only kill them as Enemies, but kill them for Food, as we kill our Cattle. And they profefs'd to me, that the Thoughts of being eaten up like Beef or Mutton, tho' it was fuppos'd it was not to be till they were dead, had fomething in it fo horrible, that it nauseated their very Stomachs, made them fick when they thought of it, and fill'd their Minds with fuch unufual Terror, that they were not themselves for fome Weeks after.

This, as I faid, tam'd even the three English Brutes I have been fpeaking of; and for a great while after they were very tractable, and went about the common Bufinefs of their whole Society well enough; planted, fow'd, reap'd, and began to be a naturalliz'd to the Country. But fome time after this they fell all into fuch Meafures, which brought them into a great deal of Trouble.

They had taken three Prifoners, as I had obferv'd, and these three being lufty ftout young Fellows, they made them Servants, and taught them to work for them, and as Slaves they did well enough; but they did not take their Measures with them as I did by my Man Friday, (viz.) to begin with them upon the Principle of having fav'd their Lives, and then inftru&t them in the rational Principles of Life, much lefs of Religion, civilizing and reducing them by kind Ufage and affectionate Arguings; but as they gave them their Food every Day, fo they gave them their Work too, and kept them fully employ'd in Drudgery enough; but they fail'd in this, by it, that they never had them to affift them and fight for them as I had my Man Friday, who was as true to me as the very Flesh upon my Bones.

But to come to the Family Part, being all now good Friends, for common Danger, as I faid above, had effectually reconcil'd them, they began to confider their general Circumftances; and the firft Thing that came under their Confideration was, Whether, feeing the Savages particularly haunted that Side of the Ifland, and that there were more remote and retir'd Parts of it equally adapted to their Way of Living, and manifeftly to their Advantage, they fhould not rather remove their Habitation, and plant in fome more proper Place for their Security, and especially for the Security of their Cattle and Corn?

Upon this, after long Debate, it was concluded, That they would not remove their Habitati-on; because, that fome Time or other, they thought they might hear from their Governour again, meaning me; and if I fhould fend any one to feek them, I fhould be fure to direct them to that Side, where, if they fhould find the Place demolifh'd, they would conclude the Savages had kill'd us all, and we were gone, and fo our Supply would go to.

But as to their Corn and Cattle, they agreed to remove them into the Valley where my Cave was, where the Land was as proper for both, and where indeed there was Land enough: However, upon fecond Thought, they alter'd one Part of that Refolution too, and refolv'd only to remove Part of their Cattle thither, and plant Part of their Corn there; and fo if one Part was detroy'd, the other might be fav'd: And one Part of Prudence they ufed, which it was very well they did, viz. That, they never trufted thofe three Savages, which they had Prifoners, with knowing

any

any Thing of the Plantation they had made in that Valley, or of any Cattle they had there; much lefs of the Cave there, which they kept in Cafe of Neceffity, as a fafe Retreat, and whither they carry'd alfo the two Barrels of Powder, which I had fent them at my coming away.

But however, they refolv'd not to change their Habitation, yet they agreed, that as I had carefully cover'd it firft with a Wall or Fortification, and then with a Grove of Trees; fo feing their Safety confifted entirely in their being conceal'd; of which they were now fully convinc'd, they fet to Work to cover and conceal the Place, yet more effectually than before; to this Purpose, as I had planted Trees, or rather thruft in Stakes, which in Time all grew up to be Trees for fome good Diftance before the Entrance into my Apartment; they went on in the fame Manner, and fill'd up the reft of that whole Space of Ground from the Trees I had fet, quite down to the Side of the Creek; where, as I faid, I landed my Floats, and even into the very Ouze where the Tide flow'd, not fo much as leaving any Place to land, or any Sign that there had been any landing thereabout; thefe Stakes alfo being of a Wood very forward to grow, as I have noted formerly, they took Care to have generally very much larger and taller than those which I had planted; and as they grew apace, fo they planted them fo very thick and close together, that when they had been three or four Years grown, there was no piercing with the Eye any confiderable Way into the Plantation: And as for that Part which I had planted, the Trees were grown as thick as a Man's Thigh; and among them they placed fo many other fhort ones, and fo thick, that, in a Word, it stood like a Pallifa

do a quarter of a Mile thick, and it was next to Impoffible to penetrate it, but with a little Army to cut it all down; for a little Dog could hardly get between the Trees, they ftood fo clofe.

But this was not all; for they did the fame by all the Ground to the Right-hand, and to the Left, and round even to the Top of the Hill, leaving no Way, not fo much as for themfelves to come out, but by the Ladder placed up to the Side of the Hill, and then lifted up and placed again from the firft Stage up to the Top; which Ladder when it was taken down nothing but what had Wings or Witchcraft to affift it, could come at them.

This was excellently well contriv'd; nor was it lefs than what they afterwards found Occafion for, which ferv'd to convince me, that as human Prudence has the Authority of Providence to justify it, fo it has doubtlefs the Direction of Providence to fet it to Work; and would we liften carefully to the Voice of it, I am fully perfuaded we might prevent many of the Difafters, which our Lives are now, by our own Negligence, fubjected to: But this by the Way.

I return to the Story. They liv'd two Years after this in perfect Retirement, and had no more Vifits from the Savages: They had indeed an Alarm given them one Morning, which put them into a great Confternation; for fome of the Spaniards being out early one Morning on the Weft Side, or rather the End of the Inland, which by the Way was that End where I never went, for Fear of being difcover'd, they were furpriz'd with feeing above twenty Canoes of Indians juft coming on Shore.

They

They made the best of their Way Home in Hurry enough, and giving the Alarm to their Comrades, they kept clofe all that Day; and the next, going out only at Night to make Obfervation: But they had the good Luck to be mistaken; for where-ever the Savages went, they did not land that Time on the Ifland, but pursued fome other Defign,

And now they had another Broil with the three English Men; one of which, a moft turbulent Fellow, being in a Rage at one of the three Slaves, which I mention'd they had taken, because the Fellow had not done fome Thing right which he bid him do, and feem'd a little untractable in his showing him, drew a Hatchet out of a FrogBelt in which he wore it by his Side, and fell upon the poor Savage, not to correct him, but to kill him. One of the Spaniards, who was by, feeing him give the Fellow a barbarous Cut with the Hatchet, which he aim'd at his Head, but ftruck into his Shoulder; fo that he thought he had cut the poor Creature's Arm off, run to him, and entreating him not to murther the poor Man, clapt in between him and the Savage, to prevent the Mischief.

The Fellow being enrag'd the more at this, ftruck at the Spaniard with his Hatchet, and fwore he would ferve him as he intended to ferve the Savage; which the Spaniard perceiving, avoided the Blow; and with a Shovel which he had in his Hand, for they were all working in the Field about their Corn-Land, knock'd the Brute down: Another of the English Men running at the fame Time to help his Comrade, knock'd the

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