This is a digital copy of a book that was preserved for generations on library shelves before it was carefully scanned by Google as part of a project to make the world’s books discoverable online.
It has survived long enough for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain. A public domain book is one that was never subject to copyright or whose legal copyright term has expired. Whether a book is in the public domain may vary country to country. Public domain books are our gateways to the past, representing a wealth of history, culture and knowledge that’s often difficult to discover.
Marks, notations and other marginalia present in the original volume will appear in this file - a reminder of this book’s long journey from the publisher to a library and finally to you.
Usage guidelines Google is proud to partner with libraries to digitize public domain materials and make them widely accessible. Public domain books belong to the
public and we are merely their custodians. Nevertheless, this work is expensive, so in order to keep providing this resource, we have taken steps to prevent abuse by commercial parties, including placing technical restrictions on automated querying.
We also ask that you:
+ Make non-commercial use of the files We designed Google Book Search for use by individual personal, non-commercial purposes.
and we request that you use these files for
+ Refrain from automated querying Do not send automated queries of any sort to Google’s system: If you are conducting research on machine translation, optical character recognition or other areas where access to a large amount of text is helpful, please contact us. We encourage the use of public domain materials for these purposes and may be able to help.
+ Maintain attribution The Google “watermark” you see on each file is essential for informing people about this project and helping them find additional materials through Google Book Search. Please do not remove it.
+ Keep it legal Whatever your use, remember that you are responsible for ensuring that what you are doing is legal. Do not assume that just because we believe a book is in the public domain for users in the United States, that the work is also in the public domain for users in other countries. Whether a book is still in copyright varies from country to country, and we can’t offer guidance on whether any specific use of any specific book is allowed. Please do not assume that a book’s appearance in Google Book Search means it can be used in any manner anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liability can be quite severe.
About Google Book Search
Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers discover the world’s books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web ai[http: //books . google. com/|
SAC\3B.22S
FROM THE GUEST
} Hon MILLA Peepoors, i RECEIVED mAtou i MDCCCXLY.
Or * 8K 6\33.223
FROM FOR ESO HEST
He
oF BOSTON. RECEIVED MAM 18* MDCCOCXLY,
<~ Miter, es =...
7 ry ale eae el re de tn ee oe ieee
A
VOYAGE
TOWARDS
THE SOUTH POLE,
PERFORMED IN THE YEARS 1822-24.
CONTAINING
AN EXAMINATION OF THE ANTARCTIC SEA,
TO THE SEVENTY-FOURTH DEGREE OF LATITUDE:
AND
A VISIT TO TIERRA DEL FUEGO,
WITH A PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF THE INHABITANTS.
TO WHICH IS ADDED, MUCH USEFUL INFORMATION ON THE COASTING NAVIGATION OF CAPE HORN, AND THE ADJACENT LANDS.
WITH CHARTS OF HARBOURS, &c. By JAMES WEDDELL, Eso. ——
SECOND EDITION, \ WITH OBSERVATIONS ON THE PROBABILITY OF REACHING THE SOUTH POLE,
AND AN ACCOUNT OF
A SECOND VOYAGE PERFORMED BY THE BEAUFOY, CAPTAIN BRISBANE, TO THE SAME SEAS.
wv &~ LONDON: PRINTED FOR
LONGMAN, REES, ORME, BROWN, AND GREEN, * PATERNOSTER-ROW.
1827.
1V DEDICATION.
ship’s administration to ascertain the Geo- graphy of the Northern Polar Circle, he must deem it at once a debt of gratitude and a tribute of respect, humbly to offer him the account of researches pursued at the other extremity of the Globe.
J. WEDDELL.
VOYAGE
THE SOUTH POLE.
CHAPTER I..
INTRODUCTION.
Havine performed a voyage of investigation to a higher southern latitude than has hitherto been attained, I have thought that it might be expedient, more especially for the benefit of hydrography, to make public the principal oc- currences of that voyage.
Our adventure was for procuring Fur-seal skins, and our vessels were the brig Jane, of Leith, of 160 tons; and the cutter Beaufoy, of London, of 65 tons, both fitted out in the ordi- nary way, and provisioned for two years. The former, with a crew of twenty-two officers and men, was under my own command; the latter, with a crew of thirteen, .was commanded by Mr. Matthew Brisbane.
The recent discovery of New South Shetland
B
2 INTRODUCTION.
had led to a conjecture that Sandwich Land was a projecting point of a southern continent, or range of land lying east and west behind the islands of South Shetland: but this idea I found to be entirely erroneous ; — as IJ sailed between these lands to the latitude of 74° 15’ south, and there left a clear and navigable sea.
It may not be improper to preface these pages with an outline of the investigations which have been made to the south of Cape Horn, and within the Antaretic Circle, prior to my setting out on this voyage.
Many navigators, in their passage round Cape Horn, had reached the 62nd degree of south lati- tude, but always too far to the westward for fall ing in with the range of South Shetland, tillin the year 1818, Mr. William Smith, of Blyth, in -his . passage from Monte Video to Valparaiso, made,, apparently by accident, a discovery of the islands. which have been thus named. In an after roy- age he had the boldness to approach. closely, and ascertained this mass. to be land; which dis- covery, he, with the honest feeling of an Englishman, reported: to Captain Sheriff, the representative of his king at Valparaiso.
The only navigators who have, to our know- ledge, explored the sea within the Antartic Cir- cle, are Captains Cook and Furneaux, in their . second voyage, which was towards the South” Pole, in the years 1778, and 1774.
INTRODUCTION. 8
On the 17th of January 1773, Captain Cook arrived in the latitude of 67° 15’, in the longitude of 39° east. Here he found the ice in field, firm, and continuing as far as the eye could reach from. the mast-head.
“ We did not think it prudent,” says he (vide Cook’s Voyages), ‘to persevere in a southern © direction, as that kind of summer which this part of the world affords was now half spent,
« and. it would have taken much time tohavegone
‘“‘ round the ice, supposing it to be practicable.”
On the 2d of January 1774, Captain Cook again arrived within the Antaitic Sea, and having been beset with ice islands and loose ice, in the latitude of 68° and longitude 138° west, he bore
up north-west, and re-crossed the Antatic *‘
Circle, steering various courses to the north and east, and then to the south. On the 25th of January he arrived for the third time within the
Frozen Zone ; and on the 30th of January had
reached the latitude of 71° 10’ S. He again says, “ As we could not go any farther to the “south, we thought it advisable to tack, and ¢ stand back to the north, being at this time in ss latitude 71° 10’ and longitude 106° 54’ west ; « happily for us we had tacked in good. time, ‘*¢ for we had no sooner done it than a thick fog “¢ came on, which would have been highly dan- ** gerous when we fell in with the ice.”’ B®
4; INTRODUCTION.
Two Russian frigates, employed on a voyage of discovery in the year 1821, penetrated, as it is stated, to the 69th degree of south latitude, but were unable to proceed farther. The particulars of their voyage have not yet been made public in England. |
Not expecting, at my sailing from London, to arrive at so high a southern latitude, I had not supplied myself with instruments which ‘would have enabled me to extend my. observ- ations; but 1! was provided with all those in common use of the best construction. Of chro- nometers, I had one of eight days (No. 820.), made by James Murray; of which I shall speak in another place. One of two days by Murray and Strachan, (No. 403. ) One of 24 hours also made by Murry, and they all performed suffi- ciently well to recommend the makers for their very improved mechanism in this useful art. My _ azimuth compass was patent, and, as well as the rest of my compasses, made by Mr. Alexander of Leith. |
The great difference found in the variation, of the needle within a short distance, about the latitude of 70°, may be worthy of remark, and will be mentioned in the journal as the observ- ations were made.
Notwithstanding . the inducement to which I have referred at the beginning of this introduc- tion, of my being ina manner bound for the
INTRODUCTION. 5
sake of the science of hydrography, to record the performance of this unprecedented voyage ; I should, nevertheless, have done it only by means of an official letter to the Honorable Commissioners of His Majesty’s Navy, had not the notices of foreign and unknown matters con- tained in my notes, appeared so interesting that the solicitations of my friends, (more particu- larly of my co-owners in the vessels and voy- age, John Strachan, Esq. of Edinburgh, and James Mitchel, Esq. of London, ) prevailed with me to carry my information to the press. I am further persuaded of the propriety of so doing, | from my having liad nearly two months’ expe- rience of the navigation in the immediate neigh- bourhood of Cape Horn, which is yet but little known: for although the cape has been rounded times almost innumerable, yet this has always been done at so great a distance from the land, that no accurate accounts of its coasts and har- bours could be obtained.
A familiar knowledge of these shores must evidently tend to lessen the timidity which seizes the minds of some commanders in passing this cape; and an acquaintance with the anchor- ages. which are safe, must render the practice of relinquishing the passage, by bearing up along the east coast of Patagonia, during adverse gales, altogether unnecessary.
: BS
66 INTRODUCTION.
From my having been engaged five years, in - Nayigating these seas, and having performed a passage of 26 degrees of longitude direct to the westward about the parallel of Cape Horn during the stormy month of April, I am fully acquainted with the perils and the conveniences of this navi- gation, and can offer my experience with the con- fident expectation of its being found useful.
The old and contradictory accounts which have been given us concerning the people found about the straits of Magellan, and the coast of Patagonia, may be wondered at ; though the descriptions by Commodore Byron of the enormous size of these people, seemed to confirm all preceding State.
ments.
_ There is little doubt that tall and stout men were seen on the coast of Patagonia by the voyagers; but itis more than probable that those with whom they communicated were chiefs, who were, perhaps, selected on account of their sta- ture: for on no part of the coast have my officers, who have seen many of the Patagonians, found people generally, nor indeed any men at all, of the extraordinary appearance mentioned by preceding travellers.
The inhabitants of ‘Tierre del Fuego have also been spoken of as if they were beings possessed of little more than animal instinct, and incapable of being instructed. This may, perhaps, be the
INTRODUCTION. 7
case ;—arising, however, out of the peculiar situ- ation in which they are placed. Give them inter- course with foreigners, and they will improve in understanding ; for I have found them to be not only tractable and inoffensive, but also, in many of their employments, active and ingenious. The civil day being more intelligible to gene- ral readers than that called the sea day, I shall use the former in the following journal. The principal incidents related may be found to cor- respond with the ship’s log-book, to the truth of which the chief officer of the Jane and two sea-
men have made oath before the commissioners of = _
his Majesty’s customs.
As I shall have frequent occasion in the course of the work to mention facts and circumstances which took place during my former movements in these latitudes, it may be necessary to state here that the two voyages to which I refer, were performed by me in the years 1819, 1820, and 1821, and extended to various parts in the southern seas.
It may be farther necessary to premise, that if in some of the following sheets I throw out an observation or reflection on the subject of the voyage, not perhaps strictly philosophical or scientific, I do so in the hope that it may yet be of a nature to challenge examination, and lead to more just conclusions in abler hands.
B 4
CHAP. ITI.
DEPARTURE OF THE JANE AND BEAUFOY FROM THE DOWNS. — ARRIVAL OF THE JANE AT MADEIRA. — PAS- SAGE TO BONAVISTA.— TRANSACTIONS THERE. — RE- MARKS ON THE ISLAND AND THE INHABITANTS. — DEPARTURE AND PASSAGE TO PORT ST. ELENA. — PRO- _ CEEDINGS THERE, AND DESCRIPTION OF THE HARBOUR.
Ox the 17th of September 1822, I gave Mr. Matthew Brisbane his instructions, and at five .o’clock in the afternoon both vessels weighed, and made sail out of the Downs. |
-We had the wind blowing fresh fromthe E.N.E. which by the 18th, in the afternoon, brought us —
off Portland. At 4° P.M. with a Bill N. 2 E. by compass distant fourteen miles, I took sights of the sun for chronometers, and departure for dead reckoning. ‘The breeze continued to blow from the eastward, and steering a channel course, darkness soon closed from our contemplations the view of our beloved country.
As I had directed Mr. Brisbane to separate, when below the Bill of Portland, and to proceed direct to the Island of Bonavista, while I was to touch at Madeira, by the way, we allowed the Beaufoy to pass out of sight about midnight.
Nothing worthy of remark occurred during our passage to Madeira, except that in making
ARRIVAL AT BONAVISTA. 9g
Porto Santo, I found that we had experienced | an easterly current of 85 miles in ten days... « | It was. Friday the 4th of October before we arrived in' Funchal Roads, and at half after se- ven in the morning I took sights for chronome-_ . ters. The longitude deduced, placed Funchal centre in 16° 52’ 28", . | : . By the 5th in the evening, having (by the kind assistance of John Blandy, Esg. to whom I had letters .of introduction), completed my business on shore, I returned on board, and at nine o’clock made all sail for the island of Bonavista, one of the Cape de Verdes. We took the trade wind at N. E. after clearing Funchal Bay, and carried it, blowing steadily, to Bonavista, where we arrived on Monday the 14th, and found the Beaufoy, with several small American and Por-
tuguese vessels, at anchor. _ Having to take in a quantity of salt, it was immediately set about, and by. the 19th having received 36 tons, divided. into the two vessels, and being in all other respects supplied and ready for sea, on the evening of the 20th both vessels weighed, and made sail to the southward.
While at Bonavista, I dined several times in ' company with the Bishop of the Cape de Verdes, who usually resides at St. Iago. He was at this period making his triennial visit, and with his retinue of priests, lived at the house of. Senhor
10 BONAVISTA.
Mansel Martins, who was absent on a mission to the Cortes, as representative of the Cape de Verdes. I found the Bishop a man of agree- able address, and by his winning manner calcu- lated to.make proselytes; indeed he attempted the conversion of an inmate of the house, an American lady, whose child he had baptized. She, however, with the common attachment that people have towards the faith in which they have been bred, repulsed all his endeavours.
The greatest respect was paid to this holy per- son by the principal inhabitants of the island ; and great deference by the commonalty. Forbear- ance, suavity of manners, and rigid clerical dis- cipline, appeared conspicuously in his character.
When he rose from table he immediately with- drew to his room to study, and was seldom seen, except at table or taking a short evening walk, during which he was usually accompanied by a few of the chief people of the Island. Some of his priestly retinue were not quite so precise; for I could discover that when from under the eye of the Bishop, they were, like the laity, fond of the society of ladies, and open to their attractions. |
The common people of these islands are, for the most part, intolerably indolent, and hence proceeds their miserable way of living. Their slaves, of whom they have many, are made to
BONAVISTA. i]
work hard, under the fear of the whip; for al - though, amongst all other nations, the Africans now enjoy a share of freedom, here no such blessing is afforded them.
Their principal occupation is making salt, and carrying on a small trade with the neighbouring islands, and with the ships that call here. The town of English Roads, which is generally called Bonavista, contains from forty to fifty houses ; which, excepting about half a dozen, are rudely constructed of wood and clay, and mostly of negro-architecture. ‘The colour of the inhabit- ants is from white to negro jet, comprehend- ing all the intermediate shades ; and they:are so intermarried, slaves excepted, that they may be said to be but one family. |
About three miles east of Bonavista, lies a town, called Nova Cidade, or New City, where the governor used to reside. It contains a neat church, and about 100 biildings, the most of which are huts. The Governor, whom I found here on a former voyage, spoke good English, and was extremely polite and communicative. He was an European, and a colonel in the Portu- guese regular army; his age might be about 65, and he had been 42 years governor of Bonavista.
He informed me that the population of the | island was about 3000, and that nearly 300 of these were regular troops. The soil, he said,
12 | BONAVISTA.
’ was very prolific, when the rains fell at the usual seasons and were copious; but that they fre- quently suffered much from want of rain, and indeed sometimes of good drinking water: hence no vessel touching here can expect to procure that invaluable article. The mean of -chronometers pave 22° 59' 0" for the longitude .of the anchorage.
_ Sea stock of pigs, goats, sheep, and poultry “may be had here, but all are lean and of an in- ferior breed: perhaps the best place for stock is St. Iago, where it is better fed, although some- what dearer.. I called at the latter on my last voyage, and waited on the Governor, who was on board a schooner of war, at anchor in the _ Bay. He was dressed in a general’s uniform, and rather a good looking man. On my telling him. that my object was to procure a supply of stock, and that the vessels should not anchor, he immediately granted permission to land, at the. same time, recommending to my consider- ation the poultry yard of his lady, who, he as- sured me, would furnish me very reasonably. . I was a good deal surprised to hear that a gover- nor’s lady should condescend to such a traffic, but immediately went on shore and proceeded to the palace. The door was guarded by a soldier, who refused me admittance; but on my busi- ness being announced, I was allowed to pass by
DEPARTURE FROM BONAVISTA. 13
this sentinel and two others, and at length ar- rived in the presence of the lady. I found her employed in getting out the stock, consisting of pigs, turkeys, and fowls, into the middle of the yard for inspection. According to the usual practice, she represented them as being fat and cheap, and I chose a number of turkies, &c. which were sent down to the boat. Our bar- gain was concluded in the house, over a glass of wine, and she politely desired her son, a youth of about fourteen, to play me a tune on the guitar, which he did with peculiar sweetness; after he had finished I settled for my purchase, and bade her ladyship good day. :
Having mentioned this circumstance as ex- hibiting a singular union of rank and occupa- tion, if not of pomp and avarice, I now return to my narrative by observing, that having weighed - anchor at Bonavista, we carried all possible sail to the southward. ;
We had nothing remarkable until the a1 st of October, when being in latitude north 14 degrees,: we were .not a little surprised to find the water: up to the cabin deck; the cause was soon disco- vered to be a leak somewhere in the counter; and in consequence of coals being stowed in the after-hold, the water. could not find its way: forward. We immediately hove the ship to,: brought her by the head, and finding the leak
14 PORTUGUESE SLAVE-SHIP.
in the counter ends, succeeded in stopping it in a temporary. manner.
_ An account of common occurrences on board
a merchant vessel, and the ship’s place in latitude or longitude over so obvious a track, can con- vey no useful or interesting information. I shall therefore hurry on to regions less fre- quented.
On: the 23d of October, in the latitude of eight | degrees north, the wind became light and vari- ‘able, and continued so till we reached the lati- ‘tude of five degrees north, when we took the | S.E. trade wind. On the 7th November in the
longitude of 30° we crossed the equator. The trade wind being: far southerly we passed Cape St. Augustine, on the coast of Brazil, within 100 miles. | ‘On the 14th, im latitude 14° S., we closed with a Portuguese schooner, having a cargo of slaves, bound to Bahia, and I boarded her. My officers were’ seriously impressed with the idea of making her a prize; but I was aware that we could not legally do so. This inability I much regretted, as we were of sufficient force to have relieved 250 fellow creatures from a cruel bondage. ‘The men slaves were stowed in the hold, and almost suffocated by the small- ness of the place; the women and children were seated on the lee-side of the deck, many of
ARRIVAL OFF PORT VALDEES. 15
them. shackled by the feet. As it was out of my power to render them any assistance, much as I deplored their miserable situation, 1 re- turned on. board and the vessels separated.
This nefarious traffic is still carried on by the Portuguese, to a considerable extent to the south- wasd of the Equator, in spite of all the humane efforts of Great Britain to put an end to it.
Ass faw as. the latitude of 24 degrees south, we had the wind frequently from N.W. to N.N.E. blowing in heavy squalls, with thunder and heavy rain.
At this season the route we took may be re- commended for a quick passage, but, for the health of a crew entering upon a long voyage, the coasting passage is highly injurious. I had one:man at the point. of déath by an attack of dstanus, brought om by his exposure to heavy rains.
We continued standing to the southward with the Beaufoy in company, till we reached: the latitude of 40° ; we then steered to the westward to: make the land: of Patagonia. |
On the 10th of December we arrived. off Port Vatdees lying im. latitude 42° 32”. I sent. the chief mate to sound the passage into the harbour ; but finding by his report, that there was-only two and a half fathoms at low water in mid-channel;
~igee--.° - ee eee we teore et
16. ARRIVAL AT PORT ST. ELENA.
_and that the tide ran rapidly across the entrance, I did not attempt going in with the vessels.
On the 11th in the morning, we made sail along the coast to the southward, touching at several places for furs.
On the 19th, we put into Port St. Elena. Our principal business here was to stop the leak in the brig’s counter; in doing which, in order _ to secure the counter ends, we were obliged to : unship the rudder and bring the vessel two feet down by the head.
The following day I sent Mr. Brisbane with the Beaufoy to examine St. George’s Bay; and | to meet me on the 28th, off Penguin Island. On the 26th, our business being completed, about noon we put to sea.
