186 LOSS OF THE NOTTINGHAM GALttV. 
none of them being able, they entreated I would perform that 
labor for them. This was a hard task ; but their incessant 
prayers and entreaties at last prevailed over my reluctance, 
and by night I had completed the operation. 
I cut part of the flesh into thin slices, and washing it in salt 
water, brought it to the tent and obliged the men to eat rock- 
weed with it instead of bread. My mate and two others re- 
fused to eat any that night, but the next morning they com- 
plied, and earnestly desired to partake with the rest. 
I found that they all ate with the utmost avidity, so that I 
was obliged to carry the quarters farther from the tent, out of 
their reach, lest they should do themselves an injury by eating 
too much, and likewise expend our small stock too soon. 
I also limited each man to an equal portion, that they might 
not quarrel, or have cause to reflect on me or one another. 
This method I was the more obliged to adopt, because in a 
few days I found their dispositions entirely changed, and that 
aflectionate, peaceable temper they had hitherto manifested, 
totally lost. Their eyes looked wild and staring, their coun- 
tenances fierce and barbarous. Instead of obeying my com- 
mands, as they had universally and cheerfully done before, 
I now found even prayers and entreaties vain and fruitless ; 
nothing was now to be heard but brutal quarrels, w Jch horrid 
oaths and imprecations, instead of that quiet submissive spirit 
of prayer and supplication they had before manifested. 
This, together with the dismal prospect of future want, obli- 
ged me to keep a strict watch over the rest of the body, lest 
any of them, if able, should get to it, and if that were spent, 
we should be compelled to feed upon the living, which we cer- 
tainly must have done, had we remained in that situation a 
few days longer. 
The goodness of God now began to appear, and to make 
provision for our deliverance, by putting it into the hearts of 
the good people on the shore, to which our raft was driven, 
to come out in search of us, which they did on the second of 
January, in the morning. 
Just as I was creeping out of the tent I saw a shallop, half 
way from the shore, standing directly toward us. Our joy 
and satisfaction, at the prospect of such speedy and unexpect- 
ed deliverance, no tongue is able to express, or thought to 
conceive. 
Our good and welcome friends came to an anchor to the 
southwest, at the distance of about one hundred yards, the 
swell preventing them from approaching nearer: but their 
