g, I crawled out to the border of the Island. I looked
round and saw a very large bush of mangroves, the highest near,
among the roots of which, I concealed myself. When the sun was
setting, I could distinctly hear the splashing of water and
cracking of bushes, and the Pirates hallooing to each other,
which increased my apprehensions, supposing they might discover
my track through the muddy water. I was almost exhausted from a
severe pain in my side, caused by running so long, though I had
determined not to yield to them until I fell under the blow of
their cutlass. Soon after the sun was down their noise ceased,
and I crept up to the top of the tall mangrove, put on my hat and
jacket, where I set all night, until the sun rose the next
morning, that I might discover if they had come round the Island
to intercept my passage.

As I ran through the bushes, I disturbed numberless birds, among
which was the Flamingo, who was extremely bold, flying around me
with such a noise, that I feared it would betray me, by serving
as a guide to my pursuers.

When the sun had arisen, without a cloud, I could discover
nothing to increase my apprehension. I descended the mangrove and
proceeded to the border of the Key--looked across the water
before me, where lay another Key, which I judged 2 1-2 or 3 miles
distant. Here I stripped myself to my shirt, the sleeves of which
I tore off, and with my trowsers, threw them into the sea. I then
tied my jacket, which was of broad cloth, by means of the cord
that was on my arm, slung it over my neck, and put my hat on, to
protect my wounded head from the sun. In this plight I committed
myself to the sea, first supplicating, on my knees, a Divine
blessing on my undertaking; but doubting whether I should ever
reach the opposite Key. Being, however, an excellent swimmer,
having before swum nearly 2 miles on a wager, I reached the
opposite Key without any other injury than the galling my neck
with the cord; and with much less fatigue than I could have
supposed. This Key was much of the description of the last, but
smaller. I made but little pause, continuing my course South
Westerly across it, which was, I should suppose, about three
miles; and as I had not hurried, owing to my fatigue, when I
arrived at its border, it was about the middle of the afternoon.
At about 2 miles distance, I descried another Key, to which I
swam, slinging my jacket as before. When I arrived at this, which
was the third