A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume Xiii Part 28

After the b.o.o.bies had left us, we saw no more birds till we got nearly abreast of Madagascar, where, in lat.i.tude 27 3/4 S., we saw an albatross, and after that time we saw them every day in great numbers, with birds of several other sorts, particularly one about as big as a duck, of a very dark brown colour, with a yellowish bill. These birds became more numerous as we approached the sh.o.r.e, and as soon as we got into soundings, we saw gannets, which we continued to see as long as we were upon the bank which stretches off Anguillas to the distance of forty leagues, and extends along the sh.o.r.e to the eastward, from Cape False, according to some charts, one hundred and sixty leagues. The real extent of this bank is not exactly known; it is, however, useful as a direction to s.h.i.+pping when to haul in, in order to make the land.

While we lay here, the Houghton Indiaman sailed for England, who, during, her stay in India, lost by sickness between thirty and forty men; and when she left the Cape, had many in a helpless condition with the scurvy. Other s.h.i.+ps suffered in the same proportion, who had been little more than twelve months absent from England; our sufferings, therefore, were comparatively light, considering that we had been absent near three times as long.

Having lain here to recover the sick, procure stores, and perform several necessary operations upon the s.h.i.+p and rigging, till the 13th of April, I then got all the sick on board, several of whom were still in a dangerous state, and having taken leave of the governor, I unmoored the nest morning, and got ready to sail.[166]

[Footnote 166: Some remarks concerning the Cape of Good Hope are now given in the original. They are omitted here, as being only supplementary to other accounts, and because we shall elsewhere have an opportunity of drawing the reader's attention very fully to the subject.

The same thing may be said respecting some notices of St Helena, contained in this section. Whatever is of value in either of these accounts, will be had recourse to on another occasion.--E.]

On the morning of the 14th we weighed and stood out of the bay; and at five in the evening anch.o.r.ed under Penquin, or Robin Island: We lay here all night, and as I could not sail in the morning for want of wind, I sent a boat to the island for a few trifling articles which we had forgot to take in at the Cape. But as soon as the boat came near the sh.o.r.e, the Dutch hailed her, and warned the people not to land, at their peril, bringing down at the same time six men armed with muskets, who paraded upon the beach. The officer who commanded the boat not thinking it worth while to risk the lives of the people on board for the sake of a few cabbages, which were all we wanted, returned to the s.h.i.+p. At first we were at a loss to account for our repulse, but we afterwards recollected, that to this island the Dutch at the Cape banish such criminals as are not thought worthy of death, for a certain number of years, proportioned to the offence, and employ them as slaves in digging lime-stone, which, though scarce upon the continent, is in plenty here; and that a Danish s.h.i.+p, which by sickness had lost great part of her crew, and had been refused a.s.sistance at the Cape, came down to this island, and sending her boat ash.o.r.e, secured the guard, and took on board as many of the criminals as she thought proper to navigate her home: We concluded therefore that the Dutch, to prevent the rescue of their criminals in time to come, had given order to their people here to suffer no boat of any foreign nation to come ash.o.r.e.

On the 25th, at three o'clock in the afternoon, we weighed, with a light breeze at S.E., and put to sea. About an hour afterwards, we lost our master, Mr Robert Mollineux, a young man of good parts, but unhappily given up to intemperance, which brought on disorders that put an end to his life.

We proceeded in our voyage homeward without any remarkable incident; and in the morning of the 29th we crossed our first meridian, having circ.u.mnavigated the globe in the direction from east to west, and consequently lost a day, for which we made an allowance at Batavia.

At day-break on the first of May, we saw the island of Saint Helena; and at noon we anch.o.r.ed in the road before James's fort.

We staid here till the 4th, to refresh, and Mr Banks improved the time in making the complete circuit of the island, and visiting the most remarkable places upon it. At one o'clock in the afternoon of the 4th of May, we weighed and stood out of the road, in company with the Portland man-of-war, and twelve sail of Indiamen.

We continued to sail in company with the fleet, till the 10th in the morning, when, perceiving that we sailed much heavier than any other s.h.i.+p, and thinking it for that reason probable that the Portland would get home before us, I made the signal to speak with her, upon which Captain Elliot himself came on board, and I delivered to him a letter to the Admiralty, with a box, containing the common logbooks of the s.h.i.+p, and the journals of some of the officers. We continued in company, however, till the 23d in the morning, and then there was not one of the s.h.i.+ps in sight. About one o'clock in the afternoon, died our first lieutenant, Mr Hicks, and in the evening we committed his body to the sea, with the usual ceremonies. The disease of which he died was a consumption, and as he was not free from it when we sailed from England, it may truly be said that he was dying during the whole voyage, though his decline was very gradual till we came to Batavia: The next day I gave Mr Charles Clerk an order to act as lieutenant in his room, a young man who was extremely well qualified for that station.

Our rigging and sails were now become so bad, that something was giving way every day. We continued our course, however, in safety till the 10th of June, when land, which proved to be the Lizard, was discovered by Nicholas Young, the same boy that first saw New Zealand; on the 11th we run up the Channel, at six in the morning of the 12th we pa.s.sed Beachy Head, at noon we were abreast of Dover, and about three came to an anchor in the Downs, and went ash.o.r.e at Deal.

APPENDIX.

_An Abstract of the_ VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD, _performed by_ LEWIS DE BOUGAINVILLE, _Colonel of Foot, and Commander of the Expedition, in the Frigate_La Boudeuse, _and the Store-s.h.i.+p_ L'Etoile, _in the Years_ 1766-7-8 _and_ 9. (_Drawn up expressly for this Work_.)

