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10 - The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe · Classic Adventure Books Collection

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Chapter nine, Dreadful Occurrences in Madagascar. I had no more business to go
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to the East Indies than a man at full liberty has to go to the
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turnkey at Newgate and desire him to lock him up among the prisoners there and
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starve him. Had I taken a small vessel from England and gone directly to
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the island. Had I loaded her as I did the other vessel, with
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all the necessaries for the plantation and for my people, taken a patent from
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the government here to have secured my property in subjection only to that of England.
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Had I carried over cannon and ammunition, servants, and people to plant,
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and taken possession of the place, fortified and strengthened it in the name
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of England, and increased it with people, as I might easily have done.
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Had I then settled myself there and sent the ship back laden with good
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rice, as I might also have done in six months time, and ordered
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my friends to have fitted her out again for our supply. Had I done
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this and stayed there myself, I had at least acted like a man of
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common sense. But I was possessed of a wandering spirit and scorned all advantages.
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I pleased myself with being the patron of the people I placed there,
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and doing for them in a kind of haughty majestic way, like an old
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patriarchal monarch, providing for them as if I had been father of the whole
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family, as well as of the plantation. But I never so much as
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pretended to plant in the name of any government or nation, or to acknowledge
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any prince, or to call my people's subjects to any one nation more than
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another. Nay, I never so much as gave the place a name,
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but left it as I found it, belonging to nobody, and the people
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under no discipline or government but my own, who, though I had influence
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over them as a father and benefactor, had no authority or power to act
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or command one way or other further than voluntary consent moved them to comply.
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Yet even this, had I stayed there, would have done well enough.
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But as I rambled from them and came there no more, the last letters
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I had from any of them were by my partner's means, who afterwards sent
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another sloop to the place, and who sent me word, though I had
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not the letter till I got to London. Several years after, it was
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written that they went on but poorly were discontented with their long stay there,
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that will Atkins was dead, that five of the Spaniards were come away,
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and though they had not been much molested by the savages, yet they had
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had some skirmishes with them, and that they begged of him to write to
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me. To think of the promise I had made to fetch them away,
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that they might see their country again before they died. But I was gone
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a wild goose chase, indeed, And they that will have any more of
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me must be content to follow me into a new variety of follies, hardships,
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and wild adventures, wherein the justice of Providence may be duly observed,
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and we may see how easily Heaven can gorge us with our own desires,
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make the strongest of our wishes be our affliction, and punish us most severely
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with those things which we think it would be our utmost happiness to be allowed
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to possess. Whether I had business or no business, away I went.
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It is no time now to enlarge upon the reason or absurdity of my own
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conduct, but to come to the history. I was embarked for the voyage
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and the voyage I went. I shall only add a word or two concerning
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my honest Popish clergyman, for let their opinion of us and all other heretics
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in general, as they call us, be as uncharitable as it may.
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I verily believe this man was very sincere and wished the good of all men.
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Yet I believe he used reserve in many of his expressions to prevent giving
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me offense. For I scarce heard him once call on the Blessed Virgin,
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or mention Saint Iago or his guardian Angel, although so common with the rest
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of them. However, I say I had not the least doubt of his
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sincerity and pious intentions. And I am firmly of opinion if the rest of
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the Popish missionaries were like him, they would strive to visit even the poor
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Tartars and Laplanders, where they have nothing to give them, as well as
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covet to flock to India, Persia, China, et cetera, the most
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wealthy of the Heathen countries. For if they expected to bring no gains to
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their church by it, it may well be admired how they came to admit
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the Chinese Confucius into the Calendar of the Christian Saints. A ship being ready
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to sail for Lisbon, my pious priest asked me leave to go thither,
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Being still, as he observed, bound never to finish any voyage, he
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began, how happy it had been for me if I had gone with him,
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But it was too late. Now. All things Heaven appoints for the
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best. Had I gone with him, I had never had so many things
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to be thankful for. And the reader had never heard of the second part
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of the Travels and a Day Ventures of Robinson Crusoe. So I must here
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leave, exclaiming at myself, and go on with my voyage. From the
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Brazils. We made directly over the Atlantic Sea to the Cape of Good Hope,
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and had a tolerably good voyage, our course generally southeast now and then
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a storm and some contrary winds. But my disasters at sea were at an
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end. My future rubs and cross events were to befall me on shore,
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that it might appear the land was as well prepared to be our scourge as
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the sea. Her ship was on a trading voyage and had a super cargo
