A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume X Part 12

INTRODUCTION.

The States General of the United Provinces having granted an exclusive privilege to the Dutch East India Company, prohibiting all their subjects, except that company, from trading to the eastwards beyond the Cape of Good Hope, or westwards through the Straits of Magellan, in any of the countries within these limits, whether known or unknown, and under very heavy penalties; this prohibition gave great dissatisfaction to many rich merchants, who were desirous of fitting out s.h.i.+ps and making discoveries at their own cost, and thought it hard that their government should thus, contrary to the laws of Nature, shut up those pa.s.sages which Providence had left free. Among the number of these discontented merchants was one Isaac Le Maire, a rich merchant of Amsterdam, then residing at Egmont, who was well acquainted with business, and had an earnest desire to employ a portion of the wealth he had acquired in trade in acquiring fame as a discoverer. With this view he applied to William Cornelison Schouten of Horn, a man in easy circ.u.mstances, deservedly famous for his great skill in maritime affairs, and his extensive knowledge of trade in the Indies, having been thrice there in the different characters of supercargo, pilot, and master.

[Footnote 102: Harris, I.51. Callender, II. 217.

It is proper to remark, that in this and several of the subsequent circ.u.mnavigations, considerable freedom has been taken in abbreviating numerous trivial circ.u.mstances already noticed by former voyagers: But whereever the navigators treat on new topics of discovery, or other subjects of any importance, the narratives are given at full length. Had not this liberty of lopping redundancies been taken, this division of our collection must have extended to a very inconvenient length, without any corresponding advantage.--E.]

The main question proposed to him by Le Maire was, Whether he thought it possible to find a pa.s.sage into the South Sea, otherwise than by the Straits of Magellan; and if so, whether it were not likely that the countries to the south of that pa.s.sage might afford as rich commodities as either the East or the West Indies? Schouten was of opinion that such a pa.s.sage might be found, and gave several reasons as to the probable riches of these countries.[103] After many conferences, they came to the determination of attempting this discovery, under a persuasion that the States did not intend, by their exclusive charter to the East India Company, to preclude their subjects from discovering countries in the south by a new route, different from either of those described in the charter.

[Footnote 103: The idea of rich countries is here surely wrong stated, as none such could possibly be conceived to the south of the Straits of Magellan. The expected rich countries must have been to the westwards of these straits, and in the tropical regions far to the north, in the hope of not trenching upon the exclusive trade to the East Indies.--E.]

In consequence of this determination, it was agreed that Le Maire should advance half of the necessary funds for the expence of the proposed voyage, while Schouten and his friends were to advance the other moiety. Accordingly Le Maire advanced his part of the funds; and Schouten, with the a.s.sistance of Peter Clementson, burgomaster of Horn, Jan Janson Molenwert, one of the schepens or aldermen of that city, Jan Clementson Keis, a senator of that city, and Cornelius Segetson, a merchant, produced the rest. These matters being adjusted, in spring 1615, the company proposed to equip two vessels, a larger and a less, to sail from Horn at the proper season. That all parties might be satisfied, it was agreed that William Cornelison Schouten, in consideration of his age and experience, should command the larger s.h.i.+p, with the entire direction of the navigation during the voyage; and that Jaques le Maire, the eldest son of Isaac, should be supercargo. Every thing was got ready in two months for the prosecution of the enterprise, and a sufficient number of men engaged as mariners: but, as secrecy was indispensable, they were articled to go wherever the masters and supercargoes should require; and, in consideration of such unusual conditions, their wages were considerably advanced beyond the ordinary terms.

SECTION I.

_Journal of the Voyage from the Texel to Cape Horn_.

The larger of the two vessels prepared for this voyage was the Unity, of 360 tons, carrying nineteen cannon and twelve swivels; having on board two pinnaces, one for sailing and another for rowing, a launch for landing men, and a small boat, with all other necessaries for so long a voyage. Of this vessel William Cornelison Schouten was master and pilot, and Jaques le Maire supercargo. The lesser vessel was named the Horn, of 110 tons, carrying eight cannons and four swivels, of which Jan Cornelison Schouten was master, and Aris Clawson supercargo. The crew of the Unity consisted of sixty-five men, and that of the Horn of twenty-two only. The Unity sailed on the 25th of May for the Texel, where the Horn also arrived on the 3d June.

