er, with great difficulty, and immediately set the
sails, and worked under the lee of the island, keeping as near the
shore as we could; the weather soon afterwards became more moderate, so
that we could carry double-reefed sails; we had also very smooth water,
yet we could not make the ship tack, and were forced to wear her every
time we wanted to go about.

At day-break, though we were at a good distance from the shore, I sent
the cutter to get off a load of water, before the surf should be so
great upon the beach as to prevent her landing. About ten o'clock, the
wind came to the N.N.E. which enabled us to get within a little distance
of the watering-place, and we might have recovered our anchoring ground
upon the bank from which we had been driven, but the weather had so bad
an appearance, and the gale freshened so fast, that we did not think it
prudent to venture: We brought-to, however, as near the shore as
possible, for the advantage of smooth water to unload the cutter, which
soon after came alongside with twelve casks of water. As soon as we had
taken these on board, I sent the cutter again for another freight, and
as we were at a very little distance from land, I ventured to send our
long-boat, a clumsy, heavy, four-oared vessel, with provisions for the
people on shore, and orders to bring back a load of water, if she could
get it: As soon as these boats were dispatched, we made a tack off to
keep our ground. At noon it blew hard with heavy rain and thick weather;
and at one, as we were standing in again, we saw the boats running along
the shore, for the lee-part of the island, this side being open to the
wind; we therefore followed them, and brought-to as near the shore as
possible, to favour their coming on board: They presently made towards
us, and we hoisted them in, but the sea was now risen so high, that in
doing it they received considerable damage, and we soon learnt that they
found the surf so great as not to be able even to land their empty
water-casks. We continued to lie-to, under a balanced mizen, off the
lee-part of the island all the afternoon, and although all hands had
been constantly employed ever since the ship had been driven off her
anchoring-ground, the carpenters worked all night in repairing the
boats.

At four o'clock in the morning, the island bore west of us, being four
leagues distant, and right to windward: We had now a fine gale and
smooth water, and about ten o'clock we fetched v