My only hope of success lay in my ability to increase his faith in my pledges.

The necessity of having a competent navigator aft alone accounted for my promotion.

The Portuguese neither liked nor trusted me; he hated and despised my race; he would have me watched, and would carefully check over my figures.

I should be compelled to serve him faithfully and without arousing the slightest question in his mind, in order to establish myself in his esteem, or gain any real freedom aboard.

Yet, if I was to serve the girl, there must be, first of all, intelligent cooperation between us.