Some Of The People, Urged By Raging Thirst, Drank Sea
Water, Which Evidently Hastened Their Dissolution.
Others had recourse to
their own urine, and this nauseous beverage, joined to the precaution of
eating as little salt provision as possible, contributed most of all to the
preservation of their lives.
For the space of five days they continued in this dreadful situation,
sailing all the time to the north-eastward. At length on the 4th of
January, one of the people who sat in the bow of the boat, descried
somewhat to leeward which he conceived to be the shadow of land, and
immediately informed the crew of his discovery in an anxious voice. All
eyes were now eagerly directed to this object, and as day broke they saw
with extreme joy that it really was the land. The sight of this welcome
object inspired them with fresh vigour, and they now plied their oars in
order to arrive the sooner at the shore; but on account of its great
distance, as well as the shortness of the day, which was only two hours
long, they were unable to accomplish this desire. Besides, they were now so
weak as to be unable to make use of their oars for any length of time; and
as night soon overtook them, and was of long continuance, it seemed to men
in their forlorn state as if it would never end. When the next day broke,
they could no longer discern the land which they had seen the day before;
but they discovered another mountainous country very near them and to
leeward. That they might not lose the way to this during the ensuing night,
they took its bearings by the compass, and hoisting sail with a fair wind
they reached it about four o'clock in the evening. On approaching the
shore, they observed that it was surrounded by many shallows, as they
distinctly heard the sea breaking over these; but they gave themselves up
to the guidance of providence, and at one time the boat grounded on a
shoal, but a vast wave came and floated them over, and at the same time
carried them safely to land upon a shelving rock, which was now their great
security, as the spot was encompassed on every side with rugged projecting
rocks, and they could not possibly have got on shore in any other place.
Here therefore they ran their boat on shore; and those who were on the bows
leaped directly on the coast, which they found entirely covered with snow,
which they swallowed in immense quantities, filling their parched and
burning stomachs and bowels. They likewise filled a kettle and pitcher for
those who from weakness remained in the boat; and Quirini alleges, that he
swallowed as much snow as he would have found it difficult to have carried
on his back, all his happiness and welfare seeming to depend upon the
quantity of it he could swallow. This extravagant quantity of snow agreed
so ill with some of the people, that five of them died that night; though
their deaths were attributed to the sea water which they had previously
drank.
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