 Front matter and advertisement of a voyage to the South Sea. This is the LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. A voyage to the South Sea by William Bly. Front matter and advertisement. A voyage to the South Sea, undertaken by command of His Majesty, for the purpose of conveying the breadfruit tree to the West Indies, and His Majesty's ship the Bounty, commanded by Lieutenant William Bly, including an account of the mutiny on board the said ship, and the subsequent voyage of part of the crew in the ship's boat, from Toforia, one of the friendly islands, to Timur, a Dutch settlement in the East Indies, the whole illustrated with charts, etc. Published by permission of the Lord's commissioners of the Admiralty, London, printed for George Nicole, bookseller to His Majesty, Paul Maul, 1792. Advertisement. At the time I published the narrative of the mutiny on board the Bounty, it was my intention that the preceding part of the voyage should be contained in a separate account. This method I have since been induced to alter. The reason of the narrative appearing first was for the purpose of communicating early information concerning an event which had attracted the public notice, and, being drawn up in a hasty manner, it required many corrections. Some circumstances likewise were omitted, and the notation of time used in the narrative being according to reckoning, in which the days begin and end at noon, must have produced a degree of obscurity and confusion to readers accustomed only to the civil mode. And this would have increased as the remainder of the voyage, on account of numerous shore occurrences, at Atahidi and elsewhere, could not, with clearness and propriety, have been related in any other than the usual manner of reckoning. Besides remedying these inconveniences, I had thought a fuller account of our passage from Timor to Europe than that contained in the narrative would not be unacceptable. These reasons, with the manifest convenience of comprising the whole voyage and one continued narrative, in preference to letting that appear in disjointed accounts will, it is hoped, be allowed a sufficient excuse for having varied from the original intention. Nevertheless, for the accommodation of the purchasers of the narrative already published, those who desire it will be supplied with the other parts of the voyage separate, i.e., the part previous to the mutiny and the additional account after leaving Timor. End of advertisement. Chapter 1 of A Voyage to the South Sea This library box recording is in the public domain. A Voyage to the South Sea by William Bly. Chapter 1 Plan of the Expedition Outfit and Occurrences to the Time of Leaving England Description of the Breadfruit 1787 The king, having been graciously pleased to comply with the request from the merchants and planners interested in his Majesty's West India possessions, that the breadfruit tree might be introduced into those islands, a vessel proper for the taking was bought and taken into dock at Depford to be provided with the necessary fixtures and preparations for executing the object of the voyage. These were completed according to a plan of my much-honored friend, Sir Joseph Banks, which in the event proved the most advantageous that could have been adopted for the intended purpose. August 16. The ship was named the Bounty. It was appointed to command her on the 16th of August 1787. Her burden was nearly two hundred and fifteen tons. Her extreme length on deck ninety feet ten inches, extreme breadth twenty-four feet three inches, and height in the hole none of the beams at the main hatchway ten feet three inches. In the cockpit were the cabins of the surgeon, gunner, botanist and clerk, with the steward room and store rooms. The between decks was divided in the following manner. The great cabin was appropriated for the preservation of the plants and extended as far forward as the after-hatch way. It had two large skylights, and on each side three scuttles for air, and was fitted with a false floor gutful of holes to contain the garden pots in which the plants were to be brought home. The deck was covered with lead, and at the foremost corners of the cabin were fixed pipes to carry off the water that drained from the plants in the tubs placed below to save it for future years. I had a small cabin on one side to sleep in, adjoining to the great cabin, and a place near the middle of the ship to eat in. The bulkhead of this apartment was at the after-part of the main hatchway, and on each side of it were the berths of the mates and midshipmen. Between these berths the arm chest was placed. The cabin of the master, in which was always kept the key of the arms, was opposite to mine. This particular description of the interior parts of the ship is rendered necessary by the event in the expedition. The ship was mastered according to the proportion of the navy, but on my application the masts were shortened as I thought them too much for her, considering the nature of the voyage. September 3 On the 3rd of September the ship came out of dock, but the carpenters and joiners remained on board much longer as they had a great deal of work to finish. The next material alteration made in the fitting-out was lessening the quantity of iron and other ballast. I gave directions that only nineteen tons of iron should be taken on board instead of the customary proportion which was forty-five tons. The stores and provisions I judged would be fully sufficient to answer the purpose of the remainder, for I am of opinion that many of the misfortunes which attend ships in heavy storms of wind are occasioned by too much dead weight in their bottoms. The establishment of men and officers for the ship were as follows. One lieutenant to command. One master. One boatsman. One gunner. One carpenter. One surgeon. Two masters-mates. Two midshipmen. Two quarter-masters. One quarter-masters-mate. One bosons-mate. One gunners-mate. One carpenters-mate. One carpenter's crew. One corporal. One clerk and steward. Twenty-three able seamen. Forty-four total. Two skillful and careful men were appointed at Sir Joseph Banks' recommendation to have the management of the plants intended to be brought home. The one, David Nelson, who had been on similar employment in Captain Cook's last voyage. The other, William Brown, is an assistant to him. With these two, our whole number demanded to 46. It was proposed that our route to the Society Island should be around Cape Horn, and the greatest dispatch became necessary as the season was already far advanced. But the shipwrights, not being able to complete their work by the time the ship was ready in other respects, our sailing was unavoidably retarded. October, Thursday, 4. However, by the 4th of October, the pilot came on board to take us down the river. Tuesday, 9. On the 9th we fell down to Longreach where we received our gunners' stores and guns, four four-pounders, and ten swivels. The ship was stored and viddled for 18 months. In addition to the customary allowance of provisions, we were supplied with sauerkraut, portable soup, essence of malt, dried malt, and a proportion of barley and wheat in lieu of oatmeal. I was likewise furnished with a quantity of ironwork and trinkets to serve in our intercourse with the natives in the South Seas, and from the Board of Longitude I received a timekeeper made by Mr. Kendall. Monday, 15. On the 15th I received orders to proceed to Spithead. November, Sunday, 4. But the winds and weather were so unfavorable that we did not arrive there till the 4th of November. On the 24th I received from Lord Hood, who commanded at Spithead my final orders. The wind, which for several days before had been favorable, was now turned directly against us. Wednesday, 28. On the 28th the ship's company received two months' pay in advance, and on the following morning we worked out to St. Helens, where we were obliged to anchor. 1787, December, Sunday, 23. We made different unsuccessful attempts to get down channel, but contrary winds and bad weather constantly forced us back to St. Helens, or Spithead, until Sunday the 23rd of December when we sailed with a fair wind. During our stay at Spithead the rate of the timepiece was several times examined by Mr. Bailey's observations at the Portsmouth Observatory. On the 19th of December, the last time of its being examined on shore, it was one minute, 52 seconds, five too fast for meantime, and then lazing at the rate of one second, one per day, and at this rate I estimated it's going when we sailed. The object of all the former voyages to the South Seas undertaken by the command of His present Majesty has been the advancement of science and the increase of knowledge. This voyage may be reckoned the first, the intention of which has been to derive benefit from those distant discoveries. For the more fully comprehending the nature and plan of the expedition, and that the reader may be possessed of every information necessary for entering on the following sheets, I shall here lay before him a copy of the instructions I received from the Admiralty, and likewise a short description of the breadfruit. By the commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral of Great Britain and Ireland, etc. Whereas the King, upon a representation from the merchants and planners interested in His Majesty's West India possessions, that the introduction of the breadfruit tree into the islands of those seas to constitute an article of food would be a very essential benefit to the inhabitants' hath in order to promote the interests of so respectable a body of His subjects, especially in an instance of which promises general advantage. Thought fit that measures should be taken for the procuring some of these trees and conveying them to the said West India islands, and whereas the vessel under your command hath inconsequent thereof been stored and victualed for that service, and fitted with the proper conveniences and necessaries for the preservation of as many of the said trees as, from her size, can be taken on board her, and you have been directed to receive on board her the two gardeners named in the margin David Nelson and William Brown, who, from their knowledge of trees and plants, have been hired for the purpose of selecting such as shall appear to be of a proper species and size. You are, therefore, in pursuance of His Majesty's pleasure, signified to us by Lord Cygni, one of His principal secretaries of state, hereby required and directed to put to see in the vessel you command the first favorable opportunity of wind and weather, and proceed with her as expeditiously as possible round Cape Horn to the society islands situate in the southern ocean in the latitude of about eighteen degrees south and longitude of about two hundred and ten degrees east from Greenwich, where, according to the accounts given by the late Captain Cook and persons who accompanied him during his voyage, the breadfruit tree is to be found in the most luxurious state. Having arrived at the above-mentioned islands and taken on board as many trees and plants as may be thought necessary, the better to enable you to do which have already been furnished with such articles