ve six knots, for
she was a heavy-going thing. On the 27th of May we crossed the Line, when
finding that our water was grown extremely short, and that it would be
almost impossible to reach Europe without a supply, it was resolved to bear
away for Martinico. On the 29th of June, in the morning, we made the island
of Tobago, and then shaped a course for Martinico, and on the first of
July, by our reckonings, expected to see it, but were disappointed. This
was imputed to the currents, which, whether they had set the ship to the
eastward or westward, nobody could tell; but, upon looking over the charts,
it was imagined, if the current had driven her to the westward, it must
have been among the Granadillos, which was thought impossible without
seeing any of them, as they are so near together, and a most dangerous
place for rocks. It was then concluded we were to the eastward, and
accordingly we steered S.W. by W.; but having run this course for above
thirty leagues, and no land appearing, it was resolved to stand to the
northward till we should gain the latitude of Porto Rico, and on the 4th in
the evening we made that island, so that it was now certain the ship had
been hustled through the Granadillos in the night, which was, without
doubt, as extraordinary a passage as ever ship made.

It was now resolved to go between the islands of Porto Rico and St. Domingo
for Cape Francois, therefore we lay-to that night. In the morning, we made
sail along shore; and about ten o'clock, as I was walking the quarter-deck,
Captain Cheap came out of the cabin, and told me he had just seen a beef-
barrel go by the ship, that he was sure it had but lately been thrown
overboard, and that he would venture any wager we saw an English cruizer
before long. In about half an hour after, we saw two sail to leeward from,
off the quarter-deck, for they kept no look-out from the mast-head, and we
presently observed they were in chace of us. The French and Spaniards on
board now began to grow a good deal alarmed, when it fell stark calm, but
not before the ships had neared us so much, that we plainly discerned them
to be English men of war, the one a two-decker, the other a twenty-gun
ship. The French had now thoughts, when a breeze should spring up, of
running the ship on shore upon Porto Rico; but when they came to consider
what a set of banditti inhabited that island, and that in all probability
they would have their throats cut for the sake of plund