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 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND 
 
 MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID 
 
nyvo'n . 
 
 AN ACCOUNT 
 
 OF THE MOST 
 
 REMARKABLE VOYAGES, 
 
 FROM THE 
 
 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. 
 
 BY COLUMBUS, 
 
 TO THE PRESENT TIME. 
 
 LONDON : 
 WILLIAM DARTON AND SON, 
 
 IIOLBORN HILL. 
 MDCCCXXXI. 
 
 
London : 
 
 Printed by Littlewood and Co. 
 
 Old Bailey. 
 
TO THE 
 
 MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY 
 
 DIFFUSION OF USEFUL KNOWLEDGE, 
 
 ftf)is (LBovft 
 
 IS MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED 
 
 THE PUBLISHERS. 
 
A 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 A Compendious history of the principal 
 voyages which have contributed so essen- 
 tially to the advancement both of geographi- 
 cal and astronomical knowledge, arranged in 
 such a manner, as to introduce the juvenile 
 reader to a sufficient acquaintance with the 
 subject, to induce him, when arrived at ma- 
 turer years, to peruse with advantage the 
 more voluminous narratives which will sup- 
 ply full and minute details of the adventures 
 
 M318318 
 
Vlll PREFACE. 
 
 and enterprises of those to whose spirit, in- 
 telligence, and research, science and com- 
 merce are both so deeply indebted, has hi- 
 therto been wanting among the works that 
 have for their object the initiation of young 
 persons, who are presumed to have mastered 
 the ordinary elementary branches of educa- 
 tion, into the more extended fields of practical 
 information. 
 
 The present volume does not profess to com- 
 prise any but the most important and interest- 
 ing voyages ; and of these an outline is all that 
 can be given, within the limits prescribed to 
 the Editor. Care has, however, been taken 
 to make this outline sufficiently comprehen- 
 sive to familiarise the reader with the names 
 and characters of the most eminent naviga- 
 tors, and the objects of their researches, as 
 
PREFACE. IX 
 
 well as how far those objects have been ac- 
 complished, and others, not originally con- 
 templated, fortunately attained. 
 
 It being our avowed purpose to consider 
 more what may contribute to useful instruc- 
 tion, than to mere amusement, we have not 
 studied to impart to this volume much of a 
 biographical character. We have been more 
 anxious to embody discoveries, than to nar- 
 rate adventures ; the latter being frequently 
 calculated to contribute to a love of romantic 
 entertainment, rather than to imbue the 
 mind with solid and valuable knowledge. 
 Those portions of the accounts given by early 
 voyagers, which have subsequently been de- 
 monstrated to be decidedly fabulous and er- 
 roneous, have been entirely omitted ; and 
 where there appears reason to suspect exag- 
 
TREFACE. 
 
 geration or misrepresentation, the reader is 
 cautioned against giving implicit credit to 
 any thing that seems to rest upon doubtful 
 authority. The manner in which the differ- 
 ent voyages are classified, it will be perceived, 
 has in view the avoiding repetitions which 
 must inevitably occur where the same scenes 
 and places are concerned, and the introduc- 
 tion of which, in a work of this description, 
 would be useless and almost impracticable. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 It is in modern times alone that we mnst begin to 
 look for voyages of any extent or magnitude. The 
 navigation of the antients was limited to a few in- 
 land seas; or, at most, to venturing a short distance 
 from land upon the ocean. It is difficult to avoid 
 smiling, when we find the great Greek Poet speak- 
 ing of the Mediterranean, w 7 hich we are accustom- 
 ed to consider little more than a large gulph, as a 
 vast and almost boundless expanse of water, and 
 Horace representing the ocean, instead of being 
 designed for a medium of communication between 
 the inhabitants of different parts of the earth, as an 
 insurmountable barrier interposed by Providence 
 expressly for the purpose of dividing them from 
 one another, and which it was an impious and pre- 
 sumptuous action on the part of man to attempt 
 to violate. The necessary consequence of their 
 narrow range upon the seas was to render the 
 geographical knowledge possessed by the nations 
 of antiquity extremely deficient. With Europe, 
 except the extreme northern parts, they were tol- 
 
12 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 erably conversant ; of Asia their knowledge did 
 not extend beyond that portion of India which 
 formed the limits of the conquests of Alexander, 
 who, gazing upon the Eastern Ocean, is said, 
 while a stranger to more than half the globe, to 
 have wept at the mournful reflection that he had 
 no more worlds to subdue ! The northern regions 
 of Africa were known both to the Greeks and 
 Romans, but no other portion of that Continent. 
 Of the possible existence of America they had no 
 idea ; and they regarded the British islands as the 
 most remote portion of land existing to the west- 
 ward of Europe. In some of their maps, indeed, 
 countries, assumed to have been explored, were de- 
 lineated ; only exhibiting, however, a proof that the 
 designers had recourse to conjecture, with a view 
 to conceal their ignorance. 
 
 In fact, the antientswere absolutely incapable of 
 making extensive voyages or discoveries by sea, 
 from their gross deficiency in scientific knowledge. 
 They disagreed in their opinions as to the form, 
 dimensions, and motion of the earth ; and verv few 
 among them entertained correct ideas of these 
 important natural phenomena. Their acquaint- 
 ance with astronomy was restricted to the know- 
 ledge of the most conspicuous northern constella- 
 tions; and they were entire strangers to the nu- 
 merous instruments which have since been invented 
 for measuring the paths, distances and relative posi- 
 
INTRODUCTION . 1 3 
 
 tions of the heavenly bodies. By night, they could 
 only be guided in their course by observing the 
 situations of the stars, and he who was most ex- 
 pert in this species of knowledge obtained the 
 character of the most skilful navigator. We have, 
 in Virgil, a beautiful description of a judicious 
 pilot in those early days : — 
 
 "Placed at the helm he sate, and mark'd the skies, 
 Xor sunk in sleep his ever watchful eyes ; 
 There view'd the Pleiads and the Northern team, 
 And bright Orion's more refulgent beam, 
 Where to the northern axle of the sky, 
 The Bear, revolving, points his golden eye, 
 Who shines exalted on the ethereal plain, 
 Nor bathes his shining forehead in the main." 
 But little dependance could be placed upon 
 such guides. The uncertain lights on which they 
 relied, were often obscured when the atmosphere 
 was hazy or clouded ; and in tempestuous weather, 
 when their aid was particularly required, they were 
 almost sure to be hidden from the seaman's view. 
 Under such circumstances, it was impossible for the 
 mariner, with any regard to his own security, to 
 launch out upon the wide and trackless ocean. 
 Accordingly, till within the last four hundred years, 
 no vessel, unless driven by storms or stress of wea- 
 ther, ever ventured out of sight of land ; and if the 
 crew of a ship were once so situated as to have no 
 prospect but sea or sky, they usually despaired of 
 their safety. 
 
14 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The discovery of the mariner's compass removed 
 the obstacles to extended navigation under which 
 the antients had laboured. By its wonderful pro- 
 perty of always indicating with certainty the 
 northern point of the heavens, the modern sailor 
 became enabled to know his precise course and 
 situation at all times, whether of the day or night, 
 however the celestial bodies, the only means of 
 direction which the antients possessed, might be 
 hidden or overcast.* ■ Fortified by this powerful 
 auxiliary, the length or distance of a voyage ceas- 
 ed to be a source of alarm or impediment to sea- 
 men ; their ships fearlessly visited every navigable 
 part of the ocean ; and immense regions, hitherto 
 unknown, were unfolded to the adventurers. The 
 great advantages that have attended this surprising 
 
 * It mav, perhaps, be necessary to give our younger 
 readers some description of this invaluable resource of the 
 navigator. In the thirteenth century, it was discovered 
 that if a certain ore of iron, called a loadstone, was sus- 
 pended on a point, and allowed to turn at pleasure, it would 
 always point to the north. Provided, therefore, with one of 
 these magnets or loadstones, the seaman, by being enabled 
 to distinguish this point of the heavens, can pursue his 
 course without difficulty, because he can, at any time, ascer- 
 tain his position upon the sea. In ships, the loadstone, 
 or, as it is more commonly called, the magnetic needle, is 
 generally placed in a circular frame, which has the thirty- 
 two points of the compass marked upon it, and is covered 
 witli a «lass. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 1 5 
 
 discovery, have been elegantly enumerated by Sir 
 James Pye, the late Poet Laureate : — 
 
 " When from the bosom of the mine, 
 
 The magnet first to light was shewn, 
 Fair Commerce hailed the gift divine, 
 
 And, smiling, claimed it for her own. 
 ' My bark,' she said, 'this gem shall guide 
 Through paths of ocean yet untried; 
 While, as my daring sons esplore 
 The rude inhospitable shore 
 '31id desert sands and ruthless skies, 
 Xew seats of industry shall rise, 
 And culture wide extend his general reign, 
 Free as the ambient gale, and boundless as the main!" 
 
 In proceeding to notice the principal voyages 
 that have been performed since navigation obtained 
 this power of pursuing its course unrestricted, it 
 appears natural to commence with those round the 
 world ; not only on account of their greater mag- 
 nitude and duration, but because they have been 
 more eminently serviceable than any others, in the 
 improvement of science, and the extension of geo- 
 graphical discovery. 
 
 Of the arduous nature of such voyages some 
 idea may be formed, by considering that the cir- 
 cumference of the earth is nearly twenty-five 
 thousand miles, but a ship, being restricted to the 
 watery way, is obliged, even in fair weather, to de- 
 viate repeatedly from the direct track ; and, when 
 we add to this circumstance the numerous varia- 
 
16 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 tions from her course, forced upon her by tempests, 
 contrary winds, and the action of currents, it is 
 not an exaggeration to estimate that, in thus en- 
 compassing the globe, the persons engaged in the 
 task must traverse a distance amounting to at 
 least three times its actual circumference. Their 
 enterprises, too, first established, beyond doubt, 
 that the earth on which we live is really a sphere. 
 This fact was far from being generally admitted, 
 previously to the circumnavigation of the globe. 
 Some men of superior intelligence and science 
 were indeed convinced of it by reasoning and ob- 
 servation ; but they formed a small number in pro- 
 portion to those who not only differed from them 
 in opinion, but who even regarded a belief that the 
 earth was round, as opposed to scripture and reli- 
 gion. Many of the higher ranks of society, were 
 as unenlightened as the vulgar upon this point. 
 The voyage of Columbus was long delayed, be- 
 cause many of those whose patronage he solicited, 
 imagined that the result of his sailing continually 
 in a western direction would be, his at last arriving 
 at a point beyond which he could not proceed, and 
 his being compelled to return. All the doubts 
 that had existed upon this important subject were, 
 however, removed by the expedition of Magellan ; 
 with the history of which we propose to begin our 
 sketches of voyages. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Introduction . • • H 
 
 Voyages Round the World 17 
 
 Early Voyages to America 84 
 
 Voyages to India ...» 151 
 
 Voyages to the Arctic Regions 139 
 
 Voyages to the Western Coast of Africa 219 
 
 Colony of Sierra Leone %&T 
 
 Missionary Voyage 273 
 
 The British Colonies in America 278 
 
*^* The Editor wishes particularly to enforce upon 
 young persons the necessity of referring to maps in the 
 perusal of all accounts of Voyages and Travels. If this 
 be not done, none but vague and indistinct impressions 
 can possibly be left upon the mind. 
 
VOYAGES 
 
 ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 The first voyage round the world was performed 
 by the expedition under the command of Francis 
 Magellan, which sailed from Seville, in Spain, 
 in 1519. Columbus had commenced his memo- 
 rable voyage, which first made the inhabitants of 
 Europe acquainted with the great Western Con- 
 tinent, under the idea of circumnavigating the 
 globe, and finding a western passage to the Ea,st 
 Indies, but the highly important event of his dis- 
 covery of America prevented his completing his 
 original plan. The successful example of this 
 great man induced many adventurers to engage in 
 similar enterprises. One of the earliest and most 
 distinguished of these was Magellan. He was a 
 Portuguese by birth, and, in the first instance, he 
 offered his services to his own country ; but ex- 
 periencing neglect and repulse, he submitted his 
 project to the celebrated Charles the Fifth, the 
 reigning monarch of Spain, who readily entered 
 into Magellan's views, and appointed him to the 
 vol. i. c 
 
18 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 command of a small squadron of five ships. This 
 navigator cherished a belief that the western 
 passage to the Indies, in the search of which 
 Columbus had been so agreeably interrupted, was 
 still to be found, and that some strait or opening 
 must exist on the American coast, which would 
 conduct to the Indian Ocean. The court of 
 Spain naturally felt anxious for a discovery, which, 
 as the Pope had granted to the sovereign of that 
 kingdom all the countries that should be found 
 west of the Atlantic, promised, if any means could 
 be devised for reaching the Indies by a westward 
 course, a splendid accession of wealth and territory. 
 To prevent disaffection or disappointment, Ma- 
 gellan thought it prudent not to entrust his com- 
 panions with the secret of their real destination, 
 but contented himself with telling them in general 
 terms, that he was going in search of undiscovered 
 countries. They first steered for the Island of 
 TenerifFe, where they took in fresh provisions. 
 They then pursued their course, keeping along the 
 coast of Africa, till they had crossed the Equator, 
 when they bore westward, till they reached the 
 Bay of St. Luzia, in the north of Brazil. Here 
 they landed, and after a few days of friendly in- 
 tercourse with the natives, proceeded southward 
 as far as the mouth of the Rio Janeiro, where 
 the squadron came to anchor. Their appearance 
 created no small surprise to the inhabitants, who, 
 having never before seen any vessels, except their 
 own rude and simple canoes, believed the Euro- 
 pean ships to be living sea-monsters in motion. 
 However, when the landing of the Spaniards 
 quieted all alarms upon this subject, they were 
 
VOYAGES ROUXD THE WORLD. 19 
 
 very well received by the people of the country, 
 and a traffic commenced between the parties, 
 much to the advantage of the new visitors, who 
 received an abundance of excellent provisions and 
 refreshments, in exchange for articles, which, 
 though of the most trifling value, were eagerly 
 desired by the natives, on account of their novelty. 
 In one instance, six fine fowls were given in return 
 for a knave out of a pack of cards. Proceeding 
 along the South American Coast, the expedition 
 arrived at the mouth of the river La Plata, and 
 one of the ships was detached to discover whether 
 there was any passage through it to the opposite 
 side of the continent, but it was ascertained, after 
 sailing some way up it, that its course was north- 
 ward. 
 
 Continuing their voyage, the adventurers reached 
 the harbour of St. Julian, on the coast of Pata- 
 gonia. This country they found inhabited by a 
 gigantic race of savages, of fierce aspect, and 
 terrifying voices. According to the accounts 
 given of them by Magellan's followers, the usual 
 height of the Patagonians was from seven to eight 
 feet, and some subsequent voyagers have repre- 
 sented it as considerably more. One of them 
 who was induced to come on board the admiral's 
 ship, was of such a size, that a man of ordinary 
 stature only reached to his waist. The skin of 
 this savage was yellow, and his hair white. On 
 each cheek a stag's horn was painted, and large 
 circles round his eyes. His clothing was the skin 
 of some animal unknown to the Spaniards, and he 
 was armed with a bow, and arrows tipped with 
 sharp stones, instead of iron heads. He was much 
 
20 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 pleased with the treatment he received in the ship, 
 and enjoyed the novelty of the scene, till he hap- 
 pened to see his own image in a looking-glass, 
 which so terrified him, that he started back, and 
 overturned two of the crew, and it was some time 
 before he could recover from his fright. His visit 
 was succeeded by others from many of his coun- 
 trymen, who, notwithstanding their alarming ap- 
 pearance, shewed no signs of a hostile disposition, 
 till Magellan incensed them by an act of most 
 unwarrantable treachery. Wishing to convey some 
 of these giants to Europe as curiosities, he amused 
 two of them with toys, and, while doing this, 
 employed a stratagem to render their superior 
 strength unavailing, by putting iron shackles on 
 their legs, which they mistook for ornaments, and 
 were much pleased with their jingling sound, till 
 they discovered, by their inability to release them- 
 selves, that they were fettered and betrayed. This 
 piece of perfidy roused the resentment of the 
 natives, who killed one of a party of Spaniards on 
 shore, and, when the admiral sent a detachment 
 to attack the savages, and revenge the death of 
 the Spaniard, they baffled their pursuers, by re- 
 treating into the interior of the country. Such is 
 the substance of the description given of the in- 
 habitants of Patagonia, by the first discoverers of 
 that country, but there is no doubt that these 
 statements were of a very exaggerated kind. In- 
 deed it is difficult to attach implicit belief to the 
 assertions of persons who, not content with re- 
 lating stories of the almost incredible size and 
 stature of these savages, imputed to them, upon 
 mere conjecture, the worship of evil spirits, and 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 21 
 
 carried their love of the marvellous so far, as to 
 declare that they had witnessed horrible forms and 
 appearances, such as horned demons, with long 
 sha£2;v hair, throwing out flames of fire. This 
 disposition to depart from truth, and deal m 
 wonders, is unfortunately conspicuous in most of 
 the narratives of our very early voyagers. More 
 modern and authentic accounts depict the Pata- 
 gonians as a healthy robust race, and in general 
 exceeding the average height of Europeans, but 
 by no means possessing the gigantic strength and 
 stature which their first visitors thought proper to 
 attribute to them. 
 
 Magellan remained nearly five months at Port 
 Julian, during which time a mutiny broke out 
 among his men, who demanded a return to Europe, 
 and he was compelled to execute the captain of 
 one of his vessels, and to leave some other officers 
 on shore among the Patagonians. Having com- 
 pletely restored his people to obedience, he re- 
 sumed his voyage, and after proceeding along the 
 eastern shore of Patagonia as far as the fifty- 
 second degree of South latitude, the entrance to 
 the celebrated passage ever since known by the 
 name of the Straits of Magellan was discovered. 
 These famous Straits are about 110 leagues in 
 length, from east to west: the breadth varies con- 
 siderably, being in some places several leagues 
 over, in others not more than half a league from 
 shore to shore. As they approached the western 
 extremity, the prospect of the open main broke 
 distinctly upon the adventurers, and on the 28th 
 of November, 1520, Magellan entered the great 
 South Sea, being the first European who had ever 
 
22 VOYAGES HOUND THE WORLD. 
 
 sailed upon its waves. The admiral's joy at this 
 success was unbounded, for he had now proved 
 beyond all doubt the correctness of the opinion 
 that he had advanced, that it was possible to sail 
 to the East Indies by a westward passage from 
 Europe. His exultation was not, however, shared 
 by all his followers, for the captain of one of his 
 ships, which had become separated from the re- 
 mainder of the squadron, was made a prisoner by 
 the crew, who set sail on their return to Europe. 
 
 The calm and unruffled state of the wide ex- 
 panse of waters upon which Magellan had now 
 entered, induced him to bestow upon it the name 
 of the Pacific Ocean, which it has ever since 
 borne. The danger of tempests was, however, 
 almost the sole calamity from which the sailors 
 were here exempt, for they suffered almost innu- 
 merable hardships of other kinds. For three 
 months and twenty days after their passing through 
 the newly discovered Straits, they pursued their 
 voyage in a north-westerly direction, without once 
 having sight of land, with the exception of two 
 uninhabited islands, which afforded them no relief. 
 During part of this period, all their bread and 
 other provisions being consumed, they were at last 
 compelled to subsist upon dry skins and leather, 
 steeped in salt water to soften them sufficiently to 
 be chewed. Sickness, as a necessary consequence, 
 became prevalent among the crews, and many of 
 them died of famine and debility. 
 
 At length the Spaniards fell in with a cluster of 
 islands about thirteen degrees north of the Equator, 
 where they went on shore to refresh themselves 
 from the tedious fatigues and privations which 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 23 
 
 they had experienced. Their commander had in- 
 tended to make some stay for the purpose of ob- 
 taining provisions, and recruiting the strength of 
 his men ; but he was frustrated in his design by 
 the thievish character of the people, who neglect- 
 ed no opportunity of stealing every thing that 
 came within their reach, particularly articles 
 manufactured of iron. Magellan, therefore, found 
 it expedient to quit so undesirable a station, but 
 first, to punish the inhabitants for their thievish 
 propensities, he slew some of them, and burned 
 their houses. He likewise gave to these islands 
 the name of Ladrones, or Isles of Robbers, which 
 they still retain. With the exception of their 
 peculiar disposition to theft, the natives differed 
 little from the character of most other insular 
 savages. One of their opinions, however, deserves 
 to be recorded for its singularity. Till the arrival 
 of the Spaniards, they considered themselves the 
 only men in the world, being assured that the 
 first man was made of a piece of rock, taken from 
 one of their islands. Leaving the Ladrones, 
 Magellan visited several islands, which, though 
 mentioned by name in the journal of the voyage, 
 are not known to modern geography, but, judg- 
 ing from his course, he must have been princi- 
 pally navigating that part of the North Pacific, 
 including the Ladrones, and the Philippine Is- 
 lands. Most of these places were fertile, and 
 the inhabitants, whose dress and weapons, as well 
 as their ornaments and utensils, indicated some 
 degree of civilization, supplied the Spaniards very 
 hospitably with provisions. At one of the Philip- 
 pine Islands, called in the journal Zubut or Lubut, 
 
24 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 the people had the use of weights and measures, 
 and lived in houses of timber, with stories and 
 nights of stairs. Here, and at many other places, 
 Magellan erected crosses and professed to have 
 introduced Christianity; but when we reflect upon 
 his short stay, and the difficulties arising from a 
 difference of languages, there seems reason to 
 doubt the reality of the conversions. Not far 
 from Zubut, is an island called Mathan, at which 
 Magellan came to an untimely death. It was go- 
 verned by two kings, one of whom, who had re- 
 fused to pay tribute to the Spanish sovereign, 
 Magellan attempted to reduce by force of arms. 
 The admiral's whole strength amounted to only 
 sixty men in full armour, while that of the Indians 
 is said to have been some thousands. The battle, 
 however, continued doubtful till Magellan, having 
 advanced too far among the barbarians, was first 
 wounded by a poisoned arrow, and afterwards 
 thrust through the head with a lance. His troops 
 retreated upon the death of their commander, 
 whose body they wished to redeem, but the 
 islanders refused to part with it. In addition to 
 this calamity, the Spaniards experienced the loss 
 of several of their comrades, who were treacher- 
 ously murdered at a banquet, to which they had 
 been invited by one of the two kings of the island, 
 who had declared himself their ally, and had pre- 
 tended to embrace the Christian faith. Deterred 
 by the fate of their companions, and dreading lest 
 a similar one should befal themselves, the remain- 
 der of the adventurers, now reduced to the number 
 of one hundred and fifteen, hastily put to sea. 
 From the Philippines, they steered in search of 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 25 
 
 the Moluccas or Spice Islands, which Magellan, 
 before his decease, had ascertained to be not far 
 distant. These'islands, which were very valuable 
 in a commercial point of view, had been disco- 
 vered by the Portuguese about ten years before, 
 and to reach them by a westerly course from Eu- 
 rope, was one of the principal objects of this expe- 
 dition. In their course they stopped at the rich 
 and fertile island of Borneo, one of the largest in 
 the world, where they remained forty days to re- 
 pair their vessels, and take in supplies of fresh water. 
 They then proceeded directly to the Moluccas, at all 
 of which they anchored, and visited them in turn. 
 The inhabitants, who were composed of Pagans 
 and Mahometans, received the Spaniards in a 
 friendly manner, and the latter carried on a very 
 profitable traffic, during their stay among the na- 
 tives, by exchanging articles of European manu- 
 facture for cloves and other valuable spices. 
 Before leaving the Philippines, the voyagers had 
 been obliged to break up a ship of their squadron, 
 for the purpose of repairing the other two ; and 
 at the Moluccas it was discovered, that one of 
 the vessels so repaired, was unable to keep the sea. 
 The expedition, therefore, now consisted of only 
 one ship, called the Vittoria, with fifty-nine per- 
 sons in all on board, forty-six Spaniards, and thir- 
 teen Indians. This circumstance decided Juan 
 Sebastian, who had been elected their commander 
 at Borneo, to lose no time in steering his course 
 for Spain, especially as the chief aim of the expe- 
 dition had been accomplished. Passing to the 
 outside of Java and Sumatra, and fearing the hos- 
 tility of the Portuguese, who had settlements on 
 
26 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 the eastern coast of Africa, the Spaniards, with a 
 view to pass the Cape of Good Hope the more se- 
 curely, sailed several degrees to the south of it, 
 and were unfortunately obliged to wait seven 
 weeks for a wind. Many in consequence died, 
 and the rest became so distressed by hunger and 
 sickness, that they determined on risking an ap- 
 plication for relief at St. Jago, one of the Cape 
 Verd islands, belonging to the Portuguese. Their 
 necessities were supplied, but thirteen of their 
 party who went on shore were made prisoners, 
 upon which those in the vessel set sail with all 
 speed, and, without any further interruption, 
 reached the harbour of St. Lucar near Seville, 
 which they entered on the 7 th of September, 1522 ; 
 their numbers being now reduced to eighteen 
 persons only. This memorable voyage lasted three 
 years and twenty-seven days, during which time 
 those engaged in it had, according to their com- 
 putation, crossed the equator six times, and sailed 
 a distance of nearly fourteen thousand leagues. 
 
 The unfortunate fate of Magellan, though it 
 did not deprive his memory of the honour due to 
 his important discovery, left his successor, Sebas- 
 tian, in possession of the title of the first circum- 
 navigator. This commander was nobly rewarded 
 for his merit and resolution by Charles the Fifth, 
 who granted him a patent of nobility and 
 a magnificent pension ; and, to perpetuate the 
 memory of his achievement, he gave him for his 
 coat of arms, a terrestrial globe, with the motto 
 Primus me circumdedisti — Thou art the first 
 who hast gone round me. His comrades were 
 likewise treated with distinction, and, instead of 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WOULD. 27 
 
 receiving only one-twentieth part of the profits of 
 the voyage, as had been agreed upon before they 
 sailed, the emperor directed the whole of their 
 cargo, which was very valuable, to be distributed 
 among them. 
 
 The expectation of reaching India by a less cir- 
 cuitous route, than sailing down the Atlantic and 
 doubling the Cape of Good Hope, was not realis- 
 ed by the expedition of Magellan : the entrance 
 which he found into the Pacific Ocean, being si- 
 tuated so far to the southward, that his track was 
 more tedious than the ordinary passage. His voy- 
 age was, however, one of great utility in many other 
 respects. This circumnavigation was the first 
 practical evidence of the spherical figure of the 
 earth ; the communication between the two oceans 
 was in itself a valuable discovery ; and, though the 
 journal of the voyage abounds with errors in its 
 geographical calculations, it served as a guide to 
 those who came after Magellan, to obtain a far 
 more intimate acquaintance with the numerous 
 islands in the Southern and Indian seas, than had 
 previously been enjoyed. 
 
 The inaccuracies in this respect of early navi- 
 gators, cannot be a matter of surprise : on the 
 contrary, it is to be wondered at, that they should 
 not have occurred much more frequently. They had, 
 it is true, the compass, and were acquainted with 
 a method of ascertaining their latitude with tolera- 
 ble correctness, but they were strangers to any mode 
 of finding true longitude at sea; and the numerous 
 instruments which have been subsequently in- 
 vented to facilitate navigation, were utterly un- 
 known to them. They had, likewise, other diffi- 
 
28 VOYAGES ROUXD THE WORLD. 
 
 culties to encounter, with which the sailor is not 
 called upon to contend in the present day. Ship- 
 building was then in a very backward state, and 
 their ships were in consequence of small dimen- 
 sions, clumsily constructed, badly fitted, and most 
 frequently poorly provisioned. Indeed the vessels 
 in which they sailed round the globe, would with 
 us be scarcely considered sea-worthy for a short 
 voyage. We cannot, therefore, sufficiently admire 
 the courageous and enterprising spirit of men who 
 were not to be deterred from the pursuit of their 
 object by any of these various obstacles. 
 
 A period of nearly sixty years had elapsed from 
 the time of Magellan, without the appearance of 
 another circumnavigator, when the celebrated 
 Sir Francis Drake adventured on a similar 
 enterprise, which he accomplished with equal suc- 
 cess. The character of this great man, and the 
 important services that he rendered to his country 
 under all changes and revolutions of government, 
 are known to every one who is acquainted with 
 English history. Drake had, at a very early pe- 
 riod of life, established a high reputation for 
 bravery and seamanship ; and having served in the 
 West Indies against the Spaniards, he conceived 
 the project of cruising against them on the coast 
 of Chili and Peru, which opulent possessions of 
 Spain no English vessel had yet visited. To the 
 prospect of obtaining immense wealth which such 
 an undertaking offered, was added the inducement 
 of distinguishing himself as the second circum- 
 navigator, by returning home round the Cape of 
 Good Hope. His character soon procured him a 
 sufficient number of volunteers to share in his en- 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 29 
 
 terprise, and on the 15th of November, 1577, he 
 sailed from Plymouth Sound, with a squadron of five 
 ships ; but in consequence of a violent storm, he 
 was obliged to put back to repair the damage he 
 had sustained. Having done this, he once more 
 set sail, on the 13th of December, in the same 
 year, giving out that his destination was Alexan- 
 dria, by which means he obviated the suspicions 
 of the court of Spain, which might have taken 
 measures to obstruct his real views. From the same 
 dread of being interrupted by any hostile force in 
 the early part of his voyage which might interfere 
 with its ultimate success, he kept out to sea as 
 far as possible, till he reached the island of Moga- 
 dore, off the coast of Morocco, where one of his 
 men was treacherously made prisoner, but, on the 
 Moors learning from their captive that the squad- 
 ron was English, they released him. The admiral 
 proceeded to Cape Blanco, where he landed his 
 men, and drilled them for some days, to qualify 
 them for land as well as sea service. He then 
 steered for the Cape Verd Islands, and at one of 
 them, called Mayo, the seamen supplied them- 
 selves with provisions, and afterwards visited the 
 island, named Fuego, or the Burning Island, on 
 account of its having a volcano on the north side, 
 from which smoke and flame continually issue. 
 Crossing the equator, the crew discovered the 
 coast of Brazil, where one of the ships was sepa- 
 rated from the squadron in a heavy storm, but re- 
 joined the others two days after, off a cape to 
 which the admiral gave, from that circumstance, 
 the name of Cape Joy. Here the voyagers found 
 excellent anchorage, and on landing, the country 
 
30 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 proved very fertile, but they saw no inhabitants 
 except herds of deer, though they noticed the 
 traces of human feet in the sand. Having taken 
 in water, they sailed for the Rio de la Plata, but 
 being disappointed in their expectations of find- 
 ing a good harbour, they again put out to sea, 
 and a little farther south, came to a bay, in which 
 were several islands stocked with seals and fowls, 
 and abounding with fresh water, which they found 
 very acceptable. The natives were kind and 
 friendly, and willingly bartered with the sailors. 
 Sailing hence, they anchored in port St. Julian, 
 where the admiral going on shore with six seamen, 
 some of the natives slew the gunner, whose death 
 Drake avenged, by killing the murderer with his 
 own hand. Here, too, he executed one of the 
 sailors, who had attempted the commander's life. 
 Three days after leaving port St. Julian, they fell 
 in with the Strait of Magellan, and passed through 
 it, though not without hazard and difficulty, in 
 ten days. The passage is represented as very 
 dangerous on account of its numerous and intricate 
 turnings and windings, and the great depth of the 
 sea, which renders it extremely difficult to obtain 
 anchorage. 
 
 On entering the Pacific Ocean, the squadron 
 steered for the coast of Chili, and met on their 
 way an Indian in a canoe, who, mistaking them 
 for Spaniards, told them that there was a large 
 ship at St. Jago, laden for Peru. Of this intel- 
 ligence the admiral did not fail to avail himself. 
 They surprised and took possession of the vessel, 
 and afterwards landing, plundered the town, the 
 inhabitants of which had fled for safety. The 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 31 
 
 booty thus obtained, amounted to 37,000 ducats, 
 besides a great store of valuable articles. Conti- 
 nuing their course, the adventurers put into the 
 harbour of Coquimbo, on the northern coast of 
 Chili. The Spaniards here attacked in consider- 
 able force a small detachment of the admiral's 
 men who had gone on shore for water, and killed 
 one sailer, before the party could get back to the 
 ship. But on another occasion they were more 
 successful, not only procuring water, but a consi- 
 derable quantity of silver, which they took from 
 some individuals whom they found unguarded. 
 They also, after leaving Coquimbo, plundered 
 three small barks laden with silver. They then 
 shaped their course for Lima, the capital of Peru, 
 and, on entering the port, found twelve ships at 
 anchor with no one in them. They took out of 
 these the most valuable part of the cargo, and in 
 their way to Panama, made two other wealthy 
 captures. 
 
 Having thus enriched himself, and his compa- 
 nions, and revenged upon the Spaniards the inju- 
 ries which the English had frequently sustained at 
 their hands, Drake began to think of returning 
 home, but was in doubt as to the course he should 
 choose. To return by the Strait of Magellan, 
 would be to throw himself into the hands of the 
 Spaniards, with whom he could not have contest- 
 ed successfully, as he had only one ship, though 
 with a very rich cargo, remaining of the five with 
 which he left England. The journal of the voy- 
 age only mentions the loss of one of the squadron 
 after passing the Strait of Magellan ; but it is pro- 
 bable that the other three vessels had been des- 
 
32 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 troyed to reinforce the crew of the admiral's ship, 
 which had suffered from the diseases incident to 
 long voyages. At length he resolved on returning 
 by the way of the Moluccas and the Cape of 
 Good Hope. But being becalmed, he found it 
 necessary to steer 600 leagues northward, along 
 the American coast, in hopes to get a wind, and 
 finding the cold intolerably severe in the latitude 
 he had reached, he returned southward some de- 
 grees till he came to a bay, now called Port San 
 Francisco. Here the sailors found a very good 
 haven, and had a great deal of intercourse with 
 the natives, who treated them with great kindness. 
 The climate is extremely cold, but the inhabitants 
 guarded themselves in great measure against its 
 severity by the mode of building their huts. These 
 they surrounded with a deep trench, raising great 
 pieces of timber on the outer edge, which closed in 
 a point at the top, like the spire of a steeple. 
 Their fire is in the middle of the hut, and they sleep 
 round it on beds of rushes strewed on the ground. 
 In addition to the honour of discovering the 
 country, which he named New Albion, but which 
 is now called California, Drake, in his journal, 
 claims that of having been invested with the sove- 
 reignty of it by the native king. This story is too 
 improbable to be credited, and was most likely in- 
 vented to justify the conquest of the newly found 
 territory by the English, should they, at any fu- 
 ture period, be disposed to make the attempt. 
 
 Sailing from California, the admiral reached the 
 Ladrone Islands, and, pursuing nearly the same 
 course as Magellan had previously done, arrived 
 at the Moluccas. Thence he proceeded to Java, 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 33 
 
 where he and his crew were received with great 
 hospitality and kindness. They found the natives 
 a warlike people, and very ingenious in the ma- 
 nufacture of swords, daggers, and targets. Here 
 the commander received intelligence of some large 
 ships being at no great distance, and not thinking 
 it prudent to risk falling in with them, as he did 
 not know whether they might prove friends or 
 enemies, he sailed directly from Java, for the 
 Cape of Good Hope, and found, contrary to the 
 representations of the Portuguese, who wished to 
 prevent other nations from sharing the advantages 
 of their traffic in the East Indies, the navigation 
 round that promontory neither difficult nor dan- 
 gerous. At Sierra Leone, he touched, to take in 
 wood, water, and refreshments, and then, shaping 
 his course straight for England, arrived at Ply- 
 mouth, on the 26th of September, 1580, after an 
 absence of two years, nine months, and thirteen 
 days. 
 
 Drake, on his return, was received by the great 
 body of his countrymen, with the utmost enthu- 
 siasm ; and they appeared to vie with each other 
 in their praises of his gallantry and good fortune. 
 Persons were, however, found (some jealous of his 
 success, and others in the Spanish interest), who 
 represented his voyage as one of avarice, and not 
 of discovery, and as being an unjustifiable attack 
 on the possessions of Spain, when no war had been 
 formally proclaimed against that power. The 
 Spanish ambassador, as may be imagined, joined 
 loudly in these complaints, and demanded an in- 
 demnity from the English government for the 
 losses sustained by his nation, in consequence of 
 
 VOL. I. d 
 
34 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 Drake's expedition. The admiral's friends, on the 
 contrary, asserted that he had the queen's autho- 
 rity for what he had done, that he had only reta- 
 liated the injuries done by the Spaniards, and 
 that to restore the treasure he had brought home, 
 would be cruel and unjust to the brave men by 
 whose blood and labour it had been acquired. 
 Queen Elizabeth, wishing to gain time for prepa- 
 ration against the threatened hostility of Spain, 
 amused the ambassador with excuses, and con- 
 cealed her real intentions, till about six months 
 after Drake's return, when she visited him on board 
 his ship at Deptford, warmly complimented his 
 services, and conferred upon him the honour of 
 knighthood. 
 
 In our notices of succeeding circumnavigators, 
 it will be necessary to confine ourselves to the 
 most distinguished, and only to introduce such 
 circumstances of their adventures as were pe- 
 culiar to the parties engaged in them, instructive 
 in their nature, and of general and lasting interest. 
 It would be inconsistent with the plan of this vo- 
 lume to repeat descriptions of the same scenes 
 and places, or to give anecdotes void of informa- 
 tion, and to most persons in the present day, of 
 amusement likewise. More space has been given 
 to the adventures of Magellan and Drake ; to the 
 former, because his voyage was the first enterprise 
 of the kind ever attempted ; and to the latter, be- 
 cause his expedition, besides stimulating many 
 other individuals to nautical exploits, laid the 
 foundation of that mode of warfare, which, under 
 the name of buccaneering, produced such harass- 
 ing and destructive effects to the Spanish settle- 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 35 
 
 merits in the West Indies, and on the coast of 
 America. 
 
 Of the Buccaneers it may be right to give a 
 brief account. They were first formed of the few 
 natives who had escaped with their lives from the 
 savage cruelties committed by the Spaniards in 
 the islands of Cuba and St. Domingo. The con- 
 dition of these people rendered them ripe for any 
 undertaking, and their numbers were gradually 
 strengthened by the accession of adventurers 
 of different countries, particularly English and 
 French. Some of their allies joined these fugitives, 
 from pity for their sufferings and indignation 
 against their oppressors ; others were invited by the 
 field for plunder which the riches of the Spaniards 
 opened to their view. Thus reinforced, the once 
 hunted victims became the assailants of their 
 former persecutors ; and their numbers increasing 
 with their success, they attempted achievements, 
 apparently impracticable, with a desperate and 
 almost incredible valour which almost invariably 
 attained its object, and made their very name a 
 terror to their enemies. At length the Buccaneers 
 no longer confined their hostility to their ancient 
 foes, the Spaniards, but attacked and plundered the 
 ships of other nations. These audacious violations 
 of justice drew upon them general resentment; and 
 at a period when England and Holland were in 
 alliance with Spain, a combined fleet belonging to 
 the two former powers attacked the main force of 
 the Buccaneers, who were returning from the 
 sacking of Carthagena, and extirpated these brave 
 but lawless warriors, after a triumphant career of 
 nearly one hundred and fifty years. 
 
36 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 There is no doubt that the manner in which the 
 Spaniards had been weakened and terrified by the 
 exploits of Drake, laid them open to the first ef- 
 fective united attacks of the Buccaneers, whose 
 system was an extension of that adopted by the 
 English Admiral. The expedition of the latter, 
 making every allowance for the character of the 
 times in which he lived, must be considered a 
 piratical one ; for, to constitute himself the avenger 
 of the wrongs which he conceived his country to 
 have experienced from a nation against which his 
 government had not declared war, was an act not 
 to be justified ; and to plunder the property of that 
 nation for his own private gain was a much great- 
 er transgression of the rules of lawful warfare. 
 But the sanction of his sovereign and the signal 
 success which had attended his efforts, made his 
 countrymen view his conduct in a very different 
 light ; and the desire of rivalling him in riches and 
 reputation inspired numbers of all ranks with an 
 inclination to try their fortunes at sea. Men of 
 rank and wealth fitted out ships at their own ex- 
 pense and manned them with their dependents, 
 while others in lower situations hazarded their 
 persons as subalterns on board these ships, or in 
 men of war. Stimulated by the example of Drake, 
 they were not likely to act upon different principles, 
 and the behaviour of many of these adventurers 
 was not always regulated by honour and honesty. 
 
 Among the numerous contemporaries that fol- 
 lowed in the track of Drake one of the most dis- 
 tinguished was Sir Thomas Cavendish, who 
 also ranks as a circumnavigator. His squadron 
 consisted of only two ships, equipped at his own 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 37 
 
 expense. In his voyage, he visited Patagonia, 
 where he describes the stature of the people to 
 have been about seven feet, and mentions that one 
 of their feet measured eighteen inches. Caven- 
 dish and his companions had to encounter the 
 usual difficulties in passing the Straits of Magel- 
 lan ; and wherever they landed on the western coast 
 of America, they were obliged to be continually 
 on their guard against the Spaniards, whose vigi- 
 lance had been excited by the disasters they had 
 experienced at the hands of Drake. Near Con- 
 ception, a sea-port of Chili, they were attacked by 
 the enemy, whom they succeeded in defeating, 
 though with a loss that their small numbers could 
 ill afford to sustain. At Paita, Cavendish landed, 
 attacked and burned the town, and brought off a 
 considerable booty. He also routed the Spaniards in 
 several adjoining places, and did considerable mis- 
 chief to their settlements. Pursuing his voyage, 
 he came within four leagues of the Mexican shore; 
 and continuing his course along the western coast 
 of North America, he had the good fortune to 
 take a new Spanish ship mounting 120 guns, but 
 without her proper complement of men. A still 
 richer prize awaited him in the capture of the 
 Santa Anna bound from the Philippines to Acapul- 
 co, which was compelled to surrender, after a 
 short but severe engagement. She carried, besides 
 a vast quantity of gold, a cargo of rich silks, 
 satins, damask, musk, and other spices to an im- 
 mense amount ; besides a plentiful stock of pro- 
 visions which was most welcome to Cavendish's 
 crew. Enriched by this booty, a return to England 
 was resolved upon, to which they were the more 
 
38 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 induced by having lost one of their ships, which 
 parted company from them, and was never seen 
 again. They touched, in their course homeward, 
 at St. Helena, to take on board the necessaries 
 which they wanted ; and in their way from that 
 island to England, met with a Flemish vessel, from 
 Lisbon, which communicated to them the joyful 
 intelligence of the total defeat of the Spanish Ar- 
 mada. They arived safely at Plymouth, after an 
 absence of a little more than two years ; and not 
 long- after their return, the commander, who had 
 previously been a private gentleman, was knighted 
 by Queen Elizabeth. Sir Thomas Cavendish's 
 voyage was more distinguished for its warlike 
 triumphs, than for its additions to the national 
 stock of geographical information. It was com- 
 menced in 1586, and concluded in 1588. 
 
 The voyage of Oliver Van Noort round 
 the world, which was undertaken about ten years 
 after the return of Cavendish, deserves some 
 notice, as being the first of the kind attempted by 
 the Dutch. They were much impoverished by the 
 expenses of the long war which had enabled them 
 to throw off the yoke of Spain ; and they hoped 
 to establish a commercial intercourse with the East 
 and West Indies, by which they might at once 
 obtain wealth themselves, and weaken the resour- 
 ces of their inveterate enemy. Van Noort devi- 
 ated a little in his course from those who had 
 preceded him ; and his expedition was principally 
 distinguished by his frequent encounters with the 
 Spaniards. In one of these, Van Noort's small 
 vessels were obliged to engage two large Spanish 
 ships from Manilla, with an advantage in numbers 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. <3y 
 
 on the part of the latter of nearly ten to one. At 
 one time the Dutch were so sorely pressed, that 
 their commander threatened to blow up his ship 
 with all her crew, if they did not fight better, and 
 succeed in beating off the Spaniards. This me- 
 nace had the desired effect ; the Spaniards were 
 defeated with the loss of some hundreds of men, 
 and one of their vessels was sunk. But the lo«s 
 of the Dutch was so severe, that their number of 
 effective hands was reduced to thirty-five. A very 
 affecting incident is mentioned in the journal of 
 this voyage. On an island, near a promontory 
 named Cape Nassau, the Dutch sailors observed 
 some savages, who shook their weapons at them 
 in token of defiance. The sailors, resenting this 
 conduct, landed, and pursued the natives to a cave, 
 the opening of which was obstinately defended, 
 every man of the resisting party dying on the spot. 
 On the Dutch entering the cave, they found the 
 wives and children of the unfortunate savages ; and 
 the poor women, expecting instant death, covered 
 their infants with their bodies, resolving to meet 
 their fate in that posture. The invaders, however, 
 only took away four boys and two girls, who were 
 carried on board the ship. The men who could thus 
 tear away children from their widowed mothers may 
 have been entitled to the praise of courage ; but it 
 is impossible not to detest their inhumanity. Van 
 Noort's vovagre was commenced in 1598, and con- 
 eluded in 1601. 
 
 The voyage of the circumnavigators, Le Maire 
 and Schoutex, which was begun in 1615 and 
 completed in 1617, demands some notice, on ac- 
 count of a highly important discovery which re- 
 
40 VOYAGES ROUND THE "WORLD. 
 
 suited from it. At this period, the passage of the 
 Straits of Magellan was forbidden by the govern- 
 ment of the United Provinces to all their subjects, 
 except the Dutch East India Company. This 
 prohibition gave great offence to many rich mer- 
 chants in Holland; and a belief having long existed 
 that to the South of the Straits of Magellan, 
 either the open sea, or some passage leading into 
 the Pacific Ocean could be found, the discontented 
 parties, a company of merchants, who had the 
 greatest interest in a discovery which, if successful, 
 would open to them the trade to India, resolved 
 upon making the experiment, and the conduct of 
 the expedition fitted out for that purpose was given 
 to Schouten and Le Maire. Their enterprize was 
 crowned with full success. After sailing about 
 twenty leagues to the south of the Straits of Ma- 
 gellan, they discovered in the South East of Terra 
 del Fuego, another island to which they gave the 
 name of Statenland, and between which and the 
 former there was a channel, about eight miles 
 in breadth. Into this they entered, and going 
 round a Cape to which they gave the name of 
 Cape Horn, at the southern extremity of Terra del 
 Fuego ; and, changing their course to the north- 
 ward, they, in a short time, plainly discerned the 
 western mouth of the Straits of Magellan ; so that 
 they now felt a joyful certainty that they had ac- 
 complished the object of discovering a new passage 
 from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. On the 
 channel between Terra del Fuego and Statenland, 
 they bestowed the name of the Straits of Le Maire. 
 To their labours, succeeding navigators have been 
 greatly indebted, as the dangerous and intricate 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 41 
 
 passage through the Straits of Magellan is now 
 completely avoided by doubling Cape Horn. But 
 the treatment experienced by the unfortunate dis- 
 coverers was most unworthy of their merits. On 
 arriving at Batavia, the commander's ship was 
 seized and condemned, on the pretence that the 
 rights of the Dutch East India Company had been 
 violated ; and the officers and crew were put. on 
 board other vessels to be conveyed to Europe. This 
 base conduct so affected Le Maire, that he died of 
 grief on his passage home. 
 
 In 1683, Captain William Dampier, an 
 eminent navigator, of a very singular character, 
 commenced his voyage round the world. Dampier 
 was early initiated into a seafaring life, and when 
 not more than twenty-three years of age, being at 
 Campeachy, he got acquainted with some Buc- 
 caneers, who gave him an inclination for their 
 mode of life, in which he was afterwards much 
 engaged. It is however but just to mention, that 
 at an after-period, he felt considerable shame and 
 regret for having permitted himself to form so dis- 
 reputable a connexion. He was present at the 
 plundering of Porto Bello by the Buccaneers, as 
 well as at their unsuccessful attack upon Panama, 
 and many other affairs in which they were engag- 
 ed ; and in his circumnavigation of the globe, he 
 associated himself with one John Cooke, who had 
 been particularly distinguished among those free- 
 booters. During his voyage, Dampier was repeat- 
 edly engaged in affairs with the Spaniards. In 
 some of these he was latterly unfortunate, and very 
 serious discontents, in consequence, broke out among 
 those under his command ; so much so that two of 
 
42 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 his principal officers quitted him, the one seizing 
 upon the ship's tender, and the other upon a small 
 Spanish vessel which had been taken. The last 
 hope of Dampier, and those who remained with 
 him, was the great Manilla ship from the East 
 Indies, which, if they should have the good fortune 
 to capture her, would make them amends for all 
 their previous hardships and disappointments. 
 After waiting on the look-out some time, they suc- 
 ceeded in intercepting her ; and their first broad- 
 side taking the Spaniard by surprise, they appeared 
 likely to make a prize of her ; but a quarrel arose 
 in Dampier's ship whether it would be preferable 
 to board their antagonists or not, and the enemy 
 having time to recover, completely repulsed the 
 assailants with great loss. This last disappointment 
 compelled Dampier to hasten his return to England, 
 and to give up further thoughts of hostile opera- 
 tions. Though his voyage was not distinguished 
 by any remarkable discoveries, he displayed great 
 research ; and in his visits to the Philippines and 
 other neighbouring islands in the Indian seas, ob- 
 tained much new and interesting information res- 
 pecting the productions of the soil, and the manners, 
 customs, and character of the inhabitants. 
 
 An expedition of a privateering character, under 
 the command of Captain Woodes Rogers, 
 which added another name to the list of circum- 
 navigators, was fitted out, in the year 1708, at the 
 expense of some gentlemen of Bristol. Captain 
 Rogers and his companions experienced considerable 
 hardships and difficulties, inseparable from such un- 
 dertakings, and the safety of the squadron was more 
 than once endangered by projects of mutiny. They 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 43 
 
 had various conflicts with the enemy, both by sea 
 and land, by which they realized prize-money and 
 booty to a great amount. Their voyage was not 
 however distinguished by any particularly striking 
 incident, with the exception of the discovery of a 
 sailor who had passed more than four years upon 
 an uninhabited island. The circumstances of that 
 event were so extremely interesting, that a full de- 
 tail of them cannot fail to afford pleasure to the 
 reader. 
 
