nd of Chiloe.--To our great Joy we at length discover
Something having the Appearance of a House.--Kindness of the Natives.--We
are delivered to the Custody of a Spanish Guard.--Transactions with the
Spanish Residents.--Arrival at Chaco.--Manners of the Inhabitants.

We now got on, by very slow degrees, to the northward; and as the
difficulties and hardships we daily went through would only be a repetition
of those already mentioned, I shall say no more, but that at last we
reached an island about thirty leagues to the southward of Chiloe. Here we
remained two days for a favourable opportunity to cross the bay, the very
thoughts of which seemed to frighten our cacique out of his senses; and
indeed there was great reason for his apprehensions, for there ran a most
dreadful hollow sea, dangerous indeed for any open boat whatever, but a
thousand times more for such a crazy vessel as we were in. He at length
mustered up resolution enough to attempt it, first having crossed himself
for an hour together, and made a kind of lug-sail out of the bits of
blankets they wore about them, sewed together with split supple-jacks. We
then put off, and a terrible passage we had. The bottom plank of the canoe
was split, which opened upon every sea; and the water continually rushing
over the gunnel, I may say that we were in a manner full the whole way
over, though all hands were employed in bailing, without ceasing a moment.

As we drew near the shore, the cacique was eager to land, having been
terrified to that degree with this run, that if it had not been for us,
every soul must have perished; for he had very near got in amongst the
breakers, where the sea drove with such violence upon the rocks, that not
even an Indian could have escaped, especially as it was in the night. We
kept off till we got into smooth water, and landed upon the island of
Chiloe, though in a part of it that was not inhabited. Here we staid all
the next day, in a very heavy snow, to recover ourselves a little after our
fatigue; but the cold was so excessive, having neither shoe nor stocking,
we thought we should have lost our feet; and Captain Cheap was so ill, that
if he had had but a few leagues further to have gone without relief, he
could not have held out. It pleased God now that our sufferings, in a great
measure, were drawing to an end.

What things our cacique had brought with him from the wreck, he here buried
under ground, in order to conceal them from