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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/561-h.zip b/561-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..48cab9d --- /dev/null +++ b/561-h.zip diff --git a/561-h/561-h.htm b/561-h/561-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..caaeb04 --- /dev/null +++ b/561-h/561-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,9375 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" /> +<title>The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + P { margin-top: .75em; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + H1, H2 { + text-align: center; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + } + H3, H4 { + text-align: left; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; + } + BODY{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + TD { vertical-align: top; } + .blkquot {margin-left: 4em; margin-right: 4em;} /* block indent */ + + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .pagenum {position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + color: gray;} + + .citation {vertical-align: super; + font-size: .8em; + text-decoration: none;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<h2> +<a href="#startoftext">The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe</a> +</h2> +<pre> +The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, by +Daniel Defoe + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe + + +Author: Daniel Defoe + + + +Release Date: January 18, 2007 [eBook #561] +Last updated: February 25, 2012 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FURTHER ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE*** +</pre> +<p><a name="startoftext"></a></p> +<p>Transcribed from the 1919 Seeley, Sevice & Co edition by +David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org</p> +<h1>THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE</h1> +<h2>CHAPTER I—REVISITS ISLAND</h2> +<p>That homely proverb, used on so many occasions in England, +viz. “That what is bred in the bone will not go out of the +flesh,” was never more verified than in the story of my +Life. Any one would think that after thirty-five +years’ affliction, and a variety of unhappy circumstances, +which few men, if any, ever went through before, and after near +seven years of peace and enjoyment in the fulness of all things; +grown old, and when, if ever, it might be allowed me to have had +experience of every state of middle life, and to know which was +most adapted to make a man completely happy; I say, after all +this, any one would have thought that the native propensity to +rambling which I gave an account of in my first setting out in +the world to have been so predominant in my thoughts, should be +worn out, and I might, at sixty one years of age, have been a +little inclined to stay at home, and have done venturing life and +fortune any more.</p> +<p>Nay, farther, the common motive of foreign adventures was +taken away in me, for I had no fortune to make; I had nothing to +seek: if I had gained ten thousand pounds I had been no richer; +for I had already sufficient for me, and for those I had to leave +it to; and what I had was visibly increasing; for, having no +great family, I could not spend the income of what I had unless I +would set up for an expensive way of living, such as a great +family, servants, equipage, gaiety, and the like, which were +things I had no notion of, or inclination to; so that I had +nothing, indeed, to do but to sit still, and fully enjoy what I +had got, and see it increase daily upon my hands. Yet all +these things had no effect upon me, or at least not enough to +resist the strong inclination I had to go abroad again, which +hung about me like a chronic distemper. In particular, the +desire of seeing my new plantation in the island, and the colony +I left there, ran in my head continually. I dreamed of it +all night, and my imagination ran upon it all day: it was +uppermost in all my thoughts, and my fancy worked so steadily and +strongly upon it that I talked of it in my sleep; in short, +nothing could remove it out of my mind: it even broke so +violently into all my discourses that it made my conversation +tiresome, for I could talk of nothing else; all my discourse ran +into it, even to impertinence; and I saw it myself.</p> +<p>I have often heard persons of good judgment say that all the +stir that people make in the world about ghosts and apparitions +is owing to the strength of imagination, and the powerful +operation of fancy in their minds; that there is no such thing as +a spirit appearing, or a ghost walking; that people’s +poring affectionately upon the past conversation of their +deceased friends so realises it to them that they are capable of +fancying, upon some extraordinary circumstances, that they see +them, talk to them, and are answered by them, when, in truth, +there is nothing but shadow and vapour in the thing, and they +really know nothing of the matter.</p> +<p>For my part, I know not to this hour whether there are any +such things as real apparitions, spectres, or walking of people +after they are dead; or whether there is anything in the stories +they tell us of that kind more than the product of vapours, sick +minds, and wandering fancies: but this I know, that my +imagination worked up to such a height, and brought me into such +excess of vapours, or what else I may call it, that I actually +supposed myself often upon the spot, at my old castle, behind the +trees; saw my old Spaniard, Friday’s father, and the +reprobate sailors I left upon the island; nay, I fancied I talked +with them, and looked at them steadily, though I was broad awake, +as at persons just before me; and this I did till I often +frightened myself with the images my fancy represented to +me. One time, in my sleep, I had the villainy of the three +pirate sailors so lively related to me by the first Spaniard, and +Friday’s father, that it was surprising: they told me how +they barbarously attempted to murder all the Spaniards, and that +they set fire to the provisions they had laid up, on purpose to +distress and starve them; things that I had never heard of, and +that, indeed, were never all of them true in fact: but it was so +warm in my imagination, and so realised to me, that, to the hour +I saw them, I could not be persuaded but that it was or would be +true; also how I resented it, when the Spaniard complained to me; +and how I brought them to justice, tried them, and ordered them +all three to be hanged. What there was really in this shall +be seen in its place; for however I came to form such things in +my dream, and what secret converse of spirits injected it, yet +there was, I say, much of it true. I own that this dream +had nothing in it literally and specifically true; but the +general part was so true—the base; villainous behaviour of +these three hardened rogues was such, and had been so much worse +than all I can describe, that the dream had too much similitude +of the fact; and as I would afterwards have punished them +severely, so, if I had hanged them all, I had been much in the +right, and even should have been justified both by the laws of +God and man.</p> +<p>But to return to my story. In this kind of temper I +lived some years; I had no enjoyment of my life, no pleasant +hours, no agreeable diversion but what had something or other of +this in it; so that my wife, who saw my mind wholly bent upon it, +told me very seriously one night that she believed there was some +secret, powerful impulse of Providence upon me, which had +determined me to go thither again; and that she found nothing +hindered me going but my being engaged to a wife and +children. She told me that it was true she could not think +of parting with me: but as she was assured that if she was dead +it would be the first thing I would do, so, as it seemed to her +that the thing was determined above, she would not be the only +obstruction; for, if I thought fit and resolved to go—[Here +she found me very intent upon her words, and that I looked very +earnestly at her, so that it a little disordered her, and she +stopped. I asked her why she did not go on, and say out +what she was going to say? But I perceived that her heart +was too full, and some tears stood in her eyes.] +“Speak out, my dear,” said I; “are you willing +I should go?”—“No,” says she, very +affectionately, “I am far from willing; but if you are +resolved to go,” says she, “rather than I would be +the only hindrance, I will go with you: for though I think it a +most preposterous thing for one of your years, and in your +condition, yet, if it must be,” said she, again weeping, +“I would not leave you; for if it be of Heaven you must do +it, there is no resisting it; and if Heaven make it your duty to +go, He will also make it mine to go with you, or otherwise +dispose of me, that I may not obstruct it.”</p> +<p>This affectionate behaviour of my wife’s brought me a +little out of the vapours, and I began to consider what I was +doing; I corrected my wandering fancy, and began to argue with +myself sedately what business I had after threescore years, and +after such a life of tedious sufferings and disasters, and closed +in so happy and easy a manner; I, say, what business had I to +rush into new hazards, and put myself upon adventures fit only +for youth and poverty to run into?</p> +<p>With those thoughts I considered my new engagement; that I had +a wife, one child born, and my wife then great with child of +another; that I had all the world could give me, and had no need +to seek hazard for gain; that I was declining in years, and ought +to think rather of leaving what I had gained than of seeking to +increase it; that as to what my wife had said of its being an +impulse from Heaven, and that it should be my duty to go, I had +no notion of that; so, after many of these cogitations, I +struggled with the power of my imagination, reasoned myself out +of it, as I believe people may always do in like cases if they +will: in a word, I conquered it, composed myself with such +arguments as occurred to my thoughts, and which my present +condition furnished me plentifully with; and particularly, as the +most effectual method, I resolved to divert myself with other +things, and to engage in some business that might effectually tie +me up from any more excursions of this kind; for I found that +thing return upon me chiefly when I was idle, and had nothing to +do, nor anything of moment immediately before me. To this +purpose, I bought a little farm in the county of Bedford, and +resolved to remove myself thither. I had a little +convenient house upon it, and the land about it, I found, was +capable of great improvement; and it was many ways suited to my +inclination, which delighted in cultivating, managing, planting, +and improving of land; and particularly, being an inland country, +I was removed from conversing among sailors and things relating +to the remote parts of the world. I went down to my farm, +settled my family, bought ploughs, harrows, a cart, +waggon-horses, cows, and sheep, and, setting seriously to work, +became in one half-year a mere country gentleman. My +thoughts were entirely taken up in managing my servants, +cultivating the ground, enclosing, planting, &c.; and I +lived, as I thought, the most agreeable life that nature was +capable of directing, or that a man always bred to misfortunes +was capable of retreating to.</p> +<p>I farmed upon my own land; I had no rent to pay, was limited +by no articles; I could pull up or cut down as I pleased; what I +planted was for myself, and what I improved was for my family; +and having thus left off the thoughts of wandering, I had not the +least discomfort in any part of life as to this world. Now +I thought, indeed, that I enjoyed the middle state of life which +my father so earnestly recommended to me, and lived a kind of +heavenly life, something like what is described by the poet, upon +the subject of a country life:—</p> +<blockquote><p>“Free from vices, free from care,<br /> +Age has no pain, and youth no snare.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>But in the middle of all this felicity, one blow from unseen +Providence unhinged me at once; and not only made a breach upon +me inevitable and incurable, but drove me, by its consequences, +into a deep relapse of the wandering disposition, which, as I may +say, being born in my very blood, soon recovered its hold of me; +and, like the returns of a violent distemper, came on with an +irresistible force upon me. This blow was the loss of my +wife. It is not my business here to write an elegy upon my +wife, give a character of her particular virtues, and make my +court to the sex by the flattery of a funeral sermon. She +was, in a few words, the stay of all my affairs; the centre of +all my enterprises; the engine that, by her prudence, reduced me +to that happy compass I was in, from the most extravagant and +ruinous project that filled my head, and did more to guide my +rambling genius than a mother’s tears, a father’s +instructions, a friend’s counsel, or all my own reasoning +powers could do. I was happy in listening to her, and in +being moved by her entreaties; and to the last degree desolate +and dislocated in the world by the loss of her.</p> +<p>When she was gone, the world looked awkwardly round me. +I was as much a stranger in it, in my thoughts, as I was in the +Brazils, when I first went on shore there; and as much alone, +except for the assistance of servants, as I was in my +island. I knew neither what to think nor what to do. +I saw the world busy around me: one part labouring for bread, +another part squandering in vile excesses or empty pleasures, but +equally miserable because the end they proposed still fled from +them; for the men of pleasure every day surfeited of their vice, +and heaped up work for sorrow and repentance; and the men of +labour spent their strength in daily struggling for bread to +maintain the vital strength they laboured with: so living in a +daily circulation of sorrow, living but to work, and working but +to live, as if daily bread were the only end of wearisome life, +and a wearisome life the only occasion of daily bread.</p> +<p>This put me in mind of the life I lived in my kingdom, the +island; where I suffered no more corn to grow, because I did not +want it; and bred no more goats, because I had no more use for +them; where the money lay in the drawer till it grew mouldy, and +had scarce the favour to be looked upon in twenty years. +All these things, had I improved them as I ought to have done, +and as reason and religion had dictated to me, would have taught +me to search farther than human enjoyments for a full felicity; +and that there was something which certainly was the reason and +end of life superior to all these things, and which was either to +be possessed, or at least hoped for, on this side of the +grave.</p> +<p>But my sage counsellor was gone; I was like a ship without a +pilot, that could only run afore the wind. My thoughts ran +all away again into the old affair; my head was quite turned with +the whimsies of foreign adventures; and all the pleasant, +innocent amusements of my farm, my garden, my cattle, and my +family, which before entirely possessed me, were nothing to me, +had no relish, and were like music to one that has no ear, or +food to one that has no taste. In a word, I resolved to +leave off housekeeping, let my farm, and return to London; and in +a few months after I did so.</p> +<p>When I came to London, I was still as uneasy as I was before; +I had no relish for the place, no employment in it, nothing to do +but to saunter about like an idle person, of whom it may be said +he is perfectly useless in God’s creation, and it is not +one farthing’s matter to the rest of his kind whether he be +dead or alive. This also was the thing which, of all +circumstances of life, was the most my aversion, who had been all +my days used to an active life; and I would often say to myself, +“A state of idleness is the very dregs of life;” and, +indeed, I thought I was much more suitably employed when I was +twenty-six days making a deal board.</p> +<p>It was now the beginning of the year 1693, when my nephew, +whom, as I have observed before, I had brought up to the sea, and +had made him commander of a ship, was come home from a short +voyage to Bilbao, being the first he had made. He came to +me, and told me that some merchants of his acquaintance had been +proposing to him to go a voyage for them to the East Indies, and +to China, as private traders. “And now, uncle,” +says he, “if you will go to sea with me, I will engage to +land you upon your old habitation in the island; for we are to +touch at the Brazils.”</p> +<p>Nothing can be a greater demonstration of a future state, and +of the existence of an invisible world, than the concurrence of +second causes with the idea of things which we form in our minds, +perfectly reserved, and not communicated to any in the world.</p> +<p>My nephew knew nothing how far my distemper of wandering was +returned upon me, and I knew nothing of what he had in his +thought to say, when that very morning, before he came to me, I +had, in a great deal of confusion of thought, and revolving every +part of my circumstances in my mind, come to this resolution, +that I would go to Lisbon, and consult with my old sea-captain; +and if it was rational and practicable, I would go and see the +island again, and what was become of my people there. I had +pleased myself with the thoughts of peopling the place, and +carrying inhabitants from hence, getting a patent for the +possession and I know not what; when, in the middle of all this, +in comes my nephew, as I have said, with his project of carrying +me thither in his way to the East Indies.</p> +<p>I paused a while at his words, and looking steadily at him, +“What devil,” said I, “sent you on this unlucky +errand?” My nephew stared as if he had been +frightened at first; but perceiving that I was not much +displeased at the proposal, he recovered himself. “I +hope it may not be an unlucky proposal, sir,” says +he. “I daresay you would be pleased to see your new +colony there, where you once reigned with more felicity than most +of your brother monarchs in the world.” In a word, +the scheme hit so exactly with my temper, that is to say, the +prepossession I was under, and of which I have said so much, that +I told him, in a few words, if he agreed with the merchants, I +would go with him; but I told him I would not promise to go any +further than my own island. “Why, sir,” says +he, “you don’t want to be left there again, I +hope?” “But,” said I, “can you not +take me up again on your return?” He told me it would +not be possible to do so; that the merchants would never allow +him to come that way with a laden ship of such value, it being a +month’s sail out of his way, and might be three or +four. “Besides, sir, if I should miscarry,” +said he, “and not return at all, then you would be just +reduced to the condition you were in before.”</p> +<p>This was very rational; but we both found out a remedy for it, +which was to carry a framed sloop on board the ship, which, being +taken in pieces, might, by the help of some carpenters, whom we +agreed to carry with us, be set up again in the island, and +finished fit to go to sea in a few days. I was not long +resolving, for indeed the importunities of my nephew joined so +effectually with my inclination that nothing could oppose me; on +the other hand, my wife being dead, none concerned themselves so +much for me as to persuade me one way or the other, except my +ancient good friend the widow, who earnestly struggled with me to +consider my years, my easy circumstances, and the needless +hazards of a long voyage; and above all, my young children. +But it was all to no purpose, I had an irresistible desire for +the voyage; and I told her I thought there was something so +uncommon in the impressions I had upon my mind, that it would be +a kind of resisting Providence if I should attempt to stay at +home; after which she ceased her expostulations, and joined with +me, not only in making provision for my voyage, but also in +settling my family affairs for my absence, and providing for the +education of my children. In order to do this, I made my +will, and settled the estate I had in such a manner for my +children, and placed in such hands, that I was perfectly easy and +satisfied they would have justice done them, whatever might +befall me; and for their education, I left it wholly to the +widow, with a sufficient maintenance to herself for her care: all +which she richly deserved; for no mother could have taken more +care in their education, or understood it better; and as she +lived till I came home, I also lived to thank her for it.</p> +<p>My nephew was ready to sail about the beginning of January +1694-5; and I, with my man Friday, went on board, in the Downs, +the 8th; having, besides that sloop which I mentioned above, a +very considerable cargo of all kinds of necessary things for my +colony, which, if I did not find in good condition, I resolved to +leave so.</p> +<p>First, I carried with me some servants whom I purposed to +place there as inhabitants, or at least to set on work there upon +my account while I stayed, and either to leave them there or +carry them forward, as they should appear willing; particularly, +I carried two carpenters, a smith, and a very handy, ingenious +fellow, who was a cooper by trade, and was also a general +mechanic; for he was dexterous at making wheels and hand-mills to +grind corn, was a good turner and a good pot-maker; he also made +anything that was proper to make of earth or of wood: in a word, +we called him our Jack-of-all-trades. With these I carried +a tailor, who had offered himself to go a passenger to the East +Indies with my nephew, but afterwards consented to stay on our +new plantation, and who proved a most necessary handy fellow as +could be desired in many other businesses besides that of his +trade; for, as I observed formerly, necessity arms us for all +employments.</p> +<p>My cargo, as near as I can recollect, for I have not kept +account of the particulars, consisted of a sufficient quantity of +linen, and some English thin stuffs, for clothing the Spaniards +that I expected to find there; and enough of them, as by my +calculation might comfortably supply them for seven years; if I +remember right, the materials I carried for clothing them, with +gloves, hats, shoes, stockings, and all such things as they could +want for wearing, amounted to about two hundred pounds, including +some beds, bedding, and household stuff, particularly kitchen +utensils, with pots, kettles, pewter, brass, &c.; and near a +hundred pounds more in ironwork, nails, tools of every kind, +staples, hooks, hinges, and every necessary thing I could think +of.</p> +<p>I carried also a hundred spare arms, muskets, and fusees; +besides some pistols, a considerable quantity of shot of all +sizes, three or four tons of lead, and two pieces of brass +cannon; and, because I knew not what time and what extremities I +was providing for, I carried a hundred barrels of powder, besides +swords, cutlasses, and the iron part of some pikes and +halberds. In short, we had a large magazine of all sorts of +store; and I made my nephew carry two small quarter-deck guns +more than he wanted for his ship, to leave behind if there was +occasion; so that when we came there we might build a fort and +man it against all sorts of enemies. Indeed, I at first +thought there would be need enough for all, and much more, if we +hoped to maintain our possession of the island, as shall be seen +in the course of that story.</p> +<p>I had not such bad luck in this voyage as I had been used to +meet with, and therefore shall have the less occasion to +interrupt the reader, who perhaps may be impatient to hear how +matters went with my colony; yet some odd accidents, cross winds +and bad weather happened on this first setting out, which made +the voyage longer than I expected it at first; and I, who had +never made but one voyage, my first voyage to Guinea, in which I +might be said to come back again, as the voyage was at first +designed, began to think the same ill fate attended me, and that +I was born to be never contented with being on shore, and yet to +be always unfortunate at sea. Contrary winds first put us +to the northward, and we were obliged to put in at Galway, in +Ireland, where we lay wind-bound two-and-twenty days; but we had +this satisfaction with the disaster, that provisions were here +exceeding cheap, and in the utmost plenty; so that while we lay +here we never touched the ship’s stores, but rather added +to them. Here, also, I took in several live hogs, and two +cows with their calves, which I resolved, if I had a good +passage, to put on shore in my island; but we found occasion to +dispose otherwise of them.</p> +<p>We set out on the 5th of February from Ireland, and had a very +fair gale of wind for some days. As I remember, it might be +about the 20th of February in the evening late, when the mate, +having the watch, came into the round-house and told us he saw a +flash of fire, and heard a gun fired; and while he was telling us +of it, a boy came in and told us the boatswain heard +another. This made us all run out upon the quarter-deck, +where for a while we heard nothing; but in a few minutes we saw a +very great light, and found that there was some very terrible +fire at a distance; immediately we had recourse to our +reckonings, in which we all agreed that there could be no land +that way in which the fire showed itself, no, not for five +hundred leagues, for it appeared at WNW. Upon this, we +concluded it must be some ship on fire at sea; and as, by our +hearing the noise of guns just before, we concluded that it could +not be far off, we stood directly towards it, and were presently +satisfied we should discover it, because the further we sailed, +the greater the light appeared; though, the weather being hazy, +we could not perceive anything but the light for a while. +In about half-an-hour’s sailing, the wind being fair for +us, though not much of it, and the weather clearing up a little, +we could plainly discern that it was a great ship on fire in the +middle of the sea.</p> +<p>I was most sensibly touched with this disaster, though not at +all acquainted with the persons engaged in it; I presently +recollected my former circumstances, and what condition I was in +when taken up by the Portuguese captain; and how much more +deplorable the circumstances of the poor creatures belonging to +that ship must be, if they had no other ship in company with +them. Upon this I immediately ordered that five guns should +be fired, one soon after another, that, if possible, we might +give notice to them that there was help for them at hand and that +they might endeavour to save themselves in their boat; for though +we could see the flames of the ship, yet they, it being night, +could see nothing of us.</p> +<p>We lay by some time upon this, only driving as the burning +ship drove, waiting for daylight; when, on a sudden, to our great +terror, though we had reason to expect it, the ship blew up in +the air; and in a few minutes all the fire was out, that is to +say, the rest of the ship sunk. This was a terrible, and +indeed an afflicting sight, for the sake of the poor men, who, I +concluded, must be either all destroyed in the ship, or be in the +utmost distress in their boat, in the middle of the ocean; which, +at present, as it was dark, I could not see. However, to +direct them as well as I could, I caused lights to be hung out in +all parts of the ship where we could, and which we had lanterns +for, and kept firing guns all the night long, letting them know +by this that there was a ship not far off.</p> +<p>About eight o’clock in the morning we discovered the +ship’s boats by the help of our perspective glasses, and +found there were two of them, both thronged with people, and deep +in the water. We perceived they rowed, the wind being +against them; that they saw our ship, and did their utmost to +make us see them. We immediately spread our ancient, to let +them know we saw them, and hung a waft out, as a signal for them +to come on board, and then made more sail, standing directly to +them. In little more than half-an-hour we came up with +them; and took them all in, being no less than sixty-four men, +women, and children; for there were a great many passengers.</p> +<p>Upon inquiry we found it was a French merchant ship of +three-hundred tons, home-bound from Quebec. The master gave +us a long account of the distress of his ship; how the fire began +in the steerage by the negligence of the steersman, which, on his +crying out for help, was, as everybody thought, entirely put out; +but they soon found that some sparks of the first fire had got +into some part of the ship so difficult to come at that they +could not effectually quench it; and afterwards getting in +between the timbers, and within the ceiling of the ship, it +proceeded into the hold, and mastered all the skill and all the +application they were able to exert.</p> +<p>They had no more to do then but to get into their boats, +which, to their great comfort, were pretty large; being their +long-boat, and a great shallop, besides a small skiff, which was +of no great service to them, other than to get some fresh water +and provisions into her, after they had secured their lives from +the fire. They had, indeed, small hopes of their lives by +getting into these boats at that distance from any land; only, as +they said, that they thus escaped from the fire, and there was a +possibility that some ship might happen to be at sea, and might +take them in. They had sails, oars, and a compass; and had +as much provision and water as, with sparing it so as to be next +door to starving, might support them about twelve days, in which, +if they had no bad weather and no contrary winds, the captain +said he hoped he might get to the banks of Newfoundland, and +might perhaps take some fish, to sustain them till they might go +on shore. But there were so many chances against them in +all these cases, such as storms, to overset and founder them; +rains and cold, to benumb and perish their limbs; contrary winds, +to keep them out and starve them; that it must have been next to +miraculous if they had escaped.</p> +<p>In the midst of their consternation, every one being hopeless +and ready to despair, the captain, with tears in his eyes, told +me they were on a sudden surprised with the joy of hearing a gun +fire, and after that four more: these were the five guns which I +caused to be fired at first seeing the light. This revived +their hearts, and gave them the notice, which, as above, I +desired it should, that there was a ship at hand for their +help. It was upon the hearing of these guns that they took +down their masts and sails: the sound coming from the windward, +they resolved to lie by till morning. Some time after this, +hearing no more guns, they fired three muskets, one a +considerable while after another; but these, the wind being +contrary, we never heard. Some time after that again they +were still more agreeably surprised with seeing our lights, and +hearing the guns, which, as I have said, I caused to be fired all +the rest of the night. This set them to work with their +oars, to keep their boats ahead, at least that we might the +sooner come up with them; and at last, to their inexpressible +joy, they found we saw them.</p> +<p>It is impossible for me to express the several gestures, the +strange ecstasies, the variety of postures which these poor +delivered people ran into, to express the joy of their souls at +so unexpected a deliverance. Grief and fear are easily +described: sighs, tears, groans, and a very few motions of the +head and hands, make up the sum of its variety; but an excess of +joy, a surprise of joy, has a thousand extravagances in it. +There were some in tears; some raging and tearing themselves, as +if they had been in the greatest agonies of sorrow; some stark +raving and downright lunatic; some ran about the ship stamping +with their feet, others wringing their hands; some were dancing, +some singing, some laughing, more crying, many quite dumb, not +able to speak a word; others sick and vomiting; several swooning +and ready to faint; and a few were crossing themselves and giving +God thanks.</p> +<p>I would not wrong them either; there might be many that were +thankful afterwards; but the passion was too strong for them at +first, and they were not able to master it: then were thrown into +ecstasies, and a kind of frenzy, and it was but a very few that +were composed and serious in their joy. Perhaps also, the +case may have some addition to it from the particular +circumstance of that nation they belonged to: I mean the French, +whose temper is allowed to be more volatile, more passionate, and +more sprightly, and their spirits more fluid than in other +nations. I am not philosopher enough to determine the +cause; but nothing I had ever seen before came up to it. +The ecstasies poor Friday, my trusty savage, was in when he found +his father in the boat came the nearest to it; and the surprise +of the master and his two companions, whom I delivered from the +villains that set them on shore in the island, came a little way +towards it; but nothing was to compare to this, either that I saw +in Friday, or anywhere else in my life.</p> +<p>It is further observable, that these extravagances did not +show themselves in that different manner I have mentioned, in +different persons only; but all the variety would appear, in a +short succession of moments, in one and the same person. A +man that we saw this minute dumb, and, as it were, stupid and +confounded, would the next minute be dancing and hallooing like +an antic; and the next moment be tearing his hair, or pulling his +clothes to pieces, and stamping them under his feet like a +madman; in a few moments after that we would have him all in +tears, then sick, swooning, and, had not immediate help been had, +he would in a few moments have been dead. Thus it was, not +with one or two, or ten or twenty, but with the greatest part of +them; and, if I remember right, our surgeon was obliged to let +blood of about thirty persons.</p> +<p>There were two priests among them: one an old man, and the +other a young man; and that which was strangest was, the oldest +man was the worst. As soon as he set his foot on board our +ship, and saw himself safe, he dropped down stone dead to all +appearance. Not the least sign of life could be perceived +in him; our surgeon immediately applied proper remedies to +recover him, and was the only man in the ship that believed he +was not dead. At length he opened a vein in his arm, having +first chafed and rubbed the part, so as to warm it as much as +possible. Upon this the blood, which only dropped at first, +flowing freely, in three minutes after the man opened his eyes; a +quarter of an hour after that he spoke, grew better, and after +the blood was stopped, he walked about, told us he was perfectly +well, and took a dram of cordial which the surgeon gave +him. About a quarter of an hour after this they came +running into the cabin to the surgeon, who was bleeding a +Frenchwoman that had fainted, and told him the priest was gone +stark mad. It seems he had begun to revolve the change of +his circumstances in his mind, and again this put him into an +ecstasy of joy. His spirits whirled about faster than the +vessels could convey them, the blood grew hot and feverish, and +the man was as fit for Bedlam as any creature that ever was in +it. The surgeon would not bleed him again in that +condition, but gave him something to doze and put him to sleep; +which, after some time, operated upon him, and he awoke next +morning perfectly composed and well. The younger priest +behaved with great command of his passions, and was really an +example of a serious, well-governed mind. At his first +coming on board the ship he threw himself flat on his face, +prostrating himself in thankfulness for his deliverance, in which +I unhappily and unseasonably disturbed him, really thinking he +had been in a swoon; but he spoke calmly, thanked me, told me he +was giving God thanks for his deliverance, begged me to leave him +a few moments, and that, next to his Maker, he would give me +thanks also. I was heartily sorry that I disturbed him, and +not only left him, but kept others from interrupting him +also. He continued in that posture about three minutes, or +little more, after I left him, then came to me, as he had said he +would, and with a great deal of seriousness and affection, but +with tears in his eyes, thanked me, that had, under God, given +him and so many miserable creatures their lives. I told him +I had no need to tell him to thank God for it, rather than me, +for I had seen that he had done that already; but I added that it +was nothing but what reason and humanity dictated to all men, and +that we had as much reason as he to give thanks to God, who had +blessed us so far as to make us the instruments of His mercy to +so many of His creatures. After this the young priest +applied himself to his countrymen, and laboured to compose them: +he persuaded, entreated, argued, reasoned with them, and did his +utmost to keep them within the exercise of their reason; and with +some he had success, though others were for a time out of all +government of themselves.</p> +<p>I cannot help committing this to writing, as perhaps it may be +useful to those into whose hands it may fall, for guiding +themselves in the extravagances of their passions; for if an +excess of joy can carry men out to such a length beyond the reach +of their reason, what will not the extravagances of anger, rage, +and a provoked mind carry us to? And, indeed, here I saw +reason for keeping an exceeding watch over our passions of every +kind, as well those of joy and satisfaction as those of sorrow +and anger.</p> +<p>We were somewhat disordered by these extravagances among our +new guests for the first day; but after they had retired to +lodgings provided for them as well as our ship would allow, and +had slept heartily—as most of them did, being fatigued and +frightened—they were quite another sort of people the next +day. Nothing of good manners, or civil acknowledgments for +the kindness shown them, was wanting; the French, it is known, +are naturally apt enough to exceed that way. The captain +and one of the priests came to me the next day, and desired to +speak with me and my nephew; the commander began to consult with +us what should be done with them; and first, they told us we had +saved their lives, so all they had was little enough for a return +to us for that kindness received. The captain said they had +saved some money and some things of value in their boats, caught +hastily out of the flames, and if we would accept it they were +ordered to make an offer of it all to us; they only desired to be +set on shore somewhere in our way, where, if possible, they might +get a passage to France. My nephew wished to accept their +money at first word, and to consider what to do with them +afterwards; but I overruled him in that part, for I knew what it +was to be set on shore in a strange country; and if the +Portuguese captain that took me up at sea had served me so, and +taken all I had for my deliverance, I must have been starved, or +have been as much a slave at the Brazils as I had been at +Barbary, the mere being sold to a Mahometan excepted; and perhaps +a Portuguese is not a much better master than a Turk, if not in +some cases much worse.</p> +<p>I therefore told the French captain that we had taken them up +in their distress, it was true, but that it was our duty to do +so, as we were fellow-creatures; and we would desire to be so +delivered if we were in the like or any other extremity; that we +had done nothing for them but what we believed they would have +done for us if we had been in their case and they in ours; but +that we took them up to save them, not to plunder them; and it +would be a most barbarous thing to take that little from them +which they had saved out of the fire, and then set them on shore +and leave them; that this would be first to save them from death, +and then kill them ourselves: save them from drowning, and +abandon them to starving; and therefore I would not let the least +thing be taken from them. As to setting them on shore, I +told them indeed that was an exceeding difficulty to us, for that +the ship was bound to the East Indies; and though we were driven +out of our course to the westward a very great way, and perhaps +were directed by Heaven on purpose for their deliverance, yet it +was impossible for us wilfully to change our voyage on their +particular account; nor could my nephew, the captain, answer it +to the freighters, with whom he was under charter to pursue his +voyage by way of Brazil; and all I knew we could do for them was +to put ourselves in the way of meeting with other ships homeward +bound from the West Indies, and get them a passage, if possible, +to England or France.</p> +<p>The first part of the proposal was so generous and kind they +could not but be very thankful for it; but they were in very +great consternation, especially the passengers, at the notion of +being carried away to the East Indies; they then entreated me +that as I was driven so far to the westward before I met with +them, I would at least keep on the same course to the banks of +Newfoundland, where it was probable I might meet with some ship +or sloop that they might hire to carry them back to Canada.</p> +<p>I thought this was but a reasonable request on their part, and +therefore I inclined to agree to it; for indeed I considered that +to carry this whole company to the East Indies would not only be +an intolerable severity upon the poor people, but would be +ruining our whole voyage by devouring all our provisions; so I +thought it no breach of charter-party, but what an unforeseen +accident made absolutely necessary to us, and in which no one +could say we were to blame; for the laws of God and nature would +have forbid that we should refuse to take up two boats full of +people in such a distressed condition; and the nature of the +thing, as well respecting ourselves as the poor people, obliged +us to set them on shore somewhere or other for their +deliverance. So I consented that we would carry them to +Newfoundland, if wind and weather would permit: and if not, I +would carry them to Martinico, in the West Indies.</p> +<p>The wind continued fresh easterly, but the weather pretty +good; and as the winds had continued in the points between NE. +and SE. a long time, we missed several opportunities of sending +them to France; for we met several ships bound to Europe, whereof +two were French, from St. Christopher’s, but they had been +so long beating up against the wind that they durst take in no +passengers, for fear of wanting provisions for the voyage, as +well for themselves as for those they should take in; so we were +obliged to go on. It was about a week after this that we +made the banks of Newfoundland; where, to shorten my story, we +put all our French people on board a bark, which they hired at +sea there, to put them on shore, and afterwards to carry them to +France, if they could get provisions to victual themselves +with. When I say all the French went on shore, I should +remember that the young priest I spoke of, hearing we were bound +to the East Indies, desired to go the voyage with us, and to be +set on shore on the coast of Coromandel; which I readily agreed +to, for I wonderfully liked the man, and had very good reason, as +will appear afterwards; also four of the seamen entered +themselves on our ship, and proved very useful fellows.</p> +<p>From hence we directed our course for the West Indies, +steering away S. and S. by E. for about twenty days together, +sometimes little or no wind at all; when we met with another +subject for our humanity to work upon, almost as deplorable as +that before.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER II—INTERVENING HISTORY OF COLONY</h2> +<p>It was in the latitude of 27 degrees 5 minutes N., on the 19th +day of March 1694-95, when we spied a sail, our course SE. and by +S. We soon perceived it was a large vessel, and that she +bore up to us, but could not at first know what to make of her, +till, after coming a little nearer, we found she had lost her +main-topmast, fore-mast, and bowsprit; and presently she fired a +gun as a signal of distress. The weather was pretty good, +wind at NNW. a fresh gale, and we soon came to speak with +her. We found her a ship of Bristol, bound home from +Barbadoes, but had been blown out of the road at Barbadoes a few +days before she was ready to sail, by a terrible hurricane, while +the captain and chief mate were both gone on shore; so that, +besides the terror of the storm, they were in an indifferent case +for good mariners to bring the ship home. They had been +already nine weeks at sea, and had met with another terrible +storm, after the hurricane was over, which had blown them quite +out of their knowledge to the westward, and in which they lost +their masts. They told us they expected to have seen the +Bahama Islands, but were then driven away again to the +south-east, by a strong gale of wind at NNW., the same that blew +now: and having no sails to work the ship with but a main course, +and a kind of square sail upon a jury fore-mast, which they had +set up, they could not lie near the wind, but were endeavouring +to stand away for the Canaries.</p> +<p>But that which was worst of all was, that they were almost +starved for want of provisions, besides the fatigues they had +undergone; their bread and flesh were quite gone—they had +not one ounce left in the ship, and had had none for eleven +days. The only relief they had was, their water was not all +spent, and they had about half a barrel of flour left; they had +sugar enough; some succades, or sweetmeats, they had at first, +but these were all devoured; and they had seven casks of +rum. There was a youth and his mother and a maid-servant on +board, who were passengers, and thinking the ship was ready to +sail, unhappily came on board the evening before the hurricane +began; and having no provisions of their own left, they were in a +more deplorable condition than the rest: for the seamen being +reduced to such an extreme necessity themselves, had no +compassion, we may be sure, for the poor passengers; and they +were, indeed, in such a condition that their misery is very hard +to describe.</p> +<p>I had perhaps not known this part, if my curiosity had not led +me, the weather being fair and the wind abated, to go on board +the ship. The second mate, who upon this occasion commanded +the ship, had been on board our ship, and he told me they had +three passengers in the great cabin that were in a deplorable +condition. “Nay,” says he, “I believe +they are dead, for I have heard nothing of them for above two +days; and I was afraid to inquire after them,” said he, +“for I had nothing to relieve them with.” We +immediately applied ourselves to give them what relief we could +spare; and indeed I had so far overruled things with my nephew, +that I would have victualled them though we had gone away to +Virginia, or any other part of the coast of America, to have +supplied ourselves; but there was no necessity for that.</p> +<p>But now they were in a new danger; for they were afraid of +eating too much, even of that little we gave them. The +mate, or commander, brought six men with him in his boat; but +these poor wretches looked like skeletons, and were so weak that +they could hardly sit to their oars. The mate himself was +very ill, and half starved; for he declared he had reserved +nothing from the men, and went share and share alike with them in +every bit they ate. I cautioned him to eat sparingly, and +set meat before him immediately, but he had not eaten three +mouthfuls before he began to be sick and out of order; so he +stopped a while, and our surgeon mixed him up something with some +broth, which he said would be to him both food and physic; and +after he had taken it he grew better. In the meantime I +forgot not the men. I ordered victuals to be given them, +and the poor creatures rather devoured than ate it: they were so +exceedingly hungry that they were in a manner ravenous, and had +no command of themselves; and two of them ate with so much +greediness that they were in danger of their lives the next +morning. The sight of these people’s distress was +very moving to me, and brought to mind what I had a terrible +prospect of at my first coming on shore in my island, where I had +not the least mouthful of food, or any prospect of procuring any; +besides the hourly apprehensions I had of being made the food of +other creatures. But all the while the mate was thus +relating to me the miserable condition of the ship’s +company, I could not put out of my thought the story he had told +me of the three poor creatures in the great cabin, viz. the +mother, her son, and the maid-servant, whom he had heard nothing +of for two or three days, and whom, he seemed to confess, they +had wholly neglected, their own extremities being so great; by +which I understood that they had really given them no food at +all, and that therefore they must be perished, and be all lying +dead, perhaps, on the floor or deck of the cabin.</p> +<p>As I therefore kept the mate, whom we then called captain, on +board with his men, to refresh them, so I also forgot not the +starving crew that were left on board, but ordered my own boat to +go on board the ship, and, with my mate and twelve men, to carry +them a sack of bread, and four or five pieces of beef to +boil. Our surgeon charged the men to cause the meat to be +boiled while they stayed, and to keep guard in the cook-room, to +prevent the men taking it to eat raw, or taking it out of the pot +before it was well boiled, and then to give every man but a very +little at a time: and by this caution he preserved the men, who +would otherwise have killed themselves with that very food that +was given them on purpose to save their lives.</p> +<p>At the same time I ordered the mate to go into the great +cabin, and see what condition the poor passengers were in; and if +they were alive, to comfort them, and give them what refreshment +was proper: and the surgeon gave him a large pitcher, with some +of the prepared broth which he had given the mate that was on +board, and which he did not question would restore them +gradually. I was not satisfied with this; but, as I said +above, having a great mind to see the scene of misery which I +knew the ship itself would present me with, in a more lively +manner than I could have it by report, I took the captain of the +ship, as we now called him, with me, and went myself, a little +after, in their boat.</p> +<p>I found the poor men on board almost in a tumult to get the +victuals out of the boiler before it was ready; but my mate +observed his orders, and kept a good guard at the cook-room door, +and the man he placed there, after using all possible persuasion +to have patience, kept them off by force; however, he caused some +biscuit-cakes to be dipped in the pot, and softened with the +liquor of the meat, which they called brewis, and gave them every +one some to stay their stomachs, and told them it was for their +own safety that he was obliged to give them but little at a +time. But it was all in vain; and had I not come on board, +and their own commander and officers with me, and with good +words, and some threats also of giving them no more, I believe +they would have broken into the cook-room by force, and torn the +meat out of the furnace—for words are indeed of very small +force to a hungry belly; however, we pacified them, and fed them +gradually and cautiously at first, and the next time gave them +more, and at last filled their bellies, and the men did well +enough.</p> +<p>But the misery of the poor passengers in the cabin was of +another nature, and far beyond the rest; for as, first, the +ship’s company had so little for themselves, it was but too +true that they had at first kept them very low, and at last +totally neglected them: so that for six or seven days it might be +said they had really no food at all, and for several days before +very little. The poor mother, who, as the men reported, was +a woman of sense and good breeding, had spared all she could so +affectionately for her son, that at last she entirely sank under +it; and when the mate of our ship went in, she sat upon the floor +on deck, with her back up against the sides, between two chairs, +which were lashed fast, and her head sunk between her shoulders +like a corpse, though not quite dead. My mate said all he +could to revive and encourage her, and with a spoon put some +broth into her mouth. She opened her lips, and lifted up +one hand, but could not speak: yet she understood what he said, +and made signs to him, intimating, that it was too late for her, +but pointed to her child, as if she would have said they should +take care of him. However, the mate, who was exceedingly +moved at the sight, endeavoured to get some of the broth into her +mouth, and, as he said, got two or three spoonfuls +down—though I question whether he could be sure of it or +not; but it was too late, and she died the same night.</p> +<p>The youth, who was preserved at the price of his most +affectionate mother’s life, was not so far gone; yet he lay +in a cabin bed, as one stretched out, with hardly any life left +in him. He had a piece of an old glove in his mouth, having +eaten up the rest of it; however, being young, and having more +strength than his mother, the mate got something down his throat, +and he began sensibly to revive; though by giving him, some time +after, but two or three spoonfuls extraordinary, he was very +sick, and brought it up again.</p> +<p>But the next care was the poor maid: she lay all along upon +the deck, hard by her mistress, and just like one that had fallen +down in a fit of apoplexy, and struggled for life. Her +limbs were distorted; one of her hands was clasped round the +frame of the chair, and she gripped it so hard that we could not +easily make her let it go; her other arm lay over her head, and +her feet lay both together, set fast against the frame of the +cabin table: in short, she lay just like one in the agonies of +death, and yet she was alive too. The poor creature was not +only starved with hunger, and terrified with the thoughts of +death, but, as the men told us afterwards, was broken-hearted for +her mistress, whom she saw dying for two or three days before, +and whom she loved most tenderly. We knew not what to do +with this poor girl; for when our surgeon, who was a man of very +great knowledge and experience, had, with great application, +recovered her as to life, he had her upon his hands still; for +she was little less than distracted for a considerable time +after.</p> +<p>Whoever shall read these memorandums must be desired to +consider that visits at sea are not like a journey into the +country, where sometimes people stay a week or a fortnight at a +place. Our business was to relieve this distressed +ship’s crew, but not lie by for them; and though they were +willing to steer the same course with us for some days, yet we +could carry no sail to keep pace with a ship that had no +masts. However, as their captain begged of us to help him +to set up a main-topmast, and a kind of a topmast to his jury +fore-mast, we did, as it were, lie by him for three or four days; +and then, having given him five barrels of beef, a barrel of +pork, two hogsheads of biscuit, and a proportion of peas, flour, +and what other things we could spare; and taking three casks of +sugar, some rum, and some pieces of eight from them for +satisfaction, we left them, taking on board with us, at their own +earnest request, the youth and the maid, and all their goods.</p> +<p>The young lad was about seventeen years of age, a pretty, +well-bred, modest, and sensible youth, greatly dejected with the +loss of his mother, and also at having lost his father but a few +months before, at Barbadoes. He begged of the surgeon to +speak to me to take him out of the ship; for he said the cruel +fellows had murdered his mother: and indeed so they had, that is +to say, passively; for they might have spared a small sustenance +to the poor helpless widow, though it had been but just enough to +keep her alive; but hunger knows no friend, no relation, no +justice, no right, and therefore is remorseless, and capable of +no compassion.</p> +<p>The surgeon told him how far we were going, and that it would +carry him away from all his friends, and put him, perhaps, in as +bad circumstances almost as those we found him in, that is to +say, starving in the world. He said it mattered not whither +he went, if he was but delivered from the terrible crew that he +was among; that the captain (by which he meant me, for he could +know nothing of my nephew) had saved his life, and he was sure +would not hurt him; and as for the maid, he was sure, if she came +to herself, she would be very thankful for it, let us carry them +where we would. The surgeon represented the case so +affectionately to me that I yielded, and we took them both on +board, with all their goods, except eleven hogsheads of sugar, +which could not be removed or come at; and as the youth had a +bill of lading for them, I made his commander sign a writing, +obliging himself to go, as soon as he came to Bristol, to one Mr. +Rogers, a merchant there, to whom the youth said he was related, +and to deliver a letter which I wrote to him, and all the goods +he had belonging to the deceased widow; which, I suppose, was not +done, for I could never learn that the ship came to Bristol, but +was, as is most probable, lost at sea, being in so disabled a +condition, and so far from any land, that I am of opinion the +first storm she met with afterwards she might founder, for she +was leaky, and had damage in her hold when we met with her.</p> +<p>I was now in the latitude of 19 degrees 32 minutes, and had +hitherto a tolerable voyage as to weather, though at first the +winds had been contrary. I shall trouble nobody with the +little incidents of wind, weather, currents, &c., on the rest +of our voyage; but to shorten my story, shall observe that I came +to my old habitation, the island, on the 10th of April +1695. It was with no small difficulty that I found the +place; for as I came to it and went to it before on the south and +east side of the island, coming from the Brazils, so now, coming +in between the main and the island, and having no chart for the +coast, nor any landmark, I did not know it when I saw it, or, +know whether I saw it or not. We beat about a great while, +and went on shore on several islands in the mouth of the great +river Orinoco, but none for my purpose; only this I learned by my +coasting the shore, that I was under one great mistake before, +viz. that the continent which I thought I saw from the island I +lived in was really no continent, but a long island, or rather a +ridge of islands, reaching from one to the other side of the +extended mouth of that great river; and that the savages who came +to my island were not properly those which we call Caribbees, but +islanders, and other barbarians of the same kind, who inhabited +nearer to our side than the rest.</p> +<p>In short, I visited several of these islands to no purpose; +some I found were inhabited, and some were not; on one of them I +found some Spaniards, and thought they had lived there; but +speaking with them, found they had a sloop lying in a small creek +hard by, and came thither to make salt, and to catch some +pearl-mussels if they could; but that they belonged to the Isle +de Trinidad, which lay farther north, in the latitude of 10 and +11 degrees.</p> +<p>Thus coasting from one island to another, sometimes with the +ship, sometimes with the Frenchman’s shallop, which we had +found a convenient boat, and therefore kept her with their very +good will, at length I came fair on the south side of my island, +and presently knew the very countenance of the place: so I +brought the ship safe to an anchor, broadside with the little +creek where my old habitation was. As soon as I saw the +place I called for Friday, and asked him if he knew where he +was? He looked about a little, and presently clapping his +hands, cried, “Oh yes, Oh there, Oh yes, Oh there!” +pointing to our old habitation, and fell dancing and capering +like a mad fellow; and I had much ado to keep him from jumping +into the sea to swim ashore to the place.</p> +<p>“Well, Friday,” says I, “do you think we +shall find anybody here or no? and do you think we shall see your +father?” The fellow stood mute as a stock a good +while; but when I named his father, the poor affectionate +creature looked dejected, and I could see the tears run down his +face very plentifully. “What is the matter, Friday? +are you troubled because you may see your father?” +“No, no,” says he, shaking his head, “no see +him more: no, never more see him again.” “Why +so, Friday? how do you know that?” “Oh no, Oh +no,” says Friday, “he long ago die, long ago; he much +old man.” “Well, well, Friday, you don’t +know; but shall we see any one else, then?” The +fellow, it seems, had better eyes than I, and he points to the +hill just above my old house; and though we lay half a league +off, he cries out, “We see! we see! yes, we see much man +there, and there, and there.” I looked, but I saw +nobody, no, not with a perspective glass, which was, I suppose, +because I could not hit the place: for the fellow was right, as I +found upon inquiry the next day; and there were five or six men +all together, who stood to look at the ship, not knowing what to +think of us.</p> +<p>As soon as Friday told me he saw people, I caused the English +ancient to be spread, and fired three guns, to give them notice +we were friends; and in about a quarter of an hour after we +perceived a smoke arise from the side of the creek; so I +immediately ordered the boat out, taking Friday with me, and +hanging out a white flag, I went directly on shore, taking with +me the young friar I mentioned, to whom I had told the story of +my living there, and the manner of it, and every particular both +of myself and those I left there, and who was on that account +extremely desirous to go with me. We had, besides, about +sixteen men well armed, if we had found any new guests there +which we did not know of; but we had no need of weapons.</p> +<p>As we went on shore upon the tide of flood, near high water, +we rowed directly into the creek; and the first man I fixed my +eye upon was the Spaniard whose life I had saved, and whom I knew +by his face perfectly well: as to his habit, I shall describe it +afterwards. I ordered nobody to go on shore at first but +myself; but there was no keeping Friday in the boat, for the +affectionate creature had spied his father at a distance, a good +way off the Spaniards, where, indeed, I saw nothing of him; and +if they had not let him go ashore, he would have jumped into the +sea. He was no sooner on shore, but he flew away to his +father like an arrow out of a bow. It would have made any +man shed tears, in spite of the firmest resolution, to have seen +the first transports of this poor fellow’s joy when he came +to his father: how he embraced him, kissed him, stroked his face, +took him up in his arms, set him down upon a tree, and lay down +by him; then stood and looked at him, as any one would look at a +strange picture, for a quarter of an hour together; then lay down +on the ground, and stroked his legs, and kissed them, and then +got up again and stared at him; one would have thought the fellow +bewitched. But it would have made a dog laugh the next day +to see how his passion ran out another way: in the morning he +walked along the shore with his father several hours, always +leading him by the hand, as if he had been a lady; and every now +and then he would come to the boat to fetch something or other +for him, either a lump of sugar, a dram, a biscuit, or something +or other that was good. In the afternoon his frolics ran +another way; for then he would set the old man down upon the +ground, and dance about him, and make a thousand antic gestures; +and all the while he did this he would be talking to him, and +telling him one story or another of his travels, and of what had +happened to him abroad to divert him. In short, if the same +filial affection was to be found in Christians to their parents +in our part of the world, one would be tempted to say there would +hardly have been any need of the fifth commandment.</p> +<p>But this is a digression: I return to my landing. It +would be needless to take notice of all the ceremonies and +civilities that the Spaniards received me with. The first +Spaniard, whom, as I said, I knew very well, was he whose life I +had saved. He came towards the boat, attended by one more, +carrying a flag of truce also; and he not only did not know me at +first, but he had no thoughts, no notion of its being me that was +come, till I spoke to him. “Seignior,” said I, +in Portuguese, “do you not know me?” At which +he spoke not a word, but giving his musket to the man that was +with him, threw his arms abroad, saying something in Spanish that +I did not perfectly hear, came forward and embraced me, telling +me he was inexcusable not to know that face again that he had +once seen, as of an angel from heaven sent to save his life; he +said abundance of very handsome things, as a well-bred Spaniard +always knows how, and then, beckoning to the person that attended +him, bade him go and call out his comrades. He then asked +me if I would walk to my old habitation, where he would give me +possession of my own house again, and where I should see they had +made but mean improvements. I walked along with him, but, +alas! I could no more find the place than if I had never been +there; for they had planted so many trees, and placed them in +such a position, so thick and close to one another, and in ten +years’ time they were grown so big, that the place was +inaccessible, except by such windings and blind ways as they +themselves only, who made them, could find.</p> +<p>I asked them what put them upon all these fortifications; he +told me I would say there was need enough of it when they had +given me an account how they had passed their time since their +arriving in the island, especially after they had the misfortune +to find that I was gone. He told me he could not but have +some pleasure in my good fortune, when he heard that I was gone +in a good ship, and to my satisfaction; and that he had +oftentimes a strong persuasion that one time or other he should +see me again, but nothing that ever befell him in his life, he +said, was so surprising and afflicting to him at first as the +disappointment he was under when he came back to the island and +found I was not there.</p> +<p>As to the three barbarians (so he called them) that were left +behind, and of whom, he said, he had a long story to tell me, the +Spaniards all thought themselves much better among the savages, +only that their number was so small: “And,” says he, +“had they been strong enough, we had been all long ago in +purgatory;” and with that he crossed himself on the +breast. “But, sir,” says he, “I hope you +will not be displeased when I shall tell you how, forced by +necessity, we were obliged for our own preservation to disarm +them, and make them our subjects, as they would not be content +with being moderately our masters, but would be our +murderers.” I answered I was afraid of it when I left +them there, and nothing troubled me at my parting from the island +but that they were not come back, that I might have put them in +possession of everything first, and left the others in a state of +subjection, as they deserved; but if they had reduced them to it +I was very glad, and should be very far from finding any fault +with it; for I knew they were a parcel of refractory, ungoverned +villains, and were fit for any manner of mischief.</p> +<p>While I was saying this, the man came whom he had sent back, +and with him eleven more. In the dress they were in it was +impossible to guess what nation they were of; but he made all +clear, both to them and to me. First, he turned to me, and +pointing to them, said, “These, sir, are some of the +gentlemen who owe their lives to you;” and then turning to +them, and pointing to me, he let them know who I was; upon which +they all came up, one by one, not as if they had been sailors, +and ordinary fellows, and the like, but really as if they had +been ambassadors or noblemen, and I a monarch or great conqueror: +their behaviour was, to the last degree, obliging and courteous, +and yet mixed with a manly, majestic gravity, which very well +became them; and, in short, they had so much more manners than I, +that I scarce knew how to receive their civilities, much less how +to return them in kind.</p> +<p>The history of their coming to, and conduct in, the island +after my going away is so very remarkable, and has so many +incidents which the former part of my relation will help to +understand, and which will in most of the particulars, refer to +the account I have already given, that I cannot but commit them, +with great delight, to the reading of those that come after +me.</p> +<p>In order to do this as intelligibly as I can, I must go back +to the circumstances in which I left the island, and the persons +on it, of whom I am to speak. And first, it is necessary to +repeat that I had sent away Friday’s father and the +Spaniard (the two whose lives I had rescued from the savages) in +a large canoe to the main, as I then thought it, to fetch over +the Spaniard’s companions that he left behind him, in order +to save them from the like calamity that he had been in, and in +order to succour them for the present; and that, if possible, we +might together find some way for our deliverance +afterwards. When I sent them away I had no visible +appearance of, or the least room to hope for, my own deliverance, +any more than I had twenty years before—much less had I any +foreknowledge of what afterwards happened, I mean, of an English +ship coming on shore there to fetch me off; and it could not be +but a very great surprise to them, when they came back, not only +to find that I was gone, but to find three strangers left on the +spot, possessed of all that I had left behind me, which would +otherwise have been their own.</p> +<p>The first thing, however, which I inquired into, that I might +begin where I left off, was of their own part; and I desired the +Spaniard would give me a particular account of his voyage back to +his countrymen with the boat, when I sent him to fetch them +over. He told me there was little variety in that part, for +nothing remarkable happened to them on the way, having had very +calm weather and a smooth sea. As for his countrymen, it +could not be doubted, he said, but that they were overjoyed to +see him (it seems he was the principal man among them, the +captain of the vessel they had been shipwrecked in having been +dead some time): they were, he said, the more surprised to see +him, because they knew that he was fallen into the hands of the +savages, who, they were satisfied, would devour him as they did +all the rest of their prisoners; that when he told them the story +of his deliverance, and in what manner he was furnished for +carrying them away, it was like a dream to them, and their +astonishment, he said, was somewhat like that of Joseph’s +brethren when he told them who he was, and the story of his +exaltation in Pharaoh’s court; but when he showed them the +arms, the powder, the ball, the provisions that he brought them +for their journey or voyage, they were restored to themselves, +took a just share of the joy of their deliverance, and +immediately prepared to come away with him.</p> +<p>Their first business was to get canoes; and in this they were +obliged not to stick so much upon the honesty of it, but to +trespass upon their friendly savages, and to borrow two large +canoes, or periaguas, on pretence of going out a-fishing, or for +pleasure. In these they came away the next morning. +It seems they wanted no time to get themselves ready; for they +had neither clothes nor provisions, nor anything in the world but +what they had on them, and a few roots to eat, of which they used +to make their bread. They were in all three weeks absent; +and in that time, unluckily for them, I had the occasion offered +for my escape, as I mentioned in the other part, and to get off +from the island, leaving three of the most impudent, hardened, +ungoverned, disagreeable villains behind me that any man could +desire to meet with—to the poor Spaniards’ great +grief and disappointment.</p> +<p>The only just thing the rogues did was, that when the +Spaniards came ashore, they gave my letter to them, and gave them +provisions, and other relief, as I had ordered them to do; also +they gave them the long paper of directions which I had left with +them, containing the particular methods which I took for managing +every part of my life there; the way I baked my bread, bred up +tame goats, and planted my corn; how I cured my grapes, made my +pots, and, in a word, everything I did. All this being +written down, they gave to the Spaniards (two of them understood +English well enough): nor did they refuse to accommodate the +Spaniards with anything else, for they agreed very well for some +time. They gave them an equal admission into the house or +cave, and they began to live very sociably; and the head +Spaniard, who had seen pretty much of my methods, together with +Friday’s father, managed all their affairs; but as for the +Englishmen, they did nothing but ramble about the island, shoot +parrots, and catch tortoises; and when they came home at night, +the Spaniards provided their suppers for them.</p> +<p>The Spaniards would have been satisfied with this had the +others but let them alone, which, however, they could not find in +their hearts to do long: but, like the dog in the manger, they +would not eat themselves, neither would they let the others +eat. The differences, nevertheless, were at first but +trivial, and such as are not worth relating, but at last it broke +out into open war: and it began with all the rudeness and +insolence that can be imagined—without reason, without +provocation, contrary to nature, and indeed to common sense; and +though, it is true, the first relation of it came from the +Spaniards themselves, whom I may call the accusers, yet when I +came to examine the fellows they could not deny a word of it.</p> +<p>But before I come to the particulars of this part, I must +supply a defect in my former relation; and this was, I forgot to +set down among the rest, that just as we were weighing the anchor +to set sail, there happened a little quarrel on board of our +ship, which I was once afraid would have turned to a second +mutiny; nor was it appeased till the captain, rousing up his +courage, and taking us all to his assistance, parted them by +force, and making two of the most refractory fellows prisoners, +he laid them in irons: and as they had been active in the former +disorders, and let fall some ugly, dangerous words the second +time, he threatened to carry them in irons to England, and have +them hanged there for mutiny and running away with the +ship. This, it seems, though the captain did not intend to +do it, frightened some other men in the ship; and some of them +had put it into the head of the rest that the captain only gave +them good words for the present, till they should come to same +English port, and that then they should be all put into gaol, and +tried for their lives. The mate got intelligence of this, +and acquainted us with it, upon which it was desired that I, who +still passed for a great man among them, should go down with the +mate and satisfy the men, and tell them that they might be +assured, if they behaved well the rest of the voyage, all they +had done for the time past should be pardoned. So I went, +and after passing my honour’s word to them they appeared +easy, and the more so when I caused the two men that were in +irons to be released and forgiven.</p> +<p>But this mutiny had brought us to an anchor for that night; +the wind also falling calm next morning, we found that our two +men who had been laid in irons had stolen each of them a musket +and some other weapons (what powder or shot they had we knew +not), and had taken the ship’s pinnace, which was not yet +hauled up, and run away with her to their companions in roguery +on shore. As soon as we found this, I ordered the long-boat +on shore, with twelve men and the mate, and away they went to +seek the rogues; but they could neither find them nor any of the +rest, for they all fled into the woods when they saw the boat +coming on shore. The mate was once resolved, in justice to +their roguery, to have destroyed their plantations, burned all +their household stuff and furniture, and left them to shift +without it; but having no orders, he let it all alone, left +everything as he found it, and bringing the pinnace way, came on +board without them. These two men made their number five; +but the other three villains were so much more wicked than they, +that after they had been two or three days together they turned +the two newcomers out of doors to shift for themselves, and would +have nothing to do with them; nor could they for a good while be +persuaded to give them any food: as for the Spaniards, they were +not yet come.</p> +<p>When the Spaniards came first on shore, the business began to +go forward: the Spaniards would have persuaded the three English +brutes to have taken in their countrymen again, that, as they +said, they might be all one family; but they would not hear of +it, so the two poor fellows lived by themselves; and finding +nothing but industry and application would make them live +comfortably, they pitched their tents on the north shore of the +island, but a little more to the west, to be out of danger of the +savages, who always landed on the east parts of the island. +Here they built them two huts, one to lodge in, and the other to +lay up their magazines and stores in; and the Spaniards having +given them some corn for seed, and some of the peas which I had +left them, they dug, planted, and enclosed, after the pattern I +had set for them all, and began to live pretty well. Their +first crop of corn was on the ground; and though it was but a +little bit of land which they had dug up at first, having had but +a little time, yet it was enough to relieve them, and find them +with bread and other eatables; and one of the fellows being the +cook’s mate of the ship, was very ready at making soup, +puddings, and such other preparations as the rice and the milk, +and such little flesh as they got, furnished him to do.</p> +<p>They were going on in this little thriving position when the +three unnatural rogues, their own countrymen too, in mere humour, +and to insult them, came and bullied them, and told them the +island was theirs: that the governor, meaning me, had given them +the possession of it, and nobody else had any right to it; and +that they should build no houses upon their ground unless they +would pay rent for them. The two men, thinking they were +jesting at first, asked them to come in and sit down, and see +what fine houses they were that they had built, and to tell them +what rent they demanded; and one of them merrily said if they +were the ground-landlords, he hoped if they built tenements upon +their land, and made improvements, they would, according to the +custom of landlords, grant a long lease: and desired they would +get a scrivener to draw the writings. One of the three, +cursing and raging, told them they should see they were not in +jest; and going to a little place at a distance, where the honest +men had made a fire to dress their victuals, he takes a +firebrand, and claps it to the outside of their hut, and set it +on fire: indeed, it would have been all burned down in a few +minutes if one of the two had not run to the fellow, thrust him +away, and trod the fire out with his feet, and that not without +some difficulty too.</p> +<p>The fellow was in such a rage at the honest man’s +thrusting him away, that he returned upon him, with a pole he had +in his hand, and had not the man avoided the blow very nimbly, +and run into the hut, he had ended his days at once. His +comrade, seeing the danger they were both in, ran after him, and +immediately they came both out with their muskets, and the man +that was first struck at with the pole knocked the fellow down +that began the quarrel with the stock of his musket, and that +before the other two could come to help him; and then, seeing the +rest come at them, they stood together, and presenting the other +ends of their pieces to them, bade them stand off.</p> +<p>The others had firearms with them too; but one of the two +honest men, bolder than his comrade, and made desperate by his +danger, told them if they offered to move hand or foot they were +dead men, and boldly commanded them to lay down their arms. +They did not, indeed, lay down their arms, but seeing him so +resolute, it brought them to a parley, and they consented to take +their wounded man with them and be gone: and, indeed, it seems +the fellow was wounded sufficiently with the blow. However, +they were much in the wrong, since they had the advantage, that +they did not disarm them effectually, as they might have done, +and have gone immediately to the Spaniards, and given them an +account how the rogues had treated them; for the three villains +studied nothing but revenge, and every day gave them some +intimation that they did so.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER III—FIGHT WITH CANNIBALS</h2> +<p>But not to crowd this part with an account of the lesser part +of the rogueries with which they plagued them continually, night +and day, it forced the two men to such a desperation that they +resolved to fight them all three, the first time they had a fair +opportunity. In order to do this they resolved to go to the +castle (as they called my old dwelling), where the three rogues +and the Spaniards all lived together at that time, intending to +have a fair battle, and the Spaniards should stand by to see fair +play: so they got up in the morning before day, and came to the +place, and called the Englishmen by their names telling a +Spaniard that answered that they wanted to speak with them.</p> +<p>It happened that the day before two of the Spaniards, having +been in the woods, had seen one of the two Englishmen, whom, for +distinction, I called the honest men, and he had made a sad +complaint to the Spaniards of the barbarous usage they had met +with from their three countrymen, and how they had ruined their +plantation, and destroyed their corn, that they had laboured so +hard to bring forward, and killed the milch-goat and their three +kids, which was all they had provided for their sustenance, and +that if he and his friends, meaning the Spaniards, did not assist +them again, they should be starved. When the Spaniards came +home at night, and they were all at supper, one of them took the +freedom to reprove the three Englishmen, though in very gentle +and mannerly terms, and asked them how they could be so cruel, +they being harmless, inoffensive fellows: that they were putting +themselves in a way to subsist by their labour, and that it had +cost them a great deal of pains to bring things to such +perfection as they were then in.</p> +<p>One of the Englishmen returned very briskly, “What had +they to do there? that they came on shore without leave; and that +they should not plant or build upon the island; it was none of +their ground.” “Why,” says the Spaniard, +very calmly, “Seignior Inglese, they must not +starve.” The Englishman replied, like a rough +tarpaulin, “They might starve; they should not plant nor +build in that place.” “But what must they do +then, seignior?” said the Spaniard. Another of the +brutes returned, “Do? they should be servants, and work for +them.” “But how can you expect that of +them?” says the Spaniard; “they are not bought with +your money; you have no right to make them servants.” +The Englishman answered, “The island was theirs; the +governor had given it to them, and no man had anything to do +there but themselves;” and with that he swore that he would +go and burn all their new huts; they should build none upon their +land. “Why, seignior,” says the Spaniard, +“by the same rule, we must be your servants, +too.” “Ay,” returned the bold dog, +“and so you shall, too, before we have done with +you;” mixing two or three oaths in the proper intervals of +his speech. The Spaniard only smiled at that, and made him +no answer. However, this little discourse had heated them; +and starting up, one says to the other. (I think it was he +they called Will Atkins), “Come, Jack, let’s go and +have t’other brush with them; we’ll demolish their +castle, I’ll warrant you; they shall plant no colony in our +dominions.”</p> +<p>Upon this they were all trooping away, with every man a gun, a +pistol, and a sword, and muttered some insolent things among +themselves of what they would do to the Spaniards, too, when +opportunity offered; but the Spaniards, it seems, did not so +perfectly understand them as to know all the particulars, only +that in general they threatened them hard for taking the two +Englishmen’s part. Whither they went, or how they +bestowed their time that evening, the Spaniards said they did not +know; but it seems they wandered about the country part of the +night, and them lying down in the place which I used to call my +bower, they were weary and overslept themselves. The case +was this: they had resolved to stay till midnight, and so take +the two poor men when they were asleep, and as they acknowledged +afterwards, intended to set fire to their huts while they were in +them, and either burn them there or murder them as they came +out. As malice seldom sleeps very sound, it was very +strange they should not have been kept awake. However, as +the two men had also a design upon them, as I have said, though a +much fairer one than that of burning and murdering, it happened, +and very luckily for them all, that they were up and gone abroad +before the bloody-minded rogues came to their huts.</p> +<p>When they came there, and found the men gone, Atkins, who it +seems was the forwardest man, called out to his comrade, +“Ha, Jack, here’s the nest, but the birds are +flown.” They mused a while, to think what should be +the occasion of their being gone abroad so soon, and suggested +presently that the Spaniards had given them notice of it; and +with that they shook hands, and swore to one another that they +would be revenged of the Spaniards. As soon as they had +made this bloody bargain they fell to work with the poor +men’s habitation; they did not set fire, indeed, to +anything, but they pulled down both their houses, and left not +the least stick standing, or scarce any sign on the ground where +they stood; they tore all their household stuff in pieces, and +threw everything about in such a manner, that the poor men +afterwards found some of their things a mile off. When they +had done this, they pulled up all the young trees which the poor +men had planted; broke down an enclosure they had made to secure +their cattle and their corn; and, in a word, sacked and plundered +everything as completely as a horde of Tartars would have +done.</p> +<p>The two men were at this juncture gone to find them out, and +had resolved to fight them wherever they had been, though they +were but two to three; so that, had they met, there certainly +would have been blood shed among them, for they were all very +stout, resolute fellows, to give them their due.</p> +<p>But Providence took more care to keep them asunder than they +themselves could do to meet; for, as if they had dogged one +another, when the three were gone thither, the two were here; and +afterwards, when the two went back to find them, the three were +come to the old habitation again: we shall see their different +conduct presently. When the three came back like furious +creatures, flushed with the rage which the work they had been +about had put them into, they came up to the Spaniards, and told +them what they had done, by way of scoff and bravado; and one of +them stepping up to one of the Spaniards, as if they had been a +couple of boys at play, takes hold of his hat as it was upon his +head, and giving it a twirl about, fleering in his face, says to +him, “And you, Seignior Jack Spaniard, shall have the same +sauce if you do not mend your manners.” The Spaniard, +who, though a quiet civil man, was as brave a man as could be, +and withal a strong, well-made man, looked at him for a good +while, and then, having no weapon in his hand, stepped gravely up +to him, and, with one blow of his fist, knocked him down, as an +ox is felled with a pole-axe; at which one of the rogues, as +insolent as the first, fired his pistol at the Spaniard +immediately; he missed his body, indeed, for the bullets went +through his hair, but one of them touched the tip of his ear, and +he bled pretty much. The blood made the Spaniard believe he +was more hurt than he really was, and that put him into some +heat, for before he acted all in a perfect calm; but now +resolving to go through with his work, he stooped, and taking the +fellow’s musket whom he had knocked down, was just going to +shoot the man who had fired at him, when the rest of the +Spaniards, being in the cave, came out, and calling to him not to +shoot, they stepped in, secured the other two, and took their +arms from them.</p> +<p>When they were thus disarmed, and found they had made all the +Spaniards their enemies, as well as their own countrymen, they +began to cool, and giving the Spaniards better words, would have +their arms again; but the Spaniards, considering the feud that +was between them and the other two Englishmen, and that it would +be the best method they could take to keep them from killing one +another, told them they would do them no harm, and if they would +live peaceably, they would be very willing to assist and +associate with them as they did before; but that they could not +think of giving them their arms again, while they appeared so +resolved to do mischief with them to their own countrymen, and +had even threatened them all to make them their servants.</p> +<p>The rogues were now quite deaf to all reason, and being +refused their arms, they raved away like madmen, threatening what +they would do, though they had no firearms. But the +Spaniards, despising their threatening, told them they should +take care how they offered any injury to their plantation or +cattle; for if they did they would shoot them as they would +ravenous beasts, wherever they found them; and if they fell into +their hands alive, they should certainly be hanged. +However, this was far from cooling them, but away they went, +raging and swearing like furies. As soon as they were gone, +the two men came back, in passion and rage enough also, though of +another kind; for having been at their plantation, and finding it +all demolished and destroyed, as above mentioned, it will easily +be supposed they had provocation enough. They could scarce +have room to tell their tale, the Spaniards were so eager to tell +them theirs: and it was strange enough to find that three men +should thus bully nineteen, and receive no punishment at all.</p> +<p>The Spaniards, indeed, despised them, and especially, having +thus disarmed them, made light of their threatenings; but the two +Englishmen resolved to have their remedy against them, what pains +soever it cost to find them out. But the Spaniards +interposed here too, and told them that as they had disarmed +them, they could not consent that they (the two) should pursue +them with firearms, and perhaps kill them. +“But,” said the grave Spaniard, who was their +governor, “we will endeavour to make them do you justice, +if you will leave it to us: for there is no doubt but they will +come to us again, when their passion is over, being not able to +subsist without our assistance. We promise you to make no +peace with them without having full satisfaction for you; and +upon this condition we hope you will promise to use no violence +with them, other than in your own defence.” The two +Englishmen yielded to this very awkwardly, and with great +reluctance; but the Spaniards protested that they did it only to +keep them from bloodshed, and to make them all easy at +last. “For,” said they, “we are not so +many of us; here is room enough for us all, and it is a great +pity that we should not be all good friends.” At +length they did consent, and waited for the issue of the thing, +living for some days with the Spaniards; for their own habitation +was destroyed.</p> +<p>In about five days’ time the vagrants, tired with +wandering, and almost starved with hunger, having chiefly lived +on turtles’ eggs all that while, came back to the grove; +and finding my Spaniard, who, as I have said, was the governor, +and two more with him, walking by the side of the creek, they +came up in a very submissive, humble manner, and begged to be +received again into the society. The Spaniards used them +civilly, but told them they had acted so unnaturally to their +countrymen, and so very grossly to themselves, that they could +not come to any conclusion without consulting the two Englishmen +and the rest; but, however, they would go to them and discourse +about it, and they should know in half-an-hour. It may be +guessed that they were very hard put to it; for, as they were to +wait this half-hour for an answer, they begged they would send +them out some bread in the meantime, which they did, sending at +the same time a large piece of goat’s flesh and a boiled +parrot, which they ate very eagerly.</p> +<p>After half-an-hour’s consultation they were called in, +and a long debate ensued, their two countrymen charging them with +the ruin of all their labour, and a design to murder them; all +which they owned before, and therefore could not deny now. +Upon the whole, the Spaniards acted the moderators between them; +and as they had obliged the two Englishmen not to hurt the three +while they were naked and unarmed, so they now obliged the three +to go and rebuild their fellows’ two huts, one to be of the +same and the other of larger dimensions than they were before; to +fence their ground again, plant trees in the room of those pulled +up, dig up the land again for planting corn, and, in a word, to +restore everything to the same state as they found it, that is, +as near as they could.</p> +<p>Well, they submitted to all this; and as they had plenty of +provisions given them all the while, they grew very orderly, and +the whole society began to live pleasantly and agreeably together +again; only that these three fellows could never be persuaded to +work—I mean for themselves—except now and then a +little, just as they pleased. However, the Spaniards told +them plainly that if they would but live sociably and friendly +together, and study the good of the whole plantation, they would +be content to work for them, and let them walk about and be as +idle as they pleased; and thus, having lived pretty well together +for a month or two, the Spaniards let them have arms again, and +gave them liberty to go abroad with them as before.</p> +<p>It was not above a week after they had these arms, and went +abroad, before the ungrateful creatures began to be as insolent +and troublesome as ever. However, an accident happened +presently upon this, which endangered the safety of them all, and +they were obliged to lay by all private resentments, and look to +the preservation of their lives.</p> +<p>It happened one night that the governor, the Spaniard whose +life I had saved, who was now the governor of the rest, found +himself very uneasy in the night, and could by no means get any +sleep: he was perfectly well in body, only found his thoughts +tumultuous; his mind ran upon men fighting and killing one +another; but he was broad awake, and could not by any means get +any sleep; in short, he lay a great while, but growing more and +more uneasy, he resolved to rise. As they lay, being so +many of them, on goat-skins laid thick upon such couches and pads +as they made for themselves, so they had little to do, when they +were willing to rise, but to get upon their feet, and perhaps put +on a coat, such as it was, and their pumps, and they were ready +for going any way that their thoughts guided them. Being +thus got up, he looked out; but being dark, he could see little +or nothing, and besides, the trees which I had planted, and which +were now grown tall, intercepted his sight, so that he could only +look up, and see that it was a starlight night, and hearing no +noise, he returned and lay down again; but to no purpose; he +could not compose himself to anything like rest; but his thoughts +were to the last degree uneasy, and he knew not for what. +Having made some noise with rising and walking about, going out +and coming in, another of them waked, and asked who it was that +was up. The governor told him how it had been with +him. “Say you so?” says the other Spaniard; +“such things are not to be slighted, I assure you; there is +certainly some mischief working near us;” and presently he +asked him, “Where are the Englishmen?” +“They are all in their huts,” says he, “safe +enough.” It seems the Spaniards had kept possession +of the main apartment, and had made a place for the three +Englishmen, who, since their last mutiny, were always quartered +by themselves, and could not come at the rest. +“Well,” says the Spaniard, “there is something +in it, I am persuaded, from my own experience. I am +satisfied that our spirits embodied have a converse with and +receive intelligence from the spirits unembodied, and inhabiting +the invisible world; and this friendly notice is given for our +advantage, if we knew how to make use of it. Come, let us +go and look abroad; and if we find nothing at all in it to +justify the trouble, I’ll tell you a story to the purpose, +that shall convince you of the justice of my proposing +it.”</p> +<p>They went out presently to go up to the top of the hill, where +I used to go; but they being strong, and a good company, nor +alone, as I was, used none of my cautions to go up by the ladder, +and pulling it up after them, to go up a second stage to the top, +but were going round through the grove unwarily, when they were +surprised with seeing a light as of fire, a very little way from +them, and hearing the voices of men, not of one or two, but of a +great number.</p> +<p>Among the precautions I used to take on the savages landing on +the island, it was my constant care to prevent them making the +least discovery of there being any inhabitant upon the place: and +when by any occasion they came to know it, they felt it so +effectually that they that got away were scarce able to give any +account of it; for we disappeared as soon as possible, nor did +ever any that had seen me escape to tell any one else, except it +was the three savages in our last encounter who jumped into the +boat; of whom, I mentioned, I was afraid they should go home and +bring more help. Whether it was the consequence of the +escape of those men that so great a number came now together, or +whether they came ignorantly, and by accident, on their usual +bloody errand, the Spaniards could not understand; but whatever +it was, it was their business either to have concealed themselves +or not to have seen them at all, much less to have let the +savages have seen there were any inhabitants in the place; or to +have fallen upon them so effectually as not a man of them should +have escaped, which could only have been by getting in between +them and their boats; but this presence of mind was wanting to +them, which was the ruin of their tranquillity for a great +while.</p> +<p>We need not doubt but that the governor and the man with him, +surprised with this sight, ran back immediately and raised their +fellows, giving them an account of the imminent danger they were +all in, and they again as readily took the alarm; but it was +impossible to persuade them to stay close within where they were, +but they must all run out to see how things stood. While it +was dark, indeed, they were safe, and they had opportunity enough +for some hours to view the savages by the light of three fires +they had made at a distance from one another; what they were +doing they knew not, neither did they know what to do +themselves. For, first, the enemy were too many; and +secondly, they did not keep together, but were divided into +several parties, and were on shore in several places.</p> +<p>The Spaniards were in no small consternation at this sight; +and, as they found that the fellows went straggling all over the +shore, they made no doubt but, first or last, some of them would +chop in upon their habitation, or upon some other place where +they would see the token of inhabitants; and they were in great +perplexity also for fear of their flock of goats, which, if they +should be destroyed, would have been little less than starving +them. So the first thing they resolved upon was to despatch +three men away before it was light, two Spaniards and one +Englishman, to drive away all the goats to the great valley where +the cave was, and, if need were, to drive them into the very cave +itself. Could they have seen the savages all together in +one body, and at a distance from their canoes, they were +resolved, if there had been a hundred of them, to attack them; +but that could not be done, for they were some of them two miles +off from the other, and, as it appeared afterwards, were of two +different nations.</p> +<p>After having mused a great while on the course they should +take, they resolved at last, while it was still dark, to send the +old savage, Friday’s father, out as a spy, to learn, if +possible, something concerning them, as what they came for, what +they intended to do, and the like. The old man readily +undertook it; and stripping himself quite naked, as most of the +savages were, away he went. After he had been gone an hour +or two, he brings word that he had been among them undiscovered, +that he found they were two parties, and of two several nations, +who had war with one another, and had a great battle in their own +country; and that both sides having had several prisoners taken +in the fight, they were, by mere chance, landed all on the same +island, for the devouring their prisoners and making merry; but +their coming so by chance to the same place had spoiled all their +mirth—that they were in a great rage at one another, and +were so near that he believed they would fight again as soon as +daylight began to appear; but he did not perceive that they had +any notion of anybody being on the island but themselves. +He had hardly made an end of telling his story, when they could +perceive, by the unusual noise they made, that the two little +armies were engaged in a bloody fight. Friday’s +father used all the arguments he could to persuade our people to +lie close, and not be seen; he told them their safety consisted +in it, and that they had nothing to do but lie still, and the +savages would kill one another to their hands, and then the rest +would go away; and it was so to a tittle. But it was +impossible to prevail, especially upon the Englishmen; their +curiosity was so importunate that they must run out and see the +battle. However, they used some caution too: they did not +go openly, just by their own dwelling, but went farther into the +woods, and placed themselves to advantage, where they might +securely see them manage the fight, and, as they thought, not be +seen by them; but the savages did see them, as we shall find +hereafter.</p> +<p>The battle was very fierce, and, if I might believe the +Englishmen, one of them said he could perceive that some of them +were men of great bravery, of invincible spirit, and of great +policy in guiding the fight. The battle, they said, held +two hours before they could guess which party would be beaten; +but then that party which was nearest our people’s +habitation began to appear weakest, and after some time more some +of them began to fly; and this put our men again into a great +consternation, lest any one of those that fled should run into +the grove before their dwelling for shelter, and thereby +involuntarily discover the place; and that, by consequence, the +pursuers would also do the like in search of them. Upon +this, they resolved that they would stand armed within the wall, +and whoever came into the grove, they resolved to sally out over +the wall and kill them, so that, if possible, not one should +return to give an account of it; they ordered also that it should +be done with their swords, or by knocking them down with the +stocks of their muskets, but not by shooting them, for fear of +raising an alarm by the noise.</p> +<p>As they expected it fell out; three of the routed army fled +for life, and crossing the creek, ran directly into the place, +not in the least knowing whither they went, but running as into a +thick wood for shelter. The scout they kept to look abroad +gave notice of this within, with this comforting addition, that +the conquerors had not pursued them, or seen which way they were +gone; upon this the Spanish governor, a man of humanity, would +not suffer them to kill the three fugitives, but sending three +men out by the top of the hill, ordered them to go round, come in +behind them, and surprise and take them prisoners, which was +done. The residue of the conquered people fled to their +canoes, and got off to sea; the victors retired, made no pursuit, +or very little, but drawing themselves into a body together, gave +two great screaming shouts, most likely by way of triumph, and so +the fight ended; the same day, about three o’clock in the +afternoon, they also marched to their canoes. And thus the +Spaniards had the island again free to themselves, their fright +was over, and they saw no savages for several years after.</p> +<p>After they were all gone, the Spaniards came out of their den, +and viewing the field of battle, they found about two-and-thirty +men dead on the spot; some were killed with long arrows, which +were found sticking in their bodies; but most of them were killed +with great wooden swords, sixteen or seventeen of which they +found in the field of battle, and as many bows, with a great many +arrows. These swords were strange, unwieldy things, and +they must be very strong men that used them; most of those that +were killed with them had their heads smashed to pieces, as we +may say, or, as we call it in English, their brains knocked out, +and several their arms and legs broken; so that it is evident +they fight with inexpressible rage and fury. We found not +one man that was not stone dead; for either they stay by their +enemy till they have killed him, or they carry all the wounded +men that are not quite dead away with them.</p> +<p>This deliverance tamed our ill-disposed Englishmen for a great +while; the sight had filled them with horror, and the +consequences appeared terrible to the last degree, especially +upon supposing that some time or other they should fall into the +hands of those creatures, who would not only kill them as +enemies, but for food, as we kill our cattle; and they professed +to me that the thoughts of being eaten up like beef and mutton, +though it was supposed it was not to be till they were dead, had +something in it so horrible that it nauseated their very +stomachs, made them sick when they thought of it, and filled +their minds with such unusual terror, that they were not +themselves for some weeks after. This, as I said, tamed +even the three English brutes I have been speaking of; and for a +great while after they were tractable, and went about the common +business of the whole society well enough—planted, sowed, +reaped, and began to be all naturalised to the country. But +some time after this they fell into such simple measures again as +brought them into a great deal of trouble.</p> +<p>They had taken three prisoners, as I observed; and these three +being stout young fellows, they made them servants, and taught +them to work for them, and as slaves they did well enough; but +they did not take their measures as I did by my man Friday, viz. +to begin with them upon the principle of having saved their +lives, and then instruct them in the rational principles of life; +much less did they think of teaching them religion, or attempt +civilising and reducing them by kind usage and affectionate +arguments. As they gave them their food every day, so they +gave them their work too, and kept them fully employed in +drudgery enough; but they failed in this by it, that they never +had them to assist them and fight for them as I had my man +Friday, who was as true to me as the very flesh upon my +bones.</p> +<p>But to come to the family part. Being all now good +friends—for common danger, as I said above, had effectually +reconciled them—they began to consider their general +circumstances; and the first thing that came under consideration +was whether, seeing the savages particularly haunted that side of +the island, and that there were more remote and retired parts of +it equally adapted to their way of living, and manifestly to +their advantage, they should not rather move their habitation, +and plant in some more proper place for their safety, and +especially for the security of their cattle and corn.</p> +<p>Upon this, after long debate, it was concluded that they would +not remove their habitation; because that, some time or other, +they thought they might hear from their governor again, meaning +me; and if I should send any one to seek them, I should be sure +to direct them to that side, where, if they should find the place +demolished, they would conclude the savages had killed us all, +and we were gone, and so our supply would go too. But as to +their corn and cattle, they agreed to remove them into the valley +where my cave was, where the land was as proper for both, and +where indeed there was land enough. However, upon second +thoughts they altered one part of their resolution too, and +resolved only to remove part of their cattle thither, and part of +their corn there; so that if one part was destroyed the other +might be saved. And one part of prudence they luckily used: +they never trusted those three savages which they had taken +prisoners with knowing anything of the plantation they had made +in that valley, or of any cattle they had there, much less of the +cave at that place, which they kept, in case of necessity, as a +safe retreat; and thither they carried also the two barrels of +powder which I had sent them at my coming away. They +resolved, however, not to change their habitation; yet, as I had +carefully covered it first with a wall or fortification, and then +with a grove of trees, and as they were now fully convinced their +safety consisted entirely in their being concealed, they set to +work to cover and conceal the place yet more effectually than +before. For this purpose, as I planted trees, or rather +thrust in stakes, which in time all grew up to be trees, for some +good distance before the entrance into my apartments, they went +on in the same manner, and filled up the rest of that whole space +of ground from the trees I had set quite down to the side of the +creek, where I landed my floats, and even into the very ooze +where the tide flowed, not so much as leaving any place to land, +or any sign that there had been any landing thereabouts: these +stakes also being of a wood very forward to grow, they took care +to have them generally much larger and taller than those which I +had planted. As they grew apace, they planted them so very +thick and close together, that when they had been three or four +years grown there was no piercing with the eye any considerable +way into the plantation. As for that part which I had +planted, the trees were grown as thick as a man’s thigh, +and among them they had placed so many other short ones, and so +thick, that it stood like a palisado a quarter of a mile thick, +and it was next to impossible to penetrate it, for a little dog +could hardly get between the trees, they stood so close.</p> +<p>But this was not all; for they did the same by all the ground +to the right hand and to the left, and round even to the side of +the hill, leaving no way, not so much as for themselves, to come +out but by the ladder placed up to the side of the hill, and then +lifted up, and placed again from the first stage up to the top: +so that when the ladder was taken down, nothing but what had +wings or witchcraft to assist it could come at them. This +was excellently well contrived: nor was it less than what they +afterwards found occasion for, which served to convince me, that +as human prudence has the authority of Providence to justify it, +so it has doubtless the direction of Providence to set it to +work; and if we listened carefully to the voice of it, I am +persuaded we might prevent many of the disasters which our lives +are now, by our own negligence, subjected to.</p> +<p>They lived two years after this in perfect retirement, and had +no more visits from the savages. They had, indeed, an alarm +given them one morning, which put them into a great +consternation; for some of the Spaniards being out early one +morning on the west side or end of the island (which was that end +where I never went, for fear of being discovered), they were +surprised with seeing about twenty canoes of Indians just coming +on shore. They made the best of their way home in hurry +enough; and giving the alarm to their comrades, they kept close +all that day and the next, going out only at night to make their +observation: but they had the good luck to be undiscovered, for +wherever the savages went, they did not land that time on the +island, but pursued some other design.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER IV—RENEWED INVASION OF SAVAGES</h2> +<p>And now they had another broil with the three Englishmen; one +of whom, a most turbulent fellow, being in a rage at one of the +three captive slaves, because the fellow had not done something +right which he bade him do, and seemed a little untractable in +his showing him, drew a hatchet out of a frog-belt which he wore +by his side, and fell upon the poor savage, not to correct him, +but to kill him. One of the Spaniards who was by, seeing +him give the fellow a barbarous cut with the hatchet, which he +aimed at his head, but stuck into his shoulder, so that he +thought he had cut the poor creature’s arm off, ran to him, +and entreating him not to murder the poor man, placed himself +between him and the savage, to prevent the mischief. The +fellow, being enraged the more at this, struck at the Spaniard +with his hatchet, and swore he would serve him as he intended to +serve the savage; which the Spaniard perceiving, avoided the +blow, and with a shovel, which he had in his hand (for they were +all working in the field about their corn land), knocked the +brute down. Another of the Englishmen, running up at the +same time to help his comrade, knocked the Spaniard down; and +then two Spaniards more came in to help their man, and a third +Englishman fell in upon them. They had none of them any +firearms or any other weapons but hatchets and other tools, +except this third Englishman; he had one of my rusty cutlasses, +with which he made at the two last Spaniards, and wounded them +both. This fray set the whole family in an uproar, and more +help coming in they took the three Englishmen prisoners. +The next question was, what should be done with them? They +had been so often mutinous, and were so very furious, so +desperate, and so idle withal, they knew not what course to take +with them, for they were mischievous to the highest degree, and +cared not what hurt they did to any man; so that, in short, it +was not safe to live with them.</p> +<p>The Spaniard who was governor told them, in so many words, +that if they had been of his own country he would have hanged +them; for all laws and all governors were to preserve society, +and those who were dangerous to the society ought to be expelled +out of it; but as they were Englishmen, and that it was to the +generous kindness of an Englishman that they all owed their +preservation and deliverance, he would use them with all possible +lenity, and would leave them to the judgment of the other two +Englishmen, who were their countrymen. One of the two +honest Englishmen stood up, and said they desired it might not be +left to them. “For,” says he, “I am sure +we ought to sentence them to the gallows;” and with that he +gives an account how Will Atkins, one of the three, had proposed +to have all the five Englishmen join together and murder all the +Spaniards when they were in their sleep.</p> +<p>When the Spanish governor heard this, he calls to Will Atkins, +“How, Seignior Atkins, would you murder us all? What +have you to say to that?” The hardened villain was so +far from denying it, that he said it was true, and swore they +would do it still before they had done with them. +“Well, but Seignior Atkins,” says the Spaniard, +“what have we done to you that you will kill us? What +would you get by killing us? And what must we do to prevent +you killing us? Must we kill you, or you kill us? Why +will you put us to the necessity of this, Seignior Atkins?” +says the Spaniard very calmly, and smiling. Seignior Atkins +was in such a rage at the Spaniard’s making a jest of it, +that, had he not been held by three men, and withal had no weapon +near him, it was thought he would have attempted to kill the +Spaniard in the middle of all the company. This +hare-brained carriage obliged them to consider seriously what was +to be done. The two Englishmen and the Spaniard who saved +the poor savage were of the opinion that they should hang one of +the three for an example to the rest, and that particularly it +should be he that had twice attempted to commit murder with his +hatchet; indeed, there was some reason to believe he had done it, +for the poor savage was in such a miserable condition with the +wound he had received that it was thought he could not +live. But the governor Spaniard still said No; it was an +Englishman that had saved all their lives, and he would never +consent to put an Englishman to death, though he had murdered +half of them; nay, he said if he had been killed himself by an +Englishman, and had time left to speak, it should be that they +should pardon him.</p> +<p>This was so positively insisted on by the governor Spaniard, +that there was no gainsaying it; and as merciful counsels are +most apt to prevail where they are so earnestly pressed, so they +all came into it. But then it was to be considered what +should be done to keep them from doing the mischief they +designed; for all agreed, governor and all, that means were to be +used for preserving the society from danger. After a long +debate, it was agreed that they should be disarmed, and not +permitted to have either gun, powder, shot, sword, or any weapon; +that they should be turned out of the society, and left to live +where they would and how they would, by themselves; but that none +of the rest, either Spaniards or English, should hold any kind of +converse with them, or have anything to do with them; that they +should be forbid to come within a certain distance of the place +where the rest dwelt; and if they offered to commit any disorder, +so as to spoil, burn, kill, or destroy any of the corn, +plantings, buildings, fences, or cattle belonging to the society, +they should die without mercy, and they would shoot them wherever +they could find them.</p> +<p>The humane governor, musing upon the sentence, considered a +little upon it; and turning to the two honest Englishmen, said, +“Hold; you must reflect that it will be long ere they can +raise corn and cattle of their own, and they must not starve; we +must therefore allow them provisions.” So he caused +to be added, that they should have a proportion of corn given +them to last them eight months, and for seed to sow, by which +time they might be supposed to raise some of their own; that they +should have six milch-goats, four he-goats, and six kids given +them, as well for present subsistence as for a store; and that +they should have tools given them for their work in the fields, +but they should have none of these tools or provisions unless +they would swear solemnly that they would not hurt or injure any +of the Spaniards with them, or of their fellow-Englishmen.</p> +<p>Thus they dismissed them the society, and turned them out to +shift for themselves. They went away sullen and refractory, +as neither content to go away nor to stay: but, as there was no +remedy, they went, pretending to go and choose a place where they +would settle themselves; and some provisions were given them, but +no weapons. About four or five days after, they came again +for some victuals, and gave the governor an account where they +had pitched their tents, and marked themselves out a habitation +and plantation; and it was a very convenient place indeed, on the +remotest part of the island, NE., much about the place where I +providentially landed in my first voyage, when I was driven out +to sea in my foolish attempt to sail round the island.</p> +<p>Here they built themselves two handsome huts, and contrived +them in a manner like my first habitation, being close under the +side of a hill, having some trees already growing on three sides +of it, so that by planting others it would be very easily covered +from the sight, unless narrowly searched for. They desired +some dried goat-skins for beds and covering, which were given +them; and upon giving their words that they would not disturb the +rest, or injure any of their plantations, they gave them +hatchets, and what other tools they could spare; some peas, +barley, and rice, for sowing; and, in a word, anything they +wanted, except arms and ammunition.</p> +<p>They lived in this separate condition about six months, and +had got in their first harvest, though the quantity was but +small, the parcel of land they had planted being but +little. Indeed, having all their plantation to form, they +had a great deal of work upon their hands; and when they came to +make boards and pots, and such things, they were quite out of +their element, and could make nothing of it; therefore when the +rainy season came on, for want of a cave in the earth, they could +not keep their grain dry, and it was in great danger of +spoiling. This humbled them much: so they came and begged +the Spaniards to help them, which they very readily did; and in +four days worked a great hole in the side of the hill for them, +big enough to secure their corn and other things from the rain: +but it was a poor place at best compared to mine, and especially +as mine was then, for the Spaniards had greatly enlarged it, and +made several new apartments in it.</p> +<p>About three quarters of a year after this separation, a new +frolic took these rogues, which, together with the former +villainy they had committed, brought mischief enough upon them, +and had very near been the ruin of the whole colony. The +three new associates began, it seems, to be weary of the +laborious life they led, and that without hope of bettering their +circumstances: and a whim took them that they would make a voyage +to the continent, from whence the savages came, and would try if +they could seize upon some prisoners among the natives there, and +bring them home, so as to make them do the laborious part of the +work for them.</p> +<p>The project was not so preposterous, if they had gone no +further. But they did nothing, and proposed nothing, but +had either mischief in the design, or mischief in the +event. And if I may give my opinion, they seemed to be +under a blast from Heaven: for if we will not allow a visible +curse to pursue visible crimes, how shall we reconcile the events +of things with the divine justice? It was certainly an +apparent vengeance on their crime of mutiny and piracy that +brought them to the state they were in; and they showed not the +least remorse for the crime, but added new villanies to it, such +as the piece of monstrous cruelty of wounding a poor slave +because he did not, or perhaps could not, understand to do what +he was directed, and to wound him in such a manner as made him a +cripple all his life, and in a place where no surgeon or medicine +could be had for his cure; and, what was still worse, the +intentional murder, for such to be sure it was, as was afterwards +the formed design they all laid to murder the Spaniards in cold +blood, and in their sleep.</p> +<p>The three fellows came down to the Spaniards one morning, and +in very humble terms desired to be admitted to speak with +them. The Spaniards very readily heard what they had to +say, which was this: that they were tired of living in the manner +they did, and that they were not handy enough to make the +necessaries they wanted, and that having no help, they found they +should be starved; but if the Spaniards would give them leave to +take one of the canoes which they came over in, and give them +arms and ammunition proportioned to their defence, they would go +over to the main, and seek their fortunes, and so deliver them +from the trouble of supplying them with any other provisions.</p> +<p>The Spaniards were glad enough to get rid of them, but very +honestly represented to them the certain destruction they were +running into; told them they had suffered such hardships upon +that very spot, that they could, without any spirit of prophecy, +tell them they would be starved or murdered, and bade them +consider of it. The men replied audaciously, they should be +starved if they stayed here, for they could not work, and would +not work, and they could but be starved abroad; and if they were +murdered, there was an end of them; they had no wives or children +to cry after them; and, in short, insisted importunately upon +their demand, declaring they would go, whether they gave them any +arms or not.</p> +<p>The Spaniards told them, with great kindness, that if they +were resolved to go they should not go like naked men, and be in +no condition to defend themselves; and that though they could ill +spare firearms, not having enough for themselves, yet they would +let them have two muskets, a pistol, and a cutlass, and each man +a hatchet, which they thought was sufficient for them. In a +word, they accepted the offer; and having baked bread enough to +serve them a month given them, and as much goats’ flesh as +they could eat while it was sweet, with a great basket of dried +grapes, a pot of fresh water, and a young kid alive, they boldly +set out in the canoe for a voyage over the sea, where it was at +least forty miles broad. The boat, indeed, was a large one, +and would very well have carried fifteen or twenty men, and +therefore was rather too big for them to manage; but as they had +a fair breeze and flood-tide with them, they did well +enough. They had made a mast of a long pole, and a sail of +four large goat-skins dried, which they had sewed or laced +together; and away they went merrily together. The +Spaniards called after them “<i>Bon voyajo</i>;” and +no man ever thought of seeing them any more.</p> +<p>The Spaniards were often saying to one another, and to the two +honest Englishmen who remained behind, how quietly and +comfortably they lived, now these three turbulent fellows were +gone. As for their coming again, that was the remotest +thing from their thoughts that could be imagined; when, behold, +after two-and-twenty days’ absence, one of the Englishmen +being abroad upon his planting work, sees three strange men +coming towards him at a distance, with guns upon their +shoulders.</p> +<p>Away runs the Englishman, frightened and amazed, as if he was +bewitched, to the governor Spaniard, and tells him they were all +undone, for there were strangers upon the island, but he could +not tell who they were. The Spaniard, pausing a while, says +to him, “How do you mean—you cannot tell who? +They are the savages, to be sure.” “No, +no,” says the Englishman, “they are men in clothes, +with arms.” “Nay, then,” says the +Spaniard, “why are you so concerned! If they are not +savages they must be friends; for there is no Christian nation +upon earth but will do us good rather than harm.” +While they were debating thus, came up the three Englishmen, and +standing without the wood, which was new planted, hallooed to +them. They presently knew their voices, and so all the +wonder ceased. But now the admiration was turned upon +another question—What could be the matter, and what made +them come back again?</p> +<p>It was not long before they brought the men in, and inquiring +where they had been, and what they had been doing, they gave them +a full account of their voyage in a few words: that they reached +the land in less than two days, but finding the people alarmed at +their coming, and preparing with bows and arrows to fight them, +they durst not go on shore, but sailed on to the northward six +or seven hours, till they came to a great opening, by which they +perceived that the land they saw from our island was not the +main, but an island: that upon entering that opening of the sea +they saw another island on the right hand north, and several more +west; and being resolved to land somewhere, they put over to one +of the islands which lay west, and went boldly on shore; that +they found the people very courteous and friendly to them; and +they gave them several roots and some dried fish, and appeared +very sociable; and that the women, as well as the men, were very +forward to supply them with anything they could get for them to +eat, and brought it to them a great way, on their heads. +They continued here for four days, and inquired as well as they +could of them by signs, what nations were this way, and that way, +and were told of several fierce and terrible people that lived +almost every way, who, as they made known by signs to them, used +to eat men; but, as for themselves, they said they never ate men +or women, except only such as they took in the wars; and then +they owned they made a great feast, and ate their prisoners.</p> +<p>The Englishmen inquired when they had had a feast of that +kind; and they told them about two moons ago, pointing to the +moon and to two fingers; and that their great king had two +hundred prisoners now, which he had taken in his war, and they +were feeding them to make them fat for the next feast. The +Englishmen seemed mighty desirous of seeing those prisoners; but +the others mistaking them, thought they were desirous to have +some of them to carry away for their own eating. So they +beckoned to them, pointing to the setting of the sun, and then to +the rising; which was to signify that the next morning at +sunrising they would bring some for them; and accordingly the +next morning they brought down five women and eleven men, and +gave them to the Englishmen to carry with them on their voyage, +just as we would bring so many cows and oxen down to a seaport +town to victual a ship.</p> +<p>As brutish and barbarous as these fellows were at home, their +stomachs turned at this sight, and they did not know what to +do. To refuse the prisoners would have been the highest +affront to the savage gentry that could be offered them, and what +to do with them they knew not. However, after some debate, +they resolved to accept of them: and, in return, they gave the +savages that brought them one of their hatchets, an old key, a +knife, and six or seven of their bullets; which, though they did +not understand their use, they seemed particularly pleased with; +and then tying the poor creatures’ hands behind them, they +dragged the prisoners into the boat for our men.</p> +<p>The Englishmen were obliged to come away as soon as they had +them, or else they that gave them this noble present would +certainly have expected that they should have gone to work with +them, have killed two or three of them the next morning, and +perhaps have invited the donors to dinner. But having taken +their leave, with all the respect and thanks that could well pass +between people, where on either side they understood not one word +they could say, they put off with their boat, and came back +towards the first island; where, when they arrived, they set +eight of their prisoners at liberty, there being too many of them +for their occasion. In their voyage they endeavoured to +have some communication with their prisoners; but it was +impossible to make them understand anything. Nothing they +could say to them, or give them, or do for them, but was looked +upon as going to murder them. They first of all unbound +them; but the poor creatures screamed at that, especially the +women, as if they had just felt the knife at their throats; for +they immediately concluded they were unbound on purpose to be +killed. If they gave them thing to eat, it was the same +thing; they then concluded it was for fear they should sink in +flesh, and so not be fat enough to kill. If they looked at +one of them more particularly, the party presently concluded it +was to see whether he or she was fattest, and fittest to kill +first; nay, after they had brought them quite over, and began to +use them kindly, and treat them well, still they expected every +day to make a dinner or supper for their new masters.</p> +<p>When the three wanderers had give this unaccountable history +or journal of their voyage, the Spaniard asked them where their +new family was; and being told that they had brought them on +shore, and put them into one of their huts, and were come up to +beg some victuals for them, they (the Spaniards) and the other +two Englishmen, that is to say, the whole colony, resolved to go +all down to the place and see them; and did so, and +Friday’s father with them. When they came into the +hut, there they sat, all bound; for when they had brought them on +shore they bound their hands that they might not take the boat +and make their escape; there, I say, they sat, all of them stark +naked. First, there were three comely fellows, well shaped, +with straight limbs, about thirty to thirty-five years of age; +and five women, whereof two might be from thirty to forty, two +more about four or five and twenty; and the fifth, a tall, comely +maiden, about seventeen. The women were well-favoured, +agreeable persons, both in shape and features, only tawny; and +two of them, had they been perfect white, would have passed for +very handsome women, even in London, having pleasant +countenances, and of a very modest behaviour; especially when +they came afterwards to be clothed and dressed, though that dress +was very indifferent, it must be confessed.</p> +<p>The sight, you may be sure, was something uncouth to our +Spaniards, who were, to give them a just character, men of the +most calm, sedate tempers, and perfect good humour, that ever I +met with: and, in particular, of the utmost modesty: I say, the +sight was very uncouth, to see three naked men and five naked +women, all together bound, and in the most miserable +circumstances that human nature could be supposed to be, viz. to +be expecting every moment to be dragged out and have their brains +knocked out, and then to be eaten up like a calf that is killed +for a dainty.</p> +<p>The first thing they did was to cause the old Indian, +Friday’s father, to go in, and see first if he knew any of +them, and then if he understood any of their speech. As +soon as the old man came in, he looked seriously at them, but +knew none of them; neither could any of them understand a word he +said, or a sign he could make, except one of the women. +However, this was enough to answer the end, which was to satisfy +them that the men into whose hands they were fallen were +Christians; that they abhorred eating men or women; and that they +might be sure they would not be killed. As soon as they +were assured of this, they discovered such a joy, and by such +awkward gestures, several ways, as is hard to describe; for it +seems they were of several nations. The woman who was their +interpreter was bid, in the next place, to ask them if they were +willing to be servants, and to work for the men who had brought +them away, to save their lives; at which they all fell a-dancing; +and presently one fell to taking up this, and another that, +anything that lay next, to carry on their shoulders, to intimate +they were willing to work.</p> +<p>The governor, who found that the having women among them would +presently be attended with some inconvenience, and might occasion +some strife, and perhaps blood, asked the three men what they +intended to do with these women, and how they intended to use +them, whether as servants or as wives? One of the +Englishmen answered, very boldly and readily, that they would use +them as both; to which the governor said: “I am not going +to restrain you from it—you are your own masters as to +that; but this I think is but just, for avoiding disorders and +quarrels among you, and I desire it of you for that reason only, +viz. that you will all engage, that if any of you take any of +these women as a wife, he shall take but one; and that having +taken one, none else shall touch her; for though we cannot marry +any one of you, yet it is but reasonable that, while you stay +here, the woman any of you takes shall be maintained by the man +that takes her, and should be his wife—I mean,” says +he, “while he continues here, and that none else shall have +anything to do with her.” All this appeared so just, +that every one agreed to it without any difficulty.</p> +<p>Then the Englishmen asked the Spaniards if they designed to +take any of them? But every one of them answered +“No.” Some of them said they had wives in +Spain, and the others did not like women that were not +Christians; and all together declared that they would not touch +one of them, which was an instance of such virtue as I have not +met with in all my travels. On the other hand, the five +Englishmen took them every one a wife, that is to say, a +temporary wife; and so they set up a new form of living; for the +Spaniards and Friday’s father lived in my old habitation, +which they had enlarged exceedingly within. The three +servants which were taken in the last battle of the savages lived +with them; and these carried on the main part of the colony, +supplied all the rest with food, and assisted them in anything as +they could, or as they found necessity required.</p> +<p>But the wonder of the story was, how five such refractory, +ill-matched fellows should agree about these women, and that some +two of them should not choose the same woman, especially seeing +two or three of them were, without comparison, more agreeable +than the others; but they took a good way enough to prevent +quarrelling among themselves, for they set the five women by +themselves in one of their huts, and they went all into the other +hut, and drew lots among them who should choose first.</p> +<p>Him that drew to choose first went away by himself to the hut +where the poor naked creatures were, and fetched out her he +chose; and it was worth observing, that he that chose first took +her that was reckoned the homeliest and oldest of the five, which +made mirth enough amongst the rest; and even the Spaniards +laughed at it; but the fellow considered better than any of them, +that it was application and business they were to expect +assistance in, as much as in anything else; and she proved the +best wife of all the parcel.</p> +<p>When the poor women saw themselves set in a row thus, and +fetched out one by one, the terrors of their condition returned +upon them again, and they firmly believed they were now going to +be devoured. Accordingly, when the English sailor came in +and fetched out one of them, the rest set up a most lamentable +cry, and hung about her, and took their leave of her with such +agonies and affection as would have grieved the hardest heart in +the world: nor was it possible for the Englishmen to satisfy them +that they were not to be immediately murdered, till they fetched +the old man, Friday’s father, who immediately let them know +that the five men, who were to fetch them out one by one, had +chosen them for their wives. When they had done, and the +fright the women were in was a little over, the men went to work, +and the Spaniards came and helped them: and in a few hours they +had built them every one a new hut or tent for their lodging +apart; for those they had already were crowded with their tools, +household stuff, and provisions. The three wicked ones had +pitched farthest off, and the two honest ones nearer, but both on +the north shore of the island, so that they continued separated +as before; and thus my island was peopled in three places, and, +as I might say, three towns were begun to be built.</p> +<p>And here it is very well worth observing that, as it often +happens in the world (what the wise ends in God’s +providence are, in such a disposition of things, I cannot say), +the two honest fellows had the two worst wives; and the three +reprobates, that were scarce worth hanging, that were fit for +nothing, and neither seemed born to do themselves good nor any +one else, had three clever, careful, and ingenious wives; not +that the first two were bad wives as to their temper or humour, +for all the five were most willing, quiet, passive, and subjected +creatures, rather like slaves than wives; but my meaning is, they +were not alike capable, ingenious, or industrious, or alike +cleanly and neat. Another observation I must make, to the +honour of a diligent application on one hand, and to the disgrace +of a slothful, negligent, idle temper on the other, that when I +came to the place, and viewed the several improvements, +plantings, and management of the several little colonies, the two +men had so far out-gone the three, that there was no +comparison. They had, indeed, both of them as much ground +laid out for corn as they wanted, and the reason was, because, +according to my rule, nature dictated that it was to no purpose +to sow more corn than they wanted; but the difference of the +cultivation, of the planting, of the fences, and indeed, of +everything else, was easy to be seen at first view.</p> +<p>The two men had innumerable young trees planted about their +huts, so that, when you came to the place, nothing was to be seen +but a wood; and though they had twice had their plantation +demolished, once by their own countrymen, and once by the enemy, +as shall be shown in its place, yet they had restored all again, +and everything was thriving and flourishing about them; they had +grapes planted in order, and managed like a vineyard, though they +had themselves never seen anything of that kind; and by their +good ordering their vines, their grapes were as good again as any +of the others. They had also found themselves out a retreat +in the thickest part of the woods, where, though there was not a +natural cave, as I had found, yet they made one with incessant +labour of their hands, and where, when the mischief which +followed happened, they secured their wives and children so as +they could never be found; they having, by sticking innumerable +stakes and poles of the wood which, as I said, grew so readily, +made the grove impassable, except in some places, when they +climbed up to get over the outside part, and then went on by ways +of their own leaving.</p> +<p>As to the three reprobates, as I justly call them, though they +were much civilised by their settlement compared to what they +were before, and were not so quarrelsome, having not the same +opportunity; yet one of the certain companions of a profligate +mind never left them, and that was their idleness. It is +true, they planted corn and made fences; but Solomon’s +words were never better verified than in them, “I went by +the vineyard of the slothful, and it was all overgrown with +thorns”: for when the Spaniards came to view their crop +they could not see it in some places for weeds, the hedge had +several gaps in it, where the wild goats had got in and eaten up +the corn; perhaps here and there a dead bush was crammed in, to +stop them out for the present, but it was only shutting the +stable-door after the steed was stolen. Whereas, when they +looked on the colony of the other two, there was the very face of +industry and success upon all they did; there was not a weed to +be seen in all their corn, or a gap in any of their hedges; and +they, on the other hand, verified Solomon’s words in +another place, “that the diligent hand maketh rich”; +for everything grew and thrived, and they had plenty within and +without; they had more tame cattle than the others, more utensils +and necessaries within doors, and yet more pleasure and diversion +too.</p> +<p>It is true, the wives of the three were very handy and cleanly +within doors; and having learned the English ways of dressing, +and cooking from one of the other Englishmen, who, as I said, was +a cook’s mate on board the ship, they dressed their +husbands’ victuals very nicely and well; whereas the others +could not be brought to understand it; but then the husband, who, +as I say, had been cook’s mate, did it himself. But +as for the husbands of the three wives, they loitered about, +fetched turtles’ eggs, and caught fish and birds: in a +word, anything but labour; and they fared accordingly. The +diligent lived well and comfortably, and the slothful hard and +beggarly; and so, I believe, generally speaking, it is all over +the world.</p> +<p>But I now come to a scene different from all that had happened +before, either to them or to me; and the origin of the story was +this: Early one morning there came on shore five or six canoes of +Indians or savages, call them which you please, and there is no +room to doubt they came upon the old errand of feeding upon their +slaves; but that part was now so familiar to the Spaniards, and +to our men too, that they did not concern themselves about it, as +I did: but having been made sensible, by their experience, that +their only business was to lie concealed, and that if they were +not seen by any of the savages they would go off again quietly, +when their business was done, having as yet not the least notion +of there being any inhabitants in the island; I say, having been +made sensible of this, they had nothing to do but to give notice +to all the three plantations to keep within doors, and not show +themselves, only placing a scout in a proper place, to give +notice when the boats went to sea again.</p> +<p>This was, without doubt, very right; but a disaster spoiled +all these measures, and made it known among the savages that +there were inhabitants there; which was, in the end, the +desolation of almost the whole colony. After the canoes +with the savages were gone off, the Spaniards peeped abroad +again; and some of them had the curiosity to go to the place +where they had been, to see what they had been doing. Here, +to their great surprise, they found three savages left behind, +and lying fast asleep upon the ground. It was supposed they +had either been so gorged with their inhuman feast, that, like +beasts, they were fallen asleep, and would not stir when the +others went, or they had wandered into the woods, and did not +come back in time to be taken in.</p> +<p>The Spaniards were greatly surprised at this sight and +perfectly at a loss what to do. The Spaniard governor, as +it happened, was with them, and his advice was asked, but he +professed he knew not what to do. As for slaves, they had +enough already; and as to killing them, there were none of them +inclined to do that: the Spaniard governor told me they could not +think of shedding innocent blood; for as to them, the poor +creatures had done them no wrong, invaded none of their property, +and they thought they had no just quarrel against them, to take +away their lives. And here I must, in justice to these +Spaniards, observe that, let the accounts of Spanish cruelty in +Mexico and Peru be what they will, I never met with seventeen men +of any nation whatsoever, in any foreign country, who were so +universally modest, temperate, virtuous, so very good-humoured, +and so courteous, as these Spaniards: and as to cruelty, they had +nothing of it in their very nature; no inhumanity, no barbarity, +no outrageous passions; and yet all of them men of great courage +and spirit. Their temper and calmness had appeared in their +bearing the insufferable usage of the three Englishmen; and their +justice and humanity appeared now in the case of the savages +above. After some consultation they resolved upon this; +that they would lie still a while longer, till, if possible, +these three men might be gone. But then the governor +recollected that the three savages had no boat; and if they were +left to rove about the island, they would certainly discover that +there were inhabitants in it; and so they should be undone that +way. Upon this, they went back again, and there lay the +fellows fast asleep still, and so they resolved to awaken them, +and take them prisoners; and they did so. The poor fellows +were strangely frightened when they were seized upon and bound; +and afraid, like the women, that they should be murdered and +eaten: for it seems those people think all the world does as they +do, in eating men’s flesh; but they were soon made easy as +to that, and away they carried them.</p> +<p>It was very happy for them that they did not carry them home +to the castle, I mean to my palace under the hill; but they +carried them first to the bower, where was the chief of their +country work, such as the keeping the goats, the planting the +corn, &c.; and afterward they carried them to the habitation +of the two Englishmen. Here they were set to work, though +it was not much they had for them to do; and whether it was by +negligence in guarding them, or that they thought the fellows +could not mend themselves, I know not, but one of them ran away, +and, taking to the woods, they could never hear of him any +more. They had good reason to believe he got home again +soon after in some other boats or canoes of savages who came on +shore three or four weeks afterwards, and who, carrying on their +revels as usual, went off in two days’ time. This +thought terrified them exceedingly; for they concluded, and that +not without good cause indeed, that if this fellow came home safe +among his comrades, he would certainly give them an account that +there were people in the island, and also how few and weak they +were; for this savage, as observed before, had never been told, +and it was very happy he had not, how many there were or where +they lived; nor had he ever seen or heard the fire of any of +their guns, much less had they shown him any of their other +retired places; such as the cave in the valley, or the new +retreat which the two Englishmen had made, and the like.</p> +<p>The first testimony they had that this fellow had given +intelligence of them was, that about two months after this six +canoes of savages, with about seven, eight, or ten men in a +canoe, came rowing along the north side of the island, where they +never used to come before, and landed, about an hour after +sunrise, at a convenient place, about a mile from the habitation +of the two Englishmen, where this escaped man had been +kept. As the chief Spaniard said, had they been all there +the damage would not have been so much, for not a man of them +would have escaped; but the case differed now very much, for two +men to fifty was too much odds. The two men had the +happiness to discover them about a league off, so that it was +above an hour before they landed; and as they landed a mile from +their huts, it was some time before they could come at +them. Now, having great reason to believe that they were +betrayed, the first thing they did was to bind the two slaves +which were left, and cause two of the three men whom they brought +with the women (who, it seems, proved very faithful to them) to +lead them, with their two wives, and whatever they could carry +away with them, to their retired places in the woods, which I +have spoken of above, and there to bind the two fellows hand and +foot, till they heard farther. In the next place, seeing +the savages were all come on shore, and that they had bent their +course directly that way, they opened the fences where the milch +cows were kept, and drove them all out; leaving their goats to +straggle in the woods, whither they pleased, that the savages +might think they were all bred wild; but the rogue who came with +them was too cunning for that, and gave them an account of it +all, for they went directly to the place.</p> +<p>When the two poor frightened men had secured their wives and +goods, they sent the other slave they had of the three who came +with the women, and who was at their place by accident, away to +the Spaniards with all speed, to give them the alarm, and desire +speedy help, and, in the meantime, they took their arms and what +ammunition they had, and retreated towards the place in the wood +where their wives were sent; keeping at a distance, yet so that +they might see, if possible, which way the savages took. +They had not gone far but that from a rising ground they could +see the little army of their enemies come on directly to their +habitation, and, in a moment more, could see all their huts and +household stuff flaming up together, to their great grief and +mortification; for this was a great loss to them, irretrievable, +indeed, for some time. They kept their station for a while, +till they found the savages, like wild beasts, spread themselves +all over the place, rummaging every way, and every place they +could think of, in search of prey; and in particular for the +people, of whom now it plainly appeared they had +intelligence.</p> +<p>The two Englishmen seeing this, thinking themselves not secure +where they stood, because it was likely some of the wild people +might come that way, and they might come too many together, +thought it proper to make another retreat about half a mile +farther; believing, as it afterwards happened, that the further +they strolled, the fewer would be together. Their next halt +was at the entrance into a very thick-grown part of the woods, +and where an old trunk of a tree stood, which was hollow and very +large; and in this tree they both took their standing, resolving +to see there what might offer. They had not stood there +long before two of the savages appeared running directly that +way, as if they had already had notice where they stood, and were +coming up to attack them; and a little way farther they espied +three more coming after them, and five more beyond them, all +coming the same way; besides which, they saw seven or eight more +at a distance, running another way; for in a word, they ran every +way, like sportsmen beating for their game.</p> +<p>The poor men were now in great perplexity whether they should +stand and keep their posture or fly; but after a very short +debate with themselves, they considered that if the savages +ranged the country thus before help came, they might perhaps find +their retreat in the woods, and then all would be lost; so they +resolved to stand them there, and if they were too many to deal +with, then they would get up to the top of the tree, from whence +they doubted not to defend themselves, fire excepted, as long as +their ammunition lasted, though all the savages that were landed, +which was near fifty, were to attack them.</p> +<p>Having resolved upon this, they next considered whether they +should fire at the first two, or wait for the three, and so take +the middle party, by which the two and the five that followed +would be separated; at length they resolved to let the first two +pass by, unless they should spy them the tree, and come to attack +them. The first two savages confirmed them also in this +resolution, by turning a little from them towards another part of +the wood; but the three, and the five after them, came forward +directly to the tree, as if they had known the Englishmen were +there. Seeing them come so straight towards them, they +resolved to take them in a line as they came: and as they +resolved to fire but one at a time, perhaps the first shot might +hit them all three; for which purpose the man who was to fire put +three or four small bullets into his piece; and having a fair +loophole, as it were, from a broken hole in the tree, he took a +sure aim, without being seen, waiting till they were within about +thirty yards of the tree, so that he could not miss.</p> +<p>While they were thus waiting, and the savages came on, they +plainly saw that one of the three was the runaway savage that had +escaped from them; and they both knew him distinctly, and +resolved that, if possible, he should not escape, though they +should both fire; so the other stood ready with his piece, that +if he did not drop at the first shot, he should be sure to have a +second. But the first was too good a marksman to miss his +aim; for as the savages kept near one another, a little behind in +a line, he fired, and hit two of them directly; the foremost was +killed outright, being shot in the head; the second, which was +the runaway Indian, was shot through the body, and fell, but was +not quite dead; and the third had a little scratch in the +shoulder, perhaps by the same ball that went through the body of +the second; and being dreadfully frightened, though not so much +hurt, sat down upon the ground, screaming and yelling in a +hideous manner.</p> +<p>The five that were behind, more frightened with the noise than +sensible of the danger, stood still at first; for the woods made +the sound a thousand times bigger than it really was, the echoes +rattling from one side to another, and the fowls rising from all +parts, screaming, and every sort making a different noise, +according to their kind; just as it was when I fired the first +gun that perhaps was ever shot off in the island.</p> +<p>However, all being silent again, and they not knowing what the +matter was, came on unconcerned, till they came to the place +where their companions lay in a condition miserable enough. +Here the poor ignorant creatures, not sensible that they were +within reach of the same mischief, stood all together over the +wounded man, talking, and, as may be supposed, inquiring of him +how he came to be hurt; and who, it is very rational to believe, +told them that a flash of fire first, and immediately after that +thunder from their gods, had killed those two and wounded +him. This, I say, is rational; for nothing is more certain +than that, as they saw no man near them, so they had never heard +a gun in all their lives, nor so much as heard of a gun; neither +knew they anything of killing and wounding at a distance with +fire and bullets: if they had, one might reasonably believe they +would not have stood so unconcerned to view the fate of their +fellows, without some apprehensions of their own.</p> +<p>Our two men, as they confessed to me, were grieved to be +obliged to kill so many poor creatures, who had no notion of +their danger; yet, having them all thus in their power, and the +first having loaded his piece again, resolved to let fly both +together among them; and singling out, by agreement, which to aim +at, they shot together, and killed, or very much wounded, four of +them; the fifth, frightened even to death, though not hurt, fell +with the rest; so that our men, seeing them all fall together, +thought they had killed them all.</p> +<p>The belief that the savages were all killed made our two men +come boldly out from the tree before they had charged their guns, +which was a wrong step; and they were under some surprise when +they came to the place, and found no less than four of them +alive, and of them two very little hurt, and one not at +all. This obliged them to fall upon them with the stocks of +their muskets; and first they made sure of the runaway savage, +that had been the cause of all the mischief, and of another that +was hurt in the knee, and put them out of their pain; then the +man that was not hurt at all came and kneeled down to them, with +his two hands held up, and made piteous moans to them, by +gestures and signs, for his life, but could not say one word to +them that they could understand. However, they made signs +to him to sit down at the foot of a tree hard by; and one of the +Englishmen, with a piece of rope-yarn, which he had by great +chance in his pocket, tied his two hands behind him, and there +they left him; and with what speed they could made after the +other two, which were gone before, fearing they, or any more of +them, should find way to their covered place in the woods, where +their wives, and the few goods they had left, lay. They +came once in sight of the two men, but it was at a great +distance; however, they had the satisfaction to see them cross +over a valley towards the sea, quite the contrary way from that +which led to their retreat, which they were afraid of; and being +satisfied with that, they went back to the tree where they left +their prisoner, who, as they supposed, was delivered by his +comrades, for he was gone, and the two pieces of rope-yarn with +which they had bound him lay just at the foot of the tree.</p> +<p>They were now in as great concern as before, not knowing what +course to take, or how near the enemy might be, or in what +number; so they resolved to go away to the place where their +wives were, to see if all was well there, and to make them +easy. These were in fright enough, to be sure; for though +the savages were their own countrymen, yet they were most +terribly afraid of them, and perhaps the more for the knowledge +they had of them. When they came there, they found the +savages had been in the wood, and very near that place, but had +not found it; for it was indeed inaccessible, from the trees +standing so thick, unless the persons seeking it had been +directed by those that knew it, which these did not: they found, +therefore, everything very safe, only the women in a terrible +fright. While they were here they had the comfort to have +seven of the Spaniards come to their assistance; the other ten, +with their servants, and Friday’s father, were gone in a +body to defend their bower, and the corn and cattle that were +kept there, in case the savages should have roved over to that +side of the country, but they did not spread so far. With +the seven Spaniards came one of the three savages, who, as I +said, were their prisoners formerly; and with them also came the +savage whom the Englishmen had left bound hand and foot at the +tree; for it seems they came that way, saw the slaughter of the +seven men, and unbound the eighth, and brought him along with +them; where, however, they were obliged to bind again, as they +had the two others who were left when the third ran away.</p> +<p>The prisoners now began to be a burden to them; and they were +so afraid of their escaping, that they were once resolving to +kill them all, believing they were under an absolute necessity to +do so for their own preservation. However, the chief of the +Spaniards would not consent to it, but ordered, for the present, +that they should be sent out of the way to my old cave in the +valley, and be kept there, with two Spaniards to guard them, and +have food for their subsistence, which was done; and they were +bound there hand and foot for that night.</p> +<p>When the Spaniards came, the two Englishmen were so +encouraged, that they could not satisfy themselves to stay any +longer there; but taking five of the Spaniards, and themselves, +with four muskets and a pistol among them, and two stout +quarter-staves, away they went in quest of the savages. And +first they came to the tree where the men lay that had been +killed; but it was easy to see that some more of the savages had +been there, for they had attempted to carry their dead men away, +and had dragged two of them a good way, but had given it +over. From thence they advanced to the first rising ground, +where they had stood and seen their camp destroyed, and where +they had the mortification still to see some of the smoke; but +neither could they here see any of the savages. They then +resolved, though with all possible caution, to go forward towards +their ruined plantation; but, a little before they came thither, +coming in sight of the sea-shore, they saw plainly the savages +all embarked again in their canoes, in order to be gone. +They seemed sorry at first that there was no way to come at them, +to give them a parting blow; but, upon the whole, they were very +well satisfied to be rid of them.</p> +<p>The poor Englishmen being now twice ruined, and all their +improvements destroyed, the rest all agreed to come and help them +to rebuild, and assist them with needful supplies. Their +three countrymen, who were not yet noted for having the least +inclination to do any good, yet as soon as they heard of it (for +they, living remote eastward, knew nothing of the matter till all +was over), came and offered their help and assistance, and did, +very friendly, work for several days to restore their habitation +and make necessaries for them. And thus in a little time +they were set upon their legs again.</p> +<p>About two days after this they had the farther satisfaction of +seeing three of the savages’ canoes come driving on shore, +and, at some distance from them, two drowned men, by which they +had reason to believe that they had met with a storm at sea, +which had overset some of them; for it had blown very hard the +night after they went off. However, as some might miscarry, +so, on the other hand, enough of them escaped to inform the rest, +as well of what they had done as of what had happened to them; +and to whet them on to another enterprise of the same nature, +which they, it seems, resolved to attempt, with sufficient force +to carry all before them; for except what the first man had told +them of inhabitants, they could say little of it of their own +knowledge, for they never saw one man; and the fellow being +killed that had affirmed it, they had no other witness to confirm +it to, them.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER V—A GREAT VICTORY</h2> +<p>It was five or six months after this before they heard any +more of the savages, in which time our men were in hopes they had +either forgot their former bad luck, or given over hopes of +better; when, on a sudden, they were invaded with a most +formidable fleet of no less than eight-and-twenty canoes, full of +savages, armed with bows and arrows, great clubs, wooden swords, +and such like engines of war; and they brought such numbers with +them, that, in short, it put all our people into the utmost +consternation.</p> +<p>As they came on shore in the evening, and at the easternmost +side of the island, our men had that night to consult and +consider what to do. In the first place, knowing that their +being entirely concealed was their only safety before and would +be much more so now, while the number of their enemies would be +so great, they resolved, first of all, to take down the huts +which were built for the two Englishmen, and drive away their +goats to the old cave; because they supposed the savages would go +directly thither, as soon as it was day, to play the old game +over again, though they did not now land within two leagues of +it. In the next place, they drove away all the flocks of +goats they had at the old bower, as I called it, which belonged +to the Spaniards; and, in short, left as little appearance of +inhabitants anywhere as was possible; and the next morning early +they posted themselves, with all their force, at the plantation +of the two men, to wait for their coming. As they guessed, +so it happened: these new invaders, leaving their canoes at the +east end of the island, came ranging along the shore, directly +towards the place, to the number of two hundred and fifty, as +near as our men could judge. Our army was but small indeed; +but, that which was worse, they had not arms for all their +number. The whole account, it seems, stood thus: first, as +to men, seventeen Spaniards, five Englishmen, old Friday, the +three slaves taken with the women, who proved very faithful, and +three other slaves, who lived with the Spaniards. To arm +these, they had eleven muskets, five pistols, three +fowling-pieces, five muskets or fowling-pieces which were taken +by me from the mutinous seamen whom I reduced, two swords, and +three old halberds.</p> +<p>To their slaves they did not give either musket or fusee; but +they had each a halberd, or a long staff, like a quarter-staff, +with a great spike of iron fastened into each end of it, and by +his side a hatchet; also every one of our men had a +hatchet. Two of the women could not be prevailed upon but +they would come into the fight, and they had bows and arrows, +which the Spaniards had taken from the savages when the first +action happened, which I have spoken of, where the Indians fought +with one another; and the women had hatchets too.</p> +<p>The chief Spaniard, whom I described so often, commanded the +whole; and Will Atkins, who, though a dreadful fellow for +wickedness, was a most daring, bold fellow, commanded under +him. The savages came forward like lions; and our men, +which was the worst of their fate, had no advantage in their +situation; only that Will Atkins, who now proved a most useful +fellow, with six men, was planted just behind a small thicket of +bushes as an advanced guard, with orders to let the first of them +pass by and then fire into the middle of them, and as soon as he +had fired, to make his retreat as nimbly as he could round a part +of the wood, and so come in behind the Spaniards, where they +stood, having a thicket of trees before them.</p> +<p>When the savages came on, they ran straggling about every way +in heaps, out of all manner of order, and Will Atkins let about +fifty of them pass by him; then seeing the rest come in a very +thick throng, he orders three of his men to fire, having loaded +their muskets with six or seven bullets apiece, about as big as +large pistol-bullets. How many they killed or wounded they +knew not, but the consternation and surprise was inexpressible +among the savages; they were frightened to the last degree to +hear such a dreadful noise, and see their men killed, and others +hurt, but see nobody that did it; when, in the middle of their +fright, Will Atkins and his other three let fly again among the +thickest of them; and in less than a minute the first three, +being loaded again, gave them a third volley.</p> +<p>Had Will Atkins and his men retired immediately, as soon as +they had fired, as they were ordered to do, or had the rest of +the body been at hand to have poured in their shot continually, +the savages had been effectually routed; for the terror that was +among them came principally from this, that they were killed by +the gods with thunder and lightning, and could see nobody that +hurt them. But Will Atkins, staying to load again, +discovered the cheat: some of the savages who were at a distance +spying them, came upon them behind; and though Atkins and his men +fired at them also, two or three times, and killed above twenty, +retiring as fast as they could, yet they wounded Atkins himself, +and killed one of his fellow-Englishmen with their arrows, as +they did afterwards one Spaniard, and one of the Indian slaves +who came with the women. This slave was a most gallant +fellow, and fought most desperately, killing five of them with +his own hand, having no weapon but one of the armed staves and a +hatchet.</p> +<p>Our men being thus hard laid at, Atkins wounded, and two other +men killed, retreated to a rising ground in the wood; and the +Spaniards, after firing three volleys upon them, retreated also; +for their number was so great, and they were so desperate, that +though above fifty of them were killed, and more than as many +wounded, yet they came on in the teeth of our men, fearless of +danger, and shot their arrows like a cloud; and it was observed +that their wounded men, who were not quite disabled, were made +outrageous by their wounds, and fought like madmen.</p> +<p>When our men retreated, they left the Spaniard and the +Englishman that were killed behind them: and the savages, when +they came up to them, killed them over again in a wretched +manner, breaking their arms, legs, and heads, with their clubs +and wooden swords, like true savages; but finding our men were +gone, they did not seem inclined to pursue them, but drew +themselves up in a ring, which is, it seems, their custom, and +shouted twice, in token of their victory; after which, they had +the mortification to see several of their wounded men fall, dying +with the mere loss of blood.</p> +<p>The Spaniard governor having drawn his little body up together +upon a rising ground, Atkins, though he was wounded, would have +had them march and charge again all together at once: but the +Spaniard replied, “Seignior Atkins, you see how their +wounded men fight; let them alone till morning; all the wounded +men will be stiff and sore with their wounds, and faint with the +loss of blood; and so we shall have the fewer to +engage.” This advice was good: but Will Atkins +replied merrily, “That is true, seignior, and so shall I +too; and that is the reason I would go on while I am +warm.” “Well, Seignior Atkins,” says the +Spaniard, “you have behaved gallantly, and done your part; +we will fight for you if you cannot come on; but I think it best +to stay till morning:” so they waited.</p> +<p>But as it was a clear moonlight night, and they found the +savages in great disorder about their dead and wounded men, and a +great noise and hurry among them where they lay, they afterwards +resolved to fall upon them in the night, especially if they could +come to give them but one volley before they were discovered, +which they had a fair opportunity to do; for one of the +Englishmen in whose quarter it was where the fight began, led +them round between the woods and the seaside westward, and then +turning short south, they came so near where the thickest of them +lay, that before they were seen or heard eight of them fired in +among them, and did dreadful execution upon them; in half a +minute more eight others fired after them, pouring in their small +shot in such a quantity that abundance were killed and wounded; +and all this while they were not able to see who hurt them, or +which way to fly.</p> +<p>The Spaniards charged again with the utmost expedition, and +then divided themselves into three bodies, and resolved to fall +in among them all together. They had in each body eight +persons, that is to say, twenty-two men and the two women, who, +by the way, fought desperately. They divided the firearms +equally in each party, as well as the halberds and staves. +They would have had the women kept back, but they said they were +resolved to die with their husbands. Having thus formed +their little army, they marched out from among the trees, and +came up to the teeth of the enemy, shouting and hallooing as loud +as they could; the savages stood all together, but were in the +utmost confusion, hearing the noise of our men shouting from +three quarters together. They would have fought if they had +seen us; for as soon as we came near enough to be seen, some +arrows were shot, and poor old Friday was wounded, though not +dangerously. But our men gave them no time, but running up +to them, fired among them three ways, and then fell in with the +butt-ends of their muskets, their swords, armed staves, and +hatchets, and laid about them so well that, in a word, they set +up a dismal screaming and howling, flying to save their lives +which way soever they could.</p> +<p>Our men were tired with the execution, and killed or mortally +wounded in the two fights about one hundred and eighty of them; +the rest, being frightened out of their wits, scoured through the +woods and over the hills, with all the speed that fear and nimble +feet could help them to; and as we did not trouble ourselves much +to pursue them, they got all together to the seaside, where they +landed, and where their canoes lay. But their disaster was +not at an end yet; for it blew a terrible storm of wind that +evening from the sea, so that it was impossible for them to go +off; nay, the storm continuing all night, when the tide came up +their canoes were most of them driven by the surge of the sea so +high upon the shore that it required infinite toil to get them +off; and some of them were even dashed to pieces against the +beach. Our men, though glad of their victory, yet got +little rest that night; but having refreshed themselves as well +as they could, they resolved to march to that part of the island +where the savages were fled, and see what posture they were +in. This necessarily led them over the place where the +fight had been, and where they found several of the poor +creatures not quite dead, and yet past recovering life; a sight +disagreeable enough to generous minds, for a truly great man +though obliged by the law of battle to destroy his enemy, takes +no delight in his misery. However, there was no need to +give any orders in this case; for their own savages, who were +their servants, despatched these poor creatures with their +hatchets.</p> +<p>At length they came in view of the place where the more +miserable remains of the savages’ army lay, where there +appeared about a hundred still; their posture was generally +sitting upon the ground, with their knees up towards their mouth, +and the head put between the two hands, leaning down upon the +knees. When our men came within two musket-shots of them, +the Spaniard governor ordered two muskets to be fired without +ball, to alarm them; this he did, that by their countenance he +might know what to expect, whether they were still in heart to +fight, or were so heartily beaten as to be discouraged, and so he +might manage accordingly. This stratagem took: for as soon +as the savages heard the first gun, and saw the flash of the +second, they started up upon their feet in the greatest +consternation imaginable; and as our men advanced swiftly towards +them, they all ran screaming and yelling away, with a kind of +howling noise, which our men did not understand, and had never +heard before; and thus they ran up the hills into the +country.</p> +<p>At first our men had much rather the weather had been calm, +and they had all gone away to sea: but they did not then consider +that this might probably have been the occasion of their coming +again in such multitudes as not to be resisted, or, at least, to +come so many and so often as would quite desolate the island, and +starve them. Will Atkins, therefore, who notwithstanding +his wound kept always with them, proved the best counsellor in +this case: his advice was, to take the advantage that offered, +and step in between them and their boats, and so deprive them of +the capacity of ever returning any more to plague the +island. They consulted long about this; and some were +against it for fear of making the wretches fly to the woods and +live there desperate, and so they should have them to hunt like +wild beasts, be afraid to stir out about their business, and have +their plantations continually rifled, all their tame goats +destroyed, and, in short, be reduced to a life of continual +distress.</p> +<p>Will Atkins told them they had better have to do with a +hundred men than with a hundred nations; that, as they must +destroy their boats, so they must destroy the men, or be all of +them destroyed themselves. In a word, he showed them the +necessity of it so plainly that they all came into it; so they +went to work immediately with the boats, and getting some dry +wood together from a dead tree, they tried to set some of them on +fire, but they were so wet that they would not burn; however, the +fire so burned the upper part that it soon made them unfit for +use at sea.</p> +<p>When the Indians saw what they were about, some of them came +running out of the woods, and coming as near as they could to our +men, kneeled down and cried, “Oa, Oa, Waramokoa,” and +some other words of their language, which none of the others +understood anything of; but as they made pitiful gestures and +strange noises, it was easy to understand they begged to have +their boats spared, and that they would be gone, and never come +there again. But our men were now satisfied that they had +no way to preserve themselves, or to save their colony, but +effectually to prevent any of these people from ever going home +again; depending upon this, that if even so much as one of them +got back into their country to tell the story, the colony was +undone; so that, letting them know that they should not have any +mercy, they fell to work with their canoes, and destroyed every +one that the storm had not destroyed before; at the sight of +which, the savages raised a hideous cry in the woods, which our +people heard plain enough, after which they ran about the island +like distracted men, so that, in a word, our men did not really +know what at first to do with them. Nor did the Spaniards, +with all their prudence, consider that while they made those +people thus desperate, they ought to have kept a good guard at +the same time upon their plantations; for though it is true they +had driven away their cattle, and the Indians did not find out +their main retreat, I mean my old castle at the hill, nor the +cave in the valley, yet they found out my plantation at the +bower, and pulled it all to pieces, and all the fences and +planting about it; trod all the corn under foot, tore up the +vines and grapes, being just then almost ripe, and did our men +inestimable damage, though to themselves not one farthing’s +worth of service.</p> +<p>Though our men were able to fight them upon all occasions, yet +they were in no condition to pursue them, or hunt them up and +down; for as they were too nimble of foot for our people when +they found them single, so our men durst not go abroad single, +for fear of being surrounded with their numbers. The best +was they had no weapons; for though they had bows, they had no +arrows left, nor any materials to make any; nor had they any +edge-tool among them. The extremity and distress they were +reduced to was great, and indeed deplorable; but, at the same +time, our men were also brought to very bad circumstances by +them, for though their retreats were preserved, yet their +provision was destroyed, and their harvest spoiled, and what to +do, or which way to turn themselves, they knew not. The +only refuge they had now was the stock of cattle they had in the +valley by the cave, and some little corn which grew there, and +the plantation of the three Englishmen. Will Atkins and his +comrades were now reduced to two; one of them being killed by an +arrow, which struck him on the side of his head, just under the +temple, so that he never spoke more; and it was very remarkable +that this was the same barbarous fellow that cut the poor savage +slave with his hatchet, and who afterwards intended to have +murdered the Spaniards.</p> +<p>I looked upon their case to have been worse at this time than +mine was at any time, after I first discovered the grains of +barley and rice, and got into the manner of planting and raising +my corn, and my tame cattle; for now they had, as I may say, a +hundred wolves upon the island, which would devour everything +they could come at, yet could be hardly come at themselves.</p> +<p>When they saw what their circumstances were, the first thing +they concluded was, that they would, if possible, drive the +savages up to the farther part of the island, south-west, that if +any more came on shore they might not find one another; then, +that they would daily hunt and harass them, and kill as many of +them as they could come at, till they had reduced their number; +and if they could at last tame them, and bring them to anything, +they would give them corn, and teach them how to plant, and live +upon their daily labour. In order to do this, they so +followed them, and so terrified them with their guns, that in a +few days, if any of them fired a gun at an Indian, if he did not +hit him, yet he would fall down for fear. So dreadfully +frightened were they that they kept out of sight farther and +farther; till at last our men followed them, and almost every day +killing or wounding some of them, they kept up in the woods or +hollow places so much, that it reduced them to the utmost misery +for want of food; and many were afterwards found dead in the +woods, without any hurt, absolutely starved to death.</p> +<p>When our men found this, it made their hearts relent, and pity +moved them, especially the generous-minded Spaniard governor; and +he proposed, if possible, to take one of them alive and bring him +to understand what they meant, so far as to be able to act as +interpreter, and go among them and see if they might be brought +to some conditions that might be depended upon, to save their +lives and do us no harm.</p> +<p>It was some while before any of them could be taken; but being +weak and half-starved, one of them was at last surprised and made +a prisoner. He was sullen at first, and would neither eat +nor drink; but finding himself kindly used, and victuals given to +him, and no violence offered him, he at last grew tractable, and +came to himself. They often brought old Friday to talk to +him, who always told him how kind the others would be to them +all; that they would not only save their lives, but give them +part of the island to live in, provided they would give +satisfaction that they would keep in their own bounds, and not +come beyond it to injure or prejudice others; and that they +should have corn given them to plant and make it grow for their +bread, and some bread given them for their present subsistence; +and old Friday bade the fellow go and talk with the rest of his +countrymen, and see what they said to it; assuring them that, if +they did not agree immediately, they should be all destroyed.</p> +<p>The poor wretches, thoroughly humbled, and reduced in number +to about thirty-seven, closed with the proposal at the first +offer, and begged to have some food given them; upon which twelve +Spaniards and two Englishmen, well armed, with three Indian +slaves and old Friday, marched to the place where they +were. The three Indian slaves carried them a large quantity +of bread, some rice boiled up to cakes and dried in the sun, and +three live goats; and they were ordered to go to the side of a +hill, where they sat down, ate their provisions very thankfully, +and were the most faithful fellows to their words that could be +thought of; for, except when they came to beg victuals and +directions, they never came out of their bounds; and there they +lived when I came to the island and I went to see them. +They had taught them both to plant corn, make bread, breed tame +goats, and milk them: they wanted nothing but wives in order for +them soon to become a nation. They were confined to a neck +of land, surrounded with high rocks behind them, and lying plain +towards the sea before them, on the south-east corner of the +island. They had land enough, and it was very good and +fruitful; about a mile and a half broad, and three or four miles +in length. Our men taught them to make wooden spades, such +as I made for myself, and gave among them twelve hatchets and +three or four knives; and there they lived, the most subjected, +innocent creatures that ever were heard of.</p> +<p>After this the colony enjoyed a perfect tranquillity with +respect to the savages, till I came to revisit them, which was +about two years after; not but that, now and then, some canoes of +savages came on shore for their triumphal, unnatural feasts; but +as they were of several nations, and perhaps had never heard of +those that came before, or the reason of it, they did not make +any search or inquiry after their countrymen; and if they had, it +would have been very hard to have found them out.</p> +<p>Thus, I think, I have given a full account of all that +happened to them till my return, at least that was worth +notice. The Indians were wonderfully civilised by them, and +they frequently went among them; but they forbid, on pain of +death, any one of the Indians coming to them, because they would +not have their settlement betrayed again. One thing was +very remarkable, viz. that they taught the savages to make +wicker-work, or baskets, but they soon outdid their masters: for +they made abundance of ingenious things in wicker-work, +particularly baskets, sieves, bird-cages, cupboards, &c.; as +also chairs, stools, beds, couches, being very ingenious at such +work when they were once put in the way of it.</p> +<p>My coming was a particular relief to these people, because we +furnished them with knives, scissors, spades, shovels, pick-axes, +and all things of that kind which they could want. With the +help of those tools they were so very handy that they came at +last to build up their huts or houses very handsomely, raddling +or working it up like basket-work all the way round. This +piece of ingenuity, although it looked very odd, was an exceeding +good fence, as well against heat as against all sorts of vermin; +and our men were so taken with it that they got the Indians to +come and do the like for them; so that when I came to see the two +Englishmen’s colonies, they looked at a distance as if they +all lived like bees in a hive.</p> +<p>As for Will Atkins, who was now become a very industrious, +useful, and sober fellow, he had made himself such a tent of +basket-work as I believe was never seen; it was one hundred and +twenty paces round on the outside, as I measured by my steps; the +walls were as close worked as a basket, in panels or squares of +thirty-two in number, and very strong, standing about seven feet +high; in the middle was another not above twenty-two paces round, +but built stronger, being octagon in its form, and in the eight +corners stood eight very strong posts; round the top of which he +laid strong pieces, knit together with wooden pins, from which he +raised a pyramid for a handsome roof of eight rafters, joined +together very well, though he had no nails, and only a few iron +spikes, which he made himself, too, out of the old iron that I +had left there. Indeed, this fellow showed abundance of +ingenuity in several things which he had no knowledge of: he made +him a forge, with a pair of wooden bellows to blow the fire; he +made himself charcoal for his work; and he formed out of the iron +crows a middling good anvil to hammer upon: in this manner he +made many things, but especially hooks, staples, and spikes, +bolts and hinges. But to return to the house: after he had +pitched the roof of his innermost tent, he worked it up between +the rafters with basket-work, so firm, and thatched that over +again so ingeniously with rice-straw, and over that a large leaf +of a tree, which covered the top, that his house was as dry as if +it had been tiled or slated. He owned, indeed, that the +savages had made the basket-work for him. The outer circuit +was covered as a lean-to all round this inner apartment, and long +rafters lay from the thirty-two angles to the top posts of the +inner house, being about twenty feet distant, so that there was a +space like a walk within the outer wicker-wall, and without the +inner, near twenty feet wide.</p> +<p>The inner place he partitioned off with the same wickerwork, +but much fairer, and divided into six apartments, so that he had +six rooms on a floor, and out of every one of these there was a +door: first into the entry, or coming into the main tent, another +door into the main tent, and another door into the space or walk +that was round it; so that walk was also divided into six equal +parts, which served not only for a retreat, but to store up any +necessaries which the family had occasion for. These six +spaces not taking up the whole circumference, what other +apartments the outer circle had were thus ordered: As soon as you +were in at the door of the outer circle you had a short passage +straight before you to the door of the inner house; but on either +side was a wicker partition and a door in it, by which you went +first into a large room or storehouse, twenty feet wide and about +thirty feet long, and through that into another not quite so +long; so that in the outer circle were ten handsome rooms, six of +which were only to be come at through the apartments of the inner +tent, and served as closets or retiring rooms to the respective +chambers of the inner circle; and four large warehouses, or +barns, or what you please to call them, which went through one +another, two on either hand of the passage, that led through the +outer door to the inner tent. Such a piece of basket-work, +I believe, was never seen in the world, nor a house or tent so +neatly contrived, much less so built. In this great +bee-hive lived the three families, that is to say, Will Atkins +and his companion; the third was killed, but his wife remained +with three children, and the other two were not at all backward +to give the widow her full share of everything, I mean as to +their corn, milk, grapes, &c., and when they killed a kid, or +found a turtle on the shore; so that they all lived well enough; +though it was true they were not so industrious as the other two, +as has been observed already.</p> +<p>One thing, however, cannot be omitted, viz. that as for +religion, I do not know that there was anything of that kind +among them; they often, indeed, put one another in mind that +there was a God, by the very common method of seamen, swearing by +His name: nor were their poor ignorant savage wives much better +for having been married to Christians, as we must call them; for +as they knew very little of God themselves, so they were utterly +incapable of entering into any discourse with their wives about a +God, or to talk anything to them concerning religion.</p> +<p>The utmost of all the improvement which I can say the wives +had made from them was, that they had taught them to speak +English pretty well; and most of their children, who were near +twenty in all, were taught to speak English too, from their first +learning to speak, though they at first spoke it in a very broken +manner, like their mothers. None of these children were +above six years old when I came thither, for it was not much +above seven years since they had fetched these five savage ladies +over; they had all children, more or less: the mothers were all a +good sort of well-governed, quiet, laborious women, modest and +decent, helpful to one another, mighty observant, and subject to +their masters (I cannot call them husbands), and lacked nothing +but to be well instructed in the Christian religion, and to be +legally married; both of which were happily brought about +afterwards by my means, or at least in consequence of my coming +among them.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER VI—THE FRENCH CLERGYMAN’S COUNSEL</h2> +<p>Having thus given an account of the colony in general, and +pretty much of my runagate Englishmen, I must say something of +the Spaniards, who were the main body of the family, and in whose +story there are some incidents also remarkable enough.</p> +<p>I had a great many discourses with them about their +circumstances when they were among the savages. They told +me readily that they had no instances to give of their +application or ingenuity in that country; that they were a poor, +miserable, dejected handful of people; that even if means had +been put into their hands, yet they had so abandoned themselves +to despair, and were so sunk under the weight of their +misfortune, that they thought of nothing but starving. One +of them, a grave and sensible man, told me he was convinced they +were in the wrong; that it was not the part of wise men to give +themselves up to their misery, but always to take hold of the +helps which reason offered, as well for present support as for +future deliverance: he told me that grief was the most senseless, +insignificant passion in the world, for that it regarded only +things past, which were generally impossible to be recalled or to +be remedied, but had no views of things to come, and had no share +in anything that looked like deliverance, but rather added to the +affliction than proposed a remedy; and upon this he repeated a +Spanish proverb, which, though I cannot repeat in the same words +that he spoke it in, yet I remember I made it into an English +proverb of my own, thus:—</p> +<blockquote><p>“In trouble to be troubled,<br /> +Is to have your trouble doubled.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>He then ran on in remarks upon all the little improvements I +had made in my solitude: my unwearied application, as he called +it; and how I had made a condition, which in its circumstances +was at first much worse than theirs, a thousand times more happy +than theirs was, even now when they were all together. He +told me it was remarkable that Englishmen had a greater presence +of mind in their distress than any people that ever he met with; +that their unhappy nation and the Portuguese were the worst men +in the world to struggle with misfortunes; for that their first +step in dangers, after the common efforts were over, was to +despair, lie down under it, and die, without rousing their +thoughts up to proper remedies for escape.</p> +<p>I told him their case and mine differed exceedingly; that they +were cast upon the shore without necessaries, without supply of +food, or present sustenance till they could provide for it; that, +it was true, I had this further disadvantage and discomfort, that +I was alone; but then the supplies I had providentially thrown +into my hands, by the unexpected driving of the ship on the +shore, was such a help as would have encouraged any creature in +the world to have applied himself as I had done. +“Seignior,” says the Spaniard, “had we poor +Spaniards been in your case, we should never have got half those +things out of the ship, as you did: nay,” says he, +“we should never have found means to have got a raft to +carry them, or to have got the raft on shore without boat or +sail: and how much less should we have done if any of us had been +alone!” Well, I desired him to abate his compliments, +and go on with the history of their coming on shore, where they +landed. He told me they unhappily landed at a place where +there were people without provisions; whereas, had they had the +common sense to put off to sea again, and gone to another island +a little further, they had found provisions, though without +people: there being an island that way, as they had been told, +where there were provisions, though no people—that is to +say, that the Spaniards of Trinidad had frequently been there, +and had filled the island with goats and hogs at several times, +where they had bred in such multitudes, and where turtle and +sea-fowls were in such plenty, that they could have been in no +want of flesh, though they had found no bread; whereas, here they +were only sustained with a few roots and herbs, which they +understood not, and which had no substance in them, and which the +inhabitants gave them sparingly enough; and they could treat them +no better, unless they would turn cannibals and eat men’s +flesh.</p> +<p>They gave me an account how many ways they strove to civilise +the savages they were with, and to teach them rational customs in +the ordinary way of living, but in vain; and how they retorted +upon them as unjust that they who came there for assistance and +support should attempt to set up for instructors to those that +gave them food; intimating, it seems, that none should set up for +the instructors of others but those who could live without +them. They gave me dismal accounts of the extremities they +were driven to; how sometimes they were many days without any +food at all, the island they were upon being inhabited by a sort +of savages that lived more indolent, and for that reason were +less supplied with the necessaries of life, than they had reason +to believe others were in the same part of the world; and yet +they found that these savages were less ravenous and voracious +than those who had better supplies of food. Also, they +added, they could not but see with what demonstrations of wisdom +and goodness the governing providence of God directs the events +of things in this world, which, they said, appeared in their +circumstances: for if, pressed by the hardships they were under, +and the barrenness of the country where they were, they had +searched after a better to live in, they had then been out of the +way of the relief that happened to them by my means.