PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
55 
offers of civilities, and a promise from the commander, that he 
would send an officer and pilot on board, in the mprning, to take 
the ship nearer in, and in a better piace for taking in our water, 
&c. In the morning, about 9 o’clock, an officer came on board 
with the pilot, and we got under way, with a light and baffling 
wind from the southward, and the tide in our favour, which gene¬ 
rally runs here about 1} knots. After making two tacks the wind 
and tide both failed us. We were then about two miles from 
the place I wished to anchor in ; and being anxious to get the 
vessel secured as soon as possible, and finding that our boats 
could giveus very little assistance in towing, I put in operation an 
invention of mine for propelling a ship in a calm ; and in three 
quarters of an hour brought her to an anchor, at the back of the 
fort, and opposite the most convenient watering-place, in 6 fathoms 
water. This contrivance consists of two floating anchors, six feet 
square, which are worked on both sides of the ship, by hauling 
lines from the spritsail-yard, and a spar rigged across the stern. 
The line from the spritsail-yard is made fast to the upper corner 
of the anchor ; and when hauled on, it brings the anchor forward, 
skimming along on the surface of the water. When it is let go, 
the anchor falls, by means of the weight attached to it, in a verti¬ 
cal position ; and as it is slung something in the manner of a log- 
chip, and the rope to the stern made fast to the spar, it is dragged 
aft, propelling the ship, in proportion to the force applied to the 
drag-rope. A ship’s crew, consisting of 300 men, will drag her 
forward in a calm, with this contrivance, at the rate of two miles 
per hour. 
On passing the fort, we fired a salute of 13 guns, which was 
returned by an equal number. 
When the ship was anchored, I went on shore, to fix on the 
watering-place. The first I was shewn did not please me, al¬ 
though I was informed that it was the place preferred by all ships 
for filling their water. It was on the continent, about 50 yards to 
the southward of a beach, about 100 yards in length ; near which 
were a few huts* The water was excellent; the stream was very 
clear, and ran from the mountain ; but it was impossible to get 
the casks on shore to fill them, in consequence of the rocks piled 
