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 noon, this day, we were abreast of Cape Pillar, when, a gale
springing up at S.W., we were obliged to take down our small sails, reef
our top-sails, and haul close to the wind: Soon after it freshened to
the W.S.W. blowing right in from the sea, and after making two boards,
we had the mortification to find that we could not weather the land on
either tack. It was now almost dark, the gale increased, driving before
it a hollow swell, and a fog came on, with violent rain; we therefore
got close under the south shore, and sent our boat a-head to find out
Tuesday's Bay, which is said by Sir John Narborough to lie about four
leagues within the Streight; or to find out any other place in which we
might come to an anchor. At five o'clock, we could not see the land,
notwithstanding its extreme height, though we were within less than half
a mile of it, and at six, the thickness of the weather having rendered
the night so dark that we could not see half the ship's length, I
brought-to for the boat, and was indeed, with good reason, under great
concern for her safety: We hoisted lights, and every now and then made a
false fire, but still doubting whether they could be seen through the
fog and rain, I fired a gun every half hour, and at last had the
satisfaction to take her on board, though she had made no discovery,
either of Tuesday's Bay, or any other anchoring-place. We made sail the
rest of the night, endeavouring to keep near the south shore, and our
ground to the westward as much as possible; and as soon as it was light
the next morning, I sent the master again, out in the cutter, in search
of an anchorage on the south shore. I waited in a state of the most
painful suspense for her return, till five o'clock in the afternoon,
fearing that we should be obliged to keep out in this dangerous pass
another night, but I then saw her sounding a bay, and immediately stood
in after her: In a short time the master came on board, and to our
unspeakable comfort, reported that we might here come safely to an
anchor; this, with the help of our boat, was effected about six o'clock,
and I went down into my cabin to take some rest: I had, however,
scarcely lain down, before I was alarmed with a universal shout and
tumult among the people, all that were below running hastily upon the
deck, and joining the clamour of those above: I instantly started up,
imagining that a gust had forced the ship from her anchor, and that she
was driving out of the bay, but when I came upon the deck, I heard the
people cry out, The Dolphin! the Dolphin! in a transport of surprise and
joy which appeared to be little short of distraction: A few minutes,
however, convinced us, that what had been taken for a sail was nothing
more than the water which had been forced up, and whirled about in the
air, by one of the violent gusts that were continually coming off the
high land, and which, through the haze, had a most deceitful appearance.
The people were for a few minutes somewhat dejected by their
disappointment, but before I went down, I had the pleasure to see their
usual fortitude and cheerfulness return.

The little bay where we were now at anchor, lies about three leagues E.
by S. from Cape Pillar: It is the first place which has any appearance
of a bay within that Cape, and bears S. by E., about four leagues from
the island which Sir John Narborough called Westminster Hall, from its
resemblance to that building in a distant view. The western point of
this bay makes a very remarkable appearance, being a perpendicular plane
like the wall of a house. There are three islands about two cables'
length within its entrance, and within those islands a very good
harbour, with anchorage in between twenty-five and thirty fathom, with
a bottom of soft mud. We anchored without the islands, the passage on
each side of them being not more than one-fourth of a cable's length
wide. Our little bay is about two cables' length broad, the points
bearing east and west of each other: In the inner part there is from
sixteen to eighteen fathom, but where we lay it is deeper; we had one
anchor in seventeen fathom, and the other in forty-five, with great
over-falls between them, and rocks in several places. Here we rode out a
very hard gale, and the ground being extremely uneven, we expected our
cables to be cut in two every minute, yet when we weighed, to our great
surprise, they did not appear to have been rubbed in any part, though we
found it very difficult to heave them clear of the rocks. The land round
this bay and harbour is all high, and as the current sets continually
into it, I doubt not but it has another communication with the sea to
the south of Cape Deseada. The master said he went up it four miles in a
boat, and could not then be above four miles from the Western Ocean, yet
he still saw a wide entrance to the S.W. The landing is every where
good, there is plenty of wood and water, and mussels and wild geese in
abundance.

