Narrative of Old Ready.
"Well, William, as soon as they had let go their anchor in Table Bay,
we were all ordered on shore, and sent up to a prison close to the
Government Gardens. We were not very carefully watched, as it appeared
impossible for us to get away, and I must say we were well treated in
every respect; but we were told that we should be sent to Holland in
the first man-of-war which came into the bay, and we did not much like
the idea.
"There were, as I told you, some other boys as well as myself, who
belonged to the Indiaman, and we kept very much together, not only
because we were more of an age, but because we had been shipmates so
long. Two of these boys, one of whom I have mentioned as Jack Romer,
and the other Will Hastings, were my particular friends; and one day,
as we were sitting under the wall warming ourselves, for it was winter
time, Romer said, `How very easy it would be for us to get away, if we
only knew where to go to!'
"`Yes,' replied Hastings; `but where are we to go to, if it is not to
the Hottentots and wild savages; and when we get there, what can we do?
- we can't get any further.' `Well,' said I, `I would rather be living
free among savages, than be shut up in a prison.
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