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A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 17 by Robert Kerr

R >> Robert Kerr >> A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 17





Nas Fortalesas sedeixem passar.

_A 30 Abril_, 1742.

Podem passar par Portugal em qualquer Nao que selle ofreser semque che
ponha Impedimento algum Bahia, 19 Mayo, 1742.

"Dizem Joan Bocli, e Joan Cummins, e Joan Menino, Inglezes de Nasao, e
Cazados em Inglaterra, em quetem suas Mulleres e Fillios, que suedo
Officais de Calafate, e Condestavel, & Joneiro, de imadas Fragatas
Inglezas, dado a Costa de Patagonia, die fesivel a portarem, a Oporto de
Rio Grande, donde selhedeo faculdade para passarem aesta Cidade. E como
Naferma do Regimendo de son soberano Nao vensem soldo, algum desde otempo,
que Nao Pagau detta Fragata, selhes las presis a passarem a Inglaterra,
para poderem tratar de sua vida em Compania de suas familias; para oghe
pretendem na Naude Lisensia passar a Citade da Bahia, para da hi Opoderem
farer para Lisboa, na primera ocasio, que che for posivell, e sim desda Nao
podem intentar dito transporte.

Quaime sedigne dar che Lisensia que nas Fortalesas selhe nas ponha
Impedimento a sua Passagein, Come e Costume aos Nacionaes decte Reyne.

A. Rove."


The foregoing in English thus.


_Rio Janeiro Grand._

From all the Forts let them pass.

_April_ 30, 1742.

That they may pass to Portugal in any vessel that offers itself, without
any hindrance whatever, to Bahia, May 19, 1742.

"John Bocli, [Bulkeley] John Cummins, and John Young, of the English
nation, and married in England, where they have wives and children, the one
being an officer, the other a carpenter, and the third cooper of the ship,
being an English frigate, arrived on the coast of Patagonia; and at their
arrival in the great river, i.e. Rio Grand, leave was granted them to come
to this city; and as in the service of his majesty, they do not advance any
money, from the time that they paid off the said ship, they are obliged to
pass to England, that they may be enabled there to seek their livelihood
for their respective families: Therefore they desire that they may pass in
the license ship to the city of Bahia, that they may from thence go to
Lisbon, by the first opportunity that shall offer; and that without the
said ship they will not be able to perform their intended design.

Leave is hereby granted them to pass by the said ship for Bahia; and we
command all the forts to let them pass, and not hinder their passage, as is
the custom of the nation of this kingdom.

A. ROVE."


The following is a copy of the solicitor's certificate.


"ISTO he para que todos sabem que os Senhores Abaixo Nomeados y bem mal
afortunados, nesta Cidade de Rio Janeiro se comporlarao com toda Dereysao
nao dando escandalo Apesoa Alguma e Sao Dignos deque Joda pessoa posa os
favoreser emoque for de Ajudo para Sigimento de sua Viagem omais breve
possivel para Huropa.

JOHN BULKELEY.
JOHN CUMMINS.
JOHN YOUNG.

Hoje 1 de Mayo de 1742.

A sim que Assiney este Papel Como Procu
rador Sosil da Nasao Britanica.
PEDRO HENRIQUES DELAED."


In English thus.


"These Presents.

"Be it known to all persons, that the under-signed are in a deplorable
condition in this city of Rio Janeiro; who have behaved themselves with
decency and good decorum, not giving any scandal to any person whatsoever,
and are worthy that all people may have compassion, and succour them in
forwarding their voyage with all expedition to Europe.

JOHN BULKELEY.
JOHN CUMMINS.
JOHN YOUNG.

_The 1st of May_, 1742.

I have sign'd this paper as a sollicitor of the British nation.

PEDRO HENRIQ; DELAED."


