148 



CRUSOE'S ISLAND. 



Now, it has never been proved that the Caribs of 

 the West Indies were cannibals. Crusoe only repeats 

 the fable of the Spaniards, and they never saw the 

 Indians actually eating human flesh. Nevertheless, 

 on the strength of this assumption he prepares for 



Carib implements of stone. 



battle : girds on his great cutlass, his hatchet, and his 

 " store of ammunition," throws a big musket over 

 each shoulder, sticks a brace of pistols in his belt, and 

 then sallies forth, to conquer or to die. 



I can not help it, but really my sympathies 

 were entirely with the "inhumane salvages," who 

 were comparatively defenseless, having only their 

 stone spears and battle-axes ; while the ferocious 

 Crusoe carried a whole arsenal of firearms, against 

 which the poor wretches could make no successful 

 resistance. 



