made of the Exertion's. Almost every man, a pair of canvas trousers; and
my colors cut up and made into belts to carry their money about them. My
jolly boat was on deck, and I was informed, all my rigging was disposed
of. Several of the pirates had on some of my clothes, and the captain
one of my best shirts, a cleaner one, than I had ever seen him have on
before.--He kept at a good distance from me, and forbid my friend
Nickola's speaking to me.--I saw from the companion way in the captain's
cabin my quadrant, spy glass and other things which belonged to us, and
observed by the compass, that the course steered was about west by
south,--distance nearly twenty miles, which brought them up with a
cluster of islands called by some "Cayman Keys." Here they anchored and
caught some fish, (one of which was named _guard fish_) of which we had
a taste. I observed that my friend Mr. Bracket was somewhat dejected,
and asked him in a low voice, what his opinion was with respects to our
fate? He answered, "I cannot tell you, but it appears to me the worst is
to come." I told him that I hoped not, but thought they would give us
our small boat and liberate the prisoners. But mercy even in this shape
was not left-for us. Soon after, saw the captain and officers
whispering for some time in private conference. When over, their boat
was manned under the commond of Bolidar, and went to one of those
Islands or Keys before mentioned. On their return, another conference
took place--whether it was a jury upon our lives we could not tell. I
did not think conscience could be entirely extinguished in the human
breast, or that men could become fiends. In the afternoon, while we knew
not the doom which had been fixed for us, the captain was engaged with
several of his men in gambling, in hopes to get back some of the five
hundred dollars, they said, he lost but a few nights before; which had
made his unusually fractious. A little before sunset he ordered all the
prisoners into the large boat, with a supply of provisions and water,
and to be put on shore. While we were getting into her, one of my fellow
prisoners, a Spaniard, attempted with tears in his eyes to speak to the
captain, but was refused with the answer. "I'll have nothing to say to
any prisoner, go into the boat." In the mean time Nickola said to me,
"My friend, I will give you your book," (being Mr. Colman's Sermons,)
"it is the only thing of yours that is in my possession; I dare not