The proper season being now arrived, in their judgment, they sailed from the Texel on the 14th of June, and anch.o.r.ed in the Downs on the 17th, when William Schouten went ash.o.r.e at Dover to hire an experienced English gunner. This being effected, they again set sail the same evening; and meeting a severe storm in the night between the 21st and 22d, they took shelter under the Isle of Wight. Sailing thence on the 25th, they arrived at Plymouth on the 27th, where they hired a carpenter named Muydenblick. Sailing finally from Plymouth on the 28th June, with the wind at N.E. and fair weather, they proceeded on their voyage.

Distinct rules were now established in regard to the allowance of provisions at sea, so that the men might have no reason to complain, and the officers might be satisfied of having enough for the voyage. The rate fixed upon was, a cann of beer for each man daily; four pounds of biscuit, with half a pound of b.u.t.ter and half a pound of suet weekly; and five large Dutch cheeses for each man, to serve during the whole voyage. All this was besides the ordinary allowance of salt meat and stock-fish. Due orders were likewise issued for regulating the conduct of the men and officers. Particularly on all occasions of landing men in a warlike posture, one of the masters was always to command: and in such ports as they might touch at for trade, the supercargo was to go on sh.o.r.e, and to have the exclusive management of all commercial dealings.

It was also enjoined, that every officer should be exceedingly strict in the execution of his duty, but without subjecting the men to any unnecessary hards.h.i.+ps, or interfering with each other in their several departments. The officers were also warned against holding any conversation with the men, in regard to the objects of the voyage, all conjectures respecting which were declared fruitless, the secret being solely known to the first captain and supercargo. It was also declared, that every embezzlement of stores, merchandises, or provisions, should be severely punished; and, in case of being reduced upon short allowance, any such offence was to be punished with death. The two supercargoes were appointed to keep distinct journals of all proceedings, for the information of the company of adventurers, that it might appear how far every man had done his duty, and in what manner the purposes of the voyage had been answered.

On the 11th July they had sight of Madeira, and on the 13th they pa.s.sed through between Teneriff and Grand Canary, with a stiff breeze at N.N.E.

and a swift current. The 15th they pa.s.sed the tropic of Cancer; and the 20th in the morning fell in with the north side of Cape de Verd.

Procuring here a supply of water, by leave of the Moorish alcaide or governor, for which they had to pay _eight states_ of iron, they left the cape on the 1st August, and came in sight of the high land of Sierra Leona on the 21st of that month, as also of the island of _Madre bomba_, which lies off the south point of Sierra Leona, and north from the shallows of the island of St Ann. This land of Sierra Leona is the highest of all that lie between Cape Verd and the coast of Guinea, and is therefore easily known.

On the 30th of August, they cast anchor in eight fathoms water on a fine sandy bottom, near the sh.o.r.e, and opposite a village or town of the negroes, in the road of Sierra Leona. This village consisted only of eight or nine poor thatched huts. The Moorish inhabitants were willing to come on board to trade, only demanding a pledge to be left on sh.o.r.e for their security, because a French s.h.i.+p had recently carried off two of the natives perfidiously. Aris Clawson, the junior merchant or supercargo, went accordingly on sh.o.r.e, where he drove a small trade for lemons and bananas, in exchange for gla.s.s beads. In the mean time some of the natives came off to the s.h.i.+ps, bringing with them an interpreter who spoke many languages. They here very conveniently furnished themselves with fresh water, which poured down in great abundance from a very high hill, so that they had only to place their casks under the waterfall. There were here whole woods of lemon-trees, and lemons were so cheap that they might have had a thousand for a few beads, and ten thousand for a few common knives; so that they easily procured as many as they wished, and each man had 150 for sea store. The 3d September they found a vast shoal of fish, resembling a shoemaker's knife.