 On their approaching Juan Fernandez, a small 
 island off the western coast of Chili, the pinnace 
 was sent off in search of provisions, and to find a 
 convenient place for the ships to anchor. As soon 
 as it was dark, a fire was observed on the island, 
 which was thought to proceed from French vessels 
 at anchor, which deterred those in the pinnace from 
 landing. On their return, the ships were ordered 
 to prepare for an engagement. The next day, they 
 stood in to the land, still expecting an enemy ; but, 
 to their pleasing surprise, found all clear. On this, 
 an officer and seven men well armed were sent on 
 shore; and some time elapsing without their return- 
 ing, the commander began to fear that the Spaniards 
 might have a garrison there, which had made them 
 prisoners. Towards evening, however, the men that 
 had been detached returned, bringing with them 
 abundance of cray-fish, and a man clothed in 
 goat-skins, who appeared wilder than the animals 
 to whom he was indebted for his garments. This 
 man had been four years and four months on the 
 island, on which he had been left by Captain 
 Stradling, who commanded one of the vessels 
 belonging to Dampier's expedition. He said that 
 
44 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 his name was Alexander Selkirk, that he was a 
 native of Scotland, and had been bred a sailor from 
 his youth. It was he that had made the fire when 
 he saw the ship, which he imagined to be English. 
 During his abode on the island, he had seen several 
 ships pass by, which only came to an anchor. 
 Perceiving them to be Spaniards, he retired, and, 
 on their firing at him, escaped into the woods. 
 Had they been French, he would have surren- 
 dered to them, but he preferred dying in the 
 island to falling into the hands of the Span- 
 iards, as he was persuaded they would have mur- 
 dered him or made him a slave in their mines. He 
 had been left in the island on account of a dispute 
 betwixt himself and the captain ; and the ship 
 being at the same time leaky, he at first was will- 
 ing to stay there ; and when he afterwards changed 
 his mind, the captain refused to receive him. He 
 had his clothes and his bedding left with him, to- 
 gether with a firelock, some bullets, powder, and 
 tobacco, a few books, and his mathematical instru- 
 ments. For the first eight months he was extreme- 
 ly melancholy, and found, his solitary situation 
 almost intolerable. He built two huts of the 
 pimento wood which grew upon the island ; in 
 one of these he cooked his victuals, and slept in 
 the other, the same wood, which burned very clear, 
 serving him both for fire and candle. For some 
 time, he found it difficult to eat, having neither 
 bread nor salt. By degrees, however, he became 
 able, without these, to relish cray-fish, which he 
 sometimes boiled and sometimes broiled, as well 
 as the goats' flesh, of which he likewise made very 
 good broth. He killed above five hundred of these 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 45 
 
 animals and caught many more, which he let go 
 again, after marking them on the ear. When his 
 stock of powder was exhausted, he took them by 
 out-running them ; for, by his continual exercise, he 
 had become incredibly swift, as a proof of which, 
 when some of the nimblest runners in Captain 
 Rogers' ships, together with a bull-dog, were sent 
 to assist him in catching goats, he distanced and 
 tired both men and dogs, catching the goats, and 
 bringing them on his back. After Selkirk had 
 been some time in the island, he was fortunate 
 enough to find plenty of good turnips, which had 
 been sown there by Captain Dampier's men ; he 
 likewise procured cabbage, and seasoned his meat 
 with a kind of pepper, which he obtained from the 
 fruit of the pimento tree. His clothes and shoes 
 were soon worn out : the former he replaced by a 
 coat and a cap of goat's skin, sewed together with 
 small thongs of the same material, which he cut 
 with his knife, with a nail for a needle. Out of some 
 linen in his possession, he likewise made some shirts 
 in a similar manner. As for his feet, they speed- 
 ily became so hard, that he could run any where 
 without difficulty ; and it was some time after he 
 was found, before he could wear shoes again, for 
 having been so long unused to them, his feet swell- 
 ed when he first put them on. He was at first 
 much pestered with rats, which gnawed his clothes 
 and feet while he was sleeping; but from this 
 nuisance he freed himself by cherishing some cats, 
 bred from those left ashore by different ships, 
 which soon became attached to him. He likewise 
 tamed some kids; and, to divert himself, would fre- 
 quently dance with them and his cats, and being 
 
46 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 in the very prime of youth, he was enabled to con- 
 quer all the inconveniences of his situation, and 
 he became, at length, reconciled to his fate. At 
 first going on board, he had so far forgot his own 
 language for want of use, that he could not speak 
 to be understood; but in two or three days, he 
 began to talk, and he then told the crew that hav- 
 ing been so long on the island, without any person 
 to converse with, he had quite lost the use of his 
 tongue. A dram was offered him, but having 
 drunk water so long, he would not taste it ; and it 
 was a considerable time before he could relish the 
 victuals in the ship. At the period of Selkirk's 
 being discovered, he was only thirty years of age. 
 
 It was on this extraordinary narrative, that the 
 history of Robinson Crusoe, one of the most en- 
 tertaining and popular works in the English 
 language was founded. Cowper has also written 
 a very elegant and affecting poem on the reflec- 
 tions of Selkirk in his solitude. 
 
 Passing over various intermediate circumna- 
 vigators, we proceed to notice the celebrated 
 voyage of Commodore Anson round the world. 
 In 1739, this country being then on the eve of a 
 war with Spain, the British government deter- 
 mined on dispatching a force to attack the enemy 
 in some of his most distant settlements, and thus 
 deprive him of the treasure on which he must rely 
 for carrying on the war. This force, consisting of 
 six vessels of war, and two provision ships, was 
 entrusted to the command of Mr. Anson, and 
 sailed from St. Helen's in the Isle of Wight, Sept. 
 18, 1740. The object of the expedition being 
 professedly warlike, it could not be expected to 
 
VOYAGES BOUND THE "WORLD. 47 
 
 prove very rich in discoveries, but the perils and 
 sufferings of those who performed it, and the 
 resolution with which their numerous trials were 
 combated, afford an admirable lesson of patience 
 and fortitude. They first shaped their course for 
 Madeira, and thence proceeded to St. Catherine's 
 Island off the southern coast of Brazil, where they 
 cast anchor on the 18th of November. During 
 this short period, disease had been so prevalent 
 among them, that on board the Centurion, the 
 commodore's ship alone, there were eighty sick ; 
 and the condition of the remainder of the 
 squadron was little better. Though tents were 
 erected for the invalids on shore, and every 
 attention paid to them, twenty-four of the crew of 
 the Centurion died during their stay at St. Ca- 
 therine's, and ninety-six were removed in a very 
 weak state. They had now to encounter the 
 voyage round Cape Horn, in which, at this ad- 
 vanced season of the year, they had every reason 
 to apprehend tempestuous weather. With a 
 view to secure a convenient place in the south sea 
 for his ships to careen and retit, the commodore 
 proposed to attack Valdivia, a seaport town on 
 the southern coast of Chili ; and, in the event of 
 anv of the vessels separating, he appointed the 
 island of Juan Fernandez as a place of rendezvous. 
 They passed through a great part of the Straits of 
 Le Maire very smoothly and rapidly ; but before 
 they reached the southern extremity, their fears 
 were more than realised. The wind shifted and 
 blew in violent squalls, and the tide turned furi- 
 ously against them, so that the two sternmost 
 vessels narrowly escaped being dashed to pieces 
 
48 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 on the shore of Statenland. For more than three 
 months from this time, their danger was extreme. 
 The continued succession of tempestuous weather 
 astonished the oldest seamen on board, who de- 
 clared that what they had been accustomed to 
 call storms, were trifling gales in comparison to 
 the violence of these winds, which raised waves 
 so high and precipitous, that had one of them 
 broke, it must, in all probability, have sent them 
 to the bottom. To aggravate their sufferings, the 
 scurvy broke out among them ; and, in the com- 
 modore's ship alone, carried off forty-three of the 
 crew in the month of April, and double that 
 number in May. 
 
 On the evening of the 24th of April, 1741, one 
 of these storms increased to a prodigious height, 
 and the weather became so thick, that the whole 
 squadron separated, and did not meet again, till 
 they reached the island of Juan Fernandez, where 
 the Centurion arrived on the 9th of June, in a 
 most deplorable and desponding condition ; their 
 first care was to erect tents for the reception of 
 the sick, several of whom died in the boats, on 
 being exposed to the fresh air. The island 
 abounds with vegetables, adapted to the cure of 
 the scurvy ; yet so inveterate was the disorder, that 
 its fury did not abate in less than twenty days 
 after landing; and, for the first ten or twelve days, 
 they buried six or seven persons daily. Among 
 the goats caught here, they found two or three 
 with their ears slit, which were probably some of 
 those that had been taken and set free again by 
 Selkirk. Perceiving heaps of fresh ashes, and 
 fish bones scattered on the shore, thev felt con- 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 49 
 
 vinced that the Spaniards had been very lately 
 on the island ; and as the Centurion, out of her 
 original compliment of four hundred men, had 
 now only thirty hands capable of doing duty, it 
 was desirable, in such an enfeebled state, to avoid 
 meeting an enemy of any force. After, there- 
 fore, cleansing the ship, which was in an extremely 
 loathsome state, they used all expedition in 
 laying in wood, water, and fresh provisions, to 
 enable them again to put out to sea. While at 
 Juan Fernandez, the Centurion was joined by 
 three other ships of the fleet, the Gloucester man 
 of war, the Trial sloop, and the Anna Pink pro- 
 vision ship. The last of these was soon after 
 found unfit for service, and her master and men 
 were sent on board the Gloucester. The remain- 
 ing vessels of the commodore's squadron never 
 rejoined him; two of them were parted from the 
 fleet off Cape Horn, and with difficulty reached 
 Europe, while the other was wrecked upon the 
 coast. The crews now distributed among the 
 three ships amounted in all to but 350 men, a 
 number not equal to that required to man the 
 Centurion alone properly, and barely sufficient to 
 work the vessels to which they were attached. 
 Soon after they quitted Juan Fernandez, they 
 were fortunate enough to take a Spanish mer- 
 chantman with a very rich cargo, and they made 
 a convenient addition to their force, by fitting her 
 out as a cruiser. This success was speedily fol- 
 lowed by several other valuable captures ; but, as a 
 drawback upon their good fortune, the Trial sloop 
 had become so leaky that she was obliged to be 
 scuttled and sunk. From a prisoner on board 
 
 VOL. I. E 
 
50 VOYAGES ROUND THE WOULD. 
 
 one of their prizes, the commodore learned that 
 at Paita there was a large sum of money in the 
 custom house, intended to be shipped on board a 
 vessel then in the harbour of that town, which was 
 to sail immediately to Mexico to purchase part of 
 the cargo of the Manilla ship. This intelligence 
 determined Anson to make an attack upon Paita, 
 which, if it should succeed, would ensure him im- 
 portant advantages ; as he would not only obtain 
 possession of this treasure, but would be enabled to 
 procure a supply of provisions, of which his men 
 were in great want, and it would also afford an 
 opportunity of setting the prisoners on shore, who 
 had now become so numerous that their consump- 
 tion of food was a serious evil. The commodore's 
 project was executed with equal promptitude, 
 resolution, and success. The Spaniards made a 
 very feeble defence, and Paita was taken by the 
 English in less than a quarter of an hour after 
 landing. Having sent the treasure, consisting of 
 all the money, and the most valuable things in 
 the place on board, together with boat-loads of 
 hogs, fowls, and other refreshments, they spiked 
 the cannon of the batteries and set fire to the 
 town. The hopes of the victors were still further 
 excited by the expectation of capturing the 
 Manilla ship*, which was known to be then on her 
 
 * This ship, of which mention has heen so frequently 
 made, was the large galleon that sailed yearly from the 
 Philippines, of which Manilla is the principal, laden with 
 gold and the rich produce of those islands to Acapulco, a 
 sea-port of New Spain situated on the South Sea, where 
 the cargo was landed, and thence transported to the city of 
 Mexico, the seat of the Spanish government. 
 
VOYAGES ROUXD THE WORLD. 51 
 
 way to Acapulco. For nearly a month, however, 
 they were harassed with contrary winds, heavy 
 rains, and dead calms, till they began to despair 
 of intercepting their wished-for prize. At length, 
 however, a favourable change revived their hopes, 
 and they continued in the Pacific and Indian 
 oceans on the look-out for her for a period of 
 more than sixteen months, during which they visited 
 the Ladrones and other islands in those seas. In the 
 meantime, the Gloucester had become in such a 
 bad condition, that they were obliged to clear her 
 of her crew and cargo, and set her on fire ; so 
 that the Centurion alone remained of the seven 
 vessels that had originally set sail with the commo- 
 dore from England. Nor was this their only calamitv. 
 One night in September, when it was exceedingly 
 dark, the Centurion lying off the island of Tinian, 
 the wind blew from the east with such fury, that 
 those on board despaired of riding out the storm. 
 Most of the crew, together with the commander, 
 who was ill of the scurvy, were at this time on 
 shore, and the only hope of safety for those in the 
 ship was to put immediately to sea ; for as no 
 boat could possibly live the storm, all communica- 
 tion with the island was destroyed. A heavy gust 
 of wind attended with rain, soon drove them out 
 to sea, wholly unprepared to struggle with the 
 winds and waves, and expecting every moment to 
 prove their last. It was not till day-break that 
 those on shore discovered that the ship was miss- 
 ing; they then concluded her lost, and begged 
 the commander to send the boat round the island 
 to look for the wreck. He, however, prevented 
 them from giving way to despondency, by point- 
 
 e 2 
 
52 VOYAGES HOUND THE WORLD. 
 
 ing out to them that a Spanish bark, one of their 
 prizes, might be fitted and repaired in such a 
 manner, as to convey them all safely to China. 
 They immediately went to work, and after sur- 
 mounting a variety of obstacles, put the bark into 
 a state tit for their purpose, but were happily 
 spared the necessity of using her, by the unex- 
 pected and welcome return of the Centurion, after 
 being buffetted about by the waves. On leaving the 
 Ladrones, they shaped their course for China, 
 and reached the harbour of Macao, at the entrance 
 of the bay of Canton. Here they remained 
 some months, recruiting their strength and spirits, 
 being plentifully supplied with provisions. At 
 length, on the 9th of April, 1743, they again stood 
 to sea, and on the 31st of May came in sight of 
 Cape Espiritu Santo, the north-east point of 
 Samar, one of the Philippine Islands. Off the 
 Cape they kept cruising till the 20th of June, 
 when, at sunrise, they beheld to their great joy 
 the long expected Manilla ship heave in sight. It. 
 was not expected that she would give battle to an 
 English man of war, but this was a mistaken idea; 
 for she bore gallantly down upon the Centurion, 
 nor did she surrender till after a desperate 
 engagement of an hour and a half, in which the 
 Spaniards lost 67 men killed, and 84 wounded. 
 The value of the prize was upwards of four hun- 
 dred thousand pounds. The exultation, however, 
 which the victors felt at the accomplishment of 
 their wishes, after such repeated disappointments, 
 threatened to prove of short duration ; for no 
 sooner had the galleon struck, than one of the 
 lieutenants came to Mr. Anson, and whispered to 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 53 
 
 him, that his own ship was dangerously on fire 
 near the powder room. The commander, pru- 
 dently forbearing to create any alarm, gave the 
 necessary orders for extinguishing the fire, which 
 was soon got under, notwithstanding its fearful 
 situation. He then returned with his prize 
 to the bay of Canton, in which he anchored; and 
 while remaining there, he, with his people, rendered 
 considerable service in putting out a very alarming 
 fire in the city. Nothing remarkable occurred to 
 the Centurion from the period of Commodore 
 Anson's capturing the galleon, to that of his 
 return to England, where he arrived on the 15th 
 of June, 1744, after a most eventful voyage of 
 nearly four years. 
 
 The commencement of the reign of George the 
 Third was distinguished by several voyages round 
 the globe. They were generally performed by ex- 
 peditions fitted out at the express command of 
 that Sovereign, for the purpose of prosecuting dis- 
 coveries in the South Seas, which appeared to ad- 
 mit of being considerably extended. Most of the 
 circumnavigators previous to this period had, after 
 passing through the strait of Magellan, directed 
 their course northward, along the western coast of 
 South America, till they had crossed the equator, 
 when they proceeded westward towards the Lad- 
 rones or Philippines. The southern part of the 
 Pacific Ocean had thus continued unexplored, and 
 little doubt could exist that much land still undis- 
 covered would be found in that vast tract of waters 
 which had not hitherto been navigated. The first 
 voyage, having for its object the obtaining a better 
 knowledge of the South Seas, was undertaken by 
 
54 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 Commodore Byron in the year 1764. The Com- 
 modore, with two vessels under his command, 
 pursued Anson's track pretty closely, till he enter- 
 ed Magellan's strait, when he steered for Falkland's 
 Islands, which had been discovered as early as the 
 year 1592, but to which he first gave their present 
 name. Proceeding thence, the seamen arrived at 
 a cluster of islands, which by their appearance, pro- 
 mised good anchorage and refreshment ; but upon 
 nearing the shore, and sending out the boats, no 
 landing-place could be found, from which circum- 
 stance they bestowed upon their discovery the name 
 of the Island of Disappointment. The natives 
 too evinced a hostile disposition, and attempted 
 to attack the ships' crews with stones, but speed- 
 ily dispersed at the firing of a single gun. Soon 
 after, they discovered to the south of these islands 
 two others to which they gave the name of King 
 George's Islands, and farther west two more which 
 they named after the Prince of Wales and the 
 Duke of York. The beauty and apparent fertility 
 of the soil at these islands exceeded any thing 
 that they had seen ; but the rocks and breakers 
 constituted an insuperable obstacle to landing. 
 They then steered northward, with a view to 
 cross the Equinoctial line, and proceed to the 
 Ladrones. In their way they discovered a low 
 flat island, to which they gave the name of Byron's 
 Island, in honour of their commander. It was 
 well wooded, and seemed extremely populous. 
 The appearance of the inhabitants was very pre- 
 possessing ; but they did not improve upon acquaint- 
 ance, being so much addicted to theft, that, 
 though the island abounded in cocoa-nut trees, 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 55 
 
 %vhen some nuts were shewn them by the Commo- 
 dore's men, and signs made that more were want- 
 ed, they endeavoured to steal those that were put 
 before them, instead of directing where others 
 could be obtained. On reaching the Ladrones, 
 Byron and his companions anchored south-west of 
 Tinian in the same situation which Anson had 
 occupied with the Centurion ; and they were much 
 struck with the uncommon clearness of the water, 
 which was such, that, though 144 feet deep they 
 could see the ground. Sickness now began to prevail 
 among the crews, and they were glad to have an 
 opportunity of landing those who were ill, and ob- 
 taining fresh provision, the want of which had in 
 great measure contributed to the progress of dis- 
 ease. The invalids being at length tolerably re- 
 covered, the Commodore returned through the 
 straits of Sunda, and by the way of the Cape of 
 Good Hope, to England, having completed a voy- 
 age round the world in a little more than two-and- 
 twenty months, a shorter period of time than that 
 in which it had been performed by any of his pre- 
 decessors. 
 
 Though Byron's discoveries were neither numer- 
 ous nor important, they were such as to justify a 
 belief that they might be successfully prosecuted 
 to a greater extent. Accordingly, a very short 
 time had elapsed after the return of Commodore 
 Byron to England, when Captain Wallis was 
 appointed to the command of a similar expedition. 
 The Dolphin, the vessel in which Byron had per- 
 formed his voyage, was given to Captain Wallis ; 
 and he was accompanied by Captain Car- 
 teret, commander of the Swallow sloop of war, 
 
56 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 who had previously circumnavigated the globe 
 with Byron. The two vessels, together with a 
 store-ship, sailed from Plymouth on the 22nd of 
 August 1766 ; but, on the 11th of April following, 
 the Dolphin lost sight of the Swallow in the 
 Strait of Magellan, and did not meet again during 
 the whole voyage. The passage of Captain Wallis 
 through this strait was one of the most difficult 
 and tedious ever experienced, occupying very 
 nearly four months. Pursuing his course, Wallis 
 discovered several detached islands, and also the 
 groups called the Hebrides and Queen Charlotte's 
 Islands. To the eastward of these, he found a 
 very large island, which he named in honour of 
 his sovereign, King George the Third's Island, but 
 which is now known as Otaheite. His reception 
 here, and his intercourse with the natives, form the 
 most striking incidents of Wallis's voyage. The 
 Captain anchored off it, at some distance from the 
 shore, in a very thick fog, which no sooner cleared 
 away than he found his ship surrounded by hun- 
 dreds of canoes filled with people. At first they 
 appeared to manifest a very friendly disposition, 
 and exchanged provisions for nails and toys ; but 
 their conduct was soon altered. The boats of the 
 Dolphin being sent to sound along the coast were 
 followed by large double canoes, three of which 
 ran at the cutter and considerably damaged her ; 
 the Indians armed with clubs, at the same time 
 endeavouring to board her. The crew of the cut- 
 ter in consequence fired, killed one man and 
 wounded another ; and the consternation thus 
 excited among the assailants, who were ignorant 
 of the nature and use of fire-arms, made them sus- 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 57 
 
 pend any more hostilities for the present. But two 
 days after, a number of very large canoes loaded 
 with stones advanced ; and as soon as the person 
 who appeared to be their leader had thrown a branch 
 of the cocoa-nut tree, which was probably the 
 signal for the onset, into the air, a general shout 
 was instantly set up, and the canoes, approaching 
 the Dolphin, threw volleys of stones into every 
 part of her. The crew discharged their muskets ; 
 and two guns, loaded with small shot, were fired : 
 but the number of Indians round the ship now 
 amounted to full two thousand, and thousands 
 more were seen on the shore, embarking as fast as 
 possible, so that, though at first disconcerted, they 
 speedily renewed the attack. It was therefore 
 found necessary to fire the cannon, some of which 
 were brought to bear upon the shore ; but even this 
 checked the natives only for a very short time. 
 They soon recovered their spirits, and the scattered 
 canoes again collecting, advanced with great de- 
 termination, and threw stones of two pounds 
 weight from slings, wounding several of the sea- 
 men. But a gun being levelled at a canoe that had 
 approached the bow of the ship, and in which was 
 one of the native chiefs, the shot split it in two 
 pieces ; and the terror produced by this circum- 
 stance put an end to the contest, for the canoes 
 immediately rowed off with all speed, and the peo- 
 ple on shore ran and sought shelter behind the 
 hills. A watering party was sent on land the next 
 day under the command of a lieutenant ; but the 
 natives seized their casks, and, attempting to 
 take advantage of the reduced crew of the ship, 
 approached her in a large body of canoes loaded 
 
58 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 with bags full of stones. Captain Wallis per- 
 ceiving that forbearance was useless, fired into the 
 middle of their fleet, which instantly dispersed ; 
 and he likewise directed some guns towards a hill 
 on which some thousands of the natives were 
 stationed. Two cannon-balls fell among them, 
 which so terrified the people, who had imagined 
 themselves completely out of the reach of danger, 
 that they desisted entirely from future attacks, and 
 in a short course of time, became quite familiar 
 with the English and even attached to them, being 
 convinced that no aggression or injury had been 
 intended by their new visiters. The sailors were 
 amply supplied with provisions, and carried on a 
 brisk traffic with the islanders. The Queen also 
 paid the Captain a visit on board the Dolphin, and, 
 after accepting some presents from him, graciously 
 invited him to come and see her on shore the fol- 
 lowing day. He was received with great politeness 
 and cordiality, and the attentions which he ex- 
 perienced convinced him that the Otaheitans, 
 though determined in their resistance to what they 
 had deemed a hostile invasion, were possessed 
 of much more amiable qualities and a greater 
 degree of civilization than most of the South Sea 
 islanders whom the Captain had hitherto visited. 
 The dress, particularly of the females, was taste- 
 ful and elegant ; and the natives exhibited cloth 
 of their own manufacture, of very fine texture. 
 They gradually became so attached to the English 
 that the separation was a matter of regret on both 
 sides, and the Queen, who had pressed Captain 
 Wallis to prolong his stay, was so affected at his 
 departure that she shed tears. In his voyage to 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 59 
 
 the Ladrones from Otaheite, the Captain discover- 
 ed several islands, but generally speaking, of little 
 magnitude or importance. To these he gave 
 respectively the names of Duke of York's Island, 
 Saunders's, Lord Howe's, KeppePs, Boscawen's, 
 and Wallis's Island ; and between Tinian and Ma- 
 lacca, he found three other Islands, which he 
 called Sandy Isle, Small Key, and Long Island. 
 Captain Wallis reached the Downs in safety on 
 the 20th of May, 1768, having completed his 
 voyage in less than a year and nine months. Cap- 
 tain Carteret reached England with the Swallow 
 on the 20th of March following. He had experi- 
 enced great hardships after parting company with 
 the Dolphin ; and his crew were so diminished by 
 sickness, that there were hardly hands sufficient 
 to navigate the vessel. He visited Juan Fernan- 
 dez in his course, and found a Spanish garrison and 
 fort established upon the previously uninha- 
 bited island. Carteret touched at several islands 
 that had been discovered by Wallis, and likewise 
 found many small ones which had not been visit- 
 ed by the latter. About the same time with Cap- 
 tains Wallis and Carteret, De Bougainville 
 performed his voyage round the world. He was 
 above two years and four months in completing 
 it, and had the singular good fortune to bury only 
 seven of his crew during the whole of that period ; 
 a circumstance which seems almost incredible, 
 when we consider the variety of dangers that he 
 and his companions had encountered, and the 
 amazing changes of climate that they had expe- 
 rienced. 
 
 It was reserved, however, for Captain James 
 
GO VOYAGES ROUND THE "WORLD. 
 
 Cook to carry discovery in the South Seas to an 
 extent far eclipsing all that had been accomplished 
 by his predecessors. Of this celebrated man, who 
 commanded in three voyages of circumnavigation, 
 and established a reputation which must descend 
 to the most distant posterity, it would be unpar- 
 donable to omit giving some account. Cook was 
 born at Marston in Yorkshire, and was the son of 
 a day labourer. After receiving the common ru- 
 diments of English education, he was placed with 
 a shop-keeper; but his inclination for a seaman's 
 life prevailing, he articled himself for three years 
 to a ship-owner, and after completing the term 
 of his apprenticeship, he successively obtained 
 honourable situations in various king's ships, and 
 was present at several important events of the 
 war. Having given various proofs of his superior 
 nautical and astronomical knowledge, he was se- 
 lected in 1 768 to command the Endeavour, which 
 was sent out from England with some able astro- 
 nomers to observe a transit, or passage of Venus 
 over the sun, in some part of the South Sea. This 
 observation, which has proved of great service in 
 supplying many deficiencies in navigation, was 
 taken to great advantage at the island of Otaheite. 
 In the course of this voyage, Cook made many 
 extensive and important discoveries, of which we 
 shall have occasion to speak hereafter. On his 
 return to this country, he was promoted for his 
 services, and the narrative of his voyage excited 
 such great and general interest, that government 
 was induced to send the Captain on another voy- 
 age of discovery to the southern hemisphere, 
 which he performed to their entire satisfaction. 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE "WORLD. 61 
 
 Such was his care and judgment in the treatment 
 of his crew in this expedition, that, though absent 
 from England more than three years, his ship lost 
 but one man out of her whole complement. As a 
 proof of the estimation in which the Royal Society 
 held his merits, that learned body, on his return 
 from his second voyage, elected him one of their 
 members, and subsequently voted him a golden 
 medal. The government also bestowed upon him 
 valuable marks of favour. In 1776, he was de- 
 tached on a third expedition, in which he unfor- 
 tunately lost his life, being killed by the natives in 
 a tumult at Owhyhee, one of the Sandwich Islands, 
 on the 14th of February, 1779. 
 
 The discoveries of this distinguished navigator 
 were far too extensive to admit of minute or separ- 
 ate enumeration here ; and we must therefore con- 
 tent ourselves with giving a general idea of them. 
 We have seen that the South Sea had long been a 
 favourite field of enterprize to those who sought 
 wealth or distinction. It first became an object of 
 curiosity as the means of circumnavigating the 
 globe ; and afterwards of inquiry as to the means its 
 openings might afford of shortening or facilitating 
 many difficult or tedious navigations. Of this im- 
 mense ocean, which is upwardsof 1 1,000 miles long, 
 and 10,000 broad, the most striking peculiarity is 
 the incredible number of islands scattered over its 
 vast expanse, the greater part of which are not 
 found single or detached, but in large or varied 
 groups, or clusters. For our knowledge of these 
 islands we are mainly indebted to the researches of 
 Cook, and they form the most interesting part of 
 his discoveries. These islands go collectively 
 
62 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 under the name of Polynesia, and comprise the 
 space east of Australasia and the Philippines. 
 The largest of these groups are the Society Islands, 
 the Friendly Islands, the Marquesas, and the 
 Sandwich Islands, most of which, as well as 
 various others of inferior size and importance, 
 were first visited by Cook. To give a se- 
 parate description of each is out of the question. 
 But as the majority of the South Sea islanders 
 appear to form an entirely distinct race from any 
 other hitherto known of the human species, and 
 possess many features and customs in which most, 
 if not all of them, agree, it may be interesting 
 to give a general sketch of their character and 
 habits, combining the observations of Cook with 
 those of other navigators. In many respects, the 
 institutions found to exist among these people 
 evinced an approach to civilization, much greater 
 than that ordinarily met with among persons 
 whom we are accustomed to regard in the light of 
 savages, on account of their want of intercourse 
 with Europeans. In most of these islands the 
 government is an hereditary monarchy, united with 
 a feudal system, almost precisely resembling that 
 which existed throughout the greater part of Eu- 
 rope in the middle ages. The various districts 
 are under the controul of inferior chiefs, subject 
 indeed to the powers and order of the king, but 
 exercising an authority very nearly amounting to 
 an absolute and independent jurisdiction over 
 their immediate vassals. Rebellions against the 
 sovereign power, like those excited by the barons 
 of our own country against our early monarchs, 
 are by no means unfrequent : these insurrections 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 63 
 
 originate, sometimes in the ambition and influence 
 of some of the most powerful of these chiefs, but 
 oftener in oppressive and tyrannical conduct on the 
 part of the sovereign himself. When no such 
 causes of disaffection arise, the royal person is 
 held in as great veneration, and deemed as sacred, 
 as that of the most despotic sultans of Asia. He 
 has his peculiar attendants, his houses, his lands, 
 and his revenues. In addition to these privileges, 
 he may be said to have that of taking whatever 
 he chooses from his subjects ; for he has the power 
 of levying forced contributions, under the name of 
 benevolences, at discretion. On the same princi- 
 ple, too, which was acted upon in the feudal times, 
 the island chiefs are obliged to attend the king 
 when war breaks out, with all the fighting men at 
 their disposal, together with suitable supplies of 
 arms and provisions ; and when any naval expe- 
 dition against a neighbouring island is undertaken, 
 to furnish their contingent of canoes. The more 
 powerful chiefs, when disaffected or dissatisfied, 
 refuse to attend the king's summons on these 
 occasions, but the weaker ones rarely venture to 
 shew themselves equally refractory. Neither are 
 the inhabitants of these islands wanting in their 
 regular degrees of nobility. The next in rank to 
 the chiefs are their near relatives, or friends adopt- 
 ed in that character. These are entrusted with the 
 superintendance of the detached possessions of 
 the chiefs, and are permitted to appropriate the 
 produce to their own use, on condition of occa- 
 sionally contributing to their superior when he 
 stands in need of their assistance, and entertaining 
 him when he comes into their neighbourhood in 
 
64 VOYAGES ROUND THE "WORLD. 
 
 his tours or excursions. There are likewise other 
 individuals, servants or dependants to these inferior 
 nobility, each of whom is allowed some share or 
 interest in the produce of the soil. The power of 
 the chief extends to prohibiting even fishing along 
 his part of the sea-coast, except for his own use 
 and profit ; but, as fish forms a principal article of 
 consumption among the natives, this right is rare- 
 ly exercised. The lower orders are kind and 
 obliging, but their prevailing fault is indolence. 
 They are willing in the discharge of the labours 
 required of them, but not persevering or constant. 
 Their services are only due to those under whose 
 power they may be for the time, and they are at 
 liberty to change their chiefs and districts whenever 
 they feel disposed to do so. In this respect, their 
 condition differs materially from the state of vas- 
 salage which formerly existed throughout Europe, 
 and is still found in some parts of it. The inter- 
 course between the higher and the lower classes is 
 distinguished by much pleasingness of manners. 
 The respect and attachment which the latter evince 
 towards the former appear to result from habit, and 
 not from the influence of servile fear. The degree 
 of familiarity between the higher and the lower 
 classes almost amounts to companionship; and even 
 the king is never seen to treat the lowest of his 
 subjects, who are always allowed access to Iris per- 
 son, with any thing like haughtiness. One reason 
 of this apparent equality may be that the same 
 causes of jealousy or fear that induce a distance 
 between those of different stations elsewhere, do 
 not exist here, it being a very singular feature of 
 their institutions, that a man of low rank can never 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 65 
 
 by any virtue, valour, or talent, become a chief, 
 while the chief himself, even should he be deprived 
 of his district and command, retains all his former 
 rank and respect. The appearance of these 
 islanders is generally pleasing. Their natural com- 
 plexion is olive which is rendered still darker by 
 the frequent use of oil. The men are well formed 
 and athletic, and, in most instances, larger and 
 stronger than Europeans. Their women are fairer 
 than the men ; many of them are possessed of 
 considerable beauty, and all exhibit in their 
 features that feminine tenderness and affection 
 which belong to their character. The dress of 
 both sexes is composed of three pieces of cloth, 
 thrown over or wound round the body, and gar- 
 lands are often worn as embellishments. One of 
 their peculiar customs is that of tattooing, or 
 puncturing the skin, so as to give it a spotted 
 appearance. The operation is a very painful one, 
 and young girls while undergoing it are seldom 
 able to refrain from struggling and crying ; but it 
 is considered to confer so great an ornament upon 
 the personal appearance of the individual, that no 
 one of either sex would on any account forego it. 
 The morals and habits of these people were dis- 
 tinguished by a simplicity and correctness of 
 feeling which attracted the decided admiration of 
 their early European visitors. Their kindness and 
 affection in domestic life was most exemplary ; 
 and in the treatment of their children, they very 
 rarely had recourse to harsh modes and never to 
 violence. Their hospitality and their kind atten- 
 tion to the sick were likewise striking traits in 
 their character. Poverty they always considered, 
 vol. 1. F 
 
66 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 not as a subject of contempt, but of pity and re- 
 lief. Though the owners of land had nothing to 
 establish their titles to their respective possession* 
 but tradition and a few land-marks, no attempt 
 was ever made to take advantage of this deficiency 
 for the purpose of invading the rights of another. 
 In the manufacture of their garments, household 
 utensils, canoes, and weapons of war, they were 
 very expert and ingenious. They had likewise mu- 
 sical instruments of their own, on which they per- 
 formed with some degree of taste. They were 
 passionately fond of dancing, and even included 
 dramatic performances among their entertainments. 
 The men excelled in feats of strength and in vari- 
 ous athletic exercises ; and though so mild and 
 peaceable in their general demeanour, they dis- 
 played determined bravery. In some parts of these 
 islands, it was the custom to eat the bodies of 
 enemies slain in war ; but this horrible practice 
 was by no means general. Such is the picture 
 given us of these people before their intercourse 
 with Europeans, which has, it is to be feared, in 
 many respects, changed the character of these 
 once simple and happy islanders materially for the 
 worse. With the arts and comforts, they have im- 
 bibed much of the bad passions of civilized socie- 
 ty. Diseases formerly unknown, have been im- 
 ported among them, and wars of ambition and 
 avarice have become frequent, as their introduction 
 to a more intimate knowledge of the value and 
 distinctions of property have inspired a jealousy of 
 wealth and dominion. 
 
 The first discoverers found the religion of the 
 South Sea islanders, like that of most nations 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 67 
 
 ignorant of Christianity, to be Polytheism, or the 
 worship of many Gods. Each family had an idol, 
 carved in wood, which was set up in the burial 
 ground, and worshipped as a guardian spirit. They 
 likewise believed in another class of spirits, supe- 
 rior to the family gods, and acknowledged one, su- 
 preme above all the rest, whom they called the 
 Great Spirit born of night, and whom they never 
 addressed, unless upon occasions of the greatest 
 importance. They firmly believed in a future 
 state of existence, but not in punishments after 
 death. They thought that the Great Spirit would 
 not make any of his creatures miserable, but that 
 he would give them different degrees of distinction 
 and enjoyment, according to the manner in which 
 they had acted in this life. Worldly afflictions 
 they regarded not as trials, but as punishments. 
 Every sickness or serious accident was deemed an 
 immediate judgment of providence; and offerings 
 were made to obtain recovery from pain, and par- 
 don for the offence which had drawn upon them 
 the divine displeasure. This belief tended to give 
 their clergy, who were numerous, great power. In 
 addition to their character as priests, they were 
 also physicians, and the people stood in the ut- 
 most awe of them, thinking them capable of in- 
 flicting or removing diseases at will, and even of 
 causing death to any one who might become the 
 object of their displeasure. Human sacrifices 
 were permitted among these people on extraor- 
 dinary occasions, where none others were consider- 
 ed a sufficient atonement to appease the wrath of 
 the Great Spirit. The victims selected were of the 
 lowest order, and were generally slain by surprise. 
 
68 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 The body after death was conveyed to the Moral 
 or burial ground ; there the eyes were solemnly 
 scooped out, and afterwards offered to the king. 
 It is gratifying to reflect that, in the greater part 
 of these islands, the errors and superstitions of 
 a false religion are now abolished. The interest 
 excited in England by the discoveries made in the 
 Pacific, which might almost be said to have brought 
 a new world to light, was peculiarly strong, and 
 many reflecting and benevolent persons justly 
 lamented that a numerous race of human beings, 
 possessing so many amiable and virtuous qualities, 
 should be in a state of such deplorable idolatry. 
 By their exertions a Society was founded for the 
 propagation of the gospel in the South Sea islands, 
 and a number of missionaries sent out for that 
 purpose, who sailed from England in September, 
 1796. The labours of these messengers of truth, 
 and of those who have succeeded them in the 
 work, though subjected to many difficulties and 
 discouragements, have been most zealous and un- 
 remitting ; and they have reaped the reward of 
 their pious efforts in the extermination, among 
 most of those whom they were sent to convert, of 
 polytheism, and the introduction of the pure light 
 of Christianity. 
 
 Even independently of the remarkable similarity 
 of their customs and manners, the personal ap- 
 pearance of the inhabitants of these islands would 
 of itself prove their common origin. In no in- 
 stance is the difference of features such as to pre- 
 vent the general resemblance being too obvious 
 not to be perceived, and the dissimilarity of coun- 
 tenances is by no means so great as is usually* 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 69 
 
 found among- European nations. How they were 
 first peopled is a question on which various opi- 
 nions exist. The most rational conjecture appears 
 to be, that they came originally from America ; 
 and being driven out to sea by the stress of weather, 
 and unable, owing to ignorance of navigation, to 
 reach the land again, after they had once lost sight 
 of it, they were drifted at the mercy of the waves 
 till they were fortunate enough to reach an island 
 and establish themselves upon it. Lying as the 
 South Sea islands do in clusters, if only one of 
 them were peopled, the population would soon 
 spread over the adjoining, and ultimately to the 
 more distant ones. A circumstance illustrative of 
 the probability of this supposition is mentioned 
 in the narrative of Cook's third voyage. On one 
 of the ships touching at a small island several 
 leagues west of the Society Isles, Omai, a young 
 Otaheitan who had obtained permission to accom- 
 pany the English, discovered almost immediately 
 upon his landing, three of his own countrymen, 
 who had left their native place more than twelve 
 years without any tidings being received of them. 
 Their adventures had been very interesting. About 
 twenty persons of both sexes, had embarked on 
 board a canoe at Otaheite, to cross over to Ulitea, 
 an island adjacent. A violent contrary wind arose, 
 so that they could neither reach their destination, 
 nor return to the place from which they had de- 
 parted. Their stock of provisions, being only 
 designed for a short passage, was soon exhausted, 
 and they passed several days without having any- 
 thing to eat or drink. At length famine and fatigue 
 had reduced their number to four persons only, 
 
70 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 when, to complete their miseries, the canoe upset. 
 They however kept hanging by the side of the 
 boat, till they providentially came in sight of an 
 island, the inhabitants of which immediately sent 
 out canoes, took them off the wreck, and brought 
 them ashore. One of those thus miraculously 
 saved had since died, and the three survivors, 
 having formed a strong attachment to a place 
 where the manners and language of the people 
 resembled their own, declined the offer made them 
 to return in the English vessel to Otaheite.* 
 
 The first of Captain Cook's voyages was one of 
 general discovery in the Pacific ; the second had 
 for its object to attempt the practicability of navi- 
 gating the South Sea in a very high latitude, and 
 to discover whether land existed in more remote 
 parts of the Southern Hemisphere. Cook evinced 
 his accustomed skill and perseverance in the pur- 
 suit of these objects ; but nature had opposed ob- 
 stacles to their accomplishment which he found it 
 impossible to overcome. When they had arrived 
 in the latitude of 60 decrees south, the crew begran 
 to meet with islands of ice, which continued to 
 multiply till farther progress became impracticable 
 without a total disregard of their own safety. 
 Captain Cook, in this journal, thus describes his 
 
 * This general description of customs and character of 
 the South Sea islanders embraces, besides the clusters 
 mentioned as discovered by Captain Cook, the Pelew 
 islands, a large group between the Caroline and the Philip- 
 pine isles, which was first discovered by Captain Wilson, 
 who was wrecked there in 1783. One of these islands 
 was the birth-place of the amiable and unfortunate Prince 
 Lee Boo. 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 71 
 
 feelings and situation. " 1 will not say it was im- 
 possible any where to get farther to the south ; but 
 the attempting it would have been a rash and 
 hazardous enterprise, and what, I believe, no man 
 in my situation would have thought of. It was, 
 indeed, my opinion, as well as the opinion of most 
 on board, that this ice extended quite to the pole, 
 or perhaps joined to some land to which it had 
 been fixed from the earliest time, and that it is 
 here, that is, to the south of this parallel, that all 
 the ice we find scattered up and down to the north 
 is first formed and afterwards broken off by gales 
 of wind and other causes, and brought to the 
 north by the currents which we always found to 
 set in that direction in high latitudes. As we drew 
 near this ice, some penguins were heard but none 
 seen, and but few other birds, or any other thing 
 that could induce us to think any land was near. 
 And yet I think there must be some to the south 
 behind this ice ; but, if there is, it can afford no 
 better retreat for birds or any other animals than 
 the ice itself with which it must be wholly covered. 
 I, who had ambition not only to go farther than 
 any one had been before, but as far as it was pos- 
 sible for man to go, was not sorry at meeting with 
 this interruption, as it in some measure relieved 
 us, at least shortened the dangers and hardships 
 inseparable from the navigation of the southern 
 polar regions. Since, therefore, we could not pro- 
 ceed one inch farther to the south, no other reason 
 need be assigned for my tacking and standing 
 back to the north, being at this time in the latitude 
 of 71 degrees 10 minutes south, and 106 degrees 
 54 minutes of west longitude." It was in this 
 
72 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 voyage that the Captain discovered New Caledo- 
 nia, one of the largest islands in the Pacific 
 Ocean. 
 
 The circumstance of Cook's having made the 
 circuit of the Southern Ocean, in so high a lati- 
 tude, without falling in with any land further to 
 the south than Terra del Fuego, was considered 
 decisive of the non-existence of a Southern Con- 
 tinent, but subsequent discoveries have shewn this 
 conclusion to be erroneous. Land, apparently 
 forming part of a continent, has been seen to the 
 north-east of the utmost point of Cook's progress, 
 to which the name of South Shetland has been 
 given. This discovery, however, is not likely to 
 be prosecuted to any useful extent, as any attempt 
 to explore it would, in all probability, be rendered 
 impracticable, by the same obstacles that com- 
 pelled Cook to return. 
 
 In 1776 Captain Cook set out on his third and 
 last voyage. His immediate object was to ascer- 
 tain whether any opening could be found on the 
 Coast of North America, which would afford a 
 passage from the Atlantic into the Pacific. But 
 after sailing northward, until he reached a pro- 
 montory, which he named Jay Cape, in seventy 
 degrees north latitude, impediments similar to 
 those which he had encountered in the south polar 
 regions, obliged him to relinquish a continuance 
 of the attempt. In this voyage Cook discovered 
 the group to which he gave the name of the 
 Sandwich Islands, as well as some other small 
 detached ones. 
 
 In that part of the Pacific, adjoining the Indian 
 Ocean, Cook's researches proved extremely valu- 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD 73 
 
 able. Though not the discoverer of New Holland, 
 which was visited by the Dutch as early as 1605, 
 and occasionally by other navigators of the same 
 nation, he was the first who ascertained it to be 
 an island, and who obtained any useful informa- 
 tion respecting it. The immense magnitude of 
 this country, which is more than 2600 miles in 
 length, and 2000 in breadth, has induced many 
 geographers to style it a fifth continent, rather 
 than an island. Cook did not explore any of the 
 interior of the country, but he found the parts near 
 the coast very thinly inhabited, seldom seeing 
 more than about thirty persons together at once. 
 The natives appeared to form quite a distinct 
 race. Their skins are of a chocolate, or deep 
 red colour, but in general so covered with dirt, 
 as to be nearly as black as those of negroes. They 
 are mostly of a middle stature, with large mis- 
 shapen heads, flat noses, wide nostrils, eyes sunk 
 in the head, shaggy eyebrows, thick lips, and 
 extravagantly wide mouths. Though much smaller 
 in proportion below, than above the waist, and 
 extremely effeminate in their voices, the men are 
 strong and very active. In their habits, the 
 inhabitants of New Holland are perfect barba- 
 rians ; their habitations are of the rudest descrip- 
 tion, and they make not the slightest approach to 
 the arts of civilized life in any shape. Even in 
 the formation of their canoes, they hollow out the 
 trunk of the tree from which they are constructed, 
 with fire, having no instrument for that purpose. 
 Their method of procuring fire is rather curious : 
 they work one end of a stick into an obtuse point, 
 and placing this upon a piece of dry wood, they 
 
74 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 turn the upright stick backwards and forwards, 
 very rapidly, between their hands, till the fire is 
 produced. In the construction of their warlike 
 weapons they exhibit some degree of ingenuity. 
 Their spears or lances have generally four prongs, 
 pointed with bone, and barbed ; the shafts, which 
 vary in length, from eight to fourteen feet, are 
 made of the stalk of a plant resembling the 
 common bulrush, and consist of several joints, 
 let into each other, and tied together. Their 
 shields, which are about eighteen inches broad, 
 and three feet long, are made of the bark of trees. 
 The extensive tract on the eastern coast of New 
 Holland, first visited by Captain Cook in 1770, 
 was in 1788 selected by the government of this 
 country as the most suitable spot for the establish- 
 ment of a colony, to which »criminals might be 
 transported, and at the present time, the different 
 English settlements in that district are computed 
 to contain between forty and fifty thousand colo- 
 nists, including both convicts and free settlers. 
 Their residence in the country has not, however, 
 reclaimed the natives from their savage manners 
 and habits ; they are still as unprotected as ever 
 against the inclemency of the weather, and as un- 
 provided against the chances of famine, and go 
 about totally naked. A great part of the animals 
 found in New Holland were altogether peculiar to 
 that country. Of quadrupeds, it has the kan- 
 garoo, the opossum, the flying squirrel, the wom- 
 bat, a thick short-legged, inactive animal, about 
 the size of a large dog; an amphibious crea- 
 ture, of the mole species, but considerably larger, 
 to which naturalists have given the Latin name of 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 75 
 
 ornithorhyncus paradoxicus ; the kangaroo rat, 
 and the large fox bat. The birds are the casso- 
 wary or emew, the mountain eagle, the menura, 
 an elegant bird of a brilliant appearance, the 
 cockatoo, various sorts of pigeons, the thrush, 
 the hawk, and some other small birds. Black 
 cattle, deer, sheep, and swine, have been success- 
 fully introduced into the country by Europeans, 
 and are now very plentiful. The coast abounds 
 in seals and other sea-animals, and valuable 
 fisheries have been established upon it. The 
 climate is very fine and salubrious, though the 
 heat in summer is sometimes excessive. All the 
 vegetables imported from this country have thrived 
 in the soil of New South Wales, and it is cele- 
 brated for the excellence and variety of its fruits. 
 Van Diemen's Land, an island to the South of 
 New Holland, likewise visited by Captain Cook, 
 who found it in most particulars, greatly to resem- 
 ble the latter, has, within the last five-and-twenty 
 years, been colonized, in many parts, by English 
 settlers, some from Europe, and others from the 
 original establishment at Port Jackson ; the cli- 
 mate having been found as healthy as that of New 
 South Wales, and more agreeable to Europeans. 
 
