Voyage in Search of La Pérouse/Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
16th FEBRUARY.
We waited only for a favourable wind to quit our station at the the Cape, when a south-east breeze springing up about ten o'clock in the forenoon, enabled us to get under way. Scarcely had we spread our sails, when a sudden squall from the mountains blew with such violence, that it prevented us for some time from making use of our rudder, so that we were in danger of running foul of some of the ships which lay at anchor in the road. However, we soon run past them, and stood for the offing.
18th. About eight in the morning our master-carpenter, Louis Gargan, died, a victim to the excesses in which he had indulged during our stay at the Cape. A fever, which appeared slight in its commencement, grew afterwards so violent as to put an end to his life. We felt the loss of this man the more sensibly, as the carpenter of a ship is one of the most useful persons on board, especially in a voyage undertaken for the purpose of discovery in the midst of seas full of rocks and shoals, where one is in perpetual danger of being shipwrecked, and where, if one does not possess the means of constructing another vessel to receive the crew, all hopes of revisiting one's native country must go with the wreck to the bottom.
Two persons had concealed themselves in the ship before our departure from the Cape, and did not make their appearance upon deck till we were so far from the land that it was no more practicable to put them on shore. They were, of course, permitted to accompany us. The one was a soldier, deserted from the garrison at the Cape; the other a German, a very skilful workman in mathematical instruments, who had practised his trade for nine years in England. The English, he told us, were going to send him to Botany-bay, amongst a great number of other convicts. He assured us, that he had been condemned to be sent thither for debt. Having seized an opportunity of escaping from the vessel where he was confined, he fled for refuge to the mountains in the neighbourhood of the Cape-Town. We had no use for the talents of this artist in the line of his profession; we therefore first employed him as our armourer, and afterwards as a smith. The armourer of our ship had been left on shore at the Cape, on account of sickness.
On the 20th of February we weathered Needle Point, at the distance of about 100 toises, with winds from S.W. and W.
On the 22d we were in 35° lat. S. long. 20° E. when the soundings gave us our depth at 62 fathoms, over a bottom of grey calcareous sand.
The currents had hitherto set to the N.W. but on the 25th they drove us towards S.W. as we were now off the channel of Mozambique, where the current, at this season of the year, takes a S.W. direction along the coast of Natal, which we had in sight.
On the 26th the surge ran so high, that a windmill, which we had fastened very strongly to the poop, was carried away by the billows. As our vessel was much too heavily laden, we thought ourselves indemnified for the loss, by getting rid of a burden of eleven hundred weight. I do not know how it happened that we were burthened with such an almost useless machine, since whereever we were able to procure wheat, we could likewise procure flour. At any rate, a hand-mill six times lighter, would have been less cumbersome, and would have answered our purpose better.
The rolling of the vessel was so violent, that our time-keepers struck against the sides of their boxes, which ought to have been made rather more spacious.
We still saw a great number of flying fish, though we had already passed the 35° of S. latitude.
The quarter-galleries of both vessels were built much too low, particularly considering they drew so deep. We had reason to apprehend that they might be carried away by the surge, if it should long continue to run so high: those of the lower deck of the Esperance were already considerably damaged.
29th. At this season of the year, vessels that approach near to the mouth of the channel of Mozambique, generally meet with violent storms. The gradual fall of the mercury in the barometer to the amount of eight lines, whilst the north-east winds blew from this gulph, gave us a presage of a still more violent hurricane. The clouds contained such a superabundance of electric matter, that though our conductors helped to draw off a portion of it, the lightning frequently struck into the water at the distance of a few yards from our vessel. A gale from the east, which brought back fair weather, was preceded by a rise of two lines in the mercury of the barometer. On the 1st of March, the sea was swelled to such a height by this gale, that we often lost sight of our consort behind the billows. This vessel, seen at the distance of two or three hundred toises, presented a magnificent spectacle; sometimes it appeared buried in the waves; again it emerged, and mounted to the very summit of the surge, shewing a great part of its keel above the water.
