Saturday the 31st, this morning cast loose and row'd towards the mouth of the lagoons, designing to put out to sea, but the wind blew so hard that we were obliged to come to an anchor. This afternoon, in weighing the grapnel in order to go to the cove, we found it foul among some rocks, all hands haul'd, took a turn round the main-mast and went aft, which weighed the grapnel, but straightened one of the flukes: Here the land is very high and steep on each side, the carpenter and cooper were on the highest of these hills, and found deep ponds of water on the top of them; these hills are very rocky, and there are great falls of water all along the coast: The whole navy of England may lie with safety in many of those lagoons, but the coast is too dangerous for any ship to fall in with the land. The people today were very much afflicted with the gripes and pains in their side. Here are abundance of trees, not unlike our yew-trees, they are not above seven or eight inches in diameter, and the bark is like cedar. The land is to appearance very good, but on digging beneath the surface we find it almost an entire stone. We saw no people here, though it is plain there have been some lately, by their wigwams or huts. We are so closely pent up for want of room, that our lodging is very uncomfortable; the stench of the men's wet cloaths makes the air we breathe nauseous to that degree, that one would think it impossible for a man to live below. We came to sail, and steered out of the lagoon west; went into a sandy bay one league to the southward of the lagoon. Indian huts to be seen, but no natives.
Monday November 2d, at five in the morning, came to sail with the wind at S. and S. by E. At noon the wind came to the W. and W.N.W. in small breezes. This day I had a very good observation, it being the first since we left Cheap's Island. We found ourselves in the latitude of 50° 0' S. After observing, bore away and ran into a fine smooth passage between the island and the main. These islands I believe to be the same that are taken notice of in Cook's voyage. From the entrance to the northward, to the going out of the Cape of Good Hope (as we call it) the distance is about six leagues, and the depth of the water is from two fathom to twelve; the northmost land before we came into the passage bore N. by W., and the southmost, or Cape of Good Hope, bore S. by E. In the evening anchored in a fine sandy bay; here we also saw Indian huts, but no people. To-day we shot wild geese in abundance, and got of shell-fish, as limpets and muscles.
Tuesday the 3d, at four this morning weighed, and came to sail with the wind at W., till we got about the Cape of Good Hope, then at W.N.W., steering S., and a tumbling sea from the W. The cutter steer'd S. by E. into a deep bay; supposing them not to see the southmost land, we made the signal for her, by hoisting an ensign at the topping-lift; as the cutter was coming up to us her square sail splitted, we offer'd to take them in tow, but they would not accept it; we lay with our sails down some time before they would show any signal of making sail; coming before the wind, and a large sea, we ordered them to steer away for the southmost point of land after us, and to keep as near us as possible; but, instead of observing our directions, they steered away into the cod of a deep bay, supposed to be King's Bay: The cutter being much to leeward, and the weather being very thick, we were obliged to steer after her, but soon lost sight of her. The place being exceeding dangerous, we could not venture any farther after the cutter, therefore we hauled by the wind to the southward, it continued blowing hard, with thick weather, with sunken rocks and breakers, so that we were obliged to bear away before the wind into a large bay, the tide running rampant, and in a great swell, every where surrounded with sunken rocks, that we thought nothing but a miracle could save us: at last we got safe into the bay, and came to in two fathom water, we steered in east. At four this morning rowed out between the islands, after we got out had a fresh breeze at N.W., steered out S.S.W. then S. and S. by E., the cutter a-head. At seven in the morning a-breast of Cape Good Hope, saw a large high rock bearing S., steered S. by E., going within it, and the main a-breast of the rocks, saw a long point making into islands bearing S. by E., steer'd S. until a-breast of them: The same day saw a very high land, with a low point running off in small hommacoes, bearing from the northmost point S. by E. about eighteen leagues; between those two points is a large deep bay, all within surrounded with rocks and small islands, steered S. and S. by W. for the outermost point, the cutter keeping within, and we considering the ill consequence of being embayed, to prevent which we hauled the mainsail and foresail down, and kept the vessel before the wind; at eleven the cutter came alongside, with her mainsail split; we called to them to take hold of a tow-rope, but they refused, telling us that the boat would not bear towing, by reason of the swell of the sea, therefore they would have us nearer the shore, where we should have smooth water; we answered them that the water was smoother without, and nothing nigh the sea that runs within; besides, we shall be embay'd, therefore we desire you to come on board the vessel, and we'll take the boat in tow: They had no regard to what we said; we at the same time, for above a quarter of an hour, lay in the trough of the sea, with a fair wind: The people in the cutter would neither make sail nor row, at last, finding them obstinate, we hoisted a skirt of the mainsail, and edged farther off, S. by W.; when they found we would not go into that bay, they hoisted their mainsail, and went a-head; being some distance a-head, we made sail, the cutter still keeping a-head till one o'clock, then she bore away S. by E. and S.S.E., the reason of which we could not tell, it blowing very hard, with a great sea, nothing before us but rocks and breakers, therefore of consequence the farther in the sea must be the greater. At half an hour past two, the cutter being on the beam, and four miles within us, we bore away after them, and in a very heavy squall of wind and rain we lost sight of her: After the squall was over it cleared up, but we saw nothing of the cutter, nor could we clear the shore to the northward, being not above two miles off the breakers; therefore we were under a necessity of hauling to the southward for self-preservation, and very narrowly escaped clearing the rocks: After running about three leagues, saw an opening, where we hoped to find a good harbour; Bore away for the opening, we were here again surrounded with rocks and breakers, with a hard gale of wind and a great sea, the oldest seaman on board never saw a more dismal prospect; we ran in before the wind for about two leagues; expecting every rise and fall of the sea to be a wreck, but Providence at length conducted us to an indifferent place of shelter: We were now in a most wretched condition, having no boat to go ashore in, to seek for provender, and the greatest part of the people on board are so regardless of life, that they really appear quite indifferent whether they shall live or die, and it is with much intreaty that any of them can be prevailed on to come upon deck, to assist for their preservation.
