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09 - The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe · Classic Adventure Books - Daily

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Speaker 1: Chapter eight, Sails from the Island for the Brazils. It
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Speaker 1: now came into my thoughts that I had hinted to
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Speaker 1: my friend the clergyman, that the work of converting the
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Speaker 1: savages might perhaps be set on foot in his absence,
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Speaker 1: to his satisfaction. And I told him that now I
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Speaker 1: thought that it was put in a fair way for
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Speaker 1: the Savages being thus divided among the Christians. If they would,
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Speaker 1: but every one of them do their part with those
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Speaker 1: which came under their hands, I hoped it might have
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Speaker 1: a very good effect. He agreed presently, in that if
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Speaker 1: they did their part, But how says he, shall we
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Speaker 1: obtain that of them? I told him I would call
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Speaker 1: them altogether and leave it in charge with them, or
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Speaker 1: go to them one by one, which he thought best.
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Speaker 1: So we divided it. He to speak to the Spaniards,
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Speaker 1: who were all Papists, and I to speak to the English,
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Speaker 1: who were all Protestants. And we recommended it earnestly to them,
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Speaker 1: and made them promise that they would never make any
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Speaker 1: distinction of Papist or Protestant in their exhorting the savages
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Speaker 1: to turn Christians, but teach them the general knowledge of
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Speaker 1: the True God and of their savior, Jesus Christ, and
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Speaker 1: they likewise promised us that they would never have any
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Speaker 1: differences or disputes one with another about religion. When I
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Speaker 1: came to will Atkins's house, I found that the young
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Speaker 1: woman I have mentioned above and will Atkins's wife were
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Speaker 1: become intimates. And this prudent religious young woman had perfected
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Speaker 1: the work will Atkins had begun. And though it was
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Speaker 1: not above four days after what I have related, yet
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Speaker 1: the new baptized savage woman was made such a Christian
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Speaker 1: as I have seldom heard of in all my observation
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Speaker 1: or conversation in the world. It came next into my
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Speaker 1: mind in the morning before I went to them, that
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Speaker 1: amongst all the needful things I had to leave with them,
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Speaker 1: I had not left them a Bible, in which I
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Speaker 1: showed myself less considering for them than my good friend.
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Speaker 1: The widow was for me when she sent me the
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Speaker 1: cargo of a hundred pounds from Lisbon, where she packed
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Speaker 1: up three Bibles and a prayer book. However, the good
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Speaker 1: woman's charity had a greater extent than ever she imagined,
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Speaker 1: for they were reserved for the comfort and instruction of
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Speaker 1: those that made much better use of them than I
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Speaker 1: had done. I took one of the bibles in my pocket.
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Speaker 1: And when I came to will Atkins's tent or house
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Speaker 1: and found the young woman and Atkins's baptized wife had
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Speaker 1: been discoursing of religion together. For will Atkins told me
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Speaker 1: with a great deal of joy, I asked if they
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Speaker 1: were together now, and he said yes. So I went
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Speaker 1: into the house and he with me, and we found
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Speaker 1: them together very earnest in discourse, Oh, sir, says will Atkins.
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Speaker 1: When God has sinners to reconcile to himself and aliens
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Speaker 1: to bring home, he never wants a messenger. My wife
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Speaker 1: has got a new instructor. I knew I was unworthy,
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Speaker 1: as I was incapable of that work. That young woman
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Speaker 1: has been sent hither from heaven. She is enough to
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Speaker 1: convert a whole island of savages. The young woman blushed
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Speaker 1: and rose up to go away, but I desired her
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Speaker 1: to sit still. I told her she had a good
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Speaker 1: work upon her hands, and I hoped God would bless
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Speaker 1: her in it. We talked a little, and I did
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Speaker 1: not perceive that they had any book among them, though
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Speaker 1: I did not ask, but I put my hand into
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Speaker 1: my pocket and pulled out my bible. Here said I
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Speaker 1: to Atkins, I have brought you an assistant that perhaps
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Speaker 1: you had not before. The man was so confounded that
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Speaker 1: he was not able to speak for some time. But
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Speaker 1: recovering himself, he takes it with both his hands, and
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Speaker 1: turning to his wife, Here, my dear, says, he did not.
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Speaker 1: I tell you, our God, though he lives above, could
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Speaker 1: hear what we have said. Here's the book I prayed
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Speaker 1: for when you and I kneeled down under the bush.
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Speaker 1: Now God has heard us and sent it. When he
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Speaker 1: had said so, the man fell into such passionate transports
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Speaker 1: that between the joy of having it and giving God
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Speaker 1: thanks for it, the tears ran down his face like
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Speaker 1: a child that was crying. The woman was surprised, and
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Speaker 1: was like to have run into a mistake that none
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Speaker 1: of us were aware of, for she firmly believed God
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Speaker 1: had sent the book upon her husband's petition. It is
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Speaker 1: true that providentially it was so, and might be taken
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Speaker 1: so in a consequent sense. But I believe it would
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Speaker 1: have been no difficult matter at that time to have
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Speaker 1: persuaded the poor woman to have believed that an express
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Speaker 1: messenger came from heaven on purpose to bring that individual book.