From the north shore of the western end of the Streight of Magellan,
which lies in about latitude 52 deg.1/2 S. to latitude 48 deg., the land which is
the western coast of Patagonia runs nearly north and south, and consists
wholly of broken islands, among which are those that Sharp has laid by
the name of the Duke of York's Islands; he has indeed placed them at a
considerable distance from the coast, but if there had been many islands
in that situation, it is impossible but that the Dolphin, the Tamar, or
the Swallow, must have seen them, as we ran near their supposed
meridian, and so did the Dolphin and the Tamar the last voyage. Till we
came into this latitude, we had tolerable weather, and little or no
current in any direction, but when we came to the northward of 48 deg., we
found a current setting strongly to the north, so that probably we then
opened the great bay, which is said to be ninety leagues deep. We found
here a vast swell from the N.W. and the winds generally blew from the
same quarter; yet we were set every day twelve or fifteen miles to the
northward of our account.

On Wednesday the 15th, at about four o'clock in the morning, after
surmounting many dangers and difficulties, we once more got abreast of
Cape Pillar, with a light breeze at S.E. and a great swell. Between five
and six o'clock, just as we opened Cape Deseada, the wind suddenly
shifted to S. and S. by W. and blew so hard that it was with great
difficulty we could carry the reefed top-sails: The sudden changing of
the wind, and its excessive violence, produced a sea so dreadfully
hollow, that great quantities of water were thrown in upon our deck, so
that we were in the utmost danger of foundering; yet we did not dare to
shorten sail, it being necessary to carry all we could spread, in order
to weather the rocky islands, which Sir John Narborough has called the
Islands of Direction, for we could not now run back again into the
Streight, without falling down among the broken land, and incurring the
dangers of the northern shore, which was to leeward; towards this broken
land, however, and lee-shore, the ship settled very fast,
notwithstanding our utmost efforts: In this pressing emergency we were
obliged to stave all the water-casks upon the deck, and between decks,
to clear the vessel, and to make her carry better sail, and at length,
happily escaped the danger which threatened us. After we got clear of
those islands, and drew off from the Streight's mouth and the land, we
found the sea run more regularly from the S.W. and the wind soon after
coming from S.S.W. to S.S.E. we had by noon got a pretty good offing,
about nine leagues from Cape Victory, which is on the north shore. Thus
we cleared the western entrance of the Streight, which, in my opinion,
is too dangerous for navigation; a deliverance which happened in the
very crisis of our fate, for almost immediately afterwards, the wind
came again to the S.W., and if it had continued in that quarter, our
destruction would have been inevitable.

SECTION II.

_The Passage from Cape Pillar, at the Western Entrance of the Streight
of Magellan, to Masafuero; with some Account of that Island._

I took my departure from Cape Pillar, which I make to lie in the
latitude of 52 deg.45'S., and in the longitude 75 deg. 10'W. of the meridian of
London, and as soon as I got clear of the streight, steered to the
northward along the coast of Chili. Upon examining what quantity of
fresh water we had now on board, I found that it amounted only to
between four and five and twenty tons, which I thought not sufficient
for so long a voyage as was probably before us; I therefore hauled to
the northward, intending to make the island of Juan Fernandes, or
Masafuero, that we might increase our stock before we sailed to the
westward.

In the middle of the night of the 16th, we had the wind first to the
S.S.E. and then to the S.E. with which we kept away N.W. and N.N.W. in
high spirits, hoping that in a short time we should be in a more
temperate climate: We had the misfortune, however, very soon to find
ourselves disappointed, for on the 18th, the wind came to the N.N.W. and
blew directly from the point upon which we were steering. We had now got
about a hundred leagues from the streight's mouth; our latitude was
48 deg.39'S., and we were, by account, 4 deg.33'W. of Cape Pillar; but from this
time, till the 8th of May, the wind continued unfavourable, and blew a
continued storm, with sudden gusts still more violent, and much rain and
hail, or rather fragments of half-melted ice: At intervals also we had
thunder and lightning, more dreadful than all the past, and a sea which
frequently laid the whole vessel under water.

