SOme years since, I set sail from the Bar­badoes, in the Susanna of Boston in New-England, of Burthen 48 Tuns, being bound for the said Port of Boston. On the 23 day of September, being in the latitude of 37 degrees, at eight of the Clock at night, there sprung a great and fearful [Page 2]Leak upon us, insomuch that in the space of half an hour our Vessel was half ful of water. We were some­what leaky before, so that we were necessitated to pump about an hundred stroaks a Glass: But now our Pump would not suck, which forced me to set both our Pumps to work. I gave order to the Carpenter to go into the Hold, who, opening the Hatches, leaps down upon the Goods, and found himself up to the knees in water; whereupon he cried out, the Hold was full of water, which was too sad and true news to us. Our Boat lay then with her Keel up, so we turned her to rights, and putting in a Compass, a Quadrant, and a Sea­mans Callander, under the fore-sheat of the Boat, and making fast a Rope to the Ring, we gave her a launch into the Sea. There was then stirring but little Wind, so that all our Seamen went immedi­ately into the Boat, and were so surprized with fear, that they would not help me to get any thing out of the Ship, aboard which I still staied; and being assisted by six Passengers, I put aboard the Boat a hogshead of Water, which lay in the Hatch way, and wanted seven inches of being full; but we must take either that or none, for our other Hogsheads were overflown with the Sea, and the Bungs being open the Salt-water ran into them. We took also a little Vessel of green-Ginger, and a Pillow-case of Bread; which was all the Provi­sion we had. We also put in a Boats-Mast, and Sail; four Oars, a Bonnet Tarpaulin, a Hammock, and a Deal-board; a Hand-speak, and a Box of [Page 3]Nails, with the Carpanters Axe. This was all we took out of the Ship, and this we did in half an hours time: then the water was up to the Deck. I caused the Passengers to follow the Pumps, and in the mean time I leapt into the Boat; which, as soon as the Passengers perceived, they cried most bitterly. Our Boat was not above six inches free, so that had we taken them in, we must have sunk by the Ships side: So we cast off, and left the six Pas­sengers on Board. Yet were we twelve Men in the Boat, and we thought our selves in almost as bad a condition as they who were in the Ship, whom we left with two Corses abroad, and the Scoopers to the water; little Wind. Within an hour after some of our Men did wish themselves aboard again, to be out of the miseries they were like to undergo. The Bonnet which we had was as long as the Boat; so we ripped off the bolt-Rope, and split the Bon­net in the midst, and nailed the one half on the one side of the Boat, and the other half on the other. Then we split the Deal-board which we had, and made stanchings to keep up our Waste close, after we had nailed on the Bonnet on the Boats Port­ledge; we had made it two foot above the side by that time it was day. We kept our Boats head all night against the Sea with an Oar: So having no Wind, we slip'd out four Oars and rowed away North-west, for we were not then above 80 Leagues off the shoar. Thus we rowed for 48 hours, being very calm; neither did we eat or drink all this time. The 26th. day, being Sunday in the morn­ing, [Page 4]the Wind came at North-west very hard: So we made a Dreg to keep the Boat against the Sea. In this manner we lay almost an hours time, until the Sea did break in over our Boats-head. Then we were forced to set our Sail, and scud away before the Wind. This Wind we had for four and twenty hours time, which made the Sea very lofty, and the next day the Wind veer'd about at West and South: but still we were compelled to scud before it, and as night came on it did begin to blow and rain very hard, and very dusky and dark it was all night. When the day appeared we were sailing to the Southward, with the Wind at North-west: It blew very strong. This made us consider what a long Course we were to run that way, and forced we were to put our selves to an Allowance, which God knows, was very little; Three Cakes of Bread for twelve Men, and nine spoonfuls of Water, and a Race or two of Ginger for each Man a day. Ʋpon this Allowance, and some few Fish which we caught and eat raw, we liv'd. There were Fish continually swiming after the Boat for near three hundred Leagues, out of hopes no doubt but to find a prey; of which they were so greedy, that if there was but a Ropes-end hung over the