s the 18th of September, and riding safe that and the
three succeeding days, (though the weather proved very squally and
uncertain) we flattered ourselves (for I was then on board) that the
prudence of our measures had secured us from all accidents; but, on
the 22d, the wind blew from the eastward with such fury, that we soon
despaired of riding out the storm; and therefore we should have been
extremely glad that the commodore and the rest of our people on shore,
which were the greatest part of our hands, had been on board with
us, since our only hopes of safety seemed to depend on our putting
immediately to sea; but all communication with the shore was now
effectually cut off, for there was no possibility that a boat could
live, so that we were necessitated to ride it out, till our cables
parted. Indeed it was not long before this happened, for the small
bower parted at five in the afternoon, and the ship swung off to the
best bower; and as the night came on, the violence of the wind still
increased; but notwithstanding its inexpressible fury, the tide ran
with so much rapidity, as to prevail over it; for the tide having set
to the northward in the beginning of the storm, turned suddenly to the
southward about six in the evening, and forced the ship before it in
despight of the storm, which blew upon the beam: And now the sea broke
most surprisingly all round us, and a large tumbling swell threatened
to poop us; the long-boat, which was at this time moored a-stern,
was on a sudden canted so high, that it broke the transom of the
commodore's gallery, whose cabin was on the quarter-deck, and would
doubtless have risen as high as the tafferel, had it not been for this
stroke which stove the boat all to pieces; but the poor boat-keeper,
though extremely bruised, was saved almost by miracle. About eight
the tide slackened, but the wind did not abate; so that at eleven, the
best bower-cable, by which alone we rode, parted. Our sheet-anchor,
which was the only one we had left, was instantly cut from the bow;
but before it could reach the bottom, we were driven from twenty-two
into thirty-five fathom; and after we had veered away one whole cable,
and two-thirds of another, we could not find ground with sixty fathom
of line: This was a plain indication, that the anchor lay near the
edge of the bank, and could not hold us. In this pressing danger, Mr
Sanmarez, our first lieutenant, who now commanded on board, ordered
several guns