August 20, 2025 • 46 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter sixteen, Rescue of Prisoners from Cannibals upon the whole.
I was by this time so fixed upon my design
of going over with him to the continent that I
told him we would go and make one as big
as that, and he should go home in it. He
(00:21):
answered not one word, but looked very grave and sad.
I asked him, what was the matter with him? He
asked me again, why you angry? Mad with Friday? What
me done? I asked him what he meant? I told
him I was not angry with him at all. No angry,
(00:44):
says he, repeating the words several times. Why send Friday
home away to my nation? Why, says I? Friday? Did
not you say you wished you were there? Yes, yes,
says he wished. We both bore know. Is Friday there?
No master there? In a word, he would not think
(01:06):
of going there without me. I go there, Friday, says I.
What shall I do there? He turned very quick upon
me at this. You do great deal, much good, says he.
You teach wild man's be good, sober tame man's. You
tell them know God, pray God, and live new life.
(01:28):
Alas Friday says, I thou knowest not what thou sayest
I am but an ignorant man myself. Yes, yes, says he.
You teach me good, you teach them good. No, no, Friday,
says I. You shall go without me, leave me here
to live by myself, as I did before. He looked
(01:51):
confused again at that word, and running to one of
the hatchets which he used to wear. He takes it
up hastily and gives it to me. What must I
do with this? Says I? To him, You take kill Friday,
says he? What must kill you for? Says I? Again?
(02:12):
He returns very quick, What you send Friday away for?
Take kill Friday? No, send Friday away? This he spoke
so earnestly that I saw tears stand in his eyes.
In a word, I so plainly discovered the utmost affection
in him to me, and a firm resolution in him
(02:36):
that I told him then and often after that I
would never send him away if he was willing to
stay with me. Upon the whole as I found by
all his discourse a settled affection to me, and that
nothing could part him from me. So I found all
the foundation of his desire to go to his own
(02:58):
country was laid in his ardent affection to the people
and his hopes of doing them good, a thing which,
as I had no notion of myself, so I had
not the least thought or intention or desire of undertaking it.
But still I found a strong inclination to attempting my escape,
(03:19):
founded on the supposition gathered from the discourse that there
were seventeen bearded men there. And therefore, without any more delay,
I went to work with Friday to find out a
great proper tree to fell and make a large piagua
or canoe to undertake the voyage. There were trees enough
(03:42):
in the island to have built a little fleet, not
of pyroguas or canoes, but even of good large vessels.
But the main thing I looked at was this, to
get one so near the water that we might launch
it when it was made. To avoid the mistake I
committed at first. At last Friday pitched upon a tree.
(04:04):
For I found he knew much better than I what
kind of wood was fittest for it. Nor can I
tell to this day what wood to call that tree
we cut down, except that it was very like the
tree we called fustic, or between that and the nicaragua
wood for it was much of the same color and smell.
(04:25):
Friday wished to burn the hollow or cavity of this
tree out to make it for a boat, but I
showed him how to cut it with tools, which after
I had showed him how to use, he did very handily,
and in about a month's hard labor we finished it
and made it very handsome, especially when with our axes,
(04:46):
which I showed him how to handle, we cut and
hewed the outside into the true shape of a boat.
After this, however, it cost us near a fortnight's time
to get her along, as it were, inch by inch
upon great rollers, into the water. But when she was
(05:06):
in she would have carried twenty men with great ease.
When she was in the water, though she was so big,
it amazed me to see with what dexterity and how
swift my man Friday could manage her, turn her and
paddle her along. So I asked him if he would,
and if we might venture over in her. Yes, he said,
(05:30):
we venture over in her very well, though great blow wind. However,
I had a further design that he knew nothing of,
and that was to make a mast and a sail,
and to fit her with an anchor and cable. As
to the mast, that was easy enough to get. So
(05:52):
I pitched upon a straight young cedar tree, which I
found near the place, and which there were great plenty
of in the island, and I set Friday to work
to cut it down, and gave him directions how to
shape and order it. But as to the sail, that
was my particular care. I knew I had old sails,
(06:13):
or rather pieces of old saales enough, but as I
had had them now six and twenty years by me,
and had not been very careful to preserve them, not
imagining that I should ever have this kind of use
for them, I did not doubt. But they were all rotten,
and indeed most of them were. So however, I found
(06:36):
two pieces which appeared pretty good, and with these I
went to work, and with a great deal of pains
and awkward stitching, you may be sure, for want of needles,
I at length made a three cornered ugly thing, like
what we call in England a shoulder a mutton sail
to go, with a boom at bottom and a short
(06:59):
little sprit at the top, just as usually our ship's
longboats sail with, And such as I best knew how
to manage, as it was one such as I had
in the boat in which I made my escape from Barbary.
As related in the first part of my story, I
(07:19):
was near two months performing this last work, that is,
rigging and fitting my masts and sails. For I finished
them very complete, making a small stay and a sail
or forsal to assist it if we should turn to windward.
And what was more than all, I fixed a rudder
(07:40):
to the stern to steer her with. I was but
a bungling shipwright, Yet as I knew the usefulness and
even necessity of such a thing, I applied myself with
so much pains to do it, that at last I
brought it to pass, Though considering the many dull contrivances
I had for that failed, I think it cost me
(08:02):
almost as much labor as making the boat. After all
this was done, I had my man Friday, to teach
us what belonged to the navigation of my boat. Though
he knew very well how to paddle a canoe, he
knew nothing of what belonged to a sail and a rudder,
and was the most amazed when he saw me work
(08:24):
the boat too, and again in the sea by the rudder,
and how the sail jibed and filled this way or
that way, as the course we sailed changed. I say,
when he saw this, he stood like one astonished and amazed. However,
(08:47):
with a little use I made all these things familiar
to him, and he became an expert sailor. Except that
of the compass I could make him understand very little.
On the other hand, as there was very little cloudy weather,
seldom or never any fogs in those parts, there was
the less occasion for a compass. Seeing. The stars were
(09:11):
always to be seen at night, and the shore by day,
except in the rainy seasons, and then nobody cared to
stir abroad, either by land or sea. I was now
entered on the seventh and twentieth year of my captivity
in this place, though the three last years that I
had this creature with me ought rather to be left
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out of the account, my habitation being quite of another
kind than in all the rest of the time. I
kept the anniversary of my landing here with the same
thankfulness to God for his mercies as at first, And
if I had such cause of acknowledgment at first, I
had much more so now having such additional testimonies of
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the care of Providence over me, and the great hopes
I had of being effectually and speedily delivered. For I
had an invincible impression upon my thoughts that my deliverance
was at hand, and that I should not be another
year in this place. I went on, however, with my husbandry, digging, planting,
(10:17):
and fencing as usual. I gathered and cured my grapes,
and did every necessary thing as before. The rainy season
was in the meantime upon me, when I kept more
within doors than at other times. We had stowed our
new vessel as secure as we could, bringing her up
(10:38):
into the creek, where as I said in the beginning,
I landed my rafts from the ship, and hauling her
up to the shore at high water mark, I made
my man Friday dig a little dock just big enough
to hold her and just deep enough to give her
water enough to float in. And then when the tide
was out, we made a stroke dam across it at
(11:02):
the end to keep the water out, and so she
lay dry as to the tide from the sea. And
to keep the rain off we laid a great many
boughs of trees, so thick that she was as well
thatched as a house. And thus we waited for the
months of November and December, in which I designed to
(11:24):
make my adventure. When the settled season began to come in,
as the thought of my design returned with the fair weather,
I was preparing daily for the voyage, and the first
thing I did was to lay by a certain quantity
of provisions, being the stores for our voyage, and intended
(11:45):
in a week or a fortnight's time to open the
dock and launch out our boat. I was busy one
morning upon something of this kind when I called to
Friday and bid him to go to the seashore and
see if he could find a turtle or a tortoise,
a thing which we generally got once a week for
the sake of the eggs as well as the flesh.
