1766. Auguft. Friday 22. September. Sunday 7. which I knew by experience would be of the utmost importance, if it was intended that I fhould make another voyage round the world; but I was told that the vessel and her equipment were very fit for the service she was to perform, and none of the requifites for which I applied were allowed me. I was therefore confirmed in my opinion, that, if the Dolphin was to go round the world, it could never be in-tended that I fhould go farther than Falkland's Iflands, where the Jason, a fine frigate, which was, like the Dolphin,. fheathed with copper, and amply equipped, would fupply my place. I was however deficient in junk, an article. which is effentially neceffary in every voyage, and for this I applied when I got to Plymouth, but I was told that a quan-tity fufficient for both the ships had been put on board the Dolphin. On Friday the 22d of August, 1766, the ship's company having the evening before received two months pay, I weighed, and made fail from Plymouth Sound in company with the Dolphin, under the command of Captain Wallis,, and the Prince Frederic ftore-fhip, commanded by Lieutenant James Brine. We proceeded together without any remarkable incident till the 7th of September, when we came to an anchor in Madeira road. While I lay at this place, not being yet acquainted with my destination, I reprefented my want of junk, and the reply that had been made to my application for a fupply by the commiffioner at Plymouth, in a letter to Captain Wallis, who fent me five hundred weight. This quantity however was fo inadequate to my wants, that I was foon afterwards reduced to the difagreeable neceflity of cutting off some of my cables to fave my rigging. On On the 9th, very early in the morning, the Lieutenant ac. quainted me that, in the night, nine of my beft men had fecretly fet off from the fhip to fwim on fhore, having ftripped themselves naked and left all their clothes behind them, taking only their money, which they had fecured in a handkerchief that was tied round their waift; that they proceeded together till they came very near the furf, which breaks high upon the fhore, and that one of them, being then terrified at the found, had fwum back again to the fhip, and been taken on board, but that the reft had ventured through. As the lofs of these men would have been very feverely felt, I immediately fat down to write a letter to the Conful, entreating his affiftance to recover them; but, before I had finished it, he fent me word, that all of them having, to the great astonishment of the natives, been found naked on the beach, they had been taken into custody, and would be delivered up to my order. The boat was dispatched immediately, and as foon as I heard they were on board, I went upon the deck. I was greatly pleafed to fee a contrition in their countenances, which at once fecretly determined me not to inflict the punishment by which they seemed moft heartily willing to expiate their fault; but I asked them what could have induced them to quit the fhip, and defert the fervice of their country, at the risk of being devoured by fharks, or dashed to pieces by the furf againft the shore. They answered, that though they had indeed at fuch risks ventured to fwim on fhore, they never had any intention of deferting the fhip, which they were determined to ftand by as long as she could swim; but that being well affured they were going a long voyage, and none being able to tell who might live, or who might die, they thought it hard not to have an opportunity of fpending their own money, and therefore determined, as they faid, once more to 1766. September. Tuesday .. 1766. September. Tuesday 9. Friday 12. get a skinful of liquor, and then fwim back to the ship, which they hoped to have done before they were missed. As I had refolved to remit their punishment, I did not too severely scrutinize their apology, which the rest of the ship's company, who stood round them, feemed very much to approve; but, obferving that with a fkinful of liquor they would have been in a very unfit condition to swim through the surf to the ship, I told them that hoping they would for the future expofe their lives only upon more important occafions, and that their conduct would thenceforward give me no cause of complaint, I would for this time be fatisfied with the shame and regret which I perceived they suffered from a fenfe of their misbehaviour: I then admonished them to put on their clothes, and lie down, as I was confident they wanted reft; and added, that as I might poffibly during the courfe of the voyage have occafion for good fwimmers, I was very glad that I knew to whom I might apply. Having thus difmiffed these honeft fellows from their fears, I was infinitely gratified by the murmur of fatisfaction which inftantly ran through the fhip's company; and was afterwards amply rewarded for my lenity, there being no fervice during all the toils and dangers of the voyage which they did not perform, with a zeal and alacrity that were much to their honour and my advantage, as an example to the reft. We failed again on the 12th, and I was then firft acquainted with the particulars of our voyage by Captain Wallis, who gave me a copy of his inftructions, and appointed Port Famine in the Streight of Magellan to be the place of rendezvous, if we fhould happen to be feparated. I was now convinced that I had been fent upon a service to which my veffel and her equipment were by no means equal, equal, but I determined at all events to perform it in the best manner I was able. We proceeded on our voyage without any remarkable event till we anchored off Cape Virgin Mary, where we faw the Patagonians, of which I have given fome account in a letter to Dr. Matty, which was published in the fixtieth volume of the Transactions of the Royal Society, and which it is not necessary here to repeat, as it is in general the fame as those which have been given by Commodore Byron and Captain Wallis. When we entered the Streight, I was ordered to keep ahead of the Dolphin and the ftorefhip, to pilot them through the fhoals; but my fhip worked fo ill, that we could but very feldom make her tack without the help of a boat to tow her round: however, with much labour, and at no inconfiderable risk, we anchored in Port Famine on Friday the 26th of December. At this place we unhung our rudder, and added a piece of wood to it, in hopes that by making it broader, we should obtain fome advantage in working the ship; in which however we were altogether disappointed. 1766. November. December. Friday 26. 1767. February. After many difficulties and dangers, we got into Island Bay on the 17th of February; and before we made fail again, Tuesday I reprefented the condition of my fhip by letter to Captain. Wallis, and requested him to confider what was best for his Majefty's fervice, whether she should be difmiffed, or continue the voyage. Captain Wallis replied, that as the Lords of the Admiralty had ordered the Swallow on this fervice, with the nature of which I was well acquainted, he did not think himself at liberty to alter her deftination.. 1767. February. April. Friday 10. We continued therefore for fome time to navigate the Streight together, and as I had passed it before, I was ordered to keep ahead and lead the way, with liberty to anchor and weigh when I thought proper; but perceiving that the bad failing of the Swallow would fo much retard the Dolphin as probably to make her lose the season for getting into high fouthern latitudes, and defeat the intention of the voyage, I propofed to Captain Wallis, that he should lay the Swallow up in fome cove or bay, and that I should attend and affift him with her boats till the Streight should be paffed, which would probably be in much less time than if he continued to be retarded by my ship; and I urged as an additional advantage that he might complete not only his flock of provifions and ftores, but his company, out of her, and then fend her back to England, with such of his crew as ficknefs had rendered unfit for the voyage: propofing also, that in my way home, I would examine the eastern coaft of Patagonia, or attempt fuch other difcoveries as he fhould think proper. If this was not approved, and my knowlege of the South Seas was thought neceffary to the fuccefs of the voyage, I offered to go with him on board the Dolphin, and give up the Swallow to be commanded by his First Lieutenant, whofe duty I would perform during the reft of the voyage, or to make the voyage myself with only the Dolphin, if he would take the Swallow back to Europe; but Captain Wallis was ftill of opinion that the voyage should be prosecuted by the two fhips jointly, pursuant to the orders that had been given. The Swallow was now become fo foul, that with all the fails fhe could fet she could not make fo much way as the Dolphin, with only her top-fails and a reef in them: we continued in company, however, till Friday the 10th of |