AN UNFORESEEN ACCIDENT. 801

person he should find in the island, who was so kind to send for
them in order to their deliverance ; but that they would stand by
and defend him against all such attempts, and wherever they went
would be entirely under and subjected to his commands; and that
this should be put in writing, and signed with their hands. How
we were to have this done, when I knew they had neither pen or
ink—that indeed was a question which we never asked.

Under these instructions, the Spaniard and the old savage, the
father of Friday, went away in one of the canoes which they might
be said to come in, or rather were brought in, when they came as
prisoners to be devoured by the savages.

I gave each of them a musket with a firelock on it, and about
eight charges of powder and ball, charging them to be very good
husbands of both, and not to use either of them but upon urgent
occasion,

This was a cheerful work, being the first measures used by me
in view of my deliverance for now twenty-seven years and some
days. I gave them provisions of bread and of dried grapes suffi-
cient for themselves for many days, and sufficient for all their
countrymen for about eight days’ time; and wishing them a good
voyage, I see them go, agreeing with them about a signal they
should hang out at their return, by which I should know them again
when they came back at a distance, before they came on shore.

They went away with a fair gale on the day that the moon was
at full by my account, in the month of October. But as for an
exact reckoning of days, after I had once lost it, I could never re-
cover it again; nor had I kept even the number of years so punc-
tually as to be sure that I was right, though, asit proved when I
afterwards examined my account, I found T had kept a true reckon-
ing of years.

It was no less than eight days I had waited for them, when a
strange and unforeseen accident intervened, of which the like has
not perhaps been heard of in history. I was fast asleep in my
hutch one morning, when my man Friday came running in to
me and called aloud, ‘ Master, master, they are come, they are
come!”

T jumped up, and regardless of danger, I went out as soon as I