3d. As the swell abated, we knew that we had sailed beyond the mouth of the channel of Mozambique; for, although the wind continued to blow with nearly the same violence as on the preceding days, the sea, being sheltered by the coasts of Madagascar, became very tranquil. We saw a prodigious quantity of the fucus pyriformis, the largest species of that genus, floating upon the surface of the water: they had undoubtedly been detached from the rocks that bound the coast of that large island. This fucus, which is several yards in length, is provided with small bladders filled with air at the extremities of its highest leaves, whereby it is enabled in its growth to take a direction towards the surface of the water.
About five o'clock in the evening we were surrounded by a great number of whales, which came within a hundred yards of our ship. The Anglo-Americans, who sometimes visit these seas in order to fish for the whales, are more than indemnified for the expences of their equipment by the profits from the oil which they carry home.
The depositions of the Captains Magon Lépinay and Préaudet, had determined our Commander to endeavour to reach the Admiralty Islands as soon as possible, thinking that, after passing along the north coast of New Holland, we should be able to arrive there before the return of the eastern monsoon. We had, however, made as yet but very little way, being, on the 6th of March, only in 44° E. lon. The apprehension of being detained at the Molucca Islands during the whole time of the east monsoon, which was expected to set in during the month of March, induced him to relinquish his former intention, and resolve to double the Cape of Van Diemen, in order to get into the South Seas.
About half an hour after six o'clock in the morning, he sent a boat to the Esperance to acquaint the Captain with his determination. The wind fell all of a sudden when the two ships were very close to each other. A very high surge increased the danger of our situation; so that the bowsprit of the Esperance was very near running foul of our stern, had the vessels not been kept clear of each other by the boats.
We found that the currents set to the north. The ring by which the long-boat, that had been sent to take an observation of their direction, was fastened to the cable, gave way as they were hoisting it on board, and the compass that they had been using was destroyed.
Though we were upwards of 1,000,000 toises from the Cape of Good Hope, we saw several albatrosses (diomedea exulans), some of which let us come very near them, as they floated upon the surface of the sea. We frequently observed them thrust their beaks very deep under the water to seize their prey.
The flight of these birds is very astonishing. One cannot perceive any motion of their wings except at the moment they raise themselves into the air; when they frequently use their feet also, which, being webbed, serve them to make several strokes against the water, in order to raise themselves out of it. This impulsion being once given, they have no more occasion to strike their wings together, but hold them very widely expanded, whilst they sail along, balancing their bodies alternately from right to left, and skimming swiftly over the surface of the sea in quest of their food. This mode of poising themselves in the air undoubtedly serves to accelerate their flight, but one can hardly suppose it to be sufficient for supporting them above the surface. Perhaps some imperceptible tremulous motion of their feathers may be the principal cause of their extraordinary mode of flying. If that be the case, they must be provided with some particular muscles adapted for the purpose; on which account I think that the structure of the albatross deserves to be very attentively investigated by anatomists.
The puffins of Buffon (procellaria puffinus), were very numerous in these seas. The flight of this bird is performed in a manner analogous to that of the albatross, for he often skims along for a great length of time without any perceptible motion of his wings: it is only when he changes his oblique position from one side to the other that one may observe him strike the air with the lowermost wing, by which his body is immediately inclined in the opposite direction.
We were steering our course S.E.E. in order to pass between the islands of St. Paul and Amsterdam; but the wind having shifted to S.E. we were obliged to tack S.S.W.
7th. About nine o'clock in the evening, as we were in lat. 34° 45′ S. and long. 44° 5′ E. the wind smelt very strong of sea-water. Had we been sailing in parts less known than these, we should have had reason to apprehend that we were very near to some island. It is probable that the smell proceeded from a quantity of fucus detached from the south coast of Madagascar, and carried a great way into the sea by the currents.
