296 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF

the wild goats had got in and eaten up the corn; perhaps here
and there a dead bush was crammed in, to stop them out for
the present, but it was only shutting the stable-door after the
steed was stolen. Whereas, when they looked on the colony of
the other two, there was the very face of industry and success
upon all they did; there was not a weed to be seen in all their
corn, or a gap in any of their hedges; and they, on the other
hand, verified Solomon’s words in another place, “that the dil
gent hand maketh rich”; for everything grew and thrived, and
they had plenty within and without ; they had more tame cattle
than the others, more utensils and necessaries within doors, and
yet more pleasure and diversion too.

It is true, the wives of the three were very handy and cleanly
within doors; and having learned the English ways of dressing
and cooking from one of the other Englishmen, who, as I said,
was a cook’s mate on board the ship, they dressed their husbands’
victuals very nicely and well; whereas the others could not be
brought to understand it; but then the husband, who, as I say,
had been cook’s mate, did it himself But as for the husbands
of the three wives, they loitered about, fetched turtles’ eges,
and caught fish and birds: in a word, anything but labour; and
they fared accordingly. ‘The diligent lived well and comfortably,
and the slothful hard and beggarly ; and so, I believe, generally
speaking, it is all over the world.

But I now come toa scene different from all that had happened
before, either to them or to me; and the origin of the story was
this: Karly one morning there came on shore five or six canoes
of Indians or savages, call them which you please, and there is
no room to doubt they came upon the old errand of feeding upon
their slaves; but that part was now so familiar to the Spaniards,
and to our men too, that they did not concern themselves about
it, as Tdid: but having been made sensible, by their experience,
that their only business was to lie concealed, and that if they
were not seen by any of the savages they would go off again
quietly, when their business was done, having as yet not the
least notion of there being any inhabitants in the island; I say,
having been made sensible of this, they had nothing to do but
to give notice to all the three plantations to keep within doors,
and not show themselves, only placing a scout in a proper place,
to give notice when the boats went to sea again.

This was, without doubt, very right; but a disaster spoiled all
these measures, and made it known among the savages that
there were inhabitants there; which was, in the end, the deso-
lation of almost the whole colony. After the canoes with the