(12:07):
Friday had not been long gone when he came running
back and flew over my outer wall or fence, like
one that felt not the ground or the steps he
set foot on. And before I had time to speak
to him, he cries out to me, oh master, oh master,
oh sorrow, oh bad, what's the matter? Friday? Says I?
(12:29):
Oh yonder there, says he, won two three canoes one
two three. By this way of speaking I concluded there
were six, But on inquiry I found there were but three. Well,
Friday says I do not be frightened. So I heartened
him up as well as I could. However, I saw
(12:51):
the poor fellow was most terribly scared, for nothing ran
in his head but that they were come back to
look for him and would cut him in pieces and
eat him. And the poor fellow trembled so that I
scarcely knew what to do with him. I comfort him
as well as I could, and told him I was
in as much danger as he, and that they would
(13:13):
eat me as well as him. But says I Friday,
we must resolve to fight them. Can you fight? Friday? Me? Shoot?
Says he, But there come many, great number, no matter,
for that, said I again. Our guns will fright them
that we do not kill. So I asked him whether
(13:34):
if I resolved to defend him, he would defend me
and stand by me and do just as I bid him.
He said, me die when you bid die. Master. So
I went and fetched a good dram of rum and
gave him. For I had been so good a husband
of my rum that I had a great deal left
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when we had drunk it. I made him take the
two falling pieces which we all always carried, and loaded
them with large swan shot as big as small pistol bullets.
Then I took four muskets and loaded them with two
slugs and five small bullets each, and my two pistols
I loaded with a brace of bullets each. I hung
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my great sword, as usual, naked by my side, and
gave Friday his hatchet. When I had thus prepared myself,
I took my prospective glass and went up to the
side of the hill to see what I could discover.
And I found quickly by my glass that there were
one and twenty savages, three prisoners, and three canoes, and
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that their whole business seemed to be the triumphant banquet
upon these three human bodies, a barbarous feast, indeed, but
nothing more than, as I had observed, was usual with them.
I observed also that they had landed not where they
(15:02):
had done when Friday made his escape, but nearer to
my creek, where the shore was low, and where a
thick wood came almost close down to the sea. This,
with the abhorrence of the inhuman errand these wretches came
about filled me with such indignation that I came down
(15:25):
again to Friday and told him I was resolved to
go down to them and kill them all, and asked
him if he would stand by me. He had now
got over his fright, and his spirits, being a little
raised with the dram I had given him, he was
very cheerful and told me as before he would die
(15:48):
when I bid die. In this fit of fury, I
divided the arms which I had charged as before between us.
I gave Friday one pistol to stick in his girdle
and three guns upon his shoulder, and I took one
pistol and the other three guns myself, and in this
(16:09):
posture we marched out. I took a small bottle of
rum in my pocket and gave Friday a large bag
with more powder and bullets. And as to orders, I
charged him to keep close behind me, and not to
stir or shoot or do anything till I bid him,
(16:30):
and in the meantime not to speak a word. In
this posture, I fetched a compass to my right hand
of near a mile, as well to get over the
creek as to get into the wood so that I
could come within shot of them before I should be discovered,
which I had seen by my glass. It was easy
(16:52):
to do. While I was making this march my further
thoughts returning, I began to abate my resolution. I do
not mean that I entertained any fear of their number,
For as they were naked on armed wretches, it is
(17:12):
certain I was superior to them, nay, though I had
been alone. But it occurred to my thoughts, what call,
what occasion, much less what necessity I was in to
go and dip my hands in blood to attack people
who had neither done or intended me any wrong, who,
(17:38):
as to me, were innocent, and whose barbarous customs were
their own disaster, being in them a token indeed of
God's having left them, with the other nations of that
part of the world, to such stupidity and to such
inhuman courses. But did not call me to take upon
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me to be a judge of their actions, much less
an executioner of his justice, that whenever he thought fit,
he would take the cause into his own hands, and
by national vengeance punish them as a people for national crimes.
(18:19):
But that in the meantime it was none of my business.
That it was true. Friday might justify it, because he
was a declared enemy in a state of war with
those very particular people, and it was lawful for him
to attack them. But I could not say the same
with regard to myself. These things were so warmly pressed
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upon my thoughts all the way as I went, that
I resolved I would only go and place myself near them,
that I might observe their barbarous feast, and that I
would act then as God should direct, But that unless
something offered that was more a call to me than
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yet I knew of, I would not meddle with them.
With this resolution, I entered the wood, and with all
possible weariness and silence, Friday following close at my heels,
I marched till I came to the skirts of the
wood on the side which was next to them, only
(19:26):
that one corner of the wood lay between me. And
then here I called softly to Friday, and, showing him
a great tree which was just at the corner of
the wood, I bade him go to the tree and
bring me word if he could see there plainly what
(19:50):
they were doing. He did so, and came immediately back
to me, and told me they might be plainly viewed there,
that they were all about their fire, eating the flesh
of one of their prisoners, and that another lay bound
upon the sand a little from them, whom he said
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they would kill next. And this fired the very soul
within me. He told me it was not one of
their nation, but one of the bearded men he had
told me of that came to their country in the boat.
I was filled with horror at the very naming of
the white bearded man. And going to the tree, I
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saw plainly by my glass a white man who lay
upon the beach of the sea, with his hands and
his feet tied with flags or things like rushes, and
that he was a European and had clothes on. There
was another tree and a little thicket beyond it, about
(20:56):
fifty yards nearer to them than the place where I was, which,
by going a little way about, I saw I might
come at undiscovered, and that then I should be within
half a shot of them. So I withheld my passion,
though I was indeed enraged to the highest degree, And
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going back about twenty paces, I got behind some bushes
which held all the way till I came to the
other tree, and then came to a little rising a ground,
which gave me a full view of them at the
distance of about eighty yards. I had now not a
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moment to lose, for nineteen of the dreadful wretches sat
upon the ground, all close huddled together, and had just
sent the other two to butcher the poor Christian and
bring him, perhaps limb by limb, to their fire. And
they were stooping down to untie the bands at his feet.
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Turned to Friday. Now Friday said, I do as I
bid thee Friday said he would. Then Friday says, I
do exactly as you see me do fail in nothing.
So I set down one of the muskets and the
(22:22):
following piece upon the ground, and Friday did the like
by his and with the other musket. I took my
aim at the savages, bidding him to do the like,
then asking him if he was ready. He said yes.
Then fire at them, said I, And at the same
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moment I fired. Also. Friday took his aim so much
better than I that on the one side that he shot,
he killed two of them and wounded three more, And
on my side I killed one and wounded two. They
were you may be sure, in a dreadful consternation. And
(23:03):
all of them that were not hurt jumped upon their feet,
but did not immediately know which way to run or
which way to look. For they knew not from whence
their destruction came. Friday kept his eyes close upon me,
that as I had bid him, he might observe what
I did. So as soon as the first shot was made,
(23:27):
I threw down the piece and took up the following piece,
and Friday did the like he saw me cock and
present he did the same. Are you ready, Friday said I, yes,
says he let fly, Then says I, in the name
of God. And with that I fired again among the
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amazed wretches, and so did Friday. And as our pieces
were now loaded with what I call swan shot or
small pistol bullets, we found only two drop, but so
many were wounded that they ran about, yelling and screaming
like mad creatures, all bloody, and most of them miserably wounded,
(24:08):
whereof three more fell down quickly after, though not quite dead. Now,
Friday says I, laying down the discharged pieces and taking
up the musket which was yet loaded, follow me, which
he did with a great deal of courage, and upon
which I rushed out of the wood and showed myself
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and Friday close at my foot. As soon as I
perceived they saw me, I shouted as loud as I could,
and bade Friday do so too, and running as fast
as I could, which by the way, was not very fast,
being loaded with arms as I was, I made directly
towards the poor victim, who was, as I said, lying
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upon the beach or shore, between the place where they
sat and the sea. The two butchers that were going
to work with him had left him at the surprise
of our first fire, and fled in a terrible fright
to the sea side, and had jumped into a canoe,
and three more of the rest made the same way.
