ion and stood in towards it. The
22nd between 8 and 9 o'clock we sprung a leak which increased so that the
chain-pump could not keep the ship free. Whereupon I set the hand-pump to
work also, and by 10 o'clock sucked her: then wore the ship, and stood to
the southward to try if that would ease her; and then the chain-pump just
kept her free. At 5 the next morning we made sail and stood in for the
bay; and at 9 anchored in 10 and a half fathom, sandy ground. The south
point bore south-south-west distance 2 miles, and the north point of the
bay north-east half north, distance 2 miles. As soon as we anchored I
ordered the gunner to clear his powder-room that we might there search
for the leak and endeavour to stop it within board if possible; for we
could not heel the ship so low, it being within 4 streaks of the keel;
neither was there any convenient place to haul her ashore. I ordered the
boatswain to assist the gunner; and by 10 o'clock the powder-room was
clear. The carpenter's mate, gunner, and boatswain went down; and soon
after I followed them myself and asked them whether they could come at
the leak: they said they believed they might, but cutting the ceiling; I
told the carpenter's mate (who was the only person in the ship that
understood anything of carpenter's work) that if he thought he could come
at the leak by cutting the ceiling without weakening the ship he might do
it, for he had stopped one leak so before; which though not so big as
this, yet, having seen them both, I thought he might as well do this as
the other. Wherefore I left him to do his best. The ceiling being cut,
they could not come at the leak; for it was against one of the
foot-hook-timbers which the carpenter's mate said he must first cut
before it could be stopped. I went down again to see it, and found the
water to come in very violently. I told them I never had known any such
thing as cutting timbers to stop leaks; but if they who ought to be best
judges in such cases thought they could do any good I bid them use their
utmost care and diligence, promising the carpenter's mate that I would
always be a friend to him if he could and would stop it: he said by 4
o'clock in the afternoon he would make all well, it being then about 11
in the forenoon. In the afternoon my men were all employed, pumping with
both pumps; except such as assisted the carpenter's mate. About one in
the afternoon I went down again and the carpenter's mate was cutting the