Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Unknown to any of her European neighbours, Spain, alarmed by
news that Anson had projected an English colony on Juan Fernan-
dez, had settled the island in 1749. Despite the expense and the
almost complete destruction of the settlement by earth-quake in
1751, the Spaniards had been driven by English activity in the Falk-
lands and the Pacific to maintain a garrison. It now proved its worth,
for Carteret was forced to retreat and make for the only other port of
call, the rocky island of Maós Afuera. Here he fared little better than
on the previous occasion when he had stopped there with Byron.
There was no safe anchorage and getting watering parties ashore
through squalls and breakers was hazardous. Three naked sailors
had a particularly uncomfortable time. They were stranded on a tiny
beach when their boat was forced to withdraw by a sudden storm.
With no shelter of any kind they survived the night by taking it in
turns to lie on top of each other. Next morning, because there was no
way to reach the main camp by land, they had to swim out through
the surf, risking rocks and sharks, in order to reach their compan-
ions who had a tent and could share their clothes with them. Carter-
et regarded it as a miracle that he lost no men or boats during the
two weeks he spent at Maós Afuera. Storms were severe and intermit-
tent, blowing up with great suddenness and every trip ashore was
fraught with danger. When, on 31 May, the
Swallow
weighed anchor
she had still only replenished some of her water casks. Apart from
a few birds and fish, this was all the succour she obtained from Maós
Afuera.
Carteret hoped to strike out westwards and cross the ocean in a
more southerly latitude than any captain had attempted before. But
this was no more possible for him than it had been for his prede-
cessors. The prevailing winds simply did not allow of an east-west
crossing between Chile and New Zealand. Carteret was forced to sail
northwards in search of the trade winds. He found them just south