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I turned to Friday and bade him step forwards and
fire at them. He understood me immediately, and running about
forty yards to be nearer them, he shot at them,
and I thought he had killed them all, for I
saw them all fall of a heap into the boat,
though I saw two of them up again quickly. However,
(25:40):
he killed two of them and wounded the third, so
that he lay down in the bottom of the boat.
As if he had been dead. While my man Friday
fired at them, I pulled out my knife and cut
the flags that bound the poor victim, and, loosing his
hands and feet, I lifted him up and asked him
in the Portuguese tongue what he was. He answered in
(26:03):
Latin Christianus. But he was so weak and faint that
he could scarcely stand or speak. I took my bottle
out of my pocket and gave it to him, making
signs that he should drink, which he did, and I
gave him a piece of bread, which he ate. Then
I asked him what countryman he was, and he said Espanol. And,
(26:27):
being a little recovered, let me know by all the
signs he could possibly make how much he was in
my debt for his deliverance, Senor said I, with as
much Spanish as I could make up. We will talk afterwards,
but we must fight now. If you have any strength left,
take this pistol and sword and lay about you. He
(26:51):
took them very thankfully, and no sooner had he the
arms in his hands, But as if they had put
new vigor into him, he flew upon his murderers like
a fury, and had cut two of them in pieces
in an instant. For the truth is, as the whole
was a surprise to them. So the poor creatures were
(27:12):
so much frightened with the noise of our pieces that
they fell down for mere amazement and fear, and had
no more power to attempt their own escape than their
flesh had to resist our shot. And that was the
case of those five that Friday shot at in the boat,
for as three of them fell with the hurt they received,
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so the other two fell with the fright. I kept
my piece in my hand still without firing, being willing
to keep my charge ready, because I had given the
Spaniard my pistol and sword. So I called to Friday
and bade him run up to the tree from whence
he first fired, and fetch the arms which lay there discharged,
(27:57):
which he did with great swiftness, and then giving him
my musket, I sat down myself to load all the
rest again, and bade them come to me when they wanted.
While I was loading these pieces, there happened a fierce
engagement between the Spaniard and one of the savages, who
made at him with one of their great wooden swords,
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the weapon that was to have killed him before, if
I had not prevented it. The Spaniard, who was as
bold and brave as could be imagined, though weak, had
fought the Indian a good while, and had cut two
great wounds on his head. But the Savage, being a
stout lusty fellow closing in with him, had thrown him down,
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being faint, and was wringing my sword out of his hand,
when the Spaniard, though undermost wisely quitting the sword, drew
the pistol from his girdle, shot the Savage through the
body and killed him upon the spot before I, who
was running to help him, could come near him. Friday,
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being now left to his liberty, pursued the flying wretches
with no weapon in his hand but his hatchet, and
with that he despatched those three, who, as I said before,
were wounded at first and fallen, and all the rest
he could come up with, And the Spaniard coming to
me for a gun, I gave him one of the
foling pieces, with which he pursued two of the savages
(29:25):
and wounded them both, but as he was not able
to run, they both got from him into the wood,
where Friday pursued them and killed one of them, but
the other was too nimble for him, and though he
was wounded, yet had plunged himself into the sea and
swam with all his might off to those two who
were left in the canoe. Which three in the canoe,
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with one wounded that we knew not whether he died
or no, were all that escaped our hands. Of one
and twenty The account of the whole is as follows.
Three killed at our first shot from the tree, two
killed at the next shot, two killed by Friday in
the boat, two killed by Friday. Of those at first wounded,
(30:12):
one killed by Friday in the wood, three killed by
the spaniard, four killed being found dropped here and there,
of the wounds or killed by Friday, and as chased them,
four escaped in the boat, whereof one wounded, if not dead,
twenty one in all those that were in the canoe
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worked hard to get out of gunshot, And though Friday
made two or three shots at them, I did not
find that he hit any of them. Friday would fain
have had me take one of their canoes and pursue them,
And indeed I was very anxious about their escape. Lest
carrying home news to their people, they should come back,
(30:54):
perhaps with two or three hundred of the canoes, and
devour us by mere multitude. So I consented to pursue
them by sea, and running to their canoes, I jumped
in and bade Friday follow me. But when I was
in the canoe, I was surprised to find another poor
creature lie there, bound hand and foot, as the Spaniard was,
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for slaughter, and almost dead with fear, not knowing what
was the matter, for he had not been able to
look up over the side of the boat. He was
tied so hard neck and heels, and had been tied
so long that he had really but little life in him.
I immediately cut the twisted flags or rushes which they
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had bound him with, and would have helped him up,
But he could not stand or speak, but groaned most piteously,
believing it seemed still that he was only unbound in
order to be killed. When Friday came to him, I
bade him speak to him and tell him of his deliverance,
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and pulling out my bottle made him give the poor wretchedram,
which was the news of his being delivered. Revived him
and he sat up in the boat. But when Friday
came to hear him speak and look in his face.
It would have moved any one to tears to see
how Friday kissed him and embraced him, hugged him, cried, laughed, halloude,
(32:19):
jumped about, danced, sang, then cried again, wrung his hands,
beat his own face and head, and then sang and
jumped about again, like a distracted creature. It was a
good while before I could make him speak to me
or tell me what was the matter. But when he
came a little to himself, he told me that it
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was his father. It is not easy for me to
express how it moved me to see what ecstasy and
filial affection had worked in this poor savage at the
sight of his father and of his being delivered from death.
Nor indeed can I describe half the extravagances of his
(33:07):
affection after this, For he went into the boat and
out of the boat a great many times. When he
went in to him, he would sit down by him,
open his breast, and hold his father's head close to
his bosom for many minutes together to nourish it. Then
he took his arms and ankles, which were numb and
(33:29):
stiff with the binding, and chafed and rubbed them with
his hands, and I, perceiving what the case was, gave
him some rum out of my bottle to rub with them,
which did him a great deal of good. This affair
put an end to our pursuit of the canoe with
(33:49):
the other savages, who were now almost out of sight,
And it was happy for us that we did not,
for it blew so hard within two hours after and
before they could be got a quarter of their way,
and continue blowing so hard all night, and that from
the northwest, which was against them, that I could not
(34:11):
suppose their boat could live, or that they ever reached
their own coast, but to return to Friday. He was
so busy about his father that I could not find
in my heart to take him off for some time.
