THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES OF JAMES MASSEY.

Translated from the FRENCH.

LONDON:

Printed for JOHN WATTS, at the Printing-Office

in Wild-Court near Lincoln's-Inn Fields.

MDCCXXXIII.

DEDICATION

THE PREFACE

CHAP. I. Of our Author's particular Studies and Profession; with an Account of his Embarking, and his first Shipwreck on the Coast of Spain.

CHAP. II. The Author's Stay at Lisbon, &c.

CHAP. III. Of the Author's Second Voyage, and his Shipwreck upon an unknown Coast.

CHAP. IV. The Author, with only two Comrades, leaves the rest of the Company, and penetrates into those unknown Countries. The Obstacles he meets with in his Passage, &c.

CHAP. V. Continuation of the Adventures of the Author and his Comrades, till they came to an Inhabited Country.

CHAP. VI. Of the Discovery of a very fine Country, its Inhabitants, their Language, Manners and Customs, &c. and of the Esteem which our Author and his Comrades gained there.

CHAP. VII. A curious Conversation between the Author, the Judge, and the Priest of the Village concerning Religion.

CHAP. VIII. The Author is carry'd to the King's Court. He traces the Origin of those Monarchs; describes the Royal Palace, Temple, &c.

CHAP. IX. Which contains several very curious Conversations betwixt the King and our Author.

CHAP. X. Containing the Ceremonies at the Births and Burials in this Country, the manner of administring Justice, and many other Remarkables.

CHAP. XI. More Adventures of the Author, and his Comrade, till their Departure from Court.

CHAP. XII. The Author leaves this fine Country; the Ways he contriv'd to get out of it. He meets again on the Sea-Side with some of the Ship's Company with whom he had formerly been cast away upon the Coast, &c.

CHAP. XIII. Containing what happened to the Residue of the Ship's Company, during the Author's Absence; and the rest of their Adventures 'till their Departure from this Country.

CHAP. XIV. The Author's Passage from the Southern Countries to Goa, where he was imprison'd by the Inquisition. The Story of a Chinese whom he met with there, and the Manner how they got their Liberty.

CHAP. XV. Of the Author's Departure for Lisbon: How he was taken and carry'd into Slavery, and what happened to him while he was a Slave.

CHAP. XVI. Continuation of the Adventures of Peter Hudde who is mention'd in the second Chapter; and the Author's Arrival at London.

The Travels and Adventures of JAMES MASSEY.

CHAP. I.

The narrow Limits with which the Life of Man is circumscrib'd, and the few Years he is capable of employing in cultivating and perfecting the Arts and Sciences, glide away so soon, that no wonder if the Progress he makes in either, turns to very little Account. Nor is the Shortness of Life the only Obstacle which thwarts our natural Desire of Universal Knowledge; the Loss of Worldly Goods being another Bar equally insurmountable, the Truth of which I learnt, to my Cost, long before I had finish'd my Studies.

The Inclination I had from my Cradle to the Belles Lettres, to Antiquity, and to the strange Rarities I saw brought home from foreign Parts, made my Father resolve to put me early to School, where I was such an apt Scholar that my Diligence and Memory got me the Prize in all the Classes. The fine things my Masters said in my Praise, and the Tenderness with which my Parents lov'd me, redoubled my Emulation, insomuch that I gave my self no Respite, and had made so good use of my Time that when I was but eighteen Years old, I understood both Latin and Greek, very well. In short, I had gone thro' a Course of Philosophy, and was far advanc'd in the Mathematics, when my Father David Massey, who was Captain of a Ship, had the Misfortune to be blown up with his Vessel by the Imprudence of a Sailor, who inadvertently set fire to the Powder.

This fatal Blow happen'd to our Family in 1639, and of all the Days in the Year, upon that very Day that our Army was beat by the Spaniards before Thionville; you must know that the good Man was bound to the Factory at Senegal, and as the greatest Part of the Lading was upon his own Account, my Mother was on a sudden left a Widow with five Children, and scarce any thing to maintain them. This Calamity however was so far from breaking her Heart, that as soon as she receiv'd the News of it, she sent for us, and said to us with a manly Air: 'Children, one of the worst Misfortunes has happen'd to you that could fall out in humane Life: One fatal Moment has not only robb'd me of my dear Husband, but you of your Father, and all your fortunes. Nevertheless, be not cast down, for the Divine Providence can work Miracles to support his Creatures. Learn by this Fatality, not to place your Trust in the Arm of Flesh; and be assur'd that God is a gracious Being, who will not abandon you. Since I have not sufficient Means left to bring you all up as we had intended, consider what Professions each of you is most inclin'd to follow. For your part, James, said she, I think you had best be a Surgeon, which, since you seem to be fond of Travelling, like your Father, is an Art that will favour your Design.' She likewise propos'd to the biggest Children what Professions they should undertake; to which every one of them consented with Tears, and apply'd with Success.

My Mother, who was a Native of Hedin, where she had Relations still living, left Abbeville, and went thither to settle. To my very great joy, tho' contrary to my Expectation, I found many People there who were sincerely concern'd for her Misfortune. One of her Brothers took one of the Children off of her Hands; a Father-in-law took another; and twenty People promis'd her that they would never let her want. Nay, some would fain have persuaded me to alter my Purpose, and pursue my Studies, in hopes that in time I might have it in my Power to bring up the innocent Children, who were not able to help themselves; but my Resolution was form'd, and my Inclination fix'd.

I took Leave of my Family and my dearest Acquaintance, who were sorry to part with me, and set out for Paris. The Grandeur, Magnificence, and Variety, together with the vast Concourse of People of all Ranks, which I saw on my Arrival at this fine Place, did at the first Dash astonish me; every thing that occur'd to my View, seem'd perfectly new to me; I thought my self in another World; and M. Rousseau, the Surgeon, to whose Tuition I had been recommended, had enough to do for near a fortnight to answer the Questions I was continually putting to him, to gratify my Curiosity. He likewise did me the Favour to carry me to Marli, Fontainbleu, St. Dennis, St. Germain, the Louvre, the Tuilleries, and many other Places, which are the Admiration of foreigners. But as the Value of Things is enhanc'd by their Rarity, and diminish'd by their Frequency, I accustom'd my self at last to look upon all these Fineries with a sort of Indifference, which by degrees turn'd to an Aversion; so that I abandoned all those Curiosities to the Speculation of the Idle and the Indolent, and began to apply my self carefully to the Art I had purpos'd to study. M. Rousseau had very good Business, and great Experience, and the many Cures he perform'd, open'd new Discoveries to me every Day.

