»77 o-
November.
Friday ^
fo much affefted, that it was doubted whether he would
furvive till the next day.
In the mean time, the bottom of the ihip being examined,
was found to be in a worfe condition than we apprehended:
the falfe keel was all gone to within twenty feet of the Hern
poll; the main keel was confiderably injured in many
places ; a great quantity of the fheathing was torn off, and
feveral planks were much damaged ; two of them, and the
half of a third, under the main channel near the keel, were,
for the length of fix feet, fo worn, that they were not above
an eighth part of an inch thick, and here the worms had
made their way quite into the timbers; yet in this condition
fhe had failed many hundred leagues, where navigation is
as dangerous as in any part of the world: how much mifery
did we efcape, by being ignorant that fo confiderable a part
of the bottom of the vefiel was thinner than the foie of a.
ihoe, and that every life on board depended upon fo flight
and fragile a barrier between us and the unfathomable
ocean ! It feemed, however, that we had been preferred only
to perilh here; Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander were fo bad that
the phyfician declared they had no chance for recovery but.
by removing into the country; a houfe was therefore hired,
for them, at the diftance of about two miles from the town,,
which belonged to the matter of the hotel,, who engaged to.
furnifh them with provifions, and the ufe of flaves. As they
had already experienced their want of influence over flaves.
that had other matters, and the unfeeling inattention of thefe.
fellows to the lick, they bought each of them a Mallay.
woman, which removed both the caufes of their being fo ill,
ferved; the women were their own property, and. the ten-
dernefs of the fex, even here, made them good nurfes..
While thefe preparations, were making, they, received an,
a account
account of the death of Tupia, who funk at once after the »77°;
lofs of the boy, whom he loved with the tendernefs of a .N°-.-bcr'.
parent.
By the 14th, the bottom of the Ihip was thoroughly re- Wedncf. 14.
paired, and very much to my fatisfaftion : it would, indeed,
be injuftice to the officers and workmen of this yard, not to
declare that, in my opinion, there is not a marine yard in
the world, where a Ihip can be laid down with more convenience,
fafety, and difpatch, nor repaired with more diligence
and Ikill. At this place they heave down by two
mails, a method which we do not now pradlife; it is, however,
unqueftionably more fafe and expeditious to heave down
with two mails than one, and he mutt have a good lhare of
bigotry to old cuftoms, and an equal want of common fenfe,
who will not allow this, after feeing with what facility the
Dutch heave down their largeft fliips at this place.
Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander recovered flowly at their coun-
try-houfe, which was riot only open to the fea breeze, but
fituated upon a running ftream, which greatly contributed
to the circulation of the air: but I was now taken ill myfelf
Mr. Sporing, and a feaman who had attended Mr. Banks,
were alfo feized with intermittents ; and indeed there was
not more than ten of the whole Ihip’s company that were
able to do duty.
We proceeded however in rigging the Ihip, and getting
water and ftores aboard: the water we were obliged to procure
from Batavia, at the rate of fix Ihillings and eight pence
a leager, or one hundred and fifty gallons.
About the 26th, the wefterly monfoon fet in, which gene- Monday zb.
rally blows here in the night from the S. W. and in the day
from the N. W. or N. For fome nights before this, we had
very heavy rain, with much thunder ; and in the night bell
r 2 tween