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Speaker 1: But it was too serious a matter to suffer any
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Speaker 1: delusion to take place. So I turned to the young
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Speaker 1: woman and told her we did not desire to impose
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Speaker 1: upon the new convert in her first and more ignorant
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Speaker 1: understanding of things, and begged her to explain to her
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Speaker 1: that God may be very properly said to answer our
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Speaker 1: petitions when in the course of his providence such things
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Speaker 1: are in a particular manner brought to pass as we
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Speaker 1: petitioned for. But we did not expect returns from heaven
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Speaker 1: in a miraculous and particular manner. And it is a
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Speaker 1: mercy that it is not so. This the young woman
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Speaker 1: did afterwards effectually, so that there was no priestcraft used here,
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Speaker 1: And I should have thought it one of the most
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Speaker 1: unjustifiable frauds in the world to have had it so.
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Speaker 1: But the effect upon will Atkins is really not to
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Speaker 1: be expressed. And there we may be sure was no delusion.
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Speaker 1: Sure no man was ever more thankful in the world
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Speaker 1: for anything of its kind than he was for the Bible.
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Speaker 1: Nor I believe never any man was glad of a
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Speaker 1: Bible from a better principle. And though he had been
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Speaker 1: a most profligate creature, had strong, furious, and desperately wicked.
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Speaker 1: Yet this man is a standing rule to us all
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Speaker 1: for the well instructing children, viz. That parents should never
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Speaker 1: give over to teach and instruct, nor ever despair of
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Speaker 1: the success of their endeavors. Let the children be ever
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Speaker 1: so refractory or to appearance insensible to instruction. For if
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Speaker 1: ever God, in his providence, touches the conscience of such,
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Speaker 1: the force of their education turns upon them. And the
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Speaker 1: early instruction of parents is not lost, though it may
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Speaker 1: have been many years laid asleep, but some time or
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Speaker 1: other they may find the benefit of it. Thus it
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Speaker 1: was with this poor man, however ignorant he was of
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Speaker 1: religion and Christian knowledge, he found he had some to
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Speaker 1: do with now more ignorant than himself, and that the
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Speaker 1: least part of the instruction of his good father that
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Speaker 1: now came to his mind was of use to him.
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Speaker 1: Among the rest. It occurred to him he said, how
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Speaker 1: his father used to insist so much on the inexpressible
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Speaker 1: value of the Bible and the privilege and blessing of
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Speaker 1: it to nations, families, and persons, but he never entertained
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Speaker 1: the least notion of the worth of it till now,
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Speaker 1: being to talk to heathens, savages and barbarians, he wanted
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Speaker 1: the help of the written oracle for his assistance. The
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Speaker 1: young woman was glad of it also for the present occasion,
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Speaker 1: though she had one, and so had the youth on
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Speaker 1: board our ship, among their goods which were not yet
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Speaker 1: brought on shore. And now, having said so many things
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Speaker 1: of this young woman, I cannot omit telling one story
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Speaker 1: more of her and myself, which has something in it
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Speaker 1: very instructive and remarkable. I have related to what extremity
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Speaker 1: the poor young woman was reduced, how her mistress was
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Speaker 1: starved to death and died on board that unhappy ship
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Speaker 1: we met at sea, and how the whole ship's company
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Speaker 1: was reduced to the last extremity. The gentlewoman and her
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Speaker 1: son and this maid were first hardly used as to provisions,
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Speaker 1: and at last totally neglected and starved, that is to say,
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Speaker 1: brought to the last extremity of hunger. One day, being
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Speaker 1: discoursing with her on the extremities they suffered, I asked
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Speaker 1: her if she could describe by what she had felt
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Speaker 1: what it was to starve, and how it appeared. She
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Speaker 1: said she believed she could, and told her tale very distinctly.
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Speaker 1: Thus first we had for some days fared exceedingly hard
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Speaker 1: and suffered very great hunger. But at last we were
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Speaker 1: wholly without food of any kind except sugar and a
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Speaker 1: little wine and water. The first day, after I had
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Speaker 1: received no food at all, I found myself towards evening
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Speaker 1: empty and sick at the stomach. A nearer night, much
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Speaker 1: inclined to yawning and sleep, I lay down on the
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Speaker 1: couch in the great cabin to sleep, and slept about
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Speaker 1: three hours, and awaked a little refreshed, having taken a
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Speaker 1: glass of wine when I lay down, and being about
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Speaker 1: three hours awake, it being about five o'clock in the morning,
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Speaker 1: I found myself empty and my stomach sickish, and lay
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Speaker 1: down again, but could not sleep at all, being very
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Speaker 1: faint and ill. And thus I continued all the second
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Speaker 1: day with a strange variety, first hungry, then sick again
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Speaker 1: with wretchings to vomit. The second night, being obliged to
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Speaker 1: go to bed again without any food more than a
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Speaker 1: draft of fresh water, and being asleep, I dreamed I
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Speaker 1: was at Barbadoes, and that the market was mightily stocked
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Speaker 1: with provisions. That I bought some for my mistress, and
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Speaker 1: went and dined very very heartily. I thought my stomach
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Speaker 1: was full after this, as it would have been after
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Speaker 1: a good dinner. But when I awaked, I was exceedingly
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Speaker 1: sunk in spirits to find myself in the extremity of famine.
