The Crew Of
The Unity Consisted Of Sixty-Five Men, And That Of The Horn Of
Twenty-Two Only.
The Unity sailed on the 25th of May for the Texel,
where the Horn also arrived on the 3d June.
The proper season being now arrived, in their judgment, they sailed from
the Texel on the 14th of June, and anchored in the Downs on the 17th,
when William Schouten went ashore at Dover to hire an experienced
English gunner. This being effected, they again set sail the same
evening; and meeting a severe storm in the night between the 21st and
22d, they took shelter under the Isle of Wight. Sailing thence on the
25th, they arrived at Plymouth on the 27th, where they hired a carpenter
named Muydenblick. Sailing finally from Plymouth on the 28th June, with
the wind at N.E. and fair weather, they proceeded on their voyage.
Distinct rules were now established in regard to the allowance of
provisions at sea, so that the men might have no reason to complain, and
the officers might be satisfied of having enough for the voyage. The
rate fixed upon was, a cann of beer for each man daily; four pounds of
biscuit, with half a pound of butter and half a pound of suet weekly;
and five large Dutch cheeses for each man, to serve during the whole
voyage. All this was besides the ordinary allowance of salt meat and
stock-fish. Due orders were likewise issued for regulating the conduct
of the men and officers. Particularly on all occasions of landing men in
a warlike posture, one of the masters was always to command: and in such
ports as they might touch at for trade, the supercargo was to go on
shore, and to have the exclusive management of all commercial dealings.
It was also enjoined, that every officer should be exceedingly strict in
the execution of his duty, but without subjecting the men to any
unnecessary hardships, or interfering with each other in their several
departments. The officers were also warned against holding any
conversation with the men, in regard to the objects of the voyage, all
conjectures respecting which were declared fruitless, the secret being
solely known to the first captain and supercargo. It was also declared,
that every embezzlement of stores, merchandises, or provisions, should
be severely punished; and, in case of being reduced upon short
allowance, any such offence was to be punished with death. The two
supercargoes were appointed to keep distinct journals of all
proceedings, for the information of the company of adventurers, that it
might appear how far every man had done his duty, and in what manner the
purposes of the voyage had been answered.
On the 11th July they had sight of Madeira, and on the 13th they passed
through between Teneriff and Grand Canary, with a stiff breeze at N.N.E.
and a swift current. The 15th they passed the tropic of Cancer; and the
20th in the morning fell in with the north side of Cape de Verd.
Procuring here a supply of water, by leave of the Moorish alcaide or
governor, for which they had to pay eight states of iron, they left
the cape on the 1st August, and came in sight of the high land of Sierra
Leona on the 21st of that month, as also of the island of Madre bomba,
which lies off the south point of Sierra Leona, and north from the
shallows of the island of St Ann. This land of Sierra Leona is the
highest of all that lie between Cape Verd and the coast of Guinea, and
is therefore easily known.
On the 30th of August, they cast anchor in eight fathoms water on a fine
sandy bottom, near the shore, and opposite a village or town of the
negroes, in the road of Sierra Leona. This village consisted only of
eight or nine poor thatched huts. The Moorish inhabitants were willing
to come on board to trade, only demanding a pledge to be left on shore
for their security, because a French ship had recently carried off two
of the natives perfidiously. Aris Clawson, the junior merchant or
supercargo, went accordingly on shore, where he drove a small trade for
lemons and bananas, in exchange for glass beads. In the mean time some
of the natives came off to the ships, bringing with them an interpreter
who spoke many languages. They here very conveniently furnished
themselves with fresh water, which poured down in great abundance from a
very high hill, so that they had only to place their casks under the
waterfall. There were here whole woods of lemon-trees, and lemons were
so cheap that they might have had a thousand for a few beads, and ten
thousand for a few common knives; so that they easily procured as many
as they wished, and each man had 150 for sea store. The 3d September
they found a vast shoal of fish, resembling a shoemaker's knife.
They left Sierra Leona on the 4th September; and on the 5th October,
being in lat 4 deg. 27' S. they were astonished by receiving a violent
stroke on the bottom of one of the ships, though no rock appeared to be
in the way. While forming conjectures on the occasion of this shock, the
sea all about the ship began to change colour, appearing as if some
great fountain of blood had opened into it. This sudden alteration of
the water seemed not less wonderful than the striking of the ship; but
the cause of both was not discovered till after their arrival in Port
Desire, when the ship was laid on shore to clean her bottom, when they
found a large horn, of a substance resembling ivory, sticking fast in
the bottom. It was entirely firm and solid, without any internal cavity,
and had pierced through three very stout planks, grazing one of the ribs
of the ship, and stuck at least a foot deep in the wood, leaving about
as much on the outside, up to the place where it broke off.[104]
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