St. Helena Island and Return to England

On May 23, we sailed from the Cape in the company of the James and Mary and the Josiah, directing our course towards the island St. Helena.

We met nothing of remark in this voyage except a great swelling sea out of the south-west which, taking us on the broadside, made us roll sufficiently. Such of our water-casks as were between decks running from side to side were in a short time all staved, and the deck well washed with the fresh water.

The shot tumbled out the lockers and garlands; and rung a loud peal, rumbling from side to side every roll that the ship made; neither was it an easy matter to reduce them again within bounds. The guns, being carefully looked after and lashed fast, never budged, but the tackles or pulleys and lashings made great music too. The sudden and violent motion of the ship made us fearful lest some of the guns should have broken loose, which must have been very detrimental to the ship’s sides. The masts were also in great danger to be rolled by the board; but no harm happened to any of us besides the loss of three or four buts of water, and a barrel or two of good Cape wine, which was staved in the great cabin.

This great tumbling sea took us shortly after we came from the Cape. The violence of it lasted but one night; yet we had a continual swelling came out of the south-west almost during all the passage to St. Helena; which was an eminent token that the south-west winds were now violent in the higher latitudes towards the South Pole; for this was the time of the year for those winds.

ST. HELENA MEETING WITH PRINCESS ANN

Notwithstanding this boisterous sea coming thus obliquely upon us we had fine clear weather and a moderate gale at south-east, or between that and the east, till we came to the island St. Helena, where we arrived the 20th day of June. There we found the Princess Ann at an anchor waiting for us.

The small island of St. Helena lies in about 16 degrees south latitude, not above nine or ten leagues in length, and stands 3 or 400 leagues from the mainland.

It is bounded against the sea with steep rocks so that there is no landing but at two or three places. The land is high and mountainous and seems to be very dry and poor; yet they are fine valleys, proper for cultivation. The mountains appear bare, only in some places you may see a few low shrubs, but the valleys afford some trees fit for building.

The air is commonly serene and clear except in the months that yield rain; yet we had one or two very rainy days even while we were here. Here are moist seasons to plant and sow and the weather is temperate enough as to heat, though so near the equator, and very healthy.

ITS FIRST DISCOVERY, AND CHANGE OF MASTERS SINCE.

It was first discovered and settled by the Portuguese, who stocked it with goats and hogs. They deserted it until the Dutch found it convenient to relieve their east India ships, settled it again.

But they afterwards, they relinquished it for a more convenient place – the Cape of Good Hope.

Then the English East India Company settled their servants there and began to fortify it, but they being yet weak the Dutch about the year 1672 came hither and re-took it and kept it in their possession.

HOW THE ENGLISH GOT IT

This news being reported in England, Captain Monday was sent to re-take it who, by the advice and conduct of one that had formerly lived there, landed a party of armed men in the night in a small cove, unknown to the Dutch then in garrison.

They climbed the rocks and so came in the morning to the hills hanging over the fort, which stands by the sea in a small valley.

From thence firing into the fort they soon made them surrender. There were at this time two or three Dutch East India ships either at anchor or coming thither when our ships were there.

These, when they saw that the English were masters of the island again, made sail to be gone; but being chased by the English frigates two of them became rich prizes to Captain Monday and his men.

ITS STRENGTH, TOWN, INHABITANTS, AND THE PRODUCT OF THEIR PLANTATIONS.

The island has continued ever since in the hands of the English East India Company, and has been greatly strengthened both with men and guns; so that at this day it is secure enough from the invasion of any enemy. For common landing-place is a small bay like a half moon, scarce 500 paces wide between the two points.

Close by the seaside are good guns planted at equal distances lying along from one end of the bay to the other; besides a small fort a little further in from the sea, near the midst of the bay. All which makes the bay so strong that it is impossible to force it. The small cove where Captain Monday landed his men when he took the island from the Dutch is scarce fit for a boat to land at; and yet that is now also fortified.

There is a small English town within the great bay standing in a little valley between two high steep mountains. There may be about twenty or thirty small houses whose walls are built with rough stones: the inside furniture is very mean. The governor has a pretty tolerable handsome low house by the fort; where he commonly lives, having a few soldiers to attend him and to guard the fort. But the houses in the town before mentioned stand empty save only when ships arrive here; for their owners have all plantations farther in the island where they constantly employ themselves. But when ships arrive they all flock to the town where they live all the time that the ships lie here; for then is their fair or market to buy such necessaries as they want and to sell off the product of their plantations.

Their plantations afford potatoes, yams, and some plantains and bananas. Their stock consists chiefly of hogs, bullocks, cocks and hens, ducks, geese, and turkeys, of which they have great plenty, and sell them at a lower rate to the sailors, taking in exchange shirts, drawers, or any light clothes; pieces of calico, silks, or muslins: arak, sugar, and lime-juice is also much esteemed and coveted by them. But now they are in hopes to produce wine and brandy in a short time; for they do already begin to plant vines for that end, there being a few Frenchmen there to manage that affair. This I was told but I saw nothing of it, for it rained so hard when I was ashore that I had not the opportunity of seeing their plantations.

