xlii INTRODUCTION. 



tend famine, crowded in unknown to me ; but the parTage 

 was fliort, the veffel light, and the mafter, as we fuppofed, 

 well accuflomed to thefe feas. The contrary of this, how- 

 ever, was the truth, as we learned afterwards, when too 

 late, for he was an abfolute landfman ; proprietor indeed 

 of the veffel, but this had been his firfl voyage. We failed at 

 dawn of day in as favourable and pleafant weather as ever 

 I faw at fea. It was the beginning of September, and a 

 light and Heady breeze, though not properly fair, promifed 

 a fhort and agreeable voyage ; but it was not long before 

 it turned frefh and cold ; we then had a violent fhower of 

 hail, and the clouds were gathering as if for thunder. I 

 obfcrved that we gained no offing, and hoped, if the wea- 

 ther turned bad, to perfuade the Captain to put into Benga- 

 zi, for one inconvenience he prefently difcovered, that they 

 had not provifion on board for one day. 



However, the wind became contrary, and blew a violent 

 ftorm, feeming to menace both thunder and rain. The vef- 

 fel being in her trim with large latine fails, fell violently to 

 leeward, and they fcarce would have weathered the Cape 

 that makes the entrance into the harbour of Bengazi, which 

 is a very bad one, when all at once it (truck upon a funken 

 rock, and feemed to be fet down upon it. The wind at that 

 inftant feemed providentially to calm ; but I no fooner ob- 

 served thefhip had ftruck than I began to think of my own 

 fituation. We were not far from more, but there was an 

 exceeding great fvvell at fea. Tv/o boats were Hill towed 

 after n of them, and had not been hoifted in. Roger M'Cor- 

 mack, my Irifh fervant, had been a failor on board the Mo- 

 narch before he deferted to the Spaniili fervice. He and 

 the other, who had likewife been a failor, prefently unlalh- 



