Page:Life, strange voyages, and uncommon adventures of Ambrose Gwinett.pdf/21

Rh should immediately put our treasure on board, with as much of the merchandize as we could conveniently carry off, and make the best of our way to Jamaica, where there was no doubt but we should be well received.

They agreed to the proposal with more alacrity I thought they would.—We fell immediately  work, and in two days were prepared to sail. But though we put a considerable quantity of bale goods on board, the quantity still in the warehouse was astonishing. I warned the fellows of their, and the danger of deeply loading the , but they would not give over till she could no more; and then the treasure, packed in , each man’s share separate to himself, we  in the cabin.

We weighed anchor the 3d. of August, and for days we had excellent weather; but the 4th. storm began to threaten, and the symptoms still, by midnight such a war was raised heaven and earth, as to that hour, I never was witness of. About three o’clock in the we were obliged to heave the ship too under her  poles, and the sea ran so exceeding high that we could keep no lights on board, tho' the night was so dark that we could scarce see one another  a quarter of a yard distance; the wind still, we sprung the main-mast about six feet the deck, that nothing could save it. We began to feel the consequence of too deeply  the vessel. The first things we threw were our guns, and as our case became more  more desperate, every thing followed them,  excepting our chests of treasure. Thus I was more reduced to my original state of poverty. As day-light appeared the storm abated. We then, well as we were able, erected jury-masts; and in