Volume I Part 10 (1/2)
Some may think it an extraordinary step in me to proceed on discoveries as far south at 46 degrees of lat.i.tude, in the very depth of winter. But though it most be owned, that winter is by no means favourable for discoveries, it nevertheless appeared to me necessary that something should be done in it, in order to lessen the work I was upon; lest I should not be able to finish the discovery of the southern part of the South Pacific Ocean the ensuing summer. Besides, if I should discover any land in my route to the east, I should be ready to begin, with the summer, to explore it. Setting aside all these considerations, I had little to fear; having two good s.h.i.+ps well provided; and healthy crews. Where then could I spend my time better? If I did nothing more, I was at least in hopes of being able to point out to posterity, that these seas may be navigated, and that it is practicable to go on discoveries; even in the very depth of winter.
During our stay in the sound, I had observed that this second visit made to this country, had not mended the morals of the natives of either s.e.x. I had always looked upon the females of New Zealand to be more chaste than the generality of Indian women. Whatever favours a few of them might have granted to the people in the Endeavour, it was generally done in a private manner, and the men did not seem to interest themselves much in it. But now, I was told, they were the chief promoters of a shameful traffic, and that for a spike-nail, or any other thing they value, they would oblige the women to prost.i.tute themselves, whether they would or no; and even without any regard to that privacy which decency required.
During our stay here, Mr Wales lost no opportunity to observe equal alt.i.tudes of the sun, for obtaining the rates of the watches. The result of his labours proved, that Mr Kendal's was gaining 9”, 5 per day, and Mr Arnold's losing 94”, 15s per day, on mean time.
CHAPTER IX.
_Route from New Zealand to Otaheite, with an Account of some low Islands, supposed to be the same that were seen by M. de Bougainville._
1773 June
On the 7th of June, at four in the morning, the wind being more favourable, we unmoored, and at seven weighed and put to sea, with the Adventure in company. We had no sooner got out of the sound, than we found the wind at south, so that we had to ply through the straits. About noon the tide of ebb setting out in our favour, made our boards advantageous; so that, at five o'clock in the evening. Cape Palliser, on the island of Eahei-nomauwe, bore S.S.E. 1/2 S., and Cape Koamaroo, or the S.E. point of the sound, N. by W. 3/4 W.; presently after it fell calm, and the tide of flood now making against us, carried us at a great rate back to the north. A little before high-water, the calm was succeeded by a breeze from the north, which soon increased to a brisk gale. This, together with the ebb, carried us by eight o'clock the next morning quite through the strait. Cape Palliser at this time bore E.N.E., and at noon N. by W. distant seven leagues.
This day at noon, when we attended the winding-up of the watches, the fusee of Mr Arnold's would not turn round, so that after several unsuccessful trials we were obliged to let it go down.
After getting clear of the straits, I directed my course S.E. by E., having a gentle gale, but variable between the north and west. The late S.E. winds having caused a swell from the same quarter, which did not go down for some days, we had little hopes of meeting with land in that direction. We however continued to steer to the S.E., and on the 11th crossed the meridian of 180, and got into the west longitude, according to my way of reckoning.
On the 16th, at seven in the morning, the wind having veered round to S.E., we tacked and stretched to N.E., being at this time in the lat.i.tude of 47 7', longitude 173 W. In this situation we had a great swell from N.E.
The wind continued at S.E. and S.S.E., blew fresh at intervals, and was attended with sometimes fair, and at other times rainy weather, till the 20th, on which day, being in the lat.i.tude of 44 30', longitude 165 45'
W., the wind s.h.i.+fted to the west, blew a gentle gale, and was attended with fair weather. With this we steered E. by N., E. by S., and E., till the 23d at noon, when, being in the lat.i.tude of 44 38' S., longitude 161 27' W., we had a few hours calm. The calm was succeeded by a wind at east, with which we stood to the north. The wind increased and blew in squalls, attended with rain, which at last brought us under our courses; and at two o'clock in the afternoon of the next day, we were obliged to lie-to under the foresail, having a very hard gale from E.N.E., and a great sea from the same direction.
At seven o'clock in the morning of the 25th, the gale being more moderate, we made sail under the courses, and in the afternoon set the top-sails close-reefed. At midnight, the wind having veered more to the north, we tacked and stretched to the S.E., being at this time in the lat.i.tude of 42 53' S., longitude 163 20' W.
