On The 4th June We Made Cape Frio,
Bearing W. Seven Leagues Off Our Lat.
By observation, 23 deg.
41' S.[253] On
the 5th we met and spoke a ship, to which I sent Captain Hately to
enquire the news on the coast, and gave him money to buy tobacco, as the
Success had our stock on board. She was a Portuguese from Rio de Janeiro
bound to Pernambuco, and had no tobacco; but Hately had laid out my
money in unnecessary trifles, alleging they would sell for double the
money at the next port.
[Footnote 252: This island is in 27 deg. 10' S.]
[Footnote 253: Cape Frio is in 22 deg. 33' S.]
[Captain Betagh gives a very different account of this matter, asserting
that Shelvocke hoisted imperial colours and made the Portuguese ship
bring to, on which Hately went aboard with a boat's crew well armed, and
put the Portuguese captain in such a fright, that he not only sent all
sorts of refreshments on board the Speedwell, but a dozen pieces of silk
flowered with gold and silver, worth about three pounds a yard, several
dozens of China plates and basons, a Japan cabinet, and three hundred
moidores in gold; ninety-six of which were afterwards found on Hately,
when made prisoner by the Spaniards, when he had nearly been put to
death for piracy on their account.][254]
[Footnote 254: It is almost unnecessary to point out, that this
paragraph is an addition by Harris to the narrative of Shelvocke,
extracted from the journal of Betagh. - E.]
We anchored at the island of St Catharine on the 23d June, where the
carpenter went ashore with a gang to fell trees, and saw them into
planks. The captain and inhabitants of the island came off to us daily
with fresh provisions, which saved our sea-stores while we lay here. I
also bought twenty-one beeves, 200 salted drom-fish of large size, and
150 bushels of cassado meal, called by the Portuguese farina de fao.
This is about as fine as our oatmeal, and from it a very hearty food is
prepared with little trouble. I also bought 160 bushels of calavances,
partly for money at a dollar the bushel, and partly in exchange for
salt, measure for measure; and likewise provided a quantity of tobacco
for the crew.
The account given of this island by Frezier is very exact, only that he
takes no notice of an island between the island of Gall and the
continent of Brazil, nor of a reef of rocks. To arrive at the proper
anchoring place at this island of St Catharine, it is necessary to
proceed in the channel between that island and the continent till within
or near two small nameless islands, over against the northernmost of
which is the watering place on the island of St Catharine, near the
entrance of a salt-water creek, opposite to which you may safely anchor
in six or seven fathoms on fine grey sand. The isle of St Catharine is
about eight leagues and a half long, but no where exceeds two leagues
broad; and at one place the channel between it and the continent is only
a quarter of a mile broad. The island is covered all over with
impassable woods, except where cleared for the plantations. Even the
smallest island about it is covered in like manner with a great variety
of trees, between which the ground is entirely covered with thorns and
brambles, which hinder all access; and the main land of Brazil may be
justly termed a vast continued wilderness. Sassafras, so much valued in
Europe, is so common here that we laid in a good quantity for fuel. It
has great abundance of oranges, both China and Seville, lemons, citrons,
limes, bananas, cabbage-palms, melons of all sorts, and potatoes. It has
also very large and good sugar-canes, of which they make little use for
want of utensils, so that the little sugar, molasses and rum they have
is very dear. They have very little game, though the woods are full of
parrots, which are good eating. These birds always fly in pairs, though
often several hundreds in a flock. Maccaos, cockatoes, plovers, and a
variety of other birds of curious colours and various shapes, are to be
seen in abundance; particularly one somewhat larger than a thrush,
having a spur on the joint of each wing. Flamingoes are often seen here
in great numbers, of a fine scarlet colour, and appear very beautiful
while flying. This bird is about the size of a heron, and not unlike it
in shape.
The fishery is here abundant, as fish of several excellent sorts are in
great plenty, and there is the best convenience almost everywhere for
hauling the seine. All the creeks and bays are well stocked with
mullets, large rays, grantors, cavallies, and drum-fish, so named from
the noise they make when followed into shallow water, and there taken.
Some of them weigh twenty or thirty pounds each, their scales being as
large as crown pieces. The Portuguese call them moroes. The salt-water
creek formerly mentioned may be gone up three or four miles, to be near
the watering-place; and every rock or stone, even the roots of the
mangrove trees, afford a delicious small green oyster. Likewise on the
rocks at the sea-side there are sea-eggs, which resemble dock-burrs,
but usually three or four times as large, of a sea-green or purple
colour. In the inside they are divided into partitions, like oranges,
each cell containing a yellow substance, which is eaten raw, and
exceeds, in my opinion, all the shell-fish I ever tasted. They have
prawns of extraordinary size, and we sometimes caught the sea-horse in
our nets. On the savannahs of Areziliba, on the continent opposite the
southern end of St Catharine, they have great numbers of black cattle,
some of which we had from thence at a very reasonable price.
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