afford the allowance of rum at day-break. The 25th of a pound of bread, and water I served as ufual.

May 14. Fresh breezes and cloudy weather, wind foutherly. Conftantly fhipping water, and very wet, fuffering much cold and fhiverings in the night. Served the ufual allowance of bread and water, three times a day. At fix in the morning, we faw land, from S W by S 8 leagues, to NW by W W 6 leagues, which I foon after found to be four islands, all of them high and remarkable. At noon discovered a rocky island N W by N 4 leagues, and another island W 8 leagues, fo that the whole were fix in number.

May 15. Fresh gales at S E, and gloomy weather with rain, and a very high fea; two people conftantly employed baling. In the afternoon I paffed the westernmost island. At one in the morning I difcovered another, bearing W N W, five leagues diftance. These islands lie between the latitude of 13° 16' S and 14° 10' S: their longitude, 15° 51' to 17° 6' W from the island Tofoa. The largest island may be 20 leagues in circuit, the others five or fix. The fight of these iflands ferved but to increase the misery of our fituation. We were very little better than starving, with plenty in view; yet to attempt procuring any relief was attended with fo much danger, that prolonging of life, even in the midst of mifery, was thought preferable, while there remained hopes of being able to furmount our hardships. For my own part, I confider the general run of cloudy and wet weather to be a blefling of Providence. Hot weather would have caused us to have died with thirft; and perhaps being fo conftantly covered with rain or fea protected us from that dreadful calamity. As I had nothing to assist my memory, I could not determine whether thefe iflands were a part of the New Hebrides or not: I believed them perfectly a new discovery, which I have fince found to be the cafe; but, though they were not feen either by M. Bougainville or Capt. Cook, they are fo nearly in the neighbourhood of the New Hebrides, that they must be confidered as part of the fame group. They are fertile, and inhabited, as I faw fmoke in feveral places.

May 16. Fresh gales from the S E, and rainy weather. The night was very dark, not a ftar to be seen to steer by, and the fea breaking conftantly over us. I found it neceffary to act as much as possible against the foutherly winds, to prevent being driven too near New Guinea; for in general we were forced to keep fo much before the fea, that if we had not, at intervals of moderáte weather, steered a more foutherly course, we should inevitably, from a continuance of the gales, have been thrown in fight of that coaft: in which case there would moft probably have been an end to our voyage. In addition to our miferable allowance of one 25th of a pound of bread, and a quarter of a pint of water, I iffued for dinner about an ounce of falt pork to each perfon. I was often folicited for this pork, but I confidered it better to give it in fmall quantities than to use all at once or twice, which would have been done if I had allowed it.

May 17. The funfhine was but of fhort duration. We had ftrong breezes at S E by S, and dark gloomy weather, with ftorms of thunder, lightning, and rain. The night was truly horrible, and not a ftar to be feen; so that our fteerage was uncertain. At dawn of day I found every perfon complaining, and fome of them foliciting extra allowance;

but

but I pofitively refused it. Our fituation was extremely miferable; always wet, and fuffering extreme cold in the night, without the leaft fhelter from the weather. Being conftantly obliged to bale, to keep the boat from filling, was, perhaps, not to be reckoned an evil, as it gave us exercise. The little rum I had was of great service to us; when our nights were particularly diftreffing, I generally ferved a tea-fpoonful or two to each person: and it was always joyful tidings when they heard of my intentions. At noon a water-fpout was very near on board of I iffued an ounce of pork, in addition to the allowance of bread and water; but before we began to eat, every person ftript and wrung their cloaths through the fea-water, which we found warm and refreshing.

us.

May 18. Fresh gales with rain, and a dark dismal night, wind S E; the fea conftantly breaking over us, and nothing but the wind and fea to direct our steerage. I now fully determined to make New Holland, to the southward of Endeavour ftraits, fenfible that it was necessary to preserve such a fituation as would make a southerly wind a fair one; that I might range the reefs until an opening fhould be found into finooth water, and we the fooner be able to pick up fome refreshments. In the morning the rain abated, when we ftripped, and wrung our cloaths through the fea-water, as ufual, which refreshed us wonderfully. Every perfon complained of violent pain in their bones: I was only furprised that no one was yet laid up. Served one 25th of a pound of bread, and a quarter of a pint of water, at fupper, breakfast, and dinner, as cuftomary.

