This We Did, But Durst Not Leave The
Boat, Lest We Had Been Dashed In Pieces On The Rocks.
Next morning we
got her on shore, being brim-full of water, and every thing we had
washed out.
Immediately afterwards, the blacks came and told us we must go to sea
again instantly, if we valued our lives, for we had landed in the
country of the canibals, who, if they saw us, would come and eat us.
They said, nothing could ransom us from them if once taken, and
especially because we were Christians, they would roast us alive, in
revenge for the wrongs the Portuguese had done them. Our blacks added,
if we would not put immediately to sea, they would go and hide
themselves, being sure the canibals would be at the water-side as soon
as it was light. On hearing this, and seeing by the moonlight that the
sea was more calm, the wind having dulled, we pushed off, and having the
tide in our favour, we got quickly a-head, so that by day-light we were
beyond the watches of the canibals; and keeping close to the shore, we
espied the hull of a bark, on nearing which we knew it to be the
Diligence.[312] Coming up to her, I found two Englishmen on board, who
told me they had come there to anchor the same night we had the storm in
the skiff, and anchoring at this place, their cable broke and she drove
on shore, Mr Herniman having gone to the town to get people to assist in
weighing her.
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