334 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S 



be done, than to set up a top-gallant-mast abaft, 

 lasli it to the thuber-heads, and hoist a stay-sail 

 to it, to keep the vessel some what steadier. We 

 were then but four hundred and ninety five miles 

 from St. John's; and, as we judged it impossible 

 to get back there, by reason of the prevalence of 

 the westerly winds, we determined on proceeding 

 towards England; we also intended to quit the 

 vessel, if we should be so fortunate as to fall in 

 with any other, which would take us on board. 

 The day following we began to get up jury-masts, 

 but it was five days before we completed that busi- 

 ness, and were very badly rigged at last, having 

 only the main boom for a fore-mast; a top-mast 

 for a main-mast; with a pole of firewood on it for 

 a top-mast, and a top-gallant-mast abaft, to keep 

 her nearer to the wind. Some days after, we 

 made a short mast of planks, and steped it 

 through a hole cut in the quarter-deck, by way of 

 a mizzen-mast. Our sails were very few, and 

 those both old and bad; nor had we any to replace 

 them, in case they gave out. We examined the 

 quantity of water and provisions, and went to 

 an allowance of three half pints for each passen- 

 ger, and double that quantity for the ship's com- 

 pany. But twelve days after, we reduced the pas- 

 sengers to a pint of water, and the ship 's company 

 to a quart. We had scarcely any remission for hard 

 gales of wind, from south-east to south south-west, 

 for five weeks, which drove us into the latitude 

 of 56°— 15' north, which is quite out of the track 

 of all shipping, nor could we fetch any land as. 



