A Voyage to New Holland by William Dampier

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A VOYAGE TO NEW HOLLAND ETC.

IN THE YEAR 1699.

Wherein are described,

The Canary Islands, the Isles of Mayo and St. Jago. The Bay of
All-Saints, with the forts and town of Bahia in Brazil. Cape Salvador.
The winds on the Brazilian coast. Abrolho Shoals. A table of all the
variations observed in this voyage. Occurrences near the Cape of Good
Hope. The course to New Holland. Shark's Bay. The isles and coast, etc.
of New Holland.

Their inhabitants, manners, customs, trade, etc. Their harbours, soil,
beasts, birds, fish, etc. Trees, plants, fruits, etc.

...

Illustrated with several maps and draughts: also divers birds, fishes and
plants not found in this part of the world, curiously engraven on copper
plates.

...

BY CAPTAIN WILLIAM DAMPIER.

...

THE THIRD EDITION.

...

LONDON,

Printed for James and John Knapton at the Crown in St. Paul's Churchyard.

1729.

...

CONTENTS.

DEDICATION.

THE PREFACE.

CHAPTER 1.

The Author's departure from the Downs.
A caution to those who sail in the Channel.
His arrival at the Canary Islands.
Santa Cruz in Tenerife; the road and town, and Spanish wreck.
Laguna Town lake and country; and Oratavia town and road.
Of the wines and other commodities of Tenerife, etc. and the governors at
Laguna and Santa Cruz.
Of the winds in these seas.
The Author's arrival at Mayo.
Of the Cape Verde Islands; its salt pond compared with that of Salt
Tortuga; its trade for salt, and frape-boats.
Its vegetables, silk-cotton, etc.
Its soil, and towns; its guinea-hens and other fowls, beasts, and fish.
Of the sea turtles, etc. laying in the wet season.
Of the natives, their trade and livelihood.
The Author's arrival at St. Jago; Praya and St. Jago Town.
Of the inhabitants and their commodities.
Of the custard-apple, St. Jago Road.
Fogo.

CHAPTER 2.

The Author's deliberation on the sequel of his voyage, and departure from
St. Jago.
His course, and the winds, etc. in crossing the Line.
He stands away for the Bay of All-Saints in Brazil; and why.
His arrival on that coast and in the bay.
Of the several forts, the road, situation, town, and buildings of Bahia.
Of its Governor, ships and merchants; and commodities to and from Europe.
Claying of sugar.
The season for the European ships, and coir cables: of their Guinea trade
and of the coasting trade, and whale killing.
Of the inhabitants of Bahia; their carrying in hammocks: their
artificers, crane for goods, and negro slaves.
Of the country about Bahia, its soil and product.
Its timber-trees; the sapiera, vermiatico, commesserie, guitteba, serrie,
and mangroves.
The bastard-coco, its nuts and cables; and the silk-cotton-trees.
The Brazilian fruits, oranges, etc.
Of the soursops, cashews and jennipahs.
Of their peculiar fruits, arisahs, mericasahs, petangos, petumbos,
mungaroos, muckishaws, ingwas, otees, and musteran-de-ovas.
Of the palmberries, physick-nuts, mendibees, etc. and their roots and
herbs, etc.
Of their wildfowl, macaws, parrots, etc.
The yemma, carrion-crow and chattering-crow, bill-bird, curreso,
turtledove and wild pigeons; the jenetee, clocking-hen, crab-catcher,
galden, and black heron: the ducks, widgeon and teal; and ostriches to
the southward, and of the dunghill-fowls.
Of their cattle, horses, etc.
Leopards and tigers.
Of their serpents; the rattlesnake, small green snake.
Amphisbaena, small black and small grey snake; the great land-, and the
great watersnake; and of the water-dog.
Of their sea-fish and turtle; and of St. Paul's Town.

CHAPTER 3.