They left Sierra Leona on the 4th September; and on the 5th October, being in lat 4 27' S. they were astonished by receiving a violent stroke on the bottom of one of the s.h.i.+ps, though no rock appeared to be in the way. While forming conjectures on the occasion of this shock, the sea all about the s.h.i.+p began to change colour, appearing as if some great fountain of blood had opened into it. This sudden alteration of the water seemed not less wonderful than the striking of the s.h.i.+p; but the cause of both was not discovered till after their arrival in Port Desire, when the s.h.i.+p was laid on sh.o.r.e to clean her bottom, when they found a large horn, of a substance resembling ivory, sticking fast in the bottom. It was entirely firm and solid, without any internal cavity, and had pierced through three very stout planks, grazing one of the ribs of the s.h.i.+p, and stuck at least a foot deep in the wood, leaving about as much on the outside, up to the place where it broke off.[104]

[Footnote 104: This must have been a Narvai, or Narwhal, the Monodon Monoceros, Licorne, or Unicornu Marinum, of naturalists, called likewise the Unicorn Fish, or Sea Unicorn.--E.]

On the 25th of October, when no person knew whereabouts they were except Schouten, the company was informed that the design of the voyage was to endeavour to discover a new southern pa.s.sage into the South Sea; and the people appeared well pleased, expecting to discover some new golden country to make amends for all their trouble and danger. The 26th they were in lat. 6 25' S. and continued their course mostly to the south all the rest of that month, till they were in lat 10 30' S. The 1st September they had the sun at noon to the north; and in the afternoon of the 3d they had sight of the isle of Ascension, in 20 S. otherwise called the island of Martin Vaz, where the compa.s.s was observed to vary 12 to the east of north. The 21st, in lat. 38 S. the compa.s.s varied 17 in the same eastern direction. The 6th December, they got sight of the mainland of South America, appearing rather flat, and of a white colour, and quickly after fell in with the north head-land of Port Desire, anchoring that night in ten fathoms water with the ebb-tide, within a league and a half of the sh.o.r.e. Next day, resuming their course southwards, they came into Port Desire at noon, in lat. 47 40' S. They had very deep water at the entrance, where they did not observe any of the cliffs which were described by Van Noort, as left by him to the northward on sailing into this haven, all the cliffs they saw being on the south side of the entrance, which therefore might be those mentioned by Van Noort, and misplaced in his narrative by mistake.

In consequence of this error, they overpa.s.sed Port Desire to the south, so as to miss the right channel, and came into a crooked channel, where they had four and a half fathoms water at full sea, and only fourteen feet at low water. By this means the Unity got fast aground by the stern, and had infallibly been lost, if a brisk gale had blown from the N.E. But as the wind blew west from the land, she got off again without damage. Here they found vast quant.i.ties of eggs upon the cliffs; and the bay afforded them great abundance of muscles, and smelts sixteen inches long, for which reason they called it _Smelt Bay_. From this place they sent a pinnace to the Penguin Islands, which brought back 150 of these birds, and two sea lions.

Leaving Smelt Bay on the 8th December, they made sail for Port Desire, a boat going before to sound the depth of the channel, which was twelve and thirteen fathoms, so that they sailed in boldly, having a fair wind at N.E. After going in little more than a league, the wind began to veer about, and they cast anchor in twenty fathoms; but the ground, consisting entirely of slippery stones, and the wind now blowing strong at N.W. they drifted to the south sh.o.r.e, where both s.h.i.+ps had nearly been wrecked. The Unity lay with her side to the cliffs, yet still kept afloat, and gradually slid down towards the deep water as the tide fell.

But the Horn stuck fast aground, so that at last her keel was above a fathom out of the water, and a man might have walked under it at low water. For some time, the N.W. wind blowing hard on one side, kept her from falling over; but, that dying away, she at length fell over on her bends, when she was given over for lost; but next flood, coming on with calm weather, righted her again. Having escaped this imminent danger, both s.h.i.+ps went farther up the river on the 9th, and came to King's Island, which they found full of black sea-mews, and almost entirely covered with their eggs; so that a man without moving from one spot might reach fifty or sixty nests with his hands, having three or four eggs in each. They here accordingly were amply provided with eggs, and laid in several thousands of them for sea store.

