the Madagascar ship, whose boat's crew had brought in the great oyster
in which the pearl was found, and who had been examining the matter,
came and told me that it was true that their boat had brought in the
oyster, and that it was before they went out a dredging in the offing,
but that their boat took these oysters on the west side of the island,
where they had been _shoring_, as they called it, that is to say,
coasting along the shore, to see if they could find anything worth their
labour, but that afterwards the boats went a dredging in the mouth of
the bay where we rode, and where, finding good store of oysters, they
had gone no farther.
Upon this intelligence we ordered all hands to dredging again, on the
west side of the island. This was in a narrow channel, between this
island and a little cluster of islands which we found together extended
west, the channel where our men fished might be about a league over, or
something better, and the water about five or seven fathoms deep.
They came home well tired and ill pleased, having taken nothing near so
many oysters, as before; but I was much better pleased, when, in opening
them, we found a hundred and fifty-eight pearls, of the most perfect
colour, and of extraordinary shape and size, besides double the number
of a less size, and irregular shape.
This quickened our diligence, and encouraged our men, for I promised
the men two pieces of eight to each man above his pay, if I got any
considerable quantity of pearl. Upon this they spread themselves among
the islands, and fished for a whole week, and I got such a quantity of
pearl as made it very well worth our while; and, besides that, I had
reason to believe the men, at least the officers who went with them,
concealed a considerable quantity among themselves; which, however, I
did not think fit to inquire very strictly after at that time.
Had we been nearer home, and not at so very great an expense, as three
ships, and so many men at victuals and wages, or had we been where we
might have left one of our vessels to fish, and have come to them again,
we would not have given it over while there had been an oyster left in
the sea, or, at least, that we could come at: but as things stood, I
resolved to give it over, and put to sea.
But when I was just giving orders, Captain Merlotte came to me, and told
me that all the officers in the three ships had joined together to make
an humble petition to me, which was, that I would give them one day to
fish for themselves; that the men had promised that, if I would consent,
they would work for them gratis; and likewise, if they gained anything
considerable, they would account for as much out of their wages as
should defray the ships' expense, victuals, and wages, for the day.
This was so small a request, that I readily consented to it, and told
them I would give them three days, provided they were willing to give
the men a largess, as I had done, in proportion to their gain. This they
agreed to, and to work they went; but whether it was that the fellows
worked with a better will, or that the officers gave them more liquor,
or that they found a new bank of oysters, which had not been found out
before, but so it was, that the officers got as many pearls, and some of
extraordinary size and beauty, as they afterwards sold, when they came
to Peru, for three thousand two hundred and seventeen pieces of eight.
When they had done this, I told them it was but right that, as they had
made so good a purchase for themselves by the labour of the men, the men
should have the consideration which I had proposed to them. But now I
would make another condition with them, that we would stay three days
more, and whatever was caught in these three days should be shared among
the men at the first port we came at, where they could be sold, that the
men who had now been out so long might have something to buy clothes and
liquors, without anticipating their wages; but then I made a condition
with the men too, viz., that whatever was taken they should deposit it
in my hands, and with the joint trust of three men of their own
choosing, one out of each ship, and that we would sell the pearl, and I
should divide the money among them equally, that so there might be no
quarrelling or discontent, and that none of them should play any part of
it away. These engagements they all came willingly into, and away they
went a dredging, relieving one another punctually, so that in the three
whole days every man worked an equal share of hours with the rest.
But the poor men had not so good luck for themselves as they had for
their officers. However, they got a considerable quantity, and some very
fine ones; among the rest they had two in the exact shape of a pear, and
very exactly matched; and these they would needs make me a present of,
because I had been so kind to them to make the proposal for them. I
would have paid for them two hundred pieces of eight, but one and all,
they would not be paid, and would certainly have been very much troubled
if I had not accepted of them. And yet the success of the men was not so
small but, joined with the two pieces of eight a man which I allowed
them on the ships' account, and the like allowance the officers made
them, and the produce of their own purchase, they divided afterwards
about fifteen pieces of eight a man, which was a great encouragement to
them.
