RESENTED BY THE BOATSWAIN, 681

I confess I was urged then myself, and at another time would
have been forward enough; but I thought they had carried their
rage too far, and I thought of Jacob’s words to his sons Simeon
and Levi, “ Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their
wrath, for it was cruel.” But I had now a new task upon my
hands ; for when the men I carried with me saw the sight, as I
had done, I had as much to do to restrain them as I should have
had with the other. Nay, my nephew himself fell in with them,
and told me in their hearing that he was only concerned for fear
of the men being overpowered ; for as for the people, he thought
not one of them ought to live, for they had all glutted themselves
with the murder of the poor man, and that they ought to be used
like murderers. Upon these words, away ran eight of my men,
with the boatswain and his crew, to complete their bloody work ;
and I, seeing it quite out of my power to restrain them, came
away pensive and sad, for I could not bear the sight, much less
the horrible noise and cries of the poor wretches that fell into
their hands.

I got nobody to come back with me but the supercargo and two
men; and with these I walked back to the boats. It was a very
great piece of folly in me, I confess, to venture back, as it were,
alone ; for as it began now to be almost day, and the alarm had
run over the country, there stood above forty men, armed with
lances and bows, at the little place where the twelve or thirteen
houses stood mentioned before. But by accident I missed the
place, and came directly to the sea-side; and by the time I got to
the sea-side it was broad day. Immediately I took the pinnace
and went aboard, and sent her back to assist the men in what
might happen.

I observed about the time that I came to the boat-side that the
fire was pretty well out and the noise abated; but in about half
an hour after I got on board I heard a volley of our men’s fire-
arms, and saw a great smoke. This, as I understood afterwards,
was our men falling upon the men who, as I said, stood at the few
houses on the way ; of whom they killed sixteen or seventeen, and

set all those houses on fire, but did not meddle with the women or
children,