by Anonymous
CHAPTER V.
I WITNESS A GRAND CONVULSION IN NATURE, OF WHICH I HAVE A WONDERFULESCAPE--AM RESCUED IN THE LAST EXTREMITY, AND ADMITTED INTO A TRIBE OFINDIANS.
"Look round and see How Providence bestows on all alike Sunshine and rain, to bless the fruitful year Of different nations, all different faiths; And though by several names and titles worshipp'd, Heav'n takes the various tribute of their praise. Since all agree to own, at least to mean, One best, one greatest, and one Lord of all."
[Sidenote: A useful hollow tree]
When I arrived at the confluence, as I took it to be, of the streams,it was Saturday night,--that is, according to my new calendar. As Idid not think it lawful to travel on the Sunday, I sought for aneligible place of security, where I might rest, and start thoroughlyrefreshed on the Monday, to solve the problem of the opposing currents.With this view I ascended an isolated blasted tree, where I might seatmyself, and find protection from insidious enemies. I was delighted tofind that the trunk was hollow, the only entrance being from the top.The tree leaned to the horizon at about an angle of 45 degrees. Aftercarefully examining it, I thought I had satisfied myself that it wasnot pre-occupied by any obnoxious inhabitant; I then dropped into it,as it were, down a chimney. Crouching, I was out of sight, but when Istood erect I had a view of my own desolate situation.
A species of frogs had just commenced to send forth their peculiarnoise, which resembles the sound from a stonemason's yard, when I wasannoyed by a number of green frogs, such as dwell in trees; andendeavouring to brush these from my immediate locality, I discovered anumber of the _scolopendra_, or centipedes, from five to eight inchesin length. Perceiving a hole in the side of the tree, I proceeded toexpel these formidable insects with my stick, by which means Idisturbed, in the pulpy part of the decayed wood, a nest of_scorpions_. Things in motion soon catch my eye, and in another secondI had regained the earth. Indisposed, however, to give up such acomfortable apartment, I cleared out the whole of the interior, andthen regained the top of the tree, where I sat for a considerable timein doubt whether I should retire to rest or keep watch through thenight. It was a beautiful evening, and the air was stronglyimpregnated with the aromatic fragrance of the different species of the_rubiaceae_, the _andiocera_, and _aenothera_. Moonlight is a thoughtfulperiod in all climates. I had almost, while watching my own shadow,forgotten the process of time, when suddenly Cynthia extinguished herlamp. Wearied, both in a mental and physical sense, I again, recklessof consequences, dropped into my cylindrical apartment. How long Islept I cannot tell; I was, however, awaked to scenes as remarkable asthey were terrible and rapid in succession. A flood of light wasstreaming into my skylight, and I became conscious of a rockingsensation. For a moment I concluded that I was again seized with thevertigo in my head. A violent sound of rushing waters soon roused meto a sense of my real danger, and, standing erect, I beheld all thefirm earth, on which but a few hours previously I had stood, nowcovered with water. An immense number of aquatic birds were floatingon its surface, while others were springing up to branches of the treesabove, to escape from the enormous serpents, and other monsters of thedeep, that infest temporary lakes caused by sudden inundations.
[Sidenote: An inundation]
As I surveyed the scene the waters were still rising, and the tree onwhich I sat rose with them in an upright position. Presently it becamestationary, and the water began, gradually to cover its trunk. I havesaid that it was an isolated spot: it was a small area in the midst ofthe wood, which appeared to have been cleared by the blast oflightning, the nearest tree being fifty yards, or more, distant. Amongother things struggling for life was a fawn, which swam beneath me, andwas seized by a cayman; while as another monster of the same species,at least thirty feet long, paused to survey me, with my feet thennearly touching the water, I impulsively raised my stick inself-defence, and at this juncture the trunk of the tree suddenly swunground, and by its action nearly threw me off into the jaws of thecayman. The principal part of the roots were torn from the earth, butmost providentially the only remaining branch on the tree remaineduppermost, which presented me with the opportunity of climbing five orsix feet higher. Still, as I could not now turn round with facility, Iremained for a full hour, every moment expecting the monster wouldseize me from behind; for the cayman continued to show himself atintervals, as if certain, in the end, of his prey. At length the rootsof the decayed tree parted entirely from the earth, and it was carriedforward with the current. Fortunately the branch, which was my onlychance of escape, still remained elevated. The cayman did not abandonhis intended victim till my bark conveyed me among the standing trees,when I seized the opportunity of climbing up one of considerableheight. Up to this period all other dangers had been merged in theimmediate dread of the monster of the deep, but I was now at liberty totake a more extended view of the scene, from a fixed position, and Ifound myself in the midst of congregated wild beasts and powerfulreptiles.
In the next tree to the one I occupied was an ant-bear, and a littlefarther off I could discern several others. Monkeys and apes wereswinging and chattering over my head in large numbers; serpents, fromfive to thirty feet long, were crawling on the branches and round thetrunks of trees, to escape from the flood; tiger-cats, beautifullystriped, were springing from branch to branch of the green andpurple-heart trees, which here grew to the height of seventy feet;lizards were seen in such numbers as in many places literally to coverthe branches of the trees. All the birds were sending forth sounds ofdissonance, as if stricken with terror; while the shrill voice of thebird called the pi-pi-yo roused me to the consciousness that the hourof noon had arrived.
The lofty _panax_, _Bignonia_, _copaiva_, rising to a hundred feet inheight, were peopled with living things, all in apparent consternationat the sudden changes of the scene. It was a grand, though an awfulsight for a human being to behold. Animals of various natures, habits,and antipathies, were all crowded together in one common place ofrefuge, shaken by the wind, and dreading contact with each other, asthe violent rushing of the waters bore on their surface numberlessproofs of the havoc made, and still threatening to sweep away andswallow up every vestige of animal and vegetable creation.
[Sidenote: Hope in desolation]
But let the soul be set on the highest mount of distress, and view themost spacious prospect of misery, if the eye be turned towards Godcomfort may be found beyond the horizon, when human strength is vain.
I lifted up my voice in the wilderness, and lo! God was there, and Itook courage, exclaiming, "The Almighty is the architect of all I see,His power stretches over the whole earth and the empty space; He hangsthe earth and all the ethereal globes upon nothing; and is He not ableto save me?" "I will uphold thee with the right hand of myrighteousness," saith the Lord. "The hand which fixes the stars andguides the planets in their courses is stretched out to preserve Hischildren."
