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CHAP. IX. How the Author began his Escape, and got onward of his Way about an Hundred miles.
* 1.1HAving often gone this Way to seek for Liberty, but could not yet find it; we again set forth to try what Success God Al∣mighty would now give us, in the Year MDCLXXIX, on the Two and twentieth of September, furnished with such Arms as we could well carry with safety and secrecy, which were Knives and small Axes; we carried also several sorts of Ware to sell as formerly: the Moon be∣ing seven and twenty dayes old. Which we had so contrived, that we might have a light Moon, to see the better to run away by: having left an Old Man at home, whom I had hired to live with me, to look after my House and Goats.
* 1.2We went down at the Hill Bocawl, where there was now no Watch, and but seldom any. From thence down to the Town of Bonder Cooswat, where my Father dyed; and by the Town of Nicavar, which is the last Town belonging to Hotcurly in that Road. From thence forward the Towns stand thin. For it was sixteen miles to the next Town called Parroah, which lay in the Country of Neure Cawlava, and all the way thro a Wilderness called Parroah Mocolane, full of wild Elephants, Tigres and Bears.
* 1.3Now we set our design for Anarodgburro, which is the lowest place inhabited belonging to the King of Cande: where there is a Watch al∣wayes kept: and nearer than twelve or fourteen miles of this Town as yet we never had been.
* 1.4When we came into the midst of this Countrey, we heard that the Governor thereof had sent Officers from the Court to dispatch away the Kings Revenues and Duties to the City, and that they were now come into the Country. Which put us into no small fear, lest if they saw us they should send us back again. Wherefore we edged away into the Westernmost Parts of Ecpoulpot, being a remote part of that Countrey wherein we now were. And there we sate to knitting until we heard they were gone. But this caused us to overshoot our time, the Moon spending so fast. But as soon as we heard they were depart∣ed out of the Countrey, we went onwards of our Iourney, having kept most of our Ware for a pretence to have an occasion to go further. And having bought a good parcel of Cotton Tarn to knit Caps withal, the rest of our Ware we gave out, was to buy dryed flesh with, which only in those lower Parts is to be sold.
* 1.5Our Way now lay necessarily thro the chief Governors Yard at Col∣••iwilla. Who dwells there purposely to see and examine all that go and come. This greatly distressed us. First, because he was a stranger to us, and one whom we had never seen. And secondly, because there was no other way to escape him: and plain reason would tell him, that we being prisoners were without our bounds. Whereupon we conclu∣ded, that our best way would be to go boldly and resolutely to his house, and not to seem daunted in the least, or to look as if we di•••• di∣strust him to disallow of our Iourney, but to shew such a behaviour, as if we had authority to travail where we would.