I Then
Sent Thirty Men To Her Aid, To Ease Her Crew, Till It Might Please God
They Should Find The Leak.
This day we had the wind at S.E. and stood E.
making our course N.E. till six
P.m. when we again saw the former high
island ten leagues from us, bearing N.N.E. one-third E. This evening our
men returned from the Unicorn with the joyful news that the great leak
was firmly stopped. From six p.m. till midnight, we made fourteen
leagues N.E. when we had twenty f. in ooze. From that time, till five
next morning, we stood to the southwards, making a S.W. course three and
a half leagues.
From five in the morning of the 19th, we cast about towards the land,
with the wind at S.E. making a course N.E. and at six o'clock were
within eight leagues of the before-mentioned high island, bearing from
as N. by E. At eight this morning, Mr Roberts, the master of the
Unicorn, came on board the James, to inform me that another great leak
had broke out in that ship, and that it was necessary to seek out for
some smooth place to ride in at anchor, to enable them to search out the
leak, and fit their foremast better into the step. Upon this
intelligence, I resolved to bear up under the lee of the great island,
which bore now from us N. by E. in hope to find there a smooth anchorage
for the purposes of the Unicorn. There were many more islands in sight,
both to the eastwards and westwards of us, but that being the nearest,
and the likeliest for our purpose, and only three leagues from us, we
steered for it. The night approaching, and the wind becoming dull, we
plied off and on till morning of the 20th, when the wind had come round
so much to the northwards, that we could not fetch our intended place of
anchorage. I went aboard the Unicorn this day to enquire into their
intentions and situation, when I found them all willing to stand on our
original course, as the wind was fair, and they were hopeful of being
able to overcome their leak. I therefore sent all my Lascars on board
the Unicorn, in aid of her crew, after which we stood on our course all
that day till midnight, with a fair wind and favourable weather.
Towards midnight of the 20th June, the wind increased so much, that we
had to lay our ship a-try all night under her main-course. In the
morning of the 21st, we saw the Unicorn a league and a half astern of
us, having a foresail and spritsail out, which I afterwards perceived
was for the purpose of floating her about towards the shore. I
immediately caused our fore-courses to be made ready to float our ship
about after the Unicorn, though we had little hope of being able to
assist her in any thing, as the sea was become very rough.
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