Eleven Days After Landing On This Rock Or Uninhabited Island, Quirini's
Servant, Having Extended His Search For Shellfish, Their Only Food, Quite
To The Farthest Point Of The Island, Found A Small Wooden House, Both In
And Around Which He Observed Some Cow-Dung.
From this circumstance the
forlorn people concluded that there were men and cattle at no great
distance, which inspired them with, fresh hopes of relief, and revived
their drooping spirits.
This house afforded them abundant room and good
shelter; and all, except three or four, who were too weak to be able for
the fatigue of removing to such a distance, changed their abode to this
hut, crawling with great difficulty through the deep snow, the distance
being about a mile and a half, and they took with them as much as they were
able of the ruins of their boat, to serve them for fire-wood. Two days
after this, while going along the shore in search of the usual supply of
shell-fish, one of the company found a very large fish quite recently cast
up by the sea, which appeared to weigh about two hundred pounds, and was
quite sweet and fresh. This most providential supply they cut into thin
slices and carried to their dwelling, where they immediately set to work to
broil and boil it; but so great was their famine, and so tempting its
smell, that they had not patience to wait till it was thoroughly dressed,
but devoured it eagerly half raw. They continued to gorge themselves with
this fish almost without intermission for four days; but at length the
evident and rapid decrease of this stock of food taught them more prudent
economy, and by using it sparingly in future it lasted them ten days more.
Those who staid behind in one of the tents near the place of their first
landing, sent one of their number to see what had become of the rest; and,
when he had been refreshed with some of the fish, he carried a portion to
his two companions, and the whole survivors were soon afterwards
reassembled in the wooden hut. During the whole time that they subsisted
upon the providentially found fish, the weather was so exceedingly
tempestuous that they certainly would not have been able to have looked out
for shellfish, and they must inevitably have perished of famine.
Having made an end of the large fish, which seems to have lasted them for
fourteen days, they were obliged to have recourse again to the precarious
employment of gathering shellfish along the shore for their subsistence.
About eight miles from the rock upon which they now were, which Fioravente
informs us was called Santi, or Sand-ey by the natives, there was another
isle named Rustene[1], which was inhabited by several families of
fishers. It happened that a man and two of his sons came over from Rost to
Sandey to look after some cattle which were amissing. Observing the smoke
from the hut in which Quirini and his wretched companions had taken
shelter, curiosity led them to examine the hut. On their approach, their
voices were heard by the people within the hut; but they believed it to be
only the screaming of the sea-fowl who devoured the bodies of their
deceased companions. Christopher Fioravente, however, went out to examine
whence the unusual sound proceeded; and espying the two youths, he ran back
in haste, calling aloud to his companions that two men were come to seek
them. Upon this the whole company ran out immediately to meet the lads, who
on their parts were terrified at the sight of so many poor famished
wretches. These latter debated for some time among themselves whether they
should not detain one of their visitors, with the view of making themselves
more certain to procure assistance; but Quirini dissuaded them from this
projected violence. They all accompanied the youths to the boat, and
entreated the father and sons to take two of their people along with them
to their habitations, in order the sooner to procure them assistance from
thence. For this purpose they chose one Gerrard of Lyons, who had been
purser of the ship, and one Cola a mariner of Otranto, as these men could
speak French and a little German.
The boat with the fishermen, and the two men who had been deputed to seek
assistance, went over to Rostoe on Friday the 31st. of January 1432. On
their landing, the inhabitants were much astonished at their appearance,
but were not able to understand them, though the strangers addressed them
in different languages; till at last one of the strangers began to speak a
little German with a German priest of the order of friars predicant who
lived there, and informed him who they were and whence they came. On Sunday
the 2d February, which happened to be the festival of the purification of
the blessed Virgin, the priest admonished all the people of Rostoe to
assist the unhappy strangers to the utmost of their power, at the same time
representing the hardships and dangers they had undergone, and pointing to
the two famished wretches then present. Many of the congregation were
softened even to tears at the recital, and a resolution was formed to bring
away the miserable survivors as soon as possible, which they accomplished
next day. In the mean time, those who remained behind at Sandey considered
the absence of their companions as extremely long; and what with hunger,
cold and anxiety, they were almost dead. Their joy may be more easily
conceived than expressed, when they perceived six boats approaching to
their relief. On landing, the Dominican priest inquired which of them was
the captain of the unhappy crew; and when Quirini made himself known as
such, the priest presented him with some rye bread and some beer, which he
looked upon as manna sent from heaven. After this the priest took him by
the hand, and desired him to choose two of his companions to accompany him;
and Quirini pitched upon Francis Quirini of Candia, and Christopher
Fioravente a Venetian, all three embarking in the boat of the principal man
of Rostoe along with the priest.
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