356 A VOYAGE TO BookIX. 



This houfe he made but little ufc of, living continu- 

 ally aboard the fhip. 



As to my papers, on our departure from Fernando 

 de Norona, i had made a packet of all the plans and 

 relations which might have been of fervice to the ene- 

 my v alfo the Vice-roy's letters and other papers com- 

 mitted to my care, that on an exigency they might be 

 ready to be funk. I had alfo dcfired of the captain, 

 the fupercargo and other officers, that in caf<? it was 

 my fate fuddenly to fall in the aftion, they would do 

 me that kind office. Accordingly when I faw that 

 there was no poffibility either of oppofing or getting 

 clear of the enemy, I threw them into the water, with 

 fome bullets faftened to them, to difappoint the alert- 

 nefs of the enemy, who otherwife would unqueftiona- 

 bly have been for laying hold of them : but my papers 

 relating to the menfuration of the degrees of the me- 

 ridian, together with the phyfical and aftronom.ical ob- 

 fervations and hiftorical narratives, I kept by me, the 

 contents being of univerfal concern, and no detri- 

 ment could refult from the enemy's knowledge of 

 them : but as among men who feemed to mind no- 

 thing but what was filver or gold, they would have 

 ran a great rifk of being abufed or confounded among 

 a multitude of others, I thought proper to acquaint 

 the captains on what icrvice I had been, and as thofe 

 papers tended to the improvement of navigation, took 

 the liberty of recommending them to their favour: 

 upon which, after having looked on them with fome 

 attention, they laid them afide, and carried them af- 

 terv/ards to the commander of the fquadron, with 

 v/hom they remained, till, together with myfelf, they 

 were fent to England. 



CHAP. 



