_Progress of the Voyage, after leaving the Society Islands.--Christmas
Island discovered, and Station of the Ships there.--Boats sent
ashore.--Great Success in catching Turtle.--An Eclipse of the Sun
observed.--Distress of two Seamen who had lost their Way.--Inscription
left in a Bottle.--Account of the Island.--Its Soil.--Trees and
Plants.--Birds.--Its Size.--Form.--Situation.--Anchoring Ground._
After leaving Bolabola, I steered to the northward, close-hauled, with
the wind between N.E. and E., hardly ever having it to the southward
of E., till after we had crossed the Line, and had got into N.
latitudes. So that our course, made good, was always to the W. of N.,
and sometimes no better than N.W.
Though seventeen months had now elapsed since our departure from
England, during which, we had not, upon the whole, been unprofitably
employed, I was sensible, that with regard to the principal object of
my instructions, our voyage was, at this time, only beginning; and,
therefore, my attention to every circumstance that might contribute
toward our safety and our ultimate success, was now to be called forth
anew. With this view I had examined into the state of our provisions
at the last islands; and, as soon as I had left them, and got beyond
the extent of my former discoveries, I ordered a survey to be taken
of all the boatswain's and carpenter's stores that were in the ships,
that I might be fully informed of the quantity, state, and condition
of every article; and, by that means, know how to use them to the
greatest advantage.
Before I sailed from the Society Islands, I lost no opportunity of
enquiring of the inhabitants, if there were any islands in a N. or
N.W. direction from them; but I did not find that they knew of any.
Nor did we meet with any thing that indicated the vicinity of land,
till we came to about the latitude of 8° S., where we began to see
birds, such as boobies, tropic, and men-of-war birds, tern, and some
other sorts. At this time our longitude was 205° E. Mendana, in his
first voyage in 1568,[1] discovered an island which he named Isla de
Jesus, in latitude 6° 45' S., and 1450 leagues from Callao, which
is 200° E. longitude from Greenwich. We crossed this latitude near a
hundred leagues to the eastward of this longitude, and saw there many
of the above-mentioned birds, which are seldom known to go very far
from land.
[Footnote 1: See Dalrymple's Collection, vol. i. p. 45.]
In the night, between the 22d and 23d, we crossed the Line in the
longitude of 203° 15' E. Here the variation of the compass was 6° 30'
E. nearly.
On the 24th, about half an hour after day-break, land was discovered
bearing N.E. by E. 1/2 E. Upon a nearer approach, it was found to be
one of those low islands so common in this ocean, that is, a narrow
bank of land inclosing the sea within. A few cocoa-nut trees were seen
in two or three places; but, in general, the land had a very barren
appearance. At noon, it extended from N.E. by E. to S. by E. 1/2 E.,
about four miles distant. The wind was at E.S.E., so that we were
under a necessity of making a few boards, to get up to the lee or west
side, where we found from forty to twenty and fourteen fathoms water,
over a bottom of fine sand, the least depth about half a mile from,
the breakers, and the greatest about one mile. The meeting with
soundings determined me to anchor, with a view to try to get some
turtles, for the island seemed to be a likely place to meet with them,
and to be without inhabitants. Accordingly we dropped anchor in thirty
fathoms; and then a boat was dispatched to examine whether it was
practicable to land, of which I had some doubt, as the sea broke in
a dreadful surf all along the shore. When the boat returned, the
officer, whom I had entrusted with this examination, reported to me
that he could see no place where a boat could land, but that there was
great abundance of fish in the shoal water, without the breakers.
At day-break, the next morning, I sent two boats, one from each ship,
to search more accurately for a landing-place; and, at the same time,
two others to fish at a grappling near the shore. These last returned
about eight o'clock, with upward of two hundred weight of fish.
Encouraged by this success, they were dispatched again after
breakfast; and I then went in another boat, to take a view of
the coast and attempt landing, but this I found to be wholly
impracticable. Toward noon, the two boats, sent on the same search,
returned. The master, who was in that belonging to the Resolution,
reported to me, that about a league and a half to the N., was a break
in the land, and a channel into the _lagoon_, consequently, that there
was a fit place for landing; and that he had found the same soundings
off this entrance, as we had where we now lay. In consequence of this
report the ships weighed anchor, and, after two or three trips, came
to again in twenty fathoms water, over a bottom of fine dark sand,
before a small island that lies at the entrance of the _lagoon_, and
on each side of which there is a channel leading into it, but only fit
for boats. The water in the _lagoon_ itself is all very shallow.
