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第1章 利与弊

　　While this was doing, I must confess I was very uneasy, andespecially when I saw the flames of the town, which, it beingnight, seemed to be close by me. My nephew, the captain, who wasroused by his men seeing such a fire, was very uneasy, not knowingwhat the matter was, or what danger I was in, especially hearingthe guns too, for by this time they began to use their firearms; athousand thoughts oppressed his mind concerning me and thesupercargo, what would become of us; and at last, though he couldill spare any more men, yet not knowing what exigence we might bein, he took another boat, and with thirteen men and himself cameashore to me.

　　[Here he embraced her with great affection, but with inexpressiblegrief that he had not a Bible.]

tarved,and he was for fighting to the last drop.

　　But this mutiny had brought us to an anchor for that night; thewind also falling calm next morning, we found that our two men whohad been laid in irons had stolen each of them a musket and someother weapons (what powder or shot they had we knew not), and hadtaken the ship's pinnace, which was not yet hauled up, and run awaywith her to their companions in roguery on shore. As soon as wefound this, I ordered the long-boat on shore, with twelve men andthe mate, and away they went to seek the rogues; but they couldneither find them nor any of the rest, for they all fled into thewoods when they saw the boat coming on shore. The mate was onceresolved, in justice to their roguery, to have destroyed theirplantations, burned all their household stuff and furniture, andleft them to shift without it; but having no orders, he let it allalone, left everything as he found it, and bringing the pinnaceway, came on board without them. These two men made their numberfive; but the other three villains were so much more wic

　　I told the clergyman, word for word, what he said, and thisaffectionate man could not refrain from tears; but, recoveringhimself, said to me, "Ask him but one question. Is he easy that itis too late; or is he troubled, and wishes it were not so?" I putthe question fairly to Atkins; and he answered with a great deal ofpassion, "How could any man be easy in a condition that mustcertainly end in eternal destruction? that he was far from beingeasy; but that, on the contrary, he believed it would one time orother ruin him." - "What do you mean by that?" said I. - "Why," hesaid, "he believed he should one time or other cut his throat, toput an end to the terror of it."

　　They went out presently to go up to the top of the hill, where Iused to go; but they being strong, and a good company, nor alone,as I was, used none of my cautions to go up by the ladder, andpulling it up after them, to go up a second stage to the top, butwere going round through the grove unwarily, when they weresurprised with seeing a light as of fire, a very little way fromthem, and hearing the voices of men, not of one or two, but of agreat number.

ountry.

　　They heard all this very attentively, and I delivered it veryfaithfully to them from his mouth, as near his own words as Icould; only sometimes adding something of my own, to convince themhow just it was, and that I was of his mind; and I always verycarefully distinguished between what I said from myself and whatwere the clergyman's words. They told me it was very true what thegentleman said, that they were very indifferent Christiansthemselves, and that they had never talked to their wives aboutreligion. "Lord, sir," says Will Atkins, "how should we teach themreligion? Why, we know nothing ourselves; and besides, sir," saidhe, "should we talk to them of God and Jesus Christ, and heaven andhell, it would make them laugh at us, and ask us what we believeourselves. And if we should tell them that we believe all thethings we speak of to them, such as of good people going to heaven,and wicked people to the devil, they would ask us where we intendto go ourselves, that believe all this, and are such wicked fe

a line-of-battle.