Chapter 16: Rescue of Prisoners from Cannibals

by Daniel Defoe

　　Upon the whole, I was by this time so fixed upon my design of goingover with him to the continent that I told him we would go and makeone as big as that, and he should go home in it. He answered notone word, but looked very grave and sad. I asked him what was thematter with him. He asked me again, "Why you angry mad withFriday? - what me done?" I asked him what he meant. I told him Iwas not angry with him at all. "No angry!" says he, repeating thewords several times; "why send Friday home away to my nation?""Why," says I, "Friday, did not you say you wished you were there?""Yes, yes," says he, "wish we both there; no wish Friday there, nomaster there." In a word, he would not think of going therewithout me. "I go there, Friday?" says I; "what shall I do there?"He turned very quick upon me at this. "You do great deal muchgood," says he; "you teach wild mans be good, sober, tame mans; youtell them know God, pray God, and live new life." "Alas, Friday!"says I, "thou knowest not what thou sayest; I am but an ignorantman myself." "Yes, yes," says he, "you teachee me good, youteachee them good." "No, no, Friday," says I, "you shall gowithout me; leave me here to live by myself, as I did before." Helooked confused again at that word; and running to one of thehatchets which he used to wear, he takes it up hastily, and givesit to me. "What must I do with this?" says I to him. "You takekill Friday," says he. "What must kill you for?" said I again. Hereturns very quick - "What you send Friday away for? Take killFriday, no send Friday away." This he spoke so earnestly that Isaw tears stand in his eyes. In a word, I so plainly discoveredthe utmost affection in him to me, and a firm resolution in him,that I told him then and often after, that I would never send himaway from me if he was willing to stay with me.Upon the whole, as I found by all his discourse a settled affectionto me, and that nothing could part him from me, so I found all thefoundation of his desire to go to his own country was laid in hisardent affection to the people, and his hopes of my doing themgood; a thing which, as I had no notion of myself, so I had not theleast thought or intention, or desire of undertaking it. But stillI found a strong inclination to attempting my escape, founded onthe supposition gathered from the discourse, that there wereseventeen bearded men there; and therefore, without any more delay,I went to work with Friday to find out a great tree proper to fell,and make a large periagua, or canoe, to undertake the voyage.There were trees enough in the island to have built a little fleet,not of periaguas or canoes, but even of good, large vessels; butthe main thing I looked at was, to get one so near the water thatwe might launch it when it was made, to avoid the mistake Icommitted at first. At last Friday pitched upon a tree; for Ifound he knew much better than I what kind of wood was fittest forit; nor can I tell to this day what wood to call the tree we cutdown, except that it was very like the tree we call fustic, orbetween that and the Nicaragua wood, for it was much of the samecolour and smell. Friday wished to burn the hollow or cavity ofthis tree out, to make it for a boat, but I showed him how to cutit with tools; which, after I had showed him how to use, he didvery handily; and in about a month's hard labour we finished it andmade it very handsome; especially when, with our axes, which Ishowed him how to handle, we cut and hewed the outside into thetrue shape of a boat. After this, however, it cost us near afortnight's time to get her along, as it were inch by inch, upongreat rollers into the water; but when she was in, she would havecarried twenty men with great ease.When she was in the water, though she was so big, it amazed me tosee with what dexterity and how swift my man Friday could manageher, turn her, and paddle her along. So I asked him if he would,and if we might venture over in her. "Yes," he said, "we ventureover in her very well, though great blow wind." However I had afurther design that he knew nothing of, and that was, to make amast and a sail, and to fit her with an anchor and cable. As to amast, that was easy enough to get; so I pitched upon a straightyoung cedar-tree, which I found near the place, and which therewere great plenty of in the island, and I set Friday to work to cutit down, and gave him directions how to shape and order it. But asto the sail, that was my particular care. I knew I had old sails,or rather pieces of old sails, enough; but as I had had them nowsix-and-twenty years by me, and had not been very careful topreserve them, not imagining that I should ever have this kind ofuse for them, I did not doubt but they were all rotten; and,indeed, most of them were so. However, I found two pieces whichappeared pretty good, and with these I went to work; and with agreat deal of pains, and awkward stitching, you may be sure, forwant of needles, I at