to take a Greekish Carmosell, which came into Africa
to steale Negroes, and went out of Tripolis vnto that
place, which was two hundred and fourtie leagues thence,
but wee were chained three and three to an oare, and
wee rowed naked aboue the girdle, and the Boteswaine
of the Galley walked abaft the maste, and his Mate
afore the maste, and eche of them a bulls pissell dried
in their handes, and when their diuelish choller rose,
they would strike the Christians for no cause:
and they allowed vs but halfe a pound of bread a man
in a day without any other kinde of sustenance, water
excepted. And when we came to the place whereas
wee saw the Carmosell, we were not suffered to haue
neither needle, bodkin, knife, or any other weapon
about vs, nor at any other time in the night, vpon
paine of one hundred bastonadoes: wee were then
also cruelly manackled in such sort, that we could
not put our handes the length of one foote asunder
the one from the other, and euery night they searched
our chaines three times, to see if they were fast
riueted: Wee continued fight with the Carmosell
three houres, and then wee tooke it, and lost but
two of our men in that fight, but there were slaine
of the Greekes fiue, and foureteene were cruelly hurt,
and they that were sound, were presently made slaues
and chained to the oares: and within fifteene
dayes after we returned againe into Tripolis, and
then wee were put to all maner of slauerie. [Sidenote:
The Turkes builded a church.] I was put to hewe stones,
and other to cary stones, and some to draw the Cart
with earth, and some to make morter, and some to draw
stones, (for at that time the Turkes builded a church:)
And thus we were put to all kinde of slauerie that
was to be done. And in the time of our being
there, the Moores that are the husbandmen of the countrey
rebelled against the king, because he would haue constrained
them to pay greater tribute then heretofore they had
done, so that the Souldiours of Tripolis marched foorth
of the towne to haue ioyned battell against the Moores
for their rebellion, and the King sent with them foure
pieces of Ordinance, which were drawen by the captiues
twenty miles into the Country after them, and at the
sight thereof the Moores fled and then the Captaines
returned backe againe. Then I and certaine Christians
more were sent twelue miles into the countrey with
a Cart to lode timber, and we returned againe the
same day.
[Sidenote: The Christians sent 3. times a weeke 30 miles to fetch wood.] Nowe the king had 18. captiues, which three times a weeke went to fetch wood thirtie miles from the towne: and on a time he appointed me for one of the 18. and wee departed at eight of the clocke in the night, and vpon the way as wee rode vpon the camels, I demaunded of one of our company, who did direct vs the way? he sayd, that there was a Moore in our company which was our guide: and I demavnded of them how Tripolis and the wood bare one of the other? and hee said, East Northeast and