We had a tolerable voyage from hence to the Cape de Bona Speranza; and
I was reputed as a mighty diligent servant to my master, and very
faithful. I was diligent indeed, but I was very far from honest;
however, they thought me honest, which, by the way, was their very great
mistake. Upon this very mistake the captain took a particular liking to
me, and employed me frequently on his own occasion; and, on the other
hand, in recompense for my officious diligence, I received several
particular favours from him; particularly, I was, by the captain's
command, made a kind of a steward under the ship's steward, for such
provisions as the captain demanded for his own table. He had another
steward for his private stores besides, but my office concerned only
what the captain called for of the ship's stores for his private use.
However, by this means I had opportunity particularly to take care of my
master's man, and to furnish myself with sufficient provisions to make
me live much better than the other people in the ship; for the captain
seldom ordered anything out of the ship's stores, as above, but I snipt
some of it for my own share. We arrived at Goa, in the East Indies, in
about seven months from Lisbon, and remained there eight more; during
which time I had indeed nothing to do, my master being generally on
shore, but to learn everything that is wicked among the Portuguese, a
nation the most perfidious and the most debauched, the most insolent and
cruel, of any that pretend to call themselves Christians, in the world.
Thieving, lying, swearing, forswearing, joined to the most abominable
lewdness, was the stated practice of the ship's crew; adding to it,
that, with the most insufferable boasts of their own courage, they were,
generally speaking, the most complete cowards that I ever met with;
and the consequence of their cowardice was evident upon many occasions.
However, there was here and there one among them that was not so bad
as the rest; and, as my lot fell among them, it made me have the most
contemptible thoughts of the rest, as indeed they deserved.
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account