On the 17th they anchored in the bay of St. Helena, and sent persons on shore to get water, and others to gather purslain, of which there is great plenty. The Captain going on shore, was saluted by the guns of the fort; and requested to make that place his residence during his stay on the island: but their water-casks being soon filled, and the wind serving the next day, they then sailed for England.
On the 28th they crossed the equinoctial line, getting once more into north-latitude. On the 24th they saw the Cape of Pico.--On the 11th of May they had sight of the Savage sloop of war, captain Hammond, in chace of a sloop, at which he fired several guns. On this captain Wallis fired, and brought the vessel to, which proved to be laden with brandy, tea, &c. from Roscoe in France; she was of Liverpool, and was commanded by Robert Christian. Captain Wallis detained her, in order to her being sent to England; as she was judged to be a smuggler, pretending to be bound to Bergen, in Norway, tho’ she was sailing to the south-west.
No material incident happened from this time to the end of the voyage, which was happily compleated by the Dolphin coming to an anchor in the Downs on the 20th of May 1768.
CAPTAIN CARTERET’S VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD, In 1766, 1767, 1768 and 1769.
Mr. Carteret having already circumnavigated the globe with Commodore Byron, was appointed to the command of the Swallow sloop, soon after his return to England; and, on the 22d of August 1766, sailed from Plymouth, in company with his Majesty’s ship the Dolphin, and the Prince Frederick store-ship.
Nothing material happened till the morning of the 9th of September, (when the ship lay in the road of Madeira) at which time nine prime seamen left the vessel privately, and swam on shore naked, having only their money tied in handkerchiefs round their bodies. While Captain Carteret was writing to the Consul to assist him in the recovery of these brave, but imprudent fellows, he received a message, that they had been found naked on the shore. A boat was instantly dispatched to bring them on board, where they cut a most ridiculous figure, and seemed heartily ashamed of what they had done: it appeared, however, that they had ran this risk only to get a skinful of liquor (as they said) knowing they were bound on a long voyage, and it being uncertain who might live or die. Captain Carteret endeared himself very much to the crew by pardoning these men, whose future services amply repaid this well-timed lenity.
It will be needless to recite any particulars which happened till the 11th of April, when the Swallow parted company with the Dolphin and Prince Frederick, as already related in the account of Captain Wallis’s Voyage. At nine o’clock on this day the Swallow had totally lost sight of the Dolphin, which Captain Carteret judged to be then clear of the mouth of the Streights; and as the Swallow was then under land, where she had not the advantage of any considerable breeze, they entertained no hope of seeing their consort during the remainder of the voyage.
At this time all the cloth, linen, cutlery wares and trinkets were on board the Dolphin; a circumstance which aggravated Captain Carteret’s distress, as he had not any thing proper to barter with the Indians; yet he encouraged the crew not to despair; and was happy to find that they were in high spirits for the voyage.
A few hours after the ships parted company, the Swallow encountered a violent storm, during which there was so thick a fog, that they could not see mountainous land which they were within half a mile of. At this time the boat was out in search of an anchoring-place; and when night came on, it was so dark, that they could not see half the length of the ship: they therefore hoisted lights, and fired a gun every half hour; and at length the boat reached the ship in safety. The next morning the boat was again sent in search of a place to anchor in, and in the afternoon, when the Captain despaired of her returning in time, he saw her sounding a bay, and instantly making towards her, came to anchor in safety.
The Captain now retired to rest, but he was disturbed in a few minutes by the shouting of the crew upon the deck, and the noise of those below running to join them. His fears brought him instantly on the deck, where he heard the universal cry of the Dolphin! the Dolphin! but this flattering appearance soon vanished, and proved to be only water forced up, and whirled in the air by a gust of wind from the mountains. Mr. Carteret says, that as the current sets continually into the harbour where they lay, he has no doubt but it has another communication with the sea to the south of Deseada. The borders of the bay abound with muscles and wild geese, and afford plenty of wood and water.
They sailed from this place early in the morning of the 15th of April, and soon afterwards, by the sudden shifting of the wind, they encountered so violent a storm, that they were in danger of sinking; yet they did not dare to take in any sails, for fear of running foul of some rocky islands, which in Narborough’s Voyage are called the Islands of Direction; nor could they go back into the Streight, without the danger of running foul of a lee-shore; yet, notwithstanding their best endeavours, the ship made hastily towards this lee-shore. Thus circumstanced, they were compelled to stave the water-casks on and between the decks, that she might carry better sail; and by this expedient they at length escaped the threatened destruction. They now got into the open sea, after a very providential deliverance, for, had the wind again shifted, the ship must have been unavoidably lost.
They now steered a northward course along the Coast of Chili; but as the water on board was deemed insufficient for the length of the voyage, the Captain proposed touching at the Island of Juan Fernandes, or Masafuero, to take in a proper quantity. On the 18th the wind, which had hitherto been favourable for their sailing northward, and consequently getting into a more temperate climate, suddenly shifted, and continued contrary till the 18th of April, blowing violently all the time, accompanied at intervals with dreadful thunder, lightning, rain and hail.
During this time they saw abundance of sea-birds, among which were two sorts, one like a pigeon, which the seamen called the Cape of Good Hope Hen; and the other Mother Carey’s Chickens; but the true name of these latter is the Peterel.
From the 27th of this month till the 1st of May they had continual storms; and on this day a prodigious sea laid the whole ship under water for some time, while the wind blew a hurricane, and the rain poured down in torrents. The wind now shifted, so that the head of the vessel came right against a mountainous sea, which repeatedly broke over the forecastle as far as the main-mast, so that it was almost a miracle that she was not sunk.
When the weather became something more moderate, they repaired in some degree the damage the ship had sustained during the storm; but they had much bad weather afterwards till the 9th of May, when they were in sight of the Island of Masafuero: and on the 10th they saw Juan Fernandes, and sailed round to Cumberland Bay, on the east-side of it.
The Spaniards having fortified this island (a circumstance till then unknown to Captain Carteret) a number of men were seen on the shore, and two large boats lying on the beach. A house and four pieces of cannon were observed near the sea side, and on the brow of a hill, at a small distance, was a fort with Spanish colours flying on it. Many cattle were seen on the hills, and above 20 houses on different parts of the island. The wind blew so strong out of the bay, that it was impossible to get very near it: they therefore sailed westward, and were followed by one of the Spanish boats; but she soon returned, on observing that the wind kept them out of the harbour. On the eastern side of the west bay they saw a kind of guard-house, with two pieces of cannon, on carriages, near it. They now returned towards Cumberland Bay, when the boat again put after them; but night coming on, they lost sight of her. As Captain Carteret had only English colours on board, he did not hoist any during all this time.
Thus disappointed of the refreshments they so very much wanted, they sailed for Masafuero, where they anchored on the 12th, but were unable to land, as the beach was full of rocks, and the surf ran so violently, that the best swimmers could not get through the breakers: the next morning, however, the boats landed, and filled some water-casks.
On the 15th they anchored on the east-side of the island; but were driven from their moorings, and kept out at sea all night. In the morning the cutter was sent for water, and the ship got near the shore, where she soon received several casks, and sent the cutter back for more. The long-boat was likewise dispatched on this service, as well as to carry provisions to those on shore. In the afternoon the boats being observed running along the shore, the ship followed and took them in, but not without their sustaining so much damage by the violence of the sea, that the carpenters were obliged to work all night in repairing them.