3i6 AVOYAGETO Book IX. 



to intercept all fhips coming from the Indies. Though 

 this was in fadl a falfe alarm, the misfortune of meet- 

 ing the two abovementioned of a force agreeing with 

 the report, gave it to us all the appearance of truth ; 

 and we concluded that there muft be many more 

 cruifing in proper ftations near the coails. This opi- 

 nion was very natural to us, who for above two years 

 had received no other accounts ; and after what had 

 happened, it would have feemed an inexcufable Hep, 

 to have expofed fuch a valuable cargo, as that of the 

 Delivrance, in fuch a heavy veflel, as muft unqueftio- 

 nably have fallen into the hands of the firft enemy that 

 fhould give her chace. All her force confifted in four- 

 teen four-pounders, and about fifteen muikets ; be- 

 fides nine of our people had been difabled in the lafl 

 adion : and what was ftill worfe, we had little or no 

 pov/der. Another bad circumftance was, that from 

 the damage the fliip had received in the adion, fhe 

 made fo much water, that though we began to pump 

 jm.mediately on the conclufion of it, it was midnight 

 before we could free the fliip ; and every one who had 

 received no hurt in the a6tion, without diftindlion, vo- 

 luntarily took his turn in the labour. Weighty as 

 thefe reafons were, that the captain and his officers 

 might not be charged with taking fuch an important 

 ftep of themfelves, a reprefentation was alfo made to 

 the pafTengers, who all readily approving of it as the 

 beft refource in our prefent exigency, the very fame 

 evening our courfe was altered, and we began to fteer 

 for Louifburgh as a port of fafety. 



The place where the aftion happened, according 

 to my reckoning, and the new French chart, was 90 

 leagues N. W. five degrees wefterly from the ifland of 

 Plores. 



After changing our courfe we fteered N. W. o;ie 

 quarter wefterly, and W. one quarter northerly, tilj 

 the 28th, when by cbfervation we found ourfelves in 

 the latitude of 46 degrees, 18 minutes, and 23 de- 

 I grees 



