Being Unable To Subsist Any Longer In That Bay, They Set
Sail On The 18th October, And Found A Better Bay About A League Farther
Within The Straits.
The 22d they were nearly destroyed by a violent
storm, but the weather became calm next day.
The constant employment of
the seamen was to go on shore in search of muscles for their sustenance
at low water, and when the tide was in to fetch wood and fresh water, so
that they had no time to dry themselves, though they kept up a good fire
continually. In short, during the whole nine months spent in these
straits, now and formerly, they scarcely had an opportunity once to dry
their sails, so frequent were the returns of rain and storms. The men
also were exposed to wet, cold, and high winds, which kept them
continually uncomfortable, and always at work. The seamen now began to
murmur, alleging there would not be enough of biscuit for their return
to Holland, if they remained here any longer. Having notice of this, de
Weert went into the bread-room, as if to examine their store; and, on
coming out, he declared, with a cheerful countenance, there was enough
of biscuit and other provisions for eight months, though in fact there
was not more than sufficient for four.
At length, on the 2d December, the wind changed to the N.E. and they
immediately weighed anchor, but could not get out into the South Sea,
owing to whirlwinds rising from between the high hills and the bottom of
the bay. The Faith was driven at one time so near the shore that a
person might have stepped ashore from her gallery, and had certainly
been lost if the wind had not abated. Next day, the storm being over,
the two ships got out of Close bay, as they called it, with the ebb, but
they never afterwards anchored together, and that day they cast anchor
at the distance of a league from each other. The 8th of December they
had a more violent storm than ever, which lasted two days, and during
which the waves rose sometimes higher than the masts. The storm abating
on the 10th, de Weert went in his boat, intending to go aboard the
Fidelity; but on doubling the point which lay between them, was
overwhelmed with grief to see no ship, nor any signs of shipwreck, so
that he thought she had foundered. Going next day farther towards a
gulf, he was rejoiced to see a mast behind a low point, where he found
the Fidelity, with which ship he had to leave his small boat to assist
in fishing for her anchors and cables, which she had lost in the late
storm. He then took his leave, returning to his own ship, little
dreaming he had taken his last farewell of Captain de Cordes.
The 10th, going ashore in the boat for victuals as usual, and having
doubled a point, they saw three canoes with savages, who went
immediately on shore, and scrambled up the mountains like monkeys. The
Dutch examined the canoes, in which were only a few young divers, some
wooden grapnels, skins of beasts, and other things of no value. Going on
shore to see if the savages had left any thing, they found a woman and
two children, who endeavoured to run away, but was taken and carried on
board, shewing few signs of fear or concern. She was of a middle size
and reddish colour, with a big belly, a fierce countenance, and her
hair close cut as if shaven, whereas the men wear their hair long. She
had a string of snail-shells about her neck by way of ornament, and a
seal's skin on her shoulders, tied round her neck with a string of gut.
The rest of her body was quite naked, and her breasts hung down like the
udders of a cow. Her mouth was very wide, her legs crooked, and her
heels very long.
This female savage would not eat any of their boiled or roasted meats,
so they gave her one of the birds they had found in the canoes. Having
pluckt off the long feathers, she opened it with a muscle shell, cutting
in the first place behind the right wing, and then above the stomach.
After that, drawing out the guts, she laid the liver a short time on the
fire, and eat it almost raw. She then cleaned the gizzard, which she eat
quite raw, as she did the body of the bird. Her children eat in the same
manner, one being a girl of four years of age, and the other a boy, who,
though only six months old, had most of his teeth, and could walk
alone.[90] The woman looked grave and serious at her meal, though the
seamen laughed heartily at her strange figure, and unusual mode of
feeding. She afterwards sat down on her heels like an ape; and she slept
all gathered up in a heap, with her infant between her arms, having her
breast in his mouth. After keeping her two days on board, de Weert set
her on shore, giving her a gown and cap, with necklace and bracelets of
glass beads. He gave her also a small mirror, a knife, a nail, an awl,
and a few other toys of small value, with which she seemed much pleased.
He cloathed the boy also, and decorated him with glass beads of all
colours; but carried the girl to Holland, where she died. The mother
seemed much concerned at parting with her daughter, yet went into the
boat without resistance or noise. She was carried to the shore, a league
west from the ship, to a place which she pointed out, where the seamen
found a fire and some utensils, which made the seamen believe that the
savages had run away on seeing the boat.
[Footnote 90: They had no means to ascertain his age, and must have
concluded him only six months old from his small size; but from his
teeth and walking alone, he was more likely to have been two years old,
and his diminutive size was probably occasioned by the miseries of the
climate, and wretchedness of every kind to which these outcasts of
nature are subjected.
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