we received of this harbour, determined us to get into it as foon as poffible; the next morning therefore, at eight o'clock, we failed from Good-luck Bay and thought ourselves happy to get fafe out of it. When we got a-breast of the harbour where the Swallow lay, we fired feveral guns, as fignals for her boats to assist us in getting in; and in a short time the master came on board us, and piloted us to a very commodious station, where we anchored in 28th fathom, with a muddy bottom. This harbour, which is sheltered from all winds, and excellent in every refpect, we called SWALLOW HARBOUR. There are two channels into it, which are both narrow, but not dangerous, as the rocks are easily discovered by the weeds that grow upon them. 1767. March. At nine o'clock the next morning, the wind coming Monday 16. eafterly, we weighed, and failed from Swallow Harbour. At noon we took the Swallow in tow, but at five there being little wind, we caft of the tow. At eight in the evening, the boats which had been fent out to look for anchorage, returned with an account that they could find none at nine we had fresh gales, and at midnight Cape Upright bore S. S. W. W. At seven the next morning, we took the Swallow Tuesd. 17. again in tow, but was again obliged to caft her off and tack, as the weather became very thick, with a great fwell, and we faw land clofe under our lee. As no place for anchorage could be found, Captain Carteret advised me to bear away for Upright bay, to which I confented; and as he was acquainted with the place, he went a-head: the boats were ordered to go between him and the shore, and we followed. At eleven o'clock, there being little wind, we opened a large lagoon, and a current setting strongly into it, the Swallow was driven among the breakers clofe upon the lee fhore: to aggravate the misfortune, the weather was very hazy, there was no anchorage, and the furf ran very high. In this dreadful situation she made fignals of distress, and we immediately sent our launch, and other boats, to her affistance: the boats took her in tow, but their utmost efforts to fave her would have VOL. I. been 1767. March. been ineffectual, if a breeze had not fuddenly come down from a mountain and wafted her off. As a great fwell came on about noon, we hauled over to the north fhore. We foon found ourselves furrounded with iflands, but the fog was fo thick, that we knew not where we were, nor which way to steer. Among these islands the boats were fent to caft the lead, but no anchorage was to be found; we then conjectured that we were in the Bay of Islands, and that we had no chance to escape fhipwreck, but by hauling directly out this, however, was no eafy task, for I was obliged to tack, almost continually, to weather fome ifland or rock. At four o'clock in the afternoon, it happily cleared up for a minute, just to fhew us Cape Upright, for which we directly steered, and at half an hour after five anchored, with the Swallow, in the bay. When we dropped the anchor, we were in 24 fathom, and after we had veered away a whole cable, in 46, with a muddy bottom. In this fituation, a high bluff on the north;fhore bore N. W. N. diftant five leagues, and a small ifland within us S. by E. E. Soon after we had anchored, the Swallow drove to leeward, notwithstanding she had two anchors a-head, but was at last brought up, in 70 fathom, about a cable's length a-stern of us. At four o'clock in the morning I fent the boats, with a confiderable number of men, and fome haufers and anchors, on board her, to weigh her anchors, and warp her up to windward. When her beft bower anchor was weighed, it was found entangled with the fmall one; I therefore found it neceffary to fend the stream cable on board, and the ship was hung up by it. To clear her anchors, and warp her into a proper birth, coft us the whole day, and was not at last effected without the utmost difficulty and labour. Wednef. 18. On the 18th we had fresh breezes, and fent the boats to found cross the Streight. Within half a mile of the ship, they had 40, 45, 50, 70, 100 fathom, and then had no ground, till within a cable's length of the lee fhore, where they had 90 fathom. We now moored the fhip in 78 fathom, with the ftream anchor. The 1767. March, The next morning, while our people were employed in getting wood and water, and gathering celery and mufcles, two canoes full of Indians, came along fide Thurf. 19. of the ship. They had much the fame appearance as the poor wretches whom we had seen before in Elizabeth's bay. They had on board fome feals flesh, blubber, and penguins, all which they eat raw. Some of our people who were fishing with a hook and line, gave one of them a fish, somewhat bigger than a herring, alive just as it came out of the water. The Indian took it hastily, as a dog would take a bone, and instantly killed it, by giving it a bite near the gills: he then proceeded to eat it, beginning with the head, and going on to the tail, without rejecting either the bones, fins, fcales, or entrails. They eat every thing that was given to them, indifferently, whether falt or fresh, dreffed or raw, but would drink nothing but water. They shivered with cold, yet had nothing to cover them but a feal-fkin, thrown loofely over their fhoulders, which did not reach to their middle; and we obferved, that when they were rowing, they threw even this by, and fat stark naked. They had with them fome javelins, rudely