In this strait we consulted what course to steer. Debates must have quick dispatch, when danger is at hand. Our case and re- solve was much like that of the lepers^ at the siege of Samaria ; if we linger here we perish, if we make sail and try to extricate our- selves out of the innumerable difliculties v>e can but perish ; and therefore upon advice, and with general consent, we stood shore- ward under a small sail, viz. our two coasts. About ten at night, a great fog began to encompass us, which increased, in a little time, to that degree, that we could not see the length of our ship before us, and the wind freshed up, and began to blow a brisk gale : thus, all things seemed to conspire our destruction; the fog hood-winked our eyes, that we could not discern the approach of our enemies, and the wind put them into a more quick and violent motion, so that now Me were in continual expectation of a blow, which we could neither discern nor prevent.
All that could be done was done, for immediately we hauled up our foresail, and drove under our mainsail and mizzen, our fore- sail being in the brails, lying a back, hoping that by retarding our motion, and looking out with all possible vigilance and care, we might shun the danger. And, indeed, our men needed no cau- tions, or quickenings to their watch ; the great and imminent dan- ger of life, was motive enough to every man to do his utmost that way.
Thus we continued every man in his proper post about an hour's time, when we espied one of those islands just at head, and so near that we knew not how to escape it, unless by backing cur mainsail, which was done immediately ; but notwithstanding, we received a terrible blow upon the weather-bow, just upon the descent of the sea, and so it drove away along the side of the ship.
Hereupon the carpenter, and some others, going down to see whether we had received any damage by this blow, (whilst other' plied the pump, which would not suck) presently they came -P with distracted cries, and the sentence of death in their look? ^ well as lips, saying. They found the cask swimming abo»^ ^"^
500 WO^^DERFUL SEA-DELIVEEAXCES.
hold, upon the salt ; whereupon we all perceived the wound to be mortal and mcurable, and our case upon the matter desperate; for we were encompassed with thousands of the like ; and what expec- tation could remain of safety in our boat, when one touch of one lump had destroyed so strong and stout a ship under us ? It was very improbable so small a sconce should hold out, when our main fort was surrendered upon the first attack. The night was dark, and the sea boisterous, our ship sinking under us, and our hopes of safety with it ; yet as men in extremity of danger, we greedily catched at the next means of safety, or rather of prolonging life a few hours ; and therefore all hands to work for life ; we first hoisted out our small boat, which was a Norway yawle, with a half strake built upon her, of which indeed we made little account, but our eyes were, under God, upon our great boat, yet not knovving of what use the small boat might be to us in so great an extremity, two men stept into her, to veer her under the quai'ter, whilst the rest were all busied in hoisting out the long-boat; which was done with all expedition imaginable.
But in this confused haste, it so fell out that either the boat received some injury, or the men forgot to put in the scuttle; for no sooner was she clear of the tackles, and the men got into her, (which it was easy to do, the ship sinking so fast, that her side was almost even with the boat), but presently she began to fill with water, and we found ourselves going down as fast as the ship by whose side we lay.
The mate, in the mean time, fearing the ship would be gone, before the long-boat was clear, stept into the yawle, which as yet lay under the ship's quarter, with the two men before-mentioned in her, and providentially took with him a small remnant of brandy, being about five pints, and so put off in haste from the ship, wherein were five men, who utterly despairing of safety among us, chose rather to go down with the ship.
When we were thus sinking in the long-boat, the yawle was fallen from us at least half a cable's length ; we were tliirteen of us gotten into the long-boat, and finding ourselves almost gone, we passionately called to the three men in the yawle, for the Lord'^s sake to hasten to us, and save us.
They had only two oars with them, and, poor hearts, they made all haste to us, though they could not but know how much they increased their own dangers by mingling them with our extremi- ties ; if indeed, either theirs or ours may be said to be capable of an increase.
It pleased God, our long-boat continued above water, till the . ' of the yawle touched her stern ; upon which all that sat afore ?n tu head of the long-boat, running with all haste to get hold of
^VOKDEUFUL SKA-DELIVERAXCE9. oOl
the yawle, tlie lono--])oat immediately sunk awrty after an 6ncl, under the yawle, and carried down three of our company with her ; the other ten, some of them leapt into the boat, others hung by the side, of which number I was one, with about six more in the same condition with me^ which by the friendly hands of our compassions ate companions were plucked into the boat ; though, alas ! neither they nor we could reckon ourselves to have gained any more advan- tage herebv, than a few hours to prepare ourselves for eternity, which yet was a mercy above what was granted to our poor com- panions that went down by our side in a moment.
In this first scene of providence, many wonders of mercy appeared to us, and for us ; such was,
1. The inclining of the hearts of our three men in the yawle to adventure to us in such a desperate state as we were. Had they had time to exercise their reason, they would never have come near us, though their dearest relations had been among us ; for the principle of self-preservation, will make every man carve first for himself No man ordinaiily loving another to that degree, as to die with him for company, if he have any means, though never so small, to escape present ruin. But certainly providence con- sulted our good, by denying them time to consult their own reason in this case.
2. It was also mercy to lis, that our three companions perished when they did, for had they lived but a minute longer, in all pro- bability we had perished altogether in that minute ; for she could receive no more than she did receive ; and had the rest leapt in, or hung by the side, as we did, we must have been forced to an act of cruelty in turning some over, or inevitably have sunk together^ for the boat was as deep with the thirteen that were in her as ever she could swim ; but the hand of God put them off, w ho were su- pernumeraries, and our hand was not upon them.