upon the decks, and seeing the
weather so bad and night coming on, and that all their sails were spread,
and they ran extraordinary fast, he did not like it, but called together
the captain, the master, the pilot, and others, to consult what was best
to be done. He asked them why they spread all their sails, and desired to
make so much way in so ill weather, and so near to night. They said they
had so much sail because the wind favoured them, and that notwithstanding
the bad weather they might safely run as they did, having sea-room
enough. Whitelocke asked them if they knew whereabouts they were. They
confessed they did not, because they had been so much tossed up and down
by contrary winds, and the sun had not shined, whereby they might take
the elevation. Whitelocke replied, that, having been driven forward and
backward as they had been, it was impossible to know where they were;
that the ship had run, and did now run, extraordinary fast, and if she
should run so all night, perhaps they might be in danger of the English
coast or of the Holland coast; and that by Norfolk there were great
banks of sand, by which he had passed at sea formerly, and which could
not be unknown to them; that in case the ship should fall upon those
sands, or any other dangers of that coast, before morning, they should be
all lost; and therefore he thought fit to take down some of their sails
and slacken their course till, by daylight, they might come to know more
certainly in what part they were.

The officers of the ship continued earnest to hold on their course,
saying they would warrant it that there was running enough for all night,
and that to take down any sail, now the wind was so good for them, would
be a great wrong to them in their course. But Whitelocke was little
satisfied with their reasons, and less with their warranties, which among
them are not of binding force. His own reason showed him, that, not
knowing where they were, and in such weather as this to run on as they
did, they knew not whither, with all their sails spread, might be
dangerous; but to take down some of their sails and to slacken their
course could be no danger, and but little prejudice in the hindrance of
their course this night, which he thought better to be borne than to
endanger all.

[SN: He orders sail to be taken in.]

But chiefly it was the goodness of God to put it strongly upon
Whitelocke's heart to overrule the seamen in this particular, though in