With these reflections did I trust in my position, and bid my soul totake courage and rely on divine succour. Fortunately, I had theremains of a cooked bird in my wallet, which always hung at my back;and _murucuja_, fruit of one of the passion-flowers, was within myreach, which I gathered and ate. The fish also forsook their ordinaryfood, for I could plainly see them feeding on the fruit and berries ofshrubs through which they swam.
At length night overtook me, and the moon, I thought, rose with a morespeaking yet angry countenance than usual, frowning blood-coloured rayson the surface of the water and through the foliage of the wood, stillrendering my fellow-lodgers immediately around me visible, while thevampire and other species of bats flitted wildly round, like spirits ofthe air; and occasional splashings beneath indicated that the largertyrants of the flood were making prey of the weaker inhabitants, or thelatter were exerting themselves to escape from the jaws of the former.
The terrestrial animals seemed, for the most part, in providing fortheir own safety, to have suspended all operations of warfare, thescene above the flood in
the evening wearing much the same appearanceas throughout the day, excepting that the reptiles were not sonumerous, the serpents and lizards having found hiding-places in theholes of the trees or under thick foliage. After a few hours the moonwent down and left me
"In the populous solitude of bees and birds, And fairy-form'd and many-colour'd things."
It was now that, like Job, I had to "gird up my loins like a man;" for,as darkness shrouded me, my thoughts naturally reverted to the bear inthe next tree; I could not but speculate on his movements, and theprobability of his descending and swimming to invade my territory.Impressed with this fear, the master one of the hour, I took up aposition to command the trunk of the tree, where, armed with my stick,I might oppose him to an advantage.
[Sidenote: A night on the water]
It would be futile were I to attempt to describe my sensations duringthe night. Could words be found expressive enough for the purpose,they should have been penned at the instant they were felt; feelingsunder such extraordinary circumstances cannot be recalled, orappreciated only at the time they were excited. Words, in description,stand for general ideas in Nature's chart; ten thousand sensations andforms enter of themselves into the sanctuary of the mind. I can onlysay that I spent the night in prayer for the coming morn. It, however,passed without involving me in any encounter. "Now, men see not thebright light which is in the clouds; but the wind passeth and cleareththem away."
I thought it was an interminable night, and long before morning dawned,as the first glimmer of light tinged the eastern horizon, I strained myeyes to assure myself of its actual approach; yet what hope could itbring me?--none, in prospect; notwithstanding which, latent hope wasnot wholly extinct. A vague idea possessed me that I might find somefloating tree to carry me to the nearest shore. At length, indolently,as I thought, the morning did appear, rendering surrounding objectsvisible. The bear was still in the tree, coiled up like a cat, in aforked branch, apparently asleep. His bearship had not even thepoliteness to pass the compliment of the day by noticing me; and noonagain arrived, bringing with it utter despair. For some time I hadbeen watching a log of timber, in the hope that it would float withinmy reach, when I distinctly heard the sound of human voices. My heartleaped up with joy; and the coincidence of the appearance of a rainbowat the same instant, operated like a reprieve to a malefactor in thehands of the executioner.
I was so much elated, that I actually should have neglected to havecalled out for assistance, had not the same voices again addressed myear more distinctly, when I used my vocal powers with all my might; butI had no response, and my heart was again, sinking within me, when Iobserved a canoe approaching. It contained two Indians; one was usingthe paddle, the other directing his attention to the spot from whencemy voice proceeded. A few seconds brought them under the tree, and aninvitation, by signs, for me to descend, and accept of my emancipationfrom their hands.
[Sidenote: The charms of solitude]
Notwithstanding all the terrors and privations of my wild life, therewas a charm in it which is inexplicable; and I paused ere I parted withit. Men whose whole life has been identified with civilization may notunderstand this feeling; but long association with nature in her ownscenes of unlimited grandeur and profuse bounty, cannot be broken offwithout a struggle. In return for all the blessings nature bestows onher children of the woods, she requires no sacrifice of liberty; freeand unconstrained she permits them to roam throughout her domains; torobe or unrobe, as their taste may dictate; to rest when fatigued, andto rise when refreshed. Nature does not mask misery with the face ofhappiness, nor dress misfortune in the guise of prosperity; free anduncontrolled, her children are invited to help themselves at hermunificent board; while in the narrow paths of civilized life, even theboasted reason of man is incapable of conferring happiness on society.But with the green grass and soft moss for a carpet, umbrageous treesfor a shade, the murmuring stream for the ear, together with the soundof the breeze amongst the leaves to woo reflection, the syrens ofvicious pleasure may be avoided, and the disquietudes of life beforgotten. Like a true citizen of the world, I had become enamouredwith liberty, and with the instinct of a denizen of the forest, Ishrank from the presence of man. My situation was perilous, deathbeing inevitable if I remained in the tree; for in a short time sleepmust overcome me, and in that state, I must fall into the watersbeneath. Reluctantly, therefore, I dropped into the canoe, with thefeelings of a bird who darts into a cage to escape the talons of thehawk--an incident, by the way, which once brought both the fugitive andthe hawk into my trap. No captured African slave could feel the lossof liberty more than I did when the Indians assigned me a seat in thecanoe, which proceeded to join a company consisting of eleven persons.They were a fishing party that had left their wonted haunts to availthemselves of the flood, a period when their efforts were generallyrewarded with great success. One canoe was nearly filled with theproduct of the first draught, and they were in the act of drawinganother as I appeared amongst them.
They were all well-grown men, nearly naked, like myself, very placid intheir demeanour, and showed great anxiety to relieve my distress,offering me food and drink. Indeed, their manners were so urbane andpleasing, that in a very short time I recovered from my depression ofspirits, and congratulated myself on my good fortune in falling intotheir company. They wore large grass-platted hats to defend the headfrom the heat of the sun, and had each a hammock made of the samematerials, which as night approached, they slung from the branches oftrees, and calmly laid themselves down to survey the confusion ofnature which the sudden inundation had occasioned.
With the party was a youth about my own age, who at once attachedhimself to me; he manifested his disappointment and concern that hecould not make himself understood by words, and in a very short timeintimated his intention of undertaking my education by showing me theimplements in use and calling them by name, till I not only recollectedthem, but acquired accuracy of pronunciation.
[Sidenote: The Indian village]
Two days subsequently to my rescue from the tree, I was taken to theIndian village, about ten miles from the border of the forest. Itconsisted of fifteen huts on an elevated spot, distant a half-mile froma fine river, which ebbed and flowed with the tide. It was thiscircumstance that had occasioned my embarrassment when following thestream and suddenly meeting with a contrary current.