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on board, who was to direct all her motions after she arrived at the
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Cape, only being limited to a certain number of days for stay by charter
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party at the several ports she was to go. This was none of my
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business, neither did I meddle with it. My nephew, the captain,
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and the supercargo adjusting all those things between them as they thought fit. We
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stayed at the Cape no longer than was needful to take in fresh water,
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but made the best of our way for the coast of Coromandel. We were
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indeed informed that a french Man of war of fifty guns and two large merchant
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ships were gone for the Indies, and as I knew we were at war
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with France, I had some apprehensions of them, but they went their own
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way and we heard no more of them. I shall not pester the reader
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with a tedious description of places, journals of our voyage, variations of the
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compass, latitudes, trade winds, et cetera. It is enough to name
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the ports and places which we touched at, and what occurred to us upon
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our passages from one to another. We touched first at the island of Madagascar,
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where though the people are fierce and treacherous and very well armed with lances
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and bows, which they used with inconceivable dexterity. Yet we fared very well
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with them, awhile they treated us very civilly, and for some trifles which
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we gave them, such as knives, scissors, et cetera, they brought
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us eleven good fat bullocks of a middling size, which we took in partly
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for fresh provisions for our present spending, and the rest to salt for the
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ship's use. We were obliged to stay here some time after we had furnished
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ourselves with provisions, and I, who was always too curious to look into
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every nook of the world wherever I came, went on shore as often as
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I could. It was on the east side of the island that we went
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on shore one evening, and the people, who by the way, are
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very numerous, came thronging about us and stood gazing at us at a distance.
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As we had traded freely with them and had been kindly used, we
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thought ourselves in no danger. But when we saw the people, we cut
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three boughs out of a tree and stuck them up at a distance from us,
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which it seems is a mark in that country. Not only of a
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truce and friendship. But when it is accepted, the other side set up
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three poles or boughs, which is a signal that they accept the truce too.
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But then this is a known condition of the truce, that you are
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not to pass beyond their three poles towards them, nor they to come past
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your three poles or bows towards you, so that you are perfectly secure within
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the three poles, and all the space between your poles and theirs is allowed
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like a market for free converse traffic and commerce. When you go there,
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you must not carry your weapons with you. And if they come into that
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space, they stick up their javelins and lances all at the first poles and
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come on unarmed. But if any violence is offered them, and the truce
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thereby broken away, they run to the poles and lay hold of their weapons,
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and the truce is at an end. It happened one evening when we
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went on shore, that a greater number of their people came down than usual,
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but all very friendly and civil, and they brought several kinds of provisions,
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for which we satisfied them with such toys as we had. The women
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also brought us milk and roots and several things very acceptable to us, and
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all as quiet, and we made us a little tent or hut of some
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boughs or trees, and lay on shore all night. I know not what
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was the occasion, but I was not so well satisfied as to lie on
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shore as the rest, and the boat riding at an anchor at about a
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stone's cast from the land, with two men in her to take care of
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her. I made one of them come on shore, and getting some boughs
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of trees to cover us. Also in the boat, I spread the sail
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on the bottom of the boat and lay under the cover of the branches of
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the trees all night in the boat. About two o'clock in the morning,
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we heard one of our men making a terrible noise on the shore, calling
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out for God's sake to bring the boat in and come and help them,
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for they were all like to be murdered. And at the same time I
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heard the fire of five muskets, which was the number of guns they had,
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and that three times over. For it seems the natives here were not
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so easily frightened with guns as the savages were in America, where I had
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to do with them. All this while I knew not what was the matter,
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but rousing immediately from sleep with the noise, I caused the boat to
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be thrust in and resolved with three fusees we had on board to land and
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assist our men. We got the boat soon to the shore, but our
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men were in too much haste for being come to the shore. They plunged
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into the water to get to the boat, with all the expedition they could,
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being pursued by between three and four hundred men, our men were but
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nine in all, and only five of them had fusies with them. The
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rest had pistols and swords, indeed, but they were of small use to
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them. We took up seven of our men, and with difficulty enough too,
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three of them being very ill wounded. And that which was still worse
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was that while we stood in the boat to take our men in, we
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were in as much danger as they were in on shore, for they poured
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their arrows in upon us, so thick that we were glad to barricade the
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side of the boat up with the benches and two or three loose boards,
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which, to our great satisfaction, we had by mere accident in the boat.
