Nothing seemed settled as to what they
would do afterwards. Some were in favor of continuing the voyage to
port, and there giving out that the captain and officers had been
washed overboard in a storm; when, if all stood true to each other,
the truth could never be known, although suspicions might arise.
The others, however, insisted that you never could be sure of
every one, and that some one would be sure to peach. They argued in
favor of sailing west and beaching the ship on one of the Pacific
islands, where they could live comfortably and take wives among
the native women. If they were ever found they could then say that
the ship was blown out of her course and wrecked there, and that
the captain and officers had been drowned or killed by the natives.
It seemed to me that this party were the strongest. For the next
week I was thrashed and kicked every day and had I been as weak
as I pretended to be, I'm sure they would have killed me. However,
thanks to the food Jans brought me, for I was put on bread and water,
I held on. At last we entered the straits. The men were very quiet
that day, and the captain in a worse temper than usual. I did not
go to sleep, and turned out at the midnight watch, for I was made
to keep watch although I was on duty all day.
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