length made a three-cornered ugly thing, likewhat we call in England a shoulder-of-mutton sail, to go with aboom at bottom, and a little short sprit at the top, such asusually our ships' long-boats sail with, and such as I best knewhow to manage, as it was such a one as I had to the boat in which Imade my escape from Barbary, as related in the first part of mystory.I was near two months performing this last work, viz. rigging andfitting my masts and sails; for I finished them very complete,making a small stay, and a sail, or foresail, to it, to assist ifwe should turn to windward; and, what was more than all, I fixed arudder to the stern of her to steer with. I was but a bunglingshipwright, yet as I knew the usefulness and even necessity of sucha thing, I applied myself with so much pains to do it, that at lastI brought it to pass; though, considering the many dullcontrivances I had for it that failed, I think it cost me almost asmuch labour as making the boat.After all this was done, I had my man Friday to teach as to whatbelonged to the navigation of my boat; though he knew very well howto paddle a canoe, he knew nothing of what belonged to a sail and arudder; and was the most amazed when he saw me work the boat to andagain in the sea by the rudder, and how the sail jibed, and filledthis way or that way as the course we sailed changed; I say when hesaw this he stood like one astonished and amazed. However, with alittle use, I made all these things familiar to him, and he becamean expert sailor, except that of the compass I could make himunderstand very little. On the other hand, as there was verylittle cloudy weather, and seldom or never any fogs in those parts,there was the less occasion for a compass, seeing the stars werealways to be seen by night, and the shore by day, except in therainy seasons, and then nobody cared to stir abroad either by landor sea.I was now entered on the seven-and-twentieth year of my captivityin this place; though the three last years that I had this creaturewith me ought rather to be left out of the account, my habitationbeing quite of another kind than in all the rest of the time. Ikept the anniversary of my landing here with the same thankfulnessto God for His mercies as at first: and if I had such cause ofacknowledgment at first, I had much more so now, having suchadditional testimonies of the care of Providence over me, and thegreat hopes I had of being effectually and speedily delivered; forI had an invincible impression upon my thoughts that my deliverancewas at hand, and that I should not be another year in this place.I went on, however, with my husbandry; digging, planting, andfencing as usual. I gathered and cured my grapes, and did everynecessary thing as before.The rainy season was in the meantime upon me, when I kept morewithin doors than at other times. We had stowed our new vessel assecure as we could, bringing her up into the creek, where, as Isaid in the beginning, I landed my rafts from the ship; and haulingher up to the shore at high-water mark, I made my man Friday dig alittle dock, just big enough to hold her, and just deep enough togive her water enough to float in; and then, when the tide was out,we made a strong dam across the end of it, to keep the water out;and so she lay, dry as to the tide from the sea: and to keep therain off we laid a great many boughs of trees, so thick that shewas as well thatched as a house; and thus we waited for the monthsof November and December, in which I designed to make my adventure.When the settled season began to come in, as the thought of mydesign returned with the fair weather, I was preparing daily forthe voyage. And the first thing I did was to lay by a certainquantity of provisions, being the stores for our voyage; andintended in a week or a fortnight's time to open the dock, andlaunch out our boat. I was busy one morning upon something of thiskind, when I called to Friday, and bid him to go to the sea-shoreand see if he could find a turtle or a tortoise, a thing which wegenerally got once a week, for the sake of the eggs as well as theflesh. Friday had not been long gone when he came running back,and flew over my outer wall or fence, like one that felt not theground or the steps he set his foot on; and before I had time tospeak to him he cries out to me, "O master! O master! O sorrow! Obad!" - "What's the matter, Friday?" says I. "O yonder there,"says he, "one, two, three canoes; one, two, three!" By this way ofspeaking I concluded there were six; but on inquiry I found therewere but three. "Well, Friday," says I, "do not be frightened."So I heartened him up as well as I could. However, I saw the poorfellow was most terribly scared, for nothing ran in his head butthat they were come to look for him, and would cut him in piecesand eat him; and the poor fellow trembled so that I scarcely knewwhat to do with him. I comforted him as well as I could, and toldhim I was in as much danger as he, and that they would eat me aswell as him. "But," says