DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70303#0322
296 MIRACULOUS PRESERVATION.
When the weather was now grown cold., and the days
short., (or rather no days at all) we began to stave some
empty casks that were left there the year before, to the
quantity of one hundred ton at least; we also made use of
some planks and of two old coolers, (wherein they cooled
their oil), and whatever we thought might be spared
without damnifying the next year’s voyage. Having got
together all the firing that we possibly could make, ex-
cept we should make spoil of the shallops and coolers
that were there, which might easily have overthrown the
next year’s voyage, to the great hinderance of the wor-
shipful company, whose servants we being, were every
way careful of their profit. Comparing therefore the
small quantity of our wood, together with the coldness
of the weather, and the length of time that we were like-
ly to abide, we cast about to husband our stock as thriftily
as we could, devising to try a new conclusion : our trial
was this, when wre raked up our fire at night, with a good
quantity of ashes and embers, we put into the midst of it
a piece of elm-wood, where after it had lain about six-
teen hours, we at our opening of it found great store
of fire upon it, whereupon we made a common practice
of it ever after. It never went out in eight months to-
gether, or thereabouts.
Having thus provided both our house and firing, upon
the 12th of September a small quantity of drift ice came
driving to and fro in the sound. Early in the morn-
ing therefore we arose, and looking every where abroad,
we at last espied two sea-horses lying asleep upon a
piece of ice; presently thereupon taking up an old
harping iron that lay in the tent, and fastening a grapnel
rope to it, wTe launched out our boat to row towards them ;
and coming something near, we perceived them still
asleep, and I steering, bid the rowers to hold still their
pars, for fear of awaking them with the crashing of the
ice:
When the weather was now grown cold., and the days
short., (or rather no days at all) we began to stave some
empty casks that were left there the year before, to the
quantity of one hundred ton at least; we also made use of
some planks and of two old coolers, (wherein they cooled
their oil), and whatever we thought might be spared
without damnifying the next year’s voyage. Having got
together all the firing that we possibly could make, ex-
cept we should make spoil of the shallops and coolers
that were there, which might easily have overthrown the
next year’s voyage, to the great hinderance of the wor-
shipful company, whose servants we being, were every
way careful of their profit. Comparing therefore the
small quantity of our wood, together with the coldness
of the weather, and the length of time that we were like-
ly to abide, we cast about to husband our stock as thriftily
as we could, devising to try a new conclusion : our trial
was this, when wre raked up our fire at night, with a good
quantity of ashes and embers, we put into the midst of it
a piece of elm-wood, where after it had lain about six-
teen hours, we at our opening of it found great store
of fire upon it, whereupon we made a common practice
of it ever after. It never went out in eight months to-
gether, or thereabouts.
Having thus provided both our house and firing, upon
the 12th of September a small quantity of drift ice came
driving to and fro in the sound. Early in the morn-
ing therefore we arose, and looking every where abroad,
we at last espied two sea-horses lying asleep upon a
piece of ice; presently thereupon taking up an old
harping iron that lay in the tent, and fastening a grapnel
rope to it, wTe launched out our boat to row towards them ;
and coming something near, we perceived them still
asleep, and I steering, bid the rowers to hold still their
pars, for fear of awaking them with the crashing of the
ice: