the Wind, but were endeavouring to ftand away for the Canaries.

But that which was worst of all, was, that they were almost starv'd for want of Provisions, befides the Fatigues they had undergone; their Bread and Flefh was quite gone, they had not one Ounce left in the Ship, and had had none for eleven Days; the only Relief they had, was, their Water was not all fpent, and they had about half a Barrel of Flower left; they had Sugar enough; fome Succads or Sweet-meats they had at firft, but they were devour'd, and they had feven Casks of Rum.

There was a Youth and his Mother and a MaidServant on Board, who were going Paffengers, and thinking the Ship was ready to fail, unhappily came on Board the Evening before the Hurri cane began, and having no Provifions of their own left, they were in a more deplorable Condition than the reft, for the Seamen being reduced to fuch an extreme Neceffity themfelves had no Compaffion, we may be fure, for the poor Paffengers, and they were indeed in a Condition that their Mifery is very hard to defcribe.

I had, perhaps, not known this Part if my Curiofity had not led me, the Weather being fair and the Wind abated, to go on Board the Ship: The Second Mate who upon this Occafion commanded the Ship, had been on Board our Ship, and he told me indeed they had three Paflengers in the great Cabbin, that they were in a deplorable Condition, nay, fays he, I believe they are dead for I have heard nothing of them for above two Days, and I was afraid to enquire after them, faid he, for I had nothing to relieve them with.

We

We immediately apply'd our felves to give them what Relief we could fpare; and indeed I had fo far over-ruled Things with my Nephew, that I would have victual'd them, tho' we had gone away to Virginia, or any Part of the Coaft of America, to have fupply'd our felves, but there was no Neceffity for that.

But now they were in a new Danger; for they were afraid of eating too much, even of that little we gave them; the Mate or Commander brought fix Men with him in his Boat, but thefe poor Wretches look'd like Skeletons, and were fo weak, they could hardly fit to their Oars: The Mate himself was very ill, and half ftarv'd; for he declar'd he had referv'd nothing from the Men, and went Share and Share alike with them in every Bit they eat.

I caution'd him to eat fparingly, but fet Meat before him immediately, and he had not eaten three Mouthfuls before he began to be fick, and out of Order; fo he ftopt a while, and our Surgeon mix'd him up fomething with fome Broth, which he faid would be to him both Food and Phyfick; and after he had taken it, he grew better: In the mean Time, I forgot not the Men, I ordered Victuals to be given them; and the poor Creatures rather devour'd than eat it; they were fo exceeding hungry, that they were in a kind ravenous, and had no Command of themselves; and two of them eat with fo much Greedinefs, that they were in Danger of their Lives the next Mor

ning.

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The Sight of thefe Peoples Diftrefs was very moving to me, and brought to Mind what I had a terrible Profpect of at my first coming on Shore in the Island, where I had neither the leaft Mouthful of Food, or any Profpect of procuring any, befides the hourly Apprehenfion I had of being made the Food of other Creatures: But all the while the Mate was thus relating to me the miferable Condition of the Ship's Company, I could not put out of my Thought the Story he had told me of the three poor Creatures in the Great Cabbin, (viz.) the Mother, her Son, and the Maidfervant, who he had heard nothing of for two of three Days, and who he feem'd to confefs they had wholly neglected, their own Extremities being fo great; by which I understood, that they had really given them no Food at all, and that therefore they must be perifh'd,and be all lying dead perhaps on the Floor, or Deck of the Cabbin.

As I therefore kept the Mate, who we then called Captain, on board with his Men to refresh them,. fo I alfo forgot not the ftarving Crew that were left on board, but order'd my own Boat to go on board the Ship, and with my Mate and twelve Men to carry them a Sack of Bread, and four or five Pieces of Beef to boil. Our Surgeon charg'd the Men to cause the Meat to be boil'd while they itay'd, and to keep Guard in the Cook-Room, to prevent the Men taking it to eat raw, or taking it out of the Pot before it was well boil'd, and then to give every Man but a very little at a Time; and by this Caution he preferv'd the Men, who would otherwife ha' kill'd themfelves with that very Food that was given them, on Purpose to fave their Lives.

At the fame Time, I order'd the Mate to go into the Great Cabbin, and fee what Condition the poor Paffengers were in, and if they were alive, to comfort them, and give them what Refreshment was proper, and the Surgeon gave him a large Pitcher with fome of the prepar'd Broth which he had given the Mate that was on board, and which he did not question would restore them gradually.

I was not fatisfy'd with this, but as I faid above, having a great Mind to fee the Seene of Mifery, which I knew the Ship it felf would prefent me with, in a more lively Manner than I could have it by Report, I took the Captain of the Ship, as we now call'd him, with me, and went my felf a little after in their Boat.

I found the poor Men on board almost in a Tumult to get the Victuals out of the Boyler before it was ready: But my Mate obferv'd his Order, and kept a good Guard at the Cook-Room Door, and the Man he plac'd there, after using all poffible Perfuafion to have Patience, kept them off by Force: However, he caufed fome Bisket Cakes to be dipp'd in the Pot, and foften'd with the Liquor of the Meat, which they call Brewes, and gave them every one, one, to ftay their Stomachs, and told them it was for their own Safety that he was obliged to give them but a little at a Time: But it was all in vain; and had I not come on board, and their own Commander and Officers with me, and with good Words, and fome Threats also of giving them no more, I believe they would have broke into the Cook-Room by Force, and tore the Meat out of the Furnace: For Words

are

are indeed of very fmall Force to a hungry Belly: However we pacify'd them, and fed them gradually and cautiously for the firft Time, and the next Time gave them more, and at laft fill'd their Bellies, and the Men did well enough.

But the Mifery of the poor Paffengers in the Cabbin, was of another Nature, and far beyond the reft; for as first the Ship's Company had fo little for themselves, it was but too true that they had at first kept them very low, and at last totally neglected them; fo that for fix or feven Days, it might be faid, they had really had no Food at all, and for several Days before very little. The poor Mother, who as the Men reported, was a Woman of good Senfe and good Breeding, had fpar'd all the could get, fo affectionately for her Son, that at last fhe entirely funk under it: And when the Mate of our Ship went in, fhe fat upon the Floor or Deck, with her Back up against the Sides, between two Chairs, which were lath'd fast, and her Head funk in between her Shoulders, I.ke a Corpfe, tho' not quite dead. My Mate faid all he could to revive and encourage her, and with a Spoon put fome Broth into her Mouth; fhe open'd her Lips, and lifted up one Hand, but could not fpeak; yet fhe understood what he faid, and made Signs to him, intimating, that it was too late for her, but pointed to her Child, as if fhe would have faid, they fhould take Care of him.

However the Mate, who was exceedingly mov'd with the Sight, endeavour'd to get fome of the Broth into her Mouth; and as he faid, got two or three Spoonfuls down, tho' I question whether he could be fure of it or not: But it was too late, and fhe dy'd the fame Night.

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