I left them my fire-arms, namely, five muskets, three fowling-pieces, and three swords; I had about a barrel of powder left; for after the first year or two I used but little, and wasted none. I gave them a description of the way I managed the goats, and directions to milk and fatten them, to make both butter and cheese.
In a word, I gave them every part of my own story; and I told them I would prevail with the captain to leave them two barrels of gunpowder more, and some garden-seed, which I told them I would have been very glad of; also I gave them the bag of peas which the captain had brought me to eat, and bade them be sure to sow and increase them.
Having done all this, I left them the next day, and went on board the ship. We prepared immediately to sail, but did not weigh that night. The next morning early, two of the five men came swimming to the ship’s side, and, making a most lamentable complaint of the other three, begged to be taken into the ship for God’s sake, for they should be murdered: and begged the captain to take them on board, though he hanged them immediately.
Upon this the captain pretended to have no power without me; but, after some difficulty, and after their solemn promises of amendment, they were taken on board, and were some time after soundly whipped and pickled: after which they proved very honest and quiet fellows.
Some time after this I went with the boat on shore, the tide being up, with the things promised to the men, to which the captain, at my intercession, caused their chests and clothes to be added, which they took, and were very thankful for; I also encouraged them, by telling them, that if it lay in my way to send a vessel to take them in, I would not forget them.
When I took leave of this island, I carried on board for relics the great goat-skin cap I had made, my umbrella, and one of my parrots; also, I forgot not to take the money I formerly mentioned, which had lain by me so long useless that it was grown rusty or tarnished, and could hardly pass for silver till it had been a little rubbed and handled; and also the money I found in the wreck of the Spanish ship.
And thus I left the island the 19th day of December, as I found by the ship’s account, in the year 1686, after I had been upon it eight-and-twenty years, two months, and nineteen days; being delivered from the second captivity the same day of the month that I first made my escape in the barcolongo from among the Moors of Sallee.
In this vessel, after a long voyage, I arrived in England the 11th of June, in the year 1687, having been thirty and five years absent.