rocks, which were seen a-head, and to observe whether any islands lay in
the offing, as they were now near the latitude of those islands said to
have been discovered by Quiros. They kept standing off from six o’clock
till near nine, with a fine breeze and bright moon. They had got from
fourteen into twenty-one fathom water; when suddenly they fell into
twelve, ten, and eight fathom, in a few minutes. Every man was instantly
ordered to his station, and they were on the point of anchoring, when,
on a sudden, they had again deep water, so that they thought all danger
was at an end, concluding they had sailed over the tail of some shoals
which they had seen in the evening. They had twenty fathom and upwards
before ten o’clock, and this depth continuing some time, the gentlemen,
who had hitherto been upon deck, retired to rest; but in less than an
hour the water shallowed at once from twenty to seventeen fathom, and,
before soundings could be again taken, the ship struck against a rock,
and remained fixed, but from the motion given her by the beating of the
surge. Every one was instantly on deck, with countenances fully
expressive of the agitation of their minds. As they knew they were not
near the shore, they concluded they had struck against a rock of coral,
the points of which being sharp, and the surface so rough, as to grind
away whatever is rubbed against it, tho’ with a gentle motion; they had
reason to dread the horror of their situation!
The sails being taken in, and boats hoisted out to examine the depth of
water, they found that the ship had been carried over a ledge of the
rock, and lay in a hollow within it. Finding that the water was deepest
eastern, they carried out the anchor from the starboard quarter, and
applied their whole force to the capstern, in hopes to get the vessel
off, but in vain. She now beat so violently against the rock, that the
crew could scarcely keep on their legs. The moon now shone bright, by
the light of which they could see the sheathing boards float from the
bottom of the vessel; till at length the false keel followed, so that
they expected instant destruction. Their best chance of escaping seemed
now to be by lightening her; but as they had struck at high water, they
would have been but in their present situation, after the vessel should
draw as much less water as the water had sunk: but their anxiety abated
a little, on finding that the ship settled to the rocks as the tide
ebbed. They, however, flattered themselves, that if the ship should keep
together till next tide, they might have some chance of floating her.
They therefore instantly started the water in the hold, and pumped it
up. The decayed stores, oil jars, casks, ballast, six of their guns, and
other things, were thrown overboard, in order to get at the heavier
articles; and in this business they were employed till daybreak, during
all which time it was observed, that not an oath was sworn; so much were
the minds of the sailors impressed with a sense of their danger.
At day-light they saw land at eight leagues distance; but not a single
island between them and the main, on which part of the crew might have
been landed, while the boat went on shore with the rest; so that the
destruction of the greater part of them would have been inevitable, had
the ship gone to pieces. It happened, however, that the wind died away
to a dead calm before noon. As they expected high water at eleven
o’clock, every thing was prepared to make another effort to free the
ship; but the tide fell so much short of that in the night, that she did
not float by eighteen inches, though they had thrown over-board near
fifty tons weight: they now, therefore, renewed their toil, and threw
over-board every thing that could be possibly spared. As the tide fell,
the water poured in so rapidly, that they could scarcely keep her free
by the constant working of two pumps. Their only hope now depended on
the midnight tide, and preparations were accordingly made for another
effort to get the ship off. The tide began to rise at five o’clock, when
the leak likewise encreased to such a degree, that two more pumps were
manned; but only one of them would work: three, therefore, were kept
going till nine o’clock, at which time the ship righted; but so much
water had been admitted by the leak, that they expected she would sink
as soon as the water should bear her off the rock. Their situation was
now deplorable beyond description; and the imagination must paint what
would baffle the powers of language to describe. They knew that when the
fatal moment should arrive, all authority would be at an end. The boats
were incapable of conveying them all on shore; and they dreaded a
contest for the preference, as more shocking than the shipwreck itself:
yet it was considered, that those who might be left on board, would
eventually meet with a milder fate than those who, by gaining the shore,
would have no chance but to linger the remains of life among the rudest
savages in the universe, and in a country, where fire-arms would barely
enable them to support a wretched existence.
