448 THE SAVAGES SUBDUED.

with their guns, that in a few days, if any of them fired a gun at
an Indian, if he did not hit him yet he would fall down for fear ;
and so dreadfully frighted they were, that they kept out of sight
further and further, till at last our men following them, and every
day almost killing and wounding some of them, they kept up in
the woods and hollow places so much, that it reduced them to the
utmost misery for want of food, and many were afterwards found
dead in the woods, without any hurt, but merely starved to death.

When our men found this, it made their hearts relent, and pity
moved them, especially the Spanish governor, who was the most
gentlemanly generous-minded man that ever [ met with in my
life; and he proposed, if possible, to take one of them alive, and
bring him to understand what they meant, so far as to be able to
act as interpreter, and to go among them and see if they might
be brought to some conditions that might be depended upon, to
save their lives and to do us no spoil. ~

It was some while before any of them could be taken ; but being
weak and half starved, one of them was at last surprised, and made
a prisoner. He was sullen at first, and would neither eat nor
drink; but finding himself kindly used, and victuals given him,
and no violence offered him, he at last grew tractable, and came
to himself.

They brought old Friday to him, who talked often with him,
and told him how kind the other would be to them all; that they
would not only save their lives, but would give them a part of the
island to live in, provided they would give satisfaction that they
would keep in their own bounds, and not come beyond it to injure
or prejudice others; and that they should have corn given them to
plant and make it grow for their bread, and some bread given them
for their present subsistence: and old Friday bade the fellow go
and talk with the rest of his countrymen, and see what they said
to it, assuring them that, if they did not agree immediately, they
should be all destroyed.

The poor wretches, thoroughly humbled, and reduced in
number to about thirty-seven, closed with the proposal at the
first offer, and begged to have some food given them ; upon which
twelve Spaniards and two Englishmen, well armed, with three