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Speaker 1: The last glass of wine we had I drank and
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Speaker 1: put sugar in it, because of its having some spirit
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Speaker 1: to supply nourishment, but there being no substance in the
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Speaker 1: stomach for the digesting office to work upon, I found
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Speaker 1: the only effect of the wine was to raise disagreeable
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Speaker 1: fumes from the stomach into the head. And I lay,
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Speaker 1: as they told me, stupid and senseless as one drunk
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Speaker 1: for some time. The third day, in the morning, after
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Speaker 1: a night of strange, confused and inconsistent dreams, and rather
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Speaker 1: dozing than sleeping, I awake, ravenous and furious with hunger,
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Speaker 1: and I question had not my understanding, returned and conquered
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Speaker 1: it whether if I had been a mother and had
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Speaker 1: had a little child with me, its life would have
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Speaker 1: been safe or not. This lasted about three hours, during
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Speaker 1: which time I was twice raging mad as any creature
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Speaker 1: in bedlam, as my young master told me, and as
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Speaker 1: he can now inform you. In one of these fits
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Speaker 1: of lunacy or distraction, I fell down and struck my
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Speaker 1: face against the corner of a pallet bed in which
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Speaker 1: my mistress lay, and with the blow the blood gushed
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Speaker 1: out of my nose, and the cabin boy bringing me
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Speaker 1: a little basin, I sat down and bled into it
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Speaker 1: a great deal. And as the blood came from me,
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Speaker 1: I came to myself, and the violence of the flame
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Speaker 1: or fever I was in abated, and so did the
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Speaker 1: ravenous part of the hunger. Then I grew sick and
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Speaker 1: wretched to vomit, but could not, for I had nothing
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Speaker 1: in my stomach to bring up. After I had bled
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Speaker 1: some time, I swooned, and they all believed I was dead.
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Speaker 1: But I came to myself soon after, and then had
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Speaker 1: a most dreadful pain in my stomach, not to be described,
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Speaker 1: not like the colic, but a gnawing, eager pain for food,
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Speaker 1: And towards night it went off with a kind of
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Speaker 1: earnest wishing or longing for food. I took another draft
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Speaker 1: of water with sugar in it, but my stomach loathed
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Speaker 1: the sugar and brought it all up again. Then I
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Speaker 1: took a draft of water without sugar, and that stayed
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Speaker 1: with me. And I laid me down upon the bed,
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Speaker 1: praying most heartily that it would please God to take
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Speaker 1: me away, and composing my mind in hopes of it.
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Speaker 1: I slumbered awhile, and then waking, thought myself dying, Being
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Speaker 1: light with vapors from an empty stomach. I recommended my
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Speaker 1: soul then to God, and then earnestly wished that somebody
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Speaker 1: would throw me into the sea. All this while my
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Speaker 1: mistress lay by me, just as I thought expiring. But
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Speaker 1: she bore it with much more patience than I, and
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Speaker 1: gave the last bit of bread she had left to
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Speaker 1: her child, my young master, who would not have taken it,
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Speaker 1: but she obliged him to eat it, and I believe
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Speaker 1: it saved his life. Towards the morning, I slept again,
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Speaker 1: and when I awoke, I fell into a violent passion
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Speaker 1: of crying, and after that had a second fit of
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Speaker 1: violent hunger. I got up ravenous and in a most
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Speaker 1: dreadful condition, and once or twice I was going to
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Speaker 1: bite my own arm at last I saw the basin
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Speaker 1: in which was the blood I had bled at my
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Speaker 1: nose the day before. I ran to it and swallowed
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Speaker 1: it with such haste and such a greedy appetite, as
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Speaker 1: if I wondered nobody had taken it before, and afraid
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Speaker 1: it should be taken from me now after it was down,
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Speaker 1: though the thoughts of it filled me with horror, Yet
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Speaker 1: it checked the fit of hunger, and I took another
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Speaker 1: draft of water and was composed and refreshed for some
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Speaker 1: hours after. This was the fourth day, and this I
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Speaker 1: kept up till towards night, when with the compass of
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Speaker 1: three hours, I had all the several circumstances over again,
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Speaker 1: one after another, viz. Sick, sleepy, eagerly, hungry, pain in
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Speaker 1: the stomach, then ravenous again, then sick, then lunatic, then crying,
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Speaker 1: then ravenous again, and so every quarter of an hour,
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Speaker 1: and my strength was wasted exceedingly. At night I lay
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Speaker 1: me down, having no comfort, but in the hope that
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Speaker 1: I should die before morning. All this night I had
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Speaker 1: no sleep, but the hunger was now turned into a disease,
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Speaker 1: and I had a terrible colic and griping by wind
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Speaker 1: instead of food having found its way into the bowels.
