A Voyage Round the World (Forster)/Book 1/Chapter 2
CHAP.II.
The Passage from Madeira to the Cape Verd Islands, and from thence to the Cape of Good Hope.
1772.
August.
Tuesday 4.
Wednesday 5.The next day at five o'clock in the morning, we passed the isle of Ferro, remarkable only from this circumstance, that several geographers have reckoned their first meridian from its westermost extremity. The same day, being in about 27 deg. N. latitude, we observed several flying fishes, pursued by bonitos and dolphins, rising out of the water in order to escape from them. They were flying in all directions, and not against the wind only, as Mr. Kalm seems to think. Neither did they confine themselves to a strait-lined course, but frequently were seen to describe a curve, When they met the top of a wave as they skimmed along the surface of the ocean, they passed through, and continued their flight beyond it. From this time, till we left the torrid zone, we were almost daily amused with the view of immense shoals of these fishes, and now and then caught one upon our decks when it had unfortunately taken its flight too far, and was spent by its too great elevation above the surface of the sea. In the uniform life which we led between the tropics, where we found weather, wind, and sea, almost constantly favourable and agreeable, the mind catched at every little circumstance that could give the hint to a reflection. When we saw the most beautiful fishes of the sea, the dolphin and bonito, in pursuit of the flying fish, and when these forsook their native element to seek for shelter in air, the application to human nature was obvious. What empire is not like a tumultuous ocean, where the great in all the magnificence and pomp of power, continually persecute and contrive the destruction of the defenceless? Sometimes we saw this picture continued still farther, when the poor fugitives met with another set of enemies in the air, and became the prey of birds[2], by endeavouring to escape the jaws of fishes.
Saturday 8.
The inspissated essence of beer, of which we had several casks on board, was observed to be in motion before we left Madeira, and now began to burst the casks and run out. The captain ordering it to be brought on deck, its fermentation was encreased by the addition of fresh air, and several of the casks had their heads forced out by the fermenting liquor, with an explosion like that of a fowling-piece. A kind of vapour, like smoke, always preceded the eruption. A vessel, strongly fumigated with sulphur, was, by my father's advice, filled with this essence, by which means the fermentation was stopped for a few days, but returned afterwards, especially in casks exposed to the free access of air. Some casks, which had been buried in the ballast-shingle, were preserved and prevented from bursting. Perhaps the admixture of double-distilled spirit, might have hindered the progress of fermentation in this essence. The beer made of it, by the simple addition of warm water, was very good and palatable, though it had a little empyreumatic taste, caused by the inspissation.
Tuesday 11.
Thursday 13.Early the next morning we went on shore, and visited the commandant of the fort, Don Joseph de Sylva, a good-natured man, who spoke the French imperfectly, and introduced us to the governor-general of the Cape-Verd islands. This gentleman, whose name was Don Joachim Salama Saldanha de Lobos, commonly resides at St. Jago, the capital of the island; but as he was very sickly, which his complexion witnessed for him, he had retired hither about two months ago, where the air is reckoned more salubrious. He occupied the apartments of the commandant, who was now obliged to dwell in a wretched cottage, and who gave us some information relative to these islands.
In 1449, Antonio Nolli, probably by others named Antoniotto, a Genoese in the service of Don Henry, Infante of Portugal, discovered some of the Cape-Verd islands, and on the sirst of May landed on one of them, which had its name from thence. St. Jago was seen at the same time. In 1460, another voyage was undertaken in order to settle them; and on this occasion the remaining islands were likewise discovered. San Jago is the greatest of them, and about seventeen leagues in length. The capital, of the same name, lies in the interior parts of the country, and is the see of the bishop of all the Cape-Verd islands. This isle is divided into eleven parishes, and the most populous of these contains about four thousand houses, so that it is but very thinly inhabited.
Porto-Praya stands on a steep rock, to which we climbed by a serpentine path. Its fortifications are old decayed walls on the sea side, and fences, scarce breast-high, made of loose stones, towards the land. A small church is inclosed within these walls, towards the sea; but, besides it, there are only a few cottages. A tolerable building, at a little distance from the fort, belongs to a company of merchants at Lisbon, who have the exclusive right to trade to all the Cape-Verd islands, and keep an agent here for that purpose. When we made application to this indolent Don, by the Governor's direction, to be supplied with live cattle, he indeed promised to furnish as many as we wanted, but we never got more than a single lean bullock. The company perfectly tyrannizes over the inhabitants, and sells them wretched merchandize at exorbitant prices.
The natives of St. Jago are few in number, of a middle stature, ugly, and almost perfectly black, with frizzled woolly hair, and thick lips, like the most ill-looking kind of negroes. The ingenious and very learned Canon Pauw; at Xanten, in his Recherches Philosophiques sur les Americains, vol. I. p. 186. seems to take it for granted, that they are the descendants of the first Portuguese settlers, gradually degenerated through nine generations (three hundred years) to their present hue, which we found darker than he describes it. But whether, according to his and the Abbé de Manet's[4] opinion, this change of complexion was effected merely by the heat of the torrid zone, or whether they have acquired their sable colour by intermarriages with negroes from the adjacent coast of Africa, is a question which I do not venture to decide, though so able and judicious an investigator of nature as Count Buffon, asserts, that "the colours of the human species depend principally on the climate." See Histoire Naturelle, in 12mo, vol. VI. p. 260. At present there are very few white people among them, and I believe we did not see above five or six, including the governor, commandant, and company's agent. In some of the islands, even the governors and priests are taken from among the blacks. The better sort of them wear ragged European cloaths, which they have obtained by barter from ships that touched here, previous to the establishment of the monopolizing company. The rest content themselves with a few separate articles of dress, either a shirt, or a waistcoat, or a pair of breeches, or a hat; and seem to be well pleased with their own appearance. The women are ugly, and wear a long slip of striped cotton over the shoulders, hanging down to the knees before and behind; but children are perfectly naked till the age of puberty. Despotic governors, bigotted priests, and indolence on the part of the court of Lisbon, will always keep these people in a wretched situation, beneath that of any community of negroes in Africa, and prevent them from increasing their numbers, which are the real wealth of a nation. It is natural for people whose solids are relaxed in a fervid climate, to incline to sloth and laziness; but they are confirmed in these vices, and must become indifferent to improvement, when they know the attempt would only make their situation more irksome. With a kind of gloomy insensibility they give themselves up to beggary, the only state which can protect them from the greedy clutches of tyrannical masters; and they shun every labour, which must encrease the treasures of others without benefit to themselves; and which only breaks in upon those hours of rest, that are now the solace of their precarious condition. Such clouded prospects, that never admit a gleam of happiness, cannot be incitements to marriage, and the difficulty of supporting a wretched existence, is a sufficient reason to decline the cares annexed to the relation of parents. Let us add to this, that the dry soil, whose fertility depends on the stated return of annual rains, is parched up whenever a drought takes place; all vegetation is then destroyed, and an inevitable famine succeeds. It may be reasonably supposed, that the experience of such fatal periods, deters the inhabitants from indulging in the sweets of conjugal connections, when they must apprehend that misery, and perhaps the horrors of slavery, await their unhappy offspring[5].
The Cape-Verd islands in general are mountainous, but their lower hills, which are covered with a fine verdure, have a very gentle declivity, and extensive vallies run between them. They are ill supplied with water, which in many of them is only found in pits or wells. St. Jago has, however, a tolerable river running into the sea at Ribeira Grande, a town which takes its name from thence. At Porto-Praya there was only a single well set round with loose stones, and containing muddy brackish water, in such small quantities, that we drew it quite dry twice a day. The valley by the side of the fort seems to have some moisture, and is planted here and there with cocoa-nut-palms, sugar-canes, bananas, cotton, goava, and papaw-trees; but the greatest part of it is over-run with various sorts of brushwood, and another is left for pastures.
We may perhaps conclude from hence, that the Cape-Verd islands in the hands of an active, enterprising, or commercial nation, would become interesting and useful, and might be cultivated to the greatest advantage. The cochineal plant, indigo, some spices, and perhaps coffee, would thrive particularly well in this hot and parched climate; and these productions would be sufficient to supply the natives not only with the necessaries, but likewise with the conveniencies and luxuries of life, under the benign influence of a free and equal government, like that under which we have the happiness to live in this country. Instead of feeding on a scanty allowance of roots, we should see their board heaped with plenty, and convenient houses would then supply the place of wretched hovels.
Some of the lower hills were dry and barren, scarce any plants growing upon them; but others had still some verdure on them, though we were now at the end of the dry season. They are all covered with abundance of stones, which appear to have been burnt, and are a species of lava. The soil, which is fertile enough in the vallies, is a kind of rubbish of cinders, and ochreous ashes; and the rocks on the sea-shore are likewise black and burnt. It is therefore probable, that this island has undergone a change from volcanic eruptions; and it will not be deemed unreasonable to form the same opinion of all the Cape-Verd islands, when we consider that one of them, the island of Fuogo, still consists of a burning mountain. The interior mountains of the country are lofty, and some of them appear steep and craggy, being perhaps of a more ancient date than the volcanic parts which we could examine.
In the evening we returned on board; but as the surf ran considerably higher than at our landing, we were obliged to strip in order to wade to our boats, which our best swimmers had loaded with water-casks, and such refreshments as could be purchased on shore; not without some danger of being hurt by sharks, which are numerous in the harbour. The captains, astronomers, and masters, had spent this day in making astronomical observations upon the little islet in the harbour, named Ilha dos Codornizes, or Quail island, from the birds which are in great plenty upon it. The commandant of the fort informed us, that the officers of a French frigate had likewise made astronomical observations on this identical spot some time ago, having several watches of a new construction on board[6].
Friday 14.The next day captain Cook invited the governor-general, and the commandant to dinner, and we staid on board, in order to act as interpreters on this occasion. The captain sent them his own boat; but when it came on shore, the governor begged to be excused, because he was always affected with sickness on board any vessel, whether at sea or in harbour. The commandant promised to come, but having at first neglected to ask the governor's leave, the latter retired to take his siesta (or afternoon's repose) and no one ventured to disturb him.
The extreme scarcity of refreshments made our stay at Porto-Praya very short. We were therefore obliged to content ourselves with a few casks of brackish water, a single bullock, a few long-legged goats, with strait horns and pendulous ears, some lean hogs, turkies, and fowls, and a few hundreds of unripe oranges, and indifferent bananas. The researches we had made the preceding day, furnished us with a few tropical plants, mostly of known species, with some new kinds of insects and of fish. We also observed several sorts of birds, and among them guinea-hens, which seldom fly, but run very swiftly, and which, when old, are very tough and dry eating. Quails and red-legged partridges are likewise common, according to the report of the natives, though we did not see any; but the most remarkable bird we found is a species of Kingfisher[7], because it feeds on large land-crabs of a blue and red colour, whose numerous habitations are round and deep holes in the dry and parched soil. Our sailors, who catch at every thing that may afford them diversion, purchased about fifteen or twenty monkies, known by the name of St. Jago, or green monkies (simia sabæa); which were a little bigger than cats, and of a greenish-brown colour, with black faces and paws. On each side of their mouth, they had a kind of pouch (like many others of the monkey tribe) which the English in the West-Indian colonies, call by their Spanish name alforjes. The antic tricks of these little monkies were amusing for some days, while their novelty lasted; but they soon became insipid companions, were neglected, sometimes cruelly bandied about the vessel, and starved to death for want of fresh food, so that only three of them reached the Cape of Good Hope. A harmless race of animals, dragged from the happy recess of native shades, to wear out the rest of their lives in continual anguish and torment, deserve a pitying remembrance, though humanity would fain have drawn the veil over all acts of iron-hearted insensibility, and wanton barbarism.
We got under sail in the evening and steered to the southward, having mild weather with frequent showers of rain on the following days, and the wind blowing from N.E. by N. to N.N.E. On the 16th,Sunday 16. at eight o'clock in the evening, we saw a luminous fiery meteor, of an oblong shape and blueish colour, and having a very quick descending motion: its course was N.W. and it disappeared in the horizon after a momentary duration. Our distance from St. Jago was fifty-five leagues at noon, notwithstanding which, we saw a swallow following our vessel, and making numberless circles round it. The necessary manœuvres of trimming the sails, in the evening disturbed it from its roost on one of the gun-ports, upon which it took shelter in the carved work of the stern. The two following days it continued to attend the ship on her course.Tuesday 18. During this time we observed many bonitos in the sea around us, which frequently shot past us with great velocity; but notwithstanding our endeavours to catch them with hooks, and strike them with harpoons, we could not take a single one. The crew were more successful in hooking a shark of about five feet in length. Its common attendants, the pilot-fish (gasterosteus ductor) and sucking-fish (echeneis remora), likewise appeared with it; but with this difference, that the former carefully avoided being caught, and swam about very nimbly; but the latter stuck so fast to the shark's body, that four of them were hauled on deck with it. We dined on part of the shark the next day, and found it a tolerable food when fried, but rather of difficult digestion on account of its fat.
Thursday 20.Two days after, Henry Smock, one of the carpenter's crew, being employed on the sides of the ship, was suddenly missed, and probably had fallen over-board and was drowned. His good-natured character, and a kind of serious turn of mind caused him to be regretted even among his shipmates, and must embitter his loss to those, whom the tender ties of parental or conjugal affection had united to him. Humanity stole a tear from each feeling traveller, the tribute due to a rational fellow-creature of a gentle and amiable disposition.
Friday 21.We had frequent showers after leaving St. Jago, and experienced a remarkable heavy fall of rain on the 21st, during which we caught up seven puncheons of fresh water in our spread awnings. This supply, though we were not distressed for want of it, was however very seasonable, inasmuch as we were now enabled to give large allowance of this necessary element to the crew. Captain Cook's remark deduced from long experience, that abundance of fresh water contributes to the preservation of health in long voyages, is extremely judicious, and seems to be founded on the known principles of physiology. If seamen have plenty of water to drink, and some to wash themselves and their linen, this essential precaution will in a great measure prevent the sea-scurvy from gaining ground among them. Their blood is diluted, and the waste of fluids caused by profuse perspiration in hot climates, is restored by plentiful drinking, and the insensible perspiration likewise goes on without a check, when the people frequently shift their linen, and wash off any uncleanliness that may obstruct the pores. It is evident that the greatest danger of putrid distempers is thus precluded; since the reimbibing of perspired matter, and the violence of perspiration without a fresh supply to temper and dilute the saline and caustic quality of the remaining fluids, (which are often supposed to be the causes of inflammatory fevers) are both in a great measure prevented.
The heavy rains of this morning, entirely soaked the plumage of the poor swallow, which had accompanied us for several days past; it was obliged therefore to settle on the railing of the quarter-deck, and suffered itself to be caught. I dried it, and when it was recovered, let it fly about in the steerage, where, far from repining at its confinement, it immediately began to feed upon the flies, which were numerous there. At dinner we opened the windows, and the swallow retook its liberty; but about six in the evening, it returned into the steerage and cabin, being sensible that we intended it no harm. Having taken another repast of flies, it went out again, and roosted that night somewhere on the outside of the vessel. Early the next morning our swallow returned into the cabin once more, and took its breakfast of flies. Emboldened by the shelter which we afforded it, and the little disturbance it suffered from us, the poor little bird now ventured to enter the ship at every port and scuttle which was open; some part of the morning it passed very happily in Mr. Wales's cabin; but after having left that it entirely disappeared. It is more than probable that it came into the birth of some unfeeling person, who caught it in order to provide a meal for a favourite cat.
From the history of this bird, which was of the common species, or a house-swallow (hirundo rustica Lin.) we may deduce the circumstances that bring solitary land-birds a great way out to sea. It seems to be probable, that they begin with following a ship, from the time she leaves the land; that they are soon lost in the great ocean, and are thus obliged to continue close to the ship, as the only solid mass in this immense fluid expanse. If two or more ships are in company, it is also easy to account for the expression of meeting with land-birds at a great distance from land; because they may happen to follow some other ship from the shore, than that which carries the observer; thus they may escape observation for a day or two, or perhaps longer, and when noticed, are supposed to be met with at sea. However, great storms are sometimes known to have driven single birds, nay vast flocks out to sea, which are obliged to seek for rest on board of ships, at considerable distances from any land[8]. I shall venture another reflection on this incident. In the long solitary hours of an uniform navigation, every little circumstance becomes interesting to the passenger; it is therefore not to be wondered at, if a subject so trifling in itself as putting to death a harmless bird, should affect a heart not yet buffeted into insensibility.
Sunday 23.On the 23d, several cetaceous fish, from fifteen to twenty feet long passed the ship, directing their course to the N. and N.W. They were supposed to be grampusses, (delphinus orca). Two days afterTuesday 25. the same kind of fish, and a number of lesser ones of a brownish colour, called skip-jacks, from leaping frequently out of the water, were observed. The wind for several days past had blown from the N.W. and obliged us to take a S.E. course, so that we were now got to the southward of the coast of Guinea. Several of our navigators, who had frequently crossed the Atlantic, looked upon this as a singular circumstance; and indeed it fairly proves, that though nature in the torrid zone commonly produces regular and constant winds, nevertheless it sometimes deviates even there from general rules, and admits of several exceptions. In this situation we also observed several man-of-war birds, (pelecanus aquilus.) It is a common belief among sailors that their appearance denotes a vicinity of land; but we were at present above a hundred leagues from any shore, so that this opinion seems to have no better support than many old prejudices. Each eradication of one of these is a gain to science; and each vulgar opinion, proved to be erroneous, is an approximation to truth, which alone is worthy of being recorded for the use of mankind.
Tuesday 1.On the first of September, several dolphins, (coryphæna hippurus,) were seen; and we likewise took notice of a large fish close to us, perfectly resembling the figure of a fish given in Willoughby's Histor. Piscium, appendix pag. 5. tab. 9. f. 3. which is taken from John Nieuhoff's account, and which the Dutch call zee-duyvel, or sea-devil. In its external shape it was similar to the genus of rays, but seems to be a new species; from whence it is evident, that even in the most frequented seas, such as the Atlantic, many new discoveries in natural history might be made, if those who can distinguish unknown from known objects, had always opportunities of enquiring into them.
Thursday 3.On the third of September great numbers of flying-fishes were observed, and a bonito (scomber pelamys) was caught, whose meat we found to be dry and less palatable than it is generally represented. We were lucky enough Saturday 5.}}two days after to take a dolphin, (coryphæna hippurus,) which is likewise dry meat; but the inimitable brightness of its colours, which continually change from one rich hue to another whilst it is drying, is, in my opinion, one of the most admirable appearances which can occur to the voyager's view during a tropical navigation.
But here description clouds each shining ray;
What terms of art can Nature's pow'rs display?
A boat was this day hoisted out in order to find the direction of the current, and to determine the temperature of the sea-water at a great depth. We sounded with 250 fathoms without finding any bottom. The thermometer in the air stood at 75½ deg. dipped under the surface of the sea it shewed 74 deg. and after being let down to the depth of 85 fathoms and hauled up again, it was fallen to 66 deg. It staid 30′ under water, and was 27½ in hawling up. Our latitude at noon was 0° 52′ north. The boat being out, we had an opportunity of examining that kind of blubber, or sea-nettle, which Linnæus has named medusa pelagica; together with another submarine animal called doris lævis, and employed ourselves in making drawings of them, and more minute descriptions than have hitherto been published.
Wednesday 9.On the 9th, having passed the line with a light air, our crew ducked such of their shipmates as had never crossed it before, and did not care to redeem themselves by paying a certain forfeit of brandy. Those who had been obliged to undergo the briny submersion, changed their linen and clothes; and as this can never be done too often, especially in warm weather, the ducking proved a salutary operation to them. The quantity of strong liquors, arising from the forfeits of the rest, served to heighten the jovial humour, which is the predominant characteristic of sailors. This day we likewise obtained a southerly wind, which gradually came round to S. by E. and S.S.E. and settled into the usual trade-wind.
Monday 14.This day we caught several dolphins, and a flying-fish one foot long fell on the quarter-deck. Ever since the 8th we had daily observed several aquatic birds, such as man of war birds, boobies (pelecanus aquilus & sula) petrels, gulls, and tropic-birds (phaëton æthereus.) We had also at various intervals, found the sea covered with animals belonging to the class of mollusca, one of which, of a blue colour, in shape like a snail, with four arms, divided into many branches, was named glaucus atlanticus; another, transparent like a crystal, and often connected in a long string with individuals of the same species, was referred to the genus named dagysa, mentioned in Lieut. Cook's voyage in the Endeavour[9]. Two other species of mollusca, which seamen call sallee, and Portuguese men of war, (medusa velella & holothuria physalis) likewise appeared about our vessel in great abundance.
Sunday 27.On the 27th we tried the direction of the currents, and the temperature of the sea again, with nearly the same result as before. The thermometer, which in open air stood at 72½ deg. and under the surface of the sea at 70 deg. after being let down 80 fathom, sunk to 68 deg. It continued 15 min. under water, and was hauled up in 7 min. We likewise took up a new species of the blubber (medusa.) For two days past, we had observed a bird, which we were this day enabled to examine, when we knew it to be the common shear-water (procellaria puffinus.) Having now reached the latitude of twenty-five degrees south, we found the wind gradually coming round from E. by S. to E. by N. and to N.E. which enabled us to steer to the south-eastward. Our bodies, which the heat of the torrid zone had in a great degree relaxed, now began to feel a considerable alteration in the climate, and though the thermometer was not above ten degrees different from what it used to be near the line, yet I contracted a violent cold, attended with the tooth-ach, swelled gums, and cheeks.
October.
Sunday 4.On the fourth of October, we observed great numbers of the common little petrel, of a sooty brown, with white rumps (procellaria pelagica), and found the air cold and sharp. The next day the albatross, (diomedea exulans) and the pintadas (procellaria capensis), made their first appearance.
Sunday 11.On the 11th it was mild and almost calm, after several days of hazy and squally weather, which had probably sharpened the appetite of the sea birds, and especially the pintadas; for these last eagerly swallowed hooks baited with pieces of pork or mutton, and no less than eight of them were caught in a short time. In the evening we observed an eclipse of the moon, of which the end at a medium happened at 6h. 58′ 45″ p.m, our latitude at noon being 34° 45′ south.
The next day we tried the current and the temperature of the sea a third time. We let down the thermometer 100 fathoms, where it continued 20 min. was hauled up in 7 min. more, and then shewed 58 deg. At the surface it stood at 59 deg. and in the air at 60 deg. It being calm, we employed ourselves in the boat with shooting sea-fowl; among which were a small tern, a shear-water, a new species of albatross, and a new petrel: Several animals of the mollusca-tribe likewise came within our reach, together with the helix janthina, a violet-coloured shell, remarkable for the extreme thinness of its texture, which breaks with the least pressure, and seems therefore entirely calculated to keep the open sea, or at least to shun rocky shores[10], agreeably to the observation in Lieutenant Cook's voyage in the Endeavour. Albatrosses, pintadas, and petrels of all kinds, amongst which was also the fulmar, (procellaria glacialis,) were now daily observed.
On the 17th, we had an alarm that one of our crew was overboard, upon which we immediately put about, but seeing nothing, the names of all persons on board the vessel were called over, and none found missing, to our great satisfaction. Our friends on board the Adventure, whom we visited a few days after, told us they had indeed suspected by our manœuvre, the accident which we had apprehended, but that looking out on the sea, Capt. Furneaux had plainly observed a sea-lion, that had been the cause of this false alarm.
Monday 19.On the 19th we had a great southern swell, and saw a large whale, and likewise a fish of the shark genus, of a whitish colour, with two dorsal-fins, and its length about eighteen or twenty feet. As we had been a considerable time at sea, the Captain had for some weeks past ordered sour-krout (or cabbage sliced and fermented) to be regularly served to the crew, at a pint per man on meat-days, which was four times a week. The Lords of the Admiralty, attentive to every circumstance which bids fair to preserve the health of seafaring men, had ordered a very considerable quantity of this salutary and palatable food to be put on board both of the ships, and the event has proved that it is one of the best prophylactics against the sea-scurvy.