May 19. Fresh gales at E N E, with heavy rain, and dark gloomy weather, and no fight of the fun. We paft this day miferably wet and cold, covered with rain and fea, from which we had no relief, but at intervals by pulling off our cloaths and wringing them through the feawater. In the night we had very fevere lightning, but otherwise it was fo dark that we could not fee each other. The morning produced many complaints on the severity of the weather, and I would gladly have iffued my allowance of rum, if it had not appeared to me that we were to fuffer much more, and that it was neceffary to preserve the little I had, to give relief at a time we might be less able to bear fuch hardfhips; but, to make up for it, I ferved out about half an ounce of pork to each perfon, with the common allowance of bread and water, for dinner. All night and day we were obliged to bale without intermiffion. At noon it was very bad weather and constant rain.

May 20. Fresh breezes É NE with conftant rain; at times a deluge. Always baling. At dawn of day, fome of my people feemed half dead our appearances were horrible; and I could look no way, but I caught the eye of fome one in distress. Extreme hunger was now too evident, but no one suffered from thirst, nor had we much inclination to drink, that defire, perhaps, being fatisfied through the fkin. The little fleep we got was in the midst of water, and we constantly awoke with fevere cramps and pains in our bones. This morning I ferved about two tea-spoonfuls of rum to each perfon, and the allowance of bread and water, as ufual. At noon the fun broke out, and revived every one. I found we were in lat. 14° 49′ S; long, made 25° 46′ W.

May

May 21. Fresh gales, and heavy fhowers of rain. Our diftreffes were now very great, and we were fo covered with rain and salt water, that we could scarcely fee. Sleep, though we longed for it, afforded no comfort for my own part I almost lived without it: we fuffered extreme cold, and every one dreaded the approach of night. About two o'clock in the morning we were overwhelmed with a deluge of rain. It fell fo heavy that we were afraid it would fill the boat, and were obliged to bale with all our might. At dawn of day, I ferved a large allowance of rum. Towards noon the rain abated and the fun fhone, but we were miferably cold and wet, the sea breaking fo conftantly over us, that, notwithstanding the heavy rain, we had not been able to add to our stock of fresh water. The ufual allowance of one 25th of a pound of bread and water was ferved at evening, morning,

and noon.

May 22. Strong gales from ESE to SSE, a high fea, and dark difmal night. Our fituation this day was extremely calamitous. We were obliged to take the course of the fea, running right before it, and watching with the utmost care, as the leaft error in the helm would in a moment have been our deftruction. The fea was continually breaking all over us; but, as we fuffered not fuch cold as when wet with the rain, I only ferved the common allowance of bread and water. At noon it blew very hard, and the foam of the sea kept running over our stern and quarters.

May 23. Strong gales with very hard fqualls, and rain; wind S E, and SS E. The mifery we fuffered this day exceeded the preceding. The night was dreadful. The fea flew over us with great force, and kept us baling with horror and anxiety. At dawn of day I found every one in a moft diftreffed condition, and I now began to fear that another fuch a night would put an end to the lives of feveral who feemed no longer able to fupport fuch fufferings. Every one complained of fevere pains in their bones; but these were alleviated, in fome degree, by an allowance of two tea-fpoonfuls of rum; after drinking which, having wrung our cloaths, and taken our breakfast of bread and water, we became a little refreshed. Towards noon it be came fair weather; but with very little abatement of the gale, and the fea remained equally high.

May 24. Fresh gales and fine weather; wind SSE, and S. Towards the evening the weather looked much better, which rejoiced all hands, fo that they eat their scanty allowance with more fatisfaction than for fome time paft. The night alfo was fair; but, being always wet with the fea, we suffered much from the cold. A fine morning,

To

I had the pleasure to fee, produce fome chearful countenances. wards noon the weather improved, and, the first time for 15 days past, we found a little warmth from the fun. We ftripped, and hung our cloaths up to dry, which were by this time become so thread-bare, that they would not keep out either wet or cold.

May 25. Fresh gales and fair weather. Wind SSE. This afternoon we had many birds about us, which are never feen far from land, fuch as boobies and noddies, About 3 o'clock the sea began to run fair, and we fhipped but little water, I therefore determined to know the exact quantity of bread I had left; and on examining found, according to my prefent iffues, fufficient for 29 days allowance, In the course

of

of this time I hoped to be at Timor; but, as that was very, uncertain, and perhaps after all we might be obliged to go to Java, I determined to proportion my iffues to fix weeks. I was apprehenfive that this would be ill received, and that it would require my utmost resolution to enforce it; for, fmall as the quantity was which I intended to take away, for our future good, yet it might appear to my people like robbing them of life, and fome, who were lefs patient than their companions, I expected would very ill brook it. I however represented it to effentially neceffary to guard against delays in our voyage by contrary winds, or other causes, promifing to enlarge upon the allowance as we got on, that it was readily agreed to. I therefore fixed, that every perfon fhould receive one 25th of a pound of bread for breakfast, and one 25th of a pound for dinner; fo that by omitting the proportion for fupper, I had 48 days allowance. At noon some noddies came fo near to us, that one of them was caught by hand. This bird is about the fize of a small pigeon. I divided it, with its entrails, into 18 portions, and by the method of, Who shall have this?* It was diftributed with the allowance of bread and water for dinner, and eat up bones and all, with falt water for fauce.

