Pages 101 to 105
December 15th
At daylight saw south end of island bearing south-west. Hauled to the north, but seeing Round Island bearing north, altered to pass round the south-east steep point. At 6, saw breakers lying far out and hauled to the wind to clear them. Afterwards, kept away, gradually sailing round the south-east and south sides of the island. Saw a flag on the highland near south-east bay and shewed our colours. At 11.30, a small schooner came out of the small creek and stood towards us for a time, then steered along shore.
Fresh breezes and fine weather. Steering after the schooner, supposing she was bound for Port NW, but observing her hard in shore and then out astern of us, hove to for for him and shewed a French Jack forward, and on his bearing away, back into a little reef harbour*, where were several small vessels lying, hauled to the wind after him and anchored in three fathoms, being sheltered except at south-west. Sent a boat on shore, and on seeing my passport, which I accidentally thought of sending, an officer came off and a pilot secured the schooner head and stern. Got some small casks filled by an island canoe. The Comm. went on shore. December 16th.
At daylight, unmoored, but after winds, moored again, the pilot having received some order from the shore. Soon after 10, the wind flurried from the seaward, when it was not easy to get out of this harbour. Fresh breezes and fine, but with heavy cloud over the land.
On steering into this small reef harbour at the south-west part of the island, we observed that the men left the schooner that came in before us, and ascended the steep hills with much expedition, each carrying something; and others were gathering at the top with muskets. They refused to come off to us, or otherwise I had not intended to hoist out a boat, meaning to sail as soon as I could, get someone to steer me to the port on the north-west side of the island. In conclusion, we learned that there was war between England and France, which accounted for these strange appearances.
I began to consider that my passport did not actually intend further than the Investigator, and how far the French might be indulgent enough to take the intentions in preference to the letter of the passport., I was doubtful. I applied to the officer who came on board to have a few casks o water filled, intending privately to get underweigh in the morning indeed with the other schooner, but instead of going to Port NW with her to make sail for the Cape as fast as I could, but on enquiry, I found the Dutch and French had possession of the Cape, and as we could not go as far as St. Helena without refitting, or without more wood and water, I was of necessity of putting a good face upon it.
The French commandant of the neighbourhood came afterwards on board with other officers, and examined my passport and commission particularly, and requested to send them to Port NW for government inspection, but I objected to parting with these, upon which they offered me horses to go by land and a pilot to take the schooner round. Finding it was better to accept one of these, I agreed to the latter and went on shore with the officers accordingly.
The second officer in command and who came first on board entertained me very politely, but after breakfast in the morning, I found we could not set off without permission of the commandant, which was expected, but I chose to return on board, saying that on the following morning I should go round if no definite regulation was settled before. I found the pilot on board with the expectation to go out with us.
Monsieur Dunienville, the mayor of this district of Savanna did not let his hospitality rest here, and, with giving us a quantity of tamarinds and bananas, but preferred me to dine at his house, where he invited several of the neighbouring gentlemen; and at this time, the commandant had consented that I should go round in the schooner, as I first wished; and our friendly party, ladies included attended me to the shore and sent off a basket of mangoes with other refreshments. Mon. le Citoyen Dunienville and his lady seem to be indeed aimiable people.
Fresh breezes and fine weather, with rainy squalls off the land at times. At 4, the commander came on board, and there being flurries of wind at this time coming out of the gully, we got under weigh and at 5 passed through the channel between the breakers and steered to pass round the high craggy hill*, which stands upon the south-west point of the island. The land opened round the south-west point at N33E nearby. At 8, the south-west hill bore east, being about two miles off shore and steering close to the wind under the land. An American ship steering the same to leeward of us. Variable light winds during the night.
December 17th
At daylight, saw ships in Port NW, the American three or four miles to leeward. At 7, tacked the ships in the port, bearing E6S. At 9, the ships bore S60E 5 or 6 miles. Variable winds and dull cloudy weather. Tacked occasionally, working up towards the port, keeping latterly close in shore on account of the smooth water.
The upper works of the schooner have become so leaky as to require a spell of 5 to 10 minutes every hour to keep her free at this time, and our pump was getting bad, being partly worn out, it was to be feared that if we should meet any unfavourable wind off the Cape to raise much sea and make the schooner heel, that we should hardly get round safe; one principle reason for touching at Mauritius is to get the upper works cauked.
To complete again with wood and water and to procure a small supply of spirits constitute the second reason. Of the last article, we have been at a short allowance since leaving Timor, 22 gallons being all we could get there.
My third principal reason is the possibility of a homeward bound ship being there in which I might obtain a more expeditious and convenient passage to England than can be expected in so small a vessel as the Cumberland, for her greatest rate of sailing, after all our schemes of trimming her, is only 7 knots, and with a strong breeze and much sea she must always lie to, however fair the wind may blow; add to which, it is impossible to go on completing my charts and accounts of New Holland while on board her, for it is only in fine weather that I can do more than write the daily log. It would also be more advantageous to get a passage from Mauritius than any port further on, from the much greater probability of being able to get the schooner sent back to Port Jackson or otherwise of selling her to advantage. Besides these, there are several subordinate reasons of much less consequence such as:
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