33* C A P T A I N C A R T E R E T ’S V O Y A G E
i, 67- night, the weather became more moderate, fb rhat we could
. i carry our courfes and topfails, and at four o’clock in the
Sunday 24. mornjng we crowded aii the fail w e could make. At ten
o’clock, we were very near the f l ioreto our great concern,
we faw nothing o f the cutter, yet we continued to-Hand on
till about noon, when we happily-difGOvered her at a grappling,
clofe under the land : w e immediately ran to our
glafies, by'the help of which we faw the people getting int©
her, and about three oklock, to our mutual and inexpref-
fible joy, Ihe came fa-fe on board with all her people: they
•were howeveF fb exhaufted with fatigue, that they could
fcarcely get up the fhip’s fide. The Lieutenant told me, that
the night before he had attempted to come off, but that as
foon as he had left the fhore, a fudden fquall fo nearly filled
the boat with water that fhe was very near going to the
bottom; but that all hands bailing with the- utmoft diligence
and a<2:ivity, they happily cleared h e r : that he then
made for the land again, which, with the utmoft difficulty,
he regained, and having left a fufficient number on board
the boat, t© watch her, and keep her free from water, he
with the reft, of the people went on fhore. That having
paffed the night in a ftate o f inexpreffible anxiety and dif-
trefs, they looked out for the fhip with the firft dawn of the
morning, and feeing nothing o f her, concluded that fhe had
perilhed in the ftorm, which they had never feen exceeded.
They did not however fit down torpid in defpair, but began
immediately to clear the ground near the beach o f brufhes
and weeds, and cut down feveral trees of which they made
rollers to affift. them in hauling;, up the boat, in order to fe-
cure h e r ; intending, as they had no hope of the fhip’s return,
to wait till the fummer feafon, and then attempt to
make the ifland o f Juan Fernandes. They had now better
hopes, and all fenfe o f the dangers thajt were before us
was
7