be laughed & by my neighbours and acquaint ances. So strange is the nature of youth, who are not ashamed to sin, but yet ashamed to repent; and so far from being ashamed of those actions for which they may be accounted fools, they think it folly to return to their duty, which is the principal mark of wisdom. In short, I travelled up to London, resolving upon a voyage; and a voyage I soon heard of, by my acquaintance with a captain who took a fancy to me, to go to the coast of Guinea. Having some money, and appearing like a gentleman, I went on board, not as a common sailor or foremast-man; nay, the commander agreed I should go that voyage with him without any expense; that I should be his messmate and companion, and that I was welcome to carry any thing with me, and make the best mor chandise I could.

I blessed my happy fortune, and humbly thanked the captain for his offer, and acquainting my friends in Yorkshire, forty pounds were sent me, the greatest part of which, my dear father and mother contributed, with which I bought toys and trifles, as the captain directed me. My captain also taught me navigation, so that I soon knew how to keep an account of the ship's course, and to take an observation, and also became acquainted with several useful branches of the mathematics. And indeed this voyage made me both a sailor and a merchant; for I brought home five pounds nine ounces, Troy weight of gold dust, for my adventure,

which produced, at my return to London, al most three hundred pounds; but in this voyage I was extremely sick, being thrown into a very violent fever through excessive heat, trading upon the coast from the latitude of fifteen degrees north, even to the line itself.

But, alas! my dear friend the captain departed this life soon after his arrival. This was a sensible grief to me; yet I resolved to go. another voyage with his mate, who had now got command of the ship. This proved a very unsuccessful one; for though I did not carry a hundred pounds of my late acquired wealth, (so that I had two hundred pounds left, which I reposed with the Captain's widow, who was an honest gentlewoman,) yet my misfortunes in this voyage were very great. For our ship sailing towards the Canary Islands, we were chased by a Salee rover; and in spite of all the haste we could make, by crowding as much canvas as our yards could spread, or our masts carry, the pirate gained upon us, so that we prepared: ourselves to fight. They had eighteen guns, and we had but twelve. About three in the afternoon, there was a desperate engagement, wherein many were killed and wounded on both sides: but finding ourselves overpowered with numbers, our ship, disabled, and ourselves too impotent to have the least hopes of success, we were forced to surrender; and accordingly we were all carried prisoners into the port of Salee. Our men were sent to the Emperor's court to be sold

there; but the pirate captain taking notice of me, kept me to be his own slave.

In this condition, I thought myself the most miserable creature on earth, and the warning of my father came afresh into my thoughts. However, my condition was better than I thought it to be, as will soon appear. Some hopes, indeed, I had that my new patron would go to sea again, where he might be taken by a Spanish or Portuguese man of war, and then I should be set at liberty. But in this I was mistaken; for he never took me with him, but left me to look after his little garden, and do the drudgery of his house, and when he returned from sea, would make me lie in the cabin, and look after the ship. I had no one that I could communicate my thoughts to, which were continually meditating my escape, No Englishman, Irishman, or Scotchman, in short, no Briton amongst his slaves but myself; and for two years I could see nothing practicable, but only pleased myself with devising plans which I was always obliged to relinquish.

After some length of time, my patron as I found, grew so poor, that he could not fit out his ship as usual; and then he used constantly once or twice a week, if the weather was fair, to go out a fishing, taking me and a young Moorish boy to row the boat; and so much pleased was he with me for my dexterity in catching the fish, that he would often send me with a Moor, who was one of his kinsmen, and the youth before-mentioned, to catch a dish of fish for him.

One morning, as we were fishing, there arose such a thick fog, that we lost sight of the shore; and rowing, we knew not which way, we laboured all the night, and in the morning we found ourselves in the ocean, two leagues from land. However, we attained there at length, and made the greatest haste, because our stomachs were exceedingly sharp and hungry. In order to prevent such disasters for the future, my patron ordered a carpenter to build a little state-room or cabin in the middle of the long boat, with a place behind it to steer and haul home the main sheet, with other conveniencies to keep him from the weather, as also lockers to put in all manner of provisions; with a handsome shoulder-of-mutton sail, gibing over the cabin.

In this, he frequently took us out a fishing; and one time, inviting two or three persons of distinction to go with him, laid in provisions extraordinary: providing also three fusees, with powder and shot, that they might kill some sea fowl along the coast. The next

morning, the boat was made clean, her ancients and pendants out, and every thing ready; but their minds altering, my patron ordered us to go a-fishing, for that his guests would certainly sup with him that night.

And now I began to think of my deliverance indeed. In order to this, I persuaded the Moor to get some provisions on board, and to procure some powder and s hot, pretending to kill sea-curlews, which he innocently and rea

dily agreed to. In short, being provided with all things necessary, we sailed out.

When we had passed the castle, we fell to a fishing; but though I knew there was a bite, I dissembled the matter, in order to put farther out to sea. Accordingly we ran a league farther, when, giving the boy the helm, and pretending to stoop for something. I seized Muley by surprise, and threw him overboard.

As he was an excellent swimmer, he soon arose, and made towards the boat; upon which I took out a fusee, and presented it at him: Muley," said I, "I never yet designed to "do you any harm, and seek nothing now but my freedom. I know you are able enough "to swim to shore, and save your life; but if

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you are resolved to follow me to the endangering of mine, the very moment you "proceed, I will shoot you through the head." The harmless creature, at these words, turned himself from me, and, I make no doubt, got safe to land. Then turning to the boy Xury, I perceived he trembled at the action; but I put him out of all fear, telling him, that if he would be true and faithful to me, I would do well by him, and not hurt him.

We then pursued our voyage, I kept to the southward, to the truly Barbarian coast; but in the dark of the evening I changed my course, that I might keep near the shore; and having a fresh gale of wind, with a very pleasant smooth sea, by three o'clock next day, I was 150 miles beyond the Emperor of Morocco's