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And yet had it been daylight, they are, it seems such exact
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marksmen, that if they could have seen but the least part of any of
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us, they would have been sure of us. We had, by the
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light of the moon, a little sight of them, as they stood pelting
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us from the shore with darts and arrows, and having got ready our firearms,
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we gave them a volley that we could hear by the cries of some
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of them, had wounded several. However, they stood thus in battle array
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on the shore till break of day, which we supposed was that they might
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see the better to take their aim at us. In this condition, we
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lay and could not tell how to weigh our anchor or set up our sail,
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because we must needs stand up in the boat, and they were as
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sure to hit us as we were to hit a bird in a tree with
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small shot. We made signals of distress to the ship, and though she
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rowed a league off, yet my nephew, the captain, hearing our firing
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and by glasses perceiving the posture we lay in and that we fired towards the
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shore, pretty well understood us, and weighing anchor with all speed, he
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stood as near the shore as he durst with the ship, and then sent
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another boat with ten hands in her to assist us. We called to them
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not to come too near, telling them what condition we were in. However,
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they stood in near to us, and one of the men, taking
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the end of a tow line in his hand, and keeping our boat between
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him and the enemy so that they could not perfectly see him, swam on
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board us and made fast the line to the boat, upon which we slipped
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out a little cable, and leaving our anchor behind, they towed us out
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of reach of the arrows, we all the while lying close behind the barricade
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we had made. As soon as we were got from between the ship and
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the shore that we could lay her side to the shore, she ran along
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just by them, and poured in a broadside among them, loaded with pieces
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of iron and lead, small bullets, and such stuff, besides the great
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shot, which made a terrible havocumong them. When we were got on board
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and out of danger, we had time to examine into the occasion of this
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fray, And indeed our supercargo, who had been often in those parts,
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put me upon it, for he said he was sure the inhabitants would not
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have touched us after we had made a truce, if we had not done
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something to provoke them to it. At length, it came out that an
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old woman who had come to sell us some milk, had brought it within
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our poles, and a young woman with her, who also brought us some
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roots or herbs. And while the old woman, whether she was mother to
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the young woman or no, they could not tell, was selling us the
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milk, one of our men offered some rudeness to the girl that was with
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her, at which the old woman made a great noise. However, the
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seamen would not quit his prize, but carried her out of the old woman's
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sight among the trees, it being almost dark. The old woman went away
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without her, and, as we may suppose, made an outcry among the
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people she came from, who, upon notice, raised that great army upon
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us. In three or four hours, and it was great odds, but
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we had all been destroyed. One of our men was killed with a lance
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thrown at him just at the beginning of the attack, as he sallied out
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of the tent they had made. The rest came off free, all but
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the fellow who was the occasion of all the mischief, who paid dear enough
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for his brutality, For we could not hear what became of him for a
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great while. We lay upon the shore. Two days after though the wind
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presented and made signals for him, and made our boats sail up shore and
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down shore several leagues, but in vain. So we were obliged to give
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him over, and if he alone had suffered for it, the loss had
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been less. I could not satisfy myself, however, without venturing on shore
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once more to try if I could learn anything of him or them. It
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was the third night after the action that I had a great mind to learn,
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if I could by any means, what mischief we had done, and
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how the game stood on the Indian's side. It was careful to do it
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in the dark, lest we should be attacked again. But I ought,
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indeed to have been sure that the men I went with had been under my
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command before I engaged in a thing so hazardous and mischievous as I was brought
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into by it. Without design. We took twenty as stout fellows with us,
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as any in the ship besides the supercargo and myself, and we landed
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two hours before midnight at the same place where the Indians stood. Drawn up
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in the evening before I landed here because my design, as I have said,
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was chiefly to see if they had quitted the field, and if they
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had left any marks behind them of the mischief we had done them, And
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I thought if we could surprise one or two of them, perhaps we might
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get our men again by way of exchange. We landed without any noise and
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divided our men into two bodies, whereof the Bo'sun commanded one and I the
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other. We neither saw nor heard anybody stir when we landed, and we
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marched up one body at a distance from another to the place. At first
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we could see nothing, it being very dark, till by and by our
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Bosun, who led the first party, stumbled and fell over a dead body.
