338 Documents Notice as I walked upon the strand by the sea side of some Cockle shells [19] for their largeness theing [they] being as Big as our scollop shells which wee dress oysters in over the fire in Taverns and the Oysters there are as large as a Midling horses hoofe. I gave a Man a shilling to gett me some tho: itt was att that time of the Yeare in the month of June when wee doe not eat 'em here in England butt they were exterordinary good and firme onely a little of the ffreshest. wee Pickled up some of 'em which was a great use to us in makeing of fish sauce when wee had occasion which wee often had ; the people of that place say those large Cockles are exterordinary good and make verry good Broth when stewed butt the fish itt selfe is verry tough, att last the wind pressented and wee sett saile and came away with a fresh gale att South east and so Continued for about a fortnight when wee saw to windward of us a Couple of Large ships as wee thought and standing right upon us so that wee concluded that they were two french privat- teers and that wee should be all taken unless itt was the Pink that had no Guns for shee could saile admirable well and would make the best of her Way while they where Buisy in taking of us, for wee was Resol'd nott to be taken, by two small privatteers tho att the same time one Privateere of 14 or 16 Guns would have taken us all; butt at last our feares was soone over for they Proved to be two sloopes one off Virginia and the other of Penselvania Both from jamaca, Loaden with Rum and sugar and Bore downe upon us to know if the Virginia fleete was sail'd ; for they thought to have come to a good Markett if wee had not bin sail'd. so affter haveing sattisfied 'em they stood on their Course and wee ours, butt the Next Day about Noone wee made something butt could not tell what itt was butt at last beareing downe to itt wee found itt to Bee a sloope in Distress, shee was come from FialP butt was of New England Called the providence of Boston and Bound for Mariland Loaden with wine, shee had bin out Nine weekes from Fyall, and had lest her Mast and Boome and all her sailes. she had two men wash't over Board and her Binickle and lost her Compass about a Month before in a Mighty storme. [21] the one of the men that was washed over was theire Carpenter and so they lay Rowling with out either Mast or sailes and had done so for a month onely save a Bitt of a saile about the bigness of a wherrys saile. they had never a bitt of Bread nor no meat of any sort in nine Dayes before and had only lived upon some walnutts which they had a good quantyty off and a little wine and watter for they durst nott drink wine by itt selfe for feare itt should over Come 'em; those that was left was two Men and a Boy and did nott know what day of the weeke itt was for wee hoisted out our Boat and I went a Board of her and the poore soules that was aboard look't like death, they were so weake they could nott man the side ; and were verry glad when wee Boarded 'em for itt had bin joyfull to them if wee had bin french Privatteeres so long as they were saved from being ' Fayal in the Azores.
