A1r

The
Female American;

Or, The
Adventures
Of
Unca Eliza Winkfield.

Compiled by Herself.

In Two Volumes.

Vol. I.

London:
Printed for Francis Noble at his Circulating
Library, opposite Gray’s-Inn Gate, Holbourn;
and
John Noble, at his Circulating Library, in
St. Martin’s-Court, near Leicester-Square.
1767MDCCLXVII.

A1v A2r

Advertisement.

The following extraordinary
History will prove either
acceptable or not to the reader;
in either case, it ought to be a
matter of indifference to him from
what quarter, or by what means,
he receives it.

But if curiosity demands a satisfaction
of this kind, all that he
can receive is only this, that I
found it among the papers of my
late father.

Upon a perusal of it, I found
it both pleasing and instructive, A2 not A2v ii
not unworthy of the most sensible
reader; highly fit to be perused
by the youth of both sexes,
as a rational, moral entertainment;
and, as such, I doubt not,
but that it will descend to late
posterity, when, most of its cotemporaries,
founded only in
fiction, will have been long forgotten.

The Editor.

The B1r

The
Female American;
or the
Adventures
of
Unca Eliza Winkfield.

Chap. I.

Motives for writing this history; discovery
of Virginia; the author’s grandfather
settles there; he is killed by the natives;
his son is taken prisoner, but is saved by
one of the king’s daughters.

The following history of my life
I never completely related but
to one person; and at that time
had no intention of committing it to
writing: but finding the remembrance of Vol. I. B it B1v 2
it burdensome to my memory, I thought
I might, in some degree, exonerate myself,
by digesting the most material events
in the form of an history; for which purpose
I collected together such loose memorandums
as I had occasionally made,
which have enabled me to render the following
relation more regular and complete
than otherwise it could have been,
had I been obliged to trust only to the
power of recollection: how, and why,
I afterwards came otherwise to dispose of
it will appear in due time. The lives
of women being commonly domestick,
the occurrences of them are generally
pretty nearly of the same kind; whilst
those of men, frequently more vagrant,
subject them often to experience greater
vicissitudes, many times wonderful and
strange. Though a woman, it has been my 3 lot B2r 3
lot to have experienced much of the latter;
for so wonderful, strange, and uncommon
have been the events of my life, that
true history, perhaps, never recorded
any that were more so. However, I
shall not endeavour to extort the reader’s
credence of them, if such my work
should ever have any, by solemn professions
of veracity; for, perhaps, they may
never be read; but if they should, I
think the greatest sceptic will allow,
uncommon as they are, that they do
not exceed the bounds of probability.
Here are two ends they cannot fail of
answering, rational entertainment, and
mental improvement. To proceed then:

The peaceful reign of king James I. of
England gave opportunity to the first
attempt of the English to make a settlementB2 ment B2v 4
in the Indies, at a place called,
originally, Wingandacoa, part of the
continent adjoining to Florida, called
afterwards Virginia, in honour of our
maiden queen Elizabeth, of blessed
memory. As this place was first discovered
by the great Sir Walter Raleigh,
he obtained letters patent to settle a plantation
there, 1584Anno Dom. 1584. But it
was some years after that time before
any colony was sent there. The first
plantation that proved successful, was
began in 16071607: at this time a colony
arrived there of about an hundred persons,
among the conductors of whom
was Mr. Edward Maria Winkfield, my
grand-father; but as many of these
died, a further supply was sent the year
after, under the care of captain Nilson;
and again more in 16101610, 16111611, 16121612.

In B3r 5

In 16181618, the settlement was thought
of consequence enough to receive a governor
from England. A very large
colony arrived there two years after;
and now the new-comers formed themselves
into corporations. The first, and
principal town, was honoured with the
name of king James. But the happy
prospect, with which the new-comers
flattered themselves, was unhappily obscured
by the native Indians, who came
unexpectedly upon them, and massacred
three hundred of them; but this loss
was soon repaired by a fresh recruit from
England.——Thus much for the first
peopling my native country.

The plantation which my grandfather
first began, and which was the largest
and most successful, devolved in a florishingB3 rishing B3v 6
state to my father, Mr. William
Winkfield
, of whom I must relate a
very extraordinary adventure, as it gave
occasion to his growing more suddenly
rich than he could have done by an infant
plantation, and gave birth to me;
and in the consequences of it effected a
more happy issue to my future adventures
than could otherwise have happened.

At the time of the massacre, mentioned
above, my grandfather was killed,
and my father, with a few more, was
taken prisoners by the Indians; and as
it was a very dark night, was hurried
along many miles before he could perfectly
discover any objects: at length the
rising sun discovered to his view, at some
distance, a large river with a great numberber B4r 7
of boats on it; into one of these he
was forced, and then bound hand and
foot. In a little time all the boats were
in motion, and for some hours continued
to go with great rapidity. My
father had now but too much time to
reflect on his unpromising situation, and
recalling to his mind the words of his
elder brother, whom he had left in
England, he thought them unhappily
predictive.

He was a clergyman, and one of true
piety and sound erudition. When his
brother, my father, was about to quit
England, with their father, to settle in
this new discovered country, “My
dear brother Bill”
, said he, “I know
too well my duty to my father to
remonstrate against any action of his, B4 “though B4v 8
though in secret I may dread the
consequence; but as I am your brother,
and your elder, I may presume
to give my opinion; may it not be
prophetic! We have no right to
invade the country of another, and
I fear invaders will always meet a
curse; but as your youth disenables
you from viewing this expedition in
that equitable light that it ought to
be looked on, may your sufferings be
proportionably light! for our God
is just, and will weigh our actions in a
just scale.”

My father at this time was about
twenty years old, of a remarkable fair
complexion for a man, with brown hair,
black eyes, and was well shaped. I should B5r 9
should not give a description of his person,
but that to it he owed, as it seems,
his future preservation. The Indians
continued their voyage above four or
five hours, when they stopped on the
same side of the shore on which they had
embarked. As soon as they were landed,
my father, with five other English captives,
tied one to another, were drove, like
sheep, many miles up the country, and
then lodged in a cabin till next day;
however, in the interim, they were plentifully
supplied with dried Indian corn,
dried goats flesh, and a kind of small
wine, but thick, though well flavoured.
They had heard that some of the Indians
were men-eaters, and thought these
were such, or that they would not have
fed them so plentifully but to render B5 them, B5v 10
them, as we do hogs, the better food:
however, in this they were mistaken.

The next day, soon after sun-rising,
my father and his five unhappy companions
were brought out of their cabin;
their cloaths were taken off, and they
placed in a circle formed by a great
number of Indians of both sexes, all
naked, except a small covering of foliage
about their middle, which decently
covered the distinction of sexes. This
local covering of several of the females
was composed of beautiful flowers. The
unhappy captives stood amidst this assembly
a considerable time, whilst a venerable
old man seemed to address them
in a pathetic manner, for tears accompanied
his words. He was, as my
father afterwards learned, their king, and B6r 11
and of a very numerous people; and
the purport of his long speech was
this:

“Men, for I see you have legs,
arms, and heads as we have, look to
the sun,”
here he pointed up to that
luminary, “he is our god, is he yours?
He made us, he warms us, he lights
us, he makes our corn and grass to
grow, we love and praise him; did
he make you?—did he send you to
punish us? if he did, we will die,
here are our bows and arrows, kill
us.”
Saying this, they all threw
their bows and arrows within the circle,
between themselves and the captives.
Not then knowing their meaning,
they stood silent; the king then continued
his speech, “Our god is not “angry; B6v 12
angry; the evil being who made you
has sent you into our land to kill us;
we know you not, and have never
offended you; why then have you
taken possession of our lands, ate our
fruits, and made our countrymen prisoners?
Had you no lands of your
own? Why did you not ask? we
would have given you some. Speak.”

It seems they had no idea that there
are more languages than one; therefore
taking their silence for a confession
of guilt, their king proceeded, “You
designed to kill us, but we hurt no
man who has not first offended us;
our god has given you into our
hands, and you must die.”

This said, the Indians took up their
bows and arrows, whilst others bound my B7r 13
my father and his five unhappy countrymen,
and cut off the heads of the latter,
one after another. My father expected
the same fate; but just as the executioner
was about to give the stroke, a maiden,
who stood by the king, and whose neck,
breast, and arms, were curiously adorned
with jewels, diamonds, and solid
pieces of gold and silver, and who was
one of the king’s daughters, stroked my
father with a wand. This was the
signal for deliverance; he was immediately
unbound, and a covering, like
that the Indians wore, was put round
his body, and a kind of chain, formed of
long grass, round his neck, of a considerable
length, one end of which the
princess took hold of, and gently led
him along, till she came to a bower
composed of the most pleasing greens, de- B7v 14
delightfully variegated with the most
beautiful flowers; a shady defence from
the sun, which then shone with uncommon
heat. Beneath, was a large collection
of leaves, which covered the whole
surface of the ground to a great depth;
here she made him sit, none present but
themselves. She seated herself by him,
viewed him with great attention from
head to foot, felt his face and hands,
but with the greatest modesty. She
then arose, and going out returned presently
with a cocoa nut shell, and drinking
first, presented him the remainder
of a liquor of most delicious taste, of
the vinous kind; at the same time offering
him a basket of various fruits.
My father freely accepted of both, and
found himself surprizingly refreshed.
She then made a sign to him to lie down, B8r 15
down, and with looks of ineffable tenderness,
retired; having first laid her bow and
quiver filled with arrows by him, and fastened
the door of the bower with a twig.

This tender and extraordinary treatment
had so far composed my father’s
mind, that, joined with the excessive heat
of the day, and the wine together, he
was so much overcome, that he insensibly
fell asleep, amidst his reflections
on this strange adventure. When he
awoke, he found two Indian slaves fanning
and defending him from the flies;
which in that country are very hurtful.
No sooner did they perceive he was awake,
but one of his attendants withdrew,
and presently returned, I cannot
say with his fair, but with his black deliverer,
who, smiling, gently pulled
him by his chain, and led him,
now willing and fearless, to a neighbouring B8v 16
cabin, greatly distinguished
from those about it, both by its largeness
and elegance.

Here he again saw the king, before
whom he bowed; whilst his patroness
presented the end of the chain she held
to her father, who with much seeming
affability returned it to his daughter.
By this act my father understood he
gave him as a captive to his daughter,
who, immediately breaking the chain
from around his neck, threw it at
his feet, making a motion to him that
he should set his foot upon it, which he
having done, she clapt her hands, and
cried out, “Hala pana chi nu”, great
peace be to you.

Though my father did not then understand
her words, he could not but con- B9r 17
conceive her actions as declarative of
his liberty; for actions are a kind of
universal language: he therefore threw
himself at her feet, when she in return
offered him her hand to rise, and then
led him into another cabin, completely
furnished after the Indian manner. Here
he found the two Indian slaves who had
attended him in the bower: these the
princess presented to him, and whom by
the homage they paid him, he understood
he was to consider as his slaves.
His cloaths which had been taken from
him, together with those of his less happy
companions, were brought to him.

The princess continued some hours
with him, and they participated of a
collation of fruits, whilst the princess
continually talked to him, as if he had under- B9v 18
understood her language. This agreeable
society continued several weeks,
she visiting him every day, shewing him
the neighbouring fountains, woods, and
walks, and every thing that could amuse.
At last my father began to
understand her language, which redoubled
all her past pleasures, when, according
to the simplicity of the uncorrupted
Indians, she declared that love
for him, which he had long before understood
by her actions.

Though a complexion so different,
as that of the princess from an European,
cannot but at first disgust, yet by
degrees my father grew insensible to
the difference, and in other respects her
person was not inferior to that of the
greatest European beauty; but what was B10r 19
was more, her understanding was uncommonly
great, pleasantly lively, and
wonderfully comprehensive, even of
subjects unknown to her, till informed
of them by my father, who took extraordinary
pains to instruct her; for
now he loved in his turn: and sure he
must have had a heart strangely insensible
if such great kindness, joined
with such perfections, had not had that
effect.

They had now lived together six
months, and understood each other tolerably,
when Unca, for that was the
princess’s name, proposed their marriage.
As she was a Pagan, though
my father sincerely loved her, and
wished for that union, he could not help
shewing some uneasiness at the proposal.posal. B10v 20
This the observant princess instantly
saw. “What,” cried she, “does
not my Winka,”
so she called him,
“love me?” My father caught her in
his arms; “Yes, my dear Unca,” cried
he, “I do, but my God will be angry if I
marry you, unless you will worship him
as I do.”
This gave birth to a long
conversation, in which, though my father
was a very sensible man, and had
enjoyed a good education, being very
young, he found it not a little difficult
to teach another what he yet firmly
believed himself; but as we readily believe
those whom we love, he was more
successful than he expected, and in a
little time the princess became convinced
of her errors, and her good understanding
helped to forward her conversion.

Thus B11r 21

Thus love and religion agreeably divided
their time; and so happy was my
father with his princess, that he almost
forgot his former situation, and begun
to look upon the country he was in as his
own, nor indeed did he ever expect to see
any other again; and he now loved Unca
as much as she did him, and was therefore
willing to make her and her country
his for ever; but an unexpected
event soon gave a different turn to their
affairs.

Chap. B11v 22

Chap. II.

The king’s eldest daughter conceives a
passion for him, which produces disagreeable
consequences, from which he
is delivered by Unca.

My father had never seen any other
of the king’s daughters since the
day of his deliverance from death, but his
dear Unca, till one day sitting in a wood
to shelter himself from the excessive heat
of the sun, the king’s eldest daughter
approached him. As soon as my father
saw her, supposing she was one of the
king’s daughters, he arose to salute her
with the profoundest respect. “Winca,”
said she, “I have long sought for such an B12r 23
an opportunity as this; let us therefore
retire further into this wood, that we
may converse with more freedom.”
My
father, unsuspecting the occasion of this
visit, obeyed, when the princess thus
began: “Winca, it is our custom to
be silent, or to speak what we think;
we are of opinion that nature has given
us the same right to declare our love
as it has to your sex; know, Winca,
then, that I have seen you, and that the
oftener I have seen you the more I love
you; I know my sister loves you, but
I am my father’s eldest daughter, and as
he has no son, whoever marries me
will be king after his death.”