Tuesday, May the 20th, this evening myself, the carpenter, and cooper, went
on board the St Tubes, one of the Brazil ships, carrying twenty-eight guns,
Theophilus Orego Ferrara, commander, bound for Bahia and Lisbon. The people
left on shore were,

John Jones, Master's mate.
John Snow, ditto.
Vincent Oakley, surgeon.
John King, boatswain.
Samuel Stook, seaman.
John Shoreham, ditto.
John Pitman, ditto.
Job Barns, ditto.
Richard East, ditto.
Richard Powell, ditto.

Wednesday the 21st, early this morning the captain came on board, on seeing
us, he ask'd us, how we came on board without his leave? Notwithstanding he
gave leave to the consul for our passage, we ought to have waited on him
ashore. There was on board the ship a Spanish don, a passenger, who told
the captain, no Englishman should go in the same ship with him, therefore
desir'd we might be turn'd ashore; but the captain insisted upon doing what
he pleas'd on board his own ship, and would not comply with his request.
The Spanish don, when we came to converse with him, was very much mov'd
with the relation of our misfortunes, and said to us, though our royal
masters, the king's of England and Spain, are at war, it was not our fault;
that we were now on board a neutral ship; belonging to a king who was a
friend to both nations; that he would not look upon us as enemies, but do
us all the service he could. He extoll'd the conduct and bravery of Admiral
Vernon at Porto Bello; but, above all, applauded him for his humanity and
generous treatment of his enemies. He made great encomiums on the
magnificence of the British fleet, and the boldness and intrepidity of the
sailors, styling the English the soldiers of the sea. He supplied us in our
passage not only with provisions from his table, but also with wine and
brandy; and during the whole voyage appear'd so different from an enemy,
that he took all opportunities of giving us proofs of his generosity and
goodness.

Friday, the 7th of May, 1742, this morning anchored before the city of
Bahia, went on shore to the vice-roy, shew'd him the pass we had from the
governor of Rio Janeiro: He told us the pass was to dispatch us to Lisbon,
and that the first ship which sail'd from hence would be the ship we came
in; we petition'd him for provisions, acquainting him of our reception at
Rio Grand and Rio Janeiro, that we had hitherto been supply'd at the rate
of eight vintins each man per day. He refused supplying us with any thing,
upon which I told him, we had better been prisoners to the king of Spain,
who would allow us bread and water, than in a friend's country to be
starv'd. The captain of the ship we came in, hearing the vice-roy would not
supply us, was so kind as to go with us to him, acquainting him how we were
provided for at Rio Janeiro, and that he would supply us himself, if he
would sign an account to satisfy the consul general at Lisbon, so that he
might be reimburs'd. The vice-roy answer'd, he had no orders concerning the
English; that he had letters from the king of Portugal his master to supply
the French, but had no orders about any other nation, and if he gave us any
thing it must be out of his own pocket, therefore he would not supply us.
The captain then told him, that we were officers and subjects to the king
of England, and in distress; that we did not want great matters, and only
barely enough to support life, and begg'd that he would allow but four
vintins per day, being but half the sum hitherto allow'd us. The captain's
entreaties avail'd nothing, the vice-roy continuing as fix'd in his
resolution of giving us no relief. I do not believe there ever was a worse
representative of royalty upon the face of the earth than this vice-roy;
his royal master, the king of Portugal, is very well known to have a
grateful affection for the British nation (nor can we believe he is so
Frenchify'd as this vice-roy makes him) his deputy differs greatly from
him, he has given a proof of his aversion to the English. We think persons
in the distress we were represented in to him, could in no part of the
world, nay, in an enemy's country, be treated with more barbarity than we
were here: We work'd here for our victuals, and then could get but one meal
per day, which was farina and caravances. At this place we must have
starv'd, if I had not by me some money and a silver watch of my own, which
I was obliged to turn into money to support us. I had in money fourteen
guineas, which I exchanged with the captain who brought us here for
Portugueze money; he at the same time told me, it would be hard upon me to
be so much out of pocket, and said, if I would draw a bill on the consul
general at Lisbon for the sum, as if supplied from him, upon the payment of
that bill, he would return me my fourteen guineas; accordingly a bill was
drawn up by an English merchant at Bahia and sign'd by us, being as
follows:


"Nos abaixo asignados Joam Bulkeley, Joam Cummins, & Joam Young, Vassalos
de sua Magg de Brittanica El Rey Jorge Segundo, declaramos que temos
recebido da mam do Snor' Cappam de Mar e Guerra Theodorio Rodrigues de
Faria a coanthia de Corenta eloatra Mil e Oito Centos reis em dinheiro
decontado comque por varias vezes nos Secorreo para o Nosso Sustento des o
dia 17 de Mayo proximo passado athe odia Prezente, por cuja caridade
rogamos a Deos conceda mera saud Born succesto e por este pedimos humildeme
te ao Snor' Consul Geral da Mesma Nacao que Aprezentado que este Seja nao'
duvide em Mandar Sattis fazer as sobredito Snor' Cappam de Mar e Guerra a
refferida coanthia visto ser expendida em Obra pia e que o Estado da nossa
Mizeria epobreza tre nao' pode pagar e por passar na Verdade o Refferido e
nao' sabermos Escrever pedimos a Gabriel Prynn homem de Negocio nesta
Cidade e Interprete de Ambas as Lingoas ou Idosmas que este por Nos fizese
e Como Testemunha Asignase.

Sao 44 800 re. Bahia, 14 Setembro, 1742.

JOHN BULKELEY.
JOHN CUMMINS.
JOHN YOUNG.

Como Testsmunha que fix a rogo dos Sobreditos,
GABRIEL PRYNN."


The foregoing in English thus.


"We, the undersign'd John Bulkeley, John Cummins, and John Young, subjects
of his majesty King George the Second, King of Great Britain, do declare to
have received from the honourable captain of sea and land, Theodore
Rodriques of Faria, the sum of fourty-four thousand and eight hundred rees,
in ready and lawful money, by different times, for our support and succour
from the 17th of May instant, to this present date: And, for the said
charily, we implore the Almighty to grant him health and prosperity. And on
this account, we humbly desire the consul of the same nation, that, by
these presents, he may not omit giving full satisfaction to the above-
mention'd captain of sea and land, for the said sum, it being employed on a
very charitable account, being in a deplorable condition, and not able to
repay the same; and we not knowing in what manner to write, to acknowledge
the above favours, have desired Mr Gabriel Prynn, a merchant in this city,
and interpreter of both languages, that he may act for us; and we leave it
to him to do in this affair as it shall seem meet unto him; and as a
witness to this matter he hath sign'd his name.

Say 44 100. Bahia, the 14th September, 1742.

JOHN BULKELEY.
JOHN CUMMINS.
JOHN YOUNG.

To the veracity of the above assertion I have sign'd my name,

GABRIEL PRYNN."


Since our being here, we have been inform'd of one of his majesty's ships
with three store-ships being arriv'd at Rio Janeiro, supply'd with stores
and men for the relief and assistance of the Severn and Pearl, (which were
sail'd before in January last for Barbadoes) and that our people were gone
on board of them, and bound for the West Indies.

Here is a very good bay for ships to ride in, with the wind from E.S.E., to
the northward and westward back to the S.W., and wind to the southward,
which blows in and makes a very great sea. At the east side coming in,
standeth Point de Gloria, where is a very large fortification with a tower
in the midst: From this point the land rises gradually; about a league from
hence is the city of Bahia; it is surrounded with fortifications, and
equally capable of defending it against any attempts from the sea or land.

