May 1788 to September 1788
The Scarborough leaves Port Jackson--Touches at Lord Howe's Island--Joins
the Charlotte--Falls in with a large Shoal--Discover a number of
Islands--Short account of the Inhabitants--Canoes described--Ornaments--
Discover Lord Mulgrave's Islands--Arrival at Tinian--Sick people sent on
shore--Departure from Tinian--Arrival in Mocao Roads.
6 May 1788-22 May 1788
The Scarborough transport, Captain Marshall, left Port Jackson on the 6th
of May 1788, and proceeded towards China, being engaged to take in a
cargo of teas at Canton for the East India Company. For several days they
had very unsettled weather, with frequent squalls and heavy rain. In the
afternoon of the 16th, they saw Lord Howe's Island, bearing east by south
seven leagues distant; and the next day at noon, they found the Supply
brig, the Lady Penrhyn, and the Charlotte, standing off and on under the
island. By two o'clock the Scarborough was close in with the land, but
the weather not permitting them to go on shore, the night was spent in
standing off and on. Early the next morning, Captain Marshall sent his
boat with the chief mate and six men on shore at Lord Howe's Island, in
expectation of procuring some turtle, as the Supply, Lieutenant Ball, had
caught a large quantity at this island in February: however, they were
not able, after the most diligent search, to meet with any turtle; but
this excursion was not altogether a fruitless one, for they brought off a
quantity of fine birds, sufficient to serve the ship's crew three days;
many of them were very fat, somewhat resembling a Guinea hen, and proved
excellent food. Having procured such refreshments as the island afforded,
they made sail at four o'clock, with the Charlotte in company, and stood
to the eastward, with a moderate breeze at south-west. At eight o'clock
in the morning of the 22d, they saw Norfolk Island, bearing east by south
twelve leagues distant. At two o'clock, they were within one mile of the
land, and had soundings in sixteen fathoms water over a hard bottom: the
Charlotte being a considerable distance a-stern, Captain Marshall lay to
for her to come up, and when she joined the Scarborough he stood under an
easy sail to the distance of six leagues westward of the island, and
carried soundings from sixteen to twenty-five fathoms, the ground
various; in some places being soft, in other parts a corally bottom, and
sometimes coarse white sand, intermixed with broken shells.
26 May 1788
After leaving Norfolk Island, they stretched to the northward and
eastward, and at one o'clock on the twenty-sixth they saw a small island
bearing north north-east eight or nine leagues distant; when about four
miles from the island, they sounded with fifty fathoms of line, but got
no bottom. Towards evening, Captain Marshall was close in with the
island, and being desirous to examine it, he plied occasionally during
the night. At day light the next morning, he was close to the land, and
found it to be a barren rock, not more than half a mile over in the
broadest part; it is very high, and was entirely covered with birds of
various kinds, but there was no possibility of landing on account of a
frightful surf that entirely surrounded it. This rock was seen first by
Captain Gilbert, of the Charlotte, in the forenoon of the 26th, and named
by him, Matthew's Island; it is situated in 22° 22' south latitude, and
170° 41' longitude, east of Greenwich.
30 May 1788-13 June 1788
On the 30th, in 17° 13' south latitude, and 172° 43' east longitude, they
passed several large trees, and a number of cocoa-nuts floating in the
water, but no land was to be seen. Nothing occurred worthy of note till
the 4th of June, when the water appearing coloured, they sounded and
struck the ground in fifteen fathoms water, although no land was to be
seen: a man was then sent to the mast-head, who could plainly discern
that the shoal run to the westward, on which Captain Marshall altered his
course and stretched to the eastward, carrying soundings from fifteen to
thirty fathoms water, over a rocky bottom, and in many places they could
see the ground very distinctly. After running to the eastward, about
eight miles, they found no bottom with seventy fathoms of line, which
occasioned the Captain to tack and stand to the southward. Vast numbers
of birds of different kinds were flying to the westward of the shoal, so
that there probably is an island near that situation. The east part of
this shoal is situated in 173° 12' east longitude, and the south part of
it in 15° 50' south latitude, but how far it extends to the westward and
northward is very uncertain, though doubtless to a considerable distance,
as the water had a white appearance from the mast head as far as the eye
could reach. Being now entirely free from the shoal, they stood to the
northward, with a light easterly breeze, and moderate weather. On the
9th, in 7° 59' south latitude, the wind shifted to the westward and
continued in the western board till the 13th when it again changed to the
eastward.
