A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 13 by Robert Kerr

R >> Robert Kerr >> A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 13

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49

Having one day landed in a very distant part of the bay, the people
immediately fled, except one old man, who accompanied us wherever we
went, and seemed much pleased with the little presents we made him. We
came at last to a little fort, built upon a small rock, which at high
water was surrounded by the sea, and accessible only by a ladder: We
perceived that he eyed us with a kind of restless solicitude as we
approached it, and upon our expressing a desire to enter it, he told us
that his wife was there: He saw that our curiosity was not diminished by
this intelligence, and after some hesitation, he said, if we would
promise to offer no indecency he would accompany us: Our promise was
readily given, and he immediately led the way. The ladder consisted of
steps fastened to a pole, but we found the ascent both difficult and
dangerous. When we entered we found three women, who, the moment they
saw us, burst into tears of terror and surprise: Some kind words, and a
few presents, soon removed their apprehensions, and put them into good
humour. We examined the house of our old friend, and by his interest two
others, which were all that the fortification contained, and having
distributed a few more presents, we parted with mutual satisfaction.

At four o'clock in the morning of the 5th of December, we weighed, with
a light breeze, but it being variable, with frequent calms, we made
little way. We kept turning out of the bay till the afternoon, and about
ten o'clock we were suddenly becalmed, so that the ship would neither
wear nor stay, and the tide or current setting strong, she drove towards
land so fast, that before any measures could be taken for her security
she was within a cable's length of the breakers: We had thirteen fathom
water, but the ground was so foul that we did not dare to drop our
anchor; the pinnace therefore was immediately hoisted out to take the
ship in tow, and the men, sensible of their danger, exerting themselves
to the utmost, and a faint breeze springing up off the land, we
perceived with unspeakable joy that she made head-way, after having been
so near the shore that Tupia, who was not sensible of our hair's breadth
escape, was at this very time conversing with the people upon the beach,
whose voices were distinctly heard, notwithstanding the roar of the
breakers. We now thought all danger was over, but about an hour
afterwards, just as the man in the chains had cried "Seventeen fathom,"
the ship struck. The shock threw us all into the utmost consternation;
Mr Banks, who had undressed himself, and was stepping into bed, ran
hastily up to the deck, and the man in the chains called out "Five
fathom;" by this time, the rock on which we had struck being to
windward, the ship went off without having received the least damage,
and the water very soon deepened to twenty fathom.

This rock lies half a mile W.N.W. of the northermost or outermost island
on the south-east side of the bay. We had light airs from the land,
with calms, till nine o'clock the next morning, when we got out of the
bay, and a breeze springing up at N.N.W. we stood out to sea.

This bay, as I have before observed, lies on the west side of Cape Bret,
and I named it the _Bay of Islands_, from the great number of islands
which line its shores, and from several harbours equally safe and
commodious, where there is room and depth for any number of shipping.
That in which we lay is on the south-west side of the south-westermost
island, called _Maturaro_, on the south-east side of the bay. I have
made no accurate survey of this bay, being discouraged by the time it
would cost me; I thought also that it was sufficient to be able to
affirm that it afforded us good anchorage, and refreshment of every
kind. It was not the season for roots, but we had plenty of fish, most
of which, however, we purchased of the natives, for we could catch very
little ourselves either with net or line. When we shewed the natives our
seine, which is such as the king's ships are generally furnished with,
they laughed at it, and in triumph produced their own, which was indeed
of an enormous size, and made of a kind of grass, which is very strong:
It was five fathom deep, and by the room it took up, it could not be
less than three or four hundred fathom long. Fishing seems indeed to be
the chief business of life in this part of the country; we saw about all
their towns a great number of nets, laid in heaps like hay-cocks, and
covered with a thatch to keep them from the weather, and we scarcely
entered a house where some of the people were not employed in making
them. The fish we procured here were sharks, stingrays, sea-bream,
mullet, mackrel, and some others.

The inhabitants in this bay are far more numerous than in any other part
of the country that we had before visited; it did not appear to us that
they were united under one head, and though their towns were fortified,
they seemed to live together in perfect amity.

It is high water in this bay at the full and change of the moon, about
eight o'clock, and the tide then rises from six to eight feet
perpendicularly. It appears from such observations as I was able to make
of the tides upon the sea-coast, that the flood comes from the
southward; and I have reason to think that there is a current which
comes from the westward, and sets along the shore to the S.E. or S.S.E.
as the land happens to lie. [66]

[Footnote 66: Some sketches of the Bay of Islands, and a good deal of
valuable information about it, are given by Mr Savage in his Account of
New Zealand, to which we shall be indebted hereafter.--E.]

