ity to him, and likewise thanked all the sailors. I
then asked him by what possible accident he came there; but he shook
his head, declining to satisfy my curiosity. Hereupon reflecting that it
might just then be troublesome for him to speak, and that we should
have leisure enough in our voyage for him to relate, and me to hear, his
story (which, from the surprising manner of his falling amongst us, I
could not but believe would contain something very remarkable), I waived
any farther speech with him at that time.

We had him to the ship, and taking off his wet clothes, put him to bed
in my cabin; and I having a large provision of stores on board, and
no concern in the ship, grew very fond of him, and supplied him with
everything he wanted. In our frequent discourses together, he had
several times dropped loose hints of his past transactions, which but
the more inflamed me with impatience to hear the whole of them. About
this time, having just begun to double the Cape, our captain thought of
watering at the first convenient place; and finding the stranger had no
money to pay his passage, and that he had been from England no less than
thirty-five years, despairing of his reward for conducting him thither,
he intimated to him that he must expect to be put on shore to shift for
himself, when we put in for water. This entirely sunk the stranger's
spirits, and gave me great concern, insomuch that I fully resolved, if
the captain should really prove such a brute, to take the payment of his
passage on myself.

As we came nearer to the destined watering, the captain spoke the
plainer of his intentions (for I had not yet hinted my design to him
or any one else); and one morning the stranger came into my cabin, with
tears in his eyes, telling me he verily believed the captain would be
as good as his word, and set him on shore, which he very much dreaded.
I did not choose to tell him immediately what I designed in his favour,
but asked him if he could think of no way of satisfying the captain,
or any one else, who might thereupon be induced to engage for him; and
farther, how he expected to live when he should get to England, a man
quite forgotten and penniless. Hereupon he told me he had, ever since
his being on board, considering his destitute condition, entertained a
thought of having his adventures written; which, as there was something
so uncommon in them, he was sure the world would be glad to know; and he
had flattered him