DAMPIER IN THE PHILIPPINES
[Following is a synopsis and verbatim transcription of the voyages made by William Dampier[1] during the years 1679–1691, as related in the first volume of his New Voyage Round the World.[2] The introduction and first nine chapters describe his voyages in American waters. With chapter x begins his experience in Eastern waters.]
CHAP. X
Their Departure from Cape Corrientes for the Ladrone Islands, and the East-Indies. Their Course thither, and Accidents by the way: with a Table of each days Run, &c. Of the different accounts of the breadth of these Seas. Guam, one of the Ladrone Islands. The Coco-Nut Tree, Fruit, &c. The Toddi, or Arack that distils from it; with other Uses that are made of it. Coire Cables. The Lime, or Crab Limon. The Bread-fruit. The native Indians of Guam. Their Proe’s, a remarkable sort of Boats: and of those used in the East-Indies. The State of Guam: and the Provisions with which they were furnish’d there.
I have given an Account in the last Chapter of the Resolutions we took of going over to the East-Indies. But having more calmly considered on the length of our Voyage, from hence to Guam, one of the Ladrone Islands, which is the first place that we could touch at, and there also not being certain to find Provisions, most of our Men were almost daunted at the thoughts of it; for we had not 60 days Provision, at a little more than half a pint of Maiz a day for each Man, and no other Provision, except 3 Meals of salted Jew-fish;[3] and we had a great many Rats aboard, which we could not hinder from eating part of our Maiz. Beside, the great distance between Cape Corrientes and Guam: which is variously set down. The Spaniards, who have the greatest reason to know best, make it to be between 2300 and 2400 Leagues; our Books also reckon it differently, between 90 and 100 degrees, which all comes short indeed of 2000 Leagues, but even that was a Voyage enough to frighten us, considering our scanty Provisions. Captain Swan, to encourage his Men to go with him, perswaded them that the English Books did give the best account of the distance; his Reasons were many, although but weak. He urged among the rest, that Sir Thomas Candish and Sir Francis Drake, did run it in less than 50 Days, and that he did not question but that our Ships were better sailers, than those which were built in that Age, and that he did not doubt to get there in little more than 40 Days: This being the best time in the Year for breezes, which undoubtedly is the reason that the Spaniards set out from Acapulco about this time; and that although they are 60 Days in their Voyage, it is because they are great Ships, deep laden, and very heavy sailers; besides, they wanting nothing, are in no great haste in their way, but sail with a great deal of their usual Caution. And when they come near the Island Guam, they lie by in the Night for a Week, before they make Land. In prudence we also should have contrived to lie by in the Night when we came near Land, for otherwise we might have run ashoar, or have outsailed the Islands, and lost sight of them before Morning. But our bold Adventures seldom proceed with such wariness when in any straights.
But of all Captain Swan’s Arguments, that which prevailed most with them was, his promising them, as I have said, to cruise off the Manila’s. So he and his Men being now agreed, and they incouraged with the hope of gain, which works its way thro’ all Difficulties, we set out from Cape Corrientes March the 31st, 1686. We were 2 Ships in Company, Captain Swan’s Ship, and a Bark commanded under Captain Swan, by Captain Teat, and we were 150 Men, 100 aboard of the Ship, and 50 aboard the Bark, beside Slaves, as I said.
We had a small Land-wind at E.N.E. which carried us three or four Leagues, then the Sea-wind came at W.N.W. a fresh gale, so we steered away S.W. By 6 a Clock in the Evening we were about 9 Leagues S. W. from the Cape, then we met a Land-wind which blew fresh all Night, and the next Morning about 10 a Clock we had the Sea-breez at N.N.E. so that at Noon we were 30 leagues from the Cape. It blew a fresh gale of Wind, which carries us off into the true Trade-wind, (of the difference of which Trade-winds I shall speak in the Chapter of Winds, in the Appendix)[4] for although the constant Sea-breez near the Shoar is at W.N.W. yet the true Trade off at Sea, when you are clear of the Land-winds, is at E.N.E. At first we had it at N.N.E. so it came about Northerly, and then to the East as we run off. At 250 leagues distance from the shoar we had it at E.N.E. and there it stood till we came within 40 leagues of Guam. When we had eaten up our 3 Meals of salted Jew-fish, in so many Days time, we had nothing but our small allowance of Maiz.
After the 31st Day of March we made great runs every Day, having very fair clear Weather, and a fresh Trade-wind, which we made use of with all our Sails, and we made many good Observations of the Sun. At our first setting out, we steered into the lat. of 13 degrees, which is near the lat. of Guam; then we steered West, keeping in that lat. By that time we had sailed 20 Days, our Men seeing we made such great runs, and the Wind like to continue, repined because they were kept at such short allowance. Captain Swan endeavored to perswade them to have a little Patience; yet nothing but an augmentation of their daily allowance would appeasse them. Captain Swan though with much reluctance, gave way to a small enlargement of our Commons, for now we had not above 10 spoonfuls of boil’d Maiz a Man, once a day, whereas before we had 8: I do believe that this short allowance did me a great deal of good, though others were weakened by it; for I found that my Strength encreased, and my Dropsie wore off. Yet I drank 3 times every 24 Hours; but many of our Men did not drink in 9 or 10 days time, and some not in 12 days; one of our Men did not drink in 17 days time, and said he was not adry when he did drink; yet he made water every day more or less. One of our Men in the midst of these hardships was found guilty of theft, and condemned for the same, to have 3 blows from each Man in the Ship, with a 2 inch and a half rope on his bare back. Captain Swan began first, and struck with a good will; whose example was followed by all of us.