The people's names in the cutter are as follow, viz.
Names. Quality. Age. Where born.
Thomas Harvey, purser, 23 Westminster.
John Mooring, boatswain's mate, 34 Gosport.
William Oram, carpenter's crew, 28 Philadelphia.
Richard Phipps, boatswain's mate, 30 Bristol.
Matthew Lively, gunner's mate, 34 Exeter.
John George, seaman, 22 Wandsworth.
Nicholas Griselham, ditto, 31 Ipswich.
James Stewart, ditto, 35 Aberdeen.
James Roach, ditto, 21 Cork.
James Butler, ditto, 32 Dublin.
John Allen, ditto, 18 Gosport.
Wednesday the 4th, hard gales at W.N.W., and a great sea without; served out flour and a piece of beef to two men for a week's subsistence; the weather is so bad that there is no other food to be got.
Thursday the 5th, little wind at S.W., with heavy rains; at six this morning went under sail, but could make no hand of it, therefore were obliged to put back again: As soon as we came to an anchor, the boatswain employed himself in making a raft to get ashore with; this raft was made with oars and water barrels; when it was made, and over the side, it would carry three men, but it was no sooner put off from the vessel's side but it canted, and obliged the people to swim for their lives; the boatswain got hold of the raft, and with some difficulty reach'd the shore; when he came off in the evening, he informed us he had seen a beef puncheon, which gave us some reason to apprehend some other ship of the squadron had suffered our fate.
Friday the 6th, this morning went under sail, the wind at W.N.W., with fresh gales and heavy rain, the wind came to the westward, and a great sea, so that we could not turn out over the bar: In our putting back we saw the cutter, a very agreeable sight, which gave us new life; in the evening anchored at the place sailed from, the carpenter and others went ashore to get shell-fish, which we stood in great need of; at night the proper boat's crew would not go ashore with the boat as usual, but made her fast a-stern of the vessel, with only two men in her, she never being left without four before; at eleven at night one of the men came out of her into the vessel, it blowing very hard at N.N.E., in half an hour shifted to N.W., and rainy weather, that we could not see a boat's length: At two the next morning the cutter broke loose from the stern of the vessel; we called from on board to James Stewart, the man that was in her, but he could not hear us: In a short time we lost sight of her, believing she must be stove among the rocks. The loss of the cutter gives the few thinking people aboard a great deal of uneasiness; we have seventy-two men in the vessel, and not above six of that number that gives themselves the least concern for the preservation of their lives, but are rather the reverse, being ripe for mutiny and destruction; this is a great affliction to the lieutenant, myself, and the carpenter, we know not what to do to bring them under any command, they have troubled us to that degree, that we are weary of our lives; therefore, this day we have told the people, that unless they alter their conduct, and subject themselves to command, that we will leave them to themselves, and take our chance in this desolate part of the globe, rather than give ourselves any farther concern about so many thoughtless wretches. Divided the people into four watches, to make more room below. The people have promised to be under government, and seem much easier.
Sunday the 8th, this morning the people requested provisions to be served; it being four days before the usual time, we think the request very unreasonable. We laid the inconveniences before them of breaking in upon our stores, considering the badness of the weather, and the length of our passage, that if we are not exceedingly provident in regard to serving out provisions, we must all inevitably starve. They will not hearken to reason, therefore we are obliged to comply with their demands, and serve out provisions accordingly. Several of the people have desired to be put on shore, desiring us to allow them some few necessaries: We wanted to know what could induce them to request our putting them ashore in this remote and desolate part of the world: They answered, they did not fear doing well, and doubted not but to find the cutter, which, if they did, they would go back to the northward, otherwise they would make a canoe; therefore insisted on going ashore. On their earnest intreaties the body of people agreed to their request: We haul'd the boat close in shore; the people who chose to stay behind were eleven in number, we supply'd them with proper necessaries, and they signed a certificate, to inform the L---- s of the A----y, that they were not compelled to stay, but made it their own choice, and that they did it for the preservation of themselves and us.
A Copy of their Certificate.