while the vessel sailed on with a fair wind a different
way; so that they could not overtake me without tacking:
but even before that could be done I should have been
on shore, which I soon reached, with many thanks to
God for this unexpected deliverance. I then went
and told the other owner, who lived near that shore
(with whom I had agreed for my passage) of the usage
I had met with. He was very much astonished,
and appeared very sorry for it. After treating
me with kindness, he gave me some refreshment, and
three heads of roasted Indian corn, for a voyage of
about eighteen miles south, to look for another vessel.
He then directed me to an Indian chief of a district,
who was also the Musquito admiral, and had once been
at our dwelling; after which I set off with the canoe
across a large lagoon alone (for I could not get any
one to assist me), though I was much jaded, and had
pains in my bowels, by means of the rope I had hung
by the night before. I was therefore at different
times unable to manage the canoe, for the paddling
was very laborious. However, a little before dark
I got to my destined place, where some of the Indians
knew me, and received me kindly. I asked for
the admiral; and they conducted me to his dwelling.
He was glad to see me, and refreshed me with such things
as the place afforded; and I had a hammock to sleep
in. They acted towards me more like Christians
than those whites I was amongst the last night, though
they had been baptized. I told the admiral I wanted
to go to the next port to get a vessel to carry me
to Jamaica; and requested him to send the canoe back
which I then had, for which I was to pay him.
He agreed with me, and sent five able Indians with
a large canoe to carry my things to my intended place,
about fifty miles; and we set off the next morning.
When we got out of the lagoon and went along shore,
the sea was so high that the canoe was oftentimes very
near being filled with water. We were obliged
to go ashore and drag across different necks of land;
we were also two nights in the swamps, which swarmed
with musquito flies, and they proved troublesome to
us. This tiresome journey of land and water ended,
however, on the third day, to my great joy; and I
got on board of a sloop commanded by one Captain Jenning.
She was then partly loaded, and he told me he was
expecting daily to sail for Jamaica; and having agreed
with me to work my passage, I went to work accordingly.
I was not many days on board before we sailed; but
to my sorrow and disappointment, though used to such
tricks, we went to the southward along the Musquito
shore, instead of steering for Jamaica. I was
compelled to assist in cutting a great deal of mahogany
wood on the shore as we coasted along it, and load
the vessel with it, before she sailed. This fretted
me much; but, as I did not know how to help myself
among these deceivers, I thought patience was the
only remedy I had left, and even that was forced.
There was much hard work and little victuals on board,