A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume Xv Part 33

_Departure from Christmas Harbour.--Range along the Coast, to discover its Position and Extent.--Several Promontories and Bays, and a Peninsula, described and named.--Danger from Shoals.--Another Harbour and a Sound.--Mr Anderson's Observations on the Natural Productions, Animals, Soil, &c. of. Kerguelen's Land_.

As soon as the s.h.i.+ps were out of Christmas Harbour, we steered S.E. 1/2 S., along the coast, with a fine breeze at N.N.W., and clear weather.

This we thought the more fortunate, as, for some time past, fogs had prevailed, more or less, every day; and the continuance of them would have defeated our plan of extending Kerguelen's discovery. We kept the lead constantly going; but seldom struck ground with a line of fifty or sixty fathoms.

About seven or eight o'clock, we were off a promontory, which I called Cape c.u.mberland. It lies a league and a half from the south point of Christmas Harbour, in the direction of S.E. 1/2 S. Between them is a bay with two arms, both of which seemed to afford good shelter for s.h.i.+pping.

Off Cape c.u.mberland is a small but pretty high island, on the summit of which is a rock like a sentry-box, which occasioned our giving that name to the island. Two miles farther to the eastward, lies a group of small islands and rocks, with broken ground about them: We sailed between these and Sentry-Box Island, the channel being a full mile broad, and more than forty fathoms deep; for we found no bottom with that length of line.

Being through this channel, we discovered, on the south side of Cape c.u.mberland, a bay, running in three leagues to the westward. It is formed by this Cape to the north, and by a promontory to the south, which I named Point Pringle, after my good friend Sir John Pringle, President of the Royal Society. The bottom of this bay was called c.u.mberland Bay; and it seemed to be disjoined from the sea, which washes the N.W. coast of this country, by a narrow neck of land. Appearances, at least, favoured such a conjecture.

To the southward of Point Pringle, the coast is formed into a fifth bay; of which this point is the northern extreme; and from it to the southern extreme, is about four miles in the direction of S.S.E. 1/4 E. In this bay, which obtained the name of White Bay, on account of some white spots of land or rocks in the bottom of it, are several lesser bays or coves, which seemed to be sheltered from all winds. Off the south point are several rocks which raise their heads above water; and, probably, many more than do that.

Thus far our course was in a direction parallel to the coast, and not more than two miles from it. Thither our gla.s.ses were continually pointed; and we could easily see that, except the bottoms of the bays and coves, which, for the most part, terminated in sandy beaches, the sh.o.r.es were rocky, and, in many places, swarmed with birds; but the country had the same barren and naked appearance as in the neighbourhood of Christmas Harbour.

We had kept, on our larboard bow, the land which first opened off Cape St Louis,[116] in the direction of S. 53 E., thinking that it was an island, and that we should find a pa.s.sage between it and the main. We now discovered this to be a mistake; and found that it was a peninsula, joined to the rest of the coast by a low isthmus. I called the bay, formed by this peninsula, Repulse Bay; and a branch of it seemed to run a good way inland towards the S.S.W. Leaving this, we steered for the northern point of the peninsula, which we named Howe's Foreland, in honour of Admiral Lord Howe.

[Footnote 116: Cape Francois.]

As we drew near it, we perceived some rocks and breakers near the N.W.

part; and two islands a league and a half to the eastward of it, which, at first, appeared as one. I steered between them and the Foreland;[117]

and was in the middle of the channel by noon. At that time our lat.i.tude, by observation, was 48 51' S.; and we had made twenty-six miles of east longitude from Cape St Louis.[118]

[Footnote 117: Though Kerguelen's s.h.i.+ps, in 1773, did not venture to explore this part of the coast, Monsieur de Pages's account of it answers well to Captain Cook's. "Du 17 au 23, l'on ne prit d'autre connoissance que celle de la figure de la cote, qui, courant d'abord au Sud-Est, & revenant ensuite au Nord-Est, formoit un grand golfe. Il etoit occupe par des brisans & des rochers; il avoit aussi une isle ba.s.se, & a.s.sez etendue, & l'on usa d'une bien soigneuse precaution, pour ne pas s'affaler dans ce golfe."--_Voyage du M. de Pages_, tom. ii. p.

