bject piece of behaviour;
for as I crossed Tower Wharf, a squat tawny fellow with a hanger by his
side, and a cudgel in his hand came up to me, calling, "Yo ho! brother,
you must come along with me." As I did not like his appearance, instead
of answering his salutation, I quickened my pace, in hope of ridding
myself of his company; upon which he whistled aloud, and immediately
another sailor appeared before me, who laid hold of me by the collar,
and began to drag me along. Not being in a humour to relish such
treatment, I disengaged myself of the assailant, and, with one blow
of my cudgel, laid him motionless on the ground; and perceiving myself
surrounded in a trice by ten or a dozen more, exerted myself with such
dexterity and success, that some of my opponents were fain to attack
me with drawn cutlasses; and after an obstinate engagement, in which I
received a large wound on my head, and another on my left cheek, I was
disarmed, taken prisoner, and carried on board a pressing tender, where,
after being pinioned like a malefactor, I was thrust down into the
hold among a parcel of miserable wretches, the sight of whom well nigh
distracted me. As the commanding officer had not humanity enough to
order my wounds to be dressed, and I could not use my own hands,
I desired one of my fellow captives who was unfettered, to take a
handkerchief out of my pocket, and tie it round my head, to stop the
bleeding. He pulled out my handkerchief, 'tis true, but instead of
applying it to the use for which I designed it, went to the grating of
the hatchway, and, with astonishing composure, sold it before my face
to a bumboat woman (1) then on board, for a quart of gin, with which he
treated his companions, regardless of my circumstances and entreaties.

(1) A Bumboat woman is one who sells bread, cheese, greens,
liquor, and fresh potatoes to the sailors, in a small boat
that lies alongside the ship

I complained bitterly of this robbery to the midshipman on deck, telling
him at the same time, that unless my hurts were dressed, I should bleed
to death. But compassion was a weakness of which no man could justly
accuse this person, who, squirting a mouthful of dissolved tobacco upon
me through the gratings, told me "I was a mutinous dog, and that I
might die for anything he cared!" Finding there was no other remedy, I
appealed to patience, and laid up this usage in my memory, to be called
at a more fitting opportunity.