THE CENTURION AGAIN DRIVEN TO SEA--HER RETURN--DEPARTURE FROM TINIAN.
When the Commodore came on board the Centurion on her return to Tinian as
already mentioned, he resolved to stay no longer at the island than was
absolutely necessary to complete our stock of water, a work which we
immediately set ourselves about. But on the 14th of October, being but
the third day after our arrival, a sudden gust of wind brought home our
anchor, forced us off the bank and drove the ship out to sea a second
time. However, as the weather was favourable, and our crew was now
stronger than when we were first driven out, we in about five days' time
returned again to an anchor at Tinian and relieved those we had left
behind us from their second fears of being deserted by their ship.
On our arrival we found that the Spanish bark, the old object of their
hopes, had undergone a new metamorphosis, for those we had left on shore
began to despair of our return, and conceiving that the lengthening the
bark as formerly proposed was both a toilsome and unnecessary measure,
considering the small number they consisted of, they had resolved to join
her again and to restore her to her first state; and in this scheme they
had made some progress for they had brought the two parts together, and
would have soon completed her had not our coming back put a period to
their labours and disquietude.
On our coming to an anchor again after our second driving off to sea, we
laboured indefatigably in getting in our water; and having by the 20th of
October completed it to fifty tuns, which we supposed would be sufficient
for our passage to Macao, we on the next day sent one of each mess on
shore to gather as large a quantity of oranges, lemons, cocoa-nuts, and
other fruits of the island as they possibly could, for the use of
themselves and messmates when at sea. And these purveyors returning on
board us on the evening of the same day, we then set fire to the bark and
proa, hoisted in our boats, and got under sail, steering away for the
south end of the island of Formosa and taking our leave for the third and
last time of the island of Tinian.