sh, which I found he also understood,
and he should serve him as an interpreter. So he was much better
satisfied, and nothing could persuade him but he would stay and endeavour
to convert them; but Providence gave another very happy turn to all this.

I come back now to the first part of his objections. When we came to the
Englishmen, I sent for them all together, and after some account given
them of what I had done for them, viz. what necessary things I had
provided for them, and how they were distributed, which they were very
sensible of, and very thankful for, I began to talk to them of the
scandalous life they led, and gave them a full account of the notice the
clergyman had taken of it; and arguing how unchristian and irreligious a
life it was, I first asked them if they were married men or bachelors?
They soon explained their condition to me, and showed that two of them
were widowers, and the other three were single men, or bachelors. I
asked them with what conscience they could take these women, and call
them their wives, and have so many children by them, and not be lawfully
married to them? They all gave me the answer I expected, viz. that there
was nobody to marry them; that they agreed before the governor to keep
them as their wives, and to maintain them and own them as their wives;
and they thought, as things stood with them, they were as legally married
as if they had been married by a parson and with all the formalities in
the world.

I told them that no doubt they were married in the sight of God, and were
bound in conscience to keep them as their wives; but that the laws of men
being otherwise, they might desert the poor women and children hereafter;
and that their wives, being poor desolate women, friendless and
moneyless, would have no way to help themselves. I therefore told them
that unless I was assured of their honest intent, I could do nothing for
them, but would take care that what I did should be for the women and
children without them; and that, unless they would give me some
assurances that they would marry the women, I could not think it was
convenient they should continue together as man and wife; for that it was
both scandalous to men and offensive to God, who they could not think
would bless them if they went on thus.

All this went on as I expected; and they told me, especially Will Atkins,
who now seemed to speak for the rest, that they loved their wives as well
as if they had bee