of the bay from W. by N.
to N.1/2 W. are about a quarter of a mile asunder; a small rivulet, at
the distance of somewhat less than two cables' length, bore S.1/2 W. and
Cape Quod N. at the distance of four miles. At this time the Swallow was
at anchor in Island Bay on the north shore, at about six miles distance.

I now sent all the boats out to sound round the ship and in the
neighbouring bays; and they returned with an account that they could
find no place fit to receive the ship, neither could any such place be
found between Cape Quod and Cape Notch.

In this place we remained till Friday the 20th, when about noon the
clouds gathered very thick to the westward, and before one it blew a
storm, with such rain and hail, as we had scarcely ever seen. We
immediately struck the yards and top-masts, and having run out two
hausers to a rock, we hove the ship up to it: We then let go the small
bower, and veered away, and brought both cables a-head; at the same time
we carried out two more hausers, and made them fast to two other rocks,
making use of every expedient in our power to keep the ship steady. The
gale continued to increase till six o'clock in the evening, and to our
great astonishment the sea broke quite over the forecastle in upon the
quarter-deck, which, considering the narrowness of the streight, and the
smallness of the bay in which we were stationed, might well have been
thought impossible. Our danger here was very great, for if the cables
had parted, as we could not run out with a sail, and as we had not room
to bring the ship up with any other anchor, we must have been dashed to
pieces in a few minutes, and in such a situation it is highly probable
that every soul would immediately have perished; however, by eight
o'clock the gale was become somewhat more moderate, and gradually
decreasing during the night, we had tolerable weather the next morning.
Upon heaving the anchor, we had the satisfaction to find that our cable
was sound, though our hawsers were much rubbed by the rocks,
notwithstanding they were parcelled with old hammacoes, and other
things. The first thing I did after performing the necessary operations
about the ship, was to send a boat to the Swallow to enquire how she had
fared during the gale: The boat returned with an account that she had
felt but little of the gale, but that she had been very near being lost,
in pushing through the islands two days before, by the rapidity of the
tide: That