Читать книгу The Totall Discourse of the Rare Adventures & Painefull Peregrinations. The Long Nineteene Yeares Travayles from Scotland to the most famous Kingdomes in Europe, Asia and Affrica онлайн

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At our first encounter with the Rocks, (our fore-decks, and Boates gallery being broke, and a great Lake made) the recoiling waves brought us backe from the Shelfes a great way; which the poore Master perceiving, and that there were seven men drowned, and eleven persons alive, cryed with a loud voyce: Be of good courage, take up oares, and row hastily; it may be, before the Barke sinke, we shall attaine to yonder Cave, which then appeared to our sight: Every man working for his owne deliverance (as it pleased God) we got the same with good fortune: for no sooner were we disbarked, and I also left the last man, but the Boat immediately sunke. There was nothing saved but my Coffino, which I kept alwaies in my armes: partly, that it might have brought my dead body to some creeke, where being found, might have beene by the Greekes buryed; and partly I held it fast also, A happy deliverance from shipwracke.that saving my life, I might save it too; it was made of Reeds and would not easily sinke, notwithstanding of my papers and linnen I carried into it: for the which safety of my things, the Greekes were in admiration. In this Cave, which was 30. paces long, within the mountaine, we abode three daies without either meate or drinke: upon the fourth day at morne, the tempest ceasing, there came Fisher-boates to relieve us, who found the ten Greekes almost famished for lacke of foode; but I in that hunger-starving feare, fed upon the expectation of my doubtfull reliefe.