I suppose I had been seen, or that the flames of the
ship had called down the people, for there they were in the bay,
and such a lot of creatures I never set eyes on. Men and women
alike was pretty nigh naked, and dirt is no name for them. Though
I was but a boy I was taller than most. They came round me and
jabbered and jabbered till I was nigh deafened. Over and over again
they pointed to the ship. I thought they wanted to know whether
I belonged to it, but it couldn't have been that, because when I
nodded a lot of 'em jumped into some canoes which was lying ashore,
and taking me with them paddled off to the ship. I suppose they
really wanted to know if they could have what they could find.
That wasn't much, but it seemed a treasure to them. There was a lot
of burned beams floating about alongside, and all of these which
had iron or copper bolts or fastenings they took in tow and rowed
ashore. We hadn't been gone many hundred yards from the vessel when
she sunk. Well, young gentlemen, for upwards of two years I lived
with them critturs. My clothes soon wore out, and I got to be as
naked and dirty as the rest of 'em. They were good hands at fishing,
and could spear a fish by the light of a torch wonderful.
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