r,
who bestowed all that day in the businesse, but to little purpose:
whereupon when the humour was spent, the Captaine pacified himselfe, as
conceiting he should sure find her at _Algier_: but by the permission of
the Ruler of all actions, that _Algier_ was England, and all his
wickednesse frustrated: for _Rawlins_ beeing now startled, lest hee
should returne in this humour for the Streights, on the eight of
February went downe into the hold, and finding a great deale of water
below, told the Captaine of the same, adding, that it did not come to
the Pumpe, which he said very politickly, that he might remove the
Ordnance. For when the Captaine askt him the reason, he told him the
ship was too farre after the head: then hee commanded to use the best
meanes he could to bring her in order: "sure then," quoth _Rawlins_,
"wee must quit our Cables, and bring foure Peeces of Ordnance after, and
that would bring the water to the Pumpe;" which was presently put in
practice, so the Peeces beeing usually made fast thwart the ship, we
brought two of them with their mouthes right before the Binnacle, and
because the Renegadoe _Flemmings_ would not begin, it was thus
concluded: that the ship having three Deckes, wee that did belong to the
Gunner roome should bee all there, and breake up the lower Decke. The
_English_ slaves, who always lay in the middle Decks, should doe the
like, and watch the Scuttels: _Rawlins_ himselfe prevayled with the
Gunner, for so much Powder, as should prime the Peeces, and so told them
all there was no better watch-word, nor meanes to begin, then upon the
report of the Peece to make a cry and shout, for God, and King _Iames_,
and Saint _George_ for _England_!
When all things were prepared, and every man resolved, as knowing what
hee had to doe, and the houre when it should happen, to be two in the
afternoone, _Rawlins_ advised the Master Gunner to speake to the
Captaine, that the Souldiers might attend on the Poope, which would
bring the ship after: to which the Captaine was very willing, and upon
the Gunners information, the Souldiers gat themselves to the Poope, to
the number of twentie, and five or sixe went into the Captaines Cabbin,
where always lay divers Curtleaxes, and some Targets, and so wee fell to
worke to pumpe the water, and carryed the matter fairely till the next
day, which was spent as the former, being the ninth of February, and as
God must have the prayse, the triumph of our victorie.
|