From the time of our clearing the streight, and during our passage along
this coast, we saw a great number of sea-birds, particularly
albatrosses, gannets, sheerwaters, and a thick lumpish bird, about as
big as a large pigeon, which the sailors call a Cape-of-Good-Hope hen:
They are of a dark-brown or blackish colour, and are therefore sometimes
called the black gull: We saw also a great many pintado birds, of nearly
the same size, which are prettily spotted with black and white, and
constantly on the wing, though they frequently appear as if they were
walking upon the water, like the peterels, to which sailors have given
the name of Mother Carey's chickens; and we saw also many of these.

In the evening of Monday the 27th, which was very dark, as we were
standing to the westward under our courses, and a close-reefed
top-sail, the wind, in a hard squall, suddenly shifted, and took the
vessel right a-head; the violent jerk with which the sails were
instantly thrown a-back, was very near carrying the masts away by the
board, and oversetting the ship; the sails being at this time extremely
wet, and the gale in the highest degree violent, they clung so fast to
the masts and rigging, that it was scarcely possible to get them either
up or down; yet by the dexterous activity of our people, we got the
mainsail up, clewed up the main top-sail, and got the ship's head round
without receiving much damage. The violence of the wind continued
several hours, but before morning it veered again to the N.W. and
continued in that quarter till the afternoon of the 29th, when it died
away, and we had a dead calm for six hours. During this time we had a
high sea, which ran in great confusion from all quarters and broke
against the ship in a strange manner, making her roll with so violent
and sudden a motion, that I expected every moment to lose our masts. The
wind afterwards sprung up at W.S.W. which was fair, and we carried all
the sail we could set to make the most of it. It blew very hard in this
direction, with heavy rain for a few hours, but by noon on the 30th, it
returned to its usual quarter the N.W., and was so violent as to bring
us again under our courses, there being at the same time a prodigious
swell, which frequently broke over us. At five o'clock the next morning,
as we were lying-to under the reefed main-sail and balanced mizen, a
vast sea broke over the quarter where the ship's oars were lashed, and
carried away six of them, with the weather-cloth; it also broke the
mizen-gaff close where the sail was reeled, and the iron-strap of one of
the main dead eyes, laying the whole vessel for some time under water:
We were however fortunate enough to haul up the main-sail without
splitting, though it blew a hurricane, and a deluge of rain, or rather
of half-melted ice, at the same time poured down upon us. The wind soon
after shifted again from N.W. to S.W. and for about an hour blew, if
possible, stronger than ever. This wind made the ship come up with her
head right against the vast sea which the north-west wind had raised,
and at every pitch which she made against it, the end of the bowsprit
was under water, and the surge broke over the forecastle as far aft as
the main-mast, in the same manner as it would have broke over a rock, so
that there was the greatest reason to apprehend she would founder. With
all her defects she was indeed a good sea-boat, and if she had not, it
would have been impossible for her to have outlived this storm, in
which, as well as on several other occasions; we experienced the benefit
of the bulk-heads which we had fixed on the fore-part of the half-deck,
and to the after-part of the fore-castle.

Notwithstanding this wind was fair, we durst not venture to put the ship
before it, for if in wearing, any of these enormous seas had broken on
her side, it would inevitably have carried away all before it. After
some time, however, it became more moderate, and we then got up our
yards and made sail, steering N. by W.; and now the men having been up
all night, and being wet to the skin, I ordered every one of them a
dram.

By the next morning, the 2d of May, the wind came again to the N.W. and
N.N.W. but by this time we had got down the broken mizen-gaff, repaired
it as well as we could, got it up again in its place, and bent the sail
to it; but we now most sensibly felt the want of a forge and iron.

