I avoided the next by dipping my head and letting the wave go over. I found myself exceedingly weary and exhausted, but the land was close at hand.
A large wave floated me up, and I endeavoured, but in vain, to prevent myself from going back again into the surf. My heart was strong but my strength was failing, by being involuntarily twisted about and struck on the face and breast by the surf. After some further struggle before I gave myself up, I sank in the reflux of the tide, to see if I found ground, and I touched the sand with my feet, though the water was still deeper than my head. The strength of ten men was infused into me by this discovery; I fought manfully, taking advantage of floating only upon the influx of the wave, and preserving my struggle to hinder me from coming back. I was almost insensible, for I had drunk a great deal of water fetching breath. When I found my hands and knees upon the sand, I fixed my nails and knees fast, and was no longer carried back by the reflux. I had perfectly lost my recollection and understanding, and having crawled so far as to be out of the reach of the tide on the dry sand, I suppose, fainted, for I was totally insensible.
In this critical situation the Arabs, who live two short miles from the shore, came down in crowds to plunder the vessel.
One of the boats was thrown ashore, and they had belonging to them some others. There was yet one with the wreck, which scarcely appeared with its gunwale above water.
The first thing that wakened me from the semblance of death was a blow with the butt-end of a lance, shod with iron, on the juncture of my neck with the back-bone, which gave me violent pain. It was very providential it was not with the point, for the small, short waistcoat I had upon me, all in Turkish fashion, made the Arabs believe I was a Turk. After many kicks, blows and curses they stript me of the little clothing I had, and left me naked.
The boat had come ashore, another boat had been there, and a number of these savages had gone aboard to rifle the vessel, which was full of water, and fast going to pieces; everybody was brought ashore and all were stript naked as I had been.
After the discipline I had undergone, I had walked or crawled up among some white sandy hillocks, where I sat down; luckily the weather was warm, though it promised to be colder as the evening drew on.
There was great danger to be apprehended if I approached the tents where the women were, while I was naked, for in this case it was very probable I would receive another bastinado something worse than the first.
I was so confused that I could not recollect I could speak to them in their own language, and now only it came into my mind that by the gibberish, in imitation of Turkish, the Arab had uttered to me in mockery, while he was beating and stripping me, he took me for a Turk, to which, in all probability, my ill usage was owing.
An old man and a number of young ones came up to me where I was sitting. I gave them the salute Salam Alicum, to which none answered but one, a young man, who only repeated ‘Salam Alicum’ in a tone as if wondering at my impudence. The old man asked me whether I was a Turk, and what I had to do there? I said I was no Turk, but a poor Christian physician, a Derwich, that went about the world seeking to do good for the love of God, and was flying from famine, which I had found in that country, and was going to Greece, where I might get bread. He asked me whether I was not a Candiot or Cretan? I said I had never been in Crete, but came from Tunis, and was going there to seek bread, having lost everything in the shipwreck of that vessel. I said this in so despairing a tone of voice that there was no doubting left with the Arab that it was true.