in this separate condition, in which they got
their first harvest in, the quantity of which was but small, because
they had planted but little land; for, indeed, all their plantations
being to form, made it more difficult; especially as it was a thing out
of their element; and when they were obliged to make their boards and
pots, &c. they could make little or nothing of it. But the rainy season
coming on, put them into a greater perplexity for want of a cave to keep
their corn dry, and prevent it from spoiling: and so much did this
humble them, that they begged of my Spaniards to help them, to which the
good-natured men readily consented, and in four days space, worked a
great hole in the side of the hill for them, large enough for their
purpose, to secure their corn and other things from the rain, though not
comparable to ours, which had several additional appartments.

"But a new whim possessed these rogues about three quarters of a year
after, which had like to have ruined us, and themselves too: for it
seems, being tired and weary of this sort of living, which made them
work for themselves, without hopes of changing their condition, nothing
would serve them, but that they would make a voyage to the continent,
and try if they could seize upon some of the savages, and bring them
over as slaves, to do their drudgery, while they lived at ease
and pleasure.

"Indeed the project was not so preposterous, if they had not gone
farther; but they neither did, nor proposed any thing, but what had
mischief in the design, or the event. One morning, these three fellows
came down to the limited station, and humbly desired to be admitted to
talk with us, which we readily granted; they told us in short, that
_being tired of their manner of living, and the labour of their hands in
such employments, not being sufficient to procure the necessaries of
life, they only desired one of the canoes we came over in, with some
arms and ammunition for their defence, and they would seek their
fortunes abroad, and never trouble us any more._ To be sure we were glad
enough to get rid of such wretched plagues; but yet honesty made us
ingenuously represent to them, by what we ourselves had suffered, the
certain destruction they were running into, either of being starved to
death or murdered by the savages. To this they very audaciously replied,
_that they neither could nor would work: and consequently that they
might as well be starved abroad as at