tain-like, came rolling aftern of us, and plainly bid us expect the Coup de Grace. In a word, it took us with fuch a fury, that it overfet the boat at once, and feparating us as well from the boat as from one another, gave us not time hardly to fay, O God! for we were all fwallowed up in a moment Nothing can defcribe the confufion of thought which I felt when I funk into the water; for tho' I swam very well, yet I could not deliver myself from the waves fo as to draw breath, till that wave having driven me, or rather carried me a vaft way on towards the fhore, and having spent itself, went back, and left me upon the land almot dry, but half dead with the water I took in: I had fo much prefence of mind, as well as breath left, that feeing myfelf nearer the main land than 1 expected, I got upon my feet, and endeavouring to make on towards the land, as faft as I could, before another wave fhould return, and take me up again. But I foon found it was impoffible to avoid it, for I faw the fea come after me as high as a great hill, and as furious as an enemy, which I had no means or ftrength to contend with; my bufinefs was to hold my breath, and raise myfelf upon the water, if I could, and fo by fwimming to preferve my breathing, and pilot myfelf towards the thore, if poffible; my greateft concern now being, that the wave, as it would carry me a great way towards the fhore when it came on, might not carry me back again with it, when it gave back towards the fea The wave that came upon me again, buried me at once 20 or 30 feet deep in its own body, and I could feel myself carried with a mighty torce and fwiftness towards the fhore, a very great way; but I held my breath, and affifted myself to swim ftill forward with all my might. I was ready to burft with holding my breath, when, as I found myself rifing up, fo, to my immediate relief, I found my head and hands fhoot out above the furface of the water; and though it was not two feconds of time that I could keep myself so, yet it relieved me greatly, gave me breath and new courage. I was covered again with water a good while, but not to long but I held it out; and finding the water had spent itself, and began to return, I ftruck forward forward against the return of the waves, and felt ground again with my feet. I ftood still a few moments to recover breath, and till the waters went from me, and then I took to my heels, and ran with what strength I But neither would this had, farther towards the fhore. deliver me from the fury of the sea, which came pouring after me again, and twice more I was lifted up by the waves, and carried forwards as before, the shore being very flat. The laft time of these two had well near been fatal to me; for the fea, having hurried me along as before, landed me, or rather dafhed me, against a piece of a -rock, and that with fuch force, as it left me fenfeless, and indeed helpless, as to mine own deliverances; for the blow, taking my fide and breaft, beat the breath as it were quite out of my body; and had it returned again immediately, I must have been ftrangled in the water; but I recovered a little before the return of the waves and feeing I should be covered again with the water, I refolved to hold faft by a piece of the rock, and fo to hold my breath, if poffible, till the wave went back. Now as the waves were not fo high as at first, being near land, I kept my hold till the waves abated; and then fetched another run, which brought me fo near the fhore, that the next wave, tho' it went over me, yet did not fo fwallow me up, as to carry me away; and the next run I took, I got to the main land, where, to my great comfort, I clambered up the clifts of the fhore, and fat me down upon the grass, free from danger, and quite out of the reach of the water. I was now landed, and safe on fhore, and began to look up and thank God, that my life was faved in a cafe wherein there was, some minutes before, scarce any room to hope. I believe it is impoffible to exprefs to the life, what the extafies and tranfports of the foul are when it is fo faved, as I may fay, out of the very grave; and I do not wonder now at that cuftom, viz. 'That when a malefactor, who has the halter about his neck, is tied up, and just going to be turned off, and has a reprieve brought to him; I fay, I do not wonder, that they bring a furgeon with it, to let him blood that very moment they tell him of it, that the furprise may may not drive the animal fpirits from the heart, and overwhelm him. For fudden joys, like griefs, confound at firft. I walked about on the fhore, lifting up my hands, and my whole being, as I may fay, wrapt up in the contemplation of my deliverance, making a thoufand geftures and motions, which I cannot defcribe, reflecting upon all my comrades that were drowned, and that there fhould not be one foul faved but myfelf; for as for them, I never faw them afterwards, or any fign of them, except three of their hats, one cap, and two fhoes, that were not fellows. I caft my eyes to the stranded veffel, when the breach and froth of the fea being so big, I could hardly fee it, it lay fo far off; and confidered, Lord! how was it poffible I could get on shore. After I had folaced my mind with the comfortable part of my condition, I began to look round me, to see what kind of place I was in, and what was the next to be done; and I foon found my comforts abate, and that, in a word, I had a dreadful deliverance; for I was wet, had no cloaths