At twenty minutes after ten the ship floated, and was heaved into deep
water; when they were happy to find that she did not admit more water
than she had done before; yet as the leak had for a considerable time
gained on the pumps, there was now three feet nine inches water in the
hold. By this time the men were so worn by fatigue of mind and body,
that none of them could pump more than five or six minutes at a time,
and then threw themselves, quite spent, on the deck, amidst a stream of
water which came from the pumps. The succeeding man being fatigued in
his turn, threw himself down in the same manner, while the former jumped
up and renewed his labour; thus mutually struggling for life, till the
following accident had like to have given them up a prey to absolute
despair.
Between the inside lining of the ship’s bottom, which is called the
ceiling, and the outside planking, there is a space of about seventeen
or eighteen inches. The man who had hitherto taken the depth of water at
the well, had taken it no farther than the ceiling; but being now
relieved by another person, who took the depth to the outside planking,
it appeared by this mistake, that the leak had suddenly gained upon the
pumps, the whole difference between the two plankings.--This
circumstance deprived them of all hopes, and scarce any one thought it
worth while to labour, for the longer preservation of a life which must
so soon have a period: but the mistake was soon discovered; and the joy
arising from such unexpected good news inspired the men with so much
vigour, that before eight o’clock in the morning they had pumped out
considerably more water than they had shipped. They now talked
confidently of getting the ship into some harbour; and set heartily to
work to get in their anchors; one of which, and the cable of another,
they lost: but these were now considered as trifles. Having a good
breeze from the sea, they got under sail at eleven o’clock, and stood
for the land.
As they could not discover the exact situation of the leak, they had no
prospect of stopping it within side of the vessel; but the following
expedient, which one of the Midshipmen had formerly seen tried with
success, was adopted. They took an old studding sail, and having mixed a
large quantity of oakham and wool, chopped small, it was stitched down
in handfuls on the sail, as lightly as possible; the dung of their sheep
and other filth being spread over it. Thus prepared, the sail was hauled
under the ship by ropes, which kept it extended till it came under the
leak, when the suction carried in the oakham and wool from the surface
of the sail. This experiment succeeded so well, that, instead of three
pumps, the water was easily kept under with one.
They had hitherto had no further view than to run the ship into an
harbour, and build a vessel from her materials, in which they might
reach the East Indies; but they now began to think of finding a proper
place to repair her damage, and then to pursue their voyage on its
original plan. At six in the evening they anchored seven leagues from
the shore; and found that the ship made fifteen inches water an hour
during the night; but as the pumps could clear this quantity, they were
not uneasy. At nine in the morning they passed two islands, which were
called HOPE ISLANDS, because the reaching of them had been the object of
their wishes at the time of the shipwreck. In the afternoon the Master
was sent out with two boats to sound, and search for a harbour where the
ship might be repaired. They anchored at sun-set, in four fathom, two
miles from the shore. One of the Mates being out in the pinnace,
returned at nine o’clock, reporting, that he had found just such a
harbour as was wanted, at the distance of two leagues.
At six o’clock the next morning they sailed, having previously sent two
boats a-head, to lie on the shoals that they saw in their way. They soon
anchored about a mile from the shore, when the Captain went out, and
found the channel very narrow, but the harbour was better adapted to
their present purpose, than any place they had seen in the whole course
of their voyage. As it blew very fresh this day and the following night,
they could not venture to run into the harbour, but remained at anchor
during the two succeeding days, in the course of which they observed
four Indians on the hills, who stopped and made two fires.
The men by this time began to be afflicted with the scurvy, and their
Indian friend, Tupia, was so bad with it, that he had livid spots on
both his legs. Mr. Green, the astronomer, was likewise ill of the same
disorder; so that their being detained from landing was every way
disagreeable. The wind continued fresh till Sunday the 17th, but they
then resolved to push in for the harbour, and twice ran the ship
a-ground; the second time of which she stuck fast; on which they took
the booms, fore-yard, and fore-top-masts down, and made a raft on the
side of the ship; and, as the tide happened to be rising, she floated at
one o’clock. She was now soon got into the harbour, where she was moored
along the side of a beach, and the anchors, cables, &c. immediately
taken out of her.