But after I thought he could leave him a little,
(34:31):
I called him to me, and he came, jumping and
laughing and pleased to the highest extreme. Then I asked
him if he had given his father any bread. He
shook his head and said, none, ugly dog, eat all
up self. I then gave him a cake of bread
(34:51):
out of a little pouch I carried on purpose. I
also gave him a dram for himself, but he would
not taste it, but carried it to his father. I
had in my pocket two or three bunches of raisins,
so I gave him a handful for his father. He
had no sooner given his father these raisins. But I
(35:13):
saw him come out of the boat and run away,
as if he had been bewitched, for he was the
swiftest fellow on his feet that I ever saw. I
say he ran at such a rate that he was
out of sight, as it were, in an instant, And
though I called and hallooed out two after him, it
was all one. Away he went. And in a quarter
(35:36):
of an hour I saw him come back again, though
not so fast as he went. And as he came nearer,
I found his pace slacker, because he had something in
his hand. When he came up to me, I found
he had been quite home for an earthen jugger pot
to put some fresh water for his father in, and
(36:01):
that he had got two more cakes or loaves of bread.
The bread he gave me, but the water he carried
to his father. However, as I was very thirsty too,
I took a little of it. The water revived his
father more than all the rum or spirits I had
given him, for he was fainting with thirst. When his
(36:25):
father had drunk. I called to him to know if
there was any water left. He said yes, and I
bade him give it to the poor spaniard, who was
in as much one of it as the father. And
I sent one of the cakes that Friday brought to
the spaniard too, who was indeed very weak, and was
reposing himself upon a green place under the shade of
(36:48):
a tree, and whose limbs were also very stiff and
very much swelled with the rude bandage he had been
tied with. When I saw that, upon Friday's coming to
him with the water, he sat up and drank, and
took the bread and began to eat. I went to
him and gave him a handful of raisins. He looked
(37:09):
up in my face with all the tokens of gratitude
and thankfulness that could appear in any countenance, but was
so weak, notwithstanding he had so exerted himself in the
fight that he could not stand up upon his feet.
He tried to do it two or three times, but
(37:32):
was really not able. His ankles were so swelled and
so painful to him, so I bade him sit still,
and caused Friday to rub his ankles and bade them
with rum, as he had done his father's. I observed
the poor affectionate creature every two minutes or perhaps less,
(37:55):
all the while he was here, turned his head about
to see if his father was in the same place
and posture as he had left him sitting. And at
last he found he was not to be seen, at
which he started up, and without speaking a word, flew
with that swiftness to him that one could scarce perceive
(38:15):
his feet to touch the ground as he went. But
when he came he only found he had laid himself
down to ease his limbs. So Friday came back to
me presently, and then I spoke to the Spaniard to
let Friday help him up if he could, and lead
him to the boat, and then he should carry him
(38:36):
to our dwelling, where I would take care of him.
But Friday, a lusty, strong fellow, took the Spaniard upon
his back and carried him away to the boat, and
set him down softly upon the side or gunwale of
the canoe, with his feet on the inside of it,
and then lifting him quite in. He set him close
(38:59):
to his father, and presently stepping out again, launched the
boat off and paddled it along the shore faster than
I could walk. Though the wind blew pretty hard too,
so he brought them both safe into our creek, and,
leaving them in the boat, ran away to fetch the
other canoe. As he passed me, I spoke to him
(39:21):
and asked him whither he went. He told me, go
fetch more boat. So away he went like the wind.
For sure, never man nor horse ran like him, and
he had the other canoe in the creek almost as
soon as I had got to it by land. So
he wafted me over and then went to help our
(39:42):
new guests out of the boat, which he did. But
they were neither of them able to walk, so that
poor Friday knew not what to do to remedy this.
I went to work in my thought, and calling to
Friday to bid him sit down on the bank while
(40:03):
he came to me. I soon made a kind of
hand barrel to lay them on, and Friday and I
carried them both up together between us. But when we
got them to the outside of our wall or fortification,
we were at a worse loss than before, for it
(40:23):
was impossible to get them over, and I was resolved
not to break it down. So I set to work again,
and Friday and I, in about two hours time made
a very handsome tent covered with old sails, and above
that with boughs of trees being in the space without
our outward fence, and between that and the grove of
(40:46):
young wood which I had planted. And here we made
them two beds of such things as I had, that is,
of good rice straw, with blankets laid upon it to
lie on, and another to them on each bed. My
island was now peopled, and I thought myself very rich
(41:08):
in subjects, and it was a merry reflection which I
frequently made, how like a king I looked. First of all,
the whole country was my own property, so that I
had an undoubted right of dominion. Secondly, my people were
perfectly subjected. I was absolutely lord and lawgiver. They all
(41:33):
owed their lives to me, and were ready to lay
down their lives if there had been occasion for it.
For me, it was remarkable too, I had but three subjects,
and they were of three different religions. My man Friday
was a Protestant, his father was a pagan and a cannibal,
(41:56):
and the Spaniard was a papist. However, I allowed liberty
of conscience throughout my dominions. But this is by the way.
As soon as I had secured my two week rescued
prisoners and given them shelter and a place to rest
them upon, I began to think of making some provision
(42:18):
for them. And the first thing I did I ordered
Friday to take a yearling goat betwixt a kid and
a goat out of my particular flock, to be killed.
When I cut off the kind quarter and chopping it
into small pieces, I set Friday to work to boiling
and stewing it, and made them a very good dish,
(42:41):
I assure you, of flesh and broth, and as I
cooked it with out doors, for I made no fire
within my inner wall. So I carried it all into
the new tent, and having set a table there for them,
I sat down and ate my own dinner also with them,
as well as I could, cheered them and encouraged them.
(43:04):
Friday was my interpreter, especially to his father, and indeed
to the Spaniard too. For the Spaniards spoke the language
of the savages pretty well. After we had dined, or
rather supped, I ordered Friday to take one of the
canoes and go fetch our muskets and other firearms, which
(43:26):
for one of time we had left upon the place
of battle. And the next day I ordered him to
go and bury the dead bodies of the savages, which
lay open to the sun and would presently be offensive.
I also ordered him to bury the horrid remains of
their barbarous feast, which I could not think of doing myself. Nay,
(43:49):
I could not bear to see them if I went
that way, all which he punctually performed, and efface the
very appearance of the savages being there, so that when
I went again, I could scarce know where it was,
otherwise than by the corner of the wood pointing to
the place. I then began to enter into a little
(44:13):
conversation with my two new subjects, And first I set
Friday to inquire of his father what he thought of
the escape of the savages in that canoe, and whether
we might expect a return of them with a power
too great for us to resist. His first opinion was
that the savages in the boat never could live out
(44:34):
the storm which blew that night they went off, but
must of necessity be drowned or driven south to those
other shores, where they were as sure to be devoured
as they were to be drowned if they were cast away.
But as to what they would do if they came
safe on shore, he said he knew not, But it
(44:56):
was his opinion that they were so dreadfully frightened with
the manner of their being attacked, and the noise and
the fire, that he believed they would tell the people
they were all killed by thunder and lightning, not by
the hand of man, and that the two which appeared
that his Friday and I, were two heavenly spirits or
(45:17):
furies come down to destroy them, and not men with weapons.
This he said he knew, because he heard them all
cry out so in their language, one to another, For
it was impossible for them to conceive that a man
could dart fire and speak thunder and kill at a
(45:40):
distance without lifting up the hand, as was done now.
And this old savage was in the right, for as
I understood, since by other hands, the savages never attempted
to go over to the island afterwards. They were so
terrified with the accounts given by these four men, for
(46:00):
it seems they did escape the sea, that they believed
whoever went to that enchanted island would be destroyed with
fire from the gods. This, however, I knew not, and
therefore was under continual apprehensions for a good while, and
kept always upon my guard with all my army. For
(46:26):
as there were now four of us, I would have
ventured upon a hundred of them fairly in the open
field at any time. End of Chapter sixteen,
Chapter sixteen, Rescue of Prisoners from Cannibals upon the whole.
