nificence, so that
these had along with them all their slaves and attendants, with a large
quantity of vessels of gold and silver, and immense sums of money to
defray their expenses by land; the spoil therefore which they received
from that ship was almost incalculable.

[Illustration: _Captain Avery engaging the Great Mogul's Ship._]

Taking the treasure on board their own ships, and plundering their prize
of every thing valuable, they then allowed her to depart. As soon as the
Mogul received this intelligence, he threatened to send a mighty army to
extirpate the English from all their settlements upon the Indian coast.
The East India Company were greatly alarmed, but found means to calm his
resentment, by promising to search for the robbers, and deliver them
into his hands. The noise which this made over all Europe, gave birth to
the rumors that were circulated concerning Avery's greatness.

In the mean time, our adventurers made the best of their way back to
Madagascar, intending to make that place the deposit of all their
treasure, to build a small fort, and to keep always a few men there for
its protection. Avery, however, disconcerted this plan, and rendered it
altogether unnecessary.

[Illustration: _Captain Avery receiving the three chests of Treasure on
board of his Ship._]

While steering their course, Avery sent a boat to each of the sloops,
requesting that the chiefs would come on board his ship to hold a
conference. They obeyed, and being assembled, he suggested to them the
necessity of securing the property which they had acquired in some safe
place on shore, and observed, that the chief difficulty was to get it
safe on shore; adding that, if either of the sloops should be attacked
alone, they would not be able to make any great resistance, and thus she
must either be sunk or taken with all the property on board. That, for
his part, his ship was so strong, so well manned, and such a
swift-sailing vessel, that he did not think it was possible for any
other ship to take or overcome her. Accordingly, he proposed that all
their treasure should be sealed up in three chests;--that each of the
captains should have keys, and that they should not be opened until all
were present;--that the chests should be then put on board his ship, and
afterwards lodged in some safe place upon land.

This proposal seemed so reasonable, and so much for the common good,
that it was without hesitation agreed to, and all the tr