Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/305

 EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES. 291

from the wreck. Having thus paid the debt of humanity to the dead, and concealed from Mr. Collet a fight which would moft fenfibly, if not fatally, have affefted him, they found means, after fome days, to difclofe to him by degrees what they had done, and to give him the wedding ring, which they had taken from her finger. He received it with great emotion, and after- wards fpent many days in raifing a monument over the grave, by piling up the fquareft llones he could find, on the top of which he fixed an elm plank, and infcribed it with her name, her age, the time of her death, and fome ac- count of the fatal accident by which it was ocosfiined.

On Monday, July 21, they fe- cured fome more water and pork, and found fome timber, plank, cordage, and canvas. Thefe they fecured w ith great joy for the boat, though as yet they were in want of many implements, without which it was impoffible for the carpenter to work. He had juft finillied a faw, but he had neither hammer nor nails. It happened, however, that one of the feamen, Hendrick Scantz, a Swede, having picked up an old pair cf bellows, brought them t6 his companions, and told them, that he had been by profeffion a fmith, and that with thefe bellows and a forge, which he hoped they would be able, by his diredlion, to build, he could furniHi the carpenter with all the tools he would want, nails included, as plenty of iron might be obtained by burning the timber which had come on fhore from the wreck. This account was received with a tranfport of jny ; the fmith im- mediately applied himfelf to mend the bellows, and the three follow-

ing days were fpent in building a tent and a forge, in bringing toge- ther fhe timber and plank for the carpenter's ufe, who was al!o bufy in getting ready the few tools he had, that he might begin the boat as foon as poffible.

Tburfday, July 24, the carpen- ter, affiled by Chefholm the quar- ter- matter, began to work upon the keel of the boat, which they had determined fhould bealloop, thirty feet long, and twelve wide. This day alio the fmith iinifhed his forge, and laid in a quantity of nr for fuel. From this time the carpenter and fmith continued to work with inde- fatigable diligence, except wheft they were prevented by the wea- ther ; the fmith having fortunately found the ring and nut of a bower anchor, which ferved him for an anvi', fapplied chiiTels, axe?, ham- mers, nails, as they wanted, and the carpenter ufed them with great dexterity and difpatch, till the 31ft, when he fell fick.

As the lives of the whole com- pany depended upon the carpenter, they watched his recovery with the utmoft in: patience and anxiety, and, to their unfpeakable joy, he was fo far recovered on the 2d of Auguft, as to return to his work.

In the mean time 'he ftores which they had faved from the wreck were io near exhpufcec, that they came to an allowance of two ounces of bread a man per day, and had no fait pork, except what they were determined to keep to viftual the boat ; water alfo fell fhort. In this diltrefs they had recourfe to feve- ral expedients; they dug a well, in hopes to find a fpring; but were difappointed ; they attempted to knock down fome of the gannets that fettled on the top of the rock, and in this they had fome fuccefs ; U 2 but: