CONTENTdm
A voyage to the South Atlantic and round Cape Horn into the Pacific Ocean : for the purpose of extending the spermaceti whale fisheries and other objects of commerce, by ascertaining the ports, bays, harbours, and anchoring berths in certain islands and coasts in those seas at which the ships of the British merchants might be refitted
Wallace B. Chung and Madeline H. Chung Collection
Combe, William, 1742-1823.
Colnett, James, 1755?-1806.
xviii, 179 pages, 9 unnumbered leaves of plates : illustrations, folded maps, portrait ; 30 cm
application/pdf
m cry -CKJ^- VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH ATLANTIC AND ROUND ' J\ CAPE HORN J . •|j| INTO THE PACIFIC OCEAN, FOR THE PURPOSE OP EXTENDING THE | SPERMACETI WHALE-FISHERIES, AND OTHER OBJECTS OF COMMERCE, BY ASCERTAINING THE PORTS, BAYS, HARBOURS, AND ANCHORING BIRTHS, IN CERTAIN ISLANDS AND COASTS IN THOSE SEAS AT WHICH THE SHIPS OP THE BRITISH MERCHANTS MIGHT BE REFITTED. UNDERTAKEN AND PERFORMED BY CAPTAIN JAMES COLNETT, OF THE ROYAL NAVY, IN THE SHIP RATTLEK. LONDON: PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR, BY W. BENNETT, MARSHAM STREET, WESTMINSTER. SOLD BY A. ARROWSMITH, CHARLES STREET, SOHO ; STOCK.DALE, PICCADILLY; EDGERTON, CHARING CROSS ; ELMSLY, STRAND ; AND WHITE, FLEET STREET. 1798- j£c I Of Cop. I f^^3/^Si£«5ftSw m* C O N T EiM T S. *\ ^M'snmte&ikO "DedicatiotS^ Introduction ilSTSAHO *$P ^Pff^^ ^ Page kiss*??" CHAPTER L Parage of the Rattler from England to Rio Janeiro Tr - 7 CHAPTER IE Attempt to- di/cover I fie Grand; and PafTage Round) G#* iJ^ft ( g-^ ;:-.' 'v*- ■ -- - 8-18' .^CHAPTER HL Remarks o\k$fa-'Navigation round Cape Homfo r tg..\ - 20 CHAP'KER IV. $&>utefrtrik Cape Horn Jo moling th~e Coqfl of ChW^ and the Ifles St. FeUx- S^^i^nfbrofe - %l - 3? |^- CHAPTER V f^SB^h^ ^ Route of the Rattler from the Ifles Saint Felix aftdf f f§K 1 SainrAmfifo/e, to the Coafl of Peru • Jp CHAPTER VL, 2/fo Galapagoe Ifles w* 47 - 6r CONTENTS. CHAPTER VII. Pajfagefrom the Galapagoe Ifles, to IJle Cocas CHAPTER VIII. Route from Ifle Cocas, to the Coafi of Mexico; and - Ifles Santo Berta, and Rocka Partido^. from-.- « thence to the Coafi of California, and account :gj£,S>i\\ our cruize in the Gulf of California, with our return to Socoro cfter fcarchhig for Isle St. Thomas - - - ~ 75 CHAPTER IX. The Rattler quits the Ifle of Socoro for the Coafi of Mexico: fome account of our tranfaflions there, • and while we lay at anchor before the Ifland of Outbo, in the Gulf of Panama, to our afr2i>al at the Ifles of the Galapagoes, on and near the Equator - ■> - jzz CHAPTER X. The Rattler leaves the Galapagoe Ifles and Coafi of Peru, for the Isles Saint Felix and Saint Ambrofe, on the Coqfl of Chili: from thence fhe rounds Cape Horn, on her Paffage to Isle Saint Helena, in the Atlantic Ocean - - 161 CHAPTER XI. From Isle Saint Helena to England - - *7J wnHSn&?l>^nE TO Sir PHILIP STEPHENS, Bart. ONE OF THE LORDS COMMISSIONERS OF THE ADMIRALTY, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR SANDWICH, F. R. S. &c. &c. &c. Sir, JLN dedicating to you the voyage, which is the illbjeel of the following pages, my gratification would: indeed be fincere, (did the work pofTefs an importance which might fully claim your regard:) humble, however, as it's pre- IV DEDICATION. pretentions are, the opportunity, it gives, mufl ferve to terrify my fincere reipecl, my lafting gratitude, for your favors; and I repofe with fome fecurity, on an extenfion, of that protection, towards this volume, which has fo often been the encouragement, of my profefHona! exertions. The difficulties which navigators have experienced, in traverfing the South Seas and Pacific Ocean, have evidently, from the commencement $f your connection with the Admiralty, excited your particular cdnfideration: and it is certain, in all the changes to which that Board has been fubjecl, that the explorer of remote feas, >**uimmmmsmmmm. DEDICATION. V feas, has found in you, a zealous |plvocate to reprefent his claims to thole, with whom it remained, to beftow the reward due to his endeavours and merits. |* As far as I am individually concerned, it is with fmcerity I aver, that in all fitu- ations of trial and difficulty on unknown and unfriendly coafts, I have found an unceafing consolation in the hope that I ponefTed your good opinion; and that in the end, my fervices would obtain, through the channel of your faithful explanation, a liberal requital. If any diftinct praife can confer an honor on your name, (beyond what it bears for the general ability, zeal and integrity, VI DEDICATION. integrity, which have been invariably manifefted, during the extenfive period of your official fervices), it is moft af- furedly due for your public, as well as private acfs of friendihip to thofe, who like me, have embarked for the purpofe of enlarging the bounds of Navigation and Commerce; and I feel a decided conviction, that every follower of the able Captain Cook, will give a cordial anent to this tribute. I am, Sir, Your truly obliged and moll obedient humble Servant, No. 17, Miliman Street, Bedford Row. JAMES COLNETT. U INTRODUCTION. IT will not, I prefume, be confidered as altogether unneceflary or uninterefting, if I offer to the public attention a fummary account of my voyages previous to that which is the fubject. of this volume. . I had been already engaged in various commercial undertakings on the North-Weft coaft of America, during a period of feven years: But I never ceafed to blend the zeal of my naval character with the fpirit of commercial enterprize, a and 11 INTRODUCTION. and accordingly fearched the coaft from 36° to 609 North;, the inland part of which was before little known to European navigators. I alfo fur- veyed feveral bays, harbours and creeks, and dif- covered many considerable inlets* particularly between 5 o9 and 5 39 North, which, were fuppofed tOv communicate with Hudfon*s Bay*. I likewife made two voyages to China, but, on my return from the firft of them, was, unfortunately captured by the Spaniards at Nootka-Sound, and2 fent a prifoner to the port of St. Bias in the Gulph of California. From thence I was permitted to go tp' lyjfexico, to make my appeal' to the Viceroy; a journey, including my return to St. Bias, of eighteen hundred miles. But after being detained as a prifoner thirteen months, and having loft four of my five veffels, with moft of my Officers and half the crew, who had become the victims of difeafe, I was at length indebted * Thefe inlets have fince been more particularly examined by Capt. Vancouver of the Royal Navy, by order of the Board of Admiralty. INTRODUCTION. indebted for my liberty to the fpkited conduct of th£ Court of Great-Britain, as foon as it was officially informed of the infult offered*'to her colours, of the piracy committed on her merchants, and the cruelty exercifed towards her fubje&s. I now returned to Nootka, in the only veflel jwflich remained to me; and, after fuffering incredible hardfhips from a want of prov^icftis, and the fhip getting feveral times^ri-lbore, I procured another valuable cargo of furs and proceeded to China. A prohibition, however, of the fa&e of thefe articles, having taken place at that port during my abfence, I did not remain there, but, in a fhort time, let fail, and, at the requeft of thofe gentlemen who were joint agents with me, coafted for a market to the Weft fide of Japan, and Eaft fide of Corea; a coaft which had never before been vifited by an European veflel. Here an encouraging profpect. of a new and valuable commerce for my country unfolded a % itfelf IV ' INTRODUCTION. ' ♦ itfelf before me; when, in a typhoon, in the Latitude of 3.8° North, on the coaft of Coreai I was fo unfortunate as to lofe my rudder,, which obliged me to put back into the port of Chufan in the Northern parts- of China,, where my lofs was repaired, as well as could be contrived, without the profeffional aid of a carpenter. At this, place, I was, by no means, well treated by the Chinefe: indeed, to prevent the being plundered of our cargo, and to fave ourfelves from the ill+ ufage" which we might perfonally fuffer*, if we fhould fall into their hands, we cut /from our anchor, and, baffling the purfuit of thirty-fix armed junks, returned to Canton *. Here I was threatened with, ftill. greater evils,, for being obliged from the wretched ftate of the ihip* which was almoft a wreck, to pafs the Bocca Tigris* without flopping to obtain the neceffary paflport, the * I communicated the track of this voyage to Mr. Arrowfmith, Geographer, and it may be feen in his chart of the Pacific Ocean which will be foon publifhed. B INTRODUCTION. the Chinefe made this act' ofneceflity on my part^ an official pretext on theirs to feize the vefTel and cargo ;. and having contrived by ftratagem, to ■ get me out of her, detained me as a pri'lonerl in; Canton during^ five days«: Bu# when the various unfortunate circumftances- which had befallen me were explained; and the truth of them duly, attefted, before the judicial Mandarins,, I was ordered to be enlarged, while my veffel was fent for me, at the expence of the Chinefe Government*, to Macao to be fold, and myfelf and cargo, by tiie fame iJbperior interpofition, < put on. board rile Eaft-India Company's ihip, General Coote,- bound for England:- On my arrival there, the India ©ompany purchafed my cargo for nine thoufand feven hundred and fixty pounds fterling. A full account of this voyage and the circumftances connected with it; together with the charts and drawings-made to illuftrate it, were left in Eng* land when I proceeded on my laft voyage; a nar* rativeof which; as well as. of that I made to Japan and;. ■jj m s^tf- M in EXTRODUCTION. and Corea, will hereafter, I truft* be communicated to the pyblic. In a fh®g&lfone after my arrbia>Hni England* an application was made to me by different merchants to undertake another voyage to the. countries I had lately vifited, on a falary of fix hundred pounds per am. and the reimbursement of all my expences, which were the conditions of my for* mer voyages, or to go on my own terms. So long an abfence from my countiry as a period of feven years,, had occafioned a very confiderable change ^ki my fituation. During thai interval, death had dejfa&ed: me of my neareft relations i many of thofe)i£fiend$3 alfo whom I left in JEngland,. when I departed from it, aftd whom I hoped to fee again on my return t©i tit, were now no more; fo -that few or no objects were left to check or interrupt the honeft ambition I had never ceafed to po£efs of rifing in $ie Royal Navy, which 'INTRODUCTION. VII •which was my original and favourite profefiion. I had ferved on the Quarter-deck of a man of war from the year 1769, and performed the fe- cond circumnavigating voyage ^zfo Capt. Cooke as a midfhrpman, on board the Refolution: I had alfb enjpyed for fixteen yeacs"1 the rank of a lieutenant. 1 -' accordingly addreffed a letter to th^ Right Honourable the Lords Commifeffioners of the- Adiplr-alty, in wHien,- '^fter fetting forth my feiw1 ees and fituation, I requefted their Lordfhips, if 'tyke profeffional exertions of" my paft life did not appear, in their op&MQ&V to merit profef- Hi^^lpJoitiotion, or<$r they had nogfcn^oyment^' offer me in ondferto oWain it^'that'^they would be pleafed to grant me permiffion to re-engage ftfib my commercial purfuits. Captain Marfhall, one ©f -tfie Commiflione^ of the Victualling Office, under whofe Command I had the honour to ferve, craririg feveral years, in the rank of firft lieutenant, fupporteffme in this application, which was effectually forwarded by Mr75 Stephens ; wh& was* SS jyjii riNTRODUCTWfrN. ,was uninfluenced by any claim m my &vour, but fuch as my fervi#s, whatever they might -have been, fuggefted to the. jufffce and gene- rofity of his character. In -eonfequence of this application, I was informed that the Board of Admiralty had nominated me to undertake a voyage, planned in confequert# of a memorial from merchants of the City of London, concerned in the South Sea Fifhgries, to the Board of Trade; for the purpofe of difcovering fuch parts for the South Whale Fifhers who voyage round Cape Horn, as might afford them the neceffary advantages of refrefhment and fecurity to refit. This memorial ftated the calamitous fituation of the fhip's crews employed in this trade, from the fcurvy and other difeafes, incident to thofe who are obliged to keep the feas, from the want of that relief and refrefhment, which is afforded by intermediate harbours. The INTRODUCTION. IX The Spaniards, it is true, had, of late, admitted fhips into their ports for the purpofe of refitting; but, from the lateft accounts received before I railed from England, this permifiion was fo re- ftricted as to amount almoft to a prohibition, in which it was continually expected to end. It became therefore an object of great importance to obtain fuch a fituatkm as our commerce required, independant of the Spaniards; as it would, in a great meafure, leflen their jealoufy, and, at the fame time, accomplifh the fanguine wifhes of our merchants. Impelled by thefe views and interefts, thofe gentlemen made a propofal to Government to carry out an Officer in one of their fhips, in order to difcover fuch a fituation, for a gratuity of 500/. fterling. This propofal was accordingly accepted; and Meffrs. Enderby and Sons, merchants of great property as well as commercial character in London, and who poffeffed the largeft Concern in this branch of the Whale Fifhery, were pleafed to exprefs their b fatis- H X XNTRODUCTHMt,' fetisfaction at my being named to conduct the- intended voyage *, There being at this time, no private veflel ins the Thames for fale, which was properly contracted for the purpofes of this expedition, w propofition was made to the Lords Commiffioners. of the Admiralty to lend one of his Majefty's finall fhips of war for the fervice, to be returned in the fame ftate, at the conclufion of the enter- prize. This plan was favoured with, their LonJr- lhips approbation; and feveral veffels being- propofed and examined with this view, the Rattler floop of three hundred and feventy-fow tons burthen, was felected, then laying at his Majefty's yard at Woolwich, for confiderable repairs. It was, however, found, on more mature coniideration, that the alterations neceflary to be made for the whaling trade, would render her unfit for his Majefty's future fervice. An offer was therefore made to the Lords of the Admiralty INTRODUCTION. XI Admiralty to purchafe the faid floop; and th^r Lordfhips thought proper to favour it with their acquviefcence ; a proof of their indulgent attention to any propofal that may tend to advance the interefts or extend the limits of the Britifh costr merce, and fifheries An official order was accordingly given for the delivery of the floop, on the purehafe-money being paid, according to her valuMibn; and, on the following day, fhe was received from the Officers of the King's yard, and tranfported to Mr. Perry's dock, at Blackwall, fei order to be repaired and fitted for the particular fervic© in which fhe was to ht employed. Of this veflel I was appointed fole Commander, which, however, was a mere complimentary nomination, as no pecuniary advantage whatever •was attached to it; exclufife of what I might derive from the fubfequent generality of Govern*- ment. A whaling mafter and a crew, • confifting h % of Xll INTRODUCTION. t§f twenty-five perfons; men and boys, were alfo appointed; and with the advice and affiftance of my kinfman Mr. Binmer, firft affiftant furveyor of the Navy, who had fuperintended the original conftruction of the floop, fuch alterations were made, as, without diminifhing her ftrength, or leffening her powers of failing, were perfectly adapted to the commercial undertaking in which fhe was about to be employed: fo that fhe was equipped and ready to leave the river by the eleventh day of November, 1793. Every nautical inftrument, neceflary for determining the longitude and making other ufeful. obfervations> were alfo put on board: and I purchafed of Mefirs. Enderby's one half of the fhip, which muft at once have checked any apprehenfion on their part, that their private concern would be interrupted or receive any detriment from the attention I might pay to, fuch inftructions as were communicated to me by Mr. Stephens. Mefirs. INTRODUCTION. X1U- Meffrs. Enderby and Sons had fitted out the fhip: but neverthelefs, I fpared no expence in providing myfelf with all things- which my experience of long voyages,, as well as- my knowledge of the feas, I was. preparing once more to traverfe, fuggefted to me as neceffary for preferring the. health of thofe who were to fail with me. I alfo purchafed the various voyagesof former navigators, and fuch books on the fubjects of natural hiftory,, as might affift me in my purfuits, and enable me to furnifh inftruction in thofe branches of fcience connected with my own ;■ and which, remote navigation might tend to advance. In fhort, I determined to fpare no exertion in fulfiling every object of the voyage, which had been entrufted to my care and direction.. As my inftructions were not ready by the- eleventh of November, the fhip was ordered round- to Portfmouth, to wait for me. But while I was in daily expectation of receiving my difpatches,. the unexpected ■ji&v INTRODUCTION. Tfitiexpected and alarming conduct of the French Nation, demanded the whole attention of Government, and occafionfed an unavoidable fufpenfion of my final inftructions. At this delay, however, the fhip's company, who engaged in the voyage on proportionable fhares of the profits refulting from it, began to exprefs their difiati&faction; while the owners of different properties in the South Seas, particularly Meffrs. Ehderby's, Mefirs. Champion and Meffrs. Methers, being anxious to convey early intelligence to their veffels, of the fituation of our domeffic affairs, and the change that appeared to be taking place in Europe, ear- neftly and anxioufly recommended me to proceed on the voyage, without any other inftructions than fuch .as had been verbally communicated to me, and the maps with which Mr. Stephens had been fo kind as to furnMi me. It was, however, thought neceflary that, previous to my departure,* I fhould apply for the ufual letter of leave of ,abfence, which I immediately obtained After INTRODUCTION. XV After this long detention, and the great expences which accompanied it, I fhould not. have been induced to undertake fuch a voyage, for the mere eafual advantages which the fifhery might produce,, if I had not received the ftrongeft ajiUjjinees from the beginning, that, if I executed the comiaaiffioiit1 affigned me by the Board of Admiralty, I fhould not fail of particular promotion; and that in any general promotion which might take place, during, my abfence, I fhould not be forgotten.. Though my former voyages were pj$n$jjpally undertaken with the views of commercial advantage,, I was never inattentive to the advancement of nautical feigaace: my obfervation 5Kas,always awake to every object which might inftruct myfelf and enable me to inftruct others; and I eonftandgr eommiMed my thoughts to paper as they arofe in< my mind from the. appearance of tilings around me,, ©r the circumftances, whatever they might be,, in. which I happened to be involved. I cannot be fuppofed; ■ ;.;:. ; -f--, .;-. H XVI INTRODUCTION. fuppofed to poffefs any claim to literary qualifications, which are only to be obtained in the calni of life, while fo many of my years have been paft amid the winds and waves, in various climes and diftant oceans. Neverthelefs, I poffefs the hope that my work may contain fome portion of profef- fional utility, or I fhould not have prefumed to prefent it to Mr. Stephens, as a teftimony, humble as it may be, of my gratitude for his condefcending kindnefs to me. The owners, Meffrs. Enderby and Sons, being perfectly acquainted with the intention and bafis of the plan on which the voyage was to be conducted, made out their orders in a manner altogether comformable to the views of Government; and as a proof of their confidence, furnifhed me with full powers to act as I fhould think beft for our common intereft. 1 accord- INXRO D UCTLOLN...., ;SXU nJj acco^qg^ joined the-j^jj^r cm the. 34th,ej: ^December, 1793, but was unfortunately 4st-M9rl$" ■)jy C)0ifeEary winds. During this accidental delay* a bounty of five pounds was ,o|£ered for feamen. to enter into his Majefty's fervice, which proved (t©jp- great a temptation for all r,rmy crew to „wjth- ftand, as it afforded^ favourable opportunity to thofe who ffelt no, comTO-n^ion at rajbbj^g tbj^r employers of the adjjance/given them to perforjnya long voyage, -to /hjglter ;i^emfelves under the .proclama/tjtojir^ nIj em^lqye^[jevf^jpoflible pijeean- tion to prevent the o|gfe/5tion of a^ny of myjpeople.; neverthelefs, three of them contrived to make their efcape : and I could not obtain..,any to fupply their place, but by paying a bounty equal to that of the Royal Navy. On this condition I procured three men, natives of the Ifle of Wight. The firft day of January, 1793, at length arrived, and by this delay, we loft the profpect of obtaining the premium given by the Britifh c Govern- XV111 INTRODUCTION. Government to whalers failing round Cape Horn, without clearing out again, for which I received the owners inftructions: but the collector at Cowes informed me, that it could not be allowed. On the fecond day of January, in the afternoon, the weather promifing to be fair, and the wind inclining to the North, I dropped down to Yarmouth Roads. We had a thick fog and Southerly wind all night, and dufring the next day and following night, there was an heavy gale to the South, with drizzling rain. At noon on the fourth, the wind fhifted to the Northward arid brought clear weather, with which we failed. CHAP. Mil 'UHur— • i- «-£"'• SIM 1PHIJLI1P STEFHE^S,Bar!M.P. s*J&M*2 CHAPTER I. PASSAGE OF THE RATTLER FROM ENGLAND TO RIO 4£$gk JANEIRO. X HE flant of wind with which we fet fail continued to be fair i?93- no longer than midnight, and we were obliged to ply to windward until the feventh of January at noon; when, being clofe January y. in witE; the Start, and threatened with a gale of wind from the Southward, we bore up and anchored in Torbay for the night. The wind at day-light fhifting to the North North Weft, we weighed and flood out of the bay. This fpirt carried us as far as the Eddyftone Light-houfe, when it again fhifted to the Southward and blew frefli. We had now to beat off a lee-fhore, and, by the prefs of fail which we were obliged to carry, in order to accomplifh that object, and to get ten leagues to the Southward and Weftward of the Jvizard, we had three feet water in the hold from a leak in A the ill 1793- VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. the trunks that were funk to the hawfe for the cables, ins corrfequence- of a fpar-eteck being* fixed tsjsst tfe& feTF^-ca&le- and quarter-deck, and bringing the cables on the upper deck. At this time the gale had fo increafed, as to reduce our fails to the three ftorm {lay-faille and, at times* during the twenty-four hours it lafted, we could not carry all of them,, from the rain, hail, fiiow and blowing-weather which we had; experienced more or lefs every day, fince we failed.: while- our crew confided of no more than, fevenieen,. officers and;. feamen, with three landmenand five boys, to work a fhip that,, in his Majefty's fervice, had a complement of 130 men.:: and all the alteration I had made was cutting- four feet off the lower yards, two- feet off the top-fail yards, and' reducing the fails in proportion.. Thus weak, handed,, we: were all obliged to be on deck; when there was- an extra duty-, ■ which our. fituation and the ftate. of the fhip often, required. The crew alfo, at this time, began to grow wearyv and, in addition to our-other exertions, it was neceffary to * keep the pump in continual employment. We were, however, greatly indebted to the marine barometer, as it warned; me againft making fail when there was an appearance only of moderate, and to fhorten fail on. the approach of foul and: January 13. tempeftuous, weather.. At length,, however, on the thirteenth: at noon, when we were- within a few leagues of the Lizard, the wind fhifting to the' North Weft, and from thence to. the- VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. the North Eaft, a ftrong wind and great fwell carried us to *793- Madeira in fix days; on one of which alone we had fair weather. On the twentieth I had run that diftance by two January so. of Arnold's time-pieces and account: it alfo blew a ftrong gale, very variable, with dark cloudy weather and. heavy rain. I had not made any obfervation this day to be relied on, but fuch as pointed out to me the Ifle was not far diftant, and that it became abfolutely neceffary for me to- afcertain our true fituatio&Mbefore night. I depended on the qualities •of the fhip for clearing the land if caught on a lee-fhore,. and accordingly fhortened fail to elofe-reefed main-top-fail and fore-fail. We then hove too and houfed our boa€s? but we had no fboner bore up, than, halfha^mile on -the 'Ifefi beam, we deferied the Deferf^rs Roc'ts r and as it was. impoffible to weather them on the tack we wer©fhen ont we wore and ftre€)shed out between Portdfi'S&nclo and the Eaft end of Madeira; while it btiw fo heavy?atffintervals, thai the fhip lurched three ftreaks of ^ehe main-deck under waited: sat the fame time, fhe made a better way through, the water than we could expecl or would generatty'be bejfilved? When the gale had ceafed, calms, tight wullfe,. and baffling weather, prevented our clea^ng the Weft' end of MadeiSjist, until the evening of the twenty-fecond of January. My prefent intention was to pafs - in fight, to the Weftward of the Canaries; and. at noon, on the twenty- Pi® A z ninth iii. 29. 4 YOYAGE TO THE SOUTH ;VS©A,S* iJSS- ninth inftant,llira4 the .v$3&eftfi&$ beerijfojdafk^gi^^lppqdedi we ought* by :pur obferyat'ionSj to --have^feien-fome oJ^jtJigfgC At.four^in the afternoon ,We got fight o£»ghe Ifland Ferjo, difiant about five or fix leagues. "From;hence I was pj-§jl$ad§d, to get iiaothe Longitude of 2, i" Wejft, in the Larjjtudg^ofathf Jfle of Sad ode of the Cape de Verds, and run doygn in tfhaf parallel for the Ifle wil&! an expectation of catching whaJ^ This^as not meigjy a curious inclination, but a fenfe .of tytfo 8yhi{i}./iri^p.ired>tfee wifh tolbegin ngjy acquaintance wi$hjt£igf ^jufinefsil at as early a period of the voyage as poffible,.- Dark, hjlfcy an^ijjejpudy weathj§r accompanied us all the way ffgm th& <panaijaSjoand our rigging was covered,VV^h 4r& °f ftfe? <X"Jt»ur of brow"n fand, as if it had been laying^ga $?f>rgBfj Wc ran tb? difb-fevfcP by wat5fh>-aj|d reckoning{jtpr,a^|gw.milesn^f $ke ?oj@fljin^ia**c§ftf hazy weather prevented our^eingit: and OfarM fefevfcftrong A&!igh a heavy fea, it w^fothe whajl^.m^fle^s ©^ihioift <^i^3(H4hs..W]eather we could. dgi^thgjg>f5g^h-fi^1^' 38fe AJH» wttib-jtbem : I accordingly bore upland ruflfriow^i the lee-fj(jde of Bonavifta. • {LJght winds prevented our Feb. 10. j3S©$@ng thevB4p#tor u»jjl. the tenjfeh of Februarys .at mid*- gftgtefodinjj?eng^&}de,-54£dgft' Weft 0/ Greenwic^'and all $ff fifhjSBlvbaiba&y$t caughi, were a fharkoaifkd^a porpoife. In the Latitude of 19- South, and Longitude 25* Weft, we loft the South Eaft %faae wind, which had accompanied us from !Bsa&^. mmt VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. •from 4- North: when a wind from the North Eaft fell in V93- with us, and continued until we reached the Latitude 21" 30', and Longitude 36° Weft. At this time we had changeable weather, with lightening, heavy rain, and a fwell :£rom the South Weft. The wind then fhifted to the Southward and Eaftward, and blew in that direction until the twenty-third of February, when, at midnight, we made Feb. 23.. Cape Frio;, but calms and light winds prevented our getting into Rio Janeiro, until the twenty-fourth. We there 2+* found Governor Phillips on his homeward bound paffage from Botany Bay, in the Atlantic Tranfport; and, on the following day, a South. Whaler came in to flop a leak.. The rigging of the Rattler was in fuch a flate as to requirfe- confiderable repaid: the new work alfo wanted caulking; and that no further time might be loft, the feafon being already far advanced for doubling Cape- Horn, I hired natives to fupply me with water, as well as a couple of caulkers to affift our carpenter in caulking the fhip and flopping our leak, which was under the hawfe-pieces. At length, all our repairs being compleated,. and our flock of provifions, including two live bullocks, being got on board, by the fifth of March 5. March, we fet fail with the Mediator, the whaler, already mentioned. We parted, however, with her, on getting out of the harbour, and paffed, between the Rafor and Round Ifles, to the Sea.. Governar I fi VOYAGE TO TH®. SOUTH SEAS. *193- Governor PhaH'ips failed the day before me, and was fb kind, among other civilities, as to be the bearer of a table of the rate of the time-keepers to Phillip Stephens, Efq. as well as of letters to the owners and my friends. On my return from taking -leave of him, and at the diftance of :about two cables length of his fhip, I ftruck witib. an harpoon the largeft turtle I ever faw: it weighed "at leaft five /hundred weight. Governor Phillips, on obferving our exertions on the oceafion, immediately fent a boat to our affift- rance, and I requefted his acceptance of the prized On the arrival of a fhip off Santa-Cruz at the moiitJh of Rio Janeiro, the Patrimore or harbour mafter comes on board, takes charge of the veffel, carries her into the harbour and moors her in a good birth. Sometimes the mate is ■firft taken out, as was the ceremony with me, to undergo an examination; but the captain is not fuffered to leave the fhip without orders; neither- will any fupplies be admitted until avifit h^s been made by the officers of police, to enquire into the health of the crew, from whence you come, whither ■you are bound, what is the particular object of your voyage, and the time you with to ftay. The mates are then taken on ihore to be examined, when their declaration- with that .^f the commanding officer, is laid before the Viceroy whofe (Official permiffion muft be ^wn before anv commercial ^ntercourfe mm VOYAGE TO THjE, SOUTH SEAS-. mtercourfe can take place between the fhip and the fhore: W3- the captain and officers muft alfo fign a declaration, acknowledging that they and tfteir crew confider themfelves as amenable to.the laws of the country, while they remain, in. it. The land-breeze, at this place, commences in the eventing, and generally continues until the morning; the length o£" time it blows,.as well as ittff&fcngth; depends on the different; feafbns of the year; and all veffels leaving this port muft take the advantage of the land or leading wind, the mouth of K harbour beifrg" too- narrow to turn out. We had no robner lert me: harbour, than the Pammbre took his lea^ef; of us. It may be proper,, however, to remark, in this place, ^nat the commanders of merchant veffels are required to give one day's notice, prt#ious to their' failing from this port. ©HAP, VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. CHAPTER II. ATTEMPT TO DISCOVER ISLE GRAND ; AND PASSAGE ROUND CAPE HORN. t-193- ON leaving Rio Janeiro, I flood away to the Southward and Eaflward to fearch for fhe Ifland Grand, which is faid to lay in the Latitude of 45? South, and was the firft objeeb recommended to me by the Board of Admiralty. On March 17. the feventeenth of March, at noon, Latitude by obfer- vation $g° 33' South; Longitude by the mean of chronometers 34° 2,1 Weft; and by account, 34° 25'; variation, 9° Eaft. The fea appeared of a pale green, and we faw many birds, fome of which were faid by feveral of my people, to be of thofe kinds which are fuppofed to indicate the vicinity of land; fuch as fand-larks, and a large fpecies of curlew; but neither of the latter kinds of birds were feen by me. From noon of the feventeenth, until fix in the evening, the wind blew from the South, South Eaft, and we flood away to the Southward and Weftward: it then became calm VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. calm and continued {o till midnight; when it blew from l793\ the North Weft, being, at this time, in the fituation which I had often heard my old commander, Captain Cook, mention, as the pofition of the Ifle of Grand: I accordingly entertained great expectations of feeing it; more efpecially as the birds appeared in great numbers during the whole of the day. In the evening we flood away to the Southward, in which direction I continued my courfe for the night. At day-light, on the eighteenth, the furface of the water was March 18. covered with feathers; and frequently in the forenoon we pafled feveral birch twigs, as well as quantities of drift-wood and fea-weed. Thefe appearances continued until noon of the fame day, when our obfervation was in Latitude 40? iz South: Longitude by obfervation of Sun and Moon, S59 34' VVeft; and by mean of chronometers 349 _8'. At this time the appearance'of the fea had changed to a dirty green; which could not be the effpcl of the fky, as it was very clear: thofe tokens of land induced me to heave to and try for foundings with an hundred .and fifty fathoms of line, but got no bottorm wp fia-d no fooner got the lead in, when to our great aftonifhment, at three or four miles diftance from us, the -whole horizon was covered with birds of the blue peterel. kind- At the fame time black whales were feen fpouting in mpxy direction, and the boats purfued one to B harp 00$ r© VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS'. I793-ii harpoon it, but without fuccefs. Indeed, we were not very folicitous to kill black whales, and- willingly gave up the efiafte at this; time, to make all the fail we could, &hd to exert our utmoft efforts in order, if poffible, to difeover the land before night; which every one on board had pofieffed tWemfelves with the idea of feeing, although at fuch a cbnftderable difrance from the Latitude in whMh it was* fuppofed" to lay. During thif Mtefnoon we paffed feveral fields of fpawny, Which caufed the water to Wear the appearance, of barely. fe6vering the furface of a bank. At fun-fefwe could fee as far as twelve or fourteen league^ *' but did not perceivV any other figns of land than the great -flight of bircls which' continued to accompany us, and they were' fo numerous at times, that nad they all been ortTxie wing together, and: above us, inftead of rifing in alternate flocks and fkrnirrring- after the whales, the atmofphere muft have been altogether- darkened oy them. And' the number of whales in fight prefented a fair opp6rtunity of making a profitable voyage in the articWbf black oil;, but my predominant object was to fulfil the particular fervices recommended' to me by the Lords of the Admiralty; and in one point I had at this moment, the. mofl. flattering hopes of fucceeding.. Towards; mmmmmm VOYAGE TO THE SdUTH SEAS. II Towards the evening, the barometer fell,and the weather began to be cloudy: but I continued flanding to the Southward with a frefh breeze till midnight, when we hove to and ibumded; but did not find ground, with one hundred and Seventy ;i&$ioms of line. The gale was increasing every hour with an heavy fea; arad,$2jp day-light, wetCQuld only carry clofe- reefedt€op-fails and fore-fail. The weather was dark and hajgj, «the fea affiimed a deep lead-colour, many birds and whales *efiaained with us, and we pafied large quantities of fea- weed. At noon we were in the Latitude of 439 3' South, and Longitude 35° 38' Weft. Here we founded,, but found no bottom: sreverthelefs, every circumftance ftrengthened our coiijbSures that we were nearing the "land,- which induced me to proceed on my courfe, although it con- atiraued to blow hard from Weft North Weft. At midnight' we hove to, and founded with one hundred and J&tfB$ty fathoms of line, but found no bottom. At day-light we founded again with two hundred fathoms of line, and were equally uaffticcefsful. We now made fail, and at.jjoon our Latitude was 44? 