This was the pleasantest Year of all the Life I led in this Place；Friday began to talk pretty well，and understand the Names of almost every Thing I had occasion to call for，and of every Place I had to send him to，and talk'd a great deal to me；so that in short I began now to have some Use for my Tongue again，which indeed I had very little occasion for before；that is to say，about Speech；besides the Pleasure of talking to him，I had a singular Satisfaction in the Fellow himself；his simple unfeign'd Honesty，appear'd to me more and more every Day，and I began really to love the Creature；and on his Side，I believe he lov'd me more than it was possible for him ever to love any Thing before.
I had a Mind once to try if he had any hankering Inclination to his own Country again，and having learn'd him English so well that he could answer me almost any Questions，I ask'd him whether the Nation that he belong'd to never conquer'd in Battle，at which he smil'd；and said；yes，yes，we always fight the better；that is，he meant always get the better in Fight；and so we began the following Discourse：You always fight the better said I，How came you to be taken Prisoner then，Friday？
Friday，My Nation beat much，for all that.
Master，How beat；if your Nation beat them，how come you to be taken？
Friday，They more many than my Nation in the Place where me was；they take one，two，three，and me；my Nation over beat them in the yonder Place，where me no was；there my Nation take one，two，great Thousand.
Master，But why did not your Side recover you from the Hands of your Enemies then？
Friday，They run one，two，three，and me，and make go in the Canoe；my Nation have no Canoe that time.
Master，Well，Friday，and What does your Nation do with the Men they take，do they carry them away，and eat them，as these did？
Friday，Yes，my Nation eat Mans too，eat all up.
Master，Where do they carry them？
Friday，Go to other Place where they think.
Master，Do they come hither？
Friday，Yes，yes，they come hither；come other else Place.