294 ROBINSON CRUSOE.

but most of them were killed with great wooden swords, six.
teen or seventeen of which they found in the field of battle,
and as many bows, with a great many arrows, These swords
were strange, great unwieldy things, and they must be ve
strong men that used them ; most of those men that were killed
with them had their heads mashed to pieces, as we may’ say,
or, as we call it in English, their brains knocked out, and sey-
eral their arms and legs broken 3 So that it is evident they fight
with inexpressible rage and fury. We found not one man that
was not stone dead,—for either they stay by their enemy till
they have killed him, or they carry all the wounded men that
are not quite dead away with them.

This deliverance tamed our Englishmen for a great while ;
the sight had filled them with horror, and the consequences
appeared terrible to the last degree, especially upon supposing ~
that some time or other they should fall into the hands of those
creatures, who would not only kill them as enemies, but kill
them for food, as we kill our cattle 3 and they professed to me
that the thoughts of being eaten up like beef and mutton,
though it was supposed it was not to be till they were dead,
had something in it so horrible that it nauseated their ve
stomachs, made them sick when they thought of it, and filled
their minds with such unusual terror, that they were not them-
selves for some weeks after, This, as I said, tamed even the
three English brutes I have been speaking of ; and for a great
while after they were tractable, and went about the common
business of the whole society well enough,—planted, sowed,
reaped, and began to be all naturalized to the country. But
some time after this they fell into such simple measures again,
as brought them into a great deal of trouble,

They had taken three prisoners, as I observed 3 and these
three being lusty. stout young fellows, they made them ser-
vants, and taught them to work for them ; and as slaves they
did well enough ; but they did not take their measures with
them as I did by my man Friday, viz.: to begin with them upon
the principle of having saved their lives, and then instruct them
in the rational principles of life,—much less of religion,—civil-
izing and reducing them by kind usage and affectionate argu-
ments ; but as they gave them their food every day, so they
gave them their work too, and kept them fully employed in
drudgery enough ; but they failed in this by it, that they never
had them to assist them and fight for them as I had my man
Friday, who was as true tome as the very flesh upon my bones,

But to come to the family part. Being all now good friends,