Yet for all this, scarce a Day pass'd but I exercis'd my self several Hours in those Languages and Sciences, in which I had before spent all my Time. I was the more encourag'd to do so, because Philosophy and the Mathematics seem'd to be much in vogue, by the Application of all Gentlemen to them, of what Age and Rank soever. At the same time there came out a Treatise of Conic Sections, said to be written by the Son of M. Pascal, the Intendant of Justice at Roan, at which, many Persons of Learning were really surpris'd. I had the Curiosity to run it over, but I found things in it which I thought above the Reach of a Lad of Sixteen Years of Age, for in several Places it surpass'd Apollonius. Many People were of my Opinion, especially when they consider'd, that the Father of this pretended young Author was a thorough Proficient in this Science, from whence the Generality imagin'd, that he had a mind to give the Son the Credit of it, to usher him into the World with the better Grace. Be this as it will, 'tis certain that the Junior Pascal was a Man of a lively Imagination, and a great deal of Penetration and Judgment, as it afterwards fully appear'd. M. Morin, whom I took the Liberty to apply to, and who receiv'd me with extraordinary Civility, procur'd me also the Acquaintance of M. Des Argues, M. Midorge, and several other Mathematicians, who sav'd me a great deal of Labour by the curious MSS. they put into my Hands, and the clear and concise Methods they were pleas'd to make me acquainted with. By means of these learned Personages, I had Access likewise to the Reverend Father Mercenne. This ingenious Gentleman was a great Help to me for the understanding of several Questions in Natural Philosophy, and the Metaphysics. As he was intimate with M. Descartes, who was then in Holland, I propos'd nothing of Difficulty to him, but he explain'd to me at one time or other; and he was the first Man that ever put into my Hand the Six Meditations of that celebrated Philosopher. I was so desirous of learning how to demonstrate the Exigence of a God, the Immateriality of the Soul, and its real Distinction from the Body, that I read them with all the Attention I was capable of; but I frankly own that I was not satisfy'd with them. His Method for the due conducting of Reason, and finding out the Truth in the Sciences, his Dioptricks, his Meteors, his Theory of the World, and every thing in general that I had seen of his, charm'd me; but for his Metaphysics, as I said before, I lik'd no Part of 'em, but the Subtilty of his Arguments. This made me conclude, that we ought never to wade above the Depth of our shallow Understandings, and that we should confine our selves to Bodies, to explain their Nature, Form, Number, Properties, the Alterations occasion'd by Motion, and what may be most remarkable in them for our own Use, for the Good of Society, and for the Understanding and Advancement of Humane Knowledge, without pretending to make manifest and visible, as it were, to the naked Eye, such things as are in their own Nature Arcana's, and are, in all Probability, design'd to be for ever the Objects of our Faith and Admiration. It appear'd in a very little while, that I was not the only Person of that Opinion for an anonymous Book was publish'd at the Hague, by an unknown Author, with a View to explode the Philosophy of Descartes: At the same time Father Bourdin attack'd it in his public Theses; and then came out the Objections of Messieurs Hobbes, Gassendi, Arnaud, and others, to his Metaphysics. I was so taken with that Author, that I was curious to see all his Disputes, which cost me so much Time, that my Master often reproach'd me for it, and said that I neglected the main Point, for the sake of applying to things which cou'd be of no great Use to me, and which, as to several of them, were not universally approv'd of. He even went so far as to tell me one Day, that I was in the high Road to Atheism, for that I had already embrac'd an Opinion which had been lately condemn'd by the Tribunal of the Inquisition, in the Person of Galileo, whom they had confin'd in the Prisons of the Holy Office, after having caus'd his Treatise of the Circular Motion of the Earth, according to the Principles of Copernicus, to be burnt by the common Hangman. But left these Reproaches might entirely discourage me, he took care to season them with Commendations of my considerable Talents for Surgery, and the Knowledge I had acquir'd in it, notwithstanding the Time I devoted to other Occupations.

At length, when he found that all he could say did not put me out of conceit with those fine Sciences, he resolv'd to enter me into the State of Matrimony. He talk'd to me incessantly of a very pretty Niece of his, who, after her Mother's Death, would have a considerable Estate. He often gave me to understand, that he shou'd not be sorry if I was marry'd to her; and that as he was advanc'd in Years, it would be in his Power to put me into the intire Possession of his Shop, which was well accustom'd: But this was not the Mark I aim'd at. When he perceiv'd my Indifference, he became more cold to me than before, insomuch that he began to neglect me, and to conceal several things from me, which I could not well learn without him; so that after having serv'd two Years Apprenticeship, I went to Diep, where I stay'd one Year more with M. La Croix, who was without Dispute a very able Master.

I will not stop here to relate the minute Adventures which I had in both those Towns, because I think them too inconsiderable; but I cannot pass over in Silence, that while I was at this Port, a Man arriv'd there whom the Vulgar call'd, The Wandering Jew. My Master, who was a curious Man, and very courteous, after having talk'd with him several times occasionally, invited him to Dinner one Day, that he might have the Opportunity of hearing him discourse. The first Thing he told us was, That he was Cotemporary with Jesus Christ, and that he saw him crucify'd. My Name, said he, is Michob, and I was one of Pontius Pilate's Domestics. When that Roman Judge pronounc'd Sentence against Jesus, I stept up to this pretended Criminal (continued he) and said to him, What makes you stay here so long? Han't you heard your Condemnation? Get off! Why do you delay? To which the Holy Man reply'd to me, I'll be gone, but you shall stay till I return. 'This is now above 1600 Years ago (said he) which I hope is the greatest Part of the Time that I am to wander upon the Earth. Most People are fond of Life, and few there are but wou'd be glad to add an Age to the Years they have liv'd already, if it were in their Power, but for my own part, I wish with all my Heart I had dy'd a thousand Years ago.' As the Droll talk'd all manner of Languages, had by consequence a happy Memory, and had been a Traveller all his Life-time, it was a Pleasure to hear him relate a thousand Stories, as clear and evident Truths, which past Ages have transmitted to us in a very confused Light, and after a very uncertain manner. There is no Corner of the World but he affirm'd he had visited. He nam'd several Kingdoms and Republics to us, that lie about the two Poles, which we had never heard the mention of. All the Courts in the World were known to him. He was not ignorant of the minutest Circumstance of the most remarkable Revolutions of Empires, since he came into the World. In short, the remotest Incidents seem'd to him as recent as if they had just happen'd. But the Passage at which we all prick'd up our Ears, was where he began to entertain us with an Account of the Saints that rose again at the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. All Jerusalem, said he, was alarm'd when it was reported that the People at the Burial-Places had seen the Earth move in several Parts, the Graves open of themselves, and naked Bodies appear, and make a thousand different Motions. The Spectators, continued he, were so astonish'd at this unexpected Sight, that they all trembled, and several dy'd with Fear. The most daring of them were willing, however, to see the Issue of it, and they were wonderfully surpris'd when, by and by, they saw Humane Creatures start all at once out of their Graves, and press in a Hurry thro' the Multitude, who made way for them by tumbling to the Ground, as if they were all going to take Possession of their Sepulchres. No one cou'd discern, added Michob, was he ever so attentive, of what Sex the risen Bodies were, for they seem'd to be all of the same Bigness, the same Age, and Complexion, and had no visible Mark by which they cou'd be distinguish'd from one another. They had not a Hair upon all their Bodies; their Bellies were flat, and seem'd as if they stuck to their Ribs; several held their Mouths open, but there were no Teeth to be seen; and their round and smooth Fingers seem'd to be intirely bare of Nails. This made him conclude, that all the Excremental Parts, and those which serve to grind, to swallow and digest Food while we are in a State of Mortality, will not accompany us to the other World, where, in short, they would be useless. In fine, according to his Discourse, it was never positively known what became of those Persons; but it was reported some Days after, that they were gone to Galilee, where they were to confer with Jesus Christ, and from thence to be carry'd to the Mansion of the Blessed. It may well be suppos'd that this curious Subject did not fail to occasion a tedious Conversation: 'Twas Midnight when our Guest left us, tho' my Master, notwithstanding the Conversation he had had with him elsewhere, wou'd fain have kept him till next Day. As the Magistrates look'd upon him to be a Visionary, they did not much mind what he said, consequently he was not a dangerous Person, and ask'd no favour of any Body; for the common People, and abundance of credulous and superstitious Gossips, who thought him a Prodigy, gave him what Necessaries he wanted; besides that he stay'd but a little while in a Place, and was no more than a Wanderer up and down in the World.

