THE PELEW ISLANDS. 
17 
Having cleared the reef, and got into the channel which 
flows between that and the iflands, they found themfelves 
in deep water, and a lefs difturbed fea; they hoifted the 
fails of the pinnace, and got on; but as they approached 
the land, perceiving a flrong current, which fet them much 
to leeward of the ifland where they had left the Lores and 
people in the morning, they dropped their fails and rowed. 
They found the current ftill much ftronger as they got 
nearer the fhore, and though every man exerted his utmoft 
ftrength, they ftill continued to drop to leeward. Feeling 
now their inability to refill the current, and the ftrength of 
the rowers being almoft: exhaufted, it was judged for the 
fafety of all, that the pinnace Ihould take the people from 
off the raft, and bring the raft to a grapnel during the 
night. Thefe additional men from the raft double banked 
the oars of the pinnace, and relieved the rowers, but at the 
fame time they fo crowded her, that Ihe could barely keep 
herfelf above water, being then clofe under a rocky coaft, 
in about fixteen fathom water (as they afterwards better 
knew). They were only able to advance flowly; but as 
they drew nearer to the ifland whither the others were 
gone before, the jolly-boat having unladen her cargo, Cap¬ 
tain Wilson with four people, was returning in her, to 
lighten the raft and pinnace, and give them full afliftance, 
and it being dark, hailed the pinnace at a diftance. Whether 
it was from the great fatigue the people had fuftained while 
D on 
*7*3*- 
U G U S T. 
