em crossways, I found I could walk upon it
very well, but that it was not able to bear any great weight, the pieces
being too light. So I went to work, and with a carpenter's saw I cut a
spare topmast into three lengths, and added them to my raft, with a great
deal of labour and pains. But the hope of furnishing myself with
necessaries encouraged me to go beyond what I should have been able to
have done upon another occasion.

My raft was now strong enough to bear any reasonable weight. My next
care was what to load it with, and how to preserve what I laid upon it
from the surf of the sea; but I was not long considering this. I first
laid all the planks or boards upon it that I could get, and having
considered well what I most wanted, I got three of the seamen's chests,
which I had broken open, and emptied, and lowered them down upon my raft;
the first of these I filled with provisions--viz. bread, rice, three
Dutch cheeses, five pieces of dried goat's flesh (which we lived much
upon), and a little remainder of European corn, which had been laid by
for some fowls which we brought to sea with us, but the fowls were
killed. There had been some barley and wheat together; but, to my great
disappointment, I found afterwards that the rats had eaten or spoiled it
all. As for liquors, I found several, cases of bottles belonging to our
skipper, in which were some cordial waters; and, in all, about five or
six gallons of rack. These I stowed by themselves, there being no need
to put them into the chest, nor any room for them. While I was doing
this, I found the tide begin to flow, though very calm; and I had the
mortification to see my coat, shirt, and waistcoat, which I had left on
the shore, upon the sand, swim away. As for my breeches, which were only
linen, and open-kneed, I swam on board in them and my stockings.
However, this set me on rummaging for clothes, of which I found enough,
but took no more than I wanted for present use, for I had others things
which my eye was more upon--as, first, tools to work with on shore. And
it was after long searching that I found out the carpenter's chest, which
was, indeed, a very useful prize to me, and much more valuable than a
shipload of gold would have been at that time. I got it down to my raft,
whole as it was, without losing time to look into it, for I knew in
general what it contained.

My next care was for some ammunition and arms. There were two very good
fowling-p