Page:Colnett - Voyage to the South Pacific (IA cihm 33242).djvu/196

 On the North ide of the Weternmot ile, at half a mile ditance from the hore, there was afe anchorage, with a outherly wind, which now blew: but as we had o lately experienced an heavy Northerly gale, which is the prevailing wind in winter, and blows directly into the anchoring birth, the general opinion was to make ail back to the Northward, to get into better weather or in with the main land, and endeavour to top the leak.—In hort, any ituation however inconvenient, or even dangerous, was preferred by the whole crew, to the putting into a Spanih port, and truting to the tender mercies we might find there. It becomes an act of jutice in me to declare that, in every awkward and unpleaant circumtance, in which we ometimes found ourelves, every peron on board, from the whaling-mater to the lowet eaman, manifeted a perfect confidence in me, and paid an implicit obedience to my opinion.—But the upertition of a ailor's mind is not eaily ubdued, and it was with ome difficulty that I could preerve an hen who had been hatched and bred on board, and who at this time was accompanied by a mall brood of chickens, from being detroyed, in order to quit the ill omen that had been occaioned by the unexpected crowing of the animal during the preceding night.