446 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES

 

CHAPTER XI.

Make a trading Voyage in this Ship—Put into the River Cambodia—Am warned of
my Danger by a Countryman, in consequence of which we set sail, and are pursued
--Great difficulty in making our Escape.

However, we picked up some English seamen here after this, and
some Dutch; and we now resolved for a second voyage to the south-
east, for cloves, &c. that is to say, among the Philippine and Molucca
isles; and, in short, not to fill this part of my story with trifles, when ~
what is yet to come is so remarkable, I spent, from first to last, six
years in this country, trading from port to port, backward and forward,
and with very good success ; and was now the last year with my part-
ner, going in the ship above mentioned, on a voyage to China: but
designing first to go to Siam, to buy rice.

In this voyage, being by contrary winds obliged to beat up and down
a great while in the Straits of Malacca, and among the islands, we
were no sooner got clear of those difficult seas, but we found our ship
had sprung a leak, and we were not able, by all our industry, to find
out where it was. This forced us to make for some port; and my part-
ner, who knew the country better than I did, directed the captain to
put into the river of Cambodia; for I had made the English mate, one
Mr. Thompson, captain, not being willing to take the charge of the
ship upon myself. This river lies on the north side of the great bay
or gulf which goes up to Siam.

While we were here, and going often on shore for refreshments, there
comes to me one day an Englishman, and he was, it seems, a gunner’s
mate on board an English East India ship, which rode in the same river,
up at, or near the city of Cambodia: what broughthim hither we knew

ot; but he comes up to me, and, speaking English, “Sir,” says he,
“you area stranger to me, and I to yams but I have something to
tell you, that very nearly concerns you.’

I looked steadfagtly at him a good while, and he thought it first I
had known him, butI did not. ‘If it very nearly concerns me,” said
I, “and not yourself, what moves youto tell it me.” —‘‘I am moved,”’
says he, by the imminent danger you are in; and for aught I see, you
have no knowledge of it.’’ —‘‘ [know no danger I am in,” said I, “ but
that my ship is leaky, and TI cannot find it out; but I propose to lay her
aground to-morrow, to see if I can find it.” —“ But, sir,” says he, “leaky