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This made them halt a while, for, knowing by the circumstances that
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they were at the place where the Indians had stood, they waited for my
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coming up there. We concluded to halt till the moon began to rise,
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which we knew would be in less than an hour, when we could easily
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discern the havoc we had made among them. We told thirty two bodies upon
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the ground, whereof two were not quite dead. Some had an arm and
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some a leg shot off and won his head. Those that were wounded,
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we supposed they had carried away when we had made as I thought, a
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full discovery of all we could come to the knowledge of. I resolved on
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going on board. But the Bosun and his party sent me word that they
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were resolved to make a visit to the Indian town where these dogs, as
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they called them, dwelt, and asked me to go along with them,
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and if they could find them, as they fancied they should. They did
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not doubt of getting a good booty, and it might be they might find
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Tom Jeffrey there. That was the man's name we had lost. Had they
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sent to ask my leave to go, I knew well enough what answer to
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have given them, for I should have commanded them instantly on board, knowing
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it was not a hazard fit for us to run, who had a ship
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and shiploading in our charge, and a voyage to make which depended very much
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upon the lives of the men. But as they sent me word they were
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resolved to go, and only asked me and my company to go along with
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them. I positively refused it and rose up, for I was sitting on
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the ground in order to go to the boat. One or two of the
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men began to importune me to go, and when I refused, began to
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grumble and say they were not under my command, and they would go.
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Come, Jack says one of the men, will you go with me?
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I'll go for one Jack said he would, and then another, and in
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a word, they all left me but one, whom I persuaded to stay,
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and a boy left in the boat. So the supercargo and I with
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the third man, went back to the boat, where we told them we
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would stay for them and take care to take in as many of them as
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should be left, for I told them it was a mad thing they were
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going about, and supposed most of them would have the fate of Tom Jeffrey.
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They told me, like seamen, they would warrant it, they would
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come off again, and they would take care, et cetera. So away
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they went. I entreated them to consider the ship and the voyage, that
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their lives were not their own, and that they were entrusted with the voyage
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in some measure, that if they miscarried, the ship might be lost for
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want of their help, and that they could not answer for it to God
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or man. But I might as well have talked to the mainmast of the
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ship. They were mad upon their journey. Only they gave me good words
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and begged I would not be angry. That they did not doubt, but
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they would be back again in about an hour at furthest for the Indian town,
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they said, was not above half a mile off, though they found
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it above two miles before they got to it. Well, they all went
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away, And though the attempt was desperate, and such as none but madmen
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would have gone about, yet to give them their due, they went about
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it as warily as boldly. They were gallantly armed, for they had every
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man a fusey or musket, a bayonet, and a pistol. Some of
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them had broad cutlasses, some of them had hangers and the bosun, and
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two more had pole axes. Besides all which they had among them thirteen hand
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grenados, bolder fellows, and better provided. Never went about any wicked work
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in the world. When they went out. Their chief design was plunder,
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and they were in mighty hopes of finding gold there but a circumstance which none
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of them were aware of set them on fire with revenge, and made devils
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of them all. When they came to the few Indian houses which they thought
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had been the town, which was not above half a mile off, they
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were under great disappointment, for there were not above twelve or thirteen houses,
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and where the town was, or how big they knew not. They consuled
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therefore what to do, and were some time before they could resolve. For
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if they fell upon these they must cut all their throats, and it was
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ten to one, but some of them might escape, it being in the
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night, though the moon was up, and if one escaped, he would
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run and raise all the town, so they should have a whole army upon
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them. On the other hand, if they went away and left those untouched,
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for the people were all asleep, they could not tell which way to
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look for the town. However, the last was the best advice, so
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they resolved to leave them and look for the town as well as they could.
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They went on a little way and found a cow tied to a tree.
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This, they presently concluded would be a good guide to them, for
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they said the cow certainly belonged to the town before them or the town behind
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them, and if they untied her, they should see which way she went.
