ROBINSON CRUSOE. 377

never were seen among 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, frightened 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
tlat many of them were lost ; and our men took up one poor
fellow swimming for his life, above an hour after they were all
one.

7 The small shot from our cannon must needs kill and wound
a great many ; but, in short, we never knew 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 eat 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 long-boat, and
make 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 dis-
consolate 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 it was a long time before we could make him understand
anything ; but, in time our men taught him some English, and
he began to be a little tractable. Afterwards, we inquired what
country he came from, but could make nothing of what he said ;
for his speech was so odd, all gutturals, as he spoke in the
throat in such a hollow, odd manner, that we could never form
a word after him ; and we were all of opinion that they might
speak that language as well if they were gagged as otherwise ;
nor could we perceive that they had any occasion either for
teeth, tongue, lips, or paiate, but formed their words just asa
hunting-horn forms a tur¢ with an open throat. He told us,
however, some time after, wien we had taught him to speak a
little English, that they were going with their kings to fight «