Thus we spent in the whole, near three weeks here, and called these the
Pearl Islands, though we had given no names to any of the places before.
We were the more surprised with this unexpected booty, because we all
thought it very unusual to find pearl of so excellent a kind in such a
latitude as that of 49 to 50 deg.; but it seems there are riches yet unknown
in those parts of the world, where they have never been yet expected,
and I have been told, by those who pretend to give a reason for it, that
if there was any land directly under the poles, either south or north,
there would be found gold of a fineness more than double to any that was
ever yet found in the world: and this is the reason, they say, why the
magnetic influence directs to the poles, that being the centre of the
most pure metals, and why the needle touched with the loadstone or
magnet always points to the north or south pole. But I do not recommend
this, as a certainty, because it is evident no demonstration could ever
be arrived at, nor could any creature reach to that particular spot of
land under the pole, if such there should be, those lands being
surrounded with mountains of snow and frozen seas, which never thaw, and
are utterly impassable either for ships or men.
But to return to our voyage; having thus spent as I have said, three
weeks on this unexpected expedition, we set sail, and as I was almost
satisfied with the discoveries we had made, I was for bending my course
due east and so directly for the south part of America; but the winds
now blowing fresh from the north-west, and good weather, I took the
occasion as a favourable summons, to keep still on southing as well as
east till we came into the latitude of 56 deg., when our men, who had been
all along a warm weather voyage, began to be pinched very much with the
cold, and particularly complained that they had no clothes sufficient
for it.
But they were brought to be content by force; for the wind continuing at
north and north-north-west, and blowing very hard, we were obliged to
keep on our course farther south, indeed, than I ever intended, and one
of the men swore we should be driven to the south pole. Indeed, we
rather ran afore it than kept our course, and in this run we suffered
the extremest cold, though a northerly wind in those latitudes is the
warm wind, as a southerly is here; but it was attended with rain and
snow, and both freezing violently. At length one of our men cried out,
Land, and our men began to rejoice; but I was quite of a different
opinion, and my fears were but too just, for as soon as ever he cried
Land, and that I asked him in what quarter, and he answered due south,
which was almost right ahead, I gave orders to wear the ship, and put
her about immediately, not doubting but instead of land I should find it
a mountain of ice, and so it was; and it was happy for us that we had a
stout ship under us, for it blew a fret of wind. However, the ship came
very well about, though when she filled again, we found the ice not half
a league distance under our stern.
As I happened to be the headmost ship, I fired two guns to give notice
to our other vessels, for that was our signal to come about, but that
which was very uneasy to me, the weather was hazy, and they were both
out of sight; which was the first time that we lost one another in those
seas; however, being both to windward, and within hearing of my guns,
they took the warning, and came about with more leisure and less hazard
than I had done.
I stood away now to the eastward, firing guns continually, that they
might know which way to follow; and they answered me duly, to let me
know that they heard me.
It was our good fortune also, that it was day when we were so near
running into this danger. In the afternoon the wind abated, and the
weather cleared up; we then called a council, and resolved to go no
farther south, being then in the latitude of 67 deg. south, which I suppose
is the farthest southern latitude that any European ship ever saw in
those seas.
That night it froze extremely hard, and the wind veering to the
south-west, it was the severest cold that ever I felt in my life; a
barrel or cask of water, which stood on the deck, froze entirely in one
night into one lump, and our cooper, knocking off the hoops from the
cask, took it to pieces, and the barrel of ice stood by itself, in the
true shape of the vessel it had been in. This wind was, however,
favourable to our deliverance, for we stood away now north-east and
north-east-by-north, making fresh way with a fair wind.
We made no more land till we came into the latitude of 62 deg., when we saw
some islands at a great distance, on both sides of us; we believed them
to be islands, because we saw many of them with large openings between.
But we were all so willing to get into a warmer climate, that we did not
incline to put in anywhere, till, having run thus fifteen days and the
wind still holding southerly, with small alteration and clear weather,
we could easily perceive the climate to change, and the weather grow
milder. And here taking an observation, I found we were in the latitude
of 50 deg. 30', and that our meridian distance from the Ladrones west was
87 deg., being almost one semi-diameter of the globe, so that we could not
be far from the coast of America, which was my next design, and indeed
the chief design of the whole voyage.
On this expectation I changed my course a little, and went away
north-by-east, till by an observation I found myself in 47 deg. 7', and then
standing away east for about eleven days more, we made the tops of the
Andes, the great mountains of Chili, in South America, to our great joy
and satisfaction, though at a very great distance.
We found our distance from the shore not less than twenty leagues, the
mountains being so very high; and our next business was to consider what
part of the Andes it must be, and to what port we should direct
ourselves first. Upon the whole, we found we were too much to the south
still, and resolved to make directly for the river or port of Valdivia,
or Baldivia, as it is sometimes called, in the latitude of 40 deg.; so we
stood away to the north. The next day the pacific, quiet sea, as it is
termed, showed us a very frowning rough countenance, and proved the very
extreme of a contrary disposition; for it blew a storm of wind at
east-by-south, and drove us off the coast again, but it abated again for
a day or two; and then for six days together it blew excessive hard,
almost all at east, so that I found no possibility of getting into the
shore; and besides, I found that the winds came off that mountainous
country in squalls, and that the nearer we came to the hills the gusts
were the more violent. So I resolved to run for the island of Juan
Fernandez, to refresh ourselves there until the weather was settled; and
besides, we wanted fresh water very much.
The little that the wind stood southerly helped me in this run, and we
came in five days more, fair with the island, to our great joy, and
brought all our ships to an anchor as near the watering-place as is
usual, where we rode easy, though, the wind continued to blow very hard;
and being, I say, now about the middle of our voyage, I shall break off
my account here, as of the first part of my work, and begin again at our
departure from hence.
It is true, we had got over much the greater run, as to length of way;
but the most important part of our voyage was yet to come, and we had no
inconsiderable length to run neither, for as we purposed to sail north,
the height of Panama, in the latitude of 9 deg. north, and back again by
Cape Horn, in the latitude of, perhaps, 60 deg. south, and that we were now
in 40 deg. south; those three added to the run, from Cape Horn home to
England made a prodigious length, as will be seen by this following
account, in which also the meridian distances are not all reckoned,
though those also are very great.
From Juan Fernandez to the Line 30
From the Line to Panama 9
From Panama to Cape Horn, including the distance
we take in going round 60
From Cape Horn to the Line again in the North Seas 60
From the Line to England 51
---
210 Deg.
---
N.B. There must be deducted from this account the distance from Lima to
Panama, because we did not go up to Panama, as we intended to do.
By this account we had almost 30 deg. to run more than a diameter of the
globe, besides our distance west, where we then were, from the meridian
of England, whither we were to go; which, if exactly calculated, is
above 70 deg., take it from the island of Juan Fernandez.
But to return a little to our stay in this place, for that belongs to
this part of my account, and of which I must make a few short
observations.
It was scarce possible to restrain Englishmen, after so long beating the
sea, from going on shore when they came to such a place of refreshment
as this; nor indeed was it reasonable to restrain them, considering how
we all might be supposed to stand in need of refreshment, and
considering that here was no length of ground for the men to wander in,
no liquors to come at to distract them with their excess, and, which was
still more, no women to disorder or debauch them. We all knew their
chief exercise would be hunting goats for their subsistence, and we knew
also, that, however they wanted the benefit of fresh provision, they
must work hard to catch it before they could taste the sweet of it. Upon
these considerations, I say, our ships being well moored, and riding
safe, we restrained none of them, except a proper number to take care of
each ship; and those were taken out by lot, and then had their turn also
to go on shore some days afterwards, and in the mean time had both fresh
water and fresh meat sent them immediately, and that in sufficient
quantity to their satisfaction. As soon as we were on shore, and had
looked about us, we began first with getting some fresh water, for we
greatly wanted it. Then carrying a small cask of arrack on shore, I made
a quantity of it be put into a whole butt of water before I let our men
drink a drop; so correcting a little the chilness of the water, because
I knew they would drink an immoderate quantity, and endanger their
healths, and the effect answered my care; for, those who drank at the
spring where they took in the water, before I got this butt filled, and
before the arrack was put into it, fell into swoonings and faint sweats,
having gorged themselves too much with the cool water; and two or three
I thought would have died, but our surgeons took such care of them, that
they recovered.
While this was doing, others cut down branches of trees and built us two
large booths, and five or six smaller, and we made two tents with some
old sails; and thus we encamped, as if we had been to take up our
dwelling, and intended to people the island.
At the same time, others of our men began to look out for goats, for it
may be believed we all longed for a meal of fresh meat. They were a
little too hasty at their work at first, for firing among the first
goats they came at, when there were but a few men together, they
frighted all the creatures, and they ran all away into holes, and among
the rocks and places where we could not find them; so that for that day
they made little of it. However, sending for more firemen, they made a
shift to bring in seventeen goats the same day, whereof we sent five on
board the ships, and feasted with the rest on shore. But the next day
the men went to work in another manner, and with better conduct; for as
we had hands enough, and fire-arms enough, they spread themselves so
far, that they, as it were, surrounded the creatures; and so driving
them out of their fastnesses and retreats, they had no occasion to
shoot, for the goats could not get from them, and they took them
everywhere with their hands, except some of the old he-goats, which were
so surly, that they would stand at bay and rise at them, and would not
be taken; and these, as being old also, and as they thought, good for
nothing, they let go.
In short, so many of our men went on shore, and these divided
themselves into so many little parties, and plyed their work so hard,
and had such good luck, that I told them it looked as if they had made a
general massacre of the goats, rather than a hunting.
Our men also might be said not to refresh themselves, but to feast
themselves here with fresh provisions; for though we stayed but thirteen
days, yet we killed three hundred and seventy goats, and our men who
were on board were very merrily employed, most assuredly, for they might
be said to do very little but roast and stew, and broil and fry, from
morning to night. It was indeed an exceeding good supply to them, for
they had been extremely fatigued with the last part of their voyage, and
had tasted of no fresh provisions for six weeks before.
This made them hunt the goats with the more eagerness, and indeed, they
surrounded them so dexterously, and followed them so nimbly, that
notwithstanding the difficulties of the rocks, yet the goats could
hardly ever escape them. Here our men found also very good fish, and
some few tortoises, or turtles, as the seamen call them, but they valued
them not, when they had such plenty of venison; also they found some
very good herbs in the island, which they boiled with the goats' flesh,
and which made their broth very savoury and comfortable, and withal very
healing, and good against the scurvy, which in those climates Englishmen
are very subject to.
We were now come to the month of April, 1715, having spent almost eight
months in this trafficking wandering voyage from Manilla hither. And
whoever shall follow the same, or a like track, if ever such a thing
shall happen, will do well to make a year of it, and may find it very
well worth while.
I doubt not but there are many undiscovered parts of land to the west,
and to the south also, of the first shore, of which I mentioned, that we
stayed trafficking for little bits of gold. And though it is true that
such traffick, as I have given an account of, is very advantageous in
itself, and worth while to look for, especially after having had a good
market for an out-ward-bound European cargo, according to the pattern of
ours, at the Philippines, and which, by the way, they need not miss, I
say, as this trade for gold would be well worth while, so had we gone
the best way, and taken a course more to the south from Manilla, not
going away east to the Ladrones, we should certainly have fallen in with
a country, from the coast of New Guinea, where we might have found
plenty of spices, as well as of gold.
For why may we not be allowed to suppose that the country on the same
continent, and in the same latitude, should produce the same growth?
Especially considering them situated, as it may be called, in the
neighbourhood of one another.
Had we then proceeded this way, no question but we might have fixed on
some place for a settlement, either English or French, whence a
correspondence being established with Europe, either by Cape Horn east,
or the Cape De Bona Esperance west, as we had thought fit, they might
have found as great a production of the nutmegs and the cloves as at
Banda and Ternate, or have made those productions have been planted
there for the future, where no doubt they would grow and thrive as well
as they do now in the Moluccas.
But we spun out too much time for the business we did; and though we
might, as above, discover new places, and get very well too, yet we did
nothing in comparison of what we might be supposed to have done, had we
made the discovery more our business.
I cannot doubt, also, but that when we stood away south it was too late;
for had we stood into the latitude of 67 deg. at first, as we did
afterwards, I have good reason to believe that those islands which we
call the Moluccas, and which lie so thick and for so great an extent, go
on yet farther, and it is scarce to be imagined that they break off just
with Gilloto.
This I call a mistake in me, namely, that I stood away east from the
Philippines to the Ladrones, before I had gone any length to the south.
But to come to the course set down in this work, namely, south-east and
by east from the Ladrones, the places I have taken notice of, as these
do not, in my opinion, appear to be inconsiderable and of no value, so
had we searched farther into them, I doubt not but there are greater
things to be discovered, and perhaps a much greater extent of land also.
For as I have but just, as it were, described the shell, having made no
search for the kernel, it is more than probable, that within the country
there might be greater discoveries made, of immense value too. For
even, as I observed several times, whenever we found any people who had
gold, and asked them, as well as by signs we could make them understand,
they always pointed to the rivers and the mountains which lay farther up
the country, and which we never made any discovery of, having little in
our view but the getting what little share of gold the poor people had
about them. Whereas had we taken possession of the place, and left a
number of men sufficient to support themselves, in making a farther
search, I cannot doubt but there must be a great deal of that of which
the inactive Indians had gotten but a little.
Nor had we one skilful man among us to view the face of the earth, and
see what treasure of choice vegetables might be there. We had indeed six
very good surgeons, and one of them, whom we took in among the
Madagascar men, was a man of great reading and judgment; but he
acknowledged he had no skill in botanics, having never made it his
study.
But to say the truth, our doctors themselves (so we call the surgeons at
sea) were so taken up in their traffick for gold, that they had no
leisure to think of anything else. They did indeed pick up some shells,
and some strange figured skeletons of fishes and small beasts, and other
things, which they esteemed as rarities; but they never went a simpling,
as we call it, or to inquire what the earth brought forth that was rare,
and not to be found anywhere else.
I think, likewise, it is worth observing, how the people we met with,
where it is probable no ships, much less European ships, had ever been,
and where they had never conversed with enemies, or with nations
accustomed to steal and plunder; I say, the people who lived thus, had
no fire, no rage in their looks, no jealous fears of strangers doing
them harm, and consequently no desire to do harm to others. They had
bows and arrows indeed, but it was rather to kill the deer and fowls,
and to provide themselves with food, than to offend their enemies, for
they had none.
When, therefore, removing from thence, we came to other and different
nations, who were ravenous and mischievous, treacherous and fierce, we
concluded they had conversed with other nations, either by going to
them, or their vessels coming there. And to confirm me in this opinion,
I found these fierce false Indians had canoes and boats, some of one
kind, and some of another, by which perhaps, they conversed with the
islands or other nations near them, and that they also received ships
and vessels from other nations, by which they had several occasions to
be upon their guard, and learned the treacherous and cruel parts from
others which nature gave them no ideas of before.