A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume Xvii Part 32

When I got to the Borough, I took a coach and drove to Marlborough-street, where my friends had lived when I left England; but when I came there, I found the house shut up. Having been absent so many years, and in all that time never having heard a word from home, I knew not who was dead or who was living, or where to go next, or even how to pay the coachman. I recollected a linen-draper's shop, not far from thence, which our family had used. I therefore drove there next, and making myself known, they paid the coachman. I then enquired after our family, and was told my sister had married Lord Carlisle, and was at that time in Soho-square. I immediately walked to the house, and knocked at the door; but the porter not liking my figure, which was half French half Spanish, with the addition of a large pair of boots covered with dirt, he was going to shut the door in my face, but I prevailed with him to let me come in.

I need not acquaint my readers with what surprise and joy my sister received me. She immediately furnished me with money sufficient to appear like the rest of my countrymen; and till that time I could not be properly said to have finished all the extraordinary scenes which a series of unfortunate adventures had kept me in for the s.p.a.ce of five years and upwards.

A VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH-SEAS, IN THE YEARS 1740, AND 1741:

CONTAINING

A faithful NARRATIVE of the Loss of his Majesty's Ship the WAGER, on a desolate Island in the Lat.i.tude 47 South, Longitude 81: 40 West: With the Proceedings and Conduct of the Officers and Crew, and the Hardships they endured in the said Island for the s.p.a.ce of five Months; their bold Attempt for Liberty, in coasting the Southern Part of the vast Region of Patagonia; setting out with upwards of eighty Souls in their Boats; the Loss of the Cutter; their Pa.s.sage through the Streights of Magellan; an Account of their Manner of Living in the Voyage on Seals, Wild Horses, Dogs, &c. and the incredible Hardships they frequently underwent for want of Food of any Kind; a Description of the several Places where they touched in the Streights of Magellan, with an Account of the Inhabitants, &c. and their safe Arrival to the Brazil, after sailing one thousand Leagues in a Long- boat; their Reception from the Portuguese; an Account of the Disturbances at Rio Grand; their Arrival at Rio Janeiro; their Pa.s.sage and Usage on board a Portuguese Ship to Lisbon; and their Return to England.

Interspersed with many entertaining and curious Observations, not taken Notice of by Sir John Narborough, or any other Journalist:

_The Whole compiled by Persons concerned in the Facts related_, viz.

JOHN BULKELEY AND JOHN c.u.mMINS,

Late Gunner and Carpenter of the WAGER.

_Bold were the Men who on the Ocean first Spread the new Sails, when Shipwreck was the worst; More Dangers now from Man alone we find, Than from the Rocks, the Billows, and the Wind_. WALLER.[119]

BULKELEYS NARRATIVE.

TO THE HONOURABLE EDWARD VERNON, ESQ. VICE-ADMIRAL OF THE BLUE, &c.

Sir,

We have presumed to put the following sheets under your protection, though we have not the honour of being personally known to you, nor have applied to you for the liberty of using your celebrated name on this occasion.

As this book is a faithful extract from the journals of two British seamen, late officers in his majesty's navy, we thought we could not more properly dedicate it than to a British Admiral.

We know your detestation of flattery; and you know, from long experience, that a British seaman hath a spirit too brave to stoop to so degenerate a practice.

The following pages, we hope, will recommend themselves to you, because they are written in a plain maritime style, and void of partiality and prejudice.

The distresses mentioned in this book have perhaps not been equalled in our age; and we question whether any navigators living have, for so long a continuance, suffered such variety of hardships, as the unfortunate people of the Wager.

After surviving the loss of the ship, and combating with famine and innumerable difficulties, a remnant of us are returned to our native country; but even here we are still unfortunate, dest.i.tute of employment, almost without support, or any prospect of being restored to our stations, till some important questions are decided, which cannot be cleared up till the arrival of our late captain, or at least the commodore.

We, sir, who present you with this book, have been several years in the navy, and thought ourselves well acquainted with its laws and discipline, and have many certificates to produce, that we have always acted in obedience to command; but the proceedings of the officers and people, since the loss of the ship, are reckoned so dark and intricate, that we know not what to expect, nor what will be the result of our superiors determination.

The only consolation we have in our present anxiety, is placed in a confidence of the unbia.s.sed integrity, justice, and humanity of the right honourable persons who will one day determine for or against us.

When you read our account of the affair, you'll find the facts impartially related, the whole narrative written without the least shadow of prejudice or malice, and no more in favour of ourselves, than of the other officers concerned: We stand or fall by the truth; if truth will not support us, nothing can.