Port St. Elena lies in latitude 44° 34’ 16” and ‘ longitude, (by mean of chronometers, compared with four sets of lunar observations taken eight days previous, 65° 32’ 28”.
The bay affords good shelter from S. by E. via west, to E. by S,; and, as the heavy and pre- vailing winds are between these points, this place may well be recommended to stop at for a few days. The winds are seldom from_South East and generally light; and, the tide running strong across the entrance of the bay, the sea, during strong 8.E. winds, is a good deal cut off. .
As this anchorage is the most easy of access
12
ee ee oo
we ok ~~ | om
I”
WEA
—- —
“9681 4g OMG BOY RASOURTEY GP a uowbury 4 rd
poof Oe Sashd pil Kod ads ye . uoauy a ia abungs pity PHL ag Ut AROS ghiff
re
"TNRAITT LS LXOd
_9 N
98 6 myn
~~ wee
GUANACOES. ' 17
of any on the coast, I shall annex a plan of it; for which I ran a base line of 400 fathoms, and took angles. In the valley marked A, I observed two holes which had been dug for obtaining fresh water, but what they now contained was quite brackish; farther up this valley, about half a mile, I found very sweet water, but not in quan- tity sufficient to supply a vessel without a con- siderable expense of time and labour.
-Guanacoes are here very numerous, but not easily approached: they much resemble deer; their flesh is well tasted, and they are large enough to make them an object of consideration to ships touching on this coast in want of refresh- ments. We caught one which when cleaned weighed 120lb. and was, to my taste, very like ' well fed mutton. The difficulty of procuring these animals from their fleetness and watchful- ness is such, however, that they cannot be taken hastily ; but must be entrapped by lurking be- hind bushes about their watering places at the dawn of the morning. Hares, which are also nu- merous here, are much larger than in other coun- tries. The tide*flows at the full and change at . 8° 80’, and rises about 22 feet.
On the 80th of December, in latitude 47° 54’ and off Penguin Island, in the afternoon, amidst several water-spouts, which are so dreaded by : c
-
18 ‘LP AIGLE SHOAL.
many, we rejoined the Beaufoy, and made sail to the southward.
We had now decidedly taken our departure for a voyage of investigation to the southward, | and though we were a month later than I had intended, I was happy that we had made the brig comparatively effective; and was deter- mined, should I not be successful at the South Orkneys, to prosecute a search beyond the tracks of former navigators. °
I had given Mr. Brisbane my instructions how * to act in the event of separation, and we now proceeded to the southward in company.
At noon of the 2d of January 1828, we were in the latitude of 51° 55’, and longitude 6507/15", and this being the latitude assigned to the L’aigle shoal, discovered in 1817 by a Captain Bristow, I hauled up N.E. by E. 34 E. in order to obtain a sight of it; but with a run of 14 miles, and a view of 10 from the mast head, I saw nothing. Had it been accurately laid down I ought to have foundit. This shoal must be very dangerous, as it lies in midchannel between the Falkland Islands and the coast of Patagonia; but as I have never seen it I cannot describe it. It ig reported to be a patch of breakers about 800 yards in extent. Mr. Poole places it in lati- - tude 51° 51’, and longitude 64° 50’, which, in my opinion, is not to be depended on; and
VIOLENT GALES. 19
therefore ships must be much delayed here in waiting, with a fair wind, for daylight.
At 8 o’clock in the morning of the 3d, the wind shifted suddenly from W.N.W. to south, and in less than half an hour we were brought °
to under a close-reefed main-topsail. The gale - continued with great violence, and with a most irregular sea till the evening of the 4th, when it moderated, and we made more sail. The tem- perature of the elements during the gale was of air 39° 30’, and that of water 49° 30’. ‘This was surprisingly low for midsummer, nd the lati- tude of 53 degrees ; but when,wWe consider that a south wind blows over the frozen land of Shet- land, the temperature of the air must of conse- quence be much reduced in the neighbourhood | of Cape Horn.
On the 6th in the morning the wind again freshened at S. by E. to a gale, with a high and uregular sea, which, in the afternoon, stove two boats, washed away part of the bulwarks, and earried several things off the deck. This dis- tressing sea was no doubt produced by a tide or current, aS we were not more than 100 miles — S.E. of the Falkland Islands. At midnight the - weather moderated suddenly, and left us scarce wind sufficient to keep the ship steady.
The 7th being fine I communicated with. the Beaufoy, and was happy to hear they were all ~ well, and had met-with no accident.
c 2
20 SOUTH ORKNEYS.
The wind continued blowing moderately from S. by E. to S.S.W. with passing snow squalls ; and on the 10th, in latitude 58°, we saw five ice islands and an appearance of land in the N.E.; but as I had cruised over that spot on a former voyage I gave it no credit.
On the 11th at noon our latitude by observ- ation was 59° 37’, and longitude by chronometers 46° 1’. The temperature of the air was 38°, and that of water 33°. Many ice islands were in sight which accounted for the temperature of the water heing reduced.
At daylight in the morning of the 12th we saw some pigeons, and at 6 o’clock perceived the east end of the islands of South Orkneys *, bearing W. by S., distant about 11 leagues. We carried all possible sail to get under the land, but the wind soon became light and left us almost at the mercy of a heavy swell, in-the midst of ice islands, which made our naviga- tion truly hazardous. At 8 o’clock one of- the eastern islands, which- from its figure we named Saddle Island, bore S. 10 W., distant about 11 leagues. .
During the 13th, the wind was light, and from the N.N.W., which in this region generally brings fog; and now obliged us to keep: an of- fing. At 10 o’clock the wind shifted ‘to S.E.
* Reported by me to the Commissioners of His Majesty's Navy, on my arrival in England, in 1822.
SOUTH ORKNEYS. Qt
with clear weather. The temperature of air was 84°, that of water 83°. At daylight of the 14th we saw the land in the S.W., distant about.10 leagues ; and by 7 o’clock we were within one mile of the shore.
I had landed on these islands the year before ; but having a loaded ship, and no second vessel, I was obliged to relinquish a deliberate examin- ation of their shores for that season.
Being now close under the land, I sent a boat from each vessel to explore them. .We continued to tack the vessels about in a bay, which, from Saddle Island forming part of it, we called Sad- — dle Island Bay. The ice bergs, which form in the bays in winter, and break away in the sum- ~ mer, now produced so much. drift ice, that we . had frequently to work ship to avoid striking it. This coast is, if possible, more terrific in appear- ance than South Shetland. The tops of the islands, for the most part, terminate in craggy towering peaks, and look not unlike the moun- tain tops of a sunken land. The loftiest of these summits, towering up to a point, I denominated Noble’s Peak, in honour of an esteemed friend, Mr. James Noble, orientalist, Edinburgh. This Peak, in a clear day, may be seen at the distance. of fifteen leagues.
On the 14th I made observations for settling the latitude and longitude of Saddle Island. c 3
29 SOUTH ORKNEYS.
The latitude of its centre was found to be 60° 87’ 50”, and longitude by means of three chronometers 44° 52’ 45” west of Greenwich. Two of these chronometers on the 12th agreed to the. same second, and the third differed but 12”; hence it may be presumed that the situ- ation of the island is correctly determined. _
On the 15th in the afternoon, the vessel being close in shore and the weather settled, I landed on the south side of:the Bay, and having climbed a mountain, was employed in taking a bird’s- eye view of the country, when a dense fog set in, which in a few. minutes shut the vessels from observation. I hurried down to the boat, and put off, hoping to get sight of the vessels before losing the land; but.I was mistaken, for we soon lost the one without obtaining the other. My anxiety for the safety of the vessel lying among islands, in a thick fog, was great ; but I was fortunately soon relieved by its clear- ing up, and allowing me to get on board.
Having seen some sea-leopards on shore, I sent the second mate to take them, who soon returned with six which he had captured.
This creature resembles the quadruped of the same name in being spotted. The drawing of one deposited in the Edinburgh Museum is annexed; and Professor Jamieson has kindly communicated to me a description of the animal. He considers
“erorumip.y unoig'rasg omy geanyy werubuey &a,song
ebony) prey, fo Probie rg
seres ye 'T “TIRPIM T % rarru wo une l
* §
SEA-LEOPARDS. | 23
it to be a new species of phoca, and gives it the following distinguishing characters :— Leopard- ine seal, the neck long and tapering; the head mall; the body pale-greyish above, yellowish below, and back spotted with pale white. This species tobe referred to the division Stenorhinque, of F. Cuvier; the teeth, however, do not quite agree with those of his Phoque Septonyx, nor with those of Sir E. Home, figured in Pl. xxix. of the Philosophical Transactions for 1822.
In the evening the boats returned, having coasted these islands for fifty miles. They had found but one fur-seal, and some sea-leopards, . the skins of which they brought on board. This examination, though unsuccessful, afforded some hope, as the seal was an earnest of our falling in with more: I therefore hauled off the shore, to go round the west end of the islands for a fur- ther search. ©
On the 17th the wind freshened to a gale from the N.N.E., and at 4 o’clock in the after- noon we saw the land under our lee, distant but about five miles. I made the signal of our situation to the Beanfoy, and carried an oppressive quantity of sail to keep off the land: about midnight, however, it fortunately moder- ated, and the wind shifted to the 8.S.W. We continued plying to the westward, examining the shores as we passed; and at 9 in the morn-
| c 4
24, SOUTH ORKNEYS.
ing of the 19th we saw the west end, bearing S.W.4W., and straits running to the southward, which I called Spencer Straits, in honour of the Right Honourable R. C. Spencer; at the same time bore S.E. by 8.35.
The weather being frequently foggy and the winds light, we did not get off the western point till noon of the 20th, and at 8 o’clock I settled the latitude of this Cape to be 60° 42’S., and longitude 46° 23’ 52” W.
Not finding any animals in this quarter, I bore up to the east, to examine the other parts of the islands. On the 22d in the morning we were within six miles off the east point, which I called Cape Dundas, in honour of the illustrious family of that name. I presently despatched two boats to explore the shores, and in the meantime made observations for determining the position of this end of the Archipelago.
By a good meridian altitude I found Cape Dundas to lie in latitude 60° 46’ 30”, and, by chronometers, in Jongitude 44° 35’ 45” west of Greenwich. Two miles from the shore, we - sounded on a bottom of dark-coloured sand, with 58 fathoms water. About the Cape, where a little soil remained, there was a patch of short grass, and many birds assembled round it.
In the evening the boats returned with two
seals and ten leopards’ skins. ‘They had inves-
be
fog 31aq aay
MU«YNE VEL Meee WT. fu Meats tea lly) 47g layptit Nyaeys Jyrt FOIUMMUNIND SUN SUMGS, AVAGY Wa Ys Gties +e “NON
MU TEA T Ay at . AYMAN AN FL AG VALUING EAMG easy! LIAS LHS
‘Gh TROD ILE OS
————— jo
7 ee Le |
~saitemeee -
DEPARTURE FROM SOUTH ORKNEYS. 25
tigated this eastern island thoroughly, and as:we had now explored the whole of the group. with- out attaining our object, I concluded that the seals we had found had migrated from'some land, probably not very distant. My officers had be-
‘ sides ascended a hill, from which they said they had seen a range of land lying inthe S.E. As
I thought it probable it might be so, we stood in that direction, but on the 23d, in the morn-
ing, we were undeceived, for the supposed land |
was discovered to be'a chain of immense ice islands, lying E.N.E. and. W.S.W. We made various courses to the southward, and_pre- sently artived at comparatively clear water. At noon our latitude by account was 61° 50’, and longitude 43°. The wind had shifted into the N.W. with a thick fog, on-which we hauled to the wind to the N.E. under easy sail. In the afternoon the wind: shifted to the W.S.W. and blew a gale, with strong snow squalls. We stood to the southward with little sail, and about midnight passed through a cluster of ice islands. In the morning of the 24th the wind moderated,
and it became foggy, and: we hove to. In order’
to avoid separation, the two vessels of necessity sailed very closely, our consort keeping constantly on our weather quarter. Our latitude at noon, by account, was 62°35’: the weather continued foggy, with short intervals of comparatively
. aT st oar .
26 BREATHING OF WHALES.
clear weather, during which we always bore up to the southward. This very slow manner of sailing w4s teasing and unprofitable, but in these fogs it was risk enough to drift to the south- ward, lying to. In the evening, indeed, whilst enveloped in fog, the second mate called to me in the cabin, that. breakers were. close under our lee. I immediately prepared ship to ply to windward, but not seeing the broken water again, I concluded that what the officer saw was the breathing of whales; which must, indeed, have been the case, as when the fog cleared away nothing like breakers was visible.
On 27th at noon we had reached the latitude of 64° 58’, our longitude by mean of chronometers was 39° 40’ 30”. The variation of the compass at 10 o’clock in the forenoon, by azimuth, was 10°37’ east. The temperature of air in the shade was 37°, that of water 34°; but in the rays of the sun, when clouded, the thermometer rose to 48 degrees. The weather being here so much more settled than in the lower latitudes of 60 and 61 degrees, could we but find land with produce; I had little doubt, but that in three or four weeks both vessels might have had their cargoes on board. As, however, we were to the southward of South Shetland, I stood back to the northward, considering it pro- bable that land might he found between the South Orkneys and Sandwich Land ; and as the
DEAD WHALE. _ 27 |
summer season was now far advanced, it was
advisable to examine those lower latitudes while
the nights were yet but short, — since darkness
added to fog makes navigation in an icy sea a still more dangerous.
We stood to the northward with the wind be- tween S.E. and S.W., and on the 29th at noon our latitude at observation was 61° 18’, and Jlon- gitude by chronometers 40° 32’ 15”. The tem- perature of air was 34°, that of water 34°. Ice islands were our constant companions, and in- deed they had become so familiar that they were little dreaded:
At, 11 o’clock at night we passed within two ships’ length of an object, which had the ap- pearance of arock. ‘The lead was immediately thrown out, but finding no bottom, we continued lying to, till the chief mate ascertained it to be a dead whale very much swollen: such objects, seen imperfectly in the night, are often alarming.
We carried easy sail to the northward with the wind westerly, much fog and falls of snow. On the Ist of February, at noon, our latitude was 58° 50’, longitude 38° 51’. As there was no sign of land in this situation, we stood to the south-east, making an angle with our course, coming northward, which would enable us to see _ _dand midway. . |
28 REWARD FOR DISCOVERY OF LAND.
I had offered a gratuity of 10/. to the man who should first discover land. This proved ‘the cause of many a sore disappointment ; for many of the seamen, of lively and sanguine imaginations, were never at a loss for an island. In short, fog banks out of number were reported for land ; and many, in fact, had so much that ap- pearance, that nothing short of standing towards them till they vanished’ could satisfy us as to their real nature.
‘In the morning of the 2d the wind freshened W.S.W. to a gale, which obliged us to lie to; snow squalls were frequent, and having many ice- islands to pass, we had to make various courses, and changes in the quantity of sail on the vessels. I carefully avoided the tracks of Captains Cook and Furneaux: and I may here remark how nar- - - rowly Captain Furneaux in the Adventure, in De- cember 1778 and January 1774, escaped seeing South Shetland and the South Orkneys. He passed within 45 miles of the east end of Shet- land and 75 miles of the South Orkneys: hence 20 miles, we may presume, of a more southerly course, would have given us a knowledge of South Shetland 50 years ago.
Running east in this latitude of from 60° to 61° we were constantly accompanied by all the birds common in these latitudes. Great num-
DISAPPOINTMENT FROM FOG BANK. Q2Yy
bers of finned and hump-backed whales were also seen; and penguins in large shoals, having for their resting-place some ice island. | Being determined to examine these latitudes thoroughly, we constantly hauled to the wind under close-reefed topsails- during fogs and.the darkest part of the night, bearing up to the east- ward when daylight appeared. On the 4th in the morning land was believed to be seen in the N. E., resembling an island. The signal to that effect was made to our consort, and we carried all sail to ascertain the fact; but our pleasing hopes were again speedily dispelled by our illu- sive island sinking below the horizon.. We re- turned to our former easterly course, and passed _ several ice islands, lying east and west. In fact, we found all the clusters to lie in that direction, which is caused, no doubt, by. the prevalent westerly winds carrying them along to. the east-. ward, and spreading them in proportion to their. hold of the water and the surface they present above. ‘ By the evening of the 4th we were witbin 100 miles of Sandwich Land, and within such a distance of the track of Captain Cook, as cgn- vinced me that no land lay between. eG Our pursuit of land here, therefore, was now. at an end, but I conceived it probable that a large tract might be found a little farther south than
30 ‘COLDS, AGUES, AND RHEUMATISMS.
we had yet been. I accordingly informed Mr.: Brisbane of my intention of standing to the southward, and he, with a boldness which greatly: enhanced the respect I bore him, expressed his willingness to push our research in that direc-
tion, though we had been hitherto so unsuc-
+ 1
cessful. |
The weather being dark and foggy we stood to the southward under close-reefed topsails only. At 10 o’clock the following morning the temper- ature of air was 37, that of water 36 degrees ; our latitude at noon, by observation, was 61° 44, and longitude, by chronometers, 31° 13' 15”.
From having had a long course of dense fogs
_and fresh gales, the decks of our vessels were
constantly wet, which produced amongst our
seamen colds, agues, and rheumatisms. To re- medy this in some measure, I had the ship’s cooking stove moved below for their comfort, and good fires kept for drying their clothes; and by attending to these matters, and administering a little medicine, their complaints were soon re- moved. |
I had allowed them three wine-glasses of rum a day per man, since we were in these seas; and their allowance of beef and pork was one pound and a quarter a-man per day ; five pounds ef bread, two pints of ‘flour, three of peas, and two of barley, a man per week. These allow-
1 NARROW ESCAPE. - 31
ances in a cold climate were rather scanty, but the uncertainty of the length of our voyage re- quired the strictest economy.
' During the 6th and 7th we passed 1 many ioe islands, one of which I estimated to be two miles in length, and 250 feet high. The wind pre- vailed between W.S.W. and W.N.W. with foggy and clear weather alternately. At noon we ob- served in latitude 64° 15’, and our longitude by chronometers was 30° 46’, The variation by azimuth in the forenoon was 8° 19’ easterly.
At 10 o’clock at night, the weather being foggy, we narrowly escaped striking an ice island: in passing.. We hailed our consort, but she. wav so close to our stern that she passed also very: - near to it. The temperature of air at’8 o’clock in the evening was 34°, that of water 36°. In the afternoon of the 9th, the fog clearing away, we saw ah appearance of land in the N.W. ; but, after the usual practice of pursuing all ‘such ap- pearances, we discovered it to be one of our de- lusive attendants, the fog banks. The wind now shifted to south and blew strong, aceot- panied with snow squalls.
At daylight in the morning of the 10th the chief mate reported ‘land within sight, in the shape of a sugar loaf; as soon as I saw it I ‘be- lieved. it to be a rock, and fully expected. to find terra firma.a short distance to the southward.
32 DISAPPOINTMENT FROM AN ICE ISLAND.
It was 2 o’clock in the afternoon before we reached it ; and not till then, when passing within 300 yards, could we satisfy ourselves that it was not land, but black ice. We found an island of clear ice lying close, and detached above water, | though connected below, which made a contrast of colour that had favoured or rather completed the deception. In short, its north side was so thickly incorporated with black earth, that hardly any person ata distance would have hesitated to pronounce it a rock. ‘This was a new disap- pointment, and seriously felt by several of our crew, whose hopes of having an immediate re- ward for their patience and perseverance were again frustrated. | _ The wind was at south and blowing a fresh gale, with which we might have gone rapidly to the northward ; but the circumstance of having seen this ice island so loaded with earth, encou- _ raged me to expect that it had disengaged _ itself from land possessing a considerable quantity of soil; and that our arrival at that very desirable object might, perhaps, not be very distant. These impressions induced me to keep our wind, and we stood to the S.W.
I may here remark that many of the doubtful rocks laid down in the chart of the North At- lantic have been probably objects similar to what I have described ; and still remain unas-
NUMEROUS ICE ISLANDS. 33°
certained, to the great annoyance of all cautious navigators. Our latitude at noon was by ac- count 66° 26’, and our longitude by chronome- ters 32° 32’... The temperature of air was 35° 30’, that of water 34°.
On the 11th in the morning the wind shifted to S.W. by S., and we stood to the S.E. At noon our latitude by observation was 65° 32’, that of account 65°53’; and the chronometers giving 44 miles more westing than the log. We had in 3. days experienced a current running N. 64° W 48 miles: the difficulty, however, of keeping a correct reckoning, from the many changes mad in the course and quantity of sail, must subject . the error to a suspicion of arising more from bad observation than from a real current. We had{ evidently been set to the northward and west-j ward, which is contrary to what is generally the! case, as the current almost constantly sets to the- eastward. In the afternoon I found the variation by azimuth 12° 2’ east.
