the English house to get a boat for the master to go and
look them out, but they proved to be three others, William Marinell,
Simeon Colphax, and John Dench, who had hired a boat and gone to another
island, not being allowed to walk by night in Firando. By this mistake
our deserters had the more time to get away. This night, about eleven,
the old king's house, on the other side of the water, took fire, and
was burnt to the ground in about an hour. I never saw a more vehement
fire for the time it lasted, and it is thought his loss is very great.
The old king is said to have set it on fire himself, by going about in
the night with lighted canes, some sparks from which had fallen among
the mats and set them on fire.

I went next day to visit the old king, giving him to understand, by
means of his governor, that I was extremely sorry for the misfortune
that had befallen him, and would have come in person to give all the
assistance in my power, but was doubtful if my presence would have been
acceptable, being a stranger; and begged leave to assure him, that he
should find me ready at all times, even with the hazard of my life, to
do him every service in my power. He gave me many thanks for my good
will, saying, that the loss he had sustained was as nothing in his
estimation. On my return to our house, I was met by the young king going
to visit his grandfather. Before noon, we had word that our runaways
were upon a desert island about two leagues from Firando, of which I
gave notice to both kings, requesting their aid and council how we might
best bring them back. They answered, that they would fetch them back
dead or alive, yet would be loth to kill them, lest we might want hands
to navigate the ship back to England. I returned many thanks for the
care they had of us, yet sent them word we still had a sufficiency of
honest men to carry our ship to England, even although we should lose
these knaves. In fine, the king fitted out two boats full of soldiers to
go after them, with positive orders to bring them back dead or alive,
which I made known to our master, who wished much to go along with them,
and did so accordingly.

9. _Continuation of Occurrences at Firando, during the Absence of the
General_.

On the 4th of October, a report was current in Firando that the _Devil_
had revealed to the _bose_, [bonzes] or conjurers, that the town was to
be burned to ashes that night, on which criers went about the streets
the whol