As to going Home，Shame opposed the best Motions that offered to my Thoughts；and it immediately occurr'd to me how I should be laugh'd at among the Neighbours，and should be asham'd to see，not my Father and Mother only，but even every Body else；from whence I have since often observed，how incongruous and irrational the common Temper of Mankind is，especially of Youth，to that Reason which ought to guide them in such Cases，viz. That they are not asham'd to sin，and yet are asham'd to repent；not asham'd of the Action for which they ought justly to be esteem'd Fools，but are asham'd of the returning，which only can make them be esteem'd wise Men.
In this of Life however I remained some time，uncertain what Measures to take，and what Course of Life to lead. An irresistible Reluctance continu'd to going Home；and as I stay'd a while，the Remembrance of the Distress I had been in wore off；and as that abated，the little Motion I had in my Desires to a Return wore off with it，till at last I quite lay'd aside the Thoughts of it，and lookt out for a Voyage.
That evil Influence which carryed me first away from my Father's House，that hurried me into the wild and indigested Notion of raising my Fortune；and that imprest those Conceits so forcibly upon me，as to make me deaf to all good Advice，and to the Entreaties and even Command of my Father：I say the same Influence，whatever it was，presented the most unfortunate of all Enterprises to my View；and I went on board a Vessel bound to the Coast of Africa；or，as our Sailors vulgarly call it，a Voyage to Guinea.
It was my great Misfortune that in all these Adventures I did not ship my self as a Sailor；whereby，tho' I might indeed have work'd a little harder than ordinary，yet at the same time I had learn'd the Duty and Office of a Fore-mast Man；and in might have qualified my self for a Mate or Lieutenant，ifs a Master：But as it was always my Fate to choose for the worse，so I did here；for having Money in my Pocket，and good Cloaths upon my Back，I would always go on board in the Habit of a Gentleman；and so I neither had any Business Ship，or learn'd to do any.