182
1767. returned with an account that they could find none: at nine
. M-aLrfh' ■ we had frefh gales, and at midnight Cape Upright bore
s. s. w. | w.
Tuefday 17. At feven the next morning, we took the Swallow again in
tow, but was again obliged to caft her off and tack, as the
weather became very thick, with a great fwell, and we faw
land clofe under our lee. As no place for anchorage could
be found, Captain Carteret advifed me. to bear away for Upright
bay, to which I confented; and as lie was acquainted
with the place, he went a-head : the boats were ordered to
go between him and the fhore, and we followed. At eleven
o’clock, there being little wind, we opened a large lagoon,
and a current fetting ftrongly into it, the Swallow was driven
among the breakers clofe upon the lee fhore: to aggravate
the misfortune, the weather was very hazey, there was no
anchorage, and the furf ran very high. In this dreadful
fituation fhe made fignals o f diftrefs, and we immediately
fent our launch, and other boats, to her afiiftance: the
boats took her in tow, but their utmoft efforts to fave her
would have been ineffectual, if a breeze had not fuddenly
come down from a mountain, and wafted her off.
As a great fwell came on about noon, we hauled over to
the north fhore. We foon found ourfelves furrounded with
iflands, but fhe fog was f© thick, that we knew not where
we were, nor which way to fleer. Among thefe iflands the
boats were fent-to call the lead, but no anchorage was to be
found; we then conjedtured that we were in the bay o f
iflands, and that we had no chance to efcape fliipwreck, but
by hauling diredtly o u t : this, however, was no eafy talk,
for I was obliged to tack, almofl continually, to weather
fome ifland or rock. At four o’clock in the afternoon, it
happily cleared up for a minute, juft to fhew us Cape Up-
S «gkt»
right, for which we diredlly fleered, and at ha lf an hour
after five anchored, with the Swallow, in the bay. When
we dropped the anchor, we were in 24 fathom, and after
we had veered away a whole cable, in 46, with a muddy
bottom. In this fituation, a high bluff on the north fhore
bore N. W. 4. N. diflant five leagues, and a fmall ifland within
us S. by E. 4 E. Soon after we had anchored, the Swallow
drove to leeward, notwithflanding fhe had two anchors
a-head, but was at laft brought up, in 70 fathom, about a
cable’s length a-flern of us. At four o’clock in the morning;
I fent the boats, with a confiderable number o f men, and
fome haulers and anchors, on board her, to weigh her anchors,
and warp her up to windward. When her heft bower
anchor.was weighed, it was found entangled with the fmall
one; I therefore found it neceffary to fend the ftream cable
on board, and the fhip was hung up by it. To clear her
anchors, and warp her into a proper birth, coft us the whole
day, and was not at laft effedted without the utmoft difficulty
and labour.
On the 18th we had frefh breezes, and fent the boats to
found crofs the Streight. Within half a mile of the fhip
they had 40, 47, 70, 70, 100 fathom, and then had no
ground, till within a cable’s length of the lee fhore, where
they had 90 fathom. We now moored the fhip in 78 fathom,
with the ftream anchor.
The next morning, while our people were employed in
getting wood and water, and gathering celery and mufcles,
two canoes, full of Indians, came along-fide of the fhip.
They had much the fame appearance as the poor wretches
whom we had feen before in Elizabeth’s bay. They had on
board fome feal’s flefh, blubber, and penguins, all which
they eat raw. Some of our people, who were filhing with a
hook
I767.
March.
Tuefday 17.
Wednef. 13.
Thurfdày’ig ,-