bad weather, without killing more than two or three whales; and as we did not now perceive the ſmalleſt trace of there being any fiſh of the ſpermaceti kind, and having every reaſon to believe, from the obſervations I had made, that their return like many other ſea animals are periodical, under theſe doubtful circumſtances it would have manifeſted an unpardonable degree of imprudence to have remained longer on this ſtation with no more than ſix months proviſion, ſuch as it was at two thirds allowance, and at ſuch an immenſe diſtance from any of our own ſettlements. We continued for theſe reaſons to paſs under an eaſy ſail along ſhore, flattering ourſelves, at the ſame time, that we ſhould either fall in with ſpermaceti whale, or meet with ſome veſſel, who could afford us the aſſiſtance which we wanted. We now put the Rattler in the beſt poſture of defence our ſituation would admit, as we were determined to ſpeak to the firſt ſhip we met, and if ſhe ſhould prove an enemy, to truſt either to our ſtrength or ſuperiority of ſailing, the latter we had great faith in.
1794.January 1.On January the firſt in Latitude 14° 36′ we had a heavy gale of wind from the North Eaſt quarter, which occaſioned a prodigious ſea, and the ſhip to labour more than when ſhe was off Cape Horn, ſo much ſo, that I was under ſome apprehenſion that we ſhould loſe our main maſt. On the
