_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_.