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THE

LIFE

And Strange Surprizing

ADVENTURES

ROBINSON CRUSOE,

Of TORK, Mariner:

Who lived eight and twenty Years all alone in an un-inhabited Ifland on the Coaft of America, near the Mouth of the Great River oiOroonoque ;

Having been caft on Shore by Shipwreck, where- in all the Men'periftied but himfelf.

With an ACCOUNT how he waa at laft as ftrangely deliver'd by Pyrates.

Written by Himfelf.

%f)t Wto Coition*

LONDON: Printed for W. Taylor at the Ship in Pater-Nofter-Rovj. Mdccxix.

THE

PREFACE,

IF ever the Story of any private Mans Adventures in the World were worth making Tublick, and were acceptable when Publijh'd, the Editor of this Account thinks this will be fo.

The Wonders of this Man's Life exceed all that (he thinks) is to be found extant ; the Life of one Man being fcarce capable of a greater Variety.

The Story is told with Modefiy, with Serioufnefs, and with areli- gious Application of Events to the Ufes to which wife Men always

apply

The Preface.

apply them ( viz ,) to the Inftruflion ' of others by this Example, and to jufiify and honour the Wifdom of Providence in aU the Variety of our Circumflances, let them hap- pen how they will.

The Editor believes the thing to be ajufi Hifiory of Faff ; nei- ther is their any Appearance of Fitlion in it \ And however thinks, becaufe aUfuch Things are difputed, that the Improvement of it, as well to the Diver/ion, as to the InJiruBion of the Reader, will be the fame ; and asfuch, he thinks, without farther Compli- ment to the World, he does them a great Service in the Publica- tion.

THE

THE

LIFE

AND

ADVENTURES

O F

Robinson Crusoe, &V.

Was born in the Year 1632, in the City of York, of a good Family, tho' not of that Country, my Father be- ing a Foreigner of Bremen, who fettled firft at Hull 1 He got a good Eftate by Merchandize, and leaving off his Trade, lived afterward at Tork, from whence he had married my Mother, whofe Relations were nimed R.binfon, a very good Family in that Country, and from whom I was called Robinfon Kreutz,naer j but by the ufual Corruption of Words in England, we are now called, nay we call our felves, and write our NameCrfl/c^and fo my Companions always called me.

B I had

I had two elder Brothers, one of which was Lieutenant-Collonel to an EngBJh Regiment of Foot in Flanders, formerly commanded by the famous Co\. Lockhart, and was killed at the Battle near Dun- kirk againft the Spaniards ; What became of my fe- corid Brother I never knew, any more than my Fa- ther or Mother did know what was become of me.

Being the third Son of the Family, and not bred to any Trade, my Head began to be fill'd very early with rambling Thoughts : My Father, who was very ancient, had given me a competent Share of Learning, as far as Houfe-Education, and a Country Free-School generally goes, and defign'd me for the Law ,* but I would be fatisfied with no- thing but going to Sea, and my Inclination to this led me fo flrongly againft the Will, nay, the Com- mands of my Father, and againft all the Entreaties, and Perfuafions of my Mother, and other Friends, that there feem'd to be fomething fatal in that propenfion of Nature tending directly towards the Life of Mifery which was to befal me.

My Father, a wife and grave Man, gave me ferious and excellent Counfel againft what he fore- faw was my Defign. He called me one Morning in- to his Chamber, where he was confined by the Gout, and expoftulated very warmly with me upon this Subjeft : He ask'd me what Reafons more than a meer wandring Inclination I had for leaving my Father's Houfe and my native Country, where I might be well introduced, and had a Profped of railing my Fortune by Application and In- duftry, with a Life of Eafe and Pleafure. He told me it was for Men of defperate Fortunes on one Hand, or of afpiring, fnperior Fortunes on the other, who went abroad upon Adventures, to rife by Enterprize, and make themfelves famous in Un- dertakings of a Nature out of the common Road ;

that

m

that thefe Things were all either too far above me, or to far below me ; that mine was the middle State, or what might be called the upper Station of Low Life, which he had found by long Experi- ence was the beft State in the World, the moffc fuited to-human Happinefs, not expofed to the Mi- feries and Hardships, the Labour and Sufferings of the mechanic k Part of Mankind, and not emba- rafs'd with the Pride, Luxury, Ambition and En- vy of the upper Part of Mankind. He told me, I might judge of the Happinefs of this State, by this one thing, m. That this was the State of Life which all other People envied ,• that Kings have frequently lamented the miferable Confequences o£ being born to great Things, and wifh they had been placed in the Middle of the two Extremes, between the Mean and the Great; that the wife Man gave his Teftimony to this as the juft Standard of true Felicity, when he prayed to have neither: Poverty or Riches.

