第6章

My Comrade，who had help'd to harden me before，and who was the Master's Son，was now less forward than I；the first time he spoke to me after we were at Yarmouth，which was not till two or three Days，for we were separated in the Town to several Quarters；I say，the first time he saw me，it appear'd his Tone was alter'd，and looking very melancholy and shaking his Head，ask'd me how I did，and telling his Father who I was，and how I had come this Voyage only for a Trial in order to go farther abroad；his Father turning to me with a very grave and concern'd Tone，Young Man，says he，you ought never to go to Sea any more，you ought to take his for a plain and visible Token that you are not to be a Seafaring Man. Why，Sir，said I，will you go to Sea no more？ That is another Case，said he，it is my Calling，and therefore my Duty；but as you made this Voyage for a Trial，you see what a Taste Heaven has given you of what you are to expect if you persist；perhaps this is all befallen us on your Account，like Jonah in the Ship of Tarshish. Pray，continues he，what are you？ and on what Account did you go to Sea？ Upon that I told him some of my Story；at the End of which he burst out with a strange kind of Passion，What had I done，says he，that such an unhappy Wretch should come into my Ship？ I would not set my Foot in the same Ship with thee again for a Thousand Pounds. This indeed was，as I said，an Excursion of his Spirits which were yet agitated by the Sense of his Loss，and was farther than he could have Authority to go. However he afterwards talk'd very gravely to me，exhorted me to go back to my Father，and not tempt Providence to my Ruine；told me I might see a visible Hand of Heaven against me，And young Man，said he，depend upon it，if you do not go back，where-ever you go，you will meet with nothing but Disasters and Disappointments till your Father's Words are fulfilled upon you.

We parted soon after；for I made him little Answer，and I saw him no more；which way he went，I know not. As for me，having some Money in my Pocket，I travelled to London by Land；and there，as well as on the Road，had many Struggles with my self，what Course of Life I should take，and whether I should go Home，or go to Sea.

As to going Home，Shame opposed the best Motions that offered to my Thoughts；and it immediately occurr'd to me how I should be laugh'd at among the Neighbours，and should be asham'd to see，not my Father and Mother only，but even every Body else；from whence I have since often observed，how incongruous and irrational the common Temper of Mankind is，especially of Youth，to that Reason which ought to guide them in such Cases，viz. That they are not asham'd to sin，and yet are asham'd to repent；not asham'd of the Action for which they ought justly to be esteem'd Fools，but are asham'd of the returning，which only can make them be esteem'd wise Men.

In this of Life however I remained some time，uncertain what Measures to take，and what Course of Life to lead. An irresistible Reluctance continu'd to going Home；and as I stay'd a while，the Remembrance of the Distress I had been in wore off；and as that abated，the little Motion I had in my Desires to a Return wore off with it，till at last I quite lay'd aside the Thoughts of it，and lookt out for a Voyage.

That evil Influence which carryed me first away from my Father's House，that hurried me into the wild and indigested Notion of raising my Fortune；and that imprest those Conceits so forcibly upon me，as to make me deaf to all good Advice，and to the Entreaties and even Command of my Father：I say the same Influence，whatever it was，presented the most unfortunate of all Enterprises to my View；and I went on board a Vessel bound to the Coast of Africa；or，as our Sailors vulgarly call it，a Voyage to Guinea.

It was my great Misfortune that in all these Adventures I did not ship my self as a Sailor；whereby，tho' I might indeed have work'd a little harder than ordinary，yet at the same time I had learn'd the Duty and Office of a Fore-mast Man；and in might have qualified my self for a Mate or Lieutenant，ifs a Master：But as it was always my Fate to choose for the worse，so I did here；for having Money in my Pocket，and good Cloaths upon my Back，I would always go on board in the Habit of a Gentleman；and so I neither had any Business Ship，or learn'd to do any.

It was my Lot first of all to fall into pretty good Company in London which does not always happen to such loose and unguided young Fellows as I then was；the Devil generally not omitting to lay some Snare for them very early：But it was not as with me，I first fell acquainted with the Master of a Ship who had been on the Coast of Guinea；and who having had very good Success there，was resolved to go again；and who taking a Fancy to my Conversation，which was not at all disagreeable at that time，hearing me say I had a mind to see the World，told me if I wou'd go the，Voyage with him I should be at no Expence；I should be his Mess-mate and his Companion，and if I could carry any thing with me，I should have all the Advantage of it that the Trade would admit；and perhaps I might meet with some Encouragement.

I embrac'd the Offer，and entring into a strict Friendship with this Captain，who was an honest and plain-dealing Man，I went the Voyage with him，and carried a small Adventure with me，which by the disinterested Honesty of my Friend the Captain，I increased very considerably；for I carried about 40 l. in such Toys and Trifles as the Captain directed me to buy. This 40 l. I had mustered together by the Assistance of some of my Relations whom I corresponded with，and who，I believe，got my Father，or at least my Mother，to contribute so much as that to my first Adventure.