Now, the first thing was for me to get into the _Etoyle_, and bring a
fair provision of food and drink, and then, I thought, I would sink
her, or, at least, would get her ready for sinking, so that she, at
any rate, should never go on any more evil cruises. This was, however,
to be done later.
I went aboard her, therefore, directly I had made my meal, and brought
off from her some Boucan, about ten pounds; some dried neats', or
deer, tongues, a good amount of powdered chocolate, and some boxes of
sweetmeats--the villains seeming to have a dainty taste!--and also I
brought away some bottles of Calcavella, a Portygee sweet wine, and a
small barrel of rum. And also did I take away some cakes of bread, now
very hard and stale, but which, by damping with fresh water and then
placing in the sun, became once more eatable. Likewise I provided
myself with some of their powder and bullets, not knowing what use I
might yet have for such things on the island, or when I was away to
sea again.
This _Etoyle_ was indeed a strangely laden bark, full of the most
varied things the minds of men could well conceive, and had it been
possible--which 'twas not, being without assistance--I would have had
her taken to one of the West Indy Isles, and her contents there sold.
She had in her, to wit, elephants' teeth and tusks, and some gold
dust--though not much of any, neither--which spoke to me clearly of
some robbings on the Guinea Coast, also some fine English cloths, silk
druggets and hollands, many packs of whole suits of clothes for
wearing; some mantuas, a box of lace, another of ribands (again I
thought of the mysterious Barbara!), pieces of fine silk duroys and
some Norwich stuffs, as well as vast masses of tobacco. Indeed, I
thought, this Snow might have visited half the world for her
cargo--had I not very well known, or guessed, that 'twas all stolen
out of various other ships.
It took me some time shifting all that was necessary for my
forthcoming voyage--leaving, you may be sure, much behind in the
_Etoyle_--and then ladening myself with some provisions for the hut, I
prepared to depart back to it.
Yet now more counsel came to me. Supposing, thinks I, that while I am
away at the hut, Martin with his sloop, or some similar villains,
should come into the river! Why! they would at once see all! The
_Etoyle_ they would perceive a battered craft--and doubtless they knew
her very well--and they would see the strange galliot. This would not
do, therefore I must devise some means if I could, not only to remove
all marks of our fray, but, if it might be so, to prevent anyone
entering the river at all. Then, at last, I decided what I would do.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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