pointed with bone, with which they used to strike feals, fish, and penguins, and we obferved that one of them had a piece of iron, about the fize of a common chiffel, which was faftened to a piece of wood, and seemed to be intended rather for a tool than a weapon. They had all fore eyes, which we imputed to their fitting over the smoke of their fires, and they smelt more offensively than a fox, which perhaps was in part owing to their diet, and in part to their naftinefs. Their canoes were about fifteen feet long, three broad and nearly three deep: they were made of the bark of trees, fewed together, either with the finews of fome beast, or thongs cut out of a hide. Some kind of rush was laid into the seams, and the outside was smeared with a refin, or gum, which prevented the water from foaking into the bark. Fifteen flender branches, bent into an arch, were fewed tranfverfely to the bottom and fides, and fome ftrait pieces were placed cross the top, from gunwale to gunwale, and fecurely lafhed at each end: upon the whole however, it was poorly made, nor had these people any thing 1767 March. among them in which there was the least appearance of ingenuity. I gave them a hatchet or two, with fome beads, and a few other toys, with which they went away to the fouthward, and we faw no more of them. While we lay here, we fent out the boats, as usual, in fearch of anchoring places, and having been 10 leagues to the weftward, they found but two: one was to the westward of Cape Upright, in the Bay of Islands, but was very difficult to enter and get out of; the other was called Dolphin Bay, at 10 leagues distance, which was a good harbour, with even ground in all parts. They faw feveral small coves, which were all dangerous, as in them it would be neceffary to let go the anchor within half a cable's length of the lee fhore, and fteady the fhip with halfers fastened to the rocks. The people belonging to one of the boats fpent a night upon an ifland upon which while they were there, fix canoes landed about thirty Indians. The Indians ran immediately to the boat, and were carrying away every thing they found in her; our people difcovered what they were doing just time enough to prevent them. As foon as they found themselves oppofed, they went to their canoes, and armed themselves with long poles, and javelins pointed with the bones of fish. They did not begin an attack, but ftood in a threatening manner: our people who were two and twenty in number, acted only on the defenfive, and by parting with a few trifles to them they became friends, and behaved peaceably the rest of the time they staid. For many days, we had hail, lightning, rain, and hard gales, with a heavy fea, fo that we thought it impoffible for the ship to hold, though she had two anchors a-head, and two cables an end. The men however, were fent frequently on fhore for exercise, which contributed greatly to their health, and procured almost conftant fupply of mufcles and greens. Among other damages that we had fustained, our fireplace was broken to pieces, we therefore found it necessary to set up the forge, and employ the armourers to make a new back; we alfo made lime of burnt shells, and once more put it into in a useful condition. 1767. March. On Monday the 30th, we had the first interval of moderate weather, and we improved it in drying the fails, which, though much mildewed, we had not before been able to loofe, for fear of fetting the thip adrift we alfo aired the spare fails, which we found much injured by the rats, and employed the fail-makers to mend them. Capt. Carteret having reprefented that his fire-place, as well as ours, had been broken to pieces, our armourers made him alfo a new back, and fet it up with lime that we made upon the fpot, in the fame manner as had been done on board our own ship. This day we faw feveral canoes, full of Indians, put to shore on the east fide of the bay, and the next morn- Tuesd. 31. ing feveral of them came on board, and proved to be the fame that our people, who were out in the boat, had met with on fhore. They behaved very peaceably, and we difmiffed them with a few toys, as ufual. The day following, feveral other Indians came off April. to the ship, and brought with them fome of the birds Wednes. 1. called Race-horfes. Our people purchased the birds for a few trifles, and I inade them a prefent of feveral hatchets and knives. On Thursday the fecond of April the mafter of the Thurf. 2. Swallow, who had been sent out to feek for anchoring places, returned, and reported that he had found three on the north shore, which were very good; one about four miles to the eastward of Cape Providence, another under the east fide of Cape Tamer, and the third about four miles to the eastward of it; but he faid that he found no place to anchor in under Cape Providence, the ground being rocky. This day two canoes came on board, with four men and three young children in each. The men were fomewhat more decently dreffed than thofe that we had feen before, but the children were ftark naked. They were fomewhat fairer than the men, who seemed to pay a very tender attention to them, especially in lifting them in and out of the canoes. To these young vifitors I gave necklaces and bracelets, with which they feemed mightily pleafed. It happened that while fome of these people were on board, and the reft waiting in their canoes by the fhip's fide, the boat was fent on L 3 fhore |