Eben-ezer, or, A small monument of great mercy appearing in the miraculous deliverance of William Okeley, Williams Adams [brace] John Anthony, John Jephs, John ----, carpenter, from the miserable slavery of Algiers, with the wonderful means of their escape in a boat of canvas ... / by me William Okeley.

Eben-ezer, or, A small monument of great mercy appearing in the miraculous deliverance of William Okeley, Williams Adams [brace] John Anthony, John Jephs, John ----, carpenter, from the miserable slavery of Algiers, with the wonderful means of their escape in a boat of canvas ... / by me William Okeley.

Table of contents

Title page

§

Upon this Book, and its Author.

To his Ingenions Friend, Mr. William Okely, upon his Miraculous Deliverance in his Canvas Boat.

A PREFACE To the following NARRATIVE.

A SMALL MONUMENT OF GREAT MERCY.

SECT. I. A Brief Acconnt of thoſe Providences Which led towards our Captivity in Algiers.

SECT. II. The Deſcription of Algiers, with their Manner of Buying, and Selling Slaves.

SECT. III. An Account of ſome Difficulties that I met witb during my Captivity in Algiers.

SECT. IV. How God Provided for our Souls, by ſending us an Able Miniſter to Preach the Goſpel to us in our Bondage.

SECT. V. Some Remarkable Obſervations that I gleaned up, whilſt I remained in Algires.

SECT. VI. The grievous Puniſhment Inflicted upon John Randal; the Authors Danger, and Deliverance from the ſame, upon pretence that they had attempted to make an Eſcape.

SECT VII. The Authors Patron growing poor, he is Sold, or Mortgaged to another; the wonderful kindneſs that he found from his ſecond Patron.

SECT. VIII. The Contrivance for our Eſcape, the Perſons Acquainted with it, and alſo thoſe that were Engaged in it; ſome Debates about leaving my Patron.

SECT. IX. The Model of the Boat, Carrying it out of the City, and beſtowing it in convenient Places.

SECT. X. The putting off our Boat together, the Difficulties we met with therein; and our putting out to Sea, June 30. 1644.

SECT. XI. The great Extremities we Endured at Sea for Six Dayes, and Nights, with the Coincident Providences of God that appeared for us in our Extremities, and our Miraculous Landing at Mayork, July 6. 1644.

SECT. XII. The great kindneſs we received at Mayork from the Vice-Roy, and the Inhabitants of that Iſland and City.

SECT. XIII. The Providences of God which attended us, and Conducted us all ſafe to England.

A Further Narrative of James Deane and others.

§

[Page]

EBEN-EZER: OR, A SMALL MONUMENT OF GREAT MERCY, APPEARING IN THE Miraculous Deliverance OF

William Okeley,

Williams Adams,

John Anthony,

John Jephs,

John—Carpenter,

From the Miſerable Slavery of ALGIERS, with the wonderful Means of their Eſcape in a Boat of Canvas; the great Diſtreſs, and utmoſt Extremities which they endured at Sea for Six Days and Nights; their ſafe Arrival at Mayork; With ſeveral Matters of Remarque during their long Captivity, and the following Providences of God which brought them ſafe to ENGLAND.

By me William Okeley.

The Second Edition, with a Further Narrative of James Deane and others.

London, Printed for Nath. Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultrey, over-againſt Stocks-Market 1684.

§

[Page]

Turks taking the English

Selling ſlaves in Algers

Execution with A batvone

Turks burning of A Frier er

Divers Cruelties

Making the boat & their, Eſcape to Mayork

[Page]

[...]

Upon this Book, and its Author.

[Page]

[Page]

THis Author never was in Print before,

And (let this pleaſe or not) will never more.

If all the Preſs-Oppreſſors of this Age

Would ſo Reſolve, 'twould Happineſs preſage:

He ſhould as ſoon another Voyage take,

As be Oblig'd another Book to make.

His Canvas Boat Eſcaped Seas and Wind,

He fears this Paper-Veſſel will not find

Such gentle Gales, when every Reader hath

Pow'r with a puff to ſink the Writers Faith.

For who ſo Prints a Book, goes off from Shore,

To hazard that which was his own before:

As one poor Pinnace Over-match'd, that fights

With an Armado, ſo doth he who Writes:

If Books (like goodly Merchant-Ships) ſet forth,

Laden with Riches of the greateſt worth;

With Councels, Fathers, Text-men, School-Men Mann'd,

With Sacred Canon Mounted at each Hand;

Are hard beſet, and forc'd to make Defence

Againſt Arm'd Atheiſm, Pride and Impudence.

How can this little Cock-Boat hope and Eſcape,

When Scripture Suffers Piracy and Rape?

Noe's Ark (wherein the World Epitomiz'd,

And Mankind in Octavo was Compriz'd.)

Though in the Deluge 'twas preſerved ſound,

By Infidelity it ſelf lyes drown'd.

That Moſes with a Rod the Sea ſhould Cane,

And Beat the Coward ſtreams into a Plain;

[Page] With the ſame Cane ſhould broach a Flint, and bring

Out of its Fiery Womb a flowing Spring:

That a dry ſtick aſſign'd for Levie's ſhare,

Should Bud, and Bloſſom, and Ripe Almonds bear;

That Sampſon with the Jaw-Bone of an Aſs

(And Atheiſts think Him one that lets it paſs

Without a Scomme) ſhould ſlay a Thouſand Men,

And being weary with the Slaughter; then

The kind Jaw-Bone, that was his Faulchion firſt,

Should turn a Flaggon, and allay his Thirſt.

Theſe Miracles, and all the Sacred ſtore.

Which Faith ſhould graſp, and Piety adore,

Met with Arreſts, Arraignments, and a Doom

More harſh than Tales of Heathen Greece or Rome.

Yet O the Folly of Confounded Man!

Who cannot Truth believe, but Fathers can.

When Truth that cannot Lye, ſhall be bely'd,

Its Pow'r defy`d, and Weakneſs Deify'd:

When our Diſeaſed Appetite ſhall Luſt

For Egyts Leek, or Gibeons Mouldy Cruſt;

Ephraim will feed on Aſhes, and diſdain

The Manna Comfits, and the Candy'd Rain.

An Heaven-born Truth (like poor Mens Infants) may

For lack of God-Fathers, unchriſt'ned ſtay,

And find no Prieſt; when every ſtander by

Will be a Goſſip to a Great Mans Lye.

O Miracle of Love! God-Man was fain

Each Miracle he wrought, to make it twain,

The Fact, and Faith too, elſe the Fact in vain.

There is a Generation alive,

That Live on Lying Miracles and thrive,

There is a Guild of Prieſts will undertake

To make that God who doth all Wonders make:

Can make Him, Bake Him, Break Him, Eat him too,

And with a Thought can All again undo.

Had but ſome Monk this Hiſtory to Dreſs,

He would have made the Iron-Teeth of th' Preſs

[Page]

Turn Edge, and grin, to chew the ſtuff and ſtile;

Compar'd with which, all's Pap in Mandevile.

Had theſe Five Comrades been good Sons of Rome,

Nothing but Miracles had brought them home.

Okely hae been inſpired; Jephs had Seen

An Apron dropt down from Heavens Virgin-Queen

To make a Sail; Carpenter ſhould have pray'd

Saint Joſeph to aſſiſt him at his Trade;

And the next Morn did in the Cellar find

The Keel, Ribbs, Pins; all Model'd to his Mind.

An Holy Sea-Calf in St. Peters Coat,

Had then appear'd, and danc'd before the Boat:

Saint Chriſtopher with a Sweet Babe on's Back,

Had ſtalkt along to ſave from Rock and Wrack:

Saint Nicholas (or in his Shape, Old Nick)

Had with a ſtraw ſteer'd the Boat Catholick.

The Tortoiſe taken napping in the Flood,

Had firſt ſaid Grace, and then become their Food:

Yea, and his Sacred Shell had been preferr'd

To make fine Combs for Wilgefortu Beard.

And who can tell (for now 'tis Thirty Years

Since this ſtrange Expedition from Algiers)

What Uſe the Fryars of Mayork have made

Of the poor Skiff to raiſe their Legend Trade?

But, be it as it will; Buy, or not Buy;

This Book is Proteſtant, and hates a Lye.

The Reader ſhall find in this Breviary

All Pater Noſters, not one Ave Mary.

If Gentleman and Chriſtian may avail,

If Honour and Religion can be bail

For this poor Pilgrims Truth and Faithfulneſs,

It may with Leave and ſafety paſt the Preſs.

Let him who ſcorns to Read, or Reads to Scorn,

And thinks this Story might have been forborn;

Firſt, buy the Book, theu give Security

To do the like; The Book-Seller and I

Will give him Bond, when he Returns to Land,

To pay a Thouſand pounds into his Hand.

[Page]

Mean while this Narative (all plain and True)

Is worth its Shilling to a Turk or Jew;

But to a Chriſtian (were the Story gone)

The Preface is a Penny-worth alone.

The whole hath no Errata's or Miſtakes,

Save what the Printer aud the Poet makes.

To his Ingenions Friend, Mr. William Okely, upon his Miraculous Deliverance in his Canvas Boat.

THY Boat, thy Coffin call; and Greet

The Canvas as thy Winding-Sheet:

From Coffin, Shrowd Delivered,

Call't Reſurrectiod from the Dead!

And ſince thy Life's the Great, thy Lines preſent,

As God's Great Mercies Leſſer Monument.

A PREFACE To the following NARRATIVE.

[Page]

Courteous Reader,

I DO readily agree with thee, that there is no ſort of Writings more lyable to abuſe than this of the Narrative: Lying much at the Mercy of the Compoſer to be Corrupted; and as much in danger to be miſ-improved by the Reader: The Reader therefore I am ſure will demand good Security that he is not impoſed upon in the enſuing Relation, and the Writer craves leave too, to maintain a modeſt Jealouſie, leſt the Reader ſhould miſs the benefit that is deſigned to him in it: The Author will engage, and pawn his Credit not to wrong the Narrative, and he would take ſome care alſo that the Reader may not wrong himſelf.

It is very true, that every Narrator is under a ſtrong Temptation to Seaſon his Diſcourſe to the Guſto of the Time, not impoſing [Page] a ſevere Law upon himſelf, to Report what is true, but accomodating his Story to the Liquoriſh Appetite of others: I have obſerved that ſome Men are aſhamed to Recount mean and humble Matters; if they bring us any thing below Prodigy and Miracle; if they ſtuff not their Farces with Gorgons, Harpies, Centaures, and Enchanted Iſlands, they neither pleaſe themſelves, nor hope to take their Readers by the Heart-ſtrings. Hence it is, that we have ſo many lean, barren Stories, larded with the Additaments of Fruitful Invention, as if they had been Penn'd by the Pattern of Xenophon's Cyrus. Non ad Hiſtoriae fidem, ſed ad juſti Imperii Exemplar: Not for Counter-panes of Truth, but Counterfeits of Fancy: They tell us not what was really done, but what they would have had done, if they might have had the Contrivance of the Scene and Tragedy: They firſt form Idaea's of Ingenious Romances in their own Heads, and then obtrude them upon the World for Hiſtorical Verieties.

Juſt as our Hydrographers in the Delineating of Countries, with one wanton Extravagant Frolick of their Graver can raiſe Mountains, where Nature left us Vallies; and ſink deep Vallies, where God has ſtretch'd out a Champagn; can create Bays, and Creeks, where the Creator made firm Land; and jut out Promontories, and Capes, where there's [Page] nothing in Nature to anſwer them; and to fill up Vacuities (out of pure good Husbandry, that not an inch of Ground may be loſt) preſent us with Flying Fiſhes, Tritons, and Mermaids, which ſpend their hours inter Pectinem & Speculum; and leſt Mare del zur ſhould ſtill be a Deſolate Wilderneſs, have courteouſly ſtock'd it with the Painter's Wifes Iſland, and Terra Incognita; at this rate are we dealt with, by this kind of Men, who love to blow up lank ſttories into huge Bladders, and then put ſomething in them to make them Rattle to pleaſe Children, and yet they are but Bladders ſtill, though ſwelled with the Tympany, and Wind-Cholick.

There are alſo a ſort of Stories, which, by the way of Courteſie, we miſ-call Hiſtories, that ſcorn to give us an account of any thing but dreadful, and terrible Battels, and how one great Man above all the reſt, chopt off Heads and Arms, and cut off ſome ſheer by the Waſte, and with his Trenchant-blade mowed down whole Files of Armed Enemies; the Fields all this while running with ſtreams of Blood, and purple Gore; and all this, with as much confidence, and exactneſs in every Minute Circumſtance, as if, like the Familiar Daemon of Paracelſus, they had been incloſed in the pommel of the General's Sword; or had hover'd, like Victory with her doubtful Wings, over both the Armies, where they [Page] might ſecurely take notes of all that was ſaid or done, in Shelton's Brachygraphy: but from what Principles or Intereſts theſe Warriers were Acted; by what Rules they proceeded, with what Councels and Intrigues, deſigns were managed; and to what Point all theſe Policies ſteered; is as much below their Spirits as above their Abilities, to inform us.

To ſecure the Reader againſt the fear of ſuch Entertainment in this Narrative, let him know, that he ſhall meet with nothing in Fact but what is preciſely true; what of wonderment he may Encounter, was of God's own working, not of Man's inventing; let others make Tragedies to gratifie the Book-ſeller, and cheat the ſimple Buyer; we need not Peter Lillicrap's Eſſex Serpent, nor Livewell Chapman's Greater Monſters, to Aggrandize our Title Page; God's Works need no foyl to ſet them off, the greateſt Beauty of Truth, is its nakedneſs, and Symmetry.

There is a vaſt difference between the moſt elaborate products of Art, and the moſt homely pieces of Nature; for though the former will needs Ape the latter, yet how pitifully does ſhe bungle in the imitation! Look upon the ſubtle Point of the fineſt Needle through a Microſcope, and you will ſoon be ſatisfied that Art is but a Dunce, for the Needle will appear as blunt, and dull as a Drum-ſtick; but come and view one of Gods Handy-works in [Page] the ſame Glaſs, V. G. The ſting of a Bee, and you ſhall ſee it perpetually Acuminated till it ends in ſomething, which the Eye muſt either confeſs to be a Point, or Nothing; The ſame difference we may obſerve between thoſe Romances, which are the Iſſues of fine Wits, and the ſerious, grave Contrivances of Divine Providence; what clumz'd things are the Caſſandra's to one of thoſe pieces of proportion, to be ſeen in God's Government of this lower World! So that it were unpardonable to ſtrive to Recommend the wonderful Providences of God to the Genius of this Age, by a Lye, or to talk deceitfully for him; whatever therefore this Narrative is, yet it's a naked Account of his own workings; and Gold needs no Gilding.

But now the Readers great danger lies in running over ſome of God's Works, and yet not ſeeing God in his Works: Little Children, we ſee, do hugely pleaſe themſelves with the Gilded Covers, and Marbled Leaves of Books, but concern not themſelves, what is within; and if they chance to look a little overly upon the forms and ſhapes of the Letters, yet underſtand not the ſublime matter, that may be coucht in them: Now, to divide the words from the meaning, is morally to Annihilate them, and ſo whilſt they ſee Letters, and Words only, they ſee juſt Nothing: There are a great many ſuch [...], [Page] ſuch Old Children in the World, that gaze upon the ſurface of Gods Works, but never are led by them to admire the Wiſdom, Power, Goodneſs, and Holineſs of God: They deal with the Works of Providence, juſt as they do with the Works of Creation: God has Ingraven his own Name in Legible Characters upon the Heavenly Bodies. The Stars in their ſingle Beauties, their Combined Aſteriſms, their Mutual Aſpects, their Intricate, yet Regular Motions, ſpeak their Author; nay, upon the loweſt Recreations, the Leiſure-ſports of Nature, there is written, Deus fecit. But now the common obſerver, whoſe thoughts are terminated by his Eye, and his Eye with the viſible Heavens, as 'tis beſpangled with glittering things, called Planets, and Stars, loſeth quite their main deſign, which is to conduct and argue our thoughts up to a firſt Cauſe; for they were not ſo much out who cryed up the Muſick of the Sphaeres to be ſo Raviſhing: and we ſhould confeſs it, could we but hear them Sing this Antheme, Glory be to God on High. Can we be ſo Bruitiſh, as once to imagine, that the wiſe God, who creates nothing little, nor for a little end, ſhould create ſuch great, and glorious Bodies only to be the Objects of Ignorant, and Blind Amazement? Surely no; but that by the contemplation of them, we might be led into the Admiration of Him, [Page] whoſe Being, Wiſdom, Power muſt needs be infinitely Glorious, when his very works are excellently ſo: Here then will be the Readers danger, leſt all his Spirits ſhould evaporate in a confuſed Admiration, that a Boat, a little, a Canvas Boat ſhould, like the Ark, convey ſo many Perſons ſo many Leagues ſafe a Shoar, whilſt he miſſes the true intent, and meaning of it, to behold a watchful Providence (as well as the Being of a Deity,) over all Affairs. Now, that he may not ſplit upon this dangerous Rock, but improve the Narrative to his beſt Advantage, I ſhall ſubmiſſively lay before him a few Directions.

1. Sect. Learn from this Narrative to truſt, and in all thy ways to acknowledge God, who by the moſt contemptible means, can effect the moſt conſiderable things. Created Beings, as they cannot act beyond the Sphere of their Activity, ſo neither can they Operate further than the ſuitableneſs of their Inſtruments will enable them; it were ridiculous to attempt to cut down a Forreſt with a Pen-knife, or Lave the Ocean with a Spoon; but if the great God can make the dulleſt Tool to cut, can ſerve himſelf of the most unfit Inſtruments, and accompliſh the most Noble Works with the most Wooden Engines, he will ſure deſerve our greateſt truſt and confidence. As great Princes are attended with a numerous [Page] Train of Servants, more for State, than abſolute Neceſſity; ſo God uſes ſecond cauſes, not becauſe he cannot work without them, but to teach us to admire his ſtrength, in their weakneſs, his All-ſufficiency in their inſufficiency.

The Grand Seignior had heard of the famous Atchievemen of Castriots Scimitar, and was very deſirous to make an Experiment, whether its excellency anſwered the Report; he ſends for it, proves it, it does no Execution; he ſends it back with ſcorn, and indignation, that lying Fame ſhould magnifie a ſorry Ammunition Sword ſo far above its merits, but Scanderbeg, before the Meſſenger's Face, hews in pieces Helmets, Corſlets; Go now (ſaies he) and tell your Maſter, Though I ſent him my Sword, I did not ſend him my Arm; none can work with God's means, that has not God's Arm: Haſt thou an Arm like God? Job 40. 9. Here then the Reader may ſee, (and if he ſees not, he forfeits his Eyes) the ſame God who in an Ark of Bulruſhes preſerved Moſes, and in another Ark ſaved Noah, in a ſmall Canvas Sculler (which was our Ark, though in a leſſer Volume) waft us over the Ocean, and bring us all ſafe to Land: As God is ſeen in the ſmalleſt works of Creation, ſo in the ſmallest Inſtruments of his Providence. The little Fly, or Ant, expreſſes Creative Power, and Omnipotency[Page]in Miniature, as well as the great, Caſtle-bearing Elephant: I have read ſomewhere of a Goldſmith that made a Lock, and Key, and Chain ſo ſmall, and ſubtle, that a Fly would draw them all about a Table, and never be ſtalled; ſurely the Spectator would not praedicate the ſtrength of the poor Fly, but the skill of the Artiſt.

Eſt in tenuibus, & Puſillis Reculis

Laus Optimi (que) Maximi (que) Maxima. Gaz.

Pia hilar.

The Glory of the Great wiſe King,

Shines greatly in the ſmalleſt thing.

Indeed our whole paſſage was wonder; ſuppoſe we had met with one Night of Hazy Weather, we might have plyed back into the jaws of that Destruction which we had ſo far eſcaped. Had we met with one Storm (and an ordinary puff of wind had been a Storm to us) it had preſently over-ſet us; but the ſame God that commands a calm for the Halcyon, commanded Halcyon Days and Nights for us, till under the wings of his Gracious care he had hatcht his own purpoſes of Mercy, into perfect Deliverance. It was a wonder too, that in our ſix Days Voyage, in the Mediterranean, the very High Road of Navigation, both for honeſt Men and Knaves, Merchants and Pirates, we ſhould not meet with one Veſſel, Friend or Foe: Had we met with a Friend's Veſſel, they had pityed us, [Page] taken us up, and then the Power of God had not been ſo ſignalized in our Preſervation; had we fallen in with an Enemy, we had immediately become a Prey to their Teeth, they had ſwallowed us up quick, we had made but one poor Morſel to their greedy Stomachs, and thereby defeated a work of God gloriouſly begun, and rob'd him of the Revenue of his praiſe.

