early australian voyages-第16部分

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here。　　The　guanos　I　have　observed　to　be　very　good　meat；　and　I　have　often　eaten　of　them　with　pleasure；　but　though　I　have　eaten　of　snakes；　crocodiles；　and　alligators；　and　many　creatures　that　look　frightfully　enough；　and　there　are　but　few　I　should　have　been　afraid　to　eat　of　if　pressed　by　hunger；　yet　I　think　my　stomach　would　scarce　have　served　to　venture　upon　these　New　Holland　guanos；　both　the　looks　and　the　smell　of　them　being　so　offensive。

The　sea…fish　that　we　saw　here　（for　here　was　no　river；　land　or　pond　of　fresh　water　to　be　seen）　are　chiefly　sharks。　　There　are　abundance　of　them　in　this　particular　sound；　that　I　therefore　gave　it　the　name　of　Shark's　Bay。　　Here　are　also　skates；　thornbacks；　and　other　fish　of　the　ray　kind　（one　sort　especially　like　the　sea…devil）；　and　gar…fish；　bonetas；　etc。　　Of　shell…fish　we　got　here　mussels；　periwinkles；　limpets；　oysters；　both　of　the　pearl　kind　and　also　eating　oysters；　as　well　the　common　sort　as　long　oysters；　besides　cockles；　etc。　　The　shore　was　lined　thick　with　many　other　sorts　of　very　strange　and　beautiful　shells　for　variety　of　colour　and　shape；　most　finely　spotted　with　red；　black；　or　yellow；　etc。；　such　as　I　have　not　seen　anywhere　but　at　this　place。　　I　brought　away　a　great　many　of　them；　but　lost　all　except　a　very　few；　and　those　not　of　the　best。

There　are　also　some　green　turtle　weighing　about　two　hundred　pounds。　Of　these　we　caught　two；　which　the　water　ebbing　had　left　behind　a　ledge　of　rock　which　they　could　not　creep　over。　　These　served　all　my　company　two　days；　and　they　were　indifferent　sweet　meat。　　Of　the　sharks　we　caught　a　great　many；　which　our　men　ate　very　savourily。　Among　them　we　caught　one　which　was　eleven　feet　long。　　The　space　between　its　two　eyes　was　twenty　inches；　and　eighteen　inches　from　one　corner　of　his　mouth　to　the　other。　　Its　maw　was　like　a　leather　sack；　very　thick；　and　so　tough　that　a　sharp　knife　could　scarce　cut　it；　in　which　we　found　the　head　and　bones　of　a　hippopotamus；　the　hairy　lips　of　which　were　still　sound　and　not　putrified；　and　the　jaw　was　also　firm；　out　of　which　we　plucked　a　great　many　teeth；　two　of　them　eight　inches　long　and　as　big　as　a　man's　thumb；　small　at　one　end；　and　a　little　crooked；　the　rest　not　above　half　so　long。　　The　maw　was　full　of　jelly；　which　stank　extremely。　　However；　I　saved　for　awhile　the　teeth　and　the　shark's　jaw。　　The　flesh　of　it　was　divided　among　my　men；　and　they　took　care　that　no　waste　should　be　made　of　it。

