Part 32 (1/2)
I was reeably surprised when he naht it very suitable The character of that iven already; and as for the ious young woh in her person; spoke very handsooodrequired it, or impertinently forward to speak when it was not her business; very handy and housewifely in any thing that was before her; an excellent overness to the whole island; she knew very well how to behave herself to all kind of folks she had about her, and to better if she had found any there
Theproposed in this manner, we married them the saave her away, so I gave her a portion, for I appointed her and her husband a handsoround for their plantation; and indeed this ive hi it out aht not quarrel afterwards about their situation
This sharing out the land to therown afellow, perfectly reforious, and as far as I may be allowed to speak positively in such a case, I verily believe was a true sincere penitent
He divided things so justly, and so eneral writing under ned and sealed to the out the bounds and situation of every ave theht to the whole possession and inheritance of the respective plantations or farms, with their i all the rest of the island as my own property, and a certain rent for every particular plantation after eleven years, if I or any one fro an attested copy of the sa the theive theood neighbourhood with one another: and so I prepared to leave the now settled in a kind of co much business in hand, it was but odd to have seven-and-thirty Indians live in a nook of the island, independent, and indeed une the soe: I proposed therefore to the governor Spaniard, that he should go to them with Friday's father, and propose to them to remove, and either plant for themselves, or take them into their several families as servants, to beabsolute slaves, for I would not admit them to make them slaves by force by any iven by capitulation, and as it were articles of surrender, which they ought not to break
They ly e with him; so we allotted them land and plantations, which three or four accepted of, but all the rest chose to be employed as servants in the several families we had settled; and thus my colony was in a inal habitation, which was the capital city, and extended their plantation all along the side of the brook which made the creek that I have so often described, as far as my bower; and as they increased their culture, it went always eastward The English lived in the north-east part, where Will Atkins and his coan, and came on southward and south-west, towards the back part of the Spaniards; and every plantation had a great addition of land to take in, if they found occasion, so that they need not jostle one another for want of room
All the west end of the island was left uninhabited, that, if any of the savages should come on shore there, only for their usual custoo; if they disturbed nobody, nobody would disturb them; and no doubt but they were often ashore, and went away again, for I never heard that the planters were ever attacked and disturbed any hts that I had hinted to es ht perhaps be set on foot in his absence to his satisfaction; and I told hies being thus divided a the Christians, if they would but every one of them do their part with those which caood effect
He agreed presently in that; ”if,” said he, ”they will do their part; but how,” says he, ”shall we obtain that of theether, and leave it in charge with theht best; so we divided it--he to speak to the Spaniards, ere all Papists, and I to the English, ere all Protestants; and we recommended it earnestly to them, and made them promise that they would never make any distinction of Papist or Protestant in their exhorting the savages to turn Christians, but teach thee of the true God, and of their Saviour Jesus Christ; and they likewise promised us that they would never have any differences or disputes one with another about religion
When I came to Will Atkins's house, (I may call it so, for such a house, or such a piece of basket-work, I believe was not standing in the world again!) I say, when I ca woman I have mentioned above, and William Atkins's wife, were beco woh it was not above four days after what I have related, yet the new-baptized savage woman was made such a Christian as I have seldom heard of any like her, in all my observation or conversation in the world
It ca, before I went to thes I had to leave with them, I had not left a Bible; in which I shewed ood friend the as for o of 100_l_ from Lisbon, where she packed up three Bibles and a Prayer-book However, the good woined, for they were reserved for the comfort and instruction of those that made much better use of them than I had done
I took one of the Bibles in my pocket; and when I ca woion together (for Williareat deal of joy) I asked if they were together now? And he said yes; so I went into the house, and he with ether, very earnest in discourse: ”O Sir,” says William Atkins, ”when God has sinners to reconcile to hier: ot a new instructor--I kneas unworthy, as I was incapable of that work--that young woh to convert a whole island of savages” The young woo away, but I desired her to sit still; I told her she had a good work upon her hands, and I hoped God would bless her in it
We talked a little, and I did not perceive they had any book ah I did not ask, but I put my hand in my pocket, and pulled out ht you an assistant, that perhaps you had not before” The man was so confounded, that he was not able to speak for so hi to his wife, ”Here, h he lives above, could hear e said? Here is the book I prayed for when you and I kneeled down under the bush; now God has heard us, and sent it” When he had said thus, the man fell in such transports of a passionate joy, that between the joy of having it, and giving God thanks for it, the tears ran down his face like a child that was crying
