place, and found to answer to a sufficient degree of exactness.

All these obstacles being in some degree removed (which were always as
much as possible concealed from the vulgar, that they might not grow
remiss with the apprehension of labouring to no purpose,) the work
proceeded very successfully and vigorously: The necessary iron-work
was in great forwardness; and the timbers and planks (which, though
not the most exquisite performances of the sawyer's art, were yet
sufficient for the purpose,) were all prepared; so that on the 6th of
October, being the 14th day from the departure of the ship, they
haled the bark on shore, and, on the two succeeding days, she was sawn
asunder (though with great care not to cut her planks,) and her two
parts were separated the proper distance from each other, and, the
materials being all ready before-hand, they, the next day, being
the 9th of October, went on with great dispatch in their proposed
enlargement of her; and by this time they had all their future
operations so fairly in view, and were so much masters of them, that
they were able to determine when the whole would be finished, and had
accordingly fixed the 5th of November for the day of their putting
to sea. But their projects and labours were drawing to a speedier and
happier conclusion; for on the 11th of October, in the afternoon,
one of the Gloucester's men, being upon a hill in the middle of the
island, perceived the Centurion at a distance, and running down with
his utmost speed towards the landing-place, he, in the way, saw some
of his comrades, to whom he hallooed out with extacy, The ship, the
ship! This being heard by Mr Gordon, a lieutenant of marines, who
was convinced by the fellow's transport that his report was true, Mr
Gordon ran towards the place where the commodore and his people
were at work, and being fresh and in breath, easily outstripped the
Gloucester's man, and got before him to the commodore, who, on hearing
this happy and unexpected news, threw down his axe with which he was
then at work, and by his joy broke through, for the first time, the
equable and unvaried character which he had hitherto preserved; the
others, who were with him, instantly ran down to the sea-side in a
kind of frenzy, eager to feast themselves with a sight they had so
ardently wished for, and of which they had now for a considerable time
despaired. By five in the evening the Centurion was visible in the
offing to them all; a