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.  While our men were throwing loose the forecourse, there came so violent a gust, that they were obliged to furl it again, otherwise it had been blown away.  After the gust was over, we set our foresail, and, to make her wear better round, we brailed up our main-course, part of it being blown out of the bolt rope before the men could furl it.  After that was up, we put our helm hard a-weather, thinking the ship would come round, but all in vain, for our ship would not wear beyond two or three points, and then came to again.  The sea was now so much grown that we durst not let fall our spritsail, and the wind so violent that we could not loosen our fore-topsail; and by this time the Unicorn had gone out of sight.[280] Finding we could not wear ship, we steered away as near as we could lie S. by E. till noon, having by that time made a course S. by E. thirteen leagues from the southermost island we had seen over night, which I called the Morocco Saddle, or Saddle island, because of a high hill having a deep swamp or hollow between two peaked tops.  This Saddle island is in lat. 21 deg. 45’ N.[281] There are four or five small islands close to its western side, and three on its eastern side.  Besides which, there are many other islands in different directions, some N.W. others W.N.W. and W. by N. the southermost of all the islands in sight bearing from Saddle island to the W. about fifteen leagues off.

[Footnote 280:  It will be seen in the sequel that she was lost on the coast of China, probably run on shore to save the men’s lives from the effects of the increasing leak.—­E.]

[Footnote 281:  The indicated latitude leads to one of the numerous islands on the coast of China, at the month of the bay of Canton, about the longitude of 113 deg.  E. from Greenwich.—­E.]