but I was
very far from honest.

Indeed, I had no sense of virtue or religion in me, never having heard
much of either, and was growing up apace to be as wicked as anybody
could be.

Thieving, lying, swearing, forswearing, joined to the most abominable
lewdness, was the stated practice of the ship's crew; adding to it that,
with the most insufferable boasts of their own courage, they were,
generally speaking, the most complete cowards that I ever met with. And
I was exactly fitted for their society.

According to the English proverb, he that is shipped with the devil must
sail with the devil; I was among them, and I managed myself as well as I
could.

When we came to anchor on the coast of Madagascar to repair some damage
to the ship, there happened a most desperate mutiny among the men upon
account of a deficiency in their allowance, and I, being full of
mischief in my head, readily joined.

Though I was but a boy, as they called me, yet I prompted the mischief
all I could, and embarked in it so openly that I escaped very little
being hanged in the first and most early part of my life.

For the captain, getting wind of the plot, brought two fellows to
confess the particulars, and presently no less than sixteen men were
seized and put into irons, whereof I was one.

The captain, who was made desperate by his danger, tried us all, and we
were all condemned to die. The gunner and purser were hanged
immediately, and I expected it with the rest. I do not remember any
great concern I was under about it, only that I cried very much; for I
knew little then of this world, and nothing at all of the next.

However, the captain contented himself with executing these two, and
some of the rest, upon their humble submission, were pardoned; but five
were ordered to be set on shore on the island and left there, of which I
was one.

At our first coming into the island we were terrified exceedingly with
the sight of the barbarous people; but when we came to converse with
them awhile, we found they were not cannibals, as was reported, but they
came and sat down by us, and wondered much at our clothes and arms. Nor
did we suffer any harm from them during our whole stay on the island.

Before the ship sailed twenty-three of the crew decided to join us, and
the captain, not unwilling to lose them, sent us two barrels of powder,
and shot and lead, as well as a great bag of bread.

Being now a considerable number, and in conditi