e hauled up on the
larboard tack, with our head to the northward and eastward. As the sun
went down, the wind increased, and the sea ran fast. Our boat behaved
well, till it began to blow very hard, and then it took in so much
water, that we were forced to bale.

We had reefed our sail, and made everything as snug as we could, but the
sea rising fast, and the boat taking in more water, we considered it
prudent to lighten her, which we did by throwing overboard all the
turtle. This we did without regret, as we were tired of eating them for
so long a while. The day broke, and there appeared every sign of bad
weather, and the waves now tossed and foamed too much for such a small
craft as we were in. About noon we saw a vessel on a wind to leeward of
us, which was a source of great delight to us all, and we bore down to
her. We soon made her out to be an hermaphrodite brig, under her
close-reefed topsails and trysails. We ran under her counter and
hailed. We perceived several men standing abaft, and apparently they
suspected us for a rover, for they had muskets and other weapons in
their hands. We told them that we had been shipwrecked, and the boat
was sinking in the gale, and then we rounded-to under her lee.

There we remained for four or five hours, during which the wind and the
sea went down very fast, and the boat no longer took in water; but we
had been all too much alarmed with the danger in which we had been, to
like to continue our voyage in her, and as we thought that we could now
go alongside with safety, we hailed again, and asked permission. After
some parleying they threw us a rope, which we made fast to the boat, and
lowered our sail, keeping off on a broad sheer, as there still was a
great deal of sea. They then entered into conversation with us. I told
them all that had happened, and inquired where the brig was bound to.

They replied, to James Town, Virginia. I asked them if they could give
us a passage there, as we were afraid to proceed in our boat; or if not,
would they see us safe into New Providence.

The captain then came forward. He was a very dark man, dark as a
mulatto, with keen small eyes, and a hooked nose. I never beheld a more
deformed and repulsive countenance.

He said that he could not go to New Providence, as it was out of his
way, and that we might easily get there ourselves if we thought proper.

I replied, that the boat was not sufficiently large and seaworthy, and