early australian voyages-第20部分

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d　be　sure　to　keep　them　from　taking　our　hooks；　for　they　would　first　have　them　themselves；　biting　very　greedily。　　We　caught　also　a　monk…fish；　of　which　I　brought　home　the　picture。

On　the　25th　of　August　we　still　coasted　along　shore；　that　we　might　the　better　see　any　opening；　kept　sounding；　and　had　about　twenty　fathom；　clean　sand。　　The　26th　day；　being　about　four　leagues　off　shore；　the　water　began　gradually　to　sholden　from　twenty　to　fourteen　fathom。　　I　was　edging　in　a　little　towards　the　land；　thinking　to　have　anchored；　but　presently　after　the　water　decreased　almost　at　once；　till　we　had　but　five　fathom。　　I　durst；　therefore；　adventure　no　farther；　but　steered　out　the　same　way　that　we　came　in；　and　in　a　short　time　had　ten　fathom　（being　then　about　four　leagues　and　a　half　from　the　shore）；　and　even　soundings。　　I　steered　away　east…north…　east；　coasting　along　as　the　land　lies。　　This　day　the　sea　breezes　began　to　be　very　moderate　again；　and　we　made　the　best　of　our　way　along　shore；　only　in　the　night　edging　off　a　little　for　fear　of　shoals。　　Ever　since　we　left　Shark's　Bay　we　had　fair　clear　weather；　and　so　for　a　great　while　still。

The　27th　day　we　had　twenty　fathom　water　all　night；　yet　we　could　not　see　land　till　one　in　the　afternoon　from　our　topmast…head。　　By　three　we　could　just　discern　land　from　our　quarter…deck；　we　had　then　sixteen　fathom。　　The　wind　was　at　north；　and　we　steered　east…by…　north；　which　is　but　one　point　in　on　the　land；　yet　we　decreased　our　water　very　fast；　for　at　four　we　had　but　nine　fathom；　the　next　cast　but　seven；　which　frightened　us；　and　we　then　tacked　instantly　and　steed　off；　but　in　a　short　time　the　wind　coming　at　north…west　and　west…north…west；　we　tacked　again　and　steered　north…north…east；　and　then　deepened　our　water　again；　and　had　all　night　from　fifteen　to　twenty　fathom。

The　28th　day　we　had　between　twenty　and　forty　fathom。　　We　saw　no　land　this　day；　but　saw　a　great　many　snakes　and　some　whales。　　We　saw　also　some　boobies　and　noddy…birds；　and　in　the　night　caught　one　of　these　last。　　It　was　of　another　shape　and　colour　than　any　I　had　seen　before。　　It　had　a　small　long　bill；　as　all　of　them　have；　flat　feet　like　ducks'　feet；　its　tail　forked　like　a　swallow；　but　longer　and　broader；　and　the　fork　deeper　than　that　of　the　swallow；　with　very　long　wings；　the　top　or　crown　of　the　head　of　this　noddy　was　coal…　black；　having　also　small　black　streaks　round　about　and　close　to　the　eyes；　and　round　these　streaks　on　each　side；　a　pretty　broad　white　circle。　　The　breast；　belly；　and　under　part　of　the　wings　of　this　noddy　were　white；　and　the　back　and　upper　part　of　its　wings　of　a　faint　black　or　smoke　colour。　　Noddies　are　seen　in　most　places　between　the　tropics；　as　well　in　the　East　Indies　and　on　the　coast　of　Brazil；　as　in　the　West　Indies。　　They　rest　ashore　at　night；　and　therefore　we　never　see　them　far　at　sea；　not　above　twenty　or　thirty　leagues；　unless　driven　off　in　a　storm。　　When　they　come　about　a　ship　they　commonly　perch　in　the　night；　and　will　sit　still　till　they　are　taken　by　the　seamen。　　They　build　on　cliffs　against　the　sea；　or　rocks。

