Chapter M (13)

On the 18th the wind freshened, and the sky began to be clouded. About nine in the morning they had an alarming presage by a circle round the sun, which in that climate is an infallible sign of an approaching storm. They therefore, after some consultation, concluded to stand before the wind to whatever land was right a-head; and for that purpose they furled their sail, settled the yard about three feet above the boat’s sides, and in this manner prepared to receive the storm. About 12 at noon the gale came on, and the wind continued increasing all the afternoon. The sea swelled to an incredible height, and often broke over the little skiff (hardly so big as a below-bridge wherry, only a small matter deeper, but not so wide), which, had it not been for her out-leaguers, could not have survived a single moment; but the thinness of her body, and the firmness of her out-leaguers, were her security; for the stern being high and narrow, cut the rolling waves like the edge of a knife, and divided their force; so that what fell in the skiff came down like a shower, and was easily baled out by the Achinese. The evening of this day shewed very dreadful. Dampier’s own words will best describe his feelings: “The sky looked very black, says he, being covered with dark clouds; the wind blew hard, and the sea was already roaring in a white foam about us; a dark night coming on, and no land in sight to shelter us; and our little ark in danger to be swallowed by every wave; and, what was worst of all, none of us thought ourselves prepared for another world. I had been in many imminent dangers before now, but the worst of them all was but a play-game in comparison with this. I must confess that I was in great conflicts of mind at this time. Other dangers came not upon me with such a leisurely and dreadful solemnity; a sudden skirmish or engagement was nothing when the blood was warm, and pushed forwards with eager expectations; but here I had a lingering view of approaching death, and little or no hopes of escaping it; and, I must confess, that my courage, that had hitherto kept up, failed me here; and I made very sad reflections on my former life, and looked backward with horror and detestation upon actions which before I disliked, but now I trembled at the remembrance of them. I had long before this repented me of that roving course of life, but never with such concern as now. In this temper of mind, submitting ourselves to God’s good providence, and taking all the care we could to preserve our lives, Mr. Hall and I took turns to steer, and the rest took turns to heave out the water; and thus we provided to spend the most doleful night I ever was in. About 10 o’clock it began to thunder, lighten, and rain; but the rain was welcome to us, having drank up all the water we brought from the island. The wind at first blew harder than before; but within half an hour it became more moderate, and the sea assuaged of its fury. And then by a lighted match, of which we kept a piece burning on purpose, we looked on our compass, to see how we steered, and found, we varied but little from our intended course: and, finding our vessel lively enough with that small sail which was abroad, we began to bear up to the true point to which our views were directed. But about two in the morning we had another gust of wind, with thunder, lightning, and rain, which obliged us again to put before the wind. The hard rain soaked us so thoroughly that we had not one dry thread about us, and the cold rain chilled us extremely; for any fresh-water is much colder than the sea-water, and much more unwholesome for man’s body. In this wet, starving condition, we spent the tedious night. Never did poor mariners on a lee-shore more earnestly long for the dawning light than we did. At length the day appeared; but with such dark black clouds near the horizon, that the first glimpse of the dawn appeared dreadful. We continued our course before the wind till eight in the morning of the 19th, and then one of our Achinesian friends cried out, _Pulo Way_. We, thinking the fellow had said _Pull away_, were at a loss to conceive his reason; but presently observing his motions, we found he pointed to his companions to shew them land. We, dropping with wet, cold, and hungry, were overjoyed at this sight. It bore south, and the wind was still at west, a strong gale; yet with our small sail, no bigger than an apron, we changed our course, and bore up to it. Here our out-leaguers did us great service; and, though our boat’s side was pressed down very much, we could brook it well enough, and next day we ran to the mouth of a river in the island of Sumatra, called Passange Jonca, where all fell ill of fevers, of which some died; and I that survived was a whole year before I recovered my strength.”

Here they staid ten or twelve days, and were kindly entertained, because the Achinese told the natives, that they were prisoners on board the pirate as well as themselves, and that they were all set ashore together. Hall and Dampier were strongly importuned to stay, to assist in improving their navigation; but, longing to get home, they chose to be conveyed to the English factory at Achin: a vessel was therefore provided for them, and in three days they arrived safe. Three days after their arrival, the Portuguese died, and Ambrose lived but a short time after him. Dampier and Mr. Hall, after passing examination, were kindly entertained by Mr. Driscal, an Irish gentleman, interpreter to the factory; and the four Achinese were restored to their families and friends.

Dampier was so drenched by a Malayan doctor, that he never expected to survive the effects of the potions he prescribed; yet after more than sixty evacuations from one dose, he gathered strength daily; and, after his health was a little restored, both Hall and he undertook to sail with Captain Bowry to Nicobar. This Captain Bowry was the gentleman who sent the letter from Sumatra to Mindanao, already spoken of, which involved a double mistake. Bowry imagined an English factory to subsist at Mindanao, and the English at Mindanao, from Bowry’s letter, imagined there had been an English factory at Sumatra. They sailed from Achin-road the beginning of June; but, a storm coming on, they presently returned. About this time Captain Welden arrived from Fort St. George; and Dampier engaged to sail with him to Tonqueen, in China, and afterwards made a voyage to Malacca. His next ramble was to Fort St. George, and, after his return from thence, he came to Bencouli, an English factory on the west coast of Sumatra; from whence, about the beginning of 1691, he set out on his return to England.

After his return to Achin from his voyage to Malacca, he found there one Mr. Morgan, formerly belonging to the Cygnet, who was then mate of a Danish ship belonging to Tranquebar: and being curious to know the sequel of the adventures of his old companions, was told by Morgan, that, when they left Nicobar, they directed their course to Ceylon; but, not being able to weather that island, they were forced to seek refreshment on the coast of Coromandel, where they began to form new projects; but their schemes not succeeding, about half their number left them, among whom were Morgan and Coppinger, who both were entertained in the Danish service, and two or three others repaired to Fort St. George but the main body went up the country, and listed in the army of the Great Mogul, where a few of them continued orderly for some time; but Oliver, the quarter-master, and a party with him, soon left the camp, and rambled about, plundering and robbing the villages, and flying whenever they were pursued.

Captain Read, having thus lost the better half of his men, after having filled his water and got rice, sailed again, still intending for the Red Sea. He had taken off Ceylon a rich Portuguese ship, and had plundered her of what he liked; but not being able to bear up against the westerly winds, he stood for the island of Madagascar. There, after various adventures, Captain Read, with half a dozen of his followers, slipt away from the rest of the company, and embarked in a ship for New York. Captain Teat succeeded Captain Read in the command; and, having joined Captain Knight, of whom mention has been made before, they sailed some time in company; but the Cygnet proving leaky, Knight gave her the slip, on which she returned again to Madagascar, and finally sunk in St. Augustin bay.

While Dampier was at Fort St. George, there arrived a ship from Mindanao, laden with clove-bark, on board of which came Mr. Moody, as supercargo. This gentleman, while at Mindanao, purchased the Prince of Meangis, of whose country mention has already been made in the former part of this relation. This unfortunate Prince, with his mother, and some attendants, had been driven off their own coast by a storm, and had been seized at sea by some Mindaneian fishermen, who brought them to Mindanao, and sold them for slaves; a common practice among savage islanders. The Prince attracted the notice of Mr. Moody by the curious manner in which he was painted, and which, by Dampier’s description, exactly corresponds with that of tataowing among the New Zealanders. His design was to have brought him over with him to England; but Mr. Moody speaking the Malayan language, and being otherwise well qualified to manage the company’s affairs at a new factory, he was persuaded by the Governor of Fort St. George to accept of the Chiefship of Indrapore, in the room of Mr. Gibbons, who had just resigned in order to return home. Upon this unexpected promotion, Mr. Moody importuned Dampier to go with him to be his gunner, and, in order to encourage him thereto, promised to purchase a small vessel to carry the Prince and his mother to their own country, and to send him as Commander, with full power to establish a commerce with Meangis, which could not fail of turning greatly to the advantage of all concerned. This was a generous and friendly offer which Dampier could not refuse; and accordingly he embarked in a company’s coasting ship, in which there were seven or eight officers passengers, and about 60 soldiers for the new factories. They had a pleasant passage till they came upon the west coast of Sumatra, when a storm arose, by which they were driven from their intended port, and forced to make the harbour of Bencouli. At Bencouli they were all very kindly received, and the gunner of that fort being just dead, Dampier was offered the post, with a more ample salary than Mr. Moody, in a newly-established factory, could venture to allow. Dampier consented to accept of this appointment, provided Mr. Moody approved of it; and Mr. Moody, not being certain of being able to fulfil his engagement, so far as the same related to the Prince of Meangis, very readily gave Dampier leave to contract with the Governor of Bencouli; and, at the same time, assigned to him a half-share in the two slaves, the Prince and his mother, that he might not be a sufferer by leaving Fort St. George to follow him.

Matters being thus accommodated, Mr. Moody repaired to his station at Indrapore, and Dampier with the two slaves continued at Bencouli. They lived at a house in the town, and Dampier was accommodated in the fort. All this passed in 1690; but, before the year was expired, Dampier grew tired of his office, and, wanting to get home, applied to the Governor and Council for his discharge. The Council thought it highly reasonable that his request should be granted; and the Governor made no opposition, there being at that time no ship in readiness to carry him off: but, as he had foreseen, when the _Defence_, Captain Heath, bound for England, came into harbour, he then made many excuses, and at length absolutely refused to permit him to go. In vain did Captain Heath remonstrate; and in vain also did Mr. Goddard, the chief mate, interest himself in Dampier’s release,--the Governor was inflexible. The _Defence_ had touched at Indrapore before she put into Bencouli; and Mr. Moody had consigned the other half-share of the slaves to Mr. Goddard, on having been previously acquainted by letter from Dampier of his intention to sail for England. In consequence of this assignment, the Prince who some time before had been attacked with an infectious distemper, of which his mother died, and of which he was but just recovered, was put on board the _Defence_; and it was privately agreed between Captain Heath and Dampier, that, if the latter could make his escape, the former would undertake to carry him safe off. Accordingly, when all the company’s business was completed, and the letters put on board, notice was given to Dampier of the precise time when the ship was to sail; “and, says he, after several assays, I slipt away at midnight; and, creeping through one of the port-holes of the fort, I got to the shore, where the ship’s boat waited for me, and carried me on board.”

