A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume I Part 21

Kennet Sinclair.

Sherrard P. Lound.

James Wolsey.

Boatswain, 1 Charles Douglas.

Gunner, 1 Robert Colpits.

Carpenter, 1 Russel Mart.

Clerk, 1 John Olive.

Cook and mate, 2 Sailmaker and mate, 2 Armourer, 1 Master at arms, 1 Boatswain's mates, 2 Gunner's mate, 1 Carpenter's mates, 2 D. crew, 2 Quarter masters, 4 Able and ordinary seamen and landsmen, 35 Marines.

Serjeant, 1 Corporal, 1 Drummer, 1 Privates, 12 -- Complement 83 Deficiency.

Sailmaker, 1 Master at arms, 1 Quarter masters, 2 Cook's mate, 1 Carpenter's crew, 1 Seaman, 1 -- Deficient of complement 7 --

The deficiency of seven, and the two young gentlemen more than allowed, left the whole number of persons on board to be eighty eight, at the time of sailing.

Mr. Crosley, the astronomer, brought with him an a.s.sortment of instruments from the Board of Longitude; part for use at sea, and the larger instruments for making observations on sh.o.r.e, at such ports and bays as we might anchor in during the voyage. His time keepers were the numbers 543 and 520, and watch 465 of Earnshaw; and the numbers 176 and 82 of Arnold. Amongst the instruments supplied to me by the Navy Board, which were unconnected with the above and mostly intended for surveying, was Arnold's watch number 1786, sent for the purpose of being taken up rivers in the tender, or in boats. Its error from mean Greenwich time, at noon July 17, was 2' 38.71" slow, and its rate of losing per day 4.41".

This error and rate were given me by Mr. Bayly, mathematical master of the naval academy at Portsmouth, who had the kindness to take charge of the watch during our stay at Spithead.

CHAPTER II.

Departure from Spithead.

Variation of the compa.s.s.

The Dezertas.

Arrival at Madeira.

Remarks on Funchal.

Political state of the island.

Lat.i.tude and longitude.

Departure from Madeira.

The island St. Antonio.

Foul winds; and remarks upon them.

The ship leaky.

Search made for Isle Sable.

Trinidad.

Saxemberg sought for.

Variation of the compa.s.s.

State of the ship's company, on arriving at the Cape of Good Hope.

Refitment at Simon's Bay.

Observatory set Up.

The astronomer quits the expedition.

Rates Of the time keepers.

Some remarks on Simon's Bay.

1801. JULY.

[TOWARDS MADEIRA.]

On July 18 we sailed from Spithead; and in the afternoon of the 20th, having a light breeze from the eastward, with fine weather, our departure was taken from the Start, bearing N. 18 W. five or six leagues. On the following day we fell in with vice-admiral Sir Andrew Mitch.e.l.l, with a detachment of four three-decked ships from the grand fleet cruising before Brest. It was gratifying to learn from the admiral, that although he had not dropped an anchor for seventeen weeks, there was not a s...o...b..tic man on board; nor any in the sick list, except from slight hurts.

The variation of the compa.s.s off St. Alban's Head, had been observed by Mr. Thistle, the master, to be 28 43' west, from amplitude; off the Start it was 29 34' from a western azimuth, and 29 30' from amplitude; but on the following afternoon, where the variation should have been nearly the same, azimuths gave 24 12' and an amplitude 23 43' west; the mean 5 35' less than off the Start. The same compa.s.s was always used, and the ship's head was at west (magnetic), or within one point of it, in all the cases; but in the first observations the compa.s.s was placed on the binnacle, and in the last, was upon the booms. In order to ascertain clearly what effect this change of place did really produce, I took observations a few days afterward [MONDAY 27] with every compa.s.s on board, and Mr. Thistle did the same upon the booms, ten or twelve feet before the main mast, where the compa.s.ses were as far removed from any quant.i.ty of iron, as they could be placed in any part of the ship. The head was south-west by the steering compa.s.s, our lat.i.tude was 38 1'

north, longitude 14 18' west, and the results were as under.

Binnacle. Booms.

Variation from an azimuth compa.s.s by Walker, ' '

marked No 1: mean of both sides of the vane. 25 47 22 17 W.

From a ditto marked No. 2, 25 35 19 15 ditto marked No. 3, 24 41 21 27 Walker's meridional compa.s.s, 25 46 - - Ditto used as a common azimuth, 25 51 20 35 Compa.s.s made by Adams, 25 44 21 9 -------------- Means, 25 34 20 57 W.

Thus a change of place from the binnacle to a little before the centre of the ship, produced an alteration of 4 37' in the mean variation, the same way as, but a less quant.i.ty than Mr. Thistle had found it off the Start, when the ship's head was west. The true variation I judge to have been 23, and that the observations on the booms showed 2 too little, and those on the binnacle 2 too much. The error in excess, upon the binnacle, appeared to continue so long as the ship was in the northern hemisphere and the head to the westward; but it diminished gradually as we approached the equator, and the observations on the binnacle and booms then nearly coincided. This example is sufficient to show the impropriety of allowing a variation upon the ship's course, from observations taken elsewhere than at the binnacle.

THURSDAY 30 JULY 1801.

We continued our course for Madeira, with fair winds. Our lat.i.tude on the 30th, was 30 5' north, longitude 15 31' west; and in the afternoon Porto Santo was seen, bearing west-north-west; the wind then became light and variable, and soon afterwards died away. The variation observed on the binnacle by the master, when the head was south-west-by-south, was 22 45', but on the booms 19 51'; the true variation being as I believe, 20 51' west.

FRIDAY 31 JULY 1801.

It was calm on the 31st, and I had a boat lowered down and went round the ship with the carpenter, to inspect the seams near the water line, for we had the mortification to find the ship beginning to leak so soon as the channel was cleared, and in the three last days she had admitted three inches of water per hour. The seams appeared sufficiently bad, especially under the counter and at the b.u.t.t ends, for the leak to be attributable to them; and as less water came in when the ship was upright than when heeling to a beam wind, I hoped the cause need not be sought lower down.

Before hoisting up the boat, a small hawke's-bill turtle was picked up; and between this time and that of anchoring in Funchal Road, several others were seen, and a second, weighing about thirty pounds, was caught.

SAt.u.r.dAY AUGUST 1 1801.

Aug. 1, at noon, Porto Santo bore N. 11 W., and the rocky islands called _Dezertas_, from N. 65 to S. 85 W. distant three leagues. The south end of these islands lies, by our observations, in lat.i.tude 32 24' 20"

north, which differs less than one mile from its position in Mr.

Johnston's chart of the Madeiras. There being little wind next morning [SUNDAY AUGUST 2], I went off in one of the cutters, accompanied by Messieurs Brown and Bauer, the naturalist and natural-history painter, to the southernmost island, called _Bujio_, which was not far distant. On the way, I shot several birds of the puffin kind, one of which had a fathom of small bra.s.s wire attached to its wing. The distance of the land proved to be more considerable than was expected; and there being a current setting southward we did not reach the sh.o.r.e until near three in the afternoon, when it was necessary to think of returning.

[AT MADEIRA--FUNCHAL ROAD]

A small ledge of rocks, which projected a little from under the cliffs at the south-west part of Bujio, afforded a landing place; but it was impossible to ascend the top of the island. We saw no other animated beings than a few birds something like green linnets, but which were said, at Madeira, to have been canary birds; and the other productions were scarcely sufficient to afford amus.e.m.e.nt even to a naturalist. The cliffs over head showed marks of irregular stratification, and in some of the lines there was a red tinge, apparently of iron. The base underneath was black and honey-combed, as if it had been in the fire, resembling in this respect the common stone at Funchal.

We left Bujio well satisfied that, so far as we could judge of the islands, the name Dezertas, or Desert Islands, was well chosen; and soon after dusk, reached the ship. There was then a good breeze from the north-eastward, with which we steered for Madeira. tacking occasionally during the night, to take advantage of the different flaws of wind. At the following noon [MONDAY 3 AUGUST], the ship was under Brazen Head, which forms the east side of Funchal Road; and being there becalmed, we towed in with the boats, and came to an anchor at four o'clock, in 22 fathoms, steadying with a kedge to the north-west. In this situation, which seems to be as good as any in the road, the bearings by compa.s.s were as follow:

Brazen Head, S. 71 E.

Punta de Cruz, on the west side, N. 85 W.

Loo Fort, distant one-third of a mile, N. 12 W.

