A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume X Part 17

These islands are better stored with guanoes and land-tortoises than any other part of the world. The guanoes are very tame, of extraordinary size, and very fat. The land-tortoises are likewise very fat, and so numerous that several hundred men might subsist upon them for a considerable time. They are as pleasant food as a pullet, and so large that some of them weighed 150 and even 200 pounds, being two feet to two feet and a half across the belly; whereas in other places they are seldom met with above 30 pounds weight. There are several kinds of land-tortoises in the West Indies, one of which, called _Hackatee_ by the Spaniards, keeps mostly in fresh-water ponds, having long necks, small legs, and flat feet, and is usually between ten and fifteen pounds weight. A second, and much smaller kind, which they call _Tenopen_,[153]

is somewhat rounder, but not unlike in other respects, except that their back sh.e.l.ls are naturally covered with curious carved work. The tortoises in the Gallapagos isles resembles the _Hackatee_, having long necks and small heads, but are much larger.

[Footnote 153: This word in the text is probably a misprint for _Terrapin_, a trivial name for a species of land or fresh-water tortoise, found also in the warmer parts of North America--E.]

In these islands there are also some green snakes, and great numbers of remarkably tame turtle-doves, very fat, and excellent eating. There are large channels between some of these islands, capable of receiving s.h.i.+ps of moderate burden. On the shoals there grows great abundance of sea-weed, called _turtle-gra.s.s_, owing to which these channels abound in _green turtles_ or sea-tortoises. There are several kinds of turtles or sea-tortoises, as the _Trunk, Loggerhead, Hawksbill_, and _Green_ turtles. The first is larger than the rest, and has a rounder and higher back sh.e.l.l, but is neither so wholesome nor so well tasted; and the same may be said of the Loggerhead, which feeds on moss from the rocks, and has its name from its large head. The Hawksbill, so named from having a long small mouth, like the beak of a hawk, is the smallest species, and is that which produces the so-much-admired tortoise-sh.e.l.l, of which cabinets, boxes, combs, and other things are made in Europe, and of this sh.e.l.l each has from three to four pounds, though some have less. The flesh of this kind is but indifferent, yet better than that of the Loggerheads; though these, which are taken between the _Sambellos_ and _Portobello_, make those who eat the flesh purge and vomit excessively, and the same is observed of some other fish in the West Indies.

The laying time of the sea-tortoises is about May, June, and July, a little sooner or later, and they lay three times each season, eighty or ninety eggs each time, which are round and as large as an hen's egg, but covered only with a thin white skin, having no sh.e.l.l. When a tortoise goes on sh.o.r.e to lay, she is usually an hour before she returns, as she always chuses her place above high-water mark, where she makes a large hole with her fins in the sand, in which she lays her eggs, and then covers them two feet deep with the sand she had raked out. Sometimes they go on sh.o.r.e the day before, to take a look of the place, and are sure to return to the same spot next day. People take the tortoises on this occasion, while on sh.o.r.e in the night, turning them over on their backs, above high-water mark, and then return to fetch them off next morning; but a large Green tortoise will give work enough to two stout men to turn her over. The Green tortoise gets its name from the colour of the sh.e.l.l, having a small round head, and weighs from 200 to 300 pounds. Its flesh is accounted the best of any, but there are none of this kind in the South Sea. The sea-tortoises found at the Gallapagos being a b.a.s.t.a.r.d kind of Green tortoises, having thicker sh.e.l.ls than those of the West Indies, and their flesh not so good. They are also much larger, being frequently two or three feet thick, and their bellies five feet broad.

They remained twelve or fourteen days at the Gallapagos, during which time Captain Cooke lived on sh.o.r.e in a very poor state of health. They also landed 1500 bags of flour, with a large quant.i.ty of sweetmeats and other provisions, on York Island, which they might have recourse to on any emergency. From one of their prisoners, an Indian of _Realejo_, they had a flattering account of the riches of that place, which he alleged might be easily taken, and for which enterprise he offered to serve them as a guide. Setting sail therefore from the Gallapagos on the 12th June, they shaped their course in lat 4 40' N. with the intention of touching at the _Island of Cocos_, [in lat. 5 27' N. and long. 87 27' W. from Greenwich.] This island is seven or eight leagues in circuit, but uninhabited, and produces a pleasant herb near the sea coast, called _Geamadael_ by the Spaniards. It is so environed with steep rocks as to be inaccessible, except on the N.E. where s.h.i.+ps may safely ride in a small bay.