During the 12th and 13th we had the wind from S.S.W., and we stood to the S.E. Ice islands were numerous, and on the 14th at noon our latitude by account was 68° 28’, and lon- gitude by chronometers 29° 43’ 15”. In the afternoon, with the ship’s head 8.S.W. the vari- ation by azimuth was 8° 5’ east. At 4o’clock ice islands were so numerous as:almost to prevent.
D |
34 PETERELS AND WHALES.
our passing ; sixty-six were counted around us, and for about 50 miles to the south we had sel- dom fewer in sight.
On the 15th at noon our latitude observed was 68° 44’, by account 69°; this difference of 16 miles in the latitude with easting given by chro- nometers, makes a current in 4 days of N. 58° E. 27 miles. In the forenoon, with the ship’s head S. by W., I took a set of azimuths, which to my great astonishment gave the variation but 1° 20’. east; in the afternoon I took a second set, which gave 4° 58’. As I had taken great pains in making the observations, and the instruments
were good, however unaccountable this great - difference was, I could not do otherwise than abide by the result.
On the 16th at noon our latitude by account was '70° 26’, and longitude by chronometers 29° 58’; the wind was moderate from the west- ward, and the sea tolerably smooth. Ice ‘islands had almost disappeared, and the weather be- came very pleasant. Through the afternoon we had the wind fresh from the N.E., and we steered S.W. by W.
In the morning of the 17th the water appear- ing discoloured, we hove a cast of the lead, but found no bottom. A great number of birds of the bluegpeterel kind were about us, and many hump and finned back whales. |
“
PETERELS AND WHALES. 85
In the morning I took an amplitude, which gave variation 12° 24 east. The wind had shifted to the S.E. and became light. Our lati- tude at noon by account was 71° 34’, and longi- tude by chronometers 30°12’. As the weather was now more settled, our consort sailed wide, in order to extend our view.
On the 18th the weather was remarkably fine, and the wind in the S.E. Having unfortunately broken my two thermometers, I could not ex- actly ascertain the temperature, but it was cer- tainly not colder than we had found it in De- cember (summer) in the latitude of 61°. With the ship’s head S.W. by S. at about 8” 30’ in the morning I took a set of azimuths, which gave variation 18° 23’ east. At noon our latitude by observation was 72° 38’, by account 72° 14’; hence, with chronometer difference of longitude, we had been set in three days S. 62° W., distance 80 miles. In the afternoon I took a long set of azimuths, which gave variation 19° 58’. This in- crease in so short a distance seemed unsatisfac- tory; on which account I neglected no oppor- ‘ tunity of making observations in order to recon- cile these irregularities. I had all the compasses brought upon deck, and I found them to agree, but rather inactive in traversing.
In the evening we had many whales about the ship, and the sea was literally covered with
D2
86 NO ICE VISIBLE.
birds of the blue peterel kind. Not a PARTICLE OF ICE OF ANY DESCRIPTION WAS TO BE SEEN. The evening was mild and serene, and had it not. been for the reflection that probably we should have obstacles to contend with in our passage northward, through the ice, our situation might have been envied. The wind was light and easterly during the night, and we carried all sail, The sun’s amplitude in the morning of the 19th when the ship’s head was S. by E. gave variation 15° 10’ east.
The weather being pleasant, our carpenter was employed in repairing a boat, and we were _ enabled to make several repairs on the sails and ‘Tigging. At noon our latitude by observation was 73° 17’, and Jongitude by chronometers _ 85° 54’ 45”. In the evening, by several sets of amplitudes, I found the variation to be but 5° 35’ east. About midnight it fell calm, but pre- sently a breeze sprang up from the S.W. by W., and we hauled on a wind S. by E.
In the morning of the 20th ‘the wind shifted to S. by W. and blew a fresh breeze, and seeing a clouded horizon, and a great number of birds in the S.E., we stood in that direction. At 10 o’clock in the forenoon, when the ship’s head was E.S.E., I took a set of azimuths, which gave variation 11° 20’ east. ‘The atmosphere now became very clear, and nothing like land was to
ICE ISLANDS. 37
be seen. ‘Three ice islands were in sight from the deck, and one other from the mast-head. ‘On one we perceived a great number of pen- guins roosted. Our latitude at this time, 20th February, 1822, was 74° 15’, and longitude 84° 16’ 45”; the wind blowing fresh at. south, prevented, what I most desired, our making far- ther progress in that direction. I would wil- lingly have explored the S.W. quarter, but faking into consideration the lateness of the season, and that we had to pass homewards through 1000 miles of sea strewed with ice islands, with long nights, and probably attended with fogs, I could not determine otherwise than to take advantage of this favourable wind for returning. |
I much regretted that circumstances had not allowed me to proceed to the southward,. when in the latitude of 65°, on the 27th of January, as I should then have had sufficient time to examine this sea to my satisfaction. -
Situated however as I actually was, , my atten- — tion was naturally roused to observe any pheno- mena which might be considered interesting to science. I was well aware that the making of scientific observations in this unfrequented part of the globe was a very desirable object, and con- sequently the more lamented my not being well supplied with the instruments with which ships fitted out for discovery are gener ally provided. -
D 3
88 OBSERVATIONS.
As the exact longitude of the ship and of harbours, &c. is of the first consideration, I had expended 240/, in the purchase of three chrono- meters ; all of these performed remarkably well, and in particular, one of eight days, (No. 820.) Murray, London, continued regular in its daily rate of gaining through an unparalleled trial by repeated shocks, which the vessel (but slightly built) sustained during a month among field ice. Such perfection in this most useful machine, can- not be too much appreciated by commanders. of ships, who, by assistance of so precise a nature, can easily avoid embarrassment in critical situa- tions, where many lives and much valuable pro- perty frequently depend on a true knowledge of the ship’s place.
The laws to which the compass seems to be subject in regard to its variation, have lately un- dergone such accurate investigation by eminent individuals, that the phenomena attending it are now, in a great degree, ascertained.
My own actual observations with regard to the variation, are inserted at the end.of the volume. |
Those which I made about the latitude of 60 degrees, are collected for local attraction from the table of experiments made with Mr. Barlow’s plate, in H. M.S. Conway, by Cap- tain Basil Hall, and by Mr. Foster; but the
AURORA AUSTRALIS. 39
observations arrived at about the latitude of 70 degrees cannot be reconciled, as to quantity. of local a:traction, with the theory adopted on the subject: I therefore let them remain at the observed results. I found a difference of from $8 to 5 degrees between the variation taken at the binnacle and that on the main hatches; and I have found as great a difference when the ob- servations were made, even on the same spot, an hour apart. In fact, it appeared evident that the magnetic energy of the earth upon the needle was much diminished when far to the south- ward; partly arising, no doubt, from the in- creased dip or diminution of horizontal action on the needle, which must be attracted in. an in- creased degree by objects immediately about it. This, however, cannot be altogether decided till a more satisfactory theory in respect to the emanation of the magnetic influence has been demonstrated. .
The Aurora Australis, which Mr. Foster saw in his voyage round. the world with Captain Cook ‘in the year 1773, I particularly looked for during the time the sun was beneath the horizon, which was more than six hours, but nothing of the kind was observable. As the twilight, however, was _ never out of the sky, that might be the cause of its not being visible.
D 4
40 FIELD ICE.
The remarkable and distorted appearances which objects and the horizon itself assume by re- fraction in high northern latitudes, occurred here but little more than in an ordinary way. The water spouted by whales half an hour after sun- rise in the morning of the 19th exhibited an in- creased refraction, but it soon disappeared.
The reason of this phenomenon not existing as singularly in the south as it does in correspond- ing northern latitudes, may be attributed’ to this sea being clear of field ice.
It distinctly appears to me, that the conjecture of Captain Cook, that field ice is formed and pro- ceeds from land, and is not formed in the open sea, is true. He latterly, however, changes his opinion from having found ice solid in field in the latitude of 70 degrees to the northward of Bhering’s Straits. But I think it likely that the ice he fell in with there proceeded from land in the north, not more distant, perhaps, than 150 miles. No person can doubt the probability of my conjecture, when it is remembered, that in the latitude of '74° 15’ south (which, according to the received opinion of former navigators, that the southern hemisphere is proportionably colder by 10 degrees of latitude than the northern, would be equal to 84° 15’ north,) I found a sea per- fectly clear of field ice; whereas in the latitude of 61° 30’, about 100 miles from the land, I was
13
PHENOMENA OF THE SOUTH POLE. as |
beset in heavy packed ice. As in that situation we could not see the land, had I not known of the existence of South Shetland, I might have fallen into the commonly received error, that this ice proceeded continuously from the South Pole. If, therefore, no land exist to the south of the latitude at which I arrived, viz. seventy-four degrees, fif- teen minutes, — being three degrees and five mi- nutes, or 214 geographical miles farther south than Captain Cook, or any preceding navigator reach- ed, how is it possible that the South Pole should not be more attainable than the North, about which we know there lies a great deal of land? The excessive cold of the southern hemis- phere has been variously accounted for, every philosopher adopting that theory which best suited bis own hydrographical system. Saint Pierre supposes it to proceed from a cupola of ice. surrounding the South Pole, and stretch- ing far northward. We have now better data to go upon; for though great exertions were used in the years 1773 and 1774 to discover the terra australis incognita without success, yet we find there is a range of land lying as far north as: the latitude of 61 degrees. We may also conjecture, without much fear of being in the wrong, that the land with which we are acquainted lying in latitude of 61 degrees, and in- longitude 54° 980’, namely, the east- end of
42 DISCOVERY ANTICIPATED.
South Shetland, stretches to the W.S. W., beyond the longitude in which Captain Cook penetrated to the latitude of '71° 10’. It is this land which, no doubt, ought to be looked upon as the source from which proceeds the excessive cold of these regions. The temperature of air and water in the latitude of 60 and 61 degrees, I have men- tioned to be but little above the freezing point. The cold earthless land, and its immense ice islands, which are continually separating in the summer, and are made, by prevailing westerly winds, almost to girdle the earth, is evidently the cause of the very low temperature which prevails.
The part of the country which I have seen is without soil, reared in columns of impenetrable rock, inclosing and producing large masses of ice, even in the low latitude of 60° 45’.
It is certain that ice islands are formed only in openings or recesses of land; and field ice, I think, is not readily formed in a deep sea.
On soundings, the water is soon cooled down to the freezing point; hence field ice is found at the distance of many miles from any shore. These considerations induce me to conclude, that from having but three ice islands in sight, in latitude 74 degrees, the range of land, of which I have spoken, does not extend more southerly than the 73d degree. If this be true,
DISCOVERY ANTICIPATED. 43
and if there be no more land to the southward, _ the antarctic polar sea may be found less icy . than is imagined, and a clear field of discovery, : even to the South Pole, may therefore be anti- : cipated.
CHAP. III.
RETURN TO THE NORTHWARD. — NO SOUTH ICELAND IN THE LATITUDE LAID DOWN IN COMMON CHARTS. == 8E- PARATION OF THE VESSELS. — PASSAGE THROUGH ICE ISLANDS. — ARRIVAL OF BOTH SHIPS AT SOUTH GEOR- GIA. -—~ SOUTH GEORGIA. — PENGUINS, AND OTHER OB- JECTS OF NATURAL HISTORY. — SAIL AGAIN. — THE AURORA ISLAND. -——- ARRIVE AT THE FALKLAND ISLES.
Havine now determined on returning, I made the signal to our consort to bear up and steer N.W., and we made all possible sail.
™
Our crews were naturally much disappointed ‘~
at our ill success in not finding a southern land, as their interest in the voyage was to be a pro. portion of the cargo procured. In order, there- fore, to reanimate them by acknowledging their merit, I expressed my approbation of their pa- tient and orderly behaviour, and informed them that they were now to the southward of the lati- tude to which any former navigator had pene- trated. Our colours were hoisted, and a gun was fired, and both crews gave three cheers. These indulgences, with an allowance of grog, dispelled their gloom, and infused a hope that fortune might yet be favourable. In honour of our most gracious Sovereign, the name of King George the Fourth’s sea was given to this hitherto unvisited part of the ocean.
NORTHERLY CURRENT. 45
-. The wind continued from south till midnight, when it fell calm. In the morning of the 2lst a breeze sprang up from the westward. We con- tinued steering N.W., under as much canvass as our consort’s slower rate of sailing would admit, and on the 23d at noon, we had returned to the latitude of 71° 25’ by observation, and '71° 38’ by account; hence we had experienced a north- erly current of nearly thirteen miles in two days. This northerly set favours the theory of St. Pierre, who supposes such a current to be caused by the fusion of the Polar ices; but if it exist at all, (since it may have been merely an error of reck- oning,) it is certainly too small to effect the flux and reflux of the ocean. In order to give a chance of ascertaining the general current in these seas, I secured a bottle well with the cork, and threw it overboard with a notice inclosed - of the state of the sea in latitude 74°, &c. The water again being discoloured, we sounded with 240 fathoms of line, but got no bottom, though I am of opinion it would have been obtained at a greater length of line; but as we had no more, nor a lead sufficiently heavy, we could not be so experimental as I wished. Ice islands now became more numerous, and our consort took on board a quantity of fallen ice for water for present use. In the afternoon it became calm, and I tried the current by mooring the boat in the
46 OBSERVATIONS.
usual way, and found it setting to the N.E. one- sixth of a mile per hour. At 6 p.m. a breeze sprang up from N.N.E., and we made sail to the westward. The winds continued northerly, sometimes. blowing strong with snow, till the evening of the 26th, when we had another calm. Our latitude at noon by observation was 67° 33’, and longitude by chronometers 40° 2. In the afternoon I took a set of azimuths, which: at the binnacle, when the ship’s head was west» gave variation 15° 58’ easterly. In the forenoon I observed the froth of the sea to lie S.E. and N.W., which, by the observation for latitude-and longitude, indicated a current setting to the S.E. about one-eighth of a mile per hour; at ten at night a breeze sprang up from the S.E., and we made sail, The 27th, being fine in the forenoon, I took a set of azimuths in mid-ships, when the ship’s head was N.W., which gave variation 22° 8’.
In the afternoon, when the ship’s head was N.W., a second set gave only 11° 00’ easterly. _ This last observation was taken at the binnacle, but the ship’s local attraction was not sufficient to account for the great difference in the results. In the night of the 27th the wind freshened at south with snow squalls, and we steered N.N.W., carrying as much sail as we could safely navigate with among ice islands. On the 28th at noon.
SMALL ICE LANDS. 4]
our latitude by observation was 65° 2’, and longi- tude by chronometers 40° 45’. We had now little ice in sight, in comparison with what appeared when in nearly the same latitude on the 27th of January. In the evening we hauled up N.W. by W. to look into the longitude of 45°. The first of March being fine, I took several sets of azimuths, all of which produced nearly the same result. Having used the same instruments, and the ob- servers being the same as when in the latitude of 67° and upwards, I was persuaded that the former . differences did not arise from inaccuracies of ob- servation, but rather from the inactivity or in- sufficiency of the needle. The-mean of azimuths. gave variation 16° 31’. Qur latitude at noon by observation was 63° 29’, and longitude 42° 41’. On the 4d in the morning it blew a strong breeze. from N.W. and the weather was foggy; in the. afternoon it cleared up, and we saw an appear- _ance of land in the S.E. but it presently vanished. At midnight the wind shifted to north, and blew a gale with snow squalls. In reaching to the westward we fell in with many. small ice islands, _ and we wore ship to the N.E.: the weather con- tinued foggy with strong gales till the 4th in the. morning, when it moderated, and at noon we had. clear weather. Our latitude by observation being 63° 21’, and longitude by chronometers 45° 22’, we were in a situation to have seen what is re-
48 PARTING OF THE SHIPS.
presented on the South Atlantic chart in common: use, as South Iceland, but, alas! no such place exists.
It is much to be regretted that any men should be so ill-advised as to propagate hydrographical falsehoods ; and I pity those who, when they meet with an appearance that is likely to throw some light on the state of the globe, are led through pusillanimity to forego the examination of it. But the extreme reluctance I have to ex- cite painful feelings any where, restrains me from dealing that just censure which is due to many of my fellow seamen, who, by negligence, narrow views of pecuniary interest, or timidity, have omitted many practicable investigations, the want of which continues to be felt by the nation, and more especially by merchants and ship- owners.
During the night of the 5th, the weather being foggy, we lost sight of the Beaufoy, and though we made several tacks we were then unable to regain sight of,her. In the night of the 6th, the wind shifted suddenly from N.N.W. toS.W., and left a most distressing sea, which obliged us to heave to: at daylight, not seeing any thing of the Beaufoy, I concluded that she was making the best of her way to South Georgia, the place of rendezvous. I was uneasy at our separation, for although I had full confidence in the care and
ICE ISLANDS. - 49
ability of Mr. Brisbane, I still wished to have continued my attentions, more particularly on account of our being among ice islands. In the morning of the 7th it blew a gale from 8. W. and this being a favorable wind we steered N. by E. under a close-reefed main topsail, reefed fore- sail,’ and reefed fore-top-mast staysail, with which in squalls we ran at the rate of 10 miles per hour. At 6 A.M. we were under the necessity of work- ing through a cluster of ice islands which having much fallen ice about them, the passage was rendered very dangerous: I was, according to the best practice, attempting to steer to windward of most of them; but the sea running too high, we were obliged to keep before the wind. ‘The chief mate was stationed in the foretop to look out for low ice in the hollow of the sea; and it was only by strict regard to the helm, and the sails, that we happily got through without an accident. With a free side wind an ice island should be passed on the windward side, as by this means the loose ice, which always drifts farthest, is avoided.
Though this gale was so violent as to produce a sea which cleared the decks of almost every ' movable, it was from so favorable a quarter for sailing homeward, that we could not afford to lay to through the night on account of ice; but kept all the people of the watch looking out
E
50 SOUTH GEORGIA.
a-head ; and thus we passed several ice islands: without danger.
On the 9th, in the morning, the wind mode- rated and shifted into the N.N.W. We had: made during the last gale 349 miles of distance, and at noon our latitude by observation, was 55° 21’, and longitude by chronometers, 38° 55’ by D. R. 49°12’... We were now far enough north to be relieved from the fear of falling in with ice, and the navigation became compara- tively easy. |
Up to the. 12th we had variable winds from the northward and westward accompanied with thick fog; and at 8 o’clock in the morning, the weather becoming clear, to our great joy we discovered our little consort in the N.W., and - soon after we communicated and found all well.. With the wind blowing strong at west, we steered to the northward in company; and at 10 A.M. we saw the island of South Georgia, bearing N. by W. distant about 9 or 10 miles. Notwith- _ standing the forbidding appearance of this land, every one, I believe, in the two vessels, feasted his eyes upon it; and at 3 in the afternoon both ships came to anchor in Adventure Bay, (S.W. part of Georgia, ) in '7 fathoms water, over a bottom of strong clay.
Our arrival here, though it was not a country the most indulgent, we considered to be a very
SOUTH GEORGIA. Fo |
happy event. Our sailors had suffered much from cold fogs and wet during the two months they had been navigating the south; and as we had been nearly 5 months under sail, the appear- ance of scurvy (that disease ‘so fatally attendant on long voyages) was to be dreaded. Our ves- sels, too; were so much weathér-beaten, that they greatly needed refitting ; so that taking into ac- count our many pressing wants, this island, though inhospitable, was capable of affording us great relief. | |
Our crews here fed plenteously on greens — which, although bitter, are very salutary, being an excellent antiscorbutic : with regard to meat, we were supplied with young albatrosses, that is to say, 4bout a year old: the flesh ‘of these is sweet, but not sufficierftly firm to be compared with that of any domestic fowl. |
Our harbour duties, and a search upd the island for animals for ourcargo, were imniediately commenced and carried on with zeal, although we experienced frequent interruptions from heavy gales which were now prevalent ; it being — near the time of the autumnal equinox of this’ hemisphere.
I took opportunities of making various observ- ations on shore, and found the head of the bay to lie in latitude 54° 2’ 48”, and in longitude, by the mean of two of the best of my chronometers,
Ee
§2 SOUTH GEORGIA.
88° 8’ 4”. The variation of the compass at the same place by azimuth, was 11° 15’ east. The head of this bay being surrounded with moun- tains, I ascended the top of one of them for the purpose of taking the altitude of the sun when at some distance from the meridian, but after planting my artificial horizon, I was surprised to }find, that although there was not a breath of wind, and every thing around perfectly still, yet the mercury had so tremulous a motion, that I -{ could not get an observation. The ground was ': evidently agitated internally ; though it was only ' by means of the quicksilver that I could de- tect it.
