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
The next day we found a more convenient watering-place about a mile and
a half to the northward of the ship, and about the middle-way between
the north and south points of the island, there being at this place less
surf than where the boats first went on shore. The tide here set twelve
hours to the northward, and twelve to the southward, which we found very
convenient, for as the wind was southerly, with a great swell, the boats
could not otherwise have got on board with their water. We got off ten
tons of water from the new watering-place this day, and in the afternoon
I sent a boat to fetch off the gunner and seaman, who had been left on
shore at the old watering-place the night before; but the surf was still
so great, that the seaman, who could not swim, was afraid to venture: He
was therefore again, left behind, and the gunner stayed with him.
As soon as this was reported to me, I sent another boat to inform them,
that as, by the appearances of the weather, there was reason to believe
it would soon blow hard, I was afraid I might be driven off the bank in
the night, the consequence of which would be that they must be left
behind upon the island. When the boat came to the surf, the people on
board delivered my message, upon which the gunner swam through the surf,
and got on board her; but the seaman, though he had a cork-jacket on,
said he was sure he should be drowned if he attempted to get off to the
boat, and that, chusing rather to die a natural death, he was determined
at all events to remain upon the island: He then took an affectionate
leave of the people, wishing them all happiness, and the people on board
returned his good wishes. One of the midshipmen, however, just as the
boat was about to return, took the end of a rope in his hand, jumped
into the sea, and swam through the surf to the beach, where poor John
still continued ruminating upon his situation, in a dejected attitude,
and with a most disconsolate length of countenance. The midshipman began
to expostulate with him upon the strange resolution he had taken, and in
the mean time having made a running knot in his rope, he dexterously
contrived to throw it round his body, calling out to his companions in
the boat, who had hold of the other end of it, to haul away; they
instantly took the hint, and the poor seceder was very soon dragged
through the surf into the boat: He had, however, swallowed so great a
quantity of water that he was to all appearance dead, but, being held up
by the heels, he soon recovered his speech and motion, and was perfectly
well the next day. In the evening I removed Captain Mouat from the
Tamar, and appointed him captain of the Dolphin under me; Mr Cumming, my
first lieutenant, I appointed captain of the Tamar, taking Mr Carteret,
her first lieutenant, on board in his room, and gave Mr Kendal, one of
the mates of the Dolphin, a commission as second lieutenant of the
Tamar.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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