hich were too far from him to burn
him, and I could not imagine what they intended to do, but you may
conceive that I was in a state of awful suspense and anxiety, as I was
well convinced that his fate, whatever it might be, would be my own.

During these appalling preparations, the Portuguese appeared as if he
really enjoyed the scene.

"Now, my good friend," said he to me, "you shall see how I can suffer
for the true faith. Even a heretic like you shall be converted by my
example, and I shall ascend to heaven with you in my arms. Come on, ye
fiends; come on, ye heathens, and see how a Christian can suffer."

Much as I felt for him and for myself, I could not lament that his
reason had left him, as I thought his sufferings would be less; but his
exclamations were soon drowned by a loud yell from the Indians, who all
rushed upon my unfortunate companion.

For a moment or two they were crowded so thick round him that I could
not perceive what they were doing, but after that they separated, and I
beheld him bleeding profusely, his ears and nose having been cut off and
a broken iron ramrod passed through both cheeks. And now a scene took
place, at the remembrance of which, even now, my blood curdles. Some
caught up the burning sticks and applied them to his flesh, others stuck
him full of small splints, the ends of which they lighted. The Indian
warriors shot at him with muskets loaded with powder only, so as to burn
him terribly on every part of the body. The women took up handfuls of
lighted ashes and showered them down on him, so that the ground he trod
upon was a mass of burning embers, and he walked upon fire.

Red-hot irons were now brought forward, and his body seared in all
parts, his tormentors seeking out where they could give him the most
pain. At last one applied the hot iron to his eyes, and burnt them out.
Imagine my feelings at this horrid scene--imagine the knowledge that
this was to be also my fate in a short time, but what is more strange to
tell, imagine, Madam, my companion not only deriding his torturers, but
not flinching from the torture; on the contrary, praising God for his
goodness in thus allowing him to be a martyr for the true faith,
offering his body to their inflictions, and shouting manfully; but such
was the behaviour of my insane friend, and this behaviour appeared to
give great satisfaction to the Indians.

For nearly two hours did this torture continue, his body was black and