That Day
We Had Sight Of The Cape Of Good Hope, 15 Or 16 Leagues From Hence.
We
refreshed ourselves excellently at Saldanha bay, where we took in about
400 cattle, as oxen, steers, sheep, and lambs; with fowls, plenty of
fish of various kinds, and fresh water.
At Penguin island, five or six
leagues from the land, there are abundance of the birds of that name,
and infinite numbers of seals. With these latter animals we filled our
boat twice, and made train-oil for our lamps. From this island we took
off six fat sheep, left there by the Hollanders for a pinnace which we
met 200 leagues from the Cape, and left six bullocks in their stead. On
our first arrival at Saldanha bay, we set up our pinnace, which we
launched on the 5th September, and in six or eight days after she was
rigged and fit for sea.
[Footnote 274: Jones observes, that after passing the line, they fell in
with the trade-wind, which blows continually between S.E. and S.E. by
E. the farther one goes to the southwards, finding it still more
easterly, all the way between the line and the tropic of Capricorn. This
almost intolerable obstacle to the outward-bound India voyage, was
afterwards found easy to be avoided, by keeping a course to the
westward, near the coast of Brazil.
Jones likewise mentions, that on the 11th June, when in lat. 26 deg. S. they
overtook a carak, called the Nave Palma, bound for India; which was
afterwards lost on the coast of Sofala, within twelve leagues of
Mozambique. - E.]
The natives of the country about Saldanha bay are a very beastly people,
especially in their feeding; for I have seen them eat the guts and
garbage, dung and all. They even eat the seals which we had cast into
the river, after they had lain fourteen days, being then full of
maggots, and stinking most intolerably. We saw here several signs of
wild beasts, some so fierce, that when we found their dens, we durst
neither enter nor come near them. The natives brought down to us
ostrich eggs, some of the shells being empty, with a small hole at one
end; also feathers of the same bird, and porcupine quills, which they
bartered for our commodities, being especially desirous of iron,
esteeming old pieces of that metal far beyond gold or silver.
Early on the 20th September,[275] we came out of the bay and set sail;
and that night, being very dark and windy, we lost sight of the Union
and our pinnace, called the Good Hope. The Union put out her ensign
about five o'clock p.m. for what reason we never knew, and lay too all
that night. We proceeded next day, and having various changes of wind,
with frequent calms, we came on the 27th October to the latitude of 26 deg.
S. nearly in the parallel of St Lawrence. Continuing our course with
similar weather, we descried two or three small islands on the 22d
November in the morning, and that afternoon came to another off a very
high land, called Comoro.[276] Sending our boat ashore on the 24th, the
people met five or six of the natives, from whom they bought plantains.
The 25th, by the aid of our boat towing the ship between two islands, as
the wind would not serve, we came to anchor in the evening near the
shore of Comoro, in between 17 and 20 fathoms water.
[Footnote 275: Jones says the 25th, and that the subsequent storm, on
the 26th, in which they lost sight of the Union and the pinnace, was so
violent as to split their fore-course. - E.]
[Footnote 276: According to Jones, they wished to have passed to the
south of Madagascar, making what is now called the outer and usual
passage, but could not, and were forced to take the channel of
Mozambique. - E.]
The boat was sent ashore on the 26th with a present for the king, in
charge of our factor, Mr Jordan, consisting of two knives, a sash or
turban, a looking-glass and a comb, the whole about 15s. value. The king
received these things very scornfully, and gave them to one of his
attendants, hardly deigning them a look: Yet he told Mr Jordan, that if
our general would come ashore, he might have any thing the country
afforded, and he bowed to him very courteously on taking leave. It
appears the king had examined the present afterwards, and been better
pleased with it, for he sent off a bullock to our general in the
afternoon, when the messenger seemed highly gratified by receiving two
penny knives. Next day, the general went ashore with twelve attendants,
carrying a small banquet as a present to the king, consisting of a box
of marmalade, a barrel of suckets, and some wine. These were all tasted
by the English in the king's presence, who touched nothing, but his
nobles both eat and drank. The general had some discourse with the king,
by means of an interpreter, concerning our wants; and understood that he
had some dealings with the Portuguese, which language the king could
speak a little. The king had determined on the 28th to have gone aboard
the Ascension, but we were told by the interpreter, that his council and
the common people would not allow him.
I went ashore on the 29th with the master, Mr Tindall and Mr Jordan, and
all the trumpeters. We were kindly received at the water-side by the
interpreter, who conducted us to the king, who was then near his
residence, and bowed very courteously on our approach. His guard
consisted of six or eight men, with sharp knives a foot long, and as
broad as hatchets, who went next his person. Besides these, several
persons went before and many behind, for his defence. The natives seem
very civil, kind, and honest; for one of our sailors having left his
sword, one of the natives found it and brought it to the king, who,
perceiving that it belonged to one of the English, told him he should be
assuredly put to death, if he had come by it otherwise than he declared.
Next day, on going ashore, the interpreter returned the sword, and told
us what the king had said on the occasion.
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