Early Voyages to Terra Australis, Now Called Australia:: A Collection of Documents, and Extracts from Early Manuscript Maps, Illustrative of the History of Discovery on the Coasts of That Vast Island, from the Beginning of the Sixteenth Century to the Time of Captain Cook.Major, Richard Henry
History
Early Voyages to Terra Australis, Now Called Australia:: A Collection of Documents, and Extracts from Early Manuscript Maps, Illustrative of the History of Discovery on the Coasts of That Vast Island, from the Beginning of the Sixteenth Century to the Time of Captain Cook.
Major, Richard Henry
Australia -- Discovery and exploration; Discoveries in geography -- Portuguese; Voyages and travels
On the 26th, on the return of the boat from the shore, the steersman
reported many signs of the lost ship _Draeck_, but neither footpaths nor
any places where traces of human beings had been left were discovered,
notwithstanding they had been in all directions both inland and along
the coast. They further reported that wood and other objects, portions
of boxes, etc., a barrel, and other things had been found; also a number
of pieces of plank, standing upright in a circle. Having weighed anchor
they sailed along the coast, and on that occasion their schuyt was
capsized and lost.
On the 27th, when about two miles from the coast, latitude 31° 14´, the
boat was sent on shore, and returned with the report that nothing had
been observed but a reef about ⅔ [of a mile?] off the coast seawards.
On the 28th, having arrived at 30° 40´, and several fires having been
seen on land, the boat was again sent out. The steersman reported that
nothing had been observed but a great smoke, and that they had been
unable to land with the boat owing to the violence of the surf. Having
descried the _Emeloort_ in the offing, they returned with her.
March 2nd, at 30° 6´, the _Emeloort_ was separated from them in the
night and was lost sight of. On the 5th, they were driven by stormy
weather round the south.
The weather continuing cold and wet, they resolved to serve out extra
rations of rum to each man.
On the 8th, the weather grey and cold. They supposed themselves to be in
31° 47´. The 18th, saw land to the eastward, being about 31° 49´. At
sunset they came to anchor under a north-easterly point of the island,
half a mile from land.
On the 19th, a boat was put off in the direction of the island; the
steersman reported its being well wooded, but that no good landing place
had been met with, the coast being surrounded by rocky reefs. Two seals
were seen there, also one wild cat, and the excrements of other animals.
On the 20th, a boat was sent on shore well manned; the following day
several signal-guns were fired, and in the evening the boat returned to
the ship, bringing with it a piece of the mast of the _Draeck_, and
again returning to land after taking in a supply of provisions, brought
back a part of the round-top, a block, and other trifling objects.
On the 22nd, they again sent to shore. At night it blew hard, the waves
running very high. A gun was fired, and a light hung out as a guide to
the boat on its return. They ran great risk of driving upon the rocks.
At midnight, the cable parting, another anchor was dropped.
On the 23rd, the weather being still boisterous, and they themselves in
great distress and nothing seen of the boat, fears were entertained that
it might have capsized or been dashed against the rocks. They were
afterwards compelled to cut their cable and run out to sea.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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