His Departure, added to all the fine Things I had heard him say of Foreign Countries, very much whetted my natural Desire to travel. I imparted my Design to M. La Croix, and as he had already been so good as to watch all Opportunities of publishing the Progress I had made in my Profession, it was not at all difficult for me to enter my self as a Surgeon on Board the Ship of Captain Le Sage, then preparing for a Voyage to Martinico. We sail'd therefore from Diep the 21st of May, 1643. Our Ship carry'd but four Guns, and the Crew consisted but of Fifty-two Persons. Tho' the Captain was a Huguenot, yet he was a perfect honest Man, strictly just, and extremely devout. He wou'd not suffer a Day to pass over his Head without Publick Prayers on Board, every Morning and Evening, which were perform'd with great Zeal and Edification by Peter du Quesne, a young Student in Divinity, with whom, I can truly say, for my own part, I was so affected, that I immediately conceiv'd an Esteem for him, and that I had not been in his Company a Fortnight, but the Veneration, which the Monks had impress'd me with for the holy Men and Women in Paradise, was very much abated; but as ill Luck would have it, the Benefit I receiv'd from the wholsom Lectures of this agreeable Companion, was of no long Duration.

Twenty-seven Days after our Departure, when we were off of Cape Finisterre, we perceiv'd that our Ship took in much more Water than ordinary. The Carpenters, who were never idle, were as diligent as possible to find out the Cause of this Disaster; but notwithstanding all their Care, and the plying of the Pumps Day and Night, they were never the nearer, and at the end of Thirty-six Hours the Water was risen to such a Height, that it run out at the Port-Holes. The Captain seeing there was no Remedy, order'd us to put to Sea in the two Long-Boats, without taking any thing with us but our Money, of which we had not much. M. Le Sage was still on Board, with the Master, the Pilots, and four other young Gentlemen, who were only making a Voyage of Pleasure, when the Ship sunk to the bottom like a Stone. Tho' they were prepar'd for the Event, yet they were intangled in one another; but as we were at hand, we gave them all the Assistance in our Power, and had only the Misfortune to lose one of those four Lads, Colombier, a young Gentleman of Picardy, who was scarce Fifteen Years of Age.

We were oblig'd to be as easy as possible under our Loss, and to consider what Course to steer next; for tho' we had try'd to make to Land for above two Days, yet the Wind, which was at S.E. hinder'd us. The most mortifying Circumstance of all was, that thro' a Misconstruction of the Captain's Meaning, and for want of Time to supply our selves, we had very little Provision, and no Compass to guide us. The Sky was serene, the Sea calm, and the Weather agreeable; but every one dreaded a Change. Mean time, with the Light of the Sun by Day, and of the Stars by Night, we us'd the utmost Diligence to get ashore, but cou'd not observe that we made any considerable Advance; so that we began to despair of our Lives, especially upon the third Day, when there fell so thick a Fog, that it was impossible to see the Distance of two Foot. At this very time, the little Long-Boat separated from ours, which the Captain perceiving by the Cries we made to one another, press'd the feeble Rowers to strain hard to rejoin us, which they did indeed, with a Vengeance; for falling foul upon our little Vessel, those on Board us were so alarm'd, that they all rose up at once, and gave such a Shock to theirs, that it turn'd Keel upwards. We had a great deal of Difficulty to save them, and much more to make room for them; for we all lay one upon another, and had not eat any thing for above Forty Eight Hours.

In short, it pleased God that about Noon, when the Sun had dispers'd the Fog, we discover'd several Sail coming towards us, which agreeable Sight gave us Joy inexpressible. We tack'd about immediately to meet them, and in three or four Hours time they came up with us, when Captain Davidson was so kind as to take us on Board his Ship. He was bound from Portsmouth, as Convoy to Seventeen English Merchant Ships, that were going to Lisbon. As our Bowels had been so much relax'd, and it being the Opinion of the Physicians (whom, however, we did not go to consult on purpose) that there was no danger in Eating and Drinking heartily, no sooner were the Provisions brought, but we were all glad to see our Beards wag. Every thing that was serv'd up to us was absorb'd as quick as if it had been thrown into a Well; but tho' our Bellies were full, we were not satisfy'd. We had no sooner granted a Respite to our Jaws, but we fell into a profound Sleep, and I question if there was one of us that did not sleep at least Twenty Hours before he was thoroughly awake. The Second Meal set us intirely to rights again. A Lieutenant of the Ship who spoke French, would needs have me give him the Particulars of our Misfortunes, some of which rais'd his Pity, and others his Laughter. At last we arriv'd at a good Harbour, and landed at Lisbon the first of July, without the Loss of one Man besides Colombier.

CHAP. II.

Lisbon stands near the Mouth of the Tagus, in a Situation extremely diverting; and certainly 'tis one of the finest Cities in Europe. It has a considerable Trade, which renders it very populous and wealthy. According, to the Calculation I made of it in the Bulk, there cannot be less than 20000 Houses. There are Thirty-five or Forty Gates for the Conveniency of the Inhabitants; and I am very much mistaken if it be not two long Leagues in Compass.

