the Long-Boat in order thereunto we raised her two Foot and laid a Deck upon her to keep the Sea out as much as was possible and with this Boat and 30 Men. for she could carry no more I intended to Row and Sail to Russia but the Men not being satisfied who should be the Men began to be very unruly in their mind and behaviour every one having as much reason to save himself as another some holding Consultation to stave the Boat and all to run the like Fortune But here Brandy was our best Friend for it kept them alwaies Fox'd so that in all their Designs I could prevent them some were of the mind to go by Land but that I knew was impossible to any Man neither had we Provisions nor Ammunition to defend us from the Wild Beasts and if it had been passable that is any going on the ground for Bogs that they would have met with Rivers that they knew not whether to go so there being no probability of going by Land nor for any to attempt going in the Boat without forty Men having been first destroyed I will leave it to the consideratiion of any whither we were not in a very miserable condition without Divine Providence to Write my thought I had at that time to save as many Men as I could it is not pertinent at all to the Discourse since it cannot but be imagined to be Tragical The Weather continued still very bad with Fogs Snow Rain and Frost till the 9. Day of our being on Shore which was the 8. Day of July when in the Morning it cleared up and to our great joy one of the Sailors cried out a Sail which proved Captain Flawes as reasonable may be imagined so we set fire to our Town that he might see where we was which he presently saw so come to us and sent his Boat to us but before I went off I Writ a brief Relation of the intention of the Voyage with the Accidents that had befallen us and put it in a Glass-Bottle and left it in the Fortification I had there built So by twelve a Clock we all got safe on Board but left all on Shore that we had saved from the Ship for we much feared it should prove foggy again Now I intend to give a brief description of the Land and the Observations I made there NOva Zembla is so called by the Russians which signifieth New Land in their Language to prove it is either an Island or whither it joyneth to the Continent of Tartaria would be a very hard Task nor is it certainly known to any for by Circumstances I think it impossible to prove and by Experience the search thereof is so impossible that it will hardly be tryed But let it be either I think the matter is not much since it is the most miserable Country that lyeth on the Foundation of the Earth a Country most part of it covered perpetually with Snow and that that is bare is not to be walked on being like Bogs upon whose Superficies grows a kind of Moss which beareth a small blue and yellow Flower and this is all the Product of the Earth of this Country Under the superficies of this Earth about two Foot deep after we had dug so low we came to a firm Body of Ice which as I think was never heard of before so these Men that did imagin if they were forced to Winter to the Northward would dig Caves in the Earth to preserve themselves from cold would find here but very bad Lodging The Snow lieth here contrary to what it doth in any other Country for in all other Climates the Snow melteth soonest away near the Sea side but here the Sea beateth against the snowy Clifts which in some places are as high as either of the Forelands in Kent the Sea has washed underneath the Snow a prodigious way and the Snow over hanging most fearful to behold and up from the Water side upon the first Ridge of Hills the Snow was melted till you come to the next Ridge which are Mountains and they all the way up are covered with Snow which I believe hath lain there evere since the Creation but after we had ascended this which in some places was almost Perpendicular we came to the top of all the Mountains as we supposed for we could not see far for we could hardly see one the other the Fog was so thick and remained so all the time we were in the Country but on the top of these Hills we found it bare from Snow and indifferent good walking The best that I found in the Country were only Bears I continued on the top of those Hills fome two hours and went as far as was convenient that we might find the way back again Here I found the Track of many large Deer also we found an Horn of Beam of Deer besides Deer there be abundance of large White Bears and some Foxes and a little Creature much like a Coney but not so big as a Rat and some few little Birds like Larks and these be all the Beasts or Fowls we found in the Country Every quarter of a Mile there runneth down from the Hills into the Sea a small Rivulet of very good Water which is melted from Snow Upon the Hills we found abundance of Slate-stone which made it good walking but at the Sea side where the Rivulet came down we found very good Black Marble with White Veins in it The Point where we lost our Ship I called Point Speedill the high Hills I called King Charles's Snow Hills and the next Point to the Southward which is the Westermost Point of Nova Zembla I named James Foreland and the Point to the Northward York Point Point Speedill lieth in the Lat. of 74 d. 30 m. North and in the Longitude East from the City of London 63 d. 00 m. The variation of the Compass is 13 d. West and it is full Sea at South-west Moon The Tide riseth 8 Foot and setteth directly upon the Shore which is a certain sign that there is no Passage to the Northward The Sea Water about the Ice and Land is very salt and much salter than any I ever tasted and a great deal heavier and I may certainly say the clearest in the World for I could see the ground very plain in 80 Fathom Water which is 480 Foot there being few Steeples so high as that was deep and I could see the Shells at the bottom very plain If the Voyage had succeeded I should God willing have given a more full and nice account of all the Experiments I had and should have made especially those of the Magnet which I forbare here to mention because I intended to Publish them in a Treatise by themselves so having with the Ship lost all my Papers and with them all I had in the World beside I most humbly beg Pardon that I have given no more Ample a Relation A Collection of Curious
was not concerned at but ran swifter than I could and flung himself off from the Ice into the Sea and went down to the bottom Tab. P see a. V. Of the Sea-horse called by some the Morse The Sea-horse is not unlike unto the Seale in the shape of the Body only is much bigger than the other He is as big as an Ox Their Legs are also like those of the Seale for they have five Claws as well on the fore as the hinder Feet but they have only short Nails Their Head is thicker and rounder and also much stronger Their Skin is an inch thick chiefly about the Neck covered with short Mouse-coloured Hair some reddish some grey some have but little Hair and are mangy and full of Scarrs that are bitten and look as if they were flea'd every where about their Joints their Skin is full of Lines as the inside of a Man's Hand They have two great and long Teeth in their upper Jaw-bone that hang down below their under Lips that are about a foot and two foot long sometimes they are longer The young ones have no great Teeth at all but they grow in time as they grow older All the Sea-horses have two firm long Teeth yet I have seen old ones that had but one it may be that sometimes they loose them when they fight or otherwise they may fall out of themselves for I observed that some of them had foul hollow rotten Teeth These two long Teeth are esteemed beyond Ivory because they are so very white and are dearer they are close and firm within and heavy but the Root thereof is hollow Of their Teeth are made Knife-hafts Boxes c. The Jutlanders make Buttons for their Clothes of the other Teeth Their Mouth is very broad before like a Bullocks whereon grow above and underneath several Bristles that are hollow within and of the bigness of a Straw Of these Bristles the Seamen make Rings which they wear on their Fingers for the Cramp Above the uppermost Beard they have two semicircular Nostrils whereout he blows the Water like the Whale yet with a less noise Their Eyes are at a good distance from the Nose they have Eyelids as other fourfooted Beasts have his Eyes are naturally as red as Blood when he doth not turn them and I could see no difference when they were moved for they always turn'd their Eyes when they did look upon me and then they look much uglier though they are never handsom Their Ears are somewhat higher than the Eyes but very near to them which are like those of the Seales Their Tongue is at least as big as a Neat's when it is but newly boiled it may be eaten but if it is laid by for two or three days it becomes rank like Train-oyl Their Neck is very thick wherefore he does not readily this fright of theirs we strike them with Half-pikes or long Poles upon their Noses and knock them down half dead but for all that they recover themselves and rise again Some of them stand upon their defence bite at and run after the Men and they run as fast as a Man and their lame way of going doth not hinder them at all for they shove themselves along just like an Eel Some run from the Ice to the Water and leave a yellow Dung behind them which they squirt out at their Hunters as the Hern does They stink naturally abominably Others stand in the Water with half their Belly and look about them to see what is done upon the Ice When they are going to dive under the Water they hold up their Noses and make a long Neck When they jump from the Ice under Water and also when they make a dance of Seales as they call it about the Ships they constantly dive with their Heads under water They have their young ones by them one whereof we took away with us to the Ship alive but it would not eat any thing but did mew just like a Cat and if we touch'd him he would snap at us so we killed him The biggest of them that I have seen were from five to eight foot long out of which we cut so much fat that we filled half a Barrel with it He that I have drawn here was eight foot long Their Fat is about three or four Fingers thick it covers the Flesh just under the Skin and we do flea it off as a Skin This Fat yields the best Train-oyl the Flesh is quite black They have abundance of Blood as if they were only filled up with it They have great Livers Lungs and Hearts which we eat after we have drawn out the rankness with Water we boil them but this Disn is very loathsom so that I could not eat it it tasted so of Train-oyl He hath abundance of Guts which are very small I found no Fat within them their parts of generation is a hard Bone like unto that of a Dog about a span long covered with Sinews some were hardly so long as your little finger and yet they were not young ones neither The Crystal of their Eye is not of the same colour always for some were like a Crystal others white others yellowish others reddish they are bigger than a Pea if one will keep them he must let them dry gently or one may wrap them in Linnen Rags and so lay them in a moist place for else they fly or crack to pieces I am informed that when they couple they are very fierce so that a Man dares not come near them upon the Ice then they bring their Long boats near the Ice and so kill them out of the Boats They do not quickly dye when the Blood is almost all run out after they have been mortally wounded and flea'd they still live and it looks ill to see them tumble themselves about in their own Blood We had an Example of that in him that was eight foot long for when he was fleaâ—d and most of the Fat cut off notwithstanding all the blows he had had upon his Head and Nose he would still snap at us and bite about him and took hold of a short Pike with his Teeth after such a rate as if nothing ailed him Then we run a short Pike through his very Heart and Liver and there ran out as much Blood as if it had been a Bullock The Masters of the Ships will not suffer these nasty doings in their Ships for it fouls them mightily Not only this was so vivacious but all the turn his Head about and this is the reason why he turneth his Eyes generally Their Tails are short like those of the Seale From their Flesh we cut no Fat it is all mixed together like unto Hogs-flesh to which it is the likest Their Heart and Liver we did eat they taste well enough chiefly where we have no great variety of Dishes Their Yards are of a hard Bone about two foot long thick at the bottom and less before somewhat bent in
Feathers are off there is no more Meat than upon a Sparrow It is peculiar to this Bird to have very sharp pointed Wings and its Tail is longer than that of a Swallow and as long as the longest Feather of the Wings Because of these long and sharp-pointed Feathers in her Wing and Tail she might very properly be called the Swallow-mew but it is commonly called Kirmew from its Cry The Claws as well as the Skin between them are as red as Blood the Nails are black on all the four Claws the hindmost Claw is very little The Legs are short and red it shews very brisk and pert when it stands upright on its Legs The Head at the top is black like a black Cap the sides of the Head are Snow white and the whole Body is of a Silver colour or white enclining to grey the Wings and Tail are white underneath one side of the Feathers of the Wings are black All these differing colours together with the Blood-red Bill red Legs and Feet make her very beautiful her Feathers are thready or hairy she flies singly for so I saw her always in the South Haven and in other places where we were Where their Nests are they fly in great numbers These they make of Moss One can hardly discern their Eggs from their Nests for both of them are of a dirty white but the Eggs have black specks they are of the bignest of a Pigeon's Egg I eat of them at Spttzbergen and found them very good they tasted like the Lapwings Eggs the Yolk was red and the White blewish they are very sharp-pointed at one end She defends her Nest and Eggs and flies directly at a Man biting and crying It is the same with her as what we say of the Lapwing she endeavours to defend all the Meadow and yet cannot defend her own Nest I brought about thirty of their Eggs with me to Hamburgh but they were rotten and stunk It is a kind of a Hawk and throws herself into the Water as othe Mews do I am of an opinion that she feeds on thee small grey Worms and perhaps on Shrimps and Prawns for I found no other Food they could get I shot but one single Bird of them flying whitch I did not eat of because the large shot had torn it very much This Bird is quite grey in our Countries which differs much from that of Spizbergen whose Feathers are much finer That here delineated was shot by the Birds Song in Spitzbergen on the 20th of June See it Tab. N at b. XI Of the Mallemucke This Bird hath a remarkable Bill which is severally divided The uppermost Bill hath next to the Head oblong and small Nostrils underneath them groweth out as it was a new Bill that rises up is crooked and very sharp-pointed The under part of the Bill consists partly of four pieces two whereof meet in a point together downwars the other two gape upwards the two undermost that meet in a point meet exactly with the point of the upper Bill The hinder Claw of the Feet of this Bird is very small of a grey colour and so are the other Claws and the Skin between them The Tail is somewaht broad the Wings are longish after the manner of the Kirmew They are not always of the same colour some are quite grey which we take to be the oldest others are grey on their Back and Wings but their Head and Belly are white which are the young ones This is generally thought but I am of opinion that this difference of colour proceeds rather form a difference in kind than from a difference in age for the grey ones I only saw about Spitzbergen but they grey and white ones although I have seen some few of them at Spitzbergen yet we saw abundance more about the North Cape and Also about Hitland and England He flies like a great Mew hovers near the Water with a very small motion of his Wings They do not avoid a Strorm as our Mews do but they take good and bad together as it happens ours bend themselves like an Ear of Corn with the Wind which the Mallemucks do not They do not much care for diving but when they wash themselves they sit upon the Water and put their Wings a-cross one over the other They fly singly when they go to fly up thye wabble a great way before they can raise themselves upon the Wind but the Lumbs and Parrets that have but small Wings do it more When they ran upon the Deck of the Ship They could not fly up before they came to a place where a step went down or from some advantageous rise They flock in great numbers when we catch Whales and light down upon the live Whales bite them in their Backs and pick out great pieces of his fat even when he is yet alive and when we cut up the dead Whales there came so many of them about us that we could not imagine from whence they could all come so that we were forced to kill them with Sticks and with broad Nets in Frames such as they use in the Tenis-Court to be rid of them They are so bold that they would not fly away although they saw us caome upon them but suffered themselves to be killed in great numbers which we hung upon the Tackle of our Ship But after they began to be more shy of us and would not stay so long They flock in so great numbers after the Whales that many of them are discovered by them wherefore I fancy that he flings up some fat when he blows the Water out which the Mallemucks eat But a great many more when the Whale is wounded follow the bloody track left in ther Water for then they are numberless They also often discover a dead Whale and so we get them sometimes without any great trouble His Name is given him because he is so silly or mad which the Dutch call Mall to suffer himself to be so easily killed whereunto is put the word Mucke which signifies a Gnatt because they are as numerous as Gantts so that the Name Mallemucke signifieth as much as silly Gnatts or mad Gantts They eat so much of the fat of the Whales till they spew it up again and tumble them selves over and over in the water until they vomit up the Train-oyl and then they begin to eat afresh until they grow weary of eating They bite one another and fight together which is very good sport about a piece of Fat fiercely although there is enough for them all and to spare When they are full they rest upon the Ice or Water I really believe it is the most devouring Bird of all for he eats till he can stand no longer but falls down He bites very hard but the Burgermeister bites yet harder to whom he submits himself and lies down before him to be bit by the Burgermeister which he does very severely yet the Mallemucke feels little or nothing of
from me distant about a mile and an half there are craggy Rocks to the South of the Road on the shore side but to the North a low sandy shore the Road is on the North-west and by West part of the Island in a small sandy Bay there 's the Salt-pond a bow 's shot from the Sea in the low flat Land fresh water is very scarce here I went ashore presently after I had anchored and found a heap of Salt of about 20 Tuns I got aboard again immediately and sent the Long-boat ashore which brought off 2 Tuns and ½ the Suff came in so much that no more could be got off we halled the Seyne here and caught abundance of good Mullets with some Cavalle and silver Fish one of the Islanders a Negro came aboard whom I sent ashore to tell the People that if they brought down some Cattle I would buy some of them I rode here all Night fair Weather the Wind Easterly This side of the Island is dry land without wood here are many Goats and Guinea Hens Friday October 29. fair Weather the wind at NE. a fine gale this Morning I sent my Boat ashore and bought of the Islanders some Goats at ½ a piece of Eight per Head and 8 Cows excellent good meat at 6 pieces of Eight a Cow giving the skins again my men caught a great many Fish with the Seyne which this day we split and laid in pickle four Hours then dried them to keep which they will a long time in any Climate as I have experienced in other Voyages and are very good Victuals at Sea I made what dispatch I could to be gone for St. Jago Island This day in the forenoon a Ship passed by to the Westward on the South side of the Isle and in the afternoon we saw several Ships coming from the Northward which were the Portuguese Fleet bound for Brazil they halled into Port Praya in the Isle of St. Jago to water this night I weighed and stood away at twelve a Clock South-south-west for Port Praya with the Pink in Company I touched at the Isle of May for Salt which I knew would be a great help to get Provisions in the Voyage Saturday October 30. fair wind at North-east and by North a fresh gale This Morning I steered South-west for the South side of St. Jago where is the Road of Port Praya lying near South-west from the Road of the Isle of May and distant nine Leagues This day at 12 a Clock I cast my best Bower-anchor in Port Praya Road in 10 fathom rough Ground the East Point bore East of me and the West Point about West-south-west about half a mile off I could not go into the best of the Road the Portuguese Fleet of about thirty six Sail riding in it the Great Padre Eternel Admiral bound for Brazil is a very great Ship and well built they say she is in Burthen 1700 Tuns she hath Ports for three Tier of Guns flush but now she had but eighty and poorly mann'd with Seamen and so were all the rest six Frigats might have taken most of the Fleet. At my coming in to Anchor the Admiral saluted me with seven Guns I thanked him with as many Captain Francis Wilksheir in the Jerusalem fired five I returned him three so did the Reer-Admiral and I return'd the Complement in the like number several of the Fleet fired three whom I answer'd in conclusion with three for all I rode on the broad side of the Admiral and saluted the Fort with five Guns which return'd three then I sent my Lieutenant ashore to ask leave of the Governour to water which he granted forthwith my Coopers got the Cask ready and this Evening put one boat 's lading aboard Sunday Octobor 31. fair Weather the wind at North-east a fine gale This Morning Don Carolus went ashore to Pryam with much ado I got off a boats lading of Water for the Portuguese boats were filling too and a great many Soldiers at the watering place snatch'd some of our mens Hats off and run away wherefore I would not let my men go any more this day for fear of quarreling This Bay of Port Praya as they call it is no Port but a fine round Bay having high steep Cliffs on the East side and in the bottom a steep Hill where the Castle is that hath but four Guns and is of no force there is a small Fort on the top of a Hill on the East side which hath three Guns On the North-west part of the Bay the shore is gravelly and sandy and there 's a Grove of Coco-nut trees A fresh water Rivulet runs down into the Valley and thence through the Sand soaks into the Sea this Water is in great quantity very good and keeps well at Sea to the west part of this Bay lies a small Island close on the shore which has Grass on it that may be cut off for Cattle which I did this Road is no safeguard for Shipping for a Man of War may take any Ship out of the Bay without receiving any damage from the Forts ashore and with Fire-Ships a whole Fleet may be spoiled at pleasure for it 's a fresh gale every day and there 's but two points of Land by which a man may fetch into any part of the Bay also the Bay lies open to the Sea from the East Southerly to the W. S. W. I called for my Lieutenants and Master and acquainted them that I had Orders to sail from thence to the Coast of America to the Southward of the River of Plate to the streights of Magellan through which we were to pass into the South Seas and that we must shape our Course to make the shortest way of it and be careful to keep Easterly enough of it to weather the shoals of Brazil called the Abroholls lying in and about eighteen degrees of Southerly Latitude for the Wind blows for the most part thereabouts between the Latitude of ten South and the Latitude of twenty South at East by South and East South-east fresh gales whilst this pass'd in came the Master and told me all things were stowed and the Wind at E. b. N. fresh I concluded with him that our best Course at present would be South and by East and as we got Southerly and the Wind grew large we might alter our Course when we would we steered a Point or two from the Wind that the Ship might have fresh way through the Sea I ordered my Master to steer South and by East by the Compass and my Lieutenant to call all hands to Prayer read Service and beg'd of God Almighty a prosperous Voyage continuance in Health and love to one another and that we might prosper in this Vndertaking c. Instructions for Mr. Humphrey Fleming Commander of his Majesty's hired Pink the Batchelour By vertue of an Order from His Royal Highness dated the twenty ninth day of August 1669. to me directed YOU are hereby
