Page:Life, strange voyages, and uncommon adventures of Ambrose Gwinett.pdf/20

20 senseless on the floor, overgorged with this infernal liquor, I did every thing I could to recover him, and so far succeeded as to bring him to his senses; but the quantity he had drunk had inflamed his bowels to a degree not to be asswaged by no lenitives, that was in my power to procure him. He was seized with intermitting convulsions, which, the next day, carried him off; but about four hours before he died, he called to me, in presence of all the men, who stood about him, in the cabin, and desiring me to sit down with pen and ink, to draw his will, he left me sole heir to his share of the booty, signing the paper with his mark; which paper through a series of unheard-of misfortunes, I have preserved in my custody ever since.

We buried the captain the next day; and, on inspection and partition of the treasure, I found myself worth considerably more than forty thousand pounds Sterling. The persons now remaining of our company were, Joseph Wright, Andrew Van Hooten, a Dutchman, James Winter, and myself, the four principals, besides four common men, to whom we assigned five thousand pounds a-piece, which we gave to each of them in dollars: nor did I observe any discontent among them on account of the bequest the captain had made to me.

All my thoughts were immediately bent on getting off the island to some of the English settlements. I plainly perceived, that my companions wanted to be again at their old practices: but one day talking upon the subject of another cruize, I represented to them the danger and uncomfortable situation we were all in; that we had each of us a very ample fortune to support us in any part of the world; it was, therefore, my advice, that we should