Dec. 1.of December, the barometer fell ſuddenly from 30-1 to 29-5-5, the winds hourly varied from Eaſt to South, with ſqualls, heavy ſhowers of rain, continual lightning, and diſtant thunder; which being on the approach of the new moon, ſuch an alteration in the weather might be an expected event: but as the barometer had never deceived me, I was not ſatisfied with its ſudden change, and at the ſame time entertaining doubts of the cable being injured, as the ſhip had broke her ſhear frequently during the night, I became very anxious for the dawn of day, to purchaſe the anchor. At day-light, all round the horizon, and particularly from the South, threatened an inſtant hurricane, which left me not a moment to heſitate for the ſafety of the ſhip, and with only eight hands on board, including myſelf, we rove a purchaſe, weighed the anchor, and went to ſea. As I conjectured, we found the cable ſo rubbed and worn as obliged us to cut off twenty fathoms from it.
As ſoon as the ſun had croſſed the meridian, the heavy ſqualls, and frequent ſhowers of rain commenced, which continued to increaſe till the change of the moon, at two o'clock, in the morning, when it blew ſo ſtrong as to reduce us to cloſe-reefed top-ſails; and as the gale freſhened ſo quick on us, we had not ſtrength enough on board to ſhorten any more ſail, we were therefore obliged to carry it. We