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diff --git a/old/44193.txt b/old/44193.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b3bd885 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/44193.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4086 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Byron's Narrative of the Loss of the Wager, by John Byron + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Byron's Narrative of the Loss of the Wager + +Author: John Byron + +Release Date: November 16, 2013 [EBook #44193] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LOSS OF THE WAGER *** + + + + +Produced by Charlene Taylor, Norbert MA1/4ller and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + + BYRON'S NARRATIVE + OF THE LOSS OF + THE WAGER + + WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT + DISTRESSES SUFFERED BY HIMSELF AND HIS COMPANIONS + ON THE COAST OF PATAGONIA FROM THE YEAR 1740 TILL + THEIR ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND 1746 + + LONDON + HENRY LEGGATT & CO 85 CORNHILL + + MDCCCXXXII + + + + + LONDON: + PRINTED BY BRADBURY AND EVANS, + BOUVERIE STREET. + + + + + ADVERTISEMENT. + + +At a time when every thing connected with the name of Byron is regarded +with such general interest, it is a subject of surprise and regret that +no popular edition should exist of the Narrative of Commodore Byron. +Indeed, to procure any copy at all of the work requires some research +and trouble. To supply this deficiency is the object of the present +publishers. + +To the admirers of the illustrious Poet, the Narrative of the +sufferings of his grandfather will, on more than one account, +be acceptable. In the Poems, it is often, whether humorously or +pathetically, alluded to; for instance, in the mournfully beautiful +stanzas to his sister, written soon after he left England for the last +time, he says, + + "A strange doom is thy father's son's, and past + Recalling, as it lies beyond redress; + Reversed for him _our grandsire's fate_ of yore, + He had _no rest at sea_, nor I on shore!" + +Again, in a different mood, in Don Juan, after having carried his hero +through the horrors of a shipwreck, as disastrous and fatal in itself +and its consequences as his imagination could conceive, he observes-- + + "----for none + Had suffered more--his hardships were comparative + To those related in my grand-dad's Narrative." + +To which passage he appends the following note:--"Admiral Byron was +remarkable for never making a voyage without a tempest. He was known +to the sailors by the facetious name of 'foul-weather Jack.'" Indeed, +to this narrative the poet is indebted for many of the incidents in +that surpassing description of "the dangers of the sea." The awful +"whispering" in which, according to the Admiral, the men communicated +their first horrid thoughts of putting one of their number to death for +the support of the rest, is admirably preserved and amplified in Don +Juan: + + "At length one whispered his companion, who + Whispered another, and thus it went round, + And then into a hoarser murmur grew, + An ominous and wild, and desperate sound, + And then his comrade's thought each sufferer knew, + 'Twas but his own, suppressed till now, he found: + And out they spoke of lots for flesh and blood, + And who should die to be his fellow's food." + +The germ of the conception of the cave-scenes, so beautifully described +in the poem, will also be found here; the fondness of Juan for his +favourite dog, the voracity with which he devoured the long-withheld +food, and many other incidents, were suggested by this Narrative.[1] + +[FOOTNOTE 1: +Captain Inglefield's account of the loss of the Centaur, (in +September, 1782), furnished Byron with many of those trivial incidents, +which, as the poet well knew, render a story, to use Gibbon's words, +"circumstancial and animated," instead of "vague and languid;" the +"eternal difference between fiction and truth." The behaviour of the +sailors before the sinking of the ship; some lashing themselves in +their hammocks, some putting on their best clothes; the sail made +of blankets; the ragged piece of sheet with which they caught the +rain-water; the words used by the man who first saw the land, &c. &c., +are all faithfully copied or slightly altered from Inglefield.] + +To those who would study the character of Lord Byron; discover what +qualities of his nature were derived from his ancestors, and what were +peculiarly his own; who would trace the effect produced on his writings +by early tastes, habits, and associations, the narrative will afford +ample material for observation. + +Mr. Moore,--who, in paying to genius that tribute which genius alone +can fully pay, has shewn how thoroughly he understood the character +of the poet (a character, perhaps, after all to be _felt_ rather than +_explained_), how well he appreciated his virtues and the peculiar +circumstances attendant on genius, which palliate, if they do not +excuse, his foibles,--remarks, that Lord Byron "strikingly combined, +in his own nature, some of the best and perhaps worst qualities that +lie scattered through the various characters of his predecessors; +the generosity, the love of enterprise, the high-mindedness of some +of the better spirits of his race, with the irregular passions, the +eccentricity, and daring recklessness of the world's opinion, that so +much characterised others." In the character then of the most famous +of those "better spirits," as exemplified in his own narrative of his +sufferings and adventures, we may discern the source of many of the +amiable qualities which descended to and adorned the immortal poet. +We shall observe in both the same frankness, generosity, affability, +love of excitement, the same mildness, and unassuming modesty. But +the contrasts of their characters we shall find even more striking +than the resemblances. We shall see in the sailor the ease and +contentedness of spirit arising from its agreement with the sphere +it moves in--the soul harmonizing with the situation--the man with +the circumstances--the Supply equivalent to the Demand. We shall see +in the poet the "high instincts of a creature moving about in worlds +not realized"--the large expectancies, the high anticipations, +unfulfilled and unanswered; the discontent, the jarring of a being not +_at one_ with the place of its existence, panting for something above +it, aspiring "beyond the fitting medium of desire." We shall see him +inordinately yearning after affection and happiness, yet enveloped, +as it were, in a nervous network of sensibility, feelingly alive to +every the faintest manifestation of slight, neglect, unkindness,--to +all that causes sorrow and pain: we shall see the co-existence of +these qualities producing necessarily disappointment and disgust; the +very capability of enjoying the good, unfitting him for the endurance +of the ill; the power of imagination heightening the beauties of the +ideal, the keenness of perception aggravating the defects of the real; +the consequent struggles for existence in a wounded spirit between +"feelings unemployed," affections unreturned, and the bitterness +or apathy they engender--between original benevolence and acquired +misanthropy. We shall see the sailor habitually yielding himself to +the guidance and authority of others, unhesitatingly acknowledging, +and, as a matter of course, complying with, the established relations, +laws, and customs of society; submitting without repining, question, +or surprise, to the vicissitudes of fortune; patient of hardship, +uncomplaining of Circumstance. The poet, from the pride of Mind, +accustomed ever to decide for itself, to act and reflect always, +obstinately questioning even Destiny and Fate; bidding haughty +defiance to their Ruler, or yielding with sullen indifference or +gloomy repining; if confessing the necessity of compliance, hardly +resigned. We shall find the sailor sustaining his cheerfulness in +every situation; the poet, plunging, perhaps from constitutional +melancholy, into misery; acted upon by that strong attraction, that +irresistible impulse towards the dark and the sad, that capability, +strikingly described by himself, of "learning to love despair." We +shall see throughout the difference between the continual presence and +the comparative absence of consciousness, that power by which Self, +rising as it were above itself, makes itself the subject of microscopic +observation. In the writings especially, of each, we shall observe +the operations of these opposite properties. The sailor writes on, +unaware and thoughtless of the effect of what he writes: the poet, +in his letters particularly, seems to know intuitively the effect on +others of every word he sets down; he reads their thoughts, he hears +their remarks as he writes; and this knowledge, so immediate that its +effects on his style seem almost unintentional, continually modifies +his expressions, giving the appearance of affectation to what is +no more than a natural result of his quick perception and extreme +sensitiveness. In every action, too, of the poet, important or trivial, +the working of this principle, so hard to be discovered in the sailor, +is equally evident. He looks always to the effect: nothing seems done +solely for itself: the love of admiration, of being remarkable, of +standing alone, however disguised, may almost always be detected. +Finally, we shall not fail to observe throughout, the contrast +between the single and the "many-sided" mind; between the ordinary +and the extraordinary; between the Mortal made immortal by force of +circumstances; the Immortal, in spite of circumstances, asserting and +maintaining his inborn immortality. + +Yet, enhanced as the interest attaching to this narrative is, by the +connection of its author with one of the greatest of the master-minds +of these latter days, it is a work which of itself may well demand +and obtain our attention and regard. The incidents it relates are +peculiarly of that complexion which has caused it to be remarked (as +Byron himself has somewhere) that Fiction, however wonderful, must +often yield to Truth. It is a striking specimen of the romance of real +life. The spectacle of a member of an old and noble family, accustomed +to the comforts and luxuries that attend high birth, reduced to the +necessity, at one time, of beating his _shirt_ in order to crush the +vermin it was useless to attempt to get rid of by washing; and at +another, of making a meal (eagerly, as he himself confesses,) of the +putrid remains of a favourite dog, is as well calculated to excite the +curiosity of the observer of mankind as to gratify the taste of the +reader of romance. And if the extraordinary nature of the incidents +themselves arouse our wonder, the manner in which they are related will +insure and fix our sympathy. The simple, unaffected style, slightly +tinged with the quaintness of old phraseology; the total absence of +any thing like striving after effect; the apparent unconsciousness of +the narrator that he must be the object of admiration or pity; the +freedom from all attempts to disguise some feelings, or to affect and +assume others; the modesty, the frankness, which characterize this +narration, while they give additional interest to the work itself, +afford indisputable testimony to the amiableness of the author. To +have imitated so correctly this natural style, is one of the highest +triumphs of the genius of Defoe, in his romance of Robinson Crusoe. + +Considered, then, either as an useful appendage to the Works and Life +of Byron; as an aid in forming an estimate of his character; or as +an account of sufferings and adventures which would appear suitable +rather to a romance than to a journal of events actually experienced; +an illustration of the strange vicissitudes human life may undergo, of +the extremities and hardships human nature may bear; or, in short, as a +specimen of simple and beautiful writing, this work can scarcely fail +of affording delight and gratification to the reader. + + + + +JOHN BYRON, the second son of William, the fourth Lord Byron, by his +third wife, was born at Newstead Abbey, November 8th, 1723, and at an +early age entered as a midshipman in the British navy. He still held +that rank in 1740, when the expedition to the South Sea against the +Spaniards took place under the command of Commodore Anson. The Wager, +Captain Cheap, to which Mr. Byron belonged, was separated from the rest +of the squadron, and wrecked on a desert island to the southward of +Chiloe (47 deg. south lat.) After encountering the most dreadful sufferings +from famine, a small number of the crew, including the Captain and +Mr. Byron, reached the isle of Chiloe, and surrendered themselves +prisoners to the Spaniards. They were afterwards removed to Chili, +and detained some time at Valparaiso and St. Jago; but were at length +allowed to return to England, where they arrived after an absence of +more than five years. At a subsequent period, Mr. Byron published +his "Narrative." The young seaman was not deterred by his misfortunes +from pursuing his naval career; he returned to the service of his +country, and commanded the America, in Boscawen's action off Cape +Lagos, August 18, 1759. His skill and enterprising spirit afterwards +occasioned his appointment to the command of an expedition fitted out +to make discoveries in the South Sea.[2] He sailed from England, June +21st, 1764, and having circumnavigated the globe, returned home in +May, 1766. Several islands were explored in this voyage, which were +afterwards visited by Bougainville and Cooke; and experiments were +also made to determine the accuracy of Harrison's time-keeper, and +its consequent value as a means of ascertaining the longitude. This +officer subsequently was made an admiral, and commanded in the West +Indies during the American war. Admiral Byron was much beloved in the +navy, more so, perhaps, than any other officer except Nelson. He died +in 1798, leaving one son, John, who dying before his uncle, Lord Byron, +the title of the latter descended to his only son, George Gordon, the +poet. + +[FOOTNOTE 2: +Byron's ship in this expedition was the Dolphin: she was the second +ship ever coppered in the British navy.] + + + + + BYRON'S NARRATIVE + OF THE + _Loss of the Wager._ + + +The equipment and destination of the squadron fitted out in the year +1740, of which Commodore Anson had the command, being sufficiently +known from the ample and well-penned relation of it under his +direction, I shall recite no particulars that are to be found in +that work. But it may be necessary, for the better understanding the +disastrous fate of the Wager, the subject of the following sheets, to +repeat the remark, that a strange infatuation seemed to prevail in the +whole conduct of this embarkation. For though it was unaccountably +detained till the season for its sailing was past, no proper use was +made of that time, which should have been employed in providing a +suitable force of sailors and soldiery; nor was there a due attention +given to other requisites for so peculiar and extensive a destination. + +This neglect not only rendered the expedition abortive in its principal +object, but most materially affected the condition of each particular +ship; and none so fatally as the Wager, which being an old Indiaman +brought into the service on this occasion, was now fitted out as a +man of war; but being made to serve as a store ship, was deeply laden +with all kinds of careening geer, military and other stores, for the +use of the other ships; and, what is more, crowded with bale goods, +and encumbered with merchandise. A ship of this quality and condition +could not be expected to work with that readiness and ease which was +necessary for her security and preservation in those heavy seas with +which she was to encounter. Her crew consisted of men pressed from +long voyages to be sent upon a distant and hazardous service: on the +other hand, all her land-forces were no more than a poor detachment of +infirm and decrepid invalids from Chelsea hospital, desponding under +the apprehensions of a long voyage. It is not then to be wondered, +that Captain Kid, under whose command the ship sailed out of the port, +should in his last moments presage her ill success, though nothing very +material happened during his command. + +At his death he was succeeded by Captain Cheap, who still, without any +accident, kept company with the squadron till we had almost gained +the southernmost mouth of Straits Le Maire; when, being the sternmost +ship, we were, by the sudden shifting of the wind to the southward, +and the turn of the tide, very near being wrecked upon the rocks of +Staten Land; which, notwithstanding, having weathered, contrary to the +expectation of the rest of the squadron, we endeavoured all in our +power to make up our lost way and regain our station. This we effected, +and proceeded on our voyage, keeping company with the rest of the ships +for some time; when, by a great roll of a hollow sea, we carried away +our mizen mast, all the chain plates to windward being broken. Soon +after, hard gales at west coming on with a prodigious swell, there +broke a heavy sea in upon the ship, which stove our boats, and filled +us for some time. + +These accidents were the more disheartening, as our carpenter was on +board the Gloucester, and detained there by the incessant tempestuous +weather, and sea impracticable for boats. In a few days he returned, +and supplied the loss of the mizen-mast by a lower studding-sail boom; +but this expedient, together with the patching up of our rigging, was +a poor temporary relief to us. We were soon obliged to cut away our +best bower anchor to ease the fore-mast, the shrouds and chain plates +of which were all broken, and the ship in all parts in a most crazy +condition. + +Thus shattered and disabled, a single ship, (for we had now lost sight +of our squadron) we had the additional mortification to find ourselves +bearing for the land on a lee shore, having thus far persevered in +the course we held, from an error in conjecture; for the weather was +unfavourable for observation, and there are no charts of that part +of the coast. When those officers who first perceived their mistake, +endeavoured to persuade the captain to alter his course, and bear +away, for the greater surety, to the westward, he persisted in making +directly, as he thought, for the island of Socoro; and to such as dared +from time to time to deliver their doubts of being entangled with the +land stretching to the westward, he replied, that he thought himself in +no case at liberty to deviate from his orders; and that the absence of +his ship from the first place of rendezvous, would entirely frustrate +the whole squadron in the first object of their attack, and possibly +decide upon the fortune of the whole expedition. For the better +understanding the force of his reasoning, it is necessary to explain, +that the island of Socoro is in the neighbourhood of Baldivia, the +capture of which place could not be effected without the junction of +that ship, which carried the ordnance and military stores. + +The knowledge of the great importance of giving so early and unexpected +a blow to the Spaniards, determined the captain to make the shortest +way to the point in view; and that rigid adherence to orders from which +he thought himself in no case at liberty to depart, begot in him a +stubborn defiance of all difficulties, and took away from him those +apprehensions, which so justly alarmed all such as, from an ignorance +of the orders, had nothing present to their minds but the dangers of a +lee shore.[3] + +[FOOTNOTE 3: + +Captain Cheap has been suspected of a design of going on the +Spanish coast without the Commodore; but no part of his conduct seems +to authorise, in the least, such a suspicion. The author who brings +this heavy charge against him, is equally mistaken in imagining that +Captain Cheap had not instructions to sail to this island, and that +the Commodore did neither go nor send thither, to inform himself if +any of the squadron were there. This appears from the orders delivered +to the captains of the squadron, the day before they sailed from St. +Catherine's (L. Anson's Voyage, B.I.C. 6.); from the orders of the +council of war held on board the Centurion, in the bay of St. Julian, +(C. 7.); and from the conduct of the Commodore (C. 10.) who cruized +(with the utmost hazard) more than a fortnight off the isle of Socoro, +and along the coast in its neighbourhood. It was the second rendezvous +at Baldivia, and not that at Socoro, that the Commodore was forced by +necessity to neglect.] + +We had for some time been sensible of our approach to the land, from +no other tokens than those of weeds and birds, which are the usual +indications of nearing the coast; but at length we had an imperfect +view of an eminence, which we conjectured to be one of the mountains +of the Cordilleras. This, however, was not so distinctly seen but +that many conceived it to be the effect of imagination: but if the +captain was persuaded of the nearness of our danger, it was now too +late to remedy it; for at this time the straps of the fore jeer +blocks breaking, the fore-yard came down; and the greatest part of +the men being disabled through fatigue and sickness, it was some time +before it could be got up again. The few hands who were employed in +this business now plainly saw the land on the larboard beam, bearing +N.W., upon which the ship was driving bodily. Orders were then given +immediately by the captain to sway the fore-yard up, and set the +fore-sail; which done, we wore ship with her head to the southward, and +endeavoured to crowd her off from the land: but the weather, from being +exceedingly tempestuous, blowing now a perfect hurricane, and right in +upon the shore, rendered our endeavours (for we were now only twelve +hands fit for duty) entirely fruitless. The night came on, dreadful +beyond description, in which, attempting to throw out our topsails to +claw off the shore, they were immediately blown from the yards. + +In the morning, about four o'clock, the ship struck. The shock we +received upon this occasion, though very great, being not unlike the +blow of a heavy sea, such as in the series of preceding storms we had +often experienced, was taken for the same; but we were soon undeceived +by her striking again more violently than before, which laid her upon +her beam ends, the sea making a fair breach over her. Every person that +now could stir was presently upon the quarter-deck; and many even of +those were alert upon this occasion, that had not showed their faces +upon deck for above two months before: several poor wretches, who were +in the last stage of the scurvy, and who could not get out of their +hammocks, were immediately drowned. + +In this dreadful situation she lay for some little time, every soul +on board looking upon the present minute as his last; for there was +nothing; to be seen but breakers all around us. However, a mountainous +sea hove her off from thence, but she presently struck again, and broke +her tiller. In this terrifying and critical juncture, to have observed +all the various modes of horror operating according to the several +characters and complexions amongst us, it was necessary that the +observer himself should have been free from all impressions of danger. +Instances there were, however, of behaviour so very remarkable, they +could not escape the notice of any one who was not entirely bereaved +of his senses; for some were in this condition to all intents and +purposes; particularly one, in the ravings of despair brought upon him, +was seen stalking about the deck, flourishing a cutlass over his head +and calling himself king of the country, and striking every body he +came near, till his companions, seeing no other security against his +tyranny, knocked him down. Some, reduced before by long sickness and +the scurvy, became on this occasion as it were petrified and bereaved +of all sense, like inanimate logs, and were bandied to and fro by the +jerks and rolls of the ship, without exerting any efforts to help +themselves. So terrible was the scene of foaming breakers around us, +that one of the bravest men we had could not help expressing his dismay +at it, saying it was too shocking a sight to bear; and would have +thrown himself over the rails of the quarter-deck into the sea, had +he not been prevented: but at the same time there were not wanting +those who preserved a presence of mind truly heroic. The man at the +helm, though both rudder and tiller were gone, kept his station; and +being asked by one of the officers, if the ship would steer or not, +first took his time to make trial by the wheel, and then answered with +as much respect and coolness as if the ship had been in the greatest +safety; and immediately after applied himself with his usual serenity +to his duty, persuaded it did not become him to desert it as long as +the ship kept together. Mr. Jones, mate, who now survives not only +this wreck, but that of the Litchfield man of war upon the coast of +Barbary, at the time when the ship was in the most imminent danger, +not only shewed himself undaunted, but endeavoured to inspire the same +resolution in the men; saying, "My friends, let us not be discouraged: +did you never see a ship amongst breakers before? Let us try to push +her through them. Come, lend a hand; here is a sheet, and here is a +brace; lay hold; I don't doubt but we may stick her yet near enough +to the land to save our lives." This had so good an effect, that many +who before were half dead, seemed active again, and now went to work +in earnest. This Mr. Jones did purely to keep up the spirits of the +people as long as possible; for he often said afterwards, he thought +there was not the least chance of a single man being saved. We now +ran in between an opening of the breakers, steering by the sheets and +braces, when providentially we stuck fast between two great rocks; that +to windward sheltering us in some measure from the violence of the +sea. We immediately cut away the main and foremast; but the ship kept +beating in such a manner, that we imagined she could hold together but +a very little while. The day now broke, and the weather, that had been +extremely thick, cleared away for a few moments, and gave us a glimpse +of the land not far from us. We now thought of nothing but saving our +lives. To get the boats out, as our masts were gone, was a work of some +time; which when accomplished, many were ready to jump into the first, +by which means they narrowly escaped perishing before they reached the +shore. I now went to Captain Cheap (who had the misfortune to dislocate +his shoulder by a fall the day before, as he was going forward to get +the fore-yard swayed up), and asked him if he would not go on shore; +but he told me, as he had done before, that he would be the last to +leave the ship; and he ordered me to assist in getting the men out as +soon as possible. I had been with him very often from the time the ship +first struck, as he desired I would, to acquaint him with every thing +that passed; and I particularly remarked, that he gave his orders at +that time with as much coolness as ever he had done during the former +part of the voyage. + +The scene was now greatly changed; for many who but a few minutes +before had shewn the strongest signs of despair, and were on their +knees praying for mercy, imagining they were now not in that immediate +danger, grew very riotous, broke open every chest and box that was +at hand, stove in the heads of casks of brandy and wine as they were +borne up to the hatchways, and got so drunk, that several of them +were drowned on board, and lay floating about the decks for some days +after. Before I left the ship, I went down to my chest, which was at +the bulkhead of the wardroom, in order to save some little matters, if +possible; but whilst I was there the ship thumped with such violence, +and the water came in so fast, that I was forced to get upon the +quarter-deck again, without saving a single rag but what was upon my +back. The boatswain and some of the people would not leave the ship so +long as there was any liquor to be got at; upon which Captain Cheap +suffered himself to be helped out of his bed, put into the boat, and +carried on shore. + +It is natural to think, that to men thus upon the point of perishing +by shipwreck, the getting to land was the highest attainment of +their wishes; undoubtedly it was a desirable event; yet, all things +considered, our condition was but little mended by the change. +Whichever way we looked, a scene of horror presented itself: on one +side the wreck (in which was all that we had in the world to support +and subsist us), together with a boisterous sea, presented us with +the most dreary prospect; on the other, the land did not wear a much +more favourable appearance: desolate and barren, without sign of +culture, we could hope to receive little other benefit from it than the +preservation it afforded us from the sea. It must be confessed this was +a great and merciful deliverance from immediate destruction; but then +we had wet, cold, and hunger, to struggle with, and no visible remedy +against any of these evils. Exerting ourselves, however, though faint, +benumbed, and almost helpless, to find some wretched covert against +the extreme inclemency of the weather, we discovered an Indian hut, at +a small distance from the beach, within a wood, in which as many as +possible, without distinction, crowded themselves, the night coming on +exceedingly tempestuous and rainy. But here our situation was such +as to exclude all rest and refreshment by sleep from most of us; for +besides that we pressed upon one another extremely, we were not without +our alarms and apprehensions of being attacked by the Indians, from a +discovery we made of some of their lances and other arms in our hut; +and our uncertainty of their strength and disposition, gave alarm to +our imagination, and kept us in continual anxiety. + +In this miserable hovel, one of our company, a lieutenant of invalids, +died this night; and of those who for want of room took shelter under +a great tree, which stood them in very little stead, two more perished +by the severity of that cold and rainy night. In the morning, the calls +of hunger, which had been hitherto suppressed by our attention to more +immediate dangers and difficulties, were now become too importunate to +be resisted. We had most of us fasted eight and forty hours, some more; +it was time, therefore, to make inquiry among ourselves what store of +sustenance had been brought from the wreck by the providence of some, +and what could be procured on the island by the industry of others: +but the produce of the one amounted to no more than two or three +pounds of biscuit dust reserved in a bag; and all the success of those +who ventured abroad, the weather being still exceedingly bad, was to +kill one sea-gull, and pick some wild cellery. These, therefore, were +immediately put into a pot, with the addition of a large quantity of +water, and made into a kind of soup, of which each partook as far as +it would go; but we had no sooner thrown this down than we were seized +with the most painful sickness at our stomachs, violent reachings, +swoonings, and other symptoms of being poisoned. This was imputed to +various causes, but in general to the herbs we made use of, in the +nature and quality of which we fancied ourselves mistaken; but a little +further inquiry let us into the real occasion of it, which was no other +than this: the biscuit dust was the sweepings of the bread-room, but +the bag in which they were put had been a tobacco bag; the contents +of which not being entirely taken out, what remained mixed with the +biscuit-dust, and proved a strong emetic. + +We were in all about a hundred and forty who had got to shore; but +some few remained still on board, detained either by drunkenness, or +a view of pillaging the wreck, among which was the boatswain. These +were visited by an officer in the yawl, who was to endeavour to prevail +upon them to join the rest; but finding them in the greatest disorder, +and disposed to mutiny, he was obliged to desist from his purpose and +return without them. Though we were very desirous, and our necessities +required that we should take some survey of the land we were upon; yet +being strongly pre-possessed that the savages were retired but some +little distance from us, and waited to see us divided, our parties did +not make this day, any great excursions from the hut; but as far as +we went, we found it very morassy and unpromising. The spot which we +occupied was a bay formed by hilly promontories, that to the north so +exceeding steep, that in order to ascend it (for there was no going +round, the bottom being washed by the sea), we were at the labour +of cutting steps. This, which we called Mount Misery, was of use to +us in taking some observations afterwards, when the weather would +permit: the southern promontory was not so inaccessible. Beyond this, +I, with some others, having reached another bay, found driven ashore +some parts of the wreck, but no kind of provision; nor did we meet +with any shell-fish, which we were chiefly in search of. We therefore +returned to the rest, and for that day made no other repast than what +the wild cellery afforded us. The ensuing night proved exceedingly +tempestuous; and, the sea running very high, threatened those on board +with immediate destruction by the parting of the wreck. They then were +as solicitous to get ashore, as they were before obstinate in refusing +the assistance we sent them; and when they found the boat did not come +to their relief at the instant they expected it, without considering +how impracticable a thing it was to send it them in such a sea, they +fired one of the quarter-deck guns at the hut; the ball of which did +but just pass over the covering of it, and was plainly heard by the +captain and us who were within. Another attempt, therefore, was made +to bring these madmen to land, which, however, by the violence of the +sea, and other impediments, occasioned by the mast that lay alongside, +proved ineffectual. This unavoidable delay made the people on board +outrageous: they fell to beating every thing to pieces that fell in +the way; and, carrying their intemperance to the greatest excess, +broke open chests and cabins for plunder that could be of no use to +them: and so earnest were they in this wantonness of theft, that one +man had evidently been murdered on account of some division of the +spoil, or for the sake of the share that fell to him, having all the +marks of a strangled corpse. One thing in this outrage they seemed +particularly attentive to, which was, to provide themselves with arms +and ammunition, in order to support them in putting their mutinous +designs in execution, and asserting their claim to a lawless exemption +from the authority of their officers, which they pretended must cease +with the loss of the ship. But of these arms, which we stood in great +need of, they were soon bereaved, upon coming ashore, by the resolution +of Captain Cheap and Lieutenant Hamilton of the marines. Among these +mutineers which had been left on board, as I observed before, was the +boatswain; who, instead of exerting the authority he had over the +rest, to keep them within bounds as much as possible, was himself a +ringleader in their riot: him, without respect to the figure he then +made, for he was in laced clothes, Captain Cheap, by a blow well laid +on with his cane, felled to the ground. It was scarce possible to +refrain from laughter at the whimsical appearance these fellows made, +who, having rifled the chests of the officers' best suits, had put them +on over their greasy trowsers and dirty checked shirts. They were soon +stripped of their finery, as they had before been obliged to resign +their arms. + +The incessant rains, and exceeding cold weather in this climate, +rendered it impossible for us to subsist long without shelter; and +the hut being much too little to receive us all, it was necessary +to fall upon some expedient, without delay, which might serve our +purpose: accordingly the gunner, carpenter, and some more, turning +the cutter keel upwards, and fixing it upon props, made no despicable +habitation. Having thus established some sort of settlement, we had +the more leisure to look about us, and to make our researches with +greater accuracy than we had before, after such supplies as the most +desolate coasts are seldom unfurnished with. Accordingly we soon +provided ourselves with some sea-fowl, and found limpets, muscles, and +other shell-fish in tolerable abundance; but this rummaging of the +shore was now becoming extremely irksome to those who had any feeling, +by the bodies of our drowned people thrown among the rocks, some of +which were hideous spectacles, from the mangled condition they were in +by the violent surf that drove in upon the coast. These horrors were +overcome by the distresses of our people, who were even glad of the +occasion of killing the gallinazo (the carrion crow of that country), +while preying on these carcases, in order to make a meal of them. But +a provision by no means proportionable to the number of mouths to be +fed, could, by our utmost industry, be acquired from that part of the +island we had hitherto traversed: therefore, till we were in a capacity +of making more distant excursions, the wreck was to be applied to as +often as possible, for such supplies as could be got out of her. But as +this was a very precarious fund in its present situation, and at best +could not last us long; considering too that it was very uncertain how +long we might be detained upon this island the stores and provision +we were so fortunate as to retrieve, were not only to be dealt out +with the most frugal economy, but a sufficient quantity, if possible, +laid by to fit us out, whenever we could agree upon any method of +transporting ourselves from this dreary spot. The difficulties we had +to encounter in these visits to the wreck, cannot be easily described; +for no part of it being above water except the quarter-deck and part +of the fore-castle, we were usually obliged to purchase such things as +were within reach, by means of large hooks fastened to poles, in which +business we were much incommoded by the dead bodies floating between +decks. + +In order to secure what we thus got, in a manner to answer the ends +and purposes above-mentioned, Captain Cheap ordered a store tent to +be erected near his hut as a repository, from which nothing was to +be dealt out but in the measure and proportion agreed upon by the +officers; and though it was very hard upon us petty officers, who +were fatigued with hunting all day in quest of food, to defend this +tent from invasion by night, no other means could be devised for this +purpose so effectual as the committing this charge to our care; and we +were accordingly ordered to divide the task equally between us. Yet, +notwithstanding our utmost vigilance and care, frequent robberies +were committed upon our trust, the tent being accessible in more +than one place. And one night, when I had the watch, hearing a stir +within, I came unawares upon the thief, and presenting a pistol to his +breast, obliged him to submit to be tied up to a post till I had an +opportunity of securing him more effectually. Depredations continued +to be made on our reserved stock, notwithstanding the great hazard +attending such attempts; for our common safety made it necessary to +punish them with the utmost rigour. This will not be wondered at, +when it is known how little the allowance which might consistently be +dispensed from thence, was proportionable to our common exigencies; so +that our daily and nightly task of roving after food, was not in the +least relaxed thereby; and all put together was so far from answering +our necessities, that many at this time perished with hunger. A boy, +when no other eatables could be found, having picked up the liver of +one of the drowned men (whose carcase had been torn to pieces by the +force with which the sea drove it among the rocks), was with difficulty +withheld from making a meal of it. The men were so assiduous in their +research after the few things which drove from the wreck, that in order +to have no sharers of their good fortune, they examined the shore no +less by night than by day; so that many of those who were less alert, +or not so fortunate as their neighbours, perished with hunger, or were +driven to the last extremity. It must be observed, that on the 14th of +May we were cast away, and it was not till the 25th of this month that +provision was served regularly from the store tent. + +The land we were now settled upon was about 90 leagues to the +northward of the western mouth of the straits of Magellan, in the +latitude of between 47 and 48 deg. south, from whence we could plainly +see the Cordilleras; and by two Lagoons on the north and south of us, +stretching towards those mountains, we conjectured it was an island. +But as yet we had no means of informing ourselves perfectly, whether +it was an island or the main; for besides that the inland parts at a +little distance from us seemed impracticable from the exceeding great +thickness of the wood, we had hitherto been in such confusion and want +(each finding full employment for his time, in scraping together a +wretched subsistence, and providing shelter against the cold and rain), +that no party could be formed to go upon discoveries. The climate and +season too were utterly unfavourable to adventurers, and the coast, as +far as our eye could stretch seaward, a scene of such dismal breakers +as would discourage the most daring from making attempts in small +boats. Nor were we assisted in our enquiries by any observation that +could be made from that eminence we called Mount Misery, toward land, +our prospect that way being intercepted by still higher hills and +lofty woods: we had therefore no other expedient, by means of which +to come at this knowledge, but by fitting out one of our ship's boats +upon some discovery, to inform us of our situation. Our long-boat +was still on board the wreck; therefore a number of hands were now +dispatched to cut the gunwale of the ship, in order to get her out. +Whilst we were employed in this business, there appeared three canoes +of Indians paddling towards us: they had come round the point from the +southern Lagoons. It was some time before we could prevail upon them +to lay aside their fears and approach us; which at length they were +induced to do by the signs of friendship we made them, and by shewing +some bale-goods, which they accepted, and suffered themselves to be +conducted to the captain, who made them, likewise, some presents. They +were strangely affected with the novelty thereof; but chiefly when +shewn the looking-glass, in which the beholder could not conceive it to +be his own face that was represented, but that of some other behind it, +which he therefore went round to the back of the glass to find out. + +These people were of a small stature, very swarthy, having long, +black, coarse hair, hanging over their faces. It was evident, from +their great surprise, and every part of their behaviour, as well as +their not having one thing in their possession which could be derived +from white people, that they had never seen such. Their clothing +was nothing but a bit of some beast's skin about their waists, and +something woven from feathers over the shoulders; and as they uttered +no word of any language we had ever heard, nor had any method of making +themselves understood, we presumed they could have had no intercourse +with Europeans. These savages, who upon their departure left us a few +muscles, returned in two days, and surprised us by bringing three +sheep. From whence they could procure animals in a part of the world +so distant from any Spanish settlement, cut off from all communication +with the Spaniards by an inaccessible coast and unprofitable country, +is difficult to conceive. Certain it is, that we saw no such creatures, +nor ever heard of any such, from the Straits of Magellan, till we got +into the neighbourhood of Chiloe: it must be by some strange accident +that these creatures came into their possession; but what that was, we +never could learn from them. At this interview we bartered with them +for a dog or two, which we roasted and eat. In a few days after, they +made us another visit, and bringing their wives with them, took up +their abode with us for some days; then again left us. + +Whenever the weather permitted, which was now grown something drier, +but exceeding cold, we employed ourselves about the wreck, from which +we had, at sundry times, recovered several articles of provision +and liquor: these were deposited in the store-tent. Ill-humour and +discontent, from the difficulties we laboured under in procuring +subsistence, and the little prospect there was of any amendment in our +condition, was now breaking out apace. In some it shewed itself by a +separation of settlement and habitation; in others, by a resolution of +leaving the captain entirely, and making a wild journey by themselves, +without determining upon any plan whatever. For my own part, seeing +it was the fashion, and liking none of their parties, I built a +little hut just big enough for myself and a poor Indian dog I found +in the woods, who could shift for himself along shore, at low water, +by getting limpets. This creature grew so fond of me, and faithful, +that he would suffer nobody to come near the hut without biting them. +Besides those seceders I mentioned, some laid a scheme of deserting us +entirely: these were in number ten; the greatest part of them a most +desperate and abandoned crew, who, to strike a notable stroke before +they went off, placed half a barrel of gunpowder close to the captain's +hut, laid a train to it, and were just preparing to perpetrate their +wicked design of blowing up their commander, when they were with +difficulty dissuaded from it by one who had some bowels and remorse of +conscience left in him. These wretches, after rambling for some time in +the woods, and finding it impracticable to get off, for they were then +convinced that we were not upon the main, as they had imagined when +they first left us, but upon an island within four or five leagues of +it, returned and settled about a league from us; however, they were +still determined, as soon as they could procure craft fit for their +purpose, to get to the main. But before they could effect this, we +found means to prevail upon the armourer and one of the carpenter's +crew,--two very useful men to us, who had imprudently joined them,--to +come over again to their duty. The rest, (one or two excepted) having +built a punt, and converted the hull of one of the ship's masts into a +canoe, went away up one of the Lagoons, and never were heard of more. + +These being a desperate and factious set, did not distress us much +by their departure, but rather added to our future security: one in +particular, James Mitchell by name, we had all the reason in the +world to think had committed no less than two murders since the loss +of our ship; one on the person found strangled on board, another on +the body of a man whom we discovered among some bushes upon Mount +Misery, stabbed in several places, and shockingly mangled. This +diminution of our numbers was succeeded by an unfortunate accident +much more affecting in its consequences, I mean the death of Mr. +Cozens, midshipman; in relating which with the necessary impartiality +and exactness, I think myself obliged to be more than ordinarily +particular. Having one day, among other things, got a cask of peas out +of the wreck, about which I was almost constantly employed, I brought +it to shore in the yawl; when having landed it, the captain came down +upon the beach, and bid me to go up to some of the tents and order +hands to come down and roll it up; but finding none except Mr. Cozens, +I delivered him the orders, who immediately came down to the captain, +where I left them when I returned to the wreck. Upon my coming on +shore again, I found that Mr. Cozens was put under confinement by the +captain, for being drunk and giving him abusive language: however, +he was soon after released. A day or two after, he had some dispute +with the surgeon, and came to blows: all these things incensed the +captain greatly against him. I believe this unfortunate man was kept +warm with liquor, and set on by some ill-designing persons; for, when +sober, I never knew a better natured man, or one more inoffensive. Some +little time after, at the hour of serving out provisions, Mr. Cozens +was at the store tent; and having, it seems, lately had a quarrel with +the purser, and now some words arising between them, the latter told +him he was come to mutiny; and without any further ceremony, fired a +pistol at his head, which narrowly missed him. The captain, hearing +the report of a pistol, and perhaps the purser's words, that Cozens +was come to mutiny, ran out of his hut with a cocked pistol in his +hand, and, without asking any questions, immediately shot him through +the head. I was at this time in my hut, as the weather was extremely +bad; but running out upon the alarm of this firing, the first thing +I saw was Mr. Cozens on the ground, weltering in his blood: he was +sensible, and took me by the hand, as he did several others, shaking +his head, as if he meant to take leave of us. If Mr. Cozens' behaviour +to his captain was indecent and provoking, the captain's, on the other +hand, was rash and hasty: if the first was wanting in that respect +and observance which is due from a petty officer to his commander, +the latter was still more unadvised in the method he took for the +enforcement of his authority; of which, indeed, he was jealous to the +last degree, and which he saw daily declining, and ready to be trampled +upon. His mistaken apprehension of a mutinous design in Mr. Cozens, +the sole motive of this rash action, was so far from answering the end +he proposed by it, that the men, who before were much dissatisfied and +uneasy, were by this unfortunate step thrown almost into open sedition +and revolt. It was evident that the people, who ran out of their tents, +alarmed by the report of fire-arms, though they disguised their real +sentiments for the present, were extremely affected at this catastrophe +of Mr. Cozens (for he was greatly beloved by them): their minds were +now exasperated, and it was to be apprehended, that their resentment, +which was smothered for the present, would shortly shew itself in +some desperate enterprise. The unhappy victim, who lay weltering in +his blood on the ground before them, seemed to absorb their whole +attention; the eyes of all were fixed upon him; and visible marks of +the deepest concern appeared in the countenances of the spectators. +The persuasion the captain was under, at the time he shot Mr. Cozens, +that his intentions were mutinous, together with a jealousy of the +diminution of his authority, occasioned also his behaving with less +compassion and tenderness towards him afterwards than was consistent +with the unhappy condition of the poor sufferer: for when it was begged +as a favour by his mess-mates, that Mr. Cozens might be removed to +their tent, though a necessary thing in his dangerous situation, yet +it was not permitted; but the poor wretch was suffered to languish on +the ground some days, with no other covering than a bit of canvass +thrown over some bushes, where he died. But to return to our story: +the Captain, addressing himself to the people thus assembled, told +them, that it was his resolution to maintain his command over them as +usual, which still remained in as much force as ever; and then ordered +them all to return to their respective tents, with which order they +instantly complied. Now we had saved the long-boat from the wreck, and +got it in our possession, there was nothing that seemed so necessary +towards the advancing our delivery from this desolate place, as the +new modelling this vessel so as to have room for all those who were +inclined to go off in her, and to put her in a condition to bear the +stormy seas we must of course encounter. We therefore hauled her up, +and having placed her upon blocks, sawed her in two, in order to +lengthen her about twelve feet by the keel. For this purpose, all +those who could be spared from the more immediate task of procuring +subsistence, were employed in fitting and shaping timber as the +carpenter directed them; I say, in procuring subsistence, because the +weather lately having been very tempestuous, and the wreck working +much, had disgorged a great part of her contents, which were every +where dispersed about the shore. + +We now sent frequent parties up the Lagoons, which sometimes succeeded +in getting some sea-fowl for us. The Indians appearing again in the +offing we put off our yawl, in order to frustrate any design they +might have of going up the Lagoon towards the deserters, who would +have availed themselves of some of their canoes to have got upon the +main. Having conducted them in, we found that their intention was to +settle among us, for they had brought their wives and children with +them, in all about fifty persons, who immediately set about building +themselves wigwams, and seemed much reconciled to our company; and, +could we have entertained them as we ought, they would have been of +great assistance to us, who were yet extremely put to it to subsist +ourselves, being a hundred in number; but the men, now subject to +little or no control, endeavoured to seduce their wives, which gave +the Indians such offence, that in a short time they found means to +depart, taking every thing along with them; and we, being sensible +of the cause, never expected to see them return again. The carpenter +having made some progress in his work upon the long-boat, in which +he was enabled to proceed tolerably, by the tools and other articles +of his business retrieved from the wreck, the men began to think of +the course they should take to get home; or rather, having borrowed +Sir John Narborough's Voyage of Captain Cheap, by the application of +Mr. Bulkely, which book he saw me reading one day in my tent, they, +immediately upon perusing it, concluded upon making their voyage home +by the Straits of Magellan. This plan was proposed to the captain, +who by no means approved of it, his design being to go northwards, +with a view of seizing a ship of the enemy's, by which means he might +join the Commodore: at present, therefore, here it rested. But the +men were in high spirits from the prospect they had of getting off +in the long-boat, overlooking all the difficulties and hazards of a +voyage almost impracticable, and caressing the carpenter, who indeed +was an excellent workman, and deserved all the encouragement they +could give him. The Indians having left us, and the weather continuing +tempestuous and rainy, the distresses of the people for want of food +become insupportable. Our number, which was at first one hundred and +forty-five, was now reduced to one hundred, and chiefly by famine, +which put the rest upon all shifts and devices to support themselves. +One day, when I was at home in my hut with my Indian dog, a party came +to my door, and told me their necessities were such, that they must +eat the creature or starve. Though their plea was urgent, I could not +help using some arguments to endeavour to dissuade them from killing +him, as his faithful services and fondness deserved it at my hands; +but, without weighing my arguments, they took him away by force and +killed him; upon which, thinking that I had at least as good a right to +a share as the rest, I sat down with them, and partook of their repast. +Three weeks after that I was glad to make a meal of his paws and skin, +which, upon recollecting the spot where they had killed him, I found +thrown aside and rotten. The pressing calls of hunger drove our men to +their wit's end, and put them upon a variety of devices to satisfy it. +Among the ingenious this way, one Phips, a boatswain's mate, having +got a water puncheon, scuttled it; then lashing two logs, one on each +side, set out in quest of adventures in this extraordinary and original +piece of embarkation. By this means he would frequently, when all the +rest were starving, provide himself with wild fowl; and it must have +been very bad weather indeed which could deter him from putting out +to sea when his occasions required. Sometimes he would venture far +out in the offing, and be absent the whole of the day: at last, it +was his misfortune, at a great distance from shore, to be overset by +a heavy sea; but being near a rock, though no swimmer, he managed so +as to scramble to it, and with great difficulty ascended it: there he +remained two days with very little hopes of any relief, for he was too +far off to be seen from shore; but fortunately a boat, having put off +and gone in quest of wild fowl that way, discovered him making such +signals as he was able, and brought him back to the island. But this +accident did not so discourage him but that soon after, having procured +an ox's hide, used on board for sifting powder, and called a gunner's +hide, by the assistance of some hoops he formed something like a canoe, +in which he made several successful voyages. When the weather would +permit us, we seldom failed of getting some wild fowl, though never in +any plenty, by putting off with our boats; but this most inhospitable +climate is not only deprived of the sun for the most part, by a thick, +rainy atmosphere, but is also visited by almost incessant tempests. It +must be confessed, we reaped some benefit from these hard gales and +overgrown seas, which drove several things ashore; but there was no +dependence on such accidental relief; and we were always alert to avail +ourselves of every interval of fair weather, though so little to be +depended on, that we were often unexpectedly and to our peril overtaken +by a sudden change. In one of our excursions I, with two more, in a +wretched punt of our own making, had no sooner landed at our station +upon a high rock, than the punt was driven loose by a sudden squall; +and had not one of the men, at the risk of his life, jumped into the +sea and swam on board her, we must in all probability have perished; +for we were more than three leagues from the island at the time. Among +the birds we generally shot, was the painted goose, whose plumage is +variegated with the most lively colours; and a bird much larger than +a goose, which we called the race-horse, from the velocity with which +it moved upon the surface of the water, in a sort of half flying, half +running motion. But we were not so successful in our endeavours by +land; for though we sometimes got pretty far into the woods, we met +with very few birds in all our walks. We never saw but three woodcocks, +two of which were killed by Mr. Hamilton, and one by myself. These, +with some humming-birds, and a large kind of robin redbreast, were the +only feathered inhabitants of this island, excepting a small bird with +two very long feathers in his tail, which was generally seen amongst +the rocks, and was so tame, that I have had them rest upon my shoulder +whilst I have been gathering shell-fish. Indeed, we were visited by +many birds of prey, some very large; but these only occasionally, and, +as we imagined, allured by some dead whale in the neighbourhood, which +was once seen. However, if we were so fortunate as to kill one of them, +we thought ourselves very well off. In one of my walks, seeing a bird +of this latter kind upon an eminence, I endeavoured to come upon it +unperceived with my gun, by means of the woods which lay at the back of +that eminence; but when I had proceeded so far in the wood as to think +I was in a line with it, I heard a growling close by me, which made me +think it advisable to retire as soon as possible; the woods were so +gloomy I could see nothing; but as I retired, this noise followed me +close till I had got out of them. Some of our men did assure me, that +they had seen a very large beast in the woods; but their description +of it was too imperfect to be relied upon. The wood here is chiefly +of the aromatic kind; the iron wood, a wood of a very deep red hue, +and