We were but sailing by – Early impressions of Christmas Island

Many old books and other sources contain short references to Christmas Island: observations and comments made by early European travellers, missionaries, explorers, shipwreck survivors and more, some quite eminent, as they sailed past or found themselves upon that lonely little isle. These make for a most interesting read, and will be added to this page, in date order, as they come to light.

February 1615
John Milward, Merchant on the ‘Thomas’

… coming into latitude 10° 20′ and variation of 3° 30′ I discovered an island bearing west some 3 or 4 leagues off. This island is in length 4 or 5 leagues and lies from the Straits of Sunda between the S.S.E. and S.E. by S.

Richard Rowe, master of the Thomas, to the East India Company. Bantam, February 21st, 1614.
Letters Received by the East India Company from Its Servants in the East Vol. II: 1613-1615

The second of February, we were in tenne degrees twelve minutes. We saw the next day a small Island, fortie leagues to the South of Java major, in tenne degrees, about five leagues broad, eight long.

Purchas his pilgrimes by Samuel Purchas, 1625
Chapter XIIII page 525

3am – 25th December 1643
Captain William Mynors on the ‘Royal Mary’

The 25th ditto in the morneing I saw an island, of which I cannot find any mention either in English, Dutch, or Portugall plaits. It lyes in lattytude 10d. 27; S. ¼ E. from the head of Java, distance 75 leaugs; and longitud from the said head 00d. 31 E. To see to, tis a fine smooth island of 7 leaugs longe. I came not neerer it then 6 leaugs, but caus’d the lead to be hove but found noe ground. There I lay becalm’d two dayes; which did heartyly greeve me, in regard of the many sicke men I had then aboard, beinge noe less then 20. But the 29th ditto it pleas’d God to send a fresh gale.

Captain William Mynors in a letter to the East India Shipping Company, 20th May 1644.

… At 3 howers morne had sight of an iland bearing, the body of it, S.W. b. W. about 7 lea. of; and because it was Christmas Day we called it by the name of Christmas iland [sic].

The Mary’s log

Jan 1646
Ralph Cartwright, ex-president of Bantam on the ‘Royal Mary’

The 13th about noone we saw Nativity Iland, soe called by Capt. Mynors. The 14th we had sight of the iland againe.

Ralph Cartwright going home on board the Royal Mary with Captain Mynors once again captaining that ship.

Discovery of Christmas Island by William Foster, The Geographical Journal, Vol. 37, No. 3, March 1911

March 1688
William Dampier on the ‘Cygnet’

It was the 26th day of March before we were in the latitude of the island Cocos which is in 12 degrees 12 minutes and then, by judgment, we were 40 or 50 leagues to the east of it; and the wind was now at south-west. Therefore we did rather choose to bear away towards some islands on the west side of Sumatra than to beat against the wind for the island Cocos. I was very glad of this; being in hopes to make my escape from them to Sumatra or to some other place. We met nothing of remark in this voyage beside the catching two great sharks till the 28th day. Then we fell in with a small woody island in latitude 10 degrees 20 minutes. Its longitude from New Holland, from whence we came, was by my account 12 degrees 6 minutes west. It was deep water about the island, and therefore no anchoring; but we sent two canoes ashore; one of them with the carpenters to cut a tree to make another pump; the other canoe went to search for fresh water and found a fine small brook near the south-west point of the island; but there the sea fell in on the shore so high that they could not get it off. At noon both our canoes returned aboard; and the carpenters brought aboard a good tree which they afterwards made a pump with, such a one as they made at Mindanao. The other canoe brought aboard as many boobies and men-of-war birds as sufficed all the ship’s company when they were boiled.

A LAND-ANIMAL LIKE LARGE CRAWFISH.

They got also a sort of land animal somewhat resembling a large crawfish without its great claws. These creatures lived in holes in the dry sandy ground like rabbits. Sir Francis Drake in his Voyage round the World makes mention of such that he found at Ternate, or some other of the Spice Islands, or near them. They were very good sweet meat and so large that two of them were more than a man could eat; being almost as thick as one’s leg. Their shells were of a dark brown but red when boiled.

This island is of a good height, with steep cliffs against the south and south-west, and a sandy bay on the north side; but very deep water steep to the shore. The mould is blackish, the soil fat, producing large trees of divers sorts.

About one o’clock in the afternoon we made sail from this island with the wind at south-west and we steered north-west.

A New Voyage Round the World by William Dampier

1697
Willem de Vlamingh on the ‘Geelvinck’

[March] the 5th Tuesday […] In the afternoon, eight glasses having passed, saw land which was an island […] before sunrise braced up to call at ditto island […]. [March] the 6th Wednesday in the morning after breakfast the wind ESE, topgallant breeze. Our upper-steersman went ashore to examine how the bottom was and to see if there was any possibility to land, since as far as we could see from the ship the shore was altogether steep and sounded no bottom a cannon-shot from shore. In the forenoon sent our third mate with the other boat to another place. At noon the estimated course and distance in 24 h was N½W 12½ miles, according to which the position by dead reckoning was 10 deg. 13 min. S lat. And 124 deg. 2 min. long. In the afternoon got our boats on board, reported thus: that the under-steersman and third mate, having a carpenter with them, found some trees which were suitable for making masts from, and also many palmite-trees, some of which they brought on board; braced round again and made sail […], found the island which we were confident to be Mony [Christmas Island]

Jan Tent (2016) The Ghosts of Christmas (Island) Past: An Examination of its Early Charting and Naming – Cited in Günter Schilder (ed.), Voyage to the Great South Land: Willem de Vlamingh 1696–1969, trans. C. de Heer (Sydney: Royal Australian Historical Society, 1985), p. 142.

1714
Captain Daniel Beeckman on the ‘Eagle’

On the 7th of March following, and in the Latitude of 30 Deg. 35 Min. south; and 129 Miles to the East of the Cape, we met the S.E. Trade-wind again. On the 5th of April we made Christmas Island (So called from its being first discovered on that Day). It lies in the Latitude of 10 Deg. 31 Min. South, and is 4680 Miles to the Eaast of the Cape. I found my own reckoning very good, because I fell in with the said Island exactly to an Hours Account.

This Island looks exceeding pleasant, being covered with lofty Trees, and may easily be known by the following directions: Coming from the N. Westward it appears pretty high, with a saddle in the Middle ; the Westermost Land is the highest, trenching away to the Northward to a low flat Point ; the Eastermost Point is low, but bluff. I found within eight Miles of the low Point, but had no Ground, tho’ with 100 Fathom of Line out ; The Island is about 7 Leagues from East to West.

A Voyage
To and From the
Island of Borneo,
in the
East-Indies
By Captain Daniel Beeckman

January 1744
Commodore Anson on the ‘H.M.S. Centurion’

Sunday, 15. Fresh Gales and cloudy Weather. We now saw the South End of Christmas Island bearing S. W. half W.

A VOYAGE TO THE
South Seas.
And to many other Parts of the World,
Performed from September 1740, to June 1744,
By COMMODORE ANSON,
In his Majeſty’s Ship the Centurion, having under his Command the Gloucefter, Pearl, Severn, Wager, Trial, and two store ships.

Dec 1771
Captain George Richardson on the ‘Pigot’

In this course,” [from Java Head] I made Christmas Island, at which I was very desirous of anchoring ; I had both my boats in shore founding for two days round the island, but without being able to find anchoring ground, having 95 fathoms, hard rocks, within a cable’s length of the shore. The island all around is steep to, nor is there any landing place for a boat, except one in the north-west part of the island which is a small white beach [West White Beach?], resembling sand, though it is nothing but white stones and coral. The boats landed there, and brought off a number of land-crabs and boobies, and saw several wild hogs, but did not discover any runs of water. After being fully convinced there was no anchorage, I stood to the northward.”

The Oriental navigator
or
New directions
for
Sailing to and from the
East Indies, China,
New Holland, 1801

1806
Captain A.J. Von Krusenstern on the ‘Nadezhda’

Towards evening we lost sight of the coast of Java, and I steered as much to the southward as the wind would permit, it blowing fresh from the westward, and W.S. W. with heavy rain. During the night of the 7th March we met with violent squalls, rapidly succeeding each other, with constant rain: I hoped that this stormy night would be followed by a change of the western monsoon for the south-east trade wind, but the wind veered suddenly to W.S.W. On the same day at four in the afternoon the Neva made signal for land, bearing S. E. by S. just as we ourselves saw it S. E. by E. It was Christmas Island, and appeared about thirty or thirty-five miles off. According to the latest observations of Lieutenant Davidson, of the brig Waller, in 1803, this island lies in 10° 32’ S., and 105° 33’ E., precisely the situation assigned it in Robertson’s chart. Dalrymple has adopted the mean of Captains Cooper and Cumming’s observations as the longitude of this island; the first of whom places it ten miles east of Cape Java; the latter exactly in the same meridian. By adopting Captain Bayley’s longitude of Cape Java, 105° 05 E., that of this island would be 105° 14’ 30’; but our timepieces would make it nearly forty miles to the eastward of this, if Lieutenant Davidson’s latitude, 10° 32, is correct. Being desirous of obtaining a nearer sight of the island, I altered my course to S. by E. but about six o’clock we lost sight of it until midnight, when we saw it by the clear light of the moon bearing due east, and at day-break N. E, 45°. It was now too far from us to determine any thing with accuracy as to its situation; both its height and size appear considerable. At noon we had no observation.

Voyage around the world in the years 1803, 1804, 1805, & 1806
by order of his imperial majesty Alexander the first on board the ships Nadeshda and Neva under the command of Captain A.J. Von Krusenstern of the imperial Navy in Two Volumes TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL GERMAN
By RICHARD BELGRAVE HOPPNER, Esq.
VOL. I.

1811
Captain Henry Dorr of the ‘Rapid’

An American China trader ‘Rapid’ commanded by Captain Henry Dorr, left Boston on the 28th September 1810 for Canton. On the 7th January disaster struck. ‘Rapid’ was wrecked at Point Cloates on the north west coast of Western Australia. It was decided the 22 crew, who had all survived, make their way to Bencoolen in three boats; the first officer with at least ten men went in a large boat, the second officer, the carpenter, and four sailors in a small one and the captain, his clerk, and three sailors in a small dinghy measuring only 4.8 metres and leaking badly. As a consequence Captain Dorr and his men had to abandon more than a third of their water, their wet and heavy clothes and other necessary supplies in an attempt to keep the dinghy afloat in rough seas. There was only a 30cm distance between the water and the top of their dinghy. During this treacherous voyage, Captain Dorr and his four men arrived on Christmas Island looking for water. The following is a translated account from the Bataviasche koloniale courant (Batavian Colonial newspaper), 8th March 1911.

“Having endured heavy storms and very high seas with the threatening dangers, they reached on the 21st [January] the Christmas or Mony Island. Here they hoped to find some water, as they had been living on three cups of spoiled water and three small pieces of bread since their departure. On the 22nd, they landed on the N.W. side but found no fresh water, except that the following night it rained heavily, which allowed them to catch a considerable amount of water with the sails. They found nothing to eat, except for some large rats and land crabs, of which they cooked for two days before setting sail again.”

All the men who set sail from Point Cloates in their small boats made it safely to Java but some died in Batavia. Captain Dorr and his remaining men were able to find passage home to America.