One of our sailors, in a fit of drunkenness, threw himself into the sea. As the weather happened very fortunately to be calm he was taken up and put on board; but this immersion only increased his drunkenness, and he would have thrown himself again into the water if he had not been held fast.
We continued for twelve days with slight breezes that shifted from S.S.W. to N.N.W. veering round by E. to direct our course, as near as possible, so as to pass between the islands of Amsterdam and St. Paul. Though this course was the shortest, with respect to distance, that we could have taken in order to arrive at the channel through which we intended to sail, the want of wind detained us much longer than might have been the case had we steered in another direction. By sailing more directly southward, we should soon have met with winds that would have carried us in a short time to the Cape of Van Diemen.
It was not before the 28th of March, when we were in lat. 37½° S. that the N.N.W. wind began to blow pretty fresh. A great flight of gulls and mews showed us that we were near land; as these birds never fly to any great distance from the shore. We at length came in sight of it about half after one in the afternoon. It was the island of St. Paul, which bore S.E. at the distance of about 20,000 toises. This island was discovered in 1696 by Captain Valming, and called by him the Isle of Amsterdam, whilst he gave the name of the Isle of St. Paul to the most southern of the two. Captain Cook, whom I have herein followed, reversed these appellations, and gave the name of Isle of Amsterdam to the southernmost, and that of Isle of St. Paul to the other.
The Isle of St. Paul presented itself, at a distance, as if covered with thick clouds, above which the tops of the mountains were visible. In four hours time we were near enough to perceive that these clouds arose from the island itself, from whence a thick smoke ascended, which almost entirely covered it, especially towards the north. We observed flames in different places, and soon perceived that the forests were on fire: the course of the flames and smoke, which appeared successively in different parts of the country, pointed out to us the progress of the conflagration. We steered our course so as to pass as near as possible to windward of the island. The same species of birds that we had observed a few hours before we espied land were flying about the rocks where they had their nests. A great number of seals swam amongst large masses of fucus that had been detached from the island, along the southern coast of which we ranged at the distance of about 250 toises from the shore. This coast is very steep and perfectly safe: the surges, which followed its direction, would have apprized us of our danger in approaching it if there had been any shoals. The mountains on the south-east side of the island descend with very steep declivities as far as the edges of the sea, and appeared to me to consist of layers of free-stone, inclined from north to south so as to form an angle of fifty degrees with the horizon. Farther to the south I observed horizontal layers of the same kind of stone, from whence a small rivulet discharged itself, in a cascade, into the sea. The rocks facing the sea were shaped into a variety of those grotesque figures, commonly termed lusus naturæ. We observed a light smoke ascending in puffs from a small subterraneous cavern at a little distance from the shore; though we could not learn whether the forests had caught fire from some conflagration in the bowels of the earth, or had been kindled intentionally by the inhabitants. I was informed at Isle de France, upon my return from the South Seas, that an American vessel had left some men at the islands of Amsterdam and St. Paul, for the purpose of collecting oil from the fat of seals, which are very numerous on those coasts. But though we watched very attentively to see if any signal was made for our assistance, we observed no signs of the island's being inhabited. At any rate it would have been impossible to put in there, as we could not have found an anchoring-place except to leeward of the island, where we ran the risk of being suffocated by the smoke. The smell of the smoke seemed to show that it proceeded entirely from the combustion of vegetables.
The mountains gradually diminish in height towards the south-east end of the island; so that, in favourable weather, vessels might easily put in at that part of the coast. We observed several rivulets, which, after winding with a serpentine course amongst the hills, discharged themselves into the sea.
We were still very near to the island when the night came on. The land then appeared as if covered with a sheet of fire, whilst the illuminated smoke gave that vivid appearance to the sky which generally portends a hurricane.
The isle of St. Paul is about 10,000 toises in circumference, and situated in about 37° 56′ S, lat. and 75° 2′ E. lon.
