us; for it was past
any man's understanding how the ship could endure it, or we by our labor
save her.

June 26.--These have been indeed days of fear and of confusion, but
also, in the end, of comfort. Yesterday evening I went up to our
watch-tree, taking a man with me, who should make a fire on the highest
place of the island, to see if it would be answered. When I was come to
the tree I laid down my lance, and while I climbed up to the top of the
tree, I ordered him to set fire to some decayed wood thereabouts. He
unadvisedly set light to some trees that were to windward, so that they
and all the rest too, by reason it had been very hot weather, took fire
like flax or hemp; and the wind blowing the fire towards me, I made
haste down the tree. But before I was half way down, the fire reached
its stem, and blazed so fiercely upwards, that I had to leap off the
tree and down a steep hill, and in brief, with much ado escaped burning.
My companion at last came to me, and was joyful to see me, for he
thought verily I had been burned. And thus we went homewards together,
leaving the fire increasing, and still burning most furiously. I slept
but little all night; and at break of day I made all our powder and beef
to be carried aboard. This morning I went to the hills to look to the
fire, where I saw it did still burn most furiously, both to the westward
and northward. Leaving a man upon the hills to watch it, I came home
immediately and made the men take down our new set of sails immediately
and carry them to the seaside, ready to be cast in, if occasion were,
and to make ready to take down our houses. About noon the wind changed,
and our sentinel came running home, bringing us word that the fire did
follow him hard at his heels, like a train of powder. It was no need to
bid us take down and carry all away to the seaside. The fire came
towards us with a most terrible rattling noise, a full mile in breadth,
and by the time we had unroofed our houses, and laid hands on our last
things, the fire was come to our town, and seized on it, and burnt it
down to the ground. Our dogs howled, and then ran into the sea. To-night
shall we lie all aboard the ship, and give God thanks that he has
shipped us in her again.

[Illustration: Climbing the watch-tree. (Page 47)]

June 29.--These three days have we wrought hard in fetching our things
aboard, as likewise our water, and have been all about the eastern
point, searching for driftwoo