1770* ROUND THE WORLD. 131 



midnight, and to prepare for it we carried out our 

 two bower anchors, one on the starboard quarter, 

 and the other right a-stern, got the blocks and tackle 

 which were to give us a purchase upon the cables in 

 order, and brought the falls, or ends of them, in 

 abaft, straining them tight, that the next, effort 

 might operate upon the ship, and by shortening the 

 length of the cable between that and the anchors, 

 draw her off the ledge upon which she rested, to- 

 wards the deep water. About five o'clock in the 

 afternoon, we observed the tide begin to rise, but we 

 observed at the same time that the leak increased to 

 a most alarming degree, so that two more pumps 

 were manned, but unhappily only one of them would 

 work : three of the pumps however were kept going, 

 and at nine o'clock the ship righted ; but the leak- 

 had gained upon us so considerably, that it was 

 imagined she must go to the bottom as soon as she 

 ceased to be supported by the rock : this was a 

 dreadful circumstance, so that we anticipated the 

 floating of the ship not as an earnest of deliverance, 

 but as an event that would probably precipitate our 

 destruction. We well knew that our boats were not 

 capable of carrying us all on shore, and that when 

 the dreadful crisis should arrive, as all command and 

 subordination would be at an end, a contest for pre- 

 ference would probably ensue, that would increase 

 even the horrors of shipwreck, and terminate in the 

 destruction of us all by the hands of each other ; yet 

 we knew that if any should be left on board to perish 

 in the waves, they would probably suffer less upon 

 the whole than those who should get on shore, with- 

 out any lasting or effectual defence against the 

 natives, in a country, where even nets and fire-arms 

 would scarcely furnish them with food ; and where, 

 if they should find the means of subsistence, they 

 must be condemned to languish out the remainder 

 of life in a desolate wilderness, without the pos- 

 session, or even hope, of any domestic comfort, and 



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