We were not above a mile out of the port before we hauled in our sail and set us down to fish. The wind blew from the north, which was contrary to my desire. Had it blown southerly, I had been sure to have made the coast of Spain and at least reached to the bay of Cadiz. But my resolutions were, blow which way it would, I would be gone from that horrid place where I was prickt each moon and leave the rest to fate.
After we had fished some time and catched nothing, I said to the Moor, "This will not do. Our master will not be thus served. We must stand farther off."
Ismael, thinking no harm, agreed and set the sails. As I had the helm I run the boat out near a league farther, and then brought her to as if I would fish. Giving the boy the helm, I stept forward to where the Moor was and I took him by surprise, with my arm under his waist, and toss'd him clear overboard.
He rose immediately, for he swam like a cork, and begged to be taken in. He swam so strong after the boat he would have reached me very quickly. I stept into the cabin and, fetching one of the fowling-pieces, I presented it at him. Said I to he, "You swim well enough to reach to the shore and the sea is calm. Make the best of your way to shore and I will do you no harm. But if you come near the boat I'll shoot you through the head, for I am resolv’d to have my liberty."
So Ismael turned himself about, and swam for the shore, and I make no doubt but he reached it with ease.
When he was gone I turned to the boy, whom they called Xury, and said to him, "Xury, if you will be faithful to me I'll make you a great man. But if you will not swear by Mahomet and your father's beard to be true to me, I must throw you into the sea too."
The boy smiled in my face and spoke so innocently I could not mistrust him. He swore to be faithful to me and go all over the world with me.
While I was in view of Ismael, I stood out directly to sea with the boat, rather than stretching to windward, so that they might think me gone towards the Straits' mouth (as indeed any one that had been in their wits must have been supposed to do), for who would have supposed we were sailed on to the southward to the Barbarian coast, where whole nations of Negroes were sure to surround us with the canoes, and destroy us? Where we could never once go on shore but we should be devour'd by savage creatures, or more merciless savages of human kind?
But as soon as it grew dusk in the evening, I changed my course, and steered south and by east, bending my course a little toward the east, that I might keep in with the shore. Having a fair, fresh gale of wind, and a smooth, quiet sea, I made such sail that I believe by the next afternoon, when I first made the land, I could not be less than 150 miles south of Sallee, quite beyond the Emperor of Morocco's dominions, or indeed of any other king thereabout, for we saw no people.
My flight along the coast, Xury's terror,
my salvation
Such was the fright I had taken at the Moors, and the dreadful apprehensions I had of falling into their hands, I would not stop or go on shore or come to an anchor. The wind continuing fair till I had sailed in that manner five days, I concluded if any vessels were in chase of me they also would now give over. So I ventured to make to the coast and come to an anchor in the mouth of a little river, I knew not what, or where. Neither what latitude, what country, what nation, or what river. I neither saw, nor desired to see, any people. The principal thing I wanted was fresh water. We came into this creek in the evening, resolving to swim on shore as soon as it was dark and discover the country. But as soon as it was quite dark, we heard such dreadful noises of the barking, roaring, and howling of wild creatures, of we knew not what kinds. The sounds carry'd no fright for me, for animals can smell the beast beneath my skin and will most always shy away from my kind, but the poor boy was ready to die with fear and begged of me not to go on shore till day.
"Well, Xury," said I, "then I won't. But it may be we may see men by day who will be as bad to us as those lions."
"Then we give them the shoot gun," says Xury, laughing, "make them run wey." Such English Xury spoke by conversing among us slaves. However I was glad to see the boy so cheerful, and I gave him a dram (out of our patron's case of bottles) to cheer him up. After all, Xury's advice was good, and I took it. We dropped our little anchor and lay still all night. I say still for we slept none. In two or three hours, we saw vast great creatures of many sorts come down to the sea-shore and run into the water, wallowing and washing for the pleasure of cooling themselves. They made such hideous howlings and yellings that I never indeed heard the like, even from the beast.