After they were all gone, the Spaniards came out of their den, and
viewing the field of battle, they found about two-and-thirty men dead on
the spot; some were killed with long arrows, which were found sticking in
their bodies; but most of them were killed with great wooden swords,
sixteen or seventeen of which they found in the field of battle, and as
many bows, with a great many arrows. These swords were strange, unwieldy
things, and they must be very strong men that used them; most of those
that were killed with them had their heads smashed to pieces, as we may
say, or, as we call it in English, their brains knocked out, and several
their arms and legs broken; 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 ill-disposed 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 for food, as we kill our cattle; 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 very stomachs, made
them sick when they thought of it, and filled their minds with such
unusual terror, that they were not themselves 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 naturalised 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; and these three being
stout young fellows, they made them servants, and taught them to work for
them, and as slaves they did well enough; but they did not take their
measures 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 did they think of teaching them
religion, or attempt civilising and reducing them by kind usage and
affectionate arguments. 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 to me as
the very flesh upon my bones.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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