Saturday 24.On the 24th, the Adventure being a great way astern, the captain ordered a boat to be hoisted out, and several officers and other gentlemen went a shooting, which gave us a fresh opportunity of examining the two sorts of albatrosses, and a large black species of shear-water, (procellaria æquinoctialis.) Our navigation, which for nine weeks past had been out of sight of any land, began to appear dull and tedious, and seemed to be distressing to many who were not used to an uniform recluse life on board a ship, without any refreshments or variety of scenes. We should have found this long passage equally disagreeable, if it had not supplied us with employment from time to time, and nursed the hope of making many interesting discoveries relative to the science of nature.
Thursday 29.On the 29th, early in the morning, we discovered the land of the extremity of Africa, covered with clouds and fog; and several gannets and small diving-petrels, together with some wild ducks, came out to sea from thence. Soon after the land disappeared entirely, and we could not see it again till three o'clock in the afternoon, when its parts were much plainer, though the clouds still involved them. The wind blowing fresh, and the Adventure being a great way a-stern, we could not venture to get into the Table bay during night, but stood off and on till the next morning, having thick squally weather, and heavy showers of rain.
The night was scarcely begun, when the water all round us afforded the most grand and astonishing sight than can be imagined. As far as we could see the whole ocean seemed to be in a blaze. Every breaking wave had its summit illuminated by a light similar to that of phosphorus, and the sides of the vessel, coming in contact with the sea, were strongly marked by a luminous line. Great bodies of light moved in the water along our side, sometimes slower, sometimes quicker; now in the same direction with our course, now flying off from it; sometimes we could clearly distinguish their shape to be that of fishes, which when they approached any smaller ones, forced these to hasten away from them. Desirous of enquiring into the cause of this astonishing phænomenon, we procured a bucket full of the illumined sea-water. The most accurate attention to it proved, that innumerable minute sparks, of a round shape, communicated this luminous appearance to the water, and moved about in it with great briskness and velocity. After the water had been standing for a little while, the number of sparks seemed to decrease; but on being stirred again, the whole became as luminous as before. Again, as the water gradually subsided the sparks were observed to move in directions contrary to the undulations of the water, which they did not before, whilst the agitation was more violent, and seemed to carry them along with its own motions. We suspended the bucket, to prevent its being too much affected by the motion of the ship; the bright objects by this means betrayed more and more a voluntary motion, independent of the agitation of the water caused by our hands, or by the rolling of the vessel. The luminous appearance always gradually subsided, but on the least agitation of the water, the sparkling was renewed, in proportion as the motion was encreased. As I stirred the water with my hand, one of the luminous sparks adhered to my finger. We examined it by the common magnifier of Mr. Ramsden's improved microscope, and found it to be globular, transparent like a gelatinous substance, and somewhat brownish: by the greatest magnifier we discovered the orifice of a little tube, which entered the body of this little atom, within which were four or five intestine bags connected with the tube. Having examined several of them, which had much the same appearance, I endeavoured to catch some in water, and bring them under the microscope in a concave glass, where its nature and organs might be better examined: but these minute objects were always hurt with our touch before we could place them in the concave glass, and when dead only appeared as an indistinct mass of floating filaments. In about two hours time the water had lost its luminous appearance. We had another bucket full of it drawn before that time, but all our attempts to catch one of the little atoms in the glass proved ineffectual. Accordingly we hastened to draw the appearance of the first globule, and to write down our observations. The most probable conjecture which we could form concerning these little atomical animalcules was, that they might be the young fry of some species of medusa or blubber, though it may likewise be possible, that they are beings of a distinct genus.
There was a singularity, and a grandeur in the display of this phænomenon, which could not fail of giving occupation to the mind, and striking it with a reverential awe, due to Omnipotence. The ocean covered to a great extent, with myriads of animalcules; these little beings, organized alive, endowed with locomotive power, a quality of shining whenever they please, of illuminating every body with which they come in contact, and of laying aside their luminous appearance at pleasure: all these ideas crouded upon us, and bade us admire the Creator, even in his minutest works. It is the natural fault of young people to think too well of mankind; but I hope I shall not have formed too favourable an opinion of my readers, if I expect that the generality will sympathize with me in these feelings, and that none will be found ignorant or depraved enough to despise them.