If then they that go down to the Sea in Ships, ſee the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep, Pſal. 107. 23, 24. What Wonders, what Miracles of Providence have we ſeen, and many others ſee in us, who went down to the Sea, not in a Ship, but in a Canoe, which for want of a better Name we call a Boat! Let the Reader therefore admire God with me; and both of us with the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 86. 8. Among the Gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like thy works.

He deals unrighteouſly with God, who meaſures him: by the ſmallneſs of the means that he uſes, and not by the greatneſs of thoſe effects he produces by thoſe means. And therefore,

Diſce a Cymbula, quiſquises; & Deo

Da pro tenuibus, & puſillis Reculis,

Laudem Optimo (que) Maximo (que) Maximam.

Gaz. Piahilar.

Let this our little Sciff thy Spirits raiſe,

To give to this great God, thy greateſt Praiſe.

[Page] 2. Sect. Let the Reader improve this Relation to fortiſie his Faith against the little Cavils of Atheiſtical Spirits, who lay out their ill placed wit in forgeing Objections againſt Him that gave it. There is a Creature famous in Prov. 6. Qui lacte Materno impletus calcibus petit Lactantem, that being filled with the liberal Dug, ungratefully kicks his Dam. Thus this ſort of Men are ambitious to be accounted witty, in creating knots and difficulties in the Hiſtorical paſſages of Gods great Providences Recorded in Scripture, and particularly in his preſervation of Noah, and his Family in the Ark: But he that had ſeen with us the watchful Eye of God ſuperintended, and the ſteddy hand of God to hold a poor Canvas Boat, built without Regular proportion, ill Victualled, without Anchor, Helm, Compaſs, or Tackle, and thereby preſerve the Lives of five inconſiderable perſons, of no great uſe in the World, and after ſix Days great extremity and diſtreſs, Land them all ſafe, may eaſily Credit the Report, how the ſame God ſhould preſerve eight Perſons, upon whoſe Lives the re-peopling of the whole World did depend, in a Veſſel of moſt exact proportions, ſtrong built, and well laid in with all manner of Proviſions. He that can ſee a Creator in the works of Creation, and a Governor in the works of Providence, may reaſonably believe all Divine Revelations.

[Page] 3. Sect. Let all that would not abuſe this Narrative beware, leſt whilſt they are admiring Providence in this inſtance, if our preſervation, they do not over-look thoſe eminent appearances of God towards themſelves every moment, which, though perhaps they carry not ſo much of Rarity in them, yet may have in them, as much of real power, wiſdom, and goodneſs. We are apt to deal with our Mercies, juſt as we do with our Sins, where the commonneſs and frequency of either, abates and takes off from the Obſervation and Notice which we owe them; we gaze, and wonder at Comets, and their Flaming Beards, but ſeldome admire the Sun, a far more Glorious Body, becauſe he riſes and ſets every Morning and Evening upon the juſt and the unjust; Doſt thou admire God in our preſervation, learn to admire him in thy own: Art thou ſurprized with wonder, that we were kept a few Days, when there was not half an inch between us and Death? Conſider, God has kept thee many Days, and many Years,, and every minute of thoſe many Days and Years, when there was but a hairs breadth between thee and Death: Doſt thou then admire God preſerved us alive in a Veſſel of Cloth? Admire that God that holdeth thy Soul in Life, and that in a more frail Veſſel, a Veſſel of Clay: Doſt thou ſtill wonder we were not blown over with every [Page] breath of Wind? Admire alſo that the Lamp of thy Life which thou carrieſt in a Paper-Lanthorn, is not blown out by every blast of Sickneſs: But if thou wilt ſtill wonder how ſuch a Boat ſhould carry us? Then wonder alſo how thy Food nouriſhes thee, how thy Cloaths keep thee warm, how thy ſleep refreſhes thee: There's not a moment in our Lives but is filled with real Miracle and Wonder. I will Praiſe thee (ſaies the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 139. 14.) for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Let us all Praiſe God, for we are fearfully and wonderfull preſerved. If Preſervation be but a continued Creation, how ſhould we adore that Power that Created us once, but preſerves us alwaies! God expects that we ſhould equally magnifie his skill in making us out of Nothing, and ſecuring us that we drop not into Nothing: and as much admire his goodneſs, that we crumble not, moulder not into our Duſt, as that we were at firſt formed out of Duſt.

4. Sect. Let the Reader learn from our Slavery, to prize, and improve his own Liberty. If we ſerve not our God ſincerely, and chearfully in plenty, he can ſend us where we ſhall ſerve our Enemies in want. If we glorifie him not with our Liberty, but turn it into licentiouſneſs, he can clap us up cloſe, where we ſhall learn to prize it higher, and wiſh we had improved it better. It argues [Page] great diſinginuity and baſeneſs in our Spirits, that we provoke our God to teach us the worth of Mercies by the want of them: The Lord does not willingly afflict, nor grieve the Children of Men, Lam. 3. 33. but we provoke him to take his Rod into his hand, and lay it ſmartly upon our backs, becauſe that Folly which is bound up in our Hearts will not otherwiſe be laſht out of us. Thus God threatned his people of Old, Deut. 28. 48. Becauſe thou ſervedſt not the Lord thy God with joyfulneſs and gladneſs of Heart, for the abundance of all things, therefore ſhalt thou ſerve thine Enemies, in hunger, thirſt, and nakedneſs, and in the want of all things. Thus he taught Judah by the Captivity of Babylon, to prize the freedom of Canaan; we might learn our Duty much cheaper from Gods Word, but we like Truants, will not learn it there, till God ſends us to School with a Rod at our backs.

5. Sect. Let all Learn from hence, in what State ſoever the Providence of God ſhall place them, therewith to be content: Perhaps thou art a Servant to a Chriſtian; doſt thou murmur? It ſhews, thou little knoweſt what it is to be a Slave to an imperious Turk. Thou ſerveſt him that Prays with thee, and for thee: doſt thou repine? God might have made thee ſerve one who would Curſe and Torture thee, and make little Proviſion for [Page] thy Body, and none at all for thy Soul: The Chriſtian Religion is ſurely the moſt excellent Religion in the World, becauſe it holds the ballance ſo even between Superiours and Inferiours: It enjoyns the one to give the moſt full Obedience, and yet prohibits the other to exerciſe Rigour. It is peremptory for Duty, and yet abhors Tyranny: whoever has known Turkiſh Slavery, is obliged to become a more Loyal Subject, a more Dutiful Child, a more Faithful Servant; and whoever has not known it, is yet obliged to become all theſe, leſt God make him know it, and whip out of him that Reſtiff Spirit of grumbling, and Diſobedience with the Briars, and Thorns of the Wilderneſs.

God commanded all Maſters among the Jews, to allow their Servants a Day of Reſt, Deut. 5. 14. and he gives this Reaſon for it, Remember that thou waſt a Servant in the Land of Egypt. The Equity of which Reaſon holds ſtronger for the Chriſtian: Remember thou waſt a Servant to the worſt of Masters, a Drudge in the baſeſt of works, and lyable to receive the worſt of Wages: Has Chriſt ſet thee free? And art thou become a Servant to the beſt of Maſters? Employed in the moſt reaſonable, and honourable Services? And in expectation of the moſt glorious Rewards? Let it teach thee if thou beeſt a Maſter, to command gently; and if a Servant, to obey chearfully.

[Page] 6. Sect. Let all Learn to walk worthy of the Goſpel. It is that which ſweetens all our mercies, and mitigates the bitterneſs of all Afflictions; and if we ſin away that, we either ſin away all the reſt, or whatever is uſeful, and deſireable in all the reſt. If we enjoy the Light, and yet walk in darkneſs, it's righteous with God, to over-ſpread our Habitations with Egyptian, or Babyloniſh, Turkiſh, or Popiſh darkneſs. God can carry us to Rome, or Algiers; or elſe ſend Rome, and Algiers home to us: For what ſhould a a People do with Light, that only intend to play, or fight by it? The once Famous Churches of Aſia, are now ſwallowed up by the Ottoman Sword, and the Mahumetan Ʋnbelief; and thoſe ſometimes Famous Cities, Carthage, and Hippo, which knew thoſe burning and ſhining Lights, Cyprian, and Auguſtine, are now poſſeſt with Moors, and defiled with the Abominations of the greateſt Impoſtor that ever ſeduced the Nations, but One. And thinkeſt thou, O Man, O Chriſtian, that do'ſt theſe things, ſo Alien from the Goſpel of Chriſt; that art drunk in the day, and curſeſt that God whom thou Worſhippeſt, that thou ſhalt eſcape the Judgment of God? I tell thee, nay; and I tell all thoſe that read theſe lines, and are guilty; and I tell my ſelf, ſo far as I am guilty, that except we repent, we ſhall all likewiſe periſh.

[Page] The Lord Jeſus Chriſt, in his Epiſtle to the Church of Epheſus, gives her this Memorial, Rev. 2. 5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and Repent, and do thy firſt work, or elſe I will come unto thee quickly, and remove thy Candleſtick out of its place, except thou Repent: But Epheſus would none of his Counſel, none of his Caution; and Chriſt was as good as his word, he put out her Candle, and removed her Candleſtick. I have often wondered, what ſhould be the grounds of their confidence, who ſpeak as if the Goſpel were entailed upon England, by vertue of ſome Ancient Charter; as if God would make us Exceptions from his General Rule, which is to take away abuſed, deſpiſed means, and mercies, and we muſt own much of prerogative in our caſe; but yet let us Rejoyce with trembling, leſt when Prophaneneſs and Debauchery dog Religion ſo cloſe at the heels, ſhe fly not thither, where ſhe may find better Quarter: It has made great Impreſſion upon me when I read the Divine Herbert, in his Church Militant;

Religion ſtands on Tip-toe in onr Land,

Ready to paſs to the American Strand;

When height of Malice, and Prodigious Luſts

Impudent ſinning; Witchcrafts, and Diſtruſts,

[Page] (The Marks of future bane) ſhall fill our Cup

Ʋnto the Brim, and make our Meaſure up, &c.

7. Sect. Let it be every Man's care to be found in Gods way: The Promiſe of Protection is annext to Gods way, Pſal. 91. 11. He ſhall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways: And the Bleſſing of God is annext to to his own way too, Pſal. 128. 1. Bleſſed is every one that feareth God, and walketh in his ways. When we are over-taken with the evil of Affliction, let the firſt Queſtion we propound to our ſelves be this. Am I not in the way of Tranſgreſſion? Did this danger find me in my Duty? Was I in Gods High-way, or in ſome by path of my own? Was I doing his work? Serving his Glory? If we obſerve not the way of his Precepts, I know no Reaſon we ſhould plead the Promiſe of his Protection. There are two things upon which I look upon it as my great Duty to Reflect; Firſt, whether we were in the way Gods Precepts when we fell into our Enemies Hands? Secondly, whether we were in the way of Gods Promiſe when we eſcaped out of their Hands? For the former, I am abundantly ſatisfied, that we were in the way of our Duty; for we were ſent out by Commiſſion from the Right Honour, able, Robert, Earl of Warwick, the Lord Say, and the Lord Brook, who by Patent from Hi [...] Majeſty [Page] King Charles the Firſt, were Governours of the Iſle of Providence, whither we were bound: For the latter, If the more ſevere Reader ſhall make it a Queſtion, Whether we could in Faith expect Protection in an Adventure viſibly ſo raſh, and praecipitous? And ſhall determine it againſt us, that we tempted God by caſting our ſelves upon extraordinary Protection, expecting deliverance without warrant, in a way little on this ſide miracle: I ſhall firſt ſay, Let him ſhun that Rock in his own Converſation, upon which he ſuppoſes us to have daſht: Let our Ship-wrack be a Buoy to warn him of the like preſumption, and let him learn more wiſdom, at our coſt and charges. I ſhall further ſay, let him not diſcover greater raſhneſs in cenſuring our Adventure, then he charges upon our Adventure, but modeſtly conſider himſelf, leſt he alſo be tempted: and if we were guilty of folly, he may thus gain wiſdom by our folly. But I ſhall add, Extremity of Miſery is none of the beſt Counſellers; let him put himſelf under our Circumſtances, and if Cowardiſe did not hinder him from making our Attempt, I am confident Conſcience would not: Our Lives were bitter to us by Reaſon of cruel Bondage, and (though mine was at that time much mitigated) yet there is a ſecret Magnetiſme in a Native Soil, with which our Hearts being once ſtrongly toucht, could never admit of the leact variation, but ſtill pointed directly Homewards; and ſuch a Land too, as was like [Page]Goſhen, all Light, when the Land of our Captivity was like Egypt, both for Slavery and Darkneſs, that might both be felt; and we thought it below Men, for the Love of Life, to loſe the Reaſons of our Lives, for

All may have (If they dare try) a Glorious Life or Grave. Herb. Ch. Porch.

In a word, though ſucceſs will not warrant an evil Action, yet there's much of juſtification in it, on the behalf of thoſe which are not ſo; nor did we tempt God to work Miracles, but truſted him to afford us ſpecial Protection; But if this will not ſatisfie, let none imitate us wherein we failed, but rather admire Divine Condeſcention, that engaged in our Deliverance, notwithſtanding our failing.

8. Sect. Let all that read this Narrative be inſtructed never to promiſe them ſelves great matters from Men: I have obſerved it in the whole courſe of our Captivity, and conſtant Tenour of thoſe Gracious Providences which brought us thence, and the Series of Mercy, Wiſdom, and Power, that was our Convoy Home, that we ever found moſt of Favour from God, when we expected leaſt from Men: and the least of kindneſs from thoſe where we might, or thought we might in Reaſon have promiſed our ſelves moſt. When we met with unexpected Friendſhip,[Page]God would teach us to own himſelf. When we met with diſ-appointment, God would teach us the folly of Idolizing the Creature: I have ſeriouſly admired the Compaſſion and Relief we found at Mayork, and yet we knew them to be Romaniſts, and they knew us to be Proteſtants, and haw little reſpect we found frome ſome of our own Countrey, at Alicant, Cadiz, and St. Lucars, and yet we were tyed together in the ſtricteſt Triple Bonds of Ʋn Dieu, Ʋn Roy, Ʋn Ley, One God, One King, One Law: But God was ſeen in both. I could Relate a Paſſage during our Captivity in Algiers, that had more of bitterneſs in it, than in all our Slavery; and yet they were Chriſtians, not Algerines; Proteſtants, not Papists; Engliſh-men, not Strangers, that were the cauſe of it: But I have put a force upon my ſelf, and am reſolved not to publiſh it. In our Return homewards, we met with ſome who would talk to the grief of thoſe whom God had wounded, and was now in a way to heal again. Some would interpretatively ſay, with the Churliſh Nabal, 1 Sam. 25. 10. Who are theſe? And whence come they? There are many Servants now adays that break away, every one from his Maſter. But then was the ſeaſon when we had moſt Experience of Gods faithfulneſs: And I ſhall never ceaſe to own before the World the great Reſpect we found from ſome Engliſh Merchants, to whom we were perfect Strangers; and the Civilities of Captain Goodſon, [Page] Captain Smith, his Mate, and his Son, are not to be forgotten.

Perhaps, after all this, the Reader will be earnest to be ſatisfied, why this Narrative has lain ſo long Dormant, and appeared no ſooner in the World? And I ſhall herein alſo endeavour to give him all Reaſonable ſatisfaction.

1. When we return'd into England, we found our Native Country embroyled in a Civil War, and moſt Men had enough to do, to bear their own perſonal Calamities, and had little need to be troubled with the miſeries of others; they were other kind of Declarations that flew abroad then, and that was enough to ſuper-ſede a Narrative of this Nature, for ſome Years.

2. The great Mercies of God have not alwaies their due weight upon our Hearts at first; and I have received ſignal Deliverances from eminent dangers ſince that great one; and it's well if all the mercies of our Lives, all our Deliverances put together, will amount to an Argument ſtrong enough to overcome our backwardneſs to make publick acknowledgments.

3. I thought a long while that it was not worth the while, to trouble the World with my particular Concerns, till the Importunity of ſeveral Ministers, and others, both in City and Country, overcame my reluctancy, in whoſe Reaſons I did acquieſce.

4. I was conſcious to my ſelf of great unfitneſs to recommend it to publick view, in ſuch a [Page] garb as might vindicate it from Contempt; for though it has been drawn out many years with my own hand, and many have had the peruſal of it, have approved it, and deſired it; yet till I could prevail with a Friend to teach it to ſpeak a little better Engliſh, I could not be perſwaded to let it walk abroad; The Stuff and Matter is my own, the Trimming and Form is anothers, for whom I muſt vouch, that he has done the Truth, my ſelf, and the Reader Juſtice.

Having overcome all theſe difficulties, I do here Erect my Ebenezer, as a ſmall Monument of great Mercy, and as an Obligation upon my Soul to great Duty, and do pray that it may ſtand as an Abiding Witneſs for God in my Conſcience; that when-ever I am tempted to Sin, I may have an Anſwer ready to ſtop the Mouth of the Tempter with Indignation; How can I do this great Evil, and Sin againſt my good God? When I am tempted to diſtruſt, I may encourage my Faith from my own Narrative, ſaying, Remember that God who delivered thee at Sea; when I am tempted to murmur, I may ſuppreſs thoſe mutinous thoughts from my own Narrative, ſaying, Remember what thou endureſt in Algiers. When my Heart grows cold, and unthankful, I may chide, and ſhame it, from my own Narrative, into gratitude to God; That God, who remembred us in our low Eſtate, for his Mercy endureth for ever! who preſerved us at the Sea, the Great Sea; for his Mercy endureth for [Page]ever! and ſecured us in a Boat, a Contemptible Boat, for his Mercy endureth for ever! who gave us favour in the Eyes of Strangers, for his Mercy endureth for ever! and opened to us the Hearts of Enemies; for his Mercy endureth for ever! and taught us to look up to his never failing Mercy, when Friends failed, for his Mercy endureth for ever! who turned us ſafe to England, for his mercy endureth for ever! we called upon him in the day of Trouble, he delivered us, and we will glorifie him.

Reader, this Narrative is true, peruſe it ſeriouſly, and let not Vanity tempt thee to ſay, Things might have been better contrived, wiſelier managed; it was God that did what was Good in All; call not his Wiſdom in Queſtion, becauſe he did not create more wonders to gratifie thy itching Humour; perhaps thou wouldſt have had us been brought over upon a Floating Iſland, or in a Whales Belly, but I do not underſtand that the great God is bound to work Miracles to ſave Mens longings: God has done his work well, and none can mend it; for, what can the Man do that comes after the King? Eccl. 2. 12. For the matter of Fact Recorded herein, I might ſafely call God to Record upon my Soul that I lye not: The thing is known to many, and has been ſifted, and ſcann'd by ſuch Eyes and Ears as are not guilty of eaſie Credulity; I have Evidence that may ſtorm the moſt obſtinate unbelief: Mr. Thomas Saunders, my [Page] Wife's Brother, being in Mayork not long after we came from thence, ſaw our Boat hang up for a Monument upon the ſide of the great Churh there. Mr. Robert Hales, who was there 1671. aſſures me he ſaw the naked Ribs and Skeleton of it then hanging in the ſame place. Now, I aſſure thee, Reader, I ſhould be much aſhamed of my ſelf, if Strangers unconcerned in my Perſonal Deliverances, ſhould be ſo far concerned as to preſerve a Memorial of them, and yet unthankful I ſhould Erect no Standard or Piller as an Evidence of Gods wonderful appearing for me.

It's true, I am informed by one, that ſome affirm, there are more Boats hanging up in Mayork, in Memory of ſome ſuch like eſcape: Now, if others have really eſcaped the ſame danger, by the ſame means, it greatly confirms our Narrative; and I do heartily rejoyce, Providence has appeared in the ſame Method for others, as for our ſelves: we never intend to Monopolize Gods Providences to our ſole uſe and behoof; and we rejoyce if our attempt and ſucceſs may have encouraged others to make the like attempt, and have found the like ſucceſs; but I do aſſert it with great confidence, that when we were in Mayork, there was no ſuch Boat hanging up, but the Inhabitants there entertained our Deliverance as ſuch whereof they had no parallel: But if on the other ſide, theſe, or ſome of theſe ſucceeding Boats were but Impoſture, [Page] then the goodneſs of God appears more remarkable towards us, that we really were the Subjects of ſuch wonder which others durſt only pretend to; and it ſets a luſtre upon this great Salvation, which others have thought ſo conſiderable, that they judged it worth the while to tell a Lye to entitle themſelves to the Credit of it; for it's Gold and Silver, not Copper, or baſer Metals, that they who drive the Coyning Trade, ſtrive to Counterfeit.

Let then every one that reads, underſtand, and ſeriouſly ſit down, and conſider with himſelf, whether he has not had many eminent Perſonal Deliverances in one kind or other, which this Marvellous Providence of God towards us may not refreſh his Memory withal; and if he ſhall hence be taught to bluſh at his forgetfulneſs of lapſed Mercies; if this Narrative ſhall recover any loſt Providencies, and fix them on, and rivet into his Soul; if he ſhall find himſelf awakened to do thankfulneſs to God for all his benefits towards him; let him joyn with me in aſcribing all the Power, and therefore all the Glory, to the Almighty, and let him kindly accept the aſſiſtance of him, who ſhall reckon it amongſt his other Mercies, to have been Serviceable to any one in reviving a better frame of Heart. Iam,

Reader,

Thy Friend, and Servant, W. Okeley.

A SMALL MONUMENT OF GREAT MERCY.

[Page]

SECT. I.
A Brief Acconnt of thoſe Providences Which led towards our Captivity in Algiers.

THIS Narrative would be too happy, if it ſhould not meet with ſome haſty and impatient Spirits, that grudge the time that's ſpent in Preface and Introduction; and ſuch as theſe, are wild to come at the Story of the Boat; all the reſt is but one great tedious Impertinency, [Page] they'l not give a Figg for all the other. I ſhall make never the more haſte for unreaſonable Importunity; but the Remedy is in their own hands, they may turn over a few leaves, and meet with it in its proper place, if they ſit upon Thorns. But to the more judicious and conſiderate, it will be acceptable to know how our Foot was taken in the Snare, as well as how the Snare was broken, and we delivered.

In the Month of June, in the Year of Our Lord, One Thouſand, Six Hundred, Thirty, and Nine, in purſuance of a Commiſſion from the Right Honourable, the Earl of Warwick, the Lord Say, and the Lord Brook, we took Ship at Graveſend, in the Mary of London, carrying Six Guns, Mr. Boarder being Maſter, and James Walker the Maſters Mate; the Ship was chiefly Laden with Linnen and Woollen Cloath, having in her, Seamen and Paſſengers, above Sixty, bound for the Iſle of Providence in the Weſt-Indies. Five Weeks we lay in the Downs, wiſhing, and waiting for a Wind, and then we ſet Sail, and came to Anchor near the Iſle of Wight; but by this time all our Beer in the Ship ſtunk, and we were forced to throw it overboard, and to take in Vinegar to mix with Water for our Voyage. The next Lord's Day we ſet Sail again, and coming between the Iſland, and the Main Land, we ſtuck faſt in the Sands, but the Tide coming in, hove us off. Theſe Circumſtances ſeem very inconſiderable [Page] to thoſe that were not concerned in the Products of them; but God has given us the advantage and leiſure to ſee what great things were in the Womb of theſe little things. Had the Wind ſtood longer againſt us, it had been more for us, and the danger had been paſt; had it ſtood leſs while againſt us, it had been for us too, and we had been gone paſt the danger: But God appoints it the Moment when it ſhould come about to blow us into the Mouths of our Enemies: We ſee the Truth of that, Ye know what to pray for: We prayed for a Wind, and we had a Whirl-wind: If we alwaies knew what miſchief the Anſwer of our Prayers would do us, we ſhould be glad to eat our words, and Pray againſt our Prayers. Denyal is often the beſt Anſwer, and we had need leave all Petitions to the wiſdom of God to be Interpreted, according to his good pleaſure, and returned as they may be good for us, and make moſt for his own Glory: we were alſo taught, that the Sea may ſometimes be our beſt Friend, and the Earth our worſt Enemy; and that nothing can do us good or hurt, but by the Direction and Commiſſion of the Almighty.

We were now three Ships in Company, and one of the other I remember, carried Nine Guns, Mr. Church, Maſter. The Sixth Day after our ſetting Sail from the Iſle of Wight, by break of Day in the Morning, we diſcovered three Ships about three or four Leagues to Leeward: [Page] The Maſters of our Ships preſently conſulted, what was moſt adviſeable; whether to ſtay and ſpeak with them, or to make the beſt of our way; at laſt (upon what Reaſons I know not) it was determined that we ſhould ſtay; It was not long before we diſcovered thoſe other three Ships to be Turks Men of War, who eſpying their Prey, endeavoured to come up with us, which about Night they affected: Whilſt they were coming up, the Maſters of our Ships ſeemed reſolved to Fight them, and accordingly made preparation to receive them, but in the Night, the Maſter and Company of the Ship wherein I was, altered their Counſels, let their Reſolutions Dye, and agreed to run for it; uncertain Counſels never produce better ſucceſs; when we might have gone, then we would ſtay; and when there was no way to eſcape, then we muſts needs attempt it: Had we either at firſt Reſolved not to Fight them, or reſolved to Fight, had proſecuted our Reſolutions lie Men of Courage, we might, perhaps, either have avoided the danger, or bravely Maſter'd it. The Turks perceiving us begin to run, ſent one of their number to Chaſe us, whilſt their other two attended the remaining two of our Company till the Morning. At break of Day they began to Fight us, and after a ſhort Diſpute Boarded us, and took us all three: In the Mary, ſix were ſlain, and many wounded; ſo ſmall was the difference between Flight and Fight; but that the Death and Wounds of [Page] thoſe that flye, are diſhonourable; but of them that Fight, beautiful, and Glorious.

Many Weeks they kept us cloſe Priſoners at Sea! we found many Engliſhmen in their Ships, Slaves, like our ſelves, from whom we had no other Comfort, but the Condoling of each others Miſeries, and that from them we learnt a ſmattering of the Common Language, which would be of ſome uſe to us when we ſhould come to Algiers, whither, after five or ſix Weeks we were brought.

SECT. II.
The Deſcription of Algiers, with their Manner of Buying, and Selling Slaves.

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ALgier is a City very pleaſantly ſcituated on the ſide of the Hills, over-looking the Mediterranean, which lyes North of it; and it lifts up its proud Head ſo Imperiouſly, as if it Challenged a Soveraignty over thoſe Seas, and expected Tribute from all that ſhall look within the Streights. It lyes in the 30th. Degree of Longitude, and hath ſomewhat leſs than 35 Degrees of North-Latitude: The City is conſiderably large, the Walls being above three Miles in Compaſs, beautified and ſtrengthned with five Gates: Port-Marine towards the North, and Port Piſcadore not far from thence, and Porta-Nova towards the South; built, as they report, by the Spaniard, whilſt it was in their Poſſeſſion: The West-Gate, which they call Bubawite, and the Eaſtern-Gate, which in their Tongue is called Bubazoon: They have alſo ſeveral ſtrong Caſtles beſides that upon the Point of the Mole, ſo that the Town is judged impregnable. The City is built very ſtately, and yet more ſtrong than ſtately; and more [Page] Famous than ſtrong, but not more Famous for any thing than for Infamy, being the Retreat, the Neſt of thoſe Turkiſh Corſairs, which have long Tyranniz'd in, and been a Terror to the Neighbouring Seas. It is ſuppoſed by ſome to contain Four Thouſand Families, by others, Fourſcore Thouſand Perſons; but they muſt needs be very ſhort in their Reckoning, it having been Judged, that of all Nations there could be no leſs than Twenty Five Thouſand Slaves. The Private Buildings are very beautiful, flat Roof'd. Adorned with Galleries towards their Courts, ſupported by Pillars: And they may afford to Build ſumptuouſly, becauſe they Build at other Mens coſt, and with other Mens hands: Their Temples are alſo very Magnificent, and much too good for their Religion, whoſe Practice and Converſation ſpeaks them to ſay, There is no God. And yet we Read of a Religious Thief, who never went about the works of his Calling (for ſo he called ſtealing) but he would ſolemnly implore the aſſiſtance of his Idol; A ſtrange God, ſure; that would be acceſſary to his Devoto's Robberies: And a ſtrange Worſhipper, that either hoped to flatter to his God become his Accomplice in Villany, with the Vow of a good round ſhare of the Booty, or would be ſuch a Fool, to think that God worth the Worſhipping that ſhould be thus flatter'd. They have alſo many ſtately Baths, to which the Men reſort in the Morning, and the Women in the Afternoon; [Page] But they want one, worth them all, wherein they might by Faith and Repentance waſ away their filthineſs.

To this fair City we were brought, yet in our Eyes it was moſt ugly and deformed; for the French Proverb is univerſally true, Il n'y a point de bel Prizon. There is no ſuch thing as a fair Priſon. I confeſs, for a Goal, it's one of the beſt Built that I have ſeen; there's nothing that the Soul of Man bears with more regret than Reſtraint: The Body it ſelf is judged by ſome to be but the Soul's Little-eaſe, or Cage; where though it ſeems to Dwell, yet 'tis but in Honourable Durance; and though it dares not break the Priſon, yet it liſtens; and longs for a Goal-Delivery: There can be nothing large enough for a Soul but God, from whom ſince it once at firſt came, it muſt needs be reſtleſs till it return to him again; and ſurely it has much forgot it ſelf, and extract, if it can take up with ſatisfaction in any thing on this ſide its Creator.

As ſoon as we were aſhore, for the firſt Night we were lock'd down in a deep naſty Cellar; ſome inconveniences we felt, but they were nothing to what we feared: The next day we were carried, or led, or rather driven to the Vice-Roys, or Baſhaw's Palace, who according to the Cuſtom, and his own Right, is to have the Tenth Man for his Dividend of the Slaves.

When the next Market-day came; we were [Page] driven like Beaſts thither, and expoſed to Sale; and there is a great deal of God's goodneſs in that one word, that it was not to the Slaughter-houſe to be Butcher'd, as well as to the Market to be Sold. Their Cruelty is great, but their Covetouſneſs exceeds their Cruelty; could they make as much of us Dead, as they make alive, that ſo both the Intereſts of Cruelty, and of Covetouſneſs, might be ſecured, and reconciled, we were well aſſured which way it ſhould have gone with us. But it muſt be a great deal of Tallow and Fat, that will anſwer two or three Dollers a Month.

Their manner of ſelling Slaves, is this. They lead them up and down the Fair, or Market; and when a Chapman bids any Money, they preſently cry, a-Rache! a-Rache! that is, Here's ſo much Money bidden, who bids more? They that cheapen the expoſed Slaves are very circumſpect perſons, they carry their Eyes in their Heads, as well as their Money in their Purſes, and uſe the one in laying out the other; for they are loath to buy a Pig in a Poke; their firſt Policy is to look in their Mouths; and a good, ſtrong, entire ſet of Grinders will advance the Price conſiderably, and they have good Reaſon for this Practice: for firſt, they are Rational Creatures, and know, that they who have not Teeth, cannot eat, cannot work; and they that cannot work, are not for their turn; and they that are not for their turn, are not for their [Page]Money. And Secondly, they intend to keep them at hard meat all the Year, and it muſt not be Gums, but ſolid Teeth (nay, if it were poſſible, caſe-hardn'd Teeth) that muſt chew it; and when all is done, they had need of the Oſtriches Stomach to digeſt it. Their next proceſs is to feel their Limbs; as whether there be any Fracture, or Diſlocation in the Bones; any thing Analogical to Spavin, or Ring-bone, for theſe will bring down the Makret wonderfully; And to be clean Limb'd, cloſe coupled, well joynted, will advance it as much. The Age is very conſiderable; but they that ſell them, did not breed them, and therefore they know nothing, more or leſs of that: Two waies they have to find out the Age; the one is, to ſtand to the courteſie of the Slaves, but they are not bound to make any ſuch Diſcovery, and therefore they go by general conjectures from the Beard, Face, or Hair; but a good ſet of Teeth will make any one Ten Years Younger, and a broken one Ten Years Older than the Truth; for if they were Five Hundred Years Old all is a Caſe, if they could but eat and work; or if they could not eat, yet if they could but work, or if they neither eat nor work, if their Skins would but fetch in the Mony again. You ſhall have the Seller commend his Goods to the Sky, and the Buyer on the other hand, as much undervalue them, and the true Market-price commonly lies juſt between them; but ſo it is all the World over. Or [Page] ſaies the Seller, mark what a Back he has, what a breadth he bears between the Shoulders! What a Cheſt! How ſtrong ſet! How fitted on the nonce for Burdens! He'l do but e'ne to much work. Piſh, ſaies the Buyer, He looks like a Pillard, like a very Meacock at his Provinder, and one that ſeems to be ſurfeited. But they are very curious in examining the Hands; for if they be callous and brawny, they will ſhrewdly gueſs they have been inured to Labour; if delicate and tender, they will ſuſpect ſome Gentleman, or Merchant, and then the hopes of a good Price of Redemption makes him Saleable.

When any are ſold, they muſt be trotted once more to the Vice-Roys, that he may have the review of them, and if he likes any of them at the prizes they went off at, there's no more Diſpute, they are his own.

As for my ſelf, I was ſold the firſt Marget-day to a Tagareen; and that the Reader may not ſtumble at that hard word, he may underſtand; That when the Moors were driven out of Spain by Ferdinand the Great, they, upon their return into Africa, aſſumed Names that might argue Gentility, and be an Evidence of their Ancient Extract, from ſuch places where they had been great Dons, and accordingly there are many Families thus denominated; as Tagareens, Jarbeens, &c.

SECT. III.
An Account of ſome Difficulties that I met witb during my Captivity in Algiers.

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THoſe Miſeries which it is dreadful to endure, are yet delightful to be remembred; and there's a ſecret pleaſure to chew the Cud, and ruminate upon eſcaped dangers: However, the Reader may afford to run over with his Eye in an hour, that which I ran through in five Years; and ſuppoſing himſelf ſafe upon the Amphitheatre, may behold poor Slaves Combating with Beaſts below.

The firſt Adventure I met with after I was brought to my Patron's Houſe (for ſo I muſt now ſtile him) had well nigh coſt me my Life. My Patron's Father being deſirous to ſee his Sons Penny-worth, commanded me up into a Gallery, which looked into the Court; he began to inſult over me with inſupportable ſcorn, reflecting upon me becauſe I was a Chriſtian, and caſt out ſome Expreſſions which did really reflect upon the Perſon of my Rdeemer, though I have heard worſe ſince.) My Neck was not yet bowed, nor my Heart broken to the Yoke of Bondage; I could not well brook, becauſe I had not ben uſed then to ſuch Language; and [Page] becauſe I could not expreſs my ſelf in the Moreſco, or Lingua Franc, I ſupplyed it with Signs; and imitating the Coblers Yarke, I ſignified both waies as well as I could, That their Prophet was but a Cobler. I confeſs, my meaning was no more, but that Mahomet, by the help of Sergius, a Neſtorian Monk, and Abdalla the Jew, had patch'd up a Cento of Jewiſh, and Monkiſh Fopperies, which was now their Religion. But he, without the preamble of many Railing words, fell upon me with ſevere blows; whatever Rage and Fury his Hands or Feet could Execute, that I felt; and my intreaties did but enrage his Choler, ſo that I ſaw I might ſooner blow out the Fire with a pair of Bellows, than lenifie his paſſion with Prayers; I had no other way but this, to make an offer of leaping down out of the Gallery into the Court, and therefore clapping my hands upon the Rails, as if I would throw my ſelf head-long down over them, and rather chuſe to receive my Death from the Pavement, than his Hands, he preſently aſſwages, if not his Rage, yet the Execution of it. The Old Gentleman knew very well, that if I loſt my Life, his Son muſt loſe his preſent Money, and future profit; for there's little made out of a Dead Man's Skin: and therefore he reſpites my further puniſhment till my Patron's Return, and then indeed this reputed Blaſphemy of mine with full cry was carried to his Ears, and it loſt nothing in the telling, but was [Page] aggravated to purpoſe: My Patron being Naturally a very paſſionate Man, ſaid nothing, but without Examination, drew out his long Knife, (which they conſtantly wear by their ſides) and made at me; and had there doubtleſs put an end to my Life and Captivity at once, had not his Wife, who was there ſeaſonably preſent, taken him in her Arms, and ſweeten'd him into more moderate Counſels. Some will be ready enough to ſay, that I was but a Martyr to my own Folly: This was not a place for Diſpute, but Obedience. Well, I learnt from hence two Leſſons: One, That when the Body is a Slave, the Reaſon muſt not expect to be free; and where the whole outward Man is in Bondage, the Tongue muſt not plead Exemption. A Second, That it's fair for Slaves to enjoy the freedom of their own Conſciences, without Reviling anothers Religion, though erroneous; and this Wit I bought, as it fell out, a pretty good Penny-worth.

When the Storm was over, my employment was aſſigned me (for they had rather ſee a Slave Dead than Idle) and for about half a Year it lay in trudging on Errands, bearing Burdens, and diſcharging other Domeſtick Services at Command, wherein the only conſideration was, That it was Commanded, and not What was Commanded.

At this time my Patron had a part in a Man of War, which carried Twelve Guns: She being [Page] at Sea, (with ſome others of the ſame place) met with an Engliſh Merchant, Laden with Plate, and other Rich Commodities from Spain, and Bound for London, (one Iſaac being Maſter) and after a very ſharp, though ſhort Diſpute, the Algerines carried her, and brought her ſafe home. The Adventurers divide their Booty, and being high flown with this ſucceſs, they Reſolve to fit her out again to carry more Guns; and from hence grew my new employment. Upon the Capenters I attended, waited on the Smiths, to get the Iron-work fitted, and finiſhed; and truly he allowed me more for Portage than to the ordinary Hammels, or common Porters.

When this Ship was now fitted for another Adventure, my Patron tells me, I muſt go in her; it was a nipping word: I pleaded, that I was no Sea-man, underſtood nothing of the Mariners Art, and therefore as he could expect little Service from me in that kind, ſo I muſt expect moſt rigorous treatment, becauſe I could not acquit my ſelf in the Service as well as others; he removed my Pleas, and promiſed I ſhould not be wronged; but there was more at the bottom than all this: For here a Caſe of Conſcience offered it ſelf, Whether I might without Sin in any Caſe fight againſt Chriſtians, on the Port of the common Enemy of all Chriſtianity? The beſt Reſolution I could give my ſelf, was this; That firſt, my employmy [Page] employment would only lie in managing the Tackle, which will kill no Body; but it was replied, That without the due management of the Tackle, all the Guns in the Ship would kill no Body: Secondly, therefore I anſwered, That it was not evident that they would engage againſt Chriſtians more than all the reſt of Mankind, for all the World are their Enemies, who are Rich enough to invite them, and too weak to reſiſt them; but my Patron had a Solution worth all theſe: He told me peremptorily, I muſt, and ſhould go; I found my ſelf under force, I was a Preſt Man: who could not examine the Juſtice of the Cauſe. In a word, his Commands were back'd with Compulſion, and whatever his Authority was, he had more Power, than I had Courage to deny, or Strength to reſiſt; and go I did. Yet this I will ſay for him, he ſpoke to the Captain and Officers of the Ship, to treat me civilly, that is, leſs cruelly than other Slaves were treated: He gave me ſome Money alſo in my Pocket, bought me Clothes, and laid me in Proviſion above the Ships allowance.

Nine Weeks we were at Sea, within, and without the Streights, Cruiſing, and Pickarooning up and down, at laſt we met with one poor Hungarian French Man of War, whom we took, and ſo returned.

My Patron having been at great charges in fitting, and manning out this Ship, and the [Page] Repriſals ſo ſlenderly anſwering his great coſt, and greater hopes, told me, I muſt allow him two Dollers per Month, and Live aſhore where I would, and get it were I could. This was a hard Chapter, That he that could not maintain himſelf, ſhould be compelled to contribute to the maintenance of another; it was difficult to raiſe encreaſe out of no ſtock, and to pay Intereſt out of no Principal; but there was no contending; It coſt me much debate with my ſelf, and I turn'd my thoughts into all forms and ſhapes, but all Projects that preſented themſelves were incumbred with ſo many difficulties, that they amounted very near to impoſſibilities. The more I conſulted, the further I found my ſelf from a concluſion, and I could ſee no way but one, (but that was worth a Thouſand, could I have made the beſt of it,) and that was to commit my ſelf to God, who had brought me into this ſtrait, beſeeching him that he would bring me out of it.

But that my truſting to God might not be a Cloak for Lazineſs, or a Pillow for Sloath to reſt upon, I addreſt my ſelf to an Engliſh-man, whoſe condition was that of a Slave, whoſe Calling was that of a Taylor. He at firſt word counſelled me to come and ſtay with him, and he would teach me to work of his Trade. I accounted nothing baſe that was honeſt, and neceſſity would ennoble a far meaner Emploiment, and very readily cloſed in my thoughts [Page] with his motion, and was ſuddenly elevated into huge hopes that I ſhould now be in a capacity to anſwer my Patron's demands, and eſcape his laſh. But my ſtraits were not (it ſeems) great enough to glorifie God; nor my condition mean enough to magnifie his Power in raiſing me; I was not reduced to that Extremety which would make an oportunity to exalt his appearing Mercy; for when I came to him the next Day, I perceived by his ſilence that his mind was changed, and I was loth, either out of Modeſty or Pride, to give him further trouble; and therefore interpreting his ſilence to be a more civil way of denial, I left him, and once more Launched out into the wide World.