 To Cook we likewise owe our present informa- 
 tion respecting New Zealand. Tusman, the first 
 discoverer in 1642, traversed only the eastern 
 coast, and believed the country to be one large 
 island. Cook, however, ascertained that it was 
 composed of two islands, of nearly equal size, 
 and he sailed completely round them both. The 
 strait that separates them he called after his own 
 name. He describes the soil as mountainous 
 
76 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 and apparently barren ; but it has been since 
 found susceptible of cultivation. Among 1 its na- 
 tural productions, pine-trees are particularly con- 
 spicuous, growing to a height far exceeding any 
 to be found on the mountains of Norway. The 
 coast abounds with fish, and the birds are very 
 numerous ; but it is a singular fact, that only five 
 kinds of quadrupeds have been met with in these 
 islands, namely, the rat, a small bat, the sea-bear, 
 an animal called by Commodore Anson the sea- 
 lion, and the guana or lizard. The inhabitants 
 are in a state of utter barbarism. They are 
 abandoned to the most ferocious habits, and the 
 most odious superstitions, and cannibalism is com- 
 mon among them. They are brave and warlike, 
 but cruel, improvident and brutal ; they detest 
 labour of any kind, and avail themselves of every 
 opportunity to commit theft. The zeal of the 
 missionaries has extended itself even to this unin- 
 viting region, but among people of such a charac- 
 ter as the New Zealanders, it will easily be 
 imagined that the progress of conversion and 
 civilization must be extremely slow. Those en- 
 gaged in this laudable undertaking have frequently 
 experienced personal abuse and ill treatment in its 
 prosecution : they have notwithstanding persevered 
 in their labours, and considering the multiplied 
 obstacles with which they have had to contend, 
 they have effected far more than could possibly 
 have been anticipated, 
 
 We have already mentioned the death of Cap- 
 tain Cook : the circumstances of that melancholy 
 event are of painful interest. On his first arrival 
 at the Sand which Islands, which he discovered in 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 77 
 
 his course northward, he and his people were treat- 
 ed by the natives with great kindness and friend- 
 ship, and this determined the commander, when 
 he found himself obliged to return, to select these 
 islands as a suitable place to winter at, and procure 
 refreshments and provisions. Accordingly, on the 
 16th October, 1778, he reached Karakakooa Bay, 
 on the west side of Owhyhee, where he cast 
 anchor, and met with a cordial welcome from the 
 natives, who put off in their canoes in great numbers 
 to visit the English. Here the Captain and his 
 people remained till the 4th of February follow- 
 ing, when they put out to sea, steering in a north- 
 easterly direction. But, four days after, on their 
 arrival at Nootka Sound, the foremast of their 
 vessel gave way, which obliged them to put back 
 for Owhyhee, and they came to an anchor in near- 
 ly the same situation as before. Their reception, 
 however, was very different from what it had been 
 upon their preceding visit: only a canoe was seen 
 occasionally stealing along the shore, and all was 
 profound silence. In the course of the night the 
 ship's cutter was stolen from the buoy where it was 
 moored. When property of value was stolen from 
 the English at any of the South Sea islands, Cook 
 found that the surest means of recovering it was 
 to get the king or some of the principal chiefs on 
 board his vessel, and detain them as hostages till 
 restitution was made. This mode of proceeding- 
 he determined to adopt on the present occasion : 
 he therefore went on shore, and, waiting upon the 
 king, invited him to return in the boat and spend 
 the day on board the Captain's ship. To this pro- 
 posal the king readily assented, and was about to 
 
78 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 embark, when some of his relatives interfered to 
 prevent him. Two chiefs also held him down 
 forcibly, and the natives flocked in prodigious 
 numbers to the spot, and collected round their 
 king. Cook seeing that he could not obtain his 
 object without bloodshed, desisted from any further 
 attempt. His person, however, did not at this time 
 appear to be at all threatened ; but, unfortunately 
 some canoes that were attempting to get out of 
 the bay were fired at by the ship's boats which 
 had been stationed across it, and a chief of high 
 rank was killed. The news of his death created 
 an immediate ferment. The women and children 
 were sent ofF, and the men put on their war mats, 
 and armed themselves with spears and stones. 
 Several of the latter were thrown at the marines, 
 and a chief attempted to stab one of the English 
 officers present. Captain Cook now fired and 
 killed one of the natives. An attack with volleys 
 of stones instantly commenced, which was answer- 
 ed by a discharge of musketry from the marines 
 and the crews of the boats. A scene of dreadful 
 confusion ensued. Four marines were cut off 
 among the rocks in their retreat, and were sacri- 
 ficed to the rage of the islanders. Three more 
 were dangerously wounded, and a lieutenant 
 stabbed between the shoulders, but having reserved 
 his fire, he shot the man that had wounded him, 
 just as the latter was about to repeat the blow. 
 The last time that Captain Cook was distinctly 
 seen, he was standing at the edge of the shore, 
 calling to the boats to cease firing and to pull in. 
 Unhappily this act of humanity cost him his life. 
 While he faced the enemv, none of them offered 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 79 
 
 him any violence ; but, on turning round, to give 
 his orders to the boats, he was stabbed in the 
 back, and fell on his face into the water. On 
 seeing him fall, the islanders set up an exulting 
 shout, and his body was immediately dragged on 
 shore, and borne away in triumph by the islanders. 
 " Thus," says the editor of Cook's Voyages, " fell 
 this great and excellent commander, after a life of 
 so much distinguished and successful enterprise. 
 His death cannot be reckoned premature, since he 
 lived to finish the great work, for which he seems 
 to have been designed, and was rather removed 
 from the enjoyment, than cut off from the ac- 
 quisition of glory. How sincerely his loss was 
 felt and lamented by those who had so long found 
 their general security in his skill and conduct, and 
 every consolation under their hardships, in his 
 tenderness and humanity, it is neither necessary 
 nor possible to describe, much less to paint the 
 horror with which they were struck, and the uni- 
 versal dejection that followed so dreadful and 
 unexpected a calamity." 
 
 There is too much reason to believe that the 
 body of this eminent navigator was devoured by 
 the Owhyheeans : his bones were, however, re- 
 stored to the English, and, being put into a coffin, 
 were buried in the bay, with the accustomed mili- 
 tary honours. When the intelligence of his death 
 reached his native country, the King, to evince 
 his sense of the important services of the deceas- 
 ed, settled a yearly pension of two hundred pounds 
 upon Captain Cook's widow, and of twenty-five 
 pounds upon each of her children. 
 
 The labours o^ Captain Cook seem to have 
 
80 VOYAGES HOUND THE WORLD. 
 
 nearly exhausted the range of discovery in the 
 Pacific Ocean ; the additions made by his suc- 
 cessors have been few and unimportant, although 
 their researches have been highly useful in ob- 
 taining more extensive and correct knowledge 
 than the first discoverers of the South Sea islands 
 had the means of procuring, in introducing Chris- 
 tianity and many of the useful arts of life to the 
 inhabitants, previously unacquainted with either, 
 and in forming a friendly intercourse with that in- 
 teresting race of people, calculated to lay a foun- 
 dation for establishing, at some future period, 
 commercial and other relations with them, which 
 may prove very beneficial to this country. 
 
 Subsequently to the time of Cook, various voy- 
 ages round the world have been performed, but, 
 with a few exceptions, they have been undertaken 
 rather for warlike or commercial objects than for 
 the avowed purpose of making discoveries. One of 
 these, however, seems to claim particular notice, 
 on account of the melancholy uncertainty in which, 
 after a lapse of more than thirty years, the fate of 
 those engaged in it is still involved, — we mean 
 that of the unfortunate La Perouse. The French 
 government, stimulated by the success of the 
 English in similar enterprizes, fitted out an expe- 
 dition of two vessels, with all suitable and scien- 
 tific equipments, and entrusted the command to 
 that gentleman, who was a captain in the French 
 navy. The professed object was a voyage of cir- 
 cumnavigation and discovery, but it was not des- 
 tined to be completed. The vessels sailed from 
 Brest on the 1st of August, 1785, but, after quit- 
 ting Botany Bay, in 1788, they were never more 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 81 
 
 heard of. Some have imagined that they foun- 
 dered in a terrible tempest ; others conjecture, 
 with more probability, that they were lost in going 
 through Dampier's Straits, to the east of New 
 Guinea, the whole extent of which navigation is 
 extremely dangerous, a continued line of rocks or 
 breakers running for a length of more than one 
 thousand leagues, nearly level with the water, 
 along the bottom of the sea. The lovers of sci- 
 ence and humanity had alike reason to lament the 
 calamitous loss of this expedition, and the general 
 regret was increased by the respect entertained for 
 the talents and amiable character of the ill-fated 
 commander. 
 
 The following is a list of circumnavigators, the 
 narrations of whose voyages, not being considered 
 of equal interest with those already mentioned, 
 have not been introduced into the collection. 
 
 Admiril Joris Spilbergen, a native of Hol- 
 land, sailed from the Texel, in August, 1614, and 
 completed his voyage in 1617. 
 
 Jacob L'Heremite, an admiral in the Dutch 
 service, began his voyage in 1623, and concluded 
 it in 1626. 
 
 Captain Cowley, a commander of Buccaneers, 
 commenced his voyage in 1683, and concluded it 
 in 1686. 
 
 Captain John Clapperton sailed from Ply- 
 mouth the 13th of February, 1719, and returned 
 in the latter part of 1721. 
 
 Captain George Shelvock sailed in com- 
 pany with Clapperton, but was separated from the 
 latter in a storm, a week after leaving England, 
 and did not return till 1723. 
 
 vol. I. g 
 
82 VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 Jacob Rogerwien, a Dutch counsellor, sailed 
 from Holland in 1721, and finished his voyage in 
 1723. 
 
 Captain Edward Edwards, who was dis- 
 patched by Government, to seize some mutineers 
 that had taken possession of a King's vessel 
 called the Bounty, and had gone to Otaheite, be- 
 gan his voyage in 1790, and concluded it in 1792. 
 
 Captain Vancouver sailed in 1791, and re- 
 turned in 1795. 
 
 Etienne Marchand, a French Captain, 
 sailed from Marseilles, the 14th of December, 
 1790, and arrived at Toulon on the 14th of 
 August, 1792. 
 
 Captain D'Entrecasteaux can hardly, per- 
 haps, be termed a circumnavigator, since, like 
 Magellan, he died before the completion of his 
 undertaking. He was detached by the French 
 Government, in September, 1791, from Brest, 
 completely equipped for a voyage round the globe. 
 His instructions were to endeavour to procure 
 some intelligence of La Perouse, and to sail com- 
 pletely round New Holland, a circumference of 
 between eight and nine thousand miles, an enter- 
 prise yet unachieved by any navigator. In the 
 former of these objects, it is needless to say, he 
 was altogether unsuccessful : but, in the latter, 
 though he failed in its entire accomplishment, he 
 ascertained more than two thirds of the whole 
 extent of the southern coast. He died of a con- 
 vulsion fit on his voyage homeward. 
 
 Mr. Turnbull, an officer in one of the East 
 India Company's ships, performed his voyage 
 between 1800 and 1804. 
 
VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD. 83 
 
 Captain Virusenstern, a native of Russia, 
 sailed from Cronstadt on the 1st of August, 1803, 
 and returned to that port on the 19th of August, 
 1806. 
 
 Captain Freycinet, a French officer, left 
 Toulon in the early part of 1817, and arrived at 
 Havre de Grace in November, 1820. 
 
 It will be seen that one of these voyages round 
 the globe, that of Marchand, was performed in 
 the short space of twenty months, and there is no 
 doubt that, in the present highly improved state of 
 navigation, such a voyage might be performed in 
 even less time. In voyages of mere discovery, 
 however, it must be remembered that research, 
 and not expedition, was the object of those en- 
 gaged in them. 
 
EARLY 
 VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 The discovery of America no one can hesitate to 
 pronounce by far the most important event recorded 
 in the pages of profane history in any age. It open- 
 ed to the nations of the old continent new stores of 
 wealth and interest, not previously even dreamed 
 of; it extended the supposed limits of every part 
 of created nature, animate and inanimate, and 
 literally introduced the discoverers to a new world, 
 both in its productions and in its inhabitants. That 
 such a large and populous portion of the globe 
 should, for thousands of years, have remained hid 
 from the knowledge of civilization and science, 
 certainly appears almost inconceivable. The im- 
 perfections existing in the navigation of the an- 
 tients, which have been already spoken of, suffi- 
 ciently account for no voyage so extensive as that 
 across the Atlantic having been undertaken by 
 them, but that, during the lapse of so many cen- 
 turies, none of the numerous accidents which 
 might have made the people of antiquity ac- 
 quainted with the existence of a Western Conti- 
 nent, even though there were no known means of 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 85 
 
 reaching it in safety, should have occurred, cannot 
 but be matter of astonishment. 
 
 Many attempts have been made to shew that 
 the antients had some knowledge of America, and 
 expressions are quoted from some of their writers 
 in support of this opinion. Not one of these 
 quotations amounts to more than a supposition, 
 and few even to that. Besides, many of those 
 who formed such conjectures, if any thing is to 
 be collected from them, looked for a new world in 
 a northerly or even a southerly, rather than in a 
 westerly direction. Indeed many ages later, even 
 after the sailing of the expedition which was 
 destined to open the path to the unknown regions 
 of the Western Hemisphere, the existence of any 
 large body of land in that direction was consi- 
 dered by the majority, even of well informed per- 
 sons, as altogether visionary. 
 
 Some of the extreme northern parts of America, 
 had, it is true, been visited at a comparatively 
 early period. East Greenland, was discovered by 
 the Norwegians or Icelanders, as far back as the 
 year 982, and a small colony planted there, but 
 this was soon shut in by the accumulation of Arc- 
 tic ice, and the unfortunate colonists perished. 
 The same people, in 1003, fell in with Newfound- 
 land, or a part of Labrador, which, like East 
 Greenland, was soon abandoned. But the dis- 
 coverers of these countries, did not themselves, 
 entertain the most remote idea that they formed 
 part of a Western Continent; their discoveries 
 were moreover entirely accidental, and were lost 
 to the world, long before the time of Christo- 
 pher Columbus, to whom the sole merit of that 
 
86 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 great and important discovery, compared with 
 which all others, whether by sea or land, dwindle 
 into mere ordinary events, is incontestably due. 
 This eminent man was a native of Genoa; his 
 origin was very humble, and he is said to have 
 been brought up to his father's trade, as a weaver, 
 but his taste for a seafaring life fortunately in- 
 duced him to quit an occupation so unworthy of 
 his natural powers. He was engaged in trading 
 vessels for several years, and, in his leisure mo- 
 ments, he devoted himself assiduously to the 
 study of astronomy and cosmography. His pro- 
 ficiency in these sciences first led him to re- 
 flect upon the probability, that the earth must 
 contain a much greater portion of land than was 
 then known to Europeans. Having carefully col- 
 lected the observations of preceeding mariners, he 
 at length became satisfied, that there must be 
 many lands to the westward of Cape Verd, and the 
 Canary Islands, and being convinced of the spheri- 
 cal figure of the earth, he considered their dis- 
 covery practicable, by sailing in a westerly direction, 
 till they were arrived at. He first applied to his 
 native republic of Genoa, for assistance to prose- 
 cute the investigation upon which he desired to en- 
 ter, and afterwards laid his plans before the courts 
 of England and Portugal, but met with no encou- 
 ragement. Indeed, at that time, most persons 
 were so far from imagining that there could be any 
 such country as the New World, or the West In- 
 dies, that the very idea of its existence, was scouted 
 as extravagant, and absurd, it being almost uni- 
 versally believed that ail to the westward of the 
 Canary Islands, was an immense and unnavigable 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 87 
 
 ocean. Having been repulsed in the quarters to 
 which he had hitherto applied, Columbus next 
 endeavoured to obtain the patronage of Ferdinand, 
 King of Spain. That monarch referred his proposals 
 to an assembly of mathematicians, who raised nu- 
 merous objections to Columbus's ideas, all of which 
 he so successfully combated as to give offence to 
 his judges, by his evident superiority to them, and, 
 in consequence of the report which they made to 
 the court, he had the mortification to find his 
 offers declined, under the pretext, that Spain being 
 engaged in several wars, could not at that time 
 incur any additional expenses. He still, however, 
 persevered in his object, endeavouring to secure 
 the assistance of every one who might possess any 
 influence with their Catholic Majesties, calculated 
 to forward his enterprise. He at length succeeded 
 in interesting the confessor to Queen Isabella in 
 his behalf, who induced her to favour the views of 
 Columbus, and ultimately to persuade the king to 
 enable him to carry them into effect. There is, 
 however, strong reason to believe that Ferdinand's 
 compliance was elicited, not in the expectation of 
 discovering a western continent, but in the antici- 
 pated possibility of finding a western passage to 
 the Indies, a project which, from the advantages 
 that would result to Spain from its successful 
 accomplishment, was well adapted to invite the 
 attention of the monarch of that country. Even 
 Columbus himself, if we may judge from the name 
 which he gave to his expected discovery, namely, 
 the West Indies, appears to have bounded his 
 expectations to finding unknown islands in the 
 Atlantic. All the preliminaries being arranged, 
 
88 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 Columbus, with a fleet of three small vessels, set 
 sail from Palos, on the 3d of August, 1492, and 
 directed his course for the Canaries. The admiral 
 had kept the real object of his voyage secret from 
 the sailors, fearing that its premature disclosure 
 might dishearten them. Suspicions were, how- 
 ever, excited by the circulation of malicious ru- 
 mours, and the very day after the sailing of the 
 expedition, an attempt to delay its progress was 
 attempted, by breaking the rudder of one of the 
 vessels; and, a few days afterwards, the same ex- 
 periment was repeated. The intention of this 
 treachery was probably to induce a belief on the 
 part of the crews, since seamen are known to be 
 habitually superstitious, that they commenced 
 their voyage with unfavourable omens ; but for- 
 tunately this attempt on their credulity failed. 
 They reached the Canaries without any injury, 
 and remained at Gomera, one of those islands, for 
 nearly a month. On leaving that island to con- 
 tinue their course westward, the apprehensions of 
 the sailors were so strongly awakened, that many 
 of them vented their sorrows in sighs and tears, 
 though Columbus did every thing in his power to 
 revive their spirits, by assurances of success, and 
 by placing before their eyes the wealth which that 
 success would infallibly procure them, and he like- 
 wise took the prudent precaution of lessening in 
 his reckoning the distance they had really run, 
 with a view to allay their fears. Their alarms 
 were additionally excited by another circumstance 
 which, though now well understood, was, when 
 first observed, equally inexplicable to the admiral 
 and his people. After they had proceeded about 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 89 
 
 two hundred leagues to the west of Ferro, the 
 needle was observed to vary, first half a point, and 
 afterwards an entire point, to the east, and in 
 three days more, it again pointed to the north as 
 before. The sight of some land-birds, however, 
 dissipated for the present their fears ; and meeting- 
 with fresh weeds, and other appearances of land 
 being not far distant, they were reconciled to the 
 pursuit of their voyage. Columbus even found 
 means to rouse their courage from the circum- 
 stance of contrary gales arising, for, having sailed 
 for more than six weeks after their departure with 
 a favourable wind, some of the men had begun to 
 entertain an opinion that it would always set in 
 the same direction, and preclude the possibility of 
 their returning to Spain. But several days more 
 elapsing without obtaining sight of any land, the 
 discontents of the seamen broke out into open 
 expressions of mutiny. They protested against 
 proceeding, as they appeared likely to do, till all 
 their provisions should be exhausted, and their 
 vessels not fit to keep the sea ; and they even 
 proposed, if the admiral refused to accede to their 
 desire of steering back to Spain, to throw him 
 overboard, and report, on their return, that he had 
 accidentally come to his death. It may easily be 
 conceived that all the reasonings, threats, and ex- 
 postulations of Columbus were alike unavailing, 
 when addressed to men agitated by such feel- 
 ings ; but, at the very time when his hopes seemed 
 about to be entirely frustrated, such unequivocal 
 proofs of their being in the immediate neighbour- 
 hood of land presented themselves, as to calm the 
 most rebellious, and satisfy the most incredulous. 
 
90 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 On the afternoon of the 11th of October, 1492, 
 the crew of one of the ships saw a cane and 
 staff, the latter curiously carved, and a piece of 
 board, which had evidently been but a short time 
 in the water ; and also a branch of thorn with 
 berries upon it, which had been recently torn from 
 the bush. About ten o'clock that night, Colum- 
 bus spied a light, which, by its being raised up 
 and down, plainly proceeded from the shore, and 
 about two the next morning, Friday, the 1 3th of 
 October, a sailor named Roderick de Triana, de- 
 scried land, about two leagues distant, which they 
 made in the course of the day, and found it to be 
 a flat island, about fifteen leagues in length, co- 
 vered with wood, abundantly supplied with water, 
 and well peopled. The natives stood on the shore 
 in great astonishment, believing the ships to be 
 some monstrous unknown marine animals. Co- 
 lumbus going on shore, in company with the 
 captains of the other two ships, and a suitable 
 escort, kissed the ground, and returned thanks to 
 the Almighty, for the success of their arduous 
 enterprize. From the critical circumstances under 
 which it had been discovered, the admiral gave to 
 the island the name of St. Salvador, or the Holy 
 Saviour. It forms one of the cluster since called 
 the Bahamas. The inhabitants were a simple and 
 peaceable race of people, with good countenances 
 and features, of a middle stature, well shaped, and 
 with skins of an olive colour. They had no 
 knowledge of iron ; for weapons they used sharp 
 stones, and javelins pointed with fish-bones. 
 When shewn swords, they were so ignorant of 
 their nature, that they laid hold of their edge. 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 91 
 
 They willingly 'exchanged their only articles of 
 traffic, parrots and clews of cotton yarn, for glass 
 toys, beads, and other similar trifles. In their 
 innocent superstition, they believed the Spaniards 
 to be superior beings come down from heaven, and 
 worshipped them as such. Columbus took with 
 him seven natives of St. Salvadore, to act as in- 
 terpreters, and proceeded to discover other islands 
 —nearly a hundred in number. Proceeding on 
 his voyage, he arrived in succession at the large 
 islands of Cuba and Hispaniola. At the former 
 of these he refitted his ships, and obtained abun- 
 dance of provisions. Here, too, he first found the 
 grain called maize or Indian corn. One of his 
 captains, tempted by the information which he 
 conceived himself to have derived from the na- 
 tives, as to the probability of abundance of gold 
 being found in the island, deserted the admiral 
 between Cuba and Hispaniola. At the latter 
 island Columbus found the inhabitants in a com- 
 paratively advanced state of civilization ; and much 
 form and ceremony were observed in the behaviour 
 of the courtiers to their prince or Cacique. At 
 all these places, the natives manifested the great- 
 est kindness and hospitality, and supplied the 
 Spaniards plentifully with provisions. Their reli- 
 gion, as far as could be judged by appearances, 
 consisted in the worship of the sun and moon. 
 Here the admiral lost his ship, by her striking 
 upon a rock, but he received every possible assist- 
 ance from the kind Indians, who carried on shore 
 in their canoes all that could be saved from the 
 wreck. After making ineffectual efforts to disco- 
 ver the vessel that had deserted, and to induce her 
 
92 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 captain to rejoin him, the admiral determined on 
 building a fort at Hispaniola, and garrisoning it 
 with the supernumeraries which the loss of his own 
 ship had created. The persons who remained 
 were chosen by lot from the many whom the con- 
 duct of the Indians had inspired w 7 ith a wish to 
 settle there. The Cacique expressed great regret 
 at the departure of Columbus, and promised that 
 the Spaniards who were left on the island should 
 experience every kindness and attention. On the 
 admiral's return, he fell in with the vessel that had 
 previously separated from him ; the captain, Mar- 
 tin Alonzon Penzon, pretended to describe his 
 parting as accidental, and Columbus, though con- 
 vinced of his treachery, considered it prudent to 
 accept his excuses. On arriving at St. Martin's, 
 one of the Azores, some of the admiral's crew who 
 went on shore were seized by the Portuguese go- 
 vernor there, but, on Columbus's threatening reta- 
 liation, they were released, the governor avowing, 
 at the same time, his regret that he had not suc- 
 ceeded in getting the admiral himself into his 
 possession, as he had been particularly instructed 
 by the King of Portugal to do so. On the 2d of 
 March, 1493, Columbus entered the harbour of 
 Lisbon, in which he was obliged to take refuge by 
 stress of weather. When it was known that he 
 had returned from actually discovering the West 
 Indies, great numbers flocked on board to see him, 
 and viewed, with no small curiosity and amaze- 
 ment, the natives of the newly found countries, 
 whom he had brought with him. By the invita- 
 tion of the King of Portugal, he waited upon that 
 sovereign, who, after fruitlessly attempting to in- 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 93 
 
 duce Columbus to acknowledge his discoveries as 
 belonging to Portugal, and not to Spain, and 
 shewing, by his enquiries and observations, that he 
 was much concerned at having rejected the offers 
 which the admiral had formerly made him, pro- 
 mised to afford him any supplies of which he might 
 stand in need. Having taken in all necessary 
 refreshments, he sailed from Lisbon on the 13th of 
 March, and on the 15th reached Palos, from which 
 he had originally set out. On his landing, he was 
 received by a procession, and extraordinary rejoic- 
 ings were made by the inhabitants, very few of 
 whom had calculated on the successful termination 
 of his expedition. He was immediately summoned 
 by the King and Queen, who, on learning his arrival, 
 sent him a letter of congratulation, to repair to 
 Barcelona, where their Majesties then were, and 
 was received by them with every mark of distinc- 
 tion. He produced before them the Indians in 
 their native habiliments, and all the curious things 
 which he had brought from the New World. He 
 then gave a brief recital of his voyage, after which 
 the King and Queen rose from the throne, knelt 
 down, and, with tears in their eyes, gave thanks 
 to God for this great and important discovery. 
 The Indians were baptised, and his Majesty and 
 his son stood as sponsors at the ceremony. Every 
 preparation was likewise made for prosecuting the 
 enterprize which the Admiral had so auspiciously 
 begun. 
 
 On the 22nd of September, 1493, Columbus 
 set sail with a fleet of seventeen vessels from the 
 bay of Cadiz on his second voyage. At Gomera, 
 he remained two days, taking in wood and water 
 
94 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 and procuring; cattle, sheep, goats and swine, for 
 the intended colony in Hispaniola. He likewise 
 took on board poultry, and garden seeds. On the 
 3rd of November he discovered the island of 
 Dominica, Guadaloupe, and other smaller ones 
 adjacent. In these islands they found cotton.- both 
 raw and spun, with looms of a singular fashion 
 used by the natives. Steering north-west for His- 
 paniola, he fell in with the islands of Montserrat, 
 Antigua, and Santa Cruz, besides many others in 
 the Caribbean sea. In some of these the Spani- 
 ards found well built houses made of timber and 
 thatched, with square inclosures, and clean well 
 beaten paths to the shore. The walls were made 
 of canes woven or wattled together. On reach- 
 ing Hispaniola, the Admiral was informed by the 
 Indians, that most of the christians whom he had 
 left there had died of sickness, and that others 
 had gone up the country. He also found the fort 
 which he had erected burned, and seven or eight 
 Spaniards buried near it. On further inquiry, he 
 ascertained that their own misconduct and disor- 
 ders, and their plunder of the natives had excited 
 the hostility of the inhabitants against the new 
 settlers, and had caused a war of extermination. 
 These circumstances determined Columbus to re- 
 nounce his former intention of colonizing that part 
 of Hispaniola which he had at first selected, and 
 to choose a spot to which he gave the name of 
 Isabella, in honour of the Queen of Spain, where 
 he built a town, and founded the first regular Eu- 
 ropean colony established in the West Indies. In 
 this quarter of the island, he found a considerable 
 quantity of gold, which gave great satisfaction to 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 95 
 
 the Admiral and his companions. He immediately 
 sent a number of his men to dig for farther sup- 
 plies of this precious metal, and, with the view of 
 striking awe into the Indians, he provided a mili- 
 tary escort, who marched through the country in 
 full martial array, with colours flying, drums beat- 
 ing, and trumpets sounding. Their appearance 
 produced a strong sensation in the minds of the 
 natives, who were particularly astonished at the 
 novel spectacle of the cavalry. The Admiral left 
 one of his brothers, James Columbus, as com- 
 mander of the new town of Isabella, and proceed- 
 ed up the country where he built another fort 
 which he called fort St. Thomas. On his return 
 he found the colony at Isabella almost destroyed 
 by sickness, so that he was almost induced to 
 entertain thoughts of abandoning the town ; and 
 to add to his perplexity, he learned that the natives 
 were preparing to attack Fort St. Thomas, but, by 
 prompt exertion, their intentions were defeated. 
 He left two ships in the harbour of Isabella, to 
 serve the colony in case of emergency ; and took 
 all other necessary precautions for its preservation. 
 He then proceeded westward in the prosecution of 
 his researches, and, in his progress, discovered the 
 island of Jamaica. Here however he met with 
 demonstrations of a hostile reception, which he 
 did not consider it prudent to encounter, and he 
 came to the resolution of returning to Hispaniola, 
 On his arrival at Isabella he learned the mortifying 
 intelligence that the natives of the island had risen 
 in arms against the Spaniards. This feeling of en- 
 mity on the part of the latter had been excited en- 
 tirely by the disgraceful conduct of the greater 
 
96 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 part of the colonists, who had lived in the most 
 licentious and disorderly manner, and had out- 
 raged the inhabitants by continued acts of depre- 
 dation and violence. However Columbus might 
 disapprove the conduct of his companions, the 
 circumstances in which they were placed obliged 
 him instantly to act against the Indians, whose 
 immense but undisciplined army, he, with a body 
 not amounting to three hundred men, including 
 twenty cavalry, routed with prodigious loss. Part 
 of the force employed by Columbus on this 
 occasion consisted of twenty blood hounds, which 
 made great havock among the naked Indians. 
 After this victory, he ranged for nine or ten months 
 about the island, punishing those of the natives 
 who had been most active in the revolt. He like- 
 wise levied heavy contributions of gold upon the 
 chiefs, being satisfied that he could only retain his 
 influence with the court of Spain by the transmis- 
 sion of treasure to that country. The islanders, 
 who had at first received the Spaniards with kind- 
 ness, in the belief that their stay would be only 
 temporary, were so much distressed by these ex- 
 actions, and the immense consumption of provisions 
 by their unwelcome guests, that they attempted 
 to starve them out by discontinuing the cultivation 
 of the soil, and withdrawing into the woods. The 
 consequences of this experiment recoiled upon 
 the unfortunate creatures themselves ; the Spani- 
 ards possessed the means of drawing supplies of 
 provisions from Europe, while the wretched Indians 
 created a famine among themselves, which proved 
 so destructive, that, by the year 1496, more than 
 one third of the whole population had perished. 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 97 
 
 While these transactions were carrying on, some 
 of those who accompanied Columbus, being desir- 
 ous of undermining his credit with the Spanish 
 court, transmitted various misrepresentations of 
 his conduct, which occasioned a person of the 
 name of Aguado to be sent out for the purpose of 
 enquiring into the truth of the statements which 
 had been received at Madrid. This individual, on 
 his reaching Hispaniola, did every thing in his 
 power to annoy the Admiral and wound his repu- 
 tation, and succeeded in exciting divisions which 
 threatened serious danger to the colonists, by en- 
 couraging the hopes of the Indians. Under these 
 circumstances, Columbus found it necessary to 
 repair to Spain, to clear himself from the ^calum- 
 nious accusations of his enemies, in which he 
 perfectly succeeded. Having recited to their 
 Majesties the new discoveries which he had made, 
 and the prospect of immense wealth which they 
 presented, he received their full approbation of 
 his conduct, and was sent back with a guard of 
 honour to Seville, where eight ships were provided 
 for him to commence his third voyage. Two of 
 these he sent to his brother, who had then begun 
 to build the city of San Domingo, the capital of 
 Hispaniola, and with the other six he set sail from 
 the port of San Lucar, on the 19th of May, 1497. 
 He touched, as usual, at the Cape Verd islands 
 in his course, and took in requisite provisions and 
 refreshments. On the 1st of August, when the 
 crews were greatly distressed for water, he disco- 
 vered the island of Trinidad. On preparing to go 
 on shore, the Spaniards were attacked by several 
 of the natives in canoes, who were, however, 
 vol. i. h 
 
98 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 speedily dispersed by a discharge of arrows from 
 the cross-bows of the sailors. Having procured 
 the necessary supply of water, the Admiral con- 
 tinued his voyage westward along the coast of the 
 continent, which, for a length of time, he mistook 
 for that of some island. He then steered for 
 Hispaniola, and reached the new city of San 
 Domingo. On his arrival, he again found the 
 Indians in arms against the Spaniards, who had 
 given them several defeats under the command of 
 the Admiral's brother Bartholomew. Several of 
 the settlers mutinied against the authority of Co- 
 lumbus andhis brother, a proceeding productive of 
 more injury than all the natives were able to effect. 
 The malcontents, not content with this, forwarded 
 complaints to the court of Spain, on which Francis 
 de Bovadilla, a nobleman high in rank, was sent 
 out with authority to inquire into the troubles of 
 the infant colony. This envoy carried measures 
 with a very high hand, and, on very frivolous pre- 
 tences, sent Columbus and his brother on board 
 separate vessels to Spain. When the vessel in 
 which the Admiral sailed had got out to sea, the 
 master, sensible of the unworthiness of the treat- 
 ment which he had experienced, would have taken 
 the irons off him, but this Columbus would not 
 permit, saying that they had been put upon him 
 by a person holding the royal commission, and that 
 he would not be liberated but by the express com- 
 mand of his sovereign. He added that he would al- 
 ways preserve these fetters, as a memorial of the 
 reward which he had received for his many services ; 
 a promise to which he adhered, for after his release, 
 he kept them constantly in his bed-chamber, and 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 99 
 
 he ordered them to be buried along with his body. 
 Immediately on the arrival of the distinguished 
 prisoners in Spain, the King and Queen ordered 
 them to be set at liberty, and to repair to the court, 
 which was then held at Grenada. They were 
 favourably received by their Majesties, who com- 
 plimented them upon their achievements, and ex- 
 pressed regret for the rigour to which they had been 
 subjected. Notwithstanding this, the admiral 
 was deprived of the government of Hispaniola, 
 which was given to a judge named Nicholas de 
 Ovando. This extraordinary treatment made him 
 at first resolve to retire altogether into private life, 
 but, at the earnest entreaty of the King and Queen, 
 he was induced to renounce his intention, and to 
 undertake a fourth voyage ; and on the 9th of May, 
 1502, he sailed from Cadiz with a fleet of four 
 ships. On his arrival before San Domingo, the 
 new governor, Ovando, would not permit him to 
 enter the harbour. He was, in consequence, obli- 
 ged to sail further westward, and, in addition to 
 the task of struggling with adverse currents and 
 long calms for some time, he had to contend 
 against an almost continued storm for sixty days. 
 To the northward of Cape Honduras, he discovered 
 the island of Guanaza, where he came to an 
 anchor, and obtained rest and refreshment, both of 
 which his men greatly needed. He sent his bro- 
 ther on shore ; and soon after, a canoe, eight feet 
 wide and as long as a Spanish galley, came off to 
 the ship. This canoe, which was covered with 
 matting, had men, women, and children on board, 
 who were more abundantly provided with commo- 
 dities for barter than any of the Indians whom the 
 
100 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 Spaniards had previously met with. They had 
 long webs of cotton of several colours ; short cot- 
 ton shirts, without sleeves, curiously wrought ; 
 small cotton cloths to fasten round the body ; wood- 
 en swords edged with flints ; copper hatchets and 
 horse-bells of the same metal ; plates of copper, 
 and crucibles, or melting pots. They likewise 
 brought with them plenty of cocoa-nuts, bread 
 made of maize, or Indian corn, and a kind of 
 liquor for drinking also prepared from maize. The 
 Spaniards bartered with the Indians for some of 
 these things ; and being informed by the latter, in 
 reply to enquiries respecting gold, that it was to be 
 found towards the East, the Admiral shaped his 
 course in that direction. Proceeding along the 
 coast of Honduras and thence eastward, he touch- 
 ed at Porto Bello, Nombre de Dios, Belen and 
 Veragua, trading with the Indians. At the last of 
 these places, he was informed of gold-mines at no 
 great distance, and he sent his brother Bartholomew 
 up the country in search of them. On his return, 
 he brought a considerable quantity of gold which 
 he had obtained from the natives, for toys of trifling 
 value. This appeared so encouraging a prospect, 
 that the Admiral proposed leaving his brother in 
 this place with eighty Spaniards to settle a colony, 
 and he even commenced building houses for that 
 purpose. His intention was however frustrated. 
 The Indians, who had begun to conceive a well 
 grounded jealousy of any Spaniards settling among 
 them, had recourse to arms, and, to encrease the 
 difficulties and perplexities of the commander, a 
 formidable mutiny broke out among his own people. 
 The mutineers even took part with the Indians, 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 101 
 
 whom they persuaded to distress Columbus and 
 those of his followers that remained faithful to him, 
 by refusing any supplies of provisions. From this 
 trying situation Columbus extricated himself by a 
 very happy expedient. Knowing that in three 
 davs, there would be a considerable eclipse of the 
 moon in the early part of the night, he sent an 
 Indian of Hispaniola, who was onboard his vessel, 
 to call the principal chiefs of the province together 
 to confer with Columbus upon a subject of great 
 importance to them. The chiefs waited upon him 
 the day before the eclipse, and the admiral told 
 them that the God whom he served would assured- 
 ly reward his friends and punish his enemies. That 
 God was angry with the Indians for neglecting to 
 bring provisions to the Spaniards, and for aiding 
 the cause of the rebels. That they would be visi- 
 ted with plague and famine for their conduct, and 
 that as a proof of the truth of his prediction, they 
 would see the moon rise that night, overcast, and 
 of a blood-red hue. Most of his hearers treated 
 his words as an idle threat at the time ; but when 
 they actually saw the moon rise obscured as Co- 
 lumbus had described, and perceived the obscurity 
 increasing as she ascended higher, they were so 
 terrified that they hastened from all parts with 
 provisions, praying the admiral to intercede with 
 his God for them. This he undertook to do, and 
 shutting himself up till the time when he knew 
 the eclipse would begin to go off, he then came 
 out, and told them that he had obtained their par- 
 don, on condition that they would in future treat 
 his people well, and supply them liberally, and 
 that they would speedily see the moon resume her 
 
102 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 usual brightness. The event, of course, occurred, 
 and from that period the Indians furnished him 
 with provisions in abundance, and abstained from 
 further acts of hostility against him, and he was 
 thus enabled to reduce those who had revolted 
 against him to obedience, though not without 
 great difficulty, and some bloodshed. But being- 
 much annoyed by the disappointment which his 
 plans had experienced from these various obstacles, 
 and labouring himself under severe sickness, he 
 stood over from Veragua towards Hispaniola. 
 His ships had, however, become so much out of 
 repair, that he was unable to reach that island, 
 and was forced to run them on shore in a creek on 
 the coast of Jamaica, where he propped them up 
 with spars, and built huts for the men upon the 
 decks, all the parts below being full of water. He 
 remained here nearly a year, suffering many hard- 
 ships, till he at last found means to send a canoe 
 over to Hispaniola, with intelligence of his dis- 
 tressed condition. A vessel was, in consequence, 
 dispatched to transport him and his men to that 
 island, whence he sailed to Spain, and reached 
 Seville in safety, after a very tempestuous voyage. 
 The ungrateful return made to this great and 
 excellent man for his exemplary services, and the 
 circumstances of his death, are finely and touch- 
 ingly described by his son, Ferdinand Columbus, 
 who published a history of his father's voyages, 
 equally creditable to the talents and the filial piety 
 of the biographer. " In May, 1505," says this 
 writer, " Columbus went to the court of King 
 Ferdinand, the glorious Queen Isabella having, 
 the year before, exchanged this life for a better. 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 103 
 
 Her loss was severely felt by the admiral, as she 
 had always favoured and supported him ; whereas 
 the king had proved unkind, and adverse to his 
 honour and interest. Though King Ferdinand 
 received him with the outward appearance of fa- 
 vour and respect, and pretended to restore him to 
 his full power, he yet would have stripped him of 
 all, if shame had not hindered him, considering 
 the engagements which both he and the queen 
 had come under to him, when he went out upon 
 his last voyage. But the wealth and value of the 
 Indies appearing every day more obvious, and 
 considering how great a share of their produce 
 would accrue to the admiral, in virtue of the grant 
 made to him, the king was anxious to acquire the 
 absolute dominion to himself. Ferdinand, there- 
 fore, began to propose new terms to the admiral, 
 by way of equivalent, which negotiations God did 
 not permit to take effect ; for the admiral, much 
 broken down by the gout, and troubled to find 
 himself deprived of his just rights, was attacked 
 by other distempers, and gave up his soul to God 
 upon Ascension-day, the 20th of May, 1506, at 
 the city of Valladolid. Before his death, he de- 
 voutly partook of the holy sacraments of the 
 church ; and these were his last words, ' Into thy 
 hands, OLord! I commend my spirit.' His body 
 was conveyed to Seville, where it was magnifi- 
 cently buried in the cathedral, by order of the 
 king, and the following epitaph was engraven, in 
 Spanish, on his tomb : — 
 
 ' Columbus gave a new world to Castile and Leon.'" 
 Allusion has already been made to the attempts 
 
J 04 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 made to trace the knowledge of the Western Con- 
 tinent, to an earlier period than that of Columbus. 
 Fortune was not only adverse to the great navi- 
 gator, while living, but she appears to have been 
 equally unkind to his name when dead, for one 
 of the numerous pretenders to a priority of disco- 
 very, whose claims are now universally acknow- 
 ledged to be those of an impostor, succeeded in 
 robbing the real discoverer of the honour of be- 
 stowing his own name upon the new world, which 
 he had found out. This man's name was Ame- 
 ricus Vesputius, a native of Florence, who, by 
 the interest of one of Columbus's known enemies, 
 was made chief pilot of Spain. In his official 
 situation, all the journals of discovery were com- 
 municated to him, and from these he constructed 
 elegant maps, and, as his integrity was not quite 
 as great as his talents, he supplied whatever was 
 wanting in his materials by the exertion of his 
 imagination, which was vivid and powerful. He 
 next published a narrative, in very elegant lan- 
 guage, of four voyages which he represented him- 
 self as having made, and pretended to have been 
 the first discoverer of the Continent of the New 
 World, alleging that his great predecessor was 
 only the discoverer of the West India Islands. 
 This fact he endeavoured to sustain by insertions 
 of dates, which have since been clearly proved to 
 have been falsified. It has been doubted by many 
 whether any one of these voyages by Americus 
 was ever accomplished. It at least appears evi- 
 dent that the first two voyages contained in his 
 narrative were in reality one and the same, and 
 were divided for the purpose of giving a better 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 105 
 
 colour to the false date on which he attempted to 
 ground his claim to the alleged priority of disco- 
 very of the continent of Paria. From his own 
 writings it appears, that he did not command in 
 chief in any of the voyages which he has related, 
 and he uniformly conceals, with suspicious cau- 
 tion, the names of the commanders under whom 
 he sailed. Yet, being supported and favoured by 
 many persons of rank and influence, his preten- 
 sions were admitted; and, instead of the New 
 World being designated after the immortal Co- 
 lumbus, the name of America, derived from that 
 of a man who, but for this piece of unmerited 
 good fortune, would have been lost in obscurity, 
 was attached, and remains indelibly affixed to this 
 great division of the globe. 
 
 Ovando, who had been appointed successor to 
 Columbus, in the government of Hispaniola, in- 
 gratiated himself considerably with the Spanish 
 court, by his discovery of numerous rich mines of 
 gold in' that island, and his remitting vast quan- 
 tities of that precious metal to the treasury. His 
 success increased the anxiety of the cabinet of 
 Madrid to extend their discoveries, and to esta- 
 blish their power in regions that promised to prove 
 so profitable ; and various expeditions were un- 
 dertaken for the furtherance of those objects. A 
 colony was planted at Porto Rico, and a pearl 
 fishery established at the island of Cubagua. Da- 
 rien, on the isthmus which unites North and 
 South America, was also colonized ; and the large 
 and fertile island of Cuba was completely con- 
 quered by Diego Velasquez, and Spanish settle- 
 ments formed upon it. This commander also 
 
106 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 made many other discoveries along the coast of the 
 American Continent, which opened a way to 
 Mexico, or New Spain, as it was called by the 
 discoverers. 
 
 The conquest of this rich and extensive empire 
 is one of the most striking events connected with 
 the annals of early American discovery.* The re- 
 ports which the followers of Velasquez, on the 
 strength of the information derived from the na- 
 tives, brought of the probability of great stores of 
 gold being obtainable in the interior of that coun- 
 try, awakened all the avarice of the Spaniards, and 
 in 1518, Fernando Cortes, one of the Spanish 
 residents in Cuba, applied for permission to reduce 
 Mexico under their Catholic Majesties, and for a 
 suitable force to effect his design. His request 
 was granted, and, on the 10th of February, 1519, 
 he set sail from the Havannah, with a force, not 
 amounting in all to seven hundred men. These 
 he landed, together with his horses and artillery, at 
 the harbour of St. Juan de Ullua, and began to erect 
 huts for his men, and to fortify his camp. Some idea 
 maybe formed of the daringness of the enterprise, by 
 considering that the empire, which this adventurous 
 commander had the temerity to think of attempt- 
 ing to subdue with his little band, was one that, 
 according to Dr. Robertson, had arrived at a 
 pitch of grandeur to which no society had ever 
 attained in so short a period. Though it had sub- 
 
 * Strictly speaking, the expeditions which led to the 
 conquest of Mexico, Peru, and Chili, can, perhaps, hardly 
 be called voyages ; but, independently of their very inter- 
 esting- character, some account of them appears indispens- 
 able in the narration of early American discoveries. 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 107 
 
 sisted only one hundred and thirty years, its do- 
 minion extended from the north to the south sea, 
 over territories stretching about 500 leagues, from 
 east to west, and more than 200 from north to 
 south, comprehending provinces not inferior in 
 fertility, population, and opulence, to any in the 
 torrid zone. The day following his landing, two 
 Mexicans of high rank, the one governor of a 
 province under the emperor, and the other the 
 commander of all the forces in that province, 
 waited upon Cortes. He gave them an audience, 
 at which he told them that he came from the King 
 of Castile, the greatest monarch of the East ; that 
 he was entrusted with propositions of such im- 
 portance, that he could communicate them to no 
 one but to the emperor himself, and he requested 
 to be immediately conducted to the capital. They 
 seemed very uneasy at his proposal, and endea- 
 voured to dissuade him from it, but to no purpose. 
 They then strove to conciliate him by magnificent 
 presents, sent from Montezuma, their emperor, 
 which evinced a degree both of opulence and civi- 
 lization, exceeding any thing that had been sup* 
 posed to exist in the New World. They consisted 
 of valuable ornaments of gold and silver, of which 
 the workmanship was as exquisite as the materials 
 were rich ; plumes of various colours ; and beauti- 
 fully fine cotton cloth. But, instead of producing 
 the desired effect, such a display of wealth only 
 increased the eagerness of the greedy Spaniard 
 and his companions to acquire possession of the 
 country, and he insisted upon compliance with his 
 request. The ambassadors obtained, however, a 
 promise on the part of Cortes, not to advance till 
 
108 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 sufficient time had elapsed to obtain instructions 
 from Mexico, the capital city. The messengers 
 despatched thither took with them drawings, made 
 by painters sent for the purpose, upon the spot, 
 and designed upon white cotton cloths, of the 
 figures of the ships, horses, artillery, and every 
 thing remarkable in the Spanish forces ; they like- 
 wise bore some European curiosities, as presents 
 from Cortes to Montezuma. The latter refused 
 to admit the Spanish general to a personal inter- 
 view, but wishing to soften the refusal, and avoid 
 exciting resentment, he sent him gifts, far more 
 magnificent than any thing which the invaders had 
 hitherto seen. Among them were two large plates 
 of a circular form, the one of massive gold, repre- 
 senting the sun, the other of silver, representing 
 the moon, together with braces, collars, rings, and 
 other trinkets all of gold. There were also some 
 boxes filled with pearls, precious stones, and grains 
 of un wrought gold, found in rivers, and speci- 
 mens of all the manufactures of the country, the 
 most admired and curious of which were cotton 
 cloths, so fine and delicate as to resemble silk, and 
 pictures of different natural objects, formed with 
 leathers of various colours, disposed with such 
 skill and elegance, as to rival the most finished 
 productions of the pencil. If Cortes had wavered 
 before, this exhibition would have decided him. 
 Accordingly, when, after delivering their presents, 
 the ambassadors announced the refusal of Monte- 
 zuma, he but adhered the more firmly to his reso- 
 lution, saying, that he would never return to his 
 own sovereign, till he should first be admitted to 
 the emperor's presence. He built a small town, to 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 109 
 
 which he gave the name of Villa Rica de la Vera 
 Cruz, or the rich town of the true cross, in which 
 he left a slender garrison. Some discontents 
 having arisen among a few of his followers, who 
 began to feel alarmed at the arduousness of their 
 undertaking, he destroyed his fleet, and thus de- 
 prived his followers of every resource except that 
 of victory. He then commenced his march to- 
 wards the capital, and found no resistance, but 
 rather experienced friendly treatment, till he ar- 
 rived on the frontiers of Tlascala, a republic the 
 inhabitants of which were warlike, fierce, and vin- 
 dictive. As they were implacable enemies to 
 Montezuma, Cortes was aware of the advantage 
 that he should derive from their alliance, which he 
 imagined he should easily obtain. With this view 
 he sent ambassadors to the senate of Tlascala, but, 
 after a long discussion of his propositions, that 
 body determined on opposing his advance. The 
 republicans fought with great resolution, but their 
 undisciplined valour and inefficient weapons could 
 effect little against the military skill and experience 
 of the Spaniards, furnished with cavalry, musketry, 
 and artillery ; and having been defeated in one or 
 two severe engagements, they were compelled to 
 sue for peace, which was readily granted them, on 
 condition of their yielding themselves vassals to 
 the crown of Spain, and engaging to assist Cortes 
 in all his operations. After resting his troops some 
 time, he continued his march towards Mexico, 
 reinforced by 6000 of his new allies. At Cholula, a 
 town on the road, he narrowly escaped being sacri- 
 ficed to a plot contrived for him by the emissaries 
 of Montezuma. The Spanish troops, were re- 
 
110 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 ceived within the town with apparent cordiality, 
 but the Tlascalans were refused admission. Two 
 of the latter, however, by disguising themselves, 
 got into the city, and learned that a body of Mex- 
 ican troops lay concealed near the town, that some, 
 of the streets were barricaded, and that in others 
 deep pits or trenches were dug, and slightly co- 
 vered over as traps for the cavalry to fall into, and 
 that stones and other missiles were collected to 
 shower down on the infantry from the tops of the 
 temples and other buildings. This intelligence en- 
 abled Cortes to baffle the whole project, and, in 
 conjunction with the Tlascalans, he attacked the 
 people of Cholula by surprise, putting 6000 of 
 them to the sword, without the loss of a single 
 Spaniard. He then advanced directly towards 
 Mexico, and arrived almost at the gates of that 
 capital without meeting any enemy to check his 
 progress. Montezuma appeared quite irresolute, 
 and sent no army to oppose the advance of the ad- 
 venturer. This seeming imprudence and timidity 
 was afterwards sufficiently accounted for, by the 
 acknowledgment of the Emperor to Cortes, that an 
 opinion had long prevailed among his subjects, 
 that they were destined to be subdued by a race 
 of formidable invaders, who would come from the 
 regions towards the rising sun ; and that the mar- 
 tial appearance of the Spaniards and the prodigi- 
 ous power of their arms, had inspired an almost 
 universal belief that they were the appointed in- 
 struments of the conquest. When the Spanish 
 leader drew near the city, he was met by Monte- 
 zuma, attended by a thousand nobles of the court, 
 and treated with the utmost respect and distinction. 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 1 1 1 
 
 Quarters were assigned to his troops within the 
 capital, which Cortes took care to secure, by 
 planting artillery, so as to command all the 
 avenues. After remaining some days in his posi- 
 tion, he began to be suspicious of the designs of 
 the Mexicans. In the neighbourhood of Villa 
 Rica, one of the Mexican generals on the fron- 
 tiers had attacked the new settlers, and, though 
 defeated, had caused considerable loss to the 
 Spaniards, and taken one prisoner, whose head was 
 cut off and sent to the capital, with a view to re- 
 move the impression existing in the minds of the 
 Mexicans, that the invaders were immortal. He 
 had been previously warned by the Tlascalans not 
 to confide in the seeming friendship of Montezuma, 
 and he perceived that, posted as his small force 
 was, retreat might be rendered impracticable, 
 by breaking up the bridges and destroying the 
 causeways, and that he would then find himself 
 cooped up in a hostile city, surrounded by multi- 
 tudes sufficient to overwhelm him, and without a 
 possibility of receiving aid from his allies. But if 
 it was difficult to continue in the situation which 
 he occupied, to retire from it would involve his dis- 
 grace and ruin. The success of his undertaking- 
 depended upon maintaining the opinion which the 
 people of New Spain had formed of the irresistible 
 power of his arms, and the slightest symptom 
 of fear on his part would cause this veneration to 
 cease, and encourage Montezuma to let loose upon 
 him the whole force of the empire. In this emer- 
 gency, he fixed upon a plan equally extraordinary 
 and daring. He determined to seize Montezuma 
 in his palace, and convey him as a prisoner to the 
 