SECTION XXV.

_Range from the Bay of Islands round North Cape to Queen Charlotte's
Sound; and a Description of that Part of the Coast_.

On Thursday the 7th of December, at noon, Cape Bret bore S.S.E. 1/2 E.
distant ten miles, and our latitude, by observation, was 34 deg. 59' S.;
soon after we made several observations of the sun and moon, the result
of which made our longitude 185 deg. 36' W. The wind being against us, we
had made but little way. In the afternoon, we stood in shore, and
fetched close under the Cavalles, from which islands the main trends W.
by N.: Several canoes put off and followed us, but a light breeze
springing up, I did not chuse to wait for them. I kept standing to the
W.N.W. and N.W. till the next morning at ten o'clock, when I tacked and
stood in for the shore, from which we were about five leagues distant.
At noon, the westernmost land in sight bore W. by S. and was about four
leagues distant. In the afternoon, we had a gentle breeze to the west,
which in the evening came to the south, and continuing so all night, by
day-light brought us pretty well in with the land, seven leagues to the
westward of the Cavalles, where we found a deep bay running in S.W. by
W. and W.S.W. the bottom of which we could but just see, and there the
land appeared to be low and level. To this bay, which I called
_Doubtless Bay_, the entrance is formed by two points, which lie W.N.W.
and E.S.E. and are five miles distant from each other. The wind not
permitting us to look in here, we steered for the westermost land in
sight, which bore from us W.N.W. about three leagues, but before we got
the length of it it fell calm.

While we lay becalmed, several canoes came off to us, but the people
having heard of our guns, it was not without great difficulty that they
were persuaded to come under our stern: After having bought some of
their clothes, as well as their fish, we began to make enquiries
concerning their county, and learnt, by the help of Tupia, that, at the
distance of three days rowing in their canoes, at a place called
_Moore-wennua_, the land would take a short turn to the southward, and
from thence extend no more to the west. This place we concluded to be
the land discovered by Tasman, which he called _Cape Maria van Diemen_,
and finding these people so intelligent, we enquired farther, if they
knew of any country besides their own: They answered, that they never
had visited any other, but that their ancestors had told them, that to
the N.W. by N. or N.N.W. there was a country of great extent, called
_Ulimaroa_, to which some people had sailed in a very large canoe; that
only part of them returned, and reported, that after a passage of a
month they had seen a country where the people eat hogs. Tupia then
enquired whether these adventurers brought any hogs with them when they
returned? They said No: Then, replied Tupia, your story is certainly
false, for it cannot be believed that men who came back from an
expedition without hogs, had ever visited a country where hogs were to
be procured. It is however remarkable, notwithstanding the shrewdness of
Tupia's objection, that when they mentioned hogs it was not by
description but by name, calling them _Booah_, the name which is given
them in the South-sea islands; but if the animal had been wholly unknown
to them, and they had no communication with people to whom it was known,
they could not possibly have been acquainted with the name.

About ten o'clock at night, a breeze sprung up at W.N.W. with which we
stood off north; and at noon the next day, the Cavalles bore S.E. by E.
distant eight leagues; the entrance of Doubtless Bay S. by W. distant
three leagues; and the north-west extremity of the land in sight, which
we judged to be the main, bore N.W. by W.: Our latitude by observation
was 34 deg. 44' S. In the evening, we found the variation to be 12 deg.41' E. by
the azimuth, and 12 deg. 40' by the amplitude.

Early in the morning, we stood in with the land, seven leagues to the
westward of Doubtless Bay, the bottom of which is not far distant from
the bottom of another large bay, which the shore forms at this place,
being separated only by a low neck of land, which juts out into a
peninsula that I have called _Knuckle Point_. About the middle of this
Bay, which we called _Sandy Bay_, is a high mountain, standing upon a
distant shore, to which I gave the name of _Mount Camel_. The latitude
here is 84 deg. 51' S. and longitude 186 deg. 50'. We had twenty-four and
twenty-five fathom water, with a good bottom; but there seems to be
nothing in this bay that can induce a ship to put into it; for the land
about it is utterly barren and desolate, and, except Mount Camel, the
situation is low: The soil appears to be nothing but white sand, thrown
up in low irregular hills and narrow ridges, lying parallel with the
shore. But barren and desolate as this place is, it is not without
inhabitants: We saw one village on the west side of Mount Camel, and
another on the east side: We saw also five canoes full of people, who
pulled after the ship, but could not come up with us. At nine o'clock,
we tacked and stood to the northward; and at noon, the Cavalles bore
S.E. by E. distant thirteen leagues; the north extremity of the land in
sight, making like an island, bore N.W. 1/4 N. distant nine leagues; and
Mount Camel bore S.W. by S. distance six leagues.