</p> +<p>They then gave me an account how the savages whom they lived +amongst expected them to go out with them into their wars; and, +it was true, that as they had firearms with them, had they not +had the disaster to lose their ammunition, they could have been +serviceable not only to their friends, but have made themselves +terrible both to friends and enemies; but being without powder +and shot, and yet in a condition that they could not in reason +decline to go out with their landlords to their wars; so when +they came into the field of battle they were in a worse condition +than the savages themselves, for they had neither bows nor +arrows, nor could they use those the savages gave them. So +they could do nothing but stand still and be wounded with arrows, +till they came up to the teeth of the enemy; and then, indeed, +the three halberds they had were of use to them; and they would +often drive a whole little army before them with those halberds, +and sharpened sticks put into the muzzles of their muskets. +But for all this they were sometimes surrounded with multitudes, +and in great danger from their arrows, till at last they found +the way to make themselves large targets of wood, which they +covered with skins of wild beasts, whose names they knew not, and +these covered them from the arrows of the savages: that, +notwithstanding these, they were sometimes in great danger; and +five of them were once knocked down together with the clubs of +the savages, which was the time when one of them was taken +prisoner—that is to say, the Spaniard whom I +relieved. At first they thought he had been killed; but +when they afterwards heard he was taken prisoner, they were under +the greatest grief imaginable, and would willingly have all +ventured their lives to have rescued him.</p> +<p>They told me that when they were so knocked down, the rest of +their company rescued them, and stood over them fighting till +they were come to themselves, all but him whom they thought had +been dead; and then they made their way with their halberds and +pieces, standing close together in a line, through a body of +above a thousand savages, beating down all that came in their +way, got the victory over their enemies, but to their great +sorrow, because it was with the loss of their friend, whom the +other party finding alive, carried off with some others, as I +gave an account before. They described, most +affectionately, how they were surprised with joy at the return of +their friend and companion in misery, who they thought had been +devoured by wild beasts of the worst kind—wild men; and +yet, how more and more they were surprised with the account he +gave them of his errand, and that there was a Christian in any +place near, much more one that was able, and had humanity enough, +to contribute to their deliverance.</p> +<p>They described how they were astonished at the sight of the +relief I sent them, and at the appearance of loaves of +bread—things they had not seen since their coming to that +miserable place; how often they crossed it and blessed it as +bread sent from heaven; and what a reviving cordial it was to +their spirits to taste it, as also the other things I had sent +for their supply; and, after all, they would have told me +something of the joy they were in at the sight of a boat and +pilots, to carry them away to the person and place from whence +all these new comforts came. But it was impossible to +express it by words, for their excessive joy naturally driving +them to unbecoming extravagances, they had no way to describe +them but by telling me they bordered upon lunacy, having no way +to give vent to their passions suitable to the sense that was +upon them; that in some it worked one way and in some another; +and that some of them, through a surprise of joy, would burst +into tears, others be stark mad, and others immediately +faint. This discourse extremely affected me, and called to +my mind Friday’s ecstasy when he met his father, and the +poor people’s ecstasy when I took them up at sea after +their ship was on fire; the joy of the mate of the ship when he +found himself delivered in the place where he expected to perish; +and my own joy, when, after twenty-eight years’ captivity, +I found a good ship ready to carry me to my own country. +All these things made me more sensible of the relation of these +poor men, and more affected with it.</p> +<p>Having thus given a view of the state of things as I found +them, I must relate the heads of what I did for these people, and +the condition in which I left them. It was their opinion, +and mine too, that they would be troubled no more with the +savages, or if they were, they would be able to cut them off, if +they were twice as many as before; so they had no concern about +that. Then I entered into a serious discourse with the +Spaniard, whom I call governor, about their stay in the island; +for as I was not come to carry any of them off, so it would not +be just to carry off some and leave others, who, perhaps, would +be unwilling to stay if their strength was diminished. On +the other hand, I told them I came to establish them there, not +to remove them; and then I let them know that I had brought with +me relief of sundry kinds for them; that I had been at a great +charge to supply them with all things necessary, as well for +their convenience as their defence; and that I had such and such +particular persons with me, as well to increase and recruit their +number, as by the particular necessary employments which they +were bred to, being artificers, to assist them in those things in +which at present they were in want.</p> +<p>They were all together when I talked thus to them; and before +I delivered to them the stores I had brought, I asked them, one +by one, if they had entirely forgot and buried the first +animosities that had been among them, and would shake hands with +one another, and engage in a strict friendship and union of +interest, that so there might be no more misunderstandings and +jealousies.</p> +<p>Will Atkins, with abundance of frankness and good humour, said +they had met with affliction enough to make them all sober, and +enemies enough to make them all friends; that, for his part, he +would live and die with them, and was so far from designing +anything against the Spaniards, that he owned they had done +nothing to him but what his own mad humour made necessary, and +what he would have done, and perhaps worse, in their case; and +that he would ask them pardon, if I desired it, for the foolish +and brutish things he had done to them, and was very willing and +desirous of living in terms of entire friendship and union with +them, and would do anything that lay in his power to convince +them of it; and as for going to England, he cared not if he did +not go thither these twenty years.</p> +<p>The Spaniards said they had, indeed, at first disarmed and +excluded Will Atkins and his two countrymen for their ill +conduct, as they had let me know, and they appealed to me for the +necessity they were under to do so; but that Will Atkins had +behaved himself so bravely in the great fight they had with the +savages, and on several occasions since, and had showed himself +so faithful to, and concerned for, the general interest of them +all, that they had forgotten all that was past, and thought he +merited as much to be trusted with arms and supplied with +necessaries as any of them; that they had testified their +satisfaction in him by committing the command to him next to the +governor himself; and as they had entire confidence in him and +all his countrymen, so they acknowledged they had merited that +confidence by all the methods that honest men could merit to be +valued and trusted; and they most heartily embraced the occasion +of giving me this assurance, that they would never have any +interest separate from one another.</p> +<p>Upon these frank and open declarations of friendship, we +appointed the next day to dine all together; and, indeed, we made +a splendid feast. I caused the ship’s cook and his +mate to come on shore and dress our dinner, and the old +cook’s mate we had on shore assisted. We brought on +shore six pieces of good beef and four pieces of pork, out of the +ship’s provisions, with our punch-bowl and materials to +fill it; and in particular I gave them ten bottles of French +claret, and ten bottles of English beer; things that neither the +Spaniards nor the English had tasted for many years, and which it +may be supposed they were very glad of. The Spaniards added +to our feast five whole kids, which the cooks roasted; and three +of them were sent, covered up close, on board the ship to the +seamen, that they might feast on fresh meat from on shore, as we +did with their salt meat from on board.</p> +<p>After this feast, at which we were very innocently merry, I +brought my cargo of goods; wherein, that there might be no +dispute about dividing, I showed them that there was a +sufficiency for them all, desiring that they might all take an +equal quantity, when made up, of the goods that were for +wearing. As, first, I distributed linen sufficient to make +every one of them four shirts, and, at the Spaniard’s +request, afterwards made them up six; these were exceeding +comfortable to them, having been what they had long since forgot +the use of, or what it was to wear them. I allotted the +thin English stuffs, which I mentioned before, to make every one +a light coat, like a frock, which I judged fittest for the heat +of the season, cool and loose; and ordered that whenever they +decayed, they should make more, as they thought fit; the like for +pumps, shoes, stockings, hats, &c. I cannot express +what pleasure sat upon the countenances of all these poor men +when they saw the care I had taken of them, and how well I had +furnished them. They told me I was a father to them; and +that having such a correspondent as I was in so remote a part of +the world, it would make them forget that they were left in a +desolate place; and they all voluntarily engaged to me not to +leave the place without my consent.</p> +<p>Then I presented to them the people I had brought with me, +particularly the tailor, the smith, and the two carpenters, all +of them most necessary people; but, above all, my general +artificer, than whom they could not name anything that was more +useful to them; and the tailor, to show his concern for them, +went to work immediately, and, with my leave, made them every one +a shirt, the first thing he did; and, what was still more, he +taught the women not only how to sew and stitch, and use the +needle, but made them assist to make the shirts for their +husbands, and for all the rest. As to the carpenters, I +scarce need mention how useful they were; for they took to pieces +all my clumsy, unhandy things, and made clever convenient tables, +stools, bedsteads, cupboards, lockers, shelves, and everything +they wanted of that kind. But to let them see how nature +made artificers at first, I carried the carpenters to see Will +Atkins’ basket-house, as I called it; and they both owned +they never saw an instance of such natural ingenuity before, nor +anything so regular and so handily built, at least of its kind; +and one of them, when he saw it, after musing a good while, +turning about to me, “I am sure,” says he, +“that man has no need of us; you need do nothing but give +him tools.”</p> +<p>Then I brought them out all my store of tools, and gave every +man a digging-spade, a shovel, and a rake, for we had no barrows +or ploughs; and to every separate place a pickaxe, a crow, a +broad axe, and a saw; always appointing, that as often as any +were broken or worn out, they should be supplied without grudging +out of the general stores that I left behind. Nails, +staples, hinges, hammers, chisels, knives, scissors, and all +sorts of ironwork, they had without reserve, as they required; +for no man would take more than he wanted, and he must be a fool +that would waste or spoil them on any account whatever; and for +the use of the smith I left two tons of unwrought iron for a +supply.</p> +<p>My magazine of powder and arms which I brought them was such, +even to profusion, that they could not but rejoice at them; for +now they could march as I used to do, with a musket upon each +shoulder, if there was occasion; and were able to fight a +thousand savages, if they had but some little advantages of +situation, which also they could not miss, if they had +occasion.</p> +<p>I carried on shore with me the young man whose mother was +starved to death, and the maid also; she was a sober, +well-educated, religious young woman, and behaved so +inoffensively that every one gave her a good word; she had, +indeed, an unhappy life with us, there being no woman in the ship +but herself, but she bore it with patience. After a while, +seeing things so well ordered, and in so fine a way of thriving +upon my island, and considering that they had neither business +nor acquaintance in the East Indies, or reason for taking so long +a voyage, both of them came to me and desired I would give them +leave to remain on the island, and be entered among my family, as +they called it. I agreed to this readily; and they had a +little plot of ground allotted to them, where they had three +tents or houses set up, surrounded with a basket-work, palisadoed +like Atkins’s, adjoining to his plantation. Their +tents were contrived so that they had each of them a room apart +to lodge in, and a middle tent like a great storehouse to lay +their goods in, and to eat and to drink in. And now the +other two Englishmen removed their habitation to the same place; +and so the island was divided into three colonies, and no +more—viz. the Spaniards, with old Friday and the first +servants, at my habitation under the hill, which was, in a word, +the capital city, and where they had so enlarged and extended +their works, as well under as on the outside of the hill, that +they lived, though perfectly concealed, yet full at large. +Never was there such a little city in a wood, and so hid, in any +part of the world; for I verify believe that a thousand men might +have ranged the island a month, and, if they had not known there +was such a thing, and looked on purpose for it, they would not +have found it. Indeed the trees stood so thick and so +close, and grew so fast woven one into another, that nothing but +cutting them down first could discover the place, except the only +two narrow entrances where they went in and out could be found, +which was not very easy; one of them was close down at the +water’s edge, on the side of the creek, and it was +afterwards above two hundred yards to the place; and the other +was up a ladder at twice, as I have already described it; and +they had also a large wood, thickly planted, on the top of the +hill, containing above an acre, which grew apace, and concealed +the place from all discovery there, with only one narrow place +between two trees, not easily to be discovered, to enter on that +side.</p> +<p>The other colony was that of Will Atkins, where there were +four families of Englishmen, I mean those I had left there, with +their wives and children; three savages that were slaves, the +widow and children of the Englishman that was killed, the young +man and the maid, and, by the way, we made a wife of her before +we went away. There were besides the two carpenters and the +tailor, whom I brought with me for them: also the smith, who was +a very necessary man to them, especially as a gunsmith, to take +care of their arms; and my other man, whom I called +Jack-of-all-trades, who was in himself as good almost as twenty +men; for he was not only a very ingenious fellow, but a very +merry fellow, and before I went away we married him to the honest +maid that came with the youth in the ship I mentioned before.</p> +<p>And now I speak of marrying, it brings me naturally to say +something of the French ecclesiastic that I had brought with me +out of the ship’s crew whom I took up at sea. It is +true this man was a Roman, and perhaps it may give offence to +some hereafter if I leave anything extraordinary upon record of a +man whom, before I begin, I must (to set him out in just colours) +represent in terms very much to his disadvantage, in the account +of Protestants; as, first, that he was a Papist; secondly, a +Popish priest; and thirdly, a French Popish priest. But +justice demands of me to give him a due character; and I must +say, he was a grave, sober, pious, and most religious person; +exact in his life, extensive in his charity, and exemplary in +almost everything he did. What then can any one say against +being very sensible of the value of such a man, notwithstanding +his profession? though it may be my opinion perhaps, as well as +the opinion of others who shall read this, that he was +mistaken.</p> +<p>The first hour that I began to converse with him after he had +agreed to go with me to the East Indies, I found reason to +delight exceedingly in his conversation; and he first began with +me about religion in the most obliging manner imaginable. +“Sir,” says he, “you have not only under +God” (and at that he crossed his breast) “saved my +life, but you have admitted me to go this voyage in your ship, +and by your obliging civility have taken me into your family, +giving me an opportunity of free conversation. Now, sir, +you see by my habit what my profession is, and I guess by your +nation what yours is; I may think it is my duty, and doubtless it +is so, to use my utmost endeavours, on all occasions, to bring +all the souls I can to the knowledge of the truth, and to embrace +the Catholic doctrine; but as I am here under your permission, +and in your family, I am bound, in justice to your kindness as +well as in decency and good manners, to be under your government; +and therefore I shall not, without your leave, enter into any +debate on the points of religion in which we may not agree, +further than you shall give me leave.”</p> +<p>I told him his carriage was so modest that I could not but +acknowledge it; that it was true we were such people as they call +heretics, but that he was not the first Catholic I had conversed +with without falling into inconveniences, or carrying the +questions to any height in debate; that he should not find +himself the worse used for being of a different opinion from us, +and if we did not converse without any dislike on either side, it +should be his fault, not ours.</p> +<p>He replied that he thought all our conversation might be +easily separated from disputes; that it was not his business to +cap principles with every man he conversed with; and that he +rather desired me to converse with him as a gentleman than as a +religionist; and that, if I would give him leave at any time to +discourse upon religious subjects, he would readily comply with +it, and that he did not doubt but I would allow him also to +defend his own opinions as well as he could; but that without my +leave he would not break in upon me with any such thing. He +told me further, that he would not cease to do all that became +him, in his office as a priest, as well as a private Christian, +to procure the good of the ship, and the safety of all that was +in her; and though, perhaps, we would not join with him, and he +could not pray with us, he hoped he might pray for us, which he +would do upon all occasions. In this manner we conversed; +and as he was of the most obliging, gentlemanlike behaviour, so +he was, if I may be allowed to say so, a man of good sense, and, +as I believe, of great learning.</p> +<p>He gave me a most diverting account of his life, and of the +many extraordinary events of it; of many adventures which had +befallen him in the few years that he had been abroad in the +world; and particularly, it was very remarkable, that in the +voyage he was now engaged in he had had the misfortune to be five +times shipped and unshipped, and never to go to the place whither +any of the ships he was in were at first designed. That his +first intent was to have gone to Martinico, and that he went on +board a ship bound thither at St. Malo; but being forced into +Lisbon by bad weather, the ship received some damage by running +aground in the mouth of the river Tagus, and was obliged to +unload her cargo there; but finding a Portuguese ship there bound +for the Madeiras, and ready to sail, and supposing he should meet +with a ship there bound to Martinico, he went on board, in order +to sail to the Madeiras; but the master of the Portuguese ship +being but an indifferent mariner, had been out of his reckoning, +and they drove to Fayal; where, however, he happened to find a +very good market for his cargo, which was corn, and therefore +resolved not to go to the Madeiras, but to load salt at the Isle +of May, and to go away to Newfoundland. He had no remedy in +this exigence but to go with the ship, and had a pretty good +voyage as far as the Banks (so they call the place where they +catch the fish), where, meeting with a French ship bound from +France to Quebec, and from thence to Martinico, to carry +provisions, he thought he should have an opportunity to complete +his first design, but when he came to Quebec, the master of the +ship died, and the vessel proceeded no further; so the next +voyage he shipped himself for France, in the ship that was burned +when we took them up at sea, and then shipped with us for the +East Indies, as I have already said. Thus he had been +disappointed in five voyages; all, as I may call it, in one +voyage, besides what I shall have occasion to mention further of +him.</p> +<p>But I shall not make digression into other men’s stories +which have no relation to my own; so I return to what concerns +our affair in the island. He came to me one morning (for he +lodged among us all the while we were upon the island), and it +happened to be just when I was going to visit the +Englishmen’s colony, at the furthest part of the island; I +say, he came to me, and told me, with a very grave countenance, +that he had for two or three days desired an opportunity of some +discourse with me, which he hoped would not be displeasing to me, +because he thought it might in some measure correspond with my +general design, which was the prosperity of my new colony, and +perhaps might put it, at least more than he yet thought it was, +in the way of God’s blessing.</p> +<p>I looked a little surprised at the last of his discourse, and +turning a little short, “How, sir,” said I, +“can it be said that we are not in the way of God’s +blessing, after such visible assistances and deliverances as we +have seen here, and of which I have given you a large +account?” “If you had pleased, sir,” said +he, with a world of modesty, and yet great readiness, “to +have heard me, you would have found no room to have been +displeased, much less to think so hard of me, that I should +suggest that you have not had wonderful assistances and +deliverances; and I hope, on your behalf, that you are in the way +of God’s blessing, and your design is exceeding good, and +will prosper. But, sir, though it were more so than is even +possible to you, yet there may be some among you that are not +equally right in their actions: and you know that in the story of +the children of Israel, one Achan in the camp removed God’s +blessing from them, and turned His hand so against them, that +six-and-thirty of them, though not concerned in the crime, were +the objects of divine vengeance, and bore the weight of that +punishment.”</p> +<p>I was sensibly touched with this discourse, and told him his +inference was so just, and the whole design seemed so sincere, +and was really so religious in its own nature, that I was very +sorry I had interrupted him, and begged him to go on; and, in the +meantime, because it seemed that what we had both to say might +take up some time, I told him I was going to the +Englishmen’s plantations, and asked him to go with me, and +we might discourse of it by the way. He told me he would +the more willingly wait on me thither, because there partly the +thing was acted which he desired to speak to me about; so we +walked on, and I pressed him to be free and plain with me in what +he had to say.</p> +<p>“Why, then, sir,” said he, “be pleased to +give me leave to lay down a few propositions, as the foundation +of what I have to say, that we may not differ in the general +principles, though we may be of some differing opinions in the +practice of particulars. First, sir, though we differ in +some of the doctrinal articles of religion (and it is very +unhappy it is so, especially in the case before us, as I shall +show afterwards), yet there are some general principles in which +we both agree—that there is a God; and that this God having +given us some stated general rules for our service and obedience, +we ought not willingly and knowingly to offend Him, either by +neglecting to do what He has commanded, or by doing what He has +expressly forbidden. And let our different religions be +what they will, this general principle is readily owned by us +all, that the blessing of God does not ordinarily follow +presumptuous sinning against His command; and every good +Christian will be affectionately concerned to prevent any that +are under his care living in a total neglect of God and His +commands. It is not your men being Protestants, whatever my +opinion may be of such, that discharges me from being concerned +for their souls, and from endeavouring, if it lies before me, +that they should live in as little distance from enmity with +their Maker as possible, especially if you give me leave to +meddle so far in your circuit.”</p> +<p>I could not yet imagine what he aimed at, and told him I +granted all he had said, and thanked him that he would so far +concern himself for us: and begged he would explain the +particulars of what he had observed, that like Joshua, to take +his own parable, I might put away the accursed thing from us.</p> +<p>“Why, then, sir,” says he, “I will take the +liberty you give me; and there are three things, which, if I am +right, must stand in the way of God’s blessing upon your +endeavours here, and which I should rejoice, for your sake and +their own, to see removed. And, sir, I promise myself that +you will fully agree with me in them all, as soon as I name them; +especially because I shall convince you, that every one of them +may, with great ease, and very much to your satisfaction, be +remedied. First, sir,” says he, “you have here +four Englishmen, who have fetched women from among the savages, +and have taken them as their wives, and have had many children by +them all, and yet are not married to them after any stated legal +manner, as the laws of God and man require. To this, sir, I +know, you will object that there was no clergyman or priest of +any kind to perform the ceremony; nor any pen and ink, or paper, +to write down a contract of marriage, and have it signed between +them. And I know also, sir, what the Spaniard governor has +told you, I mean of the agreement that he obliged them to make +when they took those women, viz. that they should choose them out +by consent, and keep separately to them; which, by the way, is +nothing of a marriage, no agreement with the women as wives, but +only an agreement among themselves, to keep them from +quarrelling. But, sir, the essence of the sacrament of +matrimony” (so he called it, being a Roman) “consists +not only in the mutual consent of the parties to take one another +as man and wife, but in the formal and legal obligation that +there is in the contract to compel the man and woman, at all +times, to own and acknowledge each other; obliging the man to +abstain from all other women, to engage in no other contract +while these subsist; and, on all occasions, as ability allows, to +provide honestly for them and their children; and to oblige the +women to the same or like conditions, on their side. Now, +sir,” says he, “these men may, when they please, or +when occasion presents, abandon these women, disown their +children, leave them to perish, and take other women, and marry +them while these are living;” and here he added, with some +warmth, “How, sir, is God honoured in this unlawful +liberty? And how shall a blessing succeed your endeavours +in this place, however good in themselves, and however sincere in +your design, while these men, who at present are your subjects, +under your absolute government and dominion, are allowed by you +to live in open adultery?”</p> +<p>I confess I was struck with the thing itself, but much more +with the convincing arguments he supported it with; but I thought +to have got off my young priest by telling him that all that part +was done when I was not there: and that they had lived so many +years with them now, that if it was adultery, it was past remedy; +nothing could be done in it now.</p> +<p>“Sir,” says he, “asking your pardon for such +freedom, you are right in this, that, it being done in your +absence, you could not be charged with that part of the crime; +but, I beseech you, flatter not yourself that you are not, +therefore, under an obligation to do your utmost now to put an +end to it. You should legally and effectually marry them; +and as, sir, my way of marrying may not be easy to reconcile them +to, though it will be effectual, even by your own laws, so your +way may be as well before God, and as valid among men. I +mean by a written contract signed by both man and woman, and by +all the witnesses present, which all the laws of Europe would +decree to be valid.”</p> +<p>I was amazed to see so much true piety, and so much sincerity +of zeal, besides the unusual impartiality in his discourse as to +his own party or church, and such true warmth for preserving +people that he had no knowledge of or relation to from +transgressing the laws of God. But recollecting what he had +said of marrying them by a written contract, which I knew he +would stand to, I returned it back upon him, and told him I +granted all that he had said to be just, and on his part very +kind; that I would discourse with the men upon the point now, +when I came to them; and I knew no reason why they should scruple +to let him marry them all, which I knew well enough would be +granted to be as authentic and valid in England as if they were +married by one of our own clergymen.</p> +<p>I then pressed him to tell me what was the second complaint +which he had to make, acknowledging that I was very much his +debtor for the first, and thanking him heartily for it. He +told me he would use the same freedom and plainness in the +second, and hoped I would take it as well; and this was, that +notwithstanding these English subjects of mine, as he called +them, had lived with these women almost seven years, had taught +them to speak English, and even to read it, and that they were, +as he perceived, women of tolerable understanding, and capable of +instruction, yet they had not, to this hour, taught them anything +of the Christian religion—no, not so much as to know there +was a God, or a worship, or in what manner God was to be served, +or that their own idolatry, and worshipping they knew not whom, +was false and absurd. This he said was an unaccountable +neglect, and what God would certainly call them to account for, +and perhaps at last take the work out of their hands. He +spoke this very affectionately and warmly.</p> +<p>“I am persuaded,” says he, “had those men +lived in the savage country whence their wives came, the savages +would have taken more pains to have brought them to be idolaters, +and to worship the devil, than any of these men, so far as I can +see, have taken with them to teach the knowledge of the true +God. Now, sir,” said he, “though I do not +acknowledge your religion, or you mine, yet we would be glad to +see the devil’s servants and the subjects of his kingdom +taught to know religion; and that they might, at least, hear of +God and a Redeemer, and the resurrection, and of a future +state—things which we all believe; that they might, at +least, be so much nearer coming into the bosom of the true Church +than they are now in the public profession of idolatry and +devil-worship.”</p> +<p>I could hold no longer: I took him in my arms and embraced him +eagerly. “How far,” said I to him, “have +I been from understanding the most essential part of a Christian, +viz. to love the interest of the Christian Church, and the good +of other men’s souls! I scarce have known what +belongs to the being a Christian.”—“Oh, sir! do +not say so,” replied he; “this thing is not your +fault.”—“No,” said I; “but why did +I never lay it to heart as well as you?”—“It is +not too late yet,” said he; “be not too forward to +condemn yourself.”—“But what can be done +now?” said I: “you see I am going +away.”—“Will you give me leave to talk with +these poor men about it?”—“Yes, with all my +heart,” said I: “and oblige them to give heed to what +you say too.”—“As to that,” said he, +“we must leave them to the mercy of Christ; but it is your +business to assist them, encourage them, and instruct them; and +if you give me leave, and God His blessing, I do not doubt but +the poor ignorant souls shall be brought home to the great circle +of Christianity, if not into the particular faith we all embrace, +and that even while you stay here.” Upon this I said, +“I shall not only give you leave, but give you a thousand +thanks for it.”</p> +<p>I now pressed him for the third article in which we were to +blame. “Why, really,” says he, “it is of +the same nature. It is about your poor savages, who are, as +I may say, your conquered subjects. It is a maxim, sir, +that is or ought to be received among all Christians, of what +church or pretended church soever, that the Christian knowledge +ought to be propagated by all possible means and on all possible +occasions. It is on this principle that our Church sends +missionaries into Persia, India, and China; and that our clergy, +even of the superior sort, willingly engage in the most hazardous +voyages, and the most dangerous residence amongst murderers and +barbarians, to teach them the knowledge of the true God, and to +bring them over to embrace the Christian faith. Now, sir, +you have such an opportunity here to have six or seven and thirty +poor savages brought over from a state of idolatry to the +knowledge of God, their Maker and Redeemer, that I wonder how you +can pass such an occasion of doing good, which is really worth +the expense of a man’s whole life.”</p> +<p>I was now struck dumb indeed, and had not one word to +say. I had here the spirit of true Christian zeal for God +and religion before me. As for me, I had not so much as +entertained a thought of this in my heart before, and I believe I +should not have thought of it; for I looked upon these savages as +slaves, and people whom, had we not had any work for them to do, +we would have used as such, or would have been glad to have +transported them to any part of the world; for our business was +to get rid of them, and we would all have been satisfied if they +had been sent to any country, so they had never seen their +own. I was confounded at his discourse, and knew not what +answer to make him.</p> +<p>He looked earnestly at me, seeing my confusion. +“Sir,” says he, “I shall be very sorry if what +I have said gives you any offence.”—“No, +no,” said I, “I am offended with nobody but myself; +but I am perfectly confounded, not only to think that I should +never take any notice of this before, but with reflecting what +notice I am able to take of it now. You know, sir,” +said I, “what circumstances I am in; I am bound to the East +Indies in a ship freighted by merchants, and to whom it would be +an insufferable piece of injustice to detain their ship here, the +men lying all this while at victuals and wages on the +owners’ account. It is true, I agreed to be allowed +twelve days here, and if I stay more, I must pay three pounds +sterling <i>per diem</i> demurrage; nor can I stay upon demurrage +above eight days more, and I have been here thirteen already; so +that I am perfectly unable to engage in this work unless I would +suffer myself to be left behind here again; in which case, if +this single ship should miscarry in any part of her voyage, I +should be just in the same condition that I was left in here at +first, and from which I have been so wonderfully +delivered.” He owned the case was very hard upon me +as to my voyage; but laid it home upon my conscience whether the +blessing of saving thirty-seven souls was not worth venturing all +I had in the world for. I was not so sensible of that as he +was. I replied to him thus: “Why, sir, it is a +valuable thing, indeed, to be an instrument in God’s hand +to convert thirty-seven heathens to the knowledge of Christ: but +as you are an ecclesiastic, and are given over to the work, so it +seems so naturally to fall in the way of your profession; how is +it, then, that you do not rather offer yourself to undertake it +than to press me to do it?”</p> +<p>Upon this he faced about just before me, as he walked along, +and putting me to a full stop, made me a very low bow. +“I most heartily thank God and you, sir,” said he, +“for giving me so evident a call to so blessed a work; and +if you think yourself discharged from it, and desire me to +undertake it, I will most readily do it, and think it a happy +reward for all the hazards and difficulties of such a broken, +disappointed voyage as I have met with, that I am dropped at last +into so glorious a work.”</p> +<p>I discovered a kind of rapture in his face while he spoke this +to me; his eyes sparkled like fire; his face glowed, and his +colour came and went; in a word, he was fired with the joy of +being embarked in such a work. I paused a considerable +while before I could tell what to say to him; for I was really +surprised to find a man of such sincerity, and who seemed +possessed of a zeal beyond the ordinary rate of men. But +after I had considered it a while, I asked him seriously if he +was in earnest, and that he would venture, on the single +consideration of an attempt to convert those poor people, to be +locked up in an unplanted island for perhaps his life, and at +last might not know whether he should be able to do them good or +not? He turned short upon me, and asked me what I called a +venture? “Pray, sir,” said he, “what do +you think I consented to go in your ship to the East Indies +for?”—“ay,” said I, “that I know +not, unless it was to preach to the +Indians.”—“Doubtless it was,” said he; +“and do you think, if I can convert these thirty-seven men +to the faith of Jesus Christ, it is not worth my time, though I +should never be fetched off the island again?—nay, is it +not infinitely of more worth to save so many souls than my life +is, or the life of twenty more of the same profession? Yes, +sir,” says he, “I would give God thanks all my days +if I could be made the happy instrument of saving the souls of +those poor men, though I were never to get my foot off this +island or see my native country any more. But since you +will honour me with putting me into this work, for which I will +pray for you all the days of my life, I have one humble petition +to you besides.”—“What is that?” said +I.—“Why,” says he, “it is, that you will +leave your man Friday with me, to be my interpreter to them, and +to assist me; for without some help I cannot speak to them, or +they to me.”</p> +<p>I was sensibly touched at his requesting Friday, because I +could not think of parting with him, and that for many reasons: +he had been the companion of my travels; he was not only faithful +to me, but sincerely affectionate to the last degree; and I had +resolved to do something considerable for him if he out-lived me, +as it was probable he would. Then I knew that, as I had +bred Friday up to be a Protestant, it would quite confound him to +bring him to embrace another religion; and he would never, while +his eyes were open, believe that his old master was a heretic, +and would be damned; and this might in the end ruin the poor +fellow’s principles, and so turn him back again to his +first idolatry. However, a sudden thought relieved me in +this strait, and it was this: I told him I could not say that I +was willing to part with Friday on any account whatever, though a +work that to him was of more value than his life ought to be of +much more value than the keeping or parting with a servant. +On the other hand, I was persuaded that Friday would by no means +agree to part with me; and I could not force him to it without +his consent, without manifest injustice; because I had promised I +would never send him away, and he had promised and engaged that +he would never leave me, unless I sent him away.</p> +<p>He seemed very much concerned at it, for he had no rational +access to these poor people, seeing he did not understand one +word of their language, nor they one of his. To remove this +difficulty, I told him Friday’s father had learned Spanish, +which I found he also understood, and he should serve him as an +interpreter. So he was much better satisfied, and nothing +could persuade him but he would stay and endeavour to convert +them; but Providence gave another very happy turn to all +this.</p> +<p>I come back now to the first part of his objections. +When we came to the Englishmen, I sent for them all together, and +after some account given them of what I had done for them, viz. +what necessary things I had provided for them, and how they were +distributed, which they were very sensible of, and very thankful +for, I began to talk to them of the scandalous life they led, and +gave them a full account of the notice the clergyman had taken of +it; and arguing how unchristian and irreligious a life it was, I +first asked them if they were married men or bachelors? +They soon explained their condition to me, and showed that two of +them were widowers, and the other three were single men, or +bachelors. I asked them with what conscience they could +take these women, and call them their wives, and have so many +children by them, and not be lawfully married to them? They +all gave me the answer I expected, viz. that there was nobody to +marry them; that they agreed before the governor to keep them as +their wives, and to maintain them and own them as their wives; +and they thought, as things stood with them, they were as legally +married as if they had been married by a parson and with all the +formalities in the world.</p> +<p>I told them that no doubt they were married in the sight of +God, and were bound in conscience to keep them as their wives; +but that the laws of men being otherwise, they might desert the +poor women and children hereafter; and that their wives, being +poor desolate women, friendless and moneyless, would have no way +to help themselves. I therefore told them that unless I was +assured of their honest intent, I could do nothing for them, but +would take care that what I did should be for the women and +children without them; and that, unless they would give me some +assurances that they would marry the women, I could not think it +was convenient they should continue together as man and wife; for +that it was both scandalous to men and offensive to God, who they +could not think would bless them if they went on thus.</p> +<p>All this went on as I expected; and they told me, especially +Will Atkins, who now seemed to speak for the rest, that they +loved their wives as well as if they had been born in their own +native country, and would not leave them on any account whatever; +and they did verily believe that their wives were as virtuous and +as modest, and did, to the utmost of their skill, as much for +them and for their children, as any woman could possibly do: and +they would not part with them on any account. Will Atkins, +for his own particular, added that if any man would take him +away, and offer to carry him home to England, and make him +captain of the best man-of-war in the navy, he would not go with +him if he might not carry his wife and children with him; and if +there was a clergyman in the ship, he would be married to her now +with all his heart.</p> +<p>This was just as I would have it. The priest was not +with me at that moment, but he was not far off; so to try him +further, I told him I had a clergyman with me, and, if he was +sincere, I would have him married next morning, and bade him +consider of it, and talk with the rest. He said, as for +himself, he need not consider of it at all, for he was very ready +to do it, and was glad I had a minister with me, and he believed +they would be all willing also. I then told him that my +friend, the minister, was a Frenchman, and could not speak +English, but I would act the clerk between them. He never +so much as asked me whether he was a Papist or Protestant, which +was, indeed, what I was afraid of. We then parted, and I +went back to my clergyman, and Will Atkins went in to talk with +his companions. I desired the French gentleman not to say +anything to them till the business was thoroughly ripe; and I +told him what answer the men had given me.</p> +<p>Before I went from their quarter they all came to me and told +me they had been considering what I had said; that they were glad +to hear I had a clergyman in my company, and they were very +willing to give me the satisfaction I desired, and to be formally +married as soon as I pleased; for they were far from desiring to +part with their wives, and that they meant nothing but what was +very honest when they chose them. So I appointed them to +meet me the next morning; and, in the meantime, they should let +their wives know the meaning of the marriage law; and that it was +not only to prevent any scandal, but also to oblige them that +they should not forsake them, whatever might happen.</p> +<p>The women were easily made sensible of the meaning of the +thing, and were very well satisfied with it, as, indeed, they had +reason to be: so they failed not to attend all together at my +apartment next morning, where I brought out my clergyman; and +though he had not on a minister’s gown, after the manner of +England, or the habit of a priest, after the manner of France, +yet having a black vest something like a cassock, with a sash +round it, he did not look very unlike a minister; and as for his +language, I was his interpreter. But the seriousness of his +behaviour to them, and the scruples he made of marrying the +women, because they were not baptized and professed Christians, +gave them an exceeding reverence for his person; and there was no +need, after that, to inquire whether he was a clergyman or +not. Indeed, I was afraid his scruples would have been +carried so far as that he would not have married them at all; +nay, notwithstanding all I was able to say to him, he resisted +me, though modestly, yet very steadily, and at last refused +absolutely to marry them, unless he had first talked with the men +and the women too; and though at first I was a little backward to +it, yet at last I agreed to it with a good will, perceiving the +sincerity of his design.</p> +<p>When he came to them he let them know that I had acquainted +him with their circumstances, and with the present design; that +he was very willing to perform that part of his function, and +marry them, as I had desired; but that before he could do it, he +must take the liberty to talk with them. He told them that +in the sight of all indifferent men, and in the sense of the laws +of society, they had lived all this while in a state of sin; and +that it was true that nothing but the consenting to marry, or +effectually separating them from one another, could now put an +end to it; but there was a difficulty in it, too, with respect to +the laws of Christian matrimony, which he was not fully satisfied +about, that of marrying one that is a professed Christian to a +savage, an idolater, and a heathen—one that is not +baptized; and yet that he did not see that there was time left to +endeavour to persuade the women to be baptized, or to profess the +name of Christ, whom they had, he doubted, heard nothing of, and +without which they could not be baptized. He told them he +doubted they were but indifferent Christians themselves; that +they had but little knowledge of God or of His ways, and, +therefore, he could not expect that they had said much to their +wives on that head yet; but that unless they would promise him to +use their endeavours with their wives to persuade them to become +Christians, and would, as well as they could, instruct them in +the knowledge and belief of God that made them, and to worship +Jesus Christ that redeemed them, he could not marry them; for he +would have no hand in joining Christians with savages, nor was it +consistent with the principles of the Christian religion, and +was, indeed, expressly forbidden in God’s law.</p> +<p>They heard all this very attentively, and I delivered it very +faithfully to them from his mouth, as near his own words as I +could; only sometimes adding something of my own, to convince +them how just it was, and that I was of his mind; and I always +very carefully distinguished between what I said from myself and +what were the clergyman’s words. They told me it was +very true what the gentleman said, that they were very +indifferent Christians themselves, and that they had never talked +to their wives about religion. “Lord, sir,” +says Will Atkins, “how should we teach them religion? +Why, we know nothing ourselves; and besides, sir,” said he, +“should we talk to them of God and Jesus Christ, and heaven +and hell, it would make them laugh at us, and ask us what we +believe ourselves. And if we should tell them that we +believe all the things we speak of to them, such as of good +people going to heaven, and wicked people to the devil, they +would ask us where we intend to go ourselves, that believe all +this, and are such wicked fellows as we indeed are? Why, +sir; ’tis enough to give them a surfeit of religion at +first hearing; folks must have some religion themselves before +they begin to teach other people.”—“Will +Atkins,” said I to him, “though I am afraid that what +you say has too much truth in it, yet can you not tell your wife +she is in the wrong; that there is a God and a religion better +than her own; that her gods are idols; that they can neither hear +nor speak; that there is a great Being that made all things, and +that can destroy all that He has made; that He rewards the good +and punishes the bad; and that we are to be judged by Him at last +for all we do here? You are not so ignorant but even nature +itself will teach you that all this is true; and I am satisfied +you know it all to be true, and believe it +yourself.”—“That is true, sir,” said +Atkins; “but with what face can I say anything to my wife +of all this, when she will tell me immediately it cannot be +true?”—“Not true!” said I; “what do +you mean by that?”—“Why, sir,” said he, +“she will tell me it cannot be true that this God I shall +tell her of can be just, or can punish or reward, since I am not +punished and sent to the devil, that have been such a wicked +creature as she knows I have been, even to her, and to everybody +else; and that I should be suffered to live, that have been +always acting so contrary to what I must tell her is good, and to +what I ought to have done.”—“Why, truly, +Atkins,” said I, “I am afraid thou speakest too much +truth;” and with that I informed the clergyman of what +Atkins had said, for he was impatient to know. +“Oh,” said the priest, “tell him there is one +thing will make him the best minister in the world to his wife, +and that is repentance; for none teach repentance like true +penitents. He wants nothing but to repent, and then he will +be so much the better qualified to instruct his wife; he will +then be able to tell her that there is not only a God, and that +He is the just rewarder of good and evil, but that He is a +merciful Being, and with infinite goodness and long-suffering +forbears to punish those that offend; waiting to be gracious, and +willing not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should +return and live; and even reserves damnation to the general day +of retribution; that it is a clear evidence of God and of a +future state that righteous men receive not their reward, or +wicked men their punishment, till they come into another world; +and this will lead him to teach his wife the doctrine of the +resurrection and of the last judgment. Let him but repent +himself, he will be an excellent preacher of repentance to his +wife.”</p> +<p>I repeated all this to Atkins, who looked very serious all the +while, and, as we could easily perceive, was more than ordinarily +affected with it; when being eager, and hardly suffering me to +make an end, “I know all this, master,” says he, +“and a great deal more; but I have not the impudence to +talk thus to my wife, when God and my conscience know, and my +wife will be an undeniable evidence against me, that I have lived +as if I had never heard of a God or future state, or anything +about it; and to talk of my repenting, alas!” (and with +that he fetched a deep sigh, and I could see that the tears stood +in his eyes) “’tis past all that with +me.”—“Past it, Atkins?” said I: +“what dost thou mean by that?”—“I know +well enough what I mean,” says he; “I mean ’tis +too late, and that is too true.”</p> +<p>I told the clergyman, word for word, what he said, and this +affectionate man could not refrain from tears; but, recovering +himself, said to me, “Ask him but one question. Is he +easy that it is too late; or is he troubled, and wishes it were +not so?” I put the question fairly to Atkins; and he +answered with a great deal of passion, “How could any man +be easy in a condition that must certainly end in eternal +destruction? that he was far from being easy; but that, on the +contrary, he believed it would one time or other ruin +him.”—“What do you mean by that?” said +I.—“Why,” he said, “he believed he should +one time or other cut his throat, to put an end to the terror of +it.”</p> +<p>The clergyman shook his head, with great concern in his face, +when I told him all this; but turning quick to me upon it, says, +“If that be his case, we may assure him it is not too late; +Christ will give him repentance. But pray,” says he, +“explain this to him: that as no man is saved but by +Christ, and the merit of His passion procuring divine mercy for +him, how can it be too late for any man to receive mercy? +Does he think he is able to sin beyond the power or reach of +divine mercy? Pray tell him there may be a time when +provoked mercy will no longer strive, and when God may refuse to +hear, but that it is never too late for men to ask mercy; and we, +that are Christ’s servants, are commanded to preach mercy +at all times, in the name of Jesus Christ, to all those that +sincerely repent: so that it is never too late to +repent.”</p> +<p>I told Atkins all this, and he heard me with great +earnestness; but it seemed as if he turned off the discourse to +the rest, for he said to me he would go and have some talk with +his wife; so he went out a while, and we talked to the +rest. I perceived they were all stupidly ignorant as to +matters of religion, as much as I was when I went rambling away +from my father; yet there were none of them backward to hear what +had been said; and all of them seriously promised that they would +talk with their wives about it, and do their endeavours to +persuade them to turn Christians.</p> +<p>The clergyman smiled upon me when I reported what answer they +gave, but said nothing a good while; but at last, shaking his +head, “We that are Christ’s servants,” says he, +“can go no further than to exhort and instruct: and when +men comply, submit to the reproof, and promise what we ask, +’tis all we can do; we are bound to accept their good +words; but believe me, sir,” said he, “whatever you +may have known of the life of that man you call Will +Atkin’s, I believe he is the only sincere convert among +them: I will not despair of the rest; but that man is apparently +struck with the sense of his past life, and I doubt not, when he +comes to talk of religion to his wife, he will talk himself +effectually into it: for attempting to teach others is sometimes +the best way of teaching ourselves. If that poor Atkins +begins but once to talk seriously of Jesus Christ to his wife, he +will assuredly talk himself into a thorough convert, make himself +a penitent, and who knows what may follow.”</p> +<p>Upon this discourse, however, and their promising, as above, +to endeavour to persuade their wives to embrace Christianity, he +married the two other couple; but Will Atkins and his wife were +not yet come in. After this, my clergyman, waiting a while, +was curious to know where Atkins was gone, and turning to me, +said, “I entreat you, sir, let us walk out of your +labyrinth here and look; I daresay we shall find this poor man +somewhere or other talking seriously to his wife, and teaching +her already something of religion.” I began to be of +the same mind; so we went out together, and I carried him a way +which none knew but myself, and where the trees were so very +thick that it was not easy to see through the thicket of leaves, +and far harder to see in than to see out: when, coming to the +edge of the wood, I saw Atkins and his tawny wife sitting under +the shade of a bush, very eager in discourse: I stopped short +till my clergyman came up to me, and then having showed him where +they were, we stood and looked very steadily at them a good +while. We observed him very earnest with her, pointing up +to the sun, and to every quarter of the heavens, and then down to +the earth, then out to the sea, then to himself, then to her, to +the woods, to the trees. “Now,” says the +clergyman, “you see my words are made good, the man +preaches to her; mark him now, he is telling her that our God has +made him, her, and the heavens, the earth, the sea, the woods, +the trees, &c.”—“I believe he is,” +said I. Immediately we perceived Will Atkins start upon his +feet, fall down on his knees, and lift up both his hands. +We supposed he said something, but we could not hear him; it was +too far for that. He did not continue kneeling half a +minute, but comes and sits down again by his wife, and talks to +her again; we perceived then the woman very attentive, but +whether she said anything to him we could not tell. While +the poor fellow was upon his knees I could see the tears run +plentifully down my clergyman’s cheeks, and I could hardly +forbear myself; but it was a great affliction to us both that we +were not near enough to hear anything that passed between +them. Well, however, we could come no nearer for fear of +disturbing them: so we resolved to see an end of this piece of +still conversation, and it spoke loud enough to us without the +help of voice. He sat down again, as I have said, close by +her, and talked again earnestly to her, and two or three times we +could see him embrace her most passionately; another time we saw +him take out his handkerchief and wipe her eyes, and then kiss +her again with a kind of transport very unusual; and after +several of these things, we saw him on a sudden jump up again, +and lend her his hand to help her up, when immediately leading +her by the hand a step or two, they both kneeled down together, +and continued so about two minutes.</p> +<p>My friend could bear it no longer, but cries out aloud, +“St. Paul! St. Paul! behold he prayeth.” +I was afraid Atkins would hear him, therefore I entreated him to +withhold himself a while, that we might see an end of the scene, +which to me, I must confess, was the most affecting that ever I +saw in my life. Well, he strove with himself for a while, +but was in such raptures to think that the poor heathen woman was +become a Christian, that he was not able to contain himself; he +wept several times, then throwing up his hands and crossing his +breast, said over several things ejaculatory, and by the way of +giving God thanks for so miraculous a testimony of the success of +our endeavours. Some he spoke softly, and I could not well +hear others; some things he said in Latin, some in French; then +two or three times the tears would interrupt him, that he could +not speak at all; but I begged that he would contain himself, and +let us more narrowly and fully observe what was before us, which +he did for a time, the scene not being near ended yet; for after +the poor man and his wife were risen again from their knees, we +observed he stood talking still eagerly to her, and we observed +her motion, that she was greatly affected with what he said, by +her frequently lifting up her hands, laying her hand to her +breast, and such other postures as express the greatest +seriousness and attention; this continued about half a quarter of +an hour, and then they walked away, so we could see no more of +them in that situation.</p> +<p>I took this interval to say to the clergyman, first, that I +was glad to see the particulars we had both been witnesses to; +that, though I was hard enough of belief in such cases, yet that +I began to think it was all very sincere here, both in the man +and his wife, however ignorant they might both be, and I hoped +such a beginning would yet have a more happy end. +“But, my friend,” added I, “will you give me +leave to start one difficulty here? I cannot tell how to +object the least thing against that affectionate concern which +you show for the turning of the poor people from their paganism +to the Christian religion; but how does this comfort you, while +these people are, in your account, out of the pale of the +Catholic Church, without which you believe there is no salvation? +so that you esteem these but heretics, as effectually lost as the +pagans themselves.”</p> +<p>To this he answered, with abundance of candour, thus: +“Sir, I am a Catholic of the Roman Church, and a priest of +the order of St. Benedict, and I embrace all the principles of +the Roman faith; but yet, if you will believe me, and that I do +not speak in compliment to you, or in respect to my circumstances +and your civilities; I say nevertheless, I do not look upon you, +who call yourselves reformed, without some charity. I dare +not say (though I know it is our opinion in general) that you +cannot be saved; I will by no means limit the mercy of Christ so +far as think that He cannot receive you into the bosom of His +Church, in a manner to us unperceivable; and I hope you have the +same charity for us: I pray daily for you being all restored to +Christ’s Church, by whatsoever method He, who is all-wise, +is pleased to direct. In the meantime, surely you will +allow it consists with me as a Roman to distinguish far between a +Protestant and a pagan; between one that calls on Jesus Christ, +though in a way which I do not think is according to the true +faith, and a savage or a barbarian, that knows no God, no Christ, +no Redeemer; and if you are not within the pale of the Catholic +Church, we hope you are nearer being restored to it than those +who know nothing of God or of His Church: and I rejoice, +therefore, when I see this poor man, who you say has been a +profligate, and almost a murderer kneel down and pray to Jesus +Christ, as we suppose he did, though not fully enlightened; +believing that God, from whom every such work proceeds, will +sensibly touch his heart, and bring him to the further knowledge +of that truth in His own time; and if God shall influence this +poor man to convert and instruct the ignorant savage, his wife, I +can never believe that he shall be cast away himself. And +have I not reason, then, to rejoice, the nearer any are brought +to the knowledge of Christ, though they may not be brought quite +home into the bosom of the Catholic Church just at the time when +I desire it, leaving it to the goodness of Christ to perfect His +work in His own time, and in his own way? Certainly, I +would rejoice if all the savages in America were brought, like +this poor woman, to pray to God, though they were all to be +Protestants at first, rather than they should continue pagans or +heathens; firmly believing, that He that had bestowed the first +light on them would farther illuminate them with a beam of His +heavenly grace, and bring them into the pale of His Church when +He should see good.”</p> +<h2>CHAPTER VII—CONVERSATION BETWIXT WILL ATKINS AND HIS +WIFE</h2> +<p>I was astonished at the sincerity and temper of this pious +Papist, as much as I was oppressed by the power of his reasoning; +and it presently occurred to my thoughts, that if such a temper +was universal, we might be all Catholic Christians, whatever +Church or particular profession we joined in; that a spirit of +charity would soon work us all up into right principles; and as +he thought that the like charity would make us all Catholics, so +I told him I believed, had all the members of his Church the like +moderation, they would soon all be Protestants. And there +we left that part; for we never disputed at all. However, I +talked to him another way, and taking him by the hand, “My +friend,” says I, “I wish all the clergy of the Romish +Church were blessed with such moderation, and had an equal share +of your charity. I am entirely of your opinion; but I must +tell you that if you should preach such doctrine in Spain or +Italy, they would put you into the +Inquisition.”—“It may be so,” said he; +“I know not what they would do in Spain or Italy; but I +will not say they would be the better Christians for that +severity; for I am sure there is no heresy in abounding with +charity.”</p> +<p>Well, as Will Atkins and his wife were gone, our business +there was over, so we went back our own way; and when we came +back, we found them waiting to be called in. Observing +this, I asked my clergyman if we should discover to him that we +had seen him under the bush or not; and it was his opinion we +should not, but that we should talk to him first, and hear what +he would say to us; so we called him in alone, nobody being in +the place but ourselves, and I began by asking him some +particulars about his parentage and education. He told me +frankly enough that his father was a clergyman who would have +taught him well, but that he, Will Atkins, despised all +instruction and correction; and by his brutish conduct cut the +thread of all his father’s comforts and shortened his days, +for that he broke his heart by the most ungrateful, unnatural +return for the most affectionate treatment a father ever +gave.</p> +<p>In what he said there seemed so much sincerity of repentance, +that it painfully affected me. I could not but reflect that +I, too, had shortened the life of a good, tender father by my bad +conduct and obstinate self-will. I was, indeed, so +surprised with what he had told me, that I thought, instead of my +going about to teach and instruct him, the man was made a teacher +and instructor to me in a most unexpected manner.</p> +<p>I laid all this before the young clergyman, who was greatly +affected with it, and said to me, “Did I not say, sir, that +when this man was converted he would preach to us all? I +tell you, sir, if this one man be made a true penitent, there +will be no need of me; he will make Christians of all in the +island.”—But having a little composed myself, I +renewed my discourse with Will Atkins. “But, +Will,” said I, “how comes the sense of this matter to +touch you just now?”</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—Sir, you have set me about a work that has +struck a dart though my very soul; I have been talking about God +and religion to my wife, in order, as you directed me, to make a +Christian of her, and she has preached such a sermon to me as I +shall never forget while I live.</p> +<p><i>R.C.</i>—No, no, it is not your wife has preached to +you; but when you were moving religious arguments to her, +conscience has flung them back upon you.</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—Ay, sir, with such force as is not to be +resisted.</p> +<p><i>R.C.</i>—Pray, Will, let us know what passed between +you and your wife; for I know something of it already.</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—Sir, it is impossible to give you a full +account of it; I am too full to hold it, and yet have no tongue +to express it; but let her have said what she will, though I +cannot give you an account of it, this I can tell you, that I +have resolved to amend and reform my life.</p> +<p><i>R.C.</i>—But tell us some of it: how did you begin, +Will? For this has been an extraordinary case, that is +certain. She has preached a sermon, indeed, if she has +wrought this upon you.</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—Why, I first told her the nature of our laws +about marriage, and what the reasons were that men and women were +obliged to enter into such compacts as it was neither in the +power of one nor other to break; that otherwise, order and +justice could not be maintained, and men would run from their +wives, and abandon their children, mix confusedly with one +another, and neither families be kept entire, nor inheritances be +settled by legal descent.</p> +<p><i>R.C.</i>—You talk like a civilian, Will. Could +you make her understand what you meant by inheritance and +families? They know no such things among the savages, but +marry anyhow, without regard to relation, consanguinity, or +family; brother and sister, nay, as I have been told, even the +father and the daughter, and the son and the mother.</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—I believe, sir, you are misinformed, and my +wife assures me of the contrary, and that they abhor it; perhaps, +for any further relations, they may not be so exact as we are; +but she tells me never in the near relationship you speak of.</p> +<p><i>R.C.</i>—Well, what did she say to what you told +her?</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—She said she liked it very well, as it was +much better than in her country.</p> +<p><i>R.C.</i>—But did you tell her what marriage was?</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—Ay, ay, there began our dialogue. I +asked her if she would be married to me our way. She asked +me what way that was; I told her marriage was appointed by God; +and here we had a strange talk together, indeed, as ever man and +wife had, I believe.</p> +<p>N.B.—This dialogue between Will Atkins and his wife, +which I took down in writing just after he told it me, was as +follows:—</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—Appointed by your God!—Why, have you +a God in your country?</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—Yes, my dear, God is in every country.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—No your God in my country; my country have +the great old Benamuckee God.</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—Child, I am very unfit to show you who God +is; God is in heaven and made the heaven and the earth, the sea, +and all that in them is.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—No makee de earth; no you God makee all +earth; no makee my country.</p> +<p>[Will Atkins laughed a little at her expression of God not +making her country.]</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—No laugh; why laugh me? This no ting +to laugh.</p> +<p>[He was justly reproved by his wife, for she was more serious +than he at first.]</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—That’s true, indeed; I will not laugh +any more, my dear.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—Why you say you God makee all?</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—Yes, child, our God made the whole world, +and you, and me, and all things; for He is the only true God, and +there is no God but Him. He lives for ever in heaven.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—Why you no tell me long ago?</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—That’s true, indeed; but I have been a +wicked wretch, and have not only forgotten to acquaint thee with +anything before, but have lived without God in the world +myself.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—What, have you a great God in your country, +you no know Him? No say O to Him? No do good ting for +Him? That no possible.</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—It is true; though, for all that, we live as +if there was no God in heaven, or that He had no power on +earth.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—But why God let you do so? Why He no +makee you good live?</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—It is all our own fault.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—But you say me He is great, much great, +have much great power; can makee kill when He will: why He no +makee kill when you no serve Him? no say O to Him? no be good +mans?</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—That is true, He might strike me dead; and I +ought to expect it, for I have been a wicked wretch, that is +true; but God is merciful, and does not deal with us as we +deserve.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—But then do you not tell God thankee for +that too?</p> +<p><i>W. A.</i>—No, indeed, I have not thanked God for His +mercy, any more than I have feared God from His power.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—Then you God no God; me no think, believe +He be such one, great much power, strong: no makee kill you, +though you make Him much angry.</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—What, will my wicked life hinder you from +believing in God? What a dreadful creature am I! and what a +sad truth is it, that the horrid lives of Christians hinder the +conversion of heathens!</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—How me tink you have great much God up +there [she points up to heaven], and yet no do well, no do good +ting? Can He tell? Sure He no tell what you do?</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—Yes, yes, He knows and sees all things; He +hears us speak, sees what we do, knows what we think though we do +not speak.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—What! He no hear you curse, swear, +speak de great damn?</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—Yes, yes, He hears it all.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—Where be then the much great power +strong?</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—He is merciful, that is all we can say for +it; and this proves Him to be the true God; He is God, and not +man, and therefore we are not consumed.</p> +<p>[Here Will Atkins told us he was struck with horror to think +how he could tell his wife so clearly that God sees, and hears, +and knows the secret thoughts of the heart, and all that we do, +and yet that he had dared to do all the vile things he had +done.]</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—Merciful! What you call dat?</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—He is our Father and Maker, and He pities +and spares us.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—So then He never makee kill, never angry +when you do wicked; then He no good Himself, or no great +able.</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—Yes, yes, my dear, He is infinitely good and +infinitely great, and able to punish too; and sometimes, to show +His justice and vengeance, He lets fly His anger to destroy +sinners and make examples; many are cut off in their sins.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—But no makee kill you yet; then He tell +you, maybe, that He no makee you kill: so you makee the bargain +with Him, you do bad thing, He no be angry at you when He be +angry at other mans.</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—No, indeed, my sins are all presumptions +upon His goodness; and He would be infinitely just if He +destroyed me, as He has done other men.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—Well, and yet no kill, no makee you dead: +what you say to Him for that? You no tell Him thankee for +all that too?</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—I am an unthankful, ungrateful dog, that is +true.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—Why He no makee you much good better? you +say He makee you.</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—He made me as He made all the world: it is I +have deformed myself and abused His goodness, and made myself an +abominable wretch.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—I wish you makee God know me. I no +makee Him angry—I no do bad wicked thing.</p> +<p>[Here Will Atkins said his heart sunk within him to hear a +poor untaught creature desire to be taught to know God, and he +such a wicked wretch, that he could not say one word to her about +God, but what the reproach of his own carriage would make most +irrational to her to believe; nay, that already she had told him +that she could not believe in God, because he, that was so +wicked, was not destroyed.]</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—My dear, you mean, you wish I could teach +you to know God, not God to know you; for He knows you already, +and every thought in your heart.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—Why, then, He know what I say to you now: +He know me wish to know Him. How shall me know who makee +me?</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—Poor creature, He must teach thee: I cannot +teach thee. I will pray to Him to teach thee to know Him, +and forgive me, that am unworthy to teach thee.</p> +<p>[The poor fellow was in such an agony at her desiring him to +make her know God, and her wishing to know Him, that he said he +fell down on his knees before her, and prayed to God to enlighten +her mind with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and to pardon +his sins, and accept of his being the unworthy instrument of +instructing her in the principles of religion: after which he sat +down by her again, and their dialogue went on. This was the +time when we saw him kneel down and hold up his hands.]</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—What you put down the knee for? What +you hold up the hand for? What you say? Who you speak +to? What is all that?</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—My dear, I bow my knees in token of my +submission to Him that made me: I said O to Him, as you call it, +and as your old men do to their idol Benamuckee; that is, I +prayed to Him.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—What say you O to Him for?</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—I prayed to Him to open your eyes and your +understanding, that you may know Him, and be accepted by Him.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—Can He do that too?</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—Yes, He can: He can do all things.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—But now He hear what you say?</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—Yes, He has bid us pray to Him, and promised +to hear us.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—Bid you pray? When He bid you? +How He bid you? What you hear Him speak?</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—No, we do not hear Him speak; but He has +revealed Himself many ways to us.</p> +<p>[Here he was at a great loss to make her understand that God +has revealed Himself to us by His word, and what His word was; +but at last he told it to her thus.]</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—God has spoken to some good men in former +days, even from heaven, by plain words; and God has inspired good +men by His Spirit; and they have written all His laws down in a +book.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—Me no understand that; where is book?</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—Alas! my poor creature, I have not this +book; but I hope I shall one time or other get it for you, and +help you to read it.</p> +<p>[Here he embraced her with great affection, but with +inexpressible grief that he had not a Bible.]</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—But how you makee me know that God teachee +them to write that book?</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—By the same rule that we know Him to be +God.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—What rule? What way you know Him?</p> +<p><i>W.A.</i>—Because He teaches and commands nothing but +what is good, righteous, and holy, and tends to make us perfectly +good, as well as perfectly happy; and because He forbids and +commands us to avoid all that is wicked, that is evil in itself, +or evil in its consequence.</p> +<p><i>Wife</i>.—That me would understand, that me fain see; +if He teachee all good thing, He makee all good thing, He give +all thing, He hear me when I say O to Him, as you do just now; He +makee me good if I wish to be good; He spare me, no makee kill +me, when I no be good: all this you say He do, yet He be great +God; me take, think, believe Him to be great God; me say O to Him +with you, my dear.</p> +<p>Here the poor man could forbear no longer, but raised her up, +made her kneel by him, and he prayed to God aloud to instruct her +in the knowledge of Himself, by His Spirit; and that by some good +providence, if possible, she might, some time or other, come to +have a Bible, that she might read the word of God, and be taught +by it to know Him. This was the time that we saw him lift +her up by the hand, and saw him kneel down by her, as above.</p> +<p>They had several other discourses, it seems, after this; and +particularly she made him promise that, since he confessed his +own life had been a wicked, abominable course of provocations +against God, that he would reform it, and not make God angry any +more, lest He should make him dead, as she called it, and then +she would be left alone, and never be taught to know this God +better; and lest he should be miserable, as he had told her +wicked men would be after death.</p> +<p>This was a strange account, and very affecting to us both, but +particularly to the young clergyman; he was, indeed, wonderfully +surprised with it, but under the greatest affliction imaginable +that he could not talk to her, that he could not speak English to +make her understand him; and as she spoke but very broken +English, he could not understand her; however, he turned himself +to me, and told me that he believed that there must be more to do +with this woman than to marry her. I did not understand him +at first; but at length he explained himself, viz. that she ought +to be baptized. I agreed with him in that part readily, and +wished it to be done presently. “No, no; hold, +sir,” says he; “though I would have her be baptized, +by all means, for I must observe that Will Atkins, her husband, +has indeed brought her, in a wonderful manner, to be willing to +embrace a religious life, and has given her just ideas of the +being of a God; of His power, justice, and mercy: yet I desire to +know of him if he has said anything to her of Jesus Christ, and +of the salvation of sinners; of the nature of faith in Him, and +redemption by Him; of the Holy Spirit, the resurrection, the last +judgment, and the future state.”</p> +<p>I called Will Atkins again, and asked him; but the poor fellow +fell immediately into tears, and told us he had said something to +her of all those things, but that he was himself so wicked a +creature, and his own conscience so reproached him with his +horrid, ungodly life, that he trembled at the apprehensions that +her knowledge of him should lessen the attention she should give +to those things, and make her rather contemn religion than +receive it; but he was assured, he said, that her mind was so +disposed to receive due impressions of all those things, and that +if I would but discourse with her, she would make it appear to my +satisfaction that my labour would not be lost upon her.</p> +<p>Accordingly I called her in, and placing myself as interpreter +between my religious priest and the woman, I entreated him to +begin with her; but sure such a sermon was never preached by a +Popish priest in these latter ages of the world; and as I told +him, I thought he had all the zeal, all the knowledge, all the +sincerity of a Christian, without the error of a Roman Catholic; +and that I took him to be such a clergyman as the Roman bishops +were before the Church of Rome assumed spiritual sovereignty over +the consciences of men. In a word, he brought the poor +woman to embrace the knowledge of Christ, and of redemption by +Him, not with wonder and astonishment only, as she did the first +notions of a God, but with joy and faith; with an affection, and +a surprising degree of understanding, scarce to be imagined, much +less to be expressed; and, at her own request, she was +baptized.</p> +<p>When he was preparing to baptize her, I entreated him that he +would perform that office with some caution, that the man might +not perceive he was of the Roman Church, if possible, because of +other ill consequences which might attend a difference among us +in that very religion which we were instructing the other +in. He told me that as he had no consecrated chapel, nor +proper things for the office, I should see he would do it in a +manner that I should not know by it that he was a Roman Catholic +myself, if I had not known it before; and so he did; for saying +only some words over to himself in Latin, which I could not +understand, he poured a whole dishful of water upon the +woman’s head, pronouncing in French, very loud, +“Mary” (which was the name her husband desired me to +give her, for I was her godfather), “I baptize thee in the +name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;” +so that none could know anything by it what religion he was +of. He gave the benediction afterwards in Latin, but either +Will Atkins did not know but it was French, or else did not take +notice of it at that time.</p> +<p>As soon as this was over we married them; and after the +marriage was over, he turned to Will Atkins, and in a very +affectionate manner exhorted him, not only to persevere in that +good disposition he was in, but to support the convictions that +were upon him by a resolution to reform his life: told him it was +in vain to say he repented if he did not forsake his crimes; +represented to him how God had honoured him with being the +instrument of bringing his wife to the knowledge of the Christian +religion, and that he should be careful he did not dishonour the +grace of God; and that if he did, he would see the heathen a +better Christian than himself; the savage converted, and the +instrument cast away. He said a great many good things to +them both; and then, recommending them to God’s goodness, +gave them the benediction again, I repeating everything to them +in English; and thus ended the ceremony. I think it was the +most pleasant and agreeable day to me that ever I passed in my +whole life. But my clergyman had not done yet: his thoughts +hung continually upon the conversion of the thirty-seven savages, +and fain be would have stayed upon the island to have undertaken +it; but I convinced him, first, that his undertaking was +impracticable in itself; and, secondly, that perhaps I would put +it into a way of being done in his absence to his +satisfaction.</p> +<p>Having thus brought the affairs of the island to a narrow +compass, I was preparing to go on board the ship, when the young +man I had taken out of the famished ship’s company came to +me, and told me he understood I had a clergyman with me, and that +I had caused the Englishmen to be married to the savages; that he +had a match too, which he desired might be finished before I +went, between two Christians, which he hoped would not be +disagreeable to me.</p> +<p>I knew this must be the young woman who was his mother’s +servant, for there was no other Christian woman on the island: so +I began to persuade him not to do anything of that kind rashly, +or because he found himself in this solitary circumstance. +I represented to him that he had some considerable substance in +the world, and good friends, as I understood by himself, and the +maid also; that the maid was not only poor, and a servant, but +was unequal to him, she being six or seven and twenty years old, +and he not above seventeen or eighteen; that he might very +probably, with my assistance, make a remove from this wilderness, +and come into his own country again; and that then it would be a +thousand to one but he would repent his choice, and the dislike +of that circumstance might be disadvantageous to both. I +was going to say more, but he interrupted me, smiling, and told +me, with a great deal of modesty, that I mistook in my +guesses—that he had nothing of that kind in his thoughts; +and he was very glad to hear that I had an intent of putting them +in a way to see their own country again; and nothing should have +made him think of staying there, but that the voyage I was going +was so exceeding long and hazardous, and would carry him quite +out of the reach of all his friends; that he had nothing to +desire of me but that I would settle him in some little property +in the island where he was, give him a servant or two, and some +few necessaries, and he would live here like a planter, waiting +the good time when, if ever I returned to England, I would redeem +him. He hoped I would not be unmindful of him when I came +to England: that he would give me some letters to his friends in +London, to let them know how good I had been to him, and in what +part of the world and what circumstances I had left him in: and +he promised me that whenever I redeemed him, the plantation, and +all the improvements he had made upon it, let the value be what +it would, should be wholly mine.</p> +<p>His discourse was very prettily delivered, considering his +youth, and was the more agreeable to me, because he told me +positively the match was not for himself. I gave him all possible +assurances that if I lived to come safe to England, I would +deliver his letters, and do his business effectually; and that he +might depend I should never forget the circumstances I had left +him in. But still I was impatient to know who was the +person to be married; upon which he told me it was my +Jack-of-all-trades and his maid Susan. I was most agreeably +surprised when he named the match; for, indeed, I thought it very +suitable. The character of that man I have given already; +and as for the maid, she was a very honest, modest, sober, and +religious young woman: had a very good share of sense, was +agreeable enough in her person, spoke very handsomely and to the +purpose, always with decency and good manners, and was neither +too backward to speak when requisite, nor impertinently forward +when it was not her business; very handy and housewifely, and an +excellent manager; fit, indeed, to have been governess to the +whole island; and she knew very well how to behave in every +respect.</p> +<p>The match being proposed in this manner, we married them the +same day; and as I was father at the altar, and gave her away, so +I gave her a portion; for I appointed her and her husband a +handsome large space of ground for their plantation; and indeed +this match, and the proposal the young gentleman made to give him +a small property in the island, put me upon parcelling it out +amongst them, that they might not quarrel afterwards about their +situation.</p> +<p>This sharing out the land to them I left to Will Atkins, who +was now grown a sober, grave, managing fellow, perfectly +reformed, exceedingly pious and religious; and, as far as I may +be allowed to speak positively in such a case, I verily believe +he was a true penitent. He divided things so justly, and so +much to every one’s satisfaction, that they only desired +one general writing under my hand for the whole, which I caused +to be drawn up, and signed and sealed, setting out the bounds and +situation of every man’s plantation, and testifying that I +gave them thereby severally a right to the whole possession and +inheritance of the respective plantations or farms, with their +improvements, to them and their heirs, reserving all the rest of +the island as my own property, and a certain rent for every +particular plantation after eleven years, if I, or any one from +me, or in my name, came to demand it, producing an attested copy +of the same writing. As to the government and laws among +them, I told them I was not capable of giving them better rules +than they were able to give themselves; only I made them promise +me to live in love and good neighbourhood with one another; and +so I prepared to leave them.</p> +<p>One thing I must not omit, and that is, that being now settled +in a kind of commonwealth among themselves, and having much +business in hand, it was odd to have seven-and-thirty Indians +live in a nook of the island, independent, and, indeed, +unemployed; for except the providing themselves food, which they +had difficulty enough to do sometimes, they had no manner of +business or property to manage. I proposed, therefore, to +the governor Spaniard that he should go to them, with +Friday’s father, and propose to them to remove, and either +plant for themselves, or be taken into their several families as +servants to be maintained for their labour, but without being +absolute slaves; for I would not permit them to make them slaves +by force, by any means; because they had their liberty given them +by capitulation, as it were articles of surrender, which they +ought not to break.</p> +<p>They most willingly embraced the proposal, and came all very +cheerfully along with him: so we allotted them land and +plantations, which three or four accepted of, but all the rest +chose to be employed as servants in the several families we had +settled. Thus my colony was in a manner settled as follows: +The Spaniards possessed my original habitation, which was the +capital city, and extended their plantations all along the side +of the brook, which made the creek that I have so often +described, as far as my bower; and as they increased their +culture, it went always eastward. The English lived in the +north-east part, where Will Atkins and his comrades began, and +came on southward and south-west, towards the back part of the +Spaniards; and every plantation had a great addition of land to +take in, if they found occasion, so that they need not jostle one +another for want of room. All the east end of the island +was left uninhabited, that if any of the savages should come on +shore there only for their customary barbarities, they might come +and go; if they disturbed nobody, nobody would disturb them: and +no doubt but they were often ashore, and went away again; for I +never heard that the planters were ever attacked or disturbed any +more.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER VIII—SAILS FROM THE ISLAND FOR THE BRAZILS</h2> +<p>It now came into my thoughts that I had hinted to my friend +the clergyman that the work of converting the savages might +perhaps be set on foot in his absence to his satisfaction, and I +told him that now I thought that it was put in a fair way; for +the savages, being thus divided among the Christians, if they +would but every one of them do their part with those which came +under their hands, I hoped it might have a very good effect.</p> +<p>He agreed presently in that, if they did their part. +“But how,” says he, “shall we obtain that of +them?” I told him we would call them all together, +and leave it in charge with them, or go to them, one by one, +which he thought best; so we divided it—he to speak to the +Spaniards, who were all Papists, and I to speak to the English, +who were all Protestants; and we recommended it earnestly to +them, and made them promise that they would never make any +distinction of Papist or Protestant in their exhorting the +savages to turn Christians, but teach them the general knowledge +of the true God, and of their Saviour Jesus Christ; and they +likewise promised us that they would never have any differences +or disputes one with another about religion.</p> +<p>When I came to Will Atkins’s house, I found that the +young woman I have mentioned above, and Will Atkins’s wife, +were become intimates; and this prudent, religious young woman +had perfected the work Will Atkins had begun; and though it was +not above four days after what I have related, yet the +new-baptized savage woman was made such a Christian as I have +seldom heard of in all my observation or conversation in the +world. It came next into my mind, in the morning before I +went to them, that amongst all the needful things I had to leave +with them I had not left them a Bible, in which I showed myself +less considering for them than my good friend the widow was for +me when she sent me the cargo of a hundred pounds from Lisbon, +where she packed up three Bibles and a Prayer-book. +However, the good woman’s charity had a greater extent than +ever she imagined, for they were reserved for the comfort and +instruction of those that made much better use of them than I had +done.</p> +<p>I took one of the Bibles in my pocket, and when I came to Will +Atkins’s tent, or house, and found the young woman and +Atkins’s baptized wife had been discoursing of religion +together—for Will Atkins told it me with a great deal of +joy—I asked if they were together now, and he said, +“Yes”; so I went into the house, and he with me, and +we found them together very earnest in discourse. +“Oh, sir,” says Will Atkins, “when God has +sinners to reconcile to Himself, and aliens to bring home, He +never wants a messenger; my wife has got a new instructor: I knew +I was unworthy, as I was incapable of that work; that young woman +has been sent hither from heaven—she is enough to convert a +whole island of savages.” The young woman blushed, +and rose up to go away, but I desired her to sit-still; I told +her she had a good work upon her hands, and I hoped God would +bless her in it.</p> +<p>We talked a little, and I did not perceive that they had any +book among them, though I did not ask; but I put my hand into my +pocket, and pulled out my Bible. “Here,” said I +to Atkins, “I have brought you an assistant that perhaps +you had not before.” The man was so confounded that +he was not able to speak for some time; but, recovering himself, +he takes it with both his hands, and turning to his wife, +“Here, my dear,” says he, “did not I tell you +our God, though He lives above, could hear what we have +said? Here’s the book I prayed for when you and I +kneeled down under the bush; now God has heard us and sent +it.” When he had said so, the man fell into such +passionate transports, that between the joy of having it, and +giving God thanks for it, the tears ran down his face like a +child that was crying.</p> +<p>The woman was surprised, and was like to have run into a +mistake that none of us were aware of; for she firmly believed +God had sent the book upon her husband’s petition. It +is true that providentially it was so, and might be taken so in a +consequent sense; but I believe it would have been no difficult +matter at that time to have persuaded the poor woman to have +believed that an express messenger came from heaven on purpose to +bring that individual book. But it was too serious a matter +to suffer any delusion to take place, so I turned to the young +woman, and told her we did not desire to impose upon the new +convert in her first and more ignorant understanding of things, +and begged her to explain to her that God may be very properly +said to answer our petitions, when, in the course of His +providence, such things are in a particular manner brought to +pass as we petitioned for; but we did not expect returns from +heaven in a miraculous and particular manner, and it is a mercy +that it is not so.</p> +<p>This the young woman did afterwards effectually, so that there +was no priestcraft used here; and I should have thought it one of +the most unjustifiable frauds in the world to have had it +so. But the effect upon Will Atkins is really not to be +expressed; and there, we may be sure, was no delusion. Sure +no man was ever more thankful in the world for anything of its +kind than he was for the Bible, nor, I believe, never any man was +glad of a Bible from a better principle; and though he had been a +most profligate creature, headstrong, furious, and desperately +wicked, yet this man is a standing rule to us all for the well +instructing children, viz. that parents should never give over to +teach and instruct, nor ever despair of the success of their +endeavours, let the children be ever so refractory, or to +appearance insensible to instruction; for if ever God in His +providence touches the conscience of such, the force of their +education turns upon them, and the early instruction of parents +is not lost, though it may have been many years laid asleep, but +some time or other they may find the benefit of it. Thus it +was with this poor man: however ignorant he was of religion and +Christian knowledge, he found he had some to do with now more +ignorant than himself, and that the least part of the instruction +of his good father that now came to his mind was of use to +him.</p> +<p>Among the rest, it occurred to him, he said, how his father +used to insist so much on the inexpressible value of the Bible, +and the privilege and blessing of it to nations, families, and +persons; but he never entertained the least notion of the worth +of it till now, when, being to talk to heathens, savages, and +barbarians, he wanted the help of the written oracle for his +assistance. The young woman was glad of it also for the +present occasion, though she had one, and so had the youth, on +board our ship among their goods, which were not yet brought on +shore. And now, having said so many things of this young +woman, I cannot omit telling one story more of her and myself, +which has something in it very instructive and remarkable.</p> +<p>I have related to what extremity the poor young woman was +reduced; how her mistress was starved to death, and died on board +that unhappy ship we met at sea, and how the whole ship’s +company was reduced to the last extremity. The gentlewoman, +and her son, and this maid, were first hardly used as to +provisions, and at last totally neglected and starved—that +is to say, brought to the last extremity of hunger. One +day, being discoursing with her on the extremities they suffered, +I asked her if she could describe, by what she had felt, what it +was to starve, and how it appeared? She said she believed +she could, and told her tale very distinctly thus:—</p> +<p>“First, we had for some days fared exceedingly hard, and +suffered very great hunger; but at last we were wholly without +food of any kind except sugar, and a little wine and water. +The first day after I had received no food at all, I found myself +towards evening, empty and sick at the stomach, and nearer night +much inclined to yawning and sleep. I lay down on the couch +in the great cabin to sleep, and slept about three hours, and +awaked a little refreshed, having taken a glass of wine when I +lay down; after being about three hours awake, it being about +five o’clock in the morning, I found myself empty, and my +stomach sickish, and lay down again, but could not sleep at all, +being very faint and ill; and thus I continued all the second day +with a strange variety—first hungry, then sick again, with +retchings to vomit. The second night, being obliged to go +to bed again without any food more than a draught of fresh water, +and being asleep, I dreamed I was at Barbadoes, and that the +market was mightily stocked with provisions; that I bought some +for my mistress, and went and dined very heartily. I +thought my stomach was full after this, as it would have been +after a good dinner; but when I awaked I was exceedingly sunk in +my spirits to find myself in the extremity of family. The +last glass of wine we had I drank, and put sugar in it, because +of its having some spirit to supply nourishment; but there being +no substance in the stomach for the digesting office to work +upon, I found the only effect of the wine was to raise +disagreeable fumes from the stomach into the head; and I lay, as +they told me, stupid and senseless, as one drunk, for some +time. The third day, in the morning, after a night of +strange, confused, and inconsistent dreams, and rather dozing +than sleeping, I awaked ravenous and furious with hunger; and I +question, had not my understanding returned and conquered it, +whether if I had been a mother, and had had a little child with +me, its life would have been safe or not. This lasted about +three hours, during which time I was twice raging mad as any +creature in Bedlam, as my young master told me, and as he can now +inform you.</p> +<p>“In one of these fits of lunacy or distraction I fell +down and struck my face against the corner of a pallet-bed, in +which my mistress lay, and with the blow the blood gushed out of +my nose; and the cabin-boy bringing me a little basin, I sat down +and bled into it a great deal; and as the blood came from me I +came to myself, and the violence of the flame or fever I was in +abated, and so did the ravenous part of the hunger. Then I +grew sick, and retched to vomit, but could not, for I had nothing +in my stomach to bring up. After I had bled some time I +swooned, and they all believed I was dead; but I came to myself +soon after, and then had a most dreadful pain in my stomach not +to be described—not like the colic, but a gnawing, eager +pain for food; and towards night it went off with a kind of +earnest wishing or longing for food. I took another draught +of water with sugar in it; but my stomach loathed the sugar and +brought it all up again; then I took a draught of water without +sugar, and that stayed with me; and I laid me down upon the bed, +praying most heartily that it would please God to take me away; +and composing my mind in hopes of it, I slumbered a while, and +then waking, thought myself dying, being light with vapours from +an empty stomach. I recommended my soul then to God, and +then earnestly wished that somebody would throw me into the into +the sea.</p> +<p>“All this while my mistress lay by me, just, as I +thought, expiring, but she bore it with much more patience than +I, and gave the last bit of bread she had left to her child, my +young master, who would not have taken it, but she obliged him to +eat it; and I believe it saved his life. Towards the +morning I slept again, and when I awoke I fell into a violent +passion of crying, and after that had a second fit of violent +hunger. I got up ravenous, and in a most dreadful +condition; and once or twice I was going to bite my own +arm. At last I saw the basin in which was the blood I had +bled at my nose the day before: I ran to it, and swallowed it +with such haste, and such a greedy appetite, as if I wondered +nobody had taken it before, and afraid it should be taken from me +now. After it was down, though the thoughts of it filled me +with horror, yet it checked the fit of hunger, and I took another +draught of water, and was composed and refreshed for some hours +after. This was the fourth day; and this I kept up till +towards night, when, within the compass of three hours, I had all +the several circumstances over again, one after another, viz. +sick, sleepy, eagerly hungry, pain in the stomach, then ravenous +again, then sick, then lunatic, then crying, then ravenous again, +and so every quarter of an hour, and my strength wasted +exceedingly; at night I lay me down, having no comfort but in the +hope that I should die before morning.</p> +<p>“All this night I had no sleep; but the hunger was now +turned into a disease; and I had a terrible colic and griping, by +wind instead of food having found its way into the bowels; and in +this condition I lay till morning, when I was surprised by the +cries and lamentations of my young master, who called out to me +that his mother was dead. I lifted myself up a little, for +I had not strength to rise, but found she was not dead, though +she was able to give very little signs of life. I had then +such convulsions in my stomach, for want of some sustenance, as I +cannot describe; with such frequent throes and pangs of appetite +as nothing but the tortures of death can imitate; and in this +condition I was when I heard the seamen above cry out, ‘A +sail! a sail!’ and halloo and jump about as if they were +distracted. I was not able to get off from the bed, and my +mistress much less; and my young master was so sick that I +thought he had been expiring; so we could not open the cabin +door, or get any account what it was that occasioned such +confusion; nor had we had any conversation with the ship’s +company for twelve days, they having told us that they had not a +mouthful of anything to eat in the ship; and this they told us +afterwards—they thought we had been dead. It was this +dreadful condition we were in when you were sent to save our +lives; and how you found us, sir, you know as well as I, and +better too.”</p> +<p>This was her own relation, and is such a distinct account of +starving to death, as, I confess, I never met with, and was +exceeding instructive to me. I am the rather apt to believe +it to be a true account, because the youth gave me an account of +a good part of it; though I must own, not so distinct and so +feeling as the maid; and the rather, because it seems his mother +fed him at the price of her own life: but the poor maid, whose +constitution was stronger than that of her mistress, who was in +years, and a weakly woman too, might struggle harder with it; +nevertheless she might be supposed to feel the extremity +something sooner than her mistress, who might be allowed to keep +the last bit something longer than she parted with any to relieve +her maid. No question, as the case is here related, if our +ship or some other had not so providentially met them, but a few +days more would have ended all their lives. I now return to +my disposition of things among the people. And, first, it +is to be observed here, that for many reasons I did not think fit +to let them know anything of the sloop I had framed, and which I +thought of setting up among them; for I found, at least at my +first coming, such seeds of division among them, that I saw +plainly, had I set up the sloop, and left it among them, they +would, upon every light disgust, have separated, and gone away +from one another; or perhaps have turned pirates, and so made the +island a den of thieves, instead of a plantation of sober and +religious people, as I intended it; nor did I leave the two +pieces of brass cannon that I had on board, or the extra two +quarter-deck guns that my nephew had provided, for the same +reason. I thought it was enough to qualify them for a +defensive war against any that should invade them, but not to set +them up for an offensive war, or to go abroad to attack others; +which, in the end, would only bring ruin and destruction upon +them. I reserved the sloop, therefore, and the guns, for +their service another way, as I shall observe in its place.</p> +<p>Having now done with the island, I left them all in good +circumstances and in a flourishing condition, and went on board +my ship again on the 6th of May, having been about twenty-five +days among them: and as they were all resolved to stay upon the +island till I came to remove them, I promised to send them +further relief from the Brazils, if I could possibly find an +opportunity. I particularly promised to send them some +cattle, such as sheep, hogs, and cows: as to the two cows and +calves which I brought from England, we had been obliged, by the +length of our voyage, to kill them at sea, for want of hay to +feed them.</p> +<p>The next day, giving them a salute of five guns at parting, we +set sail, and arrived at the bay of All Saints in the Brazils in +about twenty-two days, meeting nothing remarkable in our passage +but this: that about three days after we had sailed, being +becalmed, and the current setting strong to the ENE., running, as +it were, into a bay or gulf on the land side, we were driven +something out of our course, and once or twice our men cried out, +“Land to the eastward!” but whether it was the +continent or islands we could not tell by any means. But +the third day, towards evening, the sea smooth, and the weather +calm, we saw the sea as it were covered towards the land with +something very black; not being able to discover what it was till +after some time, our chief mate, going up the main shrouds a +little way, and looking at them with a perspective, cried out it +was an army. I could not imagine what he meant by an army, +and thwarted him a little hastily. “Nay, sir,” +says he, “don’t be angry, for ’tis an army, and +a fleet too: for I believe there are a thousand canoes, and you +may see them paddle along, for they are coming towards us +apace.”</p> +<p>I was a little surprised then, indeed, and so was my nephew +the captain; for he had heard such terrible stories of them in +the island, and having never been in those seas before, that he +could not tell what to think of it, but said, two or three times, +we should all be devoured. I must confess, considering we +were becalmed, and the current set strong towards the shore, I +liked it the worse; however, I bade them not be afraid, but bring +the ship to an anchor as soon as we came so near as to know that +we must engage them. The weather continued calm, and they +came on apace towards us, so I gave orders to come to an anchor, +and furl all our sails; as for the savages, I told them they had +nothing to fear but fire, and therefore they should get their +boats out, and fasten them, one close by the head and the other +by the stern, and man them both well, and wait the issue in that +posture: this I did, that the men in the boats might he ready +with sheets and buckets to put out any fire these savages might +endeavour to fix to the outside of the ship.</p> +<p>In this posture we lay by for them, and in a little while they +came up with us; but never was such a horrid sight seen by +Christians; though my mate was much mistaken in his calculation +of their number, yet when they came up we reckoned about a +hundred and twenty-six canoes; some of them had sixteen or +seventeen men in them, and some more, and the least six or +seven. When they came nearer to us, they seemed to be +struck with wonder and astonishment, as at a sight which +doubtless they had never seen before; nor could they at first, as +we afterwards understood, know what to make of us; they came +boldly up, however, very near to us, and seemed to go about to +row round us; but we called to our men in the boats not to let +them come too near them. This very order brought us to an +engagement with them, without our designing it; for five or six +of the large canoes came so near our long-boat, that our men +beckoned with their hands to keep them back, which they +understood very well, and went back: but at their retreat about +fifty arrows came on board us from those boats, and one of our +men in the long-boat was very much wounded. However, I +called to them not to fire by any means; but we handed down some +deal boards into the boat, and the carpenter presently set up a +kind of fence, like waste boards, to cover them from the arrows +of the savages, if they should shoot again.</p> +<p>About half-an-hour afterwards they all came up in a body +astern of us, and so near that we could easily discern what they +were, though we could not tell their design; and I easily found +they were some of my old friends, the same sort of savages that I +had been used to engage with. In a short time more they +rowed a little farther out to sea, till they came directly +broadside with us, and then rowed down straight upon us, till +they came so near that they could hear us speak; upon this, I +ordered all my men to keep close, lest they should shoot any more +arrows, and made all our guns ready; but being so near as to be +within hearing, I made Friday go out upon the deck, and call out +aloud to them in his language, to know what they meant. +Whether they understood him or not, that I knew not; but as soon +as he had called to them, six of them, who were in the foremost +or nighest boat to us, turned their canoes from us, and stooping +down, showed us their naked backs; whether this was a defiance or +challenge we knew not, or whether it was done in mere contempt, +or as a signal to the rest; but immediately Friday cried out they +were going to shoot, and, unhappily for him, poor fellow, they +let fly about three hundred of their arrows, and to my +inexpressible grief, killed poor Friday, no other man being in +their sight. The poor fellow was shot with no less than +three arrows, and about three more fell very near him; such +unlucky marksmen they were!</p> +<p>I was so annoyed at the loss of my old trusty servant and +companion, that I immediately ordered five guns to be loaded with +small shot, and four with great, and gave them such a broadside +as they had never heard in their lives before. They were +not above half a cable’s length off when we fired; and our +gunners took their aim so well, that three or four of their +canoes were overset, as we had reason to believe, by one shot +only. The ill manners of turning up their bare backs to us +gave us no great offence; neither did I know for certain whether +that which would pass for the greatest contempt among us might be +understood so by them or not; therefore, in return, I had only +resolved to have fired four or five guns at them with powder +only, which I knew would frighten them sufficiently: but when +they shot at us directly with all the fury they were capable of, +and especially as they had killed my poor Friday, whom I so +entirely loved and valued, and who, indeed, so well deserved it, +I thought myself not only justifiable before God and man, but +would have been very glad if I could have overset every canoe +there, and drowned every one of them.</p> +<p>I can neither tell how many we killed nor how many we wounded +at this broadside, but sure such a fright and hurry never were +seen among such a multitude; there were thirteen or fourteen of +their canoes split and overset in all, and the men all set +a-swimming: the rest, frightened out of their wits, scoured away +as fast as they could, taking but little care to save those whose +boats were split or spoiled with our shot; so I suppose that many +of them were lost; and our men took up one poor fellow swimming +for his life, above an hour after they were all gone. The +small shot from our cannon must needs kill and wound a great +many; but, in short, we never knew how it went with them, for +they fled so fast, that in three hours or thereabouts we could +not see above three or four straggling canoes, nor did we ever +see the rest any more; for a breeze of wind springing up the same +evening, we weighed and set sail for the Brazils.</p> +<p>We had a prisoner, indeed, but the creature was so sullen that +he would neither cat nor speak, and we all fancied he would +starve himself to death. But I took a way to cure him: for +I had made them take him and turn him into the long-boat, and +make him believe they would toss him into the sea again, and so +leave him where they found him, if he would not speak; nor would +that do, but they really did throw him into the sea, and came +away from him. Then he followed them, for he swam like a +cork, and called to them in his tongue, though they knew not one +word of what he said; however at last they took him in again, +and then he began to be more tractable: nor did I ever design +they should drown him.</p> +<p>We were now under sail again, but I was the most disconsolate +creature alive for want of my man Friday, and would have been +very glad to have gone back to the island, to have taken one of +the rest from thence for my occasion, but it could not be: so we +went on. We had one prisoner, as I have said, and it was a +long time before we could make him understand anything; but in +time our men taught him some English, and he began to be a little +tractable. Afterwards, we inquired what country he came +from; but could make nothing of what he said; for his speech was +so odd, all gutturals, and he spoke in the throat in such a +hollow, odd manner, that we could never form a word after him; +and we were all of opinion that they might speak that language as +well if they were gagged as otherwise; nor could we perceive that +they had any occasion either for teeth, tongue, lips, or palate, +but formed their words just as a hunting-horn forms a tune with +an open throat. He told us, however, some time after, when +we had taught him to speak a little English, that they were going +with their kings to fight a great battle. When he said +kings, we asked him how many kings? He said they were five +nation (we could not make him understand the plural ‘s), +and that they all joined to go against two nation. We asked +him what made them come up to us? He said, “To makee +te great wonder look.” Here it is to be observed that +all those natives, as also those of Africa when they learn +English, always add two e’s at the end of the words where +we use one; and they place the accent upon them, as makée, +takée, and the like; nay, I could hardly make Friday leave +it off, though at last he did.</p> +<p>And now I name the poor fellow once more, I must take my last +leave of him. Poor honest Friday! We buried him with +all the decency and solemnity possible, by putting him into a +coffin, and throwing him into the sea; and I caused them to fire +eleven guns for him. So ended the life of the most +grateful, faithful, honest, and most affectionate servant that +ever man had.</p> +<p>We went now away with a fair wind for Brazil; and in about +twelve days’ time we made land, in the latitude of five +degrees south of the line, being the north-easternmost land of +all that part of America. We kept on S. by E., in sight of +the shore four days, when we made Cape St. Augustine, and in +three days came to an anchor off the bay of All Saints, the old +place of my deliverance, from whence came both my good and evil +fate. Never ship came to this port that had less business +than I had, and yet it was with great difficulty that we were +admitted to hold the least correspondence on shore: not my +partner himself, who was alive, and made a great figure among +them, not my two merchant-trustees, not the fame of my wonderful +preservation in the island, could obtain me that favour. My +partner, however, remembering that I had given five hundred +moidores to the prior of the monastery of the Augustines, and two +hundred and seventy-two to the poor, went to the monastery, and +obliged the prior that then was to go to the governor, and get +leave for me personally, with the captain and one more, besides +eight seamen, to come on shore, and no more; and this upon +condition, absolutely capitulated for, that we should not offer +to land any goods out of the ship, or to carry any person away +without licence. They were so strict with us as to landing +any goods, that it was with extreme difficulty that I got on +shore three bales of English goods, such as fine broadcloths, +stuffs, and some linen, which I had brought for a present to my +partner.</p> +<p>He was a very generous, open-hearted man, although he began, +like me, with little at first. Though he knew not that I +had the least design of giving him anything, he sent me on board +a present of fresh provisions, wine, and sweetmeats, worth about +thirty moidores, including some tobacco, and three or four fine +medals of gold: but I was even with him in my present, which, as +I have said, consisted of fine broadcloth, English stuffs, lace, +and fine holland; also, I delivered him about the value of one +hundred pounds sterling in the same goods, for other uses; and I +obliged him to set up the sloop, which I had brought with me from +England, as I have said, for the use of my colony, in order to +send the refreshments I intended to my plantation.</p> +<p>Accordingly, he got hands, and finished the sloop in a very +few days, for she was already framed; and I gave the master of +her such instructions that he could not miss the place; nor did +he, as I had an account from my partner afterwards. I got +him soon loaded with the small cargo I sent them; and one of our +seamen, that had been on shore with me there, offered to go with +the sloop and settle there, upon my letter to the governor +Spaniard to allot him a sufficient quantity of land for a +plantation, and on my giving him some clothes and tools for his +planting work, which he said he understood, having been an old +planter at Maryland, and a buccaneer into the bargain. I +encouraged the fellow by granting all he desired; and, as an +addition, I gave him the savage whom we had taken prisoner of war +to be his slave, and ordered the governor Spaniard to give him +his share of everything he wanted with the rest.</p> +<p>When we came to fit this man out, my old partner told me there +was a certain very honest fellow, a Brazil planter of his +acquaintance, who had fallen into the displeasure of the +Church. “I know not what the matter is with +him,” says he, “but, on my conscience, I think he is +a heretic in his heart, and he has been obliged to conceal +himself for fear of the Inquisition.” He then told me that +he would be very glad of such an opportunity to make his escape, +with his wife and two daughters; and if I would let them go to my +island, and allot them a plantation, he would give them a small +stock to begin with—for the officers of the Inquisition had +seized all his effects and estate, and he had nothing left but a +little household stuff and two slaves; “and,” adds +he, “though I hate his principles, yet I would not have him +fall into their hands, for he will be assuredly burned alive if +he does.” I granted this presently, and joined my +Englishman with them; and we concealed the man, and his wife and +daughters, on board our ship, till the sloop put out to go to +sea; and then having put all their goods on board some time +before, we put them on board the sloop after she was got out of +the bay. Our seaman was mightily pleased with this new +partner; and their stocks, indeed, were much alike, rich in +tools, in preparations, and a farm—but nothing to begin +with, except as above: however, they carried over with them what +was worth all the rest, some materials for planting sugar-canes, +with some plants of canes, which he, I mean the Brazil planter, +understood very well.</p> +<p>Among the rest of the supplies sent to my tenants in the +island, I sent them by the sloop three milch cows and five +calves; about twenty-two hogs, among them three sows; two mares, +and a stone-horse. For my Spaniards, according to my +promise, I engaged three Brazil women to go, and recommended it +to them to marry them, and use them kindly. I could have +procured more women, but I remembered that the poor persecuted +man had two daughters, and that there were but five of the +Spaniards that wanted partners; the rest had wives of their own, +though in another country. All this cargo arrived safe, +and, as you may easily suppose, was very welcome to my old +inhabitants, who were now, with this addition, between sixty and +seventy people, besides little children, of which there were a +great many. I found letters at London from them all, by way +of Lisbon, when I came back to England.</p> +<p>I have now done with the island, and all manner of discourse +about it: and whoever reads the rest of my memorandums would do +well to turn his thoughts entirely from it, and expect to read of +the follies of an old man, not warned by his own harms, much less +by those of other men, to beware; not cooled by almost forty +years’ miseries and disappointments—not satisfied +with prosperity beyond expectation, nor made cautious by +afflictions and distress beyond example.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER IX—DREADFUL OCCURRENCES IN MADAGASCAR</h2> +<p>I had no more business to go to the East Indies than a man at +full liberty has to go to the turnkey at Newgate, and desire him +to lock him up among the prisoners there, and starve him. +Had I taken a small vessel from England and gone directly to the +island; had I loaded her, as I did the other vessel, with all the +necessaries for the plantation and for my people; taken a patent +from the government here to have secured my property, in +subjection only to that of England; had I carried over cannon and +ammunition, servants and people to plant, and taken possession of +the place, fortified and strengthened it in the name of England, +and increased it with people, as I might easily have done; had I +then settled myself there, and sent the ship back laden with good +rice, as I might also have done in six months’ time, and +ordered my friends to have fitted her out again for our +supply—had I done this, and stayed there myself, I had at +least acted like a man of common sense. But I was possessed +of a wandering spirit, and scorned all advantages: I pleased +myself with being the patron of the people I placed there, and +doing for them in a kind of haughty, majestic way, like an old +patriarchal monarch, providing for them as if I had been father +of the whole family, as well as of the plantation. But I +never so much as pretended to plant in the name of any government +or nation, or to acknowledge any prince, or to call my people +subjects to any one nation more than another; nay, I never so +much as gave the place a name, but left it as I found it, +belonging to nobody, and the people under no discipline or +government but my own, who, though I had influence over them as a +father and benefactor, had no authority or power to act or +command one way or other, further than voluntary consent moved +them to comply. Yet even this, had I stayed there, would +have done well enough; but as I rambled from them, and came there +no more, the last letters I had from any of them were by my +partner’s means, who afterwards sent another sloop to the +place, and who sent me word, though I had not the letter till I +got to London, several years after it was written, that they went +on but poorly; were discontented with their long stay there; that +Will Atkins was dead; that five of the Spaniards were come away; +and though they had not been much molested by the savages, yet +they had had some skirmishes with them; and that they begged of +him to write to me to think of the promise I had made to fetch +them away, that they might see their country again before they +died.</p> +<p>But I was gone a wildgoose chase indeed, and they that will +have any more of me must be content to follow me into a new +variety of follies, hardships, and wild adventures, wherein the +justice of Providence may be duly observed; and we may see how +easily Heaven can gorge us with our own desires, make the +strongest of our wishes be our affliction, and punish us most +severely with those very things which we think it would be our +utmost happiness to be allowed to possess. Whether I had +business or no business, away I went: it is no time now to +enlarge upon the reason or absurdity of my own conduct, but to +come to the history—I was embarked for the voyage, and the +voyage I went.</p> +<p>I shall only add a word or two concerning my honest Popish +clergyman, for let their opinion of us, and all other heretics in +general, as they call us, be as uncharitable as it may, I verily +believe this man was very sincere, and wished the good of all +men: yet I believe he used reserve in many of his expressions, to +prevent giving me offence; for I scarce heard him once call on +the Blessed Virgin, or mention St. Jago, or his guardian angel, +though so common with the rest of them. However, I say I +had not the least doubt of his sincerity and pious intentions; +and I am firmly of opinion, if the rest of the Popish +missionaries were like him, they would strive to visit even the +poor Tartars and Laplanders, where they have nothing to give +them, as well as covet to flock to India, Persia, China, &c., +the most wealthy of the heathen countries; for if they expected +to bring no gains to their Church by it, it may well be admired +how they came to admit the Chinese Confucius into the calendar of +the Christian saints.</p> +<p>A ship being ready to sail for Lisbon, my pious priest asked +me leave to go thither; being still, as he observed, bound never +to finish any voyage he began. How happy it had been for me +if I had gone with him. But it was too late now; all things +Heaven appoints for the best: had I gone with him I had never had +so many things to be thankful for, and the reader had never heard +of the second part of the travels and adventures of Robinson +Crusoe: so I must here leave exclaiming at myself, and go on with +my voyage. From the Brazils we made directly over the +Atlantic Sea to the Cape of Good Hope, and had a tolerably good +voyage, our course generally south-east, now and then a storm, +and some contrary winds; but my disasters at sea were at an +end—my future rubs and cross events were to befall me on +shore, that it might appear the land was as well prepared to be +our scourge as the sea.</p> +<p>Our ship was on a trading voyage, and had a supercargo on +board, who was to direct all her motions after she arrived at the +Cape, only being limited to a certain number of days for stay, by +charter-party, at the several ports she was to go to. This +was none of my business, neither did I meddle with it; my nephew, +the captain, and the supercargo adjusting all those things +between them as they thought fit. We stayed at the Cape no +longer than was needful to take in-fresh water, but made the best +of our way for the coast of Coromandel. We were, indeed, +informed that a French man-of-war, of fifty guns, and two large +merchant ships, were gone for the Indies; and as I knew we were +at war with France, I had some apprehensions of them; but they +went their own way, and we heard no more of them.</p> +<p>I shall not pester the reader with a tedious description of +places, journals of our voyage, variations of the compass, +latitudes, trade-winds, &c.; it is enough to name the ports +and places which we touched at, and what occurred to us upon our +passages from one to another. We touched first at the +island of Madagascar, where, though the people are fierce and +treacherous, and very well armed with lances and bows, which they +use with inconceivable dexterity, yet we fared very well with +them a while. They treated us very civilly; and for some +trifles which we gave them, such as knives, scissors, &c., +they brought us eleven good fat bullocks, of a middling size, +which we took in, partly for fresh provisions for our present +spending, and the rest to salt for the ship’s use.</p> +<p>We were obliged to stay here some time after we had furnished +ourselves with provisions; and I, who was always too curious to +look into every nook of the world wherever I came, went on shore +as often as I could. It was on the east side of the island +that we went on shore one evening: and the people, who, by the +way, are very numerous, came thronging about us, and stood gazing +at us at a distance. As we had traded freely with them, and +had been kindly used, we thought ourselves in no danger; but when +we saw the people, we cut three boughs out of a tree, and stuck +them up at a distance from us; which, it seems, is a mark in that +country not only of a truce and friendship, but when it is +accepted the other side set up three poles or boughs, which is a +signal that they accept the truce too; but then this is a known +condition of the truce, that you are not to pass beyond their +three poles towards them, nor they to come past your three poles +or boughs towards you; so that you are perfectly secure within +the three poles, and all the space between your poles and theirs +is allowed like a market for free converse, traffic, and +commerce. When you go there you must not carry your weapons +with you; and if they come into that space they stick up their +javelins and lances all at the first poles, and come on unarmed; +but if any violence is offered them, and the truce thereby +broken, away they run to the poles, and lay hold of their +weapons, and the truce is at an end.</p> +<p>It happened one evening, when we went on shore, that a greater +number of their people came down than usual, but all very +friendly and civil; and they brought several kinds of provisions, +for which we satisfied them with such toys as we had; the women +also brought us milk and roots, and several things very +acceptable to us, and all was quiet; and we made us a little tent +or hut of some boughs or trees, and lay on shore all night. +I know not what was the occasion, but I was not so well satisfied +to lie on shore as the rest; and the boat riding at an anchor at +about a stone’s cast from the land, with two men in her to +take care of her, I made one of them come on shore; and getting +some boughs of trees to cover us also in the boat, I spread the +sail on the bottom of the boat, and lay under the cover of the +branches of the trees all night in the boat.</p> +<p>About two o’clock in the morning we heard one of our men +making a terrible noise on the shore, calling out, for +God’s sake, to bring the boat in and come and help them, +for they were all like to be murdered; and at the same time I +heard the fire of five muskets, which was the number of guns they +had, and that three times over; for it seems the natives here +were not so easily frightened with guns as the savages were in +America, where I had to do with them. All this while, I +knew not what was the matter, but rousing immediately from sleep +with the noise, I caused the boat to be thrust in, and resolved +with three fusees we had on board to land and assist our +men. We got the boat soon to the shore, but our men were in +too much haste; for being come to the shore, they plunged into +the water, to get to the boat with all the expedition they could, +being pursued by between three and four hundred men. Our +men were but nine in all, and only five of them had fusees with +them; the rest had pistols and swords, indeed, but they were of +small use to them.</p> +<p>We took up seven of our men, and with difficulty enough too, +three of them being very ill wounded; and that which was still +worse was, that while we stood in the boat to take our men in, we +were in as much danger as they were in on shore; for they poured +their arrows in upon us so thick that we were glad to barricade +the side of the boat up with the benches, and two or three loose +boards which, to our great satisfaction, we had by mere accident +in the boat. And yet, had it been daylight, they are, it +seems, such exact marksmen, that if they could have seen but the +least part of any of us, they would have been sure of us. +We had, by the light of the moon, a little sight of them, as they +stood pelting us from the shore with darts and arrows; and having +got ready our firearms, we gave them a volley that we could hear, +by the cries of some of them, had wounded several; however, they +stood thus in battle array on the shore till break of day, which +we supposed was that they might see the better to take their aim +at us.</p> +<p>In this condition we lay, and could not tell how to weigh our +anchor, or set up our sail, because we must needs stand up in the +boat, and they were as sure to hit us as we were to hit a bird in +a tree with small shot. We made signals of distress to the +ship, and though she rode a league off, yet my nephew, the +captain, hearing our firing, and by glasses perceiving the +posture we lay in, and that we fired towards the shore, pretty +well understood us; and weighing anchor with all speed, he stood +as near the shore as he durst with the ship, and then sent +another boat with ten hands in her, to assist us. We called +to them not to come too near, telling them what condition we were +in; however, they stood in near to us, and one of the men taking +the end of a tow-line in his hand, and keeping our boat between +him and the enemy, so that they could not perfectly see him, swam +on board us, and made fast the line to the boat: upon which we +slipped out a little cable, and leaving our anchor behind, they +towed us out of reach of the arrows; we all the while lying close +behind the barricade we had made. As soon as we were got +from between the ship and the shore, that we could lay her side +to the shore, she ran along just by them, and poured in a +broadside among them, loaded with pieces of iron and lead, small +bullets, and such stuff, besides the great shot, which made a +terrible havoc among them.</p> +<p>When we were got on board and out of danger, we had time to +examine into the occasion of this fray; and indeed our +supercargo, who had been often in those parts, put me upon it; +for he said he was sure the inhabitants would not have touched us +after we had made a truce, if we had not done something to +provoke them to it. At length it came out that an old +woman, who had come to sell us some milk, had brought it within +our poles, and a young woman with her, who also brought us some +roots or herbs; and while the old woman (whether she was mother +to the young woman or no they could not tell) was selling us the +milk, one of our men offered some rudeness to the girl that was +with her, at which the old woman made a great noise: however, the +seaman would not quit his prize, but carried her out of the old +woman’s sight among the trees, it being almost dark; the +old woman went away without her, and, as we may suppose, made an +outcry among the people she came from; who, upon notice, raised +that great army upon us in three or four hours, and it was great +odds but we had all been destroyed.</p> +<p>One of our men was killed with a lance thrown at him just at +the beginning of the attack, as he sallied out of the tent they +had made; the rest came off free, all but the fellow who was the +occasion of all the mischief, who paid dear enough for his +brutality, for we could not hear what became of him for a great +while. We lay upon the shore two days after, though the +wind presented, and made signals for him, and made our boat sail +up shore and down shore several leagues, but in vain; so we were +obliged to give him over; and if he alone had suffered for it, +the loss had been less. I could not satisfy myself, +however, without venturing on shore once more, to try if I could +learn anything of him or them; it was the third night after the +action that I had a great mind to learn, if I could by any means, +what mischief we had done, and how the game stood on the +Indians’ side. I was careful to do it in the dark, +lest we should be attacked again: but I ought indeed to have been +sure that the men I went with had been under my command, before I +engaged in a thing so hazardous and mischievous as I was brought +into by it, without design.</p> +<p>We took twenty as stout fellows with us as any in the ship, +besides the supercargo and myself, and we landed two hours before +midnight, at the same place where the Indians stood drawn up in +the evening before. I landed here, because my design, as I +have said, was chiefly to see if they had quitted the field, and +if they had left any marks behind them of the mischief we had +done them, and I thought if we could surprise one or two of them, +perhaps we might get our man again, by way of exchange.</p> +<p>We landed without any noise, and divided our men into two +bodies, whereof the boatswain commanded one and I the +other. We neither saw nor heard anybody stir when we +landed: and we marched up, one body at a distance from another, +to the place. At first we could see nothing, it being very +dark; till by-and-by our boatswain, who led the first party, +stumbled and fell over a dead body. This made them halt a +while; for knowing by the circumstances that they were at the +place where the Indians had stood, they waited for my coming up +there. We concluded to halt till the moon began to rise, +which we knew would be in less than an hour, when we could easily +discern the havoc we had made among them. We told +thirty-two bodies upon the ground, whereof two were not quite +dead; some had an arm and some a leg shot off, and one his head; +those that were wounded, we supposed, they had carried +away. When we had made, as I thought, a full discovery of +all we could come to the knowledge of, I resolved on going on +board; but the boatswain and his party sent me word that they +were resolved to make a visit to the Indian town, where these +dogs, as they called them, dwelt, and asked me to go along with +them; and if they could find them, as they still fancied they +should, they did not doubt of getting a good booty; and it might +be they might find Tom Jeffry there: that was the man’s +name we had lost.</p> +<p>Had they sent to ask my leave to go, I knew well enough what +answer to have given them; for I should have commanded them +instantly on board, knowing it was not a hazard fit for us to +run, who had a ship and ship-loading in our charge, and a voyage +to make which depended very much upon the lives of the men; but +as they sent me word they were resolved to go, and only asked me +and my company to go along with them, I positively refused it, +and rose up, for I was sitting on the ground, in order to go to +the boat. One or two of the men began to importune me to +go; and when I refused, began to grumble, and say they were not +under my command, and they would go. “Come, +Jack,” says one of the men, “will you go with +me? I’ll go for one.” Jack said he +would—and then another—and, in a word, they all left +me but one, whom I persuaded to stay, and a boy left in the +boat. So the supercargo and I, with the third man, went +back to the boat, where we told them we would stay for them, and +take care to take in as many of them as should be left; for I +told them it was a mad thing they were going about, and supposed +most of them would have the fate of Tom Jeffry.</p> +<p>They told me, like seamen, they would warrant it they would +come off again, and they would take care, &c.; so away they +went. I entreated them to consider the ship and the voyage, +that their lives were not their own, and that they were entrusted +with the voyage, in some measure; that if they miscarried, the +ship might be lost for want of their help, and that they could +not answer for it to God or man. But I might as well have +talked to the mainmast of the ship: they were mad upon their +journey; only they gave me good words, and begged I would not be +angry; that they did not doubt but they would be back again in +about an hour at furthest; for the Indian town, they said, was +not above half-a mile off, though they found it above two miles +before they got to it.</p> +<p>Well, they all went away, and though the attempt was +desperate, and such as none but madmen would have gone about, +yet, to give them their due, they went about it as warily as +boldly; they were gallantly armed, for they had every man a fusee +or musket, a bayonet, and a pistol; some of them had broad +cutlasses, some of them had hangers, and the boatswain and two +more had poleaxes; besides all which they had among them thirteen +hand grenadoes. Bolder fellows, and better provided, never +went about any wicked work in the world. When they went out +their chief design was plunder, and they were in mighty hopes of +finding gold there; but a circumstance which none of them were +aware of set them on fire with revenge, and made devils of them +all.</p> +<p>When they came to the few Indian houses which they thought had +been the town, which was not above half a mile off, they were +under great disappointment, for there were not above twelve or +thirteen houses, and where the town was, or how big, they knew +not. They consulted, therefore, what to do, and were some +time before they could resolve; for if they fell upon these, they +must cut all their throats; and it was ten to one but some of +them might escape, it being in the night, though the moon was up; +and if one escaped, he would run and raise all the town, so they +should have a whole army upon them; on the other hand, if they +went away and left those untouched, for the people were all +asleep, they could not tell which way to look for the town; +however, the last was the best advice, so they resolved to leave +them, and look for the town as well as they could. They +went on a little way, and found a cow tied to a tree; this, they +presently concluded, would be a good guide to them; for, they +said, the cow certainly belonged to the town before them, or the +town behind them, and if they untied her, they should see which +way she went: if she went back, they had nothing to say to her; +but if she went forward, they would follow her. So they cut +the cord, which was made of twisted flags, and the cow went on +before them, directly to the town; which, as they reported, +consisted of above two hundred houses or huts, and in some of +these they found several families living together.</p> +<p>Here they found all in silence, as profoundly secure as sleep +could make them: and first, they called another council, to +consider what they had to do; and presently resolved to divide +themselves into three bodies, and so set three houses on fire in +three parts of the town; and as the men came out, to seize them +and bind them (if any resisted, they need not be asked what to do +then), and so to search the rest of the houses for plunder: but +they resolved to march silently first through the town, and see +what dimensions it was of, and if they might venture upon it or +no.</p> +<p>They did so, and desperately resolved that they would venture +upon them: but while they were animating one another to the work, +three of them, who were a little before the rest, called out +aloud to them, and told them that they had found—Tom +Jeffry: they all ran up to the place, where they found the poor +fellow hanging up naked by one arm, and his throat cut. +There was an Indian house just by the tree, where they found +sixteen or seventeen of the principal Indians, who had been +concerned in the fray with us before, and two or three of them +wounded with our shot; and our men found they were awake, and +talking one to another in that house, but knew not their +number.</p> +<p>The sight of their poor mangled comrade so enraged them, as +before, that they swore to one another that they would be +revenged, and that not an Indian that came into their hands +should have any quarter; and to work they went immediately, and +yet not so madly as might be expected from the rage and fury they +were in. Their first care was to get something that would +soon take fire, but, after a little search, they found that would +be to no purpose; for most of the houses were low, and thatched +with flags and rushes, of which the country is full; so they +presently made some wildfire, as we call it, by wetting a little +powder in the palm of their hands, and in a quarter of an hour +they set the town on fire in four or five places, and +particularly that house where the Indians were not gone to +bed.</p> +<p>As soon as the fire begun to blaze, the poor frightened +creatures began to rush out to save their lives, but met with +their fate in the attempt; and especially at the door, where they +drove them back, the boatswain himself killing one or two with +his poleaxe. The house being large, and many in it, he did +not care to go in, but called for a hand grenado, and threw it +among them, which at first frightened them, but, when it burst, +made such havoc among them that they cried out in a hideous +manner. In short, most of the Indians who were in the open +part of the house were killed or hurt with the grenado, except +two or three more who pressed to the door, which the boatswain +and two more kept, with their bayonets on the muzzles of their +pieces, and despatched all that came in their way; but there was +another apartment in the house, where the prince or king, or +whatever he was, and several others were; and these were kept in +till the house, which was by this time all in a light flame, fell +in upon them, and they were smothered together.</p> +<p>All this while they fired not a gun, because they would not +waken the people faster than they could master them; but the fire +began to waken them fast enough, and our fellows were glad to +keep a little together in bodies; for the fire grew so raging, +all the houses being made of light combustible stuff, that they +could hardly bear the street between them. Their business +was to follow the fire, for the surer execution: as fast as the +fire either forced the people out of those houses which were +burning, or frightened them out of others, our people were ready +at their doors to knock them on the head, still calling and +hallooing one to another to remember Tom Jeffry.</p> +<p>While this was doing, I must confess I was very uneasy, and +especially when I saw the flames of the town, which, it being +night, seemed to be close by me. My nephew, the captain, +who was roused by his men seeing such a fire, was very uneasy, +not knowing what the matter was, or what danger I was in, +especially hearing the guns too, for by this time they began to +use their firearms; a thousand thoughts oppressed his mind +concerning me and the supercargo, what would become of us; and at +last, though he could ill spare any more men, yet not knowing +what exigence we might be in, he took another boat, and with +thirteen men and himself came ashore to me.</p> +<p>He was surprised to see me and the supercargo in the boat with +no more than two men; and though he was glad that we were well, +yet he was in the same impatience with us to know what was doing; +for the noise continued, and the flame increased; in short, it +was next to an impossibility for any men in the world to restrain +their curiosity to know what had happened, or their concern for +the safety of the men: in a word, the captain told me he would go +and help his men, let what would come. I argued with him, +as I did before with the men, the safety of the ship, the danger +of the voyage, the interests of the owners and merchants, +&c., and told him I and the two men would go, and only see if +we could at a distance learn what was likely to be the event, and +come back and tell him. It was in vain to talk to my +nephew, as it was to talk to the rest before; he would go, he +said; and he only wished he had left but ten men in the ship, for +he could not think of having his men lost for want of help: he +had rather lose the ship, the voyage, and his life, and all; and +away he went.</p> +<p>I was no more able to stay behind now than I was to persuade +them not to go; so the captain ordered two men to row back the +pinnace, and fetch twelve men more, leaving the long-boat at an +anchor; and that, when they came back, six men should keep the +two boats, and six more come after us; so that he left only +sixteen men in the ship: for the whole ship’s company +consisted of sixty-five men, whereof two were lost in the late +quarrel which brought this mischief on.</p> +<p>Being now on the march, we felt little of the ground we trod +on; and being guided by the fire, we kept no path, but went +directly to the place of the flame. If the noise of the +guns was surprising to us before, the cries of the poor people +were now quite of another nature, and filled us with +horror. I must confess I was never at the sacking a city, +or at the taking a town by storm. I had heard of Oliver +Cromwell taking Drogheda, in Ireland, and killing man, woman, and +child; and I had read of Count Tilly sacking the city of +Magdeburg and cutting the throats of twenty-two thousand of all +sexes; but I never had an idea of the thing itself before, nor is +it possible to describe it, or the horror that was upon our minds +at hearing it. However, we went on, and at length came to +the town, though there was no entering the streets of it for the +fire. The first object we met with was the ruins of a hut +or house, or rather the ashes of it, for the house was consumed; +and just before it, plainly now to be seen by the light of the +fire, lay four men and three women, killed, and, as we thought, +one or two more lay in the heap among the fire; in short, there +were such instances of rage, altogether barbarous, and of a fury +something beyond what was human, that we thought it impossible +our men could be guilty of it; or, if they were the authors of +it, we thought they ought to be every one of them put to the +worst of deaths. But this was not all: we saw the fire +increase forward, and the cry went on just as the fire went on; +so that we were in the utmost confusion. We advanced a +little way farther, and behold, to our astonishment, three naked +women, and crying in a most dreadful manner, came flying as if +they had wings, and after them sixteen or seventeen men, natives, +in the same terror and consternation, with three of our English +butchers in the rear, who, when they could not overtake them, +fired in among them, and one that was killed by their shot fell +down in our sight. When the rest saw us, believing us to be +their enemies, and that we would murder them as well as those +that pursued them, they set up a most dreadful shriek, especially +the women; and two of them fell down, as if already dead, with +the fright.</p> +<p>My very soul shrunk within me, and my blood ran chill in my +veins, when I saw this; and, I believe, had the three English +sailors that pursued them come on, I had made our men kill them +all; however, we took some means to let the poor flying creatures +know that we would not hurt them; and immediately they came up to +us, and kneeling down, with their hands lifted up, made piteous +lamentation to us to save them, which we let them know we would: +whereupon they crept all together in a huddle close behind us, as +for protection. I left my men drawn up together, and, +charging them to hurt nobody, but, if possible, to get at some of +our people, and see what devil it was possessed them, and what +they intended to do, and to command them off; assuring them that +if they stayed till daylight they would have a hundred thousand +men about their ears: I say I left them, and went among those +flying people, taking only two of our men with me; and there was, +indeed, a piteous spectacle among them. Some of them had +their feet terribly burned with trampling and running through the +fire; others their hands burned; one of the women had fallen down +in the fire, and was very much burned before she could get out +again; and two or three of the men had cuts in their backs and +thighs, from our men pursuing; and another was shot through the +body and died while I was there.</p> +<p>I would fain have learned what the occasion of all this was; +but I could not understand one word they said; though, by signs, +I perceived some of them knew not what was the occasion +themselves. I was so terrified in my thoughts at this +outrageous attempt that I could not stay there, but went back to +my own men, and resolved to go into the middle of the town, +through the fire, or whatever might be in the way, and put an end +to it, cost what it would; accordingly, as I came back to my men, +I told them my resolution, and commanded them to follow me, when, +at the very moment, came four of our men, with the boatswain at +their head, roving over heaps of bodies they had killed, all +covered with blood and dust, as if they wanted more people to +massacre, when our men hallooed to them as loud as they could +halloo; and with much ado one of them made them hear, so that +they knew who we were, and came up to us.</p> +<p>As soon as the boatswain saw us, he set up a halloo like a +shout of triumph, for having, as he thought, more help come; and +without waiting to hear me, “Captain,” says he, +“noble captain! I am glad you are come; we have not +half done yet. Villainous hell-hound dogs! I’ll +kill as many of them as poor Tom has hairs upon his head: we have +sworn to spare none of them; we’ll root out the very nation +of them from the earth;” and thus he ran on, out of breath, +too, with action, and would not give us leave to speak a +word. At last, raising my voice that I might silence him a +little, “Barbarous dog!” said I, “what are you +doing! I won’t have one creature touched more, upon +pain of death; I charge you, upon your life, to stop your hands, +and stand still here, or you are a dead man this +minute.”—“Why, sir,” says he, “do +you know what you do, or what they have done? If you want a +reason for what we have done, come hither;” and with that +he showed me the poor fellow hanging, with his throat cut.</p> +<p>I confess I was urged then myself, and at another time would +have been forward enough; but I thought they had carried their +rage too far, and remembered Jacob’s words to his sons +Simeon and Levi: “Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; +and their wrath, for it was cruel.” But I had now a +new task upon my hands; for when the men I had carried with me +saw the sight, as I had done, I had as much to do to restrain +them as I should have had with the others; nay, my nephew himself +fell in with them, and told me, in their hearing, that he was +only concerned for fear of the men being overpowered; and as to +the people, he thought not one of them ought to live; for they +had all glutted themselves with the murder of the poor man, and +that they ought to be used like murderers. Upon these +words, away ran eight of my men, with the boatswain and his crew, +to complete their bloody work; and I, seeing it quite out of my +power to restrain them, came away pensive and sad; for I could +not bear the sight, much less the horrible noise and cries of the +poor wretches that fell into their hands.</p> +<p>I got nobody to come back with me but the supercargo and two +men, and with these walked back to the boat. It was a very +great piece of folly in me, I confess, to venture back, as it +were, alone; for as it began now to be almost day, and the alarm +had run over the country, there stood about forty men armed with +lances and boughs at the little place where the twelve or +thirteen houses stood, mentioned before: but by accident I missed +the place, and came directly to the seaside, and by the time I +got to the seaside it was broad day: immediately I took the +pinnace and went on board, and sent her back to assist the men in +what might happen. I observed, about the time that I came +to the boat-side, that the fire was pretty well out, and the +noise abated; but in about half-an-hour after I got on board, I +heard a volley of our men’s firearms, and saw a great +smoke. This, as I understood afterwards, was our men +falling upon the men, who, as I said, stood at the few houses on +the way, of whom they killed sixteen or seventeen, and set all +the houses on fire, but did not meddle with the women or +children.</p> +<p>By the time the men got to the shore again with the pinnace +our men began to appear; they came dropping in, not in two bodies +as they went, but straggling here and there in such a manner, +that a small force of resolute men might have cut them all +off. But the dread of them was upon the whole country; and +the men were surprised, and so frightened, that I believe a +hundred of them would have fled at the sight of but five of our +men. Nor in all this terrible action was there a man that +made any considerable defence: they were so surprised between the +terror of the fire and the sudden attack of our men in the dark, +that they knew not which way to turn themselves; for if they fled +one way they were met by one party, if back again by another, so +that they were everywhere knocked down; nor did any of our men +receive the least hurt, except one that sprained his foot, and +another that had one of his hands burned.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER X—HE IS LEFT ON SHORE</h2> +<p>I was very angry with my nephew, the captain, and indeed with +all the men, but with him in particular, as well for his acting +so out of his duty as a commander of the ship, and having the +charge of the voyage upon him, as in his prompting, rather than +cooling, the rage of his blind men in so bloody and cruel an +enterprise. My nephew answered me very respectfully, but +told me that when he saw the body of the poor seaman whom they +had murdered in so cruel and barbarous a manner, he was not +master of himself, neither could he govern his passion; he owned +he should not have done so, as he was commander of the ship; but +as he was a man, and nature moved him, he could not bear +it. As for the rest of the men, they were not subject to me +at all, and they knew it well enough; so they took no notice of +my dislike. The next day we set sail, so we never heard any +more of it. Our men differed in the account of the number +they had killed; but according to the best of their accounts, put +all together, they killed or destroyed about one hundred and +fifty people, men, women, and children, and left not a house +standing in the town. As for the poor fellow Tom Jeffry, as +he was quite dead (for his throat was so cut that his head was +half off), it would do him no service to bring him away; so they +only took him down from the tree, where he was hanging by one +hand.</p> +<p>However just our men thought this action, I was against them +in it, and I always, after that time, told them God would blast +the voyage; for I looked upon all the blood they shed that night +to be murder in them. For though it is true that they had +killed Tom Jeffry, yet Jeffry was the aggressor, had broken the +truce, and had ill-used a young woman of theirs, who came down to +them innocently, and on the faith of the public capitulation.</p> +<p>The boatswain defended this quarrel when we were afterwards on +board. He said it was true that we seemed to break the +truce, but really had not; and that the war was begun the night +before by the natives themselves, who had shot at us, and killed +one of our men without any just provocation; so that as we were +in a capacity to fight them now, we might also be in a capacity +to do ourselves justice upon them in an extraordinary manner; +that though the poor man had taken a little liberty with the +girl, he ought not to have been murdered, and that in such a +villainous manner: and that they did nothing but what was just +and what the laws of God allowed to be done to murderers. +One would think this should have been enough to have warned us +against going on shore amongst the heathens and barbarians; but +it is impossible to make mankind wise but at their own expense, +and their experience seems to be always of most use to them when +it is dearest bought.</p> +<p>We were now bound to the Gulf of Persia, and from thence to +the coast of Coromandel, only to touch at Surat; but the chief of +the supercargo’s design lay at the Bay of Bengal, where, if +he missed his business outward-bound, he was to go out to China, +and return to the coast as he came home. The first disaster +that befell us was in the Gulf of Persia, where five of our men, +venturing on shore on the Arabian side of the gulf, were +surrounded by the Arabians, and either all killed or carried away +into slavery; the rest of the boat’s crew were not able to +rescue them, and had but just time to get off their boat. I +began to upbraid them with the just retribution of Heaven in this +case; but the boatswain very warmly told me, he thought I went +further in my censures than I could show any warrant for in +Scripture; and referred to Luke xiii. 4, where our Saviour +intimates that those men on whom the Tower of Siloam fell were +not sinners above all the Galileans; but that which put me to +silence in the case was, that not one of these five men who were +now lost were of those who went on shore to the massacre of +Madagascar, so I always called it, though our men could not bear +to hear the word <i>massacre</i> with any patience.</p> +<p>But my frequent preaching to them on this subject had worse +consequences than I expected; and the boatswain, who had been the +head of the attempt, came up boldly to me one time, and told me +he found that I brought that affair continually upon the stage; +that I made unjust reflections upon it, and had used the men very +ill on that account, and himself in particular; that as I was but +a passenger, and had no command in the ship, or concern in the +voyage, they were not obliged to bear it; that they did not know +but I might have some ill-design in my head, and perhaps to call +them to an account for it when they came to England; and that, +therefore, unless I would resolve to have done with it, and also +not to concern myself any further with him, or any of his +affairs, he would leave the ship; for he did not think it safe to +sail with me among them.</p> +<p>I heard him patiently enough till he had done, and then told +him that I confessed I had all along opposed the massacre of +Madagascar, and that I had, on all occasions, spoken my mind +freely about it, though not more upon him than any of the rest; +that as to having no command in the ship, that was true; nor did +I exercise any authority, only took the liberty of speaking my +mind in things which publicly concerned us all; and what concern +I had in the voyage was none of his business; that I was a +considerable owner in the ship. In that claim I conceived I +had a right to speak even further than I had done, and would not +be accountable to him or any one else, and began to be a little +warm with him. He made but little reply to me at that time, +and I thought the affair had been over. We were at this +time in the road at Bengal; and being willing to see the place, I +went on shore with the supercargo in the ship’s boat to +divert myself; and towards evening was preparing to go on board, +when one of the men came to me, and told me he would not have me +trouble myself to come down to the boat, for they had orders not +to carry me on board any more. Any one may guess what a +surprise I was in at so insolent a message; and I asked the man +who bade him deliver that message to me? He told me the +coxswain.</p> +<p>I immediately found out the supercargo, and told him the +story, adding that I foresaw there would be a mutiny in the ship; +and entreated him to go immediately on board and acquaint the +captain of it. But I might have spared this intelligence, +for before I had spoken to him on shore the matter was effected +on board. The boatswain, the gunner, the carpenter, and all +the inferior officers, as soon as I was gone off in the boat, +came up, and desired to speak with the captain; and then the +boatswain, making a long harangue, and repeating all he had said +to me, told the captain that as I was now gone peaceably on +shore, they were loath to use any violence with me, which, if I +had not gone on shore, they would otherwise have done, to oblige +me to have gone. They therefore thought fit to tell him +that as they shipped themselves to serve in the ship under his +command, they would perform it well and faithfully; but if I +would not quit the ship, or the captain oblige me to quit it, +they would all leave the ship, and sail no further with him; and +at that word <i>all</i> he turned his face towards the main-mast, +which was, it seems, a signal agreed on, when the seamen, being +got together there, cried out, “<i>One and all</i>! <i>one +and all</i>!”</p> +<p>My nephew, the captain, was a man of spirit, and of great +presence of mind; and though he was surprised, yet he told them +calmly that he would consider of the matter, but that he could do +nothing in it till he had spoken to me about it. He used +some arguments with them, to show them the unreasonableness and +injustice of the thing, but it was all in vain; they swore, and +shook hands round before his face, that they would all go on +shore unless he would engage to them not to suffer me to come any +more on board the ship.</p> +<p>This was a hard article upon him, who knew his obligation to +me, and did not know how I might take it. So he began to +talk smartly to them; told them that I was a very considerable +owner of the ship, and that if ever they came to England again it +would cost them very dear; that the ship was mine, and that he +could not put me out of it; and that he would rather lose the +ship, and the voyage too, than disoblige me so much: so they +might do as they pleased. However, he would go on shore and +talk with me, and invited the boatswain to go with him, and +perhaps they might accommodate the matter with me. But they +all rejected the proposal, and said they would have nothing to do +with me any more; and if I came on board they would all go on +shore. “Well,” said the captain, “if you +are all of this mind, let me go on shore and talk with +him.” So away he came to me with this account, a +little after the message had been brought to me from the +coxswain.</p> +<p>I was very glad to see my nephew, I must confess; for I was +not without apprehensions that they would confine him by +violence, set sail, and run away with the ship; and then I had +been stripped naked in a remote country, having nothing to help +myself; in short, I had been in a worse case than when I was +alone in the island. But they had not come to that length, +it seems, to my satisfaction; and when my nephew told me what +they had said to him, and how they had sworn and shook hands that +they would, one and all, leave the ship if I was suffered to come +on board, I told him he should not be concerned at it at all, for +I would stay on shore. I only desired he would take care +and send me all my necessary things on shore, and leave me a +sufficient sum of money, and I would find my way to England as +well as I could. This was a heavy piece of news to my +nephew, but there was no way to help it but to comply; so, in +short, he went on board the ship again, and satisfied the men +that his uncle had yielded to their importunity, and had sent for +his goods from on board the ship; so that the matter was over in +a few hours, the men returned to their duty, and I began to +consider what course I should steer.</p> +<p>I was now alone in a most remote part of the world, for I was +near three thousand leagues by sea farther off from England than +I was at my island; only, it is true, I might travel here by land +over the Great Mogul’s country to Surat, might go from +thence to Bassora by sea, up the Gulf of Persia, and take the way +of the caravans, over the desert of Arabia, to Aleppo and +Scanderoon; from thence by sea again to Italy, and so overland +into France. I had another way before me, which was to wait +for some English ships, which were coming to Bengal from Achin, +on the island of Sumatra, and get passage on board them from +England. But as I came hither without any concern with the +East Indian Company, so it would be difficult to go from hence +without their licence, unless with great favour of the captains +of the ships, or the company’s factors: and to both I was +an utter stranger.</p> +<p>Here I had the mortification to see the ship set sail without +me; however, my nephew left me two servants, or rather one +companion and one servant; the first was clerk to the purser, +whom he engaged to go with me, and the other was his own +servant. I then took a good lodging in the house of an +Englishwoman, where several merchants lodged, some French, two +Italians, or rather Jews, and one Englishman. Here I stayed +above nine months, considering what course to take. I had +some English goods with me of value, and a considerable sum of +money; my nephew furnishing me with a thousand pieces of eight, +and a letter of credit for more if I had occasion, that I might +not be straitened, whatever might happen. I quickly +disposed of my goods to advantage; and, as I originally intended, +I bought here some very good diamonds, which, of all other +things, were the most proper for me in my present circumstances, +because I could always carry my whole estate about me.</p> +<p>During my stay here many proposals were made for my return to +England, but none falling out to my mind, the English merchant +who lodged with me, and whom I had contracted an intimate +acquaintance with, came to me one morning, saying: +“Countryman, I have a project to communicate, which, as it +suits with my thoughts, may, for aught I know, suit with yours +also, when you shall have thoroughly considered it. Here we +are posted, you by accident and I by my own choice, in a part of +the world very remote from our own country; but it is in a +country where, by us who understand trade and business, a great +deal of money is to be got. If you will put one thousand +pounds to my one thousand pounds, we will hire a ship here, the +first we can get to our minds. You shall be captain, +I’ll be merchant, and we’ll go a trading voyage to +China; for what should we stand still for? The whole world +is in motion; why should we be idle?”</p> +<p>I liked this proposal very well; and the more so because it +seemed to be expressed with so much goodwill. In my loose, +unhinged circumstances, I was the fitter to embrace a proposal +for trade, or indeed anything else. I might perhaps say +with some truth, that if trade was not my element, rambling was; +and no proposal for seeing any part of the world which I had +never seen before could possibly come amiss to me. It was, +however, some time before we could get a ship to our minds, and +when we had got a vessel, it was not easy to get English +sailors—that is to say, so many as were necessary to govern +the voyage and manage the sailors which we should pick up +there. After some time we got a mate, a boatswain, and a +gunner, English; a Dutch carpenter, and three foremast men. +With these we found we could do well enough, having Indian +seamen, such as they were, to make up.</p> +<p>When all was ready we set sail for Achin, in the island of +Sumatra, and from thence to Siam, where we exchanged some of our +wares for opium and some arrack; the first a commodity which +bears a great price among the Chinese, and which at that time was +much wanted there. Then we went up to Saskan, were eight +months out, and on our return to Bengal I was very well satisfied +with my adventure. Our people in England often admire how +officers, which the company send into India, and the merchants +which generally stay there, get such very great estates as they +do, and sometimes come home worth sixty or seventy thousand +pounds at a time; but it is little matter for wonder, when we +consider the innumerable ports and places where they have a free +commerce; indeed, at the ports where the English ships come there +is such great and constant demands for the growth of all other +countries, that there is a certain vent for the returns, as well +as a market abroad for the goods carried out.</p> +<p>I got so much money by my first adventure, and such an insight +into the method of getting more, that had I been twenty years +younger, I should have been tempted to have stayed here, and +sought no farther for making my fortune; but what was all this to +a man upwards of threescore, that was rich enough, and came +abroad more in obedience to a restless desire of seeing the world +than a covetous desire of gaining by it? A restless desire +it really was, for when I was at home I was restless to go +abroad; and when I was abroad I was restless to be at home. +I say, what was this gain to me? I was rich enough already, +nor had I any uneasy desires about getting more money; therefore +the profit of the voyage to me was of no great force for the +prompting me forward to further undertakings. Hence, I +thought that by this voyage I had made no progress at all, +because I was come back, as I might call it, to the place from +whence I came, as to a home: whereas, my eye, like that which +Solomon speaks of, was never satisfied with seeing. I was +come into a part of the world which I was never in before, and +that part, in particular, which I heard much of, and was resolved +to see as much of it as I could: and then I thought I might say I +had seen all the world that was worth seeing.</p> +<p>But my fellow-traveller and I had different notions: I +acknowledge his were the more suited to the end of a +merchant’s life: who, when he is abroad upon adventures, is +wise to stick to that, as the best thing for him, which he is +likely to get the most money by. On the other hand, mine +was the notion of a mad, rambling boy, that never cares to see a +thing twice over. But this was not all: I had a kind of +impatience upon me to be nearer home, and yet an unsettled +resolution which way to go. In the interval of these +consultations, my friend, who was always upon the search for +business, proposed another voyage among the Spice Islands, to +bring home a loading of cloves from the Manillas, or +thereabouts.</p> +<p>We were not long in preparing for this voyage; the chief +difficulty was in bringing me to come into it. However, at +last, nothing else offering, and as sitting still, to me +especially, was the unhappiest part of life, I resolved on this +voyage too, which we made very successfully, touching at Borneo +and several other islands, and came home in about five months, +when we sold our spices, with very great profit, to the Persian +merchants, who carried them away to the Gulf. My friend, +when we made up this account, smiled at me: “Well, +now,” said he, with a sort of friendly rebuke on my +indolent temper, “is not this better than walking about +here, like a man with nothing to do, and spending our time in +staring at the nonsense and ignorance of the +Pagans?”—“Why, truly,” said I, “my +friend, I think it is, and I begin to be a convert to the +principles of merchandising; but I must tell you, by the way, you +do not know what I am doing; for if I once conquer my +backwardness, and embark heartily, old as I am, I shall harass +you up and down the world till I tire you; for I shall pursue it +so eagerly, I shall never let you lie still.”</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XI—WARNED OF DANGER BY A COUNTRYMAN</h2> +<p>A little while after this there came in a Dutch ship from +Batavia; she was a coaster, not an European trader, of about two +hundred tons burden; the men, as they pretended, having been so +sickly that the captain had not hands enough to go to sea with, +so he lay by at Bengal; and having, it seems, got money enough, +or being willing, for other reasons, to go for Europe, he gave +public notice he would sell his ship. This came to my ears +before my new partner heard of it, and I had a great mind to buy +it; so I went to him and told him of it. He considered a +while, for he was no rash man neither; and at last replied, +“She is a little too big—however, we will have +her.” Accordingly, we bought the ship, and agreeing +with the master, we paid for her, and took possession. When +we had done so we resolved to engage the men, if we could, to +join with those we had, for the pursuing our business; but, on a +sudden, they having received not their wages, but their share of +the money, as we afterwards learned, not one of them was to be +found; we inquired much about them, and at length were told that +they were all gone together by land to Agra, the great city of +the Mogul’s residence, to proceed from thence to Surat, and +then go by sea to the Gulf of Persia.</p> +<p>Nothing had so much troubled me a good while as that I should +miss the opportunity of going with them; for such a ramble, I +thought, and in such company as would both have guarded and +diverted me, would have suited mightily with my great design; and +I should have both seen the world and gone homeward too. +But I was much better satisfied a few days after, when I came to +know what sort of fellows they were; for, in short, their history +was, that this man they called captain was the gunner only, not +the commander; that they had been a trading voyage, in which they +had been attacked on shore by some of the Malays, who had killed +the captain and three of his men; and that after the captain was +killed, these men, eleven in number, having resolved to run away +with the ship, brought her to Bengal, leaving the mate and five +men more on shore.</p> +<p>Well, let them get the ship how they would, we came honestly +by her, as we thought, though we did not, I confess, examine into +things so exactly as we ought; for we never inquired anything of +the seamen, who would certainly have faltered in their account, +and contradicted one another. Somehow or other we should +have had reason to have suspected, them; but the man showed us a +bill of sale for the ship, to one Emanuel Clostershoven, or some +such name, for I suppose it was all a forgery, and called himself +by that name, and we could not contradict him: and withal, having +no suspicion of the thing, we went through with our +bargain. We picked up some more English sailors here after +this, and some Dutch, and now we resolved on a second voyage to +the south-east for cloves, &c.—that is to say, among +the Philippine and Malacca isles. In short, not to fill up +this part of my story with trifles when what is to come is so +remarkable, I spent, from first to last, six years in this +country, trading from port to port, backward and forward, and +with very good success, and was now the last year with my new +partner, going in the ship above mentioned, on a voyage to China, +but designing first to go to Siam to buy rice.</p> +<p>In this voyage, being by contrary winds obliged to beat up and +down a great while in the Straits of Malacca and among the +islands, we were no sooner got clear of those difficult seas than +we found our ship had sprung a leak, but could not discover where +it was. This forced us to make some port; and my partner, +who knew the country better than I did, directed the captain to +put into the river of Cambodia; for I had made the English mate, +one Mr. Thompson, captain, not being willing to take the charge +of the ship upon myself. This river lies on the north side +of the great bay or gulf which goes up to Siam. While we +were here, and going often on shore for refreshment, there comes +to me one day an Englishman, a gunner’s mate on board an +English East India ship, then riding in the same river. +“Sir,” says he, addressing me, “you are a +stranger to me, and I to you; but I have something to tell you +that very nearly concerns you. I am moved by the imminent +danger you are in, and, for aught I see, you have no knowledge of +it.”—“I know no danger I am in,” said I, +“but that my ship is leaky, and I cannot find it out; but I +intend to lay her aground to-morrow, to see if I can find +it.”—“But, sir,” says he, “leaky or +not leaky, you will be wiser than to lay your ship on shore +to-morrow when you hear what I have to say to you. Do you +know, sir,” said he, “the town of Cambodia lies about +fifteen leagues up the river; and there are two large English +ships about five leagues on this side, and three +Dutch?”—“Well,” said I, “and what +is that to me?”—“Why, sir,” said be, +“is it for a man that is upon such adventures as you are to +come into a port, and not examine first what ships there are +there, and whether he is able to deal with them? I suppose +you do not think you are a match for them?” I could +not conceive what he meant; and I turned short upon him, and +said: “I wish you would explain yourself; I cannot imagine +what reason I have to be afraid of any of the company’s +ships, or Dutch ships. I am no interloper. What can +they have to say to me?”—“Well, sir,” +says he, with a smile, “if you think yourself secure you +must take your chance; but take my advice, if you do not put to +sea immediately, you will the very next tide be attacked by five +longboats full of men, and perhaps if you are taken you will be +hanged for a pirate, and the particulars be examined +afterwards. I thought, sir,” added he, “I +should have met with a better reception than this for doing you a +piece of service of such importance.”—“I can +never be ungrateful,” said I, “for any service, or to +any man that offers me any kindness; but it is past my +comprehension what they should have such a design upon me for: +however, since you say there is no time to be lost, and that +there is some villainous design on hand against me, I will go on +board this minute, and put to sea immediately, if my men can stop +the leak; but, sir,” said I, “shall I go away +ignorant of the cause of all this? Can you give me no +further light into it?”</p> +<p>“I can tell you but part of the story, sir,” says +he; “but I have a Dutch seaman here with me, and I believe +I could persuade him to tell you the rest; but there is scarce +time for it. But the short of the story is this—the +first part of which I suppose you know well enough—that you +were with this ship at Sumatra; that there your captain was +murdered by the Malays, with three of his men; and that you, or +some of those that were on board with you, ran away with the +ship, and are since turned pirates. This is the sum of the +story, and you will all be seized as pirates, I can assure you, +and executed with very little ceremony; for you know merchant +ships show but little law to pirates if they get them into their +power.”—“Now you speak plain English,” +said I, “and I thank you; and though I know nothing that we +have done like what you talk of, for I am sure we came honestly +and fairly by the ship; yet seeing such a work is doing, as you +say, and that you seem to mean honestly, I will be upon my +guard.”—“Nay, sir,” says he, “do +not talk of being upon your guard; the best defence is to be out +of danger. If you have any regard for your life and the +lives of all your men, put to sea without fail at high-water; and +as you have a whole tide before you, you will be gone too far out +before they can come down; for they will come away at high-water, +and as they have twenty miles to come, you will get near two +hours of them by the difference of the tide, not reckoning the +length of the way: besides, as they are only boats, and not +ships, they will not venture to follow you far out to sea, +especially if it blows.”—“Well,” said I, +“you have been very kind in this: what shall I do to make +you amends?”—“Sir,” says he, “you +may not be willing to make me any amends, because you may not be +convinced of the truth of it. I will make an offer to you: +I have nineteen months’ pay due to me on board the ship +---, which I came out of England in; and the Dutchman that is +with me has seven months’ pay due to him. If you will +make good our pay to us we will go along with you; if you find +nothing more in it we will desire no more; but if we do convince +you that we have saved your lives, and the ship, and the lives of +all the men in her, we will leave the rest to you.”</p> +<p>I consented to this readily, and went immediately on board, +and the two men with me. As soon as I came to the +ship’s side, my partner, who was on board, came out on the +quarter-deck, and called to me, with a great deal of joy, +“We have stopped the leak—we have stopped the +leak!”—“Say you so?” said I; “thank +God; but weigh anchor, then, +immediately.”—“Weigh!” says he; +“what do you mean by that? What is the +matter?”—“Ask no questions,” said I; +“but set all hands to work, and weigh without losing a +minute.” He was surprised; however, he called the +captain, and he immediately ordered the anchor to be got up; and +though the tide was not quite down, yet a little land-breeze +blowing, we stood out to sea. Then I called him into the +cabin, and told him the story; and we called in the men, and they +told us the rest of it; but as it took up a great deal of time, +before we had done a seaman comes to the cabin door, and called +out to us that the captain bade him tell us we were chased by +five sloops, or boats, full of men. “Very +well,” said I, “then it is apparent there is +something in it.” I then ordered all our men to be +called up, and told them there was a design to seize the ship, +and take us for pirates, and asked them if they would stand by +us, and by one another; the men answered cheerfully, one and all, +that they would live and die with us. Then I asked the +captain what way he thought best for us to manage a fight with +them; for resist them I was resolved we would, and that to the +last drop. He said readily, that the way was to keep them +off with our great shot as long as we could, and then to use our +small arms, to keep them from boarding us; but when neither of +these would do any longer, we would retire to our close quarters, +for perhaps they had not materials to break open our bulkheads, +or get in upon us.</p> +<p>The gunner had in the meantime orders to bring two guns, to +bear fore and aft, out of the steerage, to clear the deck, and +load them with musket-bullets, and small pieces of old iron, and +what came next to hand. Thus we made ready for fight; but +all this while we kept out to sea, with wind enough, and could +see the boats at a distance, being five large longboats, +following us with all the sail they could make.</p> +<p>Two of those boats (which by our glasses we could see were +English) outsailed the rest, were near two leagues ahead of them, +and gained upon us considerably, so that we found they would come +up with us; upon which we fired a gun without ball, to intimate +that they should bring to: and we put out a flag of truce, as a +signal for parley: but they came crowding after us till within +shot, when we took in our white flag, they having made no answer +to it, and hung out a red flag, and fired at them with a +shot. Notwithstanding this, they came on till they were +near enough to call to them with a speaking-trumpet, bidding them +keep off at their peril.</p> +<p>It was all one; they crowded after us, and endeavoured to come +under our stern, so as to board us on our quarter; upon which, +seeing they were resolute for mischief, and depended upon the +strength that followed them, I ordered to bring the ship to, so +that they lay upon our broadside; when immediately we fired five +guns at them, one of which had been levelled so true as to carry +away the stern of the hindermost boat, and we then forced them to +take down their sail, and to run all to the head of the boat, to +keep her from sinking; so she lay by, and had enough of it; but +seeing the foremost boat crowd on after us, we made ready to fire +at her in particular. While this was doing one of the three +boats that followed made up to the boat which we had disabled, to +relieve her, and we could see her take out the men. We then +called again to the foremost boat, and offered a truce, to parley +again, and to know what her business was with us; but had no +answer, only she crowded close under our stern. Upon this, +our gunner who was a very dexterous fellow ran out his two +case-guns, and fired again at her, but the shot missing, the men +in the boat shouted, waved their caps, and came on. The +gunner, getting quickly ready again, fired among them a second +time, one shot of which, though it missed the boat itself, yet +fell in among the men, and we could easily see did a great deal +of mischief among them. We now wore the ship again, and +brought our quarter to bear upon them, and firing three guns +more, we found the boat was almost split to pieces; in +particular, her rudder and a piece of her stern were shot quite +away; so they handed her sail immediately, and were in great +disorder. To complete their misfortune, our gunner let fly +two guns at them again; where he hit them we could not tell, but +we found the boat was sinking, and some of the men already in the +water: upon this, I immediately manned out our pinnace, with +orders to pick up some of the men if they could, and save them +from drowning, and immediately come on board ship with them, +because we saw the rest of the boats began to come up. Our +men in the pinnace followed their orders, and took up three men, +one of whom was just drowning, and it was a good while before we +could recover him. As soon as they were on board we crowded +all the sail we could make, and stood farther out to the sea; and +we found that when the other boats came up to the first, they +gave over their chase.</p> +<p>Being thus delivered from a danger which, though I knew not +the reason of it, yet seemed to be much greater than I +apprehended, I resolved that we should change our course, and not +let any one know whither we were going; so we stood out to sea +eastward, quite out of the course of all European ships, whether +they were bound to China or anywhere else, within the commerce of +the European nations. When we were at sea we began to +consult with the two seamen, and inquire what the meaning of all +this should be; and the Dutchman confirmed the gunner’s +story about the false sale of the ship and of the murder of the +captain, and also how that he, this Dutchman, and four more got +into the woods, where they wandered about a great while, till at +length he made his escape, and swam off to a Dutch ship, which +was sailing near the shore in its way from China.</p> +<p>He then told us that he went to Batavia, where two of the +seamen belonging to the ship arrived, having deserted the rest in +their travels, and gave an account that the fellow who had run +away with the ship, sold her at Bengal to a set of pirates, who +were gone a-cruising in her, and that they had already taken an +English ship and two Dutch ships very richly laden. This +latter part we found to concern us directly, though we knew it to +be false; yet, as my partner said, very justly, if we had fallen +into their hands, and they had had such a prepossession against +us beforehand, it had been in vain for us to have defended +ourselves, or to hope for any good quarter at their hands; +especially considering that our accusers had been our judges, and +that we could have expected nothing from them but what rage would +have dictated, and an ungoverned passion have executed. +Therefore it was his opinion we should go directly back to +Bengal, from whence we came, without putting in at any port +whatever—because where we could give a good account of +ourselves, could prove where we were when the ship put in, of +whom we bought her, and the like; and what was more than all the +rest, if we were put upon the necessity of bringing it before the +proper judges, we should be sure to have some justice, and not to +be hanged first and judged afterwards.</p> +<p>I was some time of my partner’s opinion; but after a +little more serious thinking, I told him I thought it was a very +great hazard for us to attempt returning to Bengal, for that we +were on the wrong side of the Straits of Malacca, and that if the +alarm was given, we should be sure to be waylaid on every +side—that if we should be taken, as it were, running away, +we should even condemn ourselves, and there would want no more +evidence to destroy us. I also asked the English +sailor’s opinion, who said he was of my mind, and that we +certainly should be taken. This danger a little startled my +partner and all the ship’s company, and we immediately +resolved to go away to the coast of Tonquin, and so on to the +coast of China—and pursuing the first design as to trade, +find some way or other to dispose of the ship, and come back in +some of the vessels of the country such as we could get. +This was approved of as the best method for our security, and +accordingly we steered away NNE., keeping above fifty leagues off +from the usual course to the eastward. This, however, put +us to some inconvenience: for, first, the winds, when we came +that distance from the shore, seemed to be more steadily against +us, blowing almost trade, as we call it, from the E. and ENE., so +that we were a long while upon our voyage, and we were but ill +provided with victuals for so long a run; and what was still +worse, there was some danger that those English and Dutch ships +whose boats pursued us, whereof some were bound that way, might +have got in before us, and if not, some other ship bound to China +might have information of us from them, and pursue us with the +same vigour.