On the 17th of April, our harbour business being completed, both vessels put to sea, and with the wind at east, we directed our course towards the Falkland Islands.
South Georgia, it appears, was discovered by a Monsieur La Roche, in the year 1675. It was visited by a vessel called the Lyon in 1756; but was not explored till Captain Cook did so in the Resolution, in the year 1771.
_ I need not remind the reader of the great advantages navigation, and geography in general, have acquired from the discoveries and inves- tigations of that able navigator ; but the public may not be aware of the great extent to which
SEA ELEPHANTS AND FUR SEALS. 58
his researches in the South, in particular, have been beneficial to Great Britain.
His official report regarding the island of South Georgia, in which he gave an account of the great number of sea-elephants (called by him sea-lions), and fur seals, found on the shores, _ induced several enterprising merchants to fit out vessels to take them; the elephants for their oil, and the seals for their skins. These animals are now almost extinct; but I have been credibly informed that, since the year in which they were known to be so abundant, not less than 20,000 tons of the sea-elephant oil has been procured for the London market. A quantity of fur seal- skins were usually brought along with a cargo of oil; but formerly the furriers in England had not the method of dressing them, on which account they were of so little value, as to be almost neglected.
At the same time, however, the Americans were carrying from Georgia cargoes of these skins to China, where they frequently obtained a price of from 5 to 6 dollars a-piece. It is ge- nerally known that the English did not’ enjoy the same privilege; by which means the Americans took entirely out of our hands this valuable © article of trade.
The number of skins brought from off Georgia by-ourselves and foreigners cannot be estimated
- E 3-
54% ISLAND OF GEORGIA.
at fewer than 1,200,000. I may here also remark, that the Island of Desolation, which Captain Cook likewise visited, and first made known, has been a source of scarcely less profit than the island of Georgia. Hence it may be presumed, that during the time these two islands have been resorted to for the purpose of trade, more than 2000 tons of shipping, and from two to three hundred seamen have been employed annually in this traffic.
Having thus given an idea of the value of what has already been discovered in the South Seas, | shall say something of the island of Georgia as to its extent and peculiarities.
The island is about 96 miles long, and its mean breadth about 10. It is so indented with _ bays, that in several places, where they are on opposite sides, they are so deep as to make the distance from the one side to the other very small. Near the west end in particular, there is a neck of this kind, about half'a mile broad, over which boats are frequently transported.
Dalrymple, in a very old chart, represents this island as having a channel quite through it; which may probably have been the case, since, near the middle, there is an ice-berg, which seems to run from side to side.
The tops of the mountains are lofty, and per- petually covered with snow ; but in the valleys,
PENGUINS. 55
during the summer season, vegetation is rather abundant. Almost the only natural production of the soil is a strong bladed grass, the length of ‘which: is in general about two feet; it grows in tufts on mounds three or four feet from the ground, 3
No land quadrupeds are found here; birds and amphibious animals are the only inhabitants : —of the bird tribe, the king penguin is the most worthy of notice. The penguins (or, as they ought properly to be called, pinguins, the name _ being evidently derived from the Latin word pinguedo, on account of its fatness,) are of a very gregarious nature. They go in large flocks along the shore, erect, and with a wad- dling gait. When seen through .a hazy atmo- sphere, they may be not inaptly mistaken for a body: of men ; and, indeed, Sir John Narborough has whimsically likened them to “ little children © standing up in white aprons.” Those which he describes, however, were a very diminutive spe- cies in comparison with the king penguin, the bird to which I refer.
In pride, these birds are perhaps not surpassed even by the peacock, to which in beauty of plu- mage they are indeed very little inferior, —as may be seen in our principal museums. During the time of moulting, they seem to repel each other with disgust, on account of the ragged state
E 4
56 PENGUINS.
of their coats ; but as they arrive at the maximum of splendour they re-assemble, and no one who ° has not completed his plumage is allowed to enter the community. Their frequently looking down their front and sides in order to contemplate the perfection of their exterior brilliancy,. and to remove any speck which might sully it, is truly amusing to an observer.
About the beginning of January they parr, and. lay their eggs. During the time of hatch- ing, the male is remarkably assiduous, so that. when the hen has occasion to go off to feed and wash, the egg is transported to him, which is done by placing their toes together, and rolling it from the one to the other, using their beaks to place it properly. As they have no nest, it 1s to be remarked, that the egg is carried between the tail and legs, where the female, in particular, has a cavity for the purpose.
The hen keeps charge of her young nearly a twelvemonth, during which time they change and complete their plumage; and in teaching them to swim, the mother has frequently to use some artifice; for when the young one refuses to take the water, she entices it to the side of a rock, and cunningly pushes it in, and this is repeated until it takes the sea of its own accord. There are three other kinds of penguins, all of them nearly of the same size, but little more than
PENGUINS. | 57
half the bigness of that which I have described. Their plumage is not near so fine, but they walk | erect, and are of the same form with the king penguin. The names by which they are dis- tinguished are, the macaroni, the jack-ass, and the stone-cracker penguin. ‘The macaroni is so called from its having been likened to a fop or macaroni, though I must confess I do not see the similitude.~ The next has its name from the noise it makes, which resembles the braying of | an ass. And the third is denominated from its pecking or cracking stones when irritated. All these birds have a practice of cunningly steal- ing from one another, during the time of nest- building, the materials of which they are con- structed. They differ from the king penguin in these particulars, and also in having nests, which are sometimcs in the sides of tussac mounds, but generally on the side of a hill; and are composed of a few sticks and stones. They remain with their young but four months, viz. from January to April, at which time they take them off shore for several successive days to the distance of four or five miles, in order to accustom them to the water ;, and when they can endure it, they go off to sea.
The Albatross (the Diomedia of ornithology) is a bird which has been often seen by naviga- tors off the Cape of Good Hope, and in south-
58 THE ALBATROSS.
ern latitudes, and has been frequently described ; but as the species abounds in the island of Georgia, I shall record some observations I have made in regard to their domestic habits, &c. A full grown albatross sometimes measures 16 or 17 feet from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other-when expanded; but more commonly they average about 12 feet. These birds are so abundantly covered with feathers that, when plucked, they appear not above one half the original size, and our astonishment at their apparent magnitude immediately vanishes, I have found them when cleaned, to weigh from 12 ta 25 lb.
There is something humorously remarkable in their way of mating; the couple approach one another with great apparent ceremony, bringing their beaks repeatedly together, swing- ing their heads, and contemplating each other with very deliberate attention. Sometimes this will continue for two hours together, and to.a person inclined to be amused the whole trans- action would appear not unlike one of our own formal courtships in pantomime. They have great power in their beaks, and, when on the nest, I have observed them defend themselves for half an hour against an active dog. Their feet are webbed and remarkably large, so that when the water is smooth they can walk
THE NELLY. 59
on the surface with hardly , any assistance from their wings, and the noise of their tread is heard at a considerable distance. Their eggs are © inferior to those of geese, but they have less yolk, and more white in proportion to their size, and weigh generally one pound and three quar- ters.’ All birds of the albatross.and gull . kind _ lay their eggs in October, and, when new laid, they are a great source of refreshment.
The bird next in size found here, is called by sailors a Nelly: it is-of the peterel kind, and of a mixed grey and brown colour, having an unpleasing appearance, and being extremely voracious. Their fondness for blubber often induces them to eat so much that they are unable to fly. A flock of perhaps five or six hundred has been known to devour 10 tons of the sea-elephant fat in six or eight hours. From this appetite for oily food, their flesh is uneat- able, nor are their eggs so good as those of the other birds I have mentioned. |
The smaller oceanic birds of the southern hemisphere have, for the most part, a residence in this island; but as they are well known it is unnecessary to enumerate them.
I fear that in the description of these animals I have been tedious, since by some readers, such remarks may be considered as of little import- ance; but the hints which the peculiar instincts.
60 - THE SHAG ROCKS.
of these creatures furnished, I have preferred to a minute detail of their dimensions and co- lours, with which the public are already well ac- quainted.
Having given an idea of the value of Southern Discoveries to Great Britain, and said all that is necessary of the animals fallen in with, I shall
return to the journal of our voyage. At 2 o’clock on the 17th of April, the east end of Georgia bore N.E. 4 N. distant about 14 miles. ‘The wind freshened at south, and pro- duced a cross and disagreeable sea: on the 18th the wind was southerly, and the weather foggy, which prevented my getting sight of the shag rocks as I had intended. ‘They are represented as situated in the latitude 53° 48’, and longitude 43° 25’, and are said to be even with the water, which I believe not to be the case, as I have been credibly informed, that they appear in three pinnacles, or in the shape of sugar loaves 60 or 70 feet high, with a reef running round them. These reefs, I presume, have given rise to the supposed existence of the Aurora Islands. The Atrevida Spanish man of war having been sent, in 1796, to survey what are called the Auroras, probably saw these rocks, and by a confused con- currence of circumstances, the commander sup- posed he had discovered three islands, which were accordingly officially reported to the Spanish
THE.SHAG ROCKS. 61
government. ‘These islands have since found a place in our charts with the track of the Atrevida round them; giving credit to which every body has been led to believe in their existence: con- sequently as they lie in the track of ships bound round Cape Horn, the notion must be a great hinderance to navigation.
An instance of this appeared in the case of a friend of mine, who informed me that once hav- ing had to lay to for daylight with a fair wind on account of these islands, his passage round the Cape was much protracted.
But as we are now near the place where this supposed Spanish discovery was made, it may not be improper to give an account of a search I my- self made for these islands in my first voyage in the year 1820. But to shew how undisputed the authority is for their existence, I shall first insert a translation of official reports from the Spanish, relating to this matter. It is as follows:
Extracts translated from the Publications of the Royal Hydrographical Society of Madrid, pub- ished by Authority in 1809. Memoria segunda, tomo 1°. p. 51, 52.
‘* THE AURORA ISLANDS.
«We do not learn that they ever were seen before the year 1762, in which they were dis-
62 AURORA ISLANDS.
covered by the ship Aurora, which gave them her name. In 1790 they were likewise seen again by the ship Princess belonging to the Royal Philippine Company, Captain Manuel de Oyar- vido, who shewed us his journal in Lima, and gave us some information with regard to their situation. In 1794, the corvette Atrevida went purposely to sétuate them, having practised in their immediate vicinity from the 21st to 27th of January all the necessary observations, and mea-- sured by chronometers the difference of longi- tude between these islands and the port of Sole- dad in the Maluinas (or Falkland Isles). The islands are three: they are very nearly in the same meridian : the centre one is rather low, and the other two may be seen at nine leagues’ distance.
‘© Their latitudes and longitudes are as follows:
Latitude of the most south- ° ! # orm ern island. 53 15 22 §. Longitude west of Cadiz. 41 40 00 Long. Cadiz and Gr. 617 15“ G. 47 5715
Latitude of the second is-
land or the low one. 53 2 40 Longitude west of Cadiz. 41 38 00 W. Gr. 47 55 15 Latitude of the third island
which has hitherto been
undiscovered, and there-
fore called New Island. 52 37 24S. Longitude from Cadiz. 41 26 Ow gq. Reduced to Gr. long. 617 15 EEE 47 48 15 W.
CBUIZE OF THE ATREVIDA. 63 ~
‘‘The captain of the Princess says, that to E.S.E. of the island, most to the south, at the distance of 11 miles, there is a bank or shoal, but the cor- vette Atrevida, which made various efforts to find it, could not discover it, and only saw different banks of snow, which, at some distance, ap- peared like banks or shoals.”
The above is given as the conclusive testimony of all the surveys; here follow certain particu- lars less known : —
Appendix to the above-mentioned Work, vol. 1, p- 213. Number IV.
«An Account of the Campaign or Cruize of the Corvette Atrevida from the Time of her leaving the Maluinas in January, 1794, in search of the Islands Aurora, until her Arrival at Montevideo on the 15th February following.
‘‘ Having finished with all possible.exactness the observations we had to make in Port Soledad, and having embarked the instruments and whatever belonged to the corvettes, it was determined on the 10th of January to weigh anchor and make sail. ‘The wind had been fresh all day from S.W., but it calmed towards evening; and on endeavouring to raise the anchor in that point it
64 CRUIZE OF THE ATREVIDA.
was found so tenaciously embedded that the launch suffered much. Frem midnight the ne- cessary labour was continued, and at daylight we got under weigh, the boats having been first taken in.
‘s The wind at the time was west, and we im- proved it, under all sail to the E.S.E. - This cruise (or campaign) had for its only object to search for the Aurora Islands (whose position was considered as uncertain), from 12’ to 15’ of latitude, and 7° of longitude, according to the different reckonings of the navigators who had given information concerning them. We took — advantage of the winds sometimes favourable, sometimes contrary to our course, keeping in the parallel of 533°, and with prudent precaution de- termined to lie by at nights, On the 15th our ob- servations and the sight of gulls and other birds gave us indications of being near the islands. In these lyings to, we suffered the double martyrdom of losing precious time, and encountering rollings and a cold that were insufferable even to those who had just experienced the intemperance of Cape Horn.
‘¢ At day-break on the 16th, we’ saw two large banks of snow or ice distance 5 miles to the N.E. The pyramidal figure would not have failed to have flattered our hopes if their proximity had not destroyed the illusion; latitude 53° 40’ the
14
CRUIZE OF THE ATREVIDA. 65
parallel of the islands prevented | us ‘advancing a mile, ‘without a clear horizon.
- © Until the 18th, in the morning, ‘continued a: fog : the wind was not much, but the sea was still very cross. The observation of ‘mid-day was 54° 11’ S. of latitude, half a degree south of the parallel established for our investigations. We luffed immediately, to gain what we had lost, with every’ possible sail. In the evening we ‘dis- covered a large hummock in the form of a sugar- loaf, which we took fora bank of snow. Al the next day and night the- fog continued, so that we could not distinguish objects at half -a mile’s distance. —
«« On the 20th in the evening, after some hours of'calm,and variable ‘winds, it blew from ‘the S. S. E.; and somewhat cleared away. We steered east, and on the 21st, at- mid-day, found our- selves in: latitude 58° 40’ S., and longitude 42° W. Cadiz (equal to longitude 48° 17’ 15” W. Greenwich.) |
‘¢ At 54 P. M. we perceived to the northward, at'a great distance, a dark lump, which’ appeared to all of us like a mountain of ice. Notwithstand- ing, we bore away for it under a press of sail ; and'when we:-were near it, ‘we ‘saw distinctly. a great mountain in the form of a pavilion (or tent) divided vertically into two - parts; -the
F
66 CRUISE OF THE ATREVIDA:
eastern: extremity white, aid the westera very dark ; on which latter side wad a snowy band< — and we also noticed some breaks 3 in the dark streak.
«< We all agreed that this was the island ; ‘wt ‘we saw no other, and none of the circumstances agreed with those reported of the .Auroras,*
* Extracts from some ofthode voyages. “ In. 2768, the ship Aurora, on her return ftom Lima, saw two islands, 45 leagues to the W. of the Maluinas, according to account, running N.E. ahd S, W., distatit 2} to $ leagues. ‘The eastern was the entallest, and had a reef which extended towards ‘the — other ; leaving, however, a-clear channel, through whigh-that ship passed. The western had 5 to 6 miles in extent, frem N. to.S. On their inaccessible sides, they could not per- €eive any bays. One imile to the north, no ‘sounditigs with 120 fathoms. ‘The observations of the same day pldeed i in 53° 15’ S., and in 326° 22! of longitude from the meridian of Teneriffe, ‘corrected to the sight of making Ascension.”
' Tn 1769, the ship San Miguel being inthe lat. of 58°27'S., and long. 318° 36! from Teneriffe, saw six hummacks. of and of different sizes; and thinking them to be the islands Beauchene, to the southward of the Maluinas, corrected their reckoning, and afterwards made to the island of Ascension in 8°, when they thought themselves in the meridiasi of ‘Trinidad, or Ascension of America. So-enormous a dif- ference of 164° made them suspect that they had been the Auroras.”
‘“‘ In 1774, the ship Aurora saw one evening a-head several -hummocks, which they thaught to be-banks of mow. ‘They continued during the night ‘lying-to, and next morning ssw them.again. The.green water continuing, and several birds which they had seen two days before, they approgched it,
ORUIZE OF. PHE ATREVIDA. OF
"90 Wie passed within one mile of the island, coasting it on the western side; and, from that point, it presented us the view of a sharp rock, trending from north to south. The southern part, constantly exposed: to the freezing winds from that quarter, was covered with snow; and being cut perpendicularly on the north-west side, with winds much more temperate and moist, the land was there perfectly. discoverable. .From thence, steering 8. W. we lay off and on during the night, to see whether the observations of the next day could be made under happier circumstances, | “ At daylight, we saw another island at a great distance, also covered with snow, but not so high as.the former one. At 6° we might be distant 10 miles, to the N. }.N.E. (N. b. E.), and the first was seen to the §.E., distant about. 8 miles, At9" we lost sight of it; and sithough
and saw that it was an island stretching from N. W. to 9. E,, about $ leagues in length; and, being in its parallel, they _ observed, in 58° 38! of latitude, and by estimation in longi»
tude 326° 10’ from Teneriffe. To the E. S: E. ‘from this island, at three or four leagues’ distance, they saw another,
whiok shewed a heavy surf, and which they. estimated to:be Ip 59° 49! latitude, and 326° 33! longitude from Teneriffe. Two other vessels, the Pearl in 1779, ‘and the Dolores _in 1790, saw: these islands also, but without noticing their peation,’” — | wo F@
68 CRUIZE .OF. THE ATREVIDA::
the wind freshened from ‘the. N.W. we ,went round it. without effect; because the clouds not having dissipated, we could not get the latitude at meridian. We, nevertheless, waited ; and at one o’clock had an. altitude,. and an- other at three o’clock, by which we concluded the latitude which referred to the islands we had seen, and. the longitude calculated by the chronometers: the first was determined to be in latitude 53° 15’ 22” S., and longitude 41° 4/ 0” W. of Cadiz. The wind was now at S.W., and.we hauled to the southward, seeking in higher latitudes more favourable winds to get to the westward, and make the coast of Patagonia. -. “On the 24th at mid-day, we were in 55° 28° latitude S. ; and as we did not meet better winds, but rougher seas and most intense colds, it was resolved to lessen the latitude, in search of more favourable weather. We stood to the northward, on the larboard tack, with all sail; and on the 26th, at evening, discovered to the E.}N. E. a white lump, which at first appeared to us a field of ices but its immobility soon convinced us that it was an island. It isa large rock, making in sharp pinnacles, but formed like a saddle-hill. ‘Lhe N. E. was covered with snow, but the south- ern part, being perpendicular, would not retain it,. At a mile from this last point, there ex- tended several breakers, terminating in small
SEARCH FOR THE: AURORAS. 69
islands, _We coasted along this great’ rock at a- regular distance, and sounded frequently, without finding bottom. On the 27th, in the morning, we had good observations of latitude and longitude ; which, referred to the said island, placed it in 52° 37’ 24” S. latitude, and 41° 26° longitude west of Cadiz.”
‘In consequence of the credibility of these documents, I was induced to make astrict search for these islands ; and shall now, for the benefit. of’ navigation, relate the circumstances of the investigation.
Having examined the daily rates of my chro» nometers in the harbour of St. John’s in Staten: Land, and taken on board a supply of wood. and water, we weighed anchor on the 27th of Janu- ary, 1820, and made sail to the eastward. At. — eight o’clock P. M. the east end of Staten Land bore S.W. by W., distant five leagues. During the 28th and 29th, the wind was from W. N. W. with hazy weather; at noon our latitude was. 53° 17’, and longitude 55°22’. We continued under a press’ of sail, keeping the. latitude of 58° 15’, and on the 31st we had fine wea- ther with the wind from the northward. In the forenoon we passed some kelp, ‘and had several birds about the ship, which gave me hopes that we were approaching the- islands.
