God and you, Sir, fays he, for giving me fo evident a Call to fo bleffed a Work, and if you think your felf discharg'd from it, and defire me to undertake it, I will moft readily do it, and think it a happy Reward for all the Hazards and Difficulties of fuch a broken disappointed Voyage as I have met with, that I may be drop'd at last into fo glorious a Work.

I discover'd a kind of Rapture in his Face, while he spoke this to me; his Eyes sparkl'd like Fire, his Face glow'd, and his Colour came and went, as if he had been falling into Fits; in a word, he was fir'd with the Joy of being embark'd in fuch a Work. I paus'd a confiderable while before I could tell what to fay to him, for I was really furpriz'd to find a Man of fuch Sincerity and Zeal, and carry'd out in his Zeal beyond the ordinary rate of Men, not of his Profeffion only, but even of any Profeffion whatfoever. But after I had confider'd it a while, I ask'd him seriously if he was in earnest and that he would venture on the fingle Confideration of an Attempt on those poor People, to be lock'd up in an unplanted Ifland for, perhaps, his Life, and at laft might not know whether he fhould be able to do them any Good, or not?

He turn'd fhort upon me, and ask'd me what I call'd a Venture? Pray, Sir, faid he, what do you think I confented to go in your Ship to the Eaft-Indies for? Nay, faid I, that I know not, unless it was to Preach to the Indians: Doubtlefs it was, faid he; and do you think, if I can convert thefe feven and thirty Men to the Faith of Chrift, it is not worth my time, tho' I fhould never be fetch'd off the Island again;

nay,

hay, is it not infinitely of more worth to fave fo many Souls, than my Life is, or the Life of 20 more of the fame Profeffion? Yes, Sir, fays he, I would give Chrift and the blessed Virgin Thanks all my Days, if I could be made the least happy Inftrument of faving the Souls of these poor Men, tho' I was never to fet my Foot off of this Ifland, or fee my native Country any more. But fince you will honour me, fays he, with putting me into this Work, for which I will pray for you all the Days of my Life. I have one humble Petition to you, faid he, befides; What is that, said I? Why, fays he, it is, that you will leave your Man Friday with me, to be my Interpreter to them, and to affift me, for without fome Help, I cannot fpeak to them, or they to me.

I was fenfibly troubled at his requesting Friday, because I could not think of parting with him, and that for many Reafons; he had been the Companion of my Travels; he was not only faithful to me, but fincerely affectionate to the laft Degree, and I had refolv'd to do something confiderable for him, if he out-liv'd me, as it was probable he would; then I knew that, as I had bred Friday up to be a Proteftant, it would quite confound him to bring him to embrace another Profeffion; and he would never, while his Eyes were open, believe, that his old Master was a Heretick and would be damn'd, and this might in the End ruin the poor Fellows Principles, and fo turn him to his firft Idolatry.

However, a fuddain Thought reliev'd me in this Strait, and it was this; I told him, I could not fay, that I was willing to part with Friday on any Account whatever, tho' a Work that to him was

of

of more Value than his Life, ought to be to me of much less Value than the keeping or parting with a Servant : But on the other hand, I was perfuaded, that Friday would by no Means consent to part with me, and I could not force him to it without his Confent, without manifeft Injustice, because I had promifed I would never put him away, and he had promis'd and engag'd to me, that he would never leave me, unless I put him away.

He feem'd very much concern'd at it, for he had no rational Accefs to thefe poor People, feeing he did not understand one word of their Language, nor they one word of his : To remove this Difficulty, I told him, Friday's Father had learn'd Spanish, which I found he alfo nderstood, and he fhould ferve him for an Interpreter; fo he was much better satisfied, and nothing could perfuade him, but he would ftay to endeavour to convert them; but Providence gave another and very happy Turn to all this.

I come back now to the firft Part of his Objections. When we came to the English Men, 1 fent for them altogether, and after fome Account given them of what I had done for them, (viz.) what neceffary Things I had provided for them, and how they were diftributed, which they were very fenfible of, and very thankful for. I began to talk to them of the fcandalous Life they led, and gave them a full Account of the Notice the Clergy-man had already taken of it, and arguing how unchriftian and irrelig ous a Life it was. I first ask'd them if they were married Men or Batchelors? They foon explain'd their Condition to me, and fhew'd me that two

of

of them were Widowers, and the other three were fingle Men or Batchelors. I ask'd them with what Confciences they could take these Women and lie with them, as they had done, call them their Wives, and have fo many Children by them, and not be marry'd lawfully to them.

They all gave me the Anfwer that I expected, (viz.) that there was no Body to marry them ; that they agreed before the Governour to keep them as their Wives; and to keep them, and own them as their Wives; and they thought as Things ftood with them, they were as legally married, as if they had been married by a Parfon, and with all the Formalities in the World.

I told them, that no doubt they were married. in the Sight of God, and were bound in Confcience to keep them as their Wives, but that the Laws of Men being otherwife, they might pretend they were not married, and fo defert the poor Women and Children hereafter; and that their Wives being poor defolate Women, friendless and monilefs, would have no way to help themfelves. I therefore told them, that unless I was affur'd of their honeft Intent, I could do nothing for them; but would take Care that what I did, fhould be for the Women and their Children without them, and that unless they would give fome Affurances, that they would marry the Women, I could not think it was convenient they fhould continue together as Man and Wife, for that it was both fcandalous to Men, and offenfive to God, who they could not think would blefs them, if they went on thus.

All

All this went on as I expected, and they told me, especially Will. Atkins, who feem'd now to fpeak for the reft; that they loved their Wives as well, as if they had been born in their own native Country, and would not leave them upon any Account whatever; and they did verily believe their Wives were as virtuous and as modeft, and did to the utmost of their Skill, as much for them, and for their Children, as any Women could poffibly do, and they would not part with them on any Account: And Will. Atkins for his own Particular, added, if any Man would take him away, and offer to carry him home to England, and make him Captain of the best Man of War in the Navy, he would not go with him, if he might not carry his Wife and Children with him, and if there was a Clergy-man in the Ship, he would be married to her now with all his Heart.

This was just as I would have it; the Priest was not with me at that Moment, but was not far off: So to try him farther, I told him I had a Clergy-man with me, and if he was fincere, I would have him married the next Morning, and bid him confider of it, and talk with the rest; he faid, as for himself, he need not confider of it at all, for he was very ready to do it, and was glad I had a Minifter with me, and he believ'd they would be all willing alfo. I then told him that my Friend the Minifter was a French Man, and could not fpeak English, but that I would act the Clerk between them: He never fo much as ask'd me whether he was Papift or Proteftant, which was indeed what I was afraid of: But, I fay, they never enquir'd about it. So we par

ted,