Volume X Part 10 (1/2)
Towards the end of August, they arrived in the harbour of St Jago, one of the Cape de Verd islands, where they remained till the 10th September, although the climate was very unhealthy, and the pilots, particularly Mr Adams, remonstrated against continuing there; by which the officers were so much offended, that they resolved never more to call the pilots to council, which seems to have been the source of all their subsequent misfortunes, and of that restless spirit of mutiny and discontent, which possessed the seamen in this fleet.
In the afternoon of the 11th September, they were off the desert island of Brava, and the bottom being rocky, so that they could not anchor, they stood off and on all night, and coasting along next morning they found some fresh water, which was hard to be got, as the s.h.i.+ps could not come to anchor, on account of a bad bottom. The boats, however, of Captains Beuniugen and Buckholt, went ash.o.r.e with empty casks, which they filled and brought on board, though then night and the s.h.i.+ps under way. Captain de Ween went ash.o.r.e in a small sandy bay, and looking about for fresh water, he saw some Portuguese and negroes coming towards him, who told him the French and English s.h.i.+ps used to get fresh water near that place, but remained always under sail. They said also, that no refreshments were to be had at this island, but these might be had in the island of Fuego. After the departure of the islanders, de Weert discovered four or five ruinous small huts, the door of one being walled up, which he found full of maize. On this discovery, he remained there with three men, lest the Portuguese might carry off the maize in the night, and sent some others in the boat to give notice to the admiral of this discovery. Fortunately a small vessel belonging to the bishop of St Thomas, taken by the Dutch at Praya, arrived in the bay, to which de Weert removed all the maize. He also took two female sea tortoises, in which were above 600 eggs, of which they made many good meals. The Portuguese and negroes, finding the Dutch busied in carrying away their maize, came down the mountain, making a great noise; but de Weert, having two fusils, fired at them and made them retire.
On the return of de Weert, he found the admiral very sick, and a council a.s.sembled in the Hope. He in the first place advised them to remain no longer at the Cape Verd islands, and then resigned his command to the vice-admiral, de Cordes. On advising with the other captains, and learning the quant.i.ty of water in each s.h.i.+p, de Cordes gave orders that such as had most should give part to the others, and that the allowance of provisions and water should be diminished, and as fresh water was not to be expected for three or four months, they were directed to gather rain-water when that could be had. The greatest part of the men in the admiral's s.h.i.+p being sick, two or three of them were removed into each of the other s.h.i.+ps, in exchange for sound men. The fleet sailed from Brava on the 15th September, and on the 22d a signal was made from the admiral for the other captains. They found the admiral, James Mahu, beyond hope of recovery; and that night he and his supercargo, Daniel Restan, both died. He was of a mild and gentle disposition, honest, careful, diligent, and very kind to the seamen, and was much lamented by the whole fleet. Opening the letters of the directors of the expedition, which were directed to be opened in such a case, de Cordes was appointed admiral, and Benningen vice-admiral; Sebald de Weert being promoted to the command of the Faith, and Dirke Gernitsz China to that of the yacht.
These alterations did not please the seamen, who were attached to their former commanders.
By the 4th October, the scurvy raged much among the seamen, especially in the Hope, on which de Cordes ordered a day of prayer to be observed in the fleet, to implore the mercy of G.o.d and a happy voyage. They were then in the lat. of 1 45' S. At length the scurvy increased so much in the Hope, that the admiral had not men enough to work his s.h.i.+p, and it was resolved to steer for some island where fresh provisions might be procured. They steered accordingly for Ann.o.bon, where they hoped to get fresh meat and oranges. Towards night, the admiral, who sailed in the van, fired a gun as a signal of seeing land, though all the pilots then thought the land at the distance of 100 leagues. They accordingly approached the land, and anch.o.r.ed on the coast of _Manicongo_, in lat.
3 S.[85] They here lost company of the small s.h.i.+p belonging to St Thomas, in which were eleven sound men, and some thought she had deserted, while others thought she had run aground: But they afterwards found she had gone to Cape Lope Gonzalves, where the men quitted her, going aboard the s.h.i.+p of Baltazar Musheron, which was bound to America.
