And it was six in the morning, when we were about four
leagues distant, before she blew up. The report she made upon this
occasion was but a small one, but there was an exceeding black pillar of
smoke, which shot up into the air to a very considerable height. Thus
perished His Majesty's ship the Gloucester.
CHAPTER 26.
THE LADRONES SIGHTED--TINIAN.
The 23rd, at daybreak, we were cheered with the discovery of two islands
in the western board. This gave us all great joy, and raised our drooping
spirits, for before this a universal dejection had seized us, and we
almost despaired of ever seeing land again. The nearest of these islands
we afterwards found to be Anatacan. The other was the island of Serigan,
and had rather the appearance of a high rock than a place we could hope
to anchor at. We were extremely impatient to get in with the nearest
island, where we expected to meet with anchoring ground and an
opportunity of refreshing our sick; but the wind proved so variable all
day, and there was so little of it, that we advanced towards it but
slowly. However, by the next morning we were got so far to the westward
that we were in view of a third island, which was that of Paxaros, though
marked in the chart only as a rock. This was small and very low land, and
we had passed within less than a mile of it in the night without seeing
it. And now at noon, being within four miles of the island of Anatacan,
the boat was sent away to examine the anchoring ground and the produce of
the place, and we were not a little solicitous for her return, as we then
conceived our fate to depend upon the report we should receive; for the
other two islands were obviously enough incapable of furnishing us with
any assistance, and we knew not then that there were any others which we
could reach.
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