Saith Avery: “Cannot you lie quiet while you are quiet? I tell you all’s well; we are at sea in a fair wind and good weather.”
“At sea,” saith the Captain; “that can’t be.”
“Be not frightened,” saith Avery, “and I’ll tell you. You must note, I am now the Captain of the ship; nay, you must turn out, for this is my cabin, and I am bound for Madagascar, to make my own fortune as well as my companions.”
The Captain, being more terrified than ever, did not know what to say, which Avery perceiving, bid him take heart. “For,” saith he, “if you will join me and these brave fellows, my companions, in time you may get some post under me. If not, step into the longboat and get about your business.”
This the Captain was glad to hear, but yet began to expostulate with them upon the injustice of such doings. Saith Avery: “What do I care? Every man for himself. Come, come, Captain, if you will go, get you gone; the longboat waits for you, and if there be any more cowards in the ship, you may all go together.” Which words so affrighted the whole crew, that there was not above nine or ten of them that durst venture, who made the best of their way to the shore as fast as they could, and thought they were well off.
The Captain was no sooner gone, but they called a Council, which agreed to own Avery as their Captain; which he accepted of with all humility imaginable, seeming to excuse himself on account of his inexperience at sea. But he did it so artfully that it more confirmed them in the good opinion of their choice. “Gentlemen,” said he, “what we have done we must live or die by; let us all be hearty and of one mind, and I don’t question but we shall make our fortune in a little time. I propose that we sail first to Madagascar, where we may settle a correspondence, in order to secure our retreats, whenever we think fit to lie by.”
To which they all agreed, “Nemine contradicente.”
“But hold,” saith Avery; “it is necessary that we make some order among us, for the better governing of the ship’s crew.” Which were in a few days drawn up by the clerk of the ship.
And Avery promising them vast things, they all came into them at last, although some things went very much against the grain of many of them.
It took up all their spare time till they arrived at Madagascar, where they saw a Ship lying at the N.E. part of the Island, with which the men had run away from New England; and seeing Avery, they supposed that he had been sent after them to take them, but Avery soon undeceived them, and promised them protection; therefore they resolved to sail together. In the whole company, there was not above ten that pretended to any skill in navigation; for Avery himself could neither write nor read very well, he being chosen Captain of the Duke purely for his courage and contrivance.