they arrived, they set eight of their prisoners at liberty, there being too many of them for their occasion.

In their voyage, they endeavoured to have some communication with their prisoners, but it was impossible to make them understand any thing; nothing they could say to them, or give them, or do for them, but was looked upon as going to murder them. They first of all unbound them; but the poor creatures screamed at that, especially the women, as if they had just felt the knife at their throats; for they immediately concluded they were unbound on purpose to be killed. If they gave them any thing to eat, it was the same thing; they then concluded, it was for fear they should sink in flesh, and so not be fat enough to kill. If they looked at one of them more particularly, the party presently concluded, it was to see whether he or she was fattest, and fittest to kill first : nay, after they had brought them quite over, and began to use them kindly, and treat them well, still they expected every day to make a dinner or supper for their new masters.

When the three wanderers had given this unaccountable history or journal of their voyage, the Spaniard asked them where their new family was; and being told that they had brought them on shore, and put them into one of their huts, and were come up to beg some victuals for them, they (the Spaniards) and the other two Englishmen, that is to say, the whole colony, resolved to go all down to the place and see them; and did so, and Friday's father with them.

When they came into the hut, there they sat all bound; for when they had brought them on shore, they bound their hands, that they might not take the boat and make their escape; there, I say, they sat, all of them stark naked. First, there were three men, lusty, comely fellows, well shaped, straight and fair limbs, about thirty to thirty-five years of age; and five women, whereof two might be from thirty to forty; two more not above four or five and twenty; and the fifth, a tall comely maiden, about sixteen or seventeen. The women were well favoured, agreeable persons, both in shape and features, only tawny; and two of them, had they been perfect white, would have passed for very handsome women, even in London itself, having pleasant agreeable countenances, and of a very modest behaviour; especially when they came afterwards to be clothed and dressed, as they called it, though that dress was very indifferent, it must be confessed; of which hereafter.

The sight, you may be sure, was something uncouth to our

D D

and that way; and were told of several fierce and
people that lived almost every way, who, as they
by signs to them, used to eat men; but as
they said, they never eat men or women, ex
they took in the wars; and then, they
great feast, and ate their prisoners.

The Englishmen inquired when th
kind; and they told them about
the moon, and to two fingers:
two hundred prisoners now
and they were feeding th
feast. The Englishr
those prisoners; bu
were desirous to

to.

of

.u perparticular, say, the sight and five naked miserable circumosed to be, viz. to be ed out, and have their eaten up like a calf that is

to cause the old Indian, Friday's first, if he knew any of them, and

if he understood any of their speech: As soon as the man came in, he looked seriously at them, but knew none

any of them understand a word he could make, except one of the women. enough to answer the end, which was to

Christians; that they abhorred eating men or women ;

satisfy them that the men into whose hands they were fallen and that they might be sure they would not be killed. As soon and by were assured of this, they discovered such a joy, and by such aukward gestures, several ways, as is hard to describe; for, it seems, they were of several nations.

The woman who was their interpreter was bid, in the next place, to ask them if they were willing to be servants, and to work for the men who had brought them away, to save their lives; at which they all fell a dancing; and presently one fell to taking up this, and another that, any thing that lay next, to carry on their shoulders, to imitate that they were willing to work.

The governor, who found that the having women among them would presently be attended with some inconvenience, and might occasion some strife, and perhaps blood, asked the three men what they intended to do with these women, and how they intended to use them, whether as servants or as women? One of the Englishmen answered very boldly and readily, that they would use them as both; to which the governor said, I am not going to restrain you from it; you are your own masters as to that; but this I think is but just, for avoiding disorders and quarrels among you, and I desire it of you for that reason only, viz. That you will all engage, that if any of you take any of these women, as a woman or wife, that he shall take but one; and that having taken one, none else shall touch her; for though we cannot marry any one of

yet it is but reasonable that while you stay here, the woany of you takes should be maintained by the man that her, and should be his wife; I mean, says he, while he

es here, and that none else shall have any thing to do er. All this appeared so just, that every one agreed to ithout any difficulty.

Then the Englishmen asked the Spaniards if they designed to take any of them? But every one of them answered no: Some of them said they had wives in Spain, and the others did not like women that were not Christians: and all together declared that they would not touch one of them; which was an instance of such virtue as I have not met with in all my travels. On the other hand, to be short, the five Englishmen took them every one a wife, that is to say, a temporary wife; and so they set up a new form of living; for the Spaniards and Friday's father lived in my old habitation, which they had enlarged exceedingly within. The three servants which were taken in the late battle of the savages lived with them; and these carried on the main part of the colony, supplied all the rest with food, and assisted them in any thing as they could, or as they found necessity required.

