324 THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA 



was almost wholly formed of oaths, and he pursued his 

 calling in a skin soaked with liquor that was served out 

 to him by the gallon at a time." Dampier describes 

 his seamen with his usual scientific detail ; and he makes 

 me believe that they were, to write with becoming short- 

 ness, incompetent, dirty, smellful, 1 rebellious, murderous, 2 

 and worst of all " heartless enough to the voyage at 

 best." Dampier, the ex-pirate, had undertaken to keep 

 in order this gang of brutal ruffians ; and, in dealing with 

 them, he had to bear the blame of the piratical reputation 

 unsupported by the strength of the piratical character. 

 " Anyone," he says very justly, " who is sensible of these 

 difficulties will be much more pleased at the discoveries 

 and observations I have been able to make than displeased 

 that I did not make more." 3 



The voyage Dampier's excellent plan had been to sail round Cape 

 Australia Horn, and begin his discoveries upon " the Eastern or 

 Jan.-July, less known side of the Terra Australis." Had he done 

 so, he might have left Cook little to do. But this plan 

 was thwarted, he says, by the time of the year. Sailing 

 on the 1 4th of January, 1699 apparently he had to sail 

 then or not sail at all he would have been obliged to 

 round Cape Horn in a very high latitude in the depth 

 of winter, and this was one of the few ways in which the 

 Sun- Worshipper was unwilling to add to his knowledge 

 and experience. He therefore had to go by the usual 

 Cape of Good Hope route. He spent a month in Brazil, 

 at Bahia de Todos Santas the modern San Salvador 

 and wrote a description of the place which occupies twenty- 

 six pages in the modern edition of the Journal. In order 

 to give his mutineers no chance he was sleeping on 

 the quarter-deck with arms handy he did not call at 

 the Cape, and jogged for New Holland. He followed 



1 " They caused an ill-smell wherever they went and their hammocl s 

 would stink sufficiently." 



2 He found it was not safe to sleep in his cabin, and was forced to 

 lie on the quarter-deck with such officers as he could trust, and " with 

 small arms handy." 



3 Voyages, vol. ii. p. 343. 