On the 3d, at day-break, we found the rudder-chain broken, and upon this
occasion we again most feelingly regretted the want of a forge; we made,
however, the best shift we could, and the next day, the weather being
more moderate, though the wind was still contrary, we repaired our
rigging, and the carpenters fixed a new dead eye where the old one had
been broken; the sail-maker also was busy in mending the sails that had
been split.

On the 5th, we were again brought under our courses by a hurricane from
the N. by W. and N.N.W. and the ship was tossed about with such violence
that we had no command of her. During this storm, two of our
chain-plates were broken, and we continued toiling in a confused hollow
sea till midnight, when a light gale sprung up at N.W. which soon blew
very hard; but at two in the morning, we were again taken right a-head
by a sudden and violent squall at west, which at once threw all our
sails aback, and before we could get the ship round, was very near
carrying all by the board. With this gale we stood north, and in the
forenoon the carpenters fixed new chain-plates to the main shrouds, and
one to the fore shrouds, in the place of those which had been broken in
the squall during the night. This was another occasion on which it was
impossible not to regret the want of a forge and iron.

The gale continued in this direction till eight in the morning of the
7th, when it returned to the N.W. with unsettled weather. On the 8th, it
came to south, and this was a fine day, the first we had seen after our
leaving the Streight of Magellan. Our latitude at noon was 36 deg.39'S. and
we were about five degrees to the westward of Cape Pillar. The next day
we made the island of Masafuero, and on the 10th, the island of Juan
Fernandes: In the afternoon we got close to the eastermost part of it,
and soon after hauled round the north end, and opened Cumberland Bay. As
I did not know that the Spaniards had fortified this island, I was
greatly surprised to see a considerable number of men about the beach,
with a house and four pieces of cannon near the water-side, and a fort
about three hundred yards farther from the sea, just upon the rising of
the hill, with Spanish colours flying on the top of it. This fort, which
is faced with stone, has eighteen or twenty embrasures, and within it a
long house, which I supposed to be barracks for the garrison:
Five-and-twenty or thirty houses of different kinds are scattered round
it, and we saw much cattle feeding on the brow of the hills, which
seemed to be cultivated, as many spots were divided by enclosures from
each other; we saw also two large boats lying, on the beach. The gusts
of wind which came right out of this bay, prevented my going so near as
I intended, for they were so violent as to oblige us many times to let
fly our top-sail sheets, though the sails were close reefed; and I think
it is impossible to work a ship into this bay when the wind blows hard
from the southward. As we stood cross the bay to the westward, one of
the boats put off from the shore, and rowed towards us; but perceiving
that the gusts or flaws made us lie at a considerable distance from the
land, she went in again. We then opened West Bay, on the east part of
which, close to the sea side, is a small house, which I took for a
guard-house, and two pieces of cannon mounted upon their carriages,
without any works about them. We now wore, and stood again for
Cumberland Bay, but as soon as we opened it, the boat again put off, and
made towards us: As the hard gusts would not permit us to come any
nearer to the land than before, we stood along it to the eastward, the
boat still making after us till she was very far out of the bay: At
length it grew dark, and we lost sight of her, upon which we made all
the sail we could to the eastward.

During all this time I hoisted no colours, having none but English on
board, which at this time I did not think it proper to shew.

As I was disappointed of wood and water at this place, and of the
refreshments, of which, after the dangers and fatigue of our voyage
through the Streight, and our passage from it, we stood in the most
pressing need, I made all the sail I could for the island of Masafuero.
On the 12th of May we arrived off the south eastermost part of it, but
it blowing hard, with a great sea, we did not dare to come near it on
this side, and therefore went round to the west side, where, in the
evening, we cast anchor upon an excellent bank, fit to receive a fleet
of ships, which, in the summer, might ride here with great advantage. I
sent out both the boats to endeavour to get some water, but they found
it impossible to land, for the beach is rocky, and the surf at this time
was so great, that the swimmers could not get through the breakers: This
was the more mortifying, as we saw a fine run of fresh water from the
ship, with plenty of trees fit for fire-wood, and a great number of
goats upon the hills.

