fell sick; which obliged the surgeon to mix something in their broth, which was to be to them both food and physic.  When they were fed, we ordered our mate to carry them a sack of bread, and four or five pieces of beef; but the surgeon charged them to see it boiled, and to keep a guard on the cook-room, to prevent the men from eating it raw, and consequently killing themselves with what was designed for their relief.  But, particularly, I desired the mate to see what condition the poor passengers were in, and the surgeon gave him a pitcher of the same broth which he had prepared for the men.  And being curious to see this scene of misery myself, I took the Captain (as we called the mate of the ship) in our own boat, and sailed after them.

Here was a sad sight indeed! scarce were the victuals half boiled in the pot; but they were ready to break open the cook-room door.  To stay their stomachs the mate gave them biscuits, which were dipped in and softened them with the liquor of the meat, which they call bruise; telling them, it was for their own safety, that he was obliged to give them but a little at a time; and so feeding them gradually, their bellies were comfortable filled, and the men did very well again.  But when they came to the poor gentlewoman in the cabin, who for several days had continued without food, giving what she had to her son, they found her as it were in the arms of death.  She was sitting upon the floor of the deck, with her back up against the sides, between two chairs, which were lashed fast, and her head shrunk, between her shoulders, like a senseless corpse.  Nothing was wanting in my mate to revive and encourage her; opening her lips, and putting some broth into her mouth with a spoon.  But not having strength to speak, she lifted up her head with much difficulty, intimating that it was now too late! at the same time pointing to the youth her son, as though she desired him to do what he could to save the lad; and in a little time after she died.

The youth, indeed, was not so far gone; yet lay stretched out on a cabin bed, like one that had scarce any life.  In his mouth was a piece of an old glove, the rest of which he had ate up.  At first he vomited what the mate had given him; but at length began sensibly to revive, though in the greatest concern for the death of his tender mother.

As to the poor maid, she lay by her mistress, like one in the last pangs of death:  her limbs were distorted, one of her hands were clasped round the frame of a chair, which she grasped so hard, that it was with some difficulty we separated her from it; her other arm lay over her head, and her feet lay both together, set fast against the frame of the cabin table; not only being, starved with hunger, but overcome with grief at the loss of her mistress, whom she loved most tenderly.  It was a great while before the surgeon could bring her to life, and a much longer time before she came to her senses.