Neither Is The Conjecture Of The French Editor Of This Voyage
Better Founded, Who Supposes They Were So Called By
The English from a
Welsh word signifying white-head; and from which it has been argued
that these savages are
Descended from a colony of Britons, supposed to
have settled in America, about the year 1170, under Madoc, prince of
North Wales. The truth is, the name of penguin was given to these birds
by the savages.
The ship reached the greater Penguin Island on the 15th January, that
island being a league from the small one; and here they found such
abundance of these birds, that many ships might have been amply supplied
by them instead of one, for they procured above 900 of them in less than
two hours. Next day, while busy in salting the penguins, a heavy storm
came on from the N.W. by which the ship was driven out of sight of the
island, and to so great a distance that de Weert lost hopes of getting
back to it again; on which he reduced the men to an allowance of four
ounces of biscuit daily. They got back however on the 17th; but, when
going to land, a fresh storm came on with such violence, that they
resolved to weigh anchor and get out of the straits: but the sea was so
rough that they durst not attempt this, lest the capstan should fly
round. At last the anchor lost its hold; and to save the ship from being
cast away, they had to cut the cable and make sail, being in great
sorrow for the loss of their anchor, as they now had one only remaining.
Sec. 4. Voyage from the Straits to Holland.
This sad accident constrained de Weert to quit the straits, which he did
on the 21st January, having a S.W. wind, chopping sometimes round to
E.N.E. having now spent nine months in those seas, in a dangerous and
dismal condition. In the afternoon of that day, having got into the main
sea, they allowed their boat to go adrift, being rendered quite
unserviceable by the late storms. The 24th in the morning, they found
three small islands to windward, not marked in any maps, which they
named the Sebaldine Islands. These are in lat. 50 deg. 40' S. sixty
leagues from the continent,[91] and contained abundance of penguins; but
they could not catch any, having no boat. On the 1st February, a seaman
was condemned to be hanged, for having stolen a bottle of wine and a bag
of rice from the hold; and, when just about to be turned off, he was
pardoned at the intercession of the crew, on condition that they should
not again beg the life of any one found guilty of stealing provisions.
In the evening of the 3d the same person was found drunk, and
consequently must have again stolen wine, and was convicted of having
stolen both wine and victuals, for which he was now hanged, and his body
thrown into the sea.
[Footnote 91: In vol. VIII. p. 68, note 3, these Sebaldines have been
already noticed as the north-westermost of the Falklands. - E.]
They passed the line on the 15th March; and their wine being now reduced
to one pipe, that was reserved for the use of the sick, and no more was
allowed to the crew. The 28th they saw Cape Monte on the coast of
Guinea, when the captain was much displeased with the pilots, for having
steered a different course from what he had directed. The seamen also
were discontented with the captain, who would not land, because he had
no boat, and only one anchor: but, being satisfied that he had biscuit
enough for four months, at a quarter of a pound daily to each man, and
two ounces of rice, he made the ship's head be turned to seawards. In
the night of the 1st April, they discovered some fire at a distance,
thinking it were a ship; but when day broke, it was known to have been
on the shore, towards which they had been insensibly driven by the
current. By this time their whole stock of penguins was expended, and
they must have been reduced to a very small allowance of biscuit and
rice for their whole sustenance, but during five weeks that they
steered along the coast of Africa, making very little progress in
consequence of calms, they caught abundance of many kinds of fish, both
large and small. Being uncertain how long they might remain on the
coast, and fearing the want of provisions, de Weert ordered a small boat
to be built by the pilot, who had been bred a ship-carpenter. This boat
was finished in twelve days; but they had no need of her, for the wind
became fair on the 24th April, and they made sail in the direction of
the Acores.
The 3d May was held as a day of thanksgiving and prayer; and on the 21st
they passed the tropic of Cancer, catching every where such abundance of
fish, that, besides supplying their immediate wants, they salted and
dried a considerable store. On getting near the Acores, they found no
more fish, and had to use those they had dried and salted; and by this
food many distempers were produced among them, particularly the scurvy.
The men became as it were parched within, and so thirsty that they could
not be satisfied with drink; and their bodies were covered all over with
red spots, like a leprosy. The 7th, the captain was informed that some
of the men had stolen biscuit; but he durst not punish the guilty, as
they were the only vigorous and healthy men in the ship, and nothing
could be done without them.
The ship got into the English Channel on the 6th July, when the captain
landed at Dover to purchase an anchor and cable; but not being able to
procure any, he sailed again that night.
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