The 30th
September We Put Into The Harbour Of St Vincent, One Of The Cape De Verd
Islands, Coming To Anchor In Ten Fathoms Within The Rock.
Seeing several
men on shore, though the island is not inhabited, Captain Cook went in
the pinnace, well armed,
To see who they were, and found them some
Portuguese from St Antonio, come to catch turtles or sea-tortoises, who
told him we could have wood and water at this island, which is in lat.
16 deg. 55' N. long. 24 deg. 50' W. from Greenwich. It has great plenty of
Guinea fowl, with some hogs and goats; and we caught abundance of fish
in the road. In the woods there are great numbers of spiders as large as
walnuts, and their webs are very troublesome to get through, being very
numerous, and as strong as ordinary threads.
While here, new disturbances arose among the men, in relation to the
effects taken in the late prize; as we had here an opportunity of
purchasing various things, and every one wished to have the means of
purchasing. To put an end to all these heart-burnings, and to fix the
people in a resolution of doing their duty, we determined to settle this
affair by framing such articles as might inspire the seamen with courage
and constancy, and make them as willing to obey as the officers to
command, without giving our owners any cause of complaint. It cost us
some trouble to adjust these articles, but they effectually answered our
purpose, and all our people readily agreed to abide by them.
After staying two days here, in which we heeled our ships, and got wood
and water on board, our boat returned with limes and tobacco; but our
linguist, who had been sent ashore to procure refreshments, did not make
his appearance. Soon after there came a boat from that part of the
island where the governor resides, on board of which was the
deputy-governor, a negro, who brought limes, tobacco, oranges, fowls,
potatoes, hogs, bananas, musk-melons, watermelons, and brandy, all of
which we bought of him, paying in prize goods we had taken out of the
bark at the Canaries, and at a cheap rate; for they are a poor people,
and are ready to truck for any thing they want at any price, in such
payments as they can make. Being ready to sail, we called a council to
consider what was to be done in respect to the absence of our linguist,
who had promised the deputy-governor to wait for him at the water-side,
but had broke his word; and therefore, as his absence seemed to be
entirely his own fault, it was unanimously resolved that we ought to
leave him behind, rather than our two ships should wait for one man,
who had disobeyed orders. We were the more inclined to this, that others
might learn, by this example, to comply with their instructions when
sent ashore, and might come aboard again without delay, after completing
their business, and not flatter themselves that fair words and fine
excuses were to atone for breach of duty, to humour the fancies of
individuals, at the expence of delaying the voyage. This was certainly
but an indifferent place for our linguist to be left in; but he knew the
people and the language, and might easily get a passage home. We
persisted therefore in our resolution, and gave orders for sailing as
soon as possible, that we might not lose the proper season, and be
obliged to double Cape Horn at a wrong time of the year.
Captain Dampier and others in our ships, who had formerly put in at St
Jago, another of the Cape Verd islands, said that this island of St
Vincent, though not so much frequented, is preferable to St Jago for
outward-bound ships, as its road is much better, has better land, and is
more convenient for wood and water. The island is mountainous and
barren, its plainest part being over against the sandy bay where we
anchored. The wood growing upon it is short, and only fit for fuel. We
watered at a little stream that flows from a spring down the hill, and
is good fresh-water, the others in that neighbourhood being brackish. It
was formerly inhabited and had a governor, but is now only frequented by
the inhabitants of the other islands in the season for catching turtle,
these islanders being mostly negroes and mulattoes, and very poor. The
stock of wild goats on this island has been mostly destroyed by the
inhabitants of St Nicholas and St Antonio. The heat at this place was so
excessive to us, newly from Europe, that several of our men became sick,
and were blooded. There are a few wild asses; and some of our officers
wounded one, after a long chase, yet he held out, and tired them.
These islands are named from Cape Verd, on the coast of Africa, whence
they lie about 170 leagues to the west.[218] They are ten in number, of
which St Jago, St Nicholas, Bonavista, St Antonio, Brava, Mayo, and
Fuego are inhabited. St Jago is much the largest and best, and is the
seat of the chief governor. Besides sugar and tobacco, this island
produces a small quantity of indigo, which, with goat-skins and some
other articles, are sent to Lisbon. The capital is named likewise St
Jago, and is the see of a bishop. There is another town, named Ribera
grande, said to consist of 500 houses, which has a good harbour. The
air of this island is rather unwholesome, and the soil is very unequal,
the vallies producing some corn and wine. The goats are fat and good
eating, the females usually producing three or four kids at a birth,
once in four months. St Nicholas is the best peopled next after St
Jago. Mayo has a great deal of salt, formed by the heat of the sun in
pits, or ponds, into which the sea-water is let from time to time, and
might furnish many thousand tons yearly, if there were vent for it.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 147 of 221
Words from 149118 to 150154
of 224764
