Untitled

Te Ao Hou, 1971, Page 59

there was a priest on the ship, John Dunmore suggests it is probable that Mass was said on Christmas Day — predating the first Christmas service in New Zealand by some 45 years. It was storms, and de Surville's concern for his ship, that made him leave, but his departure was hastened by the kidnapping, in a moment of anger, of a chief. De Surville left the shelter of this hospitable bay at 10.30 p.m. on New Year's Eve, 1769. But their future was still in doubt; their destination was decided by the factors of the ship's seaworthiness, the men's health, and the loss of one-third of the crew who had died of sickness. Two issues kept de Surville in the Pacific, with course set tentatively for South America. With the Spanish in possession, he knew he must avoid Peru and Mexico. But de Surville's optimism caused him to venture into the unknown Pacific — there might be an undiscovered land. But it was to the Spaniards that he finally had to turn because of deaths, his sick crew and his leaky ship. Land was sighted, but a treacherous bar kept them anchored off Chilca Bay. De Surville dressed in his best uniform to meet the Viceroy of Peru. He took a small boat and some rowers. They were capsized in a roller. The captain's body was later gathered up from the beach, and reverently laid in a grave with Christian burial. But de Surville's appeal for help reached the Viceroy, who, in turn was unable to help, as the St Jean Baptiste was by now slowly manoeuvring into Callao harbour. The Spanish succoured the sick, and supplied food and water to the ship. But it was an ironic salvation — the French were prisoners for twenty-eight months while the wheels of diplomacy slowly turned. The ship was refitted, and brought safely back to France. Professor Dunmore has told his story well — and he has narrated a tale of bravery and courage that deserves to be told. Nor is the story the product of a vivid imagination. Dr Dunmore has used — and quoted — from the diaries of the men who sailed on ‘The Fateful Voyage of the St Jean Baptiste’. It is a book for the bedside, for it will recapture those pioneer attempts to explore the unknown. It is a book for the student's shelf, for it enlarges his knowledge of voyages of exploration. It is a book for every reader, for its truth is stranger and more dramatic than any fiction. Illustrations and maps enhance this publication by Pegasus Press. Footnote — Professor Dunmore was given a New Zealand award for his publication of The Fateful Voyage.