But nothing could be more horrid to me, when going to the place of sacrifice, the blood, the bones, and other mangled parts of human bodies appeared in my sight; and so fired was I with indignation, that I was fully resolved to be revenged on the first that came there, though I lost my life in the execution. It then appeared to me, that the visits which they make to this island are not very frequent, it being fifteen months before they came again; but still I was very uneasy, by reason of the dismal apprehensions of their surprising me unawares; nor dared I offer to fire a gun on that side of the island where they used to appear, lest, taking the alarm, the savages might return with many hundred canoes, and then God knows in what manner I should have made my end. Thus was I a year or more before I saw any of these devouring cannibals again.
But to wave this, the following accident, which demands attention, for a while eluded the force of my thoughts in revenging myself on those Heathens.
On the 16th of May (according to my wooden calendar) the wind blew exceedingly hard, accompanied with abundance of lightning and thunder all day, and succeeded by a very stormy night. The seeming anger of the Heavens made me have recourse to my Bible. While I was seriously pondering upon it, I was suddenly alarmed with the noise of a gun, which I conjectured was fired upon the ocean. Such an unusual surprise made me start up in a minute, when, with my ladder, ascending the mountain as before, that very moment a flash of fire presaged the report of another gun which I presently heard, and found it was from that part of the sea where the current drove me away. I could not but then think, that this must be a ship in distress, and that there were the melancholy signals for a speedy deliverance. Great, indeed, was my sorrow upon this occasion; but my labours to assist them must have proved altogether vain & fruitless. However, I brought together all the dry wood that was at hand, and making a pretty large pile, set it on fire on the hill. I was certain they plainly perceived it, by their firing another gun as soon as it began to blaze, and after that several more from the same quarter. All night long I kept up my fire: and when the air cleared up, I perceived something a great way at sea, directly E. but could not distinguish what it was, even with my glass, by reason that the weather was so very foggy out at sea. However, keeping my eyes directly fixed upon it, and perceiving it did not stir, I presently concluded it must be a ship at anchor, and so very hasty I was to be satisfied, that taking the gun, I went to the S.E. part of the island, to the same rocks where I had been formerly drove away by the current, in which time the weather being perfectly cleared up, to my great sorrow, I perceived the wreck of a ship cast away upon those hidden rocks I found when I was out with my boat; and which, by making a kind of an eddy, were the occasion of my preservation.