and if I came on board they would all go on shore. “Well,” said
the captain, “if you are all of this mind, let me go on shore and
talk with him.” So away he came to me with this account, a little
after the message had been brought to me from the coxswain.
I was very glad to see my nephew, I must confess; for I was not
without apprehensions that they would confine him by violence, set
sail, and run away with the ship; and then I had been stripped
naked in a remote country, having nothing to help myself; in short,
I had been in a worse case than when I was alone in the island.
But they had not come to that length, it seems, to my satisfaction;
and when my nephew told me what they had said to him, and how they
had sworn and shook hands that they would, one and all, leave the
ship if I was suffered to come on board, I told him he should not
be concerned at it at all, for I would stay on shore. I only
desired he would take care and send me all my necessary things on
shore, and leave me a sufficient sum of money, and I would find my
way to England as well as I could. This was a heavy piece of news
to my nephew, but there was no way to help it but to comply; so, in
short, he went on board the ship again, and satisfied the men that
his uncle had yielded to their importunity, and had sent for his
goods from on board the ship; so that the matter was over in a few
hours, the men returned to their duty, and I began to consider what
course I should steer.
I was now alone in a most remote part of the world, for I was near
three thousand leagues by sea farther off from England than I was
at my island; only, it is true, I might travel here by land over
the Great Mogul’s country to Surat, might go from thence to Bassora
by sea, up the Gulf of Persia, and take the way of the caravans,
over the desert of Arabia, to Aleppo and Scanderoon; from thence by
sea again to Italy, and so overland into France. I had another way
before me, which was to wait for some English ships, which were
coming to Bengal from Achin, on the island of Sumatra, and get
passage on board them from England. But as I came hither without
any concern with the East Indian Company, so it would be difficult
to go from hence without their licence, unless with great favour of
the captains of the ships, or the company’s factors: and to both I
was an utter stranger.
Here I had the mortification to see the ship set sail without me;
however, my nephew left me two servants, or rather one companion
and one servant; the first was clerk to the purser, whom he engaged
to go with me, and the other was his own servant. I then took a
good lodging in the house of an Englishwoman, where several
merchants lodged, some French, two Italians, or rather Jews, and
one Englishman. Here I stayed above nine months, considering what
course to take. I had some English goods with me of value, and a
considerable sum of money; my nephew furnishing me with a thousand
pieces of eight, and a letter of credit for more if I had occasion,
that I might not be straitened, whatever might happen. I quickly
disposed of my goods to advantage; and, as I originally intended, I
bought here some very good diamonds, which, of all other things,
were the most proper for me in my present circumstances, because I
could always carry my whole estate about me.
During my stay here many proposals were made for my return to
England, but none falling out to my mind, the English merchant who
lodged with me, and whom I had contracted an intimate acquaintance
with, came to me one morning, saying: “Countryman, I have a
project to communicate, which, as it suits with my thoughts, may,