quiry: But the wonder is, that any one should have been found so
irrational as to act a contrary part, in despite of the strongest
dictates of prudence and humanity. I cannot, however, believe
this conduct to have arisen from such savage motives as the first
reflection seems naturally to suggest; but am apt rather to impute
it to an obstinate, and, as it were, superstitious attachment to
long-established practices, and to a settled contempt and hatred to
all innovations, especially such as are projected by landsmen, or
persons residing on shore.

We crossed the equinoctial, with a fine fresh gale at N.E. on Friday,
the 28th November, at four in the morning, being thus, by estimation,
in long. 27 deg. 59' W. from London. In the morning of the 2d December, we
saw a sail in the N.W. and made the Gloucester's and Tryal's signals
to chase; and half an hour after, let out our reefs, and chased with
the rest of the squadron. About noon a signal was made for the Wager
to take our remaining victualler, the Ann pink, in tow; but, at seven
in the evening, finding we did not near the chase, and that the Wager
was very far astern, we shortened sail, and recalled the chasing
ships. Next day but one we again discovered a sail, which, on a nearer
approach, we judged to be the same vessel. We chased her the whole
day, and though we rather gained upon her, night came on before
we could overtake her, which obliged us to give over the chase, to
collect the scattered squadron. We were much chagrined at the escape
of this vessel, supposing her to have been an advice-boat from Old
Spain to Buenos Ayres, sent to give notice of our expedition: But we
have since learnt that it was our East-India Company's packet, bound
to St Helena.

On the 10th December, being by our reckoning in lat. 20 deg. S. and long.
36 deg. 30' W. from London, the Tryal fired a gun to denote soundings. We
immediately tried, and found sixty fathoms, the bottom coarse ground
with broken shells. The Tryal, which was a-head of us, had at one
time thirty-seven fathoms, which afterwards increased to ninety,
after which she had no bottom; which happened to us also at our second
trial, though we sounded with a line of 150 fathoms. This is the shoal
laid down in most charts by the name of the _Abrollos_,[1] and
it appeared we were upon its verge; perhaps farther in it may be
extremely dangerous. We were then, by our different accounts, from
sixty to ninety leagues east of the co