We had due Notice of every Thing that was done; and having a Signal given of the Time they resolv’d to go, we pack’d up all our Treasure, and began our March to the Place appointed, which from our Quarters was about forty Mile farther North.
Our Habitation, that is to say, my new House, was about sixteen Miles up the Country, so that the rest of our People could have no Notice of our March, neither did they miss us, at least, as I heard of, for we never heard any more of them; nor can I imagine what Condition or Circumstance they can be in at present, if they are still
upon the Place, as, however, I believe some of them are.
We join’d our Comrades, with a great Deal of Ease, about three Days afterwards, for we march’d but softly, and they lay by for us: The Night before we went on Board, we made them a Signal by Fire, as we had appointed to let them know where we were, and that we were at Hand; so they sent their Boat and fetch’d us off, and we embark’d without any Notice taken by the Rest.
As we were now loose, and at Sea, our next Business was to resolve whither we should go; and I soon govern’d the Point, resolving for Bassaro in the Gulph of Persia, where I knew we might shift for ourselves: Accordingly, we steer’d away for the Arabian Coast, and had good Weather for some Time, even till we made the Land at a great Distance, when we steer’d Eastward along the Shore.
We saw several Ships, in our Way, bound to and from the Red Sea, as we suppos’d, and, at another Time, we would have been sure to have spoken with them: But, we had done Pirating; our Business now was, how to get off, and make our Way to some Retreat, where we might enjoy what we had got; so we took no Notice of any Thing by the Way; but, when we was thus sailing merrily along, the Weather began to change, the Evening grew black and cloudy, and threaten’d a Storm: We were in Sight or a little Island, (I know nothing of its Name) under which we might have anchor’d with Safety enough, but our People made light of it, and went on.
About an Hour after Sun-set the Wind began to rise, and blew hard at N. E. and at N. E. by N. and in two Hours Time encreas’d to such a Tempest, as in all my Rambles I never met with the like; we were not able to carry a Knot of Sail, or to know what to do, but to stow every Thing close, and let her drive; and, in this Condition we continu’d all the Night, all the next Day, and Part of the Night after; towards Morning the Storm abated a little, but not so as to give us any Prospect of pursuing our voyage; all the Ease we had, was, that we could just carry a little Sail to steddy the Vessel, and run away before it; which we did at that violent Rate, that we never abated ’till we made Land on the East Side of Madagascar, the very Island we came from, only on the other Side of the Island.
However, we were glad we had any Place to run to for Harbour; so we put in under the Lee of a Point of Land that gave us Shelter from the Wind, and where we came to an Anchor, after being all of us almost dead with the Fatigue; and, if our Sloop had not been an extraordinary Sea-boat, she could never have born such a Sea, for twelve Days together, as we were in, the worst I ever saw before or since. We lay here, to refresh ourselves, about twenty Days; and, indeed, the Wind blew so hard all the while, that if we had been dispos’d to go to Sea, we could not have done it; and, being here, about seven of our Men began to repent their Bargain, and left us, which I was not sorry for. It seems, the principal Reason of their looking back, was, their being of those who had left their Money behind them. They did not leave us without our Consent, and therefore our Carpenters built them a Boat, during the three Weeks we stay’d here, and fitted it
very handsomely for them, with a Cabin for their Convenience, and a Mast and Sail, with which they might very well sail round to our Settlement, as we suppose they did: We gave them Fire-arms and Ammunition sufficient, and left them furnishing themselves with Provisions; and this, we suppose, was the Boat, tho’ with other Men in it, which adventur’d afterwards as far as the Cape of Good Hope, and was taken up by a Portugese in Distress, by which Means they got Passage for themselves to Lisbone, pretending they had made their Escape from the Pirates at Madagascar; but we were told, that the Portuguese Captain took a good deal of their Money from them, under Pretence of keeping it from his own Seamen; and that when they came on Shore, and began to claim it, he threaten’d them with taking them up, and prosecuting them for Pirates, which made them compound with him, and take about 10000 Dollars for above 120000, which they had with them; which, by the Way, was but a scurvy Trick: They had, it seems, a considerable Quantity of Gold among them, which they had the Wit to conceal from the Captain of the Ship, and which was enough for such Fellows as them, and more than they well knew what to do with; so that they were rich enough still, tho’ the Portugal Captain was nevertheless a Knave for all that.
We left them here, as I have said, and put to Sea again; and, in about twenty Days Sail, having pretty good Weather, we arriv’d at the Gulph of Persia: It would be too long to give you an Account of the particular Fortunes of some of our People after this, the Variety of which would fill a Volume by itself: But, in the first Place, we, who were determin’d to travel, went on Shore