He Said He Was Sure If I Wrote Such A Letter, They
Durst Not Disobey Me.
When I told him plainly I would write no such
letter, he urged me again, threatening to cut off my head if I refused.
I bade him do so, in which he would give me pleasure, being weary of my
life.
He then asked what money we had in the ship, and what store of
victuals and water? I said we had but little money, being only for
purchasing victuals, not merchandize, and that we had enough of victuals
and water for two years, which he would not believe.
[Footnote 326: Besides these, twenty more were treacherously betrayed at
Aden, having leave given them to go onshore for business. - Purch.]
I was now taken out of my chain and collar, having a large pair of
fetters put upon my legs, with manacles on my wrists; and being
separated from the rest of my company, I was bestowed all that day in a
dirty dog-kennel under a stair; but at night, at the entreaty of
Shermall, consul of the Banians, I was taken to a better room, and
allowed to have one of my men along with me who spoke Turkish; yet my
bed was the hard ground, a stone my pillow, and my company to keep me
awake were grief of heart and a multitude of rats. About midnight came
the lieutenant of the aga with the trugman,[327] entreating me to
write a letter on board to enquire how many Turks they had prisoners,
and what were their names; but in no case to write any thing of the loss
of our men, and the hard usage we had met with; but to say we were
detained in the aga's house till orders came from the pacha, and that we
wanted for nothing.
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