112 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 Spanish quarters. For this step he found a pre- 
 text in the attack which had been made upon the 
 colonists at Villa Rica; and the unfortunate mo- 
 narch, after some fruitless attempts at remon- 
 strance, was compelled to submit to his fate. Cor- 
 tes likewise obliged his illustrious captive to give 
 directions to the chief officers of the state, callinir 
 upon them to pay implicit obedience to all the 
 orders which should be issued by the Spanish 
 general, who thus obtained the complete sovereign- 
 ty of the empire. Under the pretence of exhibi- 
 ting to the emperor the manoeuvres of the Spanish 
 shipping, he likewise contrived to build, without 
 experiencing any attempt at interruption, two 
 brigantines fully rigged, armed, and equipped, 
 thus obtaining such a command of the lake on 
 which the capital was situated, as would ensure 
 his retreat, should the Mexicans attempt to shut 
 him up in the city. He now felt himself in a situa- 
 tion to inflict further humiliation on the royal pri- 
 soner, by making him publicly acknowledge him- 
 self a tributary vassal to the King of Spain. The 
 language of the fallen prince, in making this ac- 
 knowledgment, was interrupted by frequent tears 
 and groans, and his assembled subjects listened 
 with unequivocal marks of sorrow and indignation, 
 but their dread of the Spanish arms, and the re- 
 flection that the life of their sovereign was in the 
 hands of the invaders, prevented any present at- 
 tempt at resistance. But, from the tranquil sub- 
 mission which fear had dictated, they were at 
 length roused by a new outrage of Cortes, who, 
 uniting gross bigotry to tyrannical cruelty, after 
 finding Montezuma proof to all arguments to in- 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 113 
 
 duce him to abolish the religion of his country, 
 and introduce Christianity in its place, dislodged 
 the idols from their shrines in the temples, and 
 placed images of the Virgin Mary in their stead. 
 This imprudent zeal produced general disaffection, 
 and Montezuma, encouraged by the priests and 
 nobles who held secret communications with him 
 in his captivity, assumed spirit to tell Cortes that, 
 as all the objects of the embassy were now ful- 
 filled, he must insist upon the general and his 
 followers immediately quitting the country, or 
 destruction would inevitably fall upon their heads. 
 Cortes deemed it prudent to temporise, and there- 
 fore professed his willingness to comply with the 
 emperor's commands ; but said, that as the vessels 
 in which he arrived had been destroyed, some time 
 would be requisite for building others. While in 
 this state, his embarrassments were further in- 
 creased by the arrival of an armament from Cuba 
 with orders, to seize him and bring him to trial 
 before the governor of that island, for having ex- 
 ceeded the powers vested in him. He had how- 
 ever the good fortune not only to defeat the force 
 sent against him, but to strengthen himself ma- 
 terially by the accession of many of the soldiers 
 composing it to his own ranks. To meet his new 
 enemy, however, he had been obliged to quit 
 Mexico, leaving but a small part of his troops be- 
 hind, and in his absence, his affairs were very 
 nearly ruined. Alvarado, to whom he had en- 
 trusted the command on his departure, having 
 treacherously assassinated several Mexicans of 
 high rank at a festival, the whole population of the 
 capital rose in revolt, seized and destroyed the two 
 
 VOL. I. I 
 
114 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 brigantines which Cortes had built to command 
 the lake, attacked the Spaniards in their quarters, 
 killed some, wounded many more, burned their 
 magazines of provisions, and reduced them to a 
 situation in which it appeared certain that they 
 must either die by famine, or sink under the over- 
 whelming multitude of their enemies. On receiving 
 the news of these disasters, Cortes hastened with 
 all speed to the relief of his distressed companions, 
 whom he reached in time to avert their entire de- 
 struction, the Mexicans having most unaccount- 
 ably neglected to use the ready means which they 
 possessed of preventing the junction of the two 
 bodies of Spaniards, by breaking down the bridges 
 and causeways, without which the capital could not 
 have been entered. The Spanish general, however, 
 elated by his success, adopted, on his return, the 
 most haughty and insolent conduct towards Mon- 
 tezuma, and threatened vengeance upon the 
 Mexicans for their recent hostile attacks upon his 
 countrymen. This indiscretion had the effect of 
 making the natives fly to arms, and they attacked 
 Cortes with such fury and vigour, that, after 
 making a desperate sally and combating for a 
 whole day, he was wounded and forced to retire 
 with considerable loss. As a last resource, he 
 compelled the ill fated Montezuma who was still 
 in his power, to address the multitude from the 
 front of the Spanish quarters, and prohibit the 
 continuance of hostilities against the Spaniards. 
 The awe in which his subjects had been accustomed 
 to stand of the emperor made them at first listen 
 to him in respectful silence, but when they under- 
 stood the purport of his harangue, they became so 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 115 
 
 exasperated that they forgot all regard for his 
 person. He was wounded with two arrows, and a 
 blow on his temple with a stone struck him to the 
 ground. On seeing him fall, the people fled^pre- 
 cipitately as if stricken with remorse, but the un- 
 happy monarch, overwhelmed with the idea of 
 having become an object of contempt even to his 
 own subjects, obstinately refused all nourishment, 
 and died shortly after. Disappointed in his ex- 
 pectations of bringing the Mexicans to any terms 
 of peace, Cortes determined on retreating from the 
 capital, and with a view to elude the enemy, he 
 thought it advisable to quit it by night. But he 
 was mistaken in his expectation of evading the 
 vigilance of the Mexicans ; they had watched all 
 his movements, anticipated his design, and, unex- 
 pectedly surrounding the Spanish troops, attacked 
 them with such force in the darkness and confusion, 
 that, though the retreat was at last effected by 
 desperate exertions of valour, Cortes lost more 
 than one half of his army, together with many of- 
 ficers of distinction, all his artillery, ammunition 
 and baggage, and nearly the whole of his treasure. 
 Broken and dispirited, the Spaniards proceeded 
 on their march towards the coast, without en- 
 countering any opposition beyond occasional 
 harassing from flying parties of the enemy hanging 
 on their rear, till they reached Otumba, a town°not 
 far from the road between Mexico and Tlascala. On 
 their arriving at an eminence near this place, a spa- 
 cious valley opened to their view, covered with a vast 
 army as far as the eye could reach. At the sight of this 
 incredible multitude, the boldest of the Spaniards 
 began to despair, but Cortes, after reminding them 
 
116 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 that they mnst either conquer or perish, immedi- 
 ately led them on to the charge. Wherever his 
 small force was directed it penetrated, and dis- 
 persed the most numerous battalions, but, new 
 combatants advancing on all sides, the Spaniards, 
 though successful in every attack, became almost 
 exhausted, without seeing any end to their toil, or 
 any hope of victory. In this exigency Cortes had 
 recourse to a manoeuvre strongly characteristic of 
 his resolution and presence of mind. Perceiving 
 the great standard of the empire which v/as carried 
 before the Mexican general advancing, and recol- 
 lecting to have heard that its fate decided the event 
 of every battle, he assembled a few of his bravest 
 officers, and, placing himself at their head, bore 
 down upon it with such impetuosity as to carry 
 every thing before him. The guard of nobles who 
 surrounded the standard were soon broken, and 
 Cortes, with a stroke of his lance, wounded the 
 Mexican general, and threw him to the ground, 
 upon which one of the Spaniards alighting, put 
 an end to his life, and seized the imperial stand- 
 ard. An immediate panic ensued among the 
 Mexicans, who fled in complete disorder in every 
 direction. The Spaniards did not pursue them 
 far, but returned to collect the spoils of the field, 
 which proved so valuable as almost to make them 
 amends for the wealth which they had lost in 
 Mexico. This unexpected victory determined 
 Cortes to make a renewed attack upon the capital. 
 As he knew that any attempt at its reduction 
 would be unavailing, unless he could secure the 
 command of the lake, on his entering the territory 
 of his Tlascalan allies, he had twelve brigantines 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 117 
 
 built, in such a manner that they might be carried 
 in pieces, ready to be put together and launched 
 as soon as they were needed for service. He also 
 obtained a reinforcement, as welcome as unlooked 
 for, of some Spanish troops, who having made an 
 unsuccessful invasion of the northern parts of 
 Mexico, were glad to seek their safety in offering 
 their services to Cortes, who incorporated them 
 with his own soldiers, so that his force now 
 amounted to 600 Spaniards, with nine pieces of 
 artillery, together with 10,000 Tlascalans and 
 other friendly Indians. Thus strengthened, he 
 again entered the enemy's territory, and esta- 
 blished himself at Tezcuco, the second city of the 
 empire, situated on the banks of the lake of Mexico, 
 at a distance of twenty miles from that capital. 
 Some time elapsed before the brigantines could 
 be completed and launched ; this interval he em- 
 ployed in attacking, and reducing or destroying, all 
 the principal towns upon the lake. Those who 
 submitted, he treated with great mildness and for- 
 bearance, and used every means in his power to 
 gain the good will and regard of the inhabitants ; 
 and, in many instances he succeeded, as the con- 
 duct of the Mexican government towards its pro- 
 vinces had been very oppressive, and necessarily 
 unpopular. Indeed the spirit of revolt spread so 
 strongly, that, on the promise of Cortes to release 
 the natives from the exactions to which they were 
 subjected by the court, they supplied him abund- 
 antly with provisions, and even joined him with 
 auxiliary troops. The fleet of brigantines was now 
 launched, and, in the first engagement, they totally 
 defeated, with immense slaughter, the almost in- 
 
118 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 numerable body of canoes opposed to them by the 
 Mexica^,.,ar^i became masters of the lake. Cortes 
 pushed his'lfnvantages, and gradually dispossessed 
 the enemy of the most commanding and important 
 posts, being warned by previous experience of the 
 danger of penetrating at once into the heart of a 
 hostile city. But the small number of his troops 
 diminishing daily by their new victories, he was 
 obliged to renounce the cautious plans which he 
 had determined to pursue, and to order a general 
 assault. His arrangements were so skilful and 
 judicious that they would probably have ensured 
 success, but for the conduct of one of his officers, 
 whose rashness and neglect of the general's orders 
 enabled the Mexicans to take the Spaniards in the 
 rear, and thus to repulse them with considerable 
 loss. ■ The enemy, to add to the effects of their 
 victory, called in the aid of the priests, who de- 
 clared that the gods had doomed the Spaniards, 
 and all who should assist them, to total destruction 
 within eight days. This prophecy so operated 
 upon the superstition of the natives, that Cortes 
 found himself suddenly deserted by all his Indian 
 allies, even by the Tlascalans. As the most effectual 
 way of recalling them, and shewing the falsity of 
 the prediction, he suspended all military operations 
 during the pretended fatal term, his troops lying 
 in safety under cover of the brigantines, which 
 kept the enemy at a distance. This conduct pro- 
 duced the desired effect. The Indians came to 
 the conclusion that the Spaniards were a race of 
 beings too powerful for the gods of Mexico, and 
 they flocked in such numbers to the standard of 
 Cortes, that his force of native auxiliaries soon 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 119 
 
 amounted to nearly 100,000. Bat even with this 
 force he found his undertaking a very arduous 
 one. The Mexicans fought with undaunted valour, 
 and in their frequent combats with the Spaniards, 
 had much improved in military discipline ; and 
 their emperor Guatimozin, who succeeded Monte- 
 zuma, was a prince of consummate courage, and 
 superior talents, and much beloved by the nobility. 
 Under these circumstances, the Spaniards were 
 compelled to dispute every inch of their way, but 
 they still continued to gain ground, while each 
 fresh advance fortified their positions, and added 
 to the difficulties of the enemy. At length, three- 
 fourths of the city being laid in ruins, and the re- 
 maining quarter so closely pressed, that it could 
 not be expected long to hold out, the Mexican 
 nobles, anxious to save the life of their sovereign, 
 persuaded him to attempt his escape by crossing 
 the lake, whence he might proceed to some other 
 part of his dominions, and endeavour to excite 
 his subjects to take up arms. The effort failed. 
 The extraordinary rapidity with which some large 
 canoes were rowed, attracted the attention of the 
 Spaniards, and one of them which carried the 
 Emperor was overtaken and captured by a brigan- 
 tine. As soon as his fate was known, the Mexi- 
 cans desisted from further resistance, and Cortes 
 took possession of the small portion of the capital 
 yet undestroyed, after a siege of seventy-five days, 
 hardly one of which had passed without some ex- 
 traordinary effort of one party in its attack, or of 
 the other in its defence. Guatimozin, when 
 brought before Cortes, conducted himself in a 
 manner truly worthy of his exalted station. He 
 
1.20 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 neither displayed the sullen fierceness of a barba- 
 rian, nor the dejection of a suppliant. " I have 
 done," said he, addressing himself to the Spanish 
 General, " what became a monarch. I have de- 
 fended my people to the last extremity ; nothing 
 now remains but to die. Take this dagger, plant 
 it in my breast, and put an end to a life which can 
 no longer be of use." 
 
 The exultation of the Spaniards at the success 
 of their enterprise was soon checked, on finding 
 their expectations of obtaining immense wealth 
 completely frustrated. Of the spoils that the city 
 afforded, the greater part had been carried off, 
 while they were engaged in the conflict with the 
 enemy, by their Indian allies; and Guatimozin, 
 anticipating the success of his foes, had ordered 
 the whole of the imperial treasury to be thrown 
 into the lake. To gratify the resentment of his 
 soldiers for this deprivation of their expected 
 plunder, Cortes perpetrated an act of barbarity 
 which sullied all the reputation of his great ex- 
 ploits. He subjected the unhappy monarch and 
 his prime minister to torture, in order to force 
 from them a discovery of hidden treasure. The 
 latter, overcome by pain, turned a dejected eye to- 
 wards his master, as if imploring permission to 
 make a disclosure, but the high-spirited prince, 
 who endured all the inflictions of his persecutors 
 with unshrinking fortitude, checked him by asking, 
 " Am 1, then, on a bed of roses ?" Stung by this 
 reproach, the minister persevered in his dutiful 
 silence, and expired. On his death, Cortes res- 
 cued the royal victim from the hands of his tor- 
 mentors, and preserved his life, only to reserve 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 121 
 
 him for new indignities and sufferings. He avail- 
 ed himself of the captivity of the monarch, to 
 affix the sanction of the imperial name to decrees 
 authorising the practice of every species of extor- 
 tion and cruelty against his subjects, and in pri- 
 vate he treated him with the most humiliating 
 contempt. Indeed, from the first subjugation of 
 Mexico, the inhabitants were put under a yoke of 
 iron. Cortes was repeatedly restricted in his go- 
 vernment by the jealousies of the Spanish Court, 
 and even deprived of it, and recalled to Spain ; 
 but a change of governors produced no mitigation 
 of the sufferings of the unhappy Mexicans. The 
 avarice of their victors induced them, after plun- 
 dering the natives of all they possessed, to sacrifice 
 them to toils more severe than their constitutions 
 or climate would allow them to endure. Under 
 pretence of converting them to Christianity, they 
 massacred the Indians out of mere wantonness, 
 and the priests encouraged them in these acts of 
 ferocity. This system of oppression continued 
 without intermission, till it pleased Providence to 
 raise up a zealous and enlightened advocate and 
 friend of the persecuted Indians, in the person of 
 the venerable De Las Casas, who persevered, in 
 spite of the numerous obstacles which he had to 
 encounter from prejudiced and interested persons, 
 in the prosecution of his humane object, and by 
 his continued remonstrances, ultimately succeeded 
 in persuading the Court of Spain to make laws in 
 favour of the Indians, who, though they continued 
 in a state of slavery, were afterwards exempted 
 from the atrocious barbarities to which they had 
 been previously subjected. Las Casas estimates 
 
122 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 the number of the victims to the sanguinary vio- 
 lence of the Spaniards in different parts of Ameri- 
 ca, at no less than fifteen millions, a statement 
 which has never been accused of exaggeration, and 
 which has stamped a disgrace upon his country- 
 men that time will never be able to efface. 
 
 The next country of America that had the 
 misfortune to be discovered by the Spaniards was 
 the empire of Peru, which has since become al- 
 most another name for immense wealth. The 
 circumstances that led to this discovery are so 
 curious as to merit recording. In 1524, some 
 persons were detached from the Spanish colony 
 established at Panama, on the isthmus of Darien, 
 for the purpose of examining the western coast of 
 South America. A quarrel arising among these 
 adventurers about the division of some gold which 
 they had taken, they were on the point of coming 
 to blows, when a young Indian chief who was 
 present, astonished at such contention about a 
 thing which he deemed useless, told the Spaniards 
 that, since they valued gold so highly, he could 
 conduct them to a country where the most com- 
 mon utensils were made of that metal ; that 
 it was situated at six days' journey from the spot 
 where they then were, but that it was a great and 
 powerful empire, and would require a considerable 
 force to subdue it. This intelligence led, after some 
 lapse of time, to an expedition directed against 
 Peru, undertaken at their own expense by three 
 private adventurers, whose names were, Pizarro, 
 Almagro, and Luque. The first of these was en- 
 trusted with the command. The force which he 
 possessed was very inconsiderable, and the enter- 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 123 
 
 prise might have been regarded as altogether des- 
 perate, had not the progress of the Spaniards been 
 materially assisted by a desolating civil war in 
 which they found the Peruvians engaged upon 
 their arrival, and which so much engaged the at- 
 tention of the combatants, that they never once 
 attempted to check the progress of the foreigners. 
 In most of its features, the expedition of Pizarro 
 bears the strongest possible resemblance to that of 
 Cortes. It exhibits the same unflinching bravery 
 and hardihood, the same recklessness of danger, 
 the same skill and prudence, and the same suc- 
 cessful results arising from turning to the best ad- 
 vantage the great superiority which the Europeans 
 enjoyed over those whom they invaded, in the 
 knowledge of the art of war. In duplicity, treachery, 
 avarice, and barbarity, the conquerors of Peru 
 proved themselves worthy rivals to those of Mexico. 
 Pizarro found the character of the inhabitants kind, 
 generous, and hospitable in the extreme, and the pro- 
 fusion of the precious metals among them, which was 
 such that they were used in the manufacture of 
 many of the commonest articles, excited to the 
 highest pitch the insatiable rapacity of himself and 
 his companions. The meek and confiding charac- 
 ter of the people prevented their entertaining any 
 suspicion of Pizarro's real designs, and they over- 
 whelmed him with kindness and presents. He 
 availed himself of this disposition on their part to 
 execute a most perfidious scheme. Recollecting 
 the advantages that Cortes had derived from seiz- 
 ing Montezuma, he determined to get Atabalipa, 
 the sovereign, or Inca of Peru, into his power, 
 and this he effected by inviting the too credulous 
 
124 
 
 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 monarch to visit him at the Spanish quarters. 
 The invitation was accepted, and when the Inca 
 arrived, Pizarro's troops, at a signal given, rushed 
 forward to the attack sword in hand, at the same 
 time opening a tremendous fire of musketry and 
 cannon upon the unprepared and astonished Peru- 
 vians, who, taken by surprise and panic-struck at 
 a mode of warfare with which they were wholly 
 unacquainted, fled on every side. Pizarro, with a 
 few picked men, advanced directly towards the 
 Inca, and in spite of the gallant manner in which 
 the nobles who surrounded him sacrificed their 
 lives for his protection, he soon penetrated to the 
 royal seat, and, seizing the Inca by the arm, 
 dragged him to the ground, and carried him as a 
 prisoner to his quarters. The fate of the monarch 
 increased the hasty flight of his followers, and the 
 wretched unresisting creatures were pursued and 
 butchered by the Spaniards, with deliberate and 
 unrelenting cruelty. Above 4,000 Peruvians were 
 slain on this occasion, without the loss of a single 
 Spaniard. Atabalipa, on finding himself a captive, 
 in his eagerness to regain his liberty, offered, as a 
 ransom, to fill the apartment in which he was 
 confined, 22 feet in length, and 16 in breadth 
 with vessels of pure gold as high as he could reach. 
 This offer was accepted by Pizarro, but, after near- 
 ly the whole of the stipulated ransom was paid, 
 the Spanish general, resenting some supposed dis- 
 respect to him on the part of Atabalipa, had the 
 unfortunate prince strangled, after undergoing the 
 forms of a mock trial by a tribunal under the in- 
 fluence of Pizarro, which, of course, condemned 
 the Peruvian monarch to death. The Inca's death 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 125 
 
 was the signal for a general revolt against the 
 Spaniards, but this, as well as several succeeding 
 insurrections was quelled without much difficulty 
 by the superior discipline and martial experience of 
 the invaders. It would be tedious and sickening 
 to detail the various cruelties practised by Pizarro 
 upon the victims of his conquests; even Cortes 
 appears to have fallen short of him. His ferocious 
 disposition created him many personal enemies, 
 and, after establishing himself in Peru, he was in- 
 volved in a civil war with Almagro, in which the 
 latter was overcome, and, being taken prisoner, 
 was afterwards executed. The governor, however, 
 continuing to render himself more and more odious, 
 a plot was formed against his life, and on Sunday, the 
 26th of June, 1541, his palace was attacked by 
 eighteen conspirators, and he himself was slain, 
 after making a defence worthy of that exalted 
 courage, which appears to have been almost the 
 only virtue that distinguished this able, but wicked 
 man. 
 
 Chili, to the south of Peru, was also doomed to 
 be partly reduced beneath the dominion of Spain. 
 In 1535, after Pizarro, in conjunction with Al- 
 magro, had completed the conquest of Peru, the 
 latter set out on an expedition to Chili, with a 
 considerable body of Spaniards and auxiliary In- 
 dians. Almagro's troops, after suffering greatly 
 from the cold in crossing the Cordilleras, reached 
 a fine, temperate, fertile plain, where he was re- 
 ceived with great kindness by the natives, whose 
 ignorance induced them to believe the strangers 
 deputies from the god of the Chilians, and to col- 
 lect for them offerings of gold and silver, worth 
 
126 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 600,000 ducats. The knowledge of their pos- 
 sessing so much wealth determined Almagro, as 
 he did not deem his present force sufficient for his 
 purpose, to pay a second visit at a future period, 
 but being, after his return to Peru, overcome and 
 put to death as already mentioned, he had no op- 
 portunity of carrying his intentions into effect. 
 Pizarro, however, in 1540, detached a second ex- 
 pedition to Chili, under the command of Pedro de 
 Valdivia, an individual worthy the patronage of 
 the ferocious warrior who had appointed him. 
 But Valdivia, upon penetrating farther southward 
 into the interior of the country, found a class of men 
 to contend with, very different from the natives 
 of Mexico and Peru. The Chilian chiefs confeder- 
 ated against him, and gave him battle, nor were they 
 discouraged by repeated defeats, but continued to 
 carry on the war with vigour. He succeeded, 
 notwithstanding all their opposition, in reaching 
 the vallev of Masiocho, which he found most fer- 
 tile and populous, and there he founded the city 
 of Santiago. Finding gold mines in this neigh- 
 bourhood, he forced the Indians to work in them, 
 which so exasperated them, that they took up 
 arms, and setting fire to the new colony, nearly 
 destroyed it. The revolters being ultimately com- 
 pelled to submit, the other Chilians, resenting the 
 indignity offered to their countrymen redoubled 
 their efforts to arrest the progress of Valdivia, but, 
 for some time, without success. At length his 
 insatiable ambition and avarice, involved him in 
 irretrievable difficulties. His conquests were ex- 
 tended beyond what his strength was capable of 
 maintaining, while the determination of the Chi- 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 127 
 
 lians to recover their liberties remained as strong as 
 ever. After various attacks, in which even their 
 victories tended to enfeeble the Spaniards, the na- 
 tives defeated their invaders in a great battle, in 
 which the greater part of Valdivia's army were 
 surrounded and cut to pieces, and the general 
 himself taken prisoner and put to death. In a 
 subsequent engagement, the Spaniards were again 
 defeated, with a loss of 3000 men. and some of 
 their principal towns attacked and destroyed, and 
 their total expulsion from the country appeared 
 certain, when a decisive victory gained over the 
 Indians by Garcia de Mendoza, in which the prin- 
 cipal chief of the Chilians was taken and put to 
 death, in some measure retrieved the affairs of the 
 colonists, and enabled them to retain their frontier 
 settlements, by erecting forts at proper distances ; 
 but it has never since been thought prudent for 
 them to attempt any extension of their conquests. 
 While these operations were carrying on in other 
 parts of America, various attempts were made by 
 the Spaniards to subdue and colonise Florida, but 
 without success, and they obtained no permanent 
 settlement in that country till many years after- 
 wards. 
 
 Though Spain undoubtedly lays claim to the 
 honour of giving occasion to the first discovery of 
 America, and of obtaining, in a very short period, 
 an extensive knowledge of the most fertile and va- 
 luable parts of that continent, we have evidence 
 that England entered into the spirited views of 
 Columbus, and was only prevented by accident 
 from becoming his first patron. That eminent 
 navigator, meeting with no encouragement from 
 
128 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 his own countrymen, or from the Portuguese 
 Court on his plans of discovery, went to Spain, 
 as has been before related, in person, to offer his 
 services to Ferdinand and Isabella, while he de- 
 puted his brother Bartholomew to make a similar 
 proposal to Henry the Seventh of England, in 
 case the Spanish Court should not favour his de- 
 signs. Bartholomew was taken by pirates, and, 
 on arriving in England, almost destitute, after his 
 release, he was obliged for some time to work at 
 the construction of maps and charts for sale, in 
 order to procure a livelihood, and obtain the 
 means of appearing before the king. On being 
 admitted to a conference with Henry, that prince 
 was struck with his brother's plans, and readily 
 promised his assistance ; but, owing to the unfor- 
 tunate delay that had intervened, Columbus had 
 already engaged himself to the Spanish sovereign. 
 The fame of the newly-discovered world induced 
 the English king to attempt some nautical enter- 
 prises worthy of himself and his subjects ; and 
 although no immediate fruits were derived from 
 these voyages, England became, by their means, 
 second only to Spain in the discovery of America, 
 and, at an after period, second likewise in point of 
 colonization in the New World. The person se- 
 lected by Henry was Sebastian Cabot, a native of 
 Bristol, who, though only in his twentieth year, 
 had already made a voyage with his father : he 
 was dispatched in 1494, in search of a north-west 
 passage to India, in the course of which he disco- 
 vered Newfoundland and the island of St. John, 
 and sailed along the coast of America as far as 
 Cape Florida. He was employed many years 
 
EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 129 
 
 afterwards by a company of Spanish merchants 
 to perform a voyage to the Moluccas, through the 
 newly found straits of Magellan. The mutinous 
 conduct of the sailors prevented his proceeding 
 farther than the island of Patos ; he, therefore, 
 sailed up the rivers of Paraguay and La Plata, first 
 discovering the rich and fertile tracts of country 
 through which they flow, and staid nearly five 
 years in different parts of South America. On 
 his again returning to England, he was appointed 
 to an honourable office under government, and by 
 his suggestion, the court fitted out an expedition 
 for making discoveries in the northern parts of the 
 world, which produced the first voyage made bv 
 the English to Russia, and laid the foundation of 
 that intercourse which has ever since subsisted 
 between the two nations. 
 
 The wealthy and extensive country of Brazil 
 was accidentally discovered by the Portuguese, 
 in 1500. A numerous fleet had been fitted 
 out by Emanuel, King of Portugal, under the 
 command of Alvarez Cabral, and destined for the 
 East Indies. The admiral, striking out consider- 
 ably to the westward, in order to avoid the coast 
 of Guinea, and double the Cape of Good Hope 
 with greater ease, obtained a view of the coast of 
 South America, which he at first imagined to be a 
 large island, at some distance from the coast of 
 Africa, but, on his sending a boat on shore, the crew 
 were astonished to find the inhabitants differing 
 entirely from the Africans, both in features and 
 complexion. When the admiral announced his 
 discovery to the Court of Lisbon, orders were given 
 to take a survey of the harbours, bays, rivers, and 
 
 VOL. I. k 
 
130 EARLY VOYAGES TO AMERICA. 
 
 coasts ; but finding no signs of gold or silver, they, 
 at first, were inclined to attach little value to the 
 acquisition, which, however, in the sequel, proved 
 a source of infinite advantage, in a commercial 
 point of view, to the mother country. 
 
 No country on the face of the globe affords a 
 greater number of beautiful birds, or a greater 
 variety of the most exquisite fruits ; it likewise 
 abounds in Brazil wood, ebony, dyeing woods, 
 ambergris, rosin, balsam, indigo, sugar, and to- 
 bacco. In 1681, gold and diamond mines were 
 discovered in it, which have sometimes yielded 
 above five millions sterling a year. Crystal, jas- 
 per, emeralds, and other precious stones have also 
 been found there. The largest diamond in the 
 world was sent from Brazil to the kins: of Por- 
 tugal ; it weighed twelve ounces and a half, and 
 was valued at upwards of fifty-six millions of 
 pounds sterling. Brazil also afforded, during the 
 late war, an asylum for the sovereign of Portugal, 
 when his European territories were invaded by the 
 French. At present, it is not subject to the Por- 
 tuguese, but forms a distinct empire. 
 
VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY 
 TO IXDIA. 
 
 The discovery of the vast Peninsula of Hindostan, 
 and the numerous islands in the Eastern Ocean, 
 which are known collectively by the name of the East 
 Indies, opened a field to commerce and enterprise, 
 in which almost all the nations of Europe that could 
 command any navy have been eager to share, and 
 which continues to this day one of the most va- 
 luable emporiums of trade. This event may, like- 
 wise, be considered in great measure as having led 
 to the discovery of America, which originated in 
 the general anxiety that existed to find a less cir- 
 cuitous passage to the Indies. 
 
 The Portuguese, to whom we are indebted for 
 opening a communication between the most re- 
 mote parts of the habitable globe, seem at first to 
 have had no object in view beyond exploring those 
 parts of Africa which lay the nearest to their own 
 country. But, having gradually advanced along 
 the western shore of the African continent, far 
 beyond the limits of former voyages in that direc- 
 tion, and finding fertile and populous countries 
 
132 VOYAGES TO IXDIA. 
 
 in the torrid zone, which the antients had pro- 
 nounced to be uninhabited, they were emboldened 
 by success to continue their course. As they pro- 
 gressed, they found that the Continent of Africa, 
 instead of extending in breadth towards the west, 
 as the old geographers had affirmed,* contracted 
 itself, and bent eastward ; and they, therefore, be- 
 gan to entertain sanguine hopes that the extreme 
 southern point, if it could be reached, and passed 
 round, would afford the passage to India, which 
 it was of so much importance to discover. For 
 twenty-four years they were engaged in a succes- 
 sion of voyages along the western coast of Africa, 
 with a view to discover the southern extremity of 
 that continent; and this object was at last effected 
 by Bartholomew Diaz, in 1486. On perceiving 
 the long-sought promontory, he gave to it the 
 appropriate name of Cabo de Bon Esjjeranca, or 
 the Cape of Good Hope, which it has ever since 
 retained. He was deterred, however, by the ap- 
 parent hazard of the navigation, and returned to 
 Portugal without any further pursuit of his voyage. 
 His representations of the danger had the effect 
 of making John, the reigning monarch of Portu- 
 gal, renounce the idea of penetrating to the East 
 by the newly discovered route, and resume the 
 attempt to establish a communication by land be- 
 tween Europe and India, which proved as unsuc- 
 cessful as in former instances. But, on the death 
 of John, his brother Don Manuel, a prince of a 
 
 * Some writers have been led, from this circumstance to 
 believe, that a part of South America must, at an early 
 period, have been seen by some autient navigator, who 
 mistook it for a portion of the western coast of Africa. 
 
VOYAGES TO INDIA. 133 
 
 courageous and enterprising spirit, mounted the 
 Portuguese throne. This monarch being exceed- 
 ingly desirous of prosecuting the discovery of the 
 Indies, which had been interrupted by the fears of 
 Diaz, fitted out four vessels for that purpose, 
 under the command of Vasco de la Gama, a skilful 
 and intrepid navigator, for whom was reserved the 
 honour of this great achievement. Gama sailed 
 from Belem on the 8th of July, 1497. He first 
 steered for Cape Verde, and then for the island of 
 St. Jago, where, having taken in refreshments, he 
 shaped his course straight for the Cape of Good 
 Hope, by stretching directly across the Gulf of 
 Guinea, and not coasting along it, as had usually 
 been done. On the evening of the 10th of No- 
 vember, he came in sight of the cape, at which the 
 seamen expressed great exultation, but the wind 
 was so contrary, that they had to stand out to sea 
 all the day. In this part of the voyage the admiral 
 evinced the greatest proofs of courage and pre- 
 sence of mind. While endeavouring to double 
 this formidable and almost unknown cape, the 
 waves, owing to contrary winds and stormy wea- 
 ther, rose mountain high. The wind was piercing 
 cold, and so boisterous, that the directions of the 
 pilot could hardly be heard by the seamen ; and 
 the irregularity of the gale rendered it impossible 
 to preserve the course they had already made. 
 The sailors at last became both exhausted and 
 daunted, and entreated Gama not to persist 
 in an attempt, which was alike impracticable 
 and destructive. Upon finding the admiral in- 
 flexible, the majority of the men entered into 
 a conspiracy against him, but by the resolute 
 
134 VOYAGES TO INDIA. 
 
 conduct of Gama, assisted by the few who re- 
 mained faithful to their duty, he succeeded in put- 
 ting the principal mutineers in irons ; and on the 
 29th of November he experienced the reward of his 
 firmness and perseverance, by doubling the formi- 
 dable promontory which had excited such alarm, 
 in perfect safety. They then pursued their course 
 to the north-east, touching at many places on the 
 eastern coast of Africa, which had never before 
 been visited by any Europeans. Being a stranger 
 to a great portion of the seas through which he 
 had to steer his course, and consequently ignorant 
 of the proper season and route of navigation, 
 Gama's voyage had been necessarily tedious, but, 
 after doubling the Cape, not dangerous. In na- 
 vigating along the south-east coast of Africa, he 
 noticed several spots well adapted for coloniza- 
 tion, in some of which the Portuguese subse- 
 quently established settlements. The resemblance 
 observable between the inhabitants of this part of 
 Africa, and those of the opposite side of the con- 
 tinent, was confined to outward appearances only. 
 While sailing along the coast, he made some stay at 
 the city of Melinda, and found there, as well as at 
 several other places at which he touched, a very 
 different race of people from the uncultivated in- 
 habitants of the western side of Africa. Here the 
 natives were so far advanced in civilization and 
 knowledge of the various arts of life, that they 
 carried on an active commerce, not only with the 
 neighbouring nations on their own coast, but also 
 with remote countries of Asia. This circumstance 
 greatly facilitated the objects of Gama, as they 
 accommodated him with their pilots, whose inti- 
 
VOYAGES TO INDIA. 135 
 
 mate knowledge of the Asiatic seas enabled them 
 to keep the most advantageous course ; and, con- 
 ducted bv these guides, he sailed across the Indian 
 Ocean, and landed at Calcutta, on the 22d of 
 May, 1498, ten months and two days after his 
 departure from Belem. The monarch of the dis- 
 trict in which this city was situated, at first re- 
 ceived his foreign guests with great kindness and 
 hospitality, but, perceiving the warlike superiority 
 of the Europeans, and probably jealous, not with- 
 out reason, of their forming establishments in his 
 dominions, he resorted to various stratagems to 
 cut off Gama and his followers, and at last pro- 
 ceeded to open attacks upon them. From both 
 of these the admiral extricated himself by his 
 courage and prudence, and succeeded in leaving 
 Calcutta with his ships loaded with the produc- 
 tions, not only of that coast, but of the richer 
 commodities to be found in the more easterly 
 parts of India. On Gama's return to Lisbon, he 
 was received, both by the court and his country- 
 men, with all the honours due to a man who, by 
 his abilities and resolution, had conducted to a 
 prosperous issue, an undertaking of such great 
 importance. Nor was Portugal only interested in 
 this event ; the eyes of all the nations of Europe 
 were attracted to it. Indeed, for the time, it ap- 
 peared to more than divide public interest with the 
 almost contemporary achievements of Columbus. 
 The discovery of a new world was certainly a more 
 splendid event than the voyage of Gama, and cal- 
 culated to strike the minds of men with greater 
 astonishment, but the important results to which 
 it would lead, were not at that time antici- 
 
136 VOYAGES TO INDIA. 
 
 pated, or even conjectured. On the contrary, the 
 immense value of the Indian trade was well known 
 to all. It had enriched every nation by which it 
 was carried on, and had long been a lucrative mo- 
 nopoly in the hands of the Venetians, whose 
 power in the Mediterranean gave them superior op- 
 portunities of trafficking with Egypt and Syria, 
 from which countries all merchandize from the East 
 had hitherto been transported, to be conveyed 
 to Europe. It was, therefore, at once perceived 
 that the discovery of this new route of navigation, 
 must effect a considerable change in the existing 
 state of commerce. The Portuguese were fully 
 alive to the advantages they would derive from 
 having taken the lead in this enterprise, and they 
 prosecuted their new career with the utmost acti- 
 vity and ardour, making exertions, both commer- 
 cial and military, which a kingdom of such incon- 
 siderable extent could scarcely have been thought 
 equal to. The Venetians and Turks, whose profits 
 were threatened with total destruction, were not 
 likely to remain idle spectators of the success of 
 their rivals. The Sultan threatened to put to 
 death all the Christians in his dominions, if the 
 Portuguese refused to relinquish the course of 
 navigation by which they had penetrated into the 
 Indian Ocean ; and, assisted by the Venetians, he 
 fitted out a fleet of twelve ships of war from Suez, 
 to sail down the Red Sea, and attack the Portu- 
 guese. But the latter, though these vessels were 
 manned with chosen Mamelukes, and commanded 
 by an able admiral, encountered them .with un- 
 daunted courage, and, after some engagements, 
 succeeded in ruining the Turkish squadron, and 
 
VOYAGES TO INDIA. 137 
 
 remaining masters of the Indian Ocean. Elated 
 by this success, they never relaxed in their per- 
 severance ; and accomplished greater things than, 
 in all probability, were ever before achieved in the 
 same space of time. Only twenty-four years after 
 Gama's voyage, the Portuguese had rendered 
 themselves masters of the city of Malacca, in 
 which the great emporium of trade, carried on 
 among the inhabitants of all those regions of Asia, 
 which are distinguished by the name of the East 
 Indies, was then established. While this settle- 
 ment secured them the interior commerce of India, 
 those of Goa and Diu enabled them to command 
 the trade of the Malabar coast, and to greatly in- 
 terrupt the intercourse between Egypt and India, 
 by the way of the Red Sea ; they also established 
 themselves in the Moluccas, from which they 
 traded with the different islands in the Eastern 
 Archipelago ; while the possession of the Straits 
 of Malacca, preserved their communication unin- 
 terrupted with China and Japan. They possessed 
 for more than a century, almost exclusively, the 
 commercial empire of the East, and to this day 
 have extensive possessions in India, and on the 
 south-eastern coast of Africa. But, in time, other 
 nations felt a desire to obtain a share in lands so 
 rich. In 1565, the Spaniards colonized the Phi- 
 lippines, from which, particularly from Manilla, 
 the largest of them, they obtained considerable 
 wealth. But the most formidable competitors 
 were the Dutch, who first ventured to appear in 
 the Indian Seas, as the rivals of the Portuguese. 
 The latter laid claim to an exclusive right of com- 
 merce with the countries eastward of the Cape of 
 
138 VOYAGES TO INDIA. 
 
 Good Hope ; but this pretension the adventurers 
 of Holland set at nought, and boldly evaded the 
 monopoly. They attacked, and took several of 
 the Portuguese settlements, and founded numer- 
 ous others of their own, in Sumatra, Java, Eorneo, 
 and many adjoining. The English shortly fol- 
 lowed the example of the Dutch, and the absolute 
 dominion which the Portuguese had so long ex- 
 ercised in the East, was completely humbled. 
 Within the last century, the British, whose first 
 establishments in India were limited to a few set- 
 tlements upon the coast, of which some had been 
 wrested from the Portuguese, and others founded 
 by themselves, have extended their power to the 
 interior, over a great part of the whole Peninsula 
 of Hindostan ; and their dominions in the East 
 now surpass considerably in extent the whole of 
 their European territories. 
 
VOYAGES TO 
 THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 We have now given an outline of the chief voyages 
 performed round the globe, and of those connect- 
 ed with the great geographical discoveries of a 
 western continent, and of a communication by sea 
 between Europe and the East Indies. The major- 
 ity of other voyages performed in modern times, 
 with the exception of those we are about to relate, 
 were not only inferior in importance and general 
 interest to those already described, but in many 
 instances subservient or auxiliary to greater enter- 
 prises. Many, and indeed the most interesting of 
 the voyages to the northern parts of the globe 
 have been executed within these few years, princi- 
 pally by our own countrymen, and a great number 
 of those engaged in them are still living. The 
 researches of these recent arctic navigators, have 
 exhibited a degree of unshrinking fortitude and 
 undaunted perseverance never surpassed, if indeed 
 rivalled, by any men that ever sailed upon the 
 ocean. Their discoveries have been of the greatest 
 benerit to science in almost all its branches, em- 
 
140 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 bracing, as they do, facts previously unknown in 
 the history of animal and vegetable life, and in the 
 illustrations of meteorology, mineralogy, geogra- 
 phy, and geology. Their adventures have likewise 
 the peculiar advantage of combining the romantic 
 with the- instructive in a high degree, and the 
 reader, while his sympathies are awakened by the 
 description of the trying situations in which they 
 were placed, unconsciously imbibes lessons of pa- 
 tience and cheerfulness in the support of difficul- 
 ties. These circumstances seem to render it 
 advisable to give a more detailed recital of their 
 voyages, than has been considered necessary in 
 the case of those of more remote date, of which 
 the particulars are, generally speaking, more 
 commonly known, and to be found in a greater 
 variety of publications. 
 
 Though the most celebrated expeditions to the 
 Polar regions have been undertaken in our own age, 
 (a circumstance in great measure to be attributed 
 to the facilities afforded by the great improvements 
 in navigation in modern times) such enterprises are 
 by no means new. They were attempted before 
 the invention of the compass, and even by some 
 of the nations of antiquity. There is evidence 
 that the Greek navigators sailed as far as the 
 island of Shetland, to which they gave the name of 
 Thule, and from its dreary climate, and its gloomy 
 mists, which seemed to envelope the ocean, they 
 deemed it to be the utmost boundary of land in a 
 northern direction. It would likewise appear that 
 they had entered the Baltic, and it has even been 
 asserted, though with but slender appearance of 
 probability, that they extended their course as far 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 141 
 
 as to Iceland, The Romans succeeded in ap- 
 proaching Scandinavia, (the ancient name for that 
 part of Europe including Denmark, Sweden, and 
 Norway,) but they only gained a slight and im- 
 perfect* acquaintance with the coast. The Norwegi- 
 ans, from their situation, had peculiar opp jitunities 
 of acquiring a knowledge of the Arctic regions, 
 but, when in the possession of that power which 
 struck terror into many of the nations of Europe, 
 their objects were piracy and plunder, and these 
 were not to be pursued to advantage in a northerly- 
 direction. One of their princes, however, under- 
 took a voyage of discovery, passed round the 
 North Cape, and penetrated into the interior of 
 the White Sea. In the middle of the ninth century, 
 one of the Norwegian Pirates accidentally disco- 
 vered Iceland, which was colonized shortly after ; 
 and some of the settlers crossed over to the oppo- 
 site coast of Greenland, and established them- 
 selves there. Some enterprising individuals from 
 the Italian states, as early as the fourteenth and 
 the begining of the fifteenth centuries, also per- 
 formed voyages to the north, and reached as far 
 as the coasts of Norway and Greenland. 
 
 The discovery of the compass, speedily followed 
 by the splendid achievements of Gama and Co- 
 lumbus, attracted the attention of Europeans 
 much more strongly to the polar regions than any 
 preceding events had done. It has already been 
 mentioned that the original idea of the former was 
 not the discovery of a continent, but that of a 
 westward passage to the Indies. The route open- 
 ed to the East by Gama was circuitous, the navi- 
 gation round the Cape of Good Hope dangerous, 
 
142 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 and represented by the first discoverers as being 
 more full of perils than it really was, with a view 
 to deter others from following in their track, and 
 sharing in the fruits of their good fortune. Even 
 the celebrated strait of Magellan, though it af- 
 forded a communication between the Atlantic and 
 the great South Sea Ocean, had neither the re- 
 commendation of diminishing the delay, nor the 
 hazard incident to the voyage to India by the 
 Atlantic and the Indian Oceans. To discover, 
 therefore, a safe and short route to the Indian 
 lands of wealth and promise, continued to be a 
 primary object with those who were actuated by 
 the spirit of ambition, or the desire of gaining 
 riches and fame. A northward course all were 
 agreed upon as the only one likely to lead to the 
 attainment of their end ; and this was attempted 
 in various ways. Several voyages were made in 
 the expectation of finding a passage by the north 
 and north-east, through the Arctic Ocean. To 
 the execution of such a project, the immense 
 breadth of Asia, its extending so much further to 
 the north than any part of Europe, and the 
 masses of ice upon its shores opposed insuperable 
 obstacles, which no one at that period knew to 
 exist. It will easily be supposed that all these 
 expeditions proved unsuccessful, and some of them 
 disastrous. In one of the earliest, under the 
 command of Sir Hugh Willoughby, which sailed 
 in the sixth year of the reign of King Edward VI. 
 two of the ships were lost, probably by the gather- 
 ing of ice nearly on the eastern boundaries of the 
 Arctic Ocean, and the whole of their crews, to- 
 gether with the admiral himself, perished. A fleet 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 143 
 
 of two vessels was fitted out by the Dutch, in 
 1596, one of which separated from her com- 
 panion at an early period of the voyage. The 
 crew of the other, though, with the exception of 
 those who sunk beneath the effects of fatigue 
 and cold, they ultimately returned to their native 
 country, endured sufferings still more cruel,1 be- 
 cause more protracted, than those of Willoughby 
 and his companions. Effectually blocked in by 
 the ice, at the commencement of the rigour of a 
 polar winter, they had to encounter its inclemency, 
 without any suitable preparation, in a wretched 
 hut upon the ice, in which they found it equally 
 impossible to shut out the cold, or keep up a fire 
 sufficient to warm their limbs. Their extremities 
 were frequently bitten by the frost, which like- 
 wise prevented them from washing their linen ; 
 and they were exposed to continual apprehensions 
 and attacks from the white bears which infested 
 those dreary regions in vast numbers. Their 
 principal support was derived from the Arctic 
 foxes, whom they caught in plenty, and whose 
 flesh they found good eating. After continu- 
 ing in their icy prison from September to May, 
 the weather became milder, and the sailors began 
 to entertain prospects of being able to return 
 home. But the mountains of ice which enclosed 
 the ship, instead of breaking up, rapidly increased, 
 by the accumulation of floating masses. In this 
 situation, as they perceived the impossibility of 
 extracting their ship, they came to the desperate 
 resolution, as their last resource, of fitting out 
 their boats with the cordage and sails of the ship, 
 and endeavouring to work their passage homeward 
 
•144 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 in them. After many struggles and difficulties, 
 they had the good fortune to discover off the coast 
 of Nova Zembla, two Russian vessels at anchor, 
 from which they received assistance, and sailed in 
 company as far as Kolu, at which place they ar- 
 rived with miserably wasted and withered frames, 
 and met with one of their countrymen, who re- 
 lieved their wants, and procured them a free pas- 
 sage to Amsterdam. In spite of these failures, 
 another attempt was made by a company of 
 English merchants, who fitted out Hudson, the 
 celebrated navigator, in search of a north-east 
 passage. His plan was to strike direct into the 
 channel between Nova Zembla and Spitzbergen, 
 and thus avoid entangling himself in the straits 
 and creeks of the Russian coast. His adventure, 
 with all these precautions, proved as fruitless as 
 those that had preceded it ; yet, in the year fol- 
 lowing, the Dutch East India Company were in- 
 duced to employ him in a similar expedition, 
 which was attended with the same ill success. 
 The last effort in this inauspicious pursuit was 
 made in 1676, by one Captain Wood, who, feeling 
 confident, notwithstanding the fate of those who 
 had before essayed it, of the practicability of a 
 north-eastern passage, prevailed upon the Admi- 
 ralty to countenance his project, and furnish him 
 with two vessels. One of these went to pieces on 
 the coast of Nova Zembla, and her crew with dif- 
 ficulty reached the other, in which they returned 
 home. From this period the idea of penetrating 
 in this direction to the Indian seas appears to have 
 been altogether abandoned. Disappointed in va- 
 rious efforts to discover the desired passage by 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 145 
 
 other routes, some sanguine persons were led to 
 entertain an opinion, that it might be accom- 
 plished by striking through the ice and tempests 
 of the arctic seas, directly across the North Pole 
 itself. Unreasonable as this expectation might be, 
 the value of so expeditious a course, if it could be 
 found, was a sufficient temptation to investigate it. 
 The voyagers in this search sailed to very high 
 latitudes, some as far as the eighty-second degree, 
 but invariably found their progress to the ultimate 
 object of their destination blockaded by impene- 
 trable and impassable ice. The discoveries of some 
 of them, however, particularly of Hudson and 
 Baffin, though they failed in their immediate 
 purpose, were very important, and proved of 
 considerable advantage to succeeding navigators. 
 
