1770. ROUND THE WORLD. 135 



nothing was now thought of but ranging along the 

 shore in search of a convenient place to repair the 

 damage she had sustained, and then prosecuting the 

 voyage upon the same plan as if nothing had hap- 

 pened. Upon this occasion I must observe, both in 

 justice and gratitude to the ship's company, and the 

 gentlemen on board, that although in the midst of 

 our distress every one seemed to have a just sense of 

 his danger, yet no passionate exclamations or frantic 

 gestures were to be heard or seen ; every one ap- 

 peared to have the perfect possession of his mind ; 

 and every one exerted himself to the uttermost, with 

 a quiet and patient perseverance, equally distant from 

 the tumultuous violence of terror, and the gloomy 

 inactivity of despair. 



In the mean time, having light airs at E. S. E., we 

 got up the main-top-mast, and main-yard, and kept 

 edging in for the land, till about six o'clock in the 

 evening, when we came to an anchor in seventeen 

 fathom water, at the distance of seven leagues from 

 the shore, and one from the ledge of rocks upon 

 which we had struck. 



This ledge or shoal lies in latitude 15 45' S., and 

 between six and seven leagues from the main. It is, 

 not, however, the only shoal on this part of the coast, 

 especially to the northward ; and at this time we saw 

 one to the southward, the tail of which we passed 

 over, when we had uneven soundings about two hours 

 before we struck. A part of this shoal is always above 

 water, and has the appearance of white sand : a part 

 also of that upon which we had lain is dry at low 

 water, and in that place consists of sand stones j but 

 all the rest of it is a coral rock. 



While we lay at anchor for the night, we found 

 that the ship made about fifteen inches water an hour, 

 from which no immediate danger was to be appre- 

 hended ; and at six o'clock in the morning, we 

 weighed and stood to the N. W., still edging in for 

 the land with a gentle breeze at S.S. E. At nine we 



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