in his eyes. The colour of his skin was not quite
black, but very tawny, and yet not of an ugly yellow
nauseous tawny, as the Brasilians and Virginians,
and other natives of America are, but of a bright
kind of a dun olive colour, that had in it something
very agreeable, though not very easy to describe.
His face was round and plump, his nose small, not
flat like the Negroe’s, a very good mouth, thin
lips, and his teeth fine, well-set, and white as ivory.
After he had slumbered, rather than slept, about half
an hour, he waked again, and comes out of the cave
to me, for I had been milking my goats, which I had
in the enclosure just by: when he espied me, he
came running to me, laying himself down again upon
the ground, with all the possible signs of an humble
thankful disposition, making many, antic gestures to
shew it. At last he lays his head flat upon the
ground, close to my foot, and sets my other foot upon
his head, as he had done before; and after this, made
all the signs to me of subjection, servitude, and
submission imaginable, to let me know how much he would
serve me as long as he lived. I understood him
in many things, and let him know I was very well pleased
with him. In a little time I began to speak to
him, and teach him to speak to me; and first, I made
him know his name should be Friday, which was the
day I saved his life; and I called him so for the
memory of the time; I likewise taught him to say Master,
and then let him know that was to be my name; I likewise
taught him to say Yes and No, and to know the meaning
of them. I gave him some milk in an earthen pot,
and let him see me drink it before him, and sop my
bread in it; and I gave him a cake of bread to do
the like, which he quickly complied with, and made
signs that it was very good for him.
I kept there with him all that night; but as soon
as it was day, I beckoned him to come with me, and
let him know I would give him some clothes; at which
he seemed very glad, for he was stark-naked. As
we went by the place where he had buried the two men,
he pointed exactly to the spot, and shewed me the
marks that he had made to find them again, making
signs to me that we should dig them up again, and eat
them: at this I appeared very angry, expressed
my abhorrence of it, made as if I would vomit at the
thoughts of it, and beckoned with my hand to him to
come away, which he did immediately, with great submission.
I then led him up to the top of the hill, to see if
his enemies were gone, and pulling out my glass, I
looked, and saw plainly the place where they had been,
but no appearance of them, or of their canoes; so that
it was plain that they were gone, and had left their
two comrades behind them, without, any search after
them.