surged up alongside, and we found that we were
on shore. Here might be a speedy conclusion to all our hopes of
prize-money--not that we cared for the paltry sum the vessel in sight
might have given us, but for what we might obtain by our cruise
altogether. Not a moment was lost in clewing-up everything, lowering
boats, and in laying out anchors; but, notwithstanding, we stuck hard
and fast. British seamen, however, do not give way to despair in a
hurry. Fresh anchors and warps were laid out. We sounded round the
ship to see where most water was to be found. Then we worked away with
our purchases. We had no wish to start our water or to heave our guns
and provisions overboard till the last extremity. Fortunately the wind
fell. We hove away with a will. "Hurrah, hurrah?" was the cry fore and
aft; "she moves, she moves!" Our success encouraged us. The
Hinchinbrook, before we got on shore, was out of sight; so was the chase
by this time. At length our efforts were rewarded with success, and
once more we had deep water under our keel. What was satisfactory,
also, we had suffered little or no damage.

For the next fortnight we were employed chiefly in chasing and speaking
a vast number of Spanish merchantmen bound to the Havannah, and as we
little suspected all the time that war had been declared between England
and Spain, we allowed them to proceed. This was provoking enough, for,
they would have proved very rich prizes. We spoke also his Majesty's
ships Winchelsea, Camel, Lynne, and Druid, with a convoy from England
for Jamaica, and on the 15th of June, the period of our cruise being up,
and our provisions, moreover, growing short, we left our station and
made sail for Port Royal.

On the 1st of July, judging by our reckoning that we were within a few
leagues of Jamaica, our surprise was very considerable when we struck
soundings on the Misteriosa bank, about a hundred leagues to the
westward of where we supposed ourselves to be. Captain Packenham sent
forthwith for the purser, and in consequence of the report he gave we
were immediately put on half allowance, having, even at that rate,
provisions to last us only for fourteen days. There we were, dead to
leeward, while light winds and frequent calms occasioned our progress to
be very slow. We kept at it, however, making every inch of ground we
could. Still by the 12th, being at a considerable distance from land,
we were of necessity put on yet further