The variation of the magnetic needle was here 17½° W.
During the continuance of the gales from N.W. and S.W. the mercury of the barometer gradually fell eight lines. On the first of April, it was stationary at 27 inches 7 lines, when the gale was so strong, that we went at the rate of ten knots with the fore and main top-sails set. We never ran so fast as on this day, in the whole course of our voyage. We were now already in 40½° S. lat. Lon. 85° E.
Hitherto we had flattered ourselves that no fraud had been practised upon us, at least with respect to the quality of our sea-biscuit. But we discovered, when it was too late, that a part of it had already made a voyage before; for, at the end of five months after our departure from Brest, it swarmed with prodigious numbers of those maggots, that are afterwards changed into the species of fly known by the name of dermestes paniceus. These insects soon became very troublesome to us: in the night-time they burnt themselves at our lamps in such numbers, as very frequently to extinguish them. From the biscuits the maggots soon spread themselves throughout all the rest of our provisions, and it lasted a considerable time before we could conquer the disgust which it at first gave us, when we saw them swarming in all our food.
2d. The impetuosity and frequency of the squalls obliged us to make a great many tacks. They once forgot to shiver the main top-sail before they brailed it up, and it was instantly torn in pieces.
On the 4th of April, being in 41° S. lat. 92° E. lon. we saw a great number of birds; amongst others, gulls and the larus marinus, which seldom fly far from the land. Probably we were near to some rock or island. Though we had made a very good run, we still saw the same kinds of birds on the following day. The land where they have their abode may possibly be discovered, when these seas shall be more frequented by navigators.
14th. A fall of the mercury in the barometer from 28 inches 3 lines, to 27 inches 7 lines, announced the approach of violent gales, which blew from W. and S.W. and raised the billows so high that they frequently dashed over our decks. One of them, that had entangled our mizen chains, broke against the stern of the vessel with such force, that the sailors thought we had struck upon a rock. The shock was tremendous, and some of the store-rooms instantly leaked.
The violence of the shock had thrown the Commander against one of the corners of a barrel-organ, intended as a present to some savage chief. The surgeon thought at first that he had fractured one of his false ribs; and the pain was so great, that, whenever he sneezed, it threw him into a fainting fit. However, he soon recovered his health.
During the night the atmosphere was filled with a superabundance of electric matter: a part was drawn off by means of our conductors, upon the top of which we observed a luminous speck, that vanished and re-appeared several times in succession. The sea appeared more phosphoric than usual.
In the course of the night a large wave dashed over the deck of our vessel, having made its way through the opening between the fore-castle and quarter-deck, where we kept our boats. When I sprang out of my bed, I found the cabin filled with water, and imagined we were going to the bottom. It kept us a long time employed before we could rid the ship of the water it had taken in. Three or four such waves would infallibly have sunk us. We should not have ran such a hazard, if we had been provided with means to lay gratings over the large opening by which the wave entered.
On the 17th of April, when we were in lat. 43° S. long. 129° E. the variation of the magnetic needle was 0.
The Esperance was apprised, that in case of separation, our rendezvous at Van Diemen's Cape was to be the Bay of Adventure, instead of the Baie des Huitres.
We lay to under our fore-sail during the night of the 20th, as our day's work had brought us so near the coast, that we could not carry full sail. At nine in the evening, we sounded, without striking ground, with a line of seventy-five fathoms. We brought up with the lead a great quantity of phosphoric substances, from about three to seven inches in circumference. As the compressibility of water has been demonstrated, we know the principal cause of these substances being suspended at different depths below the surface of the water, in proportion to their specific gravity.
21st. As soon as it was day we directed our course, with full sails, E.N.E.
About half an hour after nine o’clock, we observed a rock with a very sharp point, known by the name of the Mew-Stone. Some other rocks and mountains of moderate height appeared to the eastward. The coast was indented with several small bights in the land; some pretty high mountains were seen at a small distance from the shore, and we could distinguish the large trees which covered their summits.