In this forlorn poſture I wandred, but neither knew, nor much cared whither, though the wiſe God both knew, and cared; and his Providence directed me to another Engliſh-man, who was ſitting in a little Shop: He asked me what News? And (as that which is uppermoſt alwaies comes out firſt) I preſently began the Story of my deſperate Condition; how the Rigid Law of my Patron had impoſed two Dollers per Month upon me, and I knew not where to levy the leaſt Mite of it: He heard, conſidered, pityed my Condition, and invited me to come and ſit in the Shop with him; but ſeeing nothing but the bare Walls, I asked him, to what end? What Trade ſhould [Page] we drive there? There's not much difference between ſtarving in the Streets, and in the Shop. Country-man (ſaid he) I drive here an unknown Trade; here I ſell Lead, Iron, Shot, Strong-waters, Tobacco, and many other things. This motion was a great deal to good to be refueſd, and I think at that time no tolerable condition would have ſtck with me.

I acquainted my Patron with my Deſign, pleaded I wanted ſtock to ſet up with; he lent me a ſmall modicum, and with another pittance that I had privately reſerved of my own, I began to Trade. That very Night I went and bought a parcel of Tobacco, the next Morning we dreſs'd it, cut it, and fitted it for Sale; and the World ſeemed to ſmile on us wonderfully. In this way of Partner-ſhip we continued for ſome while, and what we got clear, we divided every week according to the proportion of our reſpective ſtocks. In a while, finding the World to come in upon us, we ventured upon no leſs then a whole Butt of Wine, ſome Money we had, and ſome Credit: This Wine we drew out, and got conſiderably by it. But it's very difficult to maintain moderation in an exalted State, for even our State was capable of better and worſe; for my Partner being elevated with our good ſucceſs, grew a good Fellow, and a bad Husband; neglecting his buſineſs, went tipling, and fndling up and down, and the Concerns of the Shop and Trade lay wholly upon my Shoulders.

[Page] It fell out, that one John Randal, who with his Wife and Child were taken in the ſame Ship with my ſelf, being put to the ſame ſhifts with my ſelf, and, as 'tis very common, having a Monthly Tax impoſed upon him by his Patron, which he muſt ſcrape out where he could, and beſides maintain himſelf, his Wife, and Child, went up and down ſeeking for Relief, at laſt the poor Man ſtraggled to our Shop: His Caſe made great impreſſion upon me, I could not but conſider the goodneſs of God to me, that ſhould now be in a condition to adviſe, and help another, who ſo lately wanted both my ſelf; and it had this operation upon me, that I would not ſuffer a poor diſtreſſed Country-man, a Fellow-Captive, a Fellow-Chriſtian to ſtand begging at that door, where I had ſo lately ſtood my ſelf: Shall I ſhut the Door, or my Heart upon him, when God hath opened a Door of hope to me in the day of my Trouble? Shall I ſo ill requite the Lord's kindneſs to me? Surely that God who comforts us in our Tribulations, expects that we ſhould comfort others in theirs, 2 Cor. 1. 4. I bad him therefore come in, and knowing him to be a Glover by Trade, adviſed him to learn to make Canvas Cloaths for Sea-men that are Slaves; and for my own part, he ſhould ſit Rent-free; but if my Partner would inſiſt upon his Moiety, he muſt be willing to ſatisfie him, for I had no power to determine of another's Right.

[Page] It were tedious to trouble the Reader how I wore out three or four irkſome Years in this way of Trading. All this while there was no dawning of deliverance from our Bondage: As one Year left us, another found us, and delivered us over Captives to the next: Our condition was bad, and in danger every day of being worſe, as the mutable Humours of our Patrons determin'd upon us, for our Shop and Trade was no free-hold: The Truth is, in time we were ſo habituated to Bondage, that we almoſt forgot Liberty, and grew ſtupid, and ſenſleſs of our Slavery; like Iſſachar, we couched down between our burdens, we bowed our Shoulders to bear, and became Servants to Tribute, Gen. 49. 14, 15. And were in danger to be like thoſe Iſraelites in Babylon, who being once ſettled, forgot Canaan, and dwelt with the King for his work, 1 Chron. 4. 23. We ſeem'd as if our Ears had been bored, and we had vowed to ſerve our Patrons for ever. Long Bondage breaks the Spirits, it ſcatters hope off, and diſcourages all attempts for freedom: And there were more evils attended our condition than the bodily torture, which we were alwaies liable to, and ſometimes endured.

1. We were under a perpetual temptation to deny the Lord that bought us, to make our Souls Slaves, that our Bodies might recover Liberty. As Satan once tempted Job to Curſe God, and Dye; ſo he knew how to change his [Page] Note to us, and accommodate his Snare to our condition, to Curſe God, that we might Live. How many have made Ship-wrack of Faith, that they might not be Chained to the Galliees? I can never enough admire the grace of that Promiſe, Pſal. 1253. The Rod of the wicked ſhal not always roſt upon the lot of the Righteous, leſt the Righteous put forth their hands to Iniquity; nor ever enough adore the faithfulneſs of him, who will not ſuffer us to be tempted above that we are able, 1 Cor. 10. 13.

And 2. Evil is the unmaning, and diſpiriting of the Soul to worthy Actions; for we are apt to put on the Temper and Spirit of Slaves with the Habit, and the Chriſtians of the Greek Communion, are a very ſad inſtance of this Truth.

And 3. We were very much at a loſs for the Preaching of the World: And yet herein the Gracious God ſtept in for our Relief.

SECT. IV.
How God Provided for our Souls, by ſending us an Able Miniſter to Preach the Goſpel to us in our Bondage.

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THE gracious God looking upon the affliction of his poor Servants, and Remembring us in our low Eſtate, was pleaſed many waies to mitigate the load of our Captivity: We have Reaſon to ſay, with the Church, Ezra 9. 9. We were Bondſmen, yet our God hath not forſaken us in our Bondage, but hath extended Mercy to us, to give us a reviving, and a Nail in his Holy place: And thus he brought about his Deſign of Grace and Mercy. There was an Engliſh Ship taken by ſome of our Algerine Pirates, and in her one Mr. Devereux Sprat, a Miniſter of the Goſpel. It deſerves our conſideration, and greateſt Admiration, that the wiſe God ſhould [...]upply our Neceſſities at the coſt and charges of others of his dear Servants: But thus Providence ſent Joſeph into Egypt, where he endured thirteen Years Slavery, that he might preſerve the Lives of his Fathers Family, within thoſe narrow walls the moſt viſible Church of God in thoſe daies was encloſed, Gen. 45. 5. Now, ſome of us obſerving this Mr. Sprat to be a Perſon [Page] of very Sober, Grave, and Religious Deportment, we addreſſed our ſelves to him, and humbly entreated him that we might enjoy the benefit of his Miniſtry; in Order whereto, we deſired him that he would compound with his Patron at ſo much a month as he could, and becauſe we were abundantly convinc'd of our Duty to adminiſter to him of our Carnal things, who ſhould adminiſter to us of his Spirituals, we engaged to allow him a Competency to maintain himſelf, and ſatisfie the expectations of his Patron: The good man hearkned to us with much readineſs; and now indeed we found our burdens much lighter, and our conditions not preſt ſo hard upon our Spirrits: Thrice a week this Godly, painul Servant of Jeſus Chriſt prayed with us, and Preach'd to us the Word of God; our meeting-place was a Cellar, which I had hired at ſome diſtance from our Shop, where I ſtowed ſome Goods that were peculiarly my own when we fell into a greater ſtroke of trade. To our Meetings reſorted many, ſometimes three or fourſcore, and though we met next the Street, yet we never had the leaſt diſturbance from the Turks, or Moors; for whilſt we intermeddled not with their Superſtitions, but paid our Patrons their demands, we might, without any diſturbance from them, Worſhip our God, according to our Conſciences: It's true, that ſuch were the circumſtances of the Slavery of many poor Chriſtians, that they could not attend; and [Page] ſuch the wretched careleſsneſs of others, that they would not attend, and ſuch the Proviſions that God had made for others, by other means, that they needed not, perhaps, attend upon God's Worſhip with us; but thus was our God pleaſed to give us the means of ſtrengthning our Faith, and Comforting our drooping Spirits.

At length came one Captain Wildy of Ratcliff to Trade there, who, with the Aſſiſtance of the Legorn Mercahnts, free'd our Miniſter from his Patron. After his freedom from his Patron, yet there remained a Duty of ſixty Dollers, which was a particular charge payable to the Publick Treaſury, before he could be fully enlarged from the City: We Petitioned therefore the Captain, that he might, and Mr. Sprat himſelf, that he would ſtill continue to be Serviceable to our poor Souls, in the work of the Goſpel, and we eaſily prevailed, and had the benefit of his Miniſtry whilſt I ſtaid there.

SECT. V.
Some Remarkable Obſervations that I gleaned up, whilſt I remained in Algires.

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THey that are preſſed with their own Perſonal Grievances, have little leiſure to look abroad, and obſerve the Motions of others; and indeed our own Afflictions however ſweetned, lay ſtill gnawing, and grating upon our Spirits that we muſt needs be very ill qualified to treaſure up materials to make a Hiſtory. Such a Deſign required Leiſure, Liberty, Privacy, Retiredneſs, Intelligence, and ſtrict Correſpondence, to all which we were perfect Strangers. Yet ſometimes I could make a truce with my Troubles, and obtain ſo long a ceſſation from my vexatious Preſſures, as to make Obſervation.

And. 1. The Hypocriſie of their Profeſſion was ſo notorious, that he muſt put out his Eyes that did not ſee it. One Month in the year they Obſerve their Ramedam, which is their Lent; and indeed rhey Obſerve it by day with more Monkiſh Auſterity, impoſing upon themſelves a total Abſtinence: An Obſervation which they may be preſumed to owe to that Neſtorian [Page]Monk, who clubb'd with Mahomet in the curſed invention of the Alchoran: But for all their demure Quadrageſimal looks by day, they give or ſell themſelves to commit with greedineſs all manner of the moſt execrable Villanies by night. And they cheat themſelves with this evaſion; that forſooth Mahomet Commanded them to Faſt ſo many Days, but not ſo many Nights; For now they beat up their Drums, and call their Friends firſt out of bed, then out of Doors, they provoke, challenge, dare one another to eat, drink, and run into all exceſs of Riot. They will neither ſpare Men in their Rage, nor Women in their Luſt: The two hungry meals of the Day, makes the third of the Night an errand Glutton. By Day they create themſelves a Purgatory, and by night the poor Slaves find a Hell. Now when they have cramm'd their Guts all Night, and are Maw-ſick in the morning, they put on their Lenten face again; and call that a Faſt, which is but Phyſick; and pretend Religion for that which they are compell'd to by Nature; that is, they Faſt when they can eat and drink no longer: But indeed their Faſt by Day is nothing but a dry Drunkenneſs; for when they have drunk, and whored themſelves into ſin, they fancy they merit a pardon by Abſtinence. A piece of Hypocriſie ſo groſs, that whether it be to be ſampled any where in the World, unleſs, perhaps, by the Popiſh Carnevals, I cannot tell.

[Page] 2. I could not but obſerve, that though they allow, that every man may be ſaved in that Religion he profeſſes, provided he walks by i'ts Rules,; and therefore that at laſt, the Jews, under the Banner of Moſes; the Chriſtians, under the Banner of Chriſt; and the Turks, under the Banner of Mahomet, ſhall all march over a fair bridg, into I know not what Paradiſe, a place far beyond the Eliſian Fields; yet they afford no mercy to one, who having once profeſſed, afterwards Revolts from Mahumetaniſm; an Inſtance whereof I ſhall now preſent the Reader with.

The Spaniards every year return a conſiderable ſum of mony to Algires, to be employed in the Redemption of ſuch of their own Countrey as are there in Slavery: Some ſay, there is a [...]articular Treaſury ſet apart for that Service; but this I know, that they uſe the Charitable benevolence of well diſpoſed Perſons, to advance it. Now, there was a Spaniſh Friar, that was a Slave, who being paſſed by in the Redemption that Year, took it very hainouſly to be neglected, thought himſelf much wronged; hereupon he grows Diſcontented, and the Devil (who never works with greater ſucceſs than upon that Humor) takes the Advantage to puſh him on; and he in a pett, Renounces the Chriſtian Religion, declares himſelf a Muſſulman, and accordingly appears in his Turkiſh Habit. I knew him very well by ſight he was a fat, [Page] corpulent perſon; but after he had turned Renegado, I obſerved him to become ſtrangely lean, and dejected in his Countenance. but I little ſuſpected, that the Root of his Diſtemper lay in his Conſcience: but it ſeems he had ſeverely reflected upon his Apoſtacy, for he had not Renounced onely his Popery, but his Chriſtianity: His own Conſcience, which was a Thouſand Witneſſes againſt him, was a Thouſand Tormentors to him: Long he bore i'ts ſecret and ſtinging laſhes, but when he could no longer ſtand under them, he goes to the Vice-Roy's Palace, and there openly declares himſelf a Chriſtian, and proteſts againſt the Superſtition and Idolatry of Mahomet, as a moſt Execrable, and damnable Impoſture: Immediatly he is conveyed before the Councel, and there ſtrictly Examined, he perſiſts reſolutely in his Profeſſion, whereupon he is clapt in Irons, and for ſome time there ſecured: Now, they pretended this reaſon for their proceedure. That there had been ſome practiſing and tampering with him, either Morally by Argument, or Naturally by ſome Doſe of intoxicating Drugs, that had thus diſtempered him; for loth they were it ſhould be thought, that any Man of ſound mind, or maſter of his Reaſon, would ever revolt from their Religion: But when they ſaw him fixt in his Reſolution, and that neither what he felt, or might fear, what they had inflicted, or could threaten, did unhinge him from his Profeſſion, they proceeded [Page] to the laſt remedy, and inexorably Condemned him to the Fire: A way of Puniſhment which they learnt from the Spaniards themſelves who firſt ſet up the Inquiſition againſt the Moors, and have now turned the edg of it againſt the Proteſtants. And now they proceed to the Execution of the Sentence, which was performed with ſome Pomp, and State. And firſt, they formed a Crown with a Croſs upon the top of it, within the Plates, and Bars whereof they put Flax; thus Crowned, they guard him through the City, out of the Weſt-Gate, about half a mile, which was the appointed place of Execution: and firſt, one puts Fire to the Flax in his mock-Crown, to take poſſeſſion of his Head, in the Name of the reſt of his Body: at firſt he ſhook it off, but another put Fire again to it with a Cane, and then the poor man ſtood patiently, and preſently they put Fire to the whole Pile, and there burnt him: I ſaw ſome of his Bones, and ſcorched Fleſh after he was dead; and the ſame Evening came a Zealous Spaniard, and carried away ſome of his ſcorched Fleſh, and Bones, as the Holy Reliques of a Martyr, ſaying I have now done enough to make ſatisfaction for all the ſins that I have committed.

3. It's worth Admiration, to ſee in what great awe they ſtand of the meaneſt Officer, who is known to be ſuch by his Turbant, and Habit. If any Affray be made, or a murder committed in the Streets, the Chiaux, or Officer [Page] preſently comes without any Weapon or Perſon to aſſiſt him; and if he ſeizes the Offenders, none is ſo hardy as to reſiſt even unarmed Authority.

4. The great Reverence which the Moors pay to the Turks, though both Mahumetans, is remarkable: If a Moor ſhall dare to ſtrike a Turk, he is puniſht with great ſeverity: I ſaw two Moors whilſt I was there, whoſe right Hands were chopt off for this one Crime, and hung about their necks in ſtrings; the one was ſet upon an Aſſe, the other walkt by on foot, the Common Cryer proclaiming before them their Offence, through the chief Streets of the City. I ſaw another alſo with his heels tyed to a Horſes Tayl; he was wholly naked, onely he had on a pair of linnen Drawers, and thus was he dragg'd through the Streets? It was a moſt lamentable Spectacle, to ſee his Body all torn with the rugged way, and ſtones; the skin torn off his Back and Elbows, his Head broken, and all covered with blood, and dirt, and thus was he dragg'd through the City out at Bubazoon, or the Eaſt-gate, where he ended his miſerable Life.

Two others of their own Country-men I ſaw Executed in a moſt terrible, and dreadful manner, (but either I did not know, or do not remember their Crimes:) The one was thrown off from a high Wall, and in his fall he was caught by the way, by one of the great ſharp Hooks, [Page] which were faſtned in the Wall; It caught him juſt under the Ribs, and there he hung roaring in unſpeakable pain till he dyed. The other was faſtned to a Ladder, his wriſts, and ankles being nailed through with Iron spikes, in ſuch a poſture as ſomewhat reſembles the Celebrated Croſs of St. Andrew; and leaſt his Fleſh and Sinews ſhould fail, and the Nails not hold; his Wriſts and Ankles were bound faſt with ſmall Cords to the Ladder: Two days I ſaw him alive under this Torture, how much longer he lived under it I cannot tell.

5. They are generally great Enemies to Debauchery in publick: It's a great ſcandal to them when they ſee any Chriſtians, who brought that Beaſtiality out of their own Countries with them, to be guilty of it. I have heard them ſay, of a Drunken Slave; A Chriſtian? No, He's a Swine. And though they will indulge themſelves by Night (eſpecially in their Ramedam Month) yet woe be to him, that ſhall Offend by Day in that Kind. There was an Engliſhman, who had brought over with him his drunken Humour, and his Captivity had not made him Sober: and when Religion has not firm hold of the Heart, a little matter will make ſuch a one let go his hold of Religion: This Engliſh-man turn'd a Renegado, and of a Drunken Chriſtian became a Drunken Turk, and was not able to keep the Pot from his Head, during their Holy time of Ramedam; being one day found thus like a [Page] Sot, he was brought into the Caſſabal, or Chief Court of Judicature, where he was adjudged to receive many hundreds of violent blows; ſome upon his naked Back and Reins, others upon his naked Belly; he could not creep from the place of puniſhment, but was carried away by the Hammels; his Belly, and Back were ſo excoriated, that Sampſon Baker, an Engliſh-man, who was his Chirurgeon, aſſured me he was forced to cut off abundance of his Fleſh before he could be Cured.

6. What Cruelties they Exerciſe upon poor Slaves, needs not be mentioned, and there will be an Occaſion to ſpeak of the moſt Ordinary way of puniſhment e're long. Let it ſuffice, that all is Arbitrary, and unlimitted. If a Patron ſhall kill his Slave, for ought I could perceive, he ſuffers no more for it, than if he ſhould kill his Horſe: There was a Dutch Youth, a Slave to a Turk, who, upon ſome provocation, drew his Knife at his Patron; for this Offer, he was Sentenced to be dragg'd out at one of the Gates, and there to have his Arms and Legs broken in pieces with the great Sledg Hammer, which Sentence was accordingly Executed, for though I could not ſee his face for the Crowd, yet I heard the blows, and the miſerable Cries of the poor dying Young Man.

SECT. VI.
The grievous Puniſhment Inflicted upon John Randal; the Authors Danger, and Deliverance from the ſame, upon pretence that they had attempted to make an Eſcape.

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IT is time to re-aſſume my own concerns, and look a little into my own Condition, which, through the good providence of God, was much better than that of many of my poor Brethren and Fellow-Captives; and yet I met with great ebbings and flowings in my Tranquility: whilſt I was managing my Trade very ſtoutly and ſucceſsfully, (John Randal working with me in my Shop) my Partner now having knockt off, and left all to me: One day I changed a twenty ſhilling-piece of Gold for Silver with a Friend, and having the mony chinking in my hand, John Randal asked me, what I did with ſo much mony? I deſired him to keep it for me, till our return, and he ſhould know: For he being not very well, we agreed to walk out of the Town to take the freſh Air; a liberty, which for ſomewhat above a mile, is indulged to the Slaves: When we had walked almoſt to the end of our [Page]Tedder, I was deſirous to walk a little further to view the Coaſts, if, perhaps, any advantage might offer it ſelf afterwards for an Eſcape, though we Actually deſigned no ſuch thing. As we were prying about the Sea-ſide, one of the Spies appointed conſtantly to watch, leſt any of the Slaves ſhould run away, came to us, and charged us with an attempt to make an Eſcape? we flatly denied it, but he laid hold on us; there was no reſiſting; Obey we muſt, and accordingly attended his Maſterſhip towards the City: As we drew near, I eſpyed ſome Engliſh-men at Quoits (for with ſuch Recreations and Diverſions, they are willing now and then to beguile the tedious minutes of lingring thraldom) I beckoned to one of them whom I knew, and pretending only to whiſper to him, I ſecretly conveyed to him my purſe, wherein were ſeven pieces of eight? we were preſently met by another Spy, and thoſe two led us to a little blind Houſe, where they ſearch'd us, they took away the twenty ſhillings, which I had put into my Friends hand, and finding nothing upon me, took away my Doublet, and then brought us before the Vice-roy, and his Council: We were ſtraightly Examined, and ſtrongly charged with an attempt to Eſcape: We peremptorily denyed all, and ſtood upon our Innocency, affirming, that our onely deſign of walking abroad, was to take the freſh Air, occaſioned by my Fellows Sickneſs. This Purgation would not be Accepted, [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] and the Battoon was commanded to be brought forth, we anſwered, we durſt not falſely accuſe our ſelves, nor make our ſelves Criminal, when we were not ſo, and therefore if ſuch was their will and pleaſure, we muſt abide by it, and ſo we ſat down by the ſticks.

