Some of my neighbours, hearing that I had a knowledge of Guinea trading,
proposed to fit out a vessel and send her to the coast of Guinea to
purchase negroes to work in our plantations. I was well pleased with the
idea; and when they asked me to go to manage the trading part, I forgot
all the perils and hardships of the sea, and agreed to go. A ship being
fitted out, we set sail on September 1, 1659.

We had very good weather for twelve days, but after crossing the line,
violent hurricanes took us, and drove us out of the way of all human
commerce. In this distress, one morning, there was a cry of "Land!" and
almost at the same moment the ship struck against a sandbank. We took to
a boat, and worked towards the land; but before we could reach it, a
raging wave came rolling astern of us, and overset the boat. We were all
thrown into the sea, and out of fifteen who were on board, none escaped
but myself. I managed, somehow, to scramble to shore, and clambered up
the cliffs, and sat me down on the grass half-dead. Night coming on me,
I took up my lodging in a tree.

When I waked, it was broad day, the weather clear, and the storm abated.
What surprised me most was that in the night the ship had been lifted
from the bank by the swelling tide, and driven ashore almost as far as
the place where I had landed. I saw that if we had all kept on board we
had been all safe, and I had not been so miserable as to be left
entirely destitute of all company as I now was.

I swam out to the ship, and found that her stern lay lifted up on the
bank. All the ship's provisions were dry, and, being well disposed to
eat, I filled my pockets and ate as I went about other things, for I had
no time to lose. We had several spare yards and planks, and with these I
made a raft. I emptied three of the seamen's chests, and let them down