Missing this island, they continued their course towards the continent of America, and reached Cape _Blanco_, or _Trespuntas_, on the coast of Mexico, in lat. 9 56' N. in the beginning of July. This cape gets the name of _Blanco_, or the White Cape, from two high steep taper white rocks, like high towers, about half a mile distant. The cape itself is about the same height with Beachy-head, on the coast of Suss.e.x, being a full broad point jutting out to sea, and terminated with steep rocks, while both sides have easy descents to the sea from the flat top, which is covered with tall trees, and affords a pleasant prospect. On the N.W.

side of the cape the land runs in to the N.E. for four leagues, making a small bay, called _Caldera Bay_, at the entrance to which, at the N.W.

side of the cape, a rivulet of fresh water discharges itself into the sea through very rich low lands abounding in lofty trees. This rich wooded vale extends a mile N.E. beyond the rivulet, when a savanna begins, running several leagues into the country, here and there beautifully interspersed with groves of trees, and covered with excellent long gra.s.s. Deeper into the bay, the low lands are cloathed with mangroves; but farther into the country the land is higher, partly covered with woods, and partly consisting of hilly savannas, not so good as the former, and here the woods consist of short small trees. From the bottom of this bay one may travel to the lake of Nicaragua over hilly savannas, a distance of fourteen, or fifteen leagues.[154]

[Footnote 154: The bay of Caldera in the text is evidently the gulf of Nicoya, from the bottom of which the lake of Nicaragua is distant about fifty English miles due north. The lat.i.tude of Cape Blanco in the text, 9 56' N. is considerably erroneous, its true lat.i.tude being only 9 27'

N.]

Captain Cooke had been very ill ever since their departure from Juan Fernandez, and died as soon as they came within two or three leagues of Cape Blanco, which indeed is a frequent incident at sea, as people who have been long ill often die on coming in sight of land. Coming to anchor a few hours after a league within the cape, near the mouth of the before-mentioned rivulet, in 14 fathoms on clear hard sand, his body was immediately carried on sh.o.r.e for interment, under a guard of twelve armed men. While the people were digging his grave, they were joined by three Spanish Indians, who asked many questions, and were at length seized, though one of them afterwards escaped. The other two were carried aboard, and confessed that they were sent as spies from Nicoya, a small Mulatto town twelve or fourteen leagues from the cape, and seated on the banks of a river of the same name,[155] being a convenient place for building and refitting s.h.i.+ps. The president of Panama had sent intelligence to this place of the English being in these seas, in consequence of which the inhabitants, who mostly subsist by cultivating corn, and by slaughtering great numbers of cattle which feed on their extensive savannas, had sent their ox hides to the North Sea by way of the lake of Nicaragua, as also a certain red wood, called in Jamaica _Blood wood_, or Nicaragua wood, which is used in dying. These commodities are exchanged for linen and woollen manufactures, and other European goods.

[Footnote 155: There is no river at Niceya, but it is seated on a bay or harbour within the gulf of the same name.--E.]

Learning from their prisoners that there was a large cattle pen at no great distance, where cows and bulls could be had in abundance, and being very desirous of having some fresh beef which had long been very rare among them, twenty-four of the English went ash.o.r.e in two boats, under the guidance of one of the Indians, and landed about a league from the s.h.i.+ps, hauling their boats upon the dry sand. Their guide conducted them to the pen, in a large savanna two miles from the boats, where they found abundance of bulls and cows feeding. Some of the English were for killing three or four immediately, but the rest insisted to wait till morning, and then to kill as many as they needed. On this difference of opinion, Dampier and eleven more thought proper to return aboard that night, expecting to be followed by the rest next day. Hearing nothing of them next day at four p.m. ten men were sent in a canoe to look for them; when they found their comrades on a small rock half a mile from the sh.o.r.e, up to their middles in water, having fled there to escape from forty or fifty Spaniards, well armed with guns and lances, who had burnt their boat. They had taken shelter on this rock at low water, and must have perished in an hour, as it was then flowing tide, if they had not been relieved by the canoe, which brought them safe on board.

