第 17 节
作者:
风雅颂 更新:2021-02-27 00:24 字数:9322
still increasing; I took in my main…top…sail; being able to carry no more sail than two courses and the mizen。 At two in the morning; August 3rd; it blew very hard; and the sea was much raised; so that I furled all my sails but my mainsail; though the wind blew so hard; we had pretty clear weather till noon; but then the whole sky was blackened with thick clouds; and we had some rain; which would last a quarter of an hour at a time; and then it would blow very fierce while the squalls of rain were over our heads; but as soon as they were gone the wind was by much abated; the stress of the storm being over; we sounded several times; but had no ground till eight o'clock; August the 4th; in the evening; and then had sixty fathom water; coral ground。 At ten we had fifty…six fathom; fine sand。 At twelve we had fifty…five fathom; fine sand; of a pale bluish colour。 It was now pretty moderate weather; yet I made no sail till morning; but then the wind veering about to the south…west; I made sail and stood to the north; and at eleven o'clock the next day; August 5th; we saw land again; at about ten leagues distant。 This noon we were in latitude 25 degrees 30 minutes; and in the afternoon our cook died; an old man; who had been sick a great while; being infirm before we came out of England。
The 6th of August; in the morning; we saw an opening in the land; and we ran into it; and anchored in seven and a half fathom water; two miles from the shore; clean sand。 It was somewhat difficult getting in here; by reason of many shoals we met with; but I sent my boat sounding before me。 The mouth of this sound; which I called Shark's Bay; lies in about 25 degrees south latitude; and our reckoning made its longitude from the Cape of Good Hope to be about 87 degrees; which is less by one hundred and ninety…five leagues than is usually laid down in our common draughts; if our reckoning was right and our glasses did not deceive us。 As soon as I came to anchor in this bay; I sent my boat ashore to seek for fresh water; but in the evening my men returned; having found none。 The next morning I went ashore myself; carrying pickaxes and shovels with me; to dig for water; and axes to cut wood。 We tried in several places for water; but finding none after several trials; nor in several miles compass; we left any further search for it; and spending the rest of the day in cutting wood; we went aboard at night。
The land is of an indifferent height; so that it may be seen nine or ten leagues off。 It appears at a distance very even; but as you come nigher you find there are many gentle risings; though none steep or high。 It is all a steep shore against the open sea; but in this bay or sound we were now in; the land is low by the seaside; rising gradually in with the land。 The mould is sand by the seaside; producing a large sort of samphire; which bears a white flower。 Farther in the mould is reddish; a sort of sand; producing some grass; plants; and shrubs。 The grass grows in great tufts as big as a bushel; here and there a tuft; being intermixed with much heath; much of the kind we have growing on our commons in England。 Of trees or shrubs here are divers sorts; but none above ten feet high; their bodies about three feet about; and five or six feet high before you come to the branches; which are bushy; and composed of small twigs there spreading abroad; though thick set and full of leaves; which were mostly long and narrow。 The colour of the leaves was on one side whitish; and on the other green; and the bark of the trees was generally of the same colour with the leaves; of a pale green。 Some of these trees were sweet…scented; and reddish within the bark; like sassafras; but redder。 Most of the trees and shrubs had at this time either blossoms or berries on them。 The blossoms of the different sorts of trees were of several colours; as red; white; yellow; etc。; but mostly blue; and these generally smelt very sweet and fragrant; as did some also of the rest。 There were also besides some plants; herbs; and tall flowers; some very small flowers growing on the ground; that were sweet and beautiful; and; for the most part; unlike any I had seen elsewhere。
There were but few land fowls。 We saw none but eagles of the larger sorts of birds; but five or six sorts of small birds。 The biggest sort of these were not bigger than larks; some no bigger than wrens; all singing with great variety of fine shrill notes; and we saw some of their nests with young ones in them。 The water…fowls are ducks (which had young ones now; this being the beginning of the spring in these parts); curlews; galdens; crab…catchers; cormorants; gulls; pelicans; and some water…fowl; such as I have not seen anywhere besides。
The land animals that we saw here were only a sort of raccoons; different from those of the West Indies; chiefly as to their legs; for these have very short forelegs; but go jumping upon them as the others do (and like them are very good meat); and a sort of guanos; of the same shape and size with other guanos described; but differing from them in three remarkable particulars; for these had a larger and uglier head; and had no tail; and at the rump; instead of the tail there; they had a stump of a tail; which appeared like another head; but not really such; being without mouth or eyes; yet this creature seemed by this means to have a head at each end; and; which may be reckoned a fourth difference; the legs also seemed all four of them to be fore…legs; being all alike in shape and length; and seeming by the joints and bending to be made as if they were to go indifferently either head or tail foremost。 They were speckled black and yellow like toads; and had scales or knobs on their backs like those of crocodiles; plated on to the skin; or stuck into it; as part of the skin。 They are very slow in motion; and when a man comes nigh them they will stand still and hiss; not endeavouring to get away。 Their livers are also spotted black and yellow; and the body; when opened; hath a very unsavoury smell。 I did never see such ugly creatures anywhere but here。 The guanos I have observed to be very good meat; and I have often eaten of them with pleasure; but though I have eaten of snakes; crocodiles; and alligators; and many creatures that look frightfully enough; and there are but few I should have been afraid to eat of if pressed by hunger; yet I think my stomach would scarce have served to venture upon these New Holland guanos; both the looks and the smell of them being so offensive。
The sea…fish that we saw here (for here was no river; land or pond of fresh water to be seen) are chiefly sharks。 There are abundance of them in this particular sound; that I therefore gave it the name of Shark's Bay。 Here are also skates; thornbacks; and other fish of the ray kind (one sort especially like the sea…devil); and gar…fish; bonetas; etc。 Of shell…fish we got here mussels; periwinkles; limpets; oysters; both of the pearl kind and also eating oysters; as well the common sort as long oysters; besides cockles; etc。 The shore was lined thick with many other sorts of very strange and beautiful shells for variety of colour and shape; most finely spotted with red; black; or yellow; etc。; such as I have not seen anywhere but at this place。 I brought away a great many of them; but lost all except a very few; and those not of the best。
There are also some green turtle weighing about two hundred pounds。 Of these we caught two; which the water ebbing had left behind a ledge of rock which they could not creep over。 These served all my company two days; and they were indifferent sweet meat。 Of the sharks we caught a great many; which our men ate very savourily。 Among them we caught one which was eleven feet long。 The space between its two eyes was twenty inches; and eighteen inches from one corner of his mouth to the other。 Its maw was like a leather sack; very thick; and so tough that a sharp knife could scarce cut it; in which we found the head and bones of a hippopotamus; the hairy lips of which were still sound and not putrified; and the jaw was also firm; out of which we plucked a great many teeth; two of them eight inches long and as big as a man's thumb; small at one end; and a little crooked; the rest not above half so long。 The maw was full of jelly; which stank extremely。 However; I saved for awhile the teeth and the shark's jaw。 The flesh of it was divided among my men; and they took care that no waste should be made of it。
It was the 7th of August when we came into Shark's Bay; in which we anchored at three several places; and stayed at the first of them (on the west side of the bay) till the 11th; during which time we searched about; as I said; for fresh water; digging wells; but to no purpose。 However; we cut good store of firewood at this first anchoring…place; and my company were all here very well refreshed with raccoons; turtle; shark; and other fish; and some fowls; so that we were now all much brisker than when we came in hither。 Yet still I was for standing farther into the bay; partly because I had a mind to increase my stock of fresh water; which was begun to be low; and partly for the sake of discovering this part of the coast。 I was invi