A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 12: Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the; Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea; and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present TimeKerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 12: Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the; Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea; and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
At six o'clock, the wind being still fresh and squally at S.S.E. we
weighed and steered W. by N. along the south shore. At eleven, we were
abreast of Cape Pillar, which by compass is about fourteen leagues
W.1/2 N. from Cape Upright. Cape Pillar may be known by a large gap upon
the top, and when it bears W.S.W. an island appears off it which has an
appearance somewhat like a hay-stack, and about which lie several rocks.
The strait to the eastward of the cape is between seven and eight
leagues over; the land on each side is of a moderate height, but it is
lowest on the north shore, the south shore being much the boldest,
though both are craggy and broken. Westminster Island is nearer to the
north than the south shore; and, by the compass, lies N.E. from Cape
Pillar. The land on the north shore, near the west end of the strait,
makes in many islands and rocks, upon which the sea breaks in a
tremendous manner. The land about Cape Victory is distant from Cape
Pillar about ten or eleven leagues, in the direction of N.W. by N. From
the cape westward, the coast trends S.S.W.1/2 W. to Cape Deseada, a low
point, off which lie innumerable rocks and breakers. About four leagues
W.S.W. from Cape Deseada, lie some dangerous rocks, called by Sir John
Narborough the Judges, upon which a mountainous surf always breaks with
inconceivable fury. Four small islands, called the Islands of Direction,
are distant from Cape Pillar about eight leagues, in the direction of
N.W. by W. When we were off this cape it was stark calm; but I never saw
such a swell as rolled in here, nor such a surge as broke on each shore.
I expected every moment that the wind would spring up from its usual
quarter, and that the best which could happen to us would be to be
driven many leagues up the streight again. Contrary, however, to all
expectation, a fine steady gale sprung up at S. E. to which I spread all
the sail that it was possible for the ship to bear, and ran off from
this frightful and desolate coast at the rate of nine miles an hour; so
that by eight o'clock in the evening we had left it twenty leagues
behind us. And now, to make the ship as stiff as possible, I knocked
down our after bulk-head, and got two of the boats under the half-deck;
I also placed my twelve-oared cutter under the boom; so that we had
nothing upon the skids but the jolly-boat; and the alteration which this
made in the vessel is inconceivable: For the weight of the boats upon,
the skids made her crank, and in a great sea they were also in danger
of being lost.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account