The rest.i.tution of the Falkland Islands to the Spaniards was the first object of this voyage. So early as February 1764, France had commenced a settlement on them, and in all probability would have ensured its prosperity; but the property was claimed by Spain, in virtue of the old and at best imaginary rights conferred on that power by the Pope to the lands of the western hemisphere, of which they were held to be a part.

It is sometimes more politic, and perhaps almost always more convenient, to avoid war, by the display of generosity in concession, than to run the hazard of expensive contension, and an unprofitable issue, by the obstinate maintenance of dubious advantages. Such seems to have been the opinion of the French king, in this instance. He acknowledged the claim of the Spaniards, and accordingly gave orders for the delivering up of the settlement. In this determination, it is probable, he was strengthened by the apprehension of the difficulties of supporting and defending an establishment, at so great a distance from his dominions.

M. Bougainville, the person who had proposed the settlement, and in a considerable degree accomplished it, by carrying out several French families, and cultivating and stocking some parts of the islands, was appointed to execute a formal surrender; and he was further instructed, after doing so, to traverse the South Sea between the tropics, for the purpose of making discoveries, and to return home by the East Indies.

The fulfilment of these directions const.i.tutes his voyage round the world, with a short, but it is believed satisfactory abstract of which, it is now intended to supply the reader. The account of the voyage was drawn up and published by Bougainville himself, and has always been highly esteemed by his countrymen, who are commonly patriotic enough in their commendations. In this instance, however, if one may judge from the concurrence in opinion of others, their praise has not been injudicious; though it must be admitted on the other hand, that the partiality is ridiculous, which would place it above the narratives of Anson's and Cook's Voyages. Bougainville seems to have been a man of talents, of refined taste, and considerable literary acquirements; and his work, though, as he says in his introduction, written for seamen chiefly, yet presents some very interesting features to the general reader, and not a little information to scientific observers. He has thought proper to apologize for his deficiency in composition; but it is questionable if this be not mere affectation, common with writers who are far from thinking too meanly of themselves, for the reasons they chuse to state in the way of deprecating critical severity, and abundantly disposed to attach magnitude of consequence to the very particulars which they have employed to indicate their own inferiority.

A translation of his work by Mr John Reinhold Forster, was published at London 1772, and contains additional notes. This has princ.i.p.ally been consulted in drawing up the present abstract, which is intended as a companion to the accounts of voyages it is the object of our work to give entire. This is the proper place for its insertion, if it be right to insert it at all, and opportunities will present themselves as we proceed, for giving similar abstracts of other voyages.

Bougainville had under his command the frigate La Boudeuse, carrying 26 twelve-pounders, and the store-s.h.i.+p L'Etoile, appointed to supply him with provisions and stores, and to accompany him during the whole of his voyage. His establishment consisted of eleven commissioned officers, three volunteers, and two hundred sailors, &c. The prince of Na.s.sau-Sieghen obtained leave from the king to go out on this expedition, and availed himself of it. He sailed from Nantes on the 15th November, 1766, purposing to make the river La Plata, where two Spanish frigates, appointed to receive possession of the islands, were to wait for his arrival. A squall of wind occasioned him much confusion, and forced him to put into Brest, whence, after having undergone several repairs and alterations, which the deficient state of his vessel rendered necessary, he departed on the 5th December, but not without being obliged to cut his cable, as the east wind and the ebb tide prevented his tacking about to keep clear of the sh.o.r.e. A pretty constant and fresh wind accompanied him, till he got sight of the Salvages on the 17th, in the afternoon. These are uninhabited islands or rocks, lying to the north of the Canary islands, and belong to the Portuguese, who, although making little or no use of them, are jealously careful to prevent others from visiting or profiting by them. The sight of these rocks convinced M. Bougainville of a considerable error in his reckoning, during even this short trip. Having rectified it, and made observations for their position, he took a fresh departure on the 19th December, at noon, when he got sight of the Isle of Ferro. On the 8th of January, he crossed the Line between 27 and 28 of longitude, and on the 31st of the same month, after an easy and uninteresting voyage, came to an anchor in Monte Video bay, where the Spanish frigates had lain expecting him four weeks. He made some observations on the currents noticed during this voyage, which are well known to occasion much error in the calculations of the navigator; but as these are not interesting to the general reader, they are omitted here, and the more properly so, because we have had frequent occasion to notice the subject in our accounts of other voyages.

Bougainville left Monte Video on the 28th February, in company with the Spanish s.h.i.+ps, but having encountered a storm and a good deal of contrary wind, he did not quit the river till the 3d March. The voyage to the Falkland Islands was rough and troublesome, especially to the two Spanish frigates, which suffered a good deal during the course, and were for some time separated from Bougainville's s.h.i.+p. On the 23d and 24th of March, however, they all arrived at the place of their destination, where a formal surrender of the settlement was made according to the instructions of the two governments. The islands were delivered up on the 1st April, the Spaniards taking possession by planting their colours, which were saluted both on sh.o.r.e and from aboard the vessels.

Several families resident there availed themselves of the French king's permission to remain under the new government, and the others embarked in the Spanish frigates to return home. M. Bougainville has related several particulars respecting the history of these islands, which, however, it is quite unnecessary to consider here, as we have either already stated them, or may hereafter have occasion to do so; they are, besides, little connected with our present object, that of tracing his course round the world.

