for the term of his natural life-第62节

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　to　prevent　the　water　pooping　us。　This　itself　was　enough　to　exhaust　the　strongest　men。　　The　day；　however；　made　us　some　amends　for　the　dreadful　night。　　Land　was　not　more　than　ten　miles　from　us；　approaching　as　nearly　as　we　could　with　safety；　we　hauled　our　wind；　and　ran　along　in；　trusting　to　find　some　harbour。　　At　half…past　two　we　sighted　a　bay　of　very　curious　appearance；　having　two　large　rocks　at　the　entrance；　resembling　pyramids。　　Shiers；　Russen；　and　Fair　landed；　in　hopes　of　discovering　fresh　water；　of　which　we　stood　much　in　need。　Before　long　they　returned；　stating　that　they　had　found　an　Indian　hut；　inside　of　which　were　some　rude　earthenware　vessels。　　Fearful　of　surprise；　we　lay　off　the　shore　all　that　night；　and　putting　into　the　bay　very　early　in　the　morning；　killed　a　seal。　　This　was　the　first　fresh　meat　I　had　tasted　for　four　years。　　It　seemed　strange　to　eat　it　under　such　circumstances。　　We　cooked　the　flippers；　heart；　and　liver　for　breakfast；　giving　some　to　a　cat　which　we　had　taken　with　us　out　of　the　brig；　for　I　would　not；　willingly；　allow　even　that　animal　to　perish。　After　breakfast；　we　got　under　weigh；　and　we　had　scarcely　been　out　half　an　hour　when　we　had　a　fresh　breeze；　which　carried　us　along　at　the　rate　of　seven　knots　an　hour；　running　from　bay　to　bay　to　find　inhabitants。　Steering　along　the　shore；　as　the　sun　went　down；　we　suddenly　heard　the　bellowing　of　a　bullock；　and　James　Barker；　whom；　from　his　violent　conduct；　I　thought　incapable　of　such　sentiment；　burst　into　tears。

〃In　about　two　hours　we　perceived　great　fires　on　the　beach　and　let　go　anchor　in　nineteen　fathoms　of　water。　　We　lay　awake　all　that　night。　In　the　morning；　we　rowed　further　inshore；　and　moored　the　boat　to　some　seaweed。　As　soon　as　the　inhabitants　caught　sight　of　us；　they　came　down　to　the　beach。　I　distributed　needles　and　thread　among　the　Indians；　and　on　my　saying　'Valdivia；'　a　woman　instantly　pointed　towards　a　tongue　of　land　to　the　southward；　holding　up　three　fingers；　and　crying　'leaghos'！　which　I　conjectured　to　be　three　leagues；　the　distance　we　afterwards　found　it　to　be。

〃About　three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　we　weathered　the　point　pointed　out　by　the　woman；　and　perceived　a　flagstaff　and　a　twelve…gun　battery　under　our　lee。　　I　now　divided　among　the　men　the　sum　of　six　pounds　ten　shillings　that　I　had　found　in　Captain　Frere's　cabin；　and　made　another　and　more　equal　distribution　of　the　clothing。　　There　were　also　two　watches；　one　of　which　I　gave　to　Lesly；　and　kept　the　other　for　myself。　It　was　resolved　among　us　to　say　that　we　were　part　crew　of　the　brig　Julia；　bound　for　China　and　wrecked　in　the　South　Seas。　　Upon　landing　at　the　battery；　we　were　heartily　entertained；　though　we　did　not　understand　one　word　of　what　they　said。　　Next　morning　it　was　agreed　that　Lesly；　Barker；　Shiers；　and　Russen　should　pay　for　a　canoe　to　convey　them　to　the　town；　which　was　nine　miles　up　the　river；　and　on　the　morning　of　the　6th　March　they　took　their　departure。　　On　the　9th　March；　a　boat；　commanded　by　a　lieutenant；　came　down　with　orders　that　the　rest　of　us　should　be　conveyed　to　town；　and　we　accordingly　launched　the　boat　under　convoy　of　the　soldiers；　and　reached　the　town　the　same　evening；　in　some　trepidation。　　I　feared　lest　the　Spaniards　had　obtained　a　clue　as　to　our　real　character；　and　was　not　deceivedthe　surviving　soldier　having　betrayed　us。　　This　fellow　was　thus　doubly　a　traitorfirst；　in　deserting　his　officer；　and　then　in　betraying　his　comrades。

