192 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES

 

what nation he was of. THe had nothing in his pocket but two pieces
of cight, and a tobacco pipe: the last was to me of ten times more
value than the first.

It was now calm, and I had a great mind to venture out in my boat
to this wreck, not doubting but I might find something on board that
might be useful to me; but that did not altogether press me so much,
as the possibility that there might be yet some living creature on board,
whose life I might not only save, but might, by saving that life, comfort
my own to the last degree: and this thought clung so to my heart, that
T could not be quict night nor day, but I must venture out in my boat
on board this wreck; and committing the rest to God’s providence, I
thought the impression was so strong upon my mind, that it could not
be resisted, that it must come from some invisible direction, and that I
should be wanting to myself if I did not go.

Under the power of this impression, I hastened back to my castle,
prepared every thing for my voyage, took a quantity of bread, a great
fot for fresh water, a compass to steer by, a bottle of rum, (for T had
still a great deal of that left), a basket full of raisins; and thus load-
ing myself with every thing necessary, [ went down to my boat, got the
water out of her, and got her afloat, loaded all my cargo in her, and
then went home again for more: my second cargo was a great bagful
of rice, the umbrella to set up over my head for shade, another large pot
full of fresh water, and about two dozen of my small loaves, or barley-
cakes, more than before, with a bottle of goat’s milk, and a cheese; all
which, with great labour and sweat, I brought to my boat; and praying
to God to direct my voyage, I put out, and rowing or paddling the
canoe along the shore, I came at last to the utmost point of the island,
on that side, namely, north-east. And now I was to launch out into
the ocean, and either to venture of not to venture: I looked on the
rapid currents which ran constantly on both sides of the island, at a
distance, and which were very terrible to me, from the remembrance of
the hazard I had been in before, and my heart began to fail me; for I
foresaw, that if Iwas driven into cither of those currents, I should be
carried a vast way out to sea, and perhaps out of my reach or sight of
the island again; and that then, as my boat was but small, if any little
gale of wind should rise, I should be inevitably lost.

These thoughts so oppressed my mind that I began to give over my
enterprise; and having hauled my boat into a little creek on the shore,
I stepped out, and sat me down upon a little spot of rising ground,
very pensive and anxious, between fear and desire, about my voyage ;
when, as I was musing, I could perceive that the tide was turned,
and the flood came on, upon which my going was for so many hours