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If she went back, they had nothing to say to her. But
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if she went forward, they would follow her. So they cut the cord,
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which was made of twisted flags, and the cow went on before them
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directly to the town, which, as they reported, consisted of above two
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hundred houses or huts, and in some of these they found several families living
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together. Here they found all in silence, as profoundly secure as sleep could
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make them. And first they called another council to consider what they had to
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do, and presently resolved to divide themselves into three bodies, and so set
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three houses on fire in three parts of the town. And as the men
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came out to seize them and bind them, if any resisted, they need
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not be asked what to do then, and so to search the rest of
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the houses for plunder. But they resolved to march silently first through the town
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and see what dimensions it was of, and if they might venture upon it
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or know they did so, and desperately resolved that they would venture upon them.
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But while they were animating one another to the work, three of them,
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who were a little before the rest, called out aloud to them and
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told them that they had found Tom Jeffrey. They all ran up to the
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place where they found the poor fellow hanging up, naked by one arm and
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his throat cut. There was an Indian house just by the tree, where
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they found sixteen or seventeen of the principal Indians who had been concerned in the
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fray with us before, and two or three of them wounded with our shot.
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And our men found they were awake and talking one to another in that
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house, but knew not their number. The sight of their poor mangled comrade
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so enraged them as before that they swore to one another that they would be
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revenged, and that not an Indian that came into their hands should have any
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quarter. And to work they went immediately, and yet not so madly as
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might be expected from the rage and fury they were in. Their first care
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was to get something that would soon take fire, but after a little search
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they found that would be to no purpose, for most of the houses were
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low and thatched with flags and rushes of which the country is full. So
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they presently made some wild fire, as we call it, by wetting a
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little powder in the palm of their hands, and in a quarter of an
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hour, they set the town on fire in four or five places, and
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particularly that house where the Indians were not gone to bed. As soon as
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the fire began to blaze, the poor, frightened creatures began to rush out
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to save their lives, but met with their fate in the attempt, and
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especially at the door, where they drove them back. The Boson himself killing
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one or two with his pole axe. The house being large and many in
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it, he did not care to go in, but called for a hand
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granado and threw it in among them, which at first frightened them, but
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when it burst, made such havoc among them that they cried out in a
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hideous manner. In short, most of the Indians who were in the open
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part of the house were killed or hurt with the granado, except two or
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three more who pressed to the door, which the Boson and two more kept
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with their bayonets on the muzzles of their pieces, and despatched all that came
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in their way. But there was another apartment in the house where the prince
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or king or whatever he was, and several others were, and these were
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kept in till the house which was by this time, all in a light
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flame fell in upon them, and they were smothered together. All this while
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they fired not a gun, because they would not waken the people faster than
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they could master them. But the fire began to waken them fast enough,
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and our fellows were glad to keep a little together in bodies, for the
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fire grew so raging, all the houses being made of light combustible stuff,
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that they could hardly bear the street between them. Their business was to follow
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the fire for the shorer execution, as fast as the fire either forced the
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people out of those houses which were burning or frightened them out of others.
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Our people were ready at their doors to knock them on the head, still
24:49
calling and hallooing one to another to remember Tom Jeffrey. While this was doing,
24:56
I must confess I was very uneasy, and especially when I saw the
25:00
flames of the town, which it being night, seemed to be close by
25:03
me. My nephew, the captain, who was roused by his men seeing
25:07
such a fire, was very uneasy, not knowing what the matter was or
25:11
what danger I was in, especially hearing the guns too, for by this
25:15
time they began to use their fire arms. A thousand thoughts oppressed his mind
25:21
concerning me and the supercargo, what would become of us? And at last,
25:25
though he could ill spare any more men, yet not knowing what exigence
25:30
we might be in, he took another boat and with thirteen men and himself
25:33
came ashore to me. He was surprised to see me and the supercargo in
25:38
the boat with no more than two men, and though he was glad that
25:41
we were well, yet he was in the same impatience with us to know
25:45
what was doing, For the noise continued and the flame increased. In short,
25:51
it was next to an impossibility for any men in the world to restrain
25:53
their curiosity to know what had happened, or their concern for the safety of
25:59
the men. In a word, the captain told me he would go and
26:02
help his men, let what would come. I argued with him, as
26:06
I did before with the men, the safety of the ship, the danger
26:10
of the voyage, the interests of the owners and merchants, et cetera,
26:14
and told him I and the two men would go and only see if we
26:17
could, at a distance learn what was likely to be the event, and
26:21
come back and tell him it was in vain to talk to my nephew,
26:23
as it was to talk to the rest before he would go, he said,
26:27
And he only wished he had left but ten men in the ship,
26:30
for he could not think of having his men lost for want of help.
