(Continuing from Part 08)
The enormous wave struck our little boat and threw all of us into the sea.
I sank deep beneath the water.
For several moments, I could not breathe. The sea was so violent that I did not know which direction was upward.
I thought I was going to die.
Then the wave carried me toward the shore, and suddenly I felt the ground beneath my feet.
I tried to stand, but another wave knocked me down.
The water covered me again.
I struggled desperately, moving my arms and legs, trying to reach the surface.
At last, I managed to lift my head above the water and take a breath.
I saw the beach ahead of me.
It was not very far away, but the waves were still enormous.
I tried to swim toward land.
Another wave lifted me and carried me forward. When it moved back toward the sea, I held tightly to the sand and rocks.
I knew that if the water pulled me away again, I might not survive.
Slowly, with great difficulty, I crawled toward higher ground.
At last, I reached a place beyond the waves.
I was safe.
I fell onto the grass, completely exhausted.
For some time, I could do nothing but lie there and breathe.
Then I stood up and looked around.
I could hardly believe that I was alive.
Only a short time earlier, I had been certain that I would drown.
I thanked God for saving me.
But my happiness soon turned into sadness.
I looked toward the sea, searching for the other sailors.
There was nobody.
I could see pieces of the wreck floating in the water, but no living person.
All ten of my companions had disappeared.
I was the only survivor.
The thought filled me with grief.
I remembered the captain, the sailors, and the men who had struggled beside me in the little boat.
Now they were all gone.
I had escaped death, but I was completely alone.
I looked down at myself.
I was soaking wet and had almost nothing.
I had no food, no fresh water, and no dry clothes.
I possessed only a knife, a tobacco pipe, and a little tobacco in a small box.
I had no gun or other weapon with which to defend myself.
I did not know whether dangerous animals lived nearby.
Perhaps there were wild people on the island who might attack me.
I did not even know whether this land was an island or part of a continent.
I began walking along the shore, trying to understand my situation.
My greatest fear was that I would soon die from hunger or be killed by a wild animal.
Then I found something that gave me a little hope.
Not far from the beach, I discovered a stream of fresh water.
I drank deeply.
The water was cool and pleasant.
At least I would not die immediately from thirst.
But I still needed food and shelter.
The sun was beginning to move lower in the sky.
I realized that night would soon arrive.
I could not remain on the open beach, where wild animals might find me while I slept.
I looked around for a safe place.
Near the shore stood a large, thick tree with branches spreading outward.
I decided that this would be my shelter for the night.
I climbed into the tree carefully, using my remaining strength.
I found a place among the branches where I could rest without easily falling.
Then I settled myself as comfortably as possible.
I was exhausted by the struggle in the sea.
Despite my fear and sadness, I soon fell asleep.
I slept deeply throughout the night.
When morning came, I awoke feeling stronger.
The sky was clear, and the storm had ended.
I climbed down from the tree and looked toward the sea.
What I saw surprised me.
Our ship had not completely disappeared.
During the night, the waves had carried it closer to the shore.
It was now standing on the sandbank, less than a mile away.
I could see that much of the vessel was still above water.
My heart filled with hope.
Perhaps there were useful things aboard.
There might be food, tools, weapons, clothing, and other supplies.
If I could reach the ship, I might be able to save enough materials to survive for a long time.
But first, I needed to find a way aboard.
I walked along the shore, examining the coastline.
I discovered that the small boat in which we had tried to escape had been washed onto the beach.
It was lying upside down, damaged and partly buried in the sand.
I tried to move it, but it was too heavy.
Without tools or assistance, I could do nothing with it.
I turned my attention back to the ship.
The tide was low, and I noticed that I could walk some distance toward the wreck.
I removed my outer clothes and entered the water.
Then I began swimming.
The distance was greater than it had appeared from shore, and the current made the journey difficult.
But the sea was now calm.
After some effort, I reached the ship.
Unfortunately, its sides rose high above the water.
I swam around it, searching for a place to climb.
At first, I found nothing.
Then I noticed a rope hanging down from the front of the ship.
The rope was low enough for me to reach.
I grabbed it and pulled myself upward.
With difficulty, I climbed onto the deck.
I was filled with relief.
I had reached the wreck safely.
Now I could search for supplies.
As I looked around, I discovered that the ship had suffered serious damage, but many parts remained intact.
The stern was raised above the water, and the storage areas were not completely flooded.
I found that some food had remained dry.
There were biscuits, which were especially valuable because they could be stored for a long time.
I was extremely hungry.
I filled my pockets with biscuits and began eating immediately.
Then I drank some rum that I found aboard.
For the first time since the shipwreck, I had a proper meal.
As I ate, I began thinking about what to do next.
I could not carry heavy supplies while swimming back to shore.
I needed some kind of raft.
If I could build one from the ship’s materials, I might transport food, weapons, tools, and other useful things to land.
I looked around the deck.
There were wooden beams, spare masts, ropes, and many other materials.
Suddenly, my situation seemed less hopeless.
I was still alone on an unknown shore.
But the wrecked ship might provide the things I needed to stay alive.
I decided to begin work immediately.