 1^1 i VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. i^^ plcafant "vveather, accompanied with occafional fhowers. 1794. In Latitude ^^"^ South, the wind Southerd on us and the next dav veered to the Well, and continued nnoftly between the Weft and North till we got into 47"^ South. It would (bmetimcs blow, for a lew hours, between the Weft and South Weft, but ne\er continued. In the Latitudes of 48" and 49", the winds were light for forty-eight hours in the South Ealt quarter, witli a ftrong Soutlicrly current. On the twcnty-fixth of Jul) , in Latitude 48^ South, the j^jy ^6 coaft of Chill prefentcd to us a range of high mountains covered with fnow. We had now frequent fliowcrs of rain, hail and fnow, and, on the firft of Auguft, doubled Cape Augnft 1 Horn at the dilbince of fifteen Leagues. During the ivhole of the TKiflage, the weather w as not, by many degrees, fo bad as we had apjirehendcd, and was much better than that wc had experienced when \\c came from Europe. When we had rounded tlic Cape, and had advanced to the North, the weather improved every hour. In the Latitude 49°, the wind blew for twenty-four hours in the South Eaft quarter, wldi dclightlul weather. Our fpirits as may be fuppofcd, were greatly chcared by fuch a favourable i.- f 174 V0YAG2 TO THE SOUTH SEAS. i* u ' 1 :» ■.. i 1 'fi J I 'f, if P- ! '"94- favourable pafTagc, and were in a ftatc to be enlivened by the fea-birds v^ho flew twittering around us. During the fucccedlng twenty-four hours, the winds varied from North Welt to North Eall, and became at laft very changeable. The pall hour we were hurried along by a ftrong gale, and the next at rell in a dead calm. At noon our Latitude was 47" 30', Longitude 48- 40', with a very heavy irregular fea, in which the Ihip greatly laboured : This lalled, however, but for a few moments, when an heavy gale from the South Welt fprang up, which was accompanied with rain, hail and Ihow. Under reefed fore-fail, and clofe-reefed main-top-fail, all the lail we could carry, we lliaped our courle, on the nearelt angle, to Saint Helena, but before midnight, the fea rofe to a prodigious height, broke on board of us, and ItoAc in the dead lights, filled the after part of the lliip with water, rendered ufclcjs a chronometer, a fextant, and deilroycd charts and drawings that I had been feven months employed in completing : alfo damaged every thing in the cabin. We ioon, however, fixed and fecured temporary dead lights, and pumped out the water, but lome of the mifchief done \Nas irreparable. When n^v VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 175 When ^vc were at our grcatell Southern Latitude, the 1794. thermometer ftood at 4^-5, and the barometer was never lower than 28-8-0. In the hill; gale, the thermometer Hood at 38-5, and barometer 28-7-6, which was the lowell point to which it lunk during the voyage. Between the Latitude 53^ and 40-' South, and Longi- tude 59- and 38'-' Weft, we liiw large bodies of fea- wecd, and great numbers of birds : and on the eleventh of Auguft, we croiled near the fuppofed Auguil n, fituation of the Iflc Grande. At this time my velfcl was almoft a wreck, very fliort of provifions, and what remained in a very bad ftate, to which may be added an hurricane of w ind and the w inter feafon : circumftances that, I truft, will be a fufficient excufe for mv not renewing my fcarch of it as I had intended. The wind remained in the South Weft quarter, during fne days, at which period our Latitude was ^^'- 45', and Longitude 31 • 22' Weft, when we had light and variable winds. On the eighteenth of Auguft, at noon, the Latitude being is. ^^y 41', the wind fettled in the North Eaft quarter, and blew a freih breeze foi four davs, but on the fucceedinii four, it varied round the compafs, with frequent rain. By the / . ^'' lyQ VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS, ir94- the laft day of An gull, in Latitude 19°, the wind inclined to, and continued in„ the Eaft and bouth t.alt quarter. IH I i Sept. I, On the firlt of September, at Noon, ^vc made the Illand of Saint Helena, after a pafTage of one month from Cape Horn. At this time I had no more tluui two of my crew, who were afflidcd by the Scurvy, and the ilime number beginning to complain, which was not fo much owing to the length of the Voyage as to their own want of ere and cleanlinefs after getting out of tlie South Seas and n-ver fhifting their wet clothes. The difeafe feized them in a manner very dilfcrent from any appearance of this diforder which I had yet ieen: they were principally affeded in their hips firft, and tlicn down their legs. We had one man indeed, who was literally panic-ftruek by the appearance and cries of the feal in the Pacific Ocean; if we liad remained twenty-four hours at fi-a, he would not have recovered, CHAP VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. // CHAPTER XI. FROM ISLE SAINT HELENA TO ENGLAND. A 1794- T ten in the morning of the Iccond of September, Sept. 2. wc anchored in James's Bay, Saint Helena, and found riding there, an outward-bound Eaft-Indiaman, and an American brig, from the Cape of Good Hope to Bofton. I waited on the Governor who received mc with great poUtcnefs, and gave me a general invitation to his houle. The fame civiUty I alfo received from the Lieutenant Governor, and was offered a fupply of every thing I rvantcd from the Company's Stores. I now became acquainted with the war between Great Britain and France; but it was very vmcertain when a convoy would arrive, I determined therefore, as my vcffel was a very fnic failer, to make my ftay here as fhort as poffible; and accordingly, Z 1^^ 178 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. Sen'^n ^y *^'^ thirteenth, the Governor having made up his packet, we failed for Enghmd i:^ perfeifl health. 2J. sS. On the twenty-third of September, being in Latitude 4" 38' 9" North, and Longitude 23° 22' Well, the wind varied to the Weftward; and on the twenty-eighth, in Latitude 24° 22' North, and Longitude 24" 3' Weft, it got to the Northward of Weft, and continued to be variable between the North Eaft and North, North Weft to South W^eft. From this time we had very changeable, fqually oaober 11. ai^^ thick weather till we made land. On the eleventh of 0(5lober, the head of our mizcn-maft was gone; and on 15- the fifteenth, in a fquall, the head of the main-maft fprung. On approaching the Western illes we houl'cd the boats, knocked down the try works, and frcfh painted the ftiip in order to afliimc as much as poftible the appearance of a man of war. We faw fcveral fail, between this arrange- ment and our making laad, but did our utmoft to avoid them. ^i Nov. I. O'l the ftrft of November, we made the Eddyftone Light-houfe, and after reaching as high as wc could, wc hove to Dartmouth and font the letters on ftiorc. In the courfc of the night wc reached Portland; and ftood off and on I: VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. »;9 on tor day-light, when