early australian voyages-第2部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


r　being　surrounded　with　rocks　and　shoals；　the　ship　was　continually　striking。

They　then　resolved　to　cut　away　the　main…mast；　which　they　did；　and　this　augmented　the　shock；　neither　could　they　get　clear　of　it；　though　they　cut　it　close　by　the　board；　because　it　was　much　entangled　within　the　rigging；　they　could　see　no　land　except　an　island　which　was　about　the　distance　of　three　leagues；　and　two　smaller　islands；　or　rather　rocks；　which　lay　nearer。　　They　immediately　sent　the　master　to　examine　them；　who　returned　about　nine　in　the　morning；　and　reported　that　the　sea　at　high　water　did　not　cover　them；　but　that　the　coast　was　so　rocky　and　full　of　shoals　that　it　would　be　very　difficult　to　land　upon　them；　they　resolved；　however；　to　run　the　risk；　and　to　send　most　of　their　company　on　shore　to　pacify　the　women；　children；　sick　people；　and　such　as　were　out　of　their　wits　with　fear；　whose　cries　and　noise　served　only　to　disturb　them。　　About　ten　o'clock　they　embarked　these　in　their　shallop　and　skiff；　and；　perceiving　their　vessel　began　to　break；　they　doubled　their　diligence；　they　likewise　endeavoured　to　get　their　bread　up；　but　they　did　not　take　the　same　care　of　the　water；　not　reflecting　in　their　fright　that　they　might　be　much　distressed　for　want　of　it　on　shore；　and　what　hindered　them　most　of　all　was　the　brutal　behaviour　of　some　of　the　crew　that　made　themselves　drunk　with　wine；　of　which　no　care　was　taken。　　In　short；　such　was　their　confusion　that　they　made　but　three　trips　that　day；　carrying　over　to　the　island　180　persons；　twenty　barrels　of　bread；　and　some　small　casks　of　water。　　The　master　returned　on　board　towards　evening；　and　told　the　captain　that　it　was　to　no　purpose　to　send　more　provisions　on　shore；　since　the　people　only　wasted　those　they　had　already。　　Upon　this　the　captain　went　in　the　shallop；　to　put　things　in　better　order；　and　was　then　informed　that　there　was　no　water　to　be　found　upon　the　island；　he　endeavoured　to　return　to　the　ship　in　order　to　bring　off　a　supply；　together　with　the　most　valuable　part　of　their　cargo；　but　a　storm　suddenly　arising；　he　was　forced　to　return。

The　next　day　was　spent　in　removing　their　water　and　most　valuable　goods　on　shore；　and　afterwards　the　captain　in　the　skiff；　and　the　master　in　the　shallop；　endeavoured　to　return　to　the　vessel；　but　found　the　sea　run　so　high　that　it　was　impossible　to　get　on　board。　In　this　extremity　the　carpenter　threw　himself　out　of　the　ship；　and　swam　to　them；　in　order　to　inform　them　to　what　hardships　those　left　in　the　vessel　were　reduced；　and　they　sent　him　back　with　orders　for　them　to　make　rafts；　by　tying　the　planks　together；　and　endeavour　on　these　to　reach　the　shallop　and　skiff；　but　before　this　could　be　done；　the　weather　became　so　rough　that　the　captain　was　obliged　to　return；　leaving；　with　the　utmost　grief；　his　lieutenant　and　seventy　men　on　the　very　point　of　perishing　on　board　the　vessel。　　Those　who　were　got　on　the　little　island　were　not　in　a　much　better　condition；　for；　upon　taking　an　account　of　their　water；　they　found　they　had　not　above　40　gallons　for　40　people；　and　on　the　larger　island；　where　there　were　120；　their　stock　was　still　less。　　Those　on　the　little　island　began　to　murmur；　and　to　complain　of　their　officers；　because　they　did　not　go　in　search　of　water；　in　the　islands　that　were　within　sight　of　them；　and　they　represented　the　necessity　of　this　to　Captain　Pelsart；　who　agreed　to　their　request；　but　insisted　before　he　went　to　communicate　his　design　to　the　rest　of　the　people；　they　consented　to　this；　but　not　till　the　captain　had　declared　that；　without　the　consent　of　the　company　on　the　large　is　land；　he　would；　rather　than　leave　them；　go　and　perish　on　board　the　ship。　　When　they　were　got　pretty　near　the　shore；　he　who　commanded　the　boat　told　the　captain　that　if　he　had　anything　to　say；　he　must　cry　out　to　the　people；　for　that　they　would　not　suffer　him　to　go　out　of　the　boat。　　The　captain　immediately　attempted　to　throw　himself　overboard　in　order　to　swim　to　the　island。　　Those　who　were　in　the　boat　prevented　him；　and　all　that　he　could　obtain　from　them　was；　to　throw　on　shore　his　table…book；　in　which　line　wrote　a　line　or　two　to　inform　them　that　he　was　gone　in　the　skiff　to　look　for　water　in　the　adjacent　islands。

