mong them, and
carried us to their respective habitations.

I, and five of my comrades, were carried to one place; here they
made us sit down, and gave us a certain herb, which they made
signs to us to eat. My comrades not taking notice that the blacks
ate none of it themselves, thought only of satisfying their
hunger, and ate with greediness. But I, suspecting some trick,
would not so much as taste it, which happened well for me; for in
little time after, I perceived my companions had lost their
senses, and that when they spoke to me, they knew not what they
said.

The negroes fed us afterwards with rice, prepared with oil of
cocoa-nuts; and my comrades, who had lost their reason, ate of it
greedily. I also partook of it, but very sparingly. They gave us
that herb at first on purpose to deprive us of our senses, that
we might not be aware of the sad destiny prepared for us; and
they supplied us with rice to fatten us; for, being cannibals,
their design was to eat us as soon as we grew fat. This
accordingly happened, for they devoured my comrades, who were not
sensible of their condition; but my senses being entire, you may
easily guess that instead of growing fat, as the rest did, I grew
leaner every day. The fear of death under which I laboured,
turned all my food into poison. I fell into a languishing
distemper, which proved my safety; for the negroes, having killed
and eaten my companions, seeing me to be withered, lean, and
sick, deferred my death.

Meanwhile I had much liberty, so that scarcely any notice was taken of
what I did, and this gave me an opportunity one day to get at a
distance from the houses, and to make my escape. An old man, who saw
me, and suspected my design, called to me as loud as he could to
return; but instead of obeying him, I redoubled my speed, and quickly
got out of sight. At that time there was none but the old man about
the houses, the rest being abroad, and not to return till night, which
was usual with them. Therefore, being sure that they could not arrive
time enough to pursue me, I went on till night, when I stopped to rest
a little, and to eat some of the provisions I had secured; but I
speedily set forward again, and travelled seven days, avoiding those
places which seemed to be inhabited, and lived for the most part upon
cocoa-nuts, which served me both for meat and drink. On the eighth day
I came near the sea, and saw some white people like myself, gathering
pepper, of whi