26:34
He had rather losed the ship, the voyage, and his life and all,
26:37
and away he went. I was no more able to stay behind now
26:42
than I was to persuade them not to go. So the captain ordered two
26:47
men to row back the pennace and fetch twelve men more, leaving the long
26:51
boat at an anchor, and that when they came back, six men should
26:55
keep the two boats, and six more come after us, so that he
26:59
left only six sixteen men in the ship. For the whole ship's company consisted
27:03
of sixty five men, whereof two were lost in the late quarrel which brought
27:07
this mischief. On being now on the march, we felt little of the
27:11
ground we trod on, and being guided by the fire, we kept no
27:15
path, but went directly to the place of the flame. If the noise
27:19
of the guns was surprising to us before, the cries of the poor people
27:23
were now quite of another nature, and filled us with horror, I must
27:27
confess I was never at the sacking a city, or at the taking a
27:30
town by storm. I had heard of Oliver Cromwell taking Droida in Ireland and
27:37
killing man, woman and child, and I had read of Count Tilley sacking
27:41
the city of Magdeburg and cutting the throats of twenty two thousand of all sexes.
27:45
But I never had an idea of the thing itself before, nor is
27:49
it possible to describe it or the horror that was upon our minds at hearing
27:53
it. However, we went on and at length came to the town,
27:59
though there was no entering the streets of it for the fire. The first
28:02
object we met with was the ruins of a hut or house, or rather
28:06
the ashes of it. For the house was consumed, and just before it,
28:11
plainly now to be seen by the light of the fire, lay four
28:14
men and three women killed, and as we thought, one or two more
28:18
lay in the heap among the fire. In short, there were such instances
28:22
of rage altogether barbarous, and of a fury something beyond what was human,
28:26
that we thought it impossible our men could be guilty of it, or if
28:30
they were the authors of it, we thought they ought to be. Every
28:33
One of them put to the worst of deaths. But this was not all.
28:37
We saw the fire increase forward, and the cry went on just as
28:41
the fire went on, so that we were in the utmost confusion. We
28:45
advanced a little way farther, and behold, to our astonishment, three naked
28:51
women, and crying in a most dreadful manner, came flying as if they
28:55
had wings, and after them sixteen or seventeen men natives in the same terror
29:00
and consternation, with three of our English butchers in the rear, who,
29:03
when they could not overtake them, fired in among them, and one that
29:07
was killed by their shot fell down in our sight. When the rest saw
29:11
us, believing us to be their enemies and that we would murder them as
29:15
well as those that pursued them, they set up a most dreadful shriek,
29:19
especially the women, and two of them fell down as if already dead.
29:23
With the fright. My very soul shrunk within me, and my blood ran
29:29
chill in my veins when I saw this, and I believe had the three
29:33
English sailors that pursued them come on, I had made our men kill them
29:37
all. However, we took some means to let the poor flying creatures know
29:41
that we would not hurt them, And immediately they came up to us,
29:45
and, kneeling down with their hands lifted up, made piteous lamentation to us
29:49
to save them, which we let them know we would, whereupon they crept
29:55
all together in a huddle close behind us as for protection. I left my
29:59
men drawn up together, and charging them to hurt nobody, but if possible
30:03
to get at some of our people and see what devil it was possessed them
30:07
and what they intended to do, and to command them off, assuring them
30:11
that if they stayed till daylight they would have a hundred thousand men about their
30:15
ears. I say, I left them and went among those flying people,
30:21
taking only two of our men with me, and there was indeed a piteous
30:25
spectacle among them. Some of them had their feet terribly burned with trampling and
30:30
running through the fire, others their hands burned. One of the women had
30:33
fallen down in the fire and was very much burned before she could get out
30:37
again. And two or three of the men had cuts in their backs and
30:41
thighs from our men pursuing, and another was shot through the body and died.
30:45
While I was there, I would fain have learned what the occasion of
30:49
all this was, but I could not understand one word they said, though
30:53
by signs I perceived some of them knew not what was the occasion themselves.
