After Friday’s grief was something abated, more fully to convince me of his affection, he said, O master, me not care to be in my nation, leave you here; me desire nation learn good, that’s all; meaning, that his desire was for the conversion of that barbarous people.  But as I had no apostolic mission, nor any concern about their salvation; so I had not the least intention or desire of undertaking it; and the strength of my inclination, in order to escape, proceeded chiefly from my late discourse with Friday, about these seventeen white bearded men, that had been driven upon the Barbarian coast; whom I designed to join, as the only means to further our escape.  To which intent my man and I went to search for a proper tree to fell, whereof we might make a large perigua or canoe, to undertake the voyage; and, indeed, we were not long in finding one fit for our purpose, there being enough of wood in the island to have built a fleet of large vessels, but the thing we principally wanted was to get one so near the water, that we might launch it after it was finished, and not commit so horrid a mistake as I had once done before.

Well, after a great search for what was best and most convenient, Friday, at last, whose judgment in such affairs was much superior to mine, pitches upon a kind of wood the most fitting for it.  To this day I cannot tell the name of the tree, nor describe it any other way, than only by saying, that it is like what we call fustic, or between that and the Niacaragua wood, being much of the same colour and smell.  But though my man exceeded me in the knowledge of the most proper tree, yet I shewed him a much better and clearer way to make a canoe than ever he knew before; for he was for burning the hollow or cavity of the tree, in order to make this boat; but I then told him how he might do it with tools, learning him at the same time how to use them, which indeed he did very dexterously; so that in a month’s time we finished it, making it very handsome, by cutting the outside in the true shape of a boat.  After this it took us a full fortnight before we could get her into the water, which we did as it were inch by inch, upon great rollers; but when she was in, she would have carried twenty men, with all the ease imaginable.

As I was very well pleased, you may be sure at the launching of this man of war of mine, I was no less amazed to behold with what dexterity my man would manage her, turn her, and paddle her along.  ‘Well Friday,’ said I, ’what do you think of it now?  Do you think this will carry us over? Yes, master, said he, me venture over well, though great blow wind.  But my design was yet farther, which he was insensible of; and that was to make a mast and a sail, and to provide her with an anchor and cable.  As to a mast, that was no difficult thing at all to procure:  so I fixed upon a strait young cedar-tree; which I found near the place, great plenty of it abounding in the island;