THE ST. HELENA MANATEE NO OTHER THAN THE SEA-LION

They get manatee here, which seemed very strange to me. Therefore enquiring more strictly into the matter I found the St. Helena manatee to be, by their shapes and manner of lying ashore on the rocks, those creatures called sea-lions; for the manatee never come ashore, neither are they found near any rocky shores as this island is, there being no feeding for them in such places. Besides in this island there is no river for them to drink at, though there is a small brook runs into the sea out of the valley by the fort.

THE ENGLISH WOMEN AT THIS ISLE. THE ENGLISH SHIPS REFRESH THEIR MEN HERE; AND DEPART ALL TOGETHER.

We stayed here for 5-6 days; all which time the islanders lived at the town to entertain the seamen; who constantly flock ashore to enjoy themselves among their country people.

Our touching at the Cape had greatly drained the seamen of their loose coins, at which these islanders as greatly repined. Some of the poorer sort openly complained against such doings, saying it was fit that the East India Company should be acquainted with it, that they might hinder their ships from touching at the Cape.

Yet they were extremely kind, in hopes to get what was remaining. They are most of them very poor: but such as could get a little liquor to sell to the seamen at this time got what the seamen could spare; for the punch-houses were never empty. But, had we all come directly hither and not touched at the Cape, even the poorest people among them would have gotten something by entertaining sick men.

For commonly the seamen coming home are troubled more or less with scorbutic distempers: and their only hopes are to get refreshment and health at this island; and these hopes seldom or never fail them if once they get footing here. For the islands afford abundance of delicate herbs, wherewith the sick are first bathed to supple their joints, and then the fruits and herbs and fresh food soon after cure them of their scorbutic humours.

So that in a week’s time men that have been carried ashore in hammocks and they who were wholly unable to go have soon been able to leap and dance. Doubtless the serenity and wholesomeness of the air contributes much to the carrying off of these distempers; for here is constantly a fresh breeze. While we stayed here many of the seamen got sweethearts. One young man belonging to the James and Mary was married and brought his wife to England with him.

Another brought his sweetheart to England, they being each engaged by bonds to marry at their arrival in England; and several other of our men were over head and ears in love with the St. Helena maids who, though they were born there, yet very earnestly desired to be released from that prison, which they have no other way to compass but by marrying seamen or passengers that touch here. The young women born here are but one remove from English, being the daughters of such. They are well-shaped, proper and comely, were they in a dress to set them off.

My stay ashore here was but two days to get refreshments for myself and Jeoly, whom I carried ashore with me: and he was very diligent to pick up such things as the islands afforded, carrying ashore with him a bag which the people of the isle filled with roots for him. They flocked about him and seemed to admire him much. This was the last place where I had him at my own disposal, for the mate of the ship who had Mr. Moody’s share in him left him entirely to my management, I being to bring him to England. But I was no sooner arrived in the Thames but he was sent ashore to be seen by some eminent persons; and I, being in want of money, was prevailed upon to sell first part of my share in him, and by degrees all of it. After this I heard he was carried about to be shown as a sight and that he died of the smallpox at Oxford.

THE DIFFERENT COURSES FROM HENCE TO ENGLAND.

But to proceed, our water being filled and the ship all stocked with fresh provision, we sailed from hence in company of the Princess Ann, the James and Mary, and the Josiah, July the 2nd 1691, directing our course towards England, and designing to touch nowhere by the way.

We were now in the way of the tradewinds, which we commonly find at east-south-east or south-east by east or south-east till we draw near the Line, and sometimes till we are eight or ten degrees to the north of the Line. For which reason ships might shape their course so as to keep on the African shore and pass between Cape Verde and Cape Verde Islands; for that seems to be the directest course to England. But experience often shows us that the farthest way about is the nearest way home, and so it is here.

For by striving to keep near the African shore you meet with the winds more uncertain and subject to calms; whereas in keeping the midway between Africa and America, or rather nearer the American continent, till you are north of the Line you have a brisk constant gale.

THEIR COURSE AND ARRIVAL IN THE ENGLISH CHANNEL AND THE DOWNS.

This was the way we took, and in our passage before we got to the Line we saw three ships and, making towards them we found two of them to be Portuguese, bound to Brazil.

The third kept on a wind so that we could not speak with her; but we found by the Portuguese it was an English ship called the Dorothy, Captain Thwart commander, bound to the East Indies. After this we kept company still with our three consorts till we came near England, and then were separated by bad weather; but before we came within sight of land we got together again, all but the James and Mary. She got into the Channel before us and went to Plymouth, and there gave an account of the rest of us; whereupon our men-of-war who lay there came out to join us and, meeting us, brought us off of Plymouth.

There our consort the James and Mary came to us again, and from thence we all sailed in company of several men-of-war towards Portsmouth. There our first convoy left us and went in thither.

But we did not want convoys, for our fleets were then repairing to their winter harbours to be laid up; so that we had the company of several English ships to the Downs, and a squadron also of Dutch sailed up the Channel, but kept off farther from our English coast, they being bound home to Holland. When we came as high as the south foreland we left them standing on their course, keeping on the back of the Goodwin Sands; and we luffed in for the Downs where we anchored September 16, 1691.