放荒 meaning in English

set fire to woods and grass in a mountainous area

I m ben gunn , i am , replied the maroon , wriggling like an eel in his embarrassment
放荒滩的水手答道，他窘得像条黄鳝似的，扭了几下。
The maroon had connived at his escape in a shore boat some hours ago , and he now assured us he had only done so to preserve our lives , which would certainly have been forfeit if that man with the one leg had stayed aboard
是这个放荒滩的水手在几个钟头以前放他坐驳船逃走的。本噶恩要我们相信，他这样做纯粹是为了保住我们的性命，要是“那个只有一条腿的人留在船上” ，我们总有一天会死在他手上。
That morning , finding that i was to be involved in the horrid disappointment he had prepared for the mutineers , he had run all the way to the cave , and , leaving the squire to i guard the captain , had taken gray and the maroon , and started , making the diagonal across the island , to be at hand beside the pine
今天下午，他发现原来本打算让反叛者们空欢喜一场，没料到把我也卷了进去。于是他急忙跑回洞穴，留下乡绅照料船长，自己带领葛雷和放荒滩的水手，按对角线斜穿全岛直奔大松树那边。