Thus it was for four weeks, until the moon was close again. Then the manakles appear’d once more and I was chayn’d naked yet again where the other slaves could not see me. Two of the wise men return’d to witness my changes again, and with them three new scholars and a new vizeer I had not lay’d eyes on before.
This, then, is how each of my months pass’d in Sallee. The wise men would study the beast each night of the moon, and I would feel the pain and rage of it at being chayn'd and unable to run free as was its nature. The scholars would discourse with me during the day, and many of them spoke Spanish, of which I spoke only a little, and good King’s English, of which I could of course speak freely, and they would ask many questions, viz. what was my name and my age and for how long I had carry’d the beast within me, and of my history and family, and if they carry’d the beast as well. But my father had long instructed not to speak of family, and so these questions I would not answer.
Many times in these conversations would come mention of a great book or work, which they called Nekri Nomikan. I asked of the nature of this work, but depending on which of the wise men I asked, each would give a different answer. One vizeer call’d it a book of history which told of things like the almustazeb, while another spoke of it as like a Bible, but for the worship of dark, heathen gods. Still another told it as a book of magick written by a sorcerer who had been driven mad by the writing of it.
After about two years of this life, an odd circumstance presented itself which put the thought of making some attempt for my liberty again in my head. My patron used once or twice a week, sometimes oftener, to go out into the road a-fishing. He always took me (when it was between moons) and a young Moresco with him. We made him very merry, and I proved very dexterous in catching fish, insomuch that sometimes he would send me with one of his kinsmen and the youth to catch a dish of fish for him.
Having the long-boat of our English ship, he ordered the carpenter of his ship to build a little cabin in the middle of the long-boat, like that of a barge, with a place to stand behind it to steer. She sail'd with a shoulder-of-mutton sail, and the boom gibbed over the top of the cabin, which lay very snug and low, and had in it room for him to lie and a table to eat on, with some small lockers.
It happened he had appointed to go out in this boat with two or three Moors of some distinction and had therefore sent on board a larger store of provisions than ordinary, and had order'd me to get ready three fuzees with powder and shot, for they design'd some sport of fowling as well as fishing.
I got all things ready as he had directed and waited the next morning with the boat washt clean, her ensign and pendants out, and every thing to accommodate his guests. By and by my patron came on board alone and told me his guests had put off going, upon some business that fell out. He order'd me with the man and boy, as usual, to go out with the boat and catch them some fish, for his friends were to sup at his house, and commanded as soon as I got some fish I should bring it home to his house.
This moment my former notions of deliverance darted into my thoughts, for now I found I was like to have a little ship at my command. My master being gone, I prepar’d to furnish myself for a voyage.
My first contrivance was to make a pretence to speak to this Moor, to get something for our subsistence on board. I told him we must not presume to eat of our patron's bread.
He said, "That is true." So he brought a large basket of rusk, or bisket of their kind, and three jars with fresh water into the boat. I knew where my patron's case of bottles stood and I conveyed them into the boat while the Moor was on shore, as if they had been there before for our master. I conveyed also a great lump of bees-wax into the boat, which weighed above half a hundred weight, with a parcel of twine or thread, a hatchet, a saw, and a hammer. His name was Ismael, whom they call Moley. So I called him. "Moley," said I, "our patron's guns are on board the boat. Can you not get a little powder and shot? It may be we may kill some alcamies for ourselves, for I know he keeps the gunner's stores in the ship."
"Yes," says he. "I'll bring some." Accordingly he brought a great leather pouch which held about a pound and a half of powder, and another with shot, and put all into the boat. At the same time I had found some powder of my master's in the great cabin, with which I fill’d one of the large bottles in the case, which was almost empty, pouring what was in it into another. Thus furnished with every thing needful, we sailed out of the port to fish. The castle, which is at the entrance of the port, knew who we were and took no notice of us.