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the king’s ships, I only thanked them, desiring if they joined Admiral Graves to acquaint him of our condition.
I had not the smallest doubt but the Ville de Paris was coming to us, not to have suffered in the least by the storm, and having seen her wear, we knew she was under government of her helm; at this time also it was moderate, that the merchantmen set their top-sails, but approaching within two miles she passed us to the windward; this being observed by one of the merchant ships she wore and came under our stern, offering to carry any message to her. I desired the master would acquaint Capt. Wilkinson, that the Centaur had lost her rudder as well as her masts, that she made a great deal of water and I desired he would remain with her until the weather grew moderate. I saw this merchant-man approach afterwards near enough to speak to the Ville de Paris, but I was afraid that her condition was much worse than it appeared to be, as she was continuing upon that tack. In the mean time all the quarter-deck guns were thrown over board, and all but 6 which had set off the main-deck; the ship lying in the trough of the sea laboured prodigiously; I got over one of the small anchors with a boom and several guns, carriage-veered, out from the head-doors by a large hauser to keep the ship’s bow to the sea, but this, with a top-gallant sail upon the the stump of the mizzen-mast, had not the desired effect.
As the evening came on it grew hazy, and squals blew strong; we lost sight of the Ville de Paris, but thought it a certainty that I should see her in the morning. The night was passed in constant labour at the pumps, sometimes the wind lulled and the water diminished, when it blew strong again the sea rising, the water increased.
Towards the morning of the 18th, I was informed there was seven feet water upon the relson, that one of the winches was broken, that two spare ones would not fit, and the hand-pumps were choaked: these circumstances were sufficiently alarming, but upon opening the after-hold to get some rum up for the people, we found our condition much more so.
It will be necessary to mention, that the Centaur’s after-hold was inclosed by a bulk-head at the after-part of the well, here were all our dry provisions and ship’s
