at, I went
to the bread-room, and filled my pockets with biscuit, and eat it as I
went about other things, for I had no time to lose. I also found some
rum in the great cabin, of which I took a large dram, and which I had
indeed need enough of, to spirit me for what was before me. Now I wanted
nothing but a boat, to furnish myself with many things which I foresaw
would be very necessary to me.

It was in vain to sit still and wish for what was not to be had, and
this extremity roused my application: we had several spare yards, and
two or three large spars of wood, and a spare top-mast or two in the
ship; I resolved to fall to work with these, and flung as many overboard
as I could manage for their weight, tying every one with a rope, that
they might not drive away. When this was done, I went down the ship's
side, and pulling them to me, I tied four of them fast together at both
ends, as well as I could, in the form of a raft, and laying two or three
short pieces of plank upon them, crossways, I found I could walk upon it
very well, but that it was not able to bear any great weight, the pieces
being too light: so I went to work, and with the carpenter's saw I cut a
spare top-mast into three lengths, and added them to my raft, with a
great deal of labour and pains. But the hope of furnishing myself with
necessaries, encouraged me to go beyond what I should have been able to
have done upon another occasion.

My raft was now strong enough to bear any reasonable weight. My next
care was what to load it with, and how to preserve what I laid upon it
from the surf of the sea; but I was not long considering this. I first
laid all the planks or boards upon it that I could get, and having
considered well what I most wanted, I got three of the seamen's chests,
which I had broken open and emptied, and lowered them down upon my raft;
these I filled with provisions, viz. bread, rice, three Dutch cheeses,
five pieces of dried goats' flesh, (which we lived much upon,) and a
little remainder of European corn, which had been laid by for some fowls
which we had brought to sea with us, but the fowls were killed. There
had been some barley and wheat together, but, to my great
disappointment, I found afterwards that the rats had eaten or spoiled it
all. As for liquors, I found several cases of bottles belonging to our
skipper, in which were some cordial waters; and, in all, about five or
six gallons of rack. These I stowed by themselves, the