The Person to whom I made my Application, was one M. Du Pre, a Surgeon by Profession, a Man who had a great deal of Practice, and was capable of finding me Employment. In short, the good Man receiv'd me with open Arms. I had been with him but a very little while ere I discover'd that he was one of the Reformed, for he went very seldom to Mass, often read Sermons to his Children, and not a Sunday went over his Head but he catechis'd them privately: And he, for his part, quickly perceiv'd also that I was very far from a Bigot; so that he confess'd to me he kept the Bible at home for the Instruction of his Family, which he carry'd me to see.

To speak the Truth, the first time that I gave it a Reading, which was dispatch'd in a very little time, I took it for an ill-concerted Romance, to which however I gave the Name of Sacred Stories. The Book of Genesis seem'd to me to be meer Fiction; the Jewish Law and Ceremonies a Medley of Trifles and Childish Vanities; the Prophesies an Abyss of Obscurities, and the most ridiculous Nonsense; and the Gospel a pious Fraud, invented to cajole silly Women, and captivate the Vulgar. What shock'd me first of all was to find, that in the Work of the Creation there was Light, before the Luminaries which produce it, and without which all wou'd be Darkness and Obscurity. Then I boggled at the Fatal Necessity Man was laid under to labour and die, as a pretended Consequence of his Crime. Afterwards I reflected on the Sentence pass'd upon the Woman, to bring forth Children in Sorrow, and that on the Serpent, to creep on its Belly, as if before it had Legs. The Rainbow, which was plac'd in the Clouds after the Deluge, to dispossess Mankind of the Fear of perishing by a second Flood: The Favour granted by Heaven to Lot, to depart out of Sodom, that he might be at liberty to go immediately and commit a double Incest with his Daughters: The Amours of Pharaoh and of Sarah the Wife of Abraham; and the Rape committed on her, when she was a decrepid old Woman, by Abimelech King of Gerar: The frequent Dialogues between the Creature and his Creator: The Passage over the Red Sea, and the many other Miracles wrought for the Jews: The Ass, whose Mouth was open'd to say so little to the Purpose; and a thousand other Difficulties of the same Nature, puzzled my Reason to a prodigious Degree. I cou'd not comprehend how Effects cou'd precede their Causes. I had been so often taught the contrary in the Schools, and daily Experience had so many times confirm'd this Truth to me in the Works of Nature, that I did not care so much as once to think of it. I thought it altogether as absurd to suppose that Man wou'd have been immortal, if he had not disobey'd God, because I did not see any Appearance that the Order and Constitution of his Parts wou'd have suffer'd any Alteration, after he had receiv'd Life. Nor did I conceive how the Earth wou'd have been in a Condition to bear its Fruits continually in the same Abundance, without Cultivation, unless it had been quite of another Nature then, than it is at present, which is not probable: I had read a hundred Voyages, which assur'd me that the Women in general, in the East-Indies, in Africa, and in America, about the Line, scarce suffer any Pain at all in the Delivery of the Humane Species into the World; insomuch that the Women of Brasil commonly go to be deliver'd near some Spring or River, where they wash themselves, cleanse the Infant, and then carry it to their Husbands, who immediately take to their Beds, where they lie-in, and receive the Compliments of the Gossips, while the Woman goes abroad for Provision to regale them. On the other hand, among the People who live towards the Poles, the Sex suffers a vast deal at such times, and even many of them lose their Lives; so that this varies proportionably to the Climates, and to Peoples Constitutions. 'Tis the very same thing in Beasts, which for no Crime by them committed, are equally subject to those different Changes. In fine, for it wou'd require whole Volumes to exhaust this Subject, when I consider'd the Cause of the Rainbow, and its Bigness, and Colours, having made a hundred artificial ones my self, which is easily done, by taking Water into one's Mouth and squirting it abroad, in some Place opposite to the Sun Beams, which has no very bright Objects beyond it, and by several other ways; I cou'd not well digest the Account which Moses gives us of it, as a Meteor unknown before that time.

Nevertheless, all these Obstacles did not intirely discourage me; for I undertook to run over this holy Book a second time, on condition, however, that, as I went thro' it, I might desire my Master to explain the difficult Passages. He consented to it, and we were every Day deeply engag'd in Disputes, during which the good Man frequently rav'd at me, and I was well off if he only call'd me a Libertine, and a stubborn Unbeliever. I said to him sometimes, that it was no strange thing to see a Crowd of Swimmers follow the rapid Course of a wide deep River, because 'tis every whit as agreeable as 'tis easy; but as soon as any one Man turns his Back to the others, cutting the Stream, and hastening nimbly towards its Fountain, they are all surpris'd at the Action; for which, some admire him, and others, especially his Companions, envy him to such a degree, that they are ready to burst with Spite, and do every thing they can imagine to discredit and ruine him, because what he does is an evident Proof of Skill and Vigour on his Part, and of meer Dastardy and Folly on their Part. 'Tis the same thing as to our Sentiments concerning the Sciences, and especially Religion; the first we imbibe stick with us, so that we cannot bear to be contradicted. We are disgusted with every thing that is not conformable to them, and from the Moment that a Man talks of discarding them, he is infallibly reckon'd a Mad-man, or a Knave. Mean time, I declare to you, that as I entertain a much more favourable Opinion of a Man who swims against the Stream, than of another who suffers himself to be insensibly born away with it, so I am infinitely more inclin'd to think well of that Man's Penetration and solid Judgment, who examines every thing, and even sometimes opposes Opinions long since receiv'd, than of those Men who hold Sentiments, as by Right of Inheritance, from their Ancestors, and who only retain them for the sake of their Age or their Authority; because it seldom happens that People go out of the common Road, without Reasons for so doing; whereas 'tis not so much expected that Men shou'd give their Reasons for not deviating from it.

At the beginning of our Conversation, another Affair happen'd, which gave occasion to another Dispute. A Captain of a Ship having brought some Negroes from Africa, made a Present of one of the handsomest to a Friend of his, a Man of Figure and Substance, but whimsical, and hard to be pleas'd. This Negro, after having liv'd several Years with so rigid a Master, and suffer'd a thousand Abuses from him, could bear it no longer, and resolv'd, whatever might be the Consequence, to take Revenge in a way the most dangerous that cou'd be. For this End, he went to the Apothecary that serv'd the Family, and under pretence that they were extremely pester'd with Rats, he desired two or three Pennyworth of Arsenic. The Fellow was scarce got out of the Shop to do some Errands, when the Apothecary sent to tell the Gentleman, that since his Black came for the Ratsbane, he had thought of an admirable Composition to destroy those Vermin, and that if he pleas'd he would immediately send him the Receipt. The Gentleman, who was naturally of an uneasy Temper, being surpris'd at this Message, and the more because he very well remember'd that he had us'd his Domestic barbarously but the Day before, sent for him to know what he meant to do with that Poison, and swore by all that's sacred he would murder him, if he gave him the least Cause to suspect him. It happen'd that the Valet was not then in the way, but as soon as he came home, a Servant-maid, who dreaded that she shou'd see him broke upon the Wheel, gave him secret Notice of what had pass'd. The Wretch was sadly affrighted; and being conscious that he had not Courage enough to stand the Test, he stole away, and without more ado, hang'd himself. Mean time, his Master was out of all Patience because he did not see him; and after having order'd Messengers to go and find him out, at the Places to which he had sent him, a Footman came and surpris'd him with the News, that he found him hanging in the Corn-Loft.