The Author's stay and business at Bahia: of the winds, and seasons of the
year there.
His departure for New Holland.
Cape Salvador.
The winds on the Brazilian coast; and Abrolho Shoal; fish and birds: the
shearwater bird, and cooking of sharks.
Excessive number of birds about a dead whale; of the pintado bird, and
the petrel, etc.
Of a bird that shows the Cape of Good Hope to be near: of the
sea-reckonings, and variations: and a table of all the variations
observed in this voyage.
Occurrences near the Cape; and the Author's passing by it.
Of the westerly winds beyond it: a storm, and its presages.
The Author's course to New Holland; and signs of approaching it.
Another Abrolho Shoal and storm, and the Author's arrival on part of New
Holland.
That part described, and Shark's Bay, where he first anchors.
Of the land there, vegetables, birds, etc.
A particular sort of iguana: fish, and beautiful shells; turtle, large
shark, and water-serpents.
The Author's removing to another part of New Holland: dolphins, whales,
and more sea-serpents: and of a passage or strait suspected here: of the
vegetables, birds, and fish.
He anchors on a third part of New Holland, and digs wells, but brackish.
Of the inhabitants there, and great tides, the vegetables and animals,
etc.

MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

MAP. CAPTAIN DAMPIER'S NEW VOYAGE TO NEW HOLLAND ETC. IN 1699 ETC.

TABLE 1. CANARY ISLANDS.

TABLE 2. CAPE VERDE ISLANDS.

TABLE 3. BRAZIL.

BIRDS OF THE VOYAGE:
FIGURE 1: THE PINTADO BIRD.
FIGURE 2: THIS VERY MUCH RESEMBLES THE GUARAUNA, DESCRIBED AND FIGURED BY
PISO.

TABLE 4. NEW HOLLAND.

BIRDS OF NEW HOLLAND:
FIGURE 3: THE HEAD AND GREATEST PART OF THE NECK OF THIS BIRD IS RED AND
THEREIN DIFFERS FROM THE AVOFETTA OF ITALY.
FIGURE 4: THE BILL AND LEGS OF THIS BIRD ARE OF A BRIGHT RED.
FIGURE 5: A NODDY OF NEW HOLLAND.
FIGURE 6: A COMMON NODDY.

FISH OF NEW HOLLAND:
FIGURE 1: THE MONKFISH.
FIGURE 3: A FISH TAKEN ON THE COAST OF NEW HOLLAND.
FIGURE 6: A REMORA TAKEN STICKING TO SHARKS BACKS.
FIGURE 8: A CUTTLE TAKEN NEAR NEW HOLLAND.
FIGURE 9: A FLYING-FISH TAKEN IN THE OPEN SEA.

PLANTS FOUND IN BRAZIL. TABLE 1 PLANTS.

PLANTS FOUND IN NEW HOLLAND. TABLE 2 PLANTS.

PLANTS FOUND IN NEW HOLLAND. TABLE 3 PLANTS.

PLANTS FOUND IN NEW HOLLAND AND TIMOR. TABLE 4 PLANTS.

PLANTS FOUND IN THE SEA NEAR NEW GUINEA. TABLE 5 PLANTS.

FISH OF NEW HOLLAND. PLATE 3 FISHES:
FIGURE 4: A FISH CALLED BY THE SEAMEN THE OLD WIFE.
FIGURE 5: A FISH OF THE TUNNY KIND TAKEN ON THE COAST OF NEW HOLLAND.

DOLPHINS. PLATE 2 FISHES:
FIGURE 2: THE DOLPHIN OF THE ANCIENTS TAKEN NEAR THE LINE, CALLED BY OUR
SEAMEN A PORPOISE.
FIGURE 7: A DOLPHIN AS IT IS USUALLY CALLED BY OUR SEAMEN TAKEN IN THE
OPEN SEA.

A VOYAGE TO NEW HOLLAND, ETC. IN THE YEAR 1699.

DEDICATION.