51'; Longitude by obfesvation, 349 £<o£; and by mean of chronometers 33° 53' 30" Weft. I79S- The birds leffened greasy in numbers, and with them/jour hopes of finding the land which was the object of our Search. I continued, however, to cruize aibout for feveral B Z fucceflivc 12- VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. f-793- fucceffive days near this Longitude, but faw nothing to< encourage any further endeavours. 1 1 ' ■Ur. The feafoh was now far advanced for doubling Cape Horn:,, and: it appeared to me, that the moft rational courfe I could take, would be to run down Weft to the main land of Patagonia, in the Latitude in which the Ifle of Grand is- placed; as we were now to the Eaftward o£Mr. Dalrymple!s pofition of it *: fo that if it was not found in that Latitude, I might,, Extract from Mr. DitRYMPLE^ * In the Latitude of 45? South, there is a very large^pleafintdfland, difcovered. by Ant..La.Roche, a native of England, ia-his gafiage-from the South Seas, in the year 1675. The Spaniih author who giyes the abftraft of La Roche's voyage, printed according to him, in 1678, fays, " That La Roche, leaving the land, (difcovered by him in 55? South; and''which-was fine© feon by the Iieonjiin^ *7 j6,)'-and failing one-whole day-to the North Weft, the wind came fo violently at- South, that he flood .-North, for three days more, till they were, got into 46? South, - when thinking themfelves then fecure> they relate, that directing their courfe for the Bahia de Todos Santos,, in Brazil, they found; in 45? South, a very<-large, pleafant ifland$ with-a good port towards, the -Eafterri*part;-in .which they found: wood, water and fifh> they faw no people, nobwithftandJngv they flayed there fix. days." The fize of this- iflaajLis' not mentioned in the. Spaniih abftra&j but the. exprefiion, Muy Grand, very large, and-the expectation, of finding inhabitants,, feemed to indicate that it is of great extenti. The exiftence of this ifland, and; in fbmemeafare itj-extent, is confirmed by other authorises* for Halley, near this Longitude, in about 43° South_fays, •' the colour of the fea was changed to pale green, and in 45? South he faw abundance of fmall fea-fowl and beds of weeds." Funnel, in his pafiage,. into- the VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAJ-J *3 might, on my return, fearch for it in the Latitudes of 40* *793- and 419, having ftrong reafon to believe, that there is land in or near thofe Latitudes, but to the Eaftward of the Longitude which I crofled; as otherwife, I am at a lofsto account for fuch a quantity of birch twigs, fea-weed, drift-wood and birds as were feen in that fituation. Some of thefe birds appeared, to be quite young, from- the difficulty with which they feemed- to ufe- their wings.;, though that circum- ftance, it is poffible, might have proceeded from their being gorged^with fea.blubber, with which the furface of the.watec: was covered.. From the land difcovered'by Monfieur La Roche, in Latitude $5° South,| which I touched at with Captain Cook, in the year 1771, who named.it Georgia, I. am difpofed to- believe, that the^Ifle of. Grand alfo exifts, and that my not being able to find.it,. arofefrom an, error in copying, the Latitude- the South Sea, alfo mentions figns of land from about 40? South, near this Longitude. The Nafiau-fleet, 1624,-had. alfo. figns of land here, ,fo as-to think, them-- felves near the Southern continent.- Thefe teftimonies and the Leon, in 17,56, finding the other land mentioned by La Roche, leave very little reafon to doubt his veracity : and, if there is fuch an ifland, fituated*in the rmudle-of the ocean, in 45? South Latitudep^cannot faii of being a very temperate and pleafant country, in a fituation very favourable for carrying on the whale fiihery and others, and alfo for the profecution of any%- commerce, which may be found in the. countries to the South, 1 I H VOYAGE TO THE SGUTH SEAS. 1793. tude given by La Roche: nor can I doutii, fromthfe'-quantity of whales I perceived near its fuppofed Situation, 'that it -would prove a much greater acquifition than the Ifland Georgia, to which many profitable voyages'had been made for feal fkins alone. This route, however, will be of fome advantage to Britifh •navigators; even if no land fhould be difcovered according to our expectations, as it will tend to undeceive the mafters and owners of whalers, who have entertained an opinion that the black whale was jaever to be found in bodies, fo far to the Eaftward.: for, if half the whalers belonging to London had been with me, they might have filled their veffels "with oil. Marcli aj. The autumnal equinoctial gale came on us The twenty- third of March, and held upwards of four days, with fre" quent claps of thunder, accompanied by lightening, hail and rain. It blew as hard as I ever remember, and, for feveral hours, we could not venture to fhew any fail. At the fame time a whirlwind or typhoon arofe to windward, from whence in one of the fqualls, two balls of fire, about the fize of cricket balls, fell on board. One of them ftruck the anc'riOTlwMeh was houfedon the fore-oaftle, and burfting into particles, ftruck the chief mate and one of the feamen, wh& fell asa VOYAGE TO THE £OUTH SE^rS. v Jeff dfown in excruciating tortures. On examining them feve- 3gl holes appeared to have been burned in their cloaths which- were of flannel: and in various parts of their bodies there were fmall wounds, as if made with an hot iron of the fize of a fixpenny piece. I immediately ordered fome of the crew to performs the operation of the Otaheiteans, called*;Eoro : u&ee *, which caufed' a confiderable abatement of their pains,, but feveral days ■ elapfed: before they were perfectly recoverecL. The other ball ftruckjthe funnel of.the caboofe, made an explo- fion equal to that of a fwiveljgun, and burned feveral.holes in the mteen-ftay-fail and main-fail which were handed. At the height of it the barometer was s.89. The alarm which we may be fgppofed to have experienced during the whirjwind,, was not allayed.by the noife of the birds, who, not confider- ing the fhip to be a place of fafety, as.^ the cafe in common gales, appeared, by the violence of^jtheir fhrieks and the irregularity of their flight, to be fenfible of the danger: for- cas ithe fquall approached them numbers- plunged into the- fea, to avoid.it; while thofe who could not efcape its influence, were whirled* in. a fpiral manner out of fight in an inftant. It very fortunately reached us only within- two i cables length of each^ £eam, and fo paffed a-head of the fhip to th£ Notth. From, our firfl feeing, to our lofing fight &ST W3-- * Roro mee. It confifts in grafping the fleihy parts of the body, legs, and. ,xtfos, and working it.with the fingers.. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. fight of it, was about half an hour. In this gale, I loft the greateft part of my live flock, together with all the vegetables that hung at the flern of the fhip. On the eighth day of April, in Latitude 509, we ftruck foundings off the North Weft end of 'Falkland's Iflands. 'The whole way I faw plenty of black whales-; and two days before ftriking foundings, we perceived a fhoal of fpermaceti whales, apparently bound round Cape Horn ; but our boats being all houfed and well fecured for doubling the Cape, we did not purfue them. "In this courfe I ran directly over the fituations in Which, the Ifle of Grand is placed in all the charts, without difcovering any appearance of land. On the ninth, in the afternoon, we ftruck foundings in fixty-five fathoms off the Weft end of Falkland's Iflands; but the violence of the wind and the thick weather prevented me from making an accurate obfervation. The fhallownefs of the bottom induced me to believe, that I was not fb far to the Weft as the watch gave me. When by my calculation I was to the South of Falkland's Ifles, I flood away for Cape Saint John, Staten Land. The winds were variable North Weft, South, South Eaft, Eaft, and North Eaft. The greateft depth at which I found bottom* was ninety fathoms; and then no bottom at one hundred and fifty fathoms. On assgsgwgg *Sm VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. On the eleventh at midnight when I fuppofed myfelf off i793- & rr J April i r. Cape Saint John, we founded and ftruck ground at, ninety fathoms, fmall dark flones. In this depth of water I did not confider myfelf as far to the Eaftward of the Cape as I wifhed, for which reafon, I hauled on a wind, and beat to windward, with the wind at North Eaft and Eaft North Eaft, till feven o'clock in the morning, when having no foundings at one hundred and fifty fathoms, I bore up for Cape Horn. On the twelfth at noon, the wind drew round to the South, South Eaft, as the preceding night indicated, by the cold being fb fevere, that fome of the crew were froft bitten for feveral hours, and the fhip and rigging covered with fhow and ice. After this, the wind inclined to the Weft of South, which was fbon fucceeded by moderate weather and fmooth water; this was alfo of fhort duration, for it changed gradually round, until it got to the Eaft, and at midnight on the thirteenth, it fhifted fuddenly in a fquall of rain to the South, and brought me on a lee-fhore. At day-light we faw the Ifles of Diego Ramieres, bearing North by Eaft, three or four leagues; and I make them by obfervations corrected, in Longitude 68° 58' Weft; and in Latitude $6° 30' South. They appeared to lay in an Eaft and Weft direction. The Weftern Ifle, which is the higheft, is furrounded with fmall iflets; and the circumference of the C whole g Voyage to the south seas. ms- whole may be nine or ten miles. With the affiftance of telefcopes, it appeared to be entirely barren, though it may be an afylum for feals; there being many about us at this time, as well as white crows. Thefe birds refemble in fize and figure, the dun crow, which I have frequently fefcn in Hampfhire, in the winter feafon, and is probably a bird of paffage. We daily faw thefe crows, from the Latitude of the Falkland Iflands, until we had doubled Cape Horn. They all appeared to come from the Eaftward and Sbuthward; perhaps from Sandwich land, and to be bound to the main land of America. Several of them were caught, but could not be ^pTeferved alive. It may be remarked, that I never faw any of thefe birds at Cape Horn in my former voyages. 'CHftfr I 11 1 f 1 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH S£A9. W CHAPTER IH. BEMARKS ON THE NAVIGATION ROUND CAPE HORN. I HAVE doubled Cape Horn in different feafqns; but X7M> were I to make another voyage to this part of the globe, and rcould command my time, I would moft certainly prefer the beginning of winter, or .even winter itzfelf, with moon-dight nights; for, in thatJifeafon, the winds begin to vary to the lEafiward; as I found them, and as Captain, now Admiral, iMacbjside, obferved at the Falkland Ifles. Another error, twhich, in my opinion, the commanders of veffels bound .round Cape Horn commit, is,.by;keeping betweenthe-Faikland Ifles and the main, and'thiough the Straits Le Maire; .which .not ionly lengthens ithe diftance, but fubje&s ithem to an heavy, irregular fea,. oecafioned by the rapidity of the .current and tides jn that channel, jvhich may be avoided, by paffing to the Eaflward. At the fame time, I Would recommend them to-keep near the-eoaft of Staten Land, and Terra del Fuego, becaufe the winds are more variable, in. with the fhore, than at a long offing. Tf it fhould be obferved, that a want of wood and water may render it neceffary.for veffels to flop in the Straits Le tjpyre, I fhall answer, that there Aplenty of water at the Falkland Ifles; and Staten Ifland, not only abounds in both, C z but 1 U VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. but pofleffes feveral excellent harbours. I firft vifited this place with Captain Cook, in the year 1774; and, on my outward- bound paffage to the North Weft coafi of America, in the year 1786, as commander of the merchant fhip, Prince of Wales*, I wooded and watered there, and left a party to kill feals. For my own part, I do not perceive the neceffity, according to the opinion of different navigators, of going to 60° South. I never would myfelf exceed 57° 30, to give the Ifle of Diego Ramieres a good birth, or, if winds and weather would permit, make it, for a frefh departure, had I not taken one at Cape Saint John, Staten Land, or the Eaft end of Falkland Ifles. Staten Land is well fituated as a place of rendezvous both for men of war and merchant fhips ; while the harbours on the North and South fides, which are divided by a fmall neck, would anfwer the purpofe of fhips bound out, or home. But the North fide offers the beft place for an eflablifhment, if it fhould ever be in the view of our government tofbrm one there f. CHAP. * To the owner of this fhip I was firft introduced by one of the moft eminent^ merchants of the City of London. f If the navigation round Cape Horn fhould ever become common, fuch a place we muft poffefs 3 and agreeable to the laft convention with Spain, we are entitled to keep poffefiion of it, and apply it to any purpofe of peace or war. Great advantages might arife from fuch a fettlement, from whence the black whale fiftieries might be carried on to the South Pole, in the opinion of all the North Greenland fifhermen, with whom, I have converfed on the fubjeft. Befides, it is one of the eafieft land-falls a failor can make. In order to. render this place a defensible, and protecting fettlement, many experienced men, lieutenants, in his Majefty's navy, might be found, at very little extra expence to government, to live in a fituation, which would be far preferable to many ftations in Norway, that I have feen. The officer placed there, fhould be inverted with full powers to regulate all fifhers, fifhing in thofe parts, _or navigating round Cape Horn, that flop at the port. VOYAGE. TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 21 CHAPTER IV. ROUTE FROM CAPE HORN TO MAKING THE COAST OP CHILI, AND THE ISLES ST. FELIX AND ST. AMBROSE.. VV E doubled Cape Horn on the i ith of April,, the day three April 11. months on which we departedfrom England, after having flopped at Rio Janeiro, during the fpace of ten days; and proceeding from thence, four hundred leagues to theEaftward, in ftarch of the Ifland of Grand. On making Diego Ramieres Ifles, we flretched well into the Weftward of them, with the wind at South, South Weft; and, at midnight, tacked to the Southward and Eaftward. During the following five days, we had the wind from Weft, and South Weft, and moftly with an heavy gale, and a tremendous fea, and as bad weather as could be produced by hail, rain, froft and fnow, which drove us as far to the Southward as $9°, and back to the Eaft as 69°. We neverthelefs ftrove well againft it, and the crew being, in good healrJb, ffe If 2 9 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. J793- health and fpirits, we made fail, if it became moderate, only for half an hour; and, at length, fairly beat round the land of Terra del Fuego. No fooner had we attained this object, than we had fine weather, with a Southerly wind ; which pro- mifed favourably, to my prefent intention of examining Wager Ifland, on the Weft coafi of Patagonia, which we faw on April 28, the twenty-eighth, at midnight. Wager Ifle is high and 'rugged, and may be feen at the diftance of fourteen or fifteen leagues. It is about five or fix leagues in length, and lays, by compafs, nearly in a North and South direction, with many iflets off both North and South ends. I place the body of it in Latitude 46* 30', and Ldfigitude j6° Weft. On the weftern fide, where nothing grows but a fmall quantity of green mofs, it wears a very barren "appearance, "and the aiftaht hills, bearing Eaft 3-5° North, I believe} were mountains on the main land, covered with fhow. Capt. Cheap, who' commanded the Wager, one of LofdAhfoh's fquadron, has given a full defcription of this ifland, whefe"he was uriforturiately eaft away*. 'My'defign in making it, wasto obtain fome'k-nowledge of Anna' Pink' Bay and^Har- bour, but'the coafi was fo forbidding, and'the weather of Ju'eh'a dark, hazy, and wintry afpect; as to difcourage me from peifevering in'it. 'Befides, '"having doubled Cape Horrratthe precife time'bf the "'year when Lord Arabn went" round it, flficRbfcing a^Wagerlfle/wit^m^a^fortnfght of the time, when Captain * In the year 174.J. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. & Captain Cheap was fhipwrecked there, I was difcouraged from paying any further attention to it. The inlet, which was the object of my fearch, is not a mile wide; a fpace, which can be defcried, but on a very near approach. The Anna Pink did not fee it, until fhe was within a mile or two of the rocks and breakers, among which it lies; and although they may fhew themfelves, the depth of water is {o great in the bay, that when found, no whaler will attempt to make it, becaufe he cannot trufl to his anchors. I tried for founding feveral times off Wager Ifle, but got no bottom; neither was the colour of the water fb much changed, here, as the- day before we made the land. By the Anna Pinks fuppofed Latitude of that place, and. my own obfervations, I have no dpubt, as was conjectured, at the time, that the crew of the Wager heard the Anna Pinks guns; and that fhe lay under the main to the Eaft of Wager Ifland*. If the defign propofed by Captain Cheap had been adopted, of coafting in the boats, it is more than probable that it would have fucceeded ;, and the well-known diftrefles of that officer and his crew would then have been, avoided. The many efcapes and voyages which, from, fhipwreck, views of gain, and other caufes, have been made and performed in boats within thefe few years,. are. 1793. * The Anna-Tink--was a victualler belonging to Lord Anfon's fquadron, an*. driven into this port in diflrefs.. 24 VOYAGE TO THI SOUTH SEAS. *793- are, I premme, pretty generally known. My long-boat, which was not more than twenty-eight feet in the keel, coafted it in the depth of winter and in a tempeftuous clime, from 38° North to £o° North; and part of the fame courfe back to rejoin me. The greateft part of the cargoes of fhips voyaging to the North Weft Coaft of America, have been collected in boats. The long-boat of the fhips I commanded in my firft voyage thither, coafted from 60" North, many leagues to the Southward, as well as in various bays and inlets which the fhip -could not enter; whereby a more particular knowledge of that country has been obtained, as will appear on the publication of Capt. Vancouver's voyage. The known fpirit of enterprife and fpeculation, pofleffed by the Britifli merchants, and which is not equalled, by thofe of any other nation, will again fhew itfelf, when a peace takes place; and the inland .countries in the Southern parts of America, including the Eaft and Weft coafts of Patagonia, Straits of Magellan, and Terra Del Fuego, will, I doubt not, be traverfed and explored, from the information of Mr. Falkner, who refided near forty years in that country, and publifhed an account of his travels in 1774. He remarks, that the Eaftern coafts abound with oftriches, whofe feathers are known to be fo valuable, befides otters, hares, rabbits, and other animals, yielding fur, He likewife mentions the articles of trade neceffary for the Indians, and defcribes the Weftern fide as abounding alfo with oftriches, as well as hares of an extraordinary fize, and VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. and black rabbits; whofe fur is fuperior to that of the beaver. 1793- The otters and hares I have feen, and their fkins would be a valuable article of commerce in China. He further declares, as his decided opinion, that it would prove very difadvantageous to the Spaniards, if the Englifh were to form any fettlement to the South of Brazil; there being feveral rivers, which communicate with the Weftern fide of America; and he gives a particular defcription of the bay St. Fondo, and river Colorado. This idea, however, had not awakened the attention of any court, till difputes arofe about Nootka Sound, in which I unfortunately, had fo great a fhare*. I cannot pafs over in filence the very * Mr. Thomas Falkqer was the fon of a furgeon of eminence at Manchef- ter, and was brought up in his father's profefiion, for which he always manifefted themoft promifing difpofitions. To complete his profeffional ftudies, he was fent to London to attend Saint Thomas's Hofpital; and, happening to lodge in Tooley- ftreet, on the Surry bank of the Thames, he made an acquaintance with the mafter of a fhip, employed in the Guinea trade, who perfuaded the young furgeon to accompany him in his next voyage in his profeffional capacity. On his return to England, he engaged to go in the fame fituation on board a merchant fhip to Cadiz, from whence he continued his voyage to Buenos Ayres, a Spanifh fettlement on the River La Plata. Here he fell fick, and was in fo dangerous a ftate when his fhip was ready to depart, as not to be in a condition to be carried on board: fo fhe failed without him. The Jefuifs, of which there was a college at Buenos Ayres, nurfed him during his illnefs with the greateft care and kindefl D afiiduity; 26 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 1793- very Angular circumftance, that while the Spaniards were negotiating with Great-Britain, for arranging the difference between them, in an amicable manner, they actually fettled every port in the Atlantic, as far South as the Straits of Magellan; affiduityj and. perceiving the very great advantage which they would derive, ip their mifflons, from poffeffing a brother who was fo well fkilled in medicine and furgery, fpared no pains to win his affefition and fecure his confidence. In fhort, they fo worked upon his mind, as to perfuade him to enter into their college and finally to. become one of their order. He now entered, upon his miniftry among the Indians,, who inhabit the vaft traGk of country between the River La Plata and the Straits of Magellan. His fkill in the cure of difeafes, and in performing, chirurgical operations, together^ with, his knowledge of .mechanics, rendered his million fuccefsful beyond example. In this country he remained near forty years, and was among the perfons. appointed by the Spanifh Government, to make a furvey of the coafts between the Brazils and the Terra del Fuego, Falkland's Iflands, &c. When the fociety of Jcfuits was diffolved, he was fent back to Spain, and after an abfence of near forty years, arrived in his native country. Soon after his return to England, he became domeftic chaplain to Robert Berkeley, Efq. of Spetchley, near Worcefter, a Roman Catholic gentleman of diftinguifhed knowledge, moft refpe&able character, and large fortune.. There he wrote the account of Patagonia, which has been quoted in this volume, and was afterwards publifhed with- a map corrected from that of D'Anville, according to his own obfervations. Mr Falkner poffeffed a very acute mind,, a general knowledge and moft retentive memory.. Of his medical experience and practice, I have heard, phyficians of eminence fpeak in the higheft terms of commendation. His manners, as may be fuppofed, from.the tenor of his life, were at once Angular and inoffenfiye: and he retained fomewhat of his Indian habits to the laft. He died, as I have been informed,, about the year 1781, VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. gellan; and attempted it at New Year's Harbour, Staten Land. At that place I left a factory in my firft voyage, in 1786; but the fhip which was font to carry them fupplies being eaft away, they quitted it in boats. Another body of EngKfh merchants, engaged in a fimilar eftablifhment, and was there, when the Spaniards arrived, which induced the latter to abandon their defign, and, by a violent gale from the Eaftward on the night after their arrival, their fhip was either wrecked or driven to fea between the New Year's Ifles. 27 1793- This was not the only political manoeuvre of the Spaniards; for they intimated to Lord Saint Helens, as his Lordfhip informed me, that their fettlements in the Californias, extended a long way to the North of Port St. Francifoo. This circumftance, I reprefented to his Lordfhip to be altogether untrue, as my long-boat had coafted from Saint Francifoo to Nootka, and faw no fettlements. I have no doubt, never- thelefs, of its being their defign to fettle the intermediate fpace, as well as the Sandwich Ifles, for which they had made every preparation, at the time I was releafod from their naval port of Saint Bias, in the Gulph of California*. Indeed, wfeile I was on my prefent voyage* they fettled the Port of Sir Francis Drake, where I wooded and watered, in my preceding voyage. But it is probable that Captain Vancouver, whofe voyages are now preparing for publication, will give a more particular account of this fettlement. D i if VOYAGE TO 'THE SOUTH SEAS. If fuch an enterprize has not commenced, the period, however, cannot be diftant, when a commercial fearch after furs, feals and whales, will lead adventurers to traverfe the. Coafts of Terra del Fuego and Patagonia, for them. The whales and feals are grown fhy, and become fcarce in other parts where they have been hitherto taken, fo. that new haunts muft be reforted to, in order to keep.up the fpirit of our fifli- eries; and thofe coafts will probably- employ fifty or fixty fail of merchant fhips, as they abound not only with black whales; and feals, but the fea elephant, and the fea lion. The Southernmoft fettlement of the Spaniards, known on the Weftern fide, is Brewers, or Englifh Harbour, in Latitude 449 20' South*. To the South of it, is a great archipelago, and many deep inlets, which perhaps, are unknown to the. Spaniards. As from the circumftances already mentioned, I had given, up all fearch after Anna Pink Bay, I was, from the fame caufe,. induced to relinquifh my defign. of looking into Brewers Harbour, and did not make land again,, till we were in the Latitude 38° 39, when we faw the Ifle Mocha.. In 409 South, we faw fpermaceti whales, but did not take, any till the firft of May,, when we made the Ifle, the fea being. then. * This Harbour is named from Mr. Henry Brewer, who commanded a fquadron of Dutch fhips in 16425 belonging to the Dutch Weft-India Company on an. expedition to the coaft of Chili,, who found in this port refreshments of every kind, and alfo fecure and good anchorage. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. Z$ then covered with them: but of fix which we killed, and of 1793. four fecured along fide, the weather proved fo bad, that we could only fave the bodies of two fifh, and one head. We beat to windward off Mocha for feveral days, during which time we faw a great number of whales, but killed no more than two, of which we faved one. Several of my people getting hurt in. flinching them*, and others breaks ins out in boils from the bad ftate of the weather, I was obliged to purfue my voyage ;. but, by ordering the fick two oranges every day each perfon, with a large glafs of lime juice and water every morning, they foon recovered, as well as thofe alfo who were hurt in whaling. I place Mocha Ifle in Latitude 38° 24, and Longitude j$°- 00'. It is of an height to be feen at the diflance of fifteen or fixteen leagues, in clear weather, and on approaching it, its fummit appears rugged. It is about three or four leagues in length, laying in a North and South direction by compafs. The Northern part of the ifland defcends gradually into a low, fandy point, or long tongue of land, on which is a rock or crofs, that has the fomblance of a fail. The South point, at the diflance we were, appeared to end in a more abrupt manner, and there extends * This expreffion is ufed for taking off the fat from the fifh.. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. extends from it, for a considerable diflance, a range of fmall rugged rocks, fome of them on a level with the water; while others rofe boldly from it, fo that it was a matter of fome doubt with me, whether they compofed an actual part of the ifland. Breakers alfo run off from it a great way to the Weftward, at leaft three leagues. There is a bare, white fpot on one part of the ifland, having the appearance, at an offing, of eight or nine miles, as if not belonging to it. From the great number of feals, which I faw off this Ifland, I fhould fuppofe that it it&uft abound with them. The main land of Chili, within the ifle, is of a moderate height, and as it appeared to me, about fix or fcyen leagues 4iftant. The only account I have been able to obtain of this Ifland is from Mr. Wafer's voyage, who was there, with Capt. Davis, in the year 1686, at which time, they lay there during thefpace of eight days. He relates, that they wooded, watered and ftored themfelves with frefh provifions, particularly the guanaco*. In fhort, he gives a very interefting account of the neceffaries Extract from Mr. Wafer. * The ifland afforded both water and frefh provifirin for our men. The land is very low and flat, and upon the fea coafi fandy ; but the middle ground is good mould, and produces maize, wheat and barley, with variety of fruits, &c. Here were feveral houfes, belonging to the Spanifh Indians, which were very well ftored with dunghill, fowl. They have here alfo feveral horfes: but that which is moft worthy of note, is a fort of fheep they have, which the inhabitants call VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 3* neceflaries which they procured. He fays the land is low and flat; but he muft certainly fpeak only of the Eaft fide, or North and South points: If whales are as plentiful in the offing in the fine feafon, as at the time- when I was there,, it call Camera de Terra. This creature is about four feet and an half "high at the back, and. a. very ftately beaft. Thefe- lheep are fo tame, that we frequently ufed to bridle one of them, upon whofe back two of the luftieft men would ride at once round the ifland, to drive the reft to the fold. His ordinary pace is either an amble or a good hand-gallop; nor does he care for going any other pace, during the time his rider is- upon his back. His mouth is like that of a hare; and: the hair-lip above-opens as well as the main-lips,, when- he bites the grafs, which he- does very near. His head is much like an antelope, but they, had no horns when we were there,j yet we found very large horns,, much twifted, in the form of a fnail-fhell, which we fuppofed they had flied; there laid many of themfcattered upon the fandy bays. His ears referable thofe of an afs, his neck fmall, and refembling a camels. He carries his head bending, and very ftately, like a fwan; is full chefted like a horfe, and has his loins-much like a well fhaped greyhound. His buttocks refemble thofe of a full grown deer, and he has much fuch a tail. He is cloven-footed like a fheep, but, on the in fide of each, foot has a large claw, bigger than ones finger, but Iharp,. and refembling thofe of an eagle. Thefe claws fland about two inches above the divifion of the hoof; and they ferve him in climbing rocks, holding faft, by whatever they bear againft. His flefh. eats as like mutton as can be: he bears wool of twelve or fourteen inches long upon the belly; but it is fhorter on the back, fhaggy, and a little inclining to a curl. It is an. innocent and very ferviceable beaft, fit for any drudgery. Of thefe we killed forty- three ; out of the maw of one of which I took thirteen Bezoar ftones, of which- fome were ragged, and of feveral forms; fome long, refembling- coral;. fome- round, and fome oval; but all green when.-taken out of the maw: yet by long keeping they turned of an afh colour. 