JUNE 1770 SHIP STRIKES ON A ROCK 275 



when we were called up with the alarming news of the 

 ship being fast upon a rock, of which she in a few moments 

 convinced us by beating very violently against it. Our 

 situation became now greatly alarming; we had stood off 

 shore three hours and a half with a pleasant breeze, so knew 

 we could not be very near it. We were little less than 

 certain that we were upon sunken coral rocks, the most 

 dreadful of all, on account of their sharp points and 

 grinding quality, which cut through a ship's bottom almost 

 immediately. The officers, however, behaved with inimitable 

 coolness, free from all hurry and confusion. A boat was got 

 out in which the master went, and after sounding round the 

 ship found that she had run over a rock, and consequently 

 had shoal water all round her. All this time she continued 

 to beat very much, so that we could hardly keep our legs 

 upon the quarter-deck. By the light of the moon we could 

 see her sheathing-boards, etc., floating thickly around her, 

 and about twelve her false keel came away. 



llth. In the meanwhile all kind of preparations were 

 making for carrying out anchors, but by reason of the time it 

 took to hoist out boats, etc., the tide ebbed so much that we 

 found it impossible to attempt to get her off till next high water, 

 if she would hold together so long. We now found to add 

 to our misfortune that we had got ashore nearly at the top 

 of high water ; and as night tides generally rise higher than 

 the day ones we had little hopes of getting off even then. 

 For our comfort, however, the ship as the tide ebbed settled 

 to the rocks, and did not beat nearly so much as she had 

 done. A rock, however, under her starboard bow kept 

 grating her bottom, making a noise very plainly to be heard 

 in the fore store-rooms ; this we doubted not would make 

 a hole ; we only hoped that it might not let in more water 

 than we could clear with our pumps. 



In this situation day broke upon us and showed us the 

 land about eight leagues off, as we judged ; nearer than that 

 was no island or place where we could set foot. Day, how- 

 ever, brought with it a decrease of wind, and soon after that 

 a flat calm, the most fortunate circumstance that could 