 The direction in which a shorter communica- 
 tion than any yet known between the two great 
 oceans, has been most frequently attempted, and 
 of which the idea does not seem even yet to be 
 finally relinquished, is to the north-west of the 
 Old World. The sanguine expectations of those 
 who tried this navigation at a very early period, 
 are to be accounted for, from the opinion which 
 they evidently entertained that the northern ex- 
 tremity of America would prove to be a pro- 
 montory, similar to those found to the south of 
 that continent, and likewise of Africa, by Ma- 
 gellan and Gama. Experience has, however, de- 
 monstrated the incorrectness of this notion, and 
 shown that, whatever be the causes, the land in 
 every part of the globe, expands towards the north, 
 and contracts towards the south ; and this con- 
 formation is particularly illustrated in the figtrra- 
 
 VOL. I. L 
 
146 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 tion of the western continent, the two parts of 
 which may be said to constitute two inverted 
 triangles, uniting at the isthmus of Darien. 
 Previous to the voyage of Gama, the Portuguese, 
 in their usual enterprising spirit of navigation, 
 attempted the north-west passage, and two 
 brothers sacrificed their lives in the experiment. 
 A third brother begged permission of his sovereign 
 to traverse the ocean in search of his lost relatives, 
 but this the king peremptorily refused, fearing 
 lest the affectionate youth should share the melan- 
 choly fate of his brothers. The Spaniards were 
 too elated with the discovery of America, and 
 with the wealth and glory which they had acquired 
 by their success, to have their attention diverted to 
 any remote or uncertain object ; and they felt 
 more anxious to prosecute the search for fresh 
 mines of gold and silver in Mexico and Peru, than 
 to explore the more northern and less inviting 
 regions of America. England took the lead, and 
 has always maintained it, in voyages having for 
 their object the discovery of a north-west passage. 
 As early as 1527, two vessels were fitted out for 
 this purpose, but they had proceeded no farther 
 than Newfoundland, when one of them was cast 
 away, and the other returned to England. A more 
 calamitous enterprise of the same kind was under- 
 taken a few years afterwards by some private 
 adventurers, most of them young men of wealth 
 and respectability. Their voyage to Cape Breton 
 was extremely tedious, and as they steered farther 
 to the north, their provisions began to fail, but 
 coming to an island, now called Bird's island, 
 they found an immense quantity of large fowls, 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 147 
 
 besides bears, and obtained a plentiful supply of 
 food. But this stock was exhausted by the time 
 that they reached the coast of Newfoundland, 
 which proved so utterly barren and desolate, that 
 they were driven to the last extremities of hunger, 
 and, at last, actually resorted to eating human 
 flesh, drawing lots to decide whose life should 
 be sacrificed to save the rest. From this horrible 
 situation they were released by the appearance 
 of a French vessel, which they seized, leaving the 
 crew on that dreary coast in the same vessel 
 in which they had themselves endured such suf- 
 ferings. The statements made by them on their 
 return home, threw a damp upon the idea of any 
 further attempts of the same kind, and, for a length 
 of time, the project of a north-western navigation 
 appeared to be forgotten. In the reign of Eliza- 
 beth, so justly celebrated for nautical enterprise, 
 it was, however, revived. Martin Frobisher, 
 whose name afterwards became celebrated in the 
 annals of England's naval glory, having, after 
 much and long solicitation, obtained the patron- 
 age of the court to his plans, set sail on the 8th 
 of June, 1576, and pursued a northern course till 
 he reached the southern part of Greenland, near 
 Cape Farewell, when he shifted his course to the 
 west, and passed along part of the coast of La- 
 brador, but was prevented, by the continued bar- 
 rier of ice, from landing. Proceeding some dis- 
 tance in the same direction, Frobisher's men saw 
 some boats near the shore, and, the captain 
 landing, persuaded one of the natives to come on 
 board, who reporting to his countrymen the kind 
 treatment he had experienced from the English, 
 
148 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 many more of them visited the ship. These 
 people seem to have been the first of the real 
 Esquimaux that had been met with by English 
 navigators, and are described by Frobisher, as 
 resembling Tartars, having long black hair, broad 
 faces, aud flat noses. Their canoes were con- 
 structed of wooden keels covered with seal skin. 
 Here the captain lost five of his men, whose cu- 
 riosity led them to go into the country among the 
 natives, and who never returned to the vessel. 
 He does not appear to have proceeded further 
 northward, and in the beginning of October, he 
 returned to England, without having made any- 
 thing like progress towards a western passage. 
 This voyage, however, excited considerable interest 
 in his own country, owing to a singular circum- 
 stance. Finding it difficult to satisfy the eager- 
 ness of his friends to obtain some article from the 
 remote regions to which he had sailed, he broke a 
 large stone which he had brought with him into 
 pieces, which he distributed among them. One 
 of these pieces was accidentally dropped into the 
 fire by the person to whom it was presented, and, 
 after burning some time, it appeared to glitter 
 like gold. It was taken out, and examined by 
 several goldsmiths, whose imperfect knowledge of 
 mineralogy led them to pronounce it an ore of 
 that valuable metal. The joy that this supposed 
 treasure produced in England may easily be con- 
 ceived. The nation already calculated on a new 
 Peru or Mexico, and Frobisher was equipped as 
 soon as possible with a fleet for a second expedi- 
 tion. On the approach of his people to Labrador, 
 the coast of that country presented a more deso- 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 149 
 
 late and dreary appearance than any they had yet 
 witnessed, and the floating masses of ice created 
 no small terror on the minds of such as had never 
 before navigated the Polar Seas. As a striking 
 proof of their geographical ignorance, we find that 
 they mistook the coast to their westward for 
 America, and that on the east for Asia. While 
 they remained off this shore, they were visited 
 with tremendous storms, and were tossed about 
 among the ice-islands, which continually threat- 
 ened to crush them to atoms ; so that they every 
 moment anticipated the being obliged to drive out 
 to sea, and abandon the boats. But the discovery 
 of a large quantity of the glittering stone which 
 had been pronounced to be gold, revived their 
 drooping spirits, and they were still further en- 
 couraged by a north-west wind, which broke up 
 the obstructing barriers of ice, and by the discovery 
 of a broad and open passage conducting to a sound, 
 which they conceived to be a strait leading to the 
 Pacific Ocean. As they proceeded through it, 
 they landed in several places, and had oppor- 
 tunities of observing the peculiarities of the in- 
 habitants. At one of these, they first witnessed 
 the Esquimaux mode of driving a sledge with 
 dogs. At length they reached a spot, where 
 bones and the remnants of European garments too 
 plainly shewed the fate which had befallen the five 
 seamen, who imprudently went up the country in 
 the preceding voyage. The resentment of the 
 English was roused, and they determined to 
 avenge the death of their countrymen. An attack 
 was made upon the Esquimaux, who made a 
 much more determined resistance than could have 
 
150 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 been anticipated, and, when they found them- 
 selves mortally wounded, threw themselves into 
 the sea. But, after the loss of several men, they 
 fled, leaving two females, who fell into the hands 
 of the sailors. One of these who was extremely 
 aged, was so hideously ugly, that Frobisher's 
 men, with the superstition of the time, actually 
 suspected her of being an evil sprit, nor were they 
 satisfied till they had examined her feet, and found 
 that neither of them was cloven. The other captive 
 was a real object of compassion. From the great 
 similarity of dresses between the two sexes among 
 the Esquimaux, she had been mistaken for a man, 
 and fired at, and the child she had with her had 
 been wounded. When remedies were attempted 
 to be applied, the mother resisted them ; she 
 licked off the dressings and salves, and cured the 
 wounds in her own way. By degrees she became 
 reconciled to her captivity, and, in the society of 
 her infant, and one of her countrymen, who had 
 been made prisoner at a previous period, she found 
 consolation and enjoyment. On the return of 
 the adventurers to England, though nothing had 
 been accomplished in the way of discovery, yet, 
 as they had brought with them a vast quantity of 
 the supposed precious ores, their arrival was wel- 
 comed with the warmest congratulations. The 
 expectations of the nation were elevated to a 
 higher pitch than ever, and it was resolved to fit 
 out a new expedition, on a larger scale, with a 
 view to establish a colony in the northern land of 
 promise. The fleet entrusted on this occasion to 
 Frobisher, consisted of fifteen vessels, and sailed 
 from Harwich on the 31st of May, 1578. But, 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 151 
 
 on reaching the opening of a strait to the north 
 of Cape Farewell and West Greenland, which 
 Frobisher had called by his own name, the sailors 
 found it entirely frozen over, and presenting an 
 impenetrable barrier to their progress. They soon 
 became entangled amidst the numerous masses of 
 floating ice, one of which struck a large vessel 
 belonging to the squadron with such force, that 
 she went down immediately, though the men were 
 saved. The crews of the other ships felt them- 
 selves exposed every instant to a similar mis- 
 chance, and resorted to various expedients, some 
 mooring themselves to these floating islands, and 
 thus moving along with them, while others hung 
 out by the side of the ship every thing which 
 could contribute to lessen the violence of the 
 shocks that they were likely to encounter. After 
 remaining some days in this trying situation, a 
 south-west wind fortunately dispersed the ice. 
 After completing the necessary repairs of the ves- 
 sels, Frobisher renewed his endeavours to reach 
 the spot where the proposed colony was to be 
 established. He found his way into an opening, 
 which he believed to be the one that he sought, 
 but, after sailing several leagues up it, he disco- 
 vered that he was in error, and was obliged to 
 retrace his course. On arriving at the strait which 
 conducted to the place of his destination, he 
 found it extremely difficult to effect an entrance, 
 but he at length succeeded, and reached the 
 spot where it was proposed to place the settle- 
 ment. Here, however, he and his companions 
 found themselves in a situation calculated to frus- 
 trate all their plans. They had scarcely landed, 
 
152 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGION'S. 
 
 when thick snow came on without intermission, 
 and to find any effectual shelter was impossible. 
 On sailing, they had taken out with them the 
 materials of a house, so constructed that the parts 
 could be put together in a few hours, but the 
 greater portion of it had been destroyed while 
 they were among the icebergs. They were also 
 short of provisions, and much of what they had 
 was spoiled or damaged. There were several who 
 volunteered to brave the winter, if the remnant of 
 the house could be formed into a hut to shelter 
 them, but as it was found that this could not be 
 done in less than two months, the idea was obliged 
 to be abandoned, and to return home was their 
 only remaining course. They succeeded in reach- 
 ing England in safety, though not without much 
 damage to some of their ships. The unsuccessful 
 issue of this voyage suspended any disposition to 
 repeat the attempt, and the inducement which 
 had operated so powerfully in favour of the for- 
 mer expeditions did not long survive, it having 
 been soon after discovered by further experiments, 
 that the supposed golden ore was utterly valueless. 
 The temptation which the prospect of sharing in 
 the imagined wealth of the Meta Incognita, as 
 Frobisher termed the regions he had visited, must 
 have been very great, to persuade any persons to 
 think of settling among such a race of people as 
 he describes the inhabitants to have been. They 
 lived in most wretched huts, shaped like ovens, 
 with a hole at the top, and their beds were made of 
 strewed moss. Their soil produced neither corn 
 nor fruit, and their only vegetable diet consisted 
 of the different kinds of grass that grew in the 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 153 
 
 country, which they plucked and ate raw. They 
 likewise ate the animal food which they procured 
 by fowling, hunting, and fishing, entirely un- 
 cooked, nor did they reject it even when in a 
 putrid state. They were, however, not deficient 
 in wit and intelligence ; they were likewise very 
 skilful in the arts on which they relied for obtain- 
 ing their subsistence, and equally dexterous and 
 brave in the use of their warlike weapons, which 
 were very ingeniously contrived. 
 
 The fruitless expectation of obtaining gold from 
 the polar regions no longer existed in England, 
 but the anxiety for finding a north-west passage 
 remained undiminished; and, in 1585, some of 
 the most eminent merchants fitted out two vessels, 
 to attempt the discovery, under the command 
 of Joiix Davis, whose name occupies a distin- 
 guished place among geographers and naviga- 
 tors. He set sail from Dartmouth on the 
 seventh of June, and, on the nineteenth of 
 July, when approaching the Arctic Circle, the 
 seamen found themselves becalmed in a thick fog, 
 which breaking off, they perceived that they were 
 surrounded with ice-bergs, which, dashing against 
 each other, created a roaring noise like that of 
 waves upon a rocky shore. After sailing some 
 davs along the western coast of Greenland, and 
 rinding it impossible to land on account of the 
 ice, Davis stretched to the north-west. The wind, 
 however, being unfavourable, he resolved, upon 
 coming in view of a part of Greenland of which 
 the coast was free from ice, to go on shore with a 
 numerous party of men. The natives were much 
 alarmed at the' first appearance of the strangers, 
 
154 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 but upon seeing the English approach with music 
 playing, and every sign of friendship, their fears 
 were soon dissipated, and, on being presented 
 with beads, nails, and some articles of clothing, 
 an intimacy soon took place ; and they gave the 
 sailors garments consisting of seal-skins, and 
 skins of birds with the feathers on them, besides 
 furs, darts, oars, and some canoes, accepting in 
 exchange whatever was offered them. Continuing 
 his course, he doubled a cape to which he gave 
 the name of God's Mercy, and entered a large 
 sound to the north-west, having the appearance 
 of main sea. His hopes being greatly encouraged 
 by this circumstance, he sailed up it more than 
 sixty leagues, but he was interrupted on his 
 further progress by the coming on of autumnal 
 fogs and contrary winds, and was obliged to re- 
 turn to England. Though his expedition was a 
 failure, it was sufficient to justify the hopes of 
 future success, and accordingly the ships which 
 had gone out with him being refitted, and another 
 added to their number, he again sailed from Dart- 
 mouth on the 7th of May, 1586, and, on the 
 29th of June, he reached that part of Greenland 
 which he had visited the preceding year. The 
 natives recognised their former visitors with plea- 
 sure, and gave them a cordial welcome. The 
 English, on landing, presented them with some 
 knives with which they were highly delighted. 
 They joined in different amusements with the 
 sailors, and contended with them in athletic ex- 
 ercises, evincing a decided superiority in wrestling. 
 But, though generous and goodnatured, it was 
 soon discovered that these savages had a strong 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 155 
 
 disposition to thieving, particularly iron, which 
 seemed an irresistible temptation to them. One 
 of the ringleaders in these plundering attempts 
 was made prisoner, and carried off by the cap- 
 tain. He at first shewed great grief at leaving 
 his native country, but, being kindly treated, he 
 soon recovered his spirits, and was found, on 
 many occasions, very useful to his captors. Quit- 
 ting Greenland, the captain proceeded in the di- 
 rection of his former voyage, and on the 17th 
 of July, the seamen descried what they thought 
 land, stretching out to an immense extent ; but 
 on a nearer approach, it proved to be a vast mass 
 of ice. Subsequent experience has shown that 
 a barrier of this nature is usually found in the 
 middle of Baffin's Bay, at the same season of the 
 year. The sailors in alarm besought their com- 
 mander to relinquish a hopeless undertaking ; but, 
 being unwilling to abandon his enterprize, 
 he selected the lightest and quickest of his 
 vessels, which he manned with those who 
 had not been affected by the same fears as 
 their companions, and pursued his voyage, giving 
 the other adventurers permission to return home. 
 Having succeeded in turning the ice, he steered 
 in a southerly direction in search of his object, 
 till he reached the coast of Labrador. Here the 
 natives attacked some of the crew who had land- 
 ed, killing two of them and wounding others. 
 Not long after, the ship suffered greatly from a 
 violent tempest, and the season being advanced 
 as far as September, Davis considered it prudent 
 to return to England. Notwithstanding the dis- 
 appointment which his last attempt had experi- 
 
156 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 enced, he found patrons to equip him for a third 
 effort, which he entered upon in the following 
 year. He touched at his old spot on the coast of 
 Greenland, but, though received as before with 
 every appearance of a hearty welcome, he found 
 the natives as incorrigible as ever in their inclina- 
 tions to plunder, and consequently made but a 
 very short stay with them. He left two of the 
 three vessels with which he had sailed, to fish, 
 and with the other pursued his voyage to the 
 northward, till he had proceeded beyond the 
 seventy-second degree of north latitude, where he 
 found a wide open sea, stretching to the north- 
 west. Along this he sailed more than forty 
 leagues, when he again found an impassable bar- 
 rier of ice. This he in vain attempted to round, 
 and after various other efforts to discover a pas- 
 sage, finding his stock of fresh water almost to- 
 tally exhausted, he was obliged, to his great mor- 
 tification, to return once more to England, with 
 his object unattained. All his representations of 
 the peculiar circumstances that had precluded his 
 success, and of his conviction that perseverance 
 might still accomplish the desired discovery, were 
 unavailing in inducing his patrons to make any 
 further attempts. His repeated failures had dis- 
 pirited the most sanguine in their expectations, 
 and completely damped the national feeling in 
 favour of his enterprize. Fifteen years after his 
 return, another expedition was fitted out by the 
 Muscovy Company of Merchants, under Captain 
 Weymouth, which, after experiencing imminent 
 dangers, was likewise compelled to come home ; 
 and similar ill success attended Captain Knight, 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 157 
 
 who was sent out, in the year 1 606, by the same 
 enterprizing body. 
 
 Hudson, who had already distinguished him- 
 self by his bold, though unsuccessful efforts to 
 effect a passage across the pole, or in a north- 
 easterly direction, was next selected to conduct a 
 north-western voyage of discovery. He sailed 
 from England on the 17th of April, 1610. On 
 his reaching the eastern coast of Iceland, he was 
 exposed to imminent danger, being involved in a 
 dense fog, which interrupted all view of the coast, 
 though he could hear the breakers dashing against 
 it. The volcano of Hecla, on the mist clearing 
 off, displayed itself to the sailors in a state of 
 violent eruption which added not a little to their 
 alarm. They rounded Cape Farewell, but had 
 not sailed far, before they beheld the mountains of 
 ice floating along. They had, however, the ad- 
 vantage of an open sea, and, though often im- 
 peded by these dangerous frozen islands, they 
 were fortunately enabled to steer clear of them, 
 without experiencing any serious injury. On the 
 25th of June, they found themselves at the en- 
 trance of the channel, which has ever since been 
 known by the name of Hudson's Straits. The 
 captain found the navigation of this channel 
 very perilous, and his crew began to manifest de- 
 cided symptoms of fear and insubordination ; he 
 resisted all their attempts to induce him to forego 
 any further pursuit of the object of his voyage, 
 and, aftercontinuing his route some time, he found, 
 at the end of the channel through which he had 
 been steering, a wide opening, which, at a few 
 leagues from the entrance, displayed an expanse 
 
158 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 of waters on every side, unbounded as far as the 
 eye could reach. Hudson considered it certain 
 that this must be a part of the Pacific Ocean ; 
 but in this conjecture he was mistaken, it having 
 been since ascertained to be a vast inland sea, 
 which, from the name of its discoverer, has re- 
 ceived the appellation of Hudson's Bay. Under 
 this impression he continued his course along the 
 left, conceiving that coast to form the western 
 boundary of America, and expecting to reach 
 some spot where he might find provisions, and 
 pass the winter. But the prospect of success in 
 this respect daily diminished. The rigour of the 
 climate was extreme, the coast studded with dan- 
 gerous inlets, and the weather a succession of 
 fogs and tempests. The discontent of his men 
 continued to increase, and their provisions became 
 too scanty to admit of the idea of their sufficing 
 for the approaching winter. In these trying cir- 
 cumstances, Hudson did every thing that pru- 
 dence and firmness could suggest : he offered 
 rewards to all who should kill either bird, beast 
 or fish, and took diligent care of the stock which 
 remained. At first they were very successful, 
 killing abundance both of fowl and fish, but their 
 good fortune was of short continuance. They 
 became reduced to great extremities, so that they 
 were at last obliged to feed upon moss and rep- 
 tiles. Attempts were made to form some com- 
 munication with the natives, but, unfortunately, 
 without success. These multiplied hardships 
 increased the ill-feeling of the sailors, who 
 seem, from the first, to have participated very 
 little in that zeal and ardour for the success of 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 159 
 
 the voyage, which was so conspicuous in Hudson 
 himself. 
 
 The temerity or treachery of those under his 
 command caused a premature and tragical end to 
 the career of this spirited and able navigator. 
 Shortly after entering Hudson's Bay, they had 
 landed at an island abounding in numerous ve°;e- 
 table productions, besides deer and wild fowl. 
 Here the men had earnestly wished to remain 
 some days ; but, as the season was far advanced, 
 Hudson refused his consent to any delay, which 
 might interfere with the prospect of accomplishing 
 the end of his voyage. The malcontents, in their 
 present destitute state, remembered this favoured 
 spot, and conceived, that by returning to it, they 
 should at once relieve their pressing necessities, 
 and be in a situation to get back to England. 
 Knowing the inflexible firmness of their com- 
 mander, they entered into a conspiracy to take 
 possession of the vessel, and leave him to perish. 
 They lay in wait for this purpose during the night, 
 and when Hudson came upon deck at day-break, 
 they seized him, and, having bound his hands be- 
 hind his back, lowered him into the boat. No one 
 attempted to stand by him but the carpenter, who 
 declared his determination to share his captain's 
 fate, and followed him into the boat. To com- 
 plete their inhumanity, the mutineers made the 
 sick and infirm seamen accompany Hudson, in 
 order to avoid the burden of supporting those who 
 could render no service in working the ship. The 
 unfortunate commander, thus left to his fate, was 
 never more heard of, and no doubt can be enter- 
 tained that he, and the ill-fated companions of his 
 
160 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 misfortnnes, perished in the dreary regions amid 
 which they were deserted. 
 
 Though in error as to his idea of having found 
 out the long-desired passage, Hudson's discoveries 
 were very important. They have enabled suc- 
 ceeding adventurers, by studying his track, to 
 navigate the northern seas with much greater cer- 
 tainty than before, and may be considered as 
 having particularly aided in the successful re- 
 searches of Baffin and Captain Parry. The coasts 
 of the inland sea or bay that bears his name, have 
 likewise become of considerable importance in a 
 commercial point of view. They abound with ani- 
 mals, whose skins and furs are far superior in 
 quality to those found in more southern regions ; 
 and these have been considered so valuable, that a 
 charter was afterwards granted to a company of 
 merchants, for the exclusive trade in Hudson's 
 Bay. 
 
 Although Hudson's voyage had been attended 
 with such disastrous results, yet the knowledge 
 of his having discovered an open sea to the west- 
 ward, strengthened the hopes of final success; and 
 two successive expeditions w 7 ere fitted out, the one 
 under Captain Button, the other conducted by 
 Bylot, an active and able officer, and Baffin, one 
 of the most skilful and scientific navigators of his 
 time. The ice, however, in both cases, com- 
 pelled them to a premature return. But the re- 
 putation of the persons to whom the latter of 
 these attempts had been confided was such, that 
 their employers determined again to send them 
 out. In consequence of the repeated failures that 
 had attended seeking the passage by Hudson's 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 161 
 
 Bay, it was determined on this occasion, to pass 
 by the entrance of that opening, and, entering 
 Davis's Straits, to proceed northward, if they 
 found open sea to afford them a passage, and 
 endeavour to ascertain whether they could not, by 
 so doing, reach the extreme point of America, and 
 proceed southward to the Japan Isles. Following 
 the course thus prescribed, they sailed, notwith- 
 stauding several obstructions occasioned by the 
 ice, as high as the seventy-eighth degree of north 
 latitude, nearly five hundred miles beyond the 
 farthest point of Davis's progress ; when they 
 directed their course to the southward, along the 
 western coast of the bay. In their course they 
 discovered various inlets, one of which, called 
 Lancaster's Sound, has since been discovered to 
 communicate with the Polar Sea, but Baffin seems 
 to have examined these passages with very little 
 attention. On arriving at Cumberland Islands, 
 he considered all hopes of effecting his purpose 
 gone, and, rinding the crew in a bad state of health, 
 he crossed to Greenland, whence, after the in- 
 valids on board were pretty well recovered, he 
 proceeded to England. On his return he de- 
 clared himself persuaded that the sea which he 
 had coasted, and, which, in honour of the disco- 
 verer, has since been known by the name of 
 Baffin's Bay, had no communication with any 
 water to the west ; and his opinion being generally 
 adopted, a length of time elapsed before any 
 navigator from this country again engaged in a 
 voyage to the Polar Seas. Denmark, indeed, - 
 took up the subject, which had been so frequently 
 tried to no purpose, and in 1610 sent out two 
 
 VOL. I. M 
 
162 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 vessels on a voyage of discovery, under a com- 
 mander of the name of Munk. But the crews, 
 after penetrating into Hudson's Bay, found their 
 return intercepted, and were obliged to winter in its 
 dreary wastes, where they endured such unexam- 
 pled hardships, that, out of fifty-two, only two 
 besides the commander survived. Two or three 
 expeditions were also fitted out at intervals between 
 1631 and 1746 from England, but without any 
 discovery of a north-west passage being effected, 
 or even so high a latitude reached as by preced- 
 ing navigators. It has been already mentioned 
 that one of the objects of Captain Cook's last 
 voyage was to ascertain if it were practicable to 
 navigate into the Atlantic through Behring's 
 Straits, and that that eminent navigator was un- 
 successful in the attempt. 
 
 From this period, nearly forty years elapsed, 
 during which all adventure in the arctic seas was 
 suspended. The decisive opinion pronounced by 
 a man whose authority stood so high as that of 
 Baffin, corroborated as it was by the uniform ill 
 success of the few who had ventured after him, 
 had created a general impression that the discovery 
 of a north-west passage from the Atlantic to the 
 Pacific was an impossibility. More mature reflec- 
 tion favoured the opinion that this conclusion had 
 been adopted too hastily. Baffin had indeed sail- 
 ed round the great bay which bears his name, but 
 he had not absolutely ascertained that it was shut 
 up on the north by land ; he merely asserted this 
 upon conjecture. Nor had even Hudson's Bay 
 been explored beyond a certain extent. The 
 British government therefore resolved to take some 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 163 
 
 more effectual means of deciding this important 
 question, and to this resolution we are indebted 
 for those latter voyages to the polar regions, the 
 details of which may be considered the most in- 
 teresting in the annals of navigation. The entire 
 novelty of the scenes described, and the peculiar 
 situations in which the adventurers were placed, 
 cannot fail to gratify our curiosity and awaken our 
 sympathies, while the prudence, firmness, and skill 
 of the commanders, and the energy and obedience 
 of those placed under them, together with the for- 
 titude and perseverance exhibited by all engaged 
 in these undertakings, and the readiness with which 
 they at all times accommodated themselves to 
 their circumstances, at once claim our unfeigned 
 admiration, and afford a moral lesson alike pleas- 
 ing and instructive. 
 
 The first of these expeditions for the renewed 
 attempt at the discovery of a north west passage 
 was fitted out by the Admiralty in 1818. It con- 
 sisted of two vessels, the Isabella, commanded by 
 Captain John Ross, who had had much previous 
 experience in the navigation of the northern seas, 
 and Lieutenant Parry, a talented and promising 
 young officer. They sailed from the Thames on 
 the 27th of May, and on their arrival at Cape 
 Farewell, found the seas as usual replenished with 
 floating masses of ice. At the Whale Islands they 
 learned that the rigour of the preceding winter 
 had been extreme, and the bays and straits so 
 completely frozen, that some of them were still 
 shut in. At the island of Way gat the icy barrier 
 was completely impassable, and they were obliged 
 for some time to moor themselves to an ice-ber^. 
 
164 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 On its breaking up they moved along the open 
 space left by its separation, till they reached seven- 
 ty-five degrees north latitude, when the ice was 
 drifted by the sudden springing-up of a stiff" breeze 
 with such force against the vessels, that their des- 
 truction would have been inevitable, but for the 
 abrupt retreat of the frozen masses, when least 
 expected. At a short distance from the scene of 
 this deliverance, proceeding along the coast, they 
 first fell in with one of the numerous tribes of 
 Esquimaux with which the shores of the Arctic 
 abound. These people seemed to have been 
 wholly separated from the rest of the world. They 
 evinced the greatest alarm at the sight of the sail- 
 ors, whom they evidently regarded as altogether a 
 distinct species of beings from themselves, and it 
 was a long time before they could be induced to 
 approach. Fortunately Captain Ross had along 
 with him a young man of the name of Saccheous, 
 a native of Greenland, who had come to Europe 
 two years before in one of the ships belonging to 
 the whale fishery, and, having acquired a good 
 knowledge of the English language, accompanied 
 the expedition in the character of interpreter. 
 The Esquimaux perceived the much greater re- 
 semblance he bore to themselves than to any of 
 his English companions, and, after he had initiated 
 the tw T o Captains into the usual mode of express- 
 ing friendship and courtesy among the people of 
 the country, an amicable intercourse was speedily 
 established. The curiosity of the natives was 
 highly excited by the new objects presented to 
 them. They evinced the astonishment generally 
 created among savages at the sight of a mirror, 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 165 
 
 but instead of being terrified like the Patagonians, 
 they appeared much amused and pleased with it, 
 and set up a shout of delight. The ship was a 
 still greater subject of surprise to them. Imagin- 
 ing it to be some monstrous animal, they put 
 several questions to it, inquiring who it was, and 
 whence it came ; and it was with considerable diffi- 
 culty that they could be brought to believe that 
 it was manufactured by men. Of their disposition 
 to plunder, which had been noticed by former voy- 
 agers in others of their race, they gave the present 
 adventurers several proofs. They possess one 
 great advantage over both the greater part of the 
 Esquimaux Indians and the American Indians, 
 namely the possession of iron, of which they make 
 knives and other tools. They are under the do- 
 minion of a king, whose virtues they greatly prais- 
 ed. He has his revenues, though such as most 
 monarchs would deem of little value, consisting of 
 tributes of train-oil and seal-skins paid by his 
 subjects. They travelled, in the same manner as 
 the inhabitants of Greenland, in sledges drawn by 
 large dogs. Hares, foxes, and seals, were the 
 animals they principally hunted. Biscuits and 
 sweetmeats were offered to them, but were refused, 
 nor could they be brought by any persuasion to 
 drink spirits ; their favourite dainty appeared to 
 be train oil. Proceeding through Baffin's Bay, 
 Captain Ross fell in with most of the sounds 
 which that navigator had noticed but generally 
 neglected to explore. The common opinion appears 
 to be that Captain Ross, in this respect, conform- 
 ed too closely to the example of Baffin. With- 
 out considering the deceptive appearance of ice, 
 
166 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 whenever the Captain perceived an inlet or opening 
 apparently closed by land, he came to a conclu- 
 sion that no passage could be found through it ; 
 and where he found such openings blockaded by 
 ice, he did not wait for its possible dispersion. 
 That the judgment thus formed was erroneous in 
 some instances, has subsequently been proved. On 
 the 30th of August an extensive opening to the 
 westward presented itself to the view of the sea- 
 men, with the water clear and unincumbered by 
 ice. Up this opening which proved to be that to 
 which Baffin had given the name of Lancaster 
 Sound, they sailed for more than thirty miles, fill- 
 ed with the most sanguine hopes of success. But, 
 when they had reached thus far, their expectations 
 were suddenly baffled by an announcement from 
 one of Captain Ross's officers, that he had seen 
 the land stretching across the extremity of the 
 bay. All further prosecution of the voyage in 
 this direction was therefore abandoned, and orders 
 given by the commander to steer the ships out of 
 Lancaster Sound, not a little to the disappoint- 
 ment and dissatisfaction of many on board who 
 considered that the prospect of success had been 
 much too hastily relinquished. Having cleared 
 the Sound, Captain Ross directed his course 
 southward along the western coast, but without 
 perceiving any opening that promised the passage 
 sought for. On his return to England he express- 
 ed his firm belief in the correctness of Baffin's 
 opinion that Lancaster Sound afforded no entrance 
 into any sea to the westward, and that if, which 
 he was persuaded was not the case, a strait did 
 exist at all, it must be rendered impassable by the 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 167 
 
 ice. His observations, however, were far from 
 satisfactory to scientific men, who considered them 
 much too superficial and hasty. They especially 
 blamed the discontinuing the exploration of Lan- 
 caster Sound, when no obstacle whatever presented 
 itself to its further navigation. In these opinions 
 many individuals who had belonged to the expe- 
 dition concurred, and in particular Lieutenant 
 Parry, who professed his confidence that a passage 
 could be found, through the Sound which had been 
 quitted so abruptly. Under all these circum- 
 stances, the Admiralty came to the resolution of 
 equipping another expedition, and giving the 
 command to Mr. Parry. It consisted of the 
 Hecla and the Griper gun-brig. The vessels were 
 constructed in a peculiar manner, to fit them for 
 the seas to which they were destined : they were 
 abundantly stored with provisions for two years, 
 and supplied with every thing calculated to miti- 
 gate the severity of a polar winter. 
 
 The lieutenant weighed anchor, with his little 
 squadron from the Nore, on the 1 1th of May 1819, 
 and on arriving ofF Cape Farewell, he endeavoured 
 by sailing north and west, to make straight for 
 Lancaster Sound, which he regarded as the sure 
 path to the fulfilment of his hopes. In this at- 
 tempt he was foiled by the mountains of ice that 
 closed upon him, and jammed the ships so com- 
 pletely in, that they could not be moved in any 
 direction, and, on the ice loosening, the masses 
 were driven with such force against him, that the 
 strength of their construction alone saved them. 
 The adventurers were therefore compelled to give 
 up the plan of reaching the Sound by the shortest 
 
168 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 route and to coast northward in search of water 
 that should be free from ice. With tedious and 
 considerable exertion, threading' their way through 
 the different lanes of water, and at some times 
 sawing away the obstructing ice, they at last reach- 
 ed the western shore of the bay, bearing directly 
 for Lancaster Sound, which they entered on the 
 30th of July. On their progress through this 
 channel, the success of the enterprise depended; 
 but, the wind not being favourable, they at first pro- 
 ceeded very slowly. They met, however, with 
 neither ice nor land to impede them, and the swell 
 that came down the Sound confirmed them in the 
 belief of there being open sea to the west. On 
 the 3rd of August, a favouring gale sprang up in 
 the east and bore them rapidly up the sound. 
 They proceeded with an increasing easterly wind, 
 till they had sailed a hundred and fifty miles from 
 the mouth of the channel, which was still fifty 
 miles broad, so that their hopes almost amounted 
 to assurance. Excitement was at its height, when, 
 after passing a short distance beyond a bay to the 
 south, which they named Maxweil Bay, they found 
 a barrier of ice stretching completely across the 
 Sound, which compelled them instantly to draw 
 back. Parry was mortified, but not disheartened. 
 Perceiving an open sea to the south, he thought 
 that this might lead to the passage he sought in a 
 lower latitude, and he accordingly entered it. The 
 western shore was encumbered with ice, but the 
 eastern side afforded the crews free sailing. The 
 coast was completely desolate and barren ; neither 
 animal nor vegetable was to be seen. Up this 
 channel they proceeded without interruption for a 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 169 
 
 hundred and twenty miles, when their hopes were 
 again frustrated by finding the ice run close in 
 with a point of land forming the southern ex- 
 tremity of the eastern shore. There appeared 
 reason to believe that this inlet, to which the dis- 
 coverers gave the name of Prince Regent's Inlet, 
 communicated by some passage with Hudson's 
 Bay. Foiled in his last experiment, the com- 
 mander returned to his former station, where he 
 determined to wait for the breaking up of the ice. 
 On reaching it, he at first found the frozen barrier 
 as impenetrable as ever ; but, within a week af- 
 terwards, a heavy wind and showers coming on, 
 completely cleared the sea of the ice that had 
 previously encumbered it, and left the seamen at 
 liberty to pursue their course to the westward. 
 After* sailing some leagues, they came to a grand 
 and spacious inlet stretching to the north, which 
 they called Wellington Channel. This has been 
 since found to communicate with the polar sea, 
 and the commander would have entered it, had 
 he not discovered to the south of an island, which 
 he named Cornwallis, an open channel leading 
 due westward, which he, of course, preferred. 
 The passage conducting from Lancaster Sound to 
 Wellington Channel he called Barrow's Straits. 
 The mariners, now pretty well assured of near 
 success, passed rapidly by the coasts of Corn- 
 wallis and of two other islands, on which they 
 bestowed the names of Bathurst and Byam Mar- 
 tin. From this point, the navigation became ex- 
 ceedingly intricate and hazardous, and they were 
 often obliged to cut their way through the ice ; 
 but at length they succeeded in reaching a very 
 
170 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 large island, which they named after Lord Mel- 
 ville. On the 4th of September, while off the 
 coast of this island, the commander announced to 
 his men the pleasing intelligence that they had 
 earned the reward of five thousand pounds, award- 
 ed by the legislature to the crew that should 
 first reach the meridian of 1 1 degrees west lon- 
 gitude. Their course was, however, very soon 
 interrupted again by an impervious boundary of 
 ice, and other frozen masses began to form so 
 rapidly, that they were in imminent danger of 
 being shut up by them in the midst of the sea. 
 They were therefore, compelled to return and 
 take shelter in a harbour on the west of Melville 
 Island, which they were only enabled to reach by 
 cutting through two miles of solid ice. To the 
 group of islands which they had recently dis- 
 covered, Lieutenant Parry gave the general ap- 
 pellation of the North Georgian Islands. For a 
 short time after their return to Melville Island, 
 the ice was cleared away daily ; but this was 
 soon found to be a useless task, as it regularly 
 collected round them again, and they therefore al- 
 lowed themselves to be completely frozen in the 
 harbour, where they perceived they should be 
 compelled to pass the winter. 
 
 The idea of passing that season in the polar re- 
 gion had something appalling in it to those who 
 had had little experience of the Northern Seas. 
 They were destined, in all probability, to remain 
 in their icy prison for at least eight or nine months, 
 during three of which the face of the sun would 
 not be visible to them. Under these circum- 
 stances, the exertions of Mr. Parry for the secu- 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 171 
 
 rity of the ships and the preservation of the stores, 
 were entitled to the highest praise. He perceived 
 the necessity of adopting a regular system for the 
 maintenance of good order and cleanliness, and 
 he lost no time in commencing operations. The 
 crews were pronounced by the surgeon free from 
 every symptom of scurvy, and all arrangements 
 were made, by ensuring the warmth and dryness 
 of the births and beddings, to prolong this healthy- 
 state of the men. Beer, which is known to be 
 an excellent preventive to the scurvy, was sub- 
 stituted for part of the usual allowance of grog ; 
 and, to prevent the risk of provisions running 
 scarce, the rations of bread were permanently re- 
 duced to two-thirds. Instead of a pound of salt 
 beef weekly, a pound of preserved meat was 
 served out, and a small quantity of sourkrout and 
 pickles, with as much vinegar as could be spared, 
 was distributed at regular intervals. Lime-juice 
 and sugar mixed with water were also drunk daily 
 by each man in the presence of the officers on 
 duty ; as the sailors could not be depended upon 
 to drink, of their own accord, what, to their 
 taste, was an unpalatable beverage. When game 
 was caught, it was served instead of, and not in 
 addition to, the accustomed allowance of meat, 
 to prevent the danger arising from taking too 
 great a quantity of animal food. The officers, in 
 every article of diet, were put upon precisely the 
 same footing as the men. In the management 
 of their fuel, the strictest economy was practised ; 
 the utmost attention was paid to the clothing of 
 the men, and weekly examinations of the skin 
 and gums were made by the medical gentlemen, 
 
172 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 that the first symptoms of scurvy might be de- 
 tected and immediately checked. Convinced that 
 total inaction would be likely to prove equally 
 unfavourable to the mind and body, the com- 
 mander felt the elegibility of finding some kind of 
 amusement for the men ; and, with this view, he 
 proposed to the officers to get up a play occa- 
 sionally on board the ship, as the best means of 
 preserving the general cheerfulness and good hu- 
 mour that fortunately prevailed among the crew. 
 The plan was readily acceded to, and Lieutenant 
 Parry himself engaged to take a part in the per- 
 formances. In addition to this species of enter- 
 tainment, another fund of amusement was pro- 
 vided by establishing a weekly newspaper, called 
 the North Georgia Gazette and Winter Chro- 
 nicle, which was edited by Captain Sabine, and 
 supported by original contributions from the offi- 
 cers of the two ships ; and these effusions had 
 the happy effect of employing the leisure hours 
 of those who furnished them, and of diverting the 
 mind from the gloomy prospect which the ob- 
 jects around them presented. During their so- 
 journ here they saw several rein-deer and grouse, 
 but the country afforded so little cover that their 
 sporting excursions were attended with but small 
 success. Foxes were in great abundance, as well 
 as wolves, but they did not experience any at- 
 tacks from the latter. Only one white bear vi- 
 sited them while in their winter harbour, which 
 they wounded with several balls, but after all he 
 made his escape. A striking example of the ef- 
 fects of intense frost occurred at this period, in 
 the case of one of the marines named John Pear- 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 173 
 
 son : he had gone on shore with others, in the 
 pursuit of a stag, and, having imprudently set out 
 without mittens and with a musket in his hand, 
 had his hands severely frost-bitten. He was 
 providentially found at night- fall, just as he had 
 fallen down on a heap of snow, and was be- 
 ginning to experience that drowsiness which, to 
 persons in such a situation, if indulged, inevitably 
 proves fatal. When he was brought on board 
 his fingers were quite stiff, and bent into the 
 shape of that part of the musket which he had 
 been carrying, and the frost had so far affected 
 his fingers, that it was found necessary to ampu- 
 tate three of them on one hand a short time after. 
 The effect of exposure to severe frost upon the 
 mind, as well as the body, was strikingly shewn 
 in this man. When he went into the commander's 
 cabin he looked wild, spoke thick and indis- 
 tinctly, and was unable to give a rational answer 
 to any question. One of the greatest inconve- 
 niences attending the situation of the adventurers 
 was their being unable to have any water except 
 what was procured from melted snow, but this, 
 when properly strained, proved to be pure and 
 wholesome. During the long absence of the sun, 
 the reflection of light from the snow, occasionally 
 caused by a bright moon, prevented their expe- 
 riencing, at any time, the gloomy night that 
 occurs in more temperate climates. Towards the 
 latter end of October, the deer and other animals 
 which had formed the object of their chase, dis- 
 appeared, and their hopes of obtaining any more 
 fresh meat during the winter were at an end. 
 The 4th of November had now arrived, and for 
 
174 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 ninety-six days from that period they were doomed 
 to be without the cheering light of the sun. The 
 utility of the dramatic entertainments was now 
 fully demonstrated, and the gratification afforded 
 to the men by the first representation, determined 
 the commander to follow up the plan. Even the 
 occupation of fitting up the theatre and taking 
 it to pieces again, occupying a number of the 
 crews for some time before and after each per- 
 formance, was of considerable advantage, as it 
 precluded that want of employment which 
 was particularly to be dreaded. The wolves, 
 as the season became more advanced, often ap- 
 proached the ships, howling most piteously for 
 hours together ; but, though pressed by hun- 
 ger, they never ventured to make an attack. 
 About the middle of December, the vinegar in 
 the casks became frozen, and the lemon-juice 
 bottles burst. Nearly at the same period, the 
 weather being fine and clear, the splendid phe- 
 nomenon, the Aurora Borealis, appeared fre- 
 quently at different times of the day, becoming 
 more brilliant towards midnight, and breaking out 
 in every part of the heavens. The system of 
 keeping the men in full exercise during this long 
 period of night was strictly adhered to. They 
 were sent out every morning to walk on shore till 
 noon, when the weather would permit ; at other 
 times they were ordered to run round and round 
 the deck, keeping time to the tune of an organ, 
 or, not unfrequently, to a song of their own sing- 
 ing. A few of them did not at first relish this 
 discipline, but when they found that no excuse 
 would be admitted, they complied cheerfully, and 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 175 
 
 by degrees enjoyed it as a frolic. The afternoon 
 was usually devoted to making the necessary re- 
 pairs in clothes and rigging. In the evening, the 
 men amused themselves with singing, dancing, 
 and various kinds of games ; the officers with 
 reading, writing, music, or chess. On Sundays, 
 divine service was regularly performed, and a 
 sermon read on board both ships ; and the con- 
 duct of the men on these occasions was highly 
 creditable to them. The theatrical entertainments 
 took place once a fortnight, and among them was 
 a Christmas musical entertainment, expressly 
 adapted to the audience, and referring to the 
 scenes in which they were engaged. On the 
 Christmas-day, a small increase was made in the 
 usual proportion of fresh meat, and an additional 
 allowance of grog ; and the officers had a social 
 and friendly dinner, at which a piece of roast 
 beef was served up, that had been on board ever 
 since the preceding May, unsalted, being preserved 
 fresh by the coldness of the atmosphere. On the 
 commencement of the new year, it was discovered 
 that scurvy had made its appearance among the 
 crews, and all the medicines brought out as re- 
 medies against that destructive scourge of sea- 
 men, were immediately brought into action. 
 Much benefit was afforded to the invalids by the 
 use of mustard and cress, which was raised in the 
 commander's cabin, in small shallow boxes filled 
 with mould, and placed along the stove-pipe. On 
 the morning of the 14th of February, while the 
 men were taking their exercise on deck, the house 
 which had been erected on shore for the occa- 
 sional accommodation of the men, was observed to 
 
176 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 be on fire. By great exertions on the part of the 
 officers and seamen, the flames were got under 
 before any injury had been done to the part of 
 the building in which the clocks and other mathe- 
 matical instruments were deposited. The sudden 
 exposure to the weather took such an effect upon 
 those who had been engaged in extinguishing the 
 flames, that the nose and cheek of every one be- 
 came frost-bitten in the space of five minutes ; 
 and, though the parts were rubbed, as soon as 
 possible, with snow, to restore animation, sixteen 
 men were added to the sick list, in consequence 
 of the accident. Towards the beginning of March, 
 the weather became more temperate, and ad- 
 vantage was taken of the change to rebuild the 
 house. On the 16th of this month, the officers 
 concluded their theatrical performances with the 
 Citizen and the Mayor of Garratt ; and an ap-^ 
 propriate address was delivered on the occasion. 
 The season had indeed nearly arrived when the cus- 
 tomary duties of the seamen would afford them 
 sufficient occupation. The weather continued 
 generally clear and fine, but with so little regular 
 diminution of cold, that some degree of impa- 
 tience began to prevail ; and fears were entertained 
 lest they should be detained in their winter station, 
 till the season would be too far advanced for ac- 
 complishing the hopes inspired by the success of 
 the preceding year. As some counterpoise, how- 
 ever, to this unpleasantness, the health of the 
 ships' companies rapidly improved ; and almost 
 all the scorbutic patients were entirely recovered. 
 But at the same time, several of the men who 
 had, in the course of their shooting excursions, 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 177 
 
 been exposed for a length of time to the glare of 
 the sun and snow, were affected by that painful 
 inflammation in the eyes, called in America, snow- 
 blindness. In anticipation of being enabled to 
 pursue their voyage, the sailors, with no small 
 labour, now cut away the ice from around the 
 ships. They were, however, tantalized by a suc- 
 cession of snows, fogs, and rains ; and, on the 
 29th of May, no symptoms of thawing had ap- 
 peared, and they found the sea still presenting 
 the same surface of solid impenetrable ice. Such 
 a prospect, at a period when in three weeks the 
 days would again begin to shorten, was truly 
 discouraging. In this suspense they continued 
 through the whole of June and July, the great 
 body of the ice in the surrounding sea still keeping- 
 entire, and confining them to their harbour. But 
 at the commencement of August, the ice suddenly 
 broke up and left them in possession of open water 
 to pursue their discoveries. On the 4th they 
 reached the spot where their course had before 
 been stayed, and continued to make progress for 
 eleven days, but, at the end of that period, they 
 found the sea present a perfectly compact and 
 impenetrable barrier, which led them to believe 
 that there must be land beyond it to confine it in 
 that state. In this situation they had no choice 
 but that of returning to England, where thev 
 were received with applauding welcomes. Mr. 
 Parry had not, it is true, succeeded in the imme- 
 diate object of his voyage, but what he had ac- 
 complished was sufficient to place him in the 
 highest rank of navigators. In addition to his 
 numerous discoveries, he had sailed above two 
 vol. i. n 
 
178 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 thousand miles farther to the westward than any 
 one who had gone before him ; he had established 
 beyond all doubt the existence of a Polar Sea to 
 the north of America ; and after passing an arctic 
 winter of nearly a year's duration, he had returned 
 with the loss of only one man. He was promoted, 
 immediately on his return, to the rank of Cap- 
 tain ; and it was resolved to confide to a com- 
 mander who had shewn such prudence, skill, and 
 spirit, another expedition, consisting of the 
 Hecla, the ship in which he had before sailed, 
 and the Fury, a vessel of nearly the same size, 
 under the command of Captain Lyon. They 
 sailed from England on the 8th of May, 1821, 
 and on the 2nd of July, reached the mouth of 
 Hudson's Bay, which he intended to explore, in 
 the hope of finding a passage in a lower latitude 
 than that which he had reached in his preceding- 
 voyage. On entering this celebrated opening, 
 the ships were soon surrounded by ice-bergs, 
 which so much obstructed their progress that 
 they only made seventy miles in nineteen days. 
 On arriving off what are called the Savage Is- 
 lands, several of the natives came off in large 
 canoes, and commenced trafficking with them, 
 exchanging the most valuable skins and furs for 
 the commonest articles of iron. They were wilder 
 and fiercer, both in manners and appearance, than 
 any of the Esquimaux tribes ihat had before been 
 met with. The countenances of many of the old 
 women were so hideous as scarcely to appear 
 human, and seemed almost to account for the su- 
 perstitious idea entertained by Frobisher and his 
 companions of their being evil spirits. Captain 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 179 
 
 Parry next came to the entrance of the Fox's 
 Channel, in sight of Southampton Island. He 
 continued his course northward till he reached Re- 
 pulse Bay, which, according- to general opinion, 
 afforded an opening into the Pacific ; but he soon 
 discovered that this idea was erroneous, and that 
 it was completely enclosed. He then attempted 
 an entirely new path of discovery, along an un- 
 known coast, but with so little success, that, 
 after considerable danger and exertion, he found 
 himself, on the 3rd of September, in the very po- 
 sition which he had occupied on the 6th of the 
 foregoing month, having ascertained nothing but 
 the inutility of the routes he had attempted. He 
 then proceeded along the northern coast, carefully 
 examining every inlet which seemed to promise an 
 entrance into the Polar Sea, without ascending so 
 high as in his former voyage. In their course, 
 the sailors had various opportunities of trafficking 
 with the Esquimaux, and, on one occasion, had 
 a ludicrous proof of the pilfering disposition of 
 these gentry. A woman who had bartered one 
 of her boots for some articles of iron, obstinately 
 refused to sell the other, and the reason of her 
 odd determination becoming suspected, the boot 
 was forcibly pulled off her leg, and two spoons 
 and a pewter plate were found concealed in 
 it. At the end of September, Captain Parry 
 found himself all at once overtaken by winter, 
 and had to encounter with a new difficulty, 
 namely, the formation of the soft ice, which, 
 though hardly felt at first, accumulated till its 
 weight pressed upon the ship with resistless force. 
 Finding it impossible to reach land, he determined 
 
180 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 to saw into the heart of a large mass of ice, about 
 half a mile from shore, and there to establish his 
 winter-quarters. Perceiving himself thus again 
 shut up in the frozen sea for another winter, the 
 captain had recourse to the same judicious mea- 
 sures which had before proved so salutary, and in 
 which his previous experience had enabled him 
 to make many very considerable improvements. 
 The theatrical entertainments were resumed, but 
 they had lost, with their novelty, much of their for- 
 mer attraction. The sailors, however, found out an 
 occupation for themselves, both interesting and 
 useful, by establishing a school, in which the better- 
 informed instructed the uneducated, in reading and 
 writing. Not being in so high a latitude as in their 
 preceding voyage, the cold was less intense, and 
 they never entirely lost sight of the sun. The 
 Christmas-day was spent with peculiar mirth and 
 festivity. They caught a few hares, but very lean 
 ones, and several beautiful white foxes. The same- 
 ness of the scene, which in spite of all the ingenuity 
 of the adventurers began to be sensibly felt, was, at 
 the beginning of February, enlivened by a visit 
 from some Esquimaux, which introduced the cap- 
 tain and his companions to a more intimate ac- 
 quaintance with their domestic arrangements than 
 they had yet had an opportunity of obtaining. 
 A number of these people walked over the ice 
 towards the ship, in a very quiet and orderly 
 manner ; and commenced a traffic in the rich 
 dark deer-skins which formed their clothing, for 
 knives, nails, and needles. They afterwards cor- 
 dially invited the English to visit their dwellings. 
 The invitation was accepted, but on going on 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 181 
 
 shore, our countrymen were at a loss to discover 
 where these dwellings existed. But, being led to 
 a hole in the snow, and told to creep upon their 
 hands and knees, they came through a long winding 
 passage, till they reached a small hall with a roof 
 in the form of a dome, and doors opening into 
 three suites of apartments, inhabited by sixty-four 
 persons, men, women, and children. These sin- 
 gular habitations were built of slabs of frozen 
 snow, in a circular form, six or seven feet high, 
 and about fifteen feet in diameter. Tn the centre 
 of the roof around plate of ice is placed, which 
 serves for a window. In each room there is a 
 lamp suspended from the roof, with a wick made 
 of a peculiar kind of moss, and lit up with oil from 
 the seal or sea-horse. When these huts are first 
 erected, their appearance, though chilling, is neat, 
 but they soon become offensive alike to the smell 
 and sight, and, when the summer thaw comes on, 
 gradually dissolve, till the inmates are compelled 
 to seek another shelter. The Esquimaux being 
 invited, in their turn, to inspect the ships, several 
 of them gladly accepted the offer. They shewed 
 themselves cheerful and intelligent, were much 
 pleased with the music, and perfectly understood 
 the nature of some daawings that were shewn 
 them, exhibiting different objects with which they 
 were acquainted. Our seamen were, however, not 
 a little puzzled in the exercise of their hospitable 
 dispositions, owing to the very extraordinary tastes 
 of their guests. Grog the strangers decidedly 
 rejected, and seemed rather to loathe than to 
 relish sweetmeats and other things, which we are 
 accustomed to consider as dainties. It was soon, 
 
182 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 however, discovered that every thing consisting of 
 pure fat or grease, such as train-oil, or the en- 
 trails of animals, was devoured by the Esquimaux 
 with delight. One of the young women, on being 
 presented with a large tallow candle, ate it up 
 with every symptom of pleasure. The sailors 
 found their new acquaintance very useful in com- 
 municating the knowledge which they possessed 
 of the seas and shores in those parts, and one 
 female sketched them a rude but very intelligible 
 map of a considerable portion of the coast. The 
 return of spring was still very tardy, but on the 
 2d of July they were at length freed from the ice, 
 and an open sea, forming a continuation of Fox's 
 Channel presented itself, which offered a clear 
 passage. Thrice did they appear on the eve of 
 accomplishing the object of their expedition, and 
 once they obtained a distinct view of the Polar 
 Sea, but on both occasions, the icy barrier again 
 frustrated their expectations, and they were ulti- 
 mately obliged to pass another winter, frozen up at 
 fglvolik, a small island to the very north of Fox's 
 Channel. The usual attention was paid to the 
 health and comforts of the men, but no mention 
 is made of their having indulged in their former 
 amusements ; their spirits were doubtless much af- 
 fected by such repeated disappointments. During 
 their stay at Iglvolik, they were on terms of con- 
 siderable intimacy and friendship with a colony of 
 Esquimaux, who were established there. The 
 character of these islanders was, however, by no 
 means admired by the seamen ; they were selfish 
 and greedy, and shewed a particular want of 
 feeling to the aged and infirm among themselves. 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 183 
 
 The spring of 1823 was very backward and un- 
 favourable, and, as they were unable to reach the 
 open sea till the 7th of August, Captain Parry 
 abandoned the hope of accomplishing any thing 
 important during the brief remainder of the season. 
 He however, formed the plan of bringing all the 
 stores of the Hecla on board the Fury, the latter 
 being in the best repair, and passing a third 
 winter in the Polar regions, awaiting a more 
 favourable summer. But the ill health of the 
 crews, many of whom were affected with the 
 scurvy, and all weakened by their past hardships, 
 obliged him to renounce, this project and return to 
 England, where his presence was hailed with great 
 joy, for, as no tidings of the adventurers had been 
 received since their departure, not a few persons 
 imagined that they had perished. 
 
