_Robinson Releases a Spaniard--Friday Discovers His
Father--Accommodation Provided for These New Guests, Who Were Afterward
Sent to Liberate the Other Spaniards--Arrival of an English Vessel_
I had now not a moment to lose, for nineteen of the dreadful wretches
sat upon the ground, all close huddled together, and had just sent the
other two to butcher the poor Christian, and bring him, perhaps limb
by limb, to their fire; and they were stooped down to untie the bands
at his feet. I turned to Friday: “Now, Friday,” said I, “do as I bid
thee.” Friday said he would. “Then, Friday,” says I, “do exactly as you
see me do; fail in nothing.” So I set down one of the muskets and the
fowling-piece upon the ground, and Friday did the like by his; and with
the other musket I took my aim at the savages, bidding him do the like.
Then asking him if he was ready, he said, “Yes.” “Then fire at them,”
said I; and the same moment I fired also.
Friday took his aim so much better than I, that on the side that he
shot he killed two of them, and wounded three more; and on my side I
killed one and wounded two. They were, you may be sure, in a dreadful
consternation; and all of them who were not hurt jumped up upon their
feet, but did not immediately know which way to run, or which way to
look, for they knew not from whence their destruction came. Friday
kept his eyes close upon me, that, as I had bid him, he might observe
what I did; so as soon as the first shot was made I threw down the
piece, and took up the fowling-piece; and Friday did the like. He saw
me cock and present; he did the same again. “Are you ready, Friday?”
said I. “Yes,” said he. “Let fly, then,” said I, “in the name of God!”
and with that I fired again among the amazed wretches, and so did
Friday; and as our pieces were now loaded with what I called swanshot
or small pistol-bullets, we found only two drop, but so many were
wounded, that they ran about yelling and screaming like mad creatures,
all bloody, and miserably wounded most of them; whereof three more fell
quickly after, though not quite dead.
“Now, Friday,” says I, laying down the discharged pieces, and taking
up the musket which was yet loaded, “follow me,” says I, which he did
with a great deal of courage; upon which I rushed out of the wood, and
showed myself, and Friday close at my foot. As soon as I perceived they
saw me I shouted as loud as I could, and bade Friday do so too; and
running as fast as I could, which, by the way, was not very fast, being
loaden with arms as I was, I made directly towards the poor victim,
who was, as I said, lying upon the beach, or shore, between the place
where they sat and the sea. The two butchers, who were just going to
work with him, had left him at the surprise of our first fire, and fled
in a terrible fright to the seaside, and had jumped into a canoe, and
three more of the rest made the same way. I turned to Friday, and bid
him step forwards and fire at them. He understood me immediately, and
running about forty yards, to be near them, he shot at them, and I
thought he had killed them all, for I saw them all fall of a heap into
the boat; though I saw two of them up again quickly. However, he killed
two of them, and wounded the third, so that he lay down in the bottom
of the boat as if he had been dead.
[Illustration: “--_and no sooner had he the arms in his hands but, as
if they had put new vigor into him, he flew upon his murderers like a
fury_”]
While my man Friday fired at them, I pulled out my knife and cut the
flags that bound the poor victim; and loosing his hands and feet, I
lifted him up, and asked him in the Portuguese tongue who he was. He
answered in Latin, “Christianus”; but was so weak and faint, that he
could scarce stand or speak. I took my bottle out of my pocket and gave
it him, making signs that he should drink, which he did; and I gave
him a piece of bread, which he ate. Then I asked him what countryman
he was; and he said, “Espagniole”; and being a little recovered, let
me know, by all the signs he could possibly make, how much he was in
my debt for his deliverance. “Señor,” said I, with as much Spanish as
I could make up, “we will talk afterwards, but we must fight now. If
you have any strength left, take this pistol and sword, and lay about
you.” He took them very thankfully, and no sooner had he the arms in
his hands but, as if they had put new vigor into him, he flew upon his
murderers like a fury, and had cut two of them in pieces in an instant;
for the truth is, as the whole was a surprise to them, so the poor
creatures were so much frightened with the noise of our pieces, that
they fell down for mere amazement and fear, and had no more power to
attempt their own escape, than their flesh had to resist our shot; and
that was the case of those five that Friday shot at in the boat; for
as three of them fell with the hurt they received, so the other two
fell with the fright.
