but the weather was fair,
and the moon shone very bright; the sails were up; the course they
steered was north-east by north, and the sea appeared as far as they
could behold it covered with a white froth. The captain called up the
master and charged him with the loss of the ship, who excused himself by
saying he had taken all the care he could; and that having discerned this
froth at a distance, he asked the steersman what he thought of it, who
told him that the sea appeared white by its reflecting the rays of the
moon. The captain then asked him what was to be done, and in what part
of the world he thought they were. The master replied, that God only
knew that; and that the ship was fast on a bank hitherto undiscovered.
Upon this they began to throw the lead, and found that they had forty-
eight feet of water before, and much less behind the vessel. The crew
immediately agreed to throw their cannon overboard, in hopes that when
the ship was lightened she might be brought to float again. They let
fall an anchor however; and while they were thus employed, a most
dreadful storm arose of wind and rain; which soon convinced them of the
danger they were in; for being surrounded with rocks and shoals, the ship
was continually striking.

They then resolved to cut away the mainmast, which they did, and this
augmented the shock, neither could they get clear of it, though they cut
it close by the board, because it was much entangled within the rigging;
they could see no land except an island which was about the distance of
three leagues, and two smaller islands, or rather rocks, which lay
nearer. They immediately sent the master to examine them, who returned
about nine in the morning, and reported that the sea at high water did
not cover them, but that the coast was so rocky and full of shoals that
it would be very difficult to land upon them; they resolved, however, to
run the risk, and to send most of their company on shore to pacify the
women, children, sick people, and such as were out of their wits with
fear, whose cries and noise served only to disturb them. About ten
o'clock they embarked these in their shallop and skiff, and, perceiving
their vessel began to break, they doubled their diligence; they likewise
endeavoured to get their bread up, but they did not take the same care of
the water, not reflecting in their fright that they might be much
distressed for want of it on shore; and what hindered them most of all