4380 THE THREE SAVAGES.

that if they were not seen by any of the savages, they would go off
again quietly when their business was done, having as yet not the
least notion of there being any inhabitants in the island; I say,
having been made sensible of this, they had nothing to do but to
give notice to all the three plantations to keep within doors, and
not show themselves, only placing a scout in a proper place, to
give notice when the boats went to sea again..

This was, without doubt, very right; but a disaster spoiled all
these measures, and made it known among the savages that there
were inhabitants there, which was in the end the desolation of
almost the whole colony. After the canoes with the savages were
gone off, the Spaniards peeped abroad again, and some of them had
the curiosity to go to the place where they had been, to see what
they had been doing. Here, to their great.surprise, they found
three savages left behind, and lying fast asleep upon the ground.
It was supposed they had either been so gorged with their inhuman
feast, that, like beasts, they were asleep and would not stir when
the others went, or they were wandered into the woods, and did
not come back in time to be taken in.

The Spaniards were greatly surprised at this sight, and perfectly
at a loss what to do. The Spaniard governor, as it happened,
was with them, and his advice was asked, but he professed he knew
not what to do; as for slaves, they had enough already; and as
to killing them, they were none of them inclined to that. The
Spaniard governor told me they could not think of shedding inno-
cent blood, for, as to them, the poor creatures had done them no
wrong, invaded none of their property, and they thought they had
no just quarrel against them to take away their lives.

And here I must, in justice to these Spaniards, observe, that let
the accounts of Spanish cruelty in Mexico and Peru be what they
will, I never met with seventeen men of any nation whatsoever, in
any foreign country, who were so universally modest, temperate,
virtuous, so very good-humoured, and-so courteous as these
Spaniards; and as to cruelty, they had nothing of it in their very
nature, no inhumanity, no barbarity, no outrageous passions, and
yet all of them men of great courage and spirit.

Their temper and calmness had appeared in their bearing the