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@@ -0,0 +1,8733 @@ +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*** + + + + +Transcribed from the 1919 Seeley, Sevice & Co edition by David Price, +email ccx074@pglaf.org + + + + + +THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE + + +CHAPTER I--REVISITS ISLAND + + +That homely proverb, used on so many occasions in England, viz. "That +what is bred in the bone will not go out of the flesh," was never more +verified than in the story of my Life. Any one would think that after +thirty-five years' affliction, and a variety of unhappy circumstances, +which few men, if any, ever went through before, and after near seven +years of peace and enjoyment in the fulness of all things; grown old, and +when, if ever, it might be allowed me to have had experience of every +state of middle life, and to know which was most adapted to make a man +completely happy; I say, after all this, any one would have thought that +the native propensity to rambling which I gave an account of in my first +setting out in the world to have been so predominant in my thoughts, +should be worn out, and I might, at sixty one years of age, have been a +little inclined to stay at home, and have done venturing life and fortune +any more. + +Nay, farther, the common motive of foreign adventures was taken away in +me, for I had no fortune to make; I had nothing to seek: if I had gained +ten thousand pounds I had been no richer; for I had already sufficient +for me, and for those I had to leave it to; and what I had was visibly +increasing; for, having no great family, I could not spend the income of +what I had unless I would set up for an expensive way of living, such as +a great family, servants, equipage, gaiety, and the like, which were +things I had no notion of, or inclination to; so that I had nothing, +indeed, to do but to sit still, and fully enjoy what I had got, and see +it increase daily upon my hands. Yet all these things had no effect upon +me, or at least not enough to resist the strong inclination I had to go +abroad again, which hung about me like a chronic distemper. In +particular, the desire of seeing my new plantation in the island, and the +colony I left there, ran in my head continually. I dreamed of it all +night, and my imagination ran upon it all day: it was uppermost in all my +thoughts, and my fancy worked so steadily and strongly upon it that I +talked of it in my sleep; in short, nothing could remove it out of my +mind: it even broke so violently into all my discourses that it made my +conversation tiresome, for I could talk of nothing else; all my discourse +ran into it, even to impertinence; and I saw it myself. + +I have often heard persons of good judgment say that all the stir that +people make in the world about ghosts and apparitions is owing to the +strength of imagination, and the powerful operation of fancy in their +minds; that there is no such thing as a spirit appearing, or a ghost +walking; that people's poring affectionately upon the past conversation +of their deceased friends so realises it to them that they are capable of +fancying, upon some extraordinary circumstances, that they see them, talk +to them, and are answered by them, when, in truth, there is nothing but +shadow and vapour in the thing, and they really know nothing of the +matter. + +For my part, I know not to this hour whether there are any such things as +real apparitions, spectres, or walking of people after they are dead; or +whether there is anything in the stories they tell us of that kind more +than the product of vapours, sick minds, and wandering fancies: but this +I know, that my imagination worked up to such a height, and brought me +into such excess of vapours, or what else I may call it, that I actually +supposed myself often upon the spot, at my old castle, behind the trees; +saw my old Spaniard, Friday's father, and the reprobate sailors I left +upon the island; nay, I fancied I talked with them, and looked at them +steadily, though I was broad awake, as at persons just before me; and +this I did till I often frightened myself with the images my fancy +represented to me. One time, in my sleep, I had the villainy of the +three pirate sailors so lively related to me by the first Spaniard, and +Friday's father, that it was surprising: they told me how they +barbarously attempted to murder all the Spaniards, and that they set fire +to the provisions they had laid up, on purpose to distress and starve +them; things that I had never heard of, and that, indeed, were never all +of them true in fact: but it was so warm in my imagination, and so +realised to me, that, to the hour I saw them, I could not be persuaded +but that it was or would be true; also how I resented it, when the +Spaniard complained to me; and how I brought them to justice, tried them, +and ordered them all three to be hanged. What there was really in this +shall be seen in its place; for however I came to form such things in my +dream, and what secret converse of spirits injected it, yet there was, I +say, much of it true. I own that this dream had nothing in it literally +and specifically true; but the general part was so true--the base; +villainous behaviour of these three hardened rogues was such, and had +been so much worse than all I can describe, that the dream had too much +similitude of the fact; and as I would afterwards have punished them +severely, so, if I had hanged them all, I had been much in the right, and +even should have been justified both by the laws of God and man. + +But to return to my story. In this kind of temper I lived some years; I +had no enjoyment of my life, no pleasant hours, no agreeable diversion +but what had something or other of this in it; so that my wife, who saw +my mind wholly bent upon it, told me very seriously one night that she +believed there was some secret, powerful impulse of Providence upon me, +which had determined me to go thither again; and that she found nothing +hindered me going but my being engaged to a wife and children. She told +me that it was true she could not think of parting with me: but as she +was assured that if she was dead it would be the first thing I would do, +so, as it seemed to her that the thing was determined above, she would +not be the only obstruction; for, if I thought fit and resolved to +go--[Here she found me very intent upon her words, and that I looked very +earnestly at her, so that it a little disordered her, and she stopped. I +asked her why she did not go on, and say out what she was going to say? +But I perceived that her heart was too full, and some tears stood in her +eyes.] "Speak out, my dear," said I; "are you willing I should +go?"--"No," says she, very affectionately, "I am far from willing; but if +you are resolved to go," says she, "rather than I would be the only +hindrance, I will go with you: for though I think it a most preposterous +thing for one of your years, and in your condition, yet, if it must be," +said she, again weeping, "I would not leave you; for if it be of Heaven +you must do it, there is no resisting it; and if Heaven make it your duty +to go, He will also make it mine to go with you, or otherwise dispose of +me, that I may not obstruct it." + +This affectionate behaviour of my wife's brought me a little out of the +vapours, and I began to consider what I was doing; I corrected my +wandering fancy, and began to argue with myself sedately what business I +had after threescore years, and after such a life of tedious sufferings +and disasters, and closed in so happy and easy a manner; I, say, what +business had I to rush into new hazards, and put myself upon adventures +fit only for youth and poverty to run into? + +With those thoughts I considered my new engagement; that I had a wife, +one child born, and my wife then great with child of another; that I had +all the world could give me, and had no need to seek hazard for gain; +that I was declining in years, and ought to think rather of leaving what +I had gained than of seeking to increase it; that as to what my wife had +said of its being an impulse from Heaven, and that it should be my duty +to go, I had no notion of that; so, after many of these cogitations, I +struggled with the power of my imagination, reasoned myself out of it, as +I believe people may always do in like cases if they will: in a word, I +conquered it, composed myself with such arguments as occurred to my +thoughts, and which my present condition furnished me plentifully with; +and particularly, as the most effectual method, I resolved to divert +myself with other things, and to engage in some business that might +effectually tie me up from any more excursions of this kind; for I found +that thing return upon me chiefly when I was idle, and had nothing to do, +nor anything of moment immediately before me. To this purpose, I bought +a little farm in the county of Bedford, and resolved to remove myself +thither. I had a little convenient house upon it, and the land about it, +I found, was capable of great improvement; and it was many ways suited to +my inclination, which delighted in cultivating, managing, planting, and +improving of land; and particularly, being an inland country, I was +removed from conversing among sailors and things relating to the remote +parts of the world. I went down to my farm, settled my family, bought +ploughs, harrows, a cart, waggon-horses, cows, and sheep, and, setting +seriously to work, became in one half-year a mere country gentleman. My +thoughts were entirely taken up in managing my servants, cultivating the +ground, enclosing, planting, &c.; and I lived, as I thought, the most +agreeable life that nature was capable of directing, or that a man always +bred to misfortunes was capable of retreating to. + +I farmed upon my own land; I had no rent to pay, was limited by no +articles; I could pull up or cut down as I pleased; what I planted was +for myself, and what I improved was for my family; and having thus left +off the thoughts of wandering, I had not the least discomfort in any part +of life as to this world. Now I thought, indeed, that I enjoyed the +middle state of life which my father so earnestly recommended to me, and +lived a kind of heavenly life, something like what is described by the +poet, upon the subject of a country life:-- + + "Free from vices, free from care, + Age has no pain, and youth no snare." + +But in the middle of all this felicity, one blow from unseen Providence +unhinged me at once; and not only made a breach upon me inevitable and +incurable, but drove me, by its consequences, into a deep relapse of the +wandering disposition, which, as I may say, being born in my very blood, +soon recovered its hold of me; and, like the returns of a violent +distemper, came on with an irresistible force upon me. This blow was the +loss of my wife. It is not my business here to write an elegy upon my +wife, give a character of her particular virtues, and make my court to +the sex by the flattery of a funeral sermon. She was, in a few words, +the stay of all my affairs; the centre of all my enterprises; the engine +that, by her prudence, reduced me to that happy compass I was in, from +the most extravagant and ruinous project that filled my head, and did +more to guide my rambling genius than a mother's tears, a father's +instructions, a friend's counsel, or all my own reasoning powers could +do. I was happy in listening to her, and in being moved by her +entreaties; and to the last degree desolate and dislocated in the world +by the loss of her. + +When she was gone, the world looked awkwardly round me. I was as much a +stranger in it, in my thoughts, as I was in the Brazils, when I first +went on shore there; and as much alone, except for the assistance of +servants, as I was in my island. I knew neither what to think nor what +to do. I saw the world busy around me: one part labouring for bread, +another part squandering in vile excesses or empty pleasures, but equally +miserable because the end they proposed still fled from them; for the men +of pleasure every day surfeited of their vice, and heaped up work for +sorrow and repentance; and the men of labour spent their strength in +daily struggling for bread to maintain the vital strength they laboured +with: so living in a daily circulation of sorrow, living but to work, and +working but to live, as if daily bread were the only end of wearisome +life, and a wearisome life the only occasion of daily bread. + +This put me in mind of the life I lived in my kingdom, the island; where +I suffered no more corn to grow, because I did not want it; and bred no +more goats, because I had no more use for them; where the money lay in +the drawer till it grew mouldy, and had scarce the favour to be looked +upon in twenty years. All these things, had I improved them as I ought +to have done, and as reason and religion had dictated to me, would have +taught me to search farther than human enjoyments for a full felicity; +and that there was something which certainly was the reason and end of +life superior to all these things, and which was either to be possessed, +or at least hoped for, on this side of the grave. + +But my sage counsellor was gone; I was like a ship without a pilot, that +could only run afore the wind. My thoughts ran all away again into the +old affair; my head was quite turned with the whimsies of foreign +adventures; and all the pleasant, innocent amusements of my farm, my +garden, my cattle, and my family, which before entirely possessed me, +were nothing to me, had no relish, and were like music to one that has no +ear, or food to one that has no taste. In a word, I resolved to leave +off housekeeping, let my farm, and return to London; and in a few months +after I did so. + +When I came to London, I was still as uneasy as I was before; I had no +relish for the place, no employment in it, nothing to do but to saunter +about like an idle person, of whom it may be said he is perfectly useless +in God's creation, and it is not one farthing's matter to the rest of his +kind whether he be dead or alive. This also was the thing which, of all +circumstances of life, was the most my aversion, who had been all my days +used to an active life; and I would often say to myself, "A state of +idleness is the very dregs of life;" and, indeed, I thought I was much +more suitably employed when I was twenty-six days making a deal board. + +It was now the beginning of the year 1693, when my nephew, whom, as I +have observed before, I had brought up to the sea, and had made him +commander of a ship, was come home from a short voyage to Bilbao, being +the first he had made. He came to me, and told me that some merchants of +his acquaintance had been proposing to him to go a voyage for them to the +East Indies, and to China, as private traders. "And now, uncle," says +he, "if you will go to sea with me, I will engage to land you upon your +old habitation in the island; for we are to touch at the Brazils." + +Nothing can be a greater demonstration of a future state, and of the +existence of an invisible world, than the concurrence of second causes +with the idea of things which we form in our minds, perfectly reserved, +and not communicated to any in the world. + +My nephew knew nothing how far my distemper of wandering was returned +upon me, and I knew nothing of what he had in his thought to say, when +that very morning, before he came to me, I had, in a great deal of +confusion of thought, and revolving every part of my circumstances in my +mind, come to this resolution, that I would go to Lisbon, and consult +with my old sea-captain; and if it was rational and practicable, I would +go and see the island again, and what was become of my people there. I +had pleased myself with the thoughts of peopling the place, and carrying +inhabitants from hence, getting a patent for the possession and I know +not what; when, in the middle of all this, in comes my nephew, as I have +said, with his project of carrying me thither in his way to the East +Indies. + +I paused a while at his words, and looking steadily at him, "What devil," +said I, "sent you on this unlucky errand?" My nephew stared as if he had +been frightened at first; but perceiving that I was not much displeased +at the proposal, he recovered himself. "I hope it may not be an unlucky +proposal, sir," says he. "I daresay you would be pleased to see your new +colony there, where you once reigned with more felicity than most of your +brother monarchs in the world." In a word, the scheme hit so exactly +with my temper, that is to say, the prepossession I was under, and of +which I have said so much, that I told him, in a few words, if he agreed +with the merchants, I would go with him; but I told him I would not +promise to go any further than my own island. "Why, sir," says he, "you +don't want to be left there again, I hope?" "But," said I, "can you not +take me up again on your return?" He told me it would not be possible to +do so; that the merchants would never allow him to come that way with a +laden ship of such value, it being a month's sail out of his way, and +might be three or four. "Besides, sir, if I should miscarry," said he, +"and not return at all, then you would be just reduced to the condition +you were in before." + +This was very rational; but we both found out a remedy for it, which was +to carry a framed sloop on board the ship, which, being taken in pieces, +might, by the help of some carpenters, whom we agreed to carry with us, +be set up again in the island, and finished fit to go to sea in a few +days. I was not long resolving, for indeed the importunities of my +nephew joined so effectually with my inclination that nothing could +oppose me; on the other hand, my wife being dead, none concerned +themselves so much for me as to persuade me one way or the other, except +my ancient good friend the widow, who earnestly struggled with me to +consider my years, my easy circumstances, and the needless hazards of a +long voyage; and above all, my young children. But it was all to no +purpose, I had an irresistible desire for the voyage; and I told her I +thought there was something so uncommon in the impressions I had upon my +mind, that it would be a kind of resisting Providence if I should attempt +to stay at home; after which she ceased her expostulations, and joined +with me, not only in making provision for my voyage, but also in settling +my family affairs for my absence, and providing for the education of my +children. In order to do this, I made my will, and settled the estate I +had in such a manner for my children, and placed in such hands, that I +was perfectly easy and satisfied they would have justice done them, +whatever might befall me; and for their education, I left it wholly to +the widow, with a sufficient maintenance to herself for her care: all +which she richly deserved; for no mother could have taken more care in +their education, or understood it better; and as she lived till I came +home, I also lived to thank her for it. + +My nephew was ready to sail about the beginning of January 1694-5; and I, +with my man Friday, went on board, in the Downs, the 8th; having, besides +that sloop which I mentioned above, a very considerable cargo of all +kinds of necessary things for my colony, which, if I did not find in good +condition, I resolved to leave so. + +First, I carried with me some servants whom I purposed to place there as +inhabitants, or at least to set on work there upon my account while I +stayed, and either to leave them there or carry them forward, as they +should appear willing; particularly, I carried two carpenters, a smith, +and a very handy, ingenious fellow, who was a cooper by trade, and was +also a general mechanic; for he was dexterous at making wheels and hand- +mills to grind corn, was a good turner and a good pot-maker; he also made +anything that was proper to make of earth or of wood: in a word, we +called him our Jack-of-all-trades. With these I carried a tailor, who +had offered himself to go a passenger to the East Indies with my nephew, +but afterwards consented to stay on our new plantation, and who proved a +most necessary handy fellow as could be desired in many other businesses +besides that of his trade; for, as I observed formerly, necessity arms us +for all employments. + +My cargo, as near as I can recollect, for I have not kept account of the +particulars, consisted of a sufficient quantity of linen, and some +English thin stuffs, for clothing the Spaniards that I expected to find +there; and enough of them, as by my calculation might comfortably supply +them for seven years; if I remember right, the materials I carried for +clothing them, with gloves, hats, shoes, stockings, and all such things +as they could want for wearing, amounted to about two hundred pounds, +including some beds, bedding, and household stuff, particularly kitchen +utensils, with pots, kettles, pewter, brass, &c.; and near a hundred +pounds more in ironwork, nails, tools of every kind, staples, hooks, +hinges, and every necessary thing I could think of. + +I carried also a hundred spare arms, muskets, and fusees; besides some +pistols, a considerable quantity of shot of all sizes, three or four tons +of lead, and two pieces of brass cannon; and, because I knew not what +time and what extremities I was providing for, I carried a hundred +barrels of powder, besides swords, cutlasses, and the iron part of some +pikes and halberds. In short, we had a large magazine of all sorts of +store; and I made my nephew carry two small quarter-deck guns more than +he wanted for his ship, to leave behind if there was occasion; so that +when we came there we might build a fort and man it against all sorts of +enemies. Indeed, I at first thought there would be need enough for all, +and much more, if we hoped to maintain our possession of the island, as +shall be seen in the course of that story. + +I had not such bad luck in this voyage as I had been used to meet with, +and therefore shall have the less occasion to interrupt the reader, who +perhaps may be impatient to hear how matters went with my colony; yet +some odd accidents, cross winds and bad weather happened on this first +setting out, which made the voyage longer than I expected it at first; +and I, who had never made but one voyage, my first voyage to Guinea, in +which I might be said to come back again, as the voyage was at first +designed, began to think the same ill fate attended me, and that I was +born to be never contented with being on shore, and yet to be always +unfortunate at sea. Contrary winds first put us to the northward, and we +were obliged to put in at Galway, in Ireland, where we lay wind-bound two- +and-twenty days; but we had this satisfaction with the disaster, that +provisions were here exceeding cheap, and in the utmost plenty; so that +while we lay here we never touched the ship's stores, but rather added to +them. Here, also, I took in several live hogs, and two cows with their +calves, which I resolved, if I had a good passage, to put on shore in my +island; but we found occasion to dispose otherwise of them. + +We set out on the 5th of February from Ireland, and had a very fair gale +of wind for some days. As I remember, it might be about the 20th of +February in the evening late, when the mate, having the watch, came into +the round-house and told us he saw a flash of fire, and heard a gun +fired; and while he was telling us of it, a boy came in and told us the +boatswain heard another. This made us all run out upon the quarter-deck, +where for a while we heard nothing; but in a few minutes we saw a very +great light, and found that there was some very terrible fire at a +distance; immediately we had recourse to our reckonings, in which we all +agreed that there could be no land that way in which the fire showed +itself, no, not for five hundred leagues, for it appeared at WNW. Upon +this, we concluded it must be some ship on fire at sea; and as, by our +hearing the noise of guns just before, we concluded that it could not be +far off, we stood directly towards it, and were presently satisfied we +should discover it, because the further we sailed, the greater the light +appeared; though, the weather being hazy, we could not perceive anything +but the light for a while. In about half-an-hour's sailing, the wind +being fair for us, though not much of it, and the weather clearing up a +little, we could plainly discern that it was a great ship on fire in the +middle of the sea. + +I was most sensibly touched with this disaster, though not at all +acquainted with the persons engaged in it; I presently recollected my +former circumstances, and what condition I was in when taken up by the +Portuguese captain; and how much more deplorable the circumstances of the +poor creatures belonging to that ship must be, if they had no other ship +in company with them. Upon this I immediately ordered that five guns +should be fired, one soon after another, that, if possible, we might give +notice to them that there was help for them at hand and that they might +endeavour to save themselves in their boat; for though we could see the +flames of the ship, yet they, it being night, could see nothing of us. + +We lay by some time upon this, only driving as the burning ship drove, +waiting for daylight; when, on a sudden, to our great terror, though we +had reason to expect it, the ship blew up in the air; and in a few +minutes all the fire was out, that is to say, the rest of the ship sunk. +This was a terrible, and indeed an afflicting sight, for the sake of the +poor men, who, I concluded, must be either all destroyed in the ship, or +be in the utmost distress in their boat, in the middle of the ocean; +which, at present, as it was dark, I could not see. However, to direct +them as well as I could, I caused lights to be hung out in all parts of +the ship where we could, and which we had lanterns for, and kept firing +guns all the night long, letting them know by this that there was a ship +not far off. + +About eight o'clock in the morning we discovered the ship's boats by the +help of our perspective glasses, and found there were two of them, both +thronged with people, and deep in the water. We perceived they rowed, +the wind being against them; that they saw our ship, and did their utmost +to make us see them. We immediately spread our ancient, to let them know +we saw them, and hung a waft out, as a signal for them to come on board, +and then made more sail, standing directly to them. In little more than +half-an-hour we came up with them; and took them all in, being no less +than sixty-four men, women, and children; for there were a great many +passengers. + +Upon inquiry we found it was a French merchant ship of three-hundred +tons, home-bound from Quebec. The master gave us a long account of the +distress of his ship; how the fire began in the steerage by the +negligence of the steersman, which, on his crying out for help, was, as +everybody thought, entirely put out; but they soon found that some sparks +of the first fire had got into some part of the ship so difficult to come +at that they could not effectually quench it; and afterwards getting in +between the timbers, and within the ceiling of the ship, it proceeded +into the hold, and mastered all the skill and all the application they +were able to exert. + +They had no more to do then but to get into their boats, which, to their +great comfort, were pretty large; being their long-boat, and a great +shallop, besides a small skiff, which was of no great service to them, +other than to get some fresh water and provisions into her, after they +had secured their lives from the fire. They had, indeed, small hopes of +their lives by getting into these boats at that distance from any land; +only, as they said, that they thus escaped from the fire, and there was a +possibility that some ship might happen to be at sea, and might take them +in. They had sails, oars, and a compass; and had as much provision and +water as, with sparing it so as to be next door to starving, might +support them about twelve days, in which, if they had no bad weather and +no contrary winds, the captain said he hoped he might get to the banks of +Newfoundland, and might perhaps take some fish, to sustain them till they +might go on shore. But there were so many chances against them in all +these cases, such as storms, to overset and founder them; rains and cold, +to benumb and perish their limbs; contrary winds, to keep them out and +starve them; that it must have been next to miraculous if they had +escaped. + +In the midst of their consternation, every one being hopeless and ready +to despair, the captain, with tears in his eyes, told me they were on a +sudden surprised with the joy of hearing a gun fire, and after that four +more: these were the five guns which I caused to be fired at first seeing +the light. This revived their hearts, and gave them the notice, which, +as above, I desired it should, that there was a ship at hand for their +help. It was upon the hearing of these guns that they took down their +masts and sails: the sound coming from the windward, they resolved to lie +by till morning. Some time after this, hearing no more guns, they fired +three muskets, one a considerable while after another; but these, the +wind being contrary, we never heard. Some time after that again they +were still more agreeably surprised with seeing our lights, and hearing +the guns, which, as I have said, I caused to be fired all the rest of the +night. This set them to work with their oars, to keep their boats ahead, +at least that we might the sooner come up with them; and at last, to +their inexpressible joy, they found we saw them. + +It is impossible for me to express the several gestures, the strange +ecstasies, the variety of postures which these poor delivered people ran +into, to express the joy of their souls at so unexpected a deliverance. +Grief and fear are easily described: sighs, tears, groans, and a very few +motions of the head and hands, make up the sum of its variety; but an +excess of joy, a surprise of joy, has a thousand extravagances in it. +There were some in tears; some raging and tearing themselves, as if they +had been in the greatest agonies of sorrow; some stark raving and +downright lunatic; some ran about the ship stamping with their feet, +others wringing their hands; some were dancing, some singing, some +laughing, more crying, many quite dumb, not able to speak a word; others +sick and vomiting; several swooning and ready to faint; and a few were +crossing themselves and giving God thanks. + +I would not wrong them either; there might be many that were thankful +afterwards; but the passion was too strong for them at first, and they +were not able to master it: then were thrown into ecstasies, and a kind +of frenzy, and it was but a very few that were composed and serious in +their joy. Perhaps also, the case may have some addition to it from the +particular circumstance of that nation they belonged to: I mean the +French, whose temper is allowed to be more volatile, more passionate, and +more sprightly, and their spirits more fluid than in other nations. I am +not philosopher enough to determine the cause; but nothing I had ever +seen before came up to it. The ecstasies poor Friday, my trusty savage, +was in when he found his father in the boat came the nearest to it; and +the surprise of the master and his two companions, whom I delivered from +the villains that set them on shore in the island, came a little way +towards it; but nothing was to compare to this, either that I saw in +Friday, or anywhere else in my life. + +It is further observable, that these extravagances did not show +themselves in that different manner I have mentioned, in different +persons only; but all the variety would appear, in a short succession of +moments, in one and the same person. A man that we saw this minute dumb, +and, as it were, stupid and confounded, would the next minute be dancing +and hallooing like an antic; and the next moment be tearing his hair, or +pulling his clothes to pieces, and stamping them under his feet like a +madman; in a few moments after that we would have him all in tears, then +sick, swooning, and, had not immediate help been had, he would in a few +moments have been dead. Thus it was, not with one or two, or ten or +twenty, but with the greatest part of them; and, if I remember right, our +surgeon was obliged to let blood of about thirty persons. + +There were two priests among them: one an old man, and the other a young +man; and that which was strangest was, the oldest man was the worst. As +soon as he set his foot on board our ship, and saw himself safe, he +dropped down stone dead to all appearance. Not the least sign of life +could be perceived in him; our surgeon immediately applied proper +remedies to recover him, and was the only man in the ship that believed +he was not dead. At length he opened a vein in his arm, having first +chafed and rubbed the part, so as to warm it as much as possible. Upon +this the blood, which only dropped at first, flowing freely, in three +minutes after the man opened his eyes; a quarter of an hour after that he +spoke, grew better, and after the blood was stopped, he walked about, +told us he was perfectly well, and took a dram of cordial which the +surgeon gave him. About a quarter of an hour after this they came +running into the cabin to the surgeon, who was bleeding a Frenchwoman +that had fainted, and told him the priest was gone stark mad. It seems +he had begun to revolve the change of his circumstances in his mind, and +again this put him into an ecstasy of joy. His spirits whirled about +faster than the vessels could convey them, the blood grew hot and +feverish, and the man was as fit for Bedlam as any creature that ever was +in it. The surgeon would not bleed him again in that condition, but gave +him something to doze and put him to sleep; which, after some time, +operated upon him, and he awoke next morning perfectly composed and well. +The younger priest behaved with great command of his passions, and was +really an example of a serious, well-governed mind. At his first coming +on board the ship he threw himself flat on his face, prostrating himself +in thankfulness for his deliverance, in which I unhappily and +unseasonably disturbed him, really thinking he had been in a swoon; but +he spoke calmly, thanked me, told me he was giving God thanks for his +deliverance, begged me to leave him a few moments, and that, next to his +Maker, he would give me thanks also. I was heartily sorry that I +disturbed him, and not only left him, but kept others from interrupting +him also. He continued in that posture about three minutes, or little +more, after I left him, then came to me, as he had said he would, and +with a great deal of seriousness and affection, but with tears in his +eyes, thanked me, that had, under God, given him and so many miserable +creatures their lives. I told him I had no need to tell him to thank God +for it, rather than me, for I had seen that he had done that already; but +I added that it was nothing but what reason and humanity dictated to all +men, and that we had as much reason as he to give thanks to God, who had +blessed us so far as to make us the instruments of His mercy to so many +of His creatures. After this the young priest applied himself to his +countrymen, and laboured to compose them: he persuaded, entreated, +argued, reasoned with them, and did his utmost to keep them within the +exercise of their reason; and with some he had success, though others +were for a time out of all government of themselves. + +I cannot help committing this to writing, as perhaps it may be useful to +those into whose hands it may fall, for guiding themselves in the +extravagances of their passions; for if an excess of joy can carry men +out to such a length beyond the reach of their reason, what will not the +extravagances of anger, rage, and a provoked mind carry us to? And, +indeed, here I saw reason for keeping an exceeding watch over our +passions of every kind, as well those of joy and satisfaction as those of +sorrow and anger. + +We were somewhat disordered by these extravagances among our new guests +for the first day; but after they had retired to lodgings provided for +them as well as our ship would allow, and had slept heartily--as most of +them did, being fatigued and frightened--they were quite another sort of +people the next day. Nothing of good manners, or civil acknowledgments +for the kindness shown them, was wanting; the French, it is known, are +naturally apt enough to exceed that way. The captain and one of the +priests came to me the next day, and desired to speak with me and my +nephew; the commander began to consult with us what should be done with +them; and first, they told us we had saved their lives, so all they had +was little enough for a return to us for that kindness received. The +captain said they had saved some money and some things of value in their +boats, caught hastily out of the flames, and if we would accept it they +were ordered to make an offer of it all to us; they only desired to be +set on shore somewhere in our way, where, if possible, they might get a +passage to France. My nephew wished to accept their money at first word, +and to consider what to do with them afterwards; but I overruled him in +that part, for I knew what it was to be set on shore in a strange +country; and if the Portuguese captain that took me up at sea had served +me so, and taken all I had for my deliverance, I must have been starved, +or have been as much a slave at the Brazils as I had been at Barbary, the +mere being sold to a Mahometan excepted; and perhaps a Portuguese is not +a much better master than a Turk, if not in some cases much worse. + +I therefore told the French captain that we had taken them up in their +distress, it was true, but that it was our duty to do so, as we were +fellow-creatures; and we would desire to be so delivered if we were in +the like or any other extremity; that we had done nothing for them but +what we believed they would have done for us if we had been in their case +and they in ours; but that we took them up to save them, not to plunder +them; and it would be a most barbarous thing to take that little from +them which they had saved out of the fire, and then set them on shore and +leave them; that this would be first to save them from death, and then +kill them ourselves: save them from drowning, and abandon them to +starving; and therefore I would not let the least thing be taken from +them. As to setting them on shore, I told them indeed that was an +exceeding difficulty to us, for that the ship was bound to the East +Indies; and though we were driven out of our course to the westward a +very great way, and perhaps were directed by Heaven on purpose for their +deliverance, yet it was impossible for us wilfully to change our voyage +on their particular account; nor could my nephew, the captain, answer it +to the freighters, with whom he was under charter to pursue his voyage by +way of Brazil; and all I knew we could do for them was to put ourselves +in the way of meeting with other ships homeward bound from the West +Indies, and get them a passage, if possible, to England or France. + +The first part of the proposal was so generous and kind they could not +but be very thankful for it; but they were in very great consternation, +especially the passengers, at the notion of being carried away to the +East Indies; they then entreated me that as I was driven so far to the +westward before I met with them, I would at least keep on the same course +to the banks of Newfoundland, where it was probable I might meet with +some ship or sloop that they might hire to carry them back to Canada. + +I thought this was but a reasonable request on their part, and therefore +I inclined to agree to it; for indeed I considered that to carry this +whole company to the East Indies would not only be an intolerable +severity upon the poor people, but would be ruining our whole voyage by +devouring all our provisions; so I thought it no breach of charter-party, +but what an unforeseen accident made absolutely necessary to us, and in +which no one could say we were to blame; for the laws of God and nature +would have forbid that we should refuse to take up two boats full of +people in such a distressed condition; and the nature of the thing, as +well respecting ourselves as the poor people, obliged us to set them on +shore somewhere or other for their deliverance. So I consented that we +would carry them to Newfoundland, if wind and weather would permit: and +if not, I would carry them to Martinico, in the West Indies. + +The wind continued fresh easterly, but the weather pretty good; and as +the winds had continued in the points between NE. and SE. a long time, we +missed several opportunities of sending them to France; for we met +several ships bound to Europe, whereof two were French, from St. +Christopher's, but they had been so long beating up against the wind that +they durst take in no passengers, for fear of wanting provisions for the +voyage, as well for themselves as for those they should take in; so we +were obliged to go on. It was about a week after this that we made the +banks of Newfoundland; where, to shorten my story, we put all our French +people on board a bark, which they hired at sea there, to put them on +shore, and afterwards to carry them to France, if they could get +provisions to victual themselves with. When I say all the French went on +shore, I should remember that the young priest I spoke of, hearing we +were bound to the East Indies, desired to go the voyage with us, and to +be set on shore on the coast of Coromandel; which I readily agreed to, +for I wonderfully liked the man, and had very good reason, as will appear +afterwards; also four of the seamen entered themselves on our ship, and +proved very useful fellows. + +From hence we directed our course for the West Indies, steering away S. +and S. by E. for about twenty days together, sometimes little or no wind +at all; when we met with another subject for our humanity to work upon, +almost as deplorable as that before. + + + + +CHAPTER II--INTERVENING HISTORY OF COLONY + + +It was in the latitude of 27 degrees 5 minutes N., on the 19th day of +March 1694-95, when we spied a sail, our course SE. and by S. We soon +perceived it was a large vessel, and that she bore up to us, but could +not at first know what to make of her, till, after coming a little +nearer, we found she had lost her main-topmast, fore-mast, and bowsprit; +and presently she fired a gun as a signal of distress. The weather was +pretty good, wind at NNW. a fresh gale, and we soon came to speak with +her. We found her a ship of Bristol, bound home from Barbadoes, but had +been blown out of the road at Barbadoes a few days before she was ready +to sail, by a terrible hurricane, while the captain and chief mate were +both gone on shore; so that, besides the terror of the storm, they were +in an indifferent case for good mariners to bring the ship home. They +had been already nine weeks at sea, and had met with another terrible +storm, after the hurricane was over, which had blown them quite out of +their knowledge to the westward, and in which they lost their masts. They +told us they expected to have seen the Bahama Islands, but were then +driven away again to the south-east, by a strong gale of wind at NNW., +the same that blew now: and having no sails to work the ship with but a +main course, and a kind of square sail upon a jury fore-mast, which they +had set up, they could not lie near the wind, but were endeavouring to +stand away for the Canaries. + +But that which was worst of all was, that they were almost starved for +want of provisions, besides the fatigues they had undergone; their bread +and flesh were quite gone--they had not one ounce left in the ship, and +had had none for eleven days. The only relief they had was, their water +was not all spent, and they had about half a barrel of flour left; they +had sugar enough; some succades, or sweetmeats, they had at first, but +these were all devoured; and they had seven casks of rum. There was a +youth and his mother and a maid-servant on board, who were passengers, +and thinking the ship was ready to sail, unhappily came on board the +evening before the hurricane began; and having no provisions of their own +left, they were in a more deplorable condition than the rest: for the +seamen being reduced to such an extreme necessity themselves, had no +compassion, we may be sure, for the poor passengers; and they were, +indeed, in such a condition that their misery is very hard to describe. + +I had perhaps not known this part, if my curiosity had not led me, the +weather being fair and the wind abated, to go on board the ship. The +second mate, who upon this occasion commanded the ship, had been on board +our ship, and he told me they had three passengers in the great cabin +that were in a deplorable condition. "Nay," says he, "I believe they are +dead, for I have heard nothing of them for above two days; and I was +afraid to inquire after them," said he, "for I had nothing to relieve +them with." We immediately applied ourselves to give them what relief we +could spare; and indeed I had so far overruled things with my nephew, +that I would have victualled them though we had gone away to Virginia, or +any other part of the coast of America, to have supplied ourselves; but +there was no necessity for that. + +But now they were in a new danger; for they were afraid of eating too +much, even of that little we gave them. The mate, or commander, brought +six men with him in his boat; but these poor wretches looked like +skeletons, and were so weak that they could hardly sit to their oars. The +mate himself was very ill, and half starved; for he declared he had +reserved nothing from the men, and went share and share alike with them +in every bit they ate. I cautioned him to eat sparingly, and set meat +before him immediately, but he had not eaten three mouthfuls before he +began to be sick and out of order; so he stopped a while, and our surgeon +mixed him up something with some broth, which he said would be to him +both food and physic; and after he had taken it he grew better. In the +meantime I forgot not the men. I ordered victuals to be given them, and +the poor creatures rather devoured than ate it: they were so exceedingly +hungry that they were in a manner ravenous, and had no command of +themselves; and two of them ate with so much greediness that they were in +danger of their lives the next morning. The sight of these people's +distress was very moving to me, and brought to mind what I had a terrible +prospect of at my first coming on shore in my island, where I had not the +least mouthful of food, or any prospect of procuring any; besides the +hourly apprehensions I had of being made the food of other creatures. But +all the while the mate was thus relating to me the miserable condition of +the ship's company, I could not put out of my thought the story he had +told me of the three poor creatures in the great cabin, viz. the mother, +her son, and the maid-servant, whom he had heard nothing of for two or +three days, and whom, he seemed to confess, they had wholly neglected, +their own extremities being so great; by which I understood that they had +really given them no food at all, and that therefore they must be +perished, and be all lying dead, perhaps, on the floor or deck of the +cabin. + +As I therefore kept the mate, whom we then called captain, on board with +his men, to refresh them, so I also forgot not the starving crew that +were left on board, but ordered my own boat to go on board the ship, and, +with my mate and twelve men, to carry them a sack of bread, and four or +five pieces of beef to boil. Our surgeon charged the men to cause the +meat to be boiled while they stayed, and to keep guard in the cook-room, +to prevent the men taking it to eat raw, or taking it out of the pot +before it was well boiled, and then to give every man but a very little +at a time: and by this caution he preserved the men, who would otherwise +have killed themselves with that very food that was given them on purpose +to save their lives. + +At the same time I ordered the mate to go into the great cabin, and see +what condition the poor passengers were in; and if they were alive, to +comfort them, and give them what refreshment was proper: and the surgeon +gave him a large pitcher, with some of the prepared broth which he had +given the mate that was on board, and which he did not question would +restore them gradually. I was not satisfied with this; but, as I said +above, having a great mind to see the scene of misery which I knew the +ship itself would present me with, in a more lively manner than I could +have it by report, I took the captain of the ship, as we now called him, +with me, and went myself, a little after, in their boat. + +I found the poor men on board almost in a tumult to get the victuals out +of the boiler before it was ready; but my mate observed his orders, and +kept a good guard at the cook-room door, and the man he placed there, +after using all possible persuasion to have patience, kept them off by +force; however, he caused some biscuit-cakes to be dipped in the pot, and +softened with the liquor of the meat, which they called brewis, and gave +them every one some to stay their stomachs, and told them it was for +their own safety that he was obliged to give them but little at a time. +But it was all in vain; and had I not come on board, and their own +commander and officers with me, and with good words, and some threats +also of giving them no more, I believe they would have broken into the +cook-room by force, and torn the meat out of the furnace--for words are +indeed of very small force to a hungry belly; however, we pacified them, +and fed them gradually and cautiously at first, and the next time gave +them more, and at last filled their bellies, and the men did well enough. + +But the misery of the poor passengers in the cabin was of another nature, +and far beyond the rest; for as, first, the ship's company had so little +for themselves, it was but too true that they had at first kept them very +low, and at last totally neglected them: so that for six or seven days it +might be said they had really no food at all, and for several days before +very little. The poor mother, who, as the men reported, was a woman of +sense and good breeding, had spared all she could so affectionately for +her son, that at last she entirely sank under it; and when the mate of +our ship went in, she sat upon the floor on deck, with her back up +against the sides, between two chairs, which were lashed fast, and her +head sunk between her shoulders like a corpse, though not quite dead. My +mate said all he could to revive and encourage her, and with a spoon put +some broth into her mouth. She opened her lips, and lifted up one hand, +but could not speak: yet she understood what he said, and made signs to +him, intimating, that it was too late for her, but pointed to her child, +as if she would have said they should take care of him. However, the +mate, who was exceedingly moved at the sight, endeavoured to get some of +the broth into her mouth, and, as he said, got two or three spoonfuls +down--though I question whether he could be sure of it or not; but it was +too late, and she died the same night. + +The youth, who was preserved at the price of his most affectionate +mother's life, was not so far gone; yet he lay in a cabin bed, as one +stretched out, with hardly any life left in him. He had a piece of an +old glove in his mouth, having eaten up the rest of it; however, being +young, and having more strength than his mother, the mate got something +down his throat, and he began sensibly to revive; though by giving him, +some time after, but two or three spoonfuls extraordinary, he was very +sick, and brought it up again. + +But the next care was the poor maid: she lay all along upon the deck, +hard by her mistress, and just like one that had fallen down in a fit of +apoplexy, and struggled for life. Her limbs were distorted; one of her +hands was clasped round the frame of the chair, and she gripped it so +hard that we could not easily make her let it go; her other arm lay over +her head, and her feet lay both together, set fast against the frame of +the cabin table: in short, she lay just like one in the agonies of death, +and yet she was alive too. The poor creature was not only starved with +hunger, and terrified with the thoughts of death, but, as the men told us +afterwards, was broken-hearted for her mistress, whom she saw dying for +two or three days before, and whom she loved most tenderly. We knew not +what to do with this poor girl; for when our surgeon, who was a man of +very great knowledge and experience, had, with great application, +recovered her as to life, he had her upon his hands still; for she was +little less than distracted for a considerable time after. + +Whoever shall read these memorandums must be desired to consider that +visits at sea are not like a journey into the country, where sometimes +people stay a week or a fortnight at a place. Our business was to +relieve this distressed ship's crew, but not lie by for them; and though +they were willing to steer the same course with us for some days, yet we +could carry no sail to keep pace with a ship that had no masts. However, +as their captain begged of us to help him to set up a main-topmast, and a +kind of a topmast to his jury fore-mast, we did, as it were, lie by him +for three or four days; and then, having given him five barrels of beef, +a barrel of pork, two hogsheads of biscuit, and a proportion of peas, +flour, and what other things we could spare; and taking three casks of +sugar, some rum, and some pieces of eight from them for satisfaction, we +left them, taking on board with us, at their own earnest request, the +youth and the maid, and all their goods. + +The young lad was about seventeen years of age, a pretty, well-bred, +modest, and sensible youth, greatly dejected with the loss of his mother, +and also at having lost his father but a few months before, at Barbadoes. +He begged of the surgeon to speak to me to take him out of the ship; for +he said the cruel fellows had murdered his mother: and indeed so they +had, that is to say, passively; for they might have spared a small +sustenance to the poor helpless widow, though it had been but just enough +to keep her alive; but hunger knows no friend, no relation, no justice, +no right, and therefore is remorseless, and capable of no compassion. + +The surgeon told him how far we were going, and that it would carry him +away from all his friends, and put him, perhaps, in as bad circumstances +almost as those we found him in, that is to say, starving in the world. +He said it mattered not whither he went, if he was but delivered from the +terrible crew that he was among; that the captain (by which he meant me, +for he could know nothing of my nephew) had saved his life, and he was +sure would not hurt him; and as for the maid, he was sure, if she came to +herself, she would be very thankful for it, let us carry them where we +would. The surgeon represented the case so affectionately to me that I +yielded, and we took them both on board, with all their goods, except +eleven hogsheads of sugar, which could not be removed or come at; and as +the youth had a bill of lading for them, I made his commander sign a +writing, obliging himself to go, as soon as he came to Bristol, to one +Mr. Rogers, a merchant there, to whom the youth said he was related, and +to deliver a letter which I wrote to him, and all the goods he had +belonging to the deceased widow; which, I suppose, was not done, for I +could never learn that the ship came to Bristol, but was, as is most +probable, lost at sea, being in so disabled a condition, and so far from +any land, that I am of opinion the first storm she met with afterwards +she might founder, for she was leaky, and had damage in her hold when we +met with her. + +I was now in the latitude of 19 degrees 32 minutes, and had hitherto a +tolerable voyage as to weather, though at first the winds had been +contrary. I shall trouble nobody with the little incidents of wind, +weather, currents, &c., on the rest of our voyage; but to shorten my +story, shall observe that I came to my old habitation, the island, on the +10th of April 1695. It was with no small difficulty that I found the +place; for as I came to it and went to it before on the south and east +side of the island, coming from the Brazils, so now, coming in between +the main and the island, and having no chart for the coast, nor any +landmark, I did not know it when I saw it, or, know whether I saw it or +not. We beat about a great while, and went on shore on several islands +in the mouth of the great river Orinoco, but none for my purpose; only +this I learned by my coasting the shore, that I was under one great +mistake before, viz. that the continent which I thought I saw from the +island I lived in was really no continent, but a long island, or rather a +ridge of islands, reaching from one to the other side of the extended +mouth of that great river; and that the savages who came to my island +were not properly those which we call Caribbees, but islanders, and other +barbarians of the same kind, who inhabited nearer to our side than the +rest. + +In short, I visited several of these islands to no purpose; some I found +were inhabited, and some were not; on one of them I found some Spaniards, +and thought they had lived there; but speaking with them, found they had +a sloop lying in a small creek hard by, and came thither to make salt, +and to catch some pearl-mussels if they could; but that they belonged to +the Isle de Trinidad, which lay farther north, in the latitude of 10 and +11 degrees. + +Thus coasting from one island to another, sometimes with the ship, +sometimes with the Frenchman's shallop, which we had found a convenient +boat, and therefore kept her with their very good will, at length I came +fair on the south side of my island, and presently knew the very +countenance of the place: so I brought the ship safe to an anchor, +broadside with the little creek where my old habitation was. As soon as +I saw the place I called for Friday, and asked him if he knew where he +was? He looked about a little, and presently clapping his hands, cried, +"Oh yes, Oh there, Oh yes, Oh there!" pointing to our old habitation, and +fell dancing and capering like a mad fellow; and I had much ado to keep +him from jumping into the sea to swim ashore to the place. + +"Well, Friday," says I, "do you think we shall find anybody here or no? +and do you think we shall see your father?" The fellow stood mute as a +stock a good while; but when I named his father, the poor affectionate +creature looked dejected, and I could see the tears run down his face +very plentifully. "What is the matter, Friday? are you troubled because +you may see your father?" "No, no," says he, shaking his head, "no see +him more: no, never more see him again." "Why so, Friday? how do you +know that?" "Oh no, Oh no," says Friday, "he long ago die, long ago; he +much old man." "Well, well, Friday, you don't know; but shall we see any +one else, then?" The fellow, it seems, had better eyes than I, and he +points to the hill just above my old house; and though we lay half a +league off, he cries out, "We see! we see! yes, we see much man there, +and there, and there." I looked, but I saw nobody, no, not with a +perspective glass, which was, I suppose, because I could not hit the +place: for the fellow was right, as I found upon inquiry the next day; +and there were five or six men all together, who stood to look at the +ship, not knowing what to think of us. + +As soon as Friday told me he saw people, I caused the English ancient to +be spread, and fired three guns, to give them notice we were friends; and +in about a quarter of an hour after we perceived a smoke arise from the +side of the creek; so I immediately ordered the boat out, taking Friday +with me, and hanging out a white flag, I went directly on shore, taking +with me the young friar I mentioned, to whom I had told the story of my +living there, and the manner of it, and every particular both of myself +and those I left there, and who was on that account extremely desirous to +go with me. We had, besides, about sixteen men well armed, if we had +found any new guests there which we did not know of; but we had no need +of weapons. + +As we went on shore upon the tide of flood, near high water, we rowed +directly into the creek; and the first man I fixed my eye upon was the +Spaniard whose life I had saved, and whom I knew by his face perfectly +well: as to his habit, I shall describe it afterwards. I ordered nobody +to go on shore at first but myself; but there was no keeping Friday in +the boat, for the affectionate creature had spied his father at a +distance, a good way off the Spaniards, where, indeed, I saw nothing of +him; and if they had not let him go ashore, he would have jumped into the +sea. He was no sooner on shore, but he flew away to his father like an +arrow out of a bow. It would have made any man shed tears, in spite of +the firmest resolution, to have seen the first transports of this poor +fellow's joy when he came to his father: how he embraced him, kissed him, +stroked his face, took him up in his arms, set him down upon a tree, and +lay down by him; then stood and looked at him, as any one would look at a +strange picture, for a quarter of an hour together; then lay down on the +ground, and stroked his legs, and kissed them, and then got up again and +stared at him; one would have thought the fellow bewitched. But it would +have made a dog laugh the next day to see how his passion ran out another +way: in the morning he walked along the shore with his father several +hours, always leading him by the hand, as if he had been a lady; and +every now and then he would come to the boat to fetch something or other +for him, either a lump of sugar, a dram, a biscuit, or something or other +that was good. In the afternoon his frolics ran another way; for then he +would set the old man down upon the ground, and dance about him, and make +a thousand antic gestures; and all the while he did this he would be +talking to him, and telling him one story or another of his travels, and +of what had happened to him abroad to divert him. In short, if the same +filial affection was to be found in Christians to their parents in our +part of the world, one would be tempted to say there would hardly have +been any need of the fifth commandment. + +But this is a digression: I return to my landing. It would be needless +to take notice of all the ceremonies and civilities that the Spaniards +received me with. The first Spaniard, whom, as I said, I knew very well, +was he whose life I had saved. He came towards the boat, attended by one +more, carrying a flag of truce also; and he not only did not know me at +first, but he had no thoughts, no notion of its being me that was come, +till I spoke to him. "Seignior," said I, in Portuguese, "do you not know +me?" At which he spoke not a word, but giving his musket to the man that +was with him, threw his arms abroad, saying something in Spanish that I +did not perfectly hear, came forward and embraced me, telling me he was +inexcusable not to know that face again that he had once seen, as of an +angel from heaven sent to save his life; he said abundance of very +handsome things, as a well-bred Spaniard always knows how, and then, +beckoning to the person that attended him, bade him go and call out his +comrades. He then asked me if I would walk to my old habitation, where +he would give me possession of my own house again, and where I should see +they had made but mean improvements. I walked along with him, but, alas! +I could no more find the place than if I had never been there; for they +had planted so many trees, and placed them in such a position, so thick +and close to one another, and in ten years' time they were grown so big, +that the place was inaccessible, except by such windings and blind ways +as they themselves only, who made them, could find. + +I asked them what put them upon all these fortifications; he told me I +would say there was need enough of it when they had given me an account +how they had passed their time since their arriving in the island, +especially after they had the misfortune to find that I was gone. He +told me he could not but have some pleasure in my good fortune, when he +heard that I was gone in a good ship, and to my satisfaction; and that he +had oftentimes a strong persuasion that one time or other he should see +me again, but nothing that ever befell him in his life, he said, was so +surprising and afflicting to him at first as the disappointment he was +under when he came back to the island and found I was not there. + +As to the three barbarians (so he called them) that were left behind, and +of whom, he said, he had a long story to tell me, the Spaniards all +thought themselves much better among the savages, only that their number +was so small: "And," says he, "had they been strong enough, we had been +all long ago in purgatory;" and with that he crossed himself on the +breast. "But, sir," says he, "I hope you will not be displeased when I +shall tell you how, forced by necessity, we were obliged for our own +preservation to disarm them, and make them our subjects, as they would +not be content with being moderately our masters, but would be our +murderers." I answered I was afraid of it when I left them there, and +nothing troubled me at my parting from the island but that they were not +come back, that I might have put them in possession of everything first, +and left the others in a state of subjection, as they deserved; but if +they had reduced them to it I was very glad, and should be very far from +finding any fault with it; for I knew they were a parcel of refractory, +ungoverned villains, and were fit for any manner of mischief. + +While I was saying this, the man came whom he had sent back, and with him +eleven more. In the dress they were in it was impossible to guess what +nation they were of; but he made all clear, both to them and to me. +First, he turned to me, and pointing to them, said, "These, sir, are some +of the gentlemen who owe their lives to you;" and then turning to them, +and