worn out with fatigue and pain; I had made up my mind to let the water in and be rid of my life, when I was tossed over and over with such dreadful rapidity as prevented my taking the precaution of keeping out the water.  After three successive rolls of the same kind, I found that the cask, which had been in the surf, had struck on the beach.  In a moment after, I heard voices, and people came up to the cask and rolled me along.  I would not speak, lest they should be frightened and allow me to remain on the beach, where I might again be tossed about by the waves; but as soon as they stopped, I called in a faint voice from the bung-hole, begging them for mercy’s sake to let me out.

At first they appeared alarmed; but, on my repeating my request, and stating that I was the owner of the ship which was off the land, and the captain and crew had mutinied and tossed me overboard, they brought some tools and set me at liberty.

The first sight that met my eyes after I was released, was my vessel lying a wreck; each wave that hurled her further on the beach, breaking her more and more to pieces.  She was already divided amid-ships, and the white foaming surf was covered with pipes of wine, which, as fast as they were cast on shore, were rolled up by the same people who had released me.  I was so worn out, that I fainted where I lay.  When I came to, I found myself in a cave upon a bundle of capotes, and perceived a party of forty or fifty men, who were sitting by a large fire, and emptying with great rapidity one of my pipes of wine.

As soon as they observed that I was coming to my senses, they poured some wine down my throat, which restored me.  I was then desired by one of them, who seemed to be the chief, to approach.

“The men who have been saved from the wreck,” said he, “have told me strange stories of your enormous crimes—­now, sit down, and tell me the truth—­if I believe you, you shall have justice—­I am cadi here—­if you wish to know where you are, it is upon the island of Ischia—­if you wish to know in what company, it is in the society of those who by illiberal people are called pirates:  now tell the truth.”

I thought that with pirates my story would be received better than with other people, and I therefore narrated my history to them, in the same words that I now have to your highness.  When I had finished, the captain of the gang observed:—­

“Well, then, as you acknowledge to have killed a slave, to have assisted at the death of a Jew, and to have drowned an aga, you certainly deserve death; but, on consideration of the excellence of the wine, and the secret which you have imparted to us, I shall commute your sentence.  As for the captain and the remainder of the crew, they have been guilty of treachery and piracy on the high seas—­a most heinous offence, which deserves instant death; but as it is by their means that we have been put in possession of the wine, I shall be lenient.  I therefore sentence you all to hard labour for life.  You shall be sold as slaves in Cairo, and we will pocket the money and drink your wine.”