The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders

We were for that night clapped under hatches, and kept so close that I

thought I should have been suffocated for want of air; and the next

morning the ship weighed, and fell down the river to a place they call

Bugby's Hole, which was done, as they told us, by the agreement of the

merchant, that all opportunity of escape should be taken from us.

However, when the ship came thither and cast anchor, we were allowed

more liberty, and particularly were permitted to come up on the deck,

but not up on the quarter-deck, that being kept particularly for the

captain and for passengers.

When by the noise of the men over my head, and the motion of the ship,

I perceived that they were under sail, I was at first greatly

surprised, fearing we should go away directly, and that our friends

would not be admitted to see us any more; but I was easy soon after,

when I found they had come to an anchor again, and soon after that we

had notice given by some of the men where we were, that the next

morning we should have the liberty to come up on deck, and to have our

friends come and see us if we had any.

All that night I lay upon the hard boards of the deck, as the

passengers did, but we had afterwards the liberty of little cabins for

such of us as had any bedding to lay in them, and room to stow any box

or trunk for clothes and linen, if we had it (which might well be put

in), for some of them had neither shirt nor shift or a rag of linen or

woollen, but what was on their backs, or a farthing of money to help

themselves; and yet I did not find but they fared well enough in the

ship, especially the women, who got money from the seamen for washing

their clothes, sufficient to purchase any common things that they

wanted.

When the next morning we had the liberty to come up on the deck, I

asked one of the officers of the ship, whether I might not have the

liberty to send a letter on shore, to let my friends know where the

ship lay, and to get some necessary things sent to me. This was, it

seems, the boatswain, a very civil, courteous sort of man, who told me

I should have that, or any other liberty that I desired, that he could

allow me with safety. I told him I desired no other; and he answered

that the ship's boat would go up to London the next tide, and he would

order my letter to be carried.