“About twelve o’clock the second day, no ship appearing, by Parr’s advice, we bore away, steering N. by W. and then N.N.W. for the island of Ascension, using our handkerchie as substitutes for sails. We met with a gale of wind, which continued two days. The weather then became very fine, and we supposed we had run ten miles an hour. M’Kinnon kept a reckoning, with pen, ink, and paper, supplied by the Columbia, as also charts and maps.
“We continued our course till about the 18th in the morning, when we saw a number of birds, but no land. About twelve that day Parr said he was sure we must be past the island, accounting it to be eight hundred miles from St. Helena. We then each of us took our shirt, and with them made a small sprit-sail, and laced our jackets and trowsers together at the waistband, to keep us warm; and then altered our course to W. by N. thinking to make Rio de Janeiro, on the American coast. Provisions running very short, we allowanced ourselves only one ounce of bread for twenty-four hours, and two mouthfuls of water.
“We continued until the 20th, when all our provisions were expended. On the 27th, M’Quinn took a piece of bamboo in his mouth to chew, and we all followed his example. On that night, it being my turn to steer the boat, and remembering to have read of persons eating their shoes, I cut a piece off one of mine; but it being soaked with salt water, I was obliged to spit it out, and take the inside sole, which I ate part of, and distributed to the rest, but found no benefit from it.
“On the 1st of July, Parr caught a dolphin with a graff, that had been left in the boat. We all fell on our knees, and thanked God for his goodness to us. We tore up the fish, and hung it to dry: about four we ate part of it, which agreed with us pretty well. On this fish we subsisted till the 4th, about eleven o’clock, when, finding the whole expended, bones and all, Parr, myself, Brighouse, and Conway, proposed to scuttle the boat, and let her go down, to put us out of our misery. The other two objected, observing, that God who had made man, always found him something to eat.
“On the 5th, about eleven, M’Kinnon proposed, that it would be better to cast lots for one of us to die, in order to save the rest; to which we consented. William Parr, being sick two days before with the spotted fever, was excluded. He wrote the numbers out, and put them in a hat, which we drew out blindfolded, and put them in our pockets. Parr then asked whose lot it was to die—none of us knowing what numbers we had in our pockets—each one praying to God that it might be his lot. It was agreed that No. 5 should die, and the lots being unfolded, M’Kinnon’s was No. 5.
“We had agreed, that he whose lot it was should bleed himself to death; for which purpose we had provided ourselves with nails sharpened, which we got from the boat. M’Kinnon with one of them cut himself in three places, in his hand, foot, and wrist, and praying God to forgive him, died in about a quarter of an hour.
“Before he was quite cold, Brighouse, with one of those nails, cut a piece of flesh off his thigh, and hung it up, leaving the body in the boat. About three hours after we ate of it—only a very small bit. This piece lasted us until the 7th. We dipped the body every two hours into the sea, to preserve it. Parr having found a piece of slate in the bottom of the boat, he sharpened it on the other large stone, and with it cut another piece of the thigh, which lasted us until the 8th; when, it being my watch, and observing the water about break of day to change colour, I called the rest, thinking we were near shore; but saw no land, it not being quite day-light.
“As soon as day appeared, we discovered land right a-head, and steered towards it. About eight in the morning we were close to the shore. There being a very heavy surf, we endeavoured to turn the boat’s head to it: but being very weak, we were unable. Soon after the boat upset! Myself, Conway, and Parr, got on shore, M’Quinn and Brighouse were drowned.
“We discovered a small hut on the beach, in which were an Indian and his mother, who spoke Portuguese; and I understanding that language, learnt that there was a village about three miles distant, called Belmont. This Indian went to the village, and gave information that the French had landed, and in about two hours the governor of the village, (a clergyman), with several armed men, took Conway and Parr prisoners, tying them by their hands and feet, and slinging them on a bamboo stick; and in this manner took them to the village. I being very weak, remained in the hut some time, but was afterwards taken.
“On our telling them we were English, we were immediately released, and three hammocks provided. We were taken in them to the governor’s house, who let us lie on his own bed, and gave us milk and rice; but not having eaten any thing for a considerable time, we were lock-jawed, and continued so till the 23d, during which time the governor wrote to the governor of St. Salvador, who sent a small schooner to a place called Porto Seguro, to take us to St. Salvador. We were then conducted to Porto Seguro on horseback, passing through Santa Croix, where we remained about ten days. Afterwards we embarked; and, on our arrival at St. Salvador, Parr, on being questioned by the governor, answered, “that our ship had foundered at sea, and we had saved ourselves in the boat; that the ship’s name was the Sally, of Liverpool, and belonged to his father, and was last from Cape Coast Castle, on the coast of Africa, to touch at the Ascension for turtle, and then bound for Jamaica.” Parr said he was the captain.