The History and Remarkable Life of the Truly Honourable Colonel Jacque, Commonly Called Colonel JackDefoe, Daniel
General
The History and Remarkable Life of the Truly Honourable Colonel Jacque, Commonly Called Colonel Jack
Defoe, Daniel
Adventure stories, English; England -- Social life and customs -- 18th century -- Fiction; Picaresque fiction
Thus, in short, we were all, I say, obliged to acquiesce but my
captain, who was so much the more obstinate when he found that I had a
fund to make such an offer upon; nor could all my persuasions prevail
with him. The captain of the ship and he had many pleasant dialogues
about this in the rest of the voyage, in which Jacque never treated him
with any language but that of kidnapper and villain, nor talked of
anything but of taking his revenge of him. But I omit that part, though
very diverting, as being no part of my own story.
In short, the wind continued to blow hard, though very fair, till, as
the seamen said, we were past the islands on the north of Scotland, and
that we began to steer away westerly (which I came to understand
since). As there was no land any way for many hundred leagues, so we
had no remedy but patience, and to be easy as we could; only my surly
Captain Jacque continued the same man all the way.
We had a very good voyage, no storms all the way, and a northerly wind
almost twenty days together; so that, in a word, we made the capes of
Virginia in two-and-thirty days from the day we steered west, as I have
said, which was in the latitude of 60 degrees 30 minutes, being to the
north of the isle of Great Britain; and this, they said, was a very
quick passage.
Nothing material happened to me during the voyage; and indeed, when I
came there, I was obliged to act in so narrow a compass that nothing
very material could present itself.
When we came ashore, which was in a great river which they call
Potomac, the captain asked us, but me more particularly, whether I had
anything to propose to him now. Jacque answered, “Yes, I have something
to propose to you, captain; that is, that I have promised you to cut
your throat, and depend upon it I will be as good as my word.” “Well,
well,” says the captain, “if I can’t help it, you shall;” so he turned
away to me. I understood him very well what he meant; but I was now out
of the reach of any relief; and as for my note, it was now but a bit of
paper of no value, for nobody could receive it but myself. I saw no
remedy, and so talked coldly to him of it as of a thing I was
indifferent about; and indeed I was grown indifferent, for I considered
all the way on the voyage, that as I was bred a vagabond, had been a
pickpocket and a soldier, and was run from my colours, and that I had
no settled abode in the world, nor any employ to get anything by,
except that wicked one I was bred to, which had the gallows at the
heels of it, I did not see but that this service might be as well to me
as other business. And this I was particularly satisfied with when they
told me that after I had served out the five years’ servitude I should
have the courtesy of the country (as they called it); that is, a
certain quantity of land to cultivate and plant for myself. So that now
I was like to be brought up to something by which I might live, without
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account