an uncommon instance of hearty kindness, and generous self-denial; the impatience of their curiosity must have been both increased and justified in proportion as they were interested in the account that was to gratify it; yet even this curiosity, in which life itself was concerned, they had the kindness and the fortitude to repress, rather than delay the refreshment of others for its gratification.
The account which was given by the two adventurers when they awoke, was to this effect:
About three o'clock on the day they set out, they got round a point, about six leagues east of the rock[1]; as they approached, it had the appearance of a double point, which encouraged them to hope, that between the two points they should find an harbour; but in this hope they were disappointed, for they found a large surf all along the coast. However, about five o'clock, having seen only one of the natives, they ventured to pull in for the shore, but the moment they got into the surf, the boat overset. By this accident poor Bothwell was drowned, and the other two, who reached the shore in an exhausted and feeble condition, were left destitute of every kind of provision, except a small keg of brandy. As soon as they had a little recovered their strength, they crawled along the shore to seek for the boat, having no other hope of shelter from the wild beasts, which might be expected to come abroad in the night. After some fearch they found her, but they were too weak to get her up, and darkness coming on, they were obliged to lie down upon the sand, with no other covering than the branches of a tree, and in this condition they passed the night. As soon as the morning dawned, they went again to look for the boat, which the surf had driven from where they left her. As they walked along the coast they saw a man, and advanced towards him, upon which he ran away into the woods, that lay near the beach, and were very thick. They went on, and soon after discovered the body of their companion Bothwell, which had been dragged up the sand a confiderable distance from the water, and torn to pieces by some wild beast. This terrified them exceedingly, and having found the boat, the dread of passing another night on shore determined them immediately to return. They were, however, prevented in the attempt by a fresh gale at west, and before they could put back, the boat overset with them a second time, and drove with them along the shore. After much struggling and swimming, they got once more safe on the land: but as they had now been fasting ever since three o'clock the day before, they were fainting with hunger and fatigue. It happened, however, that they met with a fruit refembling an apple, which they eagerly gathered and eat, without knowing either its name or its quality. By good fortune it did them no harm; and being somewhat refreshed by their antedilu-
- ↑ It does not appear by any map, that in lat. 33. 40. 250 leagues east of the Cape, the supposed situation of their rock, they could be within six leagues of any part of the main land; they must therefore be all mistaken in their reckoning.
vian
