e were alarmed by a violent gust of
wind directly off shore, which instantly parted our small bower cable,
about ten fathoms from the ring of the anchor. The ship at once swung
off to the best bower, which happily stood the violence of the jerk,
and brought us up, with two cables on end, in eighty fathoms.

At this time we had not above a dozen seamen in the ship, and were
apprehensive, if the squall continued, that we might be driven out to
sea in this helpless condition. We sent, therefore, the boat on shore,
to bring off all who were capable of acting; and the wind soon abating
of its fury, gave us an opportunity of receiving the boat back with a
reinforcement. With this additional strength, we went immediately to
work, to have in what remained of the broken cable, which we suspected
to have received some injury from the ground before it parted, and
accordingly we found that seven fathoms and a half had been chaffed
and rendered unserviceable. In the afternoon, we bent this cable to
the spare anchor, and got it over the bows. Next morning, the 1st of
July, being favoured by the wind in gentle breezes, we warped the
ship in again, and let go the anchor in forty-one fathoms; the eastern
point of the bay now bearing from us E. 1/2 S. the western point N.W.
by W. and the bottom of the bay S.S.W. as before. We were, however,
much concerned for the loss of our anchor, and swept frequently to
endeavour its recovery; but the buoy having sunk at the instant when
the cable parted, we could never find it again.

As the month of July advanced, and some of our sick men were tolerably
recovered, the strongest of them were set to cut down trees, and
to split them into billets, while others, too weak for this work,
undertook to carry the billets, by one at a time, to the water
side. This they performed, some by the help of crutches, and others
supported by a single stick. We next set up the forge on shore, and
employed our smith, who was just capable of working, to repair our
chain-plates, and other broken and decayed iron-work. We began also
the repair of our rigging; but as we had not enough of junk to make
spun-yarn, we deferred the general overhaul in the daily hope of the
Gloucester arriving, which was known to have a great quantity of junk
on board. That we might dispatch our refitting as fast as possible,
we set up a large tent on the beach for the sail-makers, who were
employed diligently in repairing our old sails and maki