18 June 1788
At six o'clock in the morning of the 18th they saw an island right
a-head, bearing north half west eight or nine miles distant: they sounded
when about six miles from the land, but got no bottom with sixty fathoms
of line; at this time Captain Marshall perceived several canoes with
their sails set, and two or three men in each canoe, coming towards the
ship, but they presently put back again and made for the shore. This
island is very low and level, and extends north-east, and south-west,
terminating at each end in a low, flat point, with an appearance of a
large bay in the middle; the Captain named it Hopper's Island; it is
situated in 00° 03' south latitude, and 173° 43' longitude east from
Greenwich.
At seven o'clock they saw another island smaller than the former, lying
about six miles to the south-west of Hopper's Island, and nearly the same
in appearance; this was named Henderville's Island. Towards noon, another
island made its appearance, which Captain Marshall named Woodle's Island,
situated three miles to the north-west of Henderville's Island. Five
large canoes with sails set put off from Woodle's Island, and came
towards the ship, but when about four miles distant, they turned back and
stood for the shore. The wind blowing off the land prevented them from
getting in with the shore, so as to enable them to give a particular
description of these islands; they seemed to abound with cocoa-nut, and a
variety of other trees. At three o'clock in the afternoon, the
Scarborough being within three miles of Henderville's Island, they
sounded with sixty fathoms of line, but got no ground. Several large
fires were lighted up on the shore, and the natives assembled in vast
numbers on the beach, many of them pointing at the ship with looks of
wonder and surprise; presently afterwards, nineteen canoes, with five or
six men in each, came off from the shore and made towards the ship, on
which Captain Marshall lay to, in hopes they would come along side;
several of them came within a quarter of a mile of the ship, and then
taking down their sails, they stopt to gaze at the vessel, but nothing
would induce them to come alongside; however, as more canoes were seen
coming from the island, Captain Marshall determined to lay to till they
all returned on shore, as there was a probability of his procuring some
refreshments from them: two of the last canoes made for the ship without
the least hesitation; on this, the Captain ordered his people out of
sight that the natives might not be intimidated. When the canoes were
close to the ship, the Indians began to talk, and made signs for them to
bring the ship nearer the island.
After talking with the natives some time, the Captain shewed them a few
small nails, a quart bottle, and a looking-glass, all of which they
seemed very desirous to obtain; however, they could not be prevailed on
to bring their canoes along-side, but three of them jumped out and swam
to the ship; a rope was given them to take hold of, but they could not be
persuaded to come on board. On receiving their little presents they
laughed very heartily, and by way of exchange gave the Captain some beads
and teeth of beasts or animals, which they wore about their necks as
ornaments: this circumstance serves to show that they have some idea of
barter.
After making signs a second time for them to bring the ship nearer the
island, they took their leave, and presently afterwards all the canoes
returning towards the shore, Captain Marshall made sail and stood to the
northward. The situation of these islands has already been mentioned,
they lie in nearly a north-west and south-east direction: Hopper's Island
appears to be about ten leagues in length, Henderville's Island six
leagues, and Woodle's Island the same.
It is to be lamented that Captain Marshall had not an opportunity of
surveying these islands more minutely, as there is scarcely a doubt of
their affording a variety of refreshments; for though nothing of the kind
was seen in the canoes, yet the natives were plump and fleshy, and seemed
to live at their ease: there is also an appearance of a most excellent
harbour at Hopper's Island.
