On the 25th, we crossed the equator, in longitude 17° 10’W. and the next morning, Captain Cumming came on board, and informed me that the Tamar’s three lower rudder braces on the stern were broken off, which rendered the rudder unserviceable. I immediately sent the carpenter on board, who found the condition of the braces even worse than had been reported, so that the rudder could not possibly be new hung; he therefore went to work upon a machine, like that which had been fixed to the Ipswich, and by which she was steered home: this machine in about five days he completed, and with some little alterations of his own, it was an excellent piece of work. The Tamar steered very well with it, but thinking that it might not be sufficient to secure her in bad weather, or upon a lee shore, I ordered Captain Cumming to run down to Antigua, that he might there heave the ship down, and get the rudder new hung, with a fresh set of braces which he had with him for that purpose; for the braces with which the ship went out, being of iron, were not expected to last as long as our’s, the lower ones, with the sheathing, being of copper.

Pursuant to these orders, the Tamar parted company with us on the 1st of April, and steered for the Caribbee Islands. When we came into latitude 34° N., longitude 35° W. we had strong gales from W.S.W. to W.N.W. with a great sea, which broke over us continually for six days successively, and

Voyaging Accounts