ROBINSON CRUSOE. 409

I was some time of my partner’s opinion ; but after a little
more serious thinking, I told him I thought it was a very great
hazard for us to attempt returning to Bengal, for that we were
on the wrong side of the Straits of Malacca, and that if the
alarm was given, we should be sure to be waylaid on every
side, as well by the Dutch at Batavia as the English else-

. where ; that if we should be taken, as it were running away, we

a

should even condemn ourselves, and there would want no more
evidence to destroy us. I also asked the English sailor’s opin-
ion, who said he was of my mind, and that we should certainly
be taken. This danger a little startled my partner, and all the
ship’s company, and we at once resolved to go away to the coast
of Tonquin, and so on to the coast of China, and, pursuing the
first design as to trade, find some way or other to dispose of the
ship, and come back in some of the vessels of the country,such as
we could get. This was approved of as the best method for our
security ; and accordingly we steered away N. N. E., keeping
above fifty leagues off from the usual course to the eastward.
This, however, put us to some inconvenience,—for, first, the
winds, when. we came that distance from the shore, seemed to
be more steadily against us, blowing almost trade, as we call it,
from the E. and E. N. E., so that we were:a long while upon
our voyage, and we were but ill provided with victuals for so
long a run,—and what was still worse, there was some danger
Shat those English and Dutch ships, whose boats pursued us,
whereof some were bound that way, might have got in before
us, and if not, some other ship bound to China might have in-
formation of us from them, and pursue us with the same vigor.

I must confess I was now very uneasy, and thought myself,
including the late escape from the long-boats, to have been in
the most dangerous condition that ever I was in through my

past life ; for whatever ill circumstances I had been in, I was.

never pursued for a thief before ; nor had I ever done anything:
that merited the name of dishonest or fraudulent, much less,
thievish ; I had chiefly beeh my own enemy, or, as I may’
rightly say, I had been nobody’s €nemy but my own ; but-
was embarrassed in the worst condition imaginable ; for th
I was perfectly innocent, I was in no condition to make
innocence appear ; and if I had been taken, it had been un
a supposed guilt of the worst kind. This made me very a
ious to make an escape, though which way to do it I knew.
or what port or place we could go to. My partner, see
thus dejected, though he was the most concerned at first,
to encourage me, and describing to me the several ports of

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