At four o’clock in the morning, on the 24th, we unmoored with an intent to put to sea; but the wind being at north and north-east without, and blowing strong puffs into the cove, made it necessary for us to lie fast. While we were unmooring, some of our old friends came on board to take their leave of us, and afterwards left the cove with all their effects; but those who had been out on the late expedition remained; and some of the gentlemen having visited them, found the heart still sticking on the canoe, and the intestines lying on the beach; but the liver and lungs were now wanting. Probably they had eaten them after the carcase was all gone.
On the 25th, early in the morning, we weighed, with a small breeze, out of the cove which carried us no farther than between Motuara and Long Island, where we were obliged to anchor; but presently after a breeze springing up at north, we weighed again, turned out of the Sound, and stood over for Cape Teerawhitte.
During our stay in the Sound we were plentifully supplied with fish, procured from the natives at a very easy rate; and besides the vegetables our own gardens afforded, we found every where plenty of scurvy-grass and celery, which I caused to be dressed every day for all the hands. By this means they had been mostly on a fresh diet for the three preceding months; and at this time we had neither a sick nor scorbutic man on board. It is necessary to mention, for the information of others, that we had now some pork on board, salted at Ulietea, and as good as any I ever ate. The manner in which we cured it was thus: In the cool of the evening, the hogs were killed, dressed, cut up, the bones cut out, and the flesh salted while it was yet hot. The next morning we gave it a second salting, packed it into a cask, and put to it a sufficient quantity of strong pickle. Great care is to be taken that the meat be well covered with pickle, otherwise it will soon spoil.
The morning before we sailed I wrote a memorandum, setting forth the time we last arrived, the day we sailed, the route I intended to take, and such other information as I thought necessary for Captain Furneaux, in case he should put into the sound; and buried it in a bottle under the root of a tree in the garden, which is in the bottom of the cove; in such a manner as must be found by him or any European who might put into the cove. I, however, had little reason to hope it would fall into the hands of the person for whom it was intended, thinking it hardly possible that the Adventure could be in any port in New Zealand, as we had not heard of her in all this time. Nevertheless, I was resolved not to leave the coast without looking for her, where I thought it most likely for her to be. It was with this view that I stood over for Cape Teerawhitte, and afterward runs along shore, from point to point, to Cape Palliser, firing guns every half hour; but all to no effect. At eight o’clock we brought to for the night, Cape Palliser bearing south-east by east distant three leagues, in which situation we had fifty fathoms’ water.
I had now an opportunity of making the following remarks on the coast between Cape Teerawhitte and Cape Palliser. The bay which lies on the west side of the last cape, does not appear to run so far inland to the northward as I at first thought, the deception being caused by the land in the bottom of it being low; it is, however, at least five leagues deep, and full as wide at the entrance. Though it seems to be exposed to southernly and south-west winds, it is probable there may be places in the bottom of it sheltered even from these. The bay or inlet on the east side of Cape Teerawhitte, before which we anchored, lies in north inclining to the west, and seemed to be sheltered from all winds. The middle cape or point of land that disjoins these two bays, rises to a considerable height especially inland; for close to the sea is a skirt of low land, off which lie some pointed rocks, but so near to the shore as to be no ways dangerous. Indeed, the navigation of this side of the strait, seems much safer than the other, because the tides here are not near so strong. Cape Teerawhitte and Cape Palliser lie in the direction of N. 69° W. and S. 69° E. from each other, distant ten leagues. The cape which disjoins the two bays above mentioned, lies within or north of this direction. All the land near the coast, between and about these capes, is exceedingly barren; probably owing to its being so much exposed to the cold southernly winds. From Cape Teerawhitte to the Two Brothers which lie off Cape Koamaroo, the course is nearly north-west by north, distant sixteen miles. North of Cape Teerawhitte, between it and Entry Island, is an island lying pretty near the shore. I judged this to be an island when I saw it in my former voyage, but not being certain, left it undetermined in my chart of the strait, which is the reason of my taking notice of it now, as also of the bays, &c. above-mentioned.
At day-light in the morning on the 26th, we made sail round Cape Palliser, firing guns as usual as we ran along the shore. In this manner we proceeded till we were three or four leagues to the north-east of the cape, when the wind shifting to north-east, we bore away to Cape Campbell, on the other side of the strait. Soon after seeing a smoke ascend, at some distance inland away to the north-east we hauled the wind, and continued to ply till six o’clock in the evening; which was several hours after the smoke disappeared, and left us not the least signs of people.
Every one being unanimously of opinion that the Adventure could neither be stranded on the coast, nor be in any of the harbours thereof, I gave up looking for her, and all thoughts of seeing her any more during the voyage; as no rendezvous was absolutely fixed upon after leaving New Zealand. Nevertheless, this did not discourage me from fully exploring the southern parts of the Pacific Ocean, in the doing of which I intended to employ the whole of the ensuing season.
On our quitting the coast, and, consequently, all hopes of being joined by our consort, I had the satisfaction to find that not a man was dejected, or thought the dangers we had yet to go through were in the least increased by being alone; but as cheerfully proceeding to the south, or wherever I might think proper to lead them, as if the Adventure, or even more ships, had been in our company.
CHAP. VI.
ROUTE OF THE SHIP FROM NEW ZEALAND IN SEARCH OF A CONTINENT.—WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE VARIOUS OBSTRUCTIONS MET WITH FROM THE ICE, AND THE METHODS PURSUED TO EXPLORE THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC OCEAN.
At eight o’clock in the evening of the 26th, we took our departure from Cape Palliser, and steered to the south, inclining to the east, having a favourable gale from the north-west and south-west, we daily saw some rock-weed, seals, Port-Egmont hens, albatrosses, pintadoes, and other peterels; and on the 2d of December, being in the latitude of 48° 23ʹ S., longitude 179° 16ʹ W. we saw a number of red-billed penguins, which remained about us for several days. On the 5th, being in the latitude 50° 17ʹ S. longitude 179° 40ʹ E., the variation was 18° 25ʹ E. At half an hour past eight o’clock the next evening, we reckoned ourselves antipodes to our friends in London; consequently, as far removed from them as possible.