30:59
I was so terrify in my thoughts at this outrageous attempt that I could not
31:03
stay there, but went back to my own men and resolved to go into
31:07
the middle of the town, through the fire or whatever might be in the
31:10
way, and put an end to it, cost what it would Accordingly,
31:14
As I came back to my men, I told them my resolution and commanded
31:18
them to follow me. When at the very moment came four of our men
31:22
with the bowsaon at their head, roving over heaps of bodies they had killed,
31:26
all covered with blood and dust, as if they wanted more people to
31:30
massacre. When our men hallooed to them as loud as they could halloo,
31:34
and with much ado, one of them made to hear, so that they
31:37
knew who we were, and came up to us. As soon as the
31:41
Bosun saw us, he set up a halloo like a shout of triumph,
31:45
for having, as he thought, more help come, and without waiting to
31:49
hear me, captain, says he, noble captain, I am glad you
31:53
are come. We have not half done yet, villainous hell hound dogs.
31:57
I'll kill as many of them as poor Tom has hairs upon his head.
32:01
We have sworn to spare none of them. We'll root out the very nation
32:06
of them from the earth. And thus he ran on out of breath too
32:09
with action, and would not give us leave to speak a word. At
32:14
last, raising my voice that I might silence him, a little barbarous dog,
32:17
said I what are you doing? I won't have one creature touched more,
32:22
upon pain of death. I charge you, upon your life to stop
32:25
your hands and stand still here, or you are a dead man this minute.
32:30
Why, sir, says he, Do you know what you do or
32:34
what they have done? If you want a reason for what we have done,
32:37
come hither. And with that he showed me the poor fellow hanging with
32:40
his throat cut. I confess I was urged then myself, and at another
32:46
time would have been forward enough. But I thought they had carried their rage
32:51
too far, and remembered Jacob's words to his sons Simeon and LEVI cursed be
32:55
their anger, for it was fierce and their wrath, for it was cruel.
33:00
But I had now a new task upon my hands, for when the
33:04
men I had carried with me saw the sight as I had done, I
33:07
had as much to do to restrain them as I should have had with the
33:10
others. Nay, my nephew himself fell in with them and told me in
33:15
their hearing that he was only concerned for fear of the men being overpowered,
33:20
and as to the people, he thought not one of them ought to live,
33:23
for they had all glutted themselves with the murder of the poor man,
33:27
and that they ought to be used like murderers. Upon these words, away
33:31
ran eight of my men with the Bosun and his crew to complete their bloody
33:36
work, and I, seeing it quite out of my power to restrain them,
33:39
came away pensive and sad, for I could not bear the sight,
33:44
much less the horrible noise and cries of the poor wretches that fell into their
33:47
hands. I got nobody to come back with me but the supercargo and two
33:52
men, and with these walked back to the boat. It was a very
33:57
great piece of folly in me, I confessed venture back as it were alone,
34:01
For as it began now to be almost day, and the alarm had
34:06
run over the country. There stood about forty men armed with lances and boughs
34:09
at the little place where the twelve or thirteen houses stood mentioned before. But
34:15
by accident I missed the place and came directly to the sea side, and
34:20
by the time I got to the sea side it was broad day. Immediately
34:23
I took the pennace and went on board and set her back to assist the
34:27
men in what might happen. I observed about the time that I got to
34:30
the boat side that the fire was pretty well out and the noise abated.
34:36
But in about half an hour after I got on board, I heard a
34:39
volley of our men's firearms and saw a great smoke. This, as I
34:44
understood afterwards, was our men falling upon the men, who, as I
34:47
said, stood at the few houses on the way, of whom they killed
34:52
sixteen or seventeen and set all the houses on fire, but did not meddle
34:57
with the women or children. By the time the men got to the shore
35:00
again with the pennace, our men began to appear. They came, dropping
35:05
in, not in two bodies as they went, but straggling here and there,
35:08
in such a manner that a small force of resolute men might have cut
35:13
them all off. But the dread of them was upon the whole country,
35:16
and the men were surprised and so frightened that I believe a hundred of them
35:21
would have fled at the sight of but five of our men. Nor in
35:24
all this terrible action was there a man that made any considerable defense. They
35:29
were so surprised between the terror of the fire and the sudden attack of our
35:32
men in the dark, that they knew not which way to turn themselves,
35:37
For if they fled one way, they were met by one party, if
35:39
back again by another, so that they were everywhere knocked down. Nor did
35:45
any of our men receive the least hurt, except one that sprained his foot,
35:49
and another that had one of his hands burned. End of Chapter nine.