r.
Purnell supposes it was now about nine o'clock; it was very dark.

They had run abut 360 miles by their dead reckoning, on a S. E. by E.
course. The number in the boat was 17 in all; the boat was very deep,
and little hopes were entertained of either seeing land or surviving
long. The wind got round to westward, which was the course they wanted
to steer; but it began to blow and rain so very hard, that they were
obliged to keep before the wind and sea, in order to preserve her
above water. Soon after they had put off from the wreck the boat
shipped two heavy seas, one after another, so that they were obliged
to keep her before the wind and sea; for had she shipped another sea,
she certainly would have swamped with them.

By sunrise the next morning, July 3, they judged that they had been
running E. S. E. which was contrary to their wishes. The wind dying
away, the weather became very moderate. The compass which they had
saved proved of no utility, one of the people having trod upon, and
broken it; it was accordingly thrown overboard. They now proposed to
make a sail of some frocks and trowsers, but they had got neither
needles nor sewing twine, one of the people however, had a needle in his
knife, and another several fishing lines in his pockets, which were
unlaid by some, and others were employed in ripping the frocks and
trowsers. By sunset they had provided a tolerable lug-sail; having split
one of the boat's thwarts, (which was of yellow deal,) with a very large
knife, which one of the crew had in his pocket, they made a yard and
lashed it together by the strands of the fore-top-gallant-halyards, that
were thrown into the boat promiscuously.--They also made a mast of one
of the long oars, and set their sails, with sheets and tacks made out of
the top-gallant-halyards. Their only guide was the North star. They had
a tolerable good breeze all night; and the whole of the next day, July
4, the weather continued very moderate, and the people were in as good
spirits as their dreadful situation would admit.

July 5, the wind and weather continued much the same, and they knew by
the North star that they were standing in for the land. The next day
Mr. Purnell observed some of the men drinking salt water, and seeming
rather fatigued.--At this time they imagined the wind was got round to
the southward, and they steered, as they thought by the North star, to
the northwest quarter; but on the 7th, they found the wind had go