112
VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS.
from the ſound of the ſurf changing alternately on the points of the bay. I therefore ordered the deep ſea-lead to be thrown overboard, and getting no bottom at forty fathom, my conjectures were inſtantly confirmed. We now wore away fifty fathom of cable, but not bringing up, and a light breeze blowing, at the ſame time, off the land, we backed off ſhore, with the yards and mizen-top-ſail. I can account for this accident in no other way, then from the too great length of the buoy rope, which, by the blowing of the variable light winds and the ſhip's ſwinging, had catched in her heel and weighed the anchor, which, with our crippled windlaſs, employed us five hours to heave up.
Nov. 28.I now determined to have a tent pitched on ſhore and land the ſickly part of my crew, together with the ſecond mate, who ſtill continued to be in an infirm ſtate, and beat off with the ſhip, till they ſhould be recovered. At noon, they were all got on ſhore, and I left them the jolly-boat, to enable them to catch fiſh; a diet at once both ſalutary and refreſhing to perſons in their ſituation. In the afternoon, we ſtood in with the North Eaſt point, and kept the lead going, when we found regular ſoundings at five or ſix miles, and from thirty-eight to ten fathom, at one mile and an half from ſhore; at the ſame time we were ſheltered from the North