1793- i VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. i/93- it is an excellent whaling ground; and the Ifle itfelf very convenient for the purpofes of refrefhment. For although Mr. Wafer, on his return, found that the Spaniards had deftroyed all the produce of the Ifland, of which they could poffefs themfelves, to prevent its affording relief to the Buccaneers; fo long a period has fince elapfed, that it is no wild conjecture to fuppofe, it may now have regained its former plenty. We kept the land of Chili in fight, from the maft-head or deck, until we reached the Latitude of 26° 20'; in which parallel, the Iflands of Saint Felix and Saint Ambrofo, were fuppofed to lie, but at the diflance of one hundred and fifty leagues from the main. When I firft fitted out, my intention w as to vifit the Ifles Juan Fernandes, and Mafa Fuero: but, b efore I left England, Europe was in fuch an unfettled flate, as to induce me to confider a rupture between Great Britain and Spain, as no improbable event, when the cruizers, of the latter nation, would certainly be flationed off thefe iflands: befides, I had every reafon to believe, that, at the Saint Felix and Saint Ambrofe Ifles, I fhould find refrefhments equal to, thofe which Mafa Fuero is known to afford. Befides, having learned, at Rio Janeiro, that Lieutenant Mofs,' of the royal navy, whofe nautical abilities are known and approved, had been lately fealing at Mafa Fuero, and taken great pains to afcertain their fituation, I conceived it unneceffary, for me to go there for that purpofe only. All y VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. All the way to the Latitude of Saint Felix and Saint Ambrofe, and alfo running down the Longitude to thofe ifles, we never faw a fingle fpermaceti whale, except a flinched one, the day before we quitted fight of the main; but there were a great number of feals along the whole coafi. On the twentieth day of May, at day-light, we faw one of the Ifles of Saint Felix and Saint Ambrofe; and foon after the other. By four in the afternoon, we were within fix or feven miles of the Eafternmoft; when, accompanied by the whaling mafter, I made an attempt to land, as well as to find an anchoring ground. The ifle proved to be a rugged, perpendicular, barren rock, fixty or feventy fathoms in height; and, in its craggy breaks and fhelvings, feals had found a refting place. There was, indeed,, an appearance of verdure on its fiimmit, which, induced me to conjecture, that it is, by fome means or other, fupplied with moiflure. But night coming on, and it beginning to fniffle and rain, with the wind far to the North, and no place to fhelter the boat, or where we could land, on the North fide, we returned on board. It was a fqually night, with fhowers of rain; and, on the twenty-firft, at day-light, as much wind blew from Weft North Weft, as would admit of double reefed top-fails, with very heavy fhowers, which continued the whole of the forenoon; fo that we were obliged to pafs to the Southward of the Eafternmoft ifle, which prefents the fame inhofpitable afpect as that of the North fide. At noon, the rain ceafed, and the wind became variable with cloudy E weather VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS, weather and muclufea. By fun-fet, we got well up with the Weftern ifle, and being moon-light, I font the chief mate, in one of the boats, to fifh during the night, as well as to take foundings round the ifle for the beft anchoring place; and in the morning to make an attempt to land. At noon, on the following day, he returned with plenty of fifh. of the fpecies of cod and bream, Weighing from four to fix pounds each; and informed me he had taken foundings round the ifle, • and that the only bay was on the South fidej. but that he could not find any bottom except etdfe to the fhore,. which was at eighteen, fathoms depth and rocky: That he had) alfo founded, on the North fide, round the ifle, to eight fathoms,within half a mile of the fhore, and founda fandy bottom; but beyond that, could find? no ground, at-thirty fathoms; and, that the late gale had occa- fioned fo great a furf as to render it impoflible to land. He- added, that the jfland appeated to be cohered with foals. E had by tBissifime furrounded the ifle, with the fhip, and frequently tried for foundings, but no bottom could be found, with one hundred and feventy fathoms of line, at the diflance1 of from foui to fix miles from the fhore. The whaling mailer and focond mate attempted to land hi the evening, the fwell having confiderably abated; but they could not accomplifh thek defign. They fot out again, at four o'clock the next morning, twenty-fecond, with a flmilar defign; and* VOYAGE TO THE .^OUTH -ggS-S, and, having wnlb great' rifk and difficulty -Reeled ;a lading, they traverfed the ifle, which produced nothing but aslant, resembling the common nettle, of a fait tafte and difagreeable :odor. They could find no frefh water, and the foil was :mere fand, from one to fix inches deep <m@, folid rock, and wafhed into furrows, as it appeared, by heavy rains. No land-bird, quadruped, or even infect, except flies, were feen on the ifland; but-great numbers of birds-nefts, containing addled eggs: nor was there any kind of fhell^fifth. On the ifland, were the remains of feals tod a quantity of decayed feal-ikins, fuppofed to have been left there by Mr. Ellis, .{who vifited this place in the year 1791,) .and probably, frojgt the difficulty of taking them away. 3$ i?-93. Of the danger, of getting from this- ifland, we had& very melancholy experience; as our people were upfet fosrgral tirngs> before they got from the furf, ajjd one of our feejft ;fea.men, was unfortunately kilfed, haying-ibis back brokers/by the joily>« boat falling, upon him. The only Sanding place, jsiifjn a fandy beach on the Nsrjfe fide of <fhe ifle; and sfche tide ebbed on it, while, they were on fhdjtie, between fix and feyen feet, and the ebb $nd flood runs to the Jfiojthjjvard and Eaftjaigrd,. At jthe rime they landed, wlush was attfts ife-^e morning, it wg& jHtear E high > . VOYA'GE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 1793- high water, and when they got off, at two o'clock, P.M., it was- lowwater. Neither, ofthefe ifles is more, than five or fix miles in circumference, and they are diftant from each other four leagues and an half. The-Eafternmbftifle, appearing to be inacceffible, can never be of much ufe, except as a place for catching fifh or taking feals: But the other ifle, might be made to. anfwer, as- a place of rendezvous in war or peace. It contains a fpace, where tents might be pitched, and the fick accommodated, if the want of wood, water and vegetables, could by any means, be furmounted. As to the firft, an hull ©r two, of a prize, would afford a fufficient fupply; and as for the fecond, aftill, might be provided, tp diftil fait-water; and a fmall quantity of foilj,, would be fufficient, to raife fallad- herbs.. A whaler; indeed, never wants wood or water; of the latter, fhe has always a very large quantity; becaufe, all her empty cafks, which fhe carries out for oil, are filled with water, by way ©f ballaft; and as it is to be hoped, that the fifheries will not be difcontinued, fhe might always leave her furplus quantity here, by flarting it into a tank. A few buts of earth, might alfo be brought, and feveral kinds of fmall herbs, be raifed. Should this retreat be difcovered, by the capture of any veffel, it is fo- fituated, that a fmall force would be enabled to defend' it againft a large one. In the winter feafon, however, I cannot fuppofe, that any cruizerj as voyage to the south seas. as the prevailing winds are Northerly and tempeftuous, will attempt to anchor on a lee-fhore; but, during the furnmer, when the winds are changeable, moderate and Southerly, I have no doubt, but fhips might remain here in perfect fecuri ty. 37 1793. When South of the Weftern ifle, the whole has the appearance of" a double-headed fliot; but the Eaftern hummock is feparated from it, by a very narrow reef, which divides- it, as it were, into two ifles; the loweft land, commencing: from the reef, and joining the hummock to the Weft. There- is alfo a remarkable fmall rock off the North Weft end, which, in moft points of view, fhcws- itfelf, like a fhip under fail. Thefe ifles I- place by obfervation corrected of Sun, Moon, Stars, and chronometer, between the Latitude of 26° 19', and 26° 13 j. and Longitude, yo° 4, and 79° 26* Weft. CHAP. V.0YAGE TO TJIE SOUTH BE AS. CHAPTER y. E-PUTE OF THE RATTLER FROM THE ISLES SAINT FELIX AND SAINT AMBROSE, TO THE COAST HH OF PERU. H79.J. J\j.R. ;*Balrymple conjectures, that, to the Weft of the Ifles Saint Felix and Saint Ambrofe, there are others, of the fame name, which were called Saint Felix and Ambrofo Rocks. To afoertain the truth of this opinion, I ran as far to the Weftward, as 84°, when feeing neither land, birds or feals, to juftify a belief that any fuch ifles exifted near this fituation, I hauled on a wind for the coafi of Peru, intending to make it, in Latitude 179 South; but, the wind hanging to the Eaft- ward, I did not get on the fifhing ground, until I was in the Latitude of 159 30', There was now fo large an extent of coafi, in every part «i£whigh, I might meet with thofo Britifh fhips, employed in fpermaceti VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. Ipermaceti whaling, to whom, I was inftructed, to communicate, the circumftances and fituation of Europe, when I quitted it, that I did not think it neceffary to beat again to the Southward. I was indeed, perfuaded, that the greateft body of fifhermen was to the Northward; as they would find the beft feafon there, and might then return with the Sun, without being liable to the uncertainty of getting fifh to the Southward, in the winter feafon;. from whence, if they w'ere not fuccefsful, they would be obliged to proceed to the Northward, and thus have two winters to encounter. On the third of June, P. M. we were, within fix or feven t. leagues of the Ifle Lobas or Seals, near the port of Pifco, where we faw great numbers of that animal, and we had even fallen in with them, as far as fifty orfixty leagues from the land. Mr. ' Frefier fays, that this ifle is only one league and an half from the main land; but to me, it appeared to be twice that diflance. He alfo adds', that the channel, between-it, and the mainland, is dangerous; but that, to the Northward of the ifles, there is a fmPoth flat bank of fand, which forms a creek, where the fea is fo ftill, j that a fhip can anchor there, in eight fathoms water, and might careen in fafety. This ifland is of a moderate height, but, from the beft obfervations I could make, in hazjf weather, its coafi appeared to be altogether barren to the Weftward. This place offers a good port for-wlhalers, or in time- VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. time of war,- for veffels of fmall force, to lay at, in order to watch an enemy; the land, being of fufficient height, to afford fecurity and. concealment. I continued my route along the coafi to the Northward, running under an eafy fail, or ftanding off and on in the day, and laying to at night. I never diftanced the land, more than fourteen or fifteen leagues, and was fometimes as near it, as two ox three leagues. I cruized feveral days off Lima, at a fmall ■diflance from the Ifle Saint Lawrence, which forms the road of Callo*. I kept near this fituation, in hopes of meeting fome veflel, which might afford me information, whether any Englifh fifhermen were in the road, and without any appre- henfion, of being known by the Spaniards, as the fuperior failing of my fhip, always left it to my own option, to fpeak with whom I pleafed.. On the fixth of June, at fun-fet, I faw the dangerous rocks and fhoals of Ormigas, appearing like a fail, and laying nearly Eaft and Weft of Ifle Saint Lawrence. At noon our Latitude obferved was 11° 48', the Ifle Saint Lawrence Eaft, 8q° North, and the rocks of Ormigas, North 28° Weft, at the diflance of feven or eight miles. Thefe rocks are very dangerous; the loftieft part being little higher than the hull of a fmall fhip; gad the fea breaks, for feveral leagues, around, and off, them. They are .quite barren, and I obferved with my glafg., two croffes erected on them, which in a fhort time difap- peared, VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. peared. I concluded, therefore, that they were placed by fifhermen, who are faid to refort here from Lima, as fignals, to engage in fome kind of contraband trade : but I had taken the neceffary precautions, at the outfit of my veflel, that no commodities fhould be put on board which could promote fuch a defign, being determined, to adhere ftrictly to the articles, entered into by the courts of Great-Britain and Spain, reflecting veffels, voyaging round Cape Horn. I accordingly fhewed no colours, and as I kept my courfe, the fifhermen, I prefiime, removed their fignals. 4* »793> On the eleventh day of June, at noon, I had got up the June it. main, as high as the Ifles Lobas le Mar*. I accordingly flood clofe in, within a mile or two of the fhore, and then bore up for the ifle, which we fbon made, and got well in with it before it was quite dark, and then brought to, with our head to the Southward. This ifle, by my log, is fixteen leagues from the main, which, is a much greater diflance, than is laid down, in moft of the charts. My expectation was enlivened, in common with every one on board, by the opinion, that we fhould fee fome of our countrymen in the morning ; and when we bore up at break * This ifle was formerly the refort of the Buccaneers, but there is no frefh iwater on it. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS*. of day, a considerable quantity of tar was fecn floating on the furface of the water; a circumftance, which ftrengthened ojiir hope, that we fhould find a veflel refitting there. I had fome intention of anchoring here myfelf, and having hove to, off the South Weft part of the ifle, I font the chief mate to found for a dangerous rock under water, over which, the feas feldom or never breaks. It lays fomewhere, in the middle of the roads, and feveral whalers had ftruck on it; but I had not been able to procure the bearings of it. There was. but little wind throughout the day, and the fhip fet confider- ably to the Mbrthiward and Weflward, which opened the bay to us, when we were greatly difappointed, at not perceiving any fhip at anehor in it. However, before the boat returned in the evening, we faw a fail flanding down on us, and it being hazy, as it generally is on this coafi, the boat had at one time miftaken her for the Rattler. The chief mate returned on board by feven in the evening, and informed me, that he had not been able to cdifeover the rock, or to catch any thing but one turtle; but from the frefh carcaffes of feals which he had feen, he very reafonably fuppofed, that a veflel could not have left the ifland more than four or five days. The VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. The fail, already mentioned, kept Handing towards us, and,' as night advanced, fh'ewed a light; at eight, being within a couple of miles of us, the whaling-mafter fet out to board her, but, difcovering on a near approach, that fhe wrfs a Spariifh veflel, he thought it right to return ; I hauled on a wind for the night, as did the Spaniard, with a view of continuing together till morning; but the thick weather, which was not difperfed on the return of day, prevented us from foeihg each other again; nor did we perceive: the land till ten A. M. when we found ourfolves fet, during the night, within a few leagues of the Ifles of Lobas le Terra, which, in certain pofitiorts, bear fuch a refemblance to e&eh other, that it was difficult to diftin^jifh afty difference between them: while, from the uncertainty of the currents on this coafi, it might have been as naturally conjectured, that the current had fet us as rifueh one way as the other. As I had no inducement to beat back again, nor albgr probability of accomplifhirjg it, without taking a great offing, I dontinued on my courfe, but never failed to confult with the whaling-mafter, before I fhifted my ground. 43 i793- The Ifle Lobas le Mar, is divided into two parts, by a fmall channel, Which will only admit the paffage of boats,, and where the tide is very rapid. Tl ic 44 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. J793- The IfleX-obas le Terra, appears, towards the Eaftern point, to be much broken into fmall hillocks, while the land, or main near it, is low and vifible, only on a near approach. During the fhort time I remained off thefe ifles, the weather was fo hazy, as to prevent my making any accurate obfervations concerning them. June 16. On the fixteenth of June, I reached Cape Blanco, the South Cape of the Gulf of Guiaquil, which is level land, of a moderate height, and, by feveral obfervations taken off it,* I make it in Latitude 4° 8* South, and Longitude 82° 20 Weft. Off this cape, there is a ftrong, wefterly current, making out of the Gulf of Guiaquil;. and afterwards^ in croffing the gulf, I was in twenty-four hours, fet forty miles to the Weftward. 19. On the nineteenth, I faw Point Saint Helena and Ifle Plata, where Admiral Sir Francis Drake divided his plunder- By feveral obfervations taken off the ifle-, I place it in. Latitude i9 16' South, and Longitude 82° 42 Weft; and Point Saint Helena in Latitude 2° o South> and Longitude %2° 20 Weft. The VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEASv 45 The winds had now began to Weftern on me, and knowing 1793. it, to be an object of the board of Admiralty,, that I fhould vifit the Gallipagoes Ifles, it became- me to exert my beft endeavours to do fo,. before I got further to- the Northward; when, if the wind fhould Weftern more upon us, which it frequently does in this Latitude, I fhould not have been able to fetch them... On the fame day I took my departure from Cape Saint Helena for Gallipagoes Ifles, for the- reafons already mentioned^ the wind wefting on: us; but, at thirty leagues- diflance from the coafi, it returned to the South Eaft quarter, and continued there, till we made the ifles.. On the fccond day, after we had left the coaft, we fell in with a large flinched whale, which could not have been killed, more than three days. On the twenty-fourth, at four A. M., we made one June 24. of the Gallipagoe Ifles, bearing Weft by North, fix or feven leagues. In the courfe of our paffage, we fell in frequently with ftreams of current, at leaft a mile in breadth, and of which there was no apparent termination. They frequently, changed the fhip's courfe, againft her helm, half the compafs, although running, at the rate of three miles and an half an hour. I never- 4$ VOYAGE T§ THE SOUTH SEAS. *V§3> never" eSp'erieneM S fiSiilar* ■ current-,- but ©n the coaft of Norway. The frbT&y'Md boily of thefe -ftriam-sV app'ear> at a very fhiall diflance, like; heavy Breakers'; we founded iri feveral of them; and found no bottorri with two hundred fathoms of line.. I alfo tried the rate; and courfe of the ftrearh, which was, South. Weft by Weft, two miles' and an half an hour. Thefe ftreams are very pafrtial1, • and we avoided them, whenever it was in our power. Birds, fifh, dNlfftesf feals,: furi-fifli: arid ©their -marine animals kept con- ftantly oh the edge" of them, and they were often feen, to gontaih la¥ge beds of cream-coloured' blubber, of the fame ftftfd <as thole2 of a red hue, which are obftrvable on the coaft-W'Pshi. The on\yr&jd$, w£ fawy were in herds fifhing, ^r iri tKefr pafiagej between the Gallipagoes, and the main, 1 dd-nbt affirm it as a f&&>- but-as we- -faw no feals in my j'oute Back, and as the-few, w% killed there, were with young, I am difpofod- f$> eohjeeffire's that the herds of themj juft mentioned, were on their paffage to whelp. CHAP. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH S&A.&, 47 .CHAPTER VI. THE GALLIPAGOE ISLES. xjlT day-br-eak^^diTune, the land bore from, Weft ro9 §£B£&f to Weft i o9 North by compafs, having the appearance ,g£,£w0> ifles. It was my firft defign, to get round the Southernmoft land, whjch was yifible, and I accordingly hauled on a wind,- but was induced, to alter my inten.tiqns, from a miftaken.-. opinion, that I was further South than it afterwards appeared. I was led intovthis error, from having a North; Eaft current, .during the two preceding da$s, fetting at the rate of from twenty to thirty miles in the twenty-four hours. On rounding the North Eaft point, which we paffed $t noon, the Latitude from obfervatio.n was 40' South*, -the Eaft point bearing South Eaft;., and South Weft point Soufiu 35° Wpft. The foundings were ninety fathoms, and the diflance, from the nearefl land, eight or ninejin^es. The land* towards 1793- June 24. 1 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 1793- towards the Eaft, was covered with fmall trees or bufhes without leaves, and very few foots of verdure were vifible to us; a few feals were feen on the fhore. The land rifes at fhort intervening diftances in fmall hills or hillocks, of very fingular forms, which, when obferved through a glafs, and at no great diflance from the fhore, have the appearance of habitations, while the prickly pear-trees, and the torch thiflles, look like their owners, ftanding around them. In other parts, the hills rife fo fudden on the low land, that, having a fmall offing, they appear to be fo many feparate iflands. About four miles off the North Eaft end, there is a fmall iflet, which is connected by a reef with the main ifle: it is covered with foals, and the breakers reach fome diflance from the fhore. The higheft land, at this part of the ifle, is of a very moderate height, defcending gradually to the fhore, which confifts, alternately of rocks, and fand : fome, of the rocky parts, being much infiilated, they form winding inlets, of two or three miles in depth, and from one to two cables in breadth. At the diflance of two or three miles, to the Weftward of the iflet, I hove to, and font the chief mate on fhore to found and land. At eight, P.M. he returned with green turtle and tortoifes, turtle doves and guanas; but they faw no efoulent vegetable, VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEA*.r vegetable, nor found any water that was fufficiently palatable to drink. He run four miles along the coaft, at three quarters of a mile from the fhore, without getting any foundings; at that length, found bottom at ten fathoms. This was near the diflance we had fallen to leeward, from the time the boat had left us. I had founded, feveral times, with the deep fea lead, at four or five miles from fhore, and got no bottom, with one- hundred and fifty fathoms of line. We flood off and on during the night, the wind being between- the South and South Eaft. At break of day, we difcovered, that the current had taken a different direction, and had fet us confiderably to the Northward and Weftward, and we could not fetch our fituation of the preceding night. At noon, we were by obfeuyation, in latitude 37' South; 49 *793' I now thought it prudent to come to an a«ichor, in order to refrefh the people, and to determine the fituation of the ifle. As we drew in witit the fhore, I kept the deep fea lead going, and at the diflance, of about five of*tix miles, we obtained foundings, from thirty-eight, to ffeirty-fix fathoms, which continued to diminifh, till we were within a mile of the fhore, when we got into nineteen fathoms water, fine fand bottom, and near the center of the ifle; in which depth we came to anchor. G The /.iW £0 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. ^793' The land forms a kind of bay, the extremes of which bore, from South 439 Weft, an high bluff; to Eaft 349 North, a low point; thefe is a diftant high rock, off the South Weft pointy Weft 33° South, which lays off the Eaft part of a deep commodious bay. South by Eaft of us, was a fmall bay, formed by two rocky points; in the Eaft part of which, was one of thofe fmall creeks, already mentioned. I founded round the fhip with two boats, as well as between us, and the fhore :. here we found a good bottom, the foundings increafing or? decreafing, as we diftanced or neared the land. Two boats now landed abreaft of the fhip, and the crews dividing, took the feparate courfes of Eaft and Weft, in fearch of water and vegetables : a third boat I fent off to the large bay, which is diftinguifhed by the high rock, on a fimilar pxirfuit, but they all returned in the evening, without having attained the objects of their fearch. The boat from the. Weft, had found an uncommon kind of fand; we fuppofed: it, from its weight, to contain fome kind of ore, and which. h'^s we afterwards found* to be fmall topazes- This ifle is ©f a moderate height, the higheft parts being to the Weftward. All the North fide defcends gradually to the fea, forming low points.. Many parts are well wooded,, but as it was winter, there was no appearance of verdure,, but VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. but from the evergreen trees .and plants, fuch as the box and the prickly pear, with the torch thiftle, and the mangrove. The middle of the ifle is low land, and at a very fmall diflance has the appearance of being divided into two parts, particularly on the South fide. On the Weftern part of the bay, in which we anchored, the land is barren and rocky; in fome parts, it has the appearance of being covered with cinders; and in others, with a kind of iron clinker, in flakes of feveral feet in circumference, and from one to three inches thick: in paffing over them, they found like plates of iron: the earth is alfo frequently rent in cracks, that run irregularly from Eaft to Weft, and are many fathoms deep: there were alfo large caves, and on the tops of every hill, which we afoended, was the mouth of a pit, whofe depth muft be immenfe, from the length of time, during which, a flone, that was thrown into it, was heard. Many of the cavities on the fides of the hills, as well as on the level ground, contained "water, but of fuch a brackifh tafle, as to render it unfit to be drank. In moft of them, there were confiderable flocks of teals, which were by no means fhy, and were eafily caught: they are of the fame kind as thofe known in England. 3< »793 This ifland contains no great number, or variety, of land birds, and thofe I faw, were not remarkable for their Ijtf G 2 novelty 1793- £2 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. novelty or beauty: they were the fly-catcher and creeper,, like thofe of NHw Zealand; a bird, refembling the fmall mocking bird, of the fame ifland ; a black hawk, fomewhat larger than our fparrow hawks, and a bird of the fize and fhape of our black-bird. Ringdoves, of a dufky plumage, were feen in the greateft number : they feldom approached the fea till fun-fet, when they took"rtheir flight to the -Weftward, and at fun-rife returned to the'Eaftward; fo that if there is any water on tine ifle, I fhould fuppofe it would be found in that part. Befides, it is the higheft land,. and a fmall quantity of water, lodged in the hollow of a rock, would fupply thefe birds for a considerable time. My fecond vifit,-^ato thefe ifles confirmed, my fuppofition, as fmall oozings, were then found, at the foot of two or three -Mils, which may be occafioned by pools of rain water collected on the tops of them, as is frequently feen on the North Weft coafi of America. An. officer and party, whom I fent to travel inland, faw many fpots, which had very lately contained frefh water, and about which, the land tortoifes appeared to be pining in great numbers. Several of them, were feen within land, as well as on the fea eoaft, which, if they had been in flefh, would have weighed three hundred weight, but were now fcarcely one third of their full fize. I was VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. S3 I was very much perplexed, to form a fatisfactory conjecture, how the fmall birds, which appeared to remain in one fpot, fupported themfelves without water; but the party on their return informed me, that, having exhaUfled all their water, and repofing beneath a prickly pear-tree, almoft choaked with thirft, they obferved an old bird in the act of fupplying three young ones with drink, by fqueezing the. berry of a tree into their mouths. It -was about the fize of a pea, and contained a watery juice, of an acid, but not unpleafant, tafte. The bark of the tree, produces a confider- able quantity of moifture, and, on being eaten, allays the- thirft. In dry feafons, the land tortoife is feen to gnaw and fuck it. The leaf of this tree, is like that of the bay tree,, the fruit grows like cherries, whilft the juice of the bark dies the flefh a deep purple, and emits a grateful odor: a quality in common with the greater part of the trees and plants in this ifland;. though it is foon loft, when the branches are feparated from the trunks, or Items. The leaves of thefe trees alfo abforb the copious dews, which fall during the mag^ht, but in larger quantities at the full and change of the moon;, the birds then pierce them with their bills, for the moifture they retain, and which, I helieve, they alfo procure from the various plants and ever-greens. But when the dews fail in the fummer feafon, thoufands of thefe creatures perifh;. for, on our return hither, we found great numbers dead in thehr 1793 £4 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. t]93. their nefts, and fome of them almoft fledged. It may, however, be remarked, that this curious inftinctive mode, of finding a fubftitute for water, is not peculiar, to the birds of this ifland; as nature has provided them with a fimilar jrefource in the fountain tree, that flourifhes on the Ifle Ferro, one of the Canaries; and feveral other trees and canes, which, Churchill tells us in his voyages, are to be found, on the mountains of the Phillipine Iflands. There is no tree, in this ifland, which meafures more than twelve inches in circumference, except the prickly pear, fome of which were three feet in the girth, and fifty feet in height. The torch thiftle, which was the next in height, contains a liquid in its heart, which the birds drank, when it was cut -down. They fometimes, even extracted it from the young trees, by piercing the trunks with their bills. We fearehed with great diligence for the mineral mountain, mentioned by Dampier, but were not fo fortunate as to difcover it; unlefs it be that, from which the heavy fand or fmall topazes were collected, and of which, I ordered a barrel to be filled, and brought it away. The great rock, bearing from our anchoring place, South 43° Weft, makes the Eaft point of a large bay, in which, I ij«a& anchored, || fi ».: VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. anchored, at our return. The winds that prevailed, while I lay here, were from South, South Eaft, to South, South Weft, always moderate weather, but the tide runs very ftrong, particularly the flood, which comes from the Eaft- ward: fo that we were never wind rode ;. the ebb returns the fame way, but not fo ftrong; it is high water here, at the: full and change of the moon, at half paft three, and its rife twelve or thirteen feet. I place this ifle between Latitude: 45' South, and 19 5' South, and Longitude 80/ 24, and it: bears from Cape St. Helena, Weft. $° North, by eompafs, one hundred and thirty-five leagues. It lays in. a North Eaft and. South Weft direction; and its greateft extent is thirteen, leagues in length* and ten miles in breadth.. $$. W93- The various kinds of fea-birds> which I had feen on the- Coafi of Peru, we found here, but not in equal abundance- There were alfo flamingos, fea-pies, plovers, and fand-larks :: The latter, were of the fame kind,, as. thofe of New. Zealand. No quadruped was feen on. this ifland, and the. greateft part of its inhabitants appeared to be of the reptile kind, as land tortoifes, lizards, and fpiders. We faw. alfo dead fnakes, which probably perifhed in the dry feafon.. There were,, befides, feveral fpecies of infects, as ants, moths, and common flies, in great numbers; as well as grafs-hoppers, and crickets.. On, S<5 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 1793. On the fhore Were fea guanas and turtles; the latter, were of that kind, which bears a variegated fhell. The guanas are fmall, and of a footy black, which, if poffible, heightens their native uglinefs *. Indeed, fo difgufting is their appearance, that no one on board could be prevailed on, to take them as food. I found the turtles, however, far- fuperior to any I had before tafted. Their food, as well as that of the land tortoife, confifts principally, of the bark and leaves of trees, particukusly of the mangrove, which makes them very fat; though, in rainy feafons, when vegetation is more general, their food may be of a more promifcuous nature. The green turtles are extremely fat, and would produce a large quantity of o$b Their fhell is alfo very beautiful; and if that fhould be an article of any value, a fmall veffel, might make a very profitable voyage, to this place. The land tortoife, was poor- at this feafon, but made excellent broth. Their eggs are as large, and their fhell as hard, as thofe of a goofe, and form a perfect globe. Their nefts, are thrown up in a circular form, and never contain more than three eggs, which are heated by the Sun, an # Th.e Jea guana is a non defcript: it is lefs than the land guana and much" yglter,, Ijjfiy go to fea in herds, a fifhing, and fun themfelves, on the rocks, Ut»> feals, and may be called alligators, in miniature. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. an hole, being fo contrived, as to admit its rays through its daily courfe. The fhell is perfectly fmooth, and when highly poliflicd, receives a beautiful and brilliant black. . We faw but few feals on the beach, either of the hairy or furry fpecies. This circumftance, however, might be occasioned, by its not being the feafon for whelping; as thofe, which were killed by us, had fome time to go with young; but a few hundreds of them, might at any time be collected without difficulty, and form, no inconfiderable addition, to the profits of a voyage. 