The north-east winds usually prevail at Madeira in the summer season, and sometimes blow very strong. To reach Funchal Read, ships are accustomed to sail between the east end of Madeira and the Dezertas, before the wind. They are not very desirous of pa.s.sing close to Brazen Head, where they would be becalmed, but keep off a mile or two, in the skirt of the north-east wind, until they are off the town, or even off Punta de Cruz, where they generally find a breeze from the south-west, which takes them to the anchorage. This south-west wind is the sea breeze of Funchal; and during the time we lay in the road, it usually set in at eight or nine o'clock in the morning, and prevailed as far as three or four miles in the offing, till sunset. A variable breeze comes off the land in the night; at which time it is recommended to ships to pa.s.s close to Brazen Head and tow into the road.

We found his Majesty's ship Argo lying here; and I waited upon captain James Bowen, immediately that the ship was secured. Lieutenant Flinders was sent, at the same time, to present my respects to the Portuguese governor, and to ask his Excellency's permission to purchase the necessaries of which we stood in need; as also for the scientific gentlemen to make such an examination of the natural productions of the island, as our short stay would allow. The first request was granted by the governor in polite terms, and accompanied with offers of a.s.sistance; but an answer to the second was deferred until he should see me.

This evening the ship was heeled three streaks, when it was found that she admitted more than three inches of water per hour; whereas, when upright, it scarcely amounted to one inch. Next morning [TUESDAY 4 AUGUST], therefore, the carpenters began caulking two seams above the copper, all round, whilst the seamen were employed in shifting the top masts and examining the rigging.

By the a.s.sistance of Joseph Pringle, Esq., the British consul, I procured boats from the sh.o.r.e to be sent for our empty water casks; and an ox was killed for our use, and wine prepared for embarkation. His Excellency, the governor, had appointed noon of this day to receive my visit; and I waited upon him in form, accompanied by the consul, who interpreted between us. The governor repeated his offers of a.s.sistance; and on being made to understand the nature of the excursions which our gentlemen desired to make into the country, he granted his permission with the utmost readiness. After I had answered some questions relative to the settlement of political affairs in the north of Europe, we took our leave; and were attended out by the officers in waiting, and saluted by the guard.

THURSDAY 6 AUGUST 1801.

On the 6th in the evening, our supply of provisions was received, and the caulking of the ship completed. The scientific gentlemen returned from an expedition towards the _Pico Ruivo_; which is the highest of a ridge of mountains occupying the central parts of the island, and is said to be 5067 feet, or nearly an English mile, above the level of the sea. The ascent was found to be very difficult; and this, with the heat of the weather and limitation of their time to this evening, disabled them from reaching the summit. It was late when they arrived at the sh.o.r.e; and in embarking abreast of the town, they had the misfortune to be swamped, and to lose the greater part of their collections and sketches, although the boat was managed by Portuguese watermen, accustomed to the place.

The best landing is behind the Loo Rock; but the stony beach in front of the town is usually safe in the summer time. It was so on our first arrival, until the strong eastern winds in the offing raised so much swell as to make it dangerous, even for people experienced in the management of a boat in the surf.

The town of Funchal is placed at the foot of a mountain, which projects from the great central ridge; and the houses being mostly white, they form a strong, but agreeable contrast with the back land. At different elevations up the side of the mountain, are scattered the country houses of the richer inhabitants, placed amongst groups of trees and surrounded with vines. These, with a convent dedicated to _Our Lady of the Mountain_, which, like the houses, is white, but partly hidden by foliage, give to the whole a picturesque and pleasing appearance from the ships in the road. The town is larger, and there was more trade and activity in it than I was prepared to expect in a small colony, where the students of the college and ecclesiastics of different orders form no inconsiderable part of the superior cla.s.s of inhabitants. Several British merchants reside at Madeira; their houses of business are at Funchal, but their favourite residences are upon the side of the mountain. I accompanied captain Bowen to one of these, the hospitable seat of Mr.

Murdoch, and thought it one of the prettiest places I had seen. The house of Mr. Pringle, the consul, was my home when on sh.o.r.e; indeed the politeness of our countrymen prevented me from experiencing the accommodation afforded to strangers at a house in the town, dignified with the name of hotel. Some of our gentlemen complained of its being miserable enough, even without the swarms of fleas and other vermin by which they were molested.

His Majesty's ships Argo, Carysfort, Falcon, and transports, under the command of captain James Bowen, had arrived in Funchal Road about nine days before us; having on board the 85th regiment under colonel Clinton.