It　was　the　7th　of　August　when　we　came　into　Shark's　Bay；　in　which　we　anchored　at　three　several　places；　and　stayed　at　the　first　of　them　（on　the　west　side　of　the　bay）　till　the　11th；　during　which　time　we　searched　about；　as　I　said；　for　fresh　water；　digging　wells；　but　to　no　purpose。　　However；　we　cut　good　store　of　firewood　at　this　first　anchoring…place；　and　my　company　were　all　here　very　well　refreshed　with　raccoons；　turtle；　shark；　and　other　fish；　and　some　fowls；　so　that　we　were　now　all　much　brisker　than　when　we　came　in　hither。　　Yet　still　I　was　for　standing　farther　into　the　bay；　partly　because　I　had　a　mind　to　increase　my　stock　of　fresh　water；　which　was　begun　to　be　low；　and　partly　for　the　sake　of　discovering　this　part　of　the　coast。　I　was　invited　to　go　further　by　seeing　from　this　anchoring…place　all　open　before　me；　which　therefore　I　designed　to　search　before　I　left　the　bay。　　So　on　the　11th　about　noon　I　steered　further　in；　with　an　easy　sail；　because　we　had　but　shallow　water。　　We　kept；　therefore；　good　looking　out　for　fear　of　shoals；　sometimes　shortening；　sometimes　deepening　the　water。　　About　two　in　the　afternoon　we　saw　the　land　ahead　that　makes　the　south　of　the　bay；　and　before　night　we　had　again　sholdings　from　that　shore；　and　therefore　shortened　sail　and　stood　off　and　on　all　night；　under　two　topsails；　continually　sounding；　having　never　more　than　ten　fathom；　and　seldom　less　than　seven。　　The　water　deepened　and　sholdened　so　very　gently；　that　in　heaving　the　lead　five　or　six　times　we　should　scarce　have　a　foot　difference。　When　we　came　into　seven　fathom　either　way；　we　presently　went　about。　From　this　south　part　of　the　bay　we　could　not　see　the　land　from　whence　we　came　in　the　afternoon；　and　this　land　we　found　to　be　an　island　of　three　or　four　leagues　long；　but　it　appearing　barren；　I　did　not　strive　to　go　nearer　it；　and　the　rather　because　the　winds　would　not　permit　us　to　do　it　without　much　trouble；　and　at　the　openings　the　water　was　generally　shoal：　　I　therefore　made　no　farther　attempts　in　this　south…west　and　south　part　of　the　bay；　but　steered　away　to　the　eastward；　to　see　if　there　was　any　land　that　way；　for　as　yet　we　had　seen　none　there。　　On　the　12th；　in　the　morning；　we　passed　by　the　north　point　of　that　land；　and　were　confirmed　in　the　persuasion　of　its　being　an　island　by　seeing　an　opening　to　the　east　of　it；　as　we　had　done　on　the　west。　　Having　fair　weather；　a　small　gale；　and　smooth　water；　we　stood　further　on　in　the　bay　to　see　what　land　was　on　the　east　of　it。　　Our　soundings　at　first　were　seven　fathom；　which　held　so　a　great　while；　but　at　length　it　decreased　to　six。　　Then　we　saw　the　land　right　ahead。　　We　could　not　come　near　it　with　the　ship；　having　but　shoal　water；　and　it　being　dangerous　lying　there；　and　the　land　extraordinarily　low；　very　unlikely　to　have　fresh　water　（though　it　had　a　few　trees　on　it；　seemingly　mangroves）；　and　much　of　it　probably　covered　at　high　water；　I　stood　out　again　that　afternoon；　deepening　the　water；　and　before　night　anchored　in　eight　fathom；　clean　white　sand；　about　the　middle　of　the　bay。　　The　next　day　we　got　up　our　anchor；　and　that　afternoon　came　to　an　anchor　once　more　near　two　islands　and　a　shoal　of　coral　rocks　that　face　the　bay。　　Here　I　scrubbed　my　ship；　and　finding　it　very　improbable　I　should　get　any　further　here；　I　made　the　best　of　my　way　out　to　sea　again；　sounding　all　the　way；　but　finding；　by　the　shallowness　of　the　water；　that　there　was　no　going　out　to　sea　to　the　east　of　the　two　islands　that　face　the　bay；　nor　between　them；　I　returned　to　the　west　entrance；　going　out　by　the　same　way　I　came　in　at；　only　on　the　east　instead　of　the　west　side　of　the　small　shoal：　　in　which　channel　we　had　ten；　twelve；　and　thirteen　fathom　water；　still　deepening　upon　us　till　we　were　out　at　sea。　　The　day　before　we　came　out　I　sent　a　boat　ashore　to　the　most　northerly　of　the　two　islands；　which　is　the　least　of　them；　catching　many　small　fish　in　the　meanwhile；　with　hook　and　line。　　The　boat's　crew　returning　told　me　that　the　isle　produces　nothing　but　a　sort　of　green；　short；　hard；　prickly　grass；　affording　neither　wood　nor　fresh　water；　and　that　a　sea　broke　between　the　two　islandsa　sign　that　the　water　was　shallow。　　They　saw　a　large　turtle；　and　many　skates　and　thornbacks；　but　caught　none。

