A58039:24
A token for mariners
A token for mariners containing many famous and wonderful instances of God's providence in sea dangers and deliverances, in mercifully preserving the lives of his poor creatures, when, in humane probability, at the point of perishing by shipwreck, famine, or other accidents. much enlarged, with the addition of many new relations, one whereof happening this present year, and never before printed. Mostly attested by the persons themselves. Also The seaman's preacher, being a sermon on the right improvement of such mercies. And prayers for seamen on all occasions.A token for mariners containing many famous and wonderful instances of God's providence in sea dangers and deliverances, in mercifully preserving the lives of his poor creatures, when, in humane probability, at the point of perishing by shipwrack, famine, or other accidents. much enlarg'd, with the addition of many new relations, one whereof happening this present year, and never before printed. Mostly attested by the persons themselves. Also The seaman's preacher, being a sermon on the right improvement of such mercies. And prayers for seamen on all occasions.
London: printed by Hugh Newman, 1698
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. A Vessel of ours about the year 1636. being at New-found Land a Fishing, being somewhat of the latest in the year, until the Ice came in great flakes; and being ready to hoist Sail for the return home, they sent out in the Boat six of the men to weigh their Anchor; but while they were about it, a sad Providence prevents them, a great flake of Ice interposes between them and their ship, and carries them adrift, so that by all means that they and the ship could use, they could not recover their Vessel again, whereby they were exposed to an inevitable ruin, neither having Food, nor any other Accommodation to keep them warm; they having continued thus three days and three nights, they began to be Hunger-starved, and accounting themselves all dead men, they began to consult one with another what course to take; they at last, though with ⟨p. 15⟩great regret and grief, resolve one of them must dye to become Food for the rest; each person begged to have it his Lot to dye first, to be freed from that torment that they languished under; so that they were forced to determine it by Lot: He upon whom the Lot fell, desired to go to one end of the Boat, there to recommend his soul to God by Prayer, before he dyed; the rest being in a deep Agony upon apprehension of shedding the blood of one of their Comrades: But while they were sat together, lamenting and imploring God's favour to prevent such a fact according to that they wished and desired: The person separated by Lot for death, dyed upon the place where he was praying, which in their deplorable Condition occasioned great Joy to the rest, that hereby they were not forced against their wills to take his life; so looking upon this as a good Omen, they proceeded to satisfy their Hungers upon the dead body: the Boat was still A-drift, not frozen up; so that by that time, their Food was spent, they were brought ashore many Leagues to the Norward of New-England, where the five landed alive, where the poor Barbarians did commiserate them, and help them as they could; ⟨p. 16⟩three of them dyed with the distress they had been in, the other two made a shift to get to New-England, and so at last, by a good hand of God upon them, came to their Habitations in the West of England, having both lost their heels with the extremity of the cold in the Boat.
3. A Vessel of ours about the year 1636. being at New-found Land a Fishing, being somewhat of the latest in the year, until the Ice came in great flakes; and being ready to hoise Sayle for the return home, they sent out in the Boat six of the men to weigh their Anchor; but while they were about it, a sad Providence prevents them, a great flake of Ice interposes between them and their ship, and carryes them adrift, so that by all means that they and the ship could use, they could not recover their Vessel again, whereby they were exposed to an inevitable ruine, neither having Food, nor any other Accomodation to keep them warm; they having continued thus three daysand three nights, they began to be Hunger-starv'd, and accounting themselves all dead men, they began to consult one with another what course to take; they at last, though with