from Spain to the West Indies, and he
stopped them very well, intending to use them for swimming, as those who
are unskilled in that art do a sort of pumpkins in Spain, and in other
places they use empty bladders. Having made this necessary preparation,
he waited for the night when all should be asleep, even the sentry that
guarded him. But seeing he could not escape his vigilance, he secretly
purchased a knife, and with the same gave him a stab that suddenly
deprived him of life and the possibility of making any noise. At that
instant Bartholomew Portugues committed himself to the sea, with those
two earthen jars before mentioned, and by their help and support, though
never having learned to swim, he reached the shore. Having landed,
without any delay he took refuge in the woods, where he hid himself for
three days without daring to appear, not eating any food but wild herbs.

[Illustration]

Those of the city failed not the next day to make diligent search for
him in the woods, where they concluded him to be. This strict search
Bartholomew Portugues watched from the hollow of a tree, wherein he lay
concealed. Seeing them return without finding what they sought for, he
adventured to sally forth towards the coast of Golfotriste, forty
leagues distant from the city of Campeche. Here he arrived within a
fortnight after his escape from the ship, in which time, as also
afterwards, he endured extreme hunger, thirst, and fear of falling again
into the hands of the Spaniards. For during all this journey he had no
provision but a small calabash with a little water: neither did he eat
anything but a few shellfish, which he found among the rocks nigh the
seashore. Besides this, he was compelled to pass some rivers, not
knowing well how to swim. Being in this distress, he found an old board
which the waves had thrown upon the shore, in which there stuck a few
great nails. These he took, and with no small labour whetted against a
stone, until he made them sharp like knives. With these, and no other
instruments, he cut down some branches of trees, which he joined
together with twigs and osiers, and as well as he could made a boat, or
rather a raft, with which he crossed over the rivers. Thus he reached
the Cape of Golfotriste, as was said before, where he happened to find a
certain vessel of pirates who wore great comrades of his own, and were
lately come from Jamaica.

To these pirates he instantly related all his misfortunes, a