Port Praya Road on Board the Sweepstakes riding there at the Island of St. Jago Novemb. 5. 1669. John Narbrough To Captain Humphrey Fleming Commander of the Batchelour Pink. DEcember 4. many flying Fish seen to day and Bonetto's Sharkfish and Albycores a Fish larger than a Bonetto but of that Mackrel shape and feaverish Diet they live upon the flying Fish like the Bonetto's to day we caught some of them with Hooks and one Shark our Men eat them both and account the Shark a good Fish December 7. To day the Cooper found two Buts of Beer had leaked out this day all of us drank Water only for it was ever my order that the meanest Boy in the Ship shoud have the same allowance with my self so that in general we all drank of the same Cask and eat one fort of provision as long as they lasted I never permitted any Officer to have a better piece of Meat than what fell to his lot but one blinded with a Cloth serv'd every Man as they were called to touch and take by which means we had never any Difference upon that score Saturday December 18. All the Ship 's company God be praised in good health most of them were let blood after I has cross'd the Tropick of Cancer and none troubled with the Calenture in this Voyage Whilst I am in the hot Weather I allow a quart of Vinegar to 6 Men per Week and also to eat with their Fresh fish which I didvide equally among the whole Ship 's Company be it little or much or caught by whomsoever Friday December 24. I find great Difference within this 48 hours between my dead Account as we call it which is kept by the Log and the Observation I made these 2 days when the Sun was on the Meridian for I find I have gone more Southerly by 12 Miles than the Log allows I can't perceive any variation and the Log is well kept and the half minute Glass good I judge the Current sets to the Southward now the Winds are at the East and the Moon near the full December 30. This Afternoon I took an Azimuth and find six degrees ten minutes variation Easterly my Observation being of a good one fair Weather to Night at 9 a Clock Nebeles major was very visible in the Heaven and seems to be a piece of the Milky-way broke from it the Southern Constellations appear which are near the Pole Antarctick the Camelion the Bird of Paradise the Tail of little Hydra and the Water-snake which are all small Stars of the 5th and 6th Magnitude no Pole-star nor any Star fit for Observation to be seen within 15 degrees of the Pole the Crosers Stars of the first and second Magnitude are good for Observation and are in this form when they are on Meridian above the Pole Some Fowls flying to and fro a kind of Sea-gulls and Gannet a black Sea-Fowl as big as a Pigeon and some large ones of that kind three Tropick Birds flying over the Ship of a grey Colour with a long spired Tail as big as Pigeons Some Bonetto's taken to day A great broad flat Fish like a Scate following the Ship called by the seamen a String-Ray having a long Tail and a sharp bow at the end of it when it pricks a Man it puts him to much pain they are called by some Clock-fishes the lesser sort are good to eat January 5. Variation of the Compass by an Amplitude in the Morning 06 d. 46 m. East this Afternoon I brought the Ship to and sounded one hundred and eighty four fathom right down and had no ground I being thwart of the Shoals of Brazil caused me to sound I thought the Sea look'd whiter than usual variation at Sun-set 6 d. 46 m. East little Wind this Afternoon at East by North I made all the Sail I could Stay-sails Steering-sail Boats-sails and Bonadventure misen all set to draw away Southerly some Fowls flying over the ship which we call Men of war they prey on flying Fish c. January 14. Few Fish seen now and then a small Bonetto taken small Sea-Fowls call'd Black Nodies flying to and fro and 2 Curlieus flying to the Eastward January 24. I judge a Current sets out of the River of Plate for I find nine miles more to the Southward than I expected I have been careful of my Course and Variation which is but 18 d 20 m. East by an amplitude taken to Night I am open of the mouth of the River of plate sounded to Night but no ground at one hundred and forty five Fathom Wind at North and by East all Night close Weather I steered South-west and by South Monday January 31. Calm this Morning at 8 a Clock the Wind came to the North-west a fine gale at eleven a Clock the Wind went round the Compass and came to North with much thunder lightning and some rain very dark Clouds cold hasey Weather several spots of Sea-weeds driving in the Sea and a great many Sea-fowls of a brown colour swimming in it smoath Water Course steered is South-west by my Compass this day one main shroud and one fore-shroud broke and to strope of the Main-jeer block Variation of Sun-rising by an Amplitude is 19 d. 43 m. East all my Men in good health God be praised All the Albycores Bonettos and flying Fish have quite left the Ship no Fish to be seen but Whales Tuesday February 1. Cloudy foggy Weather this Morning and little Wind at South-east I stood to the South-westward I saw abundance of Sea-fowl flying to and fro striking about the weeds for small Fish several beds of Sea-weeds driving by the Ship it fell calm this Afternoon many small Shrimps about the Ship and eight young Seal-fishes close to it they were as big as an ordinary Spaniel-dog of a black colour and went away to the Westward this Afternoon a fresh gale at South-south-east I steer'd away Southward and by West by my Compass the Air was cold here on a sudden as 't is in England in September These Seas are very much exposed to sudden Gusts and variable Winds for the Wind has run round the Compass twice or thrice a day these 3 day the Sea-water is changed whiter then the usual colour whence I conjecture I must be in Soundings also by my account of Longitude kept from the Lizard I am not 1 d. 28 m. off from land according to Mercator's Draught This Evening I sounded but had no ground at 130 Fathom Wind at South a fine gale I steer'd in West-south-west at ten a Clock to Night I observed the Water to riple as if it were over a shoal and had ground at seventy Fathom I caused the Head-sails to be braced to the Mast and sounded sine red Sand inclining to gray at 70 Fathom February 2. Meridian distance from the Lizard West 839 Leagues 2 miles 〈◊〉 Longitude at Noon from the Lizard West 49 deg 43 m. little Wind this Afternoon and fair Weather we lay
735 Leagues 1 mile 5 tenths Variation of the Compass Easterly 18 Degrees I concluded we had shot past Port Desier Harbour in the Fog for the Islands and Rocks which we saw were Penguin and other Isles lying about it which lies to the Southward of the Harbour of Port Desier Many Seals Penguins pied Porpoises and several Sea Fowls c. seen to day Thursday Febr. 24. Hasey Weather Wind at West-north-west a fresh gale I sent Men up to the Top-mast-head to look abroad this Morning no sight of the Pink I judge she must be in Port Desier I weighed about 8 a Clock this Morning and stood to the Northward with my Ship I went in my Pinnace along the shore to the Northward whilst the Ship sail'd in the Offing about two Leagues from the shore the Shore-side is in Beaches and scatter'd Rocks in many places the Tide of Flood was with us at the North-end of Seals Bay lies a small rocky Island copling up like a Haycock It is cover'd with grey-colour'd Fowls Dung a very strong Tide runs here between the Island and the Main 't is a little more than a Cables length from the Point of the Main there 's a great many broken Rocks about it by the Sea-side here the main Land is low and sandy up the Country in large Downs and Hills without Wood or fresh Water any where On this Island are abundance of Seals and Sea Fowls we gave it the name of Tomahauke Island from an Indian Club lost here called by the Caribbe-Indians at Surinam a Temahauke 't is all a craggy Rock a little bigger than Seal-Island and is eight Leagues to the North-north-east distant from it to the Northwest of this Island is a deep rounding Bay called in the Charts Spiring's Bay wherein lie three small Islands of an indifferent height the Land in the Country over this Bay is large high Hills Rocks lie in the North part of the Bay I cross'd it in the Pinnace amd sounded as I went over and had 21 Fathom rough ground in the mid-way 't is seven Miles broad and near 3 Leagues deep it rounds with a turning up to the North-northwest ward behind a Point farther than I saw upon which rounding Point stand black Rocks which make like a ragged Building and a Tower in it at my coming in with the Land I sail'd close under this shoar with my Boat the shore is steep black Rocks and low Bays with Pebble-stones and sandy Beaches green Grass on the Hills no Wood nor fresh Water to be seen at the North-east Point of this Spiring's-Bay the Land makes out full like a foreland a fair high Land in large plain Hills with sandy small Bays at the face of this Foreland lie six rocky Islands one is a Musket-shot off the Main the rest farther off the outwardmost is the biggest a Mile from the Point of the Main and is called Penguin-Island it is indifferent high at the ends and low in the middle 't is near three quarters of a Mile long North-north-east and South-south-west and near half a Mile broad East and West it is all craggy Rocks except in the lowest part of the middle which is gravelly and in the Summer time had a little green Grass the great black Gannets lay their Eggs here and the Penguins all over the Island upon and under the Rocks in Holes Seals lie all about the sides on the tops of the highest Rocks and in the middle of it the number of Seals Penguins and Sea-Fowl upon these Islands is alsmost incredible to them that never saw them for the multitude of each Creature that 's there daily is numberless the Six Islands are full of Seals but the Penguins frequent the biggest most I put a-shore at one of them and took into my Boat three hundred Penguins in less than half an hour and could have taken three thousand in the time if my Boat would have carried 'em for 't is but driving 'em in flocks to the shore by the Boats side where two or three Men knock them on the head with short Truncheons and the rest heave them into the Boat the Seals will run over a Man if he does not avoid 'em mean time the Ship was standing to the Northward about 2 Leagues off many broken Rocks and foul ground lie among these Islands and without the Point of the outermost it makes a great ripling which is the strength of the Tide reversed from the Islands aginst the other Tide to the Northward of these Islands is a Bay four Leagues long and a League and half deep in the Northwest thereof lies the Harbour of Port Desier which we could see from Penguin Island 's bearing North-north-west from Penguin Island distant about 3 Leagues about the middle of this Bay are steep white Cliffs near two miles long the upper part of the Cliff has black streaks down a fourth part caused by the Water draining down on it the Land is plain on the top of these Cliffs but further into the Country high rounding Hills and Downs and toward the Water-side low on the South part of the Bay are craggy Rocks on the Main like great Walls near the Sea there 's a sandy Cove to hale a Boat up in foul Weather the Cove is just under these wall-like Rocks Saturday Feb. 26. Fair Weather the Wind at West a stiff gale I kept a Light out all Night that the Pink might see if she came along the first part of the Night a great Fire was made on the shore for the same purpose Cold weather this Morning at 7 a Clock I manned both my Boats and into the Herbour the Ship rode moored at the Harbour-mouth within the Muscle-bank in six Fathom at low Water I sent my Men upon the Hills on the North shore to look abroad for the Pink and make a Fire in the dry Grass that she might see the smoak if she were thereabouts but they could not see her I sounded the Harbour in many places to day at low Water and found it a very good one for great Ships to ride in provided they have good Cables and Anchros I searched the shore but found no Wood and very little fresh Water on the hilly and large Downs very few Bushes but dry long Grass growing in tufts and knots the Soil is gravelly and dry in some Valleys well mixt with black mould no People fire or smoak but our own to be seen I saw several places where they had lain behind Bushes upon Grass which they had plucked up and that they had made small sires and roasted Lumpets and Muscles there lay Wooll Feathers bones of Beasts and shivers of Flints I went to a Flag which I left on a Hill yesterday with Beads at it but finding no body had been at it let it stand no Beasts seen any where except two Hares running over the Hills this day we were taken up with viewing the Harbour so that we did not advance above a mile and
thousands fourteen foot long the common sort are about five foot and all very fat they 'l gape at you when you come to them as if they would devour you and 't is labour enough for two Men to kill one of the great ones with a Hand-spike which is the best Weapon for that purpose Saturday March 5. Fair Weather Wind at South-west a fine gale This Morning we went ashore to flay some Seals and cut the Bodies in good handsom pieces and salted it up well in Bulk on Deal-boards ashore that the blood might drain from it the Meat looks as well and as white as Lamb and is very good Victuals now but when 't is a little salt it will eat much better those we dress'd were all young Seals for they sucked their Dams who as soon as they come ashore bleat immediatly come her young ones and bleat about her like Lambs and suck her one old Female suckles four or five and beats away other young ones that come near whence I believe they have four or five at a time the young ones which we killed and eat were as big as a midling Dog we cut the fat off of the Great ones and made Oil of it for the Lamps and other uses in the Ship the Oil of the young ones we fried and eat with our Provisions it is very sweet and good to fry any Food with our Men will have it to be as good as Olive Oil most of my Men to day gathered of those green Pease-leaves and other Herbs for Sallads which some eat raw some boiled it is refreshing to their Bodies Sunday March 6. Blowing Weather Wind at West This day after Prayers I went ashore on the South-side of the River and travelled eight miles into the Land South-west and by West having twelve armed Men with me my Lieutenant went up the River in the Boat nine or ten miles to see for People that way my other Lieutenant went on the North-side with ten armed Men to see for People and view the Land I found in my Travels one of those great Beasts like a Deer dead and whole the Vermin had not touched him all his Back had pretty long Wooll of the colour of dried Rose-leaves and down his sides his Belly white Wooll he was as big as a small Colt he had a long Neck a Head like a Sheep so was his Mouth and Ears his Legs very long and Cloven-footed like a Deer a short bushy Tail of a reddish colour no Horns nor ever had any it was a Male I believe these Beasts are Peruvian Sheep Guianacoes I had his Paunch opened and searched for the Bezoar-stone in it and in the Pipe to the Stomach I turned them inside outward but found none I had heard West-Indian Spaniards say that they have taken the Bezoar-stone of Guianacoes and therefore opened this which I take to be the same Beast In travelling to day I saw several herds of them sometimes ten thirty or forty together I could not get near enough to shoot at them they neigh like young Horses and so wander away I saw nine Ostriches but they would not suffer me to come within shot of them I let the Greyhound at them but they out-run him up the Hills we saw a Fox a wild Dog and five or six Hares of which the Greyhound killed one they are shaped like English Hares and much larger and instead of a Tail have a little stub about an inch long without Hair on it they have holes in the ground like Coneys no Woods to be seen only a few Bushes like White-Thorns The Land is dry of a sandy gravelly Soil in large rounding Hills not very high but in Downs and Valleys bearing nothing but Grass here and there are gullies of fresh Water in the Valleys which is made in the Winter-time when the Snow dissolves I saw several places of salt Water in the Land which is occasioned by the natural saltness of the Earth here are no Fruits nor Herbs When I was at the farthest and on a Hill I could not see any sign of People or Woods but still Hills and Valleys as far as we could descry no Birds to be seen but Kites which are like those in Europe and small Birds like Sparrows and Linnets some Flies and Humble-bees here we saw some small four-footed Animals running in the Grass speckled-Grey shaped like a small Creature in England called an Eft Newt or Lizard no Adder nor Snake nor any venomous Creature Cattle would live here very well such as Horses Cows Sheep Goats c. Evening growing upon us I returned to the Ship and 't was within Night when we got aboard our Boat and ten a Clock when we entered the Ship I found on Board my Lieutenant that went up the River but they which went on the North-side were not come back up the River they saw five small Islands which had Sea-fowls on them and Bushes for fewel the River grows broader upwards and has several Rocks in it on the shoar they saw Guianacoes Ostriches and Hares no People Fire or Smoak they saw where People had been and Fires made and Muscles and Lumpets roasted no fresh Water nor Wood nor any Metal or Mineral the Land hilly with Grass on it At twelve a Clock to Night those that went on the North-side came aboard they had been about eight miles into the Land North-west and saw no People but found where People had been and made Fires in the Grass and Grass laid to fire the Bushes also where some had lain on open places and set little Bushes in Half-moons to shelter them from the Weather on the top of a Hill they made a fire with Grass to see if any would answer them they sat down by it all day but could see none made any where else the Land is in rounding large Hills not very high but like Downs as the Coast of Yorkshire about Burlington no Woods nor Trees seen nor fresh Water here and there a Bush growing in a Valley indifferent good Grass the Soil gravelly and sandy and some ridges of Rocks they saw Guianacoes Ostriches Hares and Kites several little Creatures like Efts no kind of Fruit or Berry Mineral or Metal I charged them as they travelled in any Gullies where Water had run to search for grains of Gold or other Metal c. for Gold is found in grains in such Gullies and much Gold is found in the Land on the other side not two hundred Leagues distant from us much Salt-peter hangs on the Earth where Water has been in a kind of Flower the plashes of Water they met with were as salt as Brine which the Earth made I saw Smelts here eighteen Inches long lying dead on the Shore but hitherto have not seen one Oyster or other shell-Fish Crawfish Lobster or Crab though 't is possible the place may have 'em all Whilst we were standing by the Water-side a Seal chased on shore a Fish as large as a Mackrel