I kept my piece in my hand still without firing, being willing to
keep my charge ready, because I had given the Spaniard my pistol and
sword. So I called to Friday, and bade him run up to the tree from
whence we first fired, and fetch the arms which lay there that had
been discharged, which he did with great swiftness; and then giving
him my musket, I sat down myself to load all the rest again, and bade
them come to me when they wanted. While I was loading these pieces,
there happened a fierce engagement between the Spaniard and one of the
savages, who made at him with one of their great wooden swords, the
same weapon that was to have killed him before if I had not prevented
it. The Spaniard, who was as bold and as brave as could be imagined,
though weak, had fought this Indian a good while, and had cut him two
great wounds on his head; but the savage being a stout lusty fellow,
closing in with him, had thrown him down being faint, and was wringing
my sword out of his hand, when the Spaniard, though undermost, wisely
quitting the sword, drew the pistol from his girdle, shot the savage
through the body, and killed him upon the spot, before I, who was
running to help him, could come near him.
Friday being now left to his liberty, pursued the flying wretches with
no weapon in his hand but his hatchet; and with that he despatched
those three who, as I said before, were wounded at first, and fallen,
and all the rest he could come up with; and the Spaniard coming to me
for a gun, I gave him one of the fowling-pieces, with which he pursued
two of the savages, and wounded them both; but as he was not able to
run, they both got away from him into the wood, where Friday pursued
them, and killed one of them; but the other was too nimble for him, and
though he was wounded, yet had plunged himself into the sea, and swam
with all his might off to those two who were left in the canoe; which
three in the canoe, with one wounded, who we know not whether he died
or no, were all that escape our hands of one and twenty. The account of
the rest is as follows:--
3 killed at our first shot from the tree.
2 killed at the next shot.
2 killed by Friday in the boat.
2 killed by ditto, of those at first wounded.
1 killed by ditto in the wood.
3 killed by the Spaniard.
4 killed, being found dropped here and there of their
wounds, or killed by Friday in his chase of them.
4 escaped in the boat, whereof one wounded, if not dead.
--
21 in all.
Those that were in the canoe worked hard to get out of gun-shot; and
though Friday made two or three shots at them, I did not find that
he hit any of them. Friday would fain have had me take one of their
canoes, and pursue them; and, indeed, I was very anxious about their
escape, lest carrying the news home to their people they should come
back perhaps with two or three hundred of their canoes, and devour us
by mere multitude. So I consented to pursue them by sea, and running
to one of their canoes, I jumped in, and bade Friday follow me. But
when I was in the canoe, I was surprised to find another poor creature
lie there alive, bound hand and foot, as the Spaniard was, for the
slaughter, and almost dead with fear, not knowing what the matter was;
for he had not been able to look up over the side of the boat, he was
tied so hard, neck and heels, and had been tied so long, that he had
really but little life in him.
I immediately cut the twisted flags or rushes, which they had bound him
with, and would have helped him up; but he could not stand or speak,
but groaned most piteously, believing, it seems, still that he was only
unbound in order to be killed.
When Friday came to him, I bade him speak to him, and tell him of his
deliverance; and pulling out my bottle made him give the poor wretch a
dram; which, with the news of his being delivered, revived him, and he
sat up in the boat. But when Friday came to hear him speak, and look in
his face, it would have moved any one to tears to have seen how Friday
kissed him, embraced him, hugged him, cried, laughed, hallooed, jumped
about, danced, sang; then cried again, wrung his hands, beat his own
face and head, and then sang and jumped about again, like a distracted
creature. It was a good while before I could make him speak to me, or
tell me what was the matter; but when he came a little to himself, he
told me that it was his father.
