_He is brought forth into the Market-place, and there put to sale; he is bought by a _Jew_ (a miserable avaricious man) and by a stratagem he delivers himself from that Master, is sold to a _Græcian_, in heart a Christian: the Ship being taken, and his Master drowned, he escaping to shore by swimming, is at his own liberty._
In the morning the Gaoler repairing to us, found two of our miserable companions dead, by reason of their wounds, which were many, and not lookt into. This made him haste to the _Guazil_ or Judge, to acquaint him of what had hapned; who upon information given, came to the prison in person, attended with Officers and other people: where having caused their irons to be struck off, he ordered their bodies to be dragged through the Town, and so cast in the Sea. We that remained were chained altogether, and so led out of prison unto the common place of sale, to be sold to him that should give most. By reason of my strength (which those that lookt on might argue, from the streightness and firmness of my limbs, being elevated by the Pole above a common or middle stature) I was first bought by one, whom at the first sight, I could not well tell whether he was Man or Devil; for his complexion was of the same colour as the Devil is usually rendred: to say all in short, he was a _Jew_. He carried me home to his house, where I no sooner arrived, but he markt me for his own: My employment was constantly to turn a hand-mill; if I rested at any time, though ever so little, the punishment he inflicted on me was, three or four blows on either the belly, or soles of my feet; which were doubled or trebled according as he judged of my offence: my diet was such as only served to keep me alive. In general, he used me so cruelly, that becoming desperate, I once thought it better resolutely to cut the thread of my life, than spin it out longer in so much wretchedness and misery. Revenge too induc’d me to the undertaking of this attempt, as knowing him to be the most covetous wretch living, and therefore would even hang himself when he should lose what he payed for me: but considering my self, I made choice of a better expedient, which was to pretend (what I intended not) to kill my self: I made choice of such a time, when I was sure some one or other was set to watch me; who perceiving that I was about to destroy my self, rusht in and prevented me, and went forthwith to inform my Master of what he had seen; advising him withall to sell me out of hand, otherwise he would infallibly be a loser by me. My Master taking notice of my countenance and behaviour, resolved to put his friends counsel in practise; and so sold me to another, who fortunately proved a Greek, that in shew was _Mahometan_, but cordially a Christian. Once more was I delivered from miseries that are hardly to be endured, and was imbarqued with my new Master in a Ship bound for the _East-Indies_. In the course that we held, we sail’d with so prosperous a gale, that in a very short time we arrived in view of the Fort of _Diu_; but seeing several vessels lying before that Fort, firing against it in an hostile manner we shaped our course to _Goa_, where we arrived in safety. From hence we sayled unto the River _Lugor_: just as we were entring its Mouth, we saw a great _Junk_ coming upon us, which perceiving us to be few in number, and our Vessel but small, fell close with our prow on the Larboard-side, and then those that were in her, threw in to us great Cramp-irons fastned unto two long chains, wherewith they grappled us fast unto them; which they had no sooner done, but incontinently some 70 or 80 _Mahometans_ started out from under the Hatches, that till then had lain lurking there; and pouring out their small-shot upon us, clapt us aboard in an instant. Those that knew what it was to be a slave to the merciless _Turks_, leapt into the Sea, whereof I was one: we were not far from land, so that it was not long before I got safe to shore; it was my Masters misfortune (and truly I think my unhappiness, for he behaved himself to me as to one of his familiar friends) being wounded, and ignorant in swimming, to be entomb’d in the deep. There were some five or six more that escapt the danger of their enemies and the Sea, that wading up to the waste in mud, landed in safety; with these I hid my self in the next adjacent Wood. There was hardly one of us but received some hurt; and being now devested of all hope of help, we could not forbear to unman ourselves by weeping, complaining against our hard destiny, that should in so short a time bring us into so sad a disaster.