A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 17

w behind on a desert Shore.--A strange Cemetry discovered.--Narrow Escape from Wreck.--Return to Mount Misery.--W

ng up to a prodigious height, without knot or branch, and as straight as cedars; the leaf of these trees resembles the myrtle leaf, only somewhat larger. I have seen trees larger than these in circumference on the coast of Guinea, and there only; but for a length of stem, which gradually tapered, I have no where met with any to compare to them. The wood was of a hard substance, and if not too heavy,

low, and we were in hopes of finding some inlet through, but did not, so kept along shore to the westward. This part, which I take to be above fifty leagues from Wager Island, is the very bottom of the large bay

effected in these overgrown seas by boats; and this we experienced now, for the wind springing up, and beginning to blow fresh, we were obliged to put back towards the first head-land, into a small cove, just big enough to shelter the two boats. Here an accident happened that alarmed us much. After securing our boats, we climbed up a rock scarcely large enough

ediately got up, and ran to the place from whence the cries came, and then we were put out of all doubt as to the opinion we had formed of this accident, for here we found the two men almost buried under loose stones and earth; but upon a little farther enquiry, we were undeceived as to the cause we had imputed this noise

r, that we eat the shoes off our feet, which consisted of raw seal-skin. In the morning we got out of the bay, but the incessant foul weather had overcome us, and we began to be indifferent as to what befel us; and the boats in the night making into a bay, we nearly lost the yawl, a breaker having filled her and driven her ashore upon the beach. This, by some of our

urf having abated somewhat, we went ashore and picked up a few shell-fish. In the morning we got on board early, and ran along shore to the westward for about three leagues, in order to get round a cape, which was the westernmost land we could see. It blew very

e found some fine lagoons towards the head of the bay, and in them killed some seal, and got a good quantity of shell-fish, which was a great relief to us. We now made a second attempt to double the cape; but when we got the length of it, and passed the fi

the same time I heard a shrieking, like to that of persons in distress; I looked out, and saw the yawl canted bottom upwards by a sea, and soon afterwards disappeared. One of our men, whose name was William Rose, a quarter-master, was drowned; the other was thrown ashore by the surf, with his head buried in the sand, but by the immediate assistance of the people on shore, was saved. As for us in the barge, we expected the same fate every moment, for the sea broke a long way without us. However, we got her head to it, and hove up our grapnel, or sho

the shore, and our companions threw us some seals liver, which having eat greedily, we were seize

him open-mouthed; but presently fixing his bayonet, he thrust it down its throat, with, a good part of the barrel of the gun, which the creature bit in tw

qualities, as we had occasion to observe in this and a late voyage I made. However, as so much already has been said of the sea-lion, I shall only mention two peculiarities, one relative to its appearance, and the other to its properties of action, which distinguish it from those described by him. Those I saw were without that snout or trunk hanging below the end of the upper jaw; but then the males were f

erence to the greatest part of the rest, whether they should embark or take their chance. The captain distributed to these poor fellows arms and ammunition, and some other necessaries. When we parted, they stood upon the beach, giving us three cheers, and called out, God bless the King! We saw them a little after setting out upon their forlorn hope, and helping one another over a hideous tract of ro

he men lay upon their oars till the boat was very near the breakers, the mountainous swell that then ran heaving her in at a great rate. I thought it was their intention to put an end to their lives and misery at once, but nobody spoke for some time. At last Captain Cheap told them they must either perish immediately, or pull stoutly for it to get off the shore, but they might do as they pleased. They chose, however, to exert themselves a little, and after infinite difficulty got round the head-land again, giving up all thoughts of making any further atte

that lagoon, in which, we had before got some seal, to provide ourselves with some more, but we did not leave the bay till we had made some search after the unhappy marines we had left on shore. Could we have found them, we had now agreed to take them on board again, thou

himself, discovered a pretty large hole, which seemed to lead to some den or repository within the rocks. It was not so rude or natural, but that there were some signs of its having been cleared and made more accessible by industry. The surgeon for some time hesitated whet

ies were extended, which, in appearance, had been deposited there a long time, but had suffered no decay or diminution. They were without covering, and the flesh of their bodies was become perfectly dry and hard, which whether done by any art or secret the savages may be possessed of, or occasioned by any drying virtue in the air of the cave, could not be guessed.