On the 19th July, Edward Davis, quarter-master of the Revenge, was elected captain, in the room of Captain Cooke. They sailed next day from Cape Blanco towards Realejo, with a moderate breeze at N. which brought them in three days over against that port, in lat. 12 26' N. This place is easily discovered from sea, by means of a high-peaked burning mountain about ten miles inland, called by the Spaniards _Volcano vejo_, or the old volcano, which is so high that it may be seen twenty leagues out at sea, besides which there is no other similar mountain on all that coast. To make this harbour, the mountain must bear N.E. and keeping this coa.r.s.e will bring a s.h.i.+p directly into the harbour, the entrance of which may be seen at three leagues off. This harbour is inclosed by a low isle, a mile in length, a quarter of a mile broad, and a mile and a half from the main land. It has a channel or entrance at each end of the island, that on the east, being narrow and having a strong tide, is seldom used, but that on the west is much larger and more commodious. In taking this entry, however, s.h.i.+ps must beware of a certain sandy shoal on the N.W. point of the isle, and when past this must keep close to the isle, as a sand-bank runs half way over from the continental sh.o.r.e. This port is able to contain 200 s.h.i.+ps.

About two leagues from the port, the town of Realejo stands in a fenny country, full of red mangrove trees, between two arms of the sea, the westermost of which reaches up to the town, and the eastermost comes near it, but no s.h.i.+pping can get so far up.[156] On entering the bay in their canoes, they found the country apprized of their approach, and fully prepared for their reception, wherefore the enterprise against Realejo was laid aside. Pursuant to a consultation between the two commanders, Eaton and Davis, they sailed on the 27th July for the gulf of Amapalla or Fonseca.

[Footnote 156: The account in the text appears applicable to what is now called _El Viejo_, or the old town, nearly 12 miles from the port, but modern Realejo stands almost close to the entrance of the bay or harbour.--E.]

This is a large gulf or branch of the sea, running eight or ten leagues into the country, and nearly of the same breadth. The S.E. extreme point is called Cape _Casurina_, or _Casiquina_, in lat. 12 53' N. and long.

87 36' W. and the N.W. point is Cape Candadillo, in lat. 18 6' N. and long. 87 57' W. Within this bay are several islands, the princ.i.p.al of these being named _Mangeru_ and _Amapaila_. Mangera is a high round island, two leagues in circuit, inclosed on all sides by rocks, except on its N.E. side, where there is a small sandy creek. The soil is black and shallow, full of stones, and produces very lofty trees. It has a small town or village in the middle inhabited by Indians, and a handsome Spanish church. The inhabitants cultivate a small quant.i.ty of maize and plantains, having also a few c.o.c.ks and hens, but no beasts except dogs and cats. From the creek to the town there is a steep rocky path.

_Amapalla_ resembles the other isle in soil, but is much larger, and has two towns about two miles asunder, one on its northern end, and the other on the east. The latter is on a plain on the summit of a hill, and has a handsome church. The other town is smaller, but has also a fine church. In most of the Indian towns under the Spanish dominion, the images of the saints in their churches are represented of the Indian complexion, and dressed like Indians; while in the towns inhabited by Spaniards, the images have the European complexion and dress. There are many other islands in the bay, but uninhabited.

Captain Davis went into the gulf with two canoes to procure some prisoners for intelligence, and coming to Mangera, the inhabitants all ran away into the woods, so that only the priest and two boys were taken. Captain Davis went thence to the isle of Amapalla, where the inhabitants were prevented from retiring into the woods by the secretary, who was an enemy to the Spaniards, and persuaded them the English were friends; but by the misconduct of one of the Buccaneers, all the Indians run away, on which Davis made his men fire at them, and the secretary was slain. After this the casique of the island was reconciled to the English, and afterwards guided them wherever they had occasion to go, especially to places on the continent where they could procure beef.