</p> +<p>I must confess I was now very uneasy, and thought myself, +including the late escape from the longboats, to have been in the +most dangerous condition that ever I was in through my past life; +for whatever ill circumstances I had been in, I was never pursued +for a thief before; nor had I ever done anything that merited the +name of dishonest or fraudulent, much less thievish. I had +chiefly been my own enemy, or, as I may rightly say, I had been +nobody’s enemy but my own; but now I was woefully +embarrassed: for though I was perfectly innocent, I was in no +condition to make that innocence appear; and if I had been taken, +it had been under a supposed guilt of the worst kind. This +made me very anxious to make an escape, though which way to do it +I knew not, or what port or place we could go to. My +partner endeavoured to encourage me by describing the several +ports of that coast, and told me he would put in on the coast of +Cochin China, or the bay of Tonquin, intending afterwards to go +to Macao, where a great many European families resided, and +particularly the missionary priests, who usually went thither in +order to their going forward to China.</p> +<p>Hither then we resolved to go; and, accordingly, though after +a tedious course, and very much straitened for provisions, we +came within sight of the coast very early in the morning; and +upon reflection on the past circumstances of danger we were in, +we resolved to put into a small river, which, however, had depth +enough of water for us, and to see if we could, either overland +or by the ship’s pinnace, come to know what ships were in +any port thereabouts. This happy step was, indeed, our +deliverance: for though we did not immediately see any European +ships in the bay of Tonquin, yet the next morning there came into +the bay two Dutch ships; and a third without any colours spread +out, but which we believed to be a Dutchman, passed by at about +two leagues’ distance, steering for the coast of China; and +in the afternoon went by two English ships steering the same +course; and thus we thought we saw ourselves beset with enemies +both one way and the other. The place we were in was wild +and barbarous, the people thieves by occupation; and though it is +true we had not much to seek of them, and, except getting a few +provisions, cared not how little we had to do with them, yet it +was with much difficulty that we kept ourselves from being +insulted by them several ways. We were in a small river of +this country, within a few leagues of its utmost limits +northward; and by our boat we coasted north-east to the point of +land which opens the great bay of Tonquin; and it was in this +beating up along the shore that we discovered we were surrounded +with enemies. The people we were among were the most +barbarous of all the inhabitants of the coast; and among other +customs they have this one: that if any vessel has the misfortune +to be shipwrecked upon their coast, they make the men all +prisoners or slaves; and it was not long before we found a spice +of their kindness this way, on the occasion following.</p> +<p>I have observed above that our ship sprung a leak at sea, and +that we could not find it out; and it happened that, as I have +said, it was stopped unexpectedly, on the eve of our being +pursued by the Dutch and English ships in the bay of Siam; yet, +as we did not find the ship so perfectly tight and sound as we +desired, we resolved while we were at this place to lay her on +shore, and clean her bottom, and, if possible, to find out where +the leaks were. Accordingly, having lightened the ship, and +brought all our guns and other movables to one side, we tried to +bring her down, that we might come at her bottom; but, on second +thoughts, we did not care to lay her on dry ground, neither could +we find out a proper place for it.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XII—THE CARPENTER’S WHIMSICAL +CONTRIVANCE</h2> +<p>The inhabitants came wondering down the shore to look at us; +and seeing the ship lie down on one side in such a manner, and +heeling in towards the shore, and not seeing our men, who were at +work on her bottom with stages, and with their boats on the +off-side, they presently concluded that the ship was cast away, +and lay fast on the ground. On this supposition they came +about us in two or three hours’ time with ten or twelve +large boats, having some of them eight, some ten men in a boat, +intending, no doubt, to have come on board and plundered the +ship, and if they found us there, to have carried us away for +slaves.</p> +<p>When they came up to the ship, and began to row round her, +they discovered us all hard at work on the outside of the +ship’s bottom and side, washing, and graving, and stopping, +as every seafaring man knows how. They stood for a while +gazing at us, and we, who were a little surprised, could not +imagine what their design was; but being willing to be sure, we +took this opportunity to get some of us into the ship, and others +to hand down arms and ammunition to those that were at work, to +defend themselves with if there should be occasion. And it +was no more than need: for in less than a quarter of an +hour’s consultation, they agreed, it seems, that the ship +was really a wreck, and that we were all at work endeavouring to +save her, or to save our lives by the help of our boats; and when +we handed our arms into the boat, they concluded, by that act, +that we were endeavouring to save some of our goods. Upon +this, they took it for granted we all belonged to them, and away +they came directly upon our men, as if it had been in a +line-of-battle.</p> +<p>Our men, seeing so many of them, began to be frightened, for +we lay but in an ill posture to fight, and cried out to us to +know what they should do. I immediately called to the men +that worked upon the stages to slip them down, and get up the +side into the ship, and bade those in the boat to row round and +come on board. The few who were on board worked with all +the strength and hands we had to bring the ship to rights; +however, neither the men upon the stages nor those in the boats +could do as they were ordered before the Cochin Chinese were upon +them, when two of their boats boarded our longboat, and began to +lay hold of the men as their prisoners.</p> +<p>The first man they laid hold of was an English seaman, a +stout, strong fellow, who having a musket in his hand, never +offered to fire it, but laid it down in the boat, like a fool, as +I thought; but he understood his business better than I could +teach him, for he grappled the Pagan, and dragged him by main +force out of their boat into ours, where, taking him by the ears, +he beat his head so against the boat’s gunnel that the +fellow died in his hands. In the meantime, a Dutchman, who +stood next, took up the musket, and with the butt-end of it so +laid about him, that he knocked down five of them who attempted +to enter the boat. But this was doing little towards +resisting thirty or forty men, who, fearless because ignorant of +their danger, began to throw themselves into the longboat, where +we had but five men in all to defend it; but the following +accident, which deserved our laughter, gave our men a complete +victory.</p> +<p>Our carpenter being prepared to grave the outside of the ship, +as well as to pay the seams where he had caulked her to stop the +leaks, had got two kettles just let down into the boat, one +filled with boiling pitch, and the other with rosin, tallow, and +oil, and such stuff as the shipwrights use for that work; and the +man that attended the carpenter had a great iron ladle in his +hand, with which he supplied the men that were at work with the +hot stuff. Two of the enemy’s men entered the boat +just where this fellow stood in the foresheets; he immediately +saluted them with a ladle full of the stuff, boiling hot which so +burned and scalded them, being half-naked that they roared out +like bulls, and, enraged with the fire, leaped both into the +sea. The carpenter saw it, and cried out, “Well done, +Jack! give them some more of it!” and stepping forward +himself, takes one of the mops, and dipping it in the pitch-pot, +he and his man threw it among them so plentifully that, in short, +of all the men in the three boats, there was not one that escaped +being scalded in a most frightful manner, and made such a howling +and crying that I never heard a worse noise.</p> +<p>I was never better pleased with a victory in my life; not only +as it was a perfect surprise to me, and that our danger was +imminent before, but as we got this victory without any +bloodshed, except of that man the seaman killed with his naked +hands, and which I was very much concerned at. Although it +maybe a just thing, because necessary (for there is no necessary +wickedness in nature), yet I thought it was a sad sort of life, +when we must be always obliged to be killing our fellow-creatures +to preserve ourselves; and, indeed, I think so still; and I would +even now suffer a great deal rather than I would take away the +life even of the worst person injuring me; and I believe all +considering people, who know the value of life, would be of my +opinion, if they entered seriously into the consideration of +it.</p> +<p>All the while this was doing, my partner and I, who managed +the rest of the men on board, had with great dexterity brought +the ship almost to rights, and having got the guns into their +places again, the gunner called to me to bid our boat get out of +the way, for he would let fly among them. I called back +again to him, and bid him not offer to fire, for the carpenter +would do the work without him; but bid him heat another +pitch-kettle, which our cook, who was on broad, took care +of. However, the enemy was so terrified with what they had +met with in their first attack, that they would not come on +again; and some of them who were farthest off, seeing the ship +swim, as it were, upright, began, as we suppose, to see their +mistake, and gave over the enterprise, finding it was not as they +expected. Thus we got clear of this merry fight; and having +got some rice and some roots and bread, with about sixteen hogs, +on board two days before, we resolved to stay here no longer, but +go forward, whatever came of it; for we made no doubt but we +should be surrounded the next day with rogues enough, perhaps +more than our pitch-kettle would dispose of for us. We +therefore got all our things on board the same evening, and the +next morning were ready to sail: in the meantime, lying at anchor +at some distance from the shore, we were not so much concerned, +being now in a fighting posture, as well as in a sailing posture, +if any enemy had presented. The next day, having finished +our work within board, and finding our ship was perfectly healed +of all her leaks, we set sail. We would have gone into the +bay of Tonquin, for we wanted to inform ourselves of what was to +be known concerning the Dutch ships that had been there; but we +durst not stand in there, because we had seen several ships go +in, as we supposed, but a little before; so we kept on NE. +towards the island of Formosa, as much afraid of being seen by a +Dutch or English merchant ship as a Dutch or English merchant +ship in the Mediterranean is of an Algerine man-of-war.</p> +<p>When we were thus got to sea, we kept on NE., as if we would +go to the Manillas or the Philippine Islands; and this we did +that we might not fall into the way of any of the European ships; +and then we steered north, till we came to the latitude of 22 +degrees 30 seconds, by which means we made the island of Formosa +directly, where we came to an anchor, in order to get water and +fresh provisions, which the people there, who are very courteous +in their manners, supplied us with willingly, and dealt very +fairly and punctually with us in all their agreements and +bargains. This is what we did not find among other people, +and may be owing to the remains of Christianity which was once +planted here by a Dutch missionary of Protestants, and it is a +testimony of what I have often observed, viz. that the Christian +religion always civilises the people, and reforms their manners, +where it is received, whether it works saving effects upon them +or no.</p> +<p>From thence we sailed still north, keeping the coast of China +at an equal distance, till we knew we were beyond all the ports +of China where our European ships usually come; being resolved, +if possible, not to fall into any of their hands, especially in +this country, where, as our circumstances were, we could not fail +of being entirely ruined. Being now come to the latitude of +30 degrees, we resolved to put into the first trading port we +should come at; and standing in for the shore, a boat came of two +leagues to us with an old Portuguese pilot on board, who, knowing +us to be an European ship, came to offer his service, which, +indeed, we were glad of and took him on board; upon which, +without asking us whither we would go, he dismissed the boat he +came in, and sent it back. I thought it was now so much in +our choice to make the old man carry us whither we would, that I +began to talk to him about carrying us to the Gulf of Nankin, +which is the most northern part of the coast of China. The +old man said he knew the Gulf of Nankin very well; but smiling, +asked us what we would do there? I told him we would sell +our cargo and purchase China wares, calicoes, raw silks, tea, +wrought silks, &c.; and so we would return by the same course +we came. He told us our best port would have been to put in +at Macao, where we could not have failed of a market for our +opium to our satisfaction, and might for our money have purchased +all sorts of China goods as cheap as we could at Nankin.</p> +<p>Not being able to put the old man out of his talk, of which he +was very opinionated or conceited, I told him we were gentlemen +as well as merchants, and that we had a mind to go and see the +great city of Pekin, and the famous court of the monarch of +China. “Why, then,” says the old man, +“you should go to Ningpo, where, by the river which runs +into the sea there, you may go up within five leagues of the +great canal. This canal is a navigable stream, which goes +through the heart of that vast empire of China, crosses all the +rivers, passes some considerable hills by the help of sluices and +gates, and goes up to the city of Pekin, being in length near two +hundred and seventy leagues.”—“Well,” +said I, “Seignior Portuguese, but that is not our business +now; the great question is, if you can carry us up to the city of +Nankin, from whence we can travel to Pekin +afterwards?” He said he could do so very well, and +that there was a great Dutch ship gone up that way just +before. This gave me a little shock, for a Dutch ship was +now our terror, and we had much rather have met the devil, at +least if he had not come in too frightful a figure; and we +depended upon it that a Dutch ship would be our destruction, for +we were in no condition to fight them; all the ships they trade +with into those parts being of great burden, and of much greater +force than we were.</p> +<p>The old man found me a little confused, and under some concern +when he named a Dutch ship, and said to me, “Sir, you need +be under no apprehensions of the Dutch; I suppose they are not +now at war with your nation?”—“No,” said +I, “that’s true; but I know not what liberties men +may take when they are out of the reach of the laws of their own +country.”—“Why,” says he, “you are +no pirates; what need you fear? They will not meddle with +peaceable merchants, sure.” These words put me into +the greatest disorder and confusion imaginable; nor was it +possible for me to conceal it so, but the old man easily +perceived it.</p> +<p>“Sir,” says he, “I find you are in some +disorder in your thoughts at my talk: pray be pleased to go which +way you think fit, and depend upon it, I’ll do you all the +service I can.” Upon this we fell into further +discourse, in which, to my alarm and amazement, he spoke of the +villainous doings of a certain pirate ship that had long been the +talk of mariners in those seas; no other, in a word, than the +very ship he was now on board of, and which we had so unluckily +purchased. I presently saw there was no help for it but to +tell him the plain truth, and explain all the danger and trouble +we had suffered through this misadventure, and, in particular, +our earnest wish to be speedily quit of the ship altogether; for +which reason we had resolved to carry her up to Nankin.</p> +<p>The old man was amazed at this relation, and told us we were +in the right to go away to the north; and that, if he might +advise us, it should be to sell the ship in China, which we might +well do, and buy, or build another in the country; adding that I +should meet with customers enough for the ship at Nankin, that a +Chinese junk would serve me very well to go back again, and that +he would procure me people both to buy one and sell the +other. “Well, but, seignior,” said I, “as +you say they know the ship so well, I may, perhaps, if I follow +your measures, be instrumental to bring some honest, innocent men +into a terrible broil; for wherever they find the ship they will +prove the guilt upon the men, by proving this was the +ship.”—“Why,” says the old man, +“I’ll find out a way to prevent that; for as I know +all those commanders you speak of very well, and shall see them +all as they pass by, I will be sure to set them to rights in the +thing, and let them know that they had been so much in the wrong; +that though the people who were on board at first might run away +with the ship, yet it was not true that they had turned pirates; +and that, in particular, these were not the men that first went +off with the ship, but innocently bought her for their trade; and +I am persuaded they will so far believe me as at least to act +more cautiously for the time to come.”</p> +<p>In about thirteen days’ sail we came to an anchor, at +the south-west point of the great Gulf of Nankin; where I learned +by accident that two Dutch ships were gone the length before me, +and that I should certainly fall into their hands. I +consulted my partner again in this exigency, and he was as much +at a loss as I was. I then asked the old pilot if there was +no creek or harbour which I might put into and pursue my business +with the Chinese privately, and be in no danger of the +enemy. He told me if I would sail to the southward about +forty-two leagues, there was a little port called Quinchang, +where the fathers of the mission usually landed from Macao, on +their progress to teach the Christian religion to the Chinese, +and where no European ships ever put in; and if I thought to put +in there, I might consider what further course to take when I was +on shore. He confessed, he said, it was not a place for +merchants, except that at some certain times they had a kind of a +fair there, when the merchants from Japan came over thither to +buy Chinese merchandises. The name of the port I may +perhaps spell wrong, having lost this, together with the names of +many other places set down in a little pocket-book, which was +spoiled by the water by an accident; but this I remember, that +the Chinese merchants we corresponded with called it by a +different name from that which our Portuguese pilot gave it, who +pronounced it Quinchang. As we were unanimous in our +resolution to go to this place, we weighed the next day, having +only gone twice on shore where we were, to get fresh water; on +both which occasions the people of the country were very civil, +and brought abundance of provisions to sell to us; but nothing +without money.</p> +<p>We did not come to the other port (the wind being contrary) +for five days; but it was very much to our satisfaction, and I +was thankful when I set my foot on shore, resolving, and my +partner too, that if it was possible to dispose of ourselves and +effects any other way, though not profitably, we would never more +set foot on board that unhappy vessel. Indeed, I must +acknowledge, that of all the circumstances of life that ever I +had any experience of, nothing makes mankind so completely +miserable as that of being in constant fear. Well does the +Scripture say, “The fear of man brings a snare”; it +is a life of death, and the mind is so entirely oppressed by it, +that it is capable of no relief.</p> +<p>Nor did it fail of its usual operations upon the fancy, by +heightening every danger; representing the English and Dutch +captains to be men incapable of hearing reason, or of +distinguishing between honest men and rogues; or between a story +calculated for our own turn, made out of nothing, on purpose to +deceive, and a true, genuine account of our whole voyage, +progress, and design; for we might many ways have convinced any +reasonable creatures that we were not pirates; the goods we had +on board, the course we steered, our frankly showing ourselves, +and entering into such and such ports; and even our very manner, +the force we had, the number of men, the few arms, the little +ammunition, short provisions; all these would have served to +convince any men that we were no pirates. The opium and +other goods we had on board would make it appear the ship had +been at Bengal. The Dutchmen, who, it was said, had the +names of all the men that were in the ship, might easily see that +we were a mixture of English, Portuguese, and Indians, and but +two Dutchmen on board. These, and many other particular +circumstances, might have made it evident to the understanding of +any commander, whose hands we might fall into, that we were no +pirates.</p> +<p>But fear, that blind, useless passion, worked another way, and +threw us into the vapours; it bewildered our understandings, and +set the imagination at work to form a thousand terrible things +that perhaps might never happen. We first supposed, as +indeed everybody had related to us, that the seamen on board the +English and Dutch ships, but especially the Dutch, were so +enraged at the name of a pirate, and especially at our beating +off their boats and escaping, that they would not give themselves +leave to inquire whether we were pirates or no, but would execute +us off-hand, without giving us any room for a defence. We +reflected that there really was so much apparent evidence before +them, that they would scarce inquire after any more; as, first, +that the ship was certainly the same, and that some of the seamen +among them knew her, and had been on board her; and, secondly, +that when we had intelligence at the river of Cambodia that they +were coming down to examine us, we fought their boats and +fled. Therefore we made no doubt but they were as fully +satisfied of our being pirates as we were satisfied of the +contrary; and, as I often said, I know not but I should have been +apt to have taken those circumstances for evidence, if the tables +were turned, and my case was theirs; and have made no scruple of +cutting all the crew to pieces, without believing, or perhaps +considering, what they might have to offer in their defence.</p> +<p>But let that be how it will, these were our apprehensions; and +both my partner and I scarce slept a night without dreaming of +halters and yard-arms; of fighting, and being taken; of killing, +and being killed: and one night I was in such a fury in my dream, +fancying the Dutchmen had boarded us, and I was knocking one of +their seamen down, that I struck my doubled fist against the side +of the cabin I lay in with such a force as wounded my hand +grievously, broke my knuckles, and cut and bruised the flesh, so +that it awaked me out of my sleep. Another apprehension I +had was, the cruel usage we might meet with from them if we fell +into their hands; then the story of Amboyna came into my head, +and how the Dutch might perhaps torture us, as they did our +countrymen there, and make some of our men, by extremity of +torture, confess to crimes they never were guilty of, or own +themselves and all of us to be pirates, and so they would put us +to death with a formal appearance of justice; and that they might +be tempted to do this for the gain of our ship and cargo, worth +altogether four or five thousand pounds. We did not +consider that the captains of ships have no authority to act +thus; and if we had surrendered prisoners to them, they could not +answer the destroying us, or torturing us, but would be +accountable for it when they came to their country. +However, if they were to act thus with us, what advantage would +it be to us that they should be called to an account for +it?—or if we were first to be murdered, what satisfaction +would it be to us to have them punished when they came home?</p> +<p>I cannot refrain taking notice here what reflections I now had +upon the vast variety of my particular circumstances; how hard I +thought it that I, who had spent forty years in a life of +continual difficulties, and was at last come, as it were, to the +port or haven which all men drive at, viz. to have rest and +plenty, should be a volunteer in new sorrows by my own unhappy +choice, and that I, who had escaped so many dangers in my youth, +should now come to be hanged in my old age, and in so remote a +place, for a crime which I was not in the least inclined to, much +less guilty of. After these thoughts something of religion +would come in; and I would be considering that this seemed to me +to be a disposition of immediate Providence, and I ought to look +upon it and submit to it as such. For, although I was +innocent as to men, I was far from being innocent as to my Maker; +and I ought to look in and examine what other crimes in my life +were most obvious to me, and for which Providence might justly +inflict this punishment as a retribution; and thus I ought to +submit to this, just as I would to a shipwreck, if it had pleased +God to have brought such a disaster upon me.</p> +<p>In its turn natural courage would sometimes take its place, +and then I would be talking myself up to vigorous resolutions; +that I would not be taken to be barbarously used by a parcel of +merciless wretches in cold blood; that it were much better to +have fallen into the hands of the savages, though I were sure +they would feast upon me when they had taken me, than those who +would perhaps glut their rage upon me by inhuman tortures and +barbarities; that in the case of the savages, I always resolved +to die fighting to the last gasp, and why should I not do so +now? Whenever these thoughts prevailed, I was sure to put +myself into a kind of fever with the agitation of a supposed +fight; my blood would boil, and my eyes sparkle, as if I was +engaged, and I always resolved to take no quarter at their hands; +but even at last, if I could resist no longer, I would blow up +the ship and all that was in her, and leave them but little booty +to boast of.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XIII—ARRIVAL IN CHINA</h2> +<p>The greater weight the anxieties and perplexities of these +things were to our thoughts while we were at sea, the greater was +our satisfaction when we saw ourselves on shore; and my partner +told me he dreamed that he had a very heavy load upon his back, +which he was to carry up a hill, and found that he was not able +to stand longer under it; but that the Portuguese pilot came and +took it off his back, and the hill disappeared, the ground before +him appearing all smooth and plain: and truly it was so; they +were all like men who had a load taken off their backs. For +my part I had a weight taken off from my heart that it was not +able any longer to bear; and as I said above we resolved to go no +more to sea in that ship. When we came on shore, the old +pilot, who was now our friend, got us a lodging, together with a +warehouse for our goods; it was a little hut, with a larger house +adjoining to it, built and also palisadoed round with canes, to +keep out pilferers, of which there were not a few in that +country: however, the magistrates allowed us a little guard, and +we had a soldier with a kind of half-pike, who stood sentinel at +our door, to whom we allowed a pint of rice and a piece of money +about the value of three-pence per day, so that our goods were +kept very safe.</p> +<p>The fair or mart usually kept at this place had been over some +time; however, we found that there were three or four junks in +the river, and two ships from Japan, with goods which they had +bought in China, and were not gone away, having some Japanese +merchants on shore.</p> +<p>The first thing our old Portuguese pilot did for us was to get +us acquainted with three missionary Romish priests who were in +the town, and who had been there some time converting the people +to Christianity; but we thought they made but poor work of it, +and made them but sorry Christians when they had done. One +of these was a Frenchman, whom they called Father Simon; another +was a Portuguese; and a third a Genoese. Father Simon was +courteous, and very agreeable company; but the other two were +more reserved, seemed rigid and austere, and applied seriously to +the work they came about, viz. to talk with and insinuate +themselves among the inhabitants wherever they had +opportunity. We often ate and drank with those men; and +though I must confess the conversion, as they call it, of the +Chinese to Christianity is so far from the true conversion +required to bring heathen people to the faith of Christ, that it +seems to amount to little more than letting them know the name of +Christ, and say some prayers to the Virgin Mary and her Son, in a +tongue which they understood not, and to cross themselves, and +the like; yet it must be confessed that the religionists, whom we +call missionaries, have a firm belief that these people will be +saved, and that they are the instruments of it; and on this +account they undergo not only the fatigue of the voyage, and the +hazards of living in such places, but oftentimes death itself, +and the most violent tortures, for the sake of this work.</p> +<p>Father Simon was appointed, it seems, by order of the chief of +the mission, to go up to Pekin, and waited only for another +priest, who was ordered to come to him from Macao, to go along +with him. We scarce ever met together but he was inviting +me to go that journey; telling me how he would show me all the +glorious things of that mighty empire, and, among the rest, +Pekin, the greatest city in the world: “A city,” said +he, “that your London and our Paris put together cannot be +equal to.” But as I looked on those things with +different eyes from other men, so I shall give my opinion of them +in a few words, when I come in the course of my travels to speak +more particularly of them.</p> +<p>Dining with Father Simon one day, and being very merry +together, I showed some little inclination to go with him; and he +pressed me and my partner very hard to consent. “Why, +father,” says my partner, “should you desire our +company so much? you know we are heretics, and you do not love +us, nor cannot keep us company with any +pleasure.”—“Oh,” says he, “you may +perhaps be good Catholics in time; my business here is to convert +heathens, and who knows but I may convert you +too?”—“Very well, father,” said I, +“so you will preach to us all the +way?”—“I will not be troublesome to you,” +says he; “our religion does not divest us of good manners; +besides, we are here like countrymen; and so we are, compared to +the place we are in; and if you are Huguenots, and I a Catholic, +we may all be Christians at last; at least, we are all gentlemen, +and we may converse so, without being uneasy to one +another.” I liked this part of his discourse very +well, and it began to put me in mind of my priest that I had left +in the Brazils; but Father Simon did not come up to his character +by a great deal; for though this friar had no appearance of a +criminal levity in him, yet he had not that fund of Christian +zeal, strict piety, and sincere affection to religion that my +other good ecclesiastic had.</p> +<p>But to leave him a little, though he never left us, nor +solicited us to go with him; we had something else before us at +first, for we had all this while our ship and our merchandise to +dispose of, and we began to be very doubtful what we should do, +for we were now in a place of very little business. Once I +was about to venture to sail for the river of Kilam, and the city +of Nankin; but Providence seemed now more visibly, as I thought, +than ever to concern itself in our affairs; and I was encouraged, +from this very time, to think I should, one way or other, get out +of this entangled circumstance, and be brought home to my own +country again, though I had not the least view of the +manner. Providence, I say, began here to clear up our way a +little; and the first thing that offered was, that our old +Portuguese pilot brought a Japan merchant to us, who inquired +what goods we had: and, in the first place, he bought all our +opium, and gave us a very good price for it, paying us in gold by +weight, some in small pieces of their own coin, and some in small +wedges, of about ten or twelves ounces each. While we were +dealing with him for our opium, it came into my head that he +might perhaps deal for the ship too, and I ordered the +interpreter to propose it to him. He shrunk up his +shoulders at it when it was first proposed to him; but in a few +days after he came to me, with one of the missionary priests for +his interpreter, and told me he had a proposal to make to me, +which was this: he had bought a great quantity of our goods, when +he had no thoughts of proposals made to him of buying the ship; +and that, therefore, he had not money to pay for the ship: but if +I would let the same men who were in the ship navigate her, he +would hire the ship to go to Japan; and would send them from +thence to the Philippine Islands with another loading, which he +would pay the freight of before they went from Japan: and that at +their return he would buy the ship. I began to listen to +his proposal, and so eager did my head still run upon rambling, +that I could not but begin to entertain a notion of going myself +with him, and so to set sail from the Philippine Islands away to +the South Seas; accordingly, I asked the Japanese merchant if he +would not hire us to the Philippine Islands and discharge us +there. He said No, he could not do that, for then he could +not have the return of his cargo; but he would discharge us in +Japan, at the ship’s return. Well, still I was for +taking him at that proposal, and going myself; but my partner, +wiser than myself, persuaded me from it, representing the +dangers, as well of the seas as of the Japanese, who are a false, +cruel, and treacherous people; likewise those of the Spaniards at +the Philippines, more false, cruel, and treacherous than +they.</p> +<p>But to bring this long turn of our affairs to a conclusion; +the first thing we had to do was to consult with the captain of +the ship, and with his men, and know if they were willing to go +to Japan. While I was doing this, the young man whom my +nephew had left with me as my companion came up, and told me that +he thought that voyage promised very fair, and that there was a +great prospect of advantage, and he would be very glad if I +undertook it; but that if I would not, and would give him leave, +he would go as a merchant, or as I pleased to order him; that if +ever he came to England, and I was there and alive, he would +render me a faithful account of his success, which should be as +much mine as I pleased. I was loath to part with him; but +considering the prospect of advantage, which really was +considerable, and that he was a young fellow likely to do well in +it, I inclined to let him go; but I told him I would consult my +partner, and give him an answer the next day. I discoursed +about it with my partner, who thereupon made a most generous +offer: “You know it has been an unlucky ship,” said +he, “and we both resolve not to go to sea in it again; if +your steward” (so he called my man) “will venture the +voyage, I will leave my share of the vessel to him, and let him +make the best of it; and if we live to meet in England, and he +meets with success abroad, he shall account for one half of the +profits of the ship’s freight to us; the other shall be his +own.”</p> +<p>If my partner, who was no way concerned with my young man, +made him such an offer, I could not do less than offer him the +same; and all the ship’s company being willing to go with +him, we made over half the ship to him in property, and took a +writing from him, obliging him to account for the other, and away +he went to Japan. The Japan merchant proved a very +punctual, honest man to him: protected him at Japan, and got him +a licence to come on shore, which the Europeans in general have +not lately obtained. He paid him his freight very +punctually; sent him to the Philippines loaded with Japan and +China wares, and a supercargo of their own, who, trafficking with +the Spaniards, brought back European goods again, and a great +quantity of spices; and there he was not only paid his freight +very well, and at a very good price, but not being willing to +sell the ship, then the merchant furnished him goods on his own +account; and with some money, and some spices of his own which he +brought with him, he went back to the Manillas, where he sold his +cargo very well. Here, having made a good acquaintance at +Manilla, he got his ship made a free ship, and the governor of +Manilla hired him to go to Acapulco, on the coast of America, and +gave him a licence to land there, and to travel to Mexico, and to +pass in any Spanish ship to Europe with all his men. He +made the voyage to Acapulco very happily, and there he sold his +ship: and having there also obtained allowance to travel by land +to Porto Bello, he found means to get to Jamaica, with all his +treasure, and about eight years after came to England exceeding +rich.</p> +<p>But to return to our particular affairs, being now to part +with the ship and ship’s company, it came before us, of +course, to consider what recompense we should give to the two men +that gave us such timely notice of the design against us in the +river Cambodia. The truth was, they had done us a very +considerable service, and deserved well at our hands; though, by +the way, they were a couple of rogues, too; for, as they believed +the story of our being pirates, and that we had really run away +with the ship, they came down to us, not only to betray the +design that was formed against us, but to go to sea with us as +pirates. One of them confessed afterwards that nothing else +but the hopes of going a-roguing brought him to do it: however, +the service they did us was not the less, and therefore, as I had +promised to be grateful to them, I first ordered the money to be +paid them which they said was due to them on board their +respective ships: over and above that, I gave each of them a +small sum of money in gold, which contented them very well. +I then made the Englishman gunner in the ship, the gunner being +now made second mate and purser; the Dutchman I made boatswain; +so they were both very well pleased, and proved very serviceable, +being both able seamen, and very stout fellows.</p> +<p>We were now on shore in China; if I thought myself banished, +and remote from my own country at Bengal, where I had many ways +to get home for my money, what could I think of myself now, when +I was about a thousand leagues farther off from home, and +destitute of all manner of prospect of return? All we had +for it was this: that in about four months’ time there was +to be another fair at the place where we were, and then we might +be able to purchase various manufactures of the country, and +withal might possibly find some Chinese junks from Tonquin for +sail, that would carry us and our goods whither we pleased. +This I liked very well, and resolved to wait; besides, as our +particular persons were not obnoxious, so if any English or Dutch +ships came thither, perhaps we might have an opportunity to load +our goods, and get passage to some other place in India nearer +home. Upon these hopes we resolved to continue here; but, +to divert ourselves, we took two or three journeys into the +country.</p> +<p>First, we went ten days’ journey to Nankin, a city well +worth seeing; they say it has a million of people in it: it is +regularly built, and the streets are all straight, and cross one +another in direct lines. But when I come to compare the +miserable people of these countries with ours, their fabrics, +their manner of living, their government, their religion, their +wealth, and their glory, as some call it, I must confess that I +scarcely think it worth my while to mention them here. We +wonder at the grandeur, the riches, the pomp, the ceremonies, the +government, the manufactures, the commerce, and conduct of these +people; not that there is really any matter for wonder, but +because, having a true notion of the barbarity of those +countries, the rudeness and the ignorance that prevail there, we +do not expect to find any such thing so far off. Otherwise, +what are their buildings to the palaces and royal buildings of +Europe? What their trade to the universal commerce of +England, Holland, France, and Spain? What are their cities +to ours, for wealth, strength, gaiety of apparel, rich furniture, +and infinite variety? What are their ports, supplied with a +few junks and barks, to our navigation, our merchant fleets, our +large and powerful navies? Our city of London has more +trade than half their mighty empire: one English, Dutch, or +French man-of-war of eighty guns would be able to fight almost +all the shipping belonging to China: but the greatness of their +wealth, their trade, the power of their government, and the +strength of their armies, may be a little surprising to us, +because, as I have said, considering them as a barbarous nation +of pagans, little better than savages, we did not expect such +things among them. But all the forces of their empire, +though they were to bring two millions of men into the field +together, would be able to do nothing but ruin the country and +starve themselves; a million of their foot could not stand before +one embattled body of our infantry, posted so as not to be +surrounded, though they were not to be one to twenty in number; +nay, I do not boast if I say that thirty thousand German or +English foot, and ten thousand horse, well managed, could defeat +all the forces of China. Nor is there a fortified town in +China that could hold out one month against the batteries and +attacks of an European army. They have firearms, it is +true, but they are awkward and uncertain in their going off; and +their powder has but little strength. Their armies are +badly disciplined, and want skill to attack, or temper to +retreat; and therefore, I must confess, it seemed strange to me, +when I came home, and heard our people say such fine things of +the power, glory, magnificence, and trade of the Chinese; +because, as far as I saw, they appeared to be a contemptible herd +or crowd of ignorant, sordid slaves, subjected to a government +qualified only to rule such a people; and were not its distance +inconceivably, great from Muscovy, and that empire in a manner as +rude, impotent, and ill governed as they, the Czar of Muscovy +might with ease drive them all out of their country, and conquer +them in one campaign; and had the Czar (who is now a growing +prince) fallen this way, instead of attacking the warlike Swedes, +and equally improved himself in the art of war, as they say he +has done; and if none of the powers of Europe had envied or +interrupted him, he might by this time have been Emperor of +China, instead of being beaten by the King of Sweden at Narva, +when the latter was not one to six in number.</p> +<p>As their strength and their grandeur, so their navigation, +commerce, and husbandry are very imperfect, compared to the same +things in Europe; also, in their knowledge, their learning, and +in their skill in the sciences, they are either very awkward or +defective, though they have globes or spheres, and a smattering +of the mathematics, and think they know more than all the world +besides. But they know little of the motions of the +heavenly bodies; and so grossly and absurdly ignorant are their +common people, that when the sun is eclipsed, they think a great +dragon has assaulted it, and is going to run away with it; and +they fall a clattering with all the drums and kettles in the +country, to fright the monster away, just as we do to hive a +swarm of bees!</p> +<p>As this is the only excursion of the kind which I have made in +all the accounts I have given of my travels, so I shall make no +more such. It is none of my business, nor any part of my +design; but to give an account of my own adventures through a +life of inimitable wanderings, and a long variety of changes, +which, perhaps, few that come after me will have heard the like +of: I shall, therefore, say very little of all the mighty places, +desert countries, and numerous people I have yet to pass through, +more than relates to my own story, and which my concern among +them will make necessary.</p> +<p>I was now, as near as I can compute, in the heart of China, +about thirty degrees north of the line, for we were returned from +Nankin. I had indeed a mind to see the city of Pekin, which +I had heard so much of, and Father Simon importuned me daily to +do it. At length his time of going away being set, and the +other missionary who was to go with him being arrived from Macao, +it was necessary that we should resolve either to go or not; so I +referred it to my partner, and left it wholly to his choice, who +at length resolved it in the affirmative, and we prepared for our +journey. We set out with very good advantage as to finding +the way; for we got leave to travel in the retinue of one of +their mandarins, a kind of viceroy or principal magistrate in the +province where they reside, and who take great state upon them, +travelling with great attendance, and great homage from the +people, who are sometimes greatly impoverished by them, being +obliged to furnish provisions for them and all their attendants +in their journeys. I particularly observed in our +travelling with his baggage, that though we received sufficient +provisions both for ourselves and our horses from the country, as +belonging to the mandarin, yet we were obliged to pay for +everything we had, after the market price of the country, and the +mandarin’s steward collected it duly from us. Thus +our travelling in the retinue of the mandarin, though it was a +great act of kindness, was not such a mighty favour to us, but +was a great advantage to him, considering there were above thirty +other people travelled in the same manner besides us, under the +protection of his retinue; for the country furnished all the +provisions for nothing to him, and yet he took our money for +them.</p> +<p>We were twenty-five days travelling to Pekin, through a +country exceeding populous, but I think badly cultivated; the +husbandry, the economy, and the way of living miserable, though +they boast so much of the industry of the people: I say +miserable, if compared with our own, but not so to these poor +wretches, who know no other. The pride of the poor people +is infinitely great, and exceeded by nothing but their poverty, +in some parts, which adds to that which I call their misery; and +I must needs think the savages of America live much more happy +than the poorer sort of these, because as they have nothing, so +they desire nothing; whereas these are proud and insolent and in +the main are in many parts mere beggars and drudges. Their +ostentation is inexpressible; and, if they can, they love to keep +multitudes of servants or slaves, which is to the last degree +ridiculous, as well as their contempt of all the world but +themselves.</p> +<p>I must confess I travelled more pleasantly afterwards in the +deserts and vast wildernesses of Grand Tartary than here, and yet +the roads here are well paved and well kept, and very convenient +for travellers; but nothing was more awkward to me than to see +such a haughty, imperious, insolent people, in the midst of the +grossest simplicity and ignorance; and my friend Father Simon and +I used to be very merry upon these occasions, to see their +beggarly pride. For example, coming by the house of a +country gentleman, as Father Simon called him, about ten leagues +off the city of Nankin, we had first of all the honour to ride +with the master of the house about two miles; the state he rode +in was a perfect Don Quixotism, being a mixture of pomp and +poverty. His habit was very proper for a merry-andrew, +being a dirty calico, with hanging sleeves, tassels, and cuts and +slashes almost on every side: it covered a taffety vest, so +greasy as to testify that his honour must be a most exquisite +sloven. His horse was a poor, starved, hobbling creature, +and two slaves followed him on foot to drive the poor creature +along; he had a whip in his hand, and he belaboured the beast as +fast about the head as his slaves did about the tail; and thus he +rode by us, with about ten or twelve servants, going from the +city to his country seat, about half a league before us. We +travelled on gently, but this figure of a gentleman rode away +before us; and as we stopped at a village about an hour to +refresh us, when we came by the country seat of this great man, +we saw him in a little place before his door, eating a +repast. It was a kind of garden, but he was easy to be +seen; and we were given to understand that the more we looked at +him the better he would be pleased. He sat under a tree, +something like the palmetto, which effectually shaded him over +the head, and on the south side; but under the tree was placed a +large umbrella, which made that part look well enough. He +sat lolling back in a great elbow-chair, being a heavy corpulent +man, and had his meat brought him by two women slaves. He +had two more, one of whom fed the squire with a spoon, and the +other held the dish with one hand, and scraped off what he let +fall upon his worship’s beard and taffety vest.</p> +<p>Leaving the poor wretch to please himself with our looking at +him, as if we admired his idle pomp, we pursued our +journey. Father Simon had the curiosity to stay to inform +himself what dainties the country justice had to feed on in all +his state, which he had the honour to taste of, and which was, I +think, a mess of boiled rice, with a great piece of garlic in it, +and a little bag filled with green pepper, and another plant +which they have there, something like our ginger, but smelling +like musk, and tasting like mustard; all this was put together, +and a small piece of lean mutton boiled in it, and this was his +worship’s repast. Four or five servants more attended +at a distance, who we supposed were to eat of the same after +their master. As for our mandarin with whom we travelled, +he was respected as a king, surrounded always with his gentlemen, +and attended in all his appearances with such pomp, that I saw +little of him but at a distance. I observed that there was +not a horse in his retinue but that our carrier’s +packhorses in England seemed to me to look much better; though it +was hard to judge rightly, for they were so covered with +equipage, mantles, trappings, &c., that we could scarce see +anything but their feet and their heads as they went along.</p> +<p>I was now light-hearted, and all my late trouble and +perplexity being over, I had no anxious thoughts about me, which +made this journey the pleasanter to me; in which no ill accident +attended me, only in passing or fording a small river, my horse +fell and made me free of the country, as they call it—that +is to say, threw me in. The place was not deep, but it +wetted me all over. I mention it because it spoiled my +pocket-book, wherein I had set down the names of several people +and places which I had occasion to remember, and which not taking +due care of, the leaves rotted, and the words were never after to +be read.</p> +<p>At length we arrived at Pekin. I had nobody with me but +the youth whom my nephew had given me to attend me as a servant +and who proved very trusty and diligent; and my partner had +nobody with him but one servant, who was a kinsman. As for +the Portuguese pilot, he being desirous to see the court, we bore +his charges for his company, and for our use of him as an +interpreter, for he understood the language of the country, and +spoke good French and a little English. Indeed, this old +man was most useful to us everywhere; for we had not been above a +week at Pekin, when he came laughing. “Ah, Seignior +Inglese,” says he, “I have something to tell will +make your heart glad.”—“My heart glad,” +says I; “what can that be? I don’t know +anything in this country can either give me joy or grief to any +great degree.”—“Yes, yes,” said the old +man, in broken English, “make you glad, me +sorry.”—“Why,” said I, “will it +make you sorry?”—“Because,” said he, +“you have brought me here twenty-five days’ journey, +and will leave me to go back alone; and which way shall I get to +my port afterwards, without a ship, without a horse, without +<i>pecune</i>?” so he called money, being his broken Latin, +of which he had abundance to make us merry with. In short, +he told us there was a great caravan of Muscovite and Polish +merchants in the city, preparing to set out on their journey by +land to Muscovy, within four or five weeks; and he was sure we +would take the opportunity to go with them, and leave him behind, +to go back alone.</p> +<p>I confess I was greatly surprised with this good news, and had +scarce power to speak to him for some time; but at last I said to +him, “How do you know this? are you sure it is +true?”—“Yes,” says he; “I met this +morning in the street an old acquaintance of mine, an Armenian, +who is among them. He came last from Astrakhan, and was +designed to go to Tonquin, where I formerly knew him, but has +altered his mind, and is now resolved to go with the caravan to +Moscow, and so down the river Volga to +Astrakhan.”—“Well, Seignior,” says I, +“do not be uneasy about being left to go back alone; if +this be a method for my return to England, it shall be your fault +if you go back to Macao at all.” We then went to +consult together what was to be done; and I asked my partner what +he thought of the pilot’s news, and whether it would suit +with his affairs? He told me he would do just as I would; +for he had settled all his affairs so well at Bengal, and left +his effects in such good hands, that as we had made a good +voyage, if he could invest it in China silks, wrought and raw, he +would be content to go to England, and then make a voyage back to +Bengal by the Company’s ships.</p> +<p>Having resolved upon this, we agreed that if our Portuguese +pilot would go with us, we would bear his charges to Moscow, or +to England, if he pleased; nor, indeed, were we to be esteemed +over-generous in that either, if we had not rewarded him further, +the service he had done us being really worth more than that; for +he had not only been a pilot to us at sea, but he had been like a +broker for us on shore; and his procuring for us a Japan merchant +was some hundreds of pounds in our pockets. So, being +willing to gratify him, which was but doing him justice, and very +willing also to have him with us besides, for he was a most +necessary man on all occasions, we agreed to give him a quantity +of coined gold, which, as I computed it, was worth one hundred +and seventy-five pounds sterling, between us, and to bear all his +charges, both for himself and horse, except only a horse to carry +his goods. Having settled this between ourselves, we called +him to let him know what we had resolved. I told him he had +complained of our being willing to let him go back alone, and I +was now about to tell him we designed he should not go back at +all. That as we had resolved to go to Europe with the +caravan, we were very willing he should go with us; and that we +called him to know his mind. He shook his head and said it +was a long journey, and that he had no <i>pecune</i> to carry him +thither, or to subsist himself when he came there. We told +him we believed it was so, and therefore we had resolved to do +something for him that should let him see how sensible we were of +the service he had done us, and also how agreeable he was to us: +and then I told him what we had resolved to give him here, which +he might lay out as we would do our own; and that as for his +charges, if he would go with us we would set him safe on shore +(life and casualties excepted), either in Muscovy or England, as +he would choose, at our own charge, except only the carriage of +his goods. He received the proposal like a man transported, +and told us he would go with us over all the whole world; and so +we all prepared for our journey. However, as it was with +us, so it was with the other merchants: they had many things to +do, and instead of being ready in five weeks, it was four months +and some days before all things were got together.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XIV—ATTACKED BY TARTARS</h2> +<p>It was the beginning of February, new style, when we set out +from Pekin. My partner and the old pilot had gone express +back to the port where we had first put in, to dispose of some +goods which we had left there; and I, with a Chinese merchant +whom I had some knowledge of at Nankin, and who came to Pekin on +his own affairs, went to Nankin, where I bought ninety pieces of +fine damasks, with about two hundred pieces of other very fine +silk of several sorts, some mixed with gold, and had all these +brought to Pekin against my partner’s return. Besides +this, we bought a large quantity of raw silk, and some other +goods, our cargo amounting, in these goods only, to about three +thousand five hundred pounds sterling; which, together with tea +and some fine calicoes, and three camels’ loads of nutmegs +and cloves, loaded in all eighteen camels for our share, besides +those we rode upon; these, with two or three spare horses, and +two horses loaded with provisions, made together twenty-six +camels and horses in our retinue.</p> +<p>The company was very great, and, as near as I can remember, +made between three and four hundred horses, and upwards of one +hundred and twenty men, very well armed and provided for all +events; for as the Eastern caravans are subject to be attacked by +the Arabs, so are these by the Tartars. The company +consisted of people of several nations, but there were above +sixty of them merchants or inhabitants of Moscow, though of them +some were Livonians; and to our particular satisfaction, five of +them were Scots, who appeared also to be men of great experience +in business, and of very good substance.</p> +<p>When we had travelled one day’s journey, the guides, who +were five in number, called all the passengers, except the +servants, to a great council, as they called it. At this +council every one deposited a certain quantity of money to a +common stock, for the necessary expense of buying forage on the +way, where it was not otherwise to be had, and for satisfying the +guides, getting horses, and the like. Here, too, they +constituted the journey, as they call it, viz. they named +captains and officers to draw us all up, and give the word of +command, in case of an attack, and give every one their turn of +command; nor was this forming us into order any more than what we +afterwards found needful on the way.</p> +<p>The road all on this side of the country is very populous, and +is full of potters and earth-makers—that is to say, people, +that temper the earth for the China ware. As I was coming +along, our Portuguese pilot, who had always something or other to +say to make us merry, told me he would show me the greatest +rarity in all the country, and that I should have this to say of +China, after all the ill-humoured things that I had said of it, +that I had seen one thing which was not to be seen in all the +world beside. I was very importunate to know what it was; +at last he told me it was a gentleman’s house built with +China ware. “Well,” says I, “are not the +materials of their buildings the products of their own country, +and so it is all China ware, is it not?”—“No, +no,” says he, “I mean it is a house all made of China +ware, such as you call it in England, or as it is called in our +country, porcelain.”—“Well,” says I, +“such a thing may be; how big is it? Can we carry it +in a box upon a camel? If we can we will buy +it.”—“Upon a camel!” says the old pilot, +holding up both his hands; “why, there is a family of +thirty people lives in it.”</p> +<p>I was then curious, indeed, to see it; and when I came to it, +it was nothing but this: it was a timber house, or a house built, +as we call it in England, with lath and plaster, but all this +plastering was really China ware—that is to say, it was +plastered with the earth that makes China ware. The +outside, which the sun shone hot upon, was glazed, and looked +very well, perfectly white, and painted with blue figures, as the +large China ware in England is painted, and hard as if it had +been burnt. As to the inside, all the walls, instead of +wainscot, were lined with hardened and painted tiles, like the +little square tiles we call galley-tiles in England, all made of +the finest china, and the figures exceeding fine indeed, with +extraordinary variety of colours, mixed with gold, many tiles +making but one figure, but joined so artificially, the mortar +being made of the same earth, that it was very hard to see where +the tiles met. The floors of the rooms were of the same +composition, and as hard as the earthen floors we have in use in +several parts of England; as hard as stone, and smooth, but not +burnt and painted, except some smaller rooms, like closets, which +were all, as it were, paved with the same tile; the ceiling and +all the plastering work in the whole house were of the same +earth; and, after all, the roof was covered with tiles of the +same, but of a deep shining black. This was a China +warehouse indeed, truly and literally to be called so, and had I +not been upon the journey, I could have stayed some days to see +and examine the particulars of it. They told me there were +fountains and fishponds in the garden, all paved on the bottom +and sides with the same; and fine statues set up in rows on the +walks, entirely formed of the porcelain earth, burnt whole.</p> +<p>As this is one of the singularities of China, so they may be +allowed to excel in it; but I am very sure they excel in their +accounts of it; for they told me such incredible things of their +performance in crockery-ware, for such it is, that I care not to +relate, as knowing it could not be true. They told me, in +particular, of one workman that made a ship with all its tackle +and masts and sails in earthenware, big enough to carry fifty +men. If they had told me he launched it, and made a voyage +to Japan in it, I might have said something to it indeed; but as +it was, I knew the whole of the story, which was, in short, that +the fellow lied: so I smiled, and said nothing to it. This +odd sight kept me two hours behind the caravan, for which the +leader of it for the day fined me about the value of three +shillings; and told me if it had been three days’ journey +without the wall, as it was three days’ within, he must +have fined me four times as much, and made me ask pardon the next +council-day. I promised to be more orderly; and, indeed, I +found afterwards the orders made for keeping all together were +absolutely necessary for our common safety.</p> +<p>In two days more we passed the great China wall, made for a +fortification against the Tartars: and a very great work it is, +going over hills and mountains in an endless track, where the +rocks are impassable, and the precipices such as no enemy could +possibly enter, or indeed climb up, or where, if they did, no +wall could hinder them. They tell us its length is near a +thousand English miles, but that the country is five hundred in a +straight measured line, which the wall bounds without measuring +the windings and turnings it takes; it is about four fathoms +high, and as many thick in some places.</p> +<p>I stood still an hour or thereabouts without trespassing on +our orders (for so long the caravan was in passing the gate), to +look at it on every side, near and far off; I mean what was +within my view: and the guide, who had been extolling it for the +wonder of the world, was mighty eager to hear my opinion of +it. I told him it was a most excellent thing to keep out +the Tartars; which he happened not to understand as I meant it +and so took it for a compliment; but the old pilot laughed! +“Oh, Seignior Inglese,” says he, “you speak in +colours.”—“In colours!” said I; +“what do you mean by that?”—“Why, you +speak what looks white this way and black that way—gay one +way and dull another. You tell him it is a good wall to +keep out Tartars; you tell me by that it is good for nothing but +to keep out Tartars. I understand you, Seignior Inglese, I +understand you; but Seignior Chinese understood you his own +way.”—“Well,” says I, “do you think +it would stand out an army of our country people, with a good +train of artillery; or our engineers, with two companies of +miners? Would not they batter it down in ten days, that an +army might enter in battalia; or blow it up in the air, +foundation and all, that there should be no sign of it +left?”—“Ay, ay,” says he, “I know +that.” The Chinese wanted mightily to know what I +said to the pilot, and I gave him leave to tell him a few days +after, for we were then almost out of their country, and he was +to leave us a little time after this; but when he knew what I +said, he was dumb all the rest of the way, and we heard no more +of his fine story of the Chinese power and greatness while he +stayed.</p> +<p>After we passed this mighty nothing, called a wall, something +like the Picts’ walls so famous in Northumberland, built by +the Romans, we began to find the country thinly inhabited, and +the people rather confined to live in fortified towns, as being +subject to the inroads and depredations of the Tartars, who rob +in great armies, and therefore are not to be resisted by the +naked inhabitants of an open country. And here I began to +find the necessity of keeping together in a caravan as we +travelled, for we saw several troops of Tartars roving about; but +when I came to see them distinctly, I wondered more that the +Chinese empire could be conquered by such contemptible fellows; +for they are a mere horde of wild fellows, keeping no order and +understanding no discipline or manner of it. Their horses +are poor lean creatures, taught nothing, and fit for nothing; and +this we found the first day we saw them, which was after we +entered the wilder part of the country. Our leader for the +day gave leave for about sixteen of us to go a hunting as they +call it; and what was this but a hunting of sheep!—however, +it may be called hunting too, for these creatures are the wildest +and swiftest of foot that ever I saw of their kind! only they +will not run a great way, and you are sure of sport when you +begin the chase, for they appear generally thirty or forty in a +flock, and, like true sheep, always keep together when they +fly.</p> +<p>In pursuit of this odd sort of game it was our hap to meet +with about forty Tartars: whether they were hunting mutton, as we +were, or whether they looked for another kind of prey, we know +not; but as soon as they saw us, one of them blew a hideous blast +on a kind of horn. This was to call their friends about +them, and in less than ten minutes a troop of forty or fifty more +appeared, at about a mile distance; but our work was over first, +as it happened.</p> +<p>One of the Scots merchants of Moscow happened to be amongst +us; and as soon as he heard the horn, he told us that we had +nothing to do but to charge them without loss of time; and +drawing us up in a line, he asked if we were resolved. We +told him we were ready to follow him; so he rode directly towards +them. They stood gazing at us like a mere crowd, drawn up +in no sort of order at all; but as soon as they saw us advance, +they let fly their arrows, which missed us, very happily. +Not that they mistook their aim, but their distance; for their +arrows all fell a little short of us, but with so true an aim, +that had we been about twenty yards nearer we must have had +several men wounded, if not killed.</p> +<p>Immediately we halted, and though it was at a great distance, +we fired, and sent them leaden bullets for wooden arrows, +following our shot full gallop, to fall in among them sword in +hand—for so our bold Scot that led us directed. He +was, indeed, but a merchant, but he behaved with such vigour and +bravery on this occasion, and yet with such cool courage too, +that I never saw any man in action fitter for command. As +soon as we came up to them we fired our pistols in their faces +and then drew; but they fled in the greatest confusion +imaginable. The only stand any of them made was on our +right, where three of them stood, and, by signs, called the rest +to come back to them, having a kind of scimitar in their hands, +and their bows hanging to their backs. Our brave commander, +without asking anybody to follow him, gallops up close to them, +and with his fusee knocks one of them off his horse, killed the +second with his pistol, and the third ran away. Thus ended +our fight; but we had this misfortune attending it, that all our +mutton we had in chase got away. We had not a man killed or +hurt; as for the Tartars, there were about five of them +killed—how many were wounded we knew not; but this we knew, +that the other party were so frightened with the noise of our +guns that they fled, and never made any attempt upon us.</p> +<p>We were all this while in the Chinese dominions, and therefore +the Tartars were not so bold as afterwards; but in about five +days we entered a vast wild desert, which held us three +days’ and nights’ march; and we were obliged to carry +our water with us in great leathern bottles, and to encamp all +night, just as I have heard they do in the desert of +Arabia. I asked our guides whose dominion this was in, and +they told me this was a kind of border that might be called no +man’s land, being a part of Great Karakathy, or Grand +Tartary: that, however, it was all reckoned as belonging to +China, but that there was no care taken here to preserve it from +the inroads of thieves, and therefore it was reckoned the worst +desert in the whole march, though we were to go over some much +larger.</p> +<p>In passing this frightful wilderness we saw, two or three +times, little parties of the Tartars, but they seemed to be upon +their own affairs, and to have no design upon us; and so, like +the man who met the devil, if they had nothing to say to us, we +had nothing to say to them: we let them go. Once, however, +a party of them came so near as to stand and gaze at us. +Whether it was to consider if they should attack us or not, we +knew not; but when we had passed at some distance by them, we +made a rear-guard of forty men, and stood ready for them, letting +the caravan pass half a mile or thereabouts before us. +After a while they marched off, but they saluted us with five +arrows at their parting, which wounded a horse so that it +disabled him, and we left him the next day, poor creature, in +great need of a good farrier. We saw no more arrows or +Tartars that time.</p> +<p>We travelled near a month after this, the ways not being so +good as at first, though still in the dominions of the Emperor of +China, but lay for the most part in the villages, some of which +were fortified, because of the incursions of the Tartars. +When we were come to one of these towns (about two days and a +half’s journey before we came to the city of Naum), I +wanted to buy a camel, of which there are plenty to be sold all +the way upon that road, and horses also, such as they are, +because, so many caravans coming that way, they are often +wanted. The person that I spoke to to get me a camel would +have gone and fetched one for me; but I, like a fool, must be +officious, and go myself along with him; the place was about two +miles out of the village, where it seems they kept the camels and +horses feeding under a guard.</p> +<p>I walked it on foot, with my old pilot and a Chinese, being +very desirous of a little variety. When we came to the +place it was a low, marshy ground, walled round with stones, +piled up dry, without mortar or earth among them, like a park, +with a little guard of Chinese soldiers at the door. Having +bought a camel, and agreed for the price, I came away, and the +Chinese that went with me led the camel, when on a sudden came up +five Tartars on horseback. Two of them seized the fellow +and took the camel from him, while the other three stepped up to +me and my old pilot, seeing us, as it were, unarmed, for I had no +weapon about me but my sword, which could but ill defend me +against three horsemen. The first that came up stopped +short upon my drawing my sword, for they are arrant cowards; but +a second, coming upon my left, gave me a blow on the head, which +I never felt till afterwards, and wondered, when I came to +myself, what was the matter, and where I was, for he laid me flat +on the ground; but my never-failing old pilot, the Portuguese, +had a pistol in his pocket, which I knew nothing of, nor the +Tartars either: if they had, I suppose they would not have +attacked us, for cowards are always boldest when there is no +danger. The old man seeing me down, with a bold heart +stepped up to the fellow that had struck me, and laying hold of +his arm with one hand, and pulling him down by main force a +little towards him, with the other shot him into the head, and +laid him dead upon the spot. He then immediately stepped up +to him who had stopped us, as I said, and before he could come +forward again, made a blow at him with a scimitar, which he +always wore, but missing the man, struck his horse in the side of +his head, cut one of the ears off by the root, and a great slice +down by the side of his face. The poor beast, enraged with +the wound, was no more to be governed by his rider, though the +fellow sat well enough too, but away he flew, and carried him +quite out of the pilot’s reach; and at some distance, +rising upon his hind legs, threw down the Tartar, and fell upon +him.</p> +<p>In this interval the poor Chinese came in who had lost the +camel, but he had no weapon; however, seeing the Tartar down, and +his horse fallen upon him, away he runs to him, and seizing upon +an ugly weapon he had by his side, something like a pole-axe, he +wrenched it from him, and made shift to knock his Tartarian +brains out with it. But my old man had the third Tartar to +deal with still; and seeing he did not fly, as he expected, nor +come on to fight him, as he apprehended, but stood stock still, +the old man stood still too, and fell to work with his tackle to +charge his pistol again: but as soon as the Tartar saw the pistol +away he scoured, and left my pilot, my champion I called him +afterwards, a complete victory.</p> +<p>By this time I was a little recovered. I thought, when I +first began to wake, that I had been in a sweet sleep; but, as I +said above, I wondered where I was, how I came upon the ground, +and what was the matter. A few moments after, as sense +returned, I felt pain, though I did not know where; so I clapped +my hand to my head, and took it away bloody; then I felt my head +ache: and in a moment memory returned, and everything was present +to me again. I jumped upon my feet instantly, and got hold +of my sword, but no enemies were in view: I found a Tartar lying +dead, and his horse standing very quietly by him; and, looking +further, I saw my deliverer, who had been to see what the Chinese +had done, coming back with his hanger in his hand. The old +man, seeing me on my feet, came running to me, and joyfully +embraced me, being afraid before that I had been killed. +Seeing me bloody, he would see how I was hurt; but it was not +much, only what we call a broken head; neither did I afterwards +find any great inconvenience from the blow, for it was well again +in two or three days.</p> +<p>We made no great gain, however, by this victory, for we lost a +camel and gained a horse. I paid for the lost camel, and +sent for another; but I did not go to fetch it myself: I had had +enough of that.</p> +<p>The city of Naum, which we were approaching, is a frontier of +the Chinese empire, and is fortified in their fashion. We +wanted, as I have said, above two days’ journey of this +city when messengers were sent express to every part of the road +to tell all travellers and caravans to halt till they had a guard +sent for them; for that an unusual body of Tartars, making ten +thousand in all, had appeared in the way, about thirty miles +beyond the city.</p> +<p>This was very bad news to travellers: however, it was +carefully done of the governor, and we were very glad to hear we +should have a guard. Accordingly, two days after, we had +two hundred soldiers sent us from a garrison of the Chinese on +our left, and three hundred more from the city of Naum, and with +these we advanced boldly. The three hundred soldiers from +Naum marched in our front, the two hundred in our rear, and our +men on each side of our camels, with our baggage and the whole +caravan in the centre; in this order, and well prepared for +battle, we thought ourselves a match for the whole ten thousand +Mogul Tartars, if they had appeared; but the next day, when they +did appear, it was quite another thing.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XV—DESCRIPTION OF AN IDOL, WHICH THEY +DESTROY</h2> +<p>Early in the morning, when marching from a little town called +Changu, we had a river to pass, which we were obliged to ferry; +and, had the Tartars had any intelligence, then had been the time +to have attacked us, when the caravan being over, the rear-guard +was behind; but they did not appear there. About three +hours after, when we were entered upon a desert of about fifteen +or sixteen miles over, we knew by a cloud of dust they raised, +that the enemy was at hand, and presently they came on upon the +spur.</p> +<p>Our Chinese guards in the front, who had talked so big the day +before, began to stagger; and the soldiers frequently looked +behind them, a certain sign in a soldier that he is just ready to +run away. My old pilot was of my mind; and being near me, +called out, “Seignior Inglese, these fellows must be +encouraged, or they will ruin us all; for if the Tartars come on +they will never stand it.”—“If am of your +mind,” said I; “but what must be +done?”—“Done?” says he, “let fifty +of our men advance, and flank them on each wing, and encourage +them. They will fight like brave fellows in brave company; +but without this they will every man turn his back.” +Immediately I rode up to our leader and told him, who was exactly +of our mind; accordingly, fifty of us marched to the right wing, +and fifty to the left, and the rest made a line of rescue; and so +we marched, leaving the last two hundred men to make a body of +themselves, and to guard the camels; only that, if need were, +they should send a hundred men to assist the last fifty.</p> +<p>At last the Tartars came on, and an innumerable company they +were; how many we could not tell, but ten thousand, we thought, +at the least. A party of them came on first, and viewed our +posture, traversing the ground in the front of our line; and, as +we found them within gunshot, our leader ordered the two wings to +advance swiftly, and give them a salvo on each wing with their +shot, which was done. They then went off, I suppose to give +an account of the reception they were like to meet with; indeed, +that salute cloyed their stomachs, for they immediately halted, +stood a while to consider of it, and wheeling off to the left, +they gave over their design for that time, which was very +agreeable to our circumstances.</p> +<p>Two days after we came to the city of Naun, or Naum; we +thanked the governor for his care of us, and collected to the +value of a hundred crowns, or thereabouts, which we gave to the +soldiers sent to guard us; and here we rested one day. This +is a garrison indeed, and there were nine hundred soldiers kept +here; but the reason of it was, that formerly the Muscovite +frontiers lay nearer to them than they now do, the Muscovites +having abandoned that part of the country, which lies from this +city west for about two hundred miles, as desolate and unfit for +use; and more especially being so very remote, and so difficult +to send troops thither for its defence; for we were yet above two +thousand miles from Muscovy properly so called. After this +we passed several great rivers, and two dreadful deserts; one of +which we were sixteen days passing over; and on the 13th of April +we came to the frontiers of the Muscovite dominions. I +think the first town or fortress, whichever it may he called, +that belonged to the Czar, was called Arguna, being on the west +side of the river Arguna.</p> +<p>I could not but feel great satisfaction that I was arrived in +a country governed by Christians; for though the Muscovites do, +in my opinion, but just deserve the name of Christians, yet such +they pretend to be, and are very devout in their way. It +would certainly occur to any reflecting man who travels the world +as I have done, what a blessing it is to be brought into the +world where the name of God and a Redeemer is known, adored, and +worshipped; and not where the people, given up to strong +delusions, worship the devil, and prostrate themselves to +monsters, elements, horrid-shaped animals, and monstrous +images. Not a town or city we passed through but had their +pagodas, their idols, and their temples, and ignorant people +worshipping even the works of their own hands. Now we came +where, at least, a face of the Christian worship appeared; where +the knee was bowed to Jesus: and whether ignorantly or not, yet +the Christian religion was owned, and the name of the true God +was called upon and adored; and it made my soul rejoice to see +it. I saluted the brave Scots merchant with my first +acknowledgment of this; and taking him by the hand, I said to +him, “Blessed be God, we are once again amongst +Christians.” He smiled, and answered, “Do not +rejoice too soon, countryman; these Muscovites are but an odd +sort of Christians; and but for the name of it you may see very +little of the substance for some months further of our +journey.”—“Well,” says I, “but +still it is better than paganism, and worshipping of +devils.”—“Why, I will tell you,” says he; +“except the Russian soldiers in the garrisons, and a few of +the inhabitants of the cities upon the road, all the rest of this +country, for above a thousand miles farther, is inhabited by the +worst and most ignorant of pagans.” And so, indeed, +we found it.</p> +<p>We now launched into the greatest piece of solid earth that is +to be found in any part of the world; we had, at least, twelve +thousand miles to the sea eastward; two thousand to the bottom of +the Baltic Sea westward; and above three thousand, if we left +that sea, and went on west, to the British and French channels: +we had full five thousand miles to the Indian or Persian Sea +south; and about eight hundred to the Frozen Sea north.</p> +<p>We advanced from the river Arguna by easy and moderate +journeys, and were very visibly obliged to the care the Czar has +taken to have cities and towns built in as many places as it is +possible to place them, where his soldiers keep garrison, +something like the stationary soldiers placed by the Romans in +the remotest countries of their empire; some of which I had read +of were placed in Britain, for the security of commerce, and for +the lodging of travellers. Thus it was here; for wherever +we came, though at these towns and stations the garrisons and +governors were Russians, and professed Christians, yet the +inhabitants were mere pagans, sacrificing to idols, and +worshipping the sun, moon, and stars, or all the host of heaven; +and not only so, but were, of all the heathens and pagans that +ever I met with, the most barbarous, except only that they did +not eat men’s flesh.</p> +<p>Some instances of this we met with in the country between +Arguna, where we enter the Muscovite dominions, and a city of +Tartars and Russians together, called Nortziousky, in which is a +continued desert or forest, which cost us twenty days to travel +over. In a village near the last of these places I had the +curiosity to go and see their way of living, which is most +brutish and unsufferable. They had, I suppose, a great +sacrifice that day; for there stood out, upon an old stump of a +tree, a diabolical kind of idol made of wood; it was dressed up, +too, in the most filthy manner; its upper garment was of +sheepskins, with the wool outward; a great Tartar bonnet on the +head, with two horns growing through it; it was about eight feet +high, yet had no feet or legs, nor any other proportion of +parts.</p> +<p>This scarecrow was set up at the outer side of the village; +and when I came near to it there were sixteen or seventeen +creatures all lying flat upon the ground round this hideous block +of wood; I saw no motion among them, any more than if they had +been all logs, like the idol, and at first I really thought they +had been so; but, when I came a little nearer, they started up +upon their feet, and raised a howl, as if it had been so many +deep-mouthed hounds, and walked away, as if they were displeased +at our disturbing them. A little way off from the idol, and +at the door of a hut, made of sheep and cow skins dried, stood +three men with long knives in their hands; and in the middle of +the tent appeared three sheep killed, and one young +bullock. These, it seems, were sacrifices to that senseless +log of an idol; the three men were priests belonging to it, and +the seventeen prostrated wretches were the people who brought the +offering, and were offering their prayers to that stock.</p> +<p>I confess I was more moved at their stupidity and brutish +worship of a hobgoblin than ever I was at anything in my life, +and, overcome with rage, I rode up to the hideous idol, and with +my sword made a stroke at the bonnet that was on its head, and +cut it in two; and one of our men that was with me, taking hold +of the sheepskin that covered it, pulled at it, when, behold, a +most hideous outcry ran through the village, and two or three +hundred people came about my ears, so that I was glad to scour +for it, for some had bows and arrows; but I resolved from that +moment to visit them again. Our caravan rested three nights +at the town, which was about four miles off, in order to provide +some horses which they wanted, several of the horses having been +lamed and jaded with the long march over the last desert; so we +had some leisure here to put my design in execution. I +communicated it to the Scots merchant, of whose courage I had +sufficient testimony; I told him what I had seen, and with what +indignation I had since thought that human nature could be so +degenerate; I told him if I could get but four or five men well +armed to go with me, I was resolved to go and destroy that vile, +abominable idol, and let them see that it had no power to help +itself, and consequently could not be an object of worship, or to +be prayed to, much less help them that offered sacrifices to +it.</p> +<p>He at first objected to my plan as useless, seeing that, owing +to the gross ignorance of the people, they could not be brought +to profit by the lesson I meant to teach them; and added that, +from his knowledge of the country and its customs, he feared we +should fall into great peril by giving offence to these brutal +idol worshippers. This somewhat stayed my purpose, but I +was still uneasy all that day to put my project in execution; and +that evening, meeting the Scots merchant in our walk about the +town, I again called upon him to aid me in it. When he +found me resolute he said that, on further thoughts, he could not +but applaud the design, and told me I should not go alone, but he +would go with me; but he would go first and bring a stout fellow, +one of his countrymen, to go also with us; “and one,” +said he, “as famous for his zeal as you can desire any one +to be against such devilish things as these.” So we +agreed to go, only we three and my man-servant, and resolved to +put it in execution the following night about midnight, with all +possible secrecy.</p> +<p>We thought it better to delay it till the next night, because +the caravan being to set forward in the morning, we suppose the +governor could not pretend to give them any satisfaction upon us +when we were out of his power. The Scots merchant, as +steady in his resolution for the enterprise as bold in executing, +brought me a Tartar’s robe or gown of sheepskins, and a +bonnet, with a bow and arrows, and had provided the same for +himself and his countryman, that the people, if they saw us, +should not determine who we were. All the first night we +spent in mixing up some combustible matter, with aqua vitae, +gunpowder, and such other materials as we could get; and having a +good quantity of tar in a little pot, about an hour after night +we set out upon our expedition.</p> +<p>We came to the place about eleven o’clock at night, and +found that the people had not the least suspicion of danger +attending their idol. The night was cloudy: yet the moon +gave us light enough to see that the idol stood just in the same +posture and place that it did before. The people seemed to +be all at their rest; only that in the great hut, where we saw +the three priests, we saw a light, and going up close to the +door, we heard people talking as if there were five or six of +them; we concluded, therefore, that if we set wildfire to the +idol, those men would come out immediately, and run up to the +place to rescue it from destruction; and what to do with them we +knew not. Once we thought of carrying it away, and setting +fire to it at a distance; but when we came to handle it, we found +it too bulky for our carriage, so we were at a loss again. +The second Scotsman was for setting fire to the hut, and knocking +the creatures that were there on the head when they came out; but +I could not join with that; I was against killing them, if it +were possible to avoid it. “Well, then,” said +the Scots merchant, “I will tell you what we will do: we +will try to make them prisoners, tie their hands, and make them +stand and see their idol destroyed.”</p> +<p>As it happened, we had twine or packthread enough about us, +which we used to tie our firelocks together with; so we resolved +to attack these people first, and with as little noise as we +could. The first thing we did, we knocked at the door, when +one of the priests coming to it, we immediately seized upon him, +stopped his mouth, and tied his hands behind him, and led him to +the idol, where we gagged him that he might not make a noise, +tied his feet also together, and left him on the ground.</p> +<p>Two of us then waited at the door, expecting that another +would come out to see what the matter was; but we waited so long +till the third man came back to us; and then nobody coming out, +we knocked again gently, and immediately out came two more, and +we served them just in the same manner, but were obliged to go +all with them, and lay them down by the idol some distance from +one another; when, going back, we found two more were come out of +the door, and a third stood behind them within the door. We +seized the two, and immediately tied them, when the third, +stepping back and crying out, my Scots merchant went in after +them, and taking out a composition we had made that would only +smoke and stink, he set fire to it, and threw it in among +them. By that time the other Scotsman and my man, taking +charge of the two men already bound, and tied together also by +the arm, led them away to the idol, and left them there, to see +if their idol would relieve them, making haste back to us.</p> +<p>When the fuze we had thrown in had filled the hut with so much +smoke that they were almost suffocated, we threw in a small +leather bag of another kind, which flamed like a candle, and, +following it in, we found there were but four people, who, as we +supposed, had been about some of their diabolical +sacrifices. They appeared, in short, frightened to death, +at least so as to sit trembling and stupid, and not able to speak +either, for the smoke.</p> +<p>We quickly took them from the hut, where the smoke soon drove +us out, bound them as we had done the other, and all without any +noise. Then we carried them all together to the idol; when +we came there, we fell to work with him. First, we daubed +him all over, and his robes also, with tar, and tallow mixed with +brimstone; then we stopped his eyes and ears and mouth full of +gunpowder, and wrapped up a great piece of wildfire in his +bonnet; then sticking all the combustibles we had brought with us +upon him, we looked about to see if we could find anything else +to help to burn him; when my Scotsman remembered that by the hut, +where the men were, there lay a heap of dry forage; away he and +the other Scotsman ran and fetched their arms full of that. +When we had done this, we took all our prisoners, and brought +them, having untied their feet and ungagged their mouths, and +made them stand up, and set them before their monstrous idol, and +then set fire to the whole.</p> +<p>We stayed by it a quarter of an hour or thereabouts, till the +powder in the eyes and mouth and ears of the idol blew up, and, +as we could perceive, had split altogether; and in a word, till +we saw it burned so that it would soon be quite consumed. +We then began to think of going away; but the Scotsman said, +“No, we must not go, for these poor deluded wretches will +all throw themselves into the fire, and burn themselves with the +idol.” So we resolved to stay till the forage has +burned down too, and then came away and left them. After +the feat was performed, we appeared in the morning among our +fellow-travellers, exceedingly busy in getting ready for our +journey; nor could any man suppose that we had been anywhere but +in our beds.</p> +<p>But the affair did not end so; the next day came a great +number of the country people to the town gates, and in a most +outrageous manner demanded satisfaction of the Russian governor +for the insulting their priests and burning their great Cham +Chi-Thaungu. The people of Nertsinkay were at first in a +great consternation, for they said the Tartars were already no +less than thirty thousand strong. The Russian governor sent +out messengers to appease them, assuring them that he knew +nothing of it, and that there had not a soul in his garrison been +abroad, so that it could not be from anybody there: but if they +could let him know who did it, they should be exemplarily +punished. They returned haughtily, that all the country +reverenced the great Cham Chi-Thaungu, who dwelt in the sun, and +no mortal would have dared to offer violence to his image but +some Christian miscreant; and they therefore resolved to denounce +war against him and all the Russians, who, they said, were +miscreants and Christians.</p> +<p>The governor, unwilling to make a breach, or to have any cause +of war alleged to be given by him, the Czar having strictly +charged him to treat the conquered country with gentleness, gave +them all the good words he could. At last he told them +there was a caravan gone towards Russia that morning, and perhaps +it was some of them who had done them this injury; and that if +they would be satisfied with that, he would send after them to +inquire into it. This seemed to appease them a little; and +accordingly the governor sent after us, and gave us a particular +account how the thing was; intimating withal, that if any in our +caravan had done it they should make their escape; but that +whether we had done it or no, we should make all the haste +forward that was possible: and that, in the meantime, he would +keep them in play as long as he could.</p> +<p>This was very friendly in the governor; however, when it came +to the caravan, there was nobody knew anything of the matter; and +as for us that were guilty, we were least of all suspected. +However, the captain of the caravan for the time took the hint +that the governor gave us, and we travelled two days and two +nights without any considerable stop, and then we lay at a +village called Plothus: nor did we make any long stop here, but +hastened on towards Jarawena, another Muscovite colony, and where +we expected we should be safe. But upon the second +day’s march from Plothus, by the clouds of dust behind us +at a great distance, it was plain we were pursued. We had +entered a vast desert, and had passed by a great lake called +Schanks Oser, when we perceived a large body of horse appear on +the other side of the lake, to the north, we travelling +west. We observed they went away west, as we did, but had +supposed we would have taken that side of the lake, whereas we +very happily took the south side; and in two days more they +disappeared again: for they, believing we were still before them, +pushed on till they came to the Udda, a very great river when it +passes farther north, but when we came to it we found it narrow +and fordable.</p> +<p>The third day they had either found their mistake, or had +intelligence of us, and came pouring in upon us towards +dusk. We had, to our great satisfaction, just pitched upon +a convenient place for our camp; for as we had just entered upon +a desert above five hundred miles over, where we had no towns to +lodge at, and, indeed, expected none but the city Jarawena, which +we had yet two days’ march to; the desert, however, had +some few woods in it on this side, and little rivers, which ran +all into the great river Udda; it was in a narrow strait, between +little but very thick woods, that we pitched our camp that night, +expecting to be attacked before morning. As it was usual +for the Mogul Tartars to go about in troops in that desert, so +the caravans always fortify themselves every night against them, +as against armies of robbers; and it was, therefore, no new thing +to be pursued. But we had this night a most advantageous +camp: for as we lay between two woods, with a little rivulet +running just before our front, we could not be surrounded, or +attacked any way but in our front or rear. We took care +also to make our front as strong as we could, by placing our +packs, with the camels and horses, all in a line, on the inside +of the river, and felling some trees in our rear.</p> +<p>In this posture we encamped for the night; but the enemy was +upon us before we had finished. They did not come on like +thieves, as we expected, but sent three messengers to us, to +demand the men to be delivered to them that had abused their +priests and burned their idol, that they might burn them with +fire; and upon this, they said, they would go away, and do us no +further harm, otherwise they would destroy us all. Our men +looked very blank at this message, and began to stare at one +another to see who looked with the most guilt in their faces; but +nobody was the word—nobody did it. The leader of the +caravan sent word he was well assured that it was not done by any +of our camp; that we were peaceful merchants, travelling on our +business; that we had done no harm to them or to any one else; +and that, therefore, they must look further for the enemies who +had injured them, for we were not the people; so they desired +them not to disturb us, for if they did we should defend +ourselves.</p> +<p>They were far from being satisfied with this for an answer: +and a great crowd of them came running down in the morning, by +break of day, to our camp; but seeing us so well posted, they +durst come no farther than the brook in our front, where they +stood in such number as to terrify us very much; indeed, some +spoke of ten thousand. Here they stood and looked at us a +while, and then, setting up a great howl, let fly a crowd of +arrows among us; but we were well enough sheltered under our +baggage, and I do not remember that one of us was hurt.</p> +<p>Some time after this we saw them move a little to our right, +and expected them on the rear: when a cunning fellow, a Cossack +of Jarawena, calling to the leader of the caravan, said to him, +“I will send all these people away to +Sibeilka.” This was a city four or five days’ +journey at least to the right, and rather behind us. So he +takes his bow and arrows, and getting on horseback, he rides away +from our rear directly, as it were back to Nertsinskay; after +this he takes a great circuit about, and comes directly on the +army of the Tartars as if he had been sent express to tell them a +long story that the people who had burned the Cham Chi-Thaungu +were gone to Sibeilka, with a caravan of miscreants, as he called +them—that is to say, Christians; and that they had resolved +to burn the god Scal-Isar, belonging to the Tonguses. As +this fellow was himself a Tartar, and perfectly spoke their +language, he counterfeited so well that they all believed him, +and away they drove in a violent hurry to Sibeilka. In less +than three hours they were entirely out of our sight, and we +never heard any more of them, nor whether they went to Sibeilka +or no. So we passed away safely on to Jarawena, where there +was a Russian garrison, and there we rested five days.</p> +<p>From this city we had a frightful desert, which held us +twenty-three days’ march. We furnished ourselves with +some tents here, for the better accommodating ourselves in the +night; and the leader of the caravan procured sixteen waggons of +the country, for carrying our water or provisions, and these +carriages were our defence every night round our little camp; so +that had the Tartars appeared, unless they had been very numerous +indeed, they would not have been able to hurt us. We may +well be supposed to have wanted rest again after this long +journey; for in this desert we neither saw house nor tree, and +scarce a bush; though we saw abundance of the sable-hunters, who +are all Tartars of Mogul Tartary; of which this country is a +part; and they frequently attack small caravans, but we saw no +numbers of them together.</p> +<p>After we had passed this desert we came into a country pretty +well inhabited—that is to say, we found towns and castles, +settled by the Czar with garrisons of stationary soldiers, to +protect the caravans and defend the country against the Tartars, +who would otherwise make it very dangerous travelling; and his +czarish majesty has given such strict orders for the well +guarding the caravans, that, if there are any Tartars heard of in +the country, detachments of the garrison are always sent to see +the travellers safe from station to station. Thus the +governor of Adinskoy, whom I had an opportunity to make a visit +to, by means of the Scots merchant, who was acquainted with him, +offered us a guard of fifty men, if we thought there was any +danger, to the next station.</p> +<p>I thought, long before this, that as we came nearer to Europe +we should find the country better inhabited, and the people more +civilised; but I found myself mistaken in both: for we had yet +the nation of the Tonguses to pass through, where we saw the same +tokens of paganism and barbarity as before; only, as they were +conquered by the Muscovites, they were not so dangerous, but for +rudeness of manners and idolatry no people in the world ever went +beyond them. They are all clothed in skins of beasts, and +their houses are built of the same; you know not a man from a +woman, neither by the ruggedness of their countenances nor their +clothes; and in the winter, when the ground is covered with snow, +they live underground in vaults, which have cavities going from +one to another. If the Tartars had their Cham Chi-Thaungu +for a whole village or country, these had idols in every hut and +every cave. This country, I reckon, was, from the desert I +spoke of last, at least four hundred miles, half of it being +another desert, which took us up twelve days’ severe +travelling, without house or tree; and we were obliged again to +carry our own provisions, as well water as bread. After we +were out of this desert and had travelled two days, we came to +Janezay, a Muscovite city or station, on the great river Janezay, +which, they told us there, parted Europe from Asia.</p> +<p>All the country between the river Oby and the river Janezay is +as entirely pagan, and the people as barbarous, as the remotest +of the Tartars. I also found, which I observed to the +Muscovite governors whom I had an opportunity to converse with, +that the poor pagans are not much wiser, or nearer Christianity, +for being under the Muscovite government, which they acknowledged +was true enough—but that, as they said, was none of their +business; that if the Czar expected to convert his Siberian, +Tonguse, or Tartar subjects, it should be done by sending +clergymen among them, not soldiers; and they added, with more +sincerity than I expected, that it was not so much the concern of +their monarch to make the people Christians as to make them +subjects.</p> +<p>From this river to the Oby we crossed a wild uncultivated +country, barren of people and good management, otherwise it is in +itself a pleasant, fruitful, and agreeable country. What +inhabitants we found in it are all pagans, except such as are +sent among them from Russia; for this is the country—I mean +on both sides the river Oby—whither the Muscovite criminals +that are not put to death are banished, and from whence it is +next to impossible they should ever get away. I have +nothing material to say of my particular affairs till I came to +Tobolski, the capital city of Siberia, where I continued some +time on the following account.</p> +<p>We had now been almost seven months on our journey, and winter +began to come on apace; whereupon my partner and I called a +council about our particular affairs, in which we found it +proper, as we were bound for England, to consider how to dispose +of ourselves. They told us of sledges and reindeer to carry +us over the snow in the winter time, by which means, indeed, the +Russians travel more in winter than they can in summer, as in +these sledges they are able to run night and day: the snow, being +frozen, is one universal covering to nature, by which the hills, +vales, rivers, and lakes are all smooth and hard is a stone, and +they run upon the surface, without any regard to what is +underneath.</p> +<p>But I had no occasion to urge a winter journey of this +kind. I was bound to England, not to Moscow, and my route +lay two ways: either I must go on as the caravan went, till I +came to Jarislaw, and then go off west for Narva and the Gulf of +Finland, and so on to Dantzic, where I might possibly sell my +China cargo to good advantage; or I must leave the caravan at a +little town on the Dwina, from whence I had but six days by water +to Archangel, and from thence might be sure of shipping either to +England, Holland, or Hamburg.</p> +<p>Now, to go any one of these journeys in the winter would have +been preposterous; for as to Dantzic, the Baltic would have been +frozen up and I could not get passage; and to go by land in those +countries was far less safe than among the Mogul Tartars; +likewise, as to Archangel in October, all the ships would be gone +from thence, and even the merchants who dwell there in summer +retire south to Moscow in the winter, when the ships are gone; so +that I could have nothing but extremity of cold to encounter, +with a scarcity of provisions, and must lie in an empty town all +the winter. Therefore, upon the whole, I thought it much my +better way to let the caravan go, and make provision to winter +where I was, at Tobolski, in Siberia, in the latitude of about +sixty degrees, where I was sure of three things to wear out a +cold winter with, viz. plenty of provisions, such as the country +afforded, a warm house, with fuel enough, and excellent +company.</p> +<p>I was now in quite a different climate from my beloved island, +where I never felt cold, except when I had my ague; on the +contrary, I had much to do to bear any clothes on my back, and +never made any fire but without doors, which was necessary for +dressing my food, &c. Now I had three good vests, with +large robes or gowns over them, to hang down to the feet, and +button close to the wrists; and all these lined with furs, to +make them sufficiently warm. As to a warm house, I must +confess I greatly dislike our way in England of making fires in +every room of the house in open chimneys, which, when the fire is +out, always keeps the air in the room cold as the climate. +So I took an apartment in a good house in the town, and ordered a +chimney to be built like a furnace, in the centre of six several +rooms, like a stove; the funnel to carry the smoke went up one +way, the door to come at the fire went in another, and all the +rooms were kept equally warm, but no fire seen, just as they heat +baths in England. By this means we had always the same +climate in all the rooms, and an equal heat was preserved, and +yet we saw no fire, nor were ever incommoded with smoke.</p> +<p>The most wonderful thing of all was, that it should be +possible to meet with good company here, in a country so +barbarous as this—one of the most northerly parts of +Europe. But this being the country where the state +criminals of Muscovy, as I observed before, are all banished, the +city was full of Russian noblemen, gentlemen, soldiers, and +courtiers. Here was the famous Prince Galitzin, the old +German Robostiski, and several other persons of note, and some +ladies. By means of my Scotch merchant, whom, nevertheless, +I parted with here, I made an acquaintance with several of these +gentlemen; and from these, in the long winter nights in which I +stayed here, I received several very agreeable visits.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XVI—SAFE ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND</h2> +<p>It was talking one night with a certain prince, one of the +banished ministers of state belonging to the Czar, that the +discourse of my particular case began. He had been telling +me abundance of fine things of the greatness, the magnificence, +the dominions, and the absolute power of the Emperor of the +Russians: I interrupted him, and told him I was a greater and +more powerful prince than ever the Czar was, though my dominion +were not so large, or my people so many. The Russian +grandee looked a little surprised, and, fixing his eyes steadily +upon me, began to wonder what I meant. I said his wonder +would cease when I had explained myself, and told him the story +at large of my living in the island; and then how I managed both +myself and the people that were under me, just as I have since +minuted it down. They were exceedingly taken with the +story, and especially the prince, who told me, with a sigh, that +the true greatness of life was to be masters of ourselves; that +he would not have exchanged such a state of life as mine to be +Czar of Muscovy; and that he found more felicity in the +retirement he seemed to be banished to there, than ever he found +in the highest authority he enjoyed in the court of his master +the Czar; that the height of human wisdom was to bring our +tempers down to our circumstances, and to make a calm within, +under the weight of the greatest storms without. When he +came first hither, he said, he used to tear the hair from his +head, and the clothes from his back, as others had done before +him; but a little time and consideration had made him look into +himself, as well as round him to things without; that he found +the mind of man, if it was but once brought to reflect upon the +state of universal life, and how little this world was concerned +in its true felicity, was perfectly capable of making a felicity +for itself, fully satisfying to itself, and suitable to its own +best ends and desires, with but very little assistance from the +world. That being now deprived of all the fancied felicity +which he enjoyed in the full exercise of worldly pleasures, he +said he was at leisure to look upon the dark side of them, where +he found all manner of deformity; and was now convinced that +virtue only makes a man truly wise, rich, and great, and +preserves him in the way to a superior happiness in a future +state; and in this, he said, they were more happy in their +banishment than all their enemies were, who had the full +possession of all the wealth and power they had left behind +them. “Nor, sir,” says he, “do I bring my +mind to this politically, from the necessity of my circumstances, +which some call miserable; but, if I know anything of myself, I +would not now go back, though the Czar my master should call me, +and reinstate me in all my former grandeur.”</p> +<p>He spoke this with so much warmth in his temper, so much +earnestness and motion of his spirits, that it was evident it was +the true sense of his soul; there was no room to doubt his +sincerity. I told him I once thought myself a kind of +monarch in my old station, of which I had given him an account; +but that I thought he was not only a monarch, but a great +conqueror; for he that had got a victory over his own exorbitant +desires, and the absolute dominion over himself, he whose reason +entirely governs his will, is certainly greater than he that +conquers a city.</p> +<p>I had been here eight months, and a dark, dreadful winter I +thought it; the cold so intense that I could not so much as look +abroad without being wrapped in furs, and a kind of mask of fur +before my face, with only a hole for breath, and two for sight: +the little daylight we had was for three months not above five +hours a day, and six at most; only that the snow lying on the +ground continually, and the weather being clear, it was never +quite dark. Our horses were kept, or rather starved, +underground; and as for our servants, whom we hired here to look +after ourselves and horses, we had, every now and then, their +fingers and toes to thaw and take care of, lest they should +mortify and fall off.</p> +<p>It is true, within doors we were warm, the houses being close, +the walls thick, the windows small, and the glass all +double. Our food was chiefly the flesh of deer, dried and +cured in the season; bread good enough, but baked as biscuits; +dried fish of several sorts, and some flesh of mutton, and of +buffaloes, which is pretty good meat. All the stores of +provisions for the winter are laid up in the summer, and well +cured: our drink was water, mixed with aqua vitae instead of +brandy; and for a treat, mead instead of wine, which, however, +they have very good. The hunters, who venture abroad all +weathers, frequently brought us in fine venison, and sometimes +bear’s flesh, but we did not much care for the last. +We had a good stock of tea, with which we treated our friends, +and we lived cheerfully and well, all things considered.</p> +<p>It was now March, the days grown considerably longer, and the +weather at least tolerable; so the other travellers began to +prepare sledges to carry them over the snow, and to get things +ready to be going; but my measures being fixed, as I have said, +for Archangel, and not for Muscovy or the Baltic, I made no +motion; knowing very well that the ships from the south do not +set out for that part of the world till May or June, and that if +I was there by the beginning of August, it would be as soon as +any ships would be ready to sail. Therefore I made no haste +to be gone, as others did: in a word, I saw a great many people, +nay, all the travellers, go away before me. It seems every +year they go from thence to Muscovy, for trade, to carry furs, +and buy necessaries, which they bring back with them to furnish +their shops: also others went on the same errand to +Archangel.</p> +<p>In the month of May I began to make all ready to pack up; and, +as I was doing this, it occurred to me that, seeing all these +people were banished by the Czar to Siberia, and yet, when they +came there, were left at liberty to go whither they would, why +they did not then go away to any part of the world, wherever they +thought fit: and I began to examine what should hinder them from +making such an attempt. But my wonder was over when I +entered upon that subject with the person I have mentioned, who +answered me thus: “Consider, first, sir,” said he, +“the place where we are; and, secondly, the condition we +are in; especially the generality of the people who are banished +thither. We are surrounded with stronger things than bars +or bolts; on the north side, an unnavigable ocean, where ship +never sailed, and boat never swam; every other way we have above +a thousand miles to pass through the Czar’s own dominion, +and by ways utterly impassable, except by the roads made by the +government, and through the towns garrisoned by his troops; in +short, we could neither pass undiscovered by the road, nor +subsist any other way, so that it is in vain to attempt +it.”</p> +<p>I was silenced at once, and found that they were in a prison +every jot as secure as if they had been locked up in the castle +at Moscow: however, it came into my thoughts that I might +certainly be made an instrument to procure the escape of this +excellent person; and that, whatever hazard I ran, I would +certainly try if I could carry him off. Upon this, I took +an occasion one evening to tell him my thoughts. I +represented to him that it was very easy for me to carry him +away, there being no guard over him in the country; and as I was +not going to Moscow, but to Archangel, and that I went in the +retinue of a caravan, by which I was not obliged to lie in the +stationary towns in the desert, but could encamp every night +where I would, we might easily pass uninterrupted to Archangel, +where I would immediately secure him on board an English ship, +and carry him safe along with me; and as to his subsistence and +other particulars, it should be my care till he could better +supply himself.</p> +<p>He heard me very attentively, and looked earnestly on me all +the while I spoke; nay, I could see in his very face that what I +said put his spirits into an exceeding ferment; his colour +frequently changed, his eyes looked red, and his heart fluttered, +till it might be even perceived in his countenance; nor could he +immediately answer me when I had done, and, as it were, hesitated +what he would say to it; but after he had paused a little, he +embraced me, and said, “How unhappy are we, unguarded +creatures as we are, that even our greatest acts of friendship +are made snares unto us, and we are made tempters of one +another!” He then heartily thanked me for my offers +of service, but withstood resolutely the arguments I used to urge +him to set himself free. He declared, in earnest terms, +that he was fully bent on remaining where he was rather than seek +to return to his former miserable greatness, as he called it: +where the seeds of pride, ambition, avarice, and luxury might +revive, take root, and again overwhelm him. “Let me +remain, dear sir,” he said, in conclusion—“let +me remain in this blessed confinement, banished from the crimes +of life, rather than purchase a show of freedom at the expense of +the liberty of my reason, and at the future happiness which I now +have in my view, but should then, I fear, quickly lose sight of; +for I am but flesh; a man, a mere man; and have passions and +affections as likely to possess and overthrow me as any man: Oh, +be not my friend and tempter both together!”</p> +<p>If I was surprised before, I was quite dumb now, and stood +silent, looking at him, and, indeed, admiring what I saw. +The struggle in his soul was so great that, though the weather +was extremely cold, it put him into a most violent heat; so I +said a word or two, that I would leave him to consider of it, and +wait on him again, and then I withdrew to my own apartment.</p> +<p>About two hours after I heard somebody at or near the door of +my room, and I was going to open the door, but he had opened it +and come in. “My dear friend,” says he, +“you had almost overset me, but I am recovered. Do +not take it ill that I do not close with your offer. I +assure you it is not for want of sense of the kindness of it in +you; and I came to make the most sincere acknowledgment of it to +you; but I hope I have got the victory over +myself.”—“My lord,” said I, “I hope +you are fully satisfied that you do not resist the call of +Heaven.”—“Sir,” said he, “if it had +been from Heaven, the same power would have influenced me to have +accepted it; but I hope, and am fully satisfied, that it is from +Heaven that I decline it, and I have infinite satisfaction in the +parting, that you shall leave me an honest man still, though not +a free man.”</p> +<p>I had nothing to do but to acquiesce, and make professions to +him of my having no end in it but a sincere desire to serve +him. He embraced me very passionately, and assured me he +was sensible of that, and should always acknowledge it; and with +that he offered me a very fine present of sables—too much, +indeed, for me to accept from a man in his circumstances, and I +would have avoided them, but he would not be refused. The +next morning I sent my servant to his lordship with a small +present of tea, and two pieces of China damask, and four little +wedges of Japan gold, which did not all weigh above six ounces or +thereabouts, but were far short of the value of his sables, +which, when I came to England, I found worth near two hundred +pounds. He accepted the tea, and one piece of the damask, +and one of the pieces of gold, which had a fine stamp upon it, of +the Japan coinage, which I found he took for the rarity of it, +but would not take any more: and he sent word by my servant that +he desired to speak with me.</p> +<p>When I came to him he told me I knew what had passed between +us, and hoped I would not move him any more in that affair; but +that, since I had made such a generous offer to him, he asked me +if I had kindness enough to offer the same to another person that +he would name to me, in whom he had a great share of +concern. In a word, he told me it was his only son; who, +though I had not seen him, was in the same condition with +himself, and above two hundred miles from him, on the other side +of the Oby; but that, if I consented, he would send for him.</p> +<p>I made no hesitation, but told him I would do it. I made +some ceremony in letting him understand that it was wholly on his +account; and that, seeing I could not prevail on him, I would +show my respect to him by my concern for his son. He sent +the next day for his son; and in about twenty days he came back +with the messenger, bringing six or seven horses, loaded with +very rich furs, which, in the whole, amounted to a very great +value. His servants brought the horses into the town, but +left the young lord at a distance till night, when he came +incognito into our apartment, and his father presented him to me; +and, in short, we concerted the manner of our travelling, and +everything proper for the journey.</p> +<p>I had bought a considerable quantity of sables, black +fox-skins, fine ermines, and such other furs as are very rich in +that city, in exchange for some of the goods I had brought from +China; in particular for the cloves and nutmegs, of which I sold +the greatest part here, and the rest afterwards at Archangel, for +a much better price than I could have got at London; and my +partner, who was sensible of the profit, and whose business, more +particularly than mine, was merchandise, was mightily pleased +with our stay, on account of the traffic we made here.</p> +<p>It was the beginning of June when I left this remote +place. We were now reduced to a very small caravan, having +only thirty-two horses and camels in all, which passed for mine, +though my new guest was proprietor of eleven of them. It +was natural also that I should take more servants with me than I +had before; and the young lord passed for my steward; what great +man I passed for myself I know not, neither did it concern me to +inquire. We had here the worst and the largest desert to +pass over that we met with in our whole journey; I call it the +worst, because the way was very deep in some places, and very +uneven in others; the best we had to say for it was, that we +thought we had no troops of Tartars or robbers to fear, as they +never came on this side of the river Oby, or at least very +seldom; but we found it otherwise.</p> +<p>My young lord had a faithful Siberian servant, who was +perfectly acquainted with the country, and led us by private +roads, so that we avoided coming into the principal towns and +cities upon the great road, such as Tumen, Soloy Kamaskoy, and +several others; because the Muscovite garrisons which are kept +there are very curious and strict in their observation upon +travellers, and searching lest any of the banished persons of +note should make their escape that way into Muscovy; but, by this +means, as we were kept out of the cities, so our whole journey +was a desert, and we were obliged to encamp and lie in our tents, +when we might have had very good accommodation in the cities on +the way; this the young lord was so sensible of, that he would +not allow us to lie abroad when we came to several cities on the +way, but lay abroad himself, with his servant, in the woods, and +met us always at the appointed places.</p> +<p>We had just entered Europe, having passed the river Kama, +which in these parts is the boundary between Europe and Asia, and +the first city on the European side was called Soloy Kamaskoy, +that is, the great city on the river Kama. And here we +thought to see some evident alteration in the people; but we were +mistaken, for as we had a vast desert to pass, which is near +seven hundred miles long in some places, but not above two +hundred miles over where we passed it, so, till we came past that +horrible place, we found very little difference between that +country and Mogul Tartary. The people are mostly pagans; +their houses and towns full of idols; and their way of living +wholly barbarous, except in the cities and villages near them, +where they are Christians, as they call themselves, of the Greek +Church: but have their religion mingled with so many relics of +superstition, that it is scarce to be known in some places from +mere sorcery and witchcraft.</p> +<p>In passing this forest (after all our dangers were, to our +imagination, escaped), I thought, indeed, we must have been +plundered and robbed, and perhaps murdered, by a troop of +thieves: of what country they were I am yet at a loss to know; +but they were all on horseback, carried bows and arrows, and were +at first about forty-five in number. They came so near to +us as to be within two musket-shot, and, asking no questions, +surrounded us with their horses, and looked very earnestly upon +us twice; at length, they placed themselves just in our way; upon +which we drew up in a little line, before our camels, being not +above sixteen men in all. Thus drawn up, we halted, and +sent out the Siberian servant, who attended his lord, to see who +they were; his master was the more willing to let him go, because +he was not a little apprehensive that they were a Siberian troop +sent out after him. The man came up near them with a flag +of truce, and called to them; but though he spoke several of +their languages, or dialects of languages rather, he could not +understand a word they said; however, after some signs to him not +to come near them at his peril, the fellow came back no wiser +than he went; only that by their dress, he said, he believed them +to be some Tartars of Kalmuck, or of the Circassian hordes, and +that there must be more of them upon the great desert, though he +never heard that any of them were seen so far north before.</p> +<p>This was small comfort to us; however, we had no remedy: there +was on our left hand, at about a quarter of a mile distance, a +little grove, and very near the road. I immediately +resolved we should advance to those trees, and fortify ourselves +as well as we could there; for, first, I considered that the +trees would in a great measure cover us from their arrows; and, +in the next place, they could not come to charge us in a body: it +was, indeed, my old Portuguese pilot who proposed it, and who had +this excellency attending him, that he was always readiest and +most apt to direct and encourage us in cases of the most +danger. We advanced immediately, with what speed we could, +and gained that little wood; the Tartars, or thieves, for we knew +not what to call them, keeping their stand, and not attempting to +hinder us. When we came thither, we found, to our great +satisfaction, that it was a swampy piece of ground, and on the +one side a very great spring of water, which, running out in a +little brook, was a little farther joined by another of the like +size; and was, in short, the source of a considerable river, +called afterwards the Wirtska; the trees which grew about this +spring were not above two hundred, but very large, and stood +pretty thick, so that as soon as we got in, we saw ourselves +perfectly safe from the enemy unless they attacked us on +foot.</p> +<p>While we stayed here waiting the motion of the enemy some +hours, without perceiving that they made any movement, our +Portuguese, with some help, cut several arms of trees half off, +and laid them hanging across from one tree to another, and in a +manner fenced us in. About two hours before night they came +down directly upon us; and though we had not perceived it, we +found they had been joined by some more, so that they were near +fourscore horse; whereof, however, we fancied some were +women. They came on till they were within half-shot of our +little wood, when we fired one musket without ball, and called to +them in the Russian tongue to know what they wanted, and bade +them keep off; but they came on with a double fury up to the +wood-side, not imagining we were so barricaded that they could +not easily break in. Our old pilot was our captain as well +as our engineer, and desired us not to fire upon them till they +came within pistol-shot, that we might be sure to kill, and that +when we did fire we should be sure to take good aim; we bade him +give the word of command, which he delayed so long that they were +some of them within two pikes’ length of us when we let +fly. We aimed so true that we killed fourteen of them, and +wounded several others, as also several of their horses; for we +had all of us loaded our pieces with two or three bullets apiece +at least.</p> +<p>They were terribly surprised with our fire, and retreated +immediately about one hundred rods from us; in which time we +loaded our pieces again, and seeing them keep that distance, we +sallied out, and caught four or five of their horses, whose +riders we supposed were killed; and coming up to the dead, we +judged they were Tartars, but knew not how they came to make an +excursion such an unusual length.</p> +<p>About an hour after they again made a motion to attack us, and +rode round our little wood to see where they might break in; but +finding us always ready to face them, they went off again; and we +resolved not to stir for that night.</p> +<p>We slept little, but spent the most part of the night in +strengthening our situation, and barricading the entrances into +the wood, and keeping a strict watch. We waited for +daylight, and when it came, it gave us a very unwelcome discovery +indeed; for the enemy, who we thought were discouraged with the +reception they met with, were now greatly increased, and had set +up eleven or twelve huts or tents, as if they were resolved to +besiege us; and this little camp they had pitched upon the open +plain, about three-quarters of a mile from us. I confess I +now gave myself over for lost, and all that I had; the loss of my +effects did not lie so near me, though very considerable, as the +thoughts of falling into the hands of such barbarians at the +latter end of my journey, after so many difficulties and hazards +as I had gone through, and even in sight of our port, where we +expected safety and deliverance. As to my partner, he was +raging, and declared that to lose his goods would be his ruin, +and that he would rather die than be starved, and he was for +fighting to the last drop.</p> +<p>The young lord, a most gallant youth, was for fighting to the +last also; and my old pilot was of opinion that we were able to +resist them all in the situation we were then in. Thus we +spent the day in debates of what we should do; but towards +evening we found that the number of our enemies still increased, +and we did not know but by the morning they might still be a +greater number: so I began to inquire of those people we had +brought from Tobolski if there were no private ways by which we +might avoid them in the night, and perhaps retreat to some town, +or get help to guard us over the desert. The young +lord’s Siberian servant told us, if we designed to avoid +them, and not fight, he would engage to carry us off in the +night, to a way that went north, towards the river Petruz, by +which he made no question but we might get away, and the Tartars +never discover it; but, he said, his lord had told him he would +not retreat, but would rather choose to fight. I told him +he mistook his lord: for that he was too wise a man to love +fighting for the sake of it; that I knew he was brave enough by +what he had showed already; but that he knew better than to +desire seventeen or eighteen men to fight five hundred, unless an +unavoidable necessity forced them to it; and that if he thought +it possible for us to escape in the night, we had nothing else to +do but to attempt it. He answered, if his lordship gave him +such orders, he would lose his life if he did not perform it; we +soon brought his lord to give that order, though privately, and +we immediately prepared for putting it in practice.</p> +<p>And first, as soon as it began to be dark, we kindled a fire +in our little camp, which we kept burning, and prepared so as to +make it burn all night, that the Tartars might conclude we were +still there; but as soon as it was dark, and we could see the +stars (for our guide would not stir before), having all our +horses and camels ready loaded, we followed our new guide, who I +soon found steered himself by the north star, the country being +level for a long way.</p> +<p>After we had travelled two hours very hard, it began to be +lighter still; not that it was dark all night, but the moon began +to rise, so that, in short, it was rather lighter than we wished +it to be; but by six o’clock the next morning we had got +above thirty miles, having almost spoiled our horses. Here +we found a Russian village, named Kermazinskoy, where we rested, +and heard nothing of the Kalmuck Tartars that day. About +two hours before night we set out again, and travelled till eight +the next morning, though not quite so hard as before; and about +seven o’clock we passed a little river, called Kirtza, and +came to a good large town inhabited by Russians, called Ozomys; +there we heard that several troops of Kalmucks had been abroad +upon the desert, but that we were now completely out of danger of +them, which was to our great satisfaction. Here we were +obliged to get some fresh horses, and having need enough of rest, +we stayed five days; and my partner and I agreed to give the +honest Siberian who conducted us thither the value of ten +pistoles.</p> +<p>In five days more we came to Veussima, upon the river +Witzogda, and running into the Dwina: we were there, very +happily, near the end of our travels by land, that river being +navigable, in seven days’ passage, to Archangel. From +hence we came to Lawremskoy, the 3rd of July; and providing +ourselves with two luggage boats, and a barge for our own +convenience, we embarked the 7th, and arrived all safe at +Archangel the 18th; having been a year, five months, and three +days on the journey, including our stay of about eight months at +Tobolski.</p> +<p>We were obliged to stay at this place six weeks for the +arrival of the ships, and must have tarried longer, had not a +Hamburgher come in above a month sooner than any of the English +ships; when, after some consideration that the city of Hamburgh +might happen to be as good a market for our goods as London, we +all took freight with him; and, having put our goods on board, it +was most natural for me to put my steward on board to take care +of them; by which means my young lord had a sufficient +opportunity to conceal himself, never coming on shore again all +the time we stayed there; and this he did that he might not be +seen in the city, where some of the Moscow merchants would +certainly have seen and discovered him.</p> +<p>We then set sail from Archangel the 20th of August, the same +year; and, after no extraordinary bad voyage, arrived safe in the +Elbe the 18th of September. Here my partner and I found a +very good sale for our goods, as well those of China as the +sables, &c., of Siberia: and, dividing the produce, my share +amounted to £3475, 17s 3d., including about six hundred +pounds’ worth of diamonds, which I purchased at Bengal.</p> +<p>Here the young lord took his leave of us, and went up the +Elbe, in order to go to the court of Vienna, where he resolved to +seek protection and could correspond with those of his +father’s friends who were left alive. He did not part +without testimonials of gratitude for the service I had done him, +and for my kindness to the prince, his father.</p> +<p>To conclude: having stayed near four months in Hamburgh, I +came from thence by land to the Hague, where I embarked in the +packet, and arrived in London the 10th of January 1705, having +been absent from England ten years and nine months. And +here, resolving to harass myself no more, I am preparing for a +longer journey than all these, having lived seventy-two years a +life of infinite variety, and learned sufficiently to know the +value of retirement, and the blessing of ending our days in +peace.</p> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FURTHER ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE***</p> +<pre> + + +***** This file should be named 561-h.htm or 561-h.zip****** + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/5/6/561 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe + + +Author: Daniel Defoe + + + +Release Date: January 18, 2007 [eBook #561] +Last updated: February 25, 2012 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FURTHER ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE*** + + + + +Transcribed from the 1919 Seeley, Sevice & Co edition by David Price, +email ccx074@pglaf.org + + + + + +THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE + + +CHAPTER I--REVISITS ISLAND + + +That homely proverb, used on so many occasions in England, viz. "That +what is bred in the bone will not go out of the flesh," was never more +verified than in the story of my Life. Any one would think that after +thirty-five years' affliction, and a variety of unhappy circumstances, +which few men, if any, ever went through before, and after near seven +years of peace and enjoyment in the fulness of all things; grown old, and +when, if ever, it might be allowed me to have had experience of every +state of middle life, and to know which was most adapted to make a man +completely happy; I say, after all this, any one would have thought that +the native propensity to rambling which I gave an account of in my first +setting out in the world to have been so predominant in my thoughts, +should be worn out, and I might, at sixty one years of age, have been a +little inclined to stay at home, and have done venturing life and fortune +any more. + +Nay, farther, the common motive of foreign adventures was taken away in +me, for I had no fortune to make; I had nothing to seek: if I had gained +ten thousand pounds I had been no richer; for I had already sufficient +for me, and for those I had to leave it to; and what I had was visibly +increasing; for, having no great family, I could not spend the income of +what I had unless I would set up for an expensive way of living, such as +a great family, servants, equipage, gaiety, and the like, which were +things I had no notion of, or inclination to; so that I had nothing, +indeed, to do but to sit still, and fully enjoy what I had got, and see +it increase daily upon my hands. Yet all these things had no effect upon +me, or at least not enough to resist the strong inclination I had to go +abroad again, which hung about me like a chronic distemper. In +particular, the desire of seeing my new plantation in the island, and the +colony I left there, ran in my head continually. I dreamed of it all +night, and my imagination ran upon it all day: it was uppermost in all my +thoughts, and my fancy worked so steadily and strongly upon it that I +talked of it in my sleep; in short, nothing could remove it out of my +mind: it even broke so violently into all my discourses that it made my +conversation tiresome, for I could talk of nothing else; all my discourse +ran into it, even to impertinence; and I saw it myself. + +I have often heard persons of good judgment say that all the stir that +people make in the world about ghosts and apparitions is owing to the +strength of imagination, and the powerful operation of fancy in their +minds; that there is no such thing as a spirit appearing, or a ghost +walking; that people's poring affectionately upon the past conversation +of their deceased friends so realises it to them that they are capable of +fancying, upon some extraordinary circumstances, that they see them, talk +to them, and are answered by them, when, in truth, there is nothing but +shadow and vapour in the thing, and they really know nothing of the +matter. + +For my part, I know not to this hour whether there are any such things as +real apparitions, spectres, or walking of people after they are dead; or +whether there is anything in the stories they tell us of that kind more +than the product of vapours, sick minds, and wandering fancies: but this +I know, that my imagination worked up to such a height, and brought me +into such excess of vapours, or what else I may call it, that I actually +supposed myself often upon the spot, at my old castle, behind the trees; +saw my old Spaniard, Friday's father, and the reprobate sailors I left +upon the island; nay, I fancied I talked with them, and looked at them +steadily, though I was broad awake, as at persons just before me; and +this I did till I often frightened myself with the images my fancy +represented to me. One time, in my sleep, I had the villainy of the +three pirate sailors so lively related to me by the first Spaniard, and +Friday's father, that it was surprising: they told me how they +barbarously attempted to murder all the Spaniards, and that they set fire +to the provisions they had laid up, on purpose to distress and starve +them; things that I had never heard of, and that, indeed, were never all +of them true in fact: but it was so warm in my imagination, and so +realised to me, that, to the hour I saw them, I could not be persuaded +but that it was or would be true; also how I resented it, when the +Spaniard complained to me; and how I brought them to justice, tried them, +and ordered them all three to be hanged. What there was really in this +shall be seen in its place; for however I came to form such things in my +dream, and what secret converse of spirits injected it, yet there was, I +say, much of it true. I own that this dream had nothing in it literally +and specifically true; but the general part was so true--the base; +villainous behaviour of these three hardened rogues was such, and had +been so much worse than all I can describe, that the dream had too much +similitude of the fact; and as I would afterwards have punished them +severely, so, if I had hanged them all, I had been much in the right, and +even should have been justified both by the laws of God and man. + +But to return to my story. In this kind of temper I lived some years; I +had no enjoyment of my life, no pleasant hours, no agreeable diversion +but what had something or other of this in it; so that my wife, who saw +my mind wholly bent upon it, told me very seriously one night that she +believed there was some secret, powerful impulse of Providence upon me, +which had determined me to go thither again; and that she found nothing +hindered me going but my being engaged to a wife and children. She told +me that it was true she could not think of parting with me: but as she +was assured that if she was dead it would be the first thing I would do, +so, as it seemed to her that the thing was determined above, she would +not be the only obstruction; for, if I thought fit and resolved to +go--[Here she found me very intent upon her words, and that I looked very +earnestly at her, so that it a little disordered her, and she stopped. I +asked her why she did not go on, and say out what she was going to say? +But I perceived that her heart was too full, and some tears stood in her +eyes.] "Speak out, my dear," said I; "are you willing I should +go?"--"No," says she, very affectionately, "I am far from willing; but if +you are resolved to go," says she, "rather than I would be the only +hindrance, I will go with you: for though I think it a most preposterous +thing for one of your years, and in your condition, yet, if it must be," +said she, again weeping, "I would not leave you; for if it be of Heaven +you must do it, there is no resisting it; and if Heaven make it your duty +to go, He will also make it mine to go with you, or otherwise dispose of +me, that I may not obstruct it." + +This affectionate behaviour of my wife's brought me a little out of the +vapours, and I began to consider what I was doing; I corrected my +wandering fancy, and began to argue with myself sedately what business I +had after threescore years, and after such a life of tedious sufferings +and disasters, and closed in so happy and easy a manner; I, say, what +business had I to rush into new hazards, and put myself upon adventures +fit only for youth and poverty to run into? + +With those thoughts I considered my new engagement; that I had a wife, +one child born, and my wife then great with child of another; that I had +all the world could give me, and had no need to seek hazard for gain; +that I was declining in years, and ought to think rather of leaving what +I had gained than of seeking to increase it; that as to what my wife had +said of its being an impulse from Heaven, and that it should be my duty +to go, I had no notion of that; so, after many of these cogitations, I +struggled with the power of my imagination, reasoned myself out of it, as +I believe people may always do in like cases if they will: in a word, I +conquered it, composed myself with such arguments as occurred to my +thoughts, and which my present condition furnished me plentifully with; +and particularly, as the most effectual method, I resolved to divert +myself with other things, and to engage in some business that might +effectually tie me up from any more excursions of this kind; for I found +that thing return upon me chiefly when I was idle, and had nothing to do, +nor anything of moment immediately before me. To this purpose, I bought +a little farm in the county of Bedford, and resolved to remove myself +thither. I had a little convenient house upon it, and the land about it, +I found, was capable of great improvement; and it was many ways suited to +my inclination, which delighted in cultivating, managing, planting, and +improving of land; and particularly, being an inland country, I was +removed from conversing among sailors and things relating to the remote +parts of the world. I went down to my farm, settled my family, bought +ploughs, harrows, a cart, waggon-horses, cows, and sheep, and, setting +seriously to work, became in one half-year a mere country gentleman. My +thoughts were entirely taken up in managing my servants, cultivating the +ground, enclosing, planting, &c.; and I lived, as I thought, the most +agreeable life that nature was capable of directing, or that a man always +bred to misfortunes was capable of retreating to. + +I farmed upon my own land; I had no rent to pay, was limited by no +articles; I could pull up or cut down as I pleased; what I planted was +for myself, and what I improved was for my family; and having thus left +off the thoughts of wandering, I had not the least discomfort in any part +of life as to this world. Now I thought, indeed, that I enjoyed the +middle state of life which my father so earnestly recommended to me, and +lived a kind of heavenly life, something like what is described by the +poet, upon the subject of a country life:-- + + "Free from vices, free from care, + Age has no pain, and youth no snare." + +But in the middle of all this felicity, one blow from unseen Providence +unhinged me at once; and not only made a breach upon me inevitable and +incurable, but drove me, by its consequences, into a deep relapse of the +wandering disposition, which, as I may say, being born in my very blood, +soon recovered its hold of me; and, like the returns of a violent +distemper, came on with an irresistible force upon me. This blow was the +loss of my wife. It is not my business here to write an elegy upon my +wife, give a character of her particular virtues, and make my court to +the sex by the flattery of a funeral sermon. She was, in a few words, +the stay of all my affairs; the centre of all my enterprises; the engine +that, by her prudence, reduced me to that happy compass I was in, from +the most extravagant and ruinous project that filled my head, and did +more to guide my rambling genius than a mother's tears, a father's +instructions, a friend's counsel, or all my own reasoning powers could +do. I was happy in listening to her, and in being moved by her +entreaties; and to the last degree desolate and dislocated in the world +by the loss of her. + +When she was gone, the world looked awkwardly round me. I was as much a +stranger in it, in my thoughts, as I was in the Brazils, when I first +went on shore there; and as much alone, except for the assistance of +servants, as I was in my island. I knew neither what to think nor what +to do. I saw the world busy around me: one part labouring for bread, +another part squandering in vile excesses or empty pleasures, but equally +miserable because the end they proposed still fled from them; for the men +of pleasure every day surfeited of their vice, and heaped up work for +sorrow and repentance; and the men of labour spent their strength in +daily struggling for bread to maintain the vital strength they laboured +with: so living in a daily circulation of sorrow, living but to work, and +working but to live, as if daily bread were the only end of wearisome +life, and a wearisome life the only occasion of daily bread. + +This put me in mind of the life I lived in my kingdom, the island; where +I suffered no more corn to grow, because I did not want it; and bred no +more goats, because I had no more use for them; where the money lay in +the drawer till it grew mouldy, and had scarce the favour to be looked +upon in twenty years. All these things, had I improved them as I ought +to have done, and as reason and religion had dictated to me, would have +taught me to search farther than human enjoyments for a full felicity; +and that there was something which certainly was the reason and end of +life superior to all these things, and which was either to be possessed, +or at least hoped for, on this side of the grave. + +But my sage counsellor was gone; I was like a ship without a pilot, that +could only run afore the wind. My thoughts ran all away again into the +old affair; my head was quite turned with the whimsies of foreign +adventures; and all the pleasant, innocent amusements of my farm, my +garden, my cattle, and my family, which before entirely possessed me, +were nothing to me, had no relish, and were like music to one that has no +ear, or food to one that has no taste. In a word, I resolved to leave +off housekeeping, let my farm, and return to London; and in a few months +after I did so. + +When I came to London, I was still as uneasy as I was before; I had no +relish for the place, no employment in it, nothing to do but to saunter +about like an idle person, of whom it may be said he is perfectly useless +in God's creation, and it is not one farthing's matter to the rest of his +kind whether he be dead or alive. This also was the thing which, of all +circumstances of life, was the most my aversion, who had been all my days +used to an active life; and I would often say to myself, "A state of +idleness is the very dregs of life;" and, indeed, I thought I was much +more suitably employed when I was twenty-six days making a deal board. + +It was now the beginning of the year 1693, when my nephew, whom, as I +have observed before, I had brought up to the sea, and had made him +commander of a ship, was come home from a short voyage to Bilbao, being +the first he had made. He came to me, and told me that some merchants of +his acquaintance had been proposing to him to go a voyage for them to the +East Indies, and to China, as private traders. "And now, uncle," says +he, "if you will go to sea with me, I will engage to land you upon your +old habitation in the island; for we are to touch at the Brazils." + +Nothing can be a greater demonstration of a future state, and of the +existence of an invisible world, than the concurrence of second causes +with the idea of things which we form in our minds, perfectly reserved, +and not communicated to any in the world. + +My nephew knew nothing how far my distemper of wandering was returned +upon me, and I knew nothing of what he had in his thought to say, when +that very morning, before he came to me, I had, in a great deal of +confusion of thought, and revolving every part of my circumstances in my +mind, come to this resolution, that I would go to Lisbon, and consult +with my old sea-captain; and if it was rational and practicable, I would +go and see the island again, and what was become of my people there. I +had pleased myself with the thoughts of peopling the place, and carrying +inhabitants from hence, getting a patent for the possession and I know +not what; when, in the middle of all this, in comes my nephew, as I have +said, with his project of carrying me thither in his way to the East +Indies. + +I paused a while at his words, and looking steadily at him, "What devil," +said I, "sent you on this unlucky errand?" My nephew stared as if he had +been frightened at first; but perceiving that I was not much displeased +at the proposal, he recovered himself. "I hope it may not be an unlucky +proposal, sir," says he. "I daresay you would be pleased to see your new +colony there, where you once reigned with more felicity than most of your +brother monarchs in the world." In a word, the scheme hit so exactly +with my temper, that is to say, the prepossession I was under, and of +which I have said so much, that I told him, in a few words, if he agreed +with the merchants, I would go with him; but I told him I would not +promise to go any further than my own island. "Why, sir," says he, "you +don't want to be left there again, I hope?" "But," said I, "can you not +take me up again on your return?" He told me it would not be possible to +do so; that the merchants would never allow him to come that way with a +laden ship of such value, it being a month's sail out of his way, and +might be three or four. "Besides, sir, if I should miscarry," said he, +"and not return at all, then you would be just reduced to the condition +you were in before." + +This was very rational; but we both found out a remedy for it, which was +to carry a framed sloop on board the ship, which, being taken in pieces, +might, by the help of some carpenters, whom we agreed to carry with us, +be set up again in the island, and finished fit to go to sea in a few +days. I was not long resolving, for indeed the importunities of my +nephew joined so effectually with my inclination that nothing could +oppose me; on the other hand, my wife being dead, none concerned +themselves so much for me as to persuade me one way or the other, except +my ancient good friend the widow, who earnestly struggled with me to +consider my years, my easy circumstances, and the needless hazards of a +long voyage; and above all, my young children. But it was all to no +purpose, I had an irresistible desire for the voyage; and I told her I +thought there was something so uncommon in the impressions I had upon my +mind, that it would be a kind of resisting Providence if I should attempt +to stay at home; after which she ceased her expostulations, and joined +with me, not only in making provision for my voyage, but also in settling +my family affairs for my absence, and providing for the education of my +children. In order to do this, I made my will, and settled the estate I +had in such a manner for my children, and placed in such hands, that I +was perfectly easy and satisfied they would have justice done them, +whatever might befall me; and for their education, I left it wholly to +the widow, with a sufficient maintenance to herself for her care: all +which she richly deserved; for no mother could have taken more care in +their education, or understood it better; and as she lived till I came +home, I also lived to thank her for it. + +My nephew was ready to sail about the beginning of January 1694-5; and I, +with my man Friday, went on board, in the Downs, the 8th; having, besides +that sloop which I mentioned above, a very considerable cargo of all +kinds of necessary things for my colony, which, if I did not find in good +condition, I resolved to leave so. + +First, I carried with me some servants whom I purposed to place there as +inhabitants, or at least to set on work there upon my account while I +stayed, and either to leave them there or carry them forward, as they +should appear willing; particularly, I carried two carpenters, a smith, +and a very handy, ingenious fellow, who was a cooper by trade, and was +also a general mechanic; for he was dexterous at making wheels and hand- +mills to grind corn, was a good turner and a good pot-maker; he also made +anything that was proper to make of earth or of wood: in a word, we +called him our Jack-of-all-trades. With these I carried a tailor, who +had offered himself to go a passenger to the East Indies with my nephew, +but afterwards consented to stay on our new plantation, and who proved a +most necessary handy fellow as could be desired in many other businesses +besides that of his trade; for, as I observed formerly, necessity arms us +for all employments. + +My cargo, as near as I can recollect, for I have not kept account of the +particulars, consisted of a sufficient quantity of linen, and some +English thin stuffs, for clothing the Spaniards that I expected to find +there; and enough of them, as by my calculation might comfortably supply +them for seven years; if I remember right, the materials I carried for +clothing them, with gloves, hats, shoes, stockings, and all such things +as they could want for wearing, amounted to about two hundred pounds, +including some beds, bedding, and household stuff, particularly kitchen +utensils, with pots, kettles, pewter, brass, &c.; and near a hundred +pounds more in ironwork, nails, tools of every kind, staples, hooks, +hinges, and every necessary thing I could think of. + +I carried also a hundred spare arms, muskets, and fusees; besides some +pistols, a considerable quantity of shot of all sizes, three or four tons +of lead, and two pieces of brass cannon; and, because I knew not what +time and what extremities I was providing for, I carried a hundred +barrels of powder, besides swords, cutlasses, and the iron part of some +pikes and halberds. In short, we had a large magazine of all sorts of +store; and I made my nephew carry two small quarter-deck guns more than +he wanted for his ship, to leave behind if there was occasion; so that +when we came there we might build a fort and man it against all sorts of +enemies. Indeed, I at first thought there would be need enough for all, +and much more, if we hoped to maintain our possession of the island, as +shall be seen in the course of that story. + +I had not such bad luck in this voyage as I had been used to meet with, +and therefore shall have the less occasion to interrupt the reader, who +perhaps may be impatient to hear how matters went with my colony; yet +some odd accidents, cross winds and bad weather happened on this first +setting out, which made the voyage longer than I expected it at first; +and I, who had never made but one voyage, my first voyage to Guinea, in +which I might be said to come back again, as the voyage was at first +designed, began to think the same ill fate attended me, and that I was +born to be never contented with being on shore, and yet to be always +unfortunate at sea. Contrary winds first put us to the northward, and we +were obliged to put in at Galway, in Ireland, where we lay wind-bound two- +and-twenty days; but we had this satisfaction with the disaster, that +provisions were here exceeding cheap, and in the utmost plenty; so that +while we lay here we never touched the ship's stores, but rather added to +them. Here, also, I took in several live hogs, and two cows with their +calves, which I resolved, if I had a good passage, to put on shore in my +island; but we found occasion to dispose otherwise of them. + +We set out on the 5th of February from Ireland, and had a very fair gale +of wind for some days. As I remember, it might be about the 20th of +February in the evening late, when the mate, having the watch, came into +the round-house and told us he saw a flash of fire, and heard a gun +fired; and while he was telling us of it, a boy came in and told us the +boatswain heard another. This made us all run out upon the quarter-deck, +where for a while we heard nothing; but in a few minutes we saw a very +great light, and found that there was some very terrible fire at a +distance; immediately we had recourse to our reckonings, in which we all +agreed that there could be no land that way in which the fire showed +itself, no, not for five hundred leagues, for it appeared at WNW. Upon +this, we concluded it must be some ship on fire at sea; and as, by our +hearing the noise of guns just before, we concluded that it could not be +far off, we stood directly towards it, and were presently satisfied we +should discover it, because the further we sailed, the greater the light +appeared; though, the weather being hazy, we could not perceive anything +but the light for a while. In about half-an-hour's sailing, the wind +being fair for us, though not much of it, and the weather clearing up a +little, we could plainly discern that it was a great ship on fire in the +middle of the sea. + +I was most sensibly touched with this disaster, though not at all +acquainted with the persons engaged in it; I presently recollected my +former circumstances, and what condition I was in when taken up by the +Portuguese captain; and how much more deplorable the circumstances of the +poor creatures belonging to that ship must be, if they had no other ship +in company with them. Upon this I immediately ordered that five guns +should be fired, one soon after another, that, if possible, we might give +notice to them that there was help for them at hand and that they might +endeavour to save themselves in their boat; for though we could see the +flames of the ship, yet they, it being night, could see nothing of us. + +We lay by some time upon this, only driving as the burning ship drove, +waiting for daylight; when, on a sudden, to our great terror, though we +had reason to expect it, the ship blew up in the air; and in a few +minutes all the fire was out, that is to say, the rest of the ship sunk. +This was a terrible, and indeed an afflicting sight, for the sake of the +poor men, who, I concluded, must be either all destroyed in the ship, or +be in the utmost distress in their boat, in the middle of the ocean; +which, at present, as it was dark, I could not see. However, to direct +them as well as I could, I caused lights to be hung out in all parts of +the ship where we could, and which we had lanterns for, and kept firing +guns all the night long, letting them know by this that there was a ship +not far off. + +About eight o'clock in the morning we discovered the ship's boats by the +help of our perspective glasses, and found there were two of them, both +thronged with people, and deep in the water. We perceived they rowed, +the wind being against them; that they saw our ship, and did their utmost +to make us see them. We immediately spread our ancient, to let them know +we saw them, and hung a waft out, as a signal for them to come on board, +and then made more sail, standing directly to them. In little more than +half-an-hour we came up with them; and took them all in, being no less +than sixty-four men, women, and children; for there were a great many +passengers. + +Upon inquiry we found it was a French merchant ship of three-hundred +tons, home-bound from Quebec. The master gave us a long account of the +distress of his ship; how the fire began in the steerage by the +negligence of the steersman, which, on his crying out for help, was, as +everybody thought, entirely put out; but they soon found that some sparks +of the first fire had got into some part of the ship so difficult to come +at that they could not effectually quench it; and afterwards getting in +between the timbers, and within the ceiling of the ship, it proceeded +into the hold, and mastered all the skill and all the application they +were able to exert. + +They had no more to do then but to get into their boats, which, to their +great comfort, were pretty large; being their long-boat, and a great +shallop, besides a small skiff, which was of no great service to them, +other than to get some fresh water and provisions into her, after they +had secured their lives from the fire. They had, indeed, small hopes of +their lives by getting into these boats at that distance from any land; +only, as they said, that they thus escaped from the fire, and there was a +possibility that some ship might happen to be at sea, and might take them +in. They had sails, oars, and a compass; and had as much provision and +water as, with sparing it so as to be next door to starving, might +support them about twelve days, in which, if they had no bad weather and +no contrary winds, the captain said he hoped he might get to the banks of +Newfoundland, and might perhaps take some fish, to sustain them till they +might go on shore. But there were so many chances against them in all +these cases, such as storms, to overset and founder them; rains and cold, +to benumb and perish their limbs; contrary winds, to keep them out and +starve them; that it must have been next to miraculous if they had +escaped. + +In the midst of their consternation, every one being hopeless and ready +to despair, the captain, with tears in his eyes, told me they were on a +sudden surprised with the joy of hearing a gun fire, and after that four +more: these were the five guns which I caused to be fired at first seeing +the light. This revived their hearts, and gave them the notice, which, +as above, I desired it should, that there was a ship at hand for their +help. It was upon the hearing of these guns that they took down their +masts and sails: the sound coming from the windward, they resolved to lie +by till morning. Some time after this, hearing no more guns, they fired +three muskets, one a considerable while after another; but these, the +wind being contrary, we never heard. Some time after that again they +were still more agreeably surprised with seeing our lights, and hearing +the guns, which, as I have said, I caused to be fired all the rest of the +night. This set them to work with their oars, to keep their boats ahead, +at least that we might the sooner come up with them; and at last, to +their inexpressible joy, they found we saw them. + +It is impossible for me to express the several gestures, the strange +ecstasies, the variety of postures which these poor delivered people ran +into, to express the joy of their souls at so unexpected a deliverance. +Grief and fear are easily described: sighs, tears, groans, and a very few +motions of the head and hands, make up the sum of its variety; but an +excess of joy, a surprise of joy, has a thousand extravagances in it. +There were some in tears; some raging and tearing themselves, as if they +had been in the greatest agonies of sorrow; some stark raving and +downright lunatic; some ran about the ship stamping with their feet, +others wringing their hands; some were dancing, some singing, some +laughing, more crying, many quite dumb, not able to speak a word; others +sick and vomiting; several swooning and ready to faint; and a few were +crossing themselves and giving God thanks. + +I would not wrong them either; there might be many that were thankful +afterwards; but the passion was too strong for them at first, and they +were not able to master it: then were thrown into ecstasies, and a kind +of frenzy, and it was but a very few that were composed and serious in +their joy. Perhaps also, the case may have some addition to it from the +particular circumstance of that nation they belonged to: I mean the +French, whose temper is allowed to be more volatile, more passionate, and +more sprightly, and their spirits more fluid than in other nations. I am +not philosopher enough to determine the cause; but nothing I had ever +seen before came up to it. The ecstasies poor Friday, my trusty savage, +was in when he found his father in the boat came the nearest to it; and +the surprise of the master and his two companions, whom I delivered from +the villains that set them on shore in the island, came a little way +towards it; but nothing was to compare to this, either that I saw in +Friday, or anywhere else in my life. + +It is further observable, that these extravagances did not show +themselves in that different manner I have mentioned, in different +persons only; but all the variety would appear, in a short succession of +moments, in one and the same person. A man that we saw this minute dumb, +and, as it were, stupid and confounded, would the next minute be dancing +and hallooing like an antic; and the next moment be tearing his hair, or +pulling his clothes to pieces, and stamping them under his feet like a +madman; in a few moments after that we would have him all in tears, then +sick, swooning, and, had not immediate help been had, he would in a few +moments have been dead. Thus it was, not with one or two, or ten or +twenty, but with the greatest part of them; and, if I remember right, our +surgeon was obliged to let blood of about thirty persons. + +There were two priests among them: one an old man, and the other a young +man; and that which was strangest was, the oldest man was the worst. As +soon as he set his foot on board our ship, and saw himself safe, he +dropped down stone dead to all appearance. Not the least sign of life +could be perceived in him; our surgeon immediately applied proper +remedies to recover him, and was the only man in the ship that believed +he was not dead. At length he opened a vein in his arm, having first +chafed and rubbed the part, so as to warm it as much as possible. Upon +this the blood, which only dropped at first, flowing freely, in three +minutes after the man opened his eyes; a quarter of an hour after that he +spoke, grew better, and after the blood was stopped, he walked about, +told us he was perfectly well, and took a dram of cordial which the +surgeon gave him. About a quarter of an hour after this they came +running into the cabin to the surgeon, who was bleeding a Frenchwoman +that had fainted, and told him the priest was gone stark mad. It seems +he had begun to revolve the change of his circumstances in his mind, and +again this put him into an ecstasy of joy. His spirits whirled about +faster than the vessels could convey them, the blood grew hot and +feverish, and the man was as fit for Bedlam as any creature that ever was +in it. The surgeon would not bleed him again in that condition, but gave +him something to doze and put him to sleep; which, after some time, +operated upon him, and he awoke next morning perfectly composed and well. +The younger priest behaved with great command of his passions, and was +really an example of a serious, well-governed mind. At his first coming +on board the ship he threw himself flat on his face, prostrating himself +in thankfulness for his deliverance, in which I unhappily and +unseasonably disturbed him, really thinking he had been in a swoon; but +he spoke calmly, thanked me, told me he was giving God thanks for his +deliverance, begged me to leave him a few moments, and that, next to his +Maker, he would give me thanks also. I was heartily sorry that I +disturbed him, and not only left him, but kept others from interrupting +him also. He continued in that posture about three minutes, or little +more, after I left him, then came to me, as he had said he would, and +with a great deal of seriousness and affection, but with tears in his +eyes, thanked me, that had, under God, given him and so many miserable +creatures their lives. I told him I had no need to tell him to thank God +for it, rather than me, for I had seen that he had done that already; but +I added that it was nothing but what reason and humanity dictated to all +men, and that we had as much reason as he to give thanks to God, who had +blessed us so far as to make us the instruments of His mercy to so many +of His creatures. After this the young priest applied himself to his +countrymen, and laboured to compose them: he persuaded, entreated, +argued, reasoned with them, and did his utmost to keep them within the +exercise of their reason; and with some he had success, though others +were for a time out of all government of themselves. + +I cannot help committing this to writing, as perhaps it may be useful to +those into whose hands it may fall, for guiding themselves in the +extravagances of their passions; for if an excess of joy can carry men +out to such a length beyond the reach of their reason, what will not the +extravagances of anger, rage, and a provoked mind carry us to? And, +indeed, here I saw reason for keeping an exceeding watch over our +passions of every kind, as well those of joy and satisfaction as those of +sorrow and anger. + +We were somewhat disordered by these extravagances among our new guests +for the first day; but after they had retired to lodgings provided for +them as well as our ship would allow, and had slept heartily--as most of +them did, being fatigued and frightened--they were quite another sort of +people the next day. Nothing of good manners, or civil acknowledgments +for the kindness shown them, was wanting; the French, it is known, are +naturally apt enough to exceed that way. The captain and one of the +priests came to me the next day, and desired to speak with me and my +nephew; the commander began to consult with us what should be done with +them; and first, they told us we had saved their lives, so all they had +was little enough for a return to us for that kindness received. The +captain said they had saved some money and some things of value in their +boats, caught hastily out of the flames, and if we would accept it they +were ordered to make an offer of it all to us; they only desired to be +set on shore somewhere in our way, where, if possible, they might get a +passage to France. My nephew wished to accept their money at first word, +and to consider what to do with them afterwards; but I overruled him in +that part, for I knew what it was to be set on shore in a strange +country; and if the Portuguese captain that took me up at sea had served +me so, and taken all I had for my deliverance, I must have been starved, +or have been as much a slave at the Brazils as I had been at Barbary, the +mere being sold to a Mahometan excepted; and perhaps a Portuguese is not +a much better master than a Turk, if not in some cases much worse. + +I therefore told the French captain that we had taken them up in their +distress, it was true, but that it was our duty to do so, as we were +fellow-creatures; and we would desire to be so delivered if we were in +the like or any other extremity; that we had done nothing for them but +what we believed they would have done for us if we had been in their case +and they in ours; but that we took them up to save them, not to plunder +them; and it would be a most barbarous thing to take that little from +them which they had saved out of the fire, and then set them on shore and +leave them; that this would be first to save them from death, and then +kill them ourselves: save them from drowning, and abandon them to +starving; and therefore I would not let the least thing be taken from +them. As to setting them on shore, I told them indeed that was an +exceeding difficulty to us, for that the ship was bound to the East +Indies; and though we were driven out of our course to the westward a +very great way, and perhaps were directed by Heaven on purpose for their +deliverance, yet it was impossible for us wilfully to change our voyage +on their particular account; nor could my nephew, the captain, answer it +to the freighters, with whom he was under charter to pursue his voyage by +way of Brazil; and all I knew we could do for them was to put ourselves +in the way of meeting with other ships homeward bound from the West +Indies, and get them a passage, if possible, to England or France. + +The first part of the proposal was so generous and kind they could not +but be very thankful for it; but they were in very great consternation, +especially the passengers, at the notion of being carried away to the +East Indies; they then entreated me that as I was driven so far to the +westward before I met with them, I would at least keep on the same course +to the banks of Newfoundland, where it was probable I might meet with +some ship or sloop that they might hire to carry them back to Canada. + +I thought this was but a reasonable request on their part, and therefore +I inclined to agree to it; for indeed I considered that to carry this +whole company to the East Indies would not only be an intolerable +severity upon the poor people, but would be ruining our whole voyage by +devouring all our provisions; so I thought it no breach of charter-party, +but what an unforeseen accident made absolutely necessary to us, and in +which no one could say we were to blame; for the laws of God and nature +would have forbid that we should refuse to take up two boats full of +people in such a distressed condition; and the nature of the thing, as +well respecting ourselves as the poor people, obliged us to set them on +shore somewhere or other for their deliverance. So I consented that we +would carry them to Newfoundland, if wind and weather would permit: and +if not, I would carry them to Martinico, in the West Indies. + +The wind continued fresh easterly, but the weather pretty good; and as +the winds had continued in the points between NE. and SE. a long time, we +missed several opportunities of sending them to France; for we met +several ships bound to Europe, whereof two were French, from St. +Christopher's, but they had been so long beating up against the wind that +they durst take in no passengers, for fear of wanting provisions for the +voyage, as well for themselves as for those they should take in; so we +were obliged to go on. It was about a week after this that we made the +banks of Newfoundland; where, to shorten my story, we put all our French +people on board a bark, which they hired at sea there, to put them on +shore, and afterwards to carry them to France, if they could get +provisions to victual themselves with. When I say all the French went on +shore, I should remember that the young priest I spoke of, hearing we +were bound to the East Indies, desired to go the voyage with us, and to +be set on shore on the coast of Coromandel; which I readily agreed to, +for I wonderfully liked the man, and had very good reason, as will appear +afterwards; also four of the seamen entered themselves on our ship, and +proved very useful fellows. + +From hence we directed our course for the West Indies, steering away S. +and S. by E. for about twenty days together, sometimes little or no wind +at all; when we met with another subject for our humanity to work upon, +almost as deplorable as that before. + + + + +CHAPTER II--INTERVENING HISTORY OF COLONY + + +It was in the latitude of 27 degrees 5 minutes N., on the 19th day of +March 1694-95, when we spied a sail, our course SE. and by S. We soon +perceived it was a large vessel, and that she bore up to us, but could +not at first know what to make of her, till, after coming a little +nearer, we found she had lost her main-topmast, fore-mast, and bowsprit; +and presently she fired a gun as a signal of distress. The weather was +pretty good, wind at NNW. a fresh gale, and we soon came to speak with +her. We found her a ship of Bristol, bound home from Barbadoes, but had +been blown out of the road at Barbadoes a few days before she was ready +to sail, by a terrible hurricane, while the captain and chief mate were +both gone on shore; so that, besides the terror of the storm, they were +in an indifferent case for good mariners to bring the ship home. They +had been already nine weeks at sea, and had met with another terrible +storm, after the hurricane was over, which had blown them quite out of +their knowledge to the westward, and in which they lost their masts. They +told us they expected to have seen the Bahama Islands, but were then +driven away again to the south-east, by a strong gale of wind at NNW., +the same that blew now: and having no sails to work the ship with but a +main course, and a kind of square sail upon a jury fore-mast, which they +had set up, they could not lie near the wind, but were endeavouring to +stand away for the Canaries. + +But that which was worst of all was, that they were almost starved for +want of provisions, besides the fatigues they had undergone; their bread +and flesh were quite gone--they had not one ounce left in the ship, and +had had none for eleven days. The only relief they had was, their water +was not all spent, and they had about half a barrel of flour left; they +had sugar enough; some succades, or sweetmeats, they had at first, but +these were all devoured; and they had seven casks of rum. There was a +youth and his mother and a maid-servant on board, who were passengers, +and thinking the ship was ready to sail, unhappily came on board the +evening before the hurricane began; and having no provisions of their own +left, they were in a more deplorable condition than the rest: for the +seamen being reduced to such an extreme necessity themselves, had no +compassion, we may be sure, for the poor passengers; and they were, +indeed, in such a condition that their misery is very hard to describe. + +I had perhaps not known this part, if my curiosity had not led me, the +weather being fair and the wind abated, to go on board the ship. The +second mate, who upon this occasion commanded the ship, had been on board +our ship, and he told me they had three passengers in the great cabin +that were in a deplorable condition. "Nay," says he, "I believe they are +dead, for I have heard nothing of them for above two days; and I was +afraid to inquire after them," said he, "for I had nothing to relieve +them with." We immediately applied ourselves to give them what relief we +could spare; and indeed I had so far overruled things with my nephew, +that I would have victualled them though we had gone away to Virginia, or +any other part of the coast of America, to have supplied ourselves; but +there was no necessity for that. + +But now they were in a new danger; for they were afraid of eating too +much, even of that little we gave them. The mate, or commander, brought +six men with him in his boat; but these poor wretches looked like +skeletons, and were so weak that they could hardly sit to their oars. The +mate himself was very ill, and half starved; for he declared he had +reserved nothing from the men, and went share and share alike with them +in every bit they ate. I cautioned him to eat sparingly, and set meat +before him immediately, but he had not eaten three mouthfuls before he +began to be sick and out of order; so he stopped a while, and our surgeon +mixed him up something with some broth, which he said would be to him +both food and physic; and after he had taken it he grew better. In the +meantime I forgot not the men. I ordered victuals to be given them, and +the poor creatures rather devoured than ate it: they were so exceedingly +hungry that they were in a manner ravenous, and had no command of +themselves; and two of them ate with so much greediness that they were in +danger of their lives the next morning. The sight of these people's +distress was very moving to me, and brought to mind what I had a terrible +prospect of at my first coming on shore in my island, where I had not the +least mouthful of food, or any prospect of procuring any; besides the +hourly apprehensions I had of being made the food of other creatures. But +all the while the mate was thus relating to me the miserable condition of +the ship's company, I could not put out of my thought the story he had +told me of the three poor creatures in the great cabin, viz. the mother, +her son, and the maid-servant, whom he had heard nothing of for two or +three days, and whom, he seemed to confess, they had wholly neglected, +their own extremities being so great; by which I understood that they had +really given them no food at all, and that therefore they must be +perished, and be all lying dead, perhaps, on the floor or deck of the +cabin. + +As I therefore kept the mate, whom we then called captain, on board with +his men, to refresh them, so I also forgot not the starving crew that +were left on board, but ordered my own boat to go on board the ship, and, +with my mate and twelve men, to carry them a sack of bread, and four or +five pieces of beef to boil. Our surgeon charged the men to cause the +meat to be boiled while they stayed, and to keep guard in the cook-room, +to prevent the men taking it to eat raw, or taking it out of the pot +before it was well boiled, and then to give every man but a very little +at a time: and by this caution he preserved the men, who would otherwise +have killed themselves with that very food that was given them on purpose +to save their lives. + +At the same time I ordered the mate to go into the great cabin, and see +what condition the poor passengers were in; and if they were alive, to +comfort them, and give them what refreshment was proper: and the surgeon +gave him a large pitcher, with some of the prepared broth which he had +given the mate that was on board, and which he did not question would +restore them gradually. I was not satisfied with this; but, as I said +above, having a great mind to see the scene of misery which I knew the +ship itself would present me with, in a more lively manner than I could +have it by report, I took the captain of the ship, as we now called him, +with me, and went myself, a little after, in their boat. + +I found the poor men on board almost in a tumult to get the victuals out +of the boiler before it was ready; but my mate observed his orders, and +kept a good guard at the cook-room door, and the man he placed there, +after using all possible persuasion to have patience, kept them off by +force; however, he caused some biscuit-cakes to be dipped in the pot, and +softened with the liquor of the meat, which they called brewis, and gave +them every one some to stay their stomachs, and told them it was for +their own safety that he was obliged to give them but little at a time. +But it was all in vain; and had I not come on board, and their own +commander and officers with me, and with good words, and some threats +also of giving them no more, I believe they would have broken into the +cook-room by force, and torn the meat out of the furnace--for words are +indeed of very small force to a hungry belly; however, we pacified them, +and fed them gradually and cautiously at first, and the next time gave +them more, and at last filled their bellies, and the men did well enough. + +But the misery of the poor passengers in the cabin was of another nature, +and far beyond the rest; for as, first, the ship's company had so little +for themselves, it was but too true that they had at first kept them very +low, and at last totally neglected them: so that for six or seven days it +might be said they had really no food at all, and for several days before +very little. The poor mother, who, as the men reported, was a woman of +sense and good breeding, had spared all she could so affectionately for +her son, that at last she entirely sank under it; and when the mate of +our ship went in, she sat upon the floor on deck, with her back up +against the sides, between two chairs, which were lashed fast, and her +head sunk between her shoulders like a corpse, though not quite dead. My +mate said all he could to revive and encourage her, and with a spoon put +some broth into her mouth. She opened her lips, and lifted up one hand, +but could not speak: yet she understood what he said, and made signs to +him, intimating, that it was too late for her, but pointed to her child, +as if she would have said they should take care of him. However, the +mate, who was exceedingly moved at the sight, endeavoured to get some of +the broth into her mouth, and, as he said, got two or three spoonfuls +down--though I question whether he could be sure of it or not; but it was +too late, and she died the same night. + +The youth, who was preserved at the price of his most affectionate +mother's life, was not so far gone; yet he lay in a cabin bed, as one +stretched out, with hardly any life left in him. He had a piece of an +old glove in his mouth, having eaten up the rest of it; however, being +young, and having more strength than his mother, the mate got something +down his throat, and he began sensibly to revive; though by giving him, +some time after, but two or three spoonfuls extraordinary, he was very +sick, and brought it up again. + +But the next care was the poor maid: she lay all along upon the deck, +hard by her mistress, and just like one that had fallen down in a fit of +apoplexy, and struggled for life. Her limbs were distorted; one of her +hands was clasped round the frame of the chair, and she gripped it so +hard that we could not easily make her let it go; her other arm lay over +her head, and her feet lay both together, set fast against the frame of +the cabin table: in short, she lay just like one in the agonies of death, +and yet she was alive too. The poor creature was not only starved with +hunger, and terrified with the thoughts of death, but, as the men told us +afterwards, was broken-hearted for her mistress, whom she saw dying for +two or three days before, and whom she loved most tenderly. We knew not +what to do with this poor girl; for when our surgeon, who was a man of +very great knowledge and experience, had, with great application, +recovered her as to life, he had her upon his hands still; for she was +little less than distracted for a considerable time after. + +Whoever shall read these memorandums must be desired to consider that +visits at sea are not like a journey into the country, where sometimes +people stay a week or a fortnight at a place. Our business was to +relieve this distressed ship's crew, but not lie by for them; and though +they were willing to steer the same course with us for some days, yet we +could carry no sail to keep pace with a ship that had no masts. However, +as their captain begged of us to help him to set up a main-topmast, and a +kind of a topmast to his jury fore-mast, we did, as it were, lie by him +for three or four days; and then, having given him five barrels of beef, +a barrel of pork, two hogsheads of biscuit, and a proportion of peas, +flour, and what other things we could spare; and taking three casks of +sugar, some rum, and some pieces of eight from them for satisfaction, we +left them, taking on board with us, at their own earnest request, the +youth and the maid, and all their goods. + +The young lad was about seventeen years of age, a pretty, well-bred, +modest, and sensible youth, greatly dejected with the loss of his mother, +and also at having lost his father but a few months before, at Barbadoes. +He begged of the surgeon to speak to me to take him out of the ship; for +he said the cruel fellows had murdered his mother: and indeed so they +had, that is to say, passively; for they might have spared a small +sustenance to the poor helpless widow, though it had been but just enough +to keep her alive; but hunger knows no friend, no relation, no justice, +no right, and therefore is remorseless, and capable of no compassion. + +The surgeon told him how far we were going, and that it would carry him +away from all his friends, and put him, perhaps, in as bad circumstances +almost as those we found him in, that is to say, starving in the world. +He said it mattered not whither he went, if he was but delivered from the +terrible crew that he was among; that the captain (by which he meant me, +for he could know nothing of my nephew) had saved his life, and he was +sure would not hurt him; and as for the maid, he was sure, if she came to +herself, she would be very thankful for it, let us carry them where we +would. The surgeon represented the case so affectionately to me that I +yielded, and we took them both on board, with all their goods, except +eleven hogsheads of sugar, which could not be removed or come at; and as +the youth had a bill of lading for them, I made his commander sign a +writing, obliging himself to go, as soon as he came to Bristol, to one +Mr. Rogers, a merchant there, to whom the youth said he was related, and +to deliver a letter which I wrote to him, and all the goods he had +belonging to the deceased widow; which, I suppose, was not done, for I +could never learn that the ship came to Bristol, but was, as is most +probable, lost at sea, being in so disabled a condition, and so far from +any land, that I am of opinion the first storm she met with afterwards +she might founder, for she was leaky, and had damage in her hold when we +met with her. + +I was now in the latitude of 19 degrees 32 minutes, and had hitherto a +tolerable voyage as to weather, though at first the winds had been +contrary. I shall trouble nobody with the little incidents of wind, +weather, currents, &c., on the rest of our voyage; but to shorten my +story, shall observe that I came to my old habitation, the island, on the +10th of April 1695. It was with no small difficulty that I found the +place; for as I came to it and went to it before on the south and east +side of the island, coming from the Brazils, so now, coming in between +the main and the island, and having no chart for the coast, nor any +landmark, I did not know it when I saw it, or, know whether I saw it or +not. We beat about a great while, and went on shore on several islands +in the mouth of the great river Orinoco, but none for my purpose; only +this I learned by my coasting the shore, that I was under one great +mistake before, viz. that the continent which I thought I saw from the +island I lived in was really no continent, but a long island, or rather a +ridge of islands, reaching from one to the other side of the extended +mouth of that great river; and that the savages who came to my island +were not properly those which we call Caribbees, but islanders, and other +barbarians of the same kind, who inhabited nearer to our side than the +rest. + +In short, I visited several of these islands to no purpose; some I found +were inhabited, and some were not; on one of them I found some Spaniards, +and thought they had lived there; but speaking with them, found they had +a sloop lying in a small creek hard by, and came thither to make salt, +and to catch some pearl-mussels if they could; but that they belonged to +the Isle de Trinidad, which lay farther north, in the latitude of 10 and +11 degrees. + +Thus coasting from one island to another, sometimes with the ship, +sometimes with the Frenchman's shallop, which we had found a convenient +boat, and therefore kept her with their very good will, at length I came +fair on the south side of my island, and presently knew the very +countenance of the place: so I brought the ship safe to an anchor, +broadside with the little creek where my old habitation was. As soon as +I saw the place I called for Friday, and asked him if he knew where he +was? He looked about a little, and presently clapping his hands, cried, +"Oh yes, Oh there, Oh yes, Oh there!" pointing to our old habitation, and +fell dancing and capering like a mad fellow; and I had much ado to keep +him from jumping into the sea to swim ashore to the place. + +"Well, Friday," says I, "do you think we shall find anybody here or no? +and do you think we shall see your father?" The fellow stood mute as a +stock a good while; but when I named his father, the poor affectionate +creature looked dejected, and I could see the tears run down his face +very plentifully. "What is the matter, Friday? are you troubled because +you may see your father?" "No, no," says he, shaking his head, "no see +him more: no, never more see him again." "Why so, Friday? how do you +know that?" "Oh no, Oh no," says Friday, "he long ago die, long ago; he +much old man." "Well, well, Friday, you don't know; but shall we see any +one else, then?" The fellow, it seems, had better eyes than I, and he +points to the hill just above my old house; and though we lay half a +league off, he cries out, "We see! we see! yes, we see much man there, +and there, and there." I looked, but I saw nobody, no, not with a +perspective glass, which was, I suppose, because I could not hit the +place: for the fellow was right, as I found upon inquiry the next day; +and there were five or six men all together, who stood to look at the +ship, not knowing what to think of us. + +As soon as Friday told me he saw people, I caused the English ancient to +be spread, and fired three guns, to give them notice we were friends; and +in about a quarter of an hour after we perceived a smoke arise from the +side of the creek; so I immediately ordered the boat out, taking Friday +with me, and hanging out a white flag, I went directly on shore, taking +with me the young friar I mentioned, to whom I had told the story of my +living there, and the manner of it, and every particular both of myself +and those I left there, and who was on that account extremely desirous to +go with me. We had, besides, about sixteen men well armed, if we had +found any new guests there which we did not know of; but we had no need +of weapons. + +As we went on shore upon the tide of flood, near high water, we rowed +directly into the creek; and the first man I fixed my eye upon was the +Spaniard whose life I had saved, and whom I knew by his face perfectly +well: as to his habit, I shall describe it afterwards. I ordered nobody +to go on shore at first but myself; but there was no keeping Friday in +the boat, for the affectionate creature had spied his father at a +distance, a good way off the Spaniards, where, indeed, I saw nothing of +him; and if they had not let him go ashore, he would have jumped into the +sea. He was no sooner on shore, but he flew away to his father like an +arrow out of a bow. It would have made any man shed tears, in spite of +the firmest resolution, to have seen the first transports of