rse
generally south-east, now and then a storm, and some contrary winds; but
my disasters at sea were at an end--my future rubs and cross events were
to befall me on shore, that it might appear the land was as well prepared
to be our scourge as the sea.

Our ship was on a trading voyage, and had a supercargo on board, who was
to direct all her motions after she arrived at the Cape, only being
limited to a certain number of days for stay, by charter-party, at the
several ports she was to go to. This was none of my business, neither
did I meddle with it; my nephew, the captain, and the supercargo
adjusting all those things between them as they thought fit. We stayed
at the Cape no longer than was needful to take in-fresh water, but made
the best of our way for the coast of Coromandel. We were, indeed,
informed that a French man-of-war, of fifty guns, and two large merchant
ships, were gone for the Indies; and as I knew we were at war with
France, I had some apprehensions of them; but they went their own way,
and we heard no more of them.

I shall not pester the reader with a tedious description of places,
journals of our voyage, variations of the compass, latitudes,
trade-winds, &c.; it is enough to name the ports and places which we
touched at, and what occurred to us upon our passages from one to
another. We touched first at the island of Madagascar, where, though the
people are fierce and treacherous, and very well armed with lances and
bows, which they use with inconceivable dexterity, yet we fared very well
with them a while. They treated us very civilly; and for some trifles
which we gave them, such as knives, scissors, &c., they brought us eleven
good fat bullocks, of a middling size, which we took in, partly for fresh
provisions for our present spending, and the rest to salt for the ship's
use.

We were obliged to stay here some time after we had furnished ourselves
with provisions; and I, who was always too curious to look into every
nook of the world wherever I came, went on shore as often as I could. It
was on the east side of the island that we went on shore one evening: and
the people, who, by the way, are very numerous, came thronging about us,
and stood gazing at us at a distance. As we had traded freely with them,
and had been kindly used, we thought ourselves in no danger; but when we
saw the people, we cut three boughs out of a tree, and stuck them up at a
distance from us; which, it seems, is