I did not want a black wife at all. So matters haf not turned out
so vera bad. Get me some water.'

"I got him some, but in five minutes the poor old Dutchman was
dead. There was no one on deck. All were shouting and singing in
the captain's cabin, so I went and turned in forward. Morning was
just breaking when I suddenly woke. There was a great light, and
running on deck I saw the fire pouring out from the cabin aft. I
suppose they had all drunk themselves stupid and had upset a light,
and the fire had spread and suffocated them all. Anyhow, there were
none of them to be seen. I got hold of a water keg and placed it
in a boat which luckily hung out on its davits, as Jans had, the
day before, been calking a seam in her side just above the water's
edge. I made a shift to lower it, threw off the falls, and getting
out the oars, rowed off. I lay by for some little time, but did
not see a soul on deck. Then, as I had nowhere particular to go,
I lay down and slept. On getting up I found that I had drifted two
or three miles from the ship, which was now a mere smoking shell,
the greater part being burnt to the Water's edge. Two miles to the
north lay the land, and getting out an oar at the stern I sculled
her to shore. I suppose I had been seen, or that the flames of the
ship had called down the people, for there they were in the bay,
and such a lot of creatures I never set eyes on. Men and women
alike was pretty nigh naked, and dirt is no name for them. Though
I was but a boy I was taller than most. They came round me and
jabbered and jabbered till I was nigh deafened. Over and over again
they pointed to the ship. I thought they wanted to know whether
I belonged to it, but it couldn't have been that, because when I
nodded a lot of 'em jumped into some canoes which was lying ashore,
and taking me with them paddled off to the ship. I suppose they