United States or Haiti ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
The calm lasted but a short time, and a stiff wind from the west-north-west began to blow, with the result that the sea became very rough, and I was very ill. At midnight the storm had become dangerous. The captain told me that if we persisted in going in the wind's eye we should be wrecked, and that the only thing to be done was to return to Ancona.
We had now a vast number of tropic birds and ganets round the vessel: the sea was covered with trees of the largest size, which had both roots and branches to them; there were also cocoa-nut trees, sugar-cane, bamboo, and a variety of other drift wood: many of the trees were so large, that we could plainly see them at the distance of two leagues: most of the roots lay to the west-north-west, from which circumstance, and the vessel being considerably to the westward of account by the time-keeper, we were induced to suppose that a strong current set in that direction.
In this condition we turned towards the shore, and observing the surrounding ice lie north and south, we steered north, and in the morning were clear of it. Having now got into the ocean, and the wind being still easterly, we hoisted our sail, and steered west-north-west about fourteen leagues, when we fell in with another field of ice.
We had now been travelling along the northern foot of the more southerly of the two lines of hills which separated, at the west end of the Champ de Mars; and on reaching the Bell Rock, this southern line ceased, while the northern one still ran on, though at diminished elevation, and we now travelled towards two hills standing together about west-north-west.
Wind West, West-North-West; course North 20 degrees West; distance 78 miles; latitude 25 degrees 6 minutes South, longitude 351 degrees 16 minutes West. Thursday, 25th. First part, moderate and Clear; Middle, Squally, with Rain; Latter, fresh Gales and Cloudy. Employ'd as above.
Still cloudy, and looks like rain, so we must push on to-day, in case the Peake River should come down and stop us, which would not suit the state of my provisions, as we have lost a quantity of flour by the scrub scoring the bags, and we have not enough to take us to Chambers Creek. At eight miles camped west-north-west of Freeling Springs, having given the horses a drink in crossing the Neale.
At sun rise in the morning we could see the land extend from West-North-West to North-East; at noon we could see it extend to the Westward as far as West by South 1/2 South, but no farther to the Eastward than North by East.
On the 1st of January we had a very heavy gale of wind from north-north-west to west-north-west, attended with frequent and very violent squalls or gusts, and hazy weather; the convoy in general were brought under a reefed fore top-sail, and the Sirius carried her three storm stay-sails; so that the transports should not find it necessary to attempt carrying more sail than was consistent with safety: the sea was very high and irregular, and broke with great violence on some of the ships; the rolling and labouring of our ship exceedingly distressed the cattle, which were now in a very weakly state, and the great quantities of water which we shipped during this gale, very much aggravated their distress; the poor animals were frequently thrown with much violence off their legs, and exceedingly bruised by their falls, although every method, which could be contrived for their ease and comfort, was practised; the ship was very ill fitted for such a cargo; and the very lumbered condition she had constantly been in rendered it impossible to do more for them, except by putting slings under them; a method which, when proposed, was rejected by those to whose care and management they were intrusted; from an idea, that they would entirely lose the use of their legs by such means, although it were only practised in bad weather.
As I passed by the south-east point I sounded several times within a mile of the sandy bays, but had no ground: about 3 leagues to the northward of the south-east point we opened a large deep bay, secured from west-north-west and south-west winds.
Afterwards we saw a smoke on the island Kosiway, which continued till night. On New Year's Day we first descried the land of New Guinea, which appeared to be high land, and the next day we saw several high islands on the coast of New Guinea, and ran in with the main land. The shore here lies along east-south-east and west-north-west.
Word Of The Day