F 3
78 SEARCH FOR THE AURORAS.
Our latitude, -& noon, by observation whe 52° 47’ &., and longitude by. chrondmeters 48° 47’ W,, and by D. R. 48°:38’. Inthe even- ing i -dbserved the variation of the compass to be 16°11’. At seven in the eventing we had passed over the (laid down) ‘latitude -and longi- tude of these islands, without observing the‘least. appearance of land. We obtained and continued in the parallel of latitude, running through the place assigned ‘to them till we arrived in the longitude of 46°. d considered this allowance for errotin longitude to-be pretty.amples -partioularly — since the Atrevida sailed from Port Seledad in the Falkland Islands; from which, 40 the place for our anvestigation, was but about three -days’ sail: hence her common reckoning could not have erred much, and she ‘had chronometers which should have been nearly exact. These considerations produced in my mind a degree of surprise; and I could not, at that moment, reconcile my experience with ‘the facts which had been asserted. I was resolved, however, not to abandon the object of my pursuit, without being fully satisfied ofthe truth or falsity ofthis geographical problem. It was:‘now remarkably. clear ; ‘and, from the-mast-head, Jand of commoh height might:-have ‘been seen at the distance-of eaght leagues; but ‘still, nothing -6f the -kind
was observed. We next steered §.5S.:‘E. into
SBARCH FOR THE AURORAS. 7i
the: latitude of. 58°.t7', and then W. by S., in order to get sight of the southern island; but in -vdin — not the smallest indication of land appeared. On the 2d, it blew a strong gale from the IN, N. W. with thick weather; and we hove te, under a elose-reefed main-topsail, sent down the top-gallant yards, and struck the masts. At noon the weather cleared up, and we got the meridian altitude of the sun, which gave latitude 52° 58’, and our longitude by chronometers was 48° 6’, our latitude by D. R. being 53°20’. We had experienced a northerly current of 22 mules, part. of which must be atttibuted to error of reckoning.
The situation for the middle island bore now 3. 83° E., distant eight miles. We had a clear view of 6 or 7 leagues, but nothing ‘like land was to be seen. “ithe only chance now left .us for &nding. these Auroras, I conceived, was by making various courses ‘between the latitudes of 58° 15/ and.62°.87’ ; and this we did, till we yeachedithe longitude by.chronometers.of 46°.29’. Having all this time seen nothing resem- bling sland, .except fogsbanks which -had aften given as severe disappointment, we returned westward; .and, .on-the 5th, our:latitude at. noon was 52° 4’, .and longitude ‘by dhronometers 48° 83’. ‘We had thus .again - Passed over the
| rh.
12 PROBABLE CAUSES .OF MISTAKE
site of these islands to no purpose. On_the 6th, our latitude by observation was 53° 24’, and lon- gitude by chronometers 49° 49’. We-continued to stand to the westward under easy sail, with the wind northerly ; and on the 7th,. our latitude by observation was 58° 383’, and longitude by chronometers 51° 5’. Having thus diligently searched through the supposed situation of the Auroras, I concluded that the discoverers must have. been misled by appearances ; I therefore considered any further cruize to be an impro- vident waste of time; .and, to the gratification of my officers and crew, .directed our course to the Falkland Islands.
From the apparent validity of the printed do- cuments setting forth the existence of the Au- roras, I was naturally led to consider in what way those Spanish officers could have fallen into so great a mistake. There are two ways in which it might be accounted for, (with men un- accustomed to traversing cold and tempestuous seas, encumbered with ice, ) and into which they might easily fall in their conclusions. The re- ports of voyagers previous to the cruize of the Atrevida are, from their imperfect knowledge of the science of navigation, not much deserving of attention. The investigation performed by the Atrevida, however, is certainly a matter of some consequence, from their having been particularly
OF :THE :SPANISH -NAVIGATORS. 13
instructed :to ascertain the ‘situation: .of, these islands ; and it was to be expected, therefore, that this hydrographical point should have.been. left undoubted. , |
.. They sailed from Port Soledad onthe 14th of January, having chronometers on board, -a-cir- cumstance which ‘ought to have insured -ac- curacy,.and proceeded into the vicinity-of -the place pointed out for their research. On the 21st, they ‘saw an island ; which, as they express it, appeared like a. great: mountain, in the form of @ pavilion or tent divided vertically into two parts. This may possibly have been the-Shag Rocks, which lie nearly in the same latitude, but differ six degrees in longitude. About this time,..much ice was found. drifting from ‘the southward, :and it is probable that it had formed round the base.of these rocks; and the peaks ap- pearing above, clear of snow, and black, would leave no doubt of that part being land. The ice formed on the south side, and probably forced on this reef of rocks, might be taken for a range of land covered with snow ; and upon the same data it may be presumed that what they describe as the ‘second island was an ‘ice-berg 5
"and the third, which is described as having -been
seen on the 27th, was, perhaps, the same as that which was seen on the 21st, viz. the Shag Rocks, with the appearance of the -base altered by the
4 #NONsEXISTENCE OF THE AMRORAS.
ice ‘having ‘shifted its position. ~The diffevenes of longitude between the Shag.Rocks and the place assigned to the Auroras seems hardly to admit of my conjecture of their being the same:j but it is well-known, that the lougitude of places, im many instances, has been egregiously aisne- presented, from assuming different meridians, a3 also from typographical and various other sais- takes resulting from ignorance.
The ouly other way in which a reason can be advanced to account for the fallacy of this dis- covery is, that what they saw were all ice-<slands, incorporated with earth, similar to the one which I have mentioned having seen far to the southward.
Having thus brought to a conclusion, what J consider a subject of interest to hydrographieal science, viz. the ascertaining the non-existence of these islands, I now return to our own posi- tien, when by reason -of foggy weather -we were unable to get sight of the Shag Rocks.
' ‘We proceeded to the westward under as much sail as we could carry ; but the wind was so con- tinually shifting between S.W. and N.'W. that we made'but little-progress: and our only advan- tage was. obtained ‘by ‘tacking as the wind shifted, for however short'a time. ‘The fore-topsail was. almost constantly -close-reefed, and frequently furled. ‘Our-consert-continued in-company, and
: +! 3@98 DF SOWSPRIT: 75
we inegdected no opportunity of making westing, (On the.22d of April, our Jatitude by observation was 56° 15’, and longitude by -chronceasters 46° 49’, by D. R. 47° 11.
. Dating the 23d and 2#th, we had the wind from east 60 sonth; but at noon ef the 24th x shifted sto the S.W. The weather confmued to be wery unsettled; and the wind .often shitt- ing, and :continuing to blow hard, prodwced a gea.so irregular, that several of our shrouds and backsteys ‘were ‘carried away ; and but for the precuution I‘had taken, of having equal -to three additional shrouds on a side, to the lower «nasta, we certainly should have lost them. Sailing in the neighbourhood of the supposed Auroras, with long nights and heavy gales, would have caused great anxiety had we not been previously satisfied of their non-existence; and I certainly felt gratified at deriving this benefit from the pains I had formerly taken to ascertain that cir- cumstance.
On the 3d, at noon, it blew a heavy gale at W.S, W. and we lay to. In the afternoon our consort lost her bowsprit, by a heavy sea passing over it, though only a small part of it was then without the bows. We fortunately had a spar, with which we supplied her, when the weather became moderate.
On the 2d of May, at noon, our latitude by
6 ARRIVAL ‘AT ‘THE ‘FALKLANDS.
observation ‘was 58° 44’, and ‘longitude by~chro- ‘nometers -59° 27’, ‘and ‘by D.R. 61° 6. The ‘weather ‘was still boisterous; but every interval, during which sail could be made, ‘was gladly embraced ; and the following day, at 11 o'clock, ‘we saw the island of Beauchene, bearing N.W., by W. distant 5 leagues. We proceeded to the -westward, ‘along the south side of the Falklands, and, owing to a succession of adverse gales, and ‘a strong easterly current, we did not get into ‘harbour till the 11th of May, when we came to ‘anchor in New Island, at the west end of the Falklands. oe
CHAP. IV.
DEATH OF A . SEAMAN ; SUPERSTITIONS. — FALKLAND ‘ISLANDS. — CAPTAIN BARNARD’S NARRATIVE OF HIS
: SOLITARY. RESIDENCE ON NEW. ISLAND. — LOSS. OF THE
. CORVETTE , L URANIE. — MUTINY. ON BOARD THE HE- ROIND. — FALKLAND ISLANDS TAKEN POSSESSION OF BY CAPTAIN: JEWITT, . FOR. THE .PATRIOT _.GOVERNMENT ..OF BUENOS AYRES.
My intention being to winter hére, I ‘chose an anchorage in Quaker Harbour, in Swan Island, for our winter quarters, struck the brig’s top- masts, and made her secure in all respects against the heavy gales which might be expected. The cutter I kept efficient, for the purpose of pursu- ing our business.
It would be tedious to narrate minutely our daily proceedings, I shall therefore mention only what particularly occupied my attention.
Our cooper and carpenters constructed estab- lishments on shore for carrying on their respect- ive duties, and our general harbour arrangements were made. JI jwas particular in observing the. winds and weather, as I was quite aware that few people are acquainted with the nature of this climate. An abstract of these observations I shall give in another place.
In order to avoid the necessity of shortening the voyage, on account of provisions, I reduced
"8 DEATH OF A SEAMAN.
each man’s allowance, in both vessels, to half a pound of salt meat per day; four pounds of bread, one pint of flour, three half pints of oatmeal, and the same of peas, for each man, per week. The want of flesh meat was made’ up with what a hunting party could procure, together with the gees¢ found on the shores; which, thongh excessively fishy, were well relished with akeen appetite.
On the 18th of June, on returning to the brig, from a cruize in the Beaufoy, I received the dis- tressing information of'a man having died in my absence. His name was Francisco Antonio: he was a native of Terciera, one of the western islands. It appeared that John Atkinson, the car- penter, had done every thing for him which his incompetent skill in physic, though prompted by a feeling heart, could suggest ; but without avail, ‘The deceased had been several months in a cone sumption, and was likewise subject to cramp in the bowels; of which it appeared he had died, By the time I arrived, he had been dead three days, and the carpenter had prepared a coffin, The ceremony of interment now only remained, which we immediately performed in Swan Island. I read the funeral service of the Engr’ lish church over the body; and, to mark out the spot, we placed a board ‘at the head of the
grave.
SUPERSTIBION OF SEAMEN. 73
. Tiae death: of. this man.made. such: a melan- choly impzession on the mind of the cooper in particular, theé his health was.a good deal im- paired. He had been about the deceased during his illness, and was present at. his death ; and, having oly the company.of the carpenter aad 4 boy, in an uninhabited country, with no variety whieh might .bave diverted. his attention fsona ‘ the contemplation of so mournful an event, a wedknesg of mind was the eonsequence.; Such © feelings, when: they produce mental. imbecility, ’ eertainly should be discouraged; but they are generally preferable to a careless and callous disregard of - the fate of others, and the selemn consideration of futurity. Our dog, too, was ab- served to jump. into the sleeping-cabin of the deceased, and to exhibit actions which were:con- sidered as bearing a very mysterious significa- tion. Sailors are generally believed to be super- stiious ; and certainly it is. surprising that thase men, who feel undaunted amidst the slanghter of « hard-fought battle, should tremble with the epposite extreme of cowardice at the idea of a ghost or hobgoblin. These impressiona, ne doubt, take their rise from the practice of anilers amusing. ene another with frightful steries on their still and dark night-watches.
. Durmg the detter end of July, and the months of August and September, we had several heavy
80 FALKLAND -ISLANDS.'-
gales from the. southward, with snow-;: but‘it seldom: remained longer on the ground than. .. twenty-four hours, except. on the tops: ‘of . the - highest. mountains. ;
Finding that our cargoes could not be come. pleted here, I resolved on going to South Shet- land ; and accordingly, in September, we refitted - both. vessels, .and moved them westward.12 miles, to New Island. :
On; the 7th of October, having prepared, but. with scanty means, for.a.southern navigation,’ we weighed the anchors, and proceeded towards: - South Shetland. '
Having ‘spent two winters among. the Falkland Islands, .and visited nearly all ‘their harbours, :I - may venture to speak of them with the expect-' . ation of advancing something that may be useful — to strangers. .
This uninhabited group, which is now gene- . rally known by the name of the Falkland Islands, consists of nearly ninety islands, lying between the - latitude of 51°: and 32° 45’ S., and between lon- . gitude 57° 20’ and 61°40’ W. Two of them are | of considerable extent, and these (the two main islands, from which the others take their name, ) are properly called the East and West Falklands. The western island is by much the largest; but is ‘so indented, that its exact size-cannot be easily ascertained. . _Its greatest length, from N. E.-to -
THE . FALKLAND ISLANDS. 81
5. W. is nearly 100. miles; and its greatest breadth about 50. The eastern island, the length of which from N.E. to S.W. is about '78 miles, and its greatest breadth 47, is also so indented, that in one place two bays nearly meet.
Between the two main islands the sound is from 7 to 12 miles. broad ; and many of the smaller islands are situated in it. This channel is navi- gable for ships of any size, and by attending to the best chart, which is that of Lieutenant Ed- gar, it may be passed through with safety, as all the dangers are there laid down. I cannot omit this. opportunity of bearing my strongest testi- mony to the accuracy with which Lieutenant. Edgar has delineated the coast of the western main island, and the surrounding small ones of this group. ' ;
Not being personally acquainted with the au- thor, I am induced. to recommend his chart en- tirely by the experience I have had of its great utility, during the many dark and stormy nights which I have passed among’ these’ islands. . The harbours in this sound I have anchored in, and have found them commodious, and, indeed, equal. to any in the world. On the northern coast of the western island there are many entrances; the principal one is that leading to Port Egmont, and — which may be seen from some. distance at sea.
G
82 THE FALKLAND ISLANDS.
By keeping the opening about S.E. by S.. (by compass), it may be sailed into without risk.
About 9 miles N.N.W. from the entrance lie two islets; by passing within half a mile of the western side of these the course will be about S.S.E. 4 E.
The English settlement was made at this port, but certainly the site was ill chosen. The ruins of part of the town still remain, and stand on the south side of a mountain not less than 600 feet high. The settlers had extended their gardens seemingly to the westward of this mountain, but during the winter the solar rays must have beer almost lost to them throughout the greater part of the day. How such a bleak and unpropitious situation could have been their choice, I am at a loss to understand, unless it were on account of the anchorage.
The harbour is spacious even to a fault; for its enormous size, during strong winds, renders the communication with the shore inconvenient. The best anchorage is immediately off the creek at the foot of the ruins bearing N.N.W., in9 fathoms water, about three fourths of a mile from the shore. Off the east point of the creek runs a reef which is marked out by the kelp. The bottom here is so tough, that, after having broke -many blocks and handspokes, I was obliged to
THE FALKLAND ISLANDS. 83
heave the vessel close down at low water, and wait for the tide to flow the anchor out of the ground. —
The best watering place is at the head of the creek, and the most expeditious and convenient method of obtaining water is to fill the casks’ at low water mark, and raft them off to the vessel. Fuel, the next necessary article, may be obtained by digging peat, about a hundred yards above the top of the creek ; but it requires drying, and is not so good as is to be found at some other places.
The tide flows here at 10 minutes past*7 o’clock on the full and change of the moon, and rises about 9 feet. A few years ago refreshments were plentiful in this port, as there were many hogs, which had been left by the settlers, run- ning wild on Saunders’ Island; but they are now nearly extinct. Upland geese, which a few years ago were very numerous, are now scarcely to be found ; so.that the only supplies which may be expected are ducks and geese which feed on fishy substances on the shores, and thus very soon become nauseous to the taste, - It is proper thus to mention what the islands are capa- ble of affording now, for the reports of several years ago do not apply to the present time. An instance of this occurred in the case of a French ship which arrived at Port Egmont in
G 2
84 THE FALKLAND ISLANDS.
the year 1820, for a cargo of seal skins and oil. The captain was a lieutenant in the French navy, and his ship was elegantly and expensively fitted out. It appeared that the voyage was projected upon the foundation of his father having, forty- two years before, been at this port, and at that time found the beaches lined with sea elephants and seals. The son expected the same to be still the case; but as none were to be found, he abandoned the voyage, with great loss, no doubt, to his employers.
The mistake of Commodore Byron as to the. fecundity of the seal might be easily fallen into. He says, (vide Byron’s Voyage, ) ‘* We were not surprized at meeting with such a great number of seals, when we afterwards found that they had sometimes 18 or more at a litter. Sea lions of a prodigious size are also found on the coast. We had many battles with this amphibious ani- mal, the killing one of which was frequently an hour’s work for six men.”
The seal, as is now known, brings forth or- dinarily not more than one at a time ; and I may remark a circumstance which might cause the Commodore to fall into error in his conclusions on this subject. ‘The disproportion between the large male and female seal is nearly as great as between a cow and her calf. One large male, like the grand seignor, has frequently when on
w=
THE FALKLAND ISLANDS. 85
the beach from 15 to 20 females under his im- mediate dominion. These, from: their compara- tive smallness, might by -the Commodore. be easily taken for the young, and the-male for the mother. | | - With regard to the killing of the sea lion-(pro- perly the sea elephant), itis. now to one man, acquainted: with the practice, the work of three minutes; but without stabbing it in-the heart, or breaking its brain, the feat is so difficult that probably as long a time would be requisite as that mentioned by Byron.
The next: principal anchorage to Port Egmont
’ is West Point Harbour; which ‘lies at-the western
extremity of the south land of Berkeley’s Sound. The chart accurately exhibits. two-passages to this anchorage; one by the north, the other by the south. The Jason Islands lie to the N.W.,
and are--much in. the way of the southern ap-
proach. Strangers should be.careful to avoid these islands in. the night-time, or in unsettled weather, .as the tide runs so-strong and irregular. through them as. to render a ship almost un- manageable. ‘The south passage to West. Point Harbour is easily made by being careful when coming from the westward to haul. close.round West Point Island, so as: to enter the gut or chan-. nel: by neglecting this precaution, with the wing from:the. westward,. you may fall to leeward of 6 3
86 THE FALKLAND ISLANDS.
the passage, and find it difficult to work out of the lee bays, into which there is frequently a heavy westerly swell rolling. The latitude of the an- chorage is 51° 24’ 15”, and the longitude by a number of deductions from celestial observations and chronometers 60° 36’ 30”. The best an- chorage is abreast of a small cove on the south side of the harbour in five fathoms, over a bot- tom of sand and mud. The velocity of the tide is. scarcely perceptible in this situation, though it rises about 9 feet by the shore, and it flows on the full and change of the moon at 30 minutes past 7 in the morning. Water may be procured at the top of the cove; and at the head of the harbour there is also a water run, in which mul- lets may be caught by building a fish wire. This kind of refreshment is abundant during the spring and autumn of this hemisphere, both here and at Beaver Island, as also at Little Port Eg- mont, a bay in the west side of the passage to Port Egmont. Rock ord have been likewise caught on the north shore of Swan Island, but they are very scarce. West Point Island has a cove, in which we lay during two winter months in 1820; but it is not large enough for general convenience. At the west end of the island is a rookery (if I may call it so) of the small alba- tross, which in October affords a good supply of eggs. Some brush-wood grows around the cove,
THE FALKLAND ISLANDS. 87
but it is too sniall to be of use, eve as-fuel. In
coming through the gut from the .southward. with the ebb tide, which runs to the N.E. with
great rapidity, the great harbour when opened must be hastily entered to avoid being swept to the: northward by the tide.
From the south entrance of the gut, North Island lies S. 25° W. distant 22 miles. New Island I consider the most easy of access of any
in.the western quarter. Ship Harbour, which is: commodious, -lies in latitude 51° 42’ 36’, and —
longitude 61° 9’; Though by difference of time
from’ Cape Horn, the longitude of which I
make by lunar observations and time-keepers 67° 13’ 45”, it will be 61° 15’. The mean 61° 9’
may, however, be nearer the truth. In coming: from the westward in the latitude of 51° 42’, New. Islarid may be easily distinguished by its being.
the most northerly large island of that cluster, and ‘by two small islands lying at the north end,
called Saddle Island and North Island: between.
these, and the north end of New Island, is a clear passage ; but in strong winds the tide rip-
ples violently, which, however, I have passed |
through without accident.
Ship Harbour being the anchorage in this island the most to be recommended, I shall ob- serve that in proceeding to it with a strong west- erly wind, as rounding the north end. of the
G4
ee WR eee ee
88 THE FALKLAND ISLANDS.
island, the sail on the ship should be particularly . attended to, as the gusts of wind off the high: land blow with great violence.. With the wind at S.W. the south passage may be chosen. A. cluster, called Seal Rocks, lie off the south end: of New Island, between which and the rocks is: the best passage, and by keeping without the edge off the kelp, which lies off a short distance from the end of the island, there is no danger.. The small round islands, on the eastern side of. New Island, have good channels within, and between them Ship Harbour is the third bay from the south, and may be easily recognised, . by having a small island, which I called Ship: Island, init. Behind this is the best anchorage in seven fathoms water, in a bottom of stiff clay;. with the south point of Ship Island bearing’ . S.E., covering the S.E. point of the bay. The anchorage is perfectly land-locked. :
The want of wood on these islands would be a great inconveniency, were it not that good peat is very abundant. On Ship Island it is in- exhaustible: I have burnt many tons, and found: it an excellent substitute for coal. In order to get it dry, it is necessary te pull it from the sides of the pit, not very deep ; and as there are seve- ral peat holes, by working them alternately the material may be procured in a state fit for use.
