ovisions, he
thought he should have an opportunity to complete his first design, but
when he came to Quebec, the master of the ship died, and the vessel
proceeded no further; so the next voyage he shipped himself for France,
in the ship that was burned when we took them up at sea, and then shipped
with us for the East Indies, as I have already said. Thus he had been
disappointed in five voyages; all, as I may call it, in one voyage,
besides what I shall have occasion to mention further of him.

But I shall not make digression into other men's stories which have no
relation to my own; so I return to what concerns our affair in the
island. He came to me one morning (for he lodged among us all the while
we were upon the island), and it happened to be just when I was going to
visit the Englishmen's colony, at the furthest part of the island; I say,
he came to me, and told me, with a very grave countenance, that he had
for two or three days desired an opportunity of some discourse with me,
which he hoped would not be displeasing to me, because he thought it
might in some measure correspond with my general design, which was the
prosperity of my new colony, and perhaps might put it, at least more than
he yet thought it was, in the way of God's blessing.

I looked a little surprised at the last of his discourse, and turning a
little short, "How, sir," said I, "can it be said that we are not in the
way of God's blessing, after such visible assistances and deliverances as
we have seen here, and of which I have given you a large account?" "If
you had pleased, sir," said he, with a world of modesty, and yet great
readiness, "to have heard me, you would have found no room to have been
displeased, much less to think so hard of me, that I should suggest that
you have not had wonderful assistances and deliverances; and I hope, on
your behalf, that you are in the way of God's blessing, and your design
is exceeding good, and will prosper. But, sir, though it were more so
than is even possible to you, yet there may be some among you that are
not equally right in their actions: and you know that in the story of the
children of Israel, one Achan in the camp removed God's blessing from
them, and turned His hand so against them, that six-and-thirty of them,
though not concerned in the crime, were the objects of divine vengeance,
and bore the weight of that punishment."

I was sensibly touched with this discourse, and told him his inferen