August 24, 1829
Harriet Lowe on the ‘Sumatra’

Delightful day, fine wind as usual. This afternoon about five heard the cheering sound of “Land ho!” and I assure you I was on deck in a short time. Christmas Island (within four degrees of Java Head) had just opened to our view. It was thirty-six miles from us; but we watched it till we left it astern, about nine o’clock. If it had been in the daytime, we should have passed within six or eight miles of the island, and should have had a fine view of it. As it was, I should have thought it a black cloud, had I not known to the contrary. We shall probably see Java Head tomorrow night. Christmas Island is inhabited by that very interesting animal, the wild hog. It abounds, moreover, in cocoanut and lime trees. The sight of land made me think of the land I saw last, and gave me some unpleasant reflections. Three months to-day since I left home, and one year to-day since I went on the water for the first time (you remember that famous water party ?). Little did I think then that I should be tempted to cross the ocean!

“My Mother’s Journal – A Young Lady’s Diary of Five Years Spent in Manila, Macao, and the Cape of Good Hope from 1829-1834.”

1830s
John Turnbull

Towards the end of June, 183–, the gallant barque C—-, of G—-, was bounding over the waves, borne by favourable and gentle gales. We had been three months out of sight of Old England, and were now expecting to see the land of our destination. The captain and I were in the fore-top-gallant yard for hours, in the hope of sighting the mountain tops. All was anxiety, after so long a voyage. Our fellow passengers, by over straining their eyes, imagined that they saw land long before we did; yet Christmas Island was first descried from the mast-head long after they had persuaded themselves that they had seen it from the deck. Belief is often the offspring of desire. How lovely did the woody slopes and sandy beaches of that lonely isle appear to us as we sped past it on our way to the far-famed Java!

“Life in the far east” by J.T. Thomson, F.R.G.S. Late Government Surveyor, Singapore 1865

23rd April 1842
Reverend Walter M. Lowrie on the ‘Huntress’

About half-past eight, A. M., just after breakfast, the captain shouted, “Land O!” and Christmas Island was in sight. We were about twenty miles off, and have not at any time today been near enough to see it very closely. Its form is very well defined against the sky; looks steep, and very long. About an hour after seeing the island, Bennet called to me,” Mr. Lowrie, just come and see how sweet the island smells.” I went out, and, sure enough, there was a very perceptible odor, somewhat, though not very much, like what one perceives in a large pine forest, though I think rather sweeter. However, I felt rather incredulous, for, though the breeze was blowing pretty fast off the island, yet we were nearly twenty miles off, and I could hardly believe it possible. So I went and examined the rails of the ship, to see that no mixture had been put there to create the deception. It is said that persons going to Ceylon are often deceived in this way, by having oil of cinnamon sprinkled on the ship’s side. However, there was no mistake. The odor evidently came from the cocoanut trees on the island, and I stood and snuffed it for a while with great satisfaction. The island is in Lat. 10° 32 S., and Long. 105° 33′ E., according to some of the Geographers, and about nine miles square, uninhabited, save by the birds, and some wild hogs, and having no anchorage. It is about two hundred and ten miles from Java Head, and two hundred and sixty or two hundred and eighty from Angier, at which latter place we shall not probably arrive for two or three days yet.

“Memoirs of the Rev. Walter M. Lowrie, missionary to China.”

June 1843
Sir Edward Belcher on the ‘H.M.S. Samarang’

… Every effort was made to preserve our easting, in order to sight Christmas Island, and we so far succeeded as to pass within ten miles to the westward of it. The result of our observations, on a running survey, give it an altitude of 1,115 feet. We passed the western extreme of the island on the 7th, at noon, and, calculating on our previous westerly current, steered a course to cut Klapp’s Island …

Narrative of the voyage of H.M.S. Samarang, during the years 1843-46; employed surveying the islands of the Eastern Archipelago; accompanied by a brief vocabulary of the principal languages
by Belcher, Edward, Sir, 1799-1877