this poor +fellow's joy when he came to his father: how he embraced him, kissed him, +stroked his face, took him up in his arms, set him down upon a tree, and +lay down by him; then stood and looked at him, as any one would look at a +strange picture, for a quarter of an hour together; then lay down on the +ground, and stroked his legs, and kissed them, and then got up again and +stared at him; one would have thought the fellow bewitched. But it would +have made a dog laugh the next day to see how his passion ran out another +way: in the morning he walked along the shore with his father several +hours, always leading him by the hand, as if he had been a lady; and +every now and then he would come to the boat to fetch something or other +for him, either a lump of sugar, a dram, a biscuit, or something or other +that was good. In the afternoon his frolics ran another way; for then he +would set the old man down upon the ground, and dance about him, and make +a thousand antic gestures; and all the while he did this he would be +talking to him, and telling him one story or another of his travels, and +of what had happened to him abroad to divert him. In short, if the same +filial affection was to be found in Christians to their parents in our +part of the world, one would be tempted to say there would hardly have +been any need of the fifth commandment. + +But this is a digression: I return to my landing. It would be needless +to take notice of all the ceremonies and civilities that the Spaniards +received me with. The first Spaniard, whom, as I said, I knew very well, +was he whose life I had saved. He came towards the boat, attended by one +more, carrying a flag of truce also; and he not only did not know me at +first, but he had no thoughts, no notion of its being me that was come, +till I spoke to him. "Seignior," said I, in Portuguese, "do you not know +me?" At which he spoke not a word, but giving his musket to the man that +was with him, threw his arms abroad, saying something in Spanish that I +did not perfectly hear, came forward and embraced me, telling me he was +inexcusable not to know that face again that he had once seen, as of an +angel from heaven sent to save his life; he said abundance of very +handsome things, as a well-bred Spaniard always knows how, and then, +beckoning to the person that attended him, bade him go and call out his +comrades. He then asked me if I would walk to my old habitation, where +he would give me possession of my own house again, and where I should see +they had made but mean improvements. I walked along with him, but, alas! +I could no more find the place than if I had never been there; for they +had planted so many trees, and placed them in such a position, so thick +and close to one another, and in ten years' time they were grown so big, +that the place was inaccessible, except by such windings and blind ways +as they themselves only, who made them, could find. + +I asked them what put them upon all these fortifications; he told me I +would say there was need enough of it when they had given me an account +how they had passed their time since their arriving in the island, +especially after they had the misfortune to find that I was gone. He +told me he could not but have some pleasure in my good fortune, when he +heard that I was gone in a good ship, and to my satisfaction; and that he +had oftentimes a strong persuasion that one time or other he should see +me again, but nothing that ever befell him in his life, he said, was so +surprising and afflicting to him at first as the disappointment he was +under when he came back to the island and found I was not there. + +As to the three barbarians (so he called them) that were left behind, and +of whom, he said, he had a long story to tell me, the Spaniards all +thought themselves much better among the savages, only that their number +was so small: "And," says he, "had they been strong enough, we had been +all long ago in purgatory;" and with that he crossed himself on the +breast. "But, sir," says he, "I hope you will not be displeased when I +shall tell you how, forced by necessity, we were obliged for our own +preservation to disarm them, and make them our subjects, as they would +not be content with being moderately our masters, but would be our +murderers." I answered I was afraid of it when I left them there, and +nothing troubled me at my parting from the island but that they were not +come back, that I might have put them in possession of everything first, +and left the others in a state of subjection, as they deserved; but if +they had reduced them to it I was very glad, and should be very far from +finding any fault with it; for I knew they were a parcel of refractory, +ungoverned villains, and were fit for any manner of mischief. + +While I was saying this, the man came whom he had sent back, and with him +eleven more. In the dress they were in it was impossible to guess what +nation they were of; but he made all clear, both to them and to me. +First, he turned to me, and pointing to them, said, "These, sir, are some +of the gentlemen who owe their lives to you;" and then turning to them, +and pointing to me, he let them know who I was; upon which they all came +up, one by one, not as if they had been sailors, and ordinary fellows, +and the like, but really as if they had been ambassadors or noblemen, and +I a monarch or great conqueror: their behaviour was, to the last degree, +obliging and courteous, and yet mixed with a manly, majestic gravity, +which very well became them; and, in short, they had so much more manners +than I, that I scarce knew how to receive their civilities, much less how +to return them in kind. + +The history of their coming to, and conduct in, the island after my going +away is so very remarkable, and has so many incidents which the former +part of my relation will help to understand, and which will in most of +the particulars, refer to the account I have already given, that I cannot +but commit them, with great delight, to the reading of those that come +after me. + +In order to do this as intelligibly as I can, I must go back to the +circumstances in which I left the island, and the persons on it, of whom +I am to speak. And first, it is necessary to repeat that I had sent away +Friday's father and the Spaniard (the two whose lives I had rescued from +the savages) in a large canoe to the main, as I then thought it, to fetch +over the Spaniard's companions that he left behind him, in order to save +them from the like calamity that he had been in, and in order to succour +them for the present; and that, if possible, we might together find some +way for our deliverance afterwards. When I sent them away I had no +visible appearance of, or the least room to hope for, my own deliverance, +any more than I had twenty years before--much less had I any +foreknowledge of what afterwards happened, I mean, of an English ship +coming on shore there to fetch me off; and it could not be but a very +great surprise to them, when they came back, not only to find that I was +gone, but to find three strangers left on the spot, possessed of all that +I had left behind me, which would otherwise have been their own. + +The first thing, however, which I inquired into, that I might begin where +I left off, was of their own part; and I desired the Spaniard would give +me a particular account of his voyage back to his countrymen with the +boat, when I sent him to fetch them over. He told me there was little +variety in that part, for nothing remarkable happened to them on the way, +having had very calm weather and a smooth sea. As for his countrymen, it +could not be doubted, he said, but that they were overjoyed to see him +(it seems he was the principal man among them, the captain of the vessel +they had been shipwrecked in having been dead some time): they were, he +said, the more surprised to see him, because they knew that he was fallen +into the hands of the savages, who, they were satisfied, would devour him +as they did all the rest of their prisoners; that when he told them the +story of his deliverance, and in what manner he was furnished for +carrying them away, it was like a dream to them, and their astonishment, +he said, was somewhat like that of Joseph's brethren when he told them +who he was, and the story of his exaltation in Pharaoh's court; but when +he showed them the arms, the powder, the ball, the provisions that he +brought them for their journey or voyage, they were restored to +themselves, took a just share of the joy of their deliverance, and +immediately prepared to come away with him. + +Their first business was to get canoes; and in this they were obliged not +to stick so much upon the honesty of it, but to trespass upon their +friendly savages, and to borrow two large canoes, or periaguas, on +pretence of going out a-fishing, or for pleasure. In these they came +away the next morning. It seems they wanted no time to get themselves +ready; for they had neither clothes nor provisions, nor anything in the +world but what they had on them, and a few roots to eat, of which they +used to make their bread. They were in all three weeks absent; and in +that time, unluckily for them, I had the occasion offered for my escape, +as I mentioned in the other part, and to get off from the island, leaving +three of the most impudent, hardened, ungoverned, disagreeable villains +behind me that any man could desire to meet with--to the poor Spaniards' +great grief and disappointment. + +The only just thing the rogues did was, that when the Spaniards came +ashore, they gave my letter to them, and gave them provisions, and other +relief, as I had ordered them to do; also they gave them the long paper +of directions which I had left with them, containing the particular +methods which I took for managing every part of my life there; the way I +baked my bread, bred up tame goats, and planted my corn; how I cured my +grapes, made my pots, and, in a word, everything I did. All this being +written down, they gave to the Spaniards (two of them understood English +well enough): nor did they refuse to accommodate the Spaniards with +anything else, for they agreed very well for some time. They gave them +an equal admission into the house or cave, and they began to live very +sociably; and the head Spaniard, who had seen pretty much of my methods, +together with Friday's father, managed all their affairs; but as for the +Englishmen, they did nothing but ramble about the island, shoot parrots, +and catch tortoises; and when they came home at night, the Spaniards +provided their suppers for them. + +The Spaniards would have been satisfied with this had the others but let +them alone, which, however, they could not find in their hearts to do +long: but, like the dog in the manger, they would not eat themselves, +neither would they let the others eat. The differences, nevertheless, +were at first but trivial, and such as are not worth relating, but at +last it broke out into open war: and it began with all the rudeness and +insolence that can be imagined--without reason, without provocation, +contrary to nature, and indeed to common sense; and though, it is true, +the first relation of it came from the Spaniards themselves, whom I may +call the accusers, yet when I came to examine the fellows they could not +deny a word of it. + +But before I come to the particulars of this part, I must supply a defect +in my former relation; and this was, I forgot to set down among the rest, +that just as we were weighing the anchor to set sail, there happened a +little quarrel on board of our ship, which I was once afraid would have +turned to a second mutiny; nor was it appeased till the captain, rousing +up his courage, and taking us all to his assistance, parted them by +force, and making two of the most refractory fellows prisoners, he laid +them in irons: and as they had been active in the former disorders, and +let fall some ugly, dangerous words the second time, he threatened to +carry them in irons to England, and have them hanged there for mutiny and +running away with the ship. This, it seems, though the captain did not +intend to do it, frightened some other men in the ship; and some of them +had put it into the head of the rest that the captain only gave them good +words for the present, till they should come to same English port, and +that then they should be all put into gaol, and tried for their lives. +The mate got intelligence of this, and acquainted us with it, upon which +it was desired that I, who still passed for a great man among them, +should go down with the mate and satisfy the men, and tell them that they +might be assured, if they behaved well the rest of the voyage, all they +had done for the time past should be pardoned. So I went, and after +passing my honour's word to them they appeared easy, and the more so when +I caused the two men that were in irons to be released and forgiven. + +But this mutiny had brought us to an anchor for that night; the wind also +falling calm next morning, we found that our two men who had been laid in +irons had stolen each of them a musket and some other weapons (what +powder or shot they had we knew not), and had taken the ship's pinnace, +which was not yet hauled up, and run away with her to their companions in +roguery on shore. As soon as we found this, I ordered the long-boat on +shore, with twelve men and the mate, and away they went to seek the +rogues; but they could neither find them nor any of the rest, for they +all fled into the woods when they saw the boat coming on shore. The mate +was once resolved, in justice to their roguery, to have destroyed their +plantations, burned all their household stuff and furniture, and left +them to shift without it; but having no orders, he let it all alone, left +everything as he found it, and bringing the pinnace way, came on board +without them. These two men made their number five; but the other three +villains were so much more wicked than they, that after they had been two +or three days together they turned the two newcomers out of doors to +shift for themselves, and would have nothing to do with them; nor could +they for a good while be persuaded to give them any food: as for the +Spaniards, they were not yet come. + +When the Spaniards came first on shore, the business began to go forward: +the Spaniards would have persuaded the three English brutes to have taken +in their countrymen again, that, as they said, they might be all one +family; but they would not hear of it, so the two poor fellows lived by +themselves; and finding nothing but industry and application would make +them live comfortably, they pitched their tents on the north shore of the +island, but a little more to the west, to be out of danger of the +savages, who always landed on the east parts of the island. Here they +built them two huts, one to lodge in, and the other to lay up their +magazines and stores in; and the Spaniards having given them some corn +for seed, and some of the peas which I had left them, they dug, planted, +and enclosed, after the pattern I had set for them all, and began to live +pretty well. Their first crop of corn was on the ground; and though it +was but a little bit of land which they had dug up at first, having had +but a little time, yet it was enough to relieve them, and find them with +bread and other eatables; and one of the fellows being the cook's mate of +the ship, was very ready at making soup, puddings, and such other +preparations as the rice and the milk, and such little flesh as they got, +furnished him to do. + +They were going on in this little thriving position when the three +unnatural rogues, their own countrymen too, in mere humour, and to insult +them, came and bullied them, and told them the island was theirs: that +the governor, meaning me, had given them the possession of it, and nobody +else had any right to it; and that they should build no houses upon their +ground unless they would pay rent for them. The two men, thinking they +were jesting at first, asked them to come in and sit down, and see what +fine houses they were that they had built, and to tell them what rent +they demanded; and one of them merrily said if they were the +ground-landlords, he hoped if they built tenements upon their land, and +made improvements, they would, according to the custom of landlords, +grant a long lease: and desired they would get a scrivener to draw the +writings. One of the three, cursing and raging, told them they should +see they were not in jest; and going to a little place at a distance, +where the honest men had made a fire to dress their victuals, he takes a +firebrand, and claps it to the outside of their hut, and set it on fire: +indeed, it would have been all burned down in a few minutes if one of the +two had not run to the fellow, thrust him away, and trod the fire out +with his feet, and that not without some difficulty too. + +The fellow was in such a rage at the honest man's thrusting him away, +that he returned upon him, with a pole he had in his hand, and had not +the man avoided the blow very nimbly, and run into the hut, he had ended +his days at once. His comrade, seeing the danger they were both in, ran +after him, and immediately they came both out with their muskets, and the +man that was first struck at with the pole knocked the fellow down that +began the quarrel with the stock of his musket, and that before the other +two could come to help him; and then, seeing the rest come at them, they +stood together, and presenting the other ends of their pieces to them, +bade them stand off. + +The others had firearms with them too; but one of the two honest men, +bolder than his comrade, and made desperate by his danger, told them if +they offered to move hand or foot they were dead men, and boldly +commanded them to lay down their arms. They did not, indeed, lay down +their arms, but seeing him so resolute, it brought them to a parley, and +they consented to take their wounded man with them and be gone: and, +indeed, it seems the fellow was wounded sufficiently with the blow. +However, they were much in the wrong, since they had the advantage, that +they did not disarm them effectually, as they might have done, and have +gone immediately to the Spaniards, and given them an account how the +rogues had treated them; for the three villains studied nothing but +revenge, and every day gave them some intimation that they did so. + + + + +CHAPTER III--FIGHT WITH CANNIBALS + + +But not to crowd this part with an account of the lesser part of the +rogueries with which they plagued them continually, night and day, it +forced the two men to such a desperation that they resolved to fight them +all three, the first time they had a fair opportunity. In order to do +this they resolved to go to the castle (as they called my old dwelling), +where the three rogues and the Spaniards all lived together at that time, +intending to have a fair battle, and the Spaniards should stand by to see +fair play: so they got up in the morning before day, and came to the +place, and called the Englishmen by their names telling a Spaniard that +answered that they wanted to speak with them. + +It happened that the day before two of the Spaniards, having been in the +woods, had seen one of the two Englishmen, whom, for distinction, I +called the honest men, and he had made a sad complaint to the Spaniards +of the barbarous usage they had met with from their three countrymen, and +how they had ruined their plantation, and destroyed their corn, that they +had laboured so hard to bring forward, and killed the milch-goat and +their three kids, which was all they had provided for their sustenance, +and that if he and his friends, meaning the Spaniards, did not assist +them again, they should be starved. When the Spaniards came home at +night, and they were all at supper, one of them took the freedom to +reprove the three Englishmen, though in very gentle and mannerly terms, +and asked them how they could be so cruel, they being harmless, +inoffensive fellows: that they were putting themselves in a way to +subsist by their labour, and that it had cost them a great deal of pains +to bring things to such perfection as they were then in. + +One of the Englishmen returned very briskly, "What had they to do there? +that they came on shore without leave; and that they should not plant or +build upon the island; it was none of their ground." "Why," says the +Spaniard, very calmly, "Seignior Inglese, they must not starve." The +Englishman replied, like a rough tarpaulin, "They might starve; they +should not plant nor build in that place." "But what must they do then, +seignior?" said the Spaniard. Another of the brutes returned, "Do? they +should be servants, and work for them." "But how can you expect that of +them?" says the Spaniard; "they are not bought with your money; you have +no right to make them servants." The Englishman answered, "The island +was theirs; the governor had given it to them, and no man had anything to +do there but themselves;" and with that he swore that he would go and +burn all their new huts; they should build none upon their land. "Why, +seignior," says the Spaniard, "by the same rule, we must be your +servants, too." "Ay," returned the bold dog, "and so you shall, too, +before we have done with you;" mixing two or three oaths in the proper +intervals of his speech. The Spaniard only smiled at that, and made him +no answer. However, this little discourse had heated them; and starting +up, one says to the other. (I think it was he they called Will Atkins), +"Come, Jack, let's go and have t'other brush with them; we'll demolish +their castle, I'll warrant you; they shall plant no colony in our +dominions." + +Upon this they were all trooping away, with every man a gun, a pistol, +and a sword, and muttered some insolent things among themselves of what +they would do to the Spaniards, too, when opportunity offered; but the +Spaniards, it seems, did not so perfectly understand them as to know all +the particulars, only that in general they threatened them hard for +taking the two Englishmen's part. Whither they went, or how they +bestowed their time that evening, the Spaniards said they did not know; +but it seems they wandered about the country part of the night, and them +lying down in the place which I used to call my bower, they were weary +and overslept themselves. The case was this: they had resolved to stay +till midnight, and so take the two poor men when they were asleep, and as +they acknowledged afterwards, intended to set fire to their huts while +they were in them, and either burn them there or murder them as they came +out. As malice seldom sleeps very sound, it was very strange they should +not have been kept awake. However, as the two men had also a design upon +them, as I have said, though a much fairer one than that of burning and +murdering, it happened, and very luckily for them all, that they were up +and gone abroad before the bloody-minded rogues came to their huts. + +When they came there, and found the men gone, Atkins, who it seems was +the forwardest man, called out to his comrade, "Ha, Jack, here's the +nest, but the birds are flown." They mused a while, to think what should +be the occasion of their being gone abroad so soon, and suggested +presently that the Spaniards had given them notice of it; and with that +they shook hands, and swore to one another that they would be revenged of +the Spaniards. As soon as they had made this bloody bargain they fell to +work with the poor men's habitation; they did not set fire, indeed, to +anything, but they pulled down both their houses, and left not the least +stick standing, or scarce any sign on the ground where they stood; they +tore all their household stuff in pieces, and threw everything about in +such a manner, that the poor men afterwards found some of their things a +mile off. When they had done this, they pulled up all the young trees +which the poor men had planted; broke down an enclosure they had made to +secure their cattle and their corn; and, in a word, sacked and plundered +everything as completely as a horde of Tartars would have done. + +The two men were at this juncture gone to find them out, and had resolved +to fight them wherever they had been, though they were but two to three; +so that, had they met, there certainly would have been blood shed among +them, for they were all very stout, resolute fellows, to give them their +due. + +But Providence took more care to keep them asunder than they themselves +could do to meet; for, as if they had dogged one another, when the three +were gone thither, the two were here; and afterwards, when the two went +back to find them, the three were come to the old habitation again: we +shall see their different conduct presently. When the three came back +like furious creatures, flushed with the rage which the work they had +been about had put them into, they came up to the Spaniards, and told +them what they had done, by way of scoff and bravado; and one of them +stepping up to one of the Spaniards, as if they had been a couple of boys +at play, takes hold of his hat as it was upon his head, and giving it a +twirl about, fleering in his face, says to him, "And you, Seignior Jack +Spaniard, shall have the same sauce if you do not mend your manners." The +Spaniard, who, though a quiet civil man, was as brave a man as could be, +and withal a strong, well-made man, looked at him for a good while, and +then, having no weapon in his hand, stepped gravely up to him, and, with +one blow of his fist, knocked him down, as an ox is felled with a pole- +axe; at which one of the rogues, as insolent as the first, fired his +pistol at the Spaniard immediately; he missed his body, indeed, for the +bullets went through his hair, but one of them touched the tip of his +ear, and he bled pretty much. The blood made the Spaniard believe he was +more hurt than he really was, and that put him into some heat, for before +he acted all in a perfect calm; but now resolving to go through with his +work, he stooped, and taking the fellow's musket whom he had knocked +down, was just going to shoot the man who had fired at him, when the rest +of the Spaniards, being in the cave, came out, and calling to him not to +shoot, they stepped in, secured the other two, and took their arms from +them. + +When they were thus disarmed, and found they had made all the Spaniards +their enemies, as well as their own countrymen, they began to cool, and +giving the Spaniards better words, would have their arms again; but the +Spaniards, considering the feud that was between them and the other two +Englishmen, and that it would be the best method they could take to keep +them from killing one another, told them they would do them no harm, and +if they would live peaceably, they would be very willing to assist and +associate with them as they did before; but that they could not think of +giving them their arms again, while they appeared so resolved to do +mischief with them to their own countrymen, and had even threatened them +all to make them their servants. + +The rogues were now quite deaf to all reason, and being refused their +arms, they raved away like madmen, threatening what they would do, though +they had no firearms. But the Spaniards, despising their threatening, +told them they should take care how they offered any injury to their +plantation or cattle; for if they did they would shoot them as they would +ravenous beasts, wherever they found them; and if they fell into their +hands alive, they should certainly be hanged. However, this was far from +cooling them, but away they went, raging and swearing like furies. As +soon as they were gone, the two men came back, in passion and rage enough +also, though of another kind; for having been at their plantation, and +finding it all demolished and destroyed, as above mentioned, it will +easily be supposed they had provocation enough. They could scarce have +room to tell their tale, the Spaniards were so eager to tell them theirs: +and it was strange enough to find that three men should thus bully +nineteen, and receive no punishment at all. + +The Spaniards, indeed, despised them, and especially, having thus +disarmed them, made light of their threatenings; but the two Englishmen +resolved to have their remedy against them, what pains soever it cost to +find them out. But the Spaniards interposed here too, and told them that +as they had disarmed them, they could not consent that they (the two) +should pursue them with firearms, and perhaps kill them. "But," said the +grave Spaniard, who was their governor, "we will endeavour to make them +do you justice, if you will leave it to us: for there is no doubt but +they will come to us again, when their passion is over, being not able to +subsist without our assistance. We promise you to make no peace with +them without having full satisfaction for you; and upon this condition we +hope you will promise to use no violence with them, other than in your +own defence." The two Englishmen yielded to this very awkwardly, and +with great reluctance; but the Spaniards protested that they did it only +to keep them from bloodshed, and to make them all easy at last. "For," +said they, "we are not so many of us; here is room enough for us all, and +it is a great pity that we should not be all good friends." At length +they did consent, and waited for the issue of the thing, living for some +days with the Spaniards; for their own habitation was destroyed. + +In about five days' time the vagrants, tired with wandering, and almost +starved with hunger, having chiefly lived on turtles' eggs all that +while, came back to the grove; and finding my Spaniard, who, as I have +said, was the governor, and two more with him, walking by the side of the +creek, they came up in a very submissive, humble manner, and begged to be +received again into the society. The Spaniards used them civilly, but +told them they had acted so unnaturally to their countrymen, and so very +grossly to themselves, that they could not come to any conclusion without +consulting the two Englishmen and the rest; but, however, they would go +to them and discourse about it, and they should know in half-an-hour. It +may be guessed that they were very hard put to it; for, as they were to +wait this half-hour for an answer, they begged they would send them out +some bread in the meantime, which they did, sending at the same time a +large piece of goat's flesh and a boiled parrot, which they ate very +eagerly. + +After half-an-hour's consultation they were called in, and a long debate +ensued, their two countrymen charging them with the ruin of all their +labour, and a design to murder them; all which they owned before, and +therefore could not deny now. Upon the whole, the Spaniards acted the +moderators between them; and as they had obliged the two Englishmen not +to hurt the three while they were naked and unarmed, so they now obliged +the three to go and rebuild their fellows' two huts, one to be of the +same and the other of larger dimensions than they were before; to fence +their ground again, plant trees in the room of those pulled up, dig up +the land again for planting corn, and, in a word, to restore everything +to the same state as they found it, that is, as near as they could. + +Well, they submitted to all this; and as they had plenty of provisions +given them all the while, they grew very orderly, and the whole society +began to live pleasantly and agreeably together again; only that these +three fellows could never be persuaded to work--I mean for +themselves--except now and then a little, just as they pleased. However, +the Spaniards told them plainly that if they would but live sociably and +friendly together, and study the good of the whole plantation, they would +be content to work for them, and let them walk about and be as idle as +they pleased; and thus, having lived pretty well together for a month or +two, the Spaniards let them have arms again, and gave them liberty to go +abroad with them as before. + +It was not above a week after they had these arms, and went abroad, +before the ungrateful creatures began to be as insolent and troublesome +as ever. However, an accident happened presently upon this, which +endangered the safety of them all, and they were obliged to lay by all +private resentments, and look to the preservation of their lives. + +It happened one night that the governor, the Spaniard whose life I had +saved, who was now the governor of the rest, found himself very uneasy in +the night, and could by no means get any sleep: he was perfectly well in +body, only found his thoughts tumultuous; his mind ran upon men fighting +and killing one another; but he was broad awake, and could not by any +means get any sleep; in short, he lay a great while, but growing more and +more uneasy, he resolved to rise. As they lay, being so many of them, on +goat-skins laid thick upon such couches and pads as they made for +themselves, so they had little to do, when they were willing to rise, but +to get upon their feet, and perhaps put on a coat, such as it was, and +their pumps, and they were ready for going any way that their thoughts +guided them. Being thus got up, he looked out; but being dark, he could +see little or nothing, and besides, the trees which I had planted, and +which were now grown tall, intercepted his sight, so that he could only +look up, and see that it was a starlight night, and hearing no noise, he +returned and lay down again; but to no purpose; he could not compose +himself to anything like rest; but his thoughts were to the last degree +uneasy, and he knew not for what. Having made some noise with rising and +walking about, going out and coming in, another of them waked, and asked +who it was that was up. The governor told him how it had been with him. +"Say you so?" says the other Spaniard; "such things are not to be +slighted, I assure you; there is certainly some mischief working near +us;" and presently he asked him, "Where are the Englishmen?" "They are +all in their huts," says he, "safe enough." It seems the Spaniards had +kept possession of the main apartment, and had made a place for the three +Englishmen, who, since their last mutiny, were always quartered by +themselves, and could not come at the rest. "Well," says the Spaniard, +"there is something in it, I am persuaded, from my own experience. I am +satisfied that our spirits embodied have a converse with and receive +intelligence from the spirits unembodied, and inhabiting the invisible +world; and this friendly notice is given for our advantage, if we knew +how to make use of it. Come, let us go and look abroad; and if we find +nothing at all in it to justify the trouble, I'll tell you a story to the +purpose, that shall convince you of the justice of my proposing it." + +They went out presently to go up to the top of the hill, where I used to +go; but they being strong, and a good company, nor alone, as I was, used +none of my cautions to go up by the ladder, and pulling it up after them, +to go up a second stage to the top, but were going round through the +grove unwarily, when they were surprised with seeing a light as of fire, +a very little way from them, and hearing the voices of men, not of one or +two, but of a great number. + +Among the precautions I used to take on the savages landing on the +island, it was my constant care to prevent them making the least +discovery of there being any inhabitant upon the place: and when by any +occasion they came to know it, they felt it so effectually that they that +got away were scarce able to give any account of it; for we disappeared +as soon as possible, nor did ever any that had seen me escape to tell any +one else, except it was the three savages in our last encounter who +jumped into the boat; of whom, I mentioned, I was afraid they should go +home and bring more help. Whether it was the consequence of the escape +of those men that so great a number came now together, or whether they +came ignorantly, and by accident, on their usual bloody errand, the +Spaniards could not understand; but whatever it was, it was their +business either to have concealed themselves or not to have seen them at +all, much less to have let the savages have seen there were any +inhabitants in the place; or to have fallen upon them so effectually as +not a man of them should have escaped, which could only have been by +getting in between them and their boats; but this presence of mind was +wanting to them, which was the ruin of their tranquillity for a great +while. + +We need not doubt but that the governor and the man with him, surprised +with this sight, ran back immediately and raised their fellows, giving +them an account of the imminent danger they were all in, and they again +as readily took the alarm; but it was impossible to persuade them to stay +close within where they were, but they must all run out to see how things +stood. While it was dark, indeed, they were safe, and they had +opportunity enough for some hours to view the savages by the light of +three fires they had made at a distance from one another; what they were +doing they knew not, neither did they know what to do themselves. For, +first, the enemy were too many; and secondly, they did not keep together, +but were divided into several parties, and were on shore in several +places. + +The Spaniards were in no small consternation at this sight; and, as they +found that the fellows went straggling all over the shore, they made no +doubt but, first or last, some of them would chop in upon their +habitation, or upon some other place where they would see the token of +inhabitants; and they were in great perplexity also for fear of their +flock of goats, which, if they should be destroyed, would have been +little less than starving them. So the first thing they resolved upon +was to despatch three men away before it was light, two Spaniards and one +Englishman, to drive away all the goats to the great valley where the +cave was, and, if need were, to drive them into the very cave itself. +Could they have seen the savages all together in one body, and at a +distance from their canoes, they were resolved, if there had been a +hundred of them, to attack them; but that could not be done, for they +were some of them two miles off from the other, and, as it appeared +afterwards, were of two different nations. + +After having mused a great while on the course they should take, they +resolved at last, while it was still dark, to send the old savage, +Friday's father, out as a spy, to learn, if possible, something +concerning them, as what they came for, what they intended to do, and the +like. The old man readily undertook it; and stripping himself quite +naked, as most of the savages were, away he went. After he had been gone +an hour or two, he brings word that he had been among them undiscovered, +that he found they were two parties, and of two several nations, who had +war with one another, and had a great battle in their own country; and +that both sides having had several prisoners taken in the fight, they +were, by mere chance, landed all on the same island, for the devouring +their prisoners and making merry; but their coming so by chance to the +same place had spoiled all their mirth--that they were in a great rage at +one another, and were so near that he believed they would fight again as +soon as daylight began to appear; but he did not perceive that they had +any notion of anybody being on the island but themselves. He had hardly +made an end of telling his story, when they could perceive, by the +unusual noise they made, that the two little armies were engaged in a +bloody fight. Friday's father used all the arguments he could to +persuade our people to lie close, and not be seen; he told them their +safety consisted in it, and that they had nothing to do but lie still, +and the savages would kill one another to their hands, and then the rest +would go away; and it was so to a tittle. But it was impossible to +prevail, especially upon the Englishmen; their curiosity was so +importunate that they must run out and see the battle. However, they +used some caution too: they did not go openly, just by their own +dwelling, but went farther into the woods, and placed themselves to +advantage, where they might securely see them manage the fight, and, as +they thought, not be seen by them; but the savages did see them, as we +shall find hereafter. + +The battle was very fierce, and, if I might believe the Englishmen, one +of them said he could perceive that some of them were men of great +bravery, of invincible spirit, and of great policy in guiding the fight. +The battle, they said, held two hours before they could guess which party +would be beaten; but then that party which was nearest our people's +habitation began to appear weakest, and after some time more some of them +began to fly; and this put our men again into a great consternation, lest +any one of those that fled should run into the grove before their +dwelling for shelter, and thereby involuntarily discover the place; and +that, by consequence, the pursuers would also do the like in search of +them. Upon this, they resolved that they would stand armed within the +wall, and whoever came into the grove, they resolved to sally out over +the wall and kill them, so that, if possible, not one should return to +give an account of it; they ordered also that it should be done with +their swords, or by knocking them down with the stocks of their muskets, +but not by shooting them, for fear of raising an alarm by the noise. + +As they expected it fell out; three of the routed army fled for life, and +crossing the creek, ran directly into the place, not in the least knowing +whither they went, but running as into a thick wood for shelter. The +scout they kept to look abroad gave notice of this within, with this +comforting addition, that the conquerors had not pursued them, or seen +which way they were gone; upon this the Spanish governor, a man of +humanity, would not suffer them to kill the three fugitives, but sending +three men out by the top of the hill, ordered them to go round, come in +behind them, and surprise and take them prisoners, which was done. The +residue of the conquered people fled to their canoes, and got off to sea; +the victors retired, made no pursuit, or very little, but drawing +themselves into a body together, gave two great screaming shouts, most +likely by way of triumph, and so the fight ended; the same day, about +three o'clock in the afternoon, they also marched to their canoes. And +thus the Spaniards had the island again free to themselves, their fright +was over, and they saw no savages for several years after. + +After they were all gone, the Spaniards came out of their den, and +viewing the field of battle, they found about two-and-thirty men dead on +the spot; some were killed with long arrows, which were found sticking in +their bodies; but most of them were killed with great wooden swords, +sixteen or seventeen of which they found in the field of battle, and as +many bows, with a great many arrows. These swords were strange, unwieldy +things, and they must be very strong men that used them; most of those +that were killed with them had their heads smashed to pieces, as we may +say, or, as we call it in English, their brains knocked out, and several +their arms and legs broken; so that it is evident they fight with +inexpressible rage and fury. We found not one man that was not stone +dead; for either they stay by their enemy till they have killed him, or +they carry all the wounded men that are not quite dead away with them. + +This deliverance tamed our ill-disposed Englishmen for a great while; the +sight had filled them with horror, and the consequences appeared terrible +to the last degree, especially upon supposing that some time or other +they should fall into the hands of those creatures, who would not only +kill them as enemies, but for food, as we kill our cattle; and they +professed to me that the thoughts of being eaten up like beef and mutton, +though it was supposed it was not to be till they were dead, had +something in it so horrible that it nauseated their very stomachs, made +them sick when they thought of it, and filled their minds with such +unusual terror, that they were not themselves for some weeks after. This, +as I said, tamed even the three English brutes I have been speaking of; +and for a great while after they were tractable, and went about the +common business of the whole society well enough--planted, sowed, reaped, +and began to be all naturalised to the country. But some time after this +they fell into such simple measures again as brought them into a great +deal of trouble. + +They had taken three prisoners, as I observed; and these three being +stout young fellows, they made them servants, and taught them to work for +them, and as slaves they did well enough; but they did not take their +measures as I did by my man Friday, viz. to begin with them upon the +principle of having saved their lives, and then instruct them in the +rational principles of life; much less did they think of teaching them +religion, or attempt civilising and reducing them by kind usage and +affectionate arguments. As they gave them their food every day, so they +gave them their work too, and kept them fully employed in drudgery +enough; but they failed in this by it, that they never had them to assist +them and fight for them as I had my man Friday, who was as true to me as +the very flesh upon my bones. + +But to come to the family part. Being all now good friends--for common +danger, as I said above, had effectually reconciled them--they began to +consider their general circumstances; and the first thing that came under +consideration was whether, seeing the savages particularly haunted that +side of the island, and that there were more remote and retired parts of +it equally adapted to their way of living, and manifestly to their +advantage, they should not rather move their habitation, and plant in +some more proper place for their safety, and especially for the security +of their cattle and corn. + +Upon this, after long debate, it was concluded that they would not remove +their habitation; because that, some time or other, they thought they +might hear from their governor again, meaning me; and if I should send +any one to seek them, I should be sure to direct them to that side, +where, if they should find the place demolished, they would conclude the +savages had killed us all, and we were gone, and so our supply would go +too. But as to their corn and cattle, they agreed to remove them into +the valley where my cave was, where the land was as proper for both, and +where indeed there was land enough. However, upon second thoughts they +altered one part of their resolution too, and resolved only to remove +part of their cattle thither, and part of their corn there; so that if +one part was destroyed the other might be saved. And one part of +prudence they luckily used: they never trusted those three savages which +they had taken prisoners with knowing anything of the plantation they had +made in that valley, or of any cattle they had there, much less of the +cave at that place, which they kept, in case of necessity, as a safe +retreat; and thither they carried also the two barrels of powder which I +had sent them at my coming away. They resolved, however, not to change +their habitation; yet, as I had carefully covered it first with a wall or +fortification, and then with a grove of trees, and as they were now fully +convinced their safety consisted entirely in their being concealed, they +set to work to cover and conceal the place yet more effectually than +before. For this purpose, as I planted trees, or rather thrust in +stakes, which in time all grew up to be trees, for some good distance +before the entrance into my apartments, they went on in the same manner, +and filled up the rest of that whole space of ground from the trees I had +set quite down to the side of the creek, where I landed my floats, and +even into the very ooze where the tide flowed, not so much as leaving any +place to land, or any sign that there had been any landing thereabouts: +these stakes also being of a wood very forward to grow, they took care to +have them generally much larger and taller than those which I had +planted. As they grew apace, they planted them so very thick and close +together, that when they had been three or four years grown there was no +piercing with the eye any considerable way into the plantation. As for +that part which I had planted, the trees were grown as thick as a man's +thigh, and among them they had placed so many other short ones, and so +thick, that it stood like a palisado a quarter of a mile thick, and it +was next to impossible to penetrate it, for a little dog could hardly get +between the trees, they stood so close. + +But this was not all; for they did the same by all the ground to the +right hand and to the left, and round even to the side of the hill, +leaving no way, not so much as for themselves, to come out but by the +ladder placed up to the side of the hill, and then lifted up, and placed +again from the first stage up to the top: so that when the ladder was +taken down, nothing but what had wings or witchcraft to assist it could +come at them. This was excellently well contrived: nor was it less than +what they afterwards found occasion for, which served to convince me, +that as human prudence has the authority of Providence to justify it, so +it has doubtless the direction of Providence to set it to work; and if we +listened carefully to the voice of it, I am persuaded we might prevent +many of the disasters which our lives are now, by our own negligence, +subjected to. + +They lived two years after this in perfect retirement, and had no more +visits from the savages. They had, indeed, an alarm given them one +morning, which put them into a great consternation; for some of the +Spaniards being out early one morning on the west side or end of the +island (which was that end where I never went, for fear of being +discovered), they were surprised with seeing about twenty canoes of +Indians just coming on shore. They made the best of their way home in +hurry enough; and giving the alarm to their comrades, they kept close all +that day and the next, going out only at night to make their observation: +but they had the good luck to be undiscovered, for wherever the savages +went, they did not land that time on the island, but pursued some other +design. + + + + +CHAPTER IV--RENEWED INVASION OF SAVAGES + + +And now they had another broil with the three Englishmen; one of whom, a +most turbulent fellow, being in a rage at one of the three captive +slaves, because the fellow had not done something right which he bade him +do, and seemed a little untractable in his showing him, drew a hatchet +out of a frog-belt which he wore by his side, and fell upon the poor +savage, not to correct him, but to kill him. One of the Spaniards who +was by, seeing him give the fellow a barbarous cut with the hatchet, +which he aimed at his head, but stuck into his shoulder, so that he +thought he had cut the poor creature's arm off, ran to him, and +entreating him not to murder the poor man, placed himself between him and +the savage, to prevent the mischief. The fellow, being enraged the more +at this, struck at the Spaniard with his hatchet, and swore he would +serve him as he intended to serve the savage; which the Spaniard +perceiving, avoided the blow, and with a shovel, which he had in his hand +(for they were all working in the field about their corn land), knocked +the brute down. Another of the Englishmen, running up at the same time +to help his comrade, knocked the Spaniard down; and then two Spaniards +more came in to help their man, and a third Englishman fell in upon them. +They had none of them any firearms or any other weapons but hatchets and +other tools, except this third Englishman; he had one of my rusty +cutlasses, with which he made at the two last Spaniards, and wounded them +both. This fray set the whole family in an uproar, and more help coming +in they took the three Englishmen prisoners. The next question was, what +should be done with them? They had been so often mutinous, and were so +very furious, so desperate, and so idle withal, they knew not what course +to take with them, for they were mischievous to the highest degree, and +cared not what hurt they did to any man; so that, in short, it was not +safe to live with them. + +The Spaniard who was governor told them, in so many words, that if they +had been of his own country he would have hanged them; for all laws and +all governors were to preserve society, and those who were dangerous to +the society ought to be expelled out of it; but as they were Englishmen, +and that it was to the generous kindness of an Englishman that they all +owed their preservation and deliverance, he would use them with all +possible lenity, and would leave them to the judgment of the other two +Englishmen, who were their countrymen. One of the two honest Englishmen +stood up, and said they desired it might not be left to them. "For," +says he, "I am sure we ought to sentence them to the gallows;" and with +that he gives an account how Will Atkins, one of the three, had proposed +to have all the five Englishmen join together and murder all the +Spaniards when they were in their sleep. + +When the Spanish governor heard this, he calls to Will Atkins, "How, +Seignior Atkins, would you murder us all? What have you to say to that?" +The hardened villain was so far from denying it, that he said it was +true, and swore they would do it still before they had done with them. +"Well, but Seignior Atkins," says the Spaniard, "what have we done to you +that you will kill us? What would you get by killing us? And what must +we do to prevent you killing us? Must we kill you, or you kill us? Why +will you put us to the necessity of this, Seignior Atkins?" says the +Spaniard very calmly, and smiling. Seignior Atkins was in such a rage at +the Spaniard's making a jest of it, that, had he not been held by three +men, and withal had no weapon near him, it was thought he would have +attempted to kill the Spaniard in the middle of all the company. This +hare-brained carriage obliged them to consider seriously what was to be +done. The two Englishmen and the Spaniard who saved the poor savage were +of the opinion that they should hang one of the three for an example to +the rest, and that particularly it should be he that had twice attempted +to commit murder with his hatchet; indeed, there was some reason to +believe he had done it, for the poor savage was in such a miserable +condition with the wound he had received that it was thought he could not +live. But the governor Spaniard still said No; it was an Englishman that +had saved all their lives, and he would never consent to put an +Englishman to death, though he had murdered half of them; nay, he said if +he had been killed himself by an Englishman, and had time left to speak, +it should be that they should pardon him. + +This was so positively insisted on by the governor Spaniard, that there +was no gainsaying it; and as merciful counsels are most apt to prevail +where they are so earnestly pressed, so they all came into it. But then +it was to be considered what should be done to keep them from doing the +mischief they designed; for all agreed, governor and all, that means were +to be used for preserving the society from danger. After a long debate, +it was agreed that they should be disarmed, and not permitted to have +either gun, powder, shot, sword, or any weapon; that they should be +turned out of the society, and left to live where they would and how they +would, by themselves; but that none of the rest, either Spaniards or +English, should hold any kind of converse with them, or have anything to +do with them; that they should be forbid to come within a certain +distance of the place where the rest dwelt; and if they offered to commit +any disorder, so as to spoil, burn, kill, or destroy any of the corn, +plantings, buildings, fences, or cattle belonging to the society, they +should die without mercy, and they would shoot them wherever they could +find them. + +The humane governor, musing upon the sentence, considered a little upon +it; and turning to the two honest Englishmen, said, "Hold; you must +reflect that it will be long ere they can raise corn and cattle of their +own, and they must not starve; we must therefore allow them provisions." +So he caused to be added, that they should have a proportion of corn +given them to last them eight months, and for seed to sow, by which time +they might be supposed to raise some of their own; that they should have +six milch-goats, four he-goats, and six kids given them, as well for +present subsistence as for a store; and that they should have tools given +them for their work in the fields, but they should have none of these +tools or provisions unless they would swear solemnly that they would not +hurt or injure any of the Spaniards with them, or of their +fellow-Englishmen. + +Thus they dismissed them the society, and turned them out to shift for +themselves. They went away sullen and refractory, as neither content to +go away nor to stay: but, as there was no remedy, they went, pretending +to go and choose a place where they would settle themselves; and some +provisions were given them, but no weapons. About four or five days +after, they came again for some victuals, and gave the governor an +account where they had pitched their tents, and marked themselves out a +habitation and plantation; and it was a very convenient place indeed, on +the remotest part of the island, NE., much about the place where I +providentially landed in my first voyage, when I was driven out to sea in +my foolish attempt to sail round the island. + +Here they built themselves two handsome huts, and contrived them in a +manner like my first habitation, being close under the side of a hill, +having some trees already growing on three sides of it, so that by +planting others it would be very easily covered from the sight, unless +narrowly searched for. They desired some dried goat-skins for beds and +covering, which were given them; and upon giving their words that they +would not disturb the rest, or injure any of their plantations, they gave +them hatchets, and what other tools they could spare; some peas, barley, +and rice, for sowing; and, in a word, anything they wanted, except arms +and ammunition. + +They lived in this separate condition about six months, and had got in +their first harvest, though the quantity was but small, the parcel of +land they had planted being but little. Indeed, having all their +plantation to form, they had a great deal of work upon their hands; and +when they came to make boards and pots, and such things, they were quite +out of their element, and could make nothing of it; therefore when the +rainy season came on, for want of a cave in the earth, they could not +keep their grain dry, and it was in great danger of spoiling. This +humbled them much: so they came and begged the Spaniards to help them, +which they very readily did; and in four days worked a great hole in the +side of the hill for them, big enough to secure their corn and other +things from the rain: but it was a poor place at best compared to mine, +and especially as mine was then, for the Spaniards had greatly enlarged +it, and made several new apartments in it. + +About three quarters of a year after this separation, a new frolic took +these rogues, which, together with the former villainy they had +committed, brought mischief enough upon them, and had very near been the +ruin of the whole colony. The three new associates began, it seems, to +be weary of the laborious life they led, and that without hope of +bettering their circumstances: and a whim took them that they would make +a voyage to the continent, from whence the savages came, and would try if +they could seize upon some prisoners among the natives there, and bring +them home, so as to make them do the laborious part of the work for them. + +The project was not so preposterous, if they had gone no further. But +they did nothing, and proposed nothing, but had either mischief in the +design, or mischief in the event. And if I may give my opinion, they +seemed to be under a blast from Heaven: for if we will not allow a +visible curse to pursue visible crimes, how shall we reconcile the events +of things with the divine justice? It was certainly an apparent +vengeance on their crime of mutiny and piracy that brought them to the +state they were in; and they showed not the least remorse for the crime, +but added new villanies to it, such as the piece of monstrous cruelty of +wounding a poor slave because he did not, or perhaps could not, +understand to do what he was directed, and to wound him in such a manner +as made him a cripple all his life, and in a place where no surgeon or +medicine could be had for his cure; and, what was still worse, the +intentional murder, for such to be sure it was, as was afterwards the +formed design they all laid to murder the Spaniards in cold blood, and in +their sleep. + +The three fellows came down to the Spaniards one morning, and in very +humble terms desired to be admitted to speak with them. The Spaniards +very readily heard what they had to say, which was this: that they were +tired of living in the manner they did, and that they were not handy +enough to make the necessaries they wanted, and that having no help, they +found they should be starved; but if the Spaniards would give them leave +to take one of the canoes which they came over in, and give them arms and +ammunition proportioned to their defence, they would go over to the main, +and seek their fortunes, and so deliver them from the trouble of +supplying them with any other provisions. + +The Spaniards were glad enough to get rid of them, but very honestly +represented to them the certain destruction they were running into; told +them they had suffered such hardships upon that very spot, that they +could, without any spirit of prophecy, tell them they would be starved or +murdered, and bade them consider of it. The men replied audaciously, +they should be starved if they stayed here, for they could not work, and +would not work, and they could but be starved abroad; and if they were +murdered, there was an end of them; they had no wives or children to cry +after them; and, in short, insisted importunately upon their demand, +declaring they would go, whether they gave them any arms or not. + +The Spaniards told them, with great kindness, that if they were resolved +to go they should not go like naked men, and be in no condition to defend +themselves; and that though they could ill spare firearms, not having +enough for themselves, yet they would let them have two muskets, a +pistol, and a cutlass, and each man a hatchet, which they thought was +sufficient for them. In a word, they accepted the offer; and having +baked bread enough to serve them a month given them, and as much goats' +flesh as they could eat while it was sweet, with a great basket of dried +grapes, a pot of fresh water, and a young kid alive, they boldly set out +in the canoe for a voyage over the sea, where it was at least forty miles +broad. The boat, indeed, was a large one, and would very well have +carried fifteen or twenty men, and therefore was rather too big for them +to manage; but as they had a fair breeze and flood-tide with them, they +did well enough. They had made a mast of a long pole, and a sail of four +large goat-skins dried, which they had sewed or laced together; and away +they went merrily together. The Spaniards called after them "_Bon +voyajo_;" and no man ever thought of seeing them any more. + +The Spaniards were often saying to one another, and to the two honest +Englishmen who remained behind, how quietly and comfortably they lived, +now these three turbulent fellows were gone. As for their coming again, +that was the remotest thing from their thoughts that could be imagined; +when, behold, after two-and-twenty days' absence, one of the Englishmen +being abroad upon his planting work, sees three strange men coming +towards him at a distance, with guns upon their shoulders. + +Away runs the Englishman, frightened and amazed, as if he was bewitched, +to the governor Spaniard, and tells him they were all undone, for there +were strangers upon the island, but he could not tell who they were. The +Spaniard, pausing a while, says to him, "How do you mean--you cannot tell +who? They are the savages, to be sure." "No, no," says the Englishman, +"they are men in clothes, with arms." "Nay, then," says the Spaniard, +"why are you so concerned! If they are not savages they must be friends; +for there is no Christian nation upon earth but will do us good rather +than harm." While they were debating thus, came up the three Englishmen, +and standing without the wood, which was new planted, hallooed to them. +They presently knew their voices, and so all the wonder ceased. But now +the admiration was turned upon another question--What could be the +matter, and what made them come back again? + +It was not long before they brought the men in, and inquiring where they +had been, and what they had been doing, they gave them a full account of +their voyage in a few words: that they reached the land in less than two +days, but finding the people alarmed at their coming, and preparing with +bows and arrows to fight them, they durst not go on shore, but sailed on +to the northward six or seven hours, till they came to a great opening, +by which they perceived that the land they saw from our island was not +the main, but an island: that upon entering that opening of the sea they +saw another island on the right hand north, and several more west; and +being resolved to land somewhere, they put over to one of the islands +which lay west, and went boldly on shore; that they found the people very +courteous and friendly to them; and they gave them several roots and some +dried fish, and appeared very sociable; and that the women, as well as +the men, were very forward to supply them with anything they could get +for them to eat, and brought it to them a great way, on their heads. They +continued here for four days, and inquired as well as they could of them +by signs, what nations were this way, and that way, and were told of +several fierce and terrible people that lived almost every way, who, as +they made known by signs to them, used to eat men; but, as for +themselves, they said they never ate men or women, except only such as +they took in the wars; and then they owned they made a great feast, and +ate their prisoners. + +The Englishmen inquired when they had had a feast of that kind; and they +told them about two moons ago, pointing to the moon and to two fingers; +and that their great king had two hundred prisoners now, which he had +taken in his war, and they were feeding them to make them fat for the +next feast. The Englishmen seemed mighty desirous of seeing those +prisoners; but the others mistaking them, thought they were desirous to +have some of them to carry away for their own eating. So they beckoned +to them, pointing to the setting of the sun, and then to the rising; +which was to signify that the next morning at sunrising they would bring +some for them; and accordingly the next morning they brought down five +women and eleven men, and gave them to the Englishmen to carry with them +on their voyage, just as we would bring so many cows and oxen down to a +seaport town to victual a ship. + +As brutish and barbarous as these fellows were at home, their stomachs +turned at this sight, and they did not know what to do. To refuse the +prisoners would have been the highest affront to the savage gentry that +could be offered them, and what to do with them they knew not. However, +after some debate, they resolved to accept of them: and, in return, they +gave the savages that brought them one of their hatchets, an old key, a +knife, and six or seven of their bullets; which, though they did not +understand their use, they seemed particularly pleased with; and then +tying the poor creatures' hands behind them, they dragged the prisoners +into the boat for our men. + +The Englishmen were obliged to come away as soon as they had them, or +else they that gave them this noble present would certainly have expected +that they should have gone to work with them, have killed two or three of +them the next morning, and perhaps have invited the donors to dinner. But +having taken their leave, with all the respect and thanks that could well +pass between people, where on either side they understood not one word +they could say, they put off with their boat, and came back towards the +first island; where, when they arrived, they set eight of their prisoners +at liberty, there being too many of them for their occasion. In their +voyage they endeavoured to have some communication with their prisoners; +but it was impossible to make them understand anything. Nothing they +could say to them, or give them, or do for them, but was looked upon as +going to murder them. They first of all unbound them; but the poor +creatures screamed at that, especially the women, as if they had just +felt the knife at their throats; for they immediately concluded they were +unbound on purpose to be killed. If they gave them thing to eat, it was +the same thing; they then concluded it was for fear they should sink in +flesh, and so not be fat enough to kill. If they looked at one of them +more particularly, the party presently concluded it was to see whether he +or she was fattest, and fittest to kill first; nay, after they had +brought them quite over, and began to use them kindly, and treat them +well, still they expected every day to make a dinner or supper for their +new masters. + +When the three wanderers had give this unaccountable history or journal +of their voyage, the Spaniard asked them where their new family was; and +being told that they had brought them on shore, and put them into one of +their huts, and were come up to beg some victuals for them, they (the +Spaniards) and the other two Englishmen, that is to say, the whole +colony, resolved to go all down to the place and see them; and did so, +and Friday's father with them. When they came into the hut, there they +sat, all bound; for when they had brought them on shore they bound their +hands that they might not take the boat and make their escape; there, I +say, they sat, all of them stark naked. First, there were three comely +fellows, well shaped, with straight limbs, about thirty to thirty-five +years of age; and five women, whereof two might be from thirty to forty, +two more about four or five and twenty; and the fifth, a tall, comely +maiden, about seventeen. The women were well-favoured, agreeable +persons, both in shape and features, only tawny; and two of them, had +they been perfect white, would have passed for very handsome women, even +in London, having pleasant countenances, and of a very modest behaviour; +especially when they came afterwards to be clothed and dressed, though +that dress was very indifferent, it must be confessed. + +The sight, you may be sure, was something uncouth to our Spaniards, who +were, to give them a just character, men of the most calm, sedate +tempers, and perfect good humour, that ever I met with: and, in +particular, of the utmost modesty: I say, the sight was very uncouth, to +see three naked men and five naked women, all together bound, and in the +most miserable circumstances that human nature could be supposed to be, +viz. to be expecting every moment to be dragged out and have their brains +knocked out, and then to be eaten up like a calf that is killed for a +dainty. + +The first thing they did was to cause the old Indian, Friday's father, to +go in, and see first if he knew any of them, and then if he understood +any of their speech. As soon as the old man came in, he looked seriously +at them, but knew none of them; neither could any of them understand a +word he said, or a sign he could make, except one of the women. However, +this was enough to answer the end, which was to satisfy them that the men +into whose hands they were fallen were Christians; that they abhorred +eating men or women; and that they might be sure they would not be +killed. As soon as they were assured of this, they discovered such a +joy, and by such awkward gestures, several ways, as is hard to describe; +for it seems they were of several nations. The woman who was their +interpreter was bid, in the next place, to ask them if they were willing +to be servants, and to work for the men who had brought them away, to +save their lives; at which they all fell a-dancing; and presently one +fell to taking up this, and another that, anything that lay next, to +carry on their shoulders, to intimate they were willing to work. + +The governor, who found that the having women among them would presently +be attended with some inconvenience, and might occasion some strife, and +perhaps blood, asked the three men what they intended to do with these +women, and how they intended to use them, whether as servants or as +wives? One of the Englishmen answered, very boldly and readily, that +they would use them as both; to which the governor said: "I am not going +to restrain you from it--you are your own masters as to that; but this I +think is but just, for avoiding disorders and quarrels among you, and I +desire it of you for that reason only, viz. that you will all engage, +that if any of you take any of these women as a wife, he shall take but +one; and that having taken one, none else shall touch her; for though we +cannot marry any one of you, yet it is but reasonable that, while you +stay here, the woman any of you takes shall be maintained by the man that +takes her, and should be his wife--I mean," says he, "while he continues +here, and that none else shall have anything to do with her." All this +appeared so just, that every one agreed to it without any difficulty. + +Then the Englishmen asked the Spaniards if they designed to take any of +them? But every one of them answered "No." Some of them said they had +wives in Spain, and the others did not like women that were not +Christians; and all together declared that they would not touch one of +them, which was an instance of such virtue as I have not met with in all +my travels. On the other hand, the five Englishmen took them every one a +wife, that is to say, a temporary wife; and so they set up a new form of +living; for the Spaniards and Friday's father lived in my old habitation, +which they had enlarged exceedingly within. The three servants which +were taken in the last battle of the savages lived with them; and these +carried on the main part of the colony, supplied all the rest with food, +and assisted them in anything as they could, or as they found necessity +required. + +But the wonder of the story was, how five such refractory, ill-matched +fellows should agree about these women, and that some two of them should +not choose the same woman, especially seeing two or three of them were, +without comparison, more agreeable than the others; but they took a good +way enough to prevent quarrelling among themselves, for they set the five +women by themselves in one of their huts, and they went all into the +other hut, and drew lots among them who should choose first. + +Him that drew to choose first went away by himself to the hut where the +poor naked creatures were, and fetched out her he chose; and it was worth +observing, that he that chose first took her that was reckoned the +homeliest and oldest of the five, which made mirth enough amongst the +rest; and even the Spaniards laughed at it; but the fellow considered +better than any of them, that it was application and business they were +to expect assistance in, as much as in anything else; and she proved the +best wife of all the parcel. + +When the poor women saw themselves set in a row thus, and fetched out one +by one, the terrors of their condition returned upon them again, and they +firmly believed they were now going to be devoured. Accordingly, when +the English sailor came in and fetched out one of them, the rest set up a +most lamentable cry, and hung about her, and took their leave of her with +such agonies and affection as would have grieved the hardest heart in the +world: nor was it possible for the Englishmen to satisfy them that they +were not to be immediately murdered, till they fetched the old man, +Friday's father, who immediately let them know that the five men, who +were to fetch them out one by one, had chosen them for their wives. When +they had done, and the fright the women were in was a little over, the +men went to work, and the Spaniards came and helped them: and in a few +hours they had built them every one a new hut or tent for their lodging +apart; for those they had already were crowded with their tools, +household stuff, and provisions. The three wicked ones had pitched +farthest off, and the two honest ones nearer, but both on the north shore +of the island, so that they continued separated as before; and thus my +island was peopled in three places, and, as I might say, three towns were +begun to be built. + +And here it is very well worth observing that, as it often happens in the +world (what the wise ends in God's providence are, in such a disposition +of things, I cannot say), the two honest fellows had the two worst wives; +and the three reprobates, that were scarce worth hanging, that were fit +for nothing, and neither seemed born to do themselves good nor any one +else, had three clever, careful, and ingenious wives; not that the first +two were bad wives as to their temper or humour, for all the five were +most willing, quiet, passive, and subjected creatures, rather like slaves +than wives; but my meaning is, they were not alike capable, ingenious, or +industrious, or alike cleanly and neat. Another observation I must make, +to the honour of a diligent application on one hand, and to the disgrace +of a slothful, negligent, idle temper on the other, that when I came to +the place, and viewed the several improvements, plantings, and management +of the several little colonies, the two men had so far out-gone the +three, that there was no comparison. They had, indeed, both of them as +much ground laid out for corn as they wanted, and the reason was, +because, according to my rule, nature dictated that it was to no purpose +to sow more corn than they wanted; but the difference of the cultivation, +of the planting, of the fences, and indeed, of everything else, was easy +to be seen at first view. + +The two men had innumerable young trees planted about their huts, so +that, when you came to the place, nothing was to be seen but a wood; and +though they had twice had their plantation demolished, once by their own +countrymen, and once by the enemy, as shall be shown in its place, yet +they had restored all again, and everything was thriving and flourishing +about them; they had grapes planted in order, and managed like a +vineyard, though they had themselves never seen anything of that kind; +and by their good ordering their vines, their grapes were as good again +as any of the others. They had also found themselves out a retreat in +the thickest part of the woods, where, though there was not a natural +cave, as I had found, yet they made one with incessant labour of their +hands, and where, when the mischief which followed happened, they secured +their wives and children so as they could never be found; they having, by +sticking innumerable stakes and poles of the wood which, as I said, grew +so readily, made the grove impassable, except in some places, when they +climbed up to get over the outside part, and then went on by ways of +their own leaving. + +As to the three reprobates, as I justly call them, though they were much +civilised by their settlement compared to what they were before, and were +not so quarrelsome, having not the same opportunity; yet one of the +certain companions of a profligate mind never left them, and that was +their idleness. It is true, they planted corn and made fences; but +Solomon's words were never better verified than in them, "I went by the +vineyard of the slothful, and it was all overgrown with thorns": for when +the Spaniards came to view their crop they could not see it in some +places for weeds, the hedge had several gaps in it, where the wild goats +had got in and eaten up the corn; perhaps here and there a dead bush was +crammed in, to stop them out for the present, but it was only shutting +the stable-door after the steed was stolen. Whereas, when they looked on +the colony of the other two, there was the very face of industry and +success upon all they did; there was not a weed to be seen in all their +corn, or a gap in any of their hedges; and they, on the other hand, +verified Solomon's words in another place, "that the diligent hand maketh +rich"; for everything grew and thrived, and they had plenty within and +without; they had more tame cattle than the others, more utensils and +necessaries within doors, and yet more pleasure and diversion too. + +It is true, the wives of the three were very handy and cleanly within +doors; and having learned the English ways of dressing, and cooking from +one of the other Englishmen, who, as I said, was a cook's mate on board +the ship, they dressed their husbands' victuals very nicely and well; +whereas the others could not be brought to understand it; but then the +husband, who, as I say, had been cook's mate, did it himself. But as for +the husbands of the three wives, they loitered about, fetched turtles' +eggs, and caught fish and birds: in a word, anything but labour; and they +fared accordingly. The diligent lived well and comfortably, and the +slothful hard and beggarly; and so, I believe, generally speaking, it is +all over the world. + +But I now come to a scene different from all that had happened before, +either to them or to me; and the origin of the story was this: Early one +morning there came on shore five or six canoes of Indians or savages, +call them which you please, and there is no room to doubt they came upon +the old errand of feeding upon their slaves; but that part was now so +familiar to the Spaniards, and to our men too, that they did not concern +themselves about it, as I did: but having been made sensible, by their +experience, that their only business was to lie concealed, and that if +they were not seen by any of the savages they would go off again quietly, +when their business was done, having as yet not the least notion of there +being any inhabitants in the island; I say, having been made sensible of +this, they had nothing to do but to give notice to all the three +plantations to keep within doors, and not show themselves, only placing a +scout in a proper place, to give notice when the boats went to sea again. + +This was, without doubt, very right; but a disaster spoiled all these +measures, and made it known among the savages that there were inhabitants +there; which was, in the end, the desolation of almost the whole colony. +After the canoes with the savages were gone off, the Spaniards peeped +abroad again; and some of them had the curiosity to go to the place where +they had been, to see what they had been doing. Here, to their great +surprise, they found three savages left behind, and lying fast asleep +upon the ground. It was supposed they had either been so gorged with +their inhuman feast, that, like beasts, they were fallen asleep, and +would not stir when the others went, or they had wandered into the woods, +and did not come back in time to be taken in. + +The Spaniards were greatly surprised at this sight and perfectly at a +loss what to do. The Spaniard governor, as it happened, was with them, +and his advice was asked, but he professed he knew not what to do. As +for slaves, they had enough already; and as to killing them, there were +none of them inclined to do that: the Spaniard governor told me they +could not think of shedding innocent blood; for as to them, the poor +creatures had done them no wrong, invaded none of their property, and +they thought they had no just quarrel against them, to take away their +lives. And here I must, in justice to these Spaniards, observe that, let +the accounts of Spanish cruelty in Mexico and Peru be what they will, I +never met with seventeen men of any nation whatsoever, in any foreign +country, who were so universally modest, temperate, virtuous, so very +good-humoured, and so courteous, as these Spaniards: and as to cruelty, +they had nothing of it in their very nature; no inhumanity, no barbarity, +no outrageous passions; and yet all of them men of great courage and +spirit. Their temper and calmness had appeared in their bearing the +insufferable usage of the three Englishmen; and their justice and +humanity appeared now in the case of the savages above. After some +consultation they resolved upon this; that they would lie still a while +longer, till, if possible, these three men might be gone. But then the +governor recollected that the three savages had no boat; and if they were +left to rove about the island, they would certainly discover that there +were inhabitants in it; and so they should be undone that way. Upon +this, they went back again, and there lay the fellows fast asleep still, +and so they resolved to awaken them, and take them prisoners; and they +did so. The poor fellows were strangely frightened when they were seized +upon and bound; and afraid, like the women, that they should be murdered +and eaten: for it seems those people think all the world does as they do, +in eating men's flesh; but they were soon made easy as to that, and away +they carried them. + +It was very happy for them that they did not carry them home to the +castle, I mean to my palace under the hill; but they carried them first +to the bower, where was the chief of their country work, such as the +keeping the goats, the planting the corn, &c.; and afterward they carried +them to the habitation of the two Englishmen. Here they were set to +work, though it was not much they had for them to do; and whether it was +by negligence in guarding them, or that they thought the fellows could +not mend themselves, I know not, but one of them ran away, and, taking to +the woods, they could never hear of him any more. They had good reason +to believe he got home again soon after in some other boats or canoes of +savages who came on shore three or four weeks afterwards, and who, +carrying on their revels as usual, went off in two days' time. This +thought terrified them exceedingly; for they concluded, and that not +without good cause indeed, that if this fellow came home safe among his +comrades, he would certainly give them an account that there were people +in the island, and also how few and weak they were; for this savage, as +observed before, had never been told, and it was very happy he had not, +how many there were or where they lived; nor had he ever seen or heard +the fire of any of their guns, much less had they shown him any of their +other retired places; such as the cave in the valley, or the new retreat +which the two Englishmen had made, and the like. + +The first testimony they had that this fellow had given intelligence of +them was, that about two months after this six canoes of savages, with +about seven, eight, or ten men in a canoe, came rowing along the north +side of the island, where they never used to come before, and landed, +about an hour after sunrise, at a convenient place, about a mile from the +habitation of the two Englishmen, where this escaped man had been kept. +As the chief Spaniard said, had they been all there the damage would not +have been so much, for not a man of them would have escaped; but the case +differed now very much, for two men to fifty was too much odds. The two +men had the happiness to discover them about a league off, so that it was +above an hour before they landed; and as they landed a mile from their +huts, it was some time before they could come at them. Now, having great +reason to believe that they were betrayed, the first thing they did was +to bind the two slaves which were left, and cause two of the three men +whom they brought with the women (who, it seems, proved very faithful to +them) to lead them, with their two wives, and whatever they could carry +away with them, to their retired places in the woods, which I have spoken +of above, and there to bind the two fellows hand and foot, till they +heard farther. In the next place, seeing the savages were all come on +shore, and that they had bent their course directly that way, they opened +the fences where the milch cows were kept, and drove them all out; +leaving their goats to straggle in the woods, whither they pleased, that +the savages might think they were all bred wild; but the rogue who came +with them was too cunning for that, and gave them an account of it all, +for they went directly to the place. + +When the two poor frightened men had secured their wives and goods, they +sent the other slave they had of the three who came with the women, and +who was at their place by accident, away to the Spaniards with all speed, +to give them the alarm, and desire speedy help, and, in the meantime, +they took their arms and what ammunition they had, and retreated towards +the place in the wood where their wives were sent; keeping at a distance, +yet so that they might see, if possible, which way the savages took. They +had not gone far but that from a rising ground they could see the little +army of their enemies come on directly to their habitation, and, in a +moment more, could see all their huts and household stuff flaming up +together, to their great grief and mortification; for this was a great +loss to them, irretrievable, indeed, for some time. They kept their +station for a while, till they found the savages, like wild beasts, +spread themselves all over the place, rummaging every way, and every +place they could think of, in search of prey; and in particular for the +people, of whom now it plainly appeared they had intelligence. + +The two Englishmen seeing this, thinking themselves not secure where they +stood, because it was likely some of the wild people might come that way, +and they might come too many together, thought it proper to make another +retreat about half a mile farther; believing, as it afterwards happened, +that the further they strolled, the fewer would be together. Their next +halt was at the entrance into a very thick-grown part of the woods, and +where an old trunk of a tree stood, which was hollow and very large; and +in this tree they both took their standing, resolving to see there what +might offer. They had not stood there long before two of the savages +appeared running directly that way, as if they had already had notice +where they stood, and were coming up to attack them; and a little way +farther they espied three more coming after them, and five more beyond +them, all coming the same way; besides which, they saw seven or eight +more at a distance, running another way; for in a word, they ran every +way, like sportsmen beating for their game. + +The poor men were now in great perplexity whether they should stand and +keep their posture or fly; but after a very short debate with themselves, +they considered that if the savages ranged the country thus before help +came, they might perhaps find their retreat in the woods, and then all +would be lost; so they resolved to stand them there, and if they were too +many to deal with, then they would get up to the top of the tree, from +whence they doubted not to defend themselves, fire excepted, as long as +their ammunition lasted, though all the savages that were landed, which +was near fifty, were to attack them. + +Having resolved upon this, they next considered whether they should fire +at the first two, or wait for the three, and so take the middle party, by +which the two and the five that followed would be separated; at length +they resolved to let the first two pass by, unless they should spy them +the tree, and come to attack them. The first two savages confirmed them +also in this resolution, by turning a little from them towards another +part of the wood; but the three, and the five after them, came forward +directly to the tree, as if they had known the Englishmen were there. +Seeing them come so straight towards them, they resolved to take them in +a line as they came: and as they resolved to fire but one at a time, +perhaps the first shot might hit them all three; for which purpose the +man who was to fire put three or four small bullets into his piece; and +having a fair loophole, as it were, from a broken hole in the tree, he +took a sure aim, without being seen, waiting till they were within about +thirty yards of the tree, so that he could not miss. + +While they were thus waiting, and the savages came on, they plainly saw +that one of the three was the runaway savage that had escaped from them; +and they both knew him distinctly, and resolved that, if possible, he +should not escape, though they should both fire; so the other stood ready +with his piece, that if he did not drop at the first shot, he should be +sure to have a second. But the first was too good a marksman to miss his +aim; for as the savages kept near one another, a little behind in a line, +he fired, and hit two of them directly; the foremost was killed outright, +being shot in the head; the second, which was the runaway Indian, was +shot through the body, and fell, but was not quite dead; and the third +had a little scratch in the shoulder, perhaps by the same ball that went +through the body of the second; and being dreadfully frightened, though +not so much hurt, sat down upon the ground, screaming and yelling in a +hideous manner. + +The five that were behind, more frightened with the noise than sensible +of the danger, stood still at first; for the woods made the sound a +thousand times bigger than it really was, the echoes rattling from one +side to another, and the fowls rising from all parts, screaming, and +every sort making a different noise, according to their kind; just as it +was when I fired the first gun that perhaps was ever shot off in the +island. + +However, all being silent again, and they not knowing what the matter +was, came on unconcerned, till they came to the place where their +companions lay in a condition miserable enough. Here the poor ignorant +creatures, not sensible that they were within reach of the same mischief, +stood all together over the wounded man, talking, and, as may be +supposed, inquiring of him how he came to be hurt; and who, it is very +rational to believe, told them that a flash of fire first, and +immediately after that thunder from their gods, had killed those two and +wounded him. This, I say, is rational; for nothing is more certain than +that, as they saw no man near them, so they had never heard a gun in all +their lives, nor so much as heard of a gun; neither knew they anything of +killing and wounding at a distance with fire and bullets: if they had, +one might reasonably believe they would not have stood so unconcerned to +view the fate of their fellows, without some apprehensions of their own. + +Our two men, as they confessed to me, were grieved to be obliged to kill +so many poor creatures, who had no notion of their danger; yet, having +them all thus in their power, and the first having loaded his piece +again, resolved to let fly both together among them; and singling out, by +agreement, which to aim at, they shot together, and killed, or very much +wounded, four of them; the fifth, frightened even to death, though not +hurt, fell with the rest; so that our men, seeing them all fall together, +thought they had killed them all. + +The belief that the savages were all killed made our two men come boldly +out from the tree before they had charged their guns, which was a wrong +step; and they were under some surprise when they came to the place, and +found no less than four of them alive, and of them two very little hurt, +and one not at all. This obliged them to fall upon them with the stocks +of their muskets; and first they made sure of the runaway savage, that +had been the cause of all the mischief, and of another that was hurt in +the knee, and put them out of their pain; then the man that was not hurt +at all came and kneeled down to them, with his two hands held up, and +made piteous moans to them, by gestures and signs, for his life, but +could not say one word to them that they could understand. However, they +made signs to him to sit down at the foot of a tree hard by; and one of +the Englishmen, with a piece of rope-yarn, which he had by great chance +in his pocket, tied his two hands behind him, and there they left him; +and with what speed they could made after the other two, which were gone +before, fearing they, or any more of them, should find way to their +covered place in the woods, where their wives, and the few goods they had +left, lay. They came once in sight of the two men, but it was at a great +distance; however, they had the satisfaction to see them cross over a +valley towards the sea, quite the contrary way from that which led to +their retreat, which they were afraid of; and being satisfied with that, +they went back to the tree where they left their prisoner, who, as they +supposed, was delivered by his comrades, for he was gone, and the two +pieces of rope-yarn with which they had bound him lay just at the foot of +the tree. + +They were now in as great concern as before, not knowing what course to +take, or how near the enemy might be, or in what number; so they resolved +to go away to the place where their wives were, to see if all was well +there, and to make them easy. These were in fright enough, to be sure; +for though the savages were their own countrymen, yet they were most +terribly afraid of them, and perhaps the more for the knowledge they had +of them. When they came there, they found the savages had been in the +wood, and very near that place, but had not found it; for it was indeed +inaccessible, from the trees standing so thick, unless the persons +seeking it had been directed by those that knew it, which these did not: +they found, therefore, everything very safe, only the women in a terrible +fright. While they were here they had the comfort to have seven of the +Spaniards come to their assistance; the other ten, with their servants, +and Friday's father, were gone in a body to defend their bower, and the +corn and cattle that were kept there, in case the savages should have +roved over to that side of the country, but they did not spread so far. +With the seven Spaniards came one of the three savages, who, as I said, +were their prisoners formerly; and with them also came the savage whom +the Englishmen had left bound hand and foot at the tree; for it seems +they came that way, saw the slaughter of the seven men, and unbound the +eighth, and brought him along with them; where, however, they were +obliged to bind again, as they had the two others who were left when the +third ran away. + +The prisoners now began to be a burden to them; and they were so afraid +of their escaping, that they were once resolving to kill them all, +believing they were under an absolute necessity to do so for their own +preservation. However, the chief of the Spaniards would not consent to +it, but ordered, for the present, that they should be sent out of the way +to my old cave in the valley, and be kept there, with two Spaniards to +guard them, and have food for their subsistence, which was done; and they +were bound there hand and foot for that night. + +When the Spaniards came, the two Englishmen were so encouraged, that they +could not satisfy themselves to stay any longer there; but taking five of +the Spaniards, and themselves, with four muskets and a pistol among them, +and two stout quarter-staves, away they went in quest of the savages. And +first they came to the tree where the men lay that had been killed; but +it was easy to see that some more of the savages had been there, for they +had attempted to carry their dead men away, and had dragged two of them a +good way, but had given it over. From thence they advanced to the first +rising ground, where they had stood and seen their camp destroyed, and +where they had the mortification still to see some of the smoke; but +neither could they here see any of the savages. They then resolved, +though with all possible caution, to go forward towards their ruined +plantation; but, a little before they came thither, coming in sight of +the sea-shore, they saw plainly the savages all embarked again in their +canoes, in order to be gone. They seemed sorry at first that there was +no way to come at them, to give them a parting blow; but, upon the whole, +they were very well satisfied to be rid of them. + +The poor Englishmen being now twice ruined, and all their improvements +destroyed, the rest all agreed to come and help them to rebuild, and +assist them with needful supplies. Their three countrymen, who were not +yet noted for having the least inclination to do any good, yet as soon as +they heard of it (for they, living remote eastward, knew nothing of the +matter till all was over), came and offered their help and assistance, +and did, very friendly, work for several days to restore their habitation +and make necessaries for them. And thus in a little time they were set +upon their legs again. + +About two days after this they had the farther satisfaction of seeing +three of the savages' canoes come driving on shore, and, at some distance +from them, two drowned men, by which they had reason to believe that they +had met with a storm at sea, which had overset some of them; for it had +blown very hard the night after they went off. However, as some might +miscarry, so, on the other hand, enough of them escaped to inform the +rest, as well of what they had done as of what had happened to them; and +to whet them on to another enterprise of the same nature, which they, it +seems, resolved to attempt, with sufficient force to carry all before +them; for except what the first man had told them of inhabitants, they +could say little of it of their own knowledge, for they never saw one +man; and the fellow being killed that had affirmed it, they had no other +witness to confirm it to, them. + + + + +CHAPTER V--A GREAT VICTORY + + +It was five or six months after this before they heard any more of the +savages, in which time our men were in hopes they had either forgot their +former bad luck, or given over hopes of better; when, on a sudden, they +were invaded with a most formidable fleet of no less than +eight-and-twenty canoes, full of savages, armed with bows and arrows, +great clubs, wooden swords, and such like engines of war; and they +brought such numbers with them, that, in short, it put all our people +into the utmost consternation. + +As they came on shore in the evening, and at the easternmost side of the +island, our men had that night to consult and consider what to do. In +the first place, knowing that their being entirely concealed was their +only safety before and would be much more so now, while the number of +their enemies would be so great, they resolved, first of all, to take +down the huts which were built for the two Englishmen, and drive away +their goats to the old cave; because they supposed the savages would go +directly thither, as soon as it was day, to play the old game over again, +though they did not now land within two leagues of it. In the next +place, they drove away all the flocks of goats they had at the old bower, +as I called it, which belonged to the Spaniards; and, in short, left as +little appearance of inhabitants anywhere as was possible; and the next +morning early they posted themselves, with all their force, at the +plantation of the two men, to wait for their coming. As they guessed, so +it happened: these new invaders, leaving their canoes at the east end of +the island, came ranging along the shore, directly towards the place, to +the number of two hundred and fifty, as near as our men could judge. Our +army was but small indeed; but, that which was worse, they had not arms +for all their number. The whole account, it seems, stood thus: first, as +to men, seventeen Spaniards, five Englishmen, old Friday, the three +slaves taken with the women, who proved very faithful, and three other +slaves, who lived with the Spaniards. To arm these, they had eleven +muskets, five pistols, three fowling-pieces, five muskets or +fowling-pieces which were taken by me from the mutinous seamen whom I +reduced, two swords, and three old halberds. + +To their slaves they did not give either musket or fusee; but they had +each a halberd, or a long staff, like a quarter-staff, with a great spike +of iron fastened into each end of it, and by his side a hatchet; also +every one of our men had a hatchet. Two of the women could not be +prevailed upon but they would come into the fight, and they had bows and +arrows, which the Spaniards had taken from the savages when the first +action happened, which I have spoken of, where the Indians fought with +one another; and the women had hatchets too. + +The chief Spaniard, whom I described so often, commanded the whole; and +Will Atkins, who, though a dreadful fellow for wickedness, was a most +daring, bold fellow, commanded under him. The savages came forward like +lions; and our men, which was the worst of their fate, had no advantage +in their situation; only that Will Atkins, who now proved a most useful +fellow, with six men, was planted just behind a small thicket of bushes +as an advanced guard, with orders to let the first of them pass by and +then fire into the middle of them, and as soon as he had fired, to make +his retreat as nimbly as he could round a part of the wood, and so come +in behind the Spaniards, where they stood, having a thicket of trees +before them. + +When the savages came on, they ran straggling about every way in heaps, +out of all manner of order, and Will Atkins let about fifty of them pass +by him; then seeing the rest come in a very thick throng, he orders three +of his men to fire, having loaded their muskets with six or seven bullets +apiece, about as big as large pistol-bullets. How many they killed or +wounded they knew not, but the consternation and surprise was +inexpressible among the savages; they were frightened to the last degree +to hear such a dreadful noise, and see their men killed, and others hurt, +but see nobody that did it; when, in the middle of their fright, Will +Atkins and his other three let fly again among the thickest of them; and +in less than a minute the first three, being loaded again, gave them a +third volley. + +Had Will Atkins and his men retired immediately, as soon as they had +fired, as they were ordered to do, or had the rest of the body been at +hand to have poured in their shot continually, the savages had been +effectually routed; for the terror that was among them came principally +from this, that they were killed by the gods with thunder and lightning, +and could see nobody that hurt them. But Will Atkins, staying to load +again, discovered the cheat: some of the savages who were at a distance +spying them, came upon them behind; and though Atkins and his men fired +at them also, two or three times, and killed above twenty, retiring as +fast as they could, yet they wounded Atkins himself, and killed one of +his fellow-Englishmen with their arrows, as they did afterwards one +Spaniard, and one of the Indian slaves who came with the women. This +slave was a most gallant fellow, and fought most desperately, killing +five of them with his own hand, having no weapon but one of the armed +staves and a hatchet. + +Our men being thus hard laid at, Atkins wounded, and two other men +killed, retreated to a rising ground in the wood; and the Spaniards, +after firing three volleys upon them, retreated also; for their number +was so great, and they were so desperate, that though above fifty of them +were killed, and more than as many wounded, yet they came on in the teeth +of our men, fearless of danger, and shot their arrows like a cloud; and +it was observed that their wounded men, who were not quite disabled, were +made outrageous by their wounds, and fought like madmen. + +When our men retreated, they left the Spaniard and the Englishman that +were killed behind them: and the savages, when they came up to them, +killed them over again in a wretched manner, breaking their arms, legs, +and heads, with their clubs and wooden swords, like true savages; but +finding our men were gone, they did not seem inclined to pursue them, but +drew themselves up in a ring, which is, it seems, their custom, and +shouted twice, in token of their victory; after which, they had the +mortification to see several of their wounded men fall, dying with the +mere loss of blood. + +The Spaniard governor having drawn his little body up together upon a +rising ground, Atkins, though he was wounded, would have had them march +and charge again all together at once: but the Spaniard replied, +"Seignior Atkins, you see how their wounded men fight; let them alone +till morning; all the wounded men will be stiff and sore with their +wounds, and faint with the loss of blood; and so we shall have the fewer +to engage." This advice was good: but Will Atkins replied merrily, "That +is true, seignior, and so shall I too; and that is the reason I would go +on while I am warm." "Well, Seignior Atkins," says the Spaniard, "you +have behaved gallantly, and done your part; we will fight for you if you +cannot come on; but I think it best to stay till morning:" so they +waited. + +But as it was a clear moonlight night, and they found the savages in +great disorder about their dead and wounded men, and a great noise and +hurry among them where they lay, they afterwards resolved to fall upon +them in the night, especially if they could come to give them but one +volley before they were discovered, which they had a fair opportunity to +do; for one of the Englishmen in whose quarter it was where the fight +began, led them round between the woods and the seaside westward, and +then turning short south, they came so near where the thickest of them +lay, that before they were seen or heard eight of them fired in among +them, and did dreadful execution upon them; in half a minute more eight +others fired after them, pouring in their small shot in such a quantity +that abundance were killed and wounded; and all this while they were not +able to see who hurt them, or which way to fly. + +The Spaniards charged again with the utmost expedition, and then divided +themselves into three bodies, and resolved to fall in among them all +together. They had in each body eight persons, that is to say, twenty- +two men and the two women, who, by the way, fought desperately. They +divided the firearms equally in each party, as well as the halberds and +staves. They would have had the women kept back, but they said they were +resolved to die with their husbands. Having thus formed their little +army, they marched out from among the trees, and came up to the teeth of +the enemy, shouting and hallooing as loud as they could; the savages +stood all together, but were in the utmost confusion, hearing the noise +of our men shouting from three quarters together. They would have fought +if they had seen us; for as soon as we came near enough to be seen, some +arrows were shot, and poor old Friday was wounded, though not +dangerously. But our men gave them no time, but running up to them, +fired among them three ways, and then fell in with the butt-ends of their +muskets, their swords, armed staves, and hatchets, and laid about them so +well that, in a word, they set up a dismal screaming and howling, flying +to save their lives which way soever they could. + +Our men were tired with the execution, and killed or mortally wounded in +the two fights about one hundred and eighty of them; the rest, being +frightened out of their wits, scoured through the woods and over the +hills, with all the speed that fear and nimble feet could help them to; +and as we did not trouble ourselves much to pursue them, they got all +together to the seaside, where they landed, and where their canoes lay. +But their disaster was not at an end yet; for it blew a terrible storm of +wind that evening from the sea, so that it was impossible for them to go +off; nay, the storm continuing all night, when the tide came up their +canoes were most of them driven by the surge of the sea so high upon the +shore that it required infinite toil to get them off; and some of them +were even dashed to pieces against the beach. Our men, though glad of +their victory, yet got little rest that night; but having refreshed +themselves as well as they could, they resolved to march to that part of +the island where the savages were fled, and see what posture they were +in. This necessarily led them over the place where the fight had been, +and where they found several of the poor creatures not quite dead, and +yet past recovering life; a sight disagreeable enough to generous minds, +for a truly great man though obliged by the law of battle to destroy his +enemy, takes no delight in his misery. However, there was no need to +give any orders in this case; for their own savages, who were their +servants, despatched these poor creatures with their hatchets. + +At length they came in view of the place where the more miserable remains +of the savages' army lay, where there appeared about a hundred still; +their posture was generally sitting upon the ground, with their knees up +towards their mouth, and the head put between the two hands, leaning down +upon the knees. When our men came within two musket-shots of them, the +Spaniard governor ordered two muskets to be fired without ball, to alarm +them; this he did, that by their countenance he might know what to +expect, whether they were still in heart to fight, or were so heartily +beaten as to be discouraged, and so he might manage accordingly. This +stratagem took: for as soon as the savages heard the first gun, and saw +the flash of the second, they started up upon their feet in the greatest +consternation imaginable; and as our men advanced swiftly towards them, +they all ran screaming and yelling away, with a kind of howling noise, +which our men did not understand, and had never heard before; and thus +they ran up the hills into the country. + +At first our men had much rather the weather had been calm, and they had +all gone away to sea: but they did not then consider that this might +probably have been the occasion of their coming again in such multitudes +as not to be resisted, or, at least, to come so many and so often as +would quite desolate the island, and starve them. Will Atkins, +therefore, who notwithstanding his wound kept always with them, proved +the best counsellor in this case: his advice was, to take the advantage +that offered, and step in between them and their boats, and so deprive +them of the capacity of ever returning any more to plague the island. +They consulted long about this; and some were against it for fear of +making the wretches fly to the woods and live there desperate, and so +they should have them to hunt like wild beasts, be afraid to stir out +about their business, and have their plantations continually rifled, all +their tame goats destroyed, and, in short, be reduced to a life of +continual distress. + +Will Atkins told them they had better have to do with a hundred men than +with a hundred nations; that, as they must destroy their boats, so they +must destroy the men, or be all of them destroyed themselves. In a word, +he showed them the necessity of it so plainly that they all came into it; +so they went to work immediately with the boats, and getting some dry +wood together from a dead tree, they tried to set some of them on fire, +but they were so wet that they would not burn; however, the fire so +burned the upper part that it soon made them unfit for use at sea. + +When the Indians saw what they were about, some of them came running out +of the woods, and coming as near as they could to our men, kneeled down +and cried, "Oa, Oa, Waramokoa," and some other words of their language, +which none of the others understood anything of; but as they made pitiful +gestures and strange noises, it was easy to understand they begged to +have their boats spared, and that they would be gone, and never come +there again. But our men were now satisfied that they had no way to +preserve themselves, or to save their colony, but effectually to prevent +any of these people from ever going home again; depending upon this, that +if even so much as one of them got back into their country to tell the +story, the colony was undone; so that, letting them know that they should +not have any mercy, they fell to work with their canoes, and destroyed +every one that the storm had not destroyed before; at the sight of which, +the savages raised a hideous cry in the woods, which our people heard +plain enough, after which they ran about the island like distracted men, +so that, in a word, our men did not really know what at first to do with +them. Nor did the Spaniards, with all their prudence, consider that +while they made those people thus desperate, they ought to have kept a +good guard at the same time upon their plantations; for though it is true +they had driven away their cattle, and the Indians did not find out their +main retreat, I mean my old castle at the hill, nor the cave in the +valley, yet they found out my plantation at the bower, and pulled it all +to pieces, and all the fences and planting about it; trod all the corn +under foot, tore up the vines and grapes, being just then almost ripe, +and did our men inestimable damage, though to themselves not one +farthing's worth of service. + +Though our men were able to fight them upon all occasions, yet they were +in no condition to pursue them, or hunt them up and down; for as they +were too nimble of foot for our people when they found them single, so +our men durst not go abroad single, for fear of being surrounded with +their numbers. The best was they had no weapons; for though they had +bows, they had no arrows left, nor any materials to make any; nor had +they any edge-tool among them. The extremity and distress they were +reduced to was great, and indeed deplorable; but, at the same time, our +men were also brought to very bad circumstances by them, for though their +retreats were preserved, yet their provision was destroyed, and their +harvest spoiled, and what to do, or which way to turn themselves, they +knew not. The only refuge they had now was the stock of cattle they had +in the valley by the cave, and some little corn which grew there, and the +plantation of the three Englishmen. Will Atkins and his comrades were +now reduced to two; one of them being killed by an arrow, which struck +him on the side of his head, just under the temple, so that he never +spoke more; and it was very remarkable that this was the same barbarous +fellow that cut the poor savage slave with his hatchet, and who +afterwards intended to have murdered the Spaniards. + +I looked upon their case to have been worse at this time than mine was at +any time, after I first discovered the grains of barley and rice, and got +into the manner of planting and raising my corn, and my tame cattle; for +now they had, as I may say, a hundred wolves upon the island, which would +devour everything they could come at, yet could be hardly come at +themselves. + +When they saw what their circumstances were, the first thing they +concluded was, that they would, if possible, drive the savages up to the +farther part of the island, south-west, that if any more came on shore +they might not find one another; then, that they would daily hunt and +harass them, and kill as many of them as they could come at, till they +had reduced their number; and if they could at last tame them, and bring +them to anything, they would give them corn, and teach them how to plant, +and live upon their daily labour. In order to do this, they so followed +them, and so terrified them with their guns, that in a few days, if any +of them fired a gun at an Indian, if he did not hit him, yet he would +fall down for fear. So dreadfully frightened were they that they kept +out of sight farther and farther; till at last our men followed them, and +almost every day killing or wounding some of them, they kept up in the +woods or hollow places so much, that it reduced them to the utmost misery +for want of food; and many were afterwards found dead in the woods, +without any hurt, absolutely starved to death. + +When our men found this, it made their hearts relent, and pity moved +them, especially the generous-minded Spaniard governor; and he proposed, +if possible, to take one of them alive and bring him to understand what +they meant, so far as to be able to act as interpreter, and go among them +and see if they might be brought to some conditions that might be +depended upon, to save their lives and do us no harm. + +It was some while before any of them could be taken; but being weak and +half-starved, one of them was at last surprised and made a prisoner. He +was sullen at first, and would neither eat nor drink; but finding himself +kindly used, and victuals given to him, and no violence offered him, he +at last grew tractable, and came to himself. They often brought old +Friday to talk to him, who always told him how kind the others would be +to them all; that they would not only save their lives, but give them +part of the island to live in, provided they would give satisfaction that +they would keep in their own bounds, and not come beyond it to injure or +prejudice others; and that they should have corn given them to plant and +make it grow for their bread, and some bread given them for their present +subsistence; and old Friday bade the fellow go and talk with the rest of +his countrymen, and see what they said to it; assuring them that, if they +did not agree immediately, they should be all destroyed. + +The poor wretches, thoroughly humbled, and reduced in number to about +thirty-seven, closed with the proposal at the first offer, and begged to +have some food given them; upon which twelve Spaniards and two +Englishmen, well armed, with three Indian slaves and old Friday, marched +to the place where they were. The three Indian slaves carried them a +large quantity of bread, some rice boiled up to cakes and dried in the +sun, and three live goats; and they were ordered to go to the side of a +hill, where they sat down, ate their provisions very thankfully, and were +the most faithful fellows to their words that could be thought of; for, +except when they came to beg victuals and directions, they never came out +of their bounds; and there they lived when I came to the island and I +went to see them. They had taught them both to plant corn, make bread, +breed tame goats, and milk them: they wanted nothing but wives in order +for them soon to become a nation. They were confined to a neck of land, +surrounded with high rocks behind them, and lying plain towards the sea +before them, on the south-east corner of the island. They had land +enough, and it was very good and fruitful; about a mile and a half broad, +and three or four miles in length. Our men taught them to make wooden +spades, such as I made for myself, and gave among them twelve hatchets +and three or four knives; and there they lived, the most subjected, +innocent creatures that ever were heard of. + +After this the colony enjoyed a perfect tranquillity with respect to the +savages, till I came to revisit them, which was about two years after; +not but that, now and then, some canoes of savages came on shore for +their triumphal, unnatural feasts; but as they were of several nations, +and perhaps had never heard of those that came before, or the reason of +it, they did not make any search or inquiry after their countrymen; and +if they had, it would have been very hard to have found them out. + +Thus, I think, I have given a full account of all that happened to them +till my return, at least that was worth notice. The Indians were +wonderfully civilised by them, and they frequently went among them; but +they forbid, on pain of death, any one of the Indians coming to them, +because they would not have their settlement betrayed again. One thing +was very remarkable, viz. that they taught the savages to make wicker- +work, or baskets, but they soon outdid their masters: for they made +abundance of ingenious things in wicker-work, particularly baskets, +sieves, bird-cages, cupboards, &c.; as also chairs, stools, beds, +couches, being very ingenious at such work when they were once put in the +way of it. + +My coming was a particular relief to these people, because we furnished +them with knives, scissors, spades, shovels, pick-axes, and all things of +that kind which they could want. With the help of those tools they were +so very handy that they came at last to build up their huts or houses +very handsomely, raddling or working it up like basket-work all the way +round. This piece of ingenuity, although it looked very odd, was an +exceeding good fence, as well against heat as against all sorts of +vermin; and our men were so taken with it that they got the Indians to +come and do the like for them; so that when I came to see the two +Englishmen's colonies, they looked at a distance as if they all lived +like bees in a hive. + +As for Will Atkins, who was now become a very industrious, useful, and +sober fellow, he had made himself such a tent of basket-work as I believe +was never seen; it was one hundred and twenty paces round on the outside, +as I measured by my steps; the walls were as close worked as a basket, in +panels or squares of thirty-two in number, and very strong, standing +about seven feet high; in the middle was another not above twenty-two +paces round, but built stronger, being octagon in its form, and in the +eight corners stood eight very strong posts; round the top of which he +laid strong pieces, knit together with wooden pins, from which he raised +a pyramid for a handsome roof of eight rafters, joined together very +well, though he had no nails, and only a few iron spikes, which he made +himself, too, out of the old iron that I had left there. Indeed, this +fellow showed abundance of ingenuity in several things which he had no +knowledge of: he made him a forge, with a pair of wooden bellows to blow +the fire; he made himself charcoal for his work; and he formed out of the +iron crows a middling good anvil to hammer upon: in this manner he made +many things, but especially hooks, staples, and spikes, bolts and hinges. +But to return to the house: after he had pitched the roof of his +innermost tent, he worked it up between the rafters with basket-work, so +firm, and thatched that over again so ingeniously with rice-straw, and +over that a large leaf of a tree, which covered the top, that his house +was as dry as if it had been tiled or slated. He owned, indeed, that the +savages had made the basket-work for him. The outer circuit was covered +as a lean-to all round this inner apartment, and long rafters lay from +the thirty-two angles to the top posts of the inner house, being about +twenty feet distant, so that there was a space like a walk within the +outer wicker-wall, and without the inner, near twenty feet wide. + +The inner place he partitioned off with the same wickerwork, but much +fairer, and divided into six apartments, so that he had six rooms on a +floor, and out of every one of these there was a door: first into the +entry, or coming into the main tent, another door into the main tent, and +another door into the space or walk that was round it; so that walk was +also divided into six equal parts, which served not only for a retreat, +but to store up any necessaries which the family had occasion for. These +six spaces not taking up the whole circumference, what other apartments +the outer circle had were thus ordered: As soon as you were in at the +door of the outer circle you had a short passage straight before you to +the door of the inner house; but on either side was a wicker partition +and a door in it, by which you went first into a large room or +storehouse, twenty feet wide and about thirty feet long, and through that +into another not quite so long; so that in the outer circle were ten +handsome rooms, six of which were only to be come at through the +apartments of the inner tent, and served as closets or retiring rooms to +the respective chambers of the inner circle; and four large warehouses, +or barns, or what you please to call them, which went through one +another, two on either hand of the passage, that led through the outer +door to the inner tent. Such a piece of basket-work, I believe, was +never seen in the world, nor a house or tent so neatly contrived, much +less so built. In this great bee-hive lived the three families, that is +to say, Will Atkins and his companion; the third was killed, but his wife +remained with three children, and the other two were not at all backward +to give the widow her full share of everything, I mean as to their corn, +milk, grapes, &c., and when they killed a kid, or found a turtle on the +shore; so that they all lived well enough; though it was true they were +not so industrious as the other two, as has been observed already. + +One thing, however, cannot be omitted, viz. that as for religion, I do +not know that there was anything of that kind among them; they often, +indeed, put one another in mind that there was a God, by the very common +method of seamen, swearing by His name: nor were their poor ignorant +savage wives much better for having been married to Christians, as we +must call them; for as they knew very little of God themselves, so they +were utterly incapable of entering into any discourse with their wives +about a God, or to talk anything to them concerning religion. + +The utmost of all the improvement which I can say the wives had made from +them was, that they had taught them to speak English pretty well; and +most of their children, who were near twenty in all, were taught to speak +English too, from their first learning to speak, though they at first +spoke it in a very broken manner, like their mothers. None of these +children were above six years old when I came thither, for it was not +much above seven years since they had fetched these five savage ladies +over; they had all children, more or less: the mothers were all a good +sort of well-governed, quiet, laborious women, modest and decent, helpful +to one another, mighty observant, and subject to their masters (I cannot +call them husbands), and lacked nothing but to be well instructed in the +Christian religion, and to be legally married; both of which were happily +brought about afterwards by my means, or at least in consequence of my +coming among them. + + + + +CHAPTER VI--THE FRENCH CLERGYMAN'S COUNSEL + + +Having thus given an account of the colony in general, and pretty much of +my runagate Englishmen, I must say something of the Spaniards, who were +the main body of the family, and in whose story there are some incidents +also remarkable enough. + +I had a great many discourses with them about their circumstances when +they were among the savages. They told me readily that they had no +instances to give of their application or ingenuity in that country; that +they were a poor, miserable, dejected handful of people; that even if +means had been put into their hands, yet they had so abandoned themselves +to despair, and were so sunk under the weight of their misfortune, that +they thought of nothing but starving. One of them, a grave and sensible +man, told me he was convinced they were in the wrong; that it was not the +part of wise men to give themselves up to their misery, but always to +take hold of the helps which reason offered, as well for present support +as for future deliverance: he told me that grief was the most senseless, +insignificant passion in the world, for that it regarded only things +past, which were generally impossible to be recalled or to be remedied, +but had no views of things to come, and had no share in anything that +looked like deliverance, but rather added to the affliction than proposed +a remedy; and upon this he repeated a Spanish proverb, which, though I +cannot repeat in the same words that he spoke it in, yet I remember I +made it into an English proverb of my own, thus:-- + + "In trouble to be troubled, + Is to have your trouble doubled." + +He then ran on in remarks upon all the little improvements I had made in +my solitude: my unwearied application, as he called it; and how I had +made a condition, which in its circumstances was at first much worse than +theirs, a thousand times more happy than theirs was, even now when they +were all together. He told me it was remarkable that Englishmen had a +greater presence of mind in their distress than any people that ever he +met with; that their unhappy nation and the Portuguese were the worst men +in the world to struggle with misfortunes; for that their first step in +dangers, after the common efforts were over, was to despair, lie down +under it, and die, without rousing their thoughts up to proper remedies +for escape. + +I told him their case and mine differed exceedingly; that they were cast +upon the shore without necessaries, without supply of food, or present +sustenance till they could provide for it; that, it was true, I had this +further disadvantage and discomfort, that I was alone; but then the +supplies I had providentially thrown into my hands, by the unexpected +driving of the ship on the shore, was such a help as would have +encouraged any creature in the world to have applied himself as I had +done. "Seignior," says the Spaniard, "had we poor Spaniards been in your +case, we should never have got half those things out of the ship, as you +did: nay," says he, "we should never have found means to have got a raft +to carry them, or to have got the raft on shore without boat or sail: and +how much less should we have done if any of us had been alone!" Well, I +desired him to abate his compliments, and go on with the history of their +coming on shore, where they landed. He told me they unhappily landed at +a place where there were people without provisions; whereas, had they had +the common sense to put off to sea again, and gone to another island a +little further, they had found provisions, though without people: there +being an island that way, as they had been told, where there were +provisions, though no people--that is to say, that the Spaniards of +Trinidad had frequently been there, and had filled the island with goats +and hogs at several times, where they had bred in such multitudes, and +where turtle and sea-fowls were in such plenty, that they could have been +in no want of flesh, though they had found no bread; whereas, here they +were only sustained with a few roots and herbs, which they understood +not, and which had no substance in them, and which the inhabitants gave +them sparingly enough; and they could treat them no better, unless they +would turn cannibals and eat men's flesh. + +They gave me an account how many ways they strove to civilise the savages +they were with, and to teach them rational customs in the ordinary way of +living, but in vain; and how they retorted upon them as unjust that they +who came there for assistance and support should attempt to set up for +instructors to those that gave them food; intimating, it seems, that none +should set up for the instructors of others but those who could live +without them. They gave me dismal accounts of the extremities they were +driven to; how sometimes they were many days without any food at all, the +island they were upon being inhabited by a sort of savages that lived +more indolent, and for that reason were less supplied with the +necessaries of life, than they had reason to believe others were in the +same part of the world; and yet they found that these savages were less +ravenous and voracious than those who had better supplies of food. Also, +they added, they could not but see with what demonstrations of wisdom and +goodness the governing providence of God directs the events of things in +this world, which, they said, appeared in their circumstances: for if, +pressed by the hardships they were under, and the barrenness of the +country where they were, they had searched after a better to live in, +they had then been out of the way of the relief that happened to them by +my means. + +They then gave me an account how the savages whom they lived amongst +expected them to go out with them into their wars; and, it was true, that +as they had firearms with them, had they not had the disaster to lose +their ammunition, they could have been serviceable not only to their +friends, but have made themselves terrible both to friends and enemies; +but being without powder and shot, and yet in a condition that they could +not in reason decline to go out with their landlords to their wars; so +when they came into the field of battle they were in a worse condition +than the savages themselves, for they had neither bows nor arrows, nor +could they use those the savages gave them. So they could do nothing but +stand still and be wounded with arrows, till they came up to the teeth of +the enemy; and then, indeed, the three halberds they had were of use to +them; and they would often drive a whole little army before them with +those halberds, and sharpened sticks put into the muzzles of their +muskets. But for all this they were sometimes surrounded with +multitudes, and in great danger from their arrows, till at last they +found the way to make themselves large targets of wood, which they +covered with skins of wild beasts, whose names they knew not, and these +covered them from the arrows of the savages: that, notwithstanding these, +they were sometimes in great danger; and five of them were once knocked +down together with the clubs of the savages, which was the time when one +of them was taken prisoner--that is to say, the Spaniard whom I relieved. +At first they thought he had been killed; but when they afterwards heard +he was taken prisoner, they were under the greatest grief imaginable, and +would willingly have all ventured their lives to have rescued him. + +They told me that when they were so knocked down, the rest of their +company rescued them, and stood over them fighting till they were come to +themselves, all but him whom they thought had been dead; and then they +made their way with their halberds and pieces, standing close together in +a line, through a body of above a thousand savages, beating down all that +came in their way, got the victory over their enemies, but to their great +sorrow, because it was with the loss of their friend, whom the other +party finding alive, carried off with some others, as I gave an account +before. They described, most affectionately, how they were surprised +with joy at the return of their friend and companion in misery, who they +thought had been devoured by wild beasts of the worst kind--wild men; and +yet, how more and more they were surprised with the account he gave them +of his errand, and that there was a Christian in any place near, much +more one that was able, and had humanity enough, to contribute to their +deliverance. + +They described how they were astonished at the sight of the relief I sent +them, and at the appearance of loaves of bread--things they had not seen +since their coming to that miserable place; how often they crossed it and +blessed it as bread sent from heaven; and what a reviving cordial it was +to their spirits to taste it, as also the other things I had sent for +their supply; and, after all, they would have told me something of the +joy they were in at the sight of a boat and pilots, to carry them away to +the person and place from whence all these new comforts came. But it was +impossible to express it by words, for their excessive joy naturally +driving them to unbecoming extravagances, they had no way to describe +them but by telling me they bordered upon lunacy, having no way to give +vent to their passions suitable to the sense that was upon them; that in +some it worked one way and in some another; and that some of them, +through a surprise of joy, would burst into tears, others be stark mad, +and others immediately faint. This discourse extremely affected me, and +called to my mind Friday's ecstasy when he met his father, and the poor +people's ecstasy when I took them up at sea after their ship was on fire; +the joy of the mate of the ship when he found himself delivered in the +place where he expected to perish; and my own joy, when, after twenty- +eight years' captivity, I found a good ship ready to carry me to my own +country. All these things made me more sensible of the relation of these +poor men, and more affected with it. + +Having thus given a view of the state of things as I found them, I must +relate the heads of what I did for these people, and the condition in +which I left them. It was their opinion, and mine too, that they would +be troubled no more with the savages, or if they were, they would be able +to cut them off, if they were twice as many as before; so they had no +concern about that. Then I entered into a serious discourse with the +Spaniard, whom I call governor, about their stay in the island; for as I +was not come to carry any of them off, so it would not be just to carry +off some and leave others, who, perhaps, would be unwilling to stay if +their strength was diminished. On the other hand, I told them I came to +establish them there, not to remove them; and then I let them know that I +had brought with me relief of sundry kinds for them; that I had been at a +great charge to supply them with all things necessary, as well for their +convenience as their defence; and that I had such and such particular +persons with me, as well to increase and recruit their number, as by the +particular necessary employments which they were bred to, being +artificers, to assist them in those things in which at present they were +in want. + +They were all together when I talked thus to them; and before I delivered +to them the stores I had brought, I asked them, one by one, if they had +entirely forgot and buried the first animosities that had been among +them, and would shake hands with one another, and engage in a strict +friendship and union of interest, that so there might be no more +misunderstandings and jealousies. + +Will Atkins, with abundance of frankness and good humour, said they had +met with affliction enough to make them all sober, and enemies enough to +make them all friends; that, for his part, he would live and die with +them, and was so far from designing anything against the Spaniards, that +he owned they had done nothing to him but what his own mad humour made +necessary, and what he would have done, and perhaps worse, in their case; +and that he would ask them pardon, if I desired it, for the foolish and +brutish things he had done to them, and was very willing and desirous of +living in terms of entire friendship and union with them, and would do +anything that lay in his power to convince them of it; and as for going +to England, he cared not if he did not go thither these twenty years. + +The Spaniards said they had, indeed, at first disarmed and excluded Will +Atkins and his two countrymen for their ill conduct, as they had let me +know, and they appealed to me for the necessity they were under to do so; +but that Will Atkins had behaved himself so bravely in the great fight +they had with the savages, and on several occasions since, and had showed +himself so faithful to, and concerned for, the general interest of them +all, that they had forgotten all that was past, and thought he merited as +much to be trusted with arms and supplied with necessaries as any of +them; that they had testified their satisfaction in him by committing the +command to him next to the governor himself; and as they had entire +confidence in him and all his countrymen, so they acknowledged they had +merited that confidence by all the methods that honest men could merit to +be valued and trusted; and they most heartily embraced the occasion of +giving me this assurance, that they would never have any interest +separate from one another. + +Upon these frank and open declarations of friendship, we appointed the +next day to dine all together; and, indeed, we made a splendid feast. I +caused the ship's cook and his mate to come on shore and dress our +dinner, and the old cook's mate we had on shore assisted. We brought on +shore six pieces of good beef and four pieces of pork, out of the ship's +provisions, with our punch-bowl and materials to fill it; and in +particular I gave them ten bottles of French claret, and ten bottles of +English beer; things that neither the Spaniards nor the English had +tasted for many years, and which it may be supposed they were very glad +of. The Spaniards added to our feast five whole kids, which the cooks +roasted; and three of them were sent, covered up close, on board the ship +to the seamen, that they might feast on fresh meat from on shore, as we +did with their salt meat from on board. + +After this feast, at which we were very innocently merry, I brought my +cargo of goods; wherein, that there might be no dispute about dividing, I +showed them that there was a sufficiency for them all, desiring that they +might all take an equal quantity, when made up, of the goods that were +for wearing. As, first, I distributed linen sufficient to make every one +of them four shirts, and, at the Spaniard's request, afterwards made them +up six; these were exceeding comfortable to them, having been what they +had long since forgot the use of, or what it was to wear them. I +allotted the thin English stuffs, which I mentioned before, to make every +one a light coat, like a frock, which I judged fittest for the heat of +the season, cool and loose; and ordered that whenever they decayed, they +should make more, as they thought fit; the like for pumps, shoes, +stockings, hats, &c. I cannot express what pleasure sat upon the +countenances of all these poor men when they saw the care I had taken of +them, and how well I had furnished them. They told me I was a father to +them; and that having such a correspondent as I was in so remote a part +of the world, it would make them forget that they were left in a desolate +place; and they all voluntarily engaged to me not to leave the place +without my consent. + +Then I presented to them the people I had brought with me, particularly +the tailor, the smith, and the two carpenters, all of them most necessary +people; but, above all, my general artificer, than whom they could not +name anything that was more useful to them; and the tailor, to show his +concern for them, went to work immediately, and, with my leave, made them +every one a shirt, the first thing he did; and, what was still more, he +taught the women not only how to sew and stitch, and use the needle, but +made them assist to make the shirts for their husbands, and for all the +rest. As to the carpenters, I scarce need mention how useful they were; +for they took to pieces all my clumsy, unhandy things, and made clever +convenient tables, stools, bedsteads, cupboards, lockers, shelves, and +everything they wanted of that kind. But to let them see how nature made +artificers at first, I carried the carpenters to see Will Atkins' basket- +house, as I called it; and they both owned they never saw an instance of +such natural ingenuity before, nor anything so regular and so handily +built, at least of its kind; and one of them, when he saw it, after +musing a good while, turning about to me, "I am sure," says he, "that man +has no need of us; you need do nothing but give him tools." + +Then I brought them out all my store of tools, and gave every man a +digging-spade, a shovel, and a rake, for we had no barrows or ploughs; +and to every separate place a pickaxe, a crow, a broad axe, and a saw; +always appointing, that as often as any were broken or worn out, they +should be supplied without grudging out of the general stores that I left +behind. Nails, staples, hinges, hammers, chisels, knives, scissors, and +all sorts of ironwork, they had without reserve, as they required; for no +man would take more than he wanted, and he must be a fool that would +waste or spoil them on any account whatever; and for the use of the smith +I left two tons of unwrought iron for a supply. + +My magazine of powder and arms which I brought them was such, even to +profusion, that they could not but rejoice at them; for now they could +march as I used to do, with a musket upon each shoulder, if there was +occasion; and were able to fight a thousand savages, if they had but some +little advantages of situation, which also they could not miss, if they +had occasion. + +I carried on shore with me the young man whose mother was starved to +death, and the maid also; she was a sober, well-educated, religious young +woman, and behaved so inoffensively that every one gave her a good word; +she had, indeed, an unhappy life with us, there being no woman in the +ship but herself, but she bore it with patience. After a while, seeing +things so well ordered, and in so fine a way of thriving upon my island, +and considering that they had neither business nor acquaintance in the +East Indies, or reason for taking so long a voyage, both of them came to +me and desired I would give them leave to remain on the island, and be +entered among my family, as they called it. I agreed to this readily; +and they had a little plot of ground allotted to them, where they had +three tents or houses set up, surrounded with a basket-work, palisadoed +like Atkins's, adjoining to his plantation. Their tents were contrived +so that they had each of them a room apart to lodge in, and a middle tent +like a great storehouse to lay their goods in, and to eat and to drink +in. And now the other two Englishmen removed their habitation to the +same place; and so the island was divided into three colonies, and no +more--viz. the Spaniards, with old Friday and the first servants, at my +habitation under the hill, which was, in a word, the capital city, and +where they had so enlarged and extended their works, as well under as on +the outside of the hill, that they lived, though perfectly concealed, yet +full at large. Never was there such a little city in a wood, and so hid, +in any part of the world; for I verify believe that a thousand men might +have ranged the island a month, and, if they had not known there was such +a thing, and looked on purpose for it, they would not have found it. +Indeed the trees stood so thick and so close, and grew so fast woven one +into another, that nothing but cutting them down first could discover the +place, except the only two narrow entrances where they went in and out +could be found, which was not very easy; one of them was close down at +the water's edge, on the side of the creek, and it was afterwards above +two hundred yards to the place; and the other was up a ladder at twice, +as I have already described it; and they had also a large wood, thickly +planted, on the top of the hill, containing above an acre, which grew +apace, and concealed the place from all discovery there, with only one +narrow place between two trees, not easily to be discovered, to enter on +that side. + +The other colony was that of Will Atkins, where there were four families +of Englishmen, I mean those I had left there, with their wives and +children; three savages that were slaves, the widow and children of the +Englishman that was killed, the young man and the maid, and, by the way, +we made a wife of her before we went away. There were besides the two +carpenters and the tailor, whom I brought with me for them: also the +smith, who was a very necessary man to them, especially as a gunsmith, to +take care of their arms; and my other man, whom I called +Jack-of-all-trades, who was in himself as good almost as twenty men; for +he was not only a very ingenious fellow, but a very merry fellow, and +before I went away we married him to the honest maid that came with the +youth in the ship I mentioned before. + +And now I speak of marrying, it brings me naturally to say something of +the French ecclesiastic that I had brought with me out of the ship's crew +whom I took up at sea. It is true this man was a Roman, and perhaps it +may give offence to some hereafter if I leave anything extraordinary upon +record of a man whom, before I begin, I must (to set him out in just +colours) represent in terms very much to his disadvantage, in the account +of Protestants; as, first, that he was a Papist; secondly, a Popish +priest; and thirdly, a French Popish priest. But justice demands of me +to give him a due character; and I must say, he was a grave, sober, +pious, and most religious person; exact in his life, extensive in his +charity, and exemplary in almost everything he did. What then can any +one say against being very sensible of the value of such a man, +notwithstanding his profession? though it may be my opinion perhaps, as +well as the opinion of others who shall read this, that he was mistaken. + +The first hour that I began to converse with him after he had agreed to +go with me to the East Indies, I found reason to delight exceedingly in +his conversation; and he first began with me about religion in the most +obliging manner imaginable. "Sir," says he, "you have not only under +God" (and at that he crossed his breast) "saved my life, but you have +admitted me to go this voyage in your ship, and by your obliging civility +have taken me into your family, giving me an opportunity of free +conversation. Now, sir, you see by my habit what my profession is, and I +guess by your nation what yours is; I may think it is my duty, and +doubtless it is so, to use my utmost endeavours, on all occasions, to +bring all the souls I can to the knowledge of the truth, and to embrace +the Catholic doctrine; but as I am here under your permission, and in +your family, I am bound, in justice to your kindness as well as in +decency and good manners, to be under your government; and therefore I +shall not, without your leave, enter into any debate on the points of +religion in which we may not agree, further than you shall give me +leave." + +I told him his carriage was so modest that I could not but acknowledge +it; that it was true we were such people as they call heretics, but that +he was not the first Catholic I had conversed with without falling into +inconveniences, or carrying the questions to any height in debate; that +he should not find himself the worse used for being of a different +opinion from us, and if we did not converse without any dislike on either +side, it should be his fault, not ours. + +He replied that he thought all our conversation might be easily separated +from disputes; that it was not his business to cap principles with every +man he conversed with; and that he rather desired me to converse with him +as a gentleman than as a religionist; and that, if I would give him leave +at any time to discourse upon religious subjects, he would readily comply +with it, and that he did not doubt but I would allow him also to defend +his own opinions as well as he could; but that without my leave he would +not break in upon me with any such thing. He told me further, that he +would not cease to do all that became him, in his office as a priest, as +well as a private Christian, to procure the good of the ship, and the +safety of all that was in her; and though, perhaps, we would not join +with him, and he could not pray with us, he hoped he might pray for us, +which he would do upon all occasions. In this manner we conversed; and +as he was of the most obliging, gentlemanlike behaviour, so he was, if I +may be allowed to say so, a man of good sense, and, as I believe, of +great learning. + +He gave me a most diverting account of his life, and of the many +extraordinary events of it; of many adventures which had befallen him in +the few years that he had been abroad in the world; and particularly, it +was very remarkable, that in the voyage he was now engaged in he had had +the misfortune to be five times shipped and unshipped, and never to go to +the place whither any of the ships he was in were at first designed. That +his first intent was to have gone to Martinico, and that he went on board +a ship bound thither at St. Malo; but being forced into Lisbon by bad +weather, the ship received some damage by running aground in the mouth of +the river Tagus, and was obliged to unload her cargo there; but finding a +Portuguese ship there bound for the Madeiras, and ready to sail, and +supposing he should meet with a ship there bound to Martinico, he went on +board, in order to sail to the Madeiras; but the master of the Portuguese +ship being but an indifferent mariner, had been out of his reckoning, and +they drove to Fayal; where, however, he happened to find a very good +market for his cargo, which was corn, and therefore resolved not to go to +the Madeiras, but to load salt at the Isle of May, and to go away to +Newfoundland. He had no remedy in this exigence but to go with the ship, +and had a pretty good voyage as far as the Banks (so they call the place +where they catch the fish), where, meeting with a French ship bound from +France to Quebec, and from thence to Martinico, to carry provisions, he +thought he should have an opportunity to complete his first design, but +when he came to Quebec, the master of the ship died, and the vessel +proceeded no further; so the next voyage he shipped himself for France, +in the ship that was burned when we took them up at sea, and then shipped +with us for the East Indies, as I have already said. Thus he had been +disappointed in five voyages; all, as I may call it, in one voyage, +besides what I shall have occasion to mention further of him. + +But I shall not make digression into other men's stories which have no +relation to my own; so I return to what concerns our affair in the +island. He came to me one morning (for he lodged among us all the while +we were upon the island), and it happened to be just when I was going to +visit the Englishmen's colony, at the furthest part of the island; I say, +he came to me, and told me, with a very grave countenance, that he had +for two or three days desired an opportunity of some discourse with me, +which he hoped would not be displeasing to me, because he thought it +might in some measure correspond with my general design, which was the +prosperity of my new colony, and perhaps might put it, at least more than +he yet thought it was, in the way of God's blessing. + +I looked a little surprised at the last of his discourse, and turning a +little short, "How, sir," said I, "can it be said that we are not in the +way of God's blessing, after such visible assistances and deliverances as +we have seen here, and of which I have given you a large account?" "If +you had pleased, sir," said he, with a world of modesty, and yet great +readiness, "to have heard me, you would have found no room to have been +displeased, much less to think so hard of me, that I should suggest that +you have not had wonderful assistances and deliverances; and I hope, on +your behalf, that you are in the way of God's blessing, and your design +is exceeding good, and will prosper. But, sir, though it were more so +than is even possible to you, yet there may be some among you that are +not equally right in their actions: and you know that in the story of the +children of Israel, one Achan in the camp removed God's blessing from +them, and turned His hand so against them, that six-and-thirty of them, +though not concerned in the crime, were the objects of divine vengeance, +and bore the weight of that punishment." + +I was sensibly touched with this discourse, and told him his inference +was so just, and the whole design seemed so sincere, and was really so +religious in its own nature, that I was very sorry I had interrupted him, +and begged him to go on; and, in the meantime, because it seemed that +what we had both to say might take up some time, I told him I was going +to the Englishmen's plantations, and asked him to go with me, and we +might discourse of it by the way. He told me he would the more willingly +wait on me thither, because there partly the thing was acted which he +desired to speak to me about; so we walked on, and I pressed him to be +free and plain with me in what he had to say. + +"Why, then, sir," said he, "be pleased to give me leave to lay down a few +propositions, as the foundation of what I have to say, that we may not +differ in the general principles, though we may be of some differing +opinions in the practice of particulars. First, sir, though we differ in +some of the doctrinal articles of religion (and it is very unhappy it is +so, especially in the case before us, as I shall show afterwards), yet +there are some general principles in which we both agree--that there is a +God; and that this God having given us some stated general rules for our +service and obedience, we ought not willingly and knowingly to offend +Him, either by neglecting to do what He has commanded, or by doing what +He has expressly forbidden. And let our different religions be what they +will, this general principle is readily owned by us all, that the +blessing of God does not ordinarily follow presumptuous sinning against +His command; and every good Christian will be affectionately concerned to +prevent any that are under his care living in a total neglect of God and +His commands. It is not your men being Protestants, whatever my opinion +may be of such, that discharges me from being concerned for their souls, +and from endeavouring, if it lies before me, that they should live in as +little distance from enmity with their Maker as possible, especially if +you give me leave to meddle so far in your circuit." + +I could not yet imagine what he aimed at, and told him I granted all he +had said, and thanked him that he would so far concern himself for us: +and begged he would explain the particulars of what he had observed, that +like Joshua, to take his own parable, I might put away the accursed thing +from us. + +"Why, then, sir," says he, "I will take the liberty you give me; and +there are three things, which, if I am right, must stand in the way of +God's blessing upon your endeavours here, and which I should rejoice, for +your sake and their own, to see removed. And, sir, I promise myself that +you will fully agree with me in them all, as soon as I name them; +especially because I shall convince you, that every one of them may, with +great ease, and very much to your satisfaction, be remedied. First, +sir," says he, "you have here four Englishmen, who have fetched women +from among the savages, and have taken them as their wives, and have had +many children by them all, and yet are not married to them after any +stated legal manner, as the laws of God and man require. To this, sir, I +know, you will object that there was no clergyman or priest of any kind +to perform the ceremony; nor any pen and ink, or paper, to write down a +contract of marriage, and have it signed between them. And I know also, +sir, what the Spaniard governor has told you, I mean of the agreement +that he obliged them to make when they took those women, viz. that they +should choose them out by consent, and keep separately to them; which, by +the way, is nothing of a marriage, no agreement with the women as wives, +but only an agreement among themselves, to keep them from quarrelling. +But, sir, the essence of the sacrament of matrimony" (so he called it, +being a Roman) "consists not only in the mutual consent of the parties to +take one another as man and wife, but in the formal and legal obligation +that there is in the contract to compel the man and woman, at all times, +to own and acknowledge each other; obliging the man to abstain from all +other women, to engage in no other contract while these subsist; and, on +all occasions, as ability allows, to provide honestly for them and their +children; and to oblige the women to the same or like conditions, on +their side. Now, sir," says he, "these men may, when they please, or +when occasion presents, abandon these women, disown their children, leave +them to perish, and take other women, and marry them while these are +living;" and here he added, with some warmth, "How, sir, is God honoured +in this unlawful liberty? And how shall a blessing succeed your +endeavours in this place, however good in themselves, and however sincere +in your design, while these men, who at present are your subjects, under +your absolute government and dominion, are allowed by you to live in open +adultery?" + +I confess I was struck with the thing itself, but much more with the +convincing arguments he supported it with; but I thought to have got off +my young priest by telling him that all that part was done when I was not +there: and that they had lived so many years with them now, that if it +was adultery, it was past remedy; nothing could be done in it now. + +"Sir," says he, "asking your pardon for such freedom, you are right in +this, that, it being done in your absence, you could not be charged with +that part of the crime; but, I beseech you, flatter not yourself that you +are not, therefore, under an obligation to do your utmost now to put an +end to it. You should legally and effectually marry them; and as, sir, +my way of marrying may not be easy to reconcile them to, though it will +be effectual, even by your own laws, so your way may be as well before +God, and as valid among men. I mean by a written contract signed by both +man and woman, and by all the witnesses present, which all the laws of +Europe would decree to be valid." + +I was amazed to see so much true piety, and so much sincerity of zeal, +besides the unusual impartiality in his discourse as to his own party or +church, and such true warmth for preserving people that he had no +knowledge of or relation to from transgressing the laws of God. But +recollecting what he had said of marrying them by a written contract, +which I knew he would stand to, I returned it back upon him, and told him +I granted all that he had said to be just, and on his part very kind; +that I would discourse with the men upon the point now, when I came to +them; and I knew no reason why they should scruple to let him marry them +all, which I knew well enough would be granted to be as authentic and +valid in England as if they were married by one of our own clergymen. + +I then pressed him to tell me what was the second complaint which he had +to make, acknowledging that I was very much his debtor for the first, and +thanking him heartily for it. He told me he would use the same freedom +and plainness in the second, and hoped I would take it as well; and this +was, that notwithstanding these English subjects of mine, as he called +them, had lived with these women almost seven years, had taught them to +speak English, and even to read it, and that they were, as he perceived, +women of tolerable understanding, and capable of instruction, yet they +had not, to this hour, taught them anything of the Christian religion--no, +not so much as to know there was a God, or a worship, or in what manner +God was to be served, or that their own idolatry, and worshipping they +knew not whom, was false and absurd. This he said was an unaccountable +neglect, and what God would certainly call them to account for, and +perhaps at last take the work out of their hands. He spoke this very +affectionately and warmly. + +"I am persuaded," says he, "had those men lived in the savage country +whence their wives came, the savages would have taken more pains to have +brought them to be idolaters, and to worship the devil, than any of these +men, so far as I can see, have taken with them to teach the knowledge of +the true God. Now, sir," said he, "though I do not acknowledge your +religion, or you mine, yet we would be glad to see the devil's servants +and the subjects of his kingdom taught to know religion; and that they +might, at least, hear of God and a Redeemer, and the resurrection, and of +a future state--things which we all believe; that they might, at least, +be so much nearer coming into the bosom of the true Church than they are +now in the public profession of idolatry and devil-worship." + +I could hold no longer: I took him in my arms and embraced him eagerly. +"How far," said I to him, "have I been from understanding the most +essential part of a Christian, viz. to love the interest of the Christian +Church, and the good of other men's souls! I scarce have known what +belongs to the being a Christian."--"Oh, sir! do not say so," replied he; +"this thing is not your fault."--"No," said I; "but why did I never lay +it to heart as well as you?"--"It is not too late yet," said he; "be not +too forward to condemn yourself."--"But what can be done now?" said I: +"you see I am going away."--"Will you give me leave to talk with these +poor men about it?"--"Yes, with all my heart," said I: "and oblige them +to give heed to what you say too."--"As to that," said he, "we must leave +them to the mercy of Christ; but it is your business to assist them, +encourage them, and instruct them; and if you give me leave, and God His +blessing, I do not doubt but the poor ignorant souls shall be brought +home to the great circle of Christianity, if not into the particular +faith we all embrace, and that even while you stay here." Upon this I +said, "I shall not only give you leave, but give you a thousand thanks +for it." + +I now pressed him for the third article in which we were to blame. "Why, +really," says he, "it is of the same nature. It is about your poor +savages, who are, as I may say, your conquered subjects. It is a maxim, +sir, that is or ought to be received among all Christians, of what church +or pretended church soever, that the Christian knowledge ought to be +propagated by all possible means and on all possible occasions. It is on +this principle that our Church sends missionaries into Persia, India, and +China; and that our clergy, even of the superior sort, willingly engage +in the most hazardous voyages, and the most dangerous residence amongst +murderers and barbarians, to teach them the knowledge of the true God, +and to bring them over to embrace the Christian faith. Now, sir, you +have such an opportunity here to have six or seven and thirty poor +savages brought over from a state of idolatry to the knowledge of God, +their Maker and Redeemer, that I wonder how you can pass such an occasion +of doing good, which is really worth the expense of a man's whole life." + +I was now struck dumb indeed, and had not one word to say. I had here +the spirit of true Christian zeal for God and religion before me. As for +me, I had not so much as entertained a thought of this in my heart +before, and I believe I should not have thought of it; for I looked upon +these savages as slaves, and people whom, had we not had any work for +them to do, we would have used as such, or would have been glad to have +transported them to any part of the world; for our business was to get +rid of them, and we would all have been satisfied if they had been sent +to any country, so they had never seen their own. I was confounded at +his discourse, and knew not what answer to make him. + +He looked earnestly at me, seeing my confusion. "Sir," says he, "I shall +be very sorry if what I have said gives you any offence."--"No, no," said +I, "I am offended with nobody but myself; but I am perfectly confounded, +not only to think that I should never take any notice of this before, but +with reflecting what notice I am able to take of it now. You know, sir," +said I, "what circumstances I am in; I am bound to the East Indies in a +ship freighted by merchants, and to whom it would be an insufferable +piece of injustice to detain their ship here, the men lying all this +while at victuals and wages on the owners' account. It is true, I agreed +to be allowed twelve days here, and if I stay more, I must pay three +pounds sterling _per diem_ demurrage; nor can I stay upon demurrage above +eight days more, and I have been here thirteen already; so that I am +perfectly unable to engage in this work unless I would suffer myself to +be left behind here again; in which case, if this single ship should +miscarry in any part of her voyage, I should be just in the same +condition that I was left in here at first, and from which I have been so +wonderfully delivered." He owned the case was very hard upon me as to my +voyage; but laid it home upon my conscience whether the blessing of +saving thirty-seven souls was not worth venturing all I had in the world +for. I was not so sensible of that as he was. I replied to him thus: +"Why, sir, it is a valuable thing, indeed, to be an instrument in God's +hand to convert thirty-seven heathens to the knowledge of Christ: but as +you are an ecclesiastic, and are given over to the work, so it seems so +naturally to fall in the way of your profession; how is it, then, that +you do not rather offer yourself to undertake it than to press me to do +it?" + +Upon this he faced about just before me, as he walked along, and putting +me to a full stop, made me a very low bow. "I most heartily thank God +and you, sir," said he, "for giving me so evident a call to so blessed a +work; and if you think yourself discharged from it, and desire me to +undertake it, I will most readily do it, and think it a happy reward for +all the hazards and difficulties of such a broken, disappointed voyage as +I have met with, that I am dropped at last into so glorious a work." + +I discovered a kind of rapture in his face while he spoke this to me; his +eyes sparkled like fire; his face glowed, and his colour came and went; +in a word, he was fired with the joy of being embarked in such a work. I +paused a considerable while before I could tell what to say to him; for I +was really surprised to find a man of such sincerity, and who seemed +possessed of a zeal beyond the ordinary rate of men. But after I had +considered it a while, I asked him seriously if he was in earnest, and +that he would venture, on the single consideration of an attempt to +convert those poor people, to be locked up in an unplanted island for +perhaps his life, and at last might not know whether he should be able to +do them good or not? He turned short upon me, and asked me what I called +a venture? "Pray, sir," said he, "what do you think I consented to go in +your ship to the East Indies for?"--"ay," said I, "that I know not, +unless it was to preach to the Indians."--"Doubtless it was," said he; +"and do you think, if I can convert these thirty-seven men to the faith +of Jesus Christ, it is not worth my time, though I should never be +fetched off the island again?--nay, is it not infinitely of more worth to +save so many souls than my life is, or the life of twenty more of the +same profession? Yes, sir," says he, "I would give God thanks all my +days if I could be made the happy instrument of saving the souls of those +poor men, though I were never to get my foot off this island or see my +native country any more. But since you will honour me with putting me +into this work, for which I will pray for you all the days of my life, I +have one humble petition to you besides."--"What is that?" said I.--"Why," +says he, "it is, that you will leave your man Friday with me, to be my +interpreter to them, and to assist me; for without some help I cannot +speak to them, or they to me." + +I was sensibly touched at his requesting Friday, because I could not +think of parting with him, and that for many reasons: he had been the +companion of my travels; he was not only faithful to me, but sincerely +affectionate to the last degree; and I had resolved to do something +considerable for him if he out-lived me, as it was probable he would. +Then I knew that, as I had bred Friday up to be a Protestant, it would +quite confound him to bring him to embrace another religion; and he would +never, while his eyes were open, believe that his old master was a +heretic, and would be damned; and this might in the end ruin the poor +fellow's principles, and so turn him back again to his first idolatry. +However, a sudden thought relieved me in this strait, and it was this: I +told him I could not say that I was willing to part with Friday on any +account whatever, though a work that to him was of more value than his +life ought to be of much more value than the keeping or parting with a +servant. On the other hand, I was persuaded that Friday would by no +means agree to part with me; and I could not force him to it without his +consent, without manifest injustice; because I had promised I would never +send him away, and he had promised and engaged that he would never leave +me, unless I sent him away. + +He seemed very much concerned at it, for he had no rational access to +these poor people, seeing he did not understand one word of their +language, nor they one of his. To remove this difficulty, I told him +Friday's father had learned Spanish, which I found he also understood, +and he should serve him as an interpreter. So he was much better +satisfied, and nothing could persuade him but he would stay and endeavour +to convert them; but Providence gave another very happy turn to all this. + +I come back now to the first part of his objections. When we came to the +Englishmen, I sent for them all together, and after some account given +them of what I had done for them, viz. what necessary things I had +provided for them, and how they were distributed, which they were very +sensible of, and very thankful for, I began to talk to them of the +scandalous life they led, and gave them a full account of the notice the +clergyman had taken of it; and arguing how unchristian and irreligious a +life it was, I first asked them if they were married men or bachelors? +They soon explained their condition to me, and showed that two of them +were widowers, and the other three were single men, or bachelors. I +asked them with what conscience they could take these women, and call +them their wives, and have so many children by them, and not be lawfully +married to them? They all gave me the answer I expected, viz. that there +was nobody to marry them; that they agreed before the governor to keep +them as their wives, and to maintain them and own them as their wives; +and they thought, as things stood with them, they were as legally married +as if they had been married by a parson and with all the formalities in +the world. + +I told them that no doubt they were married in the sight of God, and were +bound in conscience to keep them as their wives; but that the laws of men +being otherwise, they might desert the poor women and children hereafter; +and that their wives, being poor desolate women, friendless and +moneyless, would have no way to help themselves. I therefore told them +that unless I was assured of their honest intent, I could do nothing for +them, but would take care that what I did should be for the women and +children without them; and that, unless they would give me some +assurances that they would marry the women, I could not think it was +convenient they should continue together as man and wife; for that it was +both scandalous to men and offensive to God, who they could not think +would bless them if they went on thus. + +All this went on as I expected; and they told me, especially Will Atkins, +who now seemed to speak for the rest, that they loved their wives as well +as if they had been born in their own native country, and would not leave +them on any account whatever; and they did verily believe that their +wives were as virtuous and as modest, and did, to the utmost of their +skill, as much for them and for their children, as any woman could +possibly do: and they would not part with them on any account. Will +Atkins, for his own particular, added that if any man would take him +away, and offer to carry him home to England, and make him captain of the +best man-of-war in the navy, he would not go with him if he might not +carry his wife and children with him; and if there was a clergyman in the +ship, he would be married to her now with all his heart. + +This was just as I would have it. The priest was not with me at that +moment, but he was not far off; so to try him further, I told him I had a +clergyman with me, and, if he was sincere, I would have him married next +morning, and bade him consider of it, and talk with the rest. He said, +as for himself, he need not consider of it at all, for he was very ready +to do it, and was glad I had a minister with me, and he believed they +would be all willing also. I then told him that my friend, the minister, +was a Frenchman, and could not speak English, but I would act the clerk +between them. He never so much as asked me whether he was a Papist or +Protestant, which was, indeed, what I was afraid of. We then parted, and +I went back to my clergyman, and Will Atkins went in to talk with his +companions. I desired the French gentleman not to say anything to them +till the business was thoroughly ripe; and I told him what answer the men +had given me. + +Before I went from their quarter they all came to me and told me they had +been considering what I had said; that they were glad to hear I had a +clergyman in my company, and they were very willing to give me the +satisfaction I desired, and to be formally married as soon as I pleased; +for they were far from desiring to part with their wives, and that they +meant nothing but what was very honest when they chose them. So I +appointed them to meet me the next morning; and, in the meantime, they +should let their wives know the meaning of the marriage law; and that it +was not only to prevent any scandal, but also to oblige them that they +should not forsake them, whatever might happen. + +The women were easily made sensible of the meaning of the thing, and were +very well satisfied with it, as, indeed, they had reason to be: so they +failed not to attend all together at my apartment next morning, where I +brought out my clergyman; and though he had not on a minister's gown, +after the manner of England, or the habit of a priest, after the manner +of France, yet having a black vest something like a cassock, with a sash +round it, he did not look very unlike a minister; and as for his +language, I was his interpreter. But the seriousness of his behaviour to +them, and the scruples he made of marrying the women, because they were +not baptized and professed Christians, gave them an exceeding reverence +for his person; and there was no need, after that, to inquire whether he +was a clergyman or not. Indeed, I was afraid his scruples would have +been carried so far as that he would not have married them at all; nay, +notwithstanding all I was able to say to him, he resisted me, though +modestly, yet very steadily, and at last refused absolutely to marry +them, unless he had first talked with the men and the women too; and +though at first I was a little backward to it, yet at last I agreed to it +with a good will, perceiving the sincerity of his design. + +When he came to them he let them know that I had acquainted him with +their circumstances, and with the present design; that he was very +willing to perform that part of his function, and marry them, as I had +desired; but that before he could do it, he must take the liberty to talk +with them. He told them that in the sight of all indifferent men, and in +the sense of the laws of society, they had lived all this while in a +state of sin; and that it was true that nothing but the consenting to +marry, or effectually separating them from one another, could now put an +end to it; but there was a difficulty in it, too, with respect to the +laws of Christian matrimony, which he was not fully satisfied about, that +of marrying one that is a professed Christian to a savage, an idolater, +and a heathen--one that is not baptized; and yet that he did not see that +there was time left to endeavour to persuade the women to be baptized, or +to profess the name of Christ, whom they had, he doubted, heard nothing +of, and without which they could not be baptized. He told them he +doubted they were but indifferent Christians themselves; that they had +but little knowledge of God or of His ways, and, therefore, he could not +expect that they had said much to their wives on that head yet; but that +unless they would promise him to use their endeavours with their wives to +persuade them to become Christians, and would, as well as they could, +instruct them in the knowledge and belief of God that made them, and to +worship Jesus Christ that redeemed them, he could not marry them; for he +would have no hand in joining Christians with savages, nor was it +consistent with the principles of the Christian religion, and was, +indeed, expressly forbidden in God's law. + +They heard all this very attentively, and I delivered it very faithfully +to them from his mouth, as near his own words as I could; only sometimes +adding something of my own, to convince them how just it was, and that I +was of his mind; and I always very carefully distinguished between what I +said from myself and what were the clergyman's words. They told me it +was very true what the gentleman said, that they were very indifferent +Christians themselves, and that they had never talked to their wives +about religion. "Lord, sir," says Will Atkins, "how should we teach them +religion? Why, we know nothing ourselves; and besides, sir," said he, +"should we talk to them of God and Jesus Christ, and heaven and hell, it +would make them laugh at us, and ask us what we believe ourselves. And +if we should tell them that we believe all the things we speak of to +them, such as of good people going to heaven, and wicked people to the +devil, they would ask us where we intend to go ourselves, that believe +all this, and are such wicked fellows as we indeed are? Why, sir; 'tis +enough to give them a surfeit of religion at first hearing; folks must +have some religion themselves before they begin to teach other +people."--"Will Atkins," said I to him, "though I am afraid that what you +say has too much truth in it, yet can you not tell your wife she is in +the wrong; that there is a God and a religion better than her own; that +her gods are idols; that they can neither hear nor speak; that there is a +great Being that made all things, and that can destroy all that He has +made; that He rewards the good and punishes the bad; and that we are to +be judged by Him at last for all we do here? You are not so ignorant but +even nature itself will teach you that all this is true; and I am +satisfied you know it all to be true, and believe it yourself."--"That is +true, sir," said Atkins; "but with what face can I say anything to my +wife of all this, when she will tell me immediately it cannot be +true?"--"Not true!" said I; "what do you mean by that?"--"Why, sir," said +he, "she will tell me it cannot be true that this God I shall tell her of +can be just, or can punish or reward, since I am not punished and sent to +the devil, that have been such a wicked creature as she knows I have +been, even to her, and to everybody else; and that I should be suffered +to live, that have been always acting so contrary to what I must tell her +is good, and to what I ought to have done."--"Why, truly, Atkins," said +I, "I am afraid thou speakest too much truth;" and with that I informed +the clergyman of what Atkins had said, for he was impatient to know. +"Oh," said the priest, "tell him there is one thing will make him the +best minister in the world to his wife, and that is repentance; for none +teach repentance like true penitents. He wants nothing but to repent, +and then he will be so much the better qualified to instruct his wife; he +will then be able to tell her that there is not only a God, and that He +is the just rewarder of good and evil, but that He is a merciful Being, +and with infinite goodness and long-suffering forbears to punish those +that offend; waiting to be gracious, and willing not the death of a +sinner, but rather that he should return and live; and even reserves +damnation to the general day of retribution; that it is a clear evidence +of God and of a future state that righteous men receive not their reward, +or wicked men their punishment, till they come into another world; and +this will lead him to teach his wife the doctrine of the resurrection and +of the last judgment. Let him but repent himself, he will be an +excellent preacher of repentance to his wife." + +I repeated all this to Atkins, who looked very serious all the while, +and, as we could easily perceive, was more than ordinarily affected with +it; when being eager, and hardly suffering me to make an end, "I know all +this, master," says he, "and a great deal more; but I have not the +impudence to talk thus to my wife, when God and my conscience know, and +my wife will be an undeniable evidence against me, that I have lived as +if I had never heard of a God or future state, or anything about it; and +to talk of my repenting, alas!" (and with that he fetched a deep sigh, +and I could see that the tears stood in his eyes) "'tis past all that +with me."--"Past it, Atkins?" said I: "what dost thou mean by that?"--"I +know well enough what I mean," says he; "I mean 'tis too late, and that +is too true." + +I told the clergyman, word for word, what he said, and this affectionate +man could not refrain from tears; but, recovering himself, said to me, +"Ask him but one question. Is he easy that it is too late; or is he +troubled, and wishes it were not so?" I put the question fairly to +Atkins; and he answered with a great deal of passion, "How could any man +be easy in a condition that must certainly end in eternal destruction? +that he was far from being easy; but that, on the contrary, he believed +it would one time or other ruin him."--"What do you mean by that?" said +I.--"Why," he said, "he believed he should one time or other cut his +throat, to put an end to the terror of it." + +The clergyman shook his head, with great concern in his face, when I told +him all this; but turning quick to me upon it, says, "If that be his +case, we may assure him it is not too late; Christ will give him +repentance. But pray," says he, "explain this to him: that as no man is +saved but by Christ, and the merit of His passion procuring divine mercy +for him, how can it be too late for any man to receive mercy? Does he +think he is able to sin beyond the power or reach of divine mercy? Pray +tell him there may be a time when provoked mercy will no longer strive, +and when God may refuse to hear, but that it is never too late for men to +ask mercy; and we, that are Christ's servants, are commanded to preach +mercy at all times, in the name of Jesus Christ, to all those that +sincerely repent: so that it is never too late to repent." + +I told Atkins all this, and he heard me with great earnestness; but it +seemed as if he turned off the discourse to the rest, for he said to me +he would go and have some talk with his wife; so he went out a while, and +we talked to the rest. I perceived they were all stupidly ignorant as to +matters of religion, as much as I was when I went rambling away from my +father; yet there were none of them backward to hear what had been said; +and all of them seriously promised that they would talk with their wives +about it, and do their endeavours to persuade them to turn Christians. + +The clergyman smiled upon me when I reported what answer they gave, but +said nothing a good while; but at last, shaking his head, "We that are +Christ's servants," says he, "can go no further than to exhort and +instruct: and when men comply, submit to the reproof, and promise what we +ask, 'tis all we can do; we are bound to accept their good words; but +believe me, sir," said he, "whatever you may have known of the life of +that man you call Will Atkin's, I believe he is the only sincere convert +among them: I will not despair of the rest; but that man is apparently +struck with the sense of his past life, and I doubt not, when he comes to +talk of religion to his wife, he will talk himself effectually into it: +for attempting to teach others is sometimes the best way of teaching +ourselves. If that poor Atkins begins but once to talk seriously of +Jesus Christ to his wife, he will assuredly talk himself into a thorough +convert, make himself a penitent, and who knows what may follow." + +Upon this discourse, however, and their promising, as above, to endeavour +to persuade their wives to embrace Christianity, he married the two other +couple; but Will Atkins and his wife were not yet come in. After this, +my clergyman, waiting a while, was curious to know where Atkins was gone, +and turning to me, said, "I entreat you, sir, let us walk out of your +labyrinth here and look; I daresay we shall find this poor man somewhere +or other talking seriously to his wife, and teaching her already +something of religion." I began to be of the same mind; so we went out +together, and I carried him a way which none knew but myself, and where +the trees were so very thick that it was not easy to see through the +thicket of leaves, and far harder to see in than to see out: when, coming +to the edge of the wood, I saw Atkins and his tawny wife sitting under +the shade of a bush, very eager in discourse: I stopped short till my +clergyman came up to me, and then having showed him where they were, we +stood and looked very steadily at them a good while. We observed him +very earnest with her, pointing up to the sun, and to every quarter of +the heavens, and then down to the earth, then out to the sea, then to +himself, then to her, to the woods, to the trees. "Now," says the +clergyman, "you see my words are made good, the man preaches to her; mark +him now, he is telling her that our God has made him, her, and the +heavens, the earth, the sea, the woods, the trees, &c."--"I believe he +is," said I. Immediately we perceived Will Atkins start upon his feet, +fall down on his knees, and lift up both his hands. We supposed he said +something, but we could not hear him; it was too far for that. He did +not continue kneeling half a minute, but comes and sits down again by his +wife, and talks to her again; we perceived then the woman very attentive, +but whether she said anything to him we could not tell. While the poor +fellow was upon his knees I could see the tears run plentifully down my +clergyman's cheeks, and I could hardly forbear myself; but it was a great +affliction to us both that we were not near enough to hear anything that +passed between them. Well, however, we could come no nearer for fear of +disturbing them: so we resolved to see an end of this piece of still +conversation, and it spoke loud enough to us without the help of voice. +He sat down again, as I have said, close by her, and talked again +earnestly to her, and two or three times we could see him embrace her +most passionately; another time we saw him take out his handkerchief and +wipe her eyes, and then kiss her again with a kind of transport very +unusual; and after several of these things, we saw him on a sudden jump +up again, and lend her his hand to help her up, when immediately leading +her by the hand a step or two, they both kneeled down together, and +continued so about two minutes. + +My friend could bear it no longer, but cries out aloud, "St. Paul! St. +Paul! behold he prayeth." I was afraid Atkins would hear him, therefore +I entreated him to withhold himself a while, that we might see an end of +the scene, which to me, I must confess, was the most affecting that ever +I saw in my life. Well, he strove with himself for a while, but was in +such raptures to think that the poor heathen woman was become a +Christian, that he was not able to contain himself; he wept several +times, then throwing up his hands and crossing his breast, said over +several things ejaculatory, and by the way of giving God thanks for so +miraculous a testimony of the success of our endeavours. Some he spoke +softly, and I could not well hear others; some things he said in Latin, +some in French; then two or three times the tears would interrupt him, +that he could not speak at all; but I begged that he would contain +himself, and let us more narrowly and fully observe what was before us, +which he did for a time, the scene not being near ended yet; for after +the poor man and his wife were risen again from their knees, we observed +he stood talking still eagerly to her, and we observed her motion, that +she was greatly affected with what he said, by her frequently lifting up +her hands, laying her hand to her breast, and such other postures as +express the greatest seriousness and attention; this continued about half +a quarter of an hour, and then they walked away, so we could see no more +of them in that situation. + +I took this interval to say to the clergyman, first, that I was glad to +see the particulars we had both been witnesses to; that, though I was +hard enough of belief in such cases, yet that I began to think it was all +very sincere here, both in the man and his wife, however ignorant they +might both be, and I hoped such a beginning would yet have a more happy +end. "But, my friend," added I, "will you give me leave to start one +difficulty here? I cannot tell how to object the least thing against +that affectionate concern which you show for the turning of the poor +people from their paganism to the Christian religion; but how does this +comfort you, while these people are, in your account, out of the pale of +the Catholic Church, without which you believe there is no salvation? so +that you esteem these but heretics, as effectually lost as the pagans +themselves." + +To this he answered, with abundance of candour, thus: "Sir, I am a +Catholic of the Roman Church, and a priest of the order of St. Benedict, +and I embrace all the principles of the Roman faith; but yet, if you will +believe me, and that I do not speak in compliment to you, or in respect +to my circumstances and your civilities; I say nevertheless, I do not +look upon you, who call yourselves reformed, without some charity. I +dare not say (though I know it is our opinion in general) that you cannot +be saved; I will by no means limit the mercy of Christ so far as think +that He cannot receive you into the bosom of His Church, in a manner to +us unperceivable; and I hope you have the same charity for us: I pray +daily for you being all restored to Christ's Church, by whatsoever method +He, who is all-wise, is pleased to direct. In the meantime, surely you +will allow it consists with me as a Roman to distinguish far between a +Protestant and a pagan; between one that calls on Jesus Christ, though in +a way which I do not think is according to the true faith, and a savage +or a barbarian, that knows no God, no Christ, no Redeemer; and if you are +not within the pale of the Catholic Church, we hope you are nearer being +restored to it than those who know nothing of God or of His Church: and I +rejoice, therefore, when I see this poor man, who you say has been a +profligate, and almost a murderer kneel down and pray to Jesus Christ, as +we suppose he did, though not fully enlightened; believing that God, from +whom every such work proceeds, will sensibly touch his heart, and bring +him to the further knowledge of that truth in His own time; and if God +shall influence this poor man to convert and instruct the ignorant +savage, his wife, I can never believe that he shall be cast away himself. +And have I not reason, then, to rejoice, the nearer any are brought to +the knowledge of Christ, though they may not be brought quite home into +the bosom of the Catholic Church just at the time when I desire it, +leaving it to the goodness of Christ to perfect His work in His own time, +and in his own way? Certainly, I would rejoice if all the savages in +America were brought, like this poor woman, to pray to God, though they +were all to be Protestants at first, rather than they should continue +pagans or heathens; firmly believing, that He that had bestowed the first +light on them would farther illuminate them with a beam of His heavenly +grace, and bring them into the pale of His Church when He should see +good." + + + + +CHAPTER VII--CONVERSATION BETWIXT WILL ATKINS AND HIS WIFE + + +I was astonished at the sincerity and temper of this pious Papist, as +much as I was oppressed by the power of his reasoning; and it presently +occurred to my thoughts, that if such a temper was universal, we might be +all Catholic Christians, whatever Church or particular profession we +joined in; that a spirit of charity would soon work us all up into right +principles; and as he thought that the like charity would make us all +Catholics, so I told him I believed, had all the members of his Church +the like moderation, they would soon all be Protestants. And there we +left that part; for we never disputed at all. However, I talked to him +another way, and taking him by the hand, "My friend," says I, "I wish all +the clergy of the Romish Church were blessed with such moderation, and +had an equal share of your charity. I am entirely of your opinion; but I +must tell you that if you should preach such doctrine in Spain or Italy, +they would put you into the Inquisition."