Well, you may be sure, this knowledge, which the imperfect knowledge of my man had led me to, was very comfortable to me, and made me so curious as to ask him how I might depart from this island, & get amongst those white men?  He told me, Yes, yes, I might go in two canoes.  In two canoes, thought I, what does my man mean? surely he means one for himself, and another for me; and if not, how must two canoes hold me without being joined, or one part of my body being put in one, and another in another?  And indeed it was a long time before I understood his meaning; which was, that it must be a large boat, as big as two canoes, able to bear with the waves, and not so liable to be overwhelmed as a small one must be.

I believe there is not a state of life but what may be happy, if people would but endeavour for their part to make it so.  He is not the happiest man that has the most riches; but he that is content with what he hath.  Before I had my servant, I thought myself miserable till I had him; and now that I had enjoyed the happy benefits of him, I still complained, and begged a deliverance from a place of retirement, ease, and plenty, where Providence had sufficiently blessed me.  In a word, from this time I entertained some hopes, that one time or other I might find an opportunity to make my escape from this island, and that this poor savage might be a great furtherance thereto.

All the time since my man became so intelligent as to understand and speak to me, I spared no pain nor diligence to instruct him, according to my poor share of knowledge in the principles of religion, and the adoration that he ought to pay to the TRUE GOD.  One time, as I very well remember, I asked him who made him?  At first the innocent creature did not understand what I meant, but rather thought I asked him who was his father? upon which I took another way to make him sensible, by demanding from him an answer to this question.  “Friday,” I said, “who is it that made the sea, this ground whereon we walk, and all the hills and woods which we behold?” And here, indeed, I did not miss my intention; for he told me it was Old Benamuckee (the God whom I supposed these savages adored) who lived a great way beyond all.  But as to his attributes, poor Friday was an utter stranger.  He could describe nothing of this great person; and all that he could say was, that he was very old, much older than the sea and land, the moon, or the stars.  “Friday,” said I again, “if this great and old person has made all things in the world, how comes it to pass, that all things, as you in particular, do not adore and worship him? upon this looking very grave, with a perfect sweet look of innocence, he replied:  Master all things say O to him,” by which it may reasonably be supposed he meant adoration.  “And where,” said I, “do the people of your country go when they die?” He answered to Benamuckee.  “What, and those people that are eaten up, do they go there?” Benamuckee, said he, love ’em dearly; me pray to Benamuckee in the canoe, and Benamuckee would love me when dey eat me all up.