tractable to the common necessary
business of the whole society, planting, sowing, and reaping, with the
greatest signs of amity and friendship; so, that being now all good
friends, we began to consider of circumstances in general; and the first
thing we thought of was, whether, as we perceived the savages haunted
that side of the island, and there being more retired parts of it, and
yet as well suited to our manner of living, and equally to our
advantage, we ought not rather to move our place of residence, & plant
it in a much safer place, both for the security of our corn and cattle.

"After a long debate on this head; it was resolved, or rather voted,
_nemine comradicente_, not to remove our ancient castle, and that for
this very good reason, that some time or other we expected to hear from
our supreme governor, (meaning you, Sir) whose messengers not finding us
there, might think the place demolished, and all his subjects destroyed
by the savages.

"As to the next concern relating to our corn and cattle, we consented to
have them removed to the valley where the cave was, that being most
proper and sufficient for both. But yet when we considered farther, we
altered one part of our resolution, which was to remove part of our
cattle thither and plant only part of our corn there; so that in case
one part was destroyed, the other might be preserved. Another resolution
we took, which really had a great deal of prudence in it; and that was,
in not trusting the three savages whom we had taken prisoners, with any
knowledge of the plantations we had made in the valley, of what number
of cattle we had there, much less of the cave, wherein we kept several
arms, and two barrels of powder you left for us at your departure from
this island. But though we could not change our habitation, we resolved
to make it more fortified and more secret. To this end, Sir, as you
planted trees at some distance before the entrance of your palace; so
we, imitating your example, planted and filled up the whole space of
ground, even to the banks of the creek, nay, into the very ooze where
the tide flowed, not leaving a place for landing; and among those I had
planted, they had intermingled so many short ones, all of which growing
wonderfully fast and thick, a little dog could scarcely find a passage
through them. Nor was this sufficient, as we thought, for we did the
same to all the ground, on the right and left hand of us, even to the
top of the h