138 



A VOYAGE TO THE 



CHAP 



vir. 



1786. 



September, 

 Monday 25 



we fleered Eaft by South, expedling to gain the entrance ; 

 but at five o'clock the light breeze we had fhifted to South 

 Eaft, and a current fet us ftrongly to the North North 

 Weft ; fo that it was impofTible for us to fetch into the 

 Sound ; and night coming on, we tacked and ftood to the 

 South Weft by South. About fix o'clock the wind began 

 to frefhen at South Eaft, with every appearance of an ap- 

 - proaching gale : therefore I thought it moft advifablc to 

 get a little ofiing before it came on ; as thofe gales from 

 the South Eaft, after blowing hard a while in that quarter, 

 generally haul to the Southward, and blow with great 

 violence; in which cafe the land of the Bay of Good Hope 

 all becomes a lee and dangerous fhore. At eight o'clock 

 the horizon to the South and Sovith Eaft looked re- 

 markably red and wild, with ftrong flafhes of light- 

 ning in thofe boards. At ten the wind blew very frefh 

 from the Eaft South Eaft, with thick weather and hard 

 rain ; at that time we wore and ftood in fhore to the 

 North Eaft, with an intention of keeping pretty near the 

 entrance of the Sound, in order to be ready for pufhing 

 into it the next morning, fhould an opportunity offer ; 

 but at eleven o'clock the gale increafed fo faft upon us, 

 that all hands were barely fufHcient to make the fhip fnug 

 enough for its reception. At midnight we wore and ftood 

 to the South by Weft ; immediately afterwards an exceed- 

 ing heavy guft of wind came on, which obliged us to 

 clew the topfails down on the cap ; the forefail 'although 

 a very fmall one, made purpofely for a foul-weather fail) 

 gave way at both clews, and both the foot and leech ropes 

 broke fliort ofi'; yet we fortunately got the fail made fnug 

 before it fplit, unbent it, and bent a new one. At three 

 Tuefday26. o'clock the wind ftiifted to the South Eaft, and blew a 



mere 



