Byron's Narrative of the Loss of the Wager: With an account of the great distresses suffered by himself and his companions on the coast of Patagonia from the year 1740 till their arrival in England 1746Byron, John
History
Byron's Narrative of the Loss of the Wager: With an account of the great distresses suffered by himself and his companions on the coast of Patagonia from the year 1740 till their arrival in England 1746
Byron, John
Chiloé (Chile); Patagonia (Argentina and Chile); Wager (Ship)
and knew not the least of sea affairs; the second captain, or master,
the boatswain, and his mate, were all three Frenchmen, and very good
seamen; the pilot was a Mulatto, and all the rest of the crew were
Indians and Negroes. The latter were all slaves and stout fellows; but
never suffered to go aloft, lest they should fall overboard, and the
owners lose so much money by it. The Indians were active, brisk men,
and very good seamen for that climate. We had on board the head of the
jesuits as passenger. He and Captain Cheap were admitted into the great
cabin, and messed with the captain and his chaplain. As for us, we were
obliged to rough it the whole passage; that is, when we were tired we
lay down upon the quarter-deck, in the open air, and slept as well as
we could; but that was nothing to us, who had been used to fare so much
worse. We lived well, eating with the master and boatswain, who always
had their meals upon the quarter-deck, and drank brandy at them as we
do small beer; and all the rest of the day were smoking cigars.
The fifth day we made the land four or five leagues to the southward
of Valparaiso; and soon after falling calm, a great western swell
hurried us in very fast towards the shore. We dropped the lead several
times, but had such deep water we could not anchor. They were all much
alarmed, when the jesuit came out of the cabin for the first time,
having been sea-sick the whole passage. As soon as he was informed of
the danger, he went back into the cabin, and brought out the image of
some saint, which he desired might be hung up in the mizen-shrouds;
which being done, he kept threatening it, that if we had not a breeze
of wind soon, he would certainly throw it overboard. Soon after,
we had a little wind from off the land, when the jesuit carried the
image back with an air of great triumph, saying he was certain that we
should not be without wind long, though he had given himself over for
lost some time before it came. Next morning we anchored in the port of
Valparaiso. In that part which is opposite to the fort, ships lay so
near the land, that they have generally three anchors ashore, as there
is eight or ten fathom close to; and the flaws come off the hills with
such violence, that if it was not for this method of securing them,
they would be blown out. This is only in summer time, for in the winter
months no ships ever attempt to come in here; the northerly winds then
prevail, and drive in such a sea that they must soon be ashore. The
Spanish captain waited upon the governor of the fort, and informed him
that he had four English prisoners on board. We were ordered ashore in
the afternoon, and were received as we got upon the beach, by a file
of soldiers, with their bayonets fixed, who surrounded us, and then
marched up to the fort, attended by a numerous mob. We were carried
before the governor, whose house was full of officers. He was blind,
asked a few questions, and then spoke of nothing but the strength of
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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