The inhabitants seem to be a fine set of people; they are of a copper
colour, stout and well made; their hair is long and black, with black
eyes and eye brows, and they seem to have very fine teeth. The only
ornaments seen amongst them were necklaces made of beads intermixed with
teeth, and many of them had their faces painted white.
If we may judge of these people from the construction of their canoes,
they certainly possess a considerable share of contrivance and ingenuity:
many of them are large enough to contain sixteen or twenty people; they
are narrow, and built to sail very fast, yet there is not the least
danger of their oversetting, as they are steadied with an out-rigger
resembling a ladder on the weather side, to one end of which a log of
wood is fastened, cut sharp at each end in the form of a boat; this not
only serves to keep the canoe upright, but likewise holds her to
windward. At the other end of the out-rigger, a stout rope is fixed,
which leads up to the mast head and serves as a shroud; and when the wind
blows fresh, two or more men, according to the size of the canoe, go out
upon the ladder to keep her upright.
Though these canoes always sail on the same side, yet they are so
contrived as to sail one way as well as the other, and the Indians manage
them with such dexterity that they put about much sooner than our boats.
Every canoe has a sail, which in general is very large; they appear to be
made of raw-silk, neatly sewed together, and are cut in the form of our
shoulder of mutton sail, with a yard at the fore-leach, and another at
the foot, so that when they want to put their canoe about, they only have
to shift their tack and bring it to leeward of the mast: in short, from
what little Captain Marshall saw of these people, they appeared to be
lively, ingenious and expert.
20 June 1788
After quitting these new discovered Islands, Captain Marshall stood to
the northward, with a light breeze at east north-east, and at five
o'clock in the morning of the 20th, they saw an island bearing east
north-east, eight miles distant; it appeared very low, and almost level
with the water, so that when only four miles distant they could perceive
nothing but trees. When Captain Marshall got close in with the land, he
found it to be a chain of islands, extending from south-east to
north-west for the distance of more than thirty leagues. Having a
favourable breeze, they run along the islands about three miles from
shore, and several canoes with sails set, came after the ship, but none
of them would come near her. Great numbers of the natives presently
assembled on the beach, in order to gratify their curiosity in looking at
the ship; this induced Captain Marshall to lay to in expectation of the
natives coming along-side, but not one of them ventured near the ship: at
one time he had an intention of sending his boat on shore in order to
procure some refreshments, as many of his crew were laid up with the
scurvy; however, he prudently declined taking this step, as it certainly
would have been hazarding too much to have sent a few men amongst an
ignorant multitude, with whose temper and disposition they were perfectly
unacquainted.
The centre of these islands is situated in 1° 50' north latitude, 173°
00' east longitude. They are very low, and yet it is rather remarkable,
that on sounding, when not more than a mile from the land, there was no
bottom found with eighty fathoms of line. Within the islands there
appeared to be some fine harbours, and they probably afford a variety of
refreshments. The natives seemed to be nearly black, and their canoes
were constructed much in the same manner as those already described.
22 June 1788
There being no prospect of procuring any refreshments from these people,
Captain Marshall made sail, and at noon on the 22d they saw land in the
direction of north by east, eight miles distant; it appeared very low,
flat, and full of trees. By four o'clock, they were close in with the
southernmost land, and saw a great number of canoes sailing close to the
shore, some of which came towards the ship, and two of them very near,
but nothing would entice them to come along-side. The people appeared
much the same as those at Henderville's Island, and their canoes were of
a similar construction; one of them had a kind of vane at the mast head,
which appeared to be made of the same materials as their sail. In running
along shore, they found it to consist of six different islands, extending
from north by east to south by west, to the length of fourteen or fifteen
leagues; the centre of them is situated in 2° 58' north latitude, and
173° 00' east longitude. The southernmost island, Captain Marshall named
Allen's Island; the second, Gillespy's Island; the third, Touching's
Island; the fourth, Clarke's Island; the fifth, Smith's Island; and the
northernmost, Scarborough Island. They ran along these islands about
three miles distant from the land, and kept the lead constantly going,
but could get no bottom, which appeared rather extraordinary as the land
is very low. There appears to be good anchorage between these islands,
and the water very smooth, and they seem to abound with cocoa-nut and
cabbage trees. By the time they were abreast of Scarborough Island, it
grew so dark that they could not see the land; luckily, however, the
Indians lighted two very large fires which enabled them to get entirely
clear of all the islands.