The Notice of this tragical Action was quickly spread every where. The Gentleman being one of my Master's best Patients, he went to him immediately, and desired him for several Reasons to order it so, that he might have the Body. The Gentleman, who was a Person of no small Influence, made no Scruple to assure him he should have it, and the very same Day he perform'd his Promise. As soon as the Body was put into our Hands, we dissected it in form. All the Parts of it were disposed like those of the Body of a white Man, at least, we observ'd no Difference; but what surpris'd us was, to find immediately under the Epidermis, a very thin delicate Membrane, which my Master had never perceived in other Bodies, and which I had never heard of before. He immediately sent for a famous Physician of the Town, to whom he imparted this Discovery, but the Doctor did not seem so much surpris'd as I expected, for the same thing had happen'd to him upon the like Occasion. We concluded that this must be the true Cause of the Blackness of this Race of Men, forasmuch as this Tunick stifles, and no doubt absorbs the Rays of Light; as on the contrary, a Leaf of Quicksilver plac'd behind Venice Glass, makes them reflect, and strikes them back towards the Place from whence they came. This gave occasion to a strong Debate concerning the Origin of the Ethiopians, which, when we consider this remarkable Difference, seems not to be the same with other Men. Upon this Principle I was going to draw Consequences which would have tended to no less than the intire Subversion of the System of the Sacred Author in Debate. But I was silenc'd by being told, That there were many things, which it was the Will of Heaven we should admire, but are forbid to dive into.

I was much delighted to hear this Doctor discourse upon the Construction and Operations of the Humane Body. He spoke Latin like Cicero, and was as good an Orator as Demosthenes. I was charm'd with every thing he said, because the Terms in which he express'd himself were Strong, and well-chosen; and he always aim'd to be clear and intelligible.

Not to give you a Detail of the long Conversation we had upon this fine Subject, I will only mention that he observ'd three things to us, which spread themselves in general over the whole Body; the one externally, which is the Skin; and the two others, which are the Veins and Nerves, in the Internal, and less visible Parts of the Corporeal Mass. The Skin, said he, is necessary to the Creature, because, like a Shell, it covers, incloses, and wraps about its Members on all Sides, in such a manner as to defend every Part of us against the Injuries of the Air, as it does the Face and Hands, if we were inur'd to expose the whole Body in the like manner. The Veins and Arteries, those Rivulets, in which flows the Blood, the true Principle and immediate Cause of Life, derive their Streams from the Heart, and run thro' the whole Machine, so that it is not possible to prick it in any Place, be it ever so small, without piercing some of their Branches; which is plain from the Vermilion Colour of the Moisture that instantly starts out. In short, there is no Part in us where we do not meet with Nerves; this is clear, and may easily be prov'd, beyond all Contradiction or Question. All these Nerves, without Exception, proceed from the Brain, where, like so many Strings, Twigs, or hollow Tubes, their several Extremities are so rang'd, one by another, that they form a sort of Sphere, in the middle of which there is a small Glandule extremely sensible and delicate; and to the Basis are fasten'd an infinite Number of imperceptible Arteries, by which a prodigious Quantity of Spirits flow to it from the Heart, which Spirits sweep the Glandule in a continual Agitation, and ready to yield to the least, extraneous Motion.

To illustrate this by an Example; Suppose I have in my Hands a thousand Ends of Thread ty'd together, 'tis impossible that any one shou'd be pluck'd without my perceiving it immediately, tho' I can't point to the very Place where the Attraction is made. Admitting therefore these Nerves, or the little Fibres of which they are compos'd, to be full of Spirits, as indeed they always are when we are awake, tho' they are partly depriv'd of 'em while we sleep; if any Object whatsoever happen to strike against the exterior End, or against any other Part of those Tubes, it is evident, that when they are full, and by Consequence extended, the other Extremity which is in the Brain, must be sensible of the Shock, and communicate the Motion to the Glandule, which must unavoidably be acknowledg'd to be the Seat of the Understanding. And forasmuch as Experience has taught me from the Cradle, that the Blows, Wounds, and other Ailments which my Body suffers, generally come to it from without, as often as I perceive the least Agitation in one of my Parts, I cannot but ascribe the Cause of it to some external Agent, nor help believing that 'tis really the Extremity of some Nerve, and no other Part, which was touch'd. We are also by Nature so far prepossess'd in favour of this Opinion, that those, for Example, who have had the Misfortune to lose an Arm, complain they feel the Pain at their Fingers, and in no other Place; which is a Truth that every Day's Experience confirms. Whether therefore the Impulsion be made by the Rays of Light on the Optic Nerves, or by the small Particles of our Food upon the Nerves which communicate with the Tongue, or by the imperceptible Effluvia from Bodies which we call Scented, upon the Source of the Olfactory Nerves, or in what other manner soever this be, it amounts to the same thing; the Organs may be as different as they will, 'tis the Touch is the sole Cause of all the Perceptions we are capable of. From hence it appears, that neither they who limit the Number of the Senses to Five, nor others, who not knowing under which of those Five to place Hunger; Thirst, and the Pleasure of Love, increase them to Eight; it appears, I say, that neither of 'em have a right Notion of the Nature of the Senses, because 'tis manifest from what we have said, that there is absolutely but one.

Moreover, continued he, I cou'd easily demonstrate, Mathematically, and by the Help of a Geometrical Figure, that 'tis impossible, strictly speaking, to have more than one Perception at a time, as perfectly as we are capable by Nature, and that when two or three are form'd together, they must needs be confus'd; for Experience tells us, that when we look upon an Object, the only Part of it which we see perfectly and distinctly, is the Point which corresponds with the Optic Axes, our Perception of the other Parts being only more or less, in Proportion to their Distance from the Center. Our Ideas or the Images of our Thoughts, are no more different from one another, than our Perceptions are; for tho' we admit of two sorts of them, distinguish'd by the Terms, Conception and Imagination, 'tis certain that Touching is the sole Cause of both the one and the other: 'Tis the only Source of all Human Knowledge, and also of our Reason, which, when all is said and done, is nothing more nor less than the Union or Disunion of Names, which, by common Consent, we have impos'd upon Substances, as they appear to our Comprehension to bear a Conformity to their Qualities, and not at all to their Existence. Other Creatures having Organs like to ours, have no doubt the same Perceptions, and 'tis only the Degree of more or less, that can constitute the Difference. The Beasts therefore have Reason; and tho' they don't shew it, 'tis only for want, perhaps, of Speech to give Names, as we do, to things which affect them by being put in Motion; for, in other Matters, they are very capable of distinguishing——

Here our Physician was interrupted on a sudden, by a terrible Shriek from the Maid-Servant. The poor Girl, as she was bringing an Armful of Wood from the Corn-Loft, had made a false Step, and fell from the Top of the Ladder to the Ground. We all ran out to her Assistance, and found that she had broke her right Leg. The Doctor, after having seen it dress'd the first time, went home, to my very great Concern; for, besides some Objections which I was ready to have offer'd, I should have been very glad to have heard the Conclusion of so curious a Discourse; and was the more mortify'd afterwards, because I could never get another Opportunity to engage that ingenious Gentleman to talk with me upon the same Subject.

