Then the gallies returning home to Argire [Algiers], after my coming on shore I was in a marvellous weakness; what with continual labour, with beating, and with sickness: which endured three months [? February to April 1583], being in a most miserable estate without all succour seeing no man to pity my misery; having no nourishment but only bread and water and [of] that but small quantity, no apparel on me but a thin shirt and a pair of linen breeches, and lodged in a stable on the cold ground. Thus I, being almost in despair ever to recover, yielded myself to the will of Almighty GOD; whom it pleased, in the end, to give me a little strength.
And after, for the space of two [or rather four years] or more [? April 1583 to April 1587], I was divers times at my labour at the oar's end, after my accustomed manner; till (such time our fleet of gallies meeting with the gallies of Genoa near the Christian shore; and they following us in chase) it chanced, [about April 1587] by reason of tempest, that our galley was cast away near the west side of the island [of] Formentera.
There were in it, of Christians and Turks, to the number of 250; which were all drowned except 15: of which myself, with two others, with great difficulty brake our chains; and taking hold of an oar, we escaped to the shore, not without great danger of drowning.
We being now gotten to land, and accompanied both with Turks and Christians; we took our rest under bushes and thickets. The Turks were very unwilling to depart with [separate from] us; thinking to find some other galley of the company to take us aboard, and carry us back to Argire [Algiers].
But we, hoping now to get our liberties, conveyed ourselves as secretly as we could into the woods; and went unto a rock, and with sharp stones we did beat off our irons: and fled immediately to the Christians, and yielded ourselves.
But one of them which escaped with me, who was born in Sclavony [? Slavonia, or ? Cephalonia], told them, That I was an English Lutheran.