o the land than before, we stood along it to the eastward, the
boat still making after us till she was very far out of the bay: At
length it grew dark, and we lost sight of her, upon which we made all
the sail we could to the eastward.

During all this time I hoisted no colours, having none but English on
board, which at this time I did not think it proper to shew.

As I was disappointed of wood and water at this place, and of the
refreshments, of which, after the dangers and fatigue of our voyage
through the Streight, and our passage from it, we stood in the most
pressing need, I made all the sail I could for the island of Masafuero.
On the 12th of May we arrived off the south eastermost part of it, but
it blowing hard, with a great sea, we did not dare to come near it on
this side, and therefore went round to the west side, where, in the
evening, we cast anchor upon an excellent bank, fit to receive a fleet
of ships, which, in the summer, might ride here with great advantage. I
sent out both the boats to endeavour to get some water, but they found
it impossible to land, for the beach is rocky, and the surf at this time
was so great, that the swimmers could not get through the breakers: This
was the more mortifying, as we saw a fine run of fresh water from the
ship, with plenty of trees fit for fire-wood, and a great number of
goats upon the hills.

The next morning, as soon as it was light, I sent the boats out again,
to examine any place where they could get on shore. They returned with a
few casks of water, which they had filled at a small rill, and reported,
that the wind being at S.E. blew so strong on the east side of the
island, and raised so great a sea, that they could not come near the
shore.

We continued here till the 15th, at day-break, and then, the weather
becoming more moderate, we weighed, and in the evening, just at sun-set,
we anchored on the east side of the island, in the same place where
Commodore Byron had anchored about two years before. We lost no time,
but immediately got off fifteen casks of water, and sent a number of men
on shore with others, that were empty, to be filled against the next
morning, and a strong party to cut wood: But it happened that about two
o'clock in the morning a hard gale of wind came on from the N.W. with
violent gusts from the shore, which drove us off the bank, though we had
two anchors a-head, which were in the utmost danger of being lost; we
got them up, howev