It will be necessary to mention, that the ship's hold was enclosed by a bulk-head at the after-part of the well.[2] Here were all the dry provisions, and the ship's rum, stowed upon ten chaldrons of coal, which, unfortunately, had been started in this part of the ship, and by them the pumps were continually choked. At this time it was observed that the water had not a passage to the well; all the rum (twenty-six puncheons), all the provisions in casks, were stove; having floated with violence from side to side, until there was not a whole cask remaining: even the staves, that were found upon clearing the hold, were most of them broken in two or three pieces. In the fore-hold they had the prospect of perishing. Should the ship swim, they had no water but what remained in the ground tier; and over this all the wet provisions in barrels were floating, with so much motion, that no man could go into the hold without the risk of his life. There was nothing left, but to try baling with buckets at the fore-hatchway and fish-room; and twelve large canvas buckets were immediately employed in each. On opening the fish-room, they were so fortunate as to discover that two puncheons of rum had escaped. They were immediately got up, and served out in drams; and had it not been for this relief, and some lime-juice, the people would have dropped. [Footnote 2: The well is an apartment in a ship's hold, serving to enclose the pumps. It is sounded by dropping a measured iron rod down into it by a long line; hence the increase or diminution of the leaks is easily discovered. "They sound the well, and, terrible to hear, Five feet immersed along the line appear; At either pump they ply the clanking brake, And turn by turn the ungrateful office take." FALCONER'S _Shipwreck_.] They soon found their account in baling: a spare pump had been put down the fore-hatchway, and a pump shifted to the fish-room; but the motion of the ship had washed the coals so small, that they had reached every part of the ship, and these pumps were soon choked. However, the water by noon had considerably diminished by working the buckets; but there appeared no prospect of saving the ship, if the gale continued. The labour was too great to hold out without water, yet the people worked without a murmur, and, indeed, with cheerfulness. But their sufferings for want of water were very great, and many of them could not be restrained from drinking salt water. They fired many guns of distress, in hopes some of the merchant-ships might approach and give them some supply; but on the beginning of the storm they had run before the wind, and made some port on the coast of Brazil,--an example which the Diomede would have been glad to follow before the hurricane began, but her crippled state from the engagement rendered this impossible.