HE FALKLAND ISLANDS. 89
- Good water may be obtained at a sandy beach abreast of the anchorage; but the well from which the water is generally taken is so near’ the beach that high tides render it brackish. Owing to this circumstance we found,-when‘at séa, that several of our casks of water were undrinkable. The well or pool might with little trouble be made eight or ten yards higher on the bank, and the water be passed to the casks with buckets.
. This island .is mountainous, ‘and its’ western side presents a range of frightful precipices, one of which is 550 feet above the sea, which. in westerly storms beats agamst its base with ex- traordinary violence. The eastern side, on the contrary, falls sloping into points forming bays. The length of the island is, from north to south, about seven miles, and the mean breadth about two and a half. . :
- New Island is remarkable for having been for two years the solitary residence of a Captain J. Barnard, an American, whose vessel: was run away. with in the year 1814, by the crew of an English ship, which, on her passage: from Port Jackson, had been wrecked on ‘the south side of these islands. I met with Captain Barnard in 1821, at the place of his exile, and his conversa- tion naturally turned to that subject, which, be- ing interesting, ‘“ I greedily devoured.” A
gO SOLITARY RESIDENCE OF
particular account of this residence on an un- inhabited island would not fail of being consider ed almost as wonderful as the celebrated fiction of Robinson Crusoe, since there was a .great similarity in their situations. The principal. in- cidents attendant upon this event were as fol- lows : Captain Barnard was at New Island with his vessel in the performance of a voyage for seal furs, and when on the south side of the islands, he met with the crew of the wrecked English ship. Their number might be about 30, including several passengers, some of whom were ladies, He kindly took them to his vessel, and treated them with all the hospitality which their destitute situation required. Captain Bar- nard was from America, with which England was then at war, and this circumstance created doubts as tothe sincerity of their friendly inten- tions to one another, though he had promised to land them on his passage home at some port in the Brazils. |
Owing to the additional number of people, hunting parties were frequently sent out to pro- cure supplies, and when the Captain, with four of his people, were on an excursion of this kind, the wrecked crew cut the cable, and in defiance of the Americans, who were on board, ran away with the ship to Rio Janeiro ; whence they pro- ceeded to North America. |
.. CAPTAIN BARNARD, G1
On Captain Barnard’s return to New Island, he was struck with astonishment at finding his ship carried off, as he had: never suspected any design of the kind. On reflection, how- ever, he soon guessed the cause ; as it was quite apparent that the fear of being taken to Ame- rica, where they would become prisoners.of war, had been the motive to the commission . of. this action, which was.a bad: return for the asylum. Captain. Barnard had afforded the perpetrators of it. . His conduct towards them, certainly,: did not justify their entertaining such a suspicion; but it seems they chose rather to act dishonour- ably than trust to his protestations, that he would land them in the Brazils.
Nothing in the. way of supplies. having. been left for poor Barnard and his four companions,, of which even the captors of his ship ought.to have thought, he was forced to consider how: they were to subsist; and recollecting that he had planted a few potatoes, they directed their attention to them, and, in the course of the se- cond season, obtained a, serviceable supply.. They hada dog which now ..and then: caught a pig ; and the eggs of the:albatross, which were stored at the proper season, with potatoes,.formed a substitute for bread, and the skins of. the seals for clothes. They built a house. of stone, still remaining on the _ island, which | was strong
04 SOLITARY RESIDENCE OF
enough to withstand the storms of. winter, and they might have been comparatively happy, but
that they were cut off from their relations and friends, without any immediate prospeet. of being
removed from the island.
- To add to the misfortunes of Captain Barnard
in being separated from: his wife and children,
his companions, over whom he exercised no au-
thority, but merely dictated what he considered: was for their mutual advantage, became impa-
tient even of this mild controul, took an oppor-
tunity to steal the boat, and he was left on the
island alone. After being thus entirely aban-
doned, ‘he spent the time in preparing clothes from the skin of the seal, and in collecting food - for winter. Once or twice.a day he used to
ascend a hill, from which there was a wide pros-
pect of the ocean, to see if any vessel ap-
proached; but always returned disappointed
and forlorn, — no ship was.to be observed. The
four sailors, in the meanwhile, having experi-
enced their own inability to provide properly
for themselves, returned to him after an abserice
of some months. He still found much diffi-
culty in preserving peace among ‘his compa-- nions; indeed one of them had planned his
death, but fortunately it was discovered in
time to be prevented. He placed this man
alone with some provisions on a small island in
CAPTAIN BARNARD. -: 93
Quaker Harbour, and in the course of three weeks so great a change was made on his mind, that when Captain Barnard took him off, he was worn down with reflection on his crimes, and truly: penitent. |
They were now attentive to the advice of their commander, and: the above-mentioned offender became truly religious and. exemplary in his behaviour. In this way they continued to live, occasionally visiting the neighbouring island in search of provisions, till the end of two years, when they were taken off in the month of - December, 1815, by an English whaler bound for the Pacific. Captain Barnard informed me, that a British man of war had been sent ex- pressly from Rio Janeiro to take them off, but by some accident: the vessel, though at the islands, - did not fall in with them.
I have already made such observations on the navigation of this division of the islands, as I considered essentially necessary for the direc- tion of strangers, as well as for general inform- ation, and I shall now say something in regard to the eastern main island. The principal port: has many names, but that by which it is generally known is: Port Louis, at the head of Berkeley’s Sound. It is situated at the eastern extremity of the island, and the anchorage is off the ruins of Saint Louis, 12 miles’ from the en-
94 THE FALKLAND ISLANDS;
trance of the sound. The remains of about 30 houses, which had been well built, are still standing. ‘They appear to have been erected by French emigrants from St. Maloes, about the year 1764. These industrious and enterprising people, after having made considerable. pro- gress in fertilising the ground, were displaced by the Spaniards, who claimed the islands. They, however, partly through political motives, that it might not be of consequence enough to become a bone of contention and involve them with other powers, or probably on account of their having vast possessions in other parts of the globe, neglected the improvement of the
country, and latterly entirely abandoned it. . It is matter of regret that these French emigrants were not allowed to remain, as a settlement at this point of the South Atlantic would evidently afford great facilities to navigation. ‘The exten- sive tracts of ground, well clothed with grass, and the quantity of fine cattle running wild on the island, are sufficient proofs of its being a country that. might be settled to advantage. The winters are mild, the temperature being seldom so low as the freezing point. Several of my crew, indeed, went without stockings during the greater part of the winters we spent there. The south wind, however, is cold and stormy, but it is not frequent: the prevailing
FRENCH AND SPANISH POSSESSORS. 95
winds are between S.W. and N.W., which, blow- ing from thé coast of Patagonia, are comfortably temperate. .
This climate appears to be in.general much more temperative now than it was forty years ago, the cause of which may probably be, . that immense bodies of ice were then annually found in the latitude of 50°.. This ice, passing to the northward, between the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, would necessarily lower the temperature of both air. and water, and con- sequently an unfavourable opinion of the climate was produced. .
During the three voyages which I have made in these seas, I have never seen southern ice drifting to the northward of .South Georgia. Great changes must, therefore, have taken place in the south polar ice; but this I leave for con- jecture, upon the data which the appearance of the sea at the utmost southern limit of my voys. age affords.
. The harbour of Port Louis lies in latitude 51° 32’, and longitude 58° 3’ 30’. Theentrance of the bay, which is formed on one side by the N.E. point of the main island, is immediately seen on approaching within a few miles; and to Hog Island, about seven miles up the bay, -the passage. is quite open. On drawing near this island, two large beds of kelp will be observed,
96 LOSS OF THE
between which is a passage running about W. by N. I have sounded among this kelp, and found from seven to ten fathoms; but as there may be rocks interspersed, it should not be passed through with a ship. The channel to the anchorage off the ruins may be seen,.. by re- ferring to the plan which I took, with as much accuracy as my peculiar circumstances would allow.. | . Off the N.E. point of the bay there is a ledge above water, called the Volunteer Rocks, and N.E. by E., about three quarters of a mile from the point, lies a sunken rock, upon which a French frigate was lost in February, 1820. AsI was. among the islands at the time, and on the spot soon affer it happened, I had an opportu- nity of ascertaining the circumstances attending this disaster, which were these : — ~Commodore Freycenet had performed a voy- age of science almost round the world, and after having spent nearly three years, was returning home when this distressing accident happened. It appeared that the abruptness of the coast had inspired them with confidence in approaching it ; and they had incautiously hauled ‘within three quarters of a mile of a point called the Volun- teer Rocks, where there is always a strong ripple of the tide. Being near high water at the time, the break over the rock was not visible, and the 15
Neen ue “\ é
o o yronwee o”
SAINE TST CAE THT bt om ur ‘TINOOS CITTEUTS. — wp de ILD
Mig
=o —ig es. ot i nein Rete OPS 2 ey We ee 8 —_ me re ee) ee sa oes Ree.
EORVETTE L’URANIE. - OF
ship struck upon this point,.and soon beat a hole in her bottom. She, however, presently slid off into deep water, and the pumps were necessarily set in motion, but were not sufficient to keep her free. The Commodore hoped to save his vessel by laying her on the ground well up the bay, and had actually reached a sandy beach, about ten miles from where she had struck; but the water having gained over the mess-deck, and the tide being down, she took the ground in such deep water, that the. mess deck was constantly covered,. which cut off all prospects of recover- ing her.. He had prudently secured a quantity of provisions, while sailing up the bay ; and with these, and every other useful movable, the crew got safe to land.. It was several weeks before they knew. of any ship being at the island; and in the. mean time.they had commenced building a small.vessel out of the wreck. .
As they had saved but. about two months’ provisions, these were reserved for their passage to the.main’;. and their present support was. de- rived from hunting only.. Fortunately, it is on this
maloon.or island that bullocks and horses are
found running wild. Of both these they. shot many ; but as there were .160 people to. feed, the difficulty.of taking a sufficient number, owing to their fleetness, caused so scanty a supply, that
datterly the crew was reduced to feed on the sea
ae pH _ othe® fishy meats, ex- nits ® qelicate stomach. They
i¢ wat ens ee "wed from their distressed
f ae A nt er erica sloop, which, in pass- cr ae * wd went to their assistance. aes we “ hee ch this sloop was a tender, lay at
ws ip © + hat vont, and I, at the same time, lay west point assel ot Port Egmont. The French ee not knowing that any other vessel it he islands, sent an officer in the sloop to at West Point, to treat with the captain
ihe i ip - a passage in his vessel to the main. The pop, on her way, passed through, and anchored in Port Egmont, and the master, who was the chief mate of the ship, came on board, but did not mention the wreck, or that he had a French officer along with him: on the contrary, he cun- ningly prevented this officer from calling upon me, evidently for the purpose of avoiding com- petition in getting the passage-freight of these unfortunate people. A few days afterwards I moved the Jane up to West Point harbour, where the General Knox lay, and soon learnt the particulars of the stranded ship. A schooner, also attached to the General Knox, arriving from the wreck, brought the news of a patriot ship, and a South seaman, homeward bound, having arrived at Port Louis; and as secrecy could no longer be preserved, and the schooner was to
CORVETTE L’URANIE. 99.
return to Port Louis, I immediately procured a passage for the purpose of purchasing provisions from the homeward-bound whaler. On my ar- rival at Port Louis, I found the two ships at an- chor ; the patriot ship was named the Mercury ; the whaler, the Sir Andrew Hammond, com- manded by Captain W. Hales — with this gen- tleman I took up my quarters. I was soon in- formed that the French commodore had nego- ciated a passage with the captain of the Mer- cury to take them to Buenos Ayres. What the sum was I never learned; but Captain Orne, of the’ American ship, had for himself named 20,000 dollars, a large sum from people in dis- tress. I do.not, however, suspect Captain Orne of a want of sympathy in the sufferings of others, - for I respect him much for many virtues he pos- sesses, and rather attribute his apparent extor- tion to an idea of the ability of the owners to be liberal.
As the Commodore was now informed of my vessel being in the islands, in order to remove any impression he might have received of my indifference as to his situation, in not having appeared in the competition for his relief, I addressed a letter to him, explaining how very lately I had come to the knowledge of his situ- ation, and how much I I regretted not t having had
98 ' LOSS OF THE
elephant, penguins, and other fishy meats, ex- tremely offensive to a delicate stomach. They were at length relieved from their distressed ‘situation by an American sloop, which, in pass- ing, saw them, and went to their assistance. The ship to which this sloop was a tender, lay at West Point harbour, and I, at the same time, lay with my vessel at Port Egmont. The French commodore not knowing that any other vessel was in the islands, sent an officer in the sloop to the ship at West Point, to treat with the captain for a passage in his vessel to the main. The sloop, on her way, passed through, and anchored in Port Egmont, and the master, who was the chief mate of the ship, came on board, but did not mention the wreck, or that he had a French officer along with him: onthe contrary, he cun- ningly prevented this officer from calling upon. me, evidently for the purpose of avoiding com- petition in getting the passage-freight of these unfortunate people. A few days afterwards I moved the Jane up to West Point harbour, where the General Knox lay, and soon learnt the particulars of the stranded ship. A schooner, also attached to the General Knox, arriving from the wreck, brought the news of a patriot ship, and a South seaman, homeward bound, having arrived at Port Louis; and as secrecy could no longer be preserved, and the schooner was to
CORVETTE L’URANIE. 99.
return to Port Louis, I immediately procured a passage for the purpose of purchasing provisions from the homeward-bound whaler. On my ar- rival at Port Louis, I found the two ships at an- chor ; the patriot ship was named the Mercury ; the whaler, the Sir Andrew Hammond, com- manded by Captain W. Hales — with this gen- tleman I took up my quarters. I was soon in- formed that the French commodore had nego- ciated a passage with the captain of the Mer- cury to take them to Buenos Ayres. What the sum was I never learned ; but Captain Orne, of the’ American ship, had for himself named 20,000 dollars, a large sum from people in dis- tress. I do.not, however, suspect Captain Orne of a: want of sympathy in the sufferings of others, - for I respect him much for many virtues he pos-_ sesses, and rather attribute his apparent extor-
tion to an idea of the ability of the owners to be
liberal. ’
. AS the Commodore was now informed of my vessel being in the islands, in order to remove any impression he might have received of my indifference as to his situation, in not having appeared in the competition for his relief, I addressed a letter to him, explaining how very lately I had come to the knowledge of his situ-- ation, and how much I regretted not having had
“H 2 :
100 LOSS OF THE
it in my power to offer my. services much ear- lier. He sent me the following answer, which I annex, in order to show that my backwardness arose, not from inattention, but from ignorance of his misfortune : — :
“© Malouines Islands, 24th April, 1820.
«¢ Sir,
‘* The obliging, but unfortunately t too late offer, which you vouchsafed to make me, by your letter of this day, causes me to regret, most sensibly, the not having had sooner an under- standing with you. I would have desired above all things to have negociated with the captain of an English vessel, where my situation required that attention to which others, less friends of loyalty and science, could not be sensible. I wish not to know why you have been but so lately informed of the disaster which befell the. corvette l’Uranie ; probably, ‘Sir, you may dis- cover, without much difficulty, what sordid ava- rice could devise to keep you in this ignorance. In short, Sir, Iam on the point of sailing, and. it is proper that I should follow the course which. fortune hasbeen pleased to mark out. '
‘¢ T wish, Sir, that you may realise every expect-. ation that.you have formed, and procure. those. advantages which you should of right attain. Accept, I beg of you, with all devotion, those —
CORVETTE L’URANIE. 101
assurances: of distinguished consideration, with which I have the honour to be, ss Sir, | ‘«‘ Your very humble ‘¢ And very obliged Servant, (Signed) L. pe FreyceEner.”
I afterwards had a conversation with Captain _Freycenet, in his state-room, and from his con- versation, which was in English, I perceived that he was much affected by his late misfortunes; his health, no doubt, had been impaired by the inconveniences with which he had to struggle, and the aggravation of having been cast on shore _— after a long and fatiguing voyage ; but he enjoyed the sympathising consolation of his lady, who was young and very agreeable. I dined in company with them, and the extreme vivacity of Madame F. seemed well to accord with’ the character of the French fair: it was: reported, that in the ‘midst of . the greatest danger and confusion, she retained a most surprising firmness and com- posure of mind ; resembling in this, according to _ all-accounts, the unexampled fortitude of many French ladies during that murderous period of the French Revolution, when their dearest friends | and relations were torn from them by merciless
-.. assassins,
. The Commodore generously presented .me H 3.
102 , FALKLAND ISLANDS
with a small vessel which he had made here frons the ship’s launch, with a bill of gift. Captam Hales supplied them with bread, and several other articles they required, for which, however, the purser wished to pay him with the old stores of the wreck; but le warmly refused any re- compence, and wrote the commander a letter, stating, that he would consider his acceptance of such an offer to be an act of meanness, and observing that his owners, he was sure, would highly approve of any assistance he might ren- der, without exacting payment.
At length, final and honourable arrangements were made, and Commodore Freycenet sailed with his officers and men to the river Plate, where they arrived in safety.
To return to our remarks on these islands.
The settlers, when they abandoned the eastern island, left behind them several horses and horned cattle, which have increased so much that on going a few miles into the country droves of both animals may be seen. I have taken seve- ral of the bullocks by shooting them. They are generally ferocious, and will attack a single per- ' son; and thus those who hunt them are enabled to get within pistol-shot of them by the follow- ing stratagem: four or five men advance in a line upon the animal, and by appearing only as one’person, it stands ready to attack, till within
CLAIMED BY BUENOS AYRES. 108
100 yards, ‘when the hunters spread themselves, and fire, endeavouring to shoot the bullock either in the head or in the fore-shoulder. The horses will also attack a single person, and their mode of doing so, is by forming a circle round him, and prancing upon: him; but by means of a titusket they may be readily dispersed.
Port St. Salvador is situated about half way on the northern side of the eastern main island ; but as it is difficult of access, I shall not particularise nor recommend it as a place of anchorage for strangers. |
While lying in this port in 1820, I had a letter brought me from the commander ofa patriot national frigate of 80 guns, then at anchor ‘in Port Louis; and to convey an idea of the kind of claim made by the South Americans to these islands, I shall subjoin his letter, with some ac-
count of his proceedings : — |
National Frigate Heroind at Port Soledad, | “ November 2. 1820. | Oy “ Sir, ; . . |
_ &.] have the honour to inform you of the cir- cumstance of my arrival at: this port, commis- sioned by the supreme government of the United ~ Provinces of South America to. take possession of these islands in the name of the. country to which they naturally appertain.
‘‘ In the performance of this duty, it is my
H 4
104 - FALKLAND ISLANDS
desire to act towards all friendly flags with -the most distinguished justice and politeness.
‘‘ A principal object is to prevent the wanton destruction of the sources of supply to those whose necessities compel or invite them to visit the islands, and to aid’ and assist such as require it to obtain a supply with the least trouble and expense.
-« As your views do not enter into contraven- tion or competition with these orders, and as. I think mutual advantage may result from a per- sonal interview, I invite you to pay me a visit: on board my ship, where I shall be happy to accom- modate you during your pleasure.
‘“‘ T would also beg you, so far as comes within your sphere, to communicate this information to other British subjects ‘in this vicinity. I have the honour to be, Lo.
