The desire for life was
strong, but perhaps it may serve to show how great were the torments
from which I was suffering, and how broken was my spirit by misfortunes
and the horrors around me, when I say that I determined to make no
further effort to live, but rather to accept death as a merciful
release. And, indeed, I knew that there was little likelihood of such
attempts being of avail, for I saw that the Spanish sailors were mad
with fear and had but one desire, to be rid of the slaves who consumed
the water, and as they believed, had bred the pestilence. So I said such
prayers as came into my head, and although with a great shivering of
fear, for the poor flesh shrinks from its end and the unknown beyond it,
however high may be the spirit, I prepared myself to die.
Now, having dragged away my neighbour in misery, the living savage, the
men turned to me. They were naked to the middle, and worked furiously
to be done with their hateful task, sweating with the heat, and keeping
themselves from fainting by draughts of spirit.
'This one is alive also and does not seem so sick,' said a man as he
struck the fetters from me.
'Alive or dead, away with the dog!' answered another hoarsely, and I saw
that it was the same officer to whom I had been given as a slave. 'It
is that Englishman, and he it is who brought us ill luck.
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