another, of an exceeding bright yellow. All the low spots are very +swampy; but what we thought strange, upon the summits of the highest +hills were found beds of shells, a foot or two thick. + +The long-boat being near finished, some of our company were selected +to go out in the barge, in order to reconnoitre the coast to the +southward, which might assist us in the navigation we were going upon. +This party consisted of Mr. Bulkely, Mr. Jones, the purser, myself, +and ten men. The first night, we put into a good harbour, a few leagues +to the southward of Wager's Island; where finding a large bitch big +with puppies, we regaled upon them. In this expedition we had our usual +bad weather, and breaking seas, which were grown to such a height the +third day, that we were obliged, through distress, to push in at the +first inlet we saw at hand. This we had no sooner entered, than we +were presented with a view of a fine bay, in which having secured the +barge, we went ashore; but the weather being very rainy, and finding +nothing to subsist upon, we pitched a bell tent, which we had brought +with us, in the wood opposite to where the barge lay. As this tent was +not large enough to contain us all, I proposed to four of the people +to go to the end of the bay, about two miles distant from the bell +tent, to occupy the skeleton of an old Indian wigwam, which I had +discovered in a walk that way upon our first landing. This we covered +to windward with sea-weed; and lighting a fire, laid ourselves down, +in hopes of finding a remedy for our hunger in sleep; but we had not +long composed ourselves before one of our company was disturbed by the +blowing of some animal at his face, and upon opening his eyes, was not +a little astonished to see, by the glimmering of the fire, a large +beast standing over him. He had presence of mind enough to snatch a +brand from the fire, which was now very low, and thrust it at the nose +of the animal, who thereupon made off: this done, the man awoke us, +and related, with horror in his countenance, the narrow escape he had +had of being devoured. But though we were under no small apprehensions +of another visit from this animal, yet our fatigue and heaviness was +greater than our fears; and we once more composed ourselves to rest, +and slept the remainder of the night without any further disturbance. +In the morning, we were not a little anxious to know how our companions +had fared; and this anxiety was increased upon tracing the footsteps +of the beast in the sand, in a direction towards the bell tent. The +impression was deep and plain, of a large round foot, well furnished +with claws. Upon our acquainting the people in the tent with the +circumstances of our story, we found that they too had been visited +by the same unwelcome guest, which they had driven away by much the +same expedient. We now returned from this cruise, with a strong gale, +to Wager's Island; having found it impracticable to make farther +discoveries in the barge, on so dangerous a coast, and in such heavy +seas. Here we soon discovered, by the quarters of dogs hanging up, that +the Indians had brought a fresh supply to our market. Upon enquiry, we +found that there had been six canoes of them, who, among other methods +of taking fish, had taught their dogs to drive the fish into a corner +of some pond, or lake, from whence they were easily taken out, by the +skill and address of these savages. The old cabal, during our absence, +had been frequently revived; the debates of which generally ended in +riot and drunkenness. This cabal was chiefly held in a large tent, +which the people belonging to it had taken some pains to make snug and +convenient, and lined with bales of broad cloth driven from the wreck. +Eighteen of the stoutest fellows of the ship's company had possession +of this tent, from whence were dispatched committees to the Captain, +with the resolutions they had taken with regard to their departure; +but oftener for liquor. Their determination was to go in the long-boat +to the southward, by the straits of Magellan; and the point they were +labouring, was to prevail upon the Captain to accompany them. But +though he had fixed upon a quite different plan, which was to go to +the northward, yet he thought it politic, at present, seemingly to +acquiesce with them, in order to keep them quiet. When they began to +stipulate with him, that he should be under some restrictions in point +of command, and should do nothing without consulting his officers, he +insisted upon the full exercise of his authority as before. This broke +all measures between them, and they were from this time determined he +should go with them, whether he would or no. A better pretence they +could not have for effecting this design, than the unfortunate affair +of Mr. Cozens; which they therefore made use of for seizing his person, +and putting him under confinement, in order to bring him to his trial +in England. The long-boat was now launched, and ready for sailing, +and all the men embarked, except Captain Pemberton, with a party of +marines, whom he had drawn up upon the beach with the intention of +conducting Captain Cheap on board; but he was at length persuaded to +desist from this resolution by Mr. Bulkely. The men too, finding they +were straitened for room, and that their stock of provision would +not admit of their taking supernumeraries aboard, were now no less +strenuous for his enlargement, and being left to his option of staying +behind. Therefore, after having distributed their share in the reserved +stock of provision, which was very small, we departed, leaving Captain +Cheap, Mr. Hamilton of the marines, and the surgeon, upon the island. +I had all along been in the dark as to the turn this affair would take; +and not in the least suspecting but that it was determined Captain +Cheap should be taken with us, readily embarked under that persuasion; +but when I found that this design, which was so seriously carried on +to the last, was suddenly dropped, I was determined, upon the first +opportunity, to leave them; which was at this instant impossible for +me to do, the long-boat lying some distance off shore, at anchor. We +were in all eighty-one, when we left the island, distributed into the +long-boat, cutter, and barge; fifty-nine on board the first, twelve +in the second, in the last, ten. It was our purpose to put into some +harbour, if possible, every evening, as we were in no condition to keep +those terrible seas long; for without other assistance, our stock of +provisions was no more than might have been consumed in a few days; +our water was chiefly contained in a few powder-barrels; our flour was +to be lengthened out by a mixture of sea-weed; and our other supplies +depended upon the success of our guns, and industry among the rocks. +Captain Pemberton having brought on board his men, we weighed; but a +sudden squall of wind having split our foresail, we with difficulty +cleared the rocks, by means of our boats, bore away for a sandy bay, +on the south side of the Lagoon, and anchored in ten fathom. The next +morning we got under way; but it blowing hard at W. by N. with a +great swell, we put into a small bay again, well sheltered by a ledge +of rocks without us. At this time, it was thought necessary to send +the barge away back to Cheap's bay, for some spare canvass, which +was imagined would be soon wanted. I thought this a good opportunity +of returning, and therefore made one with those who went upon this +business in the barge. We were no sooner clear of the long-boat, than +all those in the boat with me declared they had the same intention. +When we arrived at the island, we were extremely welcome to Captain +Cheap. The next day, I asked him leave to try if I could prevail upon +those in the long-boat to give us our share of provision: this he +granted; but said if we went in the barge, they would certainly take +her from us. I told him my design was to walk it, and only desired the +boat might land me upon the main, and wait for me till I came back. I +had the most dreadful journey of it imaginable, through thick woods +and swamps all the way; but I might as well have spared myself that +trouble, as it was to no manner of purpose; for they would not give +me, nor any one of us that left them, a single ounce of provisions of +any kind. I therefore returned, and after that made a second attempt; +but all in vain. They even threatened, if we did not return with the +barge, they would fetch her by force. It is impossible to conceive the +distressed situation we were now in, at the time of the long-boat's +departure. I do not mention this event as the occasion of it; by which, +if we who were left on the island experienced any alteration at all, +it was for the better; and which, in all probability, had it been +deferred, might have been fatal to the greatest part of us; but at +this time, the subsistence on which we had hitherto chiefly depended, +which was the shell-fish, were every where along shore eat up; and +as to stock saved from the wreck, it may be guessed what the amount +of that might be, when the share allotted to the Captain, Lieutenant +Hamilton, and the surgeon, was no more than six pieces of beef, as many +of pork, and ninety pounds of flour. As to myself, and those that left +the long-boat, it was the least revenge they thought they could take +of us to withhold our provision from us, though at the same time it +was hard and unjust. For a day or two after our return, there was some +little pittance dealt out to us, yet it was upon the foot of favour; +and we were soon left to our usual industry for a farther supply. This +was now exerted to very little purpose, for the reason before assigned; +to which may be added, the wreck was now blown up, all her upper works +gone, and no hopes of any valuable driftage from her for the future. +A weed called slaugh, fried in the tallow of some candles we had +saved, and wild cellery, were our only fare; by which our strength was +so much impaired, that we could scarcely crawl. It was my misfortune +too, to labour under a severe flux, by which I was reduced to a very +feeble state; so that in attempting to traverse the rocks in search of +shell-fish, I fell from one into very deep water, and with difficulty +saved my life by swimming. As the Captain was now freed, by the +departure of the long-boat, from the riotous applications, menaces, and +disturbance of an unruly crew, and left at liberty to follow the plan +he had resolved upon, of going northward, he began to think seriously +of putting it in execution; in order to which, a message was sent to +the deserters, who had seated themselves on the other side of the +neighbouring Lagoon, to sound them, whether they were inclined to join +the Captain in his undertaking; and if they were, to bring them over +to him. For this set, the party gone off in the long-boat had left +an half allowance proportion of the common stock of provision. These +men, upon the proposal, readily agreed to join their commander; and +being conducted to him, increased our number to twenty. The boats which +remained in our possession to carry off all these people, were only the +barge and yawl, two very crazy bottoms; the broadside of the last was +entirely out, and the first had suffered much in the variety of bad +weather she had gone through, and was sadly out of repair. And now our +carpenter was gone from us, we had no remedy for these misfortunes, but +the little skill we had gained from him. However, we made tolerable +shift to patch up the boats for our purpose. In the height of our +distresses, when hunger, which seems to include and absorb all others, +was most prevailing, we were cheered with the appearance, once more, +of our friendly Indians, as we thought, from whom we hoped for some +relief; but as the consideration was wanting, for which alone they +would part with their commodities, we were not at all benefitted by +their stay, which was very short. The little reserve too of flour made +by the Captain for our sea-stock when we should leave the island, was +now diminished by theft: the thieves, who were three of our men, were +however soon discovered, and two of them apprehended; but the third +made his escape to the woods. Considering the pressing state of our +necessities, this theft was looked upon as a most heinous crime, and +therefore required an extraordinary punishment: accordingly the Captain +ordered these delinquents to be severely whipped, and then to be +banished to an island at some distance from us; but before this latter +part of the sentence could be put in execution, one of them fled; but +the other was put alone upon a barren island, which afforded not the +least shelter; however, we, in compassion, and contrary to order, +patched him up a bit of a hut, and kindled him a fire, and then left +the poor wretch to shift for himself. In two or three days after, going +to the island in our boat with some little refreshment, such as our +miserable circumstances would admit of, and with an intent of bringing +him back, we found him dead and stiff. I was now reduced to the lowest +condition by my illness, which was increased by the vile stuff I eat, +when we were favoured by a fair day, a thing very extraordinary in this +climate. We instantly took the advantage of it, and once more visited +the last remains of the wreck,--her bottom. Here our pains were repaid +with the great good fortune of hooking up three casks of beef, which +were brought safe to shore. This providential supply could not have +happened at a more seasonable time than now, when we were afflicted +with the greatest dearth we had ever experienced, and the little +strength we had remaining was to be exerted in our endeavours to leave +the island. Accordingly we soon found a remedy for our sickness, which +was nothing but the effects of famine, and were greatly restored by +food. The provision was equally distributed among us all, and served us +for the remainder of our stay here. + +We began to grow extremely impatient to leave the island, as the +days were now nearly at their longest, and about midsummer in these +parts; but as to the weather, there seems to be little difference in a +difference of seasons. Accordingly, on the 15th of December, the day +being tolerable, we told Captain Cheap we thought it a fine opportunity +to run across the bay. But he first desired two or three of us to +accompany him to our place of observation, the top of Mount Misery; +when looking through his perspective, he observed to us that the sea +ran very high without. However, this had no weight with the people, who +were desirous, at all events, to be gone. I should here observe, that +Captain Cheap's plan was, if possible, to get to the island of Chiloe; +and if we found any vessel there, to board her immediately, and cut +her out. This he might certainly have done with ease, had it been his +good fortune to get round with the boats. We now launched both boats, +and got every thing on board of them as quick as possible. Captain +Cheap, the surgeon, and myself, were in the barge with nine men; and +Lieutenant Hamilton and Mr. Campbell in the yawl with six. I steered +the barge, and Mr. Campbell the yawl; but we had not been two hours at +sea before the wind shifted more to the westward, and began to blow +very hard, and the sea ran extremely high; so that we could no longer +keep our heads towards the cape or headland we had designed for. This +cape we had had a view of in one of the intervals of fair weather, +during our abode on the island, from Mount Misery; and it seemed to be +distant between twenty and thirty leagues from us. We were now obliged +to bear away right before the wind. Though the yawl was not far from +us, we could see nothing of her, except now and then, upon the top of +a mountainous sea. In both the boats, the men were obliged to sit as +close as possible, to receive the seas on their backs, to prevent their +filling us, which was what we every moment expected. We were obliged +to throw everything overboard, to lighten the boats, all our beef, and +even the grapnel, to prevent sinking. Night was coming on, and we +were running on a lee-shore fast, where the sea broke in a frightful +manner. Not one amongst us imagined it possible for boats to live in +such a sea. In this situation, as we neared the shore, expecting to +be beat to pieces by the first breaker, we perceived a small opening +between the rocks, which we stood for, and found a very narrow passage +between them, which brought us into a harbour for the boats as calm +and smooth as a mill-pond. The yawl had got in before us, and our joy +was great at meeting again after so unexpected a deliverance. Here we +secured the boats, and ascended a rock. It rained excessively hard all +the first part of the night, and was extremely cold; and though we had +not a dry thread about us, and no wood could be found for firing, we +were obliged to pass the night in that uncomfortable situation, without +any covering, shivering in our wet clothes. The frost coming on with +the morning, it was impossible for any of us to get a moment's sleep; +and having flung overboard our provision the day before, there being +no prospect of finding anything to eat on this coast, in the morning we +pulled out of the cove; but found so great a sea without, that we could +make but little of it. After tugging all day, towards night we put in +among some small islands, landed upon one of them, and found it a mere +swamp. As the weather was the same, we passed this night much as we had +done the preceding; sea-tangle was all we could get to eat at first, +but the next day we had better luck; the surgeon shot a goose, and we +found materials for a good fire. We were confined here three or four +days, the weather all that time proving so bad that we could not put +out. As soon as it grew moderate, we left this place, and shaped our +course to the northward; and perceiving a large opening between very +high land and a low point, we steered for it; and when got that length, +found a large bay, down which we rowed, flattering ourselves there +might be a passage that way; but towards night we came to the bottom of +the bay, and finding no outlet, we were obliged to return the same way +we came, having met with nothing the whole day to alleviate our hunger. + +Next night we put into a little cove, which, from the great quantity +of red-wood found there, we called Redwood Cove. Leaving this place in +the morning, we had the wind southerly, blowing fresh, by which we made +much way that day, to the northward. Towards evening we were in with a +pretty large island. Putting ashore on it, we found it clothed with the +finest trees we had ever seen, their stems running up to a prodigious +height, without knot or branch, and as straight as cedars: the leaf +of these trees resemble the myrtle leaf, only somewhat larger. I have +seen trees larger than these in circumference, on the coast of Guinea, +and there only; but for a length of stem, which gradually tapering, +I have no where met with any to compare to them. The wood was of a +hard substance, and, if not too heavy, would have made good masts; the +dimensions of some of these trees being equal to a main-mast of a first +rate man-of-war. The shore was covered with driftwood of a very large +size; most of it cedar, which makes a brisk fire; but is so subject to +snap and fly, that when we awoke in the morning, after a sound sleep, +we found our clothes singed in many places with the sparks, and covered +with splinters. + +The next morning being calm, we rowed out; but as soon as clear of +the island, we found a great swell from the westward; we rowed to the +bottom of a very large bay, which was to the northward of us, the land +very low, and we were in hopes of finding some inlet through, but did +not; so kept along shore to the westward. This part, which I take to be +above fifty leagues from Wager Island, is the very bottom of the large +bay it lies in. Here was the only passage to be found, which (if we +could by any means have got information of it) would have saved us much +fruitless labour. Of this passage I shall have occasion to say more +hereafter. + +Having at this time an off-shore wind, we kept the land close on board, +till we came to a head-land: it was near night before we got abreast +of the headland, and opening it discovered a very large bay to the +northward, and another headland to the westward, at a great distance. +We endeavoured to cut short our passage to it by crossing, which is +very seldom to be effected, in these overgrown seas, by boats: and this +we experienced now; for the wind springing up, and beginning to blow +fresh, we were obliged to put back towards the first headland, into a +small cove, just big enough to shelter the two boats. Here an accident +happened that alarmed us much. After securing our boats, we climbed up +a rock scarcely large enough to contain our numbers: having nothing to +eat, we betook ourselves to our usual receipt for hunger, which was +going to sleep. We accordingly made a fire, and stowed ourselves round +it as well as we could; but two of our men being incommoded for want of +room, went a little way from us, into a small nook, over which a great +cliff hung, and served them for a canopy. In the middle of the night +we were awakened with a terrible rumbling, which we apprehended to +be nothing less than the shock of an earthquake, which we had before +experienced in these parts; and this conjecture we had reason to think +not ill founded, upon hearing hollow groans and cries as of men half +swallowed up. We immediately got up, and ran to the place from whence +the cries came, and then we were put out of all doubt as to the opinion +we had formed of this accident; for here we found the two men almost +buried under loose stones and earth: but upon a little farther enquiry +we were undeceived as to the cause we had imputed this noise to, which +we found to be occasioned by the sudden giving way of the impending +cliff, which fell a little beyond our people, carrying trees and rocks +with it, and loose earth; the latter of which fell in part on our men, +whom we with some pains rescued from their uneasy situation, from which +they escaped with some bruises. The next morning we got out early, and +the wind being westerly, rowed the whole day for the headland we had +seen the night before; but when we had got that length could find no +harbour, but were obliged to go into a sandy bay, and lay the whole +night upon our oars; and a most dreadful one it proved, blowing and +raining very hard. Here we were so pinched with hunger, that we eat the +shoes off our feet, which consisted of raw seal skin. In the morning +we got out of the bay; but the incessant foul weather had overcome us, +and we began to be indifferent as to what befel us; and the boats, +in the night, making into a bay, we nearly lost the yawl, a breaker +having filled her, and driven her ashore upon the beach. This, by some +of our accounts, was Christmas-day; but our accounts had so often been +interrupted by our distresses, that there was no depending upon them. +Upon seeing the yawl in this imminent danger, the barge stood off, and +went into another bay to the northward of it, where it was smoother +lying; but there was no possibility of getting on shore. In the night +the yawl joined us again. The next day was so bad, that we despaired +reaching the headland, so rowed down the bay in hopes of getting some +seal, as that animal had been seen the day before, but met with no +success; so returned to the same bay we had been in the night before, +where the surf having abated somewhat, we went ashore, and picked up a +few shell-fish. In the morning, we got on board early, and ran along +shore to the westward, for about three leagues, in order to get round a +cape, which was the westernmost land we could see. It blew very hard, +and there ran such a sea, that we heartily wished ourselves back again, +and accordingly made the best of our way for that bay which we had left +in the morning; but before we could reach it night came on, and we +passed a most dismal one, lying upon our oars. + +The weather continuing very bad, we put in for the shore in the +morning, where we found nothing but tangle and sea-weed. We now passed +some days roving about for provisions, as the weather was too bad to +make another attempt to get round the cape as yet. We found some fine +Lagoons towards the head of the bay; and in them killed some seal, and +got a good quantity of shell-fish, which was a great relief to us. +We now made a second attempt to double the cape; but when we got the +length of it, and passed the first headland, for it consists of three +of an equal height, we got into a sea that was horrid; for it ran all +in heaps, like the Race of Portland, but much worse. We were happy to +put back again to the old place, with little hopes of ever getting +round this cape. + +Next day, the weather proving very bad, all hands went ashore to +procure some sustenance, except two in each boat, which were left as +boat-keepers; this office we took by turns; and it was now my lot to be +upon this duty with another man. The yawl lay within us at a grapnel; +in the night it blew very hard, and a great sea tumbled in upon the +shore; but being extremely fatigued, we in the boats went to sleep, +notwithstanding, however, I was at last awakened by the uncommon motion +of the boat, and the roaring of the breakers every where about us. At +the same time I heard a shrieking, like to that of persons in distress; +I looked out, and saw the yawl canted bottom upwards by a sea, and +soon afterwards disappeared. One of our men, whose name was William +Rose, a quarter-master, was drowned; the other was thrown ashore by +the surf, with his head buried in the sand; but by the immediate +assistance of the people on shore, was saved. As for us in the barge, +we expected the same fate every moment; for the sea broke a long way +without us. However we got her head to it, and hove up our grapnel, or +should rather say kellick, which we had made to serve in the room of +our grapnel, hove overboard some time before, to lighten the boat. By +this means we used our utmost efforts to pull her without the breakers +some way, and then let go our kellick again. Here we lay all the next +day, in a great sea, not knowing what would be our fate. To add to our +mortification, we could see our companions in tolerable plight ashore, +eating seal, while we were starving with hunger and cold. For this +month past, we had not known what it was to have a dry thread about us. + +The next day being something more moderate, we ventured in with the +barge, as near as we could to the shore, and our companions threw us +some seal's liver; which having eat greedily, we were seized with +excessive sickness, which affected us so much, that our skin peeled off +from head to foot. + +Whilst the people were on shore here, Mr. Hamilton met with a large +seal, or sea-lion, and fired a brace of balls into him, upon which the +animal turned upon him open-mouthed; but presently fixing his bayonet, +he thrust it down its throat, with a good part of the barrel of the +gun, which the creature bit in two seemingly with as much ease as if it +had been a twig. Notwithstanding the wounds it received, it eluded all +farther efforts to kill it, and got clear off. + +I call this animal a large seal, or sea-lion, because it resembles a +seal in many particulars; but then it exceeds it so much in size, +as to be sufficiently determined, by that distinction only, to be +of another species. Mr. Walter, in Lord Anson's Voyage, has given a +particular description of those which are seen about Juan Fernandes; +but they have in other climates, different appearances as well as +different qualities, as we had occasion to observe in this, and a +late voyage I made. However, as so much already has been said of +the sea-lion, I shall only mention two peculiarities; one relative +to its appearance, and the other to its properties of action, which +distinguish it from those described by him. Those I saw, were without +that snout, or trunk, hanging below the end of the upper jaw; but then +the males were furnished with a large shaggy mane, which gave them a +most formidable appearance. And, whereas, he says, those he saw were +unwieldy, and easily destroyed: we found some, on the contrary, that +lay at a mile's distance from the water, which came down upon us, when +disturbed, with such impetuosity, that it was as much as we could do to +get out of their way; and when attacked, would turn upon us with great +agility. + +Having lost the yawl, and being too many for the barge to carry off, we +were compelled to leave four of our men behind. They were all marines, +who seemed to have no objection to the determination made with regard +to them, so exceedingly disheartened and worn out were they with the +distresses and dangers they had already gone through. And, indeed, I +believe it would have been a matter of indifference to the greatest +part of the rest, whether they should embark, or take their chance. +The captain distributed to these poor fellows arms and ammunition, and +some other necessaries. When we parted, they stood upon the beach, +giving us three cheers, and called out, God bless the king. We saw them +a little after, setting out upon their forlorn hope, and helping one +another over a hideous tract of rocks; but considering the difficulties +attending this only way of travelling left them--for the woods are +impracticable, from their thickness, and the deep swamp everywhere to +be met in them--considering too, that the coast here is rendered so +inhospitable, by the heavy seas that are constantly tumbling upon it, +as not to afford even a little shell-fish, it is probable that all met +with a miserable end. + +We rowed along shore to the westward, in order to make one more attempt +to double the cape: when abreast of the first headland there ran such +a sea, that we expected, every instant, the boat would go down. But +as the preservation of life had now, in a great measure, lost its +actuating principle upon us, we still kept pushing through it, till we +opened a bay to the northward. In all my life, I never