My father was so much surprized at
this unexpected declaration, that he was
not able immediately to reply; but as soon B12v 24
soon as he was a little recovered, he
endeavoured to excuse himself as well
as he could, by pleading his love and
prior engagement to her sister; but it
was in vain; all he could say tended but
to provoke her anger. At last, in a
rage, not to be described, she cried, “If
you will not love me, you shall die; my
sister shall never enjoy an happiness that
I aspire to; nor shall my vengeance be
long delayed; this instant shall put a
period to your life.”
However menacing
these words were, my father was
not greatly alarmed, as they were uttered
by an unarmed woman, and which
he conceived to be only the effect of
passion, and unluckily smiled. “What!”
cried she, “do you scorn my love, deride
my power? know wretch, Alluca can
despise love and death at her will.”
Saying C1r 25
Saying this, she clapt her hands together,
and immediately six male Indians appeared
from behind the trees, where
they had stood at some distance unperceived
by him. “Seize that white
infidel,”
cried she; and in an instant all
power of defence or flight was equally
taken from him. She then took a
pomegranate-shell out of a kind of pocket
that she wore by her side, and going
up to a poisonous herb, squeezed the
juice of it into it; then advancing to my
father, “Here,” said she, “be mine, or
drink this; I offer you love and death;
make your choice.”
“I can love none
but Unca,”
replied he.

She then ordered four of the slaves to
hold my father whilst the two others
were about to force the poisonous Vol. I. C draught C1v 26
draught into his mouth. “Hold,”
cried my father, “if I must die, I will
drink it myself, I cannot do too much
for Unca; she gave me life, and for
her sake I will lose it—I drink Unca’s
health; her love shall make it sweet.”

He drank it, and I suppose the ministers
of his intended death soon left him;
for not long after he awoke, as it were
from sleep, and found himself in the
arms of his dear Unca, when in a languid
tone he uttered, “What! do I
meet my dear Unca so soon in another
world? this was worth dying for.”
He
then sunk again, as into a sleep.

It seems the princess Unca, having
missed my father, arrived just after her
sister and the slaves had retired, and saw
him sink upon the ground. As she was C2r 27
was no stranger to her sister’s love for
my father, her quick apprehension soon
suggested what had happened; and as
the Indians are remarkable for their
knowledge of poisons, and no less so
for their skill in antidotes, she instantly
sought, and as quickly found,
an herb whose salutary efficacy she was
well acquainted with. She immediately
squeezed the juice of it into his mouth,
which soon reached his stomach, and
made him eject the poison; but still
his eyes were closed; a second dose revived
him, and opening his eyes he uttered
those words to the princess, just
now related. “Heaven be praised,”
said the princess, “my dear Winka, that
I came time enough to save a life dearer
to me than my own; suck more of
this juice, and you will be entirely recovered.C2 cover- C2v 28”
He did so, and was soon
able to get up and walk; but with a
slow tottering pace, like a man whose
brain has been hurt by the fumes of
wine. The princess perceived his condition,
and as they passed along gathered
some flowers, the smell of which
quickly dispelled the fumes, and fortified
his brain so powerfully, that he was
soon perfectly recovered, and his
strength and understanding both entirely
restored. Having returned the
princess ten thousand thanks for thus
giving him life a second time, they
walked slowly homewards.

During their short walk, my father
related to the princess Unca all that
had passed between him and the princess
Alluca
, her sister. When he had finished C3r 29
finished his relation, the princess replied,
“I will take effectual care for your security
to-night, where my sister will not
be able to discover you, and to-morrow
I will consult my father what further
measures we shall pursue.”
She then led
him through some bye paths of the
wood, to the hut of an honest Indian,
in whom she could confide; here she
left him, with a caution not to stir out
till her return next day.

Early the next morning the princess
Unca
, and her father, came to the hut
where his daughter had concealed my
father. Here a consultation was begun.
The king said, “He could no more
blame his eldest daughter than he did his
younger, for loving my father; that
Alluca had conceived an affection for C3 him C3v 30
him at the same time that Unca had,
and at the instant that she touched him
with her wand, Alluca was about to
have done the same; that he highly
condemned her intention to poison him;
yet as she was tenderly beloved by him,
as well as Unca, and his heir, he hoped
my father would not desire him to inflict
any punishment on her, since the
loss of her lover would be a sufficient
one.”
My father frankly declared that
his regard for him, and his love for
Unca, were sufficient motives to induce
him to forgive her. The king then
proposed that, to prevent all future danger,
my father and the princess should
be immediately married; and that they
should both set out instantly for the
place of my father’s abode, and that, on
his account, he would enter into a treaty of C4r 31
of friendship with his countrymen; and
added, that he would give him a portion
worthy of a princess.

As my father considered marriage as
a civil, as well as a religious, ceremony,
and found, by their discourse, that their
matrimonial ceremonies had nothing in
them contrary to his own religion, he
very readily consented. An Indian
priest was sent for, and the ceremony
was soon performed. A proper cabin,
or hut, was immediately prepared for
the reception of the new-married couple,
and they were securely guarded, to prevent
further mischief, till such time as
the necessary preparations were made
for my father’s return, with his bride,
to his own plantation. In a few days,
every thing was ready for their departure.C4 parture. C4v 32
They took an affectionate leave
of the old king, and got into a canoe
provided for them, attended by several
others, in which were several Indian
maidens to attend Unca, and men slaves
for my father, and a considerable baggage,
the contents of which my father
was then unacquainted with. Taking
the advantage of wind and tide, they
in a few hours arrived, without any accident,
within a small distance of my
father’s plantation, to which he was
heartily welcomed by his neighbours,
who never expected to see him again.
They were greatly surprised at his extraordinary
adventure, and very glad
that it proved the means of a friendship
between them and the Indians.

My C5r 33

My father being again settled with
his dear Unca, in his own habitation,
they were now married, according to
the rights of the church of England,
by an English chaplain belonging to
one of the men of war that then lay in
the harbour. Now they began to examine
the presents that the king had
made them, and found them to be very
valuable, consisting of a great quantity
of gold dust and precious stones, and
many curiosities peculiar to the Indians.
However, my father thought it prudent
to conceal the greater part of his riches
from the knowledge of his neighbours,
not knowing how strong a temptation
a display of them might prove, as many
of the colony were not only persons of
desperate fortunes, but most of them C5 such C5v 34
such whose crimes had rendered them
obnoxious in their native country.

As my father had persuaded his
wife to conform to the European dress,
he provided for her as well as he could,
till he had an opportunity of procuring
cloaths more suitable to her dignity.
He took every opportunity that offered
to send part of his riches over to England
privately, to be there disposed of,
and such goods in return to be sent as he
wanted; for it seems he had no inclination
to leave his habitation, and
the thoughts of it were highly disgusting
to the princess: but had
his own desires been ever so much for
a removal, he would have sacrificed
them to those of the princess, whom
he passionately loved.

My C6r 35

My father built him a more elegant
house, which was suitably furnished,
and his plantation by far the
best and largest of any about him.
This was a work of time. In the
interim, my mother, proving with child
from the night of their marriage, was
safely delivered of me. I was, a month
after, baptized by the name of Unca
Eliza
. The king, my grand-father, frequently
sent a messenger to inquire
after his children, who always attended
with some present of fruit, flowers, or
something more valuable. Thus happily
did my father and mother live together,
till I was about six years old;
during which time they never heard
the least news about their sister Alluca:
but at this period an Indian brought C6 the C6v 36
the news of the old king’s death, and
that Alluca, still single, was received
as queen.

A little after, as my father and
mother were sitting in the garden, and
I playing at their feet, a slave informed
them that two Indians were come from
the princess Alluca. As soon as they
came into the garden my father was
surprised to see that they had each of
them a great coat on, contrary to the Indian
custom: he had scarce made this reflection
before one of them, being come
close up to him, pulled a short dagger
out of his sleeve, and made a push
at him, which most probably would
have proved mortal, had not he, by
a sudden motion, avoided it. At the
same instant my mother gave a loud shriek, C7r 37
shriek, when my father, turning his
eyes, saw her falling with a dagger
in her breast, for the other assassin had
been too successful in his murderous attempt.
My father caught her in his
arms, and received her dying blood
and breath together. The slaves, that
my mother’s shrieks and my cries had
brought to us, presently seized the two
murderers. One of them, who dearly
loved my mother, drew the dagger out
of her breast, and plunged it into the
heart of him who had assassinated my
mother, and was going to have done
the same by the other, when my father
cried out, as loud as he was able,
“Take him alive.” He was instantly
bound hand and foot, and carried to
a place of security.

What C7v 38

What is human felicity? How often
our greatest pleasures procure us the
greatest misery! This moment behold
a happy couple mutually endearing
themselves to each other, whilst the
infant offspring of their loves beholds
their joys, partakes of, and adds to
them. The next—but let the scene
sink into darkness! ’tis too affecting
for a daughter’s pen to draw.

Chap. C8r 39

Chap. III.

Death of the Indian queen; Unca and
her father embark for England; provides
for his brother; a description
of the person and dress of the female
American; her father returns to Virginia;
for which she afterwards sails,
where her father dies.

As soon as my mother was buried,
and my father a little composed,
he called for the surviving assassin,
and from him learnt that the princess
Alluca had compelled him and his
companion to be the instruments of
her revenge on them, for his having
slighted her love. My father consulted with C8v 40
with the rest of the planters, whether
they should deliver the assassin up to
justice, or let him go home. Considering
the infant state of the colony,
and the temper of the reigning princess,
they thought it prudent to avoid every
thing that might occasion a quarrel
with the Indians, and therefore agreed
to give their prisoner his liberty. At
his departure, my father charged the
slave to tell his queen, that her God,
the sun, had seen the murder she had
commanded, and would revenge it.

It was not long after before my
aunt the queen died of grief. A little
before her death, she ordered, that after
her decease her heart should be sent to
my father with this message: “Receive
a heart that, whilst it lived, “loved C9r 41
loved you, and had you received it,
it had never been wicked. Forgive
my revenge, and let my heart be
buried with you when you are dead;
but may the sun give you many
days!”
This was accompanied with
a very great present of gold dust, and
her bow and arrows, of exquisite workmanship,
for me. The bow, and some
of the arrows, I still have.

This renewed my father’s grief, which
had indeed but little subsided; therefore
to divert his sorrows, and give
me a better education, he determined
to return to England. Every thing
was accordingly prepared. I was about
seven years old when we embarked,
attended by several male and female
slaves. We had a tolerable passage to C9v 42
to England, and found my father’s
brother in good health. He was, as
I before observed, a clergyman, and
had a living in Surry, where he constantly
resided, had a wife, one son,
and three daughters, the youngest of
them elder than me. He was exceedingly
glad to see his brother, and
received me as if I had been a child
of his own. He was an excellent divine,
of great piety, and of uncommon
learning, but ill provided for in
the church. As my father was very
rich, he gave him five hundred pounds
for each of his children, and soon after
bought the next presentation to a living
of three hundred a year. The incumbent
dying soon after, he presented my
uncle to it, with a thousand pounds to
pay the expence of removing, as he said C10r 43
said when he gave it. This occasioned
our removal to a pleasant village near
Windsor.

If I was kindly entertained by my
uncle, I was little less caressed by the
neighbours. My tawny complexion, and
the oddity of my dress, attracted every
one’s attention, for my mother used
to dress me in a kind of mixed habit,
neither perfectly in the Indian, nor yet
in the European taste, either of fine
white linen, or a rich silk. I never wore
a cap; but my lank black hair was
adorned with diamonds and flowers.
In the winter I wore a kind of loose
mantle or cloak, which I used occasionally
to wear on one shoulder, or
to cast it behind me in folds, tied
in the middle with a ribband, which gave C10v 44
gave it a pleasing kind of romantic
air. My arms were also adorned with
strings of diamonds, and one of the
same kind surrounded my waist. I
frequently diverted myself with wearing
the bow and arrow the queen my
aunt left me, and was so dexterous a
shooter, that, when very young, I could
shoot a bird on the wing.

My uncommon complexion, singular
dress, and the grand manner in which
I appeared, always attended by two
female and two male slaves, could not
fail of making me much taken notice
of. I was accordingly invited by all
the neighbouring gentry, who treated
me in a degree little inferior to that
of a princess, as I was always called;
and indeed I might have been a queen, if C11r 45
if my father had pleased, for on the
death of my aunt, the Indians made a
formal tender of the crown to me;
but I declined it.

My uncle, who gave his daughters
the same learned education with his
son, desired I might make one of their
society. This was very agreeable to my
father, and no less so to me, who was
very fond of my cousins, and willing
to do what they did. I could already
speak the Indian language as well as
English, or rather with more fluency.

In this manner we lived near a year,
happy I should say all of us, but my
father, who, as he had no business to
do, grew more melancholy: he therefore
resolved to revisit the country where C11v 46
where he had left the remains of his
princess. It was in vain to intreat his
stay, my uncle and aunt’s remonstrances
were lost, and only served to confirm
his resolution of returning to his plantation.
However, he thought proper
to leave me with my uncle, to complete
my education. Though I was
unwilling to part with my father, I
was as much so to leave my cousins,
and therefore staid behind pretty contentedly.
My father, before his departure,
made great preparations for
the improvement of his plantation, rather
for his amusement, than from a
desire of gain.

I continued here till I was eighteen
years of age; during which time I
made a great progress in the Greek 4 and C12r 47
and Latin languages, and other polite
literature; whilst my good aunt took
care of the female part of my education
with equal success. Tawny
as I was, with my lank black hair,
I yet had my admirers, or such they
pretended to be; though perhaps my
fortune tempted them more than my
person, at least I thought so, and accordingly
diverted myself at their expence;
for none touched my heart.