 Notwithstanding the failure of the last two ex- 
 peditions, it was resolved to make another attempt 
 to effect a passage by sea between the Atlantic and 
 Pacific Oceans. The same ships were fitted out 
 that had performed the late voyage, and sailed 
 from Northfleet on the 1 6th of May, 1824. They 
 sailed up Davis's Strait, and Baffin's Bay, and, on 
 the 10th of September, entered Lancaster Sound, 
 and reached Port Bowen, to the east of Prince 
 Regent's Inlet, in time to take up their winter 
 quarters there. Captain Parry did not relax in 
 his attention to afford occupation for the men's 
 minds, as well as to ensure the regularity of their 
 bodily exercise. Their former amusements being 
 worn threadbare, the idea of masquerades, in 
 which the officers and men should mingle without 
 regard to rank, was hit upon, and it proved a very 
 
184 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 happy one, the sailors entering into the sport with 
 great spirit. The useful and improving plan of 
 the schools was also revived. The spring was 
 much more promising than any they had before 
 experienced, and they sawed the vessels out of the 
 ice without much difficulty. They then attempted 
 to sail over towards the western coast of Prince 
 Regent's Inlet, but found themselves compelled by 
 a barrier of ice to pursue their course on the op- 
 posite side. For some time their progress along 
 the shore was favourable, but they soon met with 
 fresh and repeated obstructions from the ice. On 
 the 28th of July, both the ships were driven on 
 shore, and were with great difficulty extricated 
 from their dangerous situation. They, however, 
 contrived to pursue their way slowly through the 
 ice-bergs till the 1st of August, when the Fury 
 struck with such force against a large field of ice, 
 that she was completely strained, and had sprung 
 a leak, which there was no prospect of getting 
 under. It was, therefore, on a consultation of the 
 officers, deemed necessary to abandon her alto- 
 gether, as there was no prospect of securing her 
 where she stood, or of floating her to a place of 
 safety. The crew were taken, with their clothes 
 and other necessaries, on board the Hecla, but the 
 ample and valuable stores of the deserted vessel 
 were obliged to be left behind, either on board of 
 her, or on shore. This disastrous event, com- 
 bined with the advanced period of the season, 
 determined Captain Parry to return home, and he 
 arrived at Sheerness on the 20th of October. 
 Though the voyages of this truly courageous and 
 persevering navigator failed of obtaining their im- 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 185 
 
 mediate object, his discoveries have been of ines- 
 timable value to all who have since had occasion 
 to visit the Polar Seas, and the narratives of his 
 expeditions will ever remain, almost unprecedent- 
 ed examples of the manner in which man may, 
 in situations apparently the most discouraging, 
 find in concord, industry, and ingenuity, the 
 means of creating happiness for himself. 
 
 One of the most striking features in Captain 
 Parry's adventures, was his intercourse with the 
 Esquimaux tribes, a race of mortals differing 
 almost entirely from all others that have yet been 
 discovered, and with whom, before the period of 
 his voyages, we had little or no acquaintance. 
 Of the character and customs of these very sin- 
 gular tribes, he has given us an able and interest- 
 ing description. These people are very widely 
 diffused, occupying all the countries on the shores 
 of the Northern Ocean. In their persons they are 
 tolerably well formed, and, in general, plump, 
 without being corpulent. Their faces are round 
 and full, with small black eyes, small sunken nose, 
 good regular teeth, smooth skins, and clear and 
 transparent complexions. They are in general 
 much shorter than Europeans. The dresses, both 
 of the males and females, are composed almost 
 entirely of deer-skin, of which they wear double 
 jackets, close, but not tight. The inner part of 
 the skin with the hair on, forms a shirt, and they 
 have a large hood over their head. The breeches 
 are made of the same materials, and are also 
 double, coming over the boots. In clothing the 
 legs and feet they are very careful to guard against 
 the cold. When an Esquimaux goes hunting, he 
 
186 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 first puts on a pair of deer- skin boots, with the 
 hair inside, and reaching to the knee ; over these 
 comes a pair of shoes of the same materials, next 
 a pair of dressed seal-skin boots, quite water-tight. 
 Owing to the uncommon rigour of the climate, the 
 subsistence of these people is often precarious, 
 and almost always requires great labour to pro- 
 cure it. The frozen state of the ground during 
 three-fourths of the year precludes all vegetable 
 growth ; and they have none of those domestic 
 animals which, in many countries, are reared for 
 food. Their sole dependence is, therefore, upon 
 hunting the wild animals to be found among their 
 seas and shores, and this forms their principal 
 occupation. Every creature that inhabits these 
 regions serves them for food, for they do not reject 
 any. In the summer they chase the deer, which 
 is their principal delicacy, and they also catch the 
 eider and other species of wild ducks. But at 
 the approach of winter, these disappear, and the 
 natives are then unable to obtain any food but the 
 walrus and the small seal, which are not always 
 to be found in sufficient plenty ; so that the Es- 
 quimaux are sometimes in a famished state for 
 days together, and are even obliged to kill their 
 dogs, in order to appease their hunger. The danger of 
 famine does not teach them economy in husband- 
 ing their stock. No sooner is it known that a 
 walrus has been caught, than the village resounds 
 with cries of joy, as all are entitled to share in the 
 prize. As soon as it arrives, slices are instantly 
 cut out, and cooked over a lamp, and when the 
 feast is ready, one man takes up a slice, and 
 having taken as large a mouthful as he can, he 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 1 87 
 
 hands it to his neighbour, who passes it to the 
 next, and so on, till the whole is consumed. Their 
 appetites are disgustingly voracious. One of them 
 is said to have finished in nineteen hours ten 
 pounds of solid food, and to have drunk six quarts 
 of water. This mode of alternate repletion and 
 starvation has, as might be expected, a very in- 
 jurious effect upon their health. They certainly 
 prefer eating their meat cooked, and, while they 
 have fuel, they usually boil it, but they can relish 
 it, though it be quite raw. Their method of tra- 
 velling, when not on foot, is in sledges drawn by 
 dogs, in the same manner as the inhabitants of 
 Kamtschatka and Greenland. The moral cha- 
 racter of the Esquimaux, with the exception of a 
 few of the most barbarous tribes, is generally en- 
 titled to praise. When Captain Parry first visited 
 them he found them scrupulously honest, but in the 
 course of time they relaxed considerably in the 
 practice of this virtue. Allowance, however, 
 ought to be made for the temptations to which 
 they were exposed. Captain Parry justly re- 
 marks, that there are few Europeans of the lower 
 class who could be safely entrusted to roam about 
 amidst hoards of gold and silver, and that these 
 precious metals would not be more valuable in 
 their eyes, than iron and wood in those of the 
 Esquimaux. Among themselves, no attempt at 
 taking another's property was ever known to have 
 occurred. A strong disposition to envy appeared, 
 however, to prevail among them. Displeasure 
 was caused when presents were made to one, of 
 superior value to those which another received ; 
 they likewise seemed gratified when one of their 
 
188 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 neighbours was detected by the English in the 
 commission of a theft, and very anxious to spread 
 the report of the offender's delinquency as widely 
 as possible. The women were particularly ad- 
 dicted to gossip and scandal. In bartering and 
 trafficking the Esquimaux shewed great selfishness 
 and cunning, but our seamen had every reason to 
 speak well of their hospitality. The best of every 
 thing that their poor huts could furnish was set 
 before their guests, and the women performed the 
 kindly offices of cooking provisions, thawing snow 
 for drink, and mending and drying clothes for the 
 English, with the most obliging cheerfulness. The 
 affection of parents for their children among them 
 is most striking, and they were never seen to in- 
 flict corporal punishment upon their offspring. 
 Of the children themselves Captain Parry speaks 
 in high terms, and describes their docility as being 
 so great, that severity towards them is rendered 
 quite unnecessary. " From their earliest infancy," 
 he observes, " they possess that quiet disposition, 
 gentleness of demeanour, and uncommon even- 
 ness of temper, for which, in more mature age, 
 they are for the most part distinguished. Dis- 
 obedience is scarcely ever known ; a word, or even 
 a look from a parent, is enough, and I never saw 
 a single instance of that frowardness and disposi- 
 tion to mischief, which, with our youth, so often 
 requires the whole attention of a parent to watch 
 over and to correct. They never cry from trifling 
 accidents, and sometimes not even from severe 
 hurts, at which an English child would sob for an 
 hour. The worst feature in the character of the 
 Esquimaux is in their behaviour to those whose 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 189 
 
 age and infirmity render them useless and there- 
 fore burdensome to the community, towards whom 
 they betray a degree of insensibility bordering on 
 inhumanity. Widows are very indifferently treat- 
 ed, nor are even parents, in the decline of life, 
 exempted from this revolting unkindness. In 
 their religious notions, nothing is to be found but 
 the grossest superstitions. They believe in the 
 existence of deities and spirits whom they imagine 
 to be formed like monsters ; and they attach faith 
 to charms and incantations. They admit a future 
 state of existence, the employments and pleasures 
 of which they suppose to resemble those in which 
 they are engaged in this life. The soul is be- 
 lieved to descend beneath the earth through suc- 
 cessive abodes, in some of which, that form a sort 
 of purgatory, bad men are detained for a time 
 proportioned to their crimes, but good spirits pass 
 through it freely, till they reach a mansion of per- 
 fect happiness at the farthest depth, where the 
 sun never sets, the waters never freeze, the deer 
 are found in vast numbers, and the seal and the 
 walrus are always in abundance. 
 
 About the same time with Captain Parry's 
 voyages, considerable interest was excited by the 
 journey of Captain Franklin to the shores of the 
 Polar Sea. The main object of this gentleman's 
 expedition was to determine the latitudes and 
 longitudes of the chief places on the northern 
 coast of North America, and to survey that coast, 
 from the mouth of the Copper-Mine River, to the 
 eastern extremity of that continent, taking par- 
 ticular note of places where ships might enter, or 
 to which a boat could be sent, and erecting con- 
 
190 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 spicuous marks at such places. He was likewise 
 instructed to collect all information which might 
 appear likely to be useful to Captain Parry. 
 Captain Franklin, with three vessels under his 
 command, the Prince of Wales in which he him- 
 self sailed, the Eddystone, and the Wear, took 
 his departure from Gravesend, on the 23rd of 
 May, 1819. On reaching Stromness in Pomona, 
 the largest of the Orkney Islands, the Captain, 
 as he knew that he should be obliged, in the ex- 
 ecution of his instructions, to penetrate, by going 
 up the Indian rivers, into some part of the in- 
 terior, thought it necessary to obtain a supply of 
 able boatmen ; but on account of the great de- 
 mand for their services in the herring fishery, and 
 the perilous nature of Captain Franklin's enter- 
 prize, he could only procure four, to whom he 
 was obliged to give very high wages. On the 
 25th of July the vessels arrived at the entrance of 
 Davis's Straits, where they fell in with a whaler, 
 the master of which informed Franklin and his 
 companions, that the ice had been heavier in 
 those straits during that season than had ever been 
 known : his own vessel had suffered considerable 
 injury, and two others had been entirely crushed. 
 The Captain's party did not fall in with any ice- 
 bergs till they arrived within thirty leagues of the 
 coast of Labrador. Of these they contrived to 
 steer clear, and proceeded with a favourable wind 
 till they came off Resolution Island, to the north 
 of the entrance into Hudson's Straits, early in 
 the morning of the 7th of August. Here a thick 
 fog came on, the breeze subsided into a perfect 
 calm, and left the Prince of Wales surrounded by 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 191 
 
 loose ice, while the Eddystone was driving rapidly 
 towards some of the larger masses. By ten, the 
 fog clearing, shewed land two miles distant, but the 
 Captain's ship became unmanageable, and was 
 forced along by the currents between the masses 
 of ice, till she struck violently on a rock project- 
 ing from the island. A gentle swell freed her 
 from this alarming situation, but she was still 
 borne along by the current almost in contact with 
 the rocky shore, and at last forced against a large 
 ice-berg lying aground. After this shock, the 
 ship was driven along the rear of the ice-berg with 
 such amazing rapidity, that she escaped, almost 
 by a miracle, being forced upon the rocks in her 
 present disturbed state, which must have decided 
 her fate. As it was, she received w r ater very fast, 
 and the pumps were in constant use ; and it was 
 found necessary for the Eddystone to take her in 
 tow. But a heavy gale coming on, the sails were 
 split, and, as she was forcing through a stream 
 flanked by ice, the tow-rope broke, and at this 
 very time there was upwards of five feet water in 
 the hold, so that there seemed great reason to fear 
 that the ship must be abandoned. By great ex- 
 ertions, however, thrusting in felt and oakum into 
 the openings with planks nailed over them, the 
 leak was finally got under so much as only to re- 
 quire the pumps to be worked at intervals of ten 
 minutes, and a fresh breeze arising, they reached 
 Upper Savage Island. Here the ship was steer- 
 ed as near as possible to the shore to afford the 
 Esquimaux an opportunity of coming off to bar- 
 ter, which they soon embraced. In their trading, 
 Captain Franklin mentions a custom which ap- 
 
192 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 pears to have escaped Parry's notice. When any 
 one received an article, he invariably licked it 
 with his tongue, as a finish to the bargain, and a 
 sign of its having become his own property. 
 They never omitted this singular practice, how- 
 ever trifling the article; even needles were sub- 
 jected singly to the ceremony. On arriving 
 at York Factory, the Captain had the plea- 
 sure of finding the Wear, of which he had lost 
 sight entirely during the disaster off Resolution 
 Island, at safe anchorage. Franklin, on his land- 
 ing, communicated to the governor of the factory 
 the mission confided to him, and received every 
 assurance of assistance. A boat being completed, 
 suitable to the inland navigation, the captain pene- 
 trated up the interior, through many lakes and 
 rivers, which he investigated, but which are too 
 numerous to be here particularised and described, 
 a distance of nearly seven hundred miles to Cum- 
 berland House, a considerable station of the Hud- 
 son's Bay Company. The district belonging to 
 this station, comprises about twenty thousand 
 square miles, and is peopled by a tribe of Indians, 
 called the Crees. They are chiefly engaged in 
 hunting, and this mode of life occasionally sub- 
 jects them to great privations, especially when the 
 winter happens to be more than usually severe, as 
 was the case during Captain Franklin's stay there, 
 when sickness and famine carried off many of 
 these unfortunate creatures. A most affecting 
 incident, as illustrating their situation, is mention- 
 ed by that gentleman. One evening, early in the 
 month of January, a poor Indian entered the 
 North West Company's House, carrying his only 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 193 
 
 child in bis arms, and followed by his starving 
 wife. They had been hunting apart from the 
 other bands, and had been unsuccessful, and, while 
 in want, were seized with an epidemical disease. 
 As soon as the fever had abated, the poor man set 
 out with his wife for Cumberland House, having 
 been previously reduced to feed upon the bits of 
 skin and offal which were left in their possession. 
 At length even this miserable fare was exhausted, 
 and they worked several days without eating, yet 
 they still exerted themselves far beyond their 
 strength, that they might save the life of the in- 
 fant, which, however, died almost within sight of 
 the house. The gentleman then in charge of the 
 post, received them with the utmost humanity, 
 and instantly placed food before them ; but no 
 language can describe the manner in which the 
 heart-broken father dashed the morsel from his 
 lips, and bewailed the loss of his child. " Misery" 
 Mr. Richardson feelingly observes, speaking of this 
 occurrence, " may harden a disposition naturally 
 bad, but it never fails to soften the heart of a good 
 man." From Cumberland House, the travellers, 
 after remaining about three weeks, took their de- 
 parture for Carlton House, another station belong- 
 ing to the Hudson's Bay Company, situate about 
 one hundred and sixty miles distant from the 
 former. The mode of journeying in winter in these 
 frigid climes, is briefly described by one of the 
 party, and will, we are persuaded, be interesting 
 to the reader. The traveller is provided with a 
 snow-shoe, made of two light bars of wood, 
 fastened together at the ends, and made to curve 
 by cross bars. The side bars have been so shaped 
 vol. 1. o 
 
194 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 by a frame, and dried before a fire, that the front 
 part of the shoe turns up, like the prow of a boat, 
 and the part behind terminates in an obtuse angle. 
 The spaces between the bars are filled up with a 
 fine netting of leather thongs, except that part 
 behind the main bar, which is occupied by the feet, 
 where the netting is close and strong, and the foot 
 is attached to the main bar by straps passing 
 round the heel, but only fixing the toes, so that 
 the heel rises after each step, and the tail of the 
 shoe is dragged on the snow. A small space is 
 left between the main bar, and another in front of 
 it, allowing the toes to descend a little in the act 
 of raising the heel to make the step forward, which 
 prevents the danger of chafing. The motion of 
 walking in these shoes is perfectly natural, for one 
 shoe is level with the snow, when the edge of the 
 other is passing over it. When unclogged with 
 snow, each shoe weighs about two pounds. This 
 machine, though the invention of the Indians them- 
 selves, is so ingeniously contrived, that all the 
 superiority of European art has been unable to 
 improve it. Their sledges exhibit equal skill in 
 the construction. They are made of two or three 
 flat boards, curving upwards in front, and fastened 
 together by cross pieces of wood above. They 
 are so thin, that, if heavily loaded, they bend with 
 the unevenness of the surface over which they 
 pass. They are, in general, eight or ten feet long 
 and very narrow, but the lading is secured by a 
 lacing round the edges. The general dress of the 
 winter traveller is a capot, having a hood to put 
 up under the fur cap in windy weather, or in the 
 woods, to keep the snow from his neck. He has 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 195 
 
 leathern trowsers and Indian stockings, the latter 
 closed at the ankles, round the upper part of his 
 mocassins or Indian shoes, to prevent the snow 
 from getting into them. Over these he wears a 
 blanket or leathern coat, secured round his waist 
 by a belt, to which his fire-bag, knife, and hat- 
 chet are suspended. In their journey from Cum- 
 berland House, the travellers had an opportunity 
 of witnessing the mode employed by the Indians 
 of killing the buffalo, a large species of the ox, 
 valued both for its flesh and its hide. The most 
 common of these is entangling the animal in what 
 is called a buffalo pound. This is a fenced circular 
 space of about a hundred yards in diameter. The 
 entrance is banked up with snow sufficiently high 
 to prevent the retreat of the buffalo, when once 
 he has entered. Stakes are driven into the ground 
 at the distance of about twenty yards from each 
 other for about a mile on each side of the road, to 
 deter the animals, who mistake the stakes for 
 men, from attempting to break out on either side. 
 Within fifty or sixty yards of the pound, branches 
 of trees are placed between these stakes to screen 
 the Indians, who lie down behind them to await 
 the approach of the buffalo. The horsemen 
 manoeuvre round a herd in some neighbouring 
 plain, till they induce them to enter the road to 
 the pound, which is about a quarter of a mile 
 broad. They then raise loud shouts, and so terri- 
 fy the animals that they rush forward towards the 
 snare. When they advance as far as the ambush, 
 the men who are concealed in it rise, and by loud 
 firing of guns increase the alarm of the buffaloes, 
 who make directly for the pound, were they are 
 
196 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 speedily despatched. The manner in which Cap- 
 tain Franklin's party passed their time, when com- 
 pelled to take up their winter quarters at Fort 
 Enterprise, will forcibly remind the reader, in many 
 points, of the adventurers under Parry. " As it 
 may be interesting," says the Captain, "to know 
 how we got through this season of the year, I 
 shall mention breefly that a considerable portion 
 of it was occupied in writing up our journals. 
 Some newspapers and magazines, which we had 
 received from England with our letters, were read 
 over and over again, and we often amused our- 
 selves with conjecturing the changes that might 
 take place in the world before we should hear from 
 it again. Occasionally we paid the woodmen a 
 visit, or took a walk for a mile or two on the fro- 
 zen river. In the evenings we joined the men in 
 the hall, and took a part in their games, which 
 generally continued to a late hour. The Sabbath 
 was always a day of rest with us ; the men em- 
 ployed in cutting wood were required to provide 
 for the wants of that day on Saturday; and all the 
 people were dressed in their best attire. Divine 
 service was regularly performed, and the Canadians 
 attended and behaved with great decorum, al- 
 though they were all Roman Catholics, and but 
 little acquainted with the language in which the 
 prayers were read. I regretted much that we had 
 not a French Prayer-book, but the Lord's Prayer 
 and the Creed were always read to them in their 
 own language." It is not our intention, nor 
 would our limits permit us, to follow the details of 
 Captain Franklin's journey to any great extent. 
 His scientific observations, though acute and 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 197 
 
 valuable, are in general, beyond the comprehension 
 of those for whom we more immediately profess to 
 write. His descriptions of the scenery fouud in 
 the interior, however faithful, are not in general 
 very inviting, nor can they be strictly included as 
 belonging to voyages ; and the groups of Indians 
 among whom he travelled, so far from being an 
 interesting race, appear adapted to inspire scarcely 
 any other feelings, than compassion for their gross 
 ignorance, or abhorrence for their cruelty. After 
 exploring most of the countries along the polar 
 sea to some distance from the shore, Franklin 
 navigated the sea itself with two canoes, for a dis- 
 tance of more than 550 miles. The general re- 
 sult of his observations was in favour of the prac- 
 ticabilitv of a north west passage. It is much to 
 be lamented that the latter part of this deserving 
 officer's journey should have been accompanied 
 by so many disasters. Of these, the commence- 
 ment was the difficulty and delay incurred in 
 crossing the Copper-Mine River, and a train of 
 misfortunes succeeded. The whole party were re- 
 duced to extreme misery. Lieutenant Hood was 
 treacherously murdered. Many of the adventur- 
 ers, as well as of the Canadians who accompanied 
 them, perished with famine, and, in the case 
 of others, existence was preserved by pieces of 
 bone and scraps of skin picked out of the ash- 
 heap, and boiled down into a mess of sour soup. 
 They were obliged to sleep in wretched ruined 
 hovels, and sometimes even in the open air, at a 
 temperature of twenty degrees below zero ; it was 
 by an almost providential interposition, that they 
 were enabled to leave those scenes of desolation 
 
198 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 and famine, where death every instant threatened 
 to overwhelm them. Yet, after the experience of 
 all these sufferings, such was Franklin's anxiety 
 for completing his original undertaking, which he 
 had been compelled to leave imperfect, that he 
 actually exposed himself again to the perils and 
 hardships from which he had so recently and with 
 such difficulty escaped ; and he performed a second 
 voyage which he accomplished (fortunately without 
 calamities similar to those which had befallen his 
 former expedition) equally to the benefit of 
 science, and the satisfaction of his employers, hav- 
 ing exhibited an example of zeal and fortitude, 
 which we can hardly enough applaud or admire. 
 
 We have already mentioned the attempts of 
 Hudson and others to cross the North Pole, and 
 the decided failures in which they terminated. 
 The peculiar ill success that had attended their 
 efforts, caused more than a century and a half to 
 elapse without any repetition of the experiment. 
 But the extraordinary success which had attended 
 the South Sea voyages of Cook and others, ex- 
 cited the spirit of naval discovery to the highest 
 pitch, and the idea of effecting a North Polar 
 passage was revived. Many eminent scientific 
 men asserted their belief in the practicability of 
 reaching the North Pole, in spite of every obstacle; 
 and, at their persuasion, members of the admiralty 
 board were induced to send out an expedition of 
 two vessels, under the command of CaptainPinpps, 
 afterwards Lord Mulgrave, to make the attempt. 
 The ships were amply stored with provisions, and 
 equipped with all requisite instruments for making 
 scientific observations. They sailed from the Nore 
 
VOYxYOES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 199 
 
 on the 4th of June, 1773, and on the 29th, made 
 the shore of Spitzbergen, with its high, barren, 
 black rocks, and its soil ungraced by any vegeta- 
 tion. But the weather being mild, the water 
 smooth, and the sun shining bright, the sailors 
 were not damped by the wintry aspect of the 
 coast, particularly as they found no impediment 
 from ice. They then steered for Hakluyt's Head- 
 land, the extreme north-west point of Spitzbergen, 
 a route which they flattered themselves they might 
 pursue with safety ; but, in a few days, they were 
 disagreeably undeceived by finding themselves now 
 upon the main northern ice, which extending, un- 
 broken, to the westward, compelled them to direct 
 their course to the east, till they reached a pro- 
 montory called Cloven Cliff, near which they found 
 a good harbour, and obtained plenty of fresh wa- 
 ter ; but, on endeavouring to proceed, they were 
 again stopped, and found the land completely ice- 
 locked both to the east and north. Some passages 
 now appeared to the westward, which were at- 
 tempted, but proved deceptive, as they were only 
 ice-bergs ; and, in consequence of the violence 
 with which the easterly gales drifted the fragments 
 of ice against them, they found it necessary, for 
 their safety, to sail against the wind ; and the 
 captain determined, notwithstanding their former 
 repulses, to make another effort to the eastward. 
 In this attempt they were more successful, and, 
 after passing through some floating pieces of ice, 
 they entered an open sea stretching to the north- 
 east, and reached an island called Moffen, where 
 they found abundance of wild-fowl, which was 
 
200 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 very acceptable. On the 27th of July, however, 
 they were again stopped by the main body of ice 
 lying east and west ; they were therefore obliged 
 to steer along the eastern coast, forcing the ship 
 through the occasional ice-bergs or openings by a 
 press of sail. They now came to a point, from 
 which they could discern the peninsula of Spitz- 
 bergen, called North-East Land, and, further to 
 the north, the group of the Seven Islands. Here 
 the ice began to gather round them, forming, to- 
 wards the east and north-east, one continued frozen 
 surface, bounded only by the horizon. The next 
 day, the passage by which they had entered from 
 the westward, was entirely closed up behind them, 
 so that they were quite frozen in. They attempted 
 to extricate themselves by sawing away the ice, but 
 this, though attended with immense labour, did not 
 enable them to make any sensible progress. As a 
 last resource, therefore, Captain Phipps ordered the 
 boats to be immediately put out, and dragged over 
 the ice, hoping to reach the Dutch fishing ships, 
 which commence their return about this period. 
 Fortunately, they were not reduced to this extre- 
 mity. On their coming back to the ship, they 
 found that the ice around her had opened a little ; 
 and, on the 10th of August, with the aid of a 
 strong north-east wind, they forced their way 
 through all obstacles into the open sea. They 
 repaired to the harbour of Sroeerenberg, to the 
 north-west of Spitzbergen, to repair their vessels, 
 and obtain rest and refreshments. On the 19th of 
 August, Captain Phipps set sail for England, and, 
 after experiencing some very tempestuous weather 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 201 
 
 in his passage, arrived at the Nore on the 24th of 
 September — having done little to encourage the 
 speculators in Polar discoveries. 
 
 In the early part of the present century, the 
 expectation of being able to reach the North Pole 
 was revived anew by the nautical achievements of 
 Mr. Scoresby. This gentleman joined to sci- 
 ence, intelligence and intrepidity, extensive prac- 
 tical knowledge, having been brought up to the 
 whale fishery, and having at an early age served 
 as mate under his father, the master of a Green- 
 land ship. While filling this situation, in the 
 year 1 806, he approached nearer to the Pole than 
 any one had done before him. The crew of the 
 whaler, after pushing through much broken ice to 
 the south of Greenland, passed through a straight, 
 into an open sea of such extent, that its termination 
 could not be discovered. This vast body of water 
 continued open on every side, even when they had 
 reached beyond the eighty-first degree of latitude, 
 not quite 600 miles distant from the Pole. This 
 was, indeed, an admirable opportunity for dis- 
 covery, but the object of the voyage was a trading 
 one, and, as the sea in which they had arrived 
 contained no whales, they returned upon their 
 course, though Mr. Scoresby took occasion to 
 visit many of the islands in the Polar Seas, and to 
 climb up the crags that usually guard their 
 shores. From one of these, called Mitre Cape, 
 he describes the prospect as most romantically 
 beautiful. On the east were two finely sheltered 
 bays ; to the west the wide expanse of an un- 
 ruffled sea. The ice-bergs reared their fantastic 
 forms almost to an equal elevation with the moun- 
 
202 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 tains, while the valleys were clothed with snow 
 and ice as far as the eye could reach. Further 
 onward, mountains rose upon mountains till they 
 became confounded in the horizon. The situa- 
 tion of the party, on the summit of a rock sur- 
 rounded with precipices, was at once appalling 
 and sublime. If a fragment was detached, it 
 bounded from rock to rock, raising smoke at every 
 blow, and loosening other fragments, till it de- 
 scended like thunder to the foot of the mountain, 
 amid showers of stones which it had borne with 
 it in its course. The descent was hazardous in 
 the extreme, and could not be effected without, 
 in some parts, sliding down a wall of ice almost 
 perpendicular. Mr. Scoresby likewise made an 
 excursion on Jan Mayen's Land, an island be- 
 tween North Cape and East Greenland, and dis- 
 covered that the mountain Beerenberg, which 
 rises to a height of 6870 feet above the sea, is 
 decidedly volcanic. He examined its crater, or 
 mouth, which he found to be 600 feet deep, and 
 700 yards in diameter, and being surrounded by 
 rugged walls of clay, half baked from the effects 
 of erruptions, it had the appearance of a spacious 
 castle. But Mr. Scoresby greatly extended his 
 discoveries in 1 822, when he sailed in the ship 
 Baffin for the whale fishery. Being disappoint- 
 ed on their arrival in a very high latitude, in the 
 expectation of finding whales, the crew came to a 
 conclusion to penetrate through the ice to the 
 eastern shores of Greenland, where they expected 
 to obtain a good cargo. This course gave Mr. 
 Scoresby an opportunity of investigating this 
 course, the whole range of which, with the excep- 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 203 
 
 tion of a few points at which the Dutch had 
 touched, was almost unknown. He found it for 
 the most part rugged, mountainous, and barren, 
 but not so completely covered with snow as Spitz- 
 bergen. He passed several bays and capes, to 
 which he gave the names of eminent living cha- 
 racters, or of some of his friends and acquaint- 
 ances. About this time a melancholy accident 
 occurred in the ship. No whales being found 
 near the land, it was thought advisable to steer 
 to the eastward, and they soon caught sight of a 
 large one. One of the most skilful harpooners 
 on board, a fine young man of the name of Wil- 
 liam Carr, struck the animal, which flew off so 
 rapidly, that the line was jerked out of its place. 
 In attempting to replace it, Carr was caught by a 
 sudden turn, dragged overboard, and sunk to rise 
 no more. Only one man had seen the poor fellow 
 disappear, and that so instantaneously, that he 
 could not at the moment account for it. The 
 supply of whales becoming slack, they again stood 
 in for land, and discovered a very bold line of 
 coast, about forty miles long, terminating at Cape 
 Hodgson, to which they gave the name of Liver- 
 pool. Pursuing the same direction, they fell in 
 with several inlets and straits, which were indeed 
 so numerous, as almost to justify a supposition 
 that Greenland, instead of being a main land, 
 consists of a large body of contiguous islands. 
 To one of the largest of the inlets at the south of 
 Liverpool coast, running due west, the name of 
 Scoresby's Sound was given. This range of 
 coast was richer in vegetation than any that Mr. 
 Scoresby had before seen within the Arctic Circle. 
 
204 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 The grass was in some places a foot high, and 
 there were meadows of several acres, equal in ap- 
 pearance to any in England. No inhabitants 
 were met with, though in many places there were 
 signs of human beings having lately made a tem- 
 porary stay in the country. To the south of 
 Scoresby's Sound, he discovered another extensive 
 range of coast, but finding no appearance of any 
 whales upon it, he again steered out for open sea 
 to the northward, a course which soon brought 
 him in sight of lands more to the north than those 
 that he had just surveyed, and connected with 
 others which he had first discovered. The far- 
 thest point to which he proceeded was a cape, a 
 few leagues from Cape Freycinet, which he named 
 after Captain Parry. The whole of his surveys 
 comprised a range of coast, four hundred miles 
 in extent, which had previously been only known 
 imperfectly, or not at all. He was precluded the 
 farther pursuit of his researches by the necessity 
 of studying the interest of the owners of the ship, 
 and of endeavouring to increase his cargo of 
 whales, which had hitherto been very scanty. 
 In this attempt he was successful, and returned 
 to England, with his employers enriched by his 
 exertions, and his reputation much raised by his 
 discoveries. 
 
 In 1823, Captain Clavering visited many of the 
 places which Mr. Scoresby had discovered the 
 preceding year. This officer had been employed 
 to take out Captain Sabine, who had been em- 
 ployed by the Admiralty, to make some observa- 
 tions in different stations in the Arctic sea, on the 
 length of the pendulum. Captain Clavering, hav- 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 205 
 
 ing executed his mission of setting captain Sabine on 
 shore in a convenient place, occupied himself, while 
 the latter was engaged in his observations, in sur- 
 veying the coasts, and in endeavouring to push 
 into a higher latitude. Steering for East Green- 
 land, he came to the northern part of that coast, 
 the first visited by Mr. Scoresby, and found three 
 other inlets, besides those noticed by that naviga- 
 tor. The latter had been unable to get a sight of 
 any of the natives, but Captain Clavering met 
 with some of them to the south of the inlet which 
 Scoresby had named after Sir Walter Scott. 
 Their appearance was, in every respect, similar to 
 the Esquimaux, seen by Captain Parry in Hudson's 
 Bay. At first they were much alarmed, and fled 
 at the sight of the English, but some presents 
 being laid down for them to take, their fears 
 ceased, and they became friendly and inquisitive. 
 The alarm produced upon them by the discharge of 
 fire-arms was extreme. One of them was pre- 
 vailed upon to fire a pistol, but the moment that 
 he heard the report, he started and ran back into 
 the English tent quite affrighted. Another shewed 
 more courage. Being sent to fetch a seal which 
 had been shot, he examined it all over till he found 
 the hole made by the ball, when he thrust his 
 finger into it, and began to shout, dance, and 
 caper most extravagantly. September having 
 arrived, Captain Clavering began to think of re- 
 turning home ; but the ice had already begun to 
 form, so that he was obliged to take shelter for 
 six weeks at Drontheim, and did not reach Eng- 
 land till the middle of December. 
 
 During the progress of Mr. Scoresby 's disco- 
 
206 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 veries, another expedition was fitted out on a 
 grand scale, to explore the Arctic seas. At the 
 time that Captain Ross was despatched in search 
 of a north-west passage, as has been already re- 
 lated, Captain Buchan was appointed to the com- 
 mand of two ships, the Dorothea and the Trent, 
 with directions to make directly to the north-pole, 
 and, should he succeed in reaching it, to pass 
 across it to India. This route, if practicable, 
 would certainly be far shorter than any other ; 
 and those who asserted the possibility of its ac- 
 complishment, attributed the failure of former ad- 
 venturers to errors in their course, which, it was 
 conceived, could be easily avoided by a skilful 
 navigator in the present day. Captain Buchan 
 set out upon his arduous enterprise early in 1818, 
 and sailed straight for the western coast of Spitz - 
 bergen, in the eightieth degree of north latitude. 
 Here he experienced a severe storm, which se- 
 parated his vessels for a time. Learning that the 
 great sea to the west, through which he had ex- 
 pected to arrive at the pole, was rendered com- 
 pletely impenetrable by ice, he turned to Hak- 
 luyt's Headland, north of Spitzbergen, and 
 directed his course north-eastward, but he was 
 soon completely beset and hemmed in by fields 
 of ice, ten or twelve miles in circumference. The 
 sailors found means, however, to make their way 
 into Fan Haven, near Cloven Cliff, where they 
 were detained for some time. Here they found 
 large herds of the walrus, and deer, of which 
 they killed a great number. For three weeks 
 they were unable to move forward, but, on the 
 30th of July, the Dorothea was once more got 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 207 
 
 into open sea, but the next day, a terrific gale 
 blew her upon the ice, with an irresistible force. 
 The crew, thus critically placed, were compelled 
 to turn the helm, so that the wind might drive 
 the ship's head into the ice as the only shelter 
 from the danger of the storm. It was a fearful 
 experiment, as, if they failed in moving the vessel,, 
 she would infallibly be dashed to pieces. Happily, 
 after repeated and alarming shocks, she was forced 
 into the body of the ice, where she remained 
 fixed. On the storm subsiding, she was again 
 brought into open sea, but the damage she had 
 received had rendered her so leaky, that it was 
 with great difficulty that the men could get her 
 into Smeerenberg, where she remained, till suffi- 
 ciently repaired to venture again to sea ; she 
 sailed from Spitzbergen in the beginning of Sep- 
 tember, and in the middle of October, she 
 reached England. 
 
 The reports and experience of Captain Buchan 
 appear to have produced a general conviction, 
 that it was impossible to get to the Pole in ships ; 
 but an opinion was still entertained by some per- 
 sons, that it might be reached by proceeding in 
 vehicles, from the point where the water became 
 unnavigable, over the frozen surface of the Polar 
 Sea. Mr. Scoresby was very sanguine in this 
 expectation. He expressed his confidence that 
 some parts of the Polar Sea would be found one 
 continued sheet of tolerably smooth ice, and that 
 if a few miles of open water should be found here 
 and there, the vehicle, if shaped like a boat, could 
 either sail across or go round them, according to 
 circumstances. A sledge made in the same man- 
 
208 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 ner as those of the Esquimaux, and drawn bv 
 rein-deer or dogs, would be exactly fit for the pur- 
 pose. These notions met at first with few sup- 
 porters, but they at length attracted the attention 
 of Captain Parry, who having, in consequence of 
 his three unsuccessful, though distinguished voy- 
 ages, abandoned the expectation of discovering 
 any north-west passage, felt a wish to try the pos- 
 sibility of reaching the Pole across the Frozen 
 Sea. He submitted the plan of such an expedi- 
 tion to the Lords of the Admiralty, who, after 
 consulting with the most eminent scientific men 
 upon the subject, agreed to second his views, and 
 gave him the command of the Hecla, in which he 
 was to sail as far as the ship could go in safety, 
 and which was accompanied by two boats, so 
 made that they could either be dragged, or navi- 
 gated at discretion. They were constructed of 
 such materials as would combine strength and 
 elasticity in the highest degree, Wheels were also 
 taken to affix to the boats, if it should be found 
 practicable. On the 4th of April, 1827, Captain 
 Parry sailed from the Nore, and, in a fortnight 
 after reached the harbour of Hammerfest, in Nor- 
 way, where the adventurers took on board eight 
 rein-deer, with some picked moss to feed them. 
 When they came in sight of Hakluyt's Headland, 
 the Captain endeavoured to follow the track of 
 Phipps, to the north-eastward, but the vessel was 
 soon enclosed in a large field of ice, which carried 
 her along with it. Anxious to avoid delay, the 
 Captain began to think of pushing off to the north 
 in the boats, leaving the ship to find a harbour for 
 herself, and taking the chance of finding her upon 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 209 
 
 his return. When he came, however, to examine 
 the state of the ice, he found its surface for a 
 considerable space to be so rough and unequal, 
 owing to the huge masses frozen upon it, that the 
 boats could have made no progress which would 
 have led to the attainment of his object. Shortly 
 after, the ship grounded in the vicinity of the ice, 
 and it was found indispensable to provide her with 
 a safe harbour. Having vainly sought one in 
 Walden Isle, or the Seven Islands, he returned to 
 the coast of Spitzbergen, where he found, between 
 the north-eastern point and North-east Land a very 
 commodious haven, to which he gave the name of 
 Hecla Cove. It being now the 20th of June, and 
 much time having already been lost, Captain Parry 
 determined to proceed forthwith in pursuit of the 
 main object of his enterprise. He took with him 
 seventy-one days' provisions, consisting of beef 
 dried and pounded, biscuit, cocoa, and rum. 
 Spirits of wine were provided for fuel. The men 
 were furnished with warm clothing, and fur dresses 
 to sleep in, together with strong Esquimaux boots. 
 The ruggedness of the ice in some parts would 
 have rendered the rein-deer useless, and they were, 
 therefore, left behind. On the 22d of June the 
 party selected for the expedition entered the 
 boats, and proceeded pleasantly and safely for 
 about eighty miles, through a completely open sea, 
 though the shores on each side were frozen as 
 smooth as a mirror. But here they met, not with 
 the main ice, as they had anticipated, but with a 
 sea composed of a substance between ice and 
 water. This uninviting surface, which could only 
 be passed over by alternate walking and sailing, it 
 vol. i. p 
 
210 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 was necessary to cross, before they could com- 
 mence their journey towards the Pole. Their pe- 
 culiar situation now led them to a singular division 
 of time. To avoid the inflammation, and sometims 
 blindness, which the glare of the snow in the day^ 
 time often occasions, they adopted the plan of 
 beginning their journey in the evening and ending 
 it in the morning. By this mode they gained 
 many advantages. They had light enough from 
 the snow to guide, without dazzling them; the ice 
 was harder and drier than during the day, and 
 they enjoyed the greatest warmth during their sleep, 
 at which time it was most needed. By degrees 
 their notions of night and day were adapted to 
 this change. Their hour of rising, which was 
 late in the evening, they called the morning. 
 After prayers, they breakfasted on cocoa and bis- 
 cuit, then drew on their boots, and travelled for 
 five or six hours, when, a little after midnight, 
 they stopped to dine. After dinner they perform- 
 ed, in what they termed the afternoon, a similar 
 journey, and, at seven or eight in the morning, 
 halted for their night, and, after putting on dry 
 stockings and fur boots, they ate a warm supper, 
 had a little cheerful conversation, and then betook 
 themselves to sleep. At the hour of rising, they 
 were summoned by the sound of a bugle to 
 resume their daily, or rather nightly, round of 
 duty. But, with all their exertions, the numerous 
 obstacles they met with rendered their progress 
 very slow. Their course was frequently interrupt- 
 ed by lanes of water, which obliged them to unload 
 the boat, and the men were sometimes obliged, in 
 such cases, to go three, or even five times over the 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 211 
 
 same ground, to convey the stores. The falls of 
 rain were heavy, and almost incessant, and some- 
 times broad masses of ice presented themselves, so 
 high and rugged, that the boats could only be 
 hauled over them in a direction almost perpendi- 
 cular. The feet of the men were pierced, and the 
 boots in many places cut through, by the sharp 
 and pointed pieces of ice that stood up upon the 
 surface. It is easy to imagine the delay arising 
 out of these circumstances. To advance a mile 
 and a half, or two miles, was the work of five 
 or six hours; and, as it was impossible to pre- 
 serve a straight course, it was discovered that, 
 from the 20th of June, when they first enter- 
 ed upon the ice, to the 29th, they had in- 
 creased their northern latitude only eight miles ! 
 The idea, therefore, of reaching the Pole seemed 
 out of the question, but the Captain still deter- 
 mined to proceed as far as possible ; and in this 
 resolution he was confirmed by the ice becoming 
 rather smoother, and the fields larger and less in- 
 terrupted by water as they advanced. Nothing 
 could exceed the desolation of the scene through 
 which the travellers pursued their course. The 
 eye could espy nothing but a vast expanse of ice, 
 and a dense foggy atmosphere. In such a situa- 
 tion, the occasional sight of a passing bird, or 
 even the appearance of ice assuming any peculiar 
 form, afforded a grateful relief to the general 
 monotony of the scene. The spectacle of the 
 boats and of the men wending in their sledges, 
 had something peculiarly striking in the midst of 
 this deep and dreary solitude, and the sound of 
 human voices might almost be regarded as a pro- 
 
212 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 fanation of the deep and unbroken silence which 
 was accustomed to pervade these frozen regions. 
 The increasing warmth of the weather, accompa- 
 nied as it was with heavy rains, though in some 
 respects grateful to the feelings of the adventu- 
 rers, was highly unfavourable to their progress, 
 by softening the ice and snow, and thus lessening 
 the firmness of their footing to such a degree, 
 that it sometimes required three hours to advance 
 a hundred yards. Pools and lakes likewise now 
 began to be formed upon the frozen surface, 
 obliging them to make constant circuits to avoid 
 them. But, as the fields continued to enlarge, 
 and the lanes of water to lengthen, they pursued 
 their route, till they entertained confident hopes 
 of reaching the eighty-third degree of latitude, 
 having already proceeded to within fifty miles of 
 it. An unfavourable change, however, frustrated 
 their expectation. On the 19th of July, the wind, 
 which had for a long time remained southerly, 
 veered to the north, and drifted the loose bodies 
 of ice, on which the travellers were, rapidly to the 
 southward, so as to throw them back upon their 
 route. The extreme latitude to which they had 
 reached appeared to be on the very limits of ani- 
 mal life. On the 22nd they saw but two seals, 
 a fish, and a bird, and on the 24th they only 
 heard the note of a single feathered songster. 
 Still they pushed forward, but after three days 
 travelling, they discovered the mortifying fact, 
 that in consequence of the drifting of the ice to 
 the south they had been carried fourteen miles 
 backward. Perseverance against such obstacles 
 was unavailing, and the Captain, who felt the in- 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 213 
 
 justice of subjecting the men to useless toil and 
 hardship, determined that they should have a day 
 of rest, and then commence their return to the 
 ship. Though they felt the prudence and the 
 kindness of this resolution, they were not a little 
 annoyed at having accomplished so little, after 
 such unparalleled exertions. Their return was 
 even more unpleasant than their advance, on ac- 
 count of the increasing softness of the ice and 
 snow, which often sunk two or three feet in an 
 instant, so that they could neither place them- 
 selves nor their boats upon any spot with con- 
 fidence. It was some consolation, however, to 
 find more open water than on their setting out. 
 Their stock of provisions becoming rather short, 
 the sailors were happy to find an opportunity of 
 regaling themselves on the flesh of a bear which 
 they killed. Most of those who partook of this 
 repast became ill, a circumstance which was pro- 
 bably to be attributed, rather to their having eaten 
 to excess, than to any injurious property belong- 
 ing to the flesh of the animal itself. On the 21st 
 of August, they reached their ship, which they 
 had left in Hecla Cove, and shortly after arrived 
 in England. 
 
 This signal failure of an expedition in which 
 all that could be effected by the most liberal and 
 ample equipment, the skill and experience of 
 the commander, and the utmost patience and in- 
 trepidity of the seamen, had been tried, seems to 
 have cast a damp upon the again embarking in so 
 discouraging an enterprize. Many persons, how- 
 ever, have not yet relinquished their opinion that 
 there is no impossibility in reaching the pole. 
 
214 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 They conceive Captain Parry's failure to have 
 been mainly attributable to the too late period of 
 his sailing, which subjected him and his com- 
 panions to the effects of partial thaw in the Polar 
 sea, whereas, earlier in the season, they would in 
 all probability have found a field of smooth and 
 continuous ice, covered with snow. It has like- 
 wise been suggested, that both the vehicles for 
 crossing the frozen part of the sea, and the quality 
 and composition of the food provided for the 
 season, would admit of great improvement. Such 
 are the observations of those who still think that 
 a journey to the Pole may be effected. 
 
