Chapter 3
CHAPTER I. A voyage from Deptford to the Cape of Good Hope, with an account of several incidents that happened by the way, and transactions there. 1772 April. I sailed from Deptford April 9, 1772, but got no farther than Woolwich, when I was detained
by easterly winds till the 23rd, when the ship fell down to Lung Reach, and the next day was joined by the adventure. Here both ships received on board their powder, guns, gunner's stores and marines. 1772 May. On the 10th of May we left Lung Reach, with orders to touch at Plymouth, but in plying
down the river the resolution was found to be very crank, which made it necessary to put into sheerness, in order to remove this evil, by making some alteration in her upper works. These the officers of the yard were ordered to take in hand immediately, and Lord Sandwich and Sir Hugh Palliser came down to see them executed in such a manner as might effectually
answer the purpose intended. 1772 June. On the 22nd of June the ship was again completed for sea, when I sailed from sheerness, and on the 3rd of July joined the adventure in Plymouth Sound. The evening before we met off the Sound, Lord Sandwich, in the Augusta yacht, who was on
his return from visiting the several jockyards, with the glory frigate and hazard sloop. We saluted his lordship with seventeen guns, and soon after he and Sir Hugh Palliser gave us the last mark of the very great attention they had paid to this equipment by coming on board to satisfy themselves that everything was done to my wish, and that the ship was found to answer my satisfaction.
At Plymouth I received my instructions, dated the 25th of June, directing me to take under my command the adventure, to make the best of my way to the island of Madeira, there to take in a supply of wine, and then proceed to the Cape of Good Hope, where I was to refresh the ship's companies and take on board such provisions and necessaries as I might stand in need of.
After leaving the Cape of Good Hope I was to proceed to the southward, and endeavour to fall in with Cape Circumcision, which was said by Monsieur Bouvet to lie in the latitude of 54 south, and in about 11 degrees 20 minutes east longitude from Greenwich. If I discovered this Cape I was to satisfy myself whether it was a part of the continent which had so much engaged the attention of geographers and former navigators, or a part
of an island. If it proved to be the former I was to employ myself diligently in exploring as great an extent of it as I could, and to make such notations thereon and observations of every kind as might be useful either to navigation or commerce, or tend to the promotion of natural knowledge.
I was also directed to observe the genius, temper, disposition, and number of the inhabitants, if there were any, and endeavour, by all proper means, to cultivate a friendship and alliance with them, making them presence of such things as they might value, inviting them to traffic, and showing them every kind of civility in regard. I was to continue to employ myself on this service, and making discoveries either to
the eastward or westward, as my situation might render most eligible. I was to continue in as high a latitude as I could, and prosecuting my discoveries as near to the South Pole as possible, so long as the condition of the ships, the health of the crews, and the state of their provisions would admit of. Taking care to reserve as much of the latter as would enable me to reach some known port,
where I was to procure a sufficiency to bring me home to England. But if Cape circumcision should prove to be part of an island only, or if I should not be able to find the said Cape, I was in the first case to make the necessary survey of the island, and then to stand on to the southward, so long as I judged there was a likelihood of falling in with the continent, which I was also to do in the latter case, and then
to proceed to the eastward in further search of the said continent, as well as to make discoveries of such islands as might be situated in that unexplored part of the southern hemisphere, keeping in high latitudes, and prosecuting my discoveries as above mentioned, as near to the pole as possible, until I had circumnavigated the globe, after which I was to proceed to the Cape of Good Hope, and from thence to Spithead.
In the prosecution of these discoveries, wherever the season of the year rendered it unsafe for me to continue in high latitudes, I was to retire to some known place to the northward to refresh my people and refit the ships, and to return again to the southward as soon as the season of the year would admit of it. In all unforeseen cases I was authorised to proceed according to my own discretion, and
in case the resolution should be lost or disabled I was to prosecute the voyage on board the adventure. I gave a copy of these instructions to Captain Fernot, with an order directing him to carry them into execution, and in case he was separated from me, appointed the island of Madeira for the first place of rendezvous, Port Praia in the island of St. Iago for the second,
Cape of Good Hope for the third, and New Zealand for the fourth. During our stay at Plymouth, Messrs. Wales and Bailey, the two astronomers, made observations on Drake's Island in order to ascertain the latitude, longitude, and true time for putting the timepieces and watches in motion.
The latitude was found to be 50°21′30″N, and the longitude 4°20′W of Greenwich, which in this voyage is everywhere to be understood as the first meridian, and from which the longitude is reckoned east and west to 180° each way, 1772 July. On the 10th of July the watches were set agowing in the presence of the two astronomers, Captain Fernot, the first lieutenant of the ships, and myself, and put on board.