67.--D.]

[Footnote 118: Cape Francois.]

From this situation, the most advanced land to the southward bore S.E.; but the trending of the coast from the Foreland was more southerly. The islands which lie off Christmas Harbour bore N.; and the north point of the Foreland N. 60 W., distant three miles. The land of this Peninsula, or Foreland, is of a moderate height, and of a hilly and rocky substance. The coast is low, with rocky points shooting out from it; between which points are little coves, with sandy beaches; and these, at this time, were mostly covered with sea birds. We also saw upon them some seals.

As soon as we were clear of the rocks and islands before mentioned, I gave orders to steer S.E. by S. along the coast. But before these orders could be carried into execution, we discovered the whole sea before us to be chequered with large beds of rock-weed, which we knew to be fast to the bottom, and to grow on rocky shoals. I had often found a great depth of water on such shoals; and I had, as often, found rocks that have raised their heads nearly to the surface of the water. It is always dangerous, therefore, to sail over them before they are well examined; but more especially, when there is no surge of the sea to discover the danger. This was the case at present, for the sea was as smooth as a mill-pond. Consequently we endeavoured to avoid them, by steering through the winding channels by which they were separated. We kept the lead continually going; but never struck ground with a line of sixty fathoms. This circ.u.mstance increased the danger, as we could not anchor, whatever necessity there might be for it. After running in this manner above an hour, we discovered a lurking rock, just even with the surface of the sea. It bore N.E. 1/2 E., distant three or four miles, and lay in the middle of one of these large beds of weeds. This was a sufficient warning to make us use every precaution to prevent our coming upon them.

We were now cross the mouth of a large bay, that lies about eight miles to the southward of Howe's Foreland. In and before the entrance of this bay are several low islands, rocks, and those beds of sea-weed. But there seemed to be winding channels between them. After continuing our course half an hour longer, we were so much embarra.s.sed with these shoals, that I resolved to haul off to the eastward, as the likeliest means of extricating ourselves from the danger that threatened us. But so far was this from answering the intended purpose, that it brought us into more. I therefore found it absolutely necessary to secure the s.h.i.+ps, if possible, in some place before night; especially as the weather had now become hazy, and a fog was apprehended. And seeing some inlets to the S.W. of us, I ordered Captain Clerke, as the Discovery drew less water than the Resolution, to lead in for the sh.o.r.e; which was accordingly done.

In standing in, it was not possible to avoid running over the edges of some of the shoals, on which we found from ten to twenty fathoms water; and the moment we were over, had no ground at the depth of fifty fathoms. After making a few boards to weather a spit that run out from an island on our lee, Captain Clerke made the signal for having discovered an harbour; in which, about five o'clock, we anch.o.r.ed in fifteen fathoms water, over a bottom of fine dark sand, about three quarters of a mile from the sh.o.r.e; the north point of the harbour bearing N. by E. 1/2 E., one mile distant; and the small islands in the entrance, within which we anch.o.r.ed, extending from E. to S.E.

Scarcely were the s.h.i.+ps secured, when it began to blow very strong; so that we thought it prudent to strike top-gallant yards. The weather, however, continued fair; and the wind dispersing the fog that had settled on the hills, it was tolerably clear also. The moment, therefore, we had anch.o.r.ed, I hoisted out two boats; in one of which I sent Mr Bligh, the master, to survey the upper part of the harbour, and look for wood; for not a shrub was to be seen from the s.h.i.+p. I also desired Captain Clerke to send his master to sound the channel that is on the south side of the small isles, between them and a pretty large island which lies near the south point of the harbour. Having given these directions, I went myself, in my other boat, accompanied by Mr Gore, my first lieutenant, and Mr Bayly, and landed on the north point, to see what I could discover from thence.

