At last, the sought-for fish came to the bait, as he stood
angling on the bank; and instead of throwing away the rod, or giving
it a sudden twitch out of the water, whereby he might have caught both
the eel and have dismissed the rod before it could have too much power
over him for experiment-sake, he grasped it but the harder, and
fainting fell into the river; and being still possessed of the rod,
the tide carried him, senseless as he was, a great way, till an Indian
boat took him up; and perceived, when they touched him, a numbness
seize them, and by that knew the rod was in his hand; which with a
paddle (that is, a short oar) they struck away, and snatched it into
the boat, eel and all. If Caesar was almost dead, with the effect of
this fish, he was more so with that of the water, where he had
remained the space of going a league, and they found they had much ado
to bring him back to life; but at last they did, and brought him home,
where he was in a few hours well recovered and refreshed, and not a
little ashamed to find he should be overcome by an eel, and that all
the people who heard his defiance would laugh at him. But we cheered
him up; and he being convinced, we had the eel at supper, which was
a quarter of an ell about, and most delicate meat; and was of the more
value, since it cost so dear as almost the life of so gallant a man.
About this time we were in many mortal fears about some disputes the
English had with the Indians; so that we could scarce trust ourselves,
without great numbers, to go to any Indian towns or place where they
they abode, for fear they should fall upon us, as they did immediately
after my coming away; and the place being in the possession of the
Dutch, they used them not so civilly as the English: so that they
cut in pieces all they could take, getting into houses, and hanging up
the mother and all her children about her; and cut a footman, I left
behind me, all in joints, and nailed him to trees.
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