his Villainies for his own Security.  This Man alone shewed some Sense of a Deity.  I never heard him in the Storm swear an Oath; but, on the contrary, I often heard him, as by stealth, say, Lord have Mercy on me!  Great God forgive me! The Seventh Day, a Sea poop’d us, and wash’d away this unhappy Man, and the Two who were at the Wheel, whom we never more set Eyes on.  Two others immediately stepp’d into their Places.  The Loss of the Captain was an Addition to our Misfortune, which together with the violent Continuance of the Storm, took away all Hopes of Safety.

On the Tenth Day, about Nine in the Morning, we struck upon a Rock with that Violence, that those who were in their Hammocks were thrown out, and those who walk’d the Deck, were struck off their Legs.  The Pumps were immediately try’d, and some ran into the Hold, and found the Ship made a great deal of Water.  They plied the Pumps, but in less than ten Minutes, she struck again, and a Sea coming over us, I saw no more either of the Ship or the Crew.  I rose by the Side of a large Timber, which I laid hold of, and got upon, heartily recommending my self to my Creator, and sincerely endeavouring to reconcile myself to my God, by an unfeigned Repentance of the Follies of my past Life, and by making a very solemn Resolution, that if his Mercy should preserve me from a Danger which none but his Omnipotence could draw me out of, to have, for the future, a strict Guard upon all my Thoughts, Words, and Actions, and to shew my Gratitude, by the Purity and Uprightness of my future Life.

The Want of an Observation for so many Days, and the Loss of our Captain, the only Artist on board, with the Want of a Compass, was the Reason of our being altogether ignorant of the Coast on which our Vessel perish’d.  The Piece of the Wreck which I was upon, was, after being toss’d some Hours, thrown ashore, and I got so far on Land, that the returning Surf did not reach me.  What became of the rest of the Crew, I know not, but concluded they all perish’d, till some Years after, I met in England one of the Englishmen who would not take on with the Pyrates, and who told me, that, by a peculiar Providence, he and the other Seven, were, after four Days floating on broken Pieces of the Ship, taken up by some Indian Canoes; that they were two Years among the Indians, who treated them very humanly; and when they were one Day a-fishing with them about three Leagues from the Shore, they spied a Sail at a great Distance, and signifying their Desire to return to Europe, the Indians very courteously gave them a Canoe and Eight Paddles, with which they reach’d the Ship, it being becalm’d, and found her French.  They were received on board in the Latitude of ——­ Degrees North, and when they arrived at Rochelle, were kindly used, and sent to England.