them, except something more than ordinary, by God's special direction,
should oblige me thereto.

Thus fixed in my resolution, I entered into the thick wood, (my man
Friday following me close behind) when with all possible wariness and
silence, I marched till I came close to the skirt of it, on that side
which was the nearest to them; for only one end of the wood interposed
between me and them. Upon which I called very softly to Friday, and
shewing him a great tree, that was just at the corner of the wood, I
ordered him to repair thither, and bring me word, if he could plainly
perceive their actions; accordingly he did as I commanded him, and came
back with this melancholy story, _that they were all about their fire,
eating the flesh of one of their prisoners; and that another lay bound
upon the sands at a little distance from them, which they designed for
the next sacrifice, and this, he told me was not one of their nation,
but one of those very bearded men, who were driven by a storm into their
country, and of whom he had so often talked to me about_--You may be
sure, that upon hearing this, my soul was ready to sink within me: when
ascending into a tree, I saw plainly, by my glass, a white man, who lay
upon the beach of the sea, with his hands and feet tied with flags, or
things resembling rushes, being covered with clothes, and seemed to be
an European. From the tree where I took this prospect I perceived
another tree and a thicket beyond it, about fifty yards nearer to them
than where I was, which, by taking a small circle round, I might come at
undiscovered, & then I should be within half a shot of these devourers.
And this consideration alone, to be more perfectly revenged upon them,
made me withhold my passion, though I was enraged to the highest degree
imaginable; when going back about twenty paces I got behind some bushes,
which held all the way till I came to the other tree; and then I
ascended to a little rising ground, not above eighteen yards distance,
and there I had a full view of these creatures, and I could perceive all
their actions.

Such a fight did then appear, as obliged me not to lose a moment's time.
No less than nineteen of these dreadful wretches sat upon the ground,
close huddled together, expressing all the delight imaginable at so
barbarous an entertainment; and they had just sent the other two to
murder this poor unhappy Christian, and bring him limb by limb to their
fire; for they were