as I could be, lay
on their oars, and demanded who I was, and from whence I came? to
which I replied, "that I was an Englishman, and had run away from
pirates." On this they drew somewhat nearer, inquiring who was there
besides myself? when I assured them, in return, that I was alone.
Next, according to my original purpose, having put similar questions
to them, they said they had come from the Bay of Honduras; their words
encouraged me to bid them row ashore, which they accordingly did,
though at some distance, and one man landed, whom I advanced to meet.
But he started back at the sight of a poor ragged, wild, forlorn,
miserable object so near him. Collecting himself, however, he took me
by the hand, and we began embracing each other, he from surprise and
wonder, and I from a sort of ecstacy of joy. When this was over, he
took me in his arms, and carried me down to the canoes, when all his
comrades were struck with astonishment at my appearance; but they
gladly received me, and I experienced great tenderness from them.

I gave the strangers a brief account of my escape from Low, and my
lonely residence for sixteen months, all excepting three days, the
hardships I had suffered, and the dangers to which I had been exposed.
They stood amazed at the recital; they wondered I was alive, and
expressed much satisfaction at being able to relieve me. Observing me
very weak and depressed, they gave me about a spoonful of rum to
recruit my fainting spirits; but even this small quantity, from my
long disuse of strong liquors, threw me into violent agitation, and
produced a kind of stupor, which at last ended in privation of sense.
Some of the party perceiving a state of insensibility come on, would
have administered more rum, which those better skilled among them
prevented; and after lying a short time in a fit, I revived.

Then I ascertained, that the strangers were eighteen in number, the
chief of them named John Hope, an old man, called Father Hope, by his
companions, and John Ford, and all belonging to the Bay of Honduras.
The cause of their coming hither, was an alarm for an attack from the
sea, by the Spaniards, while the Indians should make a descent by
land, and cut off the Bay; thus they had fled for safety. On a former
occasion, the two persons above named, had for the like reason, taken
shelter among these islands, and lived four years at a time on a small
one, named Barbarat, about two leagues from Roatan. There they