Young as I was, I often thought
on my dear mother, and honoured her
memory with many tears. And as I
found it was the custom in England
to erect monuments for persons who
often were interred elsewhere, I desired
my uncle to erect a superb mausoleum
in his church-yard, sacred to the C12v 48
the memory of my dear mother. It
is a lofty building, supported by Indians
as big as life, ornamented with
coronets, and other regalia, suitable to
her dignity. The form is triangular,
and on one side is cut an inscription in
the Indian language, containing a short
account of her life and death. This
I drew up and translated into Latin
and English, which fills up the two
other sides; on the top is an urn,
on which an Indian leans, and looks on
it in a mournful posture. The whole
is surrounded with iron pallisadoes.
This I often visited, and here I dropt
many a tear.

My father, by this time, begun to
think my absence long, and desired
my return, which was equally agreeableable D1r 49
to me; for though I was pleased
with my situation, and the affectionate
treatment of my relations, yet I secretly
longed to see my native country, of
which I retained a perfect idea, but
more so to see my father. Every
thing being prepared for my voyage,
I, with my four slaves, embarked on
board a ship for my return home, being
then in my eighteenth year. However,
my uncle insisted that his son
John Winkfield, my cousin, should go
with me to take care of me. His regard
for me, and desire to see a strange
country, made him very glad to accept
of the proposal.

During our voyage, my cousin neglected
no opportunity to renew his
addresses to me, which he had before Vol. I. D begun D1v 50
begun in England. I gravely told
him I would never marry any man
who could not use a bow and arrow
as well as I could; but as he still
continued his suit, I always laughed
at him, and answered in the Indian
language, of which he was entirely
ignorant; and so by degrees wearied
him into silence on that head.

I shall not trouble my readers with
any particulars of our voyage, and
shall only say, that after a tedious
and indifferent one, I once more found
myself in the embraces of a tender
father. The sight of me revived in
his memory the remembrance of my
dear mother, which drew from him
a flood of tears, with which I sincerely
joined mine. As soon as these subsided,sided, D2r 51
his transports of joy were as great
to see me returned in safety, and so
much improved. He received my cousin
with great affection, and, on his
return home, gave him a bill on England
for one thousand pound sterling;
which he might well do, for he was
extremely rich. I on my part desired
some considerable presents to be sent
to my uncle and aunt, and to my
cousins, with some of less value to
my female acquaintance; together with
some natural curiosities of my own
country, as birds, shells, &c.

There was one circumstance attending
my education, whilst under my
uncle’s tuition, that, in justice to his
memory, I ought not to omit, the religious
part; and in this he was as D2 metho- D2v 52
methodical and exact as though I had
been to be a divine; nor did he inculcate
religion as a mere science; but in
such a warm and affecting manner, that
whilst his lectures convinced the understanding,
they converted the heart,
and made me love and know religion
at the same time. The happy effects
of his pious instructions I have experienced
throughout my life; and indeed
in one part of it they were not only of
the greatest comfort to me, but of the
highest use; as will appear hereafter.

But to return to my father: neither
his riches, business, nor even my company,
whom he most affectionately
loved, could cure him of that melancholy
under which he laboured from
the decease of my mother. This, at length, D3r 53
length, determined him once more to
visit England, that new objects might
divert his mind. With this view he
soon found means to remove his great
wealth to England, and prepared to
dispose of his plantation; but by the
time he had almost done the former,
and had agreed to let his plantation, he
grew so bad as to be incapable of a removal,
and in a few days went to that
happiness in another world, which he
could not enjoy in this.

D3 Chap. D3v 54

Chap. IV.

Unca buys a sloop, and embarks for England;
the captain proposes a match
between her and his son; her slaves
and attendants massacred, and herself
left on an uninhabited island.

Having paid my father every
funeral honour I could, and having
nothing now to attach me to this
country, and the bulk of my great
fortune lying in England, I determined
to embark for that kingdom, and to
conclude my days in my uncle’s family.
But Solomon saith, “The heart of man
deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth
his going:”
and so I found
it. I was now in my four and twentiethtieth D4r 55
year. At this time an opportunity
offered that favoured my intended voyage.
There was a sloop in the harbour,
a good sailing vessel, and large
enough to carry me, my attendants, and
effects. I chose an old captain, who
had lately been ship-wrecked, and lost
his all, and who wanted to get over to
his son in England, to undertake the
care of us, and as, a gratuity for his
trouble, promised, if we arrived safe in
England, to give him the ship, that he
might once more be able to follow his
occupation.

This proposal he accepted with great
joy, and having got together a sufficient
number of hands to navigate our vessel,
I prepared to embark. Notwithstanding
what my father had before sent to D4 England, D4v 56
England, I had yet a great many valuable
goods to take with me, to the amount
of near ten thousand pounds. These
being safely lodged on board, I followed
myself, attended by my two favourite
female slaves, who had sailed with me
before, and six men slaves, who begged
to attend me; though I had offered
them their liberty, if they chose to stay
behind.

We sailed with the first fair wind,
and had not been on our voyage above
a day before the captain, willing to
lose no time, began to talk to me very
freely about marriage. He did not indeed
sollicit me for himself; but he
made strong courtship for his son. I
at first answered him with good humour,
and told him I hoped he would let me see D5r 57
see his son before I determined to have
him; and that if he could shoot with
my bow and arrows, which then hung
by me in the cabin, as well as I could,
I would have him, were he ugly or
handsome. But I soon found that he
was too much in earnest, and I too
much in his power: for in a peremptory
manner he told me, that if I would
not immediately sign a bond to marry
his son, on our arrival in England, or
forfeit thirty thousand pounds, I should
neither see England, nor return to my
plantation. I wondered he did not
propose himself, but I found afterwards
that he was a married man, as he informed
me. I did not know law
enough then, or else I might have given
the bond, and so have avoided the distress
that my refusal occasioned, as in D5 equity D5v 58
equity I might have been released from
the penalty; and the readier, as my
two female slaves were witnesses to all
he said. But as I persisted in my refusal,
he grew incensed, and having I
suppose gained the ship’s crew by promises
to assist him, at last told me he
was come to a resolution, that as I persisted
in my refusal, he was now very
opportunely coming to an uninhabited
island, where he would leave me to be a
prey to wild beasts; and that as I had
given him my ship, he would make
bold to give himself the cargo. Two
of my men slaves happened to come
behind him just as he said these words,
when one of them caught him in his
arms, and the other opening the cabin-
window, threw him into the sea. I
know not whether I was sorry for this, at D6r 59
at that instant; but I soon had occasion
to be heartily so, for the consequence
was fatal to them. As our ship, at this
time made very little way, and the captain
could swim, he presently got up to
the ship, and being seen by some of the
crew, who knew not how he got overboard,
a rope was thrown out, and he
quickly drawn up. In the mean time,
one of the two men slaves went, and
brought the other four into my cabin.
Soon after the captain, and several of
his men, armed with pistols and cutlasses,
came into the cabin. The captain
advancing up to him who threw
him overboard, shot him dead, and
now a terrible skirmish began. I indeed
got no hurt, which was a wonder,
for though no blow was aimed at me,
the close of the place exposed me to D6 immi- D6v 60
imminent danger; and the two female
slaves got several wounds. My men slaves
were unarmed, and therefore soon overcome,
three were killed outright, and
the others, I suppose, mortally wounded.
The poor faithful fellow who opened
the cabin-window was hung up alive at
the yard arm, bleeding as he was, there
to perish by hunger, thirst, and heat.
This touched me more than my own
misfortune, I offered the captain a thousand
pounds to release him, and to let
him be cured of his wounds. “Madam,”
returned the villain, “where are your
thousand pounds? all you have on
board is already in my possession.”

Thus could I only pity, but not relieve.

I D7r 61

I now expected my own destiny;
and it soon arrived. The captain, who
had left the cabin, to dispose of his prisoners,
returned, and once more asked
me “if I would sign the bond?” I answered,
“no;” and at the same time desired that
my two maids might have some care
taken of their wounds. He replied, “he
had no surgeon, and if they did not
grow well soon he should throw them
overboard; but if they recovered, he
should sell them the first opportunity:”

he then left the cabin. A few hours
afterwards we came to an uninhabited
island, where he put me on shore, for
nothing that I said could soften his
heart. I begged hard for both, or one,
of my maids; but all the favour I could
obtain, was my bow and quiver of arrows:rows: D7v 62
indeed he gave me a box of
clothes; but for these I did not thank
him, as I never expected to use them,
thinking myself consigned to some wild
beast, whose prey I should become.

Chap. D8r 63

Chap. V.

She offers up praise to God; takes refuge
in an hermitage, where she finds a manuscript
left by the deceased inhabitant,
in which are instructions how to subsist
on the island; reflections on her situation.

Thus disconsolate, and alone, I
sat on the sea-shore. My grief
was too great for my spirits to bear;
I sunk in a swoon on the ground: how
long I lay in this senseless state I know
not, or whether I might ever have recovered,
had not a wave, brought on by
the rising tide, and which broke over
me, awaked me. I arose, hardly sensible
where I was, or what I was doing,
and ran to a rising ground, and here I once D8v 64
once again beheld my deplorable condition.
A few minutes recollection
brought me to a sense of my duty:
for reflecting within my mind, that as
the wicked captain could very easily
have killed, or drowned me, it was a
wonder that he should give me the least
chance for life; that I ought therefore
to thank God for this escape, and to
commit myself to his providence. Indeed,
in the hour of affliction we are
ready enough to pray to God for help;
but are so taken up with a sense of our
miseries, that we forget that we have
any mercy to be thankful for. We
should always sing a Te Deum before
we sigh a litany; for our sighs will
sink before they reach heaven, unless
raised thither by the wind of praise.

Filled D9r 65

Filled with these ideas I fell on my
knees, and thanked God, who had delivered
me out of the hand of the
wicked, and that now I was in his only.
On this occasion, these words of David
came into my mind; “Let me now fall
into the hand of the Lord, for his
mercies are great, and let me not
fall into the hands of man.”
At the
close of my prayers, I solemnly committed
myself into the hands of God.
I now arose from my knees with a serenity
by no means to have been expected.
During this composure of
mind, I advanced to the highest ground
I could see, in hopes I might discover
some place of safety, not considering
the improbability of such a discovery.
Though the sun shone very hot, which
soon dried my wet clothes, yet I saw it declining D9v 66
declining apace; I therefore kept looking
about with eager expectation, when
at last I saw, or thought I did, the ruins
of a building. I advanced and saw it
more distinctly: though it promised
what I wished for, an asylum, yet I
dreaded to go nearer. I looked, I
stopped, I prayed, and then I moved
again; thus strangely divided between
hope and fear, I still kept going forward,
and in an inexpressible agitation
got close up to it, almost insensibly.

I was so near now as to perceive a
door half open: I listened and heard
no noise. Fearful to retire, or to enter,
I stood trembling a long time. How
long I might have remained in this
condition I know not, had not a sudden
noise behind me, like the hallooing of a D10r 67
a human voice, forced me precipitately
to rush in, fearless of the danger within,
that I might avoid that which threatened
me from without. This double sense
of danger deprived me of my senses,
and I sunk down in a swoon. As I recovered
by degrees, I saw all within
the apartment before I was quite sensible
enough to be afraid of my situation,
and seeing nothing to alarm, I
grew quite calm, and observing a kind
of great chair, formed of several large
and less stones, and the seat covered
with a great heap of leaves, I sat down,
and rested my weary limbs and agitated
spirits.

The sun still shone pretty bright
through the holes in the wall, which
was of stone, and perfectly discovered every D10v 68
every thing within. My fright had deprived
me of the thought to shut the
door: however, nothing came to hurt or
alarm me. Before me was an heap of
stones, on which laid a greater, which
served as a table, and near enough to
lean on. In a large fish-shell that lay
on the table I perceived water, which I
boldly ventured to drink of, and found
myself instantly refreshed. I lifted up
my heart to heaven, with thanks, and
bespoke its further protection. On my
right hand I saw a kind of couch
formed, like the table, of a heap of
stones, and the flat part, or surface, covered
with moss and leaves. I now concluded
that this was the habitation of
some human being: but this gave me
no alarm; for as I had read of hermits,
who frequently retire from public life to D11r 69
to enjoy their devotions in private, I
imagined, from what I saw, that this
must be the habitation of such a one,
from whom I did not doubt but I
should meet with protection and spiritual
consolation.

This reflection restored me to such
tranquility of mind, that I rested myself
with the pleasing expectation of his
return, which, considering it was near
night, I thought could not be long. As
I had now fresh cause to be thankful, I
was so; and found I had spirits enough
to sing a short Latin hymn of praise.
But still no hermit appeared, and the
sun was now set; but the moon was
risen, and shone with so much brightness
into the cell, that I scarcely missed the
greater luminary. As I thus sat waiting,ing, D11v 70
I observed a book lying on the
table, which I had not before perceived,
which I supposed to be a book of devotion;
but on opening it, found it to
be a manuscript, in the first leaf of
which were these words.

“If this book should ever fall into
the hands of any person, it is to inform
him that I lived on this uninhabited
island forty years; but now,
finding the symptoms of death upon
me, I am going to retire to another
stone room, where I shall lay me
down, and, if God pleases, rest for
ever from all my troubles.”

As this was dated, as to the month and
year, tho’ without day of the month, I
concluded he must be dead, as it was
a month ago, and therefore gave over 2 all D12r 71
all expectation of seeing the hermit,
with the thought of whose presence I
had pleased myself. A little lower, in
the same page, was added, “If thou
shouldest be obliged to stay here any
time, there are no wild beasts or noxious
animals to injure thee; nor savages,
except once a year, on one
day, see page of this book, 397.
How you may subsist, you may learn
from the history of my life.”

