, and
perceived a party of forty or fifty men, who were sitting by a large
fire, and emptying with great rapidity one of my pipes of wine.

As soon as they observed that I was coming to my senses, they poured
some wine down my throat, which restored me. I was then desired by one
of them, who seemed to be the chief, to approach.

"The men who have been saved from the wreck," said he, "have told me
strange stories of your enormous crimes--now, sit down, and tell me the
truth--if I believe you, you shall have justice--I am cadi here--if you
wish to know where you are, it is upon the island of Ischia--if you wish
to know in what company, it is in the society of those who by illiberal
people are called pirates: now tell the truth."

I thought that with pirates my story would be received better than with
other people, and I therefore narrated my history to them, in the same
words that I now have to your highness. When I had finished, the
captain of the gang observed:--

"Well, then, as you acknowledge to have killed a slave, to have assisted
at the death of a Jew, and to have drowned an aga, you certainly deserve
death; but, on consideration of the excellence of the wine, and the
secret which you have imparted to us, I shall commute your sentence. As
for the captain and the remainder of the crew, they have been guilty of
treachery and piracy on the high seas--a most heinous offence, which
deserves instant death: but as it is by their means that we have been
put in possession of the wine, I shall be lenient. I therefore sentence
you all to hard labour for life. You shall be sold as slaves in Cairo,
and we will pocket the money and drink your wine."

The pirates loudly applauded the justice of a decision by which they
benefited, and all appeal on our parts was useless. When the weather
became more settled, we were put on board one of their small xebeques,
and on our arrival at this port were exposed for sale and purchased.

Such, pacha, is the history which induced me to make use of the
expressions which you wished to be explained; and I hope you will allow
that I have been more unfortunate than guilty, as on every occasion in
which I took away the life of another, I had only to choose between that
and my own.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Well, it is rather a curious story," observed the pacha, "but still, if
it were not for my promise, I certainly would have your hea