of merchandise and trinkets as it is supposed will be wanted to satisfy the natives. You are to proceed from thence through Endeavour Straits which separate New Holland from New Guinea to Princess Island in the Straits of Sunda or, if it should happen to be more convenient, to pass on the eastern side of Java to some port on the north side of that island where any breadfruit trees which have been injured or have died may be replaced by mangosteins, durians, jacks, nankas, landfills, and other fine fruit trees of that quarter as well as the rice plant which grows upon dry land, all of which species, or such of them as shall be judged most eligible. You are to purchase on the best terms you can the inhabitants of that island with the dockets with which you have also been furnished for that purpose. Taking care, however, if the rice plants above mentioned cannot be procured to Java to touch at Princess Island for them where they are regularly cultivated. From Princess Island, or the island of Java, you are to proceed round the Cape of Good Hope to the West Indies, calling on your way here at any places which may be thought necessary and deposit one-half of such of the above-mentioned trees and plant as may be then alive at His Majesty's Botanical Gardens at St. Vincent for the benefit of the Windward Islands. And then go on to Jamaica. And having delivered the remainder to Mr. East, or such person or persons as may be authorized by the Governor and Council of that island to receive them, refreshed your people, and received on board such provisions and stores as may be necessary for the voyage, make the best of your way back to England, repairing the spithead, and sending to our Secretary an account of your arrival and proceedings. And whereas you will receive herewith the copy of the instructions which have been given to the above-mentioned gardeners for their guidance, as well as in procuring the said trees and plants, and the management of them after they shall be put on board, as for bringing to England a small sample of each species, and such others as may be prepared by the Superintendent of the Botanical Garden at St. Vincent's, and by the said Mr. East, or others, for His Majesty's garden at you, you are hereby required and directed to afford and give directions to your officers and company to afford the said gardeners every possible aid and assistance, not only in the collecting of the said trees and plants at the places before mentioned, but for their preservation during their conveyance to the places of their destination. Given under our hands the 20th of November, 1787, Howe, Charles Brett, R. D. Hopkins, J. Levinson Gower, to Lieutenant William Bly, commanding His Majesty's armed vessel, the Bounty, at Spithead, by command of their lordships, P. Stevens. In the foregoing orders it is to be observed that I was particularly directed to proceed round Cape Horn, but as the season was so far advanced and we were so long detained by contrary winds, I made applications to the Admiralty for discretional orders on that point, to which I received the following answer, by the commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral of Great Britain and Ireland, etc., etc. The season of the year being now so far advanced as to render it probable that your arrival with the vessel you command on the southern coast of America will be too late for your passing round Cape Horn with great difficulty and hazard. You are in that case at liberty, not withstanding former orders, to proceed in her to O. Tahiti round the Cape of Good Hope. Given under our hands the 18th December, 1787, Howe, Charles Brett, Bayham, to Lieutenant William Bly commanding His Majesty's armed vessel, Bounty, Spithead, by command of their lordships, P. Stevens. The breadfruit is so well known and described that to attempt a new account of it would be unnecessary and useless. However, as it may contribute to the convenience of the reader, I have given the following extracts respecting it with the plate annexed. Extract from the account of Dampier's voyage round the world performed in 1688. The breadfruit, as we call it, grows on a large tree as big and high as our largest apple trees. It hath a spreading head full of branches and dark leaves. The fruit grows on the boughs like apples. It is as big as a penny-loaf when wheat is at five shillings to the bushel. It is of a round shape and hath its thick, tough rind. When the fruit is ripe, it is yellow and soft and the taste is sweet and pleasant. The natives of Guam use it for bread. They gather it when full grown, while it is green and hard. Then they bake it in an oven which scorches the rind and makes it black. But they scrape off the outside black crust and there remains a tender thin crust and the inside is soft, tender, and white like the crumb of a penny-loaf. There is neither seed nor stone in the inside but all is of a pure substance like bread. It must be eaten new for, if it is kept above 24 hours, it grows harsh and chalky, but it is very pleasant before it is too stale. This fruit lasts in season eight months in the year during which the natives eat no other sort of food of bread kind. I did never see this fruit anywhere but here. The natives told us that there is plenty of this fruit growing on the rest of the Ladrone Islands and I did never hear of it anywhere else. Volume 1, page 296. Extract from the account of Lord Anson's voyage published by Mr. Walter. There was a tinny and the kind of fruit peculiar to these Ladrone Islands called by the Indians Rimey but by us the breadfruit where it was constantly eaten by us during our stay upon the island instead of bread and so universally preferred that no ship's bread was expended in that whole interval. Footnote, about two months namely from the latter end of August to the latter end of October, 1742. It grew upon a tree which is somewhat lofty and which towards the top divides into large and spreading branches. The leaves of this tree are of a remarkable deep green, are notched about the edges and are generally from a foot to 18 inches in length. The fruit itself is found indifferently on all parts of the branches. It is in shape rather elliptical than round. It is covered with a tough rind and is usually 7 or 8 inches long. Each of them grows singly and not in clusters. This fruit is fittest to be used when it is full grown but still green in which state after it is properly prepared by being roasted in the embers. Its taste has some distant resemblance to that of an artichoke's bottom and its texture is not very different for it is soft and spongy. Extracts from the account of the first voyage of Captain Cook, Hawksworth, Volume 2. In the Society Islands the breadfruit grows on a tree that is about the size of a meddling oak. Its leaves are frequently a foot and a half long of an oblong shape, deeply sinewated like those of the fig tree, which they resemble in consistency and color, and in the exerting of a white milky juice upon being broken. The fruit is about the size and shape of a child's head and the surface is reticulated not much unlike a truffle. Its skin and has a core about as big as the handle of a small knife. The edible part lies between the skin and the core. It is as white as snow and somewhat of the consistency of new bread. It must be roasted before it is eaten being first divided into three or four parts. Its taste is insipid with its light sweetness somewhat resembling that of the crumb of wheat and bread mixed with a Jerusalem artichoke. Pages 80, 81. See also the plate there and at page 232. Of the many vegetables that have been mentioned already as serving them for food, the principle is the breadfruit, two procure which costs them no more trouble or labor but climbing a tree. The tree which produces it does not indeed shoot up spontaneously, but if a man plants ten of them in his lifetime, he may do in about an hour. He will as completely fulfill his duty to his own and future generations as the native of our less temperant climate can do by plowing in the cold season and reaping in the summer's heat as often as these seasons return. Even if, after he has procured bread for his present household, he should convert a surplus in the money and lay it up for his children. It is true indeed that the breadfruit is not always in season but coconuts, bananas, plantains and a great variety of other fruits supply the deficiency. Page 197. Extract from the account of Captain Cook's last voyage in the Society Islands. I, Captain Cook, have inquired very carefully into their manner of cultivating the breadfruit tree at Otaidi but was always answered that they never planted it. This indeed must be evident to everyone who will examine the places where the young trees come up. It will be always observed that they spring from the roots of the old ones which run along near the surface of the ground so that the breadfruit trees may be reckoned those that would naturally cover the plains even supposing that the island was not inhabited in the same manner that the whitebark trees found at Bandiman's land constitute the forests there. And from this we may observe that the inhabitants of Otaidi, instead of being obliged to plant his bread, will rather be under the necessity of preventing his progress which I suppose is sometimes done to give room for trees of another sort to afford him some variety in his food. Volume 2. Page 145. In the Sandwich Islands the breadfruit trees are planted and flourish with great closurance on rising grounds. Where the hills rise up almost perpendicularly in a great variety of peaked forms, their steep sides and the deep chasms between them are covered with trees, amongst which those of the breadfruit were observed particularly to abound. Volume 3. pages 105 and 114 containing Captain King's narrative. The climate of the Sandwich Islands is very little from that of the West India Islands which lie in the same latitude. Upon the whole perhaps it might be rather more temperate. Captain King, I.B. Page 116. The breadfruit trees thrive in these islands not in such abundance but produce double the quantity of fruit they do on the rich plains of Otaidi. The trees are nearly of the same height but the branches begin to strike out from the trunk much lower and with greater luxurance. Captain King, I.B. Page 120. End of chapter 1. Chapter 2. of Avoids to the South Sea. This library of books recording is in the public domain. Avoids to the South Sea by William Bly. Chapter 2. Departure from England. Arrival at Tenerife. Sail from thence. Arrival off Cape Horn. Severity of the weather. Ablige to bear away for the Cape of Good Hope. 1787. December. Sunday, 23. On Sunday morning the 23rd of December 1787 resailed from Spithead and passing through the needles directed our course down channel with a fresh gale of wind at east. In the afternoon one of the seamen in furling the main top gale at sail fell off the yard and was so fortunate as to save himself by catching hold of the main top mass day in his fall. At night the wind increased to a strong gale with a heavy sea. Tuesday, 25. It moderated however on the 25th and allowed us to keep our Christmas with cheerfulness. But the following day it blew a severe storm of wind from the eastward which continued till the 29th in the course of which we suffered greatly. One sea broke away the spare yards and spars out of the starboard main chains. Another heavy sea broke into the ship and stove all the boats. Several casks of beer that had been lashed upon deck were broke loose and washed overboard and it was not without great difficulty and risk that we were able to secure the boats from being washed away entirely. Saturday, 29. On the 29th we were in latitude 39 degrees 35 minutes north and longitude 14 degrees 26 minutes west when the gale abated and the weather became fair. Besides other mischief done to us by the storm a large quantity of our bread was damaged and rendered useless for the sea had stove in our stern and filled the cabin with water. From this time to our arrival at Tenerife we had moderate weather and winds mostly from the northward. 