was about the fame time, o f the day. But to return to Captain
Cheap.
Upon the 14th of December, the Captain and his people embarked
in the barge and the yawl, in order to proceed to the northward,
taking on board with' them all the provifions they could
amafs from the wreck of the lb ip ; but they had fcarcely been an
hour at. fea, when the wind began to blow hard, and the fea ran
fo high, that they were obliged to throw .the greateft part of their
provifions over-boad, to avoid immediate deftrudtion. This was
a terrible misfortune in a part of the world where food is fo difficult
to be go t: however, they perfifted in their .defign, putting
on fhore as often as they could, to feek fubfiftence. But, about a
.fortnight after, another dreadful accident befel them; for the.yawl
funk at an anchor, and one of the men in her was drowned; and,
as the barge was incapable o f carrying the whole company, they
were now reduced to the hard neceffity of-leaving four marines
behind them on that defolate fhore. Notwithftanding , thefe
difafters, they ftill kept on their courfe to the northward ; though
greatly delayed by the perverfenefs of the winds, and the frequent
interruptions which their fearch after food occafioned, and con-
ftantly ftruggling with a feriesof the moft finifter events: till at
J.aft, about the end o f January, having made three unfuccefsful
attempts to double a head-land, which they fuppofed to be what
the Spaniards called Cape Tres' Montes, it was. unanimoufly re-
folved, finding the difficulties infurmountable, to give over this
expedition, and to return again to Wager IJland, where they got
back about the middle o f February, quite difheartened and de-
jefted with their reiterated difappointments, and almoft perifhing
with hunger and fatigue.
However, on their return, they had the good luck to meet with
feveral pieces o f beef, which had been wafhed out of the wreck, and
were fwimming in the fea. This was a moft feafonable relief to ,
them, after the hardfhips they had endured : and, to complete their
good fortune, there came, in a fhort time, two canoes of Indians,
amongft
amongft which was a native of Chiloe, who fpoke a little Spanijh;
and the .Surgeon, who was with Captain Cheap, underftandmg that
language, he made a bargain with the Indian, that, if he would
carry the Captain and his people to Chiloe in the barge, he fhould
have her, and all that belonged to her, for his pains. Accordingly,
on the 6th of March, the eleven perfons, to which the company
was now reduced, embarked in the barge on this new expedition ;
but, after having proceeded for a few days, the Captain and four
of his principal officers being on fhore, the fix, who, together with
an Indian, remained in the barge, put off with her to fea, and did
not return again.
By this means there were left on fhpre Captain Cheap, Mr. Hamilton
Lieutenant of marines-, the Honourable Mr. Byron and
Mr. Campbel Midfhipmen, and Mr. Elliot the Surgeon, One
would have thought that their diftreffes had, long before this time,
been incapable o f augmentation; but they found, on refleftion,
that their prefent fituation was much more d-ifmaying than any
thing they had yet gone through, being left on a defolate coaft,
without any provifion, or the means o f procuring any ; for their
arms, ammunition, and every conveniency they were mailers of,
except the tattered habits they had on, were all carried away in
the barge. , . . . , ,
But when they had fufficiently revolved in their own minds the
various circumftances o f this unexpefted calamity, and were per-
fuaded that they had no relief to hope for, they perceived a canoe
at a diftance, which proved to be that of the Indian who had undertaken
to carry them to Chiloe, he and his family being then on
board it. He made no difficulty o f coming to them; for, it feems,
he had left Captain Cheap and his people a little before to go a-fifh-
ing, and had in the mean time committed them to the care o f the
other Indian, whom the failors had carried to fea in the barge.
When he came on fhore, and found the barge gone, and his companion
miffing, he was extremely concerned, and could with difficulty
be perfuaded that the other Indian was not murthered; yet,
X being