Spaniards, seeing the state that I was in, was
kind enough to get two or three more of his
companions, and lifted me up in one of the
bullock-carts in which they had brought down
the provisions for us, and covered me up with
one of their great ponchos; and he tapped
me on the shoulder, and said, "Bono English!"
And, being upon the cart, I was out of the
wind and rain—for it blew a heavy gale of
wind; and I felt myself quite comfortable,
only my leg pained me a good deal; but,
thanks be to God, I soon fell into a sound
sleep; and, as I heard afterwards, the French
soldiers came down and marched the rest of
my shipmates up to Cadiz, and they put them
into Spanish prison. As for my part, I was
taken up to Cadiz, in the bullock-cart, and
my kind friend took me to his own house,
and had me put to bed, where I found myself
when I woke.

Now, in the house where I was, it happened
to be a boarding-house, and a good many
American sailors boarded there, and when
I came to myself, my friend, the Spaniard,
brought one of the American sailors to me
for to ask me if I wanted anything. I told
the man, very kindly, that I wanted some
one to look at my leg; for I felt my leg very
painful. Now this young man was mate of
an American ship that was getting repaired
at Cadiz, and he spoke very good Spanish,
so he told the Spaniard what I wanted, and
my friend went away and fetched a doctor,
who could speak very good English, who
dressed my leg, and assured me there were
no bones broken, only he told me that I must
keep myself very quiet, and to be sure
not to drink any spirits. I forgot to tell you
that the first night that I got on board of the
prize, whilst I was down below, to look for
some rope for to lash the jury foremast to the
stump of the old foremast, I picked up a belt;
but, being in a hurry, I never looked into it,
but put it round me, under my frock, and,
being busy at work all the time that I was
on board of her, I never thought no more
about it till, now I was laying in bed, I felt
it uncomfortable round me, and I asked
my new friend, the American mate, if he
would be kind enough to take it off me. But
what was my surprise when, on overhauling
of it, I found that there were forty doubloons,
ten dollars, and some smaller money in it!
My surprise was so great that my young
friend perceived it, and I told him the whole
truth of it, how I came by it. My friend
advised me to keep it quiet, and say nothing
about it; I told him I would. And now it
came into my thoughts that the money might
be serviceable to me, to keep me from going
to prison; and I spoke to my young friend
about it, and he went down and spoke to the
old Spaniard about it, who came up to me
directly, and he told the American mate to
tell me to make myself quite easy about that;
for he had been to the prison to hear if
he could find out that I had been missing,
and, when I had been missed, that they
supposed that I had been drowned; so he
said, "It will be your own fault if you go
to prison."

You may depend I was very glad to
hear what he said, and I offered the old
man a doubloon, for the kindness he had
shown me; which he, at first, refused; but,
after a good deal of persuading, he took it
for to pay the doctor. And now, this affair
being settled, I rested myself quite contented
till it pleased the Almighty to restore to me
the use of my leg and arm, which got quite
well in about a month's time; and me and
the American mate got quite friendly together;
and, their ship being nearly ready for
sea, he persuaded me to join the ship that he
belonged to, for they were several hands short,
and they would be obliged to ship Spaniards,
without they could get any of my former
shipmates to run away out of prison and join
their ship; so I agreed to go along with him,
and I joined the "Matilda," of Boston, on the
1st day of December, 1805. On leaving my
old friend, the Spaniard, who had been so Kind
to me, I made him a present of five Spanish
doubloons, which he accepted; and I parted
from him with a sorrowful heart.

When I came on board of the "Matilda"
I was quite surprised to find four of my old
shipmates there before me; they had made
their escape out of prison through the
assistance of some good Spaniards, and had
got on board there before me. But you
may depend that their surprise was great to
see me, for I was believed, by every one, to
be drowned; but we soon reconciled ourselves;
and by the 4th day of December we
were out at sea, clear of them all; and our
ship, the "Matilda," was bound to Boston,
in America, where we arrived the 25th day
of January, 1806. I liked my ship so well
that I agreed to go along with them another
voyage; and we sailed from Boston in the
beginning of March; and we went back to
Cadiz again, and I had the pleasure of seeing
my old friend, the Spaniard, again—who was
well and hearty.

And now, I must tell my readers that
I staid in the "Matilda," of Boston, till,
in a voyage from Boston to London, in the
beginning of the year 1807, I was pressed
out of her, whilst lying at the Big Nore;
and I was taken on board of the "Namur"
guard-ship, at Sheerness, and from there
I was drafted on board of the "Spitfire"
sloop of war. Although I was on the books
as a foreigner, I could not get clear; so I
wrote up to my old landlord, Mr. Bland, to
hear if I could learn anything of my wife;
and I asked him if he would be kind enough
to come down to me and see me, and
bring my wife along with him. I sent this
letter away on Friday, and on Sunday morning
Mr. Bland came on board of the "Spitfire,"
to see me. When we got down below, I asked
him how my wife was; and then I heard that