YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY A NARRATIVE OF THE LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR EAST INDIAMAN, ¦ WHICH WAS UNFORTUNATELY WRECKED UPON THE COAST OF CAFFRARIA, Somewhere between the 27th and 32d Degrees of Southern'LatitiKiej On the 4th of Auguftj 1782, COMPILED FROM THE EXAMINATION QF _ JOHN HYNES, one of the Unfortunate Survivors. BY MR. GEORGE CARTER, HISTORICAL PORTRAIT PAINTER. UPON HIS PASSAGE OUTWARD BOUND TO INDIA, I I ¦l—ftBPi— .¦ CONT.'VINIMG A Variety of Matter refpedling the Sufferers, Never kfire made Pullic ; With Copper' Plates deferiptive" of the Cataftrophe, ENGRAV:^D FROM MR. CARTER'S DESIGNS. LO N t).0 N: PRINTEDATTME SOinetija Prcfs, FOR J-. MURRAY, FLEET-STREET,..^' AND WILLIAM LANE, LEADENHALL-STREET. .^!DCCXCI. ' CIRCUMSTANTIAL NARRATIVE ot THE LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR EAST, INDIAMAN. CHAP. I. THE GROSVENOR SAILS FROM TRlNGO- MALE— DISAGREEMENT RELATIVE TQ THE APPEARANCE OF LAND — THE SHIP STRIKES ON THE ROCKS. ON the 1 3th day of? June, 1782, the Grof- venor failed from TrincOmale^' and about a month after faw a fail, which waS the only one that came in view till the unfortu nate 4th of Auguft, when the (hip went oil ihore. B Two 3 LOSS OF THE GROS.VEN'OR Two days before it had blown very hard, and feems to have continued to do fo, as at fou,r o'clock, A. M. on fhat day, being Sun day, the fliip was Jying to, under a fore-fail, and mizen-ftay-fail. As this was the cafe, it is more than probable that they had not been, able to. take an obfervation for fome days, efpecially as the atmofphere is general ly cloudy near the (hore. They likewife may have been afFefted by the currents, which are often met with on the edge of banks near this fhore, and which are known fometimes to be very rapid and uncertain. Thtfe circumftances periiaps in fome mea- liare account for that error in their reckoning, wiiiirh occafioned the lofs of the ' fhip ; for the man at the wheel heard Captain Coxfon tell the <;onip.any, at dinner, the preceding day, that he then conlidered himfelf as -one hundred leagues from the neareft land. Not- wi-tbftanding which, the next morning, be fore it was light, the flaip ftruck. 4 John EAST INDIAMAN. i 3 John Hynes, a feaman, was at this time aloft, with one Lewis, and Several others-, ftriking and fending down the fore-top-gal- ^ant-maft. While there, Hynes alked Lewis if he did not think that it was land where the breakers appeared ; to which the latter - anfwering in the affirmative, they all.haftened down, to inform the third mate, whofe watch it was, of fo alarming a circumftance. Inftead of paying any attention to their information,. Mr. Beale only laughed at their -want of knowledge, and gave not the leaft credit to their conjedture. Upon which, Lewis ran into the cabbin and acquainted the captain, who inftantly came out, and ordered to wear ihip. The helm was accordingly put hard a-wea- ther, the mizen-ftay-fail hauled down, the fore-top-fail and jib loofed, and the after- yards fquared 5 by which her head was nearly brought round. But before this. could be accompliftied, her keel ftruck 3 and as ftie thumped very hard, every foul on board ran immediately upon deck. B 2 Horror 4 LOSS Of THE GROSVENOR Horror and apprehenfion was now ftrongly painted in every face ; which the captain en deavoured to difpel by every means in his power. In order to pacify the paflengers, he aftured them that he was not without hope of being able to fave them all ; and therefore begged them to be cotnpofedi In the firft place he ordered the carpenter to found the pumps. This was done^ but no water was to be found in the hold ; the ftern lying high on the rocks, and the fort part being confiderably lower, all the water had run forward. About ten minutes after the fhip had ftruck, the wind came oft" fti6re, a circilm- ftance that gave additional ftrength to their appreheniions ; for they now were afraid they ftiould be driven out to fea, and thereby lofe the only chance they had of avoiding that death which feemed to await them. The gunner was ordered by the cap* tain to fire fignal guns of diftrefs ; but upon his attempting to go into the powder room, hs SHIIPWRECK of tlic G MANNERin wMclhi the SlTIiTiVORS ESICATPED on SHOIRE . I "Vide Pa^e< 5 EAST INDIAMAN." -"' 5 Ke found it fo full of water, as to prevent all accefs into it. The captain was no fooner informed of this circumftaftte than he ordered the main-maft to be cut away ; and prefently after, the fore-maft ; but without any effedt i and the fliip being vnthin a cable's length, or about three hundred yards of the fliore, all hopes of faving her were at an end. C HAP. II. DISTRACTED STATE.QF THE CREW AND PASSENGERS METHODS BY WHICH THEY GAINED THE SHORE, XT is not ih the power of language to de- fcribe the ftate of diftradtion to ^yhich every one on bo^rd, particularly the paflengers, were at^ this time reduced. Defpair was paint- ed on every countenance.' Mothers were crying and lamenting over their children | huibands oyer both ^ and all was anarchy and con-> fufion, B 3 Thofe 6 LO,SS OF THE GROSVENOR Thofe who were moft compofed, were employed in devifing methods to gain the ftiore. As one of the moft probable, they fet about framing a raft of fuch cf the fpars, mafts, and yards, as could be got together j and it was hoped, that by this means, the women, children, and fick would be fafely conveyed to land^ In the mean time a Lafcar and two Italians attempted to fwim to thelhor^ with the deep fea line. Two of thefe were fortunate enough (if prolonging their mifery may be termed fortunate,) to reaCh the land; the other which happened to be one of the Italians, periftied in the attempt. By means df this fmall line a 'much larger one was conveyed to the fliore, arid by that a hawfer. In drawing the latter afliore, the two men were aflifted by a great number of the nalives,. who" by this time had crowded to the water's edge, to behold the uncom- mon fight. ./, <¦ Tl\e EAST INDIAMAN, - The niafts, driveivby the furf and current, found thqr.jW.ay to^ the iiiore j and as, foon as they were got within reach, they were q_uickly ftripped of the iron hoops by the natives, that being the wet^ .moft, ^prized,- fpr making thp he^ds pfjthei^^flaygaysi, or lances. When. the. hawfer was hauled on flib^, it was faftened , roiind the rocks, and the,, other end made, feft, tp .the capftern, on board the fliip, by which means it ,w^$. hauled^tighA^..,,, -By this tinie the raft, about which moft, of the people ,pn board h^d been employed, was completed, and a nine inch hawfer faj?ehe(l round it. It was then launched overboard, and. veered away- towards the ^ftern of the fhip, that tl^e^^ women and. children- might the more readily qmba,f)c upon it from the quar ter gaUery, ^^,-, - ,, ; , . . .,^^ . ' '- "-¦ - '^n; . ,¦.¦ , ¦:3aoo'} c:; ,..- • ¦ ,. Four men..got upon;it,.in order to aftift the ladies ; but they had fcarcely-; taken their fta- tion, before the violence of the furf fnapt the hawfer in two, although it was a new one, B 4 and 8 LOSS DF THE GROSVENOR and the raft driving on fhore, was upfet ; by which means three out of the four men were' drowned. All hands began now to do the beft they could for themfelves. Some had recourfe to the only method there now apjieared to be left for getting afhore, viz. by the Tiawfer, made'faft to the rocks, hand over hand; and' defpair giving ftrength and refolution, fe- veral of the feamen gained the fhore hy this' (difiicult and hazardous mode, while others, who were incapable of accomplifhing it, dropped, and were drowned i the latter a- mourited to fifteen; r, It^fhould have been obferved, that when fhe mafts were ordered to be cutaway, the yawl and jolly boat Were hoifted out, with an intention to bp applied in faving the crevv ; but thefe wer? no fooner over the fide of the fhip, than they were dafhed to pieces by the violence of the furf, "' CHAP. EAST INDIAMAN. CHAP. III. THE SHIP SEPARATES IN .THE MIDDLE — THE REMAINDER OF "tHE PASSENGERS ^AND CREW GET ON SHORE, "" '¦ Jr\.BOUT this time the- fhip feparatfed,' juft before the main-maft i and the bovi^s veering round, came athwart the ftern, as repre- fented in the annexed plate. The wind at the fame time, providentially fhifted to its old quarter, and blew diredlly upon the land j a circumftance that contributed greatly to wards faving thofe who ftill remained on board ; who all got upon the poop, as being neareft the fhpre. The wind, now, in conjundlion witn the furges, lifting them in, that part of the wreck on which the people were, in an in- ftant rent on funder, fore and aft, the deck fplitting in two. In this diftrefsful moment they crouded upon the ftarboard quarter j which foon floated into fhoal water, the other parts IO LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR parts continuing to break off thofe heavy feas that would have ingulfed or dafhed them in pieces. Through this incident every foul on board, even the ladies and children, got fafe , on fhore, except the cook's mate, a black, who being drunk, would not be prevailed upon to leave the wreck. Upon this occa- lion, the feamen that had already gained the land by means ofthe hawfer, did all in their povrer to fuccour thofe who needed^eir af- fiftance. CHAP. EAST INDIAMAN. ' CHAP. IV. THEIR EMPLOYMENT AFTER THEY HAD GAINED THE SHOR.E — FIND SOME CASKS OF PROVISIONS AND OTHER NECESSA RIES ARE PLUNDERED BY THE B NATIVES. Y the time they had all got on fhore, the day was far fpent, and night came on a pace. Luckily, the natives, who had retired with'th« fetting fun, had left the embers of their fire; With this our people lighted three others, of wood colledted from the wreck, and having got together fome hogs, geefe, and fowls, which had been driven on fhore, they fupped in common upon them, for that night. In the mean while, every one wandered up and down the fhore, in order to fee what they could pick up, that would be of fervice to them, ; and a calk of beef, a cafk of floui", and a leager of arrack were found, Thefe bein^ 12 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR being dehvered to the captain, he ferved out a proper portion of each to every perfon. Two fails, that had been driven on fliore, were likewife brought to him ; and of thefe he ordered two tents to be made, for the la dies to repofe themfelves in, the enfuing night. On the morning of the 5th, the natives, who were woolly-headed, and quite black, came down and began to carry"oiF whatever feemed to ftrike their fancy. This condudt excited in the minds of our people, particu larly the women, a thoufand apprehenfion s for their perfonal fafety; but they were agreeably furprized to find that they con-? tented themfelves with plundering. The next day, the 6th, was fpent in col- ledling together every article that might prove ufeful upon the journey they were about to take, * for it was intended to make the beft of their way by land, to the Cape of Good Hope.' Upon examining what was col- ledted, they found they were in pofTeflion of two calks of flour, and a tub of pork. 3 They SiAST INDIAMA^. ii f hey had alfo two leagers of arrack ; but thefe the captain prudently ordered to be ftpve, left the natives, getting at it, might, in a fit of intoxication, deftroy them alL The heads of the cafks were accordingly knocked out. CHAP. V. CAPTAIN COXSON HARANGUES THE COM PANY, AND PROPOSES MAKING FOR THE NEAREST DUTCH SETTLEMENT — THEY SET OFF FOR THAT PURPOSE. lAPTAlN COXSON, now called dl the furvivors ofthe fhipwreck together, arid after- having fhared the provifions among them, reprefented ' that as he had, Pn board, beeri their commanding officer, he hoped they would ftill fuffer hini to continue his com mand.' To this it was unanimoufly an- fwered, * By all meansx He then proceeded to 14 LOSS OF THE- GROSVENOR to inform them, that from the beft calcu lations he could make, he was in hopes of being able to reach fome of the Dutch fettk- ments in fifteen or fixteen days. * And in * this the captain was not much miftaken : * For as the fhipwreck is fuppofed to have * happened fomewhere about the 29 th de- ' gree of fouthern latitude, and the moft * northern of the Dutch colonies extend be- * yond the 31ft degree, this might have * been done, had not the intervention of the * rivers, which lie between, too much re- * tarded them.' Encouraged by this hope, they fet off on the 27th, in order to obtain the end of their wifhes as foon as polTible. Mr. Logie, the chief mate, having been for fome time ill, was carried by two men, in a ham mock flung upon a pole ; and in this la borious employ, all the men chearfully took " fpell and fpell. Previous to their march, they made a Dutch Jack, which they carried before them, thinking that the colours of that na tion EAST INDIAMAN. ij tion would be fooner known and refpedted than thofe of the Englifh. A man, whofe name was O'Brien, and who^ had been an Eaft India foldier, having a fwelled knee, would not fet out with his fhip- mates, but ftaid behind. The poor fellow faid, that as it would be impoffi.ble for him to keep up with them, hp would endeavour to get fome pewter and lead from the wreck, of which he would make little trinkets to amufc the natives, hoping thereby to ingratiate himfelf with them, and learn their language, till he fhould be better able to get away. He added, that he might as well even die with them, as to end his life on the way in excru ciating pangs from pain and hunger. CHAP. tt LOSS OF The grOsvenor CHAP. VL THEY SET OUT — ARE FOLLOWED BY A PARTY OF THJE NATIVES — FIND AMONG THEM A MAN WHO SPEAKS DUTCH- ARE INFORMED OF THE DANGERS AND DIFFICULTIES THEY HAVE TO ENCOUNTER. T3 HEY no^V^ all moved forward, except the perfon juft mentioned, and were followed by fome 6f the natives, others ftaying by the wreck-. As our people proceeded, they found a tolerably A^vell-trod path from village to village. The CaffreeS continued to follow thenx for about three riiiles, taking away from them, from time to time, whatever they liked, and fometimes throwing ftones at them. They foon after were met by a party of the natives confifting of about thirty, whofe hair Was made up in the • form of fugar-loaves, and their faces painted red. Among them was EAST INDI AlviAN.'' 