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. 
11th. 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 heroff 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 
