A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels | Page 6

been if the
several commanders had written the account of their voyages
themselves; for a digest could not have been made of the whole,
without invading the right of each navigator to appropriate the relation
of what he had seen: these repetitions, however, taken together, will be
found to fill but a few pages of the book.[6]
[Footnote 6: These repetitions have been studiously avoided in this
work, wherever omission could be practised, or reference to different
parts of the collection seemed unembarrassing.--E.]
That no doubt might remain of the fidelity with which I have related
the events recorded in my materials, the manuscript account of each
voyage was read to the respective commanders at the Admiralty, by the
appointment of Lord Sandwich, who was himself present during much
the greatest part of the time. The account of the voyage of the
Endeavour was also read to Mr Banks and Dr Solander, in whose hands,
as well as in those of Captain Cook, the manuscript was left for a
considerable time after the reading. Commodore Byron also, Captain
Wallis, and Captain Carteret, had the manuscripts of their respective
voyages to peruse, after they had been read at the Admiralty in their
presence, and such emendations as they suggested were made. In order
thus to authenticate the voyage of Captain Cook, the account of it was

first written, because it was expected when his journal was put into my
hand, that he would have sailed on his second voyage in less than five
months.
[Some paragraphs, containing reasons or apologies for certain minute
specifications of courses, bearings, &c. &c. are here omitted, as
unnecessary where the things themselves, to which objections were
anticipated, are not given. Some cuts also alluded to are of course
unsuitable to this work, and the references to them are in consequence
left out. Dr Hawkesworth occupies the remainder of this introduction in
discussing two subjects, about which it is thought unadvisable to take
up the reader's attention at present--the controversy respecting the
existence of giants in Patagonia, asserted by Byron, Wallis, and
Carteret; and the justifiableness of attempting discoveries, where, in
prosecution of them, the lives of human beings in a savage state are of
necessity sacrificed.]
* * * * *
AN ACCOUNT OF A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD, IN THE
YEARS 1764, 1765, AND 1766, BY THE HONOURABLE
COMMODORE BYRON, IN HIS MAJESTY'S SHIP THE DOLPHIN.
SECTION I.
_The Passage from the Downs to Rio de Janeiro._
[The longitude in this voyage is reckoned from the meridian of London,
west to 180 degrees, and east afterwards.]
On the 21st of June, 1764, I sailed from the Downs, with his majesty's
ship the Dolphin, and the Tamar frigate, under my command. In
coming down the river, the Dolphin got a-ground; I therefore put into
Plymouth, where she was docked, but did not appear to have received
any damage.[7] At this place, having changed some of our men, and
paid the people two months wages in advance, I hoisted the broad
pendant, and sailed again on the 3d of July; on the 4th we were off the
Lizard, and made the best of our way with a fine breeze, but had the

mortification to find the Tamar a very heavy sailer. In the night of
Friday the 6th, the officer of the first watch saw either a ship on fire, or
an extraordinary phenomenon which greatly resembled it, at some
distance: It continued to blaze for about half an hour, and then
disappeared. In the evening of July the 12th, we saw the rocks near the
island of Madeira, which our people call the Deserters, from Desertes, a
name which has been given them from their barren and desolate
appearance: The next day we stood in for the road of Funchiale, where,
about three o'clock in the afternoon, we came to an anchor. In the
morning of the 14th, I waited upon the governor, who received me with
great politeness, and saluted me with eleven guns, which I returned
from the ship. The next day, he returned my visit at the house of the
consul, upon which I saluted him with eleven guns, which he returned
from the fort. I found here his majesty's ship the Crown, and the Ferret
sloop, who also saluted the broad pendant.
[Footnote 7: In a well-drawn-up account of this voyage, published 1767,
by an officer of the Dolphin, it is said that "her bottom was sheathed
with copper, as were likewise the braces and pintles for the use of the
rudder, which was the first experiment of the kind that had ever been
made on any vessel." This work will be referred to occasionally, and is
certainly deserving of that notice.--E.]
Having completed our water, and procured all the refreshment I was