The next morning, as soon as it was light, I sent the boats out again,
to examine any place where they could get on shore. They returned with a
few casks of water, which they had filled at a small rill, and reported,
that the wind being at S.E. blew so strong on the east side of the
island, and raised so great a sea, that they could not come near the
shore.

We continued here till the 15th, at day-break, and then, the weather
becoming more moderate, we weighed, and in the evening, just at sun-set,
we anchored on the east side of the island, in the same place where
Commodore Byron had anchored about two years before. We lost no time,
but immediately got off fifteen casks of water, and sent a number of men
on shore with others, that were empty, to be filled against the next
morning, and a strong party to cut wood: But it happened that about two
o'clock in the morning a hard gale of wind came on from the N.W. with
violent gusts from the shore, which drove us off the bank, though we had
two anchors a-head, which were in the utmost danger of being lost; we
got them up, however, with great difficulty, and immediately set the
sails, and worked under the lee of the island, keeping as near the
shore as we could; the weather soon afterwards became more moderate, so
that we could carry double-reefed sails; we had also very smooth water,
yet we could not make the ship tack, and were forced to wear her every
time we wanted to go about.

At day-break, though we were at a good distance from the shore, I sent
the cutter to get off a load of water, before the surf should be so
great upon the beach as to prevent her landing. About ten o'clock, the
wind came to the N.N.E. which enabled us to get within a little distance
of the watering-place, and we might have recovered our anchoring ground
upon the bank from which we had been driven, but the weather had so bad
an appearance, and the gale freshened so fast, that we did not think it
prudent to venture: We brought-to, however, as near the shore as
possible, for the advantage of smooth water to unload the cutter, which
soon after came alongside with twelve casks of water. As soon as we had
taken these on board, I sent the cutter again for another freight, and
as we were at a very little distance from land, I ventured to send our
long-boat, a clumsy, heavy, four-oared vessel, with provisions for the
people on shore, and orders to bring back a load of water, if she could
get it: As soon as these boats were dispatched, we made a tack off to
keep our ground. At noon it blew hard with heavy rain and thick weather;
and at one, as we were standing in again, we saw the boats running along
the shore, for the lee-part of the island, this side being open to the
wind; we therefore followed them, and brought-to as near the shore as
possible, to favour their coming on board: They presently made towards
us, and we hoisted them in, but the sea was now risen so high, that in
doing it they received considerable damage, and we soon learnt that they
found the surf so great as not to be able even to land their empty
water-casks. We continued to lie-to, under a balanced mizen, off the
lee-part of the island all the afternoon, and although all hands had
been constantly employed ever since the ship had been driven off her
anchoring-ground, the carpenters worked all night in repairing the
boats.