A company of English and French Buccaneers landed some time afterwards on this island, whence they went over to the continent, and marched by land to the _Cape River_, otherwise called _Yare_, or _Vanquez_ river, which falls into the gulf of Mexico, near _Cape Gracias a Dios_, on the Mosquito sh.o.r.e. On reaching that river near its source, they constructed bark canoes, in which they descended the stream into the gulf of Mexico.

They were not, however, the first discoverers of this pa.s.sage, as about thirty years before, some English went up that same river to near its source, from the gulf of Mexico, and marched thence inland to a town called New Segovia, near the head of Bluefield's river.

While in this bay of Amapalla, some difference arose between the two captains, Davis who had succeeded to Cooke in command of the Revenge, and Eaton of the Nicholas, when they resolved to separate: But they first deemed it proper to careen their s.h.i.+ps, for which this place afforded every convenience, and to take in a supply of fresh water. Both s.h.i.+ps being in condition for sea, Captain Eaton took 400 sacks of flour on board his s.h.i.+p, and agreed with Captain Cowley to take the charge of the Nicholas as master. From this period therefore, which was in the end of September, the voyages of Cowley and Dampier cease to be the same, and require to be separately narrated.

SECTION II.

_Continuation of the Narrative of Cowley, from leaving the Revenge, to his Return to England_.

On leaving the gulf of Amapalla, the Nicholas steered for Cape Francisco, in lat. 0 50' N. near which they encountered dreadful storms, attended by prodigious thunder and lightning. From thence they proceeded to the lat.i.tude of 7 S. but found the country every where alarmed. They went next to Payta, in lat. 4 55' S. where they took two s.h.i.+ps at anchor, which they set on fire, because the Spaniards refused to ransom them. Leaving the coast, they went to the island of _Gorgona_, in lat. 2 50' N. about four leagues from the main, which the privateers usually called _Sharp's Island_. This is about two leagues long by one league broad, having a good harbour on its west side, and affording plenty of wood and water. It is a common saying in Spanish South America, that it rains often in Chili, seldom in Peru, and always at Gorgona, where they allege there never was a day fair to an end. Though this be not strictly true, it is certain that this island has rain more or less at all seasons, on which account, perhaps, it has always remained uninhabited. They sailed from Gorgona W.N.W. till in lat. 30 N. when they steered W. by N. to lat. 15 N. till they considered themselves beyond danger from the rocks of _St Bartholomew_; after which they returned into the lat. of 13 N. in which parallel they continued their voyage for the East Indies.

They had a regular trade-wind, and a reasonably quick pa.s.sage across the Pacific Ocean, except that their men were mostly ill of the scurvy; and on the 14th of March, 1685, being in lat. 13 2' N. they came in sight of the island of Guam. By Captain Cowley's calculation, this run across the Pacific Ocean extended to 7646 miles, from the island of Gorgona to Guam.[157] They came next day to anchor in a bay on the west side of the island, and sent their boat on sh.o.r.e with a flag of truce. The inhabitants of a village at that place set fire to their houses, and ran away into the interior, on which the boat's crew cut down some cocoa trees to gather the fruit, and on going again on board were threatened by a party of the natives, who sallied out from some bushes on purpose to attack them. A friendly intercourse was however established between the English and the natives, and trade took place with them till the 17th, when the natives attacked the English suddenly, but were beat off with heavy loss, while none of the English were hurt.

[Footnote 157: Gorgona is in long. 78 33' Guam in 216 40', both W.

from Greenwich. The difference of longitude is 138 07', which gives 9530 statute miles, or 2762 marine leagues, so that the computation in the text is considerably too short.--E.]

On the 19th the Spanish governor of the island came to a point of land not far from the s.h.i.+p, whence he sent his boat on board with three copies of the same letter, in Spanish, French, and Dutch, desiring to know who they were, whence they came, and whither they were bound.

