48 
time the moon was rising, which ren¬ 
dered it dangerous to delay, for those 
who had formed a resolution to swim 
on board, and accompany us. The 
hunts of the sails being yet confined a- 
loft, by their respective gaskets, I sent 
a man on the fore-yard and another up¬ 
on the fore-top-sail-yard, with orders to 
let fall, when I should give the word j 
one man being at the helm, and two 
others at the fore tack. 
It was now half past nine o’clock, 
when I took the handsaw, and in less 
than two minutes the cable was off ! — 
The ship j o yed off very quick, and when 
her head was off the land, there being 
a breeze from that quarter, the hawser 
was cut and all the sail we could make 
upon the ship immediately set, a fine 
fair wind blowing. A raft of iron hoops, 
which was towing along side, was cut 
adrift, and we congratulated each other 
upon our fortunate escape ; for even 
with a vast extent of ocean to traverse, 
hope excited in our bosoms a belief that 
we should again embrace our friends, 