The way of Puniſhment by the Battoon, or Cudgel, as this, They have a ſtrong ſtaff, about ſix Foot long, in the middle whereof are bored two holes; Into theſe Holes a Cord is put, and the ends of the [...]rd faſtned on the one ſide the ſtaff, with knots, ſo that it makes a Loop on the other ſide. Into this Loop of the Cord both the Feet of the Perſon Condemned to this Puniſhment are put; then two luſty Fellows, one at each end of the ſtaff, lifts it up in their Arms, and twiſting the Staff about, till his Feet are fast pinc'd with the Cord by the Ankles, they raiſe up his Feet with the Soles upwards, well nigh as high as their ſhoulders, and in this poſture they hold them, the poor man the mean while reſting only with his Neck and Shoulders on the Ground: Then comes another luſty, ſturdy Knave behind him, and with a tough, ſhort Truncheon gives him as many violent blows on the Soles of his Feet as the Council ſhall order.

But the Vice-Roy, with his Council, gathering from circumſtances, and induced to believe us by our conſtant and reſolute denial of the Fact, omitted at preſent any further puniſhment▪ and only commanded us to be laid in chains [Page] in the Vice-Roy's Priſon till our Patrons ſhould demand our Liberty, and fetch us out. And the next day we were both delivered, though with differing Fates; as Pharaoh's Chief Butler, and Chief Baker were both taken from Priſon, the One to be Advanced, the Other to be Hanged: For John Randal's Patron being a very Termergant, uſed that abſolute and unlimitted Sovereignty which they pretend to, over their Slaves, and commanded him to receive three hundred blows upon the Soles of his Feet with the Battoon, in manner before deſcribed: As for my ſelf, when I was brought home, the Spie that ſeized us, came and demanded Money of my Patron for his good ſervice (not reckoning that he had any thing of me) which put him into a moſt deſperate fit of Paſſion, and calling me Dog and Jew, and all to naught, commanded me to go work in the Looms with two other Engliſh-men that were Slaves, and Linnen-Cloth-Weavers: But alas, I was a very Bungler, and underſtood nothing of the Craft and Myſtery of Weaving more or leſs; but there I wrought till I had ſpoiled all that I laid my Hands on: Now, when he ſaw that my labour this way would not turn to Account, he rated me for a Loggerhead, and bad me fill Quills for the other two; being now degraded from a bungling Weaver to an excellent [...]iller of Quills, I continued about a month; my Shop all this while lay at ſixes and ſeavens, what was [Page] become of it I knew not, and durſt not for my Life diſcover any deſire to return to that employment. At laſt, my Patron asked me for the money that he had lent me when I firſt began to Trade: I anſwered ſubmiſſively, that I had not a farthing, all my ſmall Eſtate lay in a few Goods, and till they were ſold, I could not poſſibly repay him: He calls one of his Slaves, a Dutch man, and commands him to go with me, and turn all into ready money, and bring it him: When I came to my Old Shop, there was the Neſt indeed, but all the Birds were ſlown; for in my abſence, (poor John Randal being Lame, and not able to work, my Partner ſometime before having left me, and I confined to another Employment) ſome of theſe Raſcals had broken open my Shop, and thence carried the beſt of my Goods, though my Cellar was ſtill ſafe, and ſome of my Goods I heard of, and recovered; what money I had was hid in the Ground, as it was my conſtant way: That night the Dutch man and my ſelf returned to our Patron, and told him we could ſell nothing; whereupon he remanded me to my Shop, there to Trade, paying him the two Dollars a moneth, as I had done before.

SECT VII.
The Authors Patron growing poor, he is Sold, or Mortgaged to another; the wonderful kindneſs that he found from his ſecond Patron.

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HEre was nothing yet working towards a Deliverance, nor could I yet ſee the leaſt glimmering of poſſibility which might ſo much as flatter my willing mind with a hope of eſcaping: But it's Obſerved, that the Night is always darkeſt towards Day-break; and God is often drawing nearer to us in Mercy, when we conceive he is departing further off in Diſpleaſure.

My Patron had been ſincking in his Eſtate a pretty while, the laſt Ship he had put to Sea broke his back: At laſt he was grown (inſenſibly) ſo low, that it could no longer be daubed up with his Repute, but he muſt be forced to ſell all his Slaves to pay his Debts: It was not much to me whither I was chopt and changed; I might change my Goaler, and my Goal, but ſtill I was like to be a Priſoner: I might be bought and ſold, and ſold again, but ſtill my Condition was Slavery; yet one thing methought was comfortable, [Page] that the laſt Instrument of my Bondage was come into Miſery as well as my ſelf.

In the partage of his Slaves, it fell to my Lot and anothers to be Mortgaged for a certain ſum of Money, joyntly to two Perſons, the one a Cap-maker, the other a Grave Old Gentleman, who amongſt his own People had the Repute or a good Natur'd and moderate Perſon, (as good Nature, and Moderation go at Algier.) The Day of Payment came, the Mony was not paid; the Cap-maker and the Old Gentleman ſeize on us, and hold us in Common, but in a While they reſolved to divide us, that each of them might know his proper Goods and Chattels, and each of us might know whom to call Maſter, and whoſe whiſtle we were bound to Obey: We are both ſummoned to appear in a certain place at mid day, and much ado there was about our Dividing: At laſt they agreed to Caſt Lots for us, onely becauſe I was in a handſome way of Trade, it was accorded, that he to whoſe ſhare I ſhould fall, ſhould pay the other fifty Doubles, which, if I compute aright, is ſomething more then fifty ſhillings Sterling. I was exceeding fearful I ſhould fall to this Cap-maker, for he had the Character of a brutiſh, ill-humour'd Creature and therefore I was concern'd to lift my Petition to God, that ſeeing, when the Lot ſhould be caſt into the lap, yet the whole Diſpoſition thereof is of God, he would give me forth a gracious Lot: Whatever there is of Contingency as to us [Page] there's nothing accidental to God. Well, God Delivered me from that Tyrant, and I was adjudged by the deciſion of the Lot to the Old Gentleman: And if I ſhould be ſilent here, I ſhould be the moſt ungrateful wretch Living: I found not onely pity and compaſſion, but Love and Friendſhip from my New Patron? had I been his Son, I could not have met with more reſpect, nor been treated with more tenderneſs: I could not wiſh a Friend a better Condition then I was then in, except my Bonds. If any thing could be mingled with Bondage to make it ſweet? if any thing could Reconcile Slavery to Nature? if any thing could beget an Acquieſcence in ſuch a ſtate, I did not, I could not want it.

And indeed the Freedom that I found in Servitude, the Liberty I enjoyed in my Bonds was ſo great that it took off much of the Edg of my deſire to obtain, and almoſt blunted it from any vigorous attempt after Liberty, that carried hazard in it's Face; till at laſt I was awakened upon this Occaſion.

My Patron had a fair Farm in the Countrey, about twelve miles from the City, whither he took me along with him? he had me to their Markets, ſhewed me the manner of them, & at my return, he loaded me home with all manner of good Proviſions, that I might make merry with my Fellow-Chriſtians? I had ſome Reaſon to conclude from his great kindneſs to me, that he intended to [...]end me thither to manage the Farm for him. I [Page] ſaw now evidently, that if I once quitted my ſhop▪ I ſhould loſe with it all means, all helps, and therefore all hopes to rid my ſelf out of this Slavery: And though I might have been there a petty Lord, and Baſhaw'd it over the reſt of my Fellow-Servants, yet Slavery had in it ſomething of I know not what harſhneſs that I could not brook. Fetters of Gold do not loſe their Nature, they are Fetters still: Had Bajazet's Cage been of Gold, as 'twas of Iron, yet it was a Cage; and that was provocation enough to a haughty Spirit to beat out his own Brains againſt it's Bars. This therefore quickned my dull temper, and I began to Reſolve to make an Attempt once for all. Now therefore muſtering thoſe few Wits Captivity had left me, I ſet them on work, and ran through all things poſſible, and impoſſible; he that will find what he has loſt, muſt look where 'tis not, as well as where 'tis; and forming ſtratagems in my Head, ſome Idle, and Vain; ſome Deſperate, others impoſſible; at laſt pitcht upon one, that ſeemed to me feizable and practicable.

SECT. VIII.
The Contrivance for our Eſcape, the Perſons Acquainted with it, and alſo thoſe that were Engaged in it; ſome Debates about leaving my Patron.

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HAving Formed the Deſign, or at leaſt, the rude draught, and general Model of it, my firſt care was to open it to ſome skilful and faithful Counſellers, who might more impartially diſcover to me it's inconveniences, where it was like to prove leaky, or take wind; And firſt I acquainted Mr. Sprat, our Miniſter, with it, and laid before him the whole of the Contrivance; and he ſo far approved it, that he judged it poſſible: Next, I acquainted one Robert Lak [...], a very wiſe and Religious Perſon, who beſtowed his Bleſſings on it, and wiſh'd it all good Succeſs: And laſtly, I acquainted my Friend John Randal, who approved it: Yet none of theſe could, or would run the riſque of it's miſcarriage. Mr. Sprat was already delivered from his Patron, and in a fair way to be abſolutely enlarged, in a more ſafe and Regular way, for not long after our Eſcape came Captain Pack, of London, and paid the ſixty Dollars [Page] and took him along with him for England: John Randal had a Wife, and Child and theſe were too dear pledges to be left behind, and yet too tender things to undergo our Difficulties: Robert Lake was an Ancient Perſon, and neither able paſſively to be carried in, nor actively to carry on a Deſign that required much hardneſs of Body and Mind to endure, and much ſtrength to go through with it? we had nothing more from them then Prayers and Counſels, which yet was the mane? and then my next care was, to take in Partners, and Accomplices in the Deſign▪

And herein I had a three fold Reſpect: Firſt to ſuch as were neceſſarily required to Form the Inſtrument of our Eſcape and Deliverance▪ Secondly, to ſuch, whoſe tryed, and approved Fidelity I might preſume would be obſtinately, and Religiouſly ſecret in concealing it: Thirdly, to ſuch, whoſe Courage of Mind, and ſtrength of Body would render them capable to purſue the ends of it, to put it in Execution, and go through with it.

But before I would reveal the Project to any of them in particular, I Required an Oath of Secreſie: That whereas I ſhould now reveal to him, or them, a matter of great concernment to their Happineſs and Well-fare, they ſhould ſolemnly promiſe, and ſwear, that in caſe they did not approve it, or would not joyn in it, yet they ſhould, neither directly, nor indirectly,; for fear, or flattery, diſcover it, or the Perſons engaged[Page]in it, to any Perſon whatſoever. When a Project was once mentioned, which promiſed in general their Happineſs and Well-fare, I needed not tell them in particular what it drove at, they could ſmell out that with eaſe; for what could be Good, or Happy to Slaves without Liberty? This Oath therefore they willingly took: I judged ſeven Perſons would be enough to manage, carry on, and Execute it; and therefore except the three fore-mentioned, I communicated it to no one Perſon but theſe following, who engaged in it, though all of them did not go through with it. John Anthony, a Carpenter, who had been a Slave fifteen years: his Trade ſufficiently ſhews, how uſeful he would prove in the Deſign. William Adams, who ſince his Captivity, had learnt and uſed the Trade of a Bricklayer; his Serviceableneſs in it will be evident in the ſequel; he had been a Slave eleven Years. John Jephs, who was a Sea-man, and muſt therefore be preſumed one of the Quorum is a Project of this Nature; he had endured Slavery about five Years. John—a Carpenter, who was a skilful Man in his Trade, Luſty of Body, and therefore muſt be a good Wheel in this Engine, and he had been a Slave five Years: And two others, whoſe Employment it was to-waſh ſmall Cloaths at the Sea-ſide, and thoſe had alſo their parts in carrying on the work, though they went not along with us; and William Okeley, who preſents the Reader [Page] with this Narrative, who was taken Auguſt 11▪ 1639▪ and Eſcaped June 30. 1644▪ theſe made up the Number of 7. There aroſe a Scruple, nay, it amounted to a Queſtion, whether to attempt an Eſcape from my Patron, one that ſo dearly Loved me, ſo courteouſly treated me, had ſo fairly bought me, were juſtifiable before God and Men?

And 1. It might be a Queſtion in point of Prudence; for, where could I hope to mend my ſelf? Or better my Condition? I might poſſibly find worſe Quarter in England, where the Civil Wars were now broke out, and to that height of exaſperation, that thoſe of the ſame Nation, and, perhaps Blood, would hardly give Quarter of Life one to another: If the Name of Native Countrey bewitcht me, if That dazled my Eyes; ſurely where-ever we are well is our Countrey, and all the World is Home to him that thrives all over the World: And why ſhould the Name of Bondage, why ſhould a word grate ſo harſhly upon my delicate Spirit, when the ſting of it was taken away? Liberty is a good word; but a Man cannot buy a Meals meat with a word: And Slavery is a hard word, but it breaks no mans back. Thouſands are more Slaves then I, who are yet their own Masters, and leſs at Liberty then my ſelf, who have the free rake and range of the whole World. But yet my Patron's Favour was no free hold; I held not my Happy time in fee ſimple, all was advoluntatem[Page]Domini; beſides, he might dye, and leave me to another; or Live to Sell me to another, who might be of another Character, and then my Condition would be therefore woſe becauſe I had known a better.

2. I might be Queſtioned in point of Ingenuity, how I could be ſo unworthy to leave him, who had Loved me? Would not all that ſhould hear of it, Condemn me of ill Nature, to leave without taking leave, one that had been a Father to me, who might have uſed the Right of a Lord; and uſed me as a Child, who might have treated me as a Slave? But really I thought there was more of Manners and Courtſhip in the Objection, than of weight, and Cogency; Still I dwelt with Meſhech, and had my Habitation amongſt the Tents of Kedar; and one thought of England, and of its Liberty and Goſpel confuted a thouſand ſuch Objections, and routed whole Legions of theſe little Scruples. It was no time to ſtand upon the Punctilio's of Honour and Ingenuity; no time to Complement, and ſtrain courteſie; here was no Farewel Patron, in the Caſe, and therefore I ſoon overcame that.

But, 3. It might be Queſtioned in the Court of Conſcience, whether it were not down-right Theft to with-draw my ſelf from his Service, who had bought me, paid for me, enter'd upon me, poſſeſs'd and enjoy'd me, as his own proper Goods, and now I was not my own, had no right to my ſelf: Whether might not a Man be [Page] felo de ſe, in ſtealing himſelf, as well as killing himſelf? And whether he is not the greater ſelf-robber, that ſteals away himſelf, then he that ſteals away from himſelf? But I much queſtioned their propriety to me; my Patron's Title was rotten at the Foundation: Man is too noble a Creature to be made ſubject to a deed of bargain and Sale; and my conſent was never ask'd to all their bargains, which is Eſſential, to create a right of Dominion over a Rational Creature, where he was not born a Subject. If I had forfeited my Life or Liberty, the Law might take it; but I was not Conſcious to my ſelf of any ſuch forfeiture, but that I was at my own Diſpoſal.

Thus all was clear and quiet, and we went on with our Deſign, which I now firſt opened to them: That I had contrived the Model of a Boat, which being formed in parcels, and afterwards put together, might, by the ſuper-intendency of Divine Providence, prove an Ark to deliver us out of the hands of our Enemies. This was ſoon ſaid, and greedily entertained; to Eſcape was a pleaſant word, the Name of Liberty made Muſick in our Ears, and our wiſhing hearts danced to the Tune of it; and a Boat was as promiſing a means as any thing could be imagined: But when once their thoughts cooled, and came more ſedately to look into the difficulties of it; they appeared innumerable, and ſome of them ſeemed inſuperable; and ſome things that had [Page] paſt currant in my own thoughts, and I went clever away with them, without any rub; yet when they came to be pierced into with more Eyes, and ſcann'd upon more Fingers, they were attended with conſiderable impediments: where this Boat ſhould be built, was one ſtaggering Queſtion: Where it ſhould be Lanched, and where put to Sea, was a Choaking Objection: How we ſhould eſcape thoſe Argus-eyes, which are always obſerving us by Day, was a gravelling Qhaery; or how to get out of the City by Night, whoſe Walls are ſo high, whoſe Gates are ſo cloſe ſhut, and ſtrongly Guarded was another vexatious Quaery: How we ſhould be Rigged and Victualled for ſuch a Voyage, was a conſiderable enquiry: and whether we ſhould deſign, was not to be ſlighted. But how ſuch a little Skiff, rather than Boat, ſhould be able to Weather all the Accidents of the Sea, was a Neck Queſtion, enough to ſtrangle Faith, and ſtifle with us with Deſpair.

To theſe Objections, I Anſwered. That I had deſigned my own Cellar, as the meeteſt place wherein to build the Boat; that when it was there Built, it might be taken in pieces again, and carried out of the City in parcels, and beſtowed in private places till things were ripe for Execution. That for a place where to put to Sea, it [...]ould be time enough to determine upon that when we had finiſh'd our Veſſel: That Mayork was the moſt commodious place to deſign to [Page] Land in: But in general I told them to this purpoſe; That if we never attempted any thing till we had Anſwered all Objections, we muſt ſit with our Fingers in our Mouths all our days, and pine, and languiſh out our tedious Lives in Bondage, Let us be up and doing, and God would be with us. To begin is one half of our work; Let us make an Eſſay, and Anſwer particular Objections as they Offer'd themſelves, and as we met with them in our work. That the Project had its difficulties, was confeſſed; but what has not, that is Commendable, and Glorious? Yet whatever difficulties & dangers we could meet with, Liberty, kept in our Eye, would ſweeten the dangers we might encounter in Attempting▪ They were all well ſati [...]fied with what was ſaid and all engaged to venture the utmoſt they were, and had, to accompliſh it.

SECT. IX.
The Model of the Boat, Carrying it out of the City, and beſtowing it in convenient Places.