I, "Friday, we must resolve to fightthem. Can you fight, Friday?" "Me shoot," says he, "but therecome many great number." "No matter for that," said I again; "ourguns will fright them that we do not kill." So I asked himwhether, if I resolved to defend him, he would defend me, and standby me, and do just as I bid him. He said, "Me die when you biddie, master." So I went and fetched a good dram of rum and gavehim; for I had been so good a husband of my rum that I had a greatdeal left. When we had drunk it, I made him take the two fowling-pieces, which we always carried, and loaded them with large swan-shot, as big as small pistol-bullets. Then I took four muskets,and loaded them with two slugs and five small bullets each; and mytwo pistols I loaded with a brace of bullets each. I hung my greatsword, as usual, naked by my side, and gave Friday his hatchet.When I had thus prepared myself, I took my perspective glass, andwent up to the side of the hill, to see what I could discover; andI found quickly by my glass that there were one-and-twenty savages,three prisoners, and three canoes; and that their whole businessseemed to be the triumphant banquet upon these three human bodies:a barbarous feast, indeed! but nothing more than, as I hadobserved, was usual with them. I observed also that they hadlanded, not where they had done when Friday made his escape, butnearer to my creek, where the shore was low, and where a thick woodcame almost close down to the sea. This, with the abhorrence ofthe inhuman errand these wretches came about, filled me with suchindignation that I came down again to Friday, and told him I wasresolved to go down to them and kill them all; and asked him if hewould stand by me. He had now got over his fright, and his spiritsbeing a little raised with the dram I had given him, he was verycheerful, and told me, as before, he would die when I bid die.In this fit of fury I divided the arms which I had charged, asbefore, between us; I gave Friday one pistol to stick in hisgirdle, and three guns upon his shoulder, and I took one pistol andthe other three guns myself; and in this posture we marched out. Itook a small bottle of rum in my pocket, and gave Friday a largebag with more powder and bullets; and as to orders, I charged himto keep close behind me, and not to stir, or shoot, or do anythingtill I bid him, and in the meantime not to speak a word. In thisposture I fetched a compass to my right hand of near a mile, aswell to get over the creek as to get into the wood, so that I couldcome within shot of them before I should be discovered, which I hadseen by my glass it was easy to do.While I was making this march, my former thoughts returning, Ibegan to abate my resolution: I do not mean that I entertained anyfear of their number, for as they were naked, unarmed wretches, itis certain I was superior to them - nay, though I had been alone.But it occurred to my thoughts, what call, what occasion, much lesswhat necessity I was in to go and dip my hands in blood, to attackpeople who had neither done or intended me any wrong? who, as tome, were innocent, and whose barbarous customs were their owndisaster, being in them a token, indeed, of God's having left them,with the other nations of that part of the world, to suchstupidity, and to such inhuman courses, but did not call me to takeupon me to be a judge of their actions, much less an executioner ofHis justice - that whenever He thought fit He would take the causeinto His own hands, and by national vengeance punish them as apeople for national crimes, but that, in the meantime, it was noneof my business - that it was true Friday might justify it, becausehe was a declared enemy and in a state of war with those veryparticular people, and it was lawful for him to attack them - but Icould not say the same with regard to myself. These things were sowarmly pressed upon my thoughts all the way as I went, that Iresolved I would only go and place myself near them that I mightobserve their barbarous feast, and that I would act then as Godshould direct; but that unless something offered that was more acall to me than yet I knew of, I would not meddle with them.With this resolution I entered the wood, and, with all possiblewariness and silence, Friday following close at my heels, I marchedtill I came to the skirts of the wood on the side which was next tothem, only that one corner of the wood lay between me and them.Here I called softly to Friday, and showing him a great tree whichwas just at the corner of the wood, I bade him go to the tree, andbring me word if he could see there plainly what they were doing.He did so, and came immediately back to me, and told me they mightbe plainly viewed there - that they were all about their fire,eating the flesh of one of their prisoners, and that another laybound upon the sand a little from them, whom he said they wouldkill next; and this fired the very soul within me. He told me itwas not one of their nation, but one of the bearded men he had