In The Evening [He] Came Back Againe
And Found Us All A Sleepe, Tooke A Hattchett And Killed My 3 Companions,
And Awaked Me, And So Embarked Me And Brought Me To This Place.
That old
man believed me in some measure, which I perceived in him by his kindnesse
towards me.
But he was not able to protect me from those that [had] a will
to doe me mischief. Many slandred me, but I tooke no notice.
Some 4 leagues thence they erected cottages by a small river, very
difficult to gett to it, for that there is litle watter on a great sand
[bank] a league wide. To this very houre I tooke notice how they tyed their
captives, though att my owne cost. They planted severall poastes of the
bignesse of an arme, then layd us of a length, tyed us to the said poasts
far a sunder from one another. Then tyed our knees, our wrists, and elbows,
and our hairs directly upon the crowne of our heads, and then cutt 4 barrs
of the bignesse of a legge & used thus. They tooke 2 for the necke, puting
one of each side, tying the 2 ends together, so that our heads weare fast
in a hole like a trappe; likewayes they did to our leggs. And what
tormented us most was the Maringoines and great flyes being in abundance;
did all night but puff and blow, that by that means we saved our faces from
the sting of those ugly creatures; having no use of our hands, we are
cruelly tormented. Our voyage was laborious and most miserable, suffering
every night the like misery.
When we came neere our dwellings we mett severall gangs of men to our
greatest disadvantage, for we weare forced to sing, and those that came to
see us gave porcelaine to those that most did us injury. One cutt of a
finger, and another pluck'd out a naile, and putt the end of our fingers
into their bourning pipes, & burned severall parts in our bodyes. Some
tooke our fingers and of a stick made a thing like a fork, with which
[they] gave severall blowes on the back of the hands, which caused our
hands to swell, and became att last insensible as dead. Having souffred all
these crueltyes, which weare nothing to that they make usually souffer
their Prisoners, we arrived att last to the place of execution, which is
att the coming in to their village, which wheere not [long] before I
escaped very neere to be soundly beaten with staves and fists. Now I must
think to be no lesse traited by reason of the murder of the 3 men, but the
feare of death takes away the feare of blowes.
Nineteen of us prisoners weare brought thither, and 2 left behind with the
heads. In this place we had 8 coulours. Who would not shake att the sight
of so many men, women, and children armed with all sorte of Instruments:
staves, hand Irons, heelskins wherein they putt halfe a score [of] bullets?
Others had brands, rods of thorne, and all suchlike that the Crueltie could
invent to putt their Prisoners to greater torments.
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