destruction, and yet that nevertheless I was for making a canoe.

They answered, that they understood all I had said before well enough, but
what I meant by telling them first how dangerous and impossible it was to
make our escape in a canoe, and yet then to advise making a canoe, that
they could not understand.

To this I answered, that I conceived our business was not to attempt our
escape in a canoe, but that, as there were other vessels at sea besides our
ship, and that there were few nations that lived on the sea-shore that were
so barbarous, but that they went to sea in some boats or other, our
business was to cruise along the coast of the island, which was very long,
and to seize upon the first we could get that was better than our own, and
so from that to another, till perhaps we might at last get a good ship to
carry us wherever we pleased to go.

"Excellent advice," says one of them. "Admirable advice," says another.
"Yes, yes," says the third (which was the gunner), "the English dog has
given excellent advice; but it is just the way to bring us all to the
gallows. The rogue has given us devilish advice, indeed, to go a-thieving,
till from a little vessel we came to a great ship, and so we shall turn
downright pirates, the end of which is to be hanged."

"You may call us pirates," says another, "if you will, and if we fall into
bad hands, we may be used like pirates; but I care not for that, I'll be a
pirate, or anything, nay, I'll be hanged for a pirate rather than starve
here, therefore I think the advice is very good." And so they cried all,
"Let us have a canoe." The gunner, over-ruled by the rest, submitted; but
as we broke up the council, he came to me, takes me by the hand, and,
looking into the palm of my hand, and into my face too, very gravely, "My