saw so dreadful +a sea as drove in here; it began to break at more than half a mile +from the shore. Perceiving now that it was impossible for any boat to +get round, the men lay upon their oars till the boat was very near +the breakers, the mountainous swell that then ran, heaving her in at +a great rate. I thought it was their intention to put an end to their +lives and misery at once; but nobody spoke for some time. At last, +Captain Cheap told them, they must either perish immediately, or pull +stoutly for it to get off the shore; but they might do as they pleased. +They chose, however, to exert themselves a little, and after infinite +difficulty, got round the headland again, giving up all thoughts of +making any further attempt to double the cape. It was night before we +could get back to the bay, where we were compelled to leave four of our +men, in order to save, if possible, the remainder; for we must all have +certainly perished, if more than sixteen had been crowded into so small +a boat. This bay we named Marine Bay. When we had returned to this bay, +we found the surf ran so high, that we were obliged to lay upon our +oars all night; and it was now resolved to go back to Wager's Island, +there to linger out a miserable life, as we had not the least prospect +of returning home. + +But before we set out, in consequence of this resolution, it was +necessary, if possible, to get some little stock of seal to support us +in a passage, upon which, wherever we might put in, we were not likely +to meet with any supply. Accordingly, it was determined to go up that +Lagoon in which we had before got some seal, to provide ourselves with +some more; but we did not leave the bay till we had made some search +after the unhappy marines we had left on shore. Could we have found +them, we had now agreed to take them on board again, though it would +have been the certain destruction of us all. This, at another time, +would have been mere madness; but we were now resigned to our fate, +which we none of us thought far off; however, there was nothing to be +seen of them, and no traces but a musket on the beach. + +Upon returning up the Lagoon, we were so fortunate as to kill some +seal, which we boiled, and laid in the boat for sea-stock. While we +were ranging along shore in detached parties in quest of this, and +whatever other eatable might come in our way, our surgeon, who was +then by himself, discovered a pretty large hole, which seemed to lead +to some den, or repository, within the rocks. It was not so rude, or +natural, but that there were some signs of its having been cleared, +and made more accessible by industry. The surgeon for some time +hesitated whether he should venture in, from his uncertainty as to the +reception he might meet with from any inhabitant; but his curiosity +getting the better of his fears, he determined to go in; which he +did upon his hands and knees, as the passage was too low for him to +enter otherwise. After having proceeded a considerable way thus, he +arrived at a spacious chamber; but whether hollowed out by hands, or +natural, he could not be positive. The light into this chamber was +conveyed through a hole at the top; in the midst was a kind of bier, +made of sticks laid crossways, supported by props of about five foot +in height. Upon this bier, five or six bodies were extended; which, +in appearance, had been deposited there a long time, but had suffered +no decay or diminution. They were without covering, and the flesh of +these bodies was become perfectly dry and hard; which, whether done by +any art, or secret, the savages may be possessed of, or occasioned +by any drying virtue in the air of the cave, could not be guessed. +Indeed, the surgeon, finding nothing there to eat, which was the chief +inducement for his creeping into this hole, did not amuse himself with +long disquisitions, or make that accurate examination which he would +have done at another time; but crawling out as he came in, he went and +told the first he met of what he had seen. Some had the curiosity to +go in likewise. I had forgot to mention that there was another range +of bodies, deposited in the same manner, upon another platform under +the bier. Probably this was the burial place of their great men, called +caciques; but from whence they could be brought we were utterly at +a loss to conceive, there being no traces of any Indian settlement +hereabout. We had seen no savage since we left the island, or observed +any marks in the coves, or bays to the northward, where we had +touched,--such as of fire-places, or old wigwams, which they never fail +of leaving behind them; and it is very probable, from the violent seas +that are always beating upon this coast, its deformed aspect, and the +very swampy soil that every where borders upon it, that it is little +frequented. + +We now crossed the first bay for the headland we left on Christmas-day, +much dejected; for under our former sufferings, we were in some measure +supported with the hopes that, as we advanced, however little, they +were so much the nearer the termination; but now our prospect was +dismal and dispiriting, indeed, as we had the same difficulties and +dangers to encounter, not only without any flattering views to lessen +them, but under the aggravating circumstance of their leading to an +inevitable and miserable death; for we could not possibly conceive that +the fate of starving could be avoided by any human means, upon that +desolate island we were returning to. The shell-fish, which was the +only subsistence that island had hitherto afforded in any measure, was +exhausted; and the Indians had shewn themselves so little affected by +the common incitements of compassion, that we had no hopes to build +upon any impressions of that sort in them. They had already refused +to barter their dogs with us, for want of a valuable commodity on +our side; so that it is wonderful we did not give ourselves up to +despondency, and lay aside all farther attempts; but we were supported +by that invisible power, who can make the most untoward circumstances +subservient to his gracious purposes. + +At this time, our usual bad weather attended us; the night too set in +long before we could reach the cove we before had taken shelter in; +so that we were obliged to keep the boat's head to the sea all night, +the sea every where a-stern of us, running over hideous breakers. In +the morning, we designed standing over for that island in which we +had observed those straight and lofty trees before mentioned, and +which Captain Cheap named Montrose Island; but as soon as we opened +the headland to the westward of us, a sudden squall took the boat, +and very near overset her. We were instantly full of water; but by +baling with our hats and hands, and any thing that would hold water, we +with difficulty freed her. Under this alarming circumstance, we found +it advisable to return back and put into the cove, which the night +before we were prevented getting into. We were detained here two or +three days, by exceeding bad weather; so that, had we not fortunately +provided ourselves with some seal, we must have starved, for this place +afforded us nothing. + +At length we reached Montrose Island. This is by much the best and +pleasantest spot we had seen in this part of the world; though it has +nothing on it eatable but some berries, which resembled gooseberries +in flavour: they are of a black hue, and grow in swampy ground; and +the bush or tree that bears them is much taller than that of our +gooseberries. We remained here some time, living upon these berries, +and the remainder of our seal, which was now grown quite rotten. Our +two or three first attempts to put out from this island were without +success, the tempestuous weather obliging us so often to put back +again. One of our people was much inclined to remain here, thinking it +as least as good a place as Wager's Island to end his days upon; but +he was obliged to go off with them. We had not been long out before it +began to blow a storm of wind; and the mist came on so thick, that we +could not see the land, and were at a loss which way to steer; but we +heard the sea, which ran exceedingly high, breaking near us; upon which +we immediately hauled aft the sheet, and hardly weathered the breakers +by a boat's length. At the same time we shipped a sea that nearly +filled us: it struck us with that violence, as to throw me, and one or +two more, down into the bottom of the boat, where we were half drowned +before we could get up again. This was one of the most extraordinary +escapes we had in the course of this expedition; for Captain Cheap, and +every one else, had entirely given themselves up for lost. However, +it pleased God that we got that evening into Redwood Cove, where the +weather continued so bad all night, we could keep no fire in to dry +ourselves with; but there being no other alternative for us, but to +stay here and starve, or put to sea again, we chose the latter, and +put out in the morning again, though the weather was very little +mended. In three or four days after, we arrived at our old station, +Wager's Island; but in such a miserable plight, that though we thought +our condition upon setting out would not admit of any additional +circumstance of misery, yet it was to be envied in comparison of what +we now suffered, so worn and reduced were we by fatigue and hunger; +having eat nothing for some days but sea-weed and tangle. Upon this +expedition, we had been out, by our account, just two months; in which +we had rounded, backwards and forwards, the great bay formed to the +northward by that high land we had observed from Mount Misery. + +The first thing we did upon our arrival, was to secure the barge, as +this was our sole dependence for any relief that might offer by sea; +which done, we repaired to our huts, which formed a kind of village +or street, consisting of several irregular habitations; some of which +being covered by a kind of brush-wood thatch, afforded tolerable +shelter against the inclemency of the weather. Among these, there was +one which we observed with some surprise to be nailed up. We broke +it open, and found some iron work, picked out with much pains from +those pieces of the wreck which were driven ashore. We concluded from +hence, that the Indians who had been here in our absence, were not of +that tribe with which we had some commerce before, who seemed to set +no value upon iron, but from some other quarter; and must have had +communication with the Spaniards, from whom they had learned the value +and use of that commodity. Thieving from strangers is a commendable +talent among savages in general, and bespeaks an address which they +much admire; though the strictest honesty, with regard to the property +of each other, is observed among them. There is no doubt but they +ransacked all our houses; but the men had taken care, before they went +off in the long-boat, to strip them of their most valuable furniture; +that is, the bales of cloth used for lining, and converted them into +trowsers and watch-coats. Upon farther search, we found, thrown aside +in the bushes, at the back of one of the huts, some pieces of seal, in +a very putrid condition; which, however, our stomachs were far from +loathing. The next business, which the people set about very seriously, +was to proceed to Mount Misery, and bury the corpse of the murdered +person, mentioned to have been discovered there some little time after +our being cast away; for to the neglect of this necessary tribute to +that unfortunate person, the men assigned all their ill-success upon +the late expedition. + +That common people in general are addicted to superstitious conceits, +is an observation founded on experience; and the reason is evident: +but I cannot allow that common seamen are more so than others of the +lower class. In the most enlightened ages of antiquity, we find it to +have been the popular opinion, that the spirits of the dead were not at +rest till their bodies were interred; and that they did not cease to +haunt and trouble those who had neglected this duty to the departed. +This is still believed by the vulgar, in most countries; and in our +men, this persuasion was much heightened by the melancholy condition +they were reduced to; and was farther confirmed by an occurrence which +happened some little time before we went upon our last expedition. +One night we were alarmed with a strange cry, which resembled that +of a man drowning. Many of us ran out of our huts towards the place +from whence the noise proceeded, which was not far off shore; where +we could perceive, but not distinctly (for it was then moonlight), an +appearance like that of a man swimming half out of water. The noise +that this creature uttered was so unlike that of any animal they had +heard before, that it made a great impression upon the men; and they +frequently recalled this apparition at the time of their distresses, +with reflections on the neglect of the office they were now fulfilling. + +We were soon driven again to the greatest straits for want of something +to subsist upon, by the extreme bad weather that now set in upon us. +Wild celery was all we could procure, which raked our stomachs instead +of assuaging our hunger. That dreadful and last resource of men, in +not much worse circumstances than ours, of consigning one man to death +for the support of the rest, began to be mentioned in whispers; and +indeed there were some among us who, by eating what they found raw, +were become little better than cannibals. But fortunately for us, and +opportunely to prevent this horrid proceeding, Mr. Hamilton, at this +time, found some rotten pieces of beef, cast up by the sea at some +miles distance from the huts, which he, though a temptation which few +would have resisted in parallel circumstances, scorned to conceal from +the rest; but generously distributed among us. + +A few days after, the mystery of the nailing up of the hut, and what +had been doing by the Indians upon the island in our absence, was +partly explained to us; for about the fifteenth day after our return, +there came a party of Indians to the island in two canoes, who were not +a little surprised to find us here again. Among these, was an Indian of +the tribe of the Chonos, who live in the neighbourhood of Chiloe.[4] +He talked the Spanish language, but with that savage accent which +renders it almost unintelligible to any but those who are adepts in +that language. He was likewise a cacique, or leading man of his tribe; +which authority was confirmed to him by the Spaniards; for he carried +the usual badge and mark of distinction by which the Spaniards, and +their dependents, hold their military and civil employments, which is a +stick with a silver head. These badges, of which the Indians are very +vain, at once serve to retain the cacique in the strongest attachment +to the Spanish government, and give him greater weight with his own +dependents: yet, withal, he is the merest slave, and has not one thing +he can call his own. This report of our shipwreck (as we supposed) +having reached the Chonos, by means of the intermediate tribes, which +handed it to one another, from those Indians who first visited us; +this cacique was either sent to learn the truth of the rumour, or +having first got the intelligence, set out with a view of making some +advantage of the wreck, and appropriating such iron-work as he could +gather from it to his own use: for that metal is become very valuable +to those savages, since their commerce with the Spaniards has taught +them to apply it to several purposes. But as the secreting any thing +from a rapacious Spanish rey, or governor (even an old rusty nail), +by any of their Indian dependents, is a very dangerous offence, he +was careful to conceal the little prize he had made, till he could +conveniently carry it away; for in order to make friends of these +savages, we had left their hoard untouched. + +[FOOTNOTE 4: + +Chiloe is an island on the western coast of America, about the 43rd +deg. of S. latitude; and the southernmost settlement under the Spanish +jurisdiction on that coast.] + +Our surgeon, Mr. Elliot, being master of a few Spanish words, made +himself so far understood by the cacique as to let him know, that +our intention was to reach some of the Spanish settlements, if we +could; that we were unacquainted with the best and safest way, and +what tract was most likely to afford us subsistence in our journey; +promising, if he would undertake to conduct us in the barge, he should +have it, and every thing in it, for his trouble, as soon as it had +served our present occasions. To these conditions the cacique, after +much persuasion, at length agreed. Accordingly, having made the best +preparation we could, we embarked on board the barge to the number of +fifteen, including the cacique, whose name was Martin, and his servant +Emanuel. We were, indeed, sixteen, when we returned from our last +fruitless attempt to get off the island; but we had buried two since +that, who perished with hunger; and a marine, having committed theft, +run away to avoid the punishment his crime deserved, and hid himself +in the woods; since which he was never heard of. We now put off, +accompanied with the two Indian canoes; in one of which was a savage, +with his two wives, who had an air of dignity superior to the rest, and +was handsome in his person. He had his hut, during his stay with us, +separate from the other Indians, who seemed to pay him extraordinary +respect; but in two or three nights, these Indians, being independent +of the Spaniards, and living somewhere to the southward of our Chono +guide, left us to proceed on our journey by ourselves. + +The first night we lay at an island destitute of all refreshment; where +having found some shelter for our boat, and made ourselves a fire, we +slept by it. The next night we were more unfortunate, though our wants +were increasing; for having run to the westward of Montross island, we +found no shelter for the barge; but were under the necessity of lying +upon our oars, suffering the most extreme pangs of hunger. The next +day brought us to the bottom of a great bay, where the Indian guide +had left his family, a wife and two children, in a hut. Here we staid +two or three days, during which we were constantly employed in ranging +along shore in quest of shell-fish. + +We now again proceeded on our voyage, having received on board the +family of our guide, who conducted us to a river, the stream of which +was so rapid, that after our utmost efforts from morning to evening, we +gained little upon the current, and at last were obliged to desist from +our attempt and return. I had hitherto steered the boat; but one of our +men sinking under the fatigue, expired soon after, which obliged me to +take the oar in his room, and row against this heart-breaking stream. +Whilst I was thus employed, one of our men whose name was John Bosman, +though hitherto the stoutest man among us, fell from his seat under +the thwarts, complaining that his strength was quite exhausted for +want of food, and that he should die very shortly. As he lay in this +condition, he would every now and then break out in the most pathetic +wishes for some little sustenance; that two or three mouthfuls might be +the means of saving his life. The Captain, at this time, had a large +piece of boiled seal by him, and was the only one that was provided +with any thing like a meal; but we were become so hardened against the +impressions of others' sufferings by our own; so familiarized to scenes +of this, and every other kind of misery; that the poor man's dying +entreaties were vain. I sat next to him when he dropped, and having a +few dried shell-fish (about five or six) in my pocket, from time to +time put one in his mouth, which served only to prolong his pains; from +which, however, soon after my little supply failed, he was released +by death. For this, and another man I mentioned a little before to +have expired under the like circumstances, when we returned from this +unsuccessful enterprise, we made a grave in the sands. + +It would have redounded greatly to the tenderness and humanity of +Captain Cheap, if at this time he had remitted somewhat of that +attention he shewed to self-preservation; which is hardly allowable +but where the consequence of relieving others must be immediately +and manifestly fatal to ourselves; but I would venture to affirm, +that in these last affecting exigencies, as well as some others, a +sparing perhaps adequate to the emergency, might have been admitted +consistently with a due regard to his own necessities. The Captain had +better opportunities for recruiting his stock than any of us; for his +rank was considered by the Indian as a reason for supplying him when he +would not find a bit for us. Upon the evening of the day in which these +disasters happened, the Captain producing a large piece of boiled seal, +suffered no one to partake with him but the surgeon, who was the only +man in favour at this time. We did not expect, indeed, any relief from +him in our present condition; for we had a few small muscles and herbs +to eat; but the men could not help expressing the greatest indignation +at his neglect of the deceased; saying that he deserved to be deserted +by the rest for his savage behaviour. + +The endeavouring to pass up this river was for us, who had so long +struggled with hunger, a most unseasonable attempt; by which we were +harassed to a degree that threatened to be fatal to more of us; but our +guide, without any respect to the condition our hardships had reduced +us to, was very solicitous for us to go that way, which possibly he +had gone before in light canoes; but for such a boat as ours was +impracticable. We conceived, therefore, at that time, that this was +some short cut, which was to bring us forward in our voyage; but we +had reason to think afterwards, that the greater probability there was +of his getting the barge, which was the wages of his undertaking, safe +to his settlement by this, rather than another course, was his motive +for preferring it to the way we took afterwards, where there was a +carrying place of considerable length, over which it would have been +impossible to have carried our boat. + +The country hereabouts wears the most uncouth, desolate, and rugged +aspect imaginable; it is so circumstanced, as to discourage the most +sanguine adventurers from attempts to settle it: were it for no other +reason than the constant heavy rains, or rather torrents, which pour +down here, and the vast sea and surf which the prevailing westerly +winds impel upon this coast, it must be rendered inhospitable. All +entrance into the woods is not only extremely difficult, but hazardous; +not from any assaults you are likely to meet with from wild beasts; +for even these could hardly find convenient harbour here; but from the +deep swamp, which is the reigning soil of this country, and in which +the woods may be said rather to float than grow; so that, except upon a +range of deformed broken rocks which form the sea-coast, the traveller +cannot find sound footing any where. With this unpromising scene +before us we were now setting out in search of food, which nothing but +the most pressing instances of hunger could induce us to do: we had, +indeed, the young Indian servant to our cacique for our conductor, who +was left by him to shew us where the shell-fish was most plenty. The +cacique was gone with the rest of his family, in the canoe, with a view +of getting some seal, upon a trip which would detain him from us three +or four days. + +After searching the coast some time with very little success, we +began to think of returning to the barge; but six of the men, with +the Indian, having advanced some few paces before the officers, got +into the boat first; which they had no sooner done than they put off, +and left us, to return no more. And now all the difficulties we had +hitherto endured, seemed light in comparison of what we expected to +suffer from this treachery of our men, who, with the boat, had taken +away every thing that might be the means of preserving our lives. The +little clothes we had saved from the wreck, our muskets and ammunition +were gone, except a little powder, which must be preserved for kindling +fires, and one gun, which I had, and was now become useless for want of +ammunition; and all these wants were now come upon us at a time when we +could not be worse situated for supplying them. Yet under these dismal +and forlorn appearances was our delivery now preparing; and from these +hopeless circumstances were we to draw hereafter an instance scarce +to be paralleled, of the unsearchable ways of Providence. It was at +that time little suspected by us, that the barge, in which we founded +all our hopes of escaping from this savage coast, would certainly have +proved the fatal cause of detaining us till we were consumed by the +labour and hardships requisite to row her round the capes and great +headlands; for it was impossible to carry her by land, as we did the +boats of the Indians. At present, no condition could be worse that we +thought ours to be: there ran at this time a very high sea, which +breaking with great fury upon this coast, made it very improbable that +sustenance in any proportion to our wants could be found upon it; yet, +unpromising as this prospect was, and though little succour could be +expected from this quarter, I could not help, as I strolled along shore +from the rest, casting my eyes towards the sea. Continuing thus to look +out, I thought I saw something now and then upon the top of a sea that +looked black, which upon observing still more intently, I imagined at +last to be a canoe; but reflecting afterwards how unusual it was for +Indians to venture out in so mountainous a sea, and at such a distance +from the land, I concluded myself to be deceived. However, its nearer +approach convinced me, beyond all doubt, of its being a canoe; but that +it could not put in any where hereabouts, but intended for some other +part of the coast. I ran back as fast as I could to my companions, and +acquainted them with what I had seen. The despondency they were in +would not allow them to give credit to it at first; but afterwards, +being convinced that it was as I reported it, we were all in the +greatest hurry to strip off some of our rags to make a signal withal, +which we fixed upon a long pole. This had the desired effect: the +people in the canoe seeing the signal, made towards the land at about +two mile distance from us; for no boat could approach the land where we +were: there they put into a small cove, sheltered by a large ledge of +rocks without, which broke the violence of the sea. Captain Cheap and +I walked along shore, and got to the cove about the time they landed. +Here we found the persons arrived in this canoe, to be our Indian guide +and his wife, who had left us some days before. He would have asked us +many questions; but neither Captain Cheap nor I understanding Spanish +at that time, we took him along with us to the surgeon, whom we had +left so ill that he could hardly raise himself from the ground. When +the Indian began to confer with the surgeon, the first question was, +What was become of the barge and his companion? and as he could give +him no satisfactory answer to this question, the Indian took it for +granted that Emanuel was murdered by us, and that he and his family ran +the same risk; upon which he was preparing to provide for his security, +by leaving us directly. The surgeon seeing this, did all in his +power to pacify him, and convince him of the unreasonableness of his +apprehensions; which he at length found means to do, by assuring him +that the Indian would come to no harm, but that he would soon see him +return safe; which providentially, and beyond our expectation, happened +accordingly; for in a few days after, Emanuel having contrived to make +his escape from the people in the barge, returned by ways that were +impassable to any creature but an Indian. All that we could learn from +Emanuel relative to his escape was, that he took the first opportunity +of leaving them; which was upon their putting into a bay somewhere to +the westward. + +We had but one gun among us, and that was a small fowling-piece of +mine; no ammunition but a few charges of powder I had about me; and +as the Indian was very desirous of returning to the place where he had +left his wife and canoe, Captain Cheap desired I would go with him and +watch over him all night, to prevent his getting away. Accordingly I +set out with him; and when he and his family betook themselves to rest +in the little wigwam they had made for that purpose, I kept my station +as centinel over them all night. + +The next morning Captain Cheap, Mr. Hamilton, and the surgeon, joined +us: the latter, by illness, being reduced to the most feeble condition, +was supported by Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Campbell. After holding some +little consultation together, as to the best manner of proceeding in +our journey, it was agreed, that the Indian should haul his canoe, with +our assistance, over land, quite across the island we were then upon, +and put her into a bay on the other side, from whence he was to go in +quest of some other Indians, by whom he expected to be joined; but as +his canoe was too small to carry more than three or four persons, he +thought it advisable to take only Captain Cheap and myself with him, +and to leave his wife and children as pledges with our companions till +his return. + +As it was matter of uncertainty whether we should ever recover the +barge or not, which was stipulated, on our side, to become the property +of the cacique, upon his fulfilling his engagements with us; the +inducements we now made use of to prevail upon him to proceed with us +in our journey were, that he should have my fowling-piece, some little +matters in the possession of Captain Cheap, and that we would use our +interest to procure him some small pecuniary reward. + +We were now to set off in the canoe, in which I was to assist him in +rowing. Accordingly, putting from this island, we rowed hard all this +day and the next, without any thing to eat but a scrap