early australian voyages-第4部分

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owing　that　this　piece　of　treachery　was　discovered；　went　over　the　next　morning；　with　three　or　four　of　his　people；　to　carry　to　Mr。　Weybhays　the　clothes　that　had　been　promised　him。　　As　soon　as　they　landed；　Weybhays　attacked　them；　killed　two　or　three；　and　made　Cornelis　himself　prisoner。　　One　Wonterloss；　who　was　the　only　man　that　made　his　escape；　went　immediately　back　to　the　conspirators；　put　himself　at　their　head；　and　came　the　next　day　to　attack　Weybhays；　but　met　with　the　same　fate　as　beforethat　is　to　say；　he　and　the　villains　that　were　with　him　were　soundly　beat。

Things　were　in　this　situation　when　Captain　Pelsart　arrived　in　the　Sardam　frigate。　　He　sailed　up　to　the　wreck；　and　saw　with　great　joy　a　cloud　of　smoke　ascending　from　one　of　the　islands；　by　which　he　knew　that　all　his　people　were　not　dead。　　He　came　immediately　to　an　anchor；　and　having　ordered　some　wine　and　provisions　to　be　put　into　the　skiff；　resolved　to　go　in　person　with　these　refreshments　to　one　of　these　islands。　　He　had　hardly　quitted　the　ship　before　he　was　boarded　by　a　boat　from　the　island　to　which　he　was　going。　　There　were　four　men　in　the　boat；　of　whom　Weybhays　was　one；　who　immediately　ran　to　the　captain；　told　him　what　had　happened；　and　begged　him　to　return　to　his　ship　immediately；　for　that　the　conspirators　intended　to　surprise　her；　that　they　had　already　murdered　125　persons；　and　that　they　had　attacked　him　and　his　company　that　very　morning　with　two　shallops。

While　they　were　talking　the　two　shallops　appeared；　upon　which　the　captain　rowed　to　his　ship　as　fast　as　he　could；　and　was　hardly　got　on　board　before　they　arrived　at　the　ship's　side。　　The　captain　was　surprised　to　see　men　in　red　coats　laced　with　gold　and　silver；　with　arms　in　their　hands。　　He　demanded　what　they　meant　by　coming　on　board　armed。　　They　told　him　he　should　know　when　they　were　on　board　the　ship。　　The　captain　replied　that　they　should　come　on　board；　but　that　they　must　first　throw　their　arms　into　the　sea；　which　if　they　did　not　do　immediately；　he　would　sink　them　as　they　lay。　　As　they　saw　that　disputes　were　to　no　purpose；　and　that　they　were　entirely　in　the　captain's　power；　they　were　obliged　to　obey。　　They　accordingly　threw　their　arms　overboard；　and　were　then　taken　into　the　vessel；　where　they　were　instantly　put　in　irons。　　One　of　them；　whose　name　was　John　Bremen；　and　who　was　first　examined；　owned　that　he　had　murdered　with　his　own　hands；　or　had　assisted　in　murdering；　no　less　than　twenty…　seven　persons。　　The　same　evening　Weybhays　brought　his　prisoner　Cornelis　on　board；　where　he　was　put　in　irons　and　strictly　guarded。

On　the　18th　of　September；　Captain　Pelsart；　with　the　master；　went　to　take　the　rest　of　the　conspirators　in　Cornelis's　island。　　They　went　in　two　boats。　　The　villains；　as　soon　as　they　saw　them　land；　lost　all　their　courage；　and　fled　from　them。　　They　surrendered　without　a　blow；　and　were　put　in　irons　with　the　rest。　　The　captain's　first　care　was　to　recover　the　jewels　which　Cornelis　had　dispersed　among　his　accomplices：　　they　were；　however；　all　of　them　soon　found；　except　a　gold　chain　and　a　diamond　ring；　the　latter　was　also　found　at　last；　but　the　former　could　not　be　recovered。　　They　went　next　to　examine　the　wreck；　which　they　found　staved　into　an　hundred　pieces；　the　keel　lay　on　a　bank　of　sand　on　one　side；　the　fore　part　of　the　vessel　stuck　fast　on　a　rock；　and　the　rest　of　her　lay　here　and　there　as　the　pieces　had　been　driven　by　the　waves；　so　that　Captain　Pelsart　had　very　little　hopes　of　saving　any　of　the　merchandise。　　One　of　the　people　belonging　to　Weybhays's　company　told　him　that　one　fair　day；　which　was　the　only　one　they　had　in　a　month；　as　he　was　fishing　near　the　wreck；　he　had　struck　the　pole　in　his　hand　against　one　of　the　chests　of　silver；　which　revived　the　captain　a　little；　as　it　gave　him　reason　to　expect　that　something　might　still　be　saved。　　They　spent　all　the　19th　in　examining　the　rest　of　the　prisoners；　and　in　confronting　them　with　those　who　escaped　from　the　massacre。