1788 January January 4 This forenoon we spoke a friendship mounted in Mauritius. Saturday, 5. Tenerife. The next day at 9 in the forenoon we saw the island of Tenerife bearing west, southwest, half west about 12 weeks distant. It was covered with the thick haze except the northwestern most part which is a remarkable headland. Resembling a horse's head the ear is very distinct. To the eastward to this head, footnote south 82 degrees east by the compass. To the southward to this road lie two round rocks the northern boundary of Tenerife. I had a good observation at noon by which I make the latitude at the two rocks 28 degrees 44 minutes north and their longitude by our timekeeper 16 degrees 5 minutes west. To the southward to these at near the shore is a high needle rock about four leagues farther to the road of Santa Cruz where we anchored at half past nine on Sunday morning in 25 fathoms water and moored along shore in the same depth with a cupula tower of the Church of St. Francis bearing west half north one mile, the east part of the road east by north the castle on the south point southwest and the west part of the Grand Canary south south east. A Spanish packet bound at Canruna an American brig and several other vessels were lying here. As soon as the ship was anchored I sent an officer, Mr. Christian to wait on the governor and to acquaint him I had put in to obtain refreshments and to repair the damages we had sustained in the bad weather. To this I had a very polite answer from the governor, footnote Marquis de Brence of Forty and a footnote replied with whatever the island afforded. I had also directed the officer to acquaint him that I would salute provided an equal number of guns were to be returned, but as I received an extraordinary answer to this part of my message for porting that his Excellency did not return the same number but to persons equal unranked to himself, this ceremony was omitted. During this interval I was visited by the portmaster, Captain Adams and shortly afterward several officers came on board from his Excellency to compliment me on my arrival. As soon as the ship was moored I went on shore and paid my respects to him. Monday, 7 On Monday morning I began to forward the ship's business with the utmost dispatch and gave the necessary directions to mature Colligan and Sons the contractors for the supplies I wanted. I also got leave of the Governor for Mr. Nelson to range the hills and examine the country in search of plants and natural curiosities. As there was a great surf on the shore I bargained for everything I wanted to be brought off by the shoreboats and agreed to give five shillings per ton of water. Very good wine was bought at ten pounds per pipe the contract price the superior quality was fifteen pounds and some of this was not much inferior to the best one in Madeira. I found this was an unfavorable season for other refreshments Indian corn potatoes, pumpkins and onions were all very scarce and double the price of what they are in the summer. Beef also was difficult to be procured and exceedingly poor the price nearly six pence per pound. The corn was three current dollars per finiga, which is full five shillings per bushel and biscuit at twenty-five shillings for the hundred pounds. Poultry was so scarce that a good foul cost three shillings. This is therefore not a place for ships to expect refreshments at a reasonable price at this time of year, wine accepted. But from March to November supplies are plentiful, but at this time we could procure and non-accept a few dried figs and some bad oranges. Nautical Remarks During our stay here the weather was fair with northeast winds and calms and small drizzling rain in the night. The thermometer from sixty-six to sixty-nine degrees at noon in the shade. I could make no lunar observations for the longitude, but with the help of the timekeeper and the situation of the town of Santa Cruz to be twenty-eight degrees, twenty-eight minutes north latitude, and sixteen degrees, eighteen minutes west longitude. I observed the variation by two compasses to be twenty degrees one minute west. This much exceeded what I could have imagined. For in seventeen-seventy-six I observed at only fourteen degrees forty minutes west, a difference of about five degrees in ten years. And this makes me reflect on the uncertainty of obtaining the exact deviation of the magnetic pole. And, of course, its annual variation which never can be accurately ascertained unless the observations are made always in one spot and with the same compass. Tenerif, though considerably without the tropic, is so nearly within the limits of the trade winds that navigators always steer to it from the eastward. The road of Santa Cruz lies on the east side of the island at the end of a range of craggy hills, barren and very lofty, along with you sail west by south by compass into the road with a sea unfathomable until near the shore. The anchoring ground may be accounted from fifty fathoms to twenty or even fifteen. The bank is very steep but little time to sound for which reason it should be done effectually with a heavy lad or the ship will be too near in before a stranger is aware of it. He will likewise too soon expect to find bottom owing to the great deception of the adjacent highland. To obviate these difficulties it is necessary to observe while at town which lies some distance to the southward of Santa Cruz is open with the castle on the south part of the road though you may appear near to the shore there is no anchorage but after it is shut entirely in you get on the bank. The church bearing west or west by south and the south point of the road south west half south to south west by west is a good situation for anchoring. The depth about twenty five fathoms. The distance from the shore will be three quarters of a mile and the southernmost land that can be seen there will be a half or quarter point of the compass further out than the south point of the road. The bottom is slack soft mud with some patches of rocks for which reasons vessels that lie here any length of time buoy their cables. This precaution besides being useful in that particular they think makes them ride more easy when there is much sea into the road which with the wind any way to the southward east or at the south west must be very considerable. It is therefore usual to moor with four anchors though more than two or scarce ever of years. Mooring is however advisable if a ship is only to remain twenty four hours and the tighter the better the cables may keep clear of the ground. The landing on the beach is generally impracticable with our boats at least without great risk but there is a very fine pier on which people may land without difficulty if there is not much swell in the road. To this pier the water is conveyed by pipes for the use of shipping and for which all merchant ships pay. There is a degree of wretchedness and want among the lower class of people which is not anywhere so common as among the Spanish and Portuguese settlements. To alleviate these evils the President Governor of Tenerife has instituted a most charitable society which he takes the trouble to superintend and by considerable contributions a large array dwelling that contains one hundred and twenty four girls and as many men and boys has been built and endowed with the sufficiency of land rounded. Not only for all present purposes but for enlarging the building for objects of charity as their funds increase. I had the honor to be shown by His Excellency the Cecilum Hospicio they call it where there appeared in every countenance the utmost cheerfulness and content. The decency and neatness of the dress of the young females with the order in which they were arranged at their spinning wheels and looms in an extensive airy apartment was admirable. The governess inspected and regulated all their works which were the manufacturing of ribbons of all colors coarse linens and tapes all of which were managed and brought to perfection by themselves from the silk and flax in their first date even the dyeing of the colors is performed by them. These girls are received for five years at the end of which they are liberty to marry and have for their portions a meal and loom with the sum of money proportioned to the state of the fund which is assisted by the product of their labor and at this time estimated at $2,000 per annum. The men and boys are not less attended to. They are employed in coarser work blanketing and all kinds of common woolens. If they become infirm they spend the remainder watchful inspector who attends them in the same manner as the governess does the girls. They are all visited every day by the governer and a clergyman attends them every evening. By this humane institution a number of people are rendered useful and industrious in a country where the poor from the indulgence of the climate are too apt to prefer a life of inactivity though attended with wretchedness to attaining the conference of life by industry and labor. The number of inhabitants in the island I was informed were estimated at between $80,000 and $100,000. Their annual export of wine is 20,000 pipes and of brandy half that quantity. Vessels are frequently heard from St. Estacia and thus a great quantity of Tenerife wine is carried to the different parts of the West Indies under the name of Madeira. Tenerife is considered of more value than all the other canaries. The inhabitants, however, in scarce seasons receive supplies from the Grand Canary but their vineyards here are said to be greatly superior. Their produce of corn though exceedingly good is not sufficient for their consumption and owing to this the Americans have an advantageous trade here for their flour and grain and take wine in return. The town of Santa Cruz is about half a mile and extend each way built in a regular manner and the houses in general large and airy but the streets are very ill paved. I am told that they are subject to few diseases but if any endemic distemper breaks out it is attended with the most fatal consequences particularly the smallpox the bad effects of which they now endeavour to counteract by inoculation. For this reason they are very circumspect in admitting ships to have communication with the shore without bills