Cabaretta-Point.
When within a quarter of a mile of her she weighed and made sail,
leaving us in a very critical situation, having no anchor, and drifting
bodily on the rocks to leeward. Struck the masts: after four or five
hours hard pulling, succeeded in clearing them.

At this time not a ship in sight; the weather clearing up, we saw a ship
to leeward, hull down, shipped our masts, and made sail towards her; she
proved to be the Honourable Company's ship _Glatton_. We made signals to
her with our handkerchiefs at the mast-head, she unfortunately took no
notice of them, but tacked and stood from us. Our situation was now
truly distressing, night closing fast, with a threatening appearance,
blowing fresh, with hard rain and a heavy sea; our boat very leaky,
without a compass, anchor or provisions, and drifting fast on a
lee-shore, surrounded with dangerous rocks, and inhabited by the most
barbarous pirates. I close-reefed my sails, and kept tack and tack 'till
daylight, when we were happy to find we had drifted very little to
leeward of our situation in the evening. The night was very dark, with
constant hard squalls and heavy rain.

Tuesday, the 19th, no ships in sight. About ten o'clock in the morning
it fell calm, with very hard rain and a heavy swell;--struck our masts
and pulled, not being able to see the land, steered by the swell. When
the weather broke up, found we had drifted several miles to leeward.
During the calm a fresh breeze springing up, made sail, and endeavored
to reach the weather-shore, and anchor with six muskets we had lashed
together for that purpose. Finding the boat made no way against the
swell and tide, bore up for a bay to leeward, and anchored about one
A.M. close under the land in five or six fathoms water, blowing fresh,
with hard rain.

Wednesday, the 20th, at daylight, supposing the flood-tide making,
weighed and stood over to the weather-land, but found we were drifting
fast to leeward. About ten o'clock perceived two Chinese boats steering
for us. Bore up, and stood towards them, and made signals to induce
them to come within hail; on nearing them, they bore up, and passed to
leeward of the islands. The Chinese we had in the boat advised me to
follow them, and he would take us to Macao by the leeward passage. I
expressed my fears of being taken by the Ladrones. Our ammunition being
wet, and the muskets rendered useless, we had nothing to defend
ourselves with but cutlasses, and i