Jan. 5. Just past twelve Yesterday it came on to blow strong: We got down our Fore-Yard, and reef’d our Fore-Sail and Main-Sail; but there came on a violent Gale of Wind, and a great Sea. A little before six we saw the Dutchess lowering her Main-Yard: the Tack flew up, and the Lift unreev’d, so that the Sail to Leeward was in the water and all a-back, their Ship took in a great deal of Water to Leeward; immediately they loos’d their Sprit-Sail, and wore her before the Wind: I wore after her, and came as near as I could to ’em, expecting when they had gotten their Main-Sail stow’d they would take another Reef in, and bring to again under a two-reef’d Main-Sail, and reef’d and ballanc’d Mizen, if the Ship would not keep to without it: but to my surprize they kept scudding to the Southward. I dreaded running amongst Ice, because it was excessive cold; so I fir’d a Gun as a Signal for them to bring to, and brought to our selves again under the same reef’d Main-Sail. They kept on, and our Men on the look-out told me they had an Ensign in their Maintop-Mast Shrouds as a Signal of Distress, which made me doubt they had sprung their Main-Mast; so I wore again, our Ship working exceeding well in this great Sea. Just before night I was up with them again, and set our Fore-Sail twice reef’d to keep ’em Company, which I did all night. About three this morning it grew more moderate; we soon after made a Signal to speak with them, and at five they brought to: when I came within haile, I enquir’d how they all did aboard; they answer’d, they had ship’d a great deal of Water in lying by, and were forc’d to put before the Wind, and the Sea had broke in the Cabin-Windows, and over their Stern, filling their Steerage and Waste, and had like to have spoil’d several Men; but God be thank’d all was otherwise indifferent well with ’em, only they were intolerably cold, and every thing wet. At ten we made sail, Wind at W N W. and moderate. Lat. 60,58.
Jan. 6. Raw cold Weather, with some Rain. A great Sea from the N W. little Wind from the N N W. to the West. I and Capt. Dampier went in the Yall on board the Dutchess, to visit ’em after this Storm; where we found ’em in a very orderly pickle, with all their Clothes drying, the Ship and Rigging cover’d with them from the Deck to the Main-Top: They got six more Guns into the Hold, to make the Ship lively.
Jan. 7. Fresh Gales of Wind, with hazy Weather and some small Rain. Yesterday about three in the Afternoon John Veale a Landman died, having lain ill a Fortnight, and had a Swelling in his Legs ever since he left Grande. At nine last night we bury’d him; this is the first that died by Sickness out of both Ships since we left England. Several of the Dutchess’s Men had contracted Illness by the Wet and Cold. Wind from the N N W. to the W N W.
Jan. 10. Strong Gales of Wind, with Squalls of Rain and Hail, and a great Sea from the W. We lay by with our Head to the Southward till 12 last night, then came to sail under three-reef’d Courses,[116] and sometimes the Maintop-Sail low set, Wind from the W. to the N. and thence to the N.W. We have no Night here. Lat. 61.53. Long. W. from Lond. 79.58 being the furthest we run this way, and for ought we know the furthest that any one has yet been to the Southward.
Jan. 14. Moderate Gales with cloudy Weather, Wind veerable. This day the Dutchess bury’d a Man that died of the Scurvy.
Jan. 15. Cloudy Weather, with Squalls of Rain, fresh Gales at S W. We had an Observ. Lat. 56. S. We now account our selves in the South-Sea, being got round Cape Horne. The French Ships that came first to trade in these Seas came thro the Straits of Magellan: but Experience has taught them since, that it is the best Passage to go round Cape Horne, where they have Sea-room enough; the Straits, being in many places very narrow, with strong Tides and no Anchor-ground.
Here I think it proper to give an Account of the first Discovery of the South-Sea, of the Passage to it by the Straits of Magellan, of the chief of those who have pass’d those Straits, and a short Description of the Country on both sides of ’em.
An Account of the Discovery of the South-Sea, and of the Straits of Magellan, &c. from Ovalle and other Authors.
Account of the Discovery of the South-Sea.
THE first European who discover’d the South-Sea, was Basco or Vasco Nuñes de Balboa a Spaniard, in 1513. He was the first who landed on the Isthmus of Darien, and made war with their Caciques or Princes; who not being able to resist his Fire-Arms, and perceiving that the chief Design of the Spaniards was to find Gold, one of the Caciques told Vasco, that since they were so fond of that which he and his Countrymen valu’d so little, he would conduct them over the Mountains to another Sea, upon which they might find a Country where the People had all their Utensils of Gold. This was the first notice the Spaniards had of the South-Sea. Vasco march’d on till he came near the top of the highest Mountain, where he order’d his Men to halt, because he would have the honour of first discovering that Sea himself: which having done, he fell down on his knees and thank’d God for his Success, and call’d it the South-Sea, in opposition to that on the other side the Continent, Having pass’d these Mountains, he march’d down till he came to the Coast, and took possession of it in the name of the King of Spain. When he return’d back, he found a new Spanish Governour in Darien call’d Pedrarias; who being his Enemy because he envy’d the King’s making him Governour and Admiral of the South-Sea, he falsly accus’d him of Treason and cut off his Head, and sent Gaspar Morales and Francis Pizarro to compleat the Discovery, with a good number of Men, and large Dogs that were as terrible to the Indians as the Spaniards Fire-Arms. Here they discover’d the Isle of Pearls, and forc’d the Natives to fish for them, and then discover’d the rest of the Coast. The first who found a Passage from the North-Sea was Ferdinand Magaillans, who in 1519 sail’d on purpose by Commission from the Emperor Charles V. to discover it. In Lat. 52. S. he found the Passage, which from him has been since call’d the Straits of Magellan. Pigafetta an Italian, who made the Voyage with him, says that in S. Lat. 49-1/2. at Port St. Julian, they found Giants whose Waste a middle-siz’d Man could scarce reach with his Head: they were clad with the Skins of Beasts as monstrous as themselves, arm’d with huge Bows and Arrows, and of a Strength proportionable to their Bulk, yet good-natur’d: One of them seeing himself in a Looking-Glass on board the Ship, was so frighten’d that he run backward, and tumbled down several Men that stood behind him. The Crew gave Toys to some of them, at which being mightily pleas’d, they suffer’d them to put Shackles about their Arms and Legs, which they took for Ornaments; but when they found themselves fast, bellow’d like Bulls. One of them, he says, made his Escape from nine Men, after they had got him down and ty’d his hands. Other Voyagers say they have seen such Giants in those parts, particularly Mr. Candish, Sebald de Wert in 1599. and Spilberg in 1614. but the Reader may believe of this Story what he pleases. Pigafetta says the Straits were 110 Ls. long, in some places very wide, and in others not above half a League over. Magaillans pass’d ’em in Novemb. 1520. and being overjoy’d, he call’d the Cape from whence he first saw the South-Sea the Cape of Desire. After rambling almost four months in the South-Sea, where he suffer’d extreme Want, and lost many of his Men, he sail’d to the Ladrones Islands, and foolishly engaging 7000 Natives in Mathan, which is one of them, he was kill’d. One of his Ships forsook him as he pass’d the Straits, and return’d to Spain: of the other four, only the Ship Victoria return’d to St. Lucar near Sevil, under the Command of John Sebastian Cabot, who was nobly rewarded by the Emperor.