57 X793- Dampier mentions, that there is plenty of fait to be obtained here, at this feafon, but I could not find any; though that article does not appear to be abfolutely neceffary; as the fkins will be more profitable, by drying and cleaning them, and then taking them to- a China market; as I managed ■with the otter-fkins, which I collected in a former voyage. The rocks are covered with crabs, and there are alfo a few fmall wilks and winkles. A large quantity of dead fhells, of various kinds, were wafhed upon the beach; all of which were familiar to me; among the reft, were the fhells of large «ray-fifh, but we never caught any of them alive. H , On 58 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. j 793- On feveral parts of the fhore, there was drift-wood, of a larger fize, than any of the trees, that grow on the ifland : alfo bamboos and wild fugar canes, with a few fmall cocoa nuts at full growth, though not larger than a pigeon's egg. We obferved alfo, fome burnt wood, but that might have drifted from the continent, been thrown over-board from a fhip, or fired by lightening on the fpot. The deep-water fifh, were of every kind, that is ufually found, in the tropical Latitudes, except fpermaceti whale, and of them we faw none, but fharks were in great abundance. The dip of the needle I found here to be at 84s, and the varmtion of the compafs 89 10'. The thermometer was never higher than 732, and in the morning, evening and night, it was below fiimmer heat in England. I confider it as One of the moft delightful climates under heaven, although fituated, within a few miles of the Equator. The barometer 'generally flood at 29-8-4. "3me evening, night, and morning, were always clouded; and during the nights, there generally feTP, as heavy dews, as off the main. Every VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. Every one was charmed with the plac^ but, as all apprehenfions of the fourvy or any other difeafe was at fp. end, and we had got a large provifion of turtle on board, the anxiety of my people, to commence the fifhery, in -which, they all had a proportipnate intereft, began to fhew itfelf; nor was I difpofed to Gheck their ffpirits, or delay -their wifhes; being well affured, that they would be overjoyed to return hither, at no very diftant period, when -I fhould Jiave an opportunity'jtp -yifit the reft of thefe iflands. m 1793- On the twenty-eighth of June we weighed anchor, and JuneaS. failed round the Eaft ipoint, with a view of beating,a fmall diflance to the Southward, in Order to determine the iparticular • ifle, we had vifited, according to the defcription of the Buccaneers and.the Spanifh map, but my endeavours were not fuccefsful. While we were at anchor, it was fuppofed, that we faw land in the North Weft, at the diflance of fourteen or fifteen leagues; but this was by no means afoertained; though, according to Dampier, moft of the ifles ought to have been in fight of us, by allowing the difference of a few miles of Latitude between us and him. On the firft of July, we faw a fmall ifle which I beat up July i. to ; and, taking obfervations within a few miles of it, place Ha it VOYAGE TO- THE SOUTH SEAS. it in Latitude I9 24" South, and Longitude 89° 47' Weft. It bears, from the Eaft point of the ifle, before which we had anchored, South, diflance five leagues, and lays in the direction- of- North, North Weft,, and South, South Eaft,. and may be fourteen miles in extent. The fide we faw,. refembles the Eaft point of the large ifle; but is enlivened with an higher degree of verdure: we alfo few a greater number of feals, off this, than off the other ifland': I do» not hefitate to confider it, as the Southernmoft and Eafternmoft of the Galapagoe Ifles. In the accounts of Wood,. Sogers and others, the Spaniards are faid to be acquainted with an ifland in the Latitude of 1° 16' South, which: has plenty of water on it. This may be- true during a-. rainy feafon, or for fome time after it; but I am not in- the habit of giving an implicit faith to Spanifh accounts. As I could' not trace thefe ifles, by any accounts or maps in my poffeffion>, I. named one Chatham Ifle, and the other H©od?s Ifland, after the Lords Chatham and Hood, CHAP. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 61 CHAPTER VII. PASSAGE FROM THE GALAPAGOE ISES, TO IST.E COCAS-. F ROM the Southernmoft Galapagoe. Ifle, we flood over again for the main, keeping between the Latitude of z° South, and the. Equator, and had a., ftrong. Eafterly current conftantly againft us : but it was- not fo perceptible, as on our paffage from the main, although we fell in with feveral beds of cream-coloured blubber: we did not, however, fee fo many fmall'fifK, birds, or feals; of the latter, we only faw two, and" they were not at any confiderable diflance from either ifle or main. Porpoifes and black fifK were continually around.us> with a few albecores and bonettas.. *793i The winds were much the fame, as on my paffage to the Galapagoes, blowing fleadily from between the South and Eaftward, after twenty-four hours fail from the ifles; and.. 62 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH teEAS. 1793. and, when within the fame diflance from the main land, they inclined to the Weftward : the weather was generally cloudy, and fometimes accompanied With an heavy, South Weft fwell, and at the change and full of the moon, with a drizzling rain. July io. On the tenth of July, P. M., we faw the Ifle of Plata, bearing Eaft North Eaft, nine or ten leagues, and, on the following day, in the morning, we faw fpermaceti whales, but did not get up with them until the afternoon, the Ifle Plata bearing Eaft by South, at the diflance of five or fix leagues. One of them was ftruck, but the boat was acfc'i* dentally ftbvfe to pieces, and we beat off for feveral day's, but never got another view of them. The Ifle Plata* had been a favourite place of refort to the Buccaneers, it being moft conveniently fituated to watch the Plata fleets to and from Lima ; but all traders, either to or from the coafi of Mexico, or between Panama and the coaft of Peru, make the land a little to the Northward of it. If we may believe the Buccaneers, this ifland has plenty of water and turtle, and abounded with goats, till the Spaniards deftroyed them. The watering and anchoring places are faid to be on the Eaftern fide, in a fmall fandy bay,, half a mile from the fhore, in eighteen or twenty fathoms water. It * So named by the Spaniards, from Admiral Sir Francis Drake dividing his plunder at it. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. It is of a moderate height, and of a verdant fhaggy appearance, from the large bufhes or low trees that cover it. Its length is from fix to foven miles ; and the Weftern fide is an entire cliff of an inaccefiible appearance. A few fmall ifleta appear off the South end of it. 63 J793- In a war with Spain this ifland would form an excellent: ftation, as well as a place to look out and accommodate the- fick, as it lies four leagues from the neareft main land, which is Cape Lorenzp. A fhip getting in there, when it wa£ dark, would not be difcovered, if her -foils were handed, th,e land being much higher tjh^n her maft he^ij unlefe the people on board betrayed her fituation by fome act of indifcre- tion, as making too much firo, the fmoke of whjidb might dif- cover them. It is true that a veflel might efoape by keeping an offing; but in fo fine a- climate as this, the long boats might form a chain to the Galapagoes, which is as far Weft .as any fhips are known to pafe*. We continued a very afliduous fearch up the coaft for whales, carrying an eafy fail by day, and laying too at night, with an hourly expectation that we fhould fall in with them ; but no whales fhewed themfelves, except fome of the humpbacked fpecies. On 64 *793- July s6. VOYAGE TO THE ;SOiUTH SiEAS. On "the fixteenth, at noon, off Cape Paflado, the land being invifible from the hazy -weather, we were, by obfer- yation, in fifty-feyen miles South. On the fame day, we .gave chace ,to, .endgame >up with, a Spanifh fnow, from Acapuleo to Lima, from whom we procured fome frefh ,'beef, and two .cocks.; for which we returned a few bottles of wine and;porter, with fome fweet-meats, the mafter ^bejng.fick. ("On the eighteenth, the weather became clouded and i threatening, and I was every hour expecting to fall in with the heavy rains. Which happen on the coafi of Mexico, from November to July. The air alfo became hot and fultry, and we had frequent fhowers of rain. The thermometer now rofe to 8o9, and we may oe faid to have felt, at every pore, that we had left the=moft delightful climate in the world, to encounter the parching airs of the torrid zone *. The feals and'birds, which are inhabitants of the frigid zone, but which I have feen as far South, as 709, appearing to be delighted on the coafi of Peru, as if inftinct had forbidden them to venture no farther, now left us. At this time it became neceffary to determine, what route we fhould take, whether we fhould return to the /.Southward, or proceed to the Northward; but, as the whaling * On the coaft of Peru it never rains. - VO-YAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAs! 6$ whaling mafter and mates were in favour of a Northern J793- Latitude, it was foon refolved to take our departure from Cape Paflado; which, from feveral obfervations, I place in Latitude ten miles South, and Longitude 82" Weft. I now flood acrofs the gulf, and, on the twentieth of July 3°. July, fell in with the Ifle Malpelo; I had no defcription of this place, and I was not induced from its name, which fignifies bald head, to expect any advantage from it. I calculated its Latitude to be 49 30' North, and itS^Longitude 809 45' Weft, diflant from Cape Paflado eighty-fix leagues. It is a barren, and high, perpendicular rock, which may be feen, in clear weather, at the diflance of twenty leagues. A fmall quantity of green' mofs, and a few dwarf bufhes, which grow in its cracks or gullies, afford the- only verdure that it poffeffes: It is fiirrounded with iflets, and the whole may extend about nine or ten miles from North to South. The center, of this ifland, bears a refemblance, in feveral points of view, to the crown of an head; and its being barren, accounts naturally enough for the name, which the Spaniards, have bellowed upon it. Had I feen any feals off this place, I fhould have confidered it as a good fituation for them. Tl le 66 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 1793. The Ifland of Malpelo, can be of no ufe, but as a place of rendezvous; it is furrounded, as it were, by a ftrong current, having much the appearance of breakers, which, fetting into the gulf and being accompanied by light winds, with thick and hazy weather, I did not think it deferring of any further attention. We tried the current and found it to fet North Eaft by Eaft, by compafs two miles and an half in, the hour. From the Ifland Malpelo, we ftretched away, to the Weftward for Ifle Cocas, which we made on the twenty-fifth July 25. at midnight. The whole of the paffage thither, we had threatening, fqually and fhowery weather, with inceflant and heavy rain, and, at intervals, thunder and lightning: we had a fhort, irregular head fea, with winds from South, South Weft,,;,to Weft South Weft. Porpoifes accompanied us in great numbers; and as we approached the Ifle Cocas, there appeared large flights of boobies, egg-birds, and man of war hawks. We alfo faw a fin-back whale, and two grampufes,. with innumerable bonettas, dolphins, and albecores.. At break of day, the weather was thick and rainy; and, though the land was covered by the fog, we dif- cerned VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. cerned feveral iflands that lay around it. When we had got within four or five miles of the North Eaft end, I font a boat away with the chief mate, to fearch for an anchoring place; though, at times, I could not fee the jib-boom end, fo thick and frequent were the fhowers. At noon, the boat returned, having been in a bay near the North end of the ifle, which was fmall, and open to the North Eaft, with great depth of water, within three quarters of a mile of the fhore. As this defcription did not anfwer to that of Mr. Wafer's bay, I flood in to examine it, as I could not have ventured to anchor in deep water, with a crippled windlafs that occupied two hours, in a ftart calm, to heave in nineteen fathoms of cable : befides, the tide, which I found afterwards fetting on both points of the bay, was fo ftrong, that if the boats had not been' very ready, the fhip muft have gone on fhore; and, if in fuch a fituation, there had been an anchor to heave up, it muft have been cut away. I therefore ordered the boats to examine more to the Weftward, and they accordingly difcovered Mr. Wafer's harbour*. The land of I 2 this ■ Extract, from Mr. Wafer's Voyage, who was at Anchor in this Bay, in 1685. * Some or other of our men went on fhore every day; and, one day, among the reft, being minded to make themfelves very merry, they went on fhore, and cut down a great many cocoa trees, from which they gathered the fruit, and drew ; about 6> i?93- *793- 68 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. this ifland is high, but that, on the Weft fide, is the higheft and prefents itfelf in the form of a round hill. The Eaftern fide appears to be much broken, the land Hoping in moft parts, abruptly to the fea, but in others, prefenting bold and perpendicular cliffs. There are alfo many furrounding iflets whofe tops are generally covered with trees; but the foil neverthelefs is fhallow, and the lower part is, as if it were a ring of white barren rock, down to the furface of the fea. The main ifland does not appear to poffefs a fpot, where trees can grow, that is not covered with them, or fome kind of bufhy plant, which when blended with the barrenefs of intervening rocks, produces a picturefque effect; while the ftreams, that pour down from their various fountains to the fea, greatly heighten the beauty of the feene. It is Otaheite on a fmall fcale, but without the advantage of its climate, or the hofpitality of its inhabitants. Here about twenty gallons of the milk : then they all fat down, and drank healths to the King, Queen, &c. They drank an exceffive quantity, yet it did not end in drunkennefs; but, however, that fort of liquor had fo chilled and benumbed their nerves, that they could neither go nor ftand: nor could they return on board the fhip, without the help of thofe, who had not been partakers in the frolic 5 nor did they recover it under four or five days time. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. Here are two anchoring places at this ifland ; one, a fmall bay, near the North point of the ifle ; but the anchorage is in deep water, within three-quarters of a mile of the fhore, from whence the bottom deepens almoft immediately, to no foundings at flxty fathoms. It is alfo entirely open to the Northerly wind; but as v/ Captain Vancouver anchored here after I left it, a more <** exact defcription may be expected from the promifed publication of his voyage. I found the prevailing wind to be to the Southward - and Weftward; but, it often varied; and I had it frequently blowing ftrong from North Eaft and North. The other bay, or harbour, is three miles to the Weftward and Southward of the North point, and is eafily known by a fmall rugged, barren rock,- about the fize of a large boat, bearing Weft of the body of the bay, about five or fix miles: The bay alfo lies Eaft and Weft; its greateft depth is not two miles, nor is it one in breadth: but I would not venture into it, in a veflel of more than two hundred tons. Its anchorage is from feven to fifty fathoms, and is nearly fheltered from all winds; this bay is alfo preferable to the one at the North point, becaufe the fhore of the firft is fleep; while that of the latter, confifts of a beautiful valley and fandy beach, > VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. IJ93- beach, where cocoa trees- appear in greater numbers, than I have feen in any other place. There is alfo a rivulet of water eighteen or twenty feet in breadth, which is fupplied from a bafon, one mile diftant within land, in which our crew, to avoid the fharks, went and bathed. Although this bay is fo fmall, it is Aery convenient, and as fecure, as the anchoring' places generally are, which are not entirely fheltered. Its principal inconvenience arifes from the conflant rains; as out of the four days we were beating off it, it rained during three of them, in the offing, and fometimes with heavy ftorms of lightning and thunder. Thofe, who were on fhore, experienced an equal continuance of the wet weather ; and fo thick was the rain, that, for eight hours together, we have not been able to fee twice the length of the fhip : but this may not be the cafe at all feafons. The woollen clothes of thofe who went on fhore, which, had been particularly moift from perfpiration, and were hung on the bufhes to dry, were foon fly-blown, in the different parts that had fluck neareft to the body, and covered with maggots. Should a veflel touch here to recover her fick, or to water, or to wait any time, fire would remove theflies; and, as no tent would be fufficient to keep out the water, I would recommend the erection of an houfe, wood being in great plenty, and at hand, with cocoa tree leaves in abundance, to thatch it. I faw no plant, bufh VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS1. bufh, or tree, but fuch as are quite familiar -to my eye; they chiefly confifted of the mangrove, the cocoa, nut^ and cotton tree. Fifh were in great abundance, but would not take the bait, which we attributed to the great number of fharks- off this ifland. Some of them followed the boat until the water left them almoft dry: thofe we caught, were full of fiquid and cray-fifh, as were the porpoifes which we ftruck. Thefe were innumerable, and we took them, whenever we pleafed. Eels are plenty, and very large: we caught feveral of them among the rocks, as well aa fome toad fifh. Shell-fifh, were fcarce,. though we collected very large limpets, of a new kind, and a few dead conches. The latter were feen in great numbers on the beach, and moflly inhabited by the Diogenes crab. Common land crabs were in great plenty, and fea-birds of every kind, common to tropical Latitudes, in the Atlantic, -were in great abundance- here; particularly the Saint Helena pigeon, and white-headed noddy. They all perched en trees, like land-birds; and, at a fmall diflance, gave the- tree on which they fat, the appearance of being covered with white bloffoms. Of the land-birds, we faw. fome. 72 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. J793- fome, which refembled the thrufh and blackbird, in fhape, colour, and fize, with a few herons and a variety of fmaller birds. if II m The tide muft be an object of particular attention, in anchoring at, or failing from, this place: it ebbs and flows from fixteen to eighteen feet, perpendicular, and, from the obfervations made by myfelf and the officers in the boats, it flows feven, and ebbs five hours; the ebb fetting to the Eaftward, and the flood to the Weftward: but the flood runs not near fo ftrong, as the ebb, which runs at the rate of four or five knots an hour. The time of weighing and anchoring muft alfo be attended to, as both fets are right on the points of the bay; and, if its rife and falls are regular, it will be high water at full and change, at four, A. M. The rats, which are numerous, in this ifland, exactly refemble the common rat in England, and were, probably, left here by the Buccaneers. As we found their nefts in the top of moft of the trees which we cut down. I am difpofed to conjecture, that this is a very humid foot, at all times and feafons. I was VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. I was much difappointed, at not being able to procure ■forties; for we faw but two, and they efcaped us. That there fhould be fo few turtles here, muft be owing to the great number of fharks that infeft the coaft, or the chilling rains, which deftroy the eggs, when laid on the fhore, which, in itfelf, is very favourable to their becoming productive. There is as fine and foft a beach, as I ever faw, and there are few veffels, but might lay a-ground on it, and repair and clean their bottoms. Whoever may, hereafter, wifh to anchor in this bay, will do well, to come round the South and Weft points of the ifle, and hug the South point of the bay, clofe on board, and when in the bay, to moor head and ftern. 73 1793 We were much wearied, during the four days, we paffed off this ifland, and prepared to quit it. We therefore took on board, two thoufand cocoa nuts; and, in return, left on fhore, in the North bay, a boar, and fow, with a male and female goat. In the other bay, we fowed garden feeds, of every kind, for the benefit and comfort of thofe who might come after us. I alfo left a bottle tied to a tree, containing a letter. Over it, I ordered a board, with a fuitable infcription, which Captain Vancouver thought proper to remove, when he anchored at tins ifle, fome time after me. The letter gave only an K account .-nJsA' **r i> j w j> "\fffJ tJi" lA ,8**' ^— 74 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 1703. account of my arrival and departure. Having made the neceflary arrangements, we fet fail for the Northward. Ifle Cocas lays in a North Eaft and South Weft direction; its greateft length does not exceed twelve miles, nor breadth four miles. It may be proper to remark, in this place, that, in all parts of the Eaft Indies, a vinegar is made of the milk of the cocoa nut, equal to our ftrong white wine vinegar. I am unacquainted with the particular procefs, but am difpofed to think it at once fhort and Ample. The old cocoa nut left in water for two hours, and then ftrained, produces a liquid, in colour and tafle, little inferior,, if not equal, to fkim milk, which removed all feorbutic complaints from among the crew, and preferved them in. health,, for many months.. CHAP. II! VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 7$ CHAPTER VIII. ROUTE FROM ISLE COCAS, TO THE COAST OF MEXICO ; AND FROM THENCE, TO THE ISLES SOCORO, SANTO BERTO AND ROCKA PARTIDO. 1 HE Ifle Cocas, was the fartheft point to the Northward, to which it was recommended to me, by the Board of Admiralty, to extend my refearches; but an anxiety and emulation to afcertain every part, and defcribe the whole furface of the feas, -where the fifhery could be extended, would have enlarged the circle of my voyage, if my flock of provifions and flores had been fufficient for fuch a defign: I was therefore obliged to check my intentions, having, for the reafons above-mentioned, time only to examine as far as 349 o' North, on the coafi and gulf of California, down the coafi of Mexico to Ifles Socoro, Santo Berto and Rocka Partido, and off the North Weft point of the gulf of Panama. 1793. 1 K 2 This VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. This was an undertaking that few, who had fuffered as I had done, from the yellow fever, in the prifons of New Spain, as well as from all the horrors of a rainy feafon on that coafi, would have encountered; but I was perfuaded, within myfelf, that there muft be plenty of fpermaceti whales- on this coafi; and it was very evident, that if fuccefsful in killing them in the rainy feafon, it muft be much more eafily done in the dry feafon. At all events, I was determined to make the experiment. On leaving the Ifle Cocas, we flood away to the Weftward and Northward, in the hope of, avoiding the rain in fome degree, by keeping at a fmall diflance from the land. Auguft i. On the firft of Auguft we were in Latitude by obfervation 9° 2', and Longitude corrected oo° o' Weft. We bettered our weather greatly; but the heat was almoft intolerable; the thermometer ftanding at 86°, and the barometer at 29-7-8; the wind now began to vary to the Eaftward. On the third of Auguft our Latitude was 9° 30 and Longitude corrected 89° 44. The bad weather returned and continued with frequent tornados and heavy rain. On VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 77 On the feventh of Auguft, we faw the famous burning A*£$'7. mountain of Guata-mala. From that time, to our croffing the gulf of Tecoantepeak, and reaching point Angels in Latitude 16° and Longitude i oo9, there was, for nine days, little or no cefiation of calms, and the change that followed was. a feries of tornados, torrents of rain and tremendous thunder and lightning, more violent than any I ever heard or faw on the coafi of Guinea, or off the capes of Virginia in North America. If there was any difference, in the fervid feverity of the feafon, during the twenty-four hours, it was in favor of the day; for in the night the lightning and thunder were moft violent. From fun-fet till fun-rife, the heavens were one entire flame, which was heightened, by the frequent explofions of the burning mountains. This awful and alarming flate. of the weather, was accompanied with an almoft infufferable heat, and a fuffocating, fulphureouS air. From the light airs, calms and variable currents, we had little hopes to fhift our fituation. Thus furrounded, as we were, with thefe oppreffive circumftances, and divided only by a few leagues acrofs the main, from the bay of .Honduras, it was impoflible to fupprefs an occafional wifh that we were there. A traveller that had vifited Peru or its coafts, (where the dews of bounteous Heaven fupply every call of rain, and where thunder and lightning are feldom or never 78 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 1793-: never known, and nature refts in perfect tranquility), would when here, naturally remark, that Providence had bleffed the coafts of Peru, by exempting that country from all convul- fions to be dreaded from the aerial elements, and doubly be- ftowed them as a curfe on this; unlefs they are to be confidered as a blefling, to imprefs the untutored Indian inhabitanr, " by feeing God in clouds and hearing him in the winds", with a due idea of his Almighty power. It is alfo to be hoped, that a native and refident in Peru, feels, fometimes, ideas of gratitude and thankfulnes towards his maker, for his goodnefs. We founded frequently, in the gulf, at twelve or thirteen leagues diflance from the fhore, and found no bottom with one hundred and fifty fathoms of line : but when in Latitude I4? 57', and at ten or eleven leagues diftant, we got bottom, at one hundred and five fathoms, which was muddy. Auguft 19. On the nineteenth of Auguft, when two papps over point Angels, bore North Eaft, and our Latitude was 16° 13' North, we faw a large body of fpermaceti whales, and though the fpirits of my people, were in fome degree deprefled, by reflecting on the immenfe body of water over which we had failed, the little fuccefs which we had hitherto experienced, and our being at leaft a feven months voyage from England, they were now elated, with all the eagernefs of fanguine expectation. The boats accordingly gave chace, and foon came up with VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. with the whales, though they were running faft to the Southward, and appeared to be larger than any that had been feen by thofe in purfuit of them. There being light airs, and calms alternately, the fhip followed but flowly: the fifhers ftruck feveral whales, but were not fo fortunate, as to kill any of them. The people in the boats, had now been away feven hours,, and were fo far diflant, that the fhips top-fails, to them, were: in the horizon; the day alfo Was far advanced, and purfuing. the whales, in the direction they were running, would be flill-- increafing their diflance, without a flattering hope, of faving the fifh, if they killed them ; feveral water-fpouts were vifible in the horizon, accompanied by diflant thunder and lightning,, with a threatning fky ; all thefe circumftances combined, pbliged them, for felf-prefervation, reluctantly to give up the chace, and by the time they reached the fhip, from the vaft quantity of water they had drank, and the exceffive heat, of the weather, (which was in no fmall degree increafed by the fatigue undergone^ and difappointment occafioned by their fruitlefs exertions) the whole of my crew were feized witht .a fevere-ficknefs, and one of them was fo cramped, that he would, certainly have expired, if he had not almoft inftantly, on his return, been immerged in warm water. Another broke out. in a violent rafh from head to foot, which, by his plunging in! 79 1793. % 8o VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 1793- in that ftate into the fea, was thrown into his head, and deprived him of his fight for feveral days; I was very apprehenfive, that he would never recover it, but by placing him in warm water, frequently, in the courfe of the day, the rafh returned to his thighs and legs, and by degrees, his fight was reftored. The hope of more favorable weather, and of better fuccefs, in our commercial objects, induced me to remain cruifing here fixteen days; during which period, we faw whales, three different times, and killed three of them. One was a fmall one, meafuring 15 feet, which we hoifted on board, and of which I made a drawing ; its heart was cooked in a fea-pye, and afforded an excellent meal. Thefe whales were very poor, having fearce blubber enough, to float them on the furface of the water, and when flinched, their carcafes funk like a flone. They yielded altogether but fifteen barrels of oil. The weather remained unpleafant, there being foarcely any interval for the better, for twenty hours, with a ftrong Southerly current of half a mile an hour. The whole crew had been, more or lefs, affected by the yellow fever, from which horrid diforder, I was, however, fo fortunate, as to recover them, by adopting 1 1II II 1 1 11 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 8l adopting the method that I faw practifed by the natives of Spanifh America, when I was a prifoner among them. On the firft fymptoms appearing, the fore-part of the head was immediately fhaved, and the temples, and pole, wafhed with vinegar and water. The whole body, was then immerfed in warm water, to give a free courfe to perfpiration; fome opening medicine was afterward adminiftered, and every four hours, a dofe of ten grains of James's powders. If the patient was thirfty, the drink was weak white wine and water, and a flice of bread to fatisfy an inclination to eat. An increafing appetite was gratified by a fmall quantity of foup, made from the mucilagenous parts of the turtle, with a little vinegar in it. I alfo gave the fick, fweetmeats and other articles from my private flock, whenever they expreffed a diflant wifh for any, which I could fupply them with. By this mode of treatment, the whole crew improved in their health, except the carpenter, who, though a very flout, robuft man, was, at one time, in fuch - a ftate of delirium, and fo much reduced, that I gave him over; but he at length recovered. 1/93- As the yellow fever feldom attacks any one twice, while he remains near the fame place, my apprehenfions were now confined to the fcurvy and other incidental diforders; L but SJ93- 82 VOYAGE TO TKE SOUTH. SEAS. but they were fufficient to quicken my anxiety, to find a place for refrefhment, whenever it might be wanted. For though my crew were at prefent in good health and fpirits,. I had learned by my former expeditions, that there is no circumftance which operates more favourably on the temper and diipofition of failors in long voyages, (whenever they' are attacked with thofe difeafcs to which they are fo fubject and of courfe moft frequently dread) than the cestainty of a port or harbour to which they may be taken ; experience having alfo taught them, that the fmell of the fhore and change of fea die^ in-general, remove the greatefb part of their complaints*. We brought plenty of cocoa mats from Ifles Cocos, and there was never wanting a frefh meal of turtle; for they were * I do not pretend to any other medical knowledge, but fuch as I may have acquired, by fome little reading on medical fubjects, and the attention I was obligated to pay:fo the difeafes and complaints of feamen, in the various voyages, I have made, as it frequently became a nice point to judge, whether a man neglected his duty from idlenefs or ficknefs. I alfo paid, particular attention to the practice of the different Indian nations, when an opportunity was afforded me, and from the circomftance of having no furgeon on board, it became a duty in me, to make part of my ftudy, fuch an important fubject, as the health, of. my crew; and I was So fortunate, as to fucceed in. the applications I ufed, as to reft.ore health through means, which the fuggeftions of the moment only dictated to me. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS." H were'in' fuch numbers fixating on the furface of the wafiStV'..- as to be taken whenever they were required. To this food, we may be faid to owe the prefervation of our healths, and the crew, in general, grew fat upon it. Other voyagers have alledged, that living on turtle, caufes the flux, fcurvy and fever ; I can firft account for fuch a con- fequence, by its not being fufficiently boiled, or cooked rft. unclean utenfils ; and, fecondly, every man who has experienced a long voyage, is."Well informed, that a fudden change of food, and particularly from an ordinary fea or fait diet, to an entirely frefh one, will produce the flux, ficknefs of ftomach and other complaints. My method, to prevent fudh effects, was to allow the crew as much vinegar as they could ufe, and fuperintend myfelf the preparation of the feamen's meal. I ufed to tafte the broth, in order to know if it was properly done, that it -contained a fufficient quantity of pearl barley, and was duly feafoned by boiling with it fait beef or pork. I alfo ordered that the proportion of the fait meats cooked with the turtle, fhould be previoufly towed and frefhened, and when the crew were tired of foup, I gave them flour to make their turtle-meat into pies, and, at other times, fat pork to chop up with it, and make faufages. But in moft of their meffes, I L 2 took *793- 84 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. J793- took care that fo powerful an antifeptic, as four crout, fhould not be forgotten. For the reafons already mentioned, I determined to ftretch off to the Weftward, to fearch for Ifle Socoro, Santo Berto, and Bocka Partida, but, although I thought it right to leave the coafi for the prefent, I did not give up my opinion, that a whaling voyage might be made in the dry feafon, which would probably commence within lefs than two months; at the expiration of which time, I was determined to return. Nothing, indeed, would have deterred me from it, at prefent, if we had pofleffed fufficient wind to fhift our fituation, and keep the run of the fifh, or clear weather, to afcertain the true Latitude and diflance, from the land,, at which, we fell in with them- There were many ports near this, into which I wifhed: to have entered, particularly the famous one of Guatalco,- where Sir Francis Drake, got a. bufhel of money, out ofonehoufe, in 1579.; and, in 15.87, Sir Thomas-Cavendifh,. pofleffed himfelf of great riches: but. being naturally led to believe, that the above circumftances. would, not be forgot by the natives,, and my ill treatment at Nootka, and. St.. Bias, being alfo frefh in my memory, I though it moft prudent to give up, for the prefent, all ideas o£ going into any harbour on the Spanifh coafi. On VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS, °$ On the ninth of September, in Latitude 179 16', an*s^^r9. Longitude 102° 32, we met with as irregular a fwell as I ever faw, off Cape Horn, accompanied with very changeable weather, faint lightning round the compafs, frequent fhowers of rain, and light variable winds, blowing North Weft by Weft, round the compafs, to Eaft South Eaft, and continually fhifting till the 17th of 17- September, at midnight;, when, in a heavy fquall of wind from the North Weft by Weft, there fell as- great a torrent of rain, as I had feen, with tremendous thunder and lightning, which I concluded was the forerunner of the equinoctial gale: on the 17th at noon, our Latitude was 18° 27' North, Longitude, 109° o' Weft; thermometer 30°, barometer 29 6 4 ; at this time blowing a ftrong breeze, and unfettled weather, which, by the eighteenth, at noon, had increafed to a perfect florm,. from the Weft North Weft, with a very heavy fea, that we could fhew little or no fail, till eight o'clock the fame evening; when the weather moderated, thun.- der, lightning, and rain ceafed, and the wind fettled iiu the Weftern quarter.. iff. At day-break, on the twentieth, we faw the Ifland. of Socoro: a number of thofe birds that generally follow . the 0O3. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. the fpermaceti whales, as well as others, of a different fipecies, accompanied us. At five o'clock in the evening, when- we were within feven or eight miles of the fhore, it being a moon-light night, I fent the chief mate to fifh, found for an anchoring place, and, if poffi- ble, to land, in order to -difcover what this ifland pro-' duced. We flood on and off during the whole night, and, at break of day, found that the current had fet us confiderably to the Southward and Weftward. In the morning, we paffed great quantities of pumice flone, and the fea was covered with fmall fhrimps, the common food of the black whale. It being calm, or light winds all night, and the firft part of the day, we did not get in with the fhore, till two o'clock in the afternoon. We founded within five miles of it, but found no bottom, with one hundred and fifty fathoms of line. In the evening, the boat returned, when the mate informed me, that he had founded off the lee-fide of the ifle, and could not find a place of fafety for the fhip to lay in, or a landing for the boat, except in a fmall cove, near the South point. They had caught a fufficient quantity of fifh for all hands, confuting of a kind of cod, fnapper, and filver-fifh; and they might have taken more, but the fharks, which were very numerous, ran-away with the hooks. On the iflartd they had VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 87 had gathered a large quantity of beans, known, I believe, by the name of the Spanifh broom: they alfo brought with them a confiderable number of prickly pears. As foon as it was light,- I font the boat, with cocoa nuts and garden feeds of every kind, which I caufed to be fown in the fmall cove, at the South point, and flood with the fhip off and on till they returned. In the afternoon, being. within three or four miles of the cove, we got bottom, at forty-eight fathoms, fine fand. I then font a boat, to found between us and the land, as well as to the Weftward, when bottom was found at ten fathoms depth, at half a mile from the fhore, to fifty fathoms, at three or four miles diflance. 1793: By ten the next day, I had coafted the South and Weft parts of the ifle, and founded frequently, particularly in a fmall bay, at the North Weft, where we found good bottom, but it was expofed to the North Weft winds, which are reprefented to be the prevailing onesr though I found the winds, in general, Eafterly... i^The unfettled weather we had lately experienced, was fufficient to prevent my anchoring at this feafon,. although in with the ifle. unlefs in a more fecurely flickered bay, then 1 had as yet difcovered. We VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. We faw Ifle Santo Berto from the Weft end of thig ifle, bearing North 20? Eaft. Having made Socoro and Santo Berto, by the Spanifh manufeript chart, which I procured, while a prifoner at St. Bias, and got a fufficient flore of beans and prickly pears; I ftreched away to fearch for Rocka Partida and St. Thomas's, by the fame chart. Two of the crew were affected with a violent purging and vomiting, from eating too much of the fruits juft mentioned. It lafted twerityrfour hours, ajtd, in the end, proved beneficial to them. Indeed, we were all in perfect health, except the fecond mate, who had a lamenefs and contraction in one of' his knees* ■ and had been in an ailing flate, ever fince we left Rio Janeiro. On the twenty-fourth, at nine, A. M. we few Rocka Partida, on our weather bow, which had the appearance of a fail. By four o'clock, we worked up with it, and found it a dangerous barren rock, laying North, North Weft, and South, South Eaft, by compafs. Its greateft length, is fifty or fixty fathoms: and its breadth, about twenty-five or thirty: both ends are fifteen or twenty fathoms in height. The North Weft end is forked; the South and Eaft end, is like a ragged hay-cock. The two. heights are feparated by a ragged faddle, that rifes about three or four VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. four fathoms from the furface of the fea, and is nearly perpendicular. On founding all around, at a boats length, We had thirty-five fathoms; and, at half a mile diflance, fifty fathoms; and then no bottom, With an hundred fathoms of line. It fhews itfelf, on every bearing of the compafs, from a fmall to a great diflance, like a fail under ■ a jury-maft. This rock is fltuated in Latitude. 19° 4' 30", and Longitude, by obfervation of Sun and Moon, and chronometer, corrected, m9 6' 30", bearing from the South Weft end of Ifle Socoro, Weft 159 North, by compafs; diflant forty-eight miles: the variation, 79 Eaft. I leave the further defcriptions of Ifles Socoro and Santo Berto, to my return and anchoring at the firft mentioned ifle, when I had a better opportunity, and more time to make remarks. At Rocka Partida was a prodigious quantity of fifh, but we caught only few, as the fharks deftroyed our hooks and lines, and no one on board, but myfelf, had ever before feen them fo ravenous. One of our men reaching over the gun-whale of the boat, a fhark of eighteen or twenty feet in length, rofe out of the water to feize his hand, a circumftance not uncommon at the Sandwich Ifles, where I have feen a large fhark take hold of an outrigger of a canoe, and endeavour to overfet it. This was in fome degree the cafe with our boat; a number of them continually feizing the fleering oar, it became of no ufe, fo that we , were obliged to lay it in. The inhabitants of the rock were, 80 M as 1793- QO roTAGS TO TIE© SCUTE? SEAS. 1793.%,,&s fn^ny ma*s-of-war htewks as> could fin#a- sefting placed and a few feals".; Having found the Ifles Socoro, Santo Berto, and Rocka Partida, by my manufcript chart, I had every reafonable expectation of feeing alfo the Ifle St. Thomas, which was difcovered by a Spaniard, Diego Hurtado, in the year 1533, and by him placed in Latitude 21°' 30'; and it was viflted afterwards by Gaeten Beftrad, in the year 1543, who places it fifteen miles more to the Northward, than Hurtado; and by all the information I hadi collected, it lay a fmall diflance to the Weftward and Northward of Socoro. I fhaped my courfe for the fituation in which it was placed in my chart; but when I had run the diflance, I did not perceive any thing like land, nor any figns of rny being near it, except the birds and feals which we frequently faw. I did not, however, entertain the leaft doubt of its exiftence, but concluded that I had miffed it by failing two much in a right line from Rocka Partida.. The weather being too unfavourable for me to return to the coafi of Mexico, I difcontinued my fearch, for the prefent, after the Ifle St. Thomas; and, from the quantity of whales frequenting the coafi of California, as mentioned by Mr. Dalrymple, in his hiftory of that country, as well as from the number feen by myfelf in my preceding voyage, and .f3ftO[Y;AG£ rTO THE SOUTH SEAS. Q± ;pnd?fche information I receifs$d from the Spaniards, whrUe^ .*#?3- _ J refided among them, I was determined to make a trial of fifhing there, till the fair weather came on to the Southward; which might reafonably be expected to begin at Cape Cori- ■entes, the latter end of Oclober, or .beginning of November. •In my route to the,coafi, I endeavoured to make ClippertqriiS Ifle from the beft accounts I pofleffed; but they.differed.jp .widely<in Latitude, that I was at a lofs where to lopk for^; and, as it wasf-jgot in my defign to come this wayw^en. I faijgd fromrEaglarfdsf I had left behind me my manufcript chart of the feas, &c. laying .Neijth °f ^ue Socoro, with>all the info|- . mation I had received from the Sgajuards concerning.rfiem.. From the twenty-ninth to the-thirtieth, we-beat to gep. *o-g0. the Northward, in'fhort tacks, with the hope of deferying Clipperton'slfle; we few frequently man-of-war hawks, and at times a few folitary feals. As we had fome expectation offering land, every cloud-that rofe in the horizon was'declared, by the feamen, to be the object in fearch : but as I could not be per- fuaded it was, I did not think proper to purfue the various momentary opinions which frequently were flatted, On the fourth of October, in Latitude 339 15', we October 4. made the coafi of California. The winds from the time jeSf^rfiur leaving-Socoro, blew fjsom North North Eaft, to Norths-North Weft, wefting. as we made.the fand.pf California, with very pleafant weather, but fometimes cloudy. On our paffage we faw a few turtles, with killers, por- M 2 poifes^ 92 Voyage to the south seas. *793- poifes, and black-fifh: the latter were innumerable as we approached ~?he land. Odober 12. We cruized off this ooaft till the twelfth, feeing only the kind of fifh already mentioned, with the addition of fome fin-back and hump-back whales; fo that we had no inducement to remain there, after we had afcertained that the fpecies of whale on this coafi is of no value. Our cruizing ground was between the Latitudes 239 and 25°, and Longitude 112° and 113°, off a remarkable mountain near Cape St. Lazarus; to which I have given the fame name: I make it to be in Latitude 25° Ty, and Longitude 112° 20'. To the South of it, is very low land, till within a few leagues of Cape St. Lucas, which makes the South point of California, when the land rifes to fuch an eminence, as to be feen at the diflance of twenty leagues: but the Cape itfelf is qf0a very moderate height. Though the . weather was fair and pleafant, it was fo hazy while we were on this low and dangerous coafi, as to require a continual employment of the lead. We frequently got foundings with feventy fathoms of line at the diflance of nine leagues from the fhore. I am ready to confefs, that I was deceived reflecting the fpecies of whale which I few when I Was on 358- VOYAGE TO THE S^UTJB,/.SjE;A/B» on the coaft before; and at this time the hump-back whale was fo much larger than generally believed, and fpouted in a ' manner fo different from their ufual mode of throwing up the water, that the moft experienced fifhermen I had. on board believed- them to be black whale, and purfued thenjfj'as fuch;0 and I very much doubt whether that fpecies of whale/ which the Spaniards call the fmall' whale, is any Qtjier than bUick fifh. This opinion was confirmed by a whaler,, with'/whom I fell in company fome time after. He had come down -the coaft of California, and boafted ofjj(the number of fpermacejiti whales which he. had feen. I was very -much afljonifhed that, provided as he was for thej-jpur- ppfe, he had not even attempted to kill one of them. But he foon fatisfied my doubts on the fubject: for being with me on board the Rattler, and feeing ajflipal p£ black fifh, he infifted that they were fpermaceti whales. While I thus difcovered his ignorance, I had reafon to.be fatisfied with myfelf, in having been able to afcertain, from thejjdeck .of my fhip, the difference between thefe two fpecies of whale, bul; this I muft acknowledge, that black fifh, in their feeding and mode of fpouting, refemble the fpermaceti . whale nearer than any other fifh. hitherto known. . 93 1793. On '9% -Vg¥a8e TO QMS S^ut-fevSMs. *793- ^nl^e1 (Twelfth at noon, da£e St. Lfl'cas, the iNoffh ^ape to the gulf of California, bore'^drar^twerve or ;?fl9r?een£ftea|fie^l 1 'make this 6ape by the Wiean of a irmrn,!)e¥P!<?f OTSfervawons, of Sfth, Moon, and-'*8t$fe, in Carmine 9far **$!$ &hW3±3mgk$ffi8> i9§9. The fea, afftiis TrJfffeV, wa^ alnraft cdfe^ea $rith turtles, and other tf&pitfal "fifli. At froUr, A. Mi we few a large fpermaceti wha'fe, •wmcS?we flrack^afi&goE^faft :^ur'fnigKt coming on, «the Irons drewY afia,;:it was (4oft.»9*'We'->cr^.'i8fed beWeen'JtEe xCape Oox^Srites, the- South cape of the gulf of ;©&nfc(fhia^arKl •'ffie nortfi6rnmbfl-fbf MsE&a Ifles, till the feveniti of Nov§rif-» ^BSK, and raw gTRSft numbers of fpermaceti^whales^fome ~of?tliem We 8lra1^e'ft we kan!VeVer feen, tyjut w$';may be -CPtily fa-Si to^e^rnbrlurme^^s^we Ordy^kfHgd two of*the'm. Two of the crew, wfio complained of fome fto$8tt«c Nov. i. ^rymptoms, on the firft of November, were now grow- T?rg worfe; and, as feveral others were apprehehfive of ^emgIatta\3Jed':rEfy this terrible diforder, it*Beeame neceffary for me to 'repfrf to fortie^'port, where a proper atten- "HSon might be paid to the invalid part bfJ4ny people. Our cruizing was generally at the dntance "y%f from three to feven leagues to the Weftward of the Ifles •'Ties Marias, the largeft of which has been faid to have VO.¥4§E TP THE. SOUTH SEA§-oy have a good jroad, and to afford ^aj^us arti^es of refreftj- *t%$i nafent:. but the Fren^l&[;ng#igator, Monfieur Saigfagp le Muet, who vifi-ted thjefe^^iffcs) in thjs^ month, in thejye^ 15742, mentions, that his crew grew worfe while he remained there The healthy feafon, which was now only beginning at St. Bias, fituated in the mouth of the river St. Jago, at -Hjtle more than twenty leagues from them, might not extend to thofe ifles fo early as November; and,, in the bad feafon, at that place, it is not uncommon for fix. or feven of the natives to die in the courfe* of a day, out of the fmall number of five or fix hundred inhabitants. Befidjeg, I could not help- re.cuxririg, with many a melancholy thought, to ,djbe fate of my crew, in my former voyage, when we were captured by the Spaniards at Nootka, carried to St. Bias, and treated with the greateft inhumanity.. I was deter** minedy therefore, not to rifk a fecond capture and imprilonr ment by the Spaniards, which would not have been improbable, if we had anchored at the Tres Marias: the launches from the royal dock at St. Bias, frequently vifiting thefe ifles, in order to get flax and lignum, antae: nor have I the leaft doubt of their attempting it, if :^5 i¥y £$ *t$3* M p I w iP ?1 0 lr „y r° v $6 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. tKey had found me there in fo capital a fhip as the Rattler,* and ia- fo defehcefefs a ftate as fhe th«§iwas, armed with only two three-pounders, and^half a dozen old mufquets *; :M, The *g1, * As there have been various miireprefentatlons of the real ftate and * Mogrefs of the tranfa&ions between,'Don Martinez, commander of. certain t Ihips in the fervice of his moft Catholic Majefty at Nootka Sound, and feve'raf'trading veffels belonging to fubje&s of Great Britain, which threatened to pTbttuce a rupture between the two courts; and, as thofe mifreprefentations may be hereafter repeated, I fliall beg leave to give a faiiuand correct ftate- rnent of thofe tranfadtions, fo facias I was unfortunately, inv^ved^ them^ the- reft of that uppleafant bufinefs is detailed at large, and accompanied by authentic documents, in the Appendix to the voyage of Captain Mears, published in London, 1790. It is unneceffary upon this^occaiion, to Have- recourfe to any occurrences in that unfortunate voyage, prior to the time when, I appeared off Nootka, viz. the fixfo&r' day of Julys«5789. /-At- nine in the evening, when it was almoft dark, we hailed a boat; and the perfons in it defiring to come on board, their requeft wa» immediately granted. It proved to be a Spanifti launch, with Don Eftevan Martinez, commodore 'of fome Sp^anifh fhips of war, then lying in Friendly Cove: we were wilted at the fame; tune by' another Spaniih launch, and t$e boat of an American ftiip. I had no foonenjeceived Don Martinez in my cabin, than he prefented me a letter from Mr. Hudfon, commander of the Princefs Royal Sloop, which was under my orders. The commodore then informed me, that- the veffels andeY his command were. in great dmrefs, from the want of provifions stn&tither neceflaries; and requeued me, in a very urgent lainner, ' to. go into,,poet, .$n order to afford him the neceffary fupplies. I helitated, however, to comply with this demand, as I entertained -very reasonable doubts, of the propriety of putting myfelf under the command of two VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. The Tres Marias, or the iflands, fo named by the 1793 Spaniards, off which we had been cruizing, are four in number, if the Ifle Saint John is included, -which is not more 97 two Spanifti men of war. The Spaniard obferving my unwillingnefs to- , comply with his requeft, affured me, on his word and honor, in the name of the King of Spain, whofe fervant he was, and of the Viceroy of Mexico, whofe nephew he declared himfelf to be, that, if I would go into port and relieve his wants, I fliould be at liberty to fail whenever I pleafed. He alfo added, that his bufinefs at Nootka was for no other purpofe, than merely to prevent the Ruffians from fettling on that part of the coaft, and that it formed a leading principle of his inftrudtions, as it was his private inclination, to pay all becoming refpect and attention to every other nation. I am ready to acknowledge that the ftory of his diftreffes, and the letter of Mr. Hadibn, which appeared to be deferving. of credit, had very confiderable weight with me: befides, I was an officer in his Britannic Majefty's fervicej and might be, in fome degree, influenced by a profeffional fympathy. I therefore fuffered myfelf to be perfuaded to enter the harbour; and, as it was a calm, to let the Spanifh boats affift in towing the Argonaut into Friendly Cove j where we arrived by twelve at night and found an American fhip called the Columbia, riding at anchor, commanded by Mr. Kendric, and a floop of the fame nation, called the Waflrington, commanded by Mr. Gray; with two Spanifli ihips of war, called the Princefla, and Don Carlos. The next morning, after I had ordered fome provifions and ftores for the relief of Don Martinez to be got ready, I went to break- faft with him, in confequence of his invitation. After breakfafl: he accompanied me on board my fliip, the Argonaut; I gave him a lift of the articles I intended to fend him, with which he appeared highly pleafed. I then informed him it was my intention to go to fea in the courfe of fhe day: he replied, he would fend his launch to affift me out of the harbour, N and- 98 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. *793- .more than fix miles diflant from the Northernmoft. There are alfo many fmall rocks, whofe heads juft rife above the water. All thefe iflands are covered with wood, and lay and that I might, on the return of the boat, fend him the promifed fupply. The launch not coming fo early as I wifhed, I fent one of the mates for her, but inftead of bringing me the boat, I received an order from Don Martinez, to come on board his fhip and bring with me my papers. This order appeared ftrange, but I complied with it, and went on board the Princeffa. On my coming into his cabin, he faid he wifhed to fee my papers: on my prefenting them to him, he juft glanced his eyes over them> and although he did not underftand a word of the language in which they were written, declared they were forged, and threw them dlfdainfully on the table, faying at the fame time, I fhould not fail until he pleafed. On .my making fome remonftrances at his breach of faith, and his forgetfulnefs of that word and honour which he had pledged to me, he arofe in an apparent anger, .and went out. I now faw, but too late, the duplicity of this Spaniard, and was converting with the interpreter on the fubjeift, when having jny back towards the cabin door, I by chance eaft my eyes on a looking-glafs, and faw an armed party rufhing in behind me. I inftantly put my hand to my hanger, .but before I had rime to place myfelf in a pofture of defence, a violent blow brought me to the ground. I was then ordered, into the ftocks, and clofely confined; after which, they feized my fhip and cargo, imprifoned my officers, and put my men in irons. They fent their boats likewife to fea and feized the floop Princefs Royal, and brought her into port, for trading on the coaft. Jt may not be amifs to obferve, that the Spaniards confider it contrary to Treaty, and are extremely jealous, if any European power trades in thofe feas, but this cannot juftify Don Martinez, who, not content with fecuring W and my people, carried me from fhip to fhip, like a criminal, rave VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. lay between the Latitude of 21° 15 and 229 and Longitude 107° Weft. The center ifle is the largeft; the Northern- moft, which is named Saint John, is low and tabling, but rove a halter to the yard-arm, and frequently threatened me with inftant death, by hanging.me as a pirate. This treatment,, at length,, nearly coft me my life; and threw me into fo violent a fever, that I was delirious for feveral days : After recovering, I was fent in my own fhip prifoner to St. Bias a Spanifh port in the Gulf of California. On my paffage thither, I was confined in the Mate's-Cabin, (a place not fix feet fquare) for two and thirty, days, with a fcanty fupply of miferable pro virions, and a fhort allowance of water. The Britifh part of my fhip's company, with two officers, were confined in the fail room with their feet in irons, and kept in a ftate too fhocking to relate, and which decency forbids me to defcribe. In going into the harbour, the Spaniards ran the fhip aground and damaged her bottom. On landing, few of my people had any change of clothes, for the Spaniards had broke open their cbefts and plundered them; however, when under the care- of the Governor of St. Bias, we were better treated, being permitted to walk about the town, in charge of a guard of foldiers, and allowed fufficient provifions. About this time the Princefs Royal and crew arriyed, and. fhared the fame fate. Soon after, under a promife that our detention could not be long, they perfuaded us, to heave down and repair the Argonaut, new copper her bottom, and fit new rigging. The idea of releafe ftimu- Jated us to work on the fhip~ with great alacrity, fo much fo, that our exertions, threw feveral into fevers;. and on the veflel being nearly ready, the Governor threw off the mafk, informing/ us fhe was to be employed for their ufe, and laughed again at our credulity. This treatment,, added to little thefts committed on us with impunity,, worked on the minds of the fickly part of the crew, feveral of whom took it to heart and died,, and one deftroyed himfelf in. defpair. Not being Catholics, we were ordered to inter them on the fca-beech. After we had buried them, the Native Creoles dug up the bodies of one Nz or 99 1-193- I!-- inii I0O VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 1793- but of the moft pleafent appearance. . The others are of great height, and may be feen at the diflance of fix- teen or eighteen leagues. The Northernmoft is diflant from Cape or two, and left them to be devoured by the dogs and vultures. On the fame day the Spaniards failed with our veffels, we were removed to Tepeak, a place fixty miles up the country : here we were allowed great liberty, and better treatment; and more particularly fo on the arrrival of Don Bodega Quadra, who was commander of his Catholic Majefty'S'fquadron, on the Coaft of California. To this officer I am greatly indebted for his kind attention, and obtaining permiffion for me to go to Mexico, to claim redrefs for our paft treat-1- ment. On my arrival at Mexico, and during my refidence there, I was treated by the Viceroy, Don Rivella Gigeda, with great politenefs and humanity, and indeed by all ranks of people in that City. This Viceroy, in the moft handfome manner, gave me an order to take pofleflion of my veffel, and a paffport directed to all claffes of Kis ftjbjefts, to render me every fervice11 flood in need of whilft in his government: and fuch was his noble and generous treatment during my continuance of fome months in Mexico and his fubfequent correfpondence, that I am bound to acknowledge my lafting gratitude to him. I alfo underftood the conduct of Martinez had, upon its being inveftigated, occafioned him very fevere difgrace. On my return to St. Bias, I found the Spaniards were unloading my veffel, which ted been laden with corn; and during my abfence, they had fent her to Acapulco for gtmsand broke her back; fhe was not only hogged, but other- wife greatly damaged, and they had alfo made ufeof every part of the ftores, cargo and prbvifions ufeftil to them. For thefe they made out an account on a partial .valuation of their own, and with an affected difplay of liberality, calculated and aB-owed wages toimy people, which they counterbalanced by charging them with maintenance, travelling expences, medical affiftance, &c. &c. and alfo for an allowance of eight months ftores and provifions, in -which were included our beef .and fori, which we Were obliged to fait before we put to fea under a vertical fun. After all, our departure was retarded, by their infifting I fhould fign a paper; <expreffing my complete and entire fatisfacrioh of their ufage to me and my people. As VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. IOI Cape St. Lucas, which is the North Cape of the Gulf of California, fixty-five leagues; and the fouthernmoft is diflant from Cape Corientes, which is the South Cape of As the fevsr began again to make its appearance among fome of my crew, and the reft being extremely clamorous to depart, I was obliged, however, reluctantly, to fubmit. At length after thirteen months captivity, we obtained permiffion to fail,,, with orders to go to Nootka,. and take poffeffion of the Princefs Royal, whofe crew I had with me, although the Spaniards muft have well known it was impoffible for me to have fallen in with her there, as appeared by the orders which the Spanifh commander had on board, when I met with him by accident fome time afterwards at the Sandwich Ifles. Thus on the approach of winter, in a miferable veflel, badly equipped, and worfe victualled, we failed from St. Bias, altogether in fuch a fituation, that from the numberlefs accidents we fnffered in confequence of our bad outfit, my arrival at Macao appeared almoft miraculous. On my arrival at China, the refident agent D. Beal, Efq. who had taken no fmall degree of pains to inform himfelf of every particular concerning my capture, paid fuch of the crew as furvived the wages due to them, anclrequefted me once more to embark in the fame concern, on a voyage to Japan and Corea. I readily contented, and he fitted me out at a great expence, and in1 his inftructions' to me, dated Canton, July aj, 1791, He fays — " After the mortifications and difappointments you have already experienced, from the capture of your veffels by the Spaniards, it may be an additional circumftance of regret, fhould difappointment and ill-fortune ftill purfue you: you muft, however, confole yourfelf, by reflecting that no imputation refts againft your character or conduct, for the violence and depredations committed" By the Spaniards". This language from fo refpectable a character, was truly pleating, and as an additional proof of his confidence, he fent his brother with me as fuper- cargo. But afterwards how great was my furprize, on hearing Mr. Mears had taken an advantage of my abfence, and publifhed in England an account of me fo contrary to *W- C-VVVN-t^to S i- it 102 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 1793. of that Gulf, fixteen leagues. Between thefe ifles, and about half-way to the main, are other fmall ifles, called the Ifabellas, which are remarkable for appearing, in all fituations, to truth ! In his appendix to his voyage, fpeaking of the fever and delirium with which I was afflicted whilft in the hands of the Spaniards, he had ftated on Mr. DufEn's ill-founded authority, that the delirium attending that fever was a family infirmity, and after wounding the feelings "of all connected with me publiflied the following by way of apology and reparation : January 1, 1791. " It is with particular fatisfaction that I poffefs the opportunity of contradicting the mif-information of Mr. Duffin, relative to Captain Colnett's illnefs, in his letter to me from Nootka Sound, publiihed in my memorial to the Houfe of Commons, No. 9, and in the appendix to my voyages, No. 13 : Mr. Duffin there mentions, but I am fure very innocently, that Mr. Colnett's infanity is fuppofed to be a family diforder; it therefore becomes my duty to declare, from the beft authorities, that fuch a report is diftant of any foundation whatever." On my return to England in 179a, part of the money produced by the fale of the furs, mentioned in my introduction, was placed in one of the firft banking houfes in London, in the names of Meffrs. Mears and Etches, to pay the amount afcertained at that time which was due to the heirs or affigns of fuch of the feamen as died on the voyage. If there are any monies remaining due to their reprefentatives, &c. for lofs of clothes and private property not yet fettled, v .I.am not accountable. m /. am I m The moft particular papers relating to the tranfaetion at Nootka, being loft in his Majefty's frigate the Huffar which I had the honour to command in December,, 1796, I have here given as circumftantial a detail as I can remember, from fa long a period as nine years paft. I VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. fkuations, when at a fmall diflance, like fhips under fail. That part of the gulph, which lies between the Tres Maria* and the main, forms a deep bay of fifteen or twenty leagues, and affords a good and fafe anchorage, having regular foundings from the fhore, and at the diflance of four or five miles, five fathom; but whether the foundings extend to the Tres Marias, I have had no opportunity to inform myfelf: but when the Ifabellas bore North, half Eaft, diflant five miles, I had good anchorage in twenty' fathom water, muddy bottom. The native Indians have a large eftablifhment in this bay, known, in moft of the charts, by the name of Mazatlan, but pronounced by the Creole Spaniards, Mauf- kelta town. It is remarkable for the great quantity of large fifh, not unlike falmon in fize and fliape, which, during the fummer feafon, are taken in the mouth of a fmall river near it: but previous- to the capture of the veffels under my command, the inhabitants were unacquainted with a proper method of felting them. In this ufeful feience they were inftrucled by fome of njy crew, who had been employed in the Newfoundland fifheries*. Several * The falting of this fifh proved, however, a very unpleafant circum- fiance to us, as it occafioned our being employed to fait beef and pork for a fleet,- —-—=■= : VOYAGE TO THiE SOUTH SEAS'." Several other fhallow rivers empty fchemfelKes into this.' btiay„ the principal of which is called Saint Jago, on whofe Southern fide, at the dirftaaee of two or three miles from the mouth, is fituated the town of Saint Bias* that contains the grand arfenal and dock-yard of the province of Mexico, and is the chief depot for all the riches collected in the Califopnias, ■ The principal flore-houfes and treafury are built on a fmall mount, that rifes in the middle of the marfh which joins the dock-yard, and is about two miles from it. The face of the mount towards- the fea is a perpendicular rock of one hundred fathom, and prefents a very formidable appearance* but, on the l^o,d fide, gradually finks in feveral places to the plain. In the rainy feafon, when I was there, the marfh was fo overflowed, as to render it a matter of difficulty to- pafs on foot to the dock-yard. There are not even at foring; tides, more than ten ox twelve feet water on the bar,, afe a fleet, then -fitting out in the fpri'ng, at Saint Bias; with whijeh the Spa* niards were fo well fatisfied, that they took for themfelves all the European fait provisions they found on board the veflels which they, had captured;' as having no doubt, but we could fait our own provisions when we fhould- be releafed, which happened at the time the Sun was vertical; in confequence of which, though we did contrive, by cutting the meat in fmall pieces, to make it take the fait, yet, when we got out to fea, it was totally fpoiled* and we were threatened with famine. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. at the entrance of the river; and the frigates belonging to the flation in the Gulf of California, though they are capable of carrying fifty guns, are conftrucled fo, as to pafe over the bar, and to protect the fettlements on the gulf, from the attacks of the native Indians; who arc continually at war with the Spaniards, particularly on the Eaft fide, which is faid to contain the richeft mines of gold, that have been yet difcovered; befides feveral of filver. The deepeft water at the entrance of this river is clofe along fide the North point: where, on a gentle afcent, there is an irregular battery of fourteen or fifteen pieces of cannon, of different bores, which they fetched from Acapulco, in one of my veffels. If I am correct in my recollection, for I have loft all the minutes I made on the fubject, it is high water on the bar of the river, at full and change, at ten o'clock, and the tide flows only eight or ten feet*. When * iThe fhore in the bay is low ; but the in-land mountains are. very lofty; one of them which has the moft Angular appearance, is called Tepeak, and may be feen at the diflance of thirty leagues. Here, myfelf and thofe of my officers and crew who furvived the yellow fever at St. Bias, paffed the fix latter months of our captivity. o iq6 V93- VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. When the marine ftores, &c. were brought by the way of Europe and Vera Cruz, a diflance of eighteen hundred miles, on- the backs of mules, AcapuIeo> -was the grand dock-yard; but fince thefe fiipplies for the navy have been procured at a far cheaper rate by the way of China and Manilla, the naval arfenal has been removed to Saint Bias;, before I left that place, the Viceroy of Mexico was fo alarmed, leaft the Court of Great- Britain fhould revenge the inflult offered her by the.- capture of my veffels, that, fearful of trufting to his- flat-floored veffels, &c. &c. he had ordered two heavy frigates, of a fharp construction, to be built in.the valley of Banderra, which is fituated a few leagues to the Eaft of Cape Corientes,. for the better protection of the arfenaL As I conceived it would be an act of the greateft imprudence to anchor even near a Spanifh port, I determined to return to- the Ifle Socoro, in order to^recover the health of the crew.. Nov. 12. We .grade the ifle on the twelfth day of November, and by the evening got well up with the North end; the Ifle Santo. Berto being only eight leagues diflance, and my not having had opportunity to afeertain whether it afforded a. better anchoring place than Socoro, determined me to examine it. We lay too all night for day-break, to make fail, and; by noon, got within three or four miles of the South end of Santo III "V VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. Santo 'Berto, when our Latitude by obfervaticn Was 199 15', and Longitude corrected, 1099 54'. At this point, the ifland had a barren appearance, with little or no vegetation. It lay in a North Eaft, and South Weft direction, is about fix miles in length, and two or three in breadth?/ with a few rocks juft appearing above water off different parts of it. Its furface is uneven, and its appearance romantic; and, at the diflance of nine or ten miles', has the femblance of two feparate ifles. We faw fome feals there, and a great number of men-of-war hawks on the bluff, at the South endi. On the Weft1 fr'de, is a fmall bay, but, as it difappointed my expectations, I did not land, or try for foundings in it. As the hurricane month and unfettled weather were not as yet o\?6t, and I knew of no fecure anchoring place at Socoro, where I could wiDlt fafety over-haul my rigging, and break up the hold, frtvhich we flood in great need of, prepoftdiring at the fame time in my mind, thaethc Ifle St. Thomas's did actually exift, and was not far diflant: I ftretehecfraway to the Weftk Wated in fearch ofHit, tifltvveasade ^wafting, and rJSachedUha? Longitude 118° Weft, in Latitude zo° 30'. I adminiftered'to^ the crew who were afflicted with the fcurvy, twenty drops of elixir of vitriol, and half a pint of wine, three times a day, with fome preferved fruits, frefh bread, and pickles, from my own O 2 ftores, ibf *793- ftores, and they began to mend. In our courfe, land birds frequently flew on board, particularly fmall grey owls, about the fize of a black-bird; we were vifited alfo by large horned owls, and brown hawks, as well as fome of the fize of our fparrow-hawks. They did not, however, come in fuch numbers as when we were off the Tres Marias and the Coaft of California. From the above circumftances we were difpofed to believe, we were in the vicinity of land: But I was more particularly encouraged in my hopes of feeing land, when, in Latitude 20° 25', and Longitude 113° 27' Weft, having fallen in with five or fix wild ducks, the whaling mailer purfued them for fome time in the boat; but, though they were not fhy, he was not fo fortunate as to kill one of them. Having joined the track of my former voyage in the Argonaut from St. Bias, which ftretched 4° 30' more to the Weftward in the fame Latitude, I gave up the idea of the ifland, which was the object of my immediate fearch, laying to- the Weftward of me; and not falling in with it on my return to Socoro, I cannot account for its fituation, unlefs,. according to the opinion of fome modern hydrographers,, it fhould be the. Ifland Socoro itfelf. €n VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEA9; 109- On the twenty-fourth day of November, at day-light, ,TI795'* " " jo Nor. 24. we few Rocka Partida, and paffed to the Northward of it. At noon, on the fame day, Socoro bore Eaft by South, diflant, feven or eight leagues. On the following day, at noon, we got within a few 35; miles- of the South Weft end of that ifland: Latitude, by obfervatkm, 18° 49' North. The boats were now hoiiled out to fearch for an anchoring birth; and a fmall bay foon after appeared, which was formed by the South Weft and South terminations of the ifle, wherein foundings werer obtained, at twenty-five fathom, with a fandy bottom^ We accordingly fhortened fail, and' came to anchor, at about the diflance of two miles from the neareft part of the fhore; the extremes of the ifland bearing from Weft North Weft to Eaft. South Eaft; two fmall fandy beaches bearing from North by Eaft, to North North. Eaft. On the twenty-fixth, A. M., I permitted the greateft part of the crew to go on fhore, at a fmall cove, which- was the only good landing place; and alfo put two men; on fhore abreaft the fhip, to look for water. In the evening they all returned, with a confiderable flore of prickly pears, beans and fifh; the latter were of the fnapper kind, and weighed atf. SIO VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. *793- weighed from four to eight pounds. Thofe of the crgw who had perceived any fymptoms of the feurvy laid them- felves for fome time, in the frefh earth, and derived con- -fiderable benefit from it: thofe who advanced up the country, faw many trees laying in a decayed flate on the ground, which appeared to be of a much larger fize than any that were ftanding; but they faw no fpring or pool of frefh ■vfater, and were not encouraged to continue their fearch for it, as the furface of the ground was covered with azUtne loofe cinder, that rendered the walking over it laborious and difficult; and it was the lefs neceflary to undergo further fajrigue, as we had plenty of water onboard; and I was, at this time, in fuch a flate of health, as rendered me incapable of attending upon any inland expedition. In the North Eaft part of the ifland, where the ground was more firm, we afterwards found fmall quantities of water, lodged in the cavities of rocks; but, as that muft have been fupplied by fhowers, fuch refources muft not only be infufncient, but uncertain. I have, however, no doubt, but that on the North Eaft bay, wells might be made, that would produce plenty of good water; atleaft, the foil is fuch, as to encourage fuch an expectation : but a very heavy gale drove us to fea, before I was fufli- c^ntly recovered to make the experiment. The garden feeds which had been fown here, on our former vifi|,j- were VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEATS. .111" were not come up, and the cocoa nufe, though they *793> were in a growing ftate when we planted them, had decayed in the earth. When we firft came too, off" this bay, the wind was light to the Eaftward; but, at day.-rfight, it blew ftrong from the North Weft, and Weft North Weft, and continued fo till eight in the evening of the twentyrfeventh, when it Nov. a became calm. During the whole;.sf this day, the crew were fuffered to go on fhore; and, on its proving calm, we fhortened in the cable: but at midnight, by fome unaccountable accident, the anchor tripped; hosfeever, the fhip moft fortunately did not drive on fhore, if fhe had, would inevitably have been loft, as rocks extend for fome diflance off both points of the bay, and the light airs, which at intervals had blown, were moftly along the land. Not a perfon on board had? the leaft fuf- picion of what had happened till two o'clock in the morning. It was a Angular .ricecumftance, that having been refllefe -during .the whole of the night, I quitted my bed at this hour,. and went upon deck, when I mentioned to the officer of the watch, my fufpicion of the fhip's driving,. from Nov. a8. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. from the found of the furf changing alternately on the ^points of the bay. I therefore ordered the deep fea-lead to be thrown overboard, and getting no bottom at forty fathom, my conjectures were inftantly confirmed. We now wore away fifty fathom of cable, but not bringing \ip, and a light breeze blowing, at the fame time, off the land, we backed off fhore, with the yards and mizen- top-feil. I can account for this accident in no other way, 'then from the too great length of the buoy rope, which, by the blowing of the variable light winds and the fhip's Swinging, had catched in her heel and weighed the anchor, .which, with our crippled windlafs, employed us five hours -to heave up. I now determined to have a tent pitched on fhore and land the fickly part of •my crew, together with the fecond mate, who ftill continued to be in an infirm flate, and beat off with the ftiip, till they fhould be recovered. At noon, they were all got on fhore, and I left them the jolly-boat, to enable them to catch frfh; a diet at once both falutary and refrefhing to perfons in their fituation. In the afternoon, we flood in with the North Eaft point, and kept the lead going, when "fye found regular foundings at five or fix miles, and from thirty-eight to ten fathom, at one mile and an half from ihore; at the fame time we were fheltered from the North Eaft, VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. Eaft, to Weft by South. I now made a ftretch off, bent my beft bower, unftowed the other anchors, tacked and flood in, and came to in ten fathom water. The North Eaft point bearing North, 459 Eaft ; the higheft mount North, 330 45 Weft; the bottom of the bay North, 56° 15 Weft ; the Eaftern point forming the entrance to the Cove, Weft; and the South point, Weft by South. In this fituation we lay two days and a night, all hands on fhore during the .day, except one boat's crew: on the the third day, the current began to run to the North Eaft, at the rate of two and an half, or three miles an hour, from which caufe, we lay uneafy at fingle anchor. I was unwilling to moor with my bowers, as our windlafs was in fuch a flate as to render the heaving up an anchor a matter of great toil and delay; nor had we any boat to carry out a kedge fufficiently heavy to fleady the fhip. Although the weather did not prefent the moft promifing appearance, and the winds Eafterly, yet, as the current run to the windward, I entertained hopes of a long continuance of fine weather, which I always found at the Sandwich Ifles, when the Northerly current run there. - I was, however, miflaken; for in the night of the firffc P of VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. of December, the barometer fell fuddenly from 30-1 to 29-5-5, *he winds hourly varied from Eaft to South, with fqualls, heavy fhowers of rain, continual lightning, and diflant thunder; which being on the approach of the new moon, fuch an alteration in the weather might be an expected event: but as the barometer had never deceived me, I was not fatisfied with its fudden change, and at the fame time entertaining doubts of the cable being injured, as the fhip had broke her fhear frequently during the night, I became very anxious for the dawn of day, to purchafe the anchor. At day-light, all round the horizon, and particularly from the South, threatened an inftant hurricane., which, left me not a moment to hefitate for the fafety of the fhip, and with only eight hands on board, including myfelf, we rove a purchafe, weighed the anchor, and went to fea. As I conjectured, we found the cable fo rubbed and worn as obliged us to cut off twenty fathoms from it. As foon as the fun had Croffed the meridian, the heavy fqualls, and frequent fhowers of rain commenced, which continued to increafe till the change of the moon, at two o'clock in the morning, when it blew fo ftrong as to reduce us to clofe-reefed top-fails; and as the gale frefhened fo quick, on us, we had not ftrength enough on board to fhorten any more fail, we were therefore obliged to carry it. We had . VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. had now an heavy fea, torrents of rain, accompanied with .thunder and lightning, and winds from every point of the compafs, though principally from Eaft to South Eaft, which blew right into the roads we had left; and it is more than probable, from the flate of our cable, and not laying more than a mile and an half from the fhore, that, if we had attempted to ride out the gale, the fhip would have been loft. It was, indeed, one of the worft nights I had experienced fince I left Cape Horn. "S *793- On the third day of December, we got in with the Dec, 3. fhore again, and obferving the jolly-boat alone, I felt the fevereft anxiety reflecting the other boat and crew. We hove too, with the head off fhore, and the whaling mafter was difpatched with every one on board, except myfeH', to afcertain what had become of them. Fortunately no- accident had- happened, except the wetting they had undergone from the violence of the rain, and the whale boat which I had miffed, with fome foKcitude, had be©H* taken by Ijhem on a fifhing* party, in order to bring a fupply of fifh on board the fhip*-* I allowed the fick crew one day more to be on fhore, and changed the party which was on board during, the .gale,- to accompany them. During the whole P2 nigteg VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEJSrS. night the weather was fhowery, with occafional lightning. The winds were well to the Eaftward, and next day fo much fo, that I was obliged to carry a prefs of fail, to w7eather the North Eaft points of the ifland, and could not therefore take the people from off the fhore.' On the fourth, at day-break, the winds inclining to the Northward, we run down off the cove, and got our tent and all hands on board by noon, anchors flowed, cables unbent, and made fail to the North Eaft, for the Coaft of Mexico, with the crew in perfect health, except the fecond mate; who, though he was much recovered, was flill in a weakly and fickly condition. It may not be unnecef- fary for me to remark, that thofe of the crew who had any eruption on them of a fcorbutic kind, I recommended them to bruife the prickly pear, and to apply the fame in manner of a poultice, from which they not only found great relief, but it fpeedily recovered them, and much fooner then would have generally heen credited. Socoro, in the Spanifh language, means fupply ; but during our flay at that ifland, we were not fo fortunate as to difcover any great affinity between the name, and character of the place. To this and the adjacent ifles, I have given the name of Rivella Gigeda, after the viceroy of Mexico, as the From a variety of obfervations of Sun, Moon, and Stars, I determine the Ifle of Socoro to be in Latitude i8? 48' North, Longitude no9 10' Weft, and bearing from Cape Corientes Weft, 22° South, diflant ninety leap-ues. It lays in a Weft North Weft, and Eaft South Eaft direction; its greateft extent is eight leagues, and it is about three leagues in breadth. It may be faid to confift of one mountain, which may be feen at the dif- tance of twenty leagues, and falls in gradual defeent at all points on the South fide. It is in a great meafure covered with brufh-wood, intermixed with the low prickly pear-trees, and occafionally fhaded with other trees of a larger growth. Some few fpots of the foil are black and barren, as if fire had lately iffued neay it; and the top of the high land at a diflance, has the appearance of there having been formerly a volcano? the furface is of a whitifh colour, like that of the pumice ftone, which was found on the fhore. But though this may denote the exiftence of former eruption, I did not perceive either fire or frnoke to iffue from any part of the ifland. It muft, however, be acknowledged, that Socoro is an excellent place of refort for a veffel with a fcorbutic crCvv, or to refit if engaged in a cruize againft the Spaniards off the Coaft of Mexico, or em- ••joyed in the whaling fervice. The VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEA^. The vegetables we found and confidered as wholefome efculents, were beans and the molie tree, from whofe leaves was made a very wholefome tea, of an aromatic fmell and pfeafant tafle: but it is much fmal- ler than that defcribed by Mr. Falkner, though it was ijcom his defcription of its leaf and fruit that I dif- .covered it. The prickly pear, which is a very fovereign antifcorbutic, grows here alfo in great exuberance : it is of two kinds, white and red; but the former is confidered as the moft efficacious, and furniflied us with the means of producing many wholefome, as well as palatable, pies and puddings. The animal food which we procured here, confifted of crows, owls, doves, black-birds, thrufhes, fparrows, finches, and humming birds; befides water fowl — fuch as teal, fend larks, and various, other fea birds, in great numbers. The fifh we took were land-crabs, fea-crabs, craw-fifh, qolche with femicircular mouths, limpits, oyfter^ and other fhell-fifh *. To thefe may be added cod, rays, eels, and all thofe that are ufually f^aken in tropical latitudes, The only novelty I found among the deep water fifh, was one which bore .^me refemblance, to the- panjqt fifh, with a large hump of * Of the fpecies unknown befjjje^wer.e, tfee, Larj^Xootifdr-l^nijlA tfce SUM Green Turbo, and the Buccinum Dent ex.- VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS, 119 o£'ifet on the back part of its head. Of turtle, we faw *793- only two, and caught neither of them. But with all this abundance of fifh, it !is a matter of fome difficulty to obtain them, from the number and fize of the fharks, who very frequently feized the whole of our prey1,- before we could draw them out of the water. Of quadrupeds, there were none vifible to us: but of infects and reptiles, there were great numbers—fuch as fpiders, flies, mufqui- tos, grafs-hoppers, ©rickets, and butterflies; with fcor- pions, lizards, and fnakes. But the dearth of frefh water* is?* the moft uncomfortable and dHeoiafaging cirdfimftance belonging to this ifland, though I am very much difpofed to believe that an ifle of this extent, and whofe fummit is continually covered with clouds, muft have running ftreams on it: at the fame time, the large flights of teal which are frequently feen coming from the interior parts of the ifland, ftringthened my conjecture that it contains lakes pools, or fprmgs, though &'was flbt our good fortune to difcover them. ■ The feafons of the year being confldered, I thirik the fafeft artiehorage from June to December is, between the South and South Weft poirrls; oppofite to two white coral beeches, which are the firft two in fucceffion from' the South point of the ifland towards the Weft. It is the I20, *793 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. the place where we firft anchored, and remarkable from the pinnacle rocks which lay clofe off the Weft point of the bay. I prefer this place in the bad feafon, as the wind fel- do^n blows more than two points to the Southward of the Eaft. In the good feafon, however, that is, from the latter end of December till the beginning of June, I prefer the South Eaft bay, being better anchorage and nearer to the cove, which was the only good landing place we difcovered, and is eafily known, being a ftony beech at the firft inlet in the fhore to the Eaftward of the South point: all other part of the, coaft on the South fide of the ifland is iron bound, which makes it extremely difficult, if not impoffible to land, except in very fine weather. According to the accounts given of the winds in this Latitude by former navigators, the South Eaft bay would at all times afford a fecure anchorage ; but I found it otherwife : though fuch a change might be owing to the feafons falling later now than formerly, or in one year later than another. The Buccaneers affert, and Lord Anfon confirms their affertion, that at the time he was cruizing for the Galeon, there was no reafon to apprehend danger on the Coaft of Mexico, from the middle of October till May. But my journal will fhew, from what VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. what we experienced, the beginning or middle of January is full early to expect good weather, for cruifing, or fifhing. To the Southward of Cape Corientes, and to the Northward of it Cape St. Lucas, the lightning, thunder and heavy rains had not fubfided the beginning of November; and had not my crew been rather in a flate of convalefcence, I would have returned to the Northward for better weather. The Spaniards themfelves never leave the Port of Saint Bias for Acapulco, till the latter end of November, when the North winds fet in and blow fteadily. a CHAP. %%% VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. CHAPTER IX. THE RATTLER QUjTS THE ISLE OF SOCORO FOR THE COAST OF MEXICO : SOME ACCOUNT OF OUR TRANS- 'AQTIONS THERE, AND WHILE WE LAY AT ANCHOR BEFORE THE ISLAND OF QUIBO, IK THE GULF OE PANAMA, TO OUR ARRIVAL AT THE ISLES OF THE GALIPAGOES, ON AND NEAR THE EQUATOR. December 6. *-T was ^e flxth day of December, when we loft fight 8. of Socoro; and on the eighth in the afternoon, we made Moro Corona on the Coaft of Mexico; we had pleafant weather and the winds were between the North Weft and the North Eaft. I entertained a ftrong defire to fee Paffion Ifle before I made the coaft, as it might have been of future advantage to fifhers and cruizers; but my bread was become fo bad as to be no longer in a flate to be eaten, which made every perfon on board anxious to get to VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. to the Southward and reach the Galipagoe Ifles where we might refit for England; unlefs we fhould fall in with fome European Veffel that would fupply us with the neceflaries which we fo much Wanted; or from being made acquainted with the flate of Europe, might venture into fome Spanifh port. *2S3- In our paffage to the Coaft, which we made in Latitude 19° 28', we pafled great quantities of herring, turtle, porpoifes, blaek-fifh, devil-fifh, and fin-back whale, but the number of birds appeared to be greatly diminifhed fince we left the coaft: for at that time there were innumerable flocks of boobies, which were fo tame, as not only to perch on the different parts of the fhip, but even on our boats and the oars while they were actually employed in rowing. When the appearance of the weather foretold a fquall, or on the approach of night, the turtle generally afforded a place pf reft for one of thefe birds on his back; and though this curious perch was ufually an object of conteft, the turtle appears to be perfectly at eafe and unmoved on the occafion. The victorious bird generally eafed the turtle of the fucking fifh and maggots that adhere to and troubled him. We now faw dolphins and porpoifes in abundance, and took many of the latter, which we mixed withialt pork, and made excellent Q, Z faufages, ■124 *7.9.h VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. faufages, indeed they became our ordinary food. Sea fnakes were alfo in great plenty, and many of the crew made a pleafant and nutritious meal of them. We kept along the fhore, under an eafy fail, during the day and at night lay to. The winds were generally light and very variable, and we did not get off Acapulco till the Dec. 19. nineteenth of December, the moon having then paffed its full near three days, and the fun approaching to its greateft Southern declination. As we had not lately experienced any changeable or bad weather, we entertained the pleafing hopes that the unfavourable feafon was nearly paffed, but at fun-fet the blackeft clouds I ever faw, gathered around us> and the fucceeding night produced rain, with thunder, lightning, and heavy fqualls of wind from all points of the compafs, but chiefly from South to Eaft. The rain continued to pour, in never-ceafing torrents, throughout the following 30> day; but on the winds inclining to the North of Eaft the rain began to abate, and towards the evening it fell only in heavy fhowers, and faint lightning continued to gleam through the night; but it was not till ten o'clock A. M. on the twenty- firft, that the fhowers became moderate and we got fight of land: as we were within nine or ten leagues of it, with dark and unpromifing weather, we made fail off fhore with 31. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 1-2; with an Eafterly wind; when, from the general bad flate of my fails, I ordered the top-fails to be furled, and lay to under flay-fails. On the twenty-fecond of December the weather Dec. aa. became moderate, with fettled North Eafterly winds and frequent fhowers, which continued without any variation to the end of this year. I fhall not, however, omit to mention that, after the example of my firft commander and patron Captain Cooke, I did not fuffer our Chriftmas, the grand a6. feftival of the chriftian world, to pafs by without a fincere, though imperfect celebration of it. We had now an alternate fucceflion of calms and light winds, which blew from the North Weft quarter, and at times thunder and lightening. We proceeded down the coaft under top-fails during the day, and lay to at night. a8. When we faw any fpouting fifh, we. flood off and on to afcertain their clafs, but of thefe there were very few, which proved to be hump-back and fin-back whale, black - fifh and porpoifes, but there were great numbers of albicores, bonnettas, dolphins and turtle, and of the two latter we caught as many as were neceffary for our confumption. On the thirty-firft of December our Latitude was 149 53' and we had paffed over the ground where we had reafon to expect the greateft fuccefs in filhing, but had been driven off by bad 31- 11 12,6 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. ,, /'" *794- bad weather, without killing more than two or three whales* and as we did not now perceive the fmalleft trace of there being any fifh of the fpermaceti kind, and having every reafon to believe, from the obfervations I had made* that their return like many other fea animals are periodical, under thefe ■. doubtful circumftances it would have manifefted an unpardonable degree of imprudence to have remained longer on this flation with no more than fix months proviflon, fuch as it was at two rfchirds allowance, and at fuch an immenfe diflance from any of our own. fettlements. We continued for thefe reafons to pafs under an eafy fait along fhore, flattering ourfelves, at the fame time, that we fhould either fall in with fpermaceti whale, or meet with fome veffel, who could afford us the affiftance whieh we wanted. We now put the Rattler in Hie beft pofture of defence ovat fituation would admit, as we were detemrnined to fpeak to the fi.Eft fhip we met, and if fhe fhould prove an enemy, to truft either to our ftrength or fuperiority of failing, the latter we had^great faith in. January i. On January the fifftin Latitude 149 36' we had a heavy gale of wind from the North Eaft quarter, which occafioned a prodigious fea, and the fhip to labour mare than when fhe was off Cape Horn, fo much fo, that I was under fome apprehenfion that we fhould lofe our main. maft. On the fecond VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 127 fecond the weather moderated, but became very changeable Tanu^' 2 and foggy, with alternate calms and light winds. The night was moift with heavy dews, the colour of the fea frequently changed and there was much broken and white water. I kept the deep fea-lead conftantly employed, but found no bottom at.one hundred and fifty fathom, in Latitude I3°' 33 North. The winds weftered on us and were fuc- ceeded by light and changeable breezes till we got into the Latitude 12° 48', when we fell in with innumerable flights of thofe birds which are known to follow whale, and of which we had not feen fuch numbers fince we were fearching for the Ifle Grande in the Atlantic Ocean. On the fixteenth we faw a fail to the Southward between us and the fhore, and ftanding to the Northward and Weftward. At noon, being in Latitude 12° 14 15" North, we hove too to fpeak to her, our foundings were fixty fathoms, the volcano of Guatamala bearing North Eaft by North, diflant ten or eleven leagues. The veffel neared us confider- ably by one o'clock, and difSp-Iayed Spanifh colours: when it proved cairn I fent the boat with the whaling mafter to board her, which he accordingly did, and returned with two fheep, fix fowls, twelve tongues, feveral pumpkins and two bags of bread. The fupercargo, who accompanied this prefent, brought an excufe from the mafter of the veflel, for 16. 128 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 1794- for his making fail from us, which he attributed to the variable winds and his great anxiety to get to Acapulco, to which place he was bound from Lima. From this perfon I learned that Louis the Sixteenth King of France, had been beheaded by his own fubjects, that the two Nations of Great Britain and France were engaged in war, and that there were on the Coaft of Peru, a French privateer, two fnows and a fchooner, which had already captured feveral veffels. I fent the Spanifh fupercargo back to his fhip, with a qtrantity of wine, rum, porter and cheefe, which, far exceeded in value the prefent I had received, but it was impoffible by any argument I could employ to procure anyr addition to it. The whaling mafter who was twice on board the Spanifh veffel, might, on the firft vifit have had his boat filled with whatever he had demanded; but on *his fecond appearance, the Spanifh Commander had recovered his fpirits but loft his liberality, for he would not part with any thing more. From his general converfarion, and the manner in which he flated the probability of our being taken by the French cruizers as we went down the coaft, we had fome reafon to believe that Great Britain was at war with Spain/ as well as France. We foon parted company with the Spanifh trader, and flood to the South, diftancing the land, at the fame time> from VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. from twelve to fifteen leagues. The fea was continually r79+- varying in its colour, but we could not obtain any foundings. On the twenty-third of January at noon, our Latitude January aj;- was 89 49' 51" North, Cape Blanco bearing North 3° Eaft. Our flock of water was now very much reduced, and the greater part of that which remained, was, from its having been kept in oily cafks, become fo naufeous as to produce ficknefe inftead of allaying thirft: I therefore made fail for the Ifland of Quibo, in order to obtain a frefh fupply of fuch a material article, on which our future health depended. Our winds fince we loft fight of Guatimala, were between the South Eaft, and North Eaft; and would at times vary for a few hours to the Weftern Quarter. 