23 June 1788
At six o'clock in the afternoon of the 23d, more land made its
appearance, bearing north to north-west, four leagues distant, but night
coming on, they tacked and stood to the southward.
24 June 1788
By two o'clock the next day, they were within two miles of the land, and
found it to be a chain of islands, extending from east to nearly west for
more than twenty-five leagues; and they perceived a reef from the
easternmost point of land, which ran at least three leagues into the sea.
The shore on the north-west side of these islands is bold and steep; the
Scarborough coasted along within a mile of the land, and frequently
sounded with an hundred fathoms of line, but could get no bottom; at the
same time they saw the water break near the shore, and a vast number of
the natives were collected on the beach. About three o'clock, a small
canoe with two men in her came off from the shore, on which Captain
Marshall hove to, in order to give them an opportunity of coming up with
the ship, but when they were about one hundred yards from the vessel,
they put back again as fast as possible, seemingly very much frightened:
these men had skins wrapped round their waists, and their hair was
ornamented with shells and beads. After they left the ship, Captain
Marshall made sail, being desirous to make the westward part of the
islands if possible before the night came on; but in this he was
disappointed, as the wind grew light and baffling. Several large canoes
now put off from the shore with eight or ten men in each; it already has
been observed that the Charlotte, Captain Gilbert, was in company with
the Scarborough; at this time she was some distance a-stern, and the
canoes all went along-side her; several of them went on board the
Charlotte, and ran fore and aft, stealing every thing that lay in their
way; one of them in particular, got hold of the pump-break, and attempted
to jump over-board with it, but was stopped by one of the sailors. They
appeared to be very civilized, and all of them had coverings round the
waist: their ornaments were necklaces made of beads, to which a cross was
suspended, in the same manner as those worn by the Spaniards.
25 June 1788-27 June 1788
Captain Marshall distinguished these islands by the name of Lord
Mulgrave's Islands, in honour of the Right Honourable Lord Mulgrave. The
southernmost of them is situated in 5° 58' north latitude, and 172° 3'
east longitude, and the northernmost in 6° 29' north latitude, and 171°
10' east longitude. At noon on the 25th, they got round the westernmost
island, and thought themselves entirely clear of them all, as the day was
very fair, and no land could be seen from the mast-head; at the same time
they had a long swell: on this, Captain Marshall stood on under an easy
sail during the night, but was very much surprised at daylight the next
morning to see land on the weather quarter, and a large island on the lee
quarter, between which they must have passed in the night, and certainly
very near that on their lee, though they sounded every half hour, but
never struck the ground. Lord Mulgrave's Islands abound with
cocoa-nut-trees, and they could perceive remnants of oranges and various
other sorts of fruit, although the natives offered nothing of the sort to
barter. These islanders had not any offensive weapons whatever, so that
they probably are on very friendly terms with each other. With a light
easterly breeze, they kept their course to the northward, and at noon on
the 27th, in 7° 25' north latitude, and 171° 10' east longitude, they saw
land bearing from north by east to north north-west. Having now a fresh
breeze, Captain Marshall run in with the land, and found it to be a
cluster of small islands lying east and west of each other, but no
appearance was seen of their being inhabited.
28 June 1788
At noon on the 28th, more islands were seen, bearing from north to
north-west by west, three or four leagues distant, their latitude at that
time was 8° 02' north, and 170° 57' east longitude. The weather being
very hazy, with constant rain, they wore, and stood from the land;
however, the afternoon proving tolerably clear, they again stood towards
it, and by four o'clock were close in with the westernmost island. Two
large canoes were lying on a sandy beach, but they did not perceive any
inhabitants. At five o'clock they saw several more islands, bearing north
north-east, five or six leagues distant. During the night, Captain
Marshall stood under an easy sail, and at day-light the next morning land
was seen a-head bearing north by east six leagues, and some land bearing
east seventeen leagues distant. These islands, like all they had yet
seen, were very low, and entirely covered with lofty trees; on sounding,
they got no ground with an hundred fathoms of line. Their latitude at
noon was 8° 59' north, and 170° 24' east longitude.
