AN ACCOUNT OF A VOYAGE round the WORLD, IN THE YEARS MDCCLXVI, MDCCLXVII, and MDCCLXVIII. By SAMUEL WALLIS, Efq; CHAP. I. The Paffage to the Coaft of Patagonia, with fome Account of the Natives. [The longitude in this voyage is reckoned from the meridian of London.] H AVING received my commiffion, which was dated the 19th of June 1766, I went on board the fame day, hoifted the pendant, and began to enter feamen, but, according to my orders, took no boys either for myfelf or any of the officers. 1766. June 19. The ship was fitted for the fea with all poffible expedition, during which the articles of war, and the act of parliament were read to the ship's company: on the 26th of Sat. July 26. July we failed down the river, and on the 16th of Auguft, Sat. Aug. 16. at eight o'clock in the morning, anchored in Plymouth Sound. On the 19th I received my failing orders, with directions Tuesday 19. to take the Swallow floop, and the Prince Frederick storeship under my command: and this day I took on board, among other things, three thoufand weight of portable foup, and a bale of cork jackets. Every part of the ship was filled with flores and neceffaries of various kinds, even to the fleerage and state-room, which were allotted to the flops and portable foup. The furgeon offered to purchase an extraordinary quantity of medicines, and medical neceffaries, which, as the fhip's company might become fickly, 6 he 1766. Auguft. Friday 22. September. Sunday 7. Monday 8. Friday 12. he faid would in that cafe be of great service, if room could be found to flow them in; I therefore gave him leave to put them into my cabbin, the only place in the ship where they could be received, as they confifted of three large boxes. On the 22d, at four o'clock in the morning, I weighed and made fail in company with the Swallow and Prince Frederick, and had foon the mortification to find that the Swallow was a very bad failer. We proceeded in our voyage, without any remarkable incident, till Sunday the feventh of September, when, about eight o'clock in the morning, we faw the island of Porto Santo, bearing weft; and about noon faw the eaft-end of the island of Madeira. About five o'clock we ran between this end of the island and the Deferters. On the fide next the Deserters is a low flat island, and near it a needle rock; the fide next to Madeira is full of broken rocks, and for that reafon it is not fafe to come within lefs than two miles of it. At fix in the evening we anchored in Madeira Road, about two-thirds of a mile from the shore, in 24 fathom with a muddy bottom: about eight the Swallow and Prince Frederick also came to an anchor; and I fent an officer on fhore to the Governor, to let him know that I would falute him, if he would return an equal number of guns, which he promised to do; the next morning therefore, at fix o'clock, I faluted him with thirteen guns, and he returned thirteen as he had promifed. Having taken in a proper quantity of water at this place, with four pipes and ten puncheons of wine, fome fresh beef, and a large quantity of onions, we weighed anchor on the 12th, and continued our voyage. At fix o'clock in the morning, of Tuefday the 16th, we faw the island of Palma, and found the fhip 15 miles to the fouthward of her reckoning. As we were failing along this island, at the rate of no less than eight miles an hour, with the wind at east, it died away at once; fo that within less than two minutes the fhip had no motion, though we were at least four leagues distant from the fhore. Palma lies in lat. 28° 40' N. long. 17° 48′ W. 1766. September. Tuesday 16. On the 20th we tried the current, and found it fet S. W. Saturday 20: by W. one mile an hour: this day we saw two herons flying to the eastward, and a great number of bonettos about the ship, of which we caught eight. Monday 22. In the night between the 21st and 22d we loft our com- Sunday 21. panion the Swallow, and about eight in the morning we saw the island of Sal, bearing S. W.; at noon it bore S. W. diftant 8 leagues; and at noon on the 23d, the nearest land Tuesday 23. of the island of Bonavista bore from S. to W. S. W. distant feven or eight miles, the eaft-end, at the same time, bearing W. diftant two leagues. In this fituation we founded, and had only 15 fathom, with rocky ground; at the fame time we faw a very great rippling, which we supposed to be caused by a reef, ftretching off the point about E. S. E. three miles, and breakers without us, diftant alfo about three miles in the direction of S. E. We flecred between the rippling and the breakers, but after hauling the ship off about half a mile, we had no foundings. The Prince Frederick paffed very near the breakers, in the S. E. but had no foundings; yet thefe breakers are fuppofed to be dangerous. The middle of the ifle of Sal is in lat. 16 long. 21° 59′ W.; the middle of Bonavista is in lat. 16° 10′ long. 23° W. 55′ N. On |