e, "there's your ship; for she is all yours, and so are
we, and all that belong to her." I cast my eyes to the ship, and there
she rode, within little more than half a mile of the shore; for they had
weighed her anchor as soon as they were masters of her, and, the weather
being fair, had brought her to an anchor just against the mouth of the
little creek; and the tide being up, the captain had brought the pinnace
in near the place where I had first landed my rafts, and so landed just
at my door. I was at first ready to sink down with the surprise; for I
saw my deliverance, indeed, visibly put into my hands, all things easy,
and a large ship just ready to carry me away whither I pleased to go. At
first, for some time, I was not able to answer him one word; but as he
had taken me in his arms I held fast by him, or I should have fallen to
the ground. He perceived the surprise, and immediately pulled a bottle
out of his pocket and gave me a dram of cordial, which he had brought on
purpose for me. After I had drunk it, I sat down upon the ground; and
though it brought me to myself, yet it was a good while before I could
speak a word to him. All this time the poor man was in as great an
ecstasy as I, only not under any surprise as I was; and he said a
thousand kind and tender things to me, to compose and bring me to myself;
but such was the flood of joy in my breast, that it put all my spirits
into confusion: at last it broke out into tears, and in a little while
after I recovered my speech; I then took my turn, and embraced him as my
deliverer, and we rejoiced together. I told him I looked upon him as a
man sent by Heaven to deliver me, and that the whole transaction seemed
to be a chain of wonders; that such things as these were the testimonies
we had of a secret hand of Providence governing the world, and an
evidence that the eye of an infinite Power could search into the remotest
corner of the world, and send help to the miserable whenever He pleased.
I forgot not to lift up my heart in thankfulness to Heaven; and what
heart could forbear to bless Him, who had not only in a miraculous manner
provided for me in such a wilderness, and in such a desolate condition,
but from whom every deliverance must always be acknowledged to proceed.

When we had talked a while, the captain told me he had brought me some
little refreshment, such as the ship afforded, and such as the wretches
that had been so long his masters had not p