The wind being contrary, we kept plying northward till five o'clock in
the evening of the 12th, when, having made very little way, we tacked
and stood to the N.E. being two leagues to the northward of Mount Camel,
and about a mile and a half from the shore, in which situation we had
two-and-twenty fathom water.

At ten, it began to blow and rain, which brought us under double-reefed
topsails; at twelve we tacked and stood to the westward till seven the
next morning, when we tacked and stood again to the N.E. being about a
mile to windward of the place where we tacked last night. Soon after it
blew very hard at N.N.W. with heavy squalls and much rain, which brought
us under our courses, and split the maintop-sail; so that we were
obliged to unbend it and bend another: At ten it became more moderate,
and we set the top-sails, double-reefed. At noon, having strong gales
and heavy weather, we tacked and stood to the westward, and had no land
in sight for the first time since we had been upon this coast.

We had now strong gales at W. and W.S.W.; and at half an hour past three
we tacked and stood to the northward. Soon after, a small island lying
off Knuckle Point bore S. 1/2 W. distant half a league. In the evening,
having split the fore and mizen topsails, we brought the ship under her
courses; and at midnight we wore, and stood to the southward till five
in the morning; when we tacked and stood to the N.W. and saw land
bearing south, at the distance of eight or nine leagues; by this we
discovered that we had fallen much to the leeward since yesterday
morning. At noon, our latitude by observation was 34 deg. 6' S.; and the
same land which we had seen before to the N.W. now bore S.W. and
appeared to be the northern extremity of the country. We had a large
swell rolling in from the westward, and therefore concluded that we were
not covered by any land in that quarter. At eight in the evening, we
tacked and stood to the westward, with as much sail as we could bear;
and at noon the next day, we were in latitude 34 deg. 10', longitude 186 deg.
45' W. and by estimation about seventeen leagues from the land,
notwithstanding our utmost endeavours to keep in with it.

On the 16th, at six in the morning, we saw land from the mast-head,
bearing S.S.W.; and at noon it bore S. by W. distant fourteen leagues:
While we were standing in for the shore we sounded several times, but
had no ground with ninety fathom. At eight, we tacked in a hundred and
eight fathom, at about three or four miles from the shore, which was the
same point of land that we had to the N.W. before we were blown off. At
noon it bore S.W. distant about three miles; Mount Camel bore S. by E.
distant about eleven leagues, and the westermost land in sight bore S.
75 W.; the latitude by observation was 34 deg. 20' S. At four o'clock, we
tacked and stood in shore, in doing which, we met with a strong
rippling, and the ship fell fast to leeward, which we imputed to a
current setting east. At eight, we tacked and stood off till eight the
next morning; when we tacked and stood in, being about ten leagues from
the land: At noon, the point of land which we were near the day before,
bore S.S.W. distant five leagues. The wind still continued at west; and
at seven o'clock, we tacked in thirty-five fathom, when the point of
land which has been mentioned before, bore N.W. by N. distant four or
five miles; so that we had not gained one inch to windward the last
twenty-four hours, which confirmed our opinion that there was a current
to the eastward. The point of land I called _North Cape_, it being the
northern extremity of this country. It lies in latitude 34 deg. 22' S.
longitude 186 deg. 55' W. and thirty-one leagues distant from Cape Bret, in
the direction of N. 63 W. It forms the north point of Sandy Bay, and is
a peninsula jutting out N.E. about two miles, and terminating in a bluff
head that is flat at the top. The isthmus which joins this head to the
main land is very low, and for that reason the land of the Cape, from
several situations, has the appearance of an island. It is still more
remarkable when it is seen from the southward, by the appearance of a
high round island at the S.E. point of the Cape; but this also is a
deception; for what appears to be an island is a round hill, joined to
the Cape by a low narrow neck of land. Upon the Cape we saw a Hippah or
village, and a few inhabitants; and on the south-east side of it there
appears to be anchorage, and good shelter from the south-west and
north-west winds.

