Page:Life and unparalleled adventures of Ambrose Gwinnett.pdf/18

 18 ADVENTURES OF being rendered almost inaccessible by rocks, except at one little inlet, just large enough to admit a single vessel, they defied the Spanish power. The captain was one Bryan Walsh, an Irishman, whom I cannot help calling a most exeerable and bloody villain, though the Almighty put it into his heart to be a very good friend to me. When I was brought into the ship, and immediately after into the captain's cabin, the first person that accosted me was one of the fellows that broke out of the prison, and had formerly been under my care. He knew me di- rectly; and, without more ado, drawing out his dag- ger, aimed a stroke at me, which, falling on my neck, entered deep into the flesh, and must infallibly have put an end to my life had not the captain prevented it by raising his cane between him and me, and broke) the force of the blow. From that moment, be seemed to take me under his protection. At his own request. I gave him a history of my own life, which asto- nished him greatly; but notwithstanding I pleaded hard to go on shore again, he absolutely refused; and in spite of all my entreaties, brought me to the island and fortification I have already mentioned, where finding I could read and write, two qualifications het wanted himself, he thought I might be of use to him. I have already said that with these people I re- mained nearly four years; on land, I acted as store keeper, and, at sea, as a sort of purser to the ship. I may observe, that there was always a sufficient num- ber of hands left on the island to man the fort, whiel was so situated as effectually to prevent the approael of the enemy. Indeed, the office of storekeeper was a place of great trust. You would hardly credit moes were I to attempt to tell you of the immense richi these robbers had amassed together. One article alone will be sufficient to give you an idea of it. Un der one shed, I counted three thousand eight hundrea Tales of English goods; and I may safely declare that in other merchandise, of almost every kind, there