The Island Also Produces Lemons, And Has Plenty Of
Oxen, Cows, Goats, And Hogs, Which The Negroes Bartered For Salt.
On the
S.E. part of the island there is a good watering-place, but difficult to
find, which is commanded by a stone breast-work, whence the negroes
might greatly annoy any who attempted to water by force.
They grow here
some cotton, which is sent to Portugal. The natives are treacherous, and
require to be cautiously dealt with.
The fleet left Annobon on the 4th November, and on the 6th January,
1624, they were in lat. 44 deg. 40' S. where they saw many sea-gulls, and
much herbage floating on the water, whence they supposed themselves near
the continent of South America. On the 19th the sea appeared as red as
blood, proceeding from an infinite quantity of a small species of
shrimps. On the 28th they lost sight of their bark, in which were
eighteen men, three of them Portuguese. These people, as they afterwards
learnt, having in vain endeavoured to rejoin the fleet, determined to
return to Holland. Being in want of water, they sailed up the Rio de la
Plata till they came into fresh water, after which they continued their
voyage, suffering incredible hardships, and the utmost extremity of
want, till they arrived on the coast of England, where they ran their
vessel on shore to escape a privateer belonging to Dunkirk, and
afterward got back to Holland.
The 1st February the fleet came in sight of land, being Cape de
Pennas.[135] Next day they found themselves at the mouth of the straits.
This is easily distinguished, as the country on the east, called Saten
Land, is mountainous, but broken and very uneven; while that on the
west, called Maurice Land by the Dutch, or Terra del Fuego, has
several small round hills close to the shore. The 6th they had sight of
Cape Horn; and on the 11th, being in lat. 58 deg. 30' S. they had
excessively cold weather, which the people were ill able to bear, being
on short allowance. On the 16th they were in lat. 56 deg. 10' S. Cape Horn
being then to the east of them, and anchored on the 17th in a large bay,
which they named Nassau bay.[136] Another bay was discovered on the
18th, in which there was good anchorage, with great convenience for
wooding and watering, and which they called Schapenham's bay, after the
name of their vice-admiral.
[Footnote 135: This seems to be what is now called Cape St Vincent, at
the W. side of the entrance into the Straits of Le Maire. - E.]
[Footnote 136: The centre of Nassau bay is in lat. 55 deg. 30' N. long. 68 deg.
20' W. This bay is formed between Terra del Fuego on the north, and
Hermite's island south by east, the south-eastern extreme point of which
is Cape Horn. This island appears to have been named after admiral Le
Hermite. - E.]
On the 23d a storm arose with such violence that nineteen men belonging
to the Eagle were compelled to remain on shore; and next day, when the
boats were able to go for them, only two of these men were left alive,
the savages having come upon them in the dark, and knocked seventeen of
them on the head with their slings and wooden clubs, the poor Dutchmen
being all unarmed, and not having offered the least injury or insult to
the savages. Only five of the dead bodies were found on the shore, which
were strangely mangled, all the rest having been carried away by the
savages, as it was supposed, to eat them. After this, every boat that
went ashore carried eight or ten soldiers for their security; but none
of the savages ever appeared again.
The vice-admiral went on the 25th in the Greyhound to visit the coast.
On his return he reported to the admiral, that he found the Terra del
Fuego divided into several islands, and that it was by no means
necessary to double Cape Horn in order to get into the South Sea, as
they might pass out from Nassau bay to the west into the open sea,
leaving Cape Horn on the south. He apprehended also, that there were
several passages from Nassau bay leading into the Straits of Magellan.
The greatest part of the Terra del Fuego is mountainous, but
interspersed with many fine vallies and meadows, and watered by numerous
streams or rivulets, descending from the hills. Between the islands
there are many good roads, where large fleets may anchor in safety, and
where there is every desirable convenience for taking in wood, water,
and ballast. The winds, which rage here more than in any other country,
and with inexpressible violence, blow constantly from the west, for
which reason such ships as are bound westerly ought to avoid this coast
as much as possible, keeping as far south as they can, where they are
likely to meet with southerly winds to facilitate their westerly course.
The inhabitants of the Terra del Fuego are as fair as any Europeans, as
was concluded by seeing a young child; but the grown-up people disguise
themselves strangely, painting themselves with a red earth after many
fanciful devices, some having their heads, others their arms, their legs
and thighs red, and other parts of their bodies white. Many of them have
one half of their bodies red, from the forehead to the feet, and the
other side white. They are all strong made and well-proportioned, and
generally about the same stature with Europeans. Their hair is black,
which they wear long, thick, and bushy, to make them the more frightful.
They have good teeth, but very thin, and as sharp as the edge of a
knife. The men go entirely naked, and the women have only a piece of
skin about their waists, which is very surprising, considering the
severity of the climate.
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