d had the management of all
the goods in the three ships. Ambar is a negro, born in _Habash_, and
perhaps cost his master fifteen or twenty dollars; but now never goes
out of doors without great troops of followers, like some great
lord.[337]

[Footnote 337: We have here omitted the enumeration of many merchant
ships that arrived from various places, and of a caravan of merchants
from Damascus, Sues, and Mecca, to make purchases from these ships of
India commodities.--E.]

The 11th, the aga and all the chief men of the town rode out at
day-break to make merry at his garden-house, which gave me a fair
opportunity of putting in practice what I had long projected, for Hamet
aga and others had told me the pacha would not perform his promise
unless for fear. I wrote, therefore, to Mr Pemberton, saying that I
meant this day to make my escape on board, and that I would have myself
conveyed to the boat in an empty cask; and desired, therefore, that he
would send the boat in all speed manned with choice hands, and that he
would send me some wine and spirits to make my keepers drunk, all which
he punctually performed. Before I told Mr Femell of my intentions, I
made him swear to be secret, and not to endeavour to persuade me from my
intentions. I then gave him notice of what I meant to do, and that, if
he and others would walk down to a certain place at the sea-side, I
would not fail to take him and the rest in. I also told him that the
carpenters were appointed to embark themselves at another place, where a
boat lay on the beach, south from the town, with a mast and sail ready
for the purpose, but were not to push off till they saw the Darling's
boat away from the jetty.

All things fell out well for my purpose. The _subasha_, who was our
guardian, and left in town only to look after me, fell to hard drinking
at a _rack_ house. The boat being come, and my keepers all drunk, the
subasha came home to our house about noon. I then sent away the
carpenters, two and two only together to avoid suspicion, as if to walk,
with orders to shift for themselves in the appointed boat. Mr Femell,
and those others I was to take in to leeward of the town, I ordered
likewise to walk by twos at the shore, and to wait my coming for them.
Having given all these directions, I was put into my cask and safely
carried to the boat, on which I gave immediate orders to bear up to
leewards, where I took in Mr Fowler and ten more of our people. Mr
Femell