This Was A
Dismal Accident, As We Had No Means Whatever By Which To Avoid The
Prospect Of Immediate Destruction.
But Providence interposed in our
behalf:
For had we struck only a cable's length to the east or west of
where we did, we must all have inevitably perished. When our ill-fated
ship touched the rock, we had all to hold fast by some part of the ship
or rigging, otherwise the violence of her shock in striking must have
tossed us all into the sea. Our three masts went all away together by
the board. In short, words are wanting to express the wretched condition
in which we now were, or our astonishment at our unexpected and
unfortunate shipwreck.
SECTION III.
Residence on the Island of Juan Fernandez.
Having all got on shore in the evening, my officers gathered around me
to bear me company, and to devise measures for procuring necessaries out
of the wreck; and having lighted a fire, wrapped themselves up in what
they could get, and slept very soundly, notwithstanding the coldness of
the weather, and our hopeless situation. I would have set the people to
work that very night, in endeavouring to save what we could from the
wreck, but they were so dispersed that we could not gather them
together, and all opportunity was lost of saving any thing, except some
of our fire-arms. But while the people were employed in building tents,
and making other preparations for their residence on the island, the
wreck was entirely destroyed, and every thing in her was lost, except
one cask of beef and one of farina de pao, which were washed on shore.
Thus all our provisions were gone, and every thing else that might have
been useful. I had saved 1100 dollars belonging to the owners, which
happened to be in my chest in the great cabin, all the rest of their
treasure being in the bottom of the bread-room for security, which
consequently could not be come at.
I now took some pains to find out a convenient place in which to set up
my tent, and at length found a commodious spot of ground not half a mile
from the sea, having a fine stream of water on each side, with trees
close at hand for firing, and building our huts. The people settled
around me as well as they could, and as the cold season was coming on,
some thatched their huts, while others covered theirs with the skins of
seals and sea-lions. Others again satisfied themselves with water-butts,
in which they slept under cover of trees. Having thus secured ourselves
from the weather, we used to pass our time in the evenings around a
great fire before my tent, where my officers usually assembled,
employing themselves in roasting cray-fish in the embers; sometimes
bewailing our unhappy fate, and sinking into despondency; and at other
times feeding ourselves with hopes that something might yet be done to
set us again afloat.
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