southwards very briskly before the wind for several
days. We now went upon examining our stores, and found we had flour
enough, plenty of fish and salt provisions, but were scant of water and
wood; of the first whereof there was not half a ton, and but very little
of the latter. This made us very uneasy, and being none of us expert in
navigation farther than the common working of the ship, and having no
chart on board that might direct us to the nearest land, we were almost
at our wits' end, and came to a short allowance of liquor. That we must
get water if we could was indisputable; but where to do it puzzled us,
as we had determined not to get in with the African shore on any account
whatever.

In this perplexity, and under the guidance of different opinions (for
we were all captains now), we sometimes steered eastward, and sometimes
westward, for about nine days, when we espied a little bluish cloud-like
appearance to the southwest; this continuing, we hoped it might be land,
and therefore made to it. Upon our nearer approach we found it to be,
as we judged, an island; but not knowing its name or whether it was
inhabited, we coasted round it two days to satisfy ourselves as to this
last particular. Seeing no living creature on it during that time, and
the shore being very broken, we came to an anchor about two miles from
it, and sent ten of our crew in our best boat with some casks to get
water and cut wood. The boat returned at night with six men and the
casks filled, having left four behind to go on with the cutting of wood
against next day. Accordingly next morning the boat went off again and
made two turns with water and wood ere night, which was repeated for two
or three days after. On the sixth she went off for wood only, leaving
none but me and one John Adams on board.

The boat had scarce reached the island this last turn before the day
overcast, and there arose such a storm of wind, thunder, lightning, and
hail as I had never before seen. At last our cable broke close to the
anchor, and away we went with the wind full southward by west; and not
having strength to keep the ship upon a side wind, we were forced to set
her head right before it and let her drive. Our hope was, every hour,
the storm would abate; but it continued with equal violence for many
days, during all which time neither Adams nor I had any rest, for one or
other of us was forced, and sometimes both, to keep her right before the
wind, or s