On Monday morning they erected a tent for the sick, several of whom were
brought on shore as soon as it was ready for their reception. They
likewise built a tent to hold the provisions and stores, which were
landed the same day. The boat was now dispatched in search of fish for
the refreshment of the sick, but she returned without getting any; but
Tupia employed himself in angling; and living entirely on the produce of
his industry, recovered his health very fast. Mr. Banks, in an excursion
up the country, saw the frames of several Indian houses, which appeared
to have been abandoned some time: while the Captain, having ascended one
of the highest hills, observed the high land to be stoney and barren,
and the low land near the river over-run with mangroves, among which the
salt-water flowed every tide.
On Tuesday the Captain ordered the smith’s forge to be set up, and
directed the armourer to prepare the necessary iron work for the repair
of the vessel. He likewise ordered out the officers stores, water, &c.
in order to lighten the ship. This day Mr. Banks crossed the river to
view the country, which was little else than sand-hills. He saw vast
flocks of crows and pigeons, of the latter of which he shot several,
which were most beautiful birds. On the day following, as they were
removing the coals, the water rushed in, near the foremast, about three
feet from the keel; so that it was resolved to clear the hold entirely;
wherefore they took out all the coals, and the next day warped the ship
higher up the harbour, to a station proper for laying her a-shore, in
order to stop the leak.
Early in the morning of the 22d the tide left the ship, and they
proceeded to examine the leak, when they found that the rocks had cut
through four planks into the timbers, and that three other planks were
damaged. In these breaches not a splinter was to be seen, the whole
being smooth, as if cut away by an instrument: but the preservation of
the vessel was owing to a very singular circumstance. One of the holes
was large enough to have sunk her, even with eight pumps constantly at
work; but this hole was in a great measure stopped up by the fragment of
the rock being left sticking in it. They likewise found some pieces of
the oakham, wool, &c. which had got between the timbers, and stopped
many parts of the leak which had been left open by the stone. Exclusive
of the leak, great damage was done to various parts of the ship’s
bottom.
While the smiths were engaged in making nails and bolts, the carpenters
began to work on the vessel; and some of the crew were sent across the
river to shoot pigeons for the sick. These people found a stream of
fresh water, discovered many Indian houses, and had sight of a
mouse-coloured animal, extremely swift, and about the size of a
greyhound. On the 23d they saw plenty of fish, but catched only three.
This day many of the crew saw the animal above-mentioned; and one of the
seamen declared he had seen the Devil, which he described in the
following words, “He was as large, says he, as a one gallon keg, and
very like it; he had horns and wings, yet he crept so slowly through the
grass, that if I had not been _afeard_, I might have touched him.” It
appeared afterwards, that this poor fellow had seen a bat, which is
almost black, and as large as a partridge; and his own apprehensions had
furnished his Devil with horns.
The repairs on the starboard side having been finished the preceding
day, the carpenters began to work under the larboard bow, on Sunday the
24th.--This day Mr. Gore and a party procured a bunch or two of wild
plantains, and a few palm cabbages, for the refreshment of the sick; and
the Captain and Mr. Banks saw the animal abovementioned, which had a
long tail, that it carried like a greyhound; it leapt like a deer, and
the point of its foot resembled that of a goat.
The ship was now examined abaft, when it was discovered, that she had
received but little injury in that quarter. The carpenters continued to
work on her whenever the tide would permit. The vessel was now in a
position which threw all the water abaft; and Mr. Banks having removed
his whole collection of plants into the bread-room, they were this day
found under water, by which some of them were totally destroyed; but, by
great care, most of them were restored to a state of preservation.
The ship being in part repaired, they twice attempted to float her, by
lashing a number of casks under her bottom; but their endeavours proving
fruitless, they were obliged to wait for the next spring tide. This day
a plant was found, the leaves of which were almost as good as spinnage.
They likewise found more cabbage trees, some wild plantain, and a fruit
of a deep purple colour, and the size of a golden pippin; which, after
being kept a few days, tasted like a damson.
