Page:Life, strange voyages, and uncommon adventures of Ambrose Gwinett.pdf/16

16 We were taken by the Spaniard; and by adventures parallel to your own, you now see me here on my return to our native country; whither, if you will accompany me, I shall think myself extremely happy."

There was nothing now to prevent my going to England; and a ship being to sail for Europe in eight or ten days, in it Mr. Collins and I determined to embark. As soon as we returned home I went to my master, and told him my resolution he did not dissuade me from it, chiefly, I suppose because it gave him an opportunity of getting the little office I held, for a nephew of his, who was lately come to live with him, to whom, the very same day, I delivered up my trust. And here the providence of God was no less remarkable to me than in other particulars of my life; for the very same night, eight or ten pirates, who were in the prison, watched the occasion, while the young man was locking up the wards, to seize him, taking the keys from him, after having left him for dead; and, before the alarm was sufficiently given, five of them made their escape, having, as it was supposed, got off the coast by means of piratical boats, which kept continually hovering about.

It was the 18th day of November, 1712, that, having made all my little preparations, I sent my trunk aboard the Nostra Senora, a merchant ship bound for Cadiz, Michael Deronza master. The vessel was to sail that evening, and lay in the road, three miles from the town. About seven o’clock in the evening, I being then sitting with Signior Gasper, my old friend and master, in the portico to his house, a lad came up, and said the boat had been waiting half an hour for me at the port, and that my companion, Mr. Collins was already on board. I ran to the house for a small bundle, and only