The woman was surprised, and was like to have run into a mistake that none of us were aware of; for she firmly believed God had sent the book upon her husband's petition: it is true that providentially it was so, and ht be taken so in a consequent sense; but I believed it would have been no difficult matter at that time to have persuaded the poor woer ca that individual book; but it was too serious a matter to suffer any delusion to take place: so I turned to the young woman, and told her we did not desire to inorant understanding of things, and begged her to explain to her that God may be very properly said to answer our petitions, when in the course of his providence such things are in a particular ht to pass as we petitioned for; but we do not expect returns from Heaven in a miraculous and particular manner; and that it is ourwoman did afterwards effectually; so that there was, I assure you, no priestcraft used here; and I should have thought it one of the most unjustifiable frauds in the world to have had it so: but the surprise of joy upon Will Atkins is really not to be expressed; and there we may be sure was no delusion Sure noof its kind than he was for this Bible; and I believe never any h he had been a eous, furious, and wicked to a great degree, yet thischildren, viz that parents should never give over to teach and instruct, or ever despair of the success of their endeavours, let the children be ever so obstinate, refractory, or to appearance insensible of instruction; for if ever God in his providence touches the consciences of such, the force of their education returns upon theh it may have been many years laid asleep, but some time or other they may find the benefit of it
Thus it ith this poor ion and Christian knowledge, he found he had sonorant than hiood father that could now co the rest it occurred to him, he said, how his father used to insist e and blessing of it to nations, families, and persons; but he never entertained the least notion of the worth of it till nohen being to talk to heathens, savages, and barbarians, he wanted the help of the written oracle for his assistance
The young woh she had one, and so had the youth, on board our shi+p aht on shore And now, having said soone storyin it very infor and remarkable
I have related to what extre woman was reduced; how her mistress was starved to death, and did die on board that unhappy shi+p wereduced to the last extreentlewoman and her son, and this maid, were first hardly used as to provisions, and at last totally neglected and starved; that is to say, brought to the last extre with her upon the extremities they suffered, I asked her if she could describe by what she felt what it was to starve, and how it appeared? She told me she believed she could, and she told her tale very distinctly thus:
”First, Sir,” said she, ”we had for soer, but now at last holly without food of any kind except sugar, and a little wine, and a little water The first day after I had received no food at all, I found , first ehtily inclined to yawning, and sleepy; I lay down on a couch in the great cabin to sleep, and slept about three hours, and awaked a little refreshed, having taken a glass of hen I lay down After being about three hours awake, it being about five o'clock in the ain, and lay down again, but could not sleep at all, being very faint and ill; and thus I continued all the second day with a strange variety--first hungry, then sick again, with retchings to voain without any foodasleep, I dreahtily stocked with provisions, that I bought some for ht my stomach was full after this, as it would have been after or at a good dinner; but when I waked, I was exceedingly sunk in my spirits to find lass of e had I drank, and put sugar into it, because of its having so no substance in the sto office to work upon, I found the only effect of the as to raise disagreeable fumes from the stomach into the head; and I lay, as they told me, stupid and senseless as one drunk for soht of strange and confused inconsistent drea, I awaked ravenous and furious with hunger; and I question, had notreturned and conquered it, I say, I question whether, if I had been a mother, and had had a little child with me, its life would have been safe or no
”This lasted about three hours, during which timaster told me, and as he can now inform you
”In one of these fits of lunacy or distraction, whether by the motion of the shi+p or some slip of ainst the corner of a pallet-bed, in which ushed out ofreat deal, and as the blood ran from me I came to myself, and the violence of the flame or the fever I was in abated, and so did the ravenous part of the hunger
”Then I grew sick, and retched to vo up After I had bled some time I swooned, and they all believed I was dead; but I came to myself soon after, and then had a most dreadful pain in nawing eager pain for food, and towards night it went off with a kind of earnest wishi+ng or longing for food, so of a woar in it, but ain; then I took a draught of water without sugar, and that stayed withmost heartily that it would please God to take, thought ht with vapours from an empty stomach: I recommended my soul to God, and earnestly wished that somebody would throw me into the sea
”All this while , but bore it with ave the last bit of bread she had to her child, ed him to eat it, and I believe it saved his life