I launched out in this posture, and advanced near the ship. When
I was near enough to be known, the seamen and passengers that
were upon the deck thought it an extraordinary spectacle, and all
of them looked upon me with great astonishment. In the mean time,
I got aboard, and laying hold of a rope, I jumped on the deck,
and, having lost my speech, I found myself in very great
perplexity; and indeed the risk I ran then was nothing less than
when I was at the mercy of the genie.
The merchants, being both superstitious and scrupulous, believed
I should occasion some mischief to their voyage, if they received
me: therefore, says one, I will knock him down with an handspike;
says another, I will shoot an arrow through his guts; says a
third, Let us throw him into the sea. Some of them would not have
failed to have executed their design, if I had not got to the
side where the captain was; when I threw myself at his feet, and
took him by the coat in a begging posture. This action, together
with the tears which he saw gush from my eyes, moved his
compassion; so that he took me into his protection, threatened to
be avenged on him that should do me the least hurt; and he
himself made very much of me, And on my part, though I had no
power to speak, I did, by my gestures, show all possible signs of
gratitude.
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