ount, that the fellow who had run away with the
ship, sold her at Bengal to a set of pirates, which were gone a-cruising
in her; and that they had already taken an English ship, and two Dutch
ships, very richly laden.

This latter part we found to concern us directly; and though we knew it
to be false, yet, as my partner said very well, if we had fallen into
their hands, and they had such a prepossession against us beforehand, it
had been in vain for us to have defended ourselves, or to hope for any
good quarters at their hands; especially considering that our accusers
had been our judges, and that we could have expected nothing from them
but what rage would have dictated, and ungoverned passion have executed;
and therefore it was his opinion, we should go directly back to Bengal,
from whence we came, without putting in at any port whatever; because
there we could give an account of ourselves, and could prove where we
were when the ship put in, whom we bought her of, and the like; and,
which was more than all the rest, if we were put to the necessity of
bringing it before the proper judges, we should be sure to have some
justice; and not be hanged first, and judged afterwards.

I was some time of my partner's opinion; but after a little more serious
thinking, I told him, I thought it was a very great hazard for us to
attempt returning to Bengal, for that we were on the wrong side of the
Straits of Malacca; and that if the alarm was given, we should be sure
to be waylaid on every side, as well by the Dutch of Batavia, as the
English elsewhere; that if we should be taken, as it were, running away,
we should even condemn ourselves, and there would want no more evidence
to destroy us. I also asked the English sailor's opinion, who said, he
was of my mind, and that we should certainly be taken.

This danger a little startled my partner, and all the ship's company;
and we immediately resolved to go away to the coast of Tonquin, and so
on to China; and from thence pursuing the first design, as to trade,
find some way or other to dispose of the ship, and come back in some of
the vessels of the country, such as we could get. This was approved of
as the best method for our security; and accordingly we steered away
N.N.E. keeping above fifty leagues off from the usual course to
the eastward.

This, however, put us to some inconvenience; for first the winds when we
came to that distance from the shore, seemed to be more steadily