Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
June Byron abandoned his search for the Solomons and steered a
north-westerly course in the general direction of the Philippines and
that section of the Pacific which was, by now, well charted.
For a month the ships crawled slowly over the ocean, the heat
and humidity making it difficult for the men to work and lacklustre
breezes scarcely stirring the sails. On 21 July Byron was prompted
to make the exaggerated observation in his journal: 'certainly this is
the longest, the hottest and most dangerous run that was ever made
Marianas, on 30 July there was scarcely a member of it who was not
suffering from scurvy or enteric disorders.
Tinian had been the salvation of Anson's voyage. He had spent
seven weeks there restoring his men and repairing his ship. His ema-
ciated, debilitated crew gorged themselves on plentiful food and wa-
ter which seemed to them the most delicious victuals they had ever
tasted. Perhaps conditions had changed in twenty-three years. Per-
haps Byron's expectations were too high. Perhaps, being in a less
desperate situation than his predecessor, he was more disposed to
be critical. Whatever the reason, Foul-Weather Jack did not like Tini-
an at all. The water was brackish and full of worms. The centre of
the island was overgrown with brush which tore shirts and trousers
to pieces. Cattle were not plentiful as the
Centurion's
journal had
claimed and were to be found only at some distance from the an-
chorage. Because of the heat, meat was stinking before it could be
got back to the camp. Fowls were plentiful 'but the best of them are
very bad tasted'. Some of the men were badly poisoned by eating
the local fish. Flies and mosquitoes swarmed everywhere and two
men died of fevers inflicted by insect bites. Scorpions and ants were
scarcely less of a menace. The anchorage was so exposed that during
one rough seven-day spell
Dolphin
and
Tamar
had to stand out to sea
to prevent being driven onto the shore. As for the climate:
