with light breezes, and
continued thus till Wednesday evening, when it blew fresh again; and
increasing all night, by eight the next morning it became a most violent
storm, and we had with it so thick a fog that it was impossible to see at
the distance of two ships' lengths, so that the whole squadron
disappeared.* On this a signal was made by firing guns, to bring to with
the larboard tacks, the wind being then due east. We ourselves lay to
under a reefed mizzen till noon, when the fog dispersed; and we soon
discovered all the ships of the squadron, except the Pearl, which did not
join us till near a month afterwards. The Trial sloop was a great way to
leeward, having lost her mainmast in this squall, and having been
obliged, for fear of bilging, to cut away the wreck. We bore down with
the squadron to her relief, and the Gloucester was ordered to take her in
tow, for the weather did not entirely abate until the day after, and even
then a great swell continued from the eastward in consequence of the
preceding storm.

(*Note. i.e. from the sight of those on board the Centurion.)

A RUSE DE GUERRE.

On the 17th of February at five in the afternoon, we came to an anchor in
the latitude of 48 degrees 58 minutes. Weighing again at five the next
morning, we an hour afterwards discovered a sail upon which the Severn
and Gloucester were both directed to give chase; but we soon perceived it
to be the Pearl, which separated from us a few days after we left St.
Catherine's; and on this we made a signal for the Severn to rejoin the
squadron, leaving the Gloucester alone in the pursuit. And now we were
surprised to see that, on the Gloucester's approach, the people on board
the Pearl increased their sail and stood from her. However, the
Gloucester came up with them, but found them with their hammocks in their
nettings and everything ready for an engagement. At two in the afternoon
the Pearl joined us, and running up under our stern, Lieutenant Salt
hailed the Commodore, and acquainted him that Captain Kidd* died on the
31st of January. He likewise informed him that he had seen five large
ships on the 10th instant, which he for some time imagined to be our
squadron; that he suffered the commanding ship, which wore a red broad
pennant exactly resembling that of the Commodore, at the main top-mast
head, to come within gun-shot of him before he discovered his mistake;
but then, finding it not to be the Centurion, he hauled close upon