We soon bore in with a bay open to the south-east. An island was visible to the eastward, and nearer us we perceived breakers to N.E.
It was the Commander's intention to cast anchor in Adventure-bay. As his wound did not yet permit him to leave his cabin, he was obliged to give his orders respecting our route, according to observations which were reported to him as they were taken. An erroneous observation, taken by Citizen Willaumez,[1] having been reported to him, he gave orders to manœuvre the ships, so as to enter the bay situated on our left. In vain we looked for the Pinguin's Island, thinking ourselves in Adventure-bay, though it really was Tempest-bay, named thus by Tasman, who, having entered it in the month of November 1642, was in the most imminent danger of being driven ashore by a S.E. wind, when he endeavoured to get into the main sea.
As we had got very far into the bight of the bay, our soundings gave us a depth of from fifteen to twenty-five fathoms, over a bottom of shells. The Commander was on the point of giving orders to leave the bay, that we might pass the night in the open sea: however, he resolved to dispatch two boats, the one to the northward and the other to the south-east, in order to look out for some place of shelter for our ships.
The men in the boat sent to the north side of the bay, found a place of anchorage, with a very good bottom, where we might easily procure wood and water. They had seen some remains of huts, and near them large heaps of shells, that appeared to have been broiled by the natives.
It was, however, too late for us to put into this anchorage before night. As the weather was fair, it was resolved to cast anchor in Tempest-bay, in a bottom of grey sand, at the depth of ten fathoms. We had been sixty-four days on our passage from the Cape to this place. Most of the navigators who have made it before us, have performed it in fifty or at most fifty-five days. It is to be observed, that they have generally steered southward as soon as possible, in order to get into the track of the westerly winds. This route is somewhat longer than that which we took, but at sea it is not always by taking the shortest road that one arrives the soonest at one's place of destination. Navigators ought to be well acquainted with the ordinary courses of the winds, that they may be able to get into those which are the most favourable. The night continued very fine, though the air was charged with a great deal of moisture. We were sheltered from the N.W. and W.N.W. winds, though we now and then experienced a few slight blasts.
We caught a great quantity of fishes with our lines. They were of a great variety of different kinds: the most numerous were those of the species gadus.
The variation of the magnetic needle, observed when we passed under the meridian of Isle de France, at the distance of more than 700,000 toises south, had been greater by twelve degrees than we found it near the coast of that land—a great difference when considered as arising merely from change of latitude.
The greatest W. variation observed, was on the 3d of March. It was then 30½°, our lat. being 34° 30′ S. and long. 37° 45′ E. From that time it continued to decrease, till it became 0, in lat. 43° S. long. 129° E.; after which it passed to E. and continued to increase in proportion as we advanced eastward.
The W. variation of the magnetic needle, as observed till the period when it was the greatest, had been more influenced by change of longitude than of latitude; though from that time, till we were under the meridian of Isle de France, it appeared to depend much more upon change of latitude; for, from the point at which it had been the greatest, till we passed under the meridian of Isle de France, having changed our longitude by 17 degrees, and our latitude by 2½, the variation had been only 4°, though, by a change of latitude to 17 degrees further south, the variation had been found 12° more than at Isle de France.
The phosporescence of the sea, during this passage, had diminished in an inverse proportion to our distance from the land; so that a considerable time before we saw the island of St. Paul, one could hardly perceive any appearance of phosphorescence in the waves.
During our passage from the Cape, the thermometer had never indicated lower than 8° below 0, nor higher than 20° above 0. The mercury in the barometer, during the same period, had never stood higher than 28 inches 7 lines, nor lower than 27 inches 7 lines.
While we were in the track of the variable winds, the currents had set from 10′ to 20′ N.; but whilst we were sailing off the S.W. coast of New Holland, they had set eastward. These differences in their direction depend upon the situation of the lands.
