swiftness toward the shore:  when raising myself, I held out as well as possible, till at length the water having spent itself, began to return, at which I struck forward, and feeling ground with my feet, I took to my heels again.  Thus being served twice more, I was at length dashed against a piece of a rock, in such a manner as left me senseless; but recovering a little before the return of the wave, which, no doubt, would then have overwhelmed me, I held fast by the rock till those succeeding waves abated; and then fetching another run, was overtaken by a small wave, which was soon conquered.  But before any more could overtake me, I reached the main land, where clambering up the cliffs of the shore, tired and almost spent I sat down on the grass, free from the dangers of the foaming ocean.

No tongue can express the ecstasies and transports that my soul felt at the happy deliverance.  It was like a reprieve to a dying malefactor, with a halter about his neck, and ready to be turned off.  I was wrapt up in contemplation and often lifted up my hands, with the profoundest humility, to the Divine Powers, for saving, my life, when the rest of my companions were all drowned.  And now I began to cast my eyes around, to behold what place I was in and what I had next to do.  I could see no house nor people; I was wet, yet had no clothes to shift me; hungry and thirsty, yet had nothing to eat or drink; no weapon to destroy any creature for my sustenance; nor defend myself against devouring beasts; in short, I had nothing but a knife, a tobacco pipe, and a box half filled with tobacco.  The darksome night coming on upon me, increased my fears of being devoured by wild creatures; my mind was plunged in despair, and having no prospect, as I thought, of life before me, I prepared for another kind of death then what I had lately escaped.  I walked about a furlong to see if I could find any fresh water, which I did, to my great joy:  and taking a quid of tobacco to prevent hunger, I got up into a thick bushy tree, and seating myself so that I could not fall, a deep sleep overtook me, and for that night buried my sorrows in a quiet repose.

It was broad day the next morning before I awaked; when I not only perceived the tempest was ceased, but law the ship driven almost as far as the rock before-mentioned, which the waves had dashed me against, and which was about a mile from the place where I was.  When I came down from my apartment in the tree, I perceived the ship’s boat two miles distant on my right-hand, lying on shore, as the waves had cast her.  I thought to have got to her; but there being an inlet of water of about half a mile’s breadth between it and me, I returned again towards the ship, as hoping to find something for my more immediate subsistence.  About noon, when the sea was calm, that I could come within a quarter of a mile of her, it was to my grief I perceived, that, if we had kept on board all our lives had been saved.