t a little, and brought tears out of my eyes, and I
began to bless myself that such a prodigy of nature should happen upon my
account; and this was the more strange to me, because I saw near it
still, all along by the side of the rock, some other straggling stalks,
which proved to be stalks of rice, and which I knew, because I had seen
it grow in Africa when I was ashore there.

I not only thought these the pure productions of Providence for my
support, but not doubting that there was more in the place, I went all
over that part of the island, where I had been before, peering in every
corner, and under every rock, to see for more of it, but I could not find
any. At last it occurred to my thoughts that I shook a bag of chickens'
meat out in that place; and then the wonder began to cease; and I must
confess my religious thankfulness to God's providence began to abate,
too, upon the discovering that all this was nothing but what was common;
though I ought to have been as thankful for so strange and unforeseen a
providence as if it had been miraculous; for it was really the work of
Providence to me, that should order or appoint that ten or twelve grains
of corn should remain unspoiled, when the rats had destroyed all the
rest, as if it had been dropped from heaven; as also, that I should throw
it out in that particular place, where, it being in the shade of a high
rock, it sprang up immediately; whereas, if I had thrown it anywhere else
at that time, it had been burnt up and destroyed.

I carefully saved the ears of this corn, you may be sure, in their
season, which was about the end of June; and, laying up every corn, I
resolved to sow them all again, hoping in time to have some quantity
sufficient to supply me with bread. But it was not till the fourth year
that I could allow myself the least grain of this corn to eat, and even
then but sparingly, as I shall say afterwards, in its order; for I lost
all that I sowed the first season by not observing the proper time; for I
sowed it just before the dry season, so that it never came up at all, at
least not as it would have done; of which in its place.

Besides this barley, there were, as above, twenty or thirty stalks of
rice, which I preserved with the same care and for the same use, or to
the same purpose--to make me bread, or rather food; for I found ways to
cook it without baking, though I did that also after some time.

But to return to my Journal.

I worked excess