On the 26th, in the morning, I ordered Captain Clerke to send a
boat, with an officer, to the S.E. part of the _lagoon_, to look for
turtles; and Mr King and I went each in a boat to the N.E. part. I
intended to have gone to the most easterly extremity, but the wind
blew too fresh to allow it, and obliged us to land more to leeward, on
a sandy flat, where we caught one turtle, the only one that we saw
in the _lagoon_. We walked, or rather waded, through the water to
an island, where finding nothing but a few birds, I left it, and
proceeded to the land that bounds the sea to the N.W., leaving Mr King
to observe the sun's meridian altitude. I found this land to be even
more barren than the island I had been upon; but walking over to the
sea-coast, I saw five turtles close to the shore. One of these we
caught, and the rest made their escape. Not seeing any more I returned
on board, as did Mr King soon after, without having seen one turtle.
We, however, did not despair of getting a supply; for some of Captain
Clerke's officers, who had been ashore on the land to the southward
of the channel leading into the _lagoon_, had been more fortunate, and
caught several there.
In the morning of the 27th, the pinnace and cutter, under the command
of Mr King, were sent to the S.E. part of the island, within the
_lagoon_, and the small cutter to the northward, where I had been the
day before, both parties being ordered upon the same service, to catch
turtles. Captain Clerke having had some of his people on shore all
night, they had been so fortunate as to turn between forty and fifty
on the sand, which were brought on board with all expedition this day.
And, in the afternoon, the party I had sent northward returned with
six. They were sent back again, and remained there till we left the
island, having in general pretty good success.
On the 28th, I landed in company with Mr Bayly, on the island which
lies between the two channels into the _lagoon_, to prepare the
telescopes for observing the approaching eclipse of the sun, which
was one great inducement to my anchoring here. About noon, Mr King
returned with one boat and eight turtles, leaving seven behind to
be brought by the other boat, whose people were employed in catching
more; and, in the evening, the same boat was sent with water and
provisions for them. Mr Williamson now went to superintend this
duty in the room of Mr King, who remained on board to attend the
observation of the eclipse.
The next day, Mr Williamson dispatched the two boats back to the ship,
laden with turtles. At the same time, he sent me a message, desiring
that the boats might be ordered round by sea, as he had found a
landing-place on the S.E. side of the island, where most of the
turtles were caught; so that by sending the boats thither, the trouble
would be saved of carrying them over the land to the inside of the
_lagoon_, as had been hitherto done. The boats were accordingly
dispatched to the place which he pointed out.
On the morning of the 30th, the day when the eclipse was to happen,
Mr King, Mr Bayly, and myself, went ashore on the small island
above-mentioned, to attend the observation. The sky was over-cast till
past nine o'clock, when the clouds about the sun dispersed long enough
to take its altitude, to rectify the time by the watch we made use
of. After this, it was again obscured, till about thirty minutes past
nine, and then we found that the eclipse was begun. We now fixed the
micrometers to the telescopes, and observed or measured the uneclipsed
part of the sun's disk. At these observations I continued about
three-quarters of an hour before the end, when I left off, being, in
fact, unable to continue them longer, on account of the great heat of
the sun, increased by the reflection from the sand.
The sun was clouded at times; but it was clear when the eclipse ended,
the time of which was observed as follows:
Mr Bayly 0 26 3
By Mr King at 0 26 1 Apparent Time p.m.
Myself 0 25 37
Mr Bayly and I observed with the large achromatic telescopes, and Mr
King with a reflector. As Mr Bayly's telescope and mine were of the
same magnifying power, I ought not to have differed so much from
him as I did. Perhaps, it was, in part, if not wholly owing to a
protuberance in the moon, which escaped my notice, but was seen by
both the other gentlemen.