To return therefore from this first Digression; I must say, that tho' M. Du Pre was far from being a Philosopher, yet the few Hints I had from him, together with Calvin's Commentaries, which he put into my Hands, were of very great Service to me. From hence I had an Opportunity of observing, That the Creation of Light means nothing more than the Formation of that subtle Matter of which the Stars were composed upon the fourth Day; and that tho' Moses spoke of Day and Night before that Day, it was only by way of Anticipation, as he said in another Place, That God made Man, Male and Female, before he had caus'd a profound Sleep to fall upon Adam, and form'd a Companion for him out of one of his Ribs. I also very easily comprehended, as well with regard to the Penalties which were imposed upon our first Parents, as with regard to the Rainbow, &c. That both the one and the other were at first Natural Signs, which God chang'd at that time into Signs of Institution; much like what we observe with respect to the holy Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. And as to the Term Beginning, at the Head of the Book of Genesis, it did not perplex me, tho' it puzzles many others. I knew very well, that in Philosophy we must distinguish External Time from the Internal; as in Geometry, we distinguish an External Dimension from an Internal one, if I may be indulg'd the Expression; which is as much as to say, that we must make a Difference between a thing which has been measured, and whose Dimensions are known, and another which has not. My Chamber, for Example, has its Dimensions, that's undeniable; but meer Theory cannot ascertain the Contents, Practice must be added to it, and some common Method must be made use of, which Men are agreed on beforehand, ere we can be able to say exactly how many Feet, Inches, or square Lines it contains. By this means, those Dimensions which were at first internal and secret, become external and known, with regard to the external Measures which serv'd to determine the Contents. All Beings in Nature therefore have an Internal Time, and an External Time; their Internal Time is that Duration whereby they continue in their actual and real Existence, which extends from the Beginning to the End of them; their External Time is the Duration of the Earth, as far as its Motion is imploy'd to measure it; so that the External Time of a Thing is the same, with respect to its Internal Time, as the Measure to the Thing measur'd. We can have no Idea of any but Internal Time abstractedly, before the Creation of the World, because then there was no Being existent, but God, the Being of Beings, whose Duration is without Beginning or End, and cannot properly be defin'd or measur'd: But the very Moment that the Sun appear'd in the Firmament, and that the Earth was suppos'd to turn round its Centre, which it does from West to East, in a certain Space of Time, the Name of a Day Natural was given to each of those Periods; and that of Hours, Minutes, &c. to the lesser Parts, just as the Succession of seven Days is call'd a Week; the Moon's Revolution from West to East, a Month; the Revolution of the Earth round the Sun, a Year, &c. These common Measures help us to mark out the Time, and by rendring what was Internal in its own Nature, External for our Use, no wonder that without going farther backwards, we confine our selves to this Beginning, and only make a Computation of Time, since proper Measures were thought of to fix the Duration of it.

The Solution of these Difficulties made the Explanation of others more easy to me. I began to perceive the Connexion in the great Work of Redemption, the Harmony and Relation betwixt the Passages of the Old Testament and the New, and how the Antecedents and Consequents reciprocally depend upon one another; so that at the third Reading of the Bible I concluded, that the Creation of the World, and the Fall of Man, the Deluge, and the Passage of the Red Sea, the Ceremonial Law, and Circumcision, the Menaces and Promises, the Dreams, Visions, and Prophecies, and the most remarkable Transactions in the Republic of Israel, were only Types, Allegories, Emblems, Figures, and Shadows, which referr'd only to the New Covenant, ow'd their Lustre purely to the Light of the Gospel, and had Christ for their real Body.

My Landlord was charm'd at this Metamorphosis. He admir'd to observe the sudden Transition, from that Coldness which made me look upon Things with Contempt, to a Zeal which prompted me to consider them with Esteem. Every thing that I did attracted his Applause; he had scarce ever seen my Fellow. But as there is nothing in the World perfect, he observ'd one thing in me still which gave him great Uneasiness. My Natural Complexion was fair; my Mother had indulg'd me always to wear a great Head of Hair, which cover'd my Shoulders; at which M. Du Pre was sadly scandalis'd. Is it possible, said he once to me, that a Youth who is so very intent on the Solution of the most difficult Passages of Scripture, shou'd not perceive that St. Paul positively forbids the wearing of long Hair, and that he thinks it a Shame for a Man to nourish, and take so much Care of it. I turn'd off his Remonstrances to me, upon this Head, for a long time, with Banter; but perceiving that he spoke to me of it every Day with the more Earnestness, I said to him one Day in my Turn, 'Sir, Is it possible you shou'd not know, that as the Diversity of the Seasons of the Year obliges us to clothe our selves differently, according to the Heat or Coldness of the Weather, so the Changes which happen in Society engage us to observe different Maxims? Heretofore, said I, long Hair was a Mark of Subjection. When a Slave was freed, his Head was shav'd as a Token of the Liberty that had been granted him; and 'tis to this that the Apostle alludes. Under the Law, we were Slaves to Sin, he means, but we are made free by Grace. Why shou'd we still carry the Marks of our old Bondage about us, as the Wife does, who is dependent on her Husband? At that Time there were Slaves, tho' the Use of them is now very much lost among the Christians. I own the Text says, that we are taught by Nature not to pride our selves in our Hair; but this Expression is not to be taken in its Strictest Sense, for Nature there signifies nothing but Custom. Naturally we have nothing that is superfluous. Our Hair was given us for the Guard and Preservation of the Head, and the upper Parts of the Body, as Nails are Weapons with which Nature has provided us for our Defence. Nature, therefore, does not oblige us to cut off the one, or pare the Other; but 'tis rather what we call the Mode, Decency, and certain Civil Laws establish'd among People, which at the long Run we look upon as Natural. The Fashion of this Age authorises the wearing of long Hair, and I don't think it any Harm to follow it, especially in this Part of the World, where, by the Confession of People of the best Sense, and the generality of Divines, the Thing is absolutely a Matter of Indifference.' But all this was not enough to convince my Master; so that to satisfy him, I was fain to permit him to make use of his Scissors, and to crop my Hair even to my Ears. This Change of Custom was an Uneasiness to me; but, in short, what will not a Man do for the sake of Peace and a good Understanding with his Neighbour? And really this Complaisance of mine won me his Heart to such a Degree, that he wou'd have laid down his Life for me upon occasion. His Person, his Family, his Goods, all were at my Service and Disposal.

