en the least breach of faith
among his countrymen. He told me they were all of them very civil,
honest men, and they were under the greatest distress imaginable, having
neither weapons or clothes, nor any food, but at the mercy and
discretion of the savages; out of all hopes of ever returning to their
own country; and that he was sure, if I would undertake their relief,
they would live and die by me.

Upon these assurances, I resolved to venture to relieve them, if
possible, and to send the old savage and this Spaniard over to them to
treat. But when we had got all things in readiness to go, the Spaniard
himself started an objection, which had so much prudence in it, on one
hand, and so much sincerity on the other hand, that I could not but be
very well satisfied in it; and, by his advice, put off the deliverance
of his comrades for at least half a year. The case was thus: 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 adviseable 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