On the 25th of January, 1691, they set sail for the Cape of Good Hope; and, the wind being fair, they proceeded at first very successfully: but they had not been long at sea before the men began to droop, being attacked with a distemper that stole insensibly upon them, and before they thought themselves ill were ready to die. Dampier attributes this fatal disorder to the badness of their water, which was filled from a river fed by many noxious streams from the low swampy lands that in the dry season, as it were, drained their dregs into it, which at times were as black as ink. Besides, it was stowed among the pepper in the hold, which heated it to that degree, that every morning when the men went to take their allowance, it was so hot, they could hardly bear to hold a bottleful of it in their hands; “a thing scarce to be credited, says Dampier, that water should be ready to boil in a ship’s hold.” This distemper was so universal, that not a man in the ship was wholly unaffected by it; so that when the wind blew a hard gale, there wanted hands to work the ship.

Captain Heath, pitying the condition of his men, distributed every day among them a quantity of tamerinds, some jars of which he had brought with him from India; and this was a very seasonable relief: but the wind coming south, and the passage being already protracted to an unusual length, the Captain called the whole ship’s crew together, to consult what was best to be done in the present extremity, and desired every man, from the highest to the lowest, to deliver his opinion freely. Thus all circumstances being duly considered, it was unanimously agreed at last, notwithstanding the wind was then contrary, to prosecute their voyage to the cape. But as that determination would infallibly require a more than ordinary exertion of labour from those that were well, to supply the place of those that were sick, the Captain promised a month’s extra pay to every man who should assist on all occasions that should require help, whether it was his watch or not and this premium he engaged to pay at the cape. This offer was first accepted by the Officers, and then as many men as were capable of duty entered themselves upon the roll. In a short time, it pleased God, says Dampier, to favour us with a fair wind, which being improved to the best advantage by the incessant labour of those new-listed men, wafted us in a short time to the cape; and, being brought safe to an anchor by the assistance of 100 Dutch sailors, who unbent the sails, and did every thing for us they were required to do, the sick were presently sent on shore, where they remained about six weeks, and all but three or four recovered.

On the 23d of May they sailed from the cape in company with the James and Mary, and the Josiah Indiamen. They directed their course towards the island of St. Helena, and met with nothing remarkable, except a swelling sea, which taking them on the broad side, rolled every thing about that was loose between the decks and in the hold. This great tumbling sea took them soon after doubling the cape; “an eminent token, says Dampier, that the south-west winds were now violent in the higher latitudes towards the South Pole, we having fine clear weather all the while.”

On the 20th of June they arrived at Santa Helena, where they staid four or five days, and afterwards continued their voyage to England without any remarkable incident; and arrived safe in the Downs, Sept. 16, 1691.

What advantage Dampier and his partner Mr. Goddard made of their painted prince is not related; but they certainly sold him to be carried about the country to be shewn for money. He was painted all down his breast, between his shoulders, on his thighs, and round his legs and arms like bracelets. “I cannot, says Dampier, liken the drawings to any figure of animals, or the like; but they were very curious, full of great variety of lines, flourishes, chequered work, and innumerable convolutions, keeping a very graceful proportion, and appearing very artificial, even to the wonder of all that beheld him.” It has already been remembered, that the mother of the Prince died in India of the infectious disorder of which he was but just recovered when he embarked for Europe. On that occasion Dampier did what he could to comfort Jeoly, for that was the name they gave him; but he took on extremely, insomuch that it was feared he could not have long survived; on which account a grave was immediately dug to hide the dead body out of his sight; and being shrouded decently with a piece of fine new calico, the corpse was about to be interred; but Jeoly was not satisfied till he wrapped all his mother’s cloaths about her, and two new pieces of chintz that Mr. Moody gave her, saying they were her’s, and she must have them. After this he suffered her to be interred, which was done with great solemnity; but he continued to pine after her during the whole time he continued in India.

In the printed relation that was given of him when he was shewn for a sight, the showmen heightened their account with a romantic story of a beautiful sister of his being a slave with him at Mindanao, and of the Sultan’s falling in love with her, and taking her to his bed; but these were stories indeed! They reported also, that the paint with which he was ornamented was of such virtue, that serpents and all venomous creatures would fly from him: but poor Jeoly was as much afraid of serpents, scorpions, and centipedes, as a little child, for he was exceedingly timorous. He died at Oxford, but Dampier does not tell the year.