On my arrival at the village I was struck with the absence of curiosityor surprise which a stranger from another race generally excites, evenin civilized localities. Neither men, women, or children appeared tobestow on me any peculiar notice, nor did they, as far as I couldlearn, express any desire to know how I came amongst them, or fromwhence I came. No overseer or other parish officer was called in toprovide me with food and then dispute my right to eat. I was at onceled to the hut of the father of my young friend, and received as one ofthe family, in which there were two wives and two families--one motherwith three, and another with four children. Plurality of wives was thecustom of this Indian community, and yet they lived in perfect harmony;there were no jealousies or bickerings; the progeny of each sharedalike the affection and care of both mothers, who laboured with equalzeal in the culture of cassava or manioc, the roots of which theygrated and made into bread.
There were numerous tribes of these Indians, but they all spoke thesame language. The tribe I was with were called Galibis; they wereremarkable alike for their humanity and intelligence. Indeed, theypossessed all the moral qualities of civilized society, without itsforms and most of its vices, especially the one of coveting theirneighbours' goods.
[Sidenote: Habits of the Indians]
During the time I was with them, a period of eighteen months, I neverheard of a charge of theft. Land was as plentiful as air and water;there could not, therefore, be any motive to steal, if we exceptidleness,--a vice which prevails more in cities than in the wilds ofnature. Numerous families sometimes live in one common large hut; yetthere are no quarrels to disturb t
heir harmony; and such is theirhospitality that he who is fatigued with hunting may always depend onrepose in the nearest dwelling.
Their language is peculiarly harmonious, rich with synonyms, and isrepresented by those who have studied its grammatical construction, tobe complicated and ingenious in syntax. Intelligent as they are, theyhave at all times rejected the arts and all instruction, from theirgreat love of independence. The countenances of all are stereotypedwith benevolence, and their conversation is fraught with maxims thatinculcate the practice of charity to all the human race. They are notwithout a sense of pride, yet discourage it in practice. It requiresno broker to make a written catalogue of their household furniture:their weapons are bows and arrows, and a short dart which they forcethrough a reed with the breath, bringing down birds on the wing withsurprising dexterity. A flat stone on which the women bake bread, anda rough one on which to grate the root of cassava; a hammock, ahatchet, a comb, and a broken piece of looking-glass in a rude frame,comprise the whole of their furniture. What few vessels they had wereill made,--not any improvement on those I formed from clay for the useof my aviary when in the woods.
They have no code of laws, nor have they a word in the language bywhich to convey the idea of laws; yet they have the same word as inHebrew to express God, by which they understand supreme master. Theyhave a magistrate or elder, to whom any matter of disputation isreferred, and by him summarily and finally settled. Fire they obtainby rubbing two pieces of wood together; and for cooking, this is madeon the ground, over which they suspend their vessels in the rudestmanner. Although these people wear no clothes, properly so called,they are very fond of ornaments; as amulets and charms, those obtainedfrom the ivory-billed woodpecker were most in vogue. No people in theworld, perhaps, are more remarkable for acute observation. If you nameany kind of bird, or other animal, to them, that is to be found in thispart of the globe, instantly they imitate its action and tones ofvoice. The notes of birds they give with surprising accuracy. Theyare very expert swimmers, and some of the women and children spend thechief of their time in the water. The men fish, and hunt, and when notso employed, which happens three or four days in the week, they remainin their hammocks, and amuse themselves with their implements, in therepairs of which, and in conversation, all their leisure is spent.They possess all the qualities to form good sportsmen, and to take thecommand of others--having great presence of mind and promptitude ofaction. I know not which most to admire, their skill in discoveringgame, or their manner of taking it. They entertain the loftiestsentiments of chivalrous honour, and their courage always rises withincreasing difficulty; it "smiles in danger stern and wild," and issuperior to circumstances.
On the fourth day after my emancipation from the loneliness of theforest I accompanied a fishing party to the same spot from whence I hadbeen taken. It was a favourite locality for hunting the ant-bear, andwhen the waters were out, for taking crabs and oysters, which werecaught in large numbers among the trees and shrubs that were more orless covered by the flood.
[Sidenote: The Great Spirit of the Indians]
Under the assiduous tuition of my young friend, whose name was _Pecoe_,I rapidly progressed in a knowledge of his language, and could notrefrain from making many reflections on his method of teaching ascompared with my European schoolmaster's. Pecoe, I considered, hadadopted a natural mode of instruction, while the system of the otherwas wholly artificial, and tedious in practice. My teacher was asanxious to be taught himself as to teach me, and when we were able toconverse, asked ten thousand questions relative to my country and thestate of society in it. Whether my long residence in the woods haddisqualified me to be an advocate for the cause of civilization I knownot, but at all my descriptions of it, Pecoe shook his head, and wasevidently under an impression that my countrymen must be a very unhappyrace of people. On one occasion, when conversing on our difference ofcolour, and on the human races generally, he said, "I will tell you howit happened: you know that there are three great spirits, all good,though each is greater than the other. The great spirit of all one daysaid to the lowest spirit, 'make a man, and let me see him.' Thespirit took some clay and made a man; but when the Great Spirit sawhim, he shook his head, and said he was too white. He then ordered thespirit next to himself in goodness to make a man, who tried his skillwith charcoal--burnt wood; but the Great Spirit again shook his head,and said he was too black. The Great Spirit then determined to tryhimself, and taking some red earth, made the Indians, which pleased himvery much." When I told him that the Great Spirit in his greatgoodness had so ordered it that every one should think his own colourthe best, he replied, that it was not possible for either a black or awhite man to be so stupid as to be satisfied with the colour of hisskin, stigmatized as he, Pecoe, thought both races were, bybarbarities. When I explained to him the various grades of civilizedsociety, his quick apprehension broke out in the most indignant terms,denouncing the system as one dictated by a demon. Rich and poor!"What good," he asked, "could arise from allowing one to take all, andgiving nothing to the other?"