pointing to me, he let them know who I was; upon which they all came +up, one by one, not as if they had been sailors, and ordinary fellows, +and the like, but really as if they had been ambassadors or noblemen, and +I a monarch or great conqueror: their behaviour was, to the last degree, +obliging and courteous, and yet mixed with a manly, majestic gravity, +which very well became them; and, in short, they had so much more manners +than I, that I scarce knew how to receive their civilities, much less how +to return them in kind. + +The history of their coming to, and conduct in, the island after my going +away is so very remarkable, and has so many incidents which the former +part of my relation will help to understand, and which will in most of +the particulars, refer to the account I have already given, that I cannot +but commit them, with great delight, to the reading of those that come +after me. + +In order to do this as intelligibly as I can, I must go back to the +circumstances in which I left the island, and the persons on it, of whom +I am to speak. And first, it is necessary to repeat that I had sent away +Friday's father and the Spaniard (the two whose lives I had rescued from +the savages) in a large canoe to the main, as I then thought it, to fetch +over the Spaniard's companions that he left behind him, in order to save +them from the like calamity that he had been in, and in order to succour +them for the present; and that, if possible, we might together find some +way for our deliverance afterwards. When I sent them away I had no +visible appearance of, or the least room to hope for, my own deliverance, +any more than I had twenty years before--much less had I any +foreknowledge of what afterwards happened, I mean, of an English ship +coming on shore there to fetch me off; and it could not be but a very +great surprise to them, when they came back, not only to find that I was +gone, but to find three strangers left on the spot, possessed of all that +I had left behind me, which would otherwise have been their own. + +The first thing, however, which I inquired into, that I might begin where +I left off, was of their own part; and I desired the Spaniard would give +me a particular account of his voyage back to his countrymen with the +boat, when I sent him to fetch them over. He told me there was little +variety in that part, for nothing remarkable happened to them on the way, +having had very calm weather and a smooth sea. As for his countrymen, it +could not be doubted, he said, but that they were overjoyed to see him +(it seems he was the principal man among them, the captain of the vessel +they had been shipwrecked in having been dead some time): they were, he +said, the more surprised to see him, because they knew that he was fallen +into the hands of the savages, who, they were satisfied, would devour him +as they did all the rest of their prisoners; that when he told them the +story of his deliverance, and in what manner he was furnished for +carrying them away, it was like a dream to them, and their astonishment, +he said, was somewhat like that of Joseph's brethren when he told them +who he was, and the story of his exaltation in Pharaoh's court; but when +he showed them the arms, the powder, the ball, the provisions that he +brought them for their journey or voyage, they were restored to +themselves, took a just share of the joy of their deliverance, and +immediately prepared to come away with him. + +Their first business was to get canoes; and in this they were obliged not +to stick so much upon the honesty of it, but to trespass upon their +friendly savages, and to borrow two large canoes, or periaguas, on +pretence of going out a-fishing, or for pleasure. In these they came +away the next morning. It seems they wanted no time to get themselves +ready; for they had neither clothes nor provisions, nor anything in the +world but what they had on them, and a few roots to eat, of which they +used to make their bread. They were in all three weeks absent; and in +that time, unluckily for them, I had the occasion offered for my escape, +as I mentioned in the other part, and to get off from the island, leaving +three of the most impudent, hardened, ungoverned, disagreeable villains +behind me that any man could desire to meet with--to the poor Spaniards' +great grief and disappointment. + +The only just thing the rogues did was, that when the Spaniards came +ashore, they gave my letter to them, and gave them provisions, and other +relief, as I had ordered them to do; also they gave them the long paper +of directions which I had left with them, containing the particular +methods which I took for managing every part of my life there; the way I +baked my bread, bred up tame goats, and planted my corn; how I cured my +grapes, made my pots, and, in a word, everything I did. All this being +written down, they gave to the Spaniards (two of them understood English +well enough): nor did they refuse to accommodate the Spaniards with +anything else, for they agreed very well for some time. They gave them +an equal admission into the house or cave, and they began to live very +sociably; and the head Spaniard, who had seen pretty much of my methods, +together with Friday's father, managed all their affairs; but as for the +Englishmen, they did nothing but ramble about the island, shoot parrots, +and catch tortoises; and when they came home at night, the Spaniards +provided their suppers for them. + +The Spaniards would have been satisfied with this had the others but let +them alone, which, however, they could not find in their hearts to do +long: but, like the dog in the manger, they would not eat themselves, +neither would they let the others eat. The differences, nevertheless, +were at first but trivial, and such as are not worth relating, but at +last it broke out into open war: and it began with all the rudeness and +insolence that can be imagined--without reason, without provocation, +contrary to nature, and indeed to common sense; and though, it is true, +the first relation of it came from the Spaniards themselves, whom I may +call the accusers, yet when I came to examine the fellows they could not +deny a word of it. + +But before I come to the particulars of this part, I must supply a defect +in my former relation; and this was, I forgot to set down among the rest, +that just as we were weighing the anchor to set sail, there happened a +little quarrel on board of our ship, which I was once afraid would have +turned to a second mutiny; nor was it appeased till the captain, rousing +up his courage, and taking us all to his assistance, parted them by +force, and making two of the most refractory fellows prisoners, he laid +them in irons: and as they had been active in the former disorders, and +let fall some ugly, dangerous words the second time, he threatened to +carry them in irons to England, and have them hanged there for mutiny and +running away with the ship. This, it seems, though the captain did not +intend to do it, frightened some other men in the ship; and some of them +had put it into the head of the rest that the captain only gave them good +words for the present, till they should come to same English port, and +that then they should be all put into gaol, and tried for their lives. +The mate got intelligence of this, and acquainted us with it, upon which +it was desired that I, who still passed for a great man among them, +should go down with the mate and satisfy the men, and tell them that they +might be assured, if they behaved well the rest of the voyage, all they +had done for the time past should be pardoned. So I went, and after +passing my honour's word to them they appeared easy, and the more so when +I caused the two men that were in irons to be released and forgiven. + +But this mutiny had brought us to an anchor for that night; the wind also +falling calm next morning, we found that our two men who had been laid in +irons had stolen each of them a musket and some other weapons (what +powder or shot they had we knew not), and had taken the ship's pinnace, +which was not yet hauled up, and run away with her to their companions in +roguery on shore. As soon as we found this, I ordered the long-boat on +shore, with twelve men and the mate, and away they went to seek the +rogues; but they could neither find them nor any of the rest, for they +all fled into the woods when they saw the boat coming on shore. The mate +was once resolved, in justice to their roguery, to have destroyed their +plantations, burned all their household stuff and furniture, and left +them to shift without it; but having no orders, he let it all alone, left +everything as he found it, and bringing the pinnace way, came on board +without them. These two men made their number five; but the other three +villains were so much more wicked than they, that after they had been two +or three days together they turned the two newcomers out of doors to +shift for themselves, and would have nothing to do with them; nor could +they for a good while be persuaded to give them any food: as for the +Spaniards, they were not yet come. + +When the Spaniards came first on shore, the business began to go forward: +the Spaniards would have persuaded the three English brutes to have taken +in their countrymen again, that, as they said, they might be all one +family; but they would not hear of it, so the two poor fellows lived by +themselves; and finding nothing but industry and application would make +them live comfortably, they pitched their tents on the north shore of the +island, but a little more to the west, to be out of danger of the +savages, who always landed on the east parts of the island. Here they +built them two huts, one to lodge in, and the other to lay up their +magazines and stores in; and the Spaniards having given them some corn +for seed, and some of the peas which I had left them, they dug, planted, +and enclosed, after the pattern I had set for them all, and began to live +pretty well. Their first crop of corn was on the ground; and though it +was but a little bit of land which they had dug up at first, having had +but a little time, yet it was enough to relieve them, and find them with +bread and other eatables; and one of the fellows being the cook's mate of +the ship, was very ready at making soup, puddings, and such other +preparations as the rice and the milk, and such little flesh as they got, +furnished him to do. + +They were going on in this little thriving position when the three +unnatural rogues, their own countrymen too, in mere humour, and to insult +them, came and bullied them, and told them the island was theirs: that +the governor, meaning me, had given them the possession of it, and nobody +else had any right to it; and that they should build no houses upon their +ground unless they would pay rent for them. The two men, thinking they +were jesting at first, asked them to come in and sit down, and see what +fine houses they were that they had built, and to tell them what rent +they demanded; and one of them merrily said if they were the +ground-landlords, he hoped if they built tenements upon their land, and +made improvements, they would, according to the custom of landlords, +grant a long lease: and desired they would get a scrivener to draw the +writings. One of the three, cursing and raging, told them they should +see they were not in jest; and going to a little place at a distance, +where the honest men had made a fire to dress their victuals, he takes a +firebrand, and claps it to the outside of their hut, and set it on fire: +indeed, it would have been all burned down in a few minutes if one of the +two had not run to the fellow, thrust him away, and trod the fire out +with his feet, and that not without some difficulty too. + +The fellow was in such a rage at the honest man's thrusting him away, +that he returned upon him, with a pole he had in his hand, and had not +the man avoided the blow very nimbly, and run into the hut, he had ended +his days at once. His comrade, seeing the danger they were both in, ran +after him, and immediately they came both out with their muskets, and the +man that was first struck at with the pole knocked the fellow down that +began the quarrel with the stock of his musket, and that before the other +two could come to help him; and then, seeing the rest come at them, they +stood together, and presenting the other ends of their pieces to them, +bade them stand off. + +The others had firearms with them too; but one of the two honest men, +bolder than his comrade, and made desperate by his danger, told them if +they offered to move hand or foot they were dead men, and boldly +commanded them to lay down their arms. They did not, indeed, lay down +their arms, but seeing him so resolute, it brought them to a parley, and +they consented to take their wounded man with them and be gone: and, +indeed, it seems the fellow was wounded sufficiently with the blow. +However, they were much in the wrong, since they had the advantage, that +they did not disarm them effectually, as they might have done, and have +gone immediately to the Spaniards, and given them an account how the +rogues had treated them; for the three villains studied nothing but +revenge, and every day gave them some intimation that they did so. + + + + +CHAPTER III--FIGHT WITH CANNIBALS + + +But not to crowd this part with an account of the lesser part of the +rogueries with which they plagued them continually, night and day, it +forced the two men to such a desperation that they resolved to fight them +all three, the first time they had a fair opportunity. In order to do +this they resolved to go to the castle (as they called my old dwelling), +where the three rogues and the Spaniards all lived together at that time, +intending to have a fair battle, and the Spaniards should stand by to see +fair play: so they got up in the morning before day, and came to the +place, and called the Englishmen by their names telling a Spaniard that +answered that they wanted to speak with them. + +It happened that the day before two of the Spaniards, having been in the +woods, had seen one of the two Englishmen, whom, for distinction, I +called the honest men, and he had made a sad complaint to the Spaniards +of the barbarous usage they had met with from their three countrymen, and +how they had ruined their plantation, and destroyed their corn, that they +had laboured so hard to bring forward, and killed the milch-goat and +their three kids, which was all they had provided for their sustenance, +and that if he and his friends, meaning the Spaniards, did not assist +them again, they should be starved. When the Spaniards came home at +night, and they were all at supper, one of them took the freedom to +reprove the three Englishmen, though in very gentle and mannerly terms, +and asked them how they could be so cruel, they being harmless, +inoffensive fellows: that they were putting themselves in a way to +subsist by their labour, and that it had cost them a great deal of pains +to bring things to such perfection as they were then in. + +One of the Englishmen returned very briskly, "What had they to do there? +that they came on shore without leave; and that they should not plant or +build upon the island; it was none of their ground." "Why," says the +Spaniard, very calmly, "Seignior Inglese, they must not starve." The +Englishman replied, like a rough tarpaulin, "They might starve; they +should not plant nor build in that place." "But what must they do then, +seignior?" said the Spaniard. Another of the brutes returned, "Do? they +should be servants, and work for them." "But how can you expect that of +them?" says the Spaniard; "they are not bought with your money; you have +no right to make them servants." The Englishman answered, "The island +was theirs; the governor had given it to them, and no man had anything to +do there but themselves;" and with that he swore that he would go and +burn all their new huts; they should build none upon their land. "Why, +seignior," says the Spaniard, "by the same rule, we must be your +servants, too." "Ay," returned the bold dog, "and so you shall, too, +before we have done with you;" mixing two or three oaths in the proper +intervals of his speech. The Spaniard only smiled at that, and made him +no answer. However, this little discourse had heated them; and starting +up, one says to the other. (I think it was he they called Will Atkins), +"Come, Jack, let's go and have t'other brush with them; we'll demolish +their castle, I'll warrant you; they shall plant no colony in our +dominions." + +Upon this they were all trooping away, with every man a gun, a pistol, +and a sword, and muttered some insolent things among themselves of what +they would do to the Spaniards, too, when opportunity offered; but the +Spaniards, it seems, did not so perfectly understand them as to know all +the particulars, only that in general they threatened them hard for +taking the two Englishmen's part. Whither they went, or how they +bestowed their time that evening, the Spaniards said they did not know; +but it seems they wandered about the country part of the night, and them +lying down in the place which I used to call my bower, they were weary +and overslept themselves. The case was this: they had resolved to stay +till midnight, and so take the two poor men when they were asleep, and as +they acknowledged afterwards, intended to set fire to their huts while +they were in them, and either burn them there or murder them as they came +out. As malice seldom sleeps very sound, it was very strange they should +not have been kept awake. However, as the two men had also a design upon +them, as I have said, though a much fairer one than that of burning and +murdering, it happened, and very luckily for them all, that they were up +and gone abroad before the bloody-minded rogues came to their huts. + +When they came there, and found the men gone, Atkins, who it seems was +the forwardest man, called out to his comrade, "Ha, Jack, here's the +nest, but the birds are flown." They mused a while, to think what should +be the occasion of their being gone abroad so soon, and suggested +presently that the Spaniards had given them notice of it; and with that +they shook hands, and swore to one another that they would be revenged of +the Spaniards. As soon as they had made this bloody bargain they fell to +work with the poor men's habitation; they did not set fire, indeed, to +anything, but they pulled down both their houses, and left not the least +stick standing, or scarce any sign on the ground where they stood; they +tore all their household stuff in pieces, and threw everything about in +such a manner, that the poor men afterwards found some of their things a +mile off. When they had done this, they pulled up all the young trees +which the poor men had planted; broke down an enclosure they had made to +secure their cattle and their corn; and, in a word, sacked and plundered +everything as completely as a horde of Tartars would have done. + +The two men were at this juncture gone to find them out, and had resolved +to fight them wherever they had been, though they were but two to three; +so that, had they met, there certainly would have been blood shed among +them, for they were all very stout, resolute fellows, to give them their +due. + +But Providence took more care to keep them asunder than they themselves +could do to meet; for, as if they had dogged one another, when the three +were gone thither, the two were here; and afterwards, when the two went +back to find them, the three were come to the old habitation again: we +shall see their different conduct presently. When the three came back +like furious creatures, flushed with the rage which the work they had +been about had put them into, they came up to the Spaniards, and told +them what they had done, by way of scoff and bravado; and one of them +stepping up to one of the Spaniards, as if they had been a couple of boys +at play, takes hold of his hat as it was upon his head, and giving it a +twirl about, fleering in his face, says to him, "And you, Seignior Jack +Spaniard, shall have the same sauce if you do not mend your manners." The +Spaniard, who, though a quiet civil man, was as brave a man as could be, +and withal a strong, well-made man, looked at him for a good while, and +then, having no weapon in his hand, stepped gravely up to him, and, with +one blow of his fist, knocked him down, as an ox is felled with a pole- +axe; at which one of the rogues, as insolent as the first, fired his +pistol at the Spaniard immediately; he missed his body, indeed, for the +bullets went through his hair, but one of them touched the tip of his +ear, and he bled pretty much. The blood made the Spaniard believe he was +more hurt than he really was, and that put him into some heat, for before +he acted all in a perfect calm; but now resolving to go through with his +work, he stooped, and taking the fellow's musket whom he had knocked +down, was just going to shoot the man who had fired at him, when the rest +of the Spaniards, being in the cave, came out, and calling to him not to +shoot, they stepped in, secured the other two, and took their arms from +them. + +When they were thus disarmed, and found they had made all the Spaniards +their enemies, as well as their own countrymen, they began to cool, and +giving the Spaniards better words, would have their arms again; but the +Spaniards, considering the feud that was between them and the other two +Englishmen, and that it would be the best method they could take to keep +them from killing one another, told them they would do them no harm, and +if they would live peaceably, they would be very willing to assist and +associate with them as they did before; but that they could not think of +giving them their arms again, while they appeared so resolved to do +mischief with them to their own countrymen, and had even threatened them +all to make them their servants. + +The rogues were now quite deaf to all reason, and being refused their +arms, they raved away like madmen, threatening what they would do, though +they had no firearms. But the Spaniards, despising their threatening, +told them they should take care how they offered any injury to their +plantation or cattle; for if they did they would shoot them as they would +ravenous beasts, wherever they found them; and if they fell into their +hands alive, they should certainly be hanged. However, this was far from +cooling them, but away they went, raging and swearing like furies. As +soon as they were gone, the two men came back, in passion and rage enough +also, though of another kind; for having been at their plantation, and +finding it all demolished and destroyed, as above mentioned, it will +easily be supposed they had provocation enough. They could scarce have +room to tell their tale, the Spaniards were so eager to tell them theirs: +and it was strange enough to find that three men should thus bully +nineteen, and receive no punishment at all. + +The Spaniards, indeed, despised them, and especially, having thus +disarmed them, made light of their threatenings; but the two Englishmen +resolved to have their remedy against them, what pains soever it cost to +find them out. But the Spaniards interposed here too, and told them that +as they had disarmed them, they could not consent that they (the two) +should pursue them with firearms, and perhaps kill them. "But," said the +grave Spaniard, who was their governor, "we will endeavour to make them +do you justice, if you will leave it to us: for there is no doubt but +they will come to us again, when their passion is over, being not able to +subsist without our assistance. We promise you to make no peace with +them without having full satisfaction for you; and upon this condition we +hope you will promise to use no violence with them, other than in your +own defence." The two Englishmen yielded to this very awkwardly, and +with great reluctance; but the Spaniards protested that they did it only +to keep them from bloodshed, and to make them all easy at last. "For," +said they, "we are not so many of us; here is room enough for us all, and +it is a great pity that we should not be all good friends." At length +they did consent, and waited for the issue of the thing, living for some +days with the Spaniards; for their own habitation was destroyed. + +In about five days' time the vagrants, tired with wandering, and almost +starved with hunger, having chiefly lived on turtles' eggs all that +while, came back to the grove; and finding my Spaniard, who, as I have +said, was the governor, and two more with him, walking by the side of the +creek, they came up in a very submissive, humble manner, and begged to be +received again into the society. The Spaniards used them civilly, but +told them they had acted so unnaturally to their countrymen, and so very +grossly to themselves, that they could not come to any conclusion without +consulting the two Englishmen and the rest; but, however, they would go +to them and discourse about it, and they should know in half-an-hour. It +may be guessed that they were very hard put to it; for, as they were to +wait this half-hour for an answer, they begged they would send them out +some bread in the meantime, which they did, sending at the same time a +large piece of goat's flesh and a boiled parrot, which they ate very +eagerly. + +After half-an-hour's consultation they were called in, and a long debate +ensued, their two countrymen charging them with the ruin of all their +labour, and a design to murder them; all which they owned before, and +therefore could not deny now. Upon the whole, the Spaniards acted the +moderators between them; and as they had obliged the two Englishmen not +to hurt the three while they were naked and unarmed, so they now obliged +the three to go and rebuild their fellows' two huts, one to be of the +same and the other of larger dimensions than they were before; to fence +their ground again, plant trees in the room of those pulled up, dig up +the land again for planting corn, and, in a word, to restore everything +to the same state as they found it, that is, as near as they could. + +Well, they submitted to all this; and as they had plenty of provisions +given them all the while, they grew very orderly, and the whole society +began to live pleasantly and agreeably together again; only that these +three fellows could never be persuaded to work--I mean for +themselves--except now and then a little, just as they pleased. However, +the Spaniards told them plainly that if they would but live sociably and +friendly together, and study the good of the whole plantation, they would +be content to work for them, and let them walk about and be as idle as +they pleased; and thus, having lived pretty well together for a month or +two, the Spaniards let them have arms again, and gave them liberty to go +abroad with them as before. + +It was not above a week after they had these arms, and went abroad, +before the ungrateful creatures began to be as insolent and troublesome +as ever. However, an accident happened presently upon this, which +endangered the safety of them all, and they were obliged to lay by all +private resentments, and look to the preservation of their lives. + +It happened one night that the governor, the Spaniard whose life I had +saved, who was now the governor of the rest, found himself very uneasy in +the night, and could by no means get any sleep: he was perfectly well in +body, only found his thoughts tumultuous; his mind ran upon men fighting +and killing one another; but he was broad awake, and could not by any +means get any sleep; in short, he lay a great while, but growing more and +more uneasy, he resolved to rise. As they lay, being so many of them, on +goat-skins laid thick upon such couches and pads as they made for +themselves, so they had little to do, when they were willing to rise, but +to get upon their feet, and perhaps put on a coat, such as it was, and +their pumps, and they were ready for going any way that their thoughts +guided them. Being thus got up, he looked out; but being dark, he could +see little or nothing, and besides, the trees which I had planted, and +which were now grown tall, intercepted his sight, so that he could only +look up, and see that it was a starlight night, and hearing no noise, he +returned and lay down again; but to no purpose; he could not compose +himself to anything like rest; but his thoughts were to the last degree +uneasy, and he knew not for what. Having made some noise with rising and +walking about, going out and coming in, another of them waked, and asked +who it was that was up. The governor told him how it had been with him. +"Say you so?" says the other Spaniard; "such things are not to be +slighted, I assure you; there is certainly some mischief working near +us;" and presently he asked him, "Where are the Englishmen?" "They are +all in their huts," says he, "safe enough." It seems the Spaniards had +kept possession of the main apartment, and had made a place for the three +Englishmen, who, since their last mutiny, were always quartered by +themselves, and could not come at the rest. "Well," says the Spaniard, +"there is something in it, I am persuaded, from my own experience. I am +satisfied that our spirits embodied have a converse with and receive +intelligence from the spirits unembodied, and inhabiting the invisible +world; and this friendly notice is given for our advantage, if we knew +how to make use of it. Come, let us go and look abroad; and if we find +nothing at all in it to justify the trouble, I'll tell you a story to the +purpose, that shall convince you of the justice of my proposing it." + +They went out presently to go up to the top of the hill, where I used to +go; but they being strong, and a good company, nor alone, as I was, used +none of my cautions to go up by the ladder, and pulling it up after them, +to go up a second stage to the top, but were going round through the +grove unwarily, when they were surprised with seeing a light as of fire, +a very little way from them, and hearing the voices of men, not of one or +two, but of a great number. + +Among the precautions I used to take on the savages landing on the +island, it was my constant care to prevent them making the least +discovery of there being any inhabitant upon the place: and when by any +occasion they came to know it, they felt it so effectually that they that +got away were scarce able to give any account of it; for we disappeared +as soon as possible, nor did ever any that had seen me escape to tell any +one else, except it was the three savages in our last encounter who +jumped into the boat; of whom, I mentioned, I was afraid they should go +home and bring more help. Whether it was the consequence of the escape +of those men that so great a number came now together, or whether they +came ignorantly, and by accident, on their usual bloody errand, the +Spaniards could not understand; but whatever it was, it was their +business either to have concealed themselves or not to have seen them at +all, much less to have let the savages have seen there were any +inhabitants in the place; or to have fallen upon them so effectually as +not a man of them should have escaped, which could only have been by +getting in between them and their boats; but this presence of mind was +wanting to them, which was the ruin of their tranquillity for a great +while. + +We need not doubt but that the governor and the man with him, surprised +with this sight, ran back immediately and raised their fellows, giving +them an account of the imminent danger they were all in, and they again +as readily took the alarm; but it was impossible to persuade them to stay +close within where they were, but they must all run out to see how things +stood. While it was dark, indeed, they were safe, and they had +opportunity enough for some hours to view the savages by the light of +three fires they had made at a distance from one another; what they were +doing they knew not, neither did they know what to do themselves. For, +first, the enemy were too many; and secondly, they did not keep together, +but were divided into several parties, and were on shore in several +places. + +The Spaniards were in no small consternation at this sight; and, as they +found that the fellows went straggling all over the shore, they made no +doubt but, first or last, some of them would chop in upon their +habitation, or upon some other place where they would see the token of +inhabitants; and they were in great perplexity also for fear of their +flock of goats, which, if they should be destroyed, would have been +little less than starving them. So the first thing they resolved upon +was to despatch three men away before it was light, two Spaniards and one +Englishman, to drive away all the goats to the great valley where the +cave was, and, if need were, to drive them into the very cave itself. +Could they have seen the savages all together in one body, and at a +distance from their canoes, they were resolved, if there had been a +hundred of them, to attack them; but that could not be done, for they +were some of them two miles off from the other, and, as it appeared +afterwards, were of two different nations. + +After having mused a great while on the course they should take, they +resolved at last, while it was still dark, to send the old savage, +Friday's father, out as a spy, to learn, if possible, something +concerning them, as what they came for, what they intended to do, and the +like. The old man readily undertook it; and stripping himself quite +naked, as most of the savages were, away he went. After he had been gone +an hour or two, he brings word that he had been among them undiscovered, +that he found they were two parties, and of two several nations, who had +war with one another, and had a great battle in their own country; and +that both sides having had several prisoners taken in the fight, they +were, by mere chance, landed all on the same island, for the devouring +their prisoners and making merry; but their coming so by chance to the +same place had spoiled all their mirth--that they were in a great rage at +one another, and were so near that he believed they would fight again as +soon as daylight began to appear; but he did not perceive that they had +any notion of anybody being on the island but themselves. He had hardly +made an end of telling his story, when they could perceive, by the +unusual noise they made, that the two little armies were engaged in a +bloody fight. Friday's father used all the arguments he could to +persuade our people to lie close, and not be seen; he told them their +safety consisted in it, and that they had nothing to do but lie still, +and the savages would kill one another to their hands, and then the rest +would go away; and it was so to a tittle. But it was impossible to +prevail, especially upon the Englishmen; their curiosity was so +importunate that they must run out and see the battle. However, they +used some caution too: they did not go openly, just by their own +dwelling, but went farther into the woods, and placed themselves to +advantage, where they might securely see them manage the fight, and, as +they thought, not be seen by them; but the savages did see them, as we +shall find hereafter. + +The battle was very fierce, and, if I might believe the Englishmen, one +of them said he could perceive that some of them were men of great +bravery, of invincible spirit, and of great policy in guiding the fight. +The battle, they said, held two hours before they could guess which party +would be beaten; but then that party which was nearest our people's +habitation began to appear weakest, and after some time more some of them +began to fly; and this put our men again into a great consternation, lest +any one of those that fled should run into the grove before their +dwelling for shelter, and thereby involuntarily discover the place; and +that, by consequence, the pursuers would also do the like in search of +them. Upon this, they resolved that they would stand armed within the +wall, and whoever came into the grove, they resolved to sally out over +the wall and kill them, so that, if possible, not one should return to +give an account of it; they ordered also that it should be done with +their swords, or by knocking them down with the stocks of their muskets, +but not by shooting them, for fear of raising an alarm by the noise. + +As they expected it fell out; three of the routed army fled for life, and +crossing the creek, ran directly into the place, not in the least knowing +whither they went, but running as into a thick wood for shelter. The +scout they kept to look abroad gave notice of this within, with this +comforting addition, that the conquerors had not pursued them, or seen +which way they were gone; upon this the Spanish governor, a man of +humanity, would not suffer them to kill the three fugitives, but sending +three men out by the top of the hill, ordered them to go round, come in +behind them, and surprise and take them prisoners, which was done. The +residue of the conquered people fled to their canoes, and got off to sea; +the victors retired, made no pursuit, or very little, but drawing +themselves into a body together, gave two great screaming shouts, most +likely by way of triumph, and so the fight ended; the same day, about +three o'clock in the afternoon, they also marched to their canoes. And +thus the Spaniards had the island again free to themselves, their fright +was over, and they saw no savages for several years after. + +After they were all gone, the Spaniards came out of their den, and +viewing the field of battle, they found about two-and-thirty men dead on +the spot; some were killed with long arrows, which were found sticking in +their bodies; but most of them were killed with great wooden swords, +sixteen or seventeen of which they found in the field of battle, and as +many bows, with a great many arrows. These swords were strange, unwieldy +things, and they must be very strong men that used them; most of those +that were killed with them had their heads smashed to pieces, as we may +say, or, as we call it in English, their brains knocked out, and several +their arms and legs broken; so that it is evident they fight with +inexpressible rage and fury. We found not one man that was not stone +dead; for either they stay by their enemy till they have killed him, or +they carry all the wounded men that are not quite dead away with them. + +This deliverance tamed our ill-disposed Englishmen for a great while; the +sight had filled them with horror, and the consequences appeared terrible +to the last degree, especially upon supposing that some time or other +they should fall into the hands of those creatures, who would not only +kill them as enemies, but for food, as we kill our cattle; and they +professed to me that the thoughts of being eaten up like beef and mutton, +though it was supposed it was not to be till they were dead, had +something in it so horrible that it nauseated their very stomachs, made +them sick when they thought of it, and filled their minds with such +unusual terror, that they were not themselves for some weeks after. This, +as I said, tamed even the three English brutes I have been speaking of; +and for a great while after they were tractable, and went about the +common business of the whole society well enough--planted, sowed, reaped, +and began to be all naturalised to the country. But some time after this +they fell into such simple measures again as brought them into a great +deal of trouble. + +They had taken three prisoners, as I observed; and these three being +stout young fellows, they made them servants, and taught them to work for +them, and as slaves they did well enough; but they did not take their +measures as I did by my man Friday, viz. to begin with them upon the +principle of having saved their lives, and then instruct them in the +rational principles of life; much less did they think of teaching them +religion, or attempt civilising and reducing them by kind usage and +affectionate arguments. As they gave them their food every day, so they +gave them their work too, and kept them fully employed in drudgery +enough; but they failed in this by it, that they never had them to assist +them and fight for them as I had my man Friday, who was as true to me as +the very flesh upon my bones. + +But to come to the family part. Being all now good friends--for common +danger, as I said above, had effectually reconciled them--they began to +consider their general circumstances; and the first thing that came under +consideration was whether, seeing the savages particularly haunted that +side of the island, and that there were more remote and retired parts of +it equally adapted to their way of living, and manifestly to their +advantage, they should not rather move their habitation, and plant in +some more proper place for their safety, and especially for the security +of their cattle and corn. + +Upon this, after long debate, it was concluded that they would not remove +their habitation; because that, some time or other, they thought they +might hear from their governor again, meaning me; and if I should send +any one to seek them, I should be sure to direct them to that side, +where, if they should find the place demolished, they would conclude the +savages had killed us all, and we were gone, and so our supply would go +too. But as to their corn and cattle, they agreed to remove them into +the valley where my cave was, where the land was as proper for both, and +where indeed there was land enough. However, upon second thoughts they +altered one part of their resolution too, and resolved only to remove +part of their cattle thither, and part of their corn there; so that if +one part was destroyed the other might be saved. And one part of +prudence they luckily used: they never trusted those three savages which +they had taken prisoners with knowing anything of the plantation they had +made in that valley, or of any cattle they had there, much less of the +cave at that place, which they kept, in case of necessity, as a safe +retreat; and thither they carried also the two barrels of powder which I +had sent them at my coming away. They resolved, however, not to change +their habitation; yet, as I had carefully covered it first with a wall or +fortification, and then with a grove of trees, and as they were now fully +convinced their safety consisted entirely in their being concealed, they +set to work to cover and conceal the place yet more effectually than +before. For this purpose, as I planted trees, or rather thrust in +stakes, which in time all grew up to be trees, for some good distance +before the entrance into my apartments, they went on in the same manner, +and filled up the rest of that whole space of ground from the trees I had +set quite down to the side of the creek, where I landed my floats, and +even into the very ooze where the tide flowed, not so much as leaving any +place to land, or any sign that there had been any landing thereabouts: +these stakes also being of a wood very forward to grow, they took care to +have them generally much larger and taller than those which I had +planted. As they grew apace, they planted them so very thick and close +together, that when they had been three or four years grown there was no +piercing with the eye any considerable way into the plantation. As for +that part which I had planted, the trees were grown as thick as a man's +thigh, and among them they had placed so many other short ones, and so +thick, that it stood like a palisado a quarter of a mile thick, and it +was next to impossible to penetrate it, for a little dog could hardly get +between the trees, they stood so close. + +But this was not all; for they did the same by all the ground to the +right hand and to the left, and round even to the side of the hill, +leaving no way, not so much as for themselves, to come out but by the +ladder placed up to the side of the hill, and then lifted up, and placed +again from the first stage up to the top: so that when the ladder was +taken down, nothing but what had wings or witchcraft to assist it could +come at them. This was excellently well contrived: nor was it less than +what they afterwards found occasion for, which served to convince me, +that as human prudence has the authority of Providence to justify it, so +it has doubtless the direction of Providence to set it to work; and if we +listened carefully to the voice of it, I am persuaded we might prevent +many of the disasters which our lives are now, by our own negligence, +subjected to. + +They lived two years after this in perfect retirement, and had no more +visits from the savages. They had, indeed, an alarm given them one +morning, which put them into a great consternation; for some of the +Spaniards being out early one morning on the west side or end of the +island (which was that end where I never went, for fear of being +discovered), they were surprised with seeing about twenty canoes of +Indians just coming on shore. They made the best of their way home in +hurry enough; and giving the alarm to their comrades, they kept close all +that day and the next, going out only at night to make their observation: +but they had the good luck to be undiscovered, for wherever the savages +went, they did not land that time on the island, but pursued some other +design. + + + + +CHAPTER IV--RENEWED INVASION OF SAVAGES + + +And now they had another broil with the three Englishmen; one of whom, a +most turbulent fellow, being in a rage at one of the three captive +slaves, because the fellow had not done something right which he bade him +do, and seemed a little untractable in his showing him, drew a hatchet +out of a frog-belt which he wore by his side, and fell upon the poor +savage, not to correct him, but to kill him. One of the Spaniards who +was by, seeing him give the fellow a barbarous cut with the hatchet, +which he aimed at his head, but stuck into his shoulder, so that he +thought he had cut the poor creature's arm off, ran to him, and +entreating him not to murder the poor man, placed himself between him and +the savage, to prevent the mischief. The fellow, being enraged the more +at this, struck at the Spaniard with his hatchet, and swore he would +serve him as he intended to serve the savage; which the Spaniard +perceiving, avoided the blow, and with a shovel, which he had in his hand +(for they were all working in the field about their corn land), knocked +the brute down. Another of the Englishmen, running up at the same time +to help his comrade, knocked the Spaniard down; and then two Spaniards +more came in to help their man, and a third Englishman fell in upon them. +They had none of them any firearms or any other weapons but hatchets and +other tools, except this third Englishman; he had one of my rusty +cutlasses, with which he made at the two last Spaniards, and wounded them +both. This fray set the whole family in an uproar, and more help coming +in they took the three Englishmen prisoners. The next question was, what +should be done with them? They had been so often mutinous, and were so +very furious, so desperate, and so idle withal, they knew not what course +to take with them, for they were mischievous to the highest degree, and +cared not what hurt they did to any man; so that, in short, it was not +safe to live with them. + +The Spaniard who was governor told them, in so many words, that if they +had been of his own country he would have hanged them; for all laws and +all governors were to preserve society, and those who were dangerous to +the society ought to be expelled out of it; but as they were Englishmen, +and that it was to the generous kindness of an Englishman that they all +owed their preservation and deliverance, he would use them with all +possible lenity, and would leave them to the judgment of the other two +Englishmen, who were their countrymen. One of the two honest Englishmen +stood up, and said they desired it might not be left to them. "For," +says he, "I am sure we ought to sentence them to the gallows;" and with +that he gives an account how Will Atkins, one of the three, had proposed +to have all the five Englishmen join together and murder all the +Spaniards when they were in their sleep. + +When the Spanish governor heard this, he calls to Will Atkins, "How, +Seignior Atkins, would you murder us all? What have you to say to that?" +The hardened villain was so far from denying it, that he said it was +true, and swore they would do it still before they had done with them. +"Well, but Seignior Atkins," says the Spaniard, "what have we done to you +that you will kill us? What would you get by killing us? And what must +we do to prevent you killing us? Must we kill you, or you kill us? Why +will you put us to the necessity of this, Seignior Atkins?" says the +Spaniard very calmly, and smiling. Seignior Atkins was in such a rage at +the Spaniard's making a jest of it, that, had he not been held by three +men, and withal had no weapon near him, it was thought he would have +attempted to kill the Spaniard in the middle of all the company. This +hare-brained carriage obliged them to consider seriously what was to be +done. The two Englishmen and the Spaniard who saved the poor savage were +of the opinion that they should hang one of the three for an example to +the rest, and that particularly it should be he that had twice attempted +to commit murder with his hatchet; indeed, there was some reason to +believe he had done it, for the poor savage was in such a miserable +condition with the wound he had received that it was thought he could not +live. But the governor Spaniard still said No; it was an Englishman that +had saved all their lives, and he would never consent to put an +Englishman to death, though he had murdered half of them; nay, he said if +he had been killed himself by an Englishman, and had time left to speak, +it should be that they should pardon him. + +This was so positively insisted on by the governor Spaniard, that there +was no gainsaying it; and as merciful counsels are most apt to prevail +where they are so earnestly pressed, so they all came into it. But then +it was to be considered what should be done to keep them from doing the +mischief they designed; for all agreed, governor and all, that means were +to be used for preserving the society from danger. After a long debate, +it was agreed that they should be disarmed, and not permitted to have +either gun, powder, shot, sword, or any weapon; that they should be +turned out of the society, and left to live where they would and how they +would, by themselves; but that none of the rest, either Spaniards or +English, should hold any kind of converse with them, or have anything to +do with them; that they should be forbid to come within a certain +distance of the place where the rest dwelt; and if they offered to commit +any disorder, so as to spoil, burn, kill, or destroy any of the corn, +plantings, buildings, fences, or cattle belonging to the society, they +should die without mercy, and they would shoot them wherever they could +find them. + +The humane governor, musing upon the sentence, considered a little upon +it; and turning to the two honest Englishmen, said, "Hold; you must +reflect that it will be long ere they can raise corn and cattle of their +own, and they must not starve; we must therefore allow them provisions." +So he caused to be added, that they should have a proportion of corn +given them to last them eight months, and for seed to sow, by which time +they might be supposed to raise some of their own; that they should have +six milch-goats, four he-goats, and six kids given them, as well for +present subsistence as for a store; and that they should have tools given +them for their work in the fields, but they should have none of these +tools or provisions unless they would swear solemnly that they would not +hurt or injure any of the Spaniards with them, or of their +fellow-Englishmen. + +Thus they dismissed them the society, and turned them out to shift for +themselves. They went away sullen and refractory, as neither content to +go away nor to stay: but, as there was no remedy, they went, pretending +to go and choose a place where they would settle themselves; and some +provisions were given them, but no weapons. About four or five days +after, they came again for some victuals, and gave the governor an +account where they had pitched their tents, and marked themselves out a +habitation and plantation; and it was a very convenient place indeed, on +the remotest part of the island, NE., much about the place where I +providentially landed in my first voyage, when I was driven out to sea in +my foolish attempt to sail round the island. + +Here they built themselves two handsome huts, and contrived them in a +manner like my first habitation, being close under the side of a hill, +having some trees already growing on three sides of it, so that by +planting others it would be very easily covered from the sight, unless +narrowly searched for. They desired some dried goat-skins for beds and +covering, which were given them; and upon giving their words that they +would not disturb the rest, or injure any of their plantations, they gave +them hatchets, and what other tools they could spare; some peas, barley, +and rice, for sowing; and, in a word, anything they wanted, except arms +and ammunition. + +They lived in this separate condition about six months, and had got in +their first harvest, though the quantity was but small, the parcel of +land they had planted being but little. Indeed, having all their +plantation to form, they had a great deal of work upon their hands; and +when they came to make boards and pots, and such things, they were quite +out of their element, and could make nothing of it; therefore when the +rainy season came on, for want of a cave in the earth, they could not +keep their grain dry, and it was in great danger of spoiling. This +humbled them much: so they came and begged the Spaniards to help them, +which they very readily did; and in four days worked a great hole in the +side of the hill for them, big enough to secure their corn and other +things from the rain: but it was a poor place at best compared to mine, +and especially as mine was then, for the Spaniards had greatly enlarged +it, and made several new apartments in it. + +About three quarters of a year after this separation, a new frolic took +these rogues, which, together with the former villainy they had +committed, brought mischief enough upon them, and had very near been the +ruin of the whole colony. The three new associates began, it seems, to +be weary of the laborious life they led, and that without hope of +bettering their circumstances: and a whim took them that they would make +a voyage to the continent, from whence the savages came, and would try if +they could seize upon some prisoners among the natives there, and bring +them home, so as to make them do the laborious part of the work for them. + +The project was not so preposterous, if they had gone no further. But +they did nothing, and proposed nothing, but had either mischief in the +design, or mischief in the event. And if I may give my opinion, they +seemed to be under a blast from Heaven: for if we will not allow a +visible curse to pursue visible crimes, how shall we reconcile the events +of things with the divine justice? It was certainly an apparent +vengeance on their crime of mutiny and piracy that brought them to the +state they were in; and they showed not the least remorse for the crime, +but added new villanies to it, such as the piece of monstrous cruelty of +wounding a poor slave because he did not, or perhaps could not, +understand to do what he was directed, and to wound him in such a manner +as made him a cripple all his life, and in a place where no surgeon or +medicine could be had for his cure; and, what was still worse, the +intentional murder, for such to be sure it was, as was afterwards the +formed design they all laid to murder the Spaniards in cold blood, and in +their sleep. + +The three fellows came down to the Spaniards one morning, and in very +humble terms desired to be admitted to speak with them. The Spaniards +very readily heard what they had to say, which was this: that they were +tired of living in the manner they did, and that they were not handy +enough to make the necessaries they wanted, and that having no help, they +found they should be starved; but if the Spaniards would give them leave +to take one of the canoes which they came over in, and give them arms and +ammunition proportioned to their defence, they would go over to the main, +and seek their fortunes, and so deliver them from the trouble of +supplying them with any other provisions. + +The Spaniards were glad enough to get rid of them, but very honestly +represented to them the certain destruction they were running into; told +them they had suffered such hardships upon that very spot, that they +could, without any spirit of prophecy, tell them they would be starved or +murdered, and bade them consider of it. The men replied audaciously, +they should be starved if they stayed here, for they could not work, and +would not work, and they could but be starved abroad; and if they were +murdered, there was an end of them; they had no wives or children to cry +after them; and, in short, insisted importunately upon their demand, +declaring they would go, whether they gave them any arms or not. + +The Spaniards told them, with great kindness, that if they were resolved +to go they should not go like naked men, and be in no condition to defend +themselves; and that though they could ill spare firearms, not having +enough for themselves, yet they would let them have two muskets, a +pistol, and a cutlass, and each man a hatchet, which they thought was +sufficient for them. In a word, they accepted the offer; and having +baked bread enough to serve them a month given them, and as much goats' +flesh as they could eat while it was sweet, with a great basket of dried +grapes, a pot of fresh water, and a young kid alive, they boldly set out +in the canoe for a voyage over the sea, where it was at least forty miles +broad. The boat, indeed, was a large one, and would very well have +carried fifteen or twenty men, and therefore was rather too big for them +to manage; but as they had a fair breeze and flood-tide with them, they +did well enough. They had made a mast of a long pole, and a sail of four +large goat-skins dried, which they had sewed or laced together; and away +they went merrily together. The Spaniards called after them "_Bon +voyajo_;" and no man ever thought of seeing them any more. + +The Spaniards were often saying to one another, and to the two honest +Englishmen who remained behind, how quietly and comfortably they lived, +now these three turbulent fellows were gone. As for their coming again, +that was the remotest thing from their thoughts that could be imagined; +when, behold, after two-and-twenty days' absence, one of the Englishmen +being abroad upon his planting work, sees three strange men coming +towards him at a distance, with guns upon their shoulders. + +Away runs the Englishman, frightened and amazed, as if he was bewitched, +to the governor Spaniard, and tells him they were all undone, for there +were strangers upon the island, but he could not tell who they were. The +Spaniard, pausing a while, says to him, "How do you mean--you cannot tell +who? They are the savages, to be sure." "No, no," says the Englishman, +"they are men in clothes, with arms." "Nay, then," says the Spaniard, +"why are you so concerned! If they are not savages they must be friends; +for there is no Christian nation upon earth but will do us good rather +than harm." While they were debating thus, came up the three Englishmen, +and standing without the wood, which was new planted, hallooed to them. +They presently knew their voices, and so all the wonder ceased. But now +the admiration was turned upon another question--What could be the +matter, and what made them come back again? + +It was not long before they brought the men in, and inquiring where they +had been, and what they had been doing, they gave them a full account of +their voyage in a few words: that they reached the land in less than two +days, but finding the people alarmed at their coming, and preparing with +bows and arrows to fight them, they durst not go on shore, but sailed on +to the northward six or seven hours, till they came to a great opening, +by which they perceived that the land they saw from our island was not +the main, but an island: that upon entering that opening of the sea they +saw another island on the right hand north, and several more west; and +being resolved to land somewhere, they put over to one of the islands +which lay west, and went boldly on shore; that they found the people very +courteous and friendly to them; and they gave them several roots and some +dried fish, and appeared very sociable; and that the women, as well as +the men, were very forward to supply them with anything they could get +for them to eat, and brought it to them a great way, on their heads. They +continued here for four days, and inquired as well as they could of them +by signs, what nations were this way, and that way, and were told of +several fierce and terrible people that lived almost every way, who, as +they made known by signs to them, used to eat men; but, as for +themselves, they said they never ate men or women, except only such as +they took in the wars; and then they owned they made a great feast, and +ate their prisoners. + +The Englishmen inquired when they had had a feast of that kind; and they +told them about two moons ago, pointing to the moon and to two fingers; +and that their great king had two hundred prisoners now, which he had +taken in his war, and they were feeding them to make them fat for the +next feast. The Englishmen seemed mighty desirous of seeing those +prisoners; but the others mistaking them, thought they were desirous to +have some of them to carry away for their own eating. So they beckoned +to them, pointing to the setting of the sun, and then to the rising; +which was to signify that the next morning at sunrising they would bring +some for them; and accordingly the next morning they brought down five +women and eleven men, and gave them to the Englishmen to carry with them +on their voyage, just as we would bring so many cows and oxen down to a +seaport town to victual a ship. + +As brutish and barbarous as these fellows were at home, their stomachs +turned at this sight, and they did not know what to do. To refuse the +prisoners would have been the highest affront to the savage gentry that +could be offered them, and what to do with them they knew not. However, +after some debate, they resolved to accept of them: and, in return, they +gave the savages that brought them one of their hatchets, an old key, a +knife, and six or seven of their bullets; which, though they did not +understand their use, they seemed particularly pleased with; and then +tying the poor creatures' hands behind them, they dragged the prisoners +into the boat for our men. + +The Englishmen were obliged to come away as soon as they had them, or +else they that gave them this noble present would certainly have expected +that they should have gone to work with them, have killed two or three of +them the next morning, and perhaps have invited the donors to dinner. But +having taken their leave, with all the respect and thanks that could well +pass between people, where on either side they understood not one word +they could say, they put off with their boat, and came back towards the +first island; where, when they arrived, they set eight of their prisoners +at liberty, there being too many of them for their occasion. In their +voyage they endeavoured to have some communication with their prisoners; +but it was impossible to make them understand anything. Nothing they +could say to them, or give them, or do for them, but was looked upon as +going to murder them. They first of all unbound them; but the poor +creatures screamed at that, especially the women, as if they had just +felt the knife at their throats; for they immediately concluded they were +unbound on purpose to be killed. If they gave them thing to eat, it was +the same thing; they then concluded it was for fear they should sink in +flesh, and so not be fat enough to kill. If they looked at one of them +more particularly, the party presently concluded it was to see whether he +or she was fattest, and fittest to kill first; nay, after they had +brought them quite over, and began to use them kindly, and treat them +well, still they expected every day to make a dinner or supper for their +new masters. + +When the three wanderers had give this unaccountable history or journal +of their voyage, the Spaniard asked them where their new family was; and +being told that they had brought them on shore, and put them into one of +their huts, and were come up to beg some victuals for them, they (the +Spaniards) and the other two Englishmen, that is to say, the whole +colony, resolved to go all down to the place and see them; and did so, +and Friday's father with them. When they came into the hut, there they +sat, all bound; for when they had brought them on shore they bound their +hands that they might not take the boat and make their escape; there, I +say, they sat, all of them stark naked. First, there were three comely +fellows, well shaped, with straight limbs, about thirty to thirty-five +years of age; and five women, whereof two might be from thirty to forty, +two more about four or five and twenty; and the fifth, a tall, comely +maiden, about seventeen. The women were well-favoured, agreeable +persons, both in shape and features, only tawny; and two of them, had +they been perfect white, would have passed for very handsome women, even +in London, having pleasant countenances, and of a very modest behaviour; +especially when they came afterwards to be clothed and dressed, though +that dress was very indifferent, it must be confessed. + +The sight, you may be sure, was something uncouth to our Spaniards, who +were, to give them a just character, men of the most calm, sedate +tempers, and perfect good humour, that ever I met with: and, in +particular, of the utmost modesty: I say, the sight was very uncouth, to +see three naked men and five naked women, all together bound, and in the +most miserable circumstances that human nature could be supposed to