17 "Vras a man who fpoke Dutch. His naftie, as they afterwards learnt, was Trout *. Hav ing committed fome riiurders among his countrymen, he had fled to thefe parts for refuge and concealment. When he came up to the Englifh, he en quired who they were, and whither they were going j and on being told that they were Englifh, had been eaft away, and were en deavouring to find their way round to the Cape of Good Hope, he informed them that their intended Journey would be attended with unfpeakable difficulties ; that they had many nations to go through, and many de- ferts to pafs, exclufive of the dangers they * ' In the account given by Price, Lewis, Warmington, and • Larey, the firft party of the fhipwrecked crew that reached • England, this man is fuppofed, from his being of a lighter ' colouis'than the natives, and having flraight hair, to be a * Malayman. But it is much more probable that, according to ' Hynes, he was an inhabitant of the Dutch colonies, -which * extend almoft to the borders of Caffraria ; and his colour • and hair pronourice him to be of that mixed breed be- • tween the Dutch and the Negroes, with which thofe fettle- ' m,ents are kndwn to abound. And this conclufio^ is un- ' dbubtedly confirmed by his name, (Trout), which Hynes Is ' able to give," ¦ ¦ C would i« LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR would experience from the vaft numbers of wild beafts they were fure to meet with ; all which, he faid, would render their attempt nearly impradticable. This information did not in the leaft con tribute to raife the fpirits of the fhipwrecked wanderers. They offered the man any money he fhould require, to •condudt them to the Cape, but could not prevail upon him to un- .dertake it. The reafons he gave were, that hewas afraid of putting himfelf into the power of the Dutch. Befides which, as he had a wife and children among the natives, he was well-afTured they would never confent to let him go, if he was ever fo much inclined to do it. Finding their folicitations on this head fruitlefs, they purfued their journey, and tra velled on in the fame manner for four or five days, the natives conftantly affembling about them in the day time, and taking from them whatever they pleafed j but as foon as the fun went down they invariably retired. During their ftay, however, they kept the travellers in :i';. EAST INDIAMANi 15, Iri continual alarms, by handling the ladies roughly, and exafperating their hufbands in particular, and the people in general, to adts of violence; CHAP. Vit. THEY CONTINUE THEIR JOURNEY— 6 LOSS, OF TffE GROSV»ENOR tbey had met with ; but the tide being flood,^ they could not crofs it ; they therefore de termined to fpend the night there. Before the natives retired, they grew more troublefome than they had hitherto been. They feized tha igentjemens' watches ; and- the hair ofthe ladies coming down, they difc.Qvered that they had hid/their diamonds therein, and without any ceremony took them away. ,. Nay, they even looked ^carefully to fee if they could find any more. . What' the feelings of the ladies muft be, on thus- loBng - their, valuable: ornaments, which they had preferved with fuch care, is much eafter to be conceived than defcribed. The gentlemen, as may be fuppofed,: could not conceal their indignation at thefe out rages ; but all they got from the plunderers in return, were blows with their lances, or with knobbed fticks, about three feet long, which they generally carried with them' It now began to grow dark ; and it be came neceffary to make a fire j but as thofe who EAST , INDIAMAN. - 37 who carried the firebrands, at this time, happened to lag behind, the fhip's cook, and two others. feeing, on the oppofite fide of the river, the remains of a fire, ^which the na tives had made to burn the long grafs, they fwam over, and returned with lighted fire brands upon their heads. r ¦ ¦ : A fire was now made, and thofe whofe turn it was, refted their weary limbs there for that night. CHAP. »S LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR CHAP. X. THEY PASS THE RIVER — AND SOON AFTER SEPARATE INTO DIFFERENT PARTIES. Jl HE next day, at ebb tide, they all waded over^ the river; and being without frefh Water, Colonel James propofed digging in the fand, in order to find fome. The colo nel's propofal was carried into execution, and attended with fuccefs. Here alfo, the provifions they had brought with them being nearly expended, and the fatigue of travelling \Anth 'fhe women and children very great, the failors began to mur mur J and every one feemed determined to take care of himfelf. Accordingly, the captain, with Mr. Logie, the firft mate, and his wife ; Mr. Beale, the third mate ; Colonel James and his lady ^ Mr. EAST INDIAMAN. sg Mr. and' Mrs. Hofea ; Mr. Hay, the pur- fer ; five of the children j Mr. Newman j and Mr. Nixon, the furgeon, agreed to keep together, and travel on flowly as before ; and many of the feamen, likewife, induced by the great promifes made them by Colonel James, Mr. Hofea, &c, were prevailed upon to ftay behind with them, in order to carry what little provifion was left, and the blan kets with which they covered themfelves ia the night. . Whilp Mr. Shaw, the fecond mate j Mr, Trotter, the fourth ; Mr. Harris, the fifth ; 'Captain Talbot and hi^ coxfwain ; MefTrs. Williams and Taylor; Monfieur D'Efpinette, Monfieur Oliver, and their fervants } the fhip's fteward, carpenter, and cooper j the carpenter's and caulker's mates, and the re mainder of the feamen, amopg whom was Hynes j in all about forty- three, went on before. A young gentleman, about feven or eight years of age, whofe name was Law, crying after one of the paflTengers, it was agreed to take him with them, and to carry ^im JO LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR him by turns, whenever he fhould be unable to walk. * This feparatlon, however, did not take * place without much regret on all fides* * They had fhared together hitherto the dif- * ficulties and diftreffes incident to their fitu- ' ation, and through thefe, were famfliarized, * as one may fay, to each other; to part ' therefore in a ftrange land, and almoft * without hopes of meeting again, could not * be accomplifhed, at leaft by the more fuf- * ceptiblepart, without many pangs. CHAP. EAST INDIAMAN. 35 CHAP. XI,^ the two parties separate, but through a delay occasioned by the tide, meet again ¦ ' they arrive at the residence of trout the dutchman 7-he gives them Directions what route to pursue. HE two parties having come to the fore going refolution, they now feparated; the fecond mate and his party going on firft. But the next day, about feven or eight o'clock in the morning, thofe who had left the cap tain's party, having been waiting all night by the fide of a river, for the ebb tide, were overtaken, and the whole company once more united. This unexpedted meeting, though their feparation had been of fo fhort a continuance, afforded them all infinite fatistadtion. -It was a moment of tranfport. The inconve niences. 32 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR niences that had occafioned their difunion, were for the prefent forgotten ; and every heart glowed with unfeigned aifedlion. Being thif§ united, they all croflTed the river, and travelled in company together, for the whole of that day, and part of the next. The natives fometimes joined them, but contented themfelves with pilfering fuch trifles as came in their way, and running ©ff with them. They now arrived at a large village, where they found Trout, the Dutchman, who fhewed them his wife and child, and begged a piece of pork. He told them that this was' his place of refidence ; and again repeat ed, that the natives would by no means fuf fer him to depart, even if his inclination led him to return to his own country. He gave them further diredtions relative to their journey, and informed them of the names of the places they had to go through, with the rivers they had to pafs. During ~ this S EAST INDIAMAN. Sa this converfation they were furrounded by a great number of the natives. Having received thefe diredtions from Trout, to whom they acknowledged them felves obliged, the Grofvenors proceeded on their journey, fome of the natives attending- them ; who, however, departed as ufual, when it grew dufky. mt D CHAP. 31 LOSS Oi^ THE' GROSVENOR CHAP. xn. their provisions^ being EXPENPED, A PARTY GO TO THE SEA ^-IDE TO PRO CURE SHELL FISH A.R;;JIIVE AT A SMALL VILLAGE, WHERE THEY FIND AN OLD MAN, WHO DRIVES AWAY HIS CATTLE A SECOND SEPARATION TAKES PLACE. X HEY all fpent the following night to gether, but finding in the morning that their provifions were txp€?iiied,- a»d obferving that it was low water, a party went down to the fea fide, in order to gather fhell-fifh from the rocks. ^^ Thofe who went, were fortunate enough to find a confiderable number of oyfters, muf- cles, limpets, 6cc. The beft oyfters they found at the mouth of the river, where the fea water was a little tindtured by the frefhes, Thefe were divided among the women, chil- • dren EAST INDIAMAN, 35 flren, and fick ; for the tide happening to come in while they were employed, they were prevented from, getting enough for every one. As foon as the fifhing party was returned, and they had enjoyed their fcanty repaft, they all continued their march together ; and about twelve o'clock arrived at a fmall village. Here an old man came out with a lance in his hand, which he levelled at our people, making, at the fame time a noife fomewhat refembling the report of a mufquet. This was fuppofed to mean, that he apprehended they would kill his cattle ; for he inftantly drove his herd into the Kraal. A Kraal is a plot of ground within a ring fence, into which the natives of this country, every evening, drive their cattle, in order to pre- ferve them from the attacks ofthe wild beafts. The old man did not follow our people, but fome other inhabitants of the village did, and behaved very ill. Da Our 56 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR Out party all travelled on together, till about four o'clock, when it was once more agreed to feparate. The reafons which in duced them to take this ftep, were thefe : Had they remained united in a body, they were not a match for the numbers of natives that in a few hours could come down upon them, having found that they were obliged to be paffive even to a few. Befides, by marching in feparate bodies, they would not be fo much an objedt of jealoufy and fufpi- cion to the nations they were to pafs through; and would at any rate divide their attention". And further, when in fmall parties, they could the more readily procure fubfiftence. Induced by thefe reafons, however difa- greeable it might be to part, after being united, as they were, by misfortune, they -took different courfes, and feparated, never .to meet again. CHAP. EAST INDIAMAN. CHAP. XIII. THE PARTY TO WHICH HYNES HAD UNITED HIMSELF, PROCEED BY A DIFFERENT ROUTE FROM THOSE WITH THE CAPTAIN —— THE NEXT DAY MARCHED THIRTY MILES — PASS THE NIGHT BY THE SKIRTS OF A LARGE WOOD — LIVE UPON BERRIES AND WILD SORREL ARRIVE AT THE SIDE OF A . WIDE RIVER PROCEED ALONG THE BANKS, TO FIND A FORD. X HE fecond mate's *party, as before enu merated, being that to which Hynes had at tached himfelf, their proceedings muft in future be the fubjedt of our attention, as his information could not extend beyond his own party. ' The fate of the party left behind, re- * mains, I believe, to the prefent hour un- D 3 * known ; S8 " LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR ' known ; and as often as recolledtion brings * it to the memory, I doubt not but it excites * a figh from every compaffionate breaft. ' But what are the feelings of common hu- * manity, to the excitations of friendfhip or * affedtion ! If perfons unconcerned cannot * fafhion to themfelves the idea of beautiful * and delicate women, wandering through * unfrequented wilds, fubjedt to the rapine * and licentioufnefs of unfeeling favages ; or * of men, lately bleffed with eafe and afHu- * ence, becoming a prey to hunger, naked- * nefs, and flavery, without being affedted * by the contemplation ; what pangs muft * the friends and relations of the unhappy * wanderers hourly experience ! The dif- * tradting thought muft be too much for * them to bear. The only alleviation they * can know, is the hope that the kind hand * of death has releafed from their accumu- * lated woes the ill-fated fufferers.' The purpofed feparation having taken place, the party to which Hynes belonged, travelled till it was quite dark, when arriving at EAST INDIAMAjN.: 39 at a convenient place for wood and water, they made themfelves a fire, and took their repofe. The next day according to their neareft calculation, they marched upwards of thirty miles; and as they went on, faw a great number of the natives, who feemed to be in- quifitive about who and what they were, but gave them no moleftation. When it was almoft dark they came to an extenfive wood, which they were afraid to enter, left they fhould miftake the way, and be incommoded by the wild beafts. There fore, as they found water where they were, they made a large fire, and continued upon the fkirts of it for the night. They could, however, enjoy but little fleep ; for the wild beafts kept howling in fuch a manner, K that thofe who were upon the watch were not a little terrified. The day following they continued on their march till the fun had gained its meridian, without any other food than wild forrel, and D 4 fuch 40 LOSS'OF THE GROSVENOR fuch berries as they obferved the birds to peck at. During the whole of the way, they did not meet with one of the natives. They now reached a point of rocks where they got fhell-fifh; and thus refrefhed, they went on till they came to the fide of a large river, wher^ ' they repofed. The next morning finding the_ river very wide and deep, and there being fome x)f the company who could not fwim, they came to a determination to follow the windings of it ; in order to look for a place that was fordable. CHA P. E A S T I N D I A M A N, 41 CHAP. XIV- THEY PASS MANY VILLAGES ON THE BANKS OF THE RIVER — MAKE CATA- MARANDS, OR FLOATING STAGES TO CROSS THE RIVER — BEND THEIR COURSE TOWARDS THE SEA-SIDE, WHERE THEY PROCURE SHELL-FISH. A HEY marched for a confiderable time along the banks of the river, and in their way paflTed many villages, but could procure no relief from any of the inhabitants, who, inftead of affording them the leaft affiftance^ immediately drove their cattle intotheirkraals. After a tedious journey up the river, not finding it to narrow, as they expedted, they came to the refolution of conftrudting catamarands, or floating ftages, in order to pafs it. For this purpofe they coUedted to gether all the dry wood they could meet with, and lafhing it together with wood bines and their 42 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR their handkerchiefs, they placed the little boy, before fpoken off, with thofe who could not fwim upon it ; ,and this being done, thofe who were able to fwim pufhed it a crofs be fore them. In this manner they all got over fafe. Hynes believes that the river they thus croffed, was not lefs than two miles over. They now fteered their courfe down that fide of the river which they had juft landed on, in order to get once more to the fea-fide to obtain provifions. It was three days fince* they had left the fea, and during all that time they had fcarcely tafted any thing but Water, and a little wild forrel ; their laffitude and fatigue, therefore, may be eafily con ceived. But ' heaven tempers the wind to the fhorn lamb ;' and under the fame pro tedtion and guidance, the unhappy wander ers, at length, reached the fea fhore. The tide fortunately being out, they got plenty of fhell-fifh, and after their fpirits were refrefh ed, they repofed their weary limbs. CHAP. EAST INDIAMAN. CHAP. XV. THEY CONTINUE THEIR COURSE ALONG THE SEA SIDE — PASS OVER A WOODY MOUNTAIN — ARRIVE AGAIN AT THE SEA. X HEY now continued their courfe along the fide ofthe fea, or a,s near to it as poffible i and this they did for three or four days, that they might not be at a lofs for provifions. The natives met them fometimes, but fuf- fered them to pafs unmolefted. The country near the coaft now began to be very woody, mountainous, and defart. And thus it continued, till, on the fourth day, they came to a high mountain, the fide of which was covered with wood, and they were obliged to take this route, as the rocks near the fhore rendered that way impaffable. 6 In 44 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR In order to pafs through this wood, which appeared to be of very confiderable extent, they began their march before day break, and entered it juft as the fun rofe : And a mofl fatiguing day this proved. They had a new path to beat, where perhaps the Jiuman foot had never before been imprinted, and as many ofthe company were bare-legged, they were greatly incommoded. ^ Uncertain which way to proceed, they were frequently obliged to climb the higheft of the trees, in order to explore their way j fo that night approached, and they were nearly finking under the fatigue, before they reached the fummit of the hill. They now found that they had got through the wood, and were entering on an open fpa-. cious plain, which lay before them, with a fine ftream of water running through it. Here they flept for this night, taking care firft to make an unufual large fire, and keeping ftridl watch and watch, the wild beafts being ac- cuftomed in their nodturnal prowlings to come here for water j which rendered the fituation EAST INDIAMAN. 45 fituation ofthe wanderers extremely perilous, and it was with great difficulty they drove them ofi". When day returned, Hynes got 'upon one of the loftieft trees, in order to difcern which way the fea coaft tended. Then it was that he found they had another wood, or a con tinuation of the fame, to go through, before they could defcend to the bottom of the hill. Having well noticed the windings ofthe fea coaft, he'came down from the tree ; and foon after the party fet off, and fhaped their courfe towards this wood, in the beft manner they were able ; and they reached it juft as the night fhut in, overcome with fatigue ; the difficulties they had to encounter being almoft incredible. Not a path was there to be fouled, but fuch as the lions, tygers, and other ravenous beafts had made. CHAP. 46 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR ¦ CHAP. XVL SCARCITY OF FIRE WOOD — METHOD OF OPENING THEIR SHELL FISH, BEING WITHOUT KNIVES DESCRIPTION OP THE FIRST NATION THEY HAlD PASSED THROUGH. N. IGHT clofing in when they arrived again on the coaft, the firft thing they did was to make fires, but as it was too fevere a bufinefs, after the toils and fatigues of the day, to forage for wood fufficient to maintain three fires for the whole night, which were abfolutely neceffary for fo many people ; they divided to each man his poption and partition of the fire they could make, into whieh, by putting his oyfters, mufcles, &c. he got them open. They were obliged to have recourfS to this method, as there was not a fingle knife belonging to the whole company ; the natives having ftripped them of every thing but their cloaths, and thefe were of no ufe to EAST INDIAMAN. 