The carpenter was now engaged in caulking the ship, and the men employed
in filling water and other necessary business; while the Captain amused
himself in catching fish for the sick. On the 28th Mr. Banks took some
of the crew up the country, to shew them a plant which served them for
greens, and which the inhabitants of the West Indies call Indian kale.
Here they saw a tree notched for climbing, in the same way as those seen
in Botany bay. They also met with nests of white ants, from a few inches
to five feet in height. Mr. Gore was up the country, where he saw prints
of the feet of men, and the tracks of three or four kinds of animals.
On the day following the boat took as many fish as allowed a pound and
an half to each man. A Midshipman saw a wolf, exactly resembling those
of America. On the 30th the Captain ascended a hill to take a view of
the sea, when, to his great concern, he observed innumerable sand-banks
and shoals, in every direction; but there was an appearance of a passage
to the northward, the only way he could think of getting clear, as the
wind constantly blows from the south-east. Mr. Gore this day saw two
straw-coloured animals, of the size of a hare, but shaped like a dog. So
much fish was taken, that each man had two pounds and a half; and plenty
of greens were gathered, which being boiled with the pease, their fare
was deemed excellent.
On Sunday July the 1st, all the men had permission to go on shore,
except one from each mess, who went on the fishing party, and again met
with great success. A fire was this day observed about a mile up the
river. The master having been sent in the pinnace, in search of a
channel, returned on Tuesday, with an account that he had found a
passage out to sea, between the shoals, which consisted of coral rocks,
many of which were left dry at low water. He found some cockles so
large, that one of them was more than sufficient for two men; and
likewise plenty of other shell-fish, of which he brought a supply to the
ship, in his return to which he had landed in a bay where some Indians
were at supper; but they instantly fled, leaving some sea-eggs, and a
fire for the dressing them. This day they succeeded in an attempt to
float the ship; when they found that, by the position she had lain in,
she had sprung a plank, so that it was again necessary to lay her
ashore. An alligator swam by her several times this day.
On the 4th she was laid ashore on a sand-bank, and the next day floated
at high water, and moored off the beach, in order to receive the stores
on board. This day Mr. Banks crossed the harbour, and found, on a sandy
beach, a great number of fruits, such as they had not seen before; among
which was a cocoa-nut, which Tupia said had been opened by a crab, and
which was judged to be what the Dutch call Beurs Krabbe. The vegetable
substances which Mr. Banks picked up were encrusted with marine
productions, which is said to be a proof of their having been brought
far by sea.
Mr. Banks and a party having taken a boat up the river, on the 6th, with
a view to make an excursion in the country, returned on the 8th.--They
examined some parts of the country, which differing but little from what
they had already seen, they followed the course of the river, which they
at length found contracted into a narrow channel, bounded by steep
banks, which were adorned with trees of a most beautiful appearance,
among which was the bark-tree. The land was low and covered with grass,
and seemed capable of being cultivated to great advantage. They saw
several animals, one of which was judged to be a wolf. At night they
made a fire, and took up their quarters on the banks of the river; but
the night was rendered extremely disagreeable by the stings of the
musquitos, which pursued them into the smoke, and almost into the fire.
At break of day they sat out in search of game, and saw four animals,
two of which were chaced by Mr. Banks’s greyhound; but they greatly
outstripped him in speed, by leaping over the long thick grass, which
incommoded the dog in running. It was observed of this animal, that he
leaped or bounded forward on two legs, instead of running on four.
Having returned to the boat, they proceeded up the river, till it
contracted to a brook of fresh water, but in which the tide still rose
considerably. When they stopped for the night, they saw a smoke at a
small distance, on which three of them approached it, but the Indians
were gone. They saw the impression of feet on the sand, below high-water
mark, and found a fire still burning in the hollow of an old tree. At a
small distance they saw several huts, and observed ovens dug in the
ground; the remains of a recent meal were likewise apparent. They now
retired to their resting place, and slept on plantain-leaves, with
bunches of grass for their pillows, on the side of a sand-bank, under
the shelter of a bush.
