e first narrow, and as I perceived the strange
ship to have shaped the same course that we had, from the time she had
first seen us, shortening or making sail as we did, she became the
subject of much speculation; and as I was obliged, after I had got
through the first narrow, to bring-to for the store-ship, which was a
great way astern, I imagined she would speak with us, and therefore I
put the ship in the best order I could. As soon as he had passed the
narrow, and saw me lying-to, he did the same about four miles to
windward of me. In this situation we remained till night came on, and
the tide setting us over to the south shore, we came to an anchor; the
wind however shifted before morning, and at day-break I saw our
satellite at anchor about three leagues to leeward of us. As it was then
tide of flood, I thought of working through the second narrow; but
seeing the stranger get underway, and work up towards us, I ran directly
over into Gregory Bay, and brought the ship to an anchor, with a spring
upon our cable: I also got eight of our guns, which were all we could
get at, out of the hold, and brought them over on one side. In the mean
time, the ship continued to work up towards us, and various were our
conjectures about her, for she shewed no colours, neither did we. It
happened about this time that the store-ship, as she was endeavouring to
come to an anchor near us, ran aground; upon which the stranger came to
an anchor a little way astern, at the same time hoisting French colours,
and sending his launch, and another boat, with an anchor to assist her.
Still, however, I showed no colours, but sent my own boats, and a boat
of the Tamar's, to assist the store-ship, giving orders at the same time
to the officers, not to suffer the French boats to come on board her,
but to thank them in polite terms for the assistance they intended.
These orders were punctually obeyed, and with the assistance of our own
boats only, the store-ship was soon after got off: My people reported
that the French ship was full of men, and seemed to have a great number
of officers on board.
At six o'clock in the evening, I made the signal and weighed; we worked
through the second narrow, and at ten o'clock passed the west end of it:
at eleven we anchored in seven fathom off Elizabeth's Island, and the
French ship at the same time anchored in a bad situation, to the
southward of Saint Bartholomew's Island, which convinced me that she was
not a
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