On
Examining Our Provisions, We Found Only Bread On Board For Seventy Days,
Even At Our Present Short Allowance, And
It would require not less than
fifty days for our run across the Pacific to Guam, one of the Ladrones;
Wherefore we resolved to continue our cruize here no longer than other
eight days. Being in want of water also, it was agreed upon that the
Marquis should go first into a harbour for that necessary article, while
the Duke and Duchess continued on the look-out, and then these other
ships to do the same in succession.
On the 21st December, while bearing up for the port in which was the
Marquis, the man at the mast-head, about nine in the morning, gave
notice that he saw a sail besides the Duchess and bark, seeming about
seven leagues from us. We immediately hoisted our ensign, and bore for
the strange sail, as did the Duchess; and as it fell calm, I sent the
pinnace to endeavour to make out what she was. All the rest of the day
we had very little wind, so that we made hardly any way, and as our boat
did not return we remained in much anxiety, not knowing whether the ship
in sight were our consort the Marquis, or the Manilla ship. In this
uncertainty, I sent Mr Fry in our yawl to the Duchess, to endeavour to
learn what this ship was, and as soon as the yawl was gone I hoisted
French colours and fired a gun, which the stranger answered, and in some
measure cleared our doubts.
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