A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 13

by Robert Kerr

Whilst lying in Montevideo bay, a register ship ran foul of the Etoile during a hurricane, and did her so much damage, as to render it necessary to heave her down to be repaired. This was done at the Encenada de Baragan up the river, Monte Video itself not having proper accommodation for the purpose. But the requisite repairs were after all accomplished with much difficulty, and at a great expence of money, and occupied the whole of the month of October. To add to these sources of regret, this vessel had the misfortune to lose three of her crew, in returning down the river to Monte Video, a passage, which, though short, is described as very difficult, and requiring almost constant soundings to avoid danger. This accident happened from the boat containing them and other two men getting foul under the ship when it was wearing. During this passage too, it was observed, that the Etoile still continued to take in water, notwithstanding the overhauling she had received.

Some days were now occupied in the necessary preparations for leaving the Rio La Plata, such as stowing and caulking the Boudeuse, repairing the Etoile's boat, cutting grass for the live cattle on board, &c. Part of the delay, however, which these preparations occasioned, was fortunate, as a schooner happened to come from Buenos Ayres laden with flour, of which they contrived to stow sixty hundred weight on board their ships, and which proved to be a valuable addition to their stock of provisions. At this time, the crew was in perfect health, and notwithstanding the loss already mentioned, and the desertion of twelve men from the two ships, was made up to its original establishment, as some sailors had been engaged at the Falkland Islands, besides an engineer, a supercargo, and a surgeon. The provisions laid in were supposed enough for a voyage of ten months.

They left Monte Video the 14th November, with a fine breeze from the north, which was favourable for their course to Magellan's Straits. The wind was contrary from the 16th to the 21st, and they had a very high sea, so that they were obliged to keep what advantageous boards they could in tacking under their courses and close-reefed top-sails. On the 22d there was a hard gale, accompanied with squalls and showers, which continued during the night, over a frightful sea. The Etoile made signals of distress, but it was not till the 24th that she came within hail, or could specify the damage she had received. Her fore-top-sail-yard had been carried away, and four of her chain plates; and all the cattle she had taken in at Monte Video, except two, were lost in the storm. This last misfortune, unluckily, was common to both vessels, and in their present situation admitted no remedy. During the remainder of this month, the wind was variable from S.W. to N.W. and the currents ran rapidly to the southward, as far as 45° latitude, where they were merely perceptible. No ground was reached by sounding till the 27th at night, when they were in latitude 47°, and about thirty-five leagues from the coast of Patagonia. In this position, they had seventy fathoms, and an oozy bottom with black and grey sand. From the 27th till they saw land, they had pretty regular soundings, in 67, 60, 55, 50, 47, and 40 fathoms, when they got sight of Cape Virgin, or, as Anson calls it, Cape Virgin Mary, the same name by which it was known to Sir John Narborough. Bougainville advises not to approach near the coast till coming to latitude 49°, as there is a hidden rock in 48° 30', at six or seven leagues off shore, which he says he discovered when sailing here in 1765. He then ran within a quarter of a league of it, and the person who first saw it, took it to be a grampus.

He now enters upon a discussion respecting the longitude of this cape, of which he got sight on the 2d December, and which is certainly an interesting point in geography, as it determines the length of the straits. This however may be omitted, as the question is considered in the account of Captain Cook's Second Voyage, and will of course come before the reader in its proper place. Though differing with Anson as to its precise position, Bougainville admits that his lordship's view of it is most exactly true.

