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other very deliberately; and at last they took flight, and relieved us entirely from our fears. About the key there were turtles and several sorts of fish in such abundance that we caught them without bait, which was a great relief to us after the salt provisions on board. There was also a large rock on the beach, about ten feet high, which was in the form of a punch-bowl at the top; this we could not help thinking Providence had ordained to supply us with rain-water; and it was something singular, that, if we did not take the water when it rained, in some little time after it would turn as salt as sea-water.
Our first care, after refreshment, was, to make ourselves tents to lodge in, which we did as well as we could with some sails we had brought from the ship. We then began to think how we might get from this place, which was quite uninhabited; and we determined to repair our boat, which was very much shattered, and to put to sea in quest of a ship, or some inhabited island. It took us up however, eleven days before we could get the boat ready for sea, in the manner we wanted it, with a sail and other necessaries. When we had got all things prepared, the captain wanted me to stay on shore, while he went to sea in quest of a vessel to take all the