The publication of the above voyage round the world having recommended Dampier to the notice of persons of the first eminence, he was afterwards employed by government in discoveries, both in the Eastern and Southern Seas. His first expedition was to the coast of New Holland, which could have no other object but discovery in view. He sailed from the Downs, on Jan. 14, 1698, in his Majesty’s ship the Roebuck, carrying only 12 guns, and 50 men, and having 20 months provisions on board. On the 1st of August they fell in with the western coast of New Holland, in lat. 26 deg. S. where, however, they found nothing very different from what Dampier had before described. The only land animals they saw, were a small sort of racoons, different from those of the West-Indies chiefly in their legs, which are short before, and on which they run jumping; and a sort of guano’s, or lizards, peculiar to the country, which appear to have two heads, but in reality have but one, and no tail; and, what is no less remarkable, their four legs seem to be all forelegs, so formed as that the creature may walk either way. To these may now be added the kanguroo, a quadrupede of a particular shape, as large as a sheep, and a creature of the oppossum kind, discovered by Mr. Banks; with dogs and wolves seen by the Endeavour’s crew; of the latter sort some were seen by Dampier’s men, but so lean that they were nothing but skin and bone. In latitude 23 deg. S. they saw dolphins, and small whales, and abundance of scuttle-shells, swimming in the sea.

Captain Cook found plenty of water on the east side of this island; but Dampier was much distressed for want of it on the west side. Being ashore employed in digging a well, he was assaulted by ten or twelve of the natives, with whom he had a skirmish, and was forced to shoot one of them dead, to disengage a young man who was surrounded by three of them, and wounded in the check with a lance. On a gun’s being fired over the heads of the assailants, though it startled them at first, they soon recovered their surprize, and continued their hostilities; but as soon as they saw a man fall, they were terribly frightened, and fled with precipitation. Dampier very humanely adds, that he attempted the natives no farther, being very sorry for what had happened.

Among the natives engaged on this occasion, there was one who by his appearance and carriage seemed to be the chief of them. He was a young brisk man, not very tall, nor so personable as some of the rest, though more active and courageous. He was painted with a circle of white pigment about his eyes, and a white streak down his nose from his forehead to the tip of it; his breast and some part of his arms were also made white with the same paint; not for beauty or ornament as it should seem, but, as some wild Indian warriors are said to do, to make themselves look more terrible in war. He was indeed a very frightful being; for the manner in which he was painted, adding to his natural deformity, gave him more the appearance of a monster of the woods, than of a man born of a woman. Dampier in this second voyage to New Holland, confirms what he said of the natives in his first, that they are the worst-featured savages he ever beheld. Captain Cook, on the contrary, or his editor, assures us, that their features are not disagreeable, their noses are not flat, nor are their lips thick; their teeth are white and even, and their hair naturally long and black, but universally cropt short: in general it is straight, but sometimes has a small curl; their beards are of the same colour with their hair, bushy and thick, which they shorten by singeing: they are of the middle stature, in general well made, clean limbed, remarkably vigorous, active, and nimble; their countenances not altogether void of expression, and their voices remarkably soft and effeminate. Such are the different descriptions given by voyagers of the same people; or, to speak more precisely of people on the east and west side of the same continent; for which it is not easy to account.

Our voyager, however, not being able either to find fresh water, or a harbour to careen his ship, set sail from this miserable country about the beginning of September, 1699; and, directing his course to the island of Timor, arrived there September 15, and received a supply of water and provisions from the Chief of the Dutch factory there. He was likewise hospitably entertained by the gentlemen of the Portuguese factory on the same island. From thence he sailed to the coast of New Guinea, traded with the inhabitants, and ranging along the coast, found the main land divided into two parts. To the easternmost division he gave the name of New Britain.

In his return back he touched again at Timor, and from thence sailed to Batavia; where having careened his ship, and supplied himself with necessaries of every kind, on the 17th of October, 1700, he set sail for the Cape of Good Hope; from thence continuing his voyage to St. Helena, he arrived at that island January 31, 1701; but in his course home his ship sprung a leak at sea, and, after endeavouring in vain to stop it, he was obliged to run her a-ground on the island of Ascension; where having landed his men, and taken from on board all necessary provisions, they in a short time discovered a fine spring of water, and lived tolerably, till they were at last relieved by some English men-of-war, who were convoying home the Canterbury Indiaman, and brought them all safe to England.

In 1703, notwithstanding the bad success of the voyage just mentioned, Dampier was again employed in an expedition to the South Sea, in conjunction with Captain Pulling, who had each a ship of 26 guns, and 120 men under his command. That commanded by Captain Dampier was called the St. George; and that by Captain Pulling, the Fame. They were victualled for nine months, and had commissions from his Royal Highness Prince George of Denmark, then Lord High Admiral, to proceed in a warlike manner against the French and Spaniards; and both were upon the same terms of _No purchase no pay_. But while they were in the Downs, some difference having arisen between the two Captains, Captain Pulling set sail alone, and left Dampier to take his own course; who, stopping some time in Ireland, was joined by the Cinque Ports galley of 90 tons, 16 guns, and 63 men, Captain Charles Pickering Commander. In this expedition, Dampier had three grand objects in view: the _first_ was, to sail to Buenos Ayres, in order to surprize the Spanish galleons that usually take in their lading at that port; the _second_ depended on missing the first, in which case they were to pass through the straits of Magellan to cruise upon the coasts of Peru, for the Baldivia ships that carry gold to Lima; and the _third_ was only to take place, if both the former miscarried; and was, to proceed to the coast of Mexico, to intercept the Manilla ship that annually arrives at Acapulco, and is said to be worth eight or nine millions of pieces of eight, equal to a million and a half of our money.