It is not easy for me to express how it moved me to see what ecstasy
and filial affection had worked in this poor savage at the sight of
his father, and of his being delivered from death; nor, indeed, can I
describe half the extravagances of his affection after this; for he
went into the boat, and out of the boat, a great many times. When he
went in to him, he would sit down by him, open his breast, and hold his
father’s head close to his bosom, half an hour together to nourish it;
then he took his arms and ankles, which were numbed and stiff with the
binding, and chafed and rubbed them with his hands; and I, perceiving
what the case was, gave him some rum out of my bottle to rub them with,
which did them a great deal of good.
This action put an end to our pursuit of the canoe with the other
savages, who were now gotten almost out of sight; and it was happy for
us that we did not, for it blew so hard within two hours after, and
before they could be gotten a quarter of the way, and continued blowing
so hard all night, and that from the north-west, which was against
them, that I should not suppose their boat could live, or that they
ever reached to their own coast.
But to return to Friday. He was so busy about his father, that I could
not find in my heart to take him off for some time; but after I thought
he could leave him a little, called him to me, and he came jumping and
laughing, and pleased to the highest extreme. Then I asked him if he
had given his father any bread. He shook his head, and said, “None;
ugly dog eat all up self.” So I gave him a cake of bread out of a
little pouch I carried on purpose. I also gave him a dram for himself,
but he would not taste it, but carried it to his father. I had in
my pocket also two or three bunches of my raisins, so I gave him a
handful of them for his father. He had no sooner given his father these
raisins, but I saw him come out of the boat and run away, as if he had
been bewitched, he ran at such a rate; for he was the swiftest fellow
of his foot that ever I saw. I say, he ran at such a rate, that he
was out of sight, as it were, in an instant; and though I called, and
hallooed too, after him, it was all one, away he went; and in a quarter
of an hour I saw him come back again, though not so fast as he went;
and as he came nearer I found his pace was slacker, because he had
something in his hand.
When he came up to me, I found he had been quite home for an earthen
jug, or pot, to bring his father some fresh water, and that he had got
two more cakes or loaves of bread. The bread he gave me, but the water
he carried to his father. However, as I was very thirsty too, I took a
little sup of it. This water revived his father more than all the rum
or spirits I had given him, for he was just fainting with thirst.
When his father had drank, I called to him to know if there was any
water left. He said “Yes”; and I bade him give it to the poor Spaniard,
who was in as much want of it as his father; and I sent one of the
cakes, that Friday brought, to the Spaniard too, who was indeed very
weak, and was reposing himself upon a green place under the shade of a
tree; and whose limbs were also very stiff, and very much swelled with
the rude bandage he had been tied with. When I saw that upon Friday’s
coming to him with the water he sat up and drank, and took the bread,
and began to eat, I went to him, and gave him a handful of raisins. He
looked up in my face with all the tokens of gratitude and thankfulness
that could appear in any countenance; but was so weak, notwithstanding
he had so exerted himself in the fight, that he could not stand up upon
his feet. He tried to do it two or three times, but was really not
able, his ankles were so swelled and so painful to him; so I bade him
sit still, and caused Friday to rub his ankles, and bathe them with
rum, as he had done his father’s.
I observed the poor affectionate creature, every two minutes, or
perhaps less, all the while he was here, turn his head about to see if
his father was in the same place and posture as he left him sitting;
and at last he found he was not to be seen; at which he started up,
and without speaking a word, flew with that swiftness to him, that one
could scarce perceive his feet to touch the ground as he went. But when
he came, he only found he had laid himself down to ease his limbs; so
Friday came back to me presently, and I then spoke to the Spaniard to
let Friday help him up, if he could, and lead him to the boat, and then
he should carry him to our dwelling, where I would take care of him.
