ne what ammunition had been left on shore, and to preserve it
carefully; and on this enquiry, they had the mortification to find,
that the utmost that could be collected, by the strictest search, did
not amount to more than ninety charges of powder for their firelocks,
which was considerably short of one a-piece for each of the company,
and was indeed a very slender stock of ammunition, for such as were
to eat no grain or bread for a month, but what they were to procure by
force of arms.

But the most alarming circumstance, and what, without the providential
interposition of very improbable events, had rendered all their
schemes abortive, remains yet to be related. The general idea of the
fabric and equipment of the vessel was settled in a few days, and when
this was done, it was not difficult to make some estimation of the
time necessary to complete her. After this, it was natural to expect
that the officers would consider on the course they were to steer,
and the land they were to make. These reflections led them to the
disheartening discovery, that there was neither compass nor quadrant
on the island. Indeed, the commodore had brought a pocket compass
on shore for his own use, but Lieutenant Brett had borrowed it to
determine the position of the neighbouring islands, and he had been
driven to sea in the Centurion, without returning it; and as to a
quadrant, that could not be expected to be found on shore, for as it
was of no use at land, there could be no reason for bringing it
from on board the ship. It was eight days, from the departure of the
Centurion, before they were relieved from this terrible perplexity: At
last, in rummaging a chest belonging to the Spanish bark, they found a
small compass, which, though little better than the toys usually made
for the amusement of school-boys, was to them an invaluable treasure.
And a few days after, by a similar piece of good fortune, they found
a quadrant on the sea-shore, which had been thrown overboard amongst
other lumber belonging to the dead: The quadrant was eagerly seized,
but it unluckily wanted vanes, and therefore, in its present state,
was altogether useless; however, fortune still continuing in a
favourable mood, it was not long before a person, out of curiosity,
pulling out the drawer of an old table, which had been driven on
shore, found some vanes, which fitted the quadrant very well; and it
being thus completed, it was examined by the known latitude of the