our saide Purser Richard Burges, and Iames Smith, and also the other two
Englishmen, which he the said kings sonne had inforced to become Turkes, as
is aforesayd. And they the said Englishmen finding now some opportunitie,
concluded with the Christian captiues which were going with them vnto
Constantinople, being in number about one hundred and fiftie, to kill the
kings sonne, and all the Turkes which were aboorde of the Galley, and
priuily the saide Englishmen conueyed vnto the saide Christian captiues,
weapons for that purposes. And when they came into the maine Sea, towards
Constantinople (vpon the faithfull promise of the sayde Christian captiues)
these foure Englishmen lept suddenly into the Crossia, that is, in the
middest of the Galley, where the canon lieth, and with their swordes
drawne, did fight against all the foresaid Turkes, and for want of helpe of
the saide Christian captiues, who falsly brake their promises, the said
Master Blonkets boy was killed, and the sayde Iames Smith, and our Pursser
Richard Surges, and the other Englishman, were taken and bound into
chaines, to be hanged at their arriual in Constantinople: and as the Lordes
will was, about two dayes after, passing through the gulfe of Venice, at an
Island called Cephalonia, they met with two of the duke of Venice his
Gallies, [Marginal Note: Two Gallies of Venice tooke the King of Tripolie
his galley, and killed the kings sonne, and all the Turkes in it, and
released all the Christians being in number 150.] which tooke that Galley,
and killed the kings sonne, and his mother, and all the Turkes that were
there, in number 150. and they saued the Christian captiues, and would haue
killed the two Englishmen because they were circumcised, and become Turkes,
had not the other Christian captiues excused them, saying, that they were
inforced to be Turkes, by the kings sonne, and shewed the Venetians also,
how they did enterprise at sea to fight against all the Turks, and that
their two fellowes were slaine in that fight. Then the Venetians saued
them, and they, with all the residue of the said captiues, had their
libertie, which were in number 150. or thereabouts, and the said Gallie,