He is brought forth into the Market-place, and there put to sale; he is bought by a Jew (a miserable avaricious man) and by a stratagem he delivers himself from that Master, is sold to a GrÆcian, in heart a Christian: the Ship being taken, and his Master drowned, he escaping to shore by swimming, is at his own liberty.

In the morning the Gaoler repairing to us, found two of our miserable companions dead, by reason of their wounds, which were many, and not lookt into. This made him haste to the Guazil or Judge, to acquaint him of what had hapned; who upon information given, came to the prison in person, attended with Officers and other people: where having caused their irons to be struck off, he ordered their bodies to be dragged through the Town, and so cast in the Sea. We that remained were chained altogether, and so led out of prison unto the common place of sale, to be sold to him that should give most. By reason of my strength (which those that lookt on might argue, from the streightness and firmness of my limbs, being elevated by the Pole above a common or middle stature) I was first bought by one, whom at the first sight, I could not well tell whether he was Man or Devil; for his complexion was of the same colour as the Devil is usually rendred: to say all in short, he was a Jew. He carried me home to his house, where I no sooner arrived, but he markt me for his own: My employment was constantly to turn a hand-mill; if I rested at any time, though ever so little, the punishment he inflicted on me was, three or four blows on either the belly, or soles of my feet; which were doubled or trebled according as he judged of my offence: my diet was such as only served to keep me alive. In general, he used me so cruelly, that becoming desperate, I once thought it better resolutely to cut the thread of my life, than spin it out longer in so much wretchedness and misery. Revenge too induc’d me to the undertaking of this attempt, as knowing him to be the most covetous wretch living, and therefore would even hang himself when he should lose what he payed for me: but considering my self, I made choice of a better expedient, which was to pretend (what I intended not) to kill my self: I made choice of such a time, when I was sure some one or other was set to watch me; who perceiving that I was about to destroy my self, rusht in and prevented me, and went forthwith to inform my Master of what he had seen; advising him withall to sell me out of hand, otherwise he would infallibly be a loser by me. My Master taking notice of my countenance and behaviour, resolved to put his friends counsel in practise; and so sold me to another, who fortunately proved a Greek, that in shew was Mahometan, but cordially a Christian. Once more was I delivered from miseries that are hardly to be endured, and was imbarqued with my new Master in a Ship bound for the East-Indies. In the course that we held, we sail’d with so prosperous a gale, that in a very short time we arrived in view of the Fort of Diu; but seeing several vessels lying before that Fort, firing against it in an hostile manner we shaped our course to Goa, where we arrived in safety. From hence we sayled unto the River Lugor: just as we were entring its Mouth, we saw a great Junk coming upon us, which perceiving us to be few in number, and our Vessel but small, fell close with our prow on the Larboard-side, and then those that were in her, threw in to us great Cramp-irons fastned unto two long chains, wherewith they grappled us fast unto them; which they had no sooner done, but incontinently some 70 or 80 Mahometans started out from under the Hatches, that till then had lain lurking there; and pouring out their small-shot upon us, clapt us aboard in an instant. Those that knew what it was to be a slave to the merciless Turks, leapt into the Sea, whereof I was one: we were not far from land, so that it was not long before I got safe to shore; it was my Masters misfortune (and truly I think my unhappiness, for he behaved himself to me as to one of his familiar friends) being wounded, and ignorant in swimming, to be entomb’d in the deep. There were some five or six more that escapt the danger of their enemies and the Sea, that wading up to the waste in mud, landed in safety; with these I hid my self in the next adjacent Wood. There was hardly one of us but received some hurt; and being now devested of all hope of help, we could not forbear to unman ourselves by weeping, complaining against our hard destiny, that should in so short a time bring us into so sad a disaster. In this desolation we spent the remaining tragical part of the day; but considering with our selves, that the place was moorish, and full of venemous creatures, we betook our selves to the Owze, standing therein up to the middle. The next morning, by break of day, we went along by the River-side, until we came to a little Channel, which we durst not pass (not knowing its depth) for fear of Lizards, plenty whereof we had sight of therein; we wandred so long to avoid this and the Bogs covered with rushes, which environed us about, till that we were forced to rest our selves, being so weary and so hungry, that we could not go one step farther. In the morning awaking, four of our company lay dead, so that there was only one remaining to bear me company: I now thought my condition worse than if I had hung at Tyburn, surrounded with a full Jury of fellow-sufferers; my companion and I, with tears, sang the obsequies of our dead friends, expecting hourly our own dissolution; Their bodies we covered with a little earth, as well as we could; for we were then so feeble, that we could hardly stir, nay, nor speak. In this place we rested ourselves, intending to bear our friends company to their eternal rest. Some four hours after this our resolution, about Sun-set, we espied a Barque rowing up the River: coming near us we hailed her, and prostrating our selves on the ground, beseeched those that were in her to receive us on board. Amazed to see us in that posture on our bended knees, and hands lifted up to Heaven, they stopt: our cries for succour reacht their eares, which obtained commiseration from their hearts; so taking us in, they carried us with them to Lugor, where about Noon next day we landed. The people are fearful black like the Devil, whom they superstitiously worship, in the form of a bloody Dragon; They have many Idols amongst them, which they hold in great esteem, as a Ram-goat, a Bat, an Owl, a Snake, or Dog, to whom they ceremoniously bow or kneel, groveling upon the earth, and throwing dust on their faces; they offer Rice, Roots, Herbs, and the like, which is devoured by the Witches; these devillish creatures being both feared and esteemed by the Savages. The female sex, against the appearance of the new-Moon, assemble upon a Mountain, where turning up their bare bums, they contemptuously defie the Queen of Heaven, who hath this despight shewn her, because they suppose her the causer of their monthly courses. They are much given to novelties, amongst which dogs are of very great value with them: Insomuch, that whilst I was there, I saw six slaves exchanged for one European Cur. They abound with the choicest of natures blessings, as health, strength, and wealth, but are very inhumane and uncivil; for they delight much to feed on mans flesh, eating it with more satisfaction than any other food. Upon my first arrival, I did not rightly understand their meaning by feeling my flesh, but when I was informed, that like Butchers, they felt my flank to know how fat I was, they never toucht me afterwards with their fingers, but I fancied my self either boiled or roasted, and that their hands, my bearers, were conveying me to the open Sepulchres of their mouths, to be entombed in the gut-rumbling Monument of their bellies: whereas other Anthropophagi content their appetites with the flesh of their enemies, these covet most their friends, whom they imbowel with much greediness, saying, they can no way better express a true affection, than to incorporate their dearest friends and relations into themselves, as in love before, now in body, uniting two in one (in my opinion) a bloody sophistry. It is a very truth, of which I was an eye-witness, they have Shambles of men and womens flesh, joynted and cut into several pieces fit for dressing. It is usual for some, either weary of life, or so sick, they have no hopes of recovery, to proffer themselves to these inhumane Butchers, who returning them thanks, dissect or cut them out into small parcels, and so are sodden and eaten. It is a custom among them, when they would add to their beauties (deformity) to slash their faces in several places. They adore those two glorious Planets, the Sun and Moon, believing they live in Matrimony. They are much addicted to rapine and theevery, and they chuse to commit any villany rather by day than night, because they suppose thereby the Moon and Stars will never give testimony against them. Their heads are long, and their hair curled, seeming rather wool than hair: Their ears are very long, being extended by ponderous bawbles they hang there, stretching the holes to a great capacity. Both men and women hideously slash their flesh in sundry forms; their brows, noses, cheeks, arms, breasts, back, belly, thighs and legs, are pinkt, and cut in more admirable (than amiable) manner. They contemn apparel, and indeed, the heat of the Climate will not permit them to wear any; very few have nothing on to cover their secrets. Most have but one stone, the other is forced away in their infancy, that Venus may not too much allure them from Martial exploits: wherefore the women take great delight in strangers. One of them so strongly besieged my modesty, that more for fear than love, I yielded to her incontinency: I was displeased at nothing but the sight of her; for her flesh, no Velvet could be softer. There are in this place great quantity of Lions, which in dark weather use great subtility to catch and eat some Savages: They again in the day-time dig pits, and covering them with boughs, do train the couragious Lions thither, where they receive destruction, eating them to day, who perhaps were Sepulchres to their friends or parents the day before. I have seen these well-bred people descend in a morning from the Mountains, adorned with the raw guts of Lions or other wild beasts, serving for an hour or two for chains or neck-laces, and afterwards for their breakfast; of which good chear, if I would not participate, I might fast for them: so that my squeamish stomack was forced to give entertainment to that unwelcome guest, to keep starving out of doors. The Ship that brought us hither, was now ready to set sail, being bound for Goa, the Master whereof was a Portugal, who understood Latine and French very well, of which I was not ignorant: I addrest my self to him in the French tongue, desiring him to accept of mine and my Comerades service; which he condescended to with much willingness. At Goa we stayed not long, but from thence passing towards Surrat, a vehement and unexpected storm overtook us, for three days raging incessantly, so that those which were acquainted with those parts, very much feared an Hero-cane, a tempest commonly of thirty days continuance, and of such fury, that Ships, Trees, and Houses perish unavoidably in it: once in nine years, it seems, it fails not to visit them. It chanc’d that my Comerade being heedless and unexperienc’d in Sea-affairs, was washt off by a wave into the Sea, and so was buried in the large & deep grave of the vast Ocean; a sure treasury for the resurrection. The foulness of the weather forc’d a Junk-man of War, full of desperate Malabars, a bloody and warlike people, in view of us; but the Seas were too lofty for them to board us. After three watches, the Sea changed colour, and was calmer; and by the swimming of many snakes about our Vessel, the Sea-men knew we were not far from shore, landing shortly after safely at Surrat.