A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 15 (of 18) by Robert Kerr

R >> Robert Kerr >> A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 15 (of 18)

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On the seventh, being in the latitude of 48 deg. 30' S., longitude 14 deg. 26'
E., saw two large islands of ice.

On the 17th, made the land of the Cape of Good Hope, and on the 19th
anchored in Table Bay, where we found Commodore Sir Edward Hughes, with
his majesty's ships Salisbury and Sea-horse. I saluted the commodore
with, thirteen guns; and, soon after, the garrison with the same number;
the former returned the salute, as usual, with two guns less, and the
latter with an equal number.

On the 24th, Sir Edward Hughes sailed with the Salisbury and Sea-horse,
for the East Indies; but I remained refitting the ship and refreshing
the people till the 16th of April, when I sailed for England, and on the
14th of July anchored at Spithead.

SECTION IX.

_Transactions at the Cape of Good Hope; with an Account of some
Discoveries made by the French; and the Arrival of the Ship at St
Helena._

I now resume my own Journal, which Captain Furneaux's interesting
narrative, in the preceding section, had obliged me to suspend.

The day after my arrival at the Cape of Good Hope, I went on shore, and
waited on the Governor, Baron Plettenberg, and other principal officers,
who received, and, treated us, with the greatest politeness,
contributing all in their power to make it agreeable. And, as there are
few people more obliging to strangers than the Dutch in general, at this
place, and refreshments of all kinds are no where to be got in such
abundance, we enjoyed some real repose, after the fatigues of a long
voyage.

The good treatment which strangers meet with at the Cape of Good Hope,
and the necessity of breathing a little fresh air, has introduced a
custom, not common any where else (at least I have no where seen it so
strictly observed), which is, for all the officers, who can be spared
out of the ship, to reside on shore. We followed this custom. Myself,
the two Mr Forsters, and Mr Sparrman, took up our abode with Mr Brandt,
a gentleman well known to the English, by his obliging readiness to
serve them. My first care, after my arrival, was to procure fresh-baked
bread, fresh meat, greens, and wine, for those who remained on board;
and being provided, every day during our stay, with these articles, they
were soon restored to their usual strength. We had only three men on
board whom it was thought necessary to send on shore for the recovery of
their health; and for these I procured quarters, at the rate of thirty
stivers, or half-a-crown, per day, for which they were provided with
victuals, drink, and lodging.

We now went to work to supply all our defects. For this purpose, by
permission, we erected a tent on shore, to which we sent our casks and
sails to be repaired. We also struck the yards and topmasts, in order to
overhaul the rigging, which we found in so bad a condition, that almost
every thing, except the standing rigging, was obliged to be replaced
with new, and that was purchased at a most exorbitant price. In the
article of naval stores, the Dutch here, as well as at Batavia, take a
shameful advantage of the distress of foreigners.

That our rigging, sails, &c. should be worn out, will not be wondered
at, when it is known, that during this circumnavigation of the globe,
that is, from our leaving this place to our return to it again, we had
sailed no less than twenty thousand leagues; an extent of voyage nearly
equal to three times the equatorial circumference of the earth, and
which, I apprehend, was never sailed by any ship in the same space of
time before. And yet, in all this great run, which had been made in all
latitudes between 9 deg. and 71, we sprung neither low-masts, top-mast,
lower, nor top-sail yard, nor so much as broke a lower or top-mast
shroud; which, with the great care and abilities of my officers, must be
owing to the good properties of our ship.

One of the French ships which were at anchor in the bay, was the Ajax
Indiaman, bound to Pondicherry, commanded by Captain Crozet. He had been
second in command with Captain Marion, who sailed from this place with
two ships, in March 1772, as hath been already mentioned. Instead of
going from hence to America, as was said, he stood away for New Zealand;
where, in the Bay of Isles, he and some of his people were killed by the
inhabitants. Captain Crozet, who succeeded to the command, returned by
the way of the Phillipine Isles, with the two ships, to the island of
Mauritius. He seemed to be a man possessed of the true spirit of
discovery, and to have abilities. In a very obliging manner he
communicated to me a chart, wherein were delineated not only his own
discoveries, but also that of Captain Kerguelen, which I found laid down
in the very situation where we searched for it; so that I can by no
means conceive how both we and the Adventure missed it.

