broken up. We were now in 46° 50′ north latitude, and conceived ourselves fifty leagues, though it afterwards proved seventy, from the land. The wind being at east, the top-sails were handed, and we stood northward under our courses, hoping to get clear of the ice before night. But finding rather more than less, we tacked to the southward, which was found unproductive of any change. Therefore, for further security, the fore-sail was furled, and the ship brought to under the mainsail, as night approached, and as there was a dead wind, so that we could lie off on neither tack. We trusted, if we should fall in with the greater ice, to meet with the less shocks.

with the vessel, and commanded her to bring to. On this she fired, and engaged us from eleven in the morning until six in the evening; then, being much damaged, she struck, and called to us to save the lives of the crew. But this request came too late; for the wind increasing, raised a great sea, which forced our ship under a reefed mainsail, whence we could not hoist out our boat without endangering our own lives. However, by means of a light which she carried, we kept close to her, intending to hoist out our boat when it became practicable. But to wards midnight her light became very low; and by a loud cry, which was heard about one o'clock, we judged that she had foundered. When the vessel struck, she told us that she had fourteen Frenchmen on board, whence we conjectured her to be an English Virginiamanhung cables, coils of rope, taken by the French, and that she had lost her mainmast in the engagement. We followed her, chasing and fighting, about thirty leagues; and when she struck, we were in 45° 50 north latitude.

'Our booty being thus lost, we made the best of our way to Newfoundland, being bound thither on a fishing voyage. One trouble, however, seldom comes alone, and so it happened to us; for on the 26th of March | we saw some shattered ice at four in the afternoon, which we supposed to be the harbour ice now

'About eight or nine o'clock we discovered a field of ice, of which we ran foul, notwithstanding our exertions to keep clear of it; and although we

hoops, and such things over the ship to defend her, she struck so hard, that at eleven she bilged, whence we had much difficulty to keep her afloat till daylight, by two pumps going, and baling at three hatchways. At the approach of day our men were much fatigued, the water increased, and at noon the hold was half full. No one knew what to advise another, and all began to despair of their lives. We continued pumping, though to little purpose, and concluded that if now were our appointed time,

vision was a small barrel of flour, and a five gallon rundlet of brandy, which had been thrown overboard, and was taken up by us. We also picked up an old chest, which stood us in good stead; for having but one oar, and our ship's handspikes and a hatchet being by chance in the boat, we could split the chest, and nail it to the handspikes, and use them as oars; nails were obtained by drawing them from different parts of the boat. The rest of the chest was used to kindle a fire.

either fire on us, or inconside- On next considering what course rately crowd into the boat and to follow, we resolved to make sink her; therefore it was re- for the shore. Our only prosolved to make the best of our way to the shore. But I, considering how little it would tend to my honour to save my life and see my captain perish, endeavoured to persuade them that the ship still swam buoyantly, that I hoped the leak was stopped, and that we might proceed on our voyage; but this was unavailing. When I saw myself unable to prevail thus, I desired them to row up and set me on that part of the ice next the ship, whence I could walk to her, and die with my commander. This being unanimously agreed to, we rowed to the ice; but when we reached it, I was loth to go out. How ever, on calling the captain to us, Mr. John Maddick came instead, and after him the doctor and some others, which the captain perceiving, came also. The captain having left the ship, the multitude crowded so eagerly after him, that we had like to have spoiled all; but by chance the boat was got off, with twenty-one people in her, and others hanging to her sides. Some were forced to slip; others perished on the ice, not being able to return to the ship, where the rest were lost.

'On the 25th of March we took a miserable farewell of our distressed brethren, the heart of every one being so overladen with his own misery, as to have little room to pity another.

It also happened that our main tarpauling, which had been newly tarred, was put into the boat. Of it we made a mainsail; and of an old piece. of canvas that had been a sail to a yawl, we made a fore-sail. In this condition we turned towards the shore; and observing the surrounding ice lie north and south, we steered north, and in the morning were clear of it.

'Having now got into the ocean, and the wind being still easterly, we hoisted our sail, and steered west-north-west about fourteen leagues, where we fell in with another field of ice. Attempting to sail through it, we were enclosed by many great islands, which drove so fast together, that we forced to haul up our boat on the ice, otherwise we should have inevitably perished. Here

were

we lay eleven days without once | We were next reduced to short seeing the sea. As the ice was allowance, having only one thick, we caught as many seals among us to serve two days, as we chose; for they were in which, with about three ounces great abundance. Our fire of flour, mixed with water, and was made of the skin, and boiled in the fat of the seal, was the fat melted so easily, that all our provision. At length we could boil the lean with it. we were obliged to share both But by lying so long in this cold feet and skin, each of us allowregion, the men began to com- ing a little fat to make a fire. plain of their feet; and our boat But being constrained to eat being too small to afford room the whole, skin and bone also, for us all, there was always a scarcely boiled, it injured our hideous cry among us of hurting stomachs so much, that some each other, though for this there of our number died, and I mywas no remedy. We kept watch self suffered severely. six and six, both for convenience of obtaining room, and to guard against the ice breaking under our boat, which often happened, and then it was necessary to launch, or carry her to a place which we thought strong enough to bear her weight. In eleven days we saw the sea, and with great difficulty got out the boat. We sailed about ten or twelve leagues north-north-west as before, when we were again enclosed; and this was repeated five several times. The last ice, however, was worse than any before; and although it was so thick that we could not force the boat through it, yet it was not so solid as to bear the weight of a man; therefore, notwithstanding we daily saw enough of seals, we could take none. It fortunately happened that, when we parted from the hard ice, we had seven seals in store, and one that we took dead, which was consumed without consulting how it had died.

'On getting clear of the loose ice, when the wind was so adverse as to prevent our rowing, we made fast the boat to an island of ice until better weather. Although this sheltered us, we were often in great danger from the islands driving foul of us, so that it was wonderful we escaped. We drank the ice mixed with brandy; and our provisions, with good management, lasted until coming ashore; for it pleased God to save some of us by taking others to Himself.

Our companions began

to die two or three in a day, until we were at last reduced to nine. The feet of several who died were bit in such a manner by the frost, that on stripping them,-which was done to give the clothes to the survivors,their toes came away with the stockings. The last that died was the boatswain, who lived until the day before we saw land. Our compass was broken by the last field of ice through

which we passed, and soon after unspeakable joy, some men

CHAPTER VII.

HOW PHILIP ASHTON ESCAPED FROM THE PIRATES, AND RESIDED FOR SIXTEEN MONTHS IN SOLITUDE ON A DESOLATE ISLAND.