We Will Now Leave The Captain Soliciting Succours From The Governor-
General, In Order To Return To The Crew Who Were Left Upon The
Islands, Among Whom There Happened Such Transactions As, In Their
Condition, The Reader Would Little Expect, And Perhaps Will Hardly
Credit!
In order to their being thoroughly understood, it is
necessary to observe that they had for supercargo one Jerom
Cornelis, who had been formerly an apothecary at Harlem.
This man,
when they were on the coast of Africa, had plotted with the pilot
and some others to run away with the vessel, and either to carry her
into Dunkirk, or to turn pirates in her on their own account. This
supercargo had remained ten days on board the wreck, not being able
in all that time to get on shore. Two whole days he spent on the
mainmast, floating to and fro, till at last, by the help of one of
the yards, he got to land. When he was once on shore, the command,
in the absence of Captain Pelsart, devolved of course upon him,
which immediately revived in his mind his old design, insomuch that
he resolved to lay hold of this opportunity to make himself master
of all that could be saved out of the wreck, conceiving that it
would be easy to surprise the captain on his return, and determining
to go on the account--that is to say, to turn pirate in the
captain's vessel. In order to carry this design into execution, he
thought necessary to rid themselves of such of the crew as were not
like to come into their scheme; but before he proceeded to dip his
hands in blood, he obliged all the conspirators to sign an
instrument, by which they engaged to stand by each other.
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