Friday 30.The next morning, after a very rainy night, we sailed into Table bay. The mountains at the bottom of it, now appeared clear of clouds, and surprised us with their prodigious craggy, steep, and barren appearance. As we advanced farther into the bay, we discovered the town at the foot of the black Table mountain, and soon came to an anchor. After saluting the fort, and receiving the visit of several officers in the service of the Dutch East-India company, we went on shore with captains Cook and Furneaux, being prepared to meet with many new acquisitions to science, on a continent so distant from our own, and situated in an opposite hemisphere.
- ↑ It is probable that not only the Canaries, but likewise Madeira, and Porto-Santo were known to the ancients; a circumstance from which it is possible to reconcile their various accounts of the number of these islands. See Plin. Hist. Nat. lib. vi. cap. 37. The description given of them by ancient writers, agree with the modern accounts. See Vossius in Pompon. Melam. ad cap. x. v. 20. Ex iisdem quoque insulis cinnabaris Romam advehebatur. Sane hodie etiamnum frequens est in insulis fortunatis arbor illa quæ cinnabarin gignit. Vulgo Sanguinem Draconis appellant.—We have Pliny's testimony, lib. vi. cap. 36. that Juba, the Mauritanian king, dyed purple in some of these isles, opposite to the Autololes in Africa.
- ↑ Boobies (pelecanus piscator); men-of war birds (p. aquilus); and tropic birds (phaethon æthereus.)
- ↑ This opinion is very judiciously discussed by Ellis, in his voyage to Hudson's Bay.
- ↑ See his Nouvelle Histoire de l'Afrique Françoise, enrichie de Cartes, &c. a Paris, 1767, 12mo, vol. II, p. 224.
- ↑ On our return to the Cape of Good Hope, in 1775, we were told of a general famine which had happened in the Cape-Verd islands in 1773 and 1774, and which had risen to such a height that hundreds of people had perished for want. The commander of a Dutch ship, which touched at St. Jago during this distressful season, received several of the natives, with their wives and children, who sold themselves to him, in order to escape the dreadful consequences of want. He carried them to the Cape of Good Hope, and sold them; but when the Government there was informed of it, he was ordered to redeem them at his own expence, to carry them back to their native country, and to bring a certificate from the Portuguese governor, importing the execution of these orders.
- ↑ This was the Isis frigate, commanded by M. de Fleurieu, on board of which was M. Pingré, with several time keepers. A journal of the voyage and observations made in that ship, has since been published in 2 vols. quarto.
- ↑ The same species is found in Arabia Felix; vide Forskal Fauna Arabica; as also in Abyssinia, as appears from the elegant and valuable drawings of James Bruce, Esq.
- ↑ Captain Cook very obligingly communicated to me a fact which confirms the above assertion. Being on board of a ship between Norway and England, he met with a violent storm, during which a flight of several hundred birds covered the whole rigging of the ship. Among numbers of small birds, he observed several hawks, which lived very luxuriously by preying on those poor defenceless creatures.
- ↑ See Hawkesworth's compilation, vol. II. p. 2.
- ↑ See Hawkesworth's Compilation, vol. II. p. 14. We find another remark at the end of that above quoted, which is of very different value, and seems to indicate that the ancient authors were not consulted. Whoever has looked into Pliny, can never have the least idea that the thin shell afore-mentioned could be "the purpura of the ancients." They had several kinds of shells, which yielded the purple dye, but these were all rock-shells. Earum genera plura, pabulo et solo difereta, lib. ix, cap. 61. Exquiruntur omnes scopuli gætuli muricibus ac purpuris, lib. v. cap. 1. It is equally clear and uncontrovertible that the figure and hardness of their purple shells were very different from those of the little helix janthina. Purpura vocatur, cuniculatim procurrente rostro et cuniculi latere introrfus tubulato qua proferatur lingua, lib. ix. cap. 61.—Lingua purpuræ longitudine digitalis quâ pascitur, perforando reliqua conchylia, tanta duritia aculeo est, lib. ix. cap. 60.—Præterca clavatum est ad turbinem usque aculeis in orbem septenis fere, lib. ix, cap. 61. Don Antonio Ulloa, in his voyage to South-America, book IV. chap. 8. may be consulted on the subject.