I was by this time so fixed upon my design
of going over with him to the continent that I
told him we would go and make one as big
as that, and he should go home in it. He
(00:21):
answered not one word, but looked very grave and sad.
I asked him, what was the matter with him? He
asked me again, why you angry? Mad with Friday? What
me done? I asked him what he meant? I told
him I was not angry with him at all. No angry,
(00:44):
says he, repeating the words several times. Why send Friday
home away to my nation? Why, says I? Friday? Did
not you say you wished you were there? Yes, yes,
says he wished. We both bore know. Is Friday there?
No master there? In a word, he would not think
(01:06):
of going there without me. I go there, Friday, says I.
What shall I do there? He turned very quick upon
me at this. You do great deal, much good, says he.
You teach wild man's be good, sober tame man's. You
tell them know God, pray God, and live new life.
(01:28):
Alas Friday says, I thou knowest not what thou sayest
I am but an ignorant man myself. Yes, yes, says he.
You teach me good, you teach them good. No, no, Friday,
says I. You shall go without me, leave me here
to live by myself, as I did before. He looked
(01:51):
confused again at that word, and running to one of
the hatchets which he used to wear. He takes it
up hastily and gives it to me. What must I
do with this? Says I? To him, You take kill Friday,
says he? What must kill you for? Says I? Again?
(02:12):
He returns very quick, What you send Friday away for?
Take kill Friday? No, send Friday away? This he spoke
so earnestly that I saw tears stand in his eyes.
In a word, I so plainly discovered the utmost affection
in him to me, and a firm resolution in him
(02:36):
that I told him then and often after that I
would never send him away if he was willing to
stay with me. Upon the whole as I found by
all his discourse a settled affection to me, and that
nothing could part him from me. So I found all
the foundation of his desire to go to his own
(02:58):
country was laid in his ardent affection to the people
and his hopes of doing them good, a thing which,
as I had no notion of myself, so I had
not the least thought or intention or desire of undertaking it.
But still I found a strong inclination to attempting my escape,
(03:19):
founded on the supposition gathered from the discourse that there
were seventeen bearded men there. And therefore, without any more delay,
I went to work with Friday to find out a
great proper tree to fell and make a large piagua
or canoe to undertake the voyage. There were trees enough
(03:42):
in the island to have built a little fleet, not
of pyroguas or canoes, but even of good large vessels.
But the main thing I looked at was this, to
get one so near the water that we might launch
it when it was made. To avoid the mistake I
committed at first. At last Friday pitched upon a tree.
(04:04):
For I found he knew much better than I what
kind of wood was fittest for it. Nor can I
tell to this day what wood to call that tree
we cut down, except that it was very like the
tree we called fustic, or between that and the nicaragua
wood for it was much of the same color and smell.
(04:25):
Friday wished to burn the hollow or cavity of this
tree out to make it for a boat, but I
showed him how to cut it with tools, which after
I had showed him how to use, he did very handily,
and in about a month's hard labor we finished it
and made it very handsome, especially when with our axes,
(04:46):
which I showed him how to handle, we cut and
hewed the outside into the true shape of a boat.
After this, however, it cost us near a fortnight's time
to get her along, as it were, inch by inch
upon great rollers, into the water. But when she was
(05:06):
in she would have carried twenty men with great ease.
When she was in the water, though she was so big,
it amazed me to see with what dexterity and how
swift my man Friday could manage her, turn her and
paddle her along. So I asked him if he would,
and if we might venture over in her. Yes, he said,
(05:30):
we venture over in her very well, though great blow wind. However,
I had a further design that he knew nothing of,
and that was to make a mast and a sail,
and to fit her with an anchor and cable. As
to the mast, that was easy enough to get. So
(05:52):
I pitched upon a straight young cedar tree, which I
found near the place, and which there were great plenty
of in the island, and I set Friday to work
to cut it down, and gave him directions how to
shape and order it. But as to the sail, that
was my particular care. I knew I had old sails,
(06:13):
or rather pieces of old saales enough, but as I
had had them now six and twenty years by me,
and had not been very careful to preserve them, not
imagining that I should ever have this kind of use
for them, I did not doubt. But they were all rotten,
and indeed most of them were. So however, I found
(06:36):
two pieces which appeared pretty good, and with these I
went to work, and with a great deal of pains
and awkward stitching, you may be sure, for want of needles,
I at length made a three cornered ugly thing, like
what we call in England a shoulder a mutton sail
to go, with a boom at bottom and a short
(06:59):
little sprit at the top, just as usually our ship's
longboats sail with, And such as I best knew how
to manage, as it was one such as I had
in the boat in which I made my escape from Barbary.
As related in the first part of my story, I
(07:19):
was near two months performing this last work, that is,
rigging and fitting my masts and sails. For I finished
them very complete, making a small stay and a sail
or forsal to assist it if we should turn to windward.
And what was more than all, I fixed a rudder
(07:40):
to the stern to steer her with. I was but
a bungling shipwright, Yet as I knew the usefulness and
even necessity of such a thing, I applied myself with
so much pains to do it, that at last I
brought it to pass, Though considering the many dull contrivances
I had for that failed, I think it cost me
(08:02):
almost as much labor as making the boat. After all
this was done, I had my man Friday, to teach
us what belonged to the navigation of my boat. Though
he knew very well how to paddle a canoe, he
knew nothing of what belonged to a sail and a rudder,
and was the most amazed when he saw me work
(08:24):
the boat too, and again in the sea by the rudder,
and how the sail jibed and filled this way or
that way, as the course we sailed changed. I say,
when he saw this, he stood like one astonished and amazed. However,
(08:47):
with a little use I made all these things familiar
to him, and he became an expert sailor. Except that
of the compass I could make him understand very little.
On the other hand, as there was very little cloudy weather,
seldom or never any fogs in those parts, there was
the less occasion for a compass. Seeing. The stars were
(09:11):
always to be seen at night, and the shore by day,
except in the rainy seasons, and then nobody cared to
stir abroad, either by land or sea. I was now
entered on the seventh and twentieth year of my captivity
in this place, though the three last years that I
had this creature with me ought rather to be left
(09:33):
out of the account, my habitation being quite of another
kind than in all the rest of the time. I
kept the anniversary of my landing here with the same
thankfulness to God for his mercies as at first, And
if I had such cause of acknowledgment at first, I
had much more so now having such additional testimonies of
(09:56):
the care of Providence over me, and the great hopes
I had of being effectually and speedily delivered. For I
had an invincible impression upon my thoughts that my deliverance
was at hand, and that I should not be another
year in this place. I went on, however, with my husbandry, digging, planting,
(10:17):
and fencing as usual. I gathered and cured my grapes,
and did every necessary thing as before. The rainy season
was in the meantime upon me, when I kept more
within doors than at other times. We had stowed our
new vessel as secure as we could, bringing her up
(10:38):
into the creek, where as I said in the beginning,
I landed my rafts from the ship, and hauling her
up to the shore at high water mark, I made
my man Friday dig a little dock just big enough
to hold her and just deep enough to give her
water enough to float in. And then when the tide
was out, we made a stroke dam across it at
(11:02):
the end to keep the water out, and so she
lay dry as to the tide from the sea. And
to keep the rain off we laid a great many
boughs of trees, so thick that she was as well
thatched as a house. And thus we waited for the
months of November and December, in which I designed to
(11:24):
make my adventure. When the settled season began to come in,
as the thought of my design returned with the fair weather,
I was preparing daily for the voyage, and the first
thing I did was to lay by a certain quantity
of provisions, being the stores for our voyage, and intended
(11:45):
in a week or a fortnight's time to open the
dock and launch out our boat. I was busy one
morning upon something of this kind when I called to
Friday and bid him to go to the seashore and
see if he could find a turtle or a tortoise,
a thing which we generally got once a week for
the sake of the eggs as well as the flesh.
