he priests, and be carried into the Inquisition. I added that,
otherwise, I was persuaded, if they were all here, we might, with so many
hands, build a barque large enough to carry us all away, either to the
Brazils southward, or to the islands or Spanish coast northward; but that
if, in requital, they should, when I had put weapons into their hands,
carry me by force among their own people, I might be ill-used for my
kindness to them, and make my case worse than it was before.

He answered, with a great deal of candour and ingenuousness, that their
condition was so miserable, and that they were so sensible of it, that he
believed they would abhor the thought of using any man unkindly that
should contribute to their deliverance; and that, if I pleased, he would
go to them with the old man, and discourse with them about it, and return
again and bring me their answer; that he would make conditions with them
upon their solemn oath, that they should be absolutely under my direction
as their commander and captain; and they should swear upon the holy
sacraments and gospel to be true to me, and go to such Christian country
as I should agree to, and no other; and to be directed wholly and
absolutely by my orders till they were landed safely in such country as I
intended, and that he would bring a contract from them, under their
hands, for that purpose. Then he told me he would first swear to me
himself that he would never stir from me as long as he lived till I gave
him orders; and that he would take my side to the last drop of his blood,
if there should happen the least breach of faith among his countrymen.
He told me they were all of them very civil, honest men, and they were
under the greatest distress imaginable, having neither weapons nor
clothes, nor any food, but at the mercy and discretion of the savages;
out of all hopes of ever returning to their own country; and that he was
sure, if I would undertake their relief, they would live and die by me.

Upon these assurances, I resolved to venture to relieve them, if
possible, and to send the old savage and this Spaniard over to them to
treat. But when we had got all things in readiness to go, the Spaniard
himself started an objection, which had so much prudence in it on one
hand, and so much sincerity on the other hand, that I could not but be
very well satisfied in it; and, by his advice, put off the deliverance of
his comrades for at least half a year. The case was thu