Page:Adventures of the extravagant wit, or, The English swindler.pdf/14

( 14 ) need brought me a reprieve: when I looked thereon at firſt, I could not believe my own evey: I thought I dreamed, or that grief had ſo diſtracted me, as that I imagined things that were not. My friend at length cleared up my doubts, but I ſhall tell you this for a truth, I knew not whether I had beſt accept of this life preſerving courteſy; for me- thought I had ſo well ſettled my eternal concerns as that I had nothing elſe to do but die

About a fortnight after, I was ſent on board, in order to my tranſportation; my ſentence of death being converted in o a fever years baniſhment.

Soon after being on board, we ſet ſail but had not been our above five days, before our vefſel ſprung a leak; and after applying ourſelves to the pun ps without any manner of ſucceſs, we all committed ourſelves to the mercy of the waves, in the long boat, driving we knew not whether. After being the ſport of the ſea about two days, in the moſt perilous ſituation, we at lenth got fight of a veſſe bound for the Canaries, which with great difficulty fortunately came up with us, and took us on board. Misforture did not yet ſeem tired of purſuing us for the very next night after our deliverance, a moſ terrible ſtorm aroſe, which before morning carried away our bowſprit and mizen, together with the rudder; which rendering her unmanageable, after beating up and down four days and as many nights ſhe at length ſtruck upon ſome prodigious rocks which however not being ſituated far from ſhore, w providentially eſcaped with our lives; and directed our courſe to a ſmall houſe we perceived at a diſtance: the maſter of which (treated us very kindly) was captain of a ſmall veſſel that lay at Perim bana, a ſmall diſtance from where we were ſhipwrecked; who being bound to the Indies, aſked m whether I would go with him, to which I conſented and in a few days we ſet ſail for our intended voy