I L L I A M 
Chap. I. Captain W 
•-of which we came on May iS. On June 23, we faw the 
Streights of Sunda ; and, towards the, latter End of the 
'Month, we arrived fafely in the Road of Batavia. 
35. I Raid at Batavia upwards of three Months, where 
1 firft ordered the Ship to be repaired, and afterwards found 
it neceffary to careen her-, for which Purpofe I hired Vef- 
fels to take in our Guns, Ballad:, Provifions, and Stores. 
■While we lay here, we heard feyeral Reports in relation to 
our Men of War, that were cruifing bn the Coaft of India-, 
and there was much Difcourfe likewife of Pirates, who had 
committed great Depredations on the Coaft, and particu- 
larly in the Streights of Malacca. 1 did not hear of any 
Ships fent out to reduce them. At my firft coming in, I 
had been told, that two Ships had been fent from Amboy na 
in queft of me, which was quickly confirmed by one of the 
Skippers, whom I, by Accident, met with here. He told 
me, they had three Protefts againft me ; that they came to 
Tiilo Saluda , on the Coaft of New Guiney , twenty-eight 
Days after my Departure thence and went as far as Stou- 
tens Illand, and, hearing no further News of me, returned. 
Something likewife to this Purpofe Mr. Merry , Commander 
of the Fleet Frigate, told me at my firft Arrival here ; and 
that the General at Batavia had a Copy of my Commiffion 
and InftruCtions ; but I looked upon it as a very improbable 
thing. However it w 7 as, I did not; give myfelf much Trouble 
about thefe things, knowing well, that the better they were 
acquainted with the Authority by which I was protected, 
the lefs ready they would be to offer me any Injury. The 
Dutch , during the Time we lay here, came to a Refolution 
of fending three Ships fooner to Europe than was ufual. 
The Day fixed for their failing was the fixteenth of October , 
and I took all proper Precautions to be ready to fail about 
the fame time they did. Accordingly, on the 17th of the 
fame Month, at half an Hour after fix in the Morning, I 
failed from Batavia , having the Advantage of a fair Wind 
at South fo that, on the 19th about Noon, I fetched up 
the three Dutch Ships before-mentioned. November 29. 
in the Morning, we faw a fmall Hawk flying about the 
Ship, till it was quite tired. Then fhe refted on the Miz'en- 
topfail-yard, where we caught her. It is probable fhe was 
blown off from Madagascar by the violent Northerly 
Winds, that being the nigheft Land to us, tho’ diftant 
near 150 Leagues. December 30. we arrived at Cape Good 
Hope , and departed again on January 1 1 . 1701. About 
the End of the Month, we faw abundance of Weeds or 
Blubber fwim by us ; for I cannot determine which. It was 
all of one Shape and Colour. As they floated on the Water, 
they feemed to be of the Breadth of the Palm of a Man’s 
Hand, fpread out round into many Branches, about the 
Bignefs of a Man’s Finger.. They had, in the Middle, a 
little Knob, no bigger than the Top of a Man’s Thumb. 
They were of a duffiy Colour ; and, as they fwam in the 
Water, did not appear to be ftronger than a kind of Jelly. 
Thefe fort of things are frequent in thole Seas, and indeed 
in mod Parts of the Eajt Indies. Sharks are not very com- 
mon here ; yet fome I have feen, particularly off the Bland 
of I'imor. In my Return, 1 faw one under the Stern of our 
Ship, which was, beyond Comparifon, the largeft that ever 
I beheld ; and all my Crew were of the fame Opinion. 
Our Ship, after all the Care that had been taken, appeared 
to be ftill leaky ; but we were in hopes of meeting with an 
Opportunity at St. Helena to difeover the Caufe of our Mif- 
fortune, and to find fome Means to remedy it : In which, 
however, we were difappointed, tho’ as much Care was 
taken by the fuperior Officers, as it was poffible for Men to 
take in their Stations. 
^ 36. February 2. we anchored in St. Helena Road; and 
failed again from thence on the 13th. On the 21ft, we 
made the Eland of Afcenfion , and ftood in towards it. The 
2 2d, between eight and nine o’clock, we fprung a Leak, 
which increafed, fo that the Chain-pump could not keep 
the Ship free ; whereupon I fet the Hand-pump to work 
alfo, and, by ten o’clock, fucked her : Then wore the 
Ship, and ftood to the Southward, to try if that would eafe 
her ; and then the Chain-pump juft kept her free. At five 
the next Morning, we made Sail, and ftood in for the 
Bay, and, at nine, anchored in ten Fathom and an half; 
fandy Ground. The South Point bore South South-weft 
Diftance two Miles; and the North Point of the Bay North- 
Numb. 9. ] 
D a m ? 1 e r, izy 
ea ft half North, Diftance two Miles. As foon as we an- 
chored, I ordered the Gunner to clear Ins Powder-room, 
that we might there fearch for the Leak, and endeavour to 
flop within- board, if it was poffible ; for we could not heel 
the Ship fo low, it being within four Streaks of the Keel ; 
neither was there any convenient Place to hale her affiore. 
I ordered the Boatfwain to affift the Gunner; and, by ten 
o’clock, the Powder-room was clear. The Carpenter’s 
Mate, Gunner, and Boatfwain*, went down ; and, foon after, 
I followed them myfelf; and afked them, Whether they 
could come at the Leak ? They faid, they believed they 
might, by cutting the Cieling. I told the Carpenter’s Mate, 
who was the only Perfon in the Ship, that underftood any 
thing of Carpenters Work, that, if he thought he could 
come at the Leak by cutting the Cieling, without weaken- 
ing the Ship, he might do it ; for he had flopped one 
Leak fo before ; which, tho’ not fo big as this, yet, having 
feen them both, I thought he might as well do this, as the 
other : Wherefore I left him to do his beft . The Cieling be- 
ing cut, they could not come at the Leak ; for it was againft 
one of the Foothook-timbers, which, the Carpenter’s Mate 
faid, he muft firft cut, before it could be flopped. I went 
down again to fee it, and found the Water to come in very 
violently. I told them, I had never known any fuch thing 
as cutting Timbers to flop Leaks ; but if they, who ought 
to be the beft Judges in fuch Cafes, thought they could do 
any Good, I bid them ufe their utmoft Care and Diligence, 
promifing the Carpenter’s Mate, that I would always be a 
Friend to him, if he could and would flop it. He faid, by 
four o’clock in the Afternoon he would make all well, it 
being then about eleven in the Forenoon. In the Afternoon, 
my Men were all employed in pumping with both Pumps; 
except fuch as affifted the Carpenter’s Mate. About one 
in the Afternoon I went down again ; and the Carpenter’s 
Mate was cutting the After-part of the Timber over the 
Leak. . Some faid, it was beft to cut the Timber away at 
once. I bid them hold their TongUes, and let the Carpen- 
ter’s Mate alone ; for he knew beft, and I hoped he would 
do his utmoft to flop the Leak. I defired him to get every 
thing ready for flopping the Violence of the Water, before 
he cut any farther, for fear it lliould overpower us at once. 
I had ordered the Carpenter to bring all the Oakam he had, 
and the Boatfwain to bring all the walle Cloaths, to fluff in 
upon Occafion ; and had, . for the fame Purpofe, fent down 
my own Bed-cloaths. The Carpenter’s Mate faid, he 
fhould want fliort Stanchons to be placed fo, that the upper 
Part ffiould touch the Deck, and the under Part reft on 
what was laid over the Leak ; and prefently took a Length 
for them. I afked the Mailer Carpenter what he thought 
beft to be done. He replied, till the Leak was all open, he 
could not tell. Then he went away to make a Starichon ; 
but it was too long. I ordered him to make many of fe- 
veral Lengths, that we might not want of any Size : So, 
once more defiring the Carpenter’s Mate to ufe his utmoft 
Endeavours, I went up; leaving the Boatfwain and fome 
others there. About five o’Clock, the Boatfwain came to 
me, and told me, the Leak was increafed ; and that it was 
im poffible to keep the Ship above Water, when I expect- 
ed, on the contrary, to have had the News of the Leak’s 
being flopped. I prefently went down, and found the 
Timber cut away ; but nothing in Readinefs to flop the 
Force of the Water from coming in. I afked them. Why 
they would cut the Timber, before they had got all things 
in Readinefs? The Carpenter’s Mate anfwered, they could 
do nothing till the Timber was cut; that he might take Di- 
menfions of the Place ; and that there was a Chalk he had 
lined out preparing by the Carpenter’s Boy. I ordered 
them, in the mean time, to flop in Oakam, and fome Pieces 
of Beef ; which was accordingly done : But all to little 
Purpofe ; for now the Water guihed in with fuch Violence; 
notwithflanding all our Endeavours to check it, that it flew 
in over the Cieling, and, for want of Paffage out of the 
Room, overflowed it above two Feet deep. I ordered the 
Bulkhead to be cut open, to give Paffage to the Water, 
that it might drain out of the Room ; and withal ordered 
to clear away abaft the Bulkhead, that we might bale ; fo 
that now we had both Pumps going, and as many baling 
as could; and, by this means, the Water began to decreafe, 
which gave me fome hope of faving the Ship, I afked the 
2 L Car** 
