it, yet, when it took the ship, it roared, and laid her
down so, that I thought she would never get up again. However, by
keeping her away, and clewing up every thing, she righted. The
remainder of the night we had very heavy squalls, and in the morning
found the mainmast sprung half the way through: one hundred and
twenty-three leagues to the leeward of Jamaica, the hurricane months
coming on, the head of the mainmast almost off, and at short
allowance; well, we must make the best of it. The mainmast was well
fished, but we were obliged to be very tender of carrying sail.

Nothing remarkable happened for ten days afterwards, when we chased a
Yankee man of war for six hours, but could not get near enough to her
before it was dark, to keep sight of her; so that we lost her because
unable to carry any sail on the mainmast. In about twelve days more
made the island of Jamaica, having weathered all the squalls, and put
into Montego Bay for water; so that we had a strong party for kicking
up a dust on shore, having found three men of war lying there.
Dancing, &c. &c. till two o'clock every morning; little thinking what
was to happen in four days' time: for out of the four men of war that
were there, not one was in being at the end of that time, and not a
soul alive but those left of our crew. Many of the houses, where we
had been so merry, were so completely destroyed, that scarcely a
vestige remained to mark where they stood. Thy works are wonderful, O
God! praised be thy holy Name!

September the 30th weighed; bound for Port Royal, round the eastward
of the island; the Bardadoes and Victor had sailed the day before, and
the Scarborough was to sail the next. Moderate weather until October
the 2d. Spoke to the Barbadoes off Port Antonio in the evening. At
eleven at night it began to snuffle, with a monstrous heavy appearance
from the eastward. Close reefed the top-sails. Sir Hyde sent for me:
"What sort of weather have we, Archer!" "It blows a little, and has a
very ugly look: if in any other quarter but this, I should say we were
going to have a gale of wind." "Ay, it looks so very often here when
there is no wind at all; however, don't hoist the top-sails till it
clears a little, there is no trusting any country." At twelve I was
relieved; the weather had the same rough look: however, they made sail
upon her, but had a very dirty night. At eight in the morning I came
up again, found it blowing hard from the east-north-ea