Saturday 5.
Tuefday 8.
I do not recollect that my feelings ever fuffered fo much on any oc-
cafion of a fimilar nature, as at this moment. The cutter was the boat
I had conftantly ufed; in her I had travelled vfery many miles; in her I
had repeatedly efcaped from danger; Ihe had always brought mefafely
home ; and, although Ihe was but an inanimate convenieney, to which,
it may poffibly be thought, no affection could be attached, yet I felt my-
felf under fuch obligation for her fervices, that when Ihe was dalhed to
pieces before my eyes, an involuntary emotion fuddenly feized my breaft,
and I was compelled to turn away to hide a weaknefs (for which, though
my own gratitude might find an apology) I Ihould have thought improper
to have publicly manifefted.
The wind changed on Saturday, from the north-weft to the oppofite
quarter, and blew a very hard gale, with fqualls chiefly from e . by s . ;
about fix in the evening another of the Dutch prizes was obferved to have
made the fignal of diftrefs. We were directed to give her afliftance;
and the relief we were enabled to afford her was very falutary, and had
become effentially neceflary, as we found her in a very leaky ftate, and
her crew in a very difabled fickly condition. The wind again veered
to its. former direction, and though it continued to be fqually and unplea-
fant, it had been more moderate during the two laft days ; in one of thefe
from the north-weft, on tuefday morning, about feven o’clock, we fprung
our maintopmaft, an accident that might have been attended with the
moft ferious confequences, had we not been in a Situation that afforded
us the moft ample protection, and which I had no doubt we Ihould be
able to maintain until we Ihould arrive in fome port of Great-Britain,
although our quantity of canvas- fhould hereafter be materially reduced,
as we had been repeatedly-'obliged to Shorten fail for the convoy.
All the upper fails were taken in, the maft ftruck, and the carpenters
immediately employed to remedy and provide for the difafter in the belt
manner we were able; this bufinefs was completed about noon, and
a topmaft with the topgallant rigging was again fet up. Notwith-
ftanding that the weather was not very favorable to aftronomical pur-
fuits, Mr. Whidbey procured fix fets, and Mr. Orchard three fets of
lunar diftances, by the mean refult of which the true longitude, at noon,
was
was found to be , - _ 200 13' 0" weft 1795*
By Arnold’s chronometer, No. 14, - 20 14 5 weft
S e p t em b e r .
Ditto, 176, - 19 48 30 weft
By Kendall’s, . - 20 6 30 weft
The obferved latitude - - 51, -2 0
Variation of the compafs, - - 22 wefterly.
By our cqurfe having judicioufly been direfted far to the weftward, it
was moft probable that the coaft of Ireland would be the firft land in the
Britilh dominions with which we Ihould fall in. For thofe Ihores, as the-
wind and other circumftances had allowed, we had been fleering for Several
days, and as our diftance from England every day and every hour
decreafed, fo our happinefs became augmented in the grateful anticipation
of once more breathing our native air, once more repofing in the-
bofom of our country and expediting friends. Every breaft, as may be-
naturally imagined, was alive to- fenfations of the moft pleafant nature,
infeparable from the fond idea of returning home, after fo long an ab-
fence, in an adventurous fervice to promote the general good, when unappalled
by the confcioufnefs of deferved reproach. In the midft o f thefe
agreeable reflections, however, prefages of a melancholy call would fre*-
quently obtrude upon the mind, and damp the promifed joys in contemplation.
Few of us had been bleffed with any tidings from our*
families or friends fince our laft reparation from them ; and in the courfe-
of fuch a lapfe of time what changes might not have taken place,,
what events-might not have happened to dilappoint our hopes ; rob us
o f our prefent peace ; or cloud the funlhine of our future days ! Thefejf
were confiderations of a moft painful nature, and tinged our joyful expectations
with folicitude and apprehenfion !
At length, about five o’clock on Saturday morning,, a fignal'was made- Saturday-1
by- one .of the headmoft fhips, that denoted (he was within fight of. land,.
and foon-afterwards, from our mafthead, the glad tidings were-announced
that land was plainly to-be Seen, bearing- by. compafs-e. s. e. At-eleven.
in the forenoon it was known to be the weftern coaft'of Ireland^, and
arrangements were immediately made by the Sceptre for * keeping- the
fhips together, and for. enteringi the Shannon;■ where CaptaimE-fiihgton
1 gropofed