Full of these projects, they set sail from Kinsale, in Ireland, on the 11th of September, 1703, and on the 25th arrived off Madeira, where they learned that the galleons were sailed from Buenos Ayres, and then lay at Teneriff. The first project being thus defeated, they proceeded to put the second in execution with all possible dispatch. On the 24th of November they anchored on the island Le Grand, on the coast of Brazil, where they buried Captain Pickering, and chose Lieutenant Stradling in his room.

From this island they sailed the 8th of December; and, doubling Cape Horn on the 20th of January, they changed their direction, sailed to the northward, and on the 10th of February came to an anchor in the great bay of Juan Fernandez, where they met their consort Captain Stradling, with whom they had parted in passing Cape Horn in a violent storm, which happened on the 26th of January.

At Juan Fernandez they continued refitting their ships till the 29th, when seeing a sail, they slipt their cables, and put to sea. She proved to be a French ship of 400 tons, 30 guns, and full of men. The St. George fought her about seven hours, when a gale springing up, she sheered off. On this occasion, the Cinque Ports behaved but indifferently, firing only a few guns, and lying by.

Next day, in returning to Juan Fernandez, they fell in with two French men-of-war of 36 guns each; from whom they narrowly escaped, leaving their cables, anchors, and five or six of their men belonging to the Cinque Ports on that island, with a new suit of sails, and several other necessaries which they could ill spare.

They now proceeded upon their second enterprize; but they were equally unfortunate in that as in the former. The Baldivian ships were sailed, and the gold secured. They then meditated a surprize against the town of Santa Maria, in the gulph of Panama, where the Spaniards getting intelligence of their designs, laid ambuscades, and after killing and wounding several of them, put the rest to flight.

In this manner, disappointments succeeding disappointments, differences began to arise between the Commanders and they concluded to part company. But about this time, a large ship, fortunately for them, coming to an anchor in the night close by them, they instantly boarded and made prize of her. She was deeply laden with flour, sugar, brandy, wine, about thirty tons of malmalade of quinces, a considerable quantity of salt, with some tons of linnen and woolen-cloth. This proved a seasonable supply; and provisions that were before so scarce, that only five green plantains were the daily allowance for six men, were now so abundant on board the prize, that they might have laid in a stock for several years; yet in less than six months we find them starving.

After rummaging the prize and dividing the spoil, the Captains parted; and in two or three days, Dampier fell in with a Spanish man-of-war, fitted out on purpose to take him. The two ships had a smart engagement, and parted in the night by consent.

Soon after this engagement, Dampier and Clippinton, his first Lieutenant, having some difference, Clippinton seized upon the ship’s tender, in which were the stores and ammunition, and with 21 of the best men weighed anchor, and set sail. When he had cleared the islands, he sent to invite all those who were willing to sail with him to come on board; but Dampier’s last project being now on the point of being carried into execution, the men who remained with him resolved to abide the issue. Clippinton, though he had quarrelled with the Captain, had no mind to distress the men; he therefore thought fit to restore the powder and ammunition, reserving only enough for his own use. In the bay of Tacames, Dampier had taken a small bark of 60 tons, laden with plantains. This bark they intended to keep as a tender. She had two masts, with two square sails; and they named her the Dragon.

The Master of this bark, Christian Martin by name, was a Spaniard by birth, but taken prisoner while he was a boy, and bred up in England. This man they kept prisoner on board and now proceeded to intercept the Manilla ship.

On the 6th of December in the morning, they saw a sail, and soon came up with her. She proved their last hope, the great Manilla ship, from the East-Indies. They instantly bore down upon her, and before she could bring her guns to bear gave her several broadsides; and, taking her unprepared, put the company on board in the utmost disorder. Captain Martin, though a Spaniard, advised to lay her aboard immediately, before the Spaniards had recovered their surprize; but that advice was disregarded till it was too late; for while two parties were quarrelling on board the St. George, the one for laying the enemy aboard, the other not, the Spaniards got out a tier of 24-pounders, every one of which that took place was ready to send the St. George to the bottom. The assailants were therefore soon beaten off with disgrace, after having received a shot between wind and water in the powder-room, by which two feet of planking was driven in on each side the stern. And now, being disappointed of this their last expectation, all the men grew discontented, and impatient to return home. However, they were prevailed upon to cruise a few weeks longer on the coast of Mexico; and with that view passed the ports of Acapulco, Port Angels, Port Guatulco, and several others; but without meeting with any prize worth waiting for.

