A SIGHT OF THE MAINLAND. 161

boil anything, except a great kettle, which I saved out of the ship
and which was too big for such use as I desired—namely, to make
broth, and stew a bit of meat by itself. The second thing I would
fain have had was a tobacco-pipe, but it was impossible to me to
make one ; however I found a contrivance for that too at last.

I employed myself in planting my second row of stakes or piles
and in this wicker-working all the summer or dry season, when
another business took me up more time than it could be imagined I
could spare.

I mentioned before that I had a great mind to see the whole
island, and that I had travelled up the brook, and so on to where
I built my bower, and where I had an opening quite to the sea on
the other side of the island. I now resolved to travel quite across
to the sea-shore on that side; so taking my gun, a hatchet, and
my dog, and a larger quantity of powder and shot than usual, with
two biscuit cakes, and a great bunch of raisins in my pouch for
my store, I began my journey. When I had passed the vale where
my bower stood as above, I came within view of the sea to the
west, and it being a very clear day I fairly descried land, whether
an island or a continent I could not tell; but it lay very high,
extending from the west to the west-south-west at a very great
distance. By my guess it could not be less than fifteen or twenty
leagues off.

I could not tell what part of the world this might be, otherwise
than that I knew it must be part of America, and, as I concluded
by all my observations, must be near the Spanish dominions; and
perhaps was all inhabited by savages, where, if I should have
landed, I had been in a worse condition than I was now; and
therefore I acquiesced in the dispositions of Providence, which I
began now to own and to believe ordered everything for the best;
I say I quieted my mind with this, and left afflicting myself with
fruitless wishes of being there.

Besides, after some pause upon this affair, I considered that if
this land was the Spanish coast, I should certainly, one time or
other, see some vessel pass or repass one way or other; but if not,
then it was the savage coast between the Spanish country and the
Brazils, which are indeed the worst of savages, for they are can-