In our voyage from the Brazil to Lisbon, we were obliged to you for the generous treatment we met with from an enemy, a subject of Spain, a person of distinction, and a pa.s.senger in the same ship: your virtues have procured you the esteem even of your enemies.

Your zeal for the national service deserves the love of every honest Briton: to leave an abundant fortune, your family, and your country, to hazard your life in the most perilous expeditions, with no other motive than to retrieve the honour of the nation, shows the spirit of a true British hero, and deserves the highest commendations.

That you, sir, may never deviate from your integrity, but continue a terror to the enemies of Britain, an honour to his majesty's service, and an ornament to your country, are the sincere wishes of,

Honourable Sir, Your most dutiful, And most obedient Humble Servants, John Bulkeley, John c.u.mmins.

BULKELEY'S NARRATIVE.

PREFACE.

As an Introduction, we think proper to acquaint the reader with our reasons for causing the following sheets to be made public to the world. The chief motive which induced us to this task, was to clear our characters, which have been exceedingly blemished by persons who, (next to Heaven) owe the preservation of their lives to our skill and indefatigable care; and who having an opportunity of arriving before us in England, have endeavoured to raise their reputation on the ruin of ours.

It will appear to the reader, on perusal of the following pages, that this journal was attempted to be taken from us by violence at Rio Janeiro; that we have preserved it at the hazard of our lives; that there was no journal kept after the loss of the ship, by any officers but ourselves; and if we had not been careful in making remarks on each day's transactions, persons must have continued in the dark, in relation to all the subsequent proceedings.

It is a very usual thing to publish voyages, especially when the navigators have met with any extraordinary events. We believe our expedition, though it was not a secret, is allowed to be an extraordinary one, consequently attended with extraordinary events: Indeed, while the commodore was with us, every thing went well; but when the squadron separated, things began to have a new face: After the loss of the Wager, there was a general disorder and confusion among the people, who were now no longer implicitly obedient.

There were two seamen particularly, who propagated this confusion, they said they had suffered shipwreck in his majesty's ship the Biddeford, and received no wages from the day that the ship was lost; that when they were out of pay, they looked upon themselves as their own masters, and no longer subjected to command. The people, however, were not altogether infected, but still continued to pay a dutiful respect to their commander; but when the captain had rashly shot Mr Cozens, (whose fate the reader will find particularly related) they then grew very turbulent and unruly; the captain daily lost the love of the men, who with their affection lost their duty.

Our confining the captain is thought an audacious and unprecedented action, and our not bringing him home with us is reckoned worse; but the reader will find that necessity absolutely compelled us to act as we did, and that we had sufficient reasons for leaving him behind.

Our attempt for liberty, in sailing to the southward through the straits of Magellan, with such a number of people stowed in a long-boat, has been censured as a mad undertaking: Desperate diseases require desperate remedies; had we gone to the northward, there appeared no probability of escaping the Spaniards, and when we had fallen into their hands, 'tis not unlikely but they might have employed us as drudges in their mines for life; therefore we rather chose to encounter all difficulties than to become slaves to a merciless enemy.

Some persons have objected against our capacity for keeping a journal of this nature; but several judges of maritime affairs allow this work to be exact and regular. We think persons with a common share of understanding, are capable of committing to paper daily remarks of matter worthy their observation, especially of facts in which they themselves had so large a share. We only relate such things as could not possibly escape our knowledge, and what we actually know to be true. We don't set up for naturalists and men of great learning, therefore have avoided meddling with things above our capacity.

We are also condemned by many for being too busy and active for persons in our stations. There was a necessity for action, and a great deal of it too; and had we been as indolent and regardless for the preservation of the people as others who were superior in command, there would not have been a single man who was shipwrecked in the Wager, now in England to give any relation of the matter.

The gentleman who commanded in the long-boat, on his arrival before us at Lisbon, represented us to the English merchants in a very vile light; we were even advised by some of our friends there not to return to our country, lest we would suffer death for mutiny. But when the gentlemen of the factory had perused our journal, they found, if there was any mutiny in the case, the very person who accused us was the ringleader and chief mutineer. We were confident of our own innocence, and determined to see our country at all events, being positive that we have acted to the best of our understandings, in all respects, for the preservation of our lives and liberties; and when our superiors shall think proper to call us to an account, which we expect will be at the commodore's arrival, we do not doubt but we shall clear ourselves in spite of all invidious reflections and malicious imputations.