ir places, all I had would have gone into the sea. But
after some time, the rising of the water caused the raft to float again,
and coming up a little river with land on both sides, I landed in a
little cove, as near the mouth as possible, the better to discover a
sail, if any such providentially passed that way.

Not far off, I espied a hill of stupendous height, surounded with lesser
hills about it, and thither I was resolved to go and view the country
that I might see what part was best, to fix my habitation. Accordingly,
arming myself with a pistol a fowling piece, powder and ball, I ascended
the mountain. There I perceived I was in an island, encompassed by the
sea; no distant lands to be seen but scattering rocks that lay to the
west: that it seemed to be a barren place, and, as I thought, inhabited
only by wild beasts. I perceived abundance of fowls, but ignorant of
what kind, or whether good for nourishment; I shot one of them at my
return, which occasioned a confused screaming among the other birds, and
I found it, by its colours and beak, to be a kind of a hawk, but its
flesh was perfect carrion.

When I came to my raft, I brought my effects on shore, which work spent
that day entirely; and fearing that some cruel beasts might devour me in
the night time while I slept, I made a kind of hut or barricade with the
chests and boards I had brought onshore. That night I slept very
comfortably; and the next morning my thoughts were employed to make a
further attempt on the ship, and bring away what necessaries I could
find, before another storm should break her to pieces. Accordingly I got
on board as before, and prepared a second raft far more nice then the
first, upon which I brought away the carpenter's stores, two or three
bags full of nails, a great jack-screw, a dozen or two of hatchets, and
a grind-stone. I also took away several things that belonged to the
gunner, particularly two or three iron crows, two barels of
musket-bullets, another fowling-piece, a small quantity of powder, and a
large bagful of small shot. Besides these, I took all the men's clothes
I could find, a spare fore topsail, a hammock, and some bedding; and
thus completing my second cargo, I made all the haste to shore I could,
fearing some wild beast might destroy what I had there already. But I
only found a little wild cat sitting on one of the chests, which seeming
not to fear me or the gun that I presented at her, I threw her a piece
of