“Parr was a good seaman, and said he would take us to the island of Ascension, or lay off the harbour till the Columbia could weigh anchor and come out. We went down about eight o’clock to the West Rocks, where the American boat was waiting for us, manned with three American seamen, which took us alongside the Columbia. We went on board. Parr went down into the cabin; and we changed our clothes after having been on board half an hour. “Brighouse and Conway proposed to cut out a whale-boat from out of the harbour, to prevent the Columbia from being suspected; which they effected, having therein a coil of rope and five oars, with a large stone she was moored by. This happened about eleven o’clock at night. “We observed lanterns passing on the line towards the Sea-gate, and hearing a great noise, thought we were missed, and searched for. We immediately embarked in the whale-boat, with twenty-five pounds of bread in a bag, and a small keg of water, supposed to contain about thirteen gallons, one compass, and one quadrant, given to us by the commanding officer of the Columbia; but in our great hurry the quadrant was either left behind or dropped over-board. “We then left the ship, pulling with two oars only, to get a-head of her. The boat was half full of water, and nothing to bale her out. In this condition we rowed out to sea, and lay off the island a great distance, expecting the American ship hourly. “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.