wc ran up and anchored in Cowcs 1794. road, Ifle of Wight. This voyage occupied twenty-two months, and after doubhng Cape Horn we met only with one Englifli and two Spanilli Ihips in the Pacific Ocean; nor did wc touch at any known port but the Rio Janeiro in going out, and Saint Helena on our return home. It is not the leaft of my fatisfaftions to mention, that except the lofs of one man by an unforefeen accident, the whole of the crew coufifling only of twenty-five men and boys, were prcfervcd during this long, fatiguing and perilous voyage. FINIS. ( W ). J , ^> I I "iSSf 'I t I I ..-'*? ,^t^ s "S«s:;: B^ii fiA m A ^ •N -^ -^ ^ a 'ii « ? ^ ,^ -^ ^ i * ?• i ^i c •Il i ^ 5. ■^ -» \ ^ i 5 s ■I s <; -4 >S •3- ■i c ■1 ■J 9 ^ ■i -^ •5 ^ 4 4 "I •i ^ '4 e ^ > ^ ■5 < c "^ 1 4 i ST 5 l- a •^ s i 4* ^ --; « ^ f ^ "t V ij s' ■\ < c* a ^ \ 1 'jp »<. il it 5-6 .PL; &: v: f i r << *:i»ii S § .^^ F^'';'K - H i » = S s 5 £ =* i: ■~ a I ;-; ■§ ;; s ■§ p ./" it M ' I » 1 nil Su/c . Olui , ;/'/( //t/CAyir/j J /////',/, Ajvy?/ '"■>iit I'liri cur I Vlil fi(>l.ftt\f llf i-iii In st'pen I' (iii({ tf'am I /(// t/u- Fis/i li (i l/lf /hi/ h.'llow ,)f co/t 'iiiil f>\ liu/irii ■'I i/ic /cwt/J fii'iif i/kat tutn •'iliii- W/ia/t's t. 'tir/,s ,)/' 'liiilis i/onr h\ I hi .lin/nnfrt Pit Y s a/r i: ii , or S p a: r m a c f.t i W ii vle . /// '// /// )A>//r/'w/y/ f>//f /v//fy/ f>// ///r ( rr/.f/ f>/ ( ///.tYfr', Aiioiisl I7f)'>- and hoisted ill i)ii Deck. 1 ■ — — .^. — — S.;ilc <.r I'.ot \ lui-t ot'thf /fititi contiiinint/ tn/iiui OU \%/iu/i i.( (U^vcikI uit/i a black incinhruitc. Vt. f/it Siwiif At'/f »/tii/i mnv fu>n.:oiifti/h n/v/u/ tftc nil .Ui/f . (uui i.f (i/s<' stpcnittJ /n t/it sti/ut Aiiu/ ot'intin/>i\i/n . 77i i/onfi/f /iutw.is r<>iti/l.r //itiAr t'/it /////■/'('// r/u- /"is/) fuotiucis, of'n/iu/i t/w ittftiuf is about out' IS ihrd . W\. Part ot'thf fftmlnhicb ot'/anfi- IVhaltv btiiu; too bi4/k\ iii J poiuii-roiis to t>< boisttd on botini.ir siispatJtui in tactUv ant/ t/w ^r,>iii />ai-l ciifotf'nf liiworibfd t/ms, amt t/u (Ul baibti oiitwitb bticArts; bnt in snia// l\'ti,:/t\f, t/ubcati if i/iiittft/ at t/tc tion/>/i/inf Moii i^f^ uul fioi.ftiit iipiui ifioA . □□ ll'/iiTi' t/it' tatA/<.i- h/y tot}iflni oi hook'd . D llbar tiutai Ales ait first hookiuLwhiob is oallttl raisintf a ^ '■•ii>;-, fiiint/ t/iiis stiiulittl in l/n tacAlis t/if lii,tti is //i ibe /ioil\ uit/i lont/ Ati/it/letl Aran Sftuiis, tuf tlie Wliale is bi've loiinJ br f/ie tatA/es tAe fat f>cfls li iiiul it'iini .i'eti is i>n ibe risin I't'/iit. V.^l smaller , — , I 'un Ibe lisA is AlineAitil, or />eebii ' 'i /be liiil beiui/ of no iii/iie. ^ II. Ibe l.'ar, ubieb /.V reina.f;ob;\ small in />roportion n> tAe botlv. tis if alsotbe Aire troin u Aie/i a 'i.'ILm or eoni'tire line nin.f lolAe ti>reptir( ol'tAe Aetut tAie A'vts beintf /^'loininent enables tbein to pursue tAiir AWv in a tlireet line , iii'l In ineliuf/hJ tbe betul a littA < itAer to tbe rit/At or left to see tbeir eneinv ti stern, tbe\ have i>ul\ one ron i>t' TetiAiuAieA are « ///( lower Jiiu with sooAeis in ibe upper one to reivive tAtvn , tbe nu/n/'erth/wntls on tbe lU/e ot'iAe A'ifA. tAe Am tr Jtin is a solitl itiiif lAat iiarroiis nearh to a point tuitl eb'ses iimler ibe u/>per. nben tAev spout, tAiv tbroir tbe utiter ftVwanif ami not iipwanls like •'ilirr Hbtiles t.ite/'t uben lAev an eurat/otl, fAei alsi> spout in<>re ientiuue bnupr umler water. Ibe tail is ht'ri:ontppt'rtunit\- ofmaA-im/. 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