y courage, I
endeavoured to muster all I possessed. I thought if I could climb up to
the top of the rock and make a signal, it might be observed, should any
boat when the storm was over come out from the shore, or should any
vessel be passing. I could see no other rocks to the eastward; I
supposed, therefore that this was the highest part of the reef, and that
vessels acquainted with the coast might pass by within sight of it.

I spent several hours, I can scarcely describe how. When my hunger
became too ravenous to bear longer, I munched a small quantity of
biscuit. At length, as I watched the seas, I observed that they did not
approach so close to me, and I was convinced that the tide was again
going down. I calculated, indeed, from the time I had been on the rock,
that this must be the case, as it was already rising when I first
landed, and I now hoped that I should be able to obtain some shellfish
by going down to the lee-side, and cutting them off with my knife.

The idea having once occurred to me, I lost no time in carrying it out.
I had to be excessively cautious, for by a false step I might have
slipped into the sea, and not have been able to regain my hold on the
rock. After searching about for some time, I caught sight of a few
clams, but they were not to be obtained without risk, as the sea surged
up and recovered them. I fixed my eye on one, then rushing down, I cut
it off and threw it up out of the reach of the water. I obtained two
more in the same way; and in attempting to secure a fourth, the waves
swept round the rock, almost covering me, and I had to cling on for my
life, losing my clam and very nearly my life. This taught me to be more
cautious than ever; but I managed notwithstanding to obtain three or
four more, and as I could see none others above water, I had to content
myself with those I had collected. Gathering those I had obtained
together, I returned to the higher part of the rock, close under the
beacon, where I was sheltered from the wind. I had no means of lighting
a fire. There was no fuel on the rock to make one, and so I was
compelled to eat the clams raw, with a little biscuit to make them more
palatable. The whole day had passed away, and another night was coming
on. I dreaded it, for I knew not what might happen during the hours of
darkness.

The storm had in no way abated, and I feared that when the tide again
rose the sea might get still more over the rock. I had