He bid me obferve it, and I fhould always find*' that the Calamities of Life were fhared among the upper and lower Part of Mankind ,• but that the middle Station had the feweft Difafters, and was not exposed to fo many Viciflltudes as the higher or lower Part of Mankind,- nay, they were not fubje- ftedto fo many Diftempers and UneafineflTes either of Body or Mind, as thofe were, who by vicious Living, Luxury and Extravagancies on one Hand, or by hard Labour, want of Neceffaries, and mean or inefficient Diet on the other Hand, bring Di- ftempers upon themfelves by the natural Confequen- ces of their Way of Living ; That the middle Sta- tion of Life was calculated for all kind of Virtues and all kind of Enjoyments ; that Peace and Plen- ty were the Hand-maids of a middle Fortune ; that Temperance, Moderation, Quietnefs, Health,

B % Soci-

Society, all agreeable Diverfions, and all deferable Pleafures, were the Bleffings attending the middle Station of Life ; that this Way Men went filently and fmoothly thro' the World, and comfortably out of it, not embarafs'd with the Labours of the Hands or of the Head, not fold to the Life of Sla- very for daily Bread, or harrafs'd with perplex' d Circumftances which rob the Soul of Peace, and the Body of Befl ; not enraged with the Paffion of Envy, or fecret burning Luft of Ambition for great Things; but in eafy Circumftances Aiding gently thro' the World, and fenfibly tafting the Sweets of living, without the bitter, feeling that they are happy, and learning by every Day's Experience to know it more fenfibly.

After this he prefs'd me earneftly, and in the moft affe&ionate manner, not to play the young Man, not to precipitate my felfinto Miferies which Nature and the Station of Life I was born in, feem'd to have provided againft ; that I was under no Neceffity of feeking my Bread ,• that he would do well for me, and endeavour to enter me fairly into the Station of Life which he had been juft re- commending to me ; and that if I was not very ea- fy and happy in the World, it muft be my meer Fate or Fault that muft hinder it, and that he fhould have nothing to anfwer for, having thus dif- charg'd his Duty in warning me againft Meafures which he knew would be to my Hurt : In a word, that as he would do very kind Things for me if I would ftay and fettle at Home as he direded, fo he would not have fo much Hand in my Misfor- tunes, as to give me any Encouragement to go aw;ay : And to clofe all, he told me, I had my elder Brother for an Example, to whom he had ufed the fame earneft Perfuafions to keep him from go- ing into the Low-County Wars, but cou'd not pre- vail

C5].

vail, his young Defires prompting him to run into the Army where he was kill d ; and tho' he faid he would not ceafe to pray for me, yet lie would venture to fay to me, that if I did take this fooliflr Step, God would not blefc me, and I would have Leifure hereafter to refled, upon having neglected his Counfel, when there might be none to aflift in my Recovery.

I obferved in this laft Part of his Difcourfe, which was truly Prophetick, tho' I fuppofe my Father did not know it to be fo himfelf ; I fay, I obferved the Tears run down his Face very plen- tifully, and efpecially when he fpoke of my Brother who was killed ,• and that when he fpoke of my ha- ving Leifure to repent, and none to aflift me, he was fo mov'd, that he broke off the Difcourfe, and told me, his Heart was fo full, he could fay no more to me.

I was fincerely afre&ed with this Difcourfe, as indeed who could be otherwife ? and I refolv'd not to think of going Abroad any more, but to fettle at Home according to my Father's Defire. But a- lafs ! a few Days wore it all off ; and in fhort, to prevent any of my Father's farther Importunities, in a few Weeks after, I refolv'd to run quite away trow him. However, I did not ad: fo haftily neither as my firft Heat of Refolution prompted, but I took my Mother, at a Time when I thought her a litt e pleafanter than ordinary, and told her, that my Thoughts were fo entirely bent upon feeing the World, that I fhould never fettle to any thing with Refolution enough to go through with it, and my Father had better give me his Confent than force me to go without it ; that I was now eighteen Years old, which was too late to go Apprentice to a Trade, or Clerk to an Attorney ; that I was fure jt I did, I fhould never ferve out my Time, ^nd I B 3 fhould

[<S]

Jhould certainly run away from my Mafter before my Time was out> and go to Sea ; and if (he would jfpeak to my Father to let me go one Voyage a- broad, if I came home again and did not like it, I would go no more, and I would promife by a dou- ble Diligence to recover that Time I had loft.

