472 A VOYAGE TO 



'7 s " coil of rope, in the ftore-room, to fix to the buoy, but were 



February. * 



» i— , i obliged to let about unreeving the ftudding-fail geer, the 



topfail-halliards, and tackle-falls, for that purpofe; and the 

 boat was at this time driving to the Southward fo faft, that 

 it was not before we had veered away two cables, and al- 

 moft all our running rigging, that fhe could fetch the 

 buoy. 



Thurfdayio. I was now under the neceflity of waiting till the flrength 

 of the tide fhould abate, which did not happen till the next 

 morning, when Mr. Williamfon got on board the fhip, and 

 learnt, that fhe had been feven months from Europe, and 

 three from the Cape of Good Hope ; that before fhe failed, 

 France and Spain had declared war againfl Great Britain ; 

 and that fhe left Sir Edward Hughes, with a fquadron of 

 men of war, and a fleet of Haft-India mips, at the Cape. 

 Mr. Williamfon having, at the fame time, been informed, 

 that the water at Cracatoa was very good, and always pre- 

 ferred, by the Dutch mips, to that of Prince's Ifland, I re- 

 folved to rejoin the Refolution at the former place ; and a 

 fair breeze fpringing up, we weighed and flood over to- 

 ward the ifland, where we foon after faw her at anchor; 

 but the wind falling, and the tide fetting flrong againft us, 

 I was obliged to drop anchor, at the diftancc of about five 

 miles from the Refolution, and immediately fent a boat on 

 board, to acquaint Captain Gore with the intelligence we 

 had received. 



As foon as the Refolution faw us preparing to come to, 

 me fired her guns, and hoiflcd an Englilh jack at the enfign 

 flail, the iignal at fca to lead ahead. This we afterward 

 niuicrllood was intended to prevent our anchoring, on ac- 

 count of the foul ground, which the maps fhe had on board 



placed 