to fhift me, nor any thing either to eat or drink, to comfort me; neither did I fee any prospect before me but that of perishing with hunger, or being devoured by wild beafts: And that which was particularly afflicting to me was, that I had no weapon either to hunt or kill any creature for my sustenance, or to defend myfelf against any other creature that might defire to kill me for theirs. In a word, I had nothing about me but a knife, a tobacco pipe, and a little tobacco in a box ; this was all my provifion, and this threw me into terrible agonies of mind, that for a while I ran about like a madman. Night coming upon me, I began with an heavy heart, to confider what would be my lot, if there were any ravenous beats in that country, feeing at night they always come abroad for their prey. All the remedy that offered to my thoughts at that time was, to get up into a thick bufhy tree like a fir, but thorny, which grew near me, and where I refolved to fit all night, and confider the next day what death I should die; for, as yet, I faw no profpect of life. I walked about a furlong from the fhore, to fee if I could find any fresh water to drink, which I did to my great joy; and having drank, and put a little tobacco in my mouth, to prevent hunger, I went to the tree; and, getting up into it, endeavoured to place myself so, as that, if I fhould fleep, I might not fall; and, having cut me a short stick like a truncheon, for my defence, I took up my lodging; and having been exceffively fatigued, I fell faft afleep, and flept as comfortably as I believe few could have done in my condition; and found myself the most refreshed with it, that I think I ever was on fuch an occafion. When I a vaked it was broad day, the weather clear, and the form abated, so that the fea did not rage and fwell as before: But that which furprised me moft was, that the ship was lifted off, in the night, from the fand where the lay, by the fwelling of the tide, and was driven up almoft as far as the rock, which I first mentioned, where I had been fo bruised by the dashing me against it; this being within about a mile from the shore where I was, and the fhip feeming to ftand up ill, I wifhed myself on board, that at leaft, I might fave fome neceffary things for my ufe. When I came down from my apartment in the tree, I looked about me again; and the first thing I found was the boat, which lay as the wind and the fea had toffed her upon the land, about two miles to my right hand. I walked as far as I could upon the fhore, to have got to her; but found a neck or inlet of water between me and the boat, which was about half a mile broad; fo I came back, for the prefent, being more intent upon getting at the ship, where I hoped to find fomething for my prefent fubfiftence. A little after noon I found the fea very calm, and the tide ebbed fo far out, that I could come within a quarter of a mile of the fhip: And here I found a fresh renewing of my grief; for I faw evidently, that if we had kept on board, we had been all fafe; that is to fay, we had all got fafe on fhore, and I had not been fo miferable as to be left entirely deftitute of all comfort and company, as I now was: This forced tears from my eyes eyes again; but as there was little relief in that, I re folved, if poffible, to get to the fhip; fo I pulled off my cloaths (for the weather was hot to an extreme) and took to the water; but when I came to the fhip, my difficulty was ftill greater to know how to get on board; as fhe lay aground and high out of the water, there was nothing within my reach, to lay hold of; I fwam round her twice, and the fecond time I efpied a small piece of rope, which I wondered I did not fee at first, hang down by the fore chains, fo low, as with great difficulty I got hold of it, and, by the help of that rope, got up into the fore caftle of the fhip. Here I found that the fhip was bilged, and a great deal of water in the hold, but that the lay fo on the fide of a bank of hard sand, or rather earth, that her ftern lay lifted up upon the bank, and her head low almost to the water; by this means all her quarter was free, and all that was in that part was dry, for you may be fure my work was to search, and to fee what was fpoilt and what was free: And firft I found, that all the thip's provifions were dry, and untouched by the water; and, being very well difpofed to eat, I went to the bread room, and filled my pockets with bifcuit, and eat it as I went about other things, for I had no time to lofe. I alfo found fome rum in the great cabin, of which I took a large dram, and which I had indeed need enough of, to fpirit me for what was before ine. Now I wanted nothing but a boat, to furnish myself with many things which I forefaw would be very neceffary to me. It was in vain to fit ftill and wifh for what was not to be had; and this extremity roufed my application. We had feveral fpare yards, and two or three large pars of wood, and a fpare top-maft or two in the fhip; I refolved to fall to work with these, and flung as many of them overboard as I could manage for their weight, tying every one with a rope, that they might not drive away when this was done, I went down the hip's fide, and pulling them to me, I tied four of them faft together at both ends as well as I could, in the form of a raft; and, laying two or three short pieces of plank upon,them crofs-ways, I found I could walk upon it very well, but that it was not able to bear any |