any notice of inhabitants, might depart
quietly after performing their bloody execution: whoever first
discovered the savages, was to give notice to all the three plantations
to keep within doors, and then a proper scout was to be placed to give
intelligence of their departure. But notwithstanding these wise
measures, an unhappy disaster discovered us to the savages, which was
like to have caused the desolation of the whole island; for, after the
savages were gone off in their canoes, some of my Spaniards and I
looking abroad; and being inflamed with a curiosity to see what they had
been doing, to our great amazement beheld three savages fast asleep on
the ground, who, either being gorged, could not awake when the others
went off, or having wandered too far into the woods, did not come
back in time.

"What to do with them as first, we could not tell; as for slaves we had
enough of them already; and as to killing them, neither Christianity or
humanity would suffer us to shed the blood of persons who never did us
wrong. We perceived they had no boat left them to transport them to
their own nation; and that, by letting them wander about, they might
discover us, and inform the first savages that should happen to land
upon the same bloody occasion, which information might entirely ruin us;
and therefore I counselled my Spaniards to secure them, and set them
about some work or other, till we could better dispose of them.

"Hereupon we all went back, and making them awake, took them prisoners.
It is impossible to express the horror they were in, especially when
bound, as thinking they were going to be murdered and eaten, but we soon
eased them of their fear as to that point. We first took them to the
bower, where the chief of our country work lay as keeping goats,
planting corn, &c and then carried them to the two Englishmen's
habitation, to help them in their business; but happy it was for us all
we did not carry them to our castle, as by the sequel will appear. The
Englishmen, indeed, found them work to do; but whether they did not
guard them strictly, or that they thought they could not better
themselves, I cannot tell; but certainly one of them ran away into the
woods, and they could not hear of him for a long time after.

"Undoubtedly there was reason enough to suppose he got home in some of
the canoes, the savages returning in about four weeks time, and going
off in the space of two days. You may be certain, Sir, this