Volume 181301

A general collection of voyages and travels, including the most interesting records of navigators and travellers, from the discovery of America by Columbus, in 1492, to the travels of Lord Valentia / [William Fordyce Mavor].

  • William Fordyce Mavor
Date:
1813
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A general collection of voyages and travels, including the most interesting records of navigators and travellers, from the discovery of America by Columbus, in 1492, to the travels of Lord Valentia / [William Fordyce Mavor]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ance with their clamorous demand, he stood towards the supposed island the greatest part of the night; but inthe morning, they saw it vanish into air, and de- spondency and disaffection returned. “he steady imtre- pidity of the admiral still enabled him to persevere. In three days more, the currents became irregular ; and gulls. and flying fish surrounded the ships in abun- dance. F The appearance of birds at. intervals, during this hazardous voyage, was a circumstance peculiarly for- tunate, as it kept hope alive, or revived it when al- most extinct. Qn the 3d of October, having again lost sight of those welcome visitors, the mariners con- -jectured they had passed between some islands, and earnestly entreated the admiral to direct his course to one side or the other, in quest of the land which they imagined had been left. Being unwilling to lose the favourable breeze that carried him to the westward, or to lessen the reputation of his undertaking by a dere- liction of his object on the suggestions, or by the menaces of others, he absolutely refused to cornply. This fortitude, instead of inspiring confidence, as it ought, obtained the appellation of obstinacy and mad- ness; and the sailors were actually on the point of tak- ing some desperate resolution, when a flight of spar- rows and other birds from the west once morevallayed their impetuosity. : Some imperfect signs of land appeared on the 7th of October ; but disappointment had so often succeeded to expectation, that no one would venture to pro- nounce it, though a pension of thirty crowns for life had been promised to him who should first descry land. ‘The Niia, however, being the best sailer, and conse- quently a-head, fired a gun, and hoisted her colours in token of this agreeable discovery; but the further they advanced the more they were convinced of the deception. WNext day, large flights of sea-fow] and smail land-birds consoled them for the disappointment; and Columbusbeing fully persuaded that the latter could