At four o'clock in the morning, the island bore west of us, being four
leagues distant, and right to windward: We had now a fine gale and
smooth water, and about ten o'clock we fetched very near to the south
part of it, and with the help of the boat made the ship tack. As it was
not probable that with such a vessel we could regain the
anchoring-ground, I took advantage of our being so near the shore,
though at a good distance from the watering-place, to send the cutter
for another load. In the mean time I stood on and off with the ship, and
about four o'clock in the afternoon the cutter brought her freight of
water on board. I enquired of the lieutenant after the people on shore,
and he told me, that the violent rain which had fallen in the night, had
suddenly brought down such torrents of water through the hollow or
gulley where they had taken up their station, that they were in the
utmost danger of being swept away before it, and though with great
difficulty they saved themselves, several of the casks were entirely
lost. It was now too late for the boat to make another turn to the place
where we had hitherto got our water; but Mr Erasmus Gower, the
lieutenant, whose diligence and ability in all our dangers and distress
I cannot sufficiently commend, having, as he returned with the cutter,
observed that many runs of water had been made by the night's rain, on
that part of the island which was nearest to us, and knowing how
impatient I was of delay, offered to go thither with the boat, and fill
as many casks as she could bring back. I gladly accepted this offer; Mr
Gower went away in the boat, and in the mean time I made a tack off with
the ship; but before they had been gone an hour, the weather began to
grow gloomy, and the wind to freshen, a heavy black cloud at the same
time settled over the island so as to hide the tops of the hills, and
soon after it began to thunder and lighten at a dreadful rate: As these
appearances were very threatening, I stood in again towards the island
in hopes of meeting with the boat; but though we ran in as close as we
dared, we saw nothing of her. In the mean time night came on, which the
thickness of the weather rendered extremely dark, the gale increased,
and it began to rain with great violence: In this situation I lay to
under a balanced mizen, firing guns, and burning false fires, as a guide
to the boat; and not being able to account for her delay, I suffered the
most distressful anxiety, and had indeed but too much reason to fear
that she was lost. About seven o'clock, however, to my unspeakable
satisfaction, she came safe alongside, and as I had long seen a storm
gathering, which I expected every moment to burst upon us, we got her in
with all possible expedition. It was indeed happy for us all that no
time was lost; for before she could be got into her place the squall
came on, which in a moment laid the ship down in a surprising manner,
and broke the mizen gaff just where the sail was reefed; so that if
another minute had passed before the boat had been got in, we must
inevitably have lost her, and every soul on board would have perished.
This wind and weather continued till midnight, when it became somewhat
more moderate, so that we were able to set our courses and top-sails. In
the mean time I had enquired of Mr Gower how it came to be so long
before he returned to the ship, and he told me, that after he had got to
the place where he intended to fill the casks, three of the boat's crew
had swam ashore with them for that purpose; but that within a few
minutes the surf had risen so high, and broke with such fury on the
shore, that it was impossible for them to get back to the boat; that
being unwilling to leave them behind, especially as they were stark
naked, he had waited in hopes that an opportunity might be found for
their coming on board; but that, being intimidated by the appearance of
the weather, and the uncommon darkness of the night, he had at last,
with whatever reluctance, been obliged to come on board without them.
The situation of these poor fellows now furnished another subject of
solicitude and anxiety; they were naked, upon a desolate island, at a
great distance from the watering-place where their shipmates had a tent,
without food and without shelter, in a night of violent and incessant
rain, with such thunder and lightning as in Europe is altogether
unknown. In the evening of the 19th, however, I had the satisfaction to
receive them on board, and to hear an account of their adventures from
their own lips. As long as it was light, they flattered themselves, like
their friends in the boat, that they should find an opportunity to
return on board her; but afterwards, when the darkness of the night was
broken only by the flashes of lightning, and the tempest became every
moment more violent, they knew that to reach the boat was impossible, if
it still remained in its station; and that most probably the people on
board had provided for their own safety, by returning on board the ship:
To reach the tent of their shipmates, during the darkness and tempest,
was equally beyond their power, and they were reduced to the necessity
of passing such a night, in such a place, without the least defence
against either the rain or the cold, which now began to be severely
felt. Necessity is said to be ingenious; and they contrived to procure
a temporary succedaneum both for apparel and a shed, by lying one upon
another, each man alternately placing himself between the other two; in
this situation it may easily be believed that they longed most ardently
for the dawn, and as soon as it appeared they set out for the tent: They
were obliged, however, to make their way along the seashore, for the
inland country was impassable; nor was this the worst, for they were
frequently stopped by high steep bluff points, which they were obliged
to swim round at a considerable distance; for if they had not taken a
compass, they would have been dashed to pieces against the rocks by the
surf, and as it was, they were every moment in danger of being devoured
by a shark. About ten o'clock in the morning, however, they reached the
tents, almost perished with hunger and cold, and were received with
equal surprise and joy by their shipmates, who immediately shared with
them such provisions and clothes as they had. When they came on board, I
gave orders that they should have such refreshments as were proper, and
remain in their hammocks the whole night. The next day they were as
hearty as if nothing had happened, nor did they suffer any farther
inconvenience from the accident. These were three of the honest fellows
who had swam naked from the ship at the island of Madeira to get a
skinful of liquor. I now return to my narrative in the order of time.