Voyage of H.M.S. 'Pandora' : $b despatched to arrest the mutineers of the 'Bounty' in the South Seas, 1790-91Edwards, Edward
History
Voyage of H.M.S. 'Pandora' : $b despatched to arrest the mutineers of the 'Bounty' in the South Seas, 1790-91
Edwards, Edward
Bounty (Ship); Pandora (Frigate); Voyages around the world -- Early works to 1800
On the 1st September in the morning saw land, which probably was the
continent of New South Wales. The yawls were sent on shore to ground and
look out. They saw a run of water, landed and filled their two barricois,
which were the only vessels of consequence they had with them, and I
steered for an island called by Lt. Bligh Mountainous Island, and when
joined by the boats ran into a bay of that island where we saw Indians on
the beach. The water was shoal and the Indians waded off to the boats. I
gave them some presents and made them sensible that we were in want of
water. They brought us a vessel filled with water which we had given them
for the purpose, and they returned to fill it again. They used many signs
to signify that they wished us to land, but we declined their invitation
from motives of prudence.
Just as a person was entering the water with the second vessel of fresh
water, an arrow was discharged at us by another person, which struck my
boat on the quarter, and perceiving that they were collecting bows and
arrows a volley of small arms was fired at them which put them to flight.
I did not think proper to land and get water by force as land was seen at
that time in different directions, which by appearance was likely to
produce that article, and which I flattered myself we might be able to
procure without being drove to that extremity. I therefore ran close
along the shore of this island and landed at different places at some
distance from the former situation. I also landed at another island near
it which I called Plum Island[77-1] from its producing a species of that
fruit, but we were unsuccessful in finding the article we were in search
of, and in so much want of.
In the evening we steered for the islands which we supposed were those
called by Captain Cook the Prince of Wales' Islands, and before midnight
came to a grapnel with the boats near one of these islands, in a large
sound formed by several of the surrounding islands, to several of which
we gave names, and called the sound Sandwich Sound.[77-2] It is fit for
the reception of ships, having from five to seven fathoms of water. There
is plenty of wood on most of the islands, and by digging we found very
good water. On the flat part of a large island which I called Lafory's
Island,[77-3] situated on the larboard hand as we entered the sound from
the Eastward we saw a burying place and several wolves[77-4] near the
watering place, but we saw no natives. Here we filled our vessels with
water and made two canvas bags in which we also put water, but with this
assistance we had barely the means to take a gallon of water for each man
in the boats. We sent our kettles on shore and made tea and portable
broth, and a few oysters were picked off the rocks with which we made a
comfortable meal, indeed the only one we had made since the day before we
left the ship.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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