EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES. 29J
fenfive to the tafte ; it was therefore thrown away, but thofe who had ventured to palate it, were feized with violent cholics, cold fweats, and retchings, which fufficiently convinced them of the danger they had efcaped.
W^'dnefday, Sep*. 3. They had now been inhabitants of this de- folate rock ever iince the 17th of J'iiy, near (even we^lce, and during this time they had often feen a great fmoke on the main land, which marie them very de- /irous to fend the boat, to try what afliftance might be obtained from thence. On this day, there- fore, Bothwell, Rufenbury, and Taylor, fet out on the cifcovery, and at night the people on fhore made a large fire on the higheft part of the rock, as a fignal to them.
While they were waiting the return of the boat, they were all thrown into the utmoft conllerna- tion by an accident which hap- pened to the carpenter, who un- fortunately cut his leg with an adze, in fuch a manner that he was in great danger of bleeding to death, they having no furgeon among them, nor any thing proper to apply to the wound. At length, however, tho' with much difficulty, the blood was llaunched, and the wound healed without any bad fympiom intervening.
Saturday, Sept. 6. The weather having been fair for 48 hours, they impatiently expefted the re- turn of the boat. At noon they became very uneafy at having leen rothing of her; but juft as they were fitting down to dinner, ihey were agreeably furprifed by two of their people, who came running over the rock, crying out, the bQat ! the boat ! They all itarted
up, overjoyed at the found, and ran to fee her come in, with great hopes that (he had fucceeded ; but they foon dilliinguilhed, that file was rowed only by one man, who plied both oars: they con- cluded, therefore, that the other two were loft or detained ; but prefently they faw another get up from the bottom of the boat, where it was fuppofed he had lain down for a Ihort refrelhment, and then the boat came forward foTie- what falier, though flill at a How rate. The dinner was now en- tirely forgot, and after they had waited an hour on the beach with the utmoft impatience, the boat came in. The two men were Rofenbury and Taylor, who, the moment they ftept on (hore, threw themfelves on their knees, and ia ihort but earneft ejaculations re- turned thanks to God for having once more fet them fafe upoa this place, which, barren and de- fnlate as it was, they now con- fidercd a? an afylum from a fitu- ation of much greater diftrefs. Ha 'ing exerted their utmoft effort to bring the boat in, their ftrength forfook .them at once, and they were not able to rife from the ground without aftiftar.ce.
As foon as they were got over to the tent, every body was bufy to prucure tnem fome refreftiment, for they found that the boat was quite empty both of proviiions and water. They dreffed them iome filh, with as much hafte as they could ; and perceiving that they were quite exhaufled with watching and labour, they left them when they had eaten their meal, without afking any queftions, and they immediately fell afleep. The behaviour of thefe honeft failors to their mefs-mates, was U 3 an
