A Voyage to the South Atlantic and round Cape Horn into the Pacific Ocean, etc./Chapter 7
1793.From the Southernmost Galapagoe Isle, we stood over again for the main, keeping between the Latitude of 2° South, and the Equator, and had a strong Easterly current constantly against us: but it was not so perceptible, as on our passage from the main, although we fell in with several beds of cream-coloured blubber: we did not, however, see so many small fish, birds, or seals; of the latter, we only saw two, and they were not at any considerable distance from either isle or main. Porpoises and black fish were continually around us, with a few albacores and bonettas.
The winds were much the same, as on my passage to the Galapagoes, blowing steadily from between the South and Eastward, after twenty-four hours sail from the isles; and, when within the same distance from the main land, they inclined to the Westward: the weather was generally cloudy, and sometimes accompanied with an heavy, South West swell, and at the change and full of the moon, with a drizzling rain.
July 10.On the tenth of July, P. M., we saw the Isle of Plata, bearing East North East, nine or ten leagues, and, on the following day, in the morning, we saw spermaceti whales, but did not get up with them until the afternoon, the Isle Plata bearing East by South, at the distance of five or six leagues. One of them was struck, but the boat was accidentally stove to pieces, and we beat off for several days, but never got another view of them.
The Isle Plata[1] had been a favourite place of resort to the Buccaneers, it being most conveniently situated to watch the Plata fleets to and from Lima; but all traders, either to or from the coast of Mexico, or between Panama and the coast of Peru, make the land a little to the Northward of it. If we may believe the Buccaneers, this island has plenty of water and turtle, and abounded with goats, till the Spaniards destroyed them. The watering and anchoring places are said to be on the Eastern side, in a small sandy bay, half a mile from the shore, in eighteen or twenty fathoms water. It is of a moderate height, and of a verdant shaggy appearance, from the large bushes or low trees that cover it. Its length is from six to seven miles; and the Western side is an entire cliff of an inaccessible appearance. A few small islets appear off the South end of it.
In a war with Spain this island would form an excellent station, as well as a place to look out and accommodate the sick, as it lies four leagues from the nearest main land, which is Cape Lorenzo. A ship getting in there, when it was dark, would not be discovered, if her sails were handed, the land being much higher than her mast head; unless the people on board betrayed her situation by some act of indiscretion, as making too much fire, the smoke of which might discover them. It is true that a vessel might escape by keeping an offing; but in so fine a climate as this, the long boats might form a chain to the Galapagoes, which is as far West as any ships are known to pass.
We continued a very assiduous search up the coast for whales, carrying an easy sail by day, and laying too at night, with an hourly expectation that we should fall in with them; but no whales shewed themselves, except some of the humpbacked species.
July 16.On the sixteenth, at noon, off Cape Passado, the land behind invisible from the hazy weather, we were, by observation, in fifty-seven miles South. On the same day, we gave chase to, and came up with, a Spanish snow, from Acapulco to Lima, from whom we procured some fresh beef, and two cocks; for which we returned a few bottles of wine and porter, with some sweet-meats, the master being sick.
18.On the eighteenth, the weather became clouded and threatening, and I was every hour expecting to fall in with the heavy rains, which happen on the coast of Mexico, from November to July. The air also became hot and sultry, and we had frequent showers of rain. The thermometer now rose to 80°, and we may be said to have felt, at every pore, that we had left the most delightful climate in the world, to encounter the parching airs of the torrid zone[2]. The seals and birds, which are inhabitants of the frigid zone, but which I have seen as far South, as 70°, appearing to be delighted on the coast of Peru, as if instinct had forbidden them to venture no farther, now left us.
At this time it became necessary to determine, what route we should take, whether we should return to the Southward, or proceed to the Northward; but, as the whaling master and mates were in favour of a Northern Latitude, it was soon resolved to take our departure from Cape Passado; which, from several observations, I place in Latitude ten miles South, and Longitude 82° West.
I now stood across the gulf, and, July 20.on the twentieth of July, fell in with the Isle Malpelo; I had no description of this place, and I was not induced from its name, which signifies bald head, to expect any advantage from it. I calculated its Latitude to be 4° 20′ North, and its Longitude 80° 45′ West, distant from Cape Passado eighty-six leagues. It is a barren, and high, perpendicular rock, which may be seen, in clear weather, at the distance of twenty leagues. A small quantity of green moss, and a few dwarf bushes, which grow in its cracks or gullies, afford the only verdure that it possesses: It is surrounded with islets, and the whole may extend about nine or ten miles from North to South. The centre, of this island, bears a resemblance, in several points of view, to the crown of an head; and its being barren, accounts naturally enough for the name, which the Spaniards, have bestowed upon it. Had I seen any seals off this place, I should have considered it as a good situation for them.
