it; but it was seven weeks, from our leaving the coast,
before we got into it. This was an interval, in
which we believed we should well nigh have reached
the easternmost parts of Asia: But we were so
baffled with the contrary and variable winds, which
for all that time perplexed us, that we were not as
yet advanced above a fourth part of the way.
The delay alone would have been a sufficient mortification;
but there were other circumstances attending it, which
rendered this situation not less terrible, and our
apprehensions perhaps still greater than in any of
our past distresses. For our two ships were by
this time extremely crazy; and many days had not passed,
before we discovered a spring in the fore-mast of
the Centurion, which rounded about twenty-six inches
of its circumference, and which was judged to be at
least four inches deep: And no sooner had our
carpenters secured this with fishing it, but the Gloucester
made a signal of distress; and we learnt that she
had a dangerous spring in her main-mast, twelve feet
below the trussel-trees; so that she could not carry
any sail upon it. Our carpenters, on a strict
examination of this mast, found it so very rotten
and decayed, that they judged it necessary to cut it
down as low as it appeared to have been injured; and
by this it was reduced to nothing but a stump, which
served only as a step to the topmast. These accidents
augmented our delay, and occasioned us great anxiety
about our future security: For on our leaving
the coast of Mexico, the scurvy had begun to make
its appearance again amongst our people; though from
our departure from Juan Fernandes we had till then
enjoyed a most uninterrupted state of health.
We too well knew the effects of this disease, from
our former fatal experience, to suppose that any thing
but a speedy passage could secure the greater part
of our crew from perishing by it: And as, after-being
seven weeks at sea, there did not appear any reasons
that could persuade us we were nearer the trade-wind
than when we first set out, there was no ground for
us to suppose but our passage would prove at least
three times as long as we at first expected; and consequently
we had the melancholy prospect, either of dying by
the scurvy, or perishing with the ship for want of
hands to navigate her. Indeed, some amongst us
were at first willing to believe, that in this warm
climate, so different from what we felt in passing
round Cape Horn, the violence of this disease, and
its fatality, might be in some degree mitigated; as
it had not been unusual to suppose that its particular
virulence in that passage was in a great measure owing
to the severity of the weather; but the havock of
the distemper, in our present circumstances, soon convinced
us of the falsity of this speculation; as it likewise
exploded some other opinions, which usually pass current
about the cause and nature of this disease.[1]
[Footnote 1: Some remarks respecting the nature and treatment of this disease are now given in the original, but being imperfect and conjectural, are omitted here.—E.]