On The 1st Of November, At Four O'clock In The Morning, The Calm Was
Succeeded By A Breeze From The South.
This soon after increased to a fresh
gale, attended with hazy, rainy weather, which gave us hopes that the N.W.
winds were done; for it must be observed, that they were attended with
clear and fair weather.
We were not wanting in taking immediate advantage
of this favourable wind, by setting all our sails, and steering for Cape
Campbell, which at noon bore north, distant three or four leagues. At two
o'clock we passed the Cape, and entered the Strait with a brisk gale a-
stern, and so likely to continue that we thought of nothing less than
reaching our port the next morning. Once more we were to be deceived; at
six o'clock, being off Cloudy Bay, our favourable wind was succeeded by one
from the north, which soon after veered to N.W., and increased to a fresh
gale. We spent the night plying; our tacks proved disadvantageous; and we
lost more on the ebb than we gained on the flood. Next morning, we
stretched over for the shore of Eaheinomauwe. At sun-rise the horizon being
extraordinarily clear to leeward, we looked well out for the Adventure; but
as we saw nothing of her, judged she had got into the Sound. As we
approached the above-mentioned shore, we discovered on the east side of
Cape Teerawhitte, a new inlet I had never observed before. Being tired
with beating against the N.W. winds, I resolved to put into this place if I
found it practicable, or to anchor in the bay which lies before it. The
flood being favourable, after making a stretch off, we fetched under the
Cape, and stretched into the bay along the western shore, having from
thirty-five to twelve fathoms, the bottom everywhere good anchorage. At one
o'clock we reached the entrance of the inlet just as the tide of ebb was
making out; the wind being likewise against us, we anchored in twelve
fathoms water, the bottom a fine sand. The easternmost of the Black Rocks,
which lie on the larboard side of the entrance of the inlet, bore N. by E.,
one mile distant; Cape Teerawhitte, or the west point of the bay, west,
distant about two leagues; and the east point of the bay N. by east, four
or five miles.
Soon after we had anchored, several of the natives came off in their
canoes; two from one shore, and one from the other. It required but little
address to get three or four of them on board. These people were
extravagantly fond of nails above every other thing. To one man I gave two
cocks and two hens, which he received with so much indifference, as gave me
little hopes he would take proper care of them.[2]
We had not been at anchor here above two hours, before the wind veered to
N.E., with which we weighed; but the anchor was hardly at the bows before
it shifted to the south. With this we could but just lead out of the bay,
and then bore away for the Sound under all the sail we could set; having
the advantage, or rather disadvantage, of an increasing gale, which already
blew too hard. We hauled up into the Sound just at dark, after making two
boards, in which most of our sails were split; and anchored in eighteen
fathoms water, between the White Rocks and the N.W. shore.
The next morning the gale abated, and was succeeded by a few hours calm;
after that a breeze sprang up at N.W., with which we weighed and ran up
into Ship Cove, where we did not find the Adventure, as was expected.
[1] "The water in Dr Lind's wind-gage was depressed 8-10ths of an inch
at times." - W.
"Though we were situated under the lee of a high and mountainous
coast, yet the waves rose to a vast height, ran prodigiously long, and
were dispersed into vapour as they broke by the violence of the storm.
The whole surface of the sea was by this means rendered hazy, and as
the sun shone out in a cloudless sky, the white foam was perfectly
dazzling. The fury of the wind still increased so as to tear to pieces
the only sail which we had hitherto dared to shew, and we rolled about
at the mercy of the waves, frequently shipping great quantities of
water, which fell with prodigious force on the decks, and broke all
that stood in the way. The continual strain slackened all the rigging
and ropes in the ship, and loosened every thing, insomuch that it
gradually gave way, and presented to our eyes a general scene of
confusion. In one of the deepest rolls the arm-chest on the quarter-
deck was torn out of its place and overset, leaning against the rails
to leeward. A young gentleman, Mr Hood, who happened to be just then
to leeward of it, providentially escaped by bending down when he saw
the chest falling, so as to remain unhurt in the angle which it formed
with the rail. The confusion of the elements did not scare every bird
away from us: From time to time a black shearwater hovered over the
ruffled surface of the sea, and artfully withstood the force of the
tempest, by keeping under the lee of the high tops of the waves. The
aspect of the ocean was at once magnificent and terrific: Now on the
summit of a broad and heavy billow, we overlooked an immeasurable
expanse of sea, furrowed into numberless deep channels: Now, on a
sudden, the wave broke under us, and we plunged into a deep and dreary
valley, whilst a fresh mountain rose to windward with a foaming crest,
and threatened to overwhelm us. The night coming on was not without
new horrors, especially for those who had not been bred up to a
seafaring life.
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