The 11th the boats were sent down the river in search of fresh water, on the south side, but found it all brackish and unpleasant. They saw ostriches here, and a sort of beasts like harts, having wonderfully long necks, and extremely wild. Upon the high hills, they found great heaps of stones, under which some monstrous carca.s.s had been buried, some of the bones being ten or eleven feet long, which, if having belonged to rational creatures, must have been the bones of giants.[105] They here had plenty of good fish and fowls, but no water could be found for some days.

[Footnote 105: Giants indeed; for thigh bones of ten or eleven feet long, and these are the longest in the human body, would argue men of _thirty-one feet high_!--E.]

On the 17th December, the Unity was laid ash.o.r.e on King's island, in order to clean her bottom, and next day the Horn was hauled on sh.o.r.e for the same purpose, but providentially at the distance of about 200 yards from her consort: For, on the 19th, while burning a fire of dry reeds under the Horn, which was necessary for the object in view, the flame caught hold of the s.h.i.+p, and they were forced to see her burn without being able to do any thing to extinguish the fire, as they were at least fifty feet from the water side. They launched the Unity at high water on the 20th, and next day carried on board all the iron-work, anchors, cannon, and whatever else they had been able to save belonging to the Horn.

On the 25th some holes full of fresh water were found, which was white and muddy, yet well tasted, and of which a great quant.i.ty was carried on board, in small casks on the men's shoulders. At this place, they found great numbers of sea lions, the young of which are good to eat.

This creature is nearly as big as a small horse, their heads resembling lions, and the males having long manes on their necks of tough coa.r.s.e hair; but the females have no manes, and are only half as large as the males. They are a bold and fierce animal, and only to be destroyed by musket shot.

January 18th, 1616, they departed from Port Desire: and on the 18th, being in lat. 51 S they saw the Sebaldine [or Faulkland] islands, as laid down by de Weert. The 20th, being in lat. 53 S. and by estimation twenty leagues to the South of the Straits of Magellan, they observed a strong current running to the S.W. The 22d the wind was uncertain, and s.h.i.+fting, and the water had a white appearance, as if they had been within the land; and holding on their course, S. by W. they saw land that same day, bearing from them W. and W.S.W. and quickly afterwards saw other land to the south. Then attempting, by an E.S.E. course, to get beyond the land, they were constrained to take in their topsails, by the wind blowing hard at north. In the forenoon of the 24th they saw land to starboard, at the distance of a league, stretching out to the east and south, having very high hills all covered with snow. They then saw other land bearing east from the former, which likewise was high and rugged. According to estimation, these two lands lay about eight leagues asunder, and they guessed there might be a good pa.s.sage between them, because of a brisk current which ran to the southward in the direction of that opening. At noon they made their lat.i.tude 54 46',[106] and stood towards the before-mentioned opening, but were delayed by a calm.

At this place they saw a prodigious mult.i.tude of penguins, and such numbers of whales that they had to proceed with much caution, being afraid they might injure their s.h.i.+p by running against them.

[Footnote 106: They were here obviously approaching the Straits of Le Maire, discovered on the present occasion, the northern opening of which is in lat. 54 40' S. the southern in 55 S. and the longitude 65 15'

W. from Greenwich.--E.]

In the forenoon of the 25th they got close in with the eastern land, and upon its north side, which stretched E.S.E. as far as the eye could carry. This they named _States Land_, and to that which lay westward of the opening they gave the name of _Maurice Land_.[107] The land on both sides seemed entirely bare of trees and shrubs, but had abundance of good roads and sandy bays, with great store of fish, porpoises, penguins and other birds. Having a north wind at their entrance into this pa.s.sage, they directed their course S.S.W. and going at a brisk rate, they were at noon in lat. 55 36' S. and then held a S.W. course with a brisk gale. The land on the south side of the pa.s.sage or Straits of _Le Maire_, and west side, to which they gave the name of _Maurice Land_, [being the east side of the Terra del Fuego] appeared to run W.S.W. and S.W. as far as they could see, and was all a very rugged, uneven, and rocky coast. In the evening, having the wind at S.W. they steered S. meeting with prodigious large waves, rolling along before the wind; and, from the depth of the water to leeward, which appeared by very evident signs, they were fully convinced that they had the great South Sea open before them, into which they had now almost made their way by a new pa.s.sage of their own discovering.