To the Right Honourable Thomas, Earl of Pembroke,

Lord President of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council.

My Lord,

The honour I had of being employed in the service of his late Majesty of
illustrious memory, at the time when Your Lordship presided at the
Admiralty, gives me the boldness to ask your protection of the following
papers. They consist of some remarks made upon very distant climates,
which I should have the vanity to think altogether new, could I persuade
myself they had escaped Your Lordship's knowledge. However I have been so
cautious of publishing any thing in my whole book that is generally known
that I have denied myself the pleasure of paying the due honours to Your
Lordship's name in the Dedication. I am ashamed, My Lord, to offer you so
imperfect a present, having not time to set down all the memoirs of my
last voyage: but, as the particular service I have now undertaken hinders
me from finishing this volume, so I hope it will give me an opportunity
of paying my respects to Your Lordship in a new one.

The world is apt to judge of everything by the success; and whoever has
ill fortune will hardly be allowed a good name. This, My Lord, was my
unhappiness in my late expedition in the Roebuck, which foundered through
perfect age near the island of Ascension. I suffered extremely in my
reputation by that misfortune; though I comfort myself with the thoughts
that my enemies could not charge any neglect upon me. And since I have
the honour to be acquitted by Your Lordship's judgment I should be very
humble not to value myself upon so complete a vindication. This and a
world of other favours which I have been so happy as to receive from Your
Lordship's goodness, do engage me to be with an everlasting respect,

My Lord,

Your Lordship's most faithful and obedient servant,

WILL. DAMPIER.

THE PREFACE.

The favourable reception my two former volumes of voyages and
descriptions have already met with in the world gives me reason to hope
that, notwithstanding the objections which have been raised against me by
prejudiced persons, this third volume likewise may in some measure be
acceptable to candid and impartial readers who are curious to know the
nature of the inhabitants, animals, plants, soil, etc. in those distant
countries, which have either seldom or not at all been visited by any
Europeans.

It has almost always been the fate of those who have made new discoveries
to be disesteemed and slightly spoken of by such as either have had no
true relish and value for the things themselves that are discovered, or
have had some prejudice against the persons by whom the discoveries were
made. It would be vain therefore and unreasonable in me to expect to
escape the censure of all, or to hope for better treatment than far
worthier persons have met with before me. But this satisfaction I am sure
of having, that the things themselves in the discovery of which I have
been employed are most worthy of our diligentest search and inquiry;
being the various and wonderful works of God in different parts of the
world: and however unfit a person I may be in other respects to have
undertaken this task, yet at least I have given a faithful account, and
have found some things undiscovered by any before, and which may at least
be some assistance and direction to better qualified persons who shall
come after me.

It has been objected against me by some that my accounts and descriptions
of things are dry and jejune, not filled with variety of pleasant matter
to divert and gratify the curious reader. How far this is true I must
leave to the world to judge. But if I have been exactly and strictly
careful to give only true relations and descriptions of things (as I am
sure I have) and if my descriptions be such as may be of use not only to
myself (which I have already in good measure experienced) but also to
others in future voyages; and likewise to such readers at home as are
more desirous of a plain and just account of the true nature and state of
the things described than of a polite and rhetorical narrative: I hope
all the defects in my style will meet with an easy and ready pardon.

Others have taxed me with borrowing from other men's journals; and with
insufficiency, as if I was not myself the author of what I write but
published things digested and drawn up by others. As to the first part of
this objection I assure the reader I have taken nothing from any man
without mentioning his name, except some very few relations and
particular observations received from credible persons who desired not to
be named; and these I have always expressly distinguished in my books
from what I relate as of my own observing. And as to the latter I think
it so far from being a diminution to one of my education and employment
to have what I write revised and corrected by friends that, on the
contrary, the best and most eminent authors are not ashamed to own the
same thing, and look upon it as an advantage.

