CUTTING OFF THE RETREAT. 813 °

English colonies; and that therefore there would be no attacking
them with so small a number as we were.

I mused for some time upon what he said, and found it was a
very rational conclusion; and that therefore something was to be
resolved on very speedily, as well to draw the men on board
into some snare for their surprise as to prevent their landing upon
us and destroying us. Upon this it presently occurred to me that
in a little while the ship’s crew, wondering what was become of
their comrades and of the boat, would certainly come on shore in
their other boat to seek for them, and that then perhaps they
might come armed, and be too strong for us. This he allowed
was rational.

Upon this I told him the first thing we had to do was to stave
the boat which lay upon the beach, so that they might not carry
her off; and taking everything out of her, leave her so far useless
as not to be fit to swim. Accordingly we went on board, took
the arms which were left on board out of her, and whatever else
we found there, which was a bottle of brandy and another of rum,
a few biscuit cakes, a horn of powder; and a great lump of sugar
in a piece of canvas—the sugar was five or six pounds: all which
was very welcome to me, especially the brandy and sugar, of which
I had had none left for many years.

When we had carried all these things on shore (the oars, mast,
sail, and rudder of the boat, were carried away before, as above),
we knocked a great hole in her bottom, that if they had come
strong enough to master us, yet they could not carry off the boat.

Indeed it was not much in my thoughts that we could be able
to recover the ship; but my view was, that if they went away
without the boat, I did not much question to make her fit again
to carry us away to the Leeward Islands, and call upon our
friends the Spaniards, in my way, for I had them still in my
thoughts.

While we were thus preparing our designs, and had first by
main strength heaved the boat up upon the beach, so high that the
tide would not float her off at high-water mark; and besides, had -
broken a hole in her bottom too big to be quickly stopped, and
were sat down musing what we should do; we heard the ship fire