890 FRIDAY AND HIS FATHER,

hard by, and they came thither to make salt, and to catch some
pearl mussels if they could, but that they belonged to the Isle
de Trinidad, which Jay further north, in the latitude of 10 and
11 degrees.

But at last coasting from one island to another, sometimes with
the ship, sometimes with the Frenchman's shallop, which we had
found a convenient boat, and therefore kept her with their very
good will, at length I came fair on the south side of my island,
and I presently knew the very countenance of the place; so I
brought the ship safe to an anchor broadside with the little creek,
where was my old habitation.

As soon as T saw the place I called for Friday, and asked him
if he knew where he was? He looked about a little, and presently
clapping his hands, cried, “ O yes, O there! O yes, O there!” point-
ing to our old habitation; and fell a dancing and capering like a
mad fellow, and I had much ado to keep him from jumping into
the sea to swim ashore to the place.

“Well, Friday,” says I, ‘do you think we shall find anybody
here or no? And what do you think; shall we see your father ?”
The fellow stood mute as a stock a good while, but when I named
his father, the poor affectionate creature looked dejected, and I
could see the tears run down his face very plentifully.  ‘ What is
the matter, Friday,” says [2 “ Are you troubled because you
may see your father?” “ No, no,” says he, shaking his head; “no
see him more, no evermore see again.” “ Why so?” said I to
Friday ; “how do you know that?” “Ono, Ono,” says Friday ;
“he long ago die, long ago; he much old man.” ‘‘ Well, well,”
said I, * Friday, you don’t know; but shall we see any one else
then?” The fellow, it seems, had better eyes than I, and he
points just to the hill above my old house; and though we lay
half a league off, he cries out, ‘“ We see! we see! yes, we see much
men there, and there, and there.” I looked, but I could see
nobody, no, not with a perspective glass; which was, I suppose,
because I could not hit the place, for the fellow was right, as I
found upon inquiry the next day, and there were five or six men

all together, who stood to look at the ship, not knowing what te
think of us.