Captain Eaton answered in French, saying that they had been fitted out by some gentlemen in France to make discoveries, and were come in quest of provisions. In reply the governor invited Captain Eaton on sh.o.r.e, who landed with a guard of twenty men doubly armed, and was politely received. On the 18th the governor sent ten hogs on board, together with a prodigious quant.i.ty of potatoes, plantains, oranges, papaws, and red pepper, in return for which Captain Eaton sent a diamond ring to the governor worth twenty pounds, and gave swords to several Spanish gentlemen who came off with the provisions. Next day the governor sent to procure some powder, of which he was in want, as the natives were in rebellion, and Captain Eaton gave him two barrels, for which to the value of 1400 dollars were offered in gold and silver, but Eaton refused to accept the money, in consequence of which the governor sent him a diamond ring, worth fifty pounds. Every day after this the governor sent them some kind of provisions, and about the end of March, when about to sail, the governor sent them thirty hogs for sea store, with a large supply of rice and potatoes.

On one occasion the Indians attacked a party of the English, who were on sh.o.r.e to draw the sein, but were beaten off with much loss; yet they afterwards endeavoured to prevail on Captain Eaton to join them in driving out the Spaniards, which he positively refused. On the 1st April, leaving the bay in which they had hitherto remained, the Nicholas anch.o.r.ed before the Spanish fort; and after several civilities on both sides, set sail in the afternoon of the 3d April with a fair wind.

This island of Guam is about fourteen leagues long by six broad, and contains several very pleasant vallies, interspersed with fine fertile meadows, watered by many rivulets from the hills. The soil in these vallies is black and very rich, producing plenty of cocoas, potatoes, yams, papaws, plantains, _monanoes_, sour-sops, oranges, and lemons, together with some honey. The climate is naturally very hot, yet is wholesome, as constantly refreshed by the trade-wind. The Indian natives are large made, well proportioned, active and vigorous, some being seven feet and a half high, and go mostly naked, both men and women. They never bury their dead, but lay them in the sun to putrefy.

Their only arms are slings and lances, the heads of these being made of human bones; and on the decease of any one his bones make eight lances, four from his legs and thighs, and as many from his arms. These lance heads are formed like a scoop, and jagged at the edges like a saw or eel-spear; so that a person wounded by them dies, if not cured in seven days.

The great annual s.h.i.+p between Manilla and Acapulco touches here for refreshments, and the Spaniards said there were sometimes eight s.h.i.+ps in one year at this place from the East Indies. They said also, that they had built a s.h.i.+p here, in 1684, of 160 tons, to trade with Manilla, and pretended to have a garrison here of 600 men, most of the Indians being in rebellion.

The Nicholas sailed from Guam W. by S. and on computing that they were 206 leagues from that island, they changed to due W. The 23d, when they reckoned themselves 560 leagues west of Guam, they met with a very strong current, resembling the race of Portland, and fell in with a cl.u.s.ter of islands in lat. 20 30' N. to the north of Luconia, [the _Bashee Islands_.] They sent their boat ash.o.r.e on the northermost of these islands, in order to get some fish, and to examine the island, on which they found vast quant.i.ties of nutmegs growing, but saw no people, and as night was drawing on they did not venture to go any distance from the sh.o.r.e. To this island they gave the name of _Nutmeg Island_, and called the bay in which they anch.o.r.ed _English Bay_. They observed many rocks, shoals, and foul ground near the sh.o.r.e, and saw a great many goats on the island, but brought off very few.

On the 26th of April they were off Cape Bojadore, the N.W. point of Luconia, and came soon after to Cipe _Mindato_, where they met the S.W.

monsoon, on which they bore away for Canton in China, where they arrived in safety and refitted their s.h.i.+p. They had here an opportunity of making themselves as rich as they could desire, but would not embrace it; as there came into the port thirteen sail of Tartar vessels, laden with Chinese plunder, consisting of the richest productions of the East.

The men, however, would have nothing to do with any thing but gold and silver, and Captain Eaton could not prevail upon them to fight for silks, as they alleged that would degrade them into pedlars. The Tartars therefore quietly pursued their affairs at Canton, unconscious of their danger.

