early australian voyages-第15部分

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　now　esteemed　trifles？　　And　how　came　they　never　to　make　any　voyages；　by　choice　at　least；　that　were　out　of　sight　of　land？　　Again；　with　respect　to　the　Chinese；　if　they　excel　us　so　much　in　knowledge；　how　came　the　missionaries　to　be　so　much　admired　for　their　superior　skill　in　the　sciences？　　But　to　cut　the　matter　short；　we　are　not　disputing　now　about　speculative　points　of　science；　but　as　to　the　practical　application　of　it；　in　which；　I　think；　there　is　no　doubt　that　the　modern　inhabitants　of　the　western　parts　of　the　world　excel；　and　excel　chiefly　from　the　labours　and　discoveries　of　these　great　and　ingenious　men；　who　applied　their　abilities　to　the　improvement　of　useful　arts；　for　the　particular　benefit　of　their　countrymen；　and　to　the　common　good　of　mankind；　which　character　is　not　derived　from　any　prejudice　of　ours；　either　against　the　ancients　or　the　Oriental　nations；　but　is　founded　on　facts　of　public　notoriety；　and　on　general　experience；　which　are　a　kind　of　evidence　not　to　be　controverted　or　contradicted。

We　are　still；　however；　in　several　respects　short　of　perfection；　and　there　are　many　things　left　to　exercise　the　sagacity；　penetration；　and　application　of　this　and　of　succeeding　ages；　for　instance；　the　passages　to　the　north…east　and　north…west　are　yet　unknown；　there　is　a　great　part　of　the　southern　continent　undiscovered；　we　are；　in　a　manner；　ignorant　of　what　lies　between　America　and　Japan；　and　all　beyond　that　country　lies　buried　in　obscurity；　perhaps　in　greater　obscurity　than　it　was　an　age　ago；　so　that　there　is　still　room　for　performing　great　things；　which　in　their　consequences　perhaps　might　prove　greater　than　can　well　be　imagined。　　I　say　nothing　of　the　discoveries　that　yet　remain　with　regard　to　inland　countries；　because　these　fall　properly　under　another　head；　I　mean　that　of　travels。　　But　it　will　be　time　enough　to　think　of　penetrating　into　the　heart　of　countries　when　we　have　discovered　the　sea…coasts　of　the　whole　globe；　towards　which　the　voyages　recorded　in　this　chapter　have　so　far　advanced　already。　　But　the　only　means　to　arrive　at　these　great　ends；　and　to　transmit　to　posterity　a　fame　approaching；　at　least　in　some　measure；　to　that　of　our　ancestors；　is　to　revive　and　restore　that　glorious　spirit　which　led　them　to　such　great　exploits；　and　the　most　natural　method　of　doing　this　is　to　collect　and　preserve　the　memory　of　their　exploits；　that　they　may　serve　at　once　to　excite　our　imitation；　encourage　our　endeavours；　and　point　out　to　us　how　they　may　be　best　employed；　and　with　the　greatest　probability　of　success。



AN　ACCOUNT　OF　NEW　HOLLAND　AND　THE　ADJACENT　ISLANDS。　1699…1700。　BY　CAPTAIN　WILLIAM　DAMPIER。



Having　described　his　voyage　from　Brazil　to　New　Holland；　this　celebrated　navigator　thus　proceeds：

About　the　latitude　of　26　degrees　south　we　saw　an　opening；　and　ran　in；　hoping　to　find　a　harbour　there；　but　when　we　came　to　its　mouth；　which　was　about　two　leagues　wide；　we　saw　rocks　and　foul　ground　within；　and　therefore　stood　out　again；　there　we　had　twenty　fathom　water　within　two　miles　of　the　shore：　　the　land　everywhere　appeared　pretty　low；　flat；　and　even；　but　with　steep　cliffs　to　the　sea；　and　when　we　came　near　it　there　were　no　trees；　shrubs；　or　grass　to　be　seen。　　The　soundings　in　the　latitude　of　26　degrees　south；　from　about　eight　or　nine　leagues　off　till　you　come　within　a　league　of　the　shore；　are　generally　about　forty　fathoms；　differing　but　little；　seldom　above　three　or　four　fathoms；　but　the　lead　brings　up　very　different　sorts　of　sand；　some　coarse；　some　fine；　and　of　several　colours；　as　yellow；　white；　grey；　brown；　bluish；　and　reddish。

