almon and some
other provisions which lay ready for him on shore.

Our anchor was up at six, and before nine in the morning we had doubled
the Berry-head, and were arrived off Dartmouth, having gone full three
miles in as many hours, in direct opposition to the tide, which only
befriended us out of our harbor; and though the wind was perhaps our
friend, it was so very silent, and exerted itself so little in our
favor, that, like some cool partisans, it was difficult to say whether
it was with us or against us. The captain, however, declared the former
to be the case during the whole three hours; but at last he perceived
his error, or rather, perhaps, this friend, which had hitherto wavered
in choosing his side, became now more determined. The captain then
suddenly tacked about, and, asserting that he was bewitched, submitted
to return to the place from whence he came. Now, though I am as free
from superstition as any man breathing, and never did believe in
witches, notwithstanding all the excellent arguments of my lord
chief-justice Hale in their favor, and long before they were put down by
act of parliament, yet by what power a ship of burden should sail three
miles against both wind and tide, I cannot conceive, unless there was
some supernatural interposition in the case; nay, could we admit that
the wind stood neuter, the difficulty would still remain. So that
we must of necessity conclude that the ship was either bewinded or
bewitched. The captain, perhaps, had another meaning. He imagined
himself, I believe, bewitched, because the wind, instead of persevering
in its change in his favor, for change it certainly did that morning,
should suddenly return to its favorite station, and blow him back
towards the bay. But, if this was his opinion, he soon saw cause to
alter; for he had not measured half the way back when the wind again
declared in his favor, and so loudly, that there was no possibility of
being mistaken. The orders for the second tack were given, and obeyed
with much more alacrity than those had been for the first. We were all
of us indeed in high spirits on the occasion; though some of us a little
regretted the good things we were likely to leave behind us by the
fisherman's neglect; I might give it a worse name, for he faithfully
promised to execute the commission, which he had had abundant
opportunity to do; but nautica fides deserves as much to be proverbial
as ever Punica fides could formerly have done