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IN the Cellar where we had Worſhip'd God, we began our Work; and it was not the Holineſs, but the Privacy of the place that invited us, and adviſed us to it. And firſt, we provided a piece of Timber about twelve Foot long, to make the Keel: But becauſe it was impoſſible to convey a piece of Timber of that length out of the City, but it muſt be ſeen; and of that ſhape, but it muſt be ſuſpected, and that Suſpition would bring us into Examination, and the Rack, or Battoon might extort a Confeſſion out of the mo [...]t reſolved, and obstinate breaſt; we therefore cut it in two pieces, and fitted it for Joynting thus in the middle. Our next care was the Timbers or Ribs of the Poat, which we contrived thus; every one of the Timbers was made of three pieces, and joynted in two places, becauſe a whole Rib at its full length, would be lyable to the ſame inconveniences with the Keel. Now underſtand, that the joynts of the Ribs were not made with Mortice and Tenon, [Page] but the flat ſide of one of the three Pieces was laid over the other, and two holes were bored at every joynt, into which two Nails were to be put, when we ſhould joyn the parcels of our Boat together: You muſt underſtand further, that theſe two holes at every joynt were not made in a ſtrait line, parallel with the ſides of the pieces, for then the three pieces, which make one Rib, being joyned together would have made one ſtrait piece; a Form which would by no means comport with the Uſe and Deſign of the Timbers; But ſo, that when both the Nails were in the holes, each Joynt would make an obtuſe angle, and ſo incline ſo near towards a Semi-Circular Figure, as our Occaſion required. All this while here is no viſible Proviſion made for boards, to cloath the naked Ribs of our Boat, without which, the Keel and Timbers looked but like an uſeleſs Anatomy; but neither had we, nor was it poſſible we ſhould have any boards in our Veſſel: Neceſſity is the beſt Artificer when all is done, if we accept her Siſter Contingency; to which two the World has been beholden for the moſt uſeful inventions, which at this day do eaſe the Labour and Toyl of wearied Mankind. For the Joynting of theſe Boards; and the Nailing of them, to make the Boat Water-tite, would require ſuch Hammering, and that Hammering would make ſuch a clamarou [...] Echo in the Cellar, as muſt have drawn upon us the Jealous Eyes of the Algerines, who [Page] about their Wives and Slaves are inſupportably ſuſpicious: And therefore from the firſt Conception of the Deſign, I always reſolved upon a Canvas: In purſuance of which thought, being all ſatisfied that it was practicable; we bought as much ſtrong Canvas as would cover our Boat twice over, upon the Convex of the Carine; We provided alſo as much Pitch, Tar, and Tallow as would ſerve to make it a kind of a Tawparlin Sear-cloth, to ſwaddle the naked body of our Infant-Boat: With Earthen pots to melt done our Materials in; and prefixt a night wherein we might Execute that part of our Labour. The two Carpenters, and my ſelf were appointed to this Service, and the Cellar was the place where we met. Matters had hitherto run very evenly, and ſmoothly, but here we met with ſome diſcouraging rubs. For when we had ſtopt all the Chinks and Crannies of the Cellar, that the ſtreame of the melted Materials might not creep out and betray us, (there being no Chimney,) we had not been long at our work before I felt my ſelf exceeding ſick, with the ſtrong, and unuſual ſcent of the melted Liquor; I was forced to go out into the ſtreets to gaſp for breath, where meeting with the cool Air, it over-came me, I ſwooned, fell down brake my face, and there lay: My Companions miſſing me, made out to ſeek me, found me in this ſad plight, and carried me in again, though exceeding ſick, and unſerviceable. They [Page] had not proceeded much further before I heard one of them complain he was ſick, and cou'd proceed no further, and now our work ſtood ſtill: I plainly ſaw that our hopeful Project, that had hitherto ſo ſmoothly proceeded, muſt needs miſcarry, and Prove Abortive; for it would be impoſſible to finiſh it this night: and if we once parted, and ſuffered our Spirits to cool over the Deſign, they would never ceaſe cooling till they were ſtone-cold, and hard frozen; and therefore I adviſed to ſet open the Door, and commit our ſelves, and our work to Gods Protection: For I told them they could not but know, that if any Diſcovery were made, the burden would fall heavieſt upon my ſhoulders; and my Back or Feet muſt pay for all. At length, we reſolved to ſet the Cellar-door wide open, and as ſoon as that was done, and the ſtream pretty well gone out, we came to our ſelves again, couragiouſly went on with our buſineſs, and pitched one half that Night. The next night we met again, ſet open the Door, and whilſt they plyed the work, I ſtood Sentinel at the Door to give Notice of approaching danger; but we happily finiſh'd the whole, and while it was yet dark, carried it to my Shop, which was about a Furlong from the Cellar, and there at preſent ſecured it.

I ſhall not queſtion the Readers Ingenuity ſo much, but that he will ſuppoſe there goes a great deal more to a Boat than I have deſcribed; [Page] but what ſhould I trouble him with thoſe things that are common to all other Boats, I mention only what was Peculiar to our own; and I do not intend to trouble him with the Boat-wright's Lecture.

In our Cellar we fitted all things, we made the Timbers fit to the Keel, and the Canvas fit for the Timbers, and the Seats fit to the whole, and then took all in pieces again, and laying our Heads together, plotting how to convey all out of the Town, and lodg them in ſecure and truſty places.

And firſt▪ for our Keel, we all with unanimous conſent judged Will. Adams the fitteſt Perſon to execute that part of the Deſign, for he had long Exerciſed the Trade of a Brick-layer, and his Employment lay much without the Town; and beſides, he uſed ſuch pieces in levelling his work. He therefore; accourted with his Apron before him, his Trowel in his hand, and one of the pieces upon his ſhoulder, undertook it, and without the leaſt Obſervation went cleverly away with it, and as he ſaw his Opportunity, hid it in the bottom of a Hedg; and not long after conveyed out its Fellow, and Lodged it in the ſame place. This ſucceeding ſo happily, we ſaw no great difficulty in the Timbers, for we put one nail into a hole of every joynt, and then you will eaſily conceive, that the two extream pieces of one Rib being folded inwards upon the middlemoſt, will lye in the room of one [Page]of the pieces for length, excepting that litile that the ends of each piece were beyond the holes: Now, by general conſent, the conveying theſe out of the City was committed to one, whoſe Employment was to waſh ſmall Clothes by the Sea-ſide: He puts them into his bag amongſt his Clothes, and ſo very orderly carried them out, and hid them where he could find moſt commodious ſtowage, but yet with Reſpect to nearneſs to that Place where the Keel was laid.

But how to convey our Tarpawlin ſafe out of Town ſeemed moſt difficult; by night it was impoſſible, and by day the difficulties very conſiderable, and the danger proportionable; for the Gates are ſtrictly watch'd, the Streets crowded, the Spies pickering in every corner, and the bulk of the Canvas thus dreſſed was very great. To divide it had been to ruin our ſelves, for no ſtitching together again, could ſo cheat the ſearching water, but it would find out the needle-holes. At laſt we ventured upon this way; we put it into a large Sack, and committed it to him that uſed to waſh Clothes, and leſt any ſhould clap a jealous hand upon it, we put a Pillow over our Canvas within the bag, that ſo its ſoftneſs might delude the Inquiſitor, and make it paſs for Clothes. Let none diſpiſe, or condemn theſe as low, mean pieces of contrivance, for we had not Polititians tools to work withal; but the leſs was our Policy, the more glorious does the wiſdom of God ſhine in ſucceeding it, and yet even [Page] that little Policy we were guilty of, was of his beſtowing alſo; what of ſin was in all of it, was entirely our own; what of Power, Wiſdom, and Succeſs, was all his: But our Agent eſcaped happily with it, and Lodging it in a ſecret place, returned.

We had yet many things to provide, and Oars are abſolutely neceſſary, they were of the Quorum to an Eſcape by ſea: As Finns are the Fiſhes Oars, ſo Oars are the Boats Finns, by help whereof ſhe makes her way: Now, to ſupply this defect, we took two Pipe-ſtaves, and ſlitting them a croſs from corner to corner with a Hand-ſaw, we made of each Pipe-ſtaff two Rude things, which Neceſſity was pleaſed to entitle The blades for a pair of Oars, and theſe were eaſily conveyed out, without ſuſpition.

Next, we conſidered, that Proviſion muſt be laid in for our Voyage; and therefore we provided a ſmall, and but a ſmall quantity of Bread, preſuming our ſtay at Sea muſt be but ſhort; for either we ſhould ſpeedily recover Land, or ſpeedily be drown'd, or ſpeedily be brought back again: Two Goats ſkins alſo, ſtript off whole, and ſo Tann'd (a kind of Bottle much uſed by the Algerines to carry Milk and Water in) we had, which we lived with freſh water, and we know that muſt needs be a great Rarity in the Mediterranean.

We remembred alſo that a Sail might be of right good uſe to us for expedition, and therefore [Page] we bought as much Canvas as would Anſwer that End; and when ſome Diſpute was made abou [...] carrying it out, I Offered to undertake that laſt part of our work: I had not gone a quarter of a Mile, but as I caſt my wary eye back, I eſpyed the ſame ſpie, who once before had ſeized me, and given me trouble, following me very roundly. My Heart began to ake; I was loth a Deſign of ſo near, and dear concernment to all of us, ſhould be brought to the Birth, and there ſhould be no ſtrength to bring forth. It's ſad, after a Voyage, to ſhip-wrack in the Haven, but me-thought it was more ſad to ſink a Veſſel before it could be Launched: And here I firſt found the difference between Innocence and Guilt; for how boldly could I hold up my head to this Spie, and his betters, (at leaſt, his Maſters) when I was not Conſcious of any ſuch Deſign in hand? Where as now the Reflection of my Conſcience. was enough to write guilt in my Countenance, (for ſome things are ſin there which are not ſo in other places:) and this had betray'd me, had I not ſuddenly pluckt up my ſpirits, and ſpying an Engliſh-man waſhing Clothes by the Sea, I went the ready way to him, and deſired him to help me waſh that Canvas; as we were waſhing it, the learing Spye came and ſtood upon the Rock juſt over our Heads to watch our motions: As ſoon as we had a little formally waſh'd it, to caſt a Miſt before his Obſerving Eyes, I took the Canvas and ſpred [Page] it before his Face upon the top of the Rock to dry; he ſtaid his own Time, and then march'd off. But I was as Jealous of him, as he could be of me for his Heart; and therefore fearing he might lye in Ambuſh for me, took it when 'twas dry, and very fairly carried it back into the City, and faithfully acquainted my Accomplices how the Matter ſquared. This Diſcoraged them not a little, for that they ſeemed timorous to proceed in the Enterprize.

At laſt we comforted, and encouraged one another, and entred into cloſe Counſel, where we ſhould meet that Night? At what time? Where we ſhould put our Boat together, and where put to Sea? The Time was an hour within Night; the Rendevouz on a Hill, about half a Mile from the Sea; and ſo we diſperſed, ſome one way, ſome another; and privily lurking in Hedges and Ditches, lay cloſe till the time appointed.

There is one thing that the Reader will be ready to ask; and I ſhall be more ready to Anſwer him for a ſpecial Reaſon: viz. What I did with my Shop and Goods? When I had once Reſolved upon this Adventure, and ſaw it go on hopefully, I gave my Patron my wonted Viſits; kept fair Correſpondence, paid him his demands duly, but ſecretly I made off my Goods as faſt as I could, and turn'd all into ready Money: I had a Trunk, for which John Anthony made me a falſe bottom; into which I put what Silver or [Page] Gold I had? and into the Body of the Trunk, what ever it would hold, and was worthy holding: This Trunk I committed privately to the Fidelity of our dear Miniſter, Mr. Sprat; he took the charge of it, and he was now ready to receive his full Diſcharge. This Trunk he Faithfully Secured, and carefully brought over, and as honeſtly delivered to me when he heard I was come ſafe to London; and I was willing to move that Queſtion, merely for the Anſwers ſake, which witneſſes his Fidelity,

SECT. X.
The putting off our Boat together, the Difficulties we met with therein; and our putting out to Sea, June 30. 1644.

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AS ſoon as we were met all together at the appointed place; we began to think of Executing our long intended Deſign; but we were divided in our Counſels, where to begin our work: It had been a Queſtion propounded before, and we thought we had fully reſolved upon the place; but at our Meeting we were ſtrangely diſcompoſed: There were two places which ſtood in Competition, each pretending good Conveniences for that end. The one was a Hill, about half a Mile from the Sea; the other was a Valley, encompaſſed with two Hedges, about a Furlong from the Hill, but of the ſame diſtance with it from the Sea: It was urged for the Valley, that it was a place of more Secrecy and Privacy, leſs obvious to view; but then it was objected, that we might there be ſurprized, and ſeized by the Churches of our Enemies, e're we could have notice to ſhift for our ſelves: For the Hill, it had been argued, that we might there make better Diſcovery of Danger, and make Proviſion to avoyd it; and in ſhort, we all agreed [Page] over night, to put our Boat together upon the Hill; promiſing our ſelves much Advantage from its Scituation: But when we were met, we all altered our Reſolution without any viſible Reaſon, and carried it for the Valley▪ God is much in the dark to us, but all our wayes are in the open Light to him. It's very difficult to give an Account what God is doing at preſent, but we ſhall know, if we can but patiently wait till future Providences Comment upon the former: And in a while we ſaw the Reaſon why God over-ruled our purpoſes.

We had hid ſeveral of our Materials near the top of the Hill, where alſo grew a ſmall Fig-tree, which we had marked with our Eye, as Judging it would be uſeful to ſtrengthen the Keel of our Boat: Two of our Company were immediately diſpatcht to ſaw down this Fig-Tree, and bring it, and the parcels of our Boat there diſpoſited away with them: They were hardly come to the place, but we heard Dogs bark about the top of the Hill, and indeed two Men with Dogs came very near them; but our Men being aware lay cloſe and ſtill, and ſo they paſſed by without making any Diſcovery, and then our Men beſtirr'd themſelves, and brought away the Fig-Tree, and the other Materials, and returned to us.

And now we had once more brought the ſcatter'd Limbs of our Boat into one place, which, like thoſe of Abſyrtus, had been diſperſed up [Page] and down the Fields: It was no time to trifle, & therefore we all buckled to our work in good earneſt: But we were ſo nigh ſome that were at work in the Neighbouring Gardens, that we could hear them ſpeak, and therefore muſt needs ſuppoſe they might hear us too; and therefore we Acted by Signs, and pointed, and pulled, and nodded, but were all Mutes: It might have been an Expedient for the Builders of Babel, when their Languages were Divided, to have carried on their great Project by Signs: but certainly there was Confuſion poured out upon their Hearts and Counſels, as well as Diviſion in their Tongues and Languages.

The two parts of our Keel we ſoon joyned; then opening the Timbers, which had already one Nail in every Joynt, we groped out for the other hole; and put its Nail into it: Then we open'd them at their full length, and applyed them to the top of the Keel, faſtning them with Rope-Yarn, and ſmall Cords; and ſo we ſerved all the Joynts to keep them firm and ſtable; then we bound ſmall Canes all along the Ribs length-ways, both to keep the Ribs from vering, and alſo to bear out the Canvas very ſtiff againſt the preſſing water: Then we made Notches upon the ends of the Ribs, or Timbers, wherein the Oars might plye; and having tyed down the Seats, and ſtrengthned our Keel with the Fig-Tree, we laſtly drew on our double Canvas Caſe, already fitted; and really the Canvas ſeemed a Winding-ſheet [Page]ſheet for our Boat; and our Boat a Coffin for us all.

This done, four of our Company took it upon their ſhoulders, and carried it down towards the Sea, which was about half a Mile off: It was a little Repreſentation of a Funeral, to ſee the four Barers Marching in deep ſilence with ſomething very like a Herſe, and Coffin, upon their ſhoulders, and the reſt of us decently attending the Ceremony; but we wanted Torches, and beſides, it's not uſual for any to wait upon their own Coffins: But we durſt not grudg our Boat that ſmall, and laſt Office, to carry it half a Mile, for we expected, it ſhould repay us that Service and Civilty with Intereſt, in carrying us many a League: We carried it at Land, where it could not ſwim; that it might carry us at Sea, where we could not walk. As we went along, they that were in the Gardens heard us paſſing by, and called to us, who comes there? But it was dark, and we had no mind to prate, and therefore without any Anſwer, we ſilently held on our way.

When we came to the Sea-ſide, we immediately ſtript ourſelves naked, and putting our Clothes into the Boat, carried it, and them, as far into the Sea as we could wade; and this we did, leſt our tender Boat ſhould pe toren againſt the Stones or Rocks; and then all ſeven of us got into her: But here we ſoon found how our Skill in Calculating the Lading of our Veſſel failed [Page] us: For we were no ſooner Embarqued, but ſhe was ready to ſink under us, the water coming in over the ſides? ſo that once again we muſt entertain new Counſels▪ at laſt, one whoſe Heart moſt failed him, was willing to be ſhut out; and rather hazard the uncertain Torments of the Land, than certainly be drown'd at Sea; then we made a ſecond Experiment, but ſtill ſhe was ſo deep Laden, that we all concluded there was no venturing out to Sea: At length, another went a ſhore, and then ſhe held up her Head very ſtoutly, and ſeem'd hearty enough for our Voyage.

It was time now to commit, and Commend our ſelves, and Veſſel to the Protection, and Conduct of that God who Rules the Winds and the waves, and whoſe Kingdom is in the deep Waters, imploring Mercy for the Pardon of our Sins, and reſigning up our ſouls to God, as if we had been preſently to ſuffer Death by the Hand of the Executioner. and taking our Solemn Farewel of our two Companions, whom we left behind, and wiſhing them as much Happineſs as could be hoped for in Slavery, and they to us as long a Life as could be expected by Men going to their Graves; we Launched out, upon the thirtieth day of June, in the Year of our Lord, One Thouſand, Six Hundred, Forty, and Four: A Night for ever to be remembred [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] by his poor Creatures, who are our ſelves Great Monuments of Divine Providence, and do ſet up this Littile Monument of his Goodneſs and Mercy, that may ſurvive us and bear up the Name of God to after-times, that by us Men may Learn to Put their Truſt in God: And the Bill of Lading is as followeth; John Anthony, William Adams, John Jephs, John—Carpenter, and William Okley.

SECT. XI.
The great Extremities we Endured at Sea for Six Dayes, and Nights, with the Coincident Providences of God that appeared for us in our Extremities, and our Miraculous Landing at Mayork, July 6. 1644.

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WE are now out at Sea without Helm, or Pilot; without Anchor, Tackle, or Compaſs; but God was theſe. all theſe, and more then all theſe. Our Number was Small, our Work was Great, we could not afford one Idle Hand, not one idle Finger: Four of the Company continually wrought at the Oars; and indeed we wrought for our Lives, and then I ſhall not need to ſay how we wrought: But this I ſhall ſay, I can truly ſay it, I never ſaw ſtrength ſo ſtrained, nor the utmoſt of what Nature could do for Life and Liberty, exerted ſo much in all my Life. The Employment of the fifth Man was more eaſie, but no leſs neceſſary, which was to free the Boat of that water, which by Degrees leak't through our Canvas.

We Labour'd the harder that Night, becauſe we would gladly be out of the Ken of our Old [Page] Maſters by Day; but when Day appear'd, we were yet within ſight of the Ships that lay in the Haven, and Road, and off the Land: But our Boat being ſmall, and lying cloſe, and ſnug upon the Sea, either was not at all diſcovered, or elſe ſeemed ſomething that was not worth the taking up: A little hope in the midſt of great Fears, made us double, and re-double our Diligence; we tugg'd at the Oars like thoſe who are Chain'd to the Gallies, becauſe we had no mind to be Slaves to our Old Patrones in their Gallies.

But upon all Occaſions we found our want of fore-caſt, for now our Bread, which was to be the ſtaff of our decayed ſtrength, had lie ſoaking in the Salt water, like a drunken Toaſt ſopt in Brine, and was quite ſpoiled: And our freſh water in the Bottles ſtank of the Tann'd Skins, and Owze, having lye ſobbing in the Salt water which made it nauceous: But yet that hope that hover'd over us, and flatter'd us that we ſhould one day mend our Commons, ſweeten'd all again; ſo long as Bread was Bread, we complained not: Three days with good Husbandry it laſted, but then pale Famine (which is the worſt ſheap Death can be painted in) ſtared us in the Face; And there was no ſubſtitute for Bread at Sea: At Land, the Roots of Graſs the tops of Trees, and the vileſt Excrements have ſerved to ſtop the clamour of a Ravenous Stomach, but that which Slaves deſpiſed, we ſhould [Page] have admired, and prized: Water indeed we might have, either cold, or hot; we had choice, but it was a hard choice: Either the cold ſalt weter out of the Sea, or that warmer which had been ſtrained through our Bodies, and that we choſe of the two, but we muſt not have that, after a while, unleſs we would firſt accept the other: And the Miſery was, theſe did not aſſwage our thirſt, but increaſe it; nor increaſe our ſtrength, but diminiſh it; yet theſe were the means of Life: Strange means, that would deſtroy the End.

Several things added to our Miſery; for trouble ſeldom comes ſolitary: For firſt, we had the Wind for ſome time full againſt us: And this was both an evil in its ſelf, an evil in its effect, and an evil in its cauſe. It was a great evil in it ſelf; it increaſed our Labour, and then defeated it: We Rowed harder to leſs purpoſe: we moved, but did not advance! we ſ [...]ent our ſtrength for nought, and in vain. It was an evil in its effect; for it engaged the Waters againſt us, and drew them into its prey, The Sea is a perfect Neuter of it ſelf, and willing to maintain its Neutrality; but the powerful Winds drew her into the Faction: And that Sea which ſerves the North to day, ſhall comply with the more prevailing South to Morrow; for the Waves are the greateſt time-ſervers in the World: But it was far the greateſt evil in its Cauſe; for the Winds being againſt us, argued that God was [Page]againſt us; for the Wind we know was his: He brings the Winds out of his Magazines. We were now ſo diſpirited, that we debated, whether we ſhould bare up with the Wind, or make the beſt of our way, and Row againſt it? That is, whether it were not better to go back to Algires with eaſe, then painfully make towards Freedom? At laſt like Perſons that though we knew not what to do, yet reſolved not to return; we reſolved whilſt we had Life, and ſtrength, and Breath, we would ſtruggle with it: And now the great God interpoſed; he rebuked his Wind; it was not againſt us; nay he reconciled his Wind, and it became our Friend. He that can turn the Rivers in the South, could turn the Winds out of the North: Here we might have had a notable demonſtration of Gods Soverignty. He determined the Quarter of the Wind, the Quantity of the Wind, and the Continuance of the Wind. The Quarter, whence it ſhould blow The; Quantity, how much it ſhould blow, and the Continuance, how long it ſhould blow. The Quarter was our Enemy, the Continuance had quite brought us to Deſpair; but had he opened his Hand, and let out one blaſt more, the proud Waters had gone over our Souls, we had periſhed in the deep: But we ſee that our times are in Gods Hand; the Ocean in the hollow of the ſame Hand, and the Winds in the ſame hand; and Happy it was for us, that we, and they, were all there.

