good reſolutions, forgetting entirely the vows and promiſes made in my diſtreſs: and whenever any reflections would return on me, what by company, and what by drinking, I foon maſtered thoſe fits, as I deridingly called them. But is only made way for another trial, whereby I could not ſee how much I was beholden to kind Providence.
Upon the ſixth day we came to an anchor in Harwich road, where we lay wind-bound with ſome Newcaſtle ſhips; and there being good anchorage, and our cables ſound, the ſeamen forgot their late toil and danger, and ſpent the time as merry as if they had been on ſhore. But on the eighth day there aroſe a briſk gale of wind, which prevented our tiding it up the river; and ſtill increaſing, our ſhip rode forecaſtle in, and ſhipped ſeveral large ſeas.
It was not long before horror ſeized the ſeamen themſelves, and I heard the maſter expreſs this melancholy ejaculation, "Lord have mercy upon us, we ſhall be all loſt and undone!” For my part, ſick unto death, I kept my cabin, till the univerſal and terribly dreadful apprehenſions of our ſpeedy fate made me get upon deck; and there I was affrighted indeed. The ſea went mountains high; I could ſee nothing but diſtreſs around us; two ſhips had cut their maſts on board, and another was foundered; two more that had loſt their anchors, were forced out to the mercy of the ocean: and to ſave our lives we were forced to cut our foremaft and mainmaſt quite away.
Who is there ſo ignorant as not to judge of my dreadful condition? I was but a freſh-water ſailer, and therefore it ſeemed more terrible. Our ſhip was very good, but overloaded; which made the ſailors often cry out, "She would founder!” Words I then was ignorant of, All this while the ſtorm continuing, and rather increaſing, the maſter and the moſt ſober part of his men went to prayers, expecting death every moment. In the middle of the night one cried out, "We had ſprung a leak!" another, “That there were "Four feet water in the hold!” I was juſt ready to expire with fear, when immediately all hands were called to the pump; and the men forced me alſo in that extremity to ſhare with them in their labour. While thus employed, the maſter eſpying ſome light colliers, fired a gun as a ſignal of diſtreſs; and I, not underſtanding what it meant, and thinking that either the ſhip broke, or ſome dreadful thing happpened, fell into a ſwoon. Even in that common condition
