water farthest from the seaward; and the other was a seaman's chest.
What these things were I did not then know, and I wish the reader to
recollect that a great portion of this narrative is compiled from after
knowledge. The cask was firm in the sand, and I could not move it. The
chest was floating; I hauled it on the rocks without difficulty, and
then proceeded to open it. It was some time before I could discover
how, for I had never seen a lock or a hinge in my life; but at last,
finding that the lid was the only portion of the chest which yielded, I
contrived, with a piece of rock, to break it open. I found in it a
quantity of seamen's clothes, upon which I put no value; but some of the
articles I immediately comprehended the use of, and they filled me with
delight. There were two new tin pannikins, and those would hold water.
There were three empty wine-bottles, a hammer, a chisel, gimlet, and
some other tools, also three or four fishing-lines many fathoms long.
But what pleased me most were two knives, one shutting up, with a
lanyard sheath to wear round the waist; and the other an American long
knife, in a sheath, which is usually worn by them in the belt. Now,
three or four years back, Jackson had the remains of a clasp knife--that
is, there was about an inch of the blade remaining--and this, as may be
supposed, he valued very much; indeed, miserable as the article was, in
our destitute state it was invaluable.

This knife he had laid on the rock when fishing, and it had been dragged
into the sea as his line ran out; and he was for many days inconsolable
for its loss. We had used it for cutting open the birds when we skinned
them, and, indeed, this remains of a knife had been always in request.
Since the loss of it, we had had hard work to get the skins off the
birds; I therefore well knew the value of these knives, which I
immediately secured. The remainder of the articles in the chest, which
was quite full, I laid upon the rocks, with the clothes, to dry; of most
of them I did not know the use, and consequently did not prize them at
the time. It was not until afterwards, when I had taken them to my
companion, that I learned their value. I may as well here observe, that
amongst these articles were two books, and from the positive commands of
my companion, not to touch the book in the cabin, I looked upon them
with a degree of awe, and hesitated upon taking them in my hand; but, at
last, I put them out