And now the rainy season beginning to come on, obliged me to keep the longer within doors; but before this I brought my new vessel into the creek, where I had landed my rafts from the ship, and haling her up to the shore, I ordered my man Friday to dig a dock sufficient to hold her in, and deep enough to give her water, wherein she might float; and then when the tide was out, we made a strong dam cross the end of it, to keep out the water; by which means she lay dry, as to the tide from the sea; and to keep the rain from her, we thatched her over, as it were, with boughs of trees, like a house, so we waited for the months of November and December, in which I designed to venture over the ocean.

No sooner did the seasonable weather begin to draw near, but so much was I elevated with this new designed adventure, that I daily prepared for the voyage.  The first thing I thought on was, to lay by a certain quantity of provisions, as a sufficient store for such an expedition, intending in a week or fortnight’s time to open the dock, and to launch out the boat for that purpose.  But one morning as I was very busy upon something necessary for this occasion, I called Friday to me, and bid him go to the seashore, and see if he could find a turtle or tortoise, a thing which we commonly had once a week, as much upon account of the eggs, as for the sake of the flesh.  He had not been long gone, but he came running back, as though he was pursued for life, and as if it were flew over my outer-wall, or fence, like one that felt not the ground, or steps he set his feet on; and before I had time to enquire the reason of this precipitation, he cries out, O dear master, O sorrow, sorrow!  Bad!  O bad! ‘Why, what’s the matter Friday,’ said I. O yonder, yonder! said he; there be one, two, or three canoes! two three! Surely, thought I, there must be six, by my man’s way of reckoning; but on a stricter inquiry, I found there were but three.  ‘Well Friday,’ said I, ’don’t be terrified, I warrant you we will not only defend ourselves against them, but kill the most of these cruel savages.’  But though I comforted him in the best manner I could, the poor creature trembled so, that I scarce knew what to do with him:—­O master, said he, they come look Friday, cut pieces Friday, cut a me up.  ‘Why Friday,’ said I, ’they will eat me up as well as you, and my danger is as great as yours.  But since it is so, we must resolve to fight for our lives.  What say you?  Can you fight Friday? Yes,(said he, very faintly) me shoot, me kill what I can, but there come a great many number.’That’s no matter,’ said I again, ’our guns will terrify those that we do not kill:  I am very willing to stand by you to the last drop of my blood.  Now tell me if you will do the like by me, and, obey my orders in whatsoever I command?’ Friday then answered, O master, me loses life for you, me die when you bid die. Thus concluding all questions concerning