xpected, so it proved; for as soon as the tide made to the westward
I saw them all take boat and row (or paddle as we call it) away. I
should have observed, that for an hour or more before they went off they
were dancing, and I could easily discern their postures and gestures by
my glass. I could not perceive, by my nicest observation, but that they
were stark naked, and had not the least covering upon them; but whether
they were men or women I could not distinguish.

As soon as I saw them shipped and gone, I took two guns upon my
shoulders, and two pistols in my girdle, and my great sword by my side
without a scabbard, and with all the speed I was able to make went away
to the hill where I had discovered the first appearance of all; and as
soon as I get thither, which was not in less than two hours (for I could
not go quickly, being so loaded with arms as I was), I perceived there
had been three canoes more of the savages at that place; and looking out
farther, I saw they were all at sea together, making over for the main.
This was a dreadful sight to me, especially as, going down to the shore,
I could see the marks of horror which the dismal work they had been about
had left behind it--viz. the blood, the bones, and part of the flesh of
human bodies eaten and devoured by those wretches with merriment and
sport. I was so filled with indignation at the sight, that I now began
to premeditate the destruction of the next that I saw there, let them be
whom or how many soever. It seemed evident to me that the visits which
they made thus to this island were not very frequent, for it was above
fifteen months before any more of them came on shore there again--that is
to say, I neither saw them nor any footsteps or signals of them in all
that time; for as to the rainy seasons, then they are sure not to come
abroad, at least not so far. Yet all this while I lived uncomfortably,
by reason of the constant apprehensions of their coming upon me by
surprise: from whence I observe, that the expectation of evil is more
bitter than the suffering, especially if there is no room to shake off
that expectation or those apprehensions.

During all this time I was in a murdering humour, and spent most of my
hours, which should have been better employed, in contriving how to
circumvent and fall upon them the very next time I should see
them--especially if they should be divided, as they were the last time,
into two parties; nor did I consid