of health. A sloop from London called the Chance, William Meredith the Master, bound to Barbados out nineteen days from the Downs came into the road she had suffered much by the bad weather but having brought no bill of health the governor would not allow any person to come on shore unless I could vouch for them that no epidemic disease raged in England at the time they sailed which I was able to do at being nearly at the same time that I left the land and by that means they had the governor's permission to receive the supplies they wanted to perform quarantine. Thursday 10 having finished our business at Tenerife on Thursday the 10th we sailed with the wind at southeast our ships company all in good health and spirits I now divided the people into three watches and gave the charge of the third watch to Mr. Fletcher Christian one of the mates I have always considered this as a desirable regulation when circumstances will admit of it on many accounts and am persuaded that unbroken rest not only contributes much towards the health of a ship's company but enables them to more readily exert themselves in cases of sudden emergency as it was my wish to proceed to Otehidi without stopping I ordered everyone to be a two-thirds allowance of bread I also directed the water for drinking to be filtered through drip stones that I had bought at Tenerife for that purpose in the evening we passed the south end of Tenerife which is around a lump of land that from the lowness of the contiguous land has had a distance the appearance of a separate island by our run from the bay of Santa Cruz I make the latitude of the south end of Tenerife to be 28 degrees 6 minutes north we ran all night towards the south west having the wind at the southeast the next morning we could see nothing of the land I now made the ship's company acquainted with the intent of the voyage and having been permitted to hold out this encouragement to them I gave assurances of the certainty of promotion to everyone whose endeavor should merit it the winds for some days after leaving Tenerife were mostly from the southward fishing lines and tackle were distributed amongst the people and some dolphins were caught Thursday, 17 on the 17th the wind came round to the northeast and continued steady in that quarter till the 25th on which day at noon we were in 3 degrees 54 minutes north as the caughtiness of the sky gave us reason to expect much rain we prepared the awnings with hoses for the convenience of saving water but we were not disappointed from this time to our meeting with the southeast trade winds we had much wet weather the air close and sultry with calms and light variable winds generally from the southward Tuesday, 29 on the 29th there was so heavy a fall or rain that we caught 700 gallons of water Thursday, 31 on the 31st latitude at noon 2 degrees north found the current setting to the northeast at the rate of 14 miles in the 24 hours the temperature was at 82 degrees in the shade and 81 and one half degrees at the surface of the sea so that the air and the water were within half a degree of the same temperature at 8 o'clock in the evening we observed a violent rippling in the sea about half a mile to the northwest of us the appearance of breakers this I imagine to have been occasioned by a large school or multitude of fish as it was exactly in the track the ship had passed so that if any real shoal had been there we must have seen it at the close of the evening when a careful lookout was always kept however if it had appeared ahead of us instead of a stern I should certainly have tacked to avoid it the appearances I attribute the accounts of many shoals within the tropics which cannot be found anywhere but in maps our latitude at this time was 2 degrees 8 minutes north and longitude 19 degrees 43 minutes west the next morning we had more of these appearances from the number of schools of fish by which the ship was surrounded February Saturday 2 this morning we saw a sail to the north northwest but at too great a distance to distinguish what she was Monday 4 had very heavy rain during which we nearly filled all our empty water casks so much wet weather with the closeness of the air covered everything with mildew the ship was aired below with the fires and frequently sprinkled with vinegar and every little interval of dry we had the advantage of to open all the hatchways and clean the ship and to have all the people's wet things washed and dried with this weather and light unsteady winds we advanced but 2.5 degrees in 12 days at the end of which time we were relieved by the southeast trade wind which we fell in with on the 6th that noon in the latitude 1 degree 21 minutes north 50 minutes west Thursday 7 the next afternoon we crossed the equinoctial line in longitude 21 degrees 50 minutes west the weather became fine and the southeast trade wind was fresh and steady with which we kept a point free from the wind and got to the southward at a good rate the weather continuing dry we put some of our bread in casks properly prepared for its reception in vermin this experiment we afterwards found answered exceedingly well Saturday 16 on the 16th the daylight we saw a sail to the southward the next day we came up with her and found her to be the British queen Simon Paul master from London bound to the Cape of Good Hope on the whale fishery she sailed from Falmouth the 5th of December by the ship I rode to England at sunset she was almost out of sight a stern Monday 18 in the course of this days run the variation changed from west to east according to our observation the true and magnetic meridians coincided in latitude 20 degrees 0 minutes south and longitude 31 degrees 15 minutes west at noon we were in latitude 20 degrees 44 minutes south and longitude 31 degrees 23 minutes west and our advance towards the south the wind had gradually veered round to the east and was at this time east northeast the weather after crossing the line had been fine and clear but the air so sultry is to occasion great faintness the quick silver in the thermometer and the daytime standing at between 81 and 83 degrees and one time at 85 degrees in our passage through the northern tropic the air was temperate the sun having then high south declination and the weather being generally fine till we lost the northeast trade wind but such a thick haze surrounded the horizon that no object could be seen except at a very small distance the haze commonly veered away at sunset and gathered again at sunrise between the northeast and southeast trade winds the calms and rains if of long continuance are very liable to produce sickness and less great attention is paid to keeping the ship clean and wholesome by giving all the air possible drying between decks with fires and drying and airing the people's clothes and bedding the cushions we frequently wedded with vinegar and every evening the pumps were used as ventilators with these endeavors to secure health we passed the low attitudes without a single complaint the currents we met with were by no means regular nor have I ever found them so in the middle of the ocean however from the channel to the southward as far as Madeira there is generally a current in the southeast Thursday 21 on the evening of the 21st the ship was seen in the northeast but at too great a distance to distinguish of what country Friday 22 the next day the wind came round to the north and northwest so that we could no longer consider ourselves in the trade wind our latitude at noon was 25 degrees 55 minutes south longitude 36 degrees 29 minutes west variation of the compass 3 degrees east Saturday 23 towards night the wind died away and we had some heavy showers of rain of which we profited by saving a ton of good water the next day we caught a shark and five dolphins Tuesday 26 we bent new sails and made other necessary preparations for encountering the weather that was to be expected in a high latitude our latitude at noon was 29 degrees 38 minutes south longitude 41 degrees 44 minutes west variation 7 degrees 13 minutes east in the afternoon the wind being westerly and blowing strong in squalls some butterflies and other insects like what we call horseflies on board of us no birds were seen except sure waters our distance from the coast of Brazil at this time was above 100 leagues March Sunday 2 in the forenoon after seeing that every person was clean divine services were performed according to my usual custom on this day I gave to Mr. Fletcher Christian whom I had before directed to take charge of the third watch in order to act as lieutenant Saturday 8 we were at noon in latitude 36 degrees 50 minutes south and longitude 52 degrees 53 minutes west the last four days we several times tried for soundings without finding bottom though considerably to the westward of Captain Wallace's track who had soundings at 54 fathoms depth in latitude 35 degrees 40 minutes south and longitude 49 degrees 54 minutes west this day we tried with 240 fathoms of line but did not find bottom at the same time observing a rippling in the water we tried the current by mooring a keg with 100 fathoms of line by which it appeared to run to the north northwest at the rate of a mile and a half per hour by the noon observation however we were 18 miles to the southward of our reckoning in the afternoon we saw a turtle floating and not having much wind hoisted a boat out and sent after it but it was found to be in a putrid state with a number of crabs feeding upon it the change of temperature now began to be sensibly felt there being a variation in the thermometer since yesterday of 8 degrees that the people might not suffer from their own negligence I gave orders for their light tropical clothing to be put by and made them dress in a matter more suited to a cold climate I had provided for this before I left England by giving directions for such clothes to be purchased as were necessary Monday 10 in the forenoon we struck soundings at 83 fathoms depth our latitude 40 degrees 8 minutes south latitude 55 degrees 40 minutes west this I concluded to have been near the edge of the bank for the wind being at south south west we stood towards the southeast and after running 14 miles in that direction we could find no bottom with 160 fathoms of line and the night we stood towards the west south west with a southerly wind and got again into soundings the next day we saw a great number of whales of immense size that had two spout holes on the back of their head upon a complaint made to me by the master I found it necessary to punish Matthew Quintel one of the seamen with two dozen lishes for insolence and mutinous behavior before this I had not had occasion to punish any person on board Wednesday 12 on the 12th we caught a porpoise by striking it with the grains everyone ate hardily of it and it was so well like that no part was wasted Friday 14 on the 14th in the afternoon we saw a land bird like a lark and passed part of a dead whale that had been left by some whalers after they had taken the blubber off saw likewise two strange sail the next day at noon our latitude was 43 degrees 45 minutes south and longitude 58 degrees 42 minutes west had soundings at 75 fathoms the bottom a fine greenish sand saw two hawks Sunday 16 on the 16th another ship was seen to the west northwest standing to the northward latitude at noon 43 degrees 34 minutes south we continued running to the southward keeping in soundings Wednesday 19 on the 19th at noon by my account we were within 20 leagues of port desire but the wind blowing fresh from the northwest with thick foggy weather I did not attempt to make land we passed a good deal of rock weed and saw many whales and albatrosses and other sea birds Thursday 20 on the 20th at noon our latitude was 50 degrees 24 minutes south and longitude 65 degrees 50 minutes west in the afternoon the wind which had for some time passed been northerly suddenly shifted to the west southwest in blue hard Sunday 23 we steered to the south southeast and on the 23rd at 2 o'clock in the morning we discovered the coast of Tierra Dale Fuego bearing southeast at 9 in the four noon we were off Cape St. Diego the eastern part of Tierra Dale Fuego observed the variation here to be 21 degrees 23 east the wind being unfavorable I thought it more advisable to go around to the eastward of Staten land than to attempt passing through the Straits of Meire the two opposite coasts of the Straits exhibited very different appearances the land of Tierra Dale Fuego hereabouts though the interior parts are mountainous yet near the coast is of moderate height and at the distance we were from it had not an unpromising appearance the coast of Staten land near the Straits is mountainous and craggy and remarkable for its high-peaked hills Straits of Meire is a fair opening which cannot well be mistaken any doubt could remain the different appearances of the opposite shores would sufficiently make the Straits known I did not sail within less than six leagues to the coast that we might have the wind more regular and avoid being exposed to the heavy squalls that came off from the land at noon Cape St. Anthony bore south in the western most of the New Year's Isles southeast one quarter south two leagues latitude observed 54 degrees 28 minutes south longitude 64 degrees four minutes west the sight of New Year's Harbor almost tempted me to put in but the lateness of the season and the people being in good health determined me to lay aside all thoughts of refreshment until we should reach Otehidi at two o'clock in the afternoon the eastern most of New Year's Isles Captain Cook observed the latitude to be 55 degrees 40 minutes south more from us south four leagues we saw the entrance aisles of New Year's Harbor at the back of which the land is very craggy and mountainous this must be a very convenient port to touch at as the access to it is safe and easy the harbor lies south southeast by compass from the northeast part of the eastern most of the New Year's Isles about two leagues to the westward of Cape St. John I observed the separation of the mountains that Captain Cook had taken notice of which has the appearance of Staten land being there divided into two islands at sunset Cape St. John bore south southeast five or six leagues the land hereabouts is of less height than not so rugged as near New Year's Harbor the night coming on I could get no good view of the Cape and at daylight next morning we were at two greater distance Monday 24 we had stood to the southward all night with the wind at west southwest and southwest at eight in the morning Cape St. John bore northwest ten leagues distant soon after we lost sight of the land from the result of my lunar observation assisted by the timekeeper the longitude of the west side of straight St. Mier 64 degrees 48 minutes west the eastern most of the New Year's Isles 63 degrees 52 minutes west and the longitude of Cape St. John 63 degrees 19 minutes west in our run from the latitude of 12 degrees south to 48 degrees south the ship was set two degrees 30 minutes to the eastward by currents from the latitude of 48 degrees south to Staten land the current set us to the westward two degrees 43 minutes which I imagine to have been occasioned by an in-draft into the Straits of Magellan from the time we lost sight of the land to the end of the month we were struggling with bad weather and contrary winds Monday 31 but on the morning of the 31st the wind came to the north northeast to retain great hopes that we should be able to accomplish our passage round the Cape without much difficulty at noon we were in the latitude 60 degrees one minute south and in 71 degrees 45 minutes west longitude which is 8 degrees 26 minutes west of the Meridian of Cape St. John this flattering appearance was not of long continuance and the night the wind became variable and next day we were again in the west and northwest with very bad weather April Wednesday 2 on the second in the morning the wind which had blown fresh all night from the northwest came round to the southwest and increased to a heavy gale at 6 in the morning the storm exceeded what I had ever met with before and the sea from the frequent shifting of the wind running in contrary directions broke exceedingly high our ship however lay to very well and remained in forced assail the gale continued with severe squalls of hail and sleet the remainder of this and all the next day Friday 4 on the fourth the wind was less violent but far from moderate with so much bad weather I found it necessary to keep a constant fire night and day and one of the watch always attended to dry the people's wet clothes and this I have no doubt contributed as much to their health as to their comfort our companions in this in hospitable regions were albatrosses and two beautiful kinds of birds the small blue petrol and pentata a great many of these were frequently about the wake of the ship which induced the people to flow to line with hooks baited to endeavor to catch them and their attempts successful the method they used was to fasten the bait of foot or two before the hook and by giving the line a sudden jerk when the bird was at the bait it was hooked in the feet or body Sunday 6 on the sixth the weather was moderate and continued so till the ninth with the wind varying between the northwest and southwest of which we were able to take advantage Monday 7 observed the variation 27 degrees 9 minutes east our latitude 60 degrees 24 minutes south and longitude 75 degrees 54 minutes west Wednesday 9 on the ninth at noon we were in latitude 59 degrees 31 minutes south and our longitude 76 degrees 58 minutes west which is further to the west than we had yet been the weather was now unfavorable again, blind strong from the westward with a high sea on the tenth we saw some fish which appeared spotted and about the size of Benitos, these were the only fish we had seen in this high latitude Saturday 12 the stormy weather continued with a great sea the ship now began to complain and required to be pumped every hour which was no more than we had reason to expect from such a continuance of gales, of wind and high seas the decks also became so leaky that it was obliged to allot the great cabin of which I had made little use except in fine weather to those people who had wet birds to hang their hammocks in and by this means the between decks was less crowded every morning all the hammocks were taken down from where they hung and when the weather was too bad some upon deck they were put in the cabin so that the between decks were clean daily and aired with fires if the hatchways could not be opened with all this bad weather we had the additional mortification to find at the end of every day that we were losing ground for not withstanding our utmost exertions and keeping on the most advantageous tax which if the weather had been at all moderate would have sufficiently reduced our chances yet the greater part of the time we were doing little better than drifting before the wind Sunday 13 birds as usual were about the ship and some of them caught and for the first time since we left Statenland we saw some whales this morning owing to the violent motion of the ship the cook fell and broke one of his ribs and another man by a fall dislocated his shoulder the gunner who had the charge of the watch was laid up with a rheumatism and this was the first sick list that appeared on board the ship the time of full moon which was approaching made me entertain hopes that after that period we would experience some change of wind or weather in our favor but the event did not at all answer our expectations the latitude at noon this day was 58 degrees 9 minutes south and longitude 76 degrees one minute west as we caught a good many birds but which were all lean and tasted fishy we tried an experiment upon them which succeeded admirably by keeping them cooped up and cramming them with ground corn they improved wonderfully in a short time so that the piñata birds became as fine as ducks and the albatrosses were as fat and not inferior in taste to fine geese some of the latter birds were caught that measured 7 feet between the extremities of the wings when spread this unexpected supply came very opportunity for none of our livestock remained except hogs the sheep and poultry not being hardy enough to stand the severity of the weather Sunday 20 this morning the wind died away and we had a calm for a few hours which gave us hopes that the next would be a more favorable wind a hog was killed for the ships company which gave them an excellent meal toward noon to our great disappointment the wind sprang up again from the westward and in the afternoon blew strong with snow and hail stones Monday 21 this was the second day after the full moon but as I have remarked before it had no influence on the weather at noon our latitude 58 degrees 31 minutes south and longitude 70 degrees 7 minutes west which is near 7 degrees to the eastward of our situation on the morning of the 9th instant when we had advanced the furthest in our power to the westward being then in 76 degrees 58 minutes west 3 degrees to the west of Cape de Seattle the west part of the Straits of Magellan this time we were 3 degrees 52 minutes to the east of it an hourly losing ground it was with much concern I saw how hopeless and even unjustifiable it was to persist any longer in attempting the passage this way to the society islands we had been 30 days in this tempestuous ocean at one time we had advanced so far to the westward to have a fair prospect of making our passage round but from that period hard gales of westerly wind had continued without intermission a few hours accepted which to borrow an expression in Lord Anson's forage were quote like the elements drawing breath to return upon us with redoubled violence unquote the season was now too far advanced for us to expect more favorable winds or weather and we had sufficiently experienced the difficulty of beating round against the wind or of advancing at all without the help of a fair wind for which there was little reason to hope another consideration which had great weight with me was that if I persisted in my attempt this way and should after all fail to get round it would occasion such a loss of time that our arrival at O.T. Headey soon enough to return in the proper season by the east Indies would be rendered precarious on the other