The　30th　day；　being　in　latitude　18　degrees　21　minutes；　we　made　the　land　again；　and　saw　many　great　smokes　near　the　shore；　and　having　fair　weather　and　moderate　breezes；　I　steered　in　towards　it。　　At　four　in　the　afternoon　I　anchored　in　eight　fathom　water；　clear　sand；　about　three　leagues　and　a　half　from　the　shore。　　I　presently　sent　my　boat　to　sound　nearer　in；　and　they　found　ten　fathom　about　a　mile　farther　in；　and　from　thence　still　farther　in　the　water　decreased　gradually　to　nine；　eight；　seven；　and　at　two　miles　distance　to　six　fathom。　This　evening　we　saw　an　eclipse　of　the　moon；　but　it　was　abating　before　the　moon　appeared　to　us；　for　the　horizon　was　very　hazy；　so　that　we　could　not　see　the　moon　till　she　had　been　half　an　hour　above　the　horizon；　and　at　two　hours　twenty…two　minutes　after　sunset；　by　the　reckoning　of　our　glasses；　the　eclipse　was　quite　gone；　which　was　not　of　many　digits。　　The　moon's　centre　was　then　33　degrees　40　minutes　high。

The　31st　of　August；　betimes　in　the　morning；　I　went　ashore　with　ten　or　eleven　men　to　search　for　water。　　We　went　armed　with　muskets　and　cutlasses　for　our　defence；　expecting　to　see　people　there；　and　carried　also　shovels　and　pickaxes　to　dig　wells。　　When　we　came　near　the　shore　we　saw　three　tall；　black；　naked　men　on　the　sandy　bay　ahead　of　us；　but　as　we　rowed　in；　they　went　away。　　When　we　were　landed；　I　sent　the　boat　with　two　men　in　her　to　lie　a　little　from　the　shore　at　an　anchor；　to　prevent　being　seized；　while　the　rest　of　us　went　after　the　three　black　men；　who　were　now　got　on　the　top　of　a　small　hill　about　a　quarter　of　a　mile　from　us；　with　eight　or　nine　men　more　in　their　company。　　They；　seeing　us　coming；　ran　away。　　When　we　came　on　the　top　of　the　hill　where　they　first　stood；　we　saw　a　plain　savannah；　about　half　a　mile　from　us；　farther　in　from　the　sea。　　There　were　several　things　like　hay…cocks　standing　in　the　savannah；　which　at　a　distance　we　thought　were　houses；　looking　just　like　the　Hottentots'　houses　at　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope：　　but　we　found　them　to　be　so　many　rocks。　　We　searched　about　these　for　water；　but　could　find　none；　nor　any　houses；　nor　people；　for　they　were　all　gone。　　Then　we　turned　again　to　the　place　where　we　landed；　and　there　we　dug　for　water。

