t; and the windward-side made rounding,
in the manner of other vessels: And, to prevent her oversetting, which
from her small breadth, and the straight run of her leeward-side,
would, without this precaution, infallibly happen, there is a frame
laid out from her to windward, to the end of which is fastened a log,
fashioned into the shape of a small boat, and made hollow: The weight
of the frame is intended to balance the proa, and the small boat is by
its buoyancy (as it is always in the water) to prevent her oversetting
to windward; and this frame is usually called an outrigger. The body
of the proa (at least of that we took) is made of two pieces joined
end-ways, and sowed together with bark, for there is no iron used
about her: She is about two inches thick at the bottom, which at the
gunwale is reduced to less than one.[2]

[Footnote 2: The author refers to a plate for a minute description,
which is necessarily omitted.--E.]

The proa generally carries six or seven Indians; two of which are
placed in the head and stem, who steer the vessel alternately with a
paddle, according to the tack she goes on, be in the stern being the
steersman; the other Indians are employed either in baling out the
water which she accidentally ships, or in setting and trimming
the sail. From the description of these vessels it is sufficiently
obvious, how dexterously they are fitted for ranging this collection
of islands called the Ladrones: For as these islands lie nearly N. and
S. of each other, and are all within the limits of the trade-wind,
the proas, by sailing most excellently on a wind, and with either
end foremost, can ran from one of these islands to the other and back
again, only by shifting the sail, without ever putting about; and,
by the flatness of their lee-side, and their small breadth, they are
capable of lying much nearer the wind than any other vessel hitherto
known.

The eastern monsoon was now, we reckoned, fairly settled; and we had
a constant gale blowing right upon our stern: So that we generally
ran from forty to fifty leagues a-day. But we had a large hollow
sea pursuing us, which occasioned the ship to labour much; whence we
received great damage in our rigging, which was grown very rotten, and
our leak was augmented: But, happily for us, our people were now in
full health; so that there were no complaints of fatigue, but all went
through their attendance on the pumps, and every other duty of the
ship, with