Plymouth to Madeira and the Streight of Magellan
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We continued therefore for some time to navigate the Streight together, and as I had passed it before, I was ordered to keep ahead and lead the way, with liberty to anchor and weigh when I thought proper; but perceiving that the bad sailing of the Swallow would so much retard the Dolphin as probably to make her lose the season for getting into high southern latitudes, and defeat the intention of the voyage, I proposed to Captain Wallis, that he should lay the Swallow up in some cove or bay, and that I should attend and assist him with her boats till the Streight should be passed, which would probably be in much less time than if he continued to be retarded by my ship, and I urged as an additional advantage that he might complete not only his stock of provisions and stores, but his company, out of her, and then send her back to England, with such of his crew as sickness had rendered unfit for the voyage: proposing also, that in my way home, I would examine the eastern coast of Patagonia, or attempt such other discoveries as he should think proper. If this was not approved, and my knowlege of the South Seas was thought necessary to the success of the voyage, I offered to go with him on board the Dolphin and give up the Swallow to be commanded by his First Lieutenant, whose duty I would perform during the rest of the voyage, or to make the voyage myself with only the Dolphin, if he would take the Swallow back to Europe; but Captain Wallis was still of opinion that the voyage should be prosecuted by the two ships jointly, pursuant to the orders that had been given.
The Swallow was now become so foul, that with all the sails she could set she could not make so much way as the Dolphin, with only her top-sails and a reef in them: we continued in company, however, till Friday the 10th of April, when the western entrance of the Streight was open, and the great South Sea in sight. Hitherto I had, pursuant to my directions, kept ahead, but now the Dolphin being nearly abreast of us, set her foresails, which soon carried her ahead of us; and before nine o'clock in the evening, as she shewed no lights, we lost sight of her. We had a fine eastern breeze, of which we made the best use we could during the night, carrying all our small sails, even to the top-gallant studding sails, notwithstanding the danger to which it exposed us; but at day-break the next morning, we could but just see the Dolphin's top-sail's above the horizon, we could perceive, however, that she had studding sails set, and at nine o'clock, we had entirely lost sight of her; we judged that she was then clear of the Streight's mouth, but we, who were still under the land, had but light and variable airs. From this time, I gave up all hope of seeing the Dolphin again till we should arrive in England, no plan of operation having been settled, nor any place of rendezvous appointed, as had been done from England to the Streight. I thought myself the more unfortunate in this separation, as no part of the woollen cloth, linen, beads, scissars, knives, and other cutlery-ware, and toys, which were intended for the use of both ships, and were so necessary to obtain refreshments from Indians, had, during the nine months we had sailed together, been put on board the Swallow, and as we were not provided either with a forge or iron, which many circumstances might render absolutely necessary to the preservation of the ship: I had the satisfaction, however, to see no marks of despondency among my peoples, whom I encouraged, by telling them, that although the Dolphin was the best ship, I did not doubt but that I should find more than equivalent advantages in their courage, ability, and good conduct.
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Voyaging Accounts |  |
© Derived from Volume I of the London 1773 Edition: National Library of Australia call no. FERG 7243, pages 530 - 531, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/hv01/530.html