第68章

After this I went on board；but the first Sight I met with，was two Men drown'd，in the Cookroom，or Forecastle of the Ship，with their Arms fast about one another：I concluded，as is indeed probable，that when the Ship struck，it being in a Storm，the Sea broke so high，and so continually over her，that the Men were not able to bear it，and were strangled with the constant rushing in of the Water，as much as if they had been under Water. Besides the Dog，there was nothing left in the Ship that had Life；nor any Goods that I could see，but what were spoil'd by the Water. There were some Casks of Liquor，whether Wine or Brandy，I knew not，which lay lower in the Hold；and which，the Water being ebb'd out，I could see；but they were too big to meddle with：I saw several Chests，which I believ'd belong'd to some of the Seamen；and I got two of them into the Boat，without examining what was in them.

Had the Stern of the Ship been fix'd，and the Forepart broken off，I am perswaded I might have made a good Voyage；for by what I found in these two Chests，I had room to suppose，the Ship had a great deal of Wealth on board；and if I may guess by the Course she steer'd，she must have been bound from the Buenos Ayres，or the Rio de la Plata，in the South Part of America，beyond the Brasils，to the Havana，in the Gulph of Mexico，and so perhaps to Spain：She had no doubt a great Treasure in her；but of no use at that time to any body；and what became of the rest of her People，I then knew not.

I found besides these Chests，a little Cask full of Liquor，of about twenty Gallons，which I got into my Boat，with much Difficulty；there were several Muskets in a Cabin，and a great Powder-horn，with about 4 Pounds of Powder in it；as for the Muskets，I had no occasion for them；so I left them，but took the Powder-horn：I took a Fire Shovel and Tongs，which I wanted extremely；as also two little Brass Kettles，a Copper Pot to make Chocolate，and a Gridiron；with this Cargo，and the Dog，I came away，the Tide beginning to make home again；and the same Evening，about an Hour within Night，I reach'd the Island again，weary and fatigu'd to the last Degree.

I repos'd that Night in the Boat，and in the Morning I resolved to harbour what I had gotten in my new Cave，not to carry it home to my Castle. After refreshing my self，I got all my Cargo on Shore，and began to examine the Particulars：The Cask of Liquor I found to be a kind of Rum，but not such as we had at the Brasils；and in a Word，not at all good；but when I came to open the Chests，I found several Things，of great use to me：For Example，I found in one，a fine Case of Bottles，of an extraordinary kind，and fill'd with Cordial Waters，fine，and very good；the Bottles held about three Pints each，and were tipp'd with Silver：I found two Pots of very good Succades，or Sweetmeats，so fastned also on top，that the Salt Water had not hurt them；and two more of the same，which the Water had spoil'd：I found some very good Shirts，which were very welcome to me；and about a dozen and half of Linnen white Handkerchiefs，and colour'd Neckcloths；the former were also very welcome，being exceeding refreshing to wipe my Face in a hot Day；besides this，when I came to the Till in the Chest，I found there three great Bags of Pieces of Eight，which held about eleven hundred Pieces in all；and in one of them，wrapt up in a Paper，six Doubloons of Gold，and some small Bars or Wedges of Gold；I suppose they might all weigh near a Pound.

The other Chest I found had some Cloaths in it，but of little Value；but by the Circumstances it must have belong'd to the Gunner's Mate；though there was no Powder in it；but about two Pound of fine glaz'd Powder，in three small Flasks，kept，I suppose，for charging their Fowling-Pieces on occasion：Upon the whole，I got very little by this Voyage，that was of any use to me；for as to the Money，I had no manner of occasion for it：'Twas to me as the Dirt under my Feet；and I would have given it all for three or four pair of English Shoes and Stockings，which were Things I greatly wanted，but had not had on my Feet now for many Years：I had indeed gotten two pair of Shoes now，which I took off of the Feet of the two drown'd Men，who I saw in the Wreck；and I found two pair more in one of the Chests，which were very welcome to me；but they were not like our English Shoes，either for Ease，or Service；being rather what we call Pumps，than Shoes：I found in this Seaman's Chest，about fifty Pieces of Eight in Ryals，but no Gold；I suppose this belong'd to a poorer Man than the other，which seem'd to belong to some Officer.

Well，however，I lugg'd this Money home to my Cave，and laid it up，as I had done that before，which I brought from our own Ship；but it was great Pity as I said，that the over Part of this Ship had not come to my Share；for I am satisfy'd I might have loaded my Canoe several Times over with Money，which if I had ever escap'd to England，would have lain here safe enough，till I might have come again and fetch'd it.

Having now brought all my Things on Shore，and secur'd them，I went back to my Boat，and row'd，or paddled her along the Shore，to her old Harbour，where I laid her up，and made the best of my way to my old Habitation，where I found every thing safe and quiet；so I began to repose my self，live after my old fashion，and take care of my Family Affairs；and for a while，I liv'd easy enough；only that I was more vigilant than I us'd to be，look'd out oftner，and did not go abroad so much；and if at any time I did stir with any Freedom，it was always to the East Part of the Island，where I was pretty well satisfy'd the Savages never came，and where I could go without so many Precautions，and such a Load of Arms and Ammunition，as I always carry'd with me，if I went the other way.