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and body, that none of them could pump more than five or fix minutes at a time, andthen threw themfelves, quite fpent, on the deck, amidft a ftream of water which camefrom the pumps. The fucceeding man being fatigued in his turn, threw himfelfdown in the fame manner, while the former jumped up and renewed his labour, thusmutually ftruggling for life, till the following accident had like to have given them upa prey to abfolute defpair.
Between the infide lining of the fhip’s bottom, which is called the ceiling, and theoutfide planking, there is a fpace of about feventeen or eighteen inches. The manwho had hitherto taken the depth of water at the well, had taken it no farther thanthe ceiling; but being now relieved by another perfon, who took the depth to theoutfide planking, it appeared by this miftake,"' that the leak had fuddenly gained upon-the pumps, the whole difference between the two plankings. This circumflance de-prived them of all hopes, and fcarce any one thought it worth while to labour for thelonger prefervation of a life which muft fo foon have a period. But the miftake wasfoon difcovered; and the joy arifing from fuch unexpected good news infpired themen with fo much vigour, that before eight o’clock in the morning they had pumped— out confiderably more water than they had fhipped. They now talked confidently ofgetting the fhip into fotne harbour, and fet heartily to work to get in their anchors;one of which, and the cable of another, they loft : but thefe were now confidered astrifles. Having a good breeze from the fea, they got under fail at eleven o’clock, andflood for the land.
As they could not difcover the exact fituation of the leak, they had no profpeCt offlopping it within fide of the velfel; but the following expedient, which one of themidfhipmen had formerly feen tried with fuccefs, was adopted. They took an oldftudding-fail, and having mixed a large quantity of oakum and wool, chopped finallyit was ftitched down in handfuls on the fail, as lightly as poffible; the dung of theirfteep and other filth being fpread over it. Thus prepared, the fail was hauled underthe fhip by ropes, which kept it extended till it came under the leak, when thefuClion carried in the oakum and wool from the furface of the fail. This experimentflicceeded fo well, that inftead of three pumps, the water was eafily kept under"nth one.
They hitherto had no further view than to run the fhip into an harbour, and build avelfel from her materials, in which they might reach the Eaft Indies; but they nowbegan to think of finding a proper place to repair her damage, and then to purfue theirVoyage on its original plan. At fix in the evening they anchored feven leagues fromthe fhore; and found that the fhip made fifteen inches water an hour during the night;but as the pumps could clear this quantity, they were not uneafy. At nine in theCorning they pafled two iflands, which were called Hope Iflands, becaufe the reaching°f them had been the object of their wifhes at the time’of the fhip wreck. In theafternoon the mafter was fent out with two boats to found, and fearch for a harbour"there the fhip might be repaired. They anchored at fun-fet in four fathom, two milesriom the fhore. One of the mates being out in the pinnace, returned at nine° clock, reporting, that he had found juft fuch a harbour as was wanted, at the diftance°f two leagues.
■At fix o’clock the next morning they failed, having previoufly fent two boats a-head,to lie on the fhoals that they faw in their way. They foon anchored about a mile from*he fhore, when the captain went out, and found the channel very narrow, but theharbour was better adapted to their prefent purpofe than any place they had feen inl he whole courfe of their voyage. As it blew very frefh this day and the following
night,