be, +viz. to be expecting every moment to be dragged out and have their brains +knocked out, and then to be eaten up like a calf that is killed for a +dainty. + +The first thing they did was to cause the old Indian, Friday's father, to +go in, and see first if he knew any of them, and then if he understood +any of their speech. As soon as the old man came in, he looked seriously +at them, but knew none of them; neither could any of them understand a +word he said, or a sign he could make, except one of the women. However, +this was enough to answer the end, which was to satisfy them that the men +into whose hands they were fallen were Christians; that they abhorred +eating men or women; and that they might be sure they would not be +killed. As soon as they were assured of this, they discovered such a +joy, and by such awkward gestures, several ways, as is hard to describe; +for it seems they were of several nations. The woman who was their +interpreter was bid, in the next place, to ask them if they were willing +to be servants, and to work for the men who had brought them away, to +save their lives; at which they all fell a-dancing; and presently one +fell to taking up this, and another that, anything that lay next, to +carry on their shoulders, to intimate they were willing to work. + +The governor, who found that the having women among them would presently +be attended with some inconvenience, and might occasion some strife, and +perhaps blood, asked the three men what they intended to do with these +women, and how they intended to use them, whether as servants or as +wives? One of the Englishmen answered, very boldly and readily, that +they would use them as both; to which the governor said: "I am not going +to restrain you from it--you are your own masters as to that; but this I +think is but just, for avoiding disorders and quarrels among you, and I +desire it of you for that reason only, viz. that you will all engage, +that if any of you take any of these women as a wife, he shall take but +one; and that having taken one, none else shall touch her; for though we +cannot marry any one of you, yet it is but reasonable that, while you +stay here, the woman any of you takes shall be maintained by the man that +takes her, and should be his wife--I mean," says he, "while he continues +here, and that none else shall have anything to do with her." All this +appeared so just, that every one agreed to it without any difficulty. + +Then the Englishmen asked the Spaniards if they designed to take any of +them? But every one of them answered "No." Some of them said they had +wives in Spain, and the others did not like women that were not +Christians; and all together declared that they would not touch one of +them, which was an instance of such virtue as I have not met with in all +my travels. On the other hand, the five Englishmen took them every one a +wife, that is to say, a temporary wife; and so they set up a new form of +living; for the Spaniards and Friday's father lived in my old habitation, +which they had enlarged exceedingly within. The three servants which +were taken in the last battle of the savages lived with them; and these +carried on the main part of the colony, supplied all the rest with food, +and assisted them in anything as they could, or as they found necessity +required. + +But the wonder of the story was, how five such refractory, ill-matched +fellows should agree about these women, and that some two of them should +not choose the same woman, especially seeing two or three of them were, +without comparison, more agreeable than the others; but they took a good +way enough to prevent quarrelling among themselves, for they set the five +women by themselves in one of their huts, and they went all into the +other hut, and drew lots among them who should choose first. + +Him that drew to choose first went away by himself to the hut where the +poor naked creatures were, and fetched out her he chose; and it was worth +observing, that he that chose first took her that was reckoned the +homeliest and oldest of the five, which made mirth enough amongst the +rest; and even the Spaniards laughed at it; but the fellow considered +better than any of them, that it was application and business they were +to expect assistance in, as much as in anything else; and she proved the +best wife of all the parcel. + +When the poor women saw themselves set in a row thus, and fetched out one +by one, the terrors of their condition returned upon them again, and they +firmly believed they were now going to be devoured. Accordingly, when +the English sailor came in and fetched out one of them, the rest set up a +most lamentable cry, and hung about her, and took their leave of her with +such agonies and affection as would have grieved the hardest heart in the +world: nor was it possible for the Englishmen to satisfy them that they +were not to be immediately murdered, till they fetched the old man, +Friday's father, who immediately let them know that the five men, who +were to fetch them out one by one, had chosen them for their wives. When +they had done, and the fright the women were in was a little over, the +men went to work, and the Spaniards came and helped them: and in a few +hours they had built them every one a new hut or tent for their lodging +apart; for those they had already were crowded with their tools, +household stuff, and provisions. The three wicked ones had pitched +farthest off, and the two honest ones nearer, but both on the north shore +of the island, so that they continued separated as before; and thus my +island was peopled in three places, and, as I might say, three towns were +begun to be built. + +And here it is very well worth observing that, as it often happens in the +world (what the wise ends in God's providence are, in such a disposition +of things, I cannot say), the two honest fellows had the two worst wives; +and the three reprobates, that were scarce worth hanging, that were fit +for nothing, and neither seemed born to do themselves good nor any one +else, had three clever, careful, and ingenious wives; not that the first +two were bad wives as to their temper or humour, for all the five were +most willing, quiet, passive, and subjected creatures, rather like slaves +than wives; but my meaning is, they were not alike capable, ingenious, or +industrious, or alike cleanly and neat. Another observation I must make, +to the honour of a diligent application on one hand, and to the disgrace +of a slothful, negligent, idle temper on the other, that when I came to +the place, and viewed the several improvements, plantings, and management +of the several little colonies, the two men had so far out-gone the +three, that there was no comparison. They had, indeed, both of them as +much ground laid out for corn as they wanted, and the reason was, +because, according to my rule, nature dictated that it was to no purpose +to sow more corn than they wanted; but the difference of the cultivation, +of the planting, of the fences, and indeed, of everything else, was easy +to be seen at first view. + +The two men had innumerable young trees planted about their huts, so +that, when you came to the place, nothing was to be seen but a wood; and +though they had twice had their plantation demolished, once by their own +countrymen, and once by the enemy, as shall be shown in its place, yet +they had restored all again, and everything was thriving and flourishing +about them; they had grapes planted in order, and managed like a +vineyard, though they had themselves never seen anything of that kind; +and by their good ordering their vines, their grapes were as good again +as any of the others. They had also found themselves out a retreat in +the thickest part of the woods, where, though there was not a natural +cave, as I had found, yet they made one with incessant labour of their +hands, and where, when the mischief which followed happened, they secured +their wives and children so as they could never be found; they having, by +sticking innumerable stakes and poles of the wood which, as I said, grew +so readily, made the grove impassable, except in some places, when they +climbed up to get over the outside part, and then went on by ways of +their own leaving. + +As to the three reprobates, as I justly call them, though they were much +civilised by their settlement compared to what they were before, and were +not so quarrelsome, having not the same opportunity; yet one of the +certain companions of a profligate mind never left them, and that was +their idleness. It is true, they planted corn and made fences; but +Solomon's words were never better verified than in them, "I went by the +vineyard of the slothful, and it was all overgrown with thorns": for when +the Spaniards came to view their crop they could not see it in some +places for weeds, the hedge had several gaps in it, where the wild goats +had got in and eaten up the corn; perhaps here and there a dead bush was +crammed in, to stop them out for the present, but it was only shutting +the stable-door after the steed was stolen. Whereas, when they looked on +the colony of the other two, there was the very face of industry and +success upon all they did; there was not a weed to be seen in all their +corn, or a gap in any of their hedges; and they, on the other hand, +verified Solomon's words in another place, "that the diligent hand maketh +rich"; for everything grew and thrived, and they had plenty within and +without; they had more tame cattle than the others, more utensils and +necessaries within doors, and yet more pleasure and diversion too. + +It is true, the wives of the three were very handy and cleanly within +doors; and having learned the English ways of dressing, and cooking from +one of the other Englishmen, who, as I said, was a cook's mate on board +the ship, they dressed their husbands' victuals very nicely and well; +whereas the others could not be brought to understand it; but then the +husband, who, as I say, had been cook's mate, did it himself. But as for +the husbands of the three wives, they loitered about, fetched turtles' +eggs, and caught fish and birds: in a word, anything but labour; and they +fared accordingly. The diligent lived well and comfortably, and the +slothful hard and beggarly; and so, I believe, generally speaking, it is +all over the world. + +But I now come to a scene different from all that had happened before, +either to them or to me; and the origin of the story was this: Early one +morning there came on shore five or six canoes of Indians or savages, +call them which you please, and there is no room to doubt they came upon +the old errand of feeding upon their slaves; but that part was now so +familiar to the Spaniards, and to our men too, that they did not concern +themselves about it, as I did: but having been made sensible, by their +experience, that their only business was to lie concealed, and that if +they were not seen by any of the savages they would go off again quietly, +when their business was done, having as yet not the least notion of there +being any inhabitants in the island; I say, having been made sensible of +this, they had nothing to do but to give notice to all the three +plantations to keep within doors, and not show themselves, only placing a +scout in a proper place, to give notice when the boats went to sea again. + +This was, without doubt, very right; but a disaster spoiled all these +measures, and made it known among the savages that there were inhabitants +there; which was, in the end, the desolation of almost the whole colony. +After the canoes with the savages were gone off, the Spaniards peeped +abroad again; and some of them had the curiosity to go to the place where +they had been, to see what they had been doing. Here, to their great +surprise, they found three savages left behind, and lying fast asleep +upon the ground. It was supposed they had either been so gorged with +their inhuman feast, that, like beasts, they were fallen asleep, and +would not stir when the others went, or they had wandered into the woods, +and did not come back in time to be taken in. + +The Spaniards were greatly surprised at this sight and perfectly at a +loss what to do. The Spaniard governor, as it happened, was with them, +and his advice was asked, but he professed he knew not what to do. As +for slaves, they had enough already; and as to killing them, there were +none of them inclined to do that: the Spaniard governor told me they +could not think of shedding innocent blood; for as to them, the poor +creatures had done them no wrong, invaded none of their property, and +they thought they had no just quarrel against them, to take away their +lives. And here I must, in justice to these Spaniards, observe that, let +the accounts of Spanish cruelty in Mexico and Peru be what they will, I +never met with seventeen men of any nation whatsoever, in any foreign +country, who were so universally modest, temperate, virtuous, so very +good-humoured, and so courteous, as these Spaniards: and as to cruelty, +they had nothing of it in their very nature; no inhumanity, no barbarity, +no outrageous passions; and yet all of them men of great courage and +spirit. Their temper and calmness had appeared in their bearing the +insufferable usage of the three Englishmen; and their justice and +humanity appeared now in the case of the savages above. After some +consultation they resolved upon this; that they would lie still a while +longer, till, if possible, these three men might be gone. But then the +governor recollected that the three savages had no boat; and if they were +left to rove about the island, they would certainly discover that there +were inhabitants in it; and so they should be undone that way. Upon +this, they went back again, and there lay the fellows fast asleep still, +and so they resolved to awaken them, and take them prisoners; and they +did so. The poor fellows were strangely frightened when they were seized +upon and bound; and afraid, like the women, that they should be murdered +and eaten: for it seems those people think all the world does as they do, +in eating men's flesh; but they were soon made easy as to that, and away +they carried them. + +It was very happy for them that they did not carry them home to the +castle, I mean to my palace under the hill; but they carried them first +to the bower, where was the chief of their country work, such as the +keeping the goats, the planting the corn, &c.; and afterward they carried +them to the habitation of the two Englishmen. Here they were set to +work, though it was not much they had for them to do; and whether it was +by negligence in guarding them, or that they thought the fellows could +not mend themselves, I know not, but one of them ran away, and, taking to +the woods, they could never hear of him any more. They had good reason +to believe he got home again soon after in some other boats or canoes of +savages who came on shore three or four weeks afterwards, and who, +carrying on their revels as usual, went off in two days' time. This +thought terrified them exceedingly; for they concluded, and that not +without good cause indeed, that if this fellow came home safe among his +comrades, he would certainly give them an account that there were people +in the island, and also how few and weak they were; for this savage, as +observed before, had never been told, and it was very happy he had not, +how many there were or where they lived; nor had he ever seen or heard +the fire of any of their guns, much less had they shown him any of their +other retired places; such as the cave in the valley, or the new retreat +which the two Englishmen had made, and the like. + +The first testimony they had that this fellow had given intelligence of +them was, that about two months after this six canoes of savages, with +about seven, eight, or ten men in a canoe, came rowing along the north +side of the island, where they never used to come before, and landed, +about an hour after sunrise, at a convenient place, about a mile from the +habitation of the two Englishmen, where this escaped man had been kept. +As the chief Spaniard said, had they been all there the damage would not +have been so much, for not a man of them would have escaped; but the case +differed now very much, for two men to fifty was too much odds. The two +men had the happiness to discover them about a league off, so that it was +above an hour before they landed; and as they landed a mile from their +huts, it was some time before they could come at them. Now, having great +reason to believe that they were betrayed, the first thing they did was +to bind the two slaves which were left, and cause two of the three men +whom they brought with the women (who, it seems, proved very faithful to +them) to lead them, with their two wives, and whatever they could carry +away with them, to their retired places in the woods, which I have spoken +of above, and there to bind the two fellows hand and foot, till they +heard farther. In the next place, seeing the savages were all come on +shore, and that they had bent their course directly that way, they opened +the fences where the milch cows were kept, and drove them all out; +leaving their goats to straggle in the woods, whither they pleased, that +the savages might think they were all bred wild; but the rogue who came +with them was too cunning for that, and gave them an account of it all, +for they went directly to the place. + +When the two poor frightened men had secured their wives and goods, they +sent the other slave they had of the three who came with the women, and +who was at their place by accident, away to the Spaniards with all speed, +to give them the alarm, and desire speedy help, and, in the meantime, +they took their arms and what ammunition they had, and retreated towards +the place in the wood where their wives were sent; keeping at a distance, +yet so that they might see, if possible, which way the savages took. They +had not gone far but that from a rising ground they could see the little +army of their enemies come on directly to their habitation, and, in a +moment more, could see all their huts and household stuff flaming up +together, to their great grief and mortification; for this was a great +loss to them, irretrievable, indeed, for some time. They kept their +station for a while, till they found the savages, like wild beasts, +spread themselves all over the place, rummaging every way, and every +place they could think of, in search of prey; and in particular for the +people, of whom now it plainly appeared they had intelligence. + +The two Englishmen seeing this, thinking themselves not secure where they +stood, because it was likely some of the wild people might come that way, +and they might come too many together, thought it proper to make another +retreat about half a mile farther; believing, as it afterwards happened, +that the further they strolled, the fewer would be together. Their next +halt was at the entrance into a very thick-grown part of the woods, and +where an old trunk of a tree stood, which was hollow and very large; and +in this tree they both took their standing, resolving to see there what +might offer. They had not stood there long before two of the savages +appeared running directly that way, as if they had already had notice +where they stood, and were coming up to attack them; and a little way +farther they espied three more coming after them, and five more beyond +them, all coming the same way; besides which, they saw seven or eight +more at a distance, running another way; for in a word, they ran every +way, like sportsmen beating for their game. + +The poor men were now in great perplexity whether they should stand and +keep their posture or fly; but after a very short debate with themselves, +they considered that if the savages ranged the country thus before help +came, they might perhaps find their retreat in the woods, and then all +would be lost; so they resolved to stand them there, and if they were too +many to deal with, then they would get up to the top of the tree, from +whence they doubted not to defend themselves, fire excepted, as long as +their ammunition lasted, though all the savages that were landed, which +was near fifty, were to attack them. + +Having resolved upon this, they next considered whether they should fire +at the first two, or wait for the three, and so take the middle party, by +which the two and the five that followed would be separated; at length +they resolved to let the first two pass by, unless they should spy them +the tree, and come to attack them. The first two savages confirmed them +also in this resolution, by turning a little from them towards another +part of the wood; but the three, and the five after them, came forward +directly to the tree, as if they had known the Englishmen were there. +Seeing them come so straight towards them, they resolved to take them in +a line as they came: and as they resolved to fire but one at a time, +perhaps the first shot might hit them all three; for which purpose the +man who was to fire put three or four small bullets into his piece; and +having a fair loophole, as it were, from a broken hole in the tree, he +took a sure aim, without being seen, waiting till they were within about +thirty yards of the tree, so that he could not miss. + +While they were thus waiting, and the savages came on, they plainly saw +that one of the three was the runaway savage that had escaped from them; +and they both knew him distinctly, and resolved that, if possible, he +should not escape, though they should both fire; so the other stood ready +with his piece, that if he did not drop at the first shot, he should be +sure to have a second. But the first was too good a marksman to miss his +aim; for as the savages kept near one another, a little behind in a line, +he fired, and hit two of them directly; the foremost was killed outright, +being shot in the head; the second, which was the runaway Indian, was +shot through the body, and fell, but was not quite dead; and the third +had a little scratch in the shoulder, perhaps by the same ball that went +through the body of the second; and being dreadfully frightened, though +not so much hurt, sat down upon the ground, screaming and yelling in a +hideous manner. + +The five that were behind, more frightened with the noise than sensible +of the danger, stood still at first; for the woods made the sound a +thousand times bigger than it really was, the echoes rattling from one +side to another, and the fowls rising from all parts, screaming, and +every sort making a different noise, according to their kind; just as it +was when I fired the first gun that perhaps was ever shot off in the +island. + +However, all being silent again, and they not knowing what the matter +was, came on unconcerned, till they came to the place where their +companions lay in a condition miserable enough. Here the poor ignorant +creatures, not sensible that they were within reach of the same mischief, +stood all together over the wounded man, talking, and, as may be +supposed, inquiring of him how he came to be hurt; and who, it is very +rational to believe, told them that a flash of fire first, and +immediately after that thunder from their gods, had killed those two and +wounded him. This, I say, is rational; for nothing is more certain than +that, as they saw no man near them, so they had never heard a gun in all +their lives, nor so much as heard of a gun; neither knew they anything of +killing and wounding at a distance with fire and bullets: if they had, +one might reasonably believe they would not have stood so unconcerned to +view the fate of their fellows, without some apprehensions of their own. + +Our two men, as they confessed to me, were grieved to be obliged to kill +so many poor creatures, who had no notion of their danger; yet, having +them all thus in their power, and the first having loaded his piece +again, resolved to let fly both together among them; and singling out, by +agreement, which to aim at, they shot together, and killed, or very much +wounded, four of them; the fifth, frightened even to death, though not +hurt, fell with the rest; so that our men, seeing them all fall together, +thought they had killed them all. + +The belief that the savages were all killed made our two men come boldly +out from the tree before they had charged their guns, which was a wrong +step; and they were under some surprise when they came to the place, and +found no less than four of them alive, and of them two very little hurt, +and one not at all. This obliged them to fall upon them with the stocks +of their muskets; and first they made sure of the runaway savage, that +had been the cause of all the mischief, and of another that was hurt in +the knee, and put them out of their pain; then the man that was not hurt +at all came and kneeled down to them, with his two hands held up, and +made piteous moans to them, by gestures and signs, for his life, but +could not say one word to them that they could understand. However, they +made signs to him to sit down at the foot of a tree hard by; and one of +the Englishmen, with a piece of rope-yarn, which he had by great chance +in his pocket, tied his two hands behind him, and there they left him; +and with what speed they could made after the other two, which were gone +before, fearing they, or any more of them, should find way to their +covered place in the woods, where their wives, and the few goods they had +left, lay. They came once in sight of the two men, but it was at a great +distance; however, they had the satisfaction to see them cross over a +valley towards the sea, quite the contrary way from that which led to +their retreat, which they were afraid of; and being satisfied with that, +they went back to the tree where they left their prisoner, who, as they +supposed, was delivered by his comrades, for he was gone, and the two +pieces of rope-yarn with which they had bound him lay just at the foot of +the tree. + +They were now in as great concern as before, not knowing what course to +take, or how near the enemy might be, or in what number; so they resolved +to go away to the place where their wives were, to see if all was well +there, and to make them easy. These were in fright enough, to be sure; +for though the savages were their own countrymen, yet they were most +terribly afraid of them, and perhaps the more for the knowledge they had +of them. When they came there, they found the savages had been in the +wood, and very near that place, but had not found it; for it was indeed +inaccessible, from the trees standing so thick, unless the persons +seeking it had been directed by those that knew it, which these did not: +they found, therefore, everything very safe, only the women in a terrible +fright. While they were here they had the comfort to have seven of the +Spaniards come to their assistance; the other ten, with their servants, +and Friday's father, were gone in a body to defend their bower, and the +corn and cattle that were kept there, in case the savages should have +roved over to that side of the country, but they did not spread so far. +With the seven Spaniards came one of the three savages, who, as I said, +were their prisoners formerly; and with them also came the savage whom +the Englishmen had left bound hand and foot at the tree; for it seems +they came that way, saw the slaughter of the seven men, and unbound the +eighth, and brought him along with them; where, however, they were +obliged to bind again, as they had the two others who were left when the +third ran away. + +The prisoners now began to be a burden to them; and they were so afraid +of their escaping, that they were once resolving to kill them all, +believing they were under an absolute necessity to do so for their own +preservation. However, the chief of the Spaniards would not consent to +it, but ordered, for the present, that they should be sent out of the way +to my old cave in the valley, and be kept there, with two Spaniards to +guard them, and have food for their subsistence, which was done; and they +were bound there hand and foot for that night. + +When the Spaniards came, the two Englishmen were so encouraged, that they +could not satisfy themselves to stay any longer there; but taking five of +the Spaniards, and themselves, with four muskets and a pistol among them, +and two stout quarter-staves, away they went in quest of the savages. And +first they came to the tree where the men lay that had been killed; but +it was easy to see that some more of the savages had been there, for they +had attempted to carry their dead men away, and had dragged two of them a +good way, but had given it over. From thence they advanced to the first +rising ground, where they had stood and seen their camp destroyed, and +where they had the mortification still to see some of the smoke; but +neither could they here see any of the savages. They then resolved, +though with all possible caution, to go forward towards their ruined +plantation; but, a little before they came thither, coming in sight of +the sea-shore, they saw plainly the savages all embarked again in their +canoes, in order to be gone. They seemed sorry at first that there was +no way to come at them, to give them a parting blow; but, upon the whole, +they were very well satisfied to be rid of them. + +The poor Englishmen being now twice ruined, and all their improvements +destroyed, the rest all agreed to come and help them to rebuild, and +assist them with needful supplies. Their three countrymen, who were not +yet noted for having the least inclination to do any good, yet as soon as +they heard of it (for they, living remote eastward, knew nothing of the +matter till all was over), came and offered their help and assistance, +and did, very friendly, work for several days to restore their habitation +and make necessaries for them. And thus in a little time they were set +upon their legs again. + +About two days after this they had the farther satisfaction of seeing +three of the savages' canoes come driving on shore, and, at some distance +from them, two drowned men, by which they had reason to believe that they +had met with a storm at sea, which had overset some of them; for it had +blown very hard the night after they went off. However, as some might +miscarry, so, on the other hand, enough of them escaped to inform the +rest, as well of what they had done as of what had happened to them; and +to whet them on to another enterprise of the same nature, which they, it +seems, resolved to attempt, with sufficient force to carry all before +them; for except what the first man had told them of inhabitants, they +could say little of it of their own knowledge, for they never saw one +man; and the fellow being killed that had affirmed it, they had no other +witness to confirm it to, them. + + + + +CHAPTER V--A GREAT VICTORY + + +It was five or six months after this before they heard any more of the +savages, in which time our men were in hopes they had either forgot their +former bad luck, or given over hopes of better; when, on a sudden, they +were invaded with a most formidable fleet of no less than +eight-and-twenty canoes, full of savages, armed with bows and arrows, +great clubs, wooden swords, and such like engines of war; and they +brought such numbers with them, that, in short, it put all our people +into the utmost consternation. + +As they came on shore in the evening, and at the easternmost side of the +island, our men had that night to consult and consider what to do. In +the first place, knowing that their being entirely concealed was their +only safety before and would be much more so now, while the number of +their enemies would be so great, they resolved, first of all, to take +down the huts which were built for the two Englishmen, and drive away +their goats to the old cave; because they supposed the savages would go +directly thither, as soon as it was day, to play the old game over again, +though they did not now land within two leagues of it. In the next +place, they drove away all the flocks of goats they had at the old bower, +as I called it, which belonged to the Spaniards; and, in short, left as +little appearance of inhabitants anywhere as was possible; and the next +morning early they posted themselves, with all their force, at the +plantation of the two men, to wait for their coming. As they guessed, so +it happened: these new invaders, leaving their canoes at the east end of +the island, came ranging along the shore, directly towards the place, to +the number of two hundred and fifty, as near as our men could judge. Our +army was but small indeed; but, that which was worse, they had not arms +for all their number. The whole account, it seems, stood thus: first, as +to men, seventeen Spaniards, five Englishmen, old Friday, the three +slaves taken with the women, who proved very faithful, and three other +slaves, who lived with the Spaniards. To arm these, they had eleven +muskets, five pistols, three fowling-pieces, five muskets or +fowling-pieces which were taken by me from the mutinous seamen whom I +reduced, two swords, and three old halberds. + +To their slaves they did not give either musket or fusee; but they had +each a halberd, or a long staff, like a quarter-staff, with a great spike +of iron fastened into each end of it, and by his side a hatchet; also +every one of our men had a hatchet. Two of the women could not be +prevailed upon but they would come into the fight, and they had bows and +arrows, which the Spaniards had taken from the savages when the first +action happened, which I have spoken of, where the Indians fought with +one another; and the women had hatchets too. + +The chief Spaniard, whom I described so often, commanded the whole; and +Will Atkins, who, though a dreadful fellow for wickedness, was a most +daring, bold fellow, commanded under him. The savages came forward like +lions; and our men, which was the worst of their fate, had no advantage +in their situation; only that Will Atkins, who now proved a most useful +fellow, with six men, was planted just behind a small thicket of bushes +as an advanced guard, with orders to let the first of them pass by and +then fire into the middle of them, and as soon as he had fired, to make +his retreat as nimbly as he could round a part of the wood, and so come +in behind the Spaniards, where they stood, having a thicket of trees +before them. + +When the savages came on, they ran straggling about every way in heaps, +out of all manner of order, and Will Atkins let about fifty of them pass +by him; then seeing the rest come in a very thick throng, he orders three +of his men to fire, having loaded their muskets with six or seven bullets +apiece, about as big as large pistol-bullets. How many they killed or +wounded they knew not, but the consternation and surprise was +inexpressible among the savages; they were frightened to the last degree +to hear such a dreadful noise, and see their men killed, and others hurt, +but see nobody that did it; when, in the middle of their fright, Will +Atkins and his other three let fly again among the thickest of them; and +in less than a minute the first three, being loaded again, gave them a +third volley. + +Had Will Atkins and his men retired immediately, as soon as they had +fired, as they were ordered to do, or had the rest of the body been at +hand to have poured in their shot continually, the savages had been +effectually routed; for the terror that was among them came principally +from this, that they were killed by the gods with thunder and lightning, +and could see nobody that hurt them. But Will Atkins, staying to load +again, discovered the cheat: some of the savages who were at a distance +spying them, came upon them behind; and though Atkins and his men fired +at them also, two or three times, and killed above twenty, retiring as +fast as they could, yet they wounded Atkins himself, and killed one of +his fellow-Englishmen with their arrows, as they did afterwards one +Spaniard, and one of the Indian slaves who came with the women. This +slave was a most gallant fellow, and fought most desperately, killing +five of them with his own hand, having no weapon but one of the armed +staves and a hatchet. + +Our men being thus hard laid at, Atkins wounded, and two other men +killed, retreated to a rising ground in the wood; and the Spaniards, +after firing three volleys upon them, retreated also; for their number +was so great, and they were so desperate, that though above fifty of them +were killed, and more than as many wounded, yet they came on in the teeth +of our men, fearless of danger, and shot their arrows like a cloud; and +it was observed that their wounded men, who were not quite disabled, were +made outrageous by their wounds, and fought like madmen. + +When our men retreated, they left the Spaniard and the Englishman that +were killed behind them: and the savages, when they came up to them, +killed them over again in a wretched manner, breaking their arms, legs, +and heads, with their clubs and wooden swords, like true savages; but +finding our men were gone, they did not seem inclined to pursue them, but +drew themselves up in a ring, which is, it seems, their custom, and +shouted twice, in token of their victory; after which, they had the +mortification to see several of their wounded men fall, dying with the +mere loss of blood. + +The Spaniard governor having drawn his little body up together upon a +rising ground, Atkins, though he was wounded, would have had them march +and charge again all together at once: but the Spaniard replied, +"Seignior Atkins, you see how their wounded men fight; let them alone +till morning; all the wounded men will be stiff and sore with their +wounds, and faint with the loss of blood; and so we shall have the fewer +to engage." This advice was good: but Will Atkins replied merrily, "That +is true, seignior, and so shall I too; and that is the reason I would go +on while I am warm." "Well, Seignior Atkins," says the Spaniard, "you +have behaved gallantly, and done your part; we will fight for you if you +cannot come on; but I think it best to stay till morning:" so they +waited. + +But as it was a clear moonlight night, and they found the savages in +great disorder about their dead and wounded men, and a great noise and +hurry among them where they lay, they afterwards resolved to fall upon +them in the night, especially if they could come to give them but one +volley before they were discovered, which they had a fair opportunity to +do; for one of the Englishmen in whose quarter it was where the fight +began, led them round between the woods and the seaside westward, and +then turning short south, they came so near where the thickest of them +lay, that before they were seen or heard eight of them fired in among +them, and did dreadful execution upon them; in half a minute more eight +others fired after them, pouring in their small shot in such a quantity +that abundance were killed and wounded; and all this while they were not +able to see who hurt them, or which way to fly. + +The Spaniards charged again with the utmost expedition, and then divided +themselves into three bodies, and resolved to fall in among them all +together. They had in each body eight persons, that is to say, twenty- +two men and the two women, who, by the way, fought desperately. They +divided the firearms equally in each party, as well as the halberds and +staves. They would have had the women kept back, but they said they were +resolved to die with their husbands. Having thus formed their little +army, they marched out from among the trees, and came up to the teeth of +the enemy, shouting and hallooing as loud as they could; the savages +stood all together, but were in the utmost confusion, hearing the noise +of our men shouting from three quarters together. They would have fought +if they had seen us; for as soon as we came near enough to be seen, some +arrows were shot, and poor old Friday was wounded, though not +dangerously. But our men gave them no time, but running up to them, +fired among them three ways, and then fell in with the butt-ends of their +muskets, their swords, armed staves, and hatchets, and laid about them so +well that, in a word, they set up a dismal screaming and howling, flying +to save their lives which way soever they could. + +Our men were tired with the execution, and killed or mortally wounded in +the two fights about one hundred and eighty of them; the rest, being +frightened out of their wits, scoured through the woods and over the +hills, with all the speed that fear and nimble feet could help them to; +and as we did not trouble ourselves much to pursue them, they got all +together to the seaside, where they landed, and where their canoes lay. +But their disaster was not at an end yet; for it blew a terrible storm of +wind that evening from the sea, so that it was impossible for them to go +off; nay, the storm continuing all night, when the tide came up their +canoes were most of them driven by the surge of the sea so high upon the +shore that it required infinite toil to get them off; and some of them +were even dashed to pieces against the beach. Our men, though glad of +their victory, yet got little rest that night; but having refreshed +themselves as well as they could, they resolved to march to that part of +the island where the savages were fled, and see what posture they were +in. This necessarily led them over the place where the fight had been, +and where they found several of the poor creatures not quite dead, and +yet past recovering life; a sight disagreeable enough to generous minds, +for a truly great man though obliged by the law of battle to destroy his +enemy, takes no delight in his misery. However, there was no need to +give any orders in this case; for their own savages, who were their +servants, despatched these poor creatures with their hatchets. + +At length they came in view of the place where the more miserable remains +of the savages' army lay, where there appeared about a hundred still; +their posture was generally sitting upon the ground, with their knees up +towards their mouth, and the head put between the two hands, leaning down +upon the knees. When our men came within two musket-shots of them, the +Spaniard governor ordered two muskets to be fired without ball, to alarm +them; this he did, that by their countenance he might know what to +expect, whether they were still in heart to fight, or were so heartily +beaten as to be discouraged, and so he might manage accordingly. This +stratagem took: for as soon as the savages heard the first gun, and saw +the flash of the second, they started up upon their feet in the greatest +consternation imaginable; and as our men advanced swiftly towards them, +they all ran screaming and yelling away, with a kind of howling noise, +which our men did not understand, and had never heard before; and thus +they ran up the hills into the country. + +At first our men had much rather the weather had been calm, and they had +all gone away to sea: but they did not then consider that this might +probably have been the occasion of their coming again in such multitudes +as not to be resisted, or, at least, to come so many and so often as +would quite desolate the island, and starve them. Will Atkins, +therefore, who notwithstanding his wound kept always with them, proved +the best counsellor in this case: his advice was, to take the advantage +that offered, and step in between them and their boats, and so deprive +them of the capacity of ever returning any more to plague the island. +They consulted long about this; and some were against it for fear of +making the wretches fly to the woods and live there desperate, and so +they should have them to hunt like wild beasts, be afraid to stir out +about their business, and have their plantations continually rifled, all +their tame goats destroyed, and, in short, be reduced to a life of +continual distress. + +Will Atkins told them they had better have to do with a hundred men than +with a hundred nations; that, as they must destroy their boats, so they +must destroy the men, or be all of them destroyed themselves. In a word, +he showed them the necessity of it so plainly that they all came into it; +so they went to work immediately with the boats, and getting some dry +wood together from a dead tree, they tried to set some of them on fire, +but they were so wet that they would not burn; however, the fire so +burned the upper part that it soon made them unfit for use at sea. + +When the Indians saw what they were about, some of them came running out +of the woods, and coming as near as they could to our men, kneeled down +and cried, "Oa, Oa, Waramokoa," and some other words of their language, +which none of the others understood anything of; but as they made pitiful +gestures and strange noises, it was easy to understand they begged to +have their boats spared, and that they would be gone, and never come +there again. But our men were now satisfied that they had no way to +preserve themselves, or to save their colony, but effectually to prevent +any of these people from ever going home again; depending upon this, that +if even so much as one of them got back into their country to tell the +story, the colony was undone; so that, letting them know that they should +not have any mercy, they fell to work with their canoes, and destroyed +every one that the storm had not destroyed before; at the sight of which, +the savages raised a hideous cry in the woods, which our people heard +plain enough, after which they ran about the island like distracted men, +so that, in a word, our men did not really know what at first to do with +them. Nor did the Spaniards, with all their prudence, consider that +while they made those people thus desperate, they ought to have kept a +good guard at the same time upon their plantations; for though it is true +they had driven away their cattle, and the Indians did not find out their +main retreat, I mean my old castle at the hill, nor the cave in the +valley, yet they found out my plantation at the bower, and pulled it all +to pieces, and all the fences and planting about it; trod all the corn +under foot, tore up the vines and grapes, being just then almost ripe, +and did our men inestimable damage, though to themselves not one +farthing's worth of service. + +Though our men were able to fight them upon all occasions, yet they were +in no condition to pursue them, or hunt them up and down; for as they +were too nimble of foot for our people when they found them single, so +our men durst not go abroad single, for fear of being surrounded with +their numbers. The best was they had no weapons; for though they had +bows, they had no arrows left, nor any materials to make any; nor had +they any edge-tool among them. The extremity and distress they were +reduced to was great, and indeed deplorable; but, at the same time, our +men were also brought to very bad circumstances by them, for though their +retreats were preserved, yet their provision was destroyed, and their +harvest spoiled, and what to do, or which way to turn themselves, they +knew not. The only refuge they had now was the stock of cattle they had +in the valley by the cave, and some little corn which grew there, and the +plantation of the three Englishmen. Will Atkins and his comrades were +now reduced to two; one of them being killed by an arrow, which struck +him on the side of his head, just under the temple, so that he never +spoke more; and it was very remarkable that this was the same barbarous +fellow that cut the poor savage slave with his hatchet, and who +afterwards intended to have murdered the Spaniards. + +I looked upon their case to have been worse at this time than mine was at +any time, after I first discovered the grains of barley and rice, and got +into the manner of planting and raising my corn, and my tame cattle; for +now they had, as I may say, a hundred wolves upon the island, which would +devour everything they could come at, yet could be hardly come at +themselves. + +When they saw what their circumstances were, the first thing they +concluded was, that they would, if possible, drive the savages up to the +farther part of the island, south-west, that if any more came on shore +they might not find one another; then, that they would daily hunt and +harass them, and kill as many of them as they could come at, till they +had reduced their number; and if they could at last tame them, and bring +them to anything, they would give them corn, and teach them how to plant, +and live upon their daily labour. In order to do this, they so followed +them, and so terrified them with their guns, that in a few days, if any +of them fired a gun at an Indian, if he did not hit him, yet he would +fall down for fear. So dreadfully frightened were they that they kept +out of sight farther and farther; till at last our men followed them, and +almost every day killing or wounding some of them, they kept up in the +woods or hollow places so much, that it reduced them to the utmost misery +for want of food; and many were afterwards found dead in the woods, +without any hurt, absolutely starved to death. + +When our men found this, it made their hearts relent, and pity moved +them, especially the generous-minded Spaniard governor; and he proposed, +if possible, to take one of them alive and bring him to understand what +they meant, so far as to be able to act as interpreter, and go among them +and see if they might be brought to some conditions that might be +depended upon, to save their lives and do us no harm. + +It was some while before any of them could be taken; but being weak and +half-starved, one of them was at last surprised and made a prisoner. He +was sullen at first, and would neither eat nor drink; but finding himself +kindly used, and victuals given to him, and no violence offered him, he +at last grew tractable, and came to himself. They often brought old +Friday to talk to him, who always told him how kind the others would be +to them all; that they would not only save their lives, but give them +part of the island to live in, provided they would give satisfaction that +they would keep in their own bounds, and not come beyond it to injure or +prejudice others; and that they should have corn given them to plant and +make it grow for their bread, and some bread given them for their present +subsistence; and old Friday bade the fellow go and talk with the rest of +his countrymen, and see what they said to it; assuring them that, if they +did not agree immediately, they should be all destroyed. + +The poor wretches, thoroughly humbled, and reduced in number to about +thirty-seven, closed with the proposal at the first offer, and begged to +have some food given them; upon which twelve Spaniards and two +Englishmen, well armed, with three Indian slaves and old Friday, marched +to the place where they were. The three Indian slaves carried them a +large quantity of bread, some rice boiled up to cakes and dried in the +sun, and three live goats; and they were ordered to go to the side of a +hill, where they sat down, ate their provisions very thankfully, and were +the most faithful fellows to their words that could be thought of; for, +except when they came to beg victuals and directions, they never came out +of their bounds; and there they lived when I came to the island and I +went to see them. They had taught them both to plant corn, make bread, +breed tame goats, and milk them: they wanted nothing but wives in order +for them soon to become a nation. They were confined to a neck of land, +surrounded with high rocks behind them, and lying plain towards the sea +before them, on the south-east corner of the island. They had land +enough, and it was very good and fruitful; about a mile and a half broad, +and three or four miles in length. Our men taught them to make wooden +spades, such as I made for myself, and gave among them twelve hatchets +and three or four knives; and there they lived, the most subjected, +innocent creatures that ever were heard of. + +After this the colony enjoyed a perfect tranquillity with respect to the +savages, till I came to revisit them, which was about two years after; +not but that, now and then, some canoes of savages came on shore for +their triumphal, unnatural feasts; but as they were of several nations, +and perhaps had never heard of those that came before, or the reason of +it, they did not make any search or inquiry after their countrymen; and +if they had, it would have been very hard to have found them out. + +Thus, I think, I have given a full account of all that happened to them +till my return, at least that was worth notice. The Indians were +wonderfully civilised by them, and they frequently went among them; but +they forbid, on pain of death, any one of the Indians coming to them, +because they would not have their settlement betrayed again. One thing +was very remarkable, viz. that they taught the savages to make wicker- +work, or baskets, but they soon outdid their masters: for they made +abundance of ingenious things in wicker-work, particularly baskets, +sieves, bird-cages, cupboards, &c.; as also chairs, stools, beds, +couches, being very ingenious at such work when they were once put in the +way of it. + +My coming was a particular relief to these people, because we furnished +them with knives, scissors, spades, shovels, pick-axes, and all things of +that kind which they could want. With the help of those tools they were +so very handy that they came at last to build up their huts or houses +very handsomely, raddling or working it up like basket-work all the way +round. This piece of ingenuity, although it looked very odd, was an +exceeding good fence, as well against heat as against all sorts of +vermin; and our men were so taken with it that they got the Indians to +come and do the like for them; so that when I came to see the two +Englishmen's colonies, they looked at a distance as if they all lived +like bees in a hive. + +As for Will Atkins, who was now become a very industrious, useful, and +sober fellow, he had made himself such a tent of basket-work as I believe +was never seen; it was one hundred and twenty paces round on the outside, +as I measured by my steps; the walls were as close worked as a basket, in +panels or squares of thirty-two in number, and very strong, standing +about seven feet high; in the middle was another not above twenty-two +paces round, but built stronger, being octagon in its form, and in the +eight corners stood eight very strong posts; round the top of which he +laid strong pieces, knit together with wooden pins, from which he raised +a pyramid for a handsome roof of eight rafters, joined together very +well, though he had no nails, and only a few iron spikes, which he made +himself, too, out of the old iron that I had left there. Indeed, this +fellow showed abundance of ingenuity in several things which he had no +knowledge of: he made him a forge, with a pair of wooden bellows to blow +the fire; he made himself charcoal for his work; and he formed out of the +iron crows a middling good anvil to hammer upon: in this manner he made +many things, but especially hooks, staples, and spikes, bolts and hinges. +But to return to the house: after he had pitched the roof of his +innermost tent, he worked it up between the rafters with basket-work, so +firm, and thatched that over again so ingeniously with rice-straw, and +over that a large leaf of a tree, which covered the top, that his house +was as dry as if it had been tiled or slated. He owned, indeed, that the +savages had made the basket-work for him. The outer circuit was covered +as a lean-to all round this inner apartment, and long rafters lay from +the thirty-two angles to the top posts of the inner house, being about +twenty feet distant, so that there was a space like a walk within the +outer wicker-wall, and without the inner, near twenty feet wide. + +The inner place he partitioned off with the same wickerwork, but much +fairer, and divided into six apartments, so that he had six rooms on a +floor, and out of every one of these there was a door: first into the +entry, or coming into the main tent, another door into the main tent, and +another door into the space or walk that was round it; so that walk was +also divided into six equal parts, which served not only for a retreat, +but to store up any necessaries which the family had occasion for. These +six spaces not taking up the whole circumference, what other apartments +the outer circle had were thus ordered: As soon as you were in at the +door of the outer circle you had a short passage straight before you to +the door of the inner house; but on either side was a wicker partition +and a door in it, by which you went first into a large room or +storehouse, twenty feet wide and about thirty feet long, and through that +into another not quite so long; so that in the outer circle were ten +handsome rooms, six of which were only to be come at through the +apartments of the inner tent, and served as closets or retiring rooms to +the respective chambers of the inner circle; and four large warehouses, +or barns, or what you please to call them, which went through one +another, two on either hand of the passage, that led through the outer +door to the inner tent. Such a piece of basket-work, I believe, was +never seen in the world, nor a house or tent so neatly contrived, much +less so built. In this great bee-hive lived the three families, that is +to say, Will Atkins and his companion; the third was killed, but his wife +remained with three children, and the other two were not at all backward +to give the widow her full share of everything, I mean as to their corn, +milk, grapes, &c., and when they killed a kid, or found a turtle on the +shore; so that they all lived well enough; though it was true they were +not so industrious as the other two, as has been observed already. + +One thing, however, cannot be omitted, viz. that as for religion, I do +not know that there was anything of that kind among them; they often, +indeed, put one another in mind that there was a God, by the very common +method of seamen, swearing by His name: nor were their poor ignorant +savage wives much better for having been married to Christians, as we +must call them; for as they knew very little of God themselves, so they +were utterly incapable of entering into any discourse with their wives +about a God, or to talk anything to them concerning religion. + +The utmost of all the improvement which I can say the wives had made from +them was, that they had taught them to speak English pretty well; and +most of their children, who were near twenty in all, were taught to speak +English too, from their first learning to speak, though they at first +spoke it in a very broken manner, like their mothers. None of these +children were above six years old when I came thither, for it was not +much above seven years since they had fetched these five savage ladies +over; they had all children, more or less: the mothers were all a good +sort of well-governed, quiet, laborious women, modest and decent, helpful +to one another, mighty observant, and subject to their masters (I cannot +call them husbands), and lacked nothing but to be well instructed in the +Christian religion, and to be legally married; both of which were happily +brought about afterwards by my means, or at least in consequence of my +coming among them. + + + + +CHAPTER VI--THE FRENCH CLERGYMAN'S COUNSEL + + +Having thus given an account of the colony in general, and pretty much of +my runagate Englishmen, I must say something of the Spaniards, who were +the main body of the family, and in whose story there are some incidents +also remarkable enough. + +I had a great many discourses with them about their circumstances when +they were among the savages. They told me readily that they had no +instances to give of their application or ingenuity in that country; that +they were a poor, miserable, dejected handful of people; that even if +means had been put into their hands, yet they had so abandoned themselves +to despair, and were so sunk under the weight of their misfortune, that +they thought of nothing but starving. One of them, a grave and sensible +man, told me he was convinced they were in the wrong; that it was not the +part of wise men to give themselves up to their misery, but always to +take hold of the helps which reason offered, as well for present support +as for future deliverance: he told me that grief was the most senseless, +insignificant passion in the world, for that it regarded only things +past, which were generally impossible to be recalled or to be remedied, +but had no views of things to come, and had no share in anything that +looked like deliverance, but rather added to the affliction than proposed +a remedy; and upon this he repeated a Spanish proverb, which, though I +cannot repeat in the same words that he spoke it in, yet I remember I +made it into an English proverb of my own, thus:-- + + "In trouble to be troubled, + Is to have your trouble doubled." + +He then ran on in remarks upon all the little improvements I had made in +my solitude: my unwearied application, as he called it; and how I had +made a condition, which in its circumstances was at first much worse than +theirs, a thousand times more happy than theirs was, even now when they +were all together. He told me it was remarkable that Englishmen had a +greater presence of mind in their distress than any people that ever he +met with; that their unhappy nation and the Portuguese were the worst men +in the world to struggle with misfortunes; for that their first step in +dangers, after the common efforts were over, was to despair, lie down +under it, and die, without rousing their thoughts up to proper remedies +for escape. + +I told him their case and mine differed exceedingly; that they were cast +upon the shore without necessaries, without supply of food, or present +sustenance till they could provide for it; that, it was true, I had this +further disadvantage and discomfort, that I was alone; but then the +supplies I had providentially thrown into my hands, by the unexpected +driving of the ship on the shore, was such a help as would have +encouraged any creature in the world to have applied himself as I had +done. "Seignior," says the Spaniard, "had we poor Spaniards been in your +case, we should never have got half those things out of the ship, as you +did: nay," says he, "we should never have found means to have got a raft +to carry them, or to have got the raft on shore without boat or sail: and +how much less should we have done if any of us had been alone!" Well, I +desired him to abate his compliments, and go on with the history of their +coming on shore, where they landed. He told me they unhappily landed at +a place where there were people without provisions; whereas, had they had +the common sense to put off to sea again, and gone to another island a +little further, they had found provisions, though without people: there +being an island that way, as they had been told, where there were +provisions, though no people--that is to say, that the Spaniards of +Trinidad had frequently been there, and had filled the island with goats +and hogs at several times, where they had bred in such multitudes, and +where turtle and sea-fowls were in such plenty, that they could have been +in no want of flesh, though they had found no bread; whereas, here they +were only sustained with a few roots and herbs, which they understood +not, and which had no substance in them, and which the inhabitants gave +them sparingly enough; and they could treat them no better, unless they +would turn cannibals and eat men's flesh. + +They gave me an account how many ways they strove to civilise the savages +they were with, and to teach them rational customs in the ordinary way of +living, but in vain; and how they retorted upon them as unjust that they +who came there for assistance and support should attempt to set up for +instructors to those that gave them food; intimating, it seems, that none +should set up for the instructors of others but those who could live +without them. They gave me dismal accounts of the extremities they were +driven to; how sometimes they were many days without any food at all, the +island they were upon being inhabited by a sort of savages that lived +more indolent, and for that reason were less supplied with the +necessaries of life, than they had reason to believe others were in the +same part of the world; and yet they found that these savages were less +ravenous and voracious than those who had better supplies of food. Also, +they added, they could not but see with what demonstrations of wisdom and +goodness the governing providence of God directs the events of things in +this world, which, they said, appeared in their circumstances: for if, +pressed by the hardships they were under, and the barrenness of the +country where they were, they had searched after a better to live in, +they had then been out of the way of the relief that happened to them by +my means. + +They then gave me an account how the savages whom they lived amongst +expected them to go out with them into their wars; and, it was true, that +as they had firearms with them, had they not had the disaster to lose +their ammunition, they could have been serviceable not only to their +friends, but have made themselves terrible both to friends and enemies; +but being without powder and shot, and yet in a condition that they could +not in reason decline to go out with their landlords to their wars; so +when they came into the field of battle they were in a worse condition +than the savages themselves, for they had neither bows nor arrows, nor +could they use those the savages gave them. So they could do nothing but +stand still and be wounded with arrows, till they came up to the teeth of +the enemy; and then, indeed, the three halberds they had were of use to +them; and they would often drive a whole little army before them with +those halberds, and sharpened sticks put into the muzzles of their +muskets. But for all this they were sometimes surrounded with +multitudes, and in great danger from their arrows, till at last they +found the way to make themselves large targets of wood, which they +covered with skins of wild beasts, whose names they knew not, and these +covered them from the arrows of the savages: that, notwithstanding these, +they were sometimes in great danger; and five of them were once knocked +down together with the clubs of the savages, which was the