Besides these Advantages, which were very considerable for a Foreigner, as I was, he procur'd me the Acquaintance of many of his intimate Friends, and particularly of a Factor of the Dutch Company, who was indeed one of the most agreeable young Men that I ever knew. He talk'd French very well, and was perfectly acquainted with his Religion, of which I took an Opportunity to converse with him, whenever we saw one another, which I endeavour'd shou'd be as often as possible. I had moreover this Happiness, that he accommodated me with every thing I wanted, and wou'd not suffer me for the World to be troublesome to my Master, who, however, was a courteous good-natur'd Gentleman. He never made an Entertainment, but he engag'd me to be of the Party; and the worst on't was, he treated so liberally that we had occasion to remember it generally for two Days after it. One time he debauch'd me so, that next Day I was seiz'd with a violent Fever, which really had like to have cost me my Life; for it stuck to me three Weeks, and made me as lean as a Skeleton, so that I was nothing but Skin and Bones; and my Physician actually gave me over. However, by observing a regular Diet, I at length recover'd. During this, I made continual Reflections upon the severe Laws which Nature so punctually executes upon poor Mortals; and being sensible that there are few Excesses which she does not punish, I concluded in my Mind, that Frugality and Temperance are the true Means of keeping the Mind always free, and of securing the Body from all the Distempers to which we are otherwise, almost all of us, subject. This made me take a firm Resolution to be more temperate for the future than I had been in time past, and never to be guilty of any thing with which I might reproach my self afterwards. Van Dyke, which was the Dutchman's Name, had made the same Resolution before I knew him, but his Generosity, when he had a mind to regale his Friends, oblig'd him sometimes to recede from it, and not always to put in practice the good Lessons which he scarce ever fail'd to give when he was the Guest of his Friends. However, I made him own at last, That when Health is at stake, it was better to be reckon'd an Oeconomist, than a Man of Generosity and Complaisance.

During this, the good Man had a troublesome Affair upon his Hands, which gave me more Uneasiness than it did him. He receiv'd a Letter from the Wife of one of his Merchants, which requir'd him in her Husband's Absence, to furnish M. Heudde's Son, who was her Nephew, and then set out for Lisbon, with what Necessaries he wanted to continue his Voyage; adding, that he should be reimburs'd, and that for her own part, she shou'd be much oblig'd to him for the Favour. In about a Fortnight after, M. Heudde arriv'd at Van Dyke's, attended by a Valet de Chambre, who were both very meanly accoutred. The first Question he ask'd him was, Whether he had not receiv'd a Letter from his Aunt, which the Factor no sooner own'd, than he entertain'd him with a great many Particularities about several Persons of the Factor's Acquaintance; after which, he told him his Design of visiting Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, and of returning home thro' the Island of Great Britain. At last he talk'd of the Money he shou'd have occasion for, to make the Tour of so many Countries. Van Dyke told him what he thought would suffice; and as he exhorted him not to be extravagant on the one hand, so he wou'd not have him disparage himself on the other, because he had Orders to accommodate him with what Monies he wanted, not only at Lisbon, but wherever else he travell'd: This the Factor cou'd easily do, because he had very good Correspondence, either directly or indirectly, in most of the chief Towns of Europe. M. Heudde, who seem'd very well pleas'd with the Compliment, contented himself with the Sum of 15000 Livres, and good Recommendations; and after having staid a few Days, continu'd his Journey. Van Dyke, who was a very punctual Man in his Business, immediately certify'd his Principal of what had pass'd betwixt him and his Nephew, and what Rout he had taken. But in a Week after, to his great Surprise, who shou'd he meet in the Street, but him that pretended to be M. Heudde's Valet de Chambre, and asking him if his Master was not gone; he answer'd him to his farther Astonishment, not only that he cou'd not tell what was become of him, but that he did not so much as know who he was. I came hither, said he, some Days ago from Bourdeaux, with a Design to make a Voyage to America; the Gentleman, you speak of, happening to be on Board our Ship, bargain'd with me to be his Servant, as long as he continued in this City, for Twenty-pence a Day, besides my Expences, which he paid me, but dismiss'd me last Week, and I have not since heard a Word of him. This was somewhat alarming to my Friend; and tho' he was not very sure that he was bubbled, he had the Precaution to write immediately to all those to whom he had given the Traveller his Recommendations, and desired them not to let him have any thing till farther Orders. This sav'd him from any farther Loss, but his 300 Ducats were gone past Recovery. The Answer he receiv'd from Holland was, That they knew not what he meant, and that this pretended M. Heudde was a Knave to be sure, that wou'd come to the Gallows.

Tho' this Loss was a Trifle to the Wealth M. Van Dyke had acquir'd, yet it vex'd him a little, and he left no Stone unturn'd to find out the Sharper, but all his Inquiry was to no Purpose; and whether he ever heard of him in his Life, is more than I know, because I left him not long after; for tho' I was heartily welcome to him, yet I did not thoroughly like my Station there, because my Profit was but small, and my principal View was to see the World. The Friendships I had contracted, and the Character my Master gave me, made my Departure the more easy.

CHAP. III.

I had an Opportunity of going on board a Portuguese Ship, which was bound to the East Indies, in Company with three others. It was commanded by One Don Pedro, and carry'd only Twenty Guns, but had 147 Men aboard, of which Number were a great many Frenchmen, who however, to a Man, understood the Portuguese Tongue. All things being ready, we set sail the Fifth of June, 1644, with a very favourable Wind. The first Ruffle we met with was the Loss of our Captain, who was, to speak the Truth, a Man of consummate Experience, but a very Brute and Deboshee. The Tenth Day after we were under Sail, when he had taken his usual Dose of Brandy, he fell into such a Passion with one of our Seamen, that from hard Words he proceeded to Blows. The Mariner, who was a meer Blunderbuss, laugh'd, and went to make his Escape from him, at which Don Pedro was so exasperated, that he pursued him with a Lever in his Hand, wishing the Devil might take him if he did not break his Neck; and as they were both running, our Officer stumbled, reel'd, and fell with such a Force against the Capstane, that he broke his left Arm, three Inches above the Elbow. Thereupon I was call'd, and examining the Wound, I perceiv'd that the Bone was intirely shiver'd, and after mature Deliberation, I was absolutely for Sawing it off. But all that I cou'd say, was of no weight with the Patient, who cou'd not be persuaded by any means, to undergo the Operation; for he swore that he wou'd rather die than submit to so desperate an Extremity. I was therefore oblig'd, sorely against the Grain, to manage him as he pleas'd; but what I foresaw, happen'd in two Days time; the Wound was inflam'd, a Mortification ensu'd: upon it, and the Fifth Day after his Fall he was a dead Man.