of seal, a very +small portion of which fell to my share. About two hours after the +close of the day, we put ashore, where we discovered six or seven +wigwams. For my part, my strength was so exhausted with fatigue and +hunger, that it would have been impossible for me to have held out +another day at this toilsome work. As soon as we landed, the Indian +conducted Captain Cheap with him into a wigwam; but I was left to shift +for myself. + +Thus left, I was for some time at a loss what I had best do; for +knowing that in the variety of dispositions observable among the +Indians, the surly and savage temper is the most prevalent, I had good +reason to conclude, that if I obtruded myself upon them, my reception +would be but indifferent. Necessity, however, put me upon the risk; +I accordingly pushed into the next wigwam upon my hands and knees; +for the entrance into these kind of buildings is too low to admit of +any other manner of getting into them. To give a short description of +these temporary houses, called wigwams, may not be improper here, for +the satisfaction of those who never saw any; especially as they differ +somewhat from those of North America, which are more generally known +from the numerous accounts of that country. + +When the Indians of this part of the world have occasion to stop any +where in their rambles, if it be only for a night or two, the men, who +take this business upon them, while the women are employed in much +more laborious offices, such as diving in the sea for sea-eggs, and +searching the rocks for shell-fish, getting fuel, &c., repair to the +woods, and cutting a sufficient number of tall, strait branches, fix +them in an irregular kind of circle, of uncertain dimensions; which +having done, they bend the extremities of these branches so as to meet +in a centre at top, where they bind them by a kind of woodbine, called +supple-jack, which they split by holding it in their teeth. This frame, +or skeleton of a hut, is made tight against the weather with a covering +of boughs and bark; but as the bark is not got without some trouble, +they generally take it with them when they remove, putting it at the +bottom of their canoes: the rest of the wigwam they leave standing. +The fire is made in the middle of the wigwam, round which they sit upon +boughs; and as there is no vent for the smoke, besides the door-way, +which is very low, except through some crevices, which cannot easily be +stopped, they are not a little incommoded on that account; and the eyes +of some of them are much affected by it. + +But to return: in this wigwam, into which I took the liberty to +introduce myself, I found only two women, who, upon first seeing a +figure they were not accustomed to, and such a figure too as I then +made, were struck with astonishment. They were sitting by a fire, to +which I approached without any apology. However inclined I might have +been to make one, my ignorance of their language made it impossible to +attempt it. One of these women appeared to be young, and very handsome +for an Indian; the other old, and as frightful as it is possible to +conceive any thing in human shape to be. Having stared at me some +little time, they both went out; and I, without any farther ceremony, +sat me down by the fire to warm myself, and dry the rags I wore. Yet I +cannot say my situation was very easy, as I expected every instant to +see two or three men come in and thrust me out, if they did not deal +with me in a rougher manner. + +Soon after the two women came in again, having, as I supposed, +conferred with the Indian, our conductor; and appearing to be in great +good-humour, began to chatter and laugh immoderately. Perceiving the +wet and cold condition I was in, they seemed to have compassion on +me, and the old woman went out and brought some wood, with which she +made a good fire; but my hunger being impatient, I could not forbear +expressing my desire that they would extend their hospitality a little +further, and bring me something to eat. They soon comprehended my +meaning, and the younger beginning to rummage under some pieces of bark +that lay in the corner of the wigwam, produced a fine large fish: this +they presently put upon the fire to broil; and when it was just warm +through, they made a sign for me to eat. They had no need to repeat +the invitation; I fell to, and dispatched it in so short a time, that +I was in hopes they would comprehend, without further tokens, that I +was ready for another; but it was of no consequence, for their stock of +eatables was entirely exhausted. + +After sitting some time in conference together, in which conversation +I could bear no part, the women made some signs to me to lay down and +go to sleep, first having strewed some dry boughs upon the ground. I +laid myself down, and soon fell fast asleep; and about three or four +hours after awaking, I found myself covered with a bit of blanket, made +of the down of birds, which the women usually wear about their waist. +The young woman, who had carefully covered me, whilst sleeping, with +her own blanket, was lying close by me: the old woman lay on the other +side of her. The fire was low, and almost burnt out; but as soon as +they found me awake they renewed it, by putting on more fuel. What I +had hitherto eat served only to sharpen my appetite; I could not help, +therefore, being earnest with them to get me some more victuals. Having +understood my necessities, they talked together some little time; +after which getting up, they both went out, taking with them a couple +of dogs, which they train to assist them in fishing. After an hour's +absence, they came in trembling with cold, and their hair streaming +with water, and brought two fish; which having broiled, they gave me +the largest share; and then we all laid down as before to rest. + +In the morning my curiosity led me to visit the neighbouring wigwams, +in which were only one or two men; the rest of the inhabitants were all +women and children. I then proceeded to enquire after Captain Cheap and +our Indian guide, whom I found in the wigwam they at first occupied: +the authority of the cacique had procured the Captain no despicable +entertainment. We could not learn what business the men, whose wives +and children were here left behind, were gone out upon; but as they +seldom or never go upon fishing-parties (for they have no hunting here) +without their wives, who take the most laborious part of this pursuit +upon themselves, it is probable they were gone upon some warlike +expedition, in which they use bows and arrows sometimes, but always +the lance. This weapon they throw with great dexterity and force, and +never stir abroad without it. About this time their return was looked +for; a hearing by no means pleasant to me; I was, therefore, determined +to enjoy myself as long as they were absent, and make the most of the +good fare I was possessed of; to the pleasure of which I thought a +little cleanliness might in some measure contribute; I therefore went +to a brook, and taking off my shirt, which might be said to be alive +with vermin, set myself about to wash it; which having done as well +as I could, and hung on a bush to dry, I heard a bustle about the +wigwams; and soon perceived that the women were preparing to depart, +having stripped their wigwams of their bark covering, and carried it +into their canoes. Putting on, therefore, my shirt just as it was, I +hastened to join them, having a great desire of being present at one of +their fishing parties. + +It was my lot to be put into the canoe with my two patronesses, and +some others who assisted in rowing; we were in all four canoes. After +rowing some time, they gained such an offing as they required, where +the water here was about eight or ten fathom deep, and there lay upon +their oars. And now the youngest of the two women, taking a basket in +her mouth, jumped overboard, and diving to the bottom, continued under +water an amazing time: when she had filled the basket with sea-eggs, +she came up to the boat-side; and delivering it so filled to the other +women in the boat, they took out the contents, and returned it to her. +The diver, then, after having taken a short time to breathe, went down +and up again with the same success; and so several times for the space +of half an hour. It seems as if Providence had endued this people +with a kind of amphibious nature, as the sea is the only source from +whence almost all their subsistence is derived. This element too, +being here very boisterous, and falling with a most heavy surf upon a +rugged coast, very little, except some seal, is to be got any where +but in the quiet bosom of the deep. What occasions this reflection is +the early propensity I had so frequently observed in the children of +these savages to this occupation; who, even at the age of three years, +might be seen crawling upon their hands and knees among the rocks and +breakers; from which they would tumble themselves into the sea without +regard to the cold, which is here often intense; and showing no fear of +the noise and roaring of the surf. + +This sea-egg is a shell-fish, from which several prickles project in +all directions, by means whereof it removes itself from place to place. +In it are found four or five yolks, resembling the inner divisions of +an orange, which are of a very nutritive quality, and excellent flavour. + +The water was at this time extremely cold; and when the divers got +into the boats, they seemed greatly benumbed; and it is usual with +them after this exercise, if they are near enough their wigwams, to +run to the fire; to which presenting one side, they rub and chafe it +for some time; then turning the other, use it in the same manner, +till the circulation of the blood is restored. This practice, if it +has no worse effect, must occasion their being more susceptible of +the impressions of cold, than if they waited the gradual advances of +their natural warmth in the open air. I leave it to the decision of the +gentlemen of the faculty, whether this too hasty approach to the fire +may not subject them to a disorder I observed among them, called the +elephantiasis, or swelling of the legs.[5] + +[FOOTNOTE 5: + +There are two very different disorders incident to the human body, +which bear the same name, derived from some resemblance they hold with +different parts of the animal so well known in the countries to which +these disorders are peculiar. That which was first so named is the +leprosy, which brings a scurf on the skin not unlike the hide of an +elephant. The other affects the patient with such enormous swellings of +the legs and feet, that they give the idea of those shapeless pillars +which support that creature; and therefore this disease has also been +called elephantiasis by the Arabian physicians; who, together with the +Malabarians, among whom it is endemial, attribute it to the drinking +bad waters, and the too sudden transitions from heat to cold.] + +The divers having returned to their boats, we continued to row till +towards evening, when we landed upon a low point. As soon as the canoes +were hauled up, they employed themselves in erecting their wigwams, +which they dispatch with great address and quickness. I still enjoyed +the protection of my two good Indian women, who made me their guest +here as before; they first regaled me with sea-eggs, and then went out +upon another kind of fishery by the means of dogs and nets. These dogs +are a cur-like looking animal, but very sagacious, and easily trained +to this business. Though in appearance an uncomfortable sort of sport, +yet they engage in it readily, seem to enjoy it much, and express +their eagerness by barking every time they raise their heads above the +water to breathe. The net is held by two Indians, who get into the +water; then the dogs, taking a large compass, dive after the fish, and +drive them into the net; but it is only in particular places that the +fish are taken in this manner. At the close of the evening, the women +brought in two fish, which served us for supper; and then we reposed +ourselves as before. Here we remained all the next day; and the morning +after embarked again, and rowed till noon; then landing, we descried +the canoes of the Indian men, who had been some time expected from an +expedition they had been upon. This was soon to make a great alteration +in the situation of my affairs, a presage of which I could read in the +melancholy countenance of my young hostess. She endeavoured to express +herself in very earnest terms to me; but I had not yet acquired a +competent knowledge of the Indian language to understand her. + +As soon as the men were landed, she and the old Indian woman went up, +not without some marks of dread upon them, to an elderly Indian man, +whose remarkable surly and stern countenance was well calculated to +raise such sensations in his dependents. He seemed to be a cacique, or +chief man among them, by the airs of importance he assumed to himself, +and the deference paid him by the rest. After some little conference +passed between these Indians, and our cacique conductor, of which, +most probably, the circumstances of our history, and the occasion of +our coming here, might be the chief subject, for they fixed their +eyes constantly upon us, they applied themselves to building their +wigwams. I now understood that the two Indian women with whom I had +sojourned, were wives to this chieftain, though one was young enough to +be his daughter; and as far as I could learn, did really stand in the +different relations to him both of daughter and wife. It was easy to be +perceived that all did not go well between them at this time: either +that he was not satisfied with the answers that they returned him to +his questions, or that he suspected some misconduct on their side; for +presently after, breaking out into savage fury, he took the young one +up in his arms, and threw her with violence against the stones; but his +brutal resentment did not stop here, he beat her afterwards in a cruel +manner. I could not see this treatment of my benefactress without the +highest concern for her, and rage against the author of it; especially +as the natural jealousy of these people gave occasion to think that +it was on my account she suffered. I could hardly suppress the first +emotions of my resentment, which prompted me to return him his +barbarity in his own kind; but besides that this might have drawn upon +her fresh marks of his severity, it was neither politic, nor indeed in +my power, to have done it to any good purpose at this time. + +Our cacique now made us understand that we must embark directly, in the +same canoe which brought us, and return to our companions; and that +the Indians we were about to leave, would join us in a few days, when +we should all set out in a body, in order to proceed to the northward. +In our way back, nothing very material happened; but upon our arrival, +which was the next day, we found Mr. Elliot, the surgeon, in a very bad +way; his illness had been continually increasing since we left him. Mr. +Hamilton and Mr. Campbell were almost starved, having fared very ill +since we left them: a few sea-eggs were all the subsistence they had +lived upon; and these procured by the cacique's wife, in the manner I +mentioned before. This woman was the very reverse of my hostess; and as +she found her husband was of so much consequence to us, took upon her +with much haughtiness, and treated us as dependents and slaves. He was +not more engaging in his carriage towards us; he would give no part of +what he had to spare to any but Captain Cheap, whom his interest led +him to prefer to the rest, though our wants were often greater. The +captain, on his part, contributed to keep us in this abject situation, +by approving this distinction the cacique showed to him. Had he treated +us with not quite so much distance, the cacique might have been more +regardful of our wants. The little regard and attention which our +necessitous condition drew from Captain Cheap, may be imputed likewise, +in some measure, to the effects of a mind soured by a series of crosses +and disappointments; which, indeed, had operated on us all to a great +neglect of each other, and sometimes of ourselves. + +We were not suffered to be in the same wigwam with the cacique and his +wife; which, if we had had any countenance from Captain Cheap, would +not have been refused. What we had made for ourselves was in such a +bungling manner, that it scarce deserved the name even of this wretched +sort of habitation. But our untoward circumstances now found some +relief in the arrival of the Indians we waited for; who brought with +them some seal, a small portion of which fell to our share. A night +or two after they sent out some of their young men, who procured us a +quantity of a very delicate kind of birds, called shags and cormorants. +Their manner of taking these birds resembles something a sport called +bat fowling. They find out their haunts among the rocks and cliffs in +the night, when taking with them torches made of the bark of the birch +tree, which is common here, and grows to a very large size, (this bark +has a very unctuous quality, and emits a bright and clear light, and in +the northern parts of America is used frequently instead of a candle,) +they bring the boat's side as near as possible to the rocks, under the +roosting-places of these birds; then waving their lights backwards and +forwards, the birds are dazzled and confounded so as to fall into the +canoe, where they are instantly knocked on the head with a short stick +the Indians take with them for that purpose. + +Seals are taken in some less frequented parts of these coasts, with +great ease; but when their haunts have been two or three times +disturbed, they soon learn to provide for their safety, by repairing to +the water upon the first alarm. This is the case with them hereabouts; +but as they frequently raise their heads above water, either to breathe +or look about them, I have seen an Indian at this interval, throw his +lance with such dexterity as to strike the animal through both its +eyes, at a great distance; and it is very seldom that they miss their +aim. + +As we were wholly unacquainted with these methods of providing food +for ourselves, and were without arms and ammunition, we were driven +to the utmost straits; and found ourselves rather in worse condition +than we had been at any time before. For the Indians having now nothing +to fear from us, we found we had nothing to expect from them upon any +other motive. Accordingly, if ever they did relieve us, it was through +caprice; for at most times they would shew themselves unconcerned at +our greatest distresses. But the good Indian women, whose friendship +I had experienced before, continued, from time to time, their good +offices to me. Though I was not suffered to enter their wigwams, they +would find opportunities of throwing in my way such scraps as they +could secrete from their husbands. The obligation I was under to them +on this account was great, as the hazard they ran in conferring these +favours was little less than death. The men, unrestrained by any +laws or ties of conscience, in the management of their own families, +exercise a most despotic authority over their wives, whom they consider +in the same view as any other part of their property, and dispose of +them accordingly: even their common treatment of them is cruel; for +though the toil and hazard of procuring food lies entirely upon the +women, yet they are not suffered to touch any part of it till the +husband is satisfied; and then he assigns them their portion, which is +generally very scanty, and such as he has not a stomach for himself. +This arbitrary proceeding, with respect to their own families, is not +peculiar to this people only. I have had occasion to observe it in +more instances than this I have mentioned, among many other nations of +savages I have since seen. + +These Indians are of a middling stature, well set, and very active; +and make their way among the rocks with an amazing agility. Their +feet, by this kind of exercise, contract a callosity which renders +the use of shoes quite unnecessary to them. But before I conclude the +few observations I have to make on a people so confined in all their +notions and habits, it may be expected I should say something of their +religion; but as their gross ignorance is in nothing more conspicuous, +and as we found it advisable to keep out of their way when the fits +of devotion came upon them, which is rather frantic than religious, +the reader can expect very little satisfaction on this head. Accident +has sometimes made me unavoidably a spectator of scenes I should have +chosen to have withdrawn myself from; and so far I am instructed. As +there are no fixed seasons for their religious exercises, the younger +people wait till the elders find themselves devoutly disposed; who +begin the ceremony by several deep and dismal groans, which rise +gradually to a hideous kind of singing, from which they proceed to +enthusiasm, and work themselves into a disposition that borders on +madness; for suddenly jumping up, they snatch firebrands from the fire, +put them in their mouths, and run about burning every body they come +near: at other times, it is a custom with them to wound one another +with sharp muscle-shells till they are besmeared with blood. These +orgies continue till those who preside in them foam at the mouth, grow +faint, are exhausted with fatigue, and dissolve in a profusion of +sweat. When the men drop their part in this frenzy, the women take it +up, acting over again much the same kind of wild scene, except that +they rather outdo the men in shrieks and noise. Our cacique, who had +been reclaimed from these abominations by the Spaniards, and just knew +the exterior form of crossing himself, pretended to be much offended +at these profane ceremonies, and that he would have died sooner than +have partaken of them. Among other expressions of disapprobation, he +declared that whilst the savages solemnized these horrid rites, he +never failed to hear strange and uncommon noises in the woods, and to +see frightful visions; and assured us, that the devil was the chief +actor among them upon these occasions. + +It might be about the middle of March, that we embarked with these +Indians. They separated our little company entirely, not putting any +two of us together in the same canoe. The oar was my lot, as usual, +as also Mr. Campbell's; Mr. Hamilton could not row, and Captain Cheap +was out of the question; our surgeon was more dead than alive at the +time, and lay at the bottom of the canoe he was in. The weather coming +on too bad for their canoes to keep the sea, we landed again, without +making great progress that day. Here Mr. Elliot, our surgeon, died. At +our first setting out, he promised the fairest for holding out, being +a very strong, active young man: he had gone through an infinite deal +of fatigue, as Mr. Hamilton and he were the best shots amongst us, and +whilst our ammunition lasted never spared themselves, and in a great +measure provided for the rest; but he died the death many others had +done before him, being quite starved. We scraped a hole for him in the +sand, and buried him in the best manner we could. Here I must relate a +little anecdote of our Christian cacique. He and his wife had gone off, +at some distance from the shore, in their canoe, when she dived for +sea-eggs; but not meeting with great success, they returned a good deal +out of humour. A little boy of theirs, about three years old, whom they +appeared to be dotingly fond of, watching for his father and mother's +return, ran into the surf to meet them: the father handed a basket of +sea-eggs to the child, which being too heavy for him to carry, he let +it fall; upon which the father jumped out of the canoe, and catching +the boy up in his arms, dashed him with the utmost violence against +the stones. The poor little creature lay motionless and bleeding, and +in that condition was taken up by the mother; but died soon after. She +appeared inconsolable for some time; but the brute his father shewed +little concern about it. A day or two after we put to sea again, and +crossed the great bay I mentioned we had been to the bottom of, when +we first hauled away to the westward. The land here was very low and +sandy, with something like the mouth of a river which discharged itself +into the sea; and which had been taken no notice of by us before, as +it was so shallow that the Indians were obliged to take every thing +out of their canoes, and carry it over the neck of land, and then haul +the boats over into a river, which at this part of it was very broad, +more resembling a lake than a river. We rowed up it for four or five +leagues, and then took into a branch of it, that ran first to the +eastward, and then to the northward: here it became much narrower, and +the stream excessively rapid, so that we made but little way, though +we worked very hard. At night we landed upon its banks, and had a most +uncomfortable lodging, it being a perfect swamp; and we had nothing to +cover us, though it rained very hard. The Indians were little better +off than we, as there was no wood here to make their wigwams; so that +all they could do was to prop up the bark they carry in the bottom +of their canoes with their oars, and shelter themselves as well as +they could to leeward of it. They, knowing the difficulties that were +to be encountered here, had provided themselves with some seal; but +we had not the least morsel to eat, after the heavy fatigues of the +day, excepting a sort of root we saw some of the Indians make use of, +which was very disagreeable to the taste. We laboured all the next +day against the stream, and fared as we had done the day before. The +next day brought us to the carrying-place. Here was plenty of wood; +but nothing to be got for sustenance. The first thing the Indians did +was to take every thing out of their canoes; and after hauling them +ashore, they made their wigwams. We passed this night, as generally we +had done, under a tree; but what we suffered at this time is not easily +to be expressed. I had been three days at the oar without any kind of +nourishment, but the wretched root I mentioned before. I had no shirt, +as mine was rotted off by bits, and we were devoured by vermin. All +my clothes consisted of an old short grieko, which is something like +a bearskin, with a piece of a waistcoat under it, which once had been +of red cloth, both which I had on when I was cast away; I had a ragged +pair of trowsers, without either shoe or stocking. The first thing +the Indians did in the morning was to take their canoes to pieces: +and here, for the information of the reader, it will be necessary +to describe the structure of these boats, which are extremely well +calculated for the use of these Indians, as they are frequently obliged +to carry them over land a long way together, through thick woods, to +avoid doubling capes and headlands in seas where no open boat could +live. They generally consist of five pieces, or planks; one for the +bottom, and two for each side; and as these people have no iron tools, +the labour must be great in hacking a single plank out of a large tree +with shells and flints, though with the help of fire. Along the edges +of the plank they make small holes, at about an inch from one to the +other, and sew them together with the supple-jack, or woodbine; but as +these holes are not filled up by the substance of the woodbine, their +boats would be immediately full of water if they had not a method of +preventing it. They do this very effectually by the bark of a tree, +which they first steep in water for some time, and then beat it between +two stones till it answers the use of oakum, and then chinse each hole +so well, that they do not admit of the least water coming through, +and are easily taken asunder and put together again. When they have +occasion to go over land, as at this time, each man or woman carries a +plank; whereas it would be impossible for them to drag a heavy boat +entire. Every body had something to carry except Captain Cheap; and he +was obliged to be assisted, or never would have got over this march; +for a worse than this, I believe, never was made. He, with the others, +set out some time before me. I waited for two Indians, who belonged to +the canoe I came in; and who remained to carry over the last of the +things from the side we were on. I had a piece of wet heavy canvas, +which belonged to Captain Cheap, with a bit of stinking seal wrapped +in it (which had been given him that morning by some of the Indians) +to carry upon my head, which was a sufficient weight for a strong man +in health, through such roads, and a grievous burthen to one in my +condition. Our way was through a thick wood, the bottom of which was +a mere quagmire, most part of it up to our knees, and often to our +middle; and every now and then we had a large tree to get over, for +they often lay directly in our road. Besides this, we were continually +treading upon the stumps of trees, which were not to be avoided, as +they were covered with water; and having neither shoe nor stocking, my +feet and legs were frequently torn and wounded. Before I had got half +a mile, the two Indians had left me; and making the best of my way, +lest they should be all gone before I got to the other side, I fell +off a tree that crossed the road, into a very deep swamp, where I very +narrowly escaped drowning, by the weight of the burthen I had on my +head. It was a long while before I could extricate myself from this +difficulty; and when I did my strength was quite exhausted. I sat down +under a tree, and there gave way to melancholy reflections. However, +as I was sensible these reflections would answer no end, they did not +last long. I got up, and marking a great tree, I there deposited my +load, not being able to carry it any farther, and set out to join my +company. It was some hours before I reached my companions. I found them +sitting under a tree, and sat myself down by them without speaking a +word; nor did they speak to me, as I remember, for some time; when +Captain Cheap, breaking silence, began to ask after