第12章

I was now furnished with Roots and Corn，such as it was，and Water，and leaving my friendly Negroes，I made forward for about Days more without offering to go near the hoar，till I saw the Land run out a great Length into the Sea，at about the Distance of four or five Leagues before me，and the Sea being very calm I kept a large offing to make this Point；at doubling the Point at about two Leagues from the Land，I saw plainly Land on the other Side to Seaward；then I concluded，as it was most certain indeed，that this was the Cape de Verd，and those the Islands，call'd from thence Cape de Verd Islands. However they were at a great Distance，and I could not well tell what I had best to do，for if I should be taken with a Fresh of Wind I might neither reach one or other.

In this Dilemma，as I was very pensive，I stept into the Cabbin and Sat me down，Xury having the Helm，when on a suddain the Boy cry'd out，Master，Master，a Ship with a Sail，and the foolish Boy was frighted out of his Wits，thinking it must needs be some of his Master's Ships sent to pursue us，when，I knew we were gotten far enough out their reach. I jump'd out of the Cabbin，and immediately saw not only the Ship，but what she was，（viz.） that it was a Portuguese Ship，and as I thought was bound to the Coast of Guinea for Negroes. But when I observ'd the Course she steer'd，I was soon convinc'd they were bound some other way，and did not design to come any nearer to the Shoar；upon which I stretch'd out to Sea as much as I could，resolving to speak with them if possible.

With all the Sail I could make，1 found I should not be able to come in their Way，but that they would be gone by，before I could make any Signal to them；but after I had crowded to the utmost，and began to despair，they it seems saw me by the help of their Perspective-Glasses，and that it some European Boat，which as they supposed must belong to some Ship that was lost，so they shortned Sail to let a come up. I was encouraged with this，and as I had my Patroon's Antient on Board，I made a Waft of it to them for a Signal of Distress，and fir'd a Gun，both which they saw，for they told me they saw the Smoke，tho' they did not hear the Gun；upon these Signals they very kindly brought too，and lay by for me，and in about three Hours time I came up with them.

They ask'd me what I was，in Portuguese，and in Spanish，and in French，but I understood none of them；but at last a Scots Sailor who was on board，call'd to me，and I answer'd him，and told him I was an Englishman，that I had made my escape out of Slavery from the Moors at Sallee；then they bad me come on board，and very kindly took me in，and all my Goods.

It was an inexpressible Joy to me，that any one will believe，that was thus deliver'd，as I esteem'd it，from such a miserable and almost hopeless Condition as I was in，and I immediately offered all I had to the Captain of the Ship，as a Return for my Deliverance；but he generously told me，he would take nothing from me，but that all I had should be deliver'd safe to me when I came to the Brasils，for says he，I have sav'd your Life on no other Terms than I would be glad to be saved my self and it may one time or other be my Lot to be taken up in the same Condition；besides，said he，when I carry you to the Brasils，so great a may from your own Country，if I should take from you what you have，you mill be starved there，and then I only take away that Life I have given. No，no，Seignor Inglese，says he，Mr. Englishman，I mill carry you thither in Charity，and those things mill help you to buy your Subsistance there and your Passage home again.

As he was Charitable in his Proposal，so he was Just in the Performance to a tittle，for he ordered the Seamen that none should offer to touch any thing I had；then he took every thing into his own Possession，and gave me back an exact Inventory of them，that I might have them，even so much as my three Earthen Jarrs.

As to my Boat it was a very good one，and that he saw，and told me he would buy it of me for the Ship's use，and ask'd me what I would have for it？ I told him he had been so generous to me in every thing，that I could not offer to make any Price of the Boat，but left it entirely to him，upon which he told me he would give me a Note of his Hand to pay me 80 Pieces of Eight for it at Brasil，and when it came there，if any one offer'd to give more he would make it up；he offer'd me also 60 Pieces of Eight more for my Boy Xury，which I was loath to take，not that I was not willing to let the Captain have him，but I was very loath to sell poor Boy's Liberty，who had assisted me so faithfully procuring my own. However when I let him know my reason，he own'd it to be just，and offer'd me this Medium，that he would give the Boy an obligation to set him free in ten Years，if he turn'd Christian；upon this，and Xury saying he was willing to go him，I let the Captain have him.

We had a very good Voyage to the Brasils，and arriv'd in the Bay de Todos los Santos，or All-Saints Bay，in about Twenty-two Days after. And now I was once more deliver'd from the most miserable of all Conditions of Life，and what to do next with my self I was now to consider.

The generous Treatment the Captain gave me，I can never enough remember；he would take nothing of me for my Passage，gave me twenty Ducats for the Leopard's Skin，and forty for the Lyon's Skin which I had in my Boat，and caused every thing I had in the Ship to be punctually deliver'd me，and what I was willing to sell he bought，such as the Case of Bottles，two of my Guns，and a Piece of the Lump of Bees-wax，for I had made Candles of the rest；in a word，I made about 220 Pieces of Eight of all my Cargo，and with this Stock I went on Shoar in the Brasils.