From That Time To The Next Morning We Had Fair Clear Weather,
And A Fine Moderate Gale From South-East To East-By-North:
But at
daybreak the clouds began to fly, and it lightened very much in the
east, south-east, and north-east.
At sun-rising, the sky looked
very red in the east near the horizon, and there were many black
clouds both to the south and north of it. About a quarter of an
hour after the sun was up, there was a squall to the windward of us;
when on sudden one of our men on the forecastle called out that he
saw something astern, but could not tell what: I looked out for it,
and immediately saw a spout beginning to work within a quarter of a
mile of us, exactly in the wind: we presently put right before it.
It came very swiftly, whirling the water up in a pillar about six or
seven yards high. As yet I could not see any pendulous cloud, from
whence it might come, and was in hopes it would soon lose its force.
In four or five minutes' time it came within a cable's length of us,
and passed away to leeward, and then I saw a long pale stream coming
down to the whirling water. This stream was about the bigness of a
rainbow: the upper end seemed vastly high, not descending from any
dark cloud, and therefore the more strange to me, I never having
seen the like before. It passed about a mile to leeward of us, and
then broke. This was but a small spout, not strong nor lasting; yet
I perceived much wind in it as it passed by us. The current still
continued at north-west a little westerly, which I allowed to run a
mile per hour.
By an observation the 13th, at noon, I found myself 25 minutes to
the northward of my reckoning; whether occasioned by bad steerage, a
bad account, or a current, I could not determine; but was apt to
judge it might be a complication of all; for I could not think it
was wholly the current, the land here lying east-by-south, and west-
by-north, or a little more northerly and southerly. We had kept so
nigh as to see it, and at farthest had not been above twenty leagues
from it, but sometimes much nearer; and it is not probable that any
current should set directly off from a land. A tide indeed may; but
then the flood has the same force to strike in upon the shore, as
the ebb to strike off from it: but a current must have set nearly
along shore, either easterly or westerly; and if anything northerly
or southerly, it could be but very little in comparison of its east
or west course, on a coast lying as this doth; which yet we did not
perceive. If therefore we were deceived by a current, it is very
probable that the land is here disjoined, and that there is a
passage through to the southward, and that the land from King
William's Cape to this place is an island, separated from New Guinea
by some strait, as Nova Britannia is by that which we came through.
But this being at best but a probable conjecture, I shall insist no
farther upon it.
The 14th we passed by Scouten's Island, and Providence Island, and
found still a very strong current setting to the north-west. On the
17th we saw a high mountain on the main, that sent forth great
quantities of smoke from its top: this volcano we did not see in
our voyage out. In the afternoon we discovered King William's
Island, and crowded all the sail we could to get near it before
night, thinking to lie to the eastward of it till day, for fear of
some shoals that lie at the west end of it. Before night we got
within two leagues of it, and having a fine gale of wind and a light
moon, I resolved to pass through in the night, which I hoped to do
before twelve o'clock, if the gale continued; but when we came
within two miles of it, it fell calm: yet afterwards by the help of
the current, a small gale, and our boat, we got through before day.
In the night we had a very fragrant smell from the island. By
morning light we were got two leagues to the westward of it; and
then were becalmed all the morning; and met such whirling tides,
that when we came into them, the ship turned quite round: and
though sometimes we had a small gale of wind, yet she could not feel
the helm when she came into these whirlpools: neither could we get
from amongst them, till a brisk gale sprang up: yet we drove not
much any way, but whirled round like a top. And those whirlpools
were not constant to one place but drove about strangely: and
sometimes we saw among them large ripplings of the water, like great
over-falls making a fearful noise. I sent my boat to sound, but
found no ground.
The 18th Cape Mabo bore south, distance nine leagues; by which
account it lies in the latitude of 50 minutes south, and meridian
distance from Cape St. George one thousand two hundred and forty-
three miles. St. John's Isle lies forty-eight miles to the east of
Cape St. George; which being added to the distance between Cape St.
George and Cape Mabo, makes one thousand two hundred and ninety-one
meridional parts; which was the furthest that I was to the east. In
my outward-bound voyage I made meridian distance between Cape Mabo
and Cape St. George, one thousand two hundred and ninety miles; and
now in my return, but one thousand two hundred and forty-three;
which is forty-seven short of my distance going out.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 49 of 50
Words from 49684 to 50686
of 50938
