THE FRENZY OF MURDER. 529

killed, and, as we thought, one or two more lay in the heap among
the fire. In short, there were such instances of a rage altogether
barbarous, and of a fury something beyond what was human, that
we thought it impossible our men could be guilty of it, or if they
were the authors of it, we thought they ought to be every one of
them put to the worst of deaths. But this was not all: we saw
the fire increased forward, and the cry went on just as the fire
went on; so that we were in the utmost confusion. We advanced
a little way further, and behold, to our astonishment, three women
naked, and crying in a most dreadful manner, came flying, as if
they had indeed had wings, and after them sixteen or seventeen
men, natives, in the same terror and consternation, with three of
our English butchers, for I can call them no better, in their
rear; who, when they could not overtake them, fired in among
them, and one that was killed by their shot fell down in our sight.
When the rest saw us, believing us to be their enemies, and that
we would murder them as well as those that pursued them, they
set up a most dreadful shriek, especially the women; and two of
them fell down as if already dead with the fright.

My very soul shrank within me, and my blood ran chill in my
veins, when I saw this; and I believe, had the three English
sailors that- pursued them come on, I had made our men kill them
all. However, we took some ways to let the poor flying creatures
know that we would not hurt them, and immediately they came
up to us, and kneeling down, with their hands lifted up, made
piteous lamentation to us to save them, which we let them know
we would; whereupon they crept all together in a huddle close
behind us, as for protection. I left my men drawn up together,
and charged them to hurt nobody, but if possible to get at some
of our people, and see what devil it was possessed them, and what
they intended to do; and, in a word, to command them off, as-
suring them that if they stayed till daylight, they would have an
hundred thousand men about their ears. I say I left them and
went among those flying people, taking only two of our men with
me; and there was indeed a piteous spectacle among them. Some
of them had their feet terribly burned with trampling and running
through the fire, others their hands burned. One of the women