Clipperton Found The Savages In These
Straits By No Means So Mischievous As They Are Usually Represented, Of
Which They Had Two Remarkable Instances:
As, on one occasion, one of the
crew was on shore two nights and a day, and was well
Used by the
natives; and, on another occasion, one of the natives being left
accidentally all night in the ship, the natives came for him next day
without fear; so that, if well treated, they do not seem to be
treacherous. In another canoe which came to the ship there were several
women, each having a necklace of five or six rows of small shining
shells, very nicely strung, resembling mother-of-pearl. All this time
the crew was very sickly, scarcely a day passing in which one or more
did not die, which was generally attributed to the want of something
comfortable to drink in this rigorous climate, all the liquors intended
for the voyage having been left in the Speedwell. The weather was
sometimes fair and moderate for two or three days together, but was
continually varying, and perhaps for two or three days following they
had continual snow, rain, and sleet, with frequent great flows of wind
that were intolerably sharp and piercing. William Pridham, the
master-gunner, died on the 7th July, and was buried ashore next day,
having a strong, plank with an inscription driven into the ground at the
head of his grave.
On the 20th July, Captain Mitchell and Lieutenant Davidson went in the
pinnace, furnished with all necessaries, in order to make a discovery of
a passage on the southern side of the straits, through which a French
tartan is said to have gone into the South Sea in May, 1713, and to
examine if there were any anchorage beyond Cape Quad. The pinnace
returned on the 29th, having found the passage, but so narrow that it
was deemed too hazardous. Their provisions falling short, they were
forced to return before they had satisfied themselves sufficiently; yet
they found several good bays for anchoring in, to the N.W. of Cape
Quad. They got a seal from some Indians, which they broiled and eat,
and said that it was as good as venison. On the 1st of August, Captain
Mitchell and three other officers went a second time to examine to look
for the new passage. But, after the strictest examination, they could
not find that it led into the South Sea, but only into an icy bay, and
at all events was too narrow for their ship. On the return of Captain
Mitchell, it was resolved to prosecute their way through the straits,
which they did with much difficulty, getting into the South Sea on the
18th of August, but in so weak and sickly a condition as to be utterly
incapable of attempting any enterprize for some time, having been long
on short allowance of only one piece of beef or pork to a mess of six
men.
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