Indeed Friday answered my demands very well; making everything very plain to my understanding: but beyond measure was I satisfied, when he told me with great warmth and ardour. _O master, we save white mans from drown;_ upon which I immediately asked him, If there were any white mans, as he called them in the boat? _Yes, yes_, said he, _the boat full, very full of white mans_ "How many, Friday?" said I. Hereupon he numbered his fingers, and counted seventeen. And when I asked him what became of them all, and whether they lived or not? he replied, _Yes master, they all live, they be live among my nation._ This information put fresh thoughts into my head, that these must be those very men who before I concluded had been swallowed up in the ocean, after they had left the ship that had struck upon the rocks of my kingdom, and after escaping the fury of the deep, landed upon the wild shore, and committed themselves to the fury of the devouring Indians.
The manner of their cruelties to one another, which consequently, as I thought, must be acted with greater barbarity to strangers, created in me a great anxiety, and made me still more curious to ask Friday concerning them. He told me, he was sure they still lived there, having resided among them above four years, and that the savages gave them victuals to live upon: "But pray, Friday," said I, "whence proceeded all this good nature and generosity? How came it to pass that they did not kill and eat them, to please their devouring appetites, and occasion to splendid an entertainment among them?" _No, no,_ said Friday, _they not kilt 'em, they make brothers with 'em_; by which I understood there was a truce between them. And then I had a more favourable opinion of the Indians, upon Friday uttering these words, _My nation, t'other nation no eat man, but when mans, make war fight:_ as though he had said, that neither those of his kingdom, nor any other nations that he knew of, ever ate their fellow-creatures, but such as their law of arms allowed to be devoured; that is, those miserable captives, whose misfortune it should be to be made prisoners of war.
Some considerable time after, upon a very pleasant day, in most serene weather, my man and I stood upon the top of a hill, on the east side of the island, whence I had once before beheld the continent of America. I could not tell immediately what was the matter, for suddenly Friday fell a jumping and dancing as if he had been mad, and upon my demanding the reason of his behaviour, _O joy_! said he, _O glad! there see my country, there my nation, there live white mans gether_. And indeed such a rapturous sense of pleasure appeared in his countenance that his eyes had an uncommon sparkling and brightness, and such a strange eagerness, as if he had a longing desire to be in his country again. This made me no so well satisfied with my man Friday as before; for by this appearance, I made no dispute, but that if he could get back thither again, he would not only be unmindful of what religion I had taught him, but likewise of the great obligation he owed me for his wonderful deliverance; nay, that he would not only inform his countrymen of me, but accompany hundreds of them to my kingdom, and make me a miserable sacrifice like those unhappy wretches taken in battle.