(12:07):
Friday had not been long gone when he came running
back and flew over my outer wall or fence, like
one that felt not the ground or the steps he
set foot on. And before I had time to speak
to him, he cries out to me, oh master, oh master,
oh sorrow, oh bad, what's the matter? Friday? Says I?
(12:29):
Oh yonder there, says he, won two three canoes one
two three. By this way of speaking I concluded there
were six, But on inquiry I found there were but three. Well,
Friday says I do not be frightened. So I heartened
him up as well as I could. However, I saw
(12:51):
the poor fellow was most terribly scared, for nothing ran
in his head but that they were come back to
look for him and would cut him in pieces and
eat him. And the poor fellow trembled so that I
scarcely knew what to do with him. I comfort him
as well as I could, and told him I was
in as much danger as he, and that they would
(13:13):
eat me as well as him. But says I Friday,
we must resolve to fight them. Can you fight? Friday? Me? Shoot?
Says he, But there come many, great number, no matter,
for that, said I again. Our guns will fright them
that we do not kill. So I asked him whether
(13:34):
if I resolved to defend him, he would defend me
and stand by me and do just as I bid him.
He said, me die when you bid die. Master. So
I went and fetched a good dram of rum and
gave him. For I had been so good a husband
of my rum that I had a great deal left
(13:55):
when we had drunk it. I made him take the
two falling pieces which we all always carried, and loaded
them with large swan shot as big as small pistol bullets.
Then I took four muskets and loaded them with two
slugs and five small bullets each, and my two pistols
I loaded with a brace of bullets each. I hung
(14:16):
my great sword, as usual, naked by my side, and
gave Friday his hatchet. When I had thus prepared myself,
I took my prospective glass and went up to the
side of the hill to see what I could discover.
And I found quickly by my glass that there were
one and twenty savages, three prisoners, and three canoes, and
(14:41):
that their whole business seemed to be the triumphant banquet
upon these three human bodies, a barbarous feast, indeed, but
nothing more than, as I had observed, was usual with them.
I observed also that they had landed not where they
(15:02):
had done when Friday made his escape, but nearer to
my creek, where the shore was low, and where a
thick wood came almost close down to the sea. This,
with the abhorrence of the inhuman errand these wretches came
about filled me with such indignation that I came down
(15:25):
again to Friday and told him I was resolved to
go down to them and kill them all, and asked
him if he would stand by me. He had now
got over his fright, and his spirits, being a little
raised with the dram I had given him, he was
very cheerful and told me as before he would die
(15:48):
when I bid die. In this fit of fury, I
divided the arms which I had charged as before between us.
I gave Friday one pistol to stick in his girdle
and three guns upon his shoulder, and I took one
pistol and the other three guns myself, and in this
(16:09):
posture we marched out. I took a small bottle of
rum in my pocket and gave Friday a large bag
with more powder and bullets. And as to orders, I
charged him to keep close behind me, and not to
stir or shoot or do anything till I bid him,
(16:30):
and in the meantime not to speak a word. In
this posture, I fetched a compass to my right hand
of near a mile, as well to get over the
creek as to get into the wood so that I
could come within shot of them before I should be discovered,
which I had seen by my glass. It was easy
(16:52):
to do. While I was making this march my further
thoughts returning, I began to abate my resolution. I do
not mean that I entertained any fear of their number,
For as they were naked on armed wretches, it is
(17:12):
certain I was superior to them, nay, though I had
been alone. But it occurred to my thoughts, what call,
what occasion, much less what necessity I was in to
go and dip my hands in blood to attack people
who had neither done or intended me any wrong, who,
(17:38):
as to me, were innocent, and whose barbarous customs were
their own disaster, being in them a token indeed of
God's having left them, with the other nations of that
part of the world, to such stupidity and to such
inhuman courses. But did not call me to take upon
(17:59):
me to be a judge of their actions, much less
an executioner of his justice, that whenever he thought fit,
he would take the cause into his own hands, and
by national vengeance punish them as a people for national crimes.
(18:19):
But that in the meantime it was none of my business.
That it was true. Friday might justify it, because he
was a declared enemy in a state of war with
those very particular people, and it was lawful for him
to attack them. But I could not say the same
with regard to myself. These things were so warmly pressed
(18:43):
upon my thoughts all the way as I went, that
I resolved I would only go and place myself near them,
that I might observe their barbarous feast, and that I
would act then as God should direct, But that unless
something offered that was more a call to me than
(19:03):
yet I knew of, I would not meddle with them.
With this resolution, I entered the wood, and with all
possible weariness and silence, Friday following close at my heels,
I marched till I came to the skirts of the
wood on the side which was next to them, only
(19:26):
that one corner of the wood lay between me. And
then here I called softly to Friday, and, showing him
a great tree which was just at the corner of
the wood, I bade him go to the tree and
bring me word if he could see there plainly what
(19:50):
they were doing. He did so, and came immediately back
to me, and told me they might be plainly viewed there,
that they were all about their fire, eating the flesh
of one of their prisoners, and that another lay bound
upon the sand a little from them, whom he said
(20:10):
they would kill next. And this fired the very soul
within me. He told me it was not one of
their nation, but one of the bearded men he had
told me of that came to their country in the boat.
I was filled with horror at the very naming of
the white bearded man. And going to the tree, I
(20:33):
saw plainly by my glass a white man who lay
upon the beach of the sea, with his hands and
his feet tied with flags or things like rushes, and
that he was a European and had clothes on. There
was another tree and a little thicket beyond it, about
(20:56):
fifty yards nearer to them than the place where I was, which,
by going a little way about, I saw I might
come at undiscovered, and that then I should be within
half a shot of them. So I withheld my passion,
though I was indeed enraged to the highest degree, And
(21:17):
going back about twenty paces, I got behind some bushes
which held all the way till I came to the
other tree, and then came to a little rising a ground,
which gave me a full view of them at the
distance of about eighty yards. I had now not a
(21:39):
moment to lose, for nineteen of the dreadful wretches sat
upon the ground, all close huddled together, and had just
sent the other two to butcher the poor Christian and
bring him, perhaps limb by limb, to their fire. And
they were stooping down to untie the bands at his feet.
(21:59):
Turned to Friday. Now Friday said, I do as I
bid thee Friday said he would. Then Friday says, I
do exactly as you see me do fail in nothing.
So I set down one of the muskets and the
(22:22):
following piece upon the ground, and Friday did the like
by his and with the other musket. I took my
aim at the savages, bidding him to do the like,
then asking him if he was ready. He said yes.
Then fire at them, said I, And at the same
(22:42):
moment I fired. Also. Friday took his aim so much
better than I that on the one side that he shot,
he killed two of them and wounded three more, And
on my side I killed one and wounded two. They
were you may be sure, in a dreadful consternation. And
(23:03):
all of them that were not hurt jumped upon their feet,
but did not immediately know which way to run or
which way to look. For they knew not from whence
their destruction came. Friday kept his eyes close upon me,
that as I had bid him, he might observe what
I did. So as soon as the first shot was made,
(23:27):
I threw down the piece and took up the following piece,
and Friday did the like he saw me cock and
present he did the same. Are you ready, Friday said I, yes,
says he let fly, Then says I, in the name
of God. And with that I fired again among the
(23:47):
amazed wretches, and so did Friday. And as our pieces
were now loaded with what I call swan shot or
small pistol bullets, we found only two drop, but so
many were wounded that they ran about, yelling and screaming
like mad creatures, all bloody, and most of them miserably wounded,
(24:08):
whereof three more fell down quickly after, though not quite dead. Now,
Friday says I, laying down the discharged pieces and taking
up the musket which was yet loaded, follow me, which
he did with a great deal of courage, and upon
which I rushed out of the wood and showed myself
(24:31):
and Friday close at my foot. As soon as I
perceived they saw me, I shouted as loud as I could,
and bade Friday do so too, and running as fast
as I could, which by the way, was not very fast,
being loaded with arms as I was, I made directly
towards the poor victim, who was, as I said, lying
(24:54):
upon the beach or shore, between the place where they
sat and the sea. The two butchers that were going
to work with him had left him at the surprise
of our first fire, and fled in a terrible fright
to the sea side, and had jumped into a canoe,
and three more of the rest made the same way.
