drawers, and a blue
linen shirt, but no particular mark to guess what nation he was of. In
his pocket were two pieces of eight, and a tobacco-pipe, the last of
which I preferred much more than I did the first. And now the calmness
of the sea tempted me to venture out in my boat to this wreck, not only
to get something necessary out of the ship, but perhaps, some living
creature might be on board, whose life I might preserve. This had such
an influence upon my mind, that immediately I went home, and prepared
every thing necessary for the voyage, carrying on board my boat
provisions of all sorts, with a good quantity of rum, fresh water, and a
compass: so putting off, I paddled the canoe along the shore, till I
came at last to the north-east part of the island, from whence I was to
launch into the ocean; but here the currents ran so violently, and
appeared so terrible, that my heart began to fail me; foreseeing that if
I was driven into any of these currents, I might be carried not only out
of reach or sight of the island, but even inevitably lost in the boiling
surges of the ocean.

So oppressed was I at these troubles, that I gave over my enterprize,
sailing to a little creek on the shore, where stepping out, I set me
down on a rising hill, very pensive and thoughtful. I then perceived
that the tide was turned; and the flood came on, which made it
impracticable for me to go out for so many hours. To be more certain how
the sets of the tides or currents lay when the flood came in, I ascended
a higher piece of ground, which overlooked the sea both ways; and here I
found that as the current of the ebb set out close by the south point of
the island, so the current of the flood set in close by the shore of the
north side; and all that I had to do was to keep to the north of the
island in my return.

That night I reposed myself in my canoe, covered with my watch coat,
instead of a blanket, the heavens being my tester. I set out with the
first of the tide full north, till I felt the benefit of the current,
which carried me at a great rate eastward, yet not with such impetuosity
as before, as to take from me all government of my canoe; so that in two
hours time I came up to the wreck, which appeared to me a most
melancholy sight. It seemed to be a Spanish vessel by its building,
stuck fast between two rocks; her stern and quarter beaten to pieces by
the sea; her mainmast and foremast were brought off by the board, that
is bro