Uncle Dick and Lisa's Old Time Animal Tales

I took my departure from Blackwood-Key, in the Bay of Honduras, in the sloop Dove, the 24th of December, 1728 last. The 3rd day of February I made land in the lat 39. and 40 Min. about 4 leagues to the Northward of Cape May: We had been then some time a short allowance, both for Victuals and Water, the wind then at N. W. but not very severe; I held my own and kept in sight of land till the sixth day, then the wind shifted to S. E. and was so hazy that we could not see half a mile distance from us; the wind stay with us not many hours, but shifted again to N. W. and blew very hard with sleet and snow, which freezed as fast as it came to deck, which cut the rigging all to pieces; my men were all disabled with the cold, and the sails blew to pieces: One of my men, William Maning dyed with the cold. I endeavoured to sail away but the weather continued so severe that we could not stand on deck, but brought her too: We lay in that condition 4 days driving, with the decks and what rigging was left, loaded with ice, and we reduced to the allowance of one bisket, and a pint and a half of water (for five of us) per day. The 10th day our bread and water was all spent, and myself and men so weak that we could hardly stand; we had lost our hearing to a very great degree, and our speech was altered. The 17th day in the evening we endeavoured to prepare ourselves for death, all hopes of life being over. But the 18th day in the morning a Bermudas Vessel came up with us, and took us on board of him.
We ate our dog, and all the Rats we could get, we sucked their blood to quench our thirst, and ate them all except their hair.
John Burges