PELSART S VOYAGE TO AUSTRALASIA.

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having difcerned this froth at a diftance, he alked the fteerfman what he thought of.it, who told him that the fea appeared white by its reflecting the rays of the moon,■t he captain then alked him, what was to be done, and in what part of the world hethought they were ? The mafter replied, that God only knew that; and that thefldp was faft on a bank hitherto undifcovered. Upon this they began to throw thelead, and found that they had forty-eight feet water before, and much lefs behindthe veffel. The crew immediately agreed to throw their cannon overboard, in hopes,that when the fhip was lightened, Ihe might be brought to float again. They let fallan anchor however; and while they were thus employed, a molt dreadful ftormarofe of wind and rain ; which foon convinced them of the danger they were in; forbeing furrounded with rocks and Ihoals, the fhip was continually ftriking.

They then refolved to cut away the main-maft, which they did, and this augmentedthe fhock, neither could they get clear of it, though they cut it clofe by the board,becaufe it was much entangled with the rigging ; they could fee no land, except anifland, which was about the diftance of three leagues, and two fmaller iflands, or ratherrocks, which lay nearer. They immediately fent the mafter to examine them, who re-turned about nine in the morning, and reported that the fea at high water did notcover them, but that the coaft was fo rocky and full of Ihoals that it would be verydifficult to land upon them ; they refolved, however, to run the rilk, and to fend moftof their company on fhore to pacify the women, children, fick people, and fuch asWere out of their wits with fear, whofe cries and noife ferved only to difturb them.About ten o’clock they embarked thefe in their fhallop and fluff, and, perceiving theirVeffel began to break, they doubled their diligence : they likewife endeavoured to gettheir bread up, but they did not take the fame care of the water, not reflecting in theirfright that they might be much diftreffed for want of it on Ihore, and what hinderedthem moft of all, was the brutal behaviour of fome of the crew that made themfelvesdrunk with wine, of which no care was taken. In fiiort, fuch was their confufion,that they made but three trips that day, carrying over to the ifland 180 perfons, 20barrels of bread, and fome fmall calks of water. The mafter returned on board to-wards evening, and told the captain that it was to no purpofe to fend more provilionsIhore, fince the people only wafted thofe they had already. Upon this the captain'vent in the lhallop to put things in better order, and was then informed that there waswater to be found upon the ifland ; he endeavoured to return to the fhip in orderto bring off a fupply, together with the moft valuable part of their cargo, but a ftormfuddenly arifing, he was forced to return.

1 he next day was fpent in removing their water and moft valuable goods on Ihore;an d afterwards the captain in the fluff, and the mafter in the lhallop, endeavoured toReturn to the veffel, but found the fea run fo high, that it was impoffible to get onboard. In this extremity the carpenter threw himfelf out of the Ihip, and fwam tothem, in order to inform them to what hardlhips thofe left in the veffel were reduced,a nd they fent him back with orders for them to make rafts, by tying the planks toge-ther, and endeavour on thefe to reach the lhallop and Ikiff; but before this could behone, the weather became fo rough, that the captain was obliged to return, leaving, withthe utmoft grief, his lieutenant and feventy men on the very point of perilhing on boardthe vefftl. Thofe who were got on the little ifland were not in a much better condi-hon, for, upon taking an account of their water, they found they Had not above 40Salons for 40 people, and on the larger ifland, where there were 120, their ftock washi lefs. Thofe on the little ifland began to murmur, and to complain of their officers,

becaufe