[Page] A Second great Inconveniency was, that our Labour was without Intermiſſion, though we advanced not forwards at many ſtroaks, yet ceſſation had driven us backwards. The poor Sentinel that ſtands upon the Watch, yet comforts himſelf that another will Relive him; but we had none to take the toyl off our Hands, and give us Reſpite: We might ſhift our places, but not our pains.

A Third great Evil that lay ſore upon us, was the extremity of the heat by day; the Seaſon was Raging hot, being the beginning of July; the Climent was hot, being under, or about the Fourth Climate; we wanted freſh Water to cool the Heat, and were engagad in continual Labour to enrage the heat, and all theſe made it inſupportable to our Bodies, and our little, or no hope, (which now like a Candle burnt down to the Socket, did rather blink, than burn) made it grievous to our Souls. One ſmall help we had (if it was a help) that the fifth Man, who emptyed the Boat of the Salt Water, threw it upon the Bodies of the reſt to cool them; But this was a Miſerable Remedy, for our Bodies were ſo bleached between the ſcorching Sun, and the cooling Water, that they roſe up in Bliſters all over. Great pain we felt, great danger we were in, great Miſeries were endured, great wants we were under, and had nothing little, but hope, food, and ſtrength. By Day we were all ſtark Naked, by Night we had our Shirts, or looſe [Page] Coats, and that was all our Cloathing, the reſt we left a ſhore to eaſe our Boat.

If any ſhall be ſo Inquiſitive, as to ask, by what Directions we ſteared our Courſe, that we did not tack about inſenſibly in the dark Night or Day? He may know, that for the Day, one of the Company had a Pocket-Dyal, which ſupplyed the place of the Compaſs, ee'n well enough for ſuch a Veſſel, and ſuch Mariners. By Night when the Stars appeared, we had our advice from them, and when they diſ-appeared, we gheſſed at our way by the Motions of the Clouds.

In this ſad & woeful plight we continued four Dayes and Nights; on the fifth Day, we were on the brink of the brink of deſpair, and all hope that we ſhould be ſaved, utterly periſhed. And now, as perſons deſpairing of the End, we ceaſed to purſue the means; laid by our Oars, left off our Labour; either we had no ſtrength left, or were loth to throw away that little we had to no purpoſe, only we kept ſtill emptying the Boat; loth to drown, loth to dye, yet knew no wayes to avoyd Death: When the End is removed, all means periſh with it.

They that act leaſt, commonly wiſh the moſt: thus when we had left fruitleſs Labour, we fell upon fruitleſs wiſhes, that we might meet with ſome Veſſel, ſome Ship to take us up▪ If it was but a Ship, we conſidered no further; Engliſh, or African, Troſs, Tyriuſve; all was a [Page] Caſe: Or if not, yet the worſt was better than our bad caſe; and therefore reſolved, could we have Diſcovered any Ship, to have made towards her, though it had been one of Algiers: How many wiſht themſelves again in Egypt, when they Combated with the un-expected Difficulties of the Wilderneſs! How oft have the People of God been more afraid of the means of thier Deliverance, than of their Danger! When Chriſt came to ſave his Diſciples from the Storm, yet becauſe he came in a way uncouth, and unexpected, they cryed out for fear, Mat. 14. 26. Whether the Reader will pity, or condemn us, I know not; but to that paſs were we now brought, that we would have accepted Life upon any terms, not baſe and ſinful; and whether we ſhould have ſtuck at ſuch or no, I have no ſuch ſecurity from my own Heart as to reſolve him.

Whilſt we were at this dead Ebbe of Hope, the Great God, whoſe moſt Glorious Opportunity to help, is his Creatures greateſt Extremity: He that appeared for Abraham in the Mount, and to the three Young Men in the Fiery Furnace; he that Delivered Iſrael at the Sea, at the Red Sea; he who times all his Mercies for their Advantage: even He ſent us ſome Relief, and a little Relief is great, in great exigencies. As we lay hulling up and down, we Diſcovered a Tortoiſe not far from us aſleep in the Sea. Had the great Drake Diſcovered the Spaniſh[Page]Plate-Fleet, he could not have more Rejoyced; once again we bethought our ſelves of our Oars; and now our little Boat ſhewed it ſelf to be of the right breed of Algiers, made of Piratick Timber, and to its poor Abbility would become a Corſair; we ſilently Rowed to our Prey, took it into the Boat with great Triumph, we cut off her Head, and let her bleed into a Pot; we drank the Blood, eat the Liver, and ſuck'd the Fleſh; warm Fleſh, and hot Liquor (except our own) had been a great Rarity with us a long time, it was a Novelty of Providence; and really it wonderfully refreſh'd our Spirits, repaired our decayed ſtrength and recruited Nature; at leaſt, poor exhauſted Nature was willing to be cheated, and fancy her ſelf recruited: But there was no cheat in't we were really refreſh'd, and with freſh vigour and courage fell to our Work; we left our fears behind us, we pickt up ſome ſcatter'd crumbs of hope, and about Noon, we Diſcovered, or thought we Diſcovered Land. It's impoſſible to expreſs the Joy, and Triumph of our raiſed Souls at this apprehenſion. The Poets tell us, that as often as Hercules threw the great Giant againſt the Earth, his Mother Earth gave him new ſtrength againſt the next Encounter: It was new ſtrength, new Life to us, though not to touch yet to ſee; or if not to ſee, to think we ſaw it. It brought freſh Blood into our Veins, freſh coour into our pale Cheeks; we look'd not like [Page] Men awaked from ſleep, not like Captives broke from the Chains of Algiers, but like Perſons raiſed from the Dead. But Hope and Fear made a ſtrange Medly Paſsion in our Souls; like the Reparties of two contrary joſtling Tides, or the ſtruggling of the Eddy with the main Stream; Hope would perſwade us that we ſaw the Land; but chill Fear bad us pauſe upon it, for as we eaſily believe, what we deſire to be true, ſo we are as ready to fear leſt it ſhould not prove true; for fear had got long poſſeſſion of our Souls, and would hardly admit Hope to ſtir, but was ready to ſuppreſs it as a diſturber of its Empire: We had ſeen nothing but Air, and Sea; Sea, and Air in five Dayes and Nights; that though our Reaſon tould us there was ſuch a thing as Land, yet the Impreſſions that fear had made upon us, made it Queſtionable, whether ever we ſhould ſee it. And we durſt not give too much Credence to our Eyes, that had been uſed to bring ſadder ſtories to our Hearts.

Yet ſtill we wrought hard: Hope did us that kindneſs it put us upon an earneſt deſire to ſee, whether we were deceived or no. After ſome further Labour, we grew more confident, and at laſt, fully ſatisfied that it was Land: I hope I ſhall never foeget what a ſenſe we had of Gods goodneſs upon that Aſſurance. Extreams do equally annoy, and ſometimes infatuate the mind: They tell us, that in Greenland, the extremity of Cold will make the Iron ſtick to the [Page] Fingers, as our Experience aſſures extremity of Heat will do; for now like Diſtracted Perſons, we all leapt into the Sea, quitting our Boat, and being all good Swimmers, we there Bathed, and cooled our heated Bodies. An Adventure, which, if well conſidered, had as much of the Deſperado in it as our putting to Sea: For now we were at the Mercy of the Sharks; which might have ſheared off a Leg, or Arm; and now our over-heated Bodies were open to receive the Impreſſions of that Cold Element: But as we never conſidered our Danger, the great and good God delivered us from the Ordinary effects of ſuch Folly; we preſently returned to our Boat, and being both wearied with Labour, and cooled a little with the Sea, we lay us all down to Sleep in as much ſecurity, as if we had been in our own Beds: Nature being almoſt ſpent, muſt have a Truce; ſhe will not undertake to keep our Bodies upon their Legs, if we will not ſubmit to her great ſtanding Ordinance of Reſt; and here we ſaw ſtill more of Divine Goodneſs, that our Leaky Veſſel did not bury us in the Sea, and we awaking find our ſelves in the other World: But he that gave us Sleep, meaſured it; and he meaſured it exactly, not ſuffering us to out-ſleep the Seaſon of plying our Pump, or that which ſupplyed the place of it.

Being thus refreſh'd with ſleep, we found new ſtrength for our Work, and God found us new [Page]Work for our ſtrength: We tugged the harder at the Oar, becauſe we hoped e'er Night to ſleep upon a more ſtable, and faithful Element. But we made our way very ſlowly, and when we caſt up the Account of our Progreſs, found that we had gone but little way in a long time; towards Evening we diſcovered another Iſland: The firſt we ſaw was Mayork, the ſecond, Fromentere; and ſome of our Company that had Sailed in theſe Seas, would undertake to aſſure us of it: We debated not long to which of theſe we ſhould direct our Courſe, for the latter being much infeſted with venemous Serpents, and little, if at all Inhabited, we reſolved all for Mayork: All that Night we Rowed very hard, and the next, being the ſixth of July, and from our putting to Sea; we kept within ſight of it all Day, and about Ten a Clock at Night we came under the Iſland, but the Rocks were there ſo craggy, and ſteep, that we could not climb up.

Whilſt we were under theſe Rocks there came a Veſſel, very near us. Let the Reader put himſelf in our ſtead, let him but Copy out our Thoughts, let him imagine how loth we were to loſe all our toil and Travel, to forego our Deliverance, to have this Rich Mercy, which God had put into our Hands, wreſted out of them again by ſome Turkiſh Pickaroon, or Corſair, that are alwayes skimming thoſe Seas: It concerned us therefore to lye cloſe, and when they [Page] were paſſed by, we gently crept along the Coaſt as near the ſhoar as we durſt, till we found a convenient place, where we might thruſt in our Weather-beaten Boat.

If theſe Papers ſhould fall into the hands of ſome that are great Clerks in the Art of Navigation, and have conn'd the Mariners Terms of Art, they will ſmile at my improper wording of theſe Maters, and ſay, I am one of Paul's Mariners. But I can be content to be Accounted one of his Mariners, whilſt I have ſhared in his Mercies: How many of thoſe that ſpake the Language of the Sea, yet have found her Billows deaf to their Cries and Prayers, and their ſtately Ships made the Scorn of Winds, and the Reproach of Waves, when we, who had none of their Ships, and little of their skill, have had Experience of thoſe Providences, to which rhey have been Strangers.

SECT. XII.
The great kindneſs we received at Mayork from the Vice-Roy, and the Inhabitants of that Iſland and City.

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WHen we were come to Land, we were not unſenſible of our Deliverance, though like Men newly awakened out of a Dream, we had not the true Dimenſions of it; We confeſſed God had done great things for us, but how great things he had done was beyond our Comprehenſion: We had eſcaped the Sea, but yet Death might be found at Land; and we were ready to ſay, with Sampſon, Judg. 15. 18. Lord, thou haſt given this great Deliverance into the hands of thy Servants, and now ſhall we dye for Thirſt? We had had no Food ſince we eat the Liver, and drank the Blood of the Tortoiſe, and therefore leaving three of our Company with the Boat, the other too, viz. John Anthony, and my ſelf were ſent out to ſcout abroad for freſh Water: And the rather were we ſent, becauſe this John Anthony could ſpeak both the Spaniſh, and Italian Tongues very perfectly; and I had as much of the Spaniſh as might ſerve to expreſs our wants, and deſires, if perhaps we might meet with any perſons there [Page] abouts. We were not far gone, before we fell into a Wood, and we were in a Wilderneſs in our thoughts, which way to take: He will needs go his way, and I mine. Good Lord! what a frail impotent thing is Man! That they whom common dangers by Sea, common Deliverances from Sea had United, ſhould now about our own wills fall out at Land. And yet thus we did: He gave me reproachful words, and it's well we came not to blows: But I went my own way, and he ſeeing me reſolute, followed me, and the Providence of God, not dealing with us according to our frowardneſs, followed us both: This way led us to a Watch-Tower of the Spaniards many of which they keep upon the Sea-Coaſts, to give the Countrey timely notice of any Pickaroons that come aſhoar to Rob, and Spoyl.

When we came within call, fearing he might Diſcharge at us, we ſpoke to him upon the Watch, told him our Condition, what we were, whence we came, how we eſcaped; and earneſtly begged of him to direct us to ſome freſh Water, and in the mean time to beſtow upon us ſome Bread. He very kindly threw us down an old mouldy Cake, but ſo long as it was a Cake, and not a ſtone, nor a Bullet, Hunger did not conſider it's Mouldineſs: Then he directed us to freſh Water, which was hard by? We ſtood not telling Stories; we remembred our ſelves, [Page] we remembred our Brethren left with our Boat, and obſerving the Sentinels Directions, came to a Well, where there was a Pot with ſtrings to draw with: We drank a little Water, and eat a bit of our Cake, but the paſſage was ſo diſ-uſed, that we had much ado to force our Throats to relieve our clamourous ſtomachs: But here we ſtaid not, but, with the four Lepers in the Tents of the Syrians, 2 Kings 7. 9. Rebuked our ſelves, We do not well, we have glad Tidings to carry, and do we hold our peace? We return to our Boat, are welcomed by our Companions, acquaint them with the good ſucceſs of our Embaſſy, and all prepare to make to the Well.

And now we muſt leave our Boat; that faithful Inſtrument of God's Providence, which had ſo truſtily ſerved his purpoſe to deliver us: It was not without ſome recoylings upon our Spirits, that we ſhould ſo much as in appearance imitate the ingratitude of thoſe, who having ſerved their private ends on their Friends, and have now no further uſe of them, moſt ungratefully ſhake them off: That we ſhould be like the water-dog, which uſes the water to purſue his Game; and when he comes to Land, ſhakes it off as troubleſome, and burdenſome. But it was no time to ſtand upon Complements; Hunger, Thirſt, Wearineſs, deſire of Refreſhment and Reſt▪ thoſe importunate Duns, Commanded us away; [Page] and tying our Boat as faſt as we could to the Shoar, we left her to Mercy, which had been ſo good to us.

As we were going, or rather creeping, or crawling towards the Well, another Quarrel ſtarted amongſt us, the Memory whereof is ſo ungrateful, that I ſhall give it a Burial in ſilence, the beſt Tomb for Controverſies.

And now we are at the Well, and the Well is provided of Water, and we have ſomething to draw; all theſe helps God has given us, but he muſt give us one more, even a throat to ſwallow it, without which, all the reſt ſignifie nothing. This was the evil Diſeaſe Solomon had obſerved in his Daies, Eccleſ. 6. 2. A Man to whom God had given Riches, Wealth, and Honour, ſo that he wanteth nothing for his Soul, of all that he deſireth; yet God giveth him not Power to eat thereof: He that gives us water to drink, and meat to eat, muſt give us Power to eat and drink alſo. How totally do we depend upon him for Life, and Breath, and all things! One of our Company, William Adams, attempting to drink, after many Eſſays was not able to ſwallow it, but ſtill the water returned, ſo that he ſunk down to the Ground, faintly ſaying, I am a dead Man? we forgot our ſelves, to remember him, and after much ſtriving, and forcing, he took a little; and when he and we were refreſh'd [Page] with our Cake and water, we lay down by the Well-ſide till the Morning. None of us could watch for the reſt, but One God watched over us all: There we lay lockt up, and buried in Sleep: The Heavens covered us, when we wanted a Canopy: Each might ſay in the Morning, with David, Pſal. 3. 5. I laid me down and ſlept; I awaked, for the Lord ſuſtained me.

When it was clear day, we addreſt our ſelves once more to the man upon the watch-Tower, entreating him to direct us the ready way to the next Houſe, or Town, where we might find relief. He civily points us towards a Houſe about two Miles off, whither, with wearied ſteps, and joyful Hearts, we now began to Travel: Our Feet had been ſo parboyled, and quodled with the Suns heat, in the Salt-water pickle, that they were very raw, and more bliſter'd; and long it was before we could overcome the tediouſneſs of thoſe two Miles. When we approach'd the Houſe, the Owner eſpying us, and concluding by our ſhabby garb, that we were ſome Pilfering Raſcals, preſented a Fowling Piece at us, and chatged us to ſtand. The foremoſt of our Company, who could ſpeak that Language well, meekly told him, he might ſpare that Language, we were not able if we had ſo wicked a will; nor willing if we had been able, to offer him the leaſt injury; That we were a Company of poor Creatures, whom the wonderful Providence of God had reſcued from [Page] he Slavery of Algiers, and hoped he would ſhew Mercy to the Afflicted. The honeſt Farmer, moved with our Relation, ſent us out Bread, Water, and Olives, with which when we had refreſh'd our ſelves, we lay down, and reſted three or four hours in the Field; and returning thanks for his Charity, prepared to crawl away at our lame rate. He ſeeing us thankful Beggers, enlarged his Civility to us, called us into his Houſe, and gave us good warm Bean Pottage, which ſeemed to me the moſt Pleaſant Food that ever I eat in my Life: Our Leave once more taken, we advanced towards the City of Mayork, which from this place is about ten Miles: No water could we meet with upon our way, but towards Evening, we diſcoverd one drawing water at a Well, we haſted to him, and he drew for us; that was our Supper, and there was our Lodging that Night.

The next Morning we came iuto the Suburbs of the City, the ſtrangeneſs of our Attire, being bare-foot, bare-legg'd, having nothing on but looſe Coats over our Shirts; drew a croud of enquirers about us, who we were? whence we came? whither we went? We gave them a particular account of our Deliverance, with its Circumſtances; and they as willing to pity, as to know our Eſtate, and as ready to Relieve, as pity, accommodated us for the preſent with food; they gave us Wine, and Strong-waters, and whatever elſe might recover our exhauſted Spirits; [Page] but told us, we muſt be obliged to tarry in the Suburbs, till the Vice-Roy had notice that ſuch ſtrangers were Arrived: He had ſoon Information of us, and we as ſoon a Command to appear before him: He Examined us about many Affairs; what Men of War the Algerines had at Sea? what ſtrength they were of at Land? But above all, he was moſt curious, and exact in ſatisfying himſelf about our Eſcape, our Boat, our hazzards at Sea, wherein when we had fully obeyed him, he ordered we ſhould be maintained at his own Coſt till we could have paſſage to our own Country.

In this while the People gathered us Money to buy us Clothes and Shooes, and we wanted nothing that Nature called for, but thankful Hearts to God. And they endeavoured to help to that Mercy too: As I was walking in the Streets viewing the City, a young Man-ſteps to me, Friend (ſaid he) are you one of thoſe that came lately over in the Canvas Boat? I Anſwered Yes, I was one of them: well (replyed the young Man) It was not the little Boat, but the great God that brought you Over. I muſt needs ſay, I often think on this young man's words, and as often as I think on them they chide me, that I have not hitherto more publickly owned God in his Gracious and wonderful Deliverance. However others may be concern'd to read, I know not, yet I am concern'd to Write of the great things God has done for me.

SECT. XIII.
The Providences of God which attended us, and Conducted us all ſafe to England.

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IT may not prove ungrateful to the Reader, to ſee how the great God, who begun to work for us, perfected his work concerning us: How he that had, and did deliver, would ſtill deliver us; as ſingle Stars have their Glories, yet Conſtellations are more Glorious: So each Providence of God is admirable, but taken together, as one ſerving another, and this helping forwards that, ſo indeed they are moſt admirable; when the Creator viewed his each daies work, it ſo punctually anſwered its Idaea according to which, and Obeyed the Power by which it was Created that he pronounced it Good; but when he reviewed the Product of the ſix daies, he pronounced all to be very good: Each Letter in a Book ſpeaks skill, but when thoſe Letters form words, thoſe words, ſentences, there is a greater Excellency, and more skill Diſcovered: Separate Providences ſpeak out eminently ſome of God's Attributes; but when we put them together, all the Attributes of God ſhine forth in [Page] them, and one Illuſtrate another, which refl [...] a light upon the former.

Mayork is a City where our Engliſh S [...] did ſeldom Trade, and we being full of deſir [...] ſee our Native Countrey, preferr'd our hum [...] Petition to the Vice-Roy, That we might [...] Paſſage in the King of Spains Gallies, wh [...] were then in the Road, bound for Alican [...] Spain, which he graciouſly granted us: W [...] cold Entertainment we met with there [...] ſome of our own Countrey, I ſhall draw a [...] over; yet even there we found the Mercie [...] God. One Merchant took Compaſſion on [...] and Conducted us to an Engliſh-mans Hou [...] where we Lodged, and gave us half a Do [...] to defray our Charges. The next day, underſta [...] ing that there was an Engliſh-man in the Ro [...] bound for England, we went aboard to ſee [...] Paſſage; we made our Condition our beſt [...] gument to prevail: The Maſter told us, he [...] but little Proviſion, but if we would be con [...] with Bread, and Beverage, we might go [...] accounted that, Royal Fare, and accordin [...] waited till he ſet Sail: Whilſt we were aboa [...] two Engliſh Merchants came thither alſo, [...] were very earneſt that we would give them [...] ſhort of our Adventure: We gratified them [...] one of them ſaid; Countrey-men, we have he [...] your ſtory. After a few days, we ſet Sail, [...] when we were at Sea, were hotly Chaſed [...] two Turkiſh Men of War, but being near [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...]