We continued to stand off and on, making N.W. till noon on the 21st,
when North Cape bore S. 39 E. distant thirty-eight leagues. Our
situation varied only a few leagues till the 23d, when, about seven
o'clock in the evening, we saw land from the mast-head, bearing S. 1/2
E. At eleven the next morning, we saw it again, bearing S.S.E. at the
distance of eight leagues: We now stood to the S.W.; and at four
o'clock, the land bore S.E. by S. distant four leagues, and proved to be
a small island, with other islands or rocks, still smaller, lying off
the south-west end of it, and another lying off the north-east end,
which were discovered by Tasman, and called the Three Kings. The
principal island lies in latitude 34 deg. 12' S. longitude 187 deg. 48' W. and
distant fourteen or fifteen leagues from North Cape, in the direction of
W. 14 N. At midnight, we tacked and stood to the N.E. till six the next
morning, which was Christmas day, when we tacked and stood to the
southward. At noon, the Three Kings bore E. 8 N. distant five or six
leagues. The variation this morning by the azimuth was 11 deg. 25' E.

On the 26th, we stood to the southward close upon a wind; and at noon,
were in latitude 35 deg. 10' S longitude 188 deg. 20' W. the Three Kings bearing
N. 26 W. distant twenty-two leagues. In this situation we had no land in
sight; and yet, by observation, we were in the latitude of the Bay of
Islands; and by my reckoning but twenty leagues to the westward of North
Cape: From whence it appears, that the northern part of this island is
very narrow; for otherwise we must have seen some part of the west side
of it. We stood to the southward till twelve at night, and then tacked
and stood to the northward.

At four o'clock in the morning, the wind freshened, and at nine blew a
storm; so that we were obliged to bring the ship to under her mainsail.
Our course made good between noon this day and yesterday was S.S.W. 1/2
W. distance eleven miles. The Three Kings bore N. 27 E. distant
seventy-seven miles. The gale continued all this day, and till two the
next morning, when it fell, and began to veer to the southward and S.W.
where it fixed about four, when we made sail and steered east in for
the land, under the fore-sail and main-sail; but the wind then rising,
and by eight o'clock being increased to a hurricane, with a prodigious
sea, we were obliged to take in the main-sail; we then wore the ship,
and brought her to with her head to the north west. At noon the gale was
somewhat abated, but we had still heavy squalls. Our course made good
this day, was north, a little easterly, twenty-nine miles; latitude by
account 34 deg. 50' S. longitude 188 deg. 27' W.; the Three Kings bore N. 41 E.
distant fifty-two miles. At seven o'clock in the evening, the wind being
at S.W. and S.W. by W. with hard squalls, we wore and lay on the other
tack; and at six the next morning spread more sail. Our course and
distance since yesterday was E. by N. twenty-nine miles. In the
afternoon, we had hard squalls at S.W.; and at eight in the evening,
wore and stood to the N.W. till five the next morning; and then wore and
stood to the S.E. At six, we saw the land bearing N.E. distant about six
leagues, which we judged to be Cape _Maria Van Diemen_, and which
corresponded with the account that had been given of it by the Indians.
At midnight we wore and stood to the S.E. And on the next day at noon,
Cape Maria Van Diemen bore N.E. by N. distant about five leagues. At
seven in the evening, we tacked and stood to the westward, with a
moderate breeze at S.W. by S. and S.W. Mount Camel then bore N. 88 E.
and the northermost land, or Cape Maria Van Diemen, N. by W.; we were
now distant from the nearest land about three leagues, where we had
something more than forty fathom water; and it must be remarked, that
Mount Camel, which when seen on the other side did not seem to be more
than one mile from the sea, seemed to be but little more when seen from
this side; which is a demonstration that the land here cannot be more
than two or three miles broad, or from sea to sea.

At six o'clock in the morning of January the 1st, 1770, being New-year's
Day, we tacked and stood to the eastward, the Three Kings bearing N.W.
by N. At noon, we tacked again, and stood to the westward, being in
latitude 34 deg. 37' S.; the Three Kings bearing N.W. by N. at the distance
of ten or eleven leagues; and Cape Maria Van Diemen N. 31 E. distant
about four leagues and a half: In this situation we had fifty-four
fathom water.

During this part of our navigation two particulars are very remarkable;
in latitude 35 deg. S. and in the midst of summer, I met with a gale of
wind, which for its strength and continuance was such as I had scarcely
ever been in before, and we were three weeks in getting ten leagues to
the westward, and five weeks in getting fifty leagues, for at this time
it was so long since we passed Cape Bret. During the gale, we were
happily at a considerable distance from the land, otherwise it is highly
probable that we should never have returned to relate our adventures.