He　accordingly　coasted　them　all　with　the　greatest　care；　and　found　in　most　of　them　considerable　quantities　of　water　in　the　holes　of　the　rocks；　but　so　mixed　with　the　sea…water　that　it　was　unfit　for　use；　and　therefore　they　were　obliged　to　go　farther。　　The　first　thing　they　did　was　to　make　a　deck　to　their　boat；　because　they　found　it　was　impracticable　to　navigate　those　seas　in　an　open　vessel。　　Some　of　the　crew　joined　them　by　the　time　the　work　was　finished；　and　the　captain　having　obtained　a　paper；　signed　by　all　his　men；　importing　that　it　was　their　desire　that　he　should　go　in　search　of　water；　he　immediately　put　to　sea；　having　first　taken　an　observation　by　which　he　found　they　were　in　the　latitude　of　28　degrees　13　minutes　south。　They　had　not　been　long　at　sea　before　they　had　sight　of　the　continent；　which　appeared　to　them　to　lie　about　sixteen　miles　north　by　west　from　the　place　they　had　suffered　shipwreck。　　They　found　about　twenty…five　or　thirty　fathoms　water；　and　as　night　drew　on；　they　kept　out　to　sea；　and　after　midnight　stood　in　for　the　land；　that　they　might　be　near　the　coast　in　the　morning。　　On　the　9th　of　June　they　found　themselves　as　they　reckoned；　about　three　miles　from　the　shore；　on　which　they　plied　all　that　day；　sailing　sometimes　north；　sometimes　west；　the　country　appearing　low；　naked；　and　the　coast　excessively　rocky；　so　that　they　thought　it　resembled　the　country　near　Dover。　　At　last　they　saw　a　little　creek；　into　which　they　were　willing　to　put；　because　it　appeared　to　have　a　sandy　bottom；　but　when　they　attempted　to　enter　it；　the　sea　ran　so　high　that　they　were　forced　to　desist。

On　the　10th　they　remained　on　the　same　coast；　plying　to　and　again；　as　they　had　done　the　day　before；　but　the　weather　growing　worse　and　worse；　they　were　obliged　to　abandon　their　shallop；　and　even　throw　part　of　their　breath　overboard；　because　it　hindered　them　from　clearing　themselves　of　the　water；　which　their　vessel　began　to　make　very　fast。　　That　night　it　rained　most　terribly；　which；　though　it　gave　them　much　trouble；　afforded　them　hopes　that　it　would　prove　a　great　relief　to　the　people　they　had　left　behind　them　on　the　islands。　The　wind　began　to　sink　on　the　11th；　and　as　it　blew　from　the　west…　south…west；　they　continued　their　course　to　the　north；　the　sea　running　still　so　high　that　it　was　impossible　to　approach　the　shore。　On　the　12th；　they　had　an　observation；　by　which　they　found　themselves　in　the　latitude　of　27　degrees；　they　sailed　with　a　south…east　wind　all　that　day　along　the　coast；　which　they　found　so　steep　that　there　was　no　getting　on　shore；　inasmuch　as　there　was　no　creek　or　low　land　without　the　rocks；　as　is　commonly　observed　on　seacoasts；　which　gave　them　the　more　pain　because　within　land　the　country　appeared　very　fruitful　and　pleasant。　　They　found　themselves　on　the　13th　in　the　latitude　of　25　degrees　40　minutes；　by　which　they　discovered　that　the　current　set　to　the　north。　　They　were　at　this　time　over　against　an　opening；　the　coast　lying　to　the　north…east；　they　continued　a　north　course；　but　found　the　coast　one　continued　rock　of　red　colour　all　of　a　height；　against　which　the　waves　broke　with　such　force　that　it　was　impossible　for　them　to　land。

The　wind　blew　very　fresh　in　the　morning　on　the　14th；　but　towards　noon　it　fell　calm；　they　were　then　in　the　height　of　24　degrees；　with　a　small　gale　at　east；　but　the　tide　still　carried　them　further　north　than　they　desired；　because　their　design　was　to　make　a　descent　as　soon　as　possible；　and　with　this　view　they　sailed　slowly　along　the　coast；　till；　perceiving　a　great　deal　of　smoke　at　a　distance；　they　rowed　towards　it　as　fast　as　they　were　able；　in　hopes　of　finding　men；　and　water；　of　course。　　When　they　came　near　the　shore；　they　found　it　so　steep；　so　full　of　rocks；　and　the　sea　beating　over　them　with　such　fury；　that　it　was　impossible　to　land。　　Six　of　the　men；　however；　trusting　to　their　skill　in　swimming；　threw　themselves　into　the　sea　and　resolved　to　get　on　shore　at　any　rate；　which　with　great　difficulty　and　danger　they　at　last　effected；　the　boat　remaining　at　anchor　in　twenty…five　fathoms　water。　　The　men　on　shore　spent　the　whole　day　in　looking　for　water；　and　while　they　were　thus　employed；　they　saw　four　men；　who　came　up　very　near；　but　one　of　the　Dutch　sailors　advancing　towards　them；　they　immediately　ran　away　as　fast　as　they　were　able；　so　that　they　were　distinctly　seen　by　those　in　the　boat。　　These　people　were　black　savages；　quite　naked；　not　having　so　much　as　any　covering　about　their　middle。　　The　sailors；　finding　no　hopes　of　water　on　all　the　coast；　swam　on　board　again；　much　hurt　and　wounded　by　their　being　beat　by　the　waves　upon　the　rocks；　and　as　soon　as　they　were　on　board；　they　weighed　anchor；　and　continued　their　course　along　the　shore；　in　hopes　of　finding　some　better　landing…　place。

On　the　25th；　in　the　morning；　they　discovered　a　cape；　from　the　point　of　which　there　ran　a　ridge　of　rocks　a　mile　into　the　sea；　and　behind　it　another　ridge　of　rocks。　　They　ventured　between　them；　as　the　sea　was　pretty　calm；　but　finding　there　was　no　passage；　they　soon　returned。　　About　noon　they　saw　another　opening；　and　the　sea　being　still　very　smooth；　they　entered　it；　though　the　passage　was　very　dangerous；　inasmuch　as　they　had　but　two　feet　water；　and　the　bottom　full　of　stones；　the　coast　appearing　a　flat　sand　for　about　a　mile。　As　soon　as　they　got　on　shore　they　fell　to　digging　in　the　sand；　but　the　water　that　came　into　their　wells　was　so　brackish　that　they　could　not　drink　it；　though　they　were　on　the　very　point　of　choking　for　thirst。　　At　last；　in　the　hollows　of　the　rocks；　they　met　with　considerable　quantities　of　rain…water；　which　was　a　great　relief　to　them；　since　they　had　been　for　some　days　at　no　better　allowance　than　a　pint　a…piece。　　They　soon　furnished　themselves　in　the　night　with　about　eighty　gallons；　perceiving；　in　the　place　where　they　landed；　that　the　savages　had　been　there　lately；　by　a　large　heap　of　ashes　and　the　remains　of　some　cray…fish。

On　the　16th；　in　the　morning；　they　returned　on　shore；　in　hopes　of　getting　more　water；　but　were　disappointed；　and　having　now　time　to　observe　the　country；　it　gave　them　no　great　hopes　of　better　success；　even　if　they　had　tra