But the hope of furnishing myself with necessaries encouraged me to go beyond what I should have been able to have done upon another occasion.
My raft was now strong enough to bear any reasonable weight.

My next care was what to load it with, and how to preserve what I laid upon it from the surf of the sea; but I was not long considering this.

I first laid all the planks or boards upon it that I could get, and having considered well what I most wanted, I got three of the seamen's chests, which I had broken open, and emptied, and lowered them down upon my raft; the first of these I filled with provisions--viz.

bread, rice, three Dutch cheeses, five pieces of dried goat's flesh (which we lived much upon), and a little remainder of European corn, which had been laid by for some fowls which we brought to sea with us, but the fowls were killed.

There had been some barley and wheat together; but, to my great disappointment, I found afterwards that the rats had eaten or spoiled it all.