( 23 ) 

 were before obftinate in refufing the af- 

 fiftance we fent them j and when they 

 found the boat did not come to their re- 

 lief at the inftant they expefted it, 

 without confidering how impra6licable 

 a thing it was to fend it them in fuch a 

 fea, they fired one of the quarter-deck 

 guns at the hut ; the ball of which did 

 but juft pafs over the covering of it, and 

 was plainly heard by the captain and us 

 who were within. Another attempt, 

 therefore, was made to bring thefe mad- 

 men to land ; which, however, by the 

 violence of the fea, and other impediments, 

 occafioned by the maft that lay along- 

 fide, proved inefFeftual. This unavoid- 

 able delay made the people on board 

 outrageous : they fell to beating every 

 thing to pieces that fell in the way j 

 and, carrying their intemperance to the 

 greateft excefs, broke open chefts and 

 cabbins for plunder that could be of no 

 ufe to them : and fo earneft were they 



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