[Sidenote: Pecoe's ideas of society]
I replied, that the wisdom of the Great Spirit (God) was recognised inhis anticipation of the wisdom of man, by providing him with originalprinciples of his own, which were given to regulate, not excitedesires. Thus the sense of property is germinated in very earlychildhood, which sense I maintained generated a moral feeling, and aprinciple of justice and equity. My young friend, after a moment'sthoughtful pause, stoutly gave the negative to my premises,--that thesense of property was developed in early life; he argued that thedesire exhibited by children to handle things, and which we erroneouslycall a desire to possess them, is nothing more than a natural desire toexercise the physical senses on objects of the external world, throughwhich only could they educate the powers of the body for healthful andmanly purposes of life. Those things which some call children'splaythings, he held to be _bona fide_ tools, without which, whetherthey were wooden horses, paper boats, a doll's head, or a piece ofstick, they could no more rise out of a state of childhood than a mancould go to sea without a canoe. He therefore denied the inference,that because children manifest a disposition to snatch or handleeverything they can reach, it is an indication of naturalacquisitiveness. The mind, he said, was wholly disengaged from thesematters at an early age; employment for the organs of the five senses,together with an instinctive desire to promote their development, werethe true causes of children quarrelling for possessions. He instancedtheir having no abiding attachment for any one particular toy, howeverexpensive or attractively constructed, always casting away one thing tohandle another, the various forms of which gave exercise to differentmuscles, and imparted new sensations of pleasure.
The object I have in presenting my readers with a few of Pecoe'sopinions is to illustrate the different ideas elicited in the minds ofmen by diverse circumstances of life and education. I scarcely needinform them that, in committing to paper my friend's notions, I havedressed them up in my own language.
On this occasion Pecoe closed the conversation by remarking that thenature of society, such as I had depicted in England, appeared tocharge the Great Spirit with having at some early period thrown uponthe earth all His gifts in a heap, for a general scramble, on thecondition that the posterity of those who succeeded in first pickingthem up should for ever live in idleness, and become the masters of theposterity of those whose ancestors had been unsuccessful in snatchingfrom their fellow-men more than their own share. He continued: "It washard to believe such a state of society could exist, and thought theEvil Spirit must have put it into my head;" meaning that I had drawnupon my own imagination for the sketch. The incomprehensible part ofthe system to Pecoe was, that some could be luxuriating in plenty andothers be starving at the same time in one country.
Warfare was unknown to his race, because the practice of good-will andthe friendly offices of mutual assistance were universal among them,and annihilated every motive to aggrandis
ement, and consequently thedisposition was never brought out. Bear in mind, reader, that I amdescribing no Utopia. When, therefore, I spoke of our numerous wars,and explained that it was those who had been unfortunate at the firstgeneral scramble, as he designated it, who risked their lives inbattle, fighting for their wealthy masters, his incredulity rose sohigh as to doubt my veracity, and for some time subsequently I thoughthe seemed to shun my society, appearing very pensive and lonely in hishabits.
[Sidenote: Pecoe as a nurse]
About a fortnight after the above conversation I was suddenly takenwith violent symptoms of fever, when Pecoe was immediately by my side,assiduously attending to all my wants with the tenderness of a nurse.The physician, or pee-ay-man, was applied to, who offered up prayers tothe Bad Spirit for my recovery;--for it is a part of their creed thatthe Good Spirit is too good to do any one harm, and therefore it is theMalicious Spirit that must be conciliated.
For this purpose a number of incantations were performed, after whichthe physician continued to parade from hut to hut, howling andperforming another series of incantations throughout the night, atintervals calling to see if any improvement had taken place in thehealth of his patient. As it was the practice of every family to burna fire through the night, I could from my hammock see this jugglerstalking to and fro, looking more like a demon than a minister ofcomfort in sickness.
Pecoe proved the best physician. He never left me, continuing toadminister comfort to me in every possible way and manner. Among otherservices he relieved me, at my request, from the mummeries of thepee-ay-man, aptly urging that, as the spirits of my country were notthe same as theirs, he might by his interference make them angryinstead of conciliating them. But the women, who really felt aninterest in my fate, were not so easily satisfied, they placed implicitreliance on the skill of the pee-ay-man, and were angry with Pecoe forsending him away. "Never mind," said he, coolly, to some remarks thatcensured his conduct, "I am as good a doctor as he is; and if I am hot,don't the Great Spirit brush away the flies from the animal without atail?"
My disease grew worse, and rapidly hastened to its crisis. Pecoe inevery stage sought for new sources of comfort: he collected silk-grass,and daily made new pillows for my head, when they were wetted with thecold water he applied to my temples. He constantly moistened my lipswith slices of pineapple, only occasionally leaving me, to go in searchof the jelly cocoa-nut, which in an unripe state has but a thin skin,but contains more liquor. As the fever subsided, these gratefuldraughts contributed much towards my recovery, and without doubthastened the period of final restoration to health, when I said to myfriend, "You may now set up as physician to the tribe, and supersedethe pee-ay-man." The remark brought a smile from his lips, as hereplied, "I have not such a mean spirit as to endure to be laughed atby all the people. Do you, then, really believe that these pretendersto superior knowledge are esteemed, or that any in the place have faithin their arts?"
"If not," said I, "why tolerate them, and why not apply to the Greatand Good Spirits themselves for help?"
[Sidenote: Pecoe's prudence]
"Why!" rejoined Pecoe, "because too many like deception more thanhonesty, and prefer listening to falsehood rather than to truth. Myfather and all his friends have secretly laughed at the impostor alltheir days, yet in public give him countenance, and also frown on thechildren who would doubt the efficacy of his tricks, or his ability tosolve dreams and foretell events. I myself," he continued, "sometimesdoubt my right to disregard the proffered services of these men. Thisarises, perhaps, from the general countenance they have from all thetribes, and the force of custom; for I seldom give myself the troubleto investigate their claim to respect; I endure their arts, because themajority patronise them, though I never open my lips in their defence.It is an ungracious task to make yourself more wise than yourneighbours; even if you should be successful, you must inevitably makeenemies without gaining new friends, people do not like to be told thatthey have been in error all their lives, or to believe that theirforefathers were foolishly credulous."
CHAPTER VI.
FURTHER ACCOUNT OF THE INDIANS--I ARRIVE AT MY FATHER'S FARM.
"What fancied zone can circumscribe the soul, Who, conscious of the source from whence she springs, By Reason's light, or Resolution's wings, Spite of her frail companion, dauntless goes O'er Libya's deserts, and through Zembla's snows? She bids each slumb'ring energy awake,-- Another touch, another temper take; Suspends th' inferior laws that rule o'er clay. The stubborn elements confess her sway; Man's little wants his low desires refine, And raise the mortal to a height divine."
Notwithstanding the darkness in which my friend Pecoe had been broughtup, I was impressed with the notion that his soul was sufficientlyalive to receive the great truths of Christianity. I thereforeresolved again to introduce the subject, and make an effort to engrosshis attention. I commenced by impressing on his mind that mycountrymen were a race acknowledged to be inferior to none other, andthat they worshipped only One Great Spirit, the Maker of the heavensand the earth, together with all things visible and invisible. Hesurprised me by admitting that these things had engaged much of hisattention, and that his mind was now made up on the question; hisconviction being that the heavens and the earth had existed frometernity, and would continue the same to eternity.
