612 A SULLEN PRISONER,

ainong such a multitude. ‘There were thirteen or fourteen of their
canoes split and overset in all, and the men all set a-swimming; the
rest, frighted out of their wits, scoured away as fast as they could,
taking but little care to save those whose boats were split or spoiled
with our shot. So I suppose that they were many of them ost.
And our men took one poor fellow swimming for his life, above
an hour after they were all gone.

Our small shot from our cannon must needs kill and wound a
great many; but, in short, we never knew anything how it went
with them, for they fled so fast, that in three hours or thereabouts
we could not see above three or four straggling canoes; nor did we
ever see the rest any more, for a breeze of wind springing up the
same evening, we weighed and set sail for the Brazils.

We had a prisoner, indeed, but the creature was so sullen that
he would neither cat nor speak, and we all fancied he would starve
himself to death, But I took a way to cure him, for I made them
take him and turn him into the longboat, and made him believe
they would toss him into the sea again, and so leave him where
they found him, if he would not speak. Nor would that do; but
they really did throw him into the sea, and came away from
him; and then he followed them, for he swam like a cork, and
called to them in his tongue, though they knew not one word of
what he said. However, at last they took him in again, and then
he began to be more tractable, nor did I ever design they should
drown him.

We were now under sail again; but I was the most disconsolate
creature alive for want of my man Friday, and would have been
very glad to have gone back to the island, to have taken one of the
rest from thence for my occasion, but it could not be; so we went
on. We had one prisoner, as I have said, and ’twas a long while
before we could make him understand anything; but, in time, our
men taught him some Hnglish, and he began to be a little tract-
able. Afterwards we inquired what country he came from, but
could make nothing of what he said; for his speech was so odd,
all gutturals, and spoken in the throat in such a hollow, odd manner,
that we could never form a word from him: and we were all of

opinion that they might speak that language as well if they were