And now we began to consult what Course to take in the World: As for going
to _England_, tho' our Men had a great Mind to be there, yet none of them
knew how to get thither, notwithstanding I had brought them a Ship; but I,
who had now made myself too publick to think any more of _England_, had
given over all Views that Way, and began to cast about for farther
Adventures; for tho', as I said, we were immensely rich before, yet I
abhorr'd lying still, and burying my self alive, as I call'd it, among
Savages and Barbarians; besides, some of our Men were young in the Trade,
and had seen nothing; and they lay at me every Day not to lie still in a
Part of the World where, as they said, such vast Riches might be gain'd;
and that the _Dutchmen_ and _Englishmen_ who were cast away, as above, and
who our Men call'd the _Comelings_, were continually buzzing in my Ears
what infinite Wealth was to be got, if I would but make one voyage to the
Coast of _Malabar_, _Coromandel_, and the Bay of _Bengale_; nay, the three
_Portuguese_ Seamen offer'd themselves to attack and bring off one of their
biggest Galleons, even out of the Road of _Goa_, on the _Malabar_ Coast,
the Capital of the _Portuguese_ Factories in the _Indies_.
In a Word, I was overcome with these new Proposals, and told the rest of my
People, I was resolv'd to go to Sea again, and try my good Fortune; I was
sorry I had not another Ship or two, but if ever it lay in my Power to
master a good Ship, I would not fail to bring her to them.
While I was thus fitting out upon this new Undertaking, and the Ship lay
ready to Sail, and all the Men who were design'd for the Voyage, were on
Board, being 85 in Number; among which were all the Men I brought with me,
the 15 Comelings, and the rest made up out of our old Number; I say, when I
was just upon the Point of setting Sail, we were all surpriz'd just in the
Grey of the Morning to spy a Sail at Sea; we knew not what to make of her,
but found she was an _European_ Ship; that she was not a very large Vessel,
yet that she was a Ship of Force too: She seem'd to shorten Sail, as if she
look'd out for some Harbour; at first Sight I thought she was _English_;
immediately I resolv'd to slip Anchor and Cable and go out to Sea and speak
with her, if I could, let her be what she would: As soon as I was got a
little clear of the Land, I fir'd a Gun, and spread _English_ Colours: She
immediately brought too, fir'd three Guns, and mann'd out her Boat with a
Flag of Truce: I did the like, and the two Boats spoke to one another in
about two Hours, when, to our infinite Joy, we found they were our Comrades
who we left in the South Seas, and to whom we gave the Fregate at the Isle
of _Juan Fernando_.
Nothing of this Kind could have happen'd more to our mutual Satisfaction,
for tho' we had long ago given them over either for Lost, or Lost to us;
and we had no great Need of Company, yet we were overjoy'd at meeting, and
so were they too.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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