hand the prevalence of the westerly winds and high southern latitudes left me no reason to doubt of making a quick passage to the Cape of Good Hope and thence to the eastward round New Highland Tuesday 22 having materially considered all circumstances I determined to bear away for the Cape of Good Hope and at five o'clock on the evening of the 22nd the wind then blowing strong at west I ordered the helm to be put a weather to the great joy of every person on board our sick list at this time had increased to eight mostly with romantic complaints and other respects the people were in good health though exceedingly jaded the passage round Cape Horn into the south seas during the summer months had seldom been attended with difficulty and is to be preferred in the moderate seasons to the more distant westward round the Cape of Good Hope and New Holland if we had been one month earlier or perhaps less I doubt not but we should have affected our passage the soundings that are met with off the coast of America from the latitude of 36 degrees south to the southward are very convenient to enable ships to judge of their distance from the land as thick fogs are very frequent near that coast if the winds are favorable to go through the states of La Meire must considerably shorten the passage round Cape Horn as all the distances saved is so much gain to the westward I am informed that several harbors have been lately discovered by the south sea whalers on the north side of Staten Island that afford safe anchorage with supplies of wood and water while we were off Cape Horn I did not observe that our situation was at all affected by currents and of Chapter 2 Chapter 3 of Avoids to the South Sea this library of ox recording is in the public domain Avoids to the South Sea by William Bly Chapter 3 passage towards the Cape of Good Hope and search after Tristan Dockuna arrival at Faults Bay occurrences there reports concerning the Grosvenor's people departure from the Cape 1788 April Friday 25 the westerly winds and stormy weather continuing gave me no reason to repent of my determination on the 25th at noon we were in latitude 54 degrees 16 minutes south and longitude 57 degrees 4 minutes west the nearest to the Falkland Islands by my reckoning we were north 13 degrees west distance 23 leagues our stock of water being sufficient to service to the Cape of Good Hope I did not think it worthwhile to stop at these islands as the refreshments we might obtain there would scarce repay us for the expense of time we therefore continued our course towards the northeast and east northeast May Friday 9 at 8 o'clock in the evening we were near the situation of Tristan Dockuna our latitude being 37 degrees 7 minutes south and longitude 15 degrees 26 minutes west all the afternoon the weather had been clear enough for land of a moderate height to be seen at at least 7 leagues I therefore concluded that we had not yet passed the meridian of the island the westerly position given to it for many authority is 15 degrees 0 minutes west as I wish to make this island we kept our wind on different tax during the night that we might be nearly in the same place at daylight in the morning as on the preceding evening in the morning no land being in sight we continued to steer to the eastward Saturday 10 we ran on all day having clear but without seeing anything to indicate our being there land at noon our latitude observed was 37 degrees 27 minutes south which being more to the southward than we had reason to expect I altered the course to the northward and steered northeast all the afternoon at 6 o'clock in the evening we were in latitude 37 degrees 0 minutes south and longitude 12 degrees 42 minutes west having a clear horizon but not the least sign of being in the neighborhood of land with the night came thick rainy weather and we were now to the eastward of the situation ascribed to Tristan Decuna I therefore determined to give over the search and to resume our course towards the Cape of Good Hope the island of Tristan Decuna by Robinson's elements is laid down in 37 degrees 12 minutes south latitude and 13 degrees 23 minutes west longitude and Captain Cook's general map prefix to his last voyage is placed at the same latitude but in 15 degrees west longitude from our track and the clearness of the weather I am convinced if the latitude described to it as above is correct that it is not to be found in the islands of 16 degrees 30 minutes west and 12 degrees 30 minutes west on the 13th I had a number of lunar observations for the longitude the mean of which agreed exactly with the timekeeper footnote in Mr. Dallrupple's collection of plans which I had not with me the northern most of the islands of Tristan Decuna is placed in latitude 37 degrees 22 minutes south and longitude 13 degrees 17 minutes west I think it probable we miss them by being too much to the northward in this passage the weather was generally so cloudy that I had few opportunities to make observations of any kind except for the noon latitudes I could not determine when we crossed the line of no variation the nearest two observations to it were 39 degrees 51 minutes south latitude and 26 degrees 11 minutes west longitude where the variation of the compass was found to be 3 degrees 17 minutes east and the other in latitude 35 degrees 30 minutes south and longitude 5 degrees 21 minutes west where I observed the variation 11 degrees 35 minutes west between these we had no intermediate observations for the variation Thursday 22 at 2 in the afternoon we saw the Table Mountain of the Cape of Good Hope as it is reckoned unsafe riding on Table Bay at this time of year I steered for False Bay the next evening we anchored in the outer part Saturday 24 and on the 4 noon of the 24th got the ship secured by the Simon's Bay which is in the inner part of False Bay when moored Noah's Ark bore south 35 degrees east 3 quarters of a mile and the hospital south 72 west we found the line there one outward bound Dutch India men five other Dutch ships and a French ship after saluting the fort which was returned by an equal number of guns I went on shore these batches were sent away to Cape Town to acquaint the governor of our arrival a Dutch ship at this time lying in Table Bay bound for Europe I sent letters by her to the Admiralty it is very unusual for ships to be in Table Bay so late in the year on account of the strong northwest winds April is the time limited I gave the necessary directions for getting our wants supplied the ship required to be caulked in every part for she was so leaky that we had been obliged to pump every hour in our passage from Cape Horn this we immediately set about as well as repairing our sails and rigging the severe weather we had met with and the leakiness of the ship made it necessary to examine into the state of all the stores and provisions of the latter a good deal was found damaged particularly the bread the timekeeper I took on shore to ascertain its rate and other instruments to make the necessary astronomical observations fresh meat with soft bread and plenty of vegetables were issued daily to the ship's company the whole time we remained there a few days after our arrival I went over to Cape Town and waited on this Excellency Von Der Graf the governor managed matters so much to our advantage that we scarcely felt the inconvenient of being at a distance from the Cape Town once we received all our supplies the Cape Town is considerably increased within the last eight years its respectability with regard to strength has kept pace with its other enlargements and rendered it very secure against any attempt which is not made with considerable force great attention has paid to military order and discipline and monthly signals are established to communicate with their shipping as they arrive near the coast that they might not run unawares into the hands of an enemy I found everything much dearer than when I was here in 1780 sheep cost four Spanish dollars each and were so small that it answered better to purchase the mutton for the ship's daily use at four pence per pound here I took care to procure seeds and plants that would be valuable at Ota Hedi in the different places we might touch at in our way thither and this I was greatly assisted by Colonel Gordon, the commander of the troops in company with this gentleman the loss of the Grostenever East India men was mentioned on this subject Colonel Gordon expressed great concern that from anything he had said to flatter the affectionate wishes of the surviving friends of those unfortunate people he said that in his travels into the calfery country he had met with a native who described to him that there was a white woman among his countrymen who had a child and that she frequently embraced the child and cried most violently this was all he, the Colonel, could understand and being then on his return home with his health much impaired by fatigue the only thing he could do was to make a friend of the native by presence and promises of reward on the condition that he would take a letter to this woman and bring him back an answer accordingly he wrote letters in English, French, and Dutch desiring that some sign or mark might be returned either by writing with a burnt stick or by any means that she should be able to devise to satisfy him that she was there and that on receiving such token from her every effort should be made to ensure her safety and escape but the calfery though apparently delighted with the commission which he had undertaken never returned nor has the Colonel ever heard anything more of him though he had been instructed in methods of conveying information through the Hottentot country to this account that I might not have the occasion to introduce so melancholy a subject I shall add the little information I received respecting that when I revisited the cape in my return towards Europe a reputable farmer by the name of Hallhausen who lives at Swellendam eight miles journey from the cape had information from some calfery Hottentots that a corral or village in their country there were Hallhausen asked for permission of the governor to make an expedition with some of the farmers into the country requiring a thousand ricks dollars to bear his expenses the governor referred him to Mr. Wolk the land rows of graft renat a new colony in his way but from the place where Mr. Hallhausen lives to the land rows Mr. Wolk's residence is a month's journey which he did not choose to undertake as Mr. Wolk may have disapproved of the enterprise it was in October last that Mr. Hallhausen offered to go on this service he was one of the party who went along the sea coast in search of these unfortunate people when a few of them first made their appearance at the Cape I am however informed that the Dutch farmers are fond of making expeditions into the country that they may have opportunities to cattle and this I apprehend to be one of the chief reasons why undertakings of this kind are not encouraged on the 13th of June the Dublin East India men arrived from England on board of which ship was a party of the 77th Regiment under the command of Colonel Balfour the result of my lunar observations gave for