But Friday, a lusty strong fellow, took the Spaniard quite up upon his
back, and carried him away to the boat, and set him down softly upon
the side or gunwale of the canoe, with his feet in the inside of it,
and then lifted him quite in, and set him close to his father; and
presently stepping out again, launched the boat off, and paddled it
along the shore faster than I could walk, though the wind blew pretty
hard too. So he brought them both safe into our creek, and leaving them
in the boat, ran away to fetch the other canoe. As he passed me, I
spoke to him, and asked him whither he went. He told me, “Go fetch more
boat.” So away he went like the wind, for sure never man or horse ran
like him; and he had the other canoe in the creek almost as soon as I
got to it by land; so he wafted me over, and then went to help our new
guests out of the boat, which he did; but they were neither of them
able to walk, so that poor Friday knew not what to do.
To remedy this I went to work in my thought, and calling to Friday to
bid him sit down on the bank while he came to me, I soon made a kind
of hand-barrow to lay them on, and Friday and I carried them up both
together upon it between us. But when we got them to the outside of
our wall, or fortification, we were at a worse loss than before, for
it was impossible to get them over, and I was resolved not to break it
down. So I set to work again; and Friday and I, in about two hours’
time, made a very handsome tent, covered with old sails, and above that
with boughs of trees, being in the space without our outward fence,
and between that and the grove of young wood which I had planted; and
here we made them two beds of such things as I had, viz., of good
rice-straw, with blankets laid upon it to lie on, and another to cover
them, on each bed.
My island was now peopled, and I thought myself very rich in subjects;
and it was a merry reflection, which I frequently made, how like a king
I looked. First of all, the whole country was my own mere property, so
that I had an undoubted right of dominion. Secondly, my people were
perfectly subjected. I was absolute lord and lawgiver; they all owed
their lives to me, and were ready to lay down their lives, if there had
been occasion of it, for me. It was remarkable, too, we had but three
subjects, and they were of three different religions. My man Friday was
a Protestant, his father was a Pagan and a cannibal, and the Spaniard
was a Papist. However, I allowed liberty of conscience throughout my
dominions. But this is by the way.
As soon as I had secured my two weak rescued prisoners, and given them
shelter and a place to rest them upon, I began to think of making some
provision for them; and the first thing I did, I ordered Friday to take
a yearling goat, betwixt a kid and a goat, out of my particular flock,
to be killed; when I cut off the hinder-quarter, and chopping it into
small pieces, I set Friday to work to boiling and stewing, and made
them a very good dish, I assure you, of flesh and broth, having put
some barley and rice also into the broth; and as I cooked it without
doors, for I made no fire within my inner wall, so I carried it all
into the new tent, and having set a table there for them, I sat down
and ate my own dinner also with them, and as well as I could cheered
them, and encouraged them; Friday being my interpreter, especially to
his father, and indeed, to the Spaniard too; for the Spaniard spoke the
language of the savages pretty well.
After we had dined, or rather supped, I ordered Friday to take one of
the canoes and go and fetch our muskets and other firearms, which, for
want of time, we had left upon the place of battle; and the next day I
ordered him to go and bury the dead bodies of the savages, which lay
open to the sun, and would presently be offensive; and I also ordered
him to bury the horrid remains of their barbarous feast, and which I
could not think of doing myself; nay, I could not bear to see them, if
I went that way. All which he punctually performed, and defaced the
very appearance of the savages being there; so that when I went again
I could scarce know where it was, otherwise than by the corner of the
wood pointing to the place.
I then began to enter into a little conversation with my two new
subjects; and first, I set Friday to inquire of his father what he
thought of the escape of the savages in that canoe, and whether we
might expect a return of them, with a power too great for us to resist.