the seal and piece +of canvas. I told him the disaster I had met with, which he might have +easily guessed by the condition the rags I had on were in, as well as +having my feet and ancles cut to pieces: but instead of compassion +for my sufferings, I heard nothing but grumbling from every one, for +the irreparable loss they had sustained by me. I made no answer; but +after resting myself a little, I got up and struck into the wood, and +walked back at least five miles to the tree I had marked, and returned +just time enough to deliver it before my companions embarked, with the +Indians, upon a great lake, the opposite part of which seemed to wash +the foot of the Cordilleras. I wanted to embark with them; but was +given to understand I was to wait for some other Indians that were to +follow them. I knew not where these Indians were to come from: I was +left alone upon the beach, and night was at hand. They left me not +even a morsel of the stinking seal that I had suffered so much about. +I kept my eyes upon the boats as long as I could distinguish them; +and then returned into the wood, and sat myself down upon the root +of a tree, having eat nothing the whole day but the stem of a plant +which resembles that of an artichoke, which is of a juicy consistence, +and acid taste. Quite worn out with fatigue, I soon fell asleep; +and awaking before day, I thought I heard some voices at no great +distance from me. As the day appeared, looking further into the wood, I +perceived a wigwam, and immediately made towards it; but the reception +I met with was not at all agreeable; for stooping to get into it, I +presently received two or three kicks in my face, and at the same time +heard the sound of voices seemingly in anger; which made me retire, and +wait at the foot of a tree, where I remained till an old woman peeped +out, and made signs to me to draw near. I obeyed very readily, and +went into the wigwam: in it were three men and two women; one young +man seemed to have great respect shewn to him by the rest, though he +was the most miserable object I ever saw. He was a perfect skeleton, +and covered with sores from head to foot. I was happy to sit a moment +by their fire, as I was quite benumbed with cold. The old woman took +out a piece of seal, holding one part of it between her feet, and the +other end in her teeth, and then cut off some thin slices with a sharp +shell, and distributed them about to the other Indians. She then put +a bit on the fire, taking a piece of fat in her mouth, which she kept +chewing, every now and then spirting some of it on the piece that was +warming upon the fire; for they never do more with it than warm it +through. When it was ready, she gave me a little bit, which I swallowed +whole, being almost starved. As these Indians were all strangers to me, +I did not know which way they were going; and indeed it was now become +quite indifferent to me which way I went, whether to the northward +or southward, so that they would but take me with them, and give me +something to eat. However, to make them comprehend me, I pointed first +to the southward, and after to the lake, and I soon understood they +were going to the northward. They all went out together, excepting the +sick Indian, and took up the plank of the canoe, which lay near the +wigwam, and carried it to the beach, and presently put it together; +and getting every thing into it, they put me to the oar. We rowed +across the lake to the mouth of a very rapid river, where we put +ashore for that night, not daring to get any way down in the dark; +as it required the greatest skill, even in the day, to avoid running +foul of the stumps and roots of trees, of which this river was full. +I passed a melancholy night, as they would not suffer me to come near +the wigwam they had made; nor did they give me the least bit of any +one thing to eat since we embarked. In the morning we set off again. +The weather proved extremely bad the whole day. We went down the river +at an amazing rate; and just before night they put ashore upon a stony +beach. They hauled the canoe up, and all disappeared in a moment, and +I was left quite alone: it rained violently, and was very dark. I +thought it was as well to lay down upon the beach, half side in water, +as to get into a swamp under a dropping tree. In this dismal situation +I fell asleep, and awaked three or four hours after in such agonies +with the cramp, that I thought I must die upon the spot. I attempted +several times to raise myself upon my legs, but could not. At last I +made shift to get upon my knees, and looking towards the wood I saw +a great fire at some distance from me. I was a long time crawling to +it; and when I reached it, I threw myself almost into it, in hopes of +finding some relief from the pain I suffered. This intrusion gave great +offence to the Indians, who immediately got up, kicking and beating me +till they drove me some distance from it; however I contrived a little +after to place myself so as to receive some warmth from it, by which I +got rid of the cramp. In the morning we left this place, and were soon +after out of the river. Being now at sea again, the Indians intended +putting ashore at the first convenient place, to look for shell-fish, +their stock of provisions having been quite exhausted for some time. +At low water we landed upon a spot that seemed to promise well; and +here we found plenty of limpets. Though at this time starving, I did +not attempt to eat one, lest I should lose a moment in gathering them; +not knowing how soon the Indians might be going again. I had almost +filled my hat when I saw them returning to the canoe. I made what haste +I could to her; for I believe they would have made no conscience of +leaving me behind. I sat down to my oar again, placing my hat close to +me, every now and then eating a limpet. The Indians were employed the +same way, when one of them, seeing me throw the shells overboard, spoke +to the rest in a violent passion; and getting up, fell upon me, and +seizing me by an old ragged handkerchief I had about my neck, almost +throttled me; whilst another took me by the legs, and was going to +throw me overboard, if the old woman had not prevented them. I was all +this time entirely ignorant by what means I had given offence, till I +observed that the Indians, after eating the limpets, carefully put the +shells in a heap at the bottom of the canoe. I then concluded there +was some superstition about throwing these shells into the sea, my +ignorance of which had very nearly cost me my life. I was resolved to +eat no more limpets till we landed, which we did some time after upon +an island. I then took notice that the Indians brought all their shells +ashore, and laid them above high water mark. Here, as I was going to +eat a large bunch of berries I had gathered from a tree, for they +looked very tempting, one of the Indians snatched them out of my hand +and threw them away, making me to understand that they were poisonous. +Thus, in all probability, did these people now save my life, who, a few +hours before, were going to take it from me for throwing away a shell. + +In two days after, I joined my companions again; but do not remember +that there was the least joy shewn on either side at meeting. At +this place was a very large canoe belonging to our guide, which would +have required at least six men to the oar to have made any kind of +expedition: instead of that, there was only Campbell and myself, +besides the Indian, his companion, or servant, to row, the cacique +himself never touching an oar, but sitting with his wife all the time +much at his ease. Mr. Hamilton continued in the same canoe he had +been in all along, and which still was to keep us company some way +further, though many of the others had left us. This was dreadful hard +work to such poor starved wretches as we were, to be slaving at the +oar all day long in such a heavy boat; and this inhuman fellow would +never give us a scrap to eat, excepting when he took so much seal that +he could not contrive to carry it all away with him, which happened +very seldom. After working like galley-slaves all day, towards night, +when we landed, instead of taking any rest, Mr. Campbell and I were +sometimes obliged to go miles along shore to get a few shell-fish; +and just as we had made a little fire in order to dress them, he has +commanded us into the boat again, and kept us rowing the whole night +without ever landing. It is impossible for me to describe the miserable +state we were reduced to: our bodies were so emaciated, that we hardly +appeared the figures of men. It has often happened to me in the coldest +night, both in hail and snow, where we had nothing but an open beach +to lie down upon, in order to procure a little rest, that I have been +obliged to pull off the few rags I had on, as it was impossible to get +a moment's sleep with them on for the vermin that swarmed about them; +though I used, as often as I had time, to take my clothes off, and +putting them upon a large stone, beat them with another, in hopes of +killing hundreds at once; for it was endless work to pick them off. +What we suffered from this, was ten times worse even than hunger. But +we were clean in comparison to Captain Cheap; for I could compare +his body to nothing but an ant-hill, with thousands of those insects +crawling over it; for he was now past attempting to rid himself in the +least from this torment, as he had quite lost himself, not recollecting +our names that were about him, or even his own. His beard was as long +as a hermit's: that and his face being covered with train-oil and dirt, +from having long accustomed himself to sleep upon a bag, by the way of +a pillow, in which he kept the pieces of stinking seal. This prudent +method he took to prevent our getting at it whilst he slept. His legs +were as big as mill-posts, though his body appeared nothing but skin +and bone. + +One day we fell in with about forty Indians, who came down to the beach +we landed on, curiously painted. Our cacique seemed to understand but +little of their language, and it sounded to us very different from +what we had heard before. However, they made us comprehend that a ship +had been upon the coast not far from where we then were, and that she +had a red flag: this we understood some time after to have been the +Anne pink, whose adventures are particularly related in Lord Anson's +voyage; and we passed through the very harbour she had lain in. + +As there was but one small canoe that intended to accompany us any +longer, and that in which Mr. Hamilton had been to this time, intended +to proceed no farther to the northward, our cacique proposed to him to +come into our canoe, which he refused, as the insolence of this fellow +was to him insupportable; he therefore rather chose to remain where he +was, till chance should throw in his way some other means of getting +forward: so here we left him; and it was some months before we saw him +again. + +We now got on, by very slow degrees, to the northward; and as the +difficulties and hardships we daily went through would only be a +repetition of those already mentioned, I shall say no more, but that +at last we reached an island, about thirty leagues to the southward +of Chiloe. Here we remained two days for a favourable opportunity to +cross the bay, the very thoughts of which seemed to frighten our +cacique out of his senses; and, indeed, there was great reason for his +apprehensions; for there ran a most dreadful hollow sea, dangerous, +indeed, for any open boat whatever, but a thousand times more for such +a crazy vessel as we were in. He at length mustered up resolution +enough to attempt it, first having crossed himself for an hour +together, and made a kind of lug-sail out of the bits of blankets they +wore about them, sewed together with split supple jacks. We then put +off, and a terrible passage we had. The bottom plank of the canoe was +split, which opened upon every sea; and the water continually rushing +over the gunnel, I may say that we were in a manner full the whole +way over, though all hands were employed in baling without ceasing +a moment. As we drew near the shore, the cacique was eager to land, +having been terrified to that degree with this run, that if it had not +been for us, every soul must have perished; for he had very near got +in amongst the breakers, where the sea drove with such violence upon +the rocks, that not even an Indian could have escaped, especially as +it was in the night. We kept off till we got into smooth water, and +landed upon the island of Chiloe; though in a part of it that was +not inhabited. Here we staid all the next day, in a very heavy snow, +to recover ourselves a little after our fatigue; but the cold was so +excessive, having neither shoe nor stocking, we thought we should have +lost our feet; and Captain Cheap was so ill, that if he had had but a +few leagues further to have gone without relief, he could not have held +out. It pleased God now that our sufferings, in a great measure, were +drawing to an end. + +What things our cacique had brought with him from the wreck, he here +buried under ground, in order to conceal them from the Spaniards, who +would not have left him a rusty nail if they had known of it. Towards +evening, we set off again; and about nine the same night, to our great +joy, we observed something that had the appearance of a house. It +belonged to an acquaintance of our cacique; and as he was possessed of +my fowling-piece, and we had preserved about one charge of powder, he +made us load it for him, and desired we would show him how to discharge +it; upon which, standing up, and holding his head from it as far as +possible, he fired, and fell back into the bottom of the canoe. The +Indians belonging to the house, not in the least used to fire-arms, +ran out and hid themselves in the woods. But after some time, one +of them, bolder than the rest, got upon a hill, and hollowed to us, +asking who and what we were. Our cacique now made himself known, and +they presently came down to the boat, bringing with them some fish, +and plenty of potatoes. This was the most comfortable meal we had made +for many long months; and as soon as this was over, we rowed about two +miles farther to a little village, where we landed. Here our cacique +presently awoke all the inhabitants by the noise he made, and obliged +one of them to open his door to us, and immediately to make a large +fire; for the weather was very severe, this being the month of June, +the depth of winter in this part of the world. The Indians now flocked +thick about us, and seemed to have great compassion for us, as our +cacique related to them what part he knew of our history. They knew not +what countrymen we were, nor could our guide inform them; for he had +often asked us if we were French, Dutch, or English, the only nations +he had ever heard of besides the Spaniards. We always answered we were +from Grande Bretagne, which he could make nothing of; for we were +afraid, if he knew us to be English, as he had heard that nation was at +war with the Spaniards, he never would have conducted us to Chiloe. + +These good-natured compassionate creatures seemed to vie with each +other who should take the most care of us. They made a bed of +sheepskins close to the fire, for Captain Cheap, and laid him upon +it; and indeed, had it not been for the kind assistance he now met +with, he could not have survived three days longer. Though it was now +about midnight, they went out and killed a sheep, of which they made +broth, and baked a large cake of barley-meal. Any body may imagine what +a treat this was to wretches who had not tasted a bit of bread, or +any wholesome diet, for such a length of time. After we could eat no +longer, we went to sleep about the fire, which the Indians took good +care to keep up. In the morning, the women came from far and near, each +bringing with her something. Almost every one had a pipkin in her hand, +containing either fowls or mutton made into broth, potatoes, eggs, or +other eatables. We fell to work as if we had eat nothing in the night, +and employed ourselves so for the best part of the day. In the evening, +the men filled our house, bringing with them some jars of a liquor they +called chicha, made of barley-meal, and not very unlike our oat-ale +in taste, which will intoxicate those who drink a sufficient quantity +of it; for a little has no effect. As soon as the drink was out, a +fresh supply of victuals was brought in; and in this manner we passed +the whole time we remained with these hospitable Indians. They are a +strong well-made people, extremely well featured, both men and women, +and vastly neat in their persons. The men's dress is called by them +a puncho, which is a square piece of cloth, generally in stripes of +different colours, with a slit in the middle of it wide enough to let +their heads through, so that it hangs on their shoulders, half of it +falling before, and the other behind them: under this they wear a short +kind of flannel shirt without sleeves or neck. They have wide-knee'd +breeches, something like the Dutch seamen, and on their legs a sort +of knit buskins without any feet to them; but never any shoes. Their +hair is always combed very smooth, and tied very tight up in a great +bunch close to the neck: some wear a very neat hat of their own making, +and others go without. The women wear a shift like the men's shirts, +without sleeves; and over it a square piece of cloth, which they fasten +before with a large silver pin, and a petticoat of different stripes: +they take as much care of their hair as the men; and both have always +a kind of fillet bound very tight about the forehead, and made fast +behind: in short, these people are as cleanly as the several savage +nations we had met with before were beastly. Upon our first coming +here, they had dispatched a messenger to the Spanish corregidore at +Castro, a town a considerable distance from hence, to inform him of +our arrival. At the end of three days, this man returned with an order +to the chief caciques of these Indians we were amongst, to carry us +directly to a certain place, where there would be a party of soldiers +to receive us. These poor people now seemed to be under great concern +for us, hearing by the messenger the preparations that were making +to receive us; for they stand in vast dread of the Spanish soldiery. +They were very desirous of knowing what countrymen we were. We told +them we were English, and at that time at war with the Spaniards; upon +which they appeared fonder of us than ever; and I verily believe, if +they durst, would have concealed us amongst them, lest we should come +to any harm. They are so far from being in the Spanish interest, +that they detest the very name of a Spaniard. And, indeed, I am not +surprised at it; for they are kept under such subjection, and such a +laborious slavery, by mere dint of hard usage and punishments, that it +appears to me the most absurd thing in the world, that the Spaniards +should rely upon these people for assistance upon any emergency. We +embarked in the evening, and it was night before we got to the place +where we were to be delivered up to the Spanish guard. We were met +by three or four officers, and a number of soldiers, all with their +spados drawn, who surrounded us as if they had the most formidable +enemy to take charge of, instead of three poor helpless wretches, +who, notwithstanding the good living we had met with amongst these +kind Indians, could hardly support ourselves. They carried us to the +top of a hill, and there put us under a shed; for it consisted of a +thatched roof, without any sides or walls, being quite open; and here +we were to lay upon the cold ground. All sorts of people now came to +stare at us as a sight; but the Indian women never came empty-handed; +they always brought with them either fowls, mutton, or some kind of +provision to us; so that we lived well enough. However, we found a +very sensible difference between the treatment we had met with from +the Indians, and what we now experienced from the Spaniards. With the +former, we were quite at liberty to do as we pleased; but here, if we +only went ten yards to attempt at getting rid of some of the vermin +that devoured us, we had two soldiers, with drawn spados, to attend us. +About the third day, a Jesuit from Castro came to see us; not from a +motive of compassion, but from a report spread by our Indian cacique, +that we had some things of great value about us. Having by chance seen +Captain Cheap pull out a gold repeating watch, the first thing the good +father did was to lug out of his pocket a bottle of brandy, and give +us a dram, in order to open our hearts. He then came roundly to the +point, asking us if we had saved no watches or rings. Captain Cheap +declared he had nothing, never suspecting that the Indian had seen his +watch, having, as he thought, always taken great care to conceal it +from him; but knowing that Campbel had a silver watch, which had been +the property of our surgeon, he desired him to make it a present to +the jesuit, telling him, at the same time, that as these people had +great power and authority, it might be of service to us hereafter. +This Campbel very unwillingly did, and received from the father, not +long after, a pitiful present, not a quarter part of the value of the +rim of the watch. We understood afterwards, that this had come to the +governor's ears, who was highly offended at it, as thinking that if +any thing of that sort had been to be had, it was his due; and did not +spare the jesuits in the least upon the occasion. Soon after this, the +officer of the guard informed us there was an order come to carry us to +Castro. In the evening, we were conducted to the water-side, and put +into a large periago; and there were several more, to attend us, full +of soldiers. About eight o'clock at night, we were off the town. The +boats all laid upon their oars, and there was a great deal of ceremony +used in hailing and asking for the keys, as if it had been a regular +fortification. After some time, we landed; but could see neither gates +nor walls, nor any thing that had the appearance of a garrison. As +we walked up a steep hill into the town, the way was lined with men +who had broomsticks upon their shoulders instead of muskets, and a +lighted match in their hands. When we came to the corregidore's house, +we found it full of people. He was an old man, very tall, with a long +cloak on, a tie-wig without any curl, and a spado of immense length +by his side. He received us in great state and form; but as we had no +interpreter, we understood little or nothing of the questions he asked +us. He ordered a table to be spread for us with cold ham and fowls; +which we three only sat down to, and in a short time dispatched more +than ten men with common appetites would have done. It is amazing, +that our eating to that excess we had done, from the time we first got +amongst these kind Indians, had not killed us; we were never satisfied, +and used to take all opportunities, for some months after, of filling +our pockets when we were not seen, that we might get up two or three +times in the night to cram ourselves. Captain Cheap used to declare, +that he was quite ashamed of himself. After supper, the corregidore +carried us to the jesuits' college, attended by the soldiers, and all +the rabble of the town. This was intended, at present, for our prison, +till orders were received from the governor, who resided at Chaco, +above thirty leagues from this place. When we got to the college, the +corregidore desired the father provincial, as they styled him, or +head of the jesuits here, to find out what religion we were of, or +whether we had any or not. He then retired, the gates were shut, and +we were conducted to a cell. We found in it something like beds spread +on the floor, and an old ragged shirt a-piece, but clean, which was +of infinite service to us; nor did eating at first give me half the +satisfaction this treasure of an old shirt did. Though this college +was large, there were but four jesuits in it, nor were there any more +of that order upon the island. In the morning Captain Cheap was sent +for by the father provincial: their conversation was carried on in +Latin, perhaps not the best on either side; however, they made shift to +understand one another. When he returned, he told us the good fathers +were still harping upon what things of value we might have saved and +concealed about us; and that if we had any thing of that sort, we could +not do better than let them have it. Religion seemed to be quite out +of the question at present; but a day or two after the corregidore +being informed that we were heretics, he desired these jesuits would +convert us; but one of them told him it was a mere joke to attempt +it, as we could have no inducement upon that island to change our +religion, but that when we got to Chili, in such a delightful country +as that was, where there was nothing but diversions and amusements, +we should be converted fast enough. We kept close to our cell till the +bell rang for dinner, when we were conducted into a hall, where there +was one table for the fathers, and another for us. After a very long +Latin prayer, we sat down and eat what was put before us, without a +single word passing at either table. As soon as we had finished, there +was another long prayer, which, however, did not appear so tedious as +the first; and then we retired to our cell again. In this manner we +passed eight days without ever stirring out; all which time one might +have imagined one's-self out of the world; for excepting the bell +for dinner, a silence reigned throughout the whole, as if the place +had been uninhabited. A little before dark, on the eighth evening, +we heard a violent knocking at the gate, which was no sooner opened +than there entered a young officer booted and spurred, who acquainted +the fathers that he was sent by the governor to conduct us to Chaco. +This young man was the governor's son; by which means he obtained +a commission next in authority, upon this island, to his father. He +ought to have been kept at school, for he was a vain, empty coxcomb, +much disliked by the people of the island. After taking leave of the +jesuits, who I imagined were not sorry to be rid of us, after finding +their expectations balked, we set out, having about thirty soldiers on +horseback to attend us. We rode about eight miles that night, when we +came to an Estancia, or farm-house, belonging to an old lady who had +two handsome daughters. Here we were very well entertained, and the +good old lady seemed to have great compassion for us. She asked the +governor's son if he thought his father would have any objection to my +passing a month with her at her farm. As she was a person of rank in +this island, he said he would acquaint his father with her request, +and made no doubt but he would grant it. I observed our soldiers, +when they came into the house, had none of them any shoes on, but +wore buskins, like the Indians, without any feet to them. They all +had monstrous great spurs, some of silver and others of copper, which +made a rattling when they walked like chains. They were all stout, +strong-looking men, as the Spaniards, natives of the island, in general +are. After a good supper, we had sheepskins laid near the fire for us +to sleep on. Early in the morning we mounted again, and after riding +some miles across the country, we came to the water-side, where we +found several periagos waiting for us, with some officers in them. Most +of the soldiers dismounted and embarked with us, a few only being sent +round with the horses. It was three days before we arrived at Chaco, +as the tides between this island and the main are so rapid that no +boat can stem them. The same precaution was taken here as at Castro; +we passed through a whole lane of soldiers, armed as I mentioned those +to have been before, excepting a few, who really had matchlocks, the +only fire-arms they have here. The soldiers, upon our journey, had +given a pompous account of el Palacio del Rey, or the king's palace, +as they styled the governor's house, and therefore we expected to see +something very magnificent; but it was nothing better than a large +thatched barn, partitioned off into several rooms. The governor was +sitting at a large table covered with a piece of red serge, having +all the principal officers about him. After some time he made us sit +down, attempting to converse with us by his linguist, who was a stupid +old fellow, that could neither talk English nor Spanish, but said he +was born in England, had resided above forty years in that country, +and having formerly been a buccaneer, was taken by the Spaniards near +Panama. The governor kept us to supper, and then we were conducted +across the court to our apartment, which was a place that had served +to keep the fire wood for the governor's kitchen; however, as it was +dry over head, we thought ourselves extremely well lodged. There was a +soldier placed at the door with a drawn spado in his hand, to prevent +our stirring out; which was quite unnecessary, as we knew not where to +go if we had been at liberty. One of these soldiers took a great fancy +to my ragged grieko, which had still some thousands about it; and in +exchange gave me an old puncho, the sort of garment with a hole in the +middle to put one's head through, as above related to be worn by the +Indians; and for the little bit of my waistcoat that remained, he gave +me a pair of breeches. I now should have thought myself very handsomely +equipped, if I had had but another shirt. The next day, about noon, +the governor sent for us, and we dined at his table; after which we +returned to our lodging, where we were never alone, for every body was +curious to see us. We passed about a week in this manner, when the +sentinel was taken off, and we were allowed to look about us a little, +though not to go out of the palace, as they were pleased to call it. +We dined every day with the governor; but were not very fond of his +fast days, which succeeded each other too quickly. I contrived to make +friends with his steward and cook, by which means I always carried