From the highest hill over the point, we had a pretty good view of the sea-coast, as far as Howe's Foreland. It is much indented, and several rocky points seemed to shoot out from it, with coves and inlets of unequal extent. One of the latter, the end of which I could not see, was disjoined from that in which the s.h.i.+ps were at anchor, by the point we then stood upon. A great many small islands, rocks, and breakers, appeared scattered along the coast, as well to the southward as northward; and I saw no better channel to get out of the harbour, than by the one through which we had entered it.

While Mr Bayly and I were making the observations, Mr Gore encompa.s.sed the hill, and joined us by a different route, at the place where I had ordered the boat to wait for us. Except the craggy precipices, we met with nothing to obstruct our walk. For the country was, if possible, more barren and desolate than about Christmas Harbour. And yet, if there be the least fertility in any part of this land, we ought to have found it in this, which is completely sheltered from the predominating bleak southerly and westerly winds. I observed, with regret, that there was neither food nor covering for cattle of any sort; and that, if I left any, they must inevitably perish. In the little cove where the boat waited for us (which I called Penguin Cove, as the beach was covered with these birds), is a fine rivulet of fresh water, that may be easily come at. Here were also some large seals, s.h.a.gs, and a few ducks; and Mr Bayly had a transient sight of a very small land bird; but it flew amongst the rocks, and we lost it. About nine o'clock we got on board.

Soon after, Mr Bligh returned, and reported, that he had been four miles up the harbour, and, as he judged, not far from the head of it. He found that its direction was W.S.W.; and that its breadth, a little above the s.h.i.+ps, did not exceed a mile; but grew narrower toward the head. The soundings were very irregular, being from thirty-seven to ten fathoms; and, except under the beds of sea-weed, which in many places extended from the sh.o.r.e near half channel over, the bottom was a fine sand. He landed on both sh.o.r.es, which he found barren and rocky, without the least signs of tree or shrub, and with very little verdure of any kind.

Penguins, and other oceanic birds and seals, occupied part of the coast, but not in such numbers as at Christinas Harbour.

Finding no encouragement to continue our researches, and, the next morning, both wind and weather being favourable, I weighed anchor and put to sea. To this harbour I gave the name of Port Palliser, in honour of my worthy friend Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser. It is situated in the lat.i.tude of 49 3' S., in the longitude of 69 37' E., and five leagues from Howe's Foreland, in the direction of S. 25 E. There are several islands, rocks, and breakers lying in and without the entrance. We went in and out between them and the north head; but I have no doubt that there are other channels.

As we were standing out of Port Palliser, we discovered a round hill, like a sugar-loaf, in the direction of S. 72 E., about nine leagues distant. It had the appearance of an island lying at some distance from the coast; but we afterward found it was upon the main land. In getting out to sea, we had to steer through the winding channels amongst the shoals. However, we ventured to run over some of them, on which we never found less than eighteen fathoms, and often did not strike ground with twenty-four; so that, had it not been for the sea-weed growing upon all of them, they would not have been discovered.

After we had got about three or four leagues from the coast, we found a clear sea, and then steered E. till nine o'clock, when the Sugar Loaf hill, above mentioned, which I named Mount Campbell, bore S.E., and a small island that lies to the northward of it, S.S.E., distant four leagues. I now steered more southerly, in order to get in with the land.

At noon, the lat.i.tude by double alt.i.tudes was 49 8' S.; and we had made eighty miles of east longitude from Cape St Louis.[119] Mount Campbell bore S. 47 W., distant about four leagues; a low point, beyond which no land was to be seen, bore S.S.E., at the distance of about twenty miles; and we were about two leagues from the sh.o.r.e.

[Footnote 119: Cape Francois.]

The land here is low and level.[120] The mountains ending about five leagues from the low point, a great extent of low land is left, on which Mount Campbell is situated, about four miles from the foot of the mountains, and one from the sea coast. These mountains have a considerable elevation, as also most of the inland ones. They seemed to be composed of naked rocks, whose summits were capt with snow. Nor did the valleys appear to greater advantage. To whatever quarter we directed our gla.s.ses, nothing but sterility was to be seen.