--"It may be so," said he; "I +know not what they would do in Spain or Italy; but I will not say they +would be the better Christians for that severity; for I am sure there is +no heresy in abounding with charity." + +Well, as Will Atkins and his wife were gone, our business there was over, +so we went back our own way; and when we came back, we found them waiting +to be called in. Observing this, I asked my clergyman if we should +discover to him that we had seen him under the bush or not; and it was +his opinion we should not, but that we should talk to him first, and hear +what he would say to us; so we called him in alone, nobody being in the +place but ourselves, and I began by asking him some particulars about his +parentage and education. He told me frankly enough that his father was a +clergyman who would have taught him well, but that he, Will Atkins, +despised all instruction and correction; and by his brutish conduct cut +the thread of all his father's comforts and shortened his days, for that +he broke his heart by the most ungrateful, unnatural return for the most +affectionate treatment a father ever gave. + +In what he said there seemed so much sincerity of repentance, that it +painfully affected me. I could not but reflect that I, too, had +shortened the life of a good, tender father by my bad conduct and +obstinate self-will. I was, indeed, so surprised with what he had told +me, that I thought, instead of my going about to teach and instruct him, +the man was made a teacher and instructor to me in a most unexpected +manner. + +I laid all this before the young clergyman, who was greatly affected with +it, and said to me, "Did I not say, sir, that when this man was converted +he would preach to us all? I tell you, sir, if this one man be made a +true penitent, there will be no need of me; he will make Christians of +all in the island."--But having a little composed myself, I renewed my +discourse with Will Atkins. "But, Will," said I, "how comes the sense of +this matter to touch you just now?" + +_W.A._--Sir, you have set me about a work that has struck a dart though +my very soul; I have been talking about God and religion to my wife, in +order, as you directed me, to make a Christian of her, and she has +preached such a sermon to me as I shall never forget while I live. + +_R.C._--No, no, it is not your wife has preached to you; but when you +were moving religious arguments to her, conscience has flung them back +upon you. + +_W.A._--Ay, sir, with such force as is not to be resisted. + +_R.C._--Pray, Will, let us know what passed between you and your wife; +for I know something of it already. + +_W.A._--Sir, it is impossible to give you a full account of it; I am too +full to hold it, and yet have no tongue to express it; but let her have +said what she will, though I cannot give you an account of it, this I can +tell you, that I have resolved to amend and reform my life. + +_R.C._--But tell us some of it: how did you begin, Will? For this has +been an extraordinary case, that is certain. She has preached a sermon, +indeed, if she has wrought this upon you. + +_W.A._--Why, I first told her the nature of our laws about marriage, and +what the reasons were that men and women were obliged to enter into such +compacts as it was neither in the power of one nor other to break; that +otherwise, order and justice could not be maintained, and men would run +from their wives, and abandon their children, mix confusedly with one +another, and neither families be kept entire, nor inheritances be settled +by legal descent. + +_R.C._--You talk like a civilian, Will. Could you make her understand +what you meant by inheritance and families? They know no such things +among the savages, but marry anyhow, without regard to relation, +consanguinity, or family; brother and sister, nay, as I have been told, +even the father and the daughter, and the son and the mother. + +_W.A._--I believe, sir, you are misinformed, and my wife assures me of +the contrary, and that they abhor it; perhaps, for any further relations, +they may not be so exact as we are; but she tells me never in the near +relationship you speak of. + +_R.C._--Well, what did she say to what you told her? + +_W.A._--She said she liked it very well, as it was much better than in +her country. + +_R.C._--But did you tell her what marriage was? + +_W.A._--Ay, ay, there began our dialogue. I asked her if she would be +married to me our way. She asked me what way that was; I told her +marriage was appointed by God; and here we had a strange talk together, +indeed, as ever man and wife had, I believe. + +N.B.--This dialogue between Will Atkins and his wife, which I took down +in writing just after he told it me, was as follows:-- + +_Wife_.--Appointed by your God!--Why, have you a God in your country? + +_W.A._--Yes, my dear, God is in every country. + +_Wife_.--No your God in my country; my country have the great old +Benamuckee God. + +_W.A._--Child, I am very unfit to show you who God is; God is in heaven +and made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and all that in them is. + +_Wife_.--No makee de earth; no you God makee all earth; no makee my +country. + +[Will Atkins laughed a little at her expression of God not making her +country.] + +_Wife_.--No laugh; why laugh me? This no ting to laugh. + +[He was justly reproved by his wife, for she was more serious than he at +first.] + +_W.A._--That's true, indeed; I will not laugh any more, my dear. + +_Wife_.--Why you say you God makee all? + +_W.A._--Yes, child, our God made the whole world, and you, and me, and +all things; for He is the only true God, and there is no God but Him. He +lives for ever in heaven. + +_Wife_.--Why you no tell me long ago? + +_W.A._--That's true, indeed; but I have been a wicked wretch, and have +not only forgotten to acquaint thee with anything before, but have lived +without God in the world myself. + +_Wife_.--What, have you a great God in your country, you no know Him? No +say O to Him? No do good ting for Him? That no possible. + +_W.A._--It is true; though, for all that, we live as if there was no God +in heaven, or that He had no power on earth. + +_Wife_.--But why God let you do so? Why He no makee you good live? + +_W.A._--It is all our own fault. + +_Wife_.--But you say me He is great, much great, have much great power; +can makee kill when He will: why He no makee kill when you no serve Him? +no say O to Him? no be good mans? + +_W.A._--That is true, He might strike me dead; and I ought to expect it, +for I have been a wicked wretch, that is true; but God is merciful, and +does not deal with us as we deserve. + +_Wife_.--But then do you not tell God thankee for that too? + +_W. A._--No, indeed, I have not thanked God for His mercy, any more than +I have feared God from His power. + +_Wife_.--Then you God no God; me no think, believe He be such one, great +much power, strong: no makee kill you, though you make Him much angry. + +_W.A._--What, will my wicked life hinder you from believing in God? What +a dreadful creature am I! and what a sad truth is it, that the horrid +lives of Christians hinder the conversion of heathens! + +_Wife_.--How me tink you have great much God up there [she points up to +heaven], and yet no do well, no do good ting? Can He tell? Sure He no +tell what you do? + +_W.A._--Yes, yes, He knows and sees all things; He hears us speak, sees +what we do, knows what we think though we do not speak. + +_Wife_.--What! He no hear you curse, swear, speak de great damn? + +_W.A._--Yes, yes, He hears it all. + +_Wife_.--Where be then the much great power strong? + +_W.A._--He is merciful, that is all we can say for it; and this proves +Him to be the true God; He is God, and not man, and therefore we are not +consumed. + +[Here Will Atkins told us he was struck with horror to think how he could +tell his wife so clearly that God sees, and hears, and knows the secret +thoughts of the heart, and all that we do, and yet that he had dared to +do all the vile things he had done.] + +_Wife_.--Merciful! What you call dat? + +_W.A._--He is our Father and Maker, and He pities and spares us. + +_Wife_.--So then He never makee kill, never angry when you do wicked; +then He no good Himself, or no great able. + +_W.A._--Yes, yes, my dear, He is infinitely good and infinitely great, +and able to punish too; and sometimes, to show His justice and vengeance, +He lets fly His anger to destroy sinners and make examples; many are cut +off in their sins. + +_Wife_.--But no makee kill you yet; then He tell you, maybe, that He no +makee you kill: so you makee the bargain with Him, you do bad thing, He +no be angry at you when He be angry at other mans. + +_W.A._--No, indeed, my sins are all presumptions upon His goodness; and +He would be infinitely just if He destroyed me, as He has done other men. + +_Wife_.--Well, and yet no kill, no makee you dead: what you say to Him +for that? You no tell Him thankee for all that too? + +_W.A._--I am an unthankful, ungrateful dog, that is true. + +_Wife_.--Why He no makee you much good better? you say He makee you. + +_W.A._--He made me as He made all the world: it is I have deformed myself +and abused His goodness, and made myself an abominable wretch. + +_Wife_.--I wish you makee God know me. I no makee Him angry--I no do bad +wicked thing. + +[Here Will Atkins said his heart sunk within him to hear a poor untaught +creature desire to be taught to know God, and he such a wicked wretch, +that he could not say one word to her about God, but what the reproach of +his own carriage would make most irrational to her to believe; nay, that +already she had told him that she could not believe in God, because he, +that was so wicked, was not destroyed.] + +_W.A._--My dear, you mean, you wish I could teach you to know God, not +God to know you; for He knows you already, and every thought in your +heart. + +_Wife_.--Why, then, He know what I say to you now: He know me wish to +know Him. How shall me know who makee me? + +_W.A._--Poor creature, He must teach thee: I cannot teach thee. I will +pray to Him to teach thee to know Him, and forgive me, that am unworthy +to teach thee. + +[The poor fellow was in such an agony at her desiring him to make her +know God, and her wishing to know Him, that he said he fell down on his +knees before her, and prayed to God to enlighten her mind with the saving +knowledge of Jesus Christ, and to pardon his sins, and accept of his +being the unworthy instrument of instructing her in the principles of +religion: after which he sat down by her again, and their dialogue went +on. This was the time when we saw him kneel down and hold up his hands.] + +_Wife_.--What you put down the knee for? What you hold up the hand for? +What you say? Who you speak to? What is all that? + +_W.A._--My dear, I bow my knees in token of my submission to Him that +made me: I said O to Him, as you call it, and as your old men do to their +idol Benamuckee; that is, I prayed to Him. + +_Wife_.--What say you O to Him for? + +_W.A._--I prayed to Him to open your eyes and your understanding, that +you may know Him, and be accepted by Him. + +_Wife_.--Can He do that too? + +_W.A._--Yes, He can: He can do all things. + +_Wife_.--But now He hear what you say? + +_W.A._--Yes, He has bid us pray to Him, and promised to hear us. + +_Wife_.--Bid you pray? When He bid you? How He bid you? What you hear +Him speak? + +_W.A._--No, we do not hear Him speak; but He has revealed Himself many +ways to us. + +[Here he was at a great loss to make her understand that God has revealed +Himself to us by His word, and what His word was; but at last he told it +to her thus.] + +_W.A._--God has spoken to some good men in former days, even from heaven, +by plain words; and God has inspired good men by His Spirit; and they +have written all His laws down in a book. + +_Wife_.--Me no understand that; where is book? + +_W.A._--Alas! my poor creature, I have not this book; but I hope I shall +one time or other get it for you, and help you to read it. + +[Here he embraced her with great affection, but with inexpressible grief +that he had not a Bible.] + +_Wife_.--But how you makee me know that God teachee them to write that +book? + +_W.A._--By the same rule that we know Him to be God. + +_Wife_.--What rule? What way you know Him? + +_W.A._--Because He teaches and commands nothing but what is good, +righteous, and holy, and tends to make us perfectly good, as well as +perfectly happy; and because He forbids and commands us to avoid all that +is wicked, that is evil in itself, or evil in its consequence. + +_Wife_.--That me would understand, that me fain see; if He teachee all +good thing, He makee all good thing, He give all thing, He hear me when I +say O to Him, as you do just now; He makee me good if I wish to be good; +He spare me, no makee kill me, when I no be good: all this you say He do, +yet He be great God; me take, think, believe Him to be great God; me say +O to Him with you, my dear. + +Here the poor man could forbear no longer, but raised her up, made her +kneel by him, and he prayed to God aloud to instruct her in the knowledge +of Himself, by His Spirit; and that by some good providence, if possible, +she might, some time or other, come to have a Bible, that she might read +the word of God, and be taught by it to know Him. This was the time that +we saw him lift her up by the hand, and saw him kneel down by her, as +above. + +They had several other discourses, it seems, after this; and particularly +she made him promise that, since he confessed his own life had been a +wicked, abominable course of provocations against God, that he would +reform it, and not make God angry any more, lest He should make him dead, +as she called it, and then she would be left alone, and never be taught +to know this God better; and lest he should be miserable, as he had told +her wicked men would be after death. + +This was a strange account, and very affecting to us both, but +particularly to the young clergyman; he was, indeed, wonderfully +surprised with it, but under the greatest affliction imaginable that he +could not talk to her, that he could not speak English to make her +understand him; and as she spoke but very broken English, he could not +understand her; however, he turned himself to me, and told me that he +believed that there must be more to do with this woman than to marry her. +I did not understand him at first; but at length he explained himself, +viz. that she ought to be baptized. I agreed with him in that part +readily, and wished it to be done presently. "No, no; hold, sir," says +he; "though I would have her be baptized, by all means, for I must +observe that Will Atkins, her husband, has indeed brought her, in a +wonderful manner, to be willing to embrace a religious life, and has +given her just ideas of the being of a God; of His power, justice, and +mercy: yet I desire to know of him if he has said anything to her of +Jesus Christ, and of the salvation of sinners; of the nature of faith in +Him, and redemption by Him; of the Holy Spirit, the resurrection, the +last judgment, and the future state." + +I called Will Atkins again, and asked him; but the poor fellow fell +immediately into tears, and told us he had said something to her of all +those things, but that he was himself so wicked a creature, and his own +conscience so reproached him with his horrid, ungodly life, that he +trembled at the apprehensions that her knowledge of him should lessen the +attention she should give to those things, and make her rather contemn +religion than receive it; but he was assured, he said, that her mind was +so disposed to receive due impressions of all those things, and that if I +would but discourse with her, she would make it appear to my satisfaction +that my labour would not be lost upon her. + +Accordingly I called her in, and placing myself as interpreter between my +religious priest and the woman, I entreated him to begin with her; but +sure such a sermon was never preached by a Popish priest in these latter +ages of the world; and as I told him, I thought he had all the zeal, all +the knowledge, all the sincerity of a Christian, without the error of a +Roman Catholic; and that I took him to be such a clergyman as the Roman +bishops were before the Church of Rome assumed spiritual sovereignty over +the consciences of men. In a word, he brought the poor woman to embrace +the knowledge of Christ, and of redemption by Him, not with wonder and +astonishment only, as she did the first notions of a God, but with joy +and faith; with an affection, and a surprising degree of understanding, +scarce to be imagined, much less to be expressed; and, at her own +request, she was baptized. + +When he was preparing to baptize her, I entreated him that he would +perform that office with some caution, that the man might not perceive he +was of the Roman Church, if possible, because of other ill consequences +which might attend a difference among us in that very religion which we +were instructing the other in. He told me that as he had no consecrated +chapel, nor proper things for the office, I should see he would do it in +a manner that I should not know by it that he was a Roman Catholic +myself, if I had not known it before; and so he did; for saying only some +words over to himself in Latin, which I could not understand, he poured a +whole dishful of water upon the woman's head, pronouncing in French, very +loud, "Mary" (which was the name her husband desired me to give her, for +I was her godfather), "I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of +the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;" so that none could know anything by it +what religion he was of. He gave the benediction afterwards in Latin, +but either Will Atkins did not know but it was French, or else did not +take notice of it at that time. + +As soon as this was over we married them; and after the marriage was +over, he turned to Will Atkins, and in a very affectionate manner +exhorted him, not only to persevere in that good disposition he was in, +but to support the convictions that were upon him by a resolution to +reform his life: told him it was in vain to say he repented if he did not +forsake his crimes; represented to him how God had honoured him with +being the instrument of bringing his wife to the knowledge of the +Christian religion, and that he should be careful he did not dishonour +the grace of God; and that if he did, he would see the heathen a better +Christian than himself; the savage converted, and the instrument cast +away. He said a great many good things to them both; and then, +recommending them to God's goodness, gave them the benediction again, I +repeating everything to them in English; and thus ended the ceremony. I +think it was the most pleasant and agreeable day to me that ever I passed +in my whole life. But my clergyman had not done yet: his thoughts hung +continually upon the conversion of the thirty-seven savages, and fain be +would have stayed upon the island to have undertaken it; but I convinced +him, first, that his undertaking was impracticable in itself; and, +secondly, that perhaps I would put it into a way of being done in his +absence to his satisfaction. + +Having thus brought the affairs of the island to a narrow compass, I was +preparing to go on board the ship, when the young man I had taken out of +the famished ship's company came to me, and told me he understood I had a +clergyman with me, and that I had caused the Englishmen to be married to +the savages; that he had a match too, which he desired might be finished +before I went, between two Christians, which he hoped would not be +disagreeable to me. + +I knew this must be the young woman who was his mother's servant, for +there was no other Christian woman on the island: so I began to persuade +him not to do anything of that kind rashly, or because he found himself +in this solitary circumstance. I represented to him that he had some +considerable substance in the world, and good friends, as I understood by +himself, and the maid also; that the maid was not only poor, and a +servant, but was unequal to him, she being six or seven and twenty years +old, and he not above seventeen or eighteen; that he might very probably, +with my assistance, make a remove from this wilderness, and come into his +own country again; and that then it would be a thousand to one but he +would repent his choice, and the dislike of that circumstance might be +disadvantageous to both. I was going to say more, but he interrupted me, +smiling, and told me, with a great deal of modesty, that I mistook in my +guesses--that he had nothing of that kind in his thoughts; and he was +very glad to hear that I had an intent of putting them in a way to see +their own country again; and nothing should have made him think of +staying there, but that the voyage I was going was so exceeding long and +hazardous, and would carry him quite out of the reach of all his friends; +that he had nothing to desire of me but that I would settle him in some +little property in the island where he was, give him a servant or two, +and some few necessaries, and he would live here like a planter, waiting +the good time when, if ever I returned to England, I would redeem him. He +hoped I would not be unmindful of him when I came to England: that he +would give me some letters to his friends in London, to let them know how +good I had been to him, and in what part of the world and what +circumstances I had left him in: and he promised me that whenever I +redeemed him, the plantation, and all the improvements he had made upon +it, let the value be what it would, should be wholly mine. + +His discourse was very prettily delivered, considering his youth, and was +the more agreeable to me, because he told me positively the match was not +for himself. I gave him all possible assurances that if I lived to come +safe to England, I would deliver his letters, and do his business +effectually; and that he might depend I should never forget the +circumstances I had left him in. But still I was impatient to know who +was the person to be married; upon which he told me it was my Jack-of-all- +trades and his maid Susan. I was most agreeably surprised when he named +the match; for, indeed, I thought it very suitable. The character of +that man I have given already; and as for the maid, she was a very +honest, modest, sober, and religious young woman: had a very good share +of sense, was agreeable enough in her person, spoke very handsomely and +to the purpose, always with decency and good manners, and was neither too +backward to speak when requisite, nor impertinently forward when it was +not her business; very handy and housewifely, and an excellent manager; +fit, indeed, to have been governess to the whole island; and she knew +very well how to behave in every respect. + +The match being proposed in this manner, we married them the same day; +and as I was father at the altar, and gave her away, so I gave her a +portion; for I appointed her and her husband a handsome large space of +ground for their plantation; and indeed this match, and the proposal the +young gentleman made to give him a small property in the island, put me +upon parcelling it out amongst them, that they might not quarrel +afterwards about their situation. + +This sharing out the land to them I left to Will Atkins, who was now +grown a sober, grave, managing fellow, perfectly reformed, exceedingly +pious and religious; and, as far as I may be allowed to speak positively +in such a case, I verily believe he was a true penitent. He divided +things so justly, and so much to every one's satisfaction, that they only +desired one general writing under my hand for the whole, which I caused +to be drawn up, and signed and sealed, setting out the bounds and +situation of every man's plantation, and testifying that I gave them +thereby severally a right to the whole possession and inheritance of the +respective plantations or farms, with their improvements, to them and +their heirs, reserving all the rest of the island as my own property, and +a certain rent for every particular plantation after eleven years, if I, +or any one from me, or in my name, came to demand it, producing an +attested copy of the same writing. As to the government and laws among +them, I told them I was not capable of giving them better rules than they +were able to give themselves; only I made them promise me to live in love +and good neighbourhood with one another; and so I prepared to leave them. + +One thing I must not omit, and that is, that being now settled in a kind +of commonwealth among themselves, and having much business in hand, it +was odd to have seven-and-thirty Indians live in a nook of the island, +independent, and, indeed, unemployed; for except the providing themselves +food, which they had difficulty enough to do sometimes, they had no +manner of business or property to manage. I proposed, therefore, to the +governor Spaniard that he should go to them, with Friday's father, and +propose to them to remove, and either plant for themselves, or be taken +into their several families as servants to be maintained for their +labour, but without being absolute slaves; for I would not permit them to +make them slaves by force, by any means; because they had their liberty +given them by capitulation, as it were articles of surrender, which they +ought not to break. + +They most willingly embraced the proposal, and came all very cheerfully +along with him: so we allotted them land and plantations, which three or +four accepted of, but all the rest chose to be employed as servants in +the several families we had settled. Thus my colony was in a manner +settled as follows: The Spaniards possessed my original habitation, which +was the capital city, and extended their plantations all along the side +of the brook, which made the creek that I have so often described, as far +as my bower; and as they increased their culture, it went always +eastward. The English lived in the north-east part, where Will Atkins +and his comrades began, and came on southward and south-west, towards the +back part of the Spaniards; and every plantation had a great addition of +land to take in, if they found occasion, so that they need not jostle one +another for want of room. All the east end of the island was left +uninhabited, that if any of the savages should come on shore there only +for their customary barbarities, they might come and go; if they +disturbed nobody, nobody would disturb them: and no doubt but they were +often ashore, and went away again; for I never heard that the planters +were ever attacked or disturbed any more. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII--SAILS FROM THE ISLAND FOR THE BRAZILS + + +It now came into my thoughts that I had hinted to my friend the clergyman +that the work of converting the savages might perhaps be set on foot in +his absence to his satisfaction, and I told him that now I thought that +it was put in a fair way; for the savages, being thus divided among the +Christians, if they would but every one of them do their part with those +which came under their hands, I hoped it might have a very good effect. + +He agreed presently in that, if they did their part. "But how," says he, +"shall we obtain that of them?" I told him we would call them all +together, and leave it in charge with them, or go to them, one by one, +which he thought best; so we divided it--he to speak to the Spaniards, +who were all Papists, and I to speak to the English, who were all +Protestants; and we recommended it earnestly to them, and made them +promise that they would never make any distinction of Papist or +Protestant in their exhorting the savages to turn Christians, but teach +them the general knowledge of the true God, and of their Saviour Jesus +Christ; and they likewise promised us that they would never have any +differences or disputes one with another about religion. + +When I came to Will Atkins's house, I found that the young woman I have +mentioned above, and Will Atkins's wife, were become intimates; and this +prudent, religious young woman had perfected the work Will Atkins had +begun; and though it was not above four days after what I have related, +yet the new-baptized savage woman was made such a Christian as I have +seldom heard of in all my observation or conversation in the world. It +came next into my mind, in the morning before I went to them, that +amongst all the needful things I had to leave with them I had not left +them a Bible, in which I showed myself less considering for them than my +good friend the widow was for me when she sent me the cargo of a hundred +pounds from Lisbon, where she packed up three Bibles and a Prayer-book. +However, the good woman's charity had a greater extent than ever she +imagined, for they were reserved for the comfort and instruction of those +that made much better use of them than I had done. + +I took one of the Bibles in my pocket, and when I came to Will Atkins's +tent, or house, and found the young woman and Atkins's baptized wife had +been discoursing of religion together--for Will Atkins told it me with a +great deal of joy--I asked if they were together now, and he said, "Yes"; +so I went into the house, and he with me, and we found them together very +earnest in discourse. "Oh, sir," says Will Atkins, "when God has sinners +to reconcile to Himself, and aliens to bring home, He never wants a +messenger; my wife has got a new instructor: I knew I was unworthy, as I +was incapable of that work; that young woman has been sent hither from +heaven--she is enough to convert a whole island of savages." The young +woman blushed, and rose up to go away, but I desired her to sit-still; I +told her she had a good work upon her hands, and I hoped God would bless +her in it. + +We talked a little, and I did not perceive that they had any book among +them, though I did not ask; but I put my hand into my pocket, and pulled +out my Bible. "Here," said I to Atkins, "I have brought you an assistant +that perhaps you had not before." The man was so confounded that he was +not able to speak for some time; but, recovering himself, he takes it +with both his hands, and turning to his wife, "Here, my dear," says he, +"did not I tell you our God, though He lives above, could hear what we +have said? Here's the book I prayed for when you and I kneeled down +under the bush; now God has heard us and sent it." When he had said so, +the man fell into such passionate transports, that between the joy of +having it, and giving God thanks for it, the tears ran down his face like +a child that was crying. + +The woman was surprised, and was like to have run into a mistake that +none of us were aware of; for she firmly believed God had sent the book +upon her husband's petition. It is true that providentially it was so, +and might be taken so in a consequent sense; but I believe it would have +been no difficult matter at that time to have persuaded the poor woman to +have believed that an express messenger came from heaven on purpose to +bring that individual book. But it was too serious a matter to suffer +any delusion to take place, so I turned to the young woman, and told her +we did not desire to impose upon the new convert in her first and more +ignorant understanding of things, and begged her to explain to her that +God may be very properly said to answer our petitions, when, in the +course of His providence, such things are in a particular manner brought +to pass as we petitioned for; but we did not expect returns from heaven +in a miraculous and particular manner, and it is a mercy that it is not +so. + +This the young woman did afterwards effectually, so that there was no +priestcraft used here; and I should have thought it one of the most +unjustifiable frauds in the world to have had it so. But the effect upon +Will Atkins is really not to be expressed; and there, we may be sure, was +no delusion. Sure no man was ever more thankful in the world for +anything of its kind than he was for the Bible, nor, I believe, never any +man was glad of a Bible from a better principle; and though he had been a +most profligate creature, headstrong, furious, and desperately wicked, +yet this man is a standing rule to us all for the well instructing +children, viz. that parents should never give over to teach and instruct, +nor ever despair of the success of their endeavours, let the children be +ever so refractory, or to appearance insensible to instruction; for if +ever God in His providence touches the conscience of such, the force of +their education turns upon them, and the early instruction of parents is +not lost, though it may have been many years laid asleep, but some time +or other they may find the benefit of it. Thus it was with this poor +man: however ignorant he was of religion and Christian knowledge, he +found he had some to do with now more ignorant than himself, and that the +least part of the instruction of his good father that now came to his +mind was of use to him. + +Among the rest, it occurred to him, he said, how his father used to +insist so much on the inexpressible value of the Bible, and the privilege +and blessing of it to nations, families, and persons; but he never +entertained the least notion of the worth of it till now, when, being to +talk to heathens, savages, and barbarians, he wanted the help of the +written oracle for his assistance. The young woman was glad of it also +for the present occasion, though she had one, and so had the youth, on +board our ship among their goods, which were not yet brought on shore. +And now, having said so many things of this young woman, I cannot omit +telling one story more of her and myself, which has something in it very +instructive and remarkable. + +I have related to what extremity the poor young woman was reduced; how +her mistress was starved to death, and died on board that unhappy ship we +met at sea, and how the whole ship's company was reduced to the last +extremity. The gentlewoman, and her son, and this maid, were first +hardly used as to provisions, and at last totally neglected and +starved--that is to say, brought to the last extremity of hunger. One +day, being discoursing with her on the extremities they suffered, I asked +her if she could describe, by what she had felt, what it was to starve, +and how it appeared? She said she believed she could, and told her tale +very distinctly thus:-- + +"First, we had for some days fared exceedingly hard, and suffered very +great hunger; but at last we were wholly without food of any kind except +sugar, and a little wine and water. The first day after I had received +no food at all, I found myself towards evening, empty and sick at the +stomach, and nearer night much inclined to yawning and sleep. I lay down +on the couch in the great cabin to sleep, and slept about three hours, +and awaked a little refreshed, having taken a glass of wine when I lay +down; after being about three hours awake, it being about five o'clock in +the morning, I found myself empty, and my stomach sickish, and lay down +again, but could not sleep at all, being very faint and ill; and thus I +continued all the second day with a strange variety--first hungry, then +sick again, with retchings to vomit. The second night, being obliged to +go to bed again without any food more than a draught of fresh water, and +being asleep, I dreamed I was at Barbadoes, and that the market was +mightily stocked with provisions; that I bought some for my mistress, and +went and dined very heartily. I thought my stomach was full after this, +as it would have been after a good dinner; but when I awaked I was +exceedingly sunk in my spirits to find myself in the extremity of family. +The last glass of wine we had I drank, and put sugar in it, because of +its having some spirit to supply nourishment; but there being no +substance in the stomach for the digesting office to work upon, I found +the only effect of the wine was to raise disagreeable fumes from the +stomach into the head; and I lay, as they told me, stupid and senseless, +as one drunk, for some time. The third day, in the morning, after a +night of strange, confused, and inconsistent dreams, and rather dozing +than sleeping, I awaked ravenous and furious with hunger; and I question, +had not my understanding returned and conquered it, whether if I had been +a mother, and had had a little child with me, its life would have been +safe or not. This lasted about three hours, during which time I was +twice raging mad as any creature in Bedlam, as my young master told me, +and as he can now inform you. + +"In one of these fits of lunacy or distraction I fell down and struck my +face against the corner of a pallet-bed, in which my mistress lay, and +with the blow the blood gushed out of my nose; and the cabin-boy bringing +me a little basin, I sat down and bled into it a great deal; and as the +blood came from me I came to myself, and the violence of the flame or +fever I was in abated, and so did the ravenous part of the hunger. Then +I grew sick, and retched to vomit, but could not, for I had nothing in my +stomach to bring up. After I had bled some time I swooned, and they all +believed I was dead; but I came to myself soon after, and then had a most +dreadful pain in my stomach not to be described--not like the colic, but +a gnawing, eager pain for food; and towards night it went off with a kind +of earnest wishing or longing for food. I took another draught of water +with sugar in it; but my stomach loathed the sugar and brought it all up +again; then I took a draught of water without sugar, and that stayed with +me; and I laid me down upon the bed, praying most heartily that it would +please God to take me away; and composing my mind in hopes of it, I +slumbered a while, and then waking, thought myself dying, being light +with vapours from an empty stomach. I recommended my soul then to God, +and then earnestly wished that somebody would throw me into the into the +sea. + +"All this while my mistress lay by me, just, as I thought, expiring, but +she bore it with much more patience than I, and gave the last bit of +bread she had left to her child, my young master, who would not have +taken it, but she obliged him to eat it; and I believe it saved his life. +Towards the morning I slept again, and when I awoke I fell into a violent +passion of crying, and after that had a second fit of violent hunger. I +got up ravenous, and in a most dreadful condition; and once or twice I +was going to bite my own arm. At last I saw the basin in which was the +blood I had bled at my nose the day before: I ran to it, and swallowed it +with such haste, and such a greedy appetite, as if I wondered nobody had +taken it before, and afraid it should be taken from me now. After it was +down, though the thoughts of it filled me with horror, yet it checked the +fit of hunger, and I took another draught of water, and was composed and +refreshed for some hours after. This was the fourth day; and this I kept +up till towards night, when, within the compass of three hours, I had all +the several circumstances over again, one after another, viz. sick, +sleepy, eagerly hungry, pain in the stomach, then ravenous again, then +sick, then lunatic, then crying, then ravenous again, and so every +quarter of an hour, and my strength wasted exceedingly; at night I lay me +down, having no comfort but in the hope that I should die before morning. + +"All this night I had no sleep; but the hunger was now turned into a +disease; and I had a terrible colic and griping, by wind instead of food +having found its way into the bowels; and in this condition I lay till +morning, when I was surprised by the cries and lamentations of my young +master, who called out to me that his mother was dead. I lifted myself +up a little, for I had not strength to rise, but found she was not dead, +though she was able to give very little signs of life. I had then such +convulsions in my stomach, for want of some sustenance, as I cannot +describe; with such frequent throes and pangs of appetite as nothing but +the tortures of death can imitate; and in this condition I was when I +heard the seamen above cry out, 'A sail! a sail!' and halloo and jump +about as if they were distracted. I was not able to get off from the +bed, and my mistress much less; and my young master was so sick that I +thought he had been expiring; so we could not open the cabin door, or get +any account what it was that occasioned such confusion; nor had we had +any conversation with the ship's company for twelve days, they having +told us that they had not a mouthful of anything to eat in the ship; and +this they told us afterwards--they thought we had been dead. It was this +dreadful condition we were in when you were sent to save our lives; and +how you found us, sir, you know as well as I, and better too." + +This was her own relation, and is such a distinct account of starving to +death, as, I confess, I never met with, and was exceeding instructive to +me. I am the rather apt to believe it to be a true account, because the +youth gave me an account of a good part of it; though I must own, not so +distinct and so feeling as the maid; and the rather, because it seems his +mother fed him at the price of her own life: but the poor maid, whose +constitution was stronger than that of her mistress, who was in years, +and a weakly woman too, might struggle harder with it; nevertheless she +might be supposed to feel the extremity something sooner than her +mistress, who might be allowed to keep the last bit something longer than +she parted with any to relieve her maid. No question, as the case is +here related, if our ship or some other had not so providentially met +them, but a few days more would have ended all their lives. I now return +to my disposition of things among the people. And, first, it is to be +observed here, that for many reasons I did not think fit to let them know +anything of the sloop I had framed, and which I thought of setting up +among them; for I found, at least at my first coming, such seeds of +division among them, that I saw plainly, had I set up the sloop, and left +it among them, they would, upon every light disgust, have separated, and +gone away from one another; or perhaps have turned pirates, and so made +the island a den of thieves, instead of a plantation of sober and +religious people, as I intended it; nor did I leave the two pieces of +brass cannon that I had on board, or the extra two quarter-deck guns that +my nephew had provided, for the same reason. I thought it was enough to +qualify them for a defensive war against any that should invade them, but +not to set them up for an offensive war, or to go abroad to attack +others; which, in the end, would only bring ruin and destruction upon +them. I reserved the sloop, therefore, and the guns, for their service +another way, as I shall observe in its place. + +Having now done with the island, I left them all in good circumstances +and in a flourishing condition, and went on board my ship again on the +6th of May, having been about twenty-five days among them: and as they +were all resolved to stay upon the island till I came to remove them, I +promised to send them further relief from the Brazils, if I could +possibly find an opportunity. I particularly promised to send them some +cattle, such as sheep, hogs, and cows: as to the two cows and calves +which I brought from England, we had been obliged, by the length of our +voyage, to kill them at sea, for want of hay to feed them. + +The next day, giving them a salute of five guns at parting, we set sail, +and arrived at the bay of All Saints in the Brazils in about twenty-two +days, meeting nothing remarkable in our passage but this: that about +three days after we had sailed, being becalmed, and the current setting +strong to the ENE., running, as it were, into a bay or gulf on the land +side, we were driven something out of our course, and once or twice our +men cried out, "Land to the eastward!" but whether it was the continent +or islands we could not tell by any means. But the third day, towards +evening, the sea smooth, and the weather calm, we saw the sea as it were +covered towards the land with something very black; not being able to +discover what it was till after some time, our chief mate, going up the +main shrouds a little way, and looking at them with a perspective, cried +out it was an army. I could not imagine what he meant by an army, and +thwarted him a little hastily. "Nay, sir," says he, "don't be angry, for +'tis an army, and a fleet too: for I believe there are a thousand canoes, +and you may see them paddle along, for they are coming towards us apace." + +I was a little surprised then, indeed, and so was my nephew the captain; +for he had heard such terrible stories of them in the island, and having +never been in those seas before, that he could not tell what to think of +it, but said, two or three times, we should all be devoured. I must +confess, considering we were becalmed, and the current set strong towards +the shore, I liked it the worse; however, I bade them not be afraid, but +bring the ship to an anchor as soon as we came so near as to know that we +must engage them. The weather continued calm, and they came on apace +towards us, so I gave orders to come to an anchor, and furl all our +sails; as for the savages, I told them they had nothing to fear but fire, +and therefore they should get their boats out, and fasten them, one close +by the head and the other by the stern, and man them both well, and wait +the issue in that posture: this I did, that the men in the boats might he +ready with sheets and buckets to put out any fire these savages might +endeavour to fix to the outside of the ship. + +In this posture we lay by for them, and in a little while they came up +with us; but never was such a horrid sight seen by Christians; though my +mate was much mistaken in his calculation of their number, yet when they +came up we reckoned about a hundred and twenty-six canoes; some of them +had sixteen or seventeen men in them, and some more, and the least six or +seven. When they came nearer to us, they seemed to be struck with wonder +and astonishment, as at a sight which doubtless they had never seen +before; nor could they at first, as we afterwards understood, know what +to make of us; they came boldly up, however, very near to us, and seemed +to go about to row round us; but we called to our men in the boats not to +let them come too near them. This very order brought us to an engagement +with them, without our designing it; for five or six of the large canoes +came so near our long-boat, that our men beckoned with their hands to +keep them back, which they understood very well, and went back: but at +their retreat about fifty arrows came on board us from those boats, and +one of our men in the long-boat was very much wounded. However, I called +to them not to fire by any means; but we handed down some deal boards +into the boat, and the carpenter presently set up a kind of fence, like +waste boards, to cover them from the arrows of the savages, if they +should shoot again. + +About half-an-hour afterwards they all came up in a body astern of us, +and so near that we could easily discern what they were, though we could +not tell their design; and I easily found they were some of my old +friends, the same sort of savages that I had been used to engage with. In +a short time more they rowed a little farther out to sea, till they came +directly broadside with us, and then rowed down straight upon us, till +they came so near that they could hear us speak; upon this, I ordered all +my men to keep close, lest they should shoot any more arrows, and made +all our guns ready; but being so near as to be within hearing, I made +Friday go out upon the deck, and call out aloud to them in his language, +to know what they meant. Whether they understood him or not, that I knew +not; but as soon as he had called to them, six of them, who were in the +foremost or nighest boat to us, turned their canoes from us, and stooping +down, showed us their naked backs; whether this was a defiance or +challenge we knew not, or whether it was done in mere contempt, or as a +signal to the rest; but immediately Friday cried out they were going to +shoot, and, unhappily for him, poor fellow, they let fly about three +hundred of their arrows, and to my inexpressible grief, killed poor +Friday, no other man being in their sight. The poor fellow was shot with +no less than three arrows, and about three more fell very near him; such +unlucky marksmen they were! + +I was so annoyed at the loss of my old trusty servant and companion, that +I immediately ordered five guns to be loaded with small shot, and four +with great, and gave them such a broadside as they had never heard in +their lives before. They were not above half a cable's length off when +we fired; and our gunners took their aim so well, that three or four of +their canoes were overset, as we had reason to believe, by one shot only. +The ill manners of turning up their bare backs to us gave us no great +offence; neither did I know for certain whether that which would pass for +the greatest contempt among us might be understood so by them or not; +therefore, in return, I had only resolved to have fired four or five guns +at them with powder only, which I knew would frighten them sufficiently: +but when they shot at us directly with all the fury they were capable of, +and especially as they had killed my poor Friday, whom I so entirely +loved and valued, and who, indeed, so well deserved it, I thought myself +not only justifiable before God and man, but would have been very glad if +I could have overset every canoe there, and drowned every one of them. + +I can neither tell how many we killed nor how many we wounded at this +broadside, but sure such a fright and hurry never were seen among such a +multitude; there were thirteen or fourteen of their canoes split and +overset in all, and the men all set a-swimming: the rest, frightened out +of their wits, scoured away as fast as they could, taking but little care +to save those whose boats were split or spoiled with our shot; so I +suppose that many of them were lost; and our men took up one poor fellow +swimming for his life, above an hour after they were all gone. The small +shot from our cannon must needs kill and wound a great many; but, in +short, we never knew how it went with them, for they fled so fast, that +in three hours or thereabouts we could not see above three or four +straggling canoes, nor did we ever see the rest any more; for a breeze of +wind springing up the same evening, we weighed and set sail for the +Brazils. + +We had a prisoner, indeed, but the creature was so sullen that he would +neither cat nor speak, and we all fancied he would starve himself to +death. But I took a way to cure him: for I had made them take him and +turn him into the long-boat, and make him believe they would toss him +into the sea again, and so leave him where they found him, if he would +not speak; nor would that do, but they really did throw him into the sea, +and came away from him. Then he followed them, for he swam like a cork, +and called to them in his tongue, though they knew not one word of what +he said; however at last they took him in again, and then he began to be +more tractable: nor did I ever design they should drown him. + +We were now under sail again, but I was the most disconsolate creature +alive for want of my man Friday, and would have been very glad to have +gone back to the island, to have taken one of the rest from thence for my +occasion, but it could not be: so we went on. We had one prisoner, as I +have said, and it was a long time before we could make him understand +anything; but in time our men taught him some English, and he began to be +a little tractable. Afterwards, we inquired what country he came from; +but could make nothing of what he said; for his speech was so odd, all +gutturals, and he spoke in the throat in such a hollow, odd manner, that +we could never form a word after him; and we were all of opinion that +they might speak that language as well if they were gagged as otherwise; +nor could we perceive that they had any occasion either for teeth, +tongue, lips, or palate, but formed their words just as a hunting-horn +forms a tune with an open throat. He told us, however, some time after, +when we had taught him to speak a little English, that they were going +with their kings to fight a great battle. When he said kings, we asked +him how many kings? He said they were five nation (we could not make him +understand the plural 's), and that they all joined to go against two +nation. We asked him what made them come up to us? He said, "To makee +te great wonder look." Here it is to be observed that all those natives, +as also those of Africa when they learn English, always add two e's at +the end of the words where we use one; and they place the accent upon +them, as makee, takee, and the like; nay, I could hardly make Friday +leave it off, though at last he did. + +And now I name the poor fellow once more, I must take my last leave of +him. Poor honest Friday! We buried him with all the decency and +solemnity possible, by putting him into a coffin, and throwing him into +the sea; and I caused them to fire eleven guns for him. So ended the +life of the most grateful, faithful, honest, and most affectionate +servant that ever man had. + +We went now away with a fair wind for Brazil; and in about twelve days' +time we made land, in the latitude of five degrees south of the line, +being the north-easternmost land of all that part of America. We kept on +S. by E., in sight of the shore four days, when we made Cape St. +Augustine, and in three days came to an anchor off the bay of All Saints, +the old place of my deliverance, from whence came both my good and evil +fate. Never ship came to this port that had less business than I had, +and yet it was with great difficulty that we were admitted to hold the +least correspondence on shore: not my partner himself, who was alive, and +made a great figure among them, not my two merchant-trustees, not the +fame of my wonderful preservation in the island, could obtain me that +favour. My partner, however, remembering that I had given five hundred +moidores to the prior of the monastery of the Augustines, and two hundred +and seventy-two to the poor, went to the monastery, and obliged the prior +that then was to go to the governor, and get leave for me personally, +with the captain and one more, besides eight seamen, to come on shore, +and no more; and this upon condition, absolutely capitulated for, that we +should not offer to land any goods out of the ship, or to carry any +person away without licence. They were so strict with us as to landing +any goods, that it was with extreme difficulty that I got on shore three +bales of English goods, such as fine broadcloths, stuffs, and some linen, +which I had brought for a present to my partner. + +He was a very generous, open-hearted man, although he began, like me, +with little at first. Though he knew not that I had the least design of +giving him anything, he sent me on board a present of fresh provisions, +wine, and sweetmeats, worth about thirty moidores, including some +tobacco, and three or four fine medals of gold: but I was even with him +in my present, which, as I have said, consisted of fine broadcloth, +English stuffs, lace, and fine holland; also, I delivered him about the +value of one hundred pounds sterling in the same goods, for other uses; +and I obliged him to set up the sloop, which I had brought with me from +England, as I have said, for the use of my colony, in order to send the +refreshments I intended to my plantation. + +Accordingly, he got hands, and finished the sloop in a very few days, for +she was already framed; and I gave the master of her such instructions +that he could not miss the place; nor did he, as I had an account from my +partner afterwards. I got him soon loaded with the small cargo I sent +them; and one of our seamen, that had been on shore with me there, +offered to go with the sloop and settle there, upon my letter to the +governor Spaniard to allot him a sufficient quantity of land for a +plantation, and on my giving him some clothes and tools for his planting +work, which he said he understood, having been an old planter at +Maryland, and a buccaneer into the bargain. I encouraged the fellow by +granting all he desired; and, as an addition, I gave him the savage whom +we had taken prisoner of war to be his slave, and ordered the governor +Spaniard to give him his share of everything he wanted with the rest. + +When we came to fit this man out, my old partner told me there was a +certain very honest fellow, a Brazil planter of his acquaintance, who had +fallen into the displeasure of the Church. "I know not what the matter +is with him," says he, "but, on my conscience, I think he is a heretic in +his heart, and he has been obliged to conceal himself for fear of the +Inquisition." He then told me that he would be very glad of such an +opportunity to make his escape, with his wife and two daughters; and if I +would let them go to my island, and allot them a plantation, he would +give them a small stock to begin with--for the officers of the +Inquisition had seized all his effects and estate, and he had nothing +left but a little household stuff and two slaves; "and," adds he, "though +I hate his principles, yet I would not have him fall into their hands, +for he will be assuredly burned alive if he does." I granted this +presently, and joined my Englishman with them; and we concealed the man, +and his wife and daughters, on board our ship, till the sloop put out to +go to sea; and then having put all their goods on board some time before, +we put them on board the sloop after she was got out of the bay. Our +seaman was mightily pleased with this new partner; and their stocks, +indeed, were much alike, rich in tools, in preparations, and a farm--but +nothing to begin with, except as above: however, they carried over with +them what was worth all the rest, some materials for planting +sugar-canes, with some plants of canes, which he, I mean the Brazil +planter, understood very well. + +Among the rest of the supplies sent to my tenants in the island, I sent +them by the sloop three milch cows and five calves; about twenty-two +hogs, among them three sows; two mares, and a stone-horse. For my +Spaniards, according to my promise, I engaged three Brazil women to go, +and recommended it to them to marry them, and use them kindly. I could +have procured more women, but I remembered that the poor persecuted man +had two daughters, and that there were but five of the Spaniards that +wanted partners; the rest had wives of their own, though in another +country. All this cargo arrived safe, and, as you may easily suppose, +was very welcome to my old inhabitants, who were now, with this addition, +between sixty and seventy people, besides little children, of which there +were a great many. I found letters at London from them all, by way of +Lisbon, when I came back to England. + +I have now done with the island, and all manner of discourse about it: +and whoever reads the rest of my memorandums would do well to turn his +thoughts entirely from it, and expect to read of the follies of an old +man, not warned by his own harms, much less by those of other men, to +beware; not cooled by almost forty years' miseries and +disappointments--not satisfied with prosperity beyond expectation, nor +made cautious by afflictions and distress beyond example. + + + + +CHAPTER IX--DREADFUL OCCURRENCES IN MADAGASCAR + + +I had no more business to go to the East Indies than a man at full +liberty has to go to the turnkey at Newgate, and desire him to lock him +up among the prisoners there, and starve him. Had I taken a small vessel +from England and gone directly to the island; had I loaded her, as I did +the other vessel, with all the necessaries for the plantation and for my +people; taken a patent from the government here to have secured my +property, in subjection only to that of England; had I carried over +cannon and ammunition, servants and people to plant, and taken possession +of the place, fortified and strengthened it in the name of England, and +increased it with people, as I might easily have done; had I then settled +myself there, and sent the ship back laden with good rice, as I might +also have done in six months' time, and ordered my friends to have fitted +her out again for our supply--had I done this, and stayed there myself, I +had at least acted like a man of common sense. But I was possessed of a +wandering spirit, and scorned all advantages: I pleased myself with being +the patron of the people I placed there, and doing for them in a kind of +haughty, majestic way, like an old patriarchal monarch, providing for +them as if I had been father of the whole family, as well as of the +plantation. But I never so much as pretended to plant in the name of any +government or nation, or to acknowledge any prince, or to call my people +subjects to any one nation more than another; nay, I never so much as +gave the place a name, but left it as I found it, belonging to nobody, +and the people under no discipline or government but my own, who, though +I had influence over them as a father and benefactor, had no authority or +power to act or command one way or other, further than voluntary consent +moved them to comply. Yet even this, had I stayed there, would have done +well enough; but as I rambled from them, and came there no more, the last +letters I had from any of them were by my partner's means, who afterwards +sent another sloop to the place, and who sent me word, though I had not +the letter till I got to London, several years after it was written, that +they went on but poorly; were discontented with their long stay there; +that Will Atkins was dead; that five of the Spaniards were come away; and +though they had not been much molested by the savages, yet they had had +some skirmishes with them; and that they begged of him to write to me to +think of the promise I had made to fetch them away, that they might see +their country again before they died. + +But I was gone a wildgoose chase indeed, and they that will have any more +of me must be content to follow me into a new variety of follies, +hardships, and wild adventures, wherein the justice of Providence may be +duly observed; and we may see how easily Heaven can gorge us with our own +desires, make the strongest of our wishes be our affliction, and punish +us most severely with those very things which we think it would be our +utmost happiness to be allowed to possess. Whether I had business or no +business, away I went: it is no time now to enlarge upon the reason or +absurdity of my own conduct, but to come to the history--I was embarked +for the voyage, and the voyage I went. + +I shall only add a word or two concerning my honest Popish clergyman, for +let their opinion of us, and all other heretics in general, as they call +us, be as uncharitable as it may, I verily believe this man was very +sincere, and wished the good of all men: yet I believe he used reserve in +many of his expressions, to prevent giving me offence; for I scarce heard +him once call on the Blessed Virgin, or mention St. Jago, or his guardian +angel, though so common with the rest of them. However, I say I had not +the least doubt of his sincerity and pious intentions; and I am firmly of +opinion, if the rest of the Popish missionaries were like him, they would +strive to visit even the poor Tartars and Laplanders, where they have +nothing to give them, as well as covet to flock to India, Persia, China, +&c., the most wealthy of the heathen countries; for if they expected to +bring no gains to their Church by it, it may well be admired how they +came to admit the Chinese Confucius into the calendar of the Christian +saints. + +A ship being ready to sail for Lisbon, my pious priest asked me leave to +go thither; being still, as he observed, bound never to finish any voyage +he began. How happy it had been for me if I had gone with him. But it +was too late now; all things Heaven appoints for the best: had I gone +with him I had never had so many things to be thankful for, and the +reader had never heard of the second part of the travels and adventures +of Robinson Crusoe: so I must here leave exclaiming at myself, and go on +with my voyage. From the Brazils we made directly over the Atlantic Sea +to the Cape of Good Hope, and had a tolerably good voyage, our course +generally south-east, now and then a storm, and some contrary winds; but +my disasters at sea were at an end--my future rubs and cross events were +to befall me on shore, that it might appear the land was as well prepared +to be our scourge as the sea. + +Our ship was on a trading voyage, and had a supercargo on board, who was +to direct all her motions after she arrived at the Cape, only being +limited to a certain number of days for stay, by charter-party, at the +several ports she was to go to. This was none of my business, neither +did I meddle with it; my nephew, the captain, and the supercargo +adjusting all those things between them as they thought fit. We stayed +at the Cape no longer than was needful to take in-fresh water, but made +the best of our way for the coast of Coromandel. We were, indeed, +informed that a French man-of-war, of fifty guns, and two large merchant +ships, were gone for the Indies; and as I knew we were at war with +France, I had some apprehensions of them; but they went their own way, +and we heard no more of them. + +I shall not pester the reader with a tedious description of places, +journals of our voyage, variations of the compass, latitudes, +trade-winds, &c.; it is enough to name the ports and places which we +touched at, and what occurred to us upon our passages from one to +another. We touched first at the island of Madagascar, where, though the +people are fierce and treacherous, and very well armed with lances and +bows, which they use with inconceivable dexterity, yet we fared very well +with them a while. They treated us very civilly; and for some trifles +which we gave them, such as knives, scissors, &c., they brought us eleven +good fat bullocks, of a middling size, which we took in, partly for fresh +provisions for our present spending, and the rest to salt for the ship's +use. + +We were obliged to stay here some time after we had furnished ourselves +with provisions; and I, who was always too curious to look into every +nook of the world wherever I came, went on shore as often as I could. It +was on the east side of the island that we went on shore one evening: and +the people, who, by the way, are very numerous, came thronging about us, +and stood gazing at us at a distance. As we had traded freely with them, +and had been kindly used, we thought ourselves in no danger; but when we +saw the people, we cut three boughs out of a tree, and stuck them up at a +distance from us; which, it seems, is a mark in that country not only of +a truce and friendship, but when it is accepted the other side set up +three poles or boughs, which is a signal that they accept the truce too; +but then this is a known condition of the truce, that you are not to pass +beyond their three poles towards them, nor they to come past your three +poles or boughs towards you; so that you are perfectly secure within the +three poles, and all the space between your poles and theirs is allowed +like a market for free converse, traffic, and commerce. When you go +there you must not carry your weapons with you; and if they come into +that space they stick up their javelins and lances all at the first +poles, and come on unarmed; but if any violence is offered them, and the +truce thereby broken, away they run to the poles, and lay hold of their +weapons, and the truce is at an end. + +It happened one evening, when we went on shore, that a greater number of +their people came down than usual, but all very friendly and civil; and +they brought several kinds of provisions, for which we satisfied them +with such toys as we had; the women also brought us milk and roots, and +several things very acceptable to us, and all was quiet; and we made us a +little tent or hut of some boughs or trees, and lay on shore all night. I +know not what was the occasion, but I was not so well satisfied to lie on +shore as the rest; and the boat riding at an anchor at about a stone's +cast from the land, with two men in her to take care of her, I made one +of them come on shore; and getting some boughs of trees to cover us also +in the boat, I spread the sail on the bottom of the boat, and lay under +the cover of the branches of the trees all night in the boat. + +About two o'clock in the morning we heard one of our men making a +terrible noise on the shore, calling out, for God's sake, to bring the +boat in and come and help them, for they were all like to be murdered; +and at the same time I heard the fire of five muskets, which was the +number of guns they had, and that three times over; for it seems the +natives here were not so easily frightened with guns as the savages were +in America, where I had to do with them. All this while, I knew not what +was the matter, but rousing immediately from sleep with the noise, I +caused the boat to be thrust in, and resolved with three fusees we had on +board to land and assist our men. We got the boat soon to the shore, but +our men were in too much haste; for being come to the shore, they plunged +into the water, to get to the boat with all the expedition they could, +being pursued by between three and four hundred men. Our men were but +nine in all, and only five of them had fusees with them; the rest had +pistols and swords, indeed, but they were of small use to them. + +We took up seven of our men, and with difficulty enough too, three of +them being very ill wounded; and that which was still worse was, that +while we stood in the boat to take our men in, we were in as much danger +as they were in on shore; for they poured their arrows in upon us so +thick that we were glad to barricade the side of the boat up with the +benches, and two or three loose boards which, to our great satisfaction, +we had by mere accident in the boat. And yet, had it been daylight, they +are, it seems, such exact marksmen, that if they could have seen but the +least part of any of us, they would have been sure of us. We had, by the +light of the moon, a little sight of them, as they stood pelting us from +the shore with darts and arrows; and having got ready our firearms, we +gave them a volley that we could hear, by the cries of some of them, had +wounded several; however, they stood thus in battle array on the shore +till break of day, which we supposed was that they might see the better +to take their aim at us. + +In this condition we lay, and could not tell how to weigh our anchor, or +set up our sail, because we must needs stand up in the boat, and they +were as sure to hit us as we were to hit a bird in a tree with small +shot. We made signals of distress to the ship, and though she rode a +league off, yet my nephew, the captain, hearing our firing, and by +glasses perceiving the posture we lay in, and that we fired towards the +shore, pretty well understood us; and weighing anchor with all speed, he +stood as near the shore as he durst with the ship, and then sent another +boat with ten hands in her, to assist us. We called to them not to come +too near, telling them what condition we were in; however, they stood in +near to us, and one of the men taking the end of a tow-line in his hand, +and keeping our boat between him and the enemy, so that they could not +perfectly see him, swam on board us, and made fast the line to the boat: +upon which we slipped out a little cable, and leaving our anchor behind, +they towed us out of reach of the arrows; we all the while lying close +behind the barricade we had made. As soon as we were got from between +the ship and the shore, that we could lay her side to the shore, she ran +along just by them, and poured in a broadside among them, loaded with +pieces of iron and lead, small bullets, and such stuff, besides the great +shot, which made a terrible havoc among them. + +When we were got on board and out of danger, we had time to examine into +the occasion of this fray; and indeed our supercargo, who had been often +in those parts, put me upon it; for he said he was sure the inhabitants +would not have touched us after we had made a truce, if we had not done +something to provoke them to it. At length it came out that an old +woman, who had come to sell us some milk, had brought it within our +poles, and a young woman with her, who also brought us some roots or +herbs; and while the old woman (whether she was mother to the young woman +or no they could not tell) was selling us the milk, one of our men +offered some rudeness to the girl that was with her, at which the old +woman made a great noise: however, the seaman would not quit his prize, +but carried her out of the old woman's sight among the trees, it being +almost dark; the old woman went away without her, and, as we may suppose, +made an outcry among the people she came from; who, upon notice, raised +that great army upon us in three or four hours, and it was great odds but +we had all been destroyed. + +One of our men was killed with a lance thrown at him just at the +beginning of the attack, as he sallied out of the tent they had made; the +rest came off free, all but the fellow who was the occasion of all the +mischief, who paid dear enough for his brutality, for we could not hear +what became of him for a great while. We lay upon the shore two days +after, though the wind presented, and made signals for him, and made our +boat sail up shore and down shore several leagues, but in vain; so we +were obliged to give him over; and if he alone had suffered for it, the +loss had been less. I could not satisfy myself, however, without +venturing on shore once more, to try if I could learn anything of him or +them; it was the third night after the action that I had a great mind to +learn, if I could by any means, what mischief we had done, and how the +game stood on the Indians' side. I was careful to do it in the dark, +lest we should be attacked again: but I ought indeed to have been sure +that the men I went with had been under my command, before I engaged in a +thing so hazardous and mischievous as I was brought into by it, without +design. + +We took twenty as stout fellows with us as any in the ship, besides the +supercargo and myself, and we landed two hours before midnight, at the +same place where the Indians stood drawn up in the evening before. I +landed here, because my design, as I have said, was chiefly to see if +they had quitted the field, and if they had left any marks behind them of +the mischief we had done them, and I thought if we could surprise one or +two of them, perhaps we might get our man again, by way of exchange. + +We landed without any noise, and divided our men into two bodies, whereof +the boatswain commanded one and I the other. We neither saw nor heard +anybody stir when we landed: and we marched up, one body at a distance +from another, to the place. At first we could see nothing, it being very +dark; till by-and-by our boatswain, who led the first party, stumbled and +fell over a dead body. This made them halt a while; for knowing by the +circumstances that they were at the place where the Indians had stood, +they waited for my coming up there. We concluded to halt till the moon +began to rise, which we knew would be in less than an hour, when we could +easily discern the havoc we had made among them. We told thirty-two +bodies upon the ground, whereof two were not quite dead; some had an arm +and some a leg shot off, and one his head; those that were wounded, we +supposed, they had carried away. When we had made, as I thought, a full +discovery of all we could come to the knowledge of, I resolved on going +on board; but the boatswain and his party sent me word that they were +resolved to make a visit to the Indian town, where these dogs, as they +called them, dwelt, and asked me to go along with them; and if they could +find them, as they still fancied they should, they did not doubt of +getting a good booty; and it might be they might find Tom Jeffry there: +that was the man's name we had lost. + +Had they sent to ask my leave to go, I knew well enough what answer to +have given them; for I should have commanded them instantly on board, +knowing it was not a hazard fit for us to run, who had a ship and ship- +loading in our charge, and a voyage to make which depended very much upon +the lives of the men; but as they sent me word they were resolved to go, +and only asked me and my company to go along with them, I positively +refused it, and rose up, for I was sitting on the ground, in order to go +to the boat. One or two of the men began to importune me to go; and when +I refused, began to grumble, and say they were not under my command, and +they would go. "Come, Jack," says one of the men, "will you go with me? +I'll go for one." Jack said he would--and then another--and, in a word, +they all left me but one, whom I persuaded to stay, and a boy left in the +boat. So the supercargo and I, with the third man, went back to the +boat, where we told them we would stay for them, and take care to take in +as many of them as should be left; for I told them it was a mad thing +they were going about, and supposed most of them would have the fate of +Tom Jeffry. + +They told me, like seamen, they would warrant it they would come off +again, and they would take care, &c.; so away they went. I entreated +them to consider the ship and the voyage, that their lives were not their +own, and that they were entrusted with the voyage, in some measure; that +if they miscarried, the ship might be lost for want of their help, and +that they could not answer for it to God or man. But I might as well +have talked to the mainmast of the ship: they were mad upon their +journey; only they gave me good words, and begged I would not be angry; +that they did not doubt but they would be back again in about an hour at +furthest; for the Indian town, they said, was not above half-a mile off, +though they found it above two miles before they got to it. + +Well, they all went away, and though the attempt was desperate, and such +as none but madmen would have gone about, yet, to give them their due, +they went about it as warily as boldly; they were gallantly armed, for +they had every man a fusee or musket, a bayonet, and a pistol; some of +them had broad cutlasses, some of them had hangers, and the boatswain and +two more had poleaxes; besides all which they had among them thirteen +hand grenadoes. Bolder fellows, and better provided, never went about +any wicked work in the world. When they went out their chief design was +plunder, and they were in mighty hopes of finding gold there; but a +circumstance which none of them were aware of set them on fire with +revenge, and made devils of them all. + +When they came to the few Indian houses which they thought had been the +town, which was not above half a mile off, they were under great +disappointment, for there were not above twelve or thirteen houses, and +where the town was, or how big, they knew not. They consulted, +therefore, what to do, and were some time before they could resolve; for +if they fell upon these, they must cut all their throats; and it was ten +to one but some of them might escape, it being in the night, though the +moon was up; and if one escaped, he would run and raise all the town, so +they should have a whole army upon them; on the other hand, if they went +away and left those untouched, for the people were all asleep, they could +not tell which way to look for the town; however, the last was the best +advice, so they resolved to leave them, and look for the town as well as +they could. They went on a little way, and found a cow tied to a tree; +this, they presently concluded, would be a good guide to them; for, they +said, the cow certainly belonged to the town before them, or the town +behind them, and if they untied her, they should see which way she went: +if she went back, they had nothing to say to her; but if she went +forward, they would follow her. So they cut the cord, which was made of +twisted flags, and the cow went on before them, directly to the town; +which, as they reported, consisted of above two hundred houses or huts, +and in some of these they found several families living together. + +Here they found all in silence, as profoundly secure as sleep could make +them: and first, they called another council, to consider what they had +to do; and presently resolved to divide themselves into three bodies, and +so set three houses on fire in three parts of the town; and as the men +came out, to seize them and bind them (if any resisted, they need not be +asked what to do then), and so to search the rest of the houses for +plunder: but they resolved to march silently first through the town, and +see what dimensions it was of, and if they might venture upon it or no. + +They did so, and desperately resolved that they would venture upon them: +but while they were animating one another to the work, three of them, who +were a little before the rest, called out aloud to them, and told them +that they had found--Tom Jeffry: they all ran up to the place, where they +found the poor fellow hanging up naked by one arm, and his throat cut. +There was an Indian house just by the tree, where they found sixteen or +seventeen of the principal Indians, who had been concerned in the fray +with us before, and two or three of them wounded with our shot; and our +men found they were awake, and talking one to another in that house, but +knew not their number. + +The sight of their poor mangled comrade so enraged them, as before, that +they swore to one another that they would be revenged, and that not an +Indian that came into their hands should have any quarter; and to work +they went immediately, and yet not so madly as might be expected from the +rage and fury they were in. Their first care was to get something that +would soon take fire, but, after a little search, they found that would +be to no purpose; for most of the houses were low, and thatched with +flags and rushes, of which the country is full; so they presently made +some wildfire, as we call it, by wetting a little powder in the palm of +their hands, and in a quarter of an hour they set the town on fire in +four or five places, and particularly that house where the Indians were +not gone to bed. + +As soon as the fire begun to blaze, the poor frightened creatures began +to rush out to save their lives, but met with their fate in the attempt; +and especially at the door, where they drove them back, the boatswain +himself killing one or two with his poleaxe. The house being large, and +many in it, he did not care to go in, but called for a hand grenado, and +threw it among them, which at first frightened them, but, when it burst, +made such havoc among them that they cried out in a hideous manner. In +short, most of the Indians who were in the open part of the house were +killed or hurt with the grenado, except two or three more who pressed to +the door, which the boatswain and two more kept, with their bayonets on +the muzzles of their pieces, and despatched all that came in their way; +but there was another apartment in the house, where the prince or king, +or whatever he was, and several others were; and these were kept in till +the house, which was by this time all in a light flame, fell in upon +them, and they were smothered together. + +All this while they fired not a gun, because they would not waken the +people faster than they could master them; but the fire began to waken +them fast enough, and our fellows were glad to keep a little together in +bodies; for the fire grew so raging, all the houses being made of light +combustible stuff, that they could hardly bear the street between them. +Their business was to follow the fire, for the surer execution: as fast +as the fire either forced the people out of those houses which were +burning, or frightened them out of others, our people were ready at their +doors to knock them on the head, still calling and hallooing one to +another to remember Tom Jeffry. + +While this was doing, I must confess I was very uneasy, and especially +when I saw the flames of the town, which, it being night, seemed to be +close by me. My nephew, the captain, who was roused by his men seeing +such a fire, was very uneasy, not knowing what the matter was, or what +danger I was in, especially hearing the guns too, for by this time they +began to use their firearms; a thousand thoughts oppressed his mind +concerning me and the supercargo, what would become of us; and at last, +though he could ill spare any more men, yet not knowing what exigence we +might be in, he took another boat, and with thirteen men and himself came +ashore to me. + +He was surprised to see me and the supercargo in the boat with no more +than two men; and though he was glad that we were well, yet he was in the +same impatience with us to know what was doing; for the noise continued, +and the flame increased; in short, it was next to an impossibility for +any men in the world to restrain their curiosity to know what had +happened, or their concern for the safety of the men: in a word, the +captain told me he would go and help his men, let what would come. I +argued with him, as I did before with the men, the safety of the ship, +the danger of the voyage, the interests of the owners and merchants, &c., +and told him I and the two men would go, and only see if we could at a +distance learn what was likely to be the event, and come back and tell +him. It was in vain to talk to my nephew, as it was to talk to the rest +before; he would go, he said; and he only wished he had left but ten men +in the ship, for he could not think of having his men lost for want of +help: he had rather lose the ship, the voyage, and his life, and all; and +away he went. + +I was no more able to stay behind now than I was to persuade them not to +go; so the captain ordered two men to row back the pinnace, and fetch +twelve men more, leaving the long-boat at an anchor; and that, when they +came back, six men should keep the two boats, and six more come after us; +so that he left only sixteen men in the ship: for the whole ship's +company consisted of sixty-five men, whereof two were lost in the late +quarrel which brought this mischief on. + +Being now on the march, we felt little of the ground we trod on; and +being guided by the fire, we kept no path, but went directly to the place +of the flame. If the noise of the guns was surprising to us before, the +cries of the poor people were now quite of another nature, and filled us +with horror. I must confess I was never at the sacking a city, or at the +taking a town by storm. I had heard of Oliver Cromwell taking Drogheda, +in Ireland, and killing man, woman, and child; and I had read of Count +Tilly sacking the city of Magdeburg and cutting the throats of twenty-two +thousand of all sexes; but I never had an idea of the thing itself +before, nor is it possible to describe it, or the horror that was upon +our minds at hearing it. However, we went on, and at length came to the +town, though there was no entering the streets of it for the fire. The +first object we met with was the ruins of a hut or house, or rather the +ashes of it, for the house was consumed; and just before it, plainly now +to be seen by the light of the fire, lay four men and three women, +killed, and, as we thought, one or two more lay in the heap among the +fire; in short, there were such instances of rage, altogether barbarous, +and of a fury something beyond what was human, that we thought it +impossible our men could be guilty of it; or, if they were the authors of +it, we thought they ought to be every one of them put to the worst of +deaths. But this was not all: we saw the fire increase forward, and the +cry went on just as the fire went on; so that we were in the utmost +confusion. We advanced a little way farther, and behold, to our +astonishment, three naked women, and crying in a most dreadful manner, +came flying as if they had wings, and after them sixteen or seventeen +men, natives, in the same terror and consternation, with three of our +English butchers in the rear, who, when they could not overtake them, +fired in among them, and one that was killed by their shot fell down in +our sight. When the rest saw us, believing us to be their enemies, and +that we would murder them as well as those that pursued them, they set up +a most dreadful shriek, especially the women; and two of them fell down, +as if already dead, with the fright. + +My very soul shrunk within me, and my blood ran chill in my veins, when I +saw this; and, I believe, had the three English sailors that pursued them +come on, I had made our men kill them all; however, we took some means to +let the poor flying creatures know that we would not hurt them; and +immediately they came up to us, and kneeling down, with their hands +lifted up, made piteous lamentation to us to save them, which we let them +know we would: whereupon they crept all together in a huddle close behind +us, as for protection. I left my men drawn up together, and, charging +them to hurt nobody, but, if possible, to get at some of our people, and +see what devil it was possessed them, and what they intended to do, and +to command them off; assuring them that if they stayed till daylight they +would have a hundred thousand men about their ears: I say I left them, +and went among those flying people, taking only two of our men with me; +and there was, indeed, a piteous spectacle among them. Some of them had +their feet terribly burned with trampling and running through the fire; +others their hands burned; one of the women had fallen down in the fire, +and was very much burned before she could get out again; and two or three +of the men had cuts in their backs and thighs, from our men pursuing; and +another was shot through the body and died while I was there. + +I would fain have learned what the occasion of all this was; but I could +not understand one word they said; though, by signs, I perceived some of +them knew not what was the occasion themselves. I was so terrified in my +thoughts at this outrageous attempt that I could not stay there, but went +back to my own men, and resolved to go into the middle of the town, +through the fire, or whatever might be in the way, and put an end to it, +cost what it would; accordingly, as I came back to my men, I told them my +resolution, and commanded them to follow me, when, at the very moment, +came four of our men, with the boatswain at their head, roving over heaps +of bodies they had killed, all covered with blood and dust, as if they +wanted more people to massacre, when our men hallooed to them as loud as +they could halloo; and with much ado one of them made them hear, so that +they knew who we were, and came up to us. + +As soon as the boatswain saw us, he set up a halloo like a shout of +triumph, for having, as he thought, more help come; and without waiting +to hear me, "Captain," says he, "noble captain! I am glad you are come; +we have not half done yet. Villainous hell-hound dogs! I'll kill as +many of them as poor Tom has hairs upon his head: we have sworn to spare +none of them; we'll root out the very nation of them from the earth;" and +thus he ran on, out of breath, too, with action, and would not give us +leave to speak a word. At last, raising my voice that I might silence +him a little, "Barbarous dog!" said I, "what are you doing! I won't have +one creature touched more, upon pain of death; I charge you, upon your +life, to stop your hands, and stand still here, or you are a dead man +this minute."--"Why, sir," says he, "do you know what you do, or what +they have done? If you want a reason for what we have done, come +hither;" and with that he showed me the poor fellow hanging, with his +throat cut. + +I confess I was urged then myself, and at another time would have been +forward enough; but I thought they had carried their rage too far, and +remembered Jacob's words to his sons Simeon and Levi: "Cursed be their +anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel." But I had +now a new task upon my hands; for when the men I had carried with me saw +the sight, as I had done, I had as much to do to restrain them as I +should have had with the others; nay, my nephew himself fell in with +them, and told me, in their hearing, that he was only concerned for fear +of the men being overpowered; and as to the people, he thought not one of +them ought to live; for they had all glutted themselves with the murder +of the poor man, and that they ought to be used like murderers. Upon +these words, away ran eight of my men, with the boatswain and his crew, +to complete their bloody work; and I, seeing it quite out of my power to +restrain them, came away pensive and sad; for I could not bear the sight, +much less the horrible noise and cries of the poor wretches that fell +into their hands. + +I got nobody to come back with me but the supercargo and two men, and +with these walked back to the boat. It was a very great piece of folly +in me, I confess, to venture back, as it were, alone; for as it began now +to be almost day, and the alarm had run over the country, there stood +about forty men armed with lances and boughs at the little place where +the twelve or thirteen houses stood, mentioned before: but by accident I +missed the place, and came directly to the seaside, and by the time I got +to the seaside it was broad day: immediately I took the pinnace and went +on board, and sent her back to assist the men in what might happen. I +observed, about the time that I came to the boat-side, that the fire was +pretty well out, and the noise abated; but in about half-an-hour after I +got on board, I heard a volley of our men's firearms, and saw a great +smoke. This, as I understood afterwards, was our men falling upon the +men, who, as I said, stood at the few houses on the way, of whom they +killed sixteen or seventeen, and set all the houses on fire, but did not +meddle with the women or children. + +By the time the men got to the shore again with the pinnace our men began +to appear; they came dropping in, not in two bodies as they went, but +straggling here and there in such a manner, that a small force of +resolute men might have cut them all off. But the dread of them was upon +the whole country; and the men were surprised, and so frightened, that I +believe a hundred of them would have fled at the sight of but five of our +men. Nor in all this terrible action was there a man that made any +considerable defence: they were so surprised between the terror of the +fire and the sudden attack of our men in the dark, that they knew not +which way to turn themselves; for if they fled one way they were met by +one party, if back again by another, so that they were everywhere knocked +down; nor did any of our men receive the least hurt, except one that +sprained his foot, and another that had one of his hands burned. + + + + +CHAPTER X--HE IS LEFT ON SHORE + + +I was very angry with my nephew, the captain, and indeed with all the +men, but with him in particular, as well for his acting so out of his +duty as a commander of the ship, and having the charge of the voyage upon +him, as in his prompting, rather than cooling, the rage of his blind men +in so bloody and cruel an enterprise. My nephew answered me very +respectfully, but told me that when he saw the body of the poor seaman +whom they had murdered in so cruel and barbarous a manner, he was not +master of himself, neither could he govern his passion; he owned he +should not have done so, as he was commander of the ship; but as he was a +man, and nature moved him, he could not bear it. As for the rest of the +men, they were not subject to me at all, and they knew it well enough; so +they took no notice of my dislike. The next day we set sail, so we never +heard any more of it. Our men differed in the account of the number they +had killed; but according to the best of their accounts, put all +together, they killed or destroyed about one hundred and fifty people, +men, women, and children, and left not a house standing in the town. As +for the poor fellow Tom Jeffry, as he was quite dead (for his throat was +so cut that his head was half off), it would do him no service to bring +him away; so they only took him down from the tree, where he was hanging +by one hand. + +However just our men thought this action, I was against them in it, and I +always, after that time, told them God would blast the voyage; for I +looked upon all the blood they shed that night to be murder in them. For +though it is true that they had killed Tom Jeffry, yet Jeffry was the +aggressor, had broken the truce, and had ill-used a young woman of +theirs, who came down to them innocently, and on the faith of the public +capitulation. + +The boatswain defended this quarrel when we were afterwards on board. He +said it was true that we seemed to break the truce, but really had not; +and that the war was begun the night before by the natives themselves, +who had shot at us, and killed one of our men without any just +provocation; so that as we were in a capacity to fight them now, we might +also be in a capacity to do ourselves justice upon them in an +extraordinary manner; that though the poor man had taken a little liberty +with the girl, he ought not to have been murdered, and that in such a +villainous manner: and that they did nothing but what was just and what +the laws of God allowed to be done to murderers. One would think this +should have been enough to have warned us against going on shore amongst +the heathens and barbarians; but it is impossible to make mankind wise +but at their own expense, and their experience seems to be always of most +use to them when it is dearest bought. + +We were now bound to the Gulf of Persia, and from thence to the coast of +Coromandel, only to touch at Surat; but the chief of the supercargo's +design lay at the Bay of Bengal, where, if he missed his business outward- +bound, he was to go out to China, and return to the coast as he came +home. The first disaster that befell us was in the Gulf of Persia, where +five of our men, venturing on shore on the Arabian side of the gulf, were +surrounded by the Arabians, and either all killed or carried away into +slavery; the rest of the boat's crew were not able to rescue them, and +had but just time to get off their boat. I began to upbraid them with +the just retribution of Heaven in this case; but the boatswain very +warmly told me, he thought I went further in my censures than I could +show any warrant for in Scripture; and referred to Luke xiii. 4, where +our Saviour intimates that those men on whom the Tower of Siloam fell +were not sinners above all the Galileans; but that which put me to +silence in the case was, that not one of these five men who were now lost +were of those who went on shore to the massacre of Madagascar, so I +always called it, though our men could not bear to hear the word +_massacre_ with any patience. + +But my frequent preaching to them on this subject had worse consequences +than I expected; and the boatswain, who had been the head of the attempt, +came up boldly to me one time, and told me he found that I brought that +affair continually upon the stage; that I made unjust reflections upon +it, and had used the men very ill on that account, and himself in +particular; that as I was but a passenger, and had no command in the +ship, or concern in the voyage, they were not obliged to bear it; that +they did not know but I might have some ill-design in my head, and +perhaps to call them to an account for it when they came to England; and +that, therefore, unless I would resolve to have done with it, and also +not to concern myself any further with him, or any of his affairs, he +would leave the ship; for he did not think it safe to sail with me among +them. + +I heard him patiently enough till he had done, and then told him that I +confessed I had all along opposed the massacre of Madagascar, and that I +had, on all occasions, spoken my mind freely about it, though not more +upon him than any of the rest; that as to having no command in the ship, +that was true; nor did I exercise any authority, only took the liberty of +speaking my mind in things which publicly concerned us all; and what +concern I had in the voyage was none of his business; that I was a +considerable owner in the ship. In that claim I conceived I had a right +to speak even further than I had done, and would not be accountable to +him or any one else, and began to be a little warm with him. He made but +little reply to me at that time, and I thought the affair had been over. +We were at this time in the road at Bengal; and being willing to see the +place, I went on shore with the supercargo in the ship's boat to divert +myself; and towards evening was preparing to go on board, when one of the +men came to me, and told me he would not have me trouble myself to come +down to the boat, for they had orders not to carry me on board any more. +Any one may guess what a surprise I was in at so insolent a message; and +I asked the man who bade him deliver that message to me? He told me the +coxswain. + +I immediately found out the supercargo, and told him the story, adding +that I foresaw there would be a mutiny in the ship; and entreated him to +go immediately on board and acquaint the captain of it. But I might have +spared this intelligence, for before I had spoken to him on shore the +matter was effected on board. The boatswain, the gunner, the carpenter, +and all the inferior officers, as soon as I was gone off in the boat, +came up, and desired to speak with the captain; and then the boatswain, +making a long harangue, and repeating all he had said to me, told the +captain that as I was now gone peaceably on shore, they were loath to use +any violence with me, which, if I had not gone on shore, they would +otherwise have done, to oblige me to have gone. They therefore thought +fit to tell him that as they shipped themselves to serve in the ship +under his command, they would perform it well and faithfully; but if I +would not quit the ship, or the captain oblige me to quit it, they would +all leave the ship, and sail no further with him; and at that word _all_ +he turned his face towards the main-mast, which was, it seems, a signal +agreed on, when the seamen, being got together there, cried out, "_One +and all_! _one and all_!" + +My nephew, the captain, was a man of spirit, and of great presence of +mind; and though he was surprised, yet he told them calmly that he would +consider of the matter, but that he could do nothing in it till he had +spoken to me about it. He used some arguments with them, to show them +the unreasonableness and injustice of the thing, but it was all in vain; +they swore, and shook hands round before his face, that they would all go +on shore unless he would engage to them not to suffer me to come any more +on board the ship. + +This was a hard article upon him, who knew his obligation to me, and did +not know how I might take it. So he began to talk smartly to them; told +them that I was a very considerable owner of the ship, and that if ever +they came to England again it would cost them very dear; that the ship +was mine, and that he could not put me out of it; and that he would +rather lose the ship, and the voyage too, than disoblige me so much: so +they might do as they pleased. However, he would go on shore and talk +with me, and invited the boatswain to go with him, and perhaps they might +accommodate the matter with me. But they all rejected the proposal, and +said they would have nothing to do with me any more; and if I came on +board they would all go on shore. "Well," said the captain, "if you are +all of this mind, let me go on shore and talk with him." So away he came +to me with this account, a little after the message had been brought to +me from the coxswain. + +I was very glad to see my nephew, I must confess; for I was not without +apprehensions that they would confine him by violence, set sail, and run +away with the ship; and then I had been stripped naked in a remote +country, having nothing to help myself; in short, I had been in a worse +case than when I was alone in the island. But they had not come to that +length, it seems, to my satisfaction; and when my nephew told me what +they had said to him, and how they had sworn and shook hands that they +would, one and all, leave the ship if I was suffered to come on board, I +told him he should not be concerned at it at all, for I would stay on +shore. I only desired he would take care and send me all my necessary +things on shore, and leave me a sufficient sum of money, and I would find +my way to England as well as I could. This was a heavy piece of news to +my nephew, but there was no way to help it but to comply; so, in short, +he went on board the ship again, and satisfied the men that his uncle had +yielded to their importunity, and had sent for his goods from on board +the ship; so that the matter was over in a few hours, the men returned to +their duty, and I began to consider what course I should steer. + +I was now alone in a most remote part of the world, for I was near three +thousand leagues by sea farther off from England than I was at my island; +only, it is true, I might travel here by land over the Great Mogul's +country to Surat, might go from thence to Bassora by sea, up the Gulf of +Persia, and take the way of the caravans, over the desert of Arabia, to +Aleppo and Scanderoon; from thence by sea again to Italy, and so overland +into France. I had another way before me, which was to wait for some +English ships, which were coming to Bengal from Achin, on the island of +Sumatra, and get passage on board them from England. But as I came +hither without any concern with the East Indian Company, so it would be +difficult to go from hence without their licence, unless with great +favour of the captains of the ships, or the company's factors: and to +both I was an utter stranger. + +Here I had the mortification to see the ship set sail without me; +however, my nephew left me two servants, or rather one companion and one +servant; the first was clerk to the purser, whom he engaged to go with +me, and the other was his own servant. I then took a good lodging in the +house of an Englishwoman, where several merchants lodged, some French, +two Italians, or rather Jews, and one Englishman. Here I stayed above +nine months, considering what course to take. I had some English goods +with me of value, and a considerable sum of money; my nephew furnishing +me with a thousand pieces of eight, and a letter of credit for more if I +had occasion, that I might not be straitened, whatever might happen. I +quickly disposed of my goods to advantage; and, as I originally intended, +I bought here some very good diamonds, which, of all other things, were +the most proper for me in my present circumstances, because I could +always carry my whole estate about me. + +During my stay here many proposals were made for my return to England, +but none falling out to my mind, the English merchant who lodged with me, +and whom I had contracted an intimate acquaintance with, came to me one +morning, saying: "Countryman, I have a project to communicate, which, as +it suits with my thoughts, may, for aught I know, suit with yours also, +when you shall have thoroughly considered it. Here we are posted, you by +accident and I by my own choice, in a part of the world very remote from +our own country; but it is in a country where, by us who understand trade +and business, a great deal of money is to be got. If you will put one +thousand pounds to my one thousand pounds, we will hire a ship here, the +first we can get to our minds. You shall be captain, I'll be merchant, +and we'll go a trading voyage to China; for what should we stand still +for? The whole world is in motion; why should we be idle?" + +I liked this proposal very well; and the more so because it seemed to be +expressed with so much goodwill. In my loose, unhinged circumstances, I +was the fitter to embrace a proposal for trade, or indeed anything else. +I might perhaps say with some truth, that if trade was not my element, +rambling was; and no proposal for seeing any part of the world which I +had never seen before could possibly come amiss to me. It was, however, +some time before we could get a ship to our minds, and when we had got a +vessel, it was not easy to get English sailors--that is to say, so many +as were necessary to govern the voyage and manage the sailors which we +should pick up there. After some time we got a mate, a boatswain, and a +gunner, English; a Dutch carpenter, and three foremast men. With these +we found we could do well enough, having Indian seamen, such as they +were, to make up. + +When all was ready we set sail for Achin, in the island of Sumatra, and +from thence to Siam, where we exchanged some of our wares for opium and +some arrack; the first a commodity which bears a great price among the +Chinese, and which at that time was much wanted there. Then we went up +to Saskan, were eight months out, and on our return to Bengal I was very +well satisfied with my adventure. Our people in England often admire how +officers, which the company send into India, and the merchants which +generally stay there, get such very great estates as they do, and +sometimes come home worth sixty or seventy thousand pounds at a time; but +it is little matter for wonder, when we consider the innumerable ports +and places where they have a free commerce; indeed, at the ports where +the English ships come there is such great and constant demands for the +growth of all other countries, that there is a certain vent for the +returns, as well as a market abroad for the goods carried out. + +I got so much money by my first adventure, and such an insight into the +method of getting more, that had I been twenty years younger, I should +have been tempted to have stayed here, and sought no farther for making +my fortune; but what was all this to a man upwards of threescore, that +was rich enough, and came abroad more in obedience to a restless desire +of seeing the world than a covetous desire of gaining by it? A restless +desire it really was, for when I was at home I was restless to go abroad; +and when I was abroad I was restless to be at home. I say, what was this +gain to me? I was rich enough already, nor had I any uneasy desires +about getting more money; therefore the profit of the voyage to me was of +no great force for the prompting me forward to further undertakings. +Hence, I thought that by this voyage I had made no progress at all, +because I was come back, as I might call it, to the place from whence I +came, as to a home: whereas, my eye, like that which Solomon speaks of, +was never satisfied with seeing. I was come into a part of the world +which I was never in before, and that part, in particular, which I heard +much of, and was resolved to see as much of it as I could: and then I +thought I might say I had seen all the world that was worth seeing. + +But my fellow-traveller and I had different notions: I acknowledge his +were the more suited to the end of a merchant's life: who, when he is +abroad upon adventures, is wise to stick to that, as the best thing for +him, which he is likely to get the most money by. On the other hand, +mine was the notion of a mad, rambling boy, that never cares to see a +thing twice over. But this was not all: I had a kind of impatience upon +me to be nearer home, and yet an unsettled resolution which way to go. In +the interval of these consultations, my friend, who was always upon the +search for business, proposed another voyage among the Spice Islands, to +bring home a loading of cloves from the Manillas, or thereabouts. + +We were not long in preparing for this voyage; the chief difficulty was +in bringing me to come into it. However, at last, nothing else offering, +and as sitting still, to me especially, was the unhappiest part of life, +I resolved on this voyage too, which we made very successfully, touching +at Borneo and several other islands, and came home in about five months, +when we sold our spices, with very great profit, to the Persian +merchants, who carried them away to the Gulf. My friend, when we made up +this account, smiled at me: "Well, now," said he, with a sort of friendly +rebuke on my indolent temper, "is not this better than walking about +here, like a man with nothing to do, and spending our time in staring at +the nonsense and ignorance of the Pagans?"--"Why, truly," said I, "my +friend, I think it is, and I begin to be a convert to the principles of +merchandising; but I must tell you, by the way, you do not know what I am +doing; for if I once conquer my backwardness, and embark heartily, old as +I am, I shall harass you up and down the world till I tire you; for I +shall pursue it so eagerly, I shall never let you lie still." + + + + +CHAPTER XI--WARNED OF DANGER BY A COUNTRYMAN + + +A little while after this there came in a Dutch ship from Batavia; she +was a coaster, not an European trader, of about two hundred tons burden; +the men, as they pretended, having been so sickly that the captain had +not hands enough to go to sea with, so he lay by at Bengal; and having, +it seems, got money enough, or being willing, for other reasons, to go +for Europe, he gave public notice he would sell his ship. This came to +my ears before my new partner heard of it, and I had a great mind to buy +it; so I went to him and told him of it. He considered a while, for he +was no rash man neither; and at last replied, "She is a little too +big--however, we will have her." Accordingly, we bought the ship, and +agreeing with the master, we paid for her, and took possession. When we +had done so we resolved to engage the men, if we could, to join with +those we had, for the pursuing our business; but, on a sudden, they +having received not their wages, but their share of the money, as we +afterwards learned, not one of them was to be found; we inquired much +about them, and at length were told that they were all gone together by +land to Agra, the great city of the Mogul's residence, to proceed from +thence to Surat, and then go by sea to the Gulf of Persia. + +Nothing had so much troubled me a good while as that I should miss the +opportunity of going with them; for such a ramble, I thought, and in such +company as would both have guarded and diverted me, would have suited +mightily with my great design; and I should have both seen the world and +gone homeward too. But I was much better satisfied a few days after, +when I came to know what sort of fellows they were; for, in short, their +history was, that this man they called captain was the gunner only, not +the commander; that they had been a trading voyage, in which they had +been attacked on shore by some of the Malays, who had killed the captain +and three of his men; and that after the captain was killed, these men, +eleven in number, having resolved to run away with the ship, brought her +to Bengal, leaving the mate and five men more on shore. + +Well, let them get the ship how they would, we came honestly by her, as +we thought, though we did not, I confess, examine into things so exactly +as we ought; for we never inquired anything of the seamen, who would +certainly have faltered in their account, and contradicted one another. +Somehow or other we should have had reason to have suspected, them; but +the man showed us a bill of sale for the ship, to one Emanuel +Clostershoven, or some such name, for I suppose it was all a forgery, and +called himself by that name, and we could not contradict him: and withal, +having no suspicion of the thing, we went through with our bargain. We +picked up some more English sailors here after this, and some Dutch, and +now we resolved on a second voyage to the south-east for cloves, &c.--that +is to say, among the Philippine and Malacca isles. In short, not to fill +up this part of my story with trifles when what is to come is so +remarkable, I spent, from first to last, six years in this country, +trading from port to port, backward and forward, and with very good +success, and was now the last year with my new partner, going in the ship +above mentioned, on a voyage to China, but designing first to go to Siam +to buy rice. + +In this voyage, being by contrary winds obliged to beat up and down a +great while in the Straits of Malacca and among the islands, we were no +sooner got clear of those difficult seas than we found our ship had +sprung a leak, but could not discover where it was. This forced us to +make some port; and my partner, who knew the country better than I did, +directed the captain to put into the river of Cambodia; for I had made +the English mate, one Mr. Thompson, captain, not being willing to take +the charge of the ship upon myself. This river lies on the north side of +the great bay or gulf which goes up to Siam. While we were here, and +going often on shore for refreshment, there comes to me one day an +Englishman, a gunner's mate on board an English East India ship, then +riding in the same river. "Sir," says he, addressing me, "you are a +stranger to me, and I to you; but I have something to tell you that very +nearly concerns you. I am moved by the imminent danger you are in, and, +for aught I see, you have no knowledge of it."--"I know no danger I am +in," said I, "but that my ship is leaky, and I cannot find it out; but I +intend to lay her aground to-morrow, to see if I can find it."--"But, +sir," says he, "leaky or not leaky, you will be wiser than to lay your +ship on shore to-morrow when you hear what I have to say to you. Do you +know, sir," said he, "the town of Cambodia lies about fifteen leagues up +the river; and there are two large English ships about five leagues on +this side, and three Dutch?"--"Well," said I, "and what is that to +me?"--"Why, sir," said be, "is it for a man that is upon such adventures +as you are to come into a port, and not examine first what ships there +are there, and whether he is able to deal with them? I suppose you do +not think you are a match for them?" I could not conceive what he meant; +and I turned short upon him, and said: "I wish you would explain +yourself; I cannot imagine what reason I have to be afraid of any of the +company's ships, or Dutch ships. I am no interloper. What can they have +to say to me?"--"Well, sir," says he, with a smile, "if you think +yourself secure you must take your chance; but take my advice, if you do +not put to sea immediately, you will the very next tide be attacked by +five longboats full of men, and perhaps if you are taken you will be +hanged for a pirate, and the particulars be examined afterwards. I +thought, sir," added he, "I should have met with a better reception than +this for doing you a piece of service of such importance."--"I can never +be ungrateful," said I, "for any service, or to any man that offers me +any kindness; but it is past my comprehension what they should have such +a design upon me for: however, since you say there is no time to be lost, +and that there is some villainous design on hand against me, I will go on +board this minute, and put to sea immediately, if my men can stop the +leak; but, sir," said I, "shall I go away ignorant of the cause of all +this? Can you give me no further light into it?" + +"I can tell you but part of the story, sir," says he; "but I have a Dutch +seaman here with me, and I believe I could persuade him to tell you the +rest; but there is scarce time for it. But the short of the story is +this--the first part of which I suppose you know well enough--that you +were with this ship at Sumatra; that there your captain was murdered by +the Malays, with three of his men; and that you, or some of those that +were on board with you, ran away with the ship, and are since turned +pirates. This is the sum of the story, and you will all be seized as +pirates, I can assure you, and executed with very little ceremony; for +you know merchant ships show but little law to pirates if they get them +into their power."--"Now you speak plain English," said I, "and I thank +you; and though I know nothing that we have done like what you talk of, +for I am sure we came honestly and fairly by the ship; yet seeing such a +work is doing, as you say, and that you seem to mean honestly, I will be +upon my guard."--"Nay, sir," says he, "do not talk of being upon your +guard; the best defence is to be out of danger. If you have any regard +for your life and the lives of all your men, put to sea without fail at +high-water; and as you have a whole tide before you, you will be gone too +far out before they can come down; for they will come away at high-water, +and as they have twenty miles to come, you will get near two hours of +them by the difference of the tide, not reckoning the length of the way: +besides, as they are only boats, and not ships, they will not venture to +follow you far out to sea, especially if it blows."--"Well," said I, "you +have been very kind in this: what shall I do to make you amends?"--"Sir," +says he, "you may not be willing to make me any amends, because you may +not be convinced of the truth of it. I will make an offer to you: I have +nineteen months' pay due to me on board the ship ---, which I came out of +England in; and the Dutchman that is with me has seven months' pay due to +him. If you will make good our pay to us we will go along with you; if +you find nothing more in it we will desire no more; but if we do convince +you that we have saved your lives, and the ship, and the lives of all the +men in her, we will leave the rest to you." + +I consented to this readily, and went immediately on board, and the two +men with me. As soon as I came to the ship's side, my partner, who was +on board, came out on the quarter-deck, and called to me, with a great +deal of joy, "We have stopped the leak--we have stopped the leak!"--"Say +you so?" said I; "thank God; but weigh anchor, then, +immediately."--"Weigh!" says he; "what do you mean by that? What is the +matter?"--"Ask no questions," said I; "but set all hands to work, and +weigh without losing a minute." He was surprised; however, he called the +captain, and he immediately ordered the anchor to be got up; and though +the tide was not quite down, yet a little land-breeze blowing, we stood +out to sea. Then I called him into the cabin, and told him the story; +and we called in the men, and they told us the rest of it; but as it took +up a great deal of time, before we had done a seaman comes to the cabin +door, and called out to us that the captain bade him tell us we were +chased by five sloops, or boats, full of men. "Very well," said I, "then +it is apparent there is something in it." I then ordered all our men to +be called up, and told them there was a design to seize the ship, and +take us for pirates, and asked them if they would stand by us, and by one +another; the men answered cheerfully, one and all, that they would live +and die with us. Then I asked the captain what way he thought best for +us to manage a fight with them; for resist them I was resolved we would, +and that to the last drop. He said readily, that the way was to keep +them off with our great shot as long as we could, and then to use our +small arms, to keep them from boarding us; but when neither of these +would do any longer, we would retire to our close quarters, for perhaps +they had not materials to break open our bulkheads, or get in upon us. + +The gunner had in the meantime orders to bring two guns, to bear fore and +aft, out of the steerage, to clear the deck, and load them with musket- +bullets, and small pieces of old iron, and what came next to hand. Thus +we made ready for fight; but all this while we kept out to sea, with wind +enough, and could see the boats at a distance, being five large +longboats, following us with all the sail they could make. + +Two of those boats (which by our glasses we could see were English) +outsailed the rest, were near two leagues ahead of them, and gained upon +us considerably, so that we found they would come up with us; upon which +we fired a gun without ball, to intimate that they should bring to: and +we put out a flag of truce, as a signal for parley: but they came +crowding after us till within shot, when we took in our white flag, they +having made no answer to it, and hung out a red flag, and fired at them +with a shot. Notwithstanding this, they came on till they were near +enough to call to them with a speaking-trumpet, bidding them keep off at +their peril. + +It was all one; they crowded after us, and endeavoured to come under our +stern, so as to board us on our quarter; upon which, seeing they were +resolute for mischief, and depended upon the strength that followed them, +I ordered to bring the ship to, so that they lay upon our broadside; when +immediately we fired five guns at them, one of which had been levelled so +true as to carry away the stern of the hindermost boat, and we then +forced them to take down their sail, and to run all to the head of the +boat, to keep her from sinking; so she lay by, and had enough of it; but +seeing the foremost boat crowd on after us, we made ready to fire at her +in particular. While this was doing one of the three boats that followed +made up to the boat which we had disabled, to relieve her, and we could +see her take out the men. We then called again to the foremost boat, and +offered a truce, to parley again, and to know what her business was with +us; but had no answer, only she crowded close under our stern. Upon +this, our gunner who was a very dexterous fellow ran out his two case- +guns, and fired again at her, but the shot missing, the men in the boat +shouted, waved their caps, and came on. The gunner, getting quickly +ready again, fired among them a second time, one shot of which, though it +missed the boat itself, yet fell in among the men, and we could easily +see did a great deal of mischief among them. We now wore the ship again, +and brought our quarter to bear upon them, and firing three guns more, we +found the boat was almost split to pieces; in particular, her rudder and +a piece of her stern were shot quite away; so they handed her sail +immediately, and were in great disorder. To complete their misfortune, +our gunner let fly two guns at them again; where he hit them we could not +tell, but we found the boat was sinking, and some of the men already in +the water: upon this, I immediately manned out our pinnace, with orders +to pick up some of the men if they could, and save them from drowning, +and immediately come on board ship with them, because we saw the rest of +the boats began to come up. Our men in the pinnace followed their +orders, and took up three men, one of whom was just drowning, and it was +a good while before we could recover him. As soon as they were on board +we crowded all the sail we could make, and stood farther out to the sea; +and we found that when the other boats came up to the first, they gave +over their chase. + +Being thus delivered from a danger which, though I knew not the reason of +it, yet seemed to be much greater than I apprehended, I resolved that we +should change our course, and not let any one know whither we were going; +so we stood out to sea eastward, quite out of the course of all European +ships, whether they were bound to China or anywhere else, within the +commerce of the European nations. When we were at sea we began to +consult with the two seamen, and inquire what the meaning of all this +should be; and the Dutchman confirmed the gunner's story about the false +sale of the ship and of the murder of the captain, and also how that he, +this Dutchman, and four more got into the woods, where they wandered +about a great while, till at length he made his escape, and swam off to a +Dutch ship, which was sailing near the shore in its way from China. + +He then told us that he went to Batavia, where two of the seamen +belonging to the ship arrived, having deserted the rest in their travels, +and gave an account that the fellow who had run away with the ship, sold +her at Bengal to a set of pirates, who were gone a-cruising in her, and +that they had already taken an English ship and two Dutch ships very +richly laden. This latter part we found to concern us directly, though +we knew it to be false; yet, as my partner said, very justly, if we had +fallen into their hands, and they had had such a prepossession against us +beforehand, it had been in vain for us to have defended ourselves, or to +hope for any good quarter at their hands; especially considering that our +accusers had been our judges, and that we could have expected nothing +from them but what rage would have dictated, and an ungoverned passion +have executed. Therefore it was his opinion we should go directly back +to Bengal, from whence we came, without putting in at any port +whatever--because where we could give a good account of ourselves, could +prove where we were when the ship put in, of whom we bought her, and the +like; and what was more than all the rest, if we were put upon the +necessity of bringing it before the proper judges, we should be sure to +have some justice, and not to be hanged first and judged afterwards. + +I was some time of my partner's opinion; but after a little more serious +thinking, I told him I thought it was a very great hazard for us to +attempt returning to Bengal, for that we were on the wrong side of the +Straits of Malacca, and that if the alarm was given, we should be sure to +be waylaid on every side--that if we should be taken, as it were, running +away, we should even condemn ourselves, and there would want no more +evidence to destroy us. I also asked the English sailor's opinion, who +said he was of my mind, and that we certainly should be taken. This +danger a little startled my partner and all the ship's company, and we +immediately resolved to go away to the coast of Tonquin, and so on to the +coast of China--and pursuing the first design as to trade, find some way +or other to dispose of the ship, and come back in some of the vessels of +the country such as we could get. This was approved of as the best +method for our security, and accordingly we steered away NNE., keeping +above fifty leagues off from the usual course to the eastward. This, +however, put us to some inconvenience: for, first, the winds, when we +came that distance from the shore, seemed to be more steadily against us, +blowing almost trade, as we call it, from the E. and ENE., so that we +were a long while upon our voyage, and we were but ill provided with +victuals for so long a run; and what was still worse, there was some +danger that those English and Dutch ships whose boats pursued us, whereof +some were bound that way, might have got in before us, and if not, some +other ship bound to China might have information of us from them, and +pursue us with the same vigour. + +I must confess I was now very uneasy, and thought myself, including the +late escape from the longboats, to have been in the most dangerous +condition that ever I was in through my past life; for whatever ill +circumstances I had been in, I was never pursued for a thief before; nor +had I ever done anything that merited the name of dishonest or +fraudulent, much less thievish. I had chiefly been my own enemy, or, as +I may rightly say, I had been nobody's enemy but my own; but now I was +woefully embarrassed: for though I was perfectly innocent, I was in no +condition to make that innocence appear; and if I had been taken, it had +been under a supposed guilt of the worst kind. This made me very anxious +to make an escape, though which way to do it I knew not, or what port or +place we could go to. My partner endeavoured to encourage me by +describing the several ports of that coast, and told me he would put in +on the coast of Cochin China, or the bay of Tonquin, intending afterwards +to go to Macao, where a great many European families resided, and +particularly the missionary priests, who usually went thither in order to +their going forward to China. + +Hither then we resolved to go; and, accordingly, though after a tedious +course, and very much straitened for provisions, we came within sight of +the coast very early in the morning; and upon reflection on the past +circumstances of danger we were in, we resolved to put into a small +river, which, however, had depth enough of water for us, and to see if we +could, either overland or by the ship's pinnace, come to know what ships +were in any port thereabouts. This happy step was, indeed, our +deliverance: for though we did not immediately see any European ships in +the bay of Tonquin, yet the next morning there came into the bay two +Dutch ships; and a third without any colours spread out, but which we +believed to be a Dutchman, passed by at about two leagues' distance, +steering for the coast of China; and in the afternoon went by two English +ships steering the same course; and thus we thought we saw ourselves +beset with enemies both one way and the other. The place we were in was +wild and barbarous, the people thieves by occupation; and though it is +true we had not much to seek of them, and, except getting a few +provisions, cared not how little we had to do with them, yet it was with +much difficulty that we kept ourselves from being insulted by them +several ways. We were in a small river of this country, within a few +leagues of its utmost limits northward; and by our boat we coasted north- +east to the point of land which opens the great bay of Tonquin; and it +was in this beating up along the shore that we discovered we were +surrounded with enemies. The people we were among were the most +barbarous of all the inhabitants of the coast; and among other customs +they have this one: that if any vessel has the misfortune to be +shipwrecked upon their coast, they make the men all prisoners or slaves; +and it was not long before we found a spice of their kindness this way, +on the occasion following. + +I have observed above that our ship sprung a leak at sea, and that we +could not find it out; and it happened that, as I have said, it was +stopped unexpectedly, on the eve of our being pursued by the Dutch and +English ships in the bay of Siam; yet, as we did not find the ship so +perfectly tight and sound as we desired, we resolved while we were at +this place to lay her on shore, and clean her bottom, and, if possible, +to find out where the leaks were. Accordingly, having lightened the +ship, and brought all our guns and other movables to one side, we tried +to bring her down, that we might come at her bottom; but, on second +thoughts, we did not care to lay her on dry ground, neither could we find +out a proper place for it. + + + + +CHAPTER XII--THE CARPENTER'S WHIMSICAL CONTRIVANCE + + +The inhabitants came wondering down the shore to look at us; and seeing +the ship lie down on one side in such a manner, and heeling in towards +the shore, and not seeing our men, who were at work on her bottom with +stages, and with their boats on the off-side, they presently concluded +that the ship was cast away, and lay fast on the ground. On this +supposition they came about us in two or three hours' time with ten or +twelve large boats, having some of them eight, some ten men in a boat, +intending, no doubt, to have come on board and plundered the ship, and if +they found us there, to have carried us away for slaves. + +When they came up to the ship, and began to row round her, they +discovered us all hard at work on the outside of the ship's bottom and +side, washing, and graving, and stopping, as every seafaring man knows +how. They stood for a while gazing at us, and we, who were a little +surprised, could not imagine what their design was; but being willing to +be sure, we took this opportunity to get some of us into the ship, and +others to hand down arms and ammunition to those that were at work, to +defend themselves with if there should be occasion. And it was no more +than need: for in less than a quarter of an hour's consultation, they +agreed, it seems, that the ship was really a wreck, and that we were all +at work endeavouring to save her, or to save our lives by the help of our +boats; and when we handed our arms into the boat, they concluded, by that +act, that we were endeavouring to save some of our goods. Upon this, +they took it for granted we all belonged to them, and away they came +directly upon our men, as if it had been in a line-of-battle. + +Our men, seeing so many of them, began to be frightened, for we lay but +in an ill posture to fight, and cried out to us to know what they should +do. I immediately called to the men that worked upon the stages to slip +them down, and get up the side into the ship, and bade those in the boat +to row round and come on board. The few who were on board worked with +all the strength and hands we had to bring the ship to rights; however, +neither the men upon the stages nor those in the boats could do as they +were ordered before the Cochin Chinese were upon them, when two of their +boats boarded our longboat, and began to lay hold of the men as their +prisoners. + +The first man they laid hold of was an English seaman, a stout, strong +fellow, who having a musket in his hand, never offered to fire it, but +laid it down in the boat, like a fool, as I thought; but he understood +his business better than I could teach him, for he grappled the Pagan, +and dragged him by main force out of their boat into ours, where, taking +him by the ears, he beat his head so against the boat's gunnel that the +fellow died in his hands. In the meantime, a Dutchman, who stood next, +took up the musket, and with the butt-end of it so laid about him, that +he knocked down five of them who attempted to enter the boat. But this +was doing little towards resisting thirty or forty men, who, fearless +because ignorant of their danger, began to throw themselves into the +longboat, where we had but five men in all to defend it; but the +following accident, which deserved our laughter, gave our men a complete +victory. + +Our carpenter being prepared to grave the outside of the ship, as well as +to pay the seams where he had caulked her to stop the leaks, had got two +kettles just let down into the boat, one filled with boiling pitch, and +the other with rosin, tallow, and oil, and such stuff as the shipwrights +use for that work; and the man that attended the carpenter had a great +iron ladle in his hand, with which he supplied the men that were at work +with the hot stuff. Two of the enemy's men entered the boat just where +this fellow stood in the foresheets; he immediately saluted them with a +ladle full of the stuff, boiling hot which so burned and scalded them, +being half-naked that they roared out like bulls, and, enraged with the +fire, leaped both into the sea. The carpenter saw it, and cried out, +"Well done, Jack! give them some more of it!" and stepping forward +himself, takes one of the mops, and dipping it in the pitch-pot, he and +his man threw it among them so plentifully that, in short, of all the men +in the three boats, there was not one that escaped being scalded in a +most frightful manner, and made such a howling and crying that I never +heard a worse noise. + +I was never better pleased with a victory in my life; not only as it was +a perfect surprise to me, and that our danger was imminent before, but as +we got this victory without any bloodshed, except of that man the seaman +killed with his naked hands, and which I was very much concerned at. +Although it maybe a just thing, because necessary (for there is no +necessary wickedness in nature), yet I thought it was a sad sort of life, +when we must be always obliged to be killing our fellow-creatures to +preserve ourselves; and, indeed, I think so still; and I would even now +suffer a great deal rather than I would take away the life even of the +worst person injuring me; and I believe all considering people, who know +the value of life, would be of my opinion, if they entered seriously into +the consideration of it. + +All the while this was doing, my partner and I, who managed the rest of +the men on board, had with great dexterity brought the ship almost to +rights, and having got the guns into their places again, the gunner +called to me to bid our boat get out of the way, for he would let fly +among them. I called back again to him, and bid him not offer to fire, +for the carpenter would do the work without him; but bid him heat another +pitch-kettle, which our cook, who was on broad, took care of. However, +the enemy was so terrified with what they had met with in their first +attack, that they would not come on again; and some of them who were +farthest off, seeing the ship swim, as it were, upright, began, as we +suppose, to see their mistake, and gave over the enterprise, finding it +was not as they expected. Thus we got clear of this merry fight; and +having got some rice and some roots and bread, with about sixteen hogs, +on board two days before, we resolved to stay here no longer, but go +forward, whatever came of it; for we made no doubt but we should be +surrounded the next day with rogues enough, perhaps more than our pitch- +kettle would dispose of for us. We therefore got all our things on board +the same evening, and the next morning were ready to sail: in the +meantime, lying at anchor at some distance from the shore, we were not so +much concerned, being now in a fighting posture, as well as in a sailing +posture, if any enemy had presented. The next day, having finished our +work within board, and finding our ship was perfectly healed of all her +leaks, we set sail. We would have gone into the bay of Tonquin, for we +wanted to inform ourselves of what was to be known concerning the Dutch +ships that had been there; but we durst not stand in there, because we +had seen several ships go in, as we supposed, but a little before; so we +kept on NE. towards the island of Formosa, as much afraid of being seen +by a Dutch or English merchant ship as a Dutch or English merchant ship +in the Mediterranean is of an Algerine man-of-war. + +When we were thus got to sea, we kept on NE., as if we would go to the +Manillas or the Philippine Islands; and this we did that we might not +fall into the way of any of the European ships; and then we steered +north, till we came to the latitude of 22 degrees 30 seconds, by which +means we made the island of Formosa directly, where we came to an anchor, +in order to get water and fresh provisions, which the people there, who +are very courteous in their manners, supplied us with willingly, and +dealt very fairly and punctually with us in all their agreements and +bargains. This is what we did not find among other people, and may be +owing to the remains of Christianity which was once planted here by a +Dutch missionary of Protestants, and it is a testimony of what I have +often observed, viz. that the Christian religion always civilises the +people, and reforms their manners, where it is received, whether it works +saving effects upon them or no. + +From thence we sailed still north, keeping the coast of China at an equal +distance, till we knew we were beyond all the ports of China where our +European ships usually come; being resolved, if possible, not to fall +into any of their hands, especially in this country, where, as our +circumstances were, we could not fail of being entirely ruined. Being +now come to the latitude of 30 degrees, we resolved to put into the first +trading port we should come at; and standing in for the shore, a boat +came of two leagues to us with an old Portuguese pilot on board, who, +knowing us to be an European ship, came to offer his service, which, +indeed, we were glad of and took him on board; upon which, without asking +us whither we would go, he dismissed the boat he came in, and sent it +back. I thought it was now so much in our choice to make the old man +carry us whither we would, that I began to talk to him about carrying us +to the Gulf of Nankin, which is the most northern part of the coast of +China. The old man said he knew the Gulf of Nankin very well; but +smiling, asked us what we would do there? I told him we would sell our +cargo and purchase China wares, calicoes, raw silks, tea, wrought silks, +&c.; and so we would return by the same course we came. He told us our +best port would have been to put in at Macao, where we could not have +failed of a market for our opium to our satisfaction, and might for our +money have purchased all sorts of China goods as cheap as we could at +Nankin. + +Not being able to put the old man out of his talk, of which he was very +opinionated or conceited, I told him we were gentlemen as well as +merchants, and that we had a mind to go and see the great city of Pekin, +and the famous court of the monarch of China. "Why, then," says the old +man, "you should go to Ningpo, where, by the river which runs into the +sea there, you may go up within five leagues of the great canal. This +canal is a navigable stream, which goes through the heart of that vast +empire of China, crosses all the rivers, passes some considerable hills +by the help of sluices and gates, and goes up to the city of Pekin, being +in length near two hundred and seventy leagues."--"Well," said I, +"Seignior Portuguese, but that is not our business now; the great +question is, if you can carry us up to the city of Nankin, from whence we +can travel to Pekin afterwards?" He said he could do so very well, and +that there was a great Dutch ship gone up that way just before. This +gave me a little shock, for a Dutch ship was now our terror, and we had +much rather have met the devil, at least if he had not come in too +frightful a figure; and we depended upon it that a Dutch ship would be +our destruction, for we were in no condition to fight them; all the ships +they trade with into those parts being of great burden, and of much +greater force than we were. + +The old man found me a little confused, and under some concern when he +named a Dutch ship, and said to me, "Sir, you need be under no +apprehensions of the Dutch; I suppose they are not now at war with your +nation?"--"No," said I, "that's true; but I know not what liberties men +may take when they are out of the reach of the laws of their own +country."--"Why," says he, "you are no pirates; what need you fear? They +will not meddle with peaceable merchants, sure." These words put me into +the greatest disorder and confusion imaginable; nor was it possible for +me to conceal it so, but the old man easily perceived it. + +"Sir," says he, "I find you are in some disorder in your thoughts at my +talk: pray be pleased to go which way you think fit, and depend upon it, +I'll do you all the service I can." Upon this we fell into further +discourse, in which, to my alarm and amazement, he spoke of the +villainous doings of a certain pirate ship that had long been the talk of +mariners in those seas; no other, in a word, than the very ship he was +now on board of, and which we had so unluckily purchased. I presently +saw there was no help for it but to tell him the plain truth, and explain +all the danger and trouble we had suffered through this misadventure, +and, in particular, our earnest wish to be speedily quit of the ship +altogether; for which reason we had resolved to carry her up to Nankin. + +The old man was amazed at this relation, and told us we were in the right +to go away to the north; and that, if he might advise us, it should be to +sell the ship in China, which we might well do, and buy, or build another +in the country; adding that I should meet with customers enough for the +ship at Nankin, that a Chinese junk would serve me very well to go back +again, and that he would procure me people both to buy one and sell the +other. "Well, but, seignior," said I, "as you say they know the ship so +well, I may, perhaps, if I follow your measures, be instrumental to bring +some honest, innocent men into a terrible broil; for wherever they find +the ship they will prove the guilt upon the men, by proving this was the +ship."--"Why," says the old man, "I'll find out a way to prevent that; +for as I know all those commanders you speak of very well, and shall see +them all as they pass by, I will be sure to set them to rights in the +thing, and let them know that they had been so much in the wrong; that +though the people who were on board at first might run away with the +ship, yet it was not true that they had turned pirates; and that, in +particular, these were not the men that first went off with the ship, but +innocently bought her for their trade; and I am persuaded they will so +far believe me as at least to act more cautiously for the time to come." + +In about thirteen days' sail we came to an anchor, at the south-west +point of the great Gulf of Nankin; where I learned by accident that two +Dutch ships were gone the length before me, and that I should certainly +fall into their hands. I consulted my partner again in this exigency, +and he was as much at a loss as I was. I then asked the old pilot if +there was no creek or harbour which I might put into and pursue my +business with the Chinese privately, and be in no danger of the enemy. He +told me if I would sail to the southward about forty-two leagues, there +was a little port called Quinchang, where the fathers of the mission +usually landed from Macao, on their progress to teach the Christian +religion to the Chinese, and where no European ships ever put in; and if +I thought to put in there, I might consider what further course to take +when I was on shore. He confessed, he said, it was not a place for +merchants, except that at some certain times they had a kind of a fair +there, when the merchants from Japan came over thither to buy Chinese +merchandises. The name of the port I may perhaps spell wrong, having +lost this, together with the names of many other places set down in a +little pocket-book, which was spoiled by the water by an accident; but +this I remember, that the Chinese merchants we corresponded with called +it by a different name from that which our Portuguese pilot gave it, who +pronounced it Quinchang. As we were unanimous in our resolution to go to +this place, we weighed the next day, having only gone twice on shore +where we were, to get fresh water; on both which occasions the people of +the country were very civil, and brought abundance of provisions to sell +to us; but nothing without money. + +We did not come to the other port (the wind being contrary) for five +days; but it was very much to our satisfaction, and I was thankful when I +set my foot on shore, resolving, and my partner too, that if it was +possible to dispose of ourselves and effects any other way, though not +profitably, we would never more set foot on board that unhappy vessel. +Indeed, I must acknowledge, that of all the circumstances of life that +ever I had any experience of, nothing makes mankind so completely +miserable as that of being in constant fear. Well does the Scripture +say, "The fear of man brings a snare"; it is a life of death, and the +mind is so entirely oppressed by it, that it is capable of no relief. + +Nor did it fail of its usual operations upon the fancy, by heightening +every danger; representing the English and Dutch captains to be men +incapable of hearing reason, or of distinguishing between honest men and +rogues; or between a story calculated for our own turn, made out of +nothing, on purpose to deceive, and a true, genuine account of our whole +voyage, progress, and design; for we might many ways have convinced any +reasonable creatures that we were not pirates; the goods we had on board, +the course we steered, our frankly showing ourselves, and entering into +such and such ports; and even our very manner, the force we had, the +number of men, the few arms, the little ammunition, short provisions; all +these would have served to convince any men that we were no pirates. The +opium and other goods we had on board would make it appear the ship had +been at Bengal. The Dutchmen, who, it was said, had the names of all the +men that were in the ship, might easily see that we were a mixture of +English, Portuguese, and Indians, and but two Dutchmen on board. These, +and many other particular circumstances, might have made it evident to +the understanding of any commander, whose hands we might fall into, that +we were no pirates. + +But fear, that blind, useless passion, worked another way, and threw us +into the vapours; it bewildered our understandings, and set the +imagination at work to form a thousand terrible things that perhaps might +never happen. We first supposed, as indeed everybody had related to us, +that the seamen on board the English and Dutch ships, but especially the +Dutch, were so enraged at the name of a pirate, and especially at our +beating off their boats and escaping, that they would not give themselves +leave to inquire whether we were pirates or no, but would execute us off- +hand, without giving us any room for a defence. We reflected that there +really was so much apparent evidence before them, that they would scarce +inquire after any more; as, first, that the ship was certainly the same, +and that some of the seamen among them knew her, and had been on board +her; and, secondly, that when we had intelligence at the river of +Cambodia that they were coming down to examine us, we fought their boats +and fled. Therefore we made no doubt but they were as fully satisfied of +our being pirates as we were satisfied of the contrary; and, as I often +said, I know not but I should have been apt to have taken those +circumstances for evidence, if the tables were turned, and my case was +theirs; and have made no scruple of cutting all the crew to pieces, +without believing, or perhaps considering, what they might have to offer +in their defence. + +But let that be how it will, these were our apprehensions; and both my +partner and I scarce slept a night without dreaming of halters and yard- +arms; of fighting, and being taken; of killing, and being killed: and one +night I was in such a fury in my dream, fancying the Dutchmen had boarded +us, and I was knocking one of their seamen down, that I struck my doubled +fist against the side of the cabin I lay in with such a force as wounded +my hand grievously, broke my knuckles, and cut and bruised the flesh, so +that it awaked me out of my sleep. Another apprehension I had was, the +cruel usage we might meet with from them if we fell into their hands; +then the story of Amboyna came into my head, and how the Dutch might +perhaps torture us, as they did our countrymen there, and make some of +our men, by extremity of torture, confess to crimes they never were +guilty of, or own themselves and all of us to be pirates, and so they +would put us to death with a formal appearance of justice; and that they +might be tempted to do this for the gain of our ship and cargo, worth +altogether four or five thousand pounds. We did not consider that the +captains of ships have no authority to act thus; and if we had +surrendered prisoners to them, they could not answer the destroying us, +or torturing us, but would be accountable for it when they came to their +country. However, if they were to act thus with us, what advantage would +it be to us that they should be called to an account for it?--or if we +were first to be murdered, what satisfaction would it be to us to have +them punished when they came home? + +I cannot refrain taking notice here what reflections I now had upon the +vast variety of my particular circumstances; how hard I thought it that +I, who had spent forty years in a life of continual difficulties, and was +at last come, as it were, to the port or haven which all men drive at, +viz. to have rest and plenty, should be a volunteer in new sorrows by my +own unhappy choice, and that I, who had escaped so many dangers in my +youth, should now come to be hanged in my old age, and in so remote a +place, for a crime which I was not in the least inclined to, much less +guilty of. After these thoughts something of religion would come in; and +I would be considering that this seemed to me to be a disposition of +immediate Providence, and I ought to look upon it and submit to it as +such. For, although I was innocent as to men, I was far from being +innocent as to my Maker; and I ought to look in and examine what other +crimes in my life were most obvious to me, and for which Providence might +justly inflict this punishment as a retribution; and thus I ought to +submit to this, just as I would to a shipwreck, if it had pleased God to +have brought such a disaster upon me. + +In its turn natural courage would sometimes take its place, and then I +would be talking myself up to vigorous resolutions; that I would not be +taken to be barbarously used by a parcel of merciless wretches in cold +blood; that it were much better to have fallen into the hands of the +savages, though I were sure they would feast upon me when they had taken +me, than those who would perhaps glut their rage upon me by inhuman +tortures and barbarities; that in the case of the savages, I always +resolved to die fighting to the last gasp, and why should I not do so +now? Whenever these thoughts prevailed, I was sure to put myself into a +kind of fever with the agitation of a supposed fight; my blood would +boil, and my eyes sparkle, as if I was engaged, and I always resolved to +take no quarter at their hands; but even at last, if I could resist no +longer, I would blow up the ship and all that was in her, and leave them +but little booty to boast of. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII--ARRIVAL IN CHINA + + +The greater weight the anxieties and perplexities of these things were to +our thoughts while we were at sea, the greater was our satisfaction when +we saw ourselves on shore; and my partner told me he dreamed that he had +a very heavy load upon his back, which he was to carry up a hill, and +found that he was not able to stand longer under it; but that the +Portuguese pilot came and took it off his back, and the hill disappeared, +the ground before him appearing all smooth and plain: and truly it was +so; they were all like men who had a load taken off their backs. For my +part I had a weight taken off from my heart that it was not able any +longer to bear; and as I said above we resolved to go no more to sea in +that ship. When we came on shore, the old pilot, who was now our friend, +got us a lodging, together with a warehouse for our goods; it was a +little hut, with a larger house adjoining to it, built and also +palisadoed round with canes, to keep out pilferers, of which there were +not a few in that country: however, the magistrates allowed us a little +guard, and we had a soldier with a kind of half-pike, who stood sentinel +at our door, to whom we allowed a pint of rice and a piece of money about +the value of three-pence per day, so that our goods were kept very safe. + +The fair or mart usually kept at this place had been over some time; +however, we found that there were three or four junks in the river, and +two ships from Japan, with goods which they had bought in China, and were +not gone away, having some Japanese merchants on shore. + +The first thing our old Portuguese pilot did for us was to get us +acquainted with three missionary Romish priests who were in the town, and +who had been there some time converting the people to Christianity; but +we thought they made but poor work of it, and made them but sorry +Christians when they had done. One of these was a Frenchman, whom they +called Father Simon; another was a Portuguese; and a third a Genoese. +Father Simon was courteous, and very agreeable company; but the other two +were more reserved, seemed rigid and austere, and applied seriously to +the work they came about, viz. to talk with and insinuate themselves +among the inhabitants wherever they had opportunity. We often ate and +drank with those men; and though I must confess the conversion, as they +call it, of the Chinese to Christianity is so far from the true +conversion required to bring heathen people to the faith of Christ, that +it seems to amount to little more than letting them know the name of +Christ, and say some prayers to the Virgin Mary and her Son, in a tongue +which they understood not, and to cross themselves, and the like; yet it +must be confessed that the religionists, whom we call missionaries, have +a firm belief that these people will be saved, and that they are the +instruments of it; and on this account they undergo not only the fatigue +of the voyage, and the hazards of living in such places, but oftentimes +death itself, and the most violent tortures, for the sake of this work. + +Father Simon was appointed, it seems, by order of the chief of the +mission, to go up to Pekin, and waited only for another priest, who was +ordered to come to him from Macao, to go along with him. We scarce ever +met together but he was inviting me to go that journey; telling me how he +would show me all the glorious things of that mighty empire, and, among +the rest, Pekin, the greatest city in the world: "A city," said he, "that +your London and our Paris put together cannot be equal to." But as I +looked on those things with different eyes from other men, so I shall +give my opinion of them in a few words, when I come in the course of my +travels to speak more particularly of them. + +Dining with Father Simon one day, and being very merry together, I showed +some little inclination to go with him; and he pressed me and my partner +very hard to consent. "Why, father," says my partner, "should you desire +our company so much? you know we are heretics, and you do not love us, +nor cannot keep us company with any pleasure."--"Oh," says he, "you may +perhaps be good Catholics in time; my business here is to convert +heathens, and who knows but I may convert you too?"--"Very well, father," +said I, "so you will preach to us all the way?"--"I will not be +troublesome to you," says he; "our religion does not divest us of good +manners; besides, we are here like countrymen; and so we are, compared to +the place we are in; and if you are Huguenots, and I a Catholic, we may +all be Christians at last; at least, we are all gentlemen, and we may +converse so, without being uneasy to one another." I liked this part of +his discourse very well, and it began to put me in mind of my priest that +I had left in the Brazils; but Father Simon did not come up to his +character by a great deal; for though this friar had no appearance of a +criminal levity in him, yet he had not that fund of Christian zeal, +strict piety, and sincere affection to religion that my other good +ecclesiastic had. + +But to leave him a little, though he never left us, nor solicited us to +go with him; we had something else before us at first, for we had all +this while our ship and our merchandise to dispose of, and we began to be +very doubtful what we should do, for we were now in a place of very +little business. Once I was about to venture to sail for the river of +Kilam, and the city of Nankin; but Providence seemed now more visibly, as +I thought, than ever to concern itself in our affairs; and I was +encouraged, from this very time, to think I should, one way or other, get +out of this entangled circumstance, and be brought home to my own country +again, though I had not the least view of the manner. Providence, I say, +began here to clear up our way a little; and the first thing that offered +was, that our old Portuguese pilot brought a Japan merchant to us, who +inquired what goods we had: and, in the first place, he bought all our +opium, and gave us a very good price for it, paying us in gold by weight, +some in small pieces of their own coin, and some in small wedges, of +about ten or twelves ounces each. While we were dealing with him for our +opium, it came into my head that he might perhaps deal for the ship too, +and I ordered the interpreter to propose it to him. He shrunk up his +shoulders at it when it was first proposed to him; but in a few days +after he came to me, with one of the missionary priests for his +interpreter, and told me he had a proposal to make to me, which was this: +he had bought a great quantity of our goods, when he had no thoughts of +proposals made to him of buying the ship; and that, therefore, he had not +money to pay for the ship: but if I would let the same men who were in +the ship navigate her, he would hire the ship to go to Japan; and would +send them from thence to the Philippine Islands with another loading, +which he would pay the freight of before they went from Japan: and that +at their return he would buy the ship. I began to listen to his +proposal, and so eager did my head still run upon rambling, that I could +not but begin to entertain a notion of going myself with him, and so to +set sail from the Philippine Islands away to the South Seas; accordingly, +I asked the Japanese merchant if he would not hire us to the Philippine +Islands and discharge us there. He said No, he could not do that, for +then he could not have the return of his cargo; but he would discharge us +in Japan, at the ship's return. Well, still I was for taking him at that +proposal, and going myself; but my partner, wiser than myself, persuaded +me from it, representing the dangers, as well of the seas as of the +Japanese, who are a false, cruel, and treacherous people; likewise those +of the Spaniards at the Philippines, more false, cruel, and treacherous +than they. + +But to bring this long turn of our affairs to a conclusion; the first +thing we had to do was to consult with the captain of the ship, and with +his men, and know if they were willing to go to Japan. While I was doing +this, the young man whom my nephew had left with me as my companion came +up, and told me that he thought that voyage promised very fair, and that +there was a great prospect of advantage, and he would be very glad if I +undertook it; but that if I would not, and would give him leave, he would +go as a merchant, or as I pleased to order him; that if ever he came to +England, and I was there and alive, he would render me a faithful account +of his success, which should be as much mine as I pleased. I was loath +to part with him; but considering the prospect of advantage, which really +was considerable, and that he was a young fellow likely to do well in it, +I inclined to let him go; but I told him I would consult my partner, and +give him an answer the next day. I discoursed about it with my partner, +who thereupon made a most generous offer: "You know it has been an +unlucky ship," said he, "and we both resolve not to go to sea in it +again; if your steward" (so he called my man) "will venture the voyage, I +will leave my share of the vessel to him, and let him make the best of +it; and if we live to meet in England, and he meets with success abroad, +he shall account for one half of the profits of the ship's freight to us; +the other shall be his own." + +If my partner, who was no way concerned with my young man, made him such +an offer, I could not do less than offer him the same; and all the ship's +company being willing to go with him, we made over half the ship to him +in property, and took a writing from him, obliging him to account for the +other, and away he went to Japan. The Japan merchant proved a very +punctual, honest man to him: protected him at Japan, and got him a +licence to come on shore, which the Europeans in general have not lately +obtained. He paid him his freight very punctually; sent him to the +Philippines loaded with Japan and China wares, and a supercargo of their +own, who, trafficking with the Spaniards, brought back European goods +again, and a great quantity of spices; and there he was not only paid his +freight very well, and at a very good price, but not being willing to +sell the ship, then the merchant furnished him goods on his own account; +and with some money, and some spices of his own which he brought with +him, he went back to the Manillas, where he sold his cargo very well. +Here, having made a good acquaintance at Manilla, he got his ship made a +free ship, and the governor of Manilla hired him to go to Acapulco, on +the coast of America, and gave him a licence to land there, and to travel +to Mexico, and to pass in any Spanish ship to Europe with all his men. He +made the voyage to Acapulco very happily, and there he sold his ship: and +having there also obtained allowance to travel by land to Porto Bello, he +found means to get to Jamaica, with all his treasure, and about eight +years after came to England exceeding rich. + +But to return to our particular affairs, being now to part with the ship +and ship's company, it came before us, of course, to consider what +recompense we should give to the two men that gave us such timely notice +of the design against us in the river Cambodia. The truth was, they had +done us a very considerable service, and deserved well at our hands; +though, by the way, they were a couple of rogues, too; for, as they +believed the story of our being pirates, and that we had really run away +with the ship, they came down to us, not only to betray the design that +was formed against us, but to go to sea with us as pirates. One of them +confessed afterwards that nothing else but the hopes of going a-roguing +brought him to do it: however, the service they did us was not the less, +and therefore, as I had promised to be grateful to them, I first ordered +the money to be paid them which they said was due to them on board their +respective ships: over and above that, I gave each of them a small sum of +money in gold, which contented them very well. I then made the +Englishman gunner in the ship, the gunner being now made second mate and +purser; the Dutchman I made boatswain; so they were both very well +pleased, and proved very serviceable, being both able seamen, and very +stout fellows. + +We were now on shore in China; if I thought myself banished, and remote +from my own country at Bengal, where I had many ways to get home for my +money, what could I think of myself now, when I was about a thousand +leagues farther off from home, and destitute of all manner of prospect of +return? All we had for it was this: that in about four months' time +there was to be another fair at the place where we were, and then we +might be able to purchase various manufactures of the country, and withal +might possibly find some Chinese junks from Tonquin for sail, that would +carry us and our goods whither we pleased. This I liked very well, and +resolved to wait; besides, as our particular persons were not obnoxious, +so if any English or Dutch ships came thither, perhaps we might have an +opportunity to load our goods, and get passage to some other place in +India nearer home. Upon these hopes we resolved to continue here; but, +to divert ourselves, we took two or three journeys into the country. + +First, we went ten days' journey to Nankin, a city well worth seeing; +they say it has a million of people in it: it is regularly built, and the +streets are all straight, and cross one another in direct lines. But +when I come to compare the miserable people of these countries with ours, +their fabrics, their manner of living, their government, their religion, +their wealth, and their glory, as some call it, I must confess that I +scarcely think it worth my while to mention them here. We wonder at the +grandeur, the riches, the pomp, the ceremonies, the government, the +manufactures, the commerce, and conduct of these people; not that there +is really any matter for wonder, but because, having a true notion of the +barbarity of those countries, the rudeness and the ignorance that prevail +there, we do not expect to find any such thing so far off. Otherwise, +what are their buildings to the palaces and royal buildings of Europe? +What their trade to the universal commerce of England, Holland, France, +and Spain? What are their cities to ours, for wealth, strength, gaiety +of apparel, rich furniture, and infinite variety? What are their ports, +supplied with a few junks and barks, to our navigation, our merchant +fleets, our large and powerful navies? Our city of London has more trade +than half their mighty empire: one English, Dutch, or French man-of-war +of eighty guns would be able to fight almost all the shipping belonging +to China: but the greatness of their wealth, their trade, the power of +their government, and the strength of their armies, may be a little +surprising to us, because, as I have said, considering them as a +barbarous nation of pagans, little better than savages, we did not expect +such things among them. But all the forces of their empire, though they +were to bring two millions of men into the field together, would be able +to do nothing but ruin the country and starve themselves; a million of +their foot could not stand before one embattled body of our infantry, +posted so as not to be surrounded, though they were not to be one to +twenty in number; nay, I do not boast if I say that thirty thousand +German or English foot, and ten thousand horse, well managed, could +defeat all the forces of China. Nor is there a fortified town in China +that could hold out one month against the batteries and attacks of an +European army. They have firearms, it is true, but they are awkward and +uncertain in their going off; and their powder has but little strength. +Their armies are badly disciplined, and want skill to attack, or temper +to retreat; and therefore, I must confess, it seemed strange to me, when +I came home, and heard our people say such fine things of the power, +glory, magnificence, and trade of the Chinese; because, as far as I saw, +they appeared to be a contemptible herd or crowd of ignorant, sordid +slaves, subjected to a government qualified only to rule such a people; +and were not its distance inconceivably, great from Muscovy, and that +empire in a manner as rude, impotent, and ill governed as they, the Czar +of Muscovy might with ease drive them all out of their country, and +conquer them in one campaign; and had the Czar (who is now a growing +prince) fallen this way, instead of attacking the warlike Swedes, and +equally improved himself in the art of war, as they say he has done; and +if none of the powers of Europe had envied or interrupted him, he might +by this time have been Emperor of China, instead of being beaten by the +King of Sweden at Narva, when the latter was not one to six in number. + +As their strength and their grandeur, so their navigation, commerce, and +husbandry are very imperfect, compared to the same things in Europe; +also, in their knowledge, their learning, and in their skill in the +sciences, they are either very awkward or defective, though they have +globes or spheres, and a smattering of the mathematics, and think they +know more than all the world besides. But they know little of the +motions of the heavenly bodies; and so grossly and absurdly ignorant are +their common people, that when the sun is eclipsed, they think a great +dragon has assaulted it, and is going to run away with it; and they fall +a clattering with all the drums and kettles in the country, to fright the +monster away, just as we do to hive a swarm of bees! + +As this is the only excursion of the kind which I have made in all the +accounts I have given of my travels, so I shall make no more such. It is +none of my business, nor any part of my design; but to give an account of +my own adventures through a life of inimitable wanderings, and a long +variety of changes, which, perhaps, few that come after me will have +heard the like of: I shall, therefore, say very little of all the mighty +places, desert countries, and numerous people I have yet to pass through, +more than relates to my own story, and which my concern among them will +make necessary. + +I was now, as near as I can compute, in the heart of China, about thirty +degrees north of the line, for we were returned from Nankin. I had +indeed a mind to see the city of Pekin, which I had heard so much of, and +Father Simon importuned me daily to do it. At length his time of going +away being set, and the other missionary who was to go with him being +arrived from Macao, it was necessary that we should resolve either to go +or not; so I referred it to my partner, and left it wholly to his choice, +who at length resolved it in the affirmative, and we prepared for our +journey. We set out with very good advantage as to finding the way; for +we got leave to travel in the retinue of one of their mandarins, a kind +of viceroy or principal magistrate in the province where they reside, and +who take great state upon them, travelling with great attendance, and +great homage from the people, who are sometimes greatly impoverished by +them, being obliged to furnish provisions for them and all their +attendants in their journeys. I particularly observed in our travelling +with his baggage, that though we received sufficient provisions both for +ourselves and our horses from the country, as belonging to the mandarin, +yet we were obliged to pay for everything we had, after the market price +of the country, and the mandarin's steward collected it duly from us. +Thus our travelling in the retinue of the mandarin, though it was a great +act of kindness, was not such a mighty favour to us, but was a great +advantage to him, considering there were above thirty other people +travelled in the same manner besides us, under the protection of his +retinue; for the country furnished all the provisions for nothing to him, +and yet he took our money for them. + +We were twenty-five days travelling to Pekin, through a country exceeding +populous, but I think badly cultivated; the husbandry, the economy, and +the way of living miserable, though they boast so much of the industry of +the people: I say miserable, if compared with our own, but not so to +these poor wretches, who know no other. The pride of the poor people is +infinitely great, and exceeded by nothing but their poverty, in some +parts, which adds to that which I call their misery; and I must needs +think the savages of America live much more happy than the poorer sort of +these, because as they have nothing, so they desire nothing; whereas +these are proud and insolent and in the main are in many parts mere +beggars and drudges. Their ostentation is inexpressible; and, if they +can, they love to keep multitudes of servants or slaves, which is to the +last degree ridiculous, as well as their contempt of all the world but +themselves. + +I must confess I travelled more pleasantly afterwards in the deserts and +vast wildernesses of Grand Tartary than here, and yet the roads here are +well paved and well kept, and very convenient for travellers; but nothing +was more awkward to me than to see such a haughty, imperious, insolent +people, in the midst of the grossest simplicity and ignorance; and my +friend Father Simon and I used to be very merry upon these occasions, to +see their beggarly pride. For example, coming by the house of a country +gentleman, as Father Simon called him, about ten leagues off the city of +Nankin, we had first of all the honour to ride with the master of the +house about two miles; the state he rode in was a perfect Don Quixotism, +being a mixture of pomp and poverty. His habit was very proper for a +merry-andrew, being a dirty calico, with hanging sleeves, tassels, and +cuts and slashes almost on every side: it covered a taffety vest, so +greasy as to testify that his honour must be a most exquisite sloven. His +horse was a poor, starved, hobbling creature, and two slaves followed him +on foot to drive the poor creature along; he had a whip in his hand, and +he belaboured the beast as fast about the head as his slaves did about +the tail; and thus he rode by us, with about ten or twelve servants, +going from the city to his country seat, about half a league before us. +We travelled on gently, but this figure of a gentleman rode away before +us; and as we stopped at a village about an hour to refresh us, when we +came by the country seat of this great man, we saw him in a little place +before his door, eating a repast. It was a kind of garden, but he was +easy to be seen; and we were given to understand that the more we looked +at him the better he would be pleased. He sat under a tree, something +like the palmetto, which effectually shaded him over the head, and on the +south side; but under the tree was placed a large umbrella, which made +that part look well enough. He sat lolling back in a great elbow-chair, +being a heavy corpulent man, and had his meat brought him by two women +slaves. He had two more, one of whom fed the squire with a spoon, and +the other held the dish with one hand, and scraped off what he let fall +upon his worship's beard and taffety vest. + +Leaving the poor wretch to please himself with our looking at him, as if +we admired his idle pomp, we pursued our journey. Father Simon had the +curiosity to stay to inform himself what dainties the country justice had +to feed on in all his state, which he had the honour to taste of, and +which was, I think, a mess of boiled rice, with a great piece of garlic +in it, and a little bag filled with green pepper, and another plant which +they have there, something like our ginger, but smelling like musk, and +tasting like mustard; all this was put together, and a small piece of +lean mutton boiled in it, and this was his worship's repast. Four or +five servants more attended at a distance, who we supposed were to eat of +the same after their master. As for our mandarin with whom we travelled, +he was respected as a king, surrounded always with his gentlemen, and +attended in all his appearances with such pomp, that I saw little of him +but at a distance. I observed that there was not a horse in his retinue +but that our carrier's packhorses in England seemed to me to look much +better; though it was hard to judge rightly, for they were so covered +with equipage, mantles, trappings, &c., that we could scarce see anything +but their feet and their heads as they went along. + +I was now light-hearted, and all my late trouble and perplexity being +over, I had no anxious thoughts about me, which made this journey the +pleasanter to me; in which no ill accident attended me, only in passing +or fording a small river, my horse fell and made me free of the country, +as they call it--that is to say, threw me in. The place was not deep, +but it wetted me all over. I mention it because it spoiled my pocket- +book, wherein I had set down the names of several people and places which +I had occasion to remember, and which not taking due care of, the leaves +rotted, and the words were never after to be read. + +At length we arrived at Pekin. I had nobody with me but the youth whom +my nephew had given me to attend me as a servant and who proved very +trusty and diligent; and my partner had nobody with him but one servant, +who was a kinsman. As for the Portuguese pilot, he being desirous to see +the court, we bore his charges for his company, and for our use of him as +an interpreter, for he understood the language of the country, and spoke +good French and a little English. Indeed, this old man was most useful +to us everywhere; for we had not been above a week at Pekin, when he came +laughing. "Ah, Seignior Inglese," says he, "I have something to tell +will make your heart glad."--"My heart glad," says I; "what can that be? +I don't know anything in this country can either give me joy or grief to +any great degree."--"Yes, yes," said the old man, in broken English, +"make you glad, me sorry."--"Why," said I, "will it make you +sorry?"--"Because," said he, "you have brought me here twenty-five days' +journey, and will leave me to go back alone; and which way shall I get to +my port afterwards, without a ship, without a horse, without _pecune_?" +so he called money, being his broken Latin, of which he had abundance to +make us merry with. In short, he told us there was a great caravan of +Muscovite and Polish merchants in the city, preparing to set out on their +journey by land to Muscovy, within four or five weeks; and he was sure we +would take the opportunity to go with them, and leave him behind, to go +back alone. + +I confess I was greatly surprised with this good news, and had scarce +power to speak to him for some time; but at last I said to him, "How do +you know this? are you sure it is true?"--"Yes," says he; "I met this +morning in the street an old acquaintance of mine, an Armenian, who is +among them. He came last from Astrakhan, and was designed to go to +Tonquin, where I formerly knew him, but has altered his mind, and is now +resolved to go with the caravan to Moscow, and so down the river Volga to +Astrakhan."--"Well, Seignior," says I, "do not be uneasy about being left +to go back alone; if this be a method for my return to England, it shall +be your fault if you go back to Macao at all." We then went to consult +together what was to be done; and I asked my partner what he thought of +the pilot's news, and whether it would suit with his affairs? He told me +he would do just as I would; for he had settled all his affairs so well +at Bengal, and left his effects in such good hands, that as we had made a +good voyage, if he could invest it in China silks, wrought and raw, he +would be content to go to England, and then make a voyage back to Bengal +by the Company's ships. + +Having resolved upon this, we agreed that if our Portuguese pilot would +go with us, we would bear his charges to Moscow, or to England, if he +pleased; nor, indeed, were we to be esteemed over-generous in that +either, if we had not rewarded him further, the service he had done us +being really worth more than that; for he had not only been a pilot to us +at sea, but he had been like a broker for us on shore; and his procuring +for us a Japan merchant was some hundreds of pounds in our pockets. So, +being willing to gratify him, which was but doing him justice, and very +willing also to have him with us besides, for he was a most necessary man +on all occasions, we agreed to give him a quantity of coined gold, which, +as I computed it, was worth one hundred and seventy-five pounds sterling, +between us, and to bear all his charges, both for himself and horse, +except only a horse to carry his goods. Having settled this between +ourselves, we called him to let him know what we had resolved. I told +him he had complained of our being willing to let him go back alone, and +I was now about to tell him we designed he should not go back at all. +That as we had resolved to go to Europe with the caravan, we were very +willing he should go with us; and that we called him to know his mind. He +shook his head and said it was a long journey, and that he had no +_pecune_ to carry him thither, or to subsist himself when he came there. +We told him we believed it was so, and therefore we had resolved to do +something for him that should let him see how sensible we were of the +service he had done us, and also how agreeable he was to us: and then I +told him what we had resolved to give him here, which he might lay out as +we would do our own; and that as for his charges, if he would go with us +we would set him safe on shore (life and casualties excepted), either in +Muscovy or England, as he would choose, at our own charge, except only +the carriage of his goods. He received the proposal like a man +transported, and told us he would go with us over all the whole world; +and so we all prepared for our journey. However, as it was with us, so +it was with the other merchants: they had many things to do, and instead +of being ready in five weeks, it was four months and some days before all +things were got together. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV--ATTACKED BY TARTARS + + +It was the beginning of February, new style, when we set out from Pekin. +My partner and the old pilot had gone express back to the port where we +had first put in, to dispose of some goods which we had left there; and +I, with a Chinese merchant whom I had some knowledge of at Nankin, and +who came to Pekin on his own affairs, went to Nankin, where I bought +ninety pieces of fine damasks, with about two hundred pieces of other +very fine silk of several sorts, some mixed with gold, and had all these +brought to Pekin against my partner's return. Besides this, we bought a +large quantity of raw silk, and some other goods, our cargo amounting, in +these goods only, to about three thousand five hundred pounds sterling; +which, together with tea and some fine calicoes, and three camels' loads +of nutmegs and cloves, loaded in all eighteen camels for our share, +besides those we rode upon; these, with two or three spare horses, and +two horses loaded with provisions, made together twenty-six camels and +horses in our retinue. + +The company was very great, and, as near as I can remember, made between +three and four hundred horses, and upwards of one hundred and twenty men, +very well armed and provided for all events; for as the Eastern caravans +are subject to be attacked by the Arabs, so are these by the Tartars. The +company consisted of people of several nations, but there were above +sixty of them merchants or inhabitants of Moscow, though of them some +were Livonians; and to our particular satisfaction, five of them were +Scots, who appeared also to be men of great experience in business, and +of very good substance. + +When we had travelled one day's journey, the guides, who were five in +number, called all the passengers, except the servants, to a great +council, as they called it. At this council every one deposited a +certain quantity of money to a common stock, for the necessary expense of +buying forage on the way, where it was not otherwise to be had, and for +satisfying the guides, getting horses, and the like. Here, too, they +constituted the journey, as they call it, viz. they named captains and +officers to draw us all up, and give the word of command, in case of an +attack, and give every one their turn of command; nor was this forming us +into order any more than what we afterwards found needful on the way. + +The road all on this side of the country is very populous, and is full of +potters and earth-makers--that is to say, people, that temper the earth +for the China ware. As I was coming along, our Portuguese pilot, who had +always something or other to say to make us merry, told me he would show +me the greatest rarity in all the country, and that I should have this to +say of China, after all the ill-humoured things that I had said of it, +that I had seen one thing which was not to be seen in all the world +beside. I was very importunate to know what it was; at last he told me +it was a gentleman's house built with China ware. "Well," says I, "are +not the materials of their buildings the products of their own country, +and so it is all China ware, is it not?"--"No, no," says he, "I mean it +is a house all made of China ware, such as you call it in England, or as +it is called in our country, porcelain."--"Well," says I, "such a thing +may be; how big is it? Can we carry it in a box upon a camel? If we can +we will buy it."--"Upon a camel!" says the old pilot, holding up both his +hands; "why, there is a family of thirty people lives in it." + +I was then curious, indeed, to see it; and when I came to it, it was +nothing but this: it was a timber house, or a house built, as we call it +in England, with lath and plaster, but all this plastering was really +China ware--that is to say, it was plastered with the earth that makes +China ware. The outside, which the sun shone hot upon, was glazed, and +looked very well, perfectly white, and painted with blue figures, as the +large China ware in England is painted, and hard as if it had been burnt. +As to the inside, all the walls, instead of wainscot, were lined with +hardened and painted tiles, like the little square tiles we call galley- +tiles in England, all made of the finest china, and the figures exceeding +fine indeed, with extraordinary variety of colours, mixed with gold, many +tiles making but one figure, but joined so artificially, the mortar being +made of the same earth, that it was very hard to see where the tiles met. +The floors of the rooms were of the same composition, and as hard as the +earthen floors we have in use in several parts of England; as hard as +stone, and smooth, but not burnt and painted, except some smaller rooms, +like closets, which were all, as it were, paved with the same tile; the +ceiling and all the plastering work in the whole house were of the same +earth; and, after all, the roof was covered with tiles of the same, but +of a deep shining black. This was a China warehouse indeed, truly and +literally to be called so, and had I not been upon the journey, I could +have stayed some days to see and examine the particulars of it. They +told me there were fountains and fishponds in the garden, all paved on +the bottom and sides with the same; and fine statues set up in rows on +the walks, entirely formed of the porcelain earth, burnt whole. + +As this is one of the singularities of China, so they may be allowed to +excel in it; but I am very sure they excel in their accounts of it; for +they told me such incredible things of their performance in +crockery-ware, for such it is, that I care not to relate, as knowing it +could not be true. They told me, in particular, of one workman that made +a ship with all its tackle and masts and sails in earthenware, big enough +to carry fifty men. If they had told me he launched it, and made a +voyage to Japan in it, I might have said something to it indeed; but as +it was, I knew the whole of the story, which was, in short, that the +fellow lied: so I smiled, and said nothing to it. This odd sight kept me +two hours behind the caravan, for which the leader of it for the day +fined me about the value of three shillings; and told me if it had been +three days' journey without the wall, as it was three days' within, he +must have fined me four times as much, and made me ask pardon the next +council-day. I promised to be more orderly; and, indeed, I found +afterwards the orders made for keeping all together were absolutely +necessary for our common safety. + +In two days more we passed the great China wall, made for a fortification +against the Tartars: and a very great work it is, going over hills and +mountains in an endless track, where the rocks are impassable, and the +precipices such as no enemy could possibly enter, or indeed climb up, or +where, if they did, no wall could hinder them. They tell us its length +is near a thousand English miles, but that the country is five hundred in +a straight measured line, which the wall bounds without measuring the +windings and turnings it takes; it is about four fathoms high, and as +many thick in some places. + +I stood still an hour or thereabouts without trespassing on our orders +(for so long the caravan was in passing the gate), to look at it on every +side, near and far off; I mean what was within my view: and the guide, +who had been extolling it for the wonder of the world, was mighty eager +to hear my opinion of it. I told him it was a most excellent thing to +keep out the Tartars; which he happened not to understand as I meant it +and so took it for a compliment; but the old pilot laughed! "Oh, +Seignior Inglese," says he, "you speak in colours."--"In colours!" said +I; "what do you mean by that?"--"Why, you speak what looks white this way +and black that way--gay one way and dull another. You tell him it is a +good wall to keep out Tartars; you tell me by that it is good for nothing +but to keep out Tartars. I understand you, Seignior Inglese, I +understand you; but Seignior Chinese understood you his own way."--"Well," +says I, "do you think it would stand out an army of our country people, +with a good train of artillery; or our engineers, with two companies of +miners? Would not they batter it down in ten days, that an army might +enter in battalia; or blow it up in the air, foundation and all, that +there should be no sign of it left?"--"Ay, ay," says he, "I know that." +The Chinese wanted mightily to know what I said to the pilot, and I gave +him leave to tell him a few days after, for we were then almost out of +their country, and he was to leave us a little time after this; but when +he knew what I said, he was dumb all the rest of the way, and we heard no +more of his fine story of the Chinese power and greatness while he +stayed. + +After we passed this mighty nothing, called a wall, something like the +Picts' walls so famous in Northumberland, built by the Romans, we began +to find the country thinly inhabited, and the people rather confined to +live in fortified towns, as being subject to the inroads and depredations +of the Tartars, who rob in great armies, and therefore are not to be +resisted by the naked inhabitants of an open country. And here I began +to find the necessity of keeping together in a caravan as we travelled, +for we saw several troops of Tartars roving about; but when I came to see +them distinctly, I wondered more that the Chinese empire could be +conquered by such contemptible fellows; for they are a mere horde of wild +fellows, keeping no order and understanding no discipline or manner of +it. Their horses are poor lean creatures, taught nothing, and fit for +nothing; and this we found the first day we saw them, which was after we +entered the wilder part of the country. Our leader for the day gave +leave for about sixteen of us to go a hunting as they call it; and what +was this but a hunting of sheep!