A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 12 by Robert Kerr

R >> Robert Kerr >> A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 12

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

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

Latitude of the ship, as she lay at anchor 14 deg. 55'N. long. 214 deg.15'W.
Latitude of the watering-place 14 59 N.
Longitude of the body of Tinian 24 W.
Longitude of the Tinian Road 214 8 W.
Medium of Longitude, observed at Tinian 214 7

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

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

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

On the 27th, the darkness, rain, and tempest continuing, a mountainous
sea that broke over us, staved all the half-ports to pieces on the
starboard side, broke all the iron stanchions on the gunwale, washed the
boat off the skids, and carried many things overboard. We had, however,
this day, a gleam of sunshine, sufficient to determine our latitude,
which we found to be 20 deg.50'N., and the ship appeared to be fifty minutes
north of her reckoning.

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

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

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

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

We saw much foul ground to the S. and S.S.E. but had no bottom with 150
fathom. Before one, however, we saw shoal water on the larboard bow, and
standing from it, passed another ledge at two. At three, we saw a low
sandy point, which I called _Sandy Isle_, bearing N. 1/2 E. distant
about two miles. At five, we saw a small island, which I called _Small
Key_, bearing N. by E. distant about five miles; and soon after, another
larger, which I called _Long Island_, beyond it. At six in the evening,
the largest island being distant between two and three leagues, we
brought-to, and stood off and on from mid-night till break of day,
continually sounding, but having no ground.

At seven in the morning, of Wednesday the 4th, we saw another island,
which I called _New Island_, bearing S.E. by E., and a large reef of
rocks, bearing S. 1/2 W. distant six miles. At ten, we saw breakers from
W.S.W. to W. by N. At noon, the north end of the great reef bore S.E. by
E. distant two leagues, and another reef bore W.N.W. at about the same
distance.

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

Lat. N. Long. W.
Sandy Isle - 10 deg. 40' 247 deg. 12'
Small Key - - 10 37 247 16
Long Island - - 10 20 247 24
New Island - - 10 10 247 40
First Shoal - - 10 14 247 36
Second Shoal - - 10 4 247 45
Third Shoal - - 10 5 247 50

Soon after, we saw another reef in latitude 10 deg. 15', longitude 248 deg..

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

We continued our course, often sounding, but finding no bottom. On the
7th, we passed through several ripplings of a current, and saw great
quantities of drift-wood, cocoa-nut leaves, things like cones of firs,
and weed, which swam in a stream N.E. and S.W. We had now soundings at
sixty-five fathom, with brown sand, small shells, and stones; and at
noon, found the ship again to the northward of her reckoning ten miles,
and had decreased our soundings to twenty-eight fathom, with the same
ground. Our latitude was 8 deg. 36' N.; longitude 253 deg. W. At two o'clock, we
saw the island of Condore, from the mast-head, bearing W. 1/2 N. At
four, we had ground with twenty fathom; the island bearing from W. to
N.W. by W. distant about thirteen leagues, and having the appearance of
high hummocks. The latitude of this island is 8 deg. 40' N.; longitude, by
our reckoning, 254 deg. 15'.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We were, however, able to make very little way till the next day, when,
about three in the afternoon, we saw Monopin Hill bearing S. 3/4 E. and
advancing very little, saw the coast of Sumatra at half an hour after
six the next morning. We continued to suffer great delay by currents and
calms, but on Monday the 30th of November, we anchored in Batavia Road.

SECTION XI.

_Transactions at Batavia, and an Account of the Passage from thence to
the Cape of Good Hope_.

We found here fourteen sail of Dutch East-India ships, a great number of
small vessels, and his majesty's ship the Falmouth, lying upon the mud
in a rotten condition.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On the 26th and 27th, being in latitude 34 deg. 16', and becalmed, we had
several observations, by which we determined the longitude of the ship
to be 323 deg. 30'; and it appeared that we were several degrees to the
eastward of our reckoning.

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

Our run from Prince's Island to the Cape was, by our reckoning, 89
degrees longitude, which makes the longitude of the Cape 345 deg. W.; but
the longitude of the Cape being, by observation, 342 deg. 4', it appeared
that the ship was three degrees to the eastward of her reckoning.

SECTION XII.

_An Account of our Transactions at the Cape of Good Hope, and of the
Return of the Dolphin to England_.

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

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

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

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

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

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