Lastly I know there are some who are apt to slight my accounts and
descriptions of things as if it was an easy matter and of little or no
difficulty to do all that I have done, to visit little more than the
coasts of unknown countries, and make short and imperfect observations of
things only near the shore. But whoever is experienced in these matters,
or considers things impartially, will be of a very different opinion. And
anyone who is sensible how backward and refractory the seamen are apt to
be in long voyages when they know not whither they are going, how
ignorant they are of the nature of the winds and the shifting seasons of
the monsoons, and how little even the officers themselves generally are
skilled in the variation of the needle and the use of the azimuth
compass; besides the hazard of all outward accidents in strange and
unknown seas: anyone, I say, who is sensible of these difficulties will
be much more pleased at the discoveries and observations I have been able
to make than displeased with me that I did not make more.

Thus much I thought necessary to premise in my own vindication against
the objections that have been made to my former performances. But not to
trouble the reader any further with matters of this nature; what I have
more to offer shall be only in relation to the following voyage.

For the better apprehending the course of this voyage and the situation
of the places mentioned in it I have here, as in the former volumes,
caused a map to be engraven with a pricked line representing to the eye
the whole thread of the voyage at one view, besides charts and figures of
particular places, to make the descriptions I have given of them more
intelligible and useful.

Moreover, which I had not opportunity of doing in my former voyages;
having now had in the ship with me a person skilled in drawing, I have by
this means been enabled, for the greater satisfaction of the curious
reader, to present him with exact cuts and figures of several of the
principal and most remarkable of those birds, beasts, fishes and plants,
which are described in the following narrative; and also of several
which, not being able to give any better or so good an account of, as by
causing them to be exactly engraven, the reader will not find any further
description of them, but only that they were found in such or such
particular countries. The plants themselves are in the hands of the
ingenious Dr. Woodward. I could have caused many others to be drawn in
like manner but that I resolved to confine myself to such only as had
some very remarkable difference in the shape of their principal parts
from any that are found in Europe. I have besides several birds and
fishes ready drawn, which I could not put into the present volume because
they were found in countries to the description whereof the following
narrative does not reach. For, being obliged to prepare for another
voyage sooner than I at first expected, I have not been able to continue
the ensuing narrative any further than to my departure from the coast of
New Holland. But if it please God that I return again safe, the reader
may expect a continuation of this voyage from my departure from New
Holland till the foundering of my ship near the island of Ascension.

In the meantime to make the narrative in some measure complete I shall
here add a summary abstract of the latter part of the voyage, whereof I
have not had time to draw out of my journals a full and particular
account at large. Departing therefore from the coast of New Holland in
the beginning of September 1699 we arrived at Timor September 15 and
anchored off that island. On the 24th we obtained a small supply of fresh
water from the governor of a Dutch fort and factory there; we found also
there a Portuguese settlement and were kindly treated by them. On the 3rd
of December we arrived on the coast of New Guinea; where we found good
fresh water and had commerce with the inhabitants of a certain island
called Pulo Sabuda. After which, passing to the northward, we ranged
along the coast to the easternmost part of New Guinea, which I found does
not join to the mainland of New Guinea, but is an island, as I have
described it in my map, and called it New Britain.

It is probable this island may afford many rich commodities, and the
natives may be easily brought to commerce. But the many difficulties I at
this time met with, the want of convenience to clean my ship, the fewness
of my men, their desire to hasten home, and the danger of continuing in
these circumstances in seas where the shoals and coasts were utterly
unknown and must be searched out with much caution and length of time,
hindered me from prosecuting any further at present my intended search.
What I have been able to do in this matter for the public service will, I
hope, be candidly received; and no difficulties shall discourage me from
endeavouring to promote the same end whenever I have an opportunity put
into my hands.

