254 ANOTHER CANNIBAL ORGITE,

able at any time to do me any hurt. Tt was a great while that 1]
pleased myself with this affair; but nothing still presented. All
my fancies and schemes came to nothing, for no savages came near
me for a great while.

About a year and half after T had entertained these notions,
and by long musing had, as it were, resolved them all into nothing
for want of an occasion to put them in execution, T was surprised
one morning early with seeing no less than five canoes all on shore
together on my side the island, and the people who belonged to
them all landed and out of my sight! The number of them broke
all my measures ; for seeing so many, and knowing that they
always came four or six, or sometimes more, in a boat, [ could not
tell what to think of it, or how to take my measures to attack
twenty or thirty men single-handed: so T lay still in my castle,
perviexed and discomforted. However, I put myself into all the
same postures for an attack that T had formerly provided, and was
just ready for action if anything had presented. Having waited a
good while, listening to hear if they made any noise, at length,
being very impatient, I set my guns at the foot of my ladder, and
clambered up to the top of the hill by my two stages, as usual;
standing so, however, that my head did not appear above the hill,
so that they could not perceive me by any means, Here I observed,
by the help of my perspective-glass, that they were no less than
thirty in number, that they had a fire kindled, that they had had
meat dressed. How they had cooked it, that T knew not, or what
it was; but they were all dancing, in I know not how many bar-
barous gestures and figures, their own way round the fire,

While I was thus looking on them I perceived by my perspec-
tive two miserable wretches dragged from the boats, where it
seems they were laid by, and were now brought out for the
slaughter. I perceived one of them immediately fall, being
knocked down, I suppose, with a club or wooden sword,—for that
was their way,—and two or three others were at work immediately
cutting him open for their cookery, while the other victim was
left standing by himself till they should be ready for him. In
that very moment this poor wretch, seeing himself a little at
liberty. nature inspired him with hopes of life, and he started