at their being carried to the East Indies. They begged therefore, I would keep on the banks of Newfoundland, where, probably, they might meet with some ship, or sloop to carry them to Canada, whence they came. As this was but a reasonable request, I was inclined to grant it, since it was no breach of charter party, and that the laws of God and nature obliged us to do what good we could to our fellow-creatures; and besides the danger we ourselves should be in for want of provisions:  so we consented to carry them to Newfoundland, if wind and weather would permit; if not, that we should carry them to Martinico in the West Indies.  But, as it happened, in a week’s time we made the banks of Newfoundland, where the French people hired a bark to carry them to France.  But the young priest being desirous to go to the East Indies, I readily agreed to it, because I liked his conversation, and two or three of the French sailors also entered themselves on board our ship.

Now directing our course for the West Indies, steering S. and S. by E. about twenty days, with little wind, another adventure happened to exercise our humanity.  In the latitude of 27 degrees, 5 minutes north, the 19th of March 1694-5, we perceived a sail, (our course S. E. and by S.) which bore upon us, and then she appeared to be a large vessel, having lost her main topmast and boltsprit; when firing a gun as a signal of distress, wind N. N.W. we soon came to speak with her.  She was a ship from Bristol, bound home from Barbadoes, out of which road she had been forced in a hurricane to the westward, in which they lost their masts.

They told us, their expectations were to see the Bahama islands, but were driven away by a strong wind at N.N.W. and having no sails to work the ship with, but the main-course and a kind of square sail upon a jury foremast, because they could not come near the land, were endeavouring to stand for the Canaries:  nay what was worse, besides all their fatigue, they were almost starved for want of provision, having ate nothing for eleven all that they had aboard, was sugar, a barrel of fresh water and seven casks of rum.  In this ship were passengers, a youth, his mother, and a maid-servant, who were in a most deplorable condition for want of food.  If I had not gone on board their ship, the knowledge of their misery had been concealed from me, and they would have inevitably perished; though, indeed, their second mate who was Captain, by reason the true Captain was not on board when the hurricane happened, had before informed me that there was such persons on board, whom he supposed to be dead, being afraid to inquire after them, because he had nothing to give them for relief.  Hereupon we resolved to let them have what we could spare, ordering the mate to bring some of his men on board us, which he did accordingly:  as he and they looked like skeletons, when meat was set before them, I ordered them to eat sparingly.  But, however they soon