In the afternoon, the boats and turtling party, at the S.E. part of
the island, all returned on board, except a seaman belonging to the
Discovery, who had been missing two days. There were two of them at
first who had lost their way, but disagreeing about the most probable
track to bring them back to their companions, they had separated, and
one of them joined the party, after having been absent twenty-four
hours, and been in great distress. Not a drop of fresh water could be
had, for there is none upon the whole island; nor was there a single
cocoa-nut tree on that part of it. In order to allay his thirst,
be had recourse to the singular expedient of killing turtles, and
drinking their blood. His mode of refreshing himself, when weary,
of which he said he felt the good effects, was equally whimsical. He
undressed himself, and lay down for some time in the shallow water
upon the beach.[2]
[Footnote 2: The practice is deserving of a better epithet. It is
highly judicious, and may often be adopted with the best effects. The
use of the cold bath in cases of fever is not materially different;
and it is most certain, that washing the body with either cold or warm
water, is one of the best methods of relieving the sense of weariness
consequent on fatiguing exercise. Some caution is undoubtedly required
in using it; but on the whole, there is much less danger in the
application than is commonly imagined. The natural indications are
chiefly to be regarded. Thus it is not likely that a person already
cooled down below the natural standard, so as to feel positively cold
or chilly, will run the risk of greater reduction of temperature by
immersion in cold water; and on the other hand, when most warm,
in which state such reduction is safest, there is the greatest
inclination to have recourse to it. It is advisable to employ friction
with cloths in most cases, but more especially where perspiration has
been brought on, in which state, cold bathing, unless preceded by that
process in such a degree as to excite a sense of heat on the surface,
is improper, for a reason above assigned, perspiration always
occasioning a reduction of temperature. This subject is an important
one, but could not be discussed here; there seemed, however, some good
end likely to be answered by at least directing attention to it.--E.]
It was a matter of surprise to every one, how these two men could
contrive to lose themselves. The land over which they had to travel,
from the sea-coast to the _lagoon_, where the boats lay, was not more
than three miles across, nor was there any thing to obstruct their
view, for the country was a flat, with a few shrubs scattered upon
it, and from many parts of it, the masts of the ships could easily be
seen. But this was a rule of direction they never once thought of;
nor did they recollect in what quarter of the island the ships had
anchored, and they were as much at a loss how to get back to them, or
to the party they had straggled from, as if they had but just
dropped from the clouds. Considering how strange a set of beings the
generality of seamen are, when on shore, instead of being surprised
that these two men should thus lose their way, it is rather to be
wondered at, that no more of the party were missing. Indeed, one
of those who landed with me was in a similar situation; but he had
sagacity enough to know that the ships were to leeward, and got
on board almost as soon as it was discovered that he had been left
behind.
As soon as Captain Clerke knew that one of the stragglers was still in
this awkward situation, he sent a party in search of him; but neither
the man nor the party having come back, the next morning I ordered two
boats into the _lagoon_, to go different ways, in prosecution of the
search. Not long after, Captain Clerke's party returned with their
lost companion; and my boats having now no object left, I called
them back by signal. This poor fellow must have suffered far greater
distress than the other straggler, not only as having been lost
a longer time, but as we found that he was too squeamish to drink
turtle's blood.
Having some cocoa-nuts and yams on board, in a state of vegetation, I
ordered them to be planted on the little island where we had observed
the eclipse, and some melon-seeds were sown in another place. I also
left, on the little island, a bottle containing this inscription:
_Georgius, Tertius, Rex, 31 Decembris, 1777._
_Naves {Resolution, Jac. Cook, Pr._
_{Discovery, Car. Clerke, Pr._
On the 1st of January, 1778, I sent boats to bring on board all our
parties from the land, and the turtles they had caught. Before this
was completed it was late in the afternoon, so that I did not think
proper to sail till next morning. We got at this island, to both
ships, about three hundred turtles, weighing, one with another, about
ninety or a hundred pounds. They were all of the green kind, and
perhaps as good as any in the world. We also caught, with hook and
line, as much fish as we could consume during our stay. They consisted
principally of cavallies of different sizes, large and small snappers,
and a few of two sorts of rock-fish, one with numerous spots of blue,
and the other with whitish streaks scattered about.
