The Strange Adventures of Captain Dangerous, Vol. 3: Who was a sailor, a soldier, a merchant, a spy, a slave; among the moors...Sala, George Augustus
General
The Strange Adventures of Captain Dangerous, Vol. 3: Who was a sailor, a soldier, a merchant, a spy, a slave; among the moors...
Sala, George Augustus
Adventure and adventurers -- Fiction
December 1st, we weighed with a breeze at N.E.; but later came on a gale
S.S.W., forcing us to anchor close under the Island of Grande. About 10
next morning we weighed again, and bore away and steered away S.W. Now
the product of Brazil is well known to be Red Wood, Sugars, Gold,
Tobaccos (of every kind, and very choice), Whale Oil, Snuff, and several
sorts of Drugs. The Portugees build their best ships here. The people
very Martial; and 'tis but a few years since they would be under no
Government, but have now submitted to the House of Braganza, which makes
a Pretty Penny out of them. Their Customs are very nasty; their Houses
marvellously foul; and they are for ever smoking of Tobacco; but the
Portugees are still a very friendly folk, cordial to us English,
although they call us Heretics, and, but for their great love for
roasting Jews, very tender-hearted. I like them much better than those
Proud Paupers the Spaniards. A Beggar on Horseback is bad enough; but
Goodness deliver us from a Beggar on an Andalusian Jackass!
_Memorandum._--Brazil discovered by the famous Americus Vespucius, that
came after Captain Christopher Colomb.
Nothing remarkable happened until December 6th, when we had close cloudy
Weather, with Showers; and, after that, some pretty sharp Gales. On the
15th the colour of the water changed; and we sounded, but had no ground.
On the 18th one of the _Hope's_ men fell out of the Mizen-top on the
Quarter-deck, and broke his Skull; so that he died, and was buried next
day. A brisk fellow, that, from his merry ways, used to be called
Brimstone Jemmy. After this, cold airy weather, and numbers of
Porpoises, black on their backs and fins, with sharp white Noses. They
often leaped high up in the water, showing their white bellies. Also, a
plenty of seals. December 23d we saw Land, appearing first in three, and
afterwards in several Islands. The Wind being westerly, and blowing
fresh, we could not weather it, but were forced to bear away and run
along Shore from three to four leagues distant. This we saw first was
Falkland's Land, described in few Draughts, and none lay it down right,
though the Latitude agrees pretty well. December 25th saw Land again;
but could not get near enough to see whether it was inhabited; in truth
we were too much in a hurry to think of making Discoveries; for at four
in the Afternoon we sighted a Sail under our Lee-bow, gave chase, and
got ground of her apace till Night came on. In the Morning we saw
nothing, it being thick hazy Weather; then, as ill luck would have it,
it fell Calm, and having nothing else to do we Piped all hands to
Punishment, and gave the Cook three dozen for burning Captain Blokes'
burgoo. Then Grog served out, and we took an Observation. Lat. 52.40.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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