This put my Mother into a great Paffion : She told me, flie knew it would be to no Purpofe to fpeak to my Father upon any fuch Subjeft ,• that he knew too well what was my Intereft to give his Confent to any fuch Thing fo much for my Hurt, and thatfhe wondered how I could think of any fuch Thing after fuch a Difcourfe as I had had with my Father, and fuch kind and tender ExprefTionsasflie knew my Father had usM to me ,• and that in fhort, if I would ruin my felf, there was no Help for me ; but I might depend I Ihould never have their Con- fent to it : That for her Part fhe would not have fo much Hand in my Deftru&ion ; and I fhould never have it to fay, that my Mother was willing when my Father was not.

Tho' my Mother refufed to move it to my Father, yet as I have heard afterwards, fhe reported all the Difcourfe to him, and that my Father, after fhewing a great Concern at it, faid to her with a Sigh, That Boy might be happy if he would flay at home, but if he goes abroad, he will be the molt miferableft Wretch that ever was born: I can give no Confent to it.

It was not till almoft a Year after this that I broke loofe, tho' in the mean time I continued obftinately deaf to all Propofals of fettling to Bufinefs, and fre- quently expoftulating with my Father and Mother, about their being fo pofitively determined againft what they knew my Inclinations prompted me to. But being one Day at Hull, where I went cafually, and without any Purpofe of making an Elopement

that

[7]

that time; but I fay, being there, and one of my Companions being going by Sea to Londony in his Father's Ship, and prompting me to go with them, with the common Allurement of Seafaring Men, viz*'. That it fhould coft me nothing for my Paffage, I confulted neither Father nor Mother any more, nor fo much as fent them Word of it ; but leaving them to hear of it as they might, without asking God's Bleffing, or my Father's, without any Confideration of Circumftances or Confequences,and in an ill Hour, God knows, on the fir ft o( September 1651, I went on Board a Ship bound for London : Never any young Adventurer's Misfortunes, I believe, began fooner, or continued longer than mine. The Ship was no fooner gotten out of the Humber, but the Wind be- gan to blow, and the Sea to rife in a moft frightful manner ,• and as I had never been at Sea before, I was moft inexpreflibly fick inBody, and terrify \d in Mind: I began now ferioufly to reflect upon what I had done, and how juftly I was overtaken by the Judg- ment of Heaven for my wicked leaving my Father's Houfe, and abandoning my Duty ; all the good Counfelof my Parents, my Father's Tears, and my Mother's Entreaties came now frefh into my Mind; and my Confcience, which was not yet come to the fitch of Hardnefs to which it has been fince, re- proach'd me with the Contempt of Advice, and the Breach of my Duty to God and my Father.

All this while the Storm encreas'd, and the Sea^ which I had never been upon before, went very high, tho* nothing like what I have feen many times fince ; no, nor like what I faw a few Days after : But it was enough to affeft me then, who was but a young Sailor, and had never known any thing of the Matter. I expe&ed every Wave would have fwallowed us up, and that every time the Ship fell down, as I thought, in the Trough or Hollow

B 4 of

[8]

of the Sea, we fhould never rife more ; and in this Agony of Mind, I made many Vows and Resolu- tions, that if ic would pleafe God hereto fpare my Life this one Voyage, if ever I got once my Foot upon dry Land again, I would go di redly home to my Father, and never fet it into a Ship a- gain while I liv'd; that I would take his Advice, and never run my felt into fuch Miferies as thefe a- ny more. Now I faw plainly the Goodnefs of his Obfervations about the middle Station of Life, how eafy, how comfortably he had liv'd all his Days, and never had been exposed to Tempefts at Sea, or Troubles on Shore ; and I refolv'd that I would, like a true repenting Prodigal, go home to my Father.