[Footnote 120: This part of the coast seems to be what the French saw on the 5th of January 1774. Monsieur de Pages speaks of it thus: "Nous reconnumes une nouvelle cote etendue de toute veu dans l'Est, & dans le Ouest. Les terres de cette cote etoient moins elevees que celles que nous avions veues jusques ici; elles etoient aussi d'un aspect moins rude."--_De Pages_, tom. ii. p. 68.--D.]

We had scarcely finished taking the bearings at noon, before we observed low land opening off the low point just mentioned, in the direction of S.S.E., and eight miles beyond it. This new point proved to be the very eastern extremity of this land, and it was named Cape Digby. It is situated in the lat.i.tude of 49 23' S., and in the longitude of 70 34'

E.

Between Howe's Foreland and Cape Digby, the sh.o.r.e forms (besides the several lesser bays and harbours) one great bay that extends several leagues to the S.W., where it seemed to lose itself in various arms running in, between the mountains. A prodigious quant.i.ty of sea-weed grows all over it, which seemed to be the same sort of weed that Sir Joseph Banks distinguished by the name of _fucus giganteus_. Some of this weed is of a most enormous length, though the stem is not much thicker than a man's thumb. I have mentioned, that on some of the shoals upon which it grows, we did not strike ground with a line of twenty-four fathoms. The depth of water, therefore, must have been greater. And as this weed does not grow in a perpendicular direction, but makes a very acute angle with the bottom, and much of it afterward spreads many fathoms on the surface of the sea, I am well warranted to say, that some of it grows to the length of sixty fathoms and upward.

At one o'clock (having run two leagues upon a S.E. 1/2 E. course, from noon) we sounded, and found eighteen fathoms water, and a bottom of fine sand. Seeing a small bending in the coast, on the north side of Cape Digby, I steered for it. It was my intention to anchor there, if I should find it might be done with safety, and to land on the Cape, to examine what the low land within it produced. After running in one league, we sounded again, and found thirteen fathoms; and immediately after, saw a shoal right before us, that seemed to extend off from the sh.o.r.e, from which we were distant about two miles. This discovery obliged us to haul off, E. by S., one league, where our depth of water increased to twenty-five fathoms. We then steered along sh.o.r.e, and continued in the same depth, over a bottom of fine sand, till Cape Digby bore W., two leagues distant, when we found twenty-six fathoms.

After this we did not strike ground, though we tried several times; but the s.h.i.+p having a good deal of way, ran the line out before the lead could reach the bottom, and being disappointed in my views both of anchoring and of landing, I would not shorten sail, but pushed forward, in order to see as much of the coast as possible before night. From Cape Digby, it trends nearly S.W. by S. for about four or five leagues, or to a low point, to which, in honour of her majesty, I gave the name of Point Charlotte, and it is the southernmost on the low coast.

Six leagues from Cape Digby, in the direction of S.S.W. 1/2 W., is a pretty high projecting point, which was called Prince of Wales's Foreland; and six leagues beyond that, in the same direction, and in the lat.i.tude of 49 54' S., and the longitude of 70 13' E., is the most southerly point of the whole coast, which I distinguished by the name of Cape George, in honour of his majesty.

Between Point Charlotte and Prince of Wales's Foreland, where the country to the S.W. began again to be hilly, is a deep inlet, which was called Royal Sound. It runs in W. quite to the foot of the mountains which bound it on the S.W., as the low land before-mentioned does on the N. There are islands lying in the entrance, and others higher up, as far as we could distinguish. As we advanced to the S. we observed, on the S.W. side of Prince of Wales's Foreland, another inlet into Royal Sound; and it then appeared, that the foreland was the E. point of a large island lying in the mouth of it. There are several small islands in this inlet; and one about a league to the southward of Prince of Wales's Foreland.

