1780. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 4#7 



and the tide ran with great rapidity, we soon per- 

 ceived, that the boat was dropping fast astern. We 

 therefore made the signal to return, and immediately 

 began to veer away the cable, and sent out a buoy 

 astern, in order to assist him in getting on board 

 again. Our poverty, in the article of cordage, was 

 here very conspicuous; for we had not a single coil 

 of rope, in the store-room, to fix to the buoy, but 

 were obliged to set about unreeving the studding- 

 sail gear, the top-sail-halliards, and tackle-falls, for 

 that purpose ; and the boat was at this time driving 

 to the southward so fast, that it was not before we 

 had veered away two cables, and almost all our 

 running rigging, that she could fetch the buoy. 



I was now under the necessity of waiting till the 

 strength of the tide should abate, which did not 

 happen till the next morning, when Mr. William- 

 son got on board the ship, and learnt, that she 

 had been seven months from Europe, and three 

 from the Cape of Good Hope ; that before she 

 sailed, France and Spain had declared war against 

 Great Britain ; and that she left Sir Edward Hughes, 

 with a squadron of men-of-war, and a fleet of East- 

 India ships, at the Cape. Mr. Williamson having, at 

 the same time, been informed, that the water at 

 Cracatoa was very good, and always preferred, by the 

 Dutch ships, to that of Prince's Island, I resolved to 

 rejoin the Resolution at the former place; and a fair 

 breeze springing up, we weighed and stood over 

 toward the island, where we soon after saw her at 

 anchor; but the wind falling, and the tide setting 

 strong against us, I was obliged to drop anchor, at 

 the distance of about five miles from the Resolution, 

 and immediately sent a boat on board, to acquaint 

 Captain Gore with the intelligence we had received. 



As soon as the Resolution saw us preparing to 

 come to, she fired her guns, and hoisted an English 

 jack at the ensign staff, the signal at sea to lead 

 ahead. This we afterward understood was intended 