The tide favouring their return in the morning, they lost no time in
getting back to the ship. The master, who had been seven leagues at sea,
returned soon after Mr. Banks, bringing with him three turtle, which he
took with a boat hook, and which together weighed near eight hundred
pounds. He was sent out next morning, and Mr. Banks accompanied him with
proper instruments for catching turtle; but, not being successful, he
would not go back that night; so that Mr. Banks, after collecting some
shells and marine productions, returned in his own small boat.
In the morning the second Lieutenant was sent to bring the Master back,
soon after which four Indians, in a small canoe, were within sight. The
Captain now determined to take no notice of these people, as the most
likely way to be noticed by them. This project answered: two of them
came within musket-shot of the vessel, where they conversed very loud:
in return the people on board shouted, and made signs of invitation. The
Indians gradually approached, with their lances held up, not in a
menacing manner, but as if they meant to intimate they were capable of
defending themselves. They came almost along-side, when the Captain
threw them cloth, nails, paper, &c. which did not seem to attract their
notice. At length one of the sailors threw them a small fish, which so
pleased them, that they hinted their design of bringing their
companions, and immediately rowed for the shore. In the interim, Tupia
and some of the crew landed on the opposite shore. The four Indians now
came quite along-side the ship; and having received farther presents,
landed where Tupia and the sailors had gone. They had each two lances,
and a stick with which they throw them. Advancing towards the English,
Tupia persuaded them to lay down their arms, and sit by him, which they
readily did. Others of the crew now going a-shore, the Indians seemed
jealous, least they should get between them and their arms; but care was
taken to convince them that no such thing was intended, and more trifles
were presented to them. The crew staid with them till dinner-time, and
then made signs of invitation for them to go to the ship and eat; but
this they declined, and retired in their canoe.
These men were of the common stature, with very small limbs; their
complexion a deep chocolate; their hair black, either lank or curled,
but not of the wool kind; the breast and upper lip of one of them were
painted with streaks of white, which he called _Carbanda_, and some
parts of their bodies had been painted red. Their teeth were white and
even, their eyes bright, and their features rather pleasing: their
voices were musical, and they repeated several English words with great
readiness.
The visit of three of these Indians was renewed the next morning, and
they brought with them a fourth, whom they called YAPA-RICO; who
appeared to be a person of some consequence. The bone of a bird, about
six inches long, was thrust through the gristle of his nose: and indeed
all the inhabitants of this place had their noses bored, for the
reception of such an ornament. These people being all naked, the Captain
gave one of them an old shirt, which he bound round his head like a
turban, instead of using it to cover any part of his body. They brought
a fish to the ship, which was supposed to be in payment for that given
them the preceding day: after staying some time, with apparent
satisfaction, they suddenly leaped into their canoe, and rowed off, from
a jealousy of some of the gentlemen who were examining it.
Three Indians visited Tupia’s tent on the 12th of July, and after
remaining some time, one of them went for two others, whom he introduced
by name. Some fish was offered them, but they seemed not much to regard
it, and, after eating a little, gave the remainder to Mr. Banks’s dog.
Some ribbands which had been given them, to which medals were suspended
round their necks, were so changed by smoke, that it was difficult to
judge what colour they had been; and the smoke had made their skins look
darker than their natural colour; from whence it was thought that they
slept close to their fires, as a preventative against the sting of the
musquitos. Both the strangers had bones through their noses, and a piece
of bark tied over the forehead; and one of them had an ornament of
strings round his arm, and an elegant necklace made of shells. Their
canoe was about ten feet long, and calculated to hold four persons; and
when it was in shallow water they moved it by means of poles. Their
lances had only a single point, and some of them were barbed with
fish-bones. On the 14th Mr. Gore shot one of the mouse-coloured animals
abovementioned. It chanced to be a young one, weighing no more than
thirty-eight pounds; but when full grown they are as large as a sheep.
The skin of this beast, which is called _Kanguroo_, is covered with
short fur, and is of a dark mouse-colour: the head and ears are somewhat
like those of a hare: this animal was dressed for dinner, and proved
fine eating. The ship’s crew fed on turtle almost every day, which were
finer than those eaten in England, owing to their being killed before
their natural fat was wasted, and their juices changed.