The Ship's Company was, to the last Degree, alarm'd at this Loss, which we took for a bad Omen; however, we were forc'd to bear it, and after the due Honours paid to his Corpse, it was thrown into the Sea, while the Guns were fir'd as usual on such Occasions. In the mean time we advanc'd in our Voyage; and tho' some little Storms arose now and then, yet they were not dangerous. The greatest Misfortune that befel us, was our being separated from the Company of our other Ships, so that we heard no more of them. When we made the Island of Ascension, we perceiv'd that our Water was very much corrupted and consequently we resolv'd to go to St. Helena, to take in fresh Water, left the Number of our sick Men, which was already considerable, should be much greater, if we did not stop some where before we came to the Cape of Good Hope.

But when we had discover'd that Island at a great Distance, and were congratulating each other upon it, we spy'd that which Sailors call a Wool-Pack, seemingly as big as a great Cask within Cannon-shot of our Ship. As I had never seen any but in Pictures, and in Books of Travels; I consider'd this Phænomenon with all the Attention I was capable of, and concluded that it must be really owing to Air that was agitated, and drove with Impetuosity into the vast Region of our Atmosphere, which happening to meet with another sort of Hurricane impell'd from the opposite Part of the Atmosphere, whirls back towards its Basis, and forms the Figure of a Cylinder, which lengthens it self in an Instant, till it comes to the Surface of the Water: The Sea being then press'd on all Sides, except just there, the Matter which corresponds to the middle of this Column, like what we observe with regard to Pumps, Syringes, and Cupping-Glasses, must needs rise, which it does with so much Rapidity and Force, even to the bearing away of great Fish, that to the Amazement of us all, the Sky, as serene as it was before, was cover'd with thick Clouds, which darken'd the Air in a Moment. The Winds began to roar hideously, the Sea was in a Foam, the Waves swell'd, and one wou'd have thought that Nature, in the Height of her Indignation, wou'd have swallow'd us up. The Seamen, in the utmost Hurry, furl'd all the Sails, the Main-Sail only excepted; nevertheless the Ship was carry'd away with such Violence, that we were also oblig'd to let down the Main-Sail for fear of being drove upon some fatal Rocks. I cannot here prevail with my self to set down every minute Particular from the Journal that I kept, of what happen'd to us during this dreadful Tempest, which lasted Twenty-two Days, because it would take up several Sheets of Paper; and only raise the Reader's Pity and Concern. Not only the Women and Children that were aboard gave such Shrieks, as were enough to have pierc'd the most obdurate Hearts, but the generality of the Men were frighted almost out of their Wits. Not a Day pass'd but one or other of them dy'd; We also lost our Pilot and the Mate, so that the only Man left capable of conducting the Vessel, was the Master of it, and he too was in a bad State of Health. During this bitter Storm, we were compell'd to throw over-board, at several times, 12 of our Guns, and every thing that we thought too heavy; we also lost most of our Anchors, and ran adrift a long while at the Mercy of the Winds and Currents, without knowing whither we were driving, any more than if we had been at the bottom of the Ocean. At length it pleased God, of his special Mercy, that on the Twenty-third Day, a Day as mild as the others had been severe, we happen'd to run ashore at a Place altogether unknown to us, where, after having calculated the Meridian, examin'd our Watches, and made as correct a Computation as we could, we found that we were in about 60 Degrees of Longitude, and 44 of S. Latitude, i.e. 1000 or 1200 Leagues from St. Helena. The biggest of our Boats having been carry'd away by the Waves, which had wash'd our Decks a thousand times, glad we were that we had preserved the least; we immediately put ashore in her; and after having return'd Thanks to God for having sav'd our Lives, we began to take our best Clothes and Goods out of the Ship, together with what wou'd be most necessary for us by Land. With some paltry Sails we made two Tents; and some cut down the Branches of Trees, with, which they built Barracks, in which the remainder of our Ship's Company, consisting of Eighty-five Persons, lodg'd.

There were Forty of us that were as well as we cou'd be in our present Circumstances, part of which Number look'd after the Ship, and the rest went a marauding for what they could get. Never were Fire-Arms, Powder, and Shot of more Service to us than now. There was all sorts of Wild-Fowl in abundance, and particularly Hens larger than Turkeys, which were fat, and very nourishing. Nor did we want for Fish, because we had good store of Nets, Hooks, and other Instruments to catch them. Here were few Tortoises, but they were very good. We took some which I am sure weigh'd from 400 to 500 Pound, and were enough for us all. We thought the Flesh of them very excellent and the Fat was the most delicate Food in the World. It serv'd us for all Purposes, for Sauce, or to eat upon Bread, or to burn; and in general, for almost every Necessity. In two Hours Walk from thence towards the East, we found a River, which supply'd us with very good Water. Notwithstanding these Refreshments, two more of our Men dy'd; but it was not long before the others recover'd.

Mean time our Ship was so lighten'd, that we observ'd she floated, so that we tow'd her to the River just now mention'd. As soon as she was laid up, the Carpenters examin'd her very nicely, and found that there was no likelihood of her being ever in a Condition to serve us in the Pursuit of our Voyage, because the Storm had intirely shatter'd her. We therefore resolv'd unanimously to take her to pieces, and with the best of her Materials to build a smaller, to return in to Africa. The Captain wou'd have had us all in our turns put our Hands to the Work; but we so fully convinc'd him that we were not all equally fit for it, and that there was an absolute Necessity for some body to provide the Kitchen with Victuals for feeding so many Mouths, that Ten of us were appointed to go in quest of Provisions. The Nine that were join'd with me, were very clever Fellows, part of them being as it were Huntsmen, and the rest Fishermen by Profession; consequently 'tis natural to imagine that in such a Country as this, we did not find it a very hard Matter to get Food for our Company. These agreeable Occupations, which would have been a very great Pleasure to another Person, delighted me for a few Days; but I was soon weary of this Life, and my Curiosity to penetrate farther into a Country, where I did not imagine any body had ever been, made me resolve to abandon my Comrades, tho' I was not willing to put so rash a Design in Execution by my self. I therefore communicated my Design to two, that I thought the most resolute, who were overjoy'd with my Proposal, and declar'd to me severally, that they had entertain'd the same Thought, but were afraid to trust it to a third Person. Accordingly the Affair was concluded, upon Oath not to divulge it; and after we had promis'd to be true to each other, we went to rest, fully purposing to be gone as soon as possible.