Being now at sea, and inquiring more particularly of the two seamen, the meaning of all this, the Dutchman at once let us into the secret. He told us, that the fellow who sold us the ship was an errant thief, who had run away with her; that the Captain was treacherously murdered on the coast of Molucca by the natives there, with three of his men; that he, the Dutchman, and four more, being obliged to have recourse to the woods for their safety, at length escaped by means of a Dutch ship in its way to China, which had sent their boat on shore for fresh water: That, after this, he went to Batavia, where two of the seamen belonging to the ship (who had deserted the rest in their travels) arrived, and there gave an account that the fellow who ran away with the ship had sold her at Bengal to a set of pirates, who went a cruising, and had already taken one English and two Dutch ship, richly laden.
Now, tho' this was absolutely false, my partner truly said, that our deliverance was to be esteemed so much the more, by reason, had we fallen into their hands, we could have expected nothing from them but immediate death, considering our accusers would have been our judges; and, therefore, his opinion was to return directly to Bengal, where, being known, we could prove how honestly we came by the ship, of whom we bought her, and the like, and where we were sure of some justice; at least would not be hanged first, and judged afterwards. I was at first of my partner's opinion, but when I had more seriously considered of the matter, I told him, we ran a great hazard in attempting to return, being on the wrong side of the Straits of Molucca and that, if, upon alarm given, we should be taken by the Dutch at Batavia, or English elsewhere, our turning away would be a sufficient evidence to condemn us. This danger indeed startled not only my partner, but likewise all the ship's company; so we changed our former resolution, and resolved to go to the coast of Tonquin, and so to that of China, where, pursuing our first design as to trade, we might likewise have an opportunity to dispose of the ship some way or other, and to return to Bengal in any country vessel we could procure. This being agreed to, we steered away N.N.E. about 50 leagues off the usual course to the east; which put us to some inconveniences. As the wind blew steadily against us, our voyage became more tedious, and we began to be afraid of want of provision; and what was still worse, we apprehended, that as those ships from whose boat we had escaped, were bound to China, they might get before us, and have given fresh information, which might create another vigorous pursuit. Indeed, I could not help being grieved, when I considered that I who had never wronged or defrauded any person in my life, was now pursued like a common thief, and if taken to run the greatest danger of being executed as such; and, though innocent, I found myself under the necessity of flying for my safety; and thereby escape being brought to shame, of which I was even more afraid than death itself. It was easy to read my dejection in my countenance. My mind was oppressed, like those unhappy innocent persons, who being overpowered by blasphemous and perjured evidences, wickedly resolved to take away their lives, or ruin their reputation, have no other recourse in this world to ease their sorrow, but sighs, prayers, and tears. My partner seeing me so concerned, encouraged me as well as he could; and, after describing to me the several ports of that coast, he told me, he would either put me in on the coast of Cochinchina, or else in the bay of Tonquin, from whence we might go to Macao, a town once possessed by the Portuguese, and where still many European families resided.
To this place we steered, and, early next morning, came in sight of the coast; but thought it advisable to put into a small river where we could, either over land, or by the ship's pinnace, know what vessels were in any ports thereabouts. This happy step proved our deliverance; for, next morning, there came to the bay of Tonquin two Dutch ships, and a third without any colours; and in the evening, two English ships steered the same course. The river where we were was but small, and ran but a few leagues up the country northward; the country was wild and barbarous, and the people thieves, having no correspondence with any other nation; dealing only in fish, oil, and such gross commodities: and one barbarous custom they still retained, that when any vessel was unhappily shipwrecked upon their coast, they make the men prisoners or slaves, so that now we might fairly say we were surrounded by enemies both by sea and land.