〃We　were　immediately　escorted　to　prison；　where　we　found　our　four　companions。　Some　of　them　were　for　brazening　out　the　story　of　shipwreck；　but　knowing　how　confused　must　necessarily　be　our　accounts；　were　we　examined　separately；　I　persuaded　them　that　open　confession　would　be　our　best　chance　of　safety。　　On　the　14th　we　were　taken　before　the　Intendente　or　Governor；　who　informed　us　that　we　were　free；　on　condition　that　we　chose　to　live　within　the　limits　of　the　town。　At　this　intelligence　I　felt　my　heart　grow　light；　and　only　begged　in　the　name　of　my　companions　that　we　might　not　be　given　up　to　the　British　Government；　'rather　than　which；'　said　I；　'I　would　beg　to　be　shot　dead　in　the　palace　square。'　The　Governor　regarded　us　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　and　spoke　as　follows：　'My　poor　men；　do　not　think　that　I　would　take　that　advantage　over　you。　　Do　not　make　an　attempt　to　escape；　and　I　will　be　your　friend；　and　should　a　vessel　come　tomorrow　to　demand　you；　you　shall　find　I　will　be　as　good　as　my　word。　All　I　have　to　impress　upon　you　is；　to　beware　of　intemperance；　which　is　very　prevalent　in　this　country；　and　when　you　find　it　convenient；　to　pay　Government　the　money　that　was　allowed　you　for　subsistence　while　in　prison。'　

〃The　following　day　we　all　procured　employment　in　launching　a　vessel　of　three　hundred　tons　burden；　and　my　men　showed　themselves　so　active　that　the　owner　said　he　would　rather　have　us　than　thirty　of　his　own　countrymen；　which　saying　pleased　the　Governor；　who　was　there　with　almost　the　whole　of　the　inhabitants　and　a　whole　band　of　music；　this　vessel　having　been　nearly　three　years　on　the　stocks。　　After　she　was　launched；　the　seamen　amongst　us　helped　to　fit　her　out；　being　paid　fifteen　dollars　a　month；　with　provisions　on　board。　　As　for　myself；　I　speedily　obtained　employment　in　the　shipbuilder's　yard；　and　subsisted　by　honest　industry；　almost　forgetting；　in　the　unwonted　pleasures　of　freedom；　the　sad　reverse　of　fortune　which　had　befallen　me。　　To　think　that　I；　who　had　mingled　among　gentlemen　and　scholars；　should　be　thankful　to　labour　in　a　shipwright's　yard　by　day；　and　sleep　on　a　bundle　of　hides　by　night！　But　this　is　personal　matter；　and　need　not　be　obtruded。

