A VIOLENT DREAM. 565

body had related to us, that the seamen on board the English and
Dutch ships, but especially the Dutch, were so enraged at the
name of a pirate, and especially at our beating off their boats
and escaping, that they would not give themselves leave to inquire
whether we were pirates or no, but would execute us off-hand, as
we call it, without giving us any room for a defence. We reflected
that there was really so much apparent evidence before them, that
they would scarce inquire after any more; as, first, that the ship
was certainly the same, and that some of the seamen among them
knew her, and had been on board her; and, secondly, that when
we had intelligence at the river of Cambodia that they were coming
down to examine us, we fought their boats and fled: so that we
made no doubt that they were fully satisfied of our being pirates,
as we were satisfied of the contrary; and, as I often said, I know
not but I should have been apt to have taken those circumstances
for evidence, if the tables were turned, and my case was theirs,
and have made no scruple of cutting all the crew to pieces, without
believing, or perhaps considering, what they might have to offer in
their defence.

But let that be how it will, those were our apprehensions; and
both my partner and I too scarce slept a night without dreaming
of halters and yard-arms—that is to say, gibbets, of fighting, and
being taken; of killing, and being killed; and one night I was in
such a fury in my dream, fancying the Dutchmen had boarded us,
and I was knocking one of their seamen down, that I struck my
double fist against the side of the cabin I lay in, with such a force
as wounded my hand most grievously, broke my knuckles, and cut
and bruised the flesh; so that it not only waked me out of my
sleep, but I was once afraid I should have lost two of my fingers.

Another apprehension I had, was of the cruel usage we might
meet with from them if we fell into their hands. Then the story
of Amboyna came into my head, and how the Dutch might per-
haps torture us, as they did our countrymen there, and make some
of the men, by extremity of torture, confess those crimes they
never were guilty of, own themselves and all of us to be pirates,
and so they would put us to death, with a formal appearance of
justice; and that they might be tempted to do this for the gain