WHAT IS TO BE DONE? 447

they were in no condition to pursue them, or hunt them up and
down; for as they were too nimble of foot for our men when they
found them single, so our men durst not go about single, for fear
of being surrounded with their numbers. The best was, they had
no weapons; for though they had bows, they had no arrows left,
nor any materials to make any, nor had they-any edged tool or
weapon among them.

The extremity and distress they were reduced to was great, and
indeed deplorable: but at the same time our men were also
brought to very bad circumstances by them; for though their
retreats *were preserved, yet their provision was destroyed, and
their harvest spoiled, and what to do, or which way to turn them-
selves, they knew not. ‘The only refuge they had now was the
stock of cattle they had in the valley by the cave, and some little
corn which grew there, and the plantation of the three English-
men, William Atkins and his comrades, who were now reduced to
two, one of them being killed by an arrow, which struck him on
the side of his head, just under the temple, so that he never spoke
more; and it was very remarkable that this was the same barbar-
ous fellow who cut the poor savage slave with his hatchet, and
who afterwards intended to have murdered all the Spaniards.

I looked upon their case to have been worse at this time than
mine was at any time, after I first discovered the grains of barley
and rice, and got into the manner of planting and raising my corn
and my tame cattle; for now they had, as I may say, a hundred
wolves upon the island, which would devour everything they could
come at, yet could very hardly be come at themselves.

The first thing they concluded, when they saw what their
circumstances were, was, that they would, if possible, drive them
up to the further part of the island, south-west, that if any more
savages came on shore they might not find one another. Then,
that they would daily hunt and harass them, and kill as many of
them as they could come at, till they had reduced their number ;
and if they could at last tame them and bring them to anything,
they would give them corn, and teach them how to plant and live
upon their daily labour.

In order to this, they so followed them, and so terrified them

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