177^ ROUND THE WORLD. 133 



taken it only to the ceiling, and gave the measure 

 accordingly ; but he being now relieved, the person 

 who came in his stead, reckoned the depth to the 

 outside planking, by which it appeared in a few mi- 

 nutes to have gained upon the pumps eighteen inches, 

 the difference between the planking without and 

 within. Upon this, even the bravest was upon the 

 point of giving up his labour with his hope, and in a 

 few minutes every thing would have been involved 

 in all the confusion of despair. But this accident, 

 however dreadful in its first consequences, was even- 

 tually the cause of our preservation : the mistake was 

 soon detected, and the sudden joy which every man 

 felt upon finding his situation better than his fears 

 had suggested, operated like a charm, and seemed 

 to possess him with a strong belief that scarcely any 

 real danger remained. New confidence and new 

 hope, however founded, inspired new vigour ; and 

 though our state was the same as when the men first 

 began to slacken in their labour, through weariness 

 and despondency, they now renewed their efforts 

 with such alacrity and spirit, that before eight o'clock 

 in the morning the leak was so far from having gained 

 upon the pumps, that the pumps had gained consi- 

 derably upon the leak. Every body now talked of 

 getting the ship into some harbour, as a thing not to 

 be doubted, and as hands could be spared from the 

 pumps, they were employed in getting up the an- 

 chors : the stream anchor and best bower we had 

 taken on board ; but it was found impossible to save 

 the little bower, and therefore it was cut away at a 

 whole cable : we lost also the cable of the stream 

 anchor among the rocks ; but in our situation these 

 were trifles which scarcely attracted our notice. Our 

 next business was to get up the fore- top-mast and 

 fore-yard, and warp the ship to the south-east, and 

 at eleven, having now a breeze from the sea, we once 

 more got under sail and stood for the land. 



It was, however, impossible long to continue the 



k 3 