I immediately turned to the page referred
to, and found that it was yet
two months to the time of the Indians
coming on this island. I now thought
I might sleep securely; I therefore shut
the door, and fastened it with a heavy
stone that lay there, I supposed for that
use. Coming back from the door I spied an D12v 72
an heap of Indian roots, which I presently
knew to be such, and which
serve instead of bread. As some of them
were yet very good, and had been
roasted, being very hungry, I ate heartily,
and drank more of the water.
As I walked about the room I saw in
a nook another shell, which I imagined
to be filled with the juice of wild
grapes, from the look and taste, and
therefore, as I was faint, drank some
of it, but with caution, as I found it
was grown strong with standing. As
the moon still shone very bright, I took
out my Greek Testament, which I always
carried in my pocket, it being my
custom to read a chapter in it morning
and night. I opened accidentally in
the epistle to the Hebrews, and the
first words that offered to my view were these; E1r 73
these: chap. xiii. 5. “Οὐ μή σε ἀνῶ
ουδ’ ὀυμήσε ἐνκαταλίπω”
. I cannot
but say they gave me great comfort,
and I thought myself, in that moment,
equal to all the difficulties I foresaw I
had to encounter with, through the divine
protection: though I very well
remembered the caution my pious and
judicious uncle gave me. “Beware,”
said he, “of the practice of some enthusiasts
of our times, who make the
word of God literally an oracle, by
opening of it at particular times, and
on particular occasions, presuming that
where-ever they open, they are to apply
the passage to themselves, or to
the business they are about; because
many have thereby been led into
spiritual pride, and others into despair,
as they opened on a promise, or Vol. I. E a E1v 74
a curse; whilst others have but too
often, in the same manner, pleaded a
warrant from scripture to perpetrate
wickedness, or to propagate error.
Though,”
added he, “happy is the christian
who by a prudent and rational
use of the scriptures procures comfort
to his soul. For as the apostle
says, ‘Whatsoever things were written
aforetime, were written for our learning,
that we through patience and
comfort of the scriptures, might have
hope.’”
Rom. ch. xv. v. 4.

Having read the whole chapter, and
said my prayers, I prepared to take my
rest on the stone couch, and laid down
in my clothes, with more composure,
notwithstanding my dreadful situation,
than my wicked captain, I think, could do, E2r 75
do, though indeed, I believe, a man
may sin to such a degree, as to render
his conscience quite callous; the most
dreadful state a human being can sink
into. Sleep soon closed my eyes, and
I did not awake till the sun was up.
My spirits cheered by such timely refreshment,
and my devotions performed,
I quitted my cell, and directed my
feet towards the sea-shore, to see what
was become of my chest that I had
left there the preceding night; little expecting
to see it again, because I thought
the working of the tide must have washed
it into the sea, or have buried it
in the sands. After some search, I
spied it almost buried indeed in the
sands, but was not much better for the
discovery, as I was unable to remove
it. I therefore returned to my cell, ate E2 some E2v 76
some of the Indian roots, and drank a
little water, whilst my mind was busied,
how I should break open my
chest, and so bring away at times what
I could not at once. I had indeed a
small knife in my pocket, but that was
not strong enough to cut through a
thick board. I looked round my cell,
but found nothing that could assist me.
This gave me some concern, for if I
could not come at my clothes, I considered
that I should soon be very uneasy
to myself, and started at the
thoughts of going naked; however,
for the present, I was obliged to be
contented.

But now other cares came into my
mind. The roots I fed on were not
all of them good, but only a few of them 2 so; E3r 77
so; and how was I to get more? I did suppose
they grew in the island; but I was
not fond of rambling. Though the hermit’s
manuscript assured me there were
no inhabitants nor animals to hurt me,
yet the thought of wandering alone
was terrifying. I might lose my way,
and not be able to find my cell again,
or not under a long time; and even
should I find plants near my habitation,
how was I to make a fire to roast them?
Other anxious thoughts still pressed
upon my mind one after another. At
last, I recollected, that in the memorandum
I had read the night before,
I was informed, that the hermit’s manuscript
contained instructions how to
subsist. This once more cheered my
mind; and I now began to give it a
careful reading, but not regularly; E3 impa- E3v 78
impatiently looking here and there for
those things that most concerned me.
It was written in a fair legible hand. I
soon found that there was a flint and
steel in the cell I was in; that at some
distance there was a small river that
ran quite through the island; that he
made use of the shell of a certain fish
for a lamp, in which he burned the
fat of goats, and for a wick made use
of a particular reed. I then searched
to learn how he got goats to supply
himself with fat, and, at last, met with
this memorandum: “When I first
came upon this island, I found plenty
of goats, yet having no fire-arms,
I was never the better for the discovery,
as they were too wild to catch.
But observing that they were very
fond of a yellow fruit that grows “on E4r 79
on several of the trees here, and that
they were continually watching when
any of it fell off to eat it, this suggested
a thought, that if I gathered some
of it, I might possibly tame them by
giving them plenty of it to eat. I
accordingly broke down some of
the branches, and whilst I held them
in my hand, they would follow me
up and down like a dog, so that I
could catch them when I pleased. I
found also that the goats, if I laid
plenty of this fruit before them,
would let me milk them whilst
they fed. I from this time, no
more wanted either milk or goats
flesh. But as I knew this fruit
would not be on the trees all
the year, I gathered large quantities
of it in the season, and E4 saved E4v 80
saved them to serve in the other
part of the year.”

This information gave me great
pleasure; I immediately searched and
found the steel and flint, and near them
dry leaves and touch-wood. I now
thought of setting fire to one end of
my box, as thinking it better to burn
part of my clothes than come at none
of them: but however, I declined this
method, in hopes of finding some better
expedient; but was still very uneasy,
lest the tide should remove it into
the sea, or bury it out of sight in
the sands; but I was obliged to run
every risk. A few days afterwards
what I wished for was effected by a
means that I at first thought would have
entirely deprived me of my chest. I was E5r 81
was walking near the sea-side, looking
at my chest, when I observed the sea to
rise, and presently the winds blew very
tempestuously. I retreated back
enough to observe the storm in
safety, which, at last, became very
great, and soon saw my chest tossed
about by the waves, as though it had
been as light as a feather. I expected
that every fresh wave would remove it
for ever out of my sight; but it was
removed further and further on shore,
as the sea advanced, till, at last, I saw
it no more. I then gave it up for lost,
and returned home, for so I now called
my cell, very uneasy.

However, the next day, the storm
being over the night before, and the
sun shining very bright, I again visited E5 thflawed-reproduction1 character E5v 82
the shore, and the spot where the chest
had lain, but in vain. But seeing at a
distance higher up from the shore some
rocks, my curiosity led me to go up
to them, not with any expectation of
finding my chest, for I had given over
all thoughts of it; but climbing up
one of them, I found my chest lodged
there. I was glad to see it, though the
same difficulty still remained, how to
open it. Being weary with climbing
the rock, I sat myself down to rest.
As I was sitting on that side of the rock
that declined to the sea, I observed that
on the other side of the rock was a
very deep descent, at the bottom of
which were craggy stones, but level
with the rest of the island. I was startled
at my nearness to it; however, this
suggested something to my mind. If, thought E6r 83
thought I, I could push the chest down
this precipice, the fall might break it;
at least, it would be out of the reach
of the sea. However, I was afraid to
do so, lest I should tumble over with
it. But after some consideration, I
thought that if I laid myself down on
the ground, on the side on which I
got up, I might attempt it. I accordingly
tried, and with great difficulty
moved it, but not immediately; at last,
after a great deal of labour, it fell over.
The noise it made, when it came to the
ground frightened me, though I knew
what it was. My next business was to
get down the way I came up, and then
to find my way to the valley. I did
so, but was obliged to go a great deal
about. When I was come near to the
spot, I found the ground so rugged, E6 that E6v 84
that it was with great difficulty, and
not without several falls, that I reached
the chest, which I found broke into a
great many pieces, and it took me up
near a whole day to remove the contents;
gowns, linen, and many other useful
things. All these I conveyed to my
cell; not a little pleased that I had,
at last, conquered this difficulty, and
was now supplied with things that I
should have greatly wanted.

But to return to where I left off:
having found the steel and flint, I immediately
made a trial of them, and
they were in very good order. I found
three lamp-shells ready prepared; I
lighted them, and they burnt very well.
My next attempt was to get some goats
milk, as I had yet tasted nothing but roasted E7r 85
roasted roots and water; I took a large
fish-shell, of which I found plenty
ready to my hand. It was not long
before I met with the tree with the yellow
fruit, and several goats under it,
who ran a little way off as I advanced,
but not out of sight, but seemed to
wait as if they watched me. I found
it very difficult to climb the tree; but,
at last, got up and broke several boughs
off: and as soon as I was down, the
goats came to me; I laid the boughs
down, and clapt my foot on them, lest
the goats should drag them away. I
now tried to milk one of them, but very
aukwardly, having never done so
before. However, I got enough to
drink then, and to bring home for another
time. I repeated this practice till
I became very ready at it; and not knowing E7v 86
knowing how soon the fruit might fail,
I took care to gather and save a good
deal of it.

My next attempt was to kill a goat,
as I found I grew weak for want of
more substantial food than plants and
milk. There was a knife fit for this
purpose in my cell, and several others,
and forks; but the thoughts of killing
shocked me, and I was afraid to kill
one whilst the others saw me, lest they
should be afraid, and shun me for the
future. Having therefore thrown down
a good deal of the fruit, with a bough
of it, I enticed one of them to follow
me till out of the sight of the others;
and then, but with great uneasiness to
myself, killed it. But a more difficult
task was still behind, to skin and cut E8r 87
cut it up; but as my time was not very
precious, I had enough to bestow
on it, and, at last, completed my job,
though in a very bungling manner. I
carried it home, and made a fire, having
plenty of wood, and roasting some
of it, I made a hearty grateful meal.
What I could not eat whilst it was
fresh, I salted; for I found plenty of
salt on the rocks by the sea-side.

My next care was to provide a new
stock of roots, as those I found in
the cell were nearly consumed. It
was not long before I found plenty;
these I roasted on a fire, and laid them
up. If I was now rich in provisions,
I was quickly more so; for almost every
day, looking into the hermit’s manuscript
book, I learned from thence 2 that E8v 88
that there was not only plenty of shell-
fish on the shore, all of them wholesome,
except the black flesh kind, but
that every tide left great numbers of
other fishes in the holes and shallows.
I soon tasted some of each sort, and
found them very delicious; particularly
a shell-fish, like what are called oysters
in England, and which needed no
dressing; others were of the lobster
and crab kind; the shells of the latter,
being large, were very useful. Besides
fish and flesh, I could also help myself to
birds of various kinds, particularly some
like larks, which I took according to
the hermit’s direction in this manner.
From several of the trees issued a kind
of glutinous matter, which I gathered
and besmeared the little low brambles
and bushes with it, and by that means catched E9r 89
catched a great many small birds, that
used to eat the berries of them.

What a plentiful table was here, furnished
only at the expence of a little
trouble! This happiness I owed to the
misfortunes of another; for had not
the hermit made these discoveries, and
left the means of my coming at the
knowledge of them, how miserable must
have been the state of a lonely woman!
Doubtless I should soon have perished
with hunger! How graciously does
the goodness of providence often raise
help to the distressed from the misfortunes
of others! The hermit who made
these discoveries, and by them was supported,
had great reason to thank God,
and I no less cause to be thankful to
the same being who influenced his heart to E9v 90
to leave behind him the history of his
life, which proved the preservation of
mine.

If this reflection gladdened my heart,
it was succeeded by one that gave me
no less pain: “At last,” cried I, “he died!
—died here!—what might he not
feel for want of some kind friend to
ease his sufferings in his last hours!
Forty years without human society!—
no opportunity offered to restore him to
his native, or to any other country!—
must this be my fate?”
Tears gushed
from mine eyes, and sorrow filled my
heart. Thus weeping and lamenting I
sat, and from time to time exclaimed,
“Wretched princess! what have I done to
suffer thus from human treachery?”
But
at length, a more comfortable view of my E10r 91
my condition again presented itself to
my mind, and I was consoled: for I
again reflected on the great improbability
that there was of my finding
such a resource in my captivity, as the
hermit’s book, and how thankful I
ought to be. “I will take this,” cried I,
“as an earnest of a future deliverance.” At
this instant, I experienced such an inward
persuasion in my mind, that I
should escape from this island, that every
uneasy thought fled, and left my mind
a calm, scarcely to be expressed. I therefore
arose, and went cheerfully about my
little concerns; but not without having
first thanked that God who had given
me this consolation.

Chap. E10v 92

Chap. VI.

The thoughts of her distress occasion a
severe fever; recovers; seeks comfort
in her own reflections.

As I had now settled my manner of
living, I was very easy on that
head, till this reflection destroyed all my
peace: ’Tis true, I am well provided
for the present; whilst the summer and
fine weather continue, I can, with little
difficulty, or rather amusement, supply
myself with fish, flesh, and fowl;
but winter no doubt will come, and
how severe that season may prove I
cannot foretel. How shall I, during the
inclemency of it, procure the means of
subsistence? There will be less plenty of
birds; the gum, which now spontaneouslyously E11r 93
issues from the trees, will then fail,
the sands on the coast being more frequently
and violently agitated, will be
unsafe, and my supplies from thence
less, perhaps none; the goats will also
yield little or no milk; and the rain
perhaps may continue for many days,
nay weeks, and confine me entirely to
my cell.—Such were the anxious perplexing
thoughts that agitated my mind;
and the fear of the future destroyed
the enjoyment of the present.—I sat dissolved
in sighs and tears, and indulged
my melancholy, till the night drew on,
when I laid me down, but not to rest;
and so greatly was my mind afflicted,
that it brought on a violent fever, attended
with a delirium. I raved, I
cried, I laughed by turns. I soon became
so weak, that I was scarce able to crawl E11v 94
crawl from my bed to get some water,
of which I happened to have plenty.
As my thirst was great, I drank
freely of it; but as the fever continued
three days, I was now reduced to my
last shell-full of water. I had at this
time an interval of sense, when I found
I was too weak to go out of my cell
to fetch more, yet my thirst forced me
to drink this; which I did, supposing
it would be my last, and that death
must be my next potion. I soon
emptied the shell, and as well as I was
able, and with as much resignation as
I could, laid me down to die. It was
not long before I fell asleep for the first
time since the fever came on me; how
long I slept I could not tell, but awoke
in a great sweat, and found my thirst
as great as ever, and to such an intolerablelerable E12r 95
degree, that I determined, if
possible, to attempt going to the river
to drink, though I died in the way;
for death itself was more eligible than
the thirst I suffered. With much difficulty
I raised myself up, and got upon
the ground; but was obliged to
crawl upon my hands and feet, and to
rest very often by the way before I
reached the river. Surely deliverance
itself could not have given me greater
pleasure than the sight of the water; I
greedily thought there would be scarce
enough to assuage my raging thirst. I
laid myself flat on the edge, and whilst
I drank, had the additional pleasure of
cooling my hands and face.

