This Man was born in _Wales_, of very poor Parents, who bred him up to the Plough and the following of Sheep, the only Things he had any Notion of till he went to Sea. He was never esteem'd among the Pyrates as a Man of good natural Parts, perhaps, on account of his Ignorance of Letters, for, as he had no Education, he knew as little of the sailing a Ship, set aside the Business of a foremast Man, as he did of History, in which, and natural Philosophy, he was equally vers'd: He was of a morose, sour, unsociable Temper, very cholerick, and easily resented as an Affront what as brave and a more knowing Man would not think worth Notice; but he was not cruel, neither did he turn Pyrate from a wicked or avaritious Inclination, but by Necessity, and we may say, tho' he was no forced Man, he could not well avoid that Life he fell into. When he was grown a lusty Lad he would see the World, and go seek his Fortune, as the Term is among the Country Youths, who think fit to withdraw themselves from the Subjection of their Parents; with this Whim in his Head he got to _Chester_, where he was received, and sailed on board a Coaster, till he had made himself acquainted with the Rigging, learned to knot, splice, and do the other Parts of a common Sailor's Duty; then coming to _London_, he shipp'd himself on board the _Mary India_ Man, bound for _Bengal_ and _Maderas_, which Voyage he performed outward, and it was not his Fault that he did not come home in the same Ship; for, in her Return, falling short of Water, they steer'd for the Island of _Madagascar_, and fell in with the East Side, in the Lat. of 20, or thereabouts. The Captain mann'd and sent ashore the Long-Boat to seek for Water, but a large Surf running, she came to an Anchor, at some little Distance from Shore, and _David Williams_ with another, being both good Swimmers, stripp'd and swam off in Search of Water: While they were ashore, the Wind which blew full upon the Island and freshning, the Surf ran too high for them to get off; and the Long-Boat, after waiting some time, seeing no Possibility of getting these Men on board, weigh'd and stood for the Ship, which filled her Sails and stood for St. _Augustine_'s Bay, where she watered and proceeded on her Voyage. Thus our poor _Welshman_ and his Companion were left destitute on an Island altogether unknown to them, without Cloaths or Subsistance, but what the Fruits of the Trees offer'd. They rambled some little Time along the Coast, and were met with by the Natives, and by them carried up into the Country, where they were humanly treated, and provided with all the Necessaries of Life, tho' this was not sufficient to expel his Consort's Melancholy, who took his being left behind so much to Heart, that he sicken'd and died in a very little Time.