TheHiftory of 



Book 11. 



CanowsoxTiragoS) about thirteen or fourteen per fons, Inhabi- 

 tants of Cigateo , one of the Lucayan Mands , who being got 

 alhore, related to the natural Inhabitants of the Country how 

 they had been forc'd thither by a Tempeft } and among other 

 things, they told wonders of the Iflands where they liv'd, ad- 

 ding, that there were yet divers others beyond them, towards 

 the Equator, which lay defart, and were not inhabited, and 

 thofe fuch as were accounted better then the others whereof 

 they had given them an account : That for their parts, all they 

 defired of the Inhabitants of the Country was only fome Pro* 

 vifions^and a little freih Water, to enable them to get home to 

 their own Country, from which they conceiv'd themfelves to 

 be diftant not above four or five days Sailing. 



The Caribbians, who were ftudying where to find out fome 

 new habitation , and extreamly troubled that they had no 

 fetled place, where they might no longer be expos'd to the in- 

 conveniences of a wand ring kind of life, having heard fb much 

 of thefe Iflands, and that they were not far from the Lucajaf 3 

 refolv'd to make their advantage of the opportunity of thofe 

 Guides, whom they had met with by fo extraordinary a good 

 fortune, to follow them, when they (hould depart thence, and 

 after their arrival at home,to plant themfelves in fome of thofe 

 defart Iflands whereof they had given fo advantageous an ac- 

 count. 



They doubted not but that the execution of this enterprize 

 would put a period to all their miferies: But there was yet a 

 great obftacle lay in their way , which at firft they knew not 

 how to overcome, to wit, the want of Veflels to crofsthe Sea, 

 and bring them to the places whereof they defir'd to poflefs 

 themfelves : The firft Propofels were to fell down Trees , and 

 to make them hollow with fire, as other Nations did, nay that 

 among whom they then were : But that expedient requir'd a 

 long time to compais it, while in the interim, thofe whom they 

 hoped to have for their Conductors would be gone: Where- 

 upon they thought it the fureft way to find out VelTels ready 

 made : To that end they refolv'd in the night time to feize on 

 all thofe which the Nations of the neighbouring Creeks, and 

 and fuch as liv'd neer the Rivers which fall thereabouts into 

 the Sea, had ready in their Ports, and in condition fit for the 

 Sea. The day being come for the departure of the Lucayans, 

 who were to be their Guides, our Caribbians who had furniftYd 

 themfelves before-hand with all neceiTary provifions, met toge- 

 ther the moft fecretly they could, along the River-fides and 

 neer the Ports, and having poflefs'd themfelves of all the Ca^ 

 mm or VelTels they met with, joyn'd with the Lucayatts 3 with 

 whom, without taking any leave of their Hofts, they fet Sail 

 for the Lucayas, 



The Wind having prov'd favourable to thefe Fugitives,they 



got 



