Happy it was for us, when, upon the signal given, they ventured out their boats to save our lives.  All our pumping had been in vain, and vain had all our attempts been, had they not come to our ship’s side, and our men cast them a rope over the stern with a buoy to it, which after great labour they got hold of, and we hauling them up to us got into their boat, and left our ship which we perceived sink within less than a quarter of an hour; and thus I learned what was meant by foundering at sea. And now the men incessantly laboured to recover their, own ship; but the sea ran so high, and the wind blew so hard, that they thought it convenient to hale within shore; which, with great difficulty and danger, at last we happily effected landing at a place called Cromer, not far from Winterton lighthouse; from whence we all walked to Yarmouth, where, as objects of pity, many good people furnished us with necessaries to carry us either to Hull or London.

Strange, after all this, like the prodigal son, I did not return to my father; who hearing of the ship’s calamity, for a long time thought me entombed in the deep.  No doubt but I should have shared on his fatted calf, as the scripture expresseth it; but my ill fate still pusheth me on, in spite of the powerful convictions of reason and conscience.

When we had been at Yarmouth three days, I met my old companion, who had given me the invitation to go on board along with his father.  His behaviour and speech were altered, and in a melancholy manner asked me how I did, telling his father who I was, & how I had made this voyage only for a trial to proceed further abroad.  Upon which the old gentleman turning to me gravely, said, “Young man, you ought never to go to sea any more, but to take this for a certain sign that you never will prosper in a sea-faring condition.”  “Sir” answered I, “will you take the same resolution?” “It is a different case,” said he, “it is my calling, and consequently my duty; but as you have made this voyage for a trial, you see what ill success heaven has set before your eyes; and perhaps our miseries have been on your account, like Jonah in the ship of Tarshish.  But pray what are you, and on what account did you go to sea?” Upon which I very freely declared my whole story:  at the end of which he made this exclamation:  “Ye sacred powers:  what had I committed, that such a wretch should enter into my ship to heap upon me such a deluge of miseries!” But soon recollecting his passion, “Young man” said he, “if you do not go back, depend upon it, wherever you go, you will meet with disasters and disappointments till your father’s words are fulfilled upon you.”  And so we parted.