Having repaired the s.h.i.+p, Captain Easton sailed for Manilla, intending to wait for a Tartar s.h.i.+p of which they had information, bound from that port, and half laden with silver. They even got sight of her, and chased her a whole day to no purpose, as she was quite clean, and the Nicholas was as foul as could well be. They then stood for a small island, to the north of Luconia, to wait for a fair wind to carry them to Bantam.

Instead of one island, they found several, where they procured refreshments.[158] Learning from an Indian that in one of these islands there were plenty of beeves, they sent a boat thither with thirty men, who took what they wanted by force, though the island was well inhabited.

[Footnote 158: The indications in the text are too vague to point out the particular islands at which the Nicholas refreshed. Immediately north from Luconia are the Babuvanes Isles, in lat 19 30', and still farther, the Bashee Islands, in 20 30', both N.]

Leaving these islands about the middle of September, 1685, they were for three days in great danger on the banks of _Peragoa_, in lat. 10 N.

after which they came to a convenient bay in an island not far from the northern coast of Borneo, where they set up a tent on sh.o.r.e and landed every thing from the s.h.i.+p, fortifying themselves with ten small guns, in case of being attacked by the natives, and hauled their s.h.i.+p on sh.o.r.e to clean her bottom. At first the natives of the island avoided all intercourse with the English; but one day the boat of the Nicholas came up with a canoe in which was the queen of the country with her retinue, who all leaped into the sea to get away from the English. They took up these people with much difficulty, and entertained them with so much kindness that they became good friends during two months which they continued afterwards at this island. At this time the Spaniards were at peace with the sovereign of Borneo, and carried on an advantageous trade there from Manilla; of which circ.u.mstance Captain Eaton and his people got intimation, and pa.s.sed themselves for Spaniards during their residence.

This great island is plentifully stored with provisions of all kinds, and many rich commodities, as diamonds, pepper, camphor, &c. and several kinds of fine woods, as specklewood and ebony. Cloves also were there to be had at a reasonable price, being brought there from the neighbouring islands by stealth. The animals of Borneo, as reported by Cowley, are elephants, tigers, panthers, leopards, antelopes, and wild swine. The king of Borneo being in league with the Spanish governor of the Philippines, the English pa.s.sed themselves here as Spaniards, and were amply supplied by the natives during their stay with fish, oranges, lemons, mangoes, plantains, and pine-apples.

The Nicholas sailed from this place in December, 1685, proceeding to a chain of islands in lat. 4 N. called the _Naturah_ islands,[159] whence they went to Timor, where the crew became exceedingly mutinous; on which Captain Cowley and others resolved to quit the Nicholas, in order to endeavour to get a pa.s.sage home from Batavia. Accordingly, Cowley and one Mr Hill, with eighteen more of the men, purchased a large boat, in which they meant to have gone to Batavia, but, owing to contrary winds, were obliged to put in at Cheribon, another factory belonging to the Dutch in Java, where they found they had lost a day in their reckoning during their voyage by the west. They here learnt the death of Charles II. and that the Dutch had driven the English from Bantam, which was then the second place of trade we possessed in India. The Dutch were forming other schemes to the prejudice of our trade, wherefore Cowley, with Hill and another of the Englishmen, resolved to make all the haste they could to Batavia, to avoid being involved in the subsisting disputes. They were kindly received by the governor of Batavia, who promised them a pa.s.sage to Holland.

[Footnote 159: The Natuna Islands, in long. 108 E. from Greenwich.--E.]