His first opinion was, that the savages in the boat never could live
out the storm which blew that night they went off, but must, of
necessity, be drowned, or driven south to those other shores, where
they were as sure to be devoured as they were to be drowned if they
were cast away. But as to what they would do if they came safe on
shore, he said he knew not; but it was his opinion that they were so
dreadfully frightened with the manner of their being attacked, the
noise, and the fire, that he believed they would tell their people
they were all killed by thunder and lightning, not by the hand of
man; and that the two which appeared, viz., Friday and me, were two
heavenly spirits, or furies, come down to destroy them, and not men
with weapons. This, he said, he knew, because he heard them all cry
out so in their language to one another; for it was impossible to them
to conceive that a man could dart fire, and speak thunder, and kill at
a distance without lifting up the hand, as was done now. And this old
savage was in the right; for as I understood since by other hands,
the savages never attempted to go to the island afterwards. They were
so terrified with the accounts given by those four men (for, it seems,
they did escape the sea), that they believed whoever went to that
enchanted island would be destroyed with fire from the gods.
This, however, I knew not, and therefore was under continual
apprehensions for a good while, and kept always upon my guard, me and
all my army; for as we were now four of us, I would have ventured upon
a hundred of them, fairly in the open field, at any time.
In a little time, however, no more canoes appearing, the fear of their
coming wore off, and I began to take my former thoughts of a voyage
to the main into consideration; being likewise assured, by Friday’s
father, that I might depend upon good usage from their nation, on his
account, if I would go.
But my thoughts were a little suspended when I had a serious discourse
with the Spaniard, and when I understood that there were sixteen more
of his countrymen and Portuguese, who, having been cast away, and
made their escape to that side, lived there at peace, indeed, with
the savages, but were very sore put to it for necessaries, and indeed
for life. I asked him all the particulars of their voyage, and found
they were a Spanish ship bound from the Rio de la Plata to Havana,
being directed to leave their loading there, which was chiefly hides
and silver, and to bring back what European goods they could meet with
there; that they had five Portuguese seamen on board, whom they took
out of another wreck; that five of their own men were drowned when the
first ship was lost, and that these escaped, through infinite dangers
and hazards, and arrived, almost starved, on the cannibal coast, where
they expected to have been devoured every moment.
He told me they had some arms with them, but they were perfectly
useless, for that they had neither powder nor ball, the washing of the
sea having spoiled all their powder but a little, which they used, at
their first landing, to provide themselves some food.
I asked him what he thought would become of them there, and if they
had formed no design of making any escape? He said they had many
consultations about it; but that having neither vessel, or tools to
build one, or provisions of any kind, their councils always ended in
tears and despair.
I asked him how he thought they would receive a proposal from me, which
might tend towards an escape; and whether, if they were all here, it
might not be done? I told him with freedom, I feared mostly their
treachery and ill usage of me if I put my life in their hands; for that
gratitude was no inherent virtue in the nature of man, nor did men
always square their dealings by the obligations they had received, so
much as they did by the advantages they expected. I told him it would
be very hard that I should be the instrument of their deliverance, and
that they should afterwards make me their prisoner, in New Spain, where
an Englishman was certain to lose his life, what necessity or what
accident soever brought him thither; and that I had rather be delivered
up to the savages, and be devoured alive. I added, that otherwise I
was persuaded, if they were all here, we might, with so many hands,
build a bark large enough to carry us all away, either to the Brazils,
southward, or to the islands, or Spanish coast, northward; but that
if, in requital, they should, when I had put weapons into their hands,
carry me by force among their own people, I might be ill used for my
kindness to them, and make my case worse than it was before.
He answered, with a great deal of candor and ingenuity, that their
condition was so miserable, and they were so sensible of it, that
he believed they would abhor the thought of using any man unkindly
that should contribute to their deliverance; and that, if I pleased,
he would go to them with the old man, and discourse with them about
it, and return again, and bring me their answer; that he would make
conditions with them upon their solemn oath that they should be
absolutely under my leading, as their commander and captain; and that
they should swear upon the holy sacraments and the gospel to be true to
me, and to go to such Christian country as that I should agree to, and
no other, and to be wholly and absolutely by my orders till they were
landed safely in such country as I intended; and that he would bring a
contract from them, under their hands, for that purpose.
Then he told me he would first swear to me himself, that he would never
stir from me as long as he lived till I gave him orders; and that he
would take my side to the last drop of his blood, if there should
happen the least breach of faith among his countrymen.
