The Admiral At This
Time Gave Orders To Captain De Weert To Go Back In His Boat To The Bay
Of Knights, To Remove The Tablet To A More Convenient Situation.
When
about to double the point of the bay on this errand, de Weert saw eighty
savages sitting on
The shore, having eight or nine canoes beside them;
and, as soon as the savages saw the boat, they set up a dismal noise,
inviting the Dutch to land, by means of signs. But, having only a small
number of men, de Weert turned back towards the ships; on which the
savages ran across the woods along shore, always hallowing, and making
signs for the Dutch to land. When the general was informed of this
adventure, he dispatched three boats well armed on shore, but the
savages were not to be seen, though they had left their marks behind
them, having dug up the interred body of a Dutchman, and left his body
on the ground, barbarously disfigured. On going to the knights tablet,
the Dutch also found it had been broken by the savages.
Early in the night of the 3d September, they got out from the Straits of
Magellan into the South Sea, with a fair wind, and continued their
voyage to the W.N.W. with the wind at N.E. till the 7th, having all that
time fine weather. This day, however, the sea began to swell and rise so
high, that the vice-admiral had to lie to and hoist his boat on board,
which was likewise done by the Fidelity. While de Weert was sailing
directly in the wake of the admiral, who led the fleet, an accident
happened on board the yacht, which had the wind of the Fidelity, which
obliged both the Faith and the Fidelity, the former being de Weert's
ship, to furl their sails, and lie to for assisting the yacht. The
admiral continued his course, thinking that the other ships continued to
follow him, and that the fog prevented them from being seen by the
watch. The vice-admiral also was obliged to furl his sails shortly
after, the fog being so thick as to prevent them from seeing each other,
though very near.
On the 8th the two yachts lost sight of the ships, but these three kept
company all that day; and next day the whole fleet rejoined to their
great joy. After joining, Derick Geritz sent the Postillion to the
admiral, to request the assistance of his carpenters; but they were
sick, and those from the Faith and Fidelity went on board the yacht.
This proved afterwards a serious loss to these ships, as they never got
their carpenters back. The wind shifted all of a sudden, and the sea
became so rough and stormy that the yacht had to furl her sails, as was
done by the vice-admiral, who was ahead of the Faith, and by the
Fidelity. In the ensuing night the yacht and vice-admiral made sail
again, without advertising the other two ships by signal, so that they
continued to lie to.
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