toldme of, that came to their country in the boat. I was filled withhorror at the very naming of the white bearded man; and going tothe tree, I saw plainly by my glass a white man, who lay upon thebeach of the sea with his hands and his feet tied with flags, orthings like rushes, and that he was an European, and had clotheson.There was another tree and a little thicket beyond it, about fiftyyards nearer to them than the place where I was, which, by going alittle way about, I saw I might come at undiscovered, and that thenI should be within half a shot of them; so I withheld my passion,though I was indeed enraged to the highest degree; and going backabout twenty paces, I got behind some bushes, which held all theway till I came to the other tree, and then came to a little risingground, which gave me a full view of them at the distance of abouteighty yards.I had now not a moment to lose, for nineteen of the dreadfulwretches sat upon the ground, all close huddled together, and hadjust sent the other two to butcher the poor Christian, and bringhim perhaps limb by limb to their fire, and they were stooping downto untie the bands at his feet. I turned to Friday. "Now,Friday," said I, "do as I bid thee." Friday said he would. "Then,Friday," says I, "do exactly as you see me do; fail in nothing."So I set down one of the muskets and the fowling-piece upon theground, and Friday did the like by his, and with the other musket Itook my aim at the savages, bidding him to do the like; then askinghim if he was ready, he said, "Yes." "Then fire at them," said I;and at the same moment I fired also.Friday took his aim so much better than I, that on the side that heshot he killed two of them, and wounded three more; and on my sideI killed one, and wounded two. They were, you may be sure, in adreadful consternation: and all of them that were not hurt jumpedupon their feet, but did not immediately know which way to run, orwhich way to look, for they knew not from whence their destructioncame. Friday kept his eyes close upon me, that, as I had bid him,he might observe what I did; so, as soon as the first shot wasmade, I threw down the piece, and took up the fowling-piece, andFriday did the like; he saw me cock and present; he did the sameagain. "Are you ready, Friday?" said I. "Yes," says he. "Letfly, then," says I, "in the name of God!" and with that I firedagain among the amazed wretches, and so did Friday; and as ourpieces were now loaded with what I call swan-shot, or small pistol-bullets, we found only two drop; but so many were wounded that theyran about yelling and screaming like mad creatures, all bloody, andmost of them miserably wounded; whereof three more fell quicklyafter, though not quite dead."Now, Friday," says I, laying down the discharged pieces, andtaking up the musket which was yet loaded, "follow me," which hedid with a great deal of courage; upon which I rushed out of thewood and showed myself, and Friday close at my foot. As soon as Iperceived they saw me, I shouted as loud as I could, and badeFriday do so too, and running as fast as I could, which, by theway, was not very fast, being loaded with arms as I was, I madedirectly towards the poor victim, who was, as I said, lying uponthe beach or shore, between the place where they sat and the sea.The two butchers who were just going to work with him had left himat the surprise of our first fire, and fled in a terrible fright tothe seaside, and had jumped into a canoe, and three more of therest made the same way. I turned to Friday, and bade him stepforwards and fire at them; he understood me immediately, andrunning about forty yards, to be nearer them, he shot at them; andI thought he had killed them all, for I saw them all fall of a heapinto the boat, though I saw two of them up again quickly; however,he killed two of them, and wounded the third, so that he lay downin the bottom of the boat as if he had been dead.While my man Friday fired at them, I pulled out my knife and cutthe flags that bound the poor victim; and loosing his hands andfeet, I lifted him up, and asked him in the Portuguese tongue whathe was. He answered in Latin, Christianus; but was so weak andfaint that he could scarce stand or speak. I took my bottle out ofmy pocket and gave it him, making signs that he should drink, whichhe did; and I gave him a piece of bread, which he ate. Then Iasked him what countryman he was: and he said, Espagniole; andbeing a little recovered, let me know, by all the signs he couldpossibly make, how much he was in my debt for his deliverance."Seignior," said I, with as much Spanish as I could make up, "wewill talk afterwards, but we must fight now: if you have anystrength left, take this pistol and sword, and lay about you."He took them very thankfully; and no sooner had he the arms in hishands, but, as if they had put new vigour into him, he flew uponhis murderers like a fury, and had cut two of them in pieces in aninstant; for the truth is, as the whole was a surprise to them, sothe