--however, it may be called hunting too, +for these creatures are the wildest and swiftest of foot that ever I saw +of their kind! only they will not run a great way, and you are sure of +sport when you begin the chase, for they appear generally thirty or forty +in a flock, and, like true sheep, always keep together when they fly. + +In pursuit of this odd sort of game it was our hap to meet with about +forty Tartars: whether they were hunting mutton, as we were, or whether +they looked for another kind of prey, we know not; but as soon as they +saw us, one of them blew a hideous blast on a kind of horn. This was to +call their friends about them, and in less than ten minutes a troop of +forty or fifty more appeared, at about a mile distance; but our work was +over first, as it happened. + +One of the Scots merchants of Moscow happened to be amongst us; and as +soon as he heard the horn, he told us that we had nothing to do but to +charge them without loss of time; and drawing us up in a line, he asked +if we were resolved. We told him we were ready to follow him; so he rode +directly towards them. They stood gazing at us like a mere crowd, drawn +up in no sort of order at all; but as soon as they saw us advance, they +let fly their arrows, which missed us, very happily. Not that they +mistook their aim, but their distance; for their arrows all fell a little +short of us, but with so true an aim, that had we been about twenty yards +nearer we must have had several men wounded, if not killed. + +Immediately we halted, and though it was at a great distance, we fired, +and sent them leaden bullets for wooden arrows, following our shot full +gallop, to fall in among them sword in hand--for so our bold Scot that +led us directed. He was, indeed, but a merchant, but he behaved with +such vigour and bravery on this occasion, and yet with such cool courage +too, that I never saw any man in action fitter for command. As soon as +we came up to them we fired our pistols in their faces and then drew; but +they fled in the greatest confusion imaginable. The only stand any of +them made was on our right, where three of them stood, and, by signs, +called the rest to come back to them, having a kind of scimitar in their +hands, and their bows hanging to their backs. Our brave commander, +without asking anybody to follow him, gallops up close to them, and with +his fusee knocks one of them off his horse, killed the second with his +pistol, and the third ran away. Thus ended our fight; but we had this +misfortune attending it, that all our mutton we had in chase got away. We +had not a man killed or hurt; as for the Tartars, there were about five +of them killed--how many were wounded we knew not; but this we knew, that +the other party were so frightened with the noise of our guns that they +fled, and never made any attempt upon us. + +We were all this while in the Chinese dominions, and therefore the +Tartars were not so bold as afterwards; but in about five days we entered +a vast wild desert, which held us three days' and nights' march; and we +were obliged to carry our water with us in great leathern bottles, and to +encamp all night, just as I have heard they do in the desert of Arabia. I +asked our guides whose dominion this was in, and they told me this was a +kind of border that might be called no man's land, being a part of Great +Karakathy, or Grand Tartary: that, however, it was all reckoned as +belonging to China, but that there was no care taken here to preserve it +from the inroads of thieves, and therefore it was reckoned the worst +desert in the whole march, though we were to go over some much larger. + +In passing this frightful wilderness we saw, two or three times, little +parties of the Tartars, but they seemed to be upon their own affairs, and +to have no design upon us; and so, like the man who met the devil, if +they had nothing to say to us, we had nothing to say to them: we let them +go. Once, however, a party of them came so near as to stand and gaze at +us. Whether it was to consider if they should attack us or not, we knew +not; but when we had passed at some distance by them, we made a +rear-guard of forty men, and stood ready for them, letting the caravan +pass half a mile or thereabouts before us. After a while they marched +off, but they saluted us with five arrows at their parting, which wounded +a horse so that it disabled him, and we left him the next day, poor +creature, in great need of a good farrier. We saw no more arrows or +Tartars that time. + +We travelled near a month after this, the ways not being so good as at +first, though still in the dominions of the Emperor of China, but lay for +the most part in the villages, some of which were fortified, because of +the incursions of the Tartars. When we were come to one of these towns +(about two days and a half's journey before we came to the city of Naum), +I wanted to buy a camel, of which there are plenty to be sold all the way +upon that road, and horses also, such as they are, because, so many +caravans coming that way, they are often wanted. The person that I spoke +to to get me a camel would have gone and fetched one for me; but I, like +a fool, must be officious, and go myself along with him; the place was +about two miles out of the village, where it seems they kept the camels +and horses feeding under a guard. + +I walked it on foot, with my old pilot and a Chinese, being very desirous +of a little variety. When we came to the place it was a low, marshy +ground, walled round with stones, piled up dry, without mortar or earth +among them, like a park, with a little guard of Chinese soldiers at the +door. Having bought a camel, and agreed for the price, I came away, and +the Chinese that went with me led the camel, when on a sudden came up +five Tartars on horseback. Two of them seized the fellow and took the +camel from him, while the other three stepped up to me and my old pilot, +seeing us, as it were, unarmed, for I had no weapon about me but my +sword, which could but ill defend me against three horsemen. The first +that came up stopped short upon my drawing my sword, for they are arrant +cowards; but a second, coming upon my left, gave me a blow on the head, +which I never felt till afterwards, and wondered, when I came to myself, +what was the matter, and where I was, for he laid me flat on the ground; +but my never-failing old pilot, the Portuguese, had a pistol in his +pocket, which I knew nothing of, nor the Tartars either: if they had, I +suppose they would not have attacked us, for cowards are always boldest +when there is no danger. The old man seeing me down, with a bold heart +stepped up to the fellow that had struck me, and laying hold of his arm +with one hand, and pulling him down by main force a little towards him, +with the other shot him into the head, and laid him dead upon the spot. +He then immediately stepped up to him who had stopped us, as I said, and +before he could come forward again, made a blow at him with a scimitar, +which he always wore, but missing the man, struck his horse in the side +of his head, cut one of the ears off by the root, and a great slice down +by the side of his face. The poor beast, enraged with the wound, was no +more to be governed by his rider, though the fellow sat well enough too, +but away he flew, and carried him quite out of the pilot's reach; and at +some distance, rising upon his hind legs, threw down the Tartar, and fell +upon him. + +In this interval the poor Chinese came in who had lost the camel, but he +had no weapon; however, seeing the Tartar down, and his horse fallen upon +him, away he runs to him, and seizing upon an ugly weapon he had by his +side, something like a pole-axe, he wrenched it from him, and made shift +to knock his Tartarian brains out with it. But my old man had the third +Tartar to deal with still; and seeing he did not fly, as he expected, nor +come on to fight him, as he apprehended, but stood stock still, the old +man stood still too, and fell to work with his tackle to charge his +pistol again: but as soon as the Tartar saw the pistol away he scoured, +and left my pilot, my champion I called him afterwards, a complete +victory. + +By this time I was a little recovered. I thought, when I first began to +wake, that I had been in a sweet sleep; but, as I said above, I wondered +where I was, how I came upon the ground, and what was the matter. A few +moments after, as sense returned, I felt pain, though I did not know +where; so I clapped my hand to my head, and took it away bloody; then I +felt my head ache: and in a moment memory returned, and everything was +present to me again. I jumped upon my feet instantly, and got hold of my +sword, but no enemies were in view: I found a Tartar lying dead, and his +horse standing very quietly by him; and, looking further, I saw my +deliverer, who had been to see what the Chinese had done, coming back +with his hanger in his hand. The old man, seeing me on my feet, came +running to me, and joyfully embraced me, being afraid before that I had +been killed. Seeing me bloody, he would see how I was hurt; but it was +not much, only what we call a broken head; neither did I afterwards find +any great inconvenience from the blow, for it was well again in two or +three days. + +We made no great gain, however, by this victory, for we lost a camel and +gained a horse. I paid for the lost camel, and sent for another; but I +did not go to fetch it myself: I had had enough of that. + +The city of Naum, which we were approaching, is a frontier of the Chinese +empire, and is fortified in their fashion. We wanted, as I have said, +above two days' journey of this city when messengers were sent express to +every part of the road to tell all travellers and caravans to halt till +they had a guard sent for them; for that an unusual body of Tartars, +making ten thousand in all, had appeared in the way, about thirty miles +beyond the city. + +This was very bad news to travellers: however, it was carefully done of +the governor, and we were very glad to hear we should have a guard. +Accordingly, two days after, we had two hundred soldiers sent us from a +garrison of the Chinese on our left, and three hundred more from the city +of Naum, and with these we advanced boldly. The three hundred soldiers +from Naum marched in our front, the two hundred in our rear, and our men +on each side of our camels, with our baggage and the whole caravan in the +centre; in this order, and well prepared for battle, we thought ourselves +a match for the whole ten thousand Mogul Tartars, if they had appeared; +but the next day, when they did appear, it was quite another thing. + + + + +CHAPTER XV--DESCRIPTION OF AN IDOL, WHICH THEY DESTROY + + +Early in the morning, when marching from a little town called Changu, we +had a river to pass, which we were obliged to ferry; and, had the Tartars +had any intelligence, then had been the time to have attacked us, when +the caravan being over, the rear-guard was behind; but they did not +appear there. About three hours after, when we were entered upon a +desert of about fifteen or sixteen miles over, we knew by a cloud of dust +they raised, that the enemy was at hand, and presently they came on upon +the spur. + +Our Chinese guards in the front, who had talked so big the day before, +began to stagger; and the soldiers frequently looked behind them, a +certain sign in a soldier that he is just ready to run away. My old +pilot was of my mind; and being near me, called out, "Seignior Inglese, +these fellows must be encouraged, or they will ruin us all; for if the +Tartars come on they will never stand it."--"If am of your mind," said I; +"but what must be done?"--"Done?" says he, "let fifty of our men advance, +and flank them on each wing, and encourage them. They will fight like +brave fellows in brave company; but without this they will every man turn +his back." Immediately I rode up to our leader and told him, who was +exactly of our mind; accordingly, fifty of us marched to the right wing, +and fifty to the left, and the rest made a line of rescue; and so we +marched, leaving the last two hundred men to make a body of themselves, +and to guard the camels; only that, if need were, they should send a +hundred men to assist the last fifty. + +At last the Tartars came on, and an innumerable company they were; how +many we could not tell, but ten thousand, we thought, at the least. A +party of them came on first, and viewed our posture, traversing the +ground in the front of our line; and, as we found them within gunshot, +our leader ordered the two wings to advance swiftly, and give them a +salvo on each wing with their shot, which was done. They then went off, +I suppose to give an account of the reception they were like to meet +with; indeed, that salute cloyed their stomachs, for they immediately +halted, stood a while to consider of it, and wheeling off to the left, +they gave over their design for that time, which was very agreeable to +our circumstances. + +Two days after we came to the city of Naun, or Naum; we thanked the +governor for his care of us, and collected to the value of a hundred +crowns, or thereabouts, which we gave to the soldiers sent to guard us; +and here we rested one day. This is a garrison indeed, and there were +nine hundred soldiers kept here; but the reason of it was, that formerly +the Muscovite frontiers lay nearer to them than they now do, the +Muscovites having abandoned that part of the country, which lies from +this city west for about two hundred miles, as desolate and unfit for +use; and more especially being so very remote, and so difficult to send +troops thither for its defence; for we were yet above two thousand miles +from Muscovy properly so called. After this we passed several great +rivers, and two dreadful deserts; one of which we were sixteen days +passing over; and on the 13th of April we came to the frontiers of the +Muscovite dominions. I think the first town or fortress, whichever it +may he called, that belonged to the Czar, was called Arguna, being on the +west side of the river Arguna. + +I could not but feel great satisfaction that I was arrived in a country +governed by Christians; for though the Muscovites do, in my opinion, but +just deserve the name of Christians, yet such they pretend to be, and are +very devout in their way. It would certainly occur to any reflecting man +who travels the world as I have done, what a blessing it is to be brought +into the world where the name of God and a Redeemer is known, adored, and +worshipped; and not where the people, given up to strong delusions, +worship the devil, and prostrate themselves to monsters, elements, horrid- +shaped animals, and monstrous images. Not a town or city we passed +through but had their pagodas, their idols, and their temples, and +ignorant people worshipping even the works of their own hands. Now we +came where, at least, a face of the Christian worship appeared; where the +knee was bowed to Jesus: and whether ignorantly or not, yet the Christian +religion was owned, and the name of the true God was called upon and +adored; and it made my soul rejoice to see it. I saluted the brave Scots +merchant with my first acknowledgment of this; and taking him by the +hand, I said to him, "Blessed be God, we are once again amongst +Christians." He smiled, and answered, "Do not rejoice too soon, +countryman; these Muscovites are but an odd sort of Christians; and but +for the name of it you may see very little of the substance for some +months further of our journey."--"Well," says I, "but still it is better +than paganism, and worshipping of devils."--"Why, I will tell you," says +he; "except the Russian soldiers in the garrisons, and a few of the +inhabitants of the cities upon the road, all the rest of this country, +for above a thousand miles farther, is inhabited by the worst and most +ignorant of pagans." And so, indeed, we found it. + +We now launched into the greatest piece of solid earth that is to be +found in any part of the world; we had, at least, twelve thousand miles +to the sea eastward; two thousand to the bottom of the Baltic Sea +westward; and above three thousand, if we left that sea, and went on +west, to the British and French channels: we had full five thousand miles +to the Indian or Persian Sea south; and about eight hundred to the Frozen +Sea north. + +We advanced from the river Arguna by easy and moderate journeys, and were +very visibly obliged to the care the Czar has taken to have cities and +towns built in as many places as it is possible to place them, where his +soldiers keep garrison, something like the stationary soldiers placed by +the Romans in the remotest countries of their empire; some of which I had +read of were placed in Britain, for the security of commerce, and for the +lodging of travellers. Thus it was here; for wherever we came, though at +these towns and stations the garrisons and governors were Russians, and +professed Christians, yet the inhabitants were mere pagans, sacrificing +to idols, and worshipping the sun, moon, and stars, or all the host of +heaven; and not only so, but were, of all the heathens and pagans that +ever I met with, the most barbarous, except only that they did not eat +men's flesh. + +Some instances of this we met with in the country between Arguna, where +we enter the Muscovite dominions, and a city of Tartars and Russians +together, called Nortziousky, in which is a continued desert or forest, +which cost us twenty days to travel over. In a village near the last of +these places I had the curiosity to go and see their way of living, which +is most brutish and unsufferable. They had, I suppose, a great sacrifice +that day; for there stood out, upon an old stump of a tree, a diabolical +kind of idol made of wood; it was dressed up, too, in the most filthy +manner; its upper garment was of sheepskins, with the wool outward; a +great Tartar bonnet on the head, with two horns growing through it; it +was about eight feet high, yet had no feet or legs, nor any other +proportion of parts. + +This scarecrow was set up at the outer side of the village; and when I +came near to it there were sixteen or seventeen creatures all lying flat +upon the ground round this hideous block of wood; I saw no motion among +them, any more than if they had been all logs, like the idol, and at +first I really thought they had been so; but, when I came a little +nearer, they started up upon their feet, and raised a howl, as if it had +been so many deep-mouthed hounds, and walked away, as if they were +displeased at our disturbing them. A little way off from the idol, and +at the door of a hut, made of sheep and cow skins dried, stood three men +with long knives in their hands; and in the middle of the tent appeared +three sheep killed, and one young bullock. These, it seems, were +sacrifices to that senseless log of an idol; the three men were priests +belonging to it, and the seventeen prostrated wretches were the people +who brought the offering, and were offering their prayers to that stock. + +I confess I was more moved at their stupidity and brutish worship of a +hobgoblin than ever I was at anything in my life, and, overcome with +rage, I rode up to the hideous idol, and with my sword made a stroke at +the bonnet that was on its head, and cut it in two; and one of our men +that was with me, taking hold of the sheepskin that covered it, pulled at +it, when, behold, a most hideous outcry ran through the village, and two +or three hundred people came about my ears, so that I was glad to scour +for it, for some had bows and arrows; but I resolved from that moment to +visit them again. Our caravan rested three nights at the town, which was +about four miles off, in order to provide some horses which they wanted, +several of the horses having been lamed and jaded with the long march +over the last desert; so we had some leisure here to put my design in +execution. I communicated it to the Scots merchant, of whose courage I +had sufficient testimony; I told him what I had seen, and with what +indignation I had since thought that human nature could be so degenerate; +I told him if I could get but four or five men well armed to go with me, +I was resolved to go and destroy that vile, abominable idol, and let them +see that it had no power to help itself, and consequently could not be an +object of worship, or to be prayed to, much less help them that offered +sacrifices to it. + +He at first objected to my plan as useless, seeing that, owing to the +gross ignorance of the people, they could not be brought to profit by the +lesson I meant to teach them; and added that, from his knowledge of the +country and its customs, he feared we should fall into great peril by +giving offence to these brutal idol worshippers. This somewhat stayed my +purpose, but I was still uneasy all that day to put my project in +execution; and that evening, meeting the Scots merchant in our walk about +the town, I again called upon him to aid me in it. When he found me +resolute he said that, on further thoughts, he could not but applaud the +design, and told me I should not go alone, but he would go with me; but +he would go first and bring a stout fellow, one of his countrymen, to go +also with us; "and one," said he, "as famous for his zeal as you can +desire any one to be against such devilish things as these." So we +agreed to go, only we three and my man-servant, and resolved to put it in +execution the following night about midnight, with all possible secrecy. + +We thought it better to delay it till the next night, because the caravan +being to set forward in the morning, we suppose the governor could not +pretend to give them any satisfaction upon us when we were out of his +power. The Scots merchant, as steady in his resolution for the +enterprise as bold in executing, brought me a Tartar's robe or gown of +sheepskins, and a bonnet, with a bow and arrows, and had provided the +same for himself and his countryman, that the people, if they saw us, +should not determine who we were. All the first night we spent in mixing +up some combustible matter, with aqua vitae, gunpowder, and such other +materials as we could get; and having a good quantity of tar in a little +pot, about an hour after night we set out upon our expedition. + +We came to the place about eleven o'clock at night, and found that the +people had not the least suspicion of danger attending their idol. The +night was cloudy: yet the moon gave us light enough to see that the idol +stood just in the same posture and place that it did before. The people +seemed to be all at their rest; only that in the great hut, where we saw +the three priests, we saw a light, and going up close to the door, we +heard people talking as if there were five or six of them; we concluded, +therefore, that if we set wildfire to the idol, those men would come out +immediately, and run up to the place to rescue it from destruction; and +what to do with them we knew not. Once we thought of carrying it away, +and setting fire to it at a distance; but when we came to handle it, we +found it too bulky for our carriage, so we were at a loss again. The +second Scotsman was for setting fire to the hut, and knocking the +creatures that were there on the head when they came out; but I could not +join with that; I was against killing them, if it were possible to avoid +it. "Well, then," said the Scots merchant, "I will tell you what we will +do: we will try to make them prisoners, tie their hands, and make them +stand and see their idol destroyed." + +As it happened, we had twine or packthread enough about us, which we used +to tie our firelocks together with; so we resolved to attack these people +first, and with as little noise as we could. The first thing we did, we +knocked at the door, when one of the priests coming to it, we immediately +seized upon him, stopped his mouth, and tied his hands behind him, and +led him to the idol, where we gagged him that he might not make a noise, +tied his feet also together, and left him on the ground. + +Two of us then waited at the door, expecting that another would come out +to see what the matter was; but we waited so long till the third man came +back to us; and then nobody coming out, we knocked again gently, and +immediately out came two more, and we served them just in the same +manner, but were obliged to go all with them, and lay them down by the +idol some distance from one another; when, going back, we found two more +were come out of the door, and a third stood behind them within the door. +We seized the two, and immediately tied them, when the third, stepping +back and crying out, my Scots merchant went in after them, and taking out +a composition we had made that would only smoke and stink, he set fire to +it, and threw it in among them. By that time the other Scotsman and my +man, taking charge of the two men already bound, and tied together also +by the arm, led them away to the idol, and left them there, to see if +their idol would relieve them, making haste back to us. + +When the fuze we had thrown in had filled the hut with so much smoke that +they were almost suffocated, we threw in a small leather bag of another +kind, which flamed like a candle, and, following it in, we found there +were but four people, who, as we supposed, had been about some of their +diabolical sacrifices. They appeared, in short, frightened to death, at +least so as to sit trembling and stupid, and not able to speak either, +for the smoke. + +We quickly took them from the hut, where the smoke soon drove us out, +bound them as we had done the other, and all without any noise. Then we +carried them all together to the idol; when we came there, we fell to +work with him. First, we daubed him all over, and his robes also, with +tar, and tallow mixed with brimstone; then we stopped his eyes and ears +and mouth full of gunpowder, and wrapped up a great piece of wildfire in +his bonnet; then sticking all the combustibles we had brought with us +upon him, we looked about to see if we could find anything else to help +to burn him; when my Scotsman remembered that by the hut, where the men +were, there lay a heap of dry forage; away he and the other Scotsman ran +and fetched their arms full of that. When we had done this, we took all +our prisoners, and brought them, having untied their feet and ungagged +their mouths, and made them stand up, and set them before their monstrous +idol, and then set fire to the whole. + +We stayed by it a quarter of an hour or thereabouts, till the powder in +the eyes and mouth and ears of the idol blew up, and, as we could +perceive, had split altogether; and in a word, till we saw it burned so +that it would soon be quite consumed. We then began to think of going +away; but the Scotsman said, "No, we must not go, for these poor deluded +wretches will all throw themselves into the fire, and burn themselves +with the idol." So we resolved to stay till the forage has burned down +too, and then came away and left them. After the feat was performed, we +appeared in the morning among our fellow-travellers, exceedingly busy in +getting ready for our journey; nor could any man suppose that we had been +anywhere but in our beds. + +But the affair did not end so; the next day came a great number of the +country people to the town gates, and in a most outrageous manner +demanded satisfaction of the Russian governor for the insulting their +priests and burning their great Cham Chi-Thaungu. The people of +Nertsinkay were at first in a great consternation, for they said the +Tartars were already no less than thirty thousand strong. The Russian +governor sent out messengers to appease them, assuring them that he knew +nothing of it, and that there had not a soul in his garrison been abroad, +so that it could not be from anybody there: but if they could let him +know who did it, they should be exemplarily punished. They returned +haughtily, that all the country reverenced the great Cham Chi-Thaungu, +who dwelt in the sun, and no mortal would have dared to offer violence to +his image but some Christian miscreant; and they therefore resolved to +denounce war against him and all the Russians, who, they said, were +miscreants and Christians. + +The governor, unwilling to make a breach, or to have any cause of war +alleged to be given by him, the Czar having strictly charged him to treat +the conquered country with gentleness, gave them all the good words he +could. At last he told them there was a caravan gone towards Russia that +morning, and perhaps it was some of them who had done them this injury; +and that if they would be satisfied with that, he would send after them +to inquire into it. This seemed to appease them a little; and +accordingly the governor sent after us, and gave us a particular account +how the thing was; intimating withal, that if any in our caravan had done +it they should make their escape; but that whether we had done it or no, +we should make all the haste forward that was possible: and that, in the +meantime, he would keep them in play as long as he could. + +This was very friendly in the governor; however, when it came to the +caravan, there was nobody knew anything of the matter; and as for us that +were guilty, we were least of all suspected. However, the captain of the +caravan for the time took the hint that the governor gave us, and we +travelled two days and two nights without any considerable stop, and then +we lay at a village called Plothus: nor did we make any long stop here, +but hastened on towards Jarawena, another Muscovite colony, and where we +expected we should be safe. But upon the second day's march from +Plothus, by the clouds of dust behind us at a great distance, it was +plain we were pursued. We had entered a vast desert, and had passed by a +great lake called Schanks Oser, when we perceived a large body of horse +appear on the other side of the lake, to the north, we travelling west. +We observed they went away west, as we did, but had supposed we would +have taken that side of the lake, whereas we very happily took the south +side; and in two days more they disappeared again: for they, believing we +were still before them, pushed on till they came to the Udda, a very +great river when it passes farther north, but when we came to it we found +it narrow and fordable. + +The third day they had either found their mistake, or had intelligence of +us, and came pouring in upon us towards dusk. We had, to our great +satisfaction, just pitched upon a convenient place for our camp; for as +we had just entered upon a desert above five hundred miles over, where we +had no towns to lodge at, and, indeed, expected none but the city +Jarawena, which we had yet two days' march to; the desert, however, had +some few woods in it on this side, and little rivers, which ran all into +the great river Udda; it was in a narrow strait, between little but very +thick woods, that we pitched our camp that night, expecting to be +attacked before morning. As it was usual for the Mogul Tartars to go +about in troops in that desert, so the caravans always fortify themselves +every night against them, as against armies of robbers; and it was, +therefore, no new thing to be pursued. But we had this night a most +advantageous camp: for as we lay between two woods, with a little rivulet +running just before our front, we could not be surrounded, or attacked +any way but in our front or rear. We took care also to make our front as +strong as we could, by placing our packs, with the camels and horses, all +in a line, on the inside of the river, and felling some trees in our +rear. + +In this posture we encamped for the night; but the enemy was upon us +before we had finished. They did not come on like thieves, as we +expected, but sent three messengers to us, to demand the men to be +delivered to them that had abused their priests and burned their idol, +that they might burn them with fire; and upon this, they said, they would +go away, and do us no further harm, otherwise they would destroy us all. +Our men looked very blank at this message, and began to stare at one +another to see who looked with the most guilt in their faces; but nobody +was the word--nobody did it. The leader of the caravan sent word he was +well assured that it was not done by any of our camp; that we were +peaceful merchants, travelling on our business; that we had done no harm +to them or to any one else; and that, therefore, they must look further +for the enemies who had injured them, for we were not the people; so they +desired them not to disturb us, for if they did we should defend +ourselves. + +They were far from being satisfied with this for an answer: and a great +crowd of them came running down in the morning, by break of day, to our +camp; but seeing us so well posted, they durst come no farther than the +brook in our front, where they stood in such number as to terrify us very +much; indeed, some spoke of ten thousand. Here they stood and looked at +us a while, and then, setting up a great howl, let fly a crowd of arrows +among us; but we were well enough sheltered under our baggage, and I do +not remember that one of us was hurt. + +Some time after this we saw them move a little to our right, and expected +them on the rear: when a cunning fellow, a Cossack of Jarawena, calling +to the leader of the caravan, said to him, "I will send all these people +away to Sibeilka." This was a city four or five days' journey at least +to the right, and rather behind us. So he takes his bow and arrows, and +getting on horseback, he rides away from our rear directly, as it were +back to Nertsinskay; after this he takes a great circuit about, and comes +directly on the army of the Tartars as if he had been sent express to +tell them a long story that the people who had burned the Cham +Chi-Thaungu were gone to Sibeilka, with a caravan of miscreants, as he +called them--that is to say, Christians; and that they had resolved to +burn the god Scal-Isar, belonging to the Tonguses. As this fellow was +himself a Tartar, and perfectly spoke their language, he counterfeited so +well that they all believed him, and away they drove in a violent hurry +to Sibeilka. In less than three hours they were entirely out of our +sight, and we never heard any more of them, nor whether they went to +Sibeilka or no. So we passed away safely on to Jarawena, where there was +a Russian garrison, and there we rested five days. + +From this city we had a frightful desert, which held us twenty-three +days' march. We furnished ourselves with some tents here, for the better +accommodating ourselves in the night; and the leader of the caravan +procured sixteen waggons of the country, for carrying our water or +provisions, and these carriages were our defence every night round our +little camp; so that had the Tartars appeared, unless they had been very +numerous indeed, they would not have been able to hurt us. We may well +be supposed to have wanted rest again after this long journey; for in +this desert we neither saw house nor tree, and scarce a bush; though we +saw abundance of the sable-hunters, who are all Tartars of Mogul Tartary; +of which this country is a part; and they frequently attack small +caravans, but we saw no numbers of them together. + +After we had passed this desert we came into a country pretty well +inhabited--that is to say, we found towns and castles, settled by the +Czar with garrisons of stationary soldiers, to protect the caravans and +defend the country against the Tartars, who would otherwise make it very +dangerous travelling; and his czarish majesty has given such strict +orders for the well guarding the caravans, that, if there are any Tartars +heard of in the country, detachments of the garrison are always sent to +see the travellers safe from station to station. Thus the governor of +Adinskoy, whom I had an opportunity to make a visit to, by means of the +Scots merchant, who was acquainted with him, offered us a guard of fifty +men, if we thought there was any danger, to the next station. + +I thought, long before this, that as we came nearer to Europe we should +find the country better inhabited, and the people more civilised; but I +found myself mistaken in both: for we had yet the nation of the Tonguses +to pass through, where we saw the same tokens of paganism and barbarity +as before; only, as they were conquered by the Muscovites, they were not +so dangerous, but for rudeness of manners and idolatry no people in the +world ever went beyond them. They are all clothed in skins of beasts, +and their houses are built of the same; you know not a man from a woman, +neither by the ruggedness of their countenances nor their clothes; and in +the winter, when the ground is covered with snow, they live underground +in vaults, which have cavities going from one to another. If the Tartars +had their Cham Chi-Thaungu for a whole village or country, these had +idols in every hut and every cave. This country, I reckon, was, from the +desert I spoke of last, at least four hundred miles, half of it being +another desert, which took us up twelve days' severe travelling, without +house or tree; and we were obliged again to carry our own provisions, as +well water as bread. After we were out of this desert and had travelled +two days, we came to Janezay, a Muscovite city or station, on the great +river Janezay, which, they told us there, parted Europe from Asia. + +All the country between the river Oby and the river Janezay is as +entirely pagan, and the people as barbarous, as the remotest of the +Tartars. I also found, which I observed to the Muscovite governors whom +I had an opportunity to converse with, that the poor pagans are not much +wiser, or nearer Christianity, for being under the Muscovite government, +which they acknowledged was true enough--but that, as they said, was none +of their business; that if the Czar expected to convert his Siberian, +Tonguse, or Tartar subjects, it should be done by sending clergymen among +them, not soldiers; and they added, with more sincerity than I expected, +that it was not so much the concern of their monarch to make the people +Christians as to make them subjects. + +From this river to the Oby we crossed a wild uncultivated country, barren +of people and good management, otherwise it is in itself a pleasant, +fruitful, and agreeable country. What inhabitants we found in it are all +pagans, except such as are sent among them from Russia; for this is the +country--I mean on both sides the river Oby--whither the Muscovite +criminals that are not put to death are banished, and from whence it is +next to impossible they should ever get away. I have nothing material to +say of my particular affairs till I came to Tobolski, the capital city of +Siberia, where I continued some time on the following account. + +We had now been almost seven months on our journey, and winter began to +come on apace; whereupon my partner and I called a council about our +particular affairs, in which we found it proper, as we were bound for +England, to consider how to dispose of ourselves. They told us of +sledges and reindeer to carry us over the snow in the winter time, by +which means, indeed, the Russians travel more in winter than they can in +summer, as in these sledges they are able to run night and day: the snow, +being frozen, is one universal covering to nature, by which the hills, +vales, rivers, and lakes are all smooth and hard is a stone, and they run +upon the surface, without any regard to what is underneath. + +But I had no occasion to urge a winter journey of this kind. I was bound +to England, not to Moscow, and my route lay two ways: either I must go on +as the caravan went, till I came to Jarislaw, and then go off west for +Narva and the Gulf of Finland, and so on to Dantzic, where I might +possibly sell my China cargo to good advantage; or I must leave the +caravan at a little town on the Dwina, from whence I had but six days by +water to Archangel, and from thence might be sure of shipping either to +England, Holland, or Hamburg. + +Now, to go any one of these journeys in the winter would have been +preposterous; for as to Dantzic, the Baltic would have been frozen up and +I could not get passage; and to go by land in those countries was far +less safe than among the Mogul Tartars; likewise, as to Archangel in +October, all the ships would be gone from thence, and even the merchants +who dwell there in summer retire south to Moscow in the winter, when the +ships are gone; so that I could have nothing but extremity of cold to +encounter, with a scarcity of provisions, and must lie in an empty town +all the winter. Therefore, upon the whole, I thought it much my better +way to let the caravan go, and make provision to winter where I was, at +Tobolski, in Siberia, in the latitude of about sixty degrees, where I was +sure of three things to wear out a cold winter with, viz. plenty of +provisions, such as the country afforded, a warm house, with fuel enough, +and excellent company. + +I was now in quite a different climate from my beloved island, where I +never felt cold, except when I had my ague; on the contrary, I had much +to do to bear any clothes on my back, and never made any fire but without +doors, which was necessary for dressing my food, &c. Now I had three +good vests, with large robes or gowns over them, to hang down to the +feet, and button close to the wrists; and all these lined with furs, to +make them sufficiently warm. As to a warm house, I must confess I +greatly dislike our way in England of making fires in every room of the +house in open chimneys, which, when the fire is out, always keeps the air +in the room cold as the climate. So I took an apartment in a good house +in the town, and ordered a chimney to be built like a furnace, in the +centre of six several rooms, like a stove; the funnel to carry the smoke +went up one way, the door to come at the fire went in another, and all +the rooms were kept equally warm, but no fire seen, just as they heat +baths in England. By this means we had always the same climate in all +the rooms, and an equal heat was preserved, and yet we saw no fire, nor +were ever incommoded with smoke. + +The most wonderful thing of all was, that it should be possible to meet +with good company here, in a country so barbarous as this--one of the +most northerly parts of Europe. But this being the country where the +state criminals of Muscovy, as I observed before, are all banished, the +city was full of Russian noblemen, gentlemen, soldiers, and courtiers. +Here was the famous Prince Galitzin, the old German Robostiski, and +several other persons of note, and some ladies. By means of my Scotch +merchant, whom, nevertheless, I parted with here, I made an acquaintance +with several of these gentlemen; and from these, in the long winter +nights in which I stayed here, I received several very agreeable visits. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI--SAFE ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND + + +It was talking one night with a certain prince, one of the banished +ministers of state belonging to the Czar, that the discourse of my +particular case began. He had been telling me abundance of fine things +of the greatness, the magnificence, the dominions, and the absolute power +of the Emperor of the Russians: I interrupted him, and told him I was a +greater and more powerful prince than ever the Czar was, though my +dominion were not so large, or my people so many. The Russian grandee +looked a little surprised, and, fixing his eyes steadily upon me, began +to wonder what I meant. I said his wonder would cease when I had +explained myself, and told him the story at large of my living in the +island; and then how I managed both myself and the people that were under +me, just as I have since minuted it down. They were exceedingly taken +with the story, and especially the prince, who told me, with a sigh, that +the true greatness of life was to be masters of ourselves; that he would +not have exchanged such a state of life as mine to be Czar of Muscovy; +and that he found more felicity in the retirement he seemed to be +banished to there, than ever he found in the highest authority he enjoyed +in the court of his master the Czar; that the height of human wisdom was +to bring our tempers down to our circumstances, and to make a calm +within, under the weight of the greatest storms without. When he came +first hither, he said, he used to tear the hair from his head, and the +clothes from his back, as others had done before him; but a little time +and consideration had made him look into himself, as well as round him to +things without; that he found the mind of man, if it was but once brought +to reflect upon the state of universal life, and how little this world +was concerned in its true felicity, was perfectly capable of making a +felicity for itself, fully satisfying to itself, and suitable to its own +best ends and desires, with but very little assistance from the world. +That being now deprived of all the fancied felicity which he enjoyed in +the full exercise of worldly pleasures, he said he was at leisure to look +upon the dark side of them, where he found all manner of deformity; and +was now convinced that virtue only makes a man truly wise, rich, and +great, and preserves him in the way to a superior happiness in a future +state; and in this, he said, they were more happy in their banishment +than all their enemies were, who had the full possession of all the +wealth and power they had left behind them. "Nor, sir," says he, "do I +bring my mind to this politically, from the necessity of my +circumstances, which some call miserable; but, if I know anything of +myself, I would not now go back, though the Czar my master should call +me, and reinstate me in all my former grandeur." + +He spoke this with so much warmth in his temper, so much earnestness and +motion of his spirits, that it was evident it was the true sense of his +soul; there was no room to doubt his sincerity. I told him I once +thought myself a kind of monarch in my old station, of which I had given +him an account; but that I thought he was not only a monarch, but a great +conqueror; for he that had got a victory over his own exorbitant desires, +and the absolute dominion over himself, he whose reason entirely governs +his will, is certainly greater than he that conquers a city. + +I had been here eight months, and a dark, dreadful winter I thought it; +the cold so intense that I could not so much as look abroad without being +wrapped in furs, and a kind of mask of fur before my face, with only a +hole for breath, and two for sight: the little daylight we had was for +three months not above five hours a day, and six at most; only that the +snow lying on the ground continually, and the weather being clear, it was +never quite dark. Our horses were kept, or rather starved, underground; +and as for our servants, whom we hired here to look after ourselves and +horses, we had, every now and then, their fingers and toes to thaw and +take care of, lest they should mortify and fall off. + +It is true, within doors we were warm, the houses being close, the walls +thick, the windows small, and the glass all double. Our food was chiefly +the flesh of deer, dried and cured in the season; bread good enough, but +baked as biscuits; dried fish of several sorts, and some flesh of mutton, +and of buffaloes, which is pretty good meat. All the stores of +provisions for the winter are laid up in the summer, and well cured: our +drink was water, mixed with aqua vitae instead of brandy; and for a +treat, mead instead of wine, which, however, they have very good. The +hunters, who venture abroad all weathers, frequently brought us in fine +venison, and sometimes bear's flesh, but we did not much care for the +last. We had a good stock of tea, with which we treated our friends, and +we lived cheerfully and well, all things considered. + +It was now March, the days grown considerably longer, and the weather at +least tolerable; so the other travellers began to prepare sledges to +carry them over the snow, and to get things ready to be going; but my +measures being fixed, as I have said, for Archangel, and not for Muscovy +or the Baltic, I made no motion; knowing very well that the ships from +the south do not set out for that part of the world till May or June, and +that if I was there by the beginning of August, it would be as soon as +any ships would be ready to sail. Therefore I made no haste to be gone, +as others did: in a word, I saw a great many people, nay, all the +travellers, go away before me. It seems every year they go from thence +to Muscovy, for trade, to carry furs, and buy necessaries, which they +bring back with them to furnish their shops: also others went on the same +errand to Archangel. + +In the month of May I began to make all ready to pack up; and, as I was +doing this, it occurred to me that, seeing all these people were banished +by the Czar to Siberia, and yet, when they came there, were left at +liberty to go whither they would, why they did not then go away to any +part of the world, wherever they thought fit: and I began to examine what +should hinder them from making such an attempt. But my wonder was over +when I entered upon that subject with the person I have mentioned, who +answered me thus: "Consider, first, sir," said he, "the place where we +are; and, secondly, the condition we are in; especially the generality of +the people who are banished thither. We are surrounded with stronger +things than bars or bolts; on the north side, an unnavigable ocean, where +ship never sailed, and boat never swam; every other way we have above a +thousand miles to pass through the Czar's own dominion, and by ways +utterly impassable, except by the roads made by the government, and +through the towns garrisoned by his troops; in short, we could neither +pass undiscovered by the road, nor subsist any other way, so that it is +in vain to attempt it." + +I was silenced at once, and found that they were in a prison every jot as +secure as if they had been locked up in the castle at Moscow: however, it +came into my thoughts that I might certainly be made an instrument to +procure the escape of this excellent person; and that, whatever hazard I +ran, I would certainly try if I could carry him off. Upon this, I took +an occasion one evening to tell him my thoughts. I represented to him +that it was very easy for me to carry him away, there being no guard over +him in the country; and as I was not going to Moscow, but to Archangel, +and that I went in the retinue of a caravan, by which I was not obliged +to lie in the stationary towns in the desert, but could encamp every +night where I would, we might easily pass uninterrupted to Archangel, +where I would immediately secure him on board an English ship, and carry +him safe along with me; and as to his subsistence and other particulars, +it should be my care till he could better supply himself. + +He heard me very attentively, and looked earnestly on me all the while I +spoke; nay, I could see in his very face that what I said put his spirits +into an exceeding ferment; his colour frequently changed, his eyes looked +red, and his heart fluttered, till it might be even perceived in his +countenance; nor could he immediately answer me when I had done, and, as +it were, hesitated what he would say to it; but after he had paused a +little, he embraced me, and said, "How unhappy are we, unguarded +creatures as we are, that even our greatest acts of friendship are made +snares unto us, and we are made tempters of one another!" He then +heartily thanked me for my offers of service, but withstood resolutely +the arguments I used to urge him to set himself free. He declared, in +earnest terms, that he was fully bent on remaining where he was rather +than seek to return to his former miserable greatness, as he called it: +where the seeds of pride, ambition, avarice, and luxury might revive, +take root, and again overwhelm him. "Let me remain, dear sir," he said, +in conclusion--"let me remain in this blessed confinement, banished from +the crimes of life, rather than purchase a show of freedom at the expense +of the liberty of my reason, and at the future happiness which I now have +in my view, but should then, I fear, quickly lose sight of; for I am but +flesh; a man, a mere man; and have passions and affections as likely to +possess and overthrow me as any man: Oh, be not my friend and tempter +both together!" + +If I was surprised before, I was quite dumb now, and stood silent, +looking at him, and, indeed, admiring what I saw. The struggle in his +soul was so great that, though the weather was extremely cold, it put him +into a most violent heat; so I said a word or two, that I would leave him +to consider of it, and wait on him again, and then I withdrew to my own +apartment. + +About two hours after I heard somebody at or near the door of my room, +and I was going to open the door, but he had opened it and come in. "My +dear friend," says he, "you had almost overset me, but I am recovered. Do +not take it ill that I do not close with your offer. I assure you it is +not for want of sense of the kindness of it in you; and I came to make +the most sincere acknowledgment of it to you; but I hope I have got the +victory over myself."--"My lord," said I, "I hope you are fully satisfied +that you do not resist the call of Heaven."--"Sir," said he, "if it had +been from Heaven, the same power would have influenced me to have +accepted it; but I hope, and am fully satisfied, that it is from Heaven +that I decline it, and I have infinite satisfaction in the parting, that +you shall leave me an honest man still, though not a free man." + +I had nothing to do but to acquiesce, and make professions to him of my +having no end in it but a sincere desire to serve him. He embraced me +very passionately, and assured me he was sensible of that, and should +always acknowledge it; and with that he offered me a very fine present of +sables--too much, indeed, for me to accept from a man in his +circumstances, and I would have avoided them, but he would not be +refused. The next morning I sent my servant to his lordship with a small +present of tea, and two pieces of China damask, and four little wedges of +Japan gold, which did not all weigh above six ounces or thereabouts, but +were far short of the value of his sables, which, when I came to England, +I found worth near two hundred pounds. He accepted the tea, and one +piece of the damask, and one of the pieces of gold, which had a fine +stamp upon it, of the Japan coinage, which I found he took for the rarity +of it, but would not take any more: and he sent word by my servant that +he desired to speak with me. + +When I came to him he told me I knew what had passed between us, and +hoped I would not move him any more in that affair; but that, since I had +made such a generous offer to him, he asked me if I had kindness enough +to offer the same to another person that he would name to me, in whom he +had a great share of concern. In a word, he told me it was his only son; +who, though I had not seen him, was in the same condition with himself, +and above two hundred miles from him, on the other side of the Oby; but +that, if I consented, he would send for him. + +I made no hesitation, but told him I would do it. I made some ceremony +in letting him understand that it was wholly on his account; and that, +seeing I could not prevail on him, I would show my respect to him by my +concern for his son. He sent the next day for his son; and in about +twenty days he came back with the messenger, bringing six or seven +horses, loaded with very rich furs, which, in the whole, amounted to a +very great value. His servants brought the horses into the town, but +left the young lord at a distance till night, when he came incognito into +our apartment, and his father presented him to me; and, in short, we +concerted the manner of our travelling, and everything proper for the +journey. + +I had bought a considerable quantity of sables, black fox-skins, fine +ermines, and such other furs as are very rich in that city, in exchange +for some of the goods I had brought from China; in particular for the +cloves and nutmegs, of which I sold the greatest part here, and the rest +afterwards at Archangel, for a much better price than I could have got at +London; and my partner, who was sensible of the profit, and whose +business, more particularly than mine, was merchandise, was mightily +pleased with our stay, on account of the traffic we made here. + +It was the beginning of June when I left this remote place. We were now +reduced to a very small caravan, having only thirty-two horses and camels +in all, which passed for mine, though my new guest was proprietor of +eleven of them. It was natural also that I should take more servants +with me than I had before; and the young lord passed for my steward; what +great man I passed for myself I know not, neither did it concern me to +inquire. We had here the worst and the largest desert to pass over that +we met with in our whole journey; I call it the worst, because the way +was very deep in some places, and very uneven in others; the best we had +to say for it was, that we thought we had no troops of Tartars or robbers +to fear, as they never came on this side of the river Oby, or at least +very seldom; but we found it otherwise. + +My young lord had a faithful Siberian servant, who was perfectly +acquainted with the country, and led us by private roads, so that we +avoided coming into the principal towns and cities upon the great road, +such as Tumen, Soloy Kamaskoy, and several others; because the Muscovite +garrisons which are kept there are very curious and strict in their +observation upon travellers, and searching lest any of the banished +persons of note should make their escape that way into Muscovy; but, by +this means, as we were kept out of the cities, so our whole journey was a +desert, and we were obliged to encamp and lie in our tents, when we might +have had very good accommodation in the cities on the way; this the young +lord was so sensible of, that he would not allow us to lie abroad when we +came to several cities on the way, but lay abroad himself, with his +servant, in the woods, and met us always at the appointed places. + +We had just entered Europe, having passed the river Kama, which in these +parts is the boundary between Europe and Asia, and the first city on the +European side was called Soloy Kamaskoy, that is, the great city on the +river Kama. And here we thought to see some evident alteration in the +people; but we were mistaken, for as we had a vast desert to pass, which +is near seven hundred miles long in some places, but not above two +hundred miles over where we passed it, so, till we came past that +horrible place, we found very little difference between that country and +Mogul Tartary. The people are mostly pagans; their houses and towns full +of idols; and their way of living wholly barbarous, except in the cities +and villages near them, where they are Christians, as they call +themselves, of the Greek Church: but have their religion mingled with so +many relics of superstition, that it is scarce to be known in some places +from mere sorcery and witchcraft. + +In passing this forest (after all our dangers were, to our imagination, +escaped), I thought, indeed, we must have been plundered and robbed, and +perhaps murdered, by a troop of thieves: of what country they were I am +yet at a loss to know; but they were all on horseback, carried bows and +arrows, and were at first about forty-five in number. They came so near +to us as to be within two musket-shot, and, asking no questions, +surrounded us with their horses, and looked very earnestly upon us twice; +at length, they placed themselves just in our way; upon which we drew up +in a little line, before our camels, being not above sixteen men in all. +Thus drawn up, we halted, and sent out the Siberian servant, who attended +his lord, to see who they were; his master was the more willing to let +him go, because he was not a little apprehensive that they were a +Siberian troop sent out after him. The man came up near them with a flag +of truce, and called to them; but though he spoke several of their +languages, or dialects of languages rather, he could not understand a +word they said; however, after some signs to him not to come near them at +his peril, the fellow came back no wiser than he went; only that by their +dress, he said, he believed them to be some Tartars of Kalmuck, or of the +Circassian hordes, and that there must be more of them upon the great +desert, though he never heard that any of them were seen so far north +before. + +This was small comfort to us; however, we had no remedy: there was on our +left hand, at about a quarter of a mile distance, a little grove, and +very near the road. I immediately resolved we should advance to those +trees, and fortify ourselves as well as we could there; for, first, I +considered that the trees would in a great measure cover us from their +arrows; and, in the next place, they could not come to charge us in a +body: it was, indeed, my old Portuguese pilot who proposed it, and who +had this excellency attending him, that he was always readiest and most +apt to direct and encourage us in cases of the most danger. We advanced +immediately, with what speed we could, and gained that little wood; the +Tartars, or thieves, for we knew not what to call them, keeping their +stand, and not attempting to hinder us. When we came thither, we found, +to our great satisfaction, that it was a swampy piece of ground, and on +the one side a very great spring of water, which, running out in a little +brook, was a little farther joined by another of the like size; and was, +in short, the source of a considerable river, called afterwards the +Wirtska; the trees which grew about this spring were not above two +hundred, but very large, and stood pretty thick, so that as soon as we +got in, we saw ourselves perfectly safe from the enemy unless they +attacked us on foot. + +While we stayed here waiting the motion of the enemy some hours, without +perceiving that they made any movement, our Portuguese, with some help, +cut several arms of trees half off, and laid them hanging across from one +tree to another, and in a manner fenced us in. About two hours before +night they came down directly upon us; and though we had not perceived +it, we found they had been joined by some more, so that they were near +fourscore horse; whereof, however, we fancied some were women. They came +on till they were within half-shot of our little wood, when we fired one +musket without ball, and called to them in the Russian tongue to know +what they wanted, and bade them keep off; but they came on with a double +fury up to the wood-side, not imagining we were so barricaded that they +could not easily break in. Our old pilot was our captain as well as our +engineer, and desired us not to fire upon them till they came within +pistol-shot, that we might be sure to kill, and that when we did fire we +should be sure to take good aim; we bade him give the word of command, +which he delayed so long that they were some of them within two pikes' +length of us when we let fly. We aimed so true that we killed fourteen +of them, and wounded several others, as also several of their horses; for +we had all of us loaded our pieces with two or three bullets apiece at +least. + +They were terribly surprised with our fire, and retreated immediately +about one hundred rods from us; in which time we loaded our pieces again, +and seeing them keep that distance, we sallied out, and caught four or +five of their horses, whose riders we supposed were killed; and coming up +to the dead, we judged they were Tartars, but knew not how they came to +make an excursion such an unusual length. + +About an hour after they again made a motion to attack us, and rode round +our little wood to see where they might break in; but finding us always +ready to face them, they went off again; and we resolved not to stir for +that night. + +We slept little, but spent the most part of the night in strengthening +our situation, and barricading the entrances into the wood, and keeping a +strict watch. We waited for daylight, and when it came, it gave us a +very unwelcome discovery indeed; for the enemy, who we thought were +discouraged with the reception they met with, were now greatly increased, +and had set up eleven or twelve huts or tents, as if they were resolved +to besiege us; and this little camp they had pitched upon the open plain, +about three-quarters of a mile from us. I confess I now gave myself over +for lost, and all that I had; the loss of my effects did not lie so near +me, though very considerable, as the thoughts of falling into the hands +of such barbarians at the latter end of my journey, after so many +difficulties and hazards as I had gone through, and even in sight of our +port, where we expected safety and deliverance. As to my partner, he was +raging, and declared that to lose his goods would be his ruin, and that +he would rather die than be starved, and he was for fighting to the last +drop. + +The young lord, a most gallant youth, was for fighting to the last also; +and my old pilot was of opinion that we were able to resist them all in +the situation we were then in. Thus we spent the day in debates of what +we should do; but towards evening we found that the number of our enemies +still increased, and we did not know but by the morning they might still +be a greater number: so I began to inquire of those people we had brought +from Tobolski if there were no private ways by which we might avoid them +in the night, and perhaps retreat to some town, or get help to guard us +over the desert. The young lord's Siberian servant told us, if we +designed to avoid them, and not fight, he would engage to carry us off in +the night, to a way that went north, towards the river Petruz, by which +he made no question but we might get away, and the Tartars never discover +it; but, he said, his lord had told him he would not retreat, but would +rather choose to fight. I told him he mistook his lord: for that he was +too wise a man to love fighting for the sake of it; that I knew he was +brave enough by what he had showed already; but that he knew better than +to desire seventeen or eighteen men to fight five hundred, unless an +unavoidable necessity forced them to it; and that if he thought it +possible for us to escape in the night, we had nothing else to do but to +attempt it. He answered, if his lordship gave him such orders, he would +lose his life if he did not perform it; we soon brought his lord to give +that order, though privately, and we immediately prepared for putting it +in practice. + +And first, as soon as it began to be dark, we kindled a fire in our +little camp, which we kept burning, and prepared so as to make it burn +all night, that the Tartars might conclude we were still there; but as +soon as it was dark, and we could see the stars (for our guide would not +stir before), having all our horses and camels ready loaded, we followed +our new guide, who I soon found steered himself by the north star, the +country being level for a long way. + +After we had travelled two hours very hard, it began to be lighter still; +not that it was dark all night, but the moon began to rise, so that, in +short, it was rather lighter than we wished it to be; but by six o'clock +the next morning we had got above thirty miles, having almost spoiled our +horses. Here we found a Russian village, named Kermazinskoy, where we +rested, and heard nothing of the Kalmuck Tartars that day. About two +hours before night we set out again, and travelled till eight the next +morning, though not quite so hard as before; and about seven o'clock we +passed a little river, called Kirtza, and came to a good large town +inhabited by Russians, called Ozomys; there we heard that several troops +of Kalmucks had been abroad upon the desert, but that we were now +completely out of danger of them, which was to our great satisfaction. +Here we were obliged to get some fresh horses, and having need enough of +rest, we stayed five days; and my partner and I agreed to give the honest +Siberian who conducted us thither the value of ten pistoles. + +In five days more we came to Veussima, upon the river Witzogda, and +running into the Dwina: we were there, very happily, near the end of our +travels by land, that river being navigable, in seven days' passage, to +Archangel. From hence we came to Lawremskoy, the 3rd of July; and +providing ourselves with two luggage boats, and a barge for our own +convenience, we embarked the 7th, and arrived all safe at Archangel the +18th; having been a year, five months, and three days on the journey, +including our stay of about eight months at Tobolski. + +We were obliged to stay at this place six weeks for the arrival of the +ships, and must have tarried longer, had not a Hamburgher come in above a +month sooner than any of the English ships; when, after some +consideration that the city of Hamburgh might happen to be as good a +market for our goods as London, we all took freight with him; and, having +put our goods on board, it was most natural for me to put my steward on +board to take care of them; by which means my young lord had a sufficient +opportunity to conceal himself, never coming on shore again all the time +we stayed there; and this he did that he might not be seen in the city, +where some of the Moscow merchants would certainly have seen and +discovered him. + +We then set sail from Archangel the 20th of August, the same year; and, +after no extraordinary bad voyage, arrived safe in the Elbe the 18th of +September. Here my partner and I found a very good sale for our goods, +as well those of China as the sables, &c., of Siberia: and, dividing the +produce, my share amounted to 3475 pounds, 17s 3d., including about six +hundred pounds' worth of diamonds, which I purchased at Bengal. + +Here the young lord took his leave of us, and went up the Elbe, in order +to go to the court of Vienna, where he resolved to seek protection and +could correspond with those of his father's friends who were left alive. +He did not part without testimonials of gratitude for the service I had +done him, and for my kindness to the prince, his father. + +To conclude: having stayed near four months in Hamburgh, I came from +thence by land to the Hague, where I embarked in the packet, and arrived +in London the 10th of January 1705, having been absent from England ten +years and nine months. And here, resolving to harass myself no more, I +am preparing for a longer journey than all these, having lived seventy- +two years a life of infinite variety, and learned sufficiently to know +the value of retirement, and the blessing of ending our days in peace. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FURTHER ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE*** + + +******* This file should be named 561.txt or 561.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/5/6/561 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Hart +and may be reprinted only when these Etexts are free of all fees.] +[Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be used in any sales +of Project Gutenberg Etexts or other materials be they hardware or +software or any other related product without express permission.] + +*END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.10/04/01*END* + + + + +THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE + + + + +CHAPTER I--REVISITS ISLAND + + + +That homely proverb, used on so many occasions in England, viz. +"That what is bred in the bone will not go out of the flesh," was +never more verified than in the story of my Life. Any one would +think that after thirty-five years' affliction, and a variety of +unhappy circumstances, which few men, if any, ever went through +before, and after near seven years of peace and enjoyment in the +fulness of all things; grown old, and when, if ever, it might be +allowed me to have had experience of every state of middle life, +and to know which was most adapted to make a man completely happy; +I say, after all this, any one would have thought that the native +propensity to rambling which I gave an account of in my first +setting out in the world to have been so predominant in my +thoughts, should be worn out, and I might, at sixty one years of +age, have been a little inclined to stay at home, and have done +venturing life and fortune any more. + +Nay, farther, the common motive of foreign adventures was taken +away in me, for I had no fortune to make; I had nothing to seek: +if I had gained ten thousand pounds I had been no richer; for I had +already sufficient for me, and for those I had to leave it to; and +what I had was visibly increasing; for, having no great family, I +could not spend the income of what I had unless I would set up for +an expensive way of living, such as a great family, servants, +equipage, gaiety, and the like, which were things I had no notion +of, or inclination to; so that I had nothing, indeed, to do but to +sit still, and fully enjoy what I had got, and see it increase +daily upon my hands. Yet all these things had no effect upon me, +or at least not enough to resist the strong inclination I had to go +abroad again, which hung about me like a chronic distemper. In +particular, the desire of seeing my new plantation in the island, +and the colony I left there, ran in my head continually. I dreamed +of it all night, and my imagination ran upon it all day: it was +uppermost in all my thoughts, and my fancy worked so steadily and +strongly upon it that I talked of it in my sleep; in short, nothing +could remove it out of my mind: it even broke so violently into +all my discourses that it made my conversation tiresome, for I +could talk of nothing else; all my discourse ran into it, even to +impertinence; and I saw it myself. + +I have often heard persons of good judgment say that all the stir +that people make in the world about ghosts and apparitions is owing +to the strength of imagination, and the powerful operation of fancy +in their minds; that there is no such thing as a spirit appearing, +or a ghost walking; that people's poring affectionately upon the +past conversation of their deceased friends so realises it to them +that they are capable of fancying, upon some extraordinary +circumstances, that they see them, talk to them, and are answered +by them, when, in truth, there is nothing but shadow and vapour in +the thing, and they really know nothing of the matter. + +For my part, I know not to this hour whether there are any such +things as real apparitions, spectres, or walking of people after +they are dead; or whether there is anything in the stories they +tell us of that kind more than the product of vapours, sick minds, +and wandering fancies: but this I know, that my imagination worked +up to such a height, and brought me into such excess of vapours, or +what else I may call it, that I actually supposed myself often upon +the spot, at my old castle, behind the trees; saw my old Spaniard, +Friday's father, and the reprobate sailors I left upon the island; +nay, I fancied I talked with them, and looked at them steadily, +though I was broad awake, as at persons just before me; and this I +did till I often frightened myself with the images my fancy +represented to me. One time, in my sleep, I had the villainy of +the three pirate sailors so lively related to me by the first +Spaniard, and Friday's father, that it was surprising: they told +me how they barbarously attempted to murder all the Spaniards, and +that they set fire to the provisions they had laid up, on purpose +to distress and starve them; things that I had never heard of, and +that, indeed, were never all of them true in fact: but it was so +warm in my imagination, and so realised to me, that, to the hour I +saw them, I could not be persuaded but that it was or would be +true; also how I resented it, when the Spaniard complained to me; +and how I brought them to justice, tried them, and ordered them all +three to be hanged. What there was really in this shall be seen in +its place; for however I came to form such things in my dream, and +what secret converse of spirits injected it, yet there was, I say, +much of it true. I own that this dream had nothing in it literally +and specifically true; but the general part was so true--the base; +villainous behaviour of these three hardened rogues was such, and +had been so much worse than all I can describe, that the dream had +too much similitude of the fact; and as I would afterwards have +punished them severely, so, if I had hanged them all, I had been +much in the right, and even should have been justified both by the +laws of God and man. + +But to return to my story. In this kind of temper I lived some +years; I had no enjoyment of my life, no pleasant hours, no +agreeable diversion but what had something or other of this in it; +so that my wife, who saw my mind wholly bent upon it, told me very +seriously one night that she believed there was some secret, +powerful impulse of Providence upon me, which had determined me to +go thither again; and that she found nothing hindered me going but +my being engaged to a wife and children. She told me that it was +true she could not think of parting with me: but as she was +assured that if she was dead it would be the first thing I would +do, so, as it seemed to her that the thing was determined above, +she would not be the only obstruction; for, if I thought fit and +resolved to go--[Here she found me very intent upon her words, and +that I looked very earnestly at her, so that it a little disordered +her, and she stopped. I asked her why she did not go on, and say +out what she was going to say? But I perceived that her heart was +too full, and some tears stood in her eyes.] "Speak out, my dear," +said I; "are you willing I should go?"--"No," says she, very +affectionately, "I am far from willing; but if you are resolved to +go," says she, "rather than I would be the only hindrance, I will +go with you: for though I think it a most preposterous thing for +one of your years, and in your condition, yet, if it must be," said +she, again weeping, "I would not leave you; for if it be of Heaven +you must do it, there is no resisting it; and if Heaven make it +your duty to go, He will also make it mine to go with you, or +otherwise dispose of me, that I may not obstruct it." + +This affectionate behaviour of my wife's brought me a little out of +the vapours, and I began to consider what I was doing; I corrected +my wandering fancy, and began to argue with myself sedately what +business I had after threescore years, and after such a life of +tedious sufferings and disasters, and closed in so happy and easy a +manner; I, say, what business had I to rush into new hazards, and +put myself upon adventures fit only for youth and poverty to run +into? + +With those thoughts I considered my new engagement; that I had a +wife, one child born, and my wife then great with child of another; +that I had all the world could give me, and had no need to seek +hazard for gain; that I was declining in years, and ought to think +rather of leaving what I had gained than of seeking to increase it; +that as to what my wife had said of its being an impulse from +Heaven, and that it should be my duty to go, I had no notion of +that; so, after many of these cogitations, I struggled with the +power of my imagination, reasoned myself out of it, as I believe +people may always do in like cases if they will: in a word, I +conquered it, composed myself with such arguments as occurred to my +thoughts, and which my present condition furnished me plentifully +with; and particularly, as the most effectual method, I resolved to +divert myself with other things, and to engage in some business +that might effectually tie me up from any more excursions of this +kind; for I found that thing return upon me chiefly when I was +idle, and had nothing to do, nor anything of moment immediately +before me. To this purpose, I bought a little farm in the county +of Bedford, and resolved to remove myself thither. I had a little +convenient house upon it, and the land about it, I found, was +capable of great improvement; and it was many ways suited to my +inclination, which delighted in cultivating, managing, planting, +and improving of land; and particularly, being an inland country, I +was removed from conversing among sailors and things relating to +the remote parts of the world. I went down to my farm, settled my +family, bought ploughs, harrows, a cart, waggon-horses, cows, and +sheep, and, setting seriously to work, became in one half-year a +mere country gentleman. My thoughts were entirely taken up in +managing my servants, cultivating the ground, enclosing, planting, +&c.; and I lived, as I thought, the most agreeable life that nature +was capable of directing, or that a man always bred to misfortunes +was capable of retreating to. + +I farmed upon my own land; I had no rent to pay, was limited by no +articles; I could pull up or cut down as I pleased; what I planted +was for myself, and what I improved was for my family; and having +thus left off the thoughts of wandering, I had not the least +discomfort in any part of life as to this world. Now I thought, +indeed, that I enjoyed the middle state of life which my father so +earnestly recommended to me, and lived a kind of heavenly life, +something like what is described by the poet, upon the subject of a +country life:- + + +"Free from vices, free from care, +Age has no pain, and youth no snare." + + +But in the middle of all this felicity, one blow from unseen +Providence unhinged me at once; and not only made a breach upon me +inevitable and incurable, but drove me, by its consequences, into a +deep relapse of the wandering disposition, which, as I may say, +being born in my very blood, soon recovered its hold of me; and, +like the returns of a violent distemper, came on with an +irresistible force upon me. This blow was the loss of my wife. It +is not my business here to write an elegy upon my wife, give a +character of her particular virtues, and make my court to the sex +by the flattery of a funeral sermon. She was, in a few words, the +stay of all my affairs; the centre of all my enterprises; the +engine that, by her prudence, reduced me to that happy compass I +was in, from the most extravagant and ruinous project that filled +my head, and did more to guide my rambling genius than a mother's +tears, a father's instructions, a friend's counsel, or all my own +reasoning powers could do. I was happy in listening to her, and in +being moved by her entreaties; and to the last degree desolate and +dislocated in the world by the loss of her. + +When she was gone, the world looked awkwardly round me. I was as +much a stranger in it, in my thoughts, as I was in the Brazils, +when I first went on shore there; and as much alone, except for the +assistance of servants, as I was in my island. I knew neither what +to think nor what to do. I saw the world busy around me: one part +labouring for bread, another part squandering in vile excesses or +empty pleasures, but equally miserable because the end they +proposed still fled from them; for the men of pleasure every day +surfeited of their vice, and heaped up work for sorrow and +repentance; and the men of labour spent their strength in daily +struggling for bread to maintain the vital strength they laboured +with: so living in a daily circulation of sorrow, living but to +work, and working but to live, as if daily bread were the only end +of wearisome life, and a wearisome life the only occasion of daily +bread. + +This put me in mind of the life I lived in my kingdom, the island; +where I suffered no more corn to grow, because I did not want it; +and bred no more goats, because I had no more use for them; where +the money lay in the drawer till it grew mouldy, and had scarce the +favour to be looked upon in twenty years. All these things, had I +improved them as I ought to have done, and as reason and religion +had dictated to me, would have taught me to search farther than +human enjoyments for a full felicity; and that there was something +which certainly was the reason and end of life superior to all +these things, and which was either to be possessed, or at least +hoped for, on this side of the grave. + +But my sage counsellor was gone; I was like a ship without a pilot, +that could only run afore the wind. My thoughts ran all away again +into the old affair; my head was quite turned with the whimsies of +foreign adventures; and all the pleasant, innocent amusements of my +farm, my garden, my cattle, and my family, which before entirely +possessed me, were nothing to me, had no relish, and were like +music to one that has no ear, or food to one that has no taste. In +a word, I resolved to leave off housekeeping, let my farm, and +return to London; and in a few months after I did so. + +When I came to London, I was still as uneasy as I was before; I had +no relish for the place, no employment in it, nothing to do but to +saunter about like an idle person, of whom it may be said he is +perfectly useless in God's creation, and it is not one farthing's +matter to the rest of his kind whether he be dead or alive. This +also was the thing which, of all circumstances of life, was the +most my aversion, who had been all my days used to an active life; +and I would often say to myself, "A state of idleness is the very +dregs of life;" and, indeed, I thought I was much more suitably +employed when I was twenty-six days making a deal board. + +It was now the beginning of the year 1693, when my nephew, whom, as +I have observed before, I had brought up to the sea, and had made +him commander of a ship, was come home from a short voyage to +Bilbao, being the first he had made. He came to me, and told me +that some merchants of his acquaintance had been proposing to him +to go a voyage for them to the East Indies, and to China, as +private traders. "And now, uncle," says he, "if you will go to sea +with me, I will engage to land you upon your old habitation in the +island; for we are to touch at the Brazils." + +Nothing can be a greater demonstration of a future state, and of +the existence of an invisible world, than the concurrence of second +causes with the idea of things which we form in our minds, +perfectly reserved, and not communicated to any in the world. + +My nephew knew nothing how far my distemper of wandering was +returned upon me, and I knew nothing of what he had in his thought +to say, when that very morning, before he came to me, I had, in a +great deal of confusion of thought, and revolving every part of my +circumstances in my mind, come to this resolution, that I would go +to Lisbon, and consult with my old sea-captain; and if it was +rational and practicable, I would go and see the island again, and +what was become of my people there. I had pleased myself with the +thoughts of peopling the place, and carrying inhabitants from +hence, getting a patent for the possession and I know not what; +when, in the middle of all this, in comes my nephew, as I have +said, with his project of carrying me thither in his way to the +East Indies. + +I paused a while at his words, and looking steadily at him, "What +devil," said I, "sent you on this unlucky errand?" My nephew +stared as if he had been frightened at first; but perceiving that I +was not much displeased at the proposal, he recovered himself. "I +hope it may not be an unlucky proposal, sir," says he. "I daresay +you would be pleased to see your new colony there, where you once +reigned with more felicity than most of your brother monarchs in +the world." In a word, the scheme hit so exactly with my temper, +that is to say, the prepossession I was under, and of which I have +said so much, that I told him, in a few words, if he agreed with +the merchants, I would go with him; but I told him I would not +promise to go any further than my own island. "Why, sir," says he, +"you don't want to be left there again, I hope?" "But," said I, +"can you not take me up again on your return?" He told me it would +not be possible to do so; that the merchants would never allow him +to come that way with a laden ship of such value, it being a +month's sail out of his way, and might be three or four. "Besides, +sir, if I should miscarry," said he, "and not return at all, then +you would be just reduced to the condition you were in before." + +This was very rational; but we both found out a remedy for it, +which was to carry a framed sloop on board the ship, which, being +taken in pieces, might, by the help of some carpenters, whom we +agreed to carry with us, be set up again in the island, and +finished fit to go to sea in a few days. I was not long resolving, +for indeed the importunities of my nephew joined so effectually +with my inclination that nothing could oppose me; on the other +hand, my wife being dead, none concerned themselves so much for me +as to persuade me one way or the other, except my ancient good +friend the widow, who earnestly struggled with me to consider my +years, my easy circumstances, and the needless hazards of a long +voyage; and above all, my young children. But it was all to no +purpose, I had an irresistible desire for the voyage; and I told +her I thought there was something so uncommon in the impressions I +had upon my mind, that it would be a kind of resisting Providence +if I should attempt to stay at home; after which she ceased her +expostulations, and joined with me, not only in making provision +for my voyage, but also in settling my family affairs for my +absence, and providing for the education of my children. In order +to do this, I made my will, and settled the estate I had in such a +manner for my children, and placed in such hands, that I was +perfectly easy and satisfied they would have justice done them, +whatever might befall me; and for their education, I left it wholly +to the widow, with a sufficient maintenance to herself for her +care: all which she richly deserved; for no mother could have +taken more care in their education, or understood it better; and as +she lived till I came home, I also lived to thank her for it. + +My nephew was ready to sail about the beginning of January 1694-5; +and I, with my man Friday, went on board, in the Downs, the 8th; +having, besides that sloop which I mentioned above, a very +considerable cargo of all kinds of necessary things for my colony, +which, if I did not find in good condition, I resolved to leave so. + +First, I carried with me some servants whom I purposed to place +there as inhabitants, or at least to set on work there upon my +account while I stayed, and either to leave them there or carry +them forward, as they should appear willing; particularly, I +carried two carpenters, a smith, and a very handy, ingenious +fellow, who was a cooper by trade, and was also a general mechanic; +for he was dexterous at making wheels and hand-mills to grind corn, +was a good turner and a good pot-maker; he also made anything that +was proper to make of earth or of wood: in a word, we called him +our Jack-of-all-trades. With these I carried a tailor, who had +offered himself to go a passenger to the East Indies with my +nephew, but afterwards consented to stay on our new plantation, and +who proved a most necessary handy fellow as could be desired in +many other businesses besides that of his trade; for, as I observed +formerly, necessity arms us for all employments. + +My cargo, as near as I can recollect, for I have not kept account +of the particulars, consisted of a sufficient quantity of linen, +and some English thin stuffs, for clothing the Spaniards that I +expected to find there; and enough of them, as by my calculation +might comfortably supply them for seven years; if I remember right, +the materials I carried for clothing them, with gloves, hats, +shoes, stockings, and all such things as they could want for +wearing, amounted to about two hundred pounds, including some beds, +bedding, and household stuff, particularly kitchen utensils, with +pots, kettles, pewter, brass, &c.; and near a hundred pounds more +in ironwork, nails, tools of every kind, staples, hooks, hinges, +and every necessary thing I could think of. + +I carried also a hundred spare arms, muskets, and fusees; besides +some pistols, a considerable quantity of shot of all sizes, three +or four tons of lead, and two pieces of brass cannon; and, because +I knew not what time and what extremities I was providing for, I +carried a hundred barrels of powder, besides swords, cutlasses, and +the iron part of some pikes and halberds. In short, we had a large +magazine of all sorts of store; and I made my nephew carry two +small quarter-deck guns more than he wanted for his ship, to leave +behind if there was occasion; so that when we came there we might +build a fort and man it against all sorts of enemies. Indeed, I at +first thought there would be need enough for all, and much more, if +we hoped to maintain our possession of the island, as shall be seen +in the course of that story. + +I had not such bad luck in this voyage as I had been used to meet +with, and therefore shall have the less occasion to interrupt the +reader, who perhaps may be impatient to hear how matters went with +my colony; yet some odd accidents, cross winds and bad weather +happened on this first setting out, which made the voyage longer +than I expected it at first; and I, who had never made but one +voyage, my first voyage to Guinea, in which I might be said to come +back again, as the voyage was at first designed, began to think the +same ill fate attended me, and that I was born to be never +contented with being on shore, and yet to be always unfortunate at +sea. Contrary winds first put us to the northward, and we were +obliged to put in at Galway, in Ireland, where we lay wind-bound +two-and-twenty days; but we had this satisfaction with the +disaster, that provisions were here exceeding cheap, and in the +utmost plenty; so that while we lay here we never touched the +ship's stores, but rather added to them. Here, also, I took in +several live hogs, and two cows with their calves, which I +resolved, if I had a good passage, to put on shore in my island; +but we found occasion to dispose otherwise of them. + +We set out on the 5th of February from Ireland, and had a very fair +gale of wind for some days. As I remember, it might be about the +20th of February in the evening late, when the mate, having the +watch, came into the round-house and told us he saw a flash of +fire, and heard a gun fired; and while he was telling us of it, a +boy came in and told us the boatswain heard another. This made us +all run out upon the quarter-deck, where for a while we heard +nothing; but in a few minutes we saw a very great light, and found +that there was some very terrible fire at a distance; immediately +we had recourse to our reckonings, in which we all agreed that +there could be no land that way in which the fire showed itself, +no, not for five hundred leagues, for it appeared at WNW. Upon +this, we concluded it must be some ship on fire at sea; and as, by +our hearing the noise of guns just before, we concluded that it +could not be far off, we stood directly towards it, and were +presently satisfied we should discover it, because the further we +sailed, the greater the light appeared; though, the weather being +hazy, we could not perceive anything but the light for a while. In +about half-an-hour's sailing, the wind being fair for us, though +not much of it, and the weather clearing up a little, we could +plainly discern that it was a great ship on fire in the middle of +the sea. + +I was most sensibly touched with this disaster, though not at all +acquainted with the persons engaged in it; I presently recollected +my former circumstances, and what condition I was in when taken up +by the Portuguese captain; and how much more deplorable the +circumstances of the poor creatures belonging to that ship must be, +if they had no other ship in company with them. Upon this I +immediately ordered that five guns should be fired, one soon after +another, that, if possible, we might give notice to them that there +was help for them at hand and that they might endeavour to save +themselves in their boat; for though we could see the flames of the +ship, yet they, it being night, could see nothing of us. + +We lay by some time upon this, only driving as the burning ship +drove, waiting for daylight; when, on a sudden, to our great +terror, though we had reason to expect it, the ship blew up in the +air; and in a few minutes all the fire was out, that is to say, the +rest of the ship sunk. This was a terrible, and indeed an +afflicting sight, for the sake of the poor men, who, I concluded, +must be either all destroyed in the ship, or be in the utmost +distress in their boat, in the middle of the ocean; which, at +present, as it was dark, I could not see. However, to direct them +as well as I could, I caused lights to be hung out in all parts of +the ship where we could, and which we had lanterns for, and kept +firing guns all the night long, letting them know by this that +there was a ship not far off. + +About eight o'clock in the morning we discovered the ship's boats +by the help of our perspective glasses, and found there were two of +them, both thronged with people, and deep in the water. We +perceived they rowed, the wind being against them; that they saw +our ship, and did their utmost to make us see them. We immediately +spread our ancient, to let them know we saw them, and hung a waft +out, as a signal for them to come on board, and then made more +sail, standing directly to them. In little more than half-an-hour +we came up with them; and took them all in, being no less than +sixty-four men, women, and children; for there were a great many +passengers. + +Upon inquiry we found it was a French merchant ship of three- +hundred tons, home-bound from Quebec. The master gave us a long +account of the distress of his ship; how the fire began in the +steerage by the negligence of the steersman, which, on his crying +out for help, was, as everybody thought, entirely put out; but they +soon found that some sparks of the first fire had got into some +part of the ship so difficult to come at that they could not +effectually quench it; and afterwards getting in between the +timbers, and within the ceiling of the ship, it proceeded into the +hold, and mastered all the skill and all the application they were +able to exert. + +They had no more to do then but to get into their boats, which, to +their great comfort, were pretty large; being their long-boat, and +a great shallop, besides a small skiff, which was of no great +service to them, other than to get some fresh water and provisions +into her, after they had secured their lives from the fire. They +had, indeed, small hopes of their lives by getting into these boats +at that distance from any land; only, as they said, that they thus +escaped from the fire, and there was a possibility that some ship +might happen to be at sea, and might take them in. They had sails, +oars, and a compass; and had as much provision and water as, with +sparing it so as to be next door to starving, might support them +about twelve days, in which, if they had no bad weather and no +contrary winds, the captain said he hoped he might get to the banks +of Newfoundland, and might perhaps take some fish, to sustain them +till they might go on shore. But there were so many chances +against them in all these cases, such as storms, to overset and +founder them; rains and cold, to benumb and perish their limbs; +contrary winds, to keep them out and starve them; that it must have +been next to miraculous if they had escaped. + +In the midst of their consternation, every one being hopeless and +ready to despair, the captain, with tears in his eyes, told me they +were on a sudden surprised with the joy of hearing a gun fire, and +after that four more: these were the five guns which I caused to +be fired at first seeing the light. This revived their hearts, and +gave them the notice, which, as above, I desired it should, that +there was a ship at hand for their help. It was upon the hearing +of these guns that they took down their masts and sails: the sound +coming from the windward, they resolved to lie by till morning. +Some time after this, hearing no more guns, they fired three +muskets, one a considerable while after another; but these, the +wind being contrary, we never heard. Some time after that again +they were still more agreeably surprised with seeing our lights, +and hearing the guns, which, as I have said, I caused to be fired +all the rest of the night. This set them to work with their oars, +to keep their boats ahead, at least that we might the sooner come +up with them; and at last, to their inexpressible joy, they found +we saw them. + +It is impossible for me to express the several gestures, the +strange ecstasies, the variety of postures which these poor +delivered people ran into, to express the joy of their souls at so +unexpected a deliverance. Grief and fear are easily described: +sighs, tears, groans, and a very few motions of the head and hands, +make up the sum of its variety; but an excess of joy, a surprise of +joy, has a thousand extravagances in it. There were some in tears; +some raging and tearing themselves, as if they had been in the +greatest agonies of sorrow; some stark raving and downright +lunatic; some ran about the ship stamping with their feet, others +wringing their hands; some were dancing, some singing, some +laughing, more crying, many quite dumb, not able to speak a word; +others sick and vomiting; several swooning and ready to faint; and +a few were crossing themselves and giving God thanks. + +I would not wrong them either; there might be many that were +thankful afterwards; but the passion was too strong for them at +first, and they were not able to master it: then were thrown into +ecstasies, and a kind of frenzy, and it was but a very few that +were composed and serious in their joy. Perhaps also, the case may +have some addition to it from the particular circumstance of that +nation they belonged to: I mean the French, whose temper is +allowed to be more volatile, more passionate, and more sprightly, +and their spirits more fluid than in other nations. I am not +philosopher enough to determine the cause; but nothing I had ever +seen before came up to it. The ecstasies poor Friday, my trusty +savage, was in when he found his father in the boat came the +nearest to it; and the surprise of the master and his two +companions, whom I delivered from the villains that set them on +shore in the island, came a little way towards it; but nothing was +to compare to this, either that I saw in Friday, or anywhere else +in my life. + +It is further observable, that these extravagances did not show +themselves in that different manner I have mentioned, in different +persons only; but all the variety would appear, in a short +succession of moments, in one and the same person. A man that we +saw this minute dumb, and, as it were, stupid and confounded, would +the next minute be dancing and hallooing like an antic; and the +next moment be tearing his hair, or pulling his clothes to pieces, +and stamping them under his feet like a madman; in a few moments +after that we would have him all in tears, then sick, swooning, +and, had not immediate help been had, he would in a few moments +have been dead. Thus it was, not with one or two, or ten or +twenty, but with the greatest part of them; and, if I remember +right, our surgeon was obliged to let blood of about thirty +persons. + +There were two priests among them: one an old man, and the other a +young man; and that which was strangest was, the oldest man was the +worst. As soon as he set his foot on board our ship, and saw +himself safe, he dropped down stone dead to all appearance. Not +the least sign of life could be perceived in him; our surgeon +immediately applied proper remedies to recover him, and was the +only man in the ship that believed he was not dead. At length he +opened a vein in his arm, having first chafed and rubbed the part, +so as to warm it as much as possible. Upon this the blood, which +only dropped at first, flowing freely, in three minutes after the +man opened his eyes; a quarter of an hour after that he spoke, grew +better, and after the blood was stopped, he walked about, told us +he was perfectly well, and took a dram of cordial which the surgeon +gave him. About a quarter of an hour after this they came running +into the cabin to the surgeon, who was bleeding a Frenchwoman that +had fainted, and told him the priest was gone stark mad. It seems +he had begun to revolve the change of his circumstances in his +mind, and again this put him into an ecstasy of joy. His spirits +whirled about faster than the vessels could convey them, the blood +grew hot and feverish, and the man was as fit for Bedlam as any +creature that ever was in it. The surgeon would not bleed him +again in that condition, but gave him something to doze and put him +to sleep; which, after some time, operated upon him, and he awoke +next morning perfectly composed and well. The younger priest +behaved with great command of his passions, and was really an +example of a serious, well-governed mind. At his first coming on +board the ship he threw himself flat on his face, prostrating +himself in thankfulness for his deliverance, in which I unhappily +and unseasonably disturbed him, really thinking he had been in a +swoon; but he spoke calmly, thanked me, told me he was giving God +thanks for his deliverance, begged me to leave him a few moments, +and that, next to his Maker, he would give me thanks also. I was +heartily sorry that I disturbed him, and not only left him, but +kept others from interrupting him also. He continued in that +posture about three minutes, or little more, after I left him, then +came to me, as he had said he would, and with a great deal of +seriousness and affection, but with tears in his eyes, thanked me, +that had, under God, given him and so many miserable creatures +their lives. I told him I had no need to tell him to thank God for +it, rather than me, for I had seen that he had done that already; +but I added that it was nothing but what reason and humanity +dictated to all men, and that we had as much reason as he to give +thanks to God, who had blessed us so far as to make us the +instruments of His mercy to so many of His creatures. After this +the young priest applied himself to his countrymen, and laboured to +compose them: he persuaded, entreated, argued, reasoned with them, +and did his utmost to keep them within the exercise of their +reason; and with some he had success, though others were for a time +out of all government of themselves. + +I cannot help committing this to writing, as perhaps it may be +useful to those into whose hands it may fall, for guiding +themselves in the extravagances of their passions; for if an excess +of joy can carry men out to such a length beyond the reach of their +reason, what will not the extravagances of anger, rage, and a +provoked mind carry us to? And, indeed, here I saw reason for +keeping an exceeding watch over our passions of every kind, as well +those of joy and satisfaction as those of sorrow and anger. + +We were somewhat disordered by these extravagances among our new +guests for the first day; but after they had retired to lodgings +provided for them as well as our ship would allow, and had slept +heartily--as most of them did, being fatigued and frightened--they +were quite another sort of people the next day. Nothing of good +manners, or civil acknowledgments for the kindness shown them, was +wanting; the French, it is known, are naturally apt enough to +exceed that way. The captain and one of the priests came to me the +next day, and desired to speak with me and my nephew; the commander +began to consult with us what should be done with them; and first, +they told us we had saved their lives, so all they had was little +enough for a return to us for that kindness received. The captain +said they had saved some money and some things of value in their +boats, caught hastily out of the flames, and if we would accept it +they were ordered to make an offer of it all to us; they only +desired to be set on shore somewhere in our way, where, if +possible, they might get a passage to France. My nephew wished to +accept their money at first word, and to consider what to do with +them afterwards; but I overruled him in that part, for I knew what +it was to be set on shore in a strange country; and if the +Portuguese captain that took me up at sea had served me so, and +taken all I had for my deliverance, I must have been starved, or +have been as much a slave at the Brazils as I had been at Barbary, +the mere being sold to a Mahometan excepted; and perhaps a +Portuguese is not a much better master than a Turk, if not in some +cases much worse. + +I therefore told the French captain that we had taken them up in +their distress, it was true, but that it was our duty to do so, as +we were fellow-creatures; and we would desire to be so delivered if +we were in the like or any other extremity; that we had done +nothing for them but what we believed they would have done for us +if we had been in their case and they in ours; but that we took +them up to save them, not to plunder them; and it would be a most +barbarous thing to take that little from them which they had saved +out of the fire, and then set them on shore and leave them; that +this would be first to save them from death, and then kill them +ourselves: save them from drowning, and abandon them to starving; +and therefore I would not let the least thing be taken from them. +As to setting them on shore, I told them indeed that was an +exceeding difficulty to us, for that the ship was bound to the East +Indies; and though we were driven out of our course to the westward +a very great way, and perhaps were directed by Heaven on purpose +for their deliverance, yet it was impossible for us wilfully to +change our voyage on their particular account; nor could my nephew, +the captain, answer it to the freighters, with whom he was under +charter to pursue his voyage by way of Brazil; and all I knew we +could do for them was to put ourselves in the way of meeting with +other ships homeward bound from the West Indies, and get them a +passage, if possible, to England or France. + +The first part of the proposal was so generous and kind they could +not but be very thankful for it; but they were in very great +consternation, especially the passengers, at the notion of being +carried away to the East Indies; they then entreated me that as I +was driven so far to the westward before I met with them, I would +at least keep on the same course to the banks of Newfoundland, +where it was probable I might meet with some ship or sloop that +they might hire to carry them back to Canada. + +I thought this was but a reasonable request on their part, and +therefore I inclined to agree to it; for indeed I considered that +to carry this whole company to the East Indies would not only be an +intolerable severity upon the poor people, but would be ruining our +whole voyage by devouring all our provisions; so I thought it no +breach of charter-party, but what an unforeseen accident made +absolutely necessary to us, and in which no one could say we were +to blame; for the laws of God and nature would have forbid that we +should refuse to take up two boats full of people in such a +distressed condition; and the nature of the thing, as well +respecting ourselves as the poor people, obliged us to set them on +shore somewhere or other for their deliverance. So I consented +that we would carry them to Newfoundland, if wind and weather would +permit: and if not, I would carry them to Martinico, in the West +Indies. + +The wind continued fresh easterly, but the weather pretty good; and +as the winds had continued in the points between NE. and SE. a long +time, we missed several opportunities of sending them to France; +for we met several ships bound to Europe, whereof two were French, +from St. Christopher's, but they had been so long beating up +against the wind that they durst take in no passengers, for fear of +wanting provisions for the voyage, as well for themselves as for +those they should take in; so we were obliged to go on. It was +about a week after this that we made the banks of Newfoundland; +where, to shorten my story, we put all our French people on board a +bark, which they hired at sea there, to put them on shore, and +afterwards to carry them to France, if they could get provisions to +victual themselves with. When I say all the French went on shore, +I should remember that the young priest I spoke of, hearing we were +bound to the East Indies, desired to go the voyage with us, and to +be set on shore on the coast of Coromandel; which I readily agreed +to, for I wonderfully liked the man, and had very good reason, as +will appear afterwards; also four of the seamen entered themselves +on our ship, and proved very useful fellows. + +From hence we directed our course for the West Indies, steering +away S. and S. by E. for about twenty days together, sometimes +little or no wind at all; when we met with another subject for our +humanity to work upon, almost as deplorable as that before. + + + +CHAPTER II-- INTERVENING HISTORY OF COLONY + + + +It was in the latitude of 27 degrees 5 minutes N., on the 19th day +of March 1694-95, when we spied a sail, our course SE. and by S. +We soon perceived it was a large vessel, and that she bore up to +us, but could not at first know what to make of her, till, after +coming a little nearer, we found she had lost her main-topmast, +fore-mast, and bowsprit; and presently she fired a gun as a signal +of distress. The weather was pretty good, wind at NNW. a fresh +gale, and we soon came to speak with her. We found her a ship of +Bristol, bound home from Barbadoes, but had been blown out of the +road at Barbadoes a few days before she was ready to sail, by a +terrible hurricane, while the captain and chief mate were both gone +on shore; so that, besides the terror of the storm, they were in an +indifferent case for good mariners to bring the ship home. They +had been already nine weeks at sea, and had met with another +terrible storm, after the hurricane was over, which had blown them +quite out of their knowledge to the westward, and in which they +lost their masts. They told us they expected to have seen the +Bahama Islands, but were then driven away again to the south-east, +by a strong gale of wind at NNW., the same that blew now: and +having no sails to work the ship with but a main course, and a kind +of square sail upon a jury fore-mast, which they had set up, they +could not lie near the wind, but were endeavouring to stand away +for the Canaries. + +But that which was worst of all was, that they were almost starved +for want of provisions, besides the fatigues they had undergone; +their bread and flesh were quite gone--they had not one ounce left +in the ship, and had had none for eleven days. The only relief +they had was, their water was not all spent, and they had about +half a barrel of flour left; they had sugar enough; some succades, +or sweetmeats, they had at first, but these were all devoured; and +they had seven casks of rum. There was a youth and his mother and +a maid-servant on board, who were passengers, and thinking the ship +was ready to sail, unhappily came on board the evening before the +hurricane began; and having no provisions of their own left, they +were in a more deplorable condition than the rest: for the seamen +being reduced to such an extreme necessity themselves, had no +compassion, we may be sure, for the poor passengers; and they were, +indeed, in such a condition that their misery is very hard to +describe. + +I had perhaps not known this part, if my curiosity had not led me, +the weather being fair and the wind abated, to go on board the +ship. The second mate, who upon this occasion commanded the ship, +had been on board our ship, and he told me they had three +passengers in the great cabin that were in a deplorable condition. +"Nay," says he, "I believe they are dead, for I have heard nothing +of them for above two days; and I was afraid to inquire after +them," said he, "for I had nothing to relieve them with." We +immediately applied ourselves to give them what relief we could +spare; and indeed I had so far overruled things with my nephew, +that I would have victualled them though we had gone away to +Virginia, or any other part of the coast of America, to have +supplied ourselves; but there was no necessity for that. + +But now they were in a new danger; for they were afraid of eating +too much, even of that little we gave them. The mate, or +commander, brought six men with him in his boat; but these poor +wretches looked like skeletons, and were so weak that they could +hardly sit to their oars. The mate himself was very ill, and half +starved; for he declared he had reserved nothing from the men, and +went share and share alike with them in every bit they ate. I +cautioned him to eat sparingly, and set meat before him +immediately, but he had not eaten three mouthfuls before he began +to be sick and out of order; so he stopped a while, and our surgeon +mixed him up something with some broth, which he said would be to +him both food and physic; and after he had taken it he grew better. +In the meantime I forgot not the men. I ordered victuals to be +given them, and the poor creatures rather devoured than ate it: +they were so exceedingly hungry that they were in a manner +ravenous, and had no command of themselves; and two of them ate +with so much greediness that they were in danger of their lives the +next morning. The sight of these people's distress was very moving +to me, and brought to mind what I had a terrible prospect of at my +first coming on shore in my island, where I had not the least +mouthful of food, or any prospect of procuring any; besides the +hourly apprehensions I had of being made the food of other +creatures. But all the while the mate was thus relating to me the +miserable condition of the ship's company, I could not put out of +my thought the story he had told me of the three poor creatures in +the great cabin, viz. the mother, her son, and the maid-servant, +whom he had heard nothing of for two or three days, and whom, he +seemed to confess, they had wholly neglected, their own extremities +being so great; by which I understood that they had really given +them no food at all, and that therefore they must be perished, and +be all lying dead, perhaps, on the floor or deck of the cabin. + +As I therefore kept the mate, whom we then called captain, on board +with his men, to refresh them, so I also forgot not the starving +crew that were left on board, but ordered my own boat to go on +board the ship, and, with my mate and twelve men, to carry them a +sack of bread, and four or five pieces of beef to boil. Our +surgeon charged the men to cause the meat to be boiled while they +stayed, and to keep guard in the cook-room, to prevent the men +taking it to eat raw, or taking it out of the pot before it was +well boiled, and then to give every man but a very little at a +time: and by this caution he preserved the men, who would +otherwise have killed themselves with that very food that was given +them on purpose to save their lives. + +At the same time I ordered the mate to go into the great cabin, and +see what condition the poor passengers were in; and if they were +alive, to comfort them, and give them what refreshment was proper: +and the surgeon gave him a large pitcher, with some of the prepared +broth which he had given the mate that was on board, and which he +did not question would restore them gradually. I was not satisfied +with this; but, as I said above, having a great mind to see the +scene of misery which I knew the ship itself would present me with, +in a more lively manner than I could have it by report, I took the +captain of the ship, as we now called him, with me, and went +myself, a little after, in their boat. + +I found the poor men on board almost in a tumult to get the +victuals out of the boiler before it was ready; but my mate +observed his orders, and kept a good guard at the cook-room door, +and the man he placed there, after using all possible persuasion to +have patience, kept them off by force; however, he caused some +biscuit-cakes to be dipped in the pot, and softened with the liquor +of the meat, which they called brewis, and gave them every one some +to stay their stomachs, and told them it was for their own safety +that he was obliged to give them but little at a time. But it was +all in vain; and had I not come on board, and their own commander +and officers with me, and with good words, and some threats also of +giving them no more, I believe they would have broken into the +cook-room by force, and torn the meat out of the furnace--for words +are indeed of very small force to a hungry belly; however, we +pacified them, and fed them gradually and cautiously at first, and +the next time gave them more, and at last filled their bellies, and +the men did well enough. + +But the misery of the poor passengers in the cabin was of another +nature, and far beyond the rest; for as, first, the ship's company +had so little for themselves, it was but too true that they had at +first kept them very low, and at last totally neglected them: so +that for six or seven days it might be said they had really no food +at all, and for several days before very little. The poor mother, +who, as the men reported, was a woman of sense and good breeding, +had spared all she could so affectionately for her son, that at +last she entirely sank under it; and when the mate of our ship went +in, she sat upon the floor on deck, with her back up against the +sides, between two chairs, which were lashed fast, and her head +sunk between her shoulders like a corpse, though not quite dead. +My mate said all he could to revive and encourage her, and with a +spoon put some broth into her mouth. She opened her lips, and +lifted up one hand, but could not speak: yet she understood what +he said, and made signs to him, intimating, that it was too late +for her, but pointed to her child, as if she would have said they +should take care of him. However, the mate, who was exceedingly +moved at the sight, endeavoured to get some of the broth into her +mouth, and, as he said, got two or three spoonfuls down--though I +question whether he could be sure of it or not; but it was too +late, and she died the same night. + +The youth, who was preserved at the price of his most affectionate +mother's life, was not so far gone; yet he lay in a cabin bed, as +one stretched out, with hardly any life left in him. He had a +piece of an old glove in his mouth, having eaten up the rest of it; +however, being young, and having more strength than his mother, the +mate got something down his throat, and he began sensibly to +revive; though by giving him, some time after, but two or three +spoonfuls extraordinary, he was very sick, and brought it up again. + +But the next care was the poor maid: she lay all along upon the +deck, hard by her mistress, and just like one that had fallen down +in a fit of apoplexy, and struggled for life. Her limbs were +distorted; one of her hands was clasped round the frame of the +chair, and she gripped it so hard that we could not easily make her +let it go; her other arm lay over her head, and her feet lay both +together, set fast against the frame of the cabin table: in short, +she lay just like one in the agonies of death, and yet she was +alive too. The poor creature was not only starved with hunger, and +terrified with the thoughts of death, but, as the men told us +afterwards, was broken-hearted for her mistress, whom she saw dying +for two or three days before, and whom she loved most tenderly. We +knew not what to do with this poor girl; for when our surgeon, who +was a man of very great knowledge and experience, had, with great +application, recovered her as to life, he had her upon his hands +still; for she was little less than distracted for a considerable +time after. + +Whoever shall read these memorandums must be desired to consider +that visits at sea are not like a journey into the country, where +sometimes people stay a week or a fortnight at a place. Our +business was to relieve this distressed ship's crew, but not lie by +for them; and though they were willing to steer the same course +with us for some days, yet we could carry no sail to keep pace with +a ship that had no masts. However, as their captain begged of us +to help him to set up a main-topmast, and a kind of a topmast to +his jury fore-mast, we did, as it were, lie by him for three or +four days; and then, having given him five barrels of beef, a +barrel of pork, two hogsheads of biscuit, and a proportion of peas, +flour, and what other things we could spare; and taking three casks +of sugar, some rum, and some pieces of eight from them for +satisfaction, we left them, taking on board with us, at their own +earnest request, the youth and the maid, and all their goods. + +The young lad was about seventeen years of age, a pretty, well- +bred, modest, and sensible youth, greatly dejected with the loss of +his mother, and also at having lost his father but a few months +before, at Barbadoes. He begged of the surgeon to speak to me to +take him out of the ship; for he said the cruel fellows had +murdered his mother: and indeed so they had, that is to say, +passively; for they might have spared a small sustenance to the +poor helpless widow, though it had been but just enough to keep her +alive; but hunger knows no friend, no relation, no justice, no +right, and therefore is remorseless, and capable of no compassion. + +The surgeon told him how far we were going, and that it would carry +him away from all his friends, and put him, perhaps, in as bad +circumstances almost as those we found him in, that is to say, +starving in the world. He said it mattered not whither he went, if +he was but delivered from the terrible crew that he was among; that +the captain (by which he meant me, for he could know nothing of my +nephew) had saved his life, and he was sure would not hurt him; and +as for the maid, he was sure, if she came to herself, she would be +very thankful for it, let us carry them where we would. The +surgeon represented the case so affectionately to me that I +yielded, and we took them both on board, with all their goods, +except eleven hogsheads of sugar, which could not be removed or +come at; and as the youth had a bill of lading for them, I made his +commander sign a writing, obliging himself to go, as soon as he +came to Bristol, to one Mr. Rogers, a merchant there, to whom the +youth said he was related, and to deliver a letter which I wrote to +him, and all the goods he had belonging to the deceased widow; +which, I suppose, was not done, for I could never learn that the +ship came to Bristol, but was, as is most probable, lost at sea, +being in so disabled a condition, and so far from any land, that I +am of opinion the first storm she met with afterwards she might +founder, for she was leaky, and had damage in her hold when we met +with her. + +I was now in the latitude of 19 degrees 32 minutes, and had +hitherto a tolerable voyage as to weather, though at first the +winds had been contrary. I shall trouble nobody with the little +incidents of wind, weather, currents, &c., on the rest of our +voyage; but to shorten my story, shall observe that I came to my +old habitation, the island, on the 10th of April 1695. It was with +no small difficulty that I found the place; for as I came to it and +went to it before on the south and east side of the island, coming +from the Brazils, so now, coming in between the main and the +island, and having no chart for the coast, nor any landmark, I did +not know it when I saw it, or, know whether I saw it or not. We +beat about a great while, and went on shore on several islands in +the mouth of the great river Orinoco, but none for my purpose; only +this I learned by my coasting the shore, that I was under one great +mistake before, viz. that the continent which I thought I saw from +the island I lived in was really no continent, but a long island, +or rather a ridge of islands, reaching from one to the other side +of the extended mouth of that great river; and that the savages who +came to my island were not properly those which we call Caribbees, +but islanders, and other barbarians of the same kind, who inhabited +nearer to our side than the rest. + +In short, I visited several of these islands to no purpose; some I +found were inhabited, and some were not; on one of them I found +some Spaniards, and thought they had lived there; but speaking with +them, found they had a sloop lying in a small creek hard by, and +came thither to make salt, and to catch some pearl-mussels if they +could; but that they belonged to the Isle de Trinidad, which lay +farther north, in the latitude of 10 and 11 degrees. + +Thus coasting from one island to another, sometimes with the ship, +sometimes with the Frenchman's shallop, which we had found a +convenient boat, and therefore kept her with their very good will, +at length I came fair on the south side of my island, and presently +knew the very countenance of the place: so I brought the ship safe +to an anchor, broadside with the little creek where my old +habitation was. As soon as I saw the place I called for Friday, +and asked him if he knew where he was? He looked about a little, +and presently clapping his hands, cried, "Oh yes, Oh there, Oh yes, +Oh there!" pointing to our old habitation, and fell dancing and +capering like a mad fellow; and I had much ado to keep him from +jumping into the sea to swim ashore to the place. + +"Well, Friday," says I, "do you think we shall find anybody here or +no? and do you think we shall see your father?" The fellow stood +mute as a stock a good while; but when I named his father, the poor +affectionate creature looked dejected, and I could see the tears +run down his face very plentifully. "What is the matter, Friday? +are you troubled because you may see your father?" "No, no," says +he, shaking his head, "no see him more: no, never more see him +again." "Why so, Friday? how do you know that?" "Oh no, Oh no," +says Friday, "he long ago die, long ago; he much old man." "Well, +well, Friday, you don't know; but shall we see any one else, then?" +The fellow, it seems, had better eyes than I, and he points to the +hill just above my old house; and though we lay half a league off, +he cries out, "We see! we see! yes, we see much man there, and +there, and there." I looked, but I saw nobody, no, not with a +perspective glass, which was, I suppose, because I could not hit +the place: for the fellow was right, as I found upon inquiry the +next day; and there were five or six men all together, who stood to +look at the ship, not knowing what to think of us. + +As soon as Friday told me he saw people, I caused the English +ancient to be spread, and fired three guns, to give them notice we +were friends; and in about a quarter of an hour after we perceived +a smoke arise from the side of the creek; so I immediately ordered +the boat out, taking Friday with me, and hanging out a white flag, +I went directly on shore, taking with me the young friar I +mentioned, to whom I had told the story of my living there, and the +manner of it, and every particular both of myself and those I left +there, and who was on that account extremely desirous to go with +me. We had, besides, about sixteen men well armed, if we had found +any new guests there which we did not know of; but we had no need +of weapons. + +As we went on shore upon the tide of flood, near high water, we +rowed directly into the creek; and the first man I fixed my eye +upon was the Spaniard whose life I had saved, and whom I knew by +his face perfectly well: as to his habit, I shall describe it +afterwards. I ordered nobody to go on shore at first but myself; +but there was no keeping Friday in the boat, for the affectionate +creature had spied his father at a distance, a good way off the +Spaniards, where, indeed, I saw nothing of him; and if they had not +let him go ashore, he would have jumped into the sea. He was no +sooner on shore, but he flew away to his father like an arrow out +of a bow. It would have made any man shed tears, in spite of the +firmest resolution, to have seen the first transports of this poor +fellow's joy when he came to his father: how he embraced him, +kissed him, stroked his face, took him up in his arms, set him down +upon a tree, and lay down by him; then stood and looked at him, as +any one would look at a strange picture, for a quarter of an hour +together; then lay down on the ground, and stroked his legs, and +kissed them, and then got up again and stared at him; one would +have thought the fellow bewitched. But it would have made a dog +laugh the next day to see how his passion ran out another way: in +the morning he walked along the shore with his father several +hours, always leading him by the hand, as if he had been a lady; +and every now and then he would come to the boat to fetch something +or other for him, either a lump of sugar, a dram, a biscuit, or +something or other that was good. In the afternoon his frolics ran +another way; for then he would set the old man down upon the +ground, and dance about him, and make a thousand antic gestures; +and all the while he did this he would be talking to him, and +telling him one story or another of his travels, and of what had +happened to him abroad to divert him. In short, if the same filial +affection was to be found in Christians to their parents in our +part of the world, one would be tempted to say there would hardly +have been any need of the fifth commandment. + +But this is a digression: I return to my landing. It would be +needless to take notice of all the ceremonies and civilities that +the Spaniards received me with. The first Spaniard, whom, as I +said, I knew very well, was he whose life I had saved. He came +towards the boat, attended by one more, carrying a flag of truce +also; and he not only did not know me at first, but he had no +thoughts, no notion of its being me that was come, till I spoke to +him. "Seignior," said I, in Portuguese, "do you not know me?" At +which he spoke not a word, but giving his musket to the man that +was with him, threw his arms abroad, saying something in Spanish +that I did not perfectly hear, came forward and embraced me, +telling me he was inexcusable not to know that face again that he +had once seen, as of an angel from heaven sent to save his life; he +said abundance of very handsome things, as a well-bred Spaniard +always knows how, and then, beckoning to the person that attended +him, bade him go and call out his comrades. He then asked me if I +would walk to my old habitation, where he would give me possession +of my own house again, and where I should see they had made but +mean improvements. I walked along with him, but, alas! I could no +more find the place than if I had never been there; for they had +planted so many trees, and placed them in such a position, so thick +and close to one another, and in ten years' time they were grown so +big, that the place was inaccessible, except by such windings and +blind ways as they themselves only, who made them, could find. + +I asked them what put them upon all these fortifications; he told +me I would say there was need enough of it when they had given me +an account how they had passed their time since their arriving in +the island, especially after they had the misfortune to find that I +was gone. He told me he could not but have some pleasure in my +good fortune, when he heard that I was gone in a good ship, and to +my satisfaction; and that he had oftentimes a strong persuasion +that one time or other he should see me again, but nothing that +ever befell him in his life, he said, was so surprising and +afflicting to him at first as the disappointment he was under when +he came back to the island and found I was not there. + +As to the three barbarians (so he called them) that were left +behind, and of whom, he said, he had a long story to tell me, the +Spaniards all thought themselves much better among the savages, +only that their number was so small: "And," says he, "had they +been strong enough, we had been all long ago in purgatory;" and +with that he crossed himself on the breast. "But, sir," says he, +"I hope you will not be displeased when I shall tell you how, +forced by necessity, we were obliged for our own preservation to +disarm them, and make them our subjects, as they would not be +content with being moderately our masters, but would be our +murderers." I answered I was afraid of it when I left them there, +and nothing troubled me at my parting from the island but that they +were not come back, that I might have put them in possession of +everything first, and left the others in a state of subjection, as +they deserved; but if they had reduced them to it I was very glad, +and should be very far from finding any fault with it; for I knew +they were a parcel of refractory, ungoverned villains, and were fit +for any manner of mischief. + +While I was saying this, the man came whom he had sent back, and +with him eleven more. In the dress they were in it was impossible +to guess what nation they were of; but he made all clear, both to +them and to me. First, he turned to me, and pointing to them, +said, "These, sir, are some of the gentlemen who owe their lives to +you;" and then turning to them, and pointing to me, he let them +know who I was; upon which they all came up, one by one, not as if +they had been sailors, and ordinary fellows, and the like, but +really as if they had been ambassadors or noblemen, and I a monarch +or great conqueror: their behaviour was, to the last degree, +obliging and courteous, and yet mixed with a manly, majestic +gravity, which very well became them; and, in short, they had so +much more manners than I, that I scarce knew how to receive their +civilities, much less how to return them in kind. + +The history of their coming to, and conduct in, the island after my +going away is so very remarkable, and has so many incidents which +the former part of my relation will help to understand, and which +will in most of the particulars, refer to the account I have +already given, that I cannot but commit them, with great delight, +to the reading of those that come after me. + +In order to do this as intelligibly as I can, I must go back to the +circumstances in which I left the island, and the persons on it, of +whom I am to speak. And first, it is necessary to repeat that I +had sent away Friday's father and the Spaniard (the two whose lives +I had rescued from the savages) in a large canoe to the main, as I +then thought it, to fetch over the Spaniard's companions that he +left behind him, in order to save them from the like calamity that +he had been in, and in order to succour them for the present; and +that, if possible, we might together find some way for our +deliverance afterwards. When I sent them away I had no visible +appearance of, or the least room to hope for, my own deliverance, +any more than I had twenty years before--much less had I any +foreknowledge of what afterwards happened, I mean, of an English +ship coming on shore there to fetch me off; and it could not be but +a very great surprise to them, when they came back, not only to +find that I was gone, but to find three strangers left on the spot, +possessed of all that I had left behind me, which would otherwise +have been their own. + +The first thing, however, which I inquired into, that I might begin +where I left off, was of their own part; and I desired the Spaniard +would give me a particular account of his voyage back to his +countrymen with the boat, when I sent him to fetch them over. He +told me there was little variety in that part, for nothing +remarkable happened to them on the way, having had very calm +weather and a smooth sea. As for his countrymen, it could not be +doubted, he said, but that they were overjoyed to see him (it seems +he was the principal man among them, the captain of the vessel they +had been shipwrecked in having been dead some time): they were, he +said, the more surprised to see him, because they knew that he was +fallen into the hands of the savages, who, they were satisfied, +would devour him as they did all the rest of their prisoners; that +when he told them the story of his deliverance, and in what manner +he was furnished for carrying them away, it was like a dream to +them, and their astonishment, he said, was somewhat like that of +Joseph's brethren when he told them who he was, and the story of +his exaltation in Pharaoh's court; but when he showed them the +arms, the powder, the ball, the provisions that he brought them for +their journey or voyage, they were restored to themselves, took a +just share of the joy of their deliverance, and immediately +prepared to come away with him. + +Their first business was to get canoes; and in this they were +obliged not to stick so much upon the honesty of it, but to +trespass upon their friendly savages, and to borrow two large +canoes, or periaguas, on pretence of going out a-fishing, or for +pleasure. In these they came away the next morning. It seems they +wanted no time to get themselves ready; for they had neither +clothes nor provisions, nor anything in the world but what they had +on them, and a few roots to eat, of which they used to make their +bread. They were in all three weeks absent; and in that time, +unluckily for them, I had the occasion offered for my escape, as I +mentioned in the other part, and to get off from the island, +leaving three of the most impudent, hardened, ungoverned, +disagreeable villains behind me that any man could desire to meet +with--to the poor Spaniards' great grief and disappointment. + +The only just thing the rogues did was, that when the Spaniards +came ashore, they gave my letter to them, and gave them provisions, +and other relief, as I had ordered them to do; also they gave them +the long paper of directions which I had left with them, containing +the particular methods which I took for managing every part of my +life there; the way I baked my bread, bred up tame goats, and +planted my corn; how I cured my grapes, made my pots, and, in a +word, everything I did. All this being written down, they gave to +the Spaniards (two of them understood English well enough): nor +did they refuse to accommodate the Spaniards with anything else, +for they agreed very well for some time. They gave them an equal +admission into the house or cave, and they began to live very +sociably; and the head Spaniard, who had seen pretty much of my +methods, together with Friday's father, managed all their affairs; +but as for the Englishmen, they did nothing but ramble about the +island, shoot parrots, and catch tortoises; and when they came home +at night, the Spaniards provided their suppers for them. + +The Spaniards would have been satisfied with this had the others +but let them alone, which, however, they could not find in their +hearts to do long: but, like the dog in the manger, they would not +eat themselves, neither would they let the others eat. The +differences, nevertheless, were at first but trivial, and such as +are not worth relating, but at last it broke out into open war: +and it began with all the rudeness and insolence that can be +imagined--without reason, without provocation, contrary to nature, +and indeed to common sense; and though, it is true, the first +relation of it came from the Spaniards themselves, whom I may call +the accusers, yet when I came to examine the fellows they could not +deny a word of it. + +But before I come to the particulars of this part, I must supply a +defect in my former relation; and this was, I forgot to set down +among the rest, that just as we were weighing the anchor to set +sail, there happened a little quarrel on board of our ship, which I +was once afraid would have turned to a second mutiny; nor was it +appeased till the captain, rousing up his courage, and taking us +all to his assistance, parted them by force, and making two of the +most refractory fellows prisoners, he laid them in irons: and as +they had been active in the former disorders, and let fall some +ugly, dangerous words the second time, he threatened to carry them +in irons to England, and have them hanged there for mutiny and +running away with the ship. This, it seems, though the captain did +not intend to do it, frightened some other men in the ship; and +some of them had put it into the head of the rest that the captain +only gave them good words for the present, till they should come to +same English port, and that then they should be all put into gaol, +and tried for their lives. The mate got intelligence of this, and +acquainted us with it, upon which it was desired that I, who still +passed for a great man among them, should go down with the mate and +satisfy the men, and tell them that they might be assured, if they +behaved well the rest of the voyage, all they had done for the time +past should be pardoned. So I went, and after passing my honour's +word to them they appeared easy, and the more so when I caused the +two men that were in irons to be released and forgiven. + +But this mutiny had brought us to an anchor for that night; the +wind also falling calm next morning, we found that our two men who +had been laid in irons had stolen each of them a musket and some +other weapons (what powder or shot they had we knew not), and had +taken the ship's pinnace, which was not yet hauled up, and run away +with her to their companions in roguery on shore. As soon as we +found this, I ordered the long-boat on shore, with twelve men and +the mate, and away they went to seek the rogues; but they could +neither find them nor any of the rest, for they all fled into the +woods when they saw the boat coming on shore. The mate was once +resolved, in justice to their roguery, to have destroyed their +plantations, burned all their household stuff and furniture, and +left them to shift without it; but having no orders, he let it all +alone, left everything as he found it, and bringing the pinnace +way, came on board without them. These two men made their number +five; but the other three villains were so much more wicked than +they, that after they had been two or three days together they +turned the two newcomers out of doors to shift for themselves, and +would have nothing to do with them; nor could they for a good while +be persuaded to give them any food: as for the Spaniards, they +were not yet come. + +When the Spaniards came first on shore, the business began to go +forward: the Spaniards would have persuaded the three English +brutes to have taken in their countrymen again, that, as they said, +they might be all one family; but they would not hear of it, so the +two poor fellows lived by themselves; and finding nothing but +industry and application would make them live comfortably, they +pitched their tents on the north shore of the island, but a little +more to the west, to be out of danger of the savages, who always +landed on the east parts of the island. Here they built them two +huts, one to lodge in, and the other to lay up their magazines and +stores in; and the Spaniards having given them some corn for seed, +and some of the peas which I had left them, they dug, planted, and +enclosed, after the pattern I had set for them all, and began to +live pretty well. Their first crop of corn was on the ground; and +though it was but a little bit of land which they had dug up at +first, having had but a little time, yet it was enough to relieve +them, and find them with bread and other eatables; and one of the +fellows being the cook's mate of the ship, was very ready at making +soup, puddings, and such other preparations as the rice and the +milk, and such little flesh as they got, furnished him to do. + +They were going on in this little thriving position when the three +unnatural rogues, their own countrymen too, in mere humour, and to +insult them, came and bullied them, and told them the island was +theirs: that the governor, meaning me, had given them the +possession of it, and nobody else had any right to it; and that +they should build no houses upon their ground unless they would pay +rent for them. The two men, thinking they were jesting at first, +asked them to come in and sit down, and see what fine houses they +were that they had built, and to tell them what rent they demanded; +and one of them merrily said if they were the ground-landlords, he +hoped if they built tenements upon their land, and made +improvements, they would, according to the custom of landlords, +grant a long lease: and desired they would get a scrivener to draw +the writings. One of the three, cursing and raging, told them they +should see they were not in jest; and going to a little place at a +distance, where the honest men had made a fire to dress their +victuals, he takes a firebrand, and claps it to the outside of +their hut, and set it on fire: indeed, it would have been all +burned down in a few minutes if one of the two had not run to the +fellow, thrust him away, and trod the fire out with his feet, and +that not without some difficulty too. + +The fellow was in such a rage at the honest man's thrusting him +away, that he returned upon him, with a pole he had in his hand, +and had not the man avoided the blow very nimbly, and run into the +hut, he had ended his days at once. His comrade, seeing the danger +they were both in, ran after him, and immediately they came both +out with their muskets, and the man that was first struck at with +the pole knocked the fellow down that began the quarrel with the +stock of his musket, and that before the other two could come to +help him; and then, seeing the rest come at them, they stood +together, and presenting the other ends of their pieces to them, +bade them stand off. + +The others had firearms with them too; but one of the two honest +men, bolder than his comrade, and made desperate by his danger, +told them if they offered to move hand or foot they were dead men, +and boldly commanded them to lay down their arms. They did not, +indeed, lay down their arms, but seeing him so resolute, it brought +them to a parley, and they consented to take their wounded man with +them and be gone: and, indeed, it seems the fellow was wounded +sufficiently with the blow. However, they were much in the wrong, +since they had the advantage, that they did not disarm them +effectually, as they might have done, and have gone immediately to +the Spaniards, and given them an account how the rogues had treated +them; for the three villains studied nothing but revenge, and every +day gave them some intimation that they did so. + + + +CHAPTER III--FIGHT WITH CANNIBALS + + + +But not to crowd this part with an account of the lesser part of +the rogueries with which they plagued them continually, night and +day, it forced the two men to such a desperation that they resolved +to fight them all three, the first time they had a fair +opportunity. In order to do this they resolved to go to the castle +(as they called my old dwelling), where the three rogues and the +Spaniards all lived together at that time, intending to have a fair +battle, and the Spaniards should stand by to see fair play: so +they got up in the morning before day, and came to the place, and +called the Englishmen by their names telling a Spaniard that +answered that they wanted to speak with them. + +It happened that the day before two of the Spaniards, having been +in the woods, had seen one of the two Englishmen, whom, for +distinction, I called the honest men, and he had made a sad +complaint to the Spaniards of the barbarous usage they had met with +from their three countrymen, and how they had ruined their +plantation, and destroyed their corn, that they had laboured so +hard to bring forward, and killed the milch-goat and their three +kids, which was all they had provided for their sustenance, and +that if he and his friends, meaning the Spaniards, did not assist +them again, they should be starved. When the Spaniards came home +at night, and they were all at supper, one of them took the freedom +to reprove the three Englishmen, though in very gentle and mannerly +terms, and asked them how they could be so cruel, they being +harmless, inoffensive fellows: that they were putting themselves +in a way to subsist by their labour, and that it had cost them a +great deal of pains to bring things to such perfection as they were +then in. + +One of the Englishmen returned very briskly, "What had they to do +there? that they came on shore without leave; and that they should +not plant or build upon the island; it was none of their ground." +"Why," says the Spaniard, very calmly, "Seignior Inglese, they must +not starve." The Englishman replied, like a rough tarpaulin, "They +might starve; they should not plant nor build in that place." "But +what must they do then, seignior?" said the Spaniard. Another of +the brutes returned, "Do? they should be servants, and work for +them." "But how can you expect that of them?" says the Spaniard; +"they are not bought with your money; you have no right to make +them servants." The Englishman answered, "The island was theirs; +the governor had given it to them, and no man had anything to do +there but themselves;" and with that he swore that he would go and +burn all their new huts; they should build none upon their land. +"Why, seignior," says the Spaniard, "by the same rule, we must be +your servants, too." "Ay," returned the bold dog, "and so you +shall, too, before we have done with you;" mixing two or three +oaths in the proper intervals of his speech. The Spaniard only +smiled at that, and made him no answer. However, this little +discourse had heated them; and starting up, one says to the other. +(I think it was he they called Will Atkins), "Come, Jack, let's go +and have t'other brush with them; we'll demolish their castle, I'll +warrant you; they shall plant no colony in our dominions." + +Upon this they were all trooping away, with every man a gun, a +pistol, and a sword, and muttered some insolent things among +themselves of what they would do to the Spaniards, too, when +opportunity offered; but the Spaniards, it seems, did not so +perfectly understand them as to know all the particulars, only that +in general they threatened them hard for taking the two +Englishmen's part. Whither they went, or how they bestowed their +time that evening, the Spaniards said they did not know; but it +seems they wandered about the country part of the night, and them +lying down in the place which I used to call my bower, they were +weary and overslept themselves. The case was this: they had +resolved to stay till midnight, and so take the two poor men when +they were asleep, and as they acknowledged afterwards, intended to +set fire to their huts while they were in them, and either burn +them there or murder them as they came out. As malice seldom +sleeps very sound, it was very strange they should not have been +kept awake. However, as the two men had also a design upon them, +as I have said, though a much fairer one than that of burning and +murdering, it happened, and very luckily for them all, that they +were up and gone abroad before the bloody-minded rogues came to +their huts. + +When they came there, and found the men gone, Atkins, who it seems +was the forwardest man, called out to his comrade, "Ha, Jack, +here's the nest, but the birds are flown." They mused a while, to +think what should be the occasion of their being gone abroad so +soon, and suggested presently that the Spaniards had given them +notice of it; and with that they shook hands, and swore to one +another that they would be revenged of the Spaniards. As soon as +they had made this bloody bargain they fell to work with the poor +men's habitation; they did not set fire, indeed, to anything, but +they pulled down both their houses, and left not the least stick +standing, or scarce any sign on the ground where they stood; they +tore all their household stuff in pieces, and threw everything +about in such a manner, that the poor men afterwards found some of +their things a mile off. When they had done this, they pulled up +all the young trees which the poor men had planted; broke down an +enclosure they had made to secure their cattle and their corn; and, +in a word, sacked and plundered everything as completely as a horde +of Tartars would have done. + +The two men were at this juncture gone to find them out, and had +resolved to fight them wherever they had been, though they were but +two to three; so that, had they met, there certainly would have +been blood shed among them, for they were all very stout, resolute +fellows, to give them their due. + +But Providence took more care to keep them asunder than they +themselves could do to meet; for, as if they had dogged one +another, when the three were gone thither, the two were here; and +afterwards, when the two went back to find them, the three were +come to the old habitation again: we shall see their different +conduct presently. When the three came back like furious +creatures, flushed with the rage which the work they had been about +had put them into, they came up to the Spaniards, and told them +what they had done, by way of scoff and bravado; and one of them +stepping up to one of the Spaniards, as if they had been a couple +of boys at play, takes hold of his hat as it was upon his head, and +giving it a twirl about, fleering in his face, says to him, "And +you, Seignior Jack Spaniard, shall have the same sauce if you do +not mend your manners." The Spaniard, who, though a quiet civil +man, was as brave a man as could be, and withal a strong, well-made +man, looked at him for a good while, and then, having no weapon in +his hand, stepped gravely up to him, and, with one blow of his +fist, knocked him down, as an ox is felled with a pole-axe; at +which one of the rogues, as insolent as the first, fired his pistol +at the Spaniard immediately; he missed his body, indeed, for the +bullets went through his hair, but one of them touched the tip of +his ear, and he bled pretty much. The blood made the Spaniard +believe he was more hurt than he really was, and that put him into +some heat, for before he acted all in a perfect calm; but now +resolving to go through with his work, he stooped, and taking the +fellow's musket whom he had knocked down, was just going to shoot +the man who had fired at him, when the rest of the Spaniards, being +in the cave, came out, and calling to him not to shoot, they +stepped in, secured the other two, and took their arms from them. + +When they were thus disarmed, and found they had made all the +Spaniards their enemies, as well as their own countrymen, they +began to cool, and giving the Spaniards better words, would have +their arms again; but the Spaniards, considering the feud that was +between them and the other two Englishmen, and that it would be the +best method they could take to keep them from killing one another, +told them they would do them no harm, and if they would live +peaceably, they would be very willing to assist and associate with +them as they did before; but that they could not think of giving +them their arms again, while they appeared so resolved to do +mischief with them to their own countrymen, and had even threatened +them all to make them their servants. + +The rogues were now quite deaf to all reason, and being refused +their arms, they raved away like madmen, threatening what they +would do, though they had no firearms. But the Spaniards, +despising their threatening, told them they should take care how +they offered any injury to their plantation or cattle; for if they +did they would shoot them as they would ravenous beasts, wherever +they found them; and if they fell into their hands alive, they +should certainly be hanged. However, this was far from cooling +them, but away they went, raging and swearing like furies. As soon +as they were gone, the two men came back, in passion and rage +enough also, though of another kind; for having been at their +plantation, and finding it all demolished and destroyed, as above +mentioned, it will easily be supposed they had provocation enough. +They could scarce have room to tell their tale, the Spaniards were +so eager to tell them theirs: and it was strange enough to find +that three men should thus bully nineteen, and receive no +punishment at all. + +The Spaniards, indeed, despised them, and especially, having thus +disarmed them, made light of their threatenings; but the two +Englishmen resolved to have their remedy against them, what pains +soever it cost to find them out. But the Spaniards interposed here +too, and told them that as they had disarmed them, they could not +consent that they (the two) should pursue them with firearms, and +perhaps kill them. "But," said the grave Spaniard, who was their +governor, "we will endeavour to make them do you justice, if you +will leave it to us: for there is no doubt but they will come to +us again, when their passion is over, being not able to subsist +without our assistance. We promise you to make no peace with them +without having full satisfaction for you; and upon this condition +we hope you will promise to use no violence with them, other than +in your own defence." The two Englishmen yielded to this very +awkwardly, and with great reluctance; but the Spaniards protested +that they did it only to keep them from bloodshed, and to make them +all easy at last. "For," said they, "we are not so many of us; +here is room enough for us all, and it is a great pity that we +should not be all good friends." At length they did consent, and +waited for the issue of the thing, living for some days with the +Spaniards; for their own habitation was destroyed. + +In about five days' time the vagrants, tired with wandering, and +almost starved with hunger, having chiefly lived on turtles' eggs +all that while, came back to the grove; and finding my Spaniard, +who, as I have said, was the governor, and two more with him, +walking by the side of the creek, they came up in a very +submissive, humble manner, and begged to be received again into the +society. The Spaniards used them civilly, but told them they had +acted so unnaturally to their countrymen, and so very grossly to +themselves, that they could not come to any conclusion without +consulting the two Englishmen and the rest; but, however, they +would go to them and discourse about it, and they should know in +half-an-hour. It may be guessed that they were very hard put to +it; for, as they were to wait this half-hour for an answer, they +begged they would send them out some bread in the meantime, which +they did, sending at the same time a large piece of goat's flesh +and a boiled parrot, which they ate very eagerly. + +After half-an-hour's consultation they were called in, and a long +debate ensued, their two countrymen charging them with the ruin of +all their labour, and a design to murder them; all which they owned +before, and therefore could not deny now. Upon the whole, the +Spaniards acted the moderators between them; and as they had +obliged the two Englishmen not to hurt the three while they were +naked and unarmed, so they now obliged the three to go and rebuild +their fellows' two huts, one to be of the same and the other of +larger dimensions than they were before; to fence their ground +again, plant trees in the room of those pulled up, dig up the land +again for planting corn, and, in a word, to restore everything to +the same state as they found it, that is, as near as they could. + +Well, they submitted to all this; and as they had plenty of +provisions given them all the while, they grew very orderly, and +the whole society began to live pleasantly and agreeably together +again; only that these three fellows could never be persuaded to +work--I mean for themselves--except now and then a little, just as +they pleased. However, the Spaniards told them plainly that if +they would but live sociably and friendly together, and study the +good of the whole plantation, they would be content to work for +them, and let them walk about and be as idle as they pleased; and +thus, having lived pretty well together for a month or two, the +Spaniards let them have arms again, and gave them liberty to go +abroad with them as before. + +It was not above a week after they had these arms, and went abroad, +before the ungrateful creatures began to be as insolent and +troublesome as ever. However, an accident happened presently upon +this, which endangered the safety of them all, and they were +obliged to lay by all private resentments, and look to the +preservation of their lives. + +It happened one night that the governor, the Spaniard whose life I +had saved, who was now the governor of the rest, found himself very +uneasy in the night, and could by no means get any sleep: he was +perfectly well in body, only found his thoughts tumultuous; his +mind ran upon men fighting and killing one another; but he was +broad awake, and could not by any means get any sleep; in short, he +lay a great while, but growing more and more uneasy, he resolved to +rise. As they lay, being so many of them, on goat-skins laid thick +upon such couches and pads as they made for themselves, so they had +little to do, when they were willing to rise, but to get upon their +feet, and perhaps put on a coat, such as it was, and their pumps, +and they were ready for going any way that their thoughts guided +them. Being thus got up, he looked out; but being dark, he could +see little or nothing, and besides, the trees which I had planted, +and which were now grown tall, intercepted his sight, so that he +could only look up, and see that it was a starlight night, and +hearing no noise, he returned and lay down again; but to no +purpose; he could not compose himself to anything like rest; but +his thoughts were to the last degree uneasy, and he knew not for +what. Having made some noise with rising and walking about, going +out and coming in, another of them waked, and asked who it was that +was up. The governor told him how it had been with him. "Say you +so?" says the other Spaniard; "such things are not to be slighted, +I assure you; there is certainly some mischief working near us;" +and presently he asked him, "Where are the Englishmen?" "They are +all in their huts," says he, "safe enough." It seems the Spaniards +had kept possession of the main apartment, and had made a place for +the three Englishmen, who, since their last mutiny, were always +quartered by themselves, and could not come at the rest. "Well," +says the Spaniard, "there is something in it, I am persuaded, from +my own experience. I am satisfied that our spirits embodied have a +converse with and receive intelligence from the spirits unembodied, +and inhabiting the invisible world; and this friendly notice is +given for our advantage, if we knew how to make use of it. Come, +let us go and look abroad; and if we find nothing at all in it to +justify the trouble, I'll tell you a story to the purpose, that +shall convince you of the justice of my proposing it." + +They went out presently to go up to the top of the hill, where I +used to go; but they being strong, and a good company, nor alone, +as I was, used none of my cautions to go up by the ladder, and +pulling it up after them, to go up a second stage to the top, but +were going round through the grove unwarily, when they were +surprised with seeing a light as of fire, a very little way from +them, and hearing the voices of men, not of one or two, but of a +great number. + +Among the precautions I used to take on the savages landing on the +island, it was my constant care to prevent them making the least +discovery of there being any inhabitant upon the place: and when +by any occasion they came to know it, they felt it so effectually +that they that got away were scarce able to give any account of it; +for we disappeared as soon as possible, nor did ever any that had +seen me escape to tell any one else, except it was the three +savages in our last encounter who jumped into the boat; of whom, I +mentioned, I was afraid they should go home and bring more help. +Whether it was the consequence of the escape of those men that so +great a number came now together, or whether they came ignorantly, +and by accident, on their usual bloody errand, the Spaniards could +not understand; but whatever it was, it was their business either +to have concealed themselves or not to have seen them at all, much +less to have let the savages have seen there were any inhabitants +in the place; or to have fallen upon them so effectually as not a +man of them should have escaped, which could only have been by +getting in between them and their boats; but this presence of mind +was wanting to them, which was the ruin of their tranquillity for a +great while. + +We need not doubt but that the governor and the man with him, +surprised with this sight, ran back immediately and raised their +fellows, giving them an account of the imminent danger they were +all in, and they again as readily took the alarm; but it was +impossible to persuade them to stay close within where they were, +but they must all run out to see how things stood. While it was +dark, indeed, they were safe, and they had opportunity enough for +some hours to view the savages by the light of three fires they had +made at a distance from one another; what they were doing they knew +not, neither did they know what to do themselves. For, first, the +enemy were too many; and secondly, they did not keep together, but +were divided into several parties, and were on shore in several +places. + +The Spaniards were in no small consternation at this sight; and, as +they found that the fellows went straggling all over the shore, +they made no doubt but, first or last, some of them would chop in +upon their habitation, or upon some other place where they would +see the token of inhabitants; and they were in great perplexity +also for fear of their flock of goats, which, if they should be +destroyed, would have been little less than starving them. So the +first thing they resolved upon was to despatch three men away +before it was light, two Spaniards and one Englishman, to drive +away all the goats to the great valley where the cave was, and, if +need were, to drive them into the very cave itself. Could they +have seen the savages all together in one body, and at a distance +from their canoes, they were resolved, if there had been a hundred +of them, to attack them; but that could not be done, for they were +some of them two miles off from the other, and, as it appeared +afterwards, were of two different nations. + +After having mused a great while on the course they should take, +they resolved at last, while it was still dark, to send the old +savage, Friday's father, out as a spy, to learn, if possible, +something concerning them, as what they came for, what they +intended to do, and the like. The old man readily undertook it; +and stripping himself quite naked, as most of the savages were, +away he went. After he had been gone an hour or two, he brings +word that he had been among them undiscovered, that he found they +were two parties, and of two several nations, who had war with one +another, and had a great battle in their own country; and that both +sides having had several prisoners taken in the fight, they were, +by mere chance, landed all on the same island, for the devouring +their prisoners and making merry; but their coming so by chance to +the same place had spoiled all their mirth--that they were in a +great rage at one another, and were so near that he believed they +would fight again as soon as daylight began to appear; but he did +not perceive that they had any notion of anybody being on the +island but themselves. He had hardly made an end of telling his +story, when they could perceive, by the unusual noise they made, +that the two little armies were engaged in a bloody fight. +Friday's father used all the arguments he could to persuade our +people to lie close, and not be seen; he told them their safety +consisted in it, and that they had nothing to do but lie still, and +the savages would kill one another to their hands, and then the +rest would go away; and it was so to a tittle. But it was +impossible to prevail, especially upon the Englishmen; their +curiosity was so importunate that they must run out and see the +battle. However, they used some caution too: they did not go +openly, just by their own dwelling, but went farther into the +woods, and placed themselves to advantage, where they might +securely see them manage the fight, and, as they thought, not be +seen by them; but the savages did see them, as we shall find +hereafter. + +The battle was very fierce, and, if I might believe the Englishmen, +one of them said he could perceive that some of them were men of +great bravery, of invincible spirit, and of great policy in guiding +the fight. The battle, they said, held two hours before they could +guess which party would be beaten; but then that party which was +nearest our people's habitation began to appear weakest, and after +some time more some of them began to fly; and this put our men +again into a great consternation, lest any one of those that fled +should run into the grove before their dwelling for shelter, and +thereby involuntarily discover the place; and that, by consequence, +the pursuers would also do the like in search of them. Upon this, +they resolved that they would stand armed within the wall, and +whoever came into the grove, they resolved to sally out over the +wall and kill them, so that, if possible, not one should return to +give an account of it; they ordered also that it should be done +with their swords, or by knocking them down with the stocks of +their muskets, but not by shooting them, for fear of raising an +alarm by the noise. + +As they expected it fell out; three of the routed army fled for +life, and crossing the creek, ran directly into the place, not in +the least knowing whither they went, but running as into a thick +wood for shelter. The scout they kept to look abroad gave notice +of this within, with this comforting addition, that the conquerors +had not pursued them, or seen which way they were gone; upon this +the Spanish governor, a man of humanity, would not suffer them to +kill the three fugitives, but sending three men out by the top of +the hill, ordered them to go round, come in behind them, and +surprise and take them prisoners, which was done. The residue of +the conquered people fled to their canoes, and got off to sea; the +victors retired, made no pursuit, or very little, but drawing +themselves into a body together, gave two great screaming shouts, +most likely by way of triumph, and so the fight ended; the same +day, about three o'clock in the afternoon, they also marched to +their canoes. And thus the Spaniards had the island again free to +themselves, their fright was over, and they saw no savages for +several years after. + +After they were all gone, the Spaniards came out of their den, and +viewing the field of battle, they found about two-and-thirty men +dead on the spot; some were killed with long arrows, which were +found sticking in their bodies; but most of them were killed with +great wooden swords, sixteen or seventeen of which they found in +the field of battle, and as many bows, with a great many arrows. +These swords were strange, unwieldy things, and they must be very +strong men that used them; most of those that were killed with them +had their heads smashed to pieces, as we may say, or, as we call it +in English, their brains knocked out, and several their arms and +legs broken; so that it is evident they fight with inexpressible +rage and fury. We found not one man that was not stone dead; for +either they stay by their enemy till they have killed him, or they +carry all the wounded men that are not quite dead away with them. + +This deliverance tamed our ill-disposed Englishmen for a great +while; the sight had filled them with horror, and the consequences +appeared terrible to the last degree, especially upon supposing +that some time or other they should fall into the hands of those +creatures, who would not only kill them as enemies, but for food, +as we kill our cattle; and they professed to me that the thoughts +of being eaten up like beef and mutton, though it was supposed it +was not to be till they were dead, had something in it so horrible +that it nauseated their very stomachs, made them sick when they +thought of it, and filled their minds with such unusual terror, +that they were not themselves for some weeks after. This, as I +said, tamed even the three English brutes I have been speaking of; +and for a great while after they were tractable, and went about the +common business of the whole society well enough--planted, sowed, +reaped, and began to be all naturalised to the country. But some +time after this they fell into such simple measures again as +brought them into a great deal of trouble. + +They had taken three prisoners, as I observed; and these three +being stout young fellows, they made them servants, and taught them +to work for them, and as slaves they did well enough; but they did +not take their measures as I did by my man Friday, viz. to begin +with them upon the principle of having saved their lives, and then +instruct them in the rational principles of life; much less did +they think of teaching them religion, or attempt civilising and +reducing them by kind usage and affectionate arguments. As they +gave them their food every day, so they gave them their work too, +and kept them fully employed in drudgery enough; but they failed in +this by it, that they never had them to assist them and fight for +them as I had my man Friday, who was as true to me as the very +flesh upon my bones. + +But to come to the family part. Being all now good friends--for +common danger, as I said above, had effectually reconciled them-- +they began to consider their general circumstances; and the first +thing that came under consideration was whether, seeing the savages +particularly haunted that side of the island, and that there were +more remote and retired parts of it equally adapted to their way of +living, and manifestly to their advantage, they should not rather +move their habitation, and plant in some more proper place for +their safety, and especially for the security of their cattle and +corn. + +Upon this, after long debate, it was concluded that they would not +remove their habitation; because that, some time or other, they +thought they might hear from their governor again, meaning me; and +if I should send any one to seek them, I should be sure to direct +them to that side, where, if they should find the place demolished, +they would conclude the savages had killed us all, and we were +gone, and so our supply would go too. But as to their corn and +cattle, they agreed to remove them into the valley where my cave +was, where the land was as proper for both, and where indeed there +was land enough. However, upon second thoughts they altered one +part of their resolution too, and resolved only to remove part of +their cattle thither, and part of their corn there; so that if one +part was destroyed the other might be saved. And one part of +prudence they luckily used: they never trusted those three savages +which they had taken prisoners with knowing anything of the +plantation they had made in that valley, or of any cattle they had +there, much less of the cave at that place, which they kept, in +case of necessity, as a safe retreat; and thither they carried also +the two barrels of powder which I had sent them at my coming away. +They resolved, however, not to change their habitation; yet, as I +had carefully covered it first with a wall or fortification, and +then with a grove of trees, and as they were now fully convinced +their safety consisted entirely in their being concealed, they set +to work to cover and conceal the place yet more effectually than +before. For this purpose, as I planted trees, or rather thrust in +stakes, which in time all grew up to be trees, for some good +distance before the entrance into my apartments, they went on in +the same manner, and filled up the rest of that whole space of +ground from the trees I had set quite down to the side of the +creek, where I landed my floats, and even into the very ooze where +the tide flowed, not so much as leaving any place to land, or any +sign that there had been any landing thereabouts: these stakes +also being of a wood very forward to grow, they took care to have +them generally much larger and taller than those which I had +planted. As they grew apace, they planted them so very thick and +close together, that when they had been three or four years grown +there was no piercing with the eye any considerable way into the +plantation. As for that part which I had planted, the trees were +grown as thick as a man's thigh, and among them they had placed so +many other short ones, and so thick, that it stood like a palisado +a quarter of a mile thick, and it was next to impossible to +penetrate it, for a little dog could hardly get between the trees, +they stood so close. + +But this was not all; for they did the same by all the ground to +the right hand and to the left, and round even to the side of the +hill, leaving no way, not so much as for themselves, to come out +but by the ladder placed up to the side of the hill, and then +lifted up, and placed again from the first stage up to the top: so +that when the ladder was taken down, nothing but what had wings or +witchcraft to assist it could come at them. This was excellently +well contrived: nor was it less than what they afterwards found +occasion for, which served to convince me, that as human prudence +has the authority of Providence to justify it, so it has doubtless +the direction of Providence to set it to work; and if we listened +carefully to the voice of it, I am persuaded we might prevent many +of the disasters which our lives are now, by our own negligence, +subjected to. + +They lived two years after this in perfect retirement, and had no +more visits from the savages. They had, indeed, an alarm given +them one morning, which put them into a great consternation; for +some of the Spaniards being out early one morning on the west side +or end of the island (which was that end where I never went, for +fear of being discovered), they were surprised with seeing about +twenty canoes of Indians just coming on shore. They made the best +of their way home in hurry enough; and giving the alarm to their +comrades, they kept close all that day and the next, going out only +at night to make their observation: but they had the good luck to +be undiscovered, for wherever the savages went, they did not land +that time on the island, but pursued some other design. + + + +CHAPTER IV--RENEWED INVASION OF SAVAGES + + + +And now they had another broil with the three Englishmen; one of +whom, a most turbulent fellow, being in a rage at one of the three +captive slaves, because the fellow had not done something right +which he bade him do, and seemed a little untractable in his +showing him, drew a hatchet out of a frog-belt which he wore by his +side, and fell upon the poor savage, not to correct him, but to +kill him. One of the Spaniards who was by, seeing him give the +fellow a barbarous cut with the hatchet, which he aimed at his +head, but stuck into his shoulder, so that he thought he had cut +the poor creature's arm off, ran to him, and entreating him not to +murder the poor man, placed himself between him and the savage, to +prevent the mischief. The fellow, being enraged the more at this, +struck at the Spaniard with his hatchet, and swore he would serve +him as he intended to serve the savage; which the Spaniard +perceiving, avoided the blow, and with a shovel, which he had in +his hand (for they were all working in the field about their corn +land), knocked the brute down. Another of the Englishmen, running +up at the same time to help his comrade, knocked the Spaniard down; +and then two Spaniards more came in to help their man, and a third +Englishman fell in upon them. They had none of them any firearms +or any other weapons but hatchets and other tools, except this +third Englishman; he had one of my rusty cutlasses, with which he +made at the two last Spaniards, and wounded them both. This fray +set the whole family in an uproar, and more help coming in they +took the three Englishmen prisoners. The next question was, what +should be done with them? They had been so often mutinous, and +were so very furious, so desperate, and so idle withal, they knew +not what course to take with them, for they were mischievous to the +highest degree, and cared not what hurt they did to any man; so +that, in short, it was not safe to live with them. + +The Spaniard who was governor told them, in so many words, that if +they had been of his own country he would have hanged them; for all +laws and all governors were to preserve society, and those who were +dangerous to the society ought to be expelled out of it; but as +they were Englishmen, and that it was to the generous kindness of +an Englishman that they all owed their preservation and +deliverance, he would use them with all possible lenity, and would +leave them to the judgment of the other two Englishmen, who were +their countrymen. One of the two honest Englishmen stood up, and +said they desired it might not be left to them. "For," says he, "I +am sure we ought to sentence them to the gallows;" and with that he +gives an account how Will Atkins, one of the three, had proposed to +have all the five Englishmen join together and murder all the +Spaniards when they were in their sleep. + +When the Spanish governor heard this, he calls to Will Atkins, +"How, Seignior Atkins, would you murder us all? What have you to +say to that?" The hardened villain was so far from denying it, +that he said it was true, and swore they would do it still before +they had done with them. "Well, but Seignior Atkins," says the +Spaniard, "what have we done to you that you will kill us? What +would you get by killing us? And what must we do to prevent you +killing us? Must we kill you, or you kill us? Why will you put us +to the necessity of this, Seignior Atkins?" says the Spaniard very +calmly, and smiling. Seignior Atkins was in such a rage at the +Spaniard's making a jest of it, that, had he not been held by three +men, and withal had no weapon near him, it was thought he would +have attempted to kill the Spaniard in the middle of all the +company. This hare-brained carriage obliged them to consider +seriously what was to be done. The two Englishmen and the Spaniard +who saved the poor savage were of the opinion that they should hang +one of the three for an example to the rest, and that particularly +it should be he that had twice attempted to commit murder with his +hatchet; indeed, there was some reason to believe he had done it, +for the poor savage was in such a miserable condition with the +wound he had received that it was thought he could not live. But +the governor Spaniard still said No; it was an Englishman that had +saved all their lives, and he would never consent to put an +Englishman to death, though he had murdered half of them; nay, he +said if he had been killed himself by an Englishman, and had time +left to speak, it should be that they should pardon him. + +This was so positively insisted on by the governor Spaniard, that +there was no gainsaying it; and as merciful counsels are most apt +to prevail where they are so earnestly pressed, so they all came +into it. But then it was to be considered what should be done to +keep them from doing the mischief they designed; for all agreed, +governor and all, that means were to be used for preserving the +society from danger. After a long debate, it was agreed that they +should be disarmed, and not permitted to have either gun, powder, +shot, sword, or any weapon; that they should be turned out of the +society, and left to live where they would and how they would, by +themselves; but that none of the rest, either Spaniards or English, +should hold any kind of converse with them, or have anything to do +with them; that they should be forbid to come within a certain +distance of the place where the rest dwelt; and if they offered to +commit any disorder, so as to spoil, burn, kill, or destroy any of +the corn, plantings, buildings, fences, or cattle belonging to the +society, they should die without mercy, and they would shoot them +wherever they could find them. + +The humane governor, musing upon the sentence, considered a little +upon it; and turning to the two honest Englishmen, said, "Hold; you +must reflect that it will be long ere they can raise corn and +cattle of their own, and they must not starve; we must therefore +allow them provisions." So he caused to be added, that they should +have a proportion of corn given them to last them eight months, and +for seed to sow, by which time they might be supposed to raise some +of their own; that they should have six milch-goats, four he-goats, +and six kids given them, as well for present subsistence as for a +store; and that they should have tools given them for their work in +the fields, but they should have none of these tools or provisions +unless they would swear solemnly that they would not hurt or injure +any of the Spaniards with them, or of their fellow-Englishmen. + +Thus they dismissed them the society, and turned them out to shift +for themselves. They went away sullen and refractory, as neither +content to go away nor to stay: but, as there was no remedy, they +went, pretending to go and choose a place where they would settle +themselves; and some provisions were given them, but no weapons. +About four or five days after, they came again for some victuals, +and gave the governor an account where they had pitched their +tents, and marked themselves out a habitation and plantation; and +it was a very convenient place indeed, on the remotest part of the +island, NE., much about the place where I providentially landed in +my first voyage, when I was driven out to sea in my foolish attempt +to sail round the island. + +Here they built themselves two handsome huts, and contrived them in +a manner like my first habitation, being close under the side of a +hill, having some trees already growing on three sides of it, so +that by planting others it would be very easily covered from the +sight, unless narrowly searched for. They desired some dried goat- +skins for beds and covering, which were given them; and upon giving +their words that they would not disturb the rest, or injure any of +their plantations, they gave them hatchets, and what other tools +they could spare; some peas, barley, and rice, for sowing; and, in +a word, anything they wanted, except arms and ammunition. + +They lived in this separate condition about six months, and had got +in their first harvest, though the quantity was but small, the +parcel of land they had planted being but little. Indeed, having +all their plantation to form, they had a great deal of work upon +their hands; and when they came to make boards and pots, and such +things, they were quite out of their element, and could make +nothing of it; therefore when the rainy season came on, for want of +a cave in the earth, they could not keep their grain dry, and it +was in great danger of spoiling. This humbled them much: so they +came and begged the Spaniards to help them, which they very readily +did; and in four days worked a great hole in the side of the hill +for them, big enough to secure their corn and other things from the +rain: but it was a poor place at best compared to mine, and +especially as mine was then, for the Spaniards had greatly enlarged +it, and made several new apartments in it. + +About three quarters of a year after this separation, a new frolic +took these rogues, which, together with the former villainy they +had committed, brought mischief enough upon them, and had very near +been the ruin of the whole colony. The three new associates began, +it seems, to be weary of the laborious life they led, and that +without hope of bettering their circumstances: and a whim took +them that they would make a voyage to the continent, from whence +the savages came, and would try if they could seize upon some +prisoners among the natives there, and bring them home, so as to +make them do the laborious part of the work for them. + +The project was not so preposterous, if they had gone no further. +But they did nothing, and proposed nothing, but had either mischief +in the design, or mischief in the event. And if I may give my +opinion, they seemed to be under a blast from Heaven: for if we +will not allow a visible curse to pursue visible crimes, how shall +we reconcile the events of things with the divine justice? It was +certainly an apparent vengeance on their crime of mutiny and piracy +that brought them to the state they were in; and they showed not +the least remorse for the crime, but added new villanies to it, +such as the piece of monstrous cruelty of wounding a poor slave +because he did not, or perhaps could not, understand to do what he +was directed, and to wound him in such a manner as made him a +cripple all his life, and in a place where no surgeon or medicine +could be had for his cure; and, what was still worse, the +intentional murder, for such to be sure it was, as was afterwards +the formed design they all laid to murder the Spaniards in cold +blood, and in their sleep. + +The three fellows came down to the Spaniards one morning, and in +very humble terms desired to be admitted to speak with them. The +Spaniards very readily heard what they had to say, which was this: +that they were tired of living in the manner they did, and that +they were not handy enough to make the necessaries they wanted, and +that having no help, they found they should be starved; but if the +Spaniards would give them leave to take one of the canoes which +they came over in, and give them arms and ammunition proportioned +to their defence, they would go over to the main, and seek their +fortunes, and so deliver them from the trouble of supplying them +with any other provisions. + +The Spaniards were glad enough to get rid of them, but very +honestly represented to them the certain destruction they were +running into; told them they had suffered such hardships upon that +very spot, that they could, without any spirit of prophecy, tell +them they would be starved or murdered, and bade them consider of +it. The men replied audaciously, they should be starved if they +stayed here, for they could not work, and would not work, and they +could but be starved abroad; and if they were murdered, there was +an end of them; they had no wives or children to cry after them; +and, in short, insisted importunately upon their demand, declaring +they would go, whether they gave them any arms or not. + +The Spaniards told them, with great kindness, that if they were +resolved to go they should not go like naked men, and be in no +condition to defend themselves; and that though they could ill +spare firearms, not having enough for themselves, yet they would +let them have two muskets, a pistol, and a cutlass, and each man a +hatchet, which they thought was sufficient for them. In a word, +they accepted the offer; and having baked bread enough to serve +them a month given them, and as much goats' flesh as they could eat +while it was sweet, with a great basket of dried grapes, a pot of +fresh water, and a young kid alive, they boldly set out in the +canoe for a voyage over the sea, where it was at least forty miles +broad. The boat, indeed, was a large one, and would very well have +carried fifteen or twenty men, and therefore was rather too big for +them to manage; but as they had a fair breeze and flood-tide with +them, they did well enough. They had made a mast of a long pole, +and a sail of four large goat-skins dried, which they had sewed or +laced together; and away they went merrily together. The Spaniards +called after them "Bon voyajo;" and no man ever thought of seeing +them any more. + +The Spaniards were often saying to one another, and to the two +honest Englishmen who remained behind, how quietly and comfortably +they lived, now these three turbulent fellows were gone. As for +their coming again, that was the remotest thing from their thoughts +that could be imagined; when, behold, after two-and-twenty days' +absence, one of the Englishmen being abroad upon his planting work, +sees three strange men coming towards him at a distance, with guns +upon their shoulders. + +Away runs the Englishman, frightened and amazed, as if he was +bewitched, to the governor Spaniard, and tells him they were all +undone, for there were strangers upon the island, but he could not +tell who they were. The Spaniard, pausing a while, says to him, +"How do you mean--you cannot tell who? They are the savages, to be +sure." "No, no," says the Englishman, "they are men in clothes, +with arms." "Nay, then," says the Spaniard, "why are you so +concerned! If they are not savages they must be friends; for there +is no Christian nation upon earth but will do us good rather than +harm." While they were debating thus, came up the three +Englishmen, and standing without the wood, which was new planted, +hallooed to them. They presently knew their voices, and so all the +wonder ceased. But now the admiration was turned upon another +question--What could be the matter, and what made them come back +again? + +It was not long before they brought the men in, and inquiring where +they had been, and what they had been doing, they gave them a full +account of their voyage in a few words: that they reached the land +in less than two days, but finding the people alarmed at their +coming, and preparing with bows and arrows to fight them, they +durst not go on, shore, but sailed on to the northward six or seven +hours, till they came to a great opening, by which they perceived +that the land they saw from our island was not the main, but an +island: that upon entering that opening of the sea they saw +another island on the right hand north, and several more west; and +being resolved to land somewhere, they put over to one of the +islands which lay west, and went boldly on shore; that they found +the people very courteous and friendly to them; and they gave them +several roots and some dried fish, and appeared very sociable; and +that the women, as well as the men, were very forward to supply +them with anything they could get for them to eat, and brought it +to them a great way, on their heads. They continued here for four +days, and inquired as well as they could of them by signs, what +nations were this way, and that way, and were told of several +fierce and terrible people that lived almost every way, who, as +they made known by signs to them, used to eat men; but, as for +themselves, they said they never ate men or women, except only such +as they took in the wars; and then they owned they made a great +feast, and ate their prisoners. + +The Englishmen inquired when they had had a feast of that kind; and +they told them about two moons ago, pointing to the moon and to two +fingers; and that their great king had two hundred prisoners now, +which he had taken in his war, and they were feeding them to make +them fat for the next feast. The Englishmen seemed mighty desirous +of seeing those prisoners; but the others mistaking them, thought +they were desirous to have some of them to carry away for their own +eating. So they beckoned to them, pointing to the setting of the +sun, and then to the rising; which was to signify that the next +morning at sunrising they would bring some for them; and +accordingly the next morning they brought down five women and +eleven men, and gave them to the Englishmen to carry with them on +their voyage, just as we would bring so many cows and oxen down to +a seaport town to victual a ship. + +As brutish and barbarous as these fellows were at home, their +stomachs turned at this sight, and they did not know what to do. +To refuse the prisoners would have been the highest affront to the +savage gentry that could be offered them, and what to do with them +they knew not. However, after some debate, they resolved to accept +of them: and, in return, they gave the savages that brought them +one of their hatchets, an old key, a knife, and six or seven of +their bullets; which, though they did not understand their use, +they seemed particularly pleased with; and then tying the poor +creatures' hands behind them, they dragged the prisoners into the +boat for our men. + +The Englishmen were obliged to come away as soon as they had them, +or else they that gave them this noble present would certainly have +expected that they should have gone to work with them, have killed +two or three of them the next morning, and perhaps have invited the +donors to dinner. But having taken their leave, with all the +respect and thanks that could well pass between people, where on +either side they understood not one word they could say, they put +off with their boat, and came back towards the first island; where, +when they arrived, they set eight of their prisoners at liberty, +there being too many of them for their occasion. In their voyage +they endeavoured to have some communication with their prisoners; +but it was impossible to make them understand anything. Nothing +they could say to them, or give them, or do for them, but was +looked upon as going to murder them. They first of all unbound +them; but the poor creatures screamed at that, especially the +women, as if they had just felt the knife at their throats; for +they immediately concluded they were unbound on purpose to be +killed. If they gave them thing to eat, it was the same thing; +they then concluded it was for fear they should sink in flesh, and +so not be fat enough to kill. If they looked at one of