26. a?. On the twenty-fixth we had moderate breezes from North Weft to South Weft, our Latitude was 7° 54 North. On the twenty-feventh, being in the vicinity of the Ifle Mentuofa, between Cape Dulce and Quibo, we fell in with feveral fpermaceti whales, of which we killed four, and afterwards were fo unfortunate as to lofe one along-fide. The fight of thefe whales prolonged our cruize until the eighth February 8. of February, in the hope of getting more of them, but we only added four to thofe we had already taken. The winds R on jp&emimiiM VOYAGE TtP THE SOUTH SEA'S, i-794> on this cruize were very variable, but rather more in the weftern than the eaftern quarter. Between Cape Dulce and the South end of Quibo, are the Ifles Zedzones, Mentuofa and Quicaras. - The Zedzones cmiiflftiQf fmall barren rocks. Mentuofa Fifes' to" a confider- able height, and is fiv^-'or fbt»miles in circumference, its fummitj is? eSvered with trees, the greater' part are thofe which beaBf^the cocoa hut, wMch gives It a very pleafant appearance, but iflete and breakers extend ofP its Eaft and Weft: ends to the diflance of three or four miles. The bottom is rooky on the South fide, as is the ffoore near the fea. There is a beach of faiid behind fome little* creeks that runs in between the rocks, which makes a fafe landing for boats. Here we went on fhore, and got a quantity of qocoa nuts with a few birds. The Spaniards op Indians had been lately here, to fifh on.! the reef for pearls, and had left great heaps of oyfter fhells. It may not, therefore, be im- properrto fuggeft to thofe who may hereafter find it convenient to landviaa this ifland, to be prepared to defend themfelves, in cafe they fhould be attacked by any of its oeeafional va6fe.ss> There were a great plenty of parrots, doves and guanos^ and it is probable that other refrefhmetots might be obtained of which we are ignorant. At all events, it may VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. may be ufeful to whalers or cruizers, by offering a place where there fick may be landed, and cocoa nuts procured, whofe .milk will fupply the want of water. This ifland, according to my obferVatfttaias,. lies in LatitShde 7 \j&§'J^orth, and Lorigftude 8 a9 40' Weft. The qnicaras confift of two ifles: the larger one is about fix or feven miles, and the leffer about two or three niite5,ran length; they lay North and South of each other, with but a fmall fpace between them ; and diflant from the South end of Quibo, about twelve miles. The leaft of thefe ifles is entirely covered with cocoa trees; and the larger one bears an equal appearance of leafy vesfdure, but ve%y few of the trees which produce it are of the cocoa kind. *994* The whole of my fhip's company longed fo much to get fome good water to their bad bread, and our fuccefs in fifhing had fallen fo fhort of our expectations, that I WaS1 induced to quit the whaling fooner, than I fhould otherwife have done : therefore on the eighth day of February at Noon, February 8.- we rounded the South end of Quibo, the Latitude by obfer- vation being 7° 19' 25" North, foundings thirty-eight fathom. The South point of Quibo bearing South 429 Weft, the North Eaft point bearing North 459 Weft, and Cape Mariato bearing Eaft 49 30' South. We had light airs and pleafant R 2 weather *3£ VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. *794» weather, during the greater part of the afternoon, the winds were at South Eaft by Eaft, and we fleered North, North Weft with all fail fet to get to an anchor before night, keepj ing the lead conftantly going, and during a run of eleven miles, our foundings were from thirty to thirty-fix fathoms, and on drawing near to the North Eaft point of Quibo* fhoaled quick to ten fathom and an half, in which bottom we came to anchor; the North end of Quibo bearing North Weft by North; and the South end, South Eaft by South. The boats were immediately fent to difcovcr the wateringplace. It was calm through the night and the early part of the morning, when we weighed anchor on the flood tide, to tow to a more convenient fituation, but finding the water fhoal to four fathom, and the bottom very vifible, it was difcovered that we were nearly furrounded by a reef which extended four or five miles from the fhore. By the active conduct of the boats crew an anchor was carried out, and we warped off into ten fathom; a breeze then fpringing up from the Eaft, we made fail, and ran along the edge of the reef, founding feven, eight, nine and ten fathoms, at the diflance of a mile and half from the fhore. We foon after came to anchor and moored in the bay of Port de Dames in nineteen fathoms: the North point of the bay in a ling with the North point of Ifle Sebacco, bore North North Eaft, the watering place North 449 Weft; and South point Ifle Quibo South 32° Eaft. Latitude by obfervation 7° 27', and Longitude 82° 10'. We VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. l33 ■■ We lay here till the feventeenth of February, and got 1794. fra& February 17; on board forty-three tons of water, with fome fire wood. But of other refrefhments we obtained little, though we had parties conftantly employed in trying both the water and the land for frefh provifions. After all, two c%'-t-hree monkies, and a 'few doves, were all we got from the ifland; and its f-urrounding water afforded us only alligators, crabs, cockles, clams, periwinkles, oyfters and a few other fhell fifh unknown to us*. Several deer were feen among the thickets on the fhore, as well as wolves, and the feet of fome animals, which were fuppofed to be tygers, had left their impreffion on the fends. But the animals, were all of them fo fhy, that they kept beyond the reach of our fire-arms, and it was equally difficult to take the turtle which were feen in great abundance. That the birds and monkies were quickly alarmed, may be readily accounted for, from the numbers of hawks and large vultures who feed upon them; as in the maws of fome of the latter which we killed, young monkies were found. The wolves and tygers may be fuppofed to keep the lefs offenfive quadrupeds in a fimilar flate of agitation; and the fifh, as well as the turtle, may be harraffed into an equal alarm by the alligators, fharks, fea-fnakes, &c. all of which, particularly the firft of them, feem to fwarm on and about the" furrounding fhores. From * Viz- The green Trochus, the black Buccinum, Buccinum Morus Patula, and Subula, together with the Strombo, Tuberen, Latus and Patalla, not before well known to collectors in conchology. -™r"Wfag^^>*»^ft^afM^^a<Egre.fy.-^'«?B««nM VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. From-one of them I had a very fortunate efcape. As I was walking along the fea coaft, ..-with a gun, and very attentive to the woods, in expectation of feeing fome kingi[ of fowl or game proceed from the thickets, ■fjuddenly my danger was difcovered^ of having paffed over a large alligator, laying afleep under a ledge of the rock, and appeared to be a part of it; and being in a deep hollow I could not have efcaped, if a little boy, the nephew of Captain Marshall, who accompanied me, had not alarmed me with hjj§ out-cry. I had juft time enough to put a ball in my gun, the noife having roufed the hideous animal, and he was in the ac¥ of fpringing at me when I difcharged my peice at him, its contents entering befide his eye, and lodging in his brain, inftantly killed hi©j; it was then taken on board, where, part of him was eaten. In the ftomachs of feveral of the fnakes winch we took, there were fifh in an undigefted flate, and of a fize that creduli§JJ itfelf would almoft refufe to believe. Thefe voracious animals, appear to have greatly leflened the quantifey of fifh on the fhores of this ifland, which afforded fuch an abundant fupply of delicious and falutary food to former navigators. The woods alfo abound with fnakes of different kinds, the largeft we faw were the hooded fnakeg. As I was fetting on a bank at the fide of a rivulet, one of the fmaller bit me by the left knee, .whisfe caufed VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH' SEAS. I3-5 Caufed it to fwell to that degree, that I had a doubt for fome' i/94> time whether it would not coft me my life. The vegetables and fruits we obtained on thlfe'iflarid were but few. There were fome cocoa trees in trie" bottom of the bay; and we found beans growing near the fpot, where the Spanifh pearl fifhers or Indians had iefldeu; and from whence, as we conjectured from the ftate'of tne5f fire-places, they were but lately removed. The miftol and the chanmer tree, mentioned by Mr. Falkner, were feen in gi*ekt plenty, but the fruit produced a naufea and ficknefs foon after it Was* fwallowed. The officer, whom I fent to the Nurthward, informed me, that the huts remained which are mentioned in the voyage of Lord Anfon, and considered that bay as the moft convenient for any fhip that might be obliged, to remain at- this ifland to refit.. Quibo is the moft commodious place for cruisers; df ariy^if had feen in thefefeas; as all parts of it furnifh plenty of wood and water. The rivulet from whence we collected our flock, was about twelve feet in breadth, and we might have got timber for any purpofe for which it could have been wanteds: There are trees- of the cedar kind a fufficient fize to form mails for a fhip of the firft rate, and of the quality which the Spaniards VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. Spaniards in their dock yards ufe for every purpofe of fhip building, making mafts, &c. A veffel may lay fo near the fhore as to haul off its water; but the time of anchoring muft be confidered, as the flats run off a long way, and it is poffible to be deceived in the diflance. The high- water, by my calculation is at half pall three o'clock; at full and change the flood comes from the North and returns the fame way, flowing feven hours and ebbing five, and the perpendicular rife of the tide two fathoms. I found feveral betel nuts which appeared to have been wafhed on the fhore by the tide, but I did not fee any of the plants that bear them, growing on the fhore, though feveral of my people, after we had left the place, mentioned their having feen many of them. It would not be advifeable for men of war and- armed veffels, acting upon the defenfive or offenfive, to anchor far in, as the "wind throughout the day, blows frefh from the Eaftward, and right on fhore, fo that an enemy would have a very great advantage over fhips in fuch a fituation. There is good anchorage throughout the bay; at five or fix miles diflance, thirty-three and thirty-five fathom, with a mud bottom, and firm holding ground. The moft commanding look out is the top of Quicara, we iaw it over Quibo (which is low and flat) while we lay VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS; *37 lay at anchor; and is, I prefume, the remarkable mountain i794- which Lord Anfon miflook for part of Quibo as mentioned in his voyage.; Indeed, a good look out oh the top of this ifland may be neceflary for many obvious reafons, as it commands the whole coaft and bay. We intended going to fea the feventeenth at day-light, but the difficulty we had February 17. in purchafing the anchor from the good quality of the bottom, delayed us until the fea breeze fet in, fo that we could not fail rill the eighteenth. We few' wiiile here one fail, *8< and fhe was fleering to the South, between Quibo and the main. On leaving Quibo, we cruized between the Ifle Quicara, and Cape Mariatto, till the laft day of February; a8. during which time, we killed feven whales; fix of which we got along fide, and loft one by breaking a drift' in riie night. We afterwards faw another, but it was fo blafted as to be of no ufe. As the Sun now drew near the equator, and long calms were to be expected, it became neceflary for us to reach the Galipagoe Ifles before" they commenced; where we propofed, (as the whaling bufinefs r had failed.,:)*; to procure fait, for the purpofe of ""felting feal-fkins at the Iflands of Saint Felix, and Saint Ambrofe, in Latitude 26° 15' South. The *3* VOYAGE T©- THE SOUTtf SEAS', *794* The d£f£bettt navigators' ©f thefe feaS have gfopen fuch Various accounts ©f the paffage from? henee t& the Galip'&gcjeS", that it became a matter of fome- perplexity, to detenMmae which route to be preferred. Whila we were cruifing between the South end of Quibo andf Cape Mariatto, the winds were Sight and moftly Southerly. They fonsetimes blew & ftrong' gale through^ t&« nighf,- but generally a fEff breeze ffofti North by Eaft, to Nbtff& by Weft: but in, the day we had pleafant weather. As I cfflwld depend on tH&f^ingef the Rattler, I dfetefmiaed- March r; ©amy *©ute the ftrfl of March,, and fleered away t& the Southward in a direct line for the ifles. * Or> the fbusdte day 6f tfee f&me mon4ky being* i*t Ukthutfet "Hottfof the winds varied between the Sobth Eaft and South- Wefi poasts, and at i&tefvals blew froiat tire Weftward5;, but when they *etarned to- tfee NorthwardV they were very light sad #£ fi&st durations At tite& fJ&rio'd afFmnumerabfe' flight ©f fewds aeeampa&ied* u*, and we had turtles in great plenty, but they fodft grew fearee; though we contrnuedi t& tske besfiettas,- dolphin^ pwpsifes and Maefe.HfTfli in great abundance. The weather then changed t© rain wftfe thunder and fightning; and we every day remarked our faffing: VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. m paffing through ftrong rij>p}|iags and veu^s of currents, all of r794- l^ich run to jthe Weft till we made the ifles. On tKe^-welfth,, at brp^k of day, we faw Qfcatham Iflg^ March 12. and, by fun-£et came to an anchor in Stephen's bay, near the South Weft point of the J^Le in twenty-eight fathom water; the two points of the bay bearing N©rJ:h Eaft and South Weft, and the Kicker rock, bearing Weft, North Weft, at the distance of two miles. We attempted to get into thj^s bay t© the Weftward of the rock, but as t&ere was little wind, with a current running right out, and no foundings to be got, with fifty fathom of line, till within three quarters of a mile of the fhore, and then a rocky bottom, we hauled out to the North, and went in to the Eaftward of, the Kicker rock, there being regular foundings between it .and the Muff, which formed the Eaftern point of the bay 1 the greateft depth between them thirty fathoms, but the deepeft water is near the rock. "^e Jaji m this bay tiB the feventeeatfi «f March, eroployedv^^ fearohjng for felt, procuring a flock of turtles, and recovering feveral ©f the crew, who were afflicted with boils, they were foon reftored by the fruit 17- VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. of the molie tree, wild mint tea, and a diet of turtle and teal foup, &e. Our boats traverfed all the lee-fide of the ifle for felt, but without any fuccefs; though they difcovered feveral rills of frefh water. One of them proceeded from a bluff which forms the Eaft point of the bay, and others were feen at the bluff" at the Eaflern part of the ifle. The latter were not examined, as the party did not land there; and the former was no more than fufficient to fill a ten gallon cag in a quarter of an hour. As thefe high bluffs are at the extremity of the low land, the rills muft proceed from fome bafon or lake on the interior high grounds. One of thefe I afterwards found on a hill which I afcended, from whence the water was entirely drained. On the coaft of America, in the dry feafon, I have feen a long fucceffion of lagoons of this kind, without the fmallefl drain on the beach below. The head of Stephen's bay poffeffes the convenience of a filialJ interior cove, with three fathom water, that will hold four or five fail, and where they would be fhelfered from all winds. Alfo a fine fandy beach beneath the rocks, on which a veflel may be hauled on fhore, ort'heave down if oceaHon fhould require it; and great abundance of turtles, mullet^ and other fifh might be caught in a feine. The turtles pafs over the rocks, at high water, into felt lagoons to feed. The land is fo low in this part of the ifland, as,. afc Voyage to the south seas. at a fmall diflance, to give it the appearance of being divided by a channeFof the fea. Near the Weft part of the ifle in a fmall bay was a part of the wreck of a fhip, that appeared to have been but lately eaft away, as a whole wale plank was found undecayed. On fome of the fmall ifles in this bay, were the largeft prickly pear-trees I had ever feen. After weighing from Stephen's bay, it was with great difficulty we cleared it by night, from the light, variable winds and torrents of rain. When we had got well out, we hove to for day-light, and then made fail for an ifle which bore from our anchoring birth, Weft by South, to Weft by North. By noon of the next day, we faw many more- ifles and iflets to the North and Weftward of us: and at fun-fet, we few" breakers a long way to the Northward and- Weftward of Lord Hood's ifle. Our Latitude at Noon was o9 31 51" South. We now fhortened fail and flood on and off for the night. The next day we found- ourfelves fet confiderably to the Southward and Weftward.; and in fight of Charles Ifle, fo named by the Buccaneers. At noon our Latitude' March 20s was 1° 28' 13" South; the extremes of'Charles Ifle bearing- frOm Weft 6° North, to Weft 29° North. In the early part of the evening we got clofe id^with the South end'of the- ifland: we then fhortened fail, and flood off* and on during; *79A *:©-YA«H£ TS© THE «i0UTH SEA£. during the night, with the defign of going on fhgr-jg jn the 3$®nf$ng. This ifle is of a moderate height, prefeuts a l^gafent afpect, and is furroundcd with, f^dl. iflets, tb4.tsK9 larggft of which I named after the admki^^Sir AI&& Gardner •a^nd Caldwell. There are feveral fandy beaches ©e it, and a great number of feals were fees ojf" *t. At day-light the current had fet us fo confiderably to the Southward and Weftwiard* as to have loft fight of the ifland, $>©ugh we p^ed to Windward «||1 jlfke forenoon we gained but Hfeflle.* We got fight, howler, of Albemarle Ifle, and two fmaHer ones wh£ch Ue between jt an4>CJ*atrtes ,Kfe. I take th^m to be %h& Crpf&nan and Brattles Ifles of the Buccaneers. March so. At n§£a ©n the twfnfeeth, our Latitude w#ls 23 South : the extremes of Char^ Xfje 'faring #r©m Eaft J49 Norths ■ to Eaft 24° Nojfth; and Albgmarle i$g from North. 43° Weft, to North,. 109 Weft; wilh a iftiallJlftt «iflg feetw^fcl tfcem,. We» ^ftwr feveral fpermaceti whales, .ajid gave chafe with boats and fhip but could not come up with them- We beat ©ff here for forty-h^ars., ,-andblgft ;^r©»nd confiderj- ablyi^^ni the current running fo strong to l[he Weftwasd. At noon on the twenty-firft, our Latitude was 1° 1.9 Sou$t, Albemarle Ifle beariing fs©.m l^prt^©? Eaft, tj3 W©fthiji^ Weft; and ffWJ Iftfea>ufe Jfe^0>^? Weftc| 3y four ©.'(Clo/ek in the afternoon, we got within two miles of the gpufch and 21. V«f¥AGE V& THE SOVTH SEAS. and Eaft end of Albemarle Ifle, when-we tried for founding with one hundred fathom of line but found no bottom. The following day, as foon as it was light, we bore up to round the South and Weft end ©f Albemarle Ifle, called,. by* the Buccaneers, Chriftopher'» Point. Within* a few miles &£ it, the Latitude was", by obfervatiofi, o9 55' 14" South. The extremities of Albemarle Ifle, bearing from Eaft $& South, to North- to9 Eaft v and of Narborougfe Ifle ftoff* Iforthv t© North to* Weft. M$-. **79* A large bay opened to &&e ww, wfatefe was formed by March vs*.. the South-and Weft points of Albemarle Ifle, and the Eaft part <5f Narborough Ifle, having received originally from the Buccaneers- the name of Elizabeth Bay". As it is vCfy-' capa€<6u£, w>e eonjeetured'that we fhould find goodanetjorage; I therefore aceomrpamed the chief mate £0- examine it, but we Histtld find n© bottom fo* two leagues at ftfr diftanee of # mile or a mile and an half from the fliore$f trith; one hundred and fifty^ fathom of fine. Tfte mhofp^kabfle appearance ©# this place was fuch as I itad never before feen-, rirJf had I eve* beheld" then wild-elufters of htffocks> in fuch ftrange irregular- fhapes- and fbfms-, as the Afore ptefented, eSttept ©n the fields of ice near the1 South Pole. The baft appeared to be one entire clinker to' a confiderablc diftarrictf from 1-44 VOYAGE. TO THE SOUTH SE^Sv? %%ft, from the water-fide, and the little verdure that was vifiblc was on the . tops of the hills, which were crowned wi$h low, fliaggy bufhes, that gradually diminifhed in quantity as they hung down the declivities; and were fometimes divided by vestas of an hard, black, fhinjhg earth, whieh, at a fmall diflance, had the appearance of ftreamlets of water. The ftorm peterels accompanied us in great numbers : but the "Kind coming right out with a current or tide, that was fo rapid, as to be attended with fome degree of danger, we gave up our defign of reaching the head of the bay, fr jjj, • particularly as night was approaching, and darknefs would feajve overtaken us.^When I returned on board, I found the fhip laying, between two winds, and becalmed witfaajp- half-a mile of the fhore, where no bottom could be obtained wjth one hundred and fifty fathom of line. In this fituation we were near an hour, wjth flaws of wind all round the compafs, and heavyjfhowers. At laft, we caught a Southerly W$54- and made fail to the Weftward, and when clear of the fhore,;, hove to for the night. The weather was dark- and gloomy, with heavy dews and a ftrong foutherly c^ajginjt; fo that at day-light we were fet nearly as far to the South as we ggere on the preceding noon. At noon our- Latitude was o9 35 6" South: the extremities of land bearing from North \2° Eaft, to Eaft 37° South. In VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. In the evening we got well up with the South end of I#4" Narborough Ifle, and flood along to the North Weftward, by the Weft fhore. The current or tide had now changed its courfe, and fet, from the Weft and South, to the Northward, directly on that ifle, and the night proving calm, with fome difficulty we cleared it; for we could not find any bottom at the diflance of half a mile from the fhore, with one hundred and fifty fathom of line. At the return of day the weather was dark and cloudy, with lightning in the South Eaft. At noon I obferved on the Equator, the extreme points of Narborough Ifle, bearing from South 21° Eaft, to South 52° Eaft. The North Weft Cape of Albemarle Ifle, (which I have named Cape Berkeley, from the honourable Captain Berkeley), bearing Eaft 49 North, North end Eaft 27° North. The North point of land in fight, bearing Eaft 36° North, and the Rodondo Rock North 5° Eaft, at the diflance of five or fix leagues. I fent away a boat in the forenoon to found a large bay, formed by the North end of Narborough Ifle and Berkeley point, (which 1 have named Banks's Bay in honour of Sir Jofeph Banks), or under Berkeley point, in order to difcover a place of anchorage: the boat, however, did not T get J$lS? VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. ^7.5H» get into the bay; but rowed under the North point of Albemarle Ifle, where the party landed, and returned in the evening. They found this part of the Ifle equally inhofpitable as the Southern part of it: but had procured a few rock-cod, with fome hump-back turtles, and faw a eonfiderable number of feals. Narborough Ifle is the higheft land among the Galipagoe"- Iflands, lying near the center of Albemarle Bte, which almoft furrounds it, in the form of two crefcents, and making two- bays. The apparent point of dSvifion of thefe iflands, is fo low on both, that I am in doubt whether they are feperated. On the- next morning we few fpermaceti whales, we killed' ffeven and got them along fide; Rock Rodondo bearing Eaft $$ South,'the Northernmoft land bearing Eaft 189-South,., and'She South Weft land bearing South 38° Eaft.. The- weather was hazy, and the Latitude by obfervation April 8. oo9 27' 13" North. Here we- cruifed till the eighth of Apriv and faw fpermaceti whales in great numbers, but only killed five, of which we fecurcd four. The current ran fo ftrong to the Weftward, anrFthe winds were fo light, that after laying to, to fecure the whales and cut them up, we were feven days in returning to the ground from whence- we: VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 147 .we drifted. In the winter feafon, when the winds are more frefh, thefe difficulties might not occur, otherwife, it would be impoffible for any veffel, which was not a very prime faiisLcr, to whale here with fuccefs; though at a certain fdafon any quantity of fperm oil might be procured. The oldeft whale-fifhers, with whom I have converfed, as well as thofe on board my flaip, uniformly declared that they had never feen fpermaceti whales in a ftate of copulation, or fquid their principal food in fhoals befose; but both thefe objects were very common off* thefe ifles, and we frequently killed the latter, of four or five feet in length, <wirjhtbegranes. Young fpejmacefii whales were alfo feen nr great numbers, which were not larger than a fmall porpoife. I am difpofed to believe that we were now at the general rendezvous of the fpermaceti whales from the coafts of Mexico, Peru, and the Gulf of Panama, who come here to calve: as among thofe we killed, there Was but one buM-whale. The fituatiojfa. I recommend to all cruizers, is between the' South end of Narborough Ifle and the Rock Rodondo: though great care muft be taken, met to* go to the Nbrth of the latter; for there the current fets at the rate of four and five miles an hour due North. Narborough Ifle falls gradually down to a point at the North, South, and Eaft ends, and may be equal in produce to any of the neighbouring ifles; but of this I can only T 2 con- ,*79'+- VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. conjecture, as I did not myfelf examine it; nor does it appear that the Buccaneers ever landed upon it. The Rodondo is an high barren rock, about a quarter of a mile in circumference, and is vifible as far as eight or nine leagues, has foundings round it at the diflance of a quarter of a mile thirty fathom. Here our boats caught rock-cod in great abundance. I frequently obferved the whales leave thefe ifles and go to the Weftward, and in a few days, return with augmented numbers. I have alfo feen the whales coming, as it were, from the main, and paffing along from the dawn of day to night, in one extended line, as if they were in hafle to reach the Galipagoes. It is very much to be regretted that thefe ifles have to this period, been fo little known but only to the Spaniards. Though we met with fo ftrong a current, it did not difhearten us, as we found, by keeping between the North point of Narborough Ifle, and North point of Albemarle Ifle, and not going to the Northward of the latter> that we were able to maintain our ground; and the hope which now pofleffed us of making a very fuccefsful voyage, difperfed every complaint of bad bread and fhort allowance, which were no longer confidered either with regret or impatience. We 1794- April 8. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 149 We recovered the fifhing ground after having been driven off during four days, and found as great plenty of whales as when we left it. We now faw a fhip in fhore, who failed well, and was heavy mettled as we conjectured from the report of a gun. ) I difcovered with the telefcope that fhe was French built, and from the intelligence communicated by the Spaniard we fell in with off the Gulf of Guatamala, | on the Coaft of Mexico, we had every reafon to believe that fhe was one of the French fhips which he mentioned as being in thefe feas. We kept flanding in with the fhore to reconnoitre her, having great confidence in the failing of our ownr veffel. During the evening, night and morning, we had alternately heavy fogs, light winds and calms. At nine- A. M. the weather became clear. I now flood towards the fail, but the nearer I approached the more I fufpected her. to be an enemy. I then ftretched away to the Southward, when fhe carried every thing after us, and getting" a ftrong Northerly breeze, which fhe brought- up withi her, over-reached us very fafL We made all the fail we 9; could from her, (our Latitude at noon o9 19' 52" North,) but I entertained little or no hope of efcaping: we therefore cut down the flern, in order to get. out two three- pounders, which were all the great guns we had, and put ourfelves I.^O VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 1794- ourfelves in the beftpoflure of defence in our power. Finding at four o'clock in thse afternoon that fhe ftill gained ground upon us, but would not be able to get up with us till it was dark, we all agreed to a man, to heave to, and if fhe proved an - en^nxy, to board her; as fuch a defperate proceeding would be altogether unexpected, we thought it would afford fome of us a better chance of efcaping, than by a more regular engagement. As to myfelf, death, in almoft any fhape would have been far preferable than felling again into the hands of the Spaniards. By fun-fet, however the fhip joined us, and proved, after all our alarm and preparations, to be the Butterworth of London, Mr. Sharp, from a trading voyage on the North Weft Coaft of America, and lately from California. We were right in our conjectures- concerning her appearance, as fhe was taken from the French in the laft war. She had been feacching for water in thefe ifles but had found none; and was bound to the Marquifes for it, with only feven butts on board; a route of near right hundred leagues, when there were fo many placed wHthin two days fan*, where fhe might have found it. Mr. Sharp had fixty tons of fait in* buik, for the purpefe' ©£ fairing fkins; and on the coaft of California, he had .procured an hundred tonsv;©£ oil from the fea lion and feai elephant; and he added,- that he alfo might have procured ten VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. ten thoufand tons of oil from the fame animals, if he had poflefled a fufficient number of cafks to have contained it. *9* 1794. I recommended him to proceed to James's Ifle, and offered him a copy of a chart, which I had received from Mr. Stephens, which would direct him to the watering place, deferibed by the • Buccaneers, whofe information I had no reafon to doubt: but if he had no faith in it, he might go to Ifle Cocas or Quibo, where I had procured plenty; but no perfuafion of mine, however, had any weight, as his principal object appeared to be that I fhould accompany him. In addition to my other inclinations to render him every fervice in my power, the feveral acts of civility I had received from Mr. Perry of Blackwall, one of his owners, had the greateft weight with me; and underftanding his intention was alfo to continue in company to our arrival in England, I undertook to fhew him the way into port. In confeqnence of light winds, thick weather and ftrong Northerly currents, we were driven as far North as i9 £,. and faw Culpepper's Ifle, which rifes to a confiderable height, though it is "of fmall extent; but the weather was- VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. *794- fb hazy, and we were at fuch a diflance, that I am not qualified to give a further account of it. Though our fhips were excellent failers, we were fifteen days in getting into James's Bay; they alternately had the advantage of each other; but the Rattler was entirely out of trim, the fore-hold being filled with oil. The Butter- worth had fo far got the advantage to windward, as, at one time, to be within a few miles of the anchoring ground; and we could only fee her top-gallant fails; fhe bore up to join us again, with only three butts of water on board. At this time we were clofe under Abington Ifle, which is very fmall, and was well known to the Buccaneers; and, according to my obfervation, is in Latitude o9 33 North, and Longitude 909 45'. It is high towards the South end, which has a very pleafant appearance, and where is the only bay or anchoring place in the ifland. The North end is low, barren, and one entire clinker, with breakers ftretching out to a confiderable diflance. I fent a party in the boat to round it, where they caught plenty of fmall fifh with their hook and line. They alfo landed on the ifland and found both tortoifes and turtles. This day we alfo faw Bindloes Ifle, which is a fmall, rugged fpot, .laying to the Southward and Eaftward of Abington Ifle, and about the mid-way between it and James's Ifle. On VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. *S3 On the twenty-fourth, in the very early part of the J794- afternoon, we came to an anchor at the North end of James's Ifle, a little to the South of Frefh-water bay, where the Butterworth followed us; Albany Ifle bearing North 34° Weft; bottom of the bay Eaft 179 South; South point of James's Ifle, on with Cowley's enchanted Ifle, and South part of Albemarle Ifle South 249 Weft: North point of Albemarle Ifle Weft 25° North. As foon as the fhip was fecured, I fet out with Mr. Sharp to fearch for water in Frefh-water bay, where the Buccaneers had formerly fupplied themfelves, but the furf prevented us from landing. We rowed clofe to the beach, but faw not the leaft figns of any fpring or rivulet. Boats were difpatched from both the veffels to different parts of the fhore; and my chief mate was fent away to the South for a night and a day. On the following morning at dawn of day, the whaling-mafter was ordered to land if the furf was fallen, and fearch Frefh-water bay. He accomplifhed getting on fhore, but found no water; and in the evening, the chief mate returned with the fame account of his unfuccefsful errand. For my own part, I never gave up my opinion that there was plenty of water in the ifle; but as neither of my boats were in a condition to encounter the leaft U bad 1^4 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. I?94' bad wTeather, I deferred taking a furvey of the ifle till ' they were repaired. Though we fent the Butterworth daily fupplies of water, I did not forefee the confequence of our generality ; for from that moment, the commander'never gave himfelf the leaft concern to look for any; but employed his crew in cutting a very large quantity of wood, and flocking himfelf with land tortoife privately, from a fpot which we agreed fhould remain facred, till we were ready for failing, and then fhare our flock together. Indeed I not only fupplied Mr. Sharp with water, but may be faid alfo to have added to his food; for he did not know that the tortoife was an wholefome eatable till I informed him of it. As I had at this time many reafons to doubt his continuing long in company with me, and in cafe of feparation the Rattler had no boat belonging to her calculated to bring water any diflance, it