Thefe wife and fober Thoughts continued all the while the Storm continued, and indeed fome time after ; but the next Day the Wind was abated and the Sea calmer, and I began to be a little innur'd tp it : However, I was very grave for all that Day, being alfo a little Sea fick ftill ; but towards Night the Weather clear'd up, the Wind was quite over, a charming fine Evening followM; the Sun went down perfe&ly clear, and rofe fo the next Morn- ing ; and having little or no Wind, and a fmooth Sea, the Sun fhining upon it, the S.'ght was, as I thought, the mofc delightful that ever I faw.

I had (lept well in the Night, and was now no more Seasick, but very chearful, looking with Wonder upon the Sea that was fo rough and terri-^ ble the Day before, and could be fo calm and fo pleafant in fo little time after. And now leaf! my good Refplutionsihould continue, my Companion, who had indeed entic'd me away, comes to me, WeU> Bob, fays he, clapping me on the Shoulder, How do you do after it ? I warrant you were frighted, vidnh you lafi N/ght, when it blew but a Cap full of

'Wind$

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Wind ? A CaffuU d'you call it ? faid I, 'twas a terri- ble Storm : A Storm, you Fool you , replies he, doyoU call that a Storm, why it was nothing at all ; give us but a good Ship and Sea-room, and we think nothing 0/ fuch a Squall of Wind as that ; but you re but afrejh Water Sailor, Bob ; come let us make a Bowl of Punch and we'll forget all that, d'ye fee what charming Weather 'tit now To make fhort this fad Part of my Story, we went the old way of all Sailors, the Punch was made, and I was made drunk with it, and in that one Night's Wickednefs I drowned all my Repen- tance, all my Reflections upon my paft Conduft, and all my Refolutions for my future. In a word, as the Sea was returned to its Smoothnefs of Sur- face and fettled Calmnefs by the Abatement of that Storm, fo the Hurry of my Thoughts being over, my Fears and Apprehenfions of being fwallow'd up by the Sea being forgotten, and the Current of my former Defires returned, I entirely forgot the Vows and Promifes that I made in my Diftrefs. I found indeed fome Intervals of Refleftion, and theferious Thoughts did, as it were, endeavour to return a- gain fometimes, but I fhook them off, and rouz'd my felf from them as it were from a Diftemper, and applying my felf to Drinking and Company, foon matter ci the Return of thofe Fits, for fo I call'd them, and I had in five or fix Days got as compleat a Viftory over Confcience as any young Fellow that refolv'd not to be troubled with it, could defire : But I was to have another Trial for it dill ; and Providence, as in fuch Cafes generally it does, refolv'd to leave me entirely without Ex- cufe. For if I would not take this for a Delive- rance, the next was to be fuch a one as the worft and moft harden'd Wretch among us would con* fefs both the Danger and the Mercy.

. The

[IO]

The fixth Day of our being at Sea we came m- toTarmouth Roads ,• the Wind having been contra- ry, and the Weather calm, we had made but little Way fince the Storm. Here we were obliged to come to an Anchor, and here we lay, the Wind con- tinuing contrary, viz,, at South-weft, for feven or eight Days, during which time a great many Ships from Newcafllc came into the fame Roads, as the common Harbour where the Ships might wait for a Wind for the River.

We had not however rid here fo long, but fhould have Tided it up the River, but that the Wind blew too frefh; and after we had lain four or five Days, blew very hard. However, the Roads be- ing reckoned as good as a Harbour, the Anchorage good, and our Ground-Tackle very ftrong, our Men were unconcerned* and not in the leaft appre- henfive of Danger, but fpent the Time in Reit and Mirth, after the manner of the Sea ; but the eighth Day in the Morning, the Wind increafed, and we had all Hands at Work to ftrike our Top-Mafts, and make every thing fnng andclofe, that the Ship might ride as eafy as polible. By Noon the Sea went very high indeed, and our Ship rid Forecafik in> fhipp'd feveral Seas, and we thought once or twice our Anchor had come home; upon which our Mailer order'd out the^Sheet Anchor; fo that we rode with two Anchors a-head, and the Cables vered out to the better End.

