I was informed of this, and was curious to see it; I
recognized at once that it was made by Europeans: the careful finish,
the neat form, the oars, rudder, mast, and triangular sail, all showed
that it had not been made by savages. The seats of the rowers were made
of planks, and were painted, and what further convinced me was, that I
found in it a capital gun, loaded, and a horn of powder in a hole under
one of the seats. I then made particular inquiries about the island from
whence they had brought the canoe; and all their answers confirmed my
idea that it must be inhabited by a European, from whom they had
perhaps taken his only means of leaving it.
"Restless about this fancy, I tried to persuade them to return and
discover if the island was inhabited. I could not prevail on them to
restore the canoe; but, seeing me much agitated, they resolved secretly
to procure me a great pleasure as they thought, by returning to the
island and bringing away any one they could meet with, whether he would
or not. Parabery, always the leader in perilous enterprises, and who was
so attached to me, would not be left out in one which was to produce me
such pleasure. They set out, and you know the result of their
expedition. I leave it to your wife to tell you how she was brought
away, and pass on to the time of their arrival.
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