A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 13Kerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 13
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
On the 28th, we went ashore upon an island that lies to the left hand of
the entrance of the bay, where we saw the largest canoe that we had yet
met with: She was sixty-eight feet and a half long, five broad, and
three feet six high; she had a sharp bottom, consisting of three trunks
of trees hollowed, of which that in the middle was the longest: The
side-planks were sixty-two feet long in one piece, and were not
despicably carved in bas relief; the head also was adorned with carving
still more richly. Upon this island there was a larger house than any we
had yet seen; but it seemed unfinished and was full of chips. The wood
work was squared so even and smooth, that we made no doubt of their
having among them very sharp tools. The sides of the posts were carved
in a masterly style, though after their whimsical taste, which seems to
prefer spiral lines and distorted faces: As these carved posts appeared
to have been brought from some other place, such work is probably of
great value among them.
At four o'clock in the morning of the 29th, having got on board our wood
and water, and a large supply of excellent celery, with which the
country abounds, and which proved a powerful antiscorbutic, I unmoored
and put to sea.
This bay is called by the natives Tolaga; it is moderately large, and
has from seven to thirteen fathom, with a clean sandy bottom and good
anchorage; and is sheltered from all winds except the north-east. It
lies in latitude 38° 22' S. and four leagues and a half to the north of
Gable-end Foreland. On the south point lies a small but high island, so
near the main as not to be distinguished from it. Close to the north end
of the island, at the entrance into the bay, are two high rocks; one is
round like a corn-stack, but the other is long, and perforated in
several places, so that the openings appear like the arches of a bridge.
Within these rocks is the cove where we cut wood, and filled our
water-casks. Off the north point of the bay is a pretty high rocky
island; and about a mile without it, are some rocks and breakers. The
variation of the compass here is 14° 31' E., and the tide flows at the
full and change of the moon, about six o'clock, and rises and falls
perpendicularly from five to six feet: Whether the flood comes from the
southward or the northward I have not been able to determine.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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