On　the　20th　they　sent　several　kinds　of　refreshments　to　Weybhays's　company；　and　carried　a　good　quantity　of　water　from　the　isle。　　There　was　something　very　singular　in　finding　this　water；　the　people　who　were　on　shore　there　had　subsisted　near　three　weeks　on　rainwater；　and　what　lodged　in　the　clefts　of　the　rocks；　without　thinking　that　the　water　of　two　wells　which　were　on　the　island　could　be　of　any　use；　because　they　saw　them　constantly　rise　and　fall　with　the　tide；　from　whence　they　fancied　they　had　a　communication　within　the　sea；　and　consequently　that　the　water　must　be　brackish；　but　upon　trial　they　found　it　to　be　very　good；　and　so　did　the　ship's　company；　who　filled　their　casks　with　it。

On　the　21st　the　tide　was　so　low；　and　an　east…south…east　wind　blew　so　hard；　that　during　the　whole　day　the　boat　could　not　get　out。　　On　the　22nd　they　attempted　to　fish　upon　the　wreck；　but　the　weather　was　so　bad　that　even　those　who　could　swim　very　well　durst　not　approach　it。　On　the　25th　the　master　and　the　pilot；　the　weather　being　fair；　went　off　again　to　the　wreck；　and　those　who　were　left　on　shore；　observing　that　they　wanted　hands　to　get　anything　out　of　her；　sent　off　some　to　assist　them。　　The　captain　went　also　himself　to　encourage　the　men；　who　soon　weighed　one　chest　of　silver；　and　some　time　after　another。　As　soon　as　these　were　safe　ashore　they　returned　to　their　work；　but　the　weather　grew　so　bad　that　they　were　quickly　obliged　to　desist；　though　some　of　their　divers　from　Guzarat　assured　them　they　had　found　six　more；　which　might　easily　be　weighed。　　On　the　26th；　in　the　afternoon；　the　weather　being　fair；　and　the　tide　low；　the　master　returned　to　the　place　where　the　chests　lay；　and　weighed　three　of　them；　leaving　an　anchor　with　a　gun　tied　to　it；　and　a　buoy；　to　mark　the　place　where　the　fourth　lay；　which；　notwithstanding　their　utmost　efforts；　they　were　not　able　to　recover。

On　the　27th；　the　south　wind　blew　very　cold。　　On　the　28th　the　same　wind　blew　stronger　than　the　day　before；　and　as　there　was　no　possibility　of　fishing　in　the　wreck　for　the　present；　Captain　Pelsart　held　a　council　to　consider　what　they　should　do　with　the　prisoners：　that　is　to　say；　whether　it　would　be　best　to　try　them　there　upon　the　spot；　or　to　carry　them　to　Batavia；　in　order　to　their　being　tried　by　the　Company's　officers。　　After　mature　deliberation；　reflecting　on　the　number　of　prisoners；　and　the　temptation　that　might　arise　from　the　vast　quantity　of　silver　on　board　the　frigate；　they　at　last　came　to　a　resolution　to　try　and　execute　them　there；　which　was　accordingly　done；　and　they　embarked　immediately　afterwards　for　Batavia。


REMARKS。


This　voyage　was　translated　from　the　original　Dutch　by　Thevenot；　and　printed　by　him　in　the　first　volume　of　his　collections。　　Pelsart's　route　is　traced　in　the　map　of　the　globe　published　by　Delisle　in　the　year　1700。