30 June 1788
At five in the afternoon, more islands were seen, bearing north, five
leagues distant, but night coming on they wore and stood to the
southward. In the forenoon of the 30th, they ran between two islands,
about five leagues distant from each other, and surrounded by a number of
breakers: by eleven o'clock they were entirely clear of all the land.
Their observation at noon gave 9° 34' north latitude, and the longitude
was 169° 22' east. These last islands were supposed by Captain Marshall
to be those which Lord Anson discovered, and named Barbadoes Islands.
31 July 1788
Having now a clear navigation, they prosecuted their voyage without
meeting with any thing worthy of notice till the 31st of July, when at
six clock in the morning they saw the island of Saypan bearing west by
south six leagues distant. Having light baffling winds, they did not get
in with the land till the approach of evening, so that the night was
spent in standing off and on. At day-light the next morning, Captain
Marshall sent his boat on shore, with the chief mate and four seamen, to
procure some refreshments, and look for anchorage. At two o'clock in the
afternoon, the boats returned loaded with cocoa-nuts and cabbage, both,
as the men reported, from the same tree, but they could find no place for
a vessel to anchor in, the water being very deep close to the land, with
a rocky bottom, and so heavy a surf that the boat did not land without
great difficulty. Not meeting with a harbour at Sapan, the Captain
determined to make the best of his way to Tinian, where he might come to
anchor and get his sick people on shore, having no less than fifteen men
laid up with the scurvy, and the rest of his crew were so weak that they
could scarcely work the ship: the wind, however, was so variable, that
they did not reach the south-west side of that island till afternoon on
the 4th, when they anchored in twenty-five fathoms water, and soon
afterwards the Charlotte came to anchor a small distance from the
Scarborough.
5 August 1788-8 August 1788
Early the next morning, Captain Marshall sent his sick people on shore,
with a tent, and a sufficient quantity of provisions to serve them five
days. After landing the sick, and erecting their tent, the boats crew
walked about the island, and saw a great number of cattle, hogs, and
fowls, but they only caught a calf, one hog, and a fowl or two, and
loaded the boat with cocoanuts, oranges, and limes. On the 6th, the chief
mate was sent on shore to look for fresh water; he soon found out the
well, mentioned in Lord Anson's voyage, but it was quite dry, and there
was not any fresh water to be met with within two miles of the landing
place. The boat returned at noon, loaded with fruit of different sorts.
Toward evening the wind came round to south south-west blowing very
strong, which sent a heavy sea rolling into the bay, and occasioned the
Scarborough to pitch very much. The wind still blowing strongly into the
bay, Captain Marshall sent his boat on shore on the 7th, to bring off the
sick people, which they accomplished with much danger and difficulty; in
the mean time, every thing was got ready for sea, the Captain being
determined to get away the moment the wind shifted to south or south by
east, so that they could clear the west part of the island. During the
night, they had so heavy a gale at south-west that they expected every
minute to be driven on shore; fortunately, however, at day-break, the
wind shifted to south south-east, on which they immediately cut the cable
and ran clear of the land: Captain Gilbert cut both his cables and
followed the Scarborough. Scarce had they cleared the land before the
wind again shifted to south-south-west, and blew a complete hurricane, so
that had the vessels then been at anchor, they must inevitably have been
driven on shore. Though Captain Marshall's people were on land so short a
time, they found amazing benefit from it, their strength gradually
returned, and soon afterwards they were perfectly restored to health.
7 September 1788
No particular occurrence happened during their passage from Tinian to
China; they saw the Lema Islands in the afternoon of the 7th of
September, and came to anchor in Macao Roads the following afternoon.