C A P T A IN WA L L I S ’ s V O Y A G E
*5a
1766. diftant about four miles. At noon Cape Fairweather bore
December ^V. N. W. ^-W. diftant fix leagues, and a large hummock
S. W. i W. diftant feven leagues. At this time our lat. was
51° 52'S. long. 68° W.
At one o’clock, being about two leagues diftant from the
fhore, the extreams o f three remarkable round hills bore
from S. W. by W. to W. S. W. At four, Cape Virgin Mary
bore S. E. by S. diftant about four leagues. At eight, we were
very near the Cape, and upon the point o f it faw feveral men
riding, who made figns for us to come on Ihore. In about
half an hour we anchored in a bay, clofe under the fouth fide
o f the Cape, in ten fathom water, with a gravelly bottom.
The Swallow and ftore-fhip anchored foon after between us ■
and the Cape, which then bore N. by W. £ W. and a low
fandy point like Dungenefs S. by W. From the Cape there
runs a Ihoal, to the diftance of about ha lf a league, which
may be eafily known by the weeds that are upon it. We
found it high water at h a lf an hour after eleven, and the tide
rofe twenty feet.
The natives continued abreaft o f the {hip all night, making
feveral great fires, and frequently fhouting very loud. As
Wedaef 17. foon as it was light, on Wednefday morning the 17th, we
faw great numbers of them in motion, who made figns for
us to land. About five o’clock I made the fignal for the
boats belonging to the Swallow and the Prince Frederick to
come on board, and in the mean time hoifted out our own.
Thefe boats being all manned and armed, I took a party o f
marines, and rowed towards the fhore, having left orders
with the matter to bring the fhip’s broad-fide to bear upon
the landing place, and to keep the guns loaded with round
fhot. We reached the beach about fix o’clock, and before
we went from the boat, I made figns to the natives to retire
to
to fome diftance: they immediately complied, and I then Jt7#-
landed with the Captain of the Swallow, and feveral o f the >__j— j
officers: the marines were drawn up, and the boats were " eJner-I/’
brought to a grappling near the fhore. I then made figns to
the natives to come near, and diredted them to fit down in
a femicircle, which they did with great order and chearful-
nefs. When this was done, I diftributed among them feveral
knives, fciflars, buttons, beads, combs, and other toys,
particularly fome ribands to the women, which they received
with a very becoming mixture o f pleafure and refpecb
Having diftributed my prefents, I endeavoured to make
them underftand that I had other things which I would part
with, but for which I expedited fomewhat in return. I
fhewed them fome hatchets and bill-hooks, and pointed to
fome guanicoes, which happened to be near, and fome
oftriches which I faw dead among th em; making figns at
the fame time that I wanted to eat; but they either could
not, or would not underftand m e : for though they feemed
very defirous of the hatchets and the bill-hooks, .they did not
give the leaft intimation that they would part with any pro-
vifions; no traffic therefore was carried on between us.
Each o f thefe people, both men and women, had a horfe,
with a decent faddle, ftirrups, and bridle. The men had
wooden fpurs, except one, who had a large pair of fuch as
are worn in Spain, brafs ftirrups, and a Spanifh cimeter,
without a fcabbard; but notwithftanding thefe diftindtions,
he did not appear to have any authority over the reft: the
women had no fpurs. The horfes appeared to be well
made, and nimble,- and were about 14 hands high. The
people had alfo many dogs with them, which, as well as the
horfes, appeared to be o f a Spanifh breed.'
V ol. I. X As