All the land on the S.W. side of Royal Sound, quite to Cape George, is composed of elevated hills, that rise directly from the sea, one behind another, to a considerable height. Most of the summits were capt with snow, and they appeared as naked and barren as any we had seen. The smallest vestige of a tree or shrub was not discoverable, either inland or on the coast; and, I think, I may venture to p.r.o.nounce that the country produces none. The low land about Cape Digby, when examined through our gla.s.ses, resembled the rest of the low land we had before met with; that is, it appeared to be partly naked and partly covered with a green turf, a description of which shall be given in its proper place. The sh.o.r.e is composed of sandy beaches, on which were many penguins, and other oceanic birds; and an immense number of s.h.a.gs kept perpetually flying about the s.h.i.+ps as we sailed along.

Being desirous of getting the length of Cape George, to be a.s.sured whether or no it was the most southerly point of the whole land, I continued to stretch to the S. under all the sail we could carry, till half an hour past seven o'clock, when, seeing no likelihood of accomplis.h.i.+ng my design, as the wind had by this time s.h.i.+fted to W.S.W., the very direction in which we wanted to go, I took the advantage of the s.h.i.+fting of the wind, and stood away from the coast.

At this time Cape George bore S. 53 W. distant about seven leagues. A small island that lies off the pitch of the cape was the only land we could see to the south of it; and we were farther confirmed that there was no more in that quarter by a S.W. swell which we met as soon as we brought the cape to bear in this direction.

But we have still a stronger proof that no part of this land can extend much, if at all, to the southward of Cape George, and that is, Captain Furneaux's track in February, 1773, after his separation from me during my late voyage. His log-book is now lying before me; and I find from it, that he crossed the meridian of the land only about seventeen leagues to the southward of Cape George, a distance at which it may very well be seen in clear weather. This seems to have been the case when Captain Furneaux pa.s.sed it. For his log-book makes no mention of fogs or hazy weather; on the contrary, it expressly tells us, that, when in this situation, they had it in their power to make observations, both for lat.i.tude and longitude, on board his s.h.i.+p; so that, if this land extends farther S. than Cape George, it would have been scarcely possible that he should have pa.s.sed without seeing it.

From these circ.u.mstances we are able to determine, within a very, few miles, the quant.i.ty of lat.i.tude that this land occupies, which does not much exceed one degree and a quarter. As to its extent from E. to W.

that still remains undecided. We only know, that no part of it can reach so far to the W. as the meridian of 65, because, in 1773, under that meridian, I searched for it in vain.[121]

[Footnote 121: If the French observations, as marked upon Captain Cook's chart, and still more authentically upon that published by their own discoverers, may be depended upon, this land doth not reach so far to the W. as the meridian of 63; Cape Louis, which is represented as its most westerly point, being laid down by them to the E. of that meridian.--D.]

The French discoverers, with some reason, imagined Cape St Louis[122] to be the projecting point, of the southern continent. The English have since proved that no such continent exists, and that the land in question is an island of no great extent;[123] which, from its sterility, I should, with great propriety, call the Island of Desolation, but that I would not rob Monsieur de Kerguelen of the honour of its bearring his name.[124]

[Footnote 122: The idea of Cape Louis being this projecting point of a southern continent must have soon vanished, as Cape Francois, within a year after, was found, by the same discoverer, to lie above one third of a degree farther N. upon the same land. But if Kerguelen entertained any such imagination at first, we are sure that afterwards he thought very differently. This appears from the following explicit declaration of his sentiments, which deserves to be transcribed from his late publication, as it does equal honour to his candour, and Captain Cook's abilities:--"La terre que j'ai decouverte est certainement _une Isle_; puisque le celebre Capitaine Cook a pa.s.se au Sud, lors de son premiere voyage, sans rien rencontrer. Je juge ineme, que cette isle _n'est pas bien grande_. Il y a aussi apparence, d'apres le Voyage de Monsieur Cook, que toute cette etendue de Mers Meridionales, est semee d'lsles ou de rochers; mais qu'il n'y a _ni continent ni grande terre_." Kerguelen, p. 92.--D.]