1848
Charles Taylor M.D. on the ‘Cleone’

88 days after leaving Boston, USA. [c 21st July]
On the morning of the eighty-eighth day, our captain, who was a very skillful navigator, said to us: ” About noon to-day, if you look directly ahead, you will see land: it is Christmas Island; a small island about a hundred miles south of the western end of Java.” All eyes were in requisition. I sat on the forecastle-deck, and was the first to discover it. Sure enough, there it was, a dim, cloud-like line, resting on the distant horizon, under the clear, blue sky; for it was a bright, beautiful day, in perfect keeping with the joyous event. A moment more, and the welcome cry of Land! land !” was ringing through the ship. Hands were clapped for joy, while faces were beaming and hearts were beating with an ecstasy of delight. The land at first looked like a heavy mass of dark-blue clouds in the distance, resting on the heaving bosom of the ocean. Then it became more and more distinct, till at last it loomed up before us a high, rocky mountain islet, partly covered with a scanty growth of diminutive trees. We saw multitudinous flocks of birds about the island, and the waters near it were seen to be teeming with fish; but they could not be induced to bite a hook; probably because we had no fresh bait. Leaving Christmas Island to the right, we sailed on exultingly, and before night saw the mountainous promontory of Java.

“Five years in China. With some account of the great rebellion and a description of St Helena” by Charles Taylor M.D. 1860.

1848
Benjamin Lincoln Ball M.D. on the ‘Thomas W. Sears’

25th July – The chart says we are off the coast of New Holland, and according to the compass we are sailing direct for Christmas Island; but, like the good place, we seem to feel doubtful of ever reaching there. …

27th July – We expect, if the weather holds good, to see Christmas Island towards night. Mr. R. and I think of going ashore, should it be calm when we reach there. It is an island of some three or four miles across, and covered with trees, bushes, and rocks. Only two or three persons have ever landed there. The captain offers to send some men with us in the boat, but will not go himself. He declares there is nothing there but venomous snakes, porcupines, poisonous insects, and a host of wild animals; and he says, “I will not step my foot among the bushes.” However, with pistols, sword-canes, dirks, &c., I think that we may venture to see what they keep there. … My heart is so full of yearnings for a sight of land, that, although past midnight, I feel that I could not sleep should I go to bed; and we expect to see Christmas Island in the morning. …

28th July – We were up this morning between four and five, and, with the captain, anxiously looking for land. We pierced the horizon, with our eyes, from each bow, and ahead, but could detect nothing. Several of the men were on the forecastle, forward, also endeavouring to discover it. Daylight appeared, but not the object of our search. Now and then we saw something that we thought might be land, but, much to our disappointment, it would soon turn to a dark cloud. The sun arose, and yet no land. … The captain is at his figures; he has just been taking an observation, but cannot get an accurate one till twelve o’clock. He made out, by dead reckoning, that we are in a latitude 10 deg 3′ south, longitude 105 deg east; and has arrived at the conclusion that we have passed Christmas Island. We are, however, still looking for it.

It is now one o’clock. Our doubts and desires are all settled; we now have the true reckoning, and find that we have drifted twenty-five miles to the westward, by the treacherous westerly current. Had it not been for that, we should not have been doomed to a disappointment. We must give up Christmas Island; and now, then, for Java next, though a sight of that seems dubious; for, of all the land we have passed, we have not yet seen any.

“Rambles in eastern Asia, including China and Manilla: during several years’ residence (1848-1850)”

c1849
Dr Julius Berncastle on the ‘Herefordshire’

A few days after leaving the Straits of Sunda, we came in sight of Christmas Island, off which we were becalmed for three days. It is about six leagues in extent each way, and rather hilly; presenting to the eye one mass of dark green trees, even thicker than those of the other islands we had passed. It is uninhabited, but is said to contain plenty of deer and wild hog. There is no anchorage, the lead giving eighty fathoms close in shore; but parties have occasionally landed there on shooting excursions, whilst becalmed near its shores. A light wind, at last, enabled us to lose sight of Christmas Island, of which we were getting heartily tired.

“A voyage to China” by Dr Julius Berncastle 1850 – Anglo-Australian Surgeon and author (1819-1870).

