The case was thus: he had been with us now about a month, during which time I had let him see in what manner I had provided, with the assistance of Providence, for my support; and he saw evidently what stock of corn and rice I had laid up; which, though it was more than sufficient for myself, yet it was not sufficient, without good husbandry, for my family, now it was increased to four; but much less would it be sufficient if his countrymen, who were, as he said, sixteen, still alive, should come over; and least of all would it be sufficient to victual our vessel, if we should build one, for a voyage to any of the Christian colonies of America; so he told me he thought it would be more advisable to let him and the other two dig and cultivate some more land, as much as I could spare seed to sow, and that we should wait another harvest, that we might have a supply of corn for his countrymen, when they should come; for want might be a temptation to them to disagree, or not to think themselves delivered, otherwise than out of one difficulty into another. “You know,” says he, “the children of Israel, though they rejoiced at first for their being delivered out of Egypt, yet rebelled even against God Himself, that delivered them, when they came to want bread in the wilderness.”
Si venían sus compañeros, que eran catorce, no tendríamos cómo alimentarlos ni, mucho menos, abastecer una embarcación para dirigirnos a las colonias cristianas de América. Por tanto, le parecía recomendable que les permitiera, a él y a los otros dos, cultivar más tierra, con las semillas que yo pudiese darles y que esperáramos a la siguiente cosecha, a fin de tener una reserva de grano para cuando llegaran sus compañeros, pues la necesidad podía ser motivo de discordia o de que sintieran que habían sido liberados de una desgracia para caer en otra peor. -Usted sabe -me dijo-, que los hijos de Israel al principio se alegraron de su salida de Egipto pero, luego, se rebelaron contra Dios, que los había liberado, cuando les faltó el pan en medio del desierto.