Contrary winds and stormy weather opposed the entrance into the straits for several days, and after having entered, obliged him to lie-to between the shores of Terra del Fuego and the continent. His foresail was split on the 4th December, and as he had then only twenty fathom, the fear of the breakers which extend S.S.E. off the cape, induced him to scud under bare poles, which, however, facilitated his bending another foresail to the yard. He afterwards discovered that these soundings were not so alarming as he then imagined them to be, as they were in fact those in the channel; and he remarks, for the benefit of succeeding navigators, that a gravelly bottom shews the position to be nearer the Terra del Fuego coast, than that of the continent, where a fine sandy, and sometimes an oozy bottom will be found. On the evening of this day, he brought-to again, under main and mizen-stay-sails, but after several disadvantageous tacks, got somewhat further from the coast towards night. At four o'clock the next afternoon, he again got sight of Cape Virgin, when he made sail in order to double it, at about a league and a half or two leagues distance. In his opinion, it was improper to sail nearer, as a bank lies off it, over the tail of which he thought he passed even at that distance; for between two soundings made by his own vessel, one of twenty-four, and the other of seventeen fathom, the Etoile, which sailed in his wake, found no more at one time than eight fathom, but immediately afterwards deepened her water. On the night of the 5th, he got Cape Virgin to bear N., but as there was a fresh breeze, and the night was gloomy, threatening a storm, he kept off and on till day-break, when having unreefed his top-sails, he run to W.N.W. He continued plying to windward, under courses and top-sails, for the whole of the 6th, during which he discovered Cape Possession on the continent coast, and also got sight of Terra del Fuego. By noon on the 7th, however, he found himself still at Cape Possession, as, besides his never going more than three leagues from the northern shore, which, obliged him to sound continually, he lost as much by the tides as he ever gained by them. About this time the wind shifting favourably, he continued his voyage, and got to the entrance of the first gut about half after two o'clock; but now with all his sails set, and aided by a fine breeze, he could not stem the tide, which ran six knots an hour against him, and carried him astern. It was in vain to strive; and fearing, as the wind was unsteady, that he might be becalmed in the gut, and therefore exposed to danger on the ledges off the capes forming the entrance, especially a long one on the Terra del Fuego side, he was at last constrained to turn in search of anchorage in the bottom of Possession Bay, for which he steered N. by E. This he found at seven in the evening, about two leagues from the land, in twenty fathom, having a mud and sand ground, with black and white gravel. He was more successful in his exertions the following morning, when having stemmed a contrary tide, the current set to windward, and carried him, tacking frequently to avoid both coasts, through the first gut, in spite of the wind which blew hard against him. It was noon before he accomplished this, after which he made sail, as the wind had veered to S., and the tide still ran to windward; both, however, failing about three o'clock, he anchored in Boucalt Bay on the continent side, in eighteen fathom, having an oozy bottom. Immediately afterwards he hoisted out one of his boats, as did also the Etoile, and embarking in them to the number of ten officers, each armed with his musket landed at the bottom of the bay to have an interview with the Patagonians, who had kept up fires all night on the coast, and in the morning had hoisted a white flag, supposed to be the same which the Etoile, when here in June 1766, had left with them as a sign of friendship and alliance. Their having kept it, is properly enough considered by Bougainville, as an indication of very laudable social qualities. The Spaniards, indeed, have given a favourable report of the people that inhabit this part of the strait, mentioning several circumstances in praise of their humanity and good faith.

As soon as the officers got ashore, six of the natives rode up to them in full gallop, and having alighted when about fifty yards off, immediately came up to them with outstretched arms, and congratulatory shouts of Shawa, shawa, which the officers were careful to repeat, with similar marks of satisfaction. Some symptoms of fear were visible on two of these people, but they were speedily removed; and shortly afterwards this party was joined by many more of their countrymen, who manifested entire confidence and good nature. They did not seem surprised at seeing the strangers; and as they imitated the report of muskets, it was inferred that they were not ignorant of the use of these arms, and that consequently, they had had previous intercourse with Europeans, in proof of their willingness to please their visitors, it is mentioned, that they immediately set about picking plants, and carrying them to some of the officers who had commenced searching for them; and it is noted, as an evidence of their having some notions of the use of medicines, that one of them afflicted with a sore eye, applied by signs to Chevalier du Bouchage, one of the gentlemen so engaged, to point out a remedy for it. They asked in a similar manner for tobacco. Any thing of a red colour pleased them highly; and always when any presents had been made them, and at every mark of kindness, they testified their satisfaction by loud shouts of shawa. Among other things given them in exchange for skins, or in mere condescension, was some brandy, of which each got a little drop. The effect of it was singular; immediately on swallowing it, they beat with their hands on their throats, and uttered a sort of tremulous, but inarticulate sound, which was terminated by a quick motion of the lips. This is said to have been done by all of them. They expressed a degree of uneasiness and concern, when they understood the officers were preparing to leave them. This was appeased, however, when it was intimated to them that they would be visited again on the following day; and they accompanied the party to the sea-shore, one of their number singing during the march. Some of them even waded into the water, and got within reach of the boats; but this was not so convenient, as they manifested a pretty strong disposition to furnish themselves with whatever they could lay hold on. Before the boats got to any distance, the number of the savages increased very much, many coming up in the same manner as these had done, at full gallop.

