; I say I quieted my mind with this, and left off afflicting
myself with fruitless wishes of being there.

Besides, after some thought upon this affair, I considered that if this
land was the Spanish coast, I should certainly, one time or other, see
some vessel pass or repass one way or other; but if not, then it was the
savage coast between the Spanish country and Brazils, where are found the
worst of savages; for they are cannibals or men-eaters, and fail not to
murder and devour all the human bodies that fall into their hands.

With these considerations, I walked very leisurely forward. I found that
side of the island where I now was much pleasanter than mine--the open or
savannah fields sweet, adorned with flowers and grass, and full of very
fine woods. I saw abundance of parrots, and fain I would have caught
one, if possible, to have kept it to be tame, and taught it to speak to
me. I did, after some painstaking, catch a young parrot, for I knocked
it down with a stick, and having recovered it, I brought it home; but it
was some years before I could make him speak; however, at last I taught
him to call me by name very familiarly. But the accident that followed,
though it be a trifle, will be very diverting in its place.

I was exceedingly diverted with this journey. I found in the low grounds
hares (as I thought them to be) and foxes; but they differed greatly from
all the other kinds I had met with, nor could I satisfy myself to eat
them, though I killed several. But I had no need to be venturous, for I
had no want of food, and of that which was very good too, especially
these three sorts, viz. goats, pigeons, and turtle, or tortoise, which
added to my grapes, Leadenhall market could not have furnished a table
better than I, in proportion to the company; and though my case was
deplorable enough, yet I had great cause for thankfulness that I was not
driven to any extremities for food, but had rather plenty, even to
dainties.

I never travelled in this journey above two miles outright in a day, or
thereabouts; but I took so many turns and re-turns to see what
discoveries I could make, that I came weary enough to the place where I
resolved to sit down all night; and then I either reposed myself in a
tree, or surrounded myself with a row of stakes set upright in the
ground, either from one tree to another, or so as no wild creature could
come at me without waking me.

As soon as I came to the sea-shore, I wa