the greatest part to precipitate themselves from the top to the
bottom, and dash their bodies in pieces: few or none escaped; for if any
remained alive, they were put to the sword. Some Spaniards did still
keep the bottom of the mountain; but these, hearing the shrieks and
cries of them that were killed, and believing some tragical revolution
to be above, fled immediately towards the sea, despairing ever to regain
the island of Tortuga.

The governors of this island behaved themselves as proprietors and
absolute lords thereof till 1664, when the West-India company of France
took possession thereof, and sent thither, for their governor, Monsieur
Ogeron. These planted the colony for themselves by their factors and
servants, thinking to drive some considerable trade from thence with the
Spaniards, even as the Hollanders do from Curacao: but this design did
not answer; for with other nations they could drive no trade, by reason
they could not establish any secure commerce from the beginning with
their own; forasmuch as at the first institution of this company in
France they agreed with the pirates, hunters, and planters, first
possessors of Tortuga, that these should buy all their necessaries from
the said company upon trust. And though this agreement was put in
execution, yet the factors of the company soon after found that they
could not recover either monies or returns from those people, that they
were constrained to bring some armed men into the island, in behalf of
the company, to get in some of their payments. But neither this
endeavour, nor any other, could prevail towards the settling a second
trade with those of the island. Hereupon, the company recalled their
factors, giving them orders to sell all that was their own in the said
plantation, both the servants belonging to the company (which were sold,
some for twenty, and others for thirty pieces of eight), as also all
other merchandizes and proprieties. And thus all their designs fell to
the ground.

On this occasion I was also sold, being a servant under the said company
in whose service I left France: but my fortune was very bad, for I fell
into the hands of the most cruel and perfidious man that ever was born,
who was then governor, or rather lieutenant-general, of that island.
This man treated me with all the hard usage imaginable, yea, with that
of hunger, with which I thought I should have perished inevitably.
Withal, he was willing to let me buy my freedom