and Oyster-shells on the Shore-side and growing in Veins on the Rocks but no Meat in them Wind at West to Night a fresh gale Monday April 18. Wind at South-west a stiff gale Cold Air and some Snow this Morning the Winter is come strong and stormy so that 't will be impossible to hold the Coast into the Streights for the Wind blows altogether from the West or West-southerly and in such Gusts as will force a Ship off the Coast This day I ordered my Purser to serve the Company Brandy-wine for their Allowance at a Quart per Week a Man I got a Boats lading of the Wood of the Country aboard for firing to Night it blew hard at South-west all the Company eat salt Seal and Penguins for their Allowance sweet and very good Meat and keeps well and long in Salt Friday April 22. Wind at South-west a stiff gale and cold Air. This Morning I went ashore on the North-west side with twenty Men to the Salt-pond which is rusted all over like a Pavement with very white and good Salt two Inches thick for two miles long in February here 's Salt enough to fill a thousand Ships we filled two Bags and laid up near two Tuns out of the Water for there was Water over the Salt which began to decay with the Rain and Weather beating on it at Night I returned aboard we brought as much Salt with us as filled a Punchion very good white Stone-salt whiter than French-Salt and of a very pleasant smell I saw some Guianacoes and Ostriches the Hills and Valleys dry Earth and Grass on them on the higher Hills lies Snow no People but many places where they had made fires and lain under a Bush for shelter no Mineral or Metal Tree or Fruit. Wednesday April 27. Close Weather and little Wind a cold Air it freezes hard the Ice bears a Man Thursday April 28. Wind at West and by South a fine gale cold frosty Weather We unrig'd the Ship and made all snug intending to Winter in this Harbour the Ice will not suffer us to pass the Streights the Winds are so stormy and generally out of the Western quarter the Nights so long and cold that the passage is impossible this Winter The Port I found safe to ride in and good refreshment to be had of Fowls as Ducks Peekes and Divers c. In the Spring I may be ready to sail to the Southward when we shall have the year before us and the Sun in the Southern Signs which will give long Days and short Nights and temperate Weather Wind at North-north-east this Evening and Rain it blew a great storm to Night the Boat sunk at the Ship 's stern and lost the Oars less Wind towards Night and veared to the West Friday May 6. Wind at West-north-west a fine gale I went a-shore on the North-west side with thirty Men and travelled seven or eight miles up the Hill saw no People the Land is great Grass-Downs in most places and on the tops of the Hills and in the Ground are very large Oyster-shells they lie in Veins in the Earth and in the firm Rocks and on the sides of Hills in the Country they are the biggest Oyster-shells that ever I saw some six some seven Inches broad yet not one Oyster to be found in the Harbour whence I conclude they were here when the Earth was formed no sign of Mine or Metal no Woods or Tree We found a good Spring of fresh Water up in the Hills it drains into salt Water-swashes We saw several Salt-water Ponds six miles in the Land made by the saltness of the Earth we saw Ostriches Guianacoes and a Fox I made a Fire on the top of the highest Hill but could see no answer I returned aboard with my Company very weary some of my Men fetched Salt to day fair Weather to Night Friday May 13. Indifferent Weather Wind at West-south-west a fine gale This day we fetched Salt a Gentleman of my Company Mr. John Wood walking on the Island of Jusice found three small pieces of Gold Wire in two Muscle-shells which Shells were made together by a green Gut-string the Gold was to the value of two shillings English and had been hammered the wire as big as a great Pin. Monday June 6. Cloudy cold Weather Wind at South-west a fresh gale This day I went a-shore with sixteen Men and travelled ten miles West into the Land the Hills there are covered with Snow 't is very cold we could not go any further for Snow and the Air is so cold that we could not endure to lie on the ground on the Hill that I was on we could see nothing but Hill beyond Hill no Woods nor Trees nor Bushes all grass Downs the Land is flat on the tops of the Hills fresh Water runs down in several places which is melted Snow and when the Water leaves running there 's no Snow I saw many Guianacoes and Ostriches no People or sign of any close by the Water-side we saw many places where they had lain on open Hills in the Snow and some places where they had killed and eat Guianacoes and Ostriches they make but small Fires with little sticks I do not find they roast their flesh at them for we saw some raw Flesh hanging to the Bones which they had gnawed with their Teeth their Fires are only to warm their Children's Fingers as we imagine I gathered some handfuls of Guianacoes Wool that lay here I am persuaded these People must needs see us travelling to and fro every day but won't come near or be seen by us they live like wild Beasts or rather worse for sometimes they must be in great want of Food here 's neither Fruit Root or Herb for it The Land is a dry gravelly Soil with Sand and in many places a Marle two foot below the Surface the Grass which is dry grows in knots not very long but thick in the Valleys the Earth is of a Petery or nitrous Nature Ostriches seen no sign of Metal or Mineral I and my Company have looked in most places where we travelled for it to Night we got down but very weary Tuesday June 7. clse dark Weather Wind at North-east and by East a fair gale a new Moon to day fine Weather to Night but cold the Stars near the Pole Antartick are very visible some of the small Stars in the Constellation of little Hydra are near the Pole Here are many good Stars near the Pole good for Observation of the first and second Magnitude the Star at the South-end of Ariadne the Star at Hydra's Head the Star in the Peacock's eye and the Stars in Tucan's bill and the Stars in Tucan's thigh and back the stars in Grus's head and wing and body but the brightest Stars are the Stars in the former foot of Centaurus and the Crosiers the other Stars are of the third fourth and fifth Magnitude The two Clouds are seen very plainly and a small black Cloud which
Leagues or more At the point of the second Narrow on the North-shore up to the North-east-ward a mile or two there is a Bay on the North-shore and a white Cliff of an ordinary height which is called Cape St. Gregory In this Bay you may ride in eight Fathom Water fine clean sandy Ground and a good half mile off the shore This is a good Road if the Wind be between the North-east and the South-west to the Westward the Winds are given most to blow on the Western-quarter As I sailed thorow the second Narrow I sounded in the fair way and had twenty eight and thirty Fathom small stones The North-shore on this Narrow makes in a Bay at the East-point and is white Cliffs all the way through This Narrow lies throughout West-south-west and East-north-east and at the West-end of the Narrow the Land is steep up in white Cliffs and the South part rounds away in a rore-land The South-shore rounds away South-east from this Fore-land and then it trents away to the Southward in low Land The North-shore of this Narrow or Streight rounds up to the Northward in white Cliffs and falls into shores there goes in a Harbour which hath four Fathom in the Channel at High-water it is a flat round Harbour within and oary I called this Oaz-harbour When you are at the West-part of this Narrow you will see three Islands come open which shew to be steep up Cliffs they lie Triangle-wise one of another they are four Leagues distant from the Narrow West-south-west The smallest and Eastermost Isle is called St. Bartholomews the biggest and Wester-most is called Elizabeth the middle-most and souther-most is called S. George's and by some Penguins-Isle and indeed there are many Penguins on it This Evening I got up to Elizabeth's and anchored in eight Fathoms and an half sine black Sand two miles off the Island The East-point bears South and by East of me fair Weather all Night the Wind at South and by West This Morning I went ashore on Elizabeth-Island and at my landing nineteen of the Countrey-people came off the Hills to me I had Conference with them and exchanged Knives and Beads for such things as they had which were Bows and Arrows and their Skin-Coats which are made of young Guianacoes skins I gave them a Hatchet and Knives and Beads and Toys Trumps c. they seem'd to be very well-pleased I shewed them Gold which they would have had I made them signs that if they had any I would give them Knives and Beads c. for it or If any where in the Land I laid Gold and bright Copper into the Ground and made as if I found it there and looked to and fro on the Earth as if I looked for such things they looked one on another and spake to each other some words but I could not perceive that they understood me or what I meant nor that they knew Gold or any other Metal they would gladly have had every thing they saw they tried to break the Boats Iron-grapenel with stones and would have carried it away I let them alone and observed their actions and behaviour which was very brutish they catched at every thing they could reach although I caused them to sit down and I put strings of Beads about their Necks still they desired more My Lieuâ—enant Peckett danced with them hand in hand and several of my Men did dance with them and made all the shew of Friendship as was possible My Lieutenant changed his Coat for one of theirs sor they desired it because it was red which coâ—our they much esteem I was in great hopes I might find Gold among them I gave them all the courteous respect I could After two hours Conference with them I made signs I would go and get more things and come again to them They went and would have us to Land again under a Cliff which I judge was their Design to heave stones into the Boat to sink her for the place was very convenient for such a purpose They set themselves down on the Grass and immediately set fire on the Grass on the side of the Bank by what means they got Fire so suddenly I could not understand I went and sounded the Channel between Elizabeth-Island and St. Bartholomew's-Island and found it a fair Channel to Sail through of a mile broad nearest and deep Water in the middle thirty eight Fathom and nine and ten Fathom near the Shore-side gravelly Sand. These People are of a middle stature both Men and Women and well-limbed and roundish Faced and well shaped and low Fore-headed their Noses of a mean size their Eyes of the mean and black they are smooth and even toothed and close set and very white small Ears their Hair is smooth flag Hair and very black and harsh on the fore-part even and round and the Locks of a mean length both Men and Women alike they are full Breasted they are tawny Olive-coloured and redded all over their Bodies with red Earth and Grease their Faces dawbed in spots down their Cheeks with white Clay and some black streaks with smut in no Method their Arms and Feet the like they have small Heads and short Fingers they are active in Body and nimble in going and running their Cloathing is pieces of Skins of Seals and Guianacoes and Otters skins sewed together and sewed soft their Garment is in form of a Carpet of about five feet square or according to the largeness of the Person this they wrap about their Bodies as a Scottish Man doth his Plading they have a Cap of the Skins of Fowls with the Feathers on they have about their Feet pieces of Skins tied to keep their Feet from the Ground they are very hardy People to endure cold for they seldom wear this loose Skin when they are stirring but are all naked of Body from Head to Feet and do not shrink for the Weather for it was very cold when I saw them and the Hills all cover'd with Snow they have no Hair on their Bodies nor Faces nor any thing to cover their privy Parts excepting some of the Women which had a Skin before them otherwise the Men and Women are cloathed alike only the Men have Caps and the Women none The Women wear Bracelets of Shells about their Necks the Men none the Men are somewhat larger than the Women in Stature and more fuller Fac'd the Men have a harsh Language and speak ratling in the Throat and gross the Women shiller and lower they pronounce the word Ursah but what it means I could not understand nor one word they spake if they did not like any thing they would cry Ur Ur ratling in their Throats their Food is what they can get either Fis or Flesh they are under no Government but every Man doth as he thinks fit for they had no respect to any one nor under any Obedience of any in this Company neither did they make any shew of
Worshipping any thing either Sun or Moon but came directly to us at our first going on Land making a noise and every Man his Bow ready strung and two Arrows a Man in their Hands their Bows are about an Ell long and their Arrows are near eighteen Inches long and neatly made of Wood and headed with Flint-stones neatly made broad-Arrow-fashion well fastned to the Arrow and the other end is feathered with two Feathers and tied on with the Gut of some Beast when it is green and moist the Bow-string is some twisted Gut These People have very large mungrel Dogs much like the race of Spanish Dogs and are of several colours I did not see any other domestick Creature they have neither could I at this time see their Boats for they lay at the other end of the Island next the Main they waited on this Island for an opportunity of fair Weather to go to the other Islands for Penguins there being great numbers of those Birds on the southermost of the three Islands and many other white-breasted Divers October 30. To Night I anchored in a small Bay in eleven fathom Water gravelly Ground half a mile off the Shore no Tide runs here as to thwart up a Ship the Water riseth and falls perpendicular ten Feet This Bay hath two Rivulets of fresh Water in it and good Timber-trees of eighteen Inches through and near forty Feet long the Wood is much lik a Beech here are wild Currant-trees and many such like Bushes the Woods are very thick and green and much old Wood lies on the Ground so as there is no travelling into the Woods I was a-shore looking to and fro here three hours I called this Fresh-water Bay this is near nine Leagues to the Southward of Sweepstakes Bay Sand-point is a mean low Point lies out more than the other Points of the Shore and few Trees grow on it It is six Leagues from Fresh-water Bay to Port Famen South and North from the one to the point of the other that nearest Port Famen cannot be seen as you come from the Northward till you come to bring the Point S. Anne up on the Northwest of you for the Bay lies up in a little hook North-west and the Land on the West-side of the Bay is low in a Point and sandy and some Grass grows on it and much drift-Wood lies on it like a Carpenters-yard a little within Land from the Water-side grow brave green Woods and up in the Valleys large Timber-trees two foot throughout and some upwards of 40 Feet long much like our Beech-timber in England the Leaves of the Trees are like green Birch-tree leaves curiously sweet the Wood shews in many places as if there were Plantations for there are several clear places in the Woods and Grass growing like fenc'd Fields in England the Woods being so even by the sides of it and on Point Saint Anne as you come sailing from the Northward you will see good Bushes and tall Trees grow on the very point of it This Point is rocky on the Shore-side but no danger lies or it you may be bold on it to get into Port Famen Bay Here is good Wooding and Watering and good catching of Fish with the Seyne or Net I haled above five hundred large Fishes a-shore at one hale much like to a Mullet all scaly Fishes here are many large Smelts or twenty Inches long and many Anchovies and some small made Scates Here is great plenty of Fish so much as we feed wholly on it and salt up much of the Mullets and Anchovies Here grow many Trees of good large Timber forty Inches through the Leaves are green and large much like Bay-tree Leaves in England the rind is grey on the out-side and pretty thick rined this Rind or Bark of these Trees if you chew it in your Mouth is hotter than Pepper and more quicker it is of a spicy smell when it is dry I cut of the Bark and made use of it in my Pease and other Provisions instead of Spice and found it very wholesom and good wee steeped it in our Water and drank it and it gave the Water a pretty flavor There grow of these Trees in the Woods in many places in the Streight on both Shores and on the Coasts on both sides of Patagonia before your enter them This may be the Winter-bark of the Shops which has an Aromatick pepper-like or spicy tast Port Famen lies in the Lat. of 53 d. 35 m. South and in Longitude West from the Lizard 68 d. 9 m. and Meridian distance 1092. Leagues West as my Account is in my Sailing this Voyage I give no credit to the plain Sailing therefore this Meridian distance signifies very little as to Navigation I travelled in many places but could not see any Fruit-trees or Oak or Ash or Hasel or any Timber like ours in England Here are but two sorts or Timber in all these Woods and one is the Pepper-rind Tree which is indifferent Wood and the other is the Timber much like Beech Here are the best and biggest Trees in all the Streights here are Trees of two foot and an half through and between thirty and forty feet long there may be great Planks cut out of them I could not see any grains of Metal of Mineral in any place and I looked very carefully in Gullies and places where Water had guttered Here are some Herbs to be plucked up as we boiled for Salleting and green Grass with it which relished pretty well The Land in the Woods is dry and of a gravelly and sandy Soil and some places good brown Earth it is bad travelling in the Woods for old Trees and Under-woods the Woods trent all up on the sides of the Hills the Land all about on the North-west and West of Port Famen trents up to very high Hills and the In-land is very high Hills for we can see the tops of them all barren and ragged peeping over those Mountains next to the Shore-side much Snow lies continually on them the Land on the South-shore is very high and peaked I saw many Ducks and brant-Geese on the Shore-sides and in the fresh Waters together with some Whales spouting in the main Channel I do verily believe that in these Mountains there is some Metal either Gold or Copper for the Man that went aboard pointed up to the Mountains and spake to me when I shewed him my Ring These People eat up the Provision which was carried to them and greased themselves all over with the Oil and greased their Skin-Coats with it I made signs to them to go and get some Gold and bring it to me some of them went away to their Boats the rest sat still on the Grass talking one to another and pointing to the Ship Their Language is much in the Throat and not very fluent but uttered with good deliberation I could not perceive but only the younger were obedient to the elder and the Women were in obedience to
this Low-land In this Valley there runs a fresh Water-River I went it with my Boat It is but shallow at low Water hardly Water enough for my Boat Here I saw several Arbors of the Indians making but no People This River is a very convenient place to lay Shallops or such like small Vessels in it they may go into it at high Water for the Tide riseth here eight or nine feet this River I called by the name of Batchelor's River Before the mouth of this River in the Streights there is good anchoring in nine or ten or twelve Fathom Water sandy Ground a fair birth off the Shore the Tide runs but ordinary and the Floud-tide comes from the Westward and the Tide that comes out of St. Jerom's Channel makes a ripling with the Tide that comes along the stream of the Streight I called this Road that is before Batchelor's-River York-Road This is a good place to ride in with Westerly Winds for here cannot go any great Sea neither shall a Man be embayed that if a Cable give way he may have the Streight open to carry it away for the Westerly Winds are the greatest Winds that blow here by the Trees for they all stoop to these Winds and lean to the Easterward and the West-side of all the Trees that stand open are made flat with the Winds the tops of the Mountains look to the Eastward the Easterly Winds seldom blow strong here as to what I have observed By the Shore-side which lies open to the East the Grass grows down to the Water-side and they are the greener Shores and the Trees are streight and tall on the East-side of the Hills but on the West-shores the Grass and Trees are much weather-beaten worn away and crippled and the Shore-sides much tewed with the surge of the Waters At Cape Quad the Lands shut one with the other as if there were no farther passage but as you make nearer to it you will see the opening more and more as the Streight rounds there more to the Northward again Cape Quad is on the North-shore and it is a steep up Cape of a rocky greyish Face of a good height before one comes at it it shews like a great building of a Castle for it points off with a Race from the other Mountains so much into the Channel of the Streight that it makes shutting in against the South-land and maketh an Elbow in the Streight the Streight is not past four miles broad here from shore to shore and the Land is steep too on both sides and rocky the Mountains high on both Shores and craggy barren Rocks some Trees and Bushes growing here and much Snow on the Mountains on both sides Opposite to Cape Quad on the South-side there is a fine large Bay which is called Rider's Bay I did not go into it if there be Anchoring in it it is a fair Road for any Winds the Water is very deep here in the Channel no Ground at one hundred Fathom this part of the Streights from Point Passage to Cape Quad is the most crooked part of all the Streight therefore I called this Crooked-Reach Here are two small Islands in the North-shore to the Eastward of Cape Quad. November 14. This Morning I was a-brest of Cape-Munday so I called it it being a Cape on the South-side and is distant from Cape de Quad about thirteen Leagues the Streight here is about four miles broad and the North-shore makes into the Land with great sounds and broken Islands the Land on both Shores is high rocky Hills and barren very little Wood or Grass growing on them Here at Cape Munday the Streight grows broader and broader to the Westward but keeps all one Course North-west and by West to Cape Upright which is a steep upright Cliff on the South-side and it is distant from Cape Munday four Leagues Here the Streight inclines to the Westward near half-a Point the Streight lies from Cape Munday West-north-west half a Point Northerly right out into the South-Sea if you be in the middle of the Channel or nigh the North-shore I find little or no Tide to run here or Current no Ground in the Channel at two hundred Fathom a Musket shot off the Shore on either side Here run into the South-shore many Sounds and Coves I have sailed fair along by the South-shore all this day for the North-shore makes in broken Islands and Sounds Here lie all along the South-shore several small Islands but no danger for they are all steep too the Streight is a very fair Channel to sail throughout This day at Noon I was a-breast of an Island which lies on the North-side of the Streight I called it Westminster-Island there lie a great many Islands between that and the North-shore and to the Eastward and Westward as also some broken Ground and Rocks lie about it These Islands I called The Lawyers and this I sland which I called Westminster-Island is an high rocky Island shewing like Westminster-Hall the Streight is five Leagues broad between Westminster-Island and the South-shore but between that and the North-shore there are many rocky Islands and broken Ground The Streight lies from Cape Munday to Cape Desseada West-north-west and East-south-east half a point Northerly and half a point Southerly nearest and they are distant from one another near fifteen Leagues from Cape Quad to Cape Desseada it is about twenty eight Leagues and the Streight lies near North-west and by West from Cape Quad into the South-Sea and near in one Reach which I called Long-Reach and some of my Company called it Long-Lane This part may properly be called the Streights for it is high Land all the way on both Shores and barren Rocks with Snow on them and indeed from Cape Quad into the South-Sea I called this Land South-Desolation it being so desolate Land to behold Cape Desseada lies in the Latitude of 53 d. 10 m. South In Longitude West from the Lizard of England 72 d. 56 m. And in Meridian distance 1149. The Compass hath 14 d. 10 m. Variation Easterly here Cape Piller lies in the Latitude of 53 d. 5 m. In Longitude West from the Lizard of England 72 d. 49 m. And in Meridian distance 1148. Leagues West I make the whole length of the Streights of Magellan from Cape Virgin-Mary to Cape Desseada with every Reach and turning to be one hundred and sixteen Leagues and so much I sailed from the one Sea to the other according to my estimation The best Land-fall in my Opinion is to make the face of Cape Desseada for to come out of the South-Sea to go into the Streight of Magellan they lie in East and West at the first till you come a-brest of Cape-Pillar then the Course is South-east and by East nearest Be careful to keep the South-shore in fair view for the North-shore is broken Islands and Sounds that a Man may mistake the right Channel or Streight and steer up into one of them