erly at a loss to conceive, there being no traces of any Indian settlement hereabout. We had seen no savages since we left the island, or observed any marks in the coves or bays to the northward where we had touched, such as of fire-places or old wig

under the aggravating circumstance of their leading to an inevitable and miserable death; for we could not possibly conceive that the fate of starving could be avoided by any human means, upon, that desolate island we were returning to. The shell-fish, which was the only subsistence that island had hitherto afforded in any measure, was exhausted; and the Indians had shewn themselves so little affected by the common inciteme

erved those strait and lofty trees before-mentioned, and which Captain Cheap named Montrose Island; but as soon as we opened the head-land to the westward of us, a sudden squall took the boat, and very near overset her. We were instantly full of water; but by baling with our hats and hands, and any thing that would hold water, we with difficulty

people was much inclined to remain here, thinking it at least as good a place as Wager's Island to end his days upon; but he was obliged by the rest to go off with them. We had not been long out before it began to blow a storm of wind; and the mist came on so thick, that we could not see the land, and were at a loss which way to steer; but we heard the sea, which ran exceedingly high, breaking near us, upon which we immediately hauled aft the sheet, and hardly weathered the breakers by a boat's length. At the same time we shipped a sea that nearly filled us; it struck us with that violence as to throw me and one or

mstance of misery, yet it was to be envied in comparison of what we now suffered, so worn and reduced were we by fatigue and hunger, having eat nothing for some days but sea-weed and tangle. Upon this

h-wood thatch, afforded tolerable shelter against the inclemency of the weather. Among these, there was one which we observed with some surprise to be nailed up. We broke it open, and found some iron- work, picked out with much pains from those pieces of the wreck which, were driven ashore. We concluded f

ip them of their most valuable furniture, that is, the bales of cloth used for lining, and converted them into trowsers and watch-coats. Upon farther search, we found, thrown aside in the bushes at the back of one of the huts, some pieces of seal in a very putrid condition, which, however, our stomachs were far from loathing. The next busi

this duty to the departed. This is still believed by the vulgar in most countries; and in our men this persuasion was much heightened by the melancholy condition they were reduced to, and was farther confirmed by an occurrence which happened some little time before we went upon our last expedition. One night we were alarmed with a strange cry, which resembled that of a man drowning. Many of us ran out of our huts towards the place from whence the noise p

rse circumstances than ours, of consigning one man to death for the support of the rest, began to be mentioned in whispers; and indeed there were some among as who, by eating what they found raw, were become little better than cannibals. But fortunately for us, and opportunely to prevent thi

ve in the neighbourhood of Chiloe.[117] He talked the Spanish language, but with that savage accent which renders it almost unintelligible to any but those who are adepts in that language. He was likewise a cacique, or leading man of his tribe, which authority was confirmed to him by the Spaniards; for he carried the usual badge and mark of distinction by which the Spaniar

, situated in 42° 40 of S. latitude, and the southernmost

ew of making some advantage of the wreck, and appropriating such iron- work as he could gather from it to his own use; for that metal is become very valuable to those savages, since their commerce with the Spaniards has taught them to apply it to several purposes. But as the secreting any thing from

e cacique, after much persuasion, at length agreed. Accordingly, having made the best preparation we could, we embarked on board the barge to the number of fifteen, including the cacique, whose name was Martin, and his servant Emanuel. We were, indeed, sixteen when we returned from our last fruitless attempt to get off the island, but we had buried two since that, who perished with hunger; and a marine, having committed theft, ran away to avoid the punishment his crime deserved, and hid himself in the woods, since

asing, for, having run to the westward of Montrose Island, we found no shelter for the barge, but were under the necessity of lying upon our oars, suffering the most extreme pangs of hunger. The next day brought us to the