Ill success is generally succeeded by discontent; the men who were before impatient of fatigue without reward, grew now ungovernable. A party, therefore, formed the design of returning home by way of the East-Indies; and these were encouraged by Mr. Funnel, the chief mate, who, having the command of the small Spanish prize already mentioned, determined to hazard every thing to regain his native country, rather than continue under the direction of a man with whom there was no keeping terms. He therefore embraced the first opportunity to reach the gulph of Amapalla, to new-water his bark, and prepare for his voyage home.

It should seem, that this voyage of Dampier, though countenanced with a government commission, was notwithstanding fitted out by private adventurers; for, on this occasion, the owners agent is said to have divided the provisions and stores between those who chose to remain with Dampier, and those who determined to follow the fortune of Mr. Funnel. Their whole number was already reduced to 60 effective men, 33 of whom chose to accompany Funnel, and 27 only remained with Dampier, but upon what terms they engaged, or what course they pursued afterwards, we are not told; for Dampier, though he returned home, never published any account of this voyage. What we have related concerning it, in order to complete his adventures, as far as our materials extend, we have extracted from the account published by Funnel; who, having left Dampier in the gulph of Amapalla, on the 1st of February, 1705, takes no farther notice of his Captain; but goes on with the story of his own voyage, which was indeed unfortunate enough; for his ship was seized by the Dutch at Amboyna, the goods on board confiscated, and most of the men cruelly used, being confined and half-starved by our good friends the Dutch, who were jealous lest they should make discoveries prejudicial to their commerce. Funnel himself, however, soon got released; and, having made strong representations against the authors of his sufferings at Amboyna, he at length obtained some shew of redress; with which, though not a compensation for his losses, he was forced to be contented. On the 2d of Nov. he, with two of his company, got passage to Europe in the Dutch East-India fleet; and, on the 15th of July following, arrived safe in the Texel, from whence, after visiting the principal towns in Holland, he came to England, and published the account just mentioned, in which he followed the example of Dampier, by giving a description of the natural productions of the islands at which he touched, their inhabitants, arts, and commerce.

We can find no traces of the latter part of the life of Dampier, who seems to have been an able navigator, but of a restless turbulent spirit, like the ocean on which he was bred. He certainly possessed the art of sailing in a very eminent degree; but he wanted that happier art of conciliating the wavering discordant passions of his followers and associates. He seems, too, to have been more cautious than brave, more subtle than wise, and more enterprizing than fortunate. In all his engagements, both as an inferior officer and as a commander, he seems neither to have braved danger nor to have feared it. It is not easy to determine, whether his thirst for gold, or desire of knowledge, was the governing principle that led him to range the world for new discoveries. If the former, he seems totally to have failed in the pursuit; if the latter, he was more successful. At Mindanao, we find him poor; at the Bashee islands he laments the want of every article that could purchase from the natives a small specimen of the yellow metal that bore the resemblance of gold; but withal so honest, that he would neither take the iron belonging to the owners of the ship to give in exchange, nor would he take the metal from the inhabitants without an equivalent. In short, I think, we may conclude, from what he himself has written, that Dampier was a man of strong natural parts, of blunt manners, of quick discernment, inflexible in his resolutions, but deficient in natural qualities to command respect, and in acquired abilities to maintain it.

THE
VOYAGE
OF
MASTER COWLEY
ROUND THE WORLD.

Of Master Cowley we can find no other account than what is contained in the voyage written by himself; therefore, we shall, in his own words, preserve such parts of that voyage as have not already been related in the voyage of Dampier; premising only, that his first setting out among the buccaneers was in the same prize, in which Dampier set sail from Virginia, under the command of Captain Cook; that he continued to serve that Commander, as Master, during his life; and that, after sailing sometime in consort with Captain Eaton in the South Seas, he chose rather to serve that gentleman than to continue with his own Captain’s successor. One remark more, and then to proceed. We find him, in every collection of voyages in which he is introduced, distinguished by the appellation of CAPTAIN Cowley, though the highest employment to which he ever seems to have arrived, was Master on board the buccaneers before-mentioned; who, during the time they were suffered to commit their ravages, traversed the globe as wolves the forest, merely for the sake of whom they might devour. We find, however, but few of them successful; by far the greatest part, like other robbers, died miserably; and such of them as escaped with life, were, at certain times, exposed to sufferings not less shocking to human nature, than the distresses to which they reduced innocent people by their cruelty and lust for gold. But now to proceed:

In August, 1683, I departed, says Cowley, from Cape Charles in Virginia, lying in latitude 36 deg. N. and in longitude 305 deg. in the good ship called the Revenge, Captain John Cook Commander, pretending to me, that I should navigate the ship to Petitguavaz, where a Frenchman was the Governor, and to which port I began to shape my course; but was told, as soon as we had left the shore, that they were now bound for the coast of Guinea, to provide a better ship; and that then their design was to sail to the Great South Sea. I was thereupon obliged to alter my course, and to steer E. S. E. for the Cape de Verd islands in lat. 16 deg. N.