By this Time it blew a terrible Storm indeed, and now I began tofee Terror and Amazement in the Faces even of the Seamen themfelves. The Ma- iler, tho' vigilant in the Bufinefs of preferring the Ship, yet as' he went in and out of his Cabbin by me, I could hear him foftly to himfelf fay feveral times, Lord be mercijultous, wejball be all left, twi {hall be all undone ; and the like. During thefe firft

Hur-

[ ii 3

JIurries, I was ftupid, lying flill in my Cabbin3 which was in the Steerage, and cannot defcribe my Temper : I could ill re-afltime the firft Penitence, which I had fo apparently trampled upon, and har- dened my felf againft : I thought the Bitternefs of Death had been paft, and that this would be no- thing too like the firft. But when the Mafter him- felf came by me, as I faid juft now, and faid we fliould be all loft, I was dreadfully frighted- I got up out of my Cabbin, andlook'd out; butfucha difmal Sight I never faw : The Sea went Mountains high, and broke upon us every three or four Mi- nutes : When I could look about, I could fee no- thing but Diftrefs round us : Two Ships that rid near us, we found, had cut their Mafts by the Board, being deep loaden ; and our Men cry'd our, that a Ship which rid about a Milea-Head of us was foundered. Two more Ships being driven from their Anchors, were run out of the Roads to Sea, at all Adventures, and that with not a Maft ftand- ing. The light Ships fared the beft, as notfo much labouring in the Sea ; but two or three of them drove, and came clofe by us, running away with only their Sprit-fail out before the Wind.

Towards Evening the Mate and Boatfwain begg'd the Mafter of our Ship to let them cut a- way the Fore-maft, which he was very unwilling to : But the Boatfwain protefting to him, that if he Hid not, the Ship would founder, he confented ; and when they had cut away the Fore-maft, the Main-maft flood fo loofe, and fhook the Ship fo much, they were obliged to cut her away alfo, and make a clear Deck.

Any one may judge what a Condition I muft be in at all this, who was but a young Sailor, and who had been in fuch a Fright before at but a lit- tle. But if I can exprefs at this Diftance the

Thoughts

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Thoughts I had about mc at that time, I was in tenfold more Horror of Mind upon Account of my former Convi&ions, and the having returned from them to the RefolutionsI had wickedly taken at firft, than I was at Death it felf ; and thefe added to the Terror of the Storm, put me into fuch a Condition, that I can by no words describe it. But the worft was not come yet, the Storm continued with fuch Fury, that the Seamen themfelves acknowledged they had never known a worfe. We nad a good Ship, but fhe was deep loaden, and wallowed in the Sea, that the Seamen every now and then cried out, fhe would founder. It was my advantage in one refped, that I did not know what they meant by Founder, till I enquired. However, the Storm was fo vio- lent, that I faw what is not often feen, the Mafter, the Boatfwain, and fome others more fenfible than the reft, at their Prayers, and expe&ing every Mo- ment when the Ship would go to the Bottom. In the Middle of the Night, and under all the reft of of our Diftreffes, one of the Men that had been down on Purpofe to fee, cried out we had fprung a Leak ; another faid there was four Foot Water in the Hold. Then all Hands were called to the Pump, At that very Word, my Heart, as I thought, died within me, and I fell backwards upon the Side of my Bed where I fat, into the Cabin. However, the Men roufed me, and told me, that I that was able to do nothing before, was as well able to pump as another ; at which I ftirr'd up, and went to the Pump and work'd very heartily. While this was doing, the Mafter feeing fome light Colliers, who not able to ride out the Storm, were obliged to flip and run away to Sea, and would come near us, ordered to fire a Gun as a Signal of Diftrefs. I who knew nothing what that meant, was fo furpri- zed, that I thought the Ship had broke, or fojne

dread-

dreadful thing had happen'd. In a word, I was fo furprizul, that I fell down in a Swoon. As this was a time when every Body had his own Life to think oi) no Body minded me, or what was become of me ; but another Manftept up to the Pump, and thrufting me afide with his Foot, let me lye, think- ing I had been Dead; and it was a great while before I came to my fel£

We work'd on, but the Water encreafing in the Hold, it was apparent that the Ship would founder, and tho' the Storm began to abate a little, yet as it was not poffible fhe could fwim till we might run into a Port, fo the Matter continued firing Guns for Help ; and a light Ship who had rid it out juft a Head of us, ventured a Boat out to help us. It was with the utmoft hazard the Boat came near us, but it was impoffible for us to get on Board, or for the Boat to lie near the Ship Side, till at laft the Men rowing very heartily, and venturing their Lives to fa ve ours, our Men caft them a Rope over the Stern with a Buoy to it, and then vered it out a great Length, which they after great Labour and Hazard took hold of, and we hawlM them clofe under our Stern and got all into their Boat. It was to no Purpofe for them or us after we were in the Boat to think of reaching to their own Ship, fo all agreed to let her drive, and only to pull her in towards Shore as much as we could, and our Matter pro- mifed them, That if the Boat was ftav'd upon Shore he would make it good to their Matter, (o partly rowing and partly driving, our Boat wenta- wayto the Northward, floaping towards the Shore almoft as far as Winterton-Nefs,

