Its Whole Inhabitants Consisted Of Four Men And A Boy, And All
The Men Were Dignified With Titles.
One, a mulatto, was governor, two
were captains, and the fourth lieutenant, the boy being their only
subject, servant, and soldier.
They procured here about twenty bushels
of salt, the only commodity of the island, which they paid for in old
clothes, and a small quantity of powder and shot; and in return for
three or four goats, gave the governor a coat, of which he was in great
want, and an old hat. The salt in which this island abounds, and from
which it derives its name, is formed naturally by the heat of the sun
from the sea-water, which is let into great ponds about two English
miles in extent.
[Footnote 147: The original narrative of this voyage, written by Captain
Cowley, is contained in the fourth volume of the Collection of Voyages
published in 1729 by James and John Knapton, usually denominated
Dampier's Voyages, and has been used on the present occasion. - E]
This island is about nine leagues from N. to S. and about two leagues
from E. to W. and has abundance of salt ponds, whence it derives its
name, but produces no trees, and hardly even any grass, some few poor
goats feeding scantily upon shrubs near the sea. It is frequented by
wild fowl, especially a reddish bird named Flamingo, shaped like a
heron, but much larger, which lives in ponds and muddy places, building
their nests of mud in shallow pools of standing waters. Their nests are
raised like conical hillocks, two feet above the water, having holes on
the top, in which they lay their eggs, and hatch them while standing on
their long legs in the water, covering the nest and eggs only with their
rumps. The young ones do not acquire their true colour, neither can they
fly till ten or eleven months old, but run very fast. A dozen or more of
these birds were killed, though very shy, and their flesh was found lean
and black, though not ill tasted. Their tongues are large, and have near
the root a piece of fat, which is esteemed a dainty.
From hence they sailed to the island of St Nicholas, twenty-two leagues
W.S.W. from the island of Salt, and anchored on the S.W. side of the
island, which is of a triangular form, the longest side measuring thirty
leagues, and the two others twenty leagues each. They here found the
governor a white man, having three or four people about him, who were
decently cloathed, and armed with swords and pistols, but the rest of
his attendants were in a very pitiful condition. They dug some wells on
shore, and traded for goats, fruits, and wine, which last was none of
the best. The country near the coast is very indifferent, but there are
some fine valleys in the interior, pretty well inhabited, and abounding
in all the necessaries of life.
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