But The Hector Kept
Some Two Or Three Leagues From Us, Not Coming Any Nearer; For The Master
Was An Honest And Good Man, Who Loved Our General, And Was Loth To Leave
Him In Such Great Distress.
It was now incumbent upon us to try every
means to save ourselves and the ship.
Our carpenter mended our new
rudder, and in a few days the weather became somewhat fair and the sea
smooth. So we made a signal for the Hector to come near, out of which
came the master, Mr Sander Cole, bringing the best swimmers and divers
belonging to his ship, who helped us materially in our work. By the
blessing of God, we hung our rudder again on the two remaining hooks,
and then had some hope of being able to fetch some port for our relief.
We were sore beaten to and fro in these raging seas, and had many more
storms than are here expressed, sometimes for a whole month together, so
that our men began to fall sick, and the wind was so scant that we could
fetch no port on the coast of Africa, which was the nearest land.
Committing ourselves therefore into the hands of God, we made sail for
the island of St Helena, knowing that we were to the westwards of the
Cape of Good Hope, especially by the height we were now in to the
northward. While in this course our main-yard fell down, and drove one
of our men into the sea, where he was drowned; this being the last of
our misfortunes.
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