The soil of this island, in some places, is light and black, evidently
composed of decayed vegetables, the dung of birds, and sand. There
are other places again, where nothing but marine productions, such as
broken coral stones and shells are to be seen. These are deposited in
long narrow ridges, lying in a parallel direction with the sea-coast,
not unlike a ploughed field, and must have been thrown up by the
waves, though, at this time, they do not reach within a mile of some
of these places. This seems to furnish an incontestible proof that the
island has been produced by accessions from the sea, and is in a state
of increase; for not only the broken pieces of coral, but many of the
shells, are too heavy and large to have been brought by any birds,
from the beach, to the places where they now lie. Not a drop of fresh
water was any where found, though frequently dug for. We met with
several ponds of salt water, which had no visible communication with
the sea, and must, therefore, in all probability, be filled by the
water filtrating through the sand in high tides. One of the lost men
found some salt on the S.E. part of the island. But though this was an
article of which we were in want, a man who could lose himself, as
he did, and not know whether he was travelling east, west, north, or
south, was not to be depended upon as a fit guide to conduct us to the
place.
There were not the smallest traces of any human being having ever been
here before us; and, indeed, should any one be so unfortunate as to be
accidentally driven upon the island, or left there, it is hard to
say, that he could be able to prolong existence. There is, indeed,
abundance of birds and fish, but no visible means of allaying thirst,
nor any vegetable that could supply the place of bread, or correct the
bad effects of an animal diet, which, in all probability, would soon
prove fatal alone. On the few cocoa-trees upon the island, the number
of which did not exceed thirty, very little fruit was found; and, in
general, what was found, was either not fully grown, or had the juice
salt, or brackish. So that a ship touching here, must expect nothing
but fish and turtles, and of these an abundant supply may be depended
upon.
On some parts of the land were a few low trees. Mr Anderson gave me an
account also of two small shrubs, and, of two or three small plants,
all which we had seen on Palmerston's Island and Otakootaia. There
was also a species of _sida_ or Indian mallow, a sort of purslain,
and another small plant, that seemed, from its leaves, a
_mesembryanthemum_, with two species of grass. But each of these
vegetable productions was in so small a quantity, and grew with so
much languor, that one is almost surprised that the species do not
become extinct.
Under the low trees above-mentioned, sat infinite numbers of a new
species of tern, or egg-bird. These are black above and white below,
with a white arch on the forehead, and are rather larger than the
common noddy. Most of them had lately hatched their young, which lay
under old ones upon the bare ground. The rest had eggs, of which they
only lay one, larger than that of a pigeon, bluish and speckled with
black. There were also a good many common boobies, a sort that are
almost like a gannet, and a sooty or chocolate-coloured one, with a
white belly. To this list we must add men-of-war birds, tropic-birds,
curlews, sand-pipers, a small land-bird like a hedge-sparrow,
land-crabs, small lizards, and rats.
As we kept our Christmas here, I called this discovery _Christmas
Island_. I judge it to be about fifteen or twenty leagues in
circumference. It seemed to be of a semicircular form, or like the
moon in the last quarter, the two horns being the N. and S. points,
which bear from each other nearly N. by E., and S. by W., four or five
leagues distant. This west side, or the little isle at the entrance
into the _lagoon_, upon which we observed the eclipse, lies in the
latitude of 1° 59' N., and in the longitude of 202° 30' E., determined
by a considerable number of lunar observations, which differed only
7' from the time-keeper, it being so much less. The variation of the
compass was 6° 22-1/2' E., and the dip of the north end of the needle
11° 54'.
Christmas Island, like most others in this ocean, is bounded by a reef
of coral-rocks, which extends but a little way from the shore.
Farther out than this reef, on the west side, is a bank of fine sand,
extending a mile into the sea. On this bank is good anchorage, in
any depth between eighteen and thirty fathoms. In less than the
first-mentioned depth, the reef would be too near; and, in more than
the last, the edge of the bank would not be at a sufficient distance.
During the time we lay here, the wind blew constantly a fresh gale at
E., or E. by S., except one or two days. We had, always, a great swell
from the northward, which broke upon the reef in a prodigious surf.
We had found this swell before we came to the island, and it continued
for some days after we left it.