May 18 in our return we arrived at Timor. June 21 we passed by part of
the island Java. July 4 we anchored in Batavia Road, and I went ashore,
visited the Dutch General, and desired the privilege of buying provisions
that I wanted, which was granted me. In this road we lay till the 17th of
October following, when, having fitted the ship, recruited myself with
provisions, filled all my water, and the season of the year for returning
towards Europe being come, I set sail from Batavia, and on the 19th of
December made the Cape of Good Hope, whence departing January 11 we made
the island of St. Helena on the 31st; and February the 21st the island of
Ascension; near to which my ship, having sprung a leak which could not be
stopped, foundered at sea; with much difficulty we got ashore where we
lived on goats and turtle; and on the 26th of February found, to our
great comfort, on the south-east side of a high mountain, about half a
mile from its top, a spring of fresh water. I returned to England in the
Canterbury East India ship. For which wonderful deliverance from so many
and great dangers I think myself bound to return continual thanks to
Almighty God; whose divine providence if it shall please to bring me safe
again to my native country from my present intended voyage; I hope to
publish a particular account of all the material things I observed in the
several places which I have now but barely mentioned.

...

A VOYAGE TO TERRA AUSTRALIS.

1699.

CHAPTER 1. DEPARTURE AND PROVISIONING EN ROUTE.

THE AUTHOR'S DEPARTURE FROM THE DOWNS.

I sailed from the Downs early on Saturday, January 14, 1699, with a fair
wind, in His Majesty's Ship the Roebuck; carrying but 12 guns in this
voyage and 50 men and boys with 20 months' provision. We had several of
the King's ships in company, bound for Spithead and Plymouth, and by noon
we were off Dungeness.

A CAUTION TO THOSE WHO SAIL IN THE CHANNEL.

We parted from them that night, and stood down the Channel, but found
ourselves next morning nearer the French coast than we expected; Cape de
Hague bearing south-east and by east 6 leagues. There were many other
ships, some nearer, some farther off the French coast, who all seemed to
have gone nearer to it than they thought they should. My master, who was
somewhat troubled at it at first, was not displeased however to find that
he had company in his mistake: which as I have heard is a very common
one, and fatal to many ships. The occasion of it is the not allowing for
the change of the variation since the making of the charts; which Captain
Halley has observed to be very considerable. I shall refer the reader to
his own account of it which he caused to be published in a single sheet
of paper, purposely for a caution to such as pass to and fro the English
Channel. And my own experience thus confirming to me the usefulness of
such a caution I was willing to take this occasion of helping towards the
making it the more public.

Not to trouble the reader with every day's run, nor with the winds or
weather (but only in the remoter parts, where it may be more particularly
useful) standing away from Cape la Hague, we made the start about 5 that
afternoon; which being the last land we saw of England, we reckoned our
departure from thence: though we had rather have taken it from the
Lizard, if the hazy weather would have suffered us to have seen it.

HIS ARRIVAL AT THE CANARY ISLANDS.

The first land we saw after we were out of the Channel was Cape
Finisterre, which we made on the 19th; and on the 28th made Lancerota,
one of the Canary Islands of which, and of Allegrance, another of them, I
have here given the sights, as they both appeared to us at two several
bearings and distances.

SANTA CRUZ IN TENERIFE; THE ROAD AND TOWN, AND SPANISH WRECK.

We were now standing away for the island Tenerife where I intended to
take in some wine and brandy for my voyage. On Sunday, half an hour past
3 in the afternoon, we made the island and crowded in with all our sails
till five; when the north-east point of the isle bore west-south-west
distance 7 leagues. But, being then so far off that I could not expect to
get in before night, I lay by till next morning, deliberating whether I
should put in at Santa Cruz, or at Oratavia, the one on the east, the
other on the west side of the island; which lies mostly north and south;
and these are the principal ports on each side. I chose Santa Cruz as the
better harbour (especially at this time of the year) and as best
furnished with that sort of wine which I had occasion to take in for my
voyage: so there I come to an anchor January 30th, in 33 fathom water,
black slimy ground; about half a mile from the shore; from which distance
I took the sight of the town.