We continued to stretch to the S.E., with a fresh gale and fair weather, till four o'clock in the afternoon of the next day, when we stood again to the N.E., till midnight between the 27th and 28th. Then we had a few hours calm, which was succeeded by faint breezes from the west. At this time we were in the lat.i.tude of 42 32', longitude 161 15' W. The wind remained not long at west, before it veered back to the E. by the N., and kept between the S.E. and N.E., but never blew strong.
1773 July
On July 2d, being in the lat.i.tude of 53 3', longitude 156 17' W., we had again a calm, which brought the wind back to the west; but it was of no longer continuance than before. For the next day it returned to the E. and S.E., blew fresh at times, and by squalls, with rain.
On the 7th, being in the lat.i.tude of 41 22', longitude 156 12' W., we had two hours calm; in which time Mr Wales went on board the Adventure to compare the watches, and they were found to agree, allowing for the difference of their rates of going: A probable, if not a certain proof, that they had gone well since we had been in this sea.
The calm was succeeded by a wind from the south; between which point and the N.W., it continued for the six succeeding days, but never blew strong.
It was, however, attended with a great hollow swell from the S.W. and W., a sure indication that no large land was near in those directions. We now steered east, inclining to the south, and on the 10th, in the lat.i.tude of 43 39', longitude 144 43' W., the variation was found, by several azimuths, to be more than 3 E., but the next morning it was found to be 4 5' 30”, and in the afternoon, 5 56' E. The same day, at noon, we were in the lat.i.tude of 43 44', longitude 141 56' W.
At nine o'clock in the morning of the 12th, the longitude was observed as follows, viz.
Self 1st set 139 47' 15”
Ditto, 2d set 140 7 30 Mr Wales 1st set 141 22 15 Mr Wales 2d set 140 10 0 Mr Clerke 140 56 45 Mr Gilbert 140 2 0 -------------- Mean 140 24 17-1/2 West.
This differed from my reckoning only 2 1/2. The next morning, in the lat.i.tude of 43 3', longitude 139 20' W., we had several lunar observations, which were consonant to those made the day before, allowing for the s.h.i.+p's run in the time. In the afternoon we had, for a few hours, variable light airs next to a calm; after which we got a wind from the N.E., blowing fresh and in squalls, attended with dark gloomy weather, and some rain.
We stretched to the S.E. till five o'clock in the afternoon on the 14th, at which time, being in the lat.i.tude of 43 15', longitude 137 39' W., we tacked and stood to the north under our courses, having a very hard gale with heavy squalls, attended with rain, till near noon the next day, when it ended in a calm. At this time we were in the lat.i.tude of 42 39', longitude 137 58' W. In the evening, the calm was succeeded by a breeze from S.W., which soon after increased to a fresh gale; and fixing at S.S.W, with it we steered N.E. 1/2 E. in the lat.i.tude of 41 25', longitude 135 58' W., we saw floating in the sea a billet of wood, which seemed to be covered with barnacles; so that there was no judging how long it might have been there, or from whence or how far it had come.
We continued to steer N.E. 1/2 E., before a very strong gale which blew in squalls, attended with showers of rain and hail, and a very high sea from the same quarter, till noon, on the 17th. Being then in the lat.i.tude of 39 44', longitude 133 32' W., which was a degree and a half farther east than I intended to run; nearly in the middle between my track to the north in 1769, and the return to the south in the same year, and seeing no signs of land, I steered north-easterly, with a view of exploring that part of the sea lying between the two tracks just mentioned, down as low as the lat.i.tude of 27, a s.p.a.ce that had not been visited by any preceding navigator that I knew of.
On the 19th, being in the lat.i.tude of 36 34', longitude 133 7' W., we steered N. 1/2 W., having still the advantage of a hard gale at south, which the next day veered to S.E. and E., blew hard and by squalls, attended with rain and thick hazy weather. This continued till the evening of the 21st, when the gale abated, the weather cleared up, and the wind backed to the S. and S.E.
We were now in the lat.i.tude of 32 30', longitude 133 40' W., from this situation we steered N.N.W. till noon the next day, when we steered a point more to the west; being at this time in the lat.i.tude of 31 6', longitude 134 12' W. The weather was now so warm, that it was necessary to put on lighter clothes; the mercury in the thermometer at noon rose to 63. It had never been lower than 46, and seldom higher than 54, at the same time of the day, since we left New Zealand.
This day was remarkable by our not seeing a single bird. Not one had pa.s.sed since we left the land, without seeing some of the following birds, viz.
albatrosses, sheerwaters, pintadoes, blue peterels, and Port Egmont hens.