He told me they were all of them very civil, honest men, and they were
under the greatest distress imaginable, having neither weapons nor
clothes, nor any food, but at the mercy and discretion of the savages;
out of all hopes of ever returning to their own country; and that he
was sure, if I would undertake their relief, they would live and die by
me.
Upon these assurances, I resolved to venture to relieve them, if
possible, and to send the old savage and this Spaniard over to them
to treat. But when we had gotten all things in readiness to go, the
Spaniard himself started an objection, which had so much prudence in
it on one hand, and so much sincerity on the other hand, that I could
not but be very well satisfied in it, and by his advice put off the
deliverance of his comrades for at least half a year. The case was thus:
He had been with us now about a month, during which time I had let him
see in what manner I had provided, with the assistance of Providence,
for my support; and he saw evidently what stock of corn and rice I had
laid up; which, as it was more than sufficient for myself, so it was
not sufficient, at least without good husbandry, for my family, now it
was increased to number four; but much less would it be sufficient if
his countrymen, who were, as he said, fourteen, still alive, should
come over; and least of all would it be sufficient to victual our
vessel, if we should build one, for a voyage to any of the Christian
colonies of America. So he told me he thought it would be more
advisable to let him and the two others dig and cultivate some more
land, as much as I could spare seed to sow; and that we should wait
another harvest, that we might have a supply of corn for his countrymen
when they should come; for want might be a temptation to them to
disagree, or not to think themselves delivered, otherwise than out
of one difficulty into another. “You know,” says he, “the children of
Israel, though they rejoiced at first for their being delivered out of
Egypt, yet rebelled even against God Himself, that delivered them, when
they came to want bread in the wilderness.”
His caution was so seasonable, and his advice so good, that I could not
but be very well pleased with his proposal, as well as I was satisfied
with his fidelity. So we fell to digging all four of us, as well as the
wooden tools we were furnished with permitted; and in about a month’s
time, by the end of which it was seed-time, we had gotten as much land
cured and trimmed up as we sowed twenty-two bushels of barley on, and
sixteen jars of rice; which was, in short, all the seed we had to
spare; nor, indeed, did we leave ourselves barley sufficient for our
own food for the six months that we had to expect our crop; that is to
say, reckoning from the time we set our seed aside for sowing; for it
is not to be supposed it is six months in the ground in that country.
Having now society enough, and our number being sufficient to put us
out of fear of the savages, if they had come, unless their number
had been very great, we went freely all over the island, whenever we
found occasion; and as here we had our escape or deliverance upon our
thoughts, it was impossible, at least for me, to have the means of it
out of mine. To this purpose I marked out several trees which I thought
fit for our work, and I set Friday and his father to cutting them down;
and then I caused the Spaniard, to whom I imparted my thought on that
affair, to oversee and direct their work. I showed them with what
indefatigable pains I had hewed a large tree into single planks, and
I caused them to do the like, till they had made about a dozen large
planks of good oak, near two feet broad, thirty-five feet long, and
from two inches to four inches thick. What prodigious labor it took up,
any one may imagine.
At the same time, I contrived to increase my little flock of tame goats
as much as I could; and to this purpose I made Friday and the Spaniard
go out one day, and myself with Friday the next day, for we took our
turns, and by this means we got about twenty young kids to breed up
with the rest, for whenever we shot the dam, we saved the kids, and
added them to our flock. But above all, the season for curing the
grapes coming on, I caused such a prodigious quantity to be hung up
in the sun, that I believe, had we been at Alicant, where the raisins
of the sun are cured, we could have filled sixty or eighty barrels;
and these, with our bread, was a great part of our food, and very good
living too, I assure you; for it is an exceeding nourishing food.
It was now harvest, and our crop in good order. It was not the most
plentiful increase I had seen in the island, but, however, it was
enough to answer our end; for from our twenty-two bushels we brought in
and thrashed out above two hundred and twenty bushels, and the like in
proportion of the rice; which was store enough for our food to the next
harvest, though all the sixteen Spaniards had been on shore with me;
or if we had been ready for a voyage it would very plentifully have
victualled our ship to have carried us to any part of the world, that
is to say, of America.
