p. IIS.
p. i i 6.
P R E F A C E.
broad at'the end, and duck full of lhark's teeth (which are as Giarp as a lancet)
at the fides for about three feet of its length.
The people on board (hewed the natives fome cocoa nuts, and made figns
that they .wanted more; but in ft cad of giving any information that they could
fupply them, they endeavoured to take away thofc they had. This being the
cafe, and no anchorage to be found, they were obliged again to make fail,
without procuring any refreihments for the lick.
This ifland, to which the officers gave the name of Byron’s Ifland, in honour
of their Commander, lies in latitude i" 18’ fouth, and longitude 173* 46’ eaft.
In their courfe from this ifland they faw, for feveral days, abundance of filh,
but could take only (harks, which were now become a good difli, even at the
Captain’s table. Many .of the people began, at this time, to be ill with fluxes,
which the furgeon imputed to the exceffive heat and almofl perpetual rains.
And all their cocoa nuts being expended by the 21 ft, they began to fall down
again with the fcurvy. The expeditious and powerful efficacy of thefe nuts in '
checking this difeafe, Commodore Byron remarks to be aftoniihing.
After the .hotted, the longed, and mod dangerous run that was perhaps ever
made, the thermometer for many days beingfrom 8C 10.84°, on l^e 30th they
faw land, which-proved to be the Iflands Saypan, Tinian, and Aiguigan, three
of the Ladrone Iflands: thefe three iflands are between two and three leagues
diftance from each other j Saypan is the larged, and Aiguigan, which is .high arid
round, the fmalleft.
.On the 31ft they anchored at the lquth weft end of Tinian, on the very fpot
where .Lord Anfon lay in the Centurion. As foo.n:as the (hip was, fee,used,
Commodore Byron, with fome of the officers, went afhore, to fix upon a place
where tents might be erefled for the fick, which were now very numerous;
not a (ingle man being wholly '¡frets, from the fcurvy, and many rn the lad
ftage of it. Inftead of finding the beautiful lawns and, meadows, of which
there is fo luxuriant a defcription in the account'of Lord Anfon’s Voyage, to
their
their great furprize and difappointment, they found the face of the country
totally reverfed, being over-grown with a ftubborn kind of'Teed or bruih, in
moft places, nearly as high as a man’s head. And during their excurfion they
were covered with flies from head to foot, fo that whenever they offered to
fpeak, they were fure of having a mouth-full.
They likewife found the water brackifh and full of worms. And though P- « 7*
with much difficulty they killed fome of the cattle which the ifland produces, p- « 9»
this was done at fo great a diftance from the tents, that the carcafes were
generally full of fly blows, and flunk fo as to be unfit for ufe, before they could
be brought thither. Poultry they could procure upon eafier terms, there being
great plenty of birds; but the flefh of them were very ill tailed, and fuch was
the heat of the climate, that within an hour after they were killed they were
as green as grafs. Their principal refource for frefh meat was the wild hog,
with which the ifland abounds: of thefe they not only got a fufficient number,
by fnaring them, for their prefent fubfiftence, but to furnifh them with a
fea flock. Indeed, after fome time, they found means to procure beef likewife,
with lefs labour and rifk, fo that on the whole they were now tolerably
well fuppliod with provifions; efpecially as they baked frefh bread every day
for the fick. They caught a fine looking fifh here, but, as the Centurion’s P« 120.
people had been before, feveral of the crews were fo much difordered by
eating them, that their recovery was a long time doubtful.
Commodore Byron is of opinion, that this is one of the moft unhealthy fpots p- n8.
in the world, at leaft during the feafon in which they were here. The rains were
violent, and almofl inceffant; and the heat fo great as to threaten fuffocation.
Befides the inconvenience they fuffered from the weather, they were tormented
by the flies in the day, and by the mufquitos in the night. The ifland alfo p- 119.
fwarms with centipeeds and fcprpions, and with a'large black ant, fcarcely
inferior to either in the malignity of its bite; befides other venomous lnfeils
without number; by which many of the people fuffered fo feverely, that
they were all afraid to lie down in their beds, either on fhore or on board.
* H h 2 As