The Island of Malpelo, can be of no use, but as a place of rendezvous; it is surrounded, as it were, by a strong current, having much the appearance of breakers, which, setting into the gulf and being accompanied by light winds, with thick and hazy weather, I did not think it deserving of any further attention. We tried the current and found it to set North East by East, by compass two miles and an half in the hour.
From the Island Malpelo, we stretched away, to the Westward for Isle Cocas, which we made July 25.on the twenty-fifth at midnight. The whole of the passage thither, we had threatening, squally and showery weather, with incessant and heavy rain, and, at intervals, thunder and lightning: we had a short, irregular head sea, with winds from South, South West, to West South West. Porpoises accompanied us in great numbers; and as we approached the Isle Cocas, there appeared large flights of boobies, egg-birds, and man of war hawks. We also saw a fin-back whale, and two grampuses, with innumerable bonettas, dolphins, and albacores.
At break of day, the weather was thick and rainy; and, though the land was covered by the fog, we discerned several islands that lay around it. When we had got within four or five miles of the North East end, I sent a boat away with the chief mate, to search for an anchoring place; though, at times, I could not see the jib-boom end, so thick and frequent were the showers. At noon, the boat returned, having been in a bay near the North end of the isle, which was small, and open to the North East, with great depth of water, within three quarters of a mile of the shore. As this description did not answer to that of Mr. Wafer's bay, I stood in to examine it, as I could not have ventured to anchor in deep water, with a crippled windlass that occupied two hours, in a start calm, to heave in nineteen fathoms of cable: besides, the tide, which I found afterwards setting on both points of the bay, was so strong, that if the boats had not been very ready, the ship must have gone on shore; and, if in such a situation, there had been an anchor to heave up, it must have been cut away. I therefore ordered the boats to examine more to the Westward, and they accordingly discovered Mr. Wafer's harbour[3]. The land of this island is high, but that, on the West side, is the highest and presents itself in the form of a round hill. The Eastern side appears to be much broken, the land sloping in most parts, abruptly to the sea, but in others, presenting bold and perpendicular cliffs. There are also many surrounding islets whose tops are generally covered with trees; but the soil nevertheless is shallow, and the lower part is, as if it were a ring of white barren rock, down to the surface of the sea.
The main island does not appear to possess a spot, where trees can grow, that is not covered with them, or some kind of bushy plant, which when blended with the barreness of intervening rocks, produces a picturesque effect; while the streams, that pour down from their various fountains to the sea, greatly heighten the beauty of the scene. It is Otaheite on a small scale, but without the advantage of its climate, or the hospitality of its inhabitants.
Here are two anchoring places at this island; one, a small bay, near the North point of the isle; but the anchorage is in deep water, within three-quarters of a mile of the shore, from whence the bottom deepens almost immediately, to no soundings at sixty fathoms. It is also entirely open to the Northerly wind; but as Captain Vancouver anchored here after I left it, a more exact description may be expected from the promised publication of his voyage. I found the prevailing wind to be to the Southward and Westward; but, it often varied; and I had it frequently blowing strong from North East and North. The other bay, or harbour, is three miles to the Westward and Southward of the North point, and is easily known by a small rugged, barren rock, about the size of a large boat, bearing West of the body of the bay, about five or six miles: The bay also lies East and West; its greatest depth is not two miles, nor is it one in breadth: but I would not venture into it, in a vessel of more than two hundred tons. Its anchorage is from seven to fifty fathoms, and is nearly sheltered from all winds; this bay is also preferable to the one at the North point, because the shore of the first is steep; while that of the latter, consists of a beautiful valley and sandy beach, where cocoa trees appear in greater numbers, than I have seen in any other place. There is also a rivulet of water eighteen or twenty feet in breadth, which is supplied from a basin, one mile distant within land, in which our crew, to avoid the sharks, went and bathed. Although this bay is so small, it is very convenient, and as secure, as the anchoring places generally are, which are not entirely sheltered. Its principal inconvenience arises from the constant rains; as out of the four days we were beating off it, it rained during three of them, in the offing, and sometimes with heavy storms of lightning and thunder. Those, who were on shore, experienced an equal continuance of the wet weather; and so thick was the rain, that, for eight hours together, we have not been able to see twice the length of the ship: but this may not be the case at all seasons. The woollen clothes of those who went on shore, which, had been particularly moist from perspiration, and were hung on the bushes to dry, were soon fly-blown, in the different parts that had stuck nearest to the body, and covered with maggots. Should a vessel touch here to recover her sick, or to water, or to wait any time, fire would remove the flies; and, as no tent would be sufficient to keep out the water, I would recommend the erection of an house, wood being in great plenty, and at hand, with cocoa tree leaves in abundance, to thatch it. I saw no plant, bush, or tree, but such as are quite familiar to my eye; they chiefly consisted of the mangrove, the cocoa nut, and cotton tree.