‘¢ Sir, ‘¢ Your most obedient humble Servant, ‘¢ (Signed) JEWITT,
“ Colonel of the marine of the United Pro- vinces of South America, and commander of the frigate Heroind.” ‘
The following morning I walked over a dis- tance of '7 or 8 miles to Port Louis, where the frigate lay ; and finding a boat on shore, ob- tained a passage on board. Captain Jewitt re-
CLAIMED BY BUENOS A¥RES. 105
ceived me with great politeness,’ and notwith- standing the mutilated and worn out state of’ his ship and crew, he assumed an-air of power and authority beyond my expectation. He told me his business was to take. possession of the Falk- land Islands for. his government, and that every thing necessary for an establishment would: be procured from Buenos Ayres so soon as-he could purchase a cutter, of which there were several among the islands. It evidently appeared, how- ever, that his principal business was to refresh his crew ; for never, since the time of Lord Anson, perhaps, had an instance occurred where the scurvy had been so destructive to a ship’s com- pany. Though they had been: at sea about eight. months only, and had frequently during that time been supplied with vegetables from the Cape de Verds, this dreadful disease was making rapid progress among those unfortunate . people... The patient was seized first about the knees, and the malady rapidly rising to the stomach, caused dissolution in 36 or 40 hours. During the first days of their arrival here, they died to the number of 5 or 6 ina day. . I was glad to give any inform- ation in regard to the country, which might be the means of assisting in the recovery of these poor men ; arid by the use of fish, wild fowl, and indi- genous and other vegetables, I had the pleasure of seeing them soon become convalescent. The sick
106 MORTALITY FROM SCURVY.
were landed at the ruins of the town of St. Louis ; and though there were no roofs to the houses, they found an immense oven in which they were well sheltered from the weather. ‘The comple- ment of men, when the ship sailed from Buenos Ayres eight months before, was 200: they had not now more than 30 seamen and 40 soldiers fit to do duty ; 50 had been put on board a prize, so that about 80 were either sick or had died of the scurvy.
- Understanding that I could conduct his ship up the sound, for he was then 6 miles below the proper anchorage, the commander begged the favour of me to mové her: his extreme politeness required some return: but in addition to that consideration, I saw he was much in want of men, and conceived it possible that if I were unaccommodating, he might entice my crew, or perhaps force them into his service,—lI therefore determined to make him my friend by exchang- ing civilities.
I chose the time for proceeding up the sound, and the anchors were weighed, but with diffi- culty, the officers being obliged to assist at the capstan. I at length brought the frigate to a safe anchorage off the ruins of St. Louis. The day being too far spent to reach my own ship before dark, Captain Jewitt invited me to remain on board during the night. I accepted his invita-
NARRATIVE OF A MUTINY. 107
tion; and during the course of the evening he gave me an account of a mutiny which had hap- pened about three months before, when they were a few degrees to the north of the equator. | . The’ circumstances which I considered inter- esting he related nearly as follows: —The neces- sity for having an effective crew, and the impos- sibility of getting men all of good characters, had induced him to take some out of the com- mon prison. Among these was a man who had attempted the capture of a small vessel with specie on board, lying at anchor at the river Plata; but the night being dark, he had, fortu- nately for the owner of the money, mistaken the vessel, and got on board a national schooner, where he was seized and committed to gaol. Captain Jewitt saw that this man was a bold, fearless. character, but persuaded himself, that, under judicious direction, he might be made use- ful ; and he therefore determined to take him as a petty officer, though the governor remonstrated with him on the subject, and impressed on his mind that the prisoner was a person of the most abandoned principles. Captain Jewitt replied, he would take the risk ; and should he be guilty of mutiny, he would shoot him. The governor’s anticipation turned out to be correct, as will ap- pear in the sequel. They had been at sea some time without any dissatisfaction appearing among
108 NARRATIVE OF A MUTINY.
the crew: every indulgence the service would allow of was granted to them; and the officer taken from prison the captain had promoted from time to time till now he held the rank of lieu- tenant. From the day of his obtaining this promotion, the commencement of the mutiny might be dated. This villain, by being in closer intercourse with the officers, contaminated the minds of some, and thus propagated a spirit of insubordination among the seamen; so that a plan for the execution of the most horrid mur- ‘der was formed, which was prevented by a very fortuitous circumstance.
On the night of the 19th of August, Captain Jewitt was lying in his cot ruminating on the variety of. characters he had on board, when his mind became, as it were, providentially excited to the necessity of being vigilant in observing the conduct of his crew. He immediately got up, put on a dark-coloured cloak, and, unobserved, reach- ed the fore part of the gun-deck on the larboard side. Here the lights had been extinguished for the purpose of concealing the proceedings of the conspirators : — from the opposite side he overheard a party closely engaged in mutinous communications.. He was thunderstruck at dis- covering the cruel and inhuman intentions. of these wretches; but when he understood that at midnight, .it- being then 40 minutes past 11,
NARRATIVE OF A MUTINY. 109:
the scene of murder was:to commence, .and that he was to be the first victim of their barbarity, by stabbing him in his cot, he waited to hear no more, but instantly hurried back without being: perceived. He immediately sent for the cap-. tain of the troops, informed him of the state of the ship, and desired him to have the soldiers under arms as.speedily as possible. As soon as they were reported ready, he ordered two of the officers, whom he suspected, to be put in con- finement, and, at the same time, called the sea- men on deck. The soldiers were drawn up on the quarter-deck, and all the officers, in whom he could place confidence, were under arms.
At so sudden a discovery of. their horrid. designs, and the vigilant appearance of the cap- tain’s party, the mutineers became panic-struck. They, however, came aft, and Captain J . ace cused them of their crime, desiring those who. were not implicated immediately to cross over to the starboard side. A murmuring took place, as. if they intended to. oppose; but distrusting one another, they tacitly suffered the ringleaders. to be seized and secured in irons. Thus, by the. mere accident of Captain Jewitt’s having gone. forward, at that critical moment, and overhearing their villanous plot, a dreadful course of murder . was prevented. Subordination having been re-. stored, he made the necessary arrangements for.
110 NARRATIVE OF A MUTINY.
holding courts-martial, according to the forms established by the patriots of Buenos Ayres, by which the commander of a ship of war is in- vested with the power of life and death. The evidence which was here adduced implicated so many unsuspected persons, that he found mercy incompatible with the safety of the ship, and the _lives of the innocent. It appeared that their intention was to destroy all those who might be found inimical to their principal design, which was to hoist black colours, and scour the seas as pirates, making murder their principal means of safety.
At length, after the most deliberate examin- . ation of the evidence, by himself and the officers of the ship, Captain Jewitt was under the dis- tressing necessity of pronouncing sentence of death on two officers and two seamen. One of the officers was the person he had taken out of prison, and had promoted. On the day appointed for execution, a stage was erected over the star- board cat-head, and these four unfortunate men met their death by being shot. I much lamented, said Captain Jewitt, that so severe an example was necessary, and had I been a disinterested spectator, I certainly would have called aloud for their pardon ; but my peculiar situation would not allow the feelings of compassion to influence me. Here he finished his narration ; and, pre-
NARRATIVE OF A MUTINY. ill
sently, the death of his first lieutenant was ‘re- ported, to which he replied, with great compo- sure, being familiar with death in every form, ‘¢ Very well: secure his effects.” This deceased officer, he told me, was passively concerned in the mutiny; but he spared him from trial on account of his sickness.
Captain Jewitt, with great politeness ordered a cot to be slung for me on the larboard side of his sleeping cabin; and when we retired, I remarked that he slept in his trowsers, with a dirk belted round him, and a pair of pistols over his, head. As I was not provided with any such - weapons of defence, .I had only to trust for safety to a strict observance of neutrality ;..but the ship remained in peace, and I slept undis- turbed.
In a few days, he took formal possession of these islands for the ‘patriot government of Buenos Ayres, read a declaration under their colours, planted on a port in ruins, and fired a salute of twenty-one guns. On this occasion the officers were all in full uniform, being ex- actly that of our navy, which but ill accorded with the dilapidated state of the ship; but he was wise enough to calculate the effect of such parade, upon the minds of the masters of ships who were in the islands, and as he had laid | claim to the wreck of the French ship be-
112 FALKLAND ISLANDS.
fore mentioned, to the entire exclusion of several vessels which had arrived, bound to New Shetland, he was aware that an authoritative appearance was necessary. In fact, he struck such a terror on the minds of some ship-masters, lest they should be captured or robbed, that one of'them proposed taking up arms against him; but on my point- ing out to him how groundless were his fears, and introducing him to Captain Jewitt, he con- fessed his mistake, and his fears subsided. —On the 20th of November I sailed from Port Louis, and left Captain Jewitt completing . his repairs. I have since learned that he took the ship to the river Plata, and that-he is now in the Brazilian service. |
113
CHAP. V.
SAIL FROM THE FALKLANDS: VOYAGE, ICE ISLANDS, CUR- RENTS. — DIFFICULT NAVIGATION.-—— STORM AND DAN- GERS. — DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ICE IN THE NORTH- ERN AND SOUTHERN HEMISPHERES. — SPERM WHALE SEEN. — SOUTH SHETLANDS.
Havine said as much as the field of my observ- ation allows me, in the description of theseislands, and of the incidents which have of late years taken place in their vicinity, I shall now return to our having sailed from the Falklands on the 7th of October, bound to South Shetland.
At 6 P. M. we had obtained an offing, and Rodney’s Bluff bore N.E. distance about seven leagues. The wind continued blowing fresh from the north, with haze till the morning of the 11th, when it shifted suddenly into the S.W. and brought clear weather. Our latitude at noon by observation was 57° 27’, and longitude by chronometers 65° by D.R. 66° 1’; in the after- noon the wind shifted to S.S.E., and we put about. to the S.W.
At day-light of the 12th, the wind had shifted into the S. W. and blew a strong gale: at day- light of the 13th, the gale moderated, leaving a
.
114 VOYAGE: ICE ISLANDS.
heavy swell from the westward; and at noon we saw an ice-berg in the S.'W.
On the 14th, the wind was westerly ; and our latitude at noon was 58° 6’, longitude by chro- nometers 62° 46’, and by account 65° 24’: our consort kept her station, and we occasionally communicated.
- On the 15th, the wind was easterly, and blew lightly at noon. We were in latitude by observ- ation 59° 7’, by D. R. 59° 16’, and longitude by chronometers was 63° 28’, and byaccount 66° 42’. At eight A.M., of the 16th, we passed an ice island, which we estimated to be about two miles in length, and, during the night, we passed seven others. I was much surprised ‘at falling in with these, as in my two former pass sages to Shetland we had not seen one. At noon the weather was hazy, and in the after- noon, with the wind northerly, a thick fog set in. At 3" 30’ P.M. we were astonished to find ourselves upon the edge of field-ice, and close to a large ice island. We had barely room. to avoid it, the cutter hauling one way, and the brig the opposite, by which means we escaped the danger. Our latitude was now 61° 21’, and longitude by chronometers 64° 15; hence, the outer edge of the ice was ninety-five miles from the land. As I thought it might possibly be only a patch, we ran along the edge to the
ICE CURRENT. 113
E.N.E. in search of.an ‘opening ;. but after.run- ning twenty miles, and finding the ice every where quite compact, at.10 P.M. we hauled c off to the N.N.W.: :
- At day-light of the 17th, we. ‘sailed to the southward, and. in. making the ice again, we dis: covered an: opening, into which we entered.: We passect through several heavy patches, and found our latitude .at noon 61° 49’, and longitude by:
chronometers 61° 53, by. D.R. 66° 38’, produce» ing a difference or error.in reckoning. of: 165 miles:in ten days; which, after allowing one: — fourth for error, gives an..easterly current of half a mile per hour during the time specified’: but. it had not run equally. As.the. current: was evidently ..setting ‘strong to the eastward,.. I thought that the western edge of: the ice: might not be far from the part: we first ‘fell in, with) as at that time it was.so foggy that: we could not see farther than a quarter of: a mile.:: We::'aos eordingly made the appropriate signal ta the Beaufoy, and plied the vessels to the westward..
During the 18th and. 19th, we had strong and moderate breezes, alternately, from:the westward. In.. the morning of the 20th the wind. turned into the S.W., and:: blew: a fresh: gale, which brought us under close-reefed topsails ;. we con» tmued to pass along. the edge of the ice, but could find no. opening.
i 2
116 VOYAGE. .
On the 21st.the wind was moderate, and-ob- serving the. ice to have slackened considerably, : I ‘was hopeful that the last strong wind from the south-west had driven it from the land, leaving clear water, which could we attain, I judged we might reach an anchorage. I was mistaken in my conjecture, for we had not penetrated far when we found the ice too heavy for our weak barks to displace, and we were obliged to use our endeavour to return to clear water again. At. noon: we saw. James Island, . the. western island of the group bearing S. by E. by which with the difference of latitude, the distance ‘was estimated to be '70 miles. ‘The weather was-re- markably clear, and .the island being covered with snow, appeared like a white cloud in the horizon, with some dark streaks running verti- cally where the snow had been melted. |
Through the night of the 21st, not being able to find a passage to clear water, -we were under . the necessity of tacking about in a pool till day- light. ‘The extent of this pool was about a mile and a half, which as the wind was strong and the night very: dark, we found:small enough. The ice about us was what is called packed, z.-e. broken into large masses in contact with each other; and some pieces were so heavy. as ‘to - make our running against. them as dangerous as striking upon a rock. We-frequently, had it close
DIFFICULTIES. 17
_on board before we could perceive it, so that, in:fact, it would have been. safer to have entered the ice the preceding evening, and have lain in it, but that I was afraid its rolling motion would break away our guard-boards. At day-light we ‘coasted the: pool foran opening; without success, and we had only the choice of remaining, or of forcing a passage, which latter we immediately set about, under all sail, and by keeping the vessels’ heads to the northward, in the afternoon we reached clear water.
At noon our latitude by observation was 61° 30’, and. longitude by chronometers 61° 7’. By our having.made easting since noon of the day before, notwithstanding we had made 20 miles of westing by the log, it appeared that while lying in the pool during the night, we had been carried with the ice rapidly to the eastward. I was not sorry at finding this to be the case, as it afforded the prospect of reaching an anchorage to the westward of the ice. ‘The wind continued . westward, and we searched the ice for an open- ing, occasionally passing through extensive heavy patches. :
In the morning of the 26th the wind shifted to north, and the weather became foggy. We. had now got to the westward of the main ice, and at 8.A.M. the fog clearing away, we saw James, Island, bearing E. by S. 4S. distant 12
13
118 DIFFICULTIES.
Ieagues.. We immediately hauled towards an opening in the western part of the group which J had named Boyd Straits, in honour of Captain David Boyd, of the Royal Navy. We soon, however, found ourselves impeded by heavy compact ice, - and the wind freshened from N..W. .to such a degree as to oblige us to take in the. foretop-sail, and it was with difficulty. we obtained an offing.
Qn the 27th the winds were light, and the weather foggy, and as we had much heavy ice around, with a great westerly swell, our situation was hazardgus. At midnight the wind freslen- ed to a gale at west, and we lay to with the ship’ s head to the N.N.W. In this drift we fell in with many ice islands, some of which, by the heaviness of the sea around us, were rolling with the noise of an earthquake.
_ At 8 in the morning of the 28th, the wind shifted. suddenly into the S. W., and increased to a.complete hurricane... I was glad to see the Beaufoy was prepared for the worst, and by the advantage which a cutter possesses over a square- rigged vessel, in having fore and aft sails, with comparative little bulk aloft, she seemed to lie much easier than we did. Our main topsail was storm-reefed, which requiring the sheets to be eased off several feet, reduced the sail to the size of a mere napkin. The cold was intense, and in con-
STORM. | 119
sequence of the wind having shifted, the sea rang: ed on board oh the leeside, sweeping every thing
before it. A whale-boat, and every thing move able was washed off deck, and an accumulated mass of ice was ultimately left in their place. To this latter circumstance, alarming as it ap- peared at the time, may perhaps be attributed, in some measure, our preservation, as our vessel was no doubt greatly assisted by this binding of ice to withstand the shocks of an irregularly violent sea. ‘This I concluded to arise from the cohesive nature of ice, which by almost envelop- ang the vessel, prevented the fastenings from being distressed. ‘The gale continued with great violence from the-S.W. by S., and by midnight the sea had become more regular. So much ice had formed in the head, and on the fore-castle, that the vessel rose to the sea but sluggishly, and the fear of falling in with ice, kept us constantly on the alarm. In still water, little, or no ice can be formed upon the hull; but as it was with us in this instance, there was no part six feet above the deck where the sea water did not reach, and which had not a quantity of ice upon it.
The rudder was frozen fast in the trunk, and but for the little sail we had aloft, which kept the vessel steady, and fortunately was new, we should in all probability soon have been a wreck. The Beaufoy had not been seen for several
I 4
120 EFFECTS OF THE GALE AND COLD.
hours; and indeed we could have rendered no assistance one to another, although we had been together, and the occasion, ever so distressing. We had only therefore to wait with patience for the approach of day-light, and to confide in a merciful Providence for our preservation.
On the morning of the 29th, the gale mo- derated, and we were rejoiced to see from the ° ‘mast-head, the Beaufoy in the S.S.W. Many of our crew were hurt in the early part of the gale, by being thrown down, and nearly all of them were frost-bitten. They had been above a twelvemonth from home, and consequently their clothes were nearly worn out. Several of them had not a second pair of stockings or a shirt to change with ; and I had parted with every rag I could spare to remedy these inconveni- ences. Blankets were cut up to make stockings, and the pump leather had been used to mend shoes. I never, during my experience at sea, have seen an equal degree of patience and firm- ness as was exhibited by these seamen. No das- tardly request to reach a better climate was ever hinted at, but they continued in the strictest obedience and determination to make light of difficulties,
In the course of the forenoon we closed with the Beaufoy, and I was glad to hear that they had suffered no particular damage; the decks
STRIKE AGAINST AN ICE ISLAND. 121
Ahad been full of water, but she had shipped much less than the brig had done. At noon, James Island bore 8S. 4 E., distant about sixty miles. | Owing to not having found ice here in any considerable quantity, on either of my two former voyages, I was led to hope that it would speedily clear away ; and was, therefore, determined not to relinquish an object, when, perhaps, we were on the point of attaining it. | We retained an offing, in order to. repair da- | mages, sustained in the late hurricane, and to clear the ship of ice; which, however, we could not effectually.do, as the wind continued at south-south-west, producing keen frost, and; on the 30th, we. had a fresh gale. It was the Ist of November before we stood in again for the edge of the ice; and, though I fully expected that the heavy southerly winds had driven ‘it from the shore, I soon. had the mortifying prospect of finding it as compact as before, though the edge had wasted so that we’ could approach several miles nearer land. _ . We continued about this situation till the 5th, in the morning, when we were roused by strik- ing against a small island of ice. Many of these ‘were strewed around us, and we had been sail- ing among them, during the night, without dif- ficulty ; but on. my going below for a few mi-
122 ICE.
nutes, the man at the helm, in passing one, became confused, or misunderstood the direc- tions of the officer.of the deck, and put the helm the wrong way, by which the ship struck her larboard bow against the mass, with so much violence, as to throw the people out of’ their cabins. I was on deck in an instant, and directed the carpenter to sound the pump well; and in not more than two minutes after striking, he reported three feet waterin the hold. I ordered him to sound a second time, while 1 prepared . to make a signal to the Beaufoy, and to ply the pumps. Before, however, the signal could be made, he confessed that he had been mistaken in his first soundings, by the line having been wet, and that we had only the usual quantity of water. ‘The carpenter insisted on the vessel having struck the ice somewhere forward below water; but as there was no additional leakage, I passed the event into the list of defects, and gave it no farther consideration. ‘The effects of this blow afterwards appeared to have been of serious concern, for, on docking the vessel in London, a plank was found driven between two timbers in the larboard bilge.
~ On the 7th, we attained within the distance of eight leagues of James Island, and here found the ice so heavy and compact, as far to the southward as the eye could reach, that we were
VOYAGE CONTINUED. 123
obliged to stand again to the northward. Having, in the course of our endeavours to obtain a passage through the ice, struck against several masses with great violence, I took advantage of this comparatively fine day to lower the boat, and examine the extent of the damage we had sustained. We found the bends considerably injured, and the outer part of the stem broken. The swell ‘of the sea did not permit us to do any thing by way of repairing at this time, and,' as we made but little more than the usual quantity of water, we felt no alarm at our situation.
Towards evening, the wind freshened from the N.E., and put the’ outer part of the ice in motion towards the west; we, therefore, stood to the N.N.W. under ‘easy sail, to prevent our being taken by it. — ,
During the 8th and 9th, we made various efforts to open a passage to the land, but without success.
At 8 A.M. of the 10th, James Island bore S. 4 E. distant about 40 miles. At 1°30’ P. M. I took eleven. sights of distance between the sun and moon, and then deduced the longitude of | the east end of James Island to be 62° 16’.. On the 11th, ‘as the ice appeared somewhat thinner towards the E.S.E., I thought it possible that we might reach the anchorage of New Plymouth
124 ICE ISLANDS.
Harbour ; and we accordingly made the attempt, but without success, as we had not penetrated more than seven or eight miles before both vessels became immoveable. ‘The cutter having come up among the loose ice we had displaced, ranged alongside. We had now forty ice islands around us, and most of them were in motion from under currents, As it was as much out of our power to return as to go forward, we furled the sails. My attention was principally directed to the movements of these masses, as some of them were going westerly to: windward, and the packed ice in which we were beset had an easterly motion. ‘The wind was strong from the S.W. during the night, but it made no apparent change in the disposition of the ice. In the morning of the 12th we had closed with a large ice island, and in spite of all our endeavours to avoid it, we continued approaching.