as he comes out from the South-Sea if he lose sight of the South-shore Here lie four small Islands at the North part of the mouth of the Streight in the South-Sea they lie pretty near together the Eastermost stands singly by it self and is round copling up of a fair height like an Hay-cock or Sugar-loaf the other three are flattish they lie from Cape-pillar North-north-west by the true Compass 6 Legues off they are distant from Cape-Victory near four Leagues South-west I called them The Islands of Direction they are good wishing to fall with the Mouth of the Streight November 26. The Land makes in Islands lying near the main Land is high and large Hills In-land which stretch North and South some Snow lying on the tops of the highest Hill At eight of the Clock I made the Island of Nuestra Sennora del Socoro in the Spanish Tongue it is called The Island of our Lady of Sucore I steered with it North-east and by East it made rounding up at the Eastermost end and lower in the middle that at either end it maketh with a ridge running from one end to the other and Trees growing on it the Shore-side is rocky on the South-side of the Island and some broken Rocks lie near the Shore-side and on the South-east end of the Island there stand two peaked copling Rocks close to the Shore they are white on the top with Fowls dung The Island is of a fine heighth and all woody on the North-side of it the Trees grow down to the Water-side and fresh Water runs down in five or six Gullies the Woods are all green and very thick spicy Trees Meridian distance at Noon from Cape-pillar East 20 d. â— m 4 ten Longitude at Noon from Cape-pillar East 1 d 19 m. Longitude at Noon from the Lizard West 71 d. 42 m. Meridian distance at Noon from the Lizard West 1128 leag 2 mil. 9 ten The Island Nuestra Senore di Socoro lies in the Latitude of forty five degrees South and in Longitude East from Cape-pillar one degree nineteen minutes Meridian distance from Cape-pillar East 20 leag 0 min. 4 ten Meridian distance from the Lizard West 1128 deg 2 min. 42 min. Longitude from the Meridian of the Lizard West 71 deg 9 ten The Compass hath eleven Degrees Variation Easterly here I went a-shore with my Boats for fresh Water which I had them laden with presently for here is fresh Water enough and very good I searched the Shore what I could I saw on old Hutt or Arbour of the Indians making and several sticks that were cut but all old done I could not see any sign of People on the Island now I believe the People come rambling to this Island from the Main in the best season of the Year to get young Fowls for I do not see any thing else in the Island for the sustenance of Mans Life I could not see any kind of Mineral or Metal the Soil is a sandy black Earth and some Banks of Rocks the Island is irregular and grown all over with impenetrable thick Woods so as I could not see the inward part of it the Woods are ordinary Timber none that I saw was fit to make Planks of the nature of the Wood is much like Beech and Birch and a sort of heavy Wood good for little but the fire it is white no Fruit or Herbs very little Grass the Woods are so thick much kind of long sedgy Grass no wild Beast to be seen several small Birds in the Woods like Sparrows there are several Fowls like Kites in the Woods several black and white brant-Geese and pied Shags and other such Sea-Fowls as Pinks and Sea-mews what else the Island affords I cannot tell I made a Fire on the Shore in hopes to have some answer of it on the Main but had not At Noon I went aboard and sent my Boats a-shore again for more Wood and Water whilst the Weather permitted landing November 30. This Forenoon I was over on the main side the Ship lay off and in I went ashore with my Boat on an Island which lieth adjacent to the Main There runs a Channel between that and the Main and many Rocks lie in it and foul Ground so as I durst not venture the Ship in it This Island shewed as if it had been the Main till I went to it with the Boat being about four Leagues long from the North-point to the South-point and in some places a League broad The Island is of a mean height and in some places two Leagues broad and grown all over with Woods very thick the Timber is such like as is on the Isle of Socoro I could not see any kind of Mineral or Metal in it the Shore-side sandy in many places and rocky in others the Earth on this Island is of a sandy black soil but very wet with the continual Rains that are here Not finding this noted in my Draughts I called it after my own Name Narbrough's-Island I took possesion of it for his Majesty and his Heirs I could not see any People or any sign of them here South-east from Narbrough's-Island on the Main distant about three Leagues there runs into the Land a River or Sound and some broken ground lies before it The Shore-side is rocky and the Hills are high in the Land on both sides of it this opening lies in East and West I take it for that place which in the Draughts is called Saint Domingo This place lies in the Latitude of forty four Degrees fifty Minutes South and more to the Southward thereof lie many round coplin high Islands grown over with Woods all along the Coasts as far as I could see there lie Islands adjacent to the Main and they are of a great height This Day all the Bread in the Ship is expended all the Company of the Ship my self as well as any other eat Pease in lieu of Bread my Company are all indifferent well in health I thank God for it being seventy two in Company no Fish to be taken with Hooks many Porpusses seen and some Whales several Sea-Fowls seen swimming to day much Wind to Night at North-west I ride fast but doubtful of my Cable No-Man's Island lies in the Latitude of forty three Degrees forty seven Minutes South and in Longitude West from the Lizard in England seventy one Degrees thirty two Minutes And in Meridian distance from the Lizard of England one thousand one hundred and twenty six Leagues and one Mile and in Meridian distance from Cape-pillar East twenty two Leagues two Miles and two tenths and in Longitude East from Cape-pillar one degree twenty nine minutes 1 10. The variation of the Compass is ten Degrees Easterly here This Island is that which the Draughts make to lie at the South-end of the Island of Castro at the Mouth of the going in of that Channel which is between Castro and the Main the Draughts are false in laying down of this Coast for they
Wars in England My Lieutenant answered him to his demands My Lieutenant asked him if they were in peace with the Indians He answered that they were at Wars with them round about wafting his Hand round the Harbour and that they were valiant People and very barbarous and fought on Horseback and did them much spoil and that two days before the Indians came out of the Woods and killed a Captain as he stood at his Duty by the side of the Fort and cut off his Head and carried it away sticking on their Lance. He shewed my Lieutenant the place where the Indians came out of the Woods and the place where the Man was killed They seem to be very fearful of the Indians for they will not stir any way but they will have their Piece or their Lance with them It is a manifest sign they are much affraid of the Indians also they have no more ground than the Fort neither do they clear any of the Woods on this side of the Harbour nor walk at a Musquet-shot distance from the Pallisadoes along the Woods-side The Spaniards say that the Indians have much Gold and that their Armour for their Brest is fine beaten Gold c. In the Afternoon a Dinner was brought out of the Fort to the Tent where they were and placed on the Table The first Course was Soppas then Olleos then Pullets then fresh Fish all dressed with hot Sawce and very good Diet it was the last Course was Sweet-meats every Course was served in Silver Dishes and all the Plates were Silver and the Pots and Stew-pots and all the Utensils belonging to the dressing of the Provisions were Silver the Bason wherein they brought Water to wash their Hands was in like manner made of Silver very large and the Hilts of the Soldiers Swords were Silver but the Hilts of the Officers Swords were Gold of good value Moreover the Plate at the But-end of the Stock of their Musquetoons was of the same Metal and the Pipe that the Rod runs in was Silver as also the tip of the Gun-stick and their Tobacco-Boxes and Snuff-Boxes and the Staves which they walk with were headed and ferrelled with Silver and ferrelled on the joints with Silver Indeed they are Masters of much Silver and Gold and it is but little esteemed among them Their boasting was Plata no vallanada muchoro in terra Four Spanish Gentlemen desired to go aboard with my Lieutenant and see the Ship and Pilot her into the Harbour if I would come in which they did not question but I would as I understood afterward by a Spaniard that came aboard to me who revealed to me their whole Design how they intended to surprise the Ship which I ever took care to prevent giving them no opportunity For it hath been a general practice with the Spaniards in America to betray all forein Interest in these parts as I had read of their treacherous dealings with Captain Hawkins at Saint Juan de Vlloa I had much Discourse with the Spanish Gentlemen this day concerning Baldavia and the Country of Chile They tell me they have much Gold here at Baldavia and that the Natives do much hinder their getting of it for they are at cruel Wars with them and will not permit them to plant anything near here about nor at Baldavia but they come and destroy it with Fire And that the Natives are very cruel and barbarous if they take any Spaniard they cut off his Head and carry it away on their Lances end These Spaniards tell me that they live here as the Spaniards do at Mamora in Barbary having their Enemies round about them These Spaniards say that the Indians are tall Men and of a Gigantick stature and extreamly Valiant and that they fight on Horseback eight and ten thousand Men in Arms and well disciplin'd The Indians have much Gold and their Weapons are long Lances and Bows and Arrows and Swords and some Musquets which they have taken from the Spaniards and know how to use them in Service taking also Ammunition c. The Indians are very populous in the Land about Baldavia and at Orsono and on the Island of Castro and at Chile and that they have much Gold on these parts about Orsono and Chilue and that they trade with the Spaniards and give them Gold This Captain said that they have six great Ships going yearly from Lima to the Philippine Islands to the Port of Mannelos and that they have a great Trade with the Chineses and that these Ships sail from the Calleo that is the Port of Lima in the Month of January and their passage is but little more than two Months from Lima to the Port of Mannelos and they sail it within the Tropicks and have much Easterly Winds and they return back by the Northwards to gain the Westerly Winds which brings them to California and to the Port of Aquapulco which lieth on the West-Coast of Nova Espana and from thence they come to Panama and then to the Port of Lima. They bring rich Lading much Silks and other rich Commodities and Spices and Callicoes The Mannellos have a great Trade with the Japoneses and Chineses which is very beneficial to them The Captain demanded of me whither I was bound I answered him I was bound for China and that I had rich Lading for that Country and that I only touched in at this place knowing here were Settlements of the King of Spains Subjects hoping here to have Wood and fresh Water and refreshing for my Men whereby I might the better proceed on my Voyage He said I should have what the Country would afford and that the Captain of the Fort had sent for Provisions for me and that I might have Water on the Shore-sides pointing his Hand to the place which was near by the Captain said it was Aqua del oro which is Water of Gold in English This saying caused me to laugh then he said it came running from the Hills where they find Gold and that there was Gold in that Rivulet I asked him how they get the Gold He said they wash the Earth which is in the Mountains and find the Gold in the Bowl or Tray when the Earth is washed out And they buy much Gold of the Indians which they gather in the Gullies of the Hills which is washed in there by the Rains and snow dissolv'd which descend from the high Mountains which they say are very high and barren Rocks thirty Leagues In-land from the Sea-shore The Land between those barren Hills and the Sea-shore is mighty good Land and the Country very fruitful abounding in many Plains and much Cattle that the Indians have as Horses and Cows and Goats and Sheep which they have taken from the Spaniards since they came into this Country The Spaniards call the high rocky Mountains the Andes and say that those Andes run all along the Land from Magellan Streights in a row to S. Martha which is in Terra
sailing between Cape-gallery and Cape-pillar forwards and backwards At any time if you have a desire to enter the Streights of Magellan at the West-mouth it will be safest in my Opinion to bear in for the Land in the Latitude of 52 Degrees and 50 Minutes South and then you will see the four Isles of Direction which lie before the Mouth of the Streights somewhat toward the North-side they lie North-north-west from Cape-pillar near eight Leagues distant These Islands may be known for there are but four of them and they be but of an indifferent height and but small and bare irregular Rocks and they be near together the Eastermost Isle is near a Mile distant from the other three and it is peeked up like a Sugar-loaf the Sea breaks much on these Isles with Westerly Winds c. Cape-pillar is the steep Point of Rocks on the South-side of the Streights-mouth at the entring into the Streights Cape Desiade is the Westerly Point for it falleth off from Cape-pillar near South-west and they are distant about two Leagues one from another which is the Face of the Lands between these two Capes for at the Point of Cape Desiade the Land on the South-side of the Cape trents off to the South-south-eastward all high ragged rocky Mountains what I saw of it at the pitch of Cape Desiade there lie many shatter'd Rocks which are above Water and shew like the Ruins of old Houses and there are ledges of Rocks that are sunk which lie near four Leagues off of the Cape West the Sea breaks much on them and they are dangerous they lie in the Latitude of 53 d. 10 m. South by my reckoning I called these Rocks The Judges they are near ten Leagues distant South and by West from the Isles of Direction so broad is the first opening of the Streights for when you can but once see the Land to make it there is no danger but a Stranger that should pass out of the South-sea and had not passed the Streights before will find it very difficult to pass the Streights from the West to the East for at the first entring into it out of the South-sea as we call it there are many Openings and Sounds on the North-side which seem fairer for a passage than the Streight it self doth therefore it is best to keep the South-side far aboard all along from Cape-pillar which is the point at the Entrance the Course will be East and by South for a Mile or two and then East-south-east and South-east and by East so the Channel lieth to Cape Quade The North-side of the Streights from Cape Victory all along to the Eastward to Cape Froward is all a ragged rocky mountainous desolate Country many high rocky Islands and small Rocks and sucking Rocks lie on the North-side of the Streights at coming out of Mare del Zur fifteen Leagues in distance into the Streights to the Eastward There also run great Sounds and Waters into the North-Land which shew like a passage more than the Streights doth There is no safety for a Ship to keep the North-shore aboard in this part for here lie so many Islands and Rocks so that if the Weather prove foggy and thick a Man may mistake the right Channel and steer in among the broken Islands and Rocks so far as to endanger his Ship if the Wind be Westerly and it is for the most part of the Winter there very thick and foggy Here are many Sounds and Coves on the North-side between Cape-Victory and Cape Quad but how far they run into the Land I know not I wanted a Sloop or some other small Vessel to discover those Sounds and many other places in the Streights which I would gladly have seen January 6. In Tuesday-bay and Island-bay there grow thick shrubby Bushes on the lower Land which have many Berries like Hurts growing on them these Bushes grow in a mossy loose Earth which lieth four or five Feet thick on the Rock these Bushes will serve for Fuel there grows also long sedgy Grass very thick many Geese and Ducks do make their Nests and breed in it and other Sea-Fowl here are Ducks white and pied brant-Geese grey Gulls Sea-Mews Sea-Divers and Penguins on the Water I could not see any People now but some have been there for I saw where they had made Fires and an Arbour Here are Muscles and Limpets on the Rocks but as for other Fishes I saw none I rowed two Miles up the Sound and could have gone farther but it rained so much and blew so hard as I durst not be absent from the Ship the Water is mighty deep in the Sound At night I got aboard my Seamen were joyful to see me for they were afraid that the Ship would have broke loose in the time of my absence Much Rain to Night and Fogs the Wind at West-south-west a short gale at Night I rode fast on the smooth Water having the Point on the North-west of me Here is a great deal of fresh Water comes running in streams down the sides of the bare rocky Mountains into the salt Water many Whales spouting to and fro in these Bays and Sounds and some Seals on the Rocks this part is very desolate and a mere Chaos c. At eight of the Clock this Evening I anchored before the place called Batchelors River in nine Fathom Water clear sandy Ground two Cables length from the shore Here is very good clear sandy-ground before the River and good Anchoring in six or seven or eight or nine or ten or eleven Fathom a fine barth of shore and good Riding with Westerly Winds and Northerly the worst Wind is a South-Wind for it blows right on in this Reach but there cannot go much Sea here for the Streight in this Reach is but two Leagues broad This Batchelors River is near five Leagues to the Eastward of Cape Quade and two Leagues to the Eastward of St. Jerom's Channel on the North-side of it the Tide runs of an indifferent strength in this place both Ebb and Flood it sets in and out of St. Jerom's Channel rising and falling about eight or nine Feet perpendicular here is not above ten Foot Water at a high-High-water at the going in of Batchelor's River This River is a good Harbour for Barks and Sloops or the like This River lieth in a Valley and a fine Grove of green Trees grows on the West Point At the entrance here is very good fresh Water and a good place to Wood at The Indian People or Natives frequent this place often for here are many Arbours which are their Houses Calm Weather to Night and Foggy I rode fast the Ship being moored Sunday January 8. Calm Weather and a fine warm Sun-shine This Morning at Day-light I went in my Boat with twenty Men into Batchelor's River and rowed four Miles up the Creek or River which was as far as the Boat could go the Water being high the River ends in a small Creek coming