When we had thus housed and secured our magazine of corn, we fell to
work to make more wicker-work, viz., great baskets, in which we kept
it; and the Spaniard was very handy and dexterous at this part, and
often blamed me that I did not make some things for defense of this
kind of work; but I saw no need of it.
And now having a full supply of food for all the guests I expected, I
gave the Spaniard leave to go over to the main, to see what he could do
with those he had left behind him there. I gave him a strict charge in
writing not to bring any man with him who would not first swear, in the
presence of himself and of the old savage, that he would no way injure,
fight with, or attack the person he should find in the island, who was
so kind to send for them in order to their deliverance; but that they
would stand by and defend him against all such attempts, and wherever
they went would be entirely under and subjected to his commands; and
that this should be put in writing, and signed with their hands. How we
were to have this done, when I knew they had neither pen nor ink, that
indeed was a question which we never asked.
Under these instructions, the Spaniard and the old savage, the father
of Friday, went away in one of the canoes which they might be said to
come in, or rather were brought in, when they came as prisoners to be
devoured by the savages.
I gave each of them a musket, with a firelock on it, and about eight
charges of powder and ball, charging them to be very good husbands of
both, and not to use either of them but upon urgent occasion.
This was a cheerful work, being the first measures used by me, in view
of my deliverance, for now twenty-seven years and some days. I gave
them provisions of bread and of dried grapes sufficient for themselves
for many days, and sufficient for all their countrymen for about eight
days’ time; and wishing them a good voyage, I saw them go, agreeing
with them about a signal they should hang out at their return, by which
I should know them again, when they came back, at a distance, before
they came on shore.
They went away with a fair gale on the day that the moon was at full,
by my account in the month of October; but as for an exact reckoning of
days, after I had once lost it, I could never recover it again; nor had
I kept even the number of years so punctually as to be sure that I was
right, though as it proved, when I afterwards examined my account, I
found I had kept a true reckoning of years.
It was no less than eight days I had waited for them, when a strange
and unforeseen accident intervened, of which the like has not perhaps
been heard of in history. I was fast asleep in my hutch one morning,
when my man Friday came running in to me, and called aloud, “Master,
master, they are come, they are come!”
I jumped up, and, regardless of danger, I went out as soon as I could
get my clothes on, through my little grove, which, by the way, was by
this time grown to be a very thick wood; I say, regardless of danger,
I went without my arms, which was not my custom to do; but I was
surprised when, turning my eyes to the sea, I presently saw a boat at
about a league and a half’s distance standing in for the shore, with a
shoulder-of-mutton sail, as they call it, and the wind blowing pretty
fair to bring them in; also I observed presently that they did not come
from that side which the shore lay on, but from the southernmost end of
the island. Upon this I called Friday in, and bid him lie close, for
these were not the people we looked for, and that we might not know yet
whether they were friends or enemies.
In the next place, I went in to fetch my perspective-glass, to see
what I could make of them; and having taken the ladder out, I climbed
up to the top of the hill, as I used to do when I was apprehensive of
anything, and to take my view the plainer, without being discovered.
I had scarce set my foot on the hill, when my eye plainly discovered a
ship lying at an anchor at about two leagues and a half’s distance from
me, south-south-east, but not above a league and a half from the shore.
By my observation, it appeared plainly to be an English ship, and the
boat appeared to be an English longboat.
I cannot express the confusion I was in; though the joy of seeing
a ship, and one who I had reason to believe was manned by my own
countrymen, and consequently friends, was such as I cannot describe.
But yet I had some secret doubts hung about me I cannot tell from
whence they came, bidding me keep upon my guard. In the first place, it
occurred to me to consider what business an English ship could have in
that part of the world, since it was not the way to or from any part
of the world where the English had any traffic; and I knew there had
been no storms to drive them in there as in distress; and that if they
were English really, it was most probable that they were here upon no
good design; and that I had better continue as I was, than fall into
the hands of thieves and murderers.
