CHAPTERS I TO XX


I AM FORCED TO SEA AND TO BECOME A PIRATE! I SUFFER LAMENTABLY
FROM SICKNESS BY REASON OF THE BIGNESSE OF THE WAVES. I COMMIT
MANY CRUELTIES AND BLOODSHED. BUT BY THE DIVINE INTERCESSION I
EVENTUALLY THROW THE WICKED CAPTAIN OVERBOARD AND AM ELECTED IN HIS
STEAD. I DISCOVER AN ISLAND OF TREASURE, OBTAIN POSSESSION THEREOF
BY A TRICKE, AND PUT THE NATIVES TO THE SWORD.


I marvel much at those who deem it necessary in the setting down of
their adventures to gloze over the whiles between with much matter
of the country, the peoples, and even their own foolish reflections
thereon, hoping in this way to cozen the reader with a belief in
their own truthfulness, and encrease the extravagance of their
deeds. I, being a plain, blunt man, shall simply say for myself
that for many days after being taken from the bilboes and made free
of the deck, I was grievously distempered by reason of the waves,
and so collapsed in the bowels that I could neither eat, stand, nor
lie. Being thus in great fear of death, from which I was
miraculously preserved, I, out of sheer gratitude to my Maker, did
incontinently make oath and sign articles to be one of the crew--
which were buccaneers. I did this the more readily as we were to
attack the ships of Spayne only, and through there being no state
of Warre at that time between England and that country, it was
wisely conceived that this conduct would provoke it, and we should
thus be forearmed, as became a juste man in his quarrel. For this