time when one +of them was taken prisoner--that is to say, the Spaniard whom I relieved. +At first they thought he had been killed; but when they afterwards heard +he was taken prisoner, they were under the greatest grief imaginable, and +would willingly have all ventured their lives to have rescued him. + +They told me that when they were so knocked down, the rest of their +company rescued them, and stood over them fighting till they were come to +themselves, all but him whom they thought had been dead; and then they +made their way with their halberds and pieces, standing close together in +a line, through a body of above a thousand savages, beating down all that +came in their way, got the victory over their enemies, but to their great +sorrow, because it was with the loss of their friend, whom the other +party finding alive, carried off with some others, as I gave an account +before. They described, most affectionately, how they were surprised +with joy at the return of their friend and companion in misery, who they +thought had been devoured by wild beasts of the worst kind--wild men; and +yet, how more and more they were surprised with the account he gave them +of his errand, and that there was a Christian in any place near, much +more one that was able, and had humanity enough, to contribute to their +deliverance. + +They described how they were astonished at the sight of the relief I sent +them, and at the appearance of loaves of bread--things they had not seen +since their coming to that miserable place; how often they crossed it and +blessed it as bread sent from heaven; and what a reviving cordial it was +to their spirits to taste it, as also the other things I had sent for +their supply; and, after all, they would have told me something of the +joy they were in at the sight of a boat and pilots, to carry them away to +the person and place from whence all these new comforts came. But it was +impossible to express it by words, for their excessive joy naturally +driving them to unbecoming extravagances, they had no way to describe +them but by telling me they bordered upon lunacy, having no way to give +vent to their passions suitable to the sense that was upon them; that in +some it worked one way and in some another; and that some of them, +through a surprise of joy, would burst into tears, others be stark mad, +and others immediately faint. This discourse extremely affected me, and +called to my mind Friday's ecstasy when he met his father, and the poor +people's ecstasy when I took them up at sea after their ship was on fire; +the joy of the mate of the ship when he found himself delivered in the +place where he expected to perish; and my own joy, when, after twenty- +eight years' captivity, I found a good ship ready to carry me to my own +country. All these things made me more sensible of the relation of these +poor men, and more affected with it. + +Having thus given a view of the state of things as I found them, I must +relate the heads of what I did for these people, and the condition in +which I left them. It was their opinion, and mine too, that they would +be troubled no more with the savages, or if they were, they would be able +to cut them off, if they were twice as many as before; so they had no +concern about that. Then I entered into a serious discourse with the +Spaniard, whom I call governor, about their stay in the island; for as I +was not come to carry any of them off, so it would not be just to carry +off some and leave others, who, perhaps, would be unwilling to stay if +their strength was diminished. On the other hand, I told them I came to +establish them there, not to remove them; and then I let them know that I +had brought with me relief of sundry kinds for them; that I had been at a +great charge to supply them with all things necessary, as well for their +convenience as their defence; and that I had such and such particular +persons with me, as well to increase and recruit their number, as by the +particular necessary employments which they were bred to, being +artificers, to assist them in those things in which at present they were +in want. + +They were all together when I talked thus to them; and before I delivered +to them the stores I had brought, I asked them, one by one, if they had +entirely forgot and buried the first animosities that had been among +them, and would shake hands with one another, and engage in a strict +friendship and union of interest, that so there might be no more +misunderstandings and jealousies. + +Will Atkins, with abundance of frankness and good humour, said they had +met with affliction enough to make them all sober, and enemies enough to +make them all friends; that, for his part, he would live and die with +them, and was so far from designing anything against the Spaniards, that +he owned they had done nothing to him but what his own mad humour made +necessary, and what he would have done, and perhaps worse, in their case; +and that he would ask them pardon, if I desired it, for the foolish and +brutish things he had done to them, and was very willing and desirous of +living in terms of entire friendship and union with them, and would do +anything that lay in his power to convince them of it; and as for going +to England, he cared not if he did not go thither these twenty years. + +The Spaniards said they had, indeed, at first disarmed and excluded Will +Atkins and his two countrymen for their ill conduct, as they had let me +know, and they appealed to me for the necessity they were under to do so; +but that Will Atkins had behaved himself so bravely in the great fight +they had with the savages, and on several occasions since, and had showed +himself so faithful to, and concerned for, the general interest of them +all, that they had forgotten all that was past, and thought he merited as +much to be trusted with arms and supplied with necessaries as any of +them; that they had testified their satisfaction in him by committing the +command to him next to the governor himself; and as they had entire +confidence in him and all his countrymen, so they acknowledged they had +merited that confidence by all the methods that honest men could merit to +be valued and trusted; and they most heartily embraced the occasion of +giving me this assurance, that they would never have any interest +separate from one another. + +Upon these frank and open declarations of friendship, we appointed the +next day to dine all together; and, indeed, we made a splendid feast. I +caused the ship's cook and his mate to come on shore and dress our +dinner, and the old cook's mate we had on shore assisted. We brought on +shore six pieces of good beef and four pieces of pork, out of the ship's +provisions, with our punch-bowl and materials to fill it; and in +particular I gave them ten bottles of French claret, and ten bottles of +English beer; things that neither the Spaniards nor the English had +tasted for many years, and which it may be supposed they were very glad +of. The Spaniards added to our feast five whole kids, which the cooks +roasted; and three of them were sent, covered up close, on board the ship +to the seamen, that they might feast on fresh meat from on shore, as we +did with their salt meat from on board. + +After this feast, at which we were very innocently merry, I brought my +cargo of goods; wherein, that there might be no dispute about dividing, I +showed them that there was a sufficiency for them all, desiring that they +might all take an equal quantity, when made up, of the goods that were +for wearing. As, first, I distributed linen sufficient to make every one +of them four shirts, and, at the Spaniard's request, afterwards made them +up six; these were exceeding comfortable to them, having been what they +had long since forgot the use of, or what it was to wear them. I +allotted the thin English stuffs, which I mentioned before, to make every +one a light coat, like a frock, which I judged fittest for the heat of +the season, cool and loose; and ordered that whenever they decayed, they +should make more, as they thought fit; the like for pumps, shoes, +stockings, hats, &c. I cannot express what pleasure sat upon the +countenances of all these poor men when they saw the care I had taken of +them, and how well I had furnished them. They told me I was a father to +them; and that having such a correspondent as I was in so remote a part +of the world, it would make them forget that they were left in a desolate +place; and they all voluntarily engaged to me not to leave the place +without my consent. + +Then I presented to them the people I had brought with me, particularly +the tailor, the smith, and the two carpenters, all of them most necessary +people; but, above all, my general artificer, than whom they could not +name anything that was more useful to them; and the tailor, to show his +concern for them, went to work immediately, and, with my leave, made them +every one a shirt, the first thing he did; and, what was still more, he +taught the women not only how to sew and stitch, and use the needle, but +made them assist to make the shirts for their husbands, and for all the +rest. As to the carpenters, I scarce need mention how useful they were; +for they took to pieces all my clumsy, unhandy things, and made clever +convenient tables, stools, bedsteads, cupboards, lockers, shelves, and +everything they wanted of that kind. But to let them see how nature made +artificers at first, I carried the carpenters to see Will Atkins' basket- +house, as I called it; and they both owned they never saw an instance of +such natural ingenuity before, nor anything so regular and so handily +built, at least of its kind; and one of them, when he saw it, after +musing a good while, turning about to me, "I am sure," says he, "that man +has no need of us; you need do nothing but give him tools." + +Then I brought them out all my store of tools, and gave every man a +digging-spade, a shovel, and a rake, for we had no barrows or ploughs; +and to every separate place a pickaxe, a crow, a broad axe, and a saw; +always appointing, that as often as any were broken or worn out, they +should be supplied without grudging out of the general stores that I left +behind. Nails, staples, hinges, hammers, chisels, knives, scissors, and +all sorts of ironwork, they had without reserve, as they required; for no +man would take more than he wanted, and he must be a fool that would +waste or spoil them on any account whatever; and for the use of the smith +I left two tons of unwrought iron for a supply. + +My magazine of powder and arms which I brought them was such, even to +profusion, that they could not but rejoice at them; for now they could +march as I used to do, with a musket upon each shoulder, if there was +occasion; and were able to fight a thousand savages, if they had but some +little advantages of situation, which also they could not miss, if they +had occasion. + +I carried on shore with me the young man whose mother was starved to +death, and the maid also; she was a sober, well-educated, religious young +woman, and behaved so inoffensively that every one gave her a good word; +she had, indeed, an unhappy life with us, there being no woman in the +ship but herself, but she bore it with patience. After a while, seeing +things so well ordered, and in so fine a way of thriving upon my island, +and considering that they had neither business nor acquaintance in the +East Indies, or reason for taking so long a voyage, both of them came to +me and desired I would give them leave to remain on the island, and be +entered among my family, as they called it. I agreed to this readily; +and they had a little plot of ground allotted to them, where they had +three tents or houses set up, surrounded with a basket-work, palisadoed +like Atkins's, adjoining to his plantation. Their tents were contrived +so that they had each of them a room apart to lodge in, and a middle tent +like a great storehouse to lay their goods in, and to eat and to drink +in. And now the other two Englishmen removed their habitation to the +same place; and so the island was divided into three colonies, and no +more--viz. the Spaniards, with old Friday and the first servants, at my +habitation under the hill, which was, in a word, the capital city, and +where they had so enlarged and extended their works, as well under as on +the outside of the hill, that they lived, though perfectly concealed, yet +full at large. Never was there such a little city in a wood, and so hid, +in any part of the world; for I verify believe that a thousand men might +have ranged the island a month, and, if they had not known there was such +a thing, and looked on purpose for it, they would not have found it. +Indeed the trees stood so thick and so close, and grew so fast woven one +into another, that nothing but cutting them down first could discover the +place, except the only two narrow entrances where they went in and out +could be found, which was not very easy; one of them was close down at +the water's edge, on the side of the creek, and it was afterwards above +two hundred yards to the place; and the other was up a ladder at twice, +as I have already described it; and they had also a large wood, thickly +planted, on the top of the hill, containing above an acre, which grew +apace, and concealed the place from all discovery there, with only one +narrow place between two trees, not easily to be discovered, to enter on +that side. + +The other colony was that of Will Atkins, where there were four families +of Englishmen, I mean those I had left there, with their wives and +children; three savages that were slaves, the widow and children of the +Englishman that was killed, the young man and the maid, and, by the way, +we made a wife of her before we went away. There were besides the two +carpenters and the tailor, whom I brought with me for them: also the +smith, who was a very necessary man to them, especially as a gunsmith, to +take care of their arms; and my other man, whom I called +Jack-of-all-trades, who was in himself as good almost as twenty men; for +he was not only a very ingenious fellow, but a very merry fellow, and +before I went away we married him to the honest maid that came with the +youth in the ship I mentioned before. + +And now I speak of marrying, it brings me naturally to say something of +the French ecclesiastic that I had brought with me out of the ship's crew +whom I took up at sea. It is true this man was a Roman, and perhaps it +may give offence to some hereafter if I leave anything extraordinary upon +record of a man whom, before I begin, I must (to set him out in just +colours) represent in terms very much to his disadvantage, in the account +of Protestants; as, first, that he was a Papist; secondly, a Popish +priest; and thirdly, a French Popish priest. But justice demands of me +to give him a due character; and I must say, he was a grave, sober, +pious, and most religious person; exact in his life, extensive in his +charity, and exemplary in almost everything he did. What then can any +one say against being very sensible of the value of such a man, +notwithstanding his profession? though it may be my opinion perhaps, as +well as the opinion of others who shall read this, that he was mistaken. + +The first hour that I began to converse with him after he had agreed to +go with me to the East Indies, I found reason to delight exceedingly in +his conversation; and he first began with me about religion in the most +obliging manner imaginable. "Sir," says he, "you have not only under +God" (and at that he crossed his breast) "saved my life, but you have +admitted me to go this voyage in your ship, and by your obliging civility +have taken me into your family, giving me an opportunity of free +conversation. Now, sir, you see by my habit what my profession is, and I +guess by your nation what yours is; I may think it is my duty, and +doubtless it is so, to use my utmost endeavours, on all occasions, to +bring all the souls I can to the knowledge of the truth, and to embrace +the Catholic doctrine; but as I am here under your permission, and in +your family, I am bound, in justice to your kindness as well as in +decency and good manners, to be under your government; and therefore I +shall not, without your leave, enter into any debate on the points of +religion in which we may not agree, further than you shall give me +leave." + +I told him his carriage was so modest that I could not but acknowledge +it; that it was true we were such people as they call heretics, but that +he was not the first Catholic I had conversed with without falling into +inconveniences, or carrying the questions to any height in debate; that +he should not find himself the worse used for being of a different +opinion from us, and if we did not converse without any dislike on either +side, it should be his fault, not ours. + +He replied that he thought all our conversation might be easily separated +from disputes; that it was not his business to cap principles with every +man he conversed with; and that he rather desired me to converse with him +as a gentleman than as a religionist; and that, if I would give him leave +at any time to discourse upon religious subjects, he would readily comply +with it, and that he did not doubt but I would allow him also to defend +his own opinions as well as he could; but that without my leave he would +not break in upon me with any such thing. He told me further, that he +would not cease to do all that became him, in his office as a priest, as +well as a private Christian, to procure the good of the ship, and the +safety of all that was in her; and though, perhaps, we would not join +with him, and he could not pray with us, he hoped he might pray for us, +which he would do upon all occasions. In this manner we conversed; and +as he was of the most obliging, gentlemanlike behaviour, so he was, if I +may be allowed to say so, a man of good sense, and, as I believe, of +great learning. + +He gave me a most diverting account of his life, and of the many +extraordinary events of it; of many adventures which had befallen him in +the few years that he had been abroad in the world; and particularly, it +was very remarkable, that in the voyage he was now engaged in he had had +the misfortune to be five times shipped and unshipped, and never to go to +the place whither any of the ships he was in were at first designed. That +his first intent was to have gone to Martinico, and that he went on board +a ship bound thither at St. Malo; but being forced into Lisbon by bad +weather, the ship received some damage by running aground in the mouth of +the river Tagus, and was obliged to unload her cargo there; but finding a +Portuguese ship there bound for the Madeiras, and ready to sail, and +supposing he should meet with a ship there bound to Martinico, he went on +board, in order to sail to the Madeiras; but the master of the Portuguese +ship being but an indifferent mariner, had been out of his reckoning, and +they drove to Fayal; where, however, he happened to find a very good +market for his cargo, which was corn, and therefore resolved not to go to +the Madeiras, but to load salt at the Isle of May, and to go away to +Newfoundland. He had no remedy in this exigence but to go with the ship, +and had a pretty good voyage as far as the Banks (so they call the place +where they catch the fish), where, meeting with a French ship bound from +France to Quebec, and from thence to Martinico, to carry provisions, he +thought he should have an opportunity to complete his first design, but +when he came to Quebec, the master of the ship died, and the vessel +proceeded no further; so the next voyage he shipped himself for France, +in the ship that was burned when we took them up at sea, and then shipped +with us for the East Indies, as I have already said. Thus he had been +disappointed in five voyages; all, as I may call it, in one voyage, +besides what I shall have occasion to mention further of him. + +But I shall not make digression into other men's stories which have no +relation to my own; so I return to what concerns our affair in the +island. He came to me one morning (for he lodged among us all the while +we were upon the island), and it happened to be just when I was going to +visit the Englishmen's colony, at the furthest part of the island; I say, +he came to me, and told me, with a very grave countenance, that he had +for two or three days desired an opportunity of some discourse with me, +which he hoped would not be displeasing to me, because he thought it +might in some measure correspond with my general design, which was the +prosperity of my new colony, and perhaps might put it, at least more than +he yet thought it was, in the way of God's blessing. + +I looked a little surprised at the last of his discourse, and turning a +little short, "How, sir," said I, "can it be said that we are not in the +way of God's blessing, after such visible assistances and deliverances as +we have seen here, and of which I have given you a large account?" "If +you had pleased, sir," said he, with a world of modesty, and yet great +readiness, "to have heard me, you would have found no room to have been +displeased, much less to think so hard of me, that I should suggest that +you have not had wonderful assistances and deliverances; and I hope, on +your behalf, that you are in the way of God's blessing, and your design +is exceeding good, and will prosper. But, sir, though it were more so +than is even possible to you, yet there may be some among you that are +not equally right in their actions: and you know that in the story of the +children of Israel, one Achan in the camp removed God's blessing from +them, and turned His hand so against them, that six-and-thirty of them, +though not concerned in the crime, were the objects of divine vengeance, +and bore the weight of that punishment." + +I was sensibly touched with this discourse, and told him his inference +was so just, and the whole design seemed so sincere, and was really so +religious in its own nature, that I was very sorry I had interrupted him, +and begged him to go on; and, in the meantime, because it seemed that +what we had both to say might take up some time, I told him I was going +to the Englishmen's plantations, and asked him to go with me, and we +might discourse of it by the way. He told me he would the more willingly +wait on me thither, because there partly the thing was acted which he +desired to speak to me about; so we walked on, and I pressed him to be +free and plain with me in what he had to say. + +"Why, then, sir," said he, "be pleased to give me leave to lay down a few +propositions, as the foundation of what I have to say, that we may not +differ in the general principles, though we may be of some differing +opinions in the practice of particulars. First, sir, though we differ in +some of the doctrinal articles of religion (and it is very unhappy it is +so, especially in the case before us, as I shall show afterwards), yet +there are some general principles in which we both agree--that there is a +God; and that this God having given us some stated general rules for our +service and obedience, we ought not willingly and knowingly to offend +Him, either by neglecting to do what He has commanded, or by doing what +He has expressly forbidden. And let our different religions be what they +will, this general principle is readily owned by us all, that the +blessing of God does not ordinarily follow presumptuous sinning against +His command; and every good Christian will be affectionately concerned to +prevent any that are under his care living in a total neglect of God and +His commands. It is not your men being Protestants, whatever my opinion +may be of such, that discharges me from being concerned for their souls, +and from endeavouring, if it lies before me, that they should live in as +little distance from enmity with their Maker as possible, especially if +you give me leave to meddle so far in your circuit." + +I could not yet imagine what he aimed at, and told him I granted all he +had said, and thanked him that he would so far concern himself for us: +and begged he would explain the particulars of what he had observed, that +like Joshua, to take his own parable, I might put away the accursed thing +from us. + +"Why, then, sir," says he, "I will take the liberty you give me; and +there are three things, which, if I am right, must stand in the way of +God's blessing upon your endeavours here, and which I should rejoice, for +your sake and their own, to see removed. And, sir, I promise myself that +you will fully agree with me in them all, as soon as I name them; +especially because I shall convince you, that every one of them may, with +great ease, and very much to your satisfaction, be remedied. First, +sir," says he, "you have here four Englishmen, who have fetched women +from among the savages, and have taken them as their wives, and have had +many children by them all, and yet are not married to them after any +stated legal manner, as the laws of God and man require. To this, sir, I +know, you will object that there was no clergyman or priest of any kind +to perform the ceremony; nor any pen and ink, or paper, to write down a +contract of marriage, and have it signed between them. And I know also, +sir, what the Spaniard governor has told you, I mean of the agreement +that he obliged them to make when they took those women, viz. that they +should choose them out by consent, and keep separately to them; which, by +the way, is nothing of a marriage, no agreement with the women as wives, +but only an agreement among themselves, to keep them from quarrelling. +But, sir, the essence of the sacrament of matrimony" (so he called it, +being a Roman) "consists not only in the mutual consent of the parties to +take one another as man and wife, but in the formal and legal obligation +that there is in the contract to compel the man and woman, at all times, +to own and acknowledge each other; obliging the man to abstain from all +other women, to engage in no other contract while these subsist; and, on +all occasions, as ability allows, to provide honestly for them and their +children; and to oblige the women to the same or like conditions, on +their side. Now, sir," says he, "these men may, when they please, or +when occasion presents, abandon these women, disown their children, leave +them to perish, and take other women, and marry them while these are +living;" and here he added, with some warmth, "How, sir, is God honoured +in this unlawful liberty? And how shall a blessing succeed your +endeavours in this place, however good in themselves, and however sincere +in your design, while these men, who at present are your subjects, under +your absolute government and dominion, are allowed by you to live in open +adultery?" + +I confess I was struck with the thing itself, but much more with the +convincing arguments he supported it with; but I thought to have got off +my young priest by telling him that all that part was done when I was not +there: and that they had lived so many years with them now, that if it +was adultery, it was past remedy; nothing could be done in it now. + +"Sir," says he, "asking your pardon for such freedom, you are right in +this, that, it being done in your absence, you could not be charged with +that part of the crime; but, I beseech you, flatter not yourself that you +are not, therefore, under an obligation to do your utmost now to put an +end to it. You should legally and effectually marry them; and as, sir, +my way of marrying may not be easy to reconcile them to, though it will +be effectual, even by your own laws, so your way may be as well before +God, and as valid among men. I mean by a written contract signed by both +man and woman, and by all the witnesses present, which all the laws of +Europe would decree to be valid." + +I was amazed to see so much true piety, and so much sincerity of zeal, +besides the unusual impartiality in his discourse as to his own party or +church, and such true warmth for preserving people that he had no +knowledge of or relation to from transgressing the laws of God. But +recollecting what he had said of marrying them by a written contract, +which I knew he would stand to, I returned it back upon him, and told him +I granted all that he had said to be just, and on his part very kind; +that I would discourse with the men upon the point now, when I came to +them; and I knew no reason why they should scruple to let him marry them +all, which I knew well enough would be granted to be as authentic and +valid in England as if they were married by one of our own clergymen. + +I then pressed him to tell me what was the second complaint which he had +to make, acknowledging that I was very much his debtor for the first, and +thanking him heartily for it. He told me he would use the same freedom +and plainness in the second, and hoped I would take it as well; and this +was, that notwithstanding these English subjects of mine, as he called +them, had lived with these women almost seven years, had taught them to +speak English, and even to read it, and that they were, as he perceived, +women of tolerable understanding, and capable of instruction, yet they +had not, to this hour, taught them anything of the Christian religion--no, +not so much as to know there was a God, or a worship, or in what manner +God was to be served, or that their own idolatry, and worshipping they +knew not whom, was false and absurd. This he said was an unaccountable +neglect, and what God would certainly call them to account for, and +perhaps at last take the work out of their hands. He spoke this very +affectionately and warmly. + +"I am persuaded," says he, "had those men lived in the savage country +whence their wives came, the savages would have taken more pains to have +brought them to be idolaters, and to worship the devil, than any of these +men, so far as I can see, have taken with them to teach the knowledge of +the true God. Now, sir," said he, "though I do not acknowledge your +religion, or you mine, yet we would be glad to see the devil's servants +and the subjects of his kingdom taught to know religion; and that they +might, at least, hear of God and a Redeemer, and the resurrection, and of +a future state--things which we all believe; that they might, at least, +be so much nearer coming into the bosom of the true Church than they are +now in the public profession of idolatry and devil-worship." + +I could hold no longer: I took him in my arms and embraced him eagerly. +"How far," said I to him, "have I been from understanding the most +essential part of a Christian, viz. to love the interest of the Christian +Church, and the good of other men's souls! I scarce have known what +belongs to the being a Christian."--"Oh, sir! do not say so," replied he; +"this thing is not your fault."--"No," said I; "but why did I never lay +it to heart as well as you?"--"It is not too late yet," said he; "be not +too forward to condemn yourself."--"But what can be done now?" said I: +"you see I am going away."--"Will you give me leave to talk with these +poor men about it?"--"Yes, with all my heart," said I: "and oblige them +to give heed to what you say too."--"As to that," said he, "we must leave +them to the mercy of Christ; but it is your business to assist them, +encourage them, and instruct them; and if you give me leave, and God His +blessing, I do not doubt but the poor ignorant souls shall be brought +home to the great circle of Christianity, if not into the particular +faith we all embrace, and that even while you stay here." Upon this I +said, "I shall not only give you leave, but give you a thousand thanks +for it." + +I now pressed him for the third article in which we were to blame. "Why, +really," says he, "it is of the same nature. It is about your poor +savages, who are, as I may say, your conquered subjects. It is a maxim, +sir, that is or ought to be received among all Christians, of what church +or pretended church soever, that the Christian knowledge ought to be +propagated by all possible means and on all possible occasions. It is on +this principle that our Church sends missionaries into Persia, India, and +China; and that our clergy, even of the superior sort, willingly engage +in the most hazardous voyages, and the most dangerous residence amongst +murderers and barbarians, to teach them the knowledge of the true God, +and to bring them over to embrace the Christian faith. Now, sir, you +have such an opportunity here to have six or seven and thirty poor +savages brought over from a state of idolatry to the knowledge of God, +their Maker and Redeemer, that I wonder how you can pass such an occasion +of doing good, which is really worth the expense of a man's whole life." + +I was now struck dumb indeed, and had not one word to say. I had here +the spirit of true Christian zeal for God and religion before me. As for +me, I had not so much as entertained a thought of this in my heart +before, and I believe I should not have thought of it; for I looked upon +these savages as slaves, and people whom, had we not had any work for +them to do, we would have used as such, or would have been glad to have +transported them to any part of the world; for our business was to get +rid of them, and we would all have been satisfied if they had been sent +to any country, so they had never seen their own. I was confounded at +his discourse, and knew not what answer to make him. + +He looked earnestly at me, seeing my confusion. "Sir," says he, "I shall +be very sorry if what I have said gives you any offence."--"No, no," said +I, "I am offended with nobody but myself; but I am perfectly confounded, +not only to think that I should never take any notice of this before, but +with reflecting what notice I am able to take of it now. You know, sir," +said I, "what circumstances I am in; I am bound to the East Indies in a +ship freighted by merchants, and to whom it would be an insufferable +piece of injustice to detain their ship here, the men lying all this +while at victuals and wages on the owners' account. It is true, I agreed +to be allowed twelve days here, and if I stay more, I must pay three +pounds sterling _per diem_ demurrage; nor can I stay upon demurrage above +eight days more, and I have been here thirteen already; so that I am +perfectly unable to engage in this work unless I would suffer myself to +be left behind here again; in which case, if this single ship should +miscarry in any part of her voyage, I should be just in the same +condition that I was left in here at first, and from which I have been so +wonderfully delivered." He owned the case was very hard upon me as to my +voyage; but laid it home upon my conscience whether the blessing of +saving thirty-seven souls was not worth venturing all I had in the world +for. I was not so sensible of that as he was. I replied to him thus: +"Why, sir, it is a valuable thing, indeed, to be an instrument in God's +hand to convert thirty-seven heathens to the knowledge of Christ: but as +you are an ecclesiastic, and are given over to the work, so it seems so +naturally to fall in the way of your profession; how is it, then, that +you do not rather offer yourself to undertake it than to press me to do +it?" + +Upon this he faced about just before me, as he walked along, and putting +me to a full stop, made me a very low bow. "I most heartily thank God +and you, sir," said he, "for giving me so evident a call to so blessed a +work; and if you think yourself discharged from it, and desire me to +undertake it, I will most readily do it, and think it a happy reward for +all the hazards and difficulties of such a broken, disappointed voyage as +I have met with, that I am dropped at last into so glorious a work." + +I discovered a kind of rapture in his face while he spoke this to me; his +eyes sparkled like fire; his face glowed, and his colour came and went; +in a word, he was fired with the joy of being embarked in such a work. I +paused a considerable while before I could tell what to say to him; for I +was really surprised to find a man of such sincerity, and who seemed +possessed of a zeal beyond the ordinary rate of men. But after I had +considered it a while, I asked him seriously if he was in earnest, and +that he would venture, on the single consideration of an attempt to +convert those poor people, to be locked up in an unplanted island for +perhaps his life, and at last might not know whether he should be able to +do them good or not? He turned short upon me, and asked me what I called +a venture? "Pray, sir," said he, "what do you think I consented to go in +your ship to the East Indies for?"--"ay," said I, "that I know not, +unless it was to preach to the Indians."--"Doubtless it was," said he; +"and do you think, if I can convert these thirty-seven men to the faith +of Jesus Christ, it is not worth my time, though I should never be +fetched off the island again?--nay, is it not infinitely of more worth to +save so many souls than my life is, or the life of twenty more of the +same profession? Yes, sir," says he, "I would give God thanks all my +days if I could be made the happy instrument of saving the souls of those +poor men, though I were never to get my foot off this island or see my +native country any more. But since you will honour me with putting me +into this work, for which I will pray for you all the days of my life, I +have one humble petition to you besides."--"What is that?" said I.--"Why," +says he, "it is, that you will leave your man Friday with me, to be my +interpreter to them, and to assist me; for without some help I cannot +speak to them, or they to me." + +I was sensibly touched at his requesting Friday, because I could not +think of parting with him, and that for many reasons: he had been the +companion of my travels; he was not only faithful to me, but sincerely +affectionate to the last degree; and I had resolved to do something +considerable for him if he out-lived me, as it was probable he would. +Then I knew that, as I had bred Friday up to be a Protestant, it would +quite confound him to bring him to embrace another religion; and he would +never, while his eyes were open, believe that his old master was a +heretic, and would be damned; and this might in the end ruin the poor +fellow's principles, and so turn him back again to his first idolatry. +However, a sudden thought relieved me in this strait, and it was this: I +told him I could not say that I was willing to part with Friday on any +account whatever, though a work that to him was of more value than his +life ought to be of much more value than the keeping or parting with a +servant. On the other hand, I was persuaded that Friday would by no +means agree to part with me; and I could not force him to it without his +consent, without manifest injustice; because I had promised I would never +send him away, and he had promised and engaged that he would never leave +me, unless I sent him away. + +He seemed very much concerned at it, for he had no rational access to +these poor people, seeing he did not understand one word of their +language, nor they one of his. To remove this difficulty, I told him +Friday's father had learned Spanish, which I found he also understood, +and he should serve him as an interpreter. So he was much better +satisfied, and nothing could persuade him but he would stay and endeavour +to convert them; but Providence gave another very happy turn to all this. + +I come back now to the first part of his objections. When we came to the +Englishmen, I sent for them all together, and after some account given +them of what I had done for them, viz. what necessary things I had +provided for them, and how they were distributed, which they were very +sensible of, and very thankful for, I began to talk to them of the +scandalous life they led, and gave them a full account of the notice the +clergyman had taken of it; and arguing how unchristian and irreligious a +life it was, I first asked them if they were married men or bachelors? +They soon explained their condition to me, and showed that two of them +were widowers, and the other three were single men, or bachelors. I +asked them with what conscience they could take these women, and call +them their wives, and have so many children by them, and not be lawfully +married to them? They all gave me the answer I expected, viz. that there +was nobody to marry them; that they agreed before the governor to keep +them as their wives, and to maintain them and own them as their wives; +and they thought, as things stood with them, they were as legally married +as if they had been married by a parson and with all the formalities in +the world. + +I told them that no doubt they were married in the sight of God, and were +bound in conscience to keep them as their wives; but that the laws of men +being otherwise, they might desert the poor women and children hereafter; +and that their wives, being poor desolate women, friendless and +moneyless, would have no way to help themselves. I therefore told them +that unless I was assured of their honest intent, I could do nothing for +them, but would take care that what I did should be for the women and +children without them; and that, unless they would give me some +assurances that they would marry the women, I could not think it was +convenient they should continue together as man and wife; for that it was +both scandalous to men and offensive to God, who they could not think +would bless them if they went on thus. + +All this went on as I expected; and they told me, especially Will Atkins, +who now seemed to speak for the rest, that they loved their wives as well +as if they had been born in their own native country, and would not leave +them on any account whatever; and they did verily believe that their +wives were as virtuous and as modest, and did, to the utmost of their +skill, as much for them and for their children, as any woman could +possibly do: and they would not part with them on any account. Will +Atkins, for his own particular, added that if any man would take him +away, and offer to carry him home to England, and make him captain of the +best man-of-war in the navy, he would not go with him if he might not +carry his wife and children with him; and if there was a clergyman in the +ship, he would be married to her now with all his heart. + +This was just as I would have it. The priest was not with me at that +moment, but he was not far off; so to try him further, I told him I had a +clergyman with me, and, if he was sincere, I would have him married next +morning, and bade him consider of it, and talk with the rest. He said, +as for himself, he need not consider of it at all, for he was very ready +to do it, and was glad I had a minister with me, and he believed they +would be all willing also. I then told him that my friend, the minister, +was a Frenchman, and could not speak English, but I would act the clerk +between them. He never so much as asked me whether he was a Papist or +Protestant, which was, indeed, what I was afraid of. We then parted, and +I went back to my clergyman, and Will Atkins went in to talk with his +companions. I desired the French gentleman not to say anything to them +till the business was thoroughly ripe; and I told him what answer the men +had given me. + +Before I went from their quarter they all came to me and told me they had +been considering what I had said; that they were glad to hear I had a +clergyman in my company, and they were very willing to give me the +satisfaction I desired, and to be formally married as soon as I pleased; +for they were far from desiring to part with their wives, and that they +meant nothing but what was very honest when they chose them. So I +appointed them to meet me the next morning; and, in the meantime, they +should let their wives know the meaning of the marriage law; and that it +was not only to prevent any scandal, but also to oblige them that they +should not forsake them, whatever might happen. + +The women were easily made sensible of the meaning of the thing, and were +very well satisfied with it, as, indeed, they had reason to be: so they +failed not to attend all together at my apartment next morning, where I +brought out my clergyman; and though he had not on a minister's gown, +after the manner of England, or the habit of a priest, after the manner +of France, yet having a black vest something like a cassock, with a sash +round it, he did not look very unlike a minister; and as for his +language, I was his interpreter. But the seriousness of his behaviour to +them, and the scruples he made of marrying the women, because they were +not baptized and professed Christians, gave them an exceeding reverence +for his person; and there was no need, after that, to inquire whether he +was a clergyman or not. Indeed, I was afraid his scruples would have +been carried so far as that he would not have married them at all; nay, +notwithstanding all I was able to say to him, he resisted me, though +modestly, yet very steadily, and at last refused absolutely to marry +them, unless he had first talked with the men and the women too; and +though at first I was a little backward to it, yet at last I agreed to it +with a good will, perceiving the sincerity of his design. + +When he came to them he let them know that I had acquainted him with +their circumstances, and with the present design; that he was very +willing to perform that part of his function, and marry them, as I had +desired; but that before he could do it, he must take the liberty to talk +with them. He told them that in the sight of all indifferent men, and in +the sense of the laws of society, they had lived all this while in a +state of sin; and that it was true that nothing but the consenting to +marry, or effectually separating them from one another, could now put an +end to it; but there was a difficulty in it, too, with respect to the +laws of Christian matrimony, which he was not fully satisfied about, that +of marrying one that is a professed Christian to a savage, an idolater, +and a heathen--one that is not baptized; and yet that he did not see that +there was time left to endeavour to persuade the women to be baptized, or +to profess the name of Christ, whom they had, he doubted, heard nothing +of, and without which they could not be baptized. He told them he +doubted they were but indifferent Christians themselves; that they had +but little knowledge of God or of His ways, and, therefore, he could not +expect that they had said much to their wives on that head yet; but that +unless they would promise him to use their endeavours with their wives to +persuade them to become Christians, and would, as well as they could, +instruct them in the knowledge and belief of God that made them, and to +worship Jesus Christ that redeemed them, he could not marry them; for he +would have no hand in joining Christians with savages, nor was it +consistent with the principles of the Christian religion, and was, +indeed, expressly forbidden in God's law. + +They heard all this very attentively, and I delivered it very faithfully +to them from his mouth, as near his own words as I could; only sometimes +adding something of my own, to convince them how just it was, and that I +was of his mind; and I always very carefully distinguished between what I +said from myself and what were the clergyman's words. They told me it +was very true what the gentleman said, that they were very indifferent +Christians themselves, and that they had never talked to their wives +about religion. "Lord, sir," says Will Atkins, "how should we teach them +religion? Why, we know nothing ourselves; and besides, sir," said he, +"should we talk to them of God and Jesus Christ, and heaven and hell, it +would make them laugh at us, and ask us what we believe ourselves. And +if we should tell them that we believe all the things we speak of to +them, such as of good people going to heaven, and wicked people to the +devil, they would ask us where we intend to go ourselves, that believe +all this, and are such wicked fellows as we indeed are? Why, sir; 'tis +enough to give them a surfeit of religion at first hearing; folks must +have some religion themselves before they begin to teach other +people."--"Will Atkins," said I to him, "though I am afraid that what you +say has too much truth in it, yet can you not tell your wife she is in +the wrong; that there is a God and a religion better than her own; that +her gods are idols; that they can neither hear nor speak; that there is a +great Being that made all things, and that can destroy all that He has +made; that He rewards the good and punishes the bad; and that we are to +be judged by Him at last for all we do here? You are not so ignorant but +even nature itself will teach you that all this is true; and I am +satisfied you know it all to be true, and believe it yourself."--"That is +true, sir," said Atkins; "but with what face can I say anything to my +wife of all this, when she will tell me immediately it cannot be +true?"--"Not true!" said I; "what do you mean by that?"--"Why, sir," said +he, "she will tell me it cannot be true that this God I shall tell her of +can be just, or can punish or reward, since I am not punished and sent to +the devil, that have been such a wicked creature as she knows I have +been, even to her, and to everybody else; and that I should be suffered +to live, that have been always acting so contrary to what I must tell her +is good, and to what I ought to have done."--"Why, truly, Atkins," said +I, "I am afraid thou speakest too much truth;" and with that I informed +the clergyman of what Atkins had said, for he was impatient to know. +"Oh," said the priest, "tell him there is one thing will make him the +best minister in the world to his wife, and that is repentance; for none +teach repentance like true penitents. He wants nothing but to repent, +and then he will be so much the better qualified to instruct his wife; he +will then be able to tell her that there is not only a God, and that He +is the just rewarder of good and evil, but that He is a merciful Being, +and with infinite goodness and long-suffering forbears to punish those +that offend; waiting to be gracious, and willing not the death of a +sinner, but rather that he should return and live; and even reserves +damnation to the general day of retribution; that it is a clear evidence +of God and of a future state that righteous men receive not their reward, +or wicked men their punishment, till they come into another world; and +this will lead him to teach his wife the doctrine of the resurrection and +of the last judgment. Let him but repent himself, he will be an +excellent preacher of repentance to his wife." + +I repeated all this to Atkins, who looked very serious all the while, +and, as we could easily perceive, was more than ordinarily affected with +it; when being eager, and hardly suffering me to make an end, "I know all +this, master," says he, "and a great deal more; but I have not the +impudence to talk thus to my wife, when God and my conscience know, and +my wife will be an undeniable evidence against me, that I have lived as +if I had never heard of a God or future state, or anything about it; and +to talk of my repenting, alas!" (and with that he fetched a deep sigh, +and I could see that the tears stood in his eyes) "'tis past all that +with me."--"Past it, Atkins?" said I: "what dost thou mean by that?"--"I +know well enough what I mean," says he; "I mean 'tis too late, and that +is too true." + +I told the clergyman, word for word, what he said, and this affectionate +man could not refrain from tears; but, recovering himself, said to me, +"Ask him but one question. Is he easy that it is too late; or is he +troubled, and wishes it were not so?" I put the question fairly to +Atkins; and he answered with a great deal of passion, "How could any man +be easy in a condition that must certainly end in eternal destruction? +that he was far from being easy; but that, on the contrary, he believed +it would one time or other ruin him."--"What do you mean by that?" said +I.--"Why," he said, "he believed he should one time or other cut his +throat, to put an end to the terror of it." + +The clergyman shook his head, with great concern in his face, when I told +him all this; but turning quick to me upon it, says, "If that be his +case, we may assure him it is not too late; Christ will give him +repentance. But pray," says he, "explain this to him: that as no man is +saved but by Christ, and the merit of His passion procuring divine mercy +for him, how can it be too late for any man to receive mercy? Does he +think he is able to sin beyond the power or reach of divine mercy? Pray +tell him there may be a time when provoked mercy will no longer strive, +and when God may refuse to hear, but that it is never too late for men to +ask mercy; and we, that are Christ's servants, are commanded to preach +mercy at all times, in the name of Jesus Christ, to all those that +sincerely repent: so that it is never too late to repent." + +I told Atkins all this, and he heard me with great earnestness; but it +seemed as if he turned off the discourse to the rest, for he said to me +he would go and have some talk with his wife; so he went out a while, and +we talked to the rest. I perceived they were all stupidly ignorant as to +matters of religion, as much as I was when I went rambling away from my +father; yet there were none of them backward to hear what had been said; +and all of them seriously promised that they would talk with their wives +about it, and do their endeavours to persuade them to turn Christians. + +The clergyman smiled upon me when I reported what answer they gave, but +said nothing a good while; but at last, shaking his head, "We that are +Christ's servants," says he, "can go no further than to exhort and +instruct: and when men comply, submit to the reproof, and promise what we +ask, 'tis all we can do; we are bound to accept their good words; but +believe me, sir," said he, "whatever you may have known of the life of +that man you call Will Atkin's, I believe he is the only sincere convert +among them: I will not despair of the rest; but that man is apparently +struck with the sense of his past life, and I doubt not, when he comes to +talk of religion to his wife, he will talk himself effectually into it: +for attempting to teach others is sometimes the best way of teaching +ourselves. If that poor Atkins begins but once to talk seriously of +Jesus Christ to his wife, he will assuredly talk himself into a thorough +convert, make himself a penitent, and who knows what may follow." + +Upon this discourse, however, and their promising, as above, to endeavour +to persuade their wives to embrace Christianity, he married the two other +couple; but Will Atkins and his wife were not yet come in. After this, +my clergyman, waiting a while, was curious to know where Atkins was gone, +and turning to me, said, "I entreat you, sir, let us walk out of your +labyrinth here and look; I daresay we shall find this poor man somewhere +or other talking seriously to his wife, and teaching her already +something of religion." I began to be of the same mind; so we went out +together, and I carried him a way which none knew but myself, and where +the trees were so very thick that it was not easy to see through the +thicket of leaves, and far harder to see in than to see out: when, coming +to the edge of the wood, I saw Atkins and his tawny wife sitting under +the shade of a bush, very eager in discourse: I stopped short till my +clergyman came up to me, and then having showed him where they were, we +stood and looked very steadily at them a good while. We observed him +very earnest with her, pointing up to the sun, and to every quarter of +the heavens, and then down to the earth, then out to the sea, then to +himself, then to her, to the woods, to the trees. "Now," says the +clergyman, "you see my words are made good, the man preaches to her; mark +him now, he is telling her that our God has made him, her, and the +heavens, the earth, the sea, the woods, the trees, &c."--"I believe he +is," said I. Immediately we perceived Will Atkins start upon his feet, +fall down on his knees, and lift up both his hands. We supposed he said +something, but we could not hear him; it was too far for that. He did +not continue kneeling half a minute, but comes and sits down again by his +wife, and talks to her again; we perceived then the woman very attentive, +but whether she said anything to him we could not tell. While the poor +fellow was upon his knees I could see the tears run plentifully down my +clergyman's cheeks, and I could hardly forbear myself; but it was a great +affliction to us both that we were not near enough to hear anything that +passed between them. Well, however, we could come no nearer for fear of +disturbing them: so we resolved to see an end of this piece of still +conversation, and it spoke loud enough to us without the help of voice. +He sat down again, as I have said, close by her, and talked again +earnestly to her, and two or three times we could see him embrace her +most passionately; another time we saw him take out his handkerchief and +wipe her eyes, and then kiss her again with a kind of transport very +unusual; and after several of these things, we saw him on a sudden jump +up again, and lend her his hand to help her up, when immediately leading +her by the hand a step or two, they both kneeled down together, and +continued so about two minutes. + +My friend could bear it no longer, but cries out aloud, "St. Paul! St. +Paul! behold he prayeth." I was afraid Atkins would hear him, therefore +I entreated him to withhold himself a while, that we might see an end of +the scene, which to me, I must confess, was the most affecting that ever +I saw in my life. Well, he strove with himself for a while, but was in +such raptures to think that the poor heathen woman was become a +Christian, that he was not able to contain himself; he wept several +times, then throwing up his hands and crossing his breast, said over +several things ejaculatory, and by the way of giving God thanks for so +miraculous a testimony of the success of our endeavours. Some he spoke +softly, and I could not well hear others; some things he said in Latin, +some in French; then two or three times the tears would interrupt him, +that he could not speak at all; but I begged that he would contain +himself, and let us more narrowly and fully observe what was before us, +which he did for a time, the scene not being near ended yet; for after +the poor man and his wife were risen again from their knees, we observed +he stood talking still eagerly to her, and we observed her motion, that +she was greatly affected with what he said, by her frequently lifting up +her hands, laying her hand to her breast, and such other postures as +express the greatest seriousness and attention; this continued about half +a quarter of an hour, and then they walked away, so we could see no more +of them in that situation. + +I took this interval to say to the clergyman, first, that I was glad to +see the particulars we had both been witnesses to; that, though I was +hard enough of belief in such cases, yet that I began to think it was all +very sincere here, both in the man and his wife, however ignorant they +might both be, and I hoped such a beginning would yet have a more happy +end. "But, my friend," added I, "will you give me leave to start one +difficulty here? I cannot tell how to object the least thing against +that affectionate concern which you show for the turning of the poor +people from their paganism to the Christian religion; but how does this +comfort you, while these people are, in your account, out of the pale of +the Catholic Church, without which you believe there is no salvation? so +that you esteem these but heretics, as effectually lost as the pagans +themselves." + +To this he answered, with abundance of candour, thus: "Sir, I am a +Catholic of the Roman Church, and a priest of the order of St. Benedict, +and I embrace all the principles of the Roman faith; but yet, if you will +believe me, and that I do not speak in compliment to you, or in respect +to my circumstances and your civilities; I say nevertheless, I do not +look upon you, who call yourselves reformed, without some charity. I +dare not say (though I know it is our opinion in general) that you cannot +be saved; I will by no means limit the mercy of Christ so far as think +that He cannot receive you into the bosom of His Church, in a manner to +us unperceivable; and I hope you have the same charity for us: I pray +daily for you being all restored to Christ's Church, by whatsoever method +He, who is all-wise, is pleased to direct. In the meantime, surely you +will allow it consists with me as a Roman to distinguish far between a +Protestant and a pagan; between one that calls on Jesus Christ, though in +a way which I do not think is according to the true faith, and a savage +or a barbarian, that knows no God, no Christ, no Redeemer; and if you are +not within the pale of the Catholic Church, we hope you are nearer being +restored to it than those who know nothing of God or of His Church: and I +rejoice, therefore, when I see this poor man, who you say has been a +profligate, and almost a murderer kneel down and pray to Jesus Christ, as +we suppose he did, though not fully enlightened; believing that God, from +whom every such work proceeds, will sensibly touch his heart, and bring +him to the further knowledge of that truth in His own time; and if God +shall influence this poor man to convert and instruct the ignorant +savage, his wife, I can never believe that he shall be cast away himself. +And have I not reason, then, to rejoice, the nearer any are brought to +the knowledge of Christ, though they may not be brought quite home into +the bosom of the Catholic Church just at the time when I desire it, +leaving it to the goodness of Christ to perfect His work in His own time, +and in his own way? Certainly, I would rejoice if all the savages in +America were brought, like this poor woman, to pray to God, though they +were all to be Protestants at first, rather than they should continue +pagans or heathens; firmly believing, that He that had bestowed the first +light on them would farther illuminate them with a beam of His heavenly +grace, and bring them into the pale of His Church when He should see +good." + + + + +CHAPTER VII--CONVERSATION BETWIXT WILL ATKINS AND HIS WIFE + + +I was astonished at the sincerity and temper of this pious Papist, as +much as I was oppressed by the power of his reasoning; and it presently +occurred to my thoughts, that if such a temper was universal, we might be +all Catholic Christians, whatever Church or particular profession we +joined in; that a spirit of charity would soon work us all up into right +principles; and as he thought that the like charity would make us all +Catholics, so I told him I believed, had all the members of his Church +the like moderation, they would soon all be Protestants. And there we +left that part; for we never disputed at all. However, I talked to him +another way, and taking him by the hand, "My friend," says I, "I wish all +the clergy of the Romish Church were blessed with such moderation, and +had an equal share of your charity. I am entirely of your opinion; but I +must tell you that if you should preach such doctrine in Spain or Italy, +they would put you into the Inquisition."--"It may be so," said he; "I +know not what they would do in Spain or Italy; but I will not say they +would be the better Christians for that severity; for I am sure there is +no heresy in abounding with charity." + +Well, as Will Atkins and his wife were gone, our business there was over, +so we went back our own way; and when we came back, we found them waiting +to be called in. Observing this, I asked my clergyman if we should +discover to him that we had seen him under the bush or not; and it was +his opinion we should not, but that we should talk to him first, and hear +what he would say to us; so we called him in alone, nobody being in the +place but ourselves, and I began by asking him some particulars about his +parentage and education. He told me frankly enough that his father was a +clergyman who would have taught him well, but that he, Will Atkins, +despised all instruction and correction; and by his brutish conduct cut +the thread of all his father's comforts and shortened his days, for that +he broke his heart by the most ungrateful, unnatural return for the most +affectionate treatment a father ever gave. + +In what he said there seemed so much sincerity of repentance, that it +painfully affected me. I could not but reflect that I, too, had +shortened the life of a good, tender father by my bad conduct and +obstinate self-will. I was, indeed, so surprised with what he had told +me, that I thought, instead of my going about to teach and instruct him, +the man was made a teacher and instructor to me in a most unexpected +manner. + +I laid all this before the young clergyman, who was greatly affected with +it, and said to me, "Did I not say, sir, that when this man was converted +he would preach to us all? I tell you, sir, if this one man be made a +true penitent, there will be no need of me; he will make Christians of +all in the island."