At five o'clock in the evening, having a fresh breeze to the westward,
we tacked and stood to the southward: At this time North Cape bore E.
1/4 N. and just open of a point that lies three leagues W. by N. from
it.

This Cape, as I have observed before, is the northermost extremity of
this country, and the eastermost point of a peninsula, which runs out
N.W. and N.W. by N. seventeen or eighteen leagues, and of which Cape
Maria Van Diemen is the westermost point. Cape Maria lies in latitude
34 deg. 30' S. longitude 187 deg. 18' W.; and from this point the land trends
away S.E. by S. and S.E. beyond Mount Camel, and is every where a barren
shore, consisting of banks of white sand.

On the 2d, at noon, we were in latitude 35 deg. 17' S. and Cape Maria bore
north, distant about sixteen leagues, as near as we could guess; for we
had no land in sight, and did not dare to go nearer, as a fresh gale
blew right on shore, with a rolling sea. The wind continued at W.S.W and
S.W. with frequent squalls; in the evening we shortened sail, and at
midnight tacked, and made a trip to the N.W. till two in the morning,
when we wore and stood to the southward. At break of day, we made sail,
and edged away, in order to make land; and at ten o'clock, we saw it,
hearing N.W. It appeared to be high, and at noon extended from N. to
E.N.E. distant by estimation eight or ten leagues. Cape Maria then bore
N. 2 deg. 30' W. distant thirty-three leagues; our latitude by observation
was 36 deg. 2' S. About seven o'clock in the evening, we were within six
leagues of it; but having a fresh gale upon it, with a rolling sea, we
hauled our wind to the S.E.; and kept on that course close upon the wind
all night, sounding several times, but having no ground with one hundred
and one hundred and ten fathom.

At eight o'clock the next morning, we were about five leagues from the
land, and off a place which lies in latitude 86 deg. 25', and had the
appearance of a bay or inlet. It bore east; and in order to see more of
it, we kept on our course till eleven o'clock, when we were not more
than three leagues from it, and then discovered that it was neither
inlet nor bay, but a tract of low land, bound by higher lands on each
side, which produced the deception. At this time, we tacked and stood to
the N.W.; and at noon, the land was not distant more than three or four
leagues. We were now in latitude 36 deg. 31' S. longitude 185 deg. 50' W. Cape
Maria bore N. 25 W. distant forty-four leagues, and a half; so that the
coast must be almost straight in the direction of S.S.E. 3/4 E. and
N.N.W. 3/4 W. nearly. In about latitude 35 deg. 45' is some high land
adjoining to the sea; to the southward of which the shore is also high,
and has the most desolate and inhospitable appearance that can be
imagined. Nothing is to be seen but hills of sand, on which there is
scarcely a blade of verdure; and a vast sea, impelled by the westerly
winds, breaking upon it in a dreadful surf, renders it not only forlorn,
but frightful; complicating the idea of danger with desolation, and
impressing the mind at once with a sense of misery and death. From this
place I steered to the northward, resolving never more to come within
the same distance of the coast, except the wind should be very
favourable indeed. I stood under a fresh sail all the day, hoping to get
an offing by the next noon, and we made good a course of a hundred and
two miles N. 38 W. Our latitude by observation was 35 deg. 10'S.; and Cape
Maria bore N. 10 E. distance forty-one miles. In the night, the wind
shifted from S.W. by S. to S. and blew fresh. Our course to the noon of
the 5th was N. 75 W. distance eight miles.

At day-break on the 6th, we saw the land which we took to be Cape Maria,
bearing N.N.E. distant eight or nine leagues: And on the 7th, in the
afternoon, the land bore east: And some time after we discovered a
turtle upon the water; but being awake, it dived instantly, so that we
could not take it. At noon, the high land, which has just been
mentioned, extended from N. to E. at the distance of five or six
leagues; and in two places, a flat gave it the appearance of a bay or
inlet. The course that we made good the last four-and-twenty hours was
S. 33 E. fifty-three miles; Cape Maria bearing N. 25 W. distant thirty
leagues.

We sailed within sight of land all this day, with gentle gales between
the N.E. and N.W.; and by next noon had sailed sixty-nine miles, in the
direction of S. 37 E.; our latitude, by observation was 36 deg. 39' S. The
land which on the 4th we had taken for a bay, now bore N.E. by N.
distant five leagues and a half; and Cape Maria N. 29 W. forty-seven
leagues.