SHOET NOTES ON PEOFESSIONAL SUBJECTS. 
37 
servant was washed overboard, and a soldier’s wife and two children shared also the 
same fate. Towards evening one of the sailors unfortunately got a cask of wine, 
with which many of them got intoxicated; it proved fatal to the cook of the ship, 
and Thomas Coats, Lieut. Caddy’s servant. I am happy in being able to say that 
the rest of our men were perfectly sober. We remained the whole of this day being 
Tuesday the 13th and that night on the wreck, without anything to eat except a 
piece of pork and a cheese which we found floating on the deck. On the evening 
of Wednesday the 14th the weather was so moderate, and the sea so smooth that 
it appeared practicable to make a raft capable of taking two or three men on shore 
who as soon as they landed might come to our assistance. We accordingly set to 
work and made one, on which two seamen got in safety to the shore, but after 
waiting two hours, finding they neglected us, we made another longer one, with 
which the second mate, carpenter, and two seamen landed ; who came immediately 
to assist us, in endeavouring to get on shore. By their means we got a rope from 
the end of the bowsprit to the shore, on which one by one, we all landed in safety 
about four o’clock that afternoon. To our infinite joy we found a great quantity of 
cloaths of all kinds had come on shore from the wreck, part of the ship’s cargo, 
from which we each of us took a large cloke and then took up our lodging for the 
night, in a small thicket of spruce trees. Soon after dark it rained very fast, which 
soon pierced the slender shelter they afforded us; and made us completely un¬ 
comfortable. About twelve o’clock, my servant’s wife (who had been very ill ever 
since we landed) went delirious, and raved during the whole of the night, in the 
most shocking manner, which prevented us taking that rest, of which we stood so much 
in need. Towards the morning of Thursday the 15th it cleared up; and soon after 
day, the sun shone with great power; certainly the greatest blessing the Almighty 
could send us; as by its influence, we were enabled to dry our tinder (which in 
spite of all our endeavours had got wet in bringing on shore) and kindle a fire : but 
we did not get it time enough, to be of service to those who most wanted it; for 
my servant’s wife died about ten o’clock that morning, her death was certainly 
occasioned by the cold. Not having implements of any kind to dig a grave, we 
committed the body to the deep. 
This morning we found Lieut. Truscot, and Benet, who were taken ill the 
preceeding night, so very bad, that we had no hopes of their recovery. The ship 
having been chiefly laden with pork, and butter, for King’s stores at Quebec ; great 
quantities of each of these articles were driven on shore; as also three casks of wine, 
which latter I know not whether to call a fortunate circumstance or not, as some of 
our men were often intoxicated, which generally ended with a quarrel. Having- 
fried a few pieces of pork we all sat down and made a hearty meal, as you may 
suppose, after fasting nearly three days and nights. After dinner we all met, to 
consult upon the most eligible plan we could adopt, for our future safety—when in 
consideration of our not having tools of any kind to build a house, wherewith to 
shelter onrselves from the inclemency of the weather, in so rigorous a climate, nor 
provisions to last us long; it was unanimously determined, that after waiting where 
we were, for a few days, (to see if Messrs Truscot and Benet recovered so far as to 
be able to accompany us), we should each of us furnish ourselves with as much 
provision as we could conveniently travel with, and set out to endeavour to find an 
inhabited place. On the morning of Friday the 16th, we found Messrs T. Sc B. 
instead of recovering had got so much worse, that far from there being any proba¬ 
bility of their being able to accompany us in our intended journey, there were 
scarcely any hopes of their living many days; and as our staying in that place* would 
be only sacrificing ourselves, without being able to be of the smallest service to them, 
(the frost having already seized on the feet of both of them) we determined (distress¬ 
ing as the idea was, to leave two of our companions behind in such a situation) to 
set off the next morning in search of inhabitants, or perish in the attempt. 
