A General History & Collection of Voyages and Travels ... - Nauticus

As I did not like the place we had anchored in, I sent Lieutenant Pickersgill over to the S.E. side ofthe bay, to search for a better; and I went myself to the other side, for the same purpose, where I metwith an exceedingly snug harbour, but nothing else worthy of notice. Mr Pickersgill reported, uponhis return, that he had found a good harbour, with every conveniency. As I liked the situation of this,better than the other of my own finding, I determined to go there in the morning. The fishing-boatwas very successful; returning with fish sufficient for all hands for supper; and, in a few hours in themorning, caught as many as served for dinner. This gave us certain hopes of being plentifullysupplied with this article. Nor did the shores and woods appear less destitute of wild fowl; so that wehoped to enjoy with ease, what, in our situation, might be called the luxuries of life. This determinedme to stay some time in this bay, in order to examine it thoroughly; as no one had ever landedbefore, on any of the southern parts of this country.On the 27th, at nine o'clock in the morning, we got under sail with a light breeze at S.W., andworking over to Pickersgill harbour, entered it by a channel scarcely twice the width of the ship; andin a small creek, moored head and stern, so near the shore as to reach it with a brow or stage, whichnature had in a manner prepared for us in a large tree, whose end or top reached our gunwale. Wood,for fuel and other purposes, was here so convenient, that our yards were locked in the branches ofthe trees; and, about 100 yards from our stern, was a fine stream of freshwater. Thus situated, webegan to clear places in the woods, in order to set up the astronomer's observatory, the forge torepair our iron-work, tents for the sail-makers and coopers to repair the sails and casks in; to landour empty casks, to fill water, and to cut down wood for fuel; all of which were absolutely necessaryoccupations. We also began to brew beer from the branches or leaves of a tree, which muchresembles the American black- spruce. From the knowledge I had of this tree, and the similarity itbore to the spruce, I judged that, with the addition of inspissated juice of wort and molasses, it wouldmake a very wholesome beer, and supply the want of vegetables, which this place did not afford;and the event proved that I was not mistaken.Now I have mentioned the inspissated juice of wort, it will not be amiss, in this place, to inform thereader, that I had made several trials of it since I left the Cape of Good Hope, and found it to answerin a cold climate, beyond all expectation. The juice, diluted in warm water, in the proportion oftwelve parts water to one part juice, made a very good and well-tasted small-beer. Some juice whichI had of Mr Pelham's own preparing, would bear sixteen parts water. By making use of warm-water,(which I think ought always to be done,) and keeping it in a warm place, if the weather be cold, nodifficulty will be found in fermenting it. A little grounds of either small or strong-beer, will answeras well as yeast.The few sheep and goats we had left were not likely to fare quite so well as ourselves; there being nograss here, but what was coarse and harsh. It was, however not so bad, but that we expected theywould devour it with great greediness, and were the more surprised to find that they would not tasteit; nor did they seem over-fond of the leaves of more tender plants. Upon examination, we foundtheir teeth loose; and that many of them had every other symptom of an inveterate sea-scurvy. Out offour ewes and two rams which I brought from the Cape, with an intent to put ashore in this country, Ihad only been able to preserve one of each; and even these were in so bad a state, that it wasdoubtful if they could recover, notwithstanding all the care possible had been taken of them.Some of the officers, on the 28th, went up the bay in a small boat on a shooting party; but,discovering inhabitants, they returned before noon, to acquaint me therewith; for hitherto we had notseen the least vestige of any. They had but just got aboard, when a canoe appeared off a point abouta mile from us, and soon after, returned behind the point out of sight, probably owing to a shower ofrain which then fell; for it was no sooner over, than the canoe again appeared, and came withinmusket-shot of the ship. There were in it seven or eight people. They remained looking at us forsome time, and then returned; all the signs of friendship we could make did not prevail on them to