was with him, threw his arms abroad, saying something in Spanish
that I did not perfectly hear, came forward and embraced me,
telling me he was inexcusable not to know that face again that he
had once seen, as of an angel from heaven sent to save his life; he
said abundance of very handsome things, as a well-bred Spaniard
always knows how, and then, beckoning to the person that attended
him, bade him go and call out his comrades. He then asked me if I
would walk to my old habitation, where he would give me possession
of my own house again, and where I should see they had made but
mean improvements. I walked along with him, but, alas! I could no
more find the place than if I had never been there; for they had
planted so many trees, and placed them in such a position, so thick
and close to one another, and in ten years’ time they were grown so
big, that the place was inaccessible, except by such windings and
blind ways as they themselves only, who made them, could find.
I asked them what put them upon all these fortifications; he told
me I would say there was need enough of it when they had given me
an account how they had passed their time since their arriving in
the island, especially after they had the misfortune to find that I
was gone. He told me he could not but have some pleasure in my
good fortune, when he heard that I was gone in a good ship, and to
my satisfaction; and that he had oftentimes a strong persuasion
that one time or other he should see me again, but nothing that
ever befell him in his life, he said, was so surprising and
afflicting to him at first as the disappointment he was under when
he came back to the island and found I was not there.
As to the three barbarians (so he called them) that were left
behind, and of whom, he said, he had a long story to tell me, the
Spaniards all thought themselves much better among the savages,
only that their number was so small: “And,” says he, “had they
been strong enough, we had been all long ago in purgatory;” and
with that he crossed himself on the breast. “But, sir,” says he,
“I hope you will not be displeased when I shall tell you how,
forced by necessity, we were obliged for our own preservation to
disarm them, and make them our subjects, as they would not be
content with being moderately our masters, but would be our
murderers.” I answered I was afraid of it when I left them there,
and nothing troubled me at my parting from the island but that they
were not come back, that I might have put them in possession of
everything first, and left the others in a state of subjection, as
they deserved; but if they had reduced them to it I was very glad,
and should be very far from finding any fault with it; for I knew
they were a parcel of refractory, ungoverned villains, and were fit
for any manner of mischief.
While I was saying this, the man came whom he had sent back, and
with him eleven more. In the dress they were in it was impossible
to guess what nation they were of; but he made all clear, both to
them and to me. First, he turned to me, and pointing to them,
said, “These, sir, are some of the gentlemen who owe their lives to
you;” and then turning to them, and pointing to me, he let them
know who I was; upon which they all came up, one by one, not as if
they had been sailors, and ordinary fellows, and the like, but
really as if they had been ambassadors or noblemen, and I a monarch
or great conqueror: their behaviour was, to the last degree,
obliging and courteous, and yet mixed with a manly, majestic
gravity, which very well became them; and, in short, they had so
much more manners than I, that I scarce knew how to receive their