As the store-s.h.i.+p did not join him at the time expected, and as it was impossible for him to traverse the Pacific Ocean, without the supplies and a.s.sistance she was appointed to afford, Bougainville resolved to quit these islands, and go to Rio Janeiro, the place specified as the rendezvous to both vessels. He sailed therefore on the 2d June, got in sight of the high head-lands of the Brazils on the 20th, and in the evening of the following day came to an anchor in the roads of Rio Janeiro, where the Etoile had arrived but a few days before. Being still, however, imperfectly furnished with provisions, he returned to Monte Video, as a fitter place for procuring them. The Etoile being a bad sailer, and having made a good deal of water, he was r.e.t.a.r.ded in this voyage, which in consequence took him up from the 14th to the 31st of July. A little before his departure, he rendered some important services to a Spanish man-of-war, which had been obliged to put into Rio Janeiro to refit for her voyage to Europe, and was most ungenerously denied what was needful by the Portuguese government, for eight months.

The viceroy seems to have been of an unfeeling and absurdly consequential disposition, of which some instances have been already related in our account of another voyage.

Whilst lying in Montevideo bay, a register s.h.i.+p ran foul of the Etoile during a hurricane, and did her so much damage, as to render it necessary to heave her down to be repaired. This was done at the Encenada de Baragan up the river, Monte Video itself not having proper accommodation for the purpose. But the requisite repairs were after all accomplished with much difficulty, and at a great expence of money, and occupied the whole of the month of October. To add to these sources of regret, this vessel had the misfortune to lose three of her crew, in returning down the river to Monte Video, a pa.s.sage, which, though short, is described as very difficult, and requiring almost constant soundings to avoid danger. This accident happened from the boat containing them and other two men getting foul under the s.h.i.+p when it was wearing.

During this pa.s.sage too, it was observed, that the Etoile still continued to take in water, notwithstanding the overhauling she had received.

Some days were now occupied in the necessary preparations for leaving the Rio La Plata, such as stowing and caulking the Boudeuse, repairing the Etoile's boat, cutting gra.s.s for the live cattle on board, &c. Part of the delay, however, which these preparations occasioned, was fortunate, as a schooner happened to come from Buenos Ayres laden with flour, of which they contrived to stow sixty hundred weight on board their s.h.i.+ps, and which proved to be a valuable addition to their stock of provisions. At this time, the crew was in perfect health, and notwithstanding the loss already mentioned, and the desertion of twelve men from the two s.h.i.+ps, was made up to its original establishment, as some sailors had been engaged at the Falkland Islands, besides an engineer, a supercargo, and a surgeon. The provisions laid in were supposed enough for a voyage of ten months.

They left Monte Video the 14th November, with a fine breeze from the north, which was favourable for their course to Magellan's Straits. The wind was contrary from the 16th to the 21st, and they had a very high sea, so that they were obliged to keep what advantageous boards they could in tacking under their courses and close-reefed top-sails. On the 22d there was a hard gale, accompanied with squalls and showers, which continued during the night, over a frightful sea. The Etoile made signals of distress, but it was not till the 24th that she came within hail, or could specify the damage she had received. Her fore-top-sail-yard had been carried away, and four of her chain plates; and all the cattle she had taken in at Monte Video, except two, were lost in the storm. This last misfortune, unluckily, was common to both vessels, and in their present situation admitted no remedy. During the remainder of this month, the wind was variable from S.W. to N.W. and the currents ran rapidly to the southward, as far as 45 lat.i.tude, where they were merely perceptible. No ground was reached by sounding till the 27th at night, when they were in lat.i.tude 47, and about thirty-five leagues from the coast of Patagonia. In this position, they had seventy fathoms, and an oozy bottom with black and grey sand. From the 27th till they saw land, they had pretty regular soundings, in 67, 60, 55, 50, 47, and 40 fathoms, when they got sight of Cape Virgin, or, as Anson calls it, Cape Virgin Mary, the same name by which it was known to Sir John Narborough. Bougainville advises not to approach near the coast till coming to lat.i.tude 49, as there is a hidden rock in 48 30', at six or seven leagues off sh.o.r.e, which he says he discovered when sailing here in 1765. He then ran within a quarter of a league of it, and the person who first saw it, took it to be a _grampus_.

He now enters upon a discussion respecting the longitude of this cape, of which he got sight on the 2d December, and which is certainly an interesting point in geography, as it determines the length of the straits. This however may be omitted, as the question is considered in the account of Captain Cook's Second Voyage, and will of course come before the reader in its proper place. Though differing with Anson as to its precise position, Bougainville admits that his lords.h.i.+p's view of it is most exactly true.