them more +particularly, the party presently concluded it was to see whether +he or she was fattest, and fittest to kill first; nay, after they +had brought them quite over, and began to use them kindly, and +treat them well, still they expected every day to make a dinner or +supper for their new masters. + +When the three wanderers had give this unaccountable history or +journal of their voyage, the Spaniard asked them where their new +family was; and being told that they had brought them on shore, and +put them into one of their huts, and were come up to beg some +victuals for them, they (the Spaniards) and the other two +Englishmen, that is to say, the whole colony, resolved to go all +down to the place and see them; and did so, and Friday's father +with them. When they came into the hut, there they sat, all bound; +for when they had brought them on shore they bound their hands that +they might not take the boat and make their escape; there, I say, +they sat, all of them stark naked. First, there were three comely +fellows, well shaped, with straight limbs, about thirty to thirty- +five years of age; and five women, whereof two might be from thirty +to forty, two more about four or five and twenty; and the fifth, a +tall, comely maiden, about seventeen. The women were well- +favoured, agreeable persons, both in shape and features, only +tawny; and two of them, had they been perfect white, would have +passed for very handsome women, even in London, having pleasant +countenances, and of a very modest behaviour; especially when they +came afterwards to be clothed and dressed, though that dress was +very indifferent, it must be confessed. + +The sight, you may be sure, was something uncouth to our Spaniards, +who were, to give them a just character, men of the most calm, +sedate tempers, and perfect good humour, that ever I met with: +and, in particular, of the utmost modesty: I say, the sight was +very uncouth, to see three naked men and five naked women, all +together bound, and in the most miserable circumstances that human +nature could be supposed to be, viz. to be expecting every moment +to be dragged out and have their brains knocked out, and then to be +eaten up like a calf that is killed for a dainty. + +The first thing they did was to cause the old Indian, Friday's +father, to go in, and see first if he knew any of them, and then if +he understood any of their speech. As soon as the old man came in, +he looked seriously at them, but knew none of them; neither could +any of them understand a word he said, or a sign he could make, +except one of the women. However, this was enough to answer the +end, which was to satisfy them that the men into whose hands they +were fallen were Christians; that they abhorred eating men or +women; and that they might be sure they would not be killed. As +soon as they were assured of this, they discovered such a joy, and +by such awkward gestures, several ways, as is hard to describe; for +it seems they were of several nations. The woman who was their +interpreter was bid, in the next place, to ask them if they were +willing to be servants, and to work for the men who had brought +them away, to save their lives; at which they all fell a-dancing; +and presently one fell to taking up this, and another that, +anything that lay next, to carry on their shoulders, to intimate +they were willing to work. + +The governor, who found that the having women among them would +presently be attended with some inconvenience, and might occasion +some strife, and perhaps blood, asked the three men what they +intended to do with these women, and how they intended to use them, +whether as servants or as wives? One of the Englishmen answered, +very boldly and readily, that they would use them as both; to which +the governor said: "I am not going to restrain you from it--you +are your own masters as to that; but this I think is but just, for +avoiding disorders and quarrels among you, and I desire it of you +for that reason only, viz. that you will all engage, that if any of +you take any of these women as a wife, he shall take but one; and +that having taken one, none else shall touch her; for though we +cannot marry any one of you, yet it is but reasonable that, while +you stay here, the woman any of you takes shall be maintained by +the man that takes her, and should be his wife--I mean," says he, +"while he continues here, and that none else shall have anything to +do with her." All this appeared so just, that every one agreed to +it without any difficulty. + +Then the Englishmen asked the Spaniards if they designed to take +any of them? But every one of them answered "No." Some of them +said they had wives in Spain, and the others did not like women +that were not Christians; and all together declared that they would +not touch one of them, which was an instance of such virtue as I +have not met with in all my travels. On the other hand, the five +Englishmen took them every one a wife, that is to say, a temporary +wife; and so they set up a new form of living; for the Spaniards +and Friday's father lived in my old habitation, which they had +enlarged exceedingly within. The three servants which were taken +in the last battle of the savages lived with them; and these +carried on the main part of the colony, supplied all the rest with +food, and assisted them in anything as they could, or as they found +necessity required. + +But the wonder of the story was, how five such refractory, ill- +matched fellows should agree about these women, and that some two +of them should not choose the same woman, especially seeing two or +three of them were, without comparison, more agreeable than the +others; but they took a good way enough to prevent quarrelling +among themselves, for they set the five women by themselves in one +of their huts, and they went all into the other hut, and drew lots +among them who should choose first. + +Him that drew to choose first went away by himself to the hut where +the poor naked creatures were, and fetched out her he chose; and it +was worth observing, that he that chose first took her that was +reckoned the homeliest and oldest of the five, which made mirth +enough amongst the rest; and even the Spaniards laughed at it; but +the fellow considered better than any of them, that it was +application and business they were to expect assistance in, as much +as in anything else; and she proved the best wife of all the +parcel. + +When the poor women saw themselves set in a row thus, and fetched +out one by one, the terrors of their condition returned upon them +again, and they firmly believed they were now going to be devoured. +Accordingly, when the English sailor came in and fetched out one of +them, the rest set up a most lamentable cry, and hung about her, +and took their leave of her with such agonies and affection as +would have grieved the hardest heart in the world: nor was it +possible for the Englishmen to satisfy them that they were not to +be immediately murdered, till they fetched the old man, Friday's +father, who immediately let them know that the five men, who were +to fetch them out one by one, had chosen them for their wives. +When they had done, and the fright the women were in was a little +over, the men went to work, and the Spaniards came and helped them: +and in a few hours they had built them every one a new hut or tent +for their lodging apart; for those they had already were crowded +with their tools, household stuff, and provisions. The three +wicked ones had pitched farthest off, and the two honest ones +nearer, but both on the north shore of the island, so that they +continued separated as before; and thus my island was peopled in +three places, and, as I might say, three towns were begun to be +built. + +And here it is very well worth observing that, as it often happens +in the world (what the wise ends in God's providence are, in such a +disposition of things, I cannot say), the two honest fellows had +the two worst wives; and the three reprobates, that were scarce +worth hanging, that were fit for nothing, and neither seemed born +to do themselves good nor any one else, had three clever, careful, +and ingenious wives; not that the first two were bad wives as to +their temper or humour, for all the five were most willing, quiet, +passive, and subjected creatures, rather like slaves than wives; +but my meaning is, they were not alike capable, ingenious, or +industrious, or alike cleanly and neat. Another observation I must +make, to the honour of a diligent application on one hand, and to +the disgrace of a slothful, negligent, idle temper on the other, +that when I came to the place, and viewed the several improvements, +plantings, and management of the several little colonies, the two +men had so far out-gone the three, that there was no comparison. +They had, indeed, both of them as much ground laid out for corn as +they wanted, and the reason was, because, according to my rule, +nature dictated that it was to no purpose to sow more corn than +they wanted; but the difference of the cultivation, of the +planting, of the fences, and indeed, of everything else, was easy +to be seen at first view. + +The two men had innumerable young trees planted about their huts, +so that, when you came to the place, nothing was to be seen but a +wood; and though they had twice had their plantation demolished, +once by their own countrymen, and once by the enemy, as shall be +shown in its place, yet they had restored all again, and everything +was thriving and flourishing about them; they had grapes planted in +order, and managed like a vineyard, though they had themselves +never seen anything of that kind; and by their good ordering their +vines, their grapes were as good again as any of the others. They +had also found themselves out a retreat in the thickest part of the +woods, where, though there was not a natural cave, as I had found, +yet they made one with incessant labour of their hands, and where, +when the mischief which followed happened, they secured their wives +and children so as they could never be found; they having, by +sticking innumerable stakes and poles of the wood which, as I said, +grew so readily, made the grove impassable, except in some places, +when they climbed up to get over the outside part, and then went on +by ways of their own leaving. + +As to the three reprobates, as I justly call them, though they were +much civilised by their settlement compared to what they were +before, and were not so quarrelsome, having not the same +opportunity; yet one of the certain companions of a profligate mind +never left them, and that was their idleness. It is true, they +planted corn and made fences; but Solomon's words were never better +verified than in them, "I went by the vineyard of the slothful, and +it was all overgrown with thorns": for when the Spaniards came to +view their crop they could not see it in some places for weeds, the +hedge had several gaps in it, where the wild goats had got in and +eaten up the corn; perhaps here and there a dead bush was crammed +in, to stop them out for the present, but it was only shutting the +stable-door after the steed was stolen. Whereas, when they looked +on the colony of the other two, there was the very face of industry +and success upon all they did; there was not a weed to be seen in +all their corn, or a gap in any of their hedges; and they, on the +other hand, verified Solomon's words in another place, "that the +diligent hand maketh rich"; for everything grew and thrived, and +they had plenty within and without; they had more tame cattle than +the others, more utensils and necessaries within doors, and yet +more pleasure and diversion too. + +It is true, the wives of the three were very handy and cleanly +within doors; and having learned the English ways of dressing, and +cooking from one of the other Englishmen, who, as I said, was a +cook's mate on board the ship, they dressed their husbands' +victuals very nicely and well; whereas the others could not be +brought to understand it; but then the husband, who, as I say, had +been cook's mate, did it himself. But as for the husbands of the +three wives, they loitered about, fetched turtles' eggs, and caught +fish and birds: in a word, anything but labour; and they fared +accordingly. The diligent lived well and comfortably, and the +slothful hard and beggarly; and so, I believe, generally speaking, +it is all over the world. + +But I now come to a scene different from all that had happened +before, either to them or to me; and the origin of the story was +this: Early one morning there came on shore five or six canoes of +Indians or savages, call them which you please, and there is no +room to doubt they came upon the old errand of feeding upon their +slaves; but that part was now so familiar to the Spaniards, and to +our men too, that they did not concern themselves about it, as I +did: but having been made sensible, by their experience, that +their only business was to lie concealed, and that if they were not +seen by any of the savages they would go off again quietly, when +their business was done, having as yet not the least notion of +there being any inhabitants in the island; I say, having been made +sensible of this, they had nothing to do but to give notice to all +the three plantations to keep within doors, and not show +themselves, only placing a scout in a proper place, to give notice +when the boats went to sea again. + +This was, without doubt, very right; but a disaster spoiled all +these measures, and made it known among the savages that there were +inhabitants there; which was, in the end, the desolation of almost +the whole colony. After the canoes with the savages were gone off, +the Spaniards peeped abroad again; and some of them had the +curiosity to go to the place where they had been, to see what they +had been doing. Here, to their great surprise, they found three +savages left behind, and lying fast asleep upon the ground. It was +supposed they had either been so gorged with their inhuman feast, +that, like beasts, they were fallen asleep, and would not stir when +the others went, or they had wandered into the woods, and did not +come back in time to be taken in. + +The Spaniards were greatly surprised at this sight and perfectly at +a loss what to do. The Spaniard governor, as it happened, was with +them, and his advice was asked, but he professed he knew not what +to do. As for slaves, they had enough already; and as to killing +them, there were none of them inclined to do that: the Spaniard +governor told me they could not think of shedding innocent blood; +for as to them, the poor creatures had done them no wrong, invaded +none of their property, and they thought they had no just quarrel +against them, to take away their lives. And here I must, in +justice to these Spaniards, observe that, let the accounts of +Spanish cruelty in Mexico and Peru be what they will, I never met +with seventeen men of any nation whatsoever, in any foreign +country, who were so universally modest, temperate, virtuous, so +very good-humoured, and so courteous, as these Spaniards: and as +to cruelty, they had nothing of it in their very nature; no +inhumanity, no barbarity, no outrageous passions; and yet all of +them men of great courage and spirit. Their temper and calmness +had appeared in their bearing the insufferable usage of the three +Englishmen; and their justice and humanity appeared now in the case +of the savages above. After some consultation they resolved upon +this; that they would lie still a while longer, till, if possible, +these three men might be gone. But then the governor recollected +that the three savages had no boat; and if they were left to rove +about the island, they would certainly discover that there were +inhabitants in it; and so they should be undone that way. Upon +this, they went back again, and there lay the fellows fast asleep +still, and so they resolved to awaken them, and take them +prisoners; and they did so. The poor fellows were strangely +frightened when they were seized upon and bound; and afraid, like +the women, that they should be murdered and eaten: for it seems +those people think all the world does as they do, in eating men's +flesh; but they were soon made easy as to that, and away they +carried them. + +It was very happy for them that they did not carry them home to the +castle, I mean to my palace under the hill; but they carried them +first to the bower, where was the chief of their country work, such +as the keeping the goats, the planting the corn, &c.; and afterward +they carried them to the habitation of the two Englishmen. Here +they were set to work, though it was not much they had for them to +do; and whether it was by negligence in guarding them, or that they +thought the fellows could not mend themselves, I know not, but one +of them ran away, and, taking to the woods, they could never hear +of him any more. They had good reason to believe he got home again +soon after in some other boats or canoes of savages who came on +shore three or four weeks afterwards, and who, carrying on their +revels as usual, went off in two days' time. This thought +terrified them exceedingly; for they concluded, and that not +without good cause indeed, that if this fellow came home safe among +his comrades, he would certainly give them an account that there +were people in the island, and also how few and weak they were; for +this savage, as observed before, had never been told, and it was +very happy he had not, how many there were or where they lived; nor +had he ever seen or heard the fire of any of their guns, much less +had they shown him any of their other retired places; such as the +cave in the valley, or the new retreat which the two Englishmen had +made, and the like. + +The first testimony they had that this fellow had given +intelligence of them was, that about two mouths after this six +canoes of savages, with about seven, eight, or ten men in a canoe, +came rowing along the north side of the island, where they never +used to come before, and landed, about an hour after sunrise, at a +convenient place, about a mile from the habitation of the two +Englishmen, where this escaped man had been kept. As the chief +Spaniard said, had they been all there the damage would not have +been so much, for not a man of them would have escaped; but the +case differed now very much, for two men to fifty was too much +odds. The two men had the happiness to discover them about a +league off, so that it was above an hour before they landed; and as +they landed a mile from their huts, it was some time before they +could come at them. Now, having great reason to believe that they +were betrayed, the first thing they did was to bind the two slaves +which were left, and cause two of the three men whom they brought +with the women (who, it seems, proved very faithful to them) to +lead them, with their two wives, and whatever they could carry away +with them, to their retired places in the woods, which I have +spoken of above, and there to bind the two fellows hand and foot, +till they heard farther. In the next place, seeing the savages +were all come on shore, and that they had bent their course +directly that way, they opened the fences where the milch cows were +kept, and drove them all out; leaving their goats to straggle in +the woods, whither they pleased, that the savages might think they +were all bred wild; but the rogue who came with them was too +cunning for that, and gave them an account of it all, for they went +directly to the place. + +When the two poor frightened men had secured their wives and goods, +they sent the other slave they had of the three who came with the +women, and who was at their place by accident, away to the +Spaniards with all speed, to give them the alarm, and desire speedy +help, and, in the meantime, they took their arms and what +ammunition they had, and retreated towards the place in the wood +where their wives were sent; keeping at a distance, yet so that +they might see, if possible, which way the savages took. They had +not gone far but that from a rising ground they could see the +little army of their enemies come on directly to their habitation, +and, in a moment more, could see all their huts and household stuff +flaming up together, to their great grief and mortification; for +this was a great loss to them, irretrievable, indeed, for some +time. They kept their station for a while, till they found the +savages, like wild beasts, spread themselves all over the place, +rummaging every way, and every place they could think of, in search +of prey; and in particular for the people, of whom now it plainly +appeared they had intelligence. + +The two Englishmen seeing this, thinking themselves not secure +where they stood, because it was likely some of the wild people +might come that way, and they might come too many together, thought +it proper to make another retreat about half a mile farther; +believing, as it afterwards happened, that the further they +strolled, the fewer would be together. Their next halt was at the +entrance into a very thick-grown part of the woods, and where an +old trunk of a tree stood, which was hollow and very large; and in +this tree they both took their standing, resolving to see there +what might offer. They had not stood there long before two of the +savages appeared running directly that way, as if they had already +had notice where they stood, and were coming up to attack them; and +a little way farther they espied three more coming after them, and +five more beyond them, all coming the same way; besides which, they +saw seven or eight more at a distance, running another way; for in +a word, they ran every way, like sportsmen beating for their game. + +The poor men were now in great perplexity whether they should stand +and keep their posture or fly; but after a very short debate with +themselves, they considered that if the savages ranged the country +thus before help came, they might perhaps find their retreat in the +woods, and then all would be lost; so they resolved to stand them +there, and if they were too many to deal with, then they would get +up to the top of the tree, from whence they doubted not to defend +themselves, fire excepted, as long as their ammunition lasted, +though all the savages that were landed, which was near fifty, were +to attack them. + +Having resolved upon this, they next considered whether they should +fire at the first two, or wait for the three, and so take the +middle party, by which the two and the five that followed would be +separated; at length they resolved to let the first two pass by, +unless they should spy them the tree, and come to attack them. The +first two savages confirmed them also in this resolution, by +turning a little from them towards another part of the wood; but +the three, and the five after them, came forward directly to the +tree, as if they had known the Englishmen were there. Seeing them +come so straight towards them, they resolved to take them in a line +as they came: and as they resolved to fire but one at a time, +perhaps the first shot might hit them all three; for which purpose +the man who was to fire put three or four small bullets into his +piece; and having a fair loophole, as it were, from a broken hole +in the tree, he took a sure aim, without being seen, waiting till +they were within about thirty yards of the tree, so that he could +not miss. + +While they were thus waiting, and the savages came on, they plainly +saw that one of the three was the runaway savage that had escaped +from them; and they both knew him distinctly, and resolved that, if +possible, he should not escape, though they should both fire; so +the other stood ready with his piece, that if he did not drop at +the first shot, he should be sure to have a second. But the first +was too good a marksman to miss his aim; for as the savages kept +near one another, a little behind in a line, he fired, and hit two +of them directly; the foremost was killed outright, being shot in +the head; the second, which was the runaway Indian, was shot +through the body, and fell, but was not quite dead; and the third +had a little scratch in the shoulder, perhaps by the same ball that +went through the body of the second; and being dreadfully +frightened, though not so much hurt, sat down upon the ground, +screaming and yelling in a hideous manner. + +The five that were behind, more frightened with the noise than +sensible of the danger, stood still at first; for the woods made +the sound a thousand times bigger than it really was, the echoes +rattling from one side to another, and the fowls rising from all +parts, screaming, and every sort making a different noise, +according to their kind; just as it was when I fired the first gun +that perhaps was ever shot off in the island. + +However, all being silent again, and they not knowing what the +matter was, came on unconcerned, till they came to the place where +their companions lay in a condition miserable enough. Here the +poor ignorant creatures, not sensible that they were within reach +of the same mischief, stood all together over the wounded man, +talking, and, as may be supposed, inquiring of him how he came to +be hurt; and who, it is very rational to believe, told them that a +flash of fire first, and immediately after that thunder from their +gods, had killed those two and wounded him. This, I say, is +rational; for nothing is more certain than that, as they saw no man +near them, so they had never heard a gun in all their lives, nor so +much as heard of a gun; neither knew they anything of killing and +wounding at a distance with fire and bullets: if they had, one +might reasonably believe they would not have stood so unconcerned +to view the fate of their fellows, without some apprehensions of +their own. + +Our two men, as they confessed to me, were grieved to be obliged to +kill so many poor creatures, who had no notion of their danger; +yet, having them all thus in their power, and the first having +loaded his piece again, resolved to let fly both together among +them; and singling out, by agreement, which to aim at, they shot +together, and killed, or very much wounded, four of them; the +fifth, frightened even to death, though not hurt, fell with the +rest; so that our men, seeing them all fall together, thought they +had killed them all. + +The belief that the savages were all killed made our two men come +boldly out from the tree before they had charged their guns, which +was a wrong step; and they were under some surprise when they came +to the place, and found no less than four of them alive, and of +them two very little hurt, and one not at all. This obliged them +to fall upon them with the stocks of their muskets; and first they +made sure of the runaway savage, that had been the cause of all the +mischief, and of another that was hurt in the knee, and put them +out of their pain; then the man that was not hurt at all came and +kneeled down to them, with his two hands held up, and made piteous +moans to them, by gestures and signs, for his life, but could not +say one word to them that they could understand. However, they +made signs to him to sit down at the foot of a tree hard by; and +one of the Englishmen, with a piece of rope-yarn, which he had by +great chance in his pocket, tied his two hands behind him, and +there they left him; and with what speed they could made after the +other two, which were gone before, fearing they, or any more of +them, should find way to their covered place in the woods, where +their wives, and the few goods they had left, lay. They came once +in sight of the two men, but it was at a great distance; however, +they had the satisfaction to see them cross over a valley towards +the sea, quite the contrary way from that which led to their +retreat, which they were afraid of; and being satisfied with that, +they went back to the tree where they left their prisoner, who, as +they supposed, was delivered by his comrades, for he was gone, and +the two pieces of rope-yarn with which they had bound him lay just +at the foot of the tree. + +They were now in as great concern as before, not knowing what +course to take, or how near the enemy might be, or in what number; +so they resolved to go away to the place where their wives were, to +see if all was well there, and to make them easy. These were in +fright enough, to be sure; for though the savages were their own +countrymen, yet they were most terribly afraid of them, and perhaps +the more for the knowledge they had of them. When they came there, +they found the savages had been in the wood, and very near that +place, but had not found it; for it was indeed inaccessible, from +the trees standing so thick, unless the persons seeking it had been +directed by those that knew it, which these did not: they found, +therefore, everything very safe, only the women in a terrible +fright. While they were here they had the comfort to have seven of +the Spaniards come to their assistance; the other ten, with their +servants, and Friday's father, were gone in a body to defend their +bower, and the corn and cattle that were kept there, in case the +savages should have roved over to that side of the country, but +they did not spread so far. With the seven Spaniards came one of +the three savages, who, as I said, were their prisoners formerly; +and with them also came the savage whom the Englishmen had left +bound hand and foot at the tree; for it seems they came that way, +saw the slaughter of the seven men, and unbound the eighth, and +brought him along with them; where, however, they were obliged to +bind again, as they had the two others who were left when the third +ran away. + +The prisoners now began to be a burden to them; and they were so +afraid of their escaping, that they were once resolving to kill +them all, believing they were under an absolute necessity to do so +for their own preservation. However, the chief of the Spaniards +would not consent to it, but ordered, for the present, that they +should be sent out of the way to my old cave in the valley, and be +kept there, with two Spaniards to guard them, and have food for +their subsistence, which was done; and they were bound there hand +and foot for that night. + +When the Spaniards came, the two Englishmen were so encouraged, +that they could not satisfy themselves to stay any longer there; +but taking five of the Spaniards, and themselves, with four muskets +and a pistol among them, and two stout quarter-staves, away they +went in quest of the savages. And first they came to the tree +where the men lay that had been killed; but it was easy to see that +some more of the savages had been there, for they had attempted to +carry their dead men away, and had dragged two of them a good way, +but had given it over. From thence they advanced to the first +rising ground, where they had stood and seen their camp destroyed, +and where they had the mortification still to see some of the +smoke; but neither could they here see any of the savages. They +then resolved, though with all possible caution, to go forward +towards their ruined plantation; but, a little before they came +thither, coming in sight of the sea-shore, they saw plainly the +savages all embarked again in their canoes, in order to be gone. +They seemed sorry at first that there was no way to come at them, +to give them a parting blow; but, upon the whole, they were very +well satisfied to be rid of them. + +The poor Englishmen being now twice ruined, and all their +improvements destroyed, the rest all agreed to come and help them +to rebuild, and assist them with needful supplies. Their three +countrymen, who were not yet noted for having the least inclination +to do any good, yet as soon as they heard of it (for they, living +remote eastward, knew nothing of the matter till all was over), +came and offered their help and assistance, and did, very friendly, +work for several days to restore their habitation and make +necessaries for them. And thus in a little time they were set upon +their legs again. + +About two days after this they had the farther satisfaction of +seeing three of the savages' canoes come driving on shore, and, at +some distance from them, two drowned men, by which they had reason +to believe that they had met with a storm at sea, which had overset +some of them; for it had blown very hard the night after they went +off. However, as some might miscarry, so, on the other hand, +enough of them escaped to inform the rest, as well of what they had +done as of what had happened to them; and to whet them on to +another enterprise of the same nature, which they, it seems, +resolved to attempt, with sufficient force to carry all before +them; for except what the first man had told them of inhabitants, +they could say little of it of their own knowledge, for they never +saw one man; and the fellow being killed that had affirmed it, they +had no other witness to confirm it to, them. + + + +CHAPTER V--A GREAT VICTORY + + + +It was five or six months after this before they heard any more of +the savages, in which time our men were in hopes they had either +forgot their former bad luck, or given over hopes of better; when, +on a sudden, they were invaded with a most formidable fleet of no +less than eight-and-twenty canoes, full of savages, armed with bows +and arrows, great clubs, wooden swords, and such like engines of +war; and they brought such numbers with them, that, in short, it +put all our people into the utmost consternation. + +As they came on shore in the evening, and at the easternmost side +of the island, our men had that night to consult and consider what +to do. In the first place, knowing that their being entirely +concealed was their only safety before and would be much more so +now, while the number of their enemies would be so great, they +resolved, first of all, to take down the huts which were built for +the two Englishmen, and drive away their goats to the old cave; +because they supposed the savages would go directly thither, as +soon as it was day, to play the old game over again, though they +did not now land within two leagues of it. In the next place, they +drove away all the flocks of goats they had at the old bower, as I +called it, which belonged to the Spaniards; and, in short, left as +little appearance of inhabitants anywhere as was possible; and the +next morning early they posted themselves, with all their force, at +the plantation of the two men, to wait for their coming. As they +guessed, so it happened: these new invaders, leaving their canoes +at the east end of the island, came ranging along the shore, +directly towards the place, to the number of two hundred and fifty, +as near as our men could judge. Our army was but small indeed; +but, that which was worse, they had not arms for all their number. +The whole account, it seems, stood thus: first, as to men, +seventeen Spaniards, five Englishmen, old Friday, the three slaves +taken with the women, who proved very faithful, and three other +slaves, who lived with the Spaniards. To arm these, they had +eleven muskets, five pistols, three fowling-pieces, five muskets or +fowling-pieces which were taken by me from the mutinous seamen whom +I reduced, two swords, and three old halberds. + +To their slaves they did not give either musket or fusee; but they +had each a halberd, or a long staff, like a quarter-staff, with a +great spike of iron fastened into each end of it, and by his side a +hatchet; also every one of our men had a hatchet. Two of the women +could not be prevailed upon but they would come into the fight, and +they had bows and arrows, which the Spaniards had taken from the +savages when the first action happened, which I have spoken of, +where the Indians fought with one another; and the women had +hatchets too. + +The chief Spaniard, whom I described so often, commanded the whole; +and Will Atkins, who, though a dreadful fellow for wickedness, was +a most daring, bold fellow, commanded under him. The savages came +forward like lions; and our men, which was the worst of their fate, +had no advantage in their situation; only that Will Atkins, who now +proved a most useful fellow, with six men, was planted just behind +a small thicket of bushes as an advanced guard, with orders to let +the first of them pass by and then fire into the middle of them, +and as soon as he had fired, to make his retreat as nimbly as he +could round a part of the wood, and so come in behind the +Spaniards, where they stood, having a thicket of trees before them. + +When the savages came on, they ran straggling about every way in +heaps, out of all manner of order, and Will Atkins let about fifty +of them pass by him; then seeing the rest come in a very thick +throng, he orders three of his men to fire, having loaded their +muskets with six or seven bullets apiece, about as big as large +pistol-bullets. How many they killed or wounded they knew not, but +the consternation and surprise was inexpressible among the savages; +they were frightened to the last degree to hear such a dreadful +noise, and see their men killed, and others hurt, but see nobody +that did it; when, in the middle of their fright, Will Atkins and +his other three let fly again among the thickest of them; and in +less than a minute the first three, being loaded again, gave them a +third volley. + +Had Will Atkins and his men retired immediately, as soon as they +had fired, as they were ordered to do, or had the rest of the body +been at hand to have poured in their shot continually, the savages +had been effectually routed; for the terror that was among them +came principally from this, that they were killed by the gods with +thunder and lightning, and could see nobody that hurt them. But +Will Atkins, staying to load again, discovered the cheat: some of +the savages who were at a distance spying them, came upon them +behind; and though Atkins and his men fired at them also, two or +three times, and killed above twenty, retiring as fast as they +could, yet they wounded Atkins himself, and killed one of his +fellow-Englishmen with their arrows, as they did afterwards one +Spaniard, and one of the Indian slaves who came with the women. +This slave was a most gallant fellow, and fought most desperately, +killing five of them with his own hand, having no weapon but one of +the armed staves and a hatchet. + +Our men being thus hard laid at, Atkins wounded, and two other men +killed, retreated to a rising ground in the wood; and the +Spaniards, after firing three volleys upon them, retreated also; +for their number was so great, and they were so desperate, that +though above fifty of them were killed, and more than as many +wounded, yet they came on in the teeth of our men, fearless of +danger, and shot their arrows like a cloud; and it was observed +that their wounded men, who were not quite disabled, were made +outrageous by their wounds, and fought like madmen. + +When our men retreated, they left the Spaniard and the Englishman +that were killed behind them: and the savages, when they came up +to them, killed them over again in a wretched manner, breaking +their arms, legs, and heads, with their clubs and wooden swords, +like true savages; but finding our men were gone, they did not seem +inclined to pursue them, but drew themselves up in a ring, which +is, it seems, their custom, and shouted twice, in token of their +victory; after which, they had the mortification to see several of +their wounded men fall, dying with the mere loss of blood. + +The Spaniard governor having drawn his little body up together upon +a rising ground, Atkins, though he was wounded, would have had them +march and charge again all together at once: but the Spaniard +replied, "Seignior Atkins, you see how their wounded men fight; let +them alone till morning; all the wounded men will be stiff and sore +with their wounds, and faint with the loss of blood; and so we +shall have the fewer to engage." This advice was good: but Will +Atkins replied merrily, "That is true, seignior, and so shall I +too; and that is the reason I would go on while I am warm." "Well, +Seignior Atkins," says the Spaniard, "you have behaved gallantly, +and done your part; we will fight for you if you cannot come on; +but I think it best to stay till morning:" so they waited. + +But as it was a clear moonlight night, and they found the savages +in great disorder about their dead and wounded men, and a great +noise and hurry among them where they lay, they afterwards resolved +to fall upon them in the night, especially if they could come to +give them but one volley before they were discovered, which they +had a fair opportunity to do; for one of the Englishmen in whose +quarter it was where the fight began, led them round between the +woods and the seaside westward, and then turning short south, they +came so near where the thickest of them lay, that before they were +seen or heard eight of them fired in among them, and did dreadful +execution upon them; in half a minute more eight others fired after +them, pouring in their small shot in such a quantity that abundance +were killed and wounded; and all this while they were not able to +see who hurt them, or which way to fly. + +The Spaniards charged again with the utmost expedition, and then +divided themselves into three bodies, and resolved to fall in among +them all together. They had in each body eight persons, that is to +say, twenty-two men and the two women, who, by the way, fought +desperately. They divided the firearms equally in each party, as +well as the halberds and staves. They would have had the women +kept back, but they said they were resolved to die with their +husbands. Having thus formed their little army, they marched out +from among the trees, and came up to the teeth of the enemy, +shouting and hallooing as loud as they could; the savages stood all +together, but were in the utmost confusion, hearing the noise of +our men shouting from three quarters together. They would have +fought if they had seen us; for as soon as we came near enough to +be seen, some arrows were shot, and poor old Friday was wounded, +though not dangerously. But our men gave them no time, but running +up to them, fired among them three ways, and then fell in with the +butt-ends of their muskets, their swords, armed staves, and +hatchets, and laid about them so well that, in a word, they set up +a dismal screaming and howling, flying to save their lives which +way soever they could. + +Our men were tired with the execution, and killed or mortally +wounded in the two fights about one hundred and eighty of them; the +rest, being frightened out of their wits, scoured through the woods +and over the hills, with all the speed that fear and nimble feet +could help them to; and as we did not trouble ourselves much to +pursue them, they got all together to the seaside, where they +landed, and where their canoes lay. But their disaster was not at +an end yet; for it blew a terrible storm of wind that evening from +the sea, so that it was impossible for them to go off; nay, the +storm continuing all night, when the tide came up their canoes were +most of them driven by the surge of the sea so high upon the shore +that it required infinite toil to get them off; and some of them +were even dashed to pieces against the beach. Our men, though glad +of their victory, yet got little rest that night; but having +refreshed themselves as well as they could, they resolved to march +to that part of the island where the savages were fled, and see +what posture they were in. This necessarily led them over the +place where the fight had been, and where they found several of the +poor creatures not quite dead, and yet past recovering life; a +sight disagreeable enough to generous minds, for a truly great man +though obliged by the law of battle to destroy his enemy, takes no +delight in his misery. However, there was no need to give any +orders in this case; for their own savages, who were their +servants, despatched these poor creatures with their hatchets. + +At length they came in view of the place where the more miserable +remains of the savages' army lay, where there appeared about a +hundred still; their posture was generally sitting upon the ground, +with their knees up towards their mouth, and the head put between +the two hands, leaning down upon the knees. When our men came +within two musket-shots of them, the Spaniard governor ordered two +muskets to be fired without ball, to alarm them; this he did, that +by their countenance he might know what to expect, whether they +were still in heart to fight, or were so heartily beaten as to be +discouraged, and so he might manage accordingly. This stratagem +took: for as soon as the savages heard the first gun, and saw the +flash of the second, they started up upon their feet in the +greatest consternation imaginable; and as our men advanced swiftly +towards them, they all ran screaming and yelling away, with a kind +of howling noise, which our men did not understand, and had never +heard before; and thus they ran up the hills into the country. + +At first our men had much rather the weather had been calm, and +they had all gone away to sea: but they did not then consider that +this might probably have been the occasion of their coming again in +such multitudes as not to be resisted, or, at least, to come so +many and so often as would quite desolate the island, and starve +them. Will Atkins, therefore, who notwithstanding his wound kept +always with them, proved the best counsellor in this case: his +advice was, to take the advantage that offered, and step in between +them and their boats, and so deprive them of the capacity of ever +returning any more to plague the island. They consulted long about +this; and some were against it for fear of making the wretches fly +to the woods and live there desperate, and so they should have them +to hunt like wild beasts, be afraid to stir out about their +business, and have their plantations continually rifled, all their +tame goats destroyed, and, in short, be reduced to a life of +continual distress. + +Will Atkins told them they had better have to do with a hundred men +than with a hundred nations; that, as they must destroy their +boats, so they must destroy the men, or be all of them destroyed +themselves. In a word, he showed them the necessity of it so +plainly that they all came into it; so they went to work +immediately with the boats, and getting some dry wood together from +a dead tree, they tried to set some of them on fire, but they were +so wet that they would not burn; however, the fire so burned the +upper part that it soon made them unfit for use at sea. + +When the Indians saw what they were about, some of them came +running out of the woods, and coming as near as they could to our +men, kneeled down and cried, "Oa, Oa, Waramokoa," and some other +words of their language, which none of the others understood +anything of; but as they made pitiful gestures and strange noises, +it was easy to understand they begged to have their boats spared, +and that they would be gone, and never come there again. But our +men were now satisfied that they had no way to preserve themselves, +or to save their colony, but effectually to prevent any of these +people from ever going home again; depending upon this, that if +even so much as one of them got back into their country to tell the +story, the colony was undone; so that, letting them know that they +should not have any mercy, they fell to work with their canoes, and +destroyed every one that the storm had not destroyed before; at the +sight of which, the savages raised a hideous cry in the woods, +which our people heard plain enough, after which they ran about the +island like distracted men, so that, in a word, our men did not +really know what at first to do with them. Nor did the Spaniards, +with all their prudence, consider that while they made those people +thus desperate, they ought to have kept a good guard at the same +time upon their plantations; for though it is true they had driven +away their cattle, and the Indians did not find out their main +retreat, I mean my old castle at the hill, nor the cave in the +valley, yet they found out my plantation at the bower, and pulled +it all to pieces, and all the fences and planting about it; trod +all the corn under foot, tore up the vines and grapes, being just +then almost ripe, and did our men inestimable damage, though to +themselves not one farthing's worth of service. + +Though our men were able to fight them upon all occasions, yet they +were in no condition to pursue them, or hunt them up and down; for +as they were too nimble of foot for our people when they found them +single, so our men durst not go abroad single, for fear of being +surrounded with their numbers. The best was they had no weapons; +for though they had bows, they had no arrows left, nor any +materials to make any; nor had they any edge-tool among them. The +extremity and distress they were reduced to was great, and indeed +deplorable; but, at the same time, our men were also brought to +very bad circumstances by them, for though their retreats were +preserved, yet their provision was destroyed, and their harvest +spoiled, and what to do, or which way to turn themselves, they knew +not. The only refuge they had now was the stock of cattle they had +in the valley by the cave, and some little corn which grew there, +and the plantation of the three Englishmen. Will Atkins and his +comrades were now reduced to two; one of them being killed by an +arrow, which struck him on the side of his head, just under the +temple, so that he never spoke more; and it was very remarkable +that this was the same barbarous fellow that cut the poor savage +slave with his hatchet, and who afterwards intended to have +murdered the Spaniards. + +I looked upon their case to have been worse at this time than mine +was at any time, after I first discovered the grains of barley and +rice, and got into the manner of planting and raising my corn, and +my tame cattle; for now they had, as I may say, a hundred wolves +upon the island, which would devour everything they could come at, +yet could be hardly come at themselves. + +When they saw what their circumstances were, the first thing they +concluded was, that they would, if possible, drive the savages up +to the farther part of the island, south-west, that if any more +came on shore they might not find one another; then, that they +would daily hunt and harass them, and kill as many of them as they +could come at, till they had reduced their number; and if they +could at last tame them, and bring them to anything, they would +give them corn, and teach them how to plant, and live upon their +daily labour. In order to do this, they so followed them, and so +terrified them with their guns, that in a few days, if any of them +fired a gun at an Indian, if he did not hit him, yet he would fall +down for fear. So dreadfully frightened were they that they kept +out of sight farther and farther; till at last our men followed +them, and almost every day killing or wounding some of them, they +kept up in the woods or hollow places so much, that it reduced them +to the utmost misery for want of food; and many were afterwards +found dead in the woods, without any hurt, absolutely starved to +death. + +When our men found this, it made their hearts relent, and pity +moved them, especially the generous-minded Spaniard governor; and +he proposed, if possible, to take one of them alive and bring him +to understand what they meant, so far as to be able to act as +interpreter, and go among them and see if they might be brought to +some conditions that might be depended upon, to save their lives +and do us no harm. + +It was some while before any of them could be taken; but being weak +and half-starved, one of them was at last surprised and made a +prisoner. He was sullen at first, and would neither eat nor drink; +but finding himself kindly used, and victuals given to him, and no +violence offered him, he at last grew tractable, and came to +himself. They often brought old Friday to talk to him, who always +told him how kind the others would be to them all; that they would +not only save their lives, but give them part of the island to live +in, provided they would give satisfaction that they would keep in +their own bounds, and not come beyond it to injure or prejudice +others; and that they should have corn given them to plant and make +it grow for their bread, and some bread given them for their +present subsistence; and old Friday bade the fellow go and talk +with the rest of his countrymen, and see what they said to it; +assuring them that, if they did not agree immediately, they should +be all destroyed. + +The poor wretches, thoroughly humbled, and reduced in number to +about thirty-seven, closed with the proposal at the first offer, +and begged to have some food given them; upon which twelve +Spaniards and two Englishmen, well armed, with three Indian slaves +and old Friday, marched to the place where they were. The three +Indian slaves carried them a large quantity of bread, some rice +boiled up to cakes and dried in the sun, and three live goats; and +they were ordered to go to the side of a hill, where they sat down, +ate their provisions very thankfully, and were the most faithful +fellows to their words that could be thought of; for, except when +they came to beg victuals and directions, they never came out of +their bounds; and there they lived when I came to the island and I +went to see them. They had taught them both to plant corn, make +bread, breed tame goats, and milk them: they wanted nothing but +wives in order for them soon to become a nation. They were +confined to a neck of land, surrounded with high rocks behind them, +and lying plain towards the sea before them, on the south-east +corner of the island. They had land enough, and it was very good +and fruitful; about a mile and a half broad, and three or four +miles in length. Our men taught them to make wooden spades, such +as I made for myself, and gave among them twelve hatchets and three +or four knives; and there they lived, the most subjected, innocent +creatures that ever were heard of. + +After this the colony enjoyed a perfect tranquillity with respect +to the savages, till I came to revisit them, which was about two +years after; not but that, now and then, some canoes of savages +came on shore for their triumphal, unnatural feasts; but as they +were of several nations, and perhaps had never heard of those that +came before, or the reason of it, they did not make any search or +inquiry after their countrymen; and if they had, it would have been +very hard to have found them out. + +Thus, I think, I have given a full account of all that happened to +them till my return, at least that was worth notice. The Indians +were wonderfully civilised by them, and they frequently went among +them; but they forbid, on pain of death, any one of the Indians +coming to them, because they would not have their settlement +betrayed again. One thing was very remarkable, viz. that they +taught the savages to make wicker-work, or baskets, but they soon +outdid their masters: for they made abundance of ingenious things +in wicker-work, particularly baskets, sieves, bird-cages, +cupboards, &c.; as also chairs, stools, beds, couches, being very +ingenious at such work when they were once put in the way of it. + +My coming was a particular relief to these people, because we +furnished them with knives, scissors, spades, shovels, pick-axes, +and all things of that kind which they could want. With the help +of those tools they were so very handy that they came at last to +build up their huts or houses very handsomely, raddling or working +it up like basket-work all the way round. This piece of ingenuity, +although it looked very odd, was an exceeding good fence, as well +against heat as against all sorts of vermin; and our men were so +taken with it that they got the Indians to come and do the like for +them; so that when I came to see the two Englishmen's colonies, +they looked at a distance as if they all lived like bees in a hive. + +As for Will Atkins, who was now become a very industrious, useful, +and sober fellow, he had made himself such a tent of basket-work as +I believe was never seen; it was one hundred and twenty paces round +on the outside, as I measured by my steps; the walls were as close +worked as a basket, in panels or squares of thirty-two in number, +and very strong, standing about seven feet high; in the middle was +another not above twenty-two paces round, but built stronger, being +octagon in its form, and in the eight corners stood eight very +strong posts; round the top of which he laid strong pieces, knit +together with wooden pins, from which he raised a pyramid for a +handsome roof of eight rafters, joined together very well, though +he had no nails, and only a few iron spikes, which he made himself, +too, out of the old iron that I had left there. Indeed, this +fellow showed abundance of ingenuity in several things which he had +no knowledge of: he made him a forge, with a pair of wooden +bellows to blow the fire; he made himself charcoal for his work; +and he formed out of the iron crows a middling good anvil to hammer +upon: in this manner he made many things, but especially hooks, +staples, and spikes, bolts and hinges. But to return to the house: +after he had pitched the roof of his innermost tent, he worked it +up between the rafters with basket-work, so firm, and thatched that +over again so ingeniously with rice-straw, and over that a large +leaf of a tree, which covered the top, that his house was as dry as +if it had been tiled or slated. He owned, indeed, that the savages +had made the basket-work for him. The outer circuit was covered as +a lean-to all round this inner apartment, and long rafters lay from +the thirty-two angles to the top posts of the inner house, being +about twenty feet distant, so that there was a space like a walk +within the outer wicker-wall, and without the inner, near twenty +feet wide. + +The inner place he partitioned off with the same wickerwork, but +much fairer, and divided into six apartments, so that he had six +rooms on a floor, and out of every one of these there was a door: +first into the entry, or coming into the main tent, another door +into the main tent, and another door into the space or walk that +was round it; so that walk was also divided into six equal parts, +which served not only for a retreat, but to store up any +necessaries which the family had occasion for. These six spaces +not taking up the whole circumference, what other apartments the +outer circle had were thus ordered: As soon as you were in at the +door of the outer circle you had a short passage straight before +you to the door of the inner house; but on either side was a wicker +partition and a door in it, by which you went first into a large +room or storehouse, twenty feet wide and about thirty feet long, +and through that into another not quite so long; so that in the +outer circle were ten handsome rooms, six of which were only to be +come at through the apartments of the inner tent, and served as +closets or retiring rooms to the respective chambers of the inner +circle; and four large warehouses, or barns, or what you please to +call them, which went through one another, two on either hand of +the passage, that led through the outer door to the inner tent. +Such a piece of basket-work, I believe, was never seen in the +world, nor a house or tent so neatly contrived, much less so built. +In this great bee-hive lived the three families, that is to say, +Will Atkins and his companion; the third was killed, but his wife +remained with three children, and the other two were not at all +backward to give the widow her full share of everything, I mean as +to their corn, milk, grapes, &c., and when they killed a kid, or +found a turtle on the shore; so that they all lived well enough; +though it was true they were not so industrious as the other two, +as has been observed already. + +One thing, however, cannot be omitted, viz. that as for religion, I +do not know that there was anything of that kind among them; they +often, indeed, put one another in mind that there was a God, by the +very common method of seamen, swearing by His name: nor were their +poor ignorant savage wives much better for having been married to +Christians, as we must call them; for as they knew very little of +God themselves, so they were utterly incapable of entering into any +discourse with their wives about a God, or to talk anything to them +concerning religion. + +The utmost of all the improvement which I can say the wives had +made from them was, that they had taught them to speak English +pretty well; and most of their children, who were near twenty in +all, were taught to speak English too, from their first learning to +speak, though they at first spoke it in a very broken manner, like +their mothers. None of these children were above six years old +when I came thither, for it was not much above seven years since +they had fetched these five savage ladies over; they had all +children, more or less: the mothers were all a good sort of well- +governed, quiet, laborious women, modest and decent, helpful to one +another, mighty observant, and subject to their masters (I cannot +call them husbands), and lacked nothing but to be well instructed +in the Christian religion, and to be legally married; both of which +were happily brought about afterwards by my means, or at least in +consequence of my coming among them. + + + +CHAPTER VI--THE FRENCH CLERGYMAN'S COUNSEL + + + +Having thus given an account of the colony in general, and pretty +much of my runagate Englishmen, I must say something of the +Spaniards, who were the main body of the family, and in whose story +there are some incidents also remarkable enough. + +I had a great many discourses with them about their circumstances +when they were among the savages. They told me readily that they +had no instances to give of their application or ingenuity in that +country; that they were a poor, miserable, dejected handful of +people; that even if means had been put into their hands, yet they +had so abandoned themselves to despair, and were so sunk under the +weight of their misfortune, that they thought of nothing but +starving. One of them, a grave and sensible man, told me he was +convinced they were in the wrong; that it was not the part of wise +men to give themselves up to their misery, but always to take hold +of the helps which reason offered, as well for present support as +for future deliverance: he told me that grief was the most +senseless, insignificant passion in the world, for that it regarded +only things past, which were generally impossible to be recalled or +to be remedied, but had no views of things to come, and had no +share in anything that looked like deliverance, but rather added to +the affliction than proposed a remedy; and upon this he repeated a +Spanish proverb, which, though I cannot repeat in the same words +that he spoke it in, yet I remember I made it into an English +proverb of my own, thus:- + + +"In trouble to be troubled, +Is to have your trouble doubled." + + +He then ran on in remarks upon all the little improvements I had +made in my solitude: my unwearied application, as he called it; +and how I had made a condition, which in its circumstances was at +first much worse than theirs, a thousand times more happy than +theirs was, even now when they were all together. He told me it +was remarkable that Englishmen had a greater presence of mind in +their distress than any people that ever he met with; that their +unhappy nation and the Portuguese were the worst men in the world +to struggle with misfortunes; for that their first step in dangers, +after the common efforts were over, was to despair, lie down under +it, and die, without rousing their thoughts up to proper remedies +for escape. + +I told him their case and mine differed exceedingly; that they were +cast upon the shore without necessaries, without supply of food, or +present sustenance till they could provide for it; that, it was +true, I had this further disadvantage and discomfort, that I was +alone; but then the supplies I had providentially thrown into my +hands, by the unexpected driving of the ship on the shore, was such +a help as would have encouraged any creature in the world to have +applied himself as I had done. "Seignior," says the Spaniard, "had +we poor Spaniards been in your case, we should never have got half +those things out of the ship, as you did: nay," says he, "we +should never have found means to have got a raft to carry them, or +to have got the raft on shore without boat or sail: and how much +less should we have done if any of us had been alone!" Well, I +desired him to abate his compliments, and go on with the history of +their coming on shore, where they landed. He told me they +unhappily landed at a place where there were people without +provisions; whereas, had they had the common sense to put off to +sea again, and gone to another island a little further, they had +found provisions, though without people: there being an island +that way, as they had been told, where there were provisions, +though no people--that is to say, that the Spaniards of Trinidad +had frequently been there, and had filled the island with goats and +hogs at several times, where they had bred in such multitudes, and +where turtle and sea-fowls were in such plenty, that they could +have been in no want of flesh, though they had found no bread; +whereas, here they were only sustained with a few roots and herbs, +which they understood not, and which had no substance in them, and +which the inhabitants gave them sparingly enough; and they could +treat them no better, unless they would turn cannibals and eat +men's flesh. + +They gave me an account how many ways they strove to civilise the +savages they were with, and to teach them rational customs in the +ordinary way of living, but in vain; and how they retorted upon +them as unjust that they who came there for assistance and support +should attempt to set up for instructors to those that gave them +food; intimating, it seems, that none should set up for the +instructors of others but those who could live without them. They +gave me dismal accounts of the extremities they were driven to; how +sometimes they were many days without any food at all, the island +they were upon being inhabited by a sort of savages that lived more +indolent, and for that reason were less supplied with the +necessaries of life, than they had reason to believe others were in +the same part of the world; and yet they found that these savages +were less ravenous and voracious than those who had better supplies +of food. Also, they added, they could not but see with what +demonstrations of wisdom and goodness the governing providence of +God directs the events of things in this world, which, they said, +appeared in their circumstances: for if, pressed by the hardships +they were under, and the barrenness of the country where they were, +they had searched after a better to live in, they had then been out +of the way of the relief that happened to them by my means. + +They then gave me an account how the savages whom they lived +amongst expected them to go out with them into their wars; and, it +was true, that as they had firearms with them, had they not had the +disaster to lose their ammunition, they could have been serviceable +not only to their friends, but have made themselves terrible both +to friends and enemies; but being without powder and shot, and yet +in a condition that they could not in reason decline to go out with +their landlords to their wars; so when they came into the field of +battle they were in a worse condition than the savages themselves, +for they had neither bows nor arrows, nor could they use those the +savages gave them. So they could do nothing but stand still and be +wounded with arrows, till they came up to the teeth of the enemy; +and then, indeed, the three halberds they had were of use to them; +and they would often drive a whole little army before them with +those halberds, and sharpened sticks put into the muzzles of their +muskets. But for all this they were sometimes surrounded with +multitudes, and in great danger from their arrows, till at last +they found the way to make themselves large targets of wood, which +they covered with skins of wild beasts, whose names they knew not, +and these covered them from the arrows of the savages: that, +notwithstanding these, they were sometimes in great danger; and +five of them were once knocked down together with the clubs of the +savages, which was the time when one of them was taken prisoner-- +that is to say, the Spaniard whom I relieved. At first they +thought he had been killed; but when they afterwards heard he was +taken prisoner, they were under the greatest grief imaginable, and +would willingly have all ventured their lives to have rescued him. + +They told me that when they were so knocked down, the rest of their +company rescued them, and stood over them fighting till they were +come to themselves, all but him whom they thought had been dead; +and then they made their way with their halberds and pieces, +standing close together in a line, through a body of above a +thousand savages, beating down all that came in their way, got the +victory over their enemies, but to their great sorrow, because it +was with the loss of their friend, whom the other party finding +alive, carried off with some others, as I gave an account before. +They described, most affectionately, how they were surprised with +joy at the return of their friend and companion in misery, who they +thought had been devoured by wild beasts of the worst kind--wild +men; and yet, how more and more they were surprised with the +account he gave them of his errand, and that there was a Christian +in any place near, much more one that was able, and had humanity +enough, to contribute to their deliverance. + +They described how they were astonished at the sight of the relief +I sent them, and at the appearance of loaves of bread--things they +had not seen since their coming to that miserable place; how often +they crossed it and blessed it as bread sent from heaven; and what +a reviving cordial it was to their spirits to taste it, as also the +other things I had sent for their supply; and, after all, they +would have told me something of the joy they were in at the sight +of a boat and pilots, to carry them away to the person and place +from whence all these new comforts came. But it was impossible to +express it by words, for their excessive joy naturally driving them +to unbecoming extravagances, they had no way to describe them but +by telling me they bordered upon lunacy, having no way to give vent +to their passions suitable to the sense that was upon them; that in +some it worked one way and in some another; and that some of them, +through a surprise of joy, would burst into tears, others be stark +mad, and others immediately faint. This discourse extremely +affected me, and called to my mind Friday's ecstasy when he met his +father, and the poor people's ecstasy when I took them up at sea +after their ship was on fire; the joy of the mate of the ship when +he found himself delivered in the place where he expected to +perish; and my own joy, when, after twenty-eight years' captivity, +I found a good ship ready to carry me to my own country. All these +things made me more sensible of the relation of these poor men, and +more affected with it. + +Having thus given a view of the state of things as I found them, I +must relate the heads of what I did for these people, and the +condition in which I left them. It was their opinion, and mine +too, that they would be troubled no more with the savages, or if +they were, they would be able to cut them off, if they were twice +as many as before; so they had no concern about that. Then I +entered into a serious discourse with the Spaniard, whom I call +governor, about their stay in the island; for as I was not come to +carry any of them off, so it would not be just to carry off some +and leave others, who, perhaps, would be unwilling to stay if their +strength was diminished. On the other hand, I told them I came to +establish them there, not to remove them; and then I let them know +that I had brought with me relief of sundry kinds for them; that I +had been at a great charge to supply them with all things +necessary, as well for their convenience as their defence; and that +I had such and such particular persons with me, as well to increase +and recruit their number, as by the particular necessary +employments which they were bred to, being artificers, to assist +them in those things in which at present they were in want. + +They were all together when I talked thus to them; and before I +delivered to them the stores I had brought, I asked them, one by +one, if they had entirely forgot and buried the first animosities +that had been among them, and would shake hands with one another, +and engage in a strict friendship and union of interest, that so +there might be no more misunderstandings and jealousies. + +Will Atkins, with abundance of frankness and good humour, said they +had met with affliction enough to make them all sober, and enemies +enough to make them all friends; that, for his part, he would live +and die with them, and was so far from designing anything against +the Spaniards, that he owned they had done nothing to him but what +his own mad humour made necessary, and what he would have done, and +perhaps worse, in their case; and that he would ask them pardon, if +I desired it, for the foolish and brutish things he had done to +them, and was very willing and desirous of living in terms of +entire friendship and union with them, and would do anything that +lay in his power to convince them of it; and as for going to +England, he cared not if he did not go thither these twenty years. + +The Spaniards said they had, indeed, at first disarmed and excluded +Will Atkins and his two countrymen for their ill conduct, as they +had let me know, and they appealed to me for the necessity they +were under to do so; but that Will Atkins had behaved himself so +bravely in the great fight they had with the savages, and on +several occasions since, and had showed himself so faithful to, and +concerned for, the general interest of them all, that they had +forgotten all that was past, and thought he merited as much to be +trusted with arms and supplied with necessaries as any of them; +that they had testified their satisfaction in him by committing the +command to him next to the governor himself; and as they had entire +confidence in him and all his countrymen, so they acknowledged they +had merited that confidence by all the methods that honest men +could merit to be valued and trusted; and they most heartily +embraced the occasion of giving me this assurance, that they would +never have any interest separate from one another. + +Upon these frank and open declarations of friendship, we appointed +the next day to dine all together; and, indeed, we made a splendid +feast. I caused the ship's cook and his mate to come on shore and +dress our dinner, and the old cook's mate we had on shore assisted. +We brought on shore six pieces of good beef and four pieces of +pork, out of the ship's provisions, with our punch-bowl and +materials to fill it; and in particular I gave them ten bottles of +French claret, and ten bottles of English beer; things that neither +the Spaniards nor the English had tasted for many years, and which +it may be supposed they were very glad of. The Spaniards added to +our feast five whole kids, which the cooks roasted; and three of +them were sent, covered up close, on board the ship to the seamen, +that they might feast on fresh meat from on shore, as we did with +their salt meat from on board. + +After this feast, at which we were very innocently merry, I brought +my cargo of goods; wherein, that there might be no dispute about +dividing, I showed them that there was a sufficiency for them all, +desiring that they might all take an equal quantity, when made up, +of the goods that were for wearing. As, first, I distributed linen +sufficient to make every one of them four shirts, and, at the +Spaniard's request, afterwards made them up six; these were +exceeding comfortable to them, having been what they had long since +forgot the use of, or what it was to wear them. I allotted the +thin English stuffs, which I mentioned before, to make every one a +light coat, like a frock, which I judged fittest for the heat of +the season, cool and loose; and ordered that whenever they decayed, +they should make more, as they thought fit; the like for pumps, +shoes, stockings, hats, &c. I cannot express what pleasure sat +upon the countenances of all these poor men when they saw the care +I had taken of them, and how well I had furnished them. They told +me I was a father to them; and that having such a correspondent as +I was in so remote a part of the world, it would make them forget +that they were left in a desolate place; and they all voluntarily +engaged to me not to leave the place without my consent. + +Then I presented to them the people I had brought with me, +particularly the tailor, the smith, and the two carpenters, all of +them most necessary people; but, above all, my general artificer, +than whom they could not name anything that was more useful to +them; and the tailor, to show his concern for them, went to work +immediately, and, with my leave, made them every one a shirt, the +first thing he did; and, what was still more, he taught the women +not only how to sew and stitch, and use the needle, but made them +assist to make the shirts for their husbands, and for all the rest. +As to the carpenters, I scarce need mention how useful they were; +for they took to pieces all my clumsy, unhandy things, and made +clever convenient tables, stools, bedsteads, cupboards, lockers, +shelves, and everything they wanted of that kind. But to let them +see how nature made artificers at first, I carried the carpenters +to see Will Atkins' basket-house, as I called it; and they both +owned they never saw an instance of such natural ingenuity before, +nor anything so regular and so handily built, at least of its kind; +and one of them, when he saw it, after musing a good while, turning +about to me, "I am sure," says he, "that man has no need of us; you +need do nothing but give him tools." + +Then I brought them out all my store of tools, and gave every man a +digging-spade, a shovel, and a rake, for we had no barrows or +ploughs; and to every separate place a pickaxe, a crow, a broad +axe, and a saw; always appointing, that as often as any were broken +or worn out, they should be supplied without grudging out of the +general stores that I left behind. Nails, staples, hinges, +hammers, chisels, knives, scissors, and all sorts of ironwork, they +had without reserve, as they required; for no man would take more +than he wanted, and he must be a fool that would waste or spoil +them on any account whatever; and for the use of the smith I left +two tons of unwrought iron for a supply. + +My magazine of powder and arms which I brought them was such, even +to profusion, that they could not but rejoice at them; for now they +could march as I used to do, with a musket upon each shoulder, if +there was occasion; and were able to fight a thousand savages, if +they had but some little advantages of situation, which also they +could not miss, if they had occasion. + +I carried on shore with me the young man whose mother was starved +to death, and the maid also; she was a sober, well-educated, +religious young woman, and behaved so inoffensively that every one +gave her a good word; she had, indeed, an unhappy life with us, +there being no woman in the ship but herself, but she bore it with +patience. After a while, seeing things so well ordered, and in so +fine a way of thriving upon my island, and considering that they +had neither business nor acquaintance in the East Indies, or reason +for taking so long a voyage, both of them came to me and desired I +would give them leave to remain on the island, and be entered among +my family, as they called it. I agreed to this readily; and they +had a little plot of ground allotted to them, where they had three +tents or houses set up, surrounded with a basket-work, palisadoed +like Atkins's, adjoining to his plantation. Their tents were +contrived so that they had each of them a room apart to lodge in, +and a middle tent like a great storehouse to lay their goods in, +and to eat and to drink in. And now the other two Englishmen +removed their habitation to the same place; and so the island was +divided into three colonies, and no more--viz. the Spaniards, with +old Friday and the first servants, at my habitation under the hill, +which was, in a word, the capital city, and where they had so +enlarged and extended their works, as well under as on the outside +of the hill, that they lived, though perfectly concealed, yet full +at large. Never was there such a little city in a wood, and so +hid, in any part of the world; for I verify believe that a thousand +men might have ranged the island a month, and, if they had not +known there was such a thing, and looked on purpose for it, they +would not have found it. Indeed the trees stood so thick and so +close, and grew so fast woven one into another, that nothing but +cutting them down first could discover the place, except the only +two narrow entrances where they went in and out could be found, +which was not very easy; one of them was close down at the water's +edge, on the side of the creek, and it was afterwards above two +hundred yards to the place; and the other was up a ladder at twice, +as I have already described it; and they had also a large wood, +thickly planted, on the top of the hill, containing above an acre, +which grew apace, and concealed the place from all discovery there, +with only one narrow place between two trees, not easily to be +discovered, to enter on that side. + +The other colony was that of Will Atkins, where there were four +families of Englishmen, I mean those I had left there, with their +wives and children; three savages that were slaves, the widow and +children of the Englishman that was killed, the young man and the +maid, and, by the way, we made a wife of her before we went away. +There were besides the two carpenters and the tailor, whom I +brought with me for them: also the smith, who was a very necessary +man to them, especially as a gunsmith, to take care of their arms; +and my other man, whom I called Jack-of-all-trades, who was in +himself as good almost as twenty men; for he was not only a very +ingenious fellow, but a very merry fellow, and before I went away +we married him to the honest maid that came with the youth in the +ship I mentioned before. + +And now I speak of marrying, it brings me naturally to say +something of the French ecclesiastic that I had brought with me out +of the ship's crew whom I took up at sea. It is true this man was +a Roman, and perhaps it may give offence to some hereafter if I +leave anything extraordinary upon record of a man whom, before I +begin, I must (to set him out in just colours) represent in terms +very much to his disadvantage, in the account of Protestants; as, +first, that he was a Papist; secondly, a Popish priest; and +thirdly, a French Popish priest. But justice demands of me to give +him a due character; and I must say, he was a grave, sober, pious, +and most religious person; exact in his life, extensive in his +charity, and exemplary in almost everything he did. What then can +any one say against being very sensible of the value of such a man, +notwithstanding his profession? though it may be my opinion +perhaps, as well as the opinion of others who shall read this, that +he was mistaken. + +The first hour that I began to converse with him after he had +agreed to go with me to the East Indies, I found reason to delight +exceedingly in his conversation; and he first began with me about +religion in the most obliging manner imaginable. "Sir," says he, +"you have not only under God" (and at that he crossed his breast) +"saved my life, but you have admitted me to go this voyage in your +ship, and by your obliging civility have taken me into your family, +giving me an opportunity of free conversation. Now, sir, you see +by my habit what my profession is, and I guess by your nation what +yours is; I may think it is my duty, and doubtless it is so, to use +my utmost endeavours, on all occasions, to bring all the souls I +can to the knowledge of the truth, and to embrace the Catholic +doctrine; but as I am here under your permission, and in your +family, I am bound, in justice to your kindness as well as in +decency and good manners, to be under your government; and +therefore I shall not, without your leave, enter into any debate on +the points of religion in which we may not agree, further than you +shall give me leave." + +I told him his carriage was so modest that I could not but +acknowledge it; that it was true we were such people as they call +heretics, but that he was not the first Catholic I had conversed +with without falling into inconveniences, or carrying the questions +to any height in debate; that he should not find himself the worse +used for being of a different opinion from us, and if we did not +converse without any dislike on either side, it should be his +fault, not ours. + +He replied that he thought all our conversation might be easily +separated from disputes; that it was not his business to cap +principles with every man he conversed with; and that he rather +desired me to converse with him as a gentleman than as a +religionist; and that, if I would give him leave at any time to +discourse upon religious subjects, he would readily comply with it, +and that he did not doubt but I would allow him also to defend his +own opinions as well as he could; but that without my leave he +would not break in upon me with any such thing. He told me +further, that he would not cease to do all that became him, in his +office as a priest, as well as a private Christian, to procure the +good of the ship, and the safety of all that was in her; and +though, perhaps, we would not join with him, and he could not pray +with us, he hoped he might pray for us, which he would do upon all +occasions. In this manner we conversed; and as he was of the most +obliging, gentlemanlike behaviour, so he was, if I may be allowed +to say so, a man of good sense, and, as I believe, of great +learning. + +He gave me a most diverting account of his life, and of the many +extraordinary events of it; of many adventures which had befallen +him in the few years that he had been abroad in the world; and +particularly, it was very remarkable, that in the voyage he was now +engaged in he had had the misfortune to be five times shipped and +unshipped, and never to go to the place whither any of the ships he +was in were at first designed. That his first intent was to have +gone to Martinico, and that he went on board a ship bound thither +at St. Malo; but being forced into Lisbon by bad weather, the ship +received some damage by running aground in the mouth of the river +Tagus, and was obliged to unload her cargo there; but finding a +Portuguese ship there bound for the Madeiras, and ready to sail, +and supposing he should meet with a ship there bound to Martinico, +he went on board, in order to sail to the Madeiras; but the master +of the Portuguese ship being but an indifferent mariner, had been +out of his reckoning, and they drove to Fayal; where, however, he +happened to find a very good market for his cargo, which was corn, +and therefore resolved not to go to the Madeiras, but to load salt +at the Isle of May, and to go away to Newfoundland. He had no +remedy in this exigence but to go with the ship, and had a pretty +good voyage as far as the Banks (so they call the place where they +catch the fish), where, meeting with a French ship bound from +France to Quebec, and from thence to Martinico, to carry +provisions, he thought he should have an opportunity to complete +his first design, but when he came to Quebec, the master of the +ship died, and the vessel proceeded no further; so the next voyage +he shipped himself for France, in the ship that was burned when we +took them up at sea, and then shipped with us for the East Indies, +as I have already said. Thus he had been disappointed in five +voyages; all, as I may call it, in one voyage, besides what I shall +have occasion to mention further of him. + +But I shall not make digression into other men's stories which have +no relation to my own; so I return to what concerns our affair in +the island. He came to me one morning (for he lodged among us all +the while we were upon the island), and it happened to be just when +I was going to visit the Englishmen's colony, at the furthest part +of the island; I say, he came to me, and told me, with a very grave +countenance, that he had for two or three days desired an +opportunity of some discourse with me, which he hoped would not be +displeasing to me, because he thought it might in some measure +correspond with my general design, which was the prosperity of my +new colony, and perhaps might put it, at least more than he yet +thought it was, in the way of God's blessing. + +I looked a little surprised at the last of his discourse, and +turning a little short, "How, sir," said I, "can it be said that we +are not in the way of God's blessing, after such visible +assistances and deliverances as we have seen here, and of which I +have given you a large account?" "If you had pleased, sir," said +he, with a world of modesty, and yet great readiness, "to have +heard me, you would have found no room to have been displeased, +much less to think so hard of me, that I should suggest that you +have not had wonderful assistances and deliverances; and I hope, on +your behalf, that you are in the way of God's blessing, and your +design is exceeding good, and will prosper. But, sir, though it +were more so than is even possible to you, yet there may be some +among you that are not equally right in their actions: and you +know that in the story of the children of Israel, one Achan in the +camp removed God's blessing from them, and turned His hand so +against them, that six-and-thirty of them, though not concerned in +the crime, were the objects of divine vengeance, and bore the +weight of that punishment." + +I was sensibly touched with this discourse, and told him his +inference was so just, and the whole design seemed so sincere, and +was really so religious in its own nature, that I was very sorry I +had interrupted him, and begged him to go on; and, in the meantime, +because it seemed that what we had both to say might take up some +time, I told him I was going to the Englishmen's plantations, and +asked him to go with me, and we might discourse of it by the way. +He told me he would the more willingly wait on me thither, because +there partly the thing was acted which he desired to speak to me +about; so we walked on, and I pressed him to be free and plain with +me in what he had to say. + +"Why, then, sir," said he, "be pleased to give me leave to lay down +a few propositions, as the foundation of what I have to say, that +we may not differ in the general principles, though we may be of +some differing opinions in the practice of particulars. First, +sir, though we differ in some of the doctrinal articles of religion +(and it is very unhappy it is so, especially in the case before us, +as I shall show afterwards), yet there are some general principles +in which we both agree--that there is a God; and that this God +having given us some stated general rules for our service and +obedience, we ought not willingly and knowingly to offend Him, +either by neglecting to do what He has commanded, or by doing what +He has expressly forbidden. And let our different religions be +what they will, this general principle is readily owned by us all, +that the blessing of God does not ordinarily follow presumptuous +sinning against His command; and every good Christian will be +affectionately concerned to prevent any that are under his care +living in a total neglect of God and His commands. It is not your +men being Protestants, whatever my opinion may be of such, that +discharges me from being concerned for their souls, and from +endeavouring, if it lies before me, that they should live in as +little distance from enmity with their Maker as possible, +especially if you give me leave to meddle so far in your circuit." + +I could not yet imagine what he aimed at, and told him I granted +all he had said, and thanked him that he would so far concern +himself for us: and begged he would explain the particulars of +what he had observed, that like Joshua, to take his own parable, I +might put away the accursed thing from us. + +"Why, then, sir," says he, "I will take the liberty you give me; +and there are three things, which, if I am right, must stand in the +way of God's blessing upon your endeavours here, and which I should +rejoice, for your sake and their own, to see removed. And, sir, I +promise myself that you will fully agree with me in them all, as +soon as I name them; especially because I shall convince you, that +every one of them may, with great ease, and very much to your +satisfaction, be remedied. First, sir," says he, "you have here +four Englishmen, who have fetched women from among the savages, and +have taken them as their wives, and have had many children by them +all, and yet are not married to them after any stated legal manner, +as the laws of God and man require. To this, sir, I know, you will +object that there was no clergyman or priest of any kind to perform +the ceremony; nor any pen and ink, or paper, to write down a +contract of marriage, and have it signed between them. And I know +also, sir, what the Spaniard governor has told you, I mean of the +agreement that he obliged them to make when they took those women, +viz. that they should choose them out by consent, and keep +separately to them; which, by the way, is nothing of a marriage, no +agreement with the women as wives, but only an agreement among +themselves, to keep them from quarrelling. But, sir, the essence +of the sacrament of matrimony" (so he called it, being a Roman) +"consists not only in the mutual consent of the parties to take one +another as man and wife, but in the formal and legal obligation +that there is in the contract to compel the man and woman, at all +times, to own and acknowledge each other; obliging the man to +abstain from all other women, to engage in no other contract while +these subsist; and, on all occasions, as ability allows, to provide +honestly for them and their children; and to oblige the women to +the same or like conditions, on their side. Now, sir," says he, +"these men may, when they please, or when occasion presents, +abandon these women, disown their children, leave them to perish, +and take other women, and marry them while these are living;" and +here he added, with some warmth, "How, sir, is God honoured in this +unlawful liberty? And how shall a blessing succeed your endeavours +in this place, however good in themselves, and however sincere in +your design, while these men, who at present are your subjects, +under your absolute government and dominion, are allowed by you to +live in open adultery?" + +I confess I was struck with the thing itself, but much more with +the convincing arguments he supported it with; but I thought to +have got off my young priest by telling him that all that part was +done when I was not there: and that they had lived so many years +with them now, that if it was adultery, it was past remedy; nothing +could be done in it now. + +"Sir," says he, "asking your pardon for such freedom, you are right +in this, that, it being done in your absence, you could not be +charged with that part of the crime; but, I beseech you, flatter +not yourself that you are not, therefore, under an obligation to do +your utmost now to put an end to it. You should legally and +effectually marry them; and as, sir, my way of marrying may not be +easy to reconcile them to, though it will be effectual, even by +your own laws, so your way may be as well before God, and as valid +among men. I mean by a written contract signed by both man and +woman, and by all the witnesses present, which all the laws of +Europe would decree to be valid." + +I was amazed to see so much true piety, and so much sincerity of +zeal, besides the unusual impartiality in his discourse as to his +own party or church, and such true warmth for preserving people +that he had no knowledge of or relation to from transgressing the +laws of God. But recollecting what he had said of marrying them by +a written contract, which I knew he would stand to, I returned it +back upon him, and told him I granted all that he had said to be +just, and on his part very kind; that I would discourse with the +men upon the point now, when I came to them; and I knew no reason +why they should scruple to let him marry them all, which I knew +well enough would be granted to be as authentic and valid in +England as if they were married by one of our own clergymen. + +I then pressed him to tell me what was the second complaint which +he had to make, acknowledging that I was very much his debtor for +the first, and thanking him heartily for it. He told me he would +use the same freedom and plainness in the second, and hoped I would +take it as well; and this was, that notwithstanding these English +subjects of mine, as he called them, had lived with these women +almost seven years, had taught them to speak English, and even to +read it, and that they were, as he perceived, women of tolerable +understanding, and capable of instruction, yet they had not, to +this hour, taught them anything of the Christian religion--no, not +so much as to know there was a God, or a worship, or in what manner +God was to be served, or that their own idolatry, and worshipping +they knew not whom, was false and absurd. This he said was an +unaccountable neglect, and what God would certainly call them to +account for, and perhaps at last take the work out of their hands. +He spoke this very affectionately and warmly. + +"I am persuaded," says he, "had those men lived in the savage +country whence their wives came, the savages would have taken more +pains to have brought them to be idolaters, and to worship the +devil, than any of these men, so far as I can see, have taken with +them to teach the knowledge of the true God. Now, sir," said he, +"though I do not acknowledge your religion, or you mine, yet we +would be glad to see the devil's servants and the subjects of his +kingdom taught to know religion; and that they might, at least, +hear of God and a Redeemer, and the resurrection, and of a future +state--things which we all believe; that they might, at least, be +so much nearer coming into the bosom of the true Church than they +are now in the public profession of idolatry and devil-worship." + +I could hold no longer: I took him in my arms and embraced him +eagerly. "How far," said I to him, "have I been from understanding +the most essential part of a Christian, viz. to love the interest +of the Christian Church, and the good of other men's souls! I +scarce have known what belongs to the being a Christian."--"Oh, +sir! do not say so," replied he; "this thing is not your fault."-- +"No," said I; "but why did I never lay it to heart as well as +you?"--"It is not too late yet," said he; "be not too forward to +condemn yourself."--"But what can be done now?" said I: "you see I +am going away."--"Will you give me leave to talk with these poor +men about it?"--"Yes, with all my heart," said I: "and oblige them +to give heed to what you say too."--"As to that," said he, "we must +leave them to the mercy of Christ; but it is your business to +assist them, encourage them, and instruct them; and if you give me +leave, and God His blessing, I do not doubt but the poor ignorant +souls shall be brought home to the great circle of Christianity, if +not into the particular faith we all embrace, and that even while +you stay here." Upon this I said, "I shall not only give you +leave, but give you a thousand thanks for it." + +I now pressed him for the third article in which we were to blame. +"Why, really," says he, "it is of the same nature. It is about +your poor savages, who are, as I may say, your conquered subjects. +It is a maxim, sir, that is or ought to be received among all +Christians, of what church or pretended church soever, that the +Christian knowledge ought to be propagated by all possible means +and on all possible occasions. It is on this principle that our +Church sends missionaries into Persia, India, and China; and that +our clergy, even of the superior sort, willingly engage in the most +hazardous voyages, and the most dangerous residence amongst +murderers and barbarians, to teach them the knowledge of the true +God, and to bring them over to embrace the Christian faith. Now, +sir, you have such an opportunity here to have six or seven and +thirty poor savages brought over from a state of idolatry to the +knowledge of God, their Maker and Redeemer, that I wonder how you +can pass such an occasion of doing good, which is really worth the +expense of a man's whole life." + +I was now struck dumb indeed, and had not one word to say. I had +here the spirit of true Christian zeal for God and religion before +me. As for me, I had not so much as entertained a thought of this +in my heart before, and I believe I should not have thought of it; +for I looked upon these savages as slaves, and people whom, had we +not had any work for them to do, we would have used as such, or +would have been glad to have transported them to any part of the +world; for our business was to get rid of them, and we would all +have been satisfied if they had been sent to any country, so they +had never seen their own. I was confounded at his discourse, and +knew not what answer to make him. + +He looked earnestly at me, seeing my confusion. "Sir," says he, "I +shall be very sorry if what I have said gives you any offence."-- +"No, no," said I, "I am offended with nobody but myself; but I am +perfectly confounded, not only to think that I should never take +any notice of this before, but with reflecting what notice I am +able to take of it now. You know, sir," said I, "what +circumstances I am in; I am bound to the East Indies in a ship +freighted by merchants, and to whom it would be an insufferable +piece of injustice to detain their ship here, the men lying all +this while at victuals and wages on the owners' account. It is +true, I agreed to be allowed twelve days here, and if I stay more, +I must pay three pounds sterling per diem demurrage; nor can I stay +upon demurrage above eight days more, and I have been here thirteen +already; so that I am perfectly unable to engage in this work +unless I would suffer myself to be left behind here again; in which +case, if this single ship should miscarry in any part of her +voyage, I should be just in the same condition that I was left in +here at first, and from which I have been so wonderfully +delivered." He owned the case was very hard upon me as to my +voyage; but laid it home upon my conscience whether the blessing of +saving thirty-seven souls was not worth venturing all I had in the +world for. I was not so sensible of that as he was. I replied to +him thus: "Why, sir, it is a valuable thing, indeed, to be an +instrument in God's hand to convert thirty-seven heathens to the +knowledge of Christ: but as you are an ecclesiastic, and are given +over to the work, so it seems so naturally to fall in the way of +your profession; how is it, then, that you do not rather offer +yourself to undertake it than to press me to do it?" + +Upon this he faced about just before me, as he walked along, and +putting me to a full stop, made me a very low bow. "I most +heartily thank God and you, sir," said he, "for giving me so +evident a call to so blessed a work; and if you think yourself +discharged from it, and desire me to undertake it, I will most +readily do it, and think it a happy reward for all the hazards and +difficulties of such a broken, disappointed voyage as I have met +with, that I am dropped at last into so glorious a work." + +I discovered a kind of rapture in his face while he spoke this to +me; his eyes sparkled like fire; his face glowed, and his colour +came and went; in a word, he was fired with the joy of being +embarked in such a work. I paused a considerable while before I +could tell what to say to him; for I was really surprised to find a +man of such sincerity, and who seemed possessed of a zeal beyond +the ordinary rate of men. But after I had considered it a while, I +asked him seriously if he was in earnest, and that he would +venture, on the single consideration of an attempt to convert those +poor people, to be locked up in an unplanted island for perhaps his +life, and at last might not know whether he should be able to do +them good or not? He turned short upon me, and asked me what I +called a venture? "Pray, sir," said he, "what do you think I +consented to go in your ship to the East Indies for?"--"ay," said +I, "that I know not, unless it was to preach to the Indians."-- +"Doubtless it was," said he; "and do you think, if I can convert +these thirty-seven men to the faith of Jesus Christ, it is not +worth my time, though I should never be fetched off the island +again?--nay, is it not infinitely of more worth to save so many +souls than my life is, or the life of twenty more of the same +profession? Yes, sir," says he, "I would give God thanks all my +days if I could be made the happy instrument of saving the souls of +those poor men, though I were never to get my foot off this island +or see my native country any more. But since you will honour me +with putting me into this work, for which I will pray for you all +the days of my life, I have one humble petition to you besides."-- +"What is that?" said I.--"Why," says he, "it is, that you will +leave your man Friday with me, to be my interpreter to them, and to +assist me; for without some help I cannot speak to them, or they to +me." + +I was sensibly touched at his requesting Friday, because I could +not think of parting with him, and that for many reasons: he had +been the companion of my travels; he was not only faithful to me, +but sincerely affectionate to the last degree; and I had resolved +to do something considerable for him if he out-lived me, as it was +probable he would. Then I knew that, as I had bred Friday up to be +a Protestant, it would quite confound him to bring him to embrace +another religion; and he would never, while his eyes were open, +believe that his old master was a heretic, and would be damned; and +this might in the end ruin the poor fellow's principles, and so +turn him back again to his first idolatry. However, a sudden +thought relieved me in this strait, and it was this: I told him I +could not say that I was willing to part with Friday on any account +whatever, though a work that to him was of more value than his life +ought to be of much more value than the keeping or parting with a +servant. On the other hand, I was persuaded that Friday would by +no means agree to part with me; and I could not force him to it +without his consent, without manifest injustice; because I had +promised I would never send him away, and he had promised and +engaged that he would never leave me, unless I sent him away. + +He seemed very much concerned at it, for he had no rational access +to these poor people, seeing he did not understand one word of +their language, nor they one of his. To remove this difficulty, I +told him Friday's father had learned Spanish, which I found he also +understood, and he should serve him as an interpreter. So he was +much better satisfied, and nothing could persuade him but he would +stay and endeavour to convert them; but Providence gave another +very happy turn to all this. + +I come back now to the first part of his objections. When we came +to the Englishmen, I sent for them all together, and after some +account given them of what I had done for them, viz. what necessary +things I had provided for them, and how they were distributed, +which they were very sensible of, and very thankful for, I began to +talk to them of the scandalous life they led, and gave them a full +account of the notice the clergyman had taken of it; and arguing +how unchristian and irreligious a life it was, I first asked them +if they were married men or bachelors? They soon explained their +condition to me, and showed that two of them were widowers, and the +other three were single men, or bachelors. I asked them with what +conscience they could take these women, and call them their wives, +and have so many children by them, and not be lawfully married to +them? They all gave me the answer I expected, viz. that there was +nobody to marry them; that they agreed before the governor to keep +them as their wives, and to maintain them and own them as their +wives; and they thought, as things stood with them, they were as +legally married as if they had been married by a parson and with +all the formalities in the world. + +I told them that no doubt they were married in the sight of God, +and were bound in conscience to keep them as their wives; but that +the laws of men being otherwise, they might desert the poor women +and children hereafter; and that their wives, being poor desolate +women, friendless and moneyless, would have no way to help +themselves. I therefore told them that unless I was assured of +their honest intent, I could do nothing for them, but would take +care that what I did should be for the women and children without +them; and that, unless they would give me some assurances that they +would marry the women, I could not think it was convenient they +should continue together as man and wife; for that it was both +scandalous to men and offensive to God, who they could not think +would bless them if they went on thus. + +All this went on as I expected; and they told me, especially Will +Atkins, who now seemed to speak for the rest, that they loved their +wives as well as if they had been born in their own native country, +and would not leave them on any account whatever; and they did +verily believe that their wives were as virtuous and as modest, and +did, to the utmost of their skill, as much for them and for their +children, as any woman could possibly do: and they would not part +with them on any account. Will Atkins, for his own particular, +added that if any man would take him away, and offer to carry him +home to England, and make him captain of the best man-of-war in the +navy, he would not go with him if he might not carry his wife and +children with him; and if there was a clergyman in the ship, he +would be married to her now with all his heart. + +This was just as I would have it. The priest was not with me at +that moment, but he was not far off; so to try him further, I told +him I had a clergyman with me, and, if he was sincere, I would have +him married next morning, and bade him consider of it, and talk +with the rest. He said, as for himself, he need not consider of it +at all, for he was very ready to do it, and was glad I had a +minister with me, and he believed they would be all willing also. +I then told him that my friend, the minister, was a Frenchman, and +could not speak English, but I would act the clerk between them. +He never so much as asked me whether he was a Papist or Protestant, +which was, indeed, what I was afraid of. We then parted, and I +went back to my clergyman, and Will Atkins went in to talk with his +companions. I desired the French gentleman not to say anything to +them till the business was thoroughly ripe; and I told him what +answer the men had given me. + +Before I went from their quarter they all came to me and told me +they had been considering what I had said; that they were glad to +hear I had a clergyman in my company, and they were very willing to +give me the satisfaction I desired, and to be formally married as +soon as I pleased; for they were far from desiring to part with +their wives, and that they meant nothing but what was very honest +when they chose them. So I appointed them to meet me the next +morning; and, in the meantime, they should let their wives know the +meaning of the marriage law; and that it was not only to prevent +any scandal, but also to oblige them that they should not forsake +them, whatever might happen. + +The women were easily made sensible of the meaning of the thing, +and were very well satisfied with it, as, indeed, they had reason +to be: so they failed not to attend all together at my apartment +next morning, where I brought out my clergyman; and though he had +not on a minister's gown, after the manner of England, or the habit +of a priest, after the manner of France, yet having a black vest +something like a cassock, with a sash round it, he did not look +very unlike a minister; and as for his language, I was his +interpreter. But the seriousness of his behaviour to them, and the +scruples he made of marrying the women, because they were not +baptized and professed Christians, gave them an exceeding reverence +for his person; and there was no need, after that, to inquire +whether he was a clergyman or not. Indeed, I was afraid his +scruples would have been carried so far as that he would not have +married them at all; nay, notwithstanding all I was able to say to +him, he resisted me, though modestly, yet very steadily, and at +last refused absolutely to marry them, unless he had first talked +with the men and the women too; and though at first I was a little +backward to it, yet at last I agreed to it with a good will, +perceiving the sincerity of his design. + +When he came to them he let them know that I had acquainted him +with their circumstances, and with the present design; that he was +very willing to perform that part of his function, and marry them, +as I had desired; but that before he could do it, he must take the +liberty to talk with them. He told them that in the sight of all +indifferent men, and in the sense of the laws of society, they had +lived all this while in a state of sin; and that it was true that +nothing but the consenting to marry, or effectually separating them +from one another, could now put an end to it; but there was a +difficulty in it, too, with respect to the laws of Christian +matrimony, which he was not fully satisfied about, that of marrying +one that is a professed Christian to a savage, an idolater, and a +heathen--one that is not baptized; and yet that he did not see that +there was time left to endeavour to persuade the women to be +baptized, or to profess the name of Christ, whom they had, he +doubted, heard nothing of, and without which they could not be +baptized. He told them he doubted they were but indifferent +Christians themselves; that they had but little knowledge of God or +of His ways, and, therefore, he could not expect that they had said +much to their wives on that head yet; but that unless they would +promise him to use their endeavours with their wives to persuade +them to become Christians, and would, as well as they could, +instruct them in the knowledge and belief of God that made them, +and to worship Jesus Christ that redeemed them, he could not marry +them; for he would have no hand in joining Christians with savages, +nor was it consistent with the principles of the Christian +religion, and was, indeed, expressly forbidden in God's law. + +They heard all this very attentively, and I delivered it very +faithfully to them from his mouth, as near his own words as I +could; only sometimes adding something of my own, to convince them +how just it was, and that I was of his mind; and I always very +carefully distinguished between what I said from myself and what +were the clergyman's words. They told me it was very true what the +gentleman said, that they were very indifferent Christians +themselves, and that they had never talked to their wives about +religion. "Lord, sir," says Will Atkins, "how should we teach them +religion? Why, we know nothing ourselves; and besides, sir," said +he, "should we talk to them of God and Jesus Christ, and heaven and +hell, it would make them laugh at us, and ask us what we believe +ourselves. And if we should tell them that we believe all the +things we speak of to them, such as of good people going to heaven, +and wicked people to the devil, they would ask us where we intend +to go ourselves, that believe all this, and are such wicked fellows +as we indeed are? Why, sir; 'tis enough to give them a surfeit of +religion at first hearing; folks must have some religion themselves +before they begin to teach other people."--"Will Atkins," said I to +him, "though I am afraid that what you say has too much truth in +it, yet can you not tell your wife she is in the wrong; that there +is a God and a religion better than her own; that her gods are +idols; that they can neither hear nor speak; that there is a great +Being that made all things, and that can destroy all that He has +made; that He rewards the good and punishes the bad; and that we +are to be judged by Him at last for all we do here? You are not so +ignorant but even nature itself will teach you that all this is +true; and I am satisfied you know it all to be true, and believe it +yourself."--"That is true, sir," said Atkins; "but with what face +can I say anything to my wife of all this, when she will tell me +immediately it cannot be true?"--"Not true!" said I; "what do you +mean by that?"--"Why, sir," said he, "she will tell me it cannot be +true that this God I shall tell her of can be just, or can punish +or reward, since I am not punished and sent to the devil, that have +been such a wicked creature as she knows I have been, even to her, +and to everybody else; and that I should be suffered to live, that +have been always acting so contrary to what I must tell her is +good, and to what I ought to have done."--"Why, truly, Atkins," +said I, "I am afraid thou speakest too much truth;" and with that I +informed the clergyman of what Atkins had said, for he was +impatient to know. "Oh," said the priest, "tell him there is one +thing will make him the best minister in the world to his wife, and +that is repentance; for none teach repentance like true penitents. +He wants nothing but to repent, and then he will be so much the +better qualified to instruct his wife; he will then be able to tell +her that there is not only a God, and that He is the just rewarder +of good and evil, but that He is a merciful Being, and with +infinite goodness and long-suffering forbears to punish those that +offend; waiting to be gracious, and willing not the death of a +sinner, but rather that he should return and live; and even +reserves damnation to the general day of retribution; that it is a +clear evidence of God and of a future state that righteous men +receive not their reward, or wicked men their punishment, till they +come into another world; and this will lead him to teach his wife +the doctrine of the resurrection and of the last judgment. Let him +but repent himself, he will be an excellent preacher of repentance +to his wife." + +I repeated all this to Atkins, who looked very serious all the +while, and, as we could easily perceive, was more than ordinarily +affected with it; when being eager, and hardly suffering me to make +an end, "I know all this, master," says he, "and a great deal more; +but I have not the impudence to talk thus to my wife, when God and +my conscience know, and my wife will be an undeniable evidence +against me, that I have lived as if I had never heard of a God or +future state, or anything about it; and to talk of my repenting, +alas!" (and with that he fetched a deep sigh, and I could see that +the tears stood in his eyes) "'tis past all that with me."--"Past +it, Atkins?" said I: "what dost thou mean by that?"--"I know well +enough what I mean," says he; "I mean 'tis too late, and that is +too true." + +I told the clergyman, word for word, what he said, and this +affectionate man could not refrain from tears; but, recovering +himself, said to me, "Ask him but one question. Is he easy that it +is too late; or is he troubled, and wishes it were not so?" I put +the question fairly to Atkins; and he answered with a great deal of +passion, "How could any man be easy in a condition that must +certainly end in eternal destruction? that he was far from being +easy; but that, on the contrary, he believed it would one time or +other ruin him."--"What do you mean by that?" said I.--"Why," he +said, "he believed he should one time or other cut his throat, to +put an end to the terror of it." + +The clergyman shook his head, with great concern in his face, when +I told him all this; but turning quick to me upon it, says, "If +that be his case, we may assure him it is not too late; Christ will +give him repentance. But pray," says he, "explain this to him: +that as no man is saved but by Christ, and the merit of His passion +procuring divine mercy for him, how can it be too late for any man +to receive mercy? Does he think he is able to sin beyond the power +or reach of divine mercy? Pray tell him there may be a time when +provoked mercy will no longer strive, and when God may refuse to +hear, but that it is never too late for men to ask mercy; and we, +that are Christ's servants, are commanded to preach mercy at all +times, in the name of Jesus Christ, to all those that sincerely +repent: so that it is never too late to repent." + +I told Atkins all this, and he heard me with great earnestness; but +it seemed as if he turned off the discourse to the rest, for he +said to me he would go and have some talk with his wife; so he went +out a while, and we talked to the rest. I perceived they were all +stupidly ignorant as to matters of religion, as much as I was when +I went rambling away from my father; yet there were none of them +backward to hear what had been said; and all of them seriously +promised that they would talk with their wives about it, and do +their endeavours to persuade them to turn Christians. + +The clergyman smiled upon me when I reported what answer they gave, +but said nothing a good while; but at last, shaking his head, "We +that are Christ's servants," says he, "can go no further than to +exhort and instruct: and when men comply, submit to the reproof, +and promise what we ask, 'tis all we can do; we are bound to accept +their good words; but believe me, sir," said he, "whatever you may +have known of the life of that man you call Will Atkin's, I believe +he is the only sincere convert among them: I will not despair of +the rest; but that man is apparently struck with the sense of his +past life, and I doubt not, when he comes to talk of religion to +his wife, he will talk himself effectually into it: for attempting +to teach others is sometimes the best way of teaching ourselves. +If that poor Atkins begins but once to talk seriously of Jesus +Christ to his wife, he will assuredly talk himself into a thorough +convert, make himself a penitent, and who knows what may follow." + +Upon this discourse, however, and their promising, as above, to +endeavour to persuade their wives to embrace Christianity, he +married the two other couple; but Will Atkins and his wife were not +yet come in. After this, my clergyman, waiting a while, was +curious to know where Atkins was gone, and turning to me, said, "I +entreat you, sir, let us walk out of your labyrinth here and look; +I daresay we shall find this poor man somewhere or other talking +seriously to his wife, and teaching her already something of +religion." I began to be of the same mind; so we went out +together, and I carried him a way which none knew but myself, and +where the trees were so very thick that it was not easy to see +through the thicket of leaves, and far harder to see in than to see +out: when, coming to the edge of the wood, I saw Atkins and his +tawny wife sitting under the shade of a bush, very eager in +discourse: I stopped short till my clergyman came up to me, and +then having showed him where they were, we stood and looked very +steadily at them a good while. We observed him very earnest with +her, pointing up to the sun, and to every quarter of the heavens, +and then down to the earth, then out to the sea, then to himself, +then to her, to the woods, to the trees. "Now," says the +clergyman, "you see my words are made good, the man preaches to +her; mark him now, he is telling her that our God has made him, +her, and the heavens, the earth, the sea, the woods, the trees, +&c."--"I believe he is," said I. Immediately we perceived Will +Atkins start upon his feet, fall down on his knees, and lift up +both his hands. We supposed he said something, but we could not +hear him; it was too far for that. He did not continue kneeling +half a minute, but comes and sits down again by his wife, and talks +to her again; we perceived then the woman very attentive, but +whether she said anything to him we could not tell. While the poor +fellow was upon his knees I could see the tears run plentifully +down my clergyman's cheeks, and I could hardly forbear myself; but +it was a great affliction to us both that we were not near enough +to hear anything that passed between them. Well, however, we could +come no nearer for fear of disturbing them: so we resolved to see +an end of this piece of still conversation, and it spoke loud +enough to us without the help of voice. He sat down again, as I +have said, close by her, and talked again earnestly to her, and two +or three times we could see him embrace her most passionately; +another time we saw him take out his handkerchief and wipe her +eyes, and then kiss her again with a kind of transport very +unusual; and after several of these things, we saw him on a sudden +jump up again, and lend her his hand to help her up, when +immediately leading her by the hand a step or two, they both +kneeled down together, and continued so about two minutes. + +My friend could bear it no longer, but cries out aloud, "St. Paul! +St. Paul! behold he prayeth." I was afraid Atkins would hear him, +therefore I entreated him to withhold himself a while, that we +might see an end of the scene, which to me, I must confess, was the +most affecting that ever I saw in my life. Well, he strove with +himself for a while, but was in such raptures to think that the +poor heathen woman was become a Christian, that he was not able to +contain himself; he wept several times, then throwing up his hands +and crossing his breast, said over several things ejaculatory, and +by the way of giving God thanks for so miraculous a testimony of +the success of our endeavours. Some he spoke softly, and I could +not well hear others; some things he said in Latin, some in French; +then two or three times the tears would interrupt him, that he +could not speak at all; but I begged that he would contain himself, +and let us more narrowly and fully observe what was before us, +which he did for a time, the scene not being near ended yet; for +after the poor man and his wife were risen again from their knees, +we observed he stood talking still eagerly to her, and we observed +her motion, that she was greatly affected with what he said, by her +frequently lifting up her hands, laying her hand to her breast, and +such other postures as express the greatest seriousness and +attention; this continued about half a quarter of an hour, and then +they walked away, so we could see no more of them in that +situation. + +I took this interval to say to the clergyman, first, that I was +glad to see the particulars we had both been witnesses to; that, +though I was hard enough of belief in such cases, yet that I began +to think it was all very sincere here, both in the man and his +wife, however ignorant they might both be, and I hoped such a +beginning would yet have a more happy end. "But, my friend," added +I, "will you give me leave to start one difficulty here? I cannot +tell how to object the least thing against that affectionate +concern which you show for the turning of the poor people from +their paganism to the Christian religion; but how does this comfort +you, while these people are, in your account, out of the pale of +the Catholic Church, without which you believe there is no +salvation? so that you esteem these but heretics, as effectually +lost as the pagans themselves." + +To this he answered, with abundance of candour, thus: "Sir, I am a +Catholic of the Roman Church, and a priest of the order of St. +Benedict, and I embrace all the principles of the Roman faith; but +yet, if you will believe me, and that I do not speak in compliment +to you, or in respect to my circumstances and your civilities; I +say nevertheless, I do not look upon you, who call yourselves +reformed, without some charity. I dare not say (though I know it +is our opinion in general) that you cannot be saved; I will by no +means limit the mercy of Christ so far as think that He cannot +receive you into the bosom of His Church, in a manner to us +unperceivable; and I hope you have the same charity for us: I pray +daily for you being all restored to Christ's Church, by whatsoever +method He, who is all-wise, is pleased to direct. In the meantime, +surely you will allow it consists with me as a Roman to distinguish +far between a Protestant and a pagan; between one that calls on +Jesus Christ, though in a way which I do not think is according to +the true faith, and a savage or a barbarian, that knows no God, no +Christ, no Redeemer; and if you are not within the pale of the +Catholic Church, we hope you are nearer being restored to it than +those who know nothing of God or of His Church: and I rejoice, +therefore, when I see this poor man, who you say has been a +profligate, and almost a murderer kneel down and pray to Jesus +Christ, as we suppose he did, though not fully enlightened; +believing that God, from whom every such work proceeds, will +sensibly touch his heart, and bring him to the further knowledge of +that truth in His own time; and if God shall influence this poor +man to convert and instruct the ignorant savage, his wife, I can +never believe that he shall be cast away himself. And have I not +reason, then, to rejoice, the nearer any are brought to the +knowledge of Christ, though they may not be brought quite home into +the bosom of the Catholic Church just at the time when I desire it, +leaving it to the goodness of Christ to perfect His work in His own +time, and in his own way? Certainly, I would rejoice if all the +savages in America were brought, like this poor woman, to pray to +God, though they were all to be Protestants at first, rather than +they should continue pagans or heathens; firmly believing, that He +that had bestowed the first light on them would farther illuminate +them with a beam of His heavenly grace, and bring them into the +pale of His Church when He should see good." + + + + +CHAPTER VII--CONVERSATION BETWIXT WILL ATKINS AND HIS WIFE + + + +I was astonished at the sincerity and temper of this pious Papist, +as much as I was oppressed by the power of his reasoning; and it +presently occurred to my thoughts, that if such a temper was +universal, we might be all Catholic Christians, whatever Church or +particular profession we joined in; that a spirit of charity would +soon work us all up into right principles; and as he thought that +the like charity would make us all Catholics, so I told him I +believed, had all the members of his Church the like moderation, +they would soon all be Protestants. And there we left that part; +for we never disputed at all. However, I talked to him another +way, and taking him by the hand, "My friend," says I, "I wish all +the clergy of the Romish Church were blessed with such moderation, +and had an equal share of your charity. I am entirely of your +opinion; but I must tell you that if you should preach such +doctrine in Spain or Italy, they would put you into the +Inquisition."--"It may be so," said he; "I know not what they would +do in Spain or Italy; but I will not say they would be the better +Christians for that severity; for I am sure there is no heresy in +abounding with charity." + +Well, as Will Atkins and his wife were gone, our business there was +over, so we went back our own way; and when we came back, we found +them waiting to be called in. Observing this, I asked my clergyman +if we should discover to him that we had seen him under the bush or +not; and it was his opinion we should not, but that we should talk +to him first, and hear what he would say to us; so we called him in +alone, nobody being in the place but ourselves, and I began by +asking him some particulars about his parentage and education. He +told me frankly enough that his father was a clergyman who would +have taught him well, but that he, Will Atkins, despised all +instruction and correction; and by his brutish conduct cut the +thread of all his father's comforts and shortened his days, for +that he broke his heart by the most ungrateful, unnatural return +for the most affectionate treatment a father ever gave. + +In what he said there seemed so much sincerity of repentance, that +it painfully affected me. I could not but reflect that I, too, had +shortened the life of a good, tender father by my bad conduct and +obstinate self-will. I was, indeed, so surprised with what he had +told me, that I thought, instead of my going about to teach and +instruct him, the man was made a teacher and instructor to me in a +most unexpected manner. + +I laid all this before the young clergyman, who was greatly +affected with it, and said to me, "Did I not say, sir, that when +this man was converted he would preach to us all? I tell you, sir, +if this one man be made a true penitent, there will be no need of +me; he will make Christians of all in the island."--But having a +little composed myself, I renewed my discourse with Will Atkins. +"But, Will," said I, "how comes the sense of this matter to touch +you just now?" + +W.A.--Sir, you have set me about a work that has struck a dart +though my very soul; I have been talking about God and religion to +my wife, in order, as you directed me, to make a Christian of her, +and she has preached such a sermon to me as I shall never forget +while I live. + +R.C.--No, no, it is not your wife has preached to you; but when you +were moving religious arguments to her, conscience has flung them +back upon you. + +W.A.--Ay, sir, with such force as is not to be resisted. + +R.C.--Pray, Will, let us know what passed between you and your +wife; for I know something of it already. + +W.A.--Sir, it is impossible to give you a full account of it; I am +too full to hold it, and yet have no tongue to express it; but let +her have said what she will, though I cannot give you an account of +it, this I can tell you, that I have resolved to amend and reform +my life. + +R.C.--But tell us some of it: how did you begin, Will? For this +has been an extraordinary case, that is certain. She has preached +a sermon, indeed, if she has wrought this upon you. + +W.A.--Why, I first told her the nature of our laws about marriage, +and what the reasons were that men and women were obliged to enter +into such compacts as it was neither in the power of one nor other +to break; that otherwise, order and justice could not be +maintained, and men would run from their wives, and abandon their +children, mix confusedly with one another, and neither families be +kept entire, nor inheritances be settled by legal descent. + +R.C.--You talk like a civilian, Will. Could you make her +understand what you meant by inheritance and families? They know +no such things among the savages, but marry anyhow, without regard +to relation, consanguinity, or family; brother and sister, nay, as +I have been told, even the father and the daughter, and the son and +the mother. + +W.A.--I believe, sir, you are misinformed, and my wife assures me +of the contrary, and that they abhor it; perhaps, for any further +relations, they may not be so exact as we are; but she tells me +never in the near relationship you speak of. + +R.C.--Well, what did she say to what you told her? + +W.A.--She said she liked it very well, as it was much better than +in her country. + +R.C.--But did you tell her what marriage was? + +W.A.--Ay, ay, there began our dialogue. I asked her if she would +be married to me our way. She asked me what way that was; I told +her marriage was appointed by God; and here we had a strange talk +together, indeed, as ever man and wife had, I believe. + +N.B.--This dialogue between Will Atkins and his wife, which I took +down in writing just after he told it me, was as follows:- + +Wife.--Appointed by your God!--Why, have you a God in your country? + +W.A.--Yes, my dear, God is in every country. + +Wife.--No your God in my country; my country have the great old +Benamuckee God. + +W.A.--Child, I am very unfit to show you who God is; God is in +heaven and made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and all that in +them is. + +Wife.--No makee de earth; no you God makee all earth; no makee my +country. + +[Will Atkins laughed a little at her expression of God not making +her country.] + +Wife.--No laugh; why laugh me? This no ting to laugh. + +[He was justly reproved by his wife, for she was more serious than +he at first.] + +W.A.--That's true, indeed; I will not laugh any more, my dear. + +Wife.--Why you say you God makee all? + +W.A.--Yes, child, our God made the whole world, and you, and me, +and all things; for He is the only true God, and there is no God +but Him. He lives for ever in heaven. + +Wife.--Why you no tell me long ago? + +W.A.--That's true, indeed; but I have been a wicked wretch, and +have not only forgotten to acquaint thee with anything before, but +have lived without God in the world myself. + +Wife.--What, have you a great God in your country, you no know Him? +No say O to Him? No do good ting for Him? That no possible. + +W.A.--It is true; though, for all that, we live as if there was no +God in heaven, or that He had no power on earth. + +Wife.--But why God let you do so? Why He no makee you good live? + +W.A.--It is all our own fault. + +Wife.--But you say me He is great, much great, have much great +power; can makee kill when He will: why He no makee kill when you +no serve Him? no say O to Him? no be good mans? + +W.A.--That is true, He might strike me dead; and I ought to expect +it, for I have been a wicked wretch, that is true; but God is +merciful, and does not deal with us as we deserve. + +Wife.--But then do you not tell God thankee for that too? + +W. A.--No, indeed, I have not thanked God for His mercy, any more +than I have feared God from His power. + +Wife.--Then you God no God; me no think, believe He be such one, +great much power, strong: no makee kill you, though you make Him +much angry. + +W.A.--What, will my wicked life hinder you from believing in God? +What a dreadful creature am I! and what a sad truth is it, that the +horrid lives of Christians hinder the conversion of heathens! + +Wife.--How me tink you have great much God up there [she points up +to heaven], and yet no do well, no do good ting? Can He tell? +Sure He no tell what you do? + +W.A.--Yes, yes, He knows and sees all things; He hears us speak, +sees what we do, knows what we think though we do not speak. + +Wife.--What! He no hear you curse, swear, speak de great damn? + +W.A.--Yes, yes, He hears it all. + +Wife.--Where be then the much great power strong? + +W.A.--He is merciful, that is all we can say for it; and this +proves Him to be the true God; He is God, and not man, and +therefore we are not consumed. + +[Here Will Atkins told us he was struck with horror to think how he +could tell his wife so clearly that God sees, and hears, and knows +the secret thoughts of the heart, and all that we do, and yet that +he had dared to do all the vile things he had done.] + +Wife.--Merciful! What you call dat? + +W.A.--He is our Father and Maker, and He pities and spares us. + +Wife.--So then He never makee kill, never angry when you do wicked; +then He no good Himself, or no great able. + +W.A.--Yes, yes, my dear, He is infinitely good and infinitely +great, and able to punish too; and sometimes, to show His justice +and vengeance, He lets fly His anger to destroy sinners and make +examples; many are cut off in their sins. + +Wife.--But no makee kill you yet; then He tell you, maybe, that He +no makee you kill: so you makee the bargain with Him, you do bad +thing, He no be angry at you when He be angry at other mans. + +W.A.--No, indeed, my sins are all presumptions upon His goodness; +and He would be infinitely just if He destroyed me, as He has done +other men. + +Wife.--Well, and yet no kill, no makee you dead: what you say to +Him for that? You no tell Him thankee for all that too? + +W.A.--I am an unthankful, ungrateful dog, that is true. + +Wife.--Why He no makee you much good better? you say He makee you. + +W.A.--He made me as He made all the world: it is I have deformed +myself and abused His goodness, and made myself an abominable +wretch. + +Wife.--I wish you makee God know me. I no makee Him angry--I no do +bad wicked thing. + +[Here Will Atkins said his heart sunk within him to hear a poor +untaught creature desire to be taught to know God, and he such a +wicked wretch, that he could not say one word to her about God, but +what the reproach of his own carriage would make most irrational to +her to believe; nay, that already she had told him that she could +not believe in God, because he, that was so wicked, was not +destroyed.] + +W.A.--My dear, you mean, you wish I could teach you to know God, +not God to know you; for He knows you already, and every thought in +your heart. + +Wife.--Why, then, He know what I say to you now: He know me wish +to know Him. How shall me know who makee me? + +W.A.--Poor creature, He must teach thee: I cannot teach thee. I +will pray to Him to teach thee to know Him, and forgive me, that am +unworthy to teach thee. + +[The poor fellow was in such an agony at her desiring him to make +her know God, and her wishing to know Him, that he said he fell +down on his knees before her, and prayed to God to enlighten her +mind with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and to pardon his +sins, and accept of his being the unworthy instrument of +instructing her in the principles of religion: after which he sat +down by her again, and their dialogue went on. This was the time +when we saw him kneel down and hold up his hands.] + +Wife.--What you put down the knee for? What you hold up the hand +for? What you say? Who you speak to? What is all that? + +W.A.--My dear, I bow my knees in token of my submission to Him that +made me: I said O to Him, as you call it, and as your old men do +to their idol Benamuckee; that is, I prayed to Him. + +Wife.--What say you O to Him for? + +W.A.--I prayed to Him to open your eyes and your understanding, +that you may know Him, and be accepted by Him. + +Wife.--Can He do that too? + +W.A.--Yes, He can: He can do all things. + +Wife.--But now He hear what you say? + +W.A.--Yes, He has bid us pray to Him, and promised to hear us. + +Wife.--Bid you pray? When He bid you? How He bid you? What you +hear Him speak? + +W.A.--No, we do not hear Him speak; but He has revealed Himself +many ways to us. + +[Here he was at a great loss to make her understand that God has +revealed Himself to us by His word, and what His word was; but at +last he told it to her thus.] + +W.A.--God has spoken to some good men in former days, even from +heaven, by plain words; and God has inspired good men by His +Spirit; and they have written all His laws down in a book. + +Wife.--Me no understand that; where is book? + +W.A.--Alas! my poor creature, I have not this book; but I hope I +shall one time or other get it for you, and help you to read it. + +[Here he embraced her with great affection, but with inexpressible +grief that he had not a Bible.] + +Wife.--But how you makee me know that God teachee them to write +that book? + +W.A.--By the same rule that we know Him to be God. + +Wife.--What rule? What way you know Him? + +W.A.--Because He teaches and commands nothing but what is good, +righteous, and holy, and tends to make us perfectly good, as well +as perfectly happy; and because He forbids and commands us to avoid +all that is wicked, that is evil in itself, or evil in its +consequence. + +Wife.--That me would understand, that me fain see; if He teachee +all good thing, He makee all good thing, He give all thing, He hear +me when I say O to Him, as you do just now; He makee me good if I +wish to be good; He spare me, no makee kill me, when I no be good: +all this you say He do, yet He be great God; me take, think, +believe Him to be great God; me say O to Him with you, my dear. + +Here the poor man could forbear no longer, but raised her up, made +her kneel by him, and he prayed to God aloud to instruct her in the +knowledge of Himself, by His Spirit; and that by some good +providence, if possible, she might, some time or other, come to +have a Bible, that she might read the word of God, and be taught by +it to know Him. This was the time that we saw him lift her up by +the hand, and saw him kneel down by her, as above. + +They had several other discourses, it seems, after this; and +particularly she made him promise that, since he confessed his own +life had been a wicked, abominable course of provocations against +God, that he would reform it, and not make God angry any more, lest +He should make him dead, as she called it, and then she would be +left alone, and never be taught to know this God better; and lest +he should be miserable, as he had told her wicked men would be +after death. + +This was a strange account, and very affecting to us both, but +particularly to the young clergyman; he was, indeed, wonderfully +surprised with it, but under the greatest affliction imaginable +that he could not talk to her, that he could not speak English to +make her understand him; and as she spoke but very broken English, +he could not understand her; however, he turned himself to me, and +told me that he believed that there must be more to do with this +woman than to marry her. I did not understand him at first; but at +length he explained himself, viz. that she ought to be baptized. I +agreed with him in that part readily, and wished it to be done +presently. "No, no; hold, sir," says he; "though I would have her +be baptized, by all means, for I must observe that Will Atkins, her +husband, has indeed brought her, in a wonderful manner, to be +willing to embrace a religious life, and has given her just ideas +of the being of a God; of His power, justice, and mercy: yet I +desire to know of him if he has said anything to her of Jesus +Christ, and of the salvation of sinners; of the nature of faith in +Him, and redemption by Him; of the Holy Spirit, the resurrection, +the last judgment, and the future state." + +I called Will Atkins again, and asked him; but the poor fellow fell +immediately into tears, and told us he had said something to her of +all those things, but that he was himself so wicked a creature, and +his own conscience so reproached him with his horrid, ungodly life, +that he trembled at the apprehensions that her knowledge of him +should lessen the attention she should give to those things, and +make her rather contemn religion than receive it; but he was +assured, he said, that her mind was so disposed to receive due +impressions of all those things, and that if I would but discourse +with her, she would make it appear to my satisfaction that my +labour would not be lost upon her. + +Accordingly I called her in, and placing myself as interpreter +between my religious priest and the woman, I entreated him to begin +with her; but sure such a sermon was never preached by a Popish +priest in these latter ages of the world; and as I told him, I +thought he had all the zeal, all the knowledge, all the sincerity +of a Christian, without the error of a Roman Catholic; and that I +took him to be such a clergyman as the Roman bishops were before +the Church of Rome assumed spiritual sovereignty over the +consciences of men. In a word, he brought the poor woman to +embrace the knowledge of Christ, and of redemption by Him, not with +wonder and astonishment only, as she did the first notions of a +God, but with joy and faith; with an affection, and a surprising +degree of understanding, scarce to be imagined, much less to be +expressed; and, at her own request, she was baptized. + +When he was preparing to baptize her, I entreated him that he would +perform that office with some caution, that the man might not +perceive he was of the Roman Church, if possible, because of other +ill consequences which might attend a difference among us in that +very religion which we were instructing the other in. He told me +that as he had no consecrated chapel, nor proper things for the +office, I should see he would do it in a manner that I should not +know by it that he was a Roman Catholic myself, if I had not known +it before; and so he did; for saying only some words over to +himself in Latin, which I could not understand, he poured a whole +dishful of water upon the woman's head, pronouncing in French, very +loud, "Mary" (which was the name her husband desired me to give +her, for I was her godfather), "I baptize thee in the name of the +Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;" so that none could +know anything by it what religion he was of. He gave the +benediction afterwards in Latin, but either Will Atkins did not +know but it was French, or else did not take notice of it at that +time. + +As soon as this was over we married them; and after the marriage +was over, he turned to Will Atkins, and in a very affectionate +manner exhorted him, not only to persevere in that good disposition +he was in, but to support the convictions that were upon him by a +resolution to reform his life: told him it was in vain to say he +repented if he did not forsake his crimes; represented to him how +God had honoured him with being the instrument of bringing his wife +to the knowledge of the Christian religion, and that he should be +careful he did not dishonour the grace of God; and that if he did, +he would see the heathen a better Christian than himself; the +savage converted, and the instrument cast away. He said a great +many good things to them both; and then, recommending them to God's +goodness, gave them the benediction again, I repeating everything +to them in English; and thus ended the ceremony. I think it was +the most pleasant and agreeable day to me that ever I passed in my +whole life. But my clergyman had not done yet: his thoughts hung +continually upon the conversion of the thirty-seven savages, and +fain be would have stayed upon the island to have undertaken it; +but I convinced him, first, that his undertaking was impracticable +in itself; and, secondly, that perhaps I would put it into a way of +being done in his absence to his satisfaction. + +Having thus brought the affairs of the island to a narrow compass, +I was preparing to go on board the ship, when the young man I had +taken out of the famished ship's company came to me, and told me he +understood I had a clergyman with me, and that I had caused the +Englishmen to be married to the savages; that he had a match too, +which he desired might be finished before I went, between two +Christians, which he hoped would not be disagreeable to me. + +I knew this must be the young woman who was his mother's servant, +for there was no other Christian woman on the island: so I began +to persuade him not to do anything of that kind rashly, or because +be found himself in this solitary circumstance. I represented to +him that he had some considerable substance in the world, and good +friends, as I understood by himself, and the maid also; that the +maid was not only poor, and a servant, but was unequal to him, she +being six or seven and twenty years old, and he not above seventeen +or eighteen; that he might very probably, with my assistance, make +a remove from this wilderness, and come into his own country again; +and that then it would be a thousand to one but he would repent his +choice, and the dislike of that circumstance might be +disadvantageous to both. I was going to say more, but he +interrupted me, smiling, and told me, with a great deal of modesty, +that I mistook in my guesses--that he had nothing of that kind in +his thoughts; and he was very glad to hear that I had an intent of +putting them in a way to see their own country again; and nothing +should have made him think of staying there, but that the voyage I +was going was so exceeding long and hazardous, and would carry him +quite out of the reach of all his friends; that he had nothing to +desire of me but that I would settle him in some little property in +the island where he was, give him a servant or two, and some few +necessaries, and he would live here like a planter, waiting the +good time when, if ever I returned to England, I would redeem him. +He hoped I would not be unmindful of him when I came to England: +that he would give me some letters to his friends in London, to let +them know how good I had been to him, and in what part of the world +and what circumstances I had left him in: and he promised me that +whenever I redeemed him, the plantation, and all the improvements +he had made upon it, let the value be what it would, should be +wholly mine. + +His discourse was very prettily delivered, considering his youth, +and was the more agreeable to me, because he told me positively the +match was not for himself. I gave him all possible assurances that +if I lived to come safe to England, I would deliver his letters, +and do his business effectually; and that he might depend I should +never forget the circumstances I had left him in. But still I was +impatient to know who was the person to be married; upon which he +told me it was my Jack-of-all-trades and his maid Susan. I was +most agreeably surprised when he named the match; for, indeed, I +thought it very suitable. The character of that man I have given +already; and as for the maid, she was a very honest, modest, sober, +and religious young woman: had a very good share of sense, was +agreeable enough in her person, spoke very handsomely and to the +purpose, always with decency and good manners, and was neither too +backward to speak when requisite, nor impertinently forward when it +was not her business; very handy and housewifely, and an excellent +manager; fit, indeed, to have been governess to the whole island; +and she knew very well how to behave in every respect. + +The match being proposed in this manner, we married them the same +day; and as I was father at the altar, and gave her away, so I gave +her a portion; for I appointed her and her husband a handsome large +space of ground for their plantation; and indeed this match, and +the proposal the young gentleman made to give him a small property +in the island, put me upon parcelling it out amongst them, that +they might not quarrel afterwards about their situation. + +This sharing out the land to them I left to Will Atkins, who was +now grown a sober, grave, managing fellow, perfectly reformed, +exceedingly pious and religious; and, as far as I may be allowed to +speak positively in such a case, I verily believe he was a true +penitent. He divided things so justly, and so much to every one's +satisfaction, that they only desired one general writing under my +hand for the whole, which I caused to be drawn up, and signed and +sealed, setting out the bounds and situation of every man's +plantation, and testifying that I gave them thereby severally a +right to the whole possession and inheritance of the respective +plantations or farms, with their improvements, to them and their +heirs, reserving all the rest of the island as my own property, and +a certain rent for every particular plantation after eleven years, +if I, or any one from me, or in my name, came to demand it, +producing an attested copy of the same writing. As to the +government and laws among them, I told them I was not capable of +giving them better rules than they were able to give themselves; +only I made them promise me to live in love and good neighbourhood +with one another; and so I prepared to leave them. + +One thing I must not omit, and that is, that being now settled in a +kind of commonwealth among themselves, and having much business in +hand, it was odd to have seven-and-thirty Indians live in a nook of +the island, independent, and, indeed, unemployed; for except the +providing themselves food, which they had difficulty enough to do +sometimes, they had no manner of business or property to manage. I +proposed, therefore, to the governor Spaniard that he should go to +them, with Friday's father, and propose to them to remove, and +either plant for themselves, or be taken into their several +families as servants to be maintained for their labour, but without +being absolute slaves; for I would not permit them to make them +slaves by force, by any means; because they had their liberty given +them by capitulation, as it were articles of surrender, which they +ought not to break. + +They most willingly embraced the proposal, and came all very +cheerfully along with him: so we allotted them land and +plantations, which three or four accepted of, but all the rest +chose to be employed as servants in the several families we had +settled. Thus my colony was in a manner settled as follows: The +Spaniards possessed my original habitation, which was the capital +city, and extended their plantations all along the side of the +brook, which made the creek that I have so often described, as far +as my bower; and as they increased their culture, it went always +eastward. The English lived in the north-east part, where Will +Atkins and his comrades began, and came on southward and south- +west, towards the back part of the Spaniards; and every plantation +had a great addition of land to take in, if they found occasion, so +that they need not jostle one another for want of room. All the +east end of the island was left uninhabited, that if any of the +savages should come on shore there only for their customary +barbarities, they might come and go; if they disturbed nobody, +nobody would disturb them: and no doubt but they were often +ashore, and went away again; for I never heard that the planters +were ever attacked or disturbed any more. + + + +CHAPTER VIII--SAILS FROM THE ISLAND FOR THE BRAZILS + + + +It now came into my thoughts that I had hinted to my friend the +clergyman that the work of converting the savages might perhaps be +set on foot in his absence to his satisfaction, and I told him that +now I thought that it was put in a fair way; for the savages, being +thus divided among the Christians, if they would but every one of +them do their part with those which came under their hands, I hoped +it might have a very good effect. + +He agreed presently in that, if they did their part. "But how," +says he, "shall we obtain that of them?" I told him we would call +them all together, and leave it in charge with them, or go to them, +one by one, which he thought best; so we divided it--he to speak to +the Spaniards, who were all Papists, and I to speak to the English, +who were all Protestants; and we recommended it earnestly to them, +and made them promise that they would never make any distinction of +Papist or Protestant in their exhorting the savages to turn +Christians, but teach them the general knowledge of the true God, +and of their Saviour Jesus Christ; and they likewise promised us +that they would never have any differences or disputes one with +another about religion. + +When I came to Will Atkins's house, I found that the young woman I +have mentioned above, and Will Atkins's wife, were become +intimates; and this prudent, religious young woman had perfected +the work Will Atkins had begun; and though it was not above four +days after what I have related, yet the new-baptized savage woman +was made such a Christian as I have seldom heard of in all my +observation or conversation in the world. It came next into my +mind, in the morning before I went to them, that amongst all the +needful things I had to leave with them I had not left them a +Bible, in which I showed myself less considering for them than my +good friend the widow was for me when she sent me the cargo of a +hundred pounds from Lisbon, where she packed up three Bibles and a +Prayer-book. However, the good woman's charity had a greater +extent than ever she imagined, for they were reserved for the +comfort and instruction of those that made much better use of them +than I had done. + +I took one of the Bibles in my pocket, and when I came to Will +Atkins's tent, or house, and found the young woman and Atkins's +baptized wife had been discoursing of religion together--for Will +Atkins told it me with a great deal of joy--I asked if they were +together now, and he said, "Yes"; so I went into the house, and he +with me, and we found them together very earnest in discourse. +"Oh, sir," says Will Atkins, "when God has sinners to reconcile to +Himself, and aliens to bring home, He never wants a messenger; my +wife has got a new instructor: I knew I was unworthy, as I was +incapable of that work; that young woman has been sent hither from +heaven--she is enough to convert a whole island of savages." The +young woman blushed, and rose up to go away, but I desired her to +sit-still; I told her she had a good work upon her hands, and I +hoped God would bless her in it. + +We talked a little, and I did not perceive that they had any book +among them, though I did not ask; but I put my hand into my pocket, +and pulled out my Bible. "Here," said I to Atkins, "I have brought +you an assistant that perhaps you had not before." The man was so +confounded that he was not able to speak for some time; but, +recovering himself, he takes it with both his hands, and turning to +his wife, "Here, my dear," says he, "did not I tell you our God, +though He lives above, could hear what we have said? Here's the +book I prayed for when you and I kneeled down under the bush; now +God has heard us and sent it." When he had said so, the man fell +into such passionate transports, that between the joy of having it, +and giving God thanks for it, the tears ran down his face like a +child that was crying. + +The woman was surprised, and was like to have run into a mistake +that none of us were aware of; for she firmly believed God had sent +the book upon her husband's petition. It is true that +providentially it was so, and might be taken so in a consequent +sense; but I believe it would have been no difficult matter at that +time to have persuaded the poor woman to have believed that an +express messenger came from heaven on purpose to bring that +individual book. But it was too serious a matter to suffer any +delusion to take place, so I turned to the young woman, and told +her we did not desire to impose upon the new convert in her first +and more ignorant understanding of things, and begged her to +explain to her that God may be very properly said to answer our +petitions, when, in the course of His providence, such things are +in a particular manner brought to pass as we petitioned for; but we +did not expect returns from heaven in a miraculous and particular +manner, and it is a mercy that it is not so. + +This the young woman did afterwards effectually, so that there was +no priestcraft used here; and I should have thought it one of the +most unjustifiable frauds in the world to have had it so. But the +effect upon Will Atkins is really not to be expressed; and there, +we may be sure, was no delusion. Sure no man was ever more +thankful in the world for anything of its kind than he was for the +Bible, nor, I believe, never any man was glad of a Bible from a +better principle; and though he had been a most profligate +creature, headstrong, furious, and desperately wicked, yet this man +is a standing rule to us all for the well instructing children, +viz. that parents should never give over to teach and instruct, nor +ever despair of the success of their endeavours, let the children +be ever so refractory, or to appearance insensible to instruction; +for if ever God in His providence touches the conscience of such, +the force of their education turns upon them, and the early +instruction of parents is not lost, though it may have been many +years laid asleep, but some time or other they may find the benefit +of it. Thus it was with this poor man: however ignorant he was of +religion and Christian knowledge, he found he had some to do with +now more ignorant than himself, and that the least part of the +instruction of his good father that now came to his mind was of use +to him. + +Among the rest, it occurred to him, he said, how his father used to +insist so much on the inexpressible value of the Bible, and the +privilege and blessing of it to nations, families, and persons; but +he never entertained the least notion of the worth of it till now, +when, being to talk to heathens, savages, and barbarians, he wanted +the help of the written oracle for his assistance. The young woman +was glad of it also for the present occasion, though she had one, +and so had the youth, on board our ship among their goods, which +were not yet brought on shore. And now, having said so many things +of this young woman, I cannot omit telling one story more of her +and myself, which has something in it very instructive and +remarkable. + +I have related to what extremity the poor young woman was reduced; +how her mistress was starved to death, and died on board that +unhappy ship we met at sea, and how the whole ship's company was +reduced to the last extremity. The gentlewoman, and her son, and +this maid, were first hardly used as to provisions, and at last +totally neglected and starved--that is to say, brought to the last +extremity of hunger. One day, being discoursing with her on the +extremities they suffered, I asked her if she could describe, by +what she had felt, what it was to starve, and how it appeared? She +said she believed she could, and told her tale very distinctly +thus:- + +"First, we had for some days fared exceedingly hard, and suffered +very great hunger; but at last we were wholly without food of any +kind except sugar, and a little wine and water. The first day +after I had received no food at all, I found myself towards +evening, empty and sick at the stomach, and nearer night much +inclined to yawning and sleep. I lay down on the couch in the +great cabin to sleep, and slept about three hours, and awaked a +little refreshed, having taken a glass of wine when I lay down; +after being about three hours awake, it being about five o'clock in +the morning, I found myself empty, and my stomach sickish, and lay +down again, but could not sleep at all, being very faint and ill; +and thus I continued all the second day with a strange variety-- +first hungry, then sick again, with retchings to vomit. The second +night, being obliged to go to bed again without any food more than +a draught of fresh water, and being asleep, I dreamed I was at +Barbadoes, and that the market was mightily stocked with +provisions; that I bought some for my mistress, and went and dined +very heartily. I thought my stomach was full after this, as it +would have been after a good dinner; but when I awaked I was +exceedingly sunk in my spirits to find myself in the extremity of +family. The last glass of wine we had I drank, and put sugar in +it, because of its having some spirit to supply nourishment; but +there being no substance in the stomach for the digesting office to +work upon, I found the only effect of the wine was to raise +disagreeable fumes from the stomach into the head; and I lay, as +they told me, stupid and senseless, as one drunk, for some time. +The third day, in the morning, after a night of strange, confused, +and inconsistent dreams, and rather dozing than sleeping, I awaked +ravenous and furious with hunger; and I question, had not my +understanding returned and conquered it, whether if I had been a +mother, and had had a little child with me, its life would have +been safe or not. This lasted about three hours, during which time +I was twice raging mad as any creature in Bedlam, as my young +master told me, and as he can now inform you. + +"In one of these fits of lunacy or distraction I fell down and +struck my face against the corner of a pallet-bed, in which my +mistress lay, and with the blow the blood gushed out of my nose; +and the cabin-boy bringing me a little basin, I sat down and bled +into it a great deal; and as the blood came from me I came to +myself, and the violence of the flame or fever I was in abated, and +so did the ravenous part of the hunger. Then I grew sick, and +retched to vomit, but could not, for I had nothing in my stomach to +bring up. After I had bled some time I swooned, and they all +believed I was dead; but I came to myself soon after, and then had +a most dreadful pain in my stomach not to be described--not like +the colic, but a gnawing, eager pain for food; and towards night it +went off with a kind of earnest wishing or longing for food. I +took another draught of water with sugar in it; but my stomach +loathed the sugar and brought it all up again; then I took a +draught of water without sugar, and that stayed with me; and I laid +me down upon the bed, praying most heartily that it would please +God to take me away; and composing my mind in hopes of it, I +slumbered a while, and then waking, thought myself dying, being +light with vapours from an empty stomach. I recommended my soul +then to God, and then earnestly wished that somebody would throw me +into the into the sea. + +"All this while my mistress lay by me, just, as I thought, +expiring, but she bore it with much more patience than I, and gave +the last bit of bread she had left to her child, my young master, +who would not have taken it, but she obliged him to eat it; and I +believe it saved his life. Towards the morning I slept again, and +when I awoke I fell into a violent passion of crying, and after +that had a second fit of violent hunger. I got up ravenous, and in +a most dreadful condition; and once or twice I was going to bite my +own arm. At last I saw the basin in which was the blood I had bled +at my nose the day before: I ran to it, and swallowed it with such +haste, and such a greedy appetite, as if I wondered nobody had +taken it before, and afraid it should be taken from me now. After +it was down, though the thoughts of it filled me with horror, yet +it checked the fit of hunger, and I took another draught of water, +and was composed and refreshed for some hours after. This was the +fourth day; and this I kept up till towards night, when, within the +compass of three hours, I had all the several circumstances over +again, one after another, viz. sick, sleepy, eagerly hungry, pain +in the stomach, then ravenous again, then sick, then lunatic, then +crying, then ravenous again, and so every quarter of an hour, and +my strength wasted exceedingly; at night I lay me down, having no +comfort but in the hope that I should die before morning. + +"All this night I had no sleep; but the hunger was now turned into +a disease; and I had a terrible colic and griping, by wind instead +of food having found its way into the bowels; and in this condition +I lay till morning, when I was surprised by the cries and +lamentations of my young master, who called out to me that his +mother was dead. I lifted myself up a little, for I had not +strength to rise, but found she was not dead, though she was able +to give very little signs of life. I had then such convulsions in +my stomach, for want of some sustenance, as I cannot describe; with +such frequent throes and pangs of appetite as nothing but the +tortures of death can imitate; and in this condition I was when I +heard the seamen above cry out, 'A sail! a sail!' and halloo and +jump about as if they were distracted. I was not able to get off +from the bed, and my mistress much less; and my young master was so +sick that I thought he had been expiring; so we could not open the +cabin door, or get any account what it was that occasioned such +confusion; nor had we had any conversation with the ship's company +for twelve days, they having told us that they had not a mouthful +of anything to eat in the ship; and this they told us afterwards-- +they thought we had been dead. It was this dreadful condition we +were in when you were sent to save our lives; and how you found us, +sir, you know as well as I, and better too." + +This was her own relation, and is such a distinct account of +starving to death, as, I confess, I never met with, and was +exceeding instructive to me. I am the rather apt to believe it to +be a true account, because the youth gave me an account of a good +part of it; though I must own, not so distinct and so feeling as +the maid; and the rather, because it seems his mother fed him at +the price of her own life: but the poor maid, whose constitution +was stronger than that of her mistress, who was in years, and a +weakly woman too, might struggle harder with it; nevertheless she +might be supposed to feel the extremity something sooner than her +mistress, who might be allowed to keep the last bit something +longer than she parted with any to relieve her maid. No question, +as the case is here related, if our ship or some other had not so +providentially met them, but a few days more would have ended all +their lives. I now return to my disposition of things among the +people. And, first, it is to be observed here, that for many +reasons I did not think fit to let them know anything of the sloop +I had framed, and which I thought of setting up among them; for I +found, at least at my first coming, such seeds of division among +them, that I saw plainly, had I set up the sloop, and left it among +them, they would, upon every light disgust, have separated, and +gone away from one another; or perhaps have turned pirates, and so +made the island a den of thieves, instead of a plantation of sober +and religious people, as I intended it; nor did I leave the two +pieces of brass cannon that I had on board, or the extra two +quarter-deck guns that my nephew had provided, for the same reason. +I thought it was enough to qualify them for a defensive war against +any that should invade them, but not to set them up for an +offensive war, or to go abroad to attack others; which, in the end, +would only bring ruin and destruction upon them. I reserved the +sloop, therefore, and the guns, for their service another way, as I +shall observe in its place. + +Having now done with the island, I left them all in good +circumstances and in a flourishing condition, and went on board my +ship again on the 6th of May, having been about twenty-five days +among them: and as they were all resolved to stay upon the island +till I came to remove them, I promised to send them further relief +from the Brazils, if I could possibly find an opportunity. I +particularly promised to send them some cattle, such as sheep, +hogs, and cows: as to the two cows and calves which I brought from +England, we had been obliged, by the length of our voyage, to kill +them at sea, for want of hay to feed them. + +The next day, giving them a salute of five guns at parting, we set +sail, and arrived at the bay of All Saints in the Brazils in about +twenty-two days, meeting nothing remarkable in our passage but +this: that about three days after we had sailed, being becalmed, +and the current setting strong to the ENE., running, as it were, +into a bay or gulf on the land side, we were driven something out +of our course, and once or twice our men cried out, "Land to the +eastward!" but whether it was the continent or islands we could not +tell by any means. But the third day, towards evening, the sea +smooth, and the weather calm, we saw the sea as it were covered +towards the land with something very black; not being able to +discover what it was till after some time, our chief mate, going up +the main shrouds a little way, and looking at them with a +perspective, cried out it was an army. I could not imagine what he +meant by an army, and thwarted him a little hastily. "Nay, sir," +says he, "don't be angry, for 'tis an army, and a fleet too: for I +believe there are a thousand canoes, and you may see them paddle +along, for they are coming towards us apace." + +I was a little surprised then, indeed, and so was my nephew the +captain; for he had heard such terrible stories of them in the +island, and having never been in those seas before, that he could +not tell what to think of it, but said, two or three times, we +should all be devoured. I must confess, considering we were +becalmed, and the current set strong towards the shore, I liked it +the worse; however, I bade them not be afraid, but bring the ship +to an anchor as soon as we came so near as to know that we must +engage them. The weather continued calm, and they came on apace +towards us, so I gave orders to come to an anchor, and furl all our +sails; as for the savages, I told them they had nothing to fear but +fire, and therefore they should get their boats out, and fasten +them, one close by the head and the other by the stern, and man +them both well, and wait the issue in that posture: this I did, +that the men in the boats might he ready with sheets and buckets to +put out any fire these savages might endeavour to fix to the +outside of the ship. + +In this posture we lay by for them, and in a little while they came +up with us; but never was such a horrid sight seen by Christians; +though my mate was much mistaken in his calculation of their +number, yet when they came up we reckoned about a hundred and +twenty-six canoes; some of them had sixteen or seventeen men in +them, and some more, and the least six or seven. When they came +nearer to us, they seemed to be struck with wonder and +astonishment, as at a sight which doubtless they had never seen +before; nor could they at first, as we afterwards understood, know +what to make of us; they came boldly up, however, very near to us, +and seemed to go about to row round us; but we called to our men in +the boats not to let them come too near them. This very order +brought us to an engagement with them, without our designing it; +for five or six of the large canoes came so near our long-boat, +that our men beckoned with their hands to keep them back, which +they understood very well, and went back: but at their retreat +about fifty arrows came on board us from those boats, and one of +our men in the long-boat was very much wounded. However, I called +to them not to fire by any means; but we handed down some deal +boards into the boat, and the carpenter presently set up a kind of +fence, like waste boards, to cover them from the arrows of the +savages, if they should shoot again. + +About half-an-hour afterwards they all came up in a body astern of +us, and so near that we could easily discern what they were, though +we could not tell their design; and I easily found they were some +of my old friends, the same sort of savages that I had been used to +engage with. In a short time more they rowed a little farther out +to sea, till they came directly broadside with us, and then rowed +down straight upon us, till they came so near that they could hear +us speak; upon this, I ordered all my men to keep close, lest they +should shoot any more arrows, and made all our guns ready; but +being so near as to be within hearing, I made Friday go out upon +the deck, and call out aloud to them in his language, to know what +they meant. Whether they understood him or not, that I knew not; +but as soon as he had called to them, six of them, who were in the +foremost or nighest boat to us, turned their canoes from us, and +stooping down, showed us their naked backs; whether this was a +defiance or challenge we knew not, or whether it was done in mere +contempt, or as a signal to the rest; but immediately Friday cried +out they were going to shoot, and, unhappily for him, poor fellow, +they let fly about three hundred of their arrows, and to my +inexpressible grief, killed poor Friday, no other man being in +their sight. The poor fellow was shot with no less than three +arrows, and about three more fell very near him; such unlucky +marksmen they were! + +I was so annoyed at the loss of my old trusty servant and +companion, that I immediately ordered five guns to be loaded with +small shot, and four with great, and gave them such a broadside as +they had never heard in their lives before. They were not above +half a cable's length off when we fired; and our gunners took their +aim so well, that three or four of their canoes were overset, as we +had reason to believe, by one shot only. The ill manners of +turning up their bare backs to us gave us no great offence; neither +did I know for certain whether that which would pass for the +greatest contempt among us might be understood so by them or not; +therefore, in return, I had only resolved to have fired four or +five guns at them with powder only, which I knew would frighten +them sufficiently: but when they shot at us directly with all the +fury they were capable of, and especially as they had killed my +poor Friday, whom I so entirely loved and valued, and who, indeed, +so well deserved it, I thought myself not only justifiable before +God and man, but would have been very glad if I could have overset +every canoe there, and drowned every one of them. + +I can neither tell how many we killed nor how many we wounded at +this broadside, but sure such a fright and hurry never were seen +among such a multitude; there were thirteen or fourteen of their +canoes split and overset in all, and the men all set a-swimming: +the rest, frightened out of their wits, scoured away as fast as +they could, taking but little care to save those whose boats were +split or spoiled with our shot; so I suppose that many of them were +lost; and our men took up one poor fellow swimming for his life, +above an hour after they were all gone. The small shot from our +cannon must needs kill and wound a great many; but, in short, we +never knew how it went with them, for they fled so fast, that in +three hours or thereabouts we could not see above three or four +straggling canoes, nor did we ever see the rest any more; for a +breeze of wind springing up the same evening, we weighed and set +sail for the Brazils. + +We had a prisoner, indeed, but the creature was so sullen that he +would neither eat nor speak, and we all fancied he would starve +himself to death. But I took a way to cure him: for I had made +them take him and turn him into the long-boat, and make him believe +they would toss him into the sea again, and so leave him where they +found him, if he would not speak; nor would that do, but they +really did throw him into the sea, and came away from him. Then he +followed them, for he swam like a cork, and called to them in his +tongue, though they knew not one word of what he said; however at +last they took him in again., and then he began to he more +tractable: nor did I ever design they should drown him. + +We were now under sail again, but I was the most disconsolate +creature alive for want of my man Friday, and would have been very +glad to have gone back to the island, to have taken one of the rest +from thence for my occasion, but it could not be: so we went on. +We had one prisoner, as I have said, and it was a long time before +we could make him understand anything; but in time our men taught +him some English, and he began to be a little tractable. +Afterwards, we inquired what country he came from; but could make +nothing of what he said; for his speech was so odd, all gutturals, +and he spoke in the throat in such a hollow, odd manner, that we +could never form a word after him; and we were all of opinion that +they might speak that language as well if they were gagged as +otherwise; nor could we perceive that they had any occasion either +for teeth, tongue, lips, or palate, but formed their words just as +a hunting-horn forms a tune with an open throat. He told us, +however, some time after, when we had taught him to speak a little +English, that they were going with their kings to fight a great +battle. When he said kings, we asked him how many kings? He said +they were five nation (we could not make him understand the plural +'s), and that they all joined to go against two nation. We asked +him what made them come up to us? He said, "To makee te great +wonder look." Here it is to be observed that all those natives, as +also those of Africa when they learn English, always add two e's at +the end of the words where we use one; and they place the accent +upon them, as makee, takee, and the like; nay, I could hardly make +Friday leave it off, though at last he did. + +And now I name the poor fellow once more, I must take my last leave +of him. Poor honest Friday! We buried him with all the decency +and solemnity possible, by putting him into a coffin, and throwing +him into the sea; and I caused them to fire eleven guns for him. +So ended the life of the most grateful, faithful, honest, and most +affectionate servant that ever man had. + +We went now away with a fair wind for Brazil; and in about twelve +days' time we made land, in the latitude of five degrees south of +the line, being the north-easternmost land of all that part of +America. We kept on S. by E., in sight of the shore four days, +when we made Cape St. Augustine, and in three days came to an +anchor off the bay of All Saints, the old place of my deliverance, +from whence came both my good and evil fate. Never ship came to +this port that had less business than I had, and yet it was with +great difficulty that we were admitted to hold the least +correspondence on shore: not my partner himself, who was alive, +and made a great figure among them, not my two merchant-trustees, +not the fame of my wonderful preservation in the island, could +obtain me that favour. My partner, however, remembering that I had +given five hundred moidores to the prior of the monastery of the +Augustines, and two hundred and seventy-two to the poor, went to +the monastery, and obliged the prior that then was to go to the +governor, and get leave for me personally, with the captain and one +more, besides eight seamen, to come on shore, and no more; and this +upon condition, absolutely capitulated for, that we should not +offer to land any goods out of the ship, or to carry any person +away without licence. They were so strict with us as to landing +any goods, that it was with extreme difficulty that I got on shore +three bales of English goods, such as fine broadcloths, stuffs, and +some linen, which I had brought for a present to my partner. + +He was a very generous, open-hearted man, although he began, like +me, with little at first. Though he knew not that I had the least +design of giving him anything, he sent me on board a present of +fresh provisions, wine, and sweetmeats, worth about thirty +moidores, including some tobacco, and three or four fine medals of +gold: but I was even with him in my present, which, as I have +said, consisted of fine broadcloth, English stuffs, lace, and fine +holland; also, I delivered him about the value of one hundred +pounds sterling in the same goods, for other uses; and I obliged +him to set up the sloop, which I had brought with me from England, +as I have said, for the use of my colony, in order to send the +refreshments I intended to my plantation. + +Accordingly, he got hands, and finished the sloop in a very few +days, for she was already framed; and I gave the master of her such +instructions that he could not miss the place; nor did he, as I had +an account from my partner afterwards. I got him soon loaded with +the small cargo I sent them; and one of our seamen, that had been +on shore with me there, offered to go with the sloop and settle +there, upon my letter to the governor Spaniard to allot him a +sufficient quantity of land for a plantation, and on my giving him +some clothes and tools for his planting work, which he said he +understood, having been an old planter at Maryland, and a buccaneer +into the bargain. I encouraged the fellow by granting all he +desired; and, as an addition, I gave him the savage whom we had +taken prisoner of war to be his slave, and ordered the governor +Spaniard to give him his share of everything he wanted with the +rest. + +When we came to fit this man out, my old partner told me there was +a certain very honest fellow, a Brazil planter of his acquaintance, +who had fallen into the displeasure of the Church. "I know not +what the matter is with him," says he, "but, on my conscience, I +think he is a heretic in his heart, and he has been obliged to +conceal himself for fear of the Inquisition." He then told me that +he would be very glad of such an opportunity to make his escape, +with his wife and two daughters; and if I would let them go to my +island, and allot them a plantation, he would give them a small +stock to begin with--for the officers of the Inquisition had seized +all his effects and estate, and he had nothing left but a little +household stuff and two slaves; "and," adds he, "though I hate his +principles, yet I would not have him fall into their hands, for he +will be assuredly burned alive if he does." I granted this +presently, and joined my Englishman with them: and we concealed +the man, and his wife and daughters, on board our ship, till the +sloop put out to go to sea; and then having put all their goods on +board some time before, we put them on board the sloop after she +was got out of the bay. Our seaman was mightily pleased with this +new partner; and their stocks, indeed, were much alike, rich in +tools, in preparations, and a farm--but nothing to begin with, +except as above: however, they carried over with them what was +worth all the rest, some materials for planting sugar-canes, with +some plants of canes, which he, I mean the Brazil planter, +understood very well. + +Among the rest of the supplies sent to my tenants in the island, I +sent them by the sloop three milch cows and five calves; about +twenty-two hogs, among them three sows; two mares, and a stone- +horse. For my Spaniards, according to my promise, I engaged three +Brazil women to go, and recommended it to them to marry them, and +use them kindly. I could have procured more women, but I +remembered that the poor persecuted man had two daughters, and that +there were but five of the Spaniards that wanted partners; the rest +had wives of their own, though in another country. All this cargo +arrived safe, and, as you may easily suppose, was very welcome to +my old inhabitants, who were now, with this addition, between sixty +and seventy people, besides little children, of which there were a +great many. I found letters at London from them all, by way of +Lisbon, when I came back to England. + +I have now done with the island, and all manner of discourse about +it: and whoever reads the rest of my memorandums would do well to +turn his thoughts entirely from it, and expect to read of the +follies of an old man, not warned by his own harms, much less by +those of other men, to beware; not cooled by almost forty years' +miseries and disappointments--not satisfied with prosperity beyond +expectation, nor made cautious by afflictions and distress beyond +example. + + + +CHAPTER IX-- DREADFUL OCCURRENCES IN MADAGASCAR + + + +I had no more business to go to the East Indies than a man at full +liberty has to go to the turnkey at Newgate, and desire him to lock +him up among the prisoners there, and starve him. Had I taken a +small vessel from England and gone directly to the island; had I +loaded her, as I did the other vessel, with all the necessaries for +the plantation and for my people; taken a patent from the +government here to have secured my property, in subjection only to +that of England; had I carried over cannon and ammunition, servants +and people to plant, and taken possession of the place, fortified +and strengthened it in the name of England, and increased it with +people, as I might easily have done; had I then settled myself +there, and sent the ship back laden with good rice, as I might also +have done in six months' time, and ordered my friends to have +fitted her out again for our supply--had I done this, and stayed +there myself, I had at least acted like a man of common sense. But +I was possessed of a wandering spirit, and scorned all advantages: +I pleased myself with being the patron of the people I placed +there, and doing for them in a kind of haughty, majestic way, like +an old patriarchal monarch, providing for them as if I had been +father of the whole family, as well as of the plantation. But I +never so much as pretended to plant in the name of any government +or nation, or to acknowledge any prince, or to call my people +subjects to any one nation more than another; nay, I never so much +as gave the place a name, but left it as I found it, belonging to +nobody, and the people under no discipline or government but my +own, who, though I had influence over them as a father and +benefactor, had no authority or power to act or command one way or +other, further than voluntary consent moved them to comply. Yet +even this, had I stayed there, would have done well enough; but as +I rambled from them, and came there no more, the last letters I had +from any of them were by my partner's means, who afterwards sent +another sloop to the place, and who sent me word, though I had not +the letter till I got to London, several years after it was +written, that they went on but poorly; were discontented with their +long stay there; that Will Atkins was dead; that five of the +Spaniards were come away; and though they had not been much +molested by the savages, yet they had had some skirmishes with +them; and that they begged of him to write to me to think of the +promise I had made to fetch them away, that they might see their +country again before they died. + +But I was gone a wildgoose chase indeed, and they that will have +any more of me must be content to follow me into a new variety of +follies, hardships, and wild adventures, wherein the justice of +Providence may be duly observed; and we may see how easily Heaven +can gorge us with our own desires, make the strongest of our wishes +be our affliction, and punish us most severely with those very +things which we think it would be our utmost happiness to be +allowed to possess. Whether I had business or no business, away I +went: it is no time now to enlarge upon the reason or absurdity of +my own conduct, but to come to the history--I was embarked for the +voyage, and the voyage I went. + +I shall only add a word or two concerning my honest Popish +clergyman, for let their opinion of us, and all other heretics in +general, as they call us, be as uncharitable as it may, I verily +believe this man was very sincere, and wished the good of all men: +yet I believe he used reserve in many of his expressions, to +prevent giving me offence; for I scarce heard him once call on the +Blessed Virgin, or mention St. Jago, or his guardian angel, though +so common with the rest of them. However, I say I had not the +least doubt of his sincerity and pious intentions; and I am firmly +of opinion, if the rest of the Popish missionaries were like him, +they would strive to visit even the poor Tartars and Laplanders, +where they have nothing to give them, as well as covet to flock to +India, Persia, China, &c., the most wealthy of the heathen +countries; for if they expected to bring no gains to their Church +by it, it may well be admired how they came to admit the Chinese +Confucius into the calendar of the Christian saints. + +A ship being ready to sail for Lisbon, my pious priest asked me +leave to go thither; being still, as he observed, bound never to +finish any voyage he began. How happy it had been for me if I had +gone with him. But it was too late now; all things Heaven appoints +for the best: had I gone with him I had never had so many things +to be thankful for, and the reader had never heard of the second +part of the travels and adventures of Robinson Crusoe: so I must +here leave exclaiming at myself, and go on with my voyage. From +the Brazils we made directly over the Atlantic Sea to the Cape of +Good Hope, and had a tolerably good voyage, our course generally +south-east, now and then a storm, and some contrary winds; but my +disasters at sea were at an end--my future rubs and cross events +were to befall me on shore, that it might appear the land was as +well prepared to be our scourge as the sea. + +Our ship was on a trading voyage, and had a supercargo on board, +who was to direct all her motions after she arrived at the Cape, +only being limited to a certain number of days for stay, by +charter-party, at the several ports she was to go to. This was +none of my business, neither did I meddle with it; my nephew, the +captain, and the supercargo adjusting all those things between them +as they thought fit. We stayed at the Cape no longer than was +needful to take in-fresh water, but made the best of our way for +the coast of Coromandel. We were, indeed, informed that a French +man-of-war, of fifty guns, and two large merchant ships, were gone +for the Indies; and as I knew we were at war with France, I had +some apprehensions of them; but they went their own way, and we +heard no more of them. + +I shall not pester the reader with a tedious description of places, +journals of our voyage, variations of the compass, latitudes, +trade-winds, &c.; it is enough to name the ports and places which +we touched at, and what occurred to us upon our passages from one +to another. We touched first at the island of Madagascar, where, +though the people are fierce and treacherous, and very well armed +with lances and bows, which they use with inconceivable dexterity, +yet we fared very well with them a while. They treated us very +civilly; and for some trifles which we gave them, such as knives, +scissors, &c., they brought us eleven good fat bullocks, of a +middling size, which we took in, partly for fresh provisions for +our present spending, and the rest to salt for the ship's use. + +We were obliged to stay here some time after we had furnished +ourselves with provisions; and I, who was always too curious to +look into every nook of the world wherever I came, went on shore as +often as I could. It was on the east side of the island that we +went on shore one evening: and the people, who, by the way, are +very numerous, came thronging about us, and stood gazing at us at a +distance. As we had traded freely with them, and had been kindly +used, we thought ourselves in no danger; but when we saw the +people, we cut three boughs out of a tree, and stuck them up at a +distance from us; which, it seems, is a mark in that country not +only of a truce and friendship, but when it is accepted the other +side set up three poles or boughs, which is a signal that they +accept the truce too; but then this is a known condition of the +truce, that you are not to pass beyond their three poles towards +them, nor they to come past your three poles or boughs towards you; +so that you are perfectly secure within the three poles, and all +the space between your poles and theirs is allowed like a market +for free converse, traffic, and commerce. When you go there you +must not carry your weapons with you; and if they come into that +space they stick up their javelins and lances all at the first +poles, and come on unarmed; but if any violence is offered them, +and the truce thereby broken, away they run to the poles, and lay +hold of their weapons, and the truce is at an end. + +It happened one evening, when we went on shore, that a greater +number of their people came down than usual, but all very friendly +and civil; and they brought several kinds of provisions, for which +we satisfied them with such toys as we had; the women also brought +us milk and roots, and several things very acceptable to us, and +all was quiet; and we made us a little tent or hut of some boughs +or trees, and lay on shore all night. I know not what was the +occasion, but I was not so well satisfied to lie on shore as the +rest; and the boat riding at an anchor at about a stone's cast from +the land, with two men in her to take care of her, I made one of +them come on shore; and getting some boughs of trees to cover us +also in the boat, I spread the sail on the bottom of the boat, and +lay under the cover of the branches of the trees all night in the +boat. + +About two o'clock in the morning we heard one of our men making a +terrible noise on the shore, calling out, for God's sake, to bring +the boat in and come and help them, for they were all like to be +murdered; and at the same time I heard the fire of five muskets, +which was the number of guns they had, and that three times over; +for it seems the natives here were not so easily frightened with +guns as the savages were in America, where I had to do with them. +All this while, I knew not what was the matter, but rousing +immediately from sleep with the noise, I caused the boat to be +thrust in, and resolved with three fusees we had on board to land +and assist our men. We got the boat soon to the shore, but our men +were in too much haste; for being come to the shore, they plunged +into the water, to get to the boat with all the expedition they +could, being pursued by between three and four hundred men. Our +men were but nine in all, and only five of them had fusees with +them; the rest had pistols and swords, indeed, but they were of +small use to them. + +We took up seven of our men, and with difficulty enough too, three +of them being very ill wounded; and that which was still worse was, +that while we stood in the boat to take our men in, we were in as +much danger as they were in on shore; for they poured their arrows +in upon us so thick that we were glad to barricade the side of the +boat up with the benches, and two or three loose boards which, to +our great satisfaction, we had by mere accident in the boat. And +yet, had it been daylight, they are, it seems, such exact marksmen, +that if they could have seen but the least part of any of us, they +would have been sure of us. We had, by the light of the moon, a +little sight of them, as they stood pelting us from the shore with +darts and arrows; and having got ready our firearms, we gave them a +volley that we could hear, by the cries of some of them, had +wounded several; however, they stood thus in battle array on the +shore till break of day, which we supposed was that they might see +the better to take their aim at us. + +In this condition we lay, and could not tell how to weigh our +anchor, or set up our sail, because we must needs stand up in the +boat, and they were as sure to hit us as we were to hit a bird in a +tree with small shot. We made signals of distress to the ship, and +though she rode a league off, yet my nephew, the captain, hearing +our firing, and by glasses perceiving the posture we lay in, and +that we fired towards the shore, pretty well understood us; and +weighing anchor with all speed, he stood as near the shore as he +durst with the ship, and then sent another boat with ten hands in +her, to assist us. We called to them not to come too near, telling +them what condition we were in; however, they stood in near to us, +and one of the men taking the end of a tow-line in his hand, and +keeping our boat between him and the enemy, so that they could not +perfectly see him, swam on board us, and made fast the line to the +boat: upon which we slipped out a little cable, and leaving our +anchor behind, they towed us out of reach of the arrows; we all the +while lying close behind the barricade we had made. As soon as we +were got from between the ship and the shore, that we could lay her +side to the shore, she ran along just by them, and poured in a +broadside among them, loaded with pieces of iron and lead, small +bullets, and such stuff, besides the great shot, which made a +terrible havoc among them. + +When we were got on board and out of danger, we had time to examine +into the occasion of this fray; and indeed our supercargo, who had +been often in those parts, put me upon it; for he said he was sure +the inhabitants would not have touched us after we had made a +truce, if we had not done something to provoke them to it. At +length it came out that an old woman, who had come to sell us some +milk, had brought it within our poles, and a young woman with her, +who also brought us some roots or herbs; and while the old woman +(whether she was mother to the young woman or no they could not +tell) was selling us the milk, one of our men offered some rudeness +to the girl that was with her, at which the old woman made a great +noise: however, the seaman would not quit his prize, but carried +her out of the old woman's sight among the trees, it being almost +dark; the old woman went away without her, and, as we may suppose, +made an outcry among the people she came from; who, upon notice, +raised that great army upon us in three or four hours, and it was +great odds but we had all been destroyed. + +One of our men was killed with a lance thrown at him just at the +beginning of the attack, as he sallied out of the tent they had +made; the rest came off free, all but the fellow who was the +occasion of all the mischief, who paid dear enough for his +brutality, for we could not hear what became of him for a great +while. We lay upon the shore two days after, though the wind +presented, and made signals for him, and made our boat sail up +shore and down shore several leagues, but in vain; so we were +obliged to give him over; and if he alone had suffered for it, the +loss had been less. I could not satisfy myself, however, without +venturing on shore once more, to try if I could learn anything of +him or them; it was the third night after the action that I had a +great mind to learn, if I could by any means, what mischief we had +done, and how the game stood on the Indians' side. I was careful +to do it in the dark, lest we should be attacked again: but I +ought indeed to have been sure that the men I went with had been +under my command, before I engaged in a thing so hazardous and +mischievous as I was brought into by it, without design. + +We took twenty as stout fellows with us as any in the ship, besides +the supercargo and myself, and we landed two hours before midnight, +at the same place where the Indians stood drawn up in the evening +before. I landed here, because my design, as I have said, was +chiefly to see if they had quitted the field, and if they had left +any marks behind them of the mischief we had done them, and I +thought if we could surprise one or two of them, perhaps we might +get our man again, by way of exchange. + +We landed without any noise, and divided our men into two bodies, +whereof the boatswain commanded one and I the other. We neither +saw nor heard anybody stir when we landed: and we marched up, one +body at a distance from another, to the place. At first we could +see nothing, it being very dark; till by-and-by our boatswain, who +led the first party, stumbled and fell over a dead body. This made +them halt a while; for knowing by the circumstances that they were +at the place where the Indians had stood, they waited for my coming +up there. We concluded to halt till the moon began to rise, which +we knew would be in less than an hour, when we could easily discern +the havoc we had made among them. We told thirty-two bodies upon +the ground, whereof two were not quite dead; some had an arm and +some a leg shot off, and one his head; those that were wounded, we +supposed, they had carried away. When we had made, as I thought, a +full discovery of all we could come to the knowledge of, I resolved +on going on board; but the boatswain and his party sent me word +that they were resolved to make a visit to the Indian town, where +these dogs, as they called them, dwelt, and asked me to go along +with them; and if they could find them, as they still fancied they +should, they did not doubt of getting a good booty; and it might be +they might find Tom Jeffry there: that was the man's name we had +lost. + +Had they sent to ask my leave to go, I knew well enough what answer +to have given them; for I should have commanded them instantly on +board, knowing it was not a hazard fit for us to run, who had a +ship and ship-loading in our charge, and a voyage to make which +depended very much upon the lives of the men; but as they sent me +word they were resolved to go, and only asked me and my company to +go along with them, I positively refused it, and rose up, for I was +sitting on the ground, in order to go to the boat. One or two of +the men began to importune me to go; and when I refused, began to +grumble, and say they were not under my command, and they would go. +"Come, Jack," says one of the men, "will you go with me? I'll go +for one." Jack said he would--and then another--and, in a word, +they all left me but one, whom I persuaded to stay, and a boy left +in the boat. So the supercargo and I, with the third man, went +back to the boat, where we told them we would stay for them, and +take care to take in as many of them as should be left; for I told +them it was a mad thing they were going about, and supposed most of +them would have the fate of Tom Jeffry. + +They told me, like seamen, they would warrant it they would come +off again, and they would take care, &c.; so away they went. I +entreated them to consider the ship and the voyage, that their +lives were not their own, and that they were entrusted with the +voyage, in some measure; that if they miscarried, the ship might be +lost for want of their help, and that they could not answer for it +to God or man. But I might as well have talked to the mainmast of +the ship: they were mad upon their journey; only they gave me good +words, and begged I would not be angry; that they did not doubt but +they would be back again in about an hour at furthest; for the +Indian town, they said, was not above half-a mile off, though they +found it above two miles before they got to it. + +Well, they all went away, and though the attempt was desperate, and +such as none but madmen would have gone about, yet, to give them +their due, they went about it as warily as boldly; they were +gallantly armed, for they had every man a fusee or musket, a +bayonet, and a pistol; some of them had broad cutlasses, some of +them had hangers, and the boatswain and two more had poleaxes; +besides all which they had among them thirteen hand grenadoes. +Bolder fellows, and better provided, never went about any wicked +work in the world. When they went out their chief design was +plunder, and they were in mighty hopes of finding gold there; but a +circumstance which none of them were aware of set them on fire with +revenge, and made devils of them all. + +When they came to the few Indian houses which they thought had been +the town, which was not above half a mile off, they were under +great disappointment, for there were not above twelve or thirteen +houses, and where the town was, or how big, they knew not. They +consulted, therefore, what to do, and were some time before they +could resolve; for if they fell upon these, they must cut all their +throats; and it was ten to one but some of them might escape, it +being in the night, though the moon was up; and if one escaped, he +would run and raise all the town, so they should have a whole army +upon them; on the other hand, if they went away and left those +untouched, for the people were all asleep, they could not tell +which way to look for the town; however, the last was the best +advice, so they resolved to leave them, and look for the town as +well as they could. They went on a little way, and found a cow +tied to a tree; this, they presently concluded, would be a good +guide to them; for, they said, the cow certainly belonged to the +town before them, or the town behind them, and if they untied her, +they should see which way she went: if she went back, they had +nothing to say to her; but if she went forward, they would follow +her. So they cut the cord, which was made of twisted flags, and +the cow went on before them, directly to the town; which, as they +reported, consisted of above two hundred houses or huts, and in +some of these they found several families living together. + +Here they found all in silence, as profoundly secure as sleep could +make them: and first, they called another council, to consider +what they had to do; and presently resolved to divide themselves +into three bodies, and so set three houses on fire in three parts +of the town; and as the men came out, to seize them and bind them +(if any resisted, they need not be asked what to do then), and so +to search the rest of the houses for plunder: but they resolved to +march silently first through the town, and see what dimensions it +was of, and if they might venture upon it or no. + +They did so, and desperately resolved that they would venture upon +them: but while they were animating one another to the work, three +of them, who were a little before the rest, called out aloud to +them, and told them that they had found--Tom Jeffry: they all ran +up to the place, where they found the poor fellow hanging up naked +by one arm, and his throat cut. There was an Indian house just by +the tree, where they found sixteen or seventeen of the principal +Indians, who had been concerned in the fray with us before, and two +or three of them wounded with our shot; and our men found they were +awake, and talking one to another in that house, but knew not their +number. + +The sight of their poor mangled comrade so enraged them, as before, +that they swore to one another that they would be revenged, and +that not an Indian that came into their hands should have any +quarter; and to work they went immediately, and yet not so madly as +might be expected from the rage and fury they were in. Their first +care was to get something that would soon take fire, but, after a +little search, they found that would be to no purpose; for most of +the houses were low, and thatched with flags and rushes, of which +the country is full; so they presently made some wildfire, as we +call it, by wetting a little powder in the palm of their hands, and +in a quarter of an hour they set the town on fire in four or five +places, and particularly that house where the Indians were not gone +to bed. + +As soon as the fire begun to blaze, the poor frightened creatures +began to rush out to save their lives, but met with their fate in +the attempt; and especially at the door, where they drove them +back, the boatswain himself killing one or two with his poleaxe. +The house being large, and many in it, he did not care to go in, +but called for a hand grenado, and threw it among them, which at +first frightened them, but, when it burst, made such havoc among +them that they cried out in a hideous manner. In short, most of +the Indians who were in the open part of the house were killed or +hurt with the grenado, except two or three more who pressed to the +door, which the boatswain and two more kept, with their bayonets on +the muzzles of their pieces, and despatched all that came in their +way; but there was another apartment in the house, where the prince +or king, or whatever he was, and several others were; and these +were kept in till the house, which was by this time all in a light +flame, fell in upon them, and they were smothered together. + +All this while they fired not a gun, because they would not waken +the people faster than they could master them; but the fire began +to waken them fast enough, and our fellows were glad to keep a +little together in bodies; for the fire grew so raging, all the +houses being made of light combustible stuff, that they could +hardly bear the street between them. Their business was to follow +the fire, for the surer execution: as fast as the fire either +forced the people out of those houses which were burning, or +frightened them out of others, our people were ready at their doors +to knock them on the head, still calling and hallooing one to +another to remember Tom Jeffry. + +While this was doing, I must confess I was very uneasy, and +especially when I saw the flames of the town, which, it being +night, seemed to be close by me. My nephew, the captain, who was +roused by his men seeing such a fire, was very uneasy, not knowing +what the matter was, or what danger I was in, especially hearing +the guns too, for by this time they began to use their firearms; a +thousand thoughts oppressed his mind concerning me and the +supercargo, what would become of us; and at last, though he could +ill spare any more men, yet not knowing what exigence we might be +in, he took another boat, and with thirteen men and himself came +ashore to me. + +He was surprised to see me and the supercargo in the boat with no +more than two men; and though he was glad that we were well, yet he +was in the same impatience with us to know what was doing; for the +noise continued, and the flame increased; in short, it was next to +an impossibility for any men in the world to restrain their +curiosity to know what had happened, or their concern for the +safety of the men: in a word, the captain told me he would go and +help his men, let what would come. I argued with him, as I did +before with the men, the safety of the ship, the danger of the +voyage, the interests of the owners and merchants, &c., and told +him I and the two men would go, and only see if we could at a +distance learn what was likely to be the event, and come back and +tell him. It was in vain to talk to my nephew, as it was to talk +to the rest before; he would go, he said; and he only wished he had +left but ten men in the ship, for he could not think of having his +men lost for want of help: he had rather lose the ship, the +voyage, and his life, and all; and away he went. + +I was no more able to stay behind now than I was to persuade them +not to go; so the captain ordered two men to row back the pinnace, +and fetch twelve men more, leaving the long-boat at an anchor; and +that, when they came back, six men should keep the two boats, and +six more come after us; so that he left only sixteen men in the +ship: for the whole ship's company consisted of sixty-five men, +whereof two were lost in the late quarrel which brought this +mischief on. + +Being now on the march, we felt little of the ground we trod on; +and being guided by the fire, we kept no path, but went directly to +the place of the flame. If the noise of the guns was surprising to +us before, the cries of the poor people were now quite of another +nature, and filled us with horror. I must confess I was never at +the sacking a city, or at the taking a town by storm. I had heard +of Oliver Cromwell taking Drogheda, in Ireland, and killing man, +woman, and child; and I had read of Count Tilly sacking the city of +Magdeburg and cutting the throats of twenty-two thousand of all +sexes; but I never had an idea of the thing itself before, nor is +it possible to describe it, or the horror that was upon our minds +at hearing it. However, we went on, and at length came to the +town, though there was no entering the streets of it for the fire. +The first object we met with was the ruins of a hut or house, or +rather the ashes of it, for the house was consumed; and just before +it, plainly now to be seen by the light of the fire, lay four men +and three women, killed, and, as we thought, one or two more lay in +the heap among the fire; in short, there were such instances of +rage, altogether barbarous, and of a fury something beyond what was +human, that we thought it impossible our men could be guilty of it; +or, if they were the authors of it, we thought they ought to be +every one of them put to the worst of deaths. But this was not +all: we saw the fire increase forward, and the cry went on just as +the fire went on; so that we were in the utmost confusion. We +advanced a little way farther, and behold, to our astonishment, +three naked women, and crying in a most dreadful manner, came +flying as if they had wings, and after them sixteen or seventeen +men, natives, in the same terror and consternation, with three of +our English butchers in the rear, who, when they could not overtake +them, fired in among them, and one that was killed by their shot +fell down in our sight. When the rest saw us, believing us to be +their enemies, and that we would murder them as well as those that +pursued them, they set up a most dreadful shriek, especially the +women; and two of them fell down, as if already dead, with the +fright. + +My very soul shrunk within me, and my blood ran chill in my veins, +when I saw this; and, I believe, had the three English sailors that +pursued them come on, I had made our men kill them all; however, we +took some means to let the poor flying creatures know that we would +not hurt them; and immediately they came up to us, and kneeling +down, with their hands lifted up, made piteous lamentation to us to +save them, which we let them know we would: whereupon they crept +all together in a huddle close behind us, as for protection. I +left my men drawn up together, and, charging them to hurt nobody, +but, if possible, to get at some of our people, and see what devil +it was possessed them, and what they intended to do, and to command +them off; assuring them that if they stayed till daylight they +would have a hundred thousand men about their ears: I say I left +them, and went among those flying people, taking only two of our +men with me; and there was, indeed, a piteous spectacle among them. +Some of them had their feet terribly burned with trampling and +running through the fire; others their hands burned; one of the +women had fallen down in the fire, and was very much burned before +she could get out again; and two or three of the men had cuts in +their backs and thighs, from our men pursuing; and another was shot +through the body and died while I was there. + +I would fain have learned what the occasion of all this was; but I +could not understand one word they said; though, by signs, I +perceived some of them knew not what was the occasion themselves. +I was so terrified in my thoughts at this outrageous attempt that I +could not stay there, but went back to my own men, and resolved to +go into the middle of the town, through the fire, or whatever might +be in the way, and put an end to it, cost what it would; +accordingly, as I came back to my men, I told them my resolution, +and commanded them to follow me, when, at the very moment, came +four of our men, with the boatswain at their head, roving over +heaps of bodies they had killed, all covered with blood and dust, +as if they wanted more people to massacre, when our men hallooed to +them as loud as they could halloo; and with much ado one of them +made them hear, so that they knew who we were, and came up to us. + +As soon as the boatswain saw us, he set up a halloo like a shout of +triumph, for having, as he thought, more help come; and without +waiting to hear me, "Captain," says he, "noble captain! I am glad +you are come; we have not half done yet. Villainous hell-hound +dogs! I'll kill as many of them as poor Tom has hairs upon his +head: we have sworn to spare none of them; we'll root out the very +nation of them from the earth;" and thus he ran on, out of breath, +too, with action, and would not give us leave to speak a word. At +last, raising my voice that I might silence him a little, +"Barbarous dog!" said I, "what are you doing! I won't have one +creature touched more, upon pain of death; I charge you, upon your +life, to stop your hands, and stand still here, or you are a dead +man this minute."