Thursday the 14th, hard gales at E.S.E. and fair weather.  Last night the sea was so great, that it broke the rudder-head off; we were doubtful every moment of the vessel’s parting, which if she had, we must have been all of us inevitably lost.  We were obliged to put to sea, not being able to get the people off.  We sent ashore in a scuttled puncheon some wearing apparel, four muskets, with balls, powder, flints, candles, and several necessaries, and also a letter to acquaint them of the danger we were in, and of the impossibility of our riding it out till they could get off.

In Freshwater Bay, dated on board the Speedwell schooner, on the coast of South America, in the latitude of 37:  25 S. longitude from the meridian of London, 65:  00 W. this 14th day of January, 1741-2.

“These are to certify the right honourable the lords commissioners for executing the office of lord high admiral of Great Britain, &tc.  That we, whose names are undermentioned, having nothing left on board the vessel but one quarter-cask of water, were obliged to put into the first place we could for subsistence, which, was in Freshwater-Bay; where we came to an anchor, as near the shore as we could, without endangering the vessel, having no boat aboard, and a large surf on the shore, therefore Mr King the boatswain, Mr Cummins the carpenter, and Lieutenant Ewers, with eleven of the people, jumped overboard, in order to swim ashore, with three casks of water, in which attempt James Greenham was drowned in the surf off the shore:  The sea-breeze coming on, prevented the people getting on board the same night; therefore, on Wednesday morning, it being then calm, they brought to the beach the casks filled with water, with seal and other provisions in great quantities, which we hauled on board.  The boatswain, carpenter, Lieutenant Ewers, and three of the people, swam off, but the sea-breeze coming in, and the surf rising, the rest were discouraged from coming off; we hauled a good birth off the shore, where we lay the remainder of the day, and all the night.  The greatness of the sea broke off our rudder-head, and we expected every minute the vessel would founder at her anchor.  Thursday morning we saw no probability of the people coming aboard, and the wind coming out of the sea, and not one stick of fire-wood in the vessel to dress our victuals, and it being every man’s opinion that we must put to sea or perish, we got up a scuttled cask, and put into it all manner of necessaries, with four small arms lashed to the cask, and a letter to acquaint them of our danger, which cask we saw them receive, as also the letter that was in it; they then fell on their knees, and made signals wishing us well, at which we got under sail, and left our brethren, whose names are under-mentioned,

Sign’d by
Robert Beans, lieutenant
John King, boatswain
John Bulkeley, gunner
Thomas Clark, master
John Cummins, carpenter
Robert Elliot, surgeon’s mate
John Jones, master’s mate
John Snow, ditto.