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esailed, the greater the light appeared; though, the weather beinghazy, we could not perceive anything but the light for a while. Inabout half-an-hour's sailing, the wind being fair for us, thoughnot much of it, and the weather clearing up a little, we couldplainly discern that it was a great ship on fire in the middle ofthe sea.

　　The only just thing the rogues did was, that when the Spaniardscame ashore, they gave my letter to them, and gave them provisions,and other relief, as I had ordered them to do; also they gave themthe long paper of directions which I had left with them, containingthe particular methods which I took for managing every part of mylife there; the way I baked my bread, bred up tame goats, andplanted my corn; how I cured my grapes, made my pots, and, in aword, everything I did. All this being written down, they gave tothe Spaniards (two of them understood English well enough): nordid they refuse to accommodate the Spaniards with anything else,for they agreed very well for some time. They gave them an equaladmission into the house or cave, and they began to live verysociably; and the head Spaniard, who had seen pretty much of mymethods, together with Friday's father, managed all their affairs;but as for the Englishmen, they did nothing but ramble about theisland, shoot parrots, and catch tortoises; and when they

　　Our carpenter being prepared to grave the outside of the ship, aswell as to pay the seams where he had caulked her to stop theleaks, had got two kettles just let down into the boat, one filledwith boiling pitch, and the other with rosin, tallow, and oil, andsuch stuff as the shipwrights use for that work; and the man thatattended the carpenter had a great iron ladle in his hand, withwhich he supplied the men that were at work with the hot stuff.Two of the enemy's men entered the boat just where this fellowstood in the foresheets; he immediately saluted them with a ladlefull of the stuff, boiling hot which so burned and scalded them,being half-naked that they roared out like bulls, and, enraged withthe fire, leaped both into the sea. The carpenter saw it, andcried out, "Well done, Jack! give them some more of it!" andstepping forward himself, takes one of the mops, and dipping it inthe pitch-pot, he and his man threw it among them so plentifullythat, in short, of all the men in the three boats, there was no

　　I had a great many discourses with them about their circumstanceswhen they were among the savages. They told me readily that theyhad no instances to give of their application or ingenuity in thatcountry; that they were a poor, miserable, dejected handful ofpeople; that even if means had been put into their hands, yet theyhad so abandoned themselves to despair, and were so sunk under theweight of their misfortune, that they thought of nothing butstarving. One of them, a grave and sensible man, told me he wasconvinced they were in the wrong; that it was not the part of wisemen to give themselves up to their misery, but always to take holdof the helps which reason offered, as well for present support asfor future deliverance: he told me that grief was the mostsenseless, insignificant passion in the world, for that it regardedonly things past, which were generally impossible to be recalled orto be remedied, but had no views of things to come, and had noshare in anything that looked like deliverance, but rath

　　I discovered a kind of rapture in his face while he spoke this tome; his eyes sparkled like fire; his face glowed, and his colourcame and went; in a word, he was fired with the joy of beingembarked in such a work. I paused a considerable while before Icould tell what to say to him; for I was really surprised to find aman of such sincerity, and who seemed possessed of a zeal beyondthe ordinary rate of men. But after I had considered it a while, Iasked him seriously if he was in earnest, and that he wouldventure, on the single consideration of an attempt to convert thosepoor people, to be locked up in an unplanted island for perhaps hislife, and at last might not know whether he should be able to dothem good or not? He turned short upon me, and asked me what Icalled a venture? "Pray, sir," said he, "what do you think Iconsented to go in your ship to the East Indies for?" - "ay," saidI, "that I know not, unless it was to preach to the Indians." -"Doubtless it was," said he; "and do you think, if I can conv

, and seewhat posture they were in. This necessarily led them over theplace where the fight had been, and where they found several of thepoor creatures not quite dead, and yet past recovering life; asight disagreeable enough to generous minds, for a truly great manthough obliged by the law of battle to destroy his enemy, takes nodelight in his misery. However, there was no need to give anyorders in this case; for their own savages, who were theirservants, despatched these poor creatures with their hatchets.

　　In its turn natural courage would sometimes take its place, andthen I would be talking myself up to vigorous resolutions; that Iwould not be taken to be barbarously used by a parcel of mercilesswretches in cold blood; that it were much better to have falleninto the hands of the savages, though I were sure they would feastupon me when they had taken me, than those who would perhaps gluttheir rage upon me by inhuman tortures and barbarities; that in thecase of the savages, I always resolved to die fighting to the lastgasp, and why should I not do so now? Whenever these thoughtsprevailed, I was sure to put myself into a kind of fever with theagitation of a supposed fight; my blood would boil, and my eyessparkle, as if I was engaged, and I always resolved to take noquarter at their hands; but even at last, if I could resist nolonger, I would blow up the ship and all that was in her, and leavethem but little booty to boast of.

　　The old man found me a little confused, and under some concern whenhe named a Dutch ship, and said to me, "Sir, you need be under noapprehensions of the Dutch; I suppose they are not now at war withyour nation?" - "No," said I, "that's true; but I know not whatliberties men may take when they are out of the reach of the lawsof their own country." - "Why," says he, "you are no pirates; whatneed you fear? They will not meddle with peaceable merchants,sure." These words put me into the greatest disorder and confusionimaginable; nor was it possible for me to conceal it so, but theold man easily perceived it.

　　The old man found me a little confused, and under some concern whenhe named a Dutch ship, and said to me, "Sir, you need be under noapprehensions of the Dutch; I suppose they are not now at war withyour nation?" - "No," said I, "that's true; but I know not whatliberties men may take when they are out of the reach of the lawsof their own country." - "Why," says he, "you are no pirates; whatneed you fear? They will not meddle with peaceable merchants,sure." These words put me into the greatest disorder and confusionimaginable; nor was it possible for me to conceal it so, but theold man easily perceived it.