Of those that were thus frighted, as I have said, several of them, as
they recovered themselves, came and worshipped us (taking us for gods or
devils, I know not which, nor did it much matter to us): some kneeling,
some throwing themselves flat on the ground, made a thousand antic
gestures, but all with tokens of the most profound submission. It
presently came into my head, that we might now, by the law of arms, take
as many prisoners as we would, and make them travel with us, and carry
our baggage. As soon as I proposed it, our men were all of my mind; and
accordingly we secured about sixty lusty young fellows, and let them
know they must go with us; which they seemed very willing to do. But
the next question we had among ourselves, was, how we should do to trust
them, for we found the people not like those of Madagascar, but fierce,
revengeful, and treacherous; for which reason we were sure that we
should have no service from them but that of mere slaves; no subjection
that would continue any longer than the fear of us was upon them, nor
any labour but by violence.
Before I go any farther, I must hint to the reader, that from this time
forward I began to enter a little more seriously into the circumstance
I was in, and concerned myself more in the conduct of our affairs; for
though my comrades were all older men, yet I began to find them void of
counsel, or, as I now call it, presence of mind, when they came to the
execution of a thing. The first occasion I took to observe this, was in
their late engagement with the natives, when, though they had taken a
good resolution to attack them and fire upon them, yet, when they had
fired the first time, and found that the negroes did not run as they
expected, their hearts began to fail, and I am persuaded, if their bark
had been near hand, they would every man have run away.
Upon this occasion I began to take upon me a little to hearten them
up, and to call upon them to load again, and give them another volley,
telling them that I would engage, if they would be ruled by me, I'd make
the negroes run fast enough. I found this heartened them, and therefore,
when they fired a second time, I desired them to reserve some of their
shot for an attempt by itself, as I mentioned above.
Having fired a second time, I was indeed forced to command, as I may
call it. "Now, seigniors," said I, "let us give them a cheer." So I
opened my throat, and shouted three times, as our English sailors do on
like occasions. "And now follow me," said I to the seven that had not
fired, "and I'll warrant you we will make work with them," and so it
proved indeed; for, as soon as they saw us coming, away they ran, as
above.
From this day forward they would call me nothing but Seignior Capitanio;
but I told them I would not be called seignior. "Well, then," said the
gunner, who spoke good English, "you shall be called Captain Bob;" and
so they gave me my title ever after.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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