o land in any place that was under his jurisdiction." Before I made any
reply to this letter, I shewed the gentlemen who brought it the number
of my sick: At the sight of so many unhappy wretches, who were dying of
languor and disease, they seemed to be much affected; and I then urged
again the pressing necessity I was under of procuring refreshment, to
which they had been witnesses, the cruelty and injustice of refusing to
supply me, which was not only contrary to treaty, as we were in a king's
ship, but to the laws of nature, as we were human beings: They seemed to
admit the force of this reasoning, but they had a short and final answer
ready, "that they had absolute and indispensable orders from their
masters, not to suffer any ship, of whatever nation, to stay at this
port, and that these orders they must implicitly obey." To this I
replied, that persons in our situation had nothing worse to fear than
what they suffered, and that therefore, if they did not immediately
allow me the liberty of the port, to purchase refreshments, and procure
shelter, I would, as soon as the wind would permit, in defiance of all
their menaces, and all their force, go and anchor close to the town;
that if at last I should find myself unable to compel them to comply
with requisitions, the reasonableness of which could not be
controverted, I would run the ship a-ground under their walls, and,
after selling our lives as dearly as we could, bring upon, them the
disgrace of having reduced a friend and ally to so dreadful an
extremity. At this they seemed to be alarmed, as our situation alone was
sufficient to convince them that I was in earnest, and urged me with
great emotion to remain where I was, at least till I had heard again
from the governor: To this, after some altercation, I consented, upon
condition that I heard from the governor before the sea-breeze set in
the next day.

We passed all the remainder of this day, and all the night, in a state
of anxiety, not unmixed with indignation, that greatly aggravated our
distress; and very early the next morning, we had the mortification to
see a sloop that mounted eight carriage guns, and one of the vessels of
the country, fitted out for war, with a great number of soldiers on
board, come from the town, and anchor under each of our bows. I
immediately sent my boat to speak with them, but they would make no
reply to any thing that was said. About noon, the sea-breeze set in, and
not having th