In

May 26. Fresh gales at SSE, and fine weather. In the evening we faw feveral boobies flying fo near to us, that we caught one of them by hand. This bird is as large as a good duck; like the noddy, it has received its name from feamen, for fuffering itself to be caught on the mafts and yards of fhips. They are the moft prefumptive proofs of being in the neighbourhood of land of any fea-fowl we are acquainted with. I directed the bird to be killed for fupper, and the blood to be given to three of the people who were the moft diftreffed for want of food. The body, with the entrails, beak, and feet, I divided into 18 fhares, and with an allowance of bread, which I made a merit of granting, we made a good fupper, compared with our ufual fare. the morning we caught another booby, fo that Providence feemed to be relieving our wants in a very extraordinary manner. Towards noon we paffed a great many pieces of the branches of trees, fome of which appeared to have been no long time in the water. I had a good obfervation for the latitude, and found my fituation to be in 13° 41' S; my longitude, by account, from Tofoa, 37° 13' W; courfe S 85° W, 112 miles. Every perfon was now overjoyed at the addition to their dinner, which I diftributed as I had done in the evening; giving the blood to those who were the most in want of food. To make our bread a little favoury we frequently dipped it in falt water; but for my own part I generally broke mine into fmall pieces, and eat it in my allowance of water, out of a cocoa-nut fhell, with a spoon, economically avoiding to take too large a piece at a time, fo that I was as long at dinner as if it had been a much more plentiful meal.

[To be continued.]

* One perfon turns his back on the object that is to be divided: another then points feparately to the portions, at each of them afking aloud, "Who fhall have this?" To which the firft aufwers by naming fomebody. This impartial method of divifion gives every man an equal chance of the best share.

An

An Account of the Converfion and Trials of Mr. LAWRENCE SPOONER, who lived near Litchfield, in the County of Stafford, in a time of perfecution: Taken from his own manufcript.

IT

T was my mercy to be born of chriftian parents, who not only profeffed the form, but felt the power of godliness. My reverend father gave me the beft inftructions; but, my parents dying when I was young, I was left to the care of fome chriftian friends, who greatly valued me for my father's fake, I being his

only fon.

As I grew up, I became very careless about my foul, wafted. precious time, fell into bad company, and was addicted to drinking, and other exceffes, to the great grief and concern of thofe who had the overfight of me: I dread to tell particulars; but one thing, among many others, hath fince diftreffed me exceedingly; namely, that I tempted a poor harmless inoffenfive man, to drink to excefs. He is fince dead; and when I think of his precious, and immortal foul, it even pierces and rends my heart, and for ought I know, will follow me with forrow to the grave. I did as bad by others; but they, having a great fhare of natural reason, were more capable of viewing the danger, and withstanding the temptation; befides, they are ftill living, and who can tell but the grace of God may reach them before they die?

Thus I walked in the ways of my own heart for feveral years, and was fuffered to run fuch lengths in vanity and fin, and to caft fuch flight on the wholesome counfel of my friends, that they were ready to give me over for loft. Some of them even ceafed to pray for me; particularly one good woman, who, after converfing in a serious folemn manner with me, faid she had left off mentioning me at the throne of grace. This expreffion affected me for a while very much; for I all along retained an high opinion of the prayers of the righteous, though, alas! I had little or no defire to pray for myself.

At times, indeed, I was under convictions of fin, and a fecret dread of the divine Wrath, which put me upon prayer, and making promifes in my own ftrength, of forfaking my wicked companions, and leading a new life. But thefe impreffions foon wore off, and, to my fhame be it mentioned, I grew as bad, nay worfe than before. O matchlefs mercy! love unfought! bound lefs grace indeed! which spared fuch a wretch as I, who ran fuch lengths in wickednefs, and finned fo wilfully against God, and the dictates of my own confcience!

Being invited by two friends, to go with them to visit some godly men, at that time in prifon for confcience fake; at length I confented. The morning they fet out they fent for me, but as theweather was wet, and being willing to make excufes, I declined the journey. Soon after they were gone, I felt great remorse, VOL. XIX. July 1796. attended