Having anchored at ten at night, the Commodore went the next morning in quest of wood and water, plenty of which they found on the point abovementioned. A fine level country lies over the point, the soil of which appeared to be very luxuriant, producing innumerable flowers of several kinds, the smell of which was extremely fragrant; there was also a plenty of good grass, among which grew peas that were then in blossom. They saw hundreds of painted geese, (so called from their beauty) which were feeding among this variety of sweets: they likewise found an abundance of plants, and wild celery in great quantities. Many Indian wigwams were seen, situated in the woods, near streams of water; these had been lately occupied, as the fires appeared but just burnt out. In a walk of twelve miles they saw no place proper for a boat to land, the sea breaking high on the shore. Mr. Byron returned in the evening, and found that some of the men had been shooting geese, teal, and snipes, while others had employed themselves, with equal success, in fishing: these employments indeed became necessary, as the men could have eaten thrice their allowance, owing to the keen air of the country.
On the 26th they steered for Port Famine, and came to an anchor, close to the shore, the next day at noon. In this place they found drift-wood enough to have supplied a thousand vessels. The Commodore went four miles up Sedger river, but could proceed no farther, the trees which had fallen across the stream impeding the boat’s way; one of the stumps of them having made a hole in her bottom, she was immediately filled with water: but they made shift to get her on shore, and stopped the leak, so as to return in her to the mouth of the river. The banks of this stream are furnished with the noblest trees, sufficient in number to supply masts for the whole navy of Great Britain. Some of these were so large, that four men joined hand in hand could not enclose them; and, among the rest, the pepper tree was found. These woods abound in parrots, and other beautiful birds. The quantity of fish that was daily taken was equal to the supply of both the crews; and the Commodore shot as many geese and ducks as furnished several tables besides his own.
While the ships lay at anchor here, Mr. Byron and a party went on shore; but being catched in a violent rain, they stopped where some Indians had left a fire, the wood of which was yet warm; and kindling a fire to dry their cloaths, another fire was instantly made on Terra del Fuego, the opposite shore, which they imagined to be a signal, on a supposition they were Indians. The hills were craggy, of an amazing height, and wholly covered with snow; but the plains were adorned with flowers, equal in fragrance and beauty to those in the gardens of England.
The Commodore having ordered a tent to be erected on the borders of a wood, and adjoining to a rivulet, three of the sailors were there stationed to wash linen, and they laid in the tent. One evening, soon after they had retired to rest, they were awakened by the deep and hollow roarings of some wild beasts, which came nearer them every moment. Terrified with apprehension, they made and kept up a blazing fire, round which the beasts walked at a small distance till the dawn of the morning, when they retired.
Near where the ships rode at anchor was a hill cleared of wood, which they imagined to have been a Spanish settlement, mention of which is made in Captain Wallis’s Voyage, as will be seen in the course of this work. Both ships having taken in sufficient wood and water by the 4th of January, 1765, they sailed at four o’clock in the morning, in quest of Falkland’s Islands; but the wind dying away, they were obliged to come to an anchor the day following.
On Sunday the 6th they again made sail, and the Commodore, who had been twenty-four hours on deck, retired to sleep; but he was soon awakened by the vessel beating on a bank. Happily, at this instant, it was a perfect calm, so that the rising of the tide soon carried the ship safe off again. On the 8th the officer of the watch discovered that the head of the main-mast was sprung, which they supposed to have happened in a violent gale some time before; but effectual methods were immediately taken to repair the damage.
On the 12th they saw land, which was taken for De Wert’s Islands, and at the same time other land to the south, which was judged to be what is called New Islands in the charts. This land consists chiefly of mountainous and barren rocks, on which were great numbers of birds. Seals abound here, and large whales were seen spouting round the ship. On the 14th they saw a flat island, covered with tufts of grass as large as bushes; and on the following day the Commodore sent a boat from each ship, to examine an opening which had the appearance of an harbour; which being discovered, they stood in for it in the afternoon, and found it excellent beyond their most sanguine hopes. Soon after this they entered another harbour, to which Mr. Byron gave the name of Port Egmont, from the title of the nobleman at that time First Lord of the Admiralty. This harbour is represented to be the finest in the world, and capacious enough to contain the whole navy of England, in full security: there is plenty of fresh water in every part of it; and geese, ducks, snipes, and other edible birds, abound in such numbers, that the sailors were tired with eating them. The geese were knocked down with stones, so that it was no unusual thing for a boat to bring off sixty or seventy of those birds, without the necessity of shooting a single one. Seals and penguins abound here; sea lions of a prodigious size are found on the coast; and there is plenty of muscles, cockles, clams, and limpets. The woods produce sorrel and wild celery in great abundance.
The Commodore was once unexpectedly attacked by a sea lion, and extricated himself from the impending danger with great difficulty: they had many battles with this animal, the killing of one of which was frequently an hour’s work for six men; one of them almost tore to pieces the Commodore’s mastiff dog, by a single bite. The Master having been sent to sound the coast, four very fierce animals ran after the boat’s crew till they were up to their bellies in water; so that they were obliged to put from the shore, as they had no fire-arms in the boat. The next day, on the opposite shore, Mr. Byron and his company saw a sea lion of an enormous size; and the crew, being well armed, instantly engaged him. While they were thus employed, one of the other animals posted towards them; but a ball being lodged in his body, he was instantly dispatched. Five of these beasts were killed this day, in their attempts to seize the men, whom they always pursued the moment they got sight of them. They were of a mixed shape, between a wolf and a fox; most like the latter, but of the size of the former. They burrow in the ground like a fox, feed on seals and penguins, and are very numerous on the coast. The sailors, in order to be rid of such disagreeable companions, set fire to the grass, which burnt so rapidly, that the country was all in a blaze for some days, and these animals were seen running to seek shelter from its fury.
[Illustration: _The Wolf Fox of Faulkland’s Islands._]
While they lay in this harbour the crew breakfasted on portable soup and wild celery, thickened with oatmeal, which made a very nutritive mess. The soil of the island was a light clay under a black mould. The Commodore thinks this the same place which, in Cowley’s Voyage, is called Pepys’ Island; but he took possession of the harbour, and all the adjacent islands, by the name of FALKLAND’S ISLANDS, for George the Third, King of Great Britain. It is to the honour of the Surgeon of the Tamar frigate, that during their stay there, he made a fence of turf near the watering-place, round a tract of land, which he planted with vegetables, for the use of those who may hereafter touch at this port.
On Sunday, January the 27th, they left Port Egmont, and the same day saw a remarkable head-land, which was named CAPE TAMAR; soon after which they passed a rock, which Mr. Byron called the EDISTONE, and then sailed between that and a head-land, to which he gave the name of CAPE DOLPHIN. The distance from Cape Tamar to Cape Dolphin is about eight leagues, and, from its appearance, was called CARLISLE SOUND, though it is since known to be the northern entrance of the streight between the two principal islands. The land seen during the course of this day was all downs, having neither trees nor bushes, but large tufts of grass in various places.
Having anchored during the night, they sailed again the next day, when the Commodore gave the name of BERKLEY’S SOUND to a deep sound between the islands. About four miles to the southward of the south point of this sound the sea breaks very high, on some rocks that appear above water. The coast now wore a dangerous aspect, rocks and breakers being at a considerable distance from the shore, and in all directions; and the country appeared barren and desolate. The sea now rising high, the Commodore sailed to the northward, to prevent being driven on a lee-shore. He imagines the whole circumference of Falkland’s Islands to be little less than 700 miles.