poor creatures were so much frightened with the noise of ourpieces that they fell down for mere amazement and fear, and had nomore power to attempt their own escape than their flesh had toresist our shot; and that was the case of those five that Fridayshot at in the boat; for as three of them fell with the hurt theyreceived, so the other two fell with the fright.I kept my piece in my hand still without firing, being willing tokeep my charge ready, because I had given the Spaniard my pistoland sword: so I called to Friday, and bade him run up to the treefrom whence we first fired, and fetch the arms which lay there thathad been discharged, which he did with great swiftness; and thengiving him my musket, I sat down myself to load all the rest again,and bade them come to me when they wanted. While I was loadingthese pieces, there happened a fierce engagement between theSpaniard and one of the savages, who made at him with one of theirgreat wooden swords, the weapon that was to have killed him before,if I had not prevented it. The Spaniard, who was as bold and braveas could be imagined, though weak, had fought the Indian a goodwhile, and had cut two great wounds on his head; but the savagebeing a stout, lusty fellow, closing in with him, had thrown himdown, being faint, and was wringing my sword out of his hand; whenthe Spaniard, though undermost, wisely quitting the sword, drew thepistol from his girdle, shot the savage through the body, andkilled him upon the spot, before I, who was running to help him,could come near him.Friday, being now left to his liberty, pursued the flying wretches,with no weapon in his hand but his hatchet: and with that hedespatched those three who as I said before, were wounded at first,and fallen, and all the rest he could come up with: and theSpaniard coming to me for a gun, I gave him one of the fowling-pieces, with which he pursued two of the savages, and wounded themboth; but as he was not able to run, they both got from him intothe wood, where Friday pursued them, and killed one of them, butthe other was too nimble for him; and though he was wounded, yethad plunged himself into the sea, and swam with all his might offto those two who were left in the canoe; which three in the canoe,with one wounded, that we knew not whether he died or no, were allthat escaped our hands of one-and-twenty. The account of the wholeis as follows: Three killed at our first shot from the tree; twokilled at the next shot; two killed by Friday in the boat; twokilled by Friday of those at first wounded; one killed by Friday inthe wood; three killed by the Spaniard; four killed, being founddropped here and there, of the wounds, or killed by Friday in hischase of them; four escaped in the boat, whereof one wounded, ifnot dead - twenty-one in all.Those that were in the canoe worked hard to get out of gun-shot,and though Friday made two or three shots at them, I did not findthat he hit any of them. Friday would fain have had me take one oftheir canoes, and pursue them; and indeed I was very anxious abouttheir escape, lest, carrying the news home to their people, theyshould come back perhaps with two or three hundred of the canoesand devour us by mere multitude; so I consented to pursue them bysea, and running to one of their canoes, I jumped in and badeFriday follow me: but when I was in the canoe I was surprised tofind another poor creature lie there, bound hand and foot, as theSpaniard was, for the slaughter, and almost dead with fear, notknowing what was the matter; for he had not been able to look upover the side of the boat, he was tied so hard neck and heels, andhad been tied so long that he had really but little life in him.I immediately cut the twisted flags or rushes which they had boundhim with, and would have helped him up; but he could not stand orspeak, but groaned most piteously, believing, it seems, still, thathe was only unbound in order to be killed. When Friday came to himI bade him speak to him, and tell him of his deliverance; andpulling out my bottle, made him give the poor wretch a dram, which,with the news of his being delivered, revived him, and he sat up inthe boat. But when Friday came to hear him speak, and look in hisface, it would have moved any one to tears to have seen how Fridaykissed him, embraced him, hugged him, cried, laughed, hallooed,jumped about, danced, sang; then cried again, wrung his hands, beathis own face and head; and then sang and jumped about again like adistracted creature. It was a good while before I could make himspeak to me or tell me what was the matter; but when he came alittle to himself he told me that it was his father.It is not easy for me to express how it moved me to see whatecstasy and filial affection had worked in this poor savage at thesight of his father, and of his being delivered from death; norindeed can I describe half the extravagances of his affection afterthis: for he went into the boat and out of the boat a great manytimes: when he went in to him he would