ed of them fairly in the open field at any time.

In a little time, however, no more canoes appearing, the fear of their
coming wore off, and I began to take my former thoughts of a voyage to
the main into consideration, being likewise assured by Friday's father,
that I might depend upon good usage from their nation on his account, if
I would go.

But my thoughts were a little suspended, when I had a serious discourse
with the Spaniard, and when I understood, that there were sixteen more
of his countrymen and Portuguese, who having been cast away, and made
their escape to that side, lived there at peace indeed with the savages,
but were very sore put to it for necessaries, and indeed for life: I
asked him all the particulars of their voyage; and found they were a
Spanish ship, bound from the Rio de la Plata to the Havanna, being
directed to leave their loading there, which was chiefly hides and
silver, and to bring back what European goods they could meet with
there; that they had five Portuguese seamen on board, whom they took out
of another wreck; that five of their own men were drowned when first the
ship was lost; and that these escaped through infinite dangers and
hazards, and arrived almost starved on the cannibal coast, where they
expected to have been devoured every moment.

He told me, they had some arms with them, but they were perfectly
useless, for that they had neither powder nor ball, the washing of the
sea having spoiled all their powder, but a little which they used at
their first landing to provide themselves some food.

I asked him what he thought would become of them there; and if they had
formed no design of making any escape? He said, they had many
consultations about it, but that having neither vessel, nor tools to
build one, or provisions of any kind, their counsels always ended in
tears and despair.

I asked him, how be thought they would receive a proposal from me,
which might tend towards an escape; and whether, if they were all here,
it might not be done? I told him with freedom, I feared mostly their
treachery and ill usage of me, if I put my life in their hands; for that
gratitude was no inherent virtue in the nature of man; nor did men
always square their dealings by the obligations they had received, so
much as they did by the advantages they expected: I told him, it would
be very hard, that I should be the instrument of their deliverance, and
that they should afterwards make me their