by C. H. Layman
The little regard and attention which our necessitous condition drew from Captain Cheap may be imputed, in some measure, to the effects of a mind soured by a series of crosses and disappointments; which indeed had operated on us all to a great neglect of each other, and sometimes of ourselves.
Chapter 21
Prisoners of War
Golfo San Esteban, 15th March 1742. The Surgeon dies of cold and hunger. The four survivors are taken in canoes by brutal Indians up a river, which requires cruelly hard rowing as it gets more rapid. They make a horrendous trek overland to a lake that connects to the sea. They are starving, wet, barely clothed, chilled to the bone and crawling with vermin. Captain Cheap becomes delirious. Mr Hamilton remains behind. With the canoe in a desperately leaky condition the three officers just manage to get across the Golfo Corcovado to reach Chiloé and civilisation.
From Midshipman Byron’s narrative
We embarked with the Indians, they separating our little company entirely, not putting any two of us together in the same canoe. The oar was my lot, as usual, as also Mr Campbell’s; Mr Hamilton could not row, and Captain Cheap was out of the question; our Surgeon was more dead than alive at the time, and lay at the bottom of the canoe he was in. The weather coming on too bad for their canoes to keep the sea, we landed again without making great progress that day.
Here Mr Elliot, our Surgeon, died. At our first setting out, he promised the fairest for holding out, being a very strong, active young man. He had gone through an infinite deal of fatigue, as Mr Hamilton and he were the best shots amongst us, and whilst our ammunition lasted never spared themselves, and in a great measure provided for the rest. But he died the death many others had done before him, being quite starved. We scraped a hole for him in the sand, and buried him in the best manner we could.[14]
Here I must relate a little anecdote of our Christian cacique. He and his wife had gone off at some distance from the shore in their canoe, when she dived for sea-eggs; but not meeting with great success, they returned a good deal out of humour. A little boy of theirs, about three years old, whom they appeared to be dotingly fond of, watching for his father’s and mother’s return, ran into the surf to meet them. The father handed a basket of sea-eggs to the child, which being too heavy for him to carry, he let fall. Upon which the father jumped out of the canoe, and catching the boy up in his arms, dashed him with the utmost violence against the stones. The poor little creature lay motionless and bleeding, and in that condition was taken up by the mother, but died soon after. She appeared inconsolable for some time; but the brute his father showed little concern about it.
A day or two after we put to sea again, and crossed the great bay[15] I mentioned we had been to the bottom of when we first hauled away to the westward. The land here is very low and sandy, with something like the mouth of a river[16] which discharges itself into the sea. This had been taken no notice of by us before, as it was so shallow that the Indians were obliged to take everything out of their canoes, and carry it over the neck of land, and then haul the boats over into a river, which at this part of it was very broad, more resembling a lake than a river.
We rowed up it four or five leagues, and then took into a branch of it that ran first to the eastward, and then to the northward. Here it became much narrower and the stream excessively rapid, so that we made but little way, though we worked very hard. At night we landed upon its banks and had a most uncomfortable lodging, it being a perfect swamp; and we had nothing to cover us, though it rained very hard. The Indians were little better off than we, as there was no wood here to make their wigwams; so that all they could do was to prop up the bark they carry in the bottom of their canoes with their oars, and shelter themselves as well as they could to leeward of it. They, knowing the difficulties that were to be encountered here, had provided themselves with some seal; but we had not the least morsel to eat, after the heavy fatigues of the day, excepting a sort of root we saw some of the Indians make use of which was very disagreeable to the taste.
We laboured all next day against the stream, and fared as we had done the day before. The next day brought us to the carrying place.[17] Here was plenty of wood, but nothing to be got for sustenance. The first thing the Indians did was to take everything out of their canoes and after hauling them ashore they made their wigwams. We passed this night, as generally we had done, under a tree; but what we suffered at this time is not easily to be expressed. I had been three days at the oar without any kind of nourishment but the wretched root I mentioned before. I had no shirt, as mine was rotted off by bits; and we were devoured by vermin. All my clothes consisted of an old short grieko, which is something like a bear-skin, with a piece of a waistcoat under it which once had been of red cloth, both which I had on when I was cast away. I had a ragged pair of trousers, without either shoe or stocking.
The first thing the Indians did in the morning was to take their canoes to pieces. When they have occasion to go over land, as at this time, each man or woman carries a plank; whereas it would be impossible for them to drag a heavy boat entire. Everybody had something to carry excepting Captain Cheap; and he was obliged to be assisted, or never would have got over this march; for a worse march than this, I believe, never was made. He with the others set out some time before me.
I waited for two Indians, who belonged to the canoe I came in, and who remained to carry over the last of the things from the side we were on. I had a piece of wet heavy canvas which belonged to Captain Cheap with a bit of stinking seal wrapped in it (which had been given him that morning by some of the Indians) to carry upon my head, which was a sufficient weight for a strong man in health, through such roads, and a grievous burden to one in my condition. Our way was through a thick wood, the bottom of which was a mere quagmire, most part of it up to our knees and often to our middle, and every now and then we had a large tree to get over, for they often lay directly in our road. Besides this we were continually treading upon the stumps of trees, which were not to be avoided as they were covered with water; and having neither shoe nor stocking my feet and legs were frequently torn and wounded. Before I had got half a mile the two Indians had left me; and making the best of my way lest they should be all gone before I got to the other side, I fell off a tree that crossed the road into a very deep swamp, where I very narrowly escaped drowning by the weight of the burden I had on my head.
