From five in the morning of the 19th, we cast about towards the land, with the wind at S.E. making a course N.E. and at six o'clock were within eight leagues of the before-mentioned high island, bearing from as N. by E. At eight this morning, Mr Roberts, the master of the Unicorn, came on board the James, to inform me that another great leak had broke out in that ship, and that it was necessary to seek out for some smooth place to ride in at anchor, to enable them to search out the leak, and fit their foremast better into the step. Upon this intelligence, I resolved to bear up under the lee of the great island, which bore now from us N. by E. in hope to find there a smooth anchorage for the purposes of the Unicorn. There were many more islands in sight, both to the eastwards and westwards of us, but that being the nearest, and the likeliest for our purpose, and only three leagues from us, we steered for it. The night approaching, and the wind becoming dull, we plied off and on till morning of the 20th, when the wind had come round 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° 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° E. from Greenwich.--E.]
This afternoon our ship became very leaky, having suddenly four and a half feet water in the hold, which kept both pumps going a long while before we could free her. Towards evening, it pleased God that we discovered three or four great leaks between wind and water; and after our carpenters had stopped them, we had great comfort, as we could then let the pumps stop half an hour, and afterwards free the ship in a quarter of an hour. From this day, the 21st, at noon, till noon of the 22d, we made five leagues S.S.W. with a pair of courses, and nine leagues S.W. by W. a-hull, having twenty-seven and a half f. in ooze. In the afternoon of the 22d, the violence of the wind and waves began to abate, and our ship became tighter, which plainly shewed that most of our leaks were between wind and water, wherefore, on the first fair weather, I caused our carpenters to search the ship's sides, where they found and stopped many bad places, some a yard long, where the oakum was all rotten in the seams.
The 24th, we had sight of a great island to the N. about seven leagues off; having a high hill on its southern end, being the island formerly mentioned as about fifteen leagues W. from Saddle island. From thence, till the evening of the 26th, our course was S. by W. twenty-four leagues, the depths increasing from nineteen to thirty-six f. on ooze. We had here a small round island S.W. by N. two leagues off, nearly in latitude 20° 20' N.[282] This island has four small islands on its S.W. side, but all of them considerably lower, for we saw this from the distance of at least ten leagues, rising in the shape of a Chinese hat. From hence, till noon of the 27th, our course was E. by N. two-thirds N. twelve leagues. This morning at two o'clock the wind veered round to S.S.E. and at noon was due S. From noon of the 27th, to noon of the 28th, we stood E.N.E. eighteen leagues, and had then almost forty-one f. on ooze. Till noon of the 29th, we made other eighteen leagues E.N.E. when we were in 21° 10' N. To the 30th, at noon, other eighteen leagues E.N.E. To noon of 1st July, our course was E.N.E. 1/2 N. twenty-two leagues, our latitude being then 22° 10' N. Here, from the topmast-head we saw land N.N.W. 1/2 N. From noon this day, till seven p.m. we sailed N.E. by N. six leagues. At six this evening we saw three Chinese fishing-boats.
[Footnote 282: There must be a material error here, as the latitude in the text would carry us back to the peninsula to the north of Hainan, more than two degrees of longitude backwards. Indeed, the text seems corrupted in many respects, even the bearings being extremely suspicious.--E.]
This evening the wind came up at E.S.E. with which we stood to the southwards; and having sprung our main topmast only a little before, we could only bear a course and bonnet, and therefore made our way no better than S.W. From noon of the 2d, till eight p.m. our way was S. four leagues. Till noon of the 3d, we sailed N.N.W. 1/4 W. seven leagues. We here saw land twelve leagues off, from N. to N.E. rising in certain hummocks, which land I estimated to be nearly in 22° 45' N. On the 8th, I had an observation of the Scorpion's Heart, by which I made our latitude 22° 35' N. Next day, at noon, on observation of the sun gave the latitude 23° 6' N. At this time we had sight of the high land of Logosse, eleven leagues off, N.W. by N.[283] This morning we saw eight or more fishing boats, and came within hail of one, but could not persuade the people to come on board.
[Footnote 283: The latitude of the text points to the coast of China in about the longitude of 117°E. but no such name as Logosse occurs in these parts.--E.]
On the 10th we had sight of some small islands, one of which, rising in form of a sugar-loaf, bore from us W.N.N. about eight leagues off.[284] We this day hoisted out a small boat, built by our carpenters upon the forecastle, by which we made trial of the current, and found it to set E.N.E. At eight this evening, we anchored in 28 f. having made no way at all this afternoon but with the current, which went at the rate of about a mile an hour N.E. The 11th we weighed, and drove away with the current to the N.E. having no wind. This day at noon we had sight of the high land of Formosa above the clouds, the highest part bearing S.E. by E. about eighteen leagues off, the nearest island on the coast of China bearing seven leagues from us N.W. We here saw great numbers of fishing boats all round about us, which sent little boats to us with fish, for which we gave them double the value to encourage them to come back. At six this evening, the wind sprung up at N.N.E. by which, and some help of the current setting N.E. by E. we made our way nine leagues E. to the 12th at noon. Our latitude was then 25° 20' N. The high land of Formosa being S.E. and the nearest port eight leagues off; the northern point ten leagues E. by N. and the depth 46 fathoms on ooze. The 13th the northern point of Formosa bore E.S.E. ten leagues off, being then in lat. 25° 40' N.