In the month of September, we made the island of Salt, where we came to an anchor, careened our ship, and afterwards sailed to St. Nicholas, where was held a consultation of officers, whether to sail directly for the South Seas in their present ship, or pursue their former resolution and proceed to the coast of Guinea to seek a better. After much debate, it was at length concluded to try St. Jago, another of the Cape de Verd islands, and, if any ship was found in that road fit for their purpose, to lay her on board, and make her their prize.

On our approach to this island on the eastern side, we descried a large ship from the mast-head, which proved to be a Dutch East Indiaman of 50 guns, and, as we afterwards learnt, of 400 men, most of whom were on shore; but on seeing us stand towards the road, they instantly repaired to their posts, clapt a spring upon their cable, heaved their broad side to us, struck out their ports below, and running out their lower tier of guns, made themselves ready to receive us. We had now advanced too near; but marking their force, and that it was in vain to attempt a conquest, we put before the wind, and steered directly to the coast of Guinea, where we had no sooner arrived, than we fell in with a new ship of 40 guns, which we boarded, and carried away. Upon examination, we found her well stored with brandy, water, and provisions; and in order to furnish her with other necessaries from our old ship, we put into Sherborough, resolving to touch at no other port till we should come to Juan Fernandez, in lat. 33 deg. 40. min. S.

About the beginning of December, we sailed from latitude 8 deg. N. steering S. W. till we arrived in 12 deg. S. when we steered away S. W. by W. till we came into soundings on the coast of Brazil; and finding 80 fathom water in a sandy bank, we altered our course to the S. W. and about the latitude of 40 deg. S. found the sea as red as blood, occasioned by great shoals of shrimps, which coloured the ocean, for many leagues together. We found also a multitude of seals, and such abundance of small whales as to exceed the number found in the North Seas in the proportion of one hundred to ten. We held, on our course till we came into lat. 47 deg. where we saw land, never before discovered. It proved an uninhabited island, to which I gave the name of Pepy’s island, and at which ships may conveniently wood and water, having a harbour where 1000 sail may ride in safety. In this island we saw plenty of fowls, and round it there is no doubt abundance of fish; but, it blowing a storm, we could neither dare to approach it, nor to examine its coasts. We therefore stood to the southward, shaping our course S. S. W. till we came into the latitude of 50 deg. S. and then steering S. W. by W. resolving not to attempt the straits of Magellan, but to make the land of Ter del Fuego; and there, finding great riplings, and apprehending danger, we resolved to attempt the passage discovered by Bartholomew Sharpe, in 1681, and to sail round all, leaving Staten land to the N. With this view, hauling away S. W. we came a-breast of Cape Horn on the 14th of February, where, chusing valentines, and discoursing of the witchcraft of women, there arose a prodigious storm, which continued till the last day of the month, driving us into latitude 60 deg. 30 min. which is farther than any ship ever yet sailed to the south; so that we concluded that talking of the wiles of women at sea was very unlucky discourse.

About the beginning of March, the wind coming to the south, we were soon wafted into a warmer climate; for in the 60th deg. the weather was so extremely cold, that we could bear drinking three quarts of burnt brandy a man in four-and-twenty hours, without being the least intoxicated. We steered north-by-east till we came into lat. 40 deg. S. where we fell in with the Nicholas of London, Captain John Eaton Commander; and, being glad of each others company, we sailed in consortship to the island of Juan Fernandez, where we found plenty of good fat goats, good fish, wood, and water. [Here Cowley relates the story of the Moskito-man, the account of which has already been given by Dampier.] This island is naturally fortified; so that with 100 men, and at 100 l. expence, it may be defended from the attacks of 2000 men, in case of an invasion. [Accordingly the Spaniards have taken the hint; for when the last ships sailed upon discoveries, they found it fortified.] It lies 110 leagues due west from the port of Valparayso.

We steered from this island north-north-east, till we made the high land of Arica, in latitude 18 deg. S. Being before the bay, the officers of both ships held a consultation whether best to go into Arica-bay, or proceed farther on the coast; when it was resolved to sail as low down at Cape Blanco, and there wait for the Spanish plate-fleet coming to the bay of Panama. This was an unfortunate resolution; for in Arica-bay rode at that time a ship with 300 tons of silver on board, which we missed, and in the room of her took a timber-ship bound to Lima, with 30 hands on board, which at that time stockt us with more mouths than we could well spare meat to fill. With this ship we sailed away north to the island of Lobos, in lat. 7 deg. S. where we set our sick men on shore, though we could neither find wood or water upon it. Here having heeled our ships, at a general council it was resolved, to attack the town of Truxillo, in lat. 8 deg. N. ten miles within land; and with this view just as we were weighing anchor to proceed, some of our people from the mast-head espied three sail of ships passing by, which we instantly ran out and took. These ships were all laden with flour, fruit, and sweet-meats; but having had intelligence that we were upon the coast, they had left all their silver (their silver-service plate not excepted) on shore. Their provisions, however, were very acceptable; and we now thought only of seeking a proper place to lay up our stores in security, and where we might conceal ourselves for five or six months, to make the enemy believe that we had forsaken their seas, and that they had nothing to fear from fresh attacks. On this occasion, the islands called by the Spaniards Gallapagoes, or Enchanted Islands, were proposed, and the only objection made was, the uncertainty of finding them; but that being overcome, we weighed anchor, and after three weeks sail came in sight of them, being seventeen in number, to all which I gave distinct names. We came to an anchor in a very good harbour, lying towards the northernmost end of a fine island under the Equinoctial Line, in which we found plenty of fish, sea and land-tortoises, fowls of various sorts, among which were turtle-doves, so tame at first that they would often light upon the hats and shoulders of our men as they walked abroad; but not being able to satisfy their hungry appetite by catching them alive, the sailors so scared them at last, by frequently firing upon them, that they became, like other birds, very shy.