Cowley and his remaining companions embarked at Batavia in a Dutch s.h.i.+p in March, 1686. They arrived in Table bay at the Cape of Good Hope on the 1st June, where they landed next day, and of which settlement, as it then existed in 1686, Cowley gives the following account:--

"Cape Town does not contain above an hundred houses, which are all built low, because exposed to violent gales of wind in the months of December, January, and February. The castle is very strong, having about eighty large cannon for its defence. There is also a very s.p.a.cious garden, maintained by the Dutch East India Company, planted with all kinds of fruit-trees, and many excellent herbs, and laid out in numerous pleasant walks. This garden is near a mile in length and a furlong wide, being the greatest rarity at the Cape, and far exceeding the public garden at Batavia. This country had abundance of very good sheep, but cattle and fowls are rather scarce. We walked out of town to a village inhabited by the _Hodmandods_, or Hottentots. Their houses are round, having the fire-places in the middle, almost like the huts of the wild Irish, and the people lay upon the ashes, having nothing under them but sheep-skins. The men seemed all to be _Monorchides_, and the whole of these people were so nasty that we could hardly endure the stench of their bodies and habitations. Their women are singularly conformed, having a natural skin ap.r.o.n, and are all so ignorant and brutish that they do not hesitate to prost.i.tute themselves publicly for the smallest imaginable recompense, of which I was an eye witness. Their apparel is a sheep-skin flung over their shoulders, with a leather cap on their heads, as full of grease as it can hold. Their legs are wound about, from the ankle to the knees, with the guts of beasts well greased.

"These people, called _Hodmandods_ by the Dutch, are born white, but they make themselves black by smearing their bodies all over with soot and grease, so that by frequent repet.i.tion they become as black as negroes. Their children, when young, are of a comely form, but their noses are like those of the negroes. When they marry, the woman cuts off one joint of her finger; and, if her husband die and she remarry again, she cuts off another joint, and so on however often she may marry.

"They are a most filthy race, and will feed upon any thing, however foul. When the Hollanders kill a beast, these people get the guts, and having squeezed out the excrements, without was.h.i.+ng or sc.r.a.ping, they lay them upon the coals, and eat them before they are well heated through. If even a slave of the Hollanders wish to have one of their women, he has only to give her husband a piece of tobacco. Yet will they beat their wives if unfaithful with one of their own nation, though they care not how they act with the men of other nations. They are wors.h.i.+pers of the moon, and thousands of them may be seen dancing and singing by the sea-side, when they expect to see that luminary; but if it happen to be dark weather, so that the moon does not appear, they say their G.o.d is angry with them. While we were at the Cape, one of the _Hodmandods_ drank himself dead in the fort, on which the others came and put oil and milk into his mouth, but finding he was dead, they began to prepare for his burial in the following manner:--Having shaved or sc.r.a.ped his body, arms, and legs, with their knives, they dug a great hole, in which they placed him on his breech in a sitting posture, heaping stones about him to keep him upright. Then came the women, making a most horrible noise round the hole which was afterwards filled up with earth."

On the 15th June. 1686, Cowley sailed from the Cape, the homeward-bound Dutch fleet consisting of three s.h.i.+ps, when at the same time other three sailed for Bolivia. On the 22d of June they pa.s.sed the line, when Cowley computed that he had sailed quite round the globe, having formerly crossed the line nearly at the same place, when outward-bound from Virginia in 1683. On the 4th August they judged themselves to be within thirty leagues of the dangerous shoal called the _Abrolhos_, laid down in lat. 15 N. in the map: but Cowley was very doubtful if any such shoal exist, having never met with any one who had fallen in with it, and he was a.s.sured by a pilot, who had made sixteen voyages to Brazil, that there was no such sand. The 19th September, Cowley saw land which he believed to be Shetland. They were off the Maes on the 28th September, and on the 30th Cowley landed at Helvoetsluys. He travelled by land to Rotterdam, whence he sailed in the Ann for England, and arrived safe in London on the 12th October, 1686, after a tedious and troublesome voyage of three years and nearly two months.

SECTION III.

_Sequel of the Voyage, so far as Dampier is concerned, after the Separation of the Nicholas from the Revenge._[160]

This is usually denominated Captain William Dampier's _first_ Voyage round the World, and is given at large by Harris, but on the present occasion has been limited, in this section, to the narrative of Dampier after the separation of Captain Cowley in the Nicholas; the observations of Dampier in the earlier part of the voyage, having been already interwoven in the first section of this chapter.

[Footnote 160: Dampier's Voyages, Lond. 1729, vol. I. and II. Harris, II. 84.]