no weapon in his hand but his hatchet; and with that he dispatched 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 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, that we knew not whether he died or no, were
all that escaped our hands of one and twenty; the account of the whole
is as follows: three killed at our first shot from the tree; two killed
at the next shot; two killed by Friday in the boat; two killed by Friday
of those at first wounded; one killed by Friday in the wood; three
killed by the Spaniard; four killed, being found dropped here and there,
of their wounds, or killed by Friday in his chase of them; four escaped
in the boat, whereof one wounded, if not dead.--Twenty-one 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 the 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,
bound hand and foot, as the Spaniard was, for the slaughter, and almost
dead with fear, not knowing what was the matter; 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, sung; then cried again,
wrung his hands, beat his own face and head; and then sung 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 for many minutes together, to nourish it; then
he took his arms and ancles, 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 affair put an end to our pursuit of the canoe with the other
savages, who were now got 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 got a quarter of their way, and continued blowing so hard
all night, and that from the north-west, which was against them, that I
could not suppose their boat could live, or that they ever reached 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, I 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," I then 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 two
or three bunches of 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 on his feet 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 out 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 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 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. The 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 ancles were so swelled and so painful to him; so I bade him sit
still, and caused Friday to rub his ancles, 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 then I 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 gunnel of the canoe, with his feet in the inside of it; and then
lifting him quite in, he 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 them sit down on the bank while he came to me, I soon made a kind of
a hand-barrow to lay them on, and Friday and I carried them both up
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 absolutely lord and lawgiver; they all owed
their lives to me, and were ready to lay down their lives, if there had
been occasion for it, for me. It was remarkable, too, I 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 eat my
dinner also with them, and, as well as I could, cheered them, and
encouraged them. Friday was 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 fire-arms, 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. I also ordered him to
bury the horrid remains of their barbarous feast, which I knew were
pretty much, 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 effaced 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 the people they were all killed by thunder
and lightning, not by the hand of man; and that the two which appeared,
viz. Friday and I, 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, one to another; for it
was impossible for 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 over 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,
with all my army: for, as there 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 the Havanna, 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 first the 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 any design of making their escape. He said they had many
consultations about it; but that having neither vessel, nor tools to
build one, nor 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 be made a sacrifice, what
necessity, or what accident soever brought him thither; and that I had
rather be delivered up to the savages, and be devoured alive, than fall
into the merciless claws of the priests, and be carried into the
Inquisition. 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 candour and ingenuousness, that their
condition was so miserable, and that 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 gospel, to be true to me, and go to such
Christian country as that I should agree to, and no other, and to be
directed 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 or 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 got 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, though it was more than sufficient for myself, yet it was not
sufficient, without good husbandry, for my family, now it was increased
to four; but much less would it be sufficient if his countrymen, who
were, as he said, sixteen, 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 adviseable to let him and the other
two 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 got as much land
cured and trimmed up as we sowed two and twenty 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. For 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
thoughts 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 labour
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, for 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 was very good
living too, I assure you, for it is exceeding nourishing.
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 twenty-two bushels of barley we brought in
and threshed 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, any part of America. When we had thus housed and secured our
magazine of corn, we fell to work to make more wicker-ware, 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 defence 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 them there. I gave him a strict charge not
to bring any man with him who would not first swear, in the presence of
himself and 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 as to
send for them in order to their deliverance; but that they would stand
by him, and defend him against all such attempts, and wherever they
went, would be entirely under and subjected to his command; and that
this should be put in writing, and signed with their hands. How they
were to have done this, when I knew they had neither pen nor ink, 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 occasions.