(25:17):
I turned to Friday and bade him step forwards and
fire at them. He understood me immediately, and running about
forty yards to be nearer them, he shot at them,
and I thought he had killed them all, for I
saw them all fall of a heap into the boat,
though I saw two of them up again quickly. However,
(25:40):
he killed two of them and wounded the third, so
that he lay down in the bottom of the boat.
As if he had been dead. While my man Friday
fired at them, I pulled out my knife and cut
the flags that bound the poor victim, and, loosing his
hands and feet, I lifted him up and asked him
in the Portuguese tongue what he was. He answered in
(26:03):
Latin Christianus. But he was so weak and faint that
he could scarcely stand or speak. I took my bottle
out of my pocket and gave it to him, making
signs that he should drink, which he did, and I
gave him a piece of bread, which he ate. Then
I asked him what countryman he was, and he said Espanol. And,
(26:27):
being a little recovered, let me know by all the
signs he could possibly make how much he was in
my debt for his deliverance, Senor said I, with as
much Spanish as I could make up. We will talk afterwards,
but we must fight now. If you have any strength left,
take this pistol and sword and lay about you. He
(26:51):
took them very thankfully, and no sooner had he the
arms in his hands, But as if they had put
new vigor into him, he flew upon his murderers like
a fury, and had cut two of them in pieces
in an instant. For the truth is, as the whole
was a surprise to them. So the poor creatures were
(27:12):
so much frightened with the noise of our pieces that
they fell down for mere amazement and fear, and had
no more power to attempt their own escape than their
flesh had to resist our shot. And that was the
case of those five that Friday shot at in the boat,
for as three of them fell with the hurt they received,
(27:33):
so the other two fell with the fright. I kept
my piece in my hand still without firing, being willing
to keep my charge ready, because I had given the
Spaniard my pistol and sword. So I called to Friday
and bade him run up to the tree from whence
he first fired, and fetch the arms which lay there discharged,
(27:57):
which he did with great swiftness, and then giving him
my musket, I sat down myself to load all the
rest again, and bade them come to me when they wanted.
While I was loading these pieces, there happened a fierce
engagement between the Spaniard and one of the savages, who
made at him with one of their great wooden swords,
(28:19):
the weapon that was to have killed him before, if
I had not prevented it. The Spaniard, who was as
bold and brave as could be imagined, though weak, had
fought the Indian a good while, and had cut two
great wounds on his head. But the Savage, being a
stout lusty fellow closing in with him, had thrown him down,
(28:41):
being faint, and was wringing my sword out of his hand,
when the Spaniard, though undermost wisely quitting the sword, drew
the pistol from his girdle, shot the Savage through the
body and killed him upon the spot before I, who
was running to help him, could come near him. Friday,
(29:03):
being now left to his liberty, pursued the flying wretches
with no weapon in his hand but his hatchet, and
with that he despatched those three, who, as I said before,
were wounded at first and fallen, and all the rest
he could come up with, And the Spaniard coming to
me for a gun, I gave him one of the
foling pieces, with which he pursued two of the savages
(29:25):
and wounded them both, but as he was not able
to run, they both got from him into the wood,
where Friday pursued them and killed one of them, but
the other was too nimble for him, and though he
was wounded, yet had plunged himself into the sea and
swam with all his might off to those two who
were left in the canoe. Which three in the canoe,
(29:49):
with one wounded that we knew not whether he died
or no, were all that escaped our hands. Of one
and twenty The account of the whole is as follows.
Three killed at our first shot from the tree, two
killed at the next shot, two killed by Friday in
the boat, two killed by Friday. Of those at first wounded,
(30:12):
one killed by Friday in the wood, three killed by
the spaniard, four killed being found dropped here and there,
of the wounds or killed by Friday, and as chased them,
four escaped in the boat, whereof one wounded, if not dead,
twenty one in all those that were in the canoe
(30:32):
worked hard to get out of gunshot, And though Friday
made two or three shots at them, I did not
find that he hit any of them. Friday would fain
have had me take one of their canoes and pursue them,
And indeed I was very anxious about their escape. Lest
carrying home news to their people, they should come back,
(30:54):
perhaps with two or three hundred of the canoes, and
devour us by mere multitude. So I consented to pursue
them by sea, and running to their canoes, I jumped
in and bade Friday follow me. But when I was
in the canoe, I was surprised to find another poor
creature lie there, bound hand and foot, as the Spaniard was,
(31:14):
for slaughter, and almost dead with fear, not knowing what
was the matter, for he had not been able to
look up over the side of the boat. He was
tied so hard neck and heels, and had been tied
so long that he had really but little life in him.
I immediately cut the twisted flags or rushes which they
(31:35):
had bound him with, and would have helped him up,
But he could not stand or speak, but groaned most piteously,
believing it seemed still that he was only unbound in
order to be killed. When Friday came to him, I
bade him speak to him and tell him of his deliverance,
(31:55):
and pulling out my bottle made him give the poor wretchedram,
which was the news of his being delivered. Revived him
and he sat up in the boat. But when Friday
came to hear him speak and look in his face.
It would have moved any one to tears to see
how Friday kissed him and embraced him, hugged him, cried, laughed, halloude,
(32:19):
jumped about, danced, sang, then cried again, wrung his hands,
beat his own face and head, and then sang and
jumped about again, like a distracted creature. It was a
good while before I could make him speak to me
or tell me what was the matter. But when he
came a little to himself, he told me that it
(32:43):
was his father. It is not easy for me to
express how it moved me to see what ecstasy and
filial affection had worked in this poor savage at the
sight of his father and of his being delivered from death.
Nor indeed can I describe half the extravagances of his
(33:07):
affection after this, For he went into the boat and
out of the boat a great many times. When he
went in to him, he would sit down by him,
open his breast, and hold his father's head close to
his bosom for many minutes together to nourish it. Then
he took his arms and ankles, which were numb and
(33:29):
stiff with the binding, and chafed and rubbed them with
his hands, and I, perceiving what the case was, gave
him some rum out of my bottle to rub with them,
which did him a great deal of good. This affair
put an end to our pursuit of the canoe with
(33:49):
the other savages, who were now almost out of sight,
And it was happy for us that we did not,
for it blew so hard within two hours after and
before they could be got a quarter of their way,
and continue blowing so hard all night, and that from
the northwest, which was against them, that I could not
(34:11):
suppose their boat could live, or that they ever reached
their own coast, but to return to Friday. He was
so busy about his father that I could not find
in my heart to take him off for some time.