When　I　saw　there　was　no　harbour　here；　nor　good　anchoring；　I　stood　off　to　sea　again　in　the　evening　of　the　2nd　of　August；　fearing　a　storm　on　a　lee…shore；　in　a　place　where　there　was　no　shelter；　and　desiring　at　least　to　have　sea…room；　for　the　clouds　began　to　grow　thick　in　the　western…board；　and　the　wind　was　already　there　and　began　to　blow　fresh　almost　upon　the　shore；　which　at　this　place　lies　along　north…north…west　and　south…south…east。　　By　nine　o'clock　at　night　we　got　a　pretty　good　offing；　but　the　wind　still　increasing；　I　took　in　my　main…top…sail；　being　able　to　carry　no　more　sail　than　two　courses　and　the　mizen。　　At　two　in　the　morning；　August　3rd；　it　blew　very　hard；　and　the　sea　was　much　raised；　so　that　I　furled　all　my　sails　but　my　mainsail；　though　the　wind　blew　so　hard；　we　had　pretty　clear　weather　till　noon；　but　then　the　whole　sky　was　blackened　with　thick　clouds；　and　we　had　some　rain；　which　would　last　a　quarter　of　an　hour　at　a　time；　and　then　it　would　blow　very　fierce　while　the　squalls　of　rain　were　over　our　heads；　but　as　soon　as　they　were　gone　the　wind　was　by　much　abated；　the　stress　of　the　storm　being　over；　we　sounded　several　times；　but　had　no　ground　till　eight　o'clock；　August　the　4th；　in　the　evening；　and　then　had　sixty　fathom　water；　coral　ground。　　At　ten　we　had　fifty…six　fathom；　fine　sand。　　At　twelve　we　had　fifty…five　fathom；　fine　sand；　of　a　pale　bluish　colour。　　It　was　now　pretty　moderate　weather；　yet　I　made　no　sail　till　morning；　but　then　the　wind　veering　about　to　the　south…west；　I　made　sail　and　stood　to　the　north；　and　at　eleven　o'clock　the　next　day；　August　5th；　we　saw　land　again；　at　about　ten　leagues　distant。　　This　noon　we　were　in　latitude　25　degrees　30　minutes；　and　in　the　afternoon　our　cook　died；　an　old　man；　who　had　been　sick　a　great　while；　being　infirm　before　we　came　out　of　England。

The　6th　of　August；　in　the　morning；　we　saw　an　opening　in　the　land；　and　we　ran　into　it；　and　anchored　in　seven　and　a　half　fathom　water；　two　miles　from　the　shore；　clean　sand。　　It　was　somewhat　difficult　getting　in　here；　by　reason　of　many　shoals　we　met　with；　but　I　sent　my　boat　sounding　before　me。　　The　mouth　of　this　sound；　which　I　called　Shark's　Bay；　lies　in　about　25　degrees　south　latitude；　and　our　reckoning　made　its　longitude　from　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope　to　be　about　87　degrees；　which　is　less　by　one　hundred　and　ninety…five　leagues　than　is　usually　laid　down　in　our　common　draughts；　if　our　reckoning　was　right　and　our　glasses　did　not　deceive　us。　　As　soon　as　I　came　to　anchor　in　this　bay；　I　sent　my　boat　ashore　to　seek　for　fresh　water；　but　in　the　evening　my　men　returned；　having　found　none。　　The　next　morning　I　went　ashore　myself；　carrying　pickaxes　and　shovels　with　me；　to　dig　for　water；　and　axes　to　cut　wood。　　We　tried　in　several　places　for　water；　but　finding　none　after　several　trials；　nor　in　several　miles　compass；　we　left　any　further　search　for　it；　and　spending　the　rest　of　the　day　in　cutting　wood；　we　went　aboard　at　night。

The　land　is　of　an　indifferent　height；　so　that　it　may　be　seen　nine　or　ten　leagues　off。　　It　appears　at　a　distance　very　even；　but　as　you　come　nigher　you　find　there　are　many　gentle　risings；　though　none　steep　or　high。　　It　is　all　a　steep　shore　against　the　open　sea；　but　in　this　bay　or　sound　we　were　now　in；　the　land　is　low　by　the　seaside；　rising　gradually　in　with　the　land。　　The　mould　is　sand　by　the　seaside；　producing　a　large　sort　of　samphire；　which　bears　a　white　flower。　　Farther　in　the　mould　is　reddish；　a　sort　of　sand；　producing　some　grass；　plants；　and　shrubs。　　The　grass　grows　in　great　tufts　as　big　as　a　bushel；　here　and　there　a　tuft；　being　intermixed　with　much　heath；　much　of　the　kind　we　have　growing　on　our　commons　in　England。　Of　trees　or　shrubs　here　are　divers　sorts；　but　none　above　ten　feet　high；　their　bodies　about　three　feet　about；　and　five　or　six　feet　high　before　you　come　to　the　branches；　which　are　bushy；　and　composed　of　small　twigs　there　spreading　abroad；　though　thick　set　and　full　of　leaves；　which　were　mostly　long　and　narrow。　　The　colour　of　the　leaves　was　on　one　side　whitish；　and　on　the　other　green；　and　the　bark　of　the　trees　was　generally　of　the　same　colour　with　the　leaves；　of　a　pale　green。　　Some　of　these　trees　were　sweet…scented；　and　reddish　within　the　bark；　like　sassafras；　but　redder。　　Most　of　the　trees　and　shrubs　had　at　this　time　either　blossoms　or　berries　on　them。　　The　blossoms　of　the　different　sorts　of　trees　were　of　several　colours；　as　red；　white；　yellow；　etc。；　but　mostly　blue；　and　these　generally　smelt　very　sweet　and　fragrant；　as　did　some　also　of　the　rest。　　There　were　also　besides　some　plants；　herbs；　and　tall　flowers；　some　very　small　flowers　growing　on　the　ground；　that　were　sweet　and　beautiful；　and；　for　the　most　part；　unlike　any　I　had　seen　elsewhere。

There　were　but　few　land　fowls。　　We　saw　none　but　eagles　of　the　larger　sorts　of　birds；　but　five　or　six　sorts　of　small　birds。　　The　biggest　sort　of　these　were　not　bigger　than　larks；　some　no　bigger　than　wrens；　all　singing　with　great　variety　of　fine　shrill　notes；　and　we　saw　some　of　their　nests　with　young　ones　in　them。　　The　water…fowls　are　ducks　（which　had　young　ones　now；　this　being　the　beginning　of　the　spring　in　these　parts）；　curlews；　galdens；　crab…catchers；　cormorants；　gulls；　pelicans；　and　some　water…fowl；　such　as　I　have　not　seen　anywhere　besides。

The　land　animals　that　we　saw　here　were　only　a　sort　of　raccoons；　different　from　those　of　the　West　Indies；　chiefly　as　to　their　legs；　for　these　have　very　short　forelegs；　but　go　jumping　upon　them　as　the　others　do　（and　like　them　are　very　good　meat）；　and　a　sort　of　guanos；　of　the　same　shape　and　size　with　other　guanos　described；　but　differing　from　them　in　three　remarkable　particulars；　for　these　had　a　larger　and　uglier　head；　and　had　no　tail；　and　at　the　rump；　instead　of　the　tail　there；　they　had　a　stump　of　a　tail；　which　appeared　like　another　head；　but　not　really　such；　being　without　mouth　or　eyes；　yet　this　creature　seemed　by　this　means　to　have　a　head　at　each　end；　and；　which　may　be　reckoned　a　fourth　difference；　the　legs　also　seemed　all　four　of　them　to　be　fore…legs；　being　all　alike　in　shape　and　length；　and　seeming　by　the　joints　and　bending　to　be　made　as　if　they　were　to　go　indifferently　either　head　or　tail　foremost。　　They　were　speckled　black　and　yellow　like　toads；　and　had　scales　or　knobs　on　their　backs　like　those　of　crocodiles；　plated　on　to　the　skin；　or　stuck　into　it；　as　part　of　the　skin。　　They　are　very　slow　in　motion；　and　when　a　man　comes　nigh　them　they　will　stand　still　and　hiss；　not　endeavouring　to　get　away。　　Their　livers　are　also　spotted　black　and　yellow；　and　the　body；　when　opened；　hath　a　very　unsavoury　smell。　　I　did　never　see　such　ugly　creatures　anywhere　but　here。　　The　guanos　I　have　observed　to　be　very　good　meat；　and　I　have　often　eaten　of　them　with　pleasure