a few minutes look’d like a parcel of transported fellons.  On our coming ashore, we found the captain had taken his lodging in a little hut, supposed to be built by Indians; as for our parts, we were forced to take shelter under a great tree, where we made a large fire, but it rain’d so hard, that it had almost cost us our lives; an invalid died that very night on the spot.  Before I left the ship I went to my cabin for my journal, but could not find it; I believe it is destroyed with the rest, for there is not one journal to be produced, we have good reason to apprehend there was a person employ’d to destroy them; I afterwards found part of the master’s journal along shore, tore to pieces:  Whatever is related in this book, preceding the loss of the Wager, is extracted from a journal belonging to a gentleman, lately an officer on board the Pearl.  After we lost sight of the Pearl, I was obliged to have recourse to my memory, which I believe has been very faithful to me.  From the time we were ship-wreck’d, the carpenter and myself were exceeding careful in writing each day’s transactions:  Had other persons taken the same care, there would be no necessity of imposing upon the publick a partial and inconsistent narrative, instead of a faithful relation of facts.

On the 16th, the weather very boisterous and a great sea, the boatswain wanted a boat, but finding no appearance of any coming aboard, brought a quarter-deck gun, a four pounder, to bear on the captain’s hut, and fir’d two shot, which went just over the captain’s tent.  This day, being resolv’d to contrive something like a house, to secure us from the inclemency of the rain, and severity of the weather, we hawl’d up the cutter, and propping her up, we made a tolerable habitation.  As for food, this island produces none; nor is there any vegetable upon it but cellery, which grows here in abundance, and is of great use to us, the men being in general very much troubled with the scurvy.

On the 17th of May, being Whitsunday, got several wild fowls, and plenty of muscles, limpets, and other shell-fish, which we find very refreshing, having subsisted a long time on nothing but salt provisions.

The 18th, went on board the ship, to see if it was possible to come at any provisions; got out of the Lazaretto two casks of flour and some wine, which were very useful.

On the 19th, went aboard again to scuttle the decks, in order to get some beef and pork out of the hold; we also scuttled the carpenter’s store-room for nails and other things of service.

The 20th, cut away the gunnel to get the long-boat out, which was done.  To-day we found several men dead, and some drowned, in the ship, suppos’d to have drank till they were not able to get from the water, as it flowed into the ship.  While we were aboard working on the wreck, there came along-side a canoe with several Indians, bowing and crossing themselves, giving us to understand they were inclinable to the