Contrary winds and stormy weather opposed the entrance into the straits for several days, and after having entered, obliged him to lie-to between the sh.o.r.es of Terra del Fuego and the continent. His foresail was split on the 4th December, and as he had then only twenty fathom, the fear of the breakers which extend S.S.E. off the cape, induced him to scud under bare poles, which, however, facilitated his bending another foresail to the yard. He afterwards discovered that these soundings were not so alarming as he then imagined them to be, as they were in fact those in the channel; and he remarks, for the benefit of succeeding navigators, that a gravelly bottom shews the position to be nearer the Terra del Fuego coast, than that of the continent, where a fine sandy, and sometimes an oozy bottom will be found. On the evening of this day, he brought-to again, under main and mizen-stay-sails, but after several disadvantageous tacks, got somewhat further from the coast towards night. At four o'clock the next afternoon, he again got sight of Cape Virgin, when he made sail in order to double it, at about a league and a half or two leagues distance. In his opinion, it was improper to sail nearer, as a bank lies off it, over the tail of which he thought he pa.s.sed even at that distance; for between two soundings made by his own vessel, one of twenty-four, and the other of seventeen fathom, the Etoile, which sailed in his wake, found no more at one time than eight fathom, but immediately afterwards deepened her water. On the night of the 5th, he got Cape Virgin to bear N., but as there was a fresh breeze, and the night was gloomy, threatening a storm, he kept off and on till day-break, when having unreefed his top-sails, he run to W.N.W. He continued plying to windward, under courses and top-sails, for the whole of the 6th, during which he discovered Cape Possession on the continent coast, and also got sight of Terra del Fuego. By noon on the 7th, however, he found himself still at Cape Possession, as, besides his never going more than three leagues from the northern sh.o.r.e, which, obliged him to sound continually, he lost as much by the tides as he ever gained by them. About this time the wind s.h.i.+fting favourably, he continued his voyage, and got to the entrance of the first gut about half after two o'clock; but now with all his sails set, and aided by a fine breeze, he could not stem the tide, which ran six knots an hour against him, and carried him astern. It was in vain to strive; and fearing, as the wind was unsteady, that he might be becalmed in the gut, and therefore exposed to danger on the ledges off the capes forming the entrance, especially a long one on the Terra del Fuego side, he was at last constrained to turn in search of anchorage in the bottom of Possession Bay, for which he steered N. by E. This he found at seven in the evening, about two leagues from the land, in twenty fathom, having a mud and sand ground, with black and white gravel. He was more successful in his exertions the following morning, when having stemmed a contrary tide, the current set to windward, and carried him, tacking frequently to avoid both coasts, through the first gut, in spite of the wind which blew hard against him. It was noon before he accomplished this, after which he made sail, as the wind had veered to S., and the tide still ran to windward; both, however, failing about three o'clock, he anch.o.r.ed in Boucalt Bay on the continent side, in eighteen fathom, having an oozy bottom. Immediately afterwards he hoisted out one of his boats, as did also the Etoile, and embarking in them to the number of ten officers, each armed with his musket landed at the bottom of the bay to have an interview with the Patagonians, who had kept up fires all night on the coast, and in the morning had hoisted a white flag, supposed to be the same which the Etoile, when here in June 1766, had left with them as a sign of friends.h.i.+p and alliance. Their having kept it, is properly enough considered by Bougainville, as an indication of very laudable social qualities. The Spaniards, indeed, have given a favourable report of the people that inhabit this part of the strait, mentioning several circ.u.mstances in praise of their humanity and good faith.

As soon as the officers got ash.o.r.e, six of the natives rode up to them in full gallop, and having alighted when about fifty yards off, immediately came up to them with outstretched arms, and congratulatory shouts of _Shawa, shawa_, which the officers were careful to repeat, with similar marks of satisfaction. Some symptoms of fear were visible on two of these people, but they were speedily removed; and shortly afterwards this party was joined by many more of their countrymen, who manifested entire confidence and good nature. They did not seem surprised at seeing the strangers; and as they imitated the report of muskets, it was inferred that they were not ignorant of the use of these arms, and that consequently, they had had previous intercourse with Europeans, in proof of their willingness to please their visitors, it is mentioned, that they immediately set about picking plants, and carrying them to some of the officers who had commenced searching for them; and it is noted, as an evidence of their having some notions of the use of medicines, that one of them afflicted with a sore eye, applied by signs to Chevalier du Bouchage, one of the gentlemen so engaged, to point out a remedy for it. They asked in a similar manner for tobacco. Any thing of a red colour pleased them highly; and always when any presents had been made them, and at every mark of kindness, they testified their satisfaction by loud shouts of _shawa_. Among other things given them in exchange for skins, or in mere condescension, was some brandy, of which each got a little drop. The effect of it was singular; immediately on swallowing it, they beat with their hands on their throats, and uttered a sort of tremulous, but inarticulate sound, which was terminated by a quick motion of the lips. This is said to have been done by all of them. They expressed a degree of uneasiness and concern, when they understood the officers were preparing to leave them. This was appeased, however, when it was intimated to them that they would be visited again on the following day; and they accompanied the party to the sea-sh.o.r.e, one of their number singing during the march. Some of them even waded into the water, and got within reach of the boats; but this was not so convenient, as they manifested a pretty strong disposition to furnish themselves with whatever they could lay hold on.

Before the boats got to any distance, the number of the savages increased very much, many coming up in the same manner as these had done, at full gallop.

In the opinion of Bougainville, these people were the same that had been seen by the Etoile in 1765; for he says, that one of his present sailors, who was then on board that vessel, distinctly recognised one of them. They were well shaped, and their height was estimated at betwixt 5 feet 5 inches, and 5 feet 10 inches French; or in English, measure, 5 feet 10,334 inches, and 6 feet 2,5704 inches. They appeared gigantic, it is added very properly, because they had very broad shoulders, their heads were large, and their limbs thick. They were robust and very muscular, and seemed to enjoy perfection of health, and to possess abundance of wholesome diet. Their figures, notwithstanding the dimensions, were far from being coa.r.s.e or unpleasant; on the contrary, many of them might be esteemed handsome. The peculiarities of their features were, a round and somewhat flat face, very fiery eyes, uncommonly white teeth, and long black hair which was worn tied on the top of the head. In the colour of the skin, they did not differ from other Americans. Some of them had their cheeks painted red. The language they used is said to have been very delicate. The description now given of these people, it must be remarked, applies to the men, for hitherto none of the women had been seen. In dress they nearly resembled the Indians residing about the Rio de la Plata. A piece of leather served them for an _ap.r.o.n_, and a cloak of skin fastened round the body with a girdle, hung as far down as their heels, but had besides a part, generally allowed to fall down also, which might occasionally cover their shoulders, though this was not often done. They did not seem very sensible to the cold of the climate, which, even at this season, viz.

their summer, was only ten degrees less than that which freezes water.

