went down to my Father; where, by the Affiftance of him and my Uncle John, and some other Relations, I got forty Pounds, and a Promise of thirty Pounds a Year to maintain me at Leyden : There I ftudied Phyfic two Years and feven Months, knowing it would be ufeful in long Voya ges.

Soon after my Return from Leyden, I was recommended by my good Mafter Mr. Bates, to be Surgeon to the Swallow, Captain Abraham Pan nell, Commander; with whom I continued three Years and a half, making a Voyage or two into the Levant, and fome other Parts. When I came back, I refolved to fettle in London, to which Mr. Bates, my Mafter, encouraged me, and by him I was recommended to feveral Patients. I took Part of a small House in the Old Fury; and being advised to alter my Condition, I married Mrs. Mary Burton, fecond Daughter to Mr. Edmund Burton, Hofier, in Newgate freet, with whom I received four hundred Pounds for a Portion.

But, my good Mafter Bates dying in two Years after, and I having few Friends, my Bufinefs began to fail for my Confcience would not fuffer me to imitate the bad Practice of too many among my Brethren. Having therefore confulted with my Wife, and fome of my Acquaintance, I de termined to go again to Sea. I was Surgeon fucceffively in two Ships, and made feveral Voyages for fix Years to the East and West-Indies, by which I got fome Addition to my Fortune. My Hours of Leifure I spent in reading the best Authors, an tient and modern, being always provided with a good Number of Books; and when I was afhore, in obferving the Manners and Difpofitions of the People, as well as learning their. Language, where

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in I had a great Facility by the Strength of my Memory.

The laft of thefe Voyages not proving very fortunate, I grew weary of the Sea, and intended to ftay at Home with my Wife and Family. I removed from the Old-Fury to Fetter-Lane, and from thence to Wapping, hoping to get Business among the Sailors; but it would not turn to Account. After three Years Expectation that Things would mend, I accepted an advantageous Offer from Captain William Prichard, Mafter of the Antelope, who was making a Voyage to the South-Sea. We fet Sail from Bristol, May 4th, 1699, and our Voyage at firft was very profperous.

It would not be proper, for fome Reasons, to trouble the Reader with the Particulars of our Adventures in thofe Seas: Let it fuffice to inform him, that, in our Paffage from thence to the Eaft-Indies, we were driven by a violent Storm to the North-Weft of Van Diemen's Land. By an Obfervation we found ourselves in the Latitude of 30 Degrees 2 Minutes South. Twelve of our Crew were dead by immoderate Labour, and ill Food, the reft were in a very weak Condition. On the fifth of November, which was the Beginning of Summer in those Parts, the Weather being very hazy, the Seamen fpied a Rock, within half a Cable's Length of the Ship; but the Wind was fo ftrong, that we were driven directly upon it, and immediately fplit. Six of the Crew, of whom I was one, having let down the Boat into the Sea, made a Shift to get clear of the Ship and the Rock. We rowed, by my Computation, about three Leagues, till we were able to work no longer, being already spent with Labour while we were in the Ship. We therefore trusted ourselves to the Mer

cy of the Waves, and in about half an Hour the Boat was overfet by a fudden Flurry from the North. What became of my Companions in the' Boat, as well as of those who escaped on the Rock, or were left in the Veffel, I cannot tell ; but conclude they were all loft. For my own Part, I fwam as Fortune directed me, and was pushed forward by Wind and Tide. I often let my Legs drop, and could feel no Bottom: But when I was almost gone, and able to struggle no longer, I found myfelf within my Depth; and by this Time the Storm was much abated. The Declivity was fo fmall, that I walked near a Mile before I got to the Shore, which I conjectured was about eight a Clock in the Evening. I then advanced forward near half a Mile, but could not discover any Sign of Houfes or Inhabitants; at least I was in fo weak a Condition that I did not observe them. I was extremely tired, and that, and the Heat of the Weather, and about half a Pint of Brandy that I drank as I left the Ship, I found myself much inclined to fleep. I lay down on the Grafs, which was very short and foft, where I flept founder than ever I remembered to have done in my Life, and, as I reckoned, about nine Hours; for when I awaked, it was juft Day-light. I attempted to rife, but was not able to ftir: For as I happened to lie on my Back, I found my Arms and Legs were ftrongly fastened on each Side to the Ground; and my Hair, which was long and thick, tied down in the fame Manner. I likewife felt feveral flender Ligatures acrofs my Body, from my Arm-pits to my Thighs. I could only look upwards, the Sun began to grow hot, and the Light offended my Eyes. I heard a confused Noife about me, but, in the Pofture I lay, could fee nothing except the Sky.

Sky. In a little Time I felt fomething alive moving on my left Leg, which advancing gently forward, over my Breast, came almoft up to my Chin; when bending my Eyes downward as much as I could, I perceived it to be a human Creature not fix Inches high, with a Bow and Arrow in his Hands, and a Quiver at his Back. In the mean Time, I felt at least forty more of the fame Kind (as I conjectured) following the first. I was in the utmost Astonishment, and roared fo loud, that they all ran back in a Fright; and fome of them. as I was afterwards told, were hurt with the Falls they got by leaping from my Sides upon the Ground. However, they foon returned, and one of them, who ventured fo far as to get a full Sight of my Face, lifting up his Hands and Eyes by Way of Admiration, cried out in a fhrill but diftinct Voice, Hekinah Degu!: The others repeated the fame Words feveral Times', but I then knew not what they meant. I lay all this While, as the Reader may believe, in great Uneafinefs; at length, ftruggling to get loofe, I had the Fortune to break the Strings, and wrench out the Pegs that faftened my left Arm to the Ground; for, by lifting it up to my Face, I difcovered the Methods they had taken to bind me, and, at the fame Time, with a violent Pull, which gave me exceffive Pain, I a little loofened the Strings that tied down my Hair on the left Side, fo that I was just able to turn my Head about two Inches. But the Creatures ran off a fecond Time, before I could feize them ; whereupon there was a great Shout in a very fhrill Accent, and after it ceafed, I heard one of them cry aloud, Tolgo Phonac; when in an Inftant I felt above an hundred Arrows difcharged on my left Hand, which prick'd me like so many Needles;

B 3

and

and befides, they shot another Flight into the Air, as we do Bombs in Europe, whereof many, I fuppofe, fell on my Body (tho' I felt them not) and fome on my Face, which I immediately covered with my left Hand. When this Shower of Arrows was over, I fell a groaning with Grief and Pain, and then ftriving again to get loose, they discharged another Volley larger than the firft, and fome of them attempted with Spears to ftick me in the Sides; but, by good Luck, I had on me a Buff Jerkin, which they could not pierce. I thought it the most prudent Method to lie ftill, and my Design was to continue fo till Night, when, my left Hand being already loofe, I could eafily free myself: And as for the Inhabitants, I had Reason to believe I might be a Match for the greatest Army they could bring against me, if they were all of the fame Size with him that I faw. But Fortune difpofed otherways of me. When the People obferved I was quiet, they discharged no more Arrows: But, by the Noise I heard, I knew their Numbers increased; and about four Yards from me, over-against my right Ear, I heard a Knocking for above an Hour, like that of People at Work; when turning my Head that Way, as well as the Pegs and Strings would permit me, I faw a Stage erected, about a Foot and half from the Ground, capable of holding four of the Inhabitants, with two or three Ladders to mount it : From whence one of them, who seemed to be a Perfon of Quality, made me a long Speech, whereof I understood not one Syllable. But I should have mentioned, that before the principal Perfon began his Oration, he cried out three Times, Langro Debul fan; (thefe Words and the former were afterwards repeated and explained to me).

Where