[Footnote 123: Kerguelen, as we see in the last note, concurs with Captain Cook as to this. However, he tells us, that he has reason to believe that it is about 200 leagues in circuit; and that he was acquainted with about fourscore leagues of its coast. "J'en connois environs quatre-vingt lieues des cotes; et; j'ai lieu de croire, qu'elle a environ deux cents lieues de circuit." _Kerguelen, page_32--D.]

[Footnote 124: Some of Monsieur de Kerguelen's own countrymen seem more desirous than we are to rob him of his honour. It is very remarkable, that Monsieur de Pages never once mentions the name of his commander; and, though he takes occasion to enumerate the several French explorers of the southern hemisphere, from Gonneville down to Crozet, he affects to preserve an entire silence about Kerguelen, whose first voyage, in which the discovery of this considerable tract of land was made, is kept as much out of sight as if it never had taken place. Nay, not satisfied with refusing to acknowledge the right of another, he almost a.s.sumes it to himself. For, upon a map of the world annexed to his book, at the spot where the new land is delineated, we read this inscription, _Isles nouvelles Australes vuees par Monsieur de Pages, en_ 1774. He could scarcely have expressed himself in stronger terms, if he had meant to convey an idea that he was the conductor of the discovery. And yet we know that he was only a lieutenant [Enseigne de vaisseau] on board of one of three s.h.i.+ps commanded by Kerguelen; and that the discovery had been already made in a former voyage, undertaken while he was actually engaged in his singular journey round the world.

After all, it cannot but be remarked, that Kerguelen was peculiarly unfortunate in having done so little to complete what he had begun. He discovered a new land indeed; but, in two expeditions to it, he could not once bring his s.h.i.+ps to an anchor upon any part of its coasts.

Captain Cook, as we have seen in this, and in the foregoing chapter, had either fewer difficulties to struggle with, or was more successful in surmounting them.--D.]

Mr Anderson, my surgeon, who, as I have already mentioned, had made natural history a part of his studies, lost no opportunity, during the short time we lay in Christmas Harbour, of searching the country in every direction. He afterward communicated to me the observations he made on its natural productions; and I shall insert them here in his own words.

"Perhaps no place hitherto discovered in either hemisphere, under the same parallel of lat.i.tude, affords so scanty a field for the naturalist as this barren spot. The verdure which appears, when at a little distance from the sh.o.r.e, would flatter one with the expectation of meeting with some herbage; but in this we were much deceived. For on landing, we saw that this lively colour was occasioned only by one small plant, not much unlike some sorts of _saxifrage_, which grows in large spreading tufts to a considerable way up the hills. It forms a surface of a pretty large texture, and grows on a kind of rotten turf, into which one sinks a foot or two at every step. This turf, dried, might, in cases of necessity, serve for fuel, and is the only thing we met with here that could possibly be applied to this use."

"There is another plant, plentifully enough scattered about the boggy declivities, which grows to near the height of two feet, and not much unlike a small cabbage, when it has shot into seeds. The leaves about the root are numerous, large, and rounded; narrower at the base, and ending in a small point. Those on the stalks are much smaller, oblong, and pointed. The stalks, which are often three or four, all rise separately from the root, and run into long cylindrical heads, composed of small flowers. It has not only the appearance, but the watery acrid taste of the antis...o...b..tic plants, and yet differs materially from the whole tribe; so that we looked upon it as a production entirely peculiar to the place. We ate it frequently raw, and found it almost like the New Zealand scurvy gra.s.s. But it seemed to acquire a rank flavour by being boiled; which, however, some of our people did not perceive, and esteemed it good. If it could be introduced into our kitchen gardens, it would, in all probability, improve so far by cultivation as to be an excellent pot-herb. At this time none of its seeds were ripe enough to be preserved, and brought home, to try the experiment."