courage; I have hopes for you; be but men and we shall see
better days yet." I wondered to what this preface tended, when he told
us that since his return from the captain, as he spoke good Portuguese
and had sailed on board Portuguese traders several years, he mixed among
that people, and particularly among the crew of the "Del Cruz," the ship
which had taken them; that that ship had partly unloaded, and was taking
in other goods for a future voyage; that he had informed himself of
their strength, and that very seldom more than three men and two boys
lay on board; that he had hired himself to the captain, and was to go
on board the very next day. "Now," says he, "my lads, if you can break
prison any night after to-morrow, and come directly to the ship (telling
them how she lay, for, says he, you cannot mistake, you will find two
or three boats moored in the gut against the church), I will be ready to
receive you, and we will get off with her in lieu of our ship they have
taken from us, for there is nothing ready to follow us."

The prisoners listened to this discourse very attentively; but scratched
their heads, fearing the difficulty of it, and severer usage if they
miscarried, and made several objections; but at last they all swore to
attempt it the night but one following. Upon which the sailor went away
to prepare for their reception on board. After he was gone, I surveyed
his scheme attentively in my own mind, and found it not so difficult as
I first imagined, if the prisoners could but escape cleverly. So before
I went away I told them I approved of their purpose; and as I was their
countryman, I was resolved, with their leaves, to risk my fortune with
them. At this they seemed much pleased, and all embraced me. We then
fixed the peremptory night, and I was to wait at the water-side and get
the boats in readiness.

The prison they were in was a Portuguese fort, which had been deserted
ever since the building a much better on the other side of the river, a
gunshot lower. It was built with walls too thick for naked men to storm;
the captives were securely locked up every night; and two soldiers,
or sentinels, kept watch in an outer-room, who were relieved from the
main-guard in the body of the building.

The expected night arrived, and a little before midnight, as had been
concerted, one of the prisoners cried out he was so parched up he was on
fire, he was on fire! The sentinels were both asleep, but the first th