293 



They in reply allured me that it Ihould not be 

 delayed a minute beyond the time neceflary 

 for fending us " fome fruit, and fome prov/ 

 fionsfor the captains dinner-" But, incerti- 

 tude was ftill the maxim of the fickle element, 

 and ftern ocean remitted not his unfteady and 

 defpotic rule. Inftead of the boat coming- 

 back, dire&ly, we were kept waiting the whole 

 of the day, under an anxiety which it were 

 more eafy to conceive, than exprefs. 



The third night came on, and no boat 

 appeared. Our fituation was now tenfold 

 more diftreffing than before. Without the 

 men who went off with the boat, we had not 

 hands enough to work the veflfel. No reme- 

 dy, therefore, remained, but to wait for them, 

 however delayed their return. The mortifica- 

 tion of having to pafs another night in my of- 

 ten ve den, was fadly aggravated by the vexa- 

 tion of lying at anchor, near to the place of def- 

 tination, more than double the time that was 

 required to complete the voyage ; and if ever 

 one day of twenty-four hours was longer 

 than another it was furely this. Only one 

 idea occupied the mind. The delayed return 

 of the boat excluded every other contempla- 



