ess of this expedient, our leak was
so far reduced, that instead of gaining upon three pumps, it was easily
kept under with one. This was a new source of confidence and comfort;
the people could scarcely have expressed more joy if they had been
already in port; and their views were so far from being limited to
running the ship ashore in some harbour, either of an island or the
main, and building a vessel out of her materials to carry us to the East
Indies, which had so lately been the utmost object of our hope, that
nothing was now thought of but ranging along the shore in search of a
convenient place to repair the damage she had sustained, and then
prosecuting the voyage upon the same plan as if nothing had happened.
Upon this occasion I must observe, both in justice and gratitude to the
ship's company, and the gentlemen on board, that although in the midst
of our distress every one seemed to have a just sense of his danger, yet
no passionate exclamations, or frantic gestures, were to be heard or
seen; every one appeared to have the perfect possession of his mind, and
everyone exerted himself to the uttermost, with a quiet and patient
perseverance, equally distant from the tumultuous violence of terror,
and the gloomy inactivity of despair.[82]

[Footnote 81: A somewhat different account of the operation called
fothering a vessel, is given in the Encyclopaedia Britannica. The
expedient does not appear to be adopted. The importance of the benefit
intended by it is so great, as to justify the most sedulous care to
bring the principle within the range of a seaman's professional studies.
It is somewhat singular that Cook was not acquainted with it.--E.]

[Footnote 82: With the modesty of real worth, Cook expends his eulogium
on his companions in danger, without seeming to reserve the smallest
consideration for his own dignified behaviour in such extreme peril. Who
can doubt, that the conduct of the crew was in unison with the fortitude
and intelligence of their commander? It is on such occasions that the
effects of discipline are most conspicuous. In common occurrences, the
mere attention to rules is amply sufficient to call forth our esteem.
What shall we say of their merit, who, in such untoward emergencies,
extend the influence of beneficial authority beyond the force of some of
the strongest passions that agitate our frame?--E.]

In the mean time, having light airs at E.S.E. we got up the main
top-mast, and main-yard