Provisions here of all kinds are excessive dear, especially fish; this we
impute to the great number of whales that come into this bay, even where
the ships lye at anchor; the whale-boats go off and kill sometimes seven or
eight whales in a day, the flesh of which is cut up in small pieces, then
brought to the market-place, and sold at the rate of a vintin per pound; it
looks very much like coarse beef, but inferior to it in taste. The whales
here are not at all equal in size to the whales in Greenland, being not
larger than the grampus. After living here above four months without any
relief from the governor or the inhabitants, who behaved to us as if they
were under a combination to starve us, we embark'd on board the St Tubes
with our good friend the captain who brought us from Rio Janeiro: We sail'd
from Bahia the 11th of September for Lisbon, in company with one of the
king of Portugal's ships of war, and two East India ships, but the St Tubes
not being able to sail so well as the other ships, lost sight of them the
first night. About 70 leagues from the westward of Madeira we bent a new
foresail; within two or three days afterwards, we had a very hard gale of
wind, scudding under the foresail, and no danger happening to the ship
during this gale. When the wind had ceas'd, and we had fair weather, the
captain, after the evening mass, made an oration to the people, telling
them that their deliverance from danger in the last gale of wind, and the
ship though leaky, making no more water than before, was owing to their
prayers to Nuestra Senhora Boa Mortua and her intercession: That in
gratitude they ought to make an acknowledgement to that saint for standing
their friend in time of need: That he himself would shew an example by
giving the new fore-sail, which was bent to the yard, to the saint their
deliverer: Accordingly one of the seamen went forward and mark'd out these
words on the sail, _Deal esta Trinchado pour nostra Senhora Boa Mortua_,
which is as much as to say, _I give this foresail to our saint, the
deliverer from death_. The sail and money collected on this occasion
amounted to upwards of twenty moydores.

On Monday, the 23d of November, in the latitude 39: 17 north, and longitude
6:00 W., that day at noon the rock of Lisbon bearing S. by W., distant
sixteen leagues; we steer'd E.S.E., to make the rock before night. At four
o'clock it blew a very hard gale, and right on the shore: The ship lay-to
under a foresail, with her head to the southward; at six it blew a storm;
the foresail splitting, oblig'd us to keep her before the wind, which was
running her right ashore. The ship was now given over for lost, the people
all fell to prayers, and cry'd out to their saints for deliverance,
offering all they had in the world for their lives, and yet at the same
time neglecting all means to save themselves; they left off pumping the
ship, though she was exceeding leaky. This sort of proceeding in time of
extremity is a thing unknown to our English seamen; in those emergencies
all hands are employ'd for the preservation of the ship and people, and if
any of them fall upon their knees, 'tis after the danger is over. The
carpenter and myself could by no means relish this behaviour; we begg'd the
people for God's sake to go to the pumps, telling them we had a chance to
save our lives, while we kept the ship above water, that we ought not to
suffer the ship to sink, while we could keep her free. The captain and
officers hearing us pressing them so earnestly, left off prayers, and
entreated the men to keep the pumps going, accordingly we went to pumping,
and preserv'd ourselves and the ship: In half an hour afterwards the wind
shifted to the W.N.W., then the ship lay south, which would clear the
course along shore; had the wind not shifted, we must in an hour's time
have run the ship ashore. This deliverance, as well as the former, was
owing to the intercession of Nuestra Senhora Boa Mortua: On this occasion
they collected fifty moydores more, and made this pious resolution, that
when the ship arrived safe at Lisbon, the foresail, which was split in the
last gale of wind, should be carried in procession to the church of this
grand saint, and the captain should there make an offering equal in value
to the foresail, which was reckon'd worth eighteen moydores.

