At night he cut his cable and
made sail, and I overheard a conversation between two of the men, which
made known to me his intentions: these were to throw me overboard on his
passage, and take possession of my property. I cried out to them from
the bung-hole: I screamed for mercy, but in vain. One of them answered,
that, as I had murdered others, and put them into casks, I should now be
treated in the same manner.
I could not but mentally acknowledge the justice of my punishment, and
resigned myself to my fate; all that I wished was to be thrown over at
once and released from my misery. The momentary anticipation of death
appeared to be so much worse than the reality. But it was ordered
otherwise: a gale of wind blew up with such force, that the captain and
crew had enough to do to look after the vessel, and, either I was
forgotten or my doom was postponed until a more seasonable opportunity.
On the third day I heard the sailors observe that, with such a wretch as
I was remaining on board, the vessel must inevitably be lost. The
hatches were then opened: I was hoisted up and cast into the raging sea.
The bung of the cask was out, but by stuffing my handkerchief in, when
the hole was under water, I prevented the cask from filling; and when it
was uppermost, I removed it for a moment to obtain fresh air. I was
dreadfully bruised by the constant rolling, in a heavy sea, and
completely worn out with fatigue and pain; I had made up my mind to let
the water in and be rid of my life, when I was tossed over and over with
such dreadful rapidity as prevented my taking the precaution of keeping
out the water.
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