I had hardly finished these words, when both the vessel and brazen man sunk to the bottom. I remained in the water, and swam during the rest of the day towards the nearest island. The night, which came on, was exceedingly dark: and as I no longer knew where I was, I continued swimming at a venture. My strength was at last quite exhausted, and I began to despair of being able to save myself, when the wind having much increased, a wave as large as a mountain, threw me upon a flat shallow place, and on retiring left me there. I immediately made haste to get farther on land for fear another wave should come and carry me back. The first thing I then did, was to undress and wring the water out of my clothes, and spread them upon the sand, which was still warm from the heat of the preceding day. The next morning, as soon as the sun had quite dried my dress, I put it on, and began to reconnoitre; and tried to discover where I was. I had not walked far, before I found out I was upon a small desert island, very pleasant, and where there were many sorts of fruit-trees as well as others; but I observed, that it was at a considerable distance from the main land, which rather lessened the joy I felt at having escaped from the sea. I nevertheless trusted in God to dispose of my fate according to his will: soon afterwards I discovered a very small vessel, which seemed to come full sail directly from the main land, with her prow towards the island where I was. As I had no doubt they were coming to anchor here, and as I knew not what sort of people they might be, whether friends or enemies, I determined at first not to show myself. I got up therefore, into a very thick tree, from whence I could examine their countenances without danger. The vessel soon sailed up a small creek or bay, where ten slaves landed with a spade and other instruments in their bands, for the purpose of digging the earth. They went towards the middle of the island, where I observed them stop and dig up the earth for some time; and by their actions they appeared to me to lift up a trap-door. They immediately returned to the vessel, from which they landed many sorts of provisions and furniture, and each taking a load, they carried them to the place where they had before dug up the ground. They then seemed to descend, which made me conjecture there was a subterraneous place. I saw them once more go to the vessel, and come back with an old man, who brought with him a youth, seemingly well made, and about fourteen or fifteen years old. They all descended at the spot where the trap-door had been lifted up. After they came out again, they shut down the door and covered it with earth as before; and then returned to the creek where their vessel lay; but I observed that the young man did not come back with them, whence I concluded that he remained in the subterraneous place. This circumstance very much excited my astonishment.