I explained to him that nothing endured for ever but the power of God;that all things were constantly undergoing a process of change; thatthe globe we inhabited had a beginning, and, consequently, likeinferior bodies, would have an end; that God permitted the dissolutionof one body, and the birth of another, at periods appointed, to the endthat the whole of his designs might arrive at perfection, and noabsolute loss be sustained. Pecoe heard me out with great patience,then shook his head, and enquired how it came that my father shouldknow better than his? When, however, I spoke of the existence of thesoul in another and better world, and endeavoured to illustrate thatcertainty by saying, in the dissolution of bodies nothing perished buttheir forms, and that the soul when it abdicated its decaying vessel,the body, was translated to another, and a purer state of existence, heevidently looked on me as being insane.
[Sidenote: Attempts at conversion]
I was disappointed,--was vexed at my inability to awaken him to a senseof what all mankind, more or less, in some form, have acknowledged,namely, a future state of existence. I now urged that all human beingswere sensible of relations not subject to the senses, and thereforepossessed sensibilities distinct from the body. That they couldcompare, and therefore had judgment; that they retained, and thereforehave memory; that they possessed freedom of choice, and therefore havewill. I then said, if to these we add instinct, there are fivefaculties of the soul; adding, Reason compares those ideas immediatelytransmitted to the memory; imagination is the same faculty exercised onthe same objects differently combined, having no similitude in nature.
"These," replied Pecoe, "are all your own thoughts."
Having from early infancy been accustomed, both morning and evening, tooffer up my prayers to God, and having, when in the wilds of nature,found in this practice much solace, I did not fail while with theIndians to continue the custom; yet none of the people had hithertotaken any notice of my devotion. At length Pecoe inquired my motives,asking what I expected to gain by the practice.
I replied, that we had all daily wants, and that in the morning Ipetitioned the Great Spirit--my God---to supply them, and that in theevening I returned thanks for the protection and supplies I hadreceived. I further explained, that prayer was the voice of sin to Himwho alone can pardon it; that it was the petition of poverty, theprostration of humility, the confidence of trust, the feeling ofhelplessness, and the compunctions of the soul. All this I put in themost simple form of language, and I have reason to think that he fullyunderstood the feeling I endeavoured to convey.
Notwithstanding, he asked me whether I had not food enough to eat, andwhat it was the Evil Spirit had made me do that troubled
me so much?
[Sidenote: Conversation on prayer]
In vain did I labour to impress his mind with a sense of the necessitythere is for all to worship the Giver of life and all other blessings,and that by intreating the One God to protect us, the value of hisgifts was enhanced, and that there was an inexpressible delight incommitting ourselves to the care and guidance of one who is infinitelyable to protect us in the right path.
"The Spirit," said he, "is good, and will do nothing wrong--he will notlisten to what you tell him."
I replied by saying that we could not tell God of anything that he didnot already know, and that prayer and thanksgiving were due from us allto one so beneficent. I then explained to him that his condition ofdarkness in religious matters was once the condition of all mankind,and that it was only by reflection, and the intercommunication ofminds, that the little light our forefathers possessed was obtained,until at length God sent his only Son to reveal the truth to us. Ithen repeated the Lord's Prayer, and promised to teach it to him in hisown language if he would use it.
He replied that he must have time to consider of it. A few days afterhe requested that I would not talk in that way any more to him, adding,that they were all my own sayings, meaning they were things of my owninvention.
"You have consulted your father," said I. He acknowledged that he had,laughing at the same time, as if I had been a subject of theirridicule. Up to that moment I had flattered myself that I should havebeen spiritually of service to him, and perhaps through him, to more ofhis race. His father, however, was an enemy to civilized man, andinimical to innovations of every kind.
It appeared from a traditional story, which Pecoe subsequently relatedme, that at some former period these people had been visited by a partyof missionaries, the particulars of which I an induced to give, as acaution to gentlemen who labour in such arduous undertakings as thoseof converting heathens to Christianity.
"Some white men," said Pecoe, "came here a long time since, and broughtstrange talk about the Great Spirit and his Son, (that is, about ourblessed Saviour), to which our people agreed to listen, upon condition,that every time they attended they should receive a bottle of rum.They did attend," continued Pecoe, "but in a short time the white menwanted them to come and listen for nothing, and so broke theircontract." Scrupulously punctual to their own engagements, theIndians, immediately on the withholding of the rum, took a prejudiceagainst the missionaries, which no subsequent conduct on the part ofthe latter could remove, or perhaps will ever efface from the memory ofthe former. Thus has a stumblingblock been placed in the way of allfuture adventurers among them in the cause of Christianity. As soon asI was made acquainted with these particulars, I resolved to undertakethe defence of the missionaries' conduct, and at least, lessen theprejudice against them. With this view, I availed myself of the firstlarge assemblage of the natives, and opened the subject by inquiringhow long it was since the white men had visited them, which way theycame, and lastly, by what road they returned? suggesting, that perhapsthe same road might lead me to a European colony, where I might have achance of hearing from my friends.
[Sidenote: Defence of the missionaries]
An aged Indian replied to these inquiries, adding, that he had no greatopinion of the white men who came there; and on asking how they hadconducted themselves, he related the story in nearly the same words asI had heard it from Pecoe. I then explained the good intentions of thepersons who subscribed money to spread the truths of the gospel, andthe great sacrifices made by those who consented to give up the charmsof civilized life for the good of the poor unenlightened heathen. Ithen went on to say, that with respect to the presents of rum, it wasnatural, after the missionaries had taken the trouble to study theirlanguage, and to travel so far, to adopt any means to secure a hearing,without which, no good could possibly accrue to the objects of theirmission. Although, I continued, they might at first hold out someinducement to be heard, yet it was unreasonable to expect that personsso far away from home and their resources could continue to find themeans of making repeated presents in order to tempt persons to theirown good.
When I had finished, some of the Indians laughed, others shook theirheads, indicating disapprobation, and a hint that I had better besilent. Upon the whole, though I pushed the matter somewhat strongly,I failed in making any impression on the auditors.
