Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/304

290 meal, and some rashers of pork were broiled upon the coals for dinner.

The sitting down thus desolate and forlorn, to a repast, which they used to share in the convivial chearfulness which naturally arose from the consciousness of present plenty, with the hope of future, struck them with such a sense of their condition, that they burst into passionate lamentations, wringing their hands, and looking round them with all the wildness of despair. In such tumult of mind, our thoughts hurry from one object to another, to fix, if possible, upon something that may afford comfort; and one of the company recollecting, that as the carpenter was among them, they might build a strong sloop, if they could procure materials and tools, mentioned this as a subject of hope to the rest. Every man's attention was immediately turned upon the carpenter, who declared that he had no doubt but he should be able to build a sloop that would carry them all to some port of safety, if tools and materials could be found; at that time indeed, they had no rational prospect of procuring either, any more than of being able to victual a sloop, if they had had one ready built; yet they had no sooner placed their deliverance one remove beyond total impossibility, than they seemed to think it neither improbable nor difficult; they began to eat without father repining, and that moment the boat engrossed their whole conversation; and they not only debated upon size and manner of rigging her, but to what port they should steer her, whether to the Cape or Delagoe.

As soon as they had finished their repast, some went in search of tool, others to mend the tend; no tools however were found that day.

Saturday, July 19, they secured four butts of water, one cask of flour, one hogshead of brandy, and one of their little boats, which had been thrown up by the tide, in a shattered condition; but they found no tools except a scraper.

Sunday, July 20, they had the good fortune to find a hamper, in which there were files, sail-needles, gimblets, and an azimuth compass-card. They also found two quadrants, a carpenter's adze, a chissel, and three sword-blades, and a chest of treasure. This search was made very early in the morning, as there had been a prodigious surf rolling in all the day before, by which it was reasonable to suppose something would be thrown up. At ten o'clock they all assembled to prayers, and did not go out again till after dinner, when they found most of the packets of letters belonging to the king and the company; these they carefully dried and laid by.

The same day, as they were searching about the beach, they found the body of a gentlewomen, which they knew to be that of Mrs. Collet, the wife of their second mate, who was then at a little distance from the spot. The mutual affection of this couple was remarkably tender, and Mr. Jones, the first mate, immediately stepped aside to Mr. Collet, and found means to take him to the other side of the rock, while the other two mates, the carpenter, and some others, dug a grave in the bird's dung, in which they deposited the body, reading over it the burial service, from a French prayer-book, which had driven ashore with her