the longitude of Simons Bay 18 degrees 48 minutes east the latitude 34 degrees 11 minutes 34 seconds south the timekeeper likewise made the longitude 18 degrees 47 minutes east the longitude as established by former observations is 18 degrees 33 minutes east the variation of the compass on shore was 24 degrees 4 minutes west 34 degrees 28 minutes west the time of the high water was 3 quarters past 2 on the full and change and it then flowed 6 feet with respect to the Cape Promontory it lies about 3 miles east of the meridian of Simons Town all the tables of latitude and longitude place the Cape in 34 degrees 29 minutes south latitude but from the many observations of it with good instruments I make it to lie in 34 degrees 23 minutes south which agrees with its situation as laid down in Major Reynolds map the part which I call the Cape is the southernmost point of the land between Table Bay and Falz Bay but the Dutch consider the western most part of the coast to be the Cape Sunday 29 on the 29th being ready for sea I took the timekeeper and instruments on board the error of the timekeeper was 3 33 seconds too too slow for the mean time at Greenwich and it's rate of going 3 seconds per day losing the thermometer during our stay here was from 51 to 66 degrees July Tuesday 1 we had been 38 days at this place and my people had received all the advantages that could be derived from the refreshments of every kind here to be met with we sailed at 4 o'clock this afternoon and saluted the platform with 13 guns as we ran out of the bay which were returned End of Chapter 3 Chapter 4 of A Voyage to the South Sea this library box recording is in the public domain A Voyage to the South Sea by William Bly Chapter 4 Passage towards Van Damans Land Make the Island of St. Paul Arrival in Adventure Bay Native Scene Sail from Van Damans Land 1788 July We lost sight of the land the day after leaving Faults Bay and steered towards the east-southeast having variable winds the first week with much thunder lightning and rain the remainder of this passage the winds were mostly between the south and west blowing strong there were almost every day great numbers of Pintata albatrosses blue petrels and other oceanic birds about us but it was observed that if the wind came from the northward only for a few hours the birds generally left us and their presence again was the forerunner of a southerly wind Sunday 13 The variation of the compass was 30 degrees 34 minutes west which was the greatest variation we found in this track our latitude 36 degrees 28 minutes south and longitude 39 degrees 0 minutes east Sunday 20 The latitude at noon was 40 degrees 30 minutes south and longitude 60 degrees 7 minutes east we were at this time scouting under the foresail and close reefed main top sail the wind blowing strong from the west an hour afternoon the gale increased in blue with so much violence that the ship was almost driven forecastle under before we could get the sails cleared up as soon as the sails were taken in we brought the ship to the wind lowered the lower yards and got the top gallant masts up on deck we eased the ship very much Monday 21 we remained line 2 till 8 the next morning when we bore away under a reefed foresail in the afternoon the sea ran so high that it became very unsafe to stand on we therefore brought to the wind again and remained line 2 all night without accident accepting that the man at the steerage was thrown over the wheel much bruised Tuesday 22 towards noon the violence of the storm abated and we again bore away under the reefed foresail our latitude at noon 38 degrees 49 minutes south in the afternoon saw some whales we continued running to the eastward in this parallel it being my intention to make the island St. Paul Monday 28 6 in the morning we saw the island bearing east by north 12 leagues distant between 10 and 11 o'clock we ran along the south side at about a league distant from the shore there was a verdeur that covered the higher parts of the land but I believe it was nothing more than moss which is commonly found on the tops of most rocky islands in these latitudes we saw several whales near the shore the extent of this island is five miles from the east to west and about two or three from north to south as we passed the east end we saw a remarkable high sugarloaf rock a breast of which I have been informed is good anchoring and 23 fathoms the east point bearing southwest by south by true compass I had this information from the captain of a Dutch packet in which I returned to Europe and I said there was good fresh water on the island in a hot spring which boiled fish in his great perfection as on a fire by his account the latitude which he observed in the road is 38 degrees 39 minutes south and from the anchoring place the island of Amsterdam was in sight to the northward we had fair weather all the four noon but just at noon a squall came on which was unfavorable for our observation I had however two sets of double altitudes and a good altitude exactly at noon according to the timekeeper the results of these gave the latitude to the center of Saint Paul 38 degrees 47 minutes south the longitude I make 77 degrees 39 minutes east the variation of the compass taking the mean of what was observed to be the day before we saw the island and the day after is 19 degrees 30 minutes west at noon we were three leagues past the island we kept on towards the east south east and for several days continued to see rock weed which is remarked to be generally the case after ships past Saint Paul but to the westward of at very seldom any is seen August Wednesday 13 in latitude 44 degrees 16 minutes south longitude 122 degrees 7 minutes east I observed the variation of the compass to be 6 degrees 23 minutes west I had no opportunity to observe it again till in the latitude of 43 degrees 56 minutes south longitude 133 degrees 16 minutes east when it was 1 degree 38 minutes east so that we had passed the line of no variation 1980 on board the resolution in latitude 44 degrees 23 minutes south longitude 131 degrees 28 minutes east the variation was observed 6 degrees 0 minutes west which is a remarkable difference we had much bad weather with snow and hail and in our approach to van diamond's land nothing was seen to indicate the nearness of the coast except a seal when we were at the distance of 20 leagues Tuesday 19 at 10 o'clock this afternoon we saw the rock named the mu stone that lies near the southwest cape of van diamond's land bearing northeast about 6 leagues the wind blew strong from the northwest as soon as we had passed the mu stone we were sheltered from a very heavy sea which ran from the westward at 8 o'clock at night we were of the south cape when the wind became light and variable saw several fires inland the mu stone is a high bold rock that lies 5 leagues to the southeast of the southwest cape and is the part that all ships bound this way should endeavor to make its latitude is 43 degrees 46 or 47 minutes several islands lie to the northward between that and the main among which bearing north by west from the mu stone is a high rock much resembling it and north northeast from the mu stone on the mainland is a remarkable high mountain which in this direction appears notched like a cox comb but as viewed from the eastward seems round Wednesday 20 all the 20th we were endeavoring to get into adventure bay but were prevented by variable winds the next morning at 5 o'clock we anchored in the outer part and at sunrise wait again at noon we anchored well in the bay and moored the ship penguin island bearing north 57 and one half degree east about two miles distance Cape Frederick Henry north 23 degrees east and the mouth of the lagoon south 16 degrees east in our passage from the Cape of Good Hope the winds were mostly westward with very boisterous weather but the one great advantage that this season of the year has over the summer months is in being free from fogs I have already remarked that the approach of the strong southerly winds is announced by many kinds of birds of the albatross or petrol tribe and the abatement of the gale or a shift of wind to the northward by their keeping away the thermometer also very quickly shows when a inch of these winds may be expected by varying sometimes six or seven degrees in its height I have reason to believe that after we passed the island Saint Paul there was a westerly current the ship being every day to the westward of the reckoning which in the whole from Saint Paul to Van Diamond's land made a difference of four degrees between the longitude by the reckoning and the true longitude 21 the ship being moored I went in a boat to look out for the most convenient place to water at which I found to be at the west end of the beach for the surf though considerable was less there than at any other part of the bay the water was in a gully about sixty yards from the beach it was perfectly good but being only a collection from the rains the place is always dry in the summer months for we had no water in it when I was there with Captain Cook in January 1777 we had very little success in hauling the Sain about twenty small flounders and flat headed fish called foxes were all that were taken I found no signs of the natives having lately frequented this bay or of any European vessels having been here since the resolution and discovery in 1777 from some of the shrunks of trees then cut down I saw shoots about 25 feet high and 14 inches in circumference in the evening I returned on board Friday 22 the next morning the 22nd at daylight a party was sent on shore for wooding and watering under the command of Mr. Christian and the gunner and I directed that one man should be constantly employed in washing the people's clothes there was so much surf that the wood was obliged to be rafted off in bundles to the boat Mr. Nelson informed me that in his walks today he saw a tree in a very healthy state which he measured and found to be 33 and a half feet in gert its height was proportioned to its bulk Saturday 23 the surf was rather greater than yesterday which very much interrupted our wooding and watering Nelson today picked up a male opossum that had been recently killed or had died for we could not perceive any wound unless it had received a blow on the back where there was a bare spot about the size of a shilling and measured 14 inches from the ears to the beginning of the tail which was exactly the same length most of the forest trees were at this time shedding their bark there are three kinds which are distinguished from each other by their leaves though the wood appears to be the same many of them are full of 150 feet high but most of those we cut down were decayed at the heart there are besides the forest trees several other kinds that are firm good wood and may be cut for most purposes except masks neither are the forest trees good for masks on account of their weight and the difficulty of finding them thoroughly sound Mr. Nelson asserted that they shed their bark here and that they increased more from the seed than by suckers I found the tide made a difference of full two feet in the height of the water in the lake at the back of the beach at high