This was the only voyage which I may say was successful in all my adventures, which I owe to the integrity and honesty of my friend the captain; under whom also I got a competent knowledge of the mathematics and the rules of navigation, learned how to keep an account of the ship’s course, take an observation, and, in short, to understand some things that were needful to be understood by a sailor; for, as he took delight to instruct me, I took delight to learn; and, in a word, this voyage made me both a sailor and a merchant; for I brought home five pounds nine ounces of gold-dust for my adventure, which yielded me in London, at my return, almost £300; and this filled me with those aspiring thoughts which have since so completed my ruin.
Dit was, mag ik zeggen, van al mijne avonturen, de eenigste gelukkige reis, hetgeen ik aan mijn vriend, den kapitein te danken had, van wien ik eene tamelijke kennis der wiskunde en van de stuurmanskunst leerde. Ook leerde hij mij het journaal houden, het bestek opmaken, kortom al wat een zeeman noodig heeft; want hij had even veel vermaak in mij te onderrigten, als ik in het leeren.