At 10 o’clock, it was within two ships’ length, and, from its peculiar shape, threatened to over- whelm us; for the upper part of the side nearest to us, which was about 180 feet high, projected so much as would have admitted the brig’s masts coming in contact with it underneath, and this overhanging part was cracked from the top down to the water-line. From both vessels being unavoidably together, both were likely to suffer by the same accident. All our attempts
DANGEROUS SITUATION. 125
to heave the vessels out. of the course of this danger were in vain, but they had the good effect of occupying the crews, and thus with- drawing their attention from their perilous situa- tion. Within half an hour, I had the appalling sight of the overhanging mass immediately over our quarter-deck; with the fearful sensation - that, if our masts came in contact with it, the projecting part would fall upon us, and sink both vessels, Our escape was caused solely by our having a large floe piece of ice between us and the ice island, which prevented our masts from touching it. The packed ice separated to each side, and we passed round the north corner. ‘The rolling of this island in its passage had produced a.slackness in the other ice, of which I. was determined to take advantage for returning, and so cast off the cutter. We made all:possible sail, with the wind at S.W.; and continued making progress :in a N.E. direction till the evening, when. both vessels became again unmoveabie. The cutter: was now about one mile astern, and, indeed, I saw that it was necessary for our safety to be at a short distance from each: other, that we might not both be. subject to the same acci- dent, as would: have been:the case when. under the ice. island before mentioned. |
.:Qn: the ..13th, the wind was light from the W.N.W., and we: were: consequently unable to
126 DANGEROUS NAVIGATION.
make any way; but on the morning of the 14th; it freshened, and for our safety we made all sail to the northward.
At 4 A.M., we saw rocks astern bearing S.S.E. distant about ten miles, which we judged to be about Cape Sheriff. In the aftertioon we were set into ice.of the most dangerous descrip- tion. Many pieces which appeared to be the bottoms of ice islands were about from 80 to 100 feet in superficial extent; and as they were 10 feet above water, they must have been at least 40 feet in depth, as from: the specific:gras vity of such sort of blue and solid ice, we judged that about.30 feet must be under water: _ The rolling motion of several of these pieces was so great, that had one of them taken the side of the ship fairly in its descent, her destruc- tion must have been inevitable. |
Among them there were narrow openings, through which we endeavoured to navigate ; but in passing one piece, it struck us, though only with a corner, on the starboard side, and tore down our bulwarks and. main-guard board. We repaired the wreck, and passed through two or three miles of this kind of ice. As there were occasionally small ponds, in which the vessel ac-. quired considerable velocity, the evolutions we had to perform kept our men constantly at the braces to back and fill the sails. About 5 P.M.
DAMAGES AND REPAIRS. 197
we had reached 2 pool about one mile in diameter, though with many heavy pieces of ice floating in it. The Beaufoy had been. unavoidably . sent four or five miles to the westward of us, and as we saw her. distinctly, I determined to wait in this pool till she should reach us. '
: During the 15th, the water being smooth here, : I further examined the. vessel’s. bows and found three of the binds broken; and the stem much damaged as before mentioned. .We made re- pairs by nailing lead and plank over tarred canvass on the holes and cracks which, though they did not materially strengthen the vessel, prevented leakage in the meantime.. In the evening, having observed the cutter to be fast approaching, we entered the nearest northern patch of ice, and at half past four. of’ the morning of the 16th we reached clear water, and . hove to under the edge of' the ice for the arrival of the Beaufoy. :
. Twas much rejoiced at having one vessel out | of the ice, considering .all dangers in an open. sea as of no moment compared with those we were subject to in such weak vessels, having only two and a half inch plank in the bottom, among large rolling masses of ice.
_ As I have been in the Greenland seas, and am- well acquainted with the nature and danger of that navigation, [ may remark that sailing among
128 NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN ICES.
ice in these southern latitudes is attended with much greater risk. This is occasioned by a heavy westerly swell which keeps the ice in motion, and seldom entirely subsides. The vast expanse of ocean to the westward of Shetland acted upon by winds prevailing between S.W. and N.W. is the cause of this almost constant swell, and as the heaviest gales come from between these points, it is sometimes of a mountainous description.
At two.in the afternoon, the Beaufoy. having joined company, we.stood to the westward, and at 4 o’clock we saw a sperm whale, which con- firms Mr. Smith’s report of such sort of whales being found on this coast, as stated by him in his account of South Shetland.
The weather being now more settled, we lowered our boats, and set out in pursuit of the whale, but did not succeed. It was supposed that the fish having seen the copper of the vessel, had become what is technically called galled, and disappeared.
At 9 P.M. on the 16th, James Island bore S.E. by E. distant 16 or 17 miles, but as I found the ice still heavy and compact, I saw no pros- pect of obtaining anchorage in time for procur- ing sea elephants, and therefore communicated with the Beaufoy, and with the wind at N.N.E.
14
THE SOUTH SHETLANDS. 129
we stood to the N.W. on our passage to Cape Horn.
As the South Shetlands are not yet generally known, and I have had an opportunity of ascer- taining some particulars in regard to them during three voyages, a short account may here be useful for general information ; and for the convenience of navigators, I have annexeda chart, constructed’ from observations made during my survey of these islands.
The discovery of this archipelago, as already mentioned, was made by Mr. William Smith, commander of the brig William, on a passage from Monte Video to Valparaiso in 1819, as is stated in the following extract from that ves- sel's-log book. .
s¢ After taking our departure from Monte Video, nothing material occurred until I got into the latitude of Cape Horn, with a fair wind to go to the westward, and steering S.S.E. with an intention to make the island again, and continuing this course for a few days, I, to my great satisfaction, discovered land. On the 15th October, at 6 p.m., in latitude 62° 30’ S., and longitude 60° W., by chronometers, bear- ing S.E. by E. about. three leagues, hazy wea-- ther, bore up and sailed towards it. At four miles’ distance sounded in 40 fathoms, fine
K
180 THE SOUTH SHETLANDS.
black sand. Island bearing E. by S.:to S.E. by E., sounded in 60 fathoms, same bottom. — Hauled off during the night to the northward. At daylight stood in for the land again, at three leagues’ distance from the body of islands. Sounded again 95 fathoms, fine sand.
‘¢ October 18th. Weather clear and pleasant, saw the main land bearing S.S.E., distance from the island about three leagues; having ran as far as the Cape, we found. the land trend off to the N.E., coasting to the eastward; I sounded, found it similar to the former, fine sand. The point called North Foreland E. by S.; hauled in for it; got the island to bear W.N.W. distance half a league; sounded re- gular from 20 to 35 fathoms, good bottom, ‘sand and gravel. Finding the weather favourable, we lowered down the boat, and succeeded in landing; found it barren and covered with snow; seals in abundance. The boat having returned, and being secured, we made sail off shore the ensuing night. In the morning, al- tered the course so as to reach the land to the southward in view. At 11 A. M.. the North Foreland bore 8.E. by E. five leagues ; the land then took a south-easterly direction, varying to the eastward ; weather thick and squally, with snow.
“‘ T thought proper, having property on board,
THE ‘SOUTH SHETLANDS. 181
and perhaps ‘deviating from the insurance, to Raul off to the westward on my intended voy- age. Stormy, variable winds ; made Cape Mil- lan; could perceive some high land to the west- ward of the Cape, stretching in a south-west direction; the weather becoming thick and squally, made sail to the westward. Having sailed 150 miles on W.S.W., the weather moder- ating, saw. another head-land bearing E.N.E., distance 10 leagues ; very high; observed, lati- tude 62° 52’ south, longitude, by chronometers, 63° 40’ west; named this South Cape; found the land to extend from the Cape in a southerly direction. Shaped my course for Valparaiso, where I arrived on the 24th November after a pissage of 60 days from Monte ‘Video. (Signed) “ Wa. Suitu.’’*
The northern range of South Shetland islands lie between latitude 61°-and 68°, and longitude 54° and 63°, and consist:of 12 main islands ‘and innumerable rocks above water, as shown-in the accompanying chart. Their extent was first -as- certained by Mi. Edward Barnéfield, then master of the frigate Andromache, who was ‘sent ‘out forthe expxess purpose ‘by Captain Sheriff, com-
‘* Accounts of this discovery were originally made knowa ta.the British public in the ‘Literary Gaxette. . - K 2
132 THE SOUTH SHETLANDS.
mander of the vessel, and commodore on the western coast of America.
Mr. Edward Barnsfield acted with great bold. ness in obtaining a knowledge of this land; but’ circumstances did not admit of his extending or pursuing his observations, so as to give a4 par- ticular account of it. To his valuable remarks, however, as far as they go, I have added my own,‘ which corroborate them, together with a particular delineation of the coast.
The names which he gave the different head- lands, &c., in obedience to official authority, I - have-retained ; and, in a more extended survey, I shave added to some parts names from peculia- rities of appearance in the land, and to others, the names of gentlemen of talent and enter- prise. I began my observations in 1820, being ~ the first vessel fitted out from England which anchored in these parts ; and have been happy, since that time, in imparting the knowledge I possessed to persons who required information for the safety of their ships and lives of: their crews. From having done so, I have seen many of my communications in print, which, how- ever, I do not regret, though it may detract from their entire novelty now, when published by myself.
The appearance which these islands would assume, were they divested of ice, would be
CHW ART
( of y hil Ni Mand ’, )
Constructed from observations
MAME MUriNg THREE VOYAGES the Vers — ASLO 21, 22K LD. 10 THESH ISLAY DS,
Ali KI?
THE SOUTA SHETLANDS. 133°
very different from what they at present exhibit. In Smith’s Island, an ice-berg.-runs through from north to south; indeed; almost all of them. are so interspersed and intersected with. ice- bergs, that the earthy, or rather rocky, parts of the country are much smaller in bulk than would. _ be supposed from a distant view.
_ The highest, and most forbidding in aspect, is the western island, which, .in 1820, I named James Island, as I was the first who landed upon it. The highest part of it I estimated to- be nearly 2500 feet above the: level of the sea. The whole island is almost inaccessible, and constantly covered with snow, excepting some perpendicular rocks which will not retain it.
None of the islands afford any vegetation, save -a short straggling grass, which is found -in very small patches, in places where there hap-. pens to be a little soil. This, together with a moss, similar to that which is found in Iceland, — appears in the middle of January, at which time the islands are partially clear of snow.
To the eastward of Cape Melville is Bridg- man’s Island, which is evidently volcanic, as in passing it in the year 1821, within 200 yards, I abserved smoke issuing through the fissures of. the rock, and apparently with much force. The figure of this island is nearly round; and it is about. one-eighth of a mile in diameter, and
K 3
13h THE SOUTM SHETLANDS ;
400 feet high, partaking of the form of a sugar- loaf. There are several good harbours in these- islands, as may be seen by referring to the chart. '
The: composition of the rock, which forms © the Shetland Islands, appears to: consist of quartz, with disseminated iron pyrites; and of — quartz. in prismatic concretions, copper green, and copper pyrites.
From the. almost total want of vegetation to subsist upon, there cannot be a single terrestrial animal in these islands; but af amphibious crea- tures, there are several. The sea-elephant was found in vast numbers. Of these, the crews; under my direction, killed upwards of 2000. The fur-seals, which appear to be found only in the South Seas, were still more numerous. Some sea-leopards have also been seen. As the pe« culiarities of these animals, and many of their instinctive habits, may be interesting, I shall describe them.
The largest is the sea-elephant. ‘The male has a cartilaginous substance, extending forward from the nose, five or six inches, somewhat re- sembling the proboscis of the common elephant,
- and from this circumstance has obtained the
name. | The largest of these animals which I have seen were males, not less than twenty-four feet
SEA ELEPHANTS. |, . IS ¢)
long, and fourteen in circumference: . the. fe- males are generally about one-third less. In form, they have much the appearance of the | common seal, with which most people are ac- — quainted, and, therefore, a particular description would be superfluous ;. but it may be necessary -to. mention those habits and peculiarities in which they differ. .
The males come on shore about the end of August and beginning of September ; and in this month, and the first part of October, they are fol- lowed by the females, which, being.with yeung since the preceding season, choose the land at this time for the purpose of parturition and pro- creation. When the males first arrive, the fat of three or four of them will make a ton of oil; but the average of both male and female is about seven to the ton. As they live, while on shore, entirely without, food, by the middle of December they have become very lean; and their young being at this age able to take the water, the whole of the breeding herd leave the shores.
A second herd come up about the middle of January, for the purpose of renewing their coat of hair; in March, a herd of full-grown males come up, for the same purpose; and, by the end of April, every kind of them has returned to the sea. | :
K 4
486 THE SOUTH SHETLANDS ;
The circumstance of these animals living ox shore for a period not less than two months, apparently without taking food of any descrip- tion, may.certainly be considered a remarkable ‘phenomenon in natural economy. That they - live by absorption is evident, — that is, by.con- suming the substance of their own bodies; be- cause when they come first on shore, they are excessively fat, and when they return to. the sea, they are very lean.
Their inactivity and extreme lethargy when on shore is astonishingly contrasted by their gagacity and agility when inthe sea. They hava been known to keep a boat from landing, by in- tercepting it in the water when the crew had no fire-arms ; and frequently, when one is pricked with a lance, it will attack the boat with great ferocity.
It is curious to remark, that the sea-elephant, when lying on the shore, and threatened with death, will often make no effort to escape into the water, but lie still and shed tears, merely raising the head to look at the assailant; and, though very timid, will wait with composure the club or the lance which takes its life. In close. contact, every human effort would be of little avail for the destruction of this animal, unwieldy as it is, were it to rush forward, and exert the power of its jaws; for this, indeed, is so enor-
FUR SEALS. 187
mous, that, in the agony of death, stones are ground to powder between its teeth.
- If the. skull be indented in the killing of a female with young, the indentation is found also" upon the skull of the young. This sympathy, which has been denied with regard to the human species by some physiologists, evidently exists in the economy of this animal.
- The species of seal, “which inhabits these shores, is exclusively the fur-seal, or what is called, in zoology, Phoca Falklandica, the Falk- land Island Seal: This species has been distin- guished by naturalists for its peculiarity of shape ; but the circumstance of its possessing a valuable fur, as well as the remarkable habits of the animal, have not been noticed in any description of the seal with which I have met. ©
The fur, from the almost general use to which it is applied in the manufacture of caps, must be well known ; and it is therefore unne- cessary. to describe it further, than merely: to observe, that after the hair which grows through and over it is extracted, its natural appearance is of a fine and curly. brown. oo
Nothing in this class of animals, and more par~_ ticularly in the fur-seal of Shetland, is more as- tonishing than the disproportion in the size of the male and female. A large grown male, from the tip of the nose to.the extremity of the
138 THE SOUTH SHETLANDS ;
tail, is six feet nine inches, whilst the female is not more than three feet and a half. This class of males is not, however, the most numer- . ous, but being physically the most powerful, they keep in their possession all the females, to the exclusion of the younger branches; hence, at the time of parturition, the males attending the females may be computed to be as one to twenty, which shows this to be,. perhaps, the most poly- gamous of large animals.
They are in their nature completely gregarious; but they flock together, and assemble on the coast at different periods, and in distinct classeg. The males of the largest size go on shore about the middle of November, to wait the arrival of the females, which of necessity must soon follow, for the purpose of bringing forth their young. These, in the early part of December, begin to land ; and they. are no sooner out of the water than they are taken possession of by the males, who have many serious battles with each other, in procuring their respective seraglios; and, by a peculiar instinct, they carefully protect the fe- males under their charge during the whole period of gestation.
By the end of December, all the female seals have accomplished the purpose of their landing. The time of gestation may be considered twelve months, and they seldom have more than one at
FUR SEALS. 139
a time, which they suckle and rear apparently with great affection. By the middle of February, the young are able to take the water; and after being taught to swim. by the mother, they abandon them on the shore, where they remain till their coats of fur and hair are completed. During the latter end of February, what are. called the Dog-seals go on shore: these are the. young seals of the two preceding. years, and such males as, from their want of age and strength, are not allowed to attend the Pregnant These young seals come on shore for the pur-. pose of renewing their annual coats, which ‘be- ing done by the end of April, they take to the water, and scartely any are seen on shore again. till the end of June, when some young males come up and go off alternately. oo _ They continue to do this for six-or seven weeks, and the shores are then again abandoned. till the end of August, when a herd of. small young seals of both sexes come on shore for about five or six weeks ;-—soon after, they retire: to the water. The large male seals take up their places on shore, as has been before described, which completes the intercourse all classes have with the shore during the whole year. - "Fhe young are at frst black, in a few weeks they become grey, and soon after obtain their.
140° THE SOUTH SHETLANDS ;
coat of hair and fur. M. Buffon describes the longevity of the seal to be even so great as a hundred years. I have estimated the female seal to be in general at its full growth within four’ years, but possibly the male seal is much longer, . very likely five or six years ; and some, which I have contrasted with others of the same size, could not, from their very old appearance, be lesa than thirty years. . When these Shetland seals were first visited, they had no apprehension of danger, from meet- ing men; in fact, they would lie still while their. - neighbours were killed, and skinned ; but latterly they had acquired habits for counteracting dan-: ger, by placing themselves on rocks, from whieh. they could, in a moment, precipitate themselves into the water. The agility of these creatures is much greater than, from their appearance, an observer would anticipate. I have seen them, indeed, often escape from men running fast in pursuit to kill them. The absurd story, that seals in general defend themselves by throwing stones. at their pursuers with their tails, may be explain- ed in this way; that when the animal is chased. on a stony beach, their mode of propelling them- selves is by drawing their hinder flippers for- ward, thereby shortening the body, and project- ing themselves from the tail, which, when re- lieved by the effort of the fore flippers, throws 14
‘ FUR SEALS. 14
up a quantity of stones to the distance of s some yards. : Their senses of smell and hearing are acute, and in instinct they are little inferior to the dog; that is, I judge their sagacity in the water much exceeds that which they exhibit on the shore; for though they are fitted to remain a certain time on land, their natural element is the water. In _ proof of their docility, I may mention that I have reared several young ones from three. or four weeks old, to the age of two months, which were so tame as to eat out of the hand with consider- able fondness; but by some accident they were allowed to fall or walk overboard.
These fur-seals may be distinguished from the hair-seals of this hemisphere by their being ra- ther of'a smaller size, and having the nose smaller
and more pointed. In swimming they have a _ jumping motion like that of the porpoise. ..
The quantity of seals taken off these islands, by vessels from different parts, during the years 1821 and 1822, may be computed at 320,000, and the quantity of sea-elephant oil,.at 940 tons. This valuable animal, the fur-seal, might, by. a law similar to that which. restrains fishermen. in — the size of the mesh of their net, have been spared to render annually.100,000 furs, for many. years to come. This would have followed from not killing the mothers till the young were
142 THE SOUTH SHETLANDS 3
able to take the water; and even then, only those which appeared to be old, together with a proportion of the males, thereby diminishing _ their total number, but in slow progression. ‘This system is practised at the river of Plata. The island of Lobos, in the mouth of that river, con- tains a quantity of seals, and is farmed by the Governor of Monte Video, under certain restric- tions, that the hunters shall not take them but at stated periods, in order to prevent the animals from being exterminated. The system of exter- mination was practised, however, at Shetland ; for whenever a seal reached the beach, of what- ever denomination, he was immediately killed, and his skin taken ; and by this means, at the end of the second year, the animals became nearly extinct; the young having lost their mothers when only three or four days old, of course all died, which, at the lowest calculation, exceeded 100,000. |
‘I have mentioned that the only species of seal fourid on these islands is that possessing the fur; but a creature was reported to have been seen’ by one of my crew, which, according to his account — of it, must have been a non-descript. |
A boat’s crew were employed on Hall Island, -.and the man who saw this animal was left on one side of the island to take care of some pro- duce, while the officers and the rest of the crew were engaged on the other side.
‘NRON-DESCRIPT ANIMAL. «1438
:The sailor had gone to bed, and about 10 o’clock he heard.a noise resembling human cries, and as daylight, .in these latitudes, never disap- pears at this season, he rose, and looked around, but on seeing no person, he returned to bed ; presently he heard the noise agai, and rose a second time, but still saw nothing. Conceiving - however, the possibility of a boat being upset, and that some of the crew might be clinging to some detuched rocks, he walked along the beach a