This island I called the Duke of York’s Island, near to which lies a small island, which being viewed in several directions, always assumed a different shape. This I called Cowley’s Enchanted Island. I examined several others; but upon none of them found fresh-water, save only upon the Duke of York’s Island. The bay in which we anchored I called Albany-bay, and the harbour York-road; and, after having laid up 1500 bags of flour, with a quantity of sweet-meats, and other provisions, in a convenient store-room, we sailed to the northward, to try for fresh water a second time; lest, being distressed, we should be forced, upon some future occasion, to seek relief in other harbours, when it might not be possible for us to reach the present; but we found good water in none of them; and, to our great surprize, we met with such a violent current, that when we would have returned to the Duke of York’s Island, we could not stem it; and we were obliged to bear away N. N. E. when the first land we made upon the main was Cape Trespontas, upon the easternmost shore of which we watered our ship. The first day after our arrival, we buried our Captain; the second day, three Spanish Indians came down, whom our men brought on board. Being strictly examined concerning the strength and opulence of the town of Ria Lexa, they gave very satisfactory answers: but, while they were under examination, our long-boat being sent on shore to get beef, a party of Spanish Indians came down, and set their boat on fire, and drove the crew for shelter upon a rock, where they were forced to remain till we sent another boat with 20 men to rescue them.

We retained the three Indians, and led them with ropes about their necks as guides to conduct us afterwards to Rio Lexa; but one of them having got his neck out of the collar, made his escape, and alarmed the town; so that our men returned very much discouraged at this second disappointment. We now found it necessary to turn all our prisoners away to shift for themselves; and then directed our course to the gulph of St. Miguel, where we took two islands, one inhabited by Indians, the other plentifully stocked with cattle; but for gold and silver, we got but little. Here we staid and careened our ships; and here Captain Cook’s ship and Captain Eaton’s broke consortship; and, both ships being refitted, I got on board Captain Eaton, where I was entertained as his master, to navigate his ship to any place or port where he should direct.

[It is now that the voyage of Master Cowley may be said to commence. Hitherto he has gone hand-in-hand with Dampier; but now Cowley pursues one course with Captain Eaton, and Dampier another with Captain Davis, the successor of Captain Cook.]

We in our ship, continues Cowley, towards the middle of August, set sail from the gulph of Miguel [in the bay of Amapalla], steering for Cape St. Francisco, where we chaced a ship that escaped from us; and then we bore up to latitude 7 deg. S. where finding the country alarmed, we stood for Payta, in lat. 5 deg. S. where we took two ships lying at anchor; which the Spaniards refusing to ransom, we, by way of farewel, set them on fire. From hence we sailed to Gorgona, at which island we watered our ship for the East-Indies.

This island lies in lat. 3 deg. 15 min. N. and in long. 305 deg. E. and as soon as we had supplied ourselves with wood and water, we took our departure, steering W. N. W. till we came as low almost as the rocks of St. Bartholomew, in long. 240 deg. then we sailed into lat. 15 deg. N. till we judged we were past those rocks; and then returned into 13 deg. N. which latitude we held till we made the island of Guam, in lat. 13 deg. N. and in long. 150 deg. E. according to our reckoning; at which island, when we arrived, we had a very sickly ship, no man being free from the scurvy, and most of us in a consuming condition. It was on the 14th of March about seven in the morning that we saw land. At 12 o’clock we were in lat. 13 deg. 2 min. N. by observation, having made out on our sailing, by judgment, 7646 miles, that is to say, departed so many miles from Gorgona by loss made out in longitude, which is about 2549 leagues. The next day we sailed about the south-west part of the island, and came to an anchor in a fair bay, from whence we sent a boat on shore, with a flag of truce; but, on landing, our people found that the natives had burnt their houses, and had fled; however, our men felled some cocoa-nut trees, and brought a hundred or two of them on board to refresh the crew. In the mean time a party of Indians rushed from behind the bushes, and in a hostile manner threatened to attack us; but we made signs of friendship, and one of the Indians returned to the wood, and having peeled a stick so as to make it appear white, he came forward, when one of his companions perceiving that he had no cap to compliment our people, called him back, and presented him with one for that purpose.

From Sunday the 15th till Tuesday the 17th, we continued a free trade with the Indians; but on that day our men going over to a small island on the west side of Guam, the Indians fell upon them with stones and lances, which occasioned a fray, in which some of the Indians were killed upon the spot.