water it was very brackish but at low tide it was perfectly fresh to the taste and soap showed no sign of its being the least impregnated we had better success in fishing on board the ship than by hauling the same on shore hooks and lines the number of fine rock cod were caught I saw today several eagles some beautiful blue plumage terrens and a great variety of parakeets a few oyster catchers and gulls were generally about the beach and in the lake a few wild ducks Monday 25 being in the want of plank I directed a saw pit to be dug and employed some of the people to saw trees in the plank part of this week the winds were moderate with unsettled weather Friday 29 on Friday it blew strong from the southwest with rain, thunder and lightning we continued to catch fish in sufficient quantities for everybody and had better success with the same we were fortunate also in angling in the lake where we caught some very fine tench some of the people fell to sickness for meeting mussels but I believe that it was occasioned by eating too many we found some spider crabs most of them not good being of the female sort and out of season the males were tolerably good and were known by the smallness of their two foreclaws or feeders we saw the trunk of a dead tree on which had been cut AD 1773 the figures were very distinct even the slips made with the knife were discernible this must have been done by some of captain furnough's people in March 1773 15 years before the marks of the knife remaining so unaltered I imagine the tree must have been dead when it was cut but it serves to show the durability of the wood for it was perfectly sound at this time I shot two gannets these birds were of the same size as those in England beautiful white with the wings and tail tipped with jet black in the top and back of the head of a very fine yellow their feet were black with four claws on each of which was a yellow line the whole length of the foot the bill was four inches long without nostrils and very taper and sharp pointed the east side of the bay being not so thick of wood as the other parts in the soil being good I fixed on it at Nelson's recommendation as the most proper situation for planting some of the fruit trees which I had brought from the Cape of Good Hope a circumstance much against anything succeeding here is that in the dry season the fires made by the natives are apt to communicate to the dried grass and underwood and to spread in such a manner as to endanger everything that cannot bear a severe scorching we however chose what we thought the safest situations and planted three fine young apple trees, nine vines six plantain trees a number of orange and lemon seed cherry stones, plum peach and apricot stones pumpkins also two sorts of Indian corn and apple and peri kernels the ground is well adapted for the trees being of a rich glommy nature the spot where we made our plantation underwood and we marked the trees that stood nearest to the different things which were planted Nelson followed the circuit of the bay planting in such places as appeared most eligible I have great hopes that some of these articles will succeed the particular situations I had described in my survey of this place but I was unfortunately prevented from bringing it home near the watering place likewise we planted on a flat suitable situation some onions, cabbage roots and potatoes for some days past a number of oils were seen in the bay they were of the same kind as those we had generally met with before having two blowholes in the back of the head September Monday 1 on the night of the 1st of September we observed for the first time signs of the natives being in the neighborhood fires were seen on the low land near Cape Frederick Henry and the daylight we saw the natives with our glasses as I expected they would come around to us I remained all the forenoon near the wooding and watering parties making observations the morning being very favorable for that purpose I was however disappointed in my conjecture for the natives did not appear and it was too great a surf for a boat to land on the part where we had seen them 2 the natives not coming near us I determined to go after them and we sat on a boat towards Cape Frederick Henry where we arrived about 11 o'clock I found landing impracticable and therefore came to a grapple in hopes that they're coming to us before we had passed several fires after waiting near an hour I was surprised to see Nelson's assistant come out of the wood he had wandered thus far in search of plants and told me that he had met with some of the natives soon after we heard their voices like the cackling of geese and 20 persons came out of the wood 12 of whom went round to some rocks where the boat could get nearer to the shore than we then were those who remained behind were women we approached within 20 yards to them but there was no possibility of landing and I could only throw to the shore tied up in paper the presents that I had intended for them I showed the different articles as I tied them up but they would not untie the paper till I made an appearance of leaving them they then opened the parcels and as they took the articles out placed them on their heads on seeing this I returned towards them when they instantly put everything out of their hands and would not appear to take notice of anything we had given them after throwing a few more beads I made signs for them to go to the ship and they likewise made signs for me to land but as this cannot be affected I left them in hopes of a nearer interview at the watering place when they first came in sight they made a prodigious clattering in their speech and held their arms over their heads they spoke so quick I could not catch one single word they uttered we recollected one man whom we had formally seen among the party that came to us in 1777 and who was particularized in the account of Captain Cook's last voyage for his humor and deformity some of them had a small stick two or three feet long in their hands but no other weapon their color, as Captain Cook remarks, is a dull black their skin is scarified about their shoulders and breast they were of a metal stature or rather below it one of them was distinguished by his body being covered with red ochre but all the others were painted black with a kind of soot that was laid on so thick over their faces and shoulders that it is difficult to say what they were like they ran very nimbly over the rocks had a very quick sight and caught the small beads and nails which I threw to them with great dexterity they talked to us sitting on their heels with their knees close into their armpits and were perfectly naked in my return towards the ship I landed at the point of the harbor near Penguin Island and from the hills saw the water on the other side of the low isthmus of Cape Frederick Henry which forms the bay of that name it is very extensive and in or near the middle of the bay there is a low island from this spot it has the appearance of being a very good and convenient harbor the account in which I had from Brown the botanist assistant was that in his search for plants he had met an old man a young woman and two or three children the old man at first appeared alarmed but became familiar on being presented with a knife he nevertheless sent away the young woman who went very reluctantly he saw some miserable wigwams in which were nothing but a few kangaroo skins spread on the ground and a basket made of rushes among the wood that we cut we found many scorpions and centipedes with numerous black ants that were an inch long we saw no mosquitoes though in the summer months they were very troublesome what is called the New Zealand tea plant grew here in great abundance so that it was not only gathered and dried to use as tea but made excellent brooms it bears a small pointed leaf of a pleasant smell and its seed is contained in a berry about the size of a pea notched in the five equal parts on the top the soil on the west and south sides of the bay is black mold with a mixture of fine white sand and is very rich the trees are lofty and large and the underwood grows so close together that in many places it is impassable the east side of the bay is a rich gloomy soil but near the tops of the hills is very much encumbered with stones and rocks the underwood thinly placed and small the trees on the south, southeast and southwest sides of the hill grow to a larger size than those that are exposed to the opposite points for the sides of the trees open or exposed to the north winds are naked with few branches while the other sides are in a flourishing state from this I do not infer that the equatorials are more hurtful than the polar winds but that the trees by their situation were more sheltered from the one for from the other Wednesday 3 a column prevented our sailing today the friendly interview we had to had with the natives made me expect that they would have paid us a visit but we saw nothing more of them except fires in the night upon the low land to the northward the result of the observations I made here reduced to Penguin Island place it in 43 degrees 21 minutes 11 seconds south latitude and in longitude 147 degrees 33 minutes 29 seconds east which scarcely differs from the observations made in 1777 the variation of the compass observed on shore was 8 degrees 38 minutes east and on board the ship 8 degrees 29 minutes east it was high water at the change of the moon at 49 minutes past 6 in the morning the rise was 2 feet 8 inches southerly winds of any continuance make a considerable difference in the height of the tides Thursday 4 this forenoon having a pleasant breeze at northwest we wait anchor and sailed out of adventure bay at noon the southern most part of Maria's Isles bore north 52 degrees east about 5 leagues distant Penguin Island south 86 degrees west and Cape Frederick Henry north 65 degrees west in this position we had soundings at 57 fathoms a sandy bottom latitude observed 43 degrees 22 minutes south the southern part of Maria's islands lay in the latitude 43 degrees 16 minutes south the country is not in general woody but in some of the interior parts there appeared great abundance among these islands I have no doubt of there being many convenient places for shipping on the east side in latitude 42 degrees 42 minutes south and on-situde 148 degrees 24 minutes east in July 1789 Captain Cox of the Mercury found a convenient insecure harbor from all winds which he named oyster bay here he found wood water and fish in great abundance it has two outlets and lies north a little easterly distance 34 miles from the southeastern most island or point seen from adventure bay adventure bay is a convenient and safe place for any number of ships to take in wood and water during the summer months but in the winter when the winds are strong the surf on all parts of the shore makes the landing exceedingly troublesome the bay of Frederick Henry may perhaps be found preferable as it appears to be equally easy of access the soundings on adventure bay are very regular near the west shore are some patches of weed but no shoal or danger the depth on them being from five to nine fathoms End of chapter four