Our two poor shipmates who had been wounded died, I hope, before we left
the schooner. At all events, the pirates threw them overboard.
Including Peter and me, there were thus only three foremast-men, besides
the blacks, and a mulatto who had been shipped as pilot for the trip
round the coast. We all kept together sitting on and about one of the
guns; but very little conversation passed between us. The captain and
Mr Gale walked the deck near us, but they said very little to each
other. A negro brought us, towards the evening, a large dish of farina,
with some sort of meat stewed in it. Though not over pleasant to the
look, it was acceptable enough to hungry men, for we had had nothing to
eat since the morning. A more palatable-looking dish was placed before
the captain and Mr Gale. This care of us showed that they did not, at
all events, intend to starve us to death, as they would scarcely have
fed people whom they intended to kill.
I observed the Spaniard and the mulatto mate occasionally going down an
after-hatchway, which I supposed led into the chief cabin, but for what
reason they went I could not tell; and I observed that whenever the
captain and Mr Gale approached the spot, a guard stationed there turned
them back. When night came on, a sail was handed to us, which we spread
over the gun, and crept under it; and I observed that a couple of
mattresses were sent on deck, and that a sail was secured over the
bulwarks, to make a somewhat better tent for our officers.
We passed the whole of the next day much as we had done the first. The
black, and white, and coloured crew did not regard us with very friendly
looks; but they did not molest us. A dark-skinned lad would, however,
occasionally come up to me when neither of the mates were looking, and
touching a formidable-looking knife he wore in his sheath, signify that
he should enjoy running the point into me. Some relation of his had
been among the men killed, and this made him feel bitter towards us.
Peter, who saw the action, advised me to remain quiet, and to take no
notice of it. "He only wants an excuse for a quarrel, and therefore,
unless you wish to please him, do not give it," observed my friend. I
followed his advice, not only at the present, but on many future
occasions, and thus avoided many of the quarrels and disputes into which
I saw others plunged. The men who brought us our food growled a little
at us, as if they would much rather have been making us food for the
fish; but as we made them no answer, they went away and left us to
ourselves. As the wind was generally light, we did not make much
progress. Thus another night passed away.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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