In the opinion of Bougainville, these people were the same that had been seen by the Etoile in 1765; for he says, that one of his present sailors, who was then on board that vessel, distinctly recognised one of them. They were well shaped, and their height was estimated at betwixt 5 feet 5 inches, and 5 feet 10 inches French; or in English, measure, 5 feet 10,334 inches, and 6 feet 2,5704 inches. They appeared gigantic, it is added very properly, because they had very broad shoulders, their heads were large, and their limbs thick. They were robust and very muscular, and seemed to enjoy perfection of health, and to possess abundance of wholesome diet. Their figures, notwithstanding the dimensions, were far from being coarse or unpleasant; on the contrary, many of them might be esteemed handsome. The peculiarities of their features were, a round and somewhat flat face, very fiery eyes, uncommonly white teeth, and long black hair which was worn tied on the top of the head. In the colour of the skin, they did not differ from other Americans. Some of them had their cheeks painted red. The language they used is said to have been very delicate. The description now given of these people, it must be remarked, applies to the men, for hitherto none of the women had been seen. In dress they nearly resembled the Indians residing about the Rio de la Plata. A piece of leather served them for an apron, and a cloak of skin fastened round the body with a girdle, hung as far down as their heels, but had besides a part, generally allowed to fall down also, which might occasionally cover their shoulders, though this was not often done. They did not seem very sensible to the cold of the climate, which, even at this season, viz. their summer, was only ten degrees less than that which freezes water. Their legs were covered with a sort of half boot, open behind; and some of them, wore on the thigh a copper ring about two inches broad. That they had had acquaintance with Europeans was still more clearly manifested by sundry articles amongst them, of which are mentioned particularly little iron knives, supposed to have been given them by Commodore Byron a short time before. Their horses were bridled and saddled in the same manner as those of the inhabitants of Rio de la Plata; and one of these bulky cavaliers had gilt nails at his saddle, wooden stirrups covered with copper plates, a bridle of twisted leather, and an entire Spanish harness. Here did not appear to be any thing like superiority of rank or subordination established among them; nor could it be remarked, that three old men who were in the party, received any peculiar marks of esteem from the rest. Bougainville gives it as his opinion, that these savages lived somewhat in the manner of the Tartars, traversing the immense plains of South America, living almost constantly on horse-back, and subsisting on such fare as their hunting expeditions, if not their pillaging ones, brought them in.

On the morning of the 9th, an attempt was made to stem the tide, by steering S.W. by W., but the progress was very inconsiderable; and the wind having veered from N.W. to S.W., it was found necessary to come to an anchor again, which was done in nineteen fathom. The weather during this day and the following one, was so exceedingly unfavourable, that not one fit opportunity presented of sending out a boat to fulfil the promise made to the Patagonians, which probably was an equal disappointment to both parties. Whole troops of the natives were seen at the place where the landing had been made, and where, there can be no doubt, another was anxiously expected. At midnight on the 11th, the wind having veered to N.E., and the tide having set to the westward, a signal was made for weighing, but unfortunately the cable parted the bits and the hawse, so that the anchor was lost. The sails being set, some way was made next morning; but it was little, however, as the tide soon ran contrary, and could scarcely be stemmed with the light breeze at N.W. This difficulty was removed at noon, about which time the tide ebbed, and favoured their passing the second gut, when the frigate came to an anchor to the northward of the Isle of Elizabeth, in seven fathom, at about two miles off shore, and the store-ship a quarter of a league farther to the S.E. in seventeen fathom. A boat landed at the island on the 12th, but the description of it is uninteresting, as, except its presenting great facility for landing, and having some bustards, it was no way remarkable.

