obliged to put to sea, not being able to get
the people off. We sent ashore in a scuttled puncheon some wearing apparel,
four muskets, with balls, powder, flints, candles, and several necessaries,
and also a letter to acquaint them of the danger we were in, and of the
impossibility of our riding it out till they could get off.

In Freshwater Bay, dated on board the Speedwell schooner, on the coast of
South America, in the latitude of 37: 25 S. longitude from the meridian of
London, 65: 00 W. this 14th day of January, 1741-2.

"These are to certify the right honourable the lords commissioners for
executing the office of lord high admiral of Great Britain, &tc. That we,
whose names are undermentioned, having nothing left on board the vessel but
one quarter-cask of water, were obliged to put into the first place we
could for subsistence, which, was in Freshwater-Bay; where we came to an
anchor, as near the shore as we could, without endangering the vessel,
having no boat aboard, and a large surf on the shore, therefore Mr King the
boatswain, Mr Cummins the carpenter, and Lieutenant Ewers, with eleven of
the people, jumped overboard, in order to swim ashore, with three casks of
water, in which attempt James Greenham was drowned in the surf off the
shore: The sea-breeze coming on, prevented the people getting on board the
same night; therefore, on Wednesday morning, it being then calm, they
brought to the beach the casks filled with water, with seal and other
provisions in great quantities, which we hauled on board. The boatswain,
carpenter, Lieutenant Ewers, and three of the people, swam off, but the
sea-breeze coming in, and the surf rising, the rest were discouraged from
coming off; we hauled a good birth off the shore, where we lay the
remainder of the day, and all the night. The greatness of the sea broke off
our rudder-head, and we expected every minute the vessel would founder at
her anchor. Thursday morning we saw no probability of the people coming
aboard, and the wind coming out of the sea, and not one stick of fire-wood
in the vessel to dress our victuals, and it being every man's opinion that
we must put to sea or perish, we got up a scuttled cask, and put into it
all manner of necessaries, with four small arms lashed to the cask, and a
letter to acquaint them of our danger, which cask we saw them receive, as
also the letter that was in it; they then fell on their knees, and made
signals wishing us well, at whic