In This Hope We Came To Anchor Off The North-West Side Of
This Island, When It Was As Much As We Could Do To Hand Our Sails, Stop
Our Cable, And Execute The Other Necessary Labours, So Greatly Were We
Reduced.
We imagined we could see a run of water, yet dreaded the
dangerous surf which broke all round those parts of the island we could
see.
Mr Randal was sent with some jars, to try what could be done; and
as he did not appear again when very late at night, I became
apprehensive he was either lost, or, not finding water on the island,
had gone in search of it to the continent. At length he came back, with
his jars filled, and any one may guess our unspeakable joy on being thus
opportunely delivered from the jaws of death. He did not bring above
sixty or seventy gallons, and I was at great pains to restrain my men
from using it immoderately, allowing only a quart to be distributed
immediately to each man. What made me the more strict on this occasion
was, that Mr Randal assured me we should hardly get any more, the
breakers were so very dangerous. That very night we chanced to have a
shower of rain, on which we used every expedient for catching it, in
sheets, blankets, and sails. During our long thirst we had continually
wished for rainy weather, and had often good reason to expect it, by
seeing many louring black clouds, which seemed every minute ready to
discharge their burdens, yet never did before to any purpose.
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