[The Author after a year sees his Countreymen.] But to return unto my self.  It was a full year after my Father died, before I had sight of any of my Countreymen and Fellow Prisoners.  Then John Gregory with much ado obtained leave to come and see me:  which did exceedingly rejoyce me.  For a great Satisfaction it was, both to see a Countreyman, and also to hear of the welfare of the rest.  But he could not be permitted to stay with me above one day.  Until then, I knew not punctually where the rest of my Countreymen were, but having heard that they were within a days Journey of me, I never ceased importuning the People of the Town where I dwelt, to let me go and see them.  Which tho very loath, yet at last they granted.  Being arrived at the nearest English man’s House, I was joyfully received, and the next day he went and called some of the rest of our Countreymen that were near.  So that there were some seven or eight of us met together.

[Their Conference and Entertainment.] We gave God thanks for his great Mercies towards us, being then, as we did confess, in a far better Condition than we could have expected.  They were now no more like the Prisoners I left them, but were become House keepers, and Knitters of Caps and had changed their Habit from Breeches to Clouts like the Chingulays.  They entertained me with very good chear in their Houses beyond what I did expect.

[He consults with his Countreymen for a future livelyhood.] My Money at the same time almost gone, and Cloaths in the same condition, it was high time for me now to take some course in hand to get more.  Therefore I took some advice with them about Knitting, my Boy having Skill therein.  Likewise they advised me to take my Victuals raw, wherein they found great Profit.  For all this while here being no signs of releasing us, it concerned me now to bethink my self how I should live for the future.  For neither had I, any more than my Countreymen, any allowance for Cloths, but Victuals only.

Having stayed here some two or three days, we did take leave of one another, hoping to see one another oftner, since we knew each others Habitations:  and I departed to my House, having a Keeper with me.

[The difficulty he met with of having raw Rice.] By this time I began to speak the Language of the Countrey.  Whereby I was inabled the better to speak my mind unto the People that brought me my Victuals.  Which Was henceforward not to boil my Rice, but to bring it raw according to the quantity that the other English men had.  This occasioned a great deal of disputing and reasoning between us.  They alledged, That I was not as they, being the Captain’s Son, and they but his Servants, and therefore that it was ordered by the great Men at Court, that my Victuals should be daily brought unto me, whereas they went always from house to house for theirs:  Neither was it fitting for me, they said, to imploy my self in such an Inferior Office as to dress my own Meat, being a Man that the King had notice of by Name, and very suddenly before I should be aware of it, would send for me into the Presence, where I should be highly promoted to some Place of Honour.  In the mean time, they told me, as pretending to give me good counsel, That it was more for my credit and repute to have my Provisions brought unto me ready Dressed as they were before.