Page:Power of affection.pdf/18

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.

(18)

tenderness that muſt fill every breaſt susceptible of generous impreſſions with pity. At laſt the conſtancy of the elder brother, yielded to the piety of the other. He acquiesced, and suffered the gallant youth to supply his place, who being caſt into the sea, and a good swimmer, soon got to the ſtern of the pinnace, and laid hold of the rudder with his right hand, which being perceived by one of the ſailors, he cut off the hand with his ſword, then droping into the ſea, he preſently caught hold again with his left, which received the ſame fate by a ſecond blow; thus diſmembered of both hands, he made a ſhift notwithſtanding to keep himſelf above water with his feet and two ſtumps, which he held bleeding upwards.

This moving ſpectacle ſo raiſed the pity of the whole company, that they cried out, he is but one man, let us endeavour to ſave his life; and he was accordingly taken into the boat, where he had his hands bound up as well as the place and circumſtances could permit. They rowed all that night and the next morning, when the ſun aroſe, as if heaven would reward the gallantry and piety of this young man, they diſcried land, which proved to be the mountains Mozambique, in Africa, not far from a Portugueſe colony. Thither they all ſafe arrived, where they remained untill the next ſhip from Liſbon paſſed by and carried them to Goa.