26th May 1851
From New York to Canton, Ship “Samuel Russell”, Captain Limeburner

The sails have been close hauled, and getting to windward as much as possible. We are Lat. 11.22 South; Long. 104.50 E. Made 230 miles. About 4 p.m. Capt. discovered land about 4 points on the lee bow, which proved to be Christmas Island; he immediately took the sun, and found we were out of our reckoning – We are about 50 miles further east, and about 25 miles S.E. of the Island. To me it seemed a great mistake, but the Capt. said it was quite a common occurrence to be from 30 to 75 miles out of the way, when not making land for so long a time; this being the first we had seen since leaving N. Yk. It was favorable that it was to the windward; had it been to leeward, would have given us a great deal of trouble to have made J. Head [Java Head], as there is a strong current setting through there to the Westward.

Journal of Voyages to China and Return 1851-1853

1852
W. Hastings Macaulay

To make the island of Saint Paul in the Indian Ocean, became now our principal object, but baffling and adverse winds delayed us. At last during a stormy night the longitude of this island was obtained, and we steered as well as we were able for Java Head and the Straits of Sunda. Upon the twenty-fifth day of May at ten minutes past four, p. m., the welcome cry of ” Land ho !” was heard at the mast head, which was found to be Christmas Island, and which we also passed in the night too late to make any observations.

Kathay: a cruise in the China seas
by W. HASTINGS MACAULAY

1852

Roelof Arnold Herman Tollius Kennet tells of his time shipwrecked on Christmas Island along with two others after their Dutch barque, Vice Admiraal Rijk, crashed into Egeria Point on the 28th June. Read his account here.

1857
A sailor boy on the ‘H.M.S. Highflyer’

April found us still voyaging onwards. On the 12th we saw and passed Christmas Island, at the entrance of the Strait of Sunda. It appeared prodigiously wooded, and rose to a good height from the water. It is not very large; apparently, I should say, about the size of the Isle of Wight; it is about two hundred and eighty miles from Anjeer Bay, and directly in the route through the Strait. Here we caught a bird of a strange character, web-footed, and with plumage of snowy whiteness. There were plenty of birds also hovering at a great height above the ship, called, nautically, “boatswain birds, perhaps from their uttering a note somewhat like that functionary’s call. They were exceedingly pretty, having beautiful white diamond-shaped feathers in the breast, and long forked tails; they glide about with very graceful motions, and often follow a ship for miles.

“A sailor-boy’s log book from Portsmouth to the Peiho” Edited by Walter White 1862.

29th August 1861
Elizabeth Marble on bark ‘Awashonks’

To day a pleasant brieze. We have past Christmas Island to day it just in sight asturn now and John says if the brieze lasts we shall see Javy [Java] head by nune to morrow 30 Friday.

30th April 1864
E.G. Gardner on the brig ‘Guyong’

Captain Gardner stopped at Christmas Island and recorded his remarkable encounter with an island that was almost unknown to the outside world. Read the account here.

July 1897
Joshua Slocum on the ‘Spray’ (and previously the ‘City of Tanjore’)

On the 11th, with all sail set and with the spinnaker still abroad, Christmas Island, about noon, came into view one point on the starboard bow. Before night it was abeam and distant two and a half miles. The surface of the island appeared evenly rounded from the sea to a considerable height in the center. In outline it was as smooth as a fish, and a long ocean swell, rolling up, broke against the sides, where it lay like a monster asleep, motionless on the sea. It seemed to have the proportions of a whale, and as the sloop sailed along its side to the part where the head would be, there was a nostril, even, which was a blow-hole through a ledge of rock where every wave that dashed threw up a shaft of water, lifelike and real.

It had been a long time since I last saw this island; but I remember my temporary admiration for the captain of the ship I was then in, the Tanjore, when he sang out one morning from the quarter-deck, well aft, “Go aloft there, one of ye, with a pair of eyes, and see Christmas Island.” Sure enough, there the island was in sight from the royal-yard. Captain M— had thus made a great hit, and he never got over it.

“Sailing alone around the world” by Joshua Slocum (1901) page 208.