Besides this land, which Captain Crozet told us was a long but very
narrow island, extending east and west, Captain Marion, in about the
latitude of 48 deg. south, and from 16 deg. to 30 deg. of longitude east of the Cape
of Good Hope, discovered six islands, which were high and barren. These,
together with some islands lying between the Line and the southern
tropic in the Pacific Ocean, were the principal discoveries made in this
voyage, the account of which, we were told, was ready for publication.

By Captain Crozet's chart it appeared, that a voyage had been made by
the French across the South Pacific Ocean in 1769, under the command of
one Captain Surville; who, on condition of his attempting discoveries,
had obtained leave to make a trading voyage to the coast of Peru. He
fitted out, and took in a cargo, in some part of the East Indies;
proceeded by way of the Phillipine Isles; passed near New Britain; and
discovered some land in the latitude of 10 deg. S., longitude 158 deg. east, to
which he gave his own name. From hence he steered to the south; passed,
but a few degrees, to the west of New Caledonia; fell in with New
Zealand at its northern extremity, and put into Doubtful Bay; where, it
seems, he was, when I passed it, on my former voyage in the Endeavour.
From New Zealand Captain Surville steered to the east, between the
latitude of 35 deg. and 41 deg. south, until he arrived on the coast of America;
where, in the port of Callao, in attempting to land, he was drowned.

These voyages of the French, though undertaken by private adventurers,
have contributed something towards exploring the Southern Ocean. That of
Captain Surville clears up a mistake which I was led into, in imagining
the shoals off the west end of New Caledonia, to extend to the west as
far as New Holland; it proves that there is an open sea in that space,
and that we saw the N.W. extremity of that country.

From the same gentleman, we learnt, that the ship which had been at
Otaheite before our first arrival there this voyage, was from New Spain;
and that, in her return, she had discovered some islands in the latitude
of 32 deg. S., and under the meridian of 130 deg. W. Some other islands, said to
be discovered by the Spaniards, appeared on this chart; but Captain
Crozet seemed to think they were inserted from no good authorities.

We were likewise informed of a later voyage undertaken by the French,
under the command of Captain Kerguelen, which had ended much to the
disgrace of that commander.

While we lay in Table Bay, several foreign ships put in and out, bound
to and from India, viz. English, French, Danes, Swedes, and three
Spanish frigates, two of them going to, and one coming from Manilla. It
is but very lately that the Spanish ships have touched here; and these
were the first that were allowed the same privileges as other European
friendly nations.

On examining our rudder, the pintles were found to be loose, and we were
obliged to unhang it, and take it on shore to repair. We were also
delayed for want of caulkers to caulk the ship, which was absolutely
necessary to be done before we put to sea. At length I obtained two
workmen from one of the Dutch ships; and the Dutton English East
Indiaman coming in from Bengal, Captain Rice obliged me with two more;
so that by the 26th of April this work was finished: And having got on
board all necessary stores, and a fresh supply of provisions and water,
we took leave of the governor and other principal officers, and the next
morning repaired on board. Soon after the wind coming fair, we weighed
and put to sea; as did also the Spanish frigate Juno, from Manilla, a
Danish Indiaman, and the Dutton.

As soon as we were under sail, we saluted the garrison with thirteen
guns; which compliment was immediately returned with the same number.
The Spanish frigate and Danish Indiaman both saluted us as we passed
them, and I returned each salute with an equal number of guns. When we
were clear of the bay the Danish ship steered for the East Indies, the
Spanish frigate for Europe, and we and the Dutton for St Helena.

Depending on the goodness of Mr Kendall's watch, I resolved to try to
make the island by a direct course. For the first six days, that is,
till we got into the latitude of 27 deg. S., longitude 11 deg. 1/2 W. of the
cape, the winds were southerly and S.E. After this we had variable light
airs for two days; they were succeeded by a wind at S.E. which continued
to the island, except a part of one day, when it was at N.E. In general
the wind blew faint all the passage, which made it longer than common.

At day-break in the morning of the 15th of May, we saw the island of St
Helena at the distance of fourteen leagues; and at midnight anchored in
the road before the town, on the N.W. side of the island. At sun-rise
the next morning, the castle, and also the Dutton, saluted us, each with
thirteen guns; on my landing, soon after, I was saluted by the castle
with the same number, and each of the salutes was returned by the ship.

