CRUSOE’S UNLUCKY PURCHASE, 649

them we could not tell, but we found the boat was sinking, and
some of the men already in the water. Upon this I immediately
manned out our pinnace, which we had kept close by our side, with
orders to pick up some of the men if they could, and save them
from drowning, and immediately to come on board with them, be-
cause we saw the rest of the boats began to come up. Our men
in the pinnace followed their orders, and took up three men, one
of which was just drowning, and it was a good while before we
could recover him. As soon as they were on board we crowded
all the sail we could make and stood further out to sea, and we
found that when the other three boats came up to the first two
thev gave over their chase.

Being thus delivered from a danger which, though I knew not
the reason of it, yet seemed to be much greater than I apprehended,
I took care that we should change our course, and not let any one
imagine whither we were going; so we stood out to sea eastward,
quite out of the course of all Huropean ships, whether they were
bound to China or anywhere else within the commerce of the
European nations.

When we were now at sea we began to consult with the two
seamen, and inquire, first, what the meaning of all this should be;
and the Dutchman let us into the secret of it at once, telling us
that the fellow that sold us the ship, as we said, was no more
than a thief, that had run away with her. Then he told us how
the captain, whose name too he told us, though T do uot remember,
was treacherously murdered by the natives on the coast of Malacea,
with three of his men; and that he, this Dutchman, and four
more, got into the woods, where they wandered about a great
while; till at length he, in particular, in a miraculous manner
made his escape, and swam off to a Dutch ship, which, sailing near
the shore, in its way from China, had sent their boat on shore for
fresh water; that he durst not come to that part of the shore
where the boat was, but made shift in the night, to take the water
further off, and the ship's boat took him up.

He then told us that he went to Batavia, where two of the sea-
men belonging to the ship arrived, having deserted the rest in their
travels, and gave an account that the fellow who had run away