deny; that they are certain
discoveries of an invisible world, and a converse of spirits, we cannot
doubt; and if the tendency of them seems to be to warn us of danger, why
should we not suppose they are from some friendly agent, (whether
supreme, or inferior and subordinate, is not the question,) and that
they are given for our good?

The present question abundantly confirms me in the justice of this
reasoning; for had I not been made cautious by this secret admonition,
come from whence it will, I had been undone inevitably, and in a far
worse condition than before, as you will see presently.

I had not kept myself long in this posture, but I saw the boat draw near
the shore, as if they looked for a creek to thrust in at for the
convenience of landing; however, as they did not come quite far enough,
they did not see the little inlet where I formerly landed my rafts, but
run their boat on shore upon the beach, at about half a mile from me,
which was very happy for me; for otherwise they would have landed just,
as I may say, at my door, and would have soon beaten me out of my
castle, and, perhaps, have plundered me of all I had.

When they were on shore, I was fully satisfied they were Englishmen, at
least most of them; one or two I thought were Dutch, but it did not
prove so. There were in all eleven men, whereof three of them I found
were unarmed, and (as I thought) bound; and when the first four or five
of them were jumped on shore, they took those three out of the boat as
prisoners: one of the three I could perceive using the most passionate
gestures of entreaty, affliction, and despair, even to a kind of
extravagance; the other two, I could perceive, lifted up their hands
sometimes, and appeared concerned indeed, but not to such a degree as
the first.

I was perfectly confounded at the sight, and knew not what the meaning
of it should be; Friday called out to me in English, as well as he
could, "O master! you see English mans eat prisoners as well as savage
mans."--"Why," said I, "Friday, do you think they are going to eat them
then"--"Yes," says Friday, "they will eat them."--"No, no," said I,
"Friday; I am afraid they will murder them indeed; but you may be sure
they will not eat them."

All this while I had no thought of what the matter really was, but stood
trembling with the horror of the sight, expecting every moment when the
three prisoners should be killed; nay, once I saw one of the villains
lift up