Governor Skettowe and the principal gentlemen of the island, received
and treated me, during my stay, with the greatest politeness; by shewing
me every kind of civility in their power.

Whoever views St Helena in its present state, and can but conceive what
it must have been originally, will not hastily charge the inhabitants
with want of industry. Though, perhaps, they might apply it to more
advantage, were more land appropriated to planting of corn, vegetables,
roots, &c. instead of being laid out in pasture, which is the present
mode. But this is not likely to happen, so long as the greatest part of
it remains in the hands of the company and their servants. Without
industrious planters, this island can never flourish, and be in a
condition to supply the shipping with the necessary refreshments.

Within these three years a new church has been built; some other new
buildings were in hand; a commodious landing-place for boats has been
made; and several other improvements, which add both strength and beauty
to the place.

During our stay here, we finished some necessary repairs of the ship,
which we had not time to do at the Cape. We also filled all our empty
water-casks; and the crew were served with fresh beef, purchased at
five-pence per pound. Their beef is exceedingly good, and is the only
refreshment to be had worth mentioning.

By a series of observations made at the Cape town, and at James Fort in
St Helena, at the former by Messrs Mason and Dixon, and at the latter by
Mr Maskelyne, the astronomer royal, the difference of longitude between
these two places is 24 deg. 12' 15", only two miles more than Mr Kendall's
watch made. The lunar observations made by Mr Wales, before we arrived
at the island, and after we left it, and reduced to it by the watch,
gave 5 deg. 51' for the longitude of James Fort; which is only five miles
more west than it is placed by Mr Maskelyne. In like manner the
longitude of the Cape Town was found within 5' of the truth. I mention
this to shew how near the longitude of places may be found by the lunar
method, even at sea, with the assistance of a good watch.[17]

[Footnote 17: Mr G.F. has communicated several very interesting
particulars respecting St Helena, but it is not judged proper to insert
them in this place, as having no connection with the purposes of the
voyage. A similar remark is applicable to some of the subjects mentioned
in the following section. Another opportunity may, perhaps, present of
giving full information on these topics.--E.]

SECTION X.

_Passage from St Helena to the Western Islands, with a Description of
the Island of Ascension and Fernando Noronha._

On the 21st in the evening, I took leave of the governor, and repaired
on board. Upon my leaving the shore, I was saluted with thirteen guns;
and upon my getting under sail, with the Dutton in company, I was
saluted with thirteen more; both of which I returned.

After leaving St Helena, the Dutton was ordered to steer N.W. by W. or
N.W. by compass, in order to avoid falling in with Ascension; at which
island, it was said, an illicit trade was carried on between the
officers of the India Company's ships, and some vessels from North
America, who, of late years, had frequented the island on pretence of
fishing whales or catching turtle, when their real design was to wait
the coming of the India ships. In order to prevent their homeward-bound
ships from falling in with these smugglers, and to put a stop to this
illicit trade, the Dutton was ordered to steer the course
above-mentioned, till to the northward of Ascension. I kept company with
this ship till the 24th, when, after putting a packet on board her for
the Admiralty, we parted: She continuing her course to the N.W., and I
steering for Ascension.

In the morning of the 28th I made the island; and the same evening
anchored in Cross Bay on the N.W. side, in ten fathoms water, the bottom
a fine sand, and half a mile from the shore. The Cross Hill, so called
on account of a cross, or flag-staff erected upon it, bore by compass S.
38 deg. E.; and the two extreme points of the bay extended from N.E. to S.W.
We remained here till the evening of the 31st, and notwithstanding we
had several parties out every night, we got but twenty-four turtle, it
being rather too late in the season; however, as they weighed between
four or five hundred pounds each, we thought ourselves not ill off. We
might have had a plentiful supply of fish in general, especially of that
sort called Old Wives, of which I have no where seen such abundance.
There were also cavalies, conger eels, and various other sorts; but the
catching of any of these was not attended to, the object being turtle.
There are abundance of goats, and aquatic birds, such as men-of-war and
tropic birds, boobies, &c.

The island of Ascension is about ten miles in length, in the direction
of N.W. and S.E., and about five or six in breadth. It shews a surface
composed of barren hills and vallies, on the most of which not a shrub
or plant is to be seen for several miles, and where we found nothing but
stones and sand, or rather flags and ashes; an indubitable sign that the
isle, at some remote time, has been destroyed by a volcano, which has
thrown up vast heaps of stones, and even hills. Between these heaps of
stones we found a smooth even surface, composed of ashes and sand, and
very good travelling upon it; but one may as easily walk over broken
glass bottles as over the stones. If the foot deceives you, you are sure
to be cut or lamed, which happened to some of our people. A high
mountain at the S.E. end of the isle seems to be left in its original
state, and to have escaped the general destruction. Its soil is a kind
of white marl, which yet retains its vegetative qualities, and produceth
a kind of purslain, spurge, and one or two grasses. On these the goats
subsist, and it is at this part of the isle where they are to be found,
as also land-crabs, which are said to be very good.

I was told, that about this part of the isle is some very good land on
which might be raised many necessary articles; and some have been at the
trouble of sowing turnips and other useful vegetables. I was also told
there is a fine spring in a valley which disjoins two hills on the top
of the mountain above-mentioned; besides great quantities of fresh water
in holes in the rocks, which the person who gave me this information,
believed was collected from rains. But these supplies of water can only
be of use to the traveller; or to those who may be so unfortunate as to
be shipwrecked on the island; which seems to have been the fate of some
not long ago, as appeared by the remains of a wreck we found on the N.E.
side. By what we could judge, she seemed to have been a vessel of about
one hundred and fifty tons burthen.

While we lay in the road, a sloop of about seventy tons burthen came to
an anchor by us. She belonged to New York, which place she left in
February, and having been to the coast of Guinea with a cargo of goods,
was come here to take in turtle to carry to Barbadoes. This was the
story which the master, whose name was Greves, was pleased to tell, and
which may, in part, be true. But I believe the chief view of his coming
here, was the expectation of meeting with some of the India ships. He
had been in the island near a week, and had got on board twenty turtle.
A sloop, belonging to Bermuda, had sailed but a few days before with one
hundred and five on board, which was as many as she could take in; but
having turned several more on the different sandy beaches, they had
ripped open their bellies, taken out the eggs, and left their carcasses
to putrify; an act as inhuman as injurious to those who came after them.
Part of the account I have given of the interior parts of this island I
received from Captain Greves, who seemed to be a sensible intelligent
man, and had been all over it. He sailed in the morning of the same day
we did.

Turtle, I am told, are to be found at this isle from January to June.
The method of catching them is to have people upon the several sandy
bays, to watch their coming on shore to lay their eggs, which is always
in the night, and then to turn them on their backs, till there be an
opportunity to take them off the next day. It was recommended to us to
send a good many men to each beach, where they were to lie quiet till
the turtle were ashore, and then rise and turn them at once. This method
may be the best when the turtle are numerous; but when there are but
few, three or four men are sufficient for the largest beach; and if they
keep patroling it, close to the wash of the surf, during the night, by
this method they will see all that come ashore, and cause less noise
than if there were more of them. It was by this method we caught the
most we got; and this is the method by which the Americans take them.
Nothing is more certain, than that all the turtle which are found about
this island, come here for the sole purpose of laying their eggs; for we
met with none but females; and of all those which we caught, not one had
any food worth mentioning in its stomach; a sure sign, in my opinion,
that they must have been a long time without any; and this may be the
reason why the flesh of them is not so good as some I have eat on the
coast of New South Wales, which were caught on the spot where they fed.

The watch made 8 deg. 45' difference of longitude between St Helena and
Ascension; which, added to 5 deg. 49' the longitude of James Fort in St
Helena, gives 14 deg. 34' for the longitude of the Road of Ascension, or 14 deg.
30' for the middle of the island, the latitude of which is 8 deg. S. The
lunar observations made by Mr Wales, and reduced to the same point of
the island by the watch, gave 14 deg. 28' 30" west longitude.