out of a Lake of fresh Water in a Valley amongst the Hills we made the Boat fast and marched all into the Land five or six Miles being stop'd from going further by Hills rising very steep and Mountains and impenetrable Woods we made several Fires but could not see any sign of them so far in the Land No Beast or other Creature to be seen many small streams of fresh Water come running from the snowy Mountains with great Falls from the steep Rocks we looked in many places of the Earth and in the streams of Water for Gold c. but found none nor any other Metal of Mineral Here grow on the Bushes many small red Berries much like Hurts very good to eat the Grass-Land is very loose and Boggy the Rocks are a kind of white Marble the Trees like those at Port Famen here are small Pepper-trees To Night I got on Board Calm Weather I rode fast with the Ship Here ends Sir John Narbrough's Manuscript Journal which we shall continue home to England from the MS Diary taken by Sir John's ingenious Lieutenant Nathaniel Pecket Wednesday January 11. Fair Weather Wind variable from South-east to South-west This Morning we made the best of our way to get into Port Famen Here we had Fishes from the Shore to Fish our Main-mast At twelve a Clock we Anchored in nine Fathom Waaer This place afforded what we wanted as very good large Trees for Fishes good Water good wild Fowl good fish like Mullets and large Smelts here we fitted our Ships Masts and Rigging as well as we could Careen'd her and filled our Casks with good fresh Water and took as much Wood aboard as we thought fit January 16. Fair Weather and little Wind Westerly This Morning the Lieutenant was ordered to go up with the Boat in Segars River as high as he could with convenience and to see for Indians He went up about nine Miles but could nor get higher with the Boat by reason of the Trunk-timber and shoaliness in the Water So I landed and went up two Miles by Land to see for Indians but I could not see any not any thing worth the Observation How far the River runs up I know not for I saw not the end of it so I returned a-board again January 29. Fair Weather and little Wind at South-west This Morning the Captain went over with the Pinnace to the South-shore to see for Indians and if there were and Harbour for Shipping short of Port Famen This day came an Indian to the Point of Port Famen and made a Fire and I went a-shore to see what he had but he had neither Bow nor Arrow nor any thing else to the value of the Farthing I would have had him come a-board with me but he would not as far as I understood by the Signs he made to me he had been a slave to some other Indians and had run away from them and was travelling home Tuesday January 31. Fair Weather Wind variable This Evening the Captain came a-board again having been over on the South-shore to see for an Harbour but could find none nor see any Indians Saturday February 4. Fair Weather Wind at West by North. This Morning at four a Clock we set Sail for Port Famen and at eleven a Clock we were short of Fresh-water Bay and at six a Clock in the Evening we Anchored in twelve Fathom Water in a fine sandy Bay about four Leagues to the Northward of Freshwater Bay February 5. Fair Weather but very much Wind at South-west and West-south-west This Morning the Captain sent me to Freshwater Bay to see for Indians but I saw none there so I returned again aboard February 7. Fair Weather Wind Northerly This Morning the Captain ordered me to take the Pinnace and to go along the North-shore and between Elizabeth's Island and the Shore to see for Indians In the Afternoon it blew hard Northerly that we could not row a head so I put back into a sandy Bay and went a-shore and stayed there all Night and in this Bay we haled the same and got a great many good and large Smelts Smelts of twenty Inches long and eight Inches about Wednesday February 8. Fair Weather Wind West-south-west This Morning at four a Clock I run down the Streights with the Pinnace keeping the Norht-shore a-board and run berwixt it and Elizabeth's Island but saw no Indians yet saw several places where they had been very lately and where they had built their Canowes From Cape Desiade to Elizabeths Island there is Wood and fresh Water plenty but from Elizabeths Island to Cape Virgin-Mary Wood and fresh Water is very scarce to come by This Afternoon at three a Clock I got a-board again and at four a Clock we came to an Anchor in eight Fathom Water black Sand we rid within a Mile of the North-shore St. Georges and St. Bartholomew's Island were both shut in one and they bore South-south-east of me and Elizabeths Island bore South and by East And here we rid with the Ship all Night February 9. Fair Weather Wind Westerly This Morning the Captain sent me to see for Indians but I could see none yet I fell with a good Harbour for small Vessels on the North-side and at the South-end of a great deep Bay thwart of Elizabeths Island the entrance of this Harbour is not a Bow-shot from side to side I sounded it and there was twelve foot Water at a low Water but within there was three Fathom Water at low Water from the entrance of this Harbour to the upper end of it is about seven Miles Here is in this Harbour great stone of Geese and Ducks and a-shore there is great store of Heath-berries and Hicts and small Black-berries good and well-tasted but I saw no Indians so I returned a-board again the Captain went into another Harbour a Mile to the Southward of the second Narrow on the North-shore and sounded and had four Fathom Water in it it is very broad within and there is great store of Sea-Crabs Saturday February 11. Fair Weather Wind variable This day the Captain ordered me to go with the Pinnace and discover the North-shore and if I could with convenience discover some part of the South and to go to the first Narrow and there to stay for the Ship so I went through the second and landed on the South-side in a fine sandy Bay or Cove expecting to fall with Indians for I saw a many Fires up in the Land I went up about five or six Miles but could see no Indians Then the Night coming on I returned again to the Boat and there we pitched a Tent to lie in and lay all Night and at high-High-water we set the same thwart a Pond of Water and there it stood until low-Low-water then we halled the Pond all over and haled a-shore about 700 good and large Fish like Mullets This Land is very dry barren Land and nothing to be seen in it worth the Observation
February 12. Fair Weather Wind Northerly This Morning I went over to the North-shore and there I fell with a fine sandy Bay I sounded it and had 6 7 8 9 and 10 Fathom Water above half a Mile from the Shore This Bay is between the second Narrow and Cape Gregory close under Cape Gregory this Cape is about five or six Miles to the Eastwards of the second Narrow here I landed the Winds being Northerly a fresh gale and haled the Boat up dry and went up into the Country to see for Indians but saw none and I returned to the Boat again where we pitched our Tent and lay all Night February 13. Fair Weather and a fresh gale of Wind Westerly This Morning I run all along the North-shore from Cape Gregory to the first Narrow and I was no sooner entred into the first Narrow but I saw three Anchors which lay up above High-water Mark in a small sandy Cove there I landed and haled up the Boat and searched about to see if we could fall with any Guns or other Trade One of the Men found an Iron Commander for some Ships Poop one of those Anchors were twelve Foot long in the Shank and the other two were eleven Foot a piece and they were all spanish Anchors The Land here is barren dry Land and affords neither Wood nor fresh Water and for the space of five or six Miles about the land is full of Rats they have Holes in the Ground like Coney-burroughs their Food I suppose to be Limpet for there is great store of Limpet-shoals lying close to their Holes I saw no Indians here nor any thing worth Observing Night coming on we here pitched our Tent and lay all Night here are very good sandy Bays on the North-side all the way betwixt the first and second Narrow for I sounded all along as I came down in the Boat and had ten and twelve Fathom Water a good Burth off Tuesday February 14. Close hasey Weather with some Rain and very much Wind Westerly This Morning I saw the Ship coming down the Streights and after she was through the Narrow they brought her to and I got a-board and we made all the Sail we could and by Night we got clear of the Streights into the North-sea and at three a Clock Cape Virgin-Mary bore North-west ½ a Point Northerly distance 4 Leagues Thursday February 23. Fair Weather the Wind variable from the North-north-west to the West-north-west This Evening at nine a Clock we came to an Anchor in 22 Fathom Water sandy Ground on the South-part of America in the Lat. of 47 d. 16 m. South and then Cape-Blanco bore North-north-west of me distant about six Leagues February 24. Fair Weather and little Wind Northerly This Morning we weighed to go to Port Desire-Bay and in the Evening at six a Clock we Anchored in the Bay in fourteen Fathom Water February 25. Fair Weather and a Fresh gale of Wind Easterly This day the Long boat went into Port-Desire for fresh-Water but could not fill above five or six Puncheons for there was no more to be had there and all they brought aboard was brackish Fair Weather Wind variable Sunday February 26. Fair Weather and a fresh Wind at South-south-west Thiw Morning we set Sail from Port-Desire to go for England and at twelve a Clock I was in the Latitude of 47 deg 10 m. South And then Cape-Blanco bore Northwest of me but not by the Compass for here is a Point and half variation Easterly and at four a Clock Cape-Blanco bore West-north-west of me by the Compass distance nine Miles and then we had twenty Fathom Water but when it bears West-north-west from you and you are 8 Miles off you will have but ten Fathom Water Here is very good Sounding al the Coast along from this Cape ot Cape Virgin-Mary which lies in 52 d. 15 m. South Within five Leagues off the Main you will have 25 and 30 Fathom Water and 10 Leagues off you will have 50 and 55 Fathom Water it is black oasie Sand. Wednesday May 17. The Weather fair This Evening at six a Clock we saw the Island of Saint Mary one of the Isles of Azores it bore East-north-east of me distant about sixteen Leagues by Estimation fair Weather Wind at South-east May 19. Fair Weather Wind Easterly This Morning at seven a Clock the Town of Puntelegada upon the Island of St. Michaels one of the Isles of Azores bore North of me distant about two Miles and my Longitude difference from Cape-Blanco to this Town is My Meridian distance from Cape-Blanco to this Town is Leagues Miles Tenths Easting this Town lying so far to the Eastward of the Cape This day the Captain sent me a-shore to Puntelegada to enquire News from England whether we had War or Peace with any other Nation or not and I was informed by Mr. Richard Nucheuson that we had War with none but the Argea-Men So I returned a-board again and we made all the Sail we could for England Tuesday May 23. Fair Weather and much Wind at North-east our Provisions being almost done and but little Water in the Ship we bore up to go for Angria at the Tercesas May 24. Close hasey Weather and a fresh gale of Wind at North-east and by North. This Forenoon we Anchored in Angria-Rode in sixteen Fathom Water Friday May 26. Fair Weather and little Wind at North-east This Forenoon we set Sail out of Angria-Rode to go for England Saturday June 10. 1671. It was hasey dirty Weather Wind at S. W. This moring I saw Scilly at seven a Clock it bore N. E. by N. of me distant about 5 Leagues and at six a Clock in the Afternoon the Lizzard bore North of me distant about 3 Leagues Now I make my difference of Longitude from Cape Blanco to the Lizzard in England to be 60 d. 45 m. 2 10. and my Meridian distance is 840 Leagues I am so far to the Eastwards of the Cape A Relation of a Voyage made towards the South Terra Incognita extracted from the Journal of Captain Abel Jansen Tasman by which not only a new Passage by Sea to the Southward of Nova Hollandia Vandemens Land c. is discovered and a vast space of Land and Sea incompassed and sailed round but many considerable and instructive Observations concerning the variation of the Magnetical Needle in parts of the Worlds almost Antipodes to us and several other curious remarks concerning those Places and People are set forth Not long since Published in the Low Dutch by Dirk Rembrantse and now in English from Dr. Hook's Collections IN the year 1642. Aug. 14. He set Sail with two Ships from Batavia to wit the Yacht Heemskirk and the Fly-boat Seehane and the 5. of September came to an Anchor at the Island Mauritius 20 d. South Latitude and 83 d. 48 m. Long. They found this Island 50 Dutch Miles more Easterly than by their reckoning which make 3 d. 33 m. of
Longitude The 8. of October they departed from thence and went nearly South till the 40 or 41 d. having North-west var. 23 24 and 25 d. to the 22. of October From that time they bore away East somewhat Southwardly till the 29. when they were in South Latitude 45 d. 47 m. Longit. 89 d. 44 m. variation North-west 26 d. 45 m. The 6. of November they were in South Latitude 49 d. 4 m. Long. 114 d. 56 m. N. W. var. 26 d. with much dirty misty windy and gusty Weather and with hollow Waves out of the S. W. and S. so that we could not conceive there could be any Land very near upon these Points November 15. Latitude S. 44 d. 3 m. Longitude 140 d. 32 m. N. W. var. 18 d. 30 m. which decreased apace so that on the 21. being in 158 d. Longitude the variation was no more than 4 d. The 22. being the next day their Compass would not stand still as it ought therefore they guessed there was here some Mines of Load-stone for that their Compass stood not still upon any of the eight Points The 24. of November in South Latitude 42 d. 25 m. and their middle Longitude of 163 d. 50 m. they saw Land E. by N. distant from them 10. Miles which they named Anthony van Diemens Land Here the Compass stood right at this Land in the Longitude of 163 d. 50 m. They had much stormy bad weather so they went away S. by E. along the Coast to 44 d. of South Latitude where the Land runs away E. and after N. E. and northerly here in the Longitude 167 d. 55 m. and Latitude 43 d. 10 m. they came to Anchor in a Bay which on the 1. of December they named Frederick Hendricks Bay They heard as they thought the noise of Men but saw none they saw also two Trees about two or two and a half Fathom thick and 60 or 65 Foot high below the Branches the Bark of these Trees was cut with Flint peeled off in form of Steps to help the Inhabitants to climb them and take the Birds Nests thereon these Steps were about 5. Food asunder so that we must either conclude these People very great or else that they have some unknown trick to make use of the said Steps for climbing these Trees In the one Tree the Steps seemed so fresh and green as if it had not been four days since they were cut the noise of men and the play which they heard was much like that of a Jews Trump or little Gom which was not far off but they saw no body They saw the footing of wild Beasts having Claws like a Tyger and of other Beasts They found also Gum of the Trees and Gum-Lac of the Ground The Ebb and Flood was here about three Foot The Trees stood not thick nor incumbred with thick bushes or underwood they saw likewise in several places the smoak of fire Here they did nothing but only set up a Stake with the Companies mark and a Princes Flag thereon there was here 3 d. N. E. variation December 5. S. Lat. 41 d. 34 m. Long. 169 d. they went away E. from Anthony van Diemens Land with purpose to run away E. to the Long. of 195 d. to find the Islands of Solomon December 9. with S. Lat 42 d. 37 m. Long 176 d. 29 m. N. E. variation 5 d. Decemb. 12. they had hollow Waves out of the S. W. therefore from that Quarter no Land is to be expected December 13. Latitude S. 42 d. 10 m. Longitude 188 d. 28 m. N. E. variation 7 d. 30 m. they had Land in sight which was very high and hilly and which in the Charts is now called New Zealand they went N. Eastwards along the Land as the Chart shewed it till they Anchored in a Bay in South Latitude 40 d. 50 m. Longitude 191 d. 41 m. N. E. variation 9 d. and that on the 18. of December 1642. These Inhabitants were rough of voice thick and gross made they came not within a Stones cast on Board of us and blew several times on an Instrument which made a noise like a Moorish Trumpet in answer thereto we blew ours Their colour was between Brown and Yellow they had black Hair bound fast and tight upon the crown of their Head in the same manner as the Japanners have theirs behind their Head and near as long and thick of Hair upon which stood a great thick white Feather their Clothes were of Mats others of Cotton but their upper parts were naked December 19. these Antipodes began to be somewhat bolder and more free so that they indeavoured to begin a Truck or Merchandize with the Yacht and began to come on Board the Commander seeing this began to fear lest they might be fallen upon and sent his Boat or Prow with seven Men to advertise them that they should not trust these People too much they went off from the Ship and not having any Arms with them were set upon by these Inhabitants and three or four of them were killed and the rest saved themselves by swimming this they indeavoured to revenge but the water going high they were hindred this Bay was by them for this reason named Murderers Bay as it is marked in the Charts From this Bay they went on E. and found the Land all round about them It seems a very good Land fruitful and well scituated but by reason of the bad Weather and West Wind they had a great deal of trouble to get out The 24. of December because the Wind would not well suffer them to go to the Northward they not knowing if they should find any Passage to the North and the Flood coming out of the S. E. they concluded to go back again into the Bay and there seek a Passage but the 26. the Wind better serving they went away Northerly somewhat to the West January 4. 1643. in South Latitude 34 d. 35 m. Longitude 191 d. 9 m. N. E. variation 8 d. 40 m. they came to the N. W. cape of this Land and had hollow Waves out of the N. E. and therefore doubted not there must be a great Sea in the N. E. whereupon they were glad as having now gotten a Passage Here lay an Island which they named three Kings Island to which they went to refresh themselves and being come near they saw upon the Hill thirty or thirty five Men being of tall Stature as well as might be discerned from far with Sticks or Clubs who called to them with harsh or loud voices but they could not understand them and those Men when they walked made very wide paces or steps In turning about this Island there appeared very few Men and they saw little or no Cultivated Land but only found a fresh River where our People intended to get fresh water but by some unlucky accident were prevented whereupon it was resolved to go with an Eastern Course to the Longitude of 220 d. and then
West-south-west fair Weather Course per Compass North-east by East distance sailed by the Log 83 Miles true Course Protracted and variation allowed is East 33 d. North difference of Lat. 47 Miles by Observation departure 66 Miles Lat. by a good Observation 70 d. 30 m. Meridian distance 367 Miles East Yesterday and this Day we saw many Whales Monday June 19. From the 18. Noon to this Day Noon a fresh Gale at West by South thick hasey Weather with Rains at seven a Clock in the Forenoon saw many Sea Fowles more than at any time yet with many Jubartesses at ten a Clock saw the Land being the Islands that lie about 20 Leagues to the Westward of the North Cape true Course allowed for variation is North-north-east distance sailed by the Log 135 Miles difference of Lat. 50 Miles departure East 30 Miles Lat. per Judgment 71 d. 20 m. Meridian distance 497 Miles At Noon the Island Sanden bore South by East about 8 or 9 Leagues off this Island is a high craggy Land with some Snow on the Land Tuesday June 20. From the 19. Noon to this day Noon Course per Compass between the East-north-east and the North-east distance sailed by the Log 128 Miles true Coursed allowed for the variation is North 43 d. East difference of Lat. 91 Miles departure 88 Miles East Lat. per Judgment 72 d. 51 m. Meridian distance 585 Miles From yesterday Noon to this day Noon the first 12 Hours a fresh Gale at South-west but the last 12 Hours much Wind with small Rains and great Fogs saw many Sea Fowles Wednesday June 21. From the 20. to the 21. Noon a stiff Gale with Gusts and small Rains Course per Compass North-east distance sailed by Log 35 Miles true Course allowed by variation is North 40 d. East difference of Lat. 103 Miles departure East 86 Miles Lat. per Judgment 74 d. 34 m. Meridian distance 671 Miles thick cloudy Weather saw many Sea Fowles Thursday June 22. From the 21. Noon to this 22. Noon Course per Compass North-east distance sailed per Log 116 Miles true Course allowed by variation and Leeward way is North 43 d. East difference of Lat. 85 Miles departure East 79 Miles Lat. per Judgment 75 d. 59 m. Meridian distance 750 Miles East the Wind at North-west a fresh Gale Weather variable sometime cloudy and sometimes fair but very cold At Noon we saw Ice right a Head about a League off we sailed close to it and found it to lie away East-south-east and West-north-west we bore away East-south-east along the Ice in the Afternoon we had some small Snow and very cold Weather Friday June 23. From yesterday Noon to this Day Noon we steered along the Ice finding it to have many openings which we sailed into but found them to be Bays our true Course sailed along the Ice the variation allowed was East 14 d. South 77 m. Lat. per Judgment 75 d. 41 m. difference of Lat. 19 m. departure 74 Miles Meridian distance 824 Miles Wind N. N. W. At Noon we sounded and had 158 Fathom soft green Oar and found the Current to set South-south-east we have found very smooth to Leeward of this Ice and in some places found pieces of the Ice driving off a Mile sometimes more or less from the main body of the Ice finding it to be in several strange shapes resembling Trees Beasts Fishes Fowles c. The main Body of the Ice being low but very Craggy being many pieces lying close together and some a top of each other and in some places we saw high hillocks of blue colour but all the rest of the Ice very white as though it were Snow In some places we saw drift Wood amongst the Ice we took up some of the Ice and melted it and the Water very fresh and good this Day we found very cold and freezing Saturday June 24. From the 23. Noon to this Day Noon little Wind at North by West we steered close along the Ice sailing into every opening but could not find any Passage through neither could we see over the Ice in any place from our Topmast-Head true Course Protracted as we sailed along the Ice is East 34 d. South difference of Lat. 24 Miles South departure East 34 Miles Lat. per Judgment 75 d. 18 m. but by a good Observation at Noon the Lat. 74 d. 50 m. the difference between the Dead Lat. and the observed Lat. is 28 Miles which difference hath been caused by the Current setting South-south-east At Noon we sounded and had 128 Fathom Water and the Current as yesterday South-south-east this last 24 Hours fair Weather with little Winds having some small Fogs but lasted not above half an Hour at a time Meridian distance 858 Miles Sunday June 25. From the 24. Noon to this Day Noon little Wind with Calms and the most part foggy so that we durst not venture in the Ice but lay by and stood off true Course Protracted is East 30 d. South difference of Lat. 13 Miles South departure East 19 Miles Lat. per Judgment 74 d. 37 m. Meridian distance 877 Miles East Wind variable from the North-west to the West-south-west At One in the Afternoon the Fog broke up hard freezing Weather our Rigging and Sails frozen for as fast as the Fog fell it freezed Monday June 26. From the 25. Noon to this Day Noon little Wind from the North-west to North Course per Compass between the West-south-west and the North-east distance sailed by the Log 63 Miles difference of Lat. 7 Miles North departure East 58 Miles true Course Protracted is East 7 d. North Lat. per Judgment is 74 d. 40 m. Meridian distance 935 Miles At Noon we stood is close with the Ice and saw something to move we judging it might be Sea-Horses or Morses lying on the Ice we sent our Boat to see and they found two Sea-Horses upon the Ice they fired several shot at them but could not kill them notwithstanding that they were much wounded they got into the Water and so went under the Ice We have found the Ice to lie away East these 24 Hours the Wind at North and very cold and at 12 at Night 70 Fathom green Oar at 9 in the Evening saw Land the North part of it bearing East and the South part South-east being high and covered with Snow about 15 Leagues off Sounded and had 125 Fathom Tuesday June 27. From Monday the 26. to Tuesday 27. little Wind from the North-west to the North by East with Calms we kept close with the Ice and found it joyn to the Land of Nova Zembla true Course Protracted is East by North 30 Miles difference of Lat. 16 Miles departure East 29 Miles Lat. per Judgment 74 d. 46 m. Meridian distance 964 Miles at Noon 83 Fathom Water about 6 Leagues from the Shore we rowed in towards the Shore and found the Ice to lic about 5 Leagues from the Shore we went out of our Boat on
