![]() The Spaniard who was governor told them, in so many words, that ifthey had been of his own country he would have hanged them for alllaws and all governors were to preserve society, and those who weredangerous to the society ought to be expelled out of it but asthey were Englishmen, and that it was to the generous kindness ofan Englishman that they all owed their preservation anddeliverance, he would use them with all possible lenity, and wouldleave them to the judgment of the other two Englishmen, who weretheir countrymen.One of the two honest Englishmen stood up, andsaid they desired it might not be left to them."For," says he, "Iam sure we ought to sentence them to the gallows " and with that hegives an account how Will Atkins, one of the three, had proposed tohave all the five Englishmen join together and murder all theSpaniards when they were in their sleep. This deliverance tamed our illdisposed Englishmen for a greatwhile the sight had filled them with horror, and the consequencesappeared terrible to the last degree, especially upon supposingthat some time or other they should fall into the hands of thosecreatures, who would not only kill them as enemies, but for food,as we kill our cattle and they professed to me that the thoughtsof being eaten up like beef and mutton, though it was supposed itwas not to be till they were dead, had something in it so horriblethat it nauseated their very stomachs, made them sick when theythought of it, and filled their minds with such unusual terror,that they were not themselves for some weeks after.This, as Isaid, tamed even the three English brutes I have been speaking of and for a great while after they were tractable, and went about thecommon business of the whole society well enough planted, sowed,reaped, and began to be all naturalised to the country.But sometime after this they fell into such simple measures again asbrought them into a great deal of trouble.Īfter they were all gone, the Spaniards came out of their den, andviewing the field of battle, they found about twoandthirty mendead on the spot some were killed with long arrows, which werefound sticking in their bodies but most of them were killed withgreat wooden swords, sixteen or seventeen of which they found inthe field of battle, and as many bows, with a great many arrows.These swords were strange, unwieldy things, and they must be verystrong men that used them most of those that were killed with themhad their heads smashed to pieces, as we may say, or, as we call itin English, their brains knocked out, and several their arms andlegs broken so that it is evident they fight with inexpressiblerage and fury.We found not one man that was not stone dead foreither they stay by their enemy till they have killed him, or theycarry all the wounded men that are not quite dead away with them.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |