and with the help of the rest got her flung over the ship's side, and getting all into her, being eleven of us, committed ourselves to God's mercy and the wild sea. And now we saw that this last effort would not be a sufficient protection from death; so high did the sea rise, that it was impossible the boat should live. As to making sail, we had none; neither if we had, could we make use of any. So that when we had rowed, or rather were driven about a league and a half, a raging wave, like a lofty mountain, came rolling astern of us, and took us with such fury, that at once it overset the boat. Thus being swallowed up in a moment, we had hardly time to call upon the tremendous name of God; much less to implore, in dying ejaculations, his infinite mercy to receive our departing souls.
Men are generally counted insensible, when struggling in the pangs of death; but while I was overwhelmed with water, I had the most dreadful apprehensions imaginable. For the joys of heaven and the torments of hell, seemed to present themselves before me in these dying agonies, and even small space of time, as it were, between life and death. I was going I thought I knew not whither, into a dismal gulf unknown, and as yet unperceived, never to behold my friends, nor the light of this world any more! Could I even have thought of annihilation, or a total dissolution of soul as well as body, the gloomy thoughts of having no further being, no knowledge of what we hoped for, but an eternal quietus, without life or sense: even that, I say, would have been enough to strike me with horror and confusion! I strove, however, to the last extremity, while all my companions were overpowered and entombed in the deep: and it was with great difficulty I kept my breath till the wave spent itself, and retiring back, left me on the shore half dead with the water I had taken in. As soon as I got on my feet, I ran as fast as I could, lest another wave should pursue me, and carry me back again. But for all the haste I made, I could not avoid it: for the sea came after me like a high mountain, or furious enemy; so that my business was to hold my breath, and by raising myself on the water, preserve it by swimming. The next dreadful wave buried me at once twenty or thirty feet deep, but at the same time carried me with a mighty force and swiftness toward the shore: when raising myself, I held out as well as possible, till at length the water having spent itself, began to return, at which I struck forward, and feeling ground with my feet, I took to my heels again. Thus being served twice more, I was at length dashed against a piece of a rock, in such a manner as left me senseless; but recovering a little before the return of the wave, which, no doubt, would then have overwhelmed me, I held fast by the rock till those succeeding waves abated; and then fetching another run, was overtaken by a small wave, which was soon conquered. But before any more could overtake me, I reached the main land, where clambering up the cliffs of the shore, tired and almost spent I sat down on the grass, free from the dangers of the foaming ocean.
No tongue can express the ecstasies and transports that my soul felt at the happy deliverance. It was like a reprieve to a dying malefactor, with a halter about his neck, and ready to be turned off. I was wrapt up in contemplation and often lifted up my hands, with the profoundest humility, to the Divine Powers, for saving, my life, when the rest of my companions were all drowned. And now I began to cast my eyes around, to behold what place I was in and what I had next to do. I could see no house nor people; I was wet, yet had no clothes to shift me; hungry and thirsty, yet had nothing to eat or drink; no weapon to destroy any creature for my sustenance; nor defend myself against devouring beasts; in short, I had nothing but a knife, a tobacco pipe, and a box half filled with tobacco. The darksome night coming on upon me, increased my fears of being devoured by wild creatures; my mind was plunged in despair, and having no prospect, as I thought, of life before me, I prepared for another kind of death then what I had lately escaped. I walked about a furlong to see if I could find any fresh water, which I did, to my great joy: and taking a quid of tobacco to prevent hunger, I got up into a thick bushy tree, and seating myself so that I could not fall, a deep sleep overtook me, and for that night buried my sorrows in a quiet repose.
It was broad day the next morning before I awaked; when I not only perceived the tempest was ceased, but law the ship driven almost as far as the rock before-mentioned, which the waves had dashed me against, and which was about a mile from the place where I was. When I came down from my apartment in the tree, I perceived the ship's boat two miles distant on my right-hand, lying on shore, as the waves had cast her. I thought to have got to her; but there being an inlet of water of about half a mile's breadth between it and me, I returned again towards the ship, as hoping to find something for my more immediate subsistence. About noon, when the sea was calm, that I could come within a quarter of a mile of her, it was to my grief I perceived, that, if we had kept on board all our lives had been saved. These thoughts, and my solitude drew tears from my eyes, though all in vain. So resolving to get to the ship, I stripped and leapt into the water, when swimming round her, I was afraid I should not get any thing to lay hold of; but it was my good fortune to espy a small piece of rope hang down by the fore chains, so low that, by the help of it, though with great difficulty, I got into the forecastle of the ship. Here I found that the ship was bulged, and had a great deal of water in her hold: her stern was lifted up against a bank, and her head almost to the water. All her quarter and what was there, was free and dry. The provisions I found in good order, with which I crammed my pockets, and losing no time, ate while I was doing other things: I also found some rum, of which I took a hearty dram: and now I wanted for nothing except a boat, which indeed was all, to carry away what was needful for me.
Necessity occasions quickness of thought. We had several spare yards, a spare topmast or two, and two or three large spars of wood. With these I fell to work, and flung as many of them overboard as I could manage, tying every one of them with a rope, that they might not drive away. This done, I went down to the ship's side, and tyed four of them fast together at both ends, in form of a raft, and laying two or three short pieces of plank upon them crosswise, I found it would bear me, but not any considerable weight. Upon which I went to work again, cutting a spare topmast into three lengths, adding them to my raft with a great deal of labour and pains. I then considered what I should load it with, it being not able to bear a ponderous burden. And this I soon thought of, first laying upon it all the planks and boards I could get; next I lowered down three of the seamen's chests, after I had filled them with bread, rice, three Dutch cheeses, five pieces of dried goat's flesh, and some European corn, what little the rats had spared: and for liquors, I found several cases of bottles belonging to our skipper, in which were some cordial waters, and four or five gallons of rack, which I stowed by themselves. By this time the tide beginning to flow, I perceived my coat, waistcoat, and shirt, swim away, which I had left on the shore; as for my linen breeches and stockings, I swam with them to the ship; but I soon found clothes enough, though I took no more than I wanted for the present. My eyes were chiefly on tools to work with; and after a long search, I found out the carpenter's chest, which I got safe down on my raft. I then looked for arms and ammunition, and in the great cabin found two good fowling pieces, two pistols, several powder horns filled, a small bag of shot, and two old rusty swords. I likewise found three barrels of powder, two of which were good, but the third had taken water, also two or three broken oars, two saws, an ax, and a hammer. I then put to sea, and in getting to shore had three encouragements. 1. A smooth calm sea. 2. The tide rising and letting in to shore. 3. The little wind there was blew towards the land. After I had sailed about a mile, I found the raft to drive a little distance from the place where I first landed; and then I perceived a little opening of the land, with a strong current of the tide running into it: upon which I kept the middle of the stream. But great was my concern, when on a sudden the fore part of my raft ran a ground, so that had I not, with great difficulty, for near half an hour, kept my back straining against the chests to keep my effects in their places, all I had would have gone into the sea. But after some time, the rising of the water caused the raft to float again, and coming up a little river with land on both sides, I landed in a little cove, as near the mouth as possible, the better to discover a sail, if any such providentially passed that way.
Not far off, I espied a hill of stupendous height, surounded with lesser hills about it, and thither I was resolved to go and view the country that I might see what part was best, to fix my habitation. Accordingly, arming myself with a pistol a fowling piece, powder and ball, I ascended the mountain. There I perceived I was in an island, encompassed by the sea; no distant lands to be seen but scattering rocks that lay to the west: that it seemed to be a barren place, and, as I thought,
