THE PACIFIC OCEAN. i 79 



therefore left, but to cut a hole through the bulk-head (or »779> 

 partition) that feparated the coal-hole from the fore-hold, » ' T " * 

 and by that means to make a paflage for the body of water 

 into the well. However, before that could be done, it was 

 neceffary to get the cafks of dry provifions out of the fore- 

 hold, which kept us employed the greater! part of the night; 

 fo that the carpenters could not get at the partition till the 

 next morning. As foon as a paffage was made, the greateft Wednef. 14. 

 part of the water emptied itfelf into the well, and enabled 

 us to get out the reft with buckets. But the leak was now 

 fo much increafed, that we were obliged to keep one half of 

 the people conftantly pumping and baking, till the noon of 

 the 15th. Our men bore, with great cheerfulnefs, this ex- Thurfday^, 

 ceilive fatigue, which was much increafed by their having 

 no dry place to fleep in ; and, on this account, we began to 

 ferve their full allowance of grog. 



The weather now becoming more moderate, and the fwcll 

 lefs heavy, we were enabled to clear away the reft of the 

 cafks from the fore-hold, and to open a fuflicient paffage 

 for the water to the pumps. This day we faw a grcenifli 

 piece of drift-wood, and fancying the water coloured, we 

 founded, but got no bottom with a hundred and fixty fa- 

 thoms of line. Our latitude, at noon this day, was 41° 52', 

 longitude 161° 15'; variation 6° 30' Eaft ; and the wind foon 

 after veering to the Northward, we altered our courfe three 

 points to the Weft. 



On the 16th, at noon, we were in the latitude of 42* 12', FiWay 16. 

 and in the longitude of 160' 5' ; and as we were now ap- 

 proaching the place where a great extent of land is faid 

 to have been feen by De Gam a, we were glad of the op- 

 portunity which the courfe we were fleering gave, of con- 

 tributing to remove the doubts, if any fhould be ftill en- 



A a 2 tertained, 