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Speaker 1: And in this condition I lay till morning, when I
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Speaker 1: was surprised by the cries and lamentations of my young master,
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Speaker 1: who called out to me that his mother was dead.
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Speaker 1: I lifted myself up a little, for I had not
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Speaker 1: strength to rise, but found she was not dead, though
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Speaker 1: she was able to give very little signs of life.
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Speaker 1: I had then such convulsions in my stomach for want
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Speaker 1: of some sustenance as I cannot describe, with such frequent
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Speaker 1: throes and pangs of appetite, as nothing but the tortures
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Speaker 1: of death can imitate. And in this condition I was
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Speaker 1: when I heard the seamen above cry out a sail,
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Speaker 1: a sail, and halloo, and jump about as if they
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Speaker 1: were distracted. I was not able to get off from
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Speaker 1: the bed, and my mistress much less, and my young
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Speaker 1: master was so sick that I thought he had been expiring.
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Speaker 1: So we could not opened the cabin door or get
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Speaker 1: any account what it was that occasioned such confusion, nor
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Speaker 1: had we any conversation with the ship's company for twelve days,
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Speaker 1: they having told us they had not a mouthful of
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Speaker 1: anything to eat in the ship, And this they told
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Speaker 1: us afterwards they thought we had been dead. It was
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Speaker 1: this dreadful condition we were in when you were sent
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Speaker 1: to save our lives, and how you found us, sir,
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Speaker 1: You know as well as I, and better too. This
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Speaker 1: was her own relation. And is such a distinct account
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Speaker 1: of starving to death, as I confess I never met with,
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Speaker 1: and was exceeding instructive to me. I am the rather
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Speaker 1: apt to believe it to be a true account, because
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Speaker 1: the youth gave me an account of a good part
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Speaker 1: of it. Though I must own not so distinct and
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Speaker 1: so feeling as the maid and the rather, because it
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Speaker 1: seems his mother fed him at the price of her
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Speaker 1: own life. But the poor maid, whose constitution was stronger
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Speaker 1: than that of her mistress, who was in years and
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Speaker 1: a weekly woman, too, might struggle harder with. Nevertheless, she
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Speaker 1: might be supposed to feel the extremity something sooner than
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Speaker 1: her mistress, who might be allowed to keep the last bit,
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Speaker 1: something longer than she parted with any to relieve her maid.
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Speaker 1: No question, as the case is here related, if our
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Speaker 1: ship or some other had not so providentially met them
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Speaker 1: but a few days more, would have ended all their lives.
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Speaker 1: I now returned to my disposition of things among the people.
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Speaker 1: And first, it is to be observed here that, for
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Speaker 1: many reasons, I did not think fit to let them
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Speaker 1: know anything of the sloop I had framed and which
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Speaker 1: I thought of setting up among them. For I found,
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Speaker 1: at least at my first coming, such seeds of division
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Speaker 1: among them that I saw plainly. Had I set up
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Speaker 1: the sloop and left it among them, they would, upon
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Speaker 1: every like disgust, have separated and gone away from one another,
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Speaker 1: or perhaps have turned pirates, and so made the island
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Speaker 1: a den of thieves instead of a plantation of sober
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Speaker 1: and religious people, as I intended it. Nor did I
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Speaker 1: leave the two pieces of brass cannon that I had
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Speaker 1: on board, or the extra two quarter deck guns that
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Speaker 1: my nephew had provided. For the same reason, I thought
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Speaker 1: it was enough to qualify them for a defensive war
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Speaker 1: against any that should invade them, but not to set
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Speaker 1: them up for an offensive war, or to go abroad
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Speaker 1: to attack others, which in the end would only bring
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Speaker 1: ruin and destruction upon them. I reserved the sloop therefore,
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Speaker 1: and the guns for their service another way, as I
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Speaker 1: shall observe in its place. Having now done with the island,
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Speaker 1: I left them all in good circumstances and in a
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Speaker 1: flourishing condition, and went on board my ship again on
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Speaker 1: the sixth of May, having been about twenty five days
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Speaker 1: among them, and as they were all resolved to stay
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Speaker 1: upon the island till I came to remove them, I
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Speaker 1: promised to send them further relief from the Brazils if
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Speaker 1: I could possibly find an opportunity. I particularly promised to
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Speaker 1: send them some cattle, such as sheep, hogs and cows,
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Speaker 1: as to the two cows and calves which I brought
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Speaker 1: from England. We had been obliged by the length of
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Speaker 1: our voyage to kill them at sea for want of
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Speaker 1: hay to feed them the next day, giving them a
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Speaker 1: salute of five guns at parting, we set sail and
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Speaker 1: arrived at the Bay of All Saints in the Brazils
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Speaker 1: in about twenty two days, meeting nothing remarkable in our passage,
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Speaker 1: but this that about three days after we had sailed,
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Speaker 1: being becalmed and the current setting strong to the east northeast,
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Speaker 1: running as it were, into a bay or gulf on
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Speaker 1: the land side, we were driven something out of our course,
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Speaker 1: and once or twice our men cried out land to
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Speaker 1: the eastward, but whether it was the continent or islands,
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Speaker 1: we could not tell by any means. But the third day,
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Speaker 1: towards evening, the sea smooth and the weather calm, we
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Speaker 1: saw the sea as it were, covered towards the land
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Speaker 1: with something very black, not being able to discover what
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Speaker 1: it was, till after some time our chief mate, going
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Speaker 1: up the main shrouds a little way, and looking at
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Speaker 1: them with a perspective, cried out it was an army.
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Speaker 1: I could not imagine what he meant by an army,
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Speaker 1: and thwarted him a little hastily. Nay Sah says he
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Speaker 1: don't be angry, for tis an army and a fleet too,
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Speaker 1: For I believe there are a thousand canoes, and you
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Speaker 1: may see them paddle along, for they are coming towards
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Speaker 1: us apace. I was a little surprised then, indeed, and
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Speaker 1: so was my nephew, the captain, for he had heard
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Speaker 1: such terrible stories of them in the island, and having
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Speaker 1: never been in those seas before that he could not
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Speaker 1: tell what to think of it, but said two or
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Speaker 1: three times we should all be devoured, I must confess,
18:33
Speaker 1: considering we were becalmed, and the current set strong, towards
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Speaker 1: the shore. I liked it the worse. However, I bade
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Speaker 1: them not be afraid, but bring the ship to an
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Speaker 1: anchor as soon as we came so near as to
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Speaker 1: know that we must engage them. The weather continued calm,
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Speaker 1: and they came on a pace towards us. So I
18:52
Speaker 1: gave orders to come to an anchor and furl all
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Speaker 1: our sails. As for the savages, I told them they
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Speaker 1: had nothing to fear but fire, and therefore they should
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Speaker 1: get their boats out and fasten them, one close by
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Speaker 1: the head and the other by the stern, and man
19:06
Speaker 1: them both well, and wait the issue. In that posture.
19:10
Speaker 1: This I did, that the men in the boats might
19:12
Speaker 1: be ready with the sheets and buckets to put out
19:15
Speaker 1: any fire these savages might endeavor to fix to the
19:18
Speaker 1: outside of the ship. In this posture we lay by
19:22
Speaker 1: for them, and in a little while they came up
19:24
Speaker 1: with us. But never was such a horrid sight seen
19:27
Speaker 1: by Christians. Though my mate was much mistaken in his
19:30
Speaker 1: calculation of their number. Yet when they came up, we
19:33
Speaker 1: reckoned about one hundred and twenty six canoes. Some of
19:36
Speaker 1: them had sixteen or seventeen men in them, and some
19:40
Speaker 1: more and the least six or seven. When they came
19:43
Speaker 1: nearer to us, they seemed to be struck with wonder
19:46
Speaker 1: and astonishment, as at a sight which doubtless they had
19:49
Speaker 1: never seen before. Nor could they at first, as we
19:52
Speaker 1: afterwards understood, know what to make of us. They came
19:56
Speaker 1: boldly up, however, very near to us, and seemed to
19:59
Speaker 1: go about to row round us, But we called to
20:02
Speaker 1: our men in the boats not to let them come
20:04
Speaker 1: too near them. This very order brought us to an
20:07
Speaker 1: engagement with them, without our designing it. For five or
20:11
Speaker 1: six of the large canoes came so near our longboat
20:14
Speaker 1: that our men beckoned with their hands to keep them back,
20:17
Speaker 1: which they understood very well and went back. But at
20:20
Speaker 1: their retreat about fifty arrows came on board from those boats,
20:24
Speaker 1: and one of our men in the longboat was very
20:26
Speaker 1: much wounded. However, I called to them not to fire
20:30
Speaker 1: by any means, But we handed down some deal boards
20:33
Speaker 1: into the boat, and the carpenter presently set up a
20:36
Speaker 1: kind of fence like waisteboards to cover them from the
20:39
Speaker 1: arrows of the savages if they should shoot again. About
20:43
Speaker 1: half an hour afterwards, they all came up in a
20:46
Speaker 1: body astern of us, and so near that we could
20:48
Speaker 1: easily discern what they were, though we could not tell
20:51
Speaker 1: their design, And I easily found they were some of
20:54
Speaker 1: my old friends, the same sort of savages that I
20:57
Speaker 1: had been used to engage with. In a short time more,
21:00
Speaker 1: they rowed a little farther out to sea till they
21:03
Speaker 1: came directly broadside with us, and then rode down straight
21:07
Speaker 1: upon us, till they came so near that they could
21:10
Speaker 1: hear us speak. Upon this, I ordered all my men
21:13
Speaker 1: to keep close lest they should shoot any more arrows,
21:16
Speaker 1: and made all our guns ready. But being so near
21:19
Speaker 1: as to be within hearing, I made Friday go out
21:22
Speaker 1: upon the deck and call aloud to them in his language,
21:26
Speaker 1: to know what they meant. Whether they understood him or not,
21:29
Speaker 1: that I knew not. But as soon as he had
21:32
Speaker 1: called to them, six of them, who were in the
21:34
Speaker 1: foremost or nighest boat to us, turned their canoes from us, and,
21:38
Speaker 1: stooping down, showed us their naked backs. Whether this was
21:42
Speaker 1: a defiance or challenge, we knew not, or whether it
21:45
Speaker 1: was done in mere contempt or as a signal to
21:48
Speaker 1: the rest. But immediately Friday cried out they were going
21:51
Speaker 1: to shoot, and unhappily for him, poor fellow, they let
21:55
Speaker 1: fly about three hundred of their arrows, and, to my
21:59
Speaker 1: inexpressible grief, killed poor Friday, no other man being in
22:03
Speaker 1: their sight. The poor fellow was shot with no less
22:07
Speaker 1: than three arrows, and about three more fell very near him.
22:10
Speaker 1: Such unlucky marksmen they were. I was so annoyed at
22:15
Speaker 1: the loss of my old trusty servant and companion that
22:18
Speaker 1: I immediately ordered five guns to be loaded with small
22:21
Speaker 1: shot and four with great and gave them such a
22:24
Speaker 1: broadside as they had never heard in their lives before.
22:28
Speaker 1: They were not above half a cable's length off when
22:30
Speaker 1: we fired, and our gunners took their aim so well
22:34
Speaker 1: that three or four of their canoes were overset, as
22:37
Speaker 1: we had reason to believe, by one shot. Only The
22:40
Speaker 1: ill manners, of turning up their bare backs to us
22:42
Speaker 1: gave us no great offense. Neither did I know for
22:45
Speaker 1: certain whether that which would pass for the greatest contempt
22:48
Speaker 1: among us might be understood so by them or not. Therefore,
22:52
Speaker 1: in return, I had only resolved to had fired four
22:55
Speaker 1: or five guns at them with powder only which I
22:58
Speaker 1: knew would frighten them sufficiently. But when they shot at
23:01
Speaker 1: us directly with all the fury they were capable of,
23:04
Speaker 1: And especially as they had killed my poor Friday, whom
23:07
Speaker 1: I so entirely loved and valued, and who indeed so
23:11
Speaker 1: well deserved it, I thought myself not only justifiable before
23:15
Speaker 1: God and man, but would have been very glad if
23:18
Speaker 1: I could have overset every canoe there and drowned every
23:21
Speaker 1: one of them. I can neither tell how many we killed,
23:26
Speaker 1: nor how many we wounded at this broadside, but sure
23:29
Speaker 1: such a fright and hurry never were seen among such
23:32
Speaker 1: a multitude. There were thirteen or fourteen of their canoes
23:35
Speaker 1: split and overset in all, and the men all set
23:38
Speaker 1: a swimming. The rest frightened out of their wits, scoured
23:42
Speaker 1: away as fast as they could, taking but little care
23:45
Speaker 1: to save those whose boats were split or spoiled with
23:48
Speaker 1: our shot. So I supposed that many of them were lost,
23:52
Speaker 1: and our men took up one poor fellow swimming for
23:54
Speaker 1: his life above an hour after they were all gone.
23:58
Speaker 1: The small shot from our cannon must needs kill and
24:00
Speaker 1: wound a great many, But in short we never knew
24:04
Speaker 1: how it went with them, for they fled so fast
24:07
Speaker 1: that in three hours or thereabouts. We could not see
24:10
Speaker 1: above three or four straggling canoes, nor did we ever
24:13
Speaker 1: see the rest any more, for a breeze of wind
24:16
Speaker 1: springing up. The same evening we waded and set sail
24:19
Speaker 1: for the brazils. We had a prisoner, indeed, but the
24:23
Speaker 1: creature was so sullen that he would neither eat nor speak.
24:27
Speaker 1: But we all fancied he would starve himself to death.
24:30
Speaker 1: But I took a way to cure him. For I
24:32
Speaker 1: had made them take him and turn him into the
24:35
Speaker 1: long boat, and make him believe they would toss him
24:37
Speaker 1: into the sea again, and so leave him where they
24:40
Speaker 1: found him if he would not speak. Nor would that do,
24:44
Speaker 1: But they readily did throw him into the sea and
24:46
Speaker 1: came away from him. Then he followed them, for he
24:49
Speaker 1: swam like a cork and called to them in his tongue,
24:53
Speaker 1: though they knew not one word of what he said. However,
24:56
Speaker 1: at last they took him in again, and then he
24:58
Speaker 1: began to be more tr factable. Nor did I ever
25:01
Speaker 1: design they should drown him. We were now under sail again.
25:05
Speaker 1: But I was the most disconsolate creature alive for want
25:09
Speaker 1: of my man Friday, and would have been very glad
25:12
Speaker 1: to have gone back to the island, to have taken
25:14
Speaker 1: one of the rest from thence for my occasion, but
25:17
Speaker 1: it could not be. So we went on. We had
25:20
Speaker 1: one prisoner, as I have said, and it was a
25:23
Speaker 1: long time before we could make him understand anything. But
25:27
Speaker 1: in time our men taught him some English, and he
25:29
Speaker 1: began to be a little tractable. Afterwards, we inquired what
25:33
Speaker 1: country he came from, but could make nothing of what
25:36
Speaker 1: he said, for his speech was so odd all gutturals,
25:40
Speaker 1: and he spoke in the throat in such a hollow,
25:42
Speaker 1: odd manner, that we could never form a word after him.