We were not much more than a quarter of an Hour out of our Ship but we faw her fink, and then I underftood for the firtt time what was meant by a Ship foundering in the Sea ; I mutt acknow- ledge

[ H]

ledge I had hardly Eyes to look up when the Sea- men told me fhe was finking ; for from that Mo- ment they rather put me into the Boat than that I might be faid to go in, my Heart was as it were dead within me, partly with Fright, partly with Horror of Mind and the Thoughts of what wai yet before me.

While we were in this Condition, the Men yet labouring at the Oar to bring the Boat near the Shore, we could fee, when our Boat mounting the Waves , we were able to fee any thing, a great many People running along the Strand to afTift us when we fliould come near, but we made but flow way towards the Land, nor were we able to reach the Shore, till being paft the Light-Houfe at Wintertony the Coaft falls off to the Weftward towards Cromer •, and fo the Land broke off a little the Violence of the Wind; Here we got in, and tho' not without much Difficulty got all fafe on Shore, and walk'd afterwards on Foot to Yarmouth, where, as unfor- tunate Men, we were ufed with great Humanity, as well by the Magiftrates of the Town, who affign'd us good Quarters, as by particular Mer- chants and Owners of Ships, and had Money*gi- ven us fufficient to carry us either to London, or back to Hull, as we thought fit.

Had I now had the Senfe to have gone back to Hull, and have gone home, I had been happy, and my Father, an Embleme of our blefled Saviour's Pa- rable, had even kill'd the fatted Calf for me ; for hearing the Ship 1 went away in, was call away in Yarmouth Road, it was a great while before he had any Affurance that I was not drown'd.

But my ill Fate pufh'd me on now with an Ob- ftinacy that nothing could reiift ; and tho* I had fe- veral times loud Calls from myReafon and my mgre compofed Judgment to go home, yet I had

no

C I?]

ho Power to do it. I know not what to call this, nor will I urge, that it is a fecret over-ruling Decree that hurries us on to be the Inftruments of our pwn Deftru&ion, even the*' it be before us, and that we pufli upon it with our Eyes open. Certainly no- thing but fome fuch decreed unavoidable Mifery attending, and which it was impofTiblle for me to efcape, could have pufh'd me forward againfl the calm Reafonings and Perfuafions of my moft re- tired Thoughts, and againft two fuch vifible In- ftruftions as I had met with it my firft Attempt.

My Comrade, who hadhelp'd to harden me be- fore, and who was the Mafter's Son, was now left forward than I ; the firft time he fpoke to me after we were at Yarmouth, which was not till two or three Days, for we were feparated in the Town to feveral Quarters ; I fay, the firft time he faw me, it appeared his Tone was altered, and looking very melancholy, and fhaking his Head, askMmehow I did, and telling his Father who I was, and how' I had come this Voyage only for a Trial, in order to go farther abroad ,* his Father turning to me with a very grave and concernM Tone, Toung Man> fays he, you ought never to go to Sea any more, you ought to take this for a plain and vifible 'Token that you are net to be a Seafaring Man. Why, Sir, faid I, will you go to Sea no more ? That is another Cafe; faid he, it is my Calling, and therefore my Duty ; but as you made this Voyage for a Tryal,youfee what a Tafie Heaven has given you of what you are to expeEl if you perffl ; perhaps this is all befallen us on your Account, like Jonah in the Ship of Tarlhifh. Pray, continues he, what are you ? And on what Account did you go to Sea ? Upon that I told him fome of my Story ; at the End of which he burft out with a ftrange kind of Paffion, What had I done, fays he, that fuch an unhappy Wretch fhould come into my Ship; I would notfet my Foot in

the

[ 16 ]

the fame Ship with thee again for a thoufand Pounds. This indeed was, as I faid, an Excurfiotl of his Spirits which were yet agitated by the Senfe of his Lofs, and was farther than he could have Authority to go. However he afterwards talk'd very gra,vly to me exhorted me to go back to my Fa- ther, and not tempt Providence to my Ruin ; told me I might fee a vifible Hand of Heaven againft me, And young Man, faid he, depend upon it, if you do not go back, where- ever you go, you will meet with no- thing but Dif afters and Di f appointments > till your Father s Words are fulfilled upon you.

. We parted foon after; for I made him little Anfwer, and I faw him no more; which way he went, I know not. As for me, having fome Mo- ney in my Pocket, I travelled to London by Land ; and there, as well as on the Road, had many Strug- gles with my felf, what Courfe of Life I fliould take, and whether I fliould go Home, or go to Sea.

As to going Home, Shame oppofed the bed Motions that offered to my Thoughts ; and it im- mediately occurred to me how I fliould be laugh *d at among the Neighbours, and fliould be afhamM to fee, not my Father and Mother only, but even every Body elfe ; from whence I have fince often obferved, how incongruous and irrational the com- mon Temper of Mankind is, efpecially of Youth, to that Reafon which ought to guide them in fuch Cafes, viz,. That they are afliam'd to fin, and yet are aftiam'd to repent ; not afham'd of the Acti- on for which they ought juftly to be efteemed Fools, but are afliam'd of the returning, which only can make them be efteem'd wife Men.

In this State of Life, however, I remained fome time, uncertain what Meafures to take, and what Courfe of Life to lead. An irreliftible Reluctance continued to going Home ; and as I ftay'd a while,

the

t i?l

the Remembrance of the Diftrefs I had bedh xtl wore off ; and as that abated, the little Motion I had m my Defires to a Return wore off with it, till at laft I quite laid afide the Thoughts of it, and look'd out for a Voyage.

That evil Influence which carried me firft away from my Father's Houfe, that hurried me into the wild and indigefted Notion of raifing my Fortune > and that impreft thofe Conceits fo forciby upon me, as to make me deaf to all good Advice, and to the Entreaties, and even Command of my Fa- ther t I fay, the fame Influence, whatever it was* prefented the mod unfortunate of all Enterprizes to my View ; and I went on Board a Veflel bound to the Coaft of Africa ; or as our Sailors vulgarly call it, a Voyage to Guiney*

It was my great Misfortune that in all thefe Adventures I did not fliip my felf as a Sailor ; whereby, tho> indeed I might have work'd a little harder than ordinary, yet at the fame time I had learn'd the Duty and Office of a Fore-maft Man ; and in time might have qualify M my felf for a Mate or Lieutenant, if not for a Mafter. But as it was always my Fate to choofe for the worfe* fo I did here ; for having Money in my Pocket, and good Cloaths upon my Back, I would always go on Board in the Habit of a Gentleman ; and fo 1 neither had any Bufinefs in the Ship, or learn 'd to do any.

It was my Lot firft of all to fall into pretty good Company in London, which does not always hap- pen to (uch loofe and unguided young Fellows as I then was ; the Devil generally not omitting to lay fome Snare for them very early : But it was not fo with me, I firft jfcU acquainted with the Mafter of a Ship who had been on the Coaft of Guiney ; and who having had vety good Succefs there, was re-

C folved

[i8]

foWed to go again ; and who taking a Fancy td my Converfation, which was not at all difagreeable at that time, hearing me fay I had a mind to fee the World, told me, if I woird go the Voyage with him I fhould be at no Expence,- I fhould be his Mefs-mate and his Companion, and it I could car- ry any Thing with me, I fhould have all the Ad- vantage of it that the Trade would admit ; and perhaps I might meet with fome Encouragement.

I embrace! the Offer, and entring into a ftri<5fc Friendfhip with this Captain, who was an honeft and plain-dealing Man, I went the Voyage with him, and carried a fmall Adventure with me, which by the difinterefted Honefty of my Friend the Cap- tain, I increafed very considerably ; fori carried a- bout 40/. in fuch Toys and Trifles as the Captain direfted me to buy. This 40 /. I had muftered to- gether by the Ailiftance of fome of my Relations whom I correfponded with, and who, I believe, got my Father, or at leaft my Mother, to contri- bute fo much as that to my firft Adventure.