On the 13th in the afternoon, they weighed and made sail betwixt the island and the Isles of St Bartholomew and Lions, the only practicable channel here in the opinion of Bougainville, who, however, it is likely, rather followed the example of Byron, than investigated for himself. Here the tide set to the southward, and was very strong, and there were continual squalls coming off the high land of Elizabeth Island, to which they were forced to keep near, in order to avoid the breakers extending round the other islands. The coast of the continent from below Cape Noir, and which runs southward, was well covered with woods, and had a very pleasant appearance. They sailed along the coast at about a league distance, and for a considerable time this day, hoping to be able to double Cape Round during the night; but in this they were disappointed, for a little after midnight, very suddenly the wind got round to the S.W., the coast became foggy, and the weather altogether exceedingly foul; an evidence of the fickleness of the climate. Having split their main-sail, they had to ply to windward as well as they could, endeavouring to get shelter in Port Famine; but this they were unable to effect; and, as in consequence of the short tacks they had to make, and their being obliged to wear, they were in some risk of being taken by a strong current into a great inlet on the Terra del Fuego side, it became necessary for them, after losing much time and labour, to go along the coast in search of anchorage to leeward. It was not till eleven o'clock next morning that they succeeded in this, when they got to a bay named by him Duclos Bay, after the second in command, where they cast anchor in eight and a half fathom, and an oozy bottom. This bay is a little to the south of Fresh-Water Bay, and, besides having good anchorage, affords water of an excellent quality, about four hundred yards from the mouth of two rivers, which discharge themselves into it: No quadrupeds were seen here, and only a very few birds. At four o'clock on the 16th, they set sail with a pretty favourable wind, but a cloudy sky, passed Point St Anne and Cape Round, the Cape Shutup of others, and brought-to, within a league and a half from Cape Forward, where they were becalmed for two hours. Between the two points last mentioned, a distance, according to Byron, of seven leagues S.W. by S. course, Bougainville says there are four bays in which a vessel may anchor, and that two of them are separated from each other by a cape of a very singular appearance and structure. It rises more than 150 feet above the level of the sea, and consists entirely of petrified shells lying in horizontal strata; a line of 100 fathom, it is added, did not reach the bottom of the sea at the foot of it. This very extraordinary monument of the revolutions which our globe has undergone, does not seem to have been noticed by the geologists.

