e of ebb, they seemed to me to wait for the return
of the flood to go away again. It is not easy to imagine what confusion
this sight put me into, especially seeing them come on my side of the
island, and so near me too; but when I considered their coming must be
always with the current of the ebb, I began, afterwards, to be more
sedate in my mind, being satisfied that I might go abroad with safety
all the time of the tide of flood, if they were not on shore before: and
having made this observation, I went abroad about my harvest-work with
the more composure.

As I expected, so it proved; for as soon as the tide made to the
westward, I saw them all take boat, and row (or paddle, as we call it)
away. I should have observed, that for an hour or more before they went
off, they went a dancing; and I could easily discern their postures and
gestures by my glass. I could not perceive, by my nicest observation,
but that they were stark naked, and had not the least covering upon
them; but whether they were men or women, I could not distinguish.

As soon as I saw them shipped and gone, I took two guns upon my
shoulders, and two pistols in my girdle, and my great sword by my side,
without a scabbard, and with all the speed I was able to make, went away
to the hill where I had discovered the first appearance of all; and as
soon as I got thither, which was not in less than two hours (for I could
not go apace, being so loaden with arms as I was,) I perceived there had
been three canoes more of savages at that place; and looking out
farther, I saw they were all at sea together, making over for the main.
This was a dreadful sight to me, especially as, going down to the shore,
I could see the marks of horror, which the dismal work they had been
about had left behind it, viz. the blood, the bones, and part of the
flesh, of human bodies, eaten and devoured by those wretches with
merriment and sport. I was so filled with indignation at the sight, that
I now began to premeditate the destruction of the next that I saw there,
let them be whom or how many soever. It seemed evident to me that the
visits which they made thus to this island were not very frequent, for
it was above fifteen months before any more of them came on shore there
again; that is to say, I neither saw them; nor any footsteps or signals
of them, in all that time; for, as to the rainy seasons, then they are
sure not to come abroad, at least not so far: yet all this while I l