 One expedition having for its object this 
 hitherto unachieved feat of navigation, sailed from 
 England in the spring of 1829, under the com- 
 mand of Captain Ross, with whom Captain Parry 
 served in his first Arctic voyage. Captain Ross 
 hopes to accomplish his end by the assistance of 
 steam ; as a vessel moved by that power, would, 
 in the event of any open sea reaching to the 
 Pole being discovered, be able to perform the 
 voyage in infinitely less time than one of any 
 other description. His professed intention was to 
 winter at Spitzbergen, and to defer entering upon 
 his grand undertaking till the ensuing summer. 
 What degree of success has attended his efforts 
 is not yet known. 
 
 In the details of the different attempts that have 
 been made to explore the Polar regions, a general 
 sameness will, in many cases, invariably be 
 found. Not only does the population along the 
 shores consist, with some trifling variations, of 
 tribes similar in language, character, customs, 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIOXS. 215 
 
 and appearances, but the observation of navi- 
 gators has, generally speaking, been necessarily 
 limited to the coast ; even Captain Franklin, who 
 may be considered as the only exception of any 
 consequence, cannot be said to have penetrated 
 far into the interior, and, in his travels, he found 
 none but Esquimaux savages round the coast, and 
 Indians, still more savage, up the country. 
 
 But, besides that the adventures of the different 
 Arctic navigators, if not so diversified as those of 
 some other voyagers, yet possess sufficinet variety 
 not to be devoid of interest, there is something 
 highly deserving of praise in the very repetitions 
 of their efforts, undeterred by their own previous 
 failures, or those of others, in their emulous desire 
 of fame, and in their determination to pursue 
 their object, regardless of dangers or obstacles, 
 and not to renounce its prosecution, while a glim- 
 mering of hope remained. To the instructive ex- 
 ample afforded by their courage, their zeal, and 
 the readiness with which they submitted to the 
 severest privations, we have already alluded, Nor 
 is the condition of the unpolished tribes whom 
 they visited, incapable of conveying a highly 
 useful moral lesson. To us, who live in a quarter 
 of the world, where civilization has done its ut- 
 most to administer to the comforts of man, 
 nothing can appear more miserable than to lead 
 the life of the Esquimaux, suffering alternately 
 the pangs arising from hunger, and from surfeits 
 of unwholesome food ; sinking at times under the 
 fatigues of hard labour, which yet fails to procure 
 the necessaries of life ; and feeling the rigours of an 
 inclement climate, without any sufficient means 
 
216 VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 of alleviating them. Yet have these savages 
 amusements and enjoyments of their own ; they 
 are active, brave, and hardy ; they lighten much 
 of their difficulties by patience, skill, and in- 
 dustry ; they distingush themselves by the prac- 
 tice of many virtues ; and, in their apparently 
 comfortless dwellings, they yet find pleasure and 
 happiness in the bosom of their families. 
 
 With regard to the discovery of a north-west, or 
 a Polar passage into the Pacific, which has been 
 the main object of the principal navigators who 
 have visited the Arctic Seas, we may observe, 
 without deciding upon the probability of either 
 being accomplished, that very little real advant- 
 age, at least to those commercial interests which 
 it has been more immediately intended to benefit, 
 would result from it. In low latitudes it is pretty 
 satisfactorily ascertained that no such passage 
 can be found, and further north, its being once 
 navigated would afford no security to those who 
 might follow in the same path, since the fluctu- 
 ation of the ice, as established by every one who 
 has sailed in the northern seas is such, that the 
 navigation would at all times be too precarious, 
 and liable to interruption, to say nothing of the 
 danger, to answer the purpose of merchantmen or 
 trading vessels of any description. 
 
 But advantages more durable, and more valu- 
 able, though certainly not so curious as those 
 that could attach to the discovery of a perilous 
 and uncertain strait, have been obtained by the 
 exertions of the northern adventurers. The great 
 increase of information relative to the geography 
 of the Arctic shores, has been of infinite service to 
 
VOYAGES TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 217 
 
 the commercial establishments for skins, furs, &c. 
 in those remote parts of the world, and the whale- 
 fisher participates in the benefit, having now no 
 longer to encounter the dangers of an imperfect and 
 conjectural navigation, in addition to those to 
 which the adventurous nature of his occupation 
 unavoidably expose him. 
 
 The Dutch, Danes, and others are engaged in 
 the whale fishery, and it likewise furnishes a very 
 lucrative trade to this country, from numerous 
 ports of which, vessels are annually fitted out to 
 engage in it. The temptation of the profit con- 
 quers the consideration of the dangers incident to 
 such enterprises, a single whale being sometimes 
 worth from 1000Z. to 1500Z. The estimated value 
 of the cargoes brought home by the whalers sent 
 out from England and Scotland, in the year 1 829, 
 was nearly 480,000/. 
 
 Nor is it commerce alone which is thus in- 
 debted to the Arctic voyages of discovery. They 
 have been the means of extending the knowledge 
 of the naturalist and the philosopher to an extent 
 that had never been anticipated, and have af- 
 forded opportunities of making successful experi- 
 ments of the utmost importance upon subjects 
 connected with navigation and astronomy. It is 
 certainly not too much to affirm, that the con- 
 ductors' of these expeditions have accomplished 
 objects more generally beneficial than those, 
 the attainment of which first prompted these 
 arduous and daring enterprises. 
 
VOYAGES TO 
 THE WESTERN COAST OF AFRICA. 
 
 Of Africa the inhabitants of the other parts of the 
 globe have, to this day, a very imperfect know- 
 ledge. The slight acquaintance which we possess 
 of some countries in the interior, we owe almost 
 entirely to the recent researches of a few zealous 
 and intelligent travellers, whose thirst for know- 
 ledge has led them to brave climes, where there is 
 often death in the very atmosphere, and where the 
 untameable ferocity of the brute creation can only 
 be equalled by the savage tyranny of the human 
 species. But though the inland parts of Africa 
 remained so long unexplored, a portion of its 
 coasts was known at a very early period. The 
 countries bordering on the Mediterranean were 
 frequented both by the Greeks and Romans for 
 the purposes of commerce, and furnished the latter 
 with no small portion of corn. It was in the north 
 of Africa, too, that the Carthaginians, so long the 
 formidable rivals of the Roman power, were estab- 
 lished. The knowledge of the ancients does not, 
 however, appear to have extended beyond the 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 219 
 
 northern, and a very small part of the western, 
 coasts of Africa, comprising Egypt, Mauritania, 
 and a part of Libya, in the north-west. Some 
 ancient historians, indeed, have recorded accounts 
 of Africa having been circumnavigated ; but the 
 gross inaccuracy of the details clearly shews these 
 pretended voyages to have been devoid of authen- 
 ticity. 
 
 It is curious that the situation of the Hesperian 
 gardens, so celebrated in the ancient mythology, 
 was first fixed at the western extremity of Libya. 
 It has been justly observed, that the spectacle 
 which it often presented, that of a circuit of 
 blooming verdure in the midst of a desert, was 
 calculated to make a powerful impression on Gre- 
 cian fancy, and to suggest the idea of a terrestrial 
 paradise. This distinction it did not long retain 
 after it became more generally visited, and its real 
 appearance found to agree so little with its fancied 
 beauty. The Canaries, being the furthest known 
 land to the westward, and unexplored, were selected 
 for the enchanted gardens, and long enjoyed lhat 
 honour, under the name of the Fortunate Isands. 
 
 The spirit of commercial enterprise at length 
 suggested the possible advantages to be derived 
 from exploring the long-neglected coast of Africa. 
 The Portuguese, who were the first to set on foot 
 discoveries by sea, performed the first voyage along 
 the western shores of Africa, and, about the year 
 1471, discovered the country of Guinea, and 
 established some forts upon the coast. Upon 
 its being generally known that they had found 
 there great quantities of gold-dust, (which was of 
 great value before the discovery of the American 
 
220 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 mines), spices, and ivory, besides a number of 
 slaves, other nations, particularly the English, were 
 anxious to share in the profits : but the pope hav- 
 ing granted to the king of Portugal a title to the 
 exclusive sovereignty and navigation of Guinea, 
 the English monarch, fearing to incur the resent- 
 ment of the court of Rome, prohibited his subjects 
 from following their inclinations. In time, how- 
 ever, the power of England greatly increased, and 
 Portugal, after the discovery of the passage to 
 India by the Cape of Good Hope, became less 
 jealous, or rather more careless, of their African 
 possessions. The alarming account given by the 
 Portuguese of the perils attached to doubling that 
 promontory seems to have had its full weight with 
 our countrymen, who never attempted that route 
 till the year 1591, when their knowledge of navi- 
 gation, as well as their maritime force, was greatly 
 improved, and when their repeated attempts to dis- 
 cover a north-east or north-west passage to India 
 had uniformly failed. But in the mean time, they 
 made numerous voyages to western Africa, and 
 particularly to Guinea, which are full of variety 
 and interest. The wonderful events, in the way of 
 discovery, that occurred at that period, rendered 
 these voyages subjects of little attention, and pre- 
 vented their being as generally known as they 
 deserve. The history of the Portuguese expedi- 
 tions at this time, even when sent out merely for 
 the purposes of trade and discovery, belongs to the 
 annals of naval warfare rather than to any other 
 department : it is filled with great actions, battles, 
 sieges, and conquests. The English voyagers made 
 no pretensions to such exploits : their enterprises 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 221 
 
 were mostly of a commercial kind ; they engaged 
 in none but defensive hostilities, and, even in these, 
 from necessity, and with reluctance. But their 
 narratives excite no small degree of interest ; their 
 observations frequently afford both entertainment 
 and information ; and their expeditions led the 
 way to our subsequent intercourse with India. 
 And though they may not be entitled to rank with 
 the late explorers of the Arctic Seas, they afford 
 evidence of the same spirit, activity, and persever- 
 ance, though not called forth in so high a degree, 
 and though exercised in other climates, and for 
 different objects, than those contemplated by Parry 
 and Franklin. 
 
 In the year 1551, one Captain Thomas Wind- 
 ham, sailed in the ship Lion, for Morocco, whi- 
 ther he conveyed two Moors of the blood-royal, 
 who had been paying a visit to England. The 
 accounts which he heard at the Moorish court of 
 the w r ealth to be obtained from the coast of 
 Guinea, determined him to make an adventure to 
 it at some future period. Accordingly, after his 
 return home, he sailed with three ships from the 
 Thames, in the beginning of May, 1552. They 
 made for the port of Zafla, on the western coast 
 of Barbary, where they took in refreshments, and 
 landed part of their cargo to be conveyed by land 
 to Morocco. At Santa-Cruz, they were fired at 
 from the fort, under the impression that they came 
 with hostile intentions, but no injury was done to 
 any one, and the mistake was soon explained. 
 They were detained there a long time, taking in 
 their lading of sugar and other sweet-meats, which 
 
 CO 7 
 
 they had the misfortune to lose not very long 
 
222 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 after in the following manner. Steering from 
 Santa-Cruz, they had not proceeded far before 
 the Lion sprung so considerable a leak, that they 
 were obliged to seek the first place of shelter, 
 which was Lancerota, one of the Canaries, subject 
 to Spain. Here they landed their sugar, with 
 about a dozen men ; but the inhabitants observ- 
 ing the appearance of one of the ships, which had 
 belonged to a Portuguese, but had been purchased 
 before leaving England, for the service of the ex- 
 pedition, mistook the English for pirates, took 
 them prisoners, and destroyed their sugars. 
 Three boats' crews were sent on shore to rescue 
 their comrades, but the Spaniards gave battle; 
 they were however defeated, and the governor of 
 the island taken prisoner. The sailors, eager to 
 obtain possession of their countrymen, imprudently 
 continued the pursuit, till their ammunition was 
 exhausted, when the Spaniards rallied and obliged 
 them to re-embark, with their object unaccom- 
 plished ; but an agreement was afterwards entered 
 into, that the English prisoners should be given 
 up, on condition of the restoration of the governor, 
 who likewise consented to give a certificate, en- 
 titling the captain to a compensation from the 
 Spanish merchants for the loss of his sugars. 
 Having fully repaired his ship, he seems to have 
 abandoned, for the present, any idea of proceeding 
 farther, and sailing from Lancerota, he arrived at 
 Plymouth about the end of October. 
 
 The Portuguese were extremely irritated when 
 they found that the English had commenced a 
 trade with Barbary, and threatened, if they fell in 
 with the intruders, to treat them as mortal ene- 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 223 
 
 mies. Windham, however, appears to have stood 
 in little dread of their menaces, for in August, 
 1553, he set out from Portsmouth, upon a third 
 vovage, with two ships, the command of one of 
 which he gave to Antonio Pinteado. This per- 
 son was a Portuguese, who had once been in high 
 favour with his sovereign, and had even been ap- 
 pointed viceroy of Guinea, but, afterwards, falling 
 into disgrace at court, he was obliged to take 
 refuge in England. Windham, who was more 
 remarkable for his sagacity than his integrity, 
 quickly perceived the account to which he might 
 turn Pinteado's experience, and persuaded him to 
 accompany the expedition. On their arrival at 
 Madeira, they found a large Portuguese galleon, 
 with her full number of guns and men, which had 
 been fitted out for the express purpose of intercept- 
 ing their ships, but perceiving herself unequal to 
 contend with the English, she prudently forbore 
 hostilities. After their departure from Madeira, 
 the captain conceived some jealousy of Pinteado, 
 whom he degraded to the rank of a common 
 sailor, and threatened with personal ill treat- 
 ment. After touching at St. Nicholas, one of 
 the Cape Verd Islands, where they procured 
 abundance of wild goats, they stayed at some 
 desert islands, anxious to avoid arriving too early 
 at Guinea, on account of the heat. The first 
 land of this country at which they arrived was at 
 the mouth of the river Sestre, on what is now 
 called the Grain Coast. Here they might have 
 bartered their goods to considerable advantage for 
 the Guinea pepper, or grains of Paradise, which 
 is quite common on this coast ; but Windham, 
 
224 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 whose mind was full of the gold, of which he had 
 heard so much, would not permit them to con- 
 tinue there, but sailed a hundred leagues farther 
 to the eastward, till he came to the Gold Coast. 
 Here he obtained gold to the value of nearly seven 
 thousand pounds sterling, a large sum in those 
 days, in exchange for European merchandise ; and 
 the whole cargo might have been disposed of at 
 the same place, but in expectation of making still 
 greater profit, he ordered Pinteado to navigate the 
 ships 150 leagues farther, to Benin, intending to 
 complete his lading with pepper. Pinteado urged 
 the lateness of the season, and counselled the 
 Captain to be content with the gain that would 
 result from disposing of his cargo where he then 
 was. This advice only drew upon him the anger 
 of Windham, who insisted upon his immediately 
 complying with the orders he had received. That 
 advice was, notwithstanding, sound and good. 
 Pinteado knew that the men's lives would be en- 
 dangered by a stay in these parts so late in the 
 season, as the winters are there particularly un- 
 healthy, not on account of the cold, which is 
 never felt in such climates, but from heat ac- 
 companied with close and cloudy air, and, not 
 unfrequently, with great tempests, during which 
 the atmosphere, to Europeans uninured to it, is 
 of so putrifying a quality, as to rot. the clothes off 
 the back. On arriving at the mouth of the river 
 Benin, the pinnace was sent about sixty leagues 
 up it, where the crew landed. They were in- 
 troduced to the king, a perfect negro, who, upon 
 understanding their views, directed them to be 
 shewn the pepper in his store-house, offering to 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 225 
 
 take their goods in exchange, and if their mer- 
 chandise should not be sufficient to pay the full 
 price, to give them credit till next time. He also 
 gave them permission to purchase on the same 
 terms more pepper, which he ordered to be ga- 
 thered all over the country. In the mean time, 
 the men lived without any rule, ate to excess of 
 the fruit of the country, drank in profusion the 
 palm wine which runs in the night from the cut 
 branches of that tree, and were continually run- 
 ning into the water to assuage the extreme heat of 
 the season. Not being accustomed to these sud- 
 den and dangerous transitions, they became affected 
 with swellings and agues, so that, by the end of 
 the year, they died at the rate of three, four, or 
 five in a day. Windham, seeing this mortality, 
 sent orders to Pinteado, and the rest who had 
 accompanied the pepper-pickers, to return without 
 any delay. They wrote him word that they were 
 in continual expectation of a large supply, which 
 would complete their lading, and that it would 
 be a great pity to come away and leave it be- 
 hind, for the sake of gaining a day or two. But 
 Windham was, as usual, arbitrary, and insisted 
 upon their immediate compliance. He was par- 
 ticularly enraged at Pinteado, whose cabin and 
 sea-chests he broke open, spoiled all his cordials 
 and medicines, and destroyed his clothes and 
 nautical instruments. Singularly enough, he fell 
 sick and died, almost immediately after the com- 
 mission of these acts of injustice. Notwithstand- 
 ing the injuries he had inflicted upon Pinteado, 
 the latter, when, upon coming on board, he 
 learned the death of the captain, was very much 
 vol. i. Q 
 
226 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 affected at it, to the great displeasure of the 
 officers and crew, who detested Windham for his 
 tyrannical character. They therefore proceeded 
 to put Pinteado, who had begged to be dismissed, 
 if it were only in an open boat by himself, among 
 the cabin-boys, and treated him worse than any 
 one, so that he would sometimes have been 
 starved, had not the cook taken compassion upon 
 him. This behaviour had such an effect on his 
 spirits, that he died broken-hearted a short time 
 after. Of a hundred and forty men, who sailed 
 from Portsmouth upon this unfortunate and ill- 
 conducted expedition, scarcely forty got back to 
 Plymouth, and many even of these died shortly 
 after coming on shore. 
 
 On the 11th October, 1554, Captain John Lok, 
 with three ships and one pinnace under his com- 
 mand, set sail from the Start Point on the coast 
 of Devonshire, on a voyage to Guinea. On the 
 16th of the following January, they reached the 
 Cape Coast, where they disposed of some part of 
 the cargo. The remainder they exchanged at 
 different places farther to the eastward ; and they 
 brought home, as the fruits of their voyage, nearly 
 nineteen thousand pounds worth of gold, a sum 
 worth as much as ninety or a hundred thousand 
 pounds would be in the present value of money, 
 36 butts of Guinea pepper, and about two hundred 
 elephants' teeth, some of which weighed nearly 
 ninety pounds each. This was reaping a richer 
 harvest than any that had been before obtained in 
 the same quarter. Lok's account of his voyage 
 is a curious illustration of the mixture of truth 
 and falsehood in which the first visiters of remote 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 227 
 
 countries have sometimes thought proper to in- 
 dulge. His description of the elephant is a good 
 specimen of his exaggerating talent, and is be- 
 sides amusing for the quaintness of its style. 
 " The elephant" he says, " by some called olliphant, 
 is the largest of all four-footed beasts. The fore- 
 legs are longer than those behind, in the lower 
 parts or ankles of which he hath joints. The feet 
 have each five toes, but undivided. The trunk or 
 snout is so long, and of such a form, that it serves 
 him as a hand, for he both eats and drinks by 
 bringing his food and drink to his mouth by its 
 means, and by it he helps up his master or keeper 
 and also overturns trees by its strength. Besides 
 his two great tusks, he has four teeth on each side 
 of his mouth, by which he eats or grinds his food. 
 The tongue is very small, and so far within the 
 mouth that it cannot be seen. This is the gentlest 
 and most tractable of all beasts, and understands 
 and is taught many things, so that it is even 
 taught to do reverence to Kings, being of acute 
 sense and great judgment" So far, all is tolera- 
 bly accurate, but the writer afterwards proceeds to 
 tell us that if the elephant happens to meet a man 
 wandering in the wilderness, he will go gently be- 
 fore, and lead him into the right road, and that in 
 battle, elephants pay much respect to those who 
 are wounded, bringing such as are hurt or weary 
 into the middle of the army where they may be 
 defended ! He winds up his description with a 
 statement that affords a striking proof either of 
 the ease with which he could be imposed upon 
 himself, or of his willingness to impose upon others. 
 "They (the elephants)" he writes, "have conti- 
 
228 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 nual wars with the dragons, which desire their blood 
 because it is very cold ; wherefore the dragon lies 
 in wait for the passing of an elephant, winding its 
 tail of great length round the hind legs of the 
 elephant, then thrusts his head into his trunk, and 
 sucks out his breath, or bites him in the ears, 
 where he cannot reach with his trunk. When the 
 elephant becomes faint with the loss of blood, he 
 falls down upon the serpent, now gorged with 
 blood, and with the weight of his body crushes the 
 dragon to death. Thus his own blood and that 
 of the elephant run out of the serpent now min- 
 gled together, which, cooling, is congealed into 
 that substance which apothecaries call dragon's 
 blood or cinnabar !" Few youthful readers are so 
 ignorant of natural history as to require to be told 
 that the existence of the dragon is itself a fiction, 
 and that no such animal is really found in nature ; 
 but such a description as the above, published by 
 an able navigator, and of comparatively modern 
 date, may teach them the impropriety of receiving 
 statements bordering on the marvellous, when not 
 fully authenticated . 
 
 An intercourse with Europeans, as we have be- 
 fore remarked, in speaking of the inhabitants of 
 the South Sea islands, has, unfortunately, seldom 
 improved the morals of uncivilized people. Lok 
 describes the natives of Guinea as prudent and 
 calculating in making bargains, but strictly honest, 
 and, though expecting a proper price, readily 
 trusting to the honour of their debtors. Their 
 manners exhibited much civility and courtesy, 
 and where these were not returned, they refused 
 to have any dealings with those who were defi- 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 229 
 
 cient in them. One of the sailors, on leaving 
 the place where Captain Lok had first traded, 
 stole, or took away by force, a musk-cat from one 
 of the natives, never imagining that this circum- 
 stance could have any tendency to hinder their 
 trading at the next station. But when they 
 came, the news had reached there before them, 
 and the people absolutely refused to deal with 
 them till the cat should either be restored, or paid 
 for at a just price. The rapacity of Europeans 
 has long since left these poor people little oppor- 
 tunity to display their integrity in the way of 
 traffic ; and the abominations of the slave-trade 
 have utterly extinguished their gentleness and ur- 
 banity. 
 
 The next person who distinguished himself by 
 his excursions to Guinea was Mr. William Tower- 
 son, an eminent merchant of London. He set 
 out on his first voyage on the 30th of September, 
 1555, from Newport, in the Isle of Wight, with 
 two ships, well manned with stout sailors. On 
 the 1st of November they made Madeira, and on 
 the 6th got sight of Teneriffe. When sixteen 
 leagues to the east of the Guinea coast, they spied 
 a sail to which they gave chase and took her. 
 Their object, however, was only to obtain some 
 provisions, and finding plenty of fruit, oil, fresh 
 water and fish on board, they laid in an ample 
 supply, for which they paid the owners liberally, 
 and then dismissed them. On the 12th of De- 
 cember they saw the coast of Guinea. The land 
 along it had such a sameness in its appearance, 
 being all low, and full of high trees close to the 
 shore, that it was difficult for a navigator to know 
 
230 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 his situation without taking an observation of the 
 latitude. The weather was tempestuous, and the 
 surf so high that it was impossible for any boats 
 to land. On taking an observation, they found 
 that they were several leagues from the mouth of 
 the river Sestre, which they wished to reach, but 
 the wind and the currents being both against 
 them, they were of course unable to return upon 
 their track. On the 15th they found good an- 
 chorage, directly opposite the mouth of a river to 
 which they gave the name of St. Vincent, but 
 which, in modern charts, is marked as the river 
 Sangevin. This river is about twenty-five miles 
 from the mouth of the Sestre, but it is so hard to 
 find, that a boat may be within half a mile of it 
 without discovering it, as a heap of rocks lies 
 exactly before its mouth, so that the boats had 
 to make a considerable circuit before they could 
 enter the stream. It is a large river with several 
 others falling into it, and though the surf is high, 
 when once in its channel, it is as smooth as the 
 Thames. The inhabitants of this part go nearly 
 naked. Some few of them wore a head-dress, 
 composed of cloth of different colours, manufac- 
 tured from the bark of trees. The greater part of 
 them were tattooed. Here they attempted to 
 trade, but found the natives in general too extor- 
 tionate in their demands. The utmost amount 
 of the purchases they could make to any ad- 
 vantage was a pretty considerable quantity of 
 Guinea pepper, and two elephants' teeth. While 
 on the banks of the St. Vincent, Mr. Towerson 
 and a party of his men took occasion to land at a 
 small town to observe the manners of the people. 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 231 
 
 They met about sixty, who came around them, but 
 were at first shy, and seemed alarmed ; perceiv- 
 ing, however, that no harm was intended them, 
 they soon came up in a familiar manner, and took 
 the Englishmen by the hand. Their town con- 
 sisted of about twenty small hovels, covered over 
 with large leaves. All the sides were open, and 
 the floor was raised like a scaffold about a yard 
 high. Upon this they slept, and they likewise 
 used it as a table or work-shop, when engaged in 
 the manufacture of many little things from the 
 bark of trees, which they executed with considera- 
 ble ingenuity. In a few of these huts, they worked 
 in iron, making heads for javelins, tools for build- 
 ing their boats, and various other useful imple- 
 ments. The women shared in the work with the 
 men. Several of the former attempted to amuse 
 their visitors by dancing and singing, but the 
 sound was far from being musical to a stranger's 
 ear. The song consisted of a continual repetition 
 of the words, " Sakere, sakere, ho ! ho ! Sa- 
 kere, sakere, ho ! ho /" The meaning, if, in- 
 deed, it was any thing more than a sort of burden, 
 was, of course, unintelligible to Mr. Towerson and 
 his people. To these uncouth words, the women 
 kept leaping, dancing, and clapping their hands. 
 They appeared to have no animals among them 
 but two goats, a few small dogs, and some hens 
 of the breed called Guinea fowl. On the depar- 
 ture of the sailors, the chief sent two of his ser- 
 vants with a basket of pepper, and a message to 
 the strangers, that, if disposed to bargain, they 
 could be supplied with plenty more the next 
 day. In consequence of this message, some of 
 
232 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 the crew were sent on shore to trade, but, as 
 before, they found the expectations of the na- 
 tives so unreasonable, that they contented them- 
 selves with purchasing a very small quantity, 
 sufficient to avoid the appearance of any wish 
 to give offence. As they returned to the ship, 
 one of the seamen happened to pluck a gourd, 
 at which the negroes were much offended, and 
 many of them came out with their darts and 
 large targets, making signs for the English to 
 depart, which the latter, as they had only one 
 bow and two or three swords altogether in 
 their possession, thought it wise to do. All the 
 country in the neighbourhood of the river St. 
 Vincent the voyagers found covered with trees of 
 a species unknown to them : one is described as 
 having large leaves like gigantic dock-leaves, so 
 high, that a man was unable to reach to the top. 
 Notwithstanding the heat of the climate, conti- 
 nued verdure seemed to prevail. A striking- 
 peculiarity here is, that the wind almost always 
 blows from the sea through the day and from the 
 land during the night, though, on a very few occa- 
 sions, this was not the case. Coming to a part 
 of the coast about 15 leagues beyond Cape 
 Palmas, they found the mouth of a river, since 
 called Tabou, with rather a large town standing 
 upon it. Here they cast anchor, and obtained 
 some eggs, fruits, and fresh water, and purchased 
 some elephants' teeth. The coast immediately 
 adjoining the river is very bare land, but, three or 
 four leagues to the west, there is a large plantation 
 of palm-trees, which supplies the natives, for some 
 distance along the shore, with their palm wine. 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 166 
 
 These trees can be distinguished from any others, 
 at some miles distance. They are very straight, 
 tall in the middle, and without limbs or boughs, 
 having only a round bush of leaves at the top. In 
 this top, the natives bore a hole, to which they 
 hang a bottle made of a gourd with the inside 
 scooped out ; and in this the juice of the tree, 
 which is their wine, is received. Proceeding east- 
 ward from Cape Palmas, they came to Cape Three 
 Points, and thence to the port of Saccoom upon 
 the Gold Coast. They found the people very 
 superior, both in their manners and appearance, 
 to those they had quitted. They accordingly 
 trafficked with them to a considerable amount. 
 They then made for a town named St. John's, 
 rather eastward of Cape Three Points. In their 
 way they fell in with a small town, which they 
 took to be the one that they sought, but after- 
 wards found themselves mistaken. The inhabi- 
 tants of this place invited them to barter, but the 
 terms which the natives required were too exorbi- 
 tant to be acceded to. About a league farther, 
 they found St. John's. This had been a town of 
 some size and opulence, but more than half of it 
 was now in ruins, which they understood was the 
 work of the Portuguese. In consequence, pro- 
 bably, of this, the negroes did not come to meet 
 the English as had been usual in other places, so 
 that at length the latter, who, being well-armed, 
 had nothing to fear, ran their boats on shore, and 
 landed. Upon this the chief of the town came 
 towards them with his dart in his hand, followed 
 by six tall men, each bearing a javelin and a target. 
 The darts were all headed with iron, well-formed 
 
234 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 and very sharp. The chief was was clothed from 
 the loins downwards with cloth of the manufac- 
 ture of the country, which was wrapped about 
 him, and made fast with a girdle round his waist; 
 he had a cap of the country cloth on his head ; 
 his legs and feet, and the whole of that part of the 
 body above his loins were naked. In their manu- 
 factures the inhabitants of St. John's excelled any 
 others that the voyagers had seen. Their cloth, 
 girdles, and fishing lines, all made from the bark 
 of trees, were remarkably neat. The make of 
 their iron implements likewise shewed a consider- 
 able degree of art and finish. Among these they 
 particularly observed the javelin-heads, fish-hooks, 
 hooking or grappling irons, and large daggers. 
 Some of these daggers were as long as a bill- 
 hook or a wood-cutter's knife, with two edges, 
 both extremely sharp, and bent like a Turkish 
 scymetar. Most of the men had a weapon of 
 this kind hanging on the left side. Their targets 
 were made of the same materials with their clothes, 
 very closely wrought, large, and of an oblong form, 
 that is, with the length rather greater than the 
 breadth, so that, when they knelt on the ground, 
 the target covered the whole body. Their bows 
 were short and tolerably strong; the strings were 
 made of the bark of trees, quite flat, and a quar- 
 ter of an inch in breadth. Several ornaments 
 of gold were likewise found among them of very 
 creditable workmanship. The Captain having 
 taken his seat, Mr. Towerson made him a present 
 of two brass basins and two ells of cloth ; he then 
 applied for the English weight and measure, upon 
 which a weight of two angels was placed before 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. ZoO 
 
 him, and it was intimated to him that such was 
 the price in gold for the quantity, two ells of cloth, 
 that had been given him. This was the man- 
 ner in which the terms of buying and selling were 
 regularly explained to the negroes. The chief 
 positively refused the proposed terms ; indeed 
 neither he or his attendants seemed anxious about 
 the cloth ; their purchases were confined almost 
 exclusively to brass basins. The cloth appeared 
 likely to remain on hand, for, though another 
 party consisting of a hundred came down shortly 
 afterwards, none of them would give the English the 
 price demanded. The voyagers were now in the 
 neighbourhood of the Castle of Mina, a strong fort, 
 occupied by the Portuguese. The natives had 
 informed the sailors that Don John, which was the 
 name of the chief, was at war with that nation, 
 and this encouraged Mr. Towerson to visit a town, 
 in which he resided, called Don John, after the 
 chief's name, and only four leagues from the 
 Castle of Mina. They found it but small, con- 
 taining about twenty negroes' huts, each of which 
 was generally surrounded by a fence, about the 
 height of a man, made of reeds or sedge, or some 
 such materials. After waiting some time at an- 
 chor, a man came off, who told the English that 
 Don John was in the interior, but would return at 
 sunset. This intelligence proved incorrect ; but 
 the next morning they were again informed that 
 the chief was expected the following day. They 
 then went on shore with their boats, and several 
 of the people came to bargain with them, but on 
 a sudden, a native came running from the town, 
 and said something to the negroes, who instantly 
 
236 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 fled into the woods to conceal their gold and the 
 cloth that they had purchased. Treachery was im- 
 mediately suspected, and the seamen repaired on 
 board one of their ships, the Hind, from which 
 they could distinctly see thirty men, apparently 
 Portuguese, on the top of a hill, drawn up in array 
 with a flag. At the same time they heard a dis- 
 charge of two pieces of cannon from their com- 
 panion, the Hart. The crew of that vessel ex- 
 plained, that, while some of them were engaged 
 in bargaining with the natives, the Portuguese 
 came down upon them from the hill, guarded by 
 the sons of Don John, who had conspired against 
 the English, so that the latter were almost taken 
 by surprise, but they succeeded, though with some 
 difficulty, in pushing off from the shore, upon 
 which the Portuguese discharged their muskets, 
 but without effect, and they in return fired the 
 two pieces of ordnance. Upon hearing this, Mr. 
 Towerson decided upon making an attack, and 
 manned ;>nd armed the boats and skiff, but the 
 wind rendered it impossible to land. The English 
 fired upon their enemy the distance of two hun- 
 dred yards from the shore, but to little purpose, 
 as the Portuguese were sheltered behind the hill. 
 The latter returned the fire, and the negroes, 
 evidently under the influence of fear, lent their 
 assistance against the English. As there was no 
 prospect of trading under such circumstances, 
 Mr. Towerson with his vessels weighed anchor, 
 and stood to the eastward. They shortly came 
 to another town on the coast, which had been 
 recently burned, so that there were not more than 
 six houses standing. There is no doubt that the 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 237 
 
 people would willingly have brought their gold to 
 barter, had they dared to do so ; but this town, 
 like the former, was overawed by the Portuguese, 
 so that they dared not trade with any other nation. 
 About four leagues farther to the east, the ships 
 found three other towns, to which the adventurers 
 determined to go, and ascertain if any trade could 
 be carried on, intending, should they be disap- 
 pointed, to return to the towns where trieir traf- 
 fic had been interrupted by the Portuguese, who 
 would probably have left them after they saw the 
 English depart. The coast all the way from the 
 Castle of Miua to these towns was hilly, and 
 beautifully wooded. The boats along this coast, 
 though not differing in their construction from 
 others, were much larger than those that had 
 usually been seen, carrying, in some instances, as 
 many as twelve men. Upon arriving at one or 
 the towns just mentioned, the inhabitants, who had 
 been disposed to receive the English kindly, and 
 to trade with them, when Lok visited these parts, 
 were now inclined to aid the Portuguese, and 
 refused to have any dealings with Mr. Towerson 
 or his men. This change in their feelings had 
 arisen from the conduct of one Robert Gainsh, 
 an English trader, who, in the preceding year, 
 had, in imitation of the Portuguese, instead of 
 being contented with the fair and honest profits 
 of his venture, taken away the chief's son and 
 three other negroes for slaves, after robbing them 
 of their gold, and every thing else they had about 
 them. On arriving at another of the towns, the 
 people came off in canoes, and began to exchange 
 «;old for cloth, but this agreeable beginning was 
 
238 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 again cut short by the Portuguese. During the 
 night, Mr. TWerson's ship was twice fired at, 
 and the discharges were at last ascertained to have 
 proceeded from a Portuguese brigantine, the cap- 
 tain of which, finding that the English continued 
 trading along the African coast, received instruc- 
 tions to follow them from place to place, and to 
 dissuade or deter the natives from engaging in any 
 traffic with them. Finding his crew exposed to 
 continual hostility, and the negroes so much in 
 dread of the Portuguese as to be shy of bargaining, 
 Mr. Towerson determined not to remain any longer 
 upon the coast, particularly as his water and provi- 
 sions began to become scanty, and there were many 
 obstacles to obtaining supplies where they were. 
 He therefore directed his course towards England. 
 He touched, for the purpose of taking in fresh water, 
 at the south of Ireland, where he purchased two 
 sheep and other food of the country people, whom, 
 in reference to the very uncivilized state in which 
 he found them, he calls " wild Kernes." His ves- 
 sels reached the port of Bristol in safety, the 14th 
 of May, 1556. 
 
 The success of his first voyage decided Mr. 
 Towerson to attempt another shortly after, and 
 accordingly, he sailed from Harwich in the Tiger, 
 on the 14th of September, 1556. Upon making 
 the coast of Guinea, he observed three ships to 
 the windward, on which he immediately gave 
 orders to prepare for action, in the belief that 
 they were Portuguese stationed there to intercept 
 English vessels. The signal for battle was 
 answered on their side, but, upon a closer ap- 
 proach, they proved to be Frenchmen, who said 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 239 
 
 that they were themselves in a state of hostility 
 with the Portuguese, and had already burned one 
 of their ships of two hundred tons burden in the 
 river Sestre. They proposed that they and the 
 English should join company for the purpose of 
 mutual defence, and that they should trade with 
 joint profits ; a proposal which Mr. Towerson 
 promised to take into consideration. They like- 
 wise, understanding that his ship was in want of 
 water, very kindly offered their boats to assist in 
 obtaining a supply. When Mr. Towerson began 
 to reflect upon the French Captain's proposition, 
 he felt inclined to accede to it. He knew that if 
 the French ships should sail separately, and a 
 Portuguese force should be stationed at Mina, 
 sufficient to take them, intelligence would be 
 received of his being off the coast, and he would 
 be in great danger of being captured likewise. 
 Again, if the French succeeded in escaping inter- 
 ruption, they would be before the English, and 
 thus spoil the market. Whereas, if the two 
 parties traded jointly, and should find the coast 
 clear, one would ensure the same profit as the 
 other, and should the Portuguese remain on the 
 coast, the French and English commanders being 
 in company, would strengthen them greatly against 
 any attack of the enemy. These considerations 
 induced Mr. Towerson, when he dined on board 
 the French commander's ship the next day, to 
 signify his consent to the plan proposed, and an 
 agreement was entered into, as to the best mode 
 of ensuring an equal division of the gain that 
 might arise from their joint trading. The advan- 
 tage of, their sailing together was soon discovered, 
 
'240 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 for the Portuguese had already formed a plan for 
 attacking the French vessels, and bore down upon 
 them a few leagues from Castle Mina, but the 
 unexpected addition of the Tiger to the French 
 force, compelled the enemy to make a running 
 fight of it ; and they were enabled, by the superior 
 lightness and swiftness of their ships, to sheer off 
 without much damage. Shortly after jealousies 
 arose between the new allies, which broke out into 
 some degree of violence. The French had thought 
 that they should prove shrewd enough to defraud 
 the English of part of their share of the trading 
 profits, but finding that the vigilance of Mr. 
 Towerson was such as to baffle their hopes in this 
 respect, they wished to part company and go 
 further to the eastward, where they might precede 
 their partners in the market ; but this the English 
 commander would by no means allow, and he 
 compelled them to remain by force, till they took 
 an opportunity of escaping from the company of 
 the Tiger in a high sea. Their departure was, 
 however, not much to be regretted, particularly 
 as, at the first land that the English made after- 
 wards, they experienced remarkable success in 
 the disposal of their merchandize, procuring a 
 very large quantity of valuable commodities in 
 exchange. The chief of this district, whose name 
 was Abaan received them in a very friendly man- 
 ner. He promised to send his men over the 
 country in search of gold for Mr. Towerson, as 
 his own treasure in that metal was, at the time, 
 but small ; he likewise desired that gentleman to 
 request that his king would send men to his 
 country to build a fort, and to bring tailors along 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 241 
 
 with them to make apparel for the natives, which, 
 as well as other European goods and wares, Abaan 
 said would be sure to sell among his subjects. This 
 chief was a very powerful prince. His capital, 
 where he resided, about four leagues up the country, 
 was estimated by Mr. Towerson's people to be equal 
 in circumference to London, * though built in 
 the same style as the other towns in the country. 
 About the capital there was abundance of wheat 
 and other corn, so that, on one side of it only, the 
 English saw a thousand ricks of wheat and millet. 
 Round the town there was a good nightly watch 
 kept, and, across the roads and paths they had 
 cords stretched, connected with bells, so that if 
 any one touched the cords, the watchmen imme- 
 diately received the alarm by the ringing of the 
 bells. There was no approach to the town but by 
 the regular paths, as it is every where surrounded 
 by a fence of sedge, bound with thick ropes made 
 of the bark of trees. The English were invited to 
 the Court of Abaan, and found it a scene of much 
 greater etiquette and regularity than they had 
 anticipated. Having travelled by night, to avoid 
 the heat, they reached the capital about five in 
 the morning, and at nine they were sent for by 
 Abaan. They were about to carry the present 
 they had brought along with them, but one of the 
 officers of the court told them that they must be 
 brought before the chief three times before they 
 could be permitted to offer him any gift. On 
 their entrance to the hall of presence, they were 
 
 * It must be recollected that this was nearly 280 years 
 ago. 
 
 VOL. I. R 
 
242 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 most graciously received ; two other audiences 
 were afterwards granted them, at the last of which 
 they were allowed to offer their present, which 
 Abaan accepted with much courtesy and appar- 
 ent gratification. A pot of palm- wine was then 
 called for, out of which the chief made them 
 drink. Much ceremony was used on this occa- 
 sion. On the pot of wine being brought out, a 
 hole was made in the ground, and a small quan- 
 tity of the wine poured into it ; the hole was then 
 filled up, and the pot set upon the place where it 
 had been dug. Then, with a small cup, made of 
 the shell of a gourd, a little of the wine was taken 
 out, and poured upon the ground on three distinct 
 places. Some branches of the palm-tree were 
 likewise set up in different parts of the hall, on 
 which the attendants shed some wine, doing rever- 
 ence at the same time to the palms. These pre- 
 liminaries having been completed, the chief took a 
 gold cup filled with wine, which he drank off 
 at a draught, all the people shouting together, 
 Abaan! Abaan! with some words, which were 
 afterwards understood to mean, " the king drinks." 
 After Abaan had drunk, the wine was served 
 round, first to the English, and afterwards to all 
 present. Each guest then bowed three times, and, 
 waving his hands, departed. After quitting the 
 district of Abaan, the voyagers again steered 
 westward, and, when abreast of the castle of Mina, 
 saw five Portuguese ships at anchor, which weigh- 
 ed and gave them chase for more than eight hours, 
 but were unable to come up with them. The pre- 
 sence of this hostile force, and the fear of again 
 falling in with it, made them consider it danger- 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 243 
 
 ous to* stand in to the land to procure fresh water, 
 of which their stock was now nearly exhausted. 
 They were, therefore, reduced to the necessity of 
 boiling their meat in sea-water, and reducing their 
 allowance of drink, so that it might hold out till 
 they reached home, for which they had now begun 
 to steer. At some distance to the north of Cape 
 Sierra Leone, they were attacked by a French ship 
 of superior force, but succeeded in beating her off, 
 after damaging her considerably. On the 29th of 
 March, 1557, they arrived at Plymouth. 
 
 In the following year Towerson made a third 
 voyage to Guinea, but it was attended with no 
 remarkable or interesting circumstances ; one rea- 
 son of which may be, that he was obliged to re- 
 turn to England sooner than he had intended, on 
 account of the bad condition of one of his ships. 
 His Narrative of this voyage is principally filled 
 with disputes, arising out of a rivalry in trade with 
 the ships of other nations with which he happened 
 to fall in. The following list contained in it of 
 the articles most in request among the negroes, in 
 their traffic with the English, may be found amus- 
 ing. Basins of various kinds, particularly of pew- 
 ter or brass ; coarse tin pots, holding a quart or 
 more : iron wedges, beads, coral, nails, linen, red 
 cloth and kerseymere, kettles with brass handles, 
 ewers and lavers for water, knives, chests, pins, 
 swords, daggers, gowns and mantles, cloaks, hats, 
 caps, gloves, bags, bells, axes, hammers, and other 
 useful iron tools. 
 
 In 1561, a company of English merchants, at- 
 tracted by the favourable accounts brought home 
 by the different adventurers to Guinea of the 
 
244 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 prospect of wealth to be attained in that country, 
 conceived the design of establishing a fort upon 
 the Gold Coast, in the same manner as the Por- 
 tuguese had done at Mina, which would enable 
 them to protect their countrymen from any hos- 
 tile attacks of the former, and would also afford 
 the opportunity of going up the country, and 
 seeing what commercial advantages might be de- 
 rived from a communication with the interior. 
 They proposed to send out a vessel for the pur- 
 pose of making all necessary enquiries, before 
 attempting to put their project into execution, 
 and they invited Mr. Lok, whose voyage to Gui- 
 nea has been already related, to render them his 
 services. Mr. Lok declined the offer, alleging, as 
 his reasons, the rottenness of the ship which was 
 provided for him, the lateness of the season at 
 which it was proposed to sail, and the fact, that 
 four large Portuguese ships were then known to 
 be on the look out in the Gulf of Guinea. The 
 voyage was, however, undertaken in the February 
 of the following year, and its ill success justified 
 the refusal of Mr. Lok. It is rather a curious 
 circumstance, that the name of the commander 
 in this voyage, two ships being engaged in 
 it, does not appear, though we have two accounts 
 of it by William Rutter, and Robert Baker, two 
 of the persons who sailed in the expedition. That 
 of the former is very brief. He mentions the de- 
 parture from Dartmouth, on the 25th of February, 
 1562, and their arrival at the river Sestre on the 
 3rd of April. They found that the French had 
 been trading there some days before, and when 
 the English attempted to interfere, the former 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 245 
 
 took shelter under the guns of the castle of Mina, 
 when the Portuguese, who were less jealous of 
 their influence than of that of the English, afford- 
 ed them protection and assistance, so that the 
 latter were obliged to retire. They next sailed to 
 the town of Don John, which had before been 
 visited by Towerson, where they were attacked by 
 two large Portuguese vessels with which they 
 fought the greater part of the morning; but 
 during the engagement, a barrel of powder blew 
 up in the steward's room of one of the English 
 ships, greatly injuring her, and disabling many of 
 her crew, so that they were glad to discontinue 
 the action, and bear off, and the Portuguese had 
 been too roughly handled to pursue them. Un- 
 able to obtain sufficient provisions, and left with 
 none but bad water, sickness became so prevalent 
 among them, that, in both ships, they had but 
 twenty men remaining fit for duty when they 
 reached England. Baker's narrative contains 
 little in addition to flutter's, with the exception of 
 an account of a desperate conflict with the natives 
 near the mouth of the river Sestre, the particu- 
 lars of which are rather interesting. One day, 
 while the ship was at anchor in the river, Baker 
 ordered out the small pinnace or boat to go on 
 shore to traffic. He soon saw a number of ne- 
 groes, of a very rude appearance, sitting in a 
 canoe, the commander of which approached 
 the pinnace ; but, stopping at a little distance, he 
 put some water on his cheek, which, being under- 
 stood as a sign of friendship, was returned by 
 Baker. Upon this the chief came on board, and 
 some presents were given him. He promised to 
 
246 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 act as a friend to Baker and his companions, and 
 to procure their ship an ample freight. In return 
 for this promise, he was taken to the ship, where 
 he was clothed, and treated very kindly, and the 
 next day was carried on shore, repeating his pro- 
 mises of benefiting them. In the night he was 
 accidentally perceived by the watch very busy 
 about the boat with two or three canoes ; on an 
 alarm being given, the negroes fled, but on further 
 examination it was discovered that all the goods 
 in a full laden boat astern of the ship, had been 
 carried off. Irritated at this dishonesty, the 
 English next morning went up the river to the 
 negro town, to recover the goods ; but all their 
 signs were to no purpose, as the negroes would 
 neither understand them nor acknowledge the 
 theft. On the contrary they pretended to resent 
 the charge, and determined to revenge the affront 
 offered to them. Accordingly, they followed the 
 English down the river with two canoes, in each 
 of which were two men armed with targets and 
 darts, and as many boats were seen farther down, 
 ready to intercept the retreat of our countrymen. 
 Thus pressed on all sides, they discharged their 
 muskets upon the pursuers, who avoided the shots, 
 by leaping into the water. The English then 
 rowed with all their strength to get out to sea, but 
 the negroes again got into their canoes, chased 
 and overtook them, and poured in a shower of 
 darts with the truest aim. The English kept them 
 off with pikes and halberts, and the negroes, after 
 many of them had been killed or wounded by 
 arrows or musket shots, retreated. But, when 
 the English had expended all their arrows, the 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 247 
 
 negroes came on again, and made many attempts 
 to board the pinnace. The chief, a robust tall 
 man, headed this attempt, advancing under cover 
 of his target, with a poisoned dart in his hand ; 
 but the master's mate dispatched him, by thursting 
 a pike through his target and throat. The enemy 
 still continued their fight closer than ever, and did 
 great mischief with their darts, which inflicted 
 wide and severe wounds. The gunner was twice 
 wounded desperately, and the master's mate, 
 while standing firmly on his post, was struck 
 through the ribs by a dart, which being drawn out, 
 his bowels protruded, and he dropped down dead. 
 On perceiving this, the negroes set up a loud 
 shout, believing that as so many of the English 
 were wounded, the remainder would yield. But 
 four men in the pinnace who were not yet disabled 
 for combat, kept off the assailants with their pikes, 
 while the other four plied at the oars, till the 
 negroes, having exhausted all their darts, once 
 more retired ; a most fortunate circumstance for 
 the English, six of whom, out of the eight that 
 were left alone in the pinnace were desperately 
 wounded, among whom was Baker himself. The 
 recollection of the danger which he had experi- 
 enced upon this occasion, induced him to make a 
 kind of vow that he would never go near Guinea 
 again. But, after his return to England, and his 
 recovery from his wounds, it appears that he for- 
 got his resolution, for we find him, in 1,563, going 
 out to that country, in the situation of a factor, 
 with the command of two ships. Of this voyage 
 he has likewise left an account, but, like the for- 
 mer one, it is chiefly occupied with his own ad- 
 
248 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 ventures, which are however sufficiently entertain- 
 ing to repay the trouble of a perusal. After they 
 had been at sea two days and a night, they fell in 
 with a large French ship, which they boarded and 
 took, after a sharp contest, and carrying her into 
 Corunna, sold the vessel and cargo for ready 
 money. The system of piracy to which we have 
 alluded, in speaking of the Buccaneers, seems, in 
 these times, to have been generally prevalent among 
 mercantile adventurers at sea. Thus, in the dif- 
 ferent voyages of the English to Guinea, we find 
 them engaged, sometimes with the Portuguese, 
 sometimes with the Spaniards, and at others with 
 the French, and this very often, when it does not 
 appear that any open war subsisted with the sove- 
 reigns of those nations. The only points that 
 seem to have been considered before commencing 
 an attack, were the value of the prize, and the 
 probability of making a capture. After disposing 
 of the French vessel, Baker and his companions 
 proceeded on their voyage, and arrived in Guinea. 
 One day, Baker intending to go on shore in a boat 
 with eight men, for the purpose of trading, they 
 were assailed when almost within reach of the 
 coast, by a furious tempest, which drove the ships 
 from their anchors out to sea, while those in the 
 boat were obliged to run along the coast in search 
 of some place of shelter from the storm, and, not 
 finding any, they were doomed to remain all night 
 near the shore, exposed to the thunder, rain, and 
 wind, and in imminent danger. It seemed that 
 the ships returned next day to look for the boat, 
 while the crew of the latter supposing the ships be- 
 fore them, were rowing forward along the coast, and 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 249 
 
 the thickness of the fog prevented the parties 
 from seeing each other. After looking out for 
 two or three days, the people in the ships, con- 
 cluding that those in the boat had certainly 
 perished in the storm, made the best of their way 
 to England. Meantime, Baker and his unfortu- 
 nate comrades becoming in great distress for want 
 of food, landed on the coast, and exchanged some 
 of the few goods that they had with them for 
 roots, and other provisions, and then put to sea 
 again in search of the ships. In this manner they 
 continued ranging along shore for twelve days, 
 rarely seeing anything but woods and deserts, full 
 of wild beasts. On a few occasions they saw a 
 man or two on the shore, who, on being beckoned, 
 would come off in canoes ; and from these, they 
 contrived to purchase fruit and palm-wines, and 
 occasionally wild honey-combs. With such sup- 
 port they contrived to keep away the pangs of 
 gnawing hunger, but nothing could relieve their 
 fatigue, want of sleep, and dejection of spirits, 
 and they were gradually reduced to such extreme 
 weakness, that they did not expect to survive. 
 Having lost all hope of rejoining the ships, they 
 were utterly at a loss what course to pursue. 
 They were in a strange and distant country, in- 
 habited by a people whose manners and customs 
 were entirely different from their own, and to 
 whose language they were total strangers. To 
 attempt getting home in an open boat, destitute 
 of every necessary, was utterly impossible. If 
 they continued at sea, exposed to a burning sun 
 by day, and at night to frequent hurricanes accom- 
 panied with thunder, lightning, and rain, they 
 
2.50 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 could not possibly hold out long. They were 
 often three days without a morsel of food, and 
 from sitting continually in their boat for so long 
 a time, they were in danger of losing their limbs 
 for want of exercise, and their joints were so 
 swollen with the scurvy, that they could hardly 
 stand upright. As it was impossible to continue 
 any longer in such a condition, it became neces- 
 sary to come to some resolution as to the 
 choice of evils. They could only adopt one 
 of two plans. The first was to go to the castle 
 at Mina, and give themselves up to the Portu- 
 guese. The worst that could result from such 
 a step, was their being hanged out of their 
 present misery; but being strong young men, 
 it was more probable that they would be sent to 
 the gallies, and, if made slaves for life, they would 
 have food to support their toils at the oar, whereas 
 now it was their fate both to row and starve. The 
 other alternative, was to throw themselves upon 
 the mercy of the negroes, but to this there existed 
 very strong objections. Even should their recep- 
 tion be favourable, which was far from certain, it 
 would be extremely difficult for them to conform 
 to customs so different from their own. To sub- 
 sist almost entirely upon roots and vegetables, 
 after being so long accustomed to animal food, 
 would be likely to bring on a multitude of dis- 
 orders ; besides, they would be unable to procure 
 the clothing to which they had been used, after 
 that which they had on should be worn out, and, 
 unseasoned as they were to a torrid climate, their 
 bodies would be dreadfully tormented and ema- 
 ciated by the scorching heat of the sun. Yet, 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 251 
 
 unless they resolved upon one of these two plans, 
 they must stay in the boat, and die miserably. 
 After some deliberation, they resolved to prefer 
 surrendering to the Portuguese, rather than resid- 
 ing among the negroes. Thev therefore shifted 
 their course for the Castle of Mina, about twenty 
 leagues distant. Late at night, they perceived a 
 light on shore, and, conceiving that it proceeded 
 from some town where they might be able to ob- 
 tain a supply of provisions, they stood in to land 
 till the morning. When the day broke, they saw 
 a watch-house on a rock, and near it a castle ; and 
 very shortly after, some Portuguese appeared. 
 They waved to Baker's party to come on shtire ; 
 but, in spite of their previous determination, their 
 courage now failed them, and they endeavoured to 
 make from the shore ; but, upon being fired upon 
 from the castle, they turned back again, meaning 
 to yield themselves up, when they were surprised 
 to find the fire directed against them more fiercely 
 than before. They then resolved to land, and try 
 the courtesy of the Portuguese, but they found 
 themselves assailed by missiles of every descrip- 
 tion, as well as fire-arms, and perceived a number 
 of negroes with darts and targets advancing to 
 attack them. Thus reduced to desperation, they 
 pushed out again to sea, first returning the unge- 
 nerous hostility of the Portuguese by firing with 
 considerable effect, both against them and their 
 negro auxiliaries. As there were no gallies at the 
 place, they knew that they ran no risk of being 
 overtaken. This experience of the Portuguese de- 
 termined them to abandon any idea of surrender- 
 ing themselves to those enemies, and to trust, in 
 
252 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 preference, to the hospitality of the negroes. They 
 sailed back about thirty leagues along the coast, 
 and on coming to anchor at a favourable station 
 there, some natives came off to the boat, to all of 
 whom they gave presents. The news of this ge- 
 nerosity soon brought off the chief's son, to whom 
 they communicated, by signs, that they were quite 
 forlorn, abandoned by their ships, and almost fa- 
 mished for want of food, offering him, at the same 
 time, all their goods, if he would take them under 
 his protection, and relieve their distress. The 
 young negro was moved even to tears, and bade 
 them be comforted ; and having gone ashore to 
 consult his father, he returned with an invitation 
 to them to land. In approaching the shore, the 
 violence of the surf caused the boat to upset, but 
 the negroes not only plunged into the water and 
 saved the crew, but they preserved the boat and 
 all that was in her, without attempting to take the 
 smallest article. They likewise supplied the Eng- 
 lish abundantly with provisions, and treated them 
 with great kindness in every respect. Their gene- 
 rosity was not, however, altogether disinterested. 
 They had expected the ships to arrive, and looked 
 for a large reward for their hospitality ; and when they 
 found themselves disappointed in this expectation, 
 they left their guests to shift as they could for them- 
 selves. In this forlorn state, the unfortunate men 
 had to range about the woods in search of fruits 
 and roots, the last of which they were obliged to 
 dig up with their fingers, for want of any other 
 instruments. Hunger had destroyed all delicacy 
 of palate, and they were but too glad to find any 
 thing eatable. They were soon compelled to go 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 253 
 
 naked, for the clothes rotted off their backs, from 
 the effects of perspiration. To cook their food, 
 they made pots of clay dried in the sun, and they 
 roasted the berries that they gathered in the em- 
 bers. At night they slept on the ground, making 
 a great fire around them to frighten away the wild 
 beasts. This entire and sudden change in their 
 manner of living, together with the unhealthy heat 
 of the climate, soon made them victims to disease, 
 and, in a short time, their numbers were reduced 
 from nine to three. The few survivors, including 
 Baker, did, indeed, escape the melancholy fate of 
 their companions, but their doom was not an en- 
 viable one. When they had almost become re- 
 conciled to the prospect, as it seemed to them, of 
 inevitable death, a French ship arrived on the 
 coast, and took them to France, where, by a most 
 treacherous violation of the laws of nations, though 
 peace had been for some time concluded between 
 France and England, they were detained prisoners, 
 and a long time elapsed before their release. 
 
