A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 15 eBook

Robert Kerr (writer)
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 762 pages of information about A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 15.

A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 15 eBook

Robert Kerr (writer)
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 762 pages of information about A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 15.

[Footnote 111:  Cape Francois, for reasons already assigned.—­D.]

[Footnote 112:  If there could be the least doubt remaining, of the identity of the Baie de l’Oiseau and Christmas Harbour, the circumstance of the perforated rock, which divides it from another bay to the south, would amount to a strict demonstration.  For Monsieur de Pages had observed this discriminating mark before Captain Cook.  His words are as follows:—­“L’on vit que la cote de l’Est, voisine du Cap Francois, avoit deux baies; elles etoient separees par une pointe tres reconnoissable par sa forme, qui representoit une porte cochere, au travers de laquelle l’on voyoit le jour.”—­Voyages du M. de Pages, vol. ii. p. 67.  Every one knows how exactly the form of a porte cochere, or arched gateway, corresponds with that of the arch of a bridge.  It is very satisfactory to find the two navigators, neither of whom knew any thing of the other’s description, adopting the same idea; which both proves that they had the same uncommon object before their eyes, and that they made an accurate report.—­D.]

[Footnote 113:  In the last note, we saw how remarkably Monsieur de Pages and Captain Cook agree about the appearance of the south point of the harbour; I shall here subjoin another quotation from the former, containing his account of the harbour itself, in which the reader may trace the same distinguishing features observed by Captain Cook in the foregoing paragraph.

“Le 6, l’on mit a terre dans la premiere baie a l’Est du Cap Francois, & l’on prit possession de ces contrees.  Ce mouillage consiste en une petite rade, qui a environs quatres encablures, ou quatre cents toises de profondeur, sur un tiers en sus de largeur.  En dedans de cette rade est un petit port, dont l’entree, de quatres encablures de largeur, presente au Sud-Est.  La sonde de la petite rade est depuis quarante-cinq jusqu’a trente brasses; et celle du port depuis seize jusqu’a huit.  Le fond des deux est de sable noir et vaseux.  La cote des deux bords est haute, & par une pente tres rude; elle est couverte de verdure, & il y a une quantite prodigieuse d’Outardes.  Le fond du port est occupe par un monticule qui laisse entre lui, et la mer une plage de sable.  Une petite riviere, de tres bonne eau, coule a la mer dans cet endroit; & elle est fournie par un lac qui est un peu au loin, au dessus du monticule.  Il y avoit sur le plage beaucoup de pinguoins & de lions marins.  Ces deux especes d’animaux ne fuyoient pas, & l’on augura que le pays n’etoit point habite; la terre rapportoit de l’herbe large, noire, & bien nourrie, qui n’avoit cependant que cinque pouces ou plus de hauteur.  L’on ne vit aucun arbre, ni signe l’habitation.”—­Voyage du Monsieur de Pages, tom. ii. p. 69, 70.—­D.]

After I had finished this business of the inscription, I went in my boat round the harbour, and landed in several places, to examine what the shore afforded; and, particularly, to look for drift wood.  For, although the land here was totally destitute of trees, this might not be the case in other parts; and if there were any, the torrents would force some, or, at least, some branches, into the sea, which would afterward throw them upon the shores, as in all other countries where there is wood, and in many where there is none:  But throughout the whole extent of the harbour, I found not a single piece.

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