Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/310

 tears at the injury that was offered to their boat, and intreated the savages to desist, with such agony of distress that they suffered the boat to remain as they found it. Encouraged by this appearance of placability and kindness, and urged by hunger, they asked by signs, for something to eat; this request was also granted, and having given them some roots, they again made signs for them to depart; upon which they once more launched their boat, and got into it, but the wind blowing strong from the west, they could not put off. The natives perceiving that they were willing to comply with their desires, but not able, covered them with the boat to sleep under, and left them as they had found them. The next morning, the weather being fine, and the wind easterly, they launched the boat a third time, and returned back to the rock.

From this time till Sunday the 29th of September, the carpenter and smith continued to work upon the boat, and the people were busy in getting in from time to time what was thrown up from the wreck, particularly cordage and canvas, to rig the boat, and some casks of fresh water, which they were very solicitous to keep for sea-stores, as their escape in the boat scarce depended less upon fresh water than upon the sails themselves. On this day, after they had been at prayers, a duty which was regularly and publicly performed every Sunday, the officers discovered that the chest of treasure had been broke open, and the greater part of it taken away and concealed. It may perhaps be thought strange, that people, whom danger had made religious, should at the fame time be guilty of theft; but, upon this occcasion, it should be remembered, that as soon as the ship is lost, the sailors lose their pay, and the captain his command; every distinction and subordination that subsisted on ship-board is at an end; and whatever is cast on shore from the wreck is, by the sailors, considered as common property. The men therefore, who thought fit secretly to take what they deemed their share of this treasure, were not, in their own opinion, guilty of dishonesty, but intended only to secure what they feared the officers would monopolize, and by this means prevent disputes, which, in their circumstances, might produce fatal effects. The officers, however, when they discovered what had been done, and found that nobody would own they knew any thing about it, proposed to write the form of an oath, and administer it separately to every individual, the officers to take it first. But to this the majority immediately objected; for though they might not suppose they had committed a crime by taking the treasure, they knew it would be not only immoral, but impious, to swear they had not taken it. As the minority were not in a condition to support their motion, the affair was suffered to rest, without further enquiry or remonstrance.

On the 6th of October they found a fowling-piece; this was a joyful acquisition, and though the barrel was much bent, it was soon made serviceable by the carpenter, and used with great succefs in shooting the birds, which before they had no way of taking but by knocking them down with a stick.