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Commanded under him. The Savages came forward like Lyons, and our Men, which was the worst of their Fate, had no Advantage in their Situation; only, that Will. Atkins, who now proved a moft ufeful Fellow, with fix Men, was planted, juft behind a tmall Thicket of Bushes, as an advanc'd Guard, with Orders, to let the first of them pafs by, and then fire into the middle of them, and as foon as he had fir'd, to make his Retreat as nimbly as he could round a Part of the Wood, and fo come in behind the Spaniards where they ftood, having a Thicket of Trees alfo before them.

When the Savages came on, they run ftraggling about, every way in Heaps, out of all manner of Order, and W. Atkins let about 50 of them pass by him, then feeing the relt come in a very thick Throng, he orders three of his Men to fire, having loaded their Musquets with fix or feven Bullets a piece, about as big as large Piftol Bullets. How many they kill'd or wounded they knew not, but the Confternation and Surprize, was inexpreffible among the Savages; they were frighted to the laft Degree, to hear fuch a dreadful Noife, and fee their Men kill'd, and others hurt, but fee no Body that did it; when in the middle of their Fright, W. Atkins, and his other three let fly again, among the the thickeft of them; and in lefs than a Minute the first three, being loaded again, gave them a third Volley.

Had W. Atkins, and his Men retir'd immediately, as foon as they had fir'd, as they were order'd to do, or had the reft of the Body been at Hand to have pour'd in their Shot continually,

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the Savages had been effectually routed; for the Terror that was among them, came principally from this, (viz.) That they were kill'd by the Gods with Thunder and Lightning, and could fee no Body that hurt them; but W. Atkins ftaying to load again, discover'd the Cheat; fome of the Savages who were at a distance, fpying them, came upon them behind, and tho' Atkins and his Men. fir'd at them alfo, two or three times, and kill'd above 20, retiring as faft as they could, yet they wounded Atkins himself, and kill'd one of his fellow English Men with their Arrows, as they did afterwards one Spaniard, and one of the Indian Slaves who came with the Women; this Slave was a most gallant Fellow, and fought most desperately, killing five of them with his own Hand, having no Weapon, but one of the Arm'd-ftaves and a Hatchet.

Our Men being thus hard laid at, Atkins, wounded, and two other Men kill'd, retreated to a rifing Ground in the Wood, and the Spaniards, after firing three Vollies upon them retreated alfo, for their Number was fo Great, and they were fo Defperate, that tho' above 50 of them were kill'd, and more than fo many wounded; yet they came on in the Teeth of our Men, fearless of Danger, and fhot their Arrows like a Cloud; and it was obferv'd, that their wounded Men,who were not quite difabled, were made Out-rageous by their Wounds, and fought like Mad-men.

When our Men retreated, they left the Spaniard and the English Man that was kill'd, behind them, and the Savages when they came up to them, kill'd them over again in a wretched

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manner, breaking their Arms, Legs, and Heads, with their Clubs and wooden Swords, like true Savages: But finding our Men were gone, they did not feem to pursue them, but drew themselves up in a kind of a Ring, which is, it feems, their Cuftom, and shouted twice in token of their Victory: After which, they had the Mortification to fee feveral of their wounded Men fall, dying with the mere Lofs of Blood.

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The Spaniard Governour having drawn his little Body up together upon a rifing Ground, Atkins, tho' he was wounded, would ha' had him march'd and charg'd them again altogether at once: But the Spaniards reply'd, Seignior Atkins, you fee how their wounded Men fight, let them alone 'till Morning; all these wounded Men will be stiff and fore with their Wounds, and faint with the Lofs of Blood; and fo we shall have the fewer to engage.

The Advice was good: But Will. Atkins reply'd merrily, That's true, Seignior, and fo fhall I too; and that's the Reafon I would go on while I am warm. Well, Seignior Atkins, fays the Spaniards, you have behav'd gallantly, and done your Part, we will fight for you, if you cannot come on, but I think it beft to ftay 'till Morning; fo they waited.

But as it was a clear Moon-light Night, and they found the Savages in great Disorder about their dead and wounded Men, and a great Hurry and Noife among them where they lay, they afterwards refolv'd to fall upon them in the Night, efpecially if they could come to give them but one Volley before they were discover'd, which they

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had a fair Opportunity to do; for one of the two English Men, in whofe Quarter it was where the Fight began, led them round between the Woods, and the Sea Side Weftward, and then turning fhort South, they came fo near where the thickest of them lay, that before they were feen or heard, eight of them fir'd in among them, and did dreadful Execution upon them; in half a Minute more, cight others fir'd after them, pouring in their fmall Shot in fuch a Quantity, that abundance were kill'd and wounded; and all this while they were not able to fee who hurt them, or which Way to fly.

The Spaniards charged again with the utmost Expedition, and then divided themselves into three Bodies, and refolv'd to fall in among them altogether: They had in each Body eight Perfons, that is to fay, 24, whereof were 22 Men, and the 2 Women, who by the way fought desperately.

They divided the Fire Arms equally in each Party, and fo of the Halberds and Staves: They would have had the Women keep back; but they faid they were refolv'd to die with their Husbands: Having thus form'd their little Army, they march'd out from among the Trees, and came up to the Teeth of the Enemy, fhouting and hallowing as loud as they could; the Savages, food all toge gether, but were in the utmoft Confufion, hearing the Noife of our Men Shouting from three Quar ters together; they would have fought if they had feen us: And as foon as we came near enough to be seen, fome Arrows were fhot, and poor old Friday was wounded, tho' not dangerously: But our Men gave them no Time; but running up to them, fir'd among them three Ways, and

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then fell in with the But-ends of their Muskets, their Swords, arm'd Staves, and Hatchets, and laid about them fo well, that, in a word, they fet up a difmal Skreaming and Howling, flying to fave their Lives, which Way foever they could.

Our Men were tyr'd with the Execution; and kill'd or mortally wounded, in the two Fights, about 180 of them; the reft, being frighted out of their Wits, fcour'd thro' the Woods, and over the Hills, with all the Speed, Fear, and nimble Feet could help them to do; and as we did not trouble our felves much to pursue them, they got all together to the Sea Side where they landed, and where their Canoes lay: But their Difafter was not at an End yet; for it blew a terrible Storm of Wind, that Evening, from the Sea-ward; fo that it was impoffible for them to go off; nay, the Storm continuing all Night, when the Tide came up, their Canoes were moft of them driven by the Surge of the Sea, fo high upon the Shore, that it requir'd infinite Toil to get them off; and fome of them were even dafh'd to Pieces against the Beach, or against one another.

Our Men, tho' glad of their Victory, yet got little Reft that Night; but having refresh'd themfelves as well as they could, they refolv'd to march to that Part of the Inland where the Savages were fled, and fee what Pofture they were in: This neceffarily led them over the Place where the Fight had been, and where they found feveral of the poor Creatures not quite dead, and yet past recovering Life; a Sight difagreeable enough to generous Minds: For a truly great Man, tho' obliged, by the Law of Battle, to destroy his Enemy, takes no Delight in his Mifery. Ι

However,

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