--"Why, sir," says he, "do you know what you do, +or what they have done? If you want a reason for what we have +done, come hither;" and with that he showed me the poor fellow +hanging, with his throat cut. + +I confess I was urged then myself, and at another time would have +been forward enough; but I thought they had carried their rage too +far, and remembered Jacob's words to his sons Simeon and Levi: +"Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it +was cruel." But I had now a new task upon my hands; for when the +men I had carried with me saw the sight, as I had done, I had as +much to do to restrain them as I should have had with the others; +nay, my nephew himself fell in with them, and told me, in their +hearing, that he was only concerned for fear of the men being +overpowered; and as to the people, he thought not one of them ought +to live; for they had all glutted themselves with the murder of the +poor man, and that they ought to be used like murderers. Upon +these words, away ran eight of my men, with the boatswain and his +crew, to complete their bloody work; and I, seeing it quite out of +my power to restrain them, came away pensive and sad; for I could +not bear the sight, much less the horrible noise and cries of the +poor wretches that fell into their hands. + +I got nobody to come back with me but the supercargo and two men, +and with these walked back to the boat. It was a very great piece +of folly in me, I confess, to venture back, as it were, alone; for +as it began now to be almost day, and the alarm had run over the +country, there stood about forty men armed with lances and boughs +at the little place where the twelve or thirteen houses stood, +mentioned before: but by accident I missed the place, and came +directly to the seaside, and by the time I got to the seaside it +was broad day: immediately I took the pinnace and went on board, +and sent her back to assist the men in what might happen. I +observed, about the time that I came to the boat-side, that the +fire was pretty well out, and the noise abated; but in about half- +an-hour after I got on board, I heard a volley of our men's +firearms, and saw a great smoke. This, as I understood afterwards, +was our men falling upon the men, who, as I said, stood at the few +houses on the way, of whom they killed sixteen or seventeen, and +set all the houses on fire, but did not meddle with the women or +children. + +By the time the men got to the shore again with the pinnace our men +began to appear; they came dropping in, not in two bodies as they +went, but straggling here and there in such a manner, that a small +force of resolute men might have cut them all off. But the dread +of them was upon the whole country; and the men were surprised, and +so frightened, that I believe a hundred of them would have fled at +the sight of but five of our men. Nor in all this terrible action +was there a man that made any considerable defence: they were so +surprised between the terror of the fire and the sudden attack of +our men in the dark, that they knew not which way to turn +themselves; for if they fled one way they were met by one party, if +back again by another, so that they were everywhere knocked down; +nor did any of our men receive the least hurt, except one that +sprained his foot, and another that had one of his hands burned. + + + +CHAPTER X--HE IS LEFT ON SHORE + + + +I was very angry with my nephew, the captain, and indeed with all +the men, but with him in particular, as well for his acting so out +of his duty as a commander of the ship, and having the charge of +the voyage upon him, as in his prompting, rather than cooling, the +rage of his blind men in so bloody and cruel an enterprise. My +nephew answered me very respectfully, but told me that when he saw +the body of the poor seaman whom they had murdered in so cruel and +barbarous a manner, he was not master of himself, neither could he +govern his passion; he owned he should not have done so, as he was +commander of the ship; but as he was a man, and nature moved him, +he could not bear it. As for the rest of the men, they were not +subject to me at all, and they knew it well enough; so they took no +notice of my dislike. The next day we set sail, so we never heard +any more of it. Our men differed in the account of the number they +had killed; but according to the best of their accounts, put all +together, they killed or destroyed about one hundred and fifty +people, men, women, and children, and left not a house standing in +the town. As for the poor fellow Tom Jeffry, as he was quite dead +(for his throat was so cut that his head was half off), it would do +him no service to bring him away; so they only took him down from +the tree, where he was hanging by one hand. + +However just our men thought this action, I was against them in it, +and I always, after that time, told them God would blast the +voyage; for I looked upon all the blood they shed that night to be +murder in them. For though it is true that they had killed Tom +Jeffry, yet Jeffry was the aggressor, had broken the truce, and had +ill-used a young woman of theirs, who came down to them innocently, +and on the faith of the public capitulation. + +The boatswain defended this quarrel when we were afterwards on +board. He said it was true that we seemed to break the truce, but +really had not; and that the war was begun the night before by the +natives themselves, who had shot at us, and killed one of our men +without any just provocation; so that as we were in a capacity to +fight them now, we might also be in a capacity to do ourselves +justice upon them in an extraordinary manner; that though the poor +man had taken a little liberty with the girl, he ought not to have +been murdered, and that in such a villainous manner: and that they +did nothing but what was just and what the laws of God allowed to +be done to murderers. One would think this should have been enough +to have warned us against going on shore amongst the heathens and +barbarians; but it is impossible to make mankind wise but at their +own expense, and their experience seems to be always of most use to +them when it is dearest bought. + +We were now bound to the Gulf of Persia, and from thence to the +coast of Coromandel, only to touch at Surat; but the chief of the +supercargo's design lay at the Bay of Bengal, where, if he missed +his business outward-bound, he was to go out to China, and return +to the coast as he came home. The first disaster that befell us +was in the Gulf of Persia, where five of our men, venturing on +shore on the Arabian side of the gulf, were surrounded by the +Arabians, and either all killed or carried away into slavery; the +rest of the boat's crew were not able to rescue them, and had but +just time to get off their boat. I began to upbraid them with the +just retribution of Heaven in this case; but the boatswain very +warmly told me, he thought I went further in my censures than I +could show any warrant for in Scripture; and referred to Luke xiii. +4, where our Saviour intimates that those men on whom the Tower of +Siloam fell were not sinners above all the Galileans; but that +which put me to silence in the case was, that not one of these five +men who were now lost were of those who went on shore to the +massacre of Madagascar, so I always called it, though our men could +not bear to hear the word MASSACRE with any patience. + +But my frequent preaching to them on this subject had worse +consequences than I expected; and the boatswain, who had been the +head of the attempt, came up boldly to me one time, and told me he +found that I brought that affair continually upon the stage; that I +made unjust reflections upon it, and had used the men very ill on +that account, and himself in particular; that as I was but a +passenger, and had no command in the ship, or concern in the +voyage, they were not obliged to bear it; that they did not know +but I might have some ill-design in my head, and perhaps to call +them to an account for it when they came to England; and that, +therefore, unless I would resolve to have done with it, and also +not to concern myself any further with him, or any of his affairs, +he would leave the ship; for he did not think it safe to sail with +me among them. + +I heard him patiently enough till he had done, and then told him +that I confessed I had all along opposed the massacre of +Madagascar, and that I had, on all occasions, spoken my mind freely +about it, though not more upon him than any of the rest; that as to +having no command in the ship, that was true; nor did I exercise +any authority, only took the liberty of speaking my mind in things +which publicly concerned us all; and what concern I had in the +voyage was none of his business; that I was a considerable owner in +the ship. In that claim I conceived I had a right to speak even +further than I had done, and would not be accountable to him or any +one else, and began to be a little warm with him. He made but +little reply to me at that time, and I thought the affair had been +over. We were at this time in the road at Bengal; and being +willing to see the place, I went on shore with the supercargo in +the ship's boat to divert myself; and towards evening was preparing +to go on board, when one of the men came to me, and told me he +would not have me trouble myself to come down to the boat, for they +had orders not to carry me on board any more. Any one may guess +what a surprise I was in at so insolent a message; and I asked the +man who bade him deliver that message to me? He told me the +coxswain. + +I immediately found out the supercargo, and told him the story, +adding that I foresaw there would be a mutiny in the ship; and +entreated him to go immediately on board and acquaint the captain +of it. But I might have spared this intelligence, for before I had +spoken to him on shore the matter was effected on board. The +boatswain, the gunner, the carpenter, and all the inferior +officers, as soon as I was gone off in the boat, came up, and +desired to speak with the captain; and then the boatswain, making a +long harangue, and repeating all he had said to me, told the +captain that as I was now gone peaceably on shore, they were loath +to use any violence with me, which, if I had not gone on shore, +they would otherwise have done, to oblige me to have gone. They +therefore thought fit to tell him that as they shipped themselves +to serve in the ship under his command, they would perform it well +and faithfully; but if I would not quit the ship, or the captain +oblige me to quit it, they would all leave the ship, and sail no +further with him; and at that word ALL he turned his face towards +the main-mast, which was, it seems, a signal agreed on, when the +seamen, being got together there, cried out, "ONE AND ALL! ONE AND +ALL!" + +My nephew, the captain, was a man of spirit, and of great presence +of mind; and though he was surprised, yet he told them calmly that +he would consider of the matter, but that he could do nothing in it +till he had spoken to me about it. He used some arguments with +them, to show them the unreasonableness and injustice of the thing, +but it was all in vain; they swore, and shook hands round before +his face, that they would all go on shore unless he would engage to +them not to suffer me to come any more on board the ship. + +This was a hard article upon him, who knew his obligation to me, +and did not know how I might take it. So he began to talk smartly +to them; told them that I was a very considerable owner of the +ship, and that if ever they came to England again it would cost +them very dear; that the ship was mine, and that he could not put +me out of it; and that he would rather lose the ship, and the +voyage too, than disoblige me so much: so they might do as they +pleased. However, he would go on shore and talk with me, and +invited the boatswain to go with him, and perhaps they might +accommodate the matter with me. But they all rejected the +proposal, and said they would have nothing to do with me any more; +and if I came on board they would all go on shore. "Well," said +the captain, "if you are all of this mind, let me go on shore and +talk with him." So away he came to me with this account, a little +after the message had been brought to me from the coxswain. + +I was very glad to see my nephew, I must confess; for I was not +without apprehensions that they would confine him by violence, set +sail, and run away with the ship; and then I had been stripped +naked in a remote country, having nothing to help myself; in short, +I had been in a worse case than when I was alone in the island. +But they had not come to that length, it seems, to my satisfaction; +and when my nephew told me what they had said to him, and how they +had sworn and shook hands that they would, one and all, leave the +ship if I was suffered to come on board, I told him he should not +be concerned at it at all, for I would stay on shore. I only +desired he would take care and send me all my necessary things on +shore, and leave me a sufficient sum of money, and I would find my +way to England as well as I could. This was a heavy piece of news +to my nephew, but there was no way to help it but to comply; so, in +short, he went on board the ship again, and satisfied the men that +his uncle had yielded to their importunity, and had sent for his +goods from on board the ship; so that the matter was over in a few +hours, the men returned to their duty, and I began to consider what +course I should steer. + +I was now alone in a most remote part of the world, for I was near +three thousand leagues by sea farther off from England than I was +at my island; only, it is true, I might travel here by land over +the Great Mogul's country to Surat, might go from thence to Bassora +by sea, up the Gulf of Persia, and take the way of the caravans, +over the desert of Arabia, to Aleppo and Scanderoon; from thence by +sea again to Italy, and so overland into France. I had another way +before me, which was to wait for some English ships, which were +coming to Bengal from Achin, on the island of Sumatra, and get +passage on board them from England. But as I came hither without +any concern with the East Indian Company, so it would be difficult +to go from hence without their licence, unless with great favour of +the captains of the ships, or the company's factors: and to both I +was an utter stranger. + +Here I had the mortification to see the ship set sail without me; +however, my nephew left me two servants, or rather one companion +and one servant; the first was clerk to the purser, whom he engaged +to go with me, and the other was his own servant. I then took a +good lodging in the house of an Englishwoman, where several +merchants lodged, some French, two Italians, or rather Jews, and +one Englishman. Here I stayed above nine months, considering what +course to take. I had some English goods with me of value, and a +considerable sum of money; my nephew furnishing me with a thousand +pieces of eight, and a letter of credit for more if I had occasion, +that I might not be straitened, whatever might happen. I quickly +disposed of my goods to advantage; and, as I originally intended, I +bought here some very good diamonds, which, of all other things, +were the most proper for me in my present circumstances, because I +could always carry my whole estate about me. + +During my stay here many proposals were made for my return to +England, but none falling out to my mind, the English merchant who +lodged with me, and whom I had contracted an intimate acquaintance +with, came to me one morning, saying: "Countryman, I have a +project to communicate, which, as it suits with my thoughts, may, +for aught I know, suit with yours also, when you shall have +thoroughly considered it. Here we are posted, you by accident and +I by my own choice, in a part of the world very remote from our own +country; but it is in a country where, by us who understand trade +and business, a great deal of money is to be got. If you will put +one thousand pounds to my one thousand pounds, we will hire a ship +here, the first we can get to our minds. You shall be captain, +I'll be merchant, and we'll go a trading voyage to China; for what +should we stand still for? The whole world is in motion; why +should we be idle?" + +I liked this proposal very well; and the more so because it seemed +to be expressed with so much goodwill. In my loose, unhinged +circumstances, I was the fitter to embrace a proposal for trade, or +indeed anything else. I might perhaps say with some truth, that if +trade was not my element, rambling was; and no proposal for seeing +any part of the world which I had never seen before could possibly +come amiss to me. It was, however, some time before we could get a +ship to our minds, and when we had got a vessel, it was not easy to +get English sailors--that is to say, so many as were necessary to +govern the voyage and manage the sailors which we should pick up +there. After some time we got a mate, a boatswain, and a gunner, +English; a Dutch carpenter, and three foremast men. With these we +found we could do well enough, having Indian seamen, such as they +were, to make up. + +When all was ready we set sail for Achin, in the island of Sumatra, +and from thence to Siam, where we exchanged some of our wares for +opium and some arrack; the first a commodity which bears a great +price among the Chinese, and which at that time was much wanted +there. Then we went up to Saskan, were eight months out, and on +our return to Bengal I was very well satisfied with my adventure. +Our people in England often admire how officers, which the company +send into India, and the merchants which generally stay there, get +such very great estates as they do, and sometimes come home worth +sixty or seventy thousand pounds at a time; but it is little matter +for wonder, when we consider the innumerable ports and places where +they have a free commerce; indeed, at the ports where the English +ships come there is such great and constant demands for the growth +of all other countries, that there is a certain vent for the +returns, as well as a market abroad for the goods carried out. + +I got so much money by my first adventure, and such an insight into +the method of getting more, that had I been twenty years younger, I +should have been tempted to have stayed here, and sought no farther +for making my fortune; but what was all this to a man upwards of +threescore, that was rich enough, and came abroad more in obedience +to a restless desire of seeing the world than a covetous desire of +gaining by it? A restless desire it really was, for when I was at +home I was restless to go abroad; and when I was abroad I was +restless to be at home. I say, what was this gain to me? I was +rich enough already, nor had I any uneasy desires about getting +more money; therefore the profit of the voyage to me was of no +great force for the prompting me forward to further undertakings. +Hence, I thought that by this voyage I had made no progress at all, +because I was come back, as I might call it, to the place from +whence I came, as to a home: whereas, my eye, like that which +Solomon speaks of, was never satisfied with seeing. I was come +into a part of the world which I was never in before, and that +part, in particular, which I heard much of, and was resolved to see +as much of it as I could: and then I thought I might say I had +seen all the world that was worth seeing. + +But my fellow-traveller and I had different notions: I acknowledge +his were the more suited to the end of a merchant's life: who, +when he is abroad upon adventures, is wise to stick to that, as the +best thing for him, which he is likely to get the most money by. +On the other hand, mine was the notion of a mad, rambling boy, that +never cares to see a thing twice over. But this was not all: I +had a kind of impatience upon me to be nearer home, and yet an +unsettled resolution which way to go. In the interval of these +consultations, my friend, who was always upon the search for +business, proposed another voyage among the Spice Islands, to bring +home a loading of cloves from the Manillas, or thereabouts. + +We were not long in preparing for this voyage; the chief difficulty +was in bringing me to come into it. However, at last, nothing else +offering, and as sitting still, to me especially, was the +unhappiest part of life, I resolved on this voyage too, which we +made very successfully, touching at Borneo and several other +islands, and came home in about five months, when we sold our +spices, with very great profit, to the Persian merchants, who +carried them away to the Gulf. My friend, when we made up this +account, smiled at me: "Well, now," said he, with a sort of +friendly rebuke on my indolent temper, "is not this better than +walking about here, like a man with nothing to do, and spending our +time in staring at the nonsense and ignorance of the Pagans?"-- +"Why, truly," said I, "my friend, I think it is, and I begin to be +a convert to the principles of merchandising; but I must tell you, +by the way, you do not know what I am doing; for if I once conquer +my backwardness, and embark heartily, old as I am, I shall harass +you up and down the world till I tire you; for I shall pursue it so +eagerly, I shall never let you lie still." + + + +CHAPTER XI--WARNED OF DANGER BY A COUNTRYMAN + + + +A little while after this there came in a Dutch ship from Batavia; +she was a coaster, not an European trader, of about two hundred +tons burden; the men, as they pretended, having been so sickly that +the captain had not hands enough to go to sea with, so he lay by at +Bengal; and having, it seems, got money enough, or being willing, +for other reasons, to go for Europe, he gave public notice he would +sell his ship. This came to my ears before my new partner heard of +it, and I had a great mind to buy it; so I went to him and told him +of it. He considered a while, for he was no rash man neither; and +at last replied, "She is a little too big--however, we will have +her." Accordingly, we bought the ship, and agreeing with the +master, we paid for her, and took possession. When we had done so +we resolved to engage the men, if we could, to join with those we +had, for the pursuing our business; but, on a sudden, they having +received not their wages, but their share of the money, as we +afterwards learned, not one of them was to be found; we inquired +much about them, and at length were told that they were all gone +together by land to Agra, the great city of the Mogul's residence, +to proceed from thence to Surat, and then go by sea to the Gulf of +Persia. + +Nothing had so much troubled me a good while as that I should miss +the opportunity of going with them; for such a ramble, I thought, +and in such company as would both have guarded and diverted me, +would have suited mightily with my great design; and I should have +both seen the world and gone homeward too. But I was much better +satisfied a few days after, when I came to know what sort of +fellows they were; for, in short, their history was, that this man +they called captain was the gunner only, not the commander; that +they had been a trading voyage, in which they had been attacked on +shore by some of the Malays, who had killed the captain and three +of his men; and that after the captain was killed, these men, +eleven in number, having resolved to run away with the ship, +brought her to Bengal, leaving the mate and five men more on shore. + +Well, let them get the ship how they would, we came honestly by +her, as we thought, though we did not, I confess, examine into +things so exactly as we ought; for we never inquired anything of +the seamen, who would certainly have faltered in their account, and +contradicted one another. Somehow or other we should have had +reason to have suspected, them; but the man showed us a bill of +sale for the ship, to one Emanuel Clostershoven, or some such name, +for I suppose it was all a forgery, and called himself by that +name, and we could not contradict him: and withal, having no +suspicion of the thing, we went through with our bargain. We +picked up some more English sailors here after this, and some +Dutch, and now we resolved on a second voyage to the south-east for +cloves, &c.--that is to say, among the Philippine and Malacca +isles. In short, not to fill up this part of my story with trifles +when what is to come is so remarkable, I spent, from first to last, +six years in this country, trading from port to port, backward and +forward, and with very good success, and was now the last year with +my new partner, going in the ship above mentioned, on a voyage to +China, but designing first to go to Siam to buy rice. + +In this voyage, being by contrary winds obliged to beat up and down +a great while in the Straits of Malacca and among the islands, we +were no sooner got clear of those difficult seas than we found our +ship had sprung a leak, but could not discover where it was. This +forced us to make some port; and my partner, who knew the country +better than I did, directed the captain to put into the river of +Cambodia; for I had made the English mate, one Mr. Thompson, +captain, not being willing to take the charge of the ship upon +myself. This river lies on the north side of the great bay or gulf +which goes up to Siam. While we were here, and going often on +shore for refreshment, there comes to me one day an Englishman, a +gunner's mate on board an English East India ship, then riding in +the same river. "Sir," says he, addressing me, "you are a stranger +to me, and I to you; but I have something to tell you that very +nearly concerns you. I am moved by the imminent danger you are in, +and, for aught I see, you have no knowledge of it."--"I know no +danger I am in," said I, "but that my ship is leaky, and I cannot +find it out; but I intend to lay her aground to-morrow, to see if I +can find it."--"But, sir," says he, "leaky or not leaky, you will +be wiser than to lay your ship on shore to-morrow when you hear +what I have to say to you. Do you know, sir," said he, "the town +of Cambodia lies about fifteen leagues up the river; and there are +two large English ships about five leagues on this side, and three +Dutch?"--"Well," said I, "and what is that to me?"--"Why, sir," +said be, "is it for a man that is upon such adventures as you are +to come into a port, and not examine first what ships there are +there, and whether he is able to deal with them? I suppose you do +not think you are a match for them?" I could not conceive what he +meant; and I turned short upon him, and said: "I wish you would +explain yourself; I cannot imagine what reason I have to be afraid +of any of the company's ships, or Dutch ships. I am no interloper. +What can they have to say to me?"--"Well, sir," says he, with a +smile, "if you think yourself secure you must take your chance; but +take my advice, if you do not put to sea immediately, you will the +very next tide be attacked by five longboats full of men, and +perhaps if you are taken you will be hanged for a pirate, and the +particulars be examined afterwards. I thought, sir," added he, "I +should have met with a better reception than this for doing you a +piece of service of such importance."--"I can never be ungrateful," +said I, "for any service, or to any man that offers me any +kindness; but it is past my comprehension what they should have +such a design upon me for: however, since you say there is no time +to be lost, and that there is some villainous design on hand +against me, I will go on board this minute, and put to sea +immediately, if my men can stop the leak; but, sir," said I, "shall +I go away ignorant of the cause of all this? Can you give me no +further light into it?" + +"I can tell you but part of the story, sir," says he; "but I have a +Dutch seaman here with me, and I believe I could persuade him to +tell you the rest; but there is scarce time for it. But the short +of the story is this--the first part of which I suppose you know +well enough--that you were with this ship at Sumatra; that there +your captain was murdered by the Malays, with three of his men; and +that you, or some of those that were on board with you, ran away +with the ship, and are since turned pirates. This is the sum of +the story, and you will all be seized as pirates, I can assure you, +and executed with very little ceremony; for you know merchant ships +show but little law to pirates if they get them into their power."- +-"Now you speak plain English," said I, "and I thank you; and +though I know nothing that we have done like what you talk of, for +I am sure we came honestly and fairly by the ship; yet seeing such +a work is doing, as you say, and that you seem to mean honestly, I +will be upon my guard."--"Nay, sir," says he, "do not talk of being +upon your guard; the best defence is to be out of danger. If you +have any regard for your life and the lives of all your men, put to +sea without fail at high-water; and as you have a whole tide before +you, you will be gone too far out before they can come down; for +they will come away at high-water, and as they have twenty miles to +come, you will get near two hours of them by the difference of the +tide, not reckoning the length of the way: besides, as they are +only boats, and not ships, they will not venture to follow you far +out to sea, especially if it blows."--"Well," said I, "you have +been very kind in this: what shall I do to make you amends?"-- +"Sir," says he, "you may not be willing to make me any amends, +because you may not be convinced of the truth of it. I will make +an offer to you: I have nineteen months' pay due to me on board +the ship -, which I came out of England in; and the Dutchman that +is with me has seven months' pay due to him. If you will make good +our pay to us we will go along with you; if you find nothing more +in it we will desire no more; but if we do convince you that we +have saved your lives, and the ship, and the lives of all the men +in her, we will leave the rest to you." + +I consented to this readily, and went immediately on board, and the +two men with me. As soon as I came to the ship's side, my partner, +who was on board, came out on the quarter-deck, and called to me, +with a great deal of joy, "We have stopped the leak--we have +stopped the leak!"--"Say you so?" said I; "thank God; but weigh +anchor, then, immediately."--"Weigh!" says he; "what do you mean by +that? What is the matter?"--"Ask no questions," said I; "but set +all hands to work, and weigh without losing a minute." He was +surprised; however, he called the captain, and he immediately +ordered the anchor to be got up; and though the tide was not quite +down, yet a little land-breeze blowing, we stood out to sea. Then +I called him into the cabin, and told him the story; and we called +in the men, and they told us the rest of it; but as it took up a +great deal of time, before we had done a seaman comes to the cabin +door, and called out to us that the captain bade him tell us we +were chased by five sloops, or boats, full of men. "Very well," +said I, "then it is apparent there is something in it." I then +ordered all our men to be called up, and told them there was a +design to seize the ship, and take us for pirates, and asked them +if they would stand by us, and by one another; the men answered +cheerfully, one and all, that they would live and die with us. +Then I asked the captain what way he thought best for us to manage +a fight with them; for resist them I was resolved we would, and +that to the last drop. He said readily, that the way was to keep +them off with our great shot as long as we could, and then to use +our small arms, to keep them from boarding us; but when neither of +these would do any longer, we would retire to our close quarters, +for perhaps they had not materials to break open our bulkheads, or +get in upon us. + +The gunner had in the meantime orders to bring two guns, to bear +fore and aft, out of the steerage, to clear the deck, and load them +with musket-bullets, and small pieces of old iron, and what came +next to hand. Thus we made ready for fight; but all this while we +kept out to sea, with wind enough, and could see the boats at a +distance, being five large longboats, following us with all the +sail they could make. + +Two of those boats (which by our glasses we could see were English) +outsailed the rest, were near two leagues ahead of them, and gained +upon us considerably, so that we found they would come up with us; +upon which we fired a gun without ball, to intimate that they +should bring to: and we put out a flag of truce, as a signal for +parley: but they came crowding after us till within shot, when we +took in our white flag, they having made no answer to it, and hung +out a red flag, and fired at them with a shot. Notwithstanding +this, they came on till they were near enough to call to them with +a speaking-trumpet, bidding them keep off at their peril. + +It was all one; they crowded after us, and endeavoured to come +under our stern, so as to board us on our quarter; upon which, +seeing they were resolute for mischief, and depended upon the +strength that followed them, I ordered to bring the ship to, so +that they lay upon our broadside; when immediately we fired five +guns at them, one of which had been levelled so true as to carry +away the stern of the hindermost boat, and we then forced them to +take down their sail, and to run all to the head of the boat, to +keep her from sinking; so she lay by, and had enough of it; but +seeing the foremost boat crowd on after us, we made ready to fire +at her in particular. While this was doing one of the three boats +that followed made up to the boat which we had disabled, to relieve +her, and we could see her take out the men. We then called again +to the foremost boat, and offered a truce, to parley again, and to +know what her business was with us; but had no answer, only she +crowded close under our stern. Upon this, our gunner who was a +very dexterous fellow ran out his two case-guns, and fired again at +her, but the shot missing, the men in the boat shouted, waved their +caps, and came on. The gunner, getting quickly ready again, fired +among them a second time, one shot of which, though it missed the +boat itself, yet fell in among the men, and we could easily see did +a great deal of mischief among them. We now wore the ship again, +and brought our quarter to bear upon them, and firing three guns +more, we found the boat was almost split to pieces; in particular, +her rudder and a piece of her stern were shot quite away; so they +handed her sail immediately, and were in great disorder. To +complete their misfortune, our gunner let fly two guns at them +again; where he hit them we could not tell, but we found the boat +was sinking, and some of the men already in the water: upon this, +I immediately manned out our pinnace, with orders to pick up some +of the men if they could, and save them from drowning, and +immediately come on board ship with them, because we saw the rest +of the boats began to come up. Our men in the pinnace followed +their orders, and took up three men, one of whom was just drowning, +and it was a good while before we could recover him. As soon as +they were on board we crowded all the sail we could make, and stood +farther out to the sea; and we found that when the other boats came +up to the first, they gave over their chase. + +Being thus delivered from a danger which, though I knew not the +reason of it, yet seemed to be much greater than I apprehended, I +resolved that we should change our course, and not let any one know +whither we were going; so we stood out to sea eastward, quite out +of the course of all European ships, whether they were bound to +China or anywhere else, within the commerce of the European +nations. When we were at sea we began to consult with the two +seamen, and inquire what the meaning of all this should be; and the +Dutchman confirmed the gunner's story about the false sale of the +ship and of the murder of the captain, and also how that he, this +Dutchman, and four more got into the woods, where they wandered +about a great while, till at length he made his escape, and swam +off to a Dutch ship, which was sailing near the shore in its way +from China. + +He then told us that he went to Batavia, where two of the seamen +belonging to the ship arrived, having deserted the rest in their +travels, and gave an account that the fellow who had run away with +the ship, sold her at Bengal to a set of pirates, who were gone a- +cruising in her, and that they had already taken an English ship +and two Dutch ships very richly laden. This latter part we found +to concern us directly, though we knew it to be false; yet, as my +partner said, very justly, if we had fallen into their hands, and +they had had such a prepossession against us beforehand, it had +been in vain for us to have defended ourselves, or to hope for any +good quarter at their hands; especially considering that our +accusers had been our judges, and that we could have expected +nothing from them but what rage would have dictated, and an +ungoverned passion have executed. Therefore it was his opinion we +should go directly back to Bengal, from whence we came, without +putting in at any port whatever--because where we could give a good +account of ourselves, could prove where we were when the ship put +in, of whom we bought her, and the like; and what was more than all +the rest, if we were put upon the necessity of bringing it before +the proper judges, we should be sure to have some justice, and not +to be hanged first and judged afterwards. + +I was some time of my partner's opinion; but after a little more +serious thinking, I told him I thought it was a very great hazard +for us to attempt returning to Bengal, for that we were on the +wrong side of the Straits of Malacca, and that if the alarm was +given, we should be sure to be waylaid on every side--that if we +should be taken, as it were, running away, we should even condemn +ourselves, and there would want no more evidence to destroy us. I +also asked the English sailor's opinion, who said he was of my +mind, and that we certainly should be taken. This danger a little +startled my partner and all the ship's company, and we immediately +resolved to go away to the coast of Tonquin, and so on to the coast +of China--and pursuing the first design as to trade, find some way +or other to dispose of the ship, and come back in some of the +vessels of the country such as we could get. This was approved of +as the best method for our security, and accordingly we steered +away NNE., keeping above fifty leagues off from the usual course to +the eastward. This, however, put us to some inconvenience: for, +first, the winds, when we came that distance from the shore, seemed +to be more steadily against us, blowing almost trade, as we call +it, from the E. and ENE., so that we were a long while upon our +voyage, and we were but ill provided with victuals for so long a +run; and what was still worse, there was some danger that those +English and Dutch ships whose boats pursued us, whereof some were +bound that way, might have got in before us, and if not, some other +ship bound to China might have information of us from them, and +pursue us with the same vigour. + +I must confess I was now very uneasy, and thought myself, including +the late escape from the longboats, to have been in the most +dangerous condition that ever I was in through my past life; for +whatever ill circumstances I had been in, I was never pursued for a +thief before; nor had I ever done anything that merited the name of +dishonest or fraudulent, much less thievish. I had chiefly been my +own enemy, or, as I may rightly say, I had been nobody's enemy but +my own; but now I was woefully embarrassed: for though I was +perfectly innocent, I was in no condition to make that innocence +appear; and if I had been taken, it had been under a supposed guilt +of the worst kind. This made me very anxious to make an escape, +though which way to do it I knew not, or what port or place we +could go to. My partner endeavoured to encourage me by describing +the several ports of that coast, and told me he would put in on the +coast of Cochin China, or the bay of Tonquin, intending afterwards +to go to Macao, where a great many European families resided, and +particularly the missionary priests, who usually went thither in +order to their going forward to China. + +Hither then we resolved to go; and, accordingly, though after a +tedious course, and very much straitened for provisions, we came +within sight of the coast very early in the morning; and upon +reflection on the past circumstances of danger we were in, we +resolved to put into a small river, which, however, had depth +enough of water for us, and to see if we could, either overland or +by the ship's pinnace, come to know what ships were in any port +thereabouts. This happy step was, indeed, our deliverance: for +though we did not immediately see any European ships in the bay of +Tonquin, yet the next morning there came into the bay two Dutch +ships; and a third without any colours spread out, but which we +believed to be a Dutchman, passed by at about two leagues' +distance, steering for the coast of China; and in the afternoon +went by two English ships steering the same course; and thus we +thought we saw ourselves beset with enemies both one way and the +other. The place we were in was wild and barbarous, the people +thieves by occupation; and though it is true we had not much to +seek of them, and, except getting a few provisions, cared not how +little we had to do with them, yet it was with much difficulty that +we kept ourselves from being insulted by them several ways. We +were in a small river of this country, within a few leagues of its +utmost limits northward; and by our boat we coasted north-east to +the point of land which opens the great bay of Tonquin; and it was +in this beating up along the shore that we discovered we were +surrounded with enemies. The people we were among were the most +barbarous of all the inhabitants of the coast; and among other +customs they have this one: that if any vessel has the misfortune +to be shipwrecked upon their coast, they make the men all prisoners +or slaves; and it was not long before we found a spice of their +kindness this way, on the occasion following. + +I have observed above that our ship sprung a leak at sea, and that +we could not find it out; and it happened that, as I have said, it +was stopped unexpectedly, on the eve of our being pursued by the +Dutch and English ships in the bay of Siam; yet, as we did not find +the ship so perfectly tight and sound as we desired, we resolved +while we were at this place to lay her on shore, and clean her +bottom, and, if possible, to find out where the leaks were. +Accordingly, having lightened the ship, and brought all our guns +and other movables to one side, we tried to bring her down, that we +might come at her bottom; but, on second thoughts, we did not care +to lay her on dry ground, neither could we find out a proper place +for it. + + + +CHAPTER XII--THE CARPENTER'S WHIMSICAL CONTRIVANCE + + + +The inhabitants came wondering down the shore to look at us; and +seeing the ship lie down on one side in such a manner, and heeling +in towards the shore, and not seeing our men, who were at work on +her bottom with stages, and with their boats on the off-side, they +presently concluded that the ship was cast away, and lay fast on +the ground. On this supposition they came about us in two or three +hours' time with ten or twelve large boats, having some of them +eight, some ten men in a boat, intending, no doubt, to have come on +board and plundered the ship, and if they found us there, to have +carried us away for slaves. + +When they came up to the ship, and began to row round her, they +discovered us all hard at work on the outside of the ship's bottom +and side, washing, and graving, and stopping, as every seafaring +man knows how. They stood for a while gazing at us, and we, who +were a little surprised, could not imagine what their design was; +but being willing to be sure, we took this opportunity to get some +of us into the ship, and others to hand down arms and ammunition to +those that were at work, to defend themselves with if there should +be occasion. And it was no more than need: for in less than a +quarter of an hour's consultation, they agreed, it seems, that the +ship was really a wreck, and that we were all at work endeavouring +to save her, or to save our lives by the help of our boats; and +when we handed our arms into the boat, they concluded, by that act, +that we were endeavouring to save some of our goods. Upon this, +they took it for granted we all belonged to them, and away they +came directly upon our men, as if it had been in a line-of-battle. + +Our men, seeing so many of them, began to be frightened, for we lay +but in an ill posture to fight, and cried out to us to know what +they should do. I immediately called to the men that worked upon +the stages to slip them down, and get up the side into the ship, +and bade those in the boat to row round and come on board. The few +who were on board worked with all the strength and hands we had to +bring the ship to rights; however, neither the men upon the stages +nor those in the boats could do as they were ordered before the +Cochin Chinese were upon them, when two of their boats boarded our +longboat, and began to lay hold of the men as their prisoners. + +The first man they laid hold of was an English seaman, a stout, +strong fellow, who having a musket in his hand, never offered to +fire it, but laid it down in the boat, like a fool, as I thought; +but he understood his business better than I could teach him, for +he grappled the Pagan, and dragged him by main force out of their +boat into ours, where, taking him by the ears, he beat his head so +against the boat's gunnel that the fellow died in his hands. In +the meantime, a Dutchman, who stood next, took up the musket, and +with the butt-end of it so laid about him, that he knocked down +five of them who attempted to enter the boat. But this was doing +little towards resisting thirty or forty men, who, fearless because +ignorant of their danger, began to throw themselves into the +longboat, where we had but five men in all to defend it; but the +following accident, which deserved our laughter, gave our men a +complete victory. + +Our carpenter being prepared to grave the outside of the ship, as +well as to pay the seams where he had caulked her to stop the +leaks, had got two kettles just let down into the boat, one filled +with boiling pitch, and the other with rosin, tallow, and oil, and +such stuff as the shipwrights use for that work; and the man that +attended the carpenter had a great iron ladle in his hand, with +which he supplied the men that were at work with the hot stuff. +Two of the enemy's men entered the boat just where this fellow +stood in the foresheets; he immediately saluted them with a ladle +full of the stuff, boiling hot which so burned and scalded them, +being half-naked that they roared out like bulls, and, enraged with +the fire, leaped both into the sea. The carpenter saw it, and +cried out, "Well done, Jack! give them some more of it!" and +stepping forward himself, takes one of the mops, and dipping it in +the pitch-pot, he and his man threw it among them so plentifully +that, in short, of all the men in the three boats, there was not +one that escaped being scalded in a most frightful manner, and made +such a howling and crying that I never heard a worse noise. + +I was never better pleased with a victory in my life; not only as +it was a perfect surprise to me, and that our danger was imminent +before, but as we got this victory without any bloodshed, except of +that man the seaman killed with his naked hands, and which I was +very much concerned at. Although it maybe a just thing, because +necessary (for there is no necessary wickedness in nature), yet I +thought it was a sad sort of life, when we must be always obliged +to be killing our fellow-creatures to preserve ourselves; and, +indeed, I think so still; and I would even now suffer a great deal +rather than I would take away the life even of the worst person +injuring me; and I believe all considering people, who know the +value of life, would be of my opinion, if they entered seriously +into the consideration of it. + +All the while this was doing, my partner and I, who managed the +rest of the men on board, had with great dexterity brought the ship +almost to rights, and having got the guns into their places again, +the gunner called to me to bid our boat get out of the way, for he +would let fly among them. I called back again to him, and bid him +not offer to fire, for the carpenter would do the work without him; +but bid him heat another pitch-kettle, which our cook, who was on +broad, took care of. However, the enemy was so terrified with what +they had met with in their first attack, that they would not come +on again; and some of them who were farthest off, seeing the ship +swim, as it were, upright, began, as we suppose, to see their +mistake, and gave over the enterprise, finding it was not as they +expected. Thus we got clear of this merry fight; and having got +some rice and some roots and bread, with about sixteen hogs, on +board two days before, we resolved to stay here no longer, but go +forward, whatever came of it; for we made no doubt but we should be +surrounded the next day with rogues enough, perhaps more than our +pitch-kettle would dispose of for us. We therefore got all our +things on board the same evening, and the next morning were ready +to sail: in the meantime, lying at anchor at some distance from +the shore, we were not so much concerned, being now in a fighting +posture, as well as in a sailing posture, if any enemy had +presented. The next day, having finished our work within board, +and finding our ship was perfectly healed of all her leaks, we set +sail. We would have gone into the bay of Tonquin, for we wanted to +inform ourselves of what was to be known concerning the Dutch ships +that had been there; but we durst not stand in there, because we +had seen several ships go in, as we supposed, but a little before; +so we kept on NE. towards the island of Formosa, as much afraid of +being seen by a Dutch or English merchant ship as a Dutch or +English merchant ship in the Mediterranean is of an Algerine man- +of-war. + +When we were thus got to sea, we kept on NE., as if we would go to +the Manillas or the Philippine Islands; and this we did that we +might not fall into the way of any of the European ships; and then +we steered north, till we came to the latitude of 22 degrees 30 +seconds, by which means we made the island of Formosa directly, +where we came to an anchor, in order to get water and fresh +provisions, which the people there, who are very courteous in their +manners, supplied us with willingly, and dealt very fairly and +punctually with us in all their agreements and bargains. This is +what we did not find among other people, and may be owing to the +remains of Christianity which was once planted here by a Dutch +missionary of Protestants, and it is a testimony of what I have +often observed, viz. that the Christian religion always civilises +the people, and reforms their manners, where it is received, +whether it works saving effects upon them or no. + +From thence we sailed still north, keeping the coast of China at an +equal distance, till we knew we were beyond all the ports of China +where our European ships usually come; being resolved, if possible, +not to fall into any of their hands, especially in this country, +where, as our circumstances were, we could not fail of being +entirely ruined. Being now come to the latitude of 30 degrees, we +resolved to put into the first trading port we should come at; and +standing in for the shore, a boat came of two leagues to us with an +old Portuguese pilot on board, who, knowing us to be an European +ship, came to offer his service, which, indeed, we were glad of and +took him on board; upon which, without asking us whither we would +go, he dismissed the boat he came in, and sent it back. I thought +it was now so much in our choice to make the old man carry us +whither we would, that I began to talk to him about carrying us to +the Gulf of Nankin, which is the most northern part of the coast of +China. The old man said he knew the Gulf of Nankin very well; but +smiling, asked us what we would do there? I told him we would sell +our cargo and purchase China wares, calicoes, raw silks, tea, +wrought silks, &c.; and so we would return by the same course we +came. He told us our best port would have been to put in at Macao, +where we could not have failed of a market for our opium to our +satisfaction, and might for our money have purchased all sorts of +China goods as cheap as we could at Nankin. + +Not being able to put the old man out of his talk, of which he was +very opinionated or conceited, I told him we were gentlemen as well +as merchants, and that we had a mind to go and see the great city +of Pekin, and the famous court of the monarch of China. "Why, +then," says the old man, "you should go to Ningpo, where, by the +river which runs into the sea there, you may go up within five +leagues of the great canal. This canal is a navigable stream, +which goes through the heart of that vast empire of China, crosses +all the rivers, passes some considerable hills by the help of +sluices and gates, and goes up to the city of Pekin, being in +length near two hundred and seventy leagues."--"Well," said I, +"Seignior Portuguese, but that is not our business now; the great +question is, if you can carry us up to the city of Nankin, from +whence we can travel to Pekin afterwards?" He said he could do so +very well, and that there was a great Dutch ship gone up that way +just before. This gave me a little shock, for a Dutch ship was now +our terror, and we had much rather have met the devil, at least if +he had not come in too frightful a figure; and we depended upon it +that a Dutch ship would be our destruction, for we were in no +condition to fight them; all the ships they trade with into those +parts being of great burden, and of much greater force than we +were. + +The old man found me a little confused, and under some concern when +he named a Dutch ship, and said to me, "Sir, you need be under no +apprehensions of the Dutch; I suppose they are not now at war with +your nation?"--"No," said I, "that's true; but I know not what +liberties men may take when they are out of the reach of the laws +of their own country."--"Why," says he, "you are no pirates; what +need you fear? They will not meddle with peaceable merchants, +sure." These words put me into the greatest disorder and confusion +imaginable; nor was it possible for me to conceal it so, but the +old man easily perceived it. + +"Sir," says he, "I find you are in some disorder in your thoughts +at my talk: pray be pleased to go which way you think fit, and +depend upon it, I'll do you all the service I can." Upon this we +fell into further discourse, in which, to my alarm and amazement, +he spoke of the villainous doings of a certain pirate ship that had +long been the talk of mariners in those seas; no other, in a word, +than the very ship he was now on board of, and which we had so +unluckily purchased. I presently saw there was no help for it but +to tell him the plain truth, and explain all the danger and trouble +we had suffered through this misadventure, and, in particular, our +earnest wish to be speedily quit of the ship altogether; for which +reason we had resolved to carry her up to Nankin. + +The old man was amazed at this relation, and told us we were in the +right to go away to the north; and that, if he might advise us, it +should be to sell the ship in China, which we might well do, and +buy, or build another in the country; adding that I should meet +with customers enough for the ship at Nankin, that a Chinese junk +would serve me very well to go back again, and that he would +procure me people both to buy one and sell the other. "Well, but, +seignior," said I, "as you say they know the ship so well, I may, +perhaps, if I follow your measures, be instrumental to bring some +honest, innocent men into a terrible broil; for wherever they find +the ship they will prove the guilt upon the men, by proving this +was the ship."--"Why," says the old man, "I'll find out a way to +prevent that; for as I know all those commanders you speak of very +well, and shall see them all as they pass by, I will be sure to set +them to rights in the thing, and let them know that they had been +so much in the wrong; that though the people who were on board at +first might run away with the ship, yet it was not true that they +had turned pirates; and that, in particular, these were not the men +that first went off with the ship, but innocently bought her for +their trade; and I am persuaded they will so far believe me as at +least to act more cautiously for the time to come." + +In about thirteen days' sail we came to an anchor, at the south- +west point of the great Gulf of Nankin; where I learned by accident +that two Dutch ships were gone the length before me, and that I +should certainly fall into their hands. I consulted my partner +again in this exigency, and he was as much at a loss as I was. I +then asked the old pilot if there was no creek or harbour which I +might put into and pursue my business with the Chinese privately, +and be in no danger of the enemy. He told me if I would sail to +the southward about forty-two leagues, there was a little port +called Quinchang, where the fathers of the mission usually landed +from Macao, on their progress to teach the Christian religion to +the Chinese, and where no European ships ever put in; and if I +thought to put in there, I might consider what further course to +take when I was on shore. He confessed, he said, it was not a +place for merchants, except that at some certain times they had a +kind of a fair there, when the merchants from Japan came over +thither to buy Chinese merchandises. The name of the port I may +perhaps spell wrong, having lost this, together with the names of +many other places set down in a little pocket-book, which was +spoiled by the water by an accident; but this I remember, that the +Chinese merchants we corresponded with called it by a different +name from that which our Portuguese pilot gave it, who pronounced +it Quinchang. As we were unanimous in our resolution to go to this +place, we weighed the next day, having only gone twice on shore +where we were, to get fresh water; on both which occasions the +people of the country were very civil, and brought abundance of +provisions to sell to us; but nothing without money. + +We did not come to the other port (the wind being contrary) for +five days; but it was very much to our satisfaction, and I was +thankful when I set my foot on shore, resolving, and my partner +too, that if it was possible to dispose of ourselves and effects +any other way, though not profitably, we would never more set foot +on board that unhappy vessel. Indeed, I must acknowledge, that of +all the circumstances of life that ever I had any experience of, +nothing makes mankind so completely miserable as that of being in +constant fear. Well does the Scripture say, "The fear of man +brings a snare"; it is a life of death, and the mind is so entirely +oppressed by it, that it is capable of no relief. + +Nor did it fail of its usual operations upon the fancy, by +heightening every danger; representing the English and Dutch +captains to be men incapable of hearing reason, or of +distinguishing between honest men and rogues; or between a story +calculated for our own turn, made out of nothing, on purpose to +deceive, and a true, genuine account of our whole voyage, progress, +and design; for we might many ways have convinced any reasonable +creatures that we were not pirates; the goods we had on board, the +course we steered, our frankly showing ourselves, and entering into +such and such ports; and even our very manner, the force we had, +the number of men, the few arms, the little ammunition, short +provisions; all these would have served to convince any men that we +were no pirates. The opium and other goods we had on board would +make it appear the ship had been at Bengal. The Dutchmen, who, it +was said, had the names of all the men that were in the ship, might +easily see that we were a mixture of English, Portuguese, and +Indians, and but two Dutchmen on board. These, and many other +particular circumstances, might have made it evident to the +understanding of any commander, whose hands we might fall into, +that we were no pirates. + +But fear, that blind, useless passion, worked another way, and +threw us into the vapours; it bewildered our understandings, and +set the imagination at work to form a thousand terrible things that +perhaps might never happen. We first supposed, as indeed everybody +had related to us, that the seamen on board the English and Dutch +ships, but especially the Dutch, were so enraged at the name of a +pirate, and especially at our beating off their boats and escaping, +that they would not give themselves leave to inquire whether we +were pirates or no, but would execute us off-hand, without giving +us any room for a defence. We reflected that there really was so +much apparent evidence before them, that they would scarce inquire +after any more; as, first, that the ship was certainly the same, +and that some of the seamen among them knew her, and had been on +board her; and, secondly, that when we had intelligence at the +river of Cambodia that they were coming down to examine us, we +fought their boats and fled. Therefore we made no doubt but they +were as fully satisfied of our being pirates as we were satisfied +of the contrary; and, as I often said, I know not but I should have +been apt to have taken those circumstances for evidence, if the +tables were turned, and my case was theirs; and have made no +scruple of cutting all the crew to pieces, without believing, or +perhaps considering, what they might have to offer in their +defence. + +But let that be how it will, these were our apprehensions; and both +my partner and I scarce slept a night without dreaming of halters +and yard-arms; of fighting, and being taken; of killing, and being +killed: and one night I was in such a fury in my dream, fancying +the Dutchmen had boarded us, and I was knocking one of their seamen +down, that I struck my doubled fist against the side of the cabin I +lay in with such a force as wounded my hand grievously, broke my +knuckles, and cut and bruised the flesh, so that it awaked me out +of my sleep. Another apprehension I had was, the cruel usage we +might meet with from them if we fell into their hands; then the +story of Amboyna came into my head, and how the Dutch might perhaps +torture us, as they did our countrymen there, and make some of our +men, by extremity of torture, confess to crimes they never were +guilty of, or own themselves and all of us to be pirates, and so +they would put us to death with a formal appearance of justice; and +that they might be tempted to do this for the gain of our ship and +cargo, worth altogether four or five thousand pounds. We did not +consider that the captains of ships have no authority to act thus; +and if we had surrendered prisoners to them, they could not answer +the destroying us, or torturing us, but would be accountable for it +when they came to their country. However, if they were to act thus +with us, what advantage would it be to us that they should be +called to an account for it?--or if we were first to be murdered, +what satisfaction would it be to us to have them punished when they +came home? + +I cannot refrain taking notice here what reflections I now had upon +the vast variety of my particular circumstances; how hard I thought +it that I, who had spent forty years in a life of continual +difficulties, and was at last come, as it were, to the port or +haven which all men drive at, viz. to have rest and plenty, should +be a volunteer in new sorrows by my own unhappy choice, and that I, +who had escaped so many dangers in my youth, should now come to be +hanged in my old age, and in so remote a place, for a crime which I +was not in the least inclined to, much less guilty of. After these +thoughts something of religion would come in; and I would be +considering that this seemed to me to be a disposition of immediate +Providence, and I ought to look upon it and submit to it as such. +For, although I was innocent as to men, I was far from being +innocent as to my Maker; and I ought to look in and examine what +other crimes in my life were most obvious to me, and for which +Providence might justly inflict this punishment as a retribution; +and thus I ought to submit to this, just as I would to a shipwreck, +if it had pleased God to have brought such a disaster upon me. + +In its turn natural courage would sometimes take its place, and +then I would be talking myself up to vigorous resolutions; that I +would not be taken to be barbarously used by a parcel of merciless +wretches in cold blood; that it were much better to have fallen +into the hands of the savages, though I were sure they would feast +upon me when they had taken me, than those who would perhaps glut +their rage upon me by inhuman tortures and barbarities; that in the +case of the savages, I always resolved to die fighting to the last +gasp, and why should I not do so now? Whenever these thoughts +prevailed, I was sure to put myself into a kind of fever with the +agitation of a supposed fight; my blood would boil, and my eyes +sparkle, as if I was engaged, and I always resolved to take no +quarter at their hands; but even at last, if I could resist no +longer, I would blow up the ship and all that was in her, and leave +them but little booty to boast of. + + + +CHAPTER XIII--ARRIVAL IN CHINA + + + +The greater weight the anxieties and perplexities of these things +were to our thoughts while we were at sea, the greater was our +satisfaction when we saw ourselves on shore; and my partner told me +he dreamed that he had a very heavy load upon his back, which he +was to carry up a hill, and found that he was not able to stand +longer under it; but that the Portuguese pilot came and took it off +his back, and the hill disappeared, the ground before him appearing +all smooth and plain: and truly it was so; they were all like men +who had a load taken off their backs. For my part I had a weight +taken off from my heart that it was not able any longer to bear; +and as I said above we resolved to go no more to sea in that ship. +When we came on shore, the old pilot, who was now our friend, got +us a lodging, together with a warehouse for our goods; it was a +little hut, with a larger house adjoining to it, built and also +palisadoed round with canes, to keep out pilferers, of which there +were not a few in that country: however, the magistrates allowed +us a little guard, and we had a soldier with a kind of half-pike, +who stood sentinel at our door, to whom we allowed a pint of rice +and a piece of money about the value of three-pence per day, so +that our goods were kept very safe. + +The fair or mart usually kept at this place had been over some +time; however, we found that there were three or four junks in the +river, and two ships from Japan, with goods which they had bought +in China, and were not gone away, having some Japanese merchants on +shore. + +The first thing our old Portuguese pilot did for us was to get us +acquainted with three missionary Romish priests who were in the +town, and who had been there some time converting the people to +Christianity; but we thought they made but poor work of it, and +made them but sorry Christians when they had done. One of these +was a Frenchman, whom they called Father Simon; another was a +Portuguese; and a third a Genoese. Father Simon was courteous, and +very agreeable company; but the other two were more reserved, +seemed rigid and austere, and applied seriously to the work they +came about, viz. to talk with and insinuate themselves among the +inhabitants wherever they had opportunity. We often ate and drank +with those men; and though I must confess the conversion, as they +call it, of the Chinese to Christianity is so far from the true +conversion required to bring heathen people to the faith of Christ, +that it seems to amount to little more than letting them know the +name of Christ, and say some prayers to the Virgin Mary and her +Son, in a tongue which they understood not, and to cross +themselves, and the like; yet it must be confessed that the +religionists, whom we call missionaries, have a firm belief that +these people will be saved, and that they are the instruments of +it; and on this account they undergo not only the fatigue of the +voyage, and the hazards of living in such places, but oftentimes +death itself, and the most violent tortures, for the sake of this +work. + +Father Simon was appointed, it seems, by order of the chief of the +mission, to go up to Pekin, and waited only for another priest, who +was ordered to come to him from Macao, to go along with him. We +scarce ever met together but he was inviting me to go that journey; +telling me how he would show me all the glorious things of that +mighty empire, and, among the rest, Pekin, the greatest city in the +world: "A city," said he, "that your London and our Paris put +together cannot be equal to." But as I looked on those things with +different eyes from other men, so I shall give my opinion of them +in a few words, when I come in the course of my travels to speak +more particularly of them. + +Dining with Father Simon one day, and being very merry together, I +showed some little inclination to go with him; and he pressed me +and my partner very hard to consent. "Why, father," says my +partner, "should you desire our company so much? you know we are +heretics, and you do not love us, nor cannot keep us company with +any pleasure."--"Oh," says he, "you may perhaps be good Catholics +in time; my business here is to convert heathens, and who knows but +I may convert you too?"--"Very well, father," said I, "so you will +preach to us all the way?"--"I will not be troublesome to you," +says he; "our religion does not divest us of good manners; besides, +we are here like countrymen; and so we are, compared to the place +we are in; and if you are Huguenots, and I a Catholic, we may all +be Christians at last; at least, we are all gentlemen, and we may +converse so, without being uneasy to one another." I liked this +part of his discourse very well, and it began to put me in mind of +my priest that I had left in the Brazils; but Father Simon did not +come up to his character by a great deal; for though this friar had +no appearance of a criminal levity in him, yet he had not that fund +of Christian zeal, strict piety, and sincere affection to religion +that my other good ecclesiastic had. + +But to leave him a little, though he never left us, nor solicited +us to go with him; we had something else before us at first, for we +had all this while our ship and our merchandise to dispose of, and +we began to be very doubtful what we should do, for we were now in +a place of very little business. Once I was about to venture to +sail for the river of Kilam, and the city of Nankin; but Providence +seemed now more visibly, as I thought, than ever to concern itself +in our affairs; and I was encouraged, from this very time, to think +I should, one way or other, get out of this entangled circumstance, +and be brought home to my own country again, though I had not the +least view of the manner. Providence, I say, began here to clear +up our way a little; and the first thing that offered was, that our +old Portuguese pilot brought a Japan merchant to us, who inquired +what goods we had: and, in the first place, he bought all our +opium, and gave us a very good price for it, paying us in gold by +weight, some in small pieces of their own coin, and some in small +wedges, of about ten or twelves ounces each. While we were dealing +with him for our opium, it came into my head that he might perhaps +deal for the ship too, and I ordered the interpreter to propose it +to him. He shrunk up his shoulders at it when it was first +proposed to him; but in a few days after he came to me, with one of +the missionary priests for his interpreter, and told me he had a +proposal to make to me, which was this: he had bought a great +quantity of our goods, when he had no thoughts of proposals made to +him of buying the ship; and that, therefore, he had not money to +pay for the ship: but if I would let the same men who were in the +ship navigate her, he would hire the ship to go to Japan; and would +send them from thence to the Philippine Islands with another +loading, which he would pay the freight of before they went from +Japan: and that at their return he would buy the ship. I began to +listen to his proposal, and so eager did my head still run upon +rambling, that I could not but begin to entertain a notion of going +myself with him, and so to set sail from the Philippine Islands +away to the South Seas; accordingly, I asked the Japanese merchant +if he would not hire us to the Philippine Islands and discharge us +there. He said No, he could not do that, for then he could not +have the return of his cargo; but he would discharge us in Japan, +at the ship's return. Well, still I was for taking him at that +proposal, and going myself; but my partner, wiser than myself, +persuaded me from it, representing the dangers, as well of the seas +as of the Japanese, who are a false, cruel, and treacherous people; +likewise those of the Spaniards at the Philippines, more false, +cruel, and treacherous than they. + +But to bring this long turn of our affairs to a conclusion; the +first thing we had to do was to consult with the captain of the +ship, and with his men, and know if they were willing to go to +Japan. While I was doing this, the young man whom my nephew had +left with me as my companion came up, and told me that he thought +that voyage promised very fair, and that there was a great prospect +of advantage, and he would be very glad if I undertook it; but that +if I would not, and would give him leave, he would go as a +merchant, or as I pleased to order him; that if ever he came to +England, and I was there and alive, he would render me a faithful +account of his success, which should be as much mine as I pleased. +I was loath to part with him; but considering the prospect of +advantage, which really was considerable, and that he was a young +fellow likely to do well in it, I inclined to let him go; but I +told him I would consult my partner, and give him an answer the +next day. I discoursed about it with my partner, who thereupon +made a most generous offer: "You know it has been an unlucky +ship," said he, "and we both resolve not to go to sea in it again; +if your steward" (so he called my man) "will venture the voyage, I +will leave my share of the vessel to him, and let him make the best +of it; and if we live to meet in England, and he meets with success +abroad, he shall account for one half of the profits of the ship's +freight to us; the other shall be his own." + +If my partner, who was no way concerned with my young man, made him +such an offer, I could not do less than offer him the same; and all +the ship's company being willing to go with him, we made over half +the ship to him in property, and took a writing from him, obliging +him to account for the other, and away he went to Japan. The Japan +merchant proved a very punctual, honest man to him: protected him +at Japan, and got him a licence to come on shore, which the +Europeans in general have not lately obtained. He paid him his +freight very punctually; sent him to the Philippines loaded with +Japan and China wares, and a supercargo of their own, who, +trafficking with the Spaniards, brought back European goods again, +and a great quantity of spices; and there he was not only paid his +freight very well, and at a very good price, but not being willing +to sell the ship, then the merchant furnished him goods on his own +account; and with some money, and some spices of his own which he +brought with him, he went back to the Manillas, where he sold his +cargo very well. Here, having made a good acquaintance at Manilla, +he got his ship made a free ship, and the governor of Manilla hired +him to go to Acapulco, on the coast of America, and gave him a +licence to land there, and to travel to Mexico, and to pass in any +Spanish ship to Europe with all his men. He made the voyage to +Acapulco very happily, and there he sold his ship: and having +there also obtained allowance to travel by land to Porto Bello, he +found means to get to Jamaica, with all his treasure, and about +eight years after came to England exceeding rich. + +But to return to our particular affairs, being now to part with the +ship and ship's company, it came before us, of course, to consider +what recompense we should give to the two men that gave us such +timely notice of the design against us in the river Cambodia. The +truth was, they had done us a very considerable service, and +deserved well at our hands; though, by the way, they were a couple +of rogues, too; for, as they believed the story of our being +pirates, and that we had really run away with the ship, they came +down to us, not only to betray the design that was formed against +us, but to go to sea with us as pirates. One of them confessed +afterwards that nothing else but the hopes of going a-roguing +brought him to do it: however, the service they did us was not the +less, and therefore, as I had promised to be grateful to them, I +first ordered the money to be paid them which they said was due to +them on board their respective ships: over and above that, I gave +each of them a small sum of money in gold, which contented them +very well. I then made the Englishman gunner in the ship, the +gunner being now made second mate and purser; the Dutchman I made +boatswain; so they were both very well pleased, and proved very +serviceable, being both able seamen, and very stout fellows. + +We were now on shore in China; if I thought myself banished, and +remote from my own country at Bengal, where I had many ways to get +home for my money, what could I think of myself now, when I was +about a thousand leagues farther off from home, and destitute of +all manner of prospect of return? All we had for it was this: +that in about four months' time there was to be another fair at the +place where we were, and then we might be able to purchase various +manufactures of the country, and withal might possibly find some +Chinese junks from Tonquin for sail, that would carry us and our +goods whither we pleased. This I liked very well, and resolved to +wait; besides, as our particular persons were not obnoxious, so if +any English or Dutch ships came thither, perhaps we might have an +opportunity to load our goods, and get passage to some other place +in India nearer home. Upon these hopes we resolved to continue +here; but, to divert ourselves, we took two or three journeys into +the country. + +First, we went ten days' journey to Nankin, a city well worth +seeing; they say it has a million of people in it: it is regularly +built, and the streets are all straight, and cross one another in +direct lines. But when I come to compare the miserable people of +these countries with ours, their fabrics, their manner of living, +their government, their religion, their wealth, and their glory, as +some call it, I must confess that I scarcely think it worth my +while to mention them here. We wonder at the grandeur, the riches, +the pomp, the ceremonies, the government, the manufactures, the +commerce, and conduct of these people; not that there is really any +matter for wonder, but because, having a true notion of the +barbarity of those countries, the rudeness and the ignorance that +prevail there, we do not expect to find any such thing so far off. +Otherwise, what are their buildings to the palaces and royal +buildings of Europe? What their trade to the universal commerce of +England, Holland, France, and Spain? What are their cities to +ours, for wealth, strength, gaiety of apparel, rich furniture, and +infinite variety? What are their ports, supplied with a few junks +and barks, to our navigation, our merchant fleets, our large and +powerful navies? Our city of London has more trade than half their +mighty empire: one English, Dutch, or French man-of-war of eighty +guns would be able to fight almost all the shipping belonging to +China: but the greatness of their wealth, their trade, the power +of their government, and the strength of their armies, may be a +little surprising to us, because, as I have said, considering them +as a barbarous nation of pagans, little better than savages, we did +not expect such things among them. But all the forces of their +empire, though they were to bring two millions of men into the +field together, would be able to do nothing but ruin the country +and starve themselves; a million of their foot could not stand +before one embattled body of our infantry, posted so as not to be +surrounded, though they were not to be one to twenty in number; +nay, I do not boast if I say that thirty thousand German or English +foot, and ten thousand horse, well managed, could defeat all the +forces of China. Nor is there a fortified town in China that could +hold out one month against the batteries and attacks of an European +army. They have firearms, it is true, but they are awkward and +uncertain in their going off; and their powder has but little +strength. Their armies are badly disciplined, and want skill to +attack, or temper to retreat; and therefore, I must confess, it +seemed strange to me, when I came home, and heard our people say +such fine things of the power, glory, magnificence, and trade of +the Chinese; because, as far as I saw, they appeared to be a +contemptible herd or crowd of ignorant, sordid slaves, subjected to +a government qualified only to rule such a people; and were not its +distance inconceivably, great from Muscovy, and that empire in a +manner as rude, impotent, and ill governed as they, the Czar of +Muscovy might with ease drive them all out of their country, and +conquer them in one campaign; and had the Czar (who is now a +growing prince) fallen this way, instead of attacking the warlike +Swedes, and equally improved himself in the art of war, as they say +he has done; and if none of the powers of Europe had envied or +interrupted him, he might by this time have been Emperor of China, +instead of being beaten by the King of Sweden at Narva, when the +latter was not one to six in number. + +As their strength and their grandeur, so their navigation, +commerce, and husbandry are very imperfect, compared to the same +things in Europe; also, in their knowledge, their learning, and in +their skill in the sciences, they are either very awkward or +defective, though they have globes or spheres, and a smattering of +the mathematics, and think they know more than all the world +besides. But they know little of the motions of the heavenly +bodies; and so grossly and absurdly ignorant are their common +people, that when the sun is eclipsed, they think a great dragon +has assaulted it, and is going to run away with it; and they fall a +clattering with all the drums and kettles in the country, to fright +the monster away, just as we do to hive a swarm of bees! + +As this is the only excursion of the kind which I have made in all +the accounts I have given of my travels, so I shall make no more +such. It is none of my business, nor any part of my design; but to +give an account of my own adventures through a life of inimitable +wanderings, and a long variety of changes, which, perhaps, few that +come after me will have heard the like of: I shall, therefore, say +very little of all the mighty places, desert countries, and +numerous people I have yet to pass through, more than relates to my +own story, and which my concern among them will make necessary. + +I was now, as near as I can compute, in the heart of China, about +thirty degrees north of the line, for we were returned from Nankin. +I had indeed a mind to see the city of Pekin, which I had heard so +much of, and Father Simon importuned me daily to do it. At length +his time of going away being set, and the other missionary who was +to go with him being arrived from Macao, it was necessary that we +should resolve either to go or not; so I referred it to my partner, +and left it wholly to his choice, who at length resolved it in the +affirmative, and we prepared for our journey. We set out with very +good advantage as to finding the way; for we got leave to travel in +the retinue of one of their mandarins, a kind of viceroy or +principal magistrate in the province where they reside, and who +take great state upon them, travelling with great attendance, and +great homage from the people, who are sometimes greatly +impoverished by them, being obliged to furnish provisions for them +and all their attendants in their journeys. I particularly +observed in our travelling with his baggage, that though we +received sufficient provisions both for ourselves and our horses +from the country, as belonging to the mandarin, yet we were obliged +to pay for everything we had, after the market price of the +country, and the mandarin's steward collected it duly from us. +Thus our travelling in the retinue of the mandarin, though it was a +great act of kindness, was not such a mighty favour to us, but was +a great advantage to him, considering there were above thirty other +people travelled in the same manner besides us, under the +protection of his retinue; for the country furnished all the +provisions for nothing to him, and yet he took our money for them. + +We were twenty-five days travelling to Pekin, through a country +exceeding populous, but I think badly cultivated; the husbandry, +the economy, and the way of living miserable, though they boast so +much of the industry of the people: I say miserable, if compared +with our own, but not so to these poor wretches, who know no other. +The pride of the poor people is infinitely great, and exceeded by +nothing but their poverty, in some parts, which adds to that which +I call their misery; and I must needs think the savages of America +live much more happy than the poorer sort of these, because as they +have nothing, so they desire nothing; whereas these are proud and +insolent and in the main are in many parts mere beggars and +drudges. Their ostentation is inexpressible; and, if they can, +they love to keep multitudes of servants or slaves, which is to the +last degree ridiculous, as well as their contempt of all the world +but themselves. + +I must confess I travelled more pleasantly afterwards in the +deserts and vast wildernesses of Grand Tartary than here, and yet +the roads here are well paved and well kept, and very convenient +for travellers; but nothing was more awkward to me than to see such +a haughty, imperious, insolent people, in the midst of the grossest +simplicity and ignorance; and my friend Father Simon and I used to +be very merry upon these occasions, to see their beggarly pride. +For example, coming by the house of a country gentleman, as Father +Simon called him, about ten leagues off the city of Nankin, we had +first of all the honour to ride with the master of the house about +two miles; the state he rode in was a perfect Don Quixotism, being +a mixture of pomp and poverty. His habit was very proper for a +merry-andrew, being a dirty calico, with hanging sleeves, tassels, +and cuts and slashes almost on every side: it covered a taffety +vest, so greasy as to testify that his honour must be a most +exquisite sloven. His horse was a poor, starved, hobbling +creature, and two slaves followed him on foot to drive the poor +creature along; he had a whip in his hand, and he belaboured the +beast as fast about the head as his slaves did about the tail; and +thus he rode by us, with about ten or twelve servants, going from +the city to his country seat, about half a league before us. We +travelled on gently, but this figure of a gentleman rode away +before us; and as we stopped at a village about an hour to refresh +us, when we came by the country seat of this great man, we saw him +in a little place before his door, eating a repast. It was a kind +of garden, but he was easy to be seen; and we were given to +understand that the more we looked at him the better he would be +pleased. He sat under a tree, something like the palmetto, which +effectually shaded him over the head, and on the south side; but +under the tree was placed a large umbrella, which made that part +look well enough. He sat lolling back in a great elbow-chair, +being a heavy corpulent man, and had his meat brought him by two +women slaves. He had two more, one of whom fed the squire with a +spoon, and the other held the dish with one hand, and scraped off +what he let fall upon his worship's beard and taffety vest. + +Leaving the poor wretch to please himself with our looking at him, +as if we admired his idle pomp, we pursued our journey. Father +Simon had the curiosity to stay to inform himself what dainties the +country justice had to feed on in all his state, which he had the +honour to taste of, and which was, I think, a mess of boiled rice, +with a great piece of garlic in it, and a little bag filled with +green pepper, and another plant which they have there, something +like our ginger, but smelling like musk, and tasting like mustard; +all this was put together, and a small piece of lean mutton boiled +in it, and this was his worship's repast. Four or five servants +more attended at a distance, who we supposed were to eat of the +same after their master. As for our mandarin with whom we +travelled, he was respected as a king, surrounded always with his +gentlemen, and attended in all his appearances with such pomp, that +I saw little of him but at a distance. I observed that there was +not a horse in his retinue but that our carrier's packhorses in +England seemed to me to look much better; though it was hard to +judge rightly, for they were so covered with equipage, mantles, +trappings, &c., that we could scarce see anything but their feet +and their heads as they went along. + +I was now light-hearted, and all my late trouble and perplexity +being over, I had no anxious thoughts about me, which made this +journey the pleasanter to me; in which no ill accident attended me, +only in passing or fording a small river, my horse fell and made me +free of the country, as they call it--that is to say, threw me in. +The place was not deep, but it wetted me all over. I mention it +because it spoiled my pocket-book, wherein I had set down the names +of several people and places which I had occasion to remember, and +which not taking due care of, the leaves rotted, and the words were +never after to be read. + +At length we arrived at Pekin. I had nobody with me but the youth +whom my nephew had given me to attend me as a servant and who +proved very trusty and diligent; and my partner had nobody with him +but one servant, who was a kinsman. As for the Portuguese pilot, +he being desirous to see the court, we bore his charges for his +company, and for our use of him as an interpreter, for he +understood the language of the country, and spoke good French and a +little English. Indeed, this old man was most useful to us +everywhere; for we had not been above a week at Pekin, when he came +laughing. "Ah, Seignior Inglese," says he, "I have something to +tell will make your heart glad."--"My heart glad," says I; "what +can that be? I don't know anything in this country can either give +me joy or grief to any great degree."--"Yes, yes," said the old +man, in broken English, "make you glad, me sorry."--"Why," said I, +"will it make you sorry?"--"Because," said he, "you have brought me +here twenty-five days' journey, and will leave me to go back alone; +and which way shall I get to my port afterwards, without a ship, +without a horse, without pecune?" so he called money, being his +broken Latin, of which he had abundance to make us merry with. In +short, he told us there was a great caravan of Muscovite and Polish +merchants in the city, preparing to set out on their journey by +land to Muscovy, within four or five weeks; and he was sure we +would take the opportunity to go with them, and leave him behind, +to go back alone. + +I confess I was greatly surprised with this good news, and had +scarce power to speak to him for some time; but at last I said to +him, "How do you know this? are you sure it is true?"--"Yes," says +he; "I met this morning in the street an old acquaintance of mine, +an Armenian, who is among them. He came last from Astrakhan, and +was designed to go to Tonquin, where I formerly knew him, but has +altered his mind, and is now resolved to go with the caravan to +Moscow, and so down the river Volga to Astrakhan."--"Well, +Seignior," says I, "do not be uneasy about being left to go back +alone; if this be a method for my return to England, it shall be +your fault if you go back to Macao at all." We then went to +consult together what was to be done; and I asked my partner what +he thought of the pilot's news, and whether it would suit with his +affairs? He told me he would do just as I would; for he had +settled all his affairs so well at Bengal, and left his effects in +such good hands, that as we had made a good voyage, if he could +invest it in China silks, wrought and raw, he would be content to +go to England, and then make a voyage back to Bengal by the +Company's ships. + +Having resolved upon this, we agreed that if our Portuguese pilot +would go with us, we would bear his charges to Moscow, or to +England, if he pleased; nor, indeed, were we to be esteemed over- +generous in that either, if we had not rewarded him further, the +service he had done us being really worth more than that; for he +had not only been a pilot to us at sea, but he had been like a +broker for us on shore; and his procuring for us a Japan merchant +was some hundreds of pounds in our pockets. So, being willing to +gratify him, which was but doing him justice, and very willing also +to have him with us besides, for he was a most necessary man on all +occasions, we agreed to give him a quantity of coined gold, which, +as I computed it, was worth one hundred and seventy-five pounds +sterling, between us, and to bear all his charges, both for himself +and horse, except only a horse to carry his goods. Having settled +this between ourselves, we called him to let him know what we had +resolved. I told him he had complained of our being willing to let +him go back alone, and I was now about to tell him we designed he +should not go back at all. That as we had resolved to go to Europe +with the caravan, we were very willing he should go with us; and +that we called him to know his mind. He shook his head and said it +was a long journey, and that he had no pecune to carry him thither, +or to subsist himself when he came there. We told him we believed +it was so, and therefore we had resolved to do something for him +that should let him see how sensible we were of the service he had +done us, and also how agreeable he was to us: and then I told him +what we had resolved to give him here, which he might lay out as we +would do our own; and that as for his charges, if he would go with +us we would set him safe on shore (life and casualties excepted), +either in Muscovy or England, as he would choose, at our own +charge, except only the carriage of his goods. He received the +proposal like a man transported, and told us he would go with us +over all the whole world; and so we all prepared for our journey. +However, as it was with us, so it was with the other merchants: +they had many things to do, and instead of being ready in five +weeks, it was four months and some days before all things were got +together. + + + +CHAPTER XIV--ATTACKED BY TARTARS + + + +It was the beginning of February, new style, when we set out from +Pekin. My partner and the old pilot had gone express back to the +port where we had first put in, to dispose of some goods which we +had left there; and I, with a Chinese merchant whom I had some +knowledge of at Nankin, and who came to Pekin on his own affairs, +went to Nankin, where I bought ninety pieces of fine damasks, with +about two hundred pieces of other very fine silk of several sorts, +some mixed with gold, and had all these brought to Pekin against my +partner's return. Besides this, we bought a large quantity of raw +silk, and some other goods, our cargo amounting, in these goods +only, to about three thousand five hundred pounds sterling; which, +together with tea and some fine calicoes, and three camels' loads +of nutmegs and cloves, loaded in all eighteen camels for our share, +besides those we rode upon; these, with two or three spare horses, +and two horses loaded with provisions, made together twenty-six +camels and horses in our retinue. + +The company was very great, and, as near as I can remember, made +between three and four hundred horses, and upwards of one hundred +and twenty men, very well armed and provided for all events; for as +the Eastern caravans are subject to be attacked by the Arabs, so +are these by the Tartars. The company consisted of people of +several nations, but there were above sixty of them merchants or +inhabitants of Moscow, though of them some were Livonians; and to +our particular satisfaction, five of them were Scots, who appeared +also to be men of great experience in business, and of very good +substance. + +When we had travelled one day's journey, the guides, who were five +in number, called all the passengers, except the servants, to a +great council, as they called it. At this council every one +deposited a certain quantity of money to a common stock, for the +necessary expense of buying forage on the way, where it was not +otherwise to be had, and for satisfying the guides, getting horses, +and the like. Here, too, they constituted the journey, as they +call it, viz. they named captains and officers to draw us all up, +and give the word of command, in case of an attack, and give every +one their turn of command; nor was this forming us into order any +more than what we afterwards found needful on the way. + +The road all on this side of the country is very populous, and is +full of potters and earth-makers--that is to say, people, that +temper the earth for the China ware. As I was coming along, our +Portuguese pilot, who had always something or other to say to make +us merry, told me he would show me the greatest rarity in all the +country, and that I should have this to say of China, after all the +ill-humoured things that I had said of it, that I had seen one +thing which was not to be seen in all the world beside. I was very +importunate to know what it was; at last he told me it was a +gentleman's house built with China ware. "Well," says I, "are not +the materials of their buildings the products of their own country, +and so it is all China ware, is it not?"--"No, no," says he, "I +mean it is a house all made of China ware, such as you call it in +England, or as it is called in our country, porcelain."--"Well," +says I, "such a thing may be; how big is it? Can we carry it in a +box upon a camel? If we can we will buy it."--"Upon a camel!" says +the old pilot, holding up both his hands; "why, there is a family +of thirty people lives in it." + +I was then curious, indeed, to see it; and when I came to it, it +was nothing but this: it was a timber house, or a house built, as +we call it in England, with lath and plaster, but all this +plastering was really China ware--that is to say, it was plastered +with the earth that makes China ware. The outside, which the sun +shone hot upon, was glazed, and looked very well, perfectly white, +and painted with blue figures, as the large China ware in England +is painted, and hard as if it had been burnt. As to the inside, +all the walls, instead of wainscot, were lined with hardened and +painted tiles, like the little square tiles we call galley-tiles in +England, all made of the finest china, and the figures exceeding +fine indeed, with extraordinary variety of colours, mixed with +gold, many tiles making but one figure, but joined so artificially, +the mortar being made of the same earth, that it was very hard to +see where the tiles met. The floors of the rooms were of the same +composition, and as hard as the earthen floors we have in use in +several parts of England; as hard as stone, and smooth, but not +burnt and painted, except some smaller rooms, like closets, which +were all, as it were, paved with the same tile; the ceiling and all +the plastering work in the whole house were of the same earth; and, +after all, the roof was covered with tiles of the same, but of a +deep shining black. This was a China warehouse indeed, truly and +literally to be called so, and had I not been upon the journey, I +could have stayed some days to see and examine the particulars of +it. They told me there were fountains and fishponds in the garden, +all paved on the bottom and sides with the same; and fine statues +set up in rows on the walks, entirely formed of the porcelain +earth, burnt whole. + +As this is one of the singularities of China, so they may be +allowed to excel in it; but I am very sure they excel in their +accounts of it; for they told me such incredible things of their +performance in crockery-ware, for such it is, that I care not to +relate, as knowing it could not be true. They told me, in +particular, of one workman that made a ship with all its tackle and +masts and sails in earthenware, big enough to carry fifty men. If +they had told me he launched it, and made a voyage to Japan in it, +I might have said something to it indeed; but as it was, I knew the +whole of the story, which was, in short, that the fellow lied: so +I smiled, and said nothing to it. This odd sight kept me two hours +behind the caravan, for which the leader of it for the day fined me +about the value of three shillings; and told me if it had been +three days' journey without the wall, as it was three days' within, +he must have fined me four times as much, and made me ask pardon +the next council-day. I promised to be more orderly; and, indeed, +I found afterwards the orders made for keeping all together were +absolutely necessary for our common safety. + +In two days more we passed the great China wall, made for a +fortification against the Tartars: and a very great work it is, +going over hills and mountains in an endless track, where the rocks +are impassable, and the precipices such as no enemy could possibly +enter, or indeed climb up, or where, if they did, no wall could +hinder them. They tell us its length is near a thousand English +miles, but that the country is five hundred in a straight measured +line, which the wall bounds without measuring the windings and +turnings it takes; it is about four fathoms high, and as many thick +in some places. + +I stood still an hour or thereabouts without trespassing on our +orders (for so long the caravan was in passing the gate), to look +at it on every side, near and far off; I mean what was within my +view: and the guide, who had been extolling it for the wonder of +the world, was mighty eager to hear my opinion of it. I told him +it was a most excellent thing to keep out the Tartars; which he +happened not to understand as I meant it and so took it for a +compliment; but the old pilot laughed! "Oh, Seignior Inglese," +says he, "you speak in colours."--"In colours!" said I; "what do +you mean by that?"--"Why, you speak what looks white this way and +black that way--gay one way and dull another. You tell him it is a +good wall to keep out Tartars; you tell me by that it is good for +nothing but to keep out Tartars. I understand you, Seignior +Inglese, I understand you; but Seignior Chinese understood you his +own way."--"Well," says I, "do you think it would stand out an army +of our country people, with a good train of artillery; or our +engineers, with two companies of miners? Would not they batter it +down in ten days, that an army might enter in battalia; or blow it +up in the air, foundation and all, that there should be no sign of +it left?"--"Ay, ay," says he, "I know that." The Chinese wanted +mightily to know what I said to the pilot, and I gave him leave to +tell him a few days after, for we were then almost out of their +country, and he was to leave us a little time after this; but when +he knew what I said, he was dumb all the rest of the way, and we +heard no more of his fine story of the Chinese power and greatness +while he stayed. + +After we passed this mighty nothing, called a wall, something like +the Picts' walls so famous in Northumberland, built by the Romans, +we began to find the country thinly inhabited, and the people +rather confined to live in fortified towns, as being subject to the +inroads and depredations of the Tartars, who rob in great armies, +and therefore are not to be resisted by the naked inhabitants of an +open country. And here I began to find the necessity of keeping +together in a caravan as we travelled, for we saw several troops of +Tartars roving about; but when I came to see them distinctly, I +wondered more that the Chinese empire could be conquered by such +contemptible fellows; for they are a mere horde of wild fellows, +keeping no order and understanding no discipline or manner of it. +Their horses are poor lean creatures, taught nothing, and fit for +nothing; and this we found the first day we saw them, which was +after we entered the wilder part of the country. Our leader for +the day gave leave for about sixteen of us to go a hunting as they +call it; and what was this but a hunting of sheep!--however, it may +be called hunting too, for these creatures are the wildest and +swiftest of foot that ever I saw of their kind! only they will not +run a great way, and you are sure of sport when you begin the +chase, for they appear generally thirty or forty in a flock, and, +like true sheep, always keep together when they fly. + +In pursuit of this odd sort of game it was our hap to meet with +about forty Tartars: whether they were hunting mutton, as we were, +or whether they looked for another kind of prey, we know not; but +as soon as they saw us, one of them blew a hideous blast on a kind +of horn. This was to call their friends about them, and in less +than ten minutes a troop of forty or fifty more appeared, at about +a mile distance; but our work was over first, as it happened. + +One of the Scots merchants of Moscow happened to be amongst us; and +as soon as he heard the horn, he told us that we had nothing to do +but to charge them without loss of time; and drawing us up in a +line, he asked if we were resolved. We told him we were ready to +follow him; so he rode directly towards them. They stood gazing at +us like a mere crowd, drawn up in no sort of order at all; but as +soon as they saw us advance, they let fly their arrows, which +missed us, very happily. Not that they mistook their aim, but +their distance; for their arrows all fell a little short of us, but +with so true an aim, that had we been about twenty yards nearer we +must have had several men wounded, if not killed. + +Immediately we halted, and though it was at a great distance, we +fired, and sent them leaden bullets for wooden arrows, following +our shot full gallop, to fall in among them sword in hand--for so +our bold Scot that led us directed. He was, indeed, but a +merchant, but he behaved with such vigour and bravery on this +occasion, and yet with such cool courage too, that I never saw any +man in action fitter for command. As soon as we came up to them we +fired our pistols in their faces and then drew; but they fled in +the greatest confusion imaginable. The only stand any of them made +was on our right, where three of them stood, and, by signs, called +the rest to come back to them, having a kind of scimitar in their +hands, and their bows hanging to their backs. Our brave commander, +without asking anybody to follow him, gallops up close to them, and +with his fusee knocks one of them off his horse, killed the second +with his pistol, and the third ran away. Thus ended our fight; but +we had this misfortune attending it, that all our mutton we had in +chase got away. We had not a man killed or hurt; as for the +Tartars, there were about five of them killed--how many were +wounded we knew not; but this we knew, that the other party were so +frightened with the noise of our guns that they fled, and never +made any attempt upon us. + +We were all this while in the Chinese dominions, and therefore the +Tartars were not so bold as afterwards; but in about five days we +entered a vast wild desert, which held us three days' and nights' +march; and we were obliged to carry our water with us in great +leathern bottles, and to encamp all night, just as I have heard +they do in the desert of Arabia. I asked our guides whose dominion +this was in, and they told me this was a kind of border that might +be called no man's land, being a part of Great Karakathy, or Grand +Tartary: that, however, it was all reckoned as belonging to China, +but that there was no care taken here to preserve it from the +inroads of thieves, and therefore it was reckoned the worst desert +in the whole march, though we were to go over some much larger. + +In passing this frightful wilderness we saw, two or three times, +little parties of the Tartars, but they seemed to be upon their own +affairs, and to have no design upon us; and so, like the man who +met the devil, if they had nothing to say to us, we had nothing to +say to them: we let them go. Once, however, a party of them came +so near as to stand and gaze at us. Whether it was to consider if +they should attack us or not, we knew not; but when we had passed +at some distance by them, we made a rear-guard of forty men, and +stood ready for them, letting the caravan pass half a mile or +thereabouts before us. After a while they marched off, but they +saluted us with five arrows at their parting, which wounded a horse +so that it disabled him, and we left him the next day, poor +creature, in great need of a good farrier. We saw no more arrows +or Tartars that time. + +We travelled near a month after this, the ways not being so good as +at first, though still in the dominions of the Emperor of China, +but lay for the most part in the villages, some of which were +fortified, because of the incursions of the Tartars. When we were +come to one of these towns (about two days and a half's journey +before we came to the city of Naum), I wanted to buy a camel, of +which there are plenty to be sold all the way upon that road, and +horses also, such as they are, because, so many caravans coming +that way, they are often wanted. The person that I spoke to to get +me a camel would have gone and fetched one for me; but I, like a +fool, must be officious, and go myself along with him; the place +was about two miles out of the village, where it seems they kept +the camels and horses feeding under a guard. + +I walked it on foot, with my old pilot and a Chinese, being very +desirous of a little variety. When we came to the place it was a +low, marshy ground, walled round with stones, piled up dry, without +mortar or earth among them, like a park, with a little guard of +Chinese soldiers at the door. Having bought a camel, and agreed +for the price, I came away, and the Chinese that went with me led +the camel, when on a sudden came up five Tartars on horseback. Two +of them seized the fellow and took the camel from him, while the +other three stepped up to me and my old pilot, seeing us, as it +were, unarmed, for I had no weapon about me but my sword, which +could but ill defend me against three horsemen. The first that +came up stopped short upon my drawing my sword, for they are arrant +cowards; but a second, coming upon my left, gave me a blow on the +head, which I never felt till afterwards, and wondered, when I came +to myself, what was the matter, and where I was, for he laid me +flat on the ground; but my never-failing old pilot, the Portuguese, +had a pistol in his pocket, which I knew nothing of, nor the +Tartars either: if they had, I suppose they would not have +attacked us, for cowards are always boldest when there is no +danger. The old man seeing me down, with a bold heart stepped up +to the fellow that had struck me, and laying hold of his arm with +one hand, and pulling him down by main force a little towards him, +with the other shot him into the head, and laid him dead upon the +spot. He then immediately stepped up to him who had stopped us, as +I said, and before he could come forward again, made a blow at him +with a scimitar, which he always wore, but missing the man, struck +his horse in the side of his head, cut one of the ears off by the +root, and a great slice down by the side of his face. The poor +beast, enraged with the wound, was no more to be governed by his +rider, though the fellow sat well enough too, but away he flew, and +carried him quite out of the pilot's reach; and at some distance, +rising upon his hind legs, threw down the Tartar, and fell upon +him. + +In this interval the poor Chinese came in who had lost the camel, +but he had no weapon; however, seeing the Tartar down, and his +horse fallen upon him, away he runs to him, and seizing upon an +ugly weapon he had by his side, something like a pole-axe, he +wrenched it from him, and made shift to knock his Tartarian brains +out with it. But my old man had the third Tartar to deal with +still; and seeing he did not fly, as he expected, nor come on to +fight him, as he apprehended, but stood stock still, the old man +stood still too, and fell to work with his tackle to charge his +pistol again: but as soon as the Tartar saw the pistol away he +scoured, and left my pilot, my champion I called him afterwards, a +complete victory. + +By this time I was a little recovered. I thought, when I first +began to wake, that I had been in a sweet sleep; but, as I said +above, I wondered where I was, how I came upon the ground, and what +was the matter. A few moments after, as sense returned, I felt +pain, though I did not know where; so I clapped my hand to my head, +and took it away bloody; then I felt my head ache: and in a moment +memory returned, and everything was present to me again. I jumped +upon my feet instantly, and got hold of my sword, but no enemies +were in view: I found a Tartar lying dead, and his horse standing +very quietly by him; and, looking further, I saw my deliverer, who +had been to see what the Chinese had done, coming back with his +hanger in his hand. The old man, seeing me on my feet, came +running to me, and joyfully embraced me, being afraid before that I +had been killed. Seeing me bloody, he would see how I was hurt; +but it was not much, only what we call a broken head; neither did I +afterwards find any great inconvenience from the blow, for it was +well again in two or three days. + +We made no great gain, however, by this victory, for we lost a +camel and gained a horse. I paid for the lost camel, and sent for +another; but I did not go to fetch it myself: I had had enough of +that. + +The city of Naum, which we were approaching, is a frontier of the +Chinese empire, and is fortified in their fashion. We wanted, as I +have said, above two days' journey of this city when messengers +were sent express to every part of the road to tell all travellers +and caravans to halt till they had a guard sent for them; for that +an unusual body of Tartars, making ten thousand in all, had +appeared in the way, about thirty miles beyond the city. + +This was very bad news to travellers: however, it was carefully +done of the governor, and we were very glad to hear we should have +a guard. Accordingly, two days after, we had two hundred soldiers +sent us from a garrison of the Chinese on our left, and three +hundred more from the city of Naum, and with these we advanced +boldly. The three hundred soldiers from Naum marched in our front, +the two hundred in our rear, and our men on each side of our +camels, with our baggage and the whole caravan in the centre; in +this order, and well prepared for battle, we thought ourselves a +match for the whole ten thousand Mogul Tartars, if they had +appeared; but the next day, when they did appear, it was quite +another thing. + + + +CHAPTER XV--DESCRIPTION OF AN IDOL, WHICH THEY DESTROY + + + +Early in the morning, when marching from a little town called +Changu, we had a river to pass, which we were obliged to ferry; +and, had the Tartars had any intelligence, then had been the time +to have attacked us, when the caravan being over, the rear-guard +was behind; but they did not appear there. About three hours +after, when we were entered upon a desert of about fifteen or +sixteen miles over, we knew by a cloud of dust they raised, that +the enemy was at hand, and presently they came on upon the spur. + +Our Chinese guards in the front, who had talked so big the day +before, began to stagger; and the soldiers frequently looked behind +them, a certain sign in a soldier that he is just ready to run +away. My old pilot was of my mind; and being near me, called out, +"Seignior Inglese, these fellows must be encouraged, or they will +ruin us all; for if the Tartars come on they will never stand it."- +-"If am of your mind," said I; "but what must be done?"--"Done?" +says he, "let fifty of our men advance, and flank them on each +wing, and encourage them. They will fight like brave fellows in +brave company; but without this they will every man turn his back." +Immediately I rode up to our leader and told him, who was exactly +of our mind; accordingly, fifty of us marched to the right wing, +and fifty to the left, and the rest made a line of rescue; and so +we marched, leaving the last two hundred men to make a body of +themselves, and to guard the camels; only that, if need were, they +should send a hundred men to assist the last fifty. + +At last the Tartars came on, and an innumerable company they were; +how many we could not tell, but ten thousand, we thought, at the +least. A party of them came on first, and viewed our posture, +traversing the ground in the front of our line; and, as we found +them within gunshot, our leader ordered the two wings to advance +swiftly, and give them a salvo on each wing with their shot, which +was done. They then went off, I suppose to give an account of the +reception they were like to meet with; indeed, that salute cloyed +their stomachs, for they immediately halted, stood a while to +consider of it, and wheeling off to the left, they gave over their +design for that time, which was very agreeable to our +circumstances. + +Two days after we came to the city of Naun, or Naum; we thanked the +governor for his care of us, and collected to the value of a +hundred crowns, or thereabouts, which we gave to the soldiers sent +to guard us; and here we rested one day. This is a garrison +indeed, and there were nine hundred soldiers kept here; but the +reason of it was, that formerly the Muscovite frontiers lay nearer +to them than they now do, the Muscovites having abandoned that part +of the country, which lies from this city west for about two +hundred miles, as desolate and unfit for use; and more especially +being so very remote, and so difficult to send troops thither for +its defence; for we were yet above two thousand miles from Muscovy +properly so called. After this we passed several great rivers, and +two dreadful deserts; one of which we were sixteen days passing +over; and on the 13th of April we came to the frontiers of the +Muscovite dominions. I think the first town or fortress, whichever +it may he called, that belonged to the Czar, was called Arguna, +being on the west side of the river Arguna. + +I could not but feel great satisfaction that I was arrived in a +country governed by Christians; for though the Muscovites do, in my +opinion, but just deserve the name of Christians, yet such they +pretend to be, and are very devout in their way. It would +certainly occur to any reflecting man who travels the world as I +have done, what a blessing it is to be brought into the world where +the name of God and a Redeemer is known, adored, and worshipped; +and not where the people, given up to strong delusions, worship the +devil, and prostrate themselves to monsters, elements, horrid- +shaped animals, and monstrous images. Not a town or city we passed +through but had their pagodas, their idols, and their temples, and +ignorant people worshipping even the works of their own hands. Now +we came where, at least, a face of the Christian worship appeared; +where the knee was bowed to Jesus: and whether ignorantly or not, +yet the Christian religion was owned, and the name of the true God +was called upon and adored; and it made my soul rejoice to see it. +I saluted the brave Scots merchant with my first acknowledgment of +this; and taking him by the hand, I said to him, "Blessed be God, +we are once again amongst Christians." He smiled, and answered, +"Do not rejoice too soon, countryman; these Muscovites are but an +odd sort of Christians; and but for the name of it you may see very +little of the substance for some months further of our journey."-- +"Well," says I, "but still it is better than paganism, and +worshipping of devils."--"Why, I will tell you," says he; "except +the Russian soldiers in the garrisons, and a few of the inhabitants +of the cities upon the road, all the rest of this country, for +above a thousand miles farther, is inhabited by the worst and most +ignorant of pagans." And so, indeed, we found it. + +We now launched into the greatest piece of solid earth that is to +be found in any part of the world; we had, at least, twelve +thousand miles to the sea eastward; two thousand to the bottom of +the Baltic Sea westward; and above three thousand, if we left that +sea, and went on west, to the British and French channels: we had +full five thousand miles to the Indian or Persian Sea south; and +about eight hundred to the Frozen Sea north. + +We advanced from the river Arguna by easy and moderate journeys, +and were very visibly obliged to the care the Czar has taken to +have cities and towns built in as many places as it is possible to +place them, where his soldiers keep garrison, something like the +stationary soldiers placed by the Romans in the remotest countries +of their empire; some of which I had read of were placed in +Britain, for the security of commerce, and for the lodging of +travellers. Thus it was here; for wherever we came, though at +these towns and stations the garrisons and governors were Russians, +and professed Christians, yet the inhabitants were mere pagans, +sacrificing to idols, and worshipping the sun, moon, and stars, or +all the host of heaven; and not only so, but were, of all the +heathens and pagans that ever I met with, the most barbarous, +except only that they did not eat men's flesh. + +Some instances of this we met with in the country between Arguna, +where we enter the Muscovite dominions, and a city of Tartars and +Russians together, called Nortziousky, in which is a continued +desert or forest, which cost us twenty days to travel over. In a +village near the last of these places I had the curiosity to go and +see their way of living, which is most brutish and unsufferable. +They had, I suppose, a great sacrifice that day; for there stood +out, upon an old stump of a tree, a diabolical kind of idol made of +wood; it was dressed up, too, in the most filthy manner; its upper +garment was of sheepskins, with the wool outward; a great Tartar +bonnet on the head, with two horns growing through it; it was about +eight feet high, yet had no feet or legs, nor any other proportion +of parts. + +This scarecrow was set up at the outer side of the village; and +when I came near to it there were sixteen or seventeen creatures +all lying flat upon the ground round this hideous block of wood; I +saw no motion among them, any more than if they had been all logs, +like the idol, and at first I really thought they had been so; but, +when I came a little nearer, they started up upon their feet, and +raised a howl, as if it had been so many deep-mouthed hounds, and +walked away, as if they were displeased at our disturbing them. A +little way off from the idol, and at the door of a hut, made of +sheep and cow skins dried, stood three men with long knives in +their hands; and in the middle of the tent appeared three sheep +killed, and one young bullock. These, it seems, were sacrifices to +that senseless log of an idol; the three men were priests belonging +to it, and the seventeen prostrated wretches were the people who +brought the offering, and were offering their prayers to that +stock. + +I confess I was more moved at their stupidity and brutish worship +of a hobgoblin than ever I was at anything in my life, and, +overcome with rage, I rode up to the hideous idol, and with my +sword made a stroke at the bonnet that was on its head, and cut it +in two; and one of our men that was with me, taking hold of the +sheepskin that covered it, pulled at it, when, behold, a most +hideous outcry ran through the village, and two or three hundred +people came about my ears, so that I was glad to scour for it, for +some had bows and arrows; but I resolved from that moment to visit +them again. Our caravan rested three nights at the town, which was +about four miles off, in order to provide some horses which they +wanted, several of the horses having been lamed and jaded with the +long march over the last desert; so we had some leisure here to put +my design in execution. I communicated it to the Scots merchant, +of whose courage I had sufficient testimony; I told him what I had +seen, and with what indignation I had since thought that human +nature could be so degenerate; I told him if I could get but four +or five men well armed to go with me, I was resolved to go and +destroy that vile, abominable idol, and let them see that it had no +power to help itself, and consequently could not be an object of +worship, or to be prayed to, much less help them that offered +sacrifices to it. + +He at first objected to my plan as useless, seeing that, owing to +the gross ignorance of the people, they could not be brought to +profit by the lesson I meant to teach them; and added that, from +his knowledge of the country and its customs, he feared we should +fall into great peril by giving offence to these brutal idol +worshippers. This somewhat stayed my purpose, but I was still +uneasy all that day to put my project in execution; and that +evening, meeting the Scots merchant in our walk about the town, I +again called upon him to aid me in it. When he found me resolute +he said that, on further thoughts, he could not but applaud the +design, and told me I should not go alone, but he would go with me; +but he would go first and bring a stout fellow, one of his +countrymen, to go also with us; "and one," said he, "as famous for +his zeal as you can desire any one to be against such devilish +things as these." So we agreed to go, only we three and my man- +servant, and resolved to put it in execution the following night +about midnight, with all possible secrecy. + +We thought it better to delay it till the next night, because the +caravan being to set forward in the morning, we suppose the +governor could not pretend to give them any satisfaction upon us +when we were out of his power. The Scots merchant, as steady in +his resolution for the enterprise as bold in executing, brought me +a Tartar's robe or gown of sheepskins, and a bonnet, with a bow and +arrows, and had provided the same for himself and his countryman, +that the people, if they saw us, should not determine who we were. +All the first night we spent in mixing up some combustible matter, +with aqua vitae, gunpowder, and such other materials as we could +get; and having a good quantity of tar in a little pot, about an +hour after night we set out upon our expedition. + +We came to the place about eleven o'clock at night, and found that +the people had not the least suspicion of danger attending their +idol. The night was cloudy: yet the moon gave us light enough to +see that the idol stood just in the same posture and place that it +did before. The people seemed to be all at their rest; only that +in the great hut, where we saw the three priests, we saw a light, +and going up close to the door, we heard people talking as if there +were five or six of them; we concluded, therefore, that if we set +wildfire to the idol, those men would come out immediately, and run +up to the place to rescue it from destruction; and what to do with +them we knew not. Once we thought of carrying it away, and setting +fire to it at a distance; but when we came to handle it, we found +it too bulky for our carriage, so we were at a loss again. The +second Scotsman was for setting fire to the hut, and knocking the +creatures that were there on the head when they came out; but I +could not join with that; I was against killing them, if it were +possible to avoid it. "Well, then," said the Scots merchant, "I +will tell you what we will do: we will try to make them prisoners, +tie their hands, and make them stand and see their idol destroyed." + +As it happened, we had twine or packthread enough about us, which +we used to tie our firelocks together with; so we resolved to +attack these people first, and with as little noise as we could. +The first thing we did, we knocked at the door, when one of the +priests coming to it, we immediately seized upon him, stopped his +mouth, and tied his hands behind him, and led him to the idol, +where we gagged him that he might not make a noise, tied his feet +also together, and left him on the ground. + +Two of us then waited at the door, expecting that another would +come out to see what the matter was; but we waited so long till the +third man came back to us; and then nobody coming out, we knocked +again gently, and immediately out came two more, and we served them +just in the same manner, but were obliged to go all with them, and +lay them down by the idol some distance from one another; when, +going back, we found two more were come out of the door, and a +third stood behind them within the door. We seized the two, and +immediately tied them, when the third, stepping back and crying +out, my Scots merchant went in after them, and taking out a +composition we had made that would only smoke and stink, he set +fire to it, and threw it in among them. By that time the other +Scotsman and my man, taking charge of the two men already bound, +and tied together also by the arm, led them away to the idol, and +left them there, to see if their idol would relieve them, making +haste back to us. + +When the fuze we had thrown in had filled the hut with so much +smoke that they were almost suffocated, we threw in a small leather +bag of another kind, which flamed like a candle, and, following it +in, we found there were but four people, who, as we supposed, had +been about some of their diabolical sacrifices. They appeared, in +short, frightened to death, at least so as to sit trembling and +stupid, and not able to speak either, for the smoke. + +We quickly took them from the hut, where the smoke soon drove us +out, bound them as we had done the other, and all without any +noise. Then we carried them all together to the idol; when we came +there, we fell to work with him. First, we daubed him all over, +and his robes also, with tar, and tallow mixed with brimstone; then +we stopped his eyes and ears and mouth full of gunpowder, and +wrapped up a great piece of wildfire in his bonnet; then sticking +all the combustibles we had brought with us upon him, we looked +about to see if we could find anything else to help to burn him; +when my Scotsman remembered that by the hut, where the men were, +there lay a heap of dry forage; away he and the other Scotsman ran +and fetched their arms full of that. When we had done this, we +took all our prisoners, and brought them, having untied their feet +and ungagged their mouths, and made them stand up, and set them +before their monstrous idol, and then set fire to the whole. + +We stayed by it a quarter of an hour or thereabouts, till the +powder in the eyes and mouth and ears of the idol blew up, and, as +we could perceive, had split altogether; and in a word, till we saw +it burned so that it would soon be quite consumed. We then began +to think of going away; but the Scotsman said, "No, we must not go, +for these poor deluded wretches will all throw themselves into the +fire, and burn themselves with the idol." So we resolved to stay +till the forage has burned down too, and then came away and left +them. After the feat was performed, we appeared in the morning +among our fellow-travellers, exceedingly busy in getting ready for +our journey; nor could any man suppose that we had been anywhere +but in our beds. + +But the affair did not end so; the next day came a great number of +the country people to the town gates, and in a most outrageous +manner demanded satisfaction of the Russian governor for the +insulting their priests and burning their great Cham Chi-Thaungu. +The people of Nertsinkay were at first in a great consternation, +for they said the Tartars were already no less than thirty thousand +strong. The Russian governor sent out messengers to appease them, +assuring them that he knew nothing of it, and that there had not a +soul in his garrison been abroad, so that it could not be from +anybody there: but if they could let him know who did it, they +should be exemplarily punished. They returned haughtily, that all +the country reverenced the great Cham Chi-Thaungu, who dwelt in the +sun, and no mortal would have dared to offer violence to his image +but some Christian miscreant; and they therefore resolved to +denounce war against him and all the Russians, who, they said, were +miscreants and Christians. + +The governor, unwilling to make a breach, or to have any cause of +war alleged to be given by him, the Czar having strictly charged +him to treat the conquered country with gentleness, gave them all +the good words he could. At last he told them there was a caravan +gone towards Russia that morning, and perhaps it was some of them +who had done them this injury; and that if they would be satisfied +with that, he would send after them to inquire into it. This +seemed to appease them a little; and accordingly the governor sent +after us, and gave us a particular account how the thing was; +intimating withal, that if any in our caravan had done it they +should make their escape; but that whether we had done it or no, we +should make all the haste forward that was possible: and that, in +the meantime, he would keep them in play as long as he could. + +This was very friendly in the governor; however, when it came to +the caravan, there was nobody knew anything of the matter; and as +for us that were guilty, we were least of all suspected. However, +the captain of the caravan for the time took the hint that the +governor gave us, and we travelled two days and two nights without +any considerable stop, and then we lay at a village called Plothus: +nor did we make any long stop here, but hastened on towards +Jarawena, another Muscovite colony, and where we expected we should +be safe. But upon the second day's march from Plothus, by the +clouds of dust behind us at a great distance, it was plain we were +pursued. We had entered a vast desert, and had passed by a great +lake called Schanks Oser, when we perceived a large body of horse +appear on the other side of the lake, to the north, we travelling +west. We observed they went away west, as we did, but had supposed +we would have taken that side of the lake, whereas we very happily +took the south side; and in two days more they disappeared again: +for they, believing we were still before them, pushed on till they +came to the Udda, a very great river when it passes farther north, +but when we came to it we found it narrow and fordable. + +The third day they had either found their mistake, or had +intelligence of us, and came pouring in upon us towards dusk. We +had, to our great satisfaction, just pitched upon a convenient +place for our camp; for as we had just entered upon a desert above +five hundred miles over, where we had no towns to lodge at, and, +indeed, expected none but the city Jarawena, which we had yet two +days' march to; the desert, however, had some few woods in it on +this side, and little rivers, which ran all into the great river +Udda; it was in a narrow strait, between little but very thick +woods, that we pitched our camp that night, expecting to be +attacked before morning. As it was usual for the Mogul Tartars to +go about in troops in that desert, so the caravans always fortify +themselves every night against them, as against armies of robbers; +and it was, therefore, no new thing to be pursued. But we had this +night a most advantageous camp: for as we lay between two woods, +with a little rivulet running just before our front, we could not +be surrounded, or attacked any way but in our front or rear. We +took care also to make our front as strong as we could, by placing +our packs, with the camels and horses, all in a line, on the inside +of the river, and felling some trees in our rear. + +In this posture we encamped for the night; but the enemy was upon +us before we had finished. They did not come on like thieves, as +we expected, but sent three messengers to us, to demand the men to +be delivered to them that had abused their priests and burned their +idol, that they might burn them with fire; and upon this, they +said, they would go away, and do us no further harm, otherwise they +would destroy us all. Our men looked very blank at this message, +and began to stare at one another to see who looked with the most +guilt in their faces; but nobody was the word--nobody did it. The +leader of the caravan sent word he was well assured that it was not +done by any of our camp; that we were peaceful merchants, +travelling on our business; that we had done no harm to them or to +any one else; and that, therefore, they must look further for the +enemies who had injured them, for we were not the people; so they +desired them not to disturb us, for if they did we should defend +ourselves. + +They were far from being satisfied with this for an answer: and a +great crowd of them came running down in the morning, by break of +day, to our camp; but seeing us so well posted, they durst come no +farther than the brook in our front, where they stood in such +number as to terrify us very much; indeed, some spoke of ten +thousand. Here they stood and looked at us a while, and then, +setting up a great howl, let fly a crowd of arrows among us; but we +were well enough sheltered under our baggage, and I do not remember +that one of us was hurt. + +Some time after this we saw them move a little to our right, and +expected them on the rear: when a cunning fellow, a Cossack of +Jarawena, calling to the leader of the caravan, said to him, "I +will send all these people away to Sibeilka." This was a city four +or five days' journey at least to the right, and rather behind us. +So he takes his bow and arrows, and getting on horseback, he rides +away from our rear directly, as it were back to Nertsinskay; after +this he takes a great circuit about, and comes directly on the army +of the Tartars as if he had been sent express to tell them a long +story that the people who had burned the Cham Chi-Thaungu were gone +to Sibeilka, with a caravan of miscreants, as he called them--that +is to say, Christians; and that they had resolved to burn the god +Scal-Isar, belonging to the Tonguses. As this fellow was himself a +Tartar, and perfectly spoke their language, he counterfeited so +well that they all believed him, and away they drove in a violent +hurry to Sibeilka. In less than three hours they were entirely out +of our sight, and we never heard any more of them, nor whether they +went to Sibeilka or no. So we passed away safely on to Jarawena, +where there was a Russian garrison, and there we rested five days. + +From this city we had a frightful desert, which held us twenty- +three days' march. We furnished ourselves with some tents here, +for the better accommodating ourselves in the night; and the leader +of the caravan procured sixteen waggons of the country, for +carrying our water or provisions, and these carriages were our +defence every night round our little camp; so that had the Tartars +appeared, unless they had been very numerous indeed, they would not +have been able to hurt us. We may well be supposed to have wanted +rest again after this long journey; for in this desert we neither +saw house nor tree, and scarce a bush; though we saw abundance of +the sable-hunters, who are all Tartars of Mogul Tartary; of which +this country is a part; and they frequently attack small caravans, +but we saw no numbers of them together. + +After we had passed this desert we came into a country pretty well +inhabited--that is to say, we found towns and castles, settled by +the Czar with garrisons of stationary soldiers, to protect the +caravans and defend the country against the Tartars, who would +otherwise make it very dangerous travelling; and his czarish +majesty has given such strict orders for the well guarding the +caravans, that, if there are any Tartars heard of in the country, +detachments of the garrison are always sent to see the travellers +safe from station to station. Thus the governor of Adinskoy, whom +I had an opportunity to make a visit to, by means of the Scots +merchant, who was acquainted with him, offered us a guard of fifty +men, if we thought there was any danger, to the next station. + +I thought, long before this, that as we came nearer to Europe we +should find the country better inhabited, and the people more +civilised; but I found myself mistaken in both: for we had yet the +nation of the Tonguses to pass through, where we saw the same +tokens of paganism and barbarity as before; only, as they were +conquered by the Muscovites, they were not so dangerous, but for +rudeness of manners and idolatry no people in the world ever went +beyond them. They are all clothed in skins of beasts, and their +houses are built of the same; you know not a man from a woman, +neither by the ruggedness of their countenances nor their clothes; +and in the winter, when the ground is covered with snow, they live +underground in vaults, which have cavities going from one to +another. If the Tartars had their Cham Chi-Thaungu for a whole +village or country, these had idols in every hut and every cave. +This country, I reckon, was, from the desert I spoke of last, at +least four hundred miles, half of it being another desert, which +took us up twelve days' severe travelling, without house or tree; +and we were obliged again to carry our own provisions, as well +water as bread. After we were out of this desert and had travelled +two days, we came to Janezay, a Muscovite city or station, on the +great river Janezay, which, they told us there, parted Europe from +Asia. + +All the country between the river Oby and the river Janezay is as +entirely pagan, and the people as barbarous, as the remotest of the +Tartars. I also found, which I observed to the Muscovite governors +whom I had an opportunity to converse with, that the poor pagans +are not much wiser, or nearer Christianity, for being under the +Muscovite government, which they acknowledged was true enough--but +that, as they said, was none of their business; that if the Czar +expected to convert his Siberian, Tonguse, or Tartar subjects, it +should be done by sending clergymen among them, not soldiers; and +they added, with more sincerity than I expected, that it was not so +much the concern of their monarch to make the people Christians as +to make them subjects. + +From this river to the Oby we crossed a wild uncultivated country, +barren of people and good management, otherwise it is in itself a +pleasant, fruitful, and agreeable country. What inhabitants we +found in it are all pagans, except such as are sent among them from +Russia; for this is the country--I mean on both sides the river +Oby--whither the Muscovite criminals that are not put to death are +banished, and from whence it is next to impossible they should ever +get away. I have nothing material to say of my particular affairs +till I came to Tobolski, the capital city of Siberia, where I +continued some time on the following account. + +We had now been almost seven months on our journey, and winter +began to come on apace; whereupon my partner and I called a council +about our particular affairs, in which we found it proper, as we +were bound for England, to consider how to dispose of ourselves. +They told us of sledges and reindeer to carry us over the snow in +the winter time, by which means, indeed, the Russians travel more +in winter than they can in summer, as in these sledges they are +able to run night and day: the snow, being frozen, is one +universal covering to nature, by which the hills, vales, rivers, +and lakes are all smooth and hard is a stone, and they run upon the +surface, without any regard to what is underneath. + +But I had no occasion to urge a winter journey of this kind. I was +bound to England, not to Moscow, and my route lay two ways: either +I must go on as the caravan went, till I came to Jarislaw, and then +go off west for Narva and the Gulf of Finland, and so on to +Dantzic, where I might possibly sell my China cargo to good +advantage; or I must leave the caravan at a little town on the +Dwina, from whence I had but six days by water to Archangel, and +from thence might be sure of shipping either to England, Holland, +or Hamburg. + +Now, to go any one of these journeys in the winter would have been +preposterous; for as to Dantzic, the Baltic would have been frozen +up and I could not get passage; and to go by land in those +countries was far less safe than among the Mogul Tartars; likewise, +as to Archangel in October, all the ships would be gone from +thence, and even the merchants who dwell there in summer retire +south to Moscow in the winter, when the ships are gone; so that I +could have nothing but extremity of cold to encounter, with a +scarcity of provisions, and must lie in an empty town all the +winter. Therefore, upon the whole, I thought it much my better way +to let the caravan go, and make provision to winter where I was, at +Tobolski, in Siberia, in the latitude of about sixty degrees, where +I was sure of three things to wear out a cold winter with, viz. +plenty of provisions, such as the country afforded, a warm house, +with fuel enough, and excellent company. + +I was now in quite a different climate from my beloved island, +where I never felt cold, except when I had my ague; on the +contrary, I had much to do to bear any clothes on my back, and +never made any fire but without doors, which was necessary for +dressing my food, &c. Now I had three good vests, with large robes +or gowns over them, to hang down to the feet, and button close to +the wrists; and all these lined with furs, to make them +sufficiently warm. As to a warm house, I must confess I greatly +dislike our way in England of making fires in every room of the +house in open chimneys, which, when the fire is out, always keeps +the air in the room cold as the climate. So I took an apartment in +a good house in the town, and ordered a chimney to be built like a +furnace, in the centre of six several rooms, like a stove; the +funnel to carry the smoke went up one way, the door to come at the +fire went in another, and all the rooms were kept equally warm, but +no fire seen, just as they heat baths in England. By this means we +had always the same climate in all the rooms, and an equal heat was +preserved, and yet we saw no fire, nor were ever incommoded with +smoke. + +The most wonderful thing of all was, that it should be possible to +meet with good company here, in a country so barbarous as this--one +of the most northerly parts of Europe. But this being the country +where the state criminals of Muscovy, as I observed before, are all +banished, the city was full of Russian noblemen, gentlemen, +soldiers, and courtiers. Here was the famous Prince Galitzin, the +old German Robostiski, and several other persons of note, and some +ladies. By means of my Scotch merchant, whom, nevertheless, I +parted with here, I made an acquaintance with several of these +gentlemen; and from these, in the long winter nights in which I +stayed here, I received several very agreeable visits. + + + +CHAPTER XVI--SAFE ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND + + + +It was talking one night with a certain prince, one of the banished +ministers of state belonging to the Czar, that the discourse of my +particular case began. He had been telling me abundance of fine +things of the greatness, the magnificence, the dominions, and the +absolute power of the Emperor of the Russians: I interrupted him, +and told him I was a greater and more powerful prince than ever the +Czar was, though my dominion were not so large, or my people so +many. The Russian grandee looked a little surprised, and, fixing +his eyes steadily upon me, began to wonder what I meant. I said +his wonder would cease when I had explained myself, and told him +the story at large of my living in the island; and then how I +managed both myself and the people that were under me, just as I +have since minuted it down. They were exceedingly taken with the +story, and especially the prince, who told me, with a sigh, that +the true greatness of life was to be masters of ourselves; that he +would not have exchanged such a state of life as mine to be Czar of +Muscovy; and that he found more felicity in the retirement he +seemed to be banished to there, than ever he found in the highest +authority he enjoyed in the court of his master the Czar; that the +height of human wisdom was to bring our tempers down to our +circumstances, and to make a calm within, under the weight of the +greatest storms without. When he came first hither, he said, he +used to tear the hair from his head, and the clothes from his back, +as others had done before him; but a little time and consideration +had made him look into himself, as well as round him to things +without; that he found the mind of man, if it was but once brought +to reflect upon the state of universal life, and how little this +world was concerned in its true felicity, was perfectly capable of +making a felicity for itself, fully satisfying to itself, and +suitable to its own best ends and desires, with but very little +assistance from the world. That being now deprived of all the +fancied felicity which he enjoyed in the full exercise of worldly +pleasures, he said he was at leisure to look upon the dark side of +them, where he found all manner of deformity; and was now convinced +that virtue only makes a man truly wise, rich, and great, and +preserves him in the way to a superior happiness in a future state; +and in this, he said, they were more happy in their banishment than +all their enemies were, who had the full possession of all the +wealth and power they had left behind them. "Nor, sir," says he, +"do I bring my mind to this politically, from the necessity of my +circumstances, which some call miserable; but, if I know anything +of myself, I would not now go back, though the Czar my master +should call me, and reinstate me in all my former grandeur." + +He spoke this with so much warmth in his temper, so much +earnestness and motion of his spirits, that it was evident it was +the true sense of his soul; there was no room to doubt his +sincerity. I told him I once thought myself a kind of monarch in +my old station, of which I had given him an account; but that I +thought he was not only a monarch, but a great conqueror; for he +that had got a victory over his own exorbitant desires, and the +absolute dominion over himself, he whose reason entirely governs +his will, is certainly greater than he that conquers a city. + +I had been here eight months, and a dark, dreadful winter I thought +it; the cold so intense that I could not so much as look abroad +without being wrapped in furs, and a kind of mask of fur before my +face, with only a hole for breath, and two for sight: the little +daylight we had was for three months not above five hours a day, +and six at most; only that the snow lying on the ground +continually, and the weather being clear, it was never quite dark. +Our horses were kept, or rather starved, underground; and as for +our servants, whom we hired here to look after ourselves and +horses, we had, every now and then, their fingers and toes to thaw +and take care of, lest they should mortify and fall off. + +It is true, within doors we were warm, the houses being close, the +walls thick, the windows small, and the glass all double. Our food +was chiefly the flesh of deer, dried and cured in the season; bread +good enough, but baked as biscuits; dried fish of several sorts, +and some flesh of mutton, and of buffaloes, which is pretty good +meat. All the stores of provisions for the winter are laid up in +the summer, and well cured: our drink was water, mixed with aqua +vitae instead of brandy; and for a treat, mead instead of wine, +which, however, they have very good. The hunters, who venture +abroad all weathers, frequently brought us in fine venison, and +sometimes bear's flesh, but we did not much care for the last. We +had a good stock of tea, with which we treated our friends, and we +lived cheerfully and well, all things considered. + +It was now March, the days grown considerably longer, and the +weather at least tolerable; so the other travellers began to +prepare sledges to carry them over the snow, and to get things +ready to be going; but my measures being fixed, as I have said, for +Archangel, and not for Muscovy or the Baltic, I made no motion; +knowing very well that the ships from the south do not set out for +that part of the world till May or June, and that if I was there by +the beginning of August, it would be as soon as any ships would be +ready to sail. Therefore I made no haste to be gone, as others +did: in a word, I saw a great many people, nay, all the +travellers, go away before me. It seems every year they go from +thence to Muscovy, for trade, to carry furs, and buy necessaries, +which they bring back with them to furnish their shops: also +others went on the same errand to Archangel. + +In the month of May I began to make all ready to pack up; and, as I +was doing this, it occurred to me that, seeing all these people +were banished by the Czar to Siberia, and yet, when they came +there, were left at liberty to go whither they would, why they did +not then go away to any part of the world, wherever they thought +fit: and I began to examine what should hinder them from making +such an attempt. But my wonder was over when I entered upon that +subject with the person I have mentioned, who answered me thus: +"Consider, first, sir," said he, "the place where we are; and, +secondly, the condition we are in; especially the generality of the +people who are banished thither. We are surrounded with stronger +things than bars or bolts; on the north side, an unnavigable ocean, +where ship never sailed, and boat never swam; every other way we +have above a thousand miles to pass through the Czar's own +dominion, and by ways utterly impassable, except by the roads made +by the government, and through the towns garrisoned by his troops; +in short, we could neither pass undiscovered by the road, nor +subsist any other way, so that it is in vain to attempt it." + +I was silenced at once, and found that they were in a prison every +jot as secure as if they had been locked up in the castle at +Moscow: however, it came into my thoughts that I might certainly +be made an instrument to procure the escape of this excellent +person; and that, whatever hazard I ran, I would certainly try if I +could carry him off. Upon this, I took an occasion one evening to +tell him my thoughts. I represented to him that it was very easy +for me to carry him away, there being no guard over him in the +country; and as I was not going to Moscow, but to Archangel, and +that I went in the retinue of a caravan, by which I was not obliged +to lie in the stationary towns in the desert, but could encamp +every night where I would, we might easily pass uninterrupted to +Archangel, where I would immediately secure him on board an English +ship, and carry him safe along with me; and as to his subsistence +and other particulars, it should be my care till he could better +supply himself. + +He heard me very attentively, and looked earnestly on me all the +while I spoke; nay, I could see in his very face that what I said +put his spirits into an exceeding ferment; his colour frequently +changed, his eyes looked red, and his heart fluttered, till it +might be even perceived in his countenance; nor could he +immediately answer me when I had done, and, as it were, hesitated +what he would say to it; but after he had paused a little, he +embraced me, and said, "How unhappy are we, unguarded creatures as +we are, that even our greatest acts of friendship are made snares +unto us, and we are made tempters of one another!" He then +heartily thanked me for my offers of service, but withstood +resolutely the arguments I used to urge him to set himself free. +He declared, in earnest terms, that he was fully bent on remaining +where he was rather than seek to return to his former miserable +greatness, as he called it: where the seeds of pride, ambition, +avarice, and luxury might revive, take root, and again overwhelm +him. "Let me remain, dear sir," he said, in conclusion--"let me +remain in this blessed confinement, banished from the crimes of +life, rather than purchase a show of freedom at the expense of the +liberty of my reason, and at the future happiness which I now have +in my view, but should then, I fear, quickly lose sight of; for I +am but flesh; a man, a mere man; and have passions and affections +as likely to possess and overthrow me as any man: Oh, be not my +friend and tempter both together!" + +If I was surprised before, I was quite dumb now, and stood silent, +looking at him, and, indeed, admiring what I saw. The struggle in +his soul was so great that, though the weather was extremely cold, +it put him into a most violent heat; so I said a word or two, that +I would leave him to consider of it, and wait on him again, and +then I withdrew to my own apartment. + +About two hours after I heard somebody at or near the door of my +room, and I was going to open the door, but he had opened it and +come in. "My dear friend," says he, "you had almost overset me, +but I am recovered. Do not take it ill that I do not close with +your offer. I assure you it is not for want of sense of the +kindness of it in you; and I came to make the most sincere +acknowledgment of it to you; but I hope I have got the victory over +myself."--"My lord," said I, "I hope you are fully satisfied that +you do not resist the call of Heaven."--"Sir," said he, "if it had +been from Heaven, the same power would have influenced me to have +accepted it; but I hope, and am fully satisfied, that it is from +Heaven that I decline it, and I have infinite satisfaction in the +parting, that you shall leave me an honest man still, though not a +free man." + +I had nothing to do but to acquiesce, and make professions to him +of my having no end in it but a sincere desire to serve him. He +embraced me very passionately, and assured me he was sensible of +that, and should always acknowledge it; and with that he offered me +a very fine present of sables--too much, indeed, for me to accept +from a man in his circumstances, and I would have avoided them, but +he would not be refused. The next morning I sent my servant to his +lordship with a small present of tea, and two pieces of China +damask, and four little wedges of Japan gold, which did not all +weigh above six ounces or thereabouts, but were far short of the +value of his sables, which, when I came to England, I found worth +near two hundred pounds. He accepted the tea, and one piece of the +damask, and one of the pieces of gold, which had a fine stamp upon +it, of the Japan coinage, which I found he took for the rarity of +it, but would not take any more: and he sent word by my servant +that he desired to speak with me. + +When I came to him he told me I knew what had passed between us, +and hoped I would not move him any more in that affair; but that, +since I had made such a generous offer to him, he asked me if I had +kindness enough to offer the same to another person that he would +name to me, in whom he had a great share of concern. In a word, he +told me it was his only son; who, though I had not seen him, was in +the same condition with himself, and above two hundred miles from +him, on the other side of the Oby; but that, if I consented, he +would send for him. + +I made no hesitation, but told him I would do it. I made some +ceremony in letting him understand that it was wholly on his +account; and that, seeing I could not prevail on him, I would show +my respect to him by my concern for his son. He sent the next day +for his son; and in about twenty days he came back with the +messenger, bringing six or seven horses, loaded with very rich +furs, which, in the whole, amounted to a very great value. His +servants brought the horses into the town, but left the young lord +at a distance till night, when he came incognito into our +apartment, and his father presented him to me; and, in short, we +concerted the manner of our travelling, and everything proper for +the journey. + +I had bought a considerable quantity of sables, black fox-skins, +fine ermines, and such other furs as are very rich in that city, in +exchange for some of the goods I had brought from China; in +particular for the cloves and nutmegs, of which I sold the greatest +part here, and the rest afterwards at Archangel, for a much better +price than I could have got at London; and my partner, who was +sensible of the profit, and whose business, more particularly than +mine, was merchandise, was mightily pleased with our stay, on +account of the traffic we made here. + +It was the beginning of June when I left this remote place. We +were now reduced to a very small caravan, having only thirty-two +horses and camels in all, which passed for mine, though my new +guest was proprietor of eleven of them. It was natural also that I +should take more servants with me than I had before; and the young +lord passed for my steward; what great man I passed for myself I +know not, neither did it concern me to inquire. We had here the +worst and the largest desert to pass over that we met with in our +whole journey; I call it the worst, because the way was very deep +in some places, and very uneven in others; the best we had to say +for it was, that we thought we had no troops of Tartars or robbers +to fear, as they never came on this side of the river Oby, or at +least very seldom; but we found it otherwise. + +My young lord had a faithful Siberian servant, who was perfectly +acquainted with the country, and led us by private roads, so that +we avoided coming into the principal towns and cities upon the +great road, such as Tumen, Soloy Kamaskoy, and several others; +because the Muscovite garrisons which are kept there are very +curious and strict in their observation upon travellers, and +searching lest any of the banished persons of note should make +their escape that way into Muscovy; but, by this means, as we were +kept out of the cities, so our whole journey was a desert, and we +were obliged to encamp and lie in our tents, when we might have had +very good accommodation in the cities on the way; this the young +lord was so sensible of, that he would not allow us to lie abroad +when we came to several cities on the way, but lay abroad himself, +with his servant, in the woods, and met us always at the appointed +places. + +We had just entered Europe, having passed the river Kama, which in +these parts is the boundary between Europe and Asia, and the first +city on the European side was called Soloy Kamaskoy, that is, the +great city on the river Kama. And here we thought to see some +evident alteration in the people; but we were mistaken, for as we +had a vast desert to pass, which is near seven hundred miles long +in some places, but not above two hundred miles over where we +passed it, so, till we came past that horrible place, we found very +little difference between that country and Mogul Tartary. The +people are mostly pagans; their houses and towns full of idols; and +their way of living wholly barbarous, except in the cities and +villages near them, where they are Christians, as they call +themselves, of the Greek Church: but have their religion mingled +with so many relics of superstition, that it is scarce to be known +in some places from mere sorcery and witchcraft. + +In passing this forest (after all our dangers were, to our +imagination, escaped), I thought, indeed, we must have been +plundered and robbed, and perhaps murdered, by a troop of thieves: +of what country they were I am yet at a loss to know; but they were +all on horseback, carried bows and arrows, and were at first about +forty-five in number. They came so near to us as to be within two +musket-shot, and, asking no questions, surrounded us with their +horses, and looked very earnestly upon us twice; at length, they +placed themselves just in our way; upon which we drew up in a +little line, before our camels, being not above sixteen men in all. +Thus drawn up, we halted, and sent out the Siberian servant, who +attended his lord, to see who they were; his master was the more +willing to let him go, because he was not a little apprehensive +that they were a Siberian troop sent out after him. The man came +up near them with a flag of truce, and called to them; but though +he spoke several of their languages, or dialects of languages +rather, he could not understand a word they said; however, after +some signs to him not to come near them at his peril, the fellow +came back no wiser than he went; only that by their dress, he said, +he believed them to be some Tartars of Kalmuck, or of the +Circassian hordes, and that there must be more of them upon the +great desert, though he never heard that any of them were seen so +far north before. + +This was small comfort to us; however, we had no remedy: there was +on our left hand, at about a quarter of a mile distance, a little +grove, and very near the road. I immediately resolved we should +advance to those trees, and fortify ourselves as well as we could +there; for, first, I considered that the trees would in a great +measure cover us from their arrows; and, in the next place, they +could not come to charge us in a body: it was, indeed, my old +Portuguese pilot who proposed it, and who had this excellency +attending him, that he was always readiest and most apt to direct +and encourage us in cases of the most danger. We advanced +immediately, with what speed we could, and gained that little wood; +the Tartars, or thieves, for we knew not what to call them, keeping +their stand, and not attempting to hinder us. When we came +thither, we found, to our great satisfaction, that it was a swampy +piece of ground, and on the one side a very great spring of water, +which, running out in a little brook, was a little farther joined +by another of the like size; and was, in short, the source of a +considerable river, called afterwards the Wirtska; the trees which +grew about this spring were not above two hundred, but very large, +and stood pretty thick, so that as soon as we got in, we saw +ourselves perfectly safe from the enemy unless they attacked us on +foot. + +While we stayed here waiting the motion of the enemy some hours, +without perceiving that they made any movement, our Portuguese, +with some help, cut several arms of trees half off, and laid them +hanging across from one tree to another, and in a manner fenced us +in. About two hours before night they came down directly upon us; +and though we had not perceived it, we found they had been joined +by some more, so that they were near fourscore horse; whereof, +however, we fancied some were women. They came on till they were +within half-shot of our little wood, when we fired one musket +without ball, and called to them in the Russian tongue to know what +they wanted, and bade them keep off; but they came on with a double +fury up to the wood-side, not imagining we were so barricaded that +they could not easily break in. Our old pilot was our captain as +well as our engineer, and desired us not to fire upon them till +they came within pistol-shot, that we might be sure to kill, and +that when we did fire we should be sure to take good aim; we bade +him give the word of command, which he delayed so long that they +were some of them within two pikes' length of us when we let fly. +We aimed so true that we killed fourteen of them, and wounded +several others, as also several of their horses; for we had all of +us loaded our pieces with two or three bullets apiece at least. + +They were terribly surprised with our fire, and retreated +immediately about one hundred rods from us; in which time we loaded +our pieces again, and seeing them keep that distance, we sallied +out, and caught four or five of their horses, whose riders we +supposed were killed; and coming up to the dead, we judged they +were Tartars, but knew not how they came to make an excursion such +an unusual length. + +About an hour after they again made a motion to attack us, and rode +round our little wood to see where they might break in; but finding +us always ready to face them, they went off again; and we resolved +not to stir for that night. + +We slept little, but spent the most part of the night in +strengthening our situation, and barricading the entrances into the +wood, and keeping a strict watch. We waited for daylight, and when +it came, it gave us a very unwelcome discovery indeed; for the +enemy, who we thought were discouraged with the reception they met +with, were now greatly increased, and had set up eleven or twelve +huts or tents, as if they were resolved to besiege us; and this +little camp they had pitched upon the open plain, about three- +quarters of a mile from us. I confess I now gave myself over for +lost, and all that I had; the loss of my effects did not lie so +near me, though very considerable, as the thoughts of falling into +the hands of such barbarians at the latter end of my journey, after +so many difficulties and hazards as I had gone through, and even in +sight of our port, where we expected safety and deliverance. As to +my partner, he was raging, and declared that to lose his goods +would be his ruin, and that he would rather die than be starved, +and he was for fighting to the last drop. + +The young lord, a most gallant youth, was for fighting to the last +also; and my old pilot was of opinion that we were able to resist +them all in the situation we were then in. Thus we spent the day +in debates of what we should do; but towards evening we found that +the number of our enemies still increased, and we did not know but +by the morning they might still be a greater number: so I began to +inquire of those people we had brought from Tobolski if there were +no private ways by which we might avoid them in the night, and +perhaps retreat to some town, or get help to guard us over the +desert. The young lord's Siberian servant told us, if we designed +to avoid them, and not fight, he would engage to carry us off in +the night, to a way that went north, towards the river Petruz, by +which he made no question but we might get away, and the Tartars +never discover it; but, he said, his lord had told him he would not +retreat, but would rather choose to fight. I told him he mistook +his lord: for that he was too wise a man to love fighting for the +sake of it; that I knew he was brave enough by what he had showed +already; but that he knew better than to desire seventeen or +eighteen men to fight five hundred, unless an unavoidable necessity +forced them to it; and that if he thought it possible for us to +escape in the night, we had nothing else to do but to attempt it. +He answered, if his lordship gave him such orders, he would lose +his life if he did not perform it; we soon brought his lord to give +that order, though privately, and we immediately prepared for +putting it in practice. + +And first, as soon as it began to be dark, we kindled a fire in our +little camp, which we kept burning, and prepared so as to make it +burn all night, that the Tartars might conclude we were still +there; but as soon as it was dark, and we could see the stars (for +our guide would not stir before), having all our horses and camels +ready loaded, we followed our new guide, who I soon found steered +himself by the north star, the country being level for a long way. + +After we had travelled two hours very hard, it began to be lighter +still; not that it was dark all night, but the moon began to rise, +so that, in short, it was rather lighter than we wished it to be; +but by six o'clock the next morning we had got above thirty miles, +having almost spoiled our horses. Here we found a Russian village, +named Kermazinskoy, where we rested, and heard nothing of the +Kalmuck Tartars that day. About two hours before night we set out +again, and travelled till eight the next morning, though not quite +so hard as before; and about seven o'clock we passed a little +river, called Kirtza, and came to a good large town inhabited by +Russians, called Ozomys; there we heard that several troops of +Kalmucks had been abroad upon the desert, but that we were now +completely out of danger of them, which was to our great +satisfaction. Here we were obliged to get some fresh horses, and +having need enough of rest, we stayed five days; and my partner and +I agreed to give the honest Siberian who conducted us thither the +value of ten pistoles. + +In five days more we came to Veussima, upon the river Witzogda, and +running into the Dwina: we were there, very happily, near the end +of our travels by land, that river being navigable, in seven days' +passage, to Archangel. From hence we came to Lawremskoy, the 3rd +of July; and providing ourselves with two luggage boats, and a +barge for our own convenience, we embarked the 7th, and arrived all +safe at Archangel the 18th; having been a year, five months, and +three days on the journey, including our stay of about eight months +at Tobolski. + +We were obliged to stay at this place six weeks for the arrival of +the ships, and must have tarried longer, had not a Hamburgher come +in above a month sooner than any of the English ships; when, after +some consideration that the city of Hamburgh might happen to be as +good a market for our goods as London, we all took freight with +him; and, having put our goods on board, it was most natural for me +to put my steward on board to take care of them; by which means my +young lord had a sufficient opportunity to conceal himself, never +coming on shore again all the time we stayed there; and this he did +that he might not be seen in the city, where some of the Moscow +merchants would certainly have seen and discovered him. + +We then set sail from Archangel the 20th of August, the same year; +and, after no extraordinary bad voyage, arrived safe in the Elbe +the 18th of September. Here my partner and I found a very good +sale for our goods, as well those of China as the sables, &c., of +Siberia: and, dividing the produce, my share amounted to 3475 +pounds, 17s 3d., including about six hundred pounds' worth of +diamonds, which I purchased at Bengal. + +Here the young lord took his leave of us, and went up the Elbe, in +order to go to the court of Vienna, where he resolved to seek +protection and could correspond with those of his father's friends +who were left alive. He did not part without testimonials of +gratitude for the service I had done him, and for my kindness to +the prince, his father. + +To conclude: having stayed near four months in Hamburgh, I came +from thence by land to the Hague, where I embarked in the packet, +and arrived in London the 10th of January 1705, having been absent +from England ten years and nine months. And here, resolving to +harass myself no more, I am preparing for a longer journey than all +these, having lived seventy-two years a life of infinite variety, +and learned sufficiently to know the value of retirement, and the +blessing of ending our days in peace. + + + + +End of The Project Gutenberg Etext of Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe +by Daniel Defoe + diff --git a/old/rbcr210.zip b/old/rbcr210.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..724151a --- /dev/null +++ b/old/rbcr210.zip |