my +pockets full to my apartment, where I passed my time very agreeably. +Soon after, we had leave to walk about the town, or go wherever we +pleased. Every house was open to us; and though it was but an hour +after we had dined, they always spread a table, thinking we never could +eat enough after what we had suffered; and we were much of the same +opinion. They are, in general, a charitable, good sort of people, but +very ignorant, and governed by their priests, who make them believe +just what they please. The Indian language is chiefly spoken here, +even by the Spaniards one amongst another; and they say they think it +a finer language than their own. The women have fine complexions, and +many of them are very handsome; they have good voices, and can strum +a little upon the guitar; but they have an ugly custom of smoking +tobacco, which is a very scarce commodity here; and therefore is looked +upon as a great treat when they meet at one another's houses. The lady +of the house comes in with a large wooden pipe crammed with tobacco; +and after taking two or three hearty whiffs, she holds her head under +her cloak lest any of the smoke should escape, and then swallows it; +some time after you see it coming out of her nose and ears. She then +hands the pipe to the next lady, who does the same, till it has gone +through the whole company. Their houses are but very mean, as will +be easily imagined by what I have said of the governor's. They make +their fire in the middle of their rooms, but have no chimneys; there +is a small hole at each end of the roof to let the smoke out. It is +only the better sort of people that eat bread made of wheat, as they +grow but very little here, and they have no mills to grind it; but +then they have great plenty of the finest potatoes in the world: +these are always roasted in the ashes, then scraped, and served up at +meals instead of bread. They breed abundance of swine, as they supply +both Chili and Peru with hams. They are in no want of sheep, but are +not overstocked with cows; owing, in a great measure, to their own +indolence in not clearing away the woods, which if they would be at the +pains to do, they might have sufficient pasture. Their trade consists +in hams, hogs-lard, which is used throughout all South America instead +of butter; cedar plank, which the Indians are continually employed in +cutting quite to the foot of the Cordilleras; little carved boxes, +which the Spanish ladies use to put their work in; carpets, quilts, +and punchos neatly embroidered all round; for these, both in Chili +and Peru, are used by the people of the first fashion, as well as the +inferior sort, by way of riding-dress, and are esteemed to be much more +convenient for a horseman than any kind of coat whatever. + +They have what they call an annual ship from Lima, as they never expect +more than one in the year; though sometimes it happens that two have +come, and at other times they have been two or three years without any. +When this happens they are greatly distressed, as this ship brings +them baize, cloth, linens, hats, ribbons, tobacco, sugar, brandy, and +wine; but this latter article is chiefly for the use of the churches: +matte, an herb from Paraguay, used all over South America instead +of tea, is also a necessary article. This ship's cargo is chiefly +consigned to the jesuits, who have more Indians employed for them +than all the rest of the inhabitants together, and of course engross +almost the whole trade. There is no money current in this island. If +any person wants a few yards of linen, a little sugar, tobacco, or any +other thing brought from Peru, he gives so many cedar planks, hams, or +punchos, in exchange. Some time after we had been here, a snow arrived +in the harbour from Lima, which occasioned great joy amongst the +inhabitants, as they had no ship the year before, from the alarm Lord +Anson had given upon the coast. This was not the annual vessel, but one +of those that I mentioned before which come unexpectedly. The captain +of her was an old man, well known upon the island, who had traded here +once in two or three years, for more than thirty years past. He had a +remarkable large head, and therefore was commonly known by a nick-name +they had given him of Cabuco de Toro, or Bull's-head. He had not been +here a week before he came to the governor, and told him, with a most +melancholy countenance, that he had not slept a wink since he came +into the harbour, as the governor was pleased to allow three English +prisoners liberty to walk about instead of confining them; and that +he expected every moment they would board his vessel, and carry her +away: this he said when he had above thirty hands aboard. The governor +assured him he would be answerable for us, and that he might sleep in +quiet; though at the same time he could not help laughing at the man, +as all the people in the town did. These assurances did not satisfy +the captain: he used the utmost dispatch in disposing of his cargo, +and put to sea again, not thinking himself safe till he had lost sight +of the island. It was about three months after us that Mr. Hamilton +was brought in by a party that the governor had sent to the southward +on purpose to fetch him. He was in a wretched condition upon his first +arrival, but soon recovered with the good living he found here. + +It is usual for the governor to make a tour, every year, through the +several districts belonging to his government: on this occasion he took +us with him. The first place he visited was Carelmapo, on the main; and +from thence to Castro. At these places he holds a kind of court; all +the chief caciques meeting him, and informing him of what has passed +since his last visit, and receiving fresh orders for the year to come. +At Castro we had the same liberty we enjoyed at Chaco, and visited +every body. It seemed they had forgot all the ceremony used upon our +first landing here, which was with an intent to make us believe it +was strongly fortified; for now they let us see plainly that they had +neither fort nor gun. At Chaco they had a little earthen fort, with +a small ditch palisadoed round it, and a few old honey-combed guns +without carriages, and which do not defend the harbour in the least. +Whilst we were at Castro, the old lady, (at whose house we lay the +first night upon leaving the jesuits' college) sent to the governor, +and begged I might be allowed to come to her for a few weeks: this +was granted; and accordingly I went and passed about three weeks with +her very happily, as she seemed to be as fond of me as if I had been +her own son. She was very unwilling to part with me again; but as the +governor was soon to return to Chaco, he sent for me, and I left my +benefactress with regret. + +Amongst the houses we visited at Castro, there was one belonging to +an old priest, who was esteemed one of the richest persons upon the +island. He had a niece, of whom he was extremely fond, and who was to +inherit all he possessed. He had taken a great deal of pains with her +education, and she was reckoned one of the most accomplished young +ladies of Chiloe. Her person was good, though she could not be called +a regular beauty. This young lady did me the honour to take more notice +of me than I deserved, and proposed to her uncle to convert me, and +afterwards begged his consent to marry me. As the old man doted upon +her, he readily agreed to it; and accordingly on the next visit I made +him, acquainted me with the young lady's proposal, and his approbation +of it, taking me at the same time into a room where there were several +chests and boxes, which he unlocked; first shewing me what a number of +fine clothes his niece had, and then his own wardrobe, which he said +should be mine at his death. Amongst other things, he produced a piece +of linen, which he said should immediately be made up into shirts for +me. I own this last article was a great temptation to me; however, I +had the resolution to withstand it, and made the best excuses I could +for not accepting of the honour they intended me; for by this time I +could speak Spanish well enough to make myself understood. + +Amongst the Indians who had come to meet the governor here, there +were some caciques of those Indians who had treated us so kindly at +our first landing upon Chiloe. One of these, a young man, had been +guilty of some offence, and was put in irons, and threatened to be +more severely punished. We could not learn his crime, or whether the +governor did not do it in a great measure to shew us his power over +these Indian chiefs: however, we were under great concern for this +young man, who had been extremely kind to us, and begged Captain Cheap +to intercede with the governor for him. This he did, and the cacique +was released; the governor acquainting him at the same time, with great +warmth, that it was to us only he owed it, or otherwise he would have +made a severe example of him. The young man seemed to have been in no +dread of farther punishment, as I believe he felt all a man could do +from the indignity of being put in irons in the public square, before +all his brother caciques and many hundreds of other Indians. I thought +this was not a very politic step of the governor, as the cacique +came after to Captain Cheap to thank him for his goodness, and in all +probability would remember the English for some time after; and not +only he, but all the other caciques who had been witnesses of it, and +who seemed to feel, if possible, even more than the young man himself +did. We now returned to Chaco, and the governor told me, when the +annual ship came, which they expected in December, we should be sent +in her to Chili. We felt several earthquakes while we were here. One +day as I happened to be upon a visit at a house where I was very well +acquainted, an Indian came in, who lived at many leagues distance from +this town, and who had made this journey in order to purchase some +little trifles he wanted; amongst other things, he had bought some +prints of saints. Very proud of these, he produced them, and put them +into the hands of the women, who very devoutly first crossed themselves +with them, and afterwards kissed them; then gave them to me, saying at +the same time, they supposed such a heretic as I was would refuse to +kiss them. They were right in their conjectures: I returned them to the +Indian without going through that ceremony. At that very instant, there +happened a violent shock of an earthquake, which they imputed entirely +to the anger of the saints; and all quitted the house as fast as they +could, lest it should fall upon their heads. For my part, I made the +best of my way home for fear of being knocked on the head, when out of +the house, by the rabble, who looked on me as the cause of all this +mischief, and did not return to that house again till I thought this +affair was forgotten. + +Here is a very good harbour; but the entrance is very dangerous for +those who are unacquainted with it, as the tides are so extremely +rapid, and there are sunken rocks in the mid-channel. The island is +above seventy leagues round; and the body of it lies in about 40 deg. 20' +south, and is the most southern settlement the Spaniards have in these +seas. Their summer is of no long duration, and most of the year round +they have hard gales of wind and much rain. Opposite the island, +upon the Cordilleras, there is a volcano, which, at times, burns with +great fury, and is subject to violent eruptions. One of these alarmed +the whole island, whilst we were here: it sounded in the night like +great guns. In the morning, the governor mounted his horse, and rode +backwards and forwards from his house to the earthen fort, saying +it was the English coming in, but that he would give them a warm +reception; meaning, I suppose, that he would have left them a good fire +in his house; for I am certain he would soon have been in the woods, if +he had seen any thing like an English ship coming in. + +Women of the first fashion here seldom wear shoes or stockings in the +house, but only keep them to wear upon particular occasions. I have +often seen them coming to the church, which stood opposite to the +governor's house, barelegged, walking through mud and water; and at the +church door put on their shoes and stockings, and pull them off again +when they came out. Though they are in general handsome, and have good +complexions, yet many of them paint in so ridiculous a manner, that it +is impossible to help laughing in their faces when you see them. The +governor we found here was a native of Chili. The government, which +is appointed by that presidency, is for three years; which appears to +be a long banishment to them, as their appointments are but small, +though they make the most of it. The towns of Castro and Chaco, consist +only of scattered houses, without a regular street; though both have +their places or squares, as almost all Spanish towns have. Chaco is +very thinly inhabited, excepting at the time the Lima ship arrives; +then they flock thither from all parts of the island, to purchase what +little matters they want; and as soon as that is done, retire to their +estancias, or farms. It was about the middle of December this ship came +in; and the second of January, 1742-3, we embarked on board of her. +She was bound to Valparaiso. We got out to sea with some difficulty, +having been driven by the strength of the tide very near those sunken +rocks mentioned before. We found a great sea without; and as the ship +was as deep as any laden collier, her decks were continually well +washed. She was a fine vessel, of about two hundred and fifty tons. The +timber the ships of this country are built of is excellent, as they +last a prodigious time; for they assured us that the vessel we were +then in had been built above forty years. The captain was a Spaniard, +and knew not the least of sea affairs; the second captain, or master, +the boatswain, and his mate, were all three Frenchmen, and very good +seamen; the pilot was a Mulatto, and all the rest of the crew were +Indians and Negroes. The latter were all slaves and stout fellows; but +never suffered to go aloft, lest they should fall overboard, and the +owners lose so much money by it. The Indians were active, brisk men, +and very good seamen for that climate. We had on board the head of the +jesuits as passenger. He and Captain Cheap were admitted into the great +cabin, and messed with the captain and his chaplain. As for us, we were +obliged to rough it the whole passage; that is, when we were tired we +lay down upon the quarter-deck, in the open air, and slept as well as +we could; but that was nothing to us, who had been used to fare so much +worse. We lived well, eating with the master and boatswain, who always +had their meals upon the quarter-deck, and drank brandy at them as we +do small beer; and all the rest of the day were smoking cigars. + +The fifth day we made the land four or five leagues to the southward +of Valparaiso; and soon after falling calm, a great western swell +hurried us in very fast towards the shore. We dropped the lead several +times, but had such deep water we could not anchor. They were all much +alarmed, when the jesuit came out of the cabin for the first time, +having been sea-sick the whole passage. As soon as he was informed of +the danger, he went back into the cabin, and brought out the image of +some saint, which he desired might be hung up in the mizen-shrouds; +which being done, he kept threatening it, that if we had not a breeze +of wind soon, he would certainly throw it overboard. Soon after, +we had a little wind from off the land, when the jesuit carried the +image back with an air of great triumph, saying he was certain that we +should not be without wind long, though he had given himself over for +lost some time before it came. Next morning we anchored in the port of +Valparaiso. In that part which is opposite to the fort, ships lay so +near the land, that they have generally three anchors ashore, as there +is eight or ten fathom close to; and the flaws come off the hills with +such violence, that if it was not for this method of securing them, +they would be blown out. This is only in summer time, for in the winter +months no ships ever attempt to come in here; the northerly winds then +prevail, and drive in such a sea that they must soon be ashore. The +Spanish captain waited upon the governor of the fort, and informed him +that he had four English prisoners on board. We were ordered ashore in +the afternoon, and were received as we got upon the beach, by a file +of soldiers, with their bayonets fixed, who surrounded us, and then +marched up to the fort, attended by a numerous mob. We were carried +before the governor, whose house was full of officers. He was blind, +asked a few questions, and then spoke of nothing but the strength of +the garrison he commanded, and desired to know if we had observed that +all the lower battery was brass guns. We were immediately after, by his +order, put into the condemned hole. There was nothing but four bare +walls, excepting a heap of lime that filled one third of it, and made +the place swarm with fleas in such a manner that we were presently +covered with them. Some of Admiral Pizarro's soldiers were here in +garrison that had been landed from his ships at Buenos Ayres, as he +could not get round Cape Horn. A centinel's box was placed at our door, +and we had always a soldier with his bayonet fixed, to prevent our +stirring out. The curiosity of the people was such, that our prison +was continually full from morning till night, by which the soldiers +made a pretty penny, as they took money from every person for the +sight. In a few days, Captain Cheap and Mr. Hamilton were ordered up +to St. Jago, as they were known to be officers by having saved their +commissions; but Mr. Campbell and I were to continue in prison. Captain +Cheap expressed great concern when he left us; he told me it was what +he had all along dreaded, that they would separate us when we got into +this country; but he assured me, if he was permitted to speak to the +president, that he would never leave soliciting him till he obtained +a grant for me to be sent up to him. No sooner were they gone than we +fared very badly. A common soldier, who was ordered to provide for us +by the governor, brought us each, once a day, a few potatoes mixed with +hot water. The other soldiers of the garrison, as well as the people +who flocked to see us, took notice of it, and told the soldier it was +cruel to treat us in that manner. His answer was, "The governor allows +me but half a real a day for each of these men; what can I do? It is +he that is to blame: I am shocked every time I bring them this scanty +pittance, though even that could not be provided for the money he gives +them." We from this time lived much better, and the soldier brought us +even wine and fruit. We took it for granted, that our case had been +represented to the governor, and that he had increased our pay. As to +the first, we were right in our conjectures; it had been mentioned to +him, that it was impossible we could subsist on what he allowed; and +his answer to it was, that we might starve; for we should have no more +from him, and that he believed he should never be repaid even that. +This charitable speech of the governor was made known every where, and +now almost every one who came to see us gave us something; even the +mule-drivers would take out their tobacco pouch, in which they kept +their money, and give us half a real. All this we would have given to +our soldier, but he never would receive a farthing from us, telling us +we might still want it; and the whole time we were there, which was +some weeks, he laid aside half his daily pay to supply us, though he +had a wife and six children, and never could have the least hope or +expectation of any recompence. However, two years after this, I had +the singular pleasure of making him some return, when my circumstances +were much better than his. One night, when we were locked up, there +happened a dreadful shock of an earthquake. We expected, every moment, +the roof and walls of our prison to fall in upon us, and crush us to +pieces; and what added to the horror of it was, the noise of chains and +imprecations in the next prison which joined to ours, where there were +near seventy felons heavily loaded with irons, who are kept here to +work upon the fortifications, as in other countries they are condemned +to the gallies. A few days after this, we were told an order was come +from the president to the governor to send us up to St. Jago, which is +ninety miles from Valparaiso, and is the capital of Chili. There were +at this time several ships in the port from Lima delivering their +cargoes; so that almost every day there were large droves of mules +going up to St. Jago with the goods. The governor sent for one of the +master-carriers, and ordered him to take us up with him. The man asked +him how he was to be paid our expences, as he should be five days upon +the road. The governor told him he might get that as he could, for he +would not advance him a single farthing. After taking leave of our +friendly soldier, who even now brought us some little matters to carry +with us, we set out, and travelled about fourteen miles the first day, +and lay at night in the open field, which is always the custom of these +people, stopping where there is plenty of pasture and good water for +the mules. The next morning we passed over a high mountain, called +Zapata; and then crossing a large plain, we passed another mountain, +very difficult for the mules, who each carried two heavy bales: there +were above a hundred of them in this drove. The mules of Chili are the +finest in the world; and though they are continually upon the road, +and have nothing but what they pick up at nights, they are as fat and +sleek as high-fed horses in England. The fourth night we lay upon a +plain in sight of St. Jago, and not above four leagues from it. The +next day, as we moved towards the city, our master-carrier, who was +naturally well disposed, and had been very kind to us all the way upon +the road, advised me, very seriously, not to think of remaining in +St. Jago, where he said there was nothing but extravagance, vice, and +folly, but to proceed on with them as mule-driver, which, he said, I +should soon be very expert at; and that they led an innocent and happy +life, far preferable to any enjoyment such a great city as that before +us could afford. I thanked him, and told him I was very much obliged +to him; but that I would try the city first, and if I did not like it, +I would accept of the offer he was so good to make me. The thing that +gave him this high opinion of me was, that as he had been so civil to +us, I was very officious in assisting to drive in those mules that +strayed from the rest upon those large plains we passed over; and this +I thought was the least I could do towards making some returns for the +obligations we were under to him. + +When we got into St. Jago, the carrier delivered us to the captain of +the guard, at the palace gate; and he soon after introduced us to the +president, Don Joseph Manso, who received us very civilly, and then +sent us to the house where Captain Cheap and Mr. Hamilton were. We +found them extremely well lodged at the house of a Scotch physician, +whose name was Don Patricio Gedd. This gentleman had been a long time +in this city, and was greatly esteemed by the Spaniards, as well for +his abilities in his profession, as his humane disposition. He no +sooner heard that there were four English prisoners arrived in that +country, than he waited upon the president, and begged they might +be lodged at his house. This was granted; and had we been his own +brothers, we could not have met with a more friendly reception; and +during two years that we were with him, his constant study was to make +every thing as agreeable to us as possible. We were greatly distressed +to think of the expence he was at upon our account; but it was in vain +for us to argue with him about it. In short, to sum up his character in +a few words, there never was a man of more extensive humanity. Two or +three days after our arrival, the president sent Mr. Campbell and me +an invitation to dine with him, where we were to meet Admiral Pizarro +and his officers. This was a cruel stroke upon us, as we had not any +clothes fit to appear in, and dared not refuse the invitation. The +next day, a Spanish officer belonging to Admiral Pizarro's squadron, +whose name was Don Manuel de Guiror, came and made us an offer of two +thousand dollars. This generous Spaniard made this offer without any +view of ever being repaid, but purely out of a compassionate motive +of relieving us in our present distress. We returned him all the +acknowledgments his uncommon generous behaviour merited, and accepted +of six hundred dollars only, upon his receiving our draught for that +sum upon the English consul at Lisbon. We now got ourselves decently +clothed after the Spanish fashion; and as we were upon our parole, we +went out where we pleased to divert ourselves. + +This city is situated about 33 degrees and 30 minutes, south +latitude, at the west foot of the immense chain of mountains called +the Cordilleras. It stands on a most beautiful plain of about thirty +leagues extent. It was founded by Don Pedro de Baldivia, the conqueror +of Chili. The plan of it was marked out by him in squares, like Lima; +and almost every house belonging to people of any fashion, has a large +court before it, with great gates, and a garden behind. There is a +little rivulet, neatly faced with stone, runs through every street; +by which they can cool the streets, or water their gardens, when +they please. The whole town is extremely well paved. Their gardens +are full of noble orange-trees and floripondies, with all sorts of +flowers, which perfume the houses, and even the whole city. Much about +the middle of it, is the great square, called the Placa Real, or the +Royal Square; there are eight avenues leading into it. The west side +contains the cathedral and the bishop's palace; the north side is the +president's palace, the royal court, the council house, and the prison; +the south side is a row of piazzas, the whole length of which are +shops, and over it a gallery to see the bull-feasts; the east side has +some large houses belonging to people of distinction; and in the middle +is a large fountain, with a brass bason. The houses have, in general, +only a ground floor, upon account of the frequent earthquakes; but they +make a handsome appearance. The churches are rich in gilding as well +as in plate: that of the jesuits is reckoned an exceeding good piece +of architecture; but it is too high built for a country so subject to +earthquakes, and where it has frequently happened that thousands of +people have been swallowed up at once. There is a hill, or rather high +rock, at the east end of the city, called St. Lucia, from the top +of which you have a view of all the city, and the country about for +many leagues, affording a very delightful landscape. Their estancias, +or country houses, are very pleasant, having generally a fine grove +of olive trees, with large vineyards to them. The Chili wine, in my +opinion, is full as good as Madeira, and made in such quantities that +it is sold extremely cheap. The soil of this country is so fertile, +that the husbandmen have very little trouble; for they do but in a +manner scratch up the ground, and without any kind of manure it yields +an hundred fold. Without doubt the wheat of Chili is the finest in the +world, and the fruits are all excellent in their kinds. Beef and mutton +are so cheap, that you may have a good cow for three dollars, and a +fat sheep for two shillings. Their horses are extraordinary good; and +though some of them go at a great price, you may have a very good one +for four dollars, or about eighteen shillings of our money. It must +be a very poor Indian who has not his four or five horses; and there +are no better horsemen in the world than the Chileans; and that is not +surprising, for they never choose to go a hundred yards on foot. They +have always their laco fixed to their saddle: the laco is a long thong +of leather, at the end of which they make a sliding noose. It is of +more general use to them than any weapon whatever; for with this they +are sure of catching either horse or wild bull, upon full gallop, by +any foot they please. Their horses are all trained to this, and the +moment they find the thong straitened, as the other end is always made +fast to the saddle, the horse immediately turns short, and throwing +the beast thus caught, the huntsman wounds or secures him in what +manner he may think proper. These people are so dexterous, that they +will take from the ground a glove or handkerchief, while their horse +is upon full stretch; and I have seen them jump upon the back of the +wildest bull, and all the efforts of the beast could not throw them. +This country produces all sorts of metals; it is famous for gold, +silver, iron, tin, lead, and quicksilver, but some of these they do not +understand working, especially quicksilver. With copper they supply +all Peru, and send, likewise, a great deal to Europe. The climate of +Chili is, I believe, the finest in the world. What they call their +winter does not last three months; and even that is very moderate, as +may be imagined by their manner of building, for they have no chimneys +in their houses. All the rest of the year is delightful; for though +from ten or eleven in the morning till five in the afternoon, it is +very hot, yet the evenings and mornings are very cool and pleasant; and +in the hottest time of the year, it is from six in the evening till +two or three in the morning, that the people of this country meet to +divert themselves with music and other entertainments, at which there +is plenty of cooling liquors, as they are well supplied with ice from +the neighbouring Cordilleras. At these assemblies, many intrigues are +carried on; for they think of nothing else throughout the year. Their +fandangoes are very agreeable; the women dance inimitably well, and +very gracefully. They are all born with