Let no man despise the secret hints and notices of danger which
sometimes are given him when he may think there is no possibility of
its being real. That such hints and notices are given us, I believe
few that have made any observation of things can deny; that they are
certain discoveries of an invisible world, and a converse of spirits,
we cannot doubt; and if the tendency of them seems to be to warn us of
danger, why should we not suppose they are from some friendly agent,
whether supreme, or inferior and subordinate, is not the question, and
that they are given for our good?
The present question abundantly confirms me in the justice of this
reasoning; for had I not been made cautious by this secret admonition,
come it from whence it will, I had been undone inevitably, and in a far
worse condition than before, as you will see presently.
I had not kept myself long in this posture, but I saw the boat draw
near the shore, as if they looked for a creek to thrust in at, for the
convenience of landing. However, as they did not come quite far enough,
they did not see the little inlet where I formerly landed my rafts;
but ran their boat on shore upon the beach, at about half a mile from
me, which was very happy for me; for otherwise they would have landed
just, as I may say, at my door, and would soon have beaten me out of my
castle, and perhaps have plundered me of all I had.
When they were on shore, I was fully satisfied that they were
Englishmen, at least most of them; one or two I thought were Dutch,
but it did not prove so. There were in all eleven men, whereof three
of them I found were unarmed, and, as I thought, bound; and when the
first four or five of them were jumped on shore, they took those three
out of the boat, as prisoners. One of the three I could perceive using
the most passionate gestures of entreaty, affliction, and despair, even
to a kind of extravagance; the other two, I could perceive, lifted up
their hands sometimes, and appeared concerned indeed, but not to such a
degree as the first.
I was perfectly confounded at the sight, and knew not what the meaning
of it should be. Friday called out to me in English as well as he
could, “O master! you see English mans eat prisoner as well as savage
mans.” “Why,” says I, “Friday, do you think they are agoing to eat them
then?” “Yes,” says Friday, “they will eat them.” “No, no,” says I,
“Friday, I am afraid they will murder them, indeed, but you may be sure
they will not eat them.”
All this while I had no thought of what the matter really was, but
stood trembling with the horror of the sight, expecting every moment
when the three prisoners should be killed; nay, once I saw one of the
villains lift up his arm with a great cutlass, as the seamen call it,
or sword, to strike one of the poor men; and I expected to see him
fall every moment, at which all the blood in my body seemed to run
chill in my veins.
I wished heartily now for my Spaniard, and the savage that was gone
with him; or that I had any way to have come undiscovered within shot
of them, that I might have rescued the three men, for I saw no firearms
they had among them; but it fell out to my mind another way.
After I had observed the outrageous usage of the three men by the
insolent seamen, I observed the fellows run scattering about the land,
as if they wanted to see the country. I observed that the three other
men had liberty to go also where they pleased; but they sat down all
three upon the ground, very pensive, and looked like men in despair.
This put me in mind of the first time when I came on shore, and began
to look about me; how I gave myself over for lost; how wildly I looked
round me; what dreadful apprehensions I had; and how I lodged in the
tree all night, for fear of being devoured by wild beasts.
As I knew nothing that night of the supply I was to receive by the
providential driving of the ship nearer the land by the storms and
tide, by which I have since been so long nourished and supported; so
these three poor desolate men knew nothing how certain of deliverance
and supply they were, how near it was to them, and how effectually and
really they were in a condition of safety, at the same time that they
thought themselves lost, and their case desperate.
So little do we see before us in the world, and so much reason have
we to depend cheerfully upon the great Maker of the world, that He
does not leave His creatures so absolutely destitute, but that, in the
worst circumstances, they have always something to be thankful for,
and sometimes are nearer their deliverance than they imagine; nay, are
even brought to their deliverance by the means by which they seem to be
brought to their destruction.