lulled into a calm, we had an opportunity to lower the
main-yard, and set the carpenters to work upon it, while we also
repaired our rigging; after which, having bent a new main-sail, we got
again under way with a moderate breeze. But, in less than twenty-four
hours, we had another storm, still more furious than the former, which
blew a perfect hurricane, and obliged us to lie-to under bare poles.
As our ship kept the wind better than any of the rest, we were obliged
in the afternoon to wear, in order to join the squadron to leeward, as
otherwise we had been in danger of parting from them in the night. On
this occasion, as we dared not venture to show any sail to the gale,
we had to use an expedient, which answered the purpose: This was
putting the helm a-weather and manning the fore-shrouds: But, though
this answered the end in view, yet in its execution one of our ablest
seamen was canted overboard. Notwithstanding the prodigious agitation
of the waves, we could perceive that he swam very vigorously, yet we
found ourselves, to our excessive concern, incapable of giving him the
smallest assistance; and were the more grieved at his unhappy fate, as
we lost sight of him struggling with the waves, and conceived that
he might continue long sensible of the horror of his irretrievable
situation.

Before this storm was quite abated, we found that two of our
main-shrouds and one of our mizen-shrouds were broken, all of which
we knotted and replaced immediately. After this we had an interval of
three or four days less tempestuous than usual, but accompanied by so
thick a fog, that we had to fire guns almost every half hour to keep
our squadron together. On the 31st we were alarmed by a gun from the
Gloucester, and a signal to speak the commodore. We immediately bore
down to her, prepared to learn some terrible disaster, of which we
were apprised before we came down, by seeing that her main-yard was
broken in the slings. This was a grievous misfortune to us all, at
this juncture, as it was evident that it must prove a hinderance to
our sailing, and would detain us the longer in these inhospitable
latitudes. Our future safety and success was not to be promoted by
repining, but by resolution and activity; and therefore, that this
unhappy incident might delay us as short as possible, the commodore
ordered several carpenters to be put on board the Gloucester from the
other ships of the squadron, in order to repair her damage with
t