Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/525

] and to fix the ship by a hawser, to prevent her from being carried nearer the land. Next, in order to lighten her, the salt-water, with which most of our casks were filled, was emptied into the hold, and all the pumps set a-going to pump it out. As soon as we had discharged this ballast, we set the capstan to work upon a large anchor, which had been put down close to the first; but, with our utmost efforts, it was near one P.M. before we could disengage the ship from the sand-bank, and get her fairly afloat.