A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 14 eBook

Robert Kerr (writer)
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 822 pages of information about A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 14.

A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 14 eBook

Robert Kerr (writer)
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 822 pages of information about A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 14.

On the 28th, at eight o’clock in the morning, we wore, and stood again to the S.W. till noon, when we were obliged to lie-to under the fore-sail.  At this time the high land over Cape Campbell bore west, distant ten or twelve leagues.  The Adventure four or five miles to leeward.  In the afternoon the fury of the gale began to abate; when we set the main-sail, close-reefed main-top-sail, and stood to the windward with the wind at W.N.W. and W. by N. a strong gale, attended with heavy squalls.

In the morning of the 29th, the wind abated and shifted to S.W. a gentle gale.  Of this we took immediate advantage, set all our sails, and stood for Cape Palliser, which at noon bore W. by N. 1/2 N., distant about six leagues.  The wind continued between the S.W. and south till five in the evening, when it fell calm.  At this time we were about three leagues from the Cape.  At seven o’clock the calm was succeeded by a gentle breeze from N.N.E., as fair as we could wish; so that we began to reckon what time we should reach the Sound the next day; but at nine the wind shifted to its old quarter N.W., and blew a fresh gale, with which we stretched to the S.W., under single-reefed topsails and courses, with the Adventure in company.  She was seen until midnight, at which time she was two or three miles a-stern, and presently after she disappeared; nor was she to be seen at day-light.  We supposed she had tacked and stood to the N.E., by which manoeuvre we lost sight of her.

We continued to stretch to the westward with the wind at N.N.W., which increased in such a manner as to bring us under our two courses, after splitting a new main-topsail.  At noon Cape Campbell bore W. by N., distant seven or eight leagues.  At three in the afternoon the gale began to abate, and to veer more to the north, so that we fetched in with the land, under the Snowy Mountains, about four or five leagues to windward of the Lookers-on, where there was the appearance of a large bay, I now regretted the loss of the Adventure; for had she been with me, I should have given up all thoughts of going to Queen Charlotte’s Sound to wood and water, and have sought for a place to get these articles farther south, as the wind was now favourable for ranging along the coast.  But our separation made it necessary for me to repair to the Sound, that being the place of rendezvous.

As we approached the land, we saw smoke in several places along the shore; a sure sign that the coast was inhabited.  Our soundings were from forty-seven to twenty-five fathoms; that is, at the distance of three miles from the shore, forty-seven fathoms; and twenty-five fathoms at the distance of one mile, where we tacked, and stood to the eastward, under the two courses and close-reefed top-sails; but the latter we could not carry long before we were obliged to hand them.  We continued to stand to the eastward all night, in hopes of meeting with the Adventure in the morning.

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A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 14 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.