The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. VII. Being the Third of the Third VoyageKing, James
History
The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. VII. Being the Third of the Third Voyage
King, James
Cook, James, 1728-1779 -- Travel; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Voyages around the world -- History -- 18th century
On the 15th, the beach being clear of ice, the people were sent to haul
the seine, and caught an abundant supply of fine flat fish for both the
ships’ companies. Indeed from this time, during the whole of our stay in
the harbour, we were absolutely overpowered with the quantities of fish
which came in from every quarter. The _Toions_ both of this town and of
Paratounca, a village in the neighbourhood, had received orders from
Major Behm to employ all the Kamtschadales in our service, so that we
frequently could not take into the ships the presents that were sent us.
They consisted in general of flat fish, cod, trout, and herring. These
last, which were in their full perfection, and of a delicious flavour,
were exceedingly abundant in this bay. The Discovery’s people surrounded
at one time so great a quantity in their seine, that they were obliged
to throw a vast number out, lest the net should be broken to pieces; and
the cargo they landed was afterward so plentiful, that besides a
sufficient store for immediate use, they filled as many casks as they
could spare for salting; and after sending to the Resolution a
sufficient quantity for the same purpose, they left several bushels
behind on the beach.
The snow now began to disappear very rapidly, and abundance of wild
garlic, celery, and nettle-tops were gathered for the use of the crews,
which being boiled with wheat and portable soup, made them a wholesome
and comfortable breakfast, and with this they were supplied every
morning. The birch trees were also tapped, and the sweet juice, which
they yielded in great quantities, was constantly mixed with the men’s
allowance of brandy.
The next day, a small bullock, which had been procured for the ships’
companies by the serjeant, was killed, and weighed two hundred and
seventy-two pounds. It was served out to both crews for their Sunday’s
dinner, being the first piece of fresh beef they had tasted since our
departure from the Cape of Good Hope in December, 1776, a period of near
two years and a half.
This evening died John Macintosh, the carpenter’s mate, after having
laboured under a dysentery ever since our departure from the Sandwich
Islands: he was a very hard-working quiet man, and much regretted by his
mess-mates. He was the fourth person we lost by sickness during the
voyage, but the first who could be said, from his age and the
constitutional habits of his body, to have had on our setting out an
equal chance with the rest of his comrades: Watman we supposed to be
about sixty years of age; and Roberts and Mr. Anderson, from the decay
which had evidently commenced before we left England, could not, in all
probability, under any circumstances, have lived a greater length of
time than they did.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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