804 AN EXTRAORDINARY SCENE,

tably, and in a far worse condition than before, as you will see
presently.

Thad not kept myself long in this posture, but T saw the boat
draw near the shore, as if they looked for a creek to thrust in at
for the convenience of landing. Tlowever, as they did not come
quite far enough, they did not see the little inlet where I formerly
Janded my rafts, but ran their boat on shore upon the beach, at
about half a mile from me; which was very happy for me, for
otherwise they would have landed just, as Limay say, at my door,
and would soon have beaten me out of my castle, and perhaps have
plundered me of all [ had.

When they were on shore, [was fully satisfied that they were
Knglishinen, at least: most of them. Que or two L thought were
Dutch; but it did not prove so. There were in all eleven men,
whereof three of then TL found were unarmed, and, as I thought,
bound; and when the first four or five of them were jumped on
shore, they took those three out of the boat as prisoners. One of
the three T could perceive using the most passionate gestures of
entreaty, aflliction, and despair, even to a kind of extravagance ;
the other two, [ could) perceive, lifted wp their hands sometimes,
and appeared concerned indeed, but not to such a degree as the
first.

I was perfectly confounded at the sight, and knew not what the
meaning of it should be. Friday called out to me in English as
well as he could, * O master! you see English mans eat prisoner
as well as savage mans.”’— Why,” says 1, “ Friday, do you think
they are a going to eat them, then ?”—“ Yes,” says Friday, “ they
will eat them.”-—“ No, no,” says T, “Friday; I am afraid they
will murder them, indeed, but you may be sure they will not eat
them.”

All this while I had no thought of what the matter really was,
but stood trembling with the horror of the sight, expecting every
moment when the three prisoners should be killed; nay, once I
saw one of the villains lift up his arm with a great cutlass, as
the seamen call it. or sword, to strike one of the poor men; and J
expected to see him fall every moment, at which all the blood in
my body seemed to run chill in my veins.