Ifland, her whole crew would notwithftanding perilh at fea.
However, on the 26th, towards noon, we difcerned a fail in the
North-eaft quarter, which We conceived to be the very fame lhip
that had been feen before, and our conjectures proved true: and
about ione o’clock ffie approached fo tiea4 that we could diftinguiffi
her to be the Glpmejier. • As we had-no doubt o f her being in
great diftrefs, the Commodore immediately ordered his boat to her
affiftance, laden with frefh water, fi'ffi,' and vegetables, which'was
■ a very feafqnable relief to-them,; for our apptehenlions of- their
■ calamities, appeared to be but too well grounded, as-perhaps there
neyer- wa's a crew in a more di'ftreffed fituation. They had already
thrown overboard two thirds of their'complement; and of
thofe which remained, alive,, fearcely any were capable: o f doing
duty, .except the officers and their (ervants. - They had been a
confiderable time at the fmall allowance of a pint, of,freffi water
to each,man for twenty-four hours, and yet they had.fo little left,
that, had it not been for the fupply we lent them,, they mull loon
have died of thirll. Theffiip plied in within three miles o f the
hay; but, the winds and, currents being contrary, ffie could not
reach the road. However,, ffie continued in the offing the next
day; but as ffie had no chance o f ooming to an anchor, unlefs
the winds and currents fluffed, the Commodore repeated his af-
fiflance, fending to her the Tryal's boat, manned with the Centurion’
s people, and a farther ffipply o f water, and other refreffi-
ment-s,. Captain Mitchell, - the Captain of the Gloucejler, was
under ;a neceffity o f detaining both this boat and- that font the
preceding day; for, without the help o f their crews, he-had no
longer, ffirength enough to navigate the ffiip. In this tantalizing
fituation the -Gloucejler continued for near a fortnight, without
heritable to fetch the road, .though frequently attempting it, and
at fome times-, bidding very fair for it.' On the 9th o f July, we
obferved her ftretching away to the ©allward at a confiderable distance
». which we fuppofed was with a defign to get to the fbuth-
watd of the Ifland.; but as we ffion loll fight of her, and ffie did
not
R O U N D T H É W O R L D , 12?
not appear for near a week, we weie prqdigioufly concerned, knowing
that ffiè iiiuft be again in extreme diftrefs for want o f watèr.
Affor gréât imp’âtîèficé about her, we difeovered her again on the
16 th, endeavouring to come round the eaftem point of the Ifland;
bilt the wind, flill blowing direftly from the bay, prevented her
getting nearer thân Within four lea’gues of thé land. On this, Captain
Mitchel made lignais of diftrefs'; and our long-boat was fen t to
him with a ftore of water, and plenty o f fiffi, and other refreffi-
ments. And the lon'g-böat being not to be fj&red, the Cockfwain
had pófitive orders from the Commodore to return again iiiune-
diafélÿ • but the wéàthef proving ftórmy thé nekt' day, and the
bbat not appearing, we much ffcffted ffie was loft, which Would
have proved an irretrievable misfortune to us all ; however, the
third day after, we were relieved from this anxiety, by fhe joyful
fight of the long-boat’ s fails'upon the water; on which w'efent
the Cutter immediately to hèr aïfiflancé, who towed her along-fide
in à few hour's ; when wé found that thé crew of óur long-boat
had taken in fix of the Gloucejler’s fick men to bring them on ffiore,
two of which had died in the boat. We now learnt that thé Glou-
cèltèr was in a molt dreadful condition, having learcely aman m
health on board, except thofe they recéiVéd from us ; and num- .
bers of thèif fick dying daily, it appeared that, had it not been
for thé Uft fupply ftnt by our long-boat, both the healthy and
difeafed riiuft have all périffiéd together for want of water. Thefe
M l W é r e thé more terrifying, as they appeared to be with-
obt remedy; for the Gloucejler had already fpent a month in her
eiidekvbtirs to fetch the bay, and ffie was now no farther advanced
than at the firftmoment ffie made the Ifland: on the contrary, ths
people on board’her had worn out all their hopes of ever fucceedi
ine- in it ' by the many experiments they had made of its difficulty.
Indeed, the fame day her fituation grew more defperate than ever ;
for after ffie had received our laft fupply of refreffimenfs, we again
loft fight of her ; -fo that. we, in général, défpàirëd of hér ever
coming to an anchor.