 In the following years, Captain David Carlet 
 undertook a voyage to Guinea, which, though 
 not so calamitous as that of Baker, terminated 
 disastrously. Many of the men lost their lives 
 from the want of fresh water, and the captain, 
 with a considerable number of his men, who ven- 
 tured on shore to obtain a supply of that necessary 
 article, were treacherously made prisoners by the 
 negroes, and given up to the Portuguese, by 
 whom they were not liberated, till they had found 
 the means, by the assistance of their friends in 
 England, of paying an exorbitant ransom for their 
 freedom . 
 
254 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 But the misfortunes of preceding adventurers 
 did not deter others from entering upon the same 
 path. In 1566, an expedition, consisting of three 
 ships, under the command of Admiral George 
 Fenner, was fitted out for Guinea, and the Cape 
 Verd Islands. They sailed from Plymouth on 
 the 10th of December, 1566, and arrived at Cape 
 Blanco on the 14th of January following. Thence 
 they proceeded to Cape Verd, the land about 
 which the admiral describes as resembling a great 
 dumber of ships under sail, owing to its being 
 composed of a range of eminences of different 
 elevations, with high trees upon them. About 
 twenty of the men landed upon this coast, and 
 were met by more than a hundred negroes armed 
 with bows and arrows. Some signs of distrust 
 being shewn upon their part, five of the English 
 were delivered into their hands, and three of the 
 negroes taken on board the admiral's vessel. The 
 seamen then mentioned the merchandise they 
 had brought, and the negroes replied that they 
 had civet, musk, gold, and spices to give in ex- 
 change, at the same time requesting to see the 
 European goods. One of the boats was sent back 
 to the ships to fetch them, while the admiral and 
 the traders remained in the other in which were 
 the three negroes : on the return of the boat, 
 bread and cheese and wine were distributed among 
 the natives. Two of the negro hostages now 
 obtained permission to leave the boat, alleging 
 sickness as the reason, but their conduct awakened 
 some suspicions of perfidy, which soon proved to 
 be well founded, for one of the officers was seized 
 by the natives while about to enter the boat, but 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 255 
 
 he released himself from their grasp, and at the 
 same time, three of the English hostages were 
 seized and carried violently away, their clothes 
 being first stripped off their backs. Many of the 
 negroes shot their arrows so thick at the men in 
 the boats, that they could scarcely handle the 
 oars ; but they succeeded in getting away the 
 boats, though several were much hurt by the 
 arrows, which proved to be poisoned, and of which 
 the wounds, if beneath the skin, were mortal, un- 
 less the blood were sucked out, or the part cut away 
 immediately. Of the seamen who were wounded 
 bv them, lour died, and one was obliged to un- 
 dergo amputation of the leg. The admiral sent 
 next day on shore, offering any ransom that might 
 be required for the release of his men ; but they 
 refused to accept of any sum, assigning as a rea- 
 son, that an English ship which had touched 
 there before, had forcibly carried off three of the 
 natives. Mortified at the fate of their compa- 
 nions, but not strong enough to make any violent 
 attempt at a release, which might besides have 
 ensured the death of the captives, Fenner and 
 his associates steered for the Cape Verd Islands, 
 and arrived at Bonavista, where they took in 
 water, and obtained ample supplies of goats for 
 f resji meat. They then proceeded to Mayo, four- 
 teen leagues distant, where they intended to 
 trade, but met with an unhospitable reception 
 from the Portuguese, who, however, afterwards 
 made a shew of friendship, and invited the En- 
 glish to come on shore ; but the admiral, not 
 placing much reliance on their professions, de- 
 clined the offer, at the same time firing a salute, 
 
256 VOYAGES TO AFRICA- 
 
 that he might not appear deficient in courtesy. 
 But the real intentions of the Portuguese were 
 soon manifested. Behind the principal town was 
 a point of land, where they had several vessels 
 stationed, which, as soon as night came on, made 
 towards them with sails and oars, and the weather 
 being hazy, were almost close on board the May- 
 Flower, one of the English ships, before they 
 were discovered. The alarm was fortunately 
 given just in time, when they immediately dis- 
 charged all their musketry and ordnance into the 
 May-Flower, and continued their fire till the 
 admiral had time to draw out his great guns, 
 when they retired in as cowardly a manner as 
 they had made the assault. Leaving this faith- 
 less shore, the admiral touched at others of the 
 Cape Verd Islands, but, finding the prohibition 
 of the Portuguese government against trading 
 with France or England in force at them all, he 
 bore away for the Azores. At Terceira, one of 
 these islands, they found a fleet, consisting of 
 the royal navy of Portugal. This squadron, in 
 all amounting to seven ships of war, attacked the 
 small force of the English for two successive days, 
 and had nearly succeeded in capturing the May- 
 Flower, which was surrounded by five of the 
 enemy's vessels at once. But the determined and 
 gallant resistance with which they were en- 
 countered, notwithstanding the great difference in 
 the strength of the combatants, ultimately com- 
 pelled them to retreat. The admiral had, how- 
 ever, sustained so severe a loss in killed and 
 wounded in these unequal conflicts, that he felt 
 himself under the necessity of renouncing the 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 257 
 
 idea of completing his voyage ; and, having 
 stopped the leaks, and repaired the other injuries 
 sustained by his ships, he set sail for England, 
 and arrived at Southampton in the beginning of 
 June, 1577. 
 
 Hitherto, none of the English adventurers, with 
 the single exception of Windham, had penetrated 
 in their voyages to the African coast, farther than 
 the eastern extremity of Guinea. That commander 
 had indeed proceeded to Benin, but his stay on 
 that coast was so short, that little or no knowledge 
 was obtained of the country, and his successors, 
 probably discouraged by the sickness to which 
 the climate was said to subject Europeans, did 
 not seem disposed to explore it. But, in the year 
 1588, Captain James Welsh was employed by 
 some merchants of London, to superintend a 
 voyage to the coast of Benin, which report repre- 
 sented as abounding in lucrative articles of com- 
 merce. He sailed from Plymouth, with a ship of 
 one hundred tons burthen, and a pinnace at- 
 tached to it, on the 14th of December, 1588, 
 and after passing along the Gold coast, reached 
 the mouth of the river Benin, on the 13th of 
 February. A party of the crew, with the principal 
 part of the merchandise, sailed up the river in the 
 pinnace to a town called Gato, about thirty-five 
 miles from the capital of the country. From this 
 place they sent messengers to inform the king of 
 their arrival, and of the objprt of their coming. 
 This communication, was received favourably, and 
 they were invited to repair to the city of Benin. 
 On being introduced to the king, he gave them 
 very friendly assurances, and promised them his 
 
 vol. i. s 
 
258 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 countenance and protection in their trade. They 
 were very successful in their dealings with the 
 natives, and, up to the 9th of March they had 
 procured sixty-four hogsheads of pepper, and 
 twenty-eight elephants' teeth. But, by this time, 
 the climate of Benin, so injurious to those unac- 
 customed to it, began to be sensibly felt. All the 
 men that had been sent on the mission to the 
 king, as well as those who were on board the 
 pinnace, were seized with fevers, and two of them 
 died. On their reaching the ship, they found 
 that sickness had broken out there likewise. The 
 principal negro factor promised to procure them a 
 great additional supply of goods, if they would 
 remain a short time longer; but such was their 
 miserable condition, that they could think of 
 nothing but their return to England. The sick- 
 ness did not, however, abate on their homeward 
 voyage, and, on reaching the Azores, several of 
 the crew died ; and the remainder were so re- 
 duced, that it was with much difficulty they were 
 able to heave up an anchor. They had, in fact, 
 almost given up all hope of seeing their native 
 country any more, when they providentially fell in 
 with another English vessel, by whose assistance 
 they were enabled to reach Plymouth, at which 
 place they arrived on the 9th of September, 1589. 
 Notwithstanding the events of this very discourag- 
 ing voyage, Welch was again induced by the 
 prospect of gain held out to him, to undertake a 
 second to the same country ; but, taught by former 
 experience, he and his men paid more attention to 
 the regulation of their diet and clothing, and an- 
 chored in a latitude to the south of Benin, where 
 
VOVAGES TO AFRICA. 259 
 
 they found the weather much more temperate than 
 in that place. By the use of these precautions, 
 they succeeded in making a prosperous venture, 
 without experiencing those calamities which had 
 befallen the preceding expedition. 
 
 We have given to these voyages of our country- 
 men to the Western Coast of Africa, a more con- 
 spicuous place than they generally occupy, but 
 not more than, in our opinion, they deserve. The 
 brilliant conquests and discoveries which attracted 
 almost exclusively the attention of Europe at that 
 period, and still more the progress of English en- 
 terprize to India and her extensive triumphs there, 
 have prevented these African adventurers from 
 enjoying the reputation which they had fairly 
 earned, and from receiving their due meed of 
 praise. If their merits are candidly examined, 
 they need not shrink from a comparison with 
 those of navigators who rank higher in the scale 
 of general estimation. It is not distance or no- 
 velty, that in such undertakings, necessarily awards 
 the palm of excellence. In the present day, when 
 the navigation to the Guinea coast forms but a 
 small portion of the route to the East Indies, to 
 which voyages are constantly being performed, 
 the proper choice of the season, and all other pre- 
 cautions against the dangers to which the early 
 adventurers to Western Africa were exposed, are 
 well and generally understood. But it was not so 
 with them. They had to acquire by experience a 
 knowledge of all the perils that were incident to 
 their enterprize ; and were ignorant of the many 
 mechanical and scientific improvements and in- 
 ventions of modern times, a knowledge of which 
 
260 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 might have enabled them to defy those perils. 
 The rigours of a Polar winter must undoubtedly 
 be extremely trying, but few will dispute that, as 
 far as health is concerned, the middle of the torrid 
 zone is even more unfavourable to the natives of 
 a temperate climate than that of a frigid one. 
 Besides, the companions of Ross, Parry, and 
 our other principal Arctic navigators of recent 
 date, anticipated the cold to which they would be 
 exposed, and were provided with all the defences 
 that art and skill could furnish against it ; while 
 the brave men who dared the blistering rays of an 
 equinoctial sun, were destitute of any protection 
 from the scorching heat. Indeed it is well known 
 to the veriest child how much more easily cold can 
 be guarded against than heat. That the suffer- 
 ings and privations endured by many northern 
 voyagers were extremely severe, no one will pre- 
 tend to deny ; but we certainly consider Baker 
 and his companions, drifting about in their open 
 deserted boat, and driven to seek a violent end, or, 
 at best, a perpetual captivity, as their only refuge 
 from a lingering death by starvation, to have been 
 quite as much objects of pity and commiseration, 
 as Franklin and his associates at the most trying 
 period of their journey. It is not that we aim at 
 undervaluing the merits of those of whom we have 
 already professed our admiration, but we would 
 advocate the claims of those who, with no less 
 title to applause, have been doomed to compara- 
 tive obscurity. With rega d to dangers of an- 
 other description, it is evident, that the African 
 adventurers had far more formidable enemies 
 to encounter, than those engaged in voyages 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 261 
 
 either of American or Arctic discovery. Opposed 
 to the natives of Mexico or Peru, or the ignorant 
 herds of Esquimaux, the possession of European 
 weapons of war conferred an almost supernatural 
 power ; the panic excited by fire arms, in par- 
 ticular, contributed, even more than the deadly 
 execution which they wrought, to render him 
 that wielded them comparatively invincible. But 
 the daring Englishmen who first ventured to trade 
 to the African coast had to encounter the hostility 
 of veterans, skilled in every branch of naval war- 
 fare, with resentments aggravated by jealousy 
 and rage at the prospect of losing any portion of 
 a source of wealth, which they had long been ac- 
 customed to regard as exclusively their own, and 
 with all the confidence inspired by repeated tri- 
 umphs. Neither did these trading adventurers 
 solicit or receive the aid of kings or nobles in 
 support of their enterprizes. Yet it is perhaps not 
 too much to affirm, that the manner in which, by 
 their valour and intrepidity, they baffled the 
 efforts of the Portuguese navy to expel them from 
 that field of commerce which, till the commence- 
 ment of the trade direct between this country and 
 India, was deemed the most lucrative in which we 
 could engage, did much to stimulate their coun- 
 trymen at a later period to penetrate to the East, 
 regardless of the opposition of a nation which 
 had failed to overawe or defeat the courage of 
 Britain's private adventurers. 
 
 But the records of these early voyages to 
 Guinea and the adjoining country are, in a moral 
 point of view, still more important. We write 
 for the rising generation; not those in the stage 
 
262 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 of childhood, but those who, though yet very 
 young, have arrived at an age which may render 
 their opinions and actions, in the course of a few 
 years, productive of the greatest benefit, or the 
 greatest injury to themselves and others. Every 
 thing, therefore, which can give a right direction 
 to their feelings and judgment, which may pre- 
 vent their imbibing or retaining erroneous preju- 
 dices, and teach them to entertain correct and 
 liberal views, is in the highest degree valuable. 
 It is to be presumed that few readers of the class 
 to which we have alluded can be ignorant of the 
 nature of that abominable and inhuman traffic, 
 the slave trade. Though still pursued by nations 
 who call themselves Christians, that impious 
 commerce no longer disgraces this country. But, 
 though Englishmen cannot now by law deal in 
 slaves as formerly, they still retain thousands of 
 negroes in a state of slavery. The excuse made 
 for this gross injustice is, that they are not fit for 
 freedom ! From the earliest period of Europeans 
 assuming the power of putting into bondage a 
 fellow-creature who is " guilty of a skin not co- 
 loured like their own," the character of the unfor- 
 tunate African has been subjected to the vilest 
 slander with a view to defend the violence offered 
 to his person. He has been accused of vices in- 
 numerable, and represented as a brutal savage 
 whom nature has placed, in point of understand- 
 in^ and ability, infinitely below the other portion 
 oAhe human race. And this last calumny has 
 been repeated, till it has certainly obtained a de- 
 gree of credit with many who might be supposed 
 too liberal and too sensible to cherish such an un- 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 263 
 
 generous and absurd idea. There are probably 
 few persons now to be met with who would at- 
 tempt to justify the torture of a negro, by main- 
 taining that a black skin had not the same feeling 
 as a white one. But we fear there still are se- 
 veral, who, though they may wish well to the 
 blacks and feel for their sufferings, yet entertain 
 a belief that a negro is not altogether the equal 
 of a white man, that there is something of 
 the savage in his character, and that he is natu- 
 rally very inferior to a European in intellect. 
 Such persons might be asked, how they could for 
 a moment imagine that the Creator of all men 
 could make such a partial distinction between 
 creatures of the same species ? But we would 
 rather refer them to the accounts of the early na- 
 vigators, an outline of whose adventures we have 
 given, and which must completely refute a sup- 
 position uniting the utmost vanity with the ut- 
 most ignorance. It should be remembered that 
 the principal proportion of negro slaves have ge- 
 nerally been brought from Guinea and the ad- 
 joining parts : indeed, one portion of that country 
 has, from this circumstance, obtained the infamous 
 name of the Slave Coast. And what picture do 
 those, who visited these countries two centuries 
 and a half ago, give of the inhabitants at that 
 time ? So far from exhibiting them as savages, 
 we find, from the accounts of these voyagers, that 
 they were in possession of a considerable degree 
 of civilization. They had manufactures, inge- 
 niously executed, of almost all the materials 
 which their country afforded. They had a know- 
 ledge of weights and measures, and of the prin- 
 
264 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 ciples of calculation. They had fortified towns, 
 and public roads, and, in some places, even a 
 regular police. Their public affairs were con- 
 ducted with deliberation and decency ; the dis- 
 tinctions of rank were understood and respected ; 
 and the ceremonies observed at the courts of their 
 kings were as impressive, and quite as rational, 
 as those in use among Asiatic, or even European 
 monarch s. They shewed a courteous disposition 
 to encourage commerce, without losing sight of a 
 prudent and proper regard to their own interest. 
 They did not possess European weapons, but they 
 manufactured their own with care and finish, and 
 used them with quickness and dexterity, both of- 
 fensively and defensively, and, in their encounters 
 with Europeans, they proved not only that they 
 were brave, but that they had a very respectable 
 knowledge of the art of war. Their diet was sim- 
 ple and temperate, and they displayed none of 
 the voracity common to almost all savage tribes. 
 They were kind and hospitable to strangers, and 
 their hostility was not capricious, but the con- 
 sequence of real injuries inflicted upon them, 
 such as attacking their property, or making slaves 
 of their countrymen. The stealing of the ar- 
 ticles out of the boat in the river Sestre was 
 certainly an exception to this observation; but, 
 though an act of dishonesty followed by violence, 
 the conduct and management of the affair shewed 
 no want of civilization ; and, unfortunately, pi- 
 racy and plunder are not restricted to the natives 
 of Africa. Nakedness we are accustomed, but 
 erroneously, to associate with the idea of a 
 savage life ; with them it did not arise from 
 
VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 265 
 
 necessity, or ignorance; they had cloths of their 
 own country, of beautiful manufacture, and, when 
 state or public occasions required, they could dress 
 both with splendour and elegance. But the cli- 
 mate rendered it necessary for them to go, in ge- 
 neral, with the greater part of the body uncovered. 
 Europeans who reside in tropical climates cannot 
 expose their skins to the sun, because, not being 
 inured to such heat, it would scorch and blister 
 them ; but they wear the lightest clothing they 
 can use, and even the weight of that unfits them 
 for active exertion during the heat of the day. 
 In no respect do we find any similarity between 
 the Esquimaux, or even the Mexicans and Peru- 
 vians, and the natives of Guinea. The latter 
 were not led to believe the Europeans superior 
 beings, on account of the novelty or singularity 
 of their appearance. They were not panick- 
 struck at the report of fire-arms, but studied the 
 best means of evading them without flight. They 
 were not caught by any thing that appeared new 
 and glittering, however useless : on the contrary, 
 the list of articles in request among them prove 
 that they took care to understand the use, and to 
 be convinced of the utility of their purchases. If 
 they now exhibit the character of savages, if they 
 can no longer boast their former virtues and in- 
 dustry, it is the work of those who have destroyed 
 their towns, plundered their property, and borne 
 away their friends and relations to slavery ; who 
 have stirred up civil wars among them, and ex- 
 cited the worst feelings of their nature ; who have 
 taught them to employ cunning as their only de- 
 fence against oppression, and to plot revenge as 
 
266 VOYAGES TO AFRICA. 
 
 their only satisfaction for aggravated wrong. But 
 to persist in injustice, because it has once been 
 committed, is the height of folly as well as of 
 wickedness. The Europeans found these unfortu- 
 nate Africans capable of acquiring every thing which 
 their future tyrants had learned, and nature has 
 not changed. Besides, we have abundant proofs 
 of the capacity of the negroes. They make good 
 soldiers and sailors, and are excellent confidential 
 servants; and, in one island of the West Indies, 
 St. Domingo, now more commonly called Hayti, 
 they have established an independent state, and 
 are able to command the respect of European 
 powers. The time is, however, we trust, not far 
 distant when no Englishman, at least, will plead 
 for the right of any one to claim a human being 
 as his property. Man is the property of God 
 alone ! 
 
COLOXY OF SIERRA LEOXE. 
 
 Although the British settlement at Sierra Leone 
 cannot be classed among their discoveries, yet a 
 description of almost the only colony established 
 by Europeans for purposes of pure humanity and 
 generosity, and not from motives of political or 
 commercial advantage, may not unsuitably follow 
 the details of the voyages made by our countrymen 
 to this part of Africa, and the remarks with which 
 we have concluded our notice of these voyages. 
 
 We have already spoken of the calumnies in- 
 vented against the negroes by the oppressors who 
 would wish to retain them in their chains : a fa- 
 vourite charge was idleness. They accused the 
 negroes of being naturally indolent, and said that 
 as no other people could endure the sun so as to 
 cultivate the West India plantations, it was abso- 
 lutely necessary that they should be in the condi- 
 tion of slaves, for that, unless they were compelled 
 to work, they would not work at all. Towards 
 the close of the eighteenth century, some benevo- 
 lent individuals, who had taken a strong interest 
 in the abolition of the slave trade, and who did 
 
268 SIERRA LEONE. 
 
 not concur in this view of the negro character, 
 conceived the plan of forming an African colony, 
 for the reception of released slaves, or voluntary 
 black settlers, who should be considered and treat- 
 ed in every respect as free labourers. Their pro- 
 ject met with the support and approbation of some 
 of the most virtuous and distinguished men in 
 the country; Sierra Leone was selected for the 
 new settlement, and the choice, to all appearance, 
 was judicious. It is situated rather to the north 
 east of the Grain Coast of Guinea, and is traversed 
 by a large river. A long ridge of mountains, from 
 which it derives its name, rises near the south bank 
 of this river, and from these numerous streams or 
 torrents flow down, the greater part of which 
 unite at a place called the Bay of France, into a 
 large bason, which affords the best watering place 
 in all Guinea. In fertility and populousness 
 Sierra Leone is equal to any country in that part of 
 Africa. Originally, the greater part of it consisted 
 of a vast forest, but wherever the wood has been 
 cleared away, the soil has been found particularly 
 fruitful, producing rice and maize in abundance, 
 as well as a variety of the most delicious fruits. 
 Great quantities of civet are obtained there, and 
 the ivory is considered the finest on the coast. Sierra 
 Leone was first discovered by the Portuguese, 
 who formed settlements upon it. As soon as it was 
 resolved to establish a free-labour settlement in 
 the country, a piece of ground was purchased, a 
 proper site for a town immediately chosen on a 
 rising ground facing the sea, and a distribution of 
 land made among the colonists. In the beginning, 
 the establishment was very unprosperous. Sickness 
 
SIERRA LEONE. 269 
 
 soon swept off nearly one-half of their numbers ; 
 and, in the latter part of 1798, the colony was 
 plundered by one of the native chiefs, and its in- 
 habitants compelled to take shelter in a neigh- 
 bouring island. A fresh supply of stores was, 
 however, sent out to the colonists, who were col- 
 lected and formed anew, and a different spot, less 
 accessible to attack than the former, was chosen 
 for the town. Parliament now patronized the 
 undertaking, and gave a charter to those who had 
 promoted it, under the name of the Sierra Leone 
 Company. The strength of the settlers was con- 
 siderably augmented by the arrival of twelve 
 hundred negroes, who had fought in favour of 
 Great Britain, during the American war, and had 
 been compelled to take shelter in Nova Scotia. 
 These men gladly embraced the opportunity of 
 removing to a country, the climate of which was 
 so much better adapted to them than that of the 
 bleak region in which they had been residing But, 
 in September, 1794, the place was again destined to 
 become the object of hostile attack, being plundered 
 and entirely destroyed by a French squadron. 
 Upon its restoration to this country, it was 
 placed under the immediate controul of the go- 
 vernment, like our other colonies. Since that 
 period no enemy has approached it. The population 
 has increased surprisingly, particularly since the 
 abolition of the slave-trade, as all the slaves found 
 on board any ship captured by the British, are 
 brought to settle here. The number of inhabitants 
 is estimated at nearly twenty thousand, more than 
 two-thirds of whom are free blacks. Several new 
 towns have been erected, to afford accommoda- 
 
270 SIERRA LEONE. 
 
 tion for these additions to the settlers. The moral 
 improvement of the blacks residing here has been 
 very conspicuous. Missionaries have been sent 
 out, whose labours have proved successful, and 
 schools have been established for educating the 
 children, upon the plan of mutual instruction. 
 The conduct of the negroes in general is repre- 
 sented to be extremely creditable and orderly. 
 The poet Addison observes — 
 
 " 'Tis not in mortals to command success, 
 
 But we'll do more, Sempronius, we'll deserve it." 
 
 This sentiment is, we fear, too applicable to the 
 case of the benevolent planners and patrons of this 
 establishment. They have done every thing in 
 their power to render it efficient, and government 
 has afforded them its most cordial co-operation. 
 The good seed that they have sown is already be- 
 ginning to spring up abundantly ; and commerce, 
 though it did not enter into the original plan, has 
 established itself in a very flourishing state. Yet 
 there is one most unfortunate circumstance that 
 operates as a drawback to all these advantages. 
 Tropical countries have uniformly been found in- 
 jurious to European constitutions, and African 
 ones more so than any others. Sierra Leone, un- 
 happily, forms no exception to this rule. Not- 
 withstanding the apparent serenity of its air, and 
 the productiveness of its soil, the atmosphere 
 carries in it the seeds of death to the European. 
 In the language of the poet, we might almost 
 say— • 
 
 " The bell just toll'd ; 'tis hardly asked for whom." 
 
SIERRA LE0XE. 271 
 
 The number of valuable lives in every depart- 
 ment among our countrymen, that have been sa- 
 crificed to this unhealthy climate, is almost incon- 
 ceivable. No mode of diet or living is a security 
 against the danger; though, without doubt, tempe- 
 rate habits frequently render the approach of death 
 less rapid. According to some accounts, the mor- 
 tality has not been so prevalent within a short 
 period ; but whether this is a temporary or a 
 lasting: change, remains to be seen. It had at one 
 time been proposed to withdraw the European 
 colonists altogether from a spot that had proved 
 so fatal to many of them ; but this idea seems, 
 for the present, at least, to have been abandoned. 
 If there is any chance of checking the prevalence 
 of disease at Sierra Leone, the removal of the 
 English establishments there would be a subject of 
 great regret, for it may reasonably be doubted, 
 whether the colony, constituted as the black por- 
 tion of its inhabitants are, of persons who, though 
 of the same colour, belong to an almost countless 
 variety of nations, can, with safety, be left en- 
 tirely to itself; and it would be grievous to see 
 the progress of so much good as has already been 
 achieved there, untimely arrested. But even should 
 such be the event, which we sincerely hope will 
 not be the case, the false reproach thrown upon 
 the African population, of detestation of work, 
 has been most satisfactorily removed, as the black 
 settlers at Sierra Leone have shewn themselves 
 alike peaceable, industrious, and economical. 
 Indeed, many of the West India planters are now 
 so well convinced of the disposition of their slaves 
 that, in Jamaica, and some other of the islands, 
 
272 SIERRA LEONE. 
 
 when one of them gives his master particular sa- 
 tisfaction, he is rewarded with permission to be 
 absent from the planter's grounds for a day, and 
 to work in his own garden, and he rarely fails to 
 employ the time granted him in the manner men- 
 tioned. Had the founders of the Sierra Leone 
 colonies effected nothing beyond this, they would 
 have been entitled to the lasting thanks of every 
 friend to freedom and humanity ; for nothing can 
 be more certain, than that whatever tends to place 
 the injured character of the slave in its true light, 
 will also tend to the abolition of slavery. 
 
 Should it, however, be found impossible to 
 overcome the serious obstacles to the retention of 
 the colony, arising from the pestilential influence 
 of the climate, it may yet be worthy of considera- 
 tion whether a similar settlement could not be 
 established in some other part of the world, and 
 a situation discovered, in which the salutary and 
 judicious regulations that have been productive 
 of so much benefit at Sierra Leone might be car- 
 ried into full effect, and which, while it would be 
 adapted to the habits and constitutions of the 
 negroes, might not impose upon the benevolent 
 individuals who take the warmest interest in the 
 cause of the suffering and oppressed, the fatal 
 penalty of an almost certain death. We hope 
 that even in the torrid zone, some eligible spot is 
 to be found, not subject to the same objections 
 as Sierra Leone, and that the danger of being 
 obliged to sacrifice objects so honourable to their 
 promoters, and so conducive to the general in- 
 terests of humanity, may yet be avoided. 
 
MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 
 
 Oxe of the most conspicuous features in the cha- 
 racter of Christianity is the active exertion, which 
 it inspires on the behalf of our fellow-creatures. 
 Truly and beautifully has the poet observed — 
 
 " An ardent spirit dwells with christian love, 
 The eagle's vigour in the pitying dove." 
 
 The desire to seek out, and relieve, before soli- 
 cited for aid, the suffering and distressed, is charity 
 indeed ; but to adopt the same course where the 
 spiritual wants of the ignorant and unenlightened 
 are concerned, is unquestionably the very highest 
 exertion of that virtue. In many cases, such ef- 
 forts of benevolence must be attended with dif- 
 ficulties, and even personal dangers from which 
 the mere distributor of alms is altogether ex- 
 empt. Such was the case with the excellent and 
 exemplary men engaged in this voyage, whose 
 labours, our limits will not permit us to detail, but 
 our feelings will not allow us to pass over un- 
 noticed. 
 
 VOL. I. t 
 
274 MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 
 
 We have already spoken of the great interest 
 excited in this country by the description given of 
 the South Sea Islanders by the first discoverers, 
 and of the anxiety felt by the religious world for their 
 conversion to Christianity. In pursuance of these 
 dispositions, a vessel was procured for the con- 
 veyance of thirty men, six women, and three chil- 
 dren, connected with the intended mission. The 
 strictest regard had been had to the qualifications of 
 the persons chosen ; and not only had their moral 
 character and unquestioned piety been fully as- 
 certained, but it was endeavoured to contribute to 
 the temporal comforts of those whom they were 
 about to visit. A preference was given to those 
 candidates who, in addition to these claims, were 
 acquainted with such useful arts and occupations 
 as might make them acceptable to people in a 
 state of inferior civilization, so that, with the ex- 
 ception of three ordained ministers, all the mis- 
 sionaries were artizans of some kind. They 
 sailed from Portsmouth on the 24th of Sep- 
 tember, 1796. Their voyage was tedious, as the 
 captain of the vessel did not think it prudent 
 to follow the usual course to these islands 
 of doubling Cape Horn, fearing that persons 
 not accustomed to seamanship would be unequal 
 to contend with the tempests and the cold in 
 that latitude. He, therefore, chose the eastern 
 passage by the Cape of Good Hope, and to the 
 south of New Holland and New Zealand, so that 
 they did not reach the Island of Otaheite till Sun- 
 day, the 5th of March, 1797. They had, how- 
 ever, employed their time profitably while on 
 board, in the study of the Otaheitan language, 
 
MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 275 
 
 and of the geography of the South-Sea Islands. 
 At Otaheite, their reception was extremely kind, 
 and when they performed divine service, the na- 
 tives who were attracted by the novelty of the 
 spectacle, conducted themselves with the greatest 
 decorum. One great obstacle remained. Not- 
 withstanding the earnestness with which the 
 missionaries had studied the language, their 
 proficiency was not such as to enable them 
 to converse fluently with the natives, much less to 
 expound clearly the truths of religion ; and much 
 mischief might arise from the delay that would oc- 
 cur before habit would remove their deficiency. In 
 this emergency, they were fortunate enough to 
 meet with two Swedes, who had been wrecked off 
 the island five years previously, and who, besides 
 being familiar with the language of the island, 
 spoke very tolerable English. With the assist- 
 ance of these interpreters, who likewise acted as 
 instructors to the missionaries, their success be- 
 came rapid. The king of Otaheite gave them the 
 district of Mahavai to reside in, and, till they made 
 arrangements for maintaining themselves, supplied 
 them with every thing they required in the most 
 hospitable manner. One of their first proceedings 
 was to settle upon the division of the missionaries 
 for the purpose of their pious labours, and it was 
 finally determined that eighteen of them shoul'd 
 remain at Otaheite for the service of the Society 
 Isles; ten at Tongataboo, for the Friendly Islands; 
 and two at Santa Christina for the Marquesas, 
 the smallest of the three groupes. Those who 
 were intended for the two latter destinations 
 quitted their brethren at Otaheite, and steered, in 
 
276 MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 
 
 the first instance, for Tongataboo, where the na- 
 tives received them with cordiality, and seemed de- 
 lighted, on inspecting the furniture and other arti- 
 cles of European manufacture in the ship, at learn- 
 ing that the persons who had come from England 
 could teach them how to make all these things. 
 Indeed, such an impression was made on their 
 minds by this circumstance, that, instead of hav- 
 ing to become petitioners for a place of residence, 
 Captain Wilson was enabled to obtain very ad- 
 vantageous terms for the missionaries, whose 
 stay on the island was considered a favour. In 
 Tongataboo, they had also the pleasure of finding 
 an Englishman and an Irishman settled. The 
 missionaries designed for the Friendly Islands 
 having been left here, the captain, with the re- 
 maining two, proceeded to the Marquesas, but at 
 the first of these islands at which they touched, 
 the morals of the people were so dissolute that 
 only one of the missionaries had courage to re- 
 main, the other returning to Otaheite, where the 
 captain found affairs in a flourishing condition, 
 and was enabled, on his reaching England on the 
 11th of January, 1798, to gratify those interested 
 in the fate of the enterprise by announcing the 
 favourable prospect of success. 
 
 The subseqnent proceedings and adventures of 
 the missionaries must be sought in their own pub- 
 lications, in which they are fully detailed, and 
 which are most honourable to their zeal, patience, 
 and piety. It is to be hoped that this very brief 
 outline may have the effect of directing the curi- 
 osity of young persons to those edifying and in- 
 teresting records. This voyage has been particu- 
 
MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 277 
 
 larly mentioned, because it was the immediate 
 consequence of the expeditions of South Sea dis- 
 covery, which have been narrated in a former part 
 of this volume. But it is needless to add, that 
 the labours of those who seek to propagate the 
 gospel, have not been confined to partial at- 
 tempts. " Their sound is gone out into all lands, 
 and their words unto the ends of the world." 
 
 The mild and pliant character of the majority 
 of the South Sea islanders has given the Chris- 
 tian missionaries sent among those people a con- 
 siderable advantage in the work of conversion 
 over most of their fellow-labourers in the same 
 cause. The exertions of these ministers have 
 occasionally encountered opposition, but that op- 
 position has hardly ever approached to the cha- 
 racter of persecution or personal violence. Much 
 of the friendly co-operation with the missionaries 
 may reasonably be attributed to the favourable 
 impression created on the minds of the islanders 
 by the demeanour of their first English visitors, 
 particularly of Cook and his companions, so dif- 
 ferent from that of many Europeans, who in other 
 parts introduced what they termed civilization, at 
 the point of the sword, and obtained apparent 
 converts to Christianity by the infamous means of 
 plunder and cruelty. 
 
BRITISH COLONIES IN AMERICA. 
 
 In speaking of American voyages, it was re- 
 marked that this country took the lead of all but 
 Spain in the course of American discovery, and 
 that she afterwards became only second to that 
 state, in the extent of her American territory. 
 It ought however to be observed, that England 
 does not at present retain the power she once 
 possessed on this continent. The greater part of 
 her provinces in North America revolted against 
 her in the early part of the reign of George the 
 Third, and, after a long and obstinate war, became 
 independent of Great Britain, and formed them- 
 selves into a large republic, called the United 
 States of America. Almost all these states or 
 provinces were first colonised, during the period 
 when the passion for American discovery was at 
 its height ; and the colonists being from England, 
 has created the singular phenomenon of two great 
 nations separated from each other by the vast 
 Atlantic, yet speaking the same language, having 
 nearly the same customs and manners, and living 
 under laws which bear a great resemblance to each 
 other. A brief sketch of the colonization of some 
 of the chief of these provinces will not be foreign 
 to the objects of the present work. 
 
BRITISH COLONIES IX AMERICA. 279 
 
 New England was, by Sir Walter Raleigh, who 
 first visited it, included with the rest of the north- 
 east coast of this part of America, under the gene- 
 ral name of Virginia. James the First proposed 
 colonizing it, but he never carried his intention 
 into effect. A small trade was, however, carried on 
 with the Indians, in furs and fish, by a few English 
 merchants. But it was not till the year 1621, 
 that anv thing like a colony was formed here. 
 At that time the religious sects into which England 
 was divided, became most bitter and furious in 
 their hostility against each other. Laud, the 
 Archbishop of Canterbury, who was afterwards 
 beheaded, persecuted all dissenters with the ut- 
 most severity. They, on the other hand, were 
 ready to submit to all the rigour of persecution, 
 rather than depart from their peculiar tenets, and 
 conform to the ceremonies of the Church of Eng- 
 land, which they held in utter abhorrence, as 
 sinful and profane. They were willing to banish 
 themselves to any part of the earth, sooner than be 
 obliged to profess the faith established in their na- 
 tive country ; and America afforded them an excel- 
 lent field. There no one would be found to thwart 
 their views ; once arrived in that favoured solitude, 
 they would be at liberty to establish whatever kind 
 of religious institutions they pleased. With this 
 view, they purchased the country of the Plymouth 
 Company, to whom it had been granted by the 
 crown, and having obtained from the king the pri- 
 vilege of settling there in whatever way they 
 mio;ht choose, one hundred and fifty persons em- 
 barked for New England, and after a very tempes- 
 tuous voyage arrived on the coast of the province, 
 
280 BRITISH COLONIES IN AMERICA. 
 
 where they built a city, which they called Plymouth, 
 after the name of the English port from which they 
 sailed. At their first settling, they had to contend 
 with multiplied evils. The climate was very severe, 
 the air damp and unwholesome, and, the coun- 
 try being entirely new to them, they were subject, 
 after their long sea voyage, to a great variety of 
 diseases. They were in want of all common con- 
 veniences, and even of the necessaries of life, and 
 many of their number died. But those who sur- 
 vived these complicated hardships, undismayed 
 by the fate of their companions, and rejoicing in 
 the possession of religious freedom, even in a 
 desert, succeeded, by unremitting exertions, in 
 cultivating the barren soil which they occupied ; 
 and being joined by new adventurers, urged 
 thither by the same motives as their predeces- 
 sors, ultimately realised all they could wish, and 
 established a most powerful and nourishing state. 
 It is a melancholy fact that the new Englanders, 
 who had quitted their native country for a barren 
 wild, that they might enjoy the blessings of reli- 
 gious freedom, were afterwards distinguished for 
 the persecution of others who came to settle in 
 their state, and happened to differ from them in 
 religious opinions. 
 
 Maryland, like New England, was peopled 
 from motives of religion ; but while the colonists 
 in the latter were persecuted Protestant dissenters, 
 the first settlers in this province were persecuted 
 Roman Catholics, also natives of Britain. The Ca- 
 tholics towards the end of Charles the First's reign, 
 were the objects of great hatred to the English peo- 
 ple, who thought, and with some appearance of rea- 
 
BRITISH COLONIES IN AMERICA. 4 28 I 
 
 son, that the court was attached to the Romish 
 religion. Lord Baltimore, doubly odious to the 
 English people, as both a courtier and a Catholic, 
 being anxious to leave the country, obtained a 
 grant of this State, to which he gave the name of 
 Maryland, in honour of Mary Henrietta, queen 
 of Charles the First. Two hundred Popish fa- 
 milies, most of them of considerable distinction, 
 accompanied him, and bought the territory from the 
 native Indians. Baltimore, unlike the people of 
 New England, had learned wisdom from being 
 persecuted, and established perfect toleration in 
 all religious matters in his government. He was 
 twice dispossessed of his revenue and governor- 
 ship, once by Oliver Cromwell, and again by 
 James the Second. At the revolution of 1688, 
 he was restored to the profits of his province, but 
 not to the governorship, which could not, accord- 
 ing to the laws enacted at king William the Third's 
 accession, be held by a Roman Catholic. Though 
 the colony was planted by Catholics, there are, at 
 the present day, as few persons of that persua- 
 sion in Maryland as in any part of the United 
 States. 
 
 Virginia was the first colony that the Eng- 
 lish planted in America. Its coast had been 
 passed by Sebastian Cabot in the year 1497, 
 when he discovered the continent of North Ame- 
 rica ; but no attempt was made to colonise it till 
 the reign of Queen Elizabeth. To her Sir Walter 
 Raleigh, one of the most eminent men of his 
 time, applied for permission to form a company 
 for opening a trade and settling a colony in that 
 quarter of the world, which, in honour of the 
 
282 BRITISH COLONIES IX AMERICA. 
 
 queen, he named Virginia. The early attempts to 
 settle this colony were signally unsuccessful. The 
 first three companies that sailed to Virginia were 
 cut off by the natives, or perished through hunger 
 and disease. The next expedition was reduced to 
 nearly a similar situation, and after having lost 
 more than three-fourths of its number, in despair at 
 the prospect of living in such a desert country, 
 inhabited by inhospitable and warlike savages, had 
 already set sail for England, when they had the 
 good fortune to meet, at the mouth of Chesapeak 
 Bay, with Lord Delawar, with a squadron loaded 
 with provisions and every thing necessary for their 
 relief and defence. He persuaded them to return, 
 and by his prudence and counsel the enemy was 
 put down, and the colony placed in a flourishing 
 condition. 
 
 But by far the most singular history among 
 these provinces, is that of Pennsylvania, which 
 was settled by William Penn, the celebrated 
 quaker. This extraordinary and truly great man 
 was born in London, in 1644. He received his 
 education at Christ Church College, Oxford, but 
 incurred the displeasure of the authorities, by at- 
 tending dissenting places of worship. He after- 
 wards became a disciple of George Fox, the 
 founder of Quakerism, and was one of the most 
 distinguished and zealous among the early believ- 
 ers of that sect. 
 
 The province now called Pennsylvania, after the 
 name of its settler, was originally possessed by the 
 Dutch and Swedes; but they were expelled by 
 Admiral Penn, the father of the quaker, who, as 
 a reward for his services, received a promise of a 
 
BRITISH COLONIES IN AMERICA. '283 
 
 grant of this country from Charles II. Upon the ad- 
 miral's death, his son, after much solicitation, ob- 
 tained the performance of that promise. A great 
 number of persons, particularly those of his own 
 persuasion, followed him to his new settlement, 
 and his wisdom and ability soon placed the colony 
 on a most respectable footing. He laid clown civil 
 and religious liberty as the foundation of all his 
 institutions ; christians of all classes w T ere allowed 
 to have a share in the government, and in the form- 
 ing of the laws, none of which could pass but by the 
 consent of a majority of the inhabitants; causes 
 in dispute regarding property were to be referred, 
 not to lawyers, but to honest and impartial um- 
 pires. It has been justly observed, that had Penn 
 been a native of Greece, his statue would have 
 been placed by those of Solon and Lycurgus. 
 Though empowered, by his patent from the crown, 
 to take forcible possession of the land granted to 
 him, his honour and integrity would not allow him 
 to take any advantage of that circumstance, to 
 wrest the land from those he knew to be the 
 rightful owners, and he therefore bought it of the 
 Indians at a fair price. This act of justice, to- 
 gether with the benevolent interest that he took 
 in the welfare of these people, made him an ob- 
 ject of affectionate reverence to them, and his 
 name was a passport of safety, even for years after 
 his decease, among their most hostile tribes. As 
 the population of Pennsylvania increased, his in- 
 stitutions were found too mild to restrain the bad 
 passions of a mixed assemblage of men of all des- 
 criptions, but they continued in full force, during 
 his life time, and stamped a character upon the 
 
284 BRITISH COLONIES IN AMERICA. 
 
 colony which it has in great measure retained, 
 through all changes of circumstances. This ex- 
 cellent man died on the 30th of July, 1718, in 
 the 74th year of his age. 
 
 Several of the West Indian Islands belong to 
 Great Britain, but she has obtained most of them 
 by conquest or treaty from other nations, by whom 
 they were first colonized. Nearly the same may 
 be said, with the exception of the island of New- 
 foundland, of the dominions which she still re- 
 tains in North America. Canada, the principal of 
 them, was conquered from the French, in 1759. 
 
 The American possessions of Spain, from the 
 store of precious metals with which they abounded, 
 made her, for a while, the mistress of immense 
 wealth, though, by inducing a neglect of com- 
 merce and industry, they have ultimately degraded 
 her to a state both of poverty and ignorance. 
 The colonies established by the English led to 
 much more real and substantial advantages, which 
 are well understood by the powerful nation that 
 now enjoys them. The magnitude of the rivers, 
 and still more of the lakes, or rather inland seas, 
 affords facilities for navigation, which, joined to 
 the goodness of the soil and to the industry of the 
 inhabitants, promise to render the United States, 
 both in the extent of their commerce and their 
 power, one of the first countries in the world. 
 
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