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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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