Their legs were covered with a sort of half boot, open behind; and some of them, wore on the thigh a copper ring about two inches broad. That they had had acquaintance with Europeans was still more clearly manifested by sundry articles amongst them, of which are mentioned particularly little iron knives, supposed to have been given them by Commodore Byron a short time before. Their horses were bridled and saddled in the same manner as those of the inhabitants of Rio de la Plata; and one of these bulky cavaliers had gilt nails at his saddle, wooden stirrups covered with copper plates, a bridle of twisted leather, and an entire Spanish harness. Here did not appear to be any thing like superiority of rank or subordination established among them; nor could it be remarked, that three old men who were in the party, received any peculiar marks of esteem from the rest. Bougainville gives it as his opinion, that these savages lived somewhat in the manner of the Tartars, traversing the immense plains of South America, living almost constantly on horse-back, and subsisting on such fare as their hunting expeditions, if not their pillaging ones, brought them in.

On the morning of the 9th, an attempt was made to stem the tide, by steering S.W. by W., but the progress was very inconsiderable; and the wind having veered from N.W. to S.W., it was found necessary to come to an anchor again, which was done in nineteen fathom. The weather during this day and the following one, was so exceedingly unfavourable, that not one fit opportunity presented of sending out a boat to fulfil the promise made to the Patagonians, which probably was an equal disappointment to both parties. Whole troops of the natives were seen at the place where the landing had been made, and where, there can be no doubt, another was anxiously expected. At midnight on the 11th, the wind having veered to N.E., and the tide having set to the westward, a signal was made for weighing, but unfortunately the cable parted the bits and the hawse, so that the anchor was lost. The sails being set, some way was made next morning; but it was little, however, as the tide soon ran contrary, and could scarcely be stemmed with the light breeze at N.W.

This difficulty was removed at noon, about which time the tide ebbed, and favoured their pa.s.sing the second gut, when the frigate came to an anchor to the northward of the Isle of Elizabeth, in seven fathom, at about two miles off sh.o.r.e, and the store-s.h.i.+p a quarter of a league farther to the S.E. in seventeen fathom. A boat landed at the island on the 12th, but the description of it is uninteresting, as, except its presenting great facility for landing, and having some bustards, it was no way remarkable.

On the 13th in the afternoon, they weighed and made sail betwixt the island and the Isles of St Bartholomew and Lions, the only practicable channel here in the opinion of Bougainville, who, however, it is likely, rather followed the example of Byron, than investigated for himself.

Here the tide set to the southward, and was very strong, and there were continual squalls coming off the high land of Elizabeth Island, to which they were forced to keep near, in order to avoid the breakers extending round the other islands. The coast of the continent from below Cape Noir, and which runs southward, was well covered with woods, and had a very pleasant appearance. They sailed along the coast at about a league distance, and for a considerable time this day, hoping to be able to double Cape Round during the night; but in this they were disappointed, for a little after midnight, very suddenly the wind got round to the S.W., the coast became foggy, and the weather altogether exceedingly foul; an evidence of the fickleness of the climate. Having split their main-sail, they had to ply to windward as well as they could, endeavouring to get shelter in Port Famine; but this they were unable to effect; and, as in consequence of the short tacks they had to make, and their being obliged to wear, they were in some risk of being taken by a strong current into a great inlet on the Terra del Fuego side, it became necessary for them, after losing much time and labour, to go along the coast in search of anchorage to leeward. It was not till eleven o'clock next morning that they succeeded in this, when they got to a bay named by him Duclos Bay, after the second in command, where they cast anchor in eight and a half fathom, and an oozy bottom. This bay is a little to the south of Fresh-Water Bay, and, besides having good anchorage, affords water of an excellent quality, about four hundred yards from the mouth of two rivers, which discharge themselves into it: No quadrupeds were seen here, and only a very few birds. At four o'clock on the 16th, they set sail with a pretty favourable wind, but a cloudy sky, pa.s.sed Point St Anne and Cape Round, the Cape Shutup of others, and brought-to, within a league and a half from Cape Forward, where they were becalmed for two hours. Between the two points last mentioned, a distance, according to Byron, of seven leagues S.W. by S. course, Bougainville says there are four bays in which a vessel may anchor, and that two of them are separated from each other by a cape of a very singular appearance and structure. It rises more than 150 feet above the level of the sea, and consists entirely of petrified sh.e.l.ls lying in horizontal strata; a line of 100 fathom, it is added, did not reach the bottom of the sea at the foot of it. This very extraordinary monument of the revolutions which our globe has undergone, does not seem to have been noticed by the geologists.

Cape Forward, or St Isidore, as it has been named by some navigators, and which is the most southerly point of the American continent, lies in lat. 54 5' 45". It is a perpendicular rock, the top of which is covered with snow, but some trees are to be seen on its sides. The sea below it is too deep for anchorage; however, between two hillocks which shew on part of its surface, there is a little bay provided with a rivulet, where, in case of necessity, a vessel might anchor in about fifteen fathom. Having ascertained these and some other matters during the calm which allowed him to use his pinnace, Bougainville returned on board, and set out for Cape Holland. But the wind veering to S.W., he went in search of the harbour which M. de Gennes named French Bay, and anch.o.r.ed between the two points which const.i.tute its entrance, in ten fathom.