47 to them. On this fpot they repofed, but found no water. Let nie here defcribe the form and drefsr of the firft nation they had paflled through. The coritiplexion of the natives was of a dark copper colour, and they had longifh woolly hair, which they wore drawn up in the form of a cone, upon the top of the head. Their nofes were prominent, and they were well featured. In their form they were robuft, ahd well 'proportioned, and they went quite naked, except a flight covering round the loins. when they go a hunting, or upon the ap pearance of bad weather, they wear the fkin of fome wild beaft, a lion, tyger, &c. This covers them by night, and protedts them by" day, either from the heat or the rain. If the - weather is hot, they wear the fkin fide in wards ; if it rains, the hairy fide. One of their principal qualifications is, that they are extremely fwif t of foot. The 48. LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR ^ The women, who are likewife well pro portioned, and their countenances not un- pleafing, go nearly naked. They wear no manner of cloathing, except a kind of net round the middle, which reaches halfway down their thighs ; butithe mefhes of thefe; nets are fo wide, that it can be fcarcely called a covering. Their houfes are conftrudted of poles, ftuck into the ground in a circular form, and brought together at the top, which is then thatched with reeds and long grafs. The bottom part is wattled without, and plaftered with cow dung within. In the center they dig a hole, about three feet deep, wherein they make their fire; and round this hole, the family, lying on their fkins, take their repofe. The conftrudting of their houfes is a work in which the women employ them felves, while the men are engaged in fifhing or hunting. CHAP. EAST INDIAMA.N., 49 CHAP. XVII. THEY FIND A DEAD WHALE, ON WhiCH SOME OF THEM DINE"— ARRIVE AT THE SIDE OF A FINE LEVEL COUNTRY, TO WARDS WHICH A PART OF THE COM PANY TAKE THEIR'ROUTE, WHILE-THE REST TRAVEL ON B'V THE SEASIDE; TO WHICH THE FORMER PARTY AT LENGTH FIND THEMSELVES OBLIGED ~ TO RETURN — CAPTAIN TALBOT A^N D HIS SERVANT LEFT BEHIND. XJUT tp return to the diftreffed wanderers. After having repofed on tlie fpot before men tioned for that night, in as much quiet and fecurity as could be expedted, the next 'morn ing they purfued their journey ; and about noon found upon the beach a dead whale, which had been driven up by the tidp to high-watermark. . \ E The 3« LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR The fight of fuch a ftock of provifions af forded them no little pleafure. But they were at a lofs how to render it of any fervice, not one of the party being poffefted of an in-r ftrument that would cut it. Indeed if it had been in their power to cut it up, fome of them, though almoft famifhed, would have j-efufed to parfake of if, their ftomachs nau- feating fuch food ; while others, having made a fire upon it, dug out with an oyfter-ffiell t;he part thus grilled, and made ^ hparty meal, A fiJie levpl country now prefented itfelf inland; upon fight of which, fuppofing that they had got out of the country of the Caf- frees, and had reached the northermoft of the Dutch fettlements, fome of the party ^hoijght if would be rnoft advifeable to take their route that way ; while others were of ppinion, that it would, bp f^fer. and better ftill |o keep near the fea. After many arguments on the propriety ^i1 too often, the reft went on, and left him. His faithful fervant Blair obferving his mafter* in this fituation, went back-, and was ob ferved to fifdown by him; but neither ofthe two were ever more feen or heard of, CHAP. EAST iNDlAMANi s% CHAP. XVIIL HYNES AND HIS COMPANIONS COME TO A SMALL RIVER — FIND TWO OF THE CAR PENTER'S PARTY ARRIVE AT A LARGE RIVER — ARE CHEATED BY THE NATIVES IN BARTERING WITH THEM* HE next day they purfued their journey, and about noon came to a fmall river, where they found two ofthe carpenter's party, who, not being able to fwim, had been left behind. Their joy at thus being overtaken, and ref- cuied from their folitary fituation, was very great ; and much more fo when promifed affiftance in croffing the river. Thefe two men had been preferVed, during the time they were left alone, almoft by mi racle ; for while they were on the beach get ting fhell-fifh, their fire went out; and as this was their only protedtion in the night, it E3 is 54 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR is a wonder how they efcaped being devoured by the wild beafts. It was with great difficulty that they were got over the river by thofe who had over- taxken them ; which at length this was accom plifhed, and they proceeded together for about four days. They came to a river of fuch a breadth, that none of the company thought it prudent to attempt to pafs it ; and therefore they marched along the banks of it, in hopes of finding a more pradticable place. In this diredlion they proceeded, until they came to a village, where they faw the infide of a watch, which they found fome of the carpenter's party had exchanged with the in habitants for a little milk. Perceiving from this that fuch a traffick was not unacceptable, Mr. Shaw fhewed them the infide of his watch, and offered them a part of it for a calf. The offer appeared to be accepted, and the calf was accordingly driven into the Kraal to be EAST INDIAMAN. 55 be killed ; but the natives had no fooner got what was to have been the ^price of it into their poffefhon, than they withheld the calf, which they immediately drove from the village. CHAP. XlX. They continue their iviARCH aloncI THE SIDE OF THE RIVER, AND AT LENGTH CROSS IT, BUT LEAVE THE TWO MEN BEHIND AGAIN REACH THE SEA-SHORE— »FALL IN WITH A LARGE PARTY OF THE NATIVES CROSS ANOTHER RIVER, vyUR people continued their march along; the river for feveral days, and in their way paflled many villages, without being molefted by the natives. At length they came to a part where they thought they might be able E 4 t« 56 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR to get over. They accordingly fet about forming a catamarand, as bef<5re, with all expedition, which they launched, and fafely pafled the river, two of the party excepted, who were left behind. This river Hynes thinks muft have been a mile and half broad; at which the two men, whom they had found by the fide of the other river, were fo terrified, that the raff was no fooner pufhed from the fhore, than they quitted their hold, and turned back, fo that when the party had gained the oppofite fhore, they took a laft view of thefe un happy men, whom they faw no more. They proceeded in a flanting direc tion, towards the Tea fliore, which they reached about noon, on the third day. Here they flept, but found themfelves without the neceflary article, water. Next day, at the ebbing ofthe tide, they got fome fhell-fifh'; and as foon as they were refrefhed, they pur fued their journey. Ib EAST INDIAMAN. 57 Inthexourfe of that day's, march, they fell in with a large party ofthe natives, which Hynes thinks" were named Mangonies. By thefe they were ufed extremely ill, and from whom, as they were unable to make any re- fiftance, they received many blows. In or der to avoid fuch treatment," they all ran into the wood, where they continued till the fa vages were gone, when they re-affembled, and refumed their route. \ .They had not gone far, before they could plainly per-ceive imprinted on the fand the fhape of hAiman feet; which they concluded were made by fome of their late companion^. With the hopes of joining them, they fol lowed their fuppofdd footfteps for a while, but at length loft every trace of thefe among the rocks and grafs . Thus difappointed, they continued their march till they came to another river, the water of which rofe to a'fconfiderable height, but it was not broad. Upon which, they inftantly made a fmall catamarand, juft fuf ficient to hold their cloaths, with a few *^'/" 0 -3 oyftersy 5? LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR oyfters, and their firebrands, and pufhing It before them as they fwam, reached the op pofite fhoTe in fafety, where they refted themfelves. CHA P. XX. AFTER TRAVELLING TWO DAYS, THBY OVERTAKE The carpenter's party —LEARN THAT SEVERAL HAD BEEN LEFT BEHIND — MAKE KNIVES OUT OF TWO SPIKE NAILS CROSS ANOTHEli RIVER FIND A DEAD WHALE ARE SURROUNDED BY A LARGE PARTY OF ¦THE NATIVES, BUT NOT ILL TREATED, X-/ URING the two following days they met with nothing very remarkable, but at the expiration of that period, they overtook the party that had feparated from them, headed by the carpenter, who feemed to liave fuifered more than they. Upon ' EAST INDIAMAlSf. 59 Upon coming up to them they Iparnt that the carpenter had been poifoned by eating fome kind of fruit, through hunger, with which he was unacquainted. And likewife, that the two French gentlemen, Meffis, D'Efpinette and Olivier, with their fervant, being totally worn out by famine and fatigue, were left behind. The little boy, mafter Law, was ftill with them having hitherto borne the inconveniencies of fo long a jour- nev, in a moft miraculous manner. The two parties being thus once mote united, travelled on together, and . had not proceeded far, before they came to a fandy bank, where they found a couple of planks, iri each of which was a fpike nail. Elated with having obtained what was now efteemed as valuable by them as by the Caf- frees, they immediately fet fire to the planks, and having taken out the nails, flattened them between two ftones, and fhaped them into fomething like knives. This was a moft valuable acquifition to men in their fituatioi;i, ^nd thofe felt happy who polfeflTed them. Some 66 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR Some way further, they came to another river, which they intended immediately to crofs ; but one of the men accidentally turn ing up the fand, and finding frefh water, they were induced by this fortunate circumftance to pafs the night here, which they did, and croffed the river the next morning, about nine o'clock. It had been their conftant pradtice, when ever it lav within their reach to make for the fea fide, without which, they muft long fince have been ftarved. On gaining the fliore this day, they were moft agreeably furprized to find another dead whale left by the tide on the beach. But their joy at this difcovery was not a little damped by perceiving that they had been obferved by a large party of the natives, who immediately came down upon them. As thefe intruders were armed with lances, they had every reafon to conclude that their defigns were hoftile. The natives, how ever, no fooner faw in what a deplorable fi tuation they were, and how unable to make any EA;ST INDI.AMANi -, f>t any oppofition, than they condudted them felves in fo pacific a manner as to difpel their fears. One of them even lent thofe who were employed oa the whale, his lance, by the affiftance of which, and the two knives, they were enabled to cut it into junks : And putting thefe into theirbags, they purfued their way, till they could find wood and wa ter to drefs It. CHAP, 5? LOSS OF THE -GROSVENOR CHAP. XXI. ONE OF THE PEOPLE TAKEN ILL AND LEFT BEHIND— TRAVEL BRISKLY FOR FOUR D A YS^-ARE ENABLED BY THEIR KNIVES TO NUMBER THE D AYS->-COME TO ANOTHER RIVER A PART OF 'tHE COMPANY CROSS IT HALT TWO DAYS FOR THE REST TO COME UP — DEPART WITHOUT THEM. HE day following they came to a river, where one of the people was taken ill, whom they were obliged, from fevere neceffity, to leave behind, and faw him no more. In a time of general diftrefs, the prefervation of one individual muft give way to that of the whole. Being in poffeffion of the fifh they had lately met with, they had at prefent no ®c- cafion to retard their progref? by feeking for ftiell- EAST INDIAMAN. 63 fhell-fifh ; they therefore profecuted their journey with all the expedition it v/as in their power to make, and they continued to do fo for about four days, The knives they had with them, enabled them to keep a more regular account oftheir time, thari they had for a long while done.' Having procured a ftick", they cut a notch' iri it for every day, and for a Sunday a notch crofsways. In this mariner they kept a fOrt of reckoning ; but liaving one day loft -the ftick as they were croffing a river, they were ho longer able ^o refer to it, g.nd the care they had taken was pf no avail, "^ As they generally kept as near as' they could to the fea-fhore, it is not to be' won dered at that they had many rivers to pais, fomp of which were very broad. The coaft from that part of Caffraria, on which they were wrecked, to the Cape of Good Hope, abounds with them, confequently their pro- grefs was greatly obftrudted, ^nd they ^ we re "enough 64 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR enough,, to , deter thofe who could not fwim from proceeding. They foon after reached a new river, hy the fide of which they feemed very much in clined to take up their refidence for the night, but, as there was no frefh water to be met with, they: thought they fhould be pbiiged to paftit ; however, finding a great quantity of large berries which were eatable, and which rendered the want of water more fupportable, they remained where they were. - -^ . The next morning it , blowing frefh, and the weather being very cold, fome of the company were unwilling to crofs ; but Hynes, andabout, ten others, impatient to getforward, fwarn over, and left the reft behind, among , whom was the little boy. When thefe had gained the oppofite fhore, they purfued their journey, till they came to a place where they met with fliell-fifli, wood, and water. Here they halted two days, in- 'pxpedtation of the others coming up, but as it 3EA6T INDIAMAN'; ^ it ftill continued to blow frefh, it was con cluded that they had not ventured to t:rofs the water. Hynes and his party, therefore, thinking it in vain to wait longer for their timorous companions, went on; and foon afterwards fclme to another river, which they likewife croffed, and having, by dig- ing in the fand, found frefh water, repofed there for the flight, -~ mmm f CHAP. 66 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR CHAP. XXIL -THEY FIND A DEAD SEAL — CUT IT U? WITH THEIR KNIFE AND SOME SHELLS REFLECTIONS ON THEIR WANT OF UNANIMITY ARE OVERTAKEN BY THE PARTY LEFT BEHIND PASS A POINT OF A ROCK, WHERE THEY ARE NEARLY SWEPT AWAY BY THE SURF. X HE returning morning faw them on their journey, which they had not purfued many hours, before they difcovered a dead feai, which the furf had left on the fhore. Only one of the knives made of the nails, as before related, was in the poffeffion of this party, and it was become fo blunt as to be nearly ufelefs ; they therefore fharpened it by the fame means as they had at firft given it an edge, and with it, and fome •fharp fhells, which they found on the beach, cut up the feai. Having performed this, they dreffed fome of it on the fpot, and car ried tAST INDIAMAM. 6y Hed the remainder with- them ; and when they came to a convenient fpOt for wood and water, again repofed themfelves. The next morning the party left be hind, overtook that in which Hynes was. .Since the death of the carpenter, the con- dudting it had devolved to the fhip's fteward. It appeared that they had fuffered much, and had been feverely treated by the natives, fo that what with fatigue, hunger, and other incidents, five of them had died fince their feparation* Here I cannot help lamenting, that perfons in fo perilous a fituation as thefe poor fhip wrecked wanderers were, ; .fhould ever be wanting in that unanimity which rcould alone cnfure their prefervation . ¦ I feel particularly, when I refledt on the inconveniencies "the weaker pftrt; muft be expofed to, when de ferted by the healthy and robuft. But what excites my moft poignant fenfibility is, that the youth, whofe tender years tendered him incapable of combating the perils and fa- F 2 tigues 68 LOSS OF T^ifi G&OSVENOR tigues bf fo Id'riga jourrie^, fhould beltrft be-i hind, to the care of thofe who Were fcarcely able to take care of themfelves. And much praife is due to the worthy man who chiefly endeavoiired to alleviate that fatigue which his infarif limbs Were uriable tb bear, who heard with pity his unavoidable complairi- irigs ; who fed him' when he h'ad whferevdtKd to do it ; arid whb lulled his Wehy foul t5 reft ! A deed fo huttdtit and gefitrdris, can* not efcape the cbghiSance of thofe powers who intereft themfelves in the protedtion of innocence, and will moft affuredly atone for many a misfpent hour f Havirig fhared betwe'eri APm riife remainder of the feai, and iraketi fome repibfe, the party fet off all tbgeiftfer, and after fome time, came to a lofty mountain, which they fbSttd they ftiouM be obliged to crofs, or to gb rottttd tke bluff point of a rock which projed^ed COnfiderAfely into the fea. The latter pafTage appearing to be much the fliorteft, they chofe that ) but had fboh £ reafon EAST INDIAMAN. 