第7章

This was the only Voyage which I may say was successful in all my Adventures，and which I owe to the Integrity and Honesty of my Friend the Captain，under whom also I got a competent Knowledge of the Mathematicks and the Rules of Navigation，learn'd how to keep an Account of the Ship's Course，take an Observation；and in short，to understand some things that were needful to be understood by a Sailor：For，as he took Delight to introduce me，I took Delight to learn；and，in a word，this Voyage made me both a Sailor and a Merchant：for I brought Home L. 5. 9 Ounces of Gold Dust for my Adventure，which yielded me in London at my Return，almost 300 l. and this fill'd me with those aspiring Thoughts which have since so compleated my Ruin.

Yet even in this Voyage I had my Misfortunes too；particularly，that I was continually sick，being thrown into a violent Calenture by the excessive Heat of the Climate；our principal Trading being upon the Coast，from the Latitude of 15 Degrees，North even to the Line it self.

I was now set up for a Guiney Trader；and my Friend，to my great Misfortune，dying soon after his Arrival，I resolved to go the same Voyage again，and I embark'd in the same Vessel with one who was his Mate in the former Voyage，and had now got the Command of the Ship. This was the unhappiest Voyage that ever Man made；for tho' I did not carry quite 100 l. of my new gain'd Wealth，so that I had 200 left，and which I lodg'd with my Friend's Widow，who was very just to me，yet I fell into terrible Misfortunes in this Voyage；and the first was this，viz. Our Ship making her Course towards the Canary Islands，or rather between those Islands and the African Shore，was surprised in the Grey of the Morning，by a Turkish Rover of Sallee，who gave Chase to us with all the Sail she could make. We crowded also as much Canvas as our Yards would spread，or our Masts carry，to have got clear；but finding the Pirate gain'd upon us，and would certainly come up with us in a few Hours，we prepar'd to fight；our Ship having 12 Guns，and the Rogue 18. About three in the Afternoon he came up with us，and bringing to by Mistake，just athwart our Quarter，instead of athwart our Stern，as he intended，we brought 8 of our Guns to bear on that Side，and pour'd in a Broadside upon him，which made him sheer off again，after returning our Fire，and pouring in also his small Shot from near 200 Men which he had on Board. However，we had not a Man touch'd，all our Men keeping close. He prepar'd to attack us again，and we to defend our selves；but laying us on Board the next time upon our other Quarter，he entred 60 Men upon our Decks，who immediately fell to cutting and hacking the Decks and Rigging. We ply'd them with Small-shot，Half-Pikes，Powder-Chests，and such like，and clear'd our Deck of them twice. However，to cut short this melancholly Part of our Story，our Ship being disabled，and three of our Men kill'd，and eight wounded，we were obliged to yield，and were carry'd all Prisoners into Sallee，a Port belonging to the Moors.

The Usage I had there was not so dreadful as at first I apprehended，nor was I carried up the Country to the Emperor's Court，as the rest of our Men were，but was kept by the Captain of the Rover，as his proper Prize，and made is Slave，being young and nimble，and fit for his Business. At this surprising Change of my Circumstances from a Merchant to a miserable Slave，I was perfectly overwhelmed；and now I look'd back upon my Father's prophetick Disourse to me，that I should be miserable，and have none to relieve me，which I thought was now so effectually brought pass，that it could not be worse；that now the Hand of Heaven had overtaken me，and I was undone without Redemption. But alas！ this was but a Taste of the Misery I was to go thro'，as will appear in the Sequel of this Story.

As my new Patron or Master had taken me Home to his House，so I was in hopes that he would take me with him hen he went to Sea again，believing that it would some time or other be his Fate to be taken by a Spanish or Portugal an of War；and that then I should be set at Liberty. But his Hope of mine was soon taken away；for when he went to Sea，he left me on Shoar to look after his little Garden，and do the common Drudgery of Slaves about his House；and when he came home again from his Cruise，he order'd me to lye in the Cabbin to look after the Ship.

Here I meditated nothing but my Escape；and what Method I might take to effect it，but found no Way that had the least Probability in it：Nothing presented to make the Supposition of it rational；for I had no Body to communicate it to，that would embark with me；no Fellow-Slave，no Englishman，Irishman，or Scotsman there but my self；so that for two Years，tho' I often pleased my self with the Imaginaion，yet I never had the least encouraging Prospect of putting it in Practice.

After about two Years an odd Circumstance presented it self which put the old Thought of making some Attempt for my Liberty，again in my Head：My Patron lying at Home longer than usual，without fitting out his Ship，which，as I heard，was for want of Money；he used constantly，once or twice a Week，sometimes oftner，if the Weather was fair，to take the Ship's Pinnace，and go Out into the Road a-fishing；and as he always took me and a young Maresco with him to row the Boat，we made him very merry，and I prov'd very dexterous in catching Fish；insomuch that sometimes he would send me with a Moor，one of his Kinsmen，and the Youth the Maresco，as they call'd him，to catch a Dish of Fish for him.

It happen'd one time，that going a fishing in a stark calm Morning，a Fog rose so thick，that tho' we were not half a League from the Shoar we lost Sight of it；and rowing we knew not whither or which way，we labour'd all Day and all the next Night，and when the Morning came we found we had pull'd off to Sea instead of pulling in for the Shoar；and that we were at least two Leagues from the Shoar：However we got well in again，tho' with a great deal of Labour，and some Danger；for the Wind began to blow pretty fresh in the Morning；but particularly we were all very hungry.