and having no hope
of things to come; all which verified this noted proverb,

_In trouble to be troubled,
Is to have your trouble doubled._

Nor did his remarks end here, for, making observations upon my
improvement, and on my condition at first, infinitely worse than theirs,
he told me that Englishmen had, in their distress, greater presence of
mind than those of any other country that he had met with; and that they
and the Portuguese were the worst men in the world to struggle under
misfortunes. When they landed among the savages, they found but little
provision except they would turn cannibals, there being but a few roots
and herbs, with little substance in them, and of which the natives gave
them but very sparingly. Many were the ways they took to civilize and
teach the savages, but in vain; for they would not own them to be their
instructors, whose lives were owing to their bounty. Their extremities
were very great and many days being entirely without food, the savages
there being more indolent and less devouring than those who had better
supplies. When they went out to battle they were obliged to assist these
people, in one of which my faithful Spaniard being taken, had like to
have been devoured. They had lost their ammunition, which rendered their
fire-arms useless; nor could they use the bows and arrows that were
given them, so that while the armies were at a distance, they had no
chance but when close, then they could be of service with halberts, &
sharpened sticks put into the muzzles of their muskets. They made
themselves targets of wood covered with the skins of wild beasts; and
when one happened to be knocked down, the rest of the company fought
over him till he recovered; and then standing close in a line, they
would make their way through a thousand savages. At the return of their
friend, who they thought had been entombed in the bowels of their
enemies, their joy was inconceivable. Nor were they less surprised at
the sight of the loaves of bread I had sent them, things that they had
not seen for several years, at the same time crossing and blessing it,
as though it was manna sent from Heaven: but when they knew the errand,
and perceived the boat which was to carry them back to the person and
place from whence such relief came, this struck them with such a
surprise of joy as made some of them faint away, and others burst out
into tears.

This was the summary account that I had from them. I shall now