opean families resided.

To this place we steered, and, early next morning, came in sight of the
coast; but thought it advisable to put into a small river where we
could, either over land, or by the ship's pinnace, know what vessels
were in any ports thereabouts. This happy step proved our deliverance;
for, next morning, there came to the bay of Tonquin two Dutch ships, and
a third without any colours; and in the evening, two English ships
steered the same course. The river where we were was but small, and ran
but a few leagues up the country northward; the country was wild and
barbarous, and the people thieves, having no correspondence with any
other nation; dealing only in fish, oil, and such gross commodities: and
one barbarous custom they still retained, that when any vessel was
unhappily shipwrecked upon their coast, they make the men prisoners or
slaves, so that now we might fairly say we were surrounded by enemies
both by sea and land.

As the ship had been leaky, we took the opportunity, in this place to
search her, and to stop up the places which let in the water. We
accordingly lightened her, and bringing our guns and other moveable
things to one side, we essayed to bring her down, that we might come to
her bottom: but, upon second consideration, we did not think it safe to
let her lie on dry ground, neither indeed was the place convenient for
it. The inhabitants not used to such a sight as to see a ship lie down
on one side; and heel in towards the shore, and not perceiving her men,
who were at work on her bottom, with stages and boats on the off side,
presently imagined the ship had been cast away, and lay fast on the
ground. Agreeable to this supposition, they surrounded us with ten or
twelve large boats, with a resolution, undoubtedly to plunder the ship,
and to carry away those they found alive for slaves to their king. But
when they perceived our men hard at work on the ship's bottom and side,
washing, graving, and stopping her, it filled them all with such
surprise, that they stood gazing as though they were confounded. Nor
could we imagine what their design was; however, for fear of danger, we
handed down arms and ammunition to those at work, in order to defend
themselves; and, indeed, this precaution was absolutely necessary; for,
in a quarter of an hour after, the natives, concluding it was really a
shipwreck, and that we were saving our lives and goods, which they
thought belonged to them, came dow