"You know," says he, "the children of Israel, though
they rejoiced at first for their being delivered out of Egypt, yet
rebelled even against God Himself, that delivered them, when they
came to want bread in the wilderness."
His caution was so seasonable, and his advice so good, that I could
not but be very well pleased with his proposal, as well as I was
satisfied with his fidelity; so we fell to digging, all four of us,
as well as the wooden tools we were furnished with permitted; and
in about a month's time, by the end of which it was seed-time, we
had got as much land cured and trimmed up as we sowed two-and-
twenty bushels of barley on, and sixteen jars of rice, which was,
in short, all the seed we had to spare: indeed, we left ourselves
barely sufficient, for our own food for the six months that we had
to expect our crop; that is to say reckoning from the time we set
our seed aside for sowing; for it is not to be supposed it is six
months in the ground in that country.
Having now society enough, and our numbers being sufficient to put
us out of fear of the savages, if they had come, unless their
number had been very great, we went freely all over the island,
whenever we found occasion; and as we had our escape or deliverance
upon our thoughts, it was impossible, at least for me, to have the
means of it out of mine.
Pages:
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405