As the ship had been leaky, we took the opportunity, in this place to search her, and to stop up the places which let in the water. We accordingly lightened her, and bringing our guns and other moveable things to one side, we essayed to bring her down, that we might come to her bottom: but, upon second consideration, we did not think it safe to let her lie on dry ground, neither indeed was the place convenient for it. The inhabitants not used to such a sight as to see a ship lie down on one side; and heel in towards the shore, and not perceiving her men, who were at work on her bottom, with stages and boats on the off side, presently imagined the ship had been cast away, and lay fast on the ground. Agreeable to this supposition, they surrounded us with ten or twelve large boats, with a resolution, undoubtedly to plunder the ship, and to carry away those they found alive for slaves to their king. But when they perceived our men hard at work on the ship's bottom and side, washing, graving, and stopping her, it filled them all with such surprise, that they stood gazing as though they were confounded. Nor could we imagine what their design was; however, for fear of danger, we handed down arms and ammunition to those at work, in order to defend themselves; and, indeed, this precaution was absolutely necessary; for, in a quarter of an hour after, the natives, concluding it was really a shipwreck, and that we were saving our lives and goods, which they thought belonged to them, came down upon our men as though it had been in line of battle. We lay at present but in a very unfit posture to fight; and before the stages could be got down, or the men in the boat come on board as they were ordered, the Cochinchinese were upon them, and two of their boats boarding our long boat, they began to lay hold of our men as prisoners. The first they seized was a stout English sailor, who never fired his musket, like a fool, as I imagined, but laid it down in the boat: but he knew what he was doing; for, by main force, he dragged the Pagan out of the boat into ours by the two ears, and knocked his brains out against the boat's gunnel; a Dutchman that was next him, snatched up the musket, and knocked down five more with the but-end of it; however, this was doing very little to their number; but a strange unexpected accident, which rather merits laughter than any thing else, gave our men a complete victory over them.
It seems the carpenter, who was preparing to grave the outside of the ship, as well as to pay the seams, where he caulked to stop the leaks, had gotten two kettles just let down in the boat, one filled with boiling pitch, and the other with rosin, tallow, oil, and such stuffs as the shipwrights use; the carpenter's man had a great iron ladle with which he used to supply the workmen with hot stuff, & as two of the enemies entered the boat where the fellow stood, he saluted them with a full ladle of the hot boiling liquor; which, the poor creatures being half naked, made them roar out, and jump into the sea. Well done, Jack, says the carpenter, give them the other dose: and so stepping forward himself, takes a mop, and dipping it into the pitch-pot, he and his man so plentifully flung it among them, as that none escaped being scalded; upon which they all made the best of their way, crying and howling in such a frightful manner, that, in all my adventures, I never heard the like. And, indeed, never was I better pleased with any conquest than I was with this, there being so little bloodshed, and having an aversion to killing such savage wretches, (more than was necessary) as knowing they came on errands, which their laws and customs made them think were just and equitable. By this time, all things being in order, and the ship swimming, they found their mistake, so they did not venture a second attack. Thus ended our merry fight; and, having got rice, bread, roots, and sixteen good hogs on board the day before we set sail, not daring to go into the bay of Tonquin, but steering N.E. toward the isle of Formosa, or as tho' we would go to the Manillas, or Phillippine islands, for fear of meeting with any European ships; when we anchored at the isle of Formosa, the inhabitants not only courteously supplied us with provisions and fresh water, but dealt very fairly and honestly with us in their bargains and agreements. From this place we steered north, keeping still off the coast of China, till we were beyond all its ports where European ships usually come; and, at length, being come to the latitude of thirty degrees, we resolved to put into the first trading port we should come at; and standing for the shore, a boat came off two leagues to us, with an old Portuguese pilot on board, who offered his service; we very gladly accepted him, and sent the boat back again. And now, having the man on board, I talked to him of going to Nanquin, the most northward part of the coast of China. What will you do there? said he, smiling. I told him that we would sell our cargo, and purchase calicoes, raw and wrought silks, tea, &c. and so return the same way back. O, said he, you had better put in at Macao, where you may buy China wares as cheap as at Nanquin, and sell your opium at a greater advance. "But' said I 'we are gentlemen as well as merchants, and design to see the great city of Pekin, and the magnificent court of the monarch of China," Why then, said he, you should go to Ningpo, where is a navigable river that goes through the heart of that vast empire, two hundred and seventy leagues from the sea, which crosses all the rivers, passes considerable hills, by the help of the sluices and gates, and goes even up to the city of Pekin. You
may go to Nanquin if you please, and travel to Pekin, and there is a Dutch ship just before bound that way. At the name of a Dutch or English ship, I was struck with confusion; they being as great a terror to me in this vessel, as an Algerine man of war is to them in the Mediterranean. The old man finding me troubled, Sir, said he, I hope the Dutch are not now at war with your nation. "No," said I, "but God knows what liberty they may take when out of the reach of the law." Why, says he what occasion is there for peaceable merchants to fear? For believe me, they never meddle with any but PIRATES.