sit down by him, open hisbreast, and hold his father's head close to his bosom for manyminutes together, to nourish it; then he took his arms and ankles,which were numbed and stiff with the binding, and chafed and rubbedthem with his hands; and I, perceiving what the case was, gave himsome rum out of my bottle to rub them with, which did them a greatdeal of good.This affair put an end to our pursuit of the canoe with the othersavages, who were now almost out of sight; and it was happy for usthat we did not, for it blew so hard within two hours after, andbefore they could be got a quarter of their way, and continuedblowing so hard all night, and that from the north-west, which wasagainst them, that I could not suppose their boat could live, orthat they ever reached their own coast.But to return to Friday; he was so busy about his father that Icould not find in my heart to take him off for some time; but afterI thought he could leave him a little, I called him to me, and hecame jumping and laughing, and pleased to the highest extreme: thenI asked him if he had given his father any bread. He shook hishead, and said, "None; ugly dog eat all up self." I then gave hima cake of bread out of a little pouch I carried on purpose; I alsogave him a dram for himself; but he would not taste it, but carriedit to his father. I had in my pocket two or three bunches ofraisins, so I gave him a handful of them for his father. He had nosooner given his father these raisins but I saw him come out of theboat, and run away as if he had been bewitched, for he was theswiftest fellow on his feet that ever I saw: I say, he ran at sucha rate that he was out of sight, as it were, in an instant; andthough I called, and hallooed out too after him, it was all one -away he went; and in a quarter of an hour I saw him come backagain, though not so fast as he went; and as he came nearer I foundhis pace slacker, because he had something in his hand. When hecame up to me I found he had been quite home for an earthen jug orpot, to bring his father some fresh water, and that he had got twomore cakes or loaves of bread: the bread he gave me, but the waterhe carried to his father; however, as I was very thirsty too, Itook a little of it. The water revived his father more than allthe rum or spirits I had given him, for he was fainting withthirst.When his father had drunk, I called to him to know if there was anywater left. He said, "Yes"; and I bade him give it to the poorSpaniard, who was in as much want of it as his father; and I sentone of the cakes that Friday brought to the Spaniard too, who wasindeed very weak, and was reposing himself upon a green place underthe shade of a tree; and whose limbs were also very stiff, and verymuch swelled with the rude bandage he had been tied with. When Isaw that upon Friday's coming to him with the water he sat up anddrank, and took the bread and began to eat, I went to him and gavehim a handful of raisins. He looked up in my face with all thetokens of gratitude and thankfulness that could appear in anycountenance; but was so weak, notwithstanding he had so exertedhimself in the fight, that he could not stand up upon his feet - hetried to do it two or three times, but was really not able, hisankles were so swelled and so painful to him; so I bade him sitstill, and caused Friday to rub his ankles, and bathe them withrum, as he had done his father's.I observed the poor affectionate creature, every two minutes, orperhaps less, all the while he was here, turn his head about to seeif his father was in the same place and posture as he left himsitting; and at last he found he was not to be seen; at which hestarted up, and, without speaking a word, flew with that swiftnessto him that one could scarce perceive his feet to touch the groundas he went; but when he came, he only found he had laid himselfdown to ease his limbs, so Friday came back to me presently; andthen I spoke to the Spaniard to let Friday help him up if he could,and lead him to the boat, and then he should carry him to ourdwelling, where I would take care of him. But Friday, a lusty,strong fellow, took the Spaniard upon his back, and carried himaway to the boat, and set him down softly upon the side or gunnelof the canoe, with his feet in the inside of it; and then liftinghim quite in, he set him close to his father; and presentlystepping out again, launched the boat off, and paddled it along theshore faster than I could walk, though the wind blew pretty hardtoo; so he brought them both safe into our creek, and leaving themin the boat, ran away to fetch the other canoe. As he passed me Ispoke to him, and asked him whither he went. He told me, "Go fetchmore boat;" so away he went like the wind, for sure never man orhorse ran like him; and he had the other canoe in the creek almostas soon as I got to it by land; so he wafted me over, and then wentto help our new guests out of the boat, which he did; but they wereneither of them able to walk; so that poor Friday knew not what