Cape Forward, or St Isidore, as it has been named by some navigators, and which is the most southerly point of the American continent, lies in lat. 54° 5' 45". It is a perpendicular rock, the top of which is covered with snow, but some trees are to be seen on its sides. The sea below it is too deep for anchorage; however, between two hillocks which shew on part of its surface, there is a little bay provided with a rivulet, where, in case of necessity, a vessel might anchor in about fifteen fathom. Having ascertained these and some other matters during the calm which allowed him to use his pinnace, Bougainville returned on board, and set out for Cape Holland. But the wind veering to S.W., he went in search of the harbour which M. de Gennes named French Bay, and anchored between the two points which constitute its entrance, in ten fathom. Here he resolved to take in wood and water for his voyage across the Pacific Ocean, as it had been so favourably described by that gentleman, and as he himself was ignorant of the remaining navigation of the straits. But having ascertained, however, that the anchorage was not safe here, and that the boats could not get up the river, except at high water, he removed eastward to a small bay, in which in 1765, as related in the account of Byron's voyage, he had taken in wood for the Falkland Islands, and which had been named after him Bougainville's Bay. Here then he anchored in twenty-eight fathom, and afterwards warped into the bottom of the bay, to ensure all safety during his continuance for the necessary repairs and getting supplies, which took him up till the end of December, and would in all probability have consumed more time, had not the labours of the Etoile, his present consort, when here before, facilitated his operations. This residence, it was expected, would allow opportunity for examining the straits in this part, besides occupying the astronomer and botanist, and the useful pursuits of hunting and fowling. Their success, however, was not very considerable in any of these respects. The sky was exceedingly unfavourable for observation; many obstacles impeded those who searched for plants; the only animal seen was a fox, which was killed amongst the workmen; and the attempt to explore the coast of the continent was fruitless, as the weather became so very tempestuous, as to force those who were engaged in it to return to the vessel with all possible celerity, after being thoroughly drenched in rain, and almost starved to death by cold, though in the middle of summer. Some days after this uncomfortable expedition, another was planned to the Terra del Fuego side, and succeeded better. On the 27th, the party intended for it, consisting among others of Bougainville himself, Messrs de Bournand, and d'Oraison, and the Prince of Nassau, well armed with swivel-guns and muskets, sailed in the Boudeuse's long-boat, and the Etoile's barge, across the straits, and landed at the mouth of a little river, on the banks of which they dined beneath the shade of a pleasant wood, where they discovered several huts belonging to the natives. After dinner, they rowed along the coast of Terra del Fuego in a hollow sea, and with the wind somewhat westerly, which was unfavourable. It carried them, however, across a great inlet, of which they could not see the end, and which, indeed, they believed, from the circumstances of the high rolling sea, and the numbers of whales they observed, to have a communication with the ocean at Cape Horn. On the farther side of this inlet, they saw several fires, which were afterwards extinguished and again lighted, when some savages made their appearance on the low point of a bay where it was intended to touch. They were recognized by Bougainville, as the same people he had seen in his first voyage in the straits, and then denominated Pecherais, from the word which they pronounced so often to their visitants. They are described as most disgustingly filthy, and extremely wretched as to provisions, and every accommodation that renders life desirable; in short, as the poorest and most miserable of all that bear the name of savages. Meanly, however, as they are spoken of, it is admitted, that they have some social virtues; but, perhaps, it is a doubtful article in the short catalogue of their commendation, that they are superstitions enough to put implicit confidence in the efficacy of their physicians and priests. The number of this forlorn tribe is too inconsiderable to render their history important, even though their manners and characters were more calculated than they are represented to be, to excite interest or call forth sympathy on the part of the reader. The enthusiastic eulogist of Optimism will readily reconcile their condition to the principles which claim his admiration, by the obvious discovery, that their natures are in alliance with their circumstances, and by the easy belief, that hitherto no hope or idea of greater comfort had enhanced the magnitude of their present misery. The wretch, he would say, whose taste can regale itself on putridity and corruption, need never be held up as an exception to the philosophical system, which finds nothing but beauty and happiness diffused throughout the universe; though his appearance, it must be owned, in the very act of indulgence especially, might somewhat stagger the student who was still engaged in enquiring into the grounds of the theory. To be content, it is often preached, is to be happy; the reason is, however, what perhaps they who so strongly urge the proposition, are not quite aware of in their voluntary complacency, that, in order to be happy, one must be contented. The dialectical skill of an Aquinas would fail to prove the theme, that happiness exists where there are desires ungratified, and appetites unprovided for; and most certainly, these poor Pecherais would never be adduced by him as evidence, till he had humanely, though sophistically, secured their testimony by bribing their stomachs. If one may judge from the experience of Bougainville, this kind of subornation would be somewhat difficult of accomplishment. To return.