ve leagues
before me; and the sea being very calm, I kept a large offing to make
this point. At length, doubling the point, at about two leagues from the
land, I saw plainly land on the other side, to seaward; then I concluded,
as it was most certain indeed, that this was the Cape de Verde, and those
the islands called, from thence, Cape de Verde Islands. However, they
were at a great distance, and I could not well tell what I had best to
do; for if I should be taken with a fresh of wind, I might neither reach
one or other.

In this dilemma, as I was very pensive, I stepped into the cabin and sat
down, Xury having the helm; when, on a sudden, the boy cried out,
"Master, master, a ship with a sail!" and the foolish boy was frighted
out of his wits, thinking it must needs be some of his master's ships
sent to pursue us, but I knew we were far enough out of their reach. I
jumped out of the cabin, and immediately saw, not only the ship, but that
it was a Portuguese ship; and, as I thought, was bound to the coast of
Guinea, for negroes. But, when I observed the course she steered, I was
soon convinced they were bound some other way, and did not design to come
any nearer to the shore; upon which I stretched out to sea as much as I
could, resolving to speak with them if possible.

With all the sail I could make, I found I should not be able to come in
their way, but that they would be gone by before I could make any signal
to them: but after I had crowded to the utmost, and began to despair,
they, it seems, saw by the help of their glasses that it was some
European boat, which they supposed must belong to some ship that was
lost; so they shortened sail to let me come up. I was encouraged with
this, and as I had my patron's ancient on board, I made a waft of it to
them, for a signal of distress, and fired a gun, both which they saw; for
they told me they saw the smoke, though they did not hear the gun. Upon
these signals they very kindly brought to, and lay by for me; and in
about three hours; time I came up with them.

They asked me what I was, in Portuguese, and in Spanish, and in French,
but I understood none of them; but at last a Scotch sailor, who was on
board, called to me: and I answered him, and told him I was an
Englishman, that I had made my escape out of slavery from the Moors, at
Sallee; they then bade me come on board, and very kindly took me in, and
all my goods.

It was an inexpressible joy to me, whic