69 reafon to r6pent of their determination j for the furf broke fo violently againft the rock, that they had all nearly been fivept away by it. Their efcape was ahnoft miraculous. In their folicitude to preferve themfelves, four or five of the men loft their allowance of the feai, of which each bore his fhare. But their greateft misfortune was, that their firebrands were all extinguifhed. F 3 CHAP. 70 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR CHAP. XXIIL THEY COME IN SIGHT OF SOME NEGRO "women, who run away — THEY RE- KINDLE THEIR FIREBRANDS — ^^ARRIVE AT A VILLAGE — BARTER WITH THE NATIVES FOR A YOUNG BULLOCK—— DIVIDE THE CARCASE — PASS ANOTHER RIVER— CARRY THE YOUTH BY TURNS. HEY now proceeded on their journey, but were greatly difpirited by the lofs of their fire; an article that was fo neceffary, not only for dreffing their food, but for their de fence by night againft the wUd beafts, with which moft of thp country they paffed through abounded. The inconveniencies that muft inevitably attend the extindtion of their brands, dwelt upon their minds, and threw an additional gloom over their prof- pedts. As EAST INDIAMAN. . 71 As they 3 marched on in this difconfolate, ftate, they came in fight of feveral female. natives, who, the moment they were dif covered, took to their heels and. ran aw^y. When the travellers came up to the fpot on which thefe women were firft feen, they per ceived that they had been employed in catch-. ing mufcles. But what was their fatisfac- tion, when they found that the fire, at which they had been dreffing their fifh, was not ex-, tinguifhed ! With joy they lighted their brands, and after having repofed themfelves a few hours, proceeded on their way. It muft be remarked that they ufually ftopped at thofe places where they found wood fuf ficient to furnifh them with neceffary firing, but never when they could be fupplied with water only, as without wood thpy could not fleep in fecurity. The next day they came to a village where the natives fhewed a young bullock, and of fered to barter with them for it. The in fide of a watch, • fome buttons, &c. being of-. fered in exch inge, they, were readily accepted,^ and thp beaf driven into the Kraal, where it F 4 was 7^ LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR Was killed by Our people, with one of the native's lances. ¦> .0 S'f" v-,'t . The natives took the entrails, with which they feemed much pleafed; and the carcaft was divided among our people in the follow* ing manner : That no one might have reafon to complain of an unj uft diftribution, as foon as the whole was cut into pieces, as equal in qiiantity as poffible, ' one of the men flood with his back towards them, and being afked who fhould have the piece held up, men tioned the name of the pelffbn. By this means every one of the company were fatis- fied. Nor was the youth forgotten on the otcafibn. The fkin alfo v^as cut into pieces, and dif* tributed by lot ; and thofe who got any part, made a fort of fhoes of it, , They took up their abode for that night near the village, and having formed a eata-* maraud, next motning, pafled the river, each carrymg his portion of provifions. ^ - This EAST INDIAMAN. 73 This was the only inftance in which they had been able to obtain any fuftenance from the natives, during their journey, except now and then, the women would give the child a little milk. Though the age of this young gentleman, was ill fuited, as already obferved, to combat the inconveniencies of fo long a journey, yet, in fuch an unprovided ftate, he got on tolerably well upon the whole. Where the road was even and good, he walked, and was able to jceep pace with the party ; but when they came to deep fands, or paffed through high grafs, which was often the cafe, the people carried him by turns. When they went on fifhing parties, he was ftationed near the fires, in order to keep them alight ; and on their return was rewarded with a part of the fpoil. CHAP. 74 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR CHAP. XXIV- THEY PASS A SANDY DESART COUNTRY- ENTER A NEW NATION — HALT SOME TIME AT A VILLAGE — THE MANNER IN WHICH THE NATIVES CHURN THEIR BUTTER. X HEY again marched on, and came to a fandy defart, which took them ten days to pafs. Here they entirely loft fight of the natives. In paffing this defart, they had a great number, of rivers to crofs, fo that had it not been for the food they carried with them, they muft inevitably have perifhed. They fortunately were not at a lofs for wood, finding a fufficient quantity on the banks of the rivers, which had been brought down by the floods ; and by digging in the fand they feldom failed to get water. They perceived that they were now got into another nation, the people of which, 6 Hynes EAST INDIAMAN. 75 Hynes thinks, were called Mambookees*, through which they travelled for five or fix days. During that period the natives fome times ufed them very ill, and at other times fuffered them to pafs unmolefted. Being now upon the borders of the fea, they were met by a party of the natives, who by figns advifed them to go inland, and pointed out to them the path they were to purfue. This path they accordingly took, and after having travelled about three miles, came to a village where they found only wo men and children. Here they refted awhile, and the women brought out a little milk, which they gave to mafter Law. The milk was contained in a fmall bafket, curioufly formed of ruflies, and fo compadt as to hold any liquid. During their ftay, they examined feveral of their huts, where they had an opportunity of fee- * ' A nation named Mdmbuck, lies hear the fources of the ' river Groofe Vifch, about the 27th degiree of fouth latitude, ? bordering on Cafferland.", ing 76 LOSS Ot The grosv^enor ing the manner in which they churned their butter : The mUk was put into a leather bag, which bbferved a feai fleeping juft above high water mark. As tbey drew near, the animal awoke, and inftantly made towards the wa-« ter. But being provided with long pointed fticks, which they called their mufcle-fticks, they furrounded him, and thus cut off his retreat, hy which means they at length killed him EAST INDIAMAN. Bt him. As foon as he was dead, they cut his flefh into junks, and taking every man his portion, proceeded on their march. They travelled four or five days, during which they faw many of the natives, who behaved upon the whole, tolerably civil. Now and then indeed, they encountered fome, that after overhauling them, (as the failors exprefs themfelves), gave fome of them a blow or two. CHAP. 82 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR CHAP. XXVI. THE MANNER IN WHICH THEY PASSED! THE RIVERS THEY FIND A WHALE- CROSS A SANDY DESART — COME TO AN ALCOVE WHERE SOME OP THEIR COM PANIONS HAD RESTED THEMSELVES. HEY now came to another river, which they were obliged to crofs. In paffing thefe rivers, when they did not conftrudt a cata- mararid, their ufual method was to tie their cloaths up as tight as poffible, and then fallen the bundle with a band round their foreheads, by which means it appeared fome what like a turband.. Into the front of thefe bundles they ftuck their firebrands, which ftanding upright, were thus kept from being extinguifhed by the water. Two of the party in croffing this river, were unfortunate enough to drop their brands; 1 the EAST INDIAMAN. 83 the lofs, however, was made up by the reft, in the beft manner they were able. Having paffed the river, they proceeded on theif route, and the next day found a whale. Being thus provided for a time, and of courfe there being no neceffity for their hurrying on as ufual, they took up their abode on this fpot for two days, in hopes of the other party falling in with them. But as they afterwards learnt, thofe they had left behind, by keeping more inland, had miiled them, .and got on before. They had by this time cut Up as much of the whale as they could carry, and being much refrefhed, they purfued their journey with alacrity, having now no neceffity t-o turn out of the way, or to loiter in que-ft of food. Thus they went on for eight or ten days. during which they had mariy rivers to ford j and as they tTavelled, they difcovered by fome fmall pieces of rags they found feat- tered here and there, which could only be- G 2 ^ong Si LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR long to their countrymen, that their friends muft have paffed by them. A large fandy defart now lay before them, which feparates the nation of the Mambuc- kees from, the Tambuckees*. This they en tered, and finding towards the clofe of the firft day, that there was but little profpedt of obtaining either wood or water, they were much difheartened. To their great joy, h9wever, at the entrance of a deep gulley, they faw written on the fand the following diredtion: ' Turn in here and you will Jini ¦plenty of wood and water S They were not backward in obeying the pleafing mandate ; and on entering the gul ley, found a neat alcove, where, from the infcription, the remains of their extindt fires, and feveral other traces, they were affured their late companions had repofed them felves. * The nation of the tanihuclezi lies rather to the fouthwafd ©f the Mavibuckees. The EAST INDIAMAN. S5 The next day they continued their jour ney, and Went on for the four or five, fuc- ceeding ones, without meeting with a fingle iaterefting circumftance, except that their fatigue incrpafed as they proceeded. CHAP. XXVII. OBSTRUCTED BY A ROCK, THEY LEAVE THE SEA SHORE — FIND MANY LAND CRABS, SNAILS, &C. — FALL IN WITH A NUMBER OF ELEPHANTS— REMARK ABLE LENGTH OF THE GRASS — ARE REDUCED TO GRtAT DISTRESS FOR FOOD. JTA-S they went on, a bluff point of a rock prefented itfelf, which, upon coming up to, they found to projedt fo far into the fea, as to hinder their progrefs. They were there fore obligPd to betake themfelves again to the more inland parts. G 3 The 85 LOSS OF' THE GROSVENOR The' food with which the whale had fur- rriflled them Wa« rioW ex'haufted. They had riot, however, pr. Soon after they came to a fmall river, which they fwam over ; and the farrie day they arrived at another. Both thefe rivers were fait, as were likewife all the wells which they dug near them ; fo that they were obliged to allay their thirft with fuch berries as they could find. In three or four days they came to a more ~~barren country, the natives of which ap peared to be poorer than thofe they had hitherto met with. They had no cattle, nor any thing to fubfift upon, but what they procured by fifhing and hunting. Here ^i LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR Here the travellers encountered innumera ble difficulties. Thefe were not, however, of long continuance, for it was not above three or four days more before they reached the nation of the Caffrees, which they found to be a populous and fine country. We may judge ofthe beauty of it from the following exclamation of Monfieur Vaiilant, on ap proaching the Sneuwberg mountains. * What * a change, fays that writer, from the charm- * ing country of Caffraria ! here are no fine * paftures or majeftic forefts to delight the ' eye !' During their march through this nation, they one day faw a great number of the na tives, (Hynes believes near three hundred) exercifing themfelves on a fine gradual flope, in throwing the affaygay or lance. Being arranged in two lines on oppofite fides of the lawn, one of the men rolled, with all his ftrength, from the top of the defcent, a wooden ball ; and fo expert were they, that in its paffage they would lodge their lances in it. They EAST INDIAMAN. 93 They continued their march through the whole extent of this fine country ; but not- withftanding it abounded in cattle, the in habitants would neither beftow any upon them, nor fuffer them to purchafe any by way of barter. Nay, fo apprehenfive were the natives of the ftrangers ftealing their cat tle, that they conftantly drove them away as they approached the Kraals. Nor was tfieir precaution confined to this point ; wherever the Englifh came, they were driven away with fticks, ftones, and other miffile wea pons : So that all the food they were able to obtain w;as fhell fifh, coUedted from the fea fide. Without this refourcp, they muft long fince'have periflied. * As there fubfifted at this time an inve- * terate enmity between the Caffrees and the * Dutch colonifts, who had treated them * with unparalelled cruelty, this may ac- * count for the behaviour of the former to ' the fhipwrecked Englifh, who, being ofthe , • fame colour with the Dutch, partook of ' their refentment. The Caffrees are other- wife. 94 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR * wife, according to monfieur Vaiilant, a * humane and quiet people.' CHAP. XXIX. SOME ACCOUNT OF THE CAFFREES. X HE account Hynes gives cf the Caf- * frees being fo confined, (and no other could * be expedted fiom a perfon paffing curforily * through the country, overwhelmed with * diftrefs), a more particular defcription of * that people from two modern writers, one * celebrated for his botanical knowledge, the • other for his tafte in natural hiftory, but '^ more efpecially for his very entertaining * and interefting travels into the interior * parts of Africa, may not prove unaccept- * able to the reader. The EAST INDIAMAN. 95 • The men among theCaffrees,' fayslieute- nant Patterfon, * are from five feet ten inches ' to fix feet high, and well proportioned, ' and in general, evince great courage in at- * tacking lions, or any beafts of prey, * The cofour of the Caffrees is a jet • black*, their teeth white as ivory, and ? their eyes large. The cloathing of both ' fexes is nearly the fame, confifting entirely * of the hides of oxen, which are as pliant ' as cloth. The men wear tails of different * animals tied round their thighs ; pieces of * brafs in their hair, and large ivory rings on ' their arms ; they are alfo adorned with the • hair of lions, and feathers faftened in theiif ' heads, with many other fantaftical orna*- • ments. ', * From' the difference bet\'?een the complexion, hair, zni "ornaments of the natives of the diftrift, Hynes fays, they firft paffed through after leaving the fhip, and that of the Caffrees/ as here defcribed ; and alfo from the number of da-ys they had travelled according' to Hynes's account, before' they reached Caffraria, there is certainly great reafon to beHeve that thd' Grofvenor was loft muih nearer the line than fhe 38th or 39th degree of fouthern latitude, -which has hitherto been fuppofed to- be the fpot. Editor,- * They 96 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR * They are extremely fond of dogs, which • they exchange for cattle ; and to fuch a ' height do they carry this paffion, that if * one particularly pleafes them, they will * give two bullocks in exchange for it. * Their whole exercife through the day is * hunting, fighting, or dancing. They are * expert in throwing their lances, and in * time of war ufe fhields made of the hides of * oxen. • The women are employed in the culti- * vation of their gardens and corn. They * cultivate feveral vegetables, which are not * indigenous to their country, fuch as to- * bacco, water melons, a fort of kidney * beans, and hemp. The women alfo make * bafkets, and the mats which they fleep * on. * The men have great pride in their cat- * tie ; they cut their horns in fuch a way as * to be able to turn them into any fhape * they pleafe, and they teach them to anfwer * a whiftle. When they wifh their cattle to * return ''east INDIAMAk' 97 * return home, they go a little way from the '•houfe, and blow this fmall inftrumerit, * which is made of ivory or bone, and fo * conftrudted as to be heard at a great dif- * tance, and in this manner bring all their ' cattle home without any difficulty. * The foil of this country is, a blackifh ' loomy ground, and fo extremely fertile, * that every vegetable fubftance, whether * fown or planted, grows here with