[Footnote 107: The former of these names is still retained, but not the latter; the land on the west of the Straits of Le Maire being Terra del Fuego; and the cape at the N.W. of the straits mouths is now called Cape St Vincent, while the S.W. point is named Cape St Diego.--E.]

At this place the _sea-mews_ were larger than swans, their wings when extended measuring six feet from tip to tip. These often alighted on the s.h.i.+p, and were so tame as to allow themselves to be taken by hand, without even attempting to escape. The 26th at noon they made their lat.i.tude 57 S. where they were a.s.sailed by a brisk storm at W.S.W. the sea running very high, and of a blue colour. They still held their course to the southwards, but changed at night to the N.W. in which direction they saw very high land. At noon of the 27th they were in 56 51' S. the weather being very cold, with hail and rain, and the wind at W. and W. by S. The 28th they had great billows rolling from the west, and were at noon in 56 48' S. The 29th having the wind at N.E. they steered S.W. and came in sight of two islands W.S.W. of their course, beset all round with cliffs. They got to these islands at noon, giving the name of _Barnevelt's Islands_, and found their lat.i.tude to be 57 S.[108] "Being unable to sail _above_ them, they held their course to the north; and taking a N.W. course in the evening from Barnevelt's islands, they saw land N.W. and N.N.W. from them, being the lofty mountainous land covered with snow, which lies to the south of the straits of Magellan, [called Terra del Fuego,] and which ends in a sharp point, to which they gave the name of _Cape Horn_, which is in lat. 57 48' S."[109]

[Footnote 108: Only 56, so that by some inaccuracy of instruments or calculation, the observations of the lat.i.tude, in this voyage, seem all considerably too high.--E.]

[Footnote 109: The course in the text within inverted commas, from Barnevelt's islands to Cape Horn, is evidently erroneously stated. It ought to have run thus. "Being unable to pa.s.s to the north of these islands, they held their course S.W. seeing land on the N.W. and N.N.W.

of their course, which ended in a sharp point, which they named _Cape Horn_."--Cape Horn is in lat. 56 15' S. and long. 67 45' W. from Greenwich.--E.]

They now held their course westwards, being a.s.sisted by a strong current in that direction; yet had the wind from the north, and had heavy billows meeting them from the west. The 30th, the current and billows as before, they were fully a.s.sured of having the way open into the South Sea, and this day at noon they made their lat.i.tude 57 34' S. The 31st sailing west, with the wind at north, their lat.i.tude at noon was 58 S.

But the wind changing to W. and W.S.W. they pa.s.sed Cape Horn, losing sight of land altogether, still meeting huge billows rolling from the west with a blue sea, which made them believe they were in the main South Sea. February 1st, they had a storm at S.W. and sailed N.W. and W.N.W. The 2d, having the wind at W. they sailed southwards, and came into the lat. of 57 58' S. The 3d they made their lat.i.tude 59 25' S.

with a strong wind at W. but saw no signs of any land to the South.

SECTION II.

_Continuation of the Voyage, from Cape Horn to the Island of Java._

Altering their course to the northwards, they plainly discerned the western mouth of the Straits of Magellan, bearing east from them, on the 12th February; and being now quite sure of their new and happy discovery, they returned thanks to the Almighty for their good fortune over a cup of wine, which was handed three times round the company. To this new-found pa.s.sage or straits, leading from the Atlantic into the Pacific, they gave the name of the _Straits of Le Maire_, though that honour ought justly to have been given to _Schouten,_ by whose excellent conduct these straits were discovered.

By the 27th of February they were in lat. 40 S. with fair weather, continuing their course to the north; but on the 28th, they determined to sail for the island of Juan Fernandez, to give some rest and refreshment to their sickly and wearied company. That day their lat.i.tude at noon was 35 53' S. In the evening they shortened sail, fearing to fall in with the land in the night. Next day, being the 1st of March, they saw the islands of Juan Fernandez to the N.N.E. and got up to them at noon, being in the lat. of 35 53' S.[110] The smaller of these islands is that to the westwards, [Masafuero,] which is very barren and rocky. The greater [Juan Fernandez,] to the eastwards, though also very high and mountainous, is yet fruitful and well shaded with trees. This island affords plenty of hogs and goats; and there is such excellent fis.h.i.+ng all round, that the Spaniards come hither for that purpose, and transport vast quant.i.ties of fish from hence to Peru.