awakened my precaution to provide for any unforefeen accident fhould it befall us reflecting that neceflary article. I determined therefore, to fupply him monthly throughout our voyage, and the information of this arrangement produced a better effect than I expected, as it ftimulated him to fearch for water, which he 'found within two miles of his fhip. After VOYAGE TO THJE SOUTH SEA^i- After anchoring and his prefent wants being accommodated, he varied fo in his future plans, to his former ones propofed, that I could not comprehend he had any fixed one at all; and his conduct in general not correfponding to my ideas or expectations, I had only to lament, that after putting myfelf to fo great an inconvenience, there was fo little probability that it would be attended with any advantage to his employers. Finding my advice of no farther ufe I failed without him. As foon as a boat was repaired, I fet out to furvey the South Eaft part of this and Albemarle Ifle. On reaching the South point of James's Ifle, I got fight of three other ifles which I had not feen before, nor can I trace them in the Buccaneers accounts, no more than the ifle which. jWje few to Weftward, when at anchor in Stephens's bay, Chathamjifle. Thefe three ifles now feen, I named after the adnurals Barrington, Duncan, and Jarvis. The two sNG-rthernmoft, which are neareft to James's Ifle, are the jjijgheft, and prefented the moft agreeabje appearance, being covered with trees. The Southernmoft, which I named Barrington Ifle, is the largeft and was the greateft jjjfbmce from me, it is of a moderate hqight, and rifes in hajmmocks; the South end is low, running on U 2 a parallel 1^6 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. ^794- a parallel with the water's edge. We did not land- on either of them. In this expedition we faw great numbers of penguins, and three or four hundred feals. There were alfo fmall birds, with a red breaft, fuch as I have feen at the New Hebrides; and others refembling the Java fparrow, in fhape and fize, but of a black plumage ; the male was the darkeft, and had a very delightful note. At every place where we landed on the Weftern fide, we might have walked for miles, through long grafs and beneath groves of trees. It only w7anted a ftream to compofe a very charming landfeape. This ifle appears to have been a favourite refort of the Buccaneers, as we not only found feats, which had been made by them of earth and ftone, but a con- fiderable number of broken jars feattered about, and fome entirely whole, in which the Peruvian wine and liquors of that country are preferved. " We alfo found fome old daggers, nails and other implements. This place is, in every refpect, calculated for refrefhment or relief for crews after a long and tedious voyage, as it abounds with wood, and good anchorage, for any number of fhips, and flickered from all winds by Albemarle Ifle. The watering- place of the Buccaneers was entirely dried up, and there was only found a fmall rivulet between two hills running into the fea; theNorthernmoft of the hill formsthe South point of Frefh- water VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS-. lS7 water bay. Though there is a great plenty of wood, that which is near the fhore, is not large enough for any purpofe, but to ufe as fire-wood. In the mountains the trees may be of a larger fize, as they grow to the fummit of them. I do not think that the watering-place which we faw, is the only one on the ifland; and I have no doubt, if wells were dug any where beneath the hills, that it would be found in great plenty : they muft be made, however, at fome diflance from the fandy beach, as within a few yards behind them, is a large lagoon of fait water, from three to eight feet in depth, which rifes and falls with the tide; and in a few hours a channel might be cut into it. The woods abound with tortoifes, doves, and guanas, and the lagoons with teal. The earth produces wild mint, forrel, and a plant refembling the cloth-tree of Otaheite and the Sandwich Ifles, whofe leaves are an excellent fubftitute for the China tea, and was indeed preferred to it by my people as well as myfelf. There are many other kinds of trees, particularly the moli-tree, mentioned by Mr. Falkner, and the algarrooa, but that which abounds, in a fuperior degree, is,the cotton tree. There is great plenty of every kind of fifh that inhabit the tropical Latitudes; mullet, devil-fifh, and green turtle were in great abundance. But all the luxuries of the fea, yielded to that which the ifland afforded us in the land tortoife, which .1794. - --^ .:- J.1 . -. ' . ..U. ' 158 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. *794- -which in whatever way it was drefled, was confidered by all of us as the moft delicious food we had ever tafted. The fat of thefe animals when melted down, was equal to frefh butter; thofe which weighed from thirty to forty pounds, were the beft, and yielded two quarts of fat: fome of the largeft, when flanding on their feet, meafured near a yard from the lower part of the neck. As they advance in age their fhell becomes proportionably thin, and I have feen them in fuch a flate, that a pebble would fhatter them. I felted feveral of the middle fize, with fome of the eggs, which are quite round, and as big as thofe of a goofe, and brought them to England. The moft extraordinary animal in this ifland is the fea guana, which, indeed abounds in all thefe ifles. We did not fee the land guana in any of the ifles but James's, and it differs from that which I have feen on the coaft of Guinea, in having a kind of comb on the back of its neck. Thefe ifles deferve the attention of the Britifh navigators beyond any urifettled fituation: but the preference muft be given to James's *Me, as it is the only one we found fufficient frefh waiter at to fupply a fmall fhip. But Chatham Ifle being-one of the Southernmoft, I recqm- mend to be the firft made, in -oi€er to afcertain the fhips true fituation VOYAGE TO THffi SOUTH SEAS.' fituation, in which you may be otherwife miftaken, fromr the uncertain and ftrong currents, as well as the thick weather which is fo prevalent there. As it flands by itfelf there is no danger, and in Stephens's bay, thirty or forty fail may ride in fafety, befides thofe which might go into the cove. Veffels bound round Cape Horn to any part North, of the Equator, or whalers on their voyage to the North or South Pacific Ocean, or the Gulf of Panama, will find thefe iflands very convenient places for refitting and refrefhment. They would alfo in future ferve as a place of rendezvous for Britifh fifliing fhips, as they are contiguous to the beft fifhing grounds. x6*o VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. CHAPTER X. THE RATTLER LEAVES THE GALIPAGOE ISLES AND COAST OF PERU, FOR THE ISLES SAINT FELIX AND SAINT AMBROSE, ON THE COAST OF CHILI : FROM THENCE SHE ROUNDS CAPE HORN, ON HER PASSAGE TO ISLE SAINT HELENA, IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. 1794. May 13. \J~N the thirteenth of May, having over-hauled the rigging, caulked, wooded, &c. we fet fail with the intention to cruize for feven days off Rock Rodondo, and then to proceed to the Ifles Saint Felix and Saint Ambrofe, on the coaft of Chili. We accordingly hove to for the night, off the North end of Albemarle Ifle, and at break of day, faw feveral fpermaceti whales, of which we killed two. The winds had fet in from the Southward and Eaftward, with a ftrong Northerly current; fo that all our endeavours were in vain to get to the Weftward and round to the South, VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 161 South, without wafting as much time as we had before 1794- done, to get to the Eaft ward, when we wanted to reach James's Ifle. From the South the current fet from three to four miles an hour, due North, and we had in general, thick, foggy weather. We frequently faw whales; and on the 16th of May, got fight of Wenam's Ifle, bearing Weft May.i6. North Weft, feven or eight Leagues. It is fmall, but of con- fiderable height, like Culpepper's Ifle, and I make it in Latitue i9 %i North, and Longitude 919 46' Weft. The time of our propofed cruize off thefe ifles was expired, and the winds obliged me to fland away to the Eaftward and Northward, with the ftrong current fetting againft me, to the Weftward and Northward; fo that I was fifteen days making Cape Blanco, the South Cape of the Gulf of Guiaquil, a diflance we had run before in four days. Half way over we fell in with a body of fpermaceti whales, we got up with them, though not without fome difficulty, and killed three, but were fo unfortunate as to have two boats ftove in the ftruggle. Within Cape Blanco, we faw a fail crouding every r thing from us, which induced us to conjecture that it was no longer peace between Great Britain and Spain. But this veffel was too far up the Gulf, as well as in X too I0"2 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 1794-' too fhallow water for us to follow her. On the following' June $. morning, being the fifth of June, we got a fleady wind from the South Weft, but as we diftanced the fhore and Southerd our Latitude, it hauled to the South Eaft, encreafing daily in ftrength, with an heavy fea. The weather was fometimes fqually, with frequent fhowers of rain; and when we got into Latitude 179 South, and Longitude 90" Weft, the wind hauled well to the Eaft. 19. On the 19th of June, when we were in Latitude 249, and Longitude oo9 30', an heavy gale of wind blew from the Northward. From the time of our leaving Cape Blanco the fhip had made water, which now began to gain 2i. on us: and in the afternoon of the twenty-firft, in a violent fquall of wind and rain, our fair weather top-fails and courfes were blown to pieces, and having neither canvas or twine to repair them, we were under the neceflity of bending our beft and only fuit. At night, being in the fuppofed fituation of Saint Felix and Saint Ambrofe Ifles by different navigators, we hove to till day-light, and then fcudded till night and again hove to, as we did, on the fucceeding night, at which time the weather moderated. Having now run down both to the Eaft VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH, SEAS. Eaft and Weft in the fuppofed Latitude of thefe ifles,' I am convinced that there are no other near this fituation than thofe I vifited in my outward-bound paffage; and where I was at this time determined to land a party for the purpofe of felting and drying feaL-fkins; intending then to proceed to the Eaftward as far as Eafter Ifle, to fearch for ifles mentioned in the following extract of a letter in the pofleffion of Philip Stephens, Efq., and of whofe exiftence I entertain not the leaft doubt, as in their defcrip- tion they differ much from Eafter Ifle, which I vifited with Captain Cook, there noti being a tree on it. EXTRACT. 16th September, 1773. " The Achilles left Calloa the feventh of April; and arrived at Cadiz the tenth, by which we learn that the frigate Le Lievre (the Hare) had difcovered five .iflands in the South fea, in about 279 of South Latitude; that one of them Was confiderably large, and inhabited by Indians fomewhat tractable, and governed by a chief. They have hatchets and other utenfils, which they fay the Engllfh left there three months before, the Lievare arrived there." EXTRACT. . 27th September, 1773. " The tenth inftant came into Cadiz, the merchant fhip Achilles, which left Calloa off Lima, the feventh of X 2 April 163 J584i 11 .If 'ill 164 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 1794. April laft, This veflel brought news to the court of the difcovery, and the taking pofleffion, in the name of the King, of feveral fmall iflands in the South feas, to 27° of Latitude South of Lima. There is one ifland rather large, and has an excellent harbour. This ifland they have called Saint Charles; and the difcovery was made by the King's frigate the Eagle, which the Viceroy of Peru fent upon that expedition. They fay that thefe iflands are inhabited by favage Indians, but that they were very well difpofed; and that the country abounded with wood, fowls, hogs, and certain roots of which they made bread, perhaps caffada." " It would appear that the court means to make ufe of this difcovery; and that they mean to build forts thereon, and to eftablifh a communication between thefe iflands, and the continent of South America. It is probable that the famous Mr. Hudfon had difcovered thefe ifles in his voyage round the world, and that the largeft of them are called Davis's land. What renders this conjecture more j>robable is, that they found the interior inhabitants pofleffed of hatchets, fpades and hoes." Roggewein's VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. Roffacewein's account of an ifle in this Latitude, differs fo much from Eafter Ifle, that I cannot fuppofe it to be the feme. Mr. Wafer, who was furgeon with Captain Davis, in 1685, and after whom land in this Latitude is named, differs very widely from Roggewein's account, and alfo Captain Cook. 16? 1794. If I had not found thefe ifles, the potatoes which I entertained the hopes of procuring at Eafter Ifle, would have enabled me to lengthen my voyage, and to double Cape Horn in the fummer feafon. On the twenty-fecond at noon, we made the Ifles Saint Ambrofe and Saint Felix, and prepared every thing for landing. During the laft twenty-four hours, the wind had hauled to the Southward, and we had to beat up againft it. Throughout the night it blew very ftrong in fqualls, while the fhip laboured very much, and the leak encreafed fo as to keep both pumps employed. By the quantity of water perceived in the hold, we fufpected that it rufhed in forward, and that part of the wooding ends were ftarted. June 2a. On VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEA'S. On the North fide of the Wefternmoft ifle, at half a mile diflance from the fhore, there was fafe anchorage, with a foutherly wind, which now blew: but as we had fo lately experienced an heavy Northerly .gale, which is the prevailing wilidiin. winter, and blows directly into the anchoring birth, the general opinion was to make .fail back to the Northward, to get into better weather or in with the main land,, and endeavour to flop the leak.^—In fliprt, any fituation however inconvenient, or even dangerous, was preferred by the whole crew, to the putting into a Spanifh port, and trufting to the tender mercies we might find there. It becomes an act of juflice in me to declare that, in every awkward and unpleafant circumflance, in which . we feme- times found ourfelves, every perfon on board, from the whaUng-mafter to the loweft feamean, manifefted a perfect confidence in me^ and paid an implicit obedience to my opinion.—But the fuperftition of a feaman's mind is not eafily fubdued, and it was with fome difficulty that I couid preferve an hen who had been hatched and bred on board, and who at this time was accompanied by a fmall brood of chickens, from being deftroyed, in order to quit the ill omen that had been occafioned by the unexpected crowing of the animal during the preceeding night. On VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS* On the twenty-third, Latitude 26° o', the weather moderated fo much as to afford an opportunity of examining the leak, when we found the lower cheek of the head loofened, and the wafh-boards of the flarboard cheek, entirely wafhed away; the oakum worked out of the wooden ends,, fo as to admit an arm-full to be fluffed in by hand, and no one was yet convinced but that the plank had ftarted from the flem. We made our utmoft exertions to get every thing aft, in order to raife the leak above water: and here,, to add to our difappointment, it became neceflary, for want of food to fuftain them, to kill our fmall flock of pigs which had been referved to regale us on our homeward paflage round Cape Horn. *&7? 1794. June 2$l By the twenty-feventh we Rad returned again to the Northward1 as far as 189 South, when we finiiffied caulking arid leading over the leak, the only method we had of fecuring it, having neither pitch, tar, or rofin on board, our marine ftores being all expended. Our bread was not fit to eat, and our other provifions fo fhort, that owing to its bad qualities we could fcarce exift on it: thus fituated, we propofed as our laft trial in thefe feas, to continue on to the Northward till we made the land, in hopes to fall in withi n- June 29, VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. with feme European veflel to obtain fupplies to enable us to wait for a more favourable period to round Cape Horn. How far I may be right in my conjecture muft be decided by future trials, but I am very much difpofed to believe, that the tar we had on board was of a bad quality, and deftroyed not only the copper but iron, and was, in fome degree, the caufe of our leak: for the copper, wherever it was paid with it, was become as thin as paper, and the copper-headed nails, as well as thofe of iron, had received confiderable injury. On the twenty-ninth we reached as far Northward as 16° 50' South, and made the coaft of Peru ; on the thirtieth at noon we were within a few miles of the fhore, and not feeing any fhips, we conceived our opinion of a war with Spain was confirmed, and the only rational alternative left us, was to brave all the difficulties that we experienced and was further threatened with; and force ourfelves as foon as poffible out of them, by lofing no time in getting round the Cape into the Atlantic; this being determined we took our departure for England. As we ftretched to the Southward, the wind hung more to the Eaftward of South, than on the former part of our voyage. When VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. When we were in Latitude 24°, a very Angular circum- flancc happened, which as it fpread fome alarm among my people, and awakened their fuperftitious apprehenfions, I fhall beg leave to mention. About eight o'clock in the evening an animal rofe along-fide the fhip, and uttered fuch fhrieks and tones of lamentation fo like thofe produced by the female human voice, when expreffing the deepeft diftrefs, as to occafion no fmall degree of alarm among thofe who firft heard it. Thefe cries continued for upwards of three hours, and feemed to encreafe as the fhip failed from it \ I conjectured it to be a female feal that had loft its cub, or a cub that had loft its dam; but I never heard any noife whatever that approached fo near thofe founds which proceed from the organs of utterance in the human fpecies. The crew confidered this as another evil omen, and the difficulties of our fituation were fufficient, without the additional inconvenience of thefe accidental events, to caufe any temporary depreflion of thofe fpirits which were fo neceflary to meet the diftreffes we might be obliged to encounter. As we failed up the coaft of Chili and Peru, from the Latitude 389 South, we never had occafion to reef from the ftrength of the wind; while the barometer, from that Y Latitude, VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. Latitude, flood moftly at 29-9, and the thermometer at 60, rifing gradually till in the Latitude of I9 30' South, till it reached 72; but in the evening, it was generally below fummer heat in England. Along the whole of this coaft, the dews were very heavy during the night: and in proportion as they were heavier, the fucceeding day was more or lefs clear. At the full and change of the moon we perceived no dew, which appeared to be fupplied by an heavy drizzling rain and mifty weather. The morning, evening, and night, were always cloudy, but the middle of the day was generally clear, fo that I feldom enjoyed a diflinct view of the Cordileras des Andes. The miftinefs of the early part of the day, proceeded from the fun rifing behind the Andes, and the clearnefs of the noon was occafioned by the fun, which had then over-topped the mountains; but I am yet to learn the caufe of the hazinefs of the evening. The currents on this coaft are very irregular. I tried them feveral times, and -found that they fet as often one way as the other, and generally from half a mile to two miles an hour. The fet, may at all times be difcovered by obferving the direction of large beds of fmall blubber, with which this coaft abounds, and from whence the water derives VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. 171 derives a colour like that of blood ; I have fometimes been 1794- engaged for an whole day in paffing through the various fets of them. The fifh, common to this coaft, are dolphins, and all thofe which inhabit tropical Latitudes; and in calm nights, there are feen large fhoals of fmall fifh which have the appearance of breakers. Of turtle, we few none till we were North of Lima, they were of that kind called the loggerhead, and North of the Equator we found the hump-backed fpecies on the furface of the water in great numbers. We frequently took out of the feals and porpoifes large quantities of fquid, which is the food of the fpermaceti whales, and at times we faw many devil-fifh and fun-fifh, the latter of which proved an agreeable and wholefome addition to our daily fare. All the birds which are ufually feen at fea in fimilar Latitudes are to be found on this coaft. There are alfo the Port Egmont hen and albatrofs, which. are generally fuppofed to be the conftant inhabitants of colder climates. Y 2 We w? 172 1794. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. We fometijhes paffed great numbers of fmall birds, lying dead on the water; a circumftance for which I am not able to affign a probable conjecture. The greateft number of pelicans appeared off Lobas le Mar, and if that place fhould be their conftant refort, they will, in thick weather, determine the vicinity of the ifland. I tried for foundings, in many parts of the coaft, at the diflance of five and fix leagues from the fhore, but could not obtain any bottom with one hundred and fifty ia/tjhoms of line. In thick weather, however, when you draw near land, large quantities of fea-weed will appear, and birds, in great numbers, fitting on the water. Seals are no certain criterion for being near the fhore; as I have often feen them, at the diflance of an hundred and fifty leagues from land, fleeping in great numbers on the furface of the water, with the tail and one fin out of it, fo as to offer the appearance of a crooked billet. On any part of the coaft of Chili, or Peru, a fealing voyage might be made with great profpect of fuccefs, as well as at the Ifles of Saint Felix and Saint Ambrofe. In our paffage down the coaft of Chili, we had South Eaft and Eafterly winds, with variable, but in general pleafant 1794. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. pleafant weather, accompanied with occafional fhowers. In Latitude 33° South, the wind Southerd on us and the next day veered to the Weft, and continued moftly between the Weft and North till we got into 479 South. It would fometimes blow, for a few hours, between the Weft and South Weft, but never continued. In the Latitudes of 489 and 499, the winds were light for forty-eight hours in the South Eaft quarter, with a ftrong Southerly current. On the twenty-fixth of July, in Latitude 489 South, thd ju]y ^. coaft of Chili prefented to us a range of high mountains covered with fnow. We had now frequent fhowers of rain, hail and fnow, and, on the firft of Auguft, doubled Cape Auguft r. Horn at the diflance of fifteen Leagues. During the whole of the paffage, the weather was not, by many degrees, fo bad as we had apprehended, and was much better than that we had experienced when we came from Europe. When we had rounded the Cape, and had advanced to the North, the weather improved every hour. In the Latitude 49s, the wind blew for twenty-four hours in the South Eaft quarter, with delightful weather. Our fpirits as may be fuppofed, were greatly cheared by fuch a favourable J74 VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. *794- favourable paffage, and were in a flate to be enlivened by the fea-birds who flew twittering around us. During the fucceeding twenty-four hours, the winds varied from North Weft to North Eaft, and became at laft very changeable. The paft hour we were hurried along by a ftrong gale, and the next at reft in a dead calm. At noon our Latitude was 479 30', Longitude 489 40', with a very heavy irregular fea, in which the fhip greatly laboured: This lafted, however, but for a few moments, when an heavy gale from the South Weft fprang up, which was accompanied with rain, hail and fnow. Under reefed fore-fail, and clofe-reefed main-top-fail, all the fail we could carry, we fhaped our courfe, on the neareft angle, to Saint Helena, but before midnight, the fea rofe to a prodigious height, broke on board of us, and flove in the dead lights, filled the after part of the fhip- with water, rendered ufelefs a chronometer, a fextant, and deftroyed charts and drawings that I had been feven months employed in completing: alfo damaged every thing in the cabin. We foon, however, fixed and fecurcd temporary dead lights, and pumped out the water, but fome of the mifchief done was irreparable. When VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS. When we were at our greateft Southern Latitude, the thermometer flood at 42-5, and the barometer was never lower than 38-8-0. In the laft gale, the thermometer flood at 38-5, and barometer 28-7-6, which was the loweft point to which it funk during the voyage. Between the Latitude 539 and 409 South, and Longitude 59° and 389 Weft, we faw large bodies of fea- weed, and great numbers of birds: and on the eleventh of Auguft, we crofled near the fuppofed Auguft 1 fituation of the Ifle Grande. At this time my veflel was almoft a wreck, very fhort of provifions, and what remained in a very bad flate, to which may be added an hurricane of wind and the winter feafon: circumftances that, I truft, will be a fufficient excufe for my not renewing my fearch of it as I had intended. The wind remained in the South Weft quarter, during five days, at which period our Latitude was 35° 45', and Longitude 319 22 Weft, when we had light and variable winds, the eighteenth of Auguft, at noon, the Latitude being 33° 41', the wind fettled in the North Eaft quarter, and blew a frefh breeze for four days, but on the fucceeding four, it varied round the compafs, with frequent rain. By the VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEA^'. the laft day of Auguft, in Latitude 199, the wind inclined to, and continued in, the Eaft and South Eaft quarter. On the firft of September, at Noon, we made the Ifland of Saint Helena, after a paffage of one month from Cape Horn. At this time I had no more than two of my crew, who were afflicted by the Scurvy, and the fame number beginning to complain, which was not fo much owing to the length of the Voyage as to their own want of care and cleanlinefs after getting out of the South Seas and never fhifting their wet clothes. The difeafe feized them in a manner very different from any appearance of this diforder which I had yet feen: they were principally affected in their hips firft, and then down their legs. We had one man indeed, who was literally panic-ftruck by the appearance and cries of the feal in the Pacific Ocean;. if we had remained twenty-four hours at fea, he would not have recovered.. CHAR VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEXSC lft'> CHAPTER XL PROM ISLE SAINT HELENA To ENGLAND. AJ794- T ten in the morning of the feccfad of September, Sept. 2, we anchored in James's Bay, Saint Helena, and found riding there, an outward-bound Eaftelndiaman, and afi) American brig, from the Cape of Good Hope to Bofton. I waited on the Governor who received me with great politenefs, and gave me a general invitation to his houfe. The fame civility I alfo received from the Lieutenant Governor, and was offered a fupply of every thing. B wanted from the Company's Stores. I now became acquainted with the war between Great Britain and France; but it was very uncertain when a convoy would arrive, I determined therefore, as iriy veffel was a very fine failer, to make my flay here as fhort as poffible; and accordingly, Z by ' VOYA-G-E TO THStSOTJTH SErAjS, IS Sept*4!- Dy ^ie thirteenth, the Governor having made up h packet, we failed for England in perfect health. On the twenty-third of September, being in Latitude 49 38' 9" North, and Longitude 23° 22 Weft, the wind varied to the Weftward; and on the twenty-eighth, in Latitude 349 22 North, and Longitude 349 3 Weft, it got to the Northward of Weft, and continued to be variable between the North Eaft and North, North Weft to South Weft. From this time we had very changeable, fqually 1. and thick weather till we made land. On the eleventh of October, the head of our mizen-maft was gone; and on the fifteenth, in a fquall, the head of the main-maft fprung. On approaching the Weftern ifles We houfed the boats, knocked down the try works, and frefh painted the fhip in order to aflume as much as poflible the appearance of a man of war. We faw feveral fail, between this arrangement and our making land, but did our utmoft to avoid them. On the firft of November, we made the Eddyftone Light- houfe, and after reaching as high as we could, we hove to Dartmouth and fent the letters on fhore. In the courfe of the night we reached Portland; and flood off and on Nov. 1 ~i bib -en viifisoO"o^b^ ^rir/tf za}< ;ih~ -Jon ,<: JI .oirtai nratei -=r.... .-.' tj.nprn <->3 a no; ■JJESWF II I r *t* ms*- - — 5.3ol -P L A $ — o/f/ie I S L A N D ^ -A IkJ* %,.J *KJ? Surveyed and Drawn Iw oftl lie R. OT'Al N K "V Y. 1793. W- \gk: / '' 1 / ! 1 \ \ \ \ \ :jaHfli E Chajtha 1AM 52 j 6 ' . , JSn^raved byl^^ooX. 88 x5o -^^ZME&ZZMZZ. j 40 lono-itiideWest frond? GTIEE^WICH. 35 l3o f^mf^f^msmmmtmmmmmfm^mmmmmmmemtsBm^^sami miiiin !■■ 11 1 mmm■—i London.Tkiblished January J^lJflS, ly AiAinomv1jnith*C/ia/VLvf/r<rt. S<&?S<p*<zre. 15.30 i5.S 1 Iffi Qiafc mm a iruti PZA$ ) of t/t c A// t// o; 7/t (/ JYa< y at the Island (ft PTi JAMES COL5ETT. - oft/n ROYAL NAVY. \ \ x\ Trr. -- i/ _,.- --"'" _. - <^? /\. "-- *~—-*-__- - \ Ci*>e Maxiato V y © Settle of Miles. / 5 b ErujrnveeLby T.Foot. I I,on don. ftiblifhej January Is.11J0S, tfn A. ArrovYsiuith , Charles Sard. ,*>//<>, fquan ^"-wsvv^.—te-fr.i. "Nisgassr-^sssi- ■/■?. i« It—^ ■■■■*■■ ■'■'-■- —■= w E~ OBT TTKU. 'y£<Z6£m/ m /AzuedU cm/s/mz/ (^00^/" August 1793. andi.oistedLin.on.Deck. t&vtcor^ <^c Scale of Feet. A., Fart ofthe Bead containing liquid Oil, which is covered with a black niemhra/ie. ^.The Spout-hole which runs horizantaJh- alonj/ the- left side, and is also seperated by the same kind ofmembrane. The part between the two double lines, is cover d with Fat ofconsider- able thicknefs, like that of a hog, these parts make one third ofdieguantit) • of Oil die Fifh produces, of which die liquid is about one- third. AJS.Fartofthe£[eadwhichof largelVhales being too bulky-and'ponderous to be hoisted.on board,issuspendedHi taedes andthe trontpartcutotTas described thus, fand the Oil bailed out with buckets; butinsmaU TPhales, the head is divided at die double UnebelowQC. and hoistedupon deck. BB TFhere the tackles are toggledor hookd. DTPhere the tackles arehrsthooked,which is calledraising, a __ peiee, being thus steadied in the tackles the head is divided at the lowest double line and wore a stern till the hsh is flinched, which is done by seperating the Fat from theFodv with long -handled Iron Spades, as die Whale if hove round by die tackles the Fat peels off, and if any Sea is on the rising of die Ship considerably expedites the business. ~-JE.A large lump of Fat. ~E.A smaller'—, i%vhenthe Fish if flinched, or peeled to E. dwuT.no longer cant in the tackles, if therefore cutthrough at the/irst doubleUne and also . at G. the Tail being of no value , JLThe Far, whiehisremarkably small in proportion to the body, as if a&otheFye from which a hollow or concave hhe runs to the forepart of the head th&Fyes being prominent enables them, to pursue theirTrey in a directline, • and b) • inclining the head a little either to die right or led to see their enemy a stern,, they have only one row of Teeth, which are inthe lower Jaw with, socketsinthe upper one to receive them, the tiumberdepends on the age ofthe Fish, the lower Jaw is a solid. Bone thatnarrows nearly to a point and closes under the upper, whenthey-spout, they throw the water forwards and not upwards like oilier Whales exceptwhen thei' are enraged, the)also spout mote regular and stay longer under water the larger the Fish the more frequenttv the) • spout and continue fotiger under water. The Tail is horizontal with which he does much mischief in defending him - self. Their Food, from, all the observations I have had an oppertuniti' of making, has been the Sepia or middle Cuttle Fish. \ ; This species ofthe TlTudc, is remarkable for its attachment and tor alsisting each other when struck with a harpoon: and more mis*; chiefisdone b) theloo/e Fish, than those the boats are fast to, andthg-hTegiietidv bite the Imes in tito which the sm I TheAmbergrease isgcneralh' difcoverd bxprobing the intestines with a long Fole.when die Fish is ait in two at E. ___ HV«3A«r .Mm I.OVl>ON:ftMilh.^J«ima^l^l798,>yAAKIlOW5JirrH.Cliai:lpBStrert.StalD. ej/hi J P5|5§! ' ■ III 1 . - K !r !;' \i ' SI F>
Compiled by William Combe from Captain Colnett's notes. cf. Dict. nat. biog., under Combe.
Books
English
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Voyages and travels
South America--Description and travel--Early works to 1800
Pacific Coast (South America)--Description and travel
A voyage to the South Atlantic and round Cape Horn into the Pacific Ocean : for the purpose of extending the spermaceti whale fisheries and other objects of commerce, by ascertaining the ports, bays, harbours, and anchoring births in certain islands and coasts in those seas at which the ships of the British merchants might be refitted
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