With regard to natural objects, I question if there be a more acute andobserving people in the whole world; yet they are wholly a people offeelings, being evidently deficient in intellect. Their imaginationand understanding are both at a low ebb, as I could never extend theirideas beyond their own path of life. At times I gave Pecoe credit forpossessing a more lively imagination than others of his tribe; but as Iknew more of him, this impression died away. In the highly cultivatedwalks of society, manhood is the period when the feelings arepredominant. Imagination prevails in youth, and the understanding inold age. These people are in the middle stage of progress; and as theypossess the purest moral notions of right and wrong, cannot beincapable of receiving the truths of revealed religion. The highestdegree of moral elevation can only be attained by carefully cherishingthe more benevolent and kindlier feelings of nature; that is, bycultivating the good passions, and throwing into disuse the bad ones.The Indians with whom I lived, effected these objects in a very highdegree; for I never saw an instance of any violent exhibition of temperamong them, and it was always a matter of astonishment to me to see howexceeding tractable their children were without severity on the part ofthe parents.
In the moral sense of the word, they were good; and if they had beenChristians, would have been deemed examples for more refined nations.
"A good man, and an angel! these between, How thin the barrier? What divides their fate? Perhaps a moment, or perhaps a year; Or, if an age, it is a moment still."
The following anecdote will not only illustrate the kind feelings ofthe Indian's heart, but also exhibit his delicacy in bestowing afavour. I had for some time been uneasy at not being able tocontribute, by my exertions, a fair share towards the provisions of thecommon stock of those with whom I resided; and this uneasiness wasfrequently expressed to Pecoe, the principal difficulty being the wantof a canoe--for these vessels were not constructed in general to carrymore than one person; I was thus precluded from sharing in the dailyexcursions on the water.
[Sidenote: Gift of a canoe]
Pecoe, as I have said, knew that I felt this want, and one morningsurprised and delighted me, after a walk in the woods, where he pointedout the silk cotton tree as the material out of which they made canoes."Why," exclaimed he, as he took a turn towards an inlet of the greatriver, "here is a canoe already made for you; come, help me to launchit, and let us see how it fits you when afloat." I had recently, forseveral long intervals, missed him, and having, when inquiring thecause of his absence, received equivocal replies, I thought it wasoccasioned by some duty connected with his family, and had inconsequence forborne to notice it again. He had, however, been in thewood, fashioning a canoe for my use, being the most valuable present hecould, at that juncture, have made me; and the manner in which heconducted the matter, considerably enhanced its value. I was now asrich in property as any of the natives, whose ambition seldom soarsbeyond the possession of a canoe and a stock of hunting and fishingimplements, which my friend Pecoe did not forget to provide with thecanoe.
My health being perfectly restored, I now joined in all the sportsfollowed by the natives, having previously, at Pecoe's earnestsolicitation, learned to swim. Time ran on smoothly, the morninginvited me to the woods (my natural home) to hunt for game.
"On a sweet shining morning, thus drawn out, It seem'd what man was made for, to look round And trace the full brook, that, with clamorous route, O'er fallen trees and roots, black curling, wound Through glens, with wild brakes scatter'd all about."
The days did not linger in their progress, nor did night arrive toosoon, the changes being all attended wi
th enjoyments.
"Night bringeth sleep To the forest deep, The forest bird to its nest, To care, bright hours, And dreams of flowers, And that balm to the weary--rest."
Discontent is man's great enemy. I believe that, constitutionally, Iwas fitted to enjoy any station to which the Almighty, in his wisdom,might call me; yet even contentment may be carried to an extreme, anddegenerate into apathy, or the want of a healthful spirit intoindolence.
Soft leisure hath her charms, and the bliss of her votaries is to baskin summer rays through the day under the greenwood tree; but howeversoothing or pleasant this may be to the reflective mind, the commonduties of life should not be neglected. I had parents, relations, andfriends, all of whom had more or less been rendered unhappy by my lossin the woods; and I now became impressed with a notion that I had notbeen sufficiently active in using means for my restoration.
I had indeed escaped the mazes of the forest by the inundation--anevent in which the hand of Providence was conspicuous; for had not theflood-gates of the firmament been opened, I might still have remainedin my forest prison. I now asked myself why I did not stir and exertall the energies the same Providence had bestowed on me, to reach thenearest European colony and seek advice as to the proper mode ofproceeding to discover the home of my parents. All my moments ofleisure were now filled up with self-reproaches. The deep solitude ofthe woods, I thought, had enchanted me, and now the wild charm of afree and roving life was weaning me from duty. These were errorswhich, I thought, demanded a rigid retribution; yet at intervals I wasin no want of excuses to extenuate my conduct. I reflected on theextraordinary flexibility of our nature, which accommodates and adaptsitself to all circumstances; and, that the reality of our existence isthe present moment, the exigencies of which are inimical to prudentresolutions.
Of man's generic character there is much yet to be written; the changeof climate, food, scenery, society, together with a thousand contingentcircumstances that follow in their train, all produce effectsunappreciable by those whose lives have been bounded by one circle. Ofall animals, man best endures the changes of food and climate. Ittherefore follows that his physical construction is more changeable;but in proportion as the body undergoes a change, and adapts itself tothe circumstances of its situation, so will the feelings, temper, andmind also undergo some change, and more or less affect the character ofthe individual.
[Sidenote: Forgetfulness of home]
In reference to my own case, and the experience derived from it, thisis the best solution I can give of the passive submission with which Iaccommodated myself to the manner of life into which my waywardness hadcast me. If we pass from man to the influence of climate on otheranimals, the effect on dogs is very remarkable. In Kamtschatka,instead of the dog being faithful and attached to his master, he isfull of deceit and treachery; he does not bark in the hot parts ofAfrica, nor in the extreme cold countries of the north; in Greenland heloses his fitness for hunting and his character for docility. If thissubject were pursued, it might be added that the African slaves, whenremoved from their own country to the West Indies, undergo a markedchange of character. The American settlers too, have changed incharacter since their first settlement in that country, as also havethe Anglo-New Hollanders. The temperate zones appear to be the mostfavoured regions for the full development of the human powers, whetherphysical or moral, especially of the principle of sympathy, thatvicegerent of the divine benevolence in our world, which is capable ofbinding up all the wounds that sin and death have introduced into it.
As we are all, however, too much swayed by the considerations ofpleasure and pain, it is probable, that had I been cast into regionssubject to a rigorous winter, I should have been more anxious to haveescaped from the forest. Perpetual summer, however, beguiled me frommy resolution, and being unprovided with a defence against ease andindolence, years passed on while I was only dreaming of home andfriends.
The hand of Providence, notwithstanding, continued over me, and in amiraculous manner took me from savage life.
