error in pretending to attack the town, and the ship in the harbour.
Though drunkenness is rather an aggravation than an excuse for
misconduct, yet it is to be considered that Clipperton was a mere
sailor, who had not the benefit of a liberal education, and that he fell
into this sad vice from disappointment and despair. On all occasions he
had shewn a humane and even generous disposition, with the most
inflexible honesty, and a constant regard to the interest of his owners.
He is therefore much to be pitied, for having fled to the bottle under a
load of misfortunes too heavy for him to bear.

The voyage upon which they had now to enter was very dangerous, the run
from Manilla to China being estimated at 400 leagues; besides that the
distance they had now to sail was much greater. They had only received a
very moderate addition to their former scanty stock of provisions; and
their vessel had been so roughly handled in the late unfortunate affair,
that they were very apprehensive she would not last out the voyage. On
careful examination, she was found to be in a very shattered condition,
having scarcely a whole timber in her upper works, and one of her
_fashion pieces_ being shot through, which is a principal support of the
after-part of the ship, they were obliged to strap her, to keep her
together. As it blew pretty fresh, they durst not carry sail, and for
nearly a week together had to scud almost under bare poles, through
variable winds, bad weather, and a rough sea. This was a melancholy
situation for the people, in seas with which they were little
acquainted, and sailing by charts on which they could not depend. Yet
they found the accounts and charts of Dampier much superior to those
laid down by persons of much greater figure, so that without these they
had hardly been able to have extricated themselves from their
difficulties. The 24th June they were in sight of the _Bashee_ Islands,
in lat. 20 deg. 45' N. long. 121 deg. 40' E. On the 31st they saw the
_island-shoals_ of _Pralas_, in lat. 21 deg. N. long. 116 deg. 20' E. The 1st
July they fell in with other islands, not laid down in any of their
charts, which perplexed them sadly, not being able to form any certain
judgment of their true course. They anchored under one of these islands
in thirteen fathoms, and sent away one of their boats to endeavour to
procure intelligence how Macao bore from them, that being the port to
which they were bound. The pinnace retur