He was a little spent with his Swimming, when sitting down to take a little Breath, he saw a Sight which terrified him as much as an Army of Enemies at his Heels could have done; it was a monstruous Aligator lying near the Bank-side, it appeared like some prodigious Oak in the Water, and he has declared and given it under his Hand, that it seemed to him large enough to swallow an Ox. At the same Time he beheld his Pursuers, who were now arrived pretty near the opposite Bank, he started up, and wing'd with Fear, flew rather than run, and there being some shrubby low Wood near the River, he had Presence of Mind enough to make his Way through them, knowing that if the Monster should follow him, it could not pass that Way, because the Thickness of the Wood would hinder it, besides it must presently lose Sight of him, and indeed it is likely, that he owed his Escape to this lucky Thought; he run on with greater Swiftness than at his first setting out, (for his Fear had supplied him with new Spirits,) but not without often looking back, which gave him the Comfort of knowing that the Monster and his Pursuers were both out of Sight: When he had continued this Pace about two Hours, he came to a Valley betwixt two rising Grounds, which lay open to the Sea, where he was joyfully surprized with a full View of the Ship lying at an Anchor, not above a Mile from the Shore, he hastened immediately towards the Edge of the Water, and made a Signal to them, by waving his Cap over his Head, for he thought it to no Purpose to hollow r call because they were at too great a Distance to hear him. He continued this Action a considerable Time, and began to grow impatient and uneasy to the last Degree, because he saw them return no Signal in Answer to him, whereby he might understand that they saw him, or intended to succour him; but he was soon relieved from this Fright also, by the sudden Appearance of the Boat which was coming round the Point of Land very near him, she being employed for some Time in rowing along Shore, in order to discover if the Country was inhabited.
So great was his Joy at this Sight, and such was his Eagerness of speaking with them, knowing by their Dress they were Europeans, that he had not Patience to wait for their coming to him, but he ran hastily into the Water to meet them; when he waded up to the Neck, he set himself afloat and swam to the Boat, they proved to be Dutchmen; however, they took him in, and observing the extream Satisfaction and Joy which appeared in his Countenance, they were very desirous of knowing who he was, and whence he came, they spoke to him in Dutch, and tho’ he knew but little of that Language, yet he made a Shift to let them understand that he spoke English; there were two or three amongst them that understood our Language, and one of them spoke it very well; when he knew this, he gave them to understand in few Words that he was a Christian, that he had been a Prisoner or Slave in that Country for sixteen Years, that he had now made his Escape, and was pursued by six Barbarians who were once come in Sight of him.
As they had Arms in their Boat, they had a Mind to stay a-while and see whether these Barbarians would appear, for they had not beheld a human Creature since they had lain there, and were of Opinion that the Country was not inhabited, (tho’ the Ship had been seen from the Hills by the Natives) so they lay upon their Oars.
In about half an Hour five Men appear'd arm'd with Bows and Arrows, and running a great Pace, they came to the Water-side, and beheld the Boat, which was but a little Distance from them; the Dutchmen fired two Musquets, upon which they dispersed and fled hastily away, but a little while after two of them came back again, and throwing down their Bows and Arrows, upon the Shoreside, plung'd into the Sea, and seem'd to direct their Way towards the Boat; the Dutchmen were surpriz'd what they could mean, but however, as nothing was to be fear'd from two naked Men, they lay still to see what it would come to: In fine, the two Barbarians swam to the Boat, and speaking to the Molotto, begg'd to be taken in, and to go along with them, for that they should certainly be put to some cruel Death if they went back, for not having taken him and brought him back with them.
The Dutchmen were willing to receive them, knowing they would be worth Money to be sold for Slaves. When they got into the Boat, they gave an Account of losing one of their Company in swimming over the River, where they first had Sight of the Molotto, who was devoured by an Alligator, in all Probability the same the Molotto had seen, and that the other three would travel as far as they could from their own Country, in order to save their Lives; but for their Parts, they chose rather to put themselves on the Mercy of the white Men, than run the Hazard of being taken, or starved in passing thro’ Countries they did not know.
When he came on Board the Ship, he related to the Captain the whole Story of his Adventures, who finding he had been a Sea-faring Man, and that he understood Navigation pretty well, put him upon the Foot of an able Seaman.
They remain'd here about three Weeks, the Winds continuing contrary till then, in which Time they laid in Water and Wood, and diverted themselves with Fishing; after this they sail'd for Batavia in the East-Indies, where having unladed and taken in a Cargoe of India Goods, they sail'd home for Holland; the Molotto made two or three Voyages with them, but in the Year 1724, he being in Holland, and having a great Desire to see his old Captain, he embark'd on the 28th of March in Holland, and pass'd into England, he found out his Captain who was alive, and who being overjoy'd to see him, prov'd very generous to him, and prevail'd with him to give in Writing the Particulars of all his Adventures, from whose Copy the foregoing Narrative is faithfully taken.
As to the Molotto he return'd back to Holland, and sails still in the Service of the Dutch East-India Company, unless he is lately dead.
Chapter XXVIII.
Of Capt. Bellamy
As we cannot, with any Certainty, deduce this Man from his Origin, we shall begin where we find him first a declared Enemy to Mankind. Capt. Bellamy and Paul Williams, in two Sloops, had been upon a Spanish Wreck, and not finding their Expectation answered, as has been mentioned in former Parts of this History, they resolved not to lose their Labour, and agreed to go upon the Account, a Term among the pyrates, which speaks their Profession. The first, who had the Misfortune to fall in their Way, was Captain Prince, bound from Jamaica to London, in a Galley built at that Port, whose Cargo consisted of Elephants Teeth, Gold Dust, and other rich Merchandize. This Prize not only enrich'd, but strengthened them; they immediately mounted this Galley with 28 Guns, and put aboard 150 Hands of different Nations; Bellamy was declared Captain, and the Vessel had her old Name continued, which was Whidaw: This happen'd about the latter End of February, 1717. They, now thus fitted for the continuing of their desperate Resolution, shaped their Course for Virginia, which Coast they very much infested, taking several Vessels: They were upon shifting this Station, when they were very near, as the Psalmist expresses it, going quick down into Hell, for the Heaven's beginning to lowre, prognosticated a Storm; at the first Appearance of the Sky being likely to be overcast, Bellamy took in all his small Sails, and Williams double reefed his main Sail, which was hardly done when a Thunder Shower overtook them with such Violence, that the Whidaw was very near over-setting; they immediately put before the Wind, for they had no other Way of working, having only the Goose Wings of the Fore-Sail to scud with; happy for them the Wind was at West and by North, for had it been Easterly, they must have infallibly perish'd upon the Coast. The Storm encreased towards Night, and not only put them by all Sail, but obliged the Whidaw to bring her Yards aportland, and all they could do with Tackles to the Goose Neck of the Tiller, four Men in the Gun Room, and two at the Wheel, was to keep her Head to the Sea, for had she once broach'd to, they must infallibly have founder'd. The Heavens, in the mean while, were cover'd with Sheets of Lightning, which the Sea by the Agitation of the saline Particles seem'd to imitate; the Darkness of the Night was such, as the Scripture says, as might be felt; the terrible hollow roaring of the Winds, cou'd be