relief Lent to the Gloucejler, were thé principal tranfadtions of our
■ infirm crew, till the arrival of the Gloucejler at an anchor.in the
hay. And then Captain Milchel, waiting on the Commodore, informed
him, that lie had been forced h y the winds, in his laft
abfence, as far as the fmall Ifland called AlaJa-Fuero, lying about
twenty-two leagues' to the weftward of yuan Fernandes. ; and that
he endeavouied to fond his boat on (bore there for water, of which
he could obferve foveral ftreams; but the wind blew fo ftrong upon
the fhore, and occafioned fuch a furf, that it was impoffible for the
boat to land; though the attempt was not altogether ufcleis, for
his people returned with a boat-load of fiffi. This Ifland had been
reprefonted, by former Navigators, as a barren rock ; but Captain
Milchel allured the Commodore, that it was almoft every where
covered with trees and verdure, and was near four miles in length ;
and added, that it appeared to him far from impoffible but fome
fmall bay might be found on it, which might afford fufficient
Shelter for any fhip delirous of refrelhing there.
As four {hips of our fquadron were miffing, this delcription of
the Ifland of Mafa-Fuero gave rife to a conjecture, that fome of
them might poffibly have fallen in with that Ifland, and might
have miftaken it for the true place of our rendezvous. This fufpi-
cion was the more plaufible, as we had no draught o f either Ifland
that could be relied on; and therefore Mr. Anfon determined to
fond the Tryal Sloop thither, as foon as {he could be fitted for the
fea, in order to examine all its bays and creeks, that we might be
latisfied whether any of our miffing fliips were there or not. For
this purpofe, fome o f our beft hands were font on board the Tryal
the next morning, to over-hale and fix her rigging; and our longboat
was employed in completing her water j and whatever ftores
and neceflaries Ihe wanted were immediately fupplied, either from
the Centurion or the Gloucejler. But it was the 4th of Auguft before
the Tryal was in readinefs to fa il; when, having weighed
it foon after fell calm, and the tide fot her very near the eaftern
Ihore: Captain Saunders hung out lights, and fired foveral guns,
to
R O U N D T H E W O R L D . i 3 s
to acquaint us with his danger; upon which all the boats were
font to his relief, who towed the Sloop into the bay, where {he
anchored until the next morning ; and then, weighing again, proceeded
on her cruize with a fair breeze.
And now, after the Gloucejler s arrival, we were employed in ear-
neft in examining and repairing our rigging ; but, in the dripping
our foremaft, we were alarmed by difcovering it was lprung juft
above the partners of the upper deck. The .fpring was two inches
in depth, and twelve in circumference : however, the Carpenters,
on infpe&ing it, gave it as their opinion, that fifliing it with two
leaves o f an anchor-ftock would render it as focure as ever. But,
'befidesthis defect in our mart, we had other difficulties'in refitting,
from the want of cordage and canvas; for though we had taken to
fea much greater quantities o f both than had ever been done be.-
fore, yet the continued bad weather we met with had occafioned'
fuch a confumption of thefe ftores, that we were driven to great
{traits ; as, after working up all our j.unk and old fliiouds, to make
twice-laid cordage, we were at laft obliged to unlay a cable, to work
into running rigging : and with all the canvas, and remnants of old
fails, that could be muftered, w.e could only make up one complete
{uit. ; ' .
Towards the middle, of Augujl, our men being indifferently recovered,
they were permitted to quit their fick tents, and to build;
feparate huts for themfelves; as it was imagined, that, by living
apart, they would be much cleanlier, and confequently likely to.
recover their {Length, the fooner: but at the fame time particular
orders were given, that, on the firing of a gun from the (hip, they
fbould inftantly repair to the water-fide- Their employment, on-.,
ftiore was now either the procuring o f refrefliments, the. cutting'of
wood, or the making of oil from the blubber of the fea-lions. This,
oil ferved us for foveral purpofes, as burning in lamps, or mixing
with pitch to pay the {hip’s fide ;. or, when- worked up with wood-,
allies, to fupply the ufe of tallow (of which we had none left), to.
give the {hip boot-hofe tops, Some of the men too were occupied
I B