150
VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS.
ourſelves in the beſt poſture of defence in our power. Finding at four o'clock in the afternoon that ſhe ſtill gained ground upon us, but would not be able to get up with us till it was dark, we all agreed to a man, to heave to, and if ſhe proved an enemy, to board her; as ſuch a deſperate proceeding would be altogether unexpected, we thought it would afford ſome of us a better chance of eſcaping, than by a more regular engagement. As to myſelf, death, in almoſt any ſhape would have been far preferable than falling again into the hands of the Spaniards. By ſun-ſet, however, the ſhip joined us, and proved, after all our alarm and preparations, to be the Butterworth of London, Mr. Sharp, from a trading voyage on the North Weſt Coaſt of America, and lately from California. We were right in our conjecture concerning her appearance, as ſhe was taken from the French in the laſt war. She had been ſearching for water in theſe iſles but had found none; and was bound to the Marquiſes for it, with only ſeven butts on board; a route of near eight hundred leagues, when there were ſo many places within two days ſail, where ſhe might have found it. Mr. Sharp had ſixty tons of ſalt in bulk, for the purpoſe of ſalting ſkins; and on the coaſt of California, he had procured an hundred tons of oil from the ſea lion and ſea elephant; and he added, that he alſo might have procured
