d, which they
covered with skins of wild beasts, whose names they knew not, and these
covered them from the arrows of the savages: that, notwithstanding these,
they were sometimes in great danger; and five of them were once knocked
down together with the clubs of the savages, which was the time when one
of them was taken prisoner--that is to say, the Spaniard whom I relieved.
At first they thought he had been killed; but when they afterwards heard
he was taken prisoner, they were under the greatest grief imaginable, and
would willingly have all ventured their lives to have rescued him.

They told me that when they were so knocked down, the rest of their
company rescued them, and stood over them fighting till they were come to
themselves, all but him whom they thought had been dead; and then they
made their way with their halberds and pieces, standing close together in
a line, through a body of above a thousand savages, beating down all that
came in their way, got the victory over their enemies, but to their great
sorrow, because it was with the loss of their friend, whom the other
party finding alive, carried off with some others, as I gave an account
before. They described, most affectionately, how they were surprised
with joy at the return of their friend and companion in misery, who they
thought had been devoured by wild beasts of the worst kind--wild men; and
yet, how more and more they were surprised with the account he gave them
of his errand, and that there was a Christian in any place near, much
more one that was able, and had humanity enough, to contribute to their
deliverance.

They described how they were astonished at the sight of the relief I sent
them, and at the appearance of loaves of bread--things they had not seen
since their coming to that miserable place; how often they crossed it and
blessed it as bread sent from heaven; and what a reviving cordial it was
to their spirits to taste it, as also the other things I had sent for
their supply; and, after all, they would have told me something of the
joy they were in at the sight of a boat and pilots, to carry them away to
the person and place from whence all these new comforts came. But it was
impossible to express it by words, for their excessive joy naturally
driving them to unbecoming extravagances, they had no way to describe
them but by telling me they bordered upon lunacy, having no way to give
vent to their passions suitable to the sense that was