202 



of a jacket, who could be brought to acknow- 

 ledge, however true it might be, that his fhip 

 was a bad failor : for, however manifeft this 

 fliall appear, an excufe is never wanting. 

 She is in bad trim — Ihe is too much aftern 

 — too much ahead — ^is too deep — too light 

 — the breeze is not from her point — fhe fails 

 beft upon a wind— before the wind — (he makes 

 bed way in a gale — in a light breeze : fo 

 that be the weather, and the attendant circum- 

 ftances whatever they may, here Is a Jide-wind 

 for each of them ; and a fon of the ocean is 

 dways expert enough to appropriate them in 

 favor of his veffel, fo as to guard her, at 

 every point, againft the imputation of being 

 a dull failor. It happened that our fhip was 

 found not to advance in proportion to the 

 breeze ; it was, therefore, deemed expedient to 

 give her a new main-top-gallant maft; and this 

 was put up, in the night time, with as much 

 fecrecy as if the failure of the whole expe- 

 dition had hung upon its difclofure. We, af- 

 terwards, dlfcovered that it was done, in the 

 dark, not to conceal it from the paifengers, 

 only, but from the fhip's company of a vefTelj^ 

 which happened, then, to he failing near us | 



