登陆注册
5380100000165

第165章 WARNED OF DANGER BY A COUNTRYMAN(3)

It was all one; they crowded after us, and endeavoured to come under our stern, so as to board us on our quarter; upon which, seeing they were resolute for mischief, and depended upon the strength that followed them, I ordered to bring the ship to, so that they lay upon our broadside; when immediately we fired five guns at them, one of which had been levelled so true as to carry away the stern of the hindermost boat, and we then forced them to take down their sail, and to run all to the head of the boat, to keep her from sinking; so she lay by, and had enough of it; but seeing the foremost boat crowd on after us, we made ready to fire at her in particular.While this was doing one of the three boats that followed made up to the boat which we had disabled, to relieve her, and we could see her take out the men.We then called again to the foremost boat, and offered a truce, to parley again, and to know what her business was with us; but had no answer, only she crowded close under our stern.Upon this, our gunner who was a very dexterous fellow ran out his two case-guns, and fired again at her, but the shot missing, the men in the boat shouted, waved their caps, and came on.The gunner, getting quickly ready again, fired among them a second time, one shot of which, though it missed the boat itself, yet fell in among the men, and we could easily see did a great deal of mischief among them.We now wore the ship again, and brought our quarter to bear upon them, and firing three guns more, we found the boat was almost split to pieces; in particular, her rudder and a piece of her stern were shot quite away; so they handed her sail immediately, and were in great disorder.To complete their misfortune, our gunner let fly two guns at them again; where he hit them we could not tell, but we found the boat was sinking, and some of the men already in the water: upon this, I immediately manned out our pinnace, with orders to pick up some of the men if they could, and save them from drowning, and immediately come on board ship with them, because we saw the rest of the boats began to come up.Our men in the pinnace followed their orders, and took up three men, one of whom was just drowning, and it was a good while before we could recover him.As soon as they were on board we crowded all the sail we could make, and stood farther out to the sea; and we found that when the other boats came up to the first, they gave over their chase.

Being thus delivered from a danger which, though I knew not the reason of it, yet seemed to be much greater than I apprehended, I resolved that we should change our course, and not let any one know whither we were going; so we stood out to sea eastward, quite out of the course of all European ships, whether they were bound to China or anywhere else, within the commerce of the European nations.When we were at sea we began to consult with the two seamen, and inquire what the meaning of all this should be; and the Dutchman confirmed the gunner's story about the false sale of the ship and of the murder of the captain, and also how that he, this Dutchman, and four more got into the woods, where they wandered about a great while, till at length he made his escape, and swam off to a Dutch ship, which was sailing near the shore in its way from China.

He then told us that he went to Batavia, where two of the seamen belonging to the ship arrived, having deserted the rest in their travels, and gave an account that the fellow who had run away with the ship, sold her at Bengal to a set of pirates, who 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, though we knew it to be false; yet, as my partner said, very justly, if we had fallen into their hands, and they had had such a prepossession against us beforehand, it had been in vain for us to have defended ourselves, or to hope for any good quarter 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 an ungoverned passion have executed.Therefore it was his opinion we should go directly back to Bengal, from whence we came, without putting in at any port whatever - because where we could give a good account of ourselves, could prove where we were when the ship put in, of whom we bought her, and the like; and what was more than all the rest, if we were put upon the necessity of bringing it before the proper judges, we should be sure to have some justice, and not to be hanged first and judged afterwards.