[Footnote 85: The lat.i.tude in the text falls near Point Palmas, on the coast of Yumba, in what is called the Kingdom of Congo. Mayumba bay, perhaps the Manicongo of the text, is in lat. 4 30' S.]
After several ineffectual attempts to procure refreshments for their men on the coast of Africa and the island of Ann.o.bon, they put to sea on the 3d January, 1599, from that island, with the intention of sailing direct for the Straits of Magellan. The 22d they pa.s.sed the shelves and rocks on the coast of Brazil, called the _Abrolhos_. The 9th March, one of the seamen in the vice-admiral's s.h.i.+p was hanged, for repeatedly breaking open the cupboard belonging to the cook, and stealing bread.
About this time, the sick beginning to recover, got such good appet.i.tes that their allowance was not sufficient. The 12th, being near the Rio Plata, the sea appeared as red as blood, and some of the water being drawn up was found full of small red worms, that leaped out of it like fleas.
-- 2. _The Fleet pa.s.ses through the Straits of Magellan into the South Sea, and is forced to return_.
The 6th of April, the fleet got into the Straits of Magellan, and towards evening cast anchor under the smaller of the two Penguin isles, fourteen leagues within the mouth of the straits. They here saw vast numbers of those birds called _plongeons_ or divers, because they dive into the water to catch fish. They killed there ten or fourteen of them with sticks, and might have killed as many as would have served the whole fleet, but would not lose the opportunity of a fair wind. The 9th they proceeded through the straits; and next day the admiral sent fifty men on sh.o.r.e, to look for inhabitants or cattle, but after travelling three leagues along sh.o.r.e, they found nothing. They arrived in a fine bay on the 15th, twenty-one leagues from the mouth of the straits, called _Muscle bay_ by the English, because of the great quant.i.ties of muscles found there, and here they provided themselves abundantly with fresh water and wood. The 17th they sailed between two rocky sh.o.r.es, so close and so high that they hardly thought to have got through. The mountains on both sides were covered with snow. On the 18th, they cast anchor in a bay on the north side of the straits, in lat. 54 S. called _Great bay_, having good anchorage on fine sand. In this bay there are three small islands, the least of which is farthest east.
In these parts, there grow great quant.i.ties of trees, resembling bay trees, but somewhat higher, the bark of which is very bitter, and has a hot taste like pepper.[86] They here found abundance of muscles, some of which were a span long, and when boiled, the fish of three of them weighed a pound. The wind being contrary, they lay here at anchor till the 23d of August,[87] without taking the sails from the yards, to be ready to sail on a change of wind. In the mean while they suffered much from cold, in so much that they lost above an hundred men, among whom was Captain Buckholt, who was succeeded by Baltazar de Cordes. Storms were so frequent and violent during this time, that the s.h.i.+ps could not ride quietly at anchor, and the seamen were forced to be continually at work to keep them right. They were also forced to go often on sh.o.r.e, in rain, snow, and hail, to get in fresh water, wood, muscles, and such other food as they could find, by which they were greatly fatigued. The scarcity of victuals was so great, and the climate so severe, that they were almost starved with hunger and cold, and their appet.i.tes so insatiable, that they devoured roots or any thing else they could find, raw and uncooked. Most of the seamen had no watch-coats or other warm cloathing, to enable them to support the fatigue of watching and their daily labour, having made no provision of such things, as they believed themselves bound to warm climes. To remedy this evil, the general ordered cloth to be distributed among them.
[Footnote 86: In Harris these are erroneously called _Pimento_, but they must have been the _Wintera aromatica_. The Pimento, or _Myrtus Pimenta_, is a native of the warm regions of America and the West India islands, producing Pimento, All-spice, or Jamaica pepper.--E.]
[Footnote 87: This date, here antic.i.p.ated, refers to the day when they afterwards set sail.--E.]
It was found that many of the seamen, when at their meals, were in use to sell their victuals to others at high prices, and afterwards satisfied their hunger with raw muscles and green herbs, which occasioned them to fall into dropsies and other lingering sickness, of which several died: For this reason, the captains and other officers were ordered to be present at all their meals, to see and oblige them to eat their allowances.
The 7th May the vice-admiral was sent, with two boats, to an island opposite Great bay, to catch sea-dogs.[88] He found there seven small boats or canoes, with savages on board, who were of a reddish colour with long hair, and, as well as he could observe, seemed _ten or eleven feet high_. On seeing the Dutch boats, the savages went on sh.o.r.e and threw many stones at the Dutch, so that they did not venture to land.
The savages then took courage, and came towards them in their canoes; and coming within musket-shot, the vice-admiral made his men give them a general discharge, by which four or five of the savages were slain, and the rest so frightened that they escaped again on sh.o.r.e. They then pulled up some trees, which appeared afar off to be a span thick; but the vice-admiral chose to let them alone, and returned to the s.h.i.+ps. The 26th of May, as some seamen were on sh.o.r.e, looking for muscles, roots, and herbs, and were dispersed, expecting no danger, a number of savages fell upon them suddenly, killed three of them, whom they tore in pieces, and wounded two, who were rescued by the admiral. All these savages were naked, except one, who had the skin of a sea-dog or seal about his shoulders. They were armed with wooden javelins, which they threw with great strength and dexterity. The points of these javelins were like cramp-irons, tied to the shafts with the guts of sea-dogs, and would run so deep into the flesh, that it was almost impossible to get them out.
[Footnote 88: Seals are probably here meant.--E.]
While the fleet lay in this bay, the admiral ordered his long-boat to be put upon the stocks, to be enlarged and altered into a pinnace, which was named the Postillion, and the command of her was given to the second pilot of the Hope. Having no provisions for making broth, Captain de Weert landed on the 27th July, in order to catch seals; and while he was ash.o.r.e, so great a storm arose that he was obliged to remain two days and two nights, before he could get back to his s.h.i.+p, and caught nothing. After enduring great hards.h.i.+ps in this _Green bay_,[89] and which the Dutch named the Bay of de Cordes, they set sail on the 23d of August, having the wind at N.E. but next day the weather became so calm, that they were obliged to put into a great bay on the south side of the straits. Here, to perpetuate the memory of so dangerous and extraordinary a voyage into these straits, to which no nation had hitherto sent so many or such large s.h.i.+ps, the general inst.i.tuted a new order of knighthood, of which he made his six princ.i.p.al officers knights. They bound themselves by oath, never to do or consent to any thing contrary to their honour or reputation, whatever might be the dangers or extremities to which they were exposed, even death itself; nor to do or suffer to be done any thing prejudicial to the interests of their country, or of the voyage in which they were now engaged. They also solemnly promised, freely to expose their lives against all the enemies of their nation, and to use their utmost endeavours to conquer those dominions whence the king of Spain procured so much gold and silver, by which he was enabled to carry on the war against their country. This ceremony was performed ash.o.r.e on the eastern coast of the straits, in as orderly a manner as the place and occasion would permit, and the order was named of _The Lion set free_, in allusion to the Belgic lion, the cognizance of their country, which they professed to use all their endeavours to free from the Spanish yoke. After this ceremony, a tablet was erected on the top of a high pillar, on which the names of the new-made knights were inscribed, and the bay was named the _Bay of Knights_.
[Footnote 89: This seems the same formerly named Great bay.--E.]
Leaving this bay on the 28th of August, they put into another bay a league farther on, where they were again becalmed. The admiral at this time gave orders to Captain de Weert to go back in his boat to the Bay of Knights, to remove the tablet to a more convenient situation. When about to double the point of the bay on this errand, de Weert saw eighty savages sitting on the sh.o.r.e, having eight or nine canoes beside them; and, as soon as the savages saw the boat, they set up a dismal noise, inviting the Dutch to land, by means of signs. But, having only a small number of men, de Weert turned back towards the s.h.i.+ps; on which the savages ran across the woods along sh.o.r.e, always hallowing, and making signs for the Dutch to land. When the general was informed of this adventure, he dispatched three boats well armed on sh.o.r.e, but the savages were not to be seen, though they had left their marks behind them, having dug up the interred body of a Dutchman, and left his body on the ground, barbarously disfigured. On going to the knights tablet, the Dutch also found it had been broken by the savages.