In the road ships must ride in 30, 40, or 50 fathom water, not above half
a mile from the shore at farthest: and if there are many ships they must
ride close one by another. The shore is generally high land and in most
places steep too. This road lies so open to the east that winds from that
side make a great swell, and very bad going ashore in boats: the ships
that ride here are then often forced to put to sea, and sometimes to cut
or slip their anchors, not being able to weigh them. The best and
smoothest landing is in a small sandy cove, about a mile to the
north-east of the road, where there is good water, with which ships that
lade here are supplied; and many times ships that lade at Oratavia, which
is the chief port for trade, send their boats hither for water. That is a
worse port for westerly than this is for easterly winds; and then all
ships that are there put to sea. Between this watering-place and Santa
Cruz are two little forts; which with some batteries scattered along the
coast command the road. Santa Cruz itself is a small unwalled town
fronting the sea, guarded with two other forts to secure the road. There
are about 200 houses in the town, all two stories high, strongly built
with stone and covered with pantile. It hath two convents and one church,
which are the best buildings in the town. The forts here could not secure
the Spanish galleons from Admiral Blake, though they hauled in close
under the main fort. Many of the inhabitants that are now living remember
that action in which the English battered the town, and did it much
damage; and the marks of the shot still remain in the fort walls. The
wrecks of the galleons that were burnt here lie in 15 fathom water: and
it is said that most of the plate lies there, though some of it was
hastily carried ashore at Blake's coming in sight.

LAGUNA TOWN LAKE AND COUNTRY; AND ORATAVIA TOWN AND ROAD.

Soon after I had anchored I went ashore here to the Governor of the town,
who received me very kindly and invited me to dine with him the next day.
I returned on board in the evening, and went ashore again with two of my
officers the next morning; hoping to get up the hill time enough to see
Laguna, the principal town, and to be back again to dine with the
Governor of Santa Cruz; for I was told that Laguna was but 3 miles off.
The road is all the way up a pretty steep hill; yet not so steep but that
carts go up and down laden. There are public houses scattering by the
wayside, where we got some wine. The land on each side seemed to be but
rocky and dry; yet in many places we saw spots of green flourishing corn.
At farther distances there were small vineyards by the sides of the
mountains, intermixed with abundance of waste rocky land, unfit for
cultivation, which afforded only dildo-bushes. It was about 7 or 8 in the
morning when we set out from Santa Cruz; and, it being fair clear
weather, the sun shone very bright and warmed us sufficiently before we
got to the city Laguna; which we reached about 10 o'clock, all sweaty and
tired, and were glad to refresh ourselves with a little wine in a sorry
tippling-house: but we soon found out one of the English merchants that
resided here, who entertained us handsomely at dinner, and in the
afternoon showed us the town.

Laguna is a pretty large well-compacted town, and makes a very agreeable
prospect. It stands part of it against a hill, and part in a level. The
houses have mostly strong walls built with stone and covered with
pantile. They are not uniform, yet they appear pleasant enough. There are
many fair buildings; among which are 2 parish churches, 2 nunneries, a
hospital, 4 convents, and some chapels; besides many gentlemen's houses.
The convents are those of St. Austin, St. Dominick, St. Francis, and St.
Diego. The two churches have pretty high square steeples, which top the
rest of the buildings. The streets are not regular, yet they are mostly
spacious and pretty handsome; and near the middle of the town is a large
parade, which has good buildings about it. There is a strong prison on
one side of it; near which is a large conduit of good water, that
supplies all the town. They have many gardens which are set round with
oranges, limes, and other fruits: in the middle of which are pot-herbs,
salading, flowers, etc. And indeed, if the inhabitants were curious this
way, they might have very pleasant gardens: for as the town stands high
from the sea on the brow of a plain that is all open to the east, and
hath consequently the benefit of the true tradewind, which blows here and
is most commonly fair; so there are seldom wanting at this town brisk,
cooling, and refreshing breezes all the day.

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