great * Itixuriance. * There are great variations in the cli- * mate, but I had no thermometer to ob- * ferve the degrees, of heat. It feldom rains, * except in the fummer feafon, when it, is * accompanied with thunder and lightning. * The countiy, however, is extremely well * fupplied with water, not only from the * high land towards the north, which fur- * nifhes abundance throughout the year, but * from many fountains of excellent water, * which are found in the woods. From ' what I obferved of this country, I am in- H * duced eS LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR * duced to believe that it is greatly fuperior * to any other known part of Africa. * The woods produce variety of arborious * plants, and fome of a grpat fize ; they are * inhabited by elephants, buffaloes, &c. * There were alfo variety of beautiful birds * and butterflies ; but they were fo fhy that * I was able only to preferve two birds of * that country.' CHAP. lEAST INPIAMAN, ¦ 89 CHAP. XX^. CONTINUATION QF THE ACCOUNT OF THE CAFFREES. X O Judge of the Caffrees by thofe I had ' feen,' f^ys Monfieur Vaiilant, * they arp * taller than the Hpttentots of the colonies, * or even than the Gonaquais, though they ' greatly refemble the latter, but are more ' robnft, and poffefs a greater flegrpe of * pride and courage, , The fpatures ofthe * Caffrees are likewife more agreeable, none * of their faeqs contracting towards the bqt» * tom, nor do the cheek bonps of thefe peo- * pip prQJe(St in the i^ncputh manner of the < Hottentots ; neither have they rlarge flat * faces and* thick lips like their neighbours, * thp negroes of Mofambique, but a weJU 'formed contour, an agreeable nofe, with * eyes fparkhng and exprefTjve j fo that fet- H 2 ' ting IOO LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR * ting afide our prejudice with refpedt to ' colour, there are many women among * them who might be thought handfome by ' the fide of an European. They do not * disfigure themfelves by daubing their eye- ' brows like the Hottentots, but are very * much tatooed, particularly about the face, ' The hair of the Caffrees, which is * ftrong and curling, is never greafed, but * they anoint the reft of their bodies, with a • view of making themfelves adtive and * ftrong. * The men are more particular in decora- * tions than the women, being very fond of ' beads and brafs rings. They are feldom * feen without bracelets on their legs and ' arms, made of the tufks of an elephant, * which they faw to a convenient thicknefs, * and then polifh and round. As thefe rings * cannot be opened, it is neceffary to make ' them big enough to pafs the hand through, * fo that they fall or rife according to thp * motion of the armi 5 * Sometimes EAST INDIAMAN. ior * Sometimes thPy place fmall rings on the * arms of their children, whbfe growth foon * fills up the fpaeej and fixes the ornament, * a circumftance which is particularly pleaf- * ing to them. * They likewife make necklaces of' the * bones of animals, which they polifh and • whiten in the moft perfedt manner. Somb * content themfelves with the leg, bone of a ' fheep hanging ori the breaft, which is * thought as pleafing a decoration as a patch * on the face of a pretty woman. * In the warm feafon the Caffrees only ' wear their ornaments ; when the weather ' is cold, they make ufe of krofes made of ' the fkins of calves or oxen, which reach tb ' the feet. * One particulai'ity which deferves atten- * tion, and does not ejfift elfewherp, is, that ' the Caffree women care little for orna- * ments. Indeed, they are well made, and ' pretty, when compared to other favages^; * and never ufe the uncouth profufion of H 3 * Hottentot 102 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR * Hottentot coquetry, not even wearing * copper bracelets. Their aprons, like thofe * of the Gonaquais, are bordered with fmall * rows of beads, which is the only vanity * they exhibit. ' * The fkin that the female Hottentot ties * about the loins, the Caffree woman wears * as high as her fhoulders, tying it over tlie * bofom, which it covers. They have, like • the men, a Kros or cloak of calf or ox flcin * divefted of the hair ; but it is only in the * cold or rainy feafon that either fex wear it. * Thefe fkins are as foft and pliant as the * fineft ftuffs. * Let th« weather or feafon prove ever fo * bad, neither men or women cover their * heads. Sometimes indeed, I have feen ' the head of a Caffree adorned with a fea- * ther ftuck in the hair, but this fight is by no means common. ( * One part of the daily occupation of the * women is making earthen Ware, which ' they fafliion as dextetoufly as their huf- 3 • bands . HAST INDIAMAN. tog * bands : they likewife make a curious kind * of bafket«, and prepare the fields for feed, * fcratching the earth, rather than digging ' it, with wooden pick-axes. * The huts of the Caffrees are higher and * more commodious than thofe of theHotten- * tots ; they arc compofed of a kind of crofs * bar arbour work, very ftrong and compadt, * covered both within and without. With a * mixture of earth, clay, and oow-dungi * The opening or door- way is fo low, that * to enter the dwelling you muft crawl on * your hands and knees. The hearth, or * fire place is in the centre, furrounded by a * circular rim which rifes two or three ' inches. * The lands of Caffraria, either from theit * fituation, or the number of fmall rivers that * refrefh them, are more fertile than thofe ' ofthe Hottentots. , The Catfirees prafdtife * agriculture, which proves they are not na- * turally wanderers. H 4 'I have 104 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR * I have remarked,' continues Monfieur Vaiilant, * that notwithftanding the beauti- • ful forefts that adorn Caffraria, and de- * lightful paftures which fpring up and al- * moft cover the animals who feed on them, * with the numerous rivulets and brooks that ^ meander in a thoufand different diredtions, * the oxen, cows, and almoft all other animals * in this country are fmaller than thofe of the * Hottentots. This peculiarity certainly * arifes from the properties of the fap which * gives the. grafs a different quality. I have * made the obfervation both on domeftic and * wild animals, which never acquire the fize * of thofe bred in the dry barren countries I * have paffed through. ' Induftry is a leading trait in the charac- * ter ofthe Caffrees. Some arts, taught in- * deed by neceffity, a love of agriculture, ' with a few religious dogmas, diftinguifh * them as a more civilized people than thofe * towards the fouth. ' Circum- EAST INDIAMAN, O.I ,05 * Circumcifiori, which is gerierallyprac^ ' tifed among them, proves that they either owe their origin to an ancient; people, or have fimply imitated the inhabitants of fome neighbouring country, of whom they have no longer any remembrance, neither do they ufe it (as they fay) in any religious or myftical fenfp. * They entertain a very high opinion of the fupreme being, and of his power ; be lieve in a future ftate, where the good, will be rewarded and the wicked puniflied ; but have no idea of the creation, thinking the world had no beginning, and will ever con tinue in its prefent ftate. .They have, no facred ceremonies, and never pray. They inftrudt their own children, having no priefts ; but inftead of them a kipd of for- cerers or conjurors, whom they greatly dif tinguifh and revere. * The caffrees are governed by a chief or king, whofe power is very limited, receiving no tax,- having no troops at his command, but being the father of a free people ; nei- ' ther io6 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR ' ther attended nor feared, but refpedted and * beloved, and frequently poorer than many * of hisfubjeds. * ' Being permitted to take as many wives * as he pleafes, who think it an honour to * belong to him, it is neceffary that he fhould * have a larger portion of land to cultivate, * and a greater number of cattle to tend and * feed ; thefe being his only refources for * the maintenance of his numerous family, * he is frequently in danger of being ruined. * His cabin is neither higher nor better * decorated than the reft ; his whole family * and feraglio live round him, compofing a * group of a dozen or fifteen huts ; the ad- * joining land is generally of his own culti- ' vation. * It is a cuftom among the Caffrees fof * each to gather his own grain, which is * their favourite nourishment, and which * they grind, or rather crufh between two ' ftones ; for which reafon, the families living * feparately, each furrounded by his own ' planta- EAST INDIAMAN* > Ksj • plantation of corn, ocqafipns a fmall boord * to occupy a large portion of ground, a t'ir- * oumftance never feen among the Hot- * tentots. * The diftance of the different hoards ' makes it neceffary that they fhould each * have a cla^ef, who is appointed by the king. < When there is any thing to communicate, * he fends for and gives them orders, or ra- * ther information, which the chiefs bear to * their feyeral hoords. * The principal weapon of the Caffree is * the lance or affaygay, which fhews his dif^ ' pofition to be at once intrepid and noble> * defpifing, as below his courage, the enve*- * nomed dart, fo much in ufe among his * neighbours ; feeking his enemy face to * face, and never throwing his lance but * openly. In war he carries a fhield of atyout * three feet in height, rnade ofthe thickeft * part of the hide of a buffalo ; this defends * him from the arrow or affaygay, but is not * proof againft a mufquet ball. * The ,o3 LOSS OFTkE GROS'VENOR ' The "Caffree alfo manages with great ' flcill, a club of about two feet arid half * long, made of a folid piece of wood, three ' or four inches thick, in the largeft part, ' and gradually diminifhing towards one of ' the ends. When, in a clofe engagement, * they ftrike with this weapon, or frequent- * ly throw it to the diftance of fifteen or « twenty paces, in which cafe it feldom fails * ofthe intended effedt. '^ * The fovereignty here is hereditary, the ' eldeft fon ever fucceeding. In default of ' male heirs, it is riot the king's brother that * fucceeds, but the eldeft nephew ; and in * cafe the king fhould have neither children * nor nephews, the chiefs of the different * hoords eledt a king ; an event which is * fometimes attended by an oppofition of in- * tere-ft, and fpirit of party and cabal, which * generally concludes by bloodflied. * Polygamy is cuftomary among the Caf- ' frees, their marriages are even more fimple * than thofe of the Hottentots , the parents * of the bridegroom being always content / ? with EAST INDIAMAN. nog '. with his choice ; the friends of the bride * are rather, more difficult, but feldom re- ' fufe their confent ; after which they re- * joice, drink arid dance for weeks together, ' according to the wealth of the families ; * but thefe feafts are never held but on the * firft efpoufals. - * They havc.no mufical inftruments but * fuch as are ufed by the Hottentots. As * for their dances ]the ftep is not unlike the * Englifh. ' * At the death of the father the fons and *- the mother divide the property he has left * between them. The daughters claiming * nothiri^, remain at home with their mother * or brother, unlefs it pleafes fome man to * take them ; and if this circumftance takes * place, during the life of the parents, they * receive cattle in proportion to the wealth 'of their father, ¦. • * The dead are feldom buried, but carried ' away from the Kralal by their family, and * depofjted in a deep trench common to the * whole )i9 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR * whole hoord on fuch occafions, where the * wUd beafts repair at leifure, which pre- • ferves the air from thofe noxious vapours * which otherwife the putrefadtion woijld * occafton. * The honours of burial are only due to • the king or chief of a hoord. They cover • thefe bodies with piles of ftones in the form * of a dome. t * I am unacquainted with the difpofition • ofthe Caffrees, refpedting love and jealoufy, • but beHeve they only feel the latter fen- * iation in regard to their countrymen > vo- * luntarily giving up their women for a fmall * confideration to the firft white that ex-- ' preftes an inclination for them. • I Ihall carry thefe details no farther,* • concludes Monf. Vailld&it, * having faid • enough to fhew how much the Caffrees • differ from their neighbours, with whom * they have no concern, but by bloody wars • and eternal enmity.' It EAST INDIAMAN. - ut It may be neceffary to add, for the infor mation of thofe who are unacquainted with a part of the globe fo feldom mentioned, that * The country known by the general deno- * mination of Caffraria, is a very extenfive ? region, bounded on the north by Negro- * land and Abyffinia; on the weft by part of * Guinea, Congo, and the fea ; on the fouth * by the Cape of Good Hope ; and on the • eaft by the fea. It is divided into feveral * territories and kingdoms, of which little is * known, and is computed to be ypp mile§ * long, and 660 broad. But the part now ' inhabited by the ppople named tbe Caf* * frees,, is much more confined, it extending ^ only from about fifteen to thirty degrees of * fouthern latitude. It is howevpr more. * populous than many other nations in * Africa.' CHAP. ira LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR " ;' ' CHAP. XXXI. THEY FALL IN WITH A PARTY OF THE NATIVES, WHO WERE IN POSSESSION OF THE cook's silver BUCKLES ARE ILL TREATED BY T'HEM HYNES KNOCKED DOWN AND LEFT FOR DEAD. A, .BOUT three or four days after this our people came to a river, and as foon as they had croffed it, were met by a party of the natives, one of whom had a piece df a filver buckle belonging to the fhip's cook ftuck in his hair. f;i , It feems the cook had bound bits of cloth about his buckles in order to preferve them, as he fet a value upon them ; but it now ap peared that he had been obliged to break them up in order to barter away for food. And even when he had done this, (as they af terwards found) he was difappointed, for, as had invariably been the cafe, except in the inftance BAST INDIAMAN. «*§ irifbnce ofthe yourig btilbck befo^ men tioned, no fooner wars the price depofitcd, than the purchafe was With-held, and our people driven away. In the fimc rtiamrei*, the party, with wh-om Hynes wa-s, 'wtrc driven away by the body of nafives, they had now fallen in with, and obliged to continue, their march till near teri o'clock at night, when coming to a place whPre there was a 'little wosd and Watet, they repofed themfelveS j but they fat off again before it was light, in order to avoid a repetition ofthe ill treatment they had re ceived from the natives the preceding even^^ mg. ¦ About twelve o'clock ort that day, they came to a place, at which, as there wa? good water, with a probability of getting plen ty of ffiell-fifh, and where, being vefy much fatigued, they determined to fpend the nights They did fo, but the rain poHared down fo Vioiently, attended with thunder arid light ning, that four of them werp obliged to I hold IIJ LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR hold their canvafs frocks over the fire to prevent it from being extinguifhed. They ftaid next day till it was low water, as well to get fhell-fifh, as to dry their cloaths, which had been thoroughly foaked by the rain : fo that they did not commence their march till near eleven o'clock. About four they arrived at a large village, where the inhabitants affembling to gether, fet upon our people, whom they treated very roughly. Several of them were wounded by their affailants, and among others, Hynes, re ceived a wound in his leg from a lance, the fear of which was vifible when I met with him. Another had his fcull fradtured, which rendered him delirious ; and he con tinued fo till he died ; an event that foon after took place. Hynes was knocked down, and being fuppofed by his companions to be dead, was left on the fpot. He remained in a ftate of infen- EAST INDIAMAN. its illfenfibility for fome time. At length, how ever, he recovered ; and when he did fOj the natives were at a confiderable diftance offi and his countrymen totally out' of fight* Remembering from the face ofthe coun try the way they intended to purfue, he fol lowed as expeditioufly as he was able^ and in two or three hours came up with the party. His appearance gave great fatisfac- tion to his companions, who concluded that hejiad been killed by the favages^ bul were very happy to find their miftake* 1 2 CHAP. ii5 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR CHAP, xxxir. ENTER UPON A LARGE SANDY DESART — ARE DISTRESSED FOR FOOD — ARRIVE AT BOSCHISMAN's RIVER — FIND ONfe OF THEIR COMPANIONS ON THE ROAD, WHO RETURNS TO THE NATIVES. F ROM this time they faw no more huts, and found they were entering on a very large fandy defart. After travelKng feveral dicys upon it, they fell in with three of the na tives, who feeing our people advance, imme diately fled into the country, and were not feen again. It was now with the utmoft difficultv that they could procure food, the fea fide feldom^ proving rocky. And when they found a fmall reef, on which there was a probabUity of procuring any fhell-fifh, they were per haps obliged to wait half a day for the ebb tide, it being impoffible to get at them till then. 3 Whea EAST INDIAM4N. VJ When they came to a pkce where any were to be caught, they were very affjjduou& to coUedt as many together as they could ; they then opened them io the fir«, mi taking out the fifh, put the whole in a cloth, aad cjCrried them by turns. Pifrobed of tbeif fnells they were lighter, and confequently more portable. In four days more they arrived at a large river, which they afterwards learned from the Dutch was named Bofchifmaa's river. Here they found Thomas Lewi^, who being fick, had bee-n left behi«d by the othpr party. He informed them that he hftd tcavellpd inland, and had fallen in with many huts, at one of which he had got fcwcue milk* and at another beaten. He added, that reaching the place where he now was, he had found himfelf fo weak, and the river fo wide, that he knew it was impoffible for him to attempt to crofs it, or indeed to bear any more hardfhip or fatigue. He vvas there fore, he faid, determined to return to the '' I 3 neareft jj8 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR neareft Kraal, as the natives could but kill him, and he was fure to die if he proceeded. In vain did his companions ftrive to get the better of this prepoffeffion. They would have perfuaded him to hold up his head, arid look forward with a hope of out living his prefent hardfhips, and getting at laft fafe to the Cape. But all their encouragement was ineffec tual ; both his body and his fpirits were fo broken down, and his cup of life fo imbit tered by fuch a long fucceffion of hardfhips, that def; air found him an eafy prey ; flie had laid her hands on him, and would not quit her hold. In fpite of all their intreaties he went back to the natives, and moft probably found there a fpeedy termination of his ^oes. CHAP, EAST INDIAMAN. itg CHA P. XXXIIL THEY FIND ANOTHER WHALE •— ARE ALARMED BY THE WILD BEASTS OVERTAKE rWOOF THEIR COMPANIONS —THE CORPSE OF THE COOPER CAR RIED OFF BY WILD BEASTS — THEY SLEEP ON THjE ROCKS. V-/UR people loitered near the fea fhore, in hopes of meeting with fome kind of fufte nance, when to their great joy they were fortunate enough to find another dead whale. Their ftock of provifions being thus reple- nifhed, they halted Where, they were two days, which very much refrefhed them, During this period they cut the flefh- of the whale, as ufual, into junks, and taking as much with them as they could well parry, croffed the river on catamarands. I 4 Tbey i2.a LOSS QF T HE-; G RO S VENOR They now once more loft fight of the na tives and their'huts, and were kept in con tinual alarm? bythe wUd, beafts, whofe in- ceffant howlirigs in the night greatly difturbed and terrified them. For thefe parts were more particularly infefted than any they had hitherto paffed through. On the fourth day after they had paffed the river, they came up, about noon, with the little boy, and the fhip's fteward. From them they learnt, that the evening before they bad buried the cooper in the fand, at no great diftance, Hynes having a curiofity to fee the place, the fteward accompanied him. But to their great furprize and horror, they found that fome carniverous animal had taken up the body, and carried it off. They were convinced of this by traces in the fand, for at leaft half a mile through which the creature had dragged the corpfe in a very irregular manner. They alfo could plainly diftinguifh, by the veftiges of thefe ravenous beafts on the fand, the manner in which they prowl in the night for EAST INDIAai'AIff. lU for their prey : As they fcent along the ground, it could be difcerned that they turn afide to every ftone and ftump of a tree, in . order to examine whether it would be pro- dudtive of any thing to fatisfy their appetite. Hynes's party prefented the fteward and the child with fome ofthe flefh ofthe whale, which they eat, and were much refrefhed. They now all proceeded together, and continued to do fo fof eight or ten days. How the youth was able to hold out for fo long a time, and through fo many diffi culties, muft excite the wonder of every one. :' They came to a point of rocks, and as their whale was by this time wholly ex pended, they thought it proper to go round the edge to fearch for what fuftenance ^hp fea might afford. This they did, hut it took up fo much time, that they were obliged to fleep upon the rocks, where they could only procure fuch water as was bracks ifli, CHAP. ta» LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR CHAP. XXXIV. THE WHOLE PARTY TAKEN ILL — THE CHILD DIES — TWO MORE OF THE COM PANY TAKEN OFF — ARE IN GREAT WANT OF WATER. ±N tbe morning the fteward and child were taken ill, and being unable to proceed, they requeft' d the reft of the party to continue where they were that day. This was readily confented to. The next day they all found themfelves difordered, through the extreme coldnefs of the rock on whieh they flept, againft which, the little cloathing they now had was not fufficient to defend them. This, as may naturally be fuppofed, muft greatly affedt men, broken down with fatigue and anxiety, as they were, The fteward and child ftill continuing ill, our people agreed to ftay another day, and if, at the lifc .e ITketafpy Fate of Master Law. . J7dePaqe.m 'Jh/'/j://,d as f^u- Ac-f directs April ^S^/7()ll;)'..ro/aiA6trmyS.^-m//u,mJ:iote: EAST INDIAMAN.- faj' the expiration of that time, they fhould not be better, they would be under the difagree- able neceffity of leaving them behind. Their humanity, however, was not put' to this fevere teft ; for in the courfe of the night the poor child refigned his breath, and Ceafed any longer to fhare with his com panions in their fatigues and fOrrows, ; .Having prepared early in the morning whatever they could mufter for breakfaft,- they Intended to have called him to partake of it as foon as all was ready, being willing to allow his tender frame as much indulgence as poffible. They had left him, as they fup pofed, afleep, near the fire, around which they had all refted during the night. But' what was their furprize, when they found that his fpulhad taken its flight into anothe}' worlcj ! * A.las fweet youth, thy bark, too early ' launched by misfortune on the tempeftuOus f fea of life, though it withftood the boifter-" ^ ous 134 LOSS. OF THE GRQSVENOR * ous blaft much longer than could have been * expedted at thy early years, was at laft * obliged to yield to the impetuous waves, * and was overwhelmed by them before it * could reach fome fhel tering haven !' The affedtionate concern of his fellow fufferers, particularly of the friendly ftew ard, who had afforded him all the fuccour in his power, during their long and perilous' j.ourney, I have endeavoured to reprefent in as juft and ftriking a manner as my abilities, and the defcription the narrator could fur- nifti me with, would enable me to do in the annexed plate. The witneffes tp this aftedting fcene being no longer able to render him any affiftance, they beftowed a laft figh on the departed in nocent, and leaving him in the place where the cold hand of death had arrefted him, pioved on, The fteward, who ftill continued ill, did not find his illnefs or his forrows alleviated by EAST. INDIAMAN. ' la-jj by this frefh afftidiion; on the contrary-, the lofs of a young perfon he fo much veined, and who had fo long been the objedt of his tendereft care, nearly overwhelmed hira, ajid it was with the utmoft difficulty his com panions got him along. They, however, did get on, and had Walked about two hours, as Hynes thinks, when Robert Fitzgerald afked for a fhell of water : Hynes complied with his re- ¦queft, and he drank it with great avidity. —He then aflced fbr another fhell full, which having received arid drank with equal relifh, he laid himfeM" down, and in ftantly expired. His companions left this man likewife on* the fpot where he died, and departed without being much fhocked at the event ; as every dne of them was now worn out with hunger and fatigue, and rather confidered fuch a deliverance as a confummation devoutly tP- be wiftied, than tP be dreaded. They »26 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOEl They however proceeded, and about four ofthe fame day, another of the party, Wil liam Fruel, complained of his being very weaki Having faid this, he fat down upon the fand by the fea fide. Here his com panions, compelled by neceffity, left him, and went on, in order to feek for wood and water, telling him, that if they could find either, they would return, that he might partake ofthe benefits At fome little diftance they turned their eyes back, and faw that he was crawling after them. And having fought in vain for a comfortable refting place, they likewife were obliged to lay themfelve§ down on the fand for the night, without having been able to find a drop of water. ' Recolledting the fituation of Fruel, one of the party went back to fee if he could get him on. But notwithftanding the perfon went within view of the place where they had left him, he was not to be feen. : and they all concluded, that as he had nothing to EAST INDIAMAN. mjt to fhelter or protedt him, the wild beafts had carried him off. As foon "as day light appeared, they pro ceeded on their journey ; and as they had had no water fince the middle of the fore going day, they fuffered exceedingly from thirft. The glands of their throats and mouths were much fwollen, and at length they were neceffitated to drink their own water. CHAP. jiS LOSS OF THE GR'OSV^NOR CHAP. XXXV. STILL GREATLY DISTRESSED FGJl WANT OF WATER — ANOTHER OF THE PARTY DIES THEY FIND ANOTHEJl DEAD- SINGULAR CIRCUMSTANCE RELATIVE TO THE LATTER OTHERS DIE ALL ARE NEARLY PERISHING THRO' HUNGER, THIRST, AND FATIGUE. Wj HATEVER their diftreffes had been, they were not to be compared to the fituation to which they were now reduced. Indeed they now experienced the extreme of human mifery. The next day, which was the fecond in which they had exifted without food or wa ter, they were fo very thirfty, that when any of them could not furnifh himfelf with a draught of urine, he would borrow a fhell full of his companion who was more fortu nate, till it was in his power to repay it- Here ! EAST INDIAMAN, ' i»9 Here the fhip's fteward, and another of the party, unable to furvive their melancholy fitu ation, expired. Our people were ftill obliged to fleep upon the fands, the track they purfued being abounded on one fide by mountains of ifand, .and on the other by the fea ; and they con- ,tinued without food or water, except the half of a fifh which they found in their way. But this fcarcely afforded a mouthful to each. 'Indeed fome would not touch a bit of it, left> .without water, it fhould only add . to the mifery they already endured* Neixt; morning two more of the party ,Were reduced to a very languifhirig ftate, but they ftifl walked on, dreading to be left- be hind. One of them, however, had not pro ceeded far before lie laid himfelf down, un able to. proceed a ftep farther. His com panions fhook hands ^with hiiii, and reeorii'- ¦ mending him to the protedtion of heaven, as it was not in their poWer tP afford. him any affiftance, left hini to expire, K They *jo LOSS OF THE SROBVENOR They again went on, biit without' fia^'bg any alleviation tP their woes, till about five o'clock in the afternoon, when they cametd of a deep gulley, which they entered, in hopes meeting '^ith. water. Here they found another of .the Grofvenpr's crew dea'd. He was ly ing Upon his fa«« in the ikAd, with hi§ tight hand cut off at the wfifti So fihgulat- a m^ -t:um'ftanice could not but excite the aftonifhi. merit of our people; ahd it was rtcd&t&^S^, that while hving, it was a commpii ailb^f^ ationttfed by tM 'defcMfel, * Mky ple^ DMl tut nty rigM h^and of-^f it bt nm-irue: Ex traordinary as this might appear, afid ridicu* lous as any inference may be thought by fome, the fadtiis no lefs true than ftrange, and it vefy fbnfibly afiedted, fbr ^e tfeaP, his mefl>. mates. ' John Warmington, thfe boatfVaih's mate^ who was one of thofe that loft their t:loa;ths in croffing the; rive^r, ;'as before Tdated^ took this ic^pof-jftujity^ of fupplying hiwaf^ by appropriating:, to his ufe a fait of thofe which were fouhd on the lie- ceafed. V * - Notwith- East iNODIAMAN; l i^i A .~ , /I Notwithftanding their diftreffed fituatioUj; they marched en till night, and then laid themfelves down to fleep,- without taking any fuftenance, but what their own urine afforded' th^m. The next' day brcki^t rio abatement td the TOifeties bf thefe' fiiMifhed wahderers. Neceffity, -however, imiMfed thetai ta ^'ro- fceed, though hi^thing bu't^feTpaif^ pt^fbrfted itfelf. To fuch &¦' ftatt «c^'^ Weakritfs ¦ Were they now reduced, that they_had -probe^ed but a little way, before another of the party dropped, afid was left to his fate. ^ TjT They_ wpre now reduced to three^ viz. Hynes, Evans, arid Wormlngtbn ; anp thofe Were , nearly on thp^fpoint of fharin^ the ffate i^if^l^heir. Gon>panions.,, Theiir faculties drooped ap^ep ,; they could., fcarcely hear or fee; and at the fame^ time, a vertical fun darted its beams fo interifely u^ion tliem,"that itwas with.the uthiofl difficulty they got on. K 1 CHAP. 132 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR CHAP. XXXVI. ONE OF THE PARTY PROPOSES TO CAST LOTS WHICH SHOULD DIE FOR* THE SUPPORT OF THE OTHERS WORMINGr TON LEFT BEHIND —HYNES AND EVANS FALL IN WITH FOUR OF THE STEW ARD'S PARTY, BY WHOM THEY ARE RELIEVED. IN EXT morning the three forlorn travel lers vvent on ; but by this time their thirft was fo "extreme," (the only liquid they had to quench it adding to their torment) that Wormirigton earneftly impdrturied Hynes and Evans to 'determine by lot who fhould dip,* iri'order that by drinking his blood the other two might bP preferved. Hynes was grown fo weak, that he was almoft childifh. Upon hearing Worming- ton's propofal, his tears -flowed in plenteous 3 ftreams EAST INDIAMAN. ' 133 ftreams down his chepks, but he would by no means confent to it. He faid, that if, as they went on, he fhould become fo very feeble as to drop, they then were at liberty to do what they pleafed with him, if they thought it would tend to their own prefer vation ; but as long as he was able to walk, hp would not think of cafting lots. Wor- mington hearing this, would proceed no farther, upon which the . other two fhook hands with him, and left him, * It is almoft impoffible for the mind of * man to imagine a fituation fo truly de- ' plorable and alarming, as that to which ' thefe poor wlretches were at this time re- * duced. The fufceptible heart fometimes ' feels inexpreffible concern at feeing the ' approaching exit of one friend : What * anguifh then muft the unhappy wanderers * experience with fuch repeated ravages of * death before their eyes, and thefe • rendered more terrifying by the expedta^ • tion of being themfelves the next vic- * tim to his unrelenting dart ! Human na^- ^ ture fhudders at the bare idea !' K 3 I Hynes if34 LOSS OE THE GROSVENOR Hynes and EvanSsnow made another eftbrf to get on, but with their beft exertions they made very little progrefs. About ten o'clock ^hey faw fomething before them, which had the appearance of large birds. Elated with the fight, they entertained a hope of being able to get fome of them, and thereby al lay the torments they endured. But what was their furprize to find, as they approached nearer, that they were men. Being nearly blind, and almoft in a ftate of idiotifm, they did not at firft re- coUedt who their new found companions Were ; but after fome time they difcovered that they were four of the fteward's party, from which they bad been feparated. One of them, a lad about eleven years of age, whofe name was Price, came a little way to meet them ; their firft enquiry was, whether they had any frefh water, and being anfwered in the affirmative, they appeared tq be infpired with new life. The party they had thus joined, now made pnquiry in their turn, >yhat was become of 5 the ^4^T INI?I^MAN. las the reft of Hynes's companions. To this he replied, that they were all dead except Wor- mington, whom they hajl left behind them that morning. Upon which fierney, Leary, and Francifco de Laffo, went in fearch pf him. Before Leary and De Laffo fet out, they charged the two who remained" behind, by no means to permit Hynes and Evans to have much water, as feveral had expired by drinking too freely and eagerly. But fo im patient were they to quench that thirft, which had fo long tormented them, that they laid themfelves down to drink at the fpring, arid might have exceeded the bounds of prudence had not Price and the other clofed up th6 fand, and thereby prevented them. They then took them to an alcove, at a little dif tance, and having given them a fmall quan tity of fhell fifh, left them to their repofe, while the former went out to forage. K4 CHAP, 136 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR CHAP. XXXVII. THEY RECOUNT TO EACH OTHER THE DISTRESSES THEY HAD ENCOUNTERED. SINGUlAr method OF PROCURING SHELL FISH LOSE ANOTHER QF THEIR PARTY. rEARY and De Laffo having found Wor-j- mington, returned with him ; and when Hynes and Evans awoke, they began to re count to each other the hardfhips they had encountered, particularly in traverfing over the laft defart. Hynes was informed by Leary that they had buried on it the Captain's fteward. After which they had not gone far before they were reduced to fuch diftrefs for pro vifions, that a confultation was held what was to be done in their prefent exi- gpncy, in which it was determined to fend two of the party back, in order to cut off fome EAST INDIAMAN. 