While　we　were　at　work　there　came　nine　or　ten　of　the　natives　to　a　small　hill　a　little　way　from　us；　and　stood　there　menacing　and　threatening　us；　and　making　a　great　noise。　　At　last　one　of　them　came　towards　us；　and　the　rest　followed　at　a　distance。　　I　went　out　to　meet　him；　and　came　within　fifty　yards　of　him；　making　to　him　all　the　signs　of　peace　and　friendship　I　could；　but　then　he　ran　away；　neither　would　they　any　of　them　stay　for　us　to　come　nigh　them；　for　we　tried　two　or　three　times。　　At　last　I　took　two　men　with　me；　and　went　in　the　afternoon　along　by　the　sea…side；　purposely　to　catch　one　of　them；　if　I　could；　of　whom　I　might　learn　where　they　got　their　fresh　water。　There　were　ten　or　twelve　of　the　natives　a　little　way　off；　who；　seeing　us　three　going　away　from　the　rest　of　our　men；　followed　us　at　a　distance。　　I　thought　they　would　follow　us；　but　there　being　for　awhile　a　sand…bank　between　us　and　them；　that　they　could　not　then　see　us；　we　made　a　halt；　and　hid　ourselves　in　a　bending　of　the　sand…bank。　They　knew　we　must　be　thereabouts；　and　being　three　or　four　times　our　numbers；　thought　to　seize　us。　　So　they　dispersed　themselves；　some　going　to　the　sea…shore；　and　others　beating　about　the　sand…hills。　　We　knew　by　what　rencounter　we　had　had　with　them　in　the　morning　that　we　could　easily　out…run　them；　so　a　nimble　young　man　that　was　with　me；　seeing　some　of　them　near；　ran　towards　them；　and　they　for　some　time　ran　away　before　him；　but　he　soon　overtaking　them；　they　faced　about　and　fought　him。　　He　had　a　cutlass　and　they　had　wooden　lances；　with　which；　being　many　of　them；　they　were　too　hard　for　him。　　When　he　first　ran　towards　them　I　chased　two　more　that　were　by　the　shore；　but　fearing　how　it　might　be　with　my　young　man；　I　turned　back　quickly　and　went　to　the　top　of　a　sand…hill；　whence　I　saw　him　near　me；　closely　engaged　with　them。　　Upon　their　seeing　me；　one　of　them　threw　a　lance　at　me；　that　narrowly　missed　me。　　I　discharged　my　gun　to　scare　them；　but　avoided　shooting　any　of　them；　till　finding　the　young　man　in　great　danger　from　them；　and　myself　in　some；　and　that　though　the　gun　had　a　little　frightened　them　at　first；　yet　they　had　soon　learnt　to　despise　it；　tossing　up　their　hands　and　crying；　〃pooh；　pooh；　pooh；〃　and　coming　on　afresh　with　a　great　noise；　I　thought　it　high　time　to　charge　again；　and　shoot　one　of　them；　which　I　did。　　The　rest；　seeing　him　fall；　made　a　stand　again；　and　my　young　man　took　the　opportunity　to　disengage　himself　and　come　off　to　me；　my　other　man　also　was　with　me；　who　had　done　nothing　all　this　while；　having　come　out　unarmed；　and　I　returned　back　with　my　men；　designing　to　attempt　the　natives　no　farther；　being　very　sorry　for　what　had　happened　already。　　They　took　up　their　wounded　companion；　and　my　young　man；　who　had　been　struck　through　the　cheek　by　one　of　their　lances；　was　afraid　it　had　been　poisoned；　but　I　did　not　think　that　likely。　　His　wound　was　very　painful　to　him；　being　made　with　a　blunt　weapon；　but　he　soon　recovered　of　it。

Among　the　New　Hollanders；　whom　we　were　thus　engaged　with；　there　was　one　who　by　his　appearance　and　carriage；　as　well　in　the　morning　as　this　afternoon；　seemed　to　be　the　chief　of　them；　and　a　kind　of　prince　or　captain　among　them。　　He　was　a　young　brisk　man；　not　very　tall；　nor　so　personable　as　some　of　the　rest；　though　more　active　and　courageous：　　he　was　painted　（which　none　of　the　rest　were　at　all）　with　a　circle　of　white　paste　or　pigment　（a　sort　of　lime；　as　we　thought）　about　his　eyes；　and　a　white　streak　down　his　nose；　from　his　forehead　to　the　tip　of　it：　　and　his　breast　and　some　part　of　his　arms　were　also　made　white　with　the　same　paint；　not　for　beauty　or　ornament；　one　would　think；　but　as　some　wild　Indian　warriors　are　said　to　do；　he　seemed　thereby　to　design　the　looking　more　terrible；　this　his　painting　adding　very　much　to　his　natural　deformity；　for　they　all　of　them　have　the　most　unpleasant　looks　and　the　worst　features　of　any　people　that　ever　I　saw；　though　I　have　seen　great　variety　of　savages。　These　New　Hollanders　were　probably　the　same　sort　of　people　as　those　I　met　with　on　this　c