gun would seem to show that we had made a bad choice of a place
to land on; but be that as it would, to shore we had to go to
find some fresh spring, so that we might fill our casks. Xury
said if I would let him go with one of the jars, he would find
out if the springs were fit to drink; and, if they were sweet, he
would bring the jar back full. "Why should you go?" said I; "Why
should not I go, and you stay in the boat?" At this Xury said,
"if wild mans come they eat me, you go way." I could not but love
the lad for this kind speech. "Well," said I, "we will both go,
and if the wild men come we must kill them, they shall not eat
you or me."

I gave Xury some rum from the Turk's case to cheer him up, and we
went on shore. The boy went off with his gun, full a mile from
the spot where we stood, and came back with a hare that he had
shot, which we were glad to cook and eat; but the good news which
he brought was that he had found a spring, and had seen no wild
men.

I made a guess that the Cape de Verd Isles were not far off, for
I saw the top of the Great Peak, which I knew was near them. My
one hope was that if I kept near the coast, I should find some
ship that would take us on board; and then, and not till then,
should I feel a free man. In a word, I put the whole of my fate
on this chance, that I must meet with some ship, or die.

On the coast we saw some men who stood to look at us. They were
black, and wore no clothes. I would have gone on shore to them,
but Xury--who knew best--said, "Not you go! Not you go!" So I
brought the boat as near the land as I could, that I might talk