318
under the title of the watering-place, where (b) is the Commodore’s
tent, and (d ) the well we watered at.
As the crew on board were now reinforced by the recovered
hands returned from thelfland; we began to fend our calks on Ihore
to be fitted up, which till this time could not be done, for the
Coopers were not well enough to work. We likewife weighed our
anchors, that we might examine our cables, which we fufpefted
had by this time received confiderable damage. And as the new
moon was now approaching, when we apprehended violent gales
the Commodore, for our greater fecurity, ordered that part of the
cables next to the anchors to be armed with the chains of the fire-
grapnels; befides which they were cackled twenty fathom from
the anchors, and feven fathom from the fervice, with a good
rounding of a 44 inch hawferj and, being perfuaded that the
dangers o f this road demanded our utmoft forefight, we to all thele
precautions added that of lowering the main and fore-yard clofe
down, that in cafe of blowing weather, the wind might have lefs
power upon the Ihip, to make her ride a ftrain.
Thus effectually prepared, as we conceived, we waited till the
new moon, which was the 18 th of September, when riding fafe
that and the three fucceeding days, (though the weather proved
very fqually and uncertain) we flattered ourfelves (for I was then
on board) that the prudence of our meafures had fecured us from
all accidents; but, on the 22d, the wind blew from the eaftward
with fuch fury, that we foon defpaired of riding out the .ftorm.
In this conjun&ure we Ihould have been extremely glad that the
Commodore and the reft o f our people on fliore, which were .the
greateft part o f our hands, had been on board us, fince our only
hopes o f fafety feemed to depend on our putting immediately to
fea; but all communication with the fhore was now abfolutely cut
off, for there was no poflibility that a boat could live, fo that we
were neceflitated to ride.it out, till our cables ..parted, Indeed we
were not long expedting this dreadful event, for the fmall bower
parted at five in the afternoon, and the fhip fwung off to the belt
bower; and as the night came on, the violence o f the wind ftill
increafed .
increafed j tho’, notwithftanding its inexpreflible fury, the tide ran
with fo much rapidity as to prevail over i t : For the tide, which fet
to the northward at the beginning o f the hurricane, turning fudden-
ly to the fouthward about fix in the evening, forced the fhip before
it, in defpite of the ftorm, which blew upon the beam. The
fea now broke moft furprizingly all round us, and a large tumbling
fwell threatened to poop us ; by which the long-boat, at this time
moored a ftern, was on a hidden canted fo high, that it broke
the tranfom o f the Commodore’s gallery, wbofe cabin was on the
quarter-deck, and would dqubtlefs have rifen as high as the taf-
ferel had it not been for the ftroke, which ftove the boat all1 to
piece’s; and yet the poor boat-keeper, though extremely bruifed,.
was faved almoft by miracle. About eight the tide flackened, but
the wind not abating, the beft bower cable,, by which alone we
rode, parted at eleven. Our fheet anchor,, which- was the only one
we had left, was inftautly cut from the bow ; but before it could
reach the bottom, rye were driven from, twenty-two into thirty-five
fathom • and after w.e had veered, away one whole cable, and two-
thirds of another,, we could not find ground with forty fathom o f
Vine • This was a plain indication, that the anchor lay. near the edg.e-
. of the bank, and could not hold us long. In. this preffing danger,.
Mr. Saumarez, our firft Lieutenant, who now commanded on board
ordered feveral guns to be fired, &qd lights to be (hewn, as a fignal
,0 the Commodore of our diftrefs ; and in a fhort time after, it being
then about one o’clock, and the night exceffively dark, a ftrong,
euft attended with rain and lightning, drove us off the bank, and;
forced us-out to fea, leaving behind us„ on the lfland Mr. Anfonr
with many more of our officers, and. great part of our crew,,
amounting in the whole to-a hundred, and thirteen perfons^ Thus,
were we all, both at fea and on fhore, reduced to the utmoft defpair
bv this cataftrophe; thofe on. fhore conceiving they had no means,
left them ever to depart from the lfland, whilft, on board, we being
utterly unprepared to ftruggle with the fury o f the feas and winds,,
we were now expofed, to, expefted each moment to-be our laft