JUNE 1770 FOTHERING THE SHIP 277 



country or conversing with any but savages, perhaps the most 

 uncivilised in the world. 



The dreadful time now approached, and the anxiety in 

 everybody's countenance was visible enough. The capstan 

 and windlass were manned, and they began to heave ; the 

 fear of death now stared us in the face ; hopes we had none 

 but of being able to keep the ship afloat till we could run 

 her ashore on some part of the main where out of her 

 materials we might build a vessel large enough to carry us 

 to the East Indies. At ten o'clock she floated, and was in a 

 few minutes hauled into deep water, where to our great satis- 

 faction she made no more water than she had done, which 

 was indeed full as much as we could manage, though there 

 was no one in the ship but who willingly exerted his utmost 

 strength. 



The people who had been twenty -four hours at exceedingly 

 hard work now began to flag ; I myself, unused to labour, 

 was much fatigued, and had lain down to take a little rest 

 when I was awakened about twelve with the alarming news 

 of the water having gained so much upon the pumps that 

 the ship had four feet of water in her hold. Add to this 

 that a regular land breeze blew off the coast, so that all 

 hopes of running her ashore were totally cut off. This, 

 however, acted upon every one like a charm : rest was no 

 more thought of, but the pumps went with unwearied vigour 

 till the water was all out, which was done in a much shorter 

 time than was expected ; and upon examination it was 

 found that she never had half so much water in her as was 

 thought, the carpenter having made a mistake in sounding 

 the pumps. 



We now began to have some hopes, and talked of getting 

 the ship into some harbour when we could spare hands from 

 the pumps to get up our anchors ; one bower, however, we 

 cut away, but got up the other and three small anchors, far 

 more valuable to us than the bowers, as we were obliged im- 

 mediately to warp her to windward that we might take 

 advantage of the sea breeze to run in-shore. 



One of our midshipmen now proposed an expedient which 