On Saturday, the 28th of November, we arrived at Lisbon, and on the next
morning every person who came in the ship, (excepting the carpenter,
myself, and the cooper) officers, passengers, the Spanish don himself, and
all the people, men and boys, walk'd bare-footed, with the foresail, in
procession, to the church of Nuestra Senhora Boa Mortua; the weather at
that time being very cold, and the church a good mile distant from the
landing-place. We Englishmen, when we came ashore, went immediately on the
Change. I was pretty well known to some gentlemen of the English factory.
When I inform'd them that we were three of the unfortunate people that were
cast away in the Wager, and that we came here in one of the Brazil ships,
and wanted to embrace the first opportunity of going for England, they told
me, that the lieutenant had been before us, that he was gone home in the
packet-boat, and left us a very indifferent character. I answer'd, I
believ'd the lieutenant you'd give but a very bad account of himself,
having kept no journal, nor made any remarks since the loss of the ship,
nor perhaps before; that we doubted not but to acquit ourselves of any
false accusations, having with us a journal, which gave an impartial
relation of all our proceedings. The journal was read by several gentlemen
of the factory, who treated us, during our stay at Lisbon, with exceeding
kindness and benevolence.

On the 20th of December, we embark'd on board his majesty's ship the
Stirling Castle for England: Here we had again the happiness of
experiencing the difference between a British and a foreign ship,
particularly in regard to cleanliness, accommodation, diet, and discipline.
We met with nothing material in our passage, and arrived at Spithead on the
1st of January, 1742-3. Here we thought of nothing but going ashore
immediately to our families, but were told by the captain, we must not stir
out of the ship till he knew the pleasure of the l----ds of the A----y,
having already wrote to them concerning us. This was a very great
affliction to us, and the more so, because we thought our troubles at an
end. The carpenter and myself were in view of our habitations; our families
had long given us over for lost, and on the news of our safety, our
relatives look'd upon us as sons, husbands, and fathers, restor'd to them
in a miraculous manner. Our being detain'd on board gave them great
anxiety; we endeavour'd to console 'em as well as we could, being assured,
that we had done nothing to offend their l----s; that if things were not
carried on with that order and regularity which is strictly observ'd in the
navy, necessity drove us out of the common road. Our case was singular;
since the loss of the ship, our chiefest concern was for the preservation
of our lives and liberties, to accomplish which, we acted according to the
dictates of nature, and the best of our understanding. In a fortnight's
time, their l----ps order'd us at liberty, and we instantly went ashore to
our respective habitations, having been absent from thence about two years
and six months.

After we had staid a few days with our families, we came to London, to pay
our duties to the l----ds of the A----y. We sent in our journal for, their
l----ps' inspection: They had before received a narrative from the l----t,
which narrative he confesses to be a relation of such things as occur'd
to his memory; therefore of consequence could not be so satisfactory as a
journal regularly kept. This journal lay for some time in the a----y
o----e, when we were order'd to make an abstract, by way of narrative, that
it might not be too tedious for their l----ps' perusal. After the narrative
was examined into, their l----ps, upon our petition, were pleased to fix a
day for examining all the officers lately belonging to the Wager. The
gentlemen appointed to make enquiry into the whole affair were three
commanders of ships, persons of distinguish'd merit and honour. However, it
was afterwards thought proper not to admit us to any examination, till the
arrival of the commodore, or else Captain Cheap. And it was also resolv'd,
that not a person of us should receive any wages, or be employed in his
majesty's service, till every thing relating to the Wager was more plain
and conspicuous. There was no favour shewn in this case to one more than
another, so that every body seem'd easy with their l----ps' resolution. All
that we have to wish for now is the safe arrival of the commodore and
Captain Cheap: We are in expectation of soon seeing the former, but of the
captain we have as yet no account. However, we hope, when the commodore
shall arrive, that the character he will give of us will be of service to
us: He was very well acquainted with the behaviour of every officer in his
squadron, and will certainly give an account of them accordingly.


[119] In reprinting this very curious and scarce Narrative, we have thought
it proper to adhere to the orthography and contractions of the
original throughout. The former are little different from the present
standard, and the latter cannot give any trouble to the reader.
Altogether, this is a composition not without merit sufficient to
warrant its being preserved.--E.






END OF VOLUME SEVENTEENTH.

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