--But having a little composed myself, I renewed my +discourse with Will Atkins. "But, Will," said I, "how comes the sense of +this matter to touch you just now?" + +_W.A._--Sir, you have set me about a work that has struck a dart though +my very soul; I have been talking about God and religion to my wife, in +order, as you directed me, to make a Christian of her, and she has +preached such a sermon to me as I shall never forget while I live. + +_R.C._--No, no, it is not your wife has preached to you; but when you +were moving religious arguments to her, conscience has flung them back +upon you. + +_W.A._--Ay, sir, with such force as is not to be resisted. + +_R.C._--Pray, Will, let us know what passed between you and your wife; +for I know something of it already. + +_W.A._--Sir, it is impossible to give you a full account of it; I am too +full to hold it, and yet have no tongue to express it; but let her have +said what she will, though I cannot give you an account of it, this I can +tell you, that I have resolved to amend and reform my life. + +_R.C._--But tell us some of it: how did you begin, Will? For this has +been an extraordinary case, that is certain. She has preached a sermon, +indeed, if she has wrought this upon you. + +_W.A._--Why, I first told her the nature of our laws about marriage, and +what the reasons were that men and women were obliged to enter into such +compacts as it was neither in the power of one nor other to break; that +otherwise, order and justice could not be maintained, and men would run +from their wives, and abandon their children, mix confusedly with one +another, and neither families be kept entire, nor inheritances be settled +by legal descent. + +_R.C._--You talk like a civilian, Will. Could you make her understand +what you meant by inheritance and families? They know no such things +among the savages, but marry anyhow, without regard to relation, +consanguinity, or family; brother and sister, nay, as I have been told, +even the father and the daughter, and the son and the mother. + +_W.A._--I believe, sir, you are misinformed, and my wife assures me of +the contrary, and that they abhor it; perhaps, for any further relations, +they may not be so exact as we are; but she tells me never in the near +relationship you speak of. + +_R.C._--Well, what did she say to what you told her? + +_W.A._--She said she liked it very well, as it was much better than in +her country. + +_R.C._--But did you tell her what marriage was? + +_W.A._--Ay, ay, there began our dialogue. I asked her if she would be +married to me our way. She asked me what way that was; I told her +marriage was appointed by God; and here we had a strange talk together, +indeed, as ever man and wife had, I believe. + +N.B.--This dialogue between Will Atkins and his wife, which I took down +in writing just after he told it me, was as follows:-- + +_Wife_.--Appointed by your God!--Why, have you a God in your country? + +_W.A._--Yes, my dear, God is in every country. + +_Wife_.--No your God in my country; my country have the great old +Benamuckee God. + +_W.A._--Child, I am very unfit to show you who God is; God is in heaven +and made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and all that in them is. + +_Wife_.--No makee de earth; no you God makee all earth; no makee my +country. + +[Will Atkins laughed a little at her expression of God not making her +country.] + +_Wife_.--No laugh; why laugh me? This no ting to laugh. + +[He was justly reproved by his wife, for she was more serious than he at +first.] + +_W.A._--That's true, indeed; I will not laugh any more, my dear. + +_Wife_.--Why you say you God makee all? + +_W.A._--Yes, child, our God made the whole world, and you, and me, and +all things; for He is the only true God, and there is no God but Him. He +lives for ever in heaven. + +_Wife_.--Why you no tell me long ago? + +_W.A._--That's true, indeed; but I have been a wicked wretch, and have +not only forgotten to acquaint thee with anything before, but have lived +without God in the world myself. + +_Wife_.--What, have you a great God in your country, you no know Him? No +say O to Him? No do good ting for Him? That no possible. + +_W.A._--It is true; though, for all that, we live as if there was no God +in heaven, or that He had no power on earth. + +_Wife_.--But why God let you do so? Why He no makee you good live? + +_W.A._--It is all our own fault. + +_Wife_.--But you say me He is great, much great, have much great power; +can makee kill when He will: why He no makee kill when you no serve Him? +no say O to Him? no be good mans? + +_W.A._--That is true, He might strike me dead; and I ought to expect it, +for I have been a wicked wretch, that is true; but God is merciful, and +does not deal with us as we deserve. + +_Wife_.--But then do you not tell God thankee for that too? + +_W. A._--No, indeed, I have not thanked God for His mercy, any more than +I have feared God from His power. + +_Wife_.--Then you God no God; me no think, believe He be such one, great +much power, strong: no makee kill you, though you make Him much angry. + +_W.A._--What, will my wicked life hinder you from believing in God? What +a dreadful creature am I! and what a sad truth is it, that the horrid +lives of Christians hinder the conversion of heathens! + +_Wife_.--How me tink you have great much God up there [she points up to +heaven], and yet no do well, no do good ting? Can He tell? Sure He no +tell what you do? + +_W.A._--Yes, yes, He knows and sees all things; He hears us speak, sees +what we do, knows what we think though we do not speak. + +_Wife_.--What! He no hear you curse, swear, speak de great damn? + +_W.A._--Yes, yes, He hears it all. + +_Wife_.--Where be then the much great power strong? + +_W.A._--He is merciful, that is all we can say for it; and this proves +Him to be the true God; He is God, and not man, and therefore we are not +consumed. + +[Here Will Atkins told us he was struck with horror to think how he could +tell his wife so clearly that God sees, and hears, and knows the secret +thoughts of the heart, and all that we do, and yet that he had dared to +do all the vile things he had done.] + +_Wife_.--Merciful! What you call dat? + +_W.A._--He is our Father and Maker, and He pities and spares us. + +_Wife_.--So then He never makee kill, never angry when you do wicked; +then He no good Himself, or no great able. + +_W.A._--Yes, yes, my dear, He is infinitely good and infinitely great, +and able to punish too; and sometimes, to show His justice and vengeance, +He lets fly His anger to destroy sinners and make examples; many are cut +off in their sins. + +_Wife_.--But no makee kill you yet; then He tell you, maybe, that He no +makee you kill: so you makee the bargain with Him, you do bad thing, He +no be angry at you when He be angry at other mans. + +_W.A._--No, indeed, my sins are all presumptions upon His goodness; and +He would be infinitely just if He destroyed me, as He has done other men. + +_Wife_.--Well, and yet no kill, no makee you dead: what you say to Him +for that? You no tell Him thankee for all that too? + +_W.A._--I am an unthankful, ungrateful dog, that is true. + +_Wife_.--Why He no makee you much good better? you say He makee you. + +_W.A._--He made me as He made all the world: it is I have deformed myself +and abused His goodness, and made myself an abominable wretch. + +_Wife_.--I wish you makee God know me. I no makee Him angry--I no do bad +wicked thing. + +[Here Will Atkins said his heart sunk within him to hear a poor untaught +creature desire to be taught to know God, and he such a wicked wretch, +that he could not say one word to her about God, but what the reproach of +his own carriage would make most irrational to her to believe; nay, that +already she had told him that she could not believe in God, because he, +that was so wicked, was not destroyed.] + +_W.A._--My dear, you mean, you wish I could teach you to know God, not +God to know you; for He knows you already, and every thought in your +heart. + +_Wife_.--Why, then, He know what I say to you now: He know me wish to +know Him. How shall me know who makee me? + +_W.A._--Poor creature, He must teach thee: I cannot teach thee. I will +pray to Him to teach thee to know Him, and forgive me, that am unworthy +to teach thee. + +[The poor fellow was in such an agony at her desiring him to make her +know God, and her wishing to know Him, that he said he fell down on his +knees before her, and prayed to God to enlighten her mind with the saving +knowledge of Jesus Christ, and to pardon his sins, and accept of his +being the unworthy instrument of instructing her in the principles of +religion: after which he sat down by her again, and their dialogue went +on. This was the time when we saw him kneel down and hold up his hands.] + +_Wife_.--What you put down the knee for? What you hold up the hand for? +What you say? Who you speak to? What is all that? + +_W.A._--My dear, I bow my knees in token of my submission to Him that +made me: I said O to Him, as you call it, and as your old men do to their +idol Benamuckee; that is, I prayed to Him. + +_Wife_.--What say you O to Him for? + +_W.A._--I prayed to Him to open your eyes and your understanding, that +you may know Him, and be accepted by Him. + +_Wife_.--Can He do that too? + +_W.A._--Yes, He can: He can do all things. + +_Wife_.--But now He hear what you say? + +_W.A._--Yes, He has bid us pray to Him, and promised to hear us. + +_Wife_.--Bid you pray? When He bid you? How He bid you? What you hear +Him speak? + +_W.A._--No, we do not hear Him speak; but He has revealed Himself many +ways to us. + +[Here he was at a great loss to make her understand that God has revealed +Himself to us by His word, and what His word was; but at last he told it +to her thus.] + +_W.A._--God has spoken to some good men in former days, even from heaven, +by plain words; and God has inspired good men by His Spirit; and they +have written all His laws down in a book. + +_Wife_.--Me no understand that; where is book? + +_W.A._--Alas! my poor creature, I have not this book; but I hope I shall +one time or other get it for you, and help you to read it. + +[Here he embraced her with great affection, but with inexpressible grief +that he had not a Bible.] + +_Wife_.--But how you makee me know that God teachee them to write that +book? + +_W.A._--By the same rule that we know Him to be God. + +_Wife_.--What rule? What way you know Him? + +_W.A._--Because He teaches and commands nothing but what is good, +righteous, and holy, and tends to make us perfectly good, as well as +perfectly happy; and because He forbids and commands us to avoid all that +is wicked, that is evil in itself, or evil in its consequence. + +_Wife_.--That me would understand, that me fain see; if He teachee all +good thing, He makee all good thing, He give all thing, He hear me when I +say O to Him, as you do just now; He makee me good if I wish to be good; +He spare me, no makee kill me, when I no be good: all this you say He do, +yet He be great God; me take, think, believe Him to be great God; me say +O to Him with you, my dear. + +Here the poor man could forbear no longer, but raised her up, made her +kneel by him, and he prayed to God aloud to instruct her in the knowledge +of Himself, by His Spirit; and that by some good providence, if possible, +she might, some time or other, come to have a Bible, that she might read +the word of God, and be taught by it to know Him. This was the time that +we saw him lift her up by the hand, and saw him kneel down by her, as +above. + +They had several other discourses, it seems, after this; and particularly +she made him promise that, since he confessed his own life had been a +wicked, abominable course of provocations against God, that he would +reform it, and not make God angry any more, lest He should make him dead, +as she called it, and then she would be left alone, and never be taught +to know this God better; and lest he should be miserable, as he had told +her wicked men would be after death. + +This was a strange account, and very affecting to us both, but +particularly to the young clergyman; he was, indeed, wonderfully +surprised with it, but under the greatest affliction imaginable that he +could not talk to her, that he could not speak English to make her +understand him; and as she spoke but very broken English, he could not +understand her; however, he turned himself to me, and told me that he +believed that there must be more to do with this woman than to marry her. +I did not understand him at first; but at length he explained himself, +viz. that she ought to be baptized. I agreed with him in that part +readily, and wished it to be done presently. "No, no; hold, sir," says +he; "though I would have her be baptized, by all means, for I must +observe that Will Atkins, her husband, has indeed brought her, in a +wonderful manner, to be willing to embrace a religious life, and has +given her just ideas of the being of a God; of His power, justice, and +mercy: yet I desire to know of him if he has said anything to her of +Jesus Christ, and of the salvation of sinners; of the nature of faith in +Him, and redemption by Him; of the Holy Spirit, the resurrection, the +last judgment, and the future state." + +I called Will Atkins again, and asked him; but the poor fellow fell +immediately into tears, and told us he had said something to her of all +those things, but that he was himself so wicked a creature, and his own +conscience so reproached him with his horrid, ungodly life, that he +trembled at the apprehensions that her knowledge of him should lessen the +attention she should give to those things, and make her rather contemn +religion than receive it; but he was assured, he said, that her mind was +so disposed to receive due impressions of all those things, and that if I +would but discourse with her, she would make it appear to my satisfaction +that my labour would not be lost upon her. + +Accordingly I called her in, and placing myself as interpreter between my +religious priest and the woman, I entreated him to begin with her; but +sure such a sermon was never preached by a Popish priest in these latter +ages of the world; and as I told him, I thought he had all the zeal, all +the knowledge, all the sincerity of a Christian, without the error of a +Roman Catholic; and that I took him to be such a clergyman as the Roman +bishops were before the Church of Rome assumed spiritual sovereignty over +the consciences of men. In a word, he brought the poor woman to embrace +the knowledge of Christ, and of redemption by Him, not with wonder and +astonishment only, as she did the first notions of a God, but with joy +and faith; with an affection, and a surprising degree of understanding, +scarce to be imagined, much less to be expressed; and, at her own +request, she was baptized. + +When he was preparing to baptize her, I entreated him that he would +perform that office with some caution, that the man might not perceive he +was of the Roman Church, if possible, because of other ill consequences +which might attend a difference among us in that very religion which we +were instructing the other in. He told me that as he had no consecrated +chapel, nor proper things for the office, I should see he would do it in +a manner that I should not know by it that he was a Roman Catholic +myself, if I had not known it before; and so he did; for saying only some +words over to himself in Latin, which I could not understand, he poured a +whole dishful of water upon the woman's head, pronouncing in French, very +loud, "Mary" (which was the name her husband desired me to give her, for +I was her godfather), "I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of +the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;" so that none could know anything by it +what religion he was of. He gave the benediction afterwards in Latin, +but either Will Atkins did not know but it was French, or else did not +take notice of it at that time. + +As soon as this was over we married them; and after the marriage was +over, he turned to Will Atkins, and in a very affectionate manner +exhorted him, not only to persevere in that good disposition he was in, +but to support the convictions that were upon him by a resolution to +reform his life: told him it was in vain to say he repented if he did not +forsake his crimes; represented to him how God had honoured him with +being the instrument of bringing his wife to the knowledge of the +Christian religion, and that he should be careful he did not dishonour +the grace of God; and that if he did, he would see the heathen a better +Christian than himself; the savage converted, and the instrument cast +away. He said a great many good things to them both; and then, +recommending them to God's goodness, gave them the benediction again, I +repeating everything to them in English; and thus ended the ceremony. I +think it was the most pleasant and agreeable day to me that ever I passed +in my whole life. But my clergyman had not done yet: his thoughts hung +continually upon the conversion of the thirty-seven savages, and fain be +would have stayed upon the island to have undertaken it; but I convinced +him, first, that his undertaking was impracticable in itself; and, +secondly, that perhaps I would put it into a way of being done in his +absence to his satisfaction. + +Having thus brought the affairs of the island to a narrow compass, I was +preparing to go on board the ship, when the young man I had taken out of +the famished ship's company came to me, and told me he understood I had a +clergyman with me, and that I had caused the Englishmen to be married to +the savages; that he had a match too, which he desired might be finished +before I went, between two Christians, which he hoped would not be +disagreeable to me. + +I knew this must be the young woman who was his mother's servant, for +there was no other Christian woman on the island: so I began to persuade +him not to do anything of that kind rashly, or because he found himself +in this solitary circumstance. I represented to him that he had some +considerable substance in the world, and good friends, as I understood by +himself, and the maid also; that the maid was not only poor, and a +servant, but was unequal to him, she being six or seven and twenty years +old, and he not above seventeen or eighteen; that he might very probably, +with my assistance, make a remove from this wilderness, and come into his +own country again; and that then it would be a thousand to one but he +would repent his choice, and the dislike of that circumstance might be +disadvantageous to both. I was going to say more, but he interrupted me, +smiling, and told me, with a great deal of modesty, that I mistook in my +guesses--that he had nothing of that kind in his thoughts; and he was +very glad to hear that I had an intent of putting them in a way to see +their own country again; and nothing should have made him think of +staying there, but that the voyage I was going was so exceeding long and +hazardous, and would carry him quite out of the reach of all his friends; +that he had nothing to desire of me but that I would settle him in some +little property in the island where he was, give him a servant or two, +and some few necessaries, and he would live here like a planter, waiting +the good time when, if ever I returned to England, I would redeem him. He +hoped I would not be unmindful of him when I came to England: that he +would give me some letters to his friends in London, to let them know how +good I had been to him, and in what part of the world and what +circumstances I had left him in: and he promised me that whenever I +redeemed him, the plantation, and all the improvements he had made upon +it, let the value be what it would, should be wholly mine. + +His discourse was very prettily delivered, considering his youth, and was +the more agreeable to me, because he told me positively the match was not +for himself. I gave him all possible assurances that if I lived to come +safe to England, I would deliver his letters, and do his business +effectually; and that he might depend I should never forget the +circumstances I had left him in. But still I was impatient to know who +was the person to be married; upon which he told me it was my Jack-of-all- +trades and his maid Susan. I was most agreeably surprised when he named +the match; for, indeed, I thought it very suitable. The character of +that man I have given already; and as for the maid, she was a very +honest, modest, sober, and religious young woman: had a very good share +of sense, was agreeable enough in her person, spoke very handsomely and +to the purpose, always with decency and good manners, and was neither too +backward to speak when requisite, nor impertinently forward when it was +not her business; very handy and housewifely, and an excellent manager; +fit, indeed, to have been governess to the whole island; and she knew +very well how to behave in every respect. + +The match being proposed in this manner, we married them the same day; +and as I was father at the altar, and gave her away, so I gave her a +portion; for I appointed her and her husband a handsome large space of +ground for their plantation; and indeed this match, and the proposal the +young gentleman made to give him a small property in the island, put me +upon parcelling it out amongst them, that they might not quarrel +afterwards about their situation. + +This sharing out the land to them I left to Will Atkins, who was now +grown a sober, grave, managing fellow, perfectly reformed, exceedingly +pious and religious; and, as far as I may be allowed to speak positively +in such a case, I verily believe he was a true penitent. He divided +things so justly, and so much to every one's satisfaction, that they only +desired one general writing under my hand for the whole, which I caused +to be drawn up, and signed and sealed, setting out the bounds and +situation of every man's plantation, and testifying that I gave them +thereby severally a right to the whole possession and inheritance of the +respective plantations or farms, with their improvements, to them and +their heirs, reserving all the rest of the island as my own property, and +a certain rent for every particular plantation after eleven years, if I, +or any one from me, or in my name, came to demand it, producing an +attested copy of the same writing. As to the government and laws among +them, I told them I was not capable of giving them better rules than they +were able to give themselves; only I made them promise me to live in love +and good neighbourhood with one another; and so I prepared to leave them. + +One thing I must not omit, and that is, that being now settled in a kind +of commonwealth among themselves, and having much business in hand, it +was odd to have seven-and-thirty Indians live in a nook of the island, +independent, and, indeed, unemployed; for except the providing themselves +food, which they had difficulty enough to do sometimes, they had no +manner of business or property to manage. I proposed, therefore, to the +governor Spaniard that he should go to them, with Friday's father, and +propose to them to remove, and either plant for themselves, or be taken +into their several families as servants to be maintained for their +labour, but without being absolute slaves; for I would not permit them to +make them slaves by force, by any means; because they had their liberty +given them by capitulation, as it were articles of surrender, which they +ought not to break. + +They most willingly embraced the proposal, and came all very cheerfully +along with him: so we allotted them land and plantations, which three or +four accepted of, but all the rest chose to be employed as servants in +the several families we had settled. Thus my colony was in a manner +settled as follows: The Spaniards possessed my original habitation, which +was the capital city, and extended their plantations all along the side +of the brook, which made the creek that I have so often described, as far +as my bower; and as they increased their culture, it went always +eastward. The English lived in the north-east part, where Will Atkins +and his comrades began, and came on southward and south-west, towards the +back part of the Spaniards; and every plantation had a great addition of +land to take in, if they found occasion, so that they need not jostle one +another for want of room. All the east end of the island was left +uninhabited, that if any of the savages should come on shore there only +for their customary barbarities, they might come and go; if they +disturbed nobody, nobody would disturb them: and no doubt but they were +often ashore, and went away again; for I never heard that the planters +were ever attacked or disturbed any more. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII--SAILS FROM THE ISLAND FOR THE BRAZILS + + +It now came into my thoughts that I had hinted to my friend the clergyman +that the work of converting the savages might perhaps be set on foot in +his absence to his satisfaction, and I told him that now I thought that +it was put in a fair way; for the savages, being thus divided among the +Christians, if they would but every one of them do their part with those +which came under their hands, I hoped it might have a very good effect. + +He agreed presently in that, if they did their part. "But how," says he, +"shall we obtain that of them?" I told him we would call them all +together, and leave it in charge with them, or go to them, one by one, +which he thought best; so we divided it--he to speak to the Spaniards, +who were all Papists, and I to speak to the English, who were all +Protestants; and we recommended it earnestly to them, and made them +promise that they would never make any distinction of Papist or +Protestant in their exhorting the savages to turn Christians, but teach +them the general knowledge of the true God, and of their Saviour Jesus +Christ; and they likewise promised us that they would never have any +differences or disputes one with another about religion. + +When I came to Will Atkins's house, I found that the young woman I have +mentioned above, and Will Atkins's wife, were become intimates; and this +prudent, religious young woman had perfected the work Will Atkins had +begun; and though it was not above four days after what I have related, +yet the new-baptized savage woman was made such a Christian as I have +seldom heard of in all my observation or conversation in the world. It +came next into my mind, in the morning before I went to them, that +amongst all the needful things I had to leave with them I had not left +them a Bible, in which I showed myself less considering for them than my +good friend the widow was for me when she sent me the cargo of a hundred +pounds from Lisbon, where she packed up three Bibles and a Prayer-book. +However, the good woman's charity had a greater extent than ever she +imagined, for they were reserved for the comfort and instruction of those +that made much better use of them than I had done. + +I took one of the Bibles in my pocket, and when I came to Will Atkins's +tent, or house, and found the young woman and Atkins's baptized wife had +been discoursing of religion together--for Will Atkins told it me with a +great deal of joy--I asked if they were together now, and he said, "Yes"; +so I went into the house, and he with me, and we found them together very +earnest in discourse. "Oh, sir," says Will Atkins, "when God has sinners +to reconcile to Himself, and aliens to bring home, He never wants a +messenger; my wife has got a new instructor: I knew I was unworthy, as I +was incapable of that work; that young woman has been sent hither from +heaven--she is enough to convert a whole island of savages." The young +woman blushed, and rose up to go away, but I desired her to sit-still; I +told her she had a good work upon her hands, and I hoped God would bless +her in it. + +We talked a little, and I did not perceive that they had any book among +them, though I did not ask; but I put my hand into my pocket, and pulled +out my Bible. "Here," said I to Atkins, "I have brought you an assistant +that perhaps you had not before." The man was so confounded that he was +not able to speak for some time; but, recovering himself, he takes it +with both his hands, and turning to his wife, "Here, my dear," says he, +"did not I tell you our God, though He lives above, could hear what we +have said? Here's the book I prayed for when you and I kneeled down +under the bush; now God has heard us and sent it." When he had said so, +the man fell into such passionate transports, that between the joy of +having it, and giving God thanks for it, the tears ran down his face like +a child that was crying. + +The woman was surprised, and was like to have run into a mistake that +none of us were aware of; for she firmly believed God had sent the book +upon her husband's petition. It is true that providentially it was so, +and might be taken so in a consequent sense; but I believe it would have +been no difficult matter at that time to have persuaded the poor woman to +have believed that an express messenger came from heaven on purpose to +bring that individual book. But it was too serious a matter to suffer +any delusion to take place, so I turned to the young woman, and told her +we did not desire to impose upon the new convert in her first and more +ignorant understanding of things, and begged her to explain to her that +God may be very properly said to answer our petitions, when, in the +course of His providence, such things are in a particular manner brought +to pass as we petitioned for; but we did not expect returns from heaven +in a miraculous and particular manner, and it is a mercy that it is not +so. + +This the young woman did afterwards effectually, so that there was no +priestcraft used here; and I should have thought it one of the most +unjustifiable frauds in the world to have had it so. But the effect upon +Will Atkins is really not to be expressed; and there, we may be sure, was +no delusion. Sure no man was ever more thankful in the world for +anything of its kind than he was for the Bible, nor, I believe, never any +man was glad of a Bible from a better principle; and though he had been a +most profligate creature, headstrong, furious, and desperately wicked, +yet this man is a standing rule to us all for the well instructing +children, viz. that parents should never give over to teach and instruct, +nor ever despair of the success of their endeavours, let the children be +ever so refractory, or to appearance insensible to instruction; for if +ever God in His providence touches the conscience of such, the force of +their education turns upon them, and the early instruction of parents is +not lost, though it may have been many years laid asleep, but some time +or other they may find the benefit of it. Thus it was with this poor +man: however ignorant he was of religion and Christian knowledge, he +found he had some to do with now more ignorant than himself, and that the +least part of the instruction of his good father that now came to his +mind was of use to him. + +Among the rest, it occurred to him, he said, how his father used to +insist so much on the inexpressible value of the Bible, and the privilege +and blessing of it to nations, families, and persons; but he never +entertained the least notion of the worth of it till now, when, being to +talk to heathens, savages, and barbarians, he wanted the help of the +written oracle for his assistance. The young woman was glad of it also +for the present occasion, though she had one, and so had the youth, on +board our ship among their goods, which were not yet brought on shore. +And now, having said so many things of this young woman, I cannot omit +telling one story more of her and myself, which has something in it very +instructive and remarkable. + +I have related to what extremity the poor young woman was reduced; how +her mistress was starved to death, and died on board that unhappy ship we +met at sea, and how the whole ship's company was reduced to the last +extremity. The gentlewoman, and her son, and this maid, were first +hardly used as to provisions, and at last totally neglected and +starved--that is to say, brought to the last extremity of hunger. One +day, being discoursing with her on the extremities they suffered, I asked +her if she could describe, by what she had felt, what it was to starve, +and how it appeared? She said she believed she could, and told her tale +very distinctly thus:-- + +"First, we had for some days fared exceedingly hard, and suffered very +great hunger; but at last we were wholly without food of any kind except +sugar, and a little wine and water. The first day after I had received +no food at all, I found myself towards evening, empty and sick at the +stomach, and nearer night much inclined to yawning and sleep. I lay down +on the couch in the great cabin to sleep, and slept about three hours, +and awaked a little refreshed, having taken a glass of wine when I lay +down; after being about three hours awake, it being about five o'clock in +the morning, I found myself empty, and my stomach sickish, and lay down +again, but could not sleep at all, being very faint and ill; and thus I +continued all the second day with a strange variety--first hungry, then +sick again, with retchings to vomit. The second night, being obliged to +go to bed again without any food more than a draught of fresh water, and +being asleep, I dreamed I was at Barbadoes, and that the market was +mightily stocked with provisions; that I bought some for my mistress, and +went and dined very heartily. I thought my stomach was full after this, +as it would have been after a good dinner; but when I awaked I was +exceedingly sunk in my spirits to find myself in the extremity of family. +The last glass of wine we had I drank, and put sugar in it, because of +its having some spirit to supply nourishment; but there being no +substance in the stomach for the digesting office to work upon, I found +the only effect of the wine was to raise disagreeable fumes from the +stomach into the head; and I lay, as they told me, stupid and senseless, +as one drunk, for some time. The third day, in the morning, after a +night of strange, confused, and inconsistent dreams, and rather dozing +than sleeping, I awaked ravenous and furious with hunger; and I question, +had not my understanding returned and conquered it, whether if I had been +a mother, and had had a little child with me, its life would have been +safe or not. This lasted about three hours, during which time I was +twice raging mad as any creature in Bedlam, as my young master told me, +and as he can now inform you. + +"In one of these fits of lunacy or distraction I fell down and struck my +face against the corner of a pallet-bed, in which my mistress lay, and +with the blow the blood gushed out of my nose; and the cabin-boy bringing +me a little basin, I sat down and bled into it a great deal; and as the +blood came from me I came to myself, and the violence of the flame or +fever I was in abated, and so did the ravenous part of the hunger. Then +I grew sick, and retched to vomit, but could not, for I had nothing in my +stomach to bring up. After I had bled some time I swooned, and they all +believed I was dead; but I came to myself soon after, and then had a most +dreadful pain in my stomach not to be described--not like the colic, but +a gnawing, eager pain for food; and towards night it went off with a kind +of earnest wishing or longing for food. I took another draught of water +with sugar in it; but my stomach loathed the sugar and brought it all up +again; then I took a draught of water without sugar, and that stayed with +me; and I laid me down upon the bed, praying most heartily that it would +please God to take me away; and composing my mind in hopes of it, I +slumbered a while, and then waking, thought myself dying, being light +with vapours from an empty stomach. I recommended my soul then to God, +and then earnestly wished that somebody would throw me into the into the +sea. + +"All this while my mistress lay by me, just, as I thought, expiring, but +she bore it with much more patience than I, and gave the last bit of +bread she had left to her child, my young master, who would not have +taken it, but she obliged him to eat it; and I believe it saved his life. +Towards the morning I slept again, and when I awoke I fell into a violent +passion of crying, and after that had a second fit of violent hunger. I +got up ravenous, and in a most dreadful condition; and once or twice I +was going to bite my own arm. At last I saw the basin in which was the +blood I had bled at my nose the day before: I ran to it, and swallowed it +with such haste, and such a greedy appetite, as if I wondered nobody had +taken it before, and afraid it should be taken from me now. After it was +down, though the thoughts of it filled me with horror, yet it checked the +fit of hunger, and I took another draught of water, and was composed and +refreshed for some hours after. This was the fourth day; and this I kept +up till towards night, when, within the compass of three hours, I had all +the several circumstances over again, one after another, viz. sick, +sleepy, eagerly hungry, pain in the stomach, then ravenous again, then +sick, then lunatic, then crying, then ravenous again, and so every +quarter of an hour, and my strength wasted exceedingly; at night I lay me +down, having no comfort but in the hope that I should die before morning. + +"All this night I had no sleep; but the hunger was now turned into a +disease; and I had a terrible colic and griping, by wind instead of food +having found its way into the bowels; and in this condition I lay till +morning, when I was surprised by the cries and lamentations of my young +master, who called out to me that his mother was dead. I lifted myself +up a little, for I had not strength to rise, but found she was not dead, +though she was able to give very little signs of life. I had then such +convulsions in my stomach, for want of some sustenance, as I cannot +describe; with such frequent throes and pangs of appetite as nothing but +the tortures of death can imitate; and in this condition I was when I +heard the seamen above cry out, 'A sail! a sail!' and halloo and jump +about as if they were distracted. I was not able to get off from the +bed, and my mistress much less; and my young master was so sick that I +thought he had been expiring; so we could not open the cabin door, or get +any account what it was that occasioned such confusion; nor had we had +any conversation with the ship's company for twelve days, they having +told us that they had not a mouthful of anything to eat in the ship; and +this they told us afterwards--they thought we had been dead. It was this +dreadful condition we were in when you were sent to save our lives; and +how you found us, sir, you know as well as I, and better too." + +This was her own relation, and is such a distinct account of starving to +death, as, I confess, I never met with, and was exceeding instructive to +me. I am the rather apt to believe it to be a true account, because the +youth gave me an account of a good part of it; though I must own, not so +distinct and so feeling as the maid; and the rather, because it seems his +mother fed him at the price of her own life: but the poor maid, whose +constitution was stronger than that of her mistress, who was in years, +and a weakly woman too, might struggle harder with it; nevertheless she +might be supposed to feel the extremity something sooner than her +mistress, who might be allowed to keep the last bit something longer than +she parted with any to relieve her maid. No question, as the case is +here related, if our ship or some other had not so providentially met +them, but a few days more would have ended all their lives. I now return +to my disposition of things among the people. And, first, it is to be +observed here, that for many reasons I did not think fit to let them know +anything of the sloop I had framed, and which I thought of setting up +among them; for I found, at least at my first coming, such seeds of +division among them, that I saw plainly, had I set up the sloop, and left +it among them, they would, upon every light disgust, have separated, and +gone away from one another; or perhaps have turned pirates, and so made +the island a den of thieves, instead of a plantation of sober and +religious people, as I intended it; nor did I leave the two pieces of +brass cannon that I had on board, or the extra two quarter-deck guns that +my nephew had provided, for the same reason. I thought it was enough to +qualify them for a defensive war against any that should invade them, but +not to set them up for an offensive war, or to go abroad to attack +others; which, in the end, would only bring ruin and destruction upon +them. I reserved the sloop, therefore, and the guns, for their service +another way, as I shall observe in its place. + +Having now done with the island, I left them all in good circumstances +and in a flourishing condition, and went on board my ship again on the +6th of May, having been about twenty-five days among them: and as they +were all resolved to stay upon the island till I came to remove them, I +promised to send them further relief from the Brazils, if I could +possibly find an opportunity. I particularly promised to send them some +cattle, such as sheep, hogs, and cows: as to the two cows and calves +which I brought from England, we had been obliged, by the length of our +voyage, to kill them at sea, for want of hay to feed them. + +The next day, giving them a salute of five guns at parting, we set sail, +and arrived at the bay of All Saints in the Brazils in about twenty-two +days, meeting nothing remarkable in our passage but this: that about +three days after we had sailed, being becalmed, and the current setting +strong to the ENE., running, as it were, into a bay or gulf on the land +side, we were driven something out of our course, and once or twice our +men cried out, "Land to the eastward!" but whether it was the continent +or islands we could not tell by any means. But the third day, towards +evening, the sea smooth, and the weather calm, we saw the sea as it were +covered towards the land with something very black; not being able to +discover what it was till after some time, our chief mate, going up the +main shrouds a little way, and looking at them with a perspective, cried +out it was an army. I could not imagine what he meant by an army, and +thwarted him a little hastily. "Nay, sir," says he, "don't be angry, for +'tis an army, and a fleet too: for I believe there are a thousand canoes, +and you may see them paddle along, for they are coming towards us apace." + +I was a little surprised then, indeed, and so was my nephew the captain; +for he had heard such terrible stories of them in the island, and having +never been in those seas before, that he could not tell what to think of +it, but said, two or three times, we should all be devoured. I must +confess, considering we were becalmed, and the current set strong towards +the shore, I liked it the worse; however, I bade them not be afraid, but +bring the ship to an anchor as soon as we came so near as to know that we +must engage them. The weather continued calm, and they came on apace +towards us, so I gave orders to come to an anchor, and furl all our +sails; as for the savages, I told them they had nothing to fear but fire, +and therefore they should get their boats out, and fasten them, one close +by the head and the other by the stern, and man them both well, and wait +the issue in that posture: this I did, that the men in the boats might he +ready with sheets and buckets to put out any fire these savages might +endeavour to fix to the outside of the ship. + +In this posture we lay by for them, and in a little while they came up +with us; but never was such a horrid sight seen by Christians; though my +mate was much mistaken in his calculation of their number, yet when they +came up we reckoned about a hundred and twenty-six canoes; some of them +had sixteen or seventeen men in them, and some more, and the least six or +seven. When they came nearer to us, they seemed to be struck with wonder +and astonishment, as at a sight which doubtless they had never seen +before; nor could they at first, as we afterwards understood, know what +to make of us; they came boldly up, however, very near to us, and seemed +to go about to row round us; but we called to our men in the boats not to +let them come too near them. This very order brought us to an engagement +with them, without our designing it; for five or six of the large canoes +came so near our long-boat, that our men beckoned with their hands to +keep them back, which they understood very well, and went back: but at +their retreat about fifty arrows came on board us from those boats, and +one of our men in the long-boat was very much wounded. However, I called +to them not to fire by any means; but we handed down some deal boards +into the boat, and the carpenter presently set up a kind of fence, like +waste boards, to cover them from the arrows of the savages, if they +should shoot again. + +About half-an-hour afterwards they all came up in a body astern of us, +and so near that we could easily discern what they were, though we could +not tell their design; and I easily found they were some of my old +friends, the same sort of savages that I had been used to engage with. In +a short time more they rowed a little farther out to sea, till they came +directly broadside with us, and then rowed down straight upon us, till +they came so near that they could hear us speak; upon this, I ordered all +my men to keep close, lest they should shoot any more arrows, and made +all our guns ready; but being so near as to be within hearing, I made +Friday go out upon the deck, and call out aloud to them in his language, +to know what they meant. Whether they understood him or not, that I knew +not; but as soon as he had called to them, six of them, who were in the +foremost or nighest boat to us, turned their canoes from us, and stooping +down, showed us their naked backs; whether this was a defiance or +challenge we knew not, or whether it was done in mere contempt, or as a +signal to the rest; but immediately Friday cried out they were going to +shoot, and, unhappily for him, poor fellow, they let fly about three +hundred of their arrows, and to my inexpressible grief, killed poor +Friday, no other man being in their sight. The poor fellow was shot with +no less than three arrows, and about three more fell very near him; such +unlucky marksmen they were! + +I was so annoyed at the loss of my old trusty servant and companion, that +I immediately ordered five guns to be loaded with small shot, and four +with great, and gave them such a broadside as they had never heard in +their lives before. They were not above half a cable's length off when +we fired; and our gunners took their aim so well, that three or four of +their canoes were overset, as we had reason to believe, by one shot only. +The ill manners of turning up their bare backs to us gave us no great +offence; neither did I know for certain whether that which would pass for +the greatest contempt among us might be understood so by them or not; +therefore, in return, I had only resolved to have fired four or five guns +at them with powder only, which I knew would frighten them sufficiently: +but when they shot at us directly with all the fury they were capable of, +and especially as they had killed my poor Friday, whom I so entirely +loved and valued, and who, indeed, so well deserved it, I thought myself +not only justifiable before God and man, but would have been very glad if +I could have overset every canoe there, and drowned every one of them. + +I can neither tell how many we killed nor how many we wounded at this +broadside, but sure such a fright and hurry never were seen among such a +multitude; there were thirteen or fourteen of their canoes split and +overset in all, and the men all set a-swimming: the rest, frightened out +of their wits, scoured away as fast as they could, taking but little care +to save those whose boats were split or spoiled with our shot; so I +suppose that many of them were lost; and our men took up one poor fellow +swimming for his life, above an hour after they were all gone. The small +shot from our cannon must needs kill and wound a great many; but, in +short, we never knew how it went with them, for they fled so fast, that +in three hours or thereabouts we could not see above three or four +straggling canoes, nor did we ever see the rest any more; for a breeze of +wind springing up the same evening, we weighed and set sail for the +Brazils. + +We had a prisoner, indeed, but the creature was so sullen that he would +neither cat nor speak, and we all fancied he would starve himself to +death. But I took a way to cure him: for I had made them take him and +turn him into the long-boat, and make him believe they would toss him +into the sea again, and so leave him where they found him, if he would +not speak; nor would that do, but they really did throw him into the sea, +and came away from him. Then he followed them, for he swam like a cork, +and called to them in his tongue, though they knew not one word of what +he said; however at last they took him in again, and then he began to be +more tractable: nor did I ever design they should drown him. + +We were now under sail again, but I was the most disconsolate creature +alive for want of my man Friday, and would have been very glad to have +gone back to the island, to have taken one of the rest from thence for my +occasion, but it could not be: so we went on. We had one prisoner, as I +have said, and it was a long time before we could make him understand +anything; but in time our men taught him some English, and he began to be +a little tractable. Afterwards, we inquired what country he came from; +but could make nothing of what he said; for his speech was so odd, all +gutturals, and he spoke in the throat in such a hollow, odd manner, that +we could never form a word after him; and we were all of opinion that +they might speak that language as well if they were gagged as otherwise; +nor could we perceive that they had any occasion either for teeth, +tongue, lips, or palate, but formed their words just as a hunting-horn +forms a tune with an open throat. He told us, however, some time after, +when we had taught him to speak a little English, that they were going +with their kings to fight a great battle. When he said kings, we asked +him how many kings? He said they were five nation (we could not make him +understand the plural 's), and that they all joined to go against two +nation. We asked him what made them come up to us? He said, "To makee +te great wonder look." Here it is to be observed that all those natives, +as also those of Africa when they learn English, always add two e's at +the end of the words where we use one; and they place the accent upon +them, as makee, takee, and the like; nay, I could hardly make Friday +leave it off, though at last he did. + +And now I name the poor fellow once more, I must take my last leave of +him. Poor honest Friday! We buried him with all the decency and +solemnity possible, by putting him into a coffin, and throwing him into +the sea; and I caused them to fire eleven guns for him. So ended the +life of the most grateful, faithful, honest, and most affectionate +servant that ever man had. + +We went now away with a fair wind for Brazil; and in about twelve days' +time we made land, in the latitude of five degrees south of the line, +being the north-easternmost land of all that part of America. We kept on +S. by E., in sight of the shore four days, when we made Cape St. +Augustine, and in three days came to an anchor off the bay of All Saints, +the old place of my deliverance, from whence came both my good and evil +fate. Never ship came to this port that had less business than I had, +and yet it was with great difficulty that we were admitted to hold the +least correspondence on shore: not my partner himself, who was alive, and +made a great figure among them, not my two merchant-trustees, not the +fame of my wonderful preservation in the island, could obtain me that +favour. My partner, however, remembering that I had given five hundred +moidores to the prior of the monastery of the Augustines, and two hundred +and seventy-two to the poor, went to the monastery, and obliged the prior +that then was to go to the governor, and get leave for me personally, +with the captain and one more, besides eight seamen, to come on shore, +and no more; and this upon condition, absolutely capitulated for, that we +should not offer to land any goods out of the ship, or to carry any +person away without licence. They were so strict with us as to landing +any goods, that it was with extreme difficulty that I got on shore three +bales of English goods, such as fine broadcloths, stuffs, and some linen, +which I had brought for a present to my partner. + +He was a very generous, open-hearted man, although he began, like me, +with little at first. Though he knew not that I had the least design of +giving him anything, he sent me on board a present of fresh provisions, +wine, and sweetmeats, worth about thirty moidores, including some +tobacco, and three or four fine medals of gold: but I was even with him +in my present, which, as I have said, consisted of fine broadcloth, +English stuffs, lace, and fine holland; also, I delivered him about the +value of one hundred pounds sterling in the same goods, for other uses; +and I obliged him to set up the sloop, which I had brought with me from +England, as I have said, for the use of my colony, in order to send the +refreshments I intended to my plantation. + +Accordingly, he got hands, and finished the sloop in a very few days, for +she was already framed; and I gave the master of her such instructions +that he could not miss the place; nor did he, as I had an account from my +partner afterwards. I got him soon loaded with the small cargo I sent +them; and one of our seamen, that had been on shore with me there, +offered to go with the sloop and settle there, upon my letter to the +governor Spaniard to allot him a sufficient quantity of land for a +plantation, and on my giving him some clothes and tools for his planting +work, which he said he understood, having been an old planter at +Maryland, and a buccaneer into the bargain. I encouraged the fellow by +granting all he desired; and, as an addition, I gave him the savage whom +we had taken prisoner of war to be his slave, and ordered the governor +Spaniard to give him his share of everything he wanted with the rest. + +When we came to fit this man out, my old partner told me there was a +certain very honest fellow, a Brazil planter of his acquaintance, who had +fallen into the displeasure of the Church. "I know not what the matter +is with him," says he, "but, on my conscience, I think he is a heretic in +his heart, and he has been obliged to conceal himself for fear of the +Inquisition." He then told me that he would be very glad of such an +opportunity to make his escape, with his wife and two daughters; and if I +would let them go to my island, and allot them a plantation, he would +give them a small stock to begin with--for the officers of the +Inquisition had seized all his effects and estate, and he had nothing +left but a little household stuff and two slaves; "and," adds he, "though +I hate his principles, yet I would not have him fall into their hands, +for he will be assuredly burned alive if he does." I granted this +presently, and joined my Englishman with them; and we concealed the man, +and his wife and daughters, on board our ship, till the sloop put out to +go to sea; and then having put all their goods on board some time before, +we put them on board the sloop after she was got out of the bay. Our +seaman was mightily pleased with this new partner; and their stocks, +indeed, were much alike, rich in tools, in preparations, and a farm--but +nothing to begin with, except as above: however, they carried over with +them what was worth all the rest, some materials for planting +sugar-canes, with some plants of canes, which he, I mean the Brazil +planter, understood very well. + +Among the rest of the supplies sent to my tenants in the island, I sent +them by the sloop three milch cows and five calves; about twenty-two +hogs, among them three sows; two mares, and a stone-horse. For my +Spaniards, according to my promise, I engaged three Brazil women to go, +and recommended it to them to marry them, and use them kindly. I could +have procured more women, but I remembered that the poor persecuted man +had two daughters, and that there were but five of the Spaniards that +wanted partners; the rest had wives of their own, though in another +country. All this cargo arrived safe, and, as you may easily suppose, +was very welcome to my old inhabitants, who were now, with this addition, +between sixty and seventy people, besides little children, of which there +were a great many. I found letters at London from them all, by way of +Lisbon, when I came back to England. + +I have now done with the island, and all manner of discourse about it: +and whoever reads the rest of my memorandums would do well to turn his +thoughts entirely from it, and expect to read of the follies of an old +man, not warned by his own harms, much less by those of other men, to +beware; not cooled by almost forty years' miseries and +disappointments--not satisfied with prosperity beyond expectation, nor +made cautious by afflictions and distress beyond example. + + + + +CHAPTER IX--DREADFUL OCCURRENCES IN MADAGASCAR + + +I had no more business to go to the East Indies than a man at full +liberty has to go to the turnkey at Newgate, and desire him to lock him +up among the prisoners there, and starve him. Had I taken a small vessel +from England and gone directly to the island; had I loaded her, as I did +the other vessel, with all the necessaries for the plantation and for my +people; taken a patent from the government here to have secured my +property, in subjection only to that of England; had I carried over +cannon and ammunition, servants and people to plant, and taken possession +of the place, fortified and strengthened it in the name of England, and +increased it with people, as I might easily have done; had I then settled +myself there, and sent the ship back laden with good rice, as I might +also have done in six months' time, and ordered my friends to have fitted +her out again for our supply--had I done this, and stayed there myself, I +had at least acted like a man of common sense. But I was possessed of a +wandering spirit, and scorned all advantages: I pleased myself with being +the patron of the people I placed there, and doing for them in a kind of +haughty, majestic way, like an old patriarchal monarch, providing for +them as if I had been father of the whole family, as well as of the +plantation. But I never so much as pretended to plant in the name of any +government or nation, or to acknowledge any prince, or to call my people +subjects to any one nation more than another; nay, I never so much as +gave the place a name, but left it as I found it, belonging to nobody, +and the people under no discipline or government but my own, who, though +I had influence over them as a father and benefactor, had no authority or +power to act or command one way or other, further than voluntary consent +moved them to comply. Yet even this, had I stayed there, would have done +well enough; but as I rambled from them, and came there no more, the last +letters I had from any of them were by my partner's means, who afterwards +sent another sloop to the place, and who sent me word, though I had not +the letter till I got to London, several years after it was written, that +they went on but poorly; were discontented with their long stay there; +that Will Atkins was dead; that five of the Spaniards were come away; and +though they had not been much molested by the savages, yet they had had +some skirmishes with them; and that they begged of him to write to me to +think of the promise I had made to fetch them away, that they might see +their country again before they died. + +But I was gone a wildgoose chase indeed, and they that will have any more +of me must be content to follow me into a new variety of follies, +hardships, and wild adventures, wherein the justice of Providence may be +duly observed; and we may see how easily Heaven can gorge us with our own +desires, make the strongest of our wishes be our affliction, and punish +us most severely with those very things which we think it would be our +utmost happiness to be allowed to possess. Whether I had business or no +business, away I went: it is no time now to enlarge upon the reason or +absurdity of my own conduct, but to come to the history--I was embarked +for the voyage, and the voyage I went. + +I shall only add a word or two concerning my honest Popish clergyman, for +let their opinion of us, and all other heretics in general, as they call +us, be as uncharitable as it may, I verily believe this man was very +sincere, and wished the good of all men: yet I believe he used reserve in +many of his expressions, to prevent giving me offence; for I scarce heard +him once call on the Blessed Virgin, or mention St. Jago, or his guardian +angel, though so common with the rest of them. However, I say I had not +the least doubt of his sincerity and pious intentions; and I am firmly of +opinion, if the rest of the Popish missionaries were like him, they would +strive to visit even the poor Tartars and Laplanders, where they have +nothing to give them, as well as covet to flock to India, Persia, China, +&c., the most wealthy of the heathen countries; for if they expected to +bring no gains to their Church by it, it may well be admired how they +came to admit the Chinese Confucius into the calendar of the Christian +saints. + +A ship being ready to sail for Lisbon, my pious priest asked me leave to +go thither; being still, as he observed, bound never to finish any voyage +he began. How happy it had been for me if I had gone with him. But it +was too late now; all things Heaven appoints for the best: had I gone +with him I had never had so many things to be thankful for, and the +reader had never heard of the second part of the travels and adventures +of Robinson Crusoe: so I must here leave exclaiming at myself, and go on +with my voyage. From the Brazils we made directly over the Atlantic Sea +to the Cape of Good Hope, and had a tolerably good voyage, our course +generally south-east, now and then a storm, and some contrary winds; but +my disasters at sea were at an end--my future rubs and cross events were +to befall me on shore, that it might appear the land was as well prepared +to be our scourge as the sea. + +Our ship was on a trading voyage, and had a supercargo on board, who was +to direct all her motions after she arrived at the Cape, only being +limited to a certain number of days for stay, by charter-party, at the +several ports she was to go to. This was none of my business, neither +did I meddle with it; my nephew, the captain, and the supercargo +adjusting all those things between them as they thought fit. We stayed +at the Cape no longer than was needful to take in-fresh water, but made +the best of our way for the coast of Coromandel. We were, indeed, +informed that a French man-of-war, of fifty guns, and two large merchant +ships, were gone for the Indies; and as I knew we were at war with +France, I had some apprehensions of them; but they went their own way, +and we heard no more of them. + +I shall not pester the reader with a tedious description of places, +journals of our voyage, variations of the compass, latitudes, +trade-winds, &c.; it is enough to name the ports and places which we +touched at, and what occurred to us upon our passages from one to +another. We touched first at the island of Madagascar, where, though the +people are fierce and treacherous, and very well armed with lances and +bows, which they use with inconceivable dexterity, yet we fared very well +with them a while. They treated us very civilly; and for some trifles +which we gave them, such as knives, scissors, &c., they brought us eleven +good fat bullocks, of a middling size, which we took in, partly for fresh +provisions for our present spending, and the rest to salt for the ship's +use. + +We were obliged to stay here some time after we had furnished ourselves +with provisions; and I, who was always too curious to look into every +nook of the world wherever I came, went on shore as often as I could. It +was on the east side of the island that we went on shore one evening: and +the people, who, by the way, are very numerous, came thronging about us, +and stood gazing at us at a distance. As we had traded freely with them, +and had been kindly used, we thought ourselves in no danger; but when we +saw the people, we cut three boughs out of a tree, and stuck them up at a +distance from us; which, it seems, is a mark in that country not only of +a truce and friendship, but when it is accepted the other side set up +three poles or boughs, which is a signal that they accept the truce too; +but then this is a known condition of the truce, that you are not to pass +beyond their three poles towards them, nor they to come past your three +poles or boughs towards you; so that you are perfectly secure within the +three poles, and all the space between your poles and theirs is allowed +like a market for free converse, traffic, and commerce. When you go +there you must not carry your weapons with you; and if they come into +that space they stick up their javelins and lances all at the first +poles, and come on unarmed; but if any violence is offered them, and the +truce thereby broken, away they run to the poles, and lay hold of their +weapons, and the truce is at an end. + +It happened one evening, when we went on shore, that a greater number of +their people came down than usual, but all very friendly and civil; and +they brought several kinds of provisions, for which we satisfied them +with such toys as we had; the women also brought us milk and roots, and +several things very acceptable to us, and all was quiet; and we made us a +little tent or hut of some boughs or trees, and lay on shore all night. I +know not what was the occasion, but I was not so well satisfied to lie on +shore as the rest; and the boat riding at an anchor at about a stone's +cast from the land, with two men in her to take care of her, I made one +of them come on shore; and getting some boughs of trees to cover us also +in the boat, I spread the sail on the bottom of the boat, and lay under +the cover of the branches of the trees all night in the boat. + +About two o'clock in the morning we heard one of our men making a +terrible noise on the shore, calling out, for God's sake, to bring the +boat in and come and help them, for they were all like to be murdered; +and at the same time I heard the fire of five muskets, which was the +number of guns they had, and that three times over; for it seems the +natives here were not so easily frightened with guns as the savages were +in America, where I had to do with them. All this while, I knew not what +was the matter, but rousing immediately from sleep with the noise, I +caused the boat to be thrust in, and resolved with three fusees we had on +board to land and assist our men. We got the boat soon to the shore, but +our men were in too much haste; for being come to the shore, they plunged +into the water, to get to the boat with all the expedition they could, +being pursued by between three and four hundred men. Our men were but +nine in all, and only five of them had fusees with them; the rest had +pistols and swords, indeed, but they were of small use to them. + +We took up seven of our men, and with difficulty enough too, three of +them being very ill wounded; and that which was still worse was, that +while we stood in the boat to take our men in, we were in as much danger +as they were in on shore; for they poured their arrows in upon us so +thick that we were glad to barricade the side of the boat up with the +benches, and two or three loose boards which, to our great satisfaction, +we had by mere accident in the boat. And yet, had it been daylight, they +are, it seems, such exact marksmen, that if they could have seen but the +least part of any of us, they would have been sure of us. We had, by the +light of the moon, a little sight of them, as they stood pelting us from +the shore with darts and arrows; and having got ready our firearms, we +gave them a volley that we could hear, by the cries of some of them, had +wounded several; however, they stood thus in battle array on the shore +till break of day, which we supposed was that they might see the better +to take their aim at us. + +In this condition we lay, and could not tell how to weigh our anchor, or +set up our sail, because we must needs stand up in the boat, and they +were as sure to hit us as we were to hit a bird in a tree with small +shot. We made signals of distress to the ship, and though she rode a +league off, yet my nephew, the captain, hearing our firing, and by +glasses perceiving the posture we lay in, and that we fired towards the +shore, pretty well understood us; and weighing anchor with all speed, he +stood as near the shore as he durst with the ship, and then sent another +boat with ten hands in her, to assist us. We called to them not to come +too near, telling them what condition we were in; however, they stood in +near to us, and one of the men taking the end of a tow-line in his hand, +and keeping our boat between him and the enemy, so that they could not +perfectly see him, swam on board us, and made fast the line to the boat: +upon which we slipped out a little cable, and leaving our anchor behind, +they towed us out of reach of the arrows; we all the while lying close +behind the barricade we had made. As soon as we were got from between +the ship and the shore, that we could lay her side to the shore, she ran +along just by them, and poured in a broadside among them, loaded with +pieces of iron and lead, small bullets, and such stuff, besides the great +shot, which made a terrible havoc among them. + +When we were got on board and out of danger, we had time to examine into +the occasion of this fray; and indeed our supercargo, who had been often +in those parts, put me upon it; for he said he was sure the inhabitants +would not have touched us after we had made a truce, if we had not done +something to provoke them to it. At length it came out that an old +woman, who had come to sell us some milk, had brought it within our +poles, and a young woman with her, who also brought us some roots or +herbs; and while the old woman (whether she was mother to the young woman +or no they could not tell) was selling us the milk, one of our men +offered some rudeness to the girl that was with her, at which the old +woman made a great noise: however, the seaman would not quit his prize, +but carried her out of the old woman's sight among the trees, it being +almost dark; the old woman went away without her, and, as we may suppose, +made an outcry among the people she came from; who, upon notice, raised +that great army upon us in three or four hours, and it was great odds but +we had all been destroyed. + +One of our men was killed with a lance thrown at him just at the +beginning of the attack, as he sallied out of the tent they had made; the +rest came off free, all but the fellow who was the occasion of all the +mischief, who paid dear enough for his brutality, for we could not hear +what became of him for a great while. We lay upon the shore two days +after, though the wind presented, and made signals for him, and made our +boat sail up shore and down shore several leagues, but in vain; so we +were obliged to give him over; and if he alone had suffered for it, the +loss had been less. I could not satisfy myself, however, without +venturing on shore once more, to try if I could learn anything of him or +them; it was the third night after the action that I had a great mind to +learn, if I could by any means, what mischief we had done, and how the +game stood on the Indians' side. I was careful to do it in the dark, +lest we should be attacked again: but I ought indeed to have been sure +that the men I went with had been under my command, before I engaged in a +thing so hazardous and mischievous as I was brought into by it, without +design. + +We took twenty as stout fellows with us as any in the ship, besides the +supercargo and myself, and we landed two hours before midnight, at the +same place where the Indians stood drawn up in the evening before. I +landed here, because my design, as I have said, was chiefly to see if +they had quitted the field, and if they had left any marks behind them of +the mischief we had done them, and I thought if we could surprise one or +two of them, perhaps we might get our man again, by way of exchange. + +We landed without any noise, and divided our men into two bodies, whereof +the boatswain commanded one and I the other. We neither saw nor heard +anybody stir when we landed: and we marched up, one body at a distance +from another, to the place. At first we could see nothing, it being very +dark; till by-and-by our boatswain, who led the first party, stumbled and +fell over a dead body. This made them halt a while; for knowing by the +circumstances that they were at the place where the Indians had stood, +they waited for my coming up there. We concluded to halt till the moon +began to rise, which we knew would be in less than an hour, when we could +easily discern the havoc we had made among them. We told thirty-two +bodies upon the ground, whereof two were not quite dead; some had an arm +and some a leg shot off, and one his head; those that were wounded, we +supposed, they had carried away. When we had made, as I thought, a full +discovery of all we could come to the knowledge of, I resolved on going +on board; but the boatswain and his party sent me word that they were +resolved to make a visit to the Indian town, where these dogs, as they +called them, dwelt, and asked me to go along with them; and if they could +find them, as they still fancied they should, they did not doubt of +getting a good booty; and it might be they might find Tom Jeffry there: +that was the man's name we had lost. + +Had they sent to ask my leave to go, I knew well enough what answer to +have given them; for I should have commanded them instantly on board, +knowing it was not a hazard fit for us to run, who had a ship and ship- +loading in our charge, and a voyage to make which depended very much upon +the lives of the men; but as they sent me word they were resolved to go, +and only asked me and my company to go along with them, I positively +refused it, and rose up, for I was sitting on the ground, in order to go +to the boat. One or two of the men began to importune me to go; and when +I refused, began to grumble, and say they were not under my command, and +they would go. "Come, Jack," says one of the men, "will you go with me? +I'll go for one." Jack said he would--and then another--and, in a word, +they all left me but one, whom I persuaded to stay, and a boy left in the +boat. So the supercargo and I, with the third man, went back to the +boat, where we told them we would stay for them, and take care to take in +as many of them as should be left; for I told them it was a mad thing +they were going about, and supposed most of them would have the fate of +Tom Jeffry. + +They told me, like seamen, they would warrant it they would come off +again, and they would take care, &c.; so away they went. I entreated +them to consider the ship and the voyage, that their lives were not their +own, and that they were entrusted with the voyage, in some measure; that +if they miscarried, the ship might be lost for want of their help, and +that they could not answer for it to God or man. But I might as well +have talked to the mainmast of the ship: they were mad upon their +journey; only they gave me good words, and begged I would not be angry; +that they did not doubt but they would be back again in about an hour at +furthest; for the Indian town, they said, was not above half-a mile off, +though they found it above two miles before they got to it. + +Well, they all went away, and though the attempt was desperate, and such +as none but madmen would have gone about, yet, to give them their due, +they went about it as warily as boldly; they were gallantly armed, for +they had every man a fusee or musket, a bayonet, and a pistol; some of +them had broad cutlasses, some of them had hangers, and the boatswain and +two more had poleaxes; besides all which they had among them thirteen +hand grenadoes. Bolder fellows, and better provided, never went about +any wicked work in the world. When they went out their chief design was +plunder, and they were in mighty hopes of finding gold there; but a +circumstance which none of them were aware of set them on fire with +revenge, and made devils of them all. + +When they came to the few Indian houses which they thought had been the +town, which was not above half a mile off, they were under great +disappointment, for there were not above twelve or thirteen houses, and +where the town was, or how big, they knew not. They consulted, +therefore, what to do, and were some time before they could resolve; for +if they fell upon these, they must cut all their throats; and it was ten +to one but some of them might escape, it being in the night, though the +moon was up; and if one escaped, he would run and raise all the town, so +they should have a whole army upon them; on the other hand, if they went +away and left those untouched, for the people were all asleep, they could +not tell which way to look for the town; however, the last was the best +advice, so they resolved to leave them, and look for the town as well as +they could. They went on a little way, and found a cow tied to a tree; +this, they presently concluded, would be a good guide to them; for, they +said, the cow certainly belonged to the town before them, or the town +behind them, and if they untied her, they should see which way she went: +if she went back, they had nothing to say to her; but if she went +forward, they would follow her. So they cut the cord, which was made of +twisted flags, and the cow went on before them, directly to the town; +which, as they reported, consisted of above two hundred houses or huts, +and in some of these they found several families living together. + +Here they found all in silence, as profoundly secure as sleep could make +them: and first, they called another council, to consider what they had +to do; and presently resolved to divide themselves into three bodies, and +so set three houses on fire in three parts of the town; and as the men +came out, to seize them and bind them (if any resisted, they need not be +asked what to do then), and so to search the rest of the houses for +plunder: but they resolved to march silently first through the town, and +see what dimensions it was of, and if they might venture upon it or no. + +They did so, and desperately resolved that they would venture upon them: +but while they were animating one another to the work, three of them, who +were a little before the rest, called out aloud to them, and told them +that they had found--Tom Jeffry: they all ran up to the place, where they +found the poor fellow hanging up naked by one arm, and his throat cut. +There was an Indian house just by the tree, where they found sixteen or +seventeen of the principal Indians, who had been concerned in the fray +with us before, and two or three of them wounded with our shot; and our +men found they were awake, and talking one to another in that house, but +knew not their number. + +The sight of their poor mangled comrade so enraged them, as before, that +they swore to one another that they would be revenged, and that not an +Indian that came into their hands should have any quarter; and to work +they went immediately, and yet not so madly as might be expected from the +rage and fury they were in. Their first care was to get something that +would soon take fire, but, after a little search, they found that would +be to no purpose; for most of the houses were low, and thatched with +flags and rushes, of which the country is full; so they presently made +some wildfire, as we call it, by wetting a little powder in the palm of +their hands, and in a quarter of an hour they set the town on fire in +four or five places, and particularly that house where the Indians were +not gone to bed. + +As soon as the fire begun to blaze, the poor frightened creatures began +to rush out to save their lives, but met with their fate in the attempt; +and especially at the door, where they drove them back, the boatswain +himself killing one or two with his poleaxe. The house being large, and +many in it, he did not care to go in, but called for a hand grenado, and +threw it among them, which at first frightened them, but, when it burst, +made such havoc among them that they cried out in a hideous manner. In +short, most of the Indians who were in the open part of the house were +killed or hurt with the grenado, except two or three more who pressed to +the door, which the boatswain and two more kept, with their bayonets on +the muzzles of their pieces, and despatched all that came in their way; +but there was another apartment in the house, where the prince or king, +or whatever he was, and several others were; and these were kept in till +the house, which was by this time all in a light flame, fell in upon +them, and they were smothered together. + +All this while they fired not a gun, because they would not waken the +people faster than they could master them; but the fire began to waken +them fast enough, and our fellows were glad to keep a little together in +bodies; for the fire grew so raging, all the houses being made of light +combustible stuff, that they could hardly bear the street between them. +Their business was to follow the fire, for the surer execution: as fast +as the fire either forced the people out of those houses which were +burning, or frightened them out of others, our people were ready at their +doors to knock them on the head, still calling and hallooing one to +another to remember Tom Jeffry. + +While this was doing, I must confess I was very uneasy, and especially +when I saw the flames of the town, which, it being night, seemed to be +close by me. My nephew, the captain, who was roused by his men seeing +such a fire, was very uneasy, not knowing what the matter was, or what +danger I was in, especially hearing the guns too, for by this time they +began to use their firearms; a thousand thoughts oppressed his mind +concerning me and the supercargo, what would become of us; and at last, +though he could ill spare any more men, yet not knowing what exigence we +might be in, he took another boat, and with thirteen men and himself came +ashore to me. + +He was surprised to see me and the supercargo in the boat with no more +than two men; and though he was glad that we were well, yet he was in the +same impatience with us to know what was doing; for the noise continued, +and the flame increased; in short, it was next to an impossibility for +any men in the world to restrain their curiosity to know what had +happened, or their concern for the safety of the men: in a word, the +captain told me he would go and help his men, let what would come. I +argued with him, as I did before with the men, the safety of the ship, +the danger of the voyage, the interests of the owners and merchants, &c., +and told him I and the two men would go, and only see if we could at a +distance learn what was likely to be the event, and come back and tell +him. It was in vain to talk to my nephew, as it was to talk to the rest +before; he would go, he said; and he only wished he had left but ten men +in the ship, for he could not think of having his men lost for want of +help: he had rather lose the ship, the voyage, and his life, and all; and +away he went. + +I was no more able to stay behind now than I was to persuade them not to +go; so the captain ordered two men to row back the pinnace, and fetch +twelve men more, leaving the long-boat at an anchor; and that, when they +came back, six men should keep the two boats, and six more come after us; +so that he left only sixteen men in the ship: for the whole ship's +company consisted of sixty-five men, whereof two were lost in the late +quarrel which brought this mischief on. + +Being now on the march, we felt little of the ground we trod on; and +being guided by the fire, we kept no path, but went directly to the place +of the flame. If the noise of the guns was surprising to us before, the +cries of the poor people were now quite of another nature, and filled us +with horror. I must confess I was never at the sacking a city, or at the +taking a town by storm. I had heard of Oliver Cromwell taking Drogheda, +in Ireland, and killing man, woman, and child; and I had read of Count +Tilly sacking the city of Magdeburg and cutting the throats of twenty-two +thousand of all sexes; but I never had an idea of the thing itself +before, nor is it possible to describe it, or the horror that was upon +our minds at hearing it. However, we went on, and at length came to the +town, though there was no entering the streets of it for the fire. The +first object we met with was the ruins of a hut or house, or rather the +ashes of it, for the house was consumed; and just before it, plainly now +to be seen by the light of the fire, lay four men and three women, +killed, and, as we thought, one or two more lay in the heap among the +fire; in short, there were such instances of rage, altogether barbarous, +and of a fury something beyond what was human, that we thought it +impossible our men could be guilty of it; or, if they were the authors of +it, we thought they ought to be every one of them put to the worst of +deaths. But this was not all: we saw the fire increase forward, and the +cry went on just as the fire went on; so that we were in the utmost +confusion. We advanced a little way farther, and behold, to our +astonishment, three naked women, and crying in a most dreadful manner, +came flying as if they had wings, and after them sixteen or seventeen +men, natives, in the same terror and consternation, with three of our +English butchers in the rear, who, when they could not overtake them, +fired in among them, and one that was killed by their shot fell down in +our sight. When the rest saw us, believing us to be their enemies, and +that we would murder them as well as those that pursued them, they set up +a most dreadful shriek, especially the women; and two of them fell down, +as if already dead, with the fright. + +My very soul shrunk within me, and my blood ran chill in my veins, when I +saw this; and, I believe, had the three English sailors that pursued them +come on, I had made our men kill them all; however, we took some means to +let the poor flying creatures know that we would not hurt them; and +immediately they came up to us, and kneeling down, with their hands +lifted up, made piteous lamentation to us to save them, which we let them +know we would: whereupon they crept all together in a huddle close behind +us, as for protection. I left my men drawn up together, and, charging +them to hurt nobody, but, if possible, to get at some of our people, and +see what devil it was possessed them, and what they intended to do, and +to command them off; assuring them that if they stayed till daylight they +would have a hundred thousand men about their ears: I say I left them, +and went among those flying people, taking only two of our men with me; +and there was, indeed, a piteous spectacle among them. Some of them had +their feet terribly burned with trampling and running through the fire; +others their hands burned; one of the women had fallen down in the fire, +and was very much burned before she could get out again; and two or three +of the men had cuts in their backs and thighs, from our men pursuing; and +another was shot through the body and died while I was there. + +I would fain have learned what the occasion of all this was; but I could +not understand one word they said; though, by signs, I perceived some of +them knew not what was the occasion themselves. I was so terrified in my +thoughts at this outrageous attempt that I could not stay there, but went +back to my own men, and resolved to go into the middle of the town, +through the fire, or whatever might be in the way, and put an end to it, +cost what it would; accordingly, as I came back to my men, I told them my +resolution, and commanded them to follow me, when, at the very moment, +came four of our men, with the boatswain at their head, roving over heaps +of bodies they had killed, all covered with blood and dust, as if they +wanted more people to massacre, when our men hallooed to them as loud as +they could halloo; and with much ado one of them made them hear, so that +they knew who we were, and came up to us. + +As soon as the boatswain saw us, he set up a halloo like a shout of +triumph, for having, as he thought, more help come; and without waiting +to hear me, "Captain," says he, "noble captain! I am glad you are come; +we have not half done yet. Villainous hell-hound dogs! I'll kill as +many of them as poor Tom has hairs upon his head: we have sworn to spare +none of them; we'll root out the very nation of them from the earth;" and +thus he ran on, out of breath, too, with action, and would not give us +leave to speak a word. At last, raising my voice that I might silence +him a little, "Barbarous dog!" said I, "what are you doing! I won't have +one creature touched more, upon pain of death; I charge you, upon your +life, to stop your hands, and stand still here, or you are a dead man +this minute."--"Why, sir," says he, "do you know what you do, or what +they have done? If you want a reason for what we have done, come +hither;" and with that he showed me the poor fellow hanging, with his +throat cut. + +I confess I was urged then myself, and at another time would have been +forward enough; but I thought they had carried their rage too far, and +remembered Jacob's words to his sons Simeon and Levi: "Cursed be their +anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel." But I had +now a new task upon my hands; for when the men I had carried with me saw +the sight, as I had done, I had as much to do to restrain them as I +should have had with the others; nay, my nephew himself fell in with +them, and told me, in their hearing, that he was only concerned for fear +of the men being overpowered; and as to the people, he thought not one of +them ought to live; for they had all glutted themselves with the murder +of the poor man, and that they ought to be used like murderers. Upon +these words, away ran eight of my men, with the boatswain and his crew, +to complete their bloody work; and I, seeing it quite out of my power to +restrain them, came away pensive and sad; for I could not bear the sight, +much less the horrible noise and cries of the poor wretches that fell +into their hands. + +I got nobody to come back with me but the supercargo and two men, and +with these walked back to the boat. It was a very great piece of folly +in me, I confess, to venture back, as it were, alone; for as it began now +to be almost day, and the alarm had run over the country, there stood +about forty men armed with lances and boughs at the little place where +the twelve or thirteen houses stood, mentioned before: but by accident I +missed the place, and came directly to the seaside, and by the time I got +to the seaside it was broad day: immediately I took the pinnace and went +on board, and sent her back to assist the men in what might happen. I +observed, about the time that I came to the boat-side, that the fire was +pretty well out, and the noise abated; but in about half-an-hour after I +got on board, I heard a volley of our men's firearms, and saw a great +smoke. This, as I understood afterwards, was our men falling upon the +men, who, as I said, stood at the few houses on the way, of whom they +killed sixteen or seventeen, and set all the houses on fire, but did not +meddle with the women or children. + +By the time the men got to the shore again with the pinnace our men began +to appear; they came dropping in, not in two bodies as they went, but +straggling here and there in such a manner, that a small force of +resolute men might have cut them all off. But the dread of them was upon +the whole country; and the men were surprised, and so frightened, that I +believe a hundred of them would have fled at the sight of but five of our +men. Nor in all this terrible action was there a man that made any +considerable defence: they were so surprised between the terror of the +fire and the sudden attack of our men in the dark, that they knew not +which way to turn themselves; for if they fled one way they were met by +one party, if back again by another, so that they were everywhere knocked +down; nor did any of our men receive the least hurt, except one that +sprained his foot, and another that had one of his hands burned. + + + + +CHAPTER X--HE IS LEFT ON SHORE + + +I was very angry with my nephew, the captain, and indeed with all the +men, but with him in particular, as well for his acting so out of his +duty as a commander of the ship, and having the charge of the voyage upon +him, as in his prompting, rather than cooling, the rage of his blind men +in so bloody and cruel an enterprise. My nephew answered me very +respectfully, but told me that when he saw the body of the poor seaman +whom they had murdered in so cruel and barbarous a manner, he was not +master of himself, neither could he govern his passion; he owned he +should not have done so, as he was commander of the ship; but as he was a +man, and nature moved him, he could not bear it. As for the rest of the +men, they were not subject to me at all, and they knew it well enough; so +they took no notice of my dislike. The next day we set sail, so we never +heard any more of it. Our men differed in the account of the number they +had killed; but according to the best of their accounts, put all +together, they killed or destroyed about one hundred and fifty people, +men, women, and children, and left not a house standing in the town. As +for the poor fellow Tom Jeffry, as he was quite dead (for his throat was +so cut that his head was half off), it would do him no service to bring +him away; so they only took him down from the tree, where he was hanging +by one hand. + +However just our men thought this action, I was against them in it, and I +always, after that time, told them God would blast the voyage; for I +looked upon all the blood they shed that night to be murder in them. For +though it is true that they had killed Tom Jeffry, yet Jeffry was the +aggressor, had broken the truce, and had ill-used a young woman of +theirs, who came down to them innocently, and on the faith of the public +capitulation. + +The boatswain defended this quarrel when we were afterwards on board. He +said it was true that we seemed to break the truce, but really had not; +and that the war was begun the night before by the natives themselves, +who had shot at us, and killed one of our men without any just +provocation; so that as we were in a capacity to fight them now, we might +also be in a capacity to do ourselves justice upon them in an +extraordinary manner; that though the poor man had taken a little liberty +with the girl, he ought not to have been murdered, and that in such a +villainous manner: and that they did nothing but what was just and what +the laws of God allowed to be done to murderers. One would think this +should have been enough to have warned us against going on shore amongst +the heathens and barbarians; but it is impossible to make mankind wise +but at their own expense, and their experience seems to be always of most +use to them when it is dearest bought. + +We were now bound to the Gulf of Persia, and from thence to the coast of +Coromandel, only to touch at Surat; but the chief of the supercargo's +design lay at the Bay of Bengal, where, if he missed his business outward- +bound, he was to go out to China, and return to the coast as he came +home. The first disaster that befell us was in the Gulf of Persia, where +five of our men, venturing on shore on the Arabian side of the gulf, were +surrounded by the Arabians, and either all killed or carried away into +slavery; the rest of the boat's crew were not able to rescue them, and +had but just time to get off their boat. I began to upbraid them with +the just retribution of Heaven in this case; but the boatswain very +warmly told me, he thought I went further in my censures than I could +show any warrant for in Scripture; and referred to Luke xiii. 4, where +our Saviour intimates that those men on whom the Tower of Siloam fell +were not sinners above all the Galileans; but that which put me to +silence in the case was, that not one of these five men who were now lost +were of those who went on shore to the massacre of Madagascar, so I +always called it, though our men could not bear to hear the word +_massacre_ with any patience. + +But my frequent preaching to them on this subject had worse consequences +than I expected; and the boatswain, who had been the head of the attempt, +came up boldly to me one time, and told me he found that I brought that +affair continually upon the stage; that I made unjust reflections upon +it, and had used the men very ill on that account, and himself in +particular; that as I was but a passenger, and had no command in the +ship, or concern in the voyage, they were not obliged to bear it; that +they did not know but I might have some ill-design in my head, and +perhaps to call them to an account for it when they came to England; and +that, therefore, unless I would resolve to have done with it, and also +not to concern myself any further with him, or any of his affairs, he +would leave the ship; for he did not think it safe to sail with me among +them. + +I heard him patiently enough till he had done, and then told him that I +confessed I had all along opposed the massacre of Madagascar, and that I +had, on all occasions, spoken my mind freely about it, though not more +upon him than any of the rest; that as to having no command in the ship, +that was true; nor did I exercise any authority, only took the liberty of +speaking my mind in things which publicly concerned us all; and what +concern I had in the voyage was none of his business; that I was a +considerable owner in the ship. In that claim I conceived I had a right +to speak even further than I had done, and would not be accountable to +him or any one else, and began to be a little warm with him. He made but +little reply to me at that time, and I thought the affair had been over. +We were at this time in the road at Bengal; and being willing to see the +place, I went on shore with the supercargo in the ship's boat to divert +myself; and towards evening was preparing to go on board, when one of the +men came to me, and told me he would not have me trouble myself to come +down to the boat, for they had orders not to carry me on board any more. +Any one may guess what a surprise I was in at so insolent a message; and +I asked the man who bade him deliver that message to me? He told me the +coxswain. + +I immediately found out the supercargo, and told him the story, adding +that I foresaw there would be a mutiny in the ship; and entreated him to +go immediately on board and acquaint the captain of it. But I might have +spared this intelligence, for before I had spoken to him on shore the +matter was effected on board. The boatswain, the gunner, the carpenter, +and all the inferior officers, as soon as I was gone off in the boat, +came up, and desired to speak with the captain; and then the boatswain, +making a long harangue, and repeating all he had said to me, told the +captain that as I was now gone peaceably on shore, they were loath to use +any violence with me, which, if I had not gone on shore, they would +otherwise have done, to oblige me to have gone. They therefore thought +fit to tell him that as they shipped themselves to serve in the ship +under his command, they would perform it well and faithfully; but if I +would not quit the ship, or the captain oblige me to quit it, they would +all leave the ship, and sail no further with him; and at that word _all_ +he turned his face towards the main-mast, which was, it seems, a signal +agreed on, when the seamen, being got together there, cried out, "_One +and all_! _one and all_!" + +My nephew, the captain, was a man of spirit, and of great presence of +mind; and though he was surprised, yet he told them calmly that he would +consider of the matter, but that he could do nothing in it till he had +spoken to me about it. He used some arguments with them, to show them +the unreasonableness and injustice of the thing, but it was all in vain; +they swore, and shook hands round before his face, that they would all go +on shore unless he would engage to them not to suffer me to come any more +on board the ship. + +This was a hard article upon him, who knew his obligation to me, and did +not know how I might take it. So he began to talk smartly to them; told +them that I was a very considerable owner of the ship, and that if ever +they came to England again it would cost them very dear; that the ship +was mine, and that he could not put me out of it; and that he would +rather lose the ship, and the voyage too, than disoblige me so much: so +they might do as they pleased. However, he would go on shore and talk +with me, and invited the boatswain to go with him, and perhaps they might +accommodate the matter with me. But they all rejected the proposal, and +said they would have nothing to do with me any more; and if I came on +board they would all go on shore. "Well," said the captain, "if you are +all of this mind, let me go on shore and talk with him." So away he came +to me with this account, a little after the message had been brought to +me from the coxswain. + +I was very glad to see my nephew, I must confess; for I was not without +apprehensions that they would confine him by violence, set sail, and run +away with the ship; and then I had been stripped naked in a remote +country, having nothing to help myself; in short, I had been in a worse +case than when I was alone in the island. But they had not come to that +length, it seems, to my satisfaction; and when my nephew told me what +they had said to him, and how they had sworn and shook hands that they +would, one and all, leave the ship if I was suffered to come on board, I +told him he should not be concerned at it at all, for I would stay on +shore. I only desired he would take care and send me all my necessary +things on shore, and leave me a sufficient sum of money, and I would find +my way to England as well as I could. This was a heavy piece of news to +my nephew, but there was no way to help it but to comply; so, in short, +he went on board the ship again, and satisfied the men that his uncle had +yielded to their importunity, and had sent for his goods from on board +the ship; so that the matter was over in a few hours, the men returned to +their duty, and I began to consider what course I should steer. + +I was now alone in a most remote part of the world, for I was near three +thousand leagues by sea farther off from England than I was at my island; +only, it is true, I might travel here by land over the Great Mogul's +country to Surat, might go from thence to Bassora by sea, up the Gulf of +Persia, and take the way of the caravans, over the desert of Arabia, to +Aleppo and Scanderoon; from thence by sea again to Italy, and so overland +into France. I had another way before me, which was to wait for some +English ships, which were coming to Bengal from Achin, on the island of +Sumatra, and get passage on board them from England. But as I came +hither without any concern with the East Indian Company, so it would be +difficult to go from hence without their licence, unless with great +favour of the captains of the ships, or the company's factors: and to +both I was an utter stranger. + +Here I had the mortification to see the ship set sail without me; +however, my nephew left me two servants, or rather one companion and one +servant; the first was clerk to the purser, whom he engaged to go with +me, and the other was his own servant. I then took a good lodging in the +house of an Englishwoman, where several merchants lodged, some French, +two Italians, or rather Jews, and one Englishman. Here I stayed above +nine months, considering what course to take. I had some English goods +with me of value, and a considerable sum of money; my nephew furnishing +me with a thousand pieces of eight, and a letter of credit for more if I +had occasion, that I might not be straitened, whatever might happen. I +quickly disposed of my goods to advantage; and, as I originally intended, +I bought here some very good diamonds, which, of all other things, were +the most proper for me in my present circumstances, because I could +always carry my whole estate about me. + +During my stay here many proposals were made for my return to England, +but none falling out to my mind, the English merchant who lodged with me, +and whom I had contracted an intimate acquaintance with, came to me one +morning, saying: "Countryman, I have a project to communicate, which, as +it suits with my thoughts, may, for aught I know, suit with yours also, +when you shall have thoroughly considered it. Here we are posted, you by +accident and I by my own choice, in a part of the world very remote from +our own country; but it is in a country where, by us who understand trade +and business, a great deal of money is to be got. If you will put one +thousand pounds to my one thousand pounds, we will hire a ship here, the +first we can get to our minds. You shall be captain, I'll be merchant, +and we'll go a trading voyage to China; for what should we stand still +for? The whole world is in motion; why should we be idle?" + +I liked this proposal very well; and the more so because it seemed to be +expressed with so much goodwill. In my loose, unhinged circumstances, I +was the fitter to embrace a proposal for trade, or indeed anything else. +I might perhaps say with some truth, that if trade was not my element, +rambling was; and no proposal for seeing any part of the world which I +had never seen before could possibly come amiss to me. It was, however, +some time before we could get a ship to our minds, and when we had got a +vessel, it was not easy to get English sailors--that is to say, so many +as were necessary to govern the voyage and manage the sailors which we +should pick up there. After some time we got a mate, a boatswain, and a +gunner, English; a Dutch carpenter, and three foremast men. With these +we found we could do well enough, having Indian seamen, such as they +were, to make up. + +When all was ready we set sail for Achin, in the island of Sumatra, and +from thence to Siam, where we exchanged some of our wares for opium and +some arrack; the first a commodity which bears a great price among the +Chinese, and which at that time was much wanted there. Then we went up +to Saskan, were eight months out, and on our return to Bengal I was very +well satisfied with my adventure. Our people in England often admire how +officers, which the company send into India, and the merchants which +generally stay there, get such very great estates as they do, and +sometimes come home worth sixty or seventy thousand pounds at a time; but +it is little matter for wonder, when we consider the innumerable ports +and places where they have a free commerce; indeed, at the ports where +the English ships come there is such great and constant demands for the +growth of all other countries, that there is a certain vent for the +returns, as well as a market abroad for the goods carried out. + +I got so much money by my first adventure, and such an insight into the +method of getting more, that had I been twenty years younger, I should +have been tempted to have stayed here, and sought no farther for making +my fortune; but what was all this to a man upwards of threescore, that +was rich enough, and came abroad more in obedience to a restless desire +of seeing the world than a covetous desire of gaining by it? A restless +desire it really was, for when I was at home I was restless to go abroad; +and when I was abroad I was restless to be at home. I say, what was this +gain to me? I was rich enough already, nor had I any uneasy desires +about getting more money; therefore the profit of the voyage to me was of +no great force for the prompting me forward to further undertakings. +Hence, I thought that by this voyage I had made no progress at all, +because I was come back, as I might call it, to the place from whence I +came, as to a home: whereas, my eye, like that which Solomon speaks of, +was never satisfied with seeing. I was come into a part of the world +which I was never in before, and that part, in particular, which I heard +much of, and was resolved to see as much of it as I could: and then I +thought I might say I had seen all the world that was worth seeing. + +But my fellow-traveller and I had different notions: I acknowledge his +were the more suited to the end of a merchant's life: who, when he is +abroad upon adventures, is wise to stick to that, as the best thing for +him, which he is likely to get the most money by. On the other hand, +mine was the notion of a mad, rambling boy, that never cares to see a +thing twice over. But this was not all: I had a kind of impatience upon +me to be nearer home, and yet an unsettled resolution which way to go. In +the interval of these consultations, my friend, who was always upon the +search for business, proposed another voyage among the Spice Islands, to +bring home a loading of cloves from the Manillas, or thereabouts. + +We were not long in preparing for this voyage; the chief difficulty was +in bringing me to come into it. However, at last, nothing else offering, +and as sitting still, to me especially, was the unhappiest part of life, +I resolved on this voyage too, which we made very successfully, touching +at Borneo and several other islands, and came home in about five months, +when we sold our spices, with very great profit, to the Persian +merchants, who carried them away to the Gulf. My friend, when we made up +this account, smiled at me: "Well, now," said he, with a sort of friendly +rebuke on my indolent temper, "is not this better than walking about +here, like a man with nothing to do, and spending our time in staring at +the nonsense and ignorance of the Pagans?"--"Why, truly," said I, "my +friend, I think it is, and I begin to be a convert to the principles of +merchandising; but I must tell you, by the way, you do not know what I am +doing; for if I once conquer my backwardness, and embark heartily, old as +I am, I shall harass you up and down the world till I tire you; for I +shall pursue it so eagerly, I shall never let you lie still." + + + + +CHAPTER XI--WARNED OF DANGER BY A COUNTRYMAN + + +A little while after this there came in a Dutch ship from Batavia; she +was a coaster, not an European trader, of about two hundred tons burden; +the men, as they pretended, having been so sickly that the captain had +not hands enough to go to sea with, so he lay by at Bengal; and having, +it seems, got money enough, or being willing, for other reasons, to go +for Europe, he gave public notice he would sell his ship. This came to +my ears before my new partner heard of it, and I had a great mind to buy +it; so I went to him and told him of it. He considered a while, for he +was no rash man neither; and at last replied, "She is a little too +big--however, we will have her." Accordingly, we bought the ship, and +agreeing with the master, we paid for her, and took possession. When we +had done so we resolved to engage the men, if we could, to join with +those we had, for the pursuing our business; but, on a sudden, they +having received not their wages, but their share of the money, as we +afterwards learned, not one of them was to be found; we inquired much +about them, and at length were told that they were all gone together by +land to Agra, the great city of the Mogul's residence, to proceed from +thence to Surat, and then go by sea to the Gulf of Persia. + +Nothing had so much troubled me a good while as that I should miss the +opportunity of going with them; for such a ramble, I thought, and in such +company as would both have guarded and diverted me, would have suited +mightily with my great design; and I should have both seen the world and +gone homeward too. But I was much better satisfied a few days after, +when I came to know what sort of fellows they were; for, in short, their +history was, that this man they called captain was the gunner only, not +the commander; that they had been a trading voyage, in which they had +been attacked on shore by some of the Malays, who had killed the captain +and three of his men; and that after the captain was killed, these men, +eleven in number, having resolved to run away with the ship, brought her +to Bengal, leaving the mate and five men more on shore. + +Well, let them get the ship how they would, we came honestly by her, as +we thought, though we did not, I confess, examine into things so exactly +as we ought; for we never inquired anything of the seamen, who would +certainly have faltered in their account, and contradicted one another. +Somehow or other we should have had reason to have suspected, them; but +the man showed us a bill of sale for the ship, to one Emanuel +Clostershoven, or some such name, for I suppose it was all a forgery, and +called himself by that name, and we could not contradict him: and withal, +having no suspicion of the thing, we went through with our bargain. We +picked up some more English sailors here after this, and some Dutch, and +now we resolved on a second voyage to the south-east for cloves, &c.--that +is to say, among the Philippine and Malacca isles. In short, not to fill +up this part of my story with trifles when what is to come is so +remarkable, I spent, from first to last, six years in this country, +trading from port to port, backward and forward, and with very good +success, and was now the last year with my new partner, going in the ship +above mentioned, on a voyage to China, but designing first to go to Siam +to buy rice. + +In this voyage, being by contrary winds obliged to beat up and down a +great while in the Straits of Malacca and among the islands, we were no +sooner got clear of those difficult seas than we found our ship had +sprung a leak, but could not discover where it was. This forced us to +make some port; and my partner, who knew the country better than I did, +directed the captain to put into the river of Cambodia; for I had made +the English mate, one Mr. Thompson, captain, not being willing to take +the charge of the ship upon myself. This river lies on the north side of +the great bay or gulf which goes up to Siam. While we were here, and +going often on shore for refreshment, there comes to me one day an +Englishman, a gunner's mate on board an English East India ship, then +riding in the same river. "Sir," says he, addressing me, "you are a +stranger to me, and I to you; but I have something to tell you that very +nearly concerns you. I am moved by the imminent danger you are in, and, +for aught I see, you have no knowledge of it."--"I know no danger I am +in," said I, "but that my ship is leaky, and I cannot find it out; but I +intend to lay her aground to-morrow, to see if I can find it."--"But, +sir," says he, "leaky or not leaky, you will be wiser than to lay your +ship on shore to-morrow when you hear what I have to say to you. Do you +know, sir," said he, "the town of Cambodia lies about fifteen leagues up +the river; and there are two large English ships about five leagues on +this side, and three Dutch?"--"Well," said I, "and what is that to +me?"--"Why, sir," said be, "is it for a man that is upon such adventures +as you are to come into a port, and not examine first what ships there +are there, and whether he is able to deal with them? I suppose you do +not think you are a match for them?" I could not conceive what he meant; +and I turned short upon him, and said: "I wish you would explain +yourself; I cannot imagine what reason I have to be afraid of any of the +company's ships, or Dutch ships. I am no interloper. What can they have +to say to me?"--"Well, sir," says he, with a smile, "if you think +yourself secure you must take your chance; but take my advice, if you do +not put to sea immediately, you will the very next tide be attacked by +five longboats full of men, and perhaps if you are taken you will be +hanged for a pirate, and the particulars be examined afterwards. I +thought, sir," added he, "I should have met with a better reception than +this for doing you a piece of service of such importance."--"I can never +be ungrateful," said I, "for any service, or to any man that offers me +any kindness; but it is past my comprehension what they should have such +a design upon me for: however, since you say there is no time to be lost, +and that there is some villainous design on hand against me, I will go on +board this minute, and put to sea immediately, if my men can stop the +leak; but, sir," said I, "shall I go away ignorant of the cause of all +this? Can you give me no further light into it?" + +"I can tell you but part of the story, sir," says he; "but I have a Dutch +seaman here with me, and I believe I could persuade him to tell you the +rest; but there is scarce time for it. But the short of the story is +this--the first part of which I suppose you know well enough--that you +were with this ship at Sumatra; that there your captain was murdered by +the Malays, with three of his men; and that you, or some of those that +were on board with you, ran away with the ship, and are since turned +pirates. This is the sum of the story, and you will all be seized as +pirates, I can assure you, and executed with very little ceremony; for +you know merchant ships show but little law to pirates if they get them +into their power."--"Now you speak plain English," said I, "and I thank +you; and though I know nothing that we have done like what you talk of, +for I am sure we came honestly and fairly by the ship; yet seeing such a +work is doing, as you say, and that you seem to mean honestly, I will be +upon my guard."--"Nay, sir," says he, "do not talk of being upon your +guard; the best defence is to be out of danger. If you have any regard +for your life and the lives of all your men, put to sea without fail at +high-water; and as you have a whole tide before you, you will be gone too +far out before they can come down; for they will come away at high-water, +and as they have twenty miles to come, you will get near two hours of +them by the difference of the tide, not reckoning the length of the way: +besides, as they are only boats, and not ships, they will not venture to +follow you far out to sea, especially if it blows."--"Well," said I, "you +have been very kind in this: what shall I do to make you amends?"--"Sir," +says he, "you may not be willing to make me any amends, because you may +not be convinced of the truth of it. I will make an offer to you: I have +nineteen months' pay due to me on board the ship ---, which I came out of +England in; and the Dutchman that is with me has seven months' pay due to +him. If you will make good our pay to us we will go along with you; if +you find nothing more in it we will desire no more; but if we do convince +you that we have saved your lives, and the ship, and the lives of all the +men in her, we will leave the rest to you." + +I consented to this readily, and went immediately on board, and the two +men with me. As soon as I came to the ship's side, my partner, who was +on board, came out on the quarter-deck, and called to me, with a great +deal of joy, "We have stopped the leak--we have stopped the leak!"--"Say +you so?" said I; "thank God; but weigh anchor, then, +immediately."--"Weigh!" says he; "what do you mean by that? What is the +matter?"--"Ask no questions," said I; "but set all hands to work, and +weigh without losing a minute." He was surprised; however, he called the +captain, and he immediately ordered the anchor to be got up; and though +the tide was not quite down, yet a little land-breeze blowing, we stood +out to sea. Then I called him into the cabin, and told him the story; +and we called in the men, and they told us the rest of it; but as it took +up a great deal of time, before we had done a seaman comes to the cabin +door, and called out to us that the captain bade him tell us we were +chased by five sloops, or boats, full of men. "Very well," said I, "then +it is apparent there is something in it." I then ordered all our men to +be called up, and told them there was a design to seize the ship, and +take us for pirates, and asked them if they would stand by us, and by one +another; the men answered cheerfully, one and all, that they would live +and die with us. Then I asked the captain what way he thought best for +us to manage a fight with them; for resist them I was resolved we would, +and that to the last drop. He said readily, that the way was to keep +them off with our great shot as long as we could, and then to use our +small arms, to keep them from boarding us; but when neither of these +would do any longer, we would retire to our close quarters, for perhaps +they had not materials to break open our bulkheads, or get in upon us. + +The gunner had in the meantime orders to bring two guns, to bear fore and +aft, out of the steerage, to clear the deck, and load them with musket- +bullets, and small pieces of old iron, and what came next to hand. Thus +we made ready for fight; but all this while we kept out to sea, with wind +enough, and could see the boats at a distance, being five large +longboats, following us with all the sail they could make. + +Two of those boats (which by our glasses we could see were English) +outsailed the rest, were near two leagues ahead of them, and gained upon +us considerably, so that we found they would come up with us; upon which +we fired a gun without ball, to intimate that they should bring to: and +we put out a flag of truce, as a signal for parley: but they came +crowding after us till within shot, when we took in our white flag, they +having made no answer to it, and hung out a red flag, and fired at them +with a shot. Notwithstanding this, they came on till they were near +enough to call to them with a speaking-trumpet, bidding them keep off at +their peril. + +It was all one; they crowded after us, and endeavoured to come under our +stern, so as to board us on our quarter; upon which, seeing they were +resolute for mischief, and depended upon the strength that followed them, +I ordered to bring the ship to, so that they lay upon our broadside; when +immediately we fired five guns at them, one of which had been levelled so +true as to carry away the stern of the hindermost boat, and we then +forced them to take down their sail, and to run all to the head of the +boat, to keep her from sinking; so she lay by, and had enough of it; but +seeing the foremost boat crowd on after us, we made ready to fire at her +in particular. While this was doing one of the three boats that followed +made up to the boat which we had disabled, to relieve her, and we could +see her take out the men. We then called again to the foremost boat, and +offered a truce, to parley again, and to know what her business was with +us; but had no answer, only she crowded close under our stern. Upon +this, our gunner who was a very dexterous fellow ran out his two case- +guns, and fired again at her, but the shot missing, the men in the boat +shouted, waved their caps, and came on. The gunner, getting quickly +ready again, fired among them a second time, one shot of which, though it +missed the boat itself, yet fell in among the men, and we could easily +see did a great deal of mischief among them. We now wore the ship again, +and brought our quarter to bear upon them, and firing three guns more, we +found the boat was almost split to pieces; in particular, her rudder and +a piece of her stern were shot quite away; so they handed her sail +immediately, and were in great disorder. To complete their misfortune, +our gunner let fly two guns at them again; where he hit them we could not +tell, but we found the boat was sinking, and some of the men already in +the water: upon this, I immediately manned out our pinnace, with orders +to pick up some of the men if they could, and save them from drowning, +and immediately come on board ship with them, because we saw the rest of +the boats began to come up. Our men in the pinnace followed their +orders, and took up three men, one of whom was just drowning, and it was +a good while before we could recover him. As soon as they were on board +we crowded all the sail we could make, and stood farther out to the sea; +and we found that when the other boats came up to the first, they gave +over their chase. + +Being thus delivered from a danger which, though I knew not the reason of +it, yet seemed to be much greater than I apprehended, I resolved that we +should change our course, and not let any one know whither we were going; +so we stood out to sea eastward, quite out of the course of all European +ships, whether they were bound to China or anywhere else, within the +commerce of the European nations. When we were at sea we began to +consult with the two seamen, and inquire what the meaning of all this +should be; and the Dutchman confirmed the gunner's story about the false +sale of the ship and of the murder of the captain, and also how that he, +this Dutchman, and four more got into the woods, where they wandered +about a great while, till at length he made his escape, and swam off to a +Dutch ship, which was sailing near the shore in its way from China. + +He then told us that he went to Batavia, where two of the seamen +belonging to the ship arrived, having deserted the rest in their travels, +and gave an account that the fellow who had run away with the ship, sold +her at Bengal to a set of pirates, who were gone a-cruising in her, and +that they had already taken an English ship and two Dutch ships very +richly laden. This latter part we found to concern us directly, though +we knew it to be false; yet, as my partner said, very justly, if we had +fallen into their hands, and they had had such a prepossession against us +beforehand, it had been in vain for us to have defended ourselves, or to +hope for any good quarter at their hands; especially considering that our +accusers had been our judges, and that we could have expected nothing +from them but what rage would have dictated, and an ungoverned passion +have executed. Therefore it was his opinion we should go directly back +to Bengal, from whence we came, without putting in at any port +whatever--because where we could give a good account of ourselves, could +prove where we were when the ship put in, of whom we bought her, and the +like; and what was more than all the rest, if we were put upon the +necessity of bringing it before the proper judges, we should be sure to +have some justice, and not to be hanged first and judged afterwards. + +I was some time of my partner's opinion; but after a little more serious +thinking, I told him I thought it was a very great hazard for us to +attempt returning to Bengal, for that we were on the wrong side of the +Straits of Malacca, and that if the alarm was given, we should be sure to +be waylaid on every side--that if we should be taken, as it were, running +away, we should even condemn ourselves, and there would want no more +evidence to destroy us. I also asked the English sailor's opinion, who +said he was of my mind, and that we certainly should be taken. This +danger a little startled my partner and all the ship's company, and we +immediately resolved to go away to the coast of Tonquin, and so on to the +coast of China--and pursuing the first design as to trade, find some way +or other to dispose of the ship, and come back in some of the vessels of +the country such as we could get. This was approved of as the best +method for our security, and accordingly we steered away NNE., keeping +above fifty leagues off from the usual course to the eastward. This, +however, put us to some inconvenience: for, first, the winds, when we +came that distance from the shore, seemed to be more steadily against us, +blowing almost trade, as we call it, from the E. and ENE., so that we +were a long while upon our voyage, and we were but ill provided with +victuals for so long a run; and what was still worse, there was some +danger that those English and Dutch ships whose boats pursued us, whereof +some were bound that way, might have got in before us, and if not, some +other ship bound to China might have information of us from them, and +pursue us with the same vigour. + +I must confess I was now very uneasy, and thought myself, including the +late escape from the longboats, to have been in the most dangerous +condition that ever I was in through my past life; for whatever ill +circumstances I had been in, I was never pursued for a thief before; nor +had I ever done anything that merited the name of dishonest or +fraudulent, much less thievish. I had chiefly been my own enemy, or, as +I may rightly say, I had been nobody's enemy but my own; but now I was +woefully embarrassed: for though I was perfectly innocent, I was in no +condition to make that innocence appear; and if I had been taken, it had +been under a supposed guilt of the worst kind. This made me very anxious +to make an escape, though which way to do it I knew not, or what port or +place we could go to. My partner endeavoured to encourage me by +describing the several ports of that coast, and told me he would put in +on the coast of Cochin China, or the bay of Tonquin, intending afterwards +to go to Macao, where a great many European families resided, and +particularly the missionary priests, who usually went thither in order to +their going forward to China. + +Hither then we resolved to go; and, accordingly, though after a tedious +course, and very much straitened for provisions, we came within sight of +the coast very early in the morning; and upon reflection on the past +circumstances of danger we were in, we resolved to put into a small +river, which, however, had depth enough of water for us, and to see if we +could, either overland or by the ship's pinnace, come to know what ships +were in any port thereabouts. This happy step was, indeed, our +deliverance: for though we did not immediately see any European ships in +the bay of Tonquin, yet the next morning there came into the bay two +Dutch ships; and a third without any colours spread out, but which we +believed to be a Dutchman, passed by at about two leagues' distance, +steering for the coast of China; and in the afternoon went by two English +ships steering the same course; and thus we thought we saw ourselves +beset with enemies both one way and the other. The place we were in was +wild and barbarous, the people thieves by occupation; and though it is +true we had not much to seek of them, and, except getting a few +provisions, cared not how little we had to do with them, yet it was with +much difficulty that we kept ourselves from being insulted by them +several ways. We were in a small river of this country, within a few +leagues of its utmost limits northward; and by our boat we coasted north- +east to the point of land which opens the great bay of Tonquin; and it +was in this beating up along the shore that we discovered we were +surrounded with enemies. The people we were among were the most +barbarous of all the inhabitants of the coast; and among other customs +they have this one: that if any vessel has the misfortune to be +shipwrecked upon their coast, they make the men all prisoners or slaves; +and it was not long before we found a spice of their kindness this way, +on the occasion following. + +I have observed above that our ship sprung a leak at sea, and that we +could not find it out; and it happened that, as I have said, it was +stopped unexpectedly, on the eve of our being pursued by the Dutch and +English ships in the bay of Siam; yet, as we did not find the ship so +perfectly tight and sound as we desired, we resolved while we were at +this place to lay her on shore, and clean her bottom, and, if possible, +to find out where the leaks were. Accordingly, having lightened the +ship, and brought all our guns and other movables to one side, we tried +to bring her down, that we might come at her bottom; but, on second +thoughts, we did not care to lay her on dry ground, neither could we find +out a proper place for it. + + + + +CHAPTER XII--THE CARPENTER'S WHIMSICAL CONTRIVANCE + + +The inhabitants came wondering down the shore to look at us; and seeing +the ship lie down on one side in such a manner, and heeling in towards +the shore, and not seeing our men, who were at work on her bottom with +stages, and with their boats on the off-side, they presently concluded +that the ship was cast away, and lay fast on the ground. On this +supposition they came about us in two or three hours' time with ten or +twelve large boats, having some of them eight, some ten men in a boat, +intending, no doubt, to have come on board and plundered the ship, and if +they found us there, to have carried us away for slaves. + +When they came up to the ship, and began to row round her, they +discovered us all hard at work on the outside of the ship's bottom and +side, washing, and graving, and stopping, as every seafaring man knows +how. They stood for a while gazing at us, and we, who were a little +surprised, could not imagine what their design was; but being willing to +be sure, we took this opportunity to get some of us into the ship, and +others to hand down arms and ammunition to those that were at work, to +defend themselves with if there should be occasion. And it was no more +than need: for in less than a quarter of an hour's consultation, they +agreed, it seems, that the ship was really a wreck, and that we were all +at work endeavouring to save her, or to save our lives by the help of our +boats; and when we handed our arms into the boat, they concluded, by that +act, that we were endeavouring to save some of our goods. Upon this, +they took it for granted we all belonged to them, and away they came +directly upon our men, as if it had been in a line-of-battle. + +Our men, seeing so many of them, began to be frightened, for we lay but +in an ill posture to fight, and cried out to us to know what they should +do. I immediately called to the men that worked upon the stages to slip +them down, and get up the side into the ship, and bade those in the boat +to row round and come on board. The few who were on board worked with +all the strength and hands we had to bring the ship to rights; however, +neither the men upon the stages nor those in the boats could do as they +were ordered before the Cochin Chinese were upon them, when two of their +boats boarded our longboat, and began to lay hold of the men as their +prisoners. + +The first man they laid hold of was an English seaman, a stout, strong +fellow, who having a musket in his hand, never offered to fire it, but +laid it down in the boat, like a fool, as I thought; but he understood +his business better than I could teach him, for he grappled the Pagan, +and dragged him by main force out of their boat into ours, where, taking +him by the ears, he beat his head so against the boat's gunnel that the +fellow died in his hands. In the meantime, a Dutchman, who stood next, +took up the musket, and with the butt-end of it so laid about him, that +he knocked down five of them who attempted to enter the boat. But this +was doing little towards resisting thirty or forty men, who, fearless +because ignorant of their danger, began to throw themselves into the +longboat, where we had but five men in all to defend it; but the +following accident, which deserved our laughter, gave our men a complete +victory. + +Our carpenter being prepared to grave the outside of the ship, as well as +to pay the seams where he had caulked her to stop the leaks, had got two +kettles just let down into the boat, one filled with boiling pitch, and +the other with rosin, tallow, and oil, and such stuff as the shipwrights +use for that work; and the man that attended the carpenter had a great +iron ladle in his hand, with which he supplied the men that were at work +with the hot stuff. Two of the enemy's men entered the boat just where +this fellow stood in the foresheets; he immediately saluted them with a +ladle full of the stuff, boiling hot which so burned and scalded them, +being half-naked that they roared out like bulls, and, enraged with the +fire, leaped both into the sea. The carpenter saw it, and cried out, +"Well done, Jack! give them some more of it!" and stepping forward +himself, takes one of the mops, and dipping it in the pitch-pot, he and +his man threw it among them so plentifully that, in short, of all the men +in the three boats, there was not one that escaped being scalded in a +most frightful manner, and made such a howling and crying that I never +heard a worse noise. + +I was never better pleased with a victory in my life; not only as it was +a perfect surprise to me, and that our danger was imminent before, but as +we got this victory without any bloodshed, except of that man the seaman +killed with his naked hands, and which I was very much concerned at. +Although it maybe a just thing, because necessary (for there is no +necessary wickedness in nature), yet I thought it was a sad sort of life, +when we must be always obliged to be killing our fellow-creatures to +preserve ourselves; and, indeed, I think so still; and I would even now +suffer a great deal rather than I would take away the life even of the +worst person injuring me; and I believe all considering people, who know +the value of life, would be of my opinion, if they entered seriously into +the consideration of it. + +All the while this was doing, my partner and I, who managed the rest of +the men on board, had with great dexterity brought the ship almost to +rights, and having got the guns into their places again, the gunner +called to me to bid our boat get out of the way, for he would let fly +among them. I called back again to him, and bid him not offer to fire, +for the carpenter would do the work without him; but bid him heat another +pitch-kettle, which our cook, who was on broad, took care of. However, +the enemy was so terrified with what they had met with in their first +attack, that they would not come on again; and some of them who were +farthest off, seeing the ship swim, as it were, upright, began, as we +suppose, to see their mistake, and gave over the enterprise, finding it +was not as they expected. Thus we got clear of this merry fight; and +having got some rice and some roots and bread, with about sixteen hogs, +on board two days before, we resolved to stay here no longer, but go +forward, whatever came of it; for we made no doubt but we should be +surrounded the next day with rogues enough, perhaps more than our pitch- +kettle would dispose of for us. We therefore got all our things on board +the same evening, and the next morning were ready to sail: in the +meantime, lying at anchor at some distance from the shore, we were not so +much concerned, being now in a fighting posture, as well as in a sailing +posture, if any enemy had presented. The next day, having finished our +work within board, and finding our ship was perfectly healed of all her +leaks, we set sail. We would have gone into the bay of Tonquin, for we +wanted to inform ourselves of what was to be known concerning the Dutch +ships that had been there; but we durst not stand in there, because we +had seen several ships go in, as we supposed, but a little before; so we +kept on NE. towards the island of Formosa, as much afraid of being seen +by a Dutch or English merchant ship as a Dutch or English merchant ship +in the Mediterranean is of an Algerine man-of-war. + +When we were thus got to sea, we kept on NE., as if we would go to the +Manillas or the Philippine Islands; and this we did that we might not +fall into the way of any of the European ships; and then we steered +north, till we came to the latitude of 22 degrees 30 seconds, by which +means we made the island of Formosa directly, where we came to an anchor, +in order to get water and fresh provisions, which the people there, who +are very courteous in their manners, supplied us with willingly, and +dealt very fairly and punctually with us in all their agreements and +bargains. This is what we did not find among other people, and may be +owing to the remains of Christianity which was once planted here by a +Dutch missionary of Protestants, and it is a testimony of what I have +often observed, viz. that the Christian religion always civilises the +people, and reforms their manners, where it is received, whether it works +saving effects upon them or no. + +From thence we sailed still north, keeping the coast of China at an equal +distance, till we knew we were beyond all the ports of China where our +European ships usually come; being resolved, if possible, not to fall +into any of their hands, especially in this country, where, as our +circumstances were, we could not fail of being entirely ruined. Being +now come to the latitude of 30 degrees, we resolved to put into the first +trading port we should come at; and standing in for the shore, a boat +came of two leagues to us with an old Portuguese pilot on board, who, +knowing us to be an European ship, came to offer his service, which, +indeed, we were glad of and took him on board; upon which, without asking +us whither we would go, he dismissed the boat he came in, and sent it +back. I thought it was now so much in our choice to make the old man +carry us whither we would, that I began to talk to him about carrying us +to the Gulf of Nankin, which is the most northern part of the coast of +China. The old man said he knew the Gulf of Nankin very well; but +smiling, asked us what we would do there? I told him we would sell our +cargo and purchase China wares, calicoes, raw silks, tea, wrought silks, +&c.; and so we would return by the same course we came. He told us our +best port would have been to put in at Macao, where we could not have +failed of a market for our opium to our satisfaction, and might for our +money have purchased all sorts of China goods as cheap as we could at +Nankin. + +Not being able to put the old man out of his talk, of which he was very +opinionated or conceited, I told him we were gentlemen as well as +merchants, and that we had a mind to go and see the great city of Pekin, +and the famous court of the monarch of China. "Why, then," says the old +man, "you should go to Ningpo, where, by the river which runs into the +sea there, you may go up within five leagues of the great canal. This +canal is a navigable stream, which goes through the heart of that vast +empire of China, crosses all the rivers, passes some considerable hills +by the help of sluices and gates, and goes up to the city of Pekin, being +in length near two hundred and seventy leagues."