Mr Pickersgill
Reported, Upon His Return, That He Had Found A Good Harbour, With Every
Conveniency.
As I liked the situation of this, better than the other of my
own finding, I determined to go there in the morning.
The fishing-boat was
very successful; returning with fish sufficient for all hands for supper;
and, in a few hours in the morning, caught as many as served for dinner.
This gave us certain hopes of being plentifully supplied with this article.
Nor did the shores and woods appear less destitute of wild fowl; so that we
hoped to enjoy with ease, what, in our situation, might be called the
luxuries of life. This determined me to stay some time in this bay, in
order to examine it thoroughly; as no one had ever landed before, on any of
the southern parts of this country.
On the 27th, at nine o'clock in the morning, we got under sail with a light
breeze at S.W., and working over to Pickersgill harbour, entered it by a
channel scarcely twice the width of the ship; and in a small creek, moored
head and stern, so near the shore as to reach it with a brow or stage,
which nature had in a manner prepared for us in a large tree, whose end or
top reached our gunwale. Wood, for fuel and other purposes, was here so
convenient, that our yards were locked in the branches of the trees; and,
about 100 yards from our stern, was a fine stream of freshwater. Thus
situated, we began to clear places in the woods, in order to set up the
astronomer's observatory, the forge to repair our iron-work, tents for the
sail-makers and coopers to repair the sails and casks in; to land our empty
casks, to fill water, and to cut down wood for fuel; all of which were
absolutely necessary occupations. We also began to brew beer from the
branches or leaves of a tree, which much resembles the American black-
spruce. From the knowledge I had of this tree, and the similarity it bore
to the spruce, I judged that, with the addition of inspissated juice of
wort and molasses, it would make a very wholesome beer, and supply the want
of vegetables, which this place did not afford; and the event proved that I
was not mistaken.
Now I have mentioned the inspissated juice of wort, it will not be amiss,
in this place, to inform the reader, that I had made several trials of it
since I left the Cape of Good Hope, and found it to answer in a cold
climate, beyond all expectation. The juice, diluted in warm water, in the
proportion of twelve parts water to one part juice, made a very good and
well-tasted small-beer. Some juice which I had of Mr Pelham's own
preparing, would bear sixteen parts water. By making use of warm-water,
(which I think ought always to be done,) and keeping it in a warm place, if
the weather be cold, no difficulty will be found in fermenting it. A little
grounds of either small or strong-beer, will answer as well as yeast.
The few sheep and goats we had left were not likely to fare quite so well
as ourselves; there being no grass here, but what was coarse and harsh. It
was, however not so bad, but that we expected they would devour it with
great greediness, and were the more surprised to find that they would not
taste it; nor did they seem over-fond of the leaves of more tender plants.
Upon examination, we found their teeth loose; and that many of them had
every other symptom of an inveterate sea-scurvy. Out of four ewes and two
rams which I brought from the Cape, with an intent to put ashore in this
country, I had only been able to preserve one of each; and even these were
in so bad a state, that it was doubtful if they could recover,
notwithstanding all the care possible had been taken of them.
Some of the officers, on the 28th, went up the bay in a small boat on a
shooting party; but, discovering inhabitants, they returned before noon, to
acquaint me therewith; for hitherto we had not seen the least vestige of
any. They had but just got aboard, when a canoe appeared off a point about
a mile from us, and soon after, returned behind the point out of sight,
probably owing to a shower of rain which then fell; for it was no sooner
over, than the canoe again appeared, and came within musket-shot of the
ship. There were in it seven or eight people. They remained looking at us
for some time, and then returned; all the signs of friendship we could make
did not prevail on them to come nearer. After dinner I took two boats and
went in search of them, in the cove where they were first seen, accompanied
by several of the officers and gentlemen. We found the canoe (at least
a-canoe) hauled upon the shore near to two small huts, where were several
fire-places, some fishing-nets, a few fish lying on the shore, and some in
the canoe. But we saw no people; they probably had retired into the woods.
After a short stay, and leaving in the canoe some medals, looking-glasses,
beads, &c. we embarked and rowed to the head of the cove, where we found
nothing remarkable. In turning back we put ashore at the same place as
before; but still saw no people. However, they could not be far off, as we
smelled the smoke of fire, though we did not see it. But I did not care to
search farther, or to force an interview which they seemed to avoid; well
knowing that the way to obtain this, was to leave the time and place to
themselves.
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