Page:The Strange Voyage and Adventures of Domingo Gonsales, to the World in the Moon.djvu/24

18 out according to my Expectation; the People in the Ship wondered what I was doing, none being acquainted with the use of my Birds but the Captain, Diego being in the other Ship which tied away unpursued; we were about half a League from Land, when our Carrick struck upon a Rock, and split to Pieces, upon which I let loose the Reins to my Birds, having first placed myself upon the Top of the Deck, and with the Shock they all arose carrying me fortunately to the Land, of which you need not doubt but I was very joyful, though it was a miserable Sight to behold my Friends and Acquaintance in that woful Distress, of whom yet many escaped better than they expected, for the English launching out their Cockboats, discovered more generous Tempers than we are pleased to allow them, taking Companion of their Calamity, and endeavouring with all Diligence to save them from the Fury of the Waves, though with much Danger to themselves; among others they took up our Captain, who, as Father Pacio since told me, having put himself with twelve others into the Cock-boat, was forced to yield to one Captain Raymund, who carried him and our Pilot along with them in their Voyage to the East-Indies, whither they were bound, but it was their hard Fate, by a Breach of the Sea near Cape Buona Esperanca, to be swallowed of the merciless Waves, whose Rage they awhile before had so hardly escaped; the rest as I likewise heard, who were about twenty fix Perons they took into their Ship, and let them on Land at Cape Verde.

As for myself, being now ashore in an Island inhabited by Spaniards, I reckoned I was safe, but found myself mistaken, for it was my hap to pitch upon that Part of the Isle where the Pike begins to rise, which is inhabited by a Savage People