On the 31st of May, we left Ascension, and steered to the northward with
a fine gale at S.E. by E. I had a great desire to visit the island of St
Matthew, to settle its situation; but as I found the wind would not let
me fetch it, I steered for the island of Fernando de Noronha on the
coast of Brazil, in order to determine its longitude, as I could not
find this had yet been done. Perhaps I should have performed a more
acceptable service to navigation, if I had gone in search of the island
of St Paul, and those shoals which are said to lie near the equator, and
about the meridian of 20 deg. W.; as neither their situation nor existence
are well known. The truth is, I was unwilling to prolong the passage in
searching for what I was not sure to find; nor was I willing to give up
every object, which might tend to the improvement of navigation or
geography, for the sake of getting home a week or a fortnight sooner. It
is but seldom that opportunities of this kind offer; and when they do,
they are too often neglected.

In our passage to Fernando de Noronha, we had steady fresh gales
between the S.E. and E.S.E., attended with fair and clear weather; and
as we had the advantage of the moon, a day or night did not pass without
making lunar observations for determining our longitude. In this run,
the variation of the compass gradually decreased from 11 deg. W., which it
was at Ascension., to 1 deg. W., which we found off Fernando de Noronha.
This was the mean result of two compasses, one of which gave 1 deg. 37', and
the other 23' W.

On the 9th of June at noon we made the island of Fernando de Noronha,
bearing S.W. by W. 1/2 W., distant six or seven leagues, as we
afterwards found by the log. It appeared in detached and peaked hills,
the largest of which looked like a church tower or steeple. As we drew
near the S.E. part of the isle, we perceived several unconnected sunken
rocks lying near a league from the shore, on which the sea broke in a
great surf. After standing very near these rocks, we hoisted our
colours, and then bore up round the north end of the isle, or rather
round a group of little islets; for we could see that the land was
divided by narrow channels. There is a strong fort on the one next the
main island, where there are several others; all of which seemed to have
every advantage that nature can give them, and they are so disposed, as
wholly to command all the anchoring and landing-places about the island.
We continued to steer round the northern point, till the sandy beaches
(before which is the road for shipping) began to appear, and the forts
and the peaked hills were open to the westward of the said point. At
this time, on a gun being fired from one of the forts, the Portuguese
colours were displayed, and the example was followed by all the other
forts. As the purpose for which I made the island was now answered, I
had no intention to anchor; and therefore, after firing a gun to
leeward, we made sail and stood away to the northward with a fine fresh
gale at E.S.E. The peaked hill or church tower bore S., 27 deg. W., distant
about four or five miles; and from this point of view it leans, or
overhangs, to the east. This hill is nearly in the middle of the island,
which no where exceeds two leagues in extent, and shews a hilly unequal
surface, mostly covered with wood and herbage.

Ulloa says, "This island hath two harbours capable of receiving ships of
the greatest burden; one is on the north side, and the other is on the
N.W. The former is, in every respect, the principal, both for shelter
and capacity, and the goodness of its bottom; but both are exposed to
the north and west, though these winds, particularly the north, are
periodical, and of no long continuance." He further says, "That you
anchor in the north harbour (which is no more than what I would call a
road) to thirteen fathoms water, one-third of a league from shore,
bottom of fine sand; the peaked hill above-mentioned bearing S.W. 2 deg.
southerly."[18]

[Footnote 18: See Don Antonio d'Ulloa's Book, vol. ii. chap. 3. page 95
to 102, where there is a very particular account of this island.]

This road seems to be well sheltered from the south and east winds. One
of my seamen had been on board a Dutch India ship, who put in at this
isle in her way out in 1770. They were very sickly, and in want of
refreshments and water. The Portuguese supplied them with some buffaloes
and fowls; and they watered behind one of the beaches in a little pool,
which was hardly big enough to dip a bucket in. By reducing the observed
latitude at noon to the peaked hill, its latitude will be 3 deg. 53' S.; and
its longitude, by the watch, carried on from St Helena, is 32 deg. 34' W.;
and by observations of the sun and moon, made before and after we made
the Isle, and reduced to it by the watch, 32 deg. 44' 30" W. This was the
mean result of my observations. The results of those made by Mr Wales,
which were more numerous, gave 32 deg. 23'. The mean of the two will be
pretty near the watch, and probably nearest the truth. By knowing the
longitude of this isle, we are able to determine that of the adjacent
east coast of Brazil; which, according to the modern charts, lies about
sixty or seventy leagues more to the west. We might very safely have
trusted to these charts, especially the variation chart for 1744, and Mr
Dalrymple's of the southern Atlantic ocean.[19]