the South -Sea. 5 



was ft ill faft aboard, having hinder'd it from taking hold, shipwreck 

 the Ebb carry'd the Ship near to a Shoal that is at the Foot 

 of the Fort de la Latte, before they could drop another: 

 That fame held them during the Ebb, within a Piftol 

 Shot from the Rock but upon the Return of the Flood, 

 the Violence of the Current foon caft them upon that 

 Shoal. The Captain perceiving himfelf in that inevita- 

 ble Danger, fir'd feveral Guns to defire Affiftance of the 

 other Ships in the Road. Every one fent Men to his 

 Affiftance with all poffible Expedition, to bring him off; 

 but it provMin vain, the S. E. Wind rifing, and driving 

 out fo violently to Sea with the Tide, that no Boat could 

 come up to the Ship ; and* the Boat belonging to the 

 Count de Ghardin was drove fo far out of the Bay, that 

 it could nor return aboard its own Ship that Night that 

 of the Hunter was caft away, and had it not been for 

 ours, the Men had been loft. At length, about Mid- 

 night, the Ship ftruck, and was ftav'd in fo Ihort a time,' 

 that the Crew was fav'd with much Difficulty, at the 

 Foot of the Caftle; only three Men being drowird, 

 among whom was an Officer. 



The next Morning we ft ill faw the difmal Hull of the 

 Ship lying on its Side, beaten by the Waves, which in 

 twenty four Hours drove it all away in Shivers. It is 

 eafy to imagine, what difmal Reflexions all Men made 

 upon that fatal Spe&acle ; efpecially myfelf, who was 

 making my firft Effay of Navigation in a Voyage of two 

 Years at the leaft. 



We had lain there twenty feven Days in almoft con- Return tB 

 tinual foul Weather, the Wind not permitting us to put s - MaI °- 

 out to Sea, when Orders were brought us from our 

 Owners * to return to S. Malo, for fear of being furpriz'd * The Bro- 

 by fome Englijh Veffels, which were to attack us ^^^^^^ 

 of which they had receiv'd Advice, Accordingly we^ meli " : 

 return'd thither on Sunday the 20th of December , and 

 continued there till the 6th of January of the enfuing 

 Year 1712* 



B 2 That 