137 fome ofthe flefh ofthe recently buried ftpw- ard; and bring it for their immediate fup- port. The two men accordingly fet out for that purpofe, but having over fhot the place, they turned about to regain it ; when through the kind interpofition of Providence, inftead of taking back to their companions, difgufting human flefh, they carried the more pleafing fleffiof a young feai, which they found clofe to the fteward's grave, newly driven on fhore, and frefh bleeding. T|iis proved a moft feafonable relief, and enabled them to reach the alcove, where they now were.' They likewife gave Hynes and his two companions an account ofthe fingular man ner in which they got fhell fifh. They had obferved on the banks of a river a great num ber of birds, 1 in the adt of fcratching up the fand ; after this they foared iri to the air with fomething in their mouths, which they let fall upon the ftones, and then defcending took up their prey, Thefe manoeuvres catchi- ing .138 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR ing the attention of the hungry traveljerg^ they watched the. birds for feme time, and coming up to the place, they found that when the tide was in, the fhell-fifh, as there were no rocks on that coaft, buried them felves in the fand, and attradtjng the inftinc-!- tive depredations of the birds, were obtained in the foregoing manner. Thus was Provi^ dence pleafed to point out to our people th^ means of procuring food, without whofe in vention they muft undoubtedly have perifhed, Among other circumftances which Hynes and Evans recounted in their turn to the par ty they had joined, they mentioned that the fhip's fteward, whom they had left to expire on the road, had very decent cloaths on; and thefe being articles which the latter ftood much ^n need of, one pf the party, whofe name was Dodge, propofed, if Evans would fhew him the way, to go back and bring them. Evans, who was by this time tolerably re-^ covered, accepted the propofaj, ahd they fet out ^AST INDIAMANi 139 out together early the next morning. In the evening Evans returned, but without his companion. On being afked the reafon of coming alone, he ipformed them that Dodge had been fo very indolent, and came on fo flowly, that had he walked his pace, he /hould never ^ave got back to the alcove. He further related to his companions, that when Dodge and he reached the place where the fteward had been left, they could fee no thing of him, from which it was concluded ^hat he had died, and afterwards beerj car- jipd away by the wild beafts. As for Dodge, he was feen by Evans lag ging a confiderable way behind ; but as he did not join his companions, arid was never feen after, Hynes entertained not a doubt, but that he had alfo become a prey to the wild beafts ; as not a day paffed without their feeing lions, tygers, or wolves. Of wolves they had feen twenty at a time lying' in the grafs ; and in order to drive them away, it was i4b LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR was their common pradtice repeatedly to fhout as loud as they could, which never failed of having a proper effedt. CHAP. XXXVIII. THEY COLLECT A STORE OF SHELL-FISH, NATURE OF THE SHELL-FISH PASS THROUGH ANOTHER DESART DIS TRICT, — ARRIVE AT A MORE FERTILE COUNTRY ACCIDENTALLY SET FIRE TO THE GRASS — CROSS THE SCHWART RIVER, AND FIND ANOTHER WHALE. X HEY employed themfelves for the two following days in colledting fhell-fifh, which they broiled, in order to conftitute a ftock of provifions for their march. Having obtained a fufficient quantity, they conftrudted a ca tamarand. EAST INDIAMAN. ,ii« tamarand; and paffed the river *. This they effedted with very great difficulty, as it was of a great breadth, ,and the current fo ftroag that they had nearly been driven out to fea byit. ' ' . . When thpy had gained the fhore, they could not help lopking back with terror and- amazement at the length of the way they had been driven down by the rapidity of the ftream. Here they likpwife found the Ipe- cies of fhell-fifh that hides in the^ fand, as before related. According to Hynes's ac count it ispfa triangular form, and lias' the power of finking, with great facflity, where^' ever it fin^s -moifl'urpi which it di4. nearly as faft as they could dig for them. ' It is ahout two inches long, and three broad, and point ed at- one end, with vvhich it makes its way into the fand. ¦ " ^ The whole party by this time confifted of fix perfons only, and they travelled on together ftill over a defart country, where neithef hut * This riyer is pre ^bly -the Zon Dags river, jvhich is very- Wide, and lies'^ to the N. E. of fhe Schwarts river menti&nei afterwards. ^ ,- , ' - , - . .,. , .s.. " ' -' ' "native 44* LOSS OF -THE GRd-SVENOit or native was to be feen. After proceedin;^ ^bout fi^ days, they came - to aiiothdr riverj which Hyrics fays he has fince hreard is called Schwart or Black river, where they t-ook up their abode that night. The cPuntry now began to -wear a more pleafing afpedt. It appeared to be more fer tile than any they had paffed for feme tirhe,'and at a confiderable diftance froni the fliore they could difcejn )iufs._ .Kri ac;cidentlia|>pehed Iri this place which gave ! tliem great alarm. The '.grafs by fome means talcing fire, it fpread with fuch rapidity, that it 'was Wifh the utmoft difficulty they were \aHe to extinguifli it.; Their apprehenfions.' upon thi« occa'liori "werd veVy poignant, as they were much afraid the blaze would bring the natives' down upoil them, and excite their refentment^. The next. morning; they fwam over the river, which was no't fo wide as the former ; and; they had not;gone far before they faw another whale lying on the fea fhore. Being thus lA^T INDI AMA FT. »|5 thus provided with food, they determined to eredt a hut, and to reft themfelves for four or five days..* But on fearching for water, that neceffary article was not to be met with. / They therefore cut up a part ofthe whale, and when each of them had got as much as he could conveniently carry, they proceeded on their route. They had not, however, travelled above two hours„before they came to a much more defirable fpot, where they halted, and repofed themfelves. It wat, |l thicket wiiich aM)rde^. a&ietter, and where they met 'With walP'r. T CHAP. J44 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOft CHAP. XXXIX. ARE M^T BY SOME ©F THE COLO- ' NISTS, AND CONDUCTED TO A DUTCH SETTLEMENT, WHERE THEY ARE HOSPITABLY ENTERTAINED THE DIFFERENT EXPRESSIONS OF THEIR JOY ON THEIR DELIVERY. , N. EXT morning four of the party went back to the whale, in order to bring off a larger fupply; and De Laffo and the boy (Price) were left to take care ofthe fire, and to gather wood againft the return of night. During the abfence of the four, the boy, who was in the wood, perceived at a little dif tance two men, each with a gun in his hand ; and being much intimidated at their appear ance, -retired haftily towards the fire, whither he was purfued by them. Thefe fiAST IfvTDIAkAN. 145 Thefe men belonged to a Dutch fettlement in the neighbourhood, and were in fearph offomeftrayed cattle, when they perceived Price J and obfefvirig at the fame time the fmok;e which arofe from, the fire, concluded he would take that way, and followed liim toit. > The name of one of the men was John Battores, who being probably a Portuguefe, and De Laffo an Italian, through the great affinity of thefe two languages, they made fhift to tiriderftand each other. When Battores heard their ' melancholy tale, he deflred they Would condudt him , to the place where their companions were. Upon which they all went back together to the whale, where they fou^d our people. erhployed in cutting it up. Battores made them throw the v/hole of the whale's flefh away, and defiring them to follow him, promifed that they fhould ' have better food, and be fupplied with every L ' neceffary 146 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR neceffary when they reached the habitation to which he belonged. The joy that inftantly beamed forth in every breaft, upon receiving this pleafing in telligence, is not to be defcribed, or fcarcely to be conceived. And the effedts it pro duced were as various as extraordinary. Every faculty feemed to be in a ftate of violent agitation ; One man laughed ; another cried ; and another danced. Comfort and thefe unhappy wanderers had been fo long eftranged to each other, and their nervous fyftem was fo out of tone, that the convulfive expreffions of their fatisfac- tion are not to be wondered at. But their fpirits grew more compofed when they were informed that they were now within the fet>- tlements of the Dutch, and not more thaa four hundred miles from the Cape of Good Hope. The fpace they had to walk to the houfe, which was three miles diftant, was com paratively EAST iNblAMAN. " J47 par ativeiy tripped lightly over, notwithftand ing they were fo muqh erafeebled by their long and tedious march. The recitaL©f fome oftheir adventures beguiled the way; and all was rapture, all was peace. Battores was not the mafter of the houfe to which their fteps were diredted, but princi pal fervant to Mynheer Chriftopher Roof- toff, who, when he was made acquainted With their diftrefles, treated them with great kindnefs. He immediately ordered fome bread and milk to be given them ; but under a mif taken idea, he furniftied them with fuch a quantity, that by eating voracioufly, and overloading their ftomachs, they had nearly killed themfelves. After they had made their meal, facks were fpread upon the groud for them to repofe on. It had been a long while fince they had known any thing of the calculation of time ; days, weeks, and months had imperceptibly L 2 flipped 148 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR flipped away, without their being able to note them according to the accuftoiried di- vifions. , They were now informed that the day on which this happy reverfe of fortune took place, was the 29th of November, fo that as they were fhipwrecked on the fourth pf Auguft, it muft have been one hundred and feventeen days fince their leaving the fhip; during which time they had fuffered incredir ble hardffiips, and had often been preferved almoft miraculoufly. I >¦ iiM,T,m«KSii CHAP. EAST INDIAMAN. ' 149 CHAP. XL. REMOVED IN CARTS FROM PLACE TO - PLACE TILL They arrived at SWEL- LENDAM — TWO OF THEM SENT FOR TO THE OAPE, HE next morning Mynheer Rooftoff or dered a fheep to be killed, upon which our people breakfafted and dined. After this, another Dutchman, whofe hame was Daniel Quin, and who lived about nine miles dif tant, came with a cart and fix-horfes to con vey the party towards the Cape. ,- Hynes thinks that Quin was a kind of a commandant. Monfieur Vaiilant thus fpeaks of the method by which the colonifts obtain the title of commandant. ' A colonift' fays he, * who lives two hundred leagues up thfe * country, atrlves atthe Cape, to complain L 3 * that Igo. LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR • that the Caffrees have taken all his cattle ; * and intreats a commando, which is a per- * miffion to go, with the help of his neigh- -* hours, to retake his propPrty ; the gover- * nor, who either does not, or feigns not to *' uriderftand the trick, adheres ftridtly to the ' fadts expi'efled in the petition : a preamble * of regular information would occafion long * delays ; a permiffion is eafily given — tis but ' a word — the fatal word is written, which * proves a fentence of death to a thoufand * poor favages, who have no fuch defence * or refources as their peffecu tors'. This account gives, us an idea of the commando- or commandants of that country, (fuch a one Quin probably was,) and likewife ofthe dif pofition of the colonifts fituated in the in terior parts. But to return to the travellers.— The boy. Price, whofe legs was fore from the hard- fliips he had undergone, was kept at Myn-^ heer Rooftoff 's, who kindly undertook his cure, and faid he would contrive to fend him after the reft. ^ ^ The EAST INDIAMAN. " -^151 The others went in the cart that was pro^ vided for them, but the path, . or road, if it Hiay be fo called, was fo very rugged and bad, that tliey were almoft fhook to pieces. They paffed two farm houfes before they reached Quin's, where they ftaid four days to refrefh themfelves. Ffom this time they were forwarded in carts from one fettlempnt tO- another, till they, came to Swellendam, which lies about pne hundred miles from the Cape. During the whole of the way, wherever they paffed the night, all the farmers^in the neighbour hood ufed ta affemble in prder to hear their ftory ; and being moved with compafljon gave them many little neceflaries of which they ftood in need. At Swellendam thpy ftaid till the deputy governor, who irefided at that place, fent a meffenger to the Cape, as there was at this time war between Holland and Great Bri tain, to know of the governor what was to be (lone with them. An order at length L 4 came fSt "LOSS OF THE CROSVENOli came for two to be fent to Cape town, to ^e examined. The others were directed to remain where they at prefent were. Wormington and Leary accordingly pro ceeded to the Cape, Hynes and the reft ftaid at Swellendam, to the beft of his recolledtion, about a month, and during that time they had an opportu nity of obferving that the country around this place is in general rocky ; but in the vallies there are vineyards, paftures, and corn fields. They afterwards learnt that Wormington and Leary, after having undergone an ex amination, were fhipped on board a Dutch man of war lying in the bay, with diredtions for them to be put to work. Here they re mained for fome time, but Wormington hav ing difcovered, one night, that the boat- fwain had fmuggled fome pepper from the fhip, he imprudently hinted that he would give information of what v^as going forward. Upon EAST INDIAMAN.. 