And now they had another broil with the three Englishmen; one of whom, a
most turbulent fellow, being in a rage at one of the three captive
slaves, because the fellow had not done something right which he bade him
do, and seemed a little untractable in his showing him, drew a hatchet
out of a frog-belt which he wore by his side, and fell upon the poor
savage, not to correct him, but to kill him. One of the Spaniards who
was by, seeing him give the fellow a barbarous cut with the hatchet,
which he aimed at his head, but stuck into his shoulder, so that he
thought he had cut the poor creature's arm off, ran to him, and
entreating him not to murder the poor man, placed himself between him and
the savage, to prevent the mischief. The fellow, being enraged the more
at this, struck at the Spaniard with his hatchet, and swore he would
serve him as he intended to serve the savage; which the Spaniard
perceiving, avoided the blow, and with a shovel, which he had in his hand
(for they were all working in the field about their corn land), knocked
the brute down. Another of the Englishmen, running up at the same time
to help his comrade, knocked the Spaniard down; and then two Spaniards
more came in to help their man, and a third Englishman fell in upon them.
They had none of them any firearms or any other weapons but hatchets and
other tools, except this third Englishman; he had one of my rusty
cutlasses, with which he made at the two last Spaniards, and wounded them
both. This fray set the whole family in an uproar, and more help coming
in they took the three Englishmen prisoners. The next question was, what
should be done with them? They had been so often mutinous, and were so
very furious, so desperate, and so idle withal, they knew not what course
to take with them, for they were mischievous to the highest degree, and
cared not what hurt they did to any man; so that, in short, it was not
safe to live with them.
The Spaniard who was governor told them, in so many words, that if they
had been of his own country he would have hanged them; for all laws and
all governors were to preserve society, and those who were dangerous to
the society ought to be expelled out of it; but as they were Englishmen,
and that it was to the generous kindness of an Englishman that they all
owed their preservation and deliverance, he would use them with all
possible lenity, and would leave them to the judgment of the other two
Englishmen, who were their countrymen. One of the two honest Englishmen
stood up, and said they desired it might not be left to them. "For,"
says he, "I am sure we ought to sentence them to the gallows;" and with
that he gives an account how Will Atkins, one of the three, had proposed
to have all the five Englishmen join together and murder all the
Spaniards when they were in their sleep.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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