The two on board the adventure were made by Mr. Arnold, and also one of those on board the resolution, but the other was made by Mr. Kendall upon the same principle in every respect as Mr. Harrison's timepiece. The commander, first lieutenant, and astronomer, on board each of the ships, kept each of them keys of the boxes which contained the watches, and were always to be present at the winding
them up and comparing the one with the other, or some other officer, if at any time through indisposition, or absence upon any other necessary duties, any of them could not conveniently attend. The same day, according to the custom of the Navy, the companies of both ships were paid two months' wages in advance, and as a further encouragement of their going this extraordinary
voyage, they were also paid the wages due to them to the 28th of the preceding May. This enabled them to provide necessities for the voyage. On the 13th at six o'clock in the morning I sailed for Plymouth Sound with the adventure in company, and on the evening of the 29th anchored in Funchialli Road in the island of Madeira.
The next morning I saluted the garrison with eleven guns, which complement was immediately returned. Even after I went on shore, accompanied by Captain Fernot, the two Mr. Forsters, and Mr. Wales. At our landing we were received by a gentleman from the vice-consul, Mr. Sills, who conducted
us to the house of Mr. Loughnans, the most considerable English merchant in the place. This gentleman not only obtained leave for Mr. Forster to search the island for plants, but procured us every other thing we wanted, and insisted on our accommodating ourselves at his house during our stay. The town of Funchialli, which is the capital of the island, is situated about the middle
of the south side, in the bottom of the bay of the same name, in latitude 32 degrees 33 minutes 34 seconds north, longitude 17 degrees 12 and 7 eighths seconds west. The longitude was deduced from lunar observations made by Mr. Wales, and reduced to the town by Mr. Kendall's watch, which made the longitude 17 degrees 10 minutes 14 seconds west. During our stay here the crews of both ships were supplied with fresh beef and onions,
and a quantity of the latter was distributed among them for a sea-stop, 1772 August, having got on board a supply of water, wine and other necessaries, we left Madeira on the 1st of August, and stood to the southward with a fine gale at northeast. On the fourth we passed Parma, one of the Canary Isles. It is of a height to be seen 12 or 14 leagues, and lies in the latitude 28 degrees 38 minutes
north, longitude 17 degrees 58 minutes west. The next day we saw the Isle of Faroe, and passed it at a distance of 14 leagues. I judged it to lie in the latitude of 27 degrees 42 minutes north, and longitude 18 degrees 9 minutes west. I now made three pungents of beer of the inspicated juice of malt.
The proportion I made use of was about ten of water to one of juice. Fifteen of the nineteen-half barrels of the inspicated juice which we had on board were produced from wort that was hopped before inspicated. The other four were made of beer that had been both hopped and fermented before inspicated. This last requires no other preparation to make it fit for use than to mix it with cold
from one part in eight to one part in twelve of water, or in such other proportion as might be liked, then stop it down, and in a few days it will be brisk and drinkable. But the other sort, after being mixed with water in the same manner, will require to be fermented with yeast in the usual way of making beer. At least it was so thought.
However, experience taught us that this will not always be necessary, for by the heat of the weather and the agitation of the ship both sorts were at this time in the highest state of fermentation, and at hitherto evaded all our endeavours to stop it. If this juice could be kept from fermenting it certainly would be a most valuable article at sea.
On finding that our stock of water would not last as to the cape of good hope, without putting the people to a scanty allowance, I resolved to stop at St. Iago for a supply. On the ninth, at nine o'clock in the morning, we made the island of Bona Vista, bearing south west. The next day we passed the Isle of Mayo on the right, and the same evening anchored in
Port Praia, in the island of St. Iago, in eighteen fathoms water. The east point of the bay bore east, the west point south-west a half south, and the fort north-west. I immediately dispatched an officer to ask leave to water, and purchased refreshments, which was granted.
On the return of the officer I saluted the fort with eleven guns, on the promise of its being returned with an equal number, but by a mistake as they pretended, the salute was returned with only nine, for which the governor made an excuse the next day. The fourteenth in the evening, having completed our water, and got on board a supply of refreshments, such as hogs, goats, fowls and fruit, we put to sea and proceeded on our voyage.
