Boon Island - Kenneth Roberts [33]
As they could only perceive something black ahead, without being certain whether Land or Rock, the Master perswaded the Mate, and two others, all good Swimmers, to quite the Wreck, and make the first Essay to recover Land, in Order to give Intelligence of the best Place of Landing for the rest of the Ship's Company, if Providence should favour their Escape.
At this Juncture, the Master went down into the Cabin to secure some Money and Papers that might be of Service, in Case he sav'd his Life; and having first furnish'd himself with a Flint, Steel, and a little Gun-powder, just as he open'd the Box, wherein the Money and Papers lay, the Ship bulging, her Stern sunk into deeper Water, and with much Difficulty he regain'd
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the Fore-part of the Vessel, where hearing nothing from the first Adventurers, he concluded them lost; however, being under a Necessity of making the like Attempt, he threw off his Cloaths to his Waistcoat, and without either Wig or Cap, cast himself, with all his might, from the Wreck, seconding the Motion of the Sea towards the Rock; and lighting unexpectedly on the Foremast and Rigging that lay in the Water, he mov'd gradually forward betwixt every Sea, 'till he touch'd the Rock with his Foot; and yet the Mast proving too short, and the Rock exeeding slippery, he was obliged once more to commit himself to the Mercy of that Element, which heav'd him with such Violence against the craggy Point of the Rock, as bruised his Body, and tore his Hands miserably; and, upon the Recess of the Wave, he was carried off again into the Sea: By this Time his Strength was near exhausted, and he had taken in much Water, yet preserving the Use of his Reason, and being, upon the next Elevation of the Sea, tost upon a more eminent Part of the Rock, and catching hold thereof with such impetuous Force, as tore off the Flesh and Nails of his Fingers, he prevented his being wash'd off again, and crept up into a Place of Security, before the next Revolution of the Sea. After a little Recovery of himself, and some Discharge of Salt-water; the Master gave Assistance to the rest of the People, who, with much less Difficulty, got safe on Shore at a more commodious Place of the Rock. Ascending a little higher, they heard the three Men that first escaped to Land; and by 10 being assembled together, they, with joyful Hearts, return'd their most humble Thanks to Divine Providence for their miraculous Deliverance from so imminent a Danger.
They then sought Shelter, to the Leeward of the Island, from the extremity of the Cold, Snow, and Rain, but found it a mere Rock, without a Shovel full of Earth, and destitute of the Growth of a single Shrub, besides, so small and inconsiderable, as not to exceed 100 Yards in length, and 50 in Breadth at high water; and
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withal so craggy, as not to admit of their Walking to keep themselves Warm. In this disconsolate Condition they spent the first miserable Night.
At Appearance of Day-light the Master went to the Place of the Wreck, proposing to find Provisions, either in the Remainder of the Ship, or in the Concavities of the Rock, but was amazed to see only a few odd Things, with some Plank, Timber, and Canvas, drove on Shore, but nothing eatable, except a few Fragments of Cheese, beaten into uncouth Forms by the violent Dashing of the Sea against the Rock; this, being carefully collected, might amount, in the whole, to the Quantity of three small Cheeses, and, at some Distance, lay the