The sun's departing red rays were shining on the surface of the river,as Pecoe, myself, and three other youths were hastening in our canoesto reach home before night should set in, when I heard the stroke ofoars, that indicated the approach of a boat's crew. I have before saidthat an inexplicable feeling came over me whenever I thought that I wasin approximation with those who might be the means of conveying meagain into civilized life. On this occasion I was for the momentparalysed. Pausing to assure myself of the reality of the sounds, Iheard Pecoe and his companions calling to me to pull towards theopposite shore, from whence the sounds proceeded, and turning round toascertain the direction they were pursuing, I caught sight of along-boat, manned with ten sailors, just turning a point of land whichhad hitherto screened them from my view. The Indians were stillcalling to me, but it was too late. With the usual celerity of Britishsailors, the boat in a few seconds was abreast of my canoe. Theofficer who commanded the crew pulled my canoe aft, and afterscrutinizing my countenance, ejaculated, "The boatswain is right--anEuropean; but not, as he supposed, a runaway convict; it's the wronglatitude for that kind of fish;" continuing, "Come, young man, stepinto our boat: we are in want of some information with which you mayfurnish us."
[Sidenote: Impressed on board an English ship]
I hesitated, then made some reply in English, when one of the sailorsexclaimed, "I told Tom that he was a Briton."
"I am glad I have met with a countryman," resumed the officer, who heldthe canoe fast as he offered his hand to assist me into his own boat;but as I still hesitated, he affected to stumble, and in the actiondrew me over the bow of the canoe, which constrained me either to jumpinto the ship's boat or fall into the river. When seated beside thelieutenant, I had in some measure recovered from my surprise; Iinquired whether the practice of pressing in the British navy wasrevived.
"It is not," replied the lieutenant, "but I shall feel myself justifiedin detaining you until I have the particulars of your history, andlearn especially what brought you into this part of the world."
All this time the boat was proceeding down the river, and had carriedme out of sight of my Indian friends. When I informed the officer thatI had been lost when a boy, he replied--
"Then you are now found; but have you a knowledge of this river?"
"From hence upwards I have," said I. "having accompanied the Indiansin their farthest migrations."
"Make your mind easy," rejoined the officer, "I shall introduce you tothe captain of our brig."
It appeared that the boat had been sent out by a government brig whichwas on a survey in the river Amazon, to ascertain the course of one ofits tributaries. Late in the evening of the following day we reachedthe ship, and when my story had been heard by the captain, he at oncedetermined on taking me with him, saying that he should find means ofsending me to Berbice, the point, he judged, from which my father hadstarted, and to which place he thought it probable my father would inthe first instance transmit an account of my having been lost; andwhere also it was likely some arrangement had been made for providingme with the means of finding my way to his residence.
The brig remained two months on the survey, and then sailed forHalifax, crossing the Mexican bay, where I had an opportunity ofwitnessing the extraordinary phenomena produced by a large body of fishthat at one time surrounded the vessel. The sea was like one field offireworks, all sparkling with serpents and silver spangles; the mind,when contemplating such scenes, is lost in amazement at the prodigiousnumber of living things the regions of the sea contain. But whetherthe naturalist turns to the woods and the water, or explores thecloud-capt mountains, the sequestered cave, or the rocky cliffs, hewill at first be embarrassed at the sight of the variety of objectsthat claim his attention; and it is only by learning how to distinguishthem in a methodical manner that the mind can be brought to contemplatethem in detail.
On board the vessel I was supplied with a sailor's dress, but the forc
eof habit was so strong that for a considerable time I could not wear itwith any comfort to myself. The captain was faithful to his promise,and from Halifax sent me in a merchant vessel to Demerara, with aletter addressed to the British consul at that station. On my arrivalI presented myself before that authority, who the next day produced acolonial newspaper in which I had seven years previously beenadvertised, and a reward offered for my recovery, and in which also thename of an agent was mentioned who would defray any costs incurred onthe occasion.
[Sidenote: Return to society]
Fortunately that gentleman was still in the colony, who, aftersatisfying himself of my identity, promised to avail himself of theearliest opportunity to restore me to my family. The location of myfather's property was on the remote banks of a branch of the Amazonriver, to which few vessels traded, there was therefore no possibilityof reaching it otherwise than overland, as the family had previouslydone. For some time after my arrival in Demerara, I found myself anobject of interest, receiving invitations from most of the respectableinhabitants; while my appearance in the streets excited a sensation.Although I was much pleased with the opportunity of attending publicworship, where I might collect and concentrate the scattered ideas Iretained of my father's faith, yet the ceremonies and forms of societyappeared ridiculous to me, and were very irksome.
[Sidenote: First sight of home]
[Sidenote: The brother and sister]
[Sidenote: Rengal]
I received marked attention and kindness from the gentleman who hadbeen advertised as my father's agent, and an opportunity soon occurredfor him to place me under safe escort to my home. Two gentlemen wereabout to journey near to where my father resided, and they kindlyundertook my safe conveyance. They were entrusted with a letter fromthe agent to my father, which was to be delivered into no other handsbut his own. I can scarcely describe my delight when all was inreadiness for our departure and we set out on our journey. My feelingsof impatience grew more uncontrollable every day. The thoughts of homeand the prospect of again beholding all I held dear on earth made mypassage appear a lifetime;--tedious and protracted as it was I shallpass it over now, as it had no incident that was at all attractive tome--until we arrived at the Amazon River, whose clear surface I hailedwith indescribable delight, as I knew then we were not far from myfather's estate. Following its course for a day we arrived towards theafternoon at a plantation of cotton, the proprietor of which informedme that we were within two miles of my father's house. He had heardthe particulars of my absence, but declined to comply with my requestto go and inform the family of my arrival. The reason he assigned wasthat he had lately been engaged in a dispute with my father, andtherefore could not undertake my mission--adding that the alteration inmy appearance, living as I had from the age of thirteen to twenty inthe wilderness, would be sufficient to prevent them from recognising meat first. I then inquired for my uncles, and was informed that one hadsold his land and returned to England, and that the other (the widower)was dead. This unchristian man also informed me that, in his opinion,I had been given up as entirely lost by my family. As the day wasadvancing, I waited no longer to hold converse with him, but abruptlyturned away, disgusted with his apathy and want of feeling. As weproceeded towards my home, I consulted with the two gentlemen who weremy guides what course to adopt in breaking the intelligence of myreturn, to my family, as I felt a dread of presenting myself tooprecipitately after so long an absence, being naturally fearful thatthe shock would be more than my mother could sustain. We deemed itprudent, therefore, to send the letter by one of my guides, while Iwaited