It was a long while before I could extricate myself from this difficulty, and when I did my strength was quite exhausted. I sat down under a tree, and there gave way to melancholy reflections. However, as I was sensible these reflections would answer no end, they did not last long. I got up, and marking a great tree, I then deposited my load, not being able to carry it any farther, and set out to join my company.
It was some hours before I reached my companions. I found them sitting under a tree, and sat myself down by them without speaking a word; nor did they speak to me as I remember for some time, when Captain Cheap breaking silence began to ask after the seal and piece of canvas. I told him the disaster I had met with, which he might have easily guessed by the condition the rags I had on were in, as well as having my feet and ankles cut to pieces. But instead of compassion for my sufferings, I heard nothing but grumbling from every one, for the irreparable loss they had sustained by me. I made no answer; but after resting myself a little I got up and struck into the wood, and walked back at least five miles to the tree I had marked, and returned just time enough to deliver it before my companions embarked with the Indians upon a great lake,[18] the opposite part of which seemed to wash the foot of the Cordilleras. I wanted to embark with them, but was given to understand I was to wait for some other Indians that were to follow them. I knew not where these Indians were to come from. I was left alone upon the beach, and night was at hand. They left me not even a morsel of the stinking seal that I had suffered so much about.
I kept my eyes upon the boats as long as I could distinguish them, and then returned into the wood and sat myself
down upon the root of a tree, having eaten nothing the whole day but the stem of a plant which resembles that of an artichoke, which is of a juicy consistency and acid taste. Quite worn out with fatigue, I soon fell asleep.
Awaking before day, I thought I heard some voices at no great distance from me. As the day appeared, looking farther into the wood I perceived a wigwam, and immediately made towards it. But the reception I met with was not at all agreeable; for stooping to get into it I presently received two or three kicks in my face, and at the same time heard the sound of voices, seemingly in anger; which made me retire and wait at the foot of a tree, where I remained till an old woman peeped out, and made signs to me to draw near. I obeyed very readily, and went into the wigwam. In it were three men and two women. One young man seemed to have great respect shown to him by the rest, though he was the most miserable object I ever saw. He was a perfect skeleton, and covered with sores from head to foot.
I was happy to sit a moment by their fire, as I was quite benumbed with cold. The old woman took out a piece of seal, holding one part of it between her feet, and the other end in her teeth, and then cut off some thin slices with a sharp shell, and distributed them about to the other Indians. She then put a bit on the fire, taking a piece of fat in her mouth, which she kept chewing, every now and then spirting some of it on the piece that was warming upon the fire; for they never do more with it than warm it through. When it was ready she gave me a little bit which I swallowed whole, being almost starved.
As these Indians were all strangers to me, I did not know which way they were going; and indeed it was now become quite indifferent to me which way I went, whether to the northward or southward, so that they would but take me with them and give me something to eat. However, to make them comprehend me I pointed first to the southward, and after to the lake, and I soon understood they were going to the northward. They all went out together, and took up a plank of the canoe and carried it upon the beach, and presently put it together; and getting everything into it they put me to the oar. We rowed across the lake to the mouth of a very rapid river, where we put ashore for that night, not daring to get any way down in the dark, as it required the greatest skill, even in the day, to avoid running foul of the stumps and roots of trees of which this river was full.
I passed a melancholy night, as they would not suffer me to come near the wigwam they had made; nor did they give me the least bit of anything to eat since we embarked.
In the morning we set off again. The weather proved extremely bad the whole day. We went down the river at an amazing rate, and just before night they put ashore upon a stony beach. They hauled the canoe up, and all disappeared in a moment, and I was left quite alone. It rained violently, and was very dark. I thought it was as well to lie down upon the beach, half side in water, as to get into a swamp under a dropping tree. In this dismal situation I fell asleep.
I awaked three or four hours after in such agonies with the cramp that I thought I must die upon the spot. I attempted several times to raise myself upon my legs, but could not. At last I made shift to get upon my knees, and looking towards the wood I saw a great fire at some distance from me. I was a long time in crawling to it; and when I reached it I threw myself almost into it in hopes of finding some relief from the pain I suffered. This intrusion gave great offence to the Indians, who immediately got up, kicking and beating me till they drove me some distance from it. However I contrived a little after to place myself so as to receive some warmth from it, by which I got rid of the cramp.
A satellite photograph of the river (left, centre), up which Byron and Campbell had to row, starving and exhausted, before dismantling their canoes and carrying them overland. The glaciers are disgorging icebergs into the lake and the sea, and there was then still 250 miles to row, including a dangerous passage across exposed water, Golfo Corcovado.
