up a little raft to my
boat, and made a sail of the ships sail that by me. I then made lockers
or boxes at the end of it, to put in necessaries, provision, and
ammunition, which would preserve them dry, either from rain or the spray
of the sea; and in the inside of the boat, I cut me a long hollow place
to lay my gun in, and to keep it dry made a flag to hang over it. My
umbrella I fixed in a step in the stern, like a mast, to keep the heat
of the sun off me. And now resolving to see the circumference of my
little kingdom, I victualled my ship for the voyage, putting in two
dozen of my barley-bread loaves, an earthen pot-full of parched rice, a
little bottle of rum, half a goat, powder and shot, and two watch coats.
It was the _6th_ of November, in the _6th_ year of my reign, or
captivity, that I set out in this voyage; which was much longer than I
expected, being obliged to put further out, by reason of the rocks that
lay a great way in the sea. And indeed so much did these rocks surprise
me, that I was for putting back, fearing that if I ventured farther it
would be out of my power to return in this uncertainty I came to an
anchor just off shore, to which I waded with my gun on my shoulder, and
then climbing up a hill, which overlooked that point, I saw the full
extent of it, and so resolved to run all hazards.

In this prospect from the hill, I perceived a violent current running to
the east, coming very close to the point; which I the more carefully
observed, thinking it dangerous, and that when I came to it, I might be
drove into the sea by its force, and not able to return to the island;
and certainly it must have been so, had I not made this observation; for
on the other side was the like current, with this difference, that it
set off at a greater distance; and I perceived there was a strong eddy
under the land; so that my chief business was to work out of the first
current, and conveniently get into the eddy. Two days I staid here, the
wind blowing very briskly E.S.E. which being contrary to the current,
leaves a great breach of the sea upon the point; so it was neither fit
for me to keep too near the shore, on account of the breach; nor stand
at too great a distance, for fear of the streams. That night the wind
abating, it grew so calm, that I ventured out; & here I may be a
monument to all rash and ignorant pilots; for I was no sooner come to
the point and not above the boat's length from shore, but I was going