of it.  In the meantime, we prepared to welcome the foremost boat in the same manner.  While we were doing this, one of the three hindermost boats came up to the relief of that which was disabled, and took the men out of her.  We again called to parley with them; but, instead of an answer, one of the boats came close under our stern; whereupon our gunner let fly his two chase guns, but missing, the men in the boat shouted, and, waving their caps, came on with greater fury.  To repair this seeming disgrace, the gunner soon got ready, and firing a second time, did a great deal of mischief among the enemy.  We waved again, and, bringing our quarter to bear upon them, fired three guns more, when we found the boat a sinking, and several men already in the sea; hereupon, manning our pinnace, I gave orders to save as many as they could, and instantly to come on board, because the rest of their boats were approaching:  accordingly they did so, and took up three of them, one of whom was almost past recovery; and then crowding all the sail we could, after our men came on board, we stood out farther to sea, so that the other three boats gave over the chase, when they came up to the first two.  Thus delivered from imminent danger, we changed our course to the eastward, quite out of the course of all European ships.

Being now at sea, and inquiring more particularly of the two seamen, the meaning of all this, the Dutchman at once let us into the secret.  He told us, that the fellow who sold us the ship was an errant thief, who had run away with her; that the Captain was treacherously murdered on the coast of Molucca by the natives there, with three of his men; that he, the Dutchman, and four more, being obliged to have recourse to the woods for their safety, at length escaped by means of a Dutch ship in its way to China, which had sent their boat on shore for fresh water:  That, after this, he went to Batavia, where two of the seamen belonging to the ship (who had deserted the rest in their travels) arrived, and there gave an account that the fellow who ran away with the ship had sold her at Bengal to a set of pirates, who went a cruising, and had already taken one English and two Dutch ship, richly laden.

Now, tho’ this was absolutely false, my partner truly said, that our deliverance was to be esteemed so much the more, by reason, had we fallen into their hands, we could have expected nothing from them but immediate death, considering our accusers would have been our judges; and, therefore, his opinion was to return directly to Bengal, where, being known, we could prove how honestly we came by the ship, of whom we bought her, and the like, and where we were sure of some justice; at least would not be hanged first, and judged afterwards.  I was at first of my partner’s opinion, but when I had more seriously considered of the matter, I told him, we ran a great hazard in attempting to return, being on the wrong side of the Straits of Molucca and that, if, upon alarm given, we should