--The night after falling in with these people, was passed on the banks of a pretty considerable river, on which the party made a fire, and erected a sort of tents with the sails of their boats, the weather being cold, though fine. Next morning they discovered the bay and port of Beaubassin, so called by them from the beauty of the anchoring-place, and which is represented to be a commodious and safe situation. Bougainville continued his survey to the westward, of which he has given a minute, and to navigators, it is probable, a very useful description, not, however, requisite for this work. Having spent a little time in this excursion, and encountered a good deal of disagreeable weather, he returned to the frigate, and on the last day of December weighed and set sail, in order to pass the remainder of the straits. On the evening of this day he doubled Cape Holland, and came to an anchor in the road of Port Gallant, which was very fortunate, as the succeeding night became tempestuous, the wind blowing hard at S.W. In this place, however, they were forced by the state of the weather, which, it is said, was inconceivably worse than the severest winter at Paris, to remain for three weeks together, a space abundantly long to give them an intimate acquaintance with the parts in their neighbourhood. Amongst the objects which attracted their notice here, they found vestiges of the passage and touching of English ships, especially a label of wood with the words Chatham, March, 1766, and initial letters and names with the same date, marked on several of the trees. M. Verron, who had got his astronomical instruments on shore, made an observation, by which he found the latitude to be 53° 40' 41" S., from which, and some bearings taken at different times, it was inferred that the distance from Port Gallant to Port Forward was twelve leagues. An attempt was made by the same gentleman to determine the longitude of the bay, by means of an eclipse of the moon which occurred on the 3d January (1768); but the excessive rain which continued through the whole day and night frustrated his endeavours. The declination of the needle was observed by the azimuth-compass to be 22° 30' 32" N.E., and its inclination from the elevation of the pole, 11° 11'. Such is the poor amount of the astronomical labours for nearly a month, in this so uncourteous a season and climate. During this long and disagreeable residence, most annoying to both men of science and common sailors, some visits from the Pecherais, already mentioned, afforded a little recreation, but of no very elegant or dignified kind; and even this, indifferent as it was, presented a melancholy accident, with which the reader has been already made acquainted--one of the children of these poor creatures swallowing some bits of glass, improvidently given him by the sailors, and losing his life in consequence.[167] On the 13th, 14th, and 15th of January, the weather assumed something of a milder form; and on the 16th, appearances were altogether so agreeable, as to induce Bougainville to weigh, the breeze being from the north, and the tide, which was ebbing, in his favour. He was not long, however, before he had cause to repent his facility of confidence. The wind soon shifted to W. and W.S.W., and the tide would not serve him to gain Rupert Isle. His vessel sailed very ill, and drove rapidly to leeward. The Etoile, it seems, had now considerably the advantage over her. They plied all this day between Rupert Island, and a head-land of the continent, waiting for the ebb, with which it was hoped they might gain either the anchoring-place in Bay Dauphine on Louis le Grand Island, or Elizabeth Bay. But as ground was lost in this labour, Bougainville sent out a boat to sound for an anchorage to the S.E. of Rupert's Island, where he now intended to wait, if possible, till the tide became favourable. A signal was made from the boat that this was found, but by this time they had fallen to leeward of it, and had to endeavour to gain it by making a board in-shore. The frigate unfortunately missed stays twice, and it became necessary to wear, in the very act of which, the force of the tide brought her to the wind again, a strong current having already taken her within half a cable's length of the shore. In this state, an anchor was let go in eight fathom, but falling upon rocks it came home again. At this time, they had only three fathom and a half of water astern, and were not more than thrice the length of the ship from the shore, when a little breeze opportunely springing up, filled their sails, and carried them to leeward, the boats of both vessels coming a-head, and taking her in tow. Their danger, however, was yet to be increased, for when veering away their cable, it happened to get foul between decks, and so stopt their course; a hinderance, for which there remained no other remedy than that of cutting it, which was most promptly done, and saved the ship. The breeze then freshened, and enabled them with some difficulty and tacking, to return to Port Gallant, where they anchored in twenty fathom, and an oozy bottom. Thus ended their enjoyment of the fine weather.