It is much easier to conceive than to discribe the satisfaction felt by every one on board body on this occasion, but a few minutes before our utmost wishes were to get hold of some place upon the Main or an Island to run the Ship ashore where out of her Materials we might build a vessel to carry us to the East Indias.  no sooner were we made sensible that the outward application to the Ships bottom had taken effect thatn the feild of every mans hopes inlarged so that we now thought of nothing but rainging along shore in search of a harbour where we could repair the Ship damages we had susstaind —

In justice to the Ships Company I must say that no men ever behaved better than they have done on this occasion ^{animated by the beheavour of every gentleman on board} every man seem'd to have a just sence of the danger we were in and exerted himself self to the very utmost —

The Ledge of rocks or Shoal we have been upon lies in the Lat^de of 15°.45' and about 6 or 7 Leagues from the Main land, but this is not the only shoal that lay upon this part of the Coast especialy to the northward and one which we now saw to the Southward the tail of which we passed over when we had the uneven soundings two hours before we Struck   apart of this shoal is always above water and looks to be white sand - part of the one were upon was drys at low-water and in that place consists of Sand and stones but every where else coral rocks —

At 6 oClock we Anchor'd in 17 fathom water about 5 or 6 Leagues from the land and one from the Shoal, At this time the Ship made about 15 Inches water p^r hour — At 6 oClock in the AM we weigh'd and stood to the NW edging in for the land having a gentle breeze at SSE - At 9 oClock we past close without two small low Islands laying in the latitude of 15°.41' and about 4 Leagues from the Main   I have named them Hope Islands because we were always in hopes of being able to reach these Islands —

At Noon we were about 3 Leagues from the land and _^ⁱⁿ the latitude of 15°.37' South the northermost part of the Main in sight bore N. 30° west and the above Islands extending from S^o 30° E to South 40° E^t in this situation had 12 fathoms water and sever^l Sand Banks without us - The leak now decreaseth upon but for fear it should break out again we gave got the Sail ready fill'd for fothering    the manner this is done is thus, we take ^Mix ockam & wool together, / but okam alone would do / and chop it up small and then stick it loosly by hand fulls to the sail all over the sail and throw over it sheeps dung or other filth. Horse dung for this purpose is the best; the sail thus prepared is put hauld under the Ships bottom by ropes and if the place of the leak is uncertain it must be hauld from one part of her bottom to a nother untill one find the place _^^{is found} where it takes effect; while the sail is under the Ship the ockam &C^a is washed off and part of it carried along with the water into the leak and in part stops up the hole- M^r Munkhouse one of my Midshipmen was once in a _^^{Merchant Sh} Ship which sprung a leak and made 48 Inches water per hour but by this means was brought home from Virginia to London with only her proper crew, to him I gave the deriction of this, who exicuted it very much to my satisfaction

Voyaging Accounts