( 337 ) 



the uncertainty of what might become of us, might 

 have prompted the mutineers amongft us to 

 commit fome aft of violence, or perhaps even of 

 defpair. 



The night following we were expofed to very- 

 great danger. We were all afleep in a very fmall 

 ifland, except three or four perfons who guarded 

 the boat : One of them had lighted his pipe, and 

 imprudently laid the match on the edge of the 

 boat juft where the arms, powder, and provifions 

 were kept in a cheft covered with a tarpaulin. He 

 fell afleep afterwards, and whilft he was in this 

 condition the covering of the cheft took fire. The 

 flame awaked him as well as his other companions, 

 and had they been a moment longer, the boat muft 

 have been blown up or fhattered to pieces ; and I 

 leave you to think what muft have become of us, 

 being without any thing but a canoe, which could 

 not have contained above one fixth part of our 

 company, without provifions, arms, or ammuni- 

 tion, in a fandy ifland, on which nothing grew 

 but a few blades of wild grafs. 



On the morrow, being the fixteenth, the canoe 

 left us and joined the Spaniards. We had the wind 

 contrary, and could not advance but with the lead 

 in hand, the coaft being fo flat and covered with 

 fharp flints in fuch manner at the diftance of fix 

 leagues from it \ our boat, which drew no more 

 than two feet water, was every moment in danger of 

 linking her bottom out. We were ftill under the fame 

 apprehenfions the two fo ; lowing days, and on the 

 twentieth we encamped on an ifland, which forms 

 the eaftern point of the Baye dcs dpalaches. All 

 night we perceived fires on the continent, which 



Vol. II. Z we 