At length, my thirst was happily allayed;
but the river was not dried up. The E12v 96
The coolness of the water was so agreeable
to my hands and face, that I
thought I would wash my feet, as they
burnt with no less fierceness. To do
this. ItI was obliged to seat myself on
the bank. It was with much labour and
difficulty I did so; but had scarce
placed myself, when either the bank
broke down, or I slipt, and into the
water I fell, and plunged all over.
Whether the water by its coolness braced
my nerves, and gave me strength, or
how I know not, but I soon reared my
head above the surface, and crawled upon
the shore; when my weakness again
returned, and I fell all along, unable to
stir, expecting to die every moment.
At last, I fell into a deep sleep, I suppose
for some hours, when I awoke in
a violent sweat; I was still thirsty, but not F1r 97
not so painfully as before, and even
found myself refreshed. I was fearful
to have recourse to the river, lest I should
fall into it again, when observing a shegoat
asleep, very near me, I made shift
to creep softly to her, and sucked her
dugs, which she happily permitted. This
was at first a comfortable relief; but I
soon after grew very sick, and vomited
violently. But I found that my fever was
quite gone off, and that I was no longer
thirsty. Reflecting on the great escape
I had from drowning, and the favourable
change in my health, whereas
the mere circumstance of being immersed
in the water, in the condition I was,
might have proved instant death, I
lifted up my heart unto God, and unfeignedly
thanked him for his mercy.

Vol. I. F I now F1v 98

I now attempted to get up and crawl
to my cell; but found myself too weak
to do either. All I could do was, to
sit up sometimes a little. The sun, indeed,
dried my clothes apace, but its
heat was too violent to bear long; I was
forced therefore to crawl a little way
off under the shade of some trees that
grew on the banks of the river; but
this I was long performing, though not
above two or three yards off. The shade
of the trees protecting me from the sun’s
scorching beams, and the cool breezes
which came upon me from the river refreshing
me greatly, I once more fell asleep.
When I awaked I was greatly but
agreeably surprised to find how much better
I was. My clothes were quite dry;
and now I hoped I might be able to get
to my cell; for I saw the sun was setting: F2r 99
setting: though I was not thirsty, I could
have been glad of some more milk, but
there was no goat near me; for notwithstanding
the milk had made me
sick, yet I believe it contributed to my
revoveryrecovery, by clearing my stomach. I
once more attempted to crawl home,
for I could do no more, and glad was I
to do so. At last, I reached my cell, much
fatigued and very weak, and greatly in
want of some refreshment. I soon recollected
there was some of that wine
left that I drank of the first day I came,
and made shift to reach it, but having no
water to mix with it, I drank but a very
little of it, and that little was too
strong for my stomach to stay in it.
Still finding my stomach empty and
uneasy, I, at last, remembered my root
bread, I cut a slice of it, and soaked F2 it F2v 100
it in the wine; I ate sparingly of it, and
found it agreed with me, and refreshed
me greatly. The rest of it I laid by
my couch, and bit a piece of it now and
then, for I lay awake most part of the
night, but free from both thirst and
fever.

Towards morning I slept soundly,
and when I awaked I was much surprised
to find how my strength was recruited,
or rather my weakness abated.
I got up, and most heartily thanked
God for my recovery, and with the
help of two sticks made shift to walk,
though slowly. I reached some of the
yellow fruit with which I used to entice
the goats, and laid it before the door,
in hopes, that the goats would see it,
for I could not walk in search of them; put- F3r 101
putting some stones upon the boughs,
that they might not drag them away.
At last a she-goat came, and I milked
her, and drank a large shell of it, with
a little bit of my root bread. This
agreed extremely well with my stomach;
I continued this practice for
about a week, once a day, drinking a
little wine with water; and thus once
more happily recovered my health and
my strength to such a degree, that I
could now walk about and do my little
business; and, in a week more, was
as well and almost as strong as before.
I now had been upon this place
a month; for as I had an Almanack
with me, I kept an exact account of
time, that I might be sure to conceal
myself on the day the Indians were to F3 arrive, F3v 102
arrive, as cautioned by the hermit’s
manuscript.

Being thus recovered, I could not
but reflect that I owed my late sickness
to my giving way to those anxious
corroding cares that had arisen in
my mind concerning my future subsistence;
and I could not but condemn
my folly, and mourn for the sinfulness
of it, and of which, I hope, I heartily
repented.

My dear uncle was a great recommender
of meditation: “That man,” said
he, “hardly knows that he is a thinking
being, who does not often meditate
by himself. It is,”
said he, “a glorious
privilege, and he who practises “it F4r 103
it will grow wiser and better by an
hour’s serious meditation than by a
month’s reading.”
“We should,”
continued he, “be often inculcating
upon our minds the truths we know,
and they will become fixed. We
should often rebuke, advise, and console
ourselves, and we shall become better
men, more prudent, and more contented.”
I was so strongly convinced
of the reasonableness and utility of this
practice that I adopted it. And, according
to his further advice, used to talk
to myself aloud, as the occasion required,
as I would to another; and
that with all the force of argument,
vehemence, and energy of expression I
could, or as the nature of the subject
required. Upon these occasions I have
been frequently surprised to find how F4 my F4v 104
my understanding has been convinced,
my affections moved, andand my will determined.
I have assented to a truth I
never before believed, wept at the conviction
of a fault, and have found a
consolation in a time of trouble that I
did not expect. On these occasions, it
was always my custom to imagine to myself
that my uncle was speaking to me;
this I thought, as it were, inspired me,
and gave an energy to my words,
strength to my arguments, and commanded
my attention. I have sometimes
indulged this reverie to such a
degree that I have really imagined,
at last, that my uncle was speaking
to me.

By reflecting on my late sickness
and the occasion of it, I was led into one F5r 105
one of these soliloquies; and thus in
the imagined person of my uncle did
I address myself.

“In vain, I find, are the precepts
that I so often inculcated on your
mind; they have not reached your
heart, and, I fear, are erased from
your memory. It was easy in the
day of prosperity to hear instructions
how to bear adversity, but in the
hour of calamity they are forgotten.
From the days of your infancy the
smiles of providence almost constantly
attended you. You were too young at
your mother’s death long to feel her
loss; and that of your father’s was
the most poignant. Indeed, to be at
once deprived of your great affluence,
and secluded from human society, are F5 “afflictions F5v 106
afflictions not of a light weight. But
still, could you find no consolation?
The dread of approaching winter, in
your situation, might alarm; but sure,
at your first coming on this island,
you had no less reason, surely more
so, to be alarmed for your then immediate
preservation. Yet what favourable
circumstances have intervened!
And such as, if properly improved,
may prevent the calamities
you dread. How preferable is your
condition to that of those consigned
to slavery for life! forced to bear
with accumulated evils, utterly unknown
to you! slaves to a tyrant,
and the subjects of unrelenting cruelty!
Ah, Eliza! would we but
compare our sufferings with those of
others, where would the wretch be “found F6r 107
found who would not have something
wherewith to console himself?
How many have voluntarily quitted
the advantages of society, to avoid
the temptations of it, in a worse retirement
than yours?—Thus might
I reason with a heathen, and I think,
not without success. But is not
Unca a christian, or would be such?
Receive then the instructions of a
higher school, and learn of a better
master. Remember him who through
sufferings was made perfect, and that
the disciple is not to be above his
master. Let then your whole life be
one continual ᾿Αφορωντες εις τὴν Ιησȣ͂ν.
The greater your calamities, the
greater should be your trust and
confidence in God. He who relies F6 most F6v 108
most on his providence, glorifies
him most. We should never neglect
the use of means whilst in our
power: but when they fail, we must
still look up to him, who needs them
not; for when we have done our utmost,
we must not despair, as though
God’s power was cut off with ours.
No; at such a time we must commit
ourselves and our wants to him,
with a firm persuasion that he will
help us. If we make him the object
of our faith and prayers, we shall
become the subjects of his mercy.
Remember godliness hath the promise
of this life, as well as of that which is to
come. But always be mindful that we
are to commit ourselves to him by a
patient continuance in well-doing.—
No imaginary flights of faith will warrantrant F7r 109
our confidence in him, nothing will
do unless we prove ourselves to be his
servants by keeping his commands; for
true saving faith always produces good
works. Believe and obey; be thankful
to God for the mercies you enjoy,
and trust in him for those you
want. The citizen may be wretched
and the solitary happy. Human felicity
or misery is confined to no
place or circumstance of life. The
servant of God is safe wheresoever
or howsoever he be. Humble
thyself therefore, under the Almighty
hand of God, and he shall
exalt thee in due time. Let not your
care for this present life make you
neglect that of a future one. Should
your body die here, your soul will
not find the way to heaven the more “difficult. F7v 110
difficult. Though the cloud of affliction
now hangs over your head,
the fun of mercy behind may dispel
it, and once more show hs glorious
face. Believe, obey, and trust, and
be saved, blessed, and delivered. ”

Thus did I endeavour to fortify my
heart, and to learn the patience and resignation
to the dispensations of providence;
nor were my attempts in vain;
nor did I ever again suffer such anxious
cares as those from which I was just
now delivered. Submission or hope,
one or both, were ever after in a less
or greater degree my solace.

Chap. F8r 111

Chap. VII.

Again consults the hermit’s manuscript;
some account of his life; finds the hermitage
to be the temple of the sun;
discovers a great number of mummies,
and on her return from exploring the
temple, perceives the hermit at his devotions.

I had not yet read the hermit’s
manuscript regularly, but here and
there, as I hoped to find some necessary
and useful directions for my manner of
subsistence. But having now pretty
well attained this desirable end, I purposed
to read it from the beginning regularly
through, without omitting any
part. But before I begun, for I found it would 4 F8v 112
would take up a great while, I once
more hastily looked it over, to find
when, and what kind of winter I had
to expect. I found that it was now
but the beginning of the summer, or
rather spring, and that I had at least
six months certain good weather before
me, except some great storms of
thunder and lightning. As I had so
much time between me and winter,
I did not stop now to learn how the
hermit provided against that event; but,
according to my first intention, assigned
a few hours every day to the history of
his life.

As I have this manuscript still in
my possession, I shall do no more than
give a very short view of its contents,
though the whole of it would very well de- F9r 113
deserve to be made public. From this
manuscript I learned, that the hermit
as I called him, on account of his recluse
life, might yet be more properly
called so on account of his extraordinary
piety. The history of his life
is indeed wonderfully extraordinary,
highly entertaining, and full of improvement.
The first thirty years of
his life were unhappily consumed in
more than useless follies; in vices that
had well nigh brought him to a shameful
exit, but ended only in the loss
of his liberty, which he very unexpectedly
and no less wonderfully regained;
if his living the last forty
years of life in this place may be
called a state of liberty.

But F9v 114

But his residence here proved the
happy means of his conversion, of
which with great modesty and ingenuousness,
he gives an ample account.
The manner of his living here was attended
with a greater variety of events,
than could have been expected from
such a solitary situation. His occasional
reflections are sensible and pious,
useful and pertinent. The cell, as I
called it, that I now inhabited, I found
to be but one of many others; the
ruins, as he rationally conjectured, of
some very ancient palace, or rather
temple, which he supposed anciently
belonged to a very large statue, or
image, at a considerable distance from
the place of my habitation, and to
which the ruins approached, and in
part surrounded. This he imagined to have F10r 115
have been an ancient idol sacred to the
sun, which the Indians adored. For,
says he, “Once a year, vast numbers
of them come over from the continent
in canoes, on the opposite side
of the island, and having spent almost
the whole day in a kind of devotion
to this idol, they then go back
again, and never revisit it till the annual
return of the same day.”
The
knowledge of which he having learned,
he took such effectual care to conceal
himself, that he never was discovered,
as I afterwards was certainly satisfied.
The latter part of his life was uniformly
the same to the time that he
wrote the memorandum already mentioned,
which says, That he was retired
from the cell he usually inhabited, to die
in some other.

I had F10v 116

I had not patience to go through the
whole history, till I had seen this extraordinary
idol. For this purpose, I got up early
the next morning, put some roots in
my pocket, and a shell to drink out of,
that I might have the whole day at my
command. I could not, indeed, but have
observed before, that there were many
other stone rooms besides that which I inhabited;
but had never as yet gone into
any other excepting two; in one of which
I laid up the branches of yellow fruit I gathered
for the goats, and the other in which
I kept my dried goat’s flesh, and some
dried fish. Upon searching, I found
some uninhabitable, others in as good
condition as that I dwelt in, some well
lighted with holes on the sides, others
dark. But being curious to see if I
could discover why this distinction was made, F11r 117
made, not being far from my cell, I
fetched one of my lighted lamps.

The first room I entered, I found
surrounded with mummies, like those I
have read of in the histories of Egypt,
and one of which I once saw in England.
At first I started; but instantly
recollecting, that I had no cause to
fear, I examined them with great attention.
They were all placed upright,
as close as they could be round the
cell, without touching one another.
Observing Indian characters upon each
of them finely painted, besides various
drawings of birds, beasts, insects, and
other things, I examined them more
nicely. As I understood the Indian
languages perfectly, I soon learned that
these had been priests of the sun. Each
mummy had on it the name of the priest, F11v 118
priest, his age, and the time of his death;
by which I found that most of them had
been there at least one thousand years.
Leaving this, I went into another, and
another, till I had visited a dozen, all filled
in the same manner, with the same order
of men, all uninjured by time.

Some other rooms, which were much
more spacious, were filled with stone coffins,
with just room to pass between, and
against the walls they were placed, at
a little distance between each, to the
height of four coffins. These I supposed
had not been embalmed, for as
they were all uncovered, I could see no
remains of their bodies but the ashes;
but at the head of each, lay a kind of
coronet. I took up several of them,
and imagined they were made of gold,
as I afterwards found they were. I suppose,pose, F12r 119
from the make of them, they had
been worn upon their heads.

