s: he had been
with us now about a month, during which time I had let him see in what
manner I had provided, with the assistance of Providence, for my support;
and he saw evidently what stock of corn and rice I had laid up; which,
though it was more than sufficient for myself, yet it was not sufficient,
without good husbandry, for my family, now it was increased to four; but
much less would it be sufficient if his countrymen, who were, as he said,
sixteen, still alive, should come over; and least of all would it be
sufficient to victual our vessel, if we should build one, for a voyage to
any of the Christian colonies of America; so he told me he thought it
would be more advisable to let him and the other two dig and cultivate
some more land, as much as I could spare seed to sow, and that we should
wait another harvest, that we might have a supply of corn for his
countrymen, when they should come; for want might be a temptation to them
to disagree, or not to think themselves delivered, otherwise than out of
one difficulty into another. "You know," says he, "the children of
Israel, though they rejoiced at first for their being delivered out of
Egypt, yet rebelled even against God Himself, that delivered them, when
they came to want bread in the wilderness."

His caution was so seasonable, and his advice so good, that I could not
but be very well pleased with his proposal, as well as I was satisfied
with his fidelity; so we fell to digging, all four of us, as well as the
wooden tools we were furnished with permitted; and in about a month's
time, by the end of which it was seed-time, we had got as much land cured
and trimmed up as we sowed two-and-twenty bushels of barley on, and
sixteen jars of rice, which was, in short, all the seed we had to spare:
indeed, we left ourselves barely sufficient, for our own food for the six
months that we had to expect our crop; that is to say reckoning from the
time we set our seed aside for sowing; for it is not to be supposed it is
six months in the ground in that country.

Having now society enough, and our numbers being sufficient to put us out
of fear of the savages, if they had come, unless their number had been
very great, we went freely all over the island, whenever we found
occasion; and as we had our escape or deliverance upon our thoughts, it
was impossible, at least for me, to have the means of it out of mine.
For this purpose I marked out several trees, which I thought fit fo