Early in the night of the 3d September, they got out from the Straits of Magellan into the South Sea, with a fair wind, and continued their voyage to the W.N.W. with the wind at N.E. till the 7th, having all that time fine weather. This day, however, the sea began to swell and rise so high, that the vice-admiral had to lie to and hoist his boat on board, which was likewise done by the Fidelity. While de Weert was sailing directly in the wake of the admiral, who led the fleet, an accident happened on board the yacht, which had the wind of the Fidelity, which obliged both the Faith and the Fidelity, the former being de Weert's s.h.i.+p, to furl their sails, and lie to for a.s.sisting the yacht. The admiral continued his course, thinking that the other s.h.i.+ps continued to follow him, and that the fog prevented them from being seen by the watch. The vice-admiral also was obliged to furl his sails shortly after, the fog being so thick as to prevent them from seeing each other, though very near.
On the 8th the two yachts lost sight of the s.h.i.+ps, but these three kept company all that day; and next day the whole fleet rejoined to their great joy. After joining, Derick Geritz sent the Postillion to the admiral, to request the a.s.sistance of his carpenters; but they were sick, and those from the Faith and Fidelity went on board the yacht.
This proved afterwards a serious loss to these s.h.i.+ps, as they never got their carpenters back. The wind s.h.i.+fted all of a sudden, and the sea became so rough and stormy that the yacht had to furl her sails, as was done by the vice-admiral, who was ahead of the Faith, and by the Fidelity. In the ensuing night the yacht and vice-admiral made sail again, without advertising the other two s.h.i.+ps by signal, so that they continued to lie to. When day broke next morning, Captains Baltazar de Cordes and Sebalt de Weert, of the Fidelity and Faith, were extremely troubled at not seeing any of the other s.h.i.+ps. De Weert, who was now the senior captain, was also much troubled by the unprovided state of his s.h.i.+p, having no master, only two old pilots, and a very small number of seamen, mostly sick and weak through the cold and damp weather, though they kept a fire burning night and day.
The N.E. wind became so violent on the 16th September, that the two s.h.i.+ps were every moment in danger of sinking. The gallery of the Faith was rent open above an inch, and the sea broke so violently over the Fidelity, that her men were almost constantly up to their knees in water. She likewise sprung a leak, owing to which they were forced to keep her pumps constantly going day and night, yet could hardly keep her afloat. At last, after much search, the leak was found and stopt. In this deplorable situation these two s.h.i.+ps remained for twenty-four hours, _spooning_ under bare poles. The seamen also became much dissatisfied, though allowed two ounces of dried fish a day to each man, with a reasonable quant.i.ty of biscuit. But they were much discontented with this scanty allowance, having been used in the straits to fill themselves with muscles, of which they could not now brook the want, so that the captains had much ado to pacify them.
In the night of the 26th September they fell in with the land to the north of the straits by mistake, thinking themselves to have been twenty leagues from the land; and in the morning the Faith was in great danger, as the wind drifted her towards the coast, on which were two rocks, which they avoided with the utmost difficulty. The Fidelity, which was a considerable way in front, had discovered the rocks in time, and had easily given them a wide birth. They were only three leagues from the straits when they fell in with the land; and as the westerly wind now blew so hard that they were unable to bear up against it, the two captains now resolved to regain the straits, and to wait there in some safe road or bay for a fair wind, when they did not doubt of rejoining the other s.h.i.+ps, as it had been agreed to wait at the island of St. Mary on the coast of Chili for two months, in case of separation. About evening, therefore, of the 27th September, they arrived at the southern point of the straits' mouth, and were drifted by the current six or seven leagues within the straits, where they anch.o.r.ed in a very good road.
-- 3. _Incidents during their second Residence in the Straits of Magellan_.