But after I thought he could leave him a little,
(34:31):
I called him to me, and he came, jumping and
laughing and pleased to the highest extreme. Then I asked
him if he had given his father any bread. He
shook his head and said, none, ugly dog, eat all
up self. I then gave him a cake of bread
(34:51):
out of a little pouch I carried on purpose. I
also gave him a dram for himself, but he would
not taste it, but carried it to his father. I
had in my pocket two or three bunches of raisins,
so I gave him a handful for his father. He
had no sooner given his father these raisins. But I
(35:13):
saw him come out of the boat and run away,
as if he had been bewitched, for he was the
swiftest fellow on his feet that I ever saw. I
say he ran at such a rate that he was
out of sight, as it were, in an instant, And
though I called and hallooed out two after him, it
was all one. Away he went. And in a quarter
(35:36):
of an hour I saw him come back again, though
not so fast as he went. And as he came nearer,
I found his pace slacker, because he had something in
his hand. When he came up to me, I found
he had been quite home for an earthen jugger pot
to put some fresh water for his father in, and
(36:01):
that he had got two more cakes or loaves of bread.
The bread he gave me, but the water he carried
to his father. However, as I was very thirsty too,
I took a little of it. The water revived his
father more than all the rum or spirits I had
given him, for he was fainting with thirst. When his
(36:25):
father had drunk. I called to him to know if
there was any water left. He said yes, and I
bade him give it to the poor spaniard, who was
in as much one of it as the father. And
I sent one of the cakes that Friday brought to
the spaniard too, who was indeed very weak, and was
reposing himself upon a green place under the shade of
(36:48):
a tree, and whose limbs were also very stiff and
very much swelled with the rude bandage he had been
tied with. When I saw that, upon Friday's coming to
him with the water, he sat up and drank, and
took the bread and began to eat. I went to
him and gave him a handful of raisins. He looked
(37:09):
up in my face with all the tokens of gratitude
and thankfulness that could appear in any countenance, but was
so weak, notwithstanding he had so exerted himself in the
fight that he could not stand up upon his feet.
He tried to do it two or three times, but
(37:32):
was really not able. His ankles were so swelled and
so painful to him, so I bade him sit still,
and caused Friday to rub his ankles and bade them
with rum, as he had done his father's. I observed
the poor affectionate creature every two minutes or perhaps less,
(37:55):
all the while he was here, turned his head about
to see if his father was in the same place
and posture as he had left him sitting. And at
last he found he was not to be seen, at
which he started up, and without speaking a word, flew
with that swiftness to him that one could scarce perceive
(38:15):
his feet to touch the ground as he went. But
when he came he only found he had laid himself
down to ease his limbs. So Friday came back to
me presently, and then I spoke to the Spaniard to
let Friday help him up if he could, and lead
him to the boat, and then he should carry him
(38:36):
to our dwelling, where I would take care of him.
But Friday, a lusty, strong fellow, took the Spaniard upon
his back and carried him away to the boat, and
set him down softly upon the side or gunwale of
the canoe, with his feet on the inside of it,
and then lifting him quite in. He set him close
(38:59):
to his father, and presently stepping out again, launched the
boat off and paddled it along the shore faster than
I could walk. Though the wind blew pretty hard too,
so he brought them both safe into our creek, and,
leaving them in the boat, ran away to fetch the
other canoe. As he passed me, I spoke to him
(39:21):
and asked him whither he went. He told me, go
fetch more boat. So away he went like the wind.
For sure, never man nor horse ran like him, and
he had the other canoe in the creek almost as
soon as I had got to it by land. So
he wafted me over and then went to help our
(39:42):
new guests out of the boat, which he did. But
they were neither of them able to walk, so that
poor Friday knew not what to do to remedy this.
I went to work in my thought, and calling to
Friday to bid him sit down on the bank while
(40:03):
he came to me. I soon made a kind of
hand barrel to lay them on, and Friday and I
carried them both up together between us. But when we
got them to the outside of our wall or fortification,
we were at a worse loss than before, for it
(40:23):
was impossible to get them over, and I was resolved
not to break it down. So I set to work again,
and Friday and I, in about two hours time made
a very handsome tent covered with old sails, and above
that with boughs of trees being in the space without
our outward fence, and between that and the grove of
(40:46):
young wood which I had planted. And here we made
them two beds of such things as I had, that is,
of good rice straw, with blankets laid upon it to
lie on, and another to them on each bed. My
island was now peopled, and I thought myself very rich
(41:08):
in subjects, and it was a merry reflection which I
frequently made, how like a king I looked. First of all,
the whole country was my own property, so that I
had an undoubted right of dominion. Secondly, my people were
perfectly subjected. I was absolutely lord and lawgiver. They all
(41:33):
owed their lives to me, and were ready to lay
down their lives if there had been occasion for it.
For me, it was remarkable too, I had but three subjects,
and they were of three different religions. My man Friday
was a Protestant, his father was a pagan and a cannibal,
(41:56):
and the Spaniard was a papist. However, I allowed liberty
of conscience throughout my dominions. But this is by the way.
As soon as I had secured my two week rescued
prisoners and given them shelter and a place to rest
them upon, I began to think of making some provision
(42:18):
for them. And the first thing I did I ordered
Friday to take a yearling goat betwixt a kid and
a goat out of my particular flock, to be killed.
When I cut off the kind quarter and chopping it
into small pieces, I set Friday to work to boiling
and stewing it, and made them a very good dish,
(42:41):
I assure you, of flesh and broth, and as I
cooked it with out doors, for I made no fire
within my inner wall. So I carried it all into
the new tent, and having set a table there for them,
I sat down and ate my own dinner also with them,
as well as I could, cheered them and encouraged them.
(43:04):
Friday was my interpreter, especially to his father, and indeed
to the Spaniard too. For the Spaniards spoke the language
of the savages pretty well. After we had dined, or
rather supped, I ordered Friday to take one of the
canoes and go fetch our muskets and other firearms, which
(43:26):
for one of time we had left upon the place
of battle. And the next day I ordered him to
go and bury the dead bodies of the savages, which
lay open to the sun and would presently be offensive.
I also ordered him to bury the horrid remains of
their barbarous feast, which I could not think of doing myself. Nay,
(43:49):
I could not bear to see them if I went
that way, all which he punctually performed, and efface the
very appearance of the savages being there, so that when
I went again, I could scarce know where it was,
otherwise than by the corner of the wood pointing to
the place. I then began to enter into a little
(44:13):
conversation with my two new subjects, And first I set
Friday to inquire of his father what he thought of
the escape of the savages in that canoe, and whether
we might expect a return of them with a power
too great for us to resist. His first opinion was
that the savages in the boat never could live out
(44:34):
the storm which blew that night they went off, but
must of necessity be drowned or driven south to those
other shores, where they were as sure to be devoured
as they were to be drowned if they were cast away.
But as to what they would do if they came
safe on shore, he said he knew not, But it
(44:56):
was his opinion that they were so dreadfully frightened with
the manner of their being attacked, and the noise and
the fire, that he believed they would tell the people
they were all killed by thunder and lightning, not by
the hand of man, and that the two which appeared
that his Friday and I, were two heavenly spirits or
(45:17):
furies come down to destroy them, and not men with weapons.
This he said he knew, because he heard them all
cry out so in their language, one to another, For
it was impossible for them to conceive that a man
could dart fire and speak thunder and kill at a
(45:40):
distance without lifting up the hand, as was done now.
And this old savage was in the right, for as
I understood, since by other hands, the savages never attempted
to go over to the island afterwards. They were so
terrified with the accounts given by these four men, for
(46:00):
it seems they did escape the sea, that they believed
whoever went to that enchanted island would be destroyed with
fire from the gods. This, however, I knew not, and
therefore was under continual apprehensions for a good while, and
kept always upon my guard with all my army. For
(46:26):
as there were now four of us, I would have
ventured upon a hundred of them fairly in the open
field at any time. End of Chapter sixteen,
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