Our tables for rectifying the irregularities of our time-keepers arising from difference of temperature, extended no farther than 15° of Reaumur's scale, and the balance-bow for our pendulum-clock was only calculated to answer between 105° and 115°. The latter was constantly above 115°, and the temperature of the atmosphere was very often lower than 15° of the thermometer. It was necessary to keep up a degree of temperature, at least equal to this, in the place where our time-keepers were deposited. A common lamp might have answered this purpose; but we preferred one of D'Argand's, in order to avoid the smoke.
22d. The boats that had been dispatched the preceding day for that purpose, were again sent to sound at the entrance of the station where we intended to cast anchor, as they had not had time sufficient to do it the evening before. About half an hour after nine we received the agreeable intelligence, that it was a very well sheltered harbour, with safe anchorage in a bottom of muddy sand, not less than 3½ fathoms in depth at the entrance facing the middle of the bay. Their soundings had given them from 2½ to 4 fathoms throughout a considerable part of the harbour, which extends land-inwards about 2,500 toises. It was a better station in every respect than Adventure-bay, and we could here supply ourselves with wood and water as easily as we could wish.
Though the breeze was against us, it was at first so inconsiderable that we could be towed towards the harbour; but we had scarcely proceeded 500 toises, when it blew fresher and obliged us to cast an anchor. The Esperance, however, continued to be towed, and nearly reached the entrance of the harbour before it grew dark.
A boat which we sent out to fish, took so many at a single draught of the net, that the distribution was immediately made, and every one contented with his portion.
We were much surprised to find amongst the fish caught with the line in the course of the night, some sharks about a fathom in length. They were of the species squalus cinereus. This kind of shark never rises from the bottom of the water. We never saw it approach the surface during the whole time of our stay at the Cape of Van Diemen. It does not appear to be dangerous to man; for our sailors, though they bathed here very frequently, never met with any accident. It finds sufficient food on these coasts to satisfy its voracity without attacking men: otherwise the natives of the country, who frequently dive to a great depth into the sea in quest of shell-fish, would be in perpetual danger of being devoured by these animals.
Some mountains, which appeared to be above 500 toises in perpendicular height, were visible towards the north at a distance of about 15,000 toises. Their summits were covered with tall trees, whose verdure gave additional beauty to the magnificent prospect which they exhibited.
An officer belonging to our vessel, who had been sent to take the soundings at the farther end of the harbour, went on shore, where he found several huts, and near them the remains of broiled shell-fish, which had evidently served for food to the natives.
25th. As we had hardly any wind, we weighed anchor a few hours before day-light, in order to be towed into the harbour. As the calm continued, this proved the most expeditious method, and we were soon brought into our anchoring place. We ranged at a small distance from a rock situated about the middle of the entrance, leaving it to our left. Our soundings indicated a depth of 2½ to 3½ fathoms; in other parts of the same strait it was from 4½ to 11½.
About eight o'clock, we cast anchor in a depth of three fathoms, 350 toises from the entrace of the harbour, to which we gave the name of Port Dentrecasteaux. The nearest shore was at the distance of about 250 toises to the eastward.
It is difficult to express the sensations we felt, at finding ourselves at length sheltered in this solitary harbour at the extremity of the globe, after having been so long driven to and fro in the ocean by the violence of the storms.
The boats afterwards towed in the Esperance, which cast anchor about one o'clock in the afternoon, at a distance of 150 toises southward of the Recherche. At first we had attempted to approach nearer to the shore without taking the soundings accurately; but we soon found ourselves surrounded by the ooze, and were obliged to heave in at the capstern in order to extricate ourselves.
- ↑ When we made the land of the Cape of Van Diemen, Willaumez was directed to take the necessary observations. On being asked the bearing of Eddy-Stone, he said it bore S. 19° W. though it actually bore S. 19° E. Accordingly the Commander gave orders to make the bay on our left, as he could not doubt that it was Adventure-bay.