DESTRUCTION OF THE ESSEX. 401 
The following particulars respecting the three men left on 
the island, are extracted from a tract issued by the London 
Tract Society, in Paternoster Row. 
On the 26th of December the boats left the island : this 
was, indeed, a trying moment to all ; they separated with mu- 
tual prayers and good wishes, seventeen venturing to sea with 
almost certain death before them, while three remained on a 
rocky isle, destitute of water, and affording hardly any thing 
to support life. The prospects of these three poor men were 
gloomy ; they again tried to dig a well, but without success, 
and all hope seemed at an end, when providentially they 
were relieved by a shower of rain. They were thus deliver- 
ed from the immediate apprehension of perishing by thirst. 
Their next care ^^as to procure food, and their difficulties 
herein were also very great ; their principal resource was 
small birds, about the size of a blackbird, which they caught 
while at roost. Every night they climbed the trees in search 
of them, and obtained, by severe exertions, a scanty supply, 
hardly enough to support life. Some of the trees bore a small 
beny, which gave them a little relief; but these they found 
only in small quantities. Shell-fish they searched for in vain : 
and although from the rocks they saw at times a number of 
sharks, and also other sorts of fish, they were unable to catch 
any, as they had no fishing tackle. Once they saw several 
turtles, and succeeded in taking five, but they were then with- 
out water; at those times they had little inclination to eat, 
and before one of them was quite finished, the others were 
become unfit for food. 
Their sufferings from the want of water were the most se- 
vere, their only supply being from Avhat remained in holes 
among the rocks after the showers which fell at intervals ; 
and sometimes they were five or six days without any ; on 
these occasions they were compelled to suck the blood of the 
birds they caught, which allayed their thirst in some degree ; 
but they did so very unwillingly, as they found themselves 
much disordered thereby. 
Among the rocks were several caves formed by nature, 
which afforded a shelter from the wind and rain. In one of 
these caves they found eight human skeletons, in all probabi- 
lity the remains of some poor mariners who had been ship- 
wrecked on the isle, and perished for want of food and water. 
They were side by side, as if they had laid down and died to- 
gether ! This sight deeply affected the mate and his com- 
panions ; their case was similar, and they had every reason 
34* 