[Footnote 110: The lat.i.tude of Juan Fernandez is only 33 42' S. The two islands mentioned in the text under this name, are Juan Fernandez and Masafuero; the former in long. 77 80', the latter in 79 40', both W.

from Greenwich. Or perhaps, the second island may be the Small Goat's or Rabbit Island, off its S.W. end, called _Isola de Cabras_, or _de Conejos_.--E.]

The road or haven of Juan Fernandez, [named la Baia, or c.u.mberland Harbour,] is at the east end of the island; but they shaped their course to the west end, where they could find no place in which to anchor. The boat being sent in search of an anchorage, brought an account of a beautiful valley, full of trees and thickets, and refreshed by streams of water running down from the hills, with a variety of animals feeding in this pleasant spot. The boat brought also great store of fish on board, being mostly lobsters and crabs, and reported having seen many sea wolves. Finding the island inaccessible, they took a considerable quant.i.ty of fish, and procured a supply of fresh water, after which they determined to pursue their voyage.

The 11th March they pa.s.sed the tropic of Capricorn to the north, the wind in general being E.S.E. and they held their course N.N.W. till the 15th, when being in lat. 18 S. they changed their course to W. The 3d April they were in 15 12' S. being then much afflicted with the flux, and that day they saw a small low island which they got up to at noon.

Finding no bottom, they could not come to anchor, but sent some men ash.o.r.e in the boat. They found nothing here fit for refreshment, except some herbs which tasted like scurvy gra.s.s, and saw some dogs which could neither bark nor snarl, and for which reason they named it Dog Island. It is in lat. 15 12', and they judged it to be 925 leagues west from the coast of Peru.[111] The interior of this island is so low, that it seemed mostly overflowed at high water, its outskirt being a sort of dike or mound, overgrown with trees, between which the salt water penetrates in several places.

[Footnote 111: Dog Island is in lat. 15 18' S. and long. 137 W. about 1200 marine leagues west from the coast of Peru under the same parallel.

By the description in the text it seems one of those which are usually termed _lagoon_ islands--E.]

The 14th, sailing W. and W. by N. they saw a large low island in the afternoon, reaching a considerable way N.E. and S.W. At sun-set, being about a league from this island, a canoe came to meet them, in which were some naked Indians of a reddish colour, having long black hair.

They made signs to the Dutch to go on sh.o.r.e, and spoke to them in a language which was not understood; neither did the Indians understand them, though spoken to in Spanish, Moluccan, and Javan. Getting near the coast, no bottom could be found, though only a musket-shot from land.

They now sailed S.S.W. along the island, making ten leagues during the night, and continued along the sh.o.r.e on the 15th, many naked people continually inviting them to land. At length a canoe came off, but the natives would not venture into the s.h.i.+p, yet came to the boat, where the Dutch gave them beads, knives, and other trifles; but they found them thievishly disposed, much like the natives of the Ladrones, and were so fond of iron, that they stole the nails from the cabin windows, and the bolts from the doors. Their skins were all pictured over with snakes, dragons, and such like reptiles, and they were entirely naked, except a piece of mat before them. A boat was sent ash.o.r.e well armed, and immediately on landing, about thirty of the natives rushed from a wood, armed with clubs, slings, and long staves or spears, and would have seized the boat and taken away the arms from the soldiers; but on receiving a discharge of musquetry they run off. Not being able to anchor here, they called this the _Island without ground_. It is low, and mostly composed of white sandy ground, on which are many trees, which were supposed to be cocoas and palmitos. It is not broad, but of considerable length, being in lat. 15 S. and about 100 leagues from Dog Island.[112]

[Footnote 112: Sondre-ground, or Without-ground, is in lat. 15 12' S.