the better, and which, in all probability, had it been deferred,
might have been fatal to the greatest part of us; but at this time the
subsistence on which we had hitherto depended chiefly, which was the shell-
fish, were every where along shore eat up; and as to stock saved from the
wreck, it may be guessed what the amount of that might be, when the share
allotted to the captain, Lieutenant Hamilton, and the surgeon, was no more
than six pieces of beef, as many of pork, and ninety pounds of flour. As to
myself and those that left the long-boat, it was the least revenge they
thought they could take of us to withhold our provision from us, though at
the same time it was hard and unjust. For a day or two after our return
there was some little pittance dealt out to us, yet it was upon the foot of
favour; and we were soon left to our usual industry for a farther supply.
This was now exerted to very little purpose, for the reason before
assigned; to which may be added, the wreck was now blown up, all her upper
works gone, and no hopes of any valuable driftage from her for the future.
A weed called slaugh, fried in the tallow of some candles we had saved, and
wild sellery, were our only fare, by which our strengths was so much
impaired, that we could scarcely crawl. It was my misfortune too to labour
under a severe flux, by which, I was reduced to a very feeble state; so
that, in attempting to traverse the rocks in search of shell-fish, I fell
from one into very deep water, and with difficulty saved my life by
swimming.

As the captain was now freed, by the departure of the long-boat, from the
riotous applications, menaces, and disturbance of an unruly crew, and left
at liberty to follow the plan he had resolved upon, of going northward, he
began to think seriously of putting it in execution, in order to which, a
message was sent to the deserters, who had seated themselves on the other
side of the neighbouring lagoon, to sound them, whether they were inclined
to join the captain in his undertaking, and if they were, to bring them
over to him. For this set, the party gone off in the long-boat had left an
half-allowance proportion of the common stock of provision. These men, upon
the proposal, readily agreed to join their commander; and being conducted
to him, increased our number to twenty. The boats which remained in our
possession to carry off all these people were only the barge and yawl, two
very crazy bottoms; the broadsi