{20 ROBINSON CRUSOE.

she ship had been at Bengal. The Dutchmen, who, it was said,
aad the names of all the men that were in the ship, might
easily see that we were a mixture of English, Portuguese, and
Indians, and but two Dutchmen on board. These, and many
other particular circumstances, might have made it evident to
the understanding of any commander, whose hands we might
fall into, that we were no pirates. But fear, that blind, useless
passion, worked another way, and threw us into the vapors: it
bewildered our understandings, and set the imagination at work
to form a thousand terrible things that perhaps might never
happen. We first supposed (as indeed everybody 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, without
giving us any room for a defence. We reflected that there
really was so much apparent evidence before them, that they
would scarce inquire after any more 3 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 but they were as fully
Satisfied of our being pirates, as we were satisfied of the con-
trary ; 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, these were our apprehensions ;
and both my partner and I scarce slept a night without dream-
ing of halters and yard-arms, that is to say, gibbets 3 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 grievously, broke my
knuckles, and cut and bruised the flesh, so that it awakened me
out of my sleep,

Another apprehension I had was, 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

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