the result close by. Our precautions, however, were not carriedinto effect, as an incident occurred which rendered them unnecessary.I had arrived in sight of my father's habitation, and paused on aslight eminence to contemplate with mingled feelings of surprise,delight, and fear, the spot made sacred by the affections which werecentred there, with all the ties which bound me to the world--that spotwhich, from the meanest to the noblest in every land, is the only havenof refuge from the troubles and travail in this life, and which finds aready response in every heart by the one magic word--home! I had notfelt its cheering influence for now more than six years. An outcastand a wanderer for that period, how often in the loneliness of myforest life had I yearned to be again restored to it, and to find, likethe dove of old, a place of refuge and rest--an ark, and a covenant.But now, as the fruition of my hopes appeared to be realized, I paused,spell-bound and overpowered by the many conflicting feelings which thesight of it had conjured up. The memory of all the incidents of myearly life--the days of childhood--the school-boy troubles--the manyacts of parental kindness evinced in a thousand ways--were all picturedto my sight in one rapid glance. And then the terrible forebodingpresented itself, that I might not find my family circle as I had leftthem--alive and in health. In the history of the world six years isbut a speck of time; but with individuals the case is widely different.I had lost one uncle, and the fear came across me that my loss mightnot be ended thus. I almost dreaded to make the inquiry, as I feltincapable of bearing such a calamity. It was a beautiful mansion whichlay before me. The large and well-built house, surrounded with thickfoliage--the carefully cultivated grounds surrounding it--the broad andextensive landscape beyond of richly wooded hill and dale--the wide andmeandering river by whose banks I had been guided thither--gave to thescene a lofty grandeur. While standing thus irresolute, a young man ofsome five or six and twenty was advancing towards us; he had on his arma female, with whom he appeared to be chatting familiarly. I watchedthem as they came near us, and from the young man's appearance judgedhim to be one of the settlers here. As they approached, I heard theirvoices more distinctly. That of the female fell upon my ear in wellremembered tones. There could be no mistaking them, I knew it to bethe voice of my sister. But ah! how changed she was. The laughingmerry girl had grown into a staid and matronly woman. I could hardlybelieve it possible; but to assure myself, I inquired of her companionif that was the residence of Mr. Howard. My sister started as I spoke,turned pale, and looked at me intently. I suppose I was changed;indeed, there was but little doubt of that--but changed as I was, shecould not be deceived. She trembled, and would have fallen, had I notcaught her in my arms in a fond embrace. The first surprise over, shelaughed and cried by turns, and overwhelmed me with caresses. Then thenumberless inquiries she had to make! One after the other in suchrapid succession, without waiting for replies. I know not what thethree spectators of the scene must have thought; but no doubt theydeemed her frantic, and, indeed, for the time, I believe she was. Myfirst inquiry was about my parents. They were both well. She had leftthem a few minutes previously. Her companion she introduced to me asher husband. She told me, also, that she had two children, a littleboy and girl. We arranged our plan, if it could be called arrangement,where all was mad delight; she insisted that my two guides should gohome with her husband for that evening, as his house was close by, anddeliver the letter in the morning, while she and myself went home toour parents. When we had arrived at the house, I detained her fromentering until I had peeped in at the window to take a glance at itsinmates. There was a light in the interior, and I could observe alldistinctly. I saw my father seated in a comfortable apartment, quiteunconscious of any one observing them. My father was reading aloud oneof the local papers. He wore spectacles; I remember to have beenstruck with this, otherwise, my mother and he were not at all changed.The same as I had left them--the old familiar faces, remembered fromearliest childhood--the old familiar faces, it made a child of me againto gaze on them. Presently my sister entered, and from her hurriedmanner and sudden return, they seemed surprised. She said something, Idid not know what, but my father rose, and hastily throwing down thepaper, gazed wonderingly on my sister. I waited no longer--anothermoment--I was on my knees before my mother, buried in her embrace. Shewept over me, her truant boy, tears of joy. Who of us has not felt thedepth and purity of a mother's love? Who hath not found, be
his errorswhat they might, that there was one gentle spirit to turn to, everready to pardon, protect, and solace? I felt the force of this doublythen. And now, when past the meridian of my life, I look back throughthe long vista of the past, the self-devotedness of a mother's loveshines forth as something "which lighted up my way of life," never tobe forgotten. My father could scarcely find utterance, from excess ofjoy at my return. I recounted to him a brief summary of all I had gonethrough since I had been lost, and half that night was passed in thedetails of my story. My sister did not return to her own home till thefollowing morning, when I accompanied her. Another surprise awaitedme. I saw Rengal and his father working on our estate. They hadbecome devoted and trustworthy servants of the family, being employedas free labourers. It seemed that my father had instituted a vigoroussearch for me, and had engaged them many months for that purpose,believing their acquaintance with the country would be of infiniteservice in the undertaking. Their labours, however, proved fruitless,as my reader already knows. Ultimately, pleased with their faithfulconduct, and evident anxiety to accomplish my restoration, he engagedthem as assistants on his farm, where they had remained ever since.Their surprise and extravagant delight when I made myself known,exceeded all bounds; and although, perhaps, I compromised my dignity, Iwas obliged, in spite of myself, to burst out into a fit of immoderatelaughter. There was a degree of comicality about these people whichwas perfectly irresistible, the more so, as they could not at allcomprehend it themselves. The old negro informed me that he haddiscovered his daughter, and my sister's husband had purchased herfreedom, and engaged her as a domestic in his house.
* * * * *
Many years have rolled on since the incidents described in thisnarrative occurred. Time has been busy with his ceaseless works andwondrous changes. Our little settlement has now sprung up into a largeand thriving city, in whose streets are seen a throng of busy men. Ourriver bears upon its bosom many argosies freighted with the merchandiseof every clime. Our meadows are ploughed into furrows by the hand ofthe skilful husbandman, and returning autumn sees them laden with theproducts of cultivated nature. The giant, steam, is made a slave toman. and is seen at work on the mill--the mine--the forge--and rail;and everywhere marks of the master spirit, industry, are visible in ourtown. For myself, I am rich in the possession of all the blessings ofdomestic life, with an amiable and loving partner and dutiful children.I am respected as a thriving merchant, and I hope as a worthy friend.My parents, I am happy to say, still cheer me with their presence andadvice; and if this, the narrative of my earlier years, should awakenthe youthful mind to a sense of self-reliance and dependence under alltrials and vicissitudes, and make manifest the bounteous providence ofa wise and beneficent Creator, my labours will not have been spent invain.
THE END.
[Transcriber's note: In this etext, the source book's variant pageheadings have been converted to sidenotes and positioned where mostlogical.]