同类推荐
  • AUTOBIOGRAPHY

    AUTOBIOGRAPHY

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 度大庾岭

    度大庾岭

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Masque of the Red Death

    The Masque of the Red Death

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 百佛名经

    百佛名经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明实录穆宗实录

    明实录穆宗实录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 重生最强男神:叶少,很高冷

    重生最强男神:叶少,很高冷

    【女扮男装】【女强】【爽甜宠~】仙界第一冷仙玉竹上仙一朝重生,成了现代女扮男装小少爷。姓名:叶玉竹,天界第一冷仙,性别女,煞神体质,一个眼神可以召唤天雷。因为一次机遇,她设计重生,成了现代修仙世家书呆子,修炼废物“小少爷”。她只知道,她从来就不是别人惹得起的人!—本来以为会单身一辈子,到头来……或许对的人也不难遇到—‘少年,我对你有兴趣。‘叶玉竹看着这个把自己扑倒的美少年,淡然一笑,一个翻身,反压。(本书QQ读者群1:850946121)【本书远古巨坑,如有雷同,纯属巧合or套路】
  • 仙武大陆

    仙武大陆

    穿越到这个世界,杨木本想做个闲散人员,奈何总是会有不长眼的人打扰。你花两年到这境界?我七天,就可以达到你们引以为傲的境界!炼器还用学的?闭着眼睛练出一把轩辕剑给你看。绝世天才?不过毛毛雨了,都是些没天赋的垃圾。
  • 祖坟青烟(中国好小说)

    祖坟青烟(中国好小说)

    公司老总罗青松携带“寒衫2号”参加林博会招商引资,无人问津,临走前偶遇自己的堂兄弟罗青春市长,二人因为家族的纠葛陷入冷战与对抗。父辈间的矛盾冲突、家族内部的纠纷、关于祖坟冒青烟的传说,也渐渐地浮出了水面。
  • 绝世魂主

    绝世魂主

    洛城,方鲁镇。传说中有一种古魂瞳,奇异而又神奇,世人一直在寻找古魂瞳的存在。七年的时间,他曾是一个受人嘲笑与白眼的瞎子。如今,他重见光明,不再是受人耻笑的瞎子与被人收养的弃儿。七年的黑暗时间,他沉寂,他隐忍,他独自承受黑暗的痛苦。七年后的破茧,练就古魂瞳,成为地位之高的符师,成为族人的领袖...乱世之中的英雄,绝世中的魂主,掀起了一方狂潮...只为俯瞰众人,成为最强者。乱世英雄,儿女情长,情深薄寡,谁是他心中的佳人……
  • 冥囍

    冥囍

    我叫佑生,是云南省玉溪市一家照相馆的老板。说是照相馆,其实也就街边是一间十几平米大的小铺子,还是我跟我一个大学的舍友合伙开的。平时也就是接一些拍证件照,或是打字复印之类的活。
  • 最强至尊全能

    最强至尊全能

    医可妙手救病危,武可铁拳踩宗师,丹可神炉惊四方!至尊剑神叶云灵魂重生世家废物,化身最强天才,将全能进行到底!前世我是至尊,今生,我依旧是至尊!-----叶云
  • 欢畅大领主

    欢畅大领主

    流氓祭祀方凯,带领着一群暴力的兽人,在万古的沙场征战天下!进入奇幻的世界!叙说兽人的传奇!……五百人超级书友交流群;72442088
  • 逃离德黑兰

    逃离德黑兰

    2013年奥斯卡最佳影片《逃离德黑兰》的原著,影片主角原型CIA负责人门德兹的真实讲述。电影的导演本阿弗莱克称赞它是“一个伟大的故事”。这个真实的故事讲述了一个男人的勇气与责任,以及在绝境中看到希望的坚定信心。1979年11月4日,六位美国外交官设法逃出了激进分子围攻的美国大使馆。其余人员遭到扣押,长达444天。六位逃亡者在加拿大使馆留宿了两个多月,直到中央情报局展开冒险营救行动。
  • 云歌大帝

    云歌大帝

    世无国界,亦无疆边,只存那光怪陆离,魑魅魍魉于世间作乱,而妖魔鬼邪则来之人心恶念。圣人曾云:一日无帝,万年难洗平清
  • 感悟

    感悟

    本书是作者在工作中对企业文化的一些思考。作为企业基层领导,作者具有丰富的实践经验,并且不断专研,提高自己的理论水平,用于指导实践。