25:46
Speaker 1: And we were all of opinion that they might speak
25:48
Speaker 1: that language as well, if they were gagged or otherwise.
25:52
Speaker 1: Nor could we perceive that they had any occasion either
25:54
Speaker 1: for teeth, tongue, lips, or palate, but formed their words
25:58
Speaker 1: just as a hunting horn forms a tune with an
26:00
Speaker 1: open throat. He told us, however, some time after, when
26:05
Speaker 1: we had taught him to speak a little English, that
26:07
Speaker 1: they were going with their kings to fight a great battle.
26:10
Speaker 1: When he said kings, we asked him how many kings.
26:13
Speaker 1: He said they were five. Nation We could not make
26:16
Speaker 1: him understand the plural s, and that they all joined
26:20
Speaker 1: to go against two nation. We asked him what made
26:23
Speaker 1: them come up to us? He said, to make ye
26:26
Speaker 1: to great wonder. Look here it is to be observed
26:29
Speaker 1: that all those natives, as also those of Africa, when
26:31
Speaker 1: they learn English, always add to ease at the end
26:35
Speaker 1: of the words where we used one, and they placed
26:38
Speaker 1: the accent upon them as make ye, take ye, and
26:41
Speaker 1: the like nay. I could hardly make Friday leave it off,
26:44
Speaker 1: though at last he did. And now I name the
26:48
Speaker 1: poor fellow once more, I must take my last leave
26:50
Speaker 1: of him, poor honest Friday. We buried him with all
26:54
Speaker 1: the decency and solemnity possible, by putting him into a
26:57
Speaker 1: coffin and throwing him into the sea. And I caused
27:01
Speaker 1: them to fire eleven guns for him. So ended the
27:04
Speaker 1: life of the most grateful, faithful, honest, and most affectionate
27:08
Speaker 1: servant that ever man had. We went now away with
27:12
Speaker 1: a fair wind for Brazil, and in about twelve days
27:15
Speaker 1: time we made land in the latitude of five degrees
27:19
Speaker 1: south of the line, being the northeasternmost land of all
27:22
Speaker 1: that part of America. We kept on south by east
27:26
Speaker 1: in sight of the shore four days when we made
27:28
Speaker 1: Cape Saint Augustine, and in three days came to an
27:32
Speaker 1: anchor off the Bay of All Saints, the old place
27:34
Speaker 1: of my deliverance, from whence came both my good and
27:37
Speaker 1: evil fate. Never ship came to this port that had
27:41
Speaker 1: less business than I had. And yet it was with
27:44
Speaker 1: great difficulty that we were admitted to hold the least
27:46
Speaker 1: correspondence on shore. Not my partner himself, who was alive
27:51
Speaker 1: and made a great figure among them, Not my two
27:54
Speaker 1: merchant trustees, Not the fame of my wonderful preservation in
27:57
Speaker 1: the island could obtain me that faith. My partner, however,
28:02
Speaker 1: remembering that I had given five hundred moidors to the
28:05
Speaker 1: prior of the Monastery of the Augustines and two hundred
28:08
Speaker 1: and seventy two to the poor, went to the monastery
28:11
Speaker 1: and obliged the prior that then was to go to
28:14
Speaker 1: the governor and get leave for me personally with the captain,
28:18
Speaker 1: and one more besides eight seamen to come on shore,
28:21
Speaker 1: and no more. And this upon condition absolutely capitulated, for
28:26
Speaker 1: that we should not offer to land any goods out
28:29
Speaker 1: of the ship, or to carry any person away without license.
28:33
Speaker 1: They were so strict with us as to landing any goods.
28:36
Speaker 1: That it was with extreme difficulty that I got on
28:39
Speaker 1: shore three bales of English goods, such as fine broadcloths, stuffs,
28:43
Speaker 1: and some linen, which I had brought for a present
28:46
Speaker 1: to my partner. He was a very generous, open hearted man,
28:50
Speaker 1: although he began, like me, with little at first. Though
28:53
Speaker 1: he knew not that I had the least design of
28:56
Speaker 1: giving him anything. He sent me on board a present
28:59
Speaker 1: of fresh provisions, wine and sweetmeats worth about thirty moi doors,
29:04
Speaker 1: including some tobacco, and three or four fine medals of gold.
