On the 21st we made the island of Ascension and stood in towards it.  The 22nd between 8 and 9 o’clock we sprung a leak which increased so that the chain-pump could not keep the ship free.  Whereupon I set the hand-pump to work also, and by 10 o’clock sucked her:  then wore the ship, and stood to the southward to try if that would ease her; and then the chain-pump just kept her free.  At 5 the next morning we made sail and stood in for the bay; and at 9 anchored in 10 and a half fathom, sandy ground.  The south point bore south-south-west distance 2 miles, and the north point of the bay north-east half north, distance 2 miles.  As soon as we anchored I ordered the gunner to clear his powder-room that we might there search for the leak and endeavour to stop it within board if possible; for we could not heel the ship so low, it being within 4 streaks of the keel; neither was there any convenient place to haul her ashore.  I ordered the boatswain to assist the gunner; and by 10 o’clock the powder-room was clear.  The carpenter’s mate, gunner, and boatswain went down; and soon after I followed them myself and asked them whether they could come at the leak:  they said they believed they might, but cutting the ceiling; I told the carpenter’s mate (who was the only person in the ship that understood anything of carpenter’s work) that if he thought he could come at the leak by cutting the ceiling without weakening the ship he might do it, for he had stopped one leak so before; which though not so big as this, yet, having seen them both, I thought he might as well do this as the other.  Wherefore I left him to do his best.  The ceiling being cut, they could not come at the leak; for it was against one of the foot-hook-timbers which the carpenter’s mate said he must first cut before it could be stopped.  I went down again to see it, and found the water to come in very violently.  I told them I never had known any such thing as cutting timbers to stop leaks; but if they who ought to be best judges in such cases thought they could do any good I bid them use their utmost care and diligence, promising the carpenter’s mate that I would always be a friend to him if he could and would stop it:  he said by 4 o’clock in the afternoon he would make all well, it being then about 11 in the forenoon.  In the afternoon my men were all employed, pumping with both pumps; except such as assisted the carpenter’s mate.  About one in the afternoon I went down again and the carpenter’s mate was cutting the after-part of the timber over the leak.  Some said it was best to cut the timber away at once; I bid them hold their tongue and let the carpenter’s mate alone; for he knew best and I hoped he would do his utmost to stop the leak.  I desired him to get everything ready for stopping the violence of the water, before he cut any further; for fear it should overpower us at once.  I had already ordered the carpenter to bring all the oakum he had, and the boatswain to bring all the waste cloths