It is not easy for anyone,who has not been in the like condition,to describe or conceive the consternation of men in such circumstances.We knew nothing where we were,or upon what land it was we were driven,whether an island or the main,whether inhabited or not inhabited;and as the rage of the wind was still great,though rather less than at first,we could not so much as hope to have the ship hold many minutes without breaking in pieces,unless the winds,by a kind of miracle,should turn immediately about.In a word,we sat looking one upon another,and expecting death every moment,and every man acting accordingly,as preparing for another world;for there was little or nothing more for us to do in this.That which was our present comfort,and all the comfort we had,was that,contrary to our expectation,the ship did not break yet,and that the master said the wind began to abate.
Now,though we thought that the wind did a little abate,yet the ship having thus struck upon the sand,and sticking too fast for us to expect her getting off,we were in a dreadful condition indeed,and had nothing to do but to think of saving our lives as well as we could.We had a boat at our stern just before the storm,but she was first staved by dashing against the ship's rudder,and in the next place,she broke away,and either sunk,or was driven off to sea,so there was no hope from her;we had another boat on board,but how to get her off into the sea was a doubtful thing.However,there was no room to debate,for we fancied the ship would break in pieces every minute,and some told us she was actually broken already.
In this distress,the mate of our vessel lays hold of the boat,and with the help of the rest of the men they got her slung over the ship's side;and getting all into her,let go,and committed ourselves,being eleven in number,to God's mercy,and the wild sea;for though the storm was abated considerably,yet the sea went dreadful high upon the shore,and might well be called den wild zee,as the Dutch call the sea in a storm.
And now our case was very dismal indeed,for we all saw plainly that the sea went so high,that the boat could not live,and that we should be inevitably drowned.As to making sail,we had none;nor,if we had,could we have done anything with it;so we worked at the oar towards the land,though with heavy hearts,like men going to execution,for we all knew that when the boat came nearer the shore,she would be dashed in a thousand pieces by the breach of the sea.However,we committed our souls to God in the most earnest manner;and the wind driving us towards the shore,we hastened our destruction with our own hands,pulling as well as we could towards land.
What the shore was,whether rock or sand,whether steep or shoal,we knew not;the only hope that could rationally give us the least shadow of expectation was,if we might happen into some bay or gulf,or the mouth of some river,where by great chance we might have run our boat in,or got under the lee of the land,and perhaps made smooth water.But there was nothing of this appeared;but as we made nearer and nearer the shore,the land looked more frightful than the sea.
After we had rowed,or rather driven,about a league and a half,as we reckoned it,a raging wave,mountain like,came rolling astern of us,and plainly bade us expect the coup de grce.In a word,it took us with such a fury,that it overset the boat at once;and separating us,as well from the boat as from one another,gave us not time hardly to say,‘O God!’for we were all swallowed up in a moment.
Nothing can describe the confusion of thought which I felt when I sunk into the water;for though I swam very well,yet I could not deliver myself from the waves so as to draw breath,till that wave having driven me,or rather carried me,a vast way on towards the shore,and having spent itself,went back,and left me upon the land almost dry,but half dead with the water I took in.I had so much presence of mind,as well as breath left,that seeing myself nearer the mainland than I expected,I got upon my feet,and endeavoured to make on towards the land as fast as I could,before another wave should return and take me up again.But I soon found it was impossible to avoid it;for I saw the sea come after me as high as a great hill,and as furious as an enemy,which I had no means or strength to contend with.My business was to hold my breath,and raise myself upon the water,if I could;and so,by swimming,to preserve my breathing,and pilot myself towards the shore,if possible;my greatest concern now being,that the sea,as it would carry me a great way towards the shore when it came on,might not carry me back again with it when it gave back towards the sea.