again the Sea was tempestuous and tossed our Ship very much The 3d of May was cold snowy with hail and misty Sun-shine the wind North-west and by west the Sun set no more we saw it as well by night as by day The fourth we had snow hail and gloomy Sun-shine with cold weather but not excessive the wind at North-west the weather every day unconstant Here we saw abundance of Seales they jump'd out of the water before the Ship and which was strange they would stand half out of the water and as it were dance together The 5th-in the forenoon it was moderately cold and Sun-shine but toward noon darkish and cloudy with snow and great frost the wind North-west and by North. We saw daily many Ships failing about the Ice I observed that as they passed by one another they haled one another crying Holla and asked each other how many fish they had caught but they would not stick sometimes to tell more then they had When it was windy that they could not hear one another they waved their Hats to signifie the number caught But when they have their full Fraight of Whales they put up their great Flag as a sign thereof then if any hath a Message to be sent he delivers it to them as you may see in the Plate A by A. The 7th we had moderate frost clouds and snow with rain In the evening we sailed to the Ice the wind was quite contrary to us and the Ice too small wherefore we sailed from it In the afternoon we saw Spitzbergen the South point of the North-foreland we supposed it the true Harbour The Land appeared like a dark Cloud full of white streeks we turned to the West again that is according to the Compass which is al 's to be understood of the Ice and Harbour The 9th was the same weather and cold as before the Wind South-west and by west In the afternoon a Fin-fish swam by our Ship which we took at first to be a Whale before we saw the high fins of his tail and came near to it We had let down our Sloop from the Ship but that labour was lost for he was not worth taking From the 25th of April to this day we had not taken the Sun's altitude we were then in 70 degrees and 3 minutes and sailed towards the North and the Ice It may seem strange that we so often sailed to the Ice and from it again but I shall give you a reason for that hereafter The12th it was stormy and excessive cold the wind North and we had the greatest frosts in this Month of May. On the 14th the wind was North-west fine weather with Sun-shine we were within 75 degrees and 22 minutes We told twenty Ships about us the Sea was very even and we hardly felt any wind yet it was very cold In this place the Sea becomes smooth presently again after a storm chiefly when the wind blows from the Ice but when it blows off the Sea it always makes a great Sea The same day we saw a Whale not far off from our Ship we put out four Boats from on board after him but this labour was also in vain for he run under water and saw him no more On the 19th we had a dull Sun-shine the wind was North and it was so calm that we could hardly feel it we rowed in the Ship-boat to the Ice and killed two Sea-hounds or Seales there were so many of them on the Ice that they could not be numbred On the 20th it was exceeding cold so that the very Sea was all frozen over yet it was so calm and still that we could hardly perceive the wind which was North there were nine Ships in our Company which sailed about the Ice we found still the longer we sailed the bigger the Ice On the 30th it was fair weather in the morning snowy about noon the wind was Southwest and very calm We rowed in the great Sloop before the Ship farther into the Ice In the morning we heard a Whale blow when the Sun was in the East and brought the Whale to the Ship when the Sun was at South-west and by east the same day we cut the Fat from it and filled with it 70 Barrels which they call Kardels By this fish we found abundance of Birds most of them were Mallemucks that is to say foolish Gnats which were so greedy of their food that we kill'd them with sticks This fish was found out by the Birds for we saw every where by them in the Sea where the Whale had been for he was wounded by an Harping Iron that stuck still in his flesh and he had also spent himself with hard swimming he blowed also very hollow he stank alive and the birds fed upon him This Whale fermented when it was dead and the steam that came from it inflamed our eyes and made them sore See Tab. A at a. This same night Cornelius Seaman lost his Ship by the squeezing and crushing together of the Ice for in this place are very great Sheets or Islands of Ice and the Seamen call it West-Ice because it lieth towards the West as you may see in the Plate B marked with b. On the 2d of June we had a severe frost in the forenoon and in the night we saw the Moon very pale as it used to look in the day time in our Country with clear Sun-shine whereupon followed mist and snow the wind North-east and by north In the morning June the 4th we were a hunting again after a Whale and we came so near unto one that the Harponier was just a going to fling his Harpoon into her but she sunk down behind and held her head out of the water and so sunk down like a stone as is to be seen by d on the cut A and we saw her no more it was very like that the great Ice-field was full of holes in the middle so that the Whale could fetch breath underneath the Ice A great many more Ships lay about this sheet of Ice one hunted the Whales to the other and so they were frighted and became very shy So one gets as many fishes as the other and sometimes they all get one We were there several times a hunting that very day and yet we got never a one On the 8th it was foggy and snowed all day we saw that day very many Sea-dogs or Seales on the Ice about the Sea-side so we set out a Boat and killed 15 of them On the 12th it was cold and stormy all day at night Sun-shine he that takes not exact notice knows no difference whether it by day or night On the 13th in the afternoon it was windy and foggy we were in 77 degrees we sailed along by the Ice somewhat easterly towards Spitzbergen as is to be seen in the Cut A at e. That night we saw more then 20 Whales that run one after another towards the Ice out of them we got
weather and warm Sun-shine all night Hard by us rode a Hollander and the Ships crew busie in cutting the fat of a Whale when the fish burst with so great a bounce as if a Canon had been discharged and bespattered the Workmen all over On the 8th the wind turned North-west with snow and rain We were forced to leave one of our Anchors and thank'd God for getting off from Land for the Ice came on fiercely upon us at night the wind was laid and it was colder although the Sun shined On the 9th we got another male Whale being the eighth which was yellow underneath the head we filled with him 54 Kardels with fat the Sun shined all night On the 12th we had gloomy Sun-shine all day At night we sailed with three Boats into the Ice before the Weigatt and got three white Bears an old one with two young ones they swam in the water like fish On the Ice lay abundance of Sea-horses and the further we came into the Ice there were the more of them we rowed up to them and when we came near to them we killed ten of them the rest came all about our Boat and beat holes through the sides of the Boat so that we took in abundance of water we were forced at length to row away from them because of their great number for they gathered themselves more and more together they pursued us as long as we could see them very furiously Afterwards we met with another very great one who lay in the water fast asleep but when he felt our Harpoon within him he was very much frightned and ran away before the Boat again where he was soon eased of his fright by our Lances We saw but very few Whales more and those we did see were quite wild that we could not come near them That night it was so dark and foggy that we could hardly see the Ships length we might have got Sea-horses enough but we were afraid of loosing our Ships for we had examples enough of them that had lost their Ships and could not come to them again but have been forced to return home in other Ships When after this manner any have lost their Ships and cannot be seen they discharge a Cannon from the Ship or sound the Trumpets or Haut-boys according as they are provided in their Ships that the men that are lost may find their Ship again On the 13th we had cloudy Sun-shine the wind towards night turned to North-east and by east The Ice came a floating down apace we sailed from the South-east Land to the west and we could but just get through by the North side from the Bear-Harbour or Bay We sailed on to the Rehenfelt or Deer-field where the Ice was already fixed to the Land so that we could but just get through we sailed further to the Vogelsanck Birds-song as you may see by b in the Plate D. Then we turned toward the East with a North-east wind in company with twelve Ships more to see whether there were any more Whales left with George and Cornelius Mangelsen and Michael Appel who sailed in four fathoms water and touched upon the wreck of a Ship that was lost there On the 14th in the morning we sailed still amongst the Ice the wind being North-east and by east we had a fogg all that day with Sun-shine with a Rainbow of two colours white and pale yellow and it was very cold and we saw the Sun a great deal lower On the 15th it was windy cold and foggy the whole day the wind turned North-west and the Ice came on in abundance so that we could hardly sail for it was every where full of small sheets of Ice At this time there were many ships beset with Ice in the Deer or Muscle-Bay We sailed all along near the shoar and at night we entred the South-Harbour marked with c in the Cut D where 28 Ships lay at Anchor 8 whereof were Hamburgers the rest Dutchmen From that time when we sailed out of the South-haven we kept always within sight of the Land and saw it always except it was foggy and so long the Skippers stay by the Ice to see whether there is any more Whales to be had That night we fetched water from the Land near the Cookery of Harlingen out of a hole marked by b in the Plate C. On the 16th in the morning we saw the Moon and afterwards it was windy with abundance of snow On the 18th we had fair weather with Sun-shine and we were also becalmed that we could not sail wherefore we towed with a Boat into the Danish Harbour to gather some Herbs from the Rocks In the South-Haven rode 30 Ships at Anchor On the 19th we had warm Sun-shine and fair weather but in the night stormy and rain On the 20th storms rain and a great deal of snow the wind South-west On the 21th rain all day long CHAP. II. Of our home Voyage from Spitzbergen to the Elbe ON the 22th day of July in the morning when the Sun was North-east we waied our Anchors and sailed out of the South-Haven we had a fogg all day long and Sun-shine at night in the night we saw abundance of Fin-fishes On the 24th it was so warm with Sun-shine that the Tarr wherewith the Ship was daubed over melted we drove it being calm before the Haven or Bay of Magdalen On the 25th it was cloudy and Sun-shine but cold withal at night we came to the Forelands the night was foggy the wind South-west On the 26th we had the very same weather all day the Sun was very low in the night On the 28th we turned from the side of the North-Foreland towards the west when the Sun was South-east and we did sail South-west and by west towards the Sea then we changed our Course southwards and stood South-east On the 29th 30th and 31th we sailed South-east and by south all along by the Land the south side of the Foreland was 8 Leagues from us bearing North-east then we sailed South-west and by south it was very cold with a North-west wind We saw daily abundance of Fin-fishes but no more Whales On the 9th of August it was windy all day with a gloomy Sun-shine in the forenoon it cleared up towards noon the wind was South-east when we took the Meridian heighth of the Sun and were at 66 degrees 47 minutes we sailed South-westward all along the Northern shoar of the Country On the 13th being Sunday in the morning the wind was North-west stormy with rain and west winds In the night we had very clear Moon and Star-light In the morning we saw the northern part of Hitland we sailed southward after the rain we saw Fair-Isle and sailed in betwixt Hitland and Fair-Isle first South-west and afterwards South-west and by south and then southward On the 20th it was fair weather warm Sun-shine and somewhat windy When the day began to appear we saw Hilgeland South-eastward of us
English Haven on the other side is the place where the dead are buried this is something even like earth but it is levelled on purpose Behind these Houses are high Mountains if one climbeth upon these as we do on others and doth not mark every step with Chalk one doth not know how to get down again When you go up you think it to be very easie to be done but when you are to descend it is very difficult and dangerous so that many have fallen and lost their lives The River there is called the South Harbour or Bay and if the Ships suffer any damage at Sea they refit there At the entry into the South Harbour in the Valley between the Mountains is collected great quantities of fresh Water from the Snow and Rain upon the shoar stand abundance of Kardels or Barrels we used this Water for our Victuals and other occasions it is also found in the Clifts of the Icy-hills on shoar but true Springs out of the Ground I never saw in Spitzbergen The shoar there is not very high but the water is deep there was no Ice at all to be seen in it from whence I conclude that it had not been a severe Winter for it is impossible that the Ice could have been melted in so short a time not only here but also in the English Haven or Bay where the Ice stood firm still and hardly lay above half a Fathom under water The Ice doth melt much sooner in Salt-water than in fresh River-water but yet it is impossible that so thick Ice could have melted in so short a time We saw also that the Snow melted on the tops of the high Rocks and the water ran down although it was there much colder then below yet above and below it melted alike differently from what I observed since in Spain in the Month of December 1672. the wind being North-west when the Rain fell below about a quarter of a League yet above it the Mountains were all covered with Snow all in the streight Line one not higher than the other as if they had been levell'd In the Northern Haven or Bay lyeth a very large Mountain flat at top this Island is called the Birds Song from the great number of them that build and hatch there for when they fly up they make so great a noise that one can hardly hear his own words This is marked with b in the Cut D. Beside these there are more Islands named in the Map as the Clifted Rock and such other The Rehenfeld is a low Land and it is called so from the Deer commonly seen there I was informed that it is all Slats that stand up edgewise so that it is very troublesome to go on it is all over-grown with Moss There is a Hill upon it that looketh like fire Behind the Rehenfeld are high Mountains again they are not pointed at top they lye as it were in a Line by the Rehenfeld runs up a River into the Country and is called the Halfmoon-Bay from its shape On the other side of the River is a Mountain flat at the top and full of cracks all filled up with Snow Then cometh the Liefde-Bay Bay of Love where two Hills stand together very like unto Spitzbergen at Magdalens Bay and those two Harbours are very much like one another Then we come to lower Ground behind the Muscle Harbour where the Grass was so high that it covered our ankles as far as we went Next is the Weihgatt or the Straights of Hindelopen The Weihgatt is called so from the Winds for weihen signifieth blowing because a very strong South-wind bloweth out of it On the Bear-Haven upon the Land are all red stones Behind the Weihg att followeth the South-west Land which is also low it seemeth as if it was adorned with small Hills then follow the seven Islands which we could see We saw no Ships go any farther neither could I understand that ever any Ships did go farther nor can they go so far every year towards the East because of the danger of the Ice that swimmeth and is brought from thence by the wind and stream In May and June is the best fishing in the Ice between the Island of John Mayen and Spitzbergen In July and August the Whales run Eastward by Spitzbergen we saw at the latter end many Whales that run to the Weigatt It is unknown whether the Haven of this Weigatt goeth through the Country or no. But this is not that Weigatt whereof so many things are written More I do not knwo of this Country Rocks and Snow and Ice-hills we find in abundance there and the Creatures that live upon them I shall describe hereafter CHAP. II. Of the SEA THE Waves begin to raise themselves at first from a small breeze of wind and by the increase and continuance of the breeze they grow longer higher and bigger The Sea is not immediately made rough in the beginning of high winds but the Waves swell by degrees and slowly until they come to be as bigg as Mountains then they expand and break themselves and fall over with dashing and foaming as you may see by k in the Cut D Then the following Wave from behind raisith it again with much curled and foaming Scum neatly spotted with the white Foam looking like Marble This breaking and foaming of the Waves is successively repeated So the swelling Waves continually follow one another moving before the wind with a quick motion but when these Waves are short they dash over the Ship and break much so that the Ship is hardly able to live In stormy weather little Waves curle on the top of the great ones and lesser again upon them The Ships do not feel these smaller Waves but only the great ones that are called Sea-Mountains which heave and mount the Ship with them but nevertheless she always keeps her strait way through these unpathed Waves which is wonderful to behold In a hard storm the froth of the Sea drives like dust and looketh as when the wind driveth the Snow along upon the Ice or as the Dust of the Earth does in dry weather and you see the Sea every where to look like curled Ice that when it is a freezing is hindred from it by the wind all covered with a white foam and one Wave blows over the precedent with a great roaring and noise as if a Water-mill were a going and this same noise the Ships make likewise when they cut through the Sea It is also to be observed that the Waves dash against one another when the wind changeth and cross over through one another with great dashing over the Ships before they move all one and the same way I did not observe here the Seawater so clear nor found it so salt as near the Ice it may be by reason of the shallow ground or bottom and the many fresh Rivers that run into it or because the Frost cleareth the water more Concerning the manner of