todo.To remedy this, I went to work in my thought, and calling to Fridayto bid them sit down on the bank while he came to me, I soon made akind of hand-barrow to lay them on, and Friday and I carried themboth up together upon it between us.But when we got them to the outside of our wall, or fortification,we were at a worse loss than before, for it was impossible to getthem over, and I was resolved not to break it down; so I set towork again, and Friday and I, in about two hours' time, made a veryhandsome tent, covered with old sails, and above that with boughsof trees, being in the space without our outward fence and betweenthat and the grove of young wood which I had planted; and here wemade them two beds of such things as I had - viz. of good rice-straw, with blankets laid upon it to lie on, and another to coverthem, on each bed.My island was now peopled, and I thought myself very rich insubjects; and it was a merry reflection, which I frequently made,how like a king I looked. First of all, the whole country was myown property, so that I had an undoubted right of dominion.Secondly, my people were perfectly subjected - I was absolutelylord and lawgiver - they all owed their lives to me, and were readyto lay down their lives, if there had been occasion for it, for me.It was remarkable, too, I had but three subjects, and they were ofthree different religions - my man Friday was a Protestant, hisfather was a Pagan and a cannibal, and the Spaniard was a Papist.However, I allowed liberty of conscience throughout my dominions.But this is by the way.As soon as I had secured my two weak, rescued prisoners, and giventhem shelter, and a place to rest them upon, I began to think ofmaking some provision for them; and the first thing I did, Iordered Friday to take a yearling goat, betwixt a kid and a goat,out of my particular flock, to be killed; when I cut off thehinder-quarter, and chopping it into small pieces, I set Friday towork to boiling and stewing, and made them a very good dish, Iassure you, of flesh and broth; and as I cooked it without doors,for I made no fire within my inner wall, so I carried it all intothe new tent, and having set a table there for them, I sat down,and ate my own dinner also with them, and, as well as I could,cheered them and encouraged them. Friday was my interpreter,especially to his father, and, indeed, to the Spaniard too; for theSpaniard spoke the language of the savages pretty well.After we had dined, or rather supped, I ordered Friday to take oneof the canoes, and go and fetch our muskets and other firearms,which, for want of time, we had left upon the place of battle; andthe next day I ordered him to go and bury the dead bodies of thesavages, which lay open to the sun, and would presently beoffensive. I also ordered him to bury the horrid remains of theirbarbarous feast, which I could not think of doing myself; nay, Icould not bear to see them if I went that way; all which hepunctually performed, and effaced the very appearance of thesavages being there; so that when I went again, I could scarce knowwhere it was, otherwise than by the corner of the wood pointing tothe place.I then began to enter into a little conversation with my two newsubjects; and, first, I set Friday to inquire of his father what hethought of the escape of the savages in that canoe, and whether wemight expect a return of them, with a power too great for us toresist. His first opinion was, that the savages in the boat nevercould live out the storm which blew that night they went off, butmust of necessity be drowned, or driven south to those othershores, where they were as sure to be devoured as they were to bedrowned if they were cast away; but, as to what they would do ifthey came safe on shore, he said he knew not; but it was hisopinion that they were so dreadfully frightened with the manner oftheir being attacked, the noise, and the fire, that he believedthey would tell the people they were all killed by thunder andlightning, not by the hand of man; and that the two which appeared- viz. Friday and I - were two heavenly spirits, or furies, comedown to destroy them, and not men with weapons. This, he said, heknew; because he heard them all cry out so, in their language, oneto another; for it was impossible for them to conceive that a mancould dart fire, and speak thunder, and kill at a distance, withoutlifting up the hand, as was done now: and this old savage was inthe right; for, as I understood since, by other hands, the savagesnever attempted to go over to the island afterwards, they were soterrified with the accounts given by those four men (for it seemsthey did escape the sea), that they believed whoever went to thatenchanted island would be destroyed with fire from the gods. This,however, I knew not; and therefore was under continualapprehensions for a good while, and kept always upon my guard, withall my army: for, as there were now four of us, I would haveventured upon a hundred of them, fairly in the open field, at anytime.