As　this　voyage　is　of　itself　very　short；　I　shall　not　detain　the　reader　with　many　remarks；　but　shall　confine　myself　to　a　very　few　observations；　in　order　to　show　the　consequences　of　the　discovery　made　by　Captain　Pelsart。　　The　country　upon　which　he　suffered　shipwreck　was　New　Holland；　the　coast　of　which　had　not　till　then　been　at　all　examined；　and　it　was　doubtful　how　far　it　extended。　　There　had　indeed　been　some　reports　spread　with　relation　to　the　inhabitants　of　this　country；　which　Captain　Pelsart's　relation　shows　to　have　been　false；　for　it　had　been　reported　that　when　the　Dutch　East　India　Company　sent　some　ships　to　make　discoveries；　their　landing　was　opposed　by　a　race　of　gigantic　people；　with　whom　the　Dutch　could　by　no　means　contend。　　But　our　author　says　nothing　of　the　extraordinary　size　of　the　savages　that　were　seen　by　Captain　Pelsart's　people；　from　whence　it　is　reasonable　to　conclude　that　this　story　was　circulated　with　no　other　view　than　to　prevent　other　nations　from　venturing　into　these　seas。　　It　is　also　remarkable　that　this　is　the　very　coast　surveyed　by　Captain　Dampier；　whose　account　agrees　exactly　with　that　contained　in　this　voyage。　　Now　though　it　be　true；　that　from　all　these　accounts　there　is　nothing　said　which　is　much　to　the　advantage　either　of　the　country　or　its　inhabitants；　yet　we　are　to　consider　that　it　is　impossible　to　represent　either　in　a　worse　light　than　that　in　which　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope　was　placed；　before　the　Dutch　took　possession　of　it；　and　plainly　demonstrated　that　industry　could　make　a　paradise　of　what　was　a　perfect　purgatory　while　in　the　hands　of　the　Hottentots。　　If；　therefore；　the　climate　of　this　country　be　good；　and　the　soil　fruitful；　both　of　which　were　affirmed　in　this　relation；　there　could　not　be　a　more　proper　place　for　a　colony　than　some　part　of　New　Holland；　or　of　the　adjacent　country　of　Carpentaria。　　I　shall　give　my　reasons　for　asserting　this　when　I　come　to　make　my　remarks　on　a　succeeding　voyage。　　At　present　I　shall　confine　myself　to　the　reasons　that　have　induced　the　Dutch　East　India　Company　to　leave　all　these　countries　unsettled；　after　having　first　shown　so　strong　an　inclination　to　discover　them；　which　will　oblige　me　to　lay　before　the　reader　some　secrets　in　commerce　that　have　hitherto　escaped　common　observation；　and　which；　whenever　they　are　as　thoroughly　considered　as　they　deserve；　will　undoubtedly　lead　us　to　as　great　discoveries　as　those　of　Columbus　or　Magellan。

In　order　to　make　myself　perfectly　understood；　I　must　observe　that　it　was　the　finding　out　of　the　Moluccas；　or　Spice　Islands；　by　the　Portuguese；　that　raised　that　spirit　of　discovery　which　produced　Columbus's　voyage；　which　ended　in　finding　America；　though　in　fact　Columbus　intended　rather　to　reach　this　country　of　New　Holland。　　The　assertion　is　bold；　and　at　first　sight　may　appear　improbable；　but　a　little　attention　will　make　it　so　plain；　that　the　reader　must　be　convinced　of　the　truth　of　what　I　say。　　The　proposition　made　by　Columbus　to　the　State　of　Genoa；　the　Kings　of　Portugal；　Spain；　England；　and　France；　was　this；　that　he　could　discover　a　new　route　to　the　East　Indies；　that　is　to　say；　without　going　round　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope。　　He　grounded　this　proposition　on　the　spherical　figure　of　the　earth；　from　whence　he　thought　it　self…evident　that　any　given　point　might　be　sailed　to　through　the　great　ocean；　either　by　steering　east　or　west。　　In　his　attempt　to　go　to　the　East　Indies　by　a　west　course；　he　met　with　the　islands　and　continent　of　America；　and　finding　gold　and　other　commodities；　which　till　then　had　never　been　b