460 WHALE-riSHERY. 



the method I proposed in plan No. III. The John's 

 crew, on this occasion, exerted themselves with a 

 spirit and zeal which was truly praiseworthy. Their 

 conduct not only merited, hut excited the approba- 

 tion and gratitude of the whole of my people. 



As our men were by this time again worn out, 

 and as the assistance of some carpenters was parti- 

 cularly needed, we fired a gun, and repeated our 

 signal of distress, which brought, very opportunely, 

 two boats, with six men each, from the Prescot, and 

 the same number from our tried friend Mr Allen, 

 of the North Briton. As we likewise procured the 

 carpenters of these two ships, together with those of 

 the John, they commenced operations by cutting 

 through the ceiling, between two frames of timber, 

 directly across the hold, at the distance of about 

 26 feet from the stern-post ; a situation which, we 

 were assured, was on the fore part of the leak, or 

 between the leak and the body of the ship. The 

 timbers, in this place, were unfortunately found so 

 closely connected, that we had to cut away part of 

 one of the floors, that we might come at the outside 

 plank, and caulk the crevices between it and the 

 timbers ; which operation, on account of the great 

 depth of timber, and the vast flow of water that is- 

 sued at the ceiling, was extremely difficult, tedious, 

 and disagreeable. A man of tlic name of Nichol- 

 son, the carpenter of the North Briton, laboured in 

 this place among the ^vater, with a perseverance 