Boat, they would take hold of it. To catch them there­fore, we took a speak-Nail and bowed it, and made it fast to a stick about two foot long, and covered the Nail with a Linnen-rag, which they would greedily swallow; and then we struck the Nail into them, and so hall'd them over the Boats-side. [Page 5]Thus by Gods help we caught six Dolphins, and one Dog-fish, at several times. When we had them aboard, we would cut off their heads, and save the blood in a dish, and drink it. Nay we were forced to drink our own Water, and some did rather choose to drink Salt-water; This did we do for fifteen or sixteen daies together. The weather being so hot, and our allowance of Water being so small, that every man had it in a dish; and to make it go the farther, we took a Rag of linnen cloth and dipped in the water, and therewith washed and gargariz'd our mouths: For my part when I had occasion to make water, I would catch it in my shoe, and let it stand till it was cold, and then drink it. I found it to be much better than Salt-water; for they that drank it were distemper'd in their heads, and troubled with the scouring in their bodies, but I was not distemper'd; yet I could not, neither did I go to stool but once in thirty daies. Our Boat was leaky all the time we were in her, so that one man was continually em­ploy'd in heaving out the Water; which we did by turns. In the Night, he whose turn it was to throw out the water, would lie over the Hog­shead (our allowance of Water being so small, he would with a wad of Ocum, tied to a Rope of Yarn, put it into the Hogshead, and therewithal draw-up the Water.) There was one also made the same use of his Handkerchief, and had left it therein. In the Morning I chanced to look into the Hog­shead, and saw the Cloth, which I took forth [Page 6]with a stick, and a Nail at the end of it; I believe it contain'd near a pint of Water, which I drank heartily. I found also the wads of Ocum. Ha­ving thus discovered the cheat, and fearing that drinking thus beyond our Allowance, we should soon drink up all our Water: To prevent it, e­very night I would nail a piece of Shoe-leather over the Bunghole. We took up our Water with a Velencha, which we had made of a piece of Deal-board. In this distress we were bandied up and down, and carried into the Trade Wind, in the Latitude of 28, where we were becalmed, and had little or no Wind for a weeks time. By that time we had been three weeks in our Boat, our Ginger was spent, and our poor Carpenter died. On the 22. of October, in the morning, we saw the Virgin-Islands, it was directly to Lee-ward of us. That day we had little Wind; but on the 23 day, in the Morning, we had a fresh brieze, and at two of the Clock in the Afternoon we got on shoar at the windward-Island. It was very smooth-water, for we went in over a ledge of Rocks. But when we essayed to go out of the Boat, we were so weak and giddy, we could not go nor hardly stand. Then we had one Cake of bread for a Man left, and seven inches of Water in our Hog­shead. Thus was it a compleat Month before we came to Land, after our Ship was sunk. Our Cloaths were rotten upon our backs. After some time we recover'd the use of our Legs, and went as well as we could upon the Island, to seek for [Page 7]something to eat: Where I found a great green thing as big as my head, of a waterish taste, which did not give us content. I cut it up with the piece of a knife, and found it full of prickles. Then one John Collett and I went to look for Wa­ter, for it had been a dry time. Thus travelling through the Woods we espied an open place, but when we came to it, we found it was a great Pond of Salt-water, and by the side thereof were abundance of white Crabs, very large, and Crab-holes, out of which we drank; but the Water was brackish. We caught one of the Crabs, and plucked off its Claws, and tore it to pieces, and did eat of it very heartily. We caught as many as we could carry on a string to the Sea-side, to the rest of our Crew; who were afraid to eat them till they saw we did it before them. But yet we could find no fresh Water. When Night came we hall'd up our Boat as high as we could out of the Surfe, and taking the Oars and Sail, we made a Tent against the Rocks for to lie in; but I would not lie out of the Boat, but kept the Tarpaulin, and lay under it all Night. Most part of the Night it did rain and blow very hard, with Thun­der and Lightning. This supplied us with Rain­water all the time we were there, which we found in the holes of the Rocks. In the Morning we went abroad again to seek for somewhat to eat, and then we found a Shel-fish, which is called S [...]uldiers; and them we did eat. The Island on which we were was but little, not above a mile [Page 8]over; but there were many other Islands and Rocks, but no Inhabitants on any of them. Whilst we were here one of our Company died. In ten daies time, being on the shoar, we had pretty well recovered our strength; and having hall'd up our Boat, we over-set her, and mended her as well as we could. And considering, it were better to put to Sea in the night than in the day, an hour before day we sitted out our Boat, and out we rowed with­out any great danger. By that time the Sun was risen we had cleer'd our selves off the Rocks, and setting up our Sail before the Wind, we scudded about a League along the shoar, and there we saw as it were an Harbour: So in we went, and being a large place, we sail'd before the Wind till two of the Clock in the Afternoon; then we went on shoar to get something for dinner, which we made upon black-Crabs, and Souldiers. After Dinner we came to Sail again, and sailed before the Wind, with the Land on both side of us. When Night came, we went on shoar to get our Supper and Lodging. Thus for fourteen Nights time, all the food we had was raw Crabs, and Souldiers. But here we could take no rest for the Musheeloes. About two hours before day we came to sail again before the Wind, and by that time it was Day, we had cleer'd our selves off that Island. Then we could see the Island of Porterecco, and there we went on shoar to look for Crabs to our Supper, but we could find none; but we found a River of Fresh-water, and thereof drank our fill, but [Page 9]nothing we had to eat. We lay on the Beach on the shoar all Night, and could hear the noise of Dogs and Cattle, which made us fearful of the Negroes. In the Morning early we fitted our selves to Sail, and when we had launcht our Boat, and all of us in, my Mate went on sh [...]ar, and said nothing to us, so we thought he had gone to un­truss a Point. There we tarried about an hour, and went on shoar to look after him; but in vain. Then we sailed before the Wind along, the shoar, where we saw abundance of wild Cattle in a Savanagh. It was as much as three of us could do to stear the Boat with an Oar, for we had lost our Rudder at the Virgin Islands. At ten or eleven of the Clock in the Forenoon we espied a Sail in the Offin, sailing before the Wind, as we were; we edg'd off to her, and she in towards us. In a little time we came to speech with them; so they hail'd us, and asked of us from whence we were; to whom we briefly made known our Conditions, and desired them to shew us some relief. They were English that came from Nevis, bound to Tartoodoes; they were in Company fifteen or sixteen, and every one his small shot. They took us aboard, and we were very welcome to them, and they to us. The Masters Name was Robert Hammons. He asked me what I would do with my Boat, I told him I would give it him, if he would carry us to Tartoodoes; upon which we agreed, and we did weep for joy, to see how God had provided [Page 10]for us. Now Victuals was somewhat scarce with them, but we had part of what they had. The next Night, about Midnight, the Master of the Shallop, and four Men with him, took my Boat, and every man his small Shot, with a Barrel for Water, and went on shoar for Provisions; we were then two Leagues off the shoar. The next day we stood off and on with our Shallop, to look for the Master, but no news of them till it was Night, and then they came and brought with them four Quarters of Beef, and a Barrel of Water. And as they threw the Beef on board the Shallop, I and my Crew cut it, and eat it raw, for we had no patience to stay till it was dressed. We saw no Fire till now in all our Voyages and Travels. That Night we made sail for Spaniola, and the next Night we came on the North-side thereof, and then we would go daily on shoar for Victuals. In the Sloop I was like to die with the shells of the Crabs which I had eaten at the Virgin Islands, for they would not go through my Body. We were a week in the Shallop before we came to Tartoodoes, which vvas the first inhabited place vve came at. The People of the Island did make us very welcome, both French and English.

All this is nothing but the Truth; but yet is not all; for I had neither Pen, Ink, nor Paper in the Boat: which hinders me from giving so exact a Relation, as otherwise I would.