Here he resolved to take in wood and water for his voyage across the Pacific Ocean, as it had been so favourably described by that gentleman, and as he himself was ignorant of the remaining navigation of the straits. But having ascertained, however, that the anchorage was not safe here, and that the boats could not get up the river, except at high water, he removed eastward to a small bay, in which in 1765, as related in the account of Byron's voyage, he had taken in wood for the Falkland Islands, and which had been named after him Bougainville's Bay. Here then he anch.o.r.ed in twenty-eight fathom, and afterwards warped into the bottom of the bay, to ensure all safety during his continuance for the necessary repairs and getting supplies, which took him up till the end of December, and would in all probability have consumed more time, had not the labours of the Etoile, his present consort, when here before, facilitated his operations. This residence, it was expected, would allow opportunity for examining the straits in this part, besides occupying the astronomer and botanist, and the useful pursuits of hunting and fowling. Their success, however, was not very considerable in any of these respects. The sky was exceedingly unfavourable for observation; many obstacles impeded those who searched for plants; the only animal seen was a fox, which was killed amongst the workmen; and the attempt to explore the coast of the continent was fruitless, as the weather became so very tempestuous, as to force those who were engaged in it to return to the vessel with all possible celerity, after being thoroughly drenched in rain, and almost starved to death by cold, though in the middle of summer. Some days after this uncomfortable expedition, another was planned to the Terra del Fuego side, and succeeded better. On the 27th, the party intended for it, consisting among others of Bougainville himself, Messrs de Bournand, and d'Oraison, and the Prince of Na.s.sau, well armed with swivel-guns and muskets, sailed in the Boudeuse's long-boat, and the Etoile's barge, across the straits, and landed at the mouth of a little river, on the banks of which they dined beneath the shade of a pleasant wood, where they discovered several huts belonging to the natives. After dinner, they rowed along the coast of Terra del Fuego in a hollow sea, and with the wind somewhat westerly, which was unfavourable. It carried them, however, across a great inlet, of which they could not see the end, and which, indeed, they believed, from the circ.u.mstances of the high rolling sea, and the numbers of whales they observed, to have a communication with the ocean at Cape Horn. On the farther side of this inlet, they saw several fires, which were afterwards extinguished and again lighted, when some savages made their appearance on the low point of a bay where it was intended to touch.

They were recognized by Bougainville, as the same people he had seen in his first voyage in the straits, and then denominated _Pecherais_, from the word which they p.r.o.nounced so often to their visitants. They are described as most disgustingly filthy, and extremely wretched as to provisions, and every accommodation that renders life desirable; in short, as the poorest and most miserable of all that bear the name of savages. Meanly, however, as they are spoken of, it is admitted, that they have some social virtues; but, perhaps, it is a doubtful article in the short catalogue of their commendation, that they are superst.i.tions enough to put implicit confidence in the efficacy of their physicians and priests. The number of this forlorn tribe is too inconsiderable to render their history important, even though their manners and characters were more calculated than they are represented to be, to excite interest or call forth sympathy on the part of the reader. The enthusiastic eulogist of Optimism will readily reconcile their condition to the principles which claim his admiration, by the obvious discovery, that their natures are in alliance with their circ.u.mstances, and by the easy belief, that hitherto no hope or idea of greater comfort had enhanced the magnitude of their present misery. The wretch, he would say, whose taste can regale itself on putridity and corruption, need never be held up as an exception to the philosophical system, which finds nothing but beauty and happiness diffused throughout the universe; though his appearance, it must be owned, in the very act of indulgence especially, might somewhat stagger the student who was still engaged in enquiring into the grounds of the theory. To be content, it is often preached, is to be happy; the reason is, however, what perhaps they who so strongly urge the proposition, are not quite aware of in their voluntary complacency, that, in order to be happy, one must be contented. The dialectical skill of an Aquinas would fail to prove the theme, that happiness exists where there are desires ungratified, and appet.i.tes unprovided for; and most certainly, these poor _Pecherais_ would never be adduced by him as evidence, till he had humanely, though sophistically, secured their testimony by bribing their stomachs. If one may judge from the experience of Bougainville, this kind of subornation would be somewhat difficult of accomplishment. To return.--The night after falling in with these people, was pa.s.sed on the banks of a pretty considerable river, on which the party made a fire, and erected a sort of tents with the sails of their boats, the weather being cold, though fine. Next morning they discovered the bay and port of Beauba.s.sin, so called by them from the beauty of the anchoring-place, and which is represented to be a commodious and safe situation. Bougainville continued his survey to the westward, of which he has given a minute, and to navigators, it is probable, a very useful description, not, however, requisite for this work. Having spent a little time in this excursion, and encountered a good deal of disagreeable weather, he returned to the frigate, and on the last day of December weighed and set sail, in order to pa.s.s the remainder of the straits. On the evening of this day he doubled Cape Holland, and came to an anchor in the road of Port Gallant, which was very fortunate, as the succeeding night became tempestuous, the wind blowing hard at S.W. In this place, however, they were forced by the state of the weather, which, it is said, was inconceivably worse than the severest winter at Paris, to remain for three weeks together, a s.p.a.ce abundantly long to give them an intimate acquaintance with the parts in their neighbourhood. Amongst the objects which attracted their notice here, they found vestiges of the pa.s.sage and touching of English s.h.i.+ps, especially a label of wood with the words _Chatham, March_, 1766, and initial letters and names with the same date, marked on several of the trees. M. Verron, who had got his astronomical instruments on sh.o.r.e, made an observation, by which he found the lat.i.tude to be 53 40' 41" S., from which, and some bearings taken at different times, it was inferred that the distance from Port Gallant to Port Forward was twelve leagues. An attempt was made by the same gentleman to determine the longitude of the bay, by means of an eclipse of the moon which occurred on the 3d January (1768); but the excessive rain which continued through the whole day and night frustrated his endeavours. The declination of the needle was observed by the azimuth-compa.s.s to be 22 30' 32" N.E., and its inclination from the elevation of the pole, 11 11'. Such is the poor amount of the astronomical labours for nearly a month, in this so uncourteous a season and climate. During this long and disagreeable residence, most annoying to both men of science and common sailors, some visits from the _Pecherais_, already mentioned, afforded a little recreation, but of no very elegant or dignified kind; and even this, indifferent as it was, presented a melancholy accident, with which the reader has been already made acquainted--one of the children of these poor creatures swallowing some bits of gla.s.s, improvidently given him by the sailors, and losing his life in consequence.[167] On the 13th, 14th, and 15th of January, the weather a.s.sumed something of a milder form; and on the 16th, appearances were altogether so agreeable, as to induce Bougainville to weigh, the breeze being from the north, and the tide, which was ebbing, in his favour. He was not long, however, before he had cause to repent his facility of confidence. The wind soon s.h.i.+fted to W. and W.S.W., and the tide would not serve him to gain Rupert Isle. His vessel sailed very ill, and drove rapidly to leeward. The Etoile, it seems, had now considerably the advantage over her. They plied all this day between Rupert Island, and a head-land of the continent, waiting for the ebb, with which it was hoped they might gain either the anchoring-place in Bay Dauphine on Louis le Grand Island, or Elizabeth Bay. But as ground was lost in this labour, Bougainville sent out a boat to sound for an anchorage to the S.E. of Rupert's Island, where he now intended to wait, if possible, till the tide became favourable. A signal was made from the boat that this was found, but by this time they had fallen to leeward of it, and had to endeavour to gain it by making a board in-sh.o.r.e. The frigate unfortunately missed stays twice, and it became necessary to wear, in the very act of which, the force of the tide brought her to the wind again, a strong current having already taken her within half a cable's length of the sh.o.r.e. In this state, an anchor was let go in eight fathom, but falling upon rocks it came home again. At this time, they had only three fathom and a half of water astern, and were not more than thrice the length of the s.h.i.+p from the sh.o.r.e, when a little breeze opportunely springing up, filled their sails, and carried them to leeward, the boats of both vessels coming a-head, and taking her in tow.