29:08
Speaker 1: But I was even with him in my present, which
29:10
Speaker 1: as I have said, consisted of fine broadcloth, English stuffs,
29:14
Speaker 1: lace and fine holland Also I delivered him about the
29:18
Speaker 1: value of one hundred pounds sterling in the same goods
29:21
Speaker 1: for other uses. And I obliged him to set up
29:24
Speaker 1: the sloop, which I had brought with me from England,
29:27
Speaker 1: as I have said, for the use of my colony,
29:30
Speaker 1: in order to send the refreshments I intended to my plantation. Accordingly,
29:35
Speaker 1: he got hands and finished the sloop in a very
29:38
Speaker 1: few days, for she was already framed, and I gave
29:41
Speaker 1: the master of her such instructions that he could not
29:44
Speaker 1: miss the place, nor did he, as I had an
29:46
Speaker 1: account from my partner afterwards. I got him soon loaded
29:50
Speaker 1: with the small cargo I sent them, and one of
29:52
Speaker 1: our seamen that had been on shore with me there
29:55
Speaker 1: offered to go with the sloop and settle there. Upon
29:58
Speaker 1: my letter to the Governor's Spanish to allot him a
30:01
Speaker 1: sufficient quantity of land for a plantation, and on my
30:04
Speaker 1: giving him some clothes and tools for his planting work,
30:07
Speaker 1: which he said he understood, having been an old planter
30:10
Speaker 1: at Maryland and a buccaneer into the bargain. I encouraged
30:14
Speaker 1: the fellow by granting all he desired, and as an addition,
30:18
Speaker 1: I gave him the savage whom we had taken prisoner
30:20
Speaker 1: of war to be his slave, and ordered the Governor
30:23
Speaker 1: Spaniard to give him his share of everything he wanted,
30:26
Speaker 1: with the rest. When we came to fit this man out,
30:30
Speaker 1: my old partner told me there was a certain, very
30:32
Speaker 1: honest fellow, a Brazil planter of his acquaintance, who had
30:36
Speaker 1: fallen into the displeasure of the church. I know not
30:39
Speaker 1: what the matter is with him, says he, but on
30:42
Speaker 1: my conscience. I think he is a heretic in his heart,
30:45
Speaker 1: and he has been obliged to conceal himself for fear
30:48
Speaker 1: of the inquisition. He then told me that he would
30:51
Speaker 1: be very glad of such an opportunity to make his
30:53
Speaker 1: escape with his wife and two daughters, and if I
30:56
Speaker 1: would let them go to my island and allot them
30:59
Speaker 1: a plantation, he would give them a small stock to
31:02
Speaker 1: begin with, for the officers of the inquisition had seized
31:05
Speaker 1: all his effects and estate, and he had nothing left
31:08
Speaker 1: but a little household stuff and two slaves and adds.
31:12
Speaker 1: He though I hate his principles, yet I would not
31:15
Speaker 1: have him fall into their heads, for he will be
31:18
Speaker 1: assuredly burned alive if he does. I granted this presently,
31:22
Speaker 1: and joined my englishmen with them, and we concealed the
31:26
Speaker 1: man and his wife and daughters on board our ship
31:29
Speaker 1: till the sloop put out to go to sea, and then,
31:32
Speaker 1: having put all their goods on board, some time before,
31:35
Speaker 1: we put them on board the sloop after she was
31:37
Speaker 1: got out of the bay. Our seamen was mightily pleased
31:41
Speaker 1: with this new partner, and their stocks indeed were much alike,
31:45
Speaker 1: rich in tools, in preparations, and a farm, but nothing
31:48
Speaker 1: to begin with except as above. However, they carried over
31:52
Speaker 1: with them what was worth all the rest some materials
31:55
Speaker 1: for planting sugar canes, with some plants of canes, which
31:59
Speaker 1: he I mean, the Brazil planter, understood very well. Among
32:04
Speaker 1: the rest of the supplies sent to my tenants in
32:07
Speaker 1: the island, I sent them by the sloop three milch
32:10
Speaker 1: cows and five calves, about twenty two hogs, among them
32:13
Speaker 1: three sows, two mares, and a stone horse. For my Spaniards.
32:18
Speaker 1: According to my promise, I engaged three brazil women to
32:22
Speaker 1: go and recommended it to them to marry them and
32:25
Speaker 1: use them kindly. I could have procured more women, but
32:28
Speaker 1: I remembered that the poor persecuted man had two daughters,
32:32
Speaker 1: and that there were but five of the Spaniards that
32:34
Speaker 1: wanted partners. The rest had wives of their own, though
32:38
Speaker 1: in another country. All this cargo arrived safe, and, as
32:42
Speaker 1: you may easily suppose, was very welcome to my old inhabitants,
32:46
Speaker 1: who were now with this addition, between sixty and seventy people,
32:50
Speaker 1: besides little children, of which there were a great many.
32:53
Speaker 1: I found letters at London from them, all by way
32:56
Speaker 1: of Lisbon when I came back to England. I have
33:00
Speaker 1: now done with the island and all manner of discourse
33:03
Speaker 1: about it. And whoever reads the rest of my memorandums
33:06
Speaker 1: would do well to turn his thoughts entirely from it,
33:09
Speaker 1: and expect to read of the follies of an old man,
33:12
Speaker 1: not warned by his own harms, much less by those
33:15
Speaker 1: of other men to beware, not cooled by almost forty years,
33:19
Speaker 1: miseries and disappointments, not satisfied with prosperity beyond expectation, nor
33:25
Speaker 1: made cautious by afflictions and distress beyond example. End of
33:30
Speaker 1: Chapter eight