tears from my eyes again; but as there was little relief in that, I
resolved, if possible, to get to the ship; so I pulled off my clothes,
for the weather was hot to extremity, and took the water; but when I
came to the ship, my difficulty was still greater to know how to get on
board; for as she lay aground, and high out of the water, there was
nothing within my reach to lay hold of. I swam round her twice, and the
second time I spied a small piece of a rope, which I wondered I did not
see at first, hang down by the fore-chains so low, as that with great
difficulty, I got hold of it, and by the help of that rope got into the
forecastle of the ship. Here I found that the ship was bulged, and had a
great deal of water in her hold; but that she lay so on the side of a
bank of hard sand, or rather earth, that her stern lay lifted up upon
the bank, and her head low, almost to the water. By this means all her
quarter was free, and all that was in that part was dry; for you may be
sure my first work was to search and to see what was spoiled and what
was free: and, first, I found that all the ship's provisions were dry
and untouched by the water; and, being very well disposed to eat, I went
to the bread-room, and filled my pockets with biscuit, and eat it as I
went about other things, for I had no time to lose. I also found some
rum in the great cabin, of which I took a large dram, and which I had
indeed need enough of, to spirit me for what was before me. Now I wanted
nothing but a boat, to furnish myself with many things which I foresaw
would be very necessary to me.

It was in vain to sit still and wish for what was not to be had, and
this extremity roused my application: we had several spare yards, and
two or three large spars of wood, and a spare top-mast or two in the
ship; I resolved to fall to work with these, and flung as many overboard
as I could manage for their weight, tying every one with a rope, that
they might not drive away. When this was done, I went down the ship's