“These are to acquaint you, the gentlemen, officers, and seamen of the ship Wager, that, for the easement of the boat now building, we do agree to go in the yawl, after she is fitted up, with allowing us our share of provisions, and other conveniences, to go in her to the southward, through the Streights of Magellan, for the coast of Brazil.

David Buckley, quarter gunner. 
William Harvey, ditto. 
Rich.  Noble, quarter-master. 
William Moor, captain’s cook. 
William Rose, quarter-master. 
John Hayes, seaman. 
John Bosman, ditto.”

The next day, the above-mention’d added one more to their number, viz.  Peter Plastow, captain’s steward:  he came to acquaint us he was willing to go with them, and hoped we would give our consent; we told him we had nothing to do with it, therefore he must apply to the captain.

Thursday the 10th, hard gales at W.N.W., with rain and hail.  The captain sent for the lieutenant, master, myself, the carpenter, and boatswain; when we were all met, the captain ask’d us if Plastow had mention’d any thing to us about going off in the yawl.  We told him he had.  Plastow being sent for, the captain said, Peter, I hear you are for going in the boat?  He answer’d, Yes, sir, I will take my chance, for I want to get to England.  The captain bade him be gone for a villain, and said no more.  This Plastow was a mighty favourite with the captain, and had often been admitted to his conversation:  He above all men ought to have stood steadfast to him, because the captain regarded him above the whole body of people, and hath been heard to say as much.  It was this day agreed that the sentence put off on the 6th should be executed the first opportunity, without any delay, and that no boat should go off from hence before all was ready, believing some have a design to go to the northward.

Friday the 11th, wind at N.N.W.  The people very uneasy, scarce any work done for this week past; every thing at a stand, we have now among us no command, order, or discipline, add to our uneasiness the uncomfortableness of the climate; we have been inhabitants of this island sixteen weeks, and have not seen ten fair days; the murmurings of the people, the scarcity of provision, and the severity of the weather, would really make a man weary of life.

Monday the 14th, last night very hard gales at N.W. and W.N.W., with large showers of hail, with thunder.  The wind to-day is much abated.  As to the article of provisions, nothing comes amiss, we eat dogs, rats, and, in short, every thing we can come at.

Friday the 18th, Dennis O’Lary, and John Redwood, seamen, with six marines, were put off to the main, according to their sentence, it being a fine summer’s day.  This day the lieutenant bringing a pair of pistols to the carpenter, and complaining they were in bad order, did not imagine they were loaded, snapping the first it miss’d fire, the second went off, but providentially did no harm, tho’ the lieutenant had then a crowd of people about him.