These considerations really put me to a pause, and to a kind of a full stop; and I began by little and little to be off my design, and to conclude I had taken wrong measures in my resolution to attack the savages; and that it was not my business to meddle with them, unless they first attacked me; and this it was my business, if possible, to prevent: but that, if I were discovered and attacked by them, I knew my duty.
Tali considerazioni posero un ostacolo al mio disegno, da cui cominciai a poco a poco a desistere, sinchè finalmente io conclusi che era stato un mal proposito il mio quello di assalire i selvaggi, e che non s’aspettava a me il cercare di scontrarmi con essi, semprechè non fossero i primi ad assalirmi. Questo caso cercai al possibile di evitare d’allora in poi, perchè se eglino m’avessero scoperto, e mi fossero venuti contro, avrei saputo quel che mi era lecito senza mancare al dovere.