In the morning we left this place, and were soon after out of the river. Being now at sea again, the Indians intended putting ashore at the first convenient place to look for shellfish, their stock of provisions having been quite exhausted for some time. At low water we landed upon a spot that seemed to promise well, and here we found plenty of limpets. Though at this time starving, I did not attempt to eat one, lest I should lose a moment in gathering them, not knowing how soon the Indians might be going again. I had almost filled my hat when I saw them returning to the canoe. I made what haste I could to her, for I believe they would have made no conscience of leaving me behind.
I sat down to my oar again, placing my hat close to me, every now and then eating a limpet. The Indians were employed the same way, when one of them seeing me throw the shells overboard, spoke to the rest in a violent passion; and, getting up, fell upon me, and seized me by an old ragged handkerchief I had about my neck, almost throttling me, whilst another took me by the legs and was going to throw me overboard if the old woman had not prevented them. I was all this time entirely ignorant by what means I had given offence, till I observed that the Indians, after eating the limpets, carefully put the shells in a heap at the bottom of the canoe. I then concluded there was some superstition about throwing these shells into the sea, my ignorance of which had very nearly cost me my life. I was resolved to eat no more limpets till we landed, which we did some time after upon an island. I then took notice that the Indians brought all their shells ashore and laid them above high water mark.
Here, as I was going to eat a large bunch of berries I had gathered from a tree, for they looked very tempting, one of the Indians snatched them out of my hand and threw them away, making me to understand that they were poisonous. Thus, in all probability, did these people now save my life, who a few hours before were going to take it from me for throwing away a shell.
In two days after I joined my companions again, but I do not remember that there was the least joy shown on either side at meeting.
At this place was a very large canoe belonging to our guide, which would have required at least six men to the oar to have made any kind of expedition. Instead of that there was only Campbell and myself, besides the Indian, his companion or servant, to row, the cacique himself never touching an oar but sitting with his wife all the time much at his ease.
Mr Hamilton continued in the same canoe he had been in all along, and which still was to keep us company some way further, though many of the others had left us.
This was dreadful hard work to such poor starved wretches as we were, to be slaving at the oar all day long in such a heavy boat; and this inhuman fellow would never give us a scrap to eat, excepting when he took so much seal that he could not contrive to carry it all away with him, which happened very seldom. After working like galley-slaves all day, towards night when we landed, instead of taking any rest, Mr Campbell and I were sometimes obliged to go miles along shore to get a few shellfish; and just as we have made a little fire in order to dress them, he has commanded us into the boat again, and kept us rowing the whole night without ever landing.
It is impossible for me to describe the miserable state we were reduced to; our bodies were so emaciated that we hardly appeared the figures of men. It often happened to me in the coldest night, both in hail and snow, where we had nothing but an open beach to lie down upon, in order to procure a little rest, that I was obliged to pull off the few rags I had on, as it was impossible to get a moment’s sleep with them on for the vermin that swarmed about them. I used, as often as I had time, to take my clothes off, and putting them upon a large stone beat them with another, in hopes of killing hundreds at once, for it was endless work to pick them off. What we suffered from this was ten times worse even than hunger.
But we were clean in comparison to Captain Cheap; for I could compare his body to nothing but an ant-hill, with thousands of those insects crawling over it; for he was now past attempting to rid himself in the least from this torment, as he had quite lost himself, not recollecting our names that were about him, or even his own. His beard was as long as a hermit’s, and his face covered with tra
in-oil and dirt, from having long accustomed himself to sleep upon a bag, by the way of pillow, in which he kept the pieces of stinking seal. This prudent method he took to prevent our getting at it whilst he slept. His legs were as big as mill-posts, though his body appeared to be nothing but skin and bone.
This shows the narrow fjord (Estuario Elefantes) from the place where the survivors came over land to the island of Chiloé. At the northern end there is an exposed and dangerous crossing to Chiloé, civilisation, and imprisonment.
One day we fell in with about forty Indians, who came down to the beach we landed on, curiously painted. Our cacique seemed to understand but little of their language, and it sounded to us very different from what we had heard before. However, they made us comprehend that a ship had been upon the coast not far from where we then were, and that she had a red flag. This we understood some time after to have been the Anna pink, whose adventures[19] are particularly related in Lord Anson’s Voyage; and we passed through the very harbour she had lain in.[20]
The fjord is sheltered, but glaciers debouche into the sea, and it is excessively cold. The survivors’ clothing by this time was reduced to lice-infested rags.
As there was but one small canoe that intended to accompany us any longer, and that in which Mr Hamilton had been up to this time intended to proceed no further to the northward, our cacique proposed to him to come into our canoe. He refused, as the insolence of this fellow was to him insupportable. He therefore rather chose to remain where he was till chance should throw in his way some other means of getting forward; so here we left him, and it was some months before we saw him again.
We now got on by very slow degrees to the northward. As the difficulties and hardships we daily went through would only be a repetition of those already mentioned, I shall say no more, but at last we reached an island about thirty leagues to the southward of Chiloé. Here we remained two days for a favourable opportunity to cross the bay, the very thought of which seemed to frighten our cacique out of his senses. Indeed, there was great reason for his apprehensions; for there ran a most dreadful hollow sea, dangerous for any open boat whatever, but a thousand times more for such a crazy vessel as we were in.