〃In　the　same　yard　with　me　worked　the　soldier　who　had　betrayed　us；　and　I　could　not　but　regard　it　as　a　special　judgment　of　Heaven　when　he　one　day　fell　from　a　great　height　and　was　taken　up　for　dead；　dying　in　much　torment　in　a　few　hours。　　The　days　thus　passed　on　in　comparative　happiness　until　the　20th　of　May；　1836；　when　the　old　Governor　took　his　departure；　regretted　by　all　the　inhabitants　of　Valdivia；　and　the　Achilles；　a　one…and…twenty…gun　brig　of　war；　arrived　with　the　new　Governor。　　One　of　the　first　acts　of　this　gentleman　was　to　sell　our　boat；　which　was　moored　at　the　back　of　Government…house。　This　proceeding　looked　to　my　mind　indicative　of　ill…will；　and；　fearful　lest　the　Governor　should　deliver　us　again　into　bondage；　I　resolved　to　make　my　escape　from　the　place。　　Having　communicated　my　plans　to　Barker；　Lesly；　Riley；　Shiers；　and　Russen；　I　offered　the　Governor　to　get　built　for　him　a　handsome　whale…boat；　making　the　iron　work　myself。　The　Governor　consented；　and　in　a　little　more　than　a　fortnight　we　had　completed　a　four…oared　whale…boat；　capable　of　weathering　either　sea　or　storm。　　We　fitted　her　with　sails　and　provisions　in　the　Governor's　name；　and　on　the　4th　of　July；　being　a　Saturday　night；　we　took　our　departure　from　Valdivia；　dropping　down　the　river　shortly　after　sunset。　Whether　the　Governor；　disgusted　at　the　trick　we　had　played　him；　decided　not　to　pursue　us；　or　whetheras　I　rather　thinkour　absence　was　not　discovered　until　the　Monday　morning；　when　we　were　beyond　reach　of　capture；　I　know　not；　but　we　got　out　to　sea　without　hazard；　and；　taking　accurate　bearings；　ran　for　the　Friendly　Islands；　as　had　been　agreed　upon　amongst　us。

〃But　it　now　seemed　that　the　good　fortune　which　had　hitherto　attended　us　had　deserted　us；　for　after　crawling　for　four　days　in　sultry　weather；　there　fell　a　dead　calm；　and　we　lay　like　a　log　upon　the　sea　for　forty…eight　hours。　　For　three　days　we　remained　in　the　midst　of　the　ocean；　exposed　to　the　burning　rays　of　the　sun；　in　a　boat　without　water　or　provisions。　On　the　fourth　day；　just　as　we　had　resolved　to　draw　lots　to　determine　who　should　die　for　the　sustenance　of　the　others；　we　were　picked　up　by　an　opium　clipper　returning　to　Canton。　　The　captain；　an　American；　was　most　kind　to　us；　and　on　our　arrival　at　Canton；　a　subscription　was　got　up　for　us　by　the　British　merchants　of　that　city；　and　a　free　passage　to　England　obtained　for　us。　　Russen；　however；　getting　in　drink；　made　statements　which　brought　suspicion　upon　us。　　I　had　imposed　upon　the　Consul　with　a　fictitious　story　of　a　wreck；　but　had　stated　that　my　name　was　Wilson；　forgetting　that　the　sextant　which　had　been　preserved　in　the　boat　had　Captain　Bates's　name　engraved　upon　it。　　These　circumstances　together　caused　sufficient　doubts　in　the　Consul's　mind　to　cause　him　to　give　directions　that；　on　our　arrival　in　London；　we　were　to　be　brought　before　the　Thames　Police　Court。　　There　being　no　evidence　against　us；　we　should　have　escaped；　had　not　a　Dr。　Pine；　who　had　been　surgeon　on　board　the　Malabar　transport；　being　in　the　Court；　recognized　me　and　swore　to　my　identity。　　We　were　remanded；　and；　to　complete　the　chain　of　evidence；　Mr。　Capon；　the　Hobart　Town　gaoler；　was；　strangely　enough；　in　London　at　the　time；　and　identified　us　all。　Our　story　was　then　made　public；　and　Barker　and　Lesly；　turning　Queen's　evidence　against　Russen；　he　was　convicted　of　the　murder　of　Lyons；　and　executed。　We　were　then　placed　on　board　the　Leviathan　hulk；　and　remained　there　until　shipped　in　the　Lady　Jane；　which　was　chartered；　with　convicts；　for　Van　Diemen's　Land；　in　order　to　be　tried　in　the　colony；　where　the　offence　was　committed；　for　piratically　seizing　the　brig　Osprey；　and　arrived　here　on　the　15th　December；　1838。〃