I should have observed that when I
was viewing the mummies, I found
golden coronets placed upon each of
their heads, but of a larger and different
make, which showed that they
had never been worn, but made on
purpose, as I conjectured, for the use
to which they were applied. I was very
desirous to know who those had been
whose ashes only remained, and at last,
discovered an inscription on the headstone
of each coffin, from which I
learned that they had been virgins of
the sun, consecrated to the service of
the temple. Of these virgins I found
in different rooms many hundreds, and
several hundreds of the priests. As I continued F12v 120
continued my search, I found other
rooms, but all at a little distance from
one another, some not at all injured
by time, others a little, and some a
great deal. At last, I came to a group
of, I believe, about five hundred, of a
different form from the rest, and much
less. Each of these contained only one
mummy, which, upon inspection, I
found were the mummies of the high-
priests of the sun. These had also a
crown of gold on their heads, and
suspended on their breasts, a golden
figure of the sun, rudely carved in
gold. What a collection of mummies
and of golden treasure! “But what
is this?”
cried I, “I had too much
gold before to be happy.”
This reflection
gave birth to a sigh; but I
soon suppressed its progress; and as I found G1r 121
found the day was too far gone to pursue
my journey to the idol, I returned
ruminating on what I had seen, towards
my solitary cell; for such I must still
call it, though I might truly say to
my apartment in the palace. I should
have mentioned that in each of the
dormitories, I found a lamp of gold
suspended from the roof; one of these
was still burning. This confirmed what
I had read of the perpetual lamps of
the ancients.

I had indulged myself so long in
my rambles among these dormitories,
that it was dark before I reached my
cell. But what was my astonishment
when pushing the door open, I saw in
my cell a light! This, at the same
instant, discovered to my sight, a venerableVol. I. G nerable G1v 122
old man, with a long beard, kneeling
as at his prayers. I concluded, that
it must be the ghost of the old hermit.
This was too much; and I sunk down
in a swoon. My fall, I suppose, alarmed
the hermit; for, when I came to myself,
I found him sitting by me, supporting
me in his arms, being too
weak to lift me up. As soon as he saw
me revive, “My daughter,” said he
“be comforted, you are safe; whatever
misfortune may have brought you
here, what protection and help a
poor feeble old man can give, you
may depend on.”

Being a little more composed, I got
up, and accompanied the old man into
the cell; though not as yet thoroughly
satisfied whether I conversed with the dead, G2r 123
dead, or the living. In the mean time
he brought the shell that had still some
wine in it to me; I drank a little of
it, and found myself quite recovered,
when we entered into discourse. He
then drank some himself.

“Holy father,” said I, “I thought
you had been dead some weeks ago;
are you really living, or do I converse
with a spirit?”
“My daughter,”
returned the hermit, “I am really a
living body, though too weak and
faint to live much longer. But how
comes it that you speak to me in a
manner as if you knew me? I was
surprized to see you here, but more so
to hear you talk in this manner; and,
did not your late swooning convince
me that you are a mortal like myself, G2 “I G2v 124
I should think that I, in my turn,
was also discoursing with a spirit.”

This gave me occasion to acquaint
him with the cause of my coming on
the island, and what had passed since, to
the time of our meeting.

“Have I then,” cried he, “been so
happy as to have my missortunes
prove the means of affording assistance
to an innocent and unhappy
sufferer? Thanks be to God!—I
wrote,”
continued he, “the memorandum
of my supposed approaching
death, that you have read, and
thinking my end to be very near,
walked out with a design to go to
one of the dormitories belonging,
as I find by your information, to the “vir- G3r 125
virgins of the sun, in order to clear
one of them of the ashes it contained,
and lay myself down in it; and there
to await my approaching dissolution,
which I thought could not then be
far off; but as I was going thither
a kind of delirium seized my brain,
and I wandered up and down, unknowing
where I went. Though
I had intervals of sense, they never
continued long enough for me either
to find my way back to my cell, or
to a dormitory. The only advantage
I reaped from them was when
I found myself hungry or dry, to
gather fruits to eat, and to seek for
water. I suppose in my rambles I
got to the more remote part of the
island. Once indeed I imagined I
was very near my cell, and that I G3 thought G3v 126
thought I saw the figure of a woman
standing at the door; upon which I
halloed as loud as I could; but it vanished
like lightning from my sight.
Having to-day the enjoyment of my
senses, I at the close of it found
my way to my cell; there was just
light enough to guide me to one of
my lamps, which I lighted, and was
kneeled down to say my prayers, when
the noise of your fall made me turn
round in a start, and I beheld you
lying on the ground. This augmented
my surprize, and it was some
moments before I could recover myself,
so as to be able to move to your
assistance.”

Chap. G4r 127

Chap. VIII.

The hermit dies; the idol of the sun
described; discovers a subterranean cell,
that leads to the inside of the idol; a
terrible tempest.

Finding the hermit stopped his
discourse, I told him, I believed
that he really saw me, for that about a
month ago, as already related in the
foregoing part of my life,See page 66. the day I
was put upon the island, as I stood at
the door of his cell, fearful to enter, I
then imagined that I heard an human
voice calling to me: the fright drove
me into the cell; but from that time
to this I could never account for it, but G4 con- G4v 128
concluded afterwards that the noise existed
only in my fearful imagination.

During our conversation we refreshed
ourselves with some goats flesh and
roots, and, now the night being far
spent, I persuaded the hermit, after
much intreaty, to repose himself on
the stone couch, whilst I sat in the
chair. The sun was far advanced the
next morning, when I found the hermit
still reclined on the couch. I thought
he might still be sleeping, and went softly
out, to get some goats milk for our
breakfast, and after my return waited
some hours for his awaking; but as he
did not stir, I began to suspect hemighthe might
be dead. At last I persuaded myself to
go nearer, and now perceived he was
really so. I was sorry so soon to have lost his G5r 129
his society, from which I promised
myself much solace. As it was impossible
for me to remove him, had I
been ever so desirous, I immediately
set myself to convey every thing out of
the room into another, which I found
equally convenient; only I had the
trouble to gather moss and leaves to
lay upon the couch.

When I quitted the room entirely, I
pulled the door after me, and with loose
stones, of which there were plenty, so
closed it up that no creature could enter.
The day was now too far spent to renew
the searches of the day before;
which I therefore deferred till the next
day, when I awoke early, and having
provided for my subsistence as before,
once more visited these solitary ruins. G5 Meet- G5v 130
Meeting nothing new I endeavoured to
find my way to the idol; which was
not very difficult, as the ruins of the
buildings continued quite from my first
cell to the idol. As I approached nearer
to it, I found the form of the building
to vary much from what I had before
seen. The rooms or cells here were
much larger than the dormitories; and
were I suppose the apartments, some of
which were still entire, which the priests
inhabited. By all that I could see I
concluded that this palace had never
been raised higher than one story; which
might be the reason that it covered so
great an extent of ground.

Now, at the distance of about a mile
from the place of my abode, as near
as I could calculate, I came near to the idol; G6r 131
idol; and here I suppose the temple
began; for I found no more apartments,
but the remains of a wall, which
had antiently, no doubt, surrounded the
idol, and left a large area in the middle.
In the center stood this idol. Round
it was an ascent of twenty stone steps.
The image itself, of gold, greatly exceeded
human size: it resembled a man
clad in a long robe or vest; which
reached quite down to the pedestal-stone
or foundation on which it stood, and lay
in folds upon it. This image was girt
about the waist as with a girdle, and on
each breast gathered to a point, fastened
as it were, with a button; the neck
and bosom quite bear like the manner
of women; on the head was a curiously
wrought crown, and between the
two breasts an image of the sun carved G6 in G6v 132
in gold, as was all the rest of it. The
right hand supported the figure of a
new moon, and the left held a cluster
of stars. On the back part of the
idol was written in large Indian characters
to this purpose, “The oracle of
the sun”
. I ascended the steps, and
threw a stone at the image, and found it
was hollow.

Having now pretty well satisfied my
curiosity, I began my walk home again.
In my way thither, as I kept a strait
way as nearly as the buildings would
admit, I struck my foot against something
and fell down. I got no hurt;
as soon as I was up again, I turned
round to see at what I had stumbled,
and found it to be a large iron bar.
Upon removing the earth, that covered part G7r 133
part of it, I discovered a kind of trap-
door of the same metal, of which this
was a part, and two strong bolts. I
endeavoured, with stones, to force the
bolts open, but did not effect it without
great labour, and then with equal
difficulty pulled the door up, on the
inside of which were two other bolts
to fasten it within-side. A stone staircase
presented itself; I went down a
few steps; but as they led me under
the earth, I found it too dark to proceed
without a light. But my curiosity was
so much excited, that I determined to
go home, and fetch a light to explore
this subterraneous cavity. For this
purpose I brought three shell-lamps
and my tinder-box.

As G7v 134

As soon as I was got to the bottom
of the stairs, and had lost all sight of
the light above, I sat down one of my
lighted lamps; at a further distance I
sat down another in the same manner,
and with a third and my tinder-box,
in case the light should go out, then
proceeded. I made use of these three
lights to render the passage less terrifying,
and that I might be in less danger
of being left in total darkness. I
found this passage very narrow, capable
of admitting only one person to
walk abreast, but high enough to
admit a person of more than the highest
stature. Almost all the way on each
side there were a kind of nitches or
holes. Upon examining them I found
they contained a variety of things, all
of gold, of which I knew not the use, besides G8r 135
besides a great number of rings, bracelets,
lamps, and crowns. An immense
treasure! a litlelittle further I discovered
a kind of room, pretty spacious;
in this hung up a great many,
as I supposed, sacred vestments. These
were formed of gold wire, or rather of
narrow plated gold curiously folded, or
twisted together like net work.

I was surprised to find how little they
were tarnished; but the place in which
they hung was very dry, and had very little
air. Among these vestments were some
of more extraordinary workmanship
and richness. The largest was, as it
were, sprinkled over with precious stones,
and here and there a large diamond.
It appeared to be in the same fashion
with that with which the statue of the sun G8v 136
sun was clothed. By this hung a kind of
close vest or cassock of the same make, designed
I supposed to be worn under the
other, with diamond buttons to fasten it.
Near this was a crown of most exquisite
make, richly beset with precious stones
of various sizes and colours; one
on the top particularly large, which
emitted from all parts of it a light
greater than that of my lamp.

In the same room was a golden staff,
or rod, with a small image of the sun
on the top of it. I supposed these two
last vestments might have belonged to
the high priest; and the staff likewise.
In looking over the gold rings, I found
one which was set round with precious
stones, with a very large one in the
middle, which shone with a lustre equal to G9r 137
to that on the top of the crown, as I
supposed the high-priests wore; this
I put on one of my fingers, and two of
the richest bracelets, beset with precious
stones, on each of my arms.

Having sufficiently satisfied my curiosity
with looking at treasures that
could yield me no real service, I walked
on a little farther, and found another
flight of stairs; these I ascended, wondering
whither they would lead me.
They were very narrow and steep; which
I soon found, led me up into the image
of the sun. At last I got quite into
the body of it, and my head within
the head of it. There were holes
through the mouth, eyes, nose, and ears
of it; so that I could distinctly see all
over the island before me, of which the height G9v 138
height I was at gave me a great command.
I indeed thought I could even
behold the sea.

My astonishment was so great at
what I had seen, that I exclaimed aloud,
“What wonders are here!” As I spoke
these words pretty loud, I had scarcely
uttered them, before I was almost stunned
with the sound of my own voice.
This image, particularly the head of it,
it seems, was so wonderfully constructed
as to increase the sound of even a low
voice to such a degree as to exceed that
of the loudest speaker: for afterwards
saying, in as low a voice as I could,
“What a knowledge of mechanics must
the ancients have had!”
I might, I
dare say, have been heard as far as the
human voice is commonly heard intelligibly.telligibly. G10r 139
Nothing therefore could be
more natural for me to conclude than
that this image was anciently used to
give out oracles: I tried to sing an
hymn in my usual pitch of voice; but
the sound was too much for my ears to
bear; and I was obliged to lower my
key.

I now thought it time to descend and
go home, lest the night should come
on me. The extraordinary things that
I had seen afforded me a variety of
agreeable reflections in my way home,
and took off from the horror of the
gloominess that the approaching evening
shed around me. Nor did the
thought of walking among the remains
of the dead give me the least terror.
Having reached my cell, and preparedpared G10v 140
to take my rest, I was alarmed
with a loud clap of thunder, I cannot
say terrified, for I naturally love to hear
it thunder; there is something awful
and great in it, that always composes
my mind, raises it above the things of
sense, and fills my mind with noble
and exalted ideas of God; whose presence
I think it, as it were, bespeaks.
I bow and reverence: for though sensible
that both it and lightning are the
effects of natural causes, yet I consider
them as under the direction of God;
and doubt not that they are sometimes
directed to answer some particular ends
of providence.

Storms of this kind, that sometimes
happen in Europe, are by no means
to be compared to those in these parts; and G11r 141
and of the latter sort was that which
I am now mentioning. The claps of
thunder were prodigious loud and long;
the lightning almost without intermission.
I was fearful that the stone room
I sat in might be thrown down, and
therefore went out.

But what did I behold! Imagination
can scarcely conceive such a total darkness
as then covered the earth; as if
every particle of light had been annihilated,
and primitive chaos had once
more resumed its reign; when in an
instant the thunder roared, as if the
whole earth had been bursting into
atoms, whilst the lightning showed the
air one entire body of liquid fire, and
so illumined the earth, that I knew
not which was brighter, that or the air. It G11v 142
It was too much to bear; I again
sought my cell, and there trembling
waited the dissolution of all things, as
I indeed then expected.

I suppose this dreadful hurricane might
continue two hours, when it gradually
expired, or rather seemed to retire,
elsewhere, in more low and distant
sounds, and all was calm as though it
had always been so. I soon became
composed myself, and once more retired
to rest. But what a new scene
presented itself the next morning, when
I came out of my habitation to view
the effects that the last night might
have produced! My way was frequently
obstructed by trees torn up with
their roots, and scattered here and there,
and the earth in many places covered 4 with G12r 143
with the bodies of dead birds, goats,
&c. and the carcasses of other small
animals, whose names I knew not. But
when I approached the sea-shore, the
objects were changed; but to such as
still showed how dreadful the storm
had been. The foam, which the agitated
sea had thrown on the shore, lay
in great quantities intermixed with a
prodigious number of dead fish; some
of an enormous size. Many of the
rocks were rent in pieces, and their
broken fragments made an horrid appearance.
What a subject of speculation
here for a philosopher!

I now turned my steps back to the
more inland parts, where I beheld the
same havock made among the trees,
beasts, and birds, but no hurt done to G12v 144
to the remains of the palace; which I
suppose owed its security from the general
desolation, to the lowness of it.
But I must confess I trembled for the
statue of the sun, though I knew not
why; for what was it to me whether
it stood or fell? As soon as I came
near enough, I saw it was safe; and was
far from being displeased that it was so.

I now returned home, and having
thoroughly gratified my curiosity in
searching among the ancient ruins and
exploring the contents of them, I spent
my time in my little domestic concerns,
my devotions, and reading the few books
that I found in my chest.

Chap. H1r 145

Chap. IX.

Terrified at the annual visitation of the
Indians, she intends to conceal herself in
the subterranean passage; resolves to
convert the Indians; takes her station
in the body of the idol.

The time now drew pretty near
when the Indians were to come to
pay their annual visit to the idol of the
sun. This reflection put me upon
thinking how I should secrete myself
during that day. I was indeed informed
by the hermit’s manuscript, that he contented
himself with staying within his
cell, and forty years had found that precaution
sufficient for his concealment;
but still I was afraid to follow his example.Vol. I H ample. H1v 146
Perhaps my being a woman
made me more timerous. That, thought
I, which has never happened may possibly
arrive, and if prudence teaches us
always to avail ourselves of the best
means in our power, I ought rather to
secrete myself in the subterraneous passage,
a place in which I shall certainly
be less liable to be found; and certainly
unused by the hermit, only because
unknown to him; for I found no
mention of it, and most undoubtedly he
would not have passed over, in silence,
such an extraordinary discovery. The
circumstance of the two bolts withinside
of the iron door, which opened
into the passage, confirmed my opinion
in the fitness of this asylum, as by
their means I could fasten myself in.

I had H2r 147

I had no sooner made my fixed determination
to retire to this place,
but a very strange thought arose in my
mind. It was nothing less than this,
to ascend into the hollow idol, speak
to the Indians from thence, and endeavour
to convert them from their idolatry.
A bold attempt! not rashly to
be undertaken. I weighed this for several
days in my mind. As the manner
of my education had afforded me
an opportunity of learning several of
the Indian dialects, so as to speak
them with the utmost ease, I thought
it very probable they might speak some
one of them; and the construction of
the image, as before observed, was such,
that if they came within any tolerable
distance of it, I should discover
whether I understood them or not. H2 If H2v 148
If the latter, it would remain only for
me to be silent; but if I should understand
their language, I thought the
extraordinariness of the event, my
speaking to them, would appear miraculous,
fill them with awe, and prejudice
their minds greatly in favour of what
I should say to them. I further strengthened
my resolution with this reflection,
that an attempt to teach the knowledge
of the true God to those who know
him not, was laudable, and might not
want a providential sanction. As to
the human means, I knew I was tolerably
well principled in the theory of
religion, by my uncle’s great care, as
already mentioned.

With respect to the Indians, I very
well knew that they are generally of a do- H3r 149
a docile disposition, and that if you
once convince them that your intentions
towards them are friendly, no
people are more grateful; nor are there
any in whom you can, safely, place a
greater confidence. Again I considered,
that if I should hereafter judge it prudent
to discover myself to them, and
to go and live among them, that my
tawny complexion would be some
recommendation. Supposing all this
should take place, I thought that though
it might not open a way to my return
to Europe, yet it might to my living
a much happier life, and give me an
opportunity of doing abundantly more
good, than I had the least reason to
think I should ever effect during the
whole course of my life. The more
I considered the affair, the more resoluteH3 lute H3v 150
I became to undertake it. However,
I was determined to give it a very
deliberate consideration. Nay, I even
made it the subject of my prayers, that
if I might become an instrument to
promote the knowledge and glory of
God, and the salvation and happiness
of any of his creatures, I might
have his blessing on my endeavours.
Surely this was not superstition in one
who believes in a particular providence!
And of this persuasion shall no
man rob me! Certainly he who would
divide the belief of a particular providence
from religion, destroys that
which he should retain. He takes
from man that hope which only can
support him under the vicissitudes and
cares of this life. Let a man be thoroughly
persuaded that he is not the the H4r 151
the subject of divine care, what can
support him in the hour of affliction?
What can prevent him from seeking relief
from the pistol, or the dagger?

But leaving these reflections to those
who are so happy as to think, I return
to my history. I reflected that as
there were several holes, or openings
in the image, I might possibly be seen
through them by the Indians, before I
might have leisure to judge whether I
should address myself to them or not;
which might be attended with unforeseen
consequences, to my great disadvantage.
To come to a certainty as
to this material point, I proceeded in
this manner: I took one of my gowns,
and carried it into the statue, and
with other things so stuffed it out, as H4 to H4v 152
to make it fast within the idol, and
to cover all the holes. I then went out
upon the island, and carefully surveyed
the statue round, and found, to my
great satisfaction, that the several perforations
grew narrower as they approached
the interior part of the statue,
and were so deep that they cast a
shadow within themselves, so that upon
the nearest approach it was impossible
to see into it, without there had
been a light within-side; however, at
least, I could not distinguish my gown;
and the statue was too high for any
person to bring his eyes, or even his
hands, near to the openings. But for
fear this deception might be owing to
the gown’s covering the holes more
closely than my body could, I took it
away, and once more went out to make a se- H5r 153
second observation, and had still the
pleasure to find it was impossible to see
into the statue at all.

Though this danger was entirely removed,
there still remained another. I
had discovered, as the reader may remember,
that such was the wonderful
mechanism of this statue, that the least
sound became very audible. The noise
I might make then at getting into it
might instantly discover me; for it was
reasonable to suppose, that the visitants
would come as near to their idol as
they could; no doubt ascend the very
steps leading up to it, and being thus
near must needs hear the least noise.

Alarming as this consideration was,
it soon subsided. For to avoid the
possibility of this event, I determined H5 to H5v 154
to place myself in it before their arrival,
and to sit perfectly still till their
departure, if I should see occasion;
or till I spoke, if I should find it proper
so to do. The image was very
well contrived to favour my purpose;
there was in it a convenient seat, and
sure footing for my feet; and which
also luckily suited my stature, so that
when I sat, my face was directly upon
a level with the holes; by which means
I could, without changing my posture,
see every thing that was to be seen
through them. Looking in my Almanack
I found that the night preceding
the Thursday on which the Indians
were to come, was the time of full-
moon; and that, therefore, they, very
probably, would take the advantage
of it to set out in the night, to be on the H6r 155
the island early in the morning. Nor
was my conjecture wrong, as the event
proved. I thought, therefore, it would
be prudent in me to take up my residence
early in the evening.

There were now but three days to
come before their arrival, during which,
I changed my mind, perhaps, as many
times as there are hours in that space.
This moment I imagined hundreds of
Indians prostrate before me with reverence
and attention, whilst like a lawgiver,
I uttered precepts, and, like an
orator, inculcated them with a voice
magnified almost to the loudness of
thunder. At another time my soul
shrunk within me at the imagined noise
of their dreadful yell; whilst my imagination
painted to me an enraged H6 multitude H6v 156
multitude tearing down, in their fury,
branches of trees with which to surround
the statue, and to burn me
in it.

As one, or other of these thoughts
prevailed, I resolved for or against, the
undertaking. At last, with more than
female resolution, I determined on the
attempt, and from that moment fortified
my mind, and checked every rising
fear. This was on the morning of the
preceding day of their coming. Out
of the few clothes which I had, I chose
those which I thought would make the
least rustling, and were the least bulky.
I thought one shell-lamp would be sufficient,
and that I would put that out,
when I came to the foot of the statue,
as I should take my tinder-box with me. H7r 157
me. As I intended to get into the
statue at night, and knew not how many
hours I might be obliged to continue
there the next days, I put a few
roots into my pocket, and as I had nothing
but shells to take any water in
with me, and was afraid I might drop
them, and make a noise, I contented myself
with some ripe limes and other
moist fruits, of which there was plenty
on the island. When the evening came
on, having first performed some particular
devotions on the occasion, I set
out, and as soon as I had got low
enough down the stairs, I fastened the
two bolts of the door after me. I
should have observed that before I set
out, I concealed every thing I had up
and down in holes, which I covered
up close with stones, so as nothing could H7v 158
could be perceived, that in case any
of the Indians should chance to wander
into my apartments, they should discover
nothing that might prompt them
to suppose that any human creature inhabited
them.

When I came to the foot of the
statue I pulled off my shoes, and left
them there, that I might not make any
noise with them in changing my posture
as I sat. Though my situation
was dark within, yet as the moon shone
very bright, I had a very agreeable prospect
of the island. My mind was too
busy to suffer me to sleep; the expectation
of the events of the coming
day engrossed all my thoughts. I
hoped, I feared, I trembled, I prayed.
For a moment I resolved to descend, and H8r 159
and give up the enterprize; again,
much courage revived, and I was a
heroine. The consciousness of the purity
of my intention, and the goodness
of my design, prevailed over every other
thought, and I became calm and determined.
Whilst I thus sat waiting
for the arrival of the Indians, and observing
the signs of approaching day,
a sudden clap of thunder broke just
over my head; the introduction to a
more violent hurricane than that which
I had lately seen. This was accompanied
with an earthquake that shook the
whole island, and I expected every moment
that I should be swallowed up,
or, at the best, that the statue would be
overturned with myself in it. I now
trembled indeed, and all my courage
failed. The storm still continuing, I at H8v 160
at last, made shift to descend the stairs,
and being arrived in the passage, I sat
down on the ground, unable to go far
into it.

It was darkness all around me, and
I could not find my lamp and tinderbox.
The earthquake still continued,
as I perceived by the motion of
the ground beneath me. I thought it
could not be long before I should be
buried alive in the earth; and therefore,
as well as my disturbed spirits
would permit, recommended myself into
the hands of God.

Chap. H9r 161

Chap. X.

Finds herself unable to get out of the
idol; after despairing of extricating herself,
forces open the passage; and perceives
the earthquake had destroyed her
habitation.

In this melancholy situation did I
continue for some hours, when I
supposed the earthquake was over; for
I no longer felt the motion of it. But
the thunder still continued, yet with
less violence, and the claps were not
so frequent. I got up, and once more
ascended into the image, saw no appearance
of the Indians, and supposed
that they would not be able to come at
all at that time. Whilst I sat here, I per- H9v 162
perceived the earth to shake again, and
I once more descended into the passage,
determined at all events to get out
of it, and, if possible, once more, to
gain my cell; for I shuddered at the
thoughts of being buried alive where I
was, which I had but too much reason
to fear. I even got over the fear of
the Indians coming, and discovering
of me, with the hopes that my complexion
and the advantage of speaking
their language, which I little feared but
I should understand, would recommend
me to their favour. And with respect
to the storm, I might possibly
escape without any hurt; and at the
worst, I thought it would be better to
die by a blast of lightning, or by the
stroke of thunder, than to be buried alive H10r 163
alive in the earth, and very likely be
several days in dying.

I should have been glad to have
found my lamp; but as I could not,
I groped my way as well as I could
to the stairs, which led up to the trapdoor,
which, having reached, I endeavoured
to unbolt; but as the bolts
were large and very rusty, they gave
me a great deal of trouble and much
pain, forced the skin off my hands,
and made them very sore and bloody.
At last they both gave back, when I
pushed the door upwards; but what
was my terror at finding it would not
give way! I was persuaded that I had
unbolted it; and therefore concluded,
in my mind, that the earthquake had
overturned some of the earth above, and H10v 164
and covered it over. It is impossible
to describe the agony of my mind; I
concluded myself lost, that I was entombed
alive, and that I should miserably
perish with hunger and thirst.
Fear added strength, and I again and
again made the utmost efforts to raise
the door up, but in vain; I did but
increase my pain, and exhaust my
strength, till I was unable to make a
farther trial.

How dreadful my situation! no other
prospect before me but that of a certain
lingering death! I sat a long time
on the stairs in the most melancholy
condition. I endeavoured to pray, but
could not; at last I did, when, a little
more composed, I got up to look at
that light which I never expected to enjoy H11r 165
enjoy again with an open freedom. I
was satisfied as I crept along, that the
earthquake was over. When I was
got into the statue, I found that the
thunder and lightning still continued.
What would I not have given in that
moment, to have been exposed to its
utmost violence! I most ardently wished
for the coming of the Indians, who
happily might prove the instruments
of my deliverance. But this was rather
the wish of despair than a probable
event; for how should they know
where to find the door, supposing them
present and disposed to seek it? Tired
with sitting here, or rather with my
own tormenting thoughts, I once more,
I knew not why, descended into the
passage; but what comfort was I to
find there? As I got to the bottom of H11v 166
of the stairs my foot struck against something,
which, upon feeling, I found
to be my tinder-box, and by it my lamp.
A secret joy spread through my heart.
This I instantly checked with this reflection,
“What comfort,” said I to myself,
“can light afford to such a wretch as I
am, doomed to perish in this place?”

I now upbraided myself with my own
folly. Why did I undertake this rash,
hazardous enterprize? Could the poor
hermit content himself forty years in
his lonely cell, and was I so soon weary
of it? All the favours of providence
are now lost upon me. I might have
lived with some degree of comfort, but
now must perish miserably. I have by
my rashness sinned against the mercy
of heaven, and now must die without
it.

Thus H12r 167

Thus did I indulge the severest
reflections on my own conduct. At
last I thought I would once more
look at my prison-door, but with no
hopes of escape. For this purpose I
struck fire, and lighted my lamp,
and having reached the door, I carefully
examined the bolts, which I
thought I discovered to be not quite
drawn back; this gave me a little
hope. I tried one of them with much
pain, for my hands were very sore, and
at last it gave back a little; now my
hopes were quite revived, and gave me
fresh strength to attempt the other,
and was again successful, and so happy
as to raise the door up. Thus had
my mistake procured all this uneasiness
to me; and how many of our miseries
do often flow from our mistakes? I 4 now H12v 168
now once more beheld the open air in freedom,
if such can be said of one who was
confined in a small island bounded by
the sea. I thanked God for my deliverance,
and as the day was declining,
I intended to make haste to my cell,
but found fresh ruins to interrupt
my way. Those remains of the palace
which I left standing but the day
before, were now thrown down; not
one had escaped the violence of the
earthquake, not even excepting the
cell I inhabited. I had reason, indeed,
to be very thankful for my confinement
in the subterraneous passage,
to which, in all probability, I owed
my not having perished in my cell.
But one misfortune I still sustained, the
want of an apartment above ground.

The I1r 169

The thoughts of living under-ground
were very disagreeable; but no better
habitation remained for me. It was
well for me, that I had the precaution to
remove my few effects out of my cell,
which by the fall of it might have been
destroyed, but which I found safe where
I had deposited them. I took some provisions,
and some more lamps and fat, in
order to render my dark abode as light
as I could, and with an heavy heart returned
back to the place I had left but a
little while before, not thinking I should
ever have made it the voluntary place
of my residence, if indeed I may say
voluntary; for it was necessity, not a
free choice, that led me thither. Having
entered by the door and fastened it,
I lighted five other lamps, with that I
carried in my hand ready lighted, but Vol. I. I these I1v 170
these were not sufficient to take off the
gloominess of the place. I had no better
lodging than the bare ground; for
it was too late to furnish myself with
leaves.

A melancholy situation this! and
scarcely was I able to bear it; but I
summoned every thing that could give
me comfort, or inspire me with fortitude.
Among other things I considered
that it was in every respect better
than being on the ground above,
exposed to the air and other accidents;
that here, at least, was a safe retreat;
that my distress was neither owing to
my own sin or folly; and that, above
all, no place is excluded from the
presence of God; that his providential
eye was still watching over me, and that I2r 171
that I was under his protection. Having
taken some refreshment, which I
greatly needed, and said my prayers,
I laid me down in one of the apartments
here, already mentioned, with
all my lamps burning, and, being tolerably
composed in my mind, and
very weary and heavy, having had
no rest the night before, I fell fast
asleep.

I2 Chap. I2v 172

Chap. XI.

The Indians land, and approach the idol;
the high-priest interrogates the statue,
from which she makes responses, and
instructs them in the principles of the
Christian religion.

As soon as I awoke I got up, and
finding two of my lamps yet burning,
I took one of them, walked to the
stairs that led up to the statue, which I
ascended, and found the sun had been
risen some time, and that it was
a very fine calm morning. I had
not been here long before I heard a prodigious
noise of voices, when looking
forwards, I discovered a great number
of Indians approaching, at some distance.tance. I3r 173
The noise and sight of them
startled me at first; but recovering myself
from the surprize, my former intention
of speaking to them revived,
and I was the more confirmed in my
resolution to do so from a consideration
of the almost impossibility of living
long under ground. Therefore first
commending myself to God, and my
intention, I waited for a favourable opportunity;
in the mean time sitting as
still as possible.

There was a great number of them,
men, women, and children, who as
they drew nearer formed themselves, as
it were, into ranks, the oldest men first,
then the younger, after these the eldest
women, and the youngest; lastly the I3 chil- I3v 174
children, (no infants) boys and girls,
the last of which brought up the rear.
But I should have observed that the
whole body of them was preceded by
six old men, their priests, with a very
old man at their head, so feeble with
age that he was supported by two others.
As soon as they had formed themselves
in this manner, they came on very slowly,
and with a profound silence. This slow
march greatly favoured me, and gave
me time to be thoroughly composed
and fortified. I supposed their reasons
were partly reverence, and partly to favour
their ancient feeble high-priest;
for such he was to the sun. Each of
the priests had a small golden image
suspended at his breast, and a golden
coronet. The high priest the same,
only that his coronet was much larger; he I4r 175
he had besides a long staff in his right
hand, with an image of the sun upon the
top of it, also of gold.

Having approached within a few
yards of the statue, they all stopt; when
the high priest, and the six others,
with the whole assembly, very devoutly
prostrated themselves to the earth three
times: all of them continued prostrate
on the ground, except the six priests,
who each kneeled on both his knees,
whilst the high-priest kneeled only upon
one. The high priest then begun to
sing a kind of hymn, in praise of the
sun, as God, joined soon after by the
priests, and, lastly, as in a chorus, by
the whole assembly. The sound of
their voices was so increased by the I4 make I4v 176
make of the statue, that I was hardly
able to bear it.

I still kept silence; not thinking it as
yet a proper time to interrupt them.
When this part of their worship was
over, they all stood, and the high-priest
made an address to the sun, in a very
low feeble voice, which yet I could
hear very plainly, and to my great joy
and encouragement, perfectly understood.
The purport of it was to acknowledge
him as the author of all
things, the support of all, and the
giver of all things, with praises naturally
resulting from such acknowledgments.
Then each of the priests, in his turn,
offered up a kind of prayer for long life,
health, success in hunting and fishing,
&c. The address of the high-priest was I5r 177
was truly great and elevated, and a
pleasing simplicity and a fervency of
devotion ran through the prayers of
the priests, which they delivered very
distinctly and audibly. When the priests
had finished their parts, the whole assembly,
which had hitherto observed a
profound silence, except in the chorus,
begun theirs. A confused disharmonious
noise ensued; for each had a petition
to offer up, whilst like the priests
of Baal, they cried as loud as they
could, as if their God was a great way
off, or deaf, and could not hear them.
In these supplications even the children
bore a part.

And now the high-priest begun again,
but in a very different manner than before,
who stood, as did the rest, and I5 very I5v 178
very pathetically lamented the long
silence of the oracle, and, in a kind of
agony, intreated that answers might be
again given to them. He ceased at
times, when each of the other priests,
in his turn, continued the same complaint,
and the same intreaties. Every
time that one of the priests stopped,
the whole company made great lamentations,
attended with most dreadful
yells. The seven priests having finished
this last part, a general and profound
silence ensued.

I now was preparing to speak,
thinking I could not have a better
opportunity, when the high-priest
gave me a much fairer occasion; for,
raising his voice, seemingly, as loud as I6r 179
as he could, he cried, or asked, in a
kind of exultation,
“Who is God But the Sun?”

To whom I immediately replied, in
so very loud, yet equally distinct, a
voice, that it ecchoed back again from
the end of the island,
“He who made the Sun.”

I must acknowledge I trembled when
I had done, and was even sorry I
had spoken, though truly and properly;
yet I rightly concluded that
I must proceed—No sooner had I uttered
these words, but the lay-assembly
leaped up from the ground, as
if frantick with joy, and with loud
shouts, and strange gestures, expressedI6 sed I6v 180
the transports they felt, and then
all fell prostrate, whilst the priests,
with more decency and gravity, profoundly
bowed their bodies, three
times, to the very earth.

And now the following dialogue
commenced between the high-priest and
me, the people observing the whole
time a solemn silence.

High-Priest. “Who then is that
God?”

Answer. “He who always was, is,
and ever willlwill be.”

High-Priest. “Where does he dwell?”

Answer. “In heaven, though indeed
he is present every where; for he I7r 181
he filleth heaven and earth with his
presence—He sees all things; knows
all things; for he made all things,
and supports all things, by his power,
which is boundless.”

High-Priest. “Can we see him?”

Answer. “No; for no man can see
God whilst he lives.”

High-Priest. “Shall we then see him
after we are dead?”

Answer. “Yes; all good men shall
see him, and be happy with him;
but every wicked man will be banished
from his presence, and be miserable.”

High- I7v 182

High-Priest. “Who is a good man?”

Answer. “He who believes in God,
who loves and obeys him, and does
by every man as he would be done
by.”

High-Priest. “Who is a wicked
man?”

Answer. “He who does not believe
in God, love, and obey him; and he
who does not do by every one as he
would be done by.”

Here after a short silence, he continued
his questions.

High-Priest. “Are you God?”

Answer. I8r 183

Answer. “No.”

High-Priest. “Are you the sun?”

Answer. “No, for the sun can
neither understand, nor see, nor
hear, as I do.”

High-Priest. “Who are you then?”

Though I did not mean to impose
myself upon them as God, and had
declared I was not God, yet I
thought it necessary to check this question,
judging it as yet too soon to declare
myself, and therefore replied,

Answer. “Do not ask; for I will
not answer to any questions but as
I see proper.”

3 At I8v 184

At this instant our dialogue was
strangely stopt, and I was greatly surprized
to see the whole assembly throw
themselves upon the ground, tear, and
beat themselves, venting their grief in
cries and unintelligible accents, the
priests behaving as madly as they.
Whilst I beheld this extraordinary
change with a concern and surprize
that prevented my speaking to them,
they all ran away, except the high-
priest, who was too feeble, as fast as
they could towards the sea-side.

For my own part my ideas were so
confused upon this occasion, that I was
incapable of thought. “What have I
said”
, at last cried I, within myself, “that
could thus terrify these people?”
I paused,
and as my custom is on all sudden and ex- I9r 185
extraordinary events, endeavoured to
withdraw my attention from all outward
things, and recollect my mind within
me; and now happily I guessed the
cause, as the event proved. I had told
them I was neither the God I had described,
nor the sun, whom they believed
to be God, and yet refused to inform
them who I was; yet I must have appeared
to them to be more than a mere
mortal, and recollecting that it was an
opinion, common among the untaught
Indians, to believe that there are two
beings, the one good and the other
evil, answering to God and the Devil
with us Christians, therefore, from
their sudden strange behaviour, I concluded,
that they apprehended I must be
the latter, the evil being whom they
dreaded, and therefore fled. This determinedtermined I9v 186
the conduct I was to pursue.
I therefore immediately called to the
high-priest, who lay on the ground,
“Arise, and learn to be wise and happy.”

But observing that he continued motionless,
and not knowing but he might be
dead, I extended my voice to the highest
pitch I could, depending on the mechanism
of the statue, for its reaching
to the ears of the affrighted multitude;
and thus called after them: “Return,
I am not the evil being whom ye
dread; return and provoke me not,
to destroy you, before you can reach
your own shore.”

I know not whether the casuists may
justify this artifice from sin; but to
me it appeared expedient, and was successfullycessfully I10r 187
adapted to their fears, for they
immediately halted, and began slowly to
return back. At this instant, perceiving
the high-priest to move, I repractised
the same artifice on him. “Arise” said
I, “and I will neither destroy you, nor
the people; but if you would procure
my favour, encourage them
to return, and to attend to my instructions.”

He immediately arose; and turning
to the people, beckoned to them to come
forwards. This encouraged them to
come again to their former station;
when he said to them, “The oracle will
not hurt you; but he will be heard.”

This was as I wished; but, observing
the signs of fear still strongly stampt
upon them, I thus addressed them: “Fear I10v 188
“Fear not, I am not the evil
being; and if you will hearken to
me, he shall never hurt you.”

These words had the desired effect;
they immediately appeared calm and
pleased, bowing to the earth with profound
reverence. After this the high-
priest spoke to me, with a trembling
voice.

High-Priest. “Will you protect us
from the evil being, that he may not
hurt us?”

Answer. “God, who hath all power
only, and who is good and gracious,
will protect you, and will not suffer
the evil being to hurt you.”

High-Priest. I11r 189

High-Priest. “But must we not pray
to the evil being not to hurt us?”

Answer. “No; you must pray to
God only.”

High-Priest. “Must we not pray to
the Sun?”

Answer. “No; for he was made by
God, to give you light and heat, and
has no understanding.”

High-Priest. “Will he not be angry
then, and leave us in the dark.”

Answer. “No; look at that tree
on your right hand, you know it
grows, bears leaves and fruit; do
you think it can see, or hear, or understand?”

High-Priest. I11v 190

High-Priest. “I don’t know.”

Answer. “Can it move about from
place to place, as you do?”

High-Priest. “I believe not?”

Answer. “I told you before that
God made all things; the sun is one
of those things which he hath made
by his great power, and hath fixed
it in the air, but it cannot move
from place to place, by any power
that it hath in itself, as you can, but
is moved as God pleases. It can
neither see, hear, speak, nor think
as you can, who therefore art a more
excellent creature than the sun, and
therefore must not worship him, for
he was made for your use, any more than I12r 191
than you should worship that tree,
because it does you good by bearing
fruit for you to eat: nor must
you worship any other creature you
see, for the same reason; because
they are all made by God for your
use, and he hath given them to
you.”

High-Priest. “Did God send you to
teach us?”

Answer. “He brought me hear, and
I will teach you.”

As it was now high noon, I thought
they might want to refresh themselves,
and therefore said, “You may now eat
and drink, and then I will speak to
you again.”
The whole assembly then I12v 192
then bowed themselves, with great reverence,
three times to the ground, and
then sat down to eat and drink.

I was myself very glad to have a
little time, to consider how I should
proceed on this extraordinary occasion.
Whilst I took some refreshment myself,
I reflected very deliberately upon this
important business I had undertaken,
and prayed to God that I might be
the means of instructing them in
the truth, and bring them, happily, to
the knowledge of Christianity. But as
this affair required a very mature deliberation,
I thought it would be best to
dismiss them at this time, and order
some of them to come again the next
week. As soon then as I found that
they had finished their repast, I said to the J1r 193
the high-priest, “I would have you now,
all of you, return home, and you the
priests, and as many of you as will,
may come here again this day week,
but not before, upon pain of my displeasure,
and then I will instruct you
further.”

Upon this they all set up a shout of
joy, and having made their obeisances as
before, returned back to the shore, in
a reversed order from that they came in;
for now the children walked first, the
grown people next, and the priests last,
carrying the high-priest with them.

End of Vol. I.

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