276 AVOYAGETO 



J^77^j- In the morning of the 7th, we got the fore-maft out, and 



« — ->.—-» hauled it afliorej and the carpenters of the fliips were fet 

 to work upon it. Some parts of the lower ftanding rig- 

 ging having been found to be very much decayed, as we had 

 time now to put them in order, while the carpenters were 

 repairing the fore m aft, I ordered a nev\' ferof main-rigging 

 to be fitted, and a more perfed fet of fore-rigging to be fe- 

 kded out of the beft parts of the old. 



From the time of our putting into the Sound till now, the 

 weather had been exceedingly fine, without either wind or 

 rain. That comfort, at the very moment when the conti- 

 nuance of it would have been of moft fervice, was with- 

 Wednef. 8. drawu. In the morning of the 8th, the wind frefhened at 

 South Eaft, attended with thick hazy weather and rain. In 

 the afteinoon the wind increafed; and, toward the evening, 

 it blew very hard indeed. It came, in exceffively heavy 

 fqualls, from over the high land on the oppofite fliore, right 

 into the cove; and, though the fliips were very well moor- 

 ed, put them in feme danger. Thefe tempeftuous blafts 

 fucceeded each other pretty quick ; but they were of (hort 

 duration ; and in the intervals between them v»^e had a per- 

 fcifl calm. According to the old proverb, Misfortunes fel- 

 dom come fingle ; the mizen v/as now the only maft on 

 board the Refolution that remained rigged, with its top- 

 maft up. The former was fo defective, that it could not 

 fupport the latter during the violence of the fqualls, but 

 gave way at the head under the rigging. About eight 

 o'clock the gale abated ; but the rain continued with very 

 little intermiflion for feveral days ; and, that the carpenters 

 might be enabled to proceed in their labours, while it pre- 

 vailed, a tent was eretSlcd over the fore-maft, where they 

 could work with feme degree of convenience. 



The 