This was the only Voyage which I may fay was fuccefsful in all my Adventures, and which I owe to the Integrity and Honefiy of my Friend the Cap- tain, under whom aifo I got a competent Know- ledge of the Mathematicks and the Rules of Na- vigation, learn 'd how to keep an Account of the Ship's Courfe, take an Obfervation ; and in fhort* to underftand fome Things that were needful to be underflood by a Sailor : For, as he took Delight to introduce me, I took Delight to learn ; and, in a Word, this Voyage made me both a Sailor and a Merchant: For I brought Home £. 5. 9 Ounces of Gold Dud for my Adventure, which yielded me in London, at my Return, almoft 300 /. and this fillM me with thofe afpiring Thoughts which have fince fo compleated my Ruin.

Yet

r i9i

Yet even in this Voyage I had my Misfortunes too ; particularly, that I was continually fick, be- ing thrown into a violent Calenture by the exceffivc Heat of the Ciimate ; our principal Trading being upon the Coaft, from the Latitude of 1 5 Degrees* North even to the Line it felf.

I was now fet up for a Guiney Trader ; and my friend, to my great Misfortune, dying foon after his Arrival, I refolv'd to go the fame Voyage again^ and I embark'd in the fame Veffel with one who was his Mate in the former Voyage, and had now got the Command of the Ship. This was the unhap- pieft Voyage that ever Man made ; for tho' I did not carry quite 100 /. of my new gained Wealth* fo that I had 200/. left, and which I lodg'd with my Friend's Widow, who was very juft to me, yet I fell into terrible Misfortunes in this Voyage ; and the firft was this, viz,. Our Ship making her Courfe towards the Canary Ifiands, or rather between thofe Iflands and the u4jrkan Shore, was furprized in the Grey of the Morning, by a lurkijh Rover otSalleei who gave Chafe to us with all the Sail flie could make. We crowded alfo as much Canvafs as our Yards would fpread, or our Mafts carry, to have got clear ; but finding the Pirate gain 'd upon us, and would certainly come up with us in a few Hours, we prepaid to fight ; our Ship having iz Guns, and the Rogue 18. About three in the Af- ternoon he came up with us, and bringing too by Mift^ke, juft athwart our Quarter, inftead of a- thwart our Stern, as he intended, we brought 8 of our Guns to bear on that Side, and pour'd in a Broadfide upon him, which made him fheer off a- gain, after returning our Fire, and pouring in alfo his fmall Shot from near 200 Men which he had on Board. However, we had not a Man touch 'd, all our Men keeping clofe. He prepaid to attack us

G 2 again

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again, and we to defend our felves ; but laying u$ en Board the next time upon our other Quarter* he entered fixty Men upon our Decks, who imme- diately fell to cutting and hacking the Decks and Rigging. We ply'd them with Small-fhot, Half- Pikes, Powder-Chefts, and fuch like, and cleared our Deck of them twice. However, to cut fliort this melancholy Part of our Story, our Ship being difabled, and three of our Men kill'd, and eighc wounded, we were obliged to yield, and were car- ry }d all Prifoners into Sallee^ a Port belonging to the Moors.

The Ufage I had there was not fo dreadful as at firft I apprehended, nor was I carried up the Coun- try to the Emperor's Court, as the reft of our Men were, but was kept by the Captain of the Rover, i as his proper Prize, and made his Slave, being young and nimble, and fit for his Bufinefs. At this iurprizing Change of my Circumftances from a Merchant to a miferable Slave, I was perfectly o- vcr whelmed ; and now I looked back upon my Fa- ther's prophetick Difcourfe to me, that I (hould be miferable, and have none to relieve me, which I thought was now foefre&ually brought to pafs, that it could not be worfe; that now the Hand of Hea- ven had overtaken me, and I was undone without Redemption. But alafs 1 this was but a Tafte of the Mifery I was to go thro', as will appear in the Sequel of this Story.

As my new Patron or Mafler had taken me JJome to his Houfe, fo I was in Hopes that he would take me with him when he went to Sea again, believ- ing that it would fome time or other be his Fate to be taken by a Spanijh or Portugal Man of War ; and that then 1 fliould be fet at Liberty. But this Hope of mine was foon taken away ; for when lie went to Sea, he left me on Shore to look after his

little

£** 3

little Garden, and do the common Drudgery of Slaves about his Houfe ; and when he came Home again from his Cruife, he order 'd me to lie in the Cabin to