A Further Narrative of James Deane and others.

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THe Methods of Gods Providence are Various, yet all equally fraight with, and guided with adorable Wiſdom, Juſtice, and goodneſs towards the Children of Men; ſometimes by His Bleſſing Hee is pleaſed to Crown weak and unlikely means with ſtrange and Amazing ſucceſs: At other times to Blaſt Hopefull projects, and divert or overthrow promiſing deſigns when they ſeem full ripe for Execution. By the one Hee encourages our Faith in Himſelf; by the other, corrects our preſumption on our own Inventions, and by Both, Glorifies his own Omnipotency, Teaching us, That in and by Him we can do all things, but without Him, Nothing.

The foregoing Narrative of a Stupendious Deliverance, is a ſignal Inſtance of the Firſt. And that which is here ſubjoin'd (referring in diverſe Reſpects to the like Subject, tho failing in an equal Succeſs) may ſerve as an Example of the ſecond. And tho' our Relation abound not in ſuch Varieties of Wonder, yet may the ſame be of ſome Satisfaction and Uſe to the Reader, as well for acquainting him with the Miſeries poor Chriſtians endure under the Tyranny [Page] of cruel Mahumetans, thereby to awaken his Compaſſion, as alſo to raiſe his pious thoughts to an Adoration of the Divine power and Wiſdom, ſo Viſibly, tho Differently manifeſted, in theſe two Caſes, wherein as farr as mans Eye could reach, the Contrivance the Conduct, and probability, ſeemed Equal, or rather to have excell'd in the latter, tho fruſtrated of Effect.

On the 25. of June 1679. we Sailed from Briſtol in a Veſſel called the Robert and Heſter, Captain William Stoakes Commander, bound for Barbado's. Thoſe that go down to the Sea in Ships behold the Wonders of the Lord in the deep, ſays the Royal Pſalmiſt; And I could wiſh that all ſuch would lay thoſe Wonders more to heart, ſo as better to Improve their Lives: To Conſider, that they are every minute within a few Inches of certain Death, nothing but a poor plank (the daily Embl [...] of their Coffin) between them and a watry Grave; That every hour they are ſubject to Storms and Tempeſts, ready to become a prey between the fury of contending Winds and Waves; beſides the hazard of Enemies and Pyrates, and a Thouſand other Caſualties, all which were enough one would think to keep them in the moſt ſober frame, an Holy Converſation and ſtrict Dependence on that all-ſufficient Power, who alone can protect them from ſo many immediate and Round-threatning Dangers; But ſo incorrigibly hard and wicked [Page] is the Heart of Man, that we find too many under the proſpect of all theſe Wonders and Perils utterly inſenſible; Mariners that fill their Sails with the Breath of Curſing and Blaſphemies, and encreaſe the raging of the Sea with the Vomits of their Surfeiting and Drunkenneſs; And what can ſuch expect but ſwift Deſtruction, even to be Swallowed up by an Ocean of Water, and delivered over to a Deluge of everlaſting Flames? I ſpeak this not as reflecting on our Ships Crew in particular (wherein moſt were at leaſt Civiliz'd Perſons) but for a General Caution; Nor yet dare I excuſe my ſelf and our Company from many neglects of our Duty, for which it appears in the Sequel, God had a Controverſie with us, whoſe Juſtice always puniſhes us, that we ſhould not Sin, and never but for Sinning.

After a week pleaſant Sailing, on the 2d. of July at Day light, we ſaw two Ships ſtanding towards us, and ſoon diſcovered them to be Turkiſh Men of Warr, which put us into a great and General Conſternation, as knowing how unprepared we were for reſiſtance, both for our ſmall ſtrength, and for that ours was a Pesterd Ship by reaſon of a quantity of Hay we had on Deck and elſewhere, for a dozen Horſes we carried with us; However we reſolv'd to Sell our Liberty at the beſt rate we could, and prepared to Entertain them; within an hour and an half, one of them was came up along by our ſide, and for the Firſt Complement fired in his [Page] Broad-ſide and a luſtly Volley of ſmall Shott, which ſhot off our Taller, and wounded us three Men, but none mortally; Kild alſo one of our Horſes in the Hold, and having received two Shots more between Wind and Water, we quickly had about 4 or 5 foot Water in the Hold: we Anſwered them with our Guns, but to little purpoſe; for having ſoon ſpent all the Powder we had up out of our Powder-Room, and it being Impoſſible for us at that inſtant to come at any more; and at the ſame time perceiving the other Ship almoſt with us, and that it was impoſſible we ſhould make good our Defence againſt 2 of the best Ships of Algeirs (For they proved to be the Golden Horſe, old Canaria Captain, and the other the Golden Roſe, young Canaria Captain,) we thought beſt to Compound for our Lives at the price of our Liberties, and ſurrendred our Ship.

Hereupon their Boat came aboard and fetcht us all away, except two whom they left aboard with ſome of their Turks and Moors. When we came on Board the Turks man of Warr, the Captain by an Interpreter inquired our Lading, and with many menaces exacted a full Account to the beſt of our knowledge, ſoon after they took 2 Ships more, and ere they went off our Coaſt, they ſurpriz'd in all 9 Ships, wherein were about 170 Souls. And having taken the men out, and pillag'd their pleaſure; ſome of the Ships they Burnt, and others Sunk, having [Page] not Men enough to ſpare to Man ſo many, but three of the beſt they ſent away home; And having now been out of the Straights near ſix Weeks, they are afraid to venture in without clearing their Ships, and therefore went on the South Coaſt of Barbary to Magadore, touching alſo at Saphe and other Towns to take in freſh Proviſions;

All this time we poor Captive Chriſtians were put every night in Irons. The manner whereof was thus, between 2 ſpare Top-Maſts between the Decks placed about 6 aſunder, we ſat cloſe to one another on each ſide, and in the middle went a long Iron Bolt between our Shackles, ſo that we were conſtrained to ſleep ſitting (when the neceſſitie of Nature could Charm our perplexed Spirits into any kind of Repoſe;) not being afforded Room to lye down; And the weather being extream hot, and the place cloſe and Sultry, we were forced to ſit naked; The Proviſions alotted to keep us alive, (who now began rather to Court and wiſh for Death) was only a ſmall pittance of Bread, and ſome Vinegar, with a few drops of Oyl, and this was all our Allowance for 24 Hours; and that which yet added more to our miſery was, that they afforded us not much above a pint of Water a Day, ſo that thro' very extremit [...] of Thirſt, we were frequently forc'd to beg and intreat of the Moors boys, to bring us ſalt Water, and could but ſeldome obtain that favour of them [Page] neither; Nay when we were in Magadore, tho we could (like Tantalus for our greater Torture) ſee the Freſh-Water plentifully on the ſhore, and were almoſt Dead with Drought, in working and continual heaving in of Ballaſt, yet we could not be allow'd but about 3 pints for four and twenty Hours, and half of that too, Salt or brackiſh; whereby we became ſo faint that we could hardly ſtand on our Legs; but it was vain to Intreat or expect any other uſage from thoſe whoſe tendereſt Mercies were the Extremities of Cruelly, unleſs we would have abandon'd all fear of God, and reſpect to modeſty and the Dignity of Humane Nature, by Condeſcending to the deteſtable ſollicitations of their moſt unnatural Luſts, to which they were not wanting in their curſed Importunities; ſo that our very Souls were not free from their Tortures; They being ſo filthy as to mix with Brute Beaſt, having ſeen ſuch Evidences of their abominations in that kind, with ſome Creatures that were on Board, as fill'd our Hearts with horror, and are not fit to be named amongſt Chriſtians: At length the Wind ſtanding fair, they reſolv'd to Sail Homewards; but firſt muſt perform their Oriſons; (for theſe Filthy-Infidels at to the outward Ceremonies and obſervances of their wicked Religion are Extraordinary Punctual;) Therefore for a Peace-Offering to the Sea, (or whether it were to Mahomet, to ſend them an Happy paſſage, I know [Page] not, they offered their Sacrifice of a Sheep, having firſt cut in the midſt, one half they heaved Over-Board on the one ſide, the other on the other; with certain Muttering Prayers which we underſtood not; This fit of Devotion being paſt, they make all the Sail they could, and in they ſtand through the Streights-Mouth, and in two or three days Arrived at their Deſired Port;

Nor was it undeſired by us: For as we long'd to know the worſt of our Condition, ſo we flattered our ſelves that it muſt needs be better than that on Board, at leaſt that there we ſhould have Water enough, the Want of which here was intollerable.

Being brought aſhore we were ſent to the Armidore's Houſe, and the next day carried to the Pallace of the Dey, Baſhaw, or King, who by his Prerogative out of every Eight Slaves brought in, Chuſes one, and commonly elects the Captains, as ſuppoſing they are able to procure the beſt Ranſome, or if there happen to be taken any young Lady of Extraordinary Beauty or Youth, well Featur'd, and of a promiſing Aſpect, theſe he ſnaps, and ſends away as moſt Acceptable Preſents to the Grand Seignior; for whom there is never any Redemption. The next day about eight of us were carried into the Market, and one or two of the Kings Slaves with us, where about one a Clock we were led about the Market, one by one by a Negro, who [Page] in the Turkiſh Language cryed out as he went, to this effect—Here is a brave Captain, a Mate, a Merchant, &c. (as the Perſon is quallified) one has bid ſo much, who bids more? And when they have been the Market round, and none will give more, then they put him by; And ſo proceed till all are ſold. And then they have us to the Kings Houſe again, and if He or any elſe there, will give more but to the value of a ſhilling then was bid in the Market, he ſhall have the Slave; otherwiſe the Market Chapman takes him, and he is thenceforth abſolutely His,

It was my hard fortune to be ſold to a Tagareen (or Moor, whoſe Anceſtors formerly came out of Spain, and ever ſince aſſume the Title of that City from whence they were driven) but his Name was Haly Hammet Ben Jejilee, and for his Temper it was well known, for as I came out with him from the Kings Houſe, ſeveral told me I had got a Curſed Patroon.

But I was now in, for better for worſe, and followed him very obſequiouſly to his Houſe, where after a day or two, I with others of his Slaves (whereof ſeveral were Engliſh) were ſet to gather dung out of a Fondack, as they call it, being the place where Horſes, Aſſes, Mules, and Cows and other Cattel, ſometimes to the number of 100 or more were kept, and alſo the place of Slaughter, where they killed Beaſts as oft as they had occaſion, whoſe Blood mixt with their [Page] Dung in that hot Climate, made it very noiſome and offenſive; but we muſt not be Dainty-Noſed, but rake it up into Baskets, and carry it out on our Heads or Shoulders, to a Dunghil at a great diſtance.

This Jobb being finiſht, we were put to work in the Mould, abord Prizes, for ſometime, and after that ſent to the Garden or Vineyard (for it was both) about four miles from the Town, where inſtead of digging with a Spade, we had only a Chopp of 8. or 10l. weight which we were forced to work vvith at Arms-end, and I think vvas as hard Labour as any could be, unleſs grinding at their Silk-Mills; and if vve Loitered, or they vvere pleaſed to think vve did ſo, preſently vve had many blovvs on the back, and ſides, and ſometimes on the Soles of the feet, and our hair torn off our heads, with other inexpreſſible Cruelties, whilſt in the mean time, we had many times but one poor Cake of Courſe Bread allowed us per day for our diet, and our Lodging at night moſt hard and miſerable, for frequently when we were in the City, we were driven into a Naſty Cellar, where was an Houſe of Office that ſtank intollerably; and the room ſo ſmall, that there being near twenty of us, it would not afford breadth or length enough for us to Ly [...] Down, but there were ſome Bords put up and a Platoon made about thre foot from the Ground, where ſome lay a top, and the reſt under neath.

[Page] Thus for many long moneths we continued as miſerable, as to this World, as 'twas poſſible for the Envy and Cruelty of our Patroon to make us. You need not doubt but we had often thoughts of making our Eſcape, but the manner how to do it, ſeemed next to impoſſible; yet as N [...]ceſſity is the Mother of Invention, variety of ways were propoſed, ſome that were men of Courage heated by theſe Cruelties to a degree of▪ Deſperation, were for taking a Boat from the Mould at Noon-day, & going away maugre all their Force, and defying them to Catch us, but this was lookt upon as extravagant, others had other projects; and no ſooner was any thing offered, but it was diſliked, for indeed all were attended with inſuperable Difficulties, and yet ſo greedy were we of Liberty, that we would Catch at any thing that ſeemed to promiſe us that happineſs, and ſomewhat eaſed our preſent miſeries by thoſe pleaſing thoughts and Idaeas; which yet our recollected Reaſon told us were vain and impracticable.

At length one of my Fellow-Slaves told me of a deſign that He and ſome others had of getting away, which he verily believed might be feazible, and after he had ſworn me to Secreſy, acquainted me, That it was by building a Boat privately, but that they wanted ſtrength, and an Artificer for the Work; which I undertook to procure; The Names of us Concerned in his Project were William Johnſon, Captain Peter[Page]Palmer, Doctor John Atwood, of London, Captain Thomas Cheiney, William Knight of Briſtol, Henry Bull, William Phelps, Arnold Showel of Briſtol, Captain, Another a Carpenter, whoſe name I know not, though I brought him into the deſign; Three Spaniards, a Portuguez Negro, who were with us in the Garden, and my ſelf.

Matters being thus reſolved on, we applyed our ſelves to getting of Thyme, ſome of which we furniſht our ſelves with, out of our own and the reſt from other Folks Gardens, in the Night (wherein if we had been Caught, we ſhould have had Three or 400 Baſtinadoes for Breakfaſt) and it was almoſt a miracle, how thoſe which lay in the Garden, viz. John Atwood and the Spaniards, eſcaped it, the Moors lying very thick up and down the Hedges; but at laſt after much time, hazard and induſtry, we had formed our Keel, which vvas twenty foot long, ſix foot broad and three foot deep, and our Timbers fitted to their places, with holes ready bored, that there ſhould not want much knocking, when vve ſhould ſet her up for good and all; we had likewiſe got Canes to make faſt with Rope-yarns from Timber to Timber, as alſo, Pitch, Tar, Tallow, and other requiſites, For providing of which; you muſt know, that ſome of us had ſaved privately, ſome ſmall parcels of money, and others being ſuffered to work at their own hand, and follovv Trades, [Page] paying their Patroons ſo much a Month, got Money, which they expended freely on this occaſion▪ But the great difficulty was to get the dreſſed Hides wherewith we intended to cover our Boat, and to help us therein we were beholding to Mr. Showel, who ſince his Slavery, upon I know not what former inſight into that Myſtery, had ſet up for a Cobler, and lived from his Patroon under Contribution; and by that means had the Opportunity to buy them, which were privately convey'd into thoſe things in which we carried Dung on the Mules, and ſo got out of the Tovvn, and ſo ſovved up, vvhich vvas moſt artificially performed by Mr. Showel and Mr. Bull, and the Boats covering moſt conveniently prepared, and all things hid in parcells near the Sea-ſide ready for the Voyage.

Hitherto things going on thus fairly, and every one of our Cabal expecting no leſs than Liberty, the very day appointed for our going away at Evening being come, and having provided Bread and Water and other Neceſſaries for that purpoſe. It happen'd our Patroon himſelf, who had not been in the Garden for ſometime, did, by I know not what ill-Fortune, or rather as to me good Providence, come into the Garden, of whoſe approach a Spaniard ſet for a Spye, gave them notice, ſo that they had time enough to hide their things which they were preparing that night to ſet together, but [Page] ſome of them being found rambling, were ſtrictly Examined, and when come home ſeverely Beaten upon Suſpition, but they ſtood it out ſtiffly, and never Impeached any.

In the mean time I was gone to call ſome more of our Company, and at my return received tidings from the Spaniard how Caſes ſtood▪ whereupon we conſulted, whether it were beſt to go on preſently, or deferr it for ſome time, and it was carried for waiting another Opportunity; which whilſt we were expecting, another Accident put us to ſtand, which was thus, Some of our Timbers being bound together, and put into the next Garden by Conſent of a Spaniard, vvho of Neceſſity muſt be made privy to the Deſign, his Patroon happen'd to light upon them ſo out to pieces, and violently be [...]t his Slave, but by good luck this old Fellovv and our Patroon vvere not Friends, and ſo the buſineſs never came to his Ear.

Therefore this Diſappointment of the loſs of our Timber did not vvholly diſcourage, but got others and framed them, and had brought all things again to perfection, vvhen once more our project vvas Interrupted, and by other hands and in an untimely manner put in Execution.

For about the latter end of November 1681 there came from other Gardens 2 Dutchmen▪ a Spaniard and ſome others; Who, by I cannot gueſs, what means, being acquainted with [Page] our Deſigns, and the forwardneſs we were in, they Ingratiated themſelves with the Spaniards that lay in our Garden, and agree with them forthwith to make uſe of this Expedient for their Eſcape, And thereupon they threaten John Atwood, who alſo lay there, that if He would not Conſent and go with them, they would forthwith Kill him to prevent his making a Diſcovery.

Poor Mr. Atwood was loth to abandon his Friends, and Rob them of that means which they ſo long and with ſuch Danger and Charge had been Contriving to leave them behind, and Embarque himſelf with [...] as were for the moſt part Strangers; yet dread of Death and Hopes of Liberty prevailed with him to Comply; [...] under pretence of ſome [...] another Garden where was an Engliſhman privy to the Intrigue and [...] was and that the Carpenter was at Work [...] reſolved to be going by [...] Clock▪ [...] poor Mans Patroon being in the Garden, he could not come till Fight, and finding then gone runs to the Sea [...]ſide, and in his haſt ſet ſeveral Doggs a Barking [...] ſuppoſed they fearing ſome might be in [...] of them, [...] a Jarr of Water, ſome Figs, ſome Bread, and a Blank [...] behind them; and ſo the before mentioned Engliſhman lamenting the loſs of this Opportunity, returned to his Garden undiſcovered.

[Page] Next morning 'twas my lot vvith one of my Fellovv Slaves to be ſent into the Garden, but finding no body there, and quickly perceiving other Symptomes, I concluded they vvere gone▪ But Oh! hovv much anger did I ſvvell vvith againſt them for leaving me behind, (for as yet I underſtood not the Truth, tho aftervvards I did, from the before-mentioned Engliſh-man that came too late,) and vvhat an Exceſs of Grief and ſorrovv did poſſeſs me for not going vvith them; vvhen yet this very thing which I ſo much fretted my ſelf about, was to me the the moſt eminent Mercy of Providence; for thoſe that went off, were never any of them heard of, ſo that 'tis Juſtly ſuppoſed they were all lost and caſt away: And as for me that vvas left behind, vvithin ſix vveeks after, my Ranſome-Money came from England, being 400 pieces of Eight, beſides 218 for Charges, and ſo I ſafely returned to my Native Countrey; For vvhich Gratious Providence of God, as I hope I ſhall never forget to return him continual thanks from the Centre of my Soul, ſo I thought it no leſs than my Duty to give this Publique Teſtimony of my Gratitude to that Divine and Adorable Power to whom be all praiſe, Glory, and Honour both now and for Ever-more.

James Deane.

FINIS.

[Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

Eben-ezer, or, A small monument of great mercy appearing in the miraculous deliverance of William Okeley, Williams Adams [brace] John Anthony, John Jephs, John ----, carpenter, from the miserable slavery of Algiers, with the wonderful means of their escape in a boat of canvas ... / by me William Okeley.

Okeley, William.

Edition statement

1684

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2009-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A53252

ID [STC]

Wing O193

ID [STC]

ESTC R41361

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

31355182

ID [OCLC]

ocm 31355182

ID [VID]

110337

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Early English books online.

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A53252)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 110337)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1750:28)

Source

— Eben-ezer, or, A small monument of great mercy appearing in the miraculous deliverance of William Okeley, Williams Adams [brace] John Anthony, John Jephs, John ----, carpenter, from the miserable slavery of Algiers, with the wonderful means of their escape in a boat of canvas ... / by me William Okeley., Okeley, William., Deane, James.. The second edition,.

Extent

[32], 100 p., [1] leaf of plates : ill.

Printed for Nath. Ponder ...,. London :: 1684.. (Contains frontispiece illustrating scenes of Algerian captivity.) (Imperfect: stained and cropped, and with print show-through.) ("A further narrative of James Deane and others" -- p. 86-100.) (Reproduction of original in the British Library.)

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