But the wonder of this story was, how five such refractory, ill-matched fellows, should agree about these women, and that two of them should not pitch upon the same woman, especially seeing two or three of them were, without comparison, more agreeable than the others: But they took a good way enough to prevent quarrelling among themselves; for they set the five women by themselves in one of their huts, and they went all into the other hut, and drew lots among them who should choose first.

He that drew to choose first went away by himself to the hut where the poor naked creatures were, and fetched out her he chose; and it was worth observing, that he that chose first took her that was reckoned the homeliest and oldest of the five, which made mirth enough among the rest; and even the Spaniards laughed at it: but the fellow considered better than any of them, that it was application and business they were to expect assistance in, as much as in any thing else; and she proved the best wife of all the parcel.

When the poor women saw themselves set in a row thus, and fetched out one by one, the terrors of their condition returned upon them again, and they firmly believed they were now going to be devoured. Accordingly, when the English sailor came in and fetched out one of them, the rest set up a

Spaniards, who were, to give them a just character, men of the best behaviour, of the most calm, sedate tempers, and perfect good-humour, that ever I met with; and, in particular, of the most modesty, as will presently appear: I say, the sight was very uncouth, to see three naked men and five naked women, all together bound, and in the most miserable circumstances that human nature could be supposed to be, viz. to be expecting every moment to be dragged out, and have their brains knocked out, and then to be eaten up like a calf that is killed for a dainty.

The first thing they did was to cause the old Indian, Friday's father, to go in, and see, first, if he knew any of them, and then if he understood any of their speech. As soon as the old man came in, he looked seriously at them, but knew none of them; neither could any of them understand a word he said, or a sign he could make, except one of the women. However, this was enough to answer the end, which was to satisfy them that the men into whose hands they were fallen were Christians; that they abhorred eating men or women; and that they might be sure they would not be killed. As soon as they were assured of this, they discovered such a joy, and by such aukward gestures, several ways, as is hard to describe; for, it seems, they were of several nations.

The woman who was their interpreter was bid, in the next place, to ask them if they were willing to be servants, and to work for the men who had brought them away, to save their lives; at which they all fell a dancing; and presently one fell to taking up this, and another that, any thing that lay next, to carry on their shoulders, to imitate that they were willing to work.

The governor, who found that the having women among them would presently be attended with some inconvenience, and might occasion some strife, and perhaps blood, asked the three men what they intended to do with these women, and how they intended to use them, whether as servants or as women? One of the Englishmen answered very boldly and readily, that they would use them as both; to which the governor said, I am not going to restrain you from it; you are your own masters as to that; but this I think is but just, for avoiding disorders and quarrels among you, and I desire it of you for that reason only, viz. That you will all engage, that if any of you take any of these women, as a woman or wife, that he shall take but one; and that having taken one, none else shall touch her; for though we cannot marry any one of

you, yet it is but reasonable that while you stay here, the woman any of you takes should be maintained by the man that takes her, and should be his wife; I mean, says he, while he continues here, and that none else shall have any thing to do with her. All this appeared so just, that every one agreed to it without any difficulty.

Then the Englishmen asked the Spaniards if they designed to take any of them? But every one of them answered no: Some of them said they had wives in Spain, and the others did not like women that were not Christians: and all together declared that they would not touch one of them; which was an instance of such virtue as I have not met with in all my travels. On the other hand, to be short, the five Englishmen took them every one a wife, that is to say, a temporary wife; and so they set up a new form of living; for the Spaniards and Friday's father lived in my old habitation, which they had enlarged exceedingly within. The three servants which were taken in the late battle of the savages lived with them; and these carried on the main part of the colony, supplied all the rest with food, and assisted them in any thing as they could, or as they found necessity required.

But the wonder of this story was, how five such refractory, ill-matched fellows, should agree about these women, and that two of them should not pitch upon the same woman, espe→ cially seeing two or three of them were, without comparison, more agreeable than the others: But they took a good way enough to prevent quarrelling among themselves; for they set the five women by themselves in one of their huts, and they went all into the other hut, and drew lots among them who should choose first.

He that drew to choose first went away by himself to the hut where the poor naked creatures were, and fetched out her he chose; and it was worth observing, that he that chose first took her that was reckoned the homeliest and oldest of the five, which made mirth enough among the rest; and even the Spaniards laughed at it: but the fellow considered better than any of them, that it was application and business they were ta expect assistance in, as much as in any thing else; and she proved the best wife of all the parcel.

When the poor women saw themselves set in a row thus, and fetched out one by one, the terrors of their condition returned upon them again, and they firmly believed they were now going to be devoured. Accordingly, when the English sailor came in and fetched out one of them, the rest set up a