Port Praia is in a small bay, situated about the middle of the south side of the island of St. Iago, in the latitude of 14 degrees 53 minutes 30 seconds north, longitude 23 degrees 30 minutes west. It may be known, especially in coming from the east, by the southernmost hill on the island, which is round and peak to top, and lies a little way inland, in the direction
of west from the port. This mark is the more necessary, as there is a small cove about a league to the eastward, with a sandy beach in the bottom of it, a valley and coconut trees behind, which strangers may mistake for Port Praia, as we ourselves do. The two points which form the entrance of Port Praia Bay are rather low, and in the
direction of west-southwest and east-northeast half a league from each other. Those to the west point are sunken rocks, on which the sea continually breaks. The bay lies in north-west near half a league, and the depth of water is from 14 to 4 fathoms. Large ships ought not to anchor in less than eight, in which depths the south end of the green island, a small island lying under the west shore, will bear west. You water at a
well that is behind the beach at the head of the bay. The water is tolerable but scarce, and bad getting off, on account of a great surf on the beach. The refreshments to be got here are bullocks, hogs, goat, sheep, poultry and fruits. The goats are of the antelope kind, so extraordinarily lean that hardly anything can equal them, and the bullocks, and sheep, are not much better. Bullocks must be purchased with money. The price is twelve
Spanish dollars a head, weighing between 250 and 300 pounds. Other articles may be got from the natives in exchange for old clothes, etc. But the sale of bullocks is confined to a company of merchants, to whom this privilege is granted, and who keep an agent residing upon the spot. The fort above mentioned seems wholly designed for the protection of the bay, and is well situated for that purpose, being built on an elevation which rises directly
from the sea on the right at the head of the bay. We had no sooner got clear of Port Praire than we got a fresh gale at north-northeast, which flew in squalls, attended with showers of rain. But the next day the wind and showers abated and veered to the south. It was, however, unbearable and unsettled for several days, accompanied with dark gloomy weather and showers of rain. On the nineteenth in the afternoon one of the carpenter's mates fell overboard
and was drowned. He was over the side, fitting in one of the scuttles, from whence it is supposed he had fallen, for he was not seen till the very instant he sunk under the ship's stern, when our endeavours to save him were too late. This loss was sensibly felt during the voyage, as he was a sober man and a good workman. About noon the next day the rain poured down upon us, not in drops but in streams. The wind at the same time was variable and
squally, which obliged the people to attend the decks, so that few in the ships escaped to good soaking. We, however, benefited by it, as it gave us an opportunity of filling all our empty water casks. This heavy rain at last brought on a dead calm, which continued twenty-four hours, when it was succeeded by a breeze from south-west betwixt this point in south. It continued for several days, and blew at times in squalls, attended with rain
and hot, salty weather. The mercury in the thermometers at noon kept generally from seventy-nine to eighty-two. On the twenty-seventh spoke with Captain Fernot, who informed us that one of his petty officers was dead. At this time we had not once sick on board, although we had everything of this kind to fear from the rain we had had, which is a great promoter of sickness in hot climates. To prevent this, and agreeable to some hints I had from Sir
Hugh Palliser and from Captain Campbell, I took every necessary precaution by airing and drying the ship, with fires made betwixt decks, smoking, etc., and by obliging the people to air their bedding, wash and dry their clothes, whenever there was an opportunity. A neglect of these things causeth a disagreeable smell below, affects the air, and seldom fails to bring on sickness, but more especially in hot and wet weather. We now began to see
some of those birds which are said never to fly far from land, that is, man-o-war and tropic birds, gannets, etc. No land, however, that we knew of could be nearer than eighty leagues. On the thirtieth at noon, being in the latitude of 2 degrees 35 minutes north, longitude 7 degrees 30 minutes west, and the wind having veered to the east of south, we tacked and stretched to the south-west, in the latitude of 0 degrees 52 minutes north,
longitude 9 degrees 25 minutes west. We had one calm day, which gave us an opportunity of trying the current in a boat. We found it set to the north one-third of a mile an hour. We had reason to expect this from the difference we frequently found between the observed latitude and that given by the log, and Mr Kendall's watch showed us that it was set to the east also. This was fully confirmed by the lunar observations, when it appeared
that we were 3 degrees 0 minutes more to the east than the common reckoning. At the time of trying the current, the mercury in the thermometer in the open air stood at 75.5, and when immersed in the surface of the sea at 74, but when immersed 80 fathoms deep, where it remained 15 minutes, when it came up the mercury stood at 66. At the same time we sounded, without our finding the bottom, with a line of 250 fathoms. The calm was succeeded
by a light breeze at southwest, which kept faring by a little until to the south, and at last to the eastward of south, attended with clear serene weather.