an ear for music, and most of +them have delightful voices; and all play upon the guitar and harp. +The latter, at first, appears a very aukward instrument for a woman; +yet that prejudice is soon got over, and they far excel any other +nation upon it. They are extremely complaisant and polite; and when +asked either to play, dance, or sing, they do it without a moment's +hesitation, and that with an exceeding good grace. They have many +figure-dances; but what they take most delight in, are more like our +hornpipes than any thing else I can compare them to; and upon these +occasions they shew surprising activity. The women are remarkably +handsome, and very extravagant in their dress. Their hair, which is +as thick as is possible to be conceived, they wear of a vast length, +without any other ornament upon the head than a few flowers; they plait +it behind in four plaits, and twist them round a bodkin, at each end +of which is a diamond rose. Their shifts are all over lace, as is a +little tight waistcoat they wear over them. Their petticoats are open +before, and lap over, and have commonly three rows of very rich lace +of gold or silver. In winter they have an upper waistcoat of cloth of +gold or silver; and in summer, of the finest linen, covered all over +with the finest Flanders lace. The sleeves of these are immensely +wide. Over all this, when the air is cool, they have a mantle, which +is only of bays, of the finest colours, round which there is abundance +of lace. When they go abroad, they wear a veil, which is so contrived +that one eye is only seen. Their feet are very small, and they value +themselves as much upon it as the Chinese do. Their shoes are pinked +and cut; their stockings silk, with gold and silver clocks; and they +love to have the end of an embroidered garter hang a little below the +petticoat. They have fine sparkling eyes, ready wit, a great deal of +good nature, and a strong disposition to gallantry. + +By the description of one house you have an idea of all the rest. You +first come into a large court, on one side of which is the stable: you +then enter a hall; on one side of that is a large room, about twenty +feet wide, and near forty feet long; the side next the window is the +estrado, which runs the whole length of the room. The estrado is a +platform, raised about five or six inches above the floor, and is +covered with carpets and velvet cushions for the women to sit on, which +they do after the Moorish fashion, cross-legged. The chairs for the +men are covered with printed leather. At the end of the estrado, there +is an alcove, where the bed stands; and there is always a vast deal of +the sheets hanging out, with a profusion of lace to them, and the same +on the pillows. They have a false door to the alcove, which sometimes +is very convenient. Besides, there are generally two other rooms, one +within another; and the kitchen and other offices are detached from the +house, either at one side or the end of the garden. + +The ladies are fond of having their Mulatto female slaves dressed +almost as well as themselves in every respect, excepting jewels, in +which they indulge themselves to the utmost extravagance. Paraguay +tea, which they call Matte, as I mentioned before, is always drunk +twice a-day: this is brought upon a large silver salver, with four +legs raised upon it, to receive a little cup made out of a small +calabash, or gourd, and tipped with silver. They put the herb first +into this, and add what sugar they please, and a little orange juice; +and then pour hot water on them, and drink it immediately, through the +conveyance of a long silver tube, at the end of which there is a round +strainer, to prevent the herb getting through. And here it is reckoned +a piece of politeness for the lady to suck the tube two or three times +first, and then give it the stranger to drink without wiping it. + +They eat every thing so highly seasoned with red pepper, that those +who are not used to it, upon the first mouthful would imagine their +throats on fire for an hour afterwards; and it is a common custom here, +though you have the greatest plenty at your own table, to have two or +three Mulatto girls come in at the time you dine, bringing, in a little +silver plate, some of these high-seasoned ragouts, with a compliment +from Donna such-a-one, who desires you will eat a little bit of what +she has sent you; which must be done before her Mulatto's face, or it +would be deemed a great affront. Had this been the fashion at Chiloe, +we should never have offended; but sometimes here we could have wished +this ceremony omitted. + +The president never asked any of us a second time to his table. He +expected us once a fortnight to be at his levee, which we never failed; +and he always received us very politely. He was a man of a very amiable +character, and much respected by every body in Chili, and some time +after we left that country, was appointed viceroy of Peru. + +We had leave, whenever we asked it, to make an excursion into the +country for ten or twelve days at a time; which we did sometimes +to a very pleasant spot belonging to Don Joseph Dunose, a French +gentleman, and a very sensible, well-bred man, who had married a +very agreeable lady at St. Jago, with a very good fortune. We also +sometimes had invitations from the Spaniards to their country-houses. +We had a numerous acquaintance in the city, and in general received +many civilities from the inhabitants. There are a great many people +of fashion, and very good families from Old Spain settled here. A +lady lived next door to us, whose name was Donna Francisca Giron; +and as my name sounded something like it, she would have it that we +were Parientes. She had a daughter, a very fine young woman, who both +played and sung remarkably well: she was reckoned the finest voice in +St. Jago. They saw a great deal of company, and we were welcome to +her house whenever we pleased. We were a long time in this country, +but we passed it very agreeably. The president alone goes with four +horses to his coach; but the common vehicle here is a calash, or +kind of vis-a-vis, drawn by one mule only. Bull-feasts are a common +diversion here, and they far surpass anything of that kind I ever saw +at Lisbon, or any where else. Indeed, it is amazing to see the activity +and dexterity of those who attack the bulls. It is always done here +by those only who follow it as a trade, for it is too dangerous to be +practised as a diversion; as a proof of which, it is found that though +some may hold out longer than others, there are few who constantly +practice it, that die a natural death. The bulls are always the wildest +that can be brought in from the mountains or forests, and have nothing +on their horns to prevent their piercing a man the first stroke, as +they have at Lisbon. I have seen a man, when the bull came at him with +the utmost fury, spring directly over the beast's head, and perform +this feat several times, and at last jump on his back, and there sit +a considerable time, the bull the whole time attempting every means +to throw him. But though this practitioner was successful, several +accidents happened while I was there. The ladies, at these feasts, are +always dressed as fine as possible; and, I imagine, go rather to be +admired than to receive any amusement from a sight that one should +think would give them pain. Another amusement for the ladies here, are +the nights of their great processions, when they go out veiled; and as +in that dress they cannot be known, they amuse themselves in talking +to people much in the manner that is done at our masquerades. One +night in Lent, as I was standing close to the houses as the procession +went by, and having nothing but a thin waistcoat on under my cloak, +and happening to have my arm out, a lady came by, and gave me a pinch +with so good a will, that I thought she had taken the piece out; and, +indeed, I carried the marks for a long time after. I durst not take +the least notice of this at the time; for had I made any disturbance, +I should have been knocked on the head. This kind lady immediately +after mixed with the crowd, and I never could find out who had done +me that favour. I have seen fifty or sixty penitents following these +processions; they wear a long white garment with a long train to it, +and high caps of the same, which fall down before, and cover all their +faces, having only two small holes for their eyes; so that they are +never known. Their backs are bare, and they lash themselves with a +cat-o'-nine-tails till the long train behind is covered all over with +blood. Others follow them with great heavy crosses upon their backs; +so that they groan under the weight as they walk barefooted, and often +faint away. The streets swarm with friars of all the different orders. +The president has always a guard at his palace regularly clothed. The +rest of their forces consists of militia, who are numerous. + +All European goods are very dear. English cloth, of fourteen or fifteen +shillings a yard, sells there for ten or eleven dollars; and every +other article in proportion. We found many Spaniards here that had +been taken by Commodore Anson, and had been for some time prisoners on +board the Centurion. They all spoke in the highest terms of the kind +treatment they had received; and it is natural to imagine, that it was +chiefly owing to that laudable example of humanity, our reception here +was so good. They had never had anything but privateers and buccaneers +amongst them before, who handled their prisoners very roughly; so that +the Spaniards in general, both of Peru and Chili, had the greatest +dread of being taken by the English; but some of them told us, that +they were so happy on board the Centurion, that they should not have +been sorry if the Commodore had taken them with him to England. After +we had been here some time, Mr. Campbell changed his religion, and of +course left us. At the end of two years, the president sent for us, +and informed us a French ship from Lima, bound to Spain, had put into +Valparaiso, and that we should embark in her. After taking leave of our +good friend Mr. Gedd, and all our acquaintance at St. Jago, we set out +for Valparaiso, mules and a guide being provided for us. I had forgot +to say before, that Captain Cheap had been allowed by the president +six reals a day, and we had four for our maintenance the whole time we +were at St. Jago, which money we took up as we wanted it. Our journey +back was much pleasanter than we found it when we were first brought +hither, as we had now no mules to drive. The first person I met, upon +our entrance into Valparaiso, was the poor soldier whom I mentioned to +have been so kind to us when we were imprisoned in the fort. I now made +him a little present, which, as it came quite unexpected, made him very +happy. We took lodgings till the ship was ready to sail, and diverted +ourselves as we pleased, having the good fortune, at this time, to have +nothing to do with the governor or his fort. The town is but a poor +little place; there are, indeed, a good many storehouses built by the +water side for the reception of goods from the shipping. + +About the 20th of December, 1744, we embarked on board the Lys frigate, +belonging to St. Malo. She was a ship of four hundred and twenty +tons, sixteen guns, and sixty men. She had several passengers on +board; and amongst the rest, Don George Juan, a man of very superior +abilities, (and since that time well known in England) who, with Don +Antonio Ulloa, had been several years in Peru, upon a design of +measuring some degrees of the meridian near the equator. We were now +bound to Conception, in order to join three other French ships that +were likewise bound home. As this was a time of the year when the +southerly winds prevail upon this coast, we stood off a long way to the +westward, making the island of Juan Fernandez. We did not get into the +bay of Conception till the 6th of January, 1745, where we anchored at +Talcaguana, and there found the Louis Erasme, the Marquis d'Antin, and +the Delivrance, the three French ships that we were to accompany. It is +but sixty leagues from Valparaiso to Conception, though we had been so +long making this passage; but there is no beating up, near the shore, +against the southerly wind, which is the trade at this season, as you +are sure to have a lee-current; so that the quickest way of making a +passage is to stand off a hundred and twenty or thirty leagues from the +land. + +The bay of Conception is a large, fine bay; but there are several +shoals in it, and only two good anchoring-places, though a ship may +anchor within a quarter of a league of the town; but this only in the +very fine months, as you lay much exposed. The best anchoring-place is +Talcaguana, the southernmost neck of the bay, in five or six fathom +water, good holding ground, and where you are sheltered from the +northerly winds. The town has no other defence than a low battery, +which only commands the anchoring-place before it. The country is +extremely pleasant, and affords the greatest plenty of provisions of +all kinds. In some excursions we made daily from Talcaguana, we saw +great numbers of very large snakes; but we were told they were quite +harmless. I have read some former accounts of Chili, by the jesuits, +wherein they tell you that no venomous creature is to be found in it, +and that they even made the experiment of bringing bugs here, which +died immediately; but I never was in any place that swarmed with them +so much as St. Jago; and they have a large spider there, whose bite +is so venomous, that I have seen from it some of the most shocking +sights I ever saw in my life; and it certainly proves mortal if proper +remedies are not applied in time. I was once bit by one on the cheek, +whilst asleep, and, presently after, all that part of my face turned +as black as ink. I was cured by the application of a bluish kind of +stone (the same, perhaps, they call the serpent-stone in the East +Indies, and which is a composition). The stone stuck, for some time, +of itself on my face, and dropping off, was put into milk till it had +digested the poison it had extracted, and then applied again till the +pain abated, and I was soon afterwards well. Whilst the ships remained +at Conception, the people were employed in killing cattle and salting +them for the voyage; and every ship took on board as many bullocks +and sheep as their decks could well hold; and having completed their +business here, they sailed the 27th of January; but about eight days +after our ship sprung a very dangerous leak forward; but so low, +that there was no possibility of stopping it without returning into +port, and lightening her till they could come at it. Accordingly we +separated from the other ships, and made the best of our way for +Valparaiso, keeping all hands at the pump night and day, passengers +and all. However, as it happened, this proved a lucky circumstance +for the Lys, as the three other ships were taken; and this certainly +would have been her fate likewise, had she kept company with the rest. +As soon as we got into port, they lightened the ship forwards, and +brought her by the stern till they came at the leak, which was soon +stopped. They made all the dispatch possible in completing the water +again. Whilst at Valparaiso, we had one of the most violent shocks of +an earthquake that we had ever felt yet. On the first of March we put +to sea again, the season being already far advanced for passing Cape +Horn. The next day we went to an allowance of a quart of water a day +for each man, which continued the whole passage. We were obliged to +stand a long way to the westward; and went to the northward of Juan +Fernandez above a degree, before we had a wind that we could make any +southing with. On the 25th, in the latitude of 46 degrees, we met with +a violent hard gale at west, which obliged us to lie to under a reefed +mainsail for some days; and before we got round the Cape, we had many +very hard gales, with a prodigious sea and constant thick snow; and +after being so long in so delightful a climate as Chili, the cold was +almost insupportable. After doubling the Cape, we got but slowly to +the northward; and, indeed, at the best of times, the ship never went +above six knots; for she was a heavy-going thing. On the 27th of May +we crossed the line; when finding that our water was grown extremely +short, and that it would be almost impossible to reach Europe without +a supply, it was resolved to bear away for Martinico. On the 29th of +June, in the morning, we made the Island of Tobago, and then shaped +a course for Martinico; and on the first of July, by our reckonings, +expected to see it, but were disappointed. This was imputed to the +currents, which, whether they had set the ship to the eastward or +westward, nobody could tell; but upon looking over the charts, it +was imagined, if the current had driven her to the westward, it must +have been among the Granadillos, which was thought impossible without +seeing any of them, as they are so near together, and a most dangerous +place for rocks. It was then concluded we were to the eastward, and +accordingly we steered S.W. by W., but having run this course for above +thirty leagues, and no land appearing, it was resolved to stand to the +northward till we should gain the latitude of Porto Rico, and on the +4th in the evening we made that island; so that it was now certain the +ship had been hustled through the Granadillos in the night, which was, +without doubt, as extraordinary a passage as ever ship made. It was +now resolved to go between the islands of Porto Rico and St. Domingo +for Cape Francois, therefore we lay to that night. In the morning, we +made sail along shore; and about ten o'clock, as I was walking the +quarter-deck, Captain Cheap came out of the cabin, and told me he had +just seen a beef-barrel go by the ship; that he was sure it had but +lately been thrown overboard, and that he would venture any wager we +saw an English cruizer before long. In about half an hour after we saw +two sail to leeward, from off the quarter-deck; for they kept no look +out from the mast-head, and we presently observed they were in chace +of us. The French and Spaniards on board now began to grow a good deal +alarmed, when it fell stark calm; but not before the ships had neared +us so much, that we plainly discerned them to be English men of war; +the one a two-decker, the other a twenty-gun ship. The French had +now thoughts, when a breeze should spring up, of running the ship on +shore upon Porto Rico, but when they came to consider what a set of +banditti inhabited that island, and that in all probability they would +have their throats cut for the sake of plundering the wreck, they were +resolved to take their chance, and stand to the northward between the +two islands. In the evening, a fresh breeze sprung up, and we shaped +a course accordingly. The two ships had it presently afterwards, and +neared us amazingly fast. Now every body on board gave themselves up; +the officers were busy in their cabins, filling their pockets with +what was most valuable; the men put on their best clothes, and many of +them came to me with little lumps of gold, desiring I would take them, +as they said they had much rather I should benefit by them, whom they +were acquainted with, than those that chased them. I told them there +was time enough, though I thought they were as surely taken as if the +English had been already on board. A fine moonlight night came on, and +we expected every moment to see the ships along-side of us; but we saw +nothing of them in the night, and, to our great astonishment, in the +morning no ships were to be seen even from the mast-head. Thus did +these two cruizers lose one of the richest prizes, by not chasing an +hour or two longer. There were near two millions of dollars on board, +besides a valuable cargo. On the eighth, at six in the morning, we were +off Cape La Grange; and, what is very remarkable, the French at Cape +Francois told us afterwards that was the only day they ever remembered, +since the war, that the Cape had been without one or two English +privateers cruising off it; and but the evening before, two of them had +taken two outward bound St. Domingo men, and had gone with them for +Jamaica; so that this ship might be justly esteemed a most lucky one. +In the afternoon we came to an anchor in Cape Francois harbour. + +In this long run we had not buried a single man; nor do I remember that +there was one sick the whole passage; but at this place many were taken +ill, and three or four died; for there is no part of the West Indies +more unhealthy than this; yet the country is beautiful, and extremely +well cultivated. After being here some time, the governor ordered us to +wait upon him, which we did; when he took no more notice of us than if +we had been his slaves, never asking us even to sit down. + +Towards the end of August, a French squadron of five men of war came +in, commanded by Monsieur L'Etanducre, who were to convoy the trade +to France. Neither he nor his officers ever took any kind of notice +of Captain Cheap, though we met them every day ashore. One evening, +as we were going aboard with the captain of our ship, a midshipman +belonging to Monsieur L'Etanducre, jumped into our boat, and ordered +the people to carry him on board the ship he belonged to, leaving us +to wait upon the beach for two hours before the boat returned. On the +sixth of September we put to sea, in company with the five men of war, +and about fifty sail of merchant-men. On the eighth we made the Cayco +Grande; and the next day a Jamaica privateer, a large fine sloop, hove +in sight, keeping a little to windward of the convoy, resolving to pick +up one or two of them in the night, if possible. This obliged Monsieur +L'Etanducre to send a frigate to speak to all the convoy, and order +them to keep close to him in the night; which they did, and in such a +manner, that sometimes seven or eight of them were on board one another +together; by which they received much damage; and to repair which, +the whole squadron was obliged to lay to sometimes for a whole day. +The privateer kept her station, jogging on with the fleet. At last, +the commodore ordered two of his best-going ships to chase her. She +appeared to take no notice of them till they were pretty near her, and +then would make sail and be out of sight presently. The chasing ships +no sooner returned, than the privateer was in company again. As by this +every night some accident happened to some of the convoy by keeping so +close together, a fine ship of thirty guns, belonging to Marseilles, +hauled out a little to windward of the rest of the fleet; which +L'Etanducre perceiving in the morning, ordered the frigate to bring the +captain of her on board of him; and then making a signal for all the +convoy to close to him, he fired a gun, and hoisted a red flag at the +ensign staff; and immediately after the captain of the merchant-man +was run up to the main-yard-arm, and from thence ducked three times. He +was then sent on board his ship again, with orders to keep his colours +flying the whole day, in order to distinguish him from the rest. We +were then told, that the person who was treated in this cruel manner, +was a young man of an exceeding good family in the south of France, +and likewise a man of great spirit; and that he would not fail to call +Monsieur L'Etanducre to account when an opportunity should offer; and +the affair made much noise in France afterwards. One day, the ship +we were in happened to be out of her station, by sailing so heavily, +when the commodore made the signal to speak to our captain, who seemed +frightened out of his wits. When we came near him, he began with the +grossest abuse, threatening our captain, that if ever he was out of his +station again, he would serve him as he had done the other. This rigid +discipline, however, preserved the convoy; for though the privateer +kept company a long time, she was not so fortunate as to meet with the +reward of her perseverance. + +On the 27th of October, in the evening, we made Cape Ortegal; and on +the 31st, came to an anchor in Brest road. The Lys having so valuable +a cargo on board, was towed into the harbour the next morning, and +lashed alongside one of their men of war. The money was soon landed; +and the officers and men, who had been so many years absent from +their native country, were glad to get on shore. Nobody remained on +board but a man or two to look after the ship, and we three English +prisoners who had no leave to go ashore. The weather was extremely +cold, and felt particularly so to us, who had been so long used to hot +climates; and what made it still worse, we were very thinly clad. We +had neither fire nor candle; for they were allowed on board of no ship +in the harbour, for fear of accidents, being close to their magazines +in the dock-yard. Some of the officers belonging to the ship were so +kind to send us off victuals every day, or we might have starved; for +Monsieur L'Intendant never sent us even a message; and though there was +a very large squadron of men of war fitting out at that time, not one +officer belonging to them ever came near Captain Cheap. From five in +the evening we were obliged to sit in the dark; and if we chose to have +any supper, it was necessary to place it very near us before that time, +or we never could have found it. We had passed seven or eight days in +this melancholy manner, when one morning a kind of row-galley came +alongside, with a number of English prisoners belonging to two large +privateers the French had taken. We were ordered into the same boat +with them, and were carried four leagues up the river to Landernaw. At +this town we were upon our parole; so took the best lodgings we could +get, and lived very well for three months, when an order came from +the court of Spain to allow us to return home by the first ship that +offered. Upon this, hearing there was a Dutch ship at Morlaix ready to +sail, we took horses and travelled to that town, where we were obliged +to remain six weeks, before we had an opportunity of getting away. At +last we agreed with the master of a Dutch dogger to land us at Dover, +and paid him beforehand. When we had got down the river into the road, +a French privateer that was almost ready to sail upon a cruize, hailed +the Dutchman, and told him to come to an anchor; and that if he offered +to sail before him, he would sink him. This he was forced to comply +with, and lay three days in the road, cursing the Frenchman, who at +the end of that time put to sea, and then we were at liberty to do the +same. We had a long uncomfortable passage. About the ninth day, before +sunset, we saw Dover, and reminded the Dutchman of his agreement to +land us there. He said he would; but instead of that, in the morning +we were off the coast of France. We complained loudly of this piece of +villany, and insisted upon his returning to land us, when an English +man of war appeared to windward, and presently bore down to us. She +sent her boat on board with an officer, who informed us the ship he +came from was the Squirrel, commanded by Captain Masterson. We went on +board of her, and Captain Masterson immediately sent one of the cutters +he had with him, to land us at Dover, where we arrived that afternoon, +and directly set out for Canterbury upon post-horses; but Captain Cheap +was so tired by the time he got there, that he could proceed no further +that night. The next morning he still found himself so much fatigued, +that he could ride no longer; therefore it was agreed that he and Mr. +Hamilton should take a post-chaise, and that I should ride; but here an +unlucky difficulty was started; for upon sharing the little money we +had, it was found to be not sufficient to pay the charges to London; +and my proportion fell so short, that it was, by calculation, barely +enough to pay for horses, without a farthing for eating a bit upon the +road, or even for the very turnpikes. Those I was obliged to defraud, +by riding as hard as I could through them all, not paying the least +regard to the men, who called out to stop me. The want of refreshment +I bore as well as I could. When I got to the Borough, I took a coach +and drove to Marlborough-street, where my friends had lived when I left +England; but when I came there, I found the house shut up. Having been +absent so many years, and in all that time never having heard a word +from home, I knew not who was dead or who was living, or where to go +next; or even how to pay the coachman. I recollected a linen-draper's +shop, not far from thence, which our family had used. I therefore drove +there next, and making myself known, they paid the coachman. I then +enquired after our family, and was told my sister had married Lord +Carlisle, and was at that time in Soho-square. I immediately walked +to the house, and knocked at the door; but the porter not liking my +figure, which was half French, half Spanish, with the addition of a +large pair of boots covered with dirt, he was going to shut the door in +my face; but I prevailed with him to let me come in. + +I need not acquaint my readers with what surprise and joy my sister +received me. She immediately furnished me with money sufficient to +appear like the rest of my countrymen; till that time I could not be +properly said to have finished all the extraordinary scenes which a +series of unfortunate adventures had kept me in for the space of five +years and upwards. + + + THE END. + + + + + LONDON: + BRADBURY AND EVANS, BOUVERIE-STREET. + + + + * * * * * + + Transcriber's Notes: + +Maintained original spelling, hypenation and punctuation. + +Obvious printer errors have been corrected. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Byron's Narrative of the Loss of the +Wager, by John Byron + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LOSS OF THE WAGER *** + +***** This file should be named 44193.txt or 44193.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/4/4/1/9/44193/ + +Produced by Charlene Taylor, Norbert MA1/4ller and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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