each. Had the pirates known this, they would undoubtedly
have placed us in another direction. They no doubt thought that they
could not place us on a worse place. The wind at this time was blowing
so strong on shore, as to prevent rafting our stuff round to our island,
and we were obliged to haul it upon the beach for the present; then dug
for water in the highest place, but found it as salt as ever, and then
returned to our habitation. But hunger and thirst began to prey upon us,
and our comforts were as few as our hopes.

Friday, 25th.--Again passed over to those Keys to windward in order to
raft our stuff to our island, it being most convenient for building. But
the surf on the beach was so very rough, that we were again compelled to
postpone it. Our courage, however, did not fail where there was the
slightest hopes of life. Returning without it, we found on our way an
old top timber of some vessel; it had several spikes on it, which we
afterwards found very serviceable. In the hollow of an old tree, we
found two guarnas of small size, one male, the other female. Only one
was caught. After taking off the skin, we judged it weighed a pound and
a half. With some flour and lard, (the only things we had except salt
water,) it made us a fine little mess. We thought it a rare dish, though
a small one for eleven half starved persons. At the same time a small
vessel hove in sight; we made a signal to her with the blanket tied to a
pole and placed it on the highest tree--some took off their white
clothes and waved them in the air, hoping they would come to us; should
they be pirates, they could do no more than kill us, and perhaps would
give us some water, for which we began to suffer most excessively; but,
notwithstanding all our efforts, she took no notice of us.

Saturday, 26th.--This day commenced with moderate weather and smooth
sea; at low tide found some cockles; boiled and eat them, but they were
very painful to the stomach. David Warren had a fit of strangling, with
swelling of the bowels; but soon recovered, and said, "something like
salt rose in his throat and choked him." Most of us then set off for the
Keys, where the plank and shooks were put together in a raft, which we
with pieces of boards paddled over to our island; when we consulted the
best plan, either to build a raft large enough for us all to go on, or a
boat; but the shooks having three or four nails in each, and having a
piece of large reed or bamboo,