and the little ones swiming faster then the great ones which often causeth a stoppage so that they crowd upon one another not without great danger of the Ships which are often catcht between and broken by them See the Plate B at a. The Seamen hinder the pressing on of the Ice as much as in them lieth with great Ice-hooks but what small help this affordeth them daily experience testifies sufficienty In fair weather the mischief is as soon done as in tempestuous because the Ice drives in the Sea either with the stream or wind as either of them is the more prevalent crashing and grinding against each other whence the danger arises to the Ships for after such a manner many Ships perish See Plate B. They say that a dead Whale tied to the Ship is the best defence against the Ice Others hang the Tails and Fins about their Ship which way is not to be rejected for it is of great use to them to prevent the danger of the squeezing of the Ice they have examples that in such squeezing of the Ice a dead Whale hath preserved them The Ice rises out of the Sea as high as a Mountain the striking of them together makes so great a noise that one can hardly hear his own words and from this joyning together of the Ice the great Ice-hills are made that drive up and down in the Sea Other great Ice fields are not so high as the Ice hills yet notwithstanding they are hardly ever quite plain and without a Hill you see the Ice under water as deep as you can see It is all of a blew colour but the deeper you look the purer blew you see which beautiful colour changes with the Air for if it be rainy weather this colour groweth paler I also have often seen the Ice underneath the water very green the occasion whereof was the troubled Air whence the Sea assumeth this colour I wonder that upon the largest Ice-fields no high Mountains are seen as are seen where the Ice grinds and dashes one against the other I am of opinion that the Ice melts towards the bottoms for one may see it spungy for else if one would compute from the beginning it must have reached the very ground even in the middle of the depth of the sea I have seen in Spitzbergen white Ice that was frozen quite curled it look'd just like Sugar-candy was very hard and thick and swam even with the Seas surface The Ships are not always in this danger of sqeezing for often times there is little or no Ice to be seen there although you are a great way in the place where it usually is but as soon as a wind arises you would admire from whence so great a quantity of Ice should come in less then an hours time At the greatest Ice-fields of all Ships do not always ride the safest since by reason of the bigness and the motion of the Sea these Ice-fields break not without danger When such Ice-fields break they part asunder which causeth a Whirl-pool in the Sea where all the out-parts press to the Centre and by that means the pieces of the Ice-fields raise themselves up and dash and grind against each other When we came to 71 degrees in the Month of April we saw the first Ice and so we failed up and down by the Ice until that Month was spent for so early in the year no body dares venture himself into or amongst the Ice by reason of the stormy winds and some times the Ice is still fixed and stands firm and therefore there is but a few Whales seen for underneath the Ice they cannot breathe Into the Ice we sailed at 77 degrees and 24 minutes and drove with that sheet of Ice towards the South In this Month and also in the following Month of May are the most Whales seen here which run towards the East and we follow them all along by the Ice to Spitzbergen Near to the Land smaller Ice-fields are seen because the Ice cannot give way by reason of the Land which causeth greater grinding and breaking and upon that account smaller Ice than is in the open Sea Yet for all this some greater Ice-Mountains are seen there that stand firm on the shoar and never melt at bottom but increase every year higher and higher by reason of the Snow that falls on them and then Rains that freezes and then Snow again alternately and after this manner the Icy-hills increase yearly and are never melted by the heat of the Sun at the top These Ice-Mounts change their first colour in time by the Air by Rain and by the Clouds and the fairest blew that can be is seen in the cracks of these Ice-hills From these same Ice-hills oftentimes break off great pieces that swin in the Sea and is more compact than the other Ice by far I once saw one of these pieces that was curiously workt and carved as it were by the Sea like a Church with arched Windows and Pillars the Doors and Windows hung full of Icikles on the inside thereof I saw the delicatest blew that can be imagined it was bigger than our Ship and somewhat higher than our stern but how deep it was under water I cannot exactly tell Near unto the Muscle-Haven a great Ice-hill came driving towards our Ship that was as high as our Poop and went so deep under water that it took up our Anchor which lay fifteen Fathoms deep I have also seen several others and of other figures viz. round and foursquare Tables with round and blew Pillars underneath as in Plate B marked with f the Table was very smooth and plain at the top and white with the Snow at the sides hung down a great many Icikles close to one another like a fringed Table-cloth I believe that near forty men might have sat about it I have seen of these Tables with one foot and with two or three Pillars and abundance of Seales swam about it The Dishes that furnisht this Table were a piece of Ice like an Horses head and a Swan I doubt they were but salt You must observe that this Ice becometh very spungy by the dashing of the Sea and from thence grows salt like sea-Sea-water and thence also changeth its colour viz. from the Sea and Rain-water mixt with it for you shall commonly see the Water look blew or yellow if you walk under water with your eyes open and look upwards The other Ice as far as it is above water is of a taste like other Ice but that below the Sea salt like the Sea-water When we arrived at Spitzbergen the Ice at Rehenfelt was as yet fixed but a few days afterwards it was driven away by the winds The Ice begirts these Countries on all sides as the Wind sets either from the Island of John Mayen Old Greenland and Nova Zembla We found at this time that the Ice reached from the other side of Spitzbergen and the Ships sailed between the Ice and
that so the Hunger compels them to the Ships for Food Tab. K. at b. III. Of the Ice-birds I saw also in the English Haven a very beautiful Ice-bird which was so tame that we might have taken him up almost with our Hands but we would not go too near him with our Gun for fear that we should shoot him all in pieces and so spoil his curious Feathers so we missed him and he flew away The Sun shined at that time upon him which made him look like Gold so as it dazled our Eyes almost He was as big as a small Pigeon I would willingly have delineated him if we could have catched him I saw but this one of the Kind II. Of the Pigeon The Pigeon or rather the Pigeon-diver is also one of the beautifullest Birds of Spitzbergen It is of the bigness of a Duck the Bill is somewhat long thin and sharp pointed at the point the upper Bill is somewhat crooked about two Inches long and hollow within It hath but three red Toes on its Feet with crooked Claws it hath short redish Legs and a short Tail Some of these Birds are black all their body over but others and so was that which I delineated about their Wings and in the middle they are white pyed with black but underneath the Wings they are quite white others are in the middle of their Wings quite white their Bill is red within the Tongue is also red and hollow they cry like young Pigeons whence they have their Name for they are in nothing else like them In their Crops I found Shrimps or Prawns and small Sand-stones They do not flie high over the Sea and their flight is very like the Partridges They do not flie many together as the Lumbs but usually by pares and sometimes one alone by its self They can keep a great while under Water wherefore they may be called Diving Pigeons But chiefly when they are pursed by Men or if their Wings be hurt by a Shot they will dive and keep a great while under Water and sometimes they get underneath the Ice and there they are suffocated they were as nimble and quick under Water if their Wings or Feet are not quite shot off as we could row with our Boat Their Flesh is good to eat when the Fat is taken away from it if afterwards it be fryed in Butter The first Diving Pigeon I got the 23 th of May on the Ice and afterward at Spitzbergen where they are seen more frequently See Tab. L. at b. III. Of the Lumb This Bird is the likest in his Bill unto the Diving Pigeon only it is somewhat stronger and crookeder He hath black Feet with three black Toes and as many black Nails his Legs are black also and short He is quite black at the top but underneath his Belly even to the Neck he is snow white his Tail is short His Cry is very unpleasant most like that of a Raven and they cry more than all the other Birds except the Rotger-divers he is bigger than the Diving Pigeon as big as a midling Duck. In their Crops I find small Fish and Prawns and also some Sand-stones and one of them flying over our Ship dropp'd a large red Prawn into the Ship I also delineated it in the mentioned place They say likewise that small fresh River Fish are their Prey but this I cannot relate for certain When they have young ones they commonly sit by the old ones one or two on the Water who teach them to dive and swim After the old ones have brought their young in their Bill from the Rocks to the Water the Preying Bird called Burgermeister sometimes catches the young ones when the old ones are not present and sometimes when they are also for they are not able to resist them They love their young ones so well that they will be killed before they will leave them and will defend them as a Hen doth her Chickens swimming about them at other times they are very hard to be shot for as soon as they see the Fire they are immediately under Water or fly away They fly in great flocks with pointed Wings like Swallows and move their Wings much in their flight One can hardly know the young Lumbs from the old ones at the first sight if you do not take exact notice of their Bills for the upper part turns beside the under part at the point and the undermost beside the uppermost as you see in the Cross Bill yet not so much in these and it is commonly done in the 15th 16th to the 20th year of their Age. The old ones are full of Flesh but it is very dry and tough and therefore unpleasant to eat They boil them like the Pigeons and scum off the Fat when they boil then they fry them in Batter I did not see them upon the Ice but abundance of them upon the Mountains They go waddling from one side to the other like the diving Pigeons I have seen many Thousands of them together in the Danish Harbour on the Mountains on that side where the East and Northern Winds could not blow hard or not fully upon them and so do all other Birds chuse such places on the Mountains for their Habitations where the Herbs do grow But I saw not so many by the Haven of Magdalen where I drew my Figure on the 25th of July Afterwards I saw some of them in the Spanish and North Sea not far from the Heilgland See Tab. M at a. IV. Of the Mew called Kutge-gehef This is beautiful Mew and is called Kutge-gehef because it cryeth so He hath a Bill somewhat bent as the Burgermeister on the undermost part of its Bill is a small knob or rising About his black Eyes he hath a red circle as the Burgermeister and he hath but three Claws joyned together with a black Skin The Legs are also black and but short the Tail is somewhat long and broad like a Fan. All the Belly is as white as Snow the Wings and Back are grey and the point of the Wings black He is almost as big as an ordinary Mew but something less than the Strunt-jager When we cut the fat off from the Whales we saw abundance of them fly by the Ship and heard them cry When the Seamen have a mind to catch some of them they bait their Hooks with a piece of Whales Fat and so tye the Hooks to a Line and fling it into the Sea and so they catch not only these but all the other Birds of Prey He flieth with small Wings as a common Mew and dives not His Food is the Fat of the Whale He is hunted by sthe Strunt-jager in English Dung-hunter who leave him not till he dungs which the Strunt-jager eats This is not only to be understood of this Bird but also of all the rest for they look against the Wind that their Feathers may not be blown asunder and opened for if they should sit or
from him then he hunts the other two and flyeth sometimes above and sometimes underneath them I could never see him hunt after any other Birds but once I saw him fly after a Mallemunck but I saw him soon leave her perhaps because her Dung did not please him I am of opinion that this Dung because it is thin serves him instead of Drink for else he eats the Fat of the Whale for his Food He builds his Nest not very high He goes upright upon his Legs like the Burgemeister Rhatsher or Kutge-gehef It is a rare Bird and I saw but very few of them He flies commonly alone I saw very seldom two or three of them together he flies like the Rhatsher or like a Crow but his Wings are somewhat more pointed at the ends He hath a loud Voice when he cries it sounds as if he did say 1 Ja. To some it seemeth if it be at a distance as if he cried Jo han His Flesh is not better than that of the other Birds of Prey I got him on the 11th of July near to the Dear-haven or Dear-bay in Spitzburgen afterwards I saw this Birds behind Scotland hunt after the new Kutge-gehef In the Tab. L it is marked with d. VIII Of the Diving Parret This is commonly called the Parret Amongst all the web-footed Birds that have three Claws this hath a peculiar Bill and because it seem'd to those that gave him this Name to be like that of a Parret therefore they called him also a Parret but in truth his Bill is not at all like that of a Parret its Bell is broad and full of slender strokes of several colours viz. red white and the broad part thereof is black the uppermost as well as the undremost are both pointed the uppermost arch is red and his upper Bill hath a thin bended Hook the undermost hath a yellowish arch and is towards the end downwards cut off somewhat sloaping The upper part of its Bill as well as the lower part is about three fingers broad and about the same length if you measure the upper and undremost together He hath of the upper Bill four arched or bended oblong pitted holes and on the lower he hath as many although the furthermost is not altogether so plain These holes or pits of the upper and lower Bill make together a Half-moon and the parts that are elevated make in the same manner as well as the pitted or hollow ones a Half-moon By these holes are as many raised or elevated parts the uppermost of them is as broad as the three furthermost ones together and hath underneath on each side a longish hole which without doubt are his Nostrils but the undermost on the under Bill is about a Straws breadth broader the upper broad part is blackish and sometimes blew On this broad part of the upper Bill that is thus elevated above the rest is towards the Eye a long whitish piece of Cartilage that is full of holes whereon you see towards the inner part of the Mouth something like a Nerve which also reacheth towards the under part and there endeth itself whereby the Bill is opened and shut His Feet have also but three Claws joyned with a red Skin between them with three short and strong Nails the Legs are but short and of a red colour he walks wabbling About his Eyes he hath a red ring and above this Ring stands upright a little Horn and underneath the Eyes lyeth another little longish black Horn cross over as you may see in the Figure His Tail is short The Head is black at the top unto the Horn but his Cheeks are white about his Neck he hath a black Ring all his Back and Wings also at the top or the outside are black but underneath the Belly is white They fly either singly or by pairs and have sharp pointed Wings like the Lumbs He will keep a great while under Water He eats like the rest red Shrimps or Prawns and Star-fish for I found something in his Stomach that looketh like pieces thereof but they were almost digested He hath more Flesh upon him than the diving Pigieon and is very good to eat I never saw him among the Ice This whereof I shew you the draught was shot at Schmerenberg in Spitzbergen on the 20th day of June but aftrerwards we got several more In the Tab. K see d. IX of the Mountain-Duck Hitherto we have described the web-footed Birds that have three Claws that are not divided that I saw and got about Spitzbergen I must now describe those that have undivided Feet with four Claws whereof I found three sorts viz. the Mountain-Duck kirmew and Mallemucke The Mountain-Duck is a kind of our wild Duck or rather wild Goose for she is of the bigness of a middling Goose and is more like a Goose about the Bill It is a very handsom Bird because of its delicate spotted Feathers They dive under Water as other Ducks do The Drake hath black and white spotted Feathers and the Duck hath Feathers of the colour of a Partridge The hindmost Claw is broad and short with a short Nail the Tail is bobb'd like that of other Ducks I could find nothing in their Mews or Gizzards that could make me certain of thier Food but only Sand-stones They fly a great many of them in flocks like other wild Ducks when they do see any Men they hold up their Heads and make a very long Neck They make their Nests upon the low Islands they make them of the Feathers of their Bellies which they mix with Moss but these are not the same Feathers which are called the Edder-down We found their Nests with two three or four Eggs in them the most whereof were rotten when we came to Spitzbergen but some of them were good to eat they are of a pale green somewhat bigger than our Duck-eggs the Seamen made an hole at each end and so blew the White and the Yolk out and strung the Shells upon a Packthread I would have brought some of them to Hamburgh but they began to stink so that I was forced to fling them away although the Shells were entire These Ducks have a very good Flesh we boyl'd and rosted them as we did the other Birds but the fat of them we flung away for it tasted of Train-oyl and made us vomit The Ships that arrived at Spitzbergen before us got a great many of them These Mountain-Ducks are not at all shy or afraid of Men when we first arrive there but afterwards they grow quite wild so that you can hardly come near enough to shoot them That which I have drawn here was shot in the South Bay in Spitzbergen on the 18th of June it is marked with c in the Tab. M. X. Of the Kirmew The Kirmew hath a thin sharp-pointed Bill as red as Blood the shews very large especially when she stands upright because of her long Wings and Feathers of her Tail but when the
the middle at the side towards their Belly it is flat but it is round without and it is every where covered over with Sinews They turn also Knife hafts and other things out of this Bone What their Food is I cannot certainly tell they may perhaps eat both Herbs and Fish that they eat Herbs I conclude from hence that their Dung looks like Horse-dung That they eat Fish I judge because when we cut the Fat off a Whale one of them did often take the Skin with him under Water he did also fling it up and catch it again The Burgermeister doth eat his Dung as is said before when I writ of the Birds The Seaâ—horses keep generally about Spitzbergen for amongst the Ice-hills I saw none They lay upon the Ice as I have already mentioned in the First Part by the 12th of July very nastily as the Seales in great numbers and roar most terribly They dive with their Head under the Water before like the Seales They sleep and snore not only upon the Ice but also in the Water so that we take them several times for dead ones They are very stout and undaâ—nted Creatures they stand by one another as long as they have Life and if any of them be wounded they make to the Long-boat notwithstanding that the Men strike and cut and push at them some will dive under the Water near unto the Long-boats and cut holes in them with their great Teeth under Water and others without any fear at all make to the Boat and stand up with half their Body out of the Water and endeavour to get into the Boat In such a Battel a Sea-horse did once strike with his Teeth or Tushes into the Boat and took hold of our Harponier with his long Tooth between his Shirt and the Wastband of his Breeches so that the Wastband broke otherwise he had pulled him under Water When they roar if they are imitated they strive which shall get underneath the Water and fall a fighting and biting one another till they fetch Blood Others strive to set at liberty the Sea-horses taken by the Men striving before each other to get to the Boat biting and gâ—ashing with their Teeth and roaring terribly They never give over so long as one of them is alive and if you are forced to fly because of their unspeakable number they will follow the Boat till you lose them out of sight for they cannot follow far their great number hindring one another This we found by Weiheg at by Spitzbergen where they got together in great numbers and made our Boat take in Water so that we were forced to flee yet they followed us as long as we could see them on the 12th day of July We take them only for their Teeth You shall see almost a hundred of them before you find one that hath good Teeth for some of them are but small others have but one and others none at all CHAP. V. Of the Crustaceous Fish that I observed I Found two sorts of them viz. Crawfish and Starfish of the Crawfish I saw four sorts the Sea-spider as the French-men call them the red Prawn the small Prawn or the little small Shrimp and the Whale's Louse The Starfish I put to them also because they have their Arms or Legs wherewith they move themselves and are incrustrated with Shells I. Of the Sea Crawfish without a Tail or Sea Spider This sort of Crawfish has no Tail but six Feet and two Claws They are else very like Lobsters in the shape of their Body They are of a dark brownish colour somewhat prickly on their Backs and hairy all over their Body I have seen many of this kind with six Feet and two Claws in my Voyage to Spain whereof I have also made a draught in my Voyage into Spain which I shall God willing communicate to the Curious but they differ form these of Spitzbergen in their Bigness and Head this of Spizbergen hath a Head like a Lobster but the male of them that I saw in my Voyage to Spain made with its Head and Tail just the shape of a Lute I did not eat any of the Spitzbergen Sea Crawfish neither have I drawn them at Spitzbergen for want of time for I thought to have them brought along with me but they were carried away by the Rats I got them in the English Haven on the 19th of June I afterwards saw them in the North Sea not far from England where we bought from the Hilgeland Fishermen a great Tarbut in whose Stomach we found a Sea Crawfish two spans long when its Feet were spread out II. Of the Garnels or Prawns Betwixt our Prawns and those of Spitzbergen is no difference only that those of Spitzbergen are red before they are boiled Their Head is peculiar consisting of two parts with several Horns the whole Head is broad at the end of the Head are the Eyes which stand out as Crawfishes do he doth not look downwards but streight before and sidewards The Scale of his Back is like a Back-piece of Armour which also behind the Head in his Neck is somewhat bended in and behind it is a Prickle After that follow six Plates like the Armour for the Arms and Legs and about the brims thereof are small black spots as if they were the Nails of the Armour These Plates lye exactly round one upon the other The Tall consisteth also of five parts when he expands it it is like the Tail of a Bird. He hath two Claws before the further part whereof looks somewhat like the Phangs of a Tooth-drawer He hath 18 Legs wherof those that are nearest to the Claws are the shortest The first eight Legs have four Joints whereof the uppermost is the longest and the undermost the shortest They are not hairy at all The ten hindmost Legs whereof the furthermost are the longest and the uppermost Joint is much thicker and shorter than the lowermost long ones have but two Joints the Feet whereof are somewhat bended under and are hairy On these hindmost and undermost Joints grow out two shoots below on the rest but one He shoots very swiftly along in the Water He was as big as I have delineated him according to the Life They are Food for the Birds as I have mentioned before III. Of the lesser Garnel or Shrimp I have also taken notice in my Voyage to Spitzbergen a sort of Shrimps that are like Worms the Head thereof is like the Head of a Fly it hath on the foremost part of its Head two Horns standing out it hath Scales like the Hogâ—louse its Back is round and broad downwards it hath 12 Legs on each side of the foremost Scale it hath three Legs after you have told four Scales more there is on each side three Legs more they are no bigger than I have drawn them The Birds eat them as their best Food being always in great numbers in those places where these Worms were I found great
from ten fifteen or twenty Whales as some of them have sometimes taken in Over the Fat is besides the uppermost thin Skin already described another Skin of about an inch thick proportionable to the bigness of the Whale it is coloured according to the colour of the Fish if the Fish be black this undermost thick Skin is so if the outmost Skin that is like Parchment is white or yellow the thick one underneath it is of the same colour This thick Skin is not stiff nor tough at all so that one might dress it like Leather but it dries just like unto the Fungus that grows on Elder which we call Jews-ears which are thick and turgid when they are green and fresh but brittle when they are dried wherefore this Skin is not esteemed at all This and the uppermost thin Skin that covers this are the occasion that the Whale which I take to be the strongest and biggest of all Creatures in the Water cannot make use of his Strength because they are too soft to do much I have nothing to relate of the inward parts of the Whale but only that his Guts seem to be of a Flesh colour they were full of Wind and the Dung that was within them was yellow The Food of the Whale as it is believed are the small Sea-Snails the Draught whereof you may see at c in the Tab. Q whereof I have made mention in another place which some take for Spiders whether these afford such great nourishment I cannot exactly tell Some say that they live only by the Wind but then methinks they must have nothing in them but Wind which I found otherwise I was informed by others that about Hitland a small Whale was caught had about a Barrel of Herrings in his Belly They are smaller Whales than those we catch at Spitzbergen but there is more danger in catching of them they being less and nimbler than the great ones to whom the Water doth not so easily give way as to these for they jump and play in the Water and keep their Tail commonly above Water so that one dare not come near to them to launce them Concerning the Whale's Valour we do find that he is not very couragious according to his strength and bigness for if he sees a Man oâ— a Long-boat he goeth under Water and runs away I did never see nor hear that out of his own Malice he endeavour'd to hurt any Man but when he is in danger what then he doth is of necessity and then he doth not value a man no more than a Sand nor a Long-boat for he doth beat them all into Splinters His Strength may be guess'd by the Fishermen that catch with great Nets other Fishes when they are going to draw their Nets towards the Land what a great Strength they must use which is nothing at all to be compared to his Strength The Whale doth swim sometimes away with some thousand fathoms of Rope-line swifter a great deal than a Ship can â—ail or a Bird can fly so that it makes their Heads giddy yet a great Ship is too many for him for although he should strike against it with his Tail yet it doth him more hurt than he does the Ship The Whales keep in the Spring Westward from Spitzbergen near old Greenland and the Island of John Majen then they run Eastwards to Spitzbergen After them come the Finn-fish and then there is no more Whales seen It is probable they go after a tolerable cold place for after that I have seen Finn-fish in the Spanish Sea in the year 1671. in the Month of December and in the Year 1672. in January and also afterwards in the year 1673. in the Straights of Gibralter in March and also in the Mediterranean He swims against the Wind as all other Whales or great Fish do The Sword-fish is his mortal Enemy he might rather be called Comb-fish because his long Tooth is on each side full of Teeth or Prickles most like a Comb. In our Home-Voyage to Hamburg I saw an Example of this Enmity of a Northcaper-Whale and a Sword-fish near to Hitland they fought and struck at one another so vehemently that the Water flew about like Dust sometimes one and sometimes the other was uppermost the weather was a little stormy or else we had stayed to have seen the end of the Battel so we were forced to leave them The dead Whale killed by the Sword-fish stinks at a great distance but not presently and those that have been wounded some days before they are caught smell the worst and drive high above the Sea-water when others drive even with the Water and some sink The Whales have as well as other Beasts their peculiar Distempers and Aliments but I can only write of what I know by Hear-say An ancient and experienc'd Harpoonier informed me that he did once catch a Whale that was very feeble and that all his Skin but chiefly near unto the Tail and Finns hung like Films as if they were old Rags dragg'd along behind him and that he was quite fean so they made but very little Train oyl of his â—at for the fat was quite white and light withal as an empty Honey-comb Before a Tempest they beat the Water that it doth fly about like upon Dust with their Tail but they have the greatest strength when they strike sidewards as if they did mow so that one might think that they were in a great agony and a dying They are mightily tormented by the Lice whereof I have treated more at large above The Draught of this Louse you may see at d in the Tab. Q. The Wounds that are given unto the Whale by the Harpoons into the fat heal up again of their own accord for the salt-Salt-water cannot stick on it Many such Fishes are caught that have been struck by others with a Harpoon and are healed up again and so have white Scarrs CHAP. VIII How they Catch the Whale FIrst it is to be observed that when it is like to be a good Year to catch Whales in there is many White-fish to be seen before But where we see many Seales there we do not expect to meet with many Whales for they say that they eat up the Food of the Whale wherefore the Whales will not stay in such empty places but go to find out better and so come to Spitzbergen for there at the Shoar we see great plenty of the small Sea-snails you may see them marked with e in the Tab. Q and perhaps some other small Fish They are caught after the following manner When they see Whales or when they hear them blow or spout they call in to the Ship Fall fall then every Body must be ready to get into the Long-boat that he doth belong to commonly six Men go into every Long-boat and sometimes seven according as the Long-boats are in bigness they all of them row until they come very near unto the whale then doth the Harpoonier
Harpoon with Packthread wound all about the Iron somewhat higher up about two spans off there is a hole made through the Stick as you may see marked with k in the Tab. Q. The Harpoon is light behind and heavy towards the point or before like an Arrow that is made heavy before with Iron and light behind with Feathers so that fling it which way you will it doth fall always upon the point Through this hole cometh a piece of Pack-thread wherewith the end of the Fore-runner is fastened to the Handle or Stick of the Harpoon but this is soon torn off and it serveth for nothing more after the Harpoon sticks in the Body of the Whale neither is the Wooden Handle of any further use and so it doth soon come out from the Iron When the Whale is struck with the Harpoon all the other Long-boats row out before and take notice which way the Line doth stand and sometimes they pull at the Rope or Line as you may see in the Tab. A marked with p. If it is stiff and heavy the Whale doth draw it still with his might but if it doth hang loose so that the Long-boat is before and behind equally high out of the Water then the Men pull in the Rope again as you may see in the Tab. A marked with q and the Rope-giver layeth it down in very good order as you may see at n in the Tab. A round and one row above the other that if the Whale should draw on again he may have it ready to give him without being entangled Here is also this to be observed that if the Whale runs upon the level they must not give him too much Rope for if he should turn and wind himself much and often about he might easily wind the Rope about a Rock or heavy Stone and so fasten it to it and so the Harpoon would come out and all the Labour would be lost which hath often hapned and we ourselves lost one that way The other Long-boats that are towed behind wherein the Men look all before them and sit still and let the Whale draw them along If the Whale doth rowl upon the Ground so that the Long-boats or Sloops lye still they draw their Lines in again by degrees and the Rope-master doth lay them down again in their proper places as they had been laid before When they kill the Whale with Launces they also pull their Lines in again until they come near to the Whale yet at some distance that the others may have room to launce But they must have great care that all the Lines of every Sloop may not be cut off together because some Whales sink and others do swim even with the Water when they are dead which no body can tell before-hand whether they will do one or the other The fat ones do not sink presently after they are fresh killed but the lean ones sink immediately after they are dead but after some few days they come up again and swim on the Water But it would be too long a while for a Man to stay until he cometh up again and the Sea is never so quiet that one can stay long in the same place and where the Sea is quiet and without Waves there the Stream doth carry the Ships and the Ice along together so that we should be forced to leave the Whale unto others that would find him dead some days after ' T' is true this is the easiest way to catch Whales but it is very nasty and stinking work for long and white Maggots grow in their Flesh they are flat like unto Worms that breed in Mens Bellies and they smell worse than ever I smelt any thing in my Life The longer the Whale lies dead in the Water the higher he doth swim above it some swim a foot high above the Water others to their middle and then they do burst easily and give a very great report They begin immediately to stink and this encreases hourly and their Flesh boils and ferments like unto Beer or Ale and holes break in their Bellies that their Guts come out If any Man is enclined to sore Eyes this Vapour enflames them immediately as if Quicklime was flung into them But when the live Whales rise and swim again some of them are astonish'd others wild or stark mad To those that are wild we come softly or gently from behind as we do when we are going to trapan them for when the Wind is down the Weather calm and Aâ— serene so that the Sea doth not foam or roar the Whales hear immediately the striking of the Oars If many small Ice-sheets lye near to one another so that we cannot follow the Whale with our Sloops or Long-boats we fetch in our Line with all might and strength and if with one or more pulls we can fetch out the Harpoon it is well if not we chop off the Rope or Line The Whale is best and surest struck with a Harpoon when he spouts Water as is already said above for we do observe that when they lye still and very quiet that they then listen and are sometimes under and sometimes above Water so that their Back doth not quite dry and before we are aware of it he flings up his Tail behind out of the Sea and so bids us good-bâ—wy as you may see at s in the Tab. A. The Whales may easily be caught when the Air is very serene and clear and the Sea quiet and where there float neither great nor small Ice-sheets so that we may go in between them with our Boats or Sloops to follow them â—or at the Ice-fields the Whales do commonly lye and rub themselves at them perhaps by reason of the Lice that bite them Besides against the Ice-sheets the Sea beats dashes and foams with small curling Waves so that the Whales do not observe nor mind the striking of the Oars and so they are easily struck with the Harpoon It is very dangerous to kill a Female chiefly when she is big with young for they defend themselves very long and are harder to be killed than a Male one Oftentimes the Long-boats wait six or seven hours nay a whole day for a Whale before they see one Where great quantity of small Ice is crowded together there it is also very dangerous and hard to come to the Whale for he is so cunning that when he perceives where the Ice is he retires thither immediately The Harpoonier stands at the Head of the Long-boat and doth draw on the Rope as you may see at p in the Tab. A to try whether it is heavy or light if it feels heavy so that we are afraid that it will pull the Boat under Water then we give him more Rope if he runs streight out before he draweth the Sloops after him If he doth run underneath a great Ice-field the Harpoonier taketh a Knife into his Hand as you may see at R in the Tab A which they
resemble the Samoieds and Laplanders They are very active and strong yet could some of our English run swifter and leap farther than any of them but they were hard enough for any of ours at wrastling They are also very couragious and sometimes desperate for rather than be taken by our Men they would throw themselves down the Rocks and Mountains Extreamly thievish treacherous and revengeful they proved nor could any kindness or fair-dealing win them but as true Barbarians never omitted any opportunity of fulfilling their Desires they would steal when they saw the Mariners look upon them After they had been well used and treated at their Tables they would shoot at sling Stones wound and kill our Men if they could Yet are they apprehensive enough and quickly conceive yours and express their own meaning If they had not seen what was asked them they winked or cover'd their Eyes if they understood not stopt their Ears and the like They delight exceedingly in Musick to which they would keep time both with their voice hands and feet wonderful also affectionate one to another and to their Country In one Voyage there went a Danish Mariner with black hair flat nos'd and other though not very exact resemblances of a Gronelander as soon as they saw him they came about him kissed him hung upon him and shewed to him all possible demonstrations of Kindness and Affection And those who were in Denmark never enjoy'd themselves nor had any content but continually pined away and languish'd with Discontent for their condition and love of their country Their Religion such as it is seems to be unto the Sun for when our People invited them to conversation bartering c. they held up their hands towards the Sun and cried â—otan nor would they come near us till our men had done the like But John Munck and divers others having gone farther into the country found images such as we make of Devils with horns beaks claws cloven feet c very ill made Altars also and quantities of Bones of Beasts as of Deer Foxes Dogs and the like near unto them They seem also as all Idolaters given to Enchantments and Sorceries Our men have seen them lying flat upon the Earth and muttering their Prayers or Charms into the Ground worshiping the Devil whose proper habitation they conceive to be under them In some Diseases they tye a stick to a great stone to which they pay their Devotions and if they can lift it up easily and lightly they think their Prayers are heard and Recovery granted In Winter they retire from the Sea side unto the warmer Valleys where they have their Houses and Towns which are commonly Caves at the foot of an hill round like an Oven close to one another and passage in the inner parts from one to another their Doors which are low and round open to the south and they dig trenches also to draw away the water that falls or drains from the hill The entrance and some part of their house stands without the cave which they frame very handsomly and commodiously of the ribs of Whales join'd artificially at the top and cover'd with Seals skins They raise also one part of their floor higher than another which they strow with moss to sleep upon But in their fishing-time they have Tents which they remove from place to place in their larger Boats They set up four Poles and cover them with Skins which serves very well in summer when fishing is done they return with them to their Houses Their manner of bartering is to make two heaps one of such things as they desire the other of what they would part with and they cease not to take away from the one or other till the Trade is ballanced The chiefest things of our which they valued were Knives Needles little pieces of â—oon Looking glasses c. for these they would sell their Bâ—wg and Arrows their Boaid and sâ—rip bhem sewes of their Clothes but never like some other Barbarians sell their Wives and Children Their clothing is either of Birds-skins with the Feathers and Down upon them or Seals Dogfish or the like Seals they use most in their fishing because that fish there abounds and are easily deceived by seeing one clad in their own Livery besides that these kind of Furs are not so apt to be wet though dip'd in Water They wear the hair sides outward in summer inward in winter and in great colds carry two or more suits one upon another They dress their Skins very well making them dry soft and durable and sow them also very strong with Sinews of Beasts and Needles made of Fish-bones But in nothing do they shew so much Art as in their Boats or Canoes They are made of that we call Whalebone about in inch thick and broad and these not set like ribs but all along from prow to poop fast sowed to one another with strong Sinews and covered over with Seals-skin They are from ten to twenty foot long and about two foot broad made like a Weaver's Shutle sharp at both ends so that he can row either way and in making this pointedness they are of all things most curious for therein consists the strength of their Vessel In the middle of it are the ribs both to keep the sides asunder and to make the hole in the covering wherein the Rower sits They have a deck made of the same materials which is closely fasten'd to the sides in the midst whereof is a round hole as big as the middle of a Man so that when he goes to Sea he sets himself in that hole stretching out his feet forward into the hollow of the Boat he stops up the hole so close with his frock or loose upper garment that no water can enter tho' it were in the bottom of the Sea His frock is strait tyed at the hand-wrists and to his neck and his capouch sowed also close to it so that if the Boat be overturned or overwhelmed in the Sea he rises up again without any wet either upon his Skin or in his Boat They have but one Oar which is about six foot long with a paddle six inches broad at either end this serves him both to ballance his Boat and move it which he doth with that incredible scelerity that one of our Boats with ten Oars is not able to keep company with them The Danish relation saith that they rowed so swift that they even dazled the Eyes of the Spectators and tho' they crossed frequently yet never interfered or hit one another Their fishing ordinarily is darting their darts are long strongly barbed and at the other end have Bladders fastened to them that when they have struck the Fish he may spend himself with strugling to get under water which yet he cannot do and so is easily taken Besides these they have greater Boats for the removing their Tents and other Utensils as also to carry their Fish they have caught to their Houses these are thirty and forty foot long and have sometimes ten and sometimes more seats for Rowers Cardinal Bembus in his Venetian History saith that in his time one of these with seven Persons in it was by storm cast upon the coast of Britany I know not whether it be worth mentioning that they have Kettles and Pans made of Stone some say of Loadstone that endures the fire wonderfully but not having tools fit to hollow them sufficiently they make up the edges of Whalebone FREESLAND or FRISELAND LIeth in 60 deg more westerly than any part of Europe distant from Iseland leagues It is reported in bigness not to be much lesser than England a ragged and high land the mountains cover'd with snow and the coast so full of drift Ice that it is almost inaccessible It was first discovered to us by Nicolao and Antonio Zani two Venetian Gentlemen that were here shipwrack'd They describe the Inhabitants to be good Christians very civil and to be governed by a great Lord whose Name was Zichmay whose mighty conquests and strange accidents may be read in Hackluit It is not our business to write or repeat Romances Those men whom our Seamen touching there accidently saw were like in all things to the Gronelanders both in features of body and manner of living as much as they could judge so like that many of them thought it continued to Groneland in which opinion also they were confirm'd by the multitudes of the Islands of ice which coming from the north argued land to be that way for many of our Mariners hold that salt water doth not freeze but that all the Ice they find in the Sea comes from the Bays and mouths of fresh-water Rivers for the ice it self is sweet and fresh being dissolved and serves to all purposes as well as Spring or River water Besides the salt Sea they say is always in motion and so cannot freeze But the Dutch who winter'd in Nova Zembla took notice that the salt water freez'd and that two inches thick in one night There seems to be good fishing every where upon the coast In their soundings they brought up a sort of pale Coral and little Stones clear as Crystal They call'd it West England and one of the highest mountains they called Charing-Cross THE END Northern Islands Hope-Island Edges-Island Wyches-Island Cherry-Island Morss-fishing Morsses The Name and Situation Ancient Discoveries By the Norwegians Later Discoveries by the English Sir Martin Frobisher Sir Hum. Gilbert Mr. Daviâ— Mr. Hudson James Hall Mr. Baffin By the Danes Gronelanders in Denmark The Soil c. of Groneland Beasts Fishes Fowls Of the North light Division of the Country Inhabitants Their Cloathing Their Boats Their Fishing Its Discoveries