THE MATRIMONIAL LOTTERY. 427

devoured ; accordingly when the English sailor came in, and fetched
out one of them, the rest set up a most lamentable cry, and hung
about her, and took their leave of her with such agonies and such
affection as would have grieved the hardest heart in the world;
nor was it possible for the Englishmen to satisfy them that they
were not to be immediately murdered, until they fetched the old
man, Friday’s father, who immediately let them know that the
five men, who had fetched them out one by one, had chosen them
for their wives.

When they had done, and the fright the women were in was a
little over, the men went to work, and the Spaniards came and
helped them; and in a few hours they had built them every one
a new hut or tent, for their lodging apart; for those they had
already were crowded with their tools, household stuff, and pro-
visions. The three wicked ones had pitched furthest off, and the
two honest ones nearer, but both on the north shore of the island,
so that they continued separate as before. And thus my island was
peopled in three places; and, as I might say, three towns were
begun to be planted.

And here it is very well worth observing: that as it often hap-
pens in the world (what the wise ends of God’s providence are in
such a disposition of things I cannot say), the two honest fellows
had the two worst wives; and the three reprobates, that were
scarce worth hanging, that were fit for nothing, and neither seemed
born to do themselves good or any one else, had three clever, dili-
gent, careful, and ingenious wives: not that the two first were ill
wives as to their temper or humour, for all the five were most
willing, quiet, passive, and subjected creatures, rather like slaves
than wives; but my meaning is, they were not alike capable, in-
genious, or industrious, or alike cleanly and neat.

Another observation I must make, to the honour of g diligent
application on one hand, and to the disgrace of a slothful, negli-
gent, idle temper, on the other, that when I came to the place, and
viewed the several improvements, plantings, and management of
the several little colonies, the two men had so far out-gone the
three, that there was no comparison. They had indeed both of
them as much ground laid out for corn as they wanted; and the