--"Well," said I, +"Seignior Portuguese, but that is not our business now; the great +question is, if you can carry us up to the city of Nankin, from whence we +can travel to Pekin afterwards?" He said he could do so very well, and +that there was a great Dutch ship gone up that way just before. This +gave me a little shock, for a Dutch ship was now our terror, and we had +much rather have met the devil, at least if he had not come in too +frightful a figure; and we depended upon it that a Dutch ship would be +our destruction, for we were in no condition to fight them; all the ships +they trade with into those parts being of great burden, and of much +greater force than we were. + +The old man found me a little confused, and under some concern when he +named a Dutch ship, and said to me, "Sir, you need be under no +apprehensions of the Dutch; I suppose they are not now at war with your +nation?"--"No," said I, "that's true; but I know not what liberties men +may take when they are out of the reach of the laws of their own +country."--"Why," says he, "you are no pirates; what need you fear? They +will not meddle with peaceable merchants, sure." These words put me into +the greatest disorder and confusion imaginable; nor was it possible for +me to conceal it so, but the old man easily perceived it. + +"Sir," says he, "I find you are in some disorder in your thoughts at my +talk: pray be pleased to go which way you think fit, and depend upon it, +I'll do you all the service I can." Upon this we fell into further +discourse, in which, to my alarm and amazement, he spoke of the +villainous doings of a certain pirate ship that had long been the talk of +mariners in those seas; no other, in a word, than the very ship he was +now on board of, and which we had so unluckily purchased. I presently +saw there was no help for it but to tell him the plain truth, and explain +all the danger and trouble we had suffered through this misadventure, +and, in particular, our earnest wish to be speedily quit of the ship +altogether; for which reason we had resolved to carry her up to Nankin. + +The old man was amazed at this relation, and told us we were in the right +to go away to the north; and that, if he might advise us, it should be to +sell the ship in China, which we might well do, and buy, or build another +in the country; adding that I should meet with customers enough for the +ship at Nankin, that a Chinese junk would serve me very well to go back +again, and that he would procure me people both to buy one and sell the +other. "Well, but, seignior," said I, "as you say they know the ship so +well, I may, perhaps, if I follow your measures, be instrumental to bring +some honest, innocent men into a terrible broil; for wherever they find +the ship they will prove the guilt upon the men, by proving this was the +ship."--"Why," says the old man, "I'll find out a way to prevent that; +for as I know all those commanders you speak of very well, and shall see +them all as they pass by, I will be sure to set them to rights in the +thing, and let them know that they had been so much in the wrong; that +though the people who were on board at first might run away with the +ship, yet it was not true that they had turned pirates; and that, in +particular, these were not the men that first went off with the ship, but +innocently bought her for their trade; and I am persuaded they will so +far believe me as at least to act more cautiously for the time to come." + +In about thirteen days' sail we came to an anchor, at the south-west +point of the great Gulf of Nankin; where I learned by accident that two +Dutch ships were gone the length before me, and that I should certainly +fall into their hands. I consulted my partner again in this exigency, +and he was as much at a loss as I was. I then asked the old pilot if +there was no creek or harbour which I might put into and pursue my +business with the Chinese privately, and be in no danger of the enemy. He +told me if I would sail to the southward about forty-two leagues, there +was a little port called Quinchang, where the fathers of the mission +usually landed from Macao, on their progress to teach the Christian +religion to the Chinese, and where no European ships ever put in; and if +I thought to put in there, I might consider what further course to take +when I was on shore. He confessed, he said, it was not a place for +merchants, except that at some certain times they had a kind of a fair +there, when the merchants from Japan came over thither to buy Chinese +merchandises. The name of the port I may perhaps spell wrong, having +lost this, together with the names of many other places set down in a +little pocket-book, which was spoiled by the water by an accident; but +this I remember, that the Chinese merchants we corresponded with called +it by a different name from that which our Portuguese pilot gave it, who +pronounced it Quinchang. As we were unanimous in our resolution to go to +this place, we weighed the next day, having only gone twice on shore +where we were, to get fresh water; on both which occasions the people of +the country were very civil, and brought abundance of provisions to sell +to us; but nothing without money. + +We did not come to the other port (the wind being contrary) for five +days; but it was very much to our satisfaction, and I was thankful when I +set my foot on shore, resolving, and my partner too, that if it was +possible to dispose of ourselves and effects any other way, though not +profitably, we would never more set foot on board that unhappy vessel. +Indeed, I must acknowledge, that of all the circumstances of life that +ever I had any experience of, nothing makes mankind so completely +miserable as that of being in constant fear. Well does the Scripture +say, "The fear of man brings a snare"; it is a life of death, and the +mind is so entirely oppressed by it, that it is capable of no relief. + +Nor did it fail of its usual operations upon the fancy, by heightening +every danger; representing the English and Dutch captains to be men +incapable of hearing reason, or of distinguishing between honest men and +rogues; or between a story calculated for our own turn, made out of +nothing, on purpose to deceive, and a true, genuine account of our whole +voyage, progress, and design; for we might many ways have convinced any +reasonable creatures that we were not pirates; the goods we had on board, +the course we steered, our frankly showing ourselves, and entering into +such and such ports; and even our very manner, the force we had, the +number of men, the few arms, the little ammunition, short provisions; all +these would have served to convince any men that we were no pirates. The +opium and other goods we had on board would make it appear the ship had +been at Bengal. The Dutchmen, who, it was said, had the names of all the +men that were in the ship, might easily see that we were a mixture of +English, Portuguese, and Indians, and but two Dutchmen on board. These, +and many other particular circumstances, might have made it evident to +the understanding of any commander, whose hands we might fall into, that +we were no pirates. + +But fear, that blind, useless passion, worked another way, and threw us +into the vapours; it bewildered our understandings, and set the +imagination at work to form a thousand terrible things that perhaps might +never happen. We first supposed, as indeed everybody had related to us, +that the seamen on board the English and Dutch ships, but especially the +Dutch, were so enraged at the name of a pirate, and especially at our +beating off their boats and escaping, that they would not give themselves +leave to inquire whether we were pirates or no, but would execute us off- +hand, without giving us any room for a defence. We reflected that there +really was so much apparent evidence before them, that they would scarce +inquire after any more; as, first, that the ship was certainly the same, +and that some of the seamen among them knew her, and had been on board +her; and, secondly, that when we had intelligence at the river of +Cambodia that they were coming down to examine us, we fought their boats +and fled. Therefore we made no doubt but they were as fully satisfied of +our being pirates as we were satisfied of the contrary; and, as I often +said, I know not but I should have been apt to have taken those +circumstances for evidence, if the tables were turned, and my case was +theirs; and have made no scruple of cutting all the crew to pieces, +without believing, or perhaps considering, what they might have to offer +in their defence. + +But let that be how it will, these were our apprehensions; and both my +partner and I scarce slept a night without dreaming of halters and yard- +arms; of fighting, and being taken; of killing, and being killed: and one +night I was in such a fury in my dream, fancying the Dutchmen had boarded +us, and I was knocking one of their seamen down, that I struck my doubled +fist against the side of the cabin I lay in with such a force as wounded +my hand grievously, broke my knuckles, and cut and bruised the flesh, so +that it awaked me out of my sleep. Another apprehension I had was, the +cruel usage we might meet with from them if we fell into their hands; +then the story of Amboyna came into my head, and how the Dutch might +perhaps torture us, as they did our countrymen there, and make some of +our men, by extremity of torture, confess to crimes they never were +guilty of, or own themselves and all of us to be pirates, and so they +would put us to death with a formal appearance of justice; and that they +might be tempted to do this for the gain of our ship and cargo, worth +altogether four or five thousand pounds. We did not consider that the +captains of ships have no authority to act thus; and if we had +surrendered prisoners to them, they could not answer the destroying us, +or torturing us, but would be accountable for it when they came to their +country. However, if they were to act thus with us, what advantage would +it be to us that they should be called to an account for it?--or if we +were first to be murdered, what satisfaction would it be to us to have +them punished when they came home? + +I cannot refrain taking notice here what reflections I now had upon the +vast variety of my particular circumstances; how hard I thought it that +I, who had spent forty years in a life of continual difficulties, and was +at last come, as it were, to the port or haven which all men drive at, +viz. to have rest and plenty, should be a volunteer in new sorrows by my +own unhappy choice, and that I, who had escaped so many dangers in my +youth, should now come to be hanged in my old age, and in so remote a +place, for a crime which I was not in the least inclined to, much less +guilty of. After these thoughts something of religion would come in; and +I would be considering that this seemed to me to be a disposition of +immediate Providence, and I ought to look upon it and submit to it as +such. For, although I was innocent as to men, I was far from being +innocent as to my Maker; and I ought to look in and examine what other +crimes in my life were most obvious to me, and for which Providence might +justly inflict this punishment as a retribution; and thus I ought to +submit to this, just as I would to a shipwreck, if it had pleased God to +have brought such a disaster upon me. + +In its turn natural courage would sometimes take its place, and then I +would be talking myself up to vigorous resolutions; that I would not be +taken to be barbarously used by a parcel of merciless wretches in cold +blood; that it were much better to have fallen into the hands of the +savages, though I were sure they would feast upon me when they had taken +me, than those who would perhaps glut their rage upon me by inhuman +tortures and barbarities; that in the case of the savages, I always +resolved to die fighting to the last gasp, and why should I not do so +now? Whenever these thoughts prevailed, I was sure to put myself into a +kind of fever with the agitation of a supposed fight; my blood would +boil, and my eyes sparkle, as if I was engaged, and I always resolved to +take no quarter at their hands; but even at last, if I could resist no +longer, I would blow up the ship and all that was in her, and leave them +but little booty to boast of. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII--ARRIVAL IN CHINA + + +The greater weight the anxieties and perplexities of these things were to +our thoughts while we were at sea, the greater was our satisfaction when +we saw ourselves on shore; and my partner told me he dreamed that he had +a very heavy load upon his back, which he was to carry up a hill, and +found that he was not able to stand longer under it; but that the +Portuguese pilot came and took it off his back, and the hill disappeared, +the ground before him appearing all smooth and plain: and truly it was +so; they were all like men who had a load taken off their backs. For my +part I had a weight taken off from my heart that it was not able any +longer to bear; and as I said above we resolved to go no more to sea in +that ship. When we came on shore, the old pilot, who was now our friend, +got us a lodging, together with a warehouse for our goods; it was a +little hut, with a larger house adjoining to it, built and also +palisadoed round with canes, to keep out pilferers, of which there were +not a few in that country: however, the magistrates allowed us a little +guard, and we had a soldier with a kind of half-pike, who stood sentinel +at our door, to whom we allowed a pint of rice and a piece of money about +the value of three-pence per day, so that our goods were kept very safe. + +The fair or mart usually kept at this place had been over some time; +however, we found that there were three or four junks in the river, and +two ships from Japan, with goods which they had bought in China, and were +not gone away, having some Japanese merchants on shore. + +The first thing our old Portuguese pilot did for us was to get us +acquainted with three missionary Romish priests who were in the town, and +who had been there some time converting the people to Christianity; but +we thought they made but poor work of it, and made them but sorry +Christians when they had done. One of these was a Frenchman, whom they +called Father Simon; another was a Portuguese; and a third a Genoese. +Father Simon was courteous, and very agreeable company; but the other two +were more reserved, seemed rigid and austere, and applied seriously to +the work they came about, viz. to talk with and insinuate themselves +among the inhabitants wherever they had opportunity. We often ate and +drank with those men; and though I must confess the conversion, as they +call it, of the Chinese to Christianity is so far from the true +conversion required to bring heathen people to the faith of Christ, that +it seems to amount to little more than letting them know the name of +Christ, and say some prayers to the Virgin Mary and her Son, in a tongue +which they understood not, and to cross themselves, and the like; yet it +must be confessed that the religionists, whom we call missionaries, have +a firm belief that these people will be saved, and that they are the +instruments of it; and on this account they undergo not only the fatigue +of the voyage, and the hazards of living in such places, but oftentimes +death itself, and the most violent tortures, for the sake of this work. + +Father Simon was appointed, it seems, by order of the chief of the +mission, to go up to Pekin, and waited only for another priest, who was +ordered to come to him from Macao, to go along with him. We scarce ever +met together but he was inviting me to go that journey; telling me how he +would show me all the glorious things of that mighty empire, and, among +the rest, Pekin, the greatest city in the world: "A city," said he, "that +your London and our Paris put together cannot be equal to." But as I +looked on those things with different eyes from other men, so I shall +give my opinion of them in a few words, when I come in the course of my +travels to speak more particularly of them. + +Dining with Father Simon one day, and being very merry together, I showed +some little inclination to go with him; and he pressed me and my partner +very hard to consent. "Why, father," says my partner, "should you desire +our company so much? you know we are heretics, and you do not love us, +nor cannot keep us company with any pleasure."--"Oh," says he, "you may +perhaps be good Catholics in time; my business here is to convert +heathens, and who knows but I may convert you too?"--"Very well, father," +said I, "so you will preach to us all the way?"--"I will not be +troublesome to you," says he; "our religion does not divest us of good +manners; besides, we are here like countrymen; and so we are, compared to +the place we are in; and if you are Huguenots, and I a Catholic, we may +all be Christians at last; at least, we are all gentlemen, and we may +converse so, without being uneasy to one another." I liked this part of +his discourse very well, and it began to put me in mind of my priest that +I had left in the Brazils; but Father Simon did not come up to his +character by a great deal; for though this friar had no appearance of a +criminal levity in him, yet he had not that fund of Christian zeal, +strict piety, and sincere affection to religion that my other good +ecclesiastic had. + +But to leave him a little, though he never left us, nor solicited us to +go with him; we had something else before us at first, for we had all +this while our ship and our merchandise to dispose of, and we began to be +very doubtful what we should do, for we were now in a place of very +little business. Once I was about to venture to sail for the river of +Kilam, and the city of Nankin; but Providence seemed now more visibly, as +I thought, than ever to concern itself in our affairs; and I was +encouraged, from this very time, to think I should, one way or other, get +out of this entangled circumstance, and be brought home to my own country +again, though I had not the least view of the manner. Providence, I say, +began here to clear up our way a little; and the first thing that offered +was, that our old Portuguese pilot brought a Japan merchant to us, who +inquired what goods we had: and, in the first place, he bought all our +opium, and gave us a very good price for it, paying us in gold by weight, +some in small pieces of their own coin, and some in small wedges, of +about ten or twelves ounces each. While we were dealing with him for our +opium, it came into my head that he might perhaps deal for the ship too, +and I ordered the interpreter to propose it to him. He shrunk up his +shoulders at it when it was first proposed to him; but in a few days +after he came to me, with one of the missionary priests for his +interpreter, and told me he had a proposal to make to me, which was this: +he had bought a great quantity of our goods, when he had no thoughts of +proposals made to him of buying the ship; and that, therefore, he had not +money to pay for the ship: but if I would let the same men who were in +the ship navigate her, he would hire the ship to go to Japan; and would +send them from thence to the Philippine Islands with another loading, +which he would pay the freight of before they went from Japan: and that +at their return he would buy the ship. I began to listen to his +proposal, and so eager did my head still run upon rambling, that I could +not but begin to entertain a notion of going myself with him, and so to +set sail from the Philippine Islands away to the South Seas; accordingly, +I asked the Japanese merchant if he would not hire us to the Philippine +Islands and discharge us there. He said No, he could not do that, for +then he could not have the return of his cargo; but he would discharge us +in Japan, at the ship's return. Well, still I was for taking him at that +proposal, and going myself; but my partner, wiser than myself, persuaded +me from it, representing the dangers, as well of the seas as of the +Japanese, who are a false, cruel, and treacherous people; likewise those +of the Spaniards at the Philippines, more false, cruel, and treacherous +than they. + +But to bring this long turn of our affairs to a conclusion; the first +thing we had to do was to consult with the captain of the ship, and with +his men, and know if they were willing to go to Japan. While I was doing +this, the young man whom my nephew had left with me as my companion came +up, and told me that he thought that voyage promised very fair, and that +there was a great prospect of advantage, and he would be very glad if I +undertook it; but that if I would not, and would give him leave, he would +go as a merchant, or as I pleased to order him; that if ever he came to +England, and I was there and alive, he would render me a faithful account +of his success, which should be as much mine as I pleased. I was loath +to part with him; but considering the prospect of advantage, which really +was considerable, and that he was a young fellow likely to do well in it, +I inclined to let him go; but I told him I would consult my partner, and +give him an answer the next day. I discoursed about it with my partner, +who thereupon made a most generous offer: "You know it has been an +unlucky ship," said he, "and we both resolve not to go to sea in it +again; if your steward" (so he called my man) "will venture the voyage, I +will leave my share of the vessel to him, and let him make the best of +it; and if we live to meet in England, and he meets with success abroad, +he shall account for one half of the profits of the ship's freight to us; +the other shall be his own." + +If my partner, who was no way concerned with my young man, made him such +an offer, I could not do less than offer him the same; and all the ship's +company being willing to go with him, we made over half the ship to him +in property, and took a writing from him, obliging him to account for the +other, and away he went to Japan. The Japan merchant proved a very +punctual, honest man to him: protected him at Japan, and got him a +licence to come on shore, which the Europeans in general have not lately +obtained. He paid him his freight very punctually; sent him to the +Philippines loaded with Japan and China wares, and a supercargo of their +own, who, trafficking with the Spaniards, brought back European goods +again, and a great quantity of spices; and there he was not only paid his +freight very well, and at a very good price, but not being willing to +sell the ship, then the merchant furnished him goods on his own account; +and with some money, and some spices of his own which he brought with +him, he went back to the Manillas, where he sold his cargo very well. +Here, having made a good acquaintance at Manilla, he got his ship made a +free ship, and the governor of Manilla hired him to go to Acapulco, on +the coast of America, and gave him a licence to land there, and to travel +to Mexico, and to pass in any Spanish ship to Europe with all his men. He +made the voyage to Acapulco very happily, and there he sold his ship: and +having there also obtained allowance to travel by land to Porto Bello, he +found means to get to Jamaica, with all his treasure, and about eight +years after came to England exceeding rich. + +But to return to our particular affairs, being now to part with the ship +and ship's company, it came before us, of course, to consider what +recompense we should give to the two men that gave us such timely notice +of the design against us in the river Cambodia. The truth was, they had +done us a very considerable service, and deserved well at our hands; +though, by the way, they were a couple of rogues, too; for, as they +believed the story of our being pirates, and that we had really run away +with the ship, they came down to us, not only to betray the design that +was formed against us, but to go to sea with us as pirates. One of them +confessed afterwards that nothing else but the hopes of going a-roguing +brought him to do it: however, the service they did us was not the less, +and therefore, as I had promised to be grateful to them, I first ordered +the money to be paid them which they said was due to them on board their +respective ships: over and above that, I gave each of them a small sum of +money in gold, which contented them very well. I then made the +Englishman gunner in the ship, the gunner being now made second mate and +purser; the Dutchman I made boatswain; so they were both very well +pleased, and proved very serviceable, being both able seamen, and very +stout fellows. + +We were now on shore in China; if I thought myself banished, and remote +from my own country at Bengal, where I had many ways to get home for my +money, what could I think of myself now, when I was about a thousand +leagues farther off from home, and destitute of all manner of prospect of +return? All we had for it was this: that in about four months' time +there was to be another fair at the place where we were, and then we +might be able to purchase various manufactures of the country, and withal +might possibly find some Chinese junks from Tonquin for sail, that would +carry us and our goods whither we pleased. This I liked very well, and +resolved to wait; besides, as our particular persons were not obnoxious, +so if any English or Dutch ships came thither, perhaps we might have an +opportunity to load our goods, and get passage to some other place in +India nearer home. Upon these hopes we resolved to continue here; but, +to divert ourselves, we took two or three journeys into the country. + +First, we went ten days' journey to Nankin, a city well worth seeing; +they say it has a million of people in it: it is regularly built, and the +streets are all straight, and cross one another in direct lines. But +when I come to compare the miserable people of these countries with ours, +their fabrics, their manner of living, their government, their religion, +their wealth, and their glory, as some call it, I must confess that I +scarcely think it worth my while to mention them here. We wonder at the +grandeur, the riches, the pomp, the ceremonies, the government, the +manufactures, the commerce, and conduct of these people; not that there +is really any matter for wonder, but because, having a true notion of the +barbarity of those countries, the rudeness and the ignorance that prevail +there, we do not expect to find any such thing so far off. Otherwise, +what are their buildings to the palaces and royal buildings of Europe? +What their trade to the universal commerce of England, Holland, France, +and Spain? What are their cities to ours, for wealth, strength, gaiety +of apparel, rich furniture, and infinite variety? What are their ports, +supplied with a few junks and barks, to our navigation, our merchant +fleets, our large and powerful navies? Our city of London has more trade +than half their mighty empire: one English, Dutch, or French man-of-war +of eighty guns would be able to fight almost all the shipping belonging +to China: but the greatness of their wealth, their trade, the power of +their government, and the strength of their armies, may be a little +surprising to us, because, as I have said, considering them as a +barbarous nation of pagans, little better than savages, we did not expect +such things among them. But all the forces of their empire, though they +were to bring two millions of men into the field together, would be able +to do nothing but ruin the country and starve themselves; a million of +their foot could not stand before one embattled body of our infantry, +posted so as not to be surrounded, though they were not to be one to +twenty in number; nay, I do not boast if I say that thirty thousand +German or English foot, and ten thousand horse, well managed, could +defeat all the forces of China. Nor is there a fortified town in China +that could hold out one month against the batteries and attacks of an +European army. They have firearms, it is true, but they are awkward and +uncertain in their going off; and their powder has but little strength. +Their armies are badly disciplined, and want skill to attack, or temper +to retreat; and therefore, I must confess, it seemed strange to me, when +I came home, and heard our people say such fine things of the power, +glory, magnificence, and trade of the Chinese; because, as far as I saw, +they appeared to be a contemptible herd or crowd of ignorant, sordid +slaves, subjected to a government qualified only to rule such a people; +and were not its distance inconceivably, great from Muscovy, and that +empire in a manner as rude, impotent, and ill governed as they, the Czar +of Muscovy might with ease drive them all out of their country, and +conquer them in one campaign; and had the Czar (who is now a growing +prince) fallen this way, instead of attacking the warlike Swedes, and +equally improved himself in the art of war, as they say he has done; and +if none of the powers of Europe had envied or interrupted him, he might +by this time have been Emperor of China, instead of being beaten by the +King of Sweden at Narva, when the latter was not one to six in number. + +As their strength and their grandeur, so their navigation, commerce, and +husbandry are very imperfect, compared to the same things in Europe; +also, in their knowledge, their learning, and in their skill in the +sciences, they are either very awkward or defective, though they have +globes or spheres, and a smattering of the mathematics, and think they +know more than all the world besides. But they know little of the +motions of the heavenly bodies; and so grossly and absurdly ignorant are +their common people, that when the sun is eclipsed, they think a great +dragon has assaulted it, and is going to run away with it; and they fall +a clattering with all the drums and kettles in the country, to fright the +monster away, just as we do to hive a swarm of bees! + +As this is the only excursion of the kind which I have made in all the +accounts I have given of my travels, so I shall make no more such. It is +none of my business, nor any part of my design; but to give an account of +my own adventures through a life of inimitable wanderings, and a long +variety of changes, which, perhaps, few that come after me will have +heard the like of: I shall, therefore, say very little of all the mighty +places, desert countries, and numerous people I have yet to pass through, +more than relates to my own story, and which my concern among them will +make necessary. + +I was now, as near as I can compute, in the heart of China, about thirty +degrees north of the line, for we were returned from Nankin. I had +indeed a mind to see the city of Pekin, which I had heard so much of, and +Father Simon importuned me daily to do it. At length his time of going +away being set, and the other missionary who was to go with him being +arrived from Macao, it was necessary that we should resolve either to go +or not; so I referred it to my partner, and left it wholly to his choice, +who at length resolved it in the affirmative, and we prepared for our +journey. We set out with very good advantage as to finding the way; for +we got leave to travel in the retinue of one of their mandarins, a kind +of viceroy or principal magistrate in the province where they reside, and +who take great state upon them, travelling with great attendance, and +great homage from the people, who are sometimes greatly impoverished by +them, being obliged to furnish provisions for them and all their +attendants in their journeys. I particularly observed in our travelling +with his baggage, that though we received sufficient provisions both for +ourselves and our horses from the country, as belonging to the mandarin, +yet we were obliged to pay for everything we had, after the market price +of the country, and the mandarin's steward collected it duly from us. +Thus our travelling in the retinue of the mandarin, though it was a great +act of kindness, was not such a mighty favour to us, but was a great +advantage to him, considering there were above thirty other people +travelled in the same manner besides us, under the protection of his +retinue; for the country furnished all the provisions for nothing to him, +and yet he took our money for them. + +We were twenty-five days travelling to Pekin, through a country exceeding +populous, but I think badly cultivated; the husbandry, the economy, and +the way of living miserable, though they boast so much of the industry of +the people: I say miserable, if compared with our own, but not so to +these poor wretches, who know no other. The pride of the poor people is +infinitely great, and exceeded by nothing but their poverty, in some +parts, which adds to that which I call their misery; and I must needs +think the savages of America live much more happy than the poorer sort of +these, because as they have nothing, so they desire nothing; whereas +these are proud and insolent and in the main are in many parts mere +beggars and drudges. Their ostentation is inexpressible; and, if they +can, they love to keep multitudes of servants or slaves, which is to the +last degree ridiculous, as well as their contempt of all the world but +themselves. + +I must confess I travelled more pleasantly afterwards in the deserts and +vast wildernesses of Grand Tartary than here, and yet the roads here are +well paved and well kept, and very convenient for travellers; but nothing +was more awkward to me than to see such a haughty, imperious, insolent +people, in the midst of the grossest simplicity and ignorance; and my +friend Father Simon and I used to be very merry upon these occasions, to +see their beggarly pride. For example, coming by the house of a country +gentleman, as Father Simon called him, about ten leagues off the city of +Nankin, we had first of all the honour to ride with the master of the +house about two miles; the state he rode in was a perfect Don Quixotism, +being a mixture of pomp and poverty. His habit was very proper for a +merry-andrew, being a dirty calico, with hanging sleeves, tassels, and +cuts and slashes almost on every side: it covered a taffety vest, so +greasy as to testify that his honour must be a most exquisite sloven. His +horse was a poor, starved, hobbling creature, and two slaves followed him +on foot to drive the poor creature along; he had a whip in his hand, and +he belaboured the beast as fast about the head as his slaves did about +the tail; and thus he rode by us, with about ten or twelve servants, +going from the city to his country seat, about half a league before us. +We travelled on gently, but this figure of a gentleman rode away before +us; and as we stopped at a village about an hour to refresh us, when we +came by the country seat of this great man, we saw him in a little place +before his door, eating a repast. It was a kind of garden, but he was +easy to be seen; and we were given to understand that the more we looked +at him the better he would be pleased. He sat under a tree, something +like the palmetto, which effectually shaded him over the head, and on the +south side; but under the tree was placed a large umbrella, which made +that part look well enough. He sat lolling back in a great elbow-chair, +being a heavy corpulent man, and had his meat brought him by two women +slaves. He had two more, one of whom fed the squire with a spoon, and +the other held the dish with one hand, and scraped off what he let fall +upon his worship's beard and taffety vest. + +Leaving the poor wretch to please himself with our looking at him, as if +we admired his idle pomp, we pursued our journey. Father Simon had the +curiosity to stay to inform himself what dainties the country justice had +to feed on in all his state, which he had the honour to taste of, and +which was, I think, a mess of boiled rice, with a great piece of garlic +in it, and a little bag filled with green pepper, and another plant which +they have there, something like our ginger, but smelling like musk, and +tasting like mustard; all this was put together, and a small piece of +lean mutton boiled in it, and this was his worship's repast. Four or +five servants more attended at a distance, who we supposed were to eat of +the same after their master. As for our mandarin with whom we travelled, +he was respected as a king, surrounded always with his gentlemen, and +attended in all his appearances with such pomp, that I saw little of him +but at a distance. I observed that there was not a horse in his retinue +but that our carrier's packhorses in England seemed to me to look much +better; though it was hard to judge rightly, for they were so covered +with equipage, mantles, trappings, &c., that we could scarce see anything +but their feet and their heads as they went along. + +I was now light-hearted, and all my late trouble and perplexity being +over, I had no anxious thoughts about me, which made this journey the +pleasanter to me; in which no ill accident attended me, only in passing +or fording a small river, my horse fell and made me free of the country, +as they call it--that is to say, threw me in. The place was not deep, +but it wetted me all over. I mention it because it spoiled my pocket- +book, wherein I had set down the names of several people and places which +I had occasion to remember, and which not taking due care of, the leaves +rotted, and the words were never after to be read. + +At length we arrived at Pekin. I had nobody with me but the youth whom +my nephew had given me to attend me as a servant and who proved very +trusty and diligent; and my partner had nobody with him but one servant, +who was a kinsman. As for the Portuguese pilot, he being desirous to see +the court, we bore his charges for his company, and for our use of him as +an interpreter, for he understood the language of the country, and spoke +good French and a little English. Indeed, this old man was most useful +to us everywhere; for we had not been above a week at Pekin, when he came +laughing. "Ah, Seignior Inglese," says he, "I have something to tell +will make your heart glad."--"My heart glad," says I; "what can that be? +I don't know anything in this country can either give me joy or grief to +any great degree."--"Yes, yes," said the old man, in broken English, +"make you glad, me sorry."--"Why," said I, "will it make you +sorry?"--"Because," said he, "you have brought me here twenty-five days' +journey, and will leave me to go back alone; and which way shall I get to +my port afterwards, without a ship, without a horse, without _pecune_?" +so he called money, being his broken Latin, of which he had abundance to +make us merry with. In short, he told us there was a great caravan of +Muscovite and Polish merchants in the city, preparing to set out on their +journey by land to Muscovy, within four or five weeks; and he was sure we +would take the opportunity to go with them, and leave him behind, to go +back alone. + +I confess I was greatly surprised with this good news, and had scarce +power to speak to him for some time; but at last I said to him, "How do +you know this? are you sure it is true?"--"Yes," says he; "I met this +morning in the street an old acquaintance of mine, an Armenian, who is +among them. He came last from Astrakhan, and was designed to go to +Tonquin, where I formerly knew him, but has altered his mind, and is now +resolved to go with the caravan to Moscow, and so down the river Volga to +Astrakhan."--"Well, Seignior," says I, "do not be uneasy about being left +to go back alone; if this be a method for my return to England, it shall +be your fault if you go back to Macao at all." We then went to consult +together what was to be done; and I asked my partner what he thought of +the pilot's news, and whether it would suit with his affairs? He told me +he would do just as I would; for he had settled all his affairs so well +at Bengal, and left his effects in such good hands, that as we had made a +good voyage, if he could invest it in China silks, wrought and raw, he +would be content to go to England, and then make a voyage back to Bengal +by the Company's ships. + +Having resolved upon this, we agreed that if our Portuguese pilot would +go with us, we would bear his charges to Moscow, or to England, if he +pleased; nor, indeed, were we to be esteemed over-generous in that +either, if we had not rewarded him further, the service he had done us +being really worth more than that; for he had not only been a pilot to us +at sea, but he had been like a broker for us on shore; and his procuring +for us a Japan merchant was some hundreds of pounds in our pockets. So, +being willing to gratify him, which was but doing him justice, and very +willing also to have him with us besides, for he was a most necessary man +on all occasions, we agreed to give him a quantity of coined gold, which, +as I computed it, was worth one hundred and seventy-five pounds sterling, +between us, and to bear all his charges, both for himself and horse, +except only a horse to carry his goods. Having settled this between +ourselves, we called him to let him know what we had resolved. I told +him he had complained of our being willing to let him go back alone, and +I was now about to tell him we designed he should not go back at all. +That as we had resolved to go to Europe with the caravan, we were very +willing he should go with us; and that we called him to know his mind. He +shook his head and said it was a long journey, and that he had no +_pecune_ to carry him thither, or to subsist himself when he came there. +We told him we believed it was so, and therefore we had resolved to do +something for him that should let him see how sensible we were of the +service he had done us, and also how agreeable he was to us: and then I +told him what we had resolved to give him here, which he might lay out as +we would do our own; and that as for his charges, if he would go with us +we would set him safe on shore (life and casualties excepted), either in +Muscovy or England, as he would choose, at our own charge, except only +the carriage of his goods. He received the proposal like a man +transported, and told us he would go with us over all the whole world; +and so we all prepared for our journey. However, as it was with us, so +it was with the other merchants: they had many things to do, and instead +of being ready in five weeks, it was four months and some days before all +things were got together. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV--ATTACKED BY TARTARS + + +It was the beginning of February, new style, when we set out from Pekin. +My partner and the old pilot had gone express back to the port where we +had first put in, to dispose of some goods which we had left there; and +I, with a Chinese merchant whom I had some knowledge of at Nankin, and +who came to Pekin on his own affairs, went to Nankin, where I bought +ninety pieces of fine damasks, with about two hundred pieces of other +very fine silk of several sorts, some mixed with gold, and had all these +brought to Pekin against my partner's return. Besides this, we bought a +large quantity of raw silk, and some other goods, our cargo amounting, in +these goods only, to about three thousand five hundred pounds sterling; +which, together with tea and some fine calicoes, and three camels' loads +of nutmegs and cloves, loaded in all eighteen camels for our share, +besides those we rode upon; these, with two or three spare horses, and +two horses loaded with provisions, made together twenty-six camels and +horses in our retinue. + +The company was very great, and, as near as I can remember, made between +three and four hundred horses, and upwards of one hundred and twenty men, +very well armed and provided for all events; for as the Eastern caravans +are subject to be attacked by the Arabs, so are these by the Tartars. The +company consisted of people of several nations, but there were above +sixty of them merchants or inhabitants of Moscow, though of them some +were Livonians; and to our particular satisfaction, five of them were +Scots, who appeared also to be men of great experience in business, and +of very good substance. + +When we had travelled one day's journey, the guides, who were five in +number, called all the passengers, except the servants, to a great +council, as they called it. At this council every one deposited a +certain quantity of money to a common stock, for the necessary expense of +buying forage on the way, where it was not otherwise to be had, and for +satisfying the guides, getting horses, and the like. Here, too, they +constituted the journey, as they call it, viz. they named captains and +officers to draw us all up, and give the word of command, in case of an +attack, and give every one their turn of command; nor was this forming us +into order any more than what we afterwards found needful on the way. + +The road all on this side of the country is very populous, and is full of +potters and earth-makers--that is to say, people, that temper the earth +for the China ware. As I was coming along, our Portuguese pilot, who had +always something or other to say to make us merry, told me he would show +me the greatest rarity in all the country, and that I should have this to +say of China, after all the ill-humoured things that I had said of it, +that I had seen one thing which was not to be seen in all the world +beside. I was very importunate to know what it was; at last he told me +it was a gentleman's house built with China ware. "Well," says I, "are +not the materials of their buildings the products of their own country, +and so it is all China ware, is it not?"--"No, no," says he, "I mean it +is a house all made of China ware, such as you call it in England, or as +it is called in our country, porcelain."--"Well," says I, "such a thing +may be; how big is it? Can we carry it in a box upon a camel? If we can +we will buy it."--"Upon a camel!" says the old pilot, holding up both his +hands; "why, there is a family of thirty people lives in it." + +I was then curious, indeed, to see it; and when I came to it, it was +nothing but this: it was a timber house, or a house built, as we call it +in England, with lath and plaster, but all this plastering was really +China ware--that is to say, it was plastered with the earth that makes +China ware. The outside, which the sun shone hot upon, was glazed, and +looked very well, perfectly white, and painted with blue figures, as the +large China ware in England is painted, and hard as if it had been burnt. +As to the inside, all the walls, instead of wainscot, were lined with +hardened and painted tiles, like the little square tiles we call galley- +tiles in England, all made of the finest china, and the figures exceeding +fine indeed, with extraordinary variety of colours, mixed with gold, many +tiles making but one figure, but joined so artificially, the mortar being +made of the same earth, that it was very hard to see where the tiles met. +The floors of the rooms were of the same composition, and as hard as the +earthen floors we have in use in several parts of England; as hard as +stone, and smooth, but not burnt and painted, except some smaller rooms, +like closets, which were all, as it were, paved with the same tile; the +ceiling and all the plastering work in the whole house were of the same +earth; and, after all, the roof was covered with tiles of the same, but +of a deep shining black. This was a China warehouse indeed, truly and +literally to be called so, and had I not been upon the journey, I could +have stayed some days to see and examine the particulars of it. They +told me there were fountains and fishponds in the garden, all paved on +the bottom and sides with the same; and fine statues set up in rows on +the walks, entirely formed of the porcelain earth, burnt whole. + +As this is one of the singularities of China, so they may be allowed to +excel in it; but I am very sure they excel in their accounts of it; for +they told me such incredible things of their performance in +crockery-ware, for such it is, that I care not to relate, as knowing it +could not be true. They told me, in particular, of one workman that made +a ship with all its tackle and masts and sails in earthenware, big enough +to carry fifty men. If they had told me he launched it, and made a +voyage to Japan in it, I might have said something to it indeed; but as +it was, I knew the whole of the story, which was, in short, that the +fellow lied: so I smiled, and said nothing to it. This odd sight kept me +two hours behind the caravan, for which the leader of it for the day +fined me about the value of three shillings; and told me if it had been +three days' journey without the wall, as it was three days' within, he +must have fined me four times as much, and made me ask pardon the next +council-day. I promised to be more orderly; and, indeed, I found +afterwards the orders made for keeping all together were absolutely +necessary for our common safety. + +In two days more we passed the great China wall, made for a fortification +against the Tartars: and a very great work it is, going over hills and +mountains in an endless track, where the rocks are impassable, and the +precipices such as no enemy could possibly enter, or indeed climb up, or +where, if they did, no wall could hinder them. They tell us its length +is near a thousand English miles, but that the country is five hundred in +a straight measured line, which the wall bounds without measuring the +windings and turnings it takes; it is about four fathoms high, and as +many thick in some places. + +I stood still an hour or thereabouts without trespassing on our orders +(for so long the caravan was in passing the gate), to look at it on every +side, near and far off; I mean what was within my view: and the guide, +who had been extolling it for the wonder of the world, was mighty eager +to hear my opinion of it. I told him it was a most excellent thing to +keep out the Tartars; which he happened not to understand as I meant it +and so took it for a compliment; but the old pilot laughed! "Oh, +Seignior Inglese," says he, "you speak in colours."--"In colours!" said +I; "what do you mean by that?"--"Why, you speak what looks white this way +and black that way--gay one way and dull another. You tell him it is a +good wall to keep out Tartars; you tell me by that it is good for nothing +but to keep out Tartars. I understand you, Seignior Inglese, I +understand you; but Seignior Chinese understood you his own way."--"Well," +says I, "do you think it would stand out an army of our country people, +with a good train of artillery; or our engineers, with two companies of +miners? Would not they batter it down in ten days, that an army might +enter in battalia; or blow it up in the air, foundation and all, that +there should be no sign of it left?"--"Ay, ay," says he, "I know that." +The Chinese wanted mightily to know what I said to the pilot, and I gave +him leave to tell him a few days after, for we were then almost out of +their country, and he was to leave us a little time after this; but when +he knew what I said, he was dumb all the rest of the way, and we heard no +more of his fine story of the Chinese power and greatness while he +stayed. + +After we passed this mighty nothing, called a wall, something like the +Picts' walls so famous in Northumberland, built by the Romans, we began +to find the country thinly inhabited, and the people rather confined to +live in fortified towns, as being subject to the inroads and depredations +of the Tartars, who rob in great armies, and therefore are not to be +resisted by the naked inhabitants of an open country. And here I began +to find the necessity of keeping together in a caravan as we travelled, +for we saw several troops of Tartars roving about; but when I came to see +them distinctly, I wondered more that the Chinese empire could be +conquered by such contemptible fellows; for they are a mere horde of wild +fellows, keeping no order and understanding no discipline or manner of +it. Their horses are poor lean creatures, taught nothing, and fit for +nothing; and this we found the first day we saw them, which was after we +entered the wilder part of the country. Our leader for the day gave +leave for about sixteen of us to go a hunting as they call it; and what +was this but a hunting of sheep!