, we stood more to the southward, and made many
experiments to meet with it; but it was seven weeks, from our leaving
the coast, before we got into it. This was an interval, in which we
believed we should well nigh have reached the easternmost parts of
Asia: But we were so baffled with the contrary and variable winds,
which for all that time perplexed us, that we were not as yet advanced
above a fourth part of the way. The delay alone would have been a
sufficient mortification; but there were other circumstances
attending it, which rendered this situation not less terrible, and
our apprehensions perhaps still greater than in any of our past
distresses. For our two ships were by this time extremely crazy;
and many days had not passed, before we discovered a spring in the
fore-mast of the Centurion, which rounded about twenty-six inches of
its circumference, and which was judged to be at least four inches
deep: And no sooner had our carpenters secured this with fishing it,
but the Gloucester made a signal of distress; and we learnt that
she had a dangerous spring in her main-mast, twelve feet below the
trussel-trees; so that she could not carry any sail upon it. Our
carpenters, on a strict examination of this mast, found it so very
rotten and decayed, that they judged it necessary to cut it down as
low as it appeared to have been injured; and by this it was reduced to
nothing but a stump, which served only as a step to the topmast. These
accidents augmented our delay, and occasioned us great anxiety about
our future security: For on our leaving the coast of Mexico, the
scurvy had begun to make its appearance again amongst our people;
though from our departure from Juan Fernandes we had till then enjoyed
a most uninterrupted state of health. We too well knew the effects of
this disease, from our former fatal experience, to suppose that any
thing but a speedy passage could secure the greater part of our crew
from perishing by it: And as, after-being seven weeks at sea, there
did not appear any reasons that could persuade us we were nearer the
trade-wind than when we first set out, there was no ground for us to
suppose but our passage would prove at least three times as long as
we at first expected; and consequently we had the melancholy prospect,
either of dying by the scurvy, or perishing with the ship for want of
hands to navigate her. Indeed, some amongst us were at first willing
to believe, that in this warm climate, so