Boon Island - Kenneth Roberts [34]
Fire becoming their next necessary Care, on Account of the West and cold: They fought to procure this Blessing by a Variety of Means, as Flint, Steel, and Gunpowder, and afterwards by a Drill of very swift Motion, but all the Materials in their Possession naturally susceptible of Fire, being, on this Occasion, throughly Water soak'd, after 8 or 10 Days unsuccessful Labeur, they gave over the fruitless Attempt.
The second Night they stow'd, one upon another, under the Canvas, in the best Manner they could Devise to keep each other warm. And the following Day, the Weather clearing up, and inclining to Frost, the Master, seeing the nearest Part of the Main Land, knew it to be Cape Neddock; and from thence took Occasion of encouraging his People with Hopes of being discover'd by Fishing Shallops, or other Vessels occasionally passing that Way; altho' all the while, he was conscious to himself, that rarely any Thing of this Kind happen'd at that unseasonable Time of the Year; however, he thought it good Policy to put the Best Face
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on the Matter, and take this Advantage of their Ignorance and Credulity; since he already too plainly observ'd their great Dejection, and frequent Relapses into an utter Distrust of Divine Providence.
As, after a Shipwreck, all Discipline and Command ceases, and all are reduc'd to a State of Equality; so the late Master perceiving some refusing to give Assistance even when required in necessary Matters, he purposely withdrew from the Society, under Pretence of collecting Materials for future Use, in Order to give them a fair Opportunity of freely electing an Head, or Chief Commander; but, returning one Evening, he was inform'd by the People, that they had invested him with the same full Powers of issuing all Orders, and Punishing any in Case of Disobedience, as before on board the Ship; and this they had enforced with the stronger Sanction, in Regard to some Opposition made by the Mate and two others, against the Master's any longer enjoying the Supreme Command. And from this Time forward, the Master exercis'd some Authority; but not 'till he had consulted the Body, if in any Affair of Importance.
It will scarce meet with Credit to report how much the Impression of their Misfortunes had impair'd their Memories in so short a Space of time, so that they divided in Opinion concerning the number of Days they had been on that unfortunate Island; the Consequence whereof was, they kept two Christmas-days that Year, and two Sundays every Week, 'till Providence sent the Vessel for their Relief. About the 3d, or 4th Day, our Cook, unused to the Hardships of a Sea-faring Life, complain'd of a violent Illness, which appear'd but too visibly in his Countenance; he was lodg'd with two or three others, the most infirm, and died about Noon. They placed the Corps near Low-watermark, and the flowing Tide carried it away; none so much as hinting to reserve it for Sustenance; tho' several afterwards con-
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fess'd, they had Thoughts of appropriating it to that Use. They as yet retain'd some Sense of Humanity, being hitherto Strangers to the exquisite Torture of excessive Hunger, they receiving the Cheese divided into equal Shares, about half a Pound a Man each Day, as the casting of Lots decided; so that the Master, who, by working very hard, when the Weather permitted, exhausted his Spirits, and render'd his Appetite more importunate, had not the least Particle more than such as gave no Manner of Assistance; however, he reap'd one Benefit, for maintaining of Warmth by Action, preserv'd a due Circulation of Blood, imparting a benign Influence to his whole System; whereas a severe Frost setting in with Extremity of Cold, so benumb'd and discolour'd the Hands and Feet of the Unactive, as render'd them, in a Manner, Useless and past sense of Feeling, not without