It　was　August　the　14th　when　I　sailed　out　of　this　bay　or　sound；　the　mouth　of　which　lies；　as　I　said；　in　25　degrees　5　minutes；　designing　to　coast　along　to　the　north…east　till　I　might　commodiously　put　in　at　some　other　port　of　New　Holland。　　In　passing　out　we　saw　three　water…　serpents　swimming　about　in　the　sea；　of　a　yellow　colour　spotted　with　dark　brown　spots。　　They　were　each　about　four　foot　long；　and　about　the　bigness　of　a　man's　wrist；　and　were　the　first　I　saw　on　this　coast；　which　abounds　with　several　sorts　of　them。　　We　had　the　winds　at　our　first　coming　out　at　north；　and　the　land　lying　north…easterly。　We　plied　off　and　on；　getting　forward　but　little　till　the　next　day；　when　the　wind　coming　at　south…south…west　and　south；　we　began　to　coast　it　along　the　shore　on　the　northward；　keeping　at　six　or　seven　leagues　off　shore；　and　sounding　often；　we　had　between　forty　and　forty…six　fathom　water；　brown　sand　with　some　white　shells。　　This　15th　of　August　we　were　in　latitude　24　degrees　41　minutes。　　On　the　16th　day；　at　noon；　we　were　in　23　degrees　22　minutes。　　The　wind　coming　at　east　by　north；　we　could　not　keep　the　shore　aboard；　but　were　forced　to　go　farther　off；　and　lost　sight　of　the　land；　then　sounding；　we　had　no　ground　with　eighty…fathom　line。　　However；　the　wind　shortly　after　came　about　again　to　the　southward；　and　then　we　jogged　on　again　to　the　northward；　and　saw　many　small　dolphins　and　whales；　and　abundance　of　cuttle…shells　swimming　on　the　sea；　and　some　water…snakes　every　day。　　The　17th　we　saw　the　land　again　and　took　a　sight　of　it。

The　18th；　in　the　afternoon；　being　three　or　four　leagues　off　shore；　I　saw　a　shoal…point　stretching　from　the　land　into　the　sea　a　league　or　more；　the　sea　broke　high　on　it；　by　which　I　saw　plainly　there　was　a　shoal　there。　　I　stood　farther　off　and　coasted　along　shore　to　about　seven　or　eight　leagues　distance；　and　at　twelve　o'clock　at　night　we　sounded；　and　had　but　twenty　fathom；　hard　sand。　　By　this　I　found　I　was　upon　another　shoal；　and　so　presently　steered　off　west　half　an　hour；　and　had　then　forty　fathom。　　At　one　in　the　morning　of　the　18th　day　we　had　eighty…five　fathom；　by　two　we　could　find　no　ground；　and　then　I　ventured　to　steer　along　shore　again　due　north；　which　is　two　points　wide　of　the　coast　（that　lies　north…north…east）；　for　fear　of　another　shoal。　　I　would　not　be　too　far　off　from　the　land；　being　desirous　to　search　into　it　wherever　I　should　find　an　opening　or　any　convenience　of　searching　about　for　water；　etc。　　When　we　were　off　the　shoal…point　I　mentioned；　where　we　had　but　twenty　fathom　water；　we　had　in　the　night　abundance　of　whales　about　the　ship；　some　ahead；　others　astern；　and　some　on　each　side；　blowing　and　making　a　very　dismal　noise；　but　when　we　came　out　again　into　deeper　water；　they　left　us；　indeed；　the　noise　that　they　made　by　blowing　and　dashing　of　the　sea　with　their　tails；　making　it　all　of　a　breach　and　foam；　was　very　dreadful　to　us；　like　the　breach　of　the　waves　in　very　shoal　water　or　among　rocks。　　The　shoal　these　whales　were　upon　had　depth　of　water　sufficient；　no　less　than　twenty　fathom；　as　I　said；　and　it　lies　in　latitude　22　degrees　22　minutes。　　The　shore　was　generally　bold　all　along。　　We　had　met　with　no　shoal　at　sea　since　the　Abrohlo　shoal；　when　we　first　fell　on　the　New　Holland　coast　in　the　latitude　of　28　degrees；　till　yesterday　in　the　afternoon　and　this　night。　　This　morning　also；　when　we　expected　by　the　draught　we　had　with　us　to　have　been　eleven　leagues　off　shore；　we　were　but　four；　so　that　either　our　draughts　were　faulty；　which　yet　hitherto　and　afterwards　we　found　true　enough　as　to　the　lying　of　the　coast；　or　else　here　was　a　tide　unknown　to　us　that　deceived　us；　though　we　had　found　very　little　of　any　tide　o