Fish were in great abundance, but would not take the bait, which we attributed to the great number of sharks off this island. Some of them followed the boat until the water left them almost dry: those we caught, were full of squid and cray-fish, as were the porpoises which we struck. These were innumerable, and we took them, whenever we pleased. Eels are plenty, and very large: we caught several of them among the rocks, as well as some toad fish. Shell-fish, were scarce, though we collected very large limpets, of a new kind, and a few dead conches. The latter were seen in great numbers on the beach, and mostly inhabited by the Diogenes crab. Common land crabs were in great plenty, and sea-birds of every kind, common to tropical Latitudes, in the Atlantic, were in great abundance here; particularly the Saint Helena pigeon, and white-headed noddy. They all perched on trees, like land-birds; and, at a small distance, gave the tree on which they sat, the appearance of being covered with white blossoms. Of the land-birds, we saw some, which resembled the thrush and blackbird, in shape, colour, and size, with a few herons and a variety of smaller birds.
The tide must be an object of particular attention, in anchoring at, or sailing from, this place: it ebbs and flows from sixteen to eighteen feet, perpendicular, and, from the observations made by myself and the officers in the boats, it flows seven, and ebbs five hours; the ebb setting to the Eastward, and the flood to the Westward: but the flood runs not near so strong, as the ebb, which runs at the rate of four or five knots an hour. The time of weighing and anchoring must also be attended to, as both sets are right on the points of the bay; and, if its rise and falls are regular, it will be high water at full and change, at four, A. M.
The rats, which are numerous, in this island, exactly resemble the common rat in England, and were, probably, left here by the Buccaneers. As we found their nests in the top of most of the trees which we cut down. I am disposed to conjecture, that this is a very humid spot, at all times and seasons.
I was much disappointed, at not being able to procure turtles; for we saw but two, and they escaped us. That there should be so few turtles here, must be owing to the great number of sharks that infest the coast, or the chilling rains, which destroy the eggs, when laid on the shore, which, in itself, is very favourable to their becoming productive. There is as fine and soft a beach, as I ever saw, and there are few vessels, but might lay a-ground on it, and repair and clean their bottoms. Whoever may. hereafter, wish to anchor in this bay, will do well, to come round the South and West points of the isle, and hug the South point of the bay, close on board, and when in the bay, to moor head and stern.
We were much wearied, during the four days, we passed off this island, and prepared to quit it. We therefore took on board, two thousand cocoa nuts; and, in return, left on shore, in the North bay, a boar, and sow, with a male and female goat. In the other bay, we sowed garden seeds, of every kind, for the benefit and comfort of those who might come after us. I also left a bottle tied to a tree, containing a letter. Over it, I ordered a board, with a suitable inscription, which Captain Vancouver thought proper to remove, when he anchored at this isle, some time after me. The letter gave only an account of my arrival and departure. Having made the necessary arrangements, we set sail for the Northward.
Isle Cocas lays in a North East and South West direction; its greatest length does not exceed twelve miles, nor breadth four miles.
It may be proper to remark, in this place, that, in all parts of the East Indies, a vinegar is made of the milk of the cocoa nut, equal to our strong white wine vinegar. I am unacquainted with the particular process, but am disposed to think it at once short and simple. The old cocoa nut left in water for two hours, and then strained, produces a liquid, in colour and taste, little inferior, if not equal, to skim milk, which removed all scorbutic complaints from among the crew, and preserved them in health, for many months.
- ↑ So named by the Spaniards, from Admiral Sir Francis Drake dividing his plunder at it.
- ↑ On the coast of Peru it never rains.
- ↑
Extract from Mr. Wafer's Voyage, who was at Anchor in this Bay, in 1685.
Some or other of our men went on shore every day; and, one day among the rest, being minded to make themselves very merry, they went on shore, and cut down a great many cocoa trees, from which they gathered the fruit, and drew about twenty gallons of the milk: then they all sat down, and drank healths to the King, Queen, &c. They drank an excessive quantity, yet it did not end in drunkenness; but, however, that sort of liquor had so chilled and benumbed their nerves, that they could neither go nor stand: nor could they return on board the ship, without the help of those, who had not been partakers in the frolic; nor did they recover it under four or five days time.