Their danger, however, was yet to be increased, for when veering away their cable, it happened to get foul between decks, and so stopt their course; a hinderance, for which there remained no other remedy than that of cutting it, which was most promptly done, and saved the s.h.i.+p. The breeze then freshened, and enabled them with some difficulty and tacking, to return to Port Gallant, where they anch.o.r.ed in twenty fathom, and an oozy bottom. Thus ended their enjoyment of the fine weather.

[Footnote 167: This is particularly related in our account of Cook's voyage, vol. xii. p. 397.]

On the following day, a greater storm came on than had been yet experienced. The sea ran mountains high in the channel, and often exhibited waves striking in contrary directions against each other. A clap of thunder was heard at noon, the only one they had ever noticed in this strait, and it seemed to be a signal for an increased violence of the wind. They dragged their anchor in the storm, and were obliged to let go the sheet-anchor, and to strike their lower yards and top-masts.

Some intervals between the bad weather occurred on the 18th and 19th, and allowed them, among other things, to send the Etoile's barge, which was in peculiar good condition, to view the channel of _Sainte Barbe_, about which, however, his information was so scanty and apparently incorrect, at least imperfect, as to prove of little utility in his present situation. This he the more regretted, as, in his opinion, the perfect knowledge of it would have considerably shortened the pa.s.sage of the straits. It requires little time, he remarks, to get to Port Gallant, the chief difficulty being to double Cape Forward, which, he says, is rendered easier by the discovery he made of three ports on the Terra del Fuego side; and when once that port is gained, even though the winds should prevent a vessel taking the ordinary course, this channel is open, and may be gone through in twenty-four hours, so as to reach the South Sea. He could not perfectly demonstrate the truth of this opinion he entertained, as the bad weather prevented the examination of some points as he had projected.

The storm and bad weather continued with little intermission till the 24th, when a calm and some sun-s.h.i.+ne induced him to make another attempt to proceed. Since re-entering Port Gallant, he had taken in several tons of ballast, and altered his stowage, by which he succeeded in getting the frigate to sail better than it did before. On the whole, however, he remarks, it will always be found very difficult to manage so long a vessel as a frigate usually is, in the midst of currents. Captain Cook, perhaps, had contemplated such a difficulty, when he a.s.signed his reasons for preferring a vessel like the Endeavour, for the purposes of discovery.

On the 25th, at one in the morning, they unmoored, weighed at three, the breeze being northerly, but settling in the east at half-past five, when they got top-gallant and studding-sails set, a circ.u.mstance somewhat unusual in this navigation. They kept the middle of the strait, following the windings of what Narborough justly calls Crooked Reach.

The coast runs W.N.W. for about two leagues from Bay Elizabeth, when you reach the Bachelor river of that navigator. This is easily known; it comes from a deep valley, having a high mountain on the west, the most westerly point of which is low and wooded, and the coast is sandy.