155 Upon which the boatfwain defired him and his companion Leary to get into the boat ; which they had no fponer done, than he put them both on board a Danifh Eaft In diaman, that was then weighing anchor; and which immediately failed. By this fortunate incident, thefe two had an op portunity of getting firft to their own coun try- CHAP. J54 LOS-S Ol THE GROSVENOR CHAP. XLL THE DUTCH GOVERNOR SENDS A BODY OF TROOPS TO SEAr'cII FOR THE WRECK OF THE SHIP, AND FOR THOSE WHO WERE LEFT BEHIND. THEY MEEt WITH SOME OF THE PEOPLE, BUT RETURN WITHOUT REACHING THE WRECK. HE governor at the Cape having learnt from the information of Wormington and Leary, the partie ulaVs^'of the Ibis "of the Grofvenor, and the confequent fufferings of the crew and paffengers, notwithftanding the enmity that fubfifted at this time be tween the two nations, was excited by that humanity which does honour to human na ture, to fend out a large party in queft of the unhappy wanderers. This party or detachment confifted of one hundred Europeans, and three hundred Hottentots, EAST INDIAMAN. iS5 Hottentots, attended by a great number of waggons, each drawn by eight bullocks. The eommand was given to a Captain JVIuller, w^hohad orders to proceed, if poffible, to the place where the fhip lay, and load them, vrith fuch articles asi could be faved. After which, they were to endeavour to find out fueh of the fufferers as were wandering about the country, or in the hands ofthe natives. . It being neceffary to havp fome of thofe who had paffed over the extenfive tradt tha^ was to be. explored, as guides, De JLaffoai^ Evans, who had now tolerably recovered tbj?ir ftrength, were fixed on for that pur pofe. Hynes ftill continued .very ill, and Price had not yet reached ^w^llendam. The party took with them beads, and a. number of trinkets, in prder to ranfom thofe of the unfortunates tha,t might fall in their w^ay. And they ' proceeded till the na tives interrupted their paffage. The diffen-» tions between the Caffrees and Colonifts, as already noticed, may have occafioned this interruption. In 156 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR In their way they found' three of the fhip wrecked mariners, viz. Thomas Lewis; William Hatterley (or Hubberley) and a- nother. William Hatterley was the fervant of Mr. Shaw, the fecond mate, and he had kept company with that party till aU but hirhfelf had expired. He then walked on, melancholy and forlorn, till he had reached the fpot where he was met by the Dutch. At other places on the road they met with feven more men,(Lafcars)and two black women, one of whom was fervant to Mrs. Logie, the other to Mrs. Hofea. ^From thefe women was obtained the following in^ terefting information : They faid, that about five days after the party to which Hynes had attached himfelf parted from the captain and the ladies, they alfo took feparate routes, the latter intending to join the Lafcars ; but what became of either, after this feparation had taken place, they knew not. They in deed faw the Captain's coat upon one of the natives, which led them to conclude that he was dead. After EAST INDIAMAN. 157 After the waggons had been prevented by the natives from proceeding, fome of the party travelled fifteen days on horfeback, in profecution of their plan ; but the Caffrees ftill continuing to harrafs them, and ob- .ftrudting their paffage, they were obliged tp give up the undertaking; and they came back, after having been abfent three months,. Captain Mulier returned to Swellendam with his troops, bringing with him the feven Lafcars and two black women, together with the three Engliflimen he had picked up on the road, the boy Price, and his two guidps De Laffo and Evans ; but the farmers who had attended the pxpedition with their wag gons, filed off to their refpedtive homes in the different polonies. The black people were detained at Swel lendam, and the Englifh were fent to the CapP, where having undergone a long ex.- amination by the Governor, he permitted them to take their paffage for Europe on board a Danifh fhip, then lying in .the har bour, that wanted hands. .5 The f^ LOSS OF TUfi William Stevens, butcher ; Frank Mafoon ; Dom. Kircanio, Jofeph Andree, Matthew Bell, Roque Pandolpho, Johri Stevens, John Pope, feamen; Jofeph Thpmfon, chief mate's fervant; James Vandefteen, boat- fwain's ditto ; John Hill, gunner's ditto; Ant. da Cruza, Captain's cook ; , Patrick Fitzgerald, and John Hudfon, difcharged foldiers from Madrafs ; Col, D'Efpinette, • Paffengers left with Capt. Coxon » Colonel James, Mrs. James, Mr. Hofea, Mrs. Hofea, Mrs. Logie, Mr. Newman, Captain Waltefhoufe Adair; Mifs Dennis, Mifs Wilmot, Mifs Hofea, Mafter Saunders, Mafter Chambers, chfldren, I Black Servants left with Ditto. George Symes, Reynel Dow, Betty, Sally, Mary, Hoakim, M. ' Plaideaux de Lifle, J. Rouffeau. *' tAST INDIAMAN. i6i f^e following Perfons died on their Way to the Gape. r Wm. Thomfon, midfhipman ; Tho, Page, carpenter ;. Henry Lillburne, fhip's fteward ; Mafter Law; Thomas Simrnonds, quarter- mafter; Robert Auld, cooper; Wflliam Couch, Captain's fteward ; Lau. Jonefque ; boatfwain's yeoman; AIL Schultz, Thomas Parker, Patrick ^Burne, R. Fitzgerald, and John Blain, feamen ;^ Mr. WUliams, Mr, Taylor, and John Suffman, piffengers* Left in diff'erent Parts ^ exclufive of thofe who remained with the Captain* _ James Thompfon^ quarter-mafter ; .Geo. Read, armourer ; Mr. Shaw, fecond mate ; Mr. Trotter, fourth dittc»; George Creigh- ton, caulker's mate ; Laurence Mac Ewen, Edward Mofick, John Squires, Ifaac Blair, William Fruel, Charles Berry, James Simp- fon, Jacob Angel, John Howes, and John Brown, feampn ; - Wflliam Ellis, Edward Croaker, and James Stockdale, difcharged foldiers. M * Th© ¦rt?2 LOSS OF TtiE GRQSVENOR * The only neW light, I behevev, that tm * * be thrown on this unfortunate affair, is to * be found in the travels of the ingenious 'and ^ * humkrie Vafllant. Being arrived on the I ' borders of Caffraria, 'and determined on ¦• entfering that country with the phUanthrp- * pic View of endeavouring to^ng about a * peace between the Hottentots and Caffrees, * he tarries his philanthropy a ftep further, ' and wifhes at the farrie' time to'aflbrd af- * fiftance to the' imfbttunate p6tof3e whofe * fuSferiflgs have been j-uft'deftribed.' V' ''¦ 0' * -Abiisfoitarie which hadla-tdyhappeneo^' * fayA'that worthy man, ' contribut^idjiot a * little to heat my imagination. 1 was in- * fe/rmed,- tliat fix weeks bt^e,-an Engliffi ¦-' fliip, ¥he Grofvenor- Eaft-Indfaftmn, had ' been wtee'kbd ^- the coaft ;¦ that partxjf > * -the crtW ahiff 'piSfeigersV "efc^ping the t«t^ <¦'* bulent'elemeht,;rrinfortmnately'fell irito 'the ' -lia'ndsof the.Caffree-s,' hy whom they' were • harbaroijfly defbroycd, the -women excepted, * who wei^c rcferVed to undergo ^ill greater ::.^ :z'; ,¦ .....w.. ...; ¦• ) ¦• ; * Vol. I. Page 340. * hard- EAST Indi, AM AN. ifg lips ; fome few, 'it was fuppofed^ ' had efcaped, and were now wandering on * the coaftj or exploring melancholy and al- *t mofjt impenetrable forefts, where they could ''!not .fail in the end of perifhing miferably. • Among thqfe Unferturiate people were fe- ^- veral French officers; prifoners pf war, who ' -Twe^e comirig to Europe^ ^ j . , n rf n . . ;;c:: {V- -'-= :. .' i;:?fi:^i'. ' My heart' continues he, ' was wounded ' by this affiidting detail ; a thoufand pro- ' je^; bewildered {©y head. I Could not be ' ab.pyg fifty |eaj;ues from the unfortunate ' fpot. Various f^aearis occurred to fuccour ' thi?;unhappy fuffererg, whofe fituation was * fo trj^Jy deplorable. I propofed thefe means * to my comp§nipn^s, but every propofal was ' refufed. In vain I offered prefents, pray- ' ers, intreaties ;' pay, even threat-nings had ' nombre Weight, jl however flattered my* ' felf, I fhould find among the Colonifts ' foine,'jwhofe hearts would not 3 only enter *, i;eadily into my pacific meafures with the * Caffrees,,, but affift in every endeavour to * fuccour the unhappy people that had been Ma * fliip- i64 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR * ffiipwrecked ; the image of whofe misfor- * tunes perpetually followed me. * How cruel a fituation for women ! con- * demned to drag a painful life in all the * horrors of agonizing defpair. A defire to * procure them liberty ; to bring them away * with mc ; employed all my thoughts,; and * deafened me to every obftacle.' A party of the Caffrees having paid him a friendly v-ifit at his camp, he informs us farther on ^this fubjedt, * that the news of * their departure made him the more eager * to queftion them, as he had by no means • forgot the unhappy fufferers who were * fhipwrecked in the Grofvenor.' * They could not,' fays he *, * give me fo ' ample an account as I wifhed in this par- * ticular, being fimply acquainted with the * fadt. Situated towards the north weft, * they were farther from the fea than myfelf, * arid could give no pofitive account of this * Vol. II. Pape »57. * melan- EAST INDIAMAN. 165 * melancholy cataftrophe : They had, indeed, * feen fome /of the effedts taken from the ' wreck, which had been exchanged with ' other hoords for cattle ; even the Caffrees * now at my camp pofleffing fome trifling * part of the property. One ffieV^ed me a * piece of filver coin which he wore at his * neck, and another a fmall key. They * likewife defcribed, as well as they could, a ' curiofity which had been divided among * them. By their account I judged this ' muft have been a watch, whofe wheels ' they had feparated, and fornied into dif- ' ferent ornaments. And I was convinced I ' was right in my conjedture, when on ftiew- * ing them mine, they all exclaimed it was * the fame thing, only of a different colour, * theirs refembling the piece of coin the * Caffree wore about his neck. They added, ' that the moft valuable of the effedts had ' been tal^en by their countrymen that in- ' habited the fea coaft, who were in pof- ' feffion of a great quantity of pieces fimilar * to that they had fhewn me. As for the * people who had efcaped the wreck, they * had been informed fome were found dead M 3 * upon j66 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR ' upon the fand, but that others, more for- * tunate, had reached fome country inhabited * by white people* . Monfieur Vaiilant having entered the country of the Caffrees, attended by a few of his Hottentots, and falling in with a fmall party of the Caffrees, he thus continues the fubjedt *. ' I enquired about the ffiip-^ * wrecked veffel, but .learned little more • than I was before acquainted with : That * it had been eaft away on the coaft of Caf*. * fraria. * I judged this melancholy event had hap^ ' pened beyond the country of the Tambou* ' ches, as high as Madagafcar, towards the 'channel of Mofambique. Thefe people ' affured me, that, befides the difficulties I ' fhould have to encounter, after having * pafted their limits, among feveral other * rivers, we muft crofs one that was too wide * to be fwam over, and muft advance a great way towards the north to find it fordable. ( * Vol. II. Page 321. ' They " r, , fAST ,INIXIAMyV•^f. - • ' 169: ' They added, that they had feen feveral ' white men among the Tambouches, fome ' time ago, when they exchanged fome mer- « chandize with that people for naUs taken ' from . the wreck ; but being now at war * with them, they could procure no more.' M4 OBSER- f6S LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR OBSERVATIONS. H< .OWEVER monotonous this and every journal m,uft appear, where ftridt regard is had to making it a faithful narrative, the author is well aware, and he begs the candid reader to obferve, that as he writes not either for fame or profit, but purely to inform thofe who may hereafter be in the fame un happy fituation, of many incidents which he believes never before appeared in print, or happened to any one, he thought it better to give it in its prefent unadorned ftate ; and he trufts upon perufal it will appear a fimple relation EAST INDIAM-AN. ' 169 relation of fadts : that they are fo, he has not the fmalleft reafon to doubt. Hynps was always uniform in his recital, and in order to try him, the author has often turned back twenty or thirty pages,- to afk him further queftions as a corroboration of what he had already written, and conftantly found that the fad impreffion feemed fo deep ly engraven on his mind, that he invariably told the fame artlefs tale. Perils and dangers feemed to be this poor fellow's lot. For on board us he was very near ffiaring a fate equally unhappy. Our fhip having juft paffed the braces in Balafore roads, ftruck upon a fand called the French Flat, and continued for a time to baffle every means that human reafon could fuggeft to get her off. In this fituation fhe remained for near an hour, beating with fuch violence as caufed both ends to vibrate dreadfully ; fo that every moment fhe was expedted to go to pieces, and the 170 LOSS OF THE Gl^O^VENOR the mafts to, tumble about our ears„ when, every foul would in all probabiUty have pe- riffied, as the tide was at ebb, and it blew a frefh gale. Fortunately, however, fhe Was got off, and after all was over, I afked Hynes. how he felt upon the occafion. "ito Whiph he replied,, that he expedted he fhould havp had the fame fad fcepe to go over again ; and. with much lefs probabUity of efcaping,; fpr if he had been driven on ffiore he muft inevi tably have periflied by the fang^ of a tyger, as every one knows that all along that coaft to Ingelee, at the eii'trance ofthe' Houghley' or Ganges, thoufands of thofe moft ferocious; of animals inhabit ; andfo bPid are they, that fome have been known to fnatch a man out of a boat, even in the middle of the day. But to return to the Grofvenor.— Upon refledtion, it feems a very great pity that the captain fhould have quitted, the place where. the ftiip was wrecked. By colledting the" fcattered fragments of the wreck, as they drove EAST INDIAMAN. 17* dtove on fhore, a boat, one would fuppofe might have -been conftrudted capable of con,- taining the whole of thofe who were faved, as was done by Captain Wilfon ofthe Ante lope packet. And particularly fo, a^ the carpenter's and caulker's crew all got fafe on (hore. *rhey might then have coafted it along fhore, putting into every bay as they pro ceeded, in order to water and refrefh. They would thtis have found a much eafier and quicker paffage to the Cape, than by at tempting, as they did, to travel by land, fub jedt to a thoufand difficulties, the flighfeft of which were much top arduous and fatiguing for delicate women and children to en« counter. v And here, though cenfure ought not to in trude itfelf into the manfions of the dead, the author cannot help refledting upon the con dudt of the third mate, who appears to have been highly culpable, in not attending to the fifft alarm of feeing land, and inftantly con vincing himfelf ofthe truth of it. Even a 5 moment «72 LOSS OF THE GROSVENOR momerit in fuch a fituation was not to be loft. By an immediate attention the fhip might in all probability have been put about, and by that means faved ; whereas, when it was at tempted by the captain, it was then too late. We are told alfo, that in ten minutes after the fhip had ftruck, the wind came off fhore; fo that if ffie had been put about iri any time, the effedt would have been, that her head would have payed off, which would have been a moft fortunate circumftance, and the confequence the faving of the whole. Captain Coxon is faid to have declared to the unfortunate fufferers, that he expedted to be able to get to a Dutch fettlement in fix^ teen days. Surely, in that time, one would fuppofe he might have finiffied a boat ; hooks and lines might have been made, and fiffi caught, which muft have proved a more ready way of procuring a fubfiftence, than in paffing through an unknown country, whofe produdtions they were unacquainted with. They would at the fame time have avoided the perflous rencontre either of the natives tlAST INDIAMAN. i^} natives or of ferocious animals. The author is the more confirmed in this opinion from the circumftance of Trout, the Dutchmarf, telling the captain that he had beeri on board the wreck, and got from thence a load of iron, pewtei', lead, and coppe'r'. It may be oppofed to this, that Captain Coxfon might have been too hiuch harrdfled by the natives to attempt fuch a work in the fituation they then were. Brit aS we are given to underftand that thdy "alWays left the place at fun fet, means might haye been ufe^ to prevent this conftant interruption. We know that wood in abundance, and probably bamboo, gfoWs "iri "thpfp parts; and as a nurriber ' of hardy fellows, equal to any enterprize, were faVed, " enough could have beeri colle'dt'ed iri the courfe of a few hours to have formed a cheveaux d'efrTze round their little- camp ; and thus fortified, the natives would have been more inclined to barter with them, than to have difturbed them. 3 Hooks 174 LOSS. -OF THE GROSVENOR, &c. § Hooks and lines might have- been ibrme4 of twifted pr plaited grafs, pr filaments of the cocoa tree; or the fails might have bpeji •unravelled for that purpofe. Indeecl, a hun dred methods might have been had recpurfp to, in order to fupply thefe neceflary .implpr ments. Weapons pjt defence -al/o, , might foon ha"*^^ been made, equal to any of thofe they had tp encounter. And whoever has, feen the Maf- foula boats, at Madxas^ knows that much may be done without hammer or nails, evep in boats of burthen. In fhort, unlefs this, imprudent refolution proceeded froin the want of .unanimity j whicli I need not fay, 'f.n all fituatipns that are any ^ways fimilar to theirs, is p^trpmely unfortu nate, the overfight wa« a very great one, and not to be accpuijted fpr. ,G. CARTER. FINIS.