--however, it may be called hunting too, +for these creatures are the wildest and swiftest of foot that ever I saw +of their kind! only they will not run a great way, and you are sure of +sport when you begin the chase, for they appear generally thirty or forty +in a flock, and, like true sheep, always keep together when they fly. + +In pursuit of this odd sort of game it was our hap to meet with about +forty Tartars: whether they were hunting mutton, as we were, or whether +they looked for another kind of prey, we know not; but as soon as they +saw us, one of them blew a hideous blast on a kind of horn. This was to +call their friends about them, and in less than ten minutes a troop of +forty or fifty more appeared, at about a mile distance; but our work was +over first, as it happened. + +One of the Scots merchants of Moscow happened to be amongst us; and as +soon as he heard the horn, he told us that we had nothing to do but to +charge them without loss of time; and drawing us up in a line, he asked +if we were resolved. We told him we were ready to follow him; so he rode +directly towards them. They stood gazing at us like a mere crowd, drawn +up in no sort of order at all; but as soon as they saw us advance, they +let fly their arrows, which missed us, very happily. Not that they +mistook their aim, but their distance; for their arrows all fell a little +short of us, but with so true an aim, that had we been about twenty yards +nearer we must have had several men wounded, if not killed. + +Immediately we halted, and though it was at a great distance, we fired, +and sent them leaden bullets for wooden arrows, following our shot full +gallop, to fall in among them sword in hand--for so our bold Scot that +led us directed. He was, indeed, but a merchant, but he behaved with +such vigour and bravery on this occasion, and yet with such cool courage +too, that I never saw any man in action fitter for command. As soon as +we came up to them we fired our pistols in their faces and then drew; but +they fled in the greatest confusion imaginable. The only stand any of +them made was on our right, where three of them stood, and, by signs, +called the rest to come back to them, having a kind of scimitar in their +hands, and their bows hanging to their backs. Our brave commander, +without asking anybody to follow him, gallops up close to them, and with +his fusee knocks one of them off his horse, killed the second with his +pistol, and the third ran away. Thus ended our fight; but we had this +misfortune attending it, that all our mutton we had in chase got away. We +had not a man killed or hurt; as for the Tartars, there were about five +of them killed--how many were wounded we knew not; but this we knew, that +the other party were so frightened with the noise of our guns that they +fled, and never made any attempt upon us. + +We were all this while in the Chinese dominions, and therefore the +Tartars were not so bold as afterwards; but in about five days we entered +a vast wild desert, which held us three days' and nights' march; and we +were obliged to carry our water with us in great leathern bottles, and to +encamp all night, just as I have heard they do in the desert of Arabia. I +asked our guides whose dominion this was in, and they told me this was a +kind of border that might be called no man's land, being a part of Great +Karakathy, or Grand Tartary: that, however, it was all reckoned as +belonging to China, but that there was no care taken here to preserve it +from the inroads of thieves, and therefore it was reckoned the worst +desert in the whole march, though we were to go over some much larger. + +In passing this frightful wilderness we saw, two or three times, little +parties of the Tartars, but they seemed to be upon their own affairs, and +to have no design upon us; and so, like the man who met the devil, if +they had nothing to say to us, we had nothing to say to them: we let them +go. Once, however, a party of them came so near as to stand and gaze at +us. Whether it was to consider if they should attack us or not, we knew +not; but when we had passed at some distance by them, we made a +rear-guard of forty men, and stood ready for them, letting the caravan +pass half a mile or thereabouts before us. After a while they marched +off, but they saluted us with five arrows at their parting, which wounded +a horse so that it disabled him, and we left him the next day, poor +creature, in great need of a good farrier. We saw no more arrows or +Tartars that time. + +We travelled near a month after this, the ways not being so good as at +first, though still in the dominions of the Emperor of China, but lay for +the most part in the villages, some of which were fortified, because of +the incursions of the Tartars. When we were come to one of these towns +(about two days and a half's journey before we came to the city of Naum), +I wanted to buy a camel, of which there are plenty to be sold all the way +upon that road, and horses also, such as they are, because, so many +caravans coming that way, they are often wanted. The person that I spoke +to to get me a camel would have gone and fetched one for me; but I, like +a fool, must be officious, and go myself along with him; the place was +about two miles out of the village, where it seems they kept the camels +and horses feeding under a guard. + +I walked it on foot, with my old pilot and a Chinese, being very desirous +of a little variety. When we came to the place it was a low, marshy +ground, walled round with stones, piled up dry, without mortar or earth +among them, like a park, with a little guard of Chinese soldiers at the +door. Having bought a camel, and agreed for the price, I came away, and +the Chinese that went with me led the camel, when on a sudden came up +five Tartars on horseback. Two of them seized the fellow and took the +camel from him, while the other three stepped up to me and my old pilot, +seeing us, as it were, unarmed, for I had no weapon about me but my +sword, which could but ill defend me against three horsemen. The first +that came up stopped short upon my drawing my sword, for they are arrant +cowards; but a second, coming upon my left, gave me a blow on the head, +which I never felt till afterwards, and wondered, when I came to myself, +what was the matter, and where I was, for he laid me flat on the ground; +but my never-failing old pilot, the Portuguese, had a pistol in his +pocket, which I knew nothing of, nor the Tartars either: if they had, I +suppose they would not have attacked us, for cowards are always boldest +when there is no danger. The old man seeing me down, with a bold heart +stepped up to the fellow that had struck me, and laying hold of his arm +with one hand, and pulling him down by main force a little towards him, +with the other shot him into the head, and laid him dead upon the spot. +He then immediately stepped up to him who had stopped us, as I said, and +before he could come forward again, made a blow at him with a scimitar, +which he always wore, but missing the man, struck his horse in the side +of his head, cut one of the ears off by the root, and a great slice down +by the side of his face. The poor beast, enraged with the wound, was no +more to be governed by his rider, though the fellow sat well enough too, +but away he flew, and carried him quite out of the pilot's reach; and at +some distance, rising upon his hind legs, threw down the Tartar, and fell +upon him. + +In this interval the poor Chinese came in who had lost the camel, but he +had no weapon; however, seeing the Tartar down, and his horse fallen upon +him, away he runs to him, and seizing upon an ugly weapon he had by his +side, something like a pole-axe, he wrenched it from him, and made shift +to knock his Tartarian brains out with it. But my old man had the third +Tartar to deal with still; and seeing he did not fly, as he expected, nor +come on to fight him, as he apprehended, but stood stock still, the old +man stood still too, and fell to work with his tackle to charge his +pistol again: but as soon as the Tartar saw the pistol away he scoured, +and left my pilot, my champion I called him afterwards, a complete +victory. + +By this time I was a little recovered. I thought, when I first began to +wake, that I had been in a sweet sleep; but, as I said above, I wondered +where I was, how I came upon the ground, and what was the matter. A few +moments after, as sense returned, I felt pain, though I did not know +where; so I clapped my hand to my head, and took it away bloody; then I +felt my head ache: and in a moment memory returned, and everything was +present to me again. I jumped upon my feet instantly, and got hold of my +sword, but no enemies were in view: I found a Tartar lying dead, and his +horse standing very quietly by him; and, looking further, I saw my +deliverer, who had been to see what the Chinese had done, coming back +with his hanger in his hand. The old man, seeing me on my feet, came +running to me, and joyfully embraced me, being afraid before that I had +been killed. Seeing me bloody, he would see how I was hurt; but it was +not much, only what we call a broken head; neither did I afterwards find +any great inconvenience from the blow, for it was well again in two or +three days. + +We made no great gain, however, by this victory, for we lost a camel and +gained a horse. I paid for the lost camel, and sent for another; but I +did not go to fetch it myself: I had had enough of that. + +The city of Naum, which we were approaching, is a frontier of the Chinese +empire, and is fortified in their fashion. We wanted, as I have said, +above two days' journey of this city when messengers were sent express to +every part of the road to tell all travellers and caravans to halt till +they had a guard sent for them; for that an unusual body of Tartars, +making ten thousand in all, had appeared in the way, about thirty miles +beyond the city. + +This was very bad news to travellers: however, it was carefully done of +the governor, and we were very glad to hear we should have a guard. +Accordingly, two days after, we had two hundred soldiers sent us from a +garrison of the Chinese on our left, and three hundred more from the city +of Naum, and with these we advanced boldly. The three hundred soldiers +from Naum marched in our front, the two hundred in our rear, and our men +on each side of our camels, with our baggage and the whole caravan in the +centre; in this order, and well prepared for battle, we thought ourselves +a match for the whole ten thousand Mogul Tartars, if they had appeared; +but the next day, when they did appear, it was quite another thing. + + + + +CHAPTER XV--DESCRIPTION OF AN IDOL, WHICH THEY DESTROY + + +Early in the morning, when marching from a little town called Changu, we +had a river to pass, which we were obliged to ferry; and, had the Tartars +had any intelligence, then had been the time to have attacked us, when +the caravan being over, the rear-guard was behind; but they did not +appear there. About three hours after, when we were entered upon a +desert of about fifteen or sixteen miles over, we knew by a cloud of dust +they raised, that the enemy was at hand, and presently they came on upon +the spur. + +Our Chinese guards in the front, who had talked so big the day before, +began to stagger; and the soldiers frequently looked behind them, a +certain sign in a soldier that he is just ready to run away. My old +pilot was of my mind; and being near me, called out, "Seignior Inglese, +these fellows must be encouraged, or they will ruin us all; for if the +Tartars come on they will never stand it."--"If am of your mind," said I; +"but what must be done?"--"Done?" says he, "let fifty of our men advance, +and flank them on each wing, and encourage them. They will fight like +brave fellows in brave company; but without this they will every man turn +his back." Immediately I rode up to our leader and told him, who was +exactly of our mind; accordingly, fifty of us marched to the right wing, +and fifty to the left, and the rest made a line of rescue; and so we +marched, leaving the last two hundred men to make a body of themselves, +and to guard the camels; only that, if need were, they should send a +hundred men to assist the last fifty. + +At last the Tartars came on, and an innumerable company they were; how +many we could not tell, but ten thousand, we thought, at the least. A +party of them came on first, and viewed our posture, traversing the +ground in the front of our line; and, as we found them within gunshot, +our leader ordered the two wings to advance swiftly, and give them a +salvo on each wing with their shot, which was done. They then went off, +I suppose to give an account of the reception they were like to meet +with; indeed, that salute cloyed their stomachs, for they immediately +halted, stood a while to consider of it, and wheeling off to the left, +they gave over their design for that time, which was very agreeable to +our circumstances. + +Two days after we came to the city of Naun, or Naum; we thanked the +governor for his care of us, and collected to the value of a hundred +crowns, or thereabouts, which we gave to the soldiers sent to guard us; +and here we rested one day. This is a garrison indeed, and there were +nine hundred soldiers kept here; but the reason of it was, that formerly +the Muscovite frontiers lay nearer to them than they now do, the +Muscovites having abandoned that part of the country, which lies from +this city west for about two hundred miles, as desolate and unfit for +use; and more especially being so very remote, and so difficult to send +troops thither for its defence; for we were yet above two thousand miles +from Muscovy properly so called. After this we passed several great +rivers, and two dreadful deserts; one of which we were sixteen days +passing over; and on the 13th of April we came to the frontiers of the +Muscovite dominions. I think the first town or fortress, whichever it +may he called, that belonged to the Czar, was called Arguna, being on the +west side of the river Arguna. + +I could not but feel great satisfaction that I was arrived in a country +governed by Christians; for though the Muscovites do, in my opinion, but +just deserve the name of Christians, yet such they pretend to be, and are +very devout in their way. It would certainly occur to any reflecting man +who travels the world as I have done, what a blessing it is to be brought +into the world where the name of God and a Redeemer is known, adored, and +worshipped; and not where the people, given up to strong delusions, +worship the devil, and prostrate themselves to monsters, elements, horrid- +shaped animals, and monstrous images. Not a town or city we passed +through but had their pagodas, their idols, and their temples, and +ignorant people worshipping even the works of their own hands. Now we +came where, at least, a face of the Christian worship appeared; where the +knee was bowed to Jesus: and whether ignorantly or not, yet the Christian +religion was owned, and the name of the true God was called upon and +adored; and it made my soul rejoice to see it. I saluted the brave Scots +merchant with my first acknowledgment of this; and taking him by the +hand, I said to him, "Blessed be God, we are once again amongst +Christians." He smiled, and answered, "Do not rejoice too soon, +countryman; these Muscovites are but an odd sort of Christians; and but +for the name of it you may see very little of the substance for some +months further of our journey."--"Well," says I, "but still it is better +than paganism, and worshipping of devils."--"Why, I will tell you," says +he; "except the Russian soldiers in the garrisons, and a few of the +inhabitants of the cities upon the road, all the rest of this country, +for above a thousand miles farther, is inhabited by the worst and most +ignorant of pagans." And so, indeed, we found it. + +We now launched into the greatest piece of solid earth that is to be +found in any part of the world; we had, at least, twelve thousand miles +to the sea eastward; two thousand to the bottom of the Baltic Sea +westward; and above three thousand, if we left that sea, and went on +west, to the British and French channels: we had full five thousand miles +to the Indian or Persian Sea south; and about eight hundred to the Frozen +Sea north. + +We advanced from the river Arguna by easy and moderate journeys, and were +very visibly obliged to the care the Czar has taken to have cities and +towns built in as many places as it is possible to place them, where his +soldiers keep garrison, something like the stationary soldiers placed by +the Romans in the remotest countries of their empire; some of which I had +read of were placed in Britain, for the security of commerce, and for the +lodging of travellers. Thus it was here; for wherever we came, though at +these towns and stations the garrisons and governors were Russians, and +professed Christians, yet the inhabitants were mere pagans, sacrificing +to idols, and worshipping the sun, moon, and stars, or all the host of +heaven; and not only so, but were, of all the heathens and pagans that +ever I met with, the most barbarous, except only that they did not eat +men's flesh. + +Some instances of this we met with in the country between Arguna, where +we enter the Muscovite dominions, and a city of Tartars and Russians +together, called Nortziousky, in which is a continued desert or forest, +which cost us twenty days to travel over. In a village near the last of +these places I had the curiosity to go and see their way of living, which +is most brutish and unsufferable. They had, I suppose, a great sacrifice +that day; for there stood out, upon an old stump of a tree, a diabolical +kind of idol made of wood; it was dressed up, too, in the most filthy +manner; its upper garment was of sheepskins, with the wool outward; a +great Tartar bonnet on the head, with two horns growing through it; it +was about eight feet high, yet had no feet or legs, nor any other +proportion of parts. + +This scarecrow was set up at the outer side of the village; and when I +came near to it there were sixteen or seventeen creatures all lying flat +upon the ground round this hideous block of wood; I saw no motion among +them, any more than if they had been all logs, like the idol, and at +first I really thought they had been so; but, when I came a little +nearer, they started up upon their feet, and raised a howl, as if it had +been so many deep-mouthed hounds, and walked away, as if they were +displeased at our disturbing them. A little way off from the idol, and +at the door of a hut, made of sheep and cow skins dried, stood three men +with long knives in their hands; and in the middle of the tent appeared +three sheep killed, and one young bullock. These, it seems, were +sacrifices to that senseless log of an idol; the three men were priests +belonging to it, and the seventeen prostrated wretches were the people +who brought the offering, and were offering their prayers to that stock. + +I confess I was more moved at their stupidity and brutish worship of a +hobgoblin than ever I was at anything in my life, and, overcome with +rage, I rode up to the hideous idol, and with my sword made a stroke at +the bonnet that was on its head, and cut it in two; and one of our men +that was with me, taking hold of the sheepskin that covered it, pulled at +it, when, behold, a most hideous outcry ran through the village, and two +or three hundred people came about my ears, so that I was glad to scour +for it, for some had bows and arrows; but I resolved from that moment to +visit them again. Our caravan rested three nights at the town, which was +about four miles off, in order to provide some horses which they wanted, +several of the horses having been lamed and jaded with the long march +over the last desert; so we had some leisure here to put my design in +execution. I communicated it to the Scots merchant, of whose courage I +had sufficient testimony; I told him what I had seen, and with what +indignation I had since thought that human nature could be so degenerate; +I told him if I could get but four or five men well armed to go with me, +I was resolved to go and destroy that vile, abominable idol, and let them +see that it had no power to help itself, and consequently could not be an +object of worship, or to be prayed to, much less help them that offered +sacrifices to it. + +He at first objected to my plan as useless, seeing that, owing to the +gross ignorance of the people, they could not be brought to profit by the +lesson I meant to teach them; and added that, from his knowledge of the +country and its customs, he feared we should fall into great peril by +giving offence to these brutal idol worshippers. This somewhat stayed my +purpose, but I was still uneasy all that day to put my project in +execution; and that evening, meeting the Scots merchant in our walk about +the town, I again called upon him to aid me in it. When he found me +resolute he said that, on further thoughts, he could not but applaud the +design, and told me I should not go alone, but he would go with me; but +he would go first and bring a stout fellow, one of his countrymen, to go +also with us; "and one," said he, "as famous for his zeal as you can +desire any one to be against such devilish things as these." So we +agreed to go, only we three and my man-servant, and resolved to put it in +execution the following night about midnight, with all possible secrecy. + +We thought it better to delay it till the next night, because the caravan +being to set forward in the morning, we suppose the governor could not +pretend to give them any satisfaction upon us when we were out of his +power. The Scots merchant, as steady in his resolution for the +enterprise as bold in executing, brought me a Tartar's robe or gown of +sheepskins, and a bonnet, with a bow and arrows, and had provided the +same for himself and his countryman, that the people, if they saw us, +should not determine who we were. All the first night we spent in mixing +up some combustible matter, with aqua vitae, gunpowder, and such other +materials as we could get; and having a good quantity of tar in a little +pot, about an hour after night we set out upon our expedition. + +We came to the place about eleven o'clock at night, and found that the +people had not the least suspicion of danger attending their idol. The +night was cloudy: yet the moon gave us light enough to see that the idol +stood just in the same posture and place that it did before. The people +seemed to be all at their rest; only that in the great hut, where we saw +the three priests, we saw a light, and going up close to the door, we +heard people talking as if there were five or six of them; we concluded, +therefore, that if we set wildfire to the idol, those men would come out +immediately, and run up to the place to rescue it from destruction; and +what to do with them we knew not. Once we thought of carrying it away, +and setting fire to it at a distance; but when we came to handle it, we +found it too bulky for our carriage, so we were at a loss again. The +second Scotsman was for setting fire to the hut, and knocking the +creatures that were there on the head when they came out; but I could not +join with that; I was against killing them, if it were possible to avoid +it. "Well, then," said the Scots merchant, "I will tell you what we will +do: we will try to make them prisoners, tie their hands, and make them +stand and see their idol destroyed." + +As it happened, we had twine or packthread enough about us, which we used +to tie our firelocks together with; so we resolved to attack these people +first, and with as little noise as we could. The first thing we did, we +knocked at the door, when one of the priests coming to it, we immediately +seized upon him, stopped his mouth, and tied his hands behind him, and +led him to the idol, where we gagged him that he might not make a noise, +tied his feet also together, and left him on the ground. + +Two of us then waited at the door, expecting that another would come out +to see what the matter was; but we waited so long till the third man came +back to us; and then nobody coming out, we knocked again gently, and +immediately out came two more, and we served them just in the same +manner, but were obliged to go all with them, and lay them down by the +idol some distance from one another; when, going back, we found two more +were come out of the door, and a third stood behind them within the door. +We seized the two, and immediately tied them, when the third, stepping +back and crying out, my Scots merchant went in after them, and taking out +a composition we had made that would only smoke and stink, he set fire to +it, and threw it in among them. By that time the other Scotsman and my +man, taking charge of the two men already bound, and tied together also +by the arm, led them away to the idol, and left them there, to see if +their idol would relieve them, making haste back to us. + +When the fuze we had thrown in had filled the hut with so much smoke that +they were almost suffocated, we threw in a small leather bag of another +kind, which flamed like a candle, and, following it in, we found there +were but four people, who, as we supposed, had been about some of their +diabolical sacrifices. They appeared, in short, frightened to death, at +least so as to sit trembling and stupid, and not able to speak either, +for the smoke. + +We quickly took them from the hut, where the smoke soon drove us out, +bound them as we had done the other, and all without any noise. Then we +carried them all together to the idol; when we came there, we fell to +work with him. First, we daubed him all over, and his robes also, with +tar, and tallow mixed with brimstone; then we stopped his eyes and ears +and mouth full of gunpowder, and wrapped up a great piece of wildfire in +his bonnet; then sticking all the combustibles we had brought with us +upon him, we looked about to see if we could find anything else to help +to burn him; when my Scotsman remembered that by the hut, where the men +were, there lay a heap of dry forage; away he and the other Scotsman ran +and fetched their arms full of that. When we had done this, we took all +our prisoners, and brought them, having untied their feet and ungagged +their mouths, and made them stand up, and set them before their monstrous +idol, and then set fire to the whole. + +We stayed by it a quarter of an hour or thereabouts, till the powder in +the eyes and mouth and ears of the idol blew up, and, as we could +perceive, had split altogether; and in a word, till we saw it burned so +that it would soon be quite consumed. We then began to think of going +away; but the Scotsman said, "No, we must not go, for these poor deluded +wretches will all throw themselves into the fire, and burn themselves +with the idol." So we resolved to stay till the forage has burned down +too, and then came away and left them. After the feat was performed, we +appeared in the morning among our fellow-travellers, exceedingly busy in +getting ready for our journey; nor could any man suppose that we had been +anywhere but in our beds. + +But the affair did not end so; the next day came a great number of the +country people to the town gates, and in a most outrageous manner +demanded satisfaction of the Russian governor for the insulting their +priests and burning their great Cham Chi-Thaungu. The people of +Nertsinkay were at first in a great consternation, for they said the +Tartars were already no less than thirty thousand strong. The Russian +governor sent out messengers to appease them, assuring them that he knew +nothing of it, and that there had not a soul in his garrison been abroad, +so that it could not be from anybody there: but if they could let him +know who did it, they should be exemplarily punished. They returned +haughtily, that all the country reverenced the great Cham Chi-Thaungu, +who dwelt in the sun, and no mortal would have dared to offer violence to +his image but some Christian miscreant; and they therefore resolved to +denounce war against him and all the Russians, who, they said, were +miscreants and Christians. + +The governor, unwilling to make a breach, or to have any cause of war +alleged to be given by him, the Czar having strictly charged him to treat +the conquered country with gentleness, gave them all the good words he +could. At last he told them there was a caravan gone towards Russia that +morning, and perhaps it was some of them who had done them this injury; +and that if they would be satisfied with that, he would send after them +to inquire into it. This seemed to appease them a little; and +accordingly the governor sent after us, and gave us a particular account +how the thing was; intimating withal, that if any in our caravan had done +it they should make their escape; but that whether we had done it or no, +we should make all the haste forward that was possible: and that, in the +meantime, he would keep them in play as long as he could. + +This was very friendly in the governor; however, when it came to the +caravan, there was nobody knew anything of the matter; and as for us that +were guilty, we were least of all suspected. However, the captain of the +caravan for the time took the hint that the governor gave us, and we +travelled two days and two nights without any considerable stop, and then +we lay at a village called Plothus: nor did we make any long stop here, +but hastened on towards Jarawena, another Muscovite colony, and where we +expected we should be safe. But upon the second day's march from +Plothus, by the clouds of dust behind us at a great distance, it was +plain we were pursued. We had entered a vast desert, and had passed by a +great lake called Schanks Oser, when we perceived a large body of horse +appear on the other side of the lake, to the north, we travelling west. +We observed they went away west, as we did, but had supposed we would +have taken that side of the lake, whereas we very happily took the south +side; and in two days more they disappeared again: for they, believing we +were still before them, pushed on till they came to the Udda, a very +great river when it passes farther north, but when we came to it we found +it narrow and fordable. + +The third day they had either found their mistake, or had intelligence of +us, and came pouring in upon us towards dusk. We had, to our great +satisfaction, just pitched upon a convenient place for our camp; for as +we had just entered upon a desert above five hundred miles over, where we +had no towns to lodge at, and, indeed, expected none but the city +Jarawena, which we had yet two days' march to; the desert, however, had +some few woods in it on this side, and little rivers, which ran all into +the great river Udda; it was in a narrow strait, between little but very +thick woods, that we pitched our camp that night, expecting to be +attacked before morning. As it was usual for the Mogul Tartars to go +about in troops in that desert, so the caravans always fortify themselves +every night against them, as against armies of robbers; and it was, +therefore, no new thing to be pursued. But we had this night a most +advantageous camp: for as we lay between two woods, with a little rivulet +running just before our front, we could not be surrounded, or attacked +any way but in our front or rear. We took care also to make our front as +strong as we could, by placing our packs, with the camels and horses, all +in a line, on the inside of the river, and felling some trees in our +rear. + +In this posture we encamped for the night; but the enemy was upon us +before we had finished. They did not come on like thieves, as we +expected, but sent three messengers to us, to demand the men to be +delivered to them that had abused their priests and burned their idol, +that they might burn them with fire; and upon this, they said, they would +go away, and do us no further harm, otherwise they would destroy us all. +Our men looked very blank at this message, and began to stare at one +another to see who looked with the most guilt in their faces; but nobody +was the word--nobody did it. The leader of the caravan sent word he was +well assured that it was not done by any of our camp; that we were +peaceful merchants, travelling on our business; that we had done no harm +to them or to any one else; and that, therefore, they must look further +for the enemies who had injured them, for we were not the people; so they +desired them not to disturb us, for if they did we should defend +ourselves. + +They were far from being satisfied with this for an answer: and a great +crowd of them came running down in the morning, by break of day, to our +camp; but seeing us so well posted, they durst come no farther than the +brook in our front, where they stood in such number as to terrify us very +much; indeed, some spoke of ten thousand. Here they stood and looked at +us a while, and then, setting up a great howl, let fly a crowd of arrows +among us; but we were well enough sheltered under our baggage, and I do +not remember that one of us was hurt. + +Some time after this we saw them move a little to our right, and expected +them on the rear: when a cunning fellow, a Cossack of Jarawena, calling +to the leader of the caravan, said to him, "I will send all these people +away to Sibeilka." This was a city four or five days' journey at least +to the right, and rather behind us. So he takes his bow and arrows, and +getting on horseback, he rides away from our rear directly, as it were +back to Nertsinskay; after this he takes a great circuit about, and comes +directly on the army of the Tartars as if he had been sent express to +tell them a long story that the people who had burned the Cham +Chi-Thaungu were gone to Sibeilka, with a caravan of miscreants, as he +called them--that is to say, Christians; and that they had resolved to +burn the god Scal-Isar, belonging to the Tonguses. As this fellow was +himself a Tartar, and perfectly spoke their language, he counterfeited so +well that they all believed him, and away they drove in a violent hurry +to Sibeilka. In less than three hours they were entirely out of our +sight, and we never heard any more of them, nor whether they went to +Sibeilka or no. So we passed away safely on to Jarawena, where there was +a Russian garrison, and there we rested five days. + +From this city we had a frightful desert, which held us twenty-three +days' march. We furnished ourselves with some tents here, for the better +accommodating ourselves in the night; and the leader of the caravan +procured sixteen waggons of the country, for carrying our water or +provisions, and these carriages were our defence every night round our +little camp; so that had the Tartars appeared, unless they had been very +numerous indeed, they would not have been able to hurt us. We may well +be supposed to have wanted rest again after this long journey; for in +this desert we neither saw house nor tree, and scarce a bush; though we +saw abundance of the sable-hunters, who are all Tartars of Mogul Tartary; +of which this country is a part; and they frequently attack small +caravans, but we saw no numbers of them together. + +After we had passed this desert we came into a country pretty well +inhabited--that is to say, we found towns and castles, settled by the +Czar with garrisons of stationary soldiers, to protect the caravans and +defend the country against the Tartars, who would otherwise make it very +dangerous travelling; and his czarish majesty has given such strict +orders for the well guarding the caravans, that, if there are any Tartars +heard of in the country, detachments of the garrison are always sent to +see the travellers safe from station to station. Thus the governor of +Adinskoy, whom I had an opportunity to make a visit to, by means of the +Scots merchant, who was acquainted with him, offered us a guard of fifty +men, if we thought there was any danger, to the next station. + +I thought, long before this, that as we came nearer to Europe we should +find the country better inhabited, and the people more civilised; but I +found myself mistaken in both: for we had yet the nation of the Tonguses +to pass through, where we saw the same tokens of paganism and barbarity +as before; only, as they were conquered by the Muscovites, they were not +so dangerous, but for rudeness of manners and idolatry no people in the +world ever went beyond them. They are all clothed in skins of beasts, +and their houses are built of the same; you know not a man from a woman, +neither by the ruggedness of their countenances nor their clothes; and in +the winter, when the ground is covered with snow, they live underground +in vaults, which have cavities going from one to another. If the Tartars +had their Cham Chi-Thaungu for a whole village or country, these had +idols in every hut and every cave. This country, I reckon, was, from the +desert I spoke of last, at least four hundred miles, half of it being +another desert, which took us up twelve days' severe travelling, without +house or tree; and we were obliged again to carry our own provisions, as +well water as bread. After we were out of this desert and had travelled +two days, we came to Janezay, a Muscovite city or station, on the great +river Janezay, which, they told us there, parted Europe from Asia. + +All the country between the river Oby and the river Janezay is as +entirely pagan, and the people as barbarous, as the remotest of the +Tartars. I also found, which I observed to the Muscovite governors whom +I had an opportunity to converse with, that the poor pagans are not much +wiser, or nearer Christianity, for being under the Muscovite government, +which they acknowledged was true enough--but that, as they said, was none +of their business; that if the Czar expected to convert his Siberian, +Tonguse, or Tartar subjects, it should be done by sending clergymen among +them, not soldiers; and they added, with more sincerity than I expected, +that it was not so much the concern of their monarch to make the people +Christians as to make them subjects. + +From this river to the Oby we crossed a wild uncultivated country, barren +of people and good management, otherwise it is in itself a pleasant, +fruitful, and agreeable country. What inhabitants we found in it are all +pagans, except such as are sent among them from Russia; for this is the +country--I mean on both sides the river Oby--whither the Muscovite +criminals that are not put to death are banished, and from whence it is +next to impossible they should ever get away. I have nothing material to +say of my particular affairs till I came to Tobolski, the capital city of +Siberia, where I continued some time on the following account. + +We had now been almost seven months on our journey, and winter began to +come on apace; whereupon my partner and I called a council about our +particular affairs, in which we found it proper, as we were bound for +England, to consider how to dispose of ourselves. They told us of +sledges and reindeer to carry us over the snow in the winter time, by +which means, indeed, the Russians travel more in winter than they can in +summer, as in these sledges they are able to run night and day: the snow, +being frozen, is one universal covering to nature, by which the hills, +vales, rivers, and lakes are all smooth and hard is a stone, and they run +upon the surface, without any regard to what is underneath. + +But I had no occasion to urge a winter journey of this kind. I was bound +to England, not to Moscow, and my route lay two ways: either I must go on +as the caravan went, till I came to Jarislaw, and then go off west for +Narva and the Gulf of Finland, and so on to Dantzic, where I might +possibly sell my China cargo to good advantage; or I must leave the +caravan at a little town on the Dwina, from whence I had but six days by +water to Archangel, and from thence might be sure of shipping either to +England, Holland, or Hamburg. + +Now, to go any one of these journeys in the winter would have been +preposterous; for as to Dantzic, the Baltic would have been frozen up and +I could not get passage; and to go by land in those countries was far +less safe than among the Mogul Tartars; likewise, as to Archangel in +October, all the ships would be gone from thence, and even the merchants +who dwell there in summer retire south to Moscow in the winter, when the +ships are gone; so that I could have nothing but extremity of cold to +encounter, with a scarcity of provisions, and must lie in an empty town +all the winter. Therefore, upon the whole, I thought it much my better +way to let the caravan go, and make provision to winter where I was, at +Tobolski, in Siberia, in the latitude of about sixty degrees, where I was +sure of three things to wear out a cold winter with, viz. plenty of +provisions, such as the country afforded, a warm house, with fuel enough, +and excellent company. + +I was now in quite a different climate from my beloved island, where I +never felt cold, except when I had my ague; on the contrary, I had much +to do to bear any clothes on my back, and never made any fire but without +doors, which was necessary for dressing my food, &c. Now I had three +good vests, with large robes or gowns over them, to hang down to the +feet, and button close to the wrists; and all these lined with furs, to +make them sufficiently warm. As to a warm house, I must confess I +greatly dislike our way in England of making fires in every room of the +house in open chimneys, which, when the fire is out, always keeps the air +in the room cold as the climate. So I took an apartment in a good house +in the town, and ordered a chimney to be built like a furnace, in the +centre of six several rooms, like a stove; the funnel to carry the smoke +went up one way, the door to come at the fire went in another, and all +the rooms were kept equally warm, but no fire seen, just as they heat +baths in England. By this means we had always the same climate in all +the rooms, and an equal heat was preserved, and yet we saw no fire, nor +were ever incommoded with smoke. + +The most wonderful thing of all was, that it should be possible to meet +with good company here, in a country so barbarous as this--one of the +most northerly parts of Europe. But this being the country where the +state criminals of Muscovy, as I observed before, are all banished, the +city was full of Russian noblemen, gentlemen, soldiers, and courtiers. +Here was the famous Prince Galitzin, the old German Robostiski, and +several other persons of note, and some ladies. By means of my Scotch +merchant, whom, nevertheless, I parted with here, I made an acquaintance +with several of these gentlemen; and from these, in the long winter +nights in which I stayed here, I received several very agreeable visits. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI--SAFE ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND + + +It was talking one night with a certain prince, one of the banished +ministers of state belonging to the Czar, that the discourse of my +particular case began. He had been telling me abundance of fine things +of the greatness, the magnificence, the dominions, and the absolute power +of the Emperor of the Russians: I interrupted him, and told him I was a +greater and more powerful prince than ever the Czar was, though my +dominion were not so large, or my people so many. The Russian grandee +looked a little surprised, and, fixing his eyes steadily upon me, began +to wonder what I meant. I said his wonder would cease when I had +explained myself, and told him the story at large of my living in the +island; and then how I managed both myself and the people that were under +me, just as I have since minuted it down. They were exceedingly taken +with the story, and especially the prince, who told me, with a sigh, that +the true greatness of life was to be masters of ourselves; that he would +not have exchanged such a state of life as mine to be Czar of Muscovy; +and that he found more felicity in the retirement he seemed to be +banished to there, than ever he found in the highest authority he enjoyed +in the court of his master the Czar; that the height of human wisdom was +to bring our tempers down to our circumstances, and to make a calm +within, under the weight of the greatest storms without. When he came +first hither, he said, he used to tear the hair from his head, and the +clothes from his back, as others had done before him; but a little time +and consideration had made him look into himself, as well as round him to +things without; that he found the mind of man, if it was but once brought +to reflect upon the state of universal life, and how little this world +was concerned in its true felicity, was perfectly capable of making a +felicity for itself, fully satisfying to itself, and suitable to its own +best ends and desires, with but very little assistance from the world. +That being now deprived of all the fancied felicity which he enjoyed in +the full exercise of worldly pleasures, he said he was at leisure to look +upon the dark side of them, where he found all manner of deformity; and +was now convinced that virtue only makes a man truly wise, rich, and +great, and preserves him in the way to a superior happiness in a future +state; and in this, he said, they were more happy in their banishment +than all their enemies were, who had the full possession of all the +wealth and power they had left behind them. "Nor, sir," says he, "do I +bring my mind to this politically, from the necessity of my +circumstances, which some call miserable; but, if I know anything of +myself, I would not now go back, though the Czar my master should call +me, and reinstate me in all my former grandeur." + +He spoke this with so much warmth in his temper, so much earnestness and +motion of his spirits, that it was evident it was the true sense of his +soul; there was no room to doubt his sincerity. I told him I once +thought myself a kind of monarch in my old station, of which I had given +him an account; but that I thought he was not only a monarch, but a great +conqueror; for he that had got a victory over his own exorbitant desires, +and the absolute dominion over himself, he whose reason entirely governs +his will, is certainly greater than he that conquers a city. + +I had been here eight months, and a dark, dreadful winter I thought it; +the cold so intense that I could not so much as look abroad without being +wrapped in furs, and a kind of mask of fur before my face, with only a +hole for breath, and two for sight: the little daylight we had was for +three months not above five hours a day, and six at most; only that the +snow lying on the ground continually, and the weather being clear, it was +never quite dark. Our horses were kept, or rather starved, underground; +and as for our servants, whom we hired here to look after ourselves and +horses, we had, every now and then, their fingers and toes to thaw and +take care of, lest they should mortify and fall off. + +It is true, within doors we were warm, the houses being close, the walls +thick, the windows small, and the glass all double. Our food was chiefly +the flesh of deer, dried and cured in the season; bread good enough, but +baked as biscuits; dried fish of several sorts, and some flesh of mutton, +and of buffaloes, which is pretty good meat. All the stores of +provisions for the winter are laid up in the summer, and well cured: our +drink was water, mixed with aqua vitae instead of brandy; and for a +treat, mead instead of wine, which, however, they have very good. The +hunters, who venture abroad all weathers, frequently brought us in fine +venison, and sometimes bear's flesh, but we did not much care for the +last. We had a good stock of tea, with which we treated our friends, and +we lived cheerfully and well, all things considered. + +It was now March, the days grown considerably longer, and the weather at +least tolerable; so the other travellers began to prepare sledges to +carry them over the snow, and to get things ready to be going; but my +measures being fixed, as I have said, for Archangel, and not for Muscovy +or the Baltic, I made no motion; knowing very well that the ships from +the south do not set out for that part of the world till May or June, and +that if I was there by the beginning of August, it would be as soon as +any ships would be ready to sail. Therefore I made no haste to be gone, +as others did: in a word, I saw a great many people, nay, all the +travellers, go away before me. It seems every year they go from thence +to Muscovy, for trade, to carry furs, and buy necessaries, which they +bring back with them to furnish their shops: also others went on the same +errand to Archangel. + +In the month of May I began to make all ready to pack up; and, as I was +doing this, it occurred to me that, seeing all these people were banished +by the Czar to Siberia, and yet, when they came there, were left at +liberty to go whither they would, why they did not then go away to any +part of the world, wherever they thought fit: and I began to examine what +should hinder them from making such an attempt. But my wonder was over +when I entered upon that subject with the person I have mentioned, who +answered me thus: "Consider, first, sir," said he, "the place where we +are; and, secondly, the condition we are in; especially the generality of +the people who are banished thither. We are surrounded with stronger +things than bars or bolts; on the north side, an unnavigable ocean, where +ship never sailed, and boat never swam; every other way we have above a +thousand miles to pass through the Czar's own dominion, and by ways +utterly impassable, except by the roads made by the government, and +through the towns garrisoned by his troops; in short, we could neither +pass undiscovered by the road, nor subsist any other way, so that it is +in vain to attempt it." + +I was silenced at once, and found that they were in a prison every jot as +secure as if they had been locked up in the castle at Moscow: however, it +came into my thoughts that I might certainly be made an instrument to +procure the escape of this excellent person; and that, whatever hazard I +ran, I would certainly try if I could carry him off. Upon this, I took +an occasion one evening to tell him my thoughts. I represented to him +that it was very easy for me to carry him away, there being no guard over +him in the country; and as I was not going to Moscow, but to Archangel, +and that I went in the retinue of a caravan, by which I was not obliged +to lie in the stationary towns in the desert, but could encamp every +night where I would, we might easily pass uninterrupted to Archangel, +where I would immediately secure him on board an English ship, and carry +him safe along with me; and as to his subsistence and other particulars, +it should be my care till he could better supply himself. + +He heard me very attentively, and looked earnestly on me all the while I +spoke; nay, I could see in his very face that what I said put his spirits +into an exceeding ferment; his colour frequently changed, his eyes looked +red, and his heart fluttered, till it might be even perceived in his +countenance; nor could he immediately answer me when I had done, and, as +it were, hesitated what he would say to it; but after he had paused a +little, he embraced me, and said, "How unhappy are we, unguarded +creatures as we are, that even our greatest acts of friendship are made +snares unto us, and we are made tempters of one another!" He then +heartily thanked me for my offers of service, but withstood resolutely +the arguments I used to urge him to set himself free. He declared, in +earnest terms, that he was fully bent on remaining where he was rather +than seek to return to his former miserable greatness, as he called it: +where the seeds of pride, ambition, avarice, and luxury might revive, +take root, and again overwhelm him. "Let me remain, dear sir," he said, +in conclusion--"let me remain in this blessed confinement, banished from +the crimes of life, rather than purchase a show of freedom at the expense +of the liberty of my reason, and at the future happiness which I now have +in my view, but should then, I fear, quickly lose sight of; for I am but +flesh; a man, a mere man; and have passions and affections as likely to +possess and overthrow me as any man: Oh, be not my friend and tempter +both together!" + +If I was surprised before, I was quite dumb now, and stood silent, +looking at him, and, indeed, admiring what I saw. The struggle in his +soul was so great that, though the weather was extremely cold, it put him +into a most violent heat; so I said a word or two, that I would leave him +to consider of it, and wait on him again, and then I withdrew to my own +apartment. + +About two hours after I heard somebody at or near the door of my room, +and I was going to open the door, but he had opened it and come in. "My +dear friend," says he, "you had almost overset me, but I am recovered. Do +not take it ill that I do not close with your offer. I assure you it is +not for want of sense of the kindness of it in you; and I came to make +the most sincere acknowledgment of it to you; but I hope I have got the +victory over myself."--"My lord," said I, "I hope you are fully satisfied +that you do not resist the call of Heaven."--"Sir," said he, "if it had +been from Heaven, the same power would have influenced me to have +accepted it; but I hope, and am fully satisfied, that it is from Heaven +that I decline it, and I have infinite satisfaction in the parting, that +you shall leave me an honest man still, though not a free man." + +I had nothing to do but to acquiesce, and make professions to him of my +having no end in it but a sincere desire to serve him. He embraced me +very passionately, and assured me he was sensible of that, and should +always acknowledge it; and with that he offered me a very fine present of +sables--too much, indeed, for me to accept from a man in his +circumstances, and I would have avoided them, but he would not be +refused. The next morning I sent my servant to his lordship with a small +present of tea, and two pieces of China damask, and four little wedges of +Japan gold, which did not all weigh above six ounces or thereabouts, but +were far short of the value of his sables, which, when I came to England, +I found worth near two hundred pounds. He accepted the tea, and one +piece of the damask, and one of the pieces of gold, which had a fine +stamp upon it, of the Japan coinage, which I found he took for the rarity +of it, but would not take any more: and he sent word by my servant that +he desired to speak with me. + +When I came to him he told me I knew what had passed between us, and +hoped I would not move him any more in that affair; but that, since I had +made such a generous offer to him, he asked me if I had kindness enough +to offer the same to another person that he would name to me, in whom he +had a great share of concern. In a word, he told me it was his only son; +who, though I had not seen him, was in the same condition with himself, +and above two hundred miles from him, on the other side of the Oby; but +that, if I consented, he would send for him. + +I made no hesitation, but told him I would do it. I made some ceremony +in letting him understand that it was wholly on his account; and that, +seeing I could not prevail on him, I would show my respect to him by my +concern for his son. He sent the next day for his son; and in about +twenty days he came back with the messenger, bringing six or seven +horses, loaded with very rich furs, which, in the whole, amounted to a +very great value. His servants brought the horses into the town, but +left the young lord at a distance till night, when he came incognito into +our apartment, and his father presented him to me; and, in short, we +concerted the manner of our travelling, and everything proper for the +journey. + +I had bought a considerable quantity of sables, black fox-skins, fine +ermines, and such other furs as are very rich in that city, in exchange +for some of the goods I had brought from China; in particular for the +cloves and nutmegs, of which I sold the greatest part here, and the rest +afterwards at Archangel, for a much better price than I could have got at +London; and my partner, who was sensible of the profit, and whose +business, more particularly than mine, was merchandise, was mightily +pleased with our stay, on account of the traffic we made here. + +It was the beginning of June when I left this remote place. We were now +reduced to a very small caravan, having only thirty-two horses and camels +in all, which passed for mine, though my new guest was proprietor of +eleven of them. It was natural also that I should take more servants +with me than I had before; and the young lord passed for my steward; what +great man I passed for myself I know not, neither did it concern me to +inquire. We had here the worst and the largest desert to pass over that +we met with in our whole journey; I call it the worst, because the way +was very deep in some places, and very uneven in others; the best we had +to say for it was, that we thought we had no troops of Tartars or robbers +to fear, as they never came on this side of the river Oby, or at least +very seldom; but we found it otherwise. + +My young lord had a faithful Siberian servant, who was perfectly +acquainted with the country, and led us by private roads, so that we +avoided coming into the principal towns and cities upon the great road, +such as Tumen, Soloy Kamaskoy, and several others; because the Muscovite +garrisons which are kept there are very curious and strict in their +observation upon travellers, and searching lest any of the banished +persons of note should make their escape that way into Muscovy; but, by +this means, as we were kept out of the cities, so our whole journey was a +desert, and we were obliged to encamp and lie in our tents, when we might +have had very good accommodation in the cities on the way; this the young +lord was so sensible of, that he would not allow us to lie abroad when we +came to several cities on the way, but lay abroad himself, with his +servant, in the woods, and met us always at the appointed places. + +We had just entered Europe, having passed the river Kama, which in these +parts is the boundary between Europe and Asia, and the first city on the +European side was called Soloy Kamaskoy, that is, the great city on the +river Kama. And here we thought to see some evident alteration in the +people; but we were mistaken, for as we had a vast desert to pass, which +is near seven hundred miles long in some places, but not above two +hundred miles over where we passed it, so, till we came past that +horrible place, we found very little difference between that country and +Mogul Tartary. The people are mostly pagans; their houses and towns full +of idols; and their way of living wholly barbarous, except in the cities +and villages near them, where they are Christians, as they call +themselves, of the Greek Church: but have their religion mingled with so +many relics of superstition, that it is scarce to be known in some places +from mere sorcery and witchcraft. + +In passing this forest (after all our dangers were, to our imagination, +escaped), I thought, indeed, we must have been plundered and robbed, and +perhaps murdered, by a troop of thieves: of what country they were I am +yet at a loss to know; but they were all on horseback, carried bows and +arrows, and were at first about forty-five in number. They came so near +to us as to be within two musket-shot, and, asking no questions, +surrounded us with their horses, and looked very earnestly upon us twice; +at length, they placed themselves just in our way; upon which we drew up +in a little line, before our camels, being not above sixteen men in all. +Thus drawn up, we halted, and sent out the Siberian servant, who attended +his lord, to see who they were; his master was the more willing to let +him go, because he was not a little apprehensive that they were a +Siberian troop sent out after him. The man came up near them with a flag +of truce, and called to them; but though he spoke several of their +languages, or dialects of languages rather, he could not understand a +word they said; however, after some signs to him not to come near them at +his peril, the fellow came back no wiser than he went; only that by their +dress, he said, he believed them to be some Tartars of Kalmuck, or of the +Circassian hordes, and that there must be more of them upon the great +desert, though he never heard that any of them were seen so far north +before. + +This was small comfort to us; however, we had no remedy: there was on our +left hand, at about a quarter of a mile distance, a little grove, and +very near the road. I immediately resolved we should advance to those +trees, and fortify ourselves as well as we could there; for, first, I +considered that the trees would in a great measure cover us from their +arrows; and, in the next place, they could not come to charge us in a +body: it was, indeed, my old Portuguese pilot who proposed it, and who +had this excellency attending him, that he was always readiest and most +apt to direct and encourage us in cases of the most danger. We advanced +immediately, with what speed we could, and gained that little wood; the +Tartars, or thieves, for we knew not what to call them, keeping their +stand, and not attempting to hinder us. When we came thither, we found, +to our great satisfaction, that it was a swampy piece of ground, and on +the one side a very great spring of water, which, running out in a little +brook, was a little farther joined by another of the like size; and was, +in short, the source of a considerable river, called afterwards the +Wirtska; the trees which grew about this spring were not above two +hundred, but very large, and stood pretty thick, so that as soon as we +got in, we saw ourselves perfectly safe from the enemy unless they +attacked us on foot. + +While we stayed here waiting the motion of the enemy some hours, without +perceiving that they made any movement, our Portuguese, with some help, +cut several arms of trees half off, and laid them hanging across from one +tree to another, and in a manner fenced us in. About two hours before +night they came down directly upon us; and though we had not perceived +it, we found they had been joined by some more, so that they were near +fourscore horse; whereof, however, we fancied some were women. They came +on till they were within half-shot of our little wood, when we fired one +musket without ball, and called to them in the Russian tongue to know +what they wanted, and bade them keep off; but they came on with a double +fury up to the wood-side, not imagining we were so barricaded that they +could not easily break in. Our old pilot was our captain as well as our +engineer, and desired us not to fire upon them till they came within +pistol-shot, that we might be sure to kill, and that when we did fire we +should be sure to take good aim; we bade him give the word of command, +which he delayed so long that they were some of them within two pikes' +length of us when we let fly. We aimed so true that we killed fourteen +of them, and wounded several others, as also several of their horses; for +we had all of us loaded our pieces with two or three bullets apiece at +least. + +They were terribly surprised with our fire, and retreated immediately +about one hundred rods from us; in which time we loaded our pieces again, +and seeing them keep that distance, we sallied out, and caught four or +five of their horses, whose riders we supposed were killed; and coming up +to the dead, we judged they were Tartars, but knew not how they came to +make an excursion such an unusual length. + +About an hour after they again made a motion to attack us, and rode round +our little wood to see where they might break in; but finding us always +ready to face them, they went off again; and we resolved not to stir for +that night. + +We slept little, but spent the most part of the night in strengthening +our situation, and barricading the entrances into the wood, and keeping a +strict watch. We waited for daylight, and when it came, it gave us a +very unwelcome discovery indeed; for the enemy, who we thought were +discouraged with the reception they met with, were now greatly increased, +and had set up eleven or twelve huts or tents, as if they were resolved +to besiege us; and this little camp they had pitched upon the open plain, +about three-quarters of a mile from us. I confess I now gave myself over +for lost, and all that I had; the loss of my effects did not lie so near +me, though very considerable, as the thoughts of falling into the hands +of such barbarians at the latter end of my journey, after so many +difficulties and hazards as I had gone through, and even in sight of our +port, where we expected safety and deliverance. As to my partner, he was +raging, and declared that to lose his goods would be his ruin, and that +he would rather die than be starved, and he was for fighting to the last +drop. + +The young lord, a most gallant youth, was for fighting to the last also; +and my old pilot was of opinion that we were able to resist them all in +the situation we were then in. Thus we spent the day in debates of what +we should do; but towards evening we found that the number of our enemies +still increased, and we did not know but by the morning they might still +be a greater number: so I began to inquire of those people we had brought +from Tobolski if there were no private ways by which we might avoid them +in the night, and perhaps retreat to some town, or get help to guard us +over the desert. The young lord's Siberian servant told us, if we +designed to avoid them, and not fight, he would engage to carry us off in +the night, to a way that went north, towards the river Petruz, by which +he made no question but we might get away, and the Tartars never discover +it; but, he said, his lord had told him he would not retreat, but would +rather choose to fight. I told him he mistook his lord: for that he was +too wise a man to love fighting for the sake of it; that I knew he was +brave enough by what he had showed already; but that he knew better than +to desire seventeen or eighteen men to fight five hundred, unless an +unavoidable necessity forced them to it; and that if he thought it +possible for us to escape in the night, we had nothing else to do but to +attempt it. He answered, if his lordship gave him such orders, he would +lose his life if he did not perform it; we soon brought his lord to give +that order, though privately, and we immediately prepared for putting it +in practice. + +And first, as soon as it began to be dark, we kindled a fire in our +little camp, which we kept burning, and prepared so as to make it burn +all night, that the Tartars might conclude we were still there; but as +soon as it was dark, and we could see the stars (for our guide would not +stir before), having all our horses and camels ready loaded, we followed +our new guide, who I soon found steered himself by the north star, the +country being level for a long way. + +After we had travelled two hours very hard, it began to be lighter still; +not that it was dark all night, but the moon began to rise, so that, in +short, it was rather lighter than we wished it to be; but by six o'clock +the next morning we had got above thirty miles, having almost spoiled our +horses. Here we found a Russian village, named Kermazinskoy, where we +rested, and heard nothing of the Kalmuck Tartars that day. About two +hours before night we set out again, and travelled till eight the next +morning, though not quite so hard as before; and about seven o'clock we +passed a little river, called Kirtza, and came to a good large town +inhabited by Russians, called Ozomys; there we heard that several troops +of Kalmucks had been abroad upon the desert, but that we were now +completely out of danger of them, which was to our great satisfaction. +Here we were obliged to get some fresh horses, and having need enough of +rest, we stayed five days; and my partner and I agreed to give the honest +Siberian who conducted us thither the value of ten pistoles. + +In five days more we came to Veussima, upon the river Witzogda, and +running into the Dwina: we were there, very happily, near the end of our +travels by land, that river being navigable, in seven days' passage, to +Archangel. From hence we came to Lawremskoy, the 3rd of July; and +providing ourselves with two luggage boats, and a barge for our own +convenience, we embarked the 7th, and arrived all safe at Archangel the +18th; having been a year, five months, and three days on the journey, +including our stay of about eight months at Tobolski. + +We were obliged to stay at this place six weeks for the arrival of the +ships, and must have tarried longer, had not a Hamburgher come in above a +month sooner than any of the English ships; when, after some +consideration that the city of Hamburgh might happen to be as good a +market for our goods as London, we all took freight with him; and, having +put our goods on board, it was most natural for me to put my steward on +board to take care of them; by which means my young lord had a sufficient +opportunity to conceal himself, never coming on shore again all the time +we stayed there; and this he did that he might not be seen in the city, +where some of the Moscow merchants would certainly have seen and +discovered him. + +We then set sail from Archangel the 20th of August, the same year; and, +after no extraordinary bad voyage, arrived safe in the Elbe the 18th of +September. Here my partner and I found a very good sale for our goods, +as well those of China as the sables, &c., of Siberia: and, dividing the +produce, my share amounted to 3475 pounds, 17s 3d., including about six +hundred pounds' worth of diamonds, which I purchased at Bengal. + +Here the young lord took his leave of us, and went up the Elbe, in order +to go to the court of Vienna, where he resolved to seek protection and +could correspond with those of his father's friends who were left alive. +He did not part without testimonials of gratitude for the service I had +done him, and for my kindness to the prince, his father. + +To conclude: having stayed near four months in Hamburgh, I came from +thence by land to the Hague, where I embarked in the packet, and arrived +in London the 10th of January 1705, having been absent from England ten +years and nine months. And here, resolving to harass myself no more, I +am preparing for a longer journey than all these, having lived seventy- +two years a life of infinite variety, and learned sufficiently to know +the value of retirement, and the blessing of ending our days in peace. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FURTHER ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE*** + + +******* This file should be named 561.txt or 561.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/5/6/561 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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