Bougainville reckons three leagues from this river to the entrance of St Jerome's channel, or the False Strait as others have called it, and the bearing is N.W. by W. This channel, the entrance of which is said to be about half a league broad, may be easily mistaken for the true one, as it is admitted, happened at first on the present occasion. In order to avoid it, Bougainville advises to keep the coast of Louis le Grand Island on board, which may be done, he says, without danger. He himself ran within a mile of the sh.o.r.e of this island, which is about four leagues long, and the north side of which runs W.N.W., as far as Bay Dauphine. At noon this day, Cape Quade (or Quod) which is about four leagues from St Jerome's channel, bore W. 13 S. two leagues distant, and Cape St Louis, E. by N. about two leagues and a half. The weather continued fair, and they had the advantage of all their sails being set.

The strait runs W.N.W. and N.W. by W. from Cape Quade, and being without any considerable turnings, has obtained the name of Long-Reach. The cape consists of craggy rocks, resembling some ancient ruins, and the coast, up to it is wooded, the verdure of the trees contrasting finely with the frozen and snowy summits of the neighbouring mountains; but after doubling this point, the nature of the country is said to be very different, presenting scarcely any thing but barren rocks, the intervals of which are filled up with immense ma.s.ses of no less unfriendly ice, altogether meriting the name which Narborough bestowed on it in the penury of his feelings, the Desolation of the South. Opposite this cape, and about fifteen leagues off, is Cape Monday on the Terra del Fuego side, which, with other remarkable points of this strait, we have elsewhere described. Bougainville was tempted by the fineness of the weather to continue his course in this strait during the night, but the excessive rain and wind which came on about ten o'clock, made him repent his temerity, and rendered his situation betwixt two sh.o.r.es, which it required the greatest caution and continual activity to avoid, one of the most critical and unpleasant he experienced during the voyage. The dawn of the following day, gave them sight of the land, which for some hours they had been groping against in the utmost fear of collision; and about noon, they descried Cape Pillar, the termination of this perilous strait, beyond which, there beamed on their joyful eyes an immense horizon and an unspotted sea.

Fifty-two days were elapsed since they left Cape Virgin, the half of which had been spent in inactive but painful suffering at Port Gallant.

Bougainville reckons the length of the strait at about one-hundred and fourteen leagues, viz. from Cape Virgin Mary to Cape Pillar; and in his opinion, notwithstanding the difficulties of the pa.s.sage, it is to be preferred to doubling Cape Horn, especially in the period from September to the end of March. His reasons for this opinion, and the concurrent and contrary sentiments of other navigators, have been either already stated, or will require to be so hereafter, and need not now interrupt our prosecution of the remainder of his voyage.

A few days after entering the Western Sea, the wind got S. and S.S.W.

This was sooner than Bougainville expected, as it was thought the west winds generally lasted to about 30, and obliged him to lay aside his intention of going to the isle of Juan Fernandez, as the doing so would necessarily prolong his voyage. He stood, therefore, as much as possible to the west, in order to keep the wind, and to get off the coast; and with a view to discover a greater s.p.a.ce of the ocean, he directed the commander of the Etoile to go every morning southward as far from him as the weather would permit, keeping in sight, and to join, him in the evening, and follow in his wake at about half a league's distance. This it was hoped would both facilitate examination, and secure mutual a.s.sistance, and was the order of sailing preserved throughout the voyage.

He now directed his course in search of the land seen by Davis in 1686, between 27 and 28 south lat.i.tude, and sought for in vain by Roggewein.

This search, however, was equally fruitless, though Bougainville crossed the position laid down for it in M. de Bellin's chart. His conclusion, in consequence, is, that the land spoken of by Davis was no other than the isles of St Ambrose and St Felix, which are about two hundred leagues off the coast of Chili. Westerly winds came on about the 23d of February, and lasted to the 3d of March, the weather varying much, but almost every day bringing rain about noon, accompanied with thunder.

This seemed strange to Bougainville, as this ocean under the tropic had always been renowned for the uniformity and freshness of the E. and S.E.

trade-winds, supposed to last throughout the year. In the month of February, four astronomical observations were made for determining the longitude. The first, made on the 6th, differed 31' from the reckoning, the latter being to the westward. The second, on the 11th, differed 37'

45", in the opposite direction. By the third, made on the 22d, the reckoning was 42' 30", westward in excess; and that of the 27th shewed a difference of 1' 25" in the same line. At this time they had calms and contrary winds. The thermometer, till they came to 45 lat.i.tude, had always kept between 5 and 8 above the freezing point; after that, it rose successively, and when they were between 27 and 24 lat.i.tude, varied upwards a good deal. A sore throat prevailed among the crew of the frigate ever since leaving the straits, and was attributed, whether justly or not, to the snow waters they had been in the habit of using there. It was not, however, very obstinate, readily yielding to simple remedies; and at the end of March, it is said, there was no body on the sick list.

On the 21st of this month, a tunny was caught with some little fish, not yet digested in its belly, which are noticed never to go any great distance from the sh.o.r.e. This accordingly was held as an indication of land being near, and indeed a just one, in the present instance; for about six in the morning of the next day, they got sight of four little isles at one time, bearing S.S.E. 1/2 E., and of another about four leagues west. The former, Bougainville called _les quatre Facardins_, but being too far to windward for him at present, he preferred standing for the single one a-head. On approaching this, it was discovered to be surrounded with a very level sand, and to have all its interior parts covered with thick woods surmounted by cocoa-trees. So delightful an appearance as it presented, lost none of its charms in the eyes of men who longed for the refreshments of dry land and the vegetable world. But their desires must have consumed them, had this been the only sh.o.r.e which could gratify them. It was found impossible to land on it, or to obtain the advantages which it seemed to hold out to their hopes.