by Daniel Defoe
But we were presently undeceived, for in two or three Minutes more we heard the
screaming roaring Noise go on from once Place to another, through all their
little Towns; nay, even over the Creek to the other Side; and, on a sudden we
saw a naked Multitude running from all Parts to the Place where the first Man
began it, as to a Rendezvous; and, in less than an Hour, I believe there was
near 500 of them gotten together, armed some with Bows and Arrows, but most with
Lances, with which they throw, at a good Distance, so nicely, that they will
strike a Bird flying.
We had but a very little time for Consultation, for the Multitude was encreasing
every Moment; and I verily believe, if we had stay'd long, they would have been
10000 together in a little time. We had nothing to do therefore, but to fly to
our Ship or Bark, where indeed we could have defended our selves very well, or
to advance and try what a Volley or two of small Shot would do for us.
We resolved immediately upon the latter, depending upon it, that the Fire and
Terror of our Shot would soon put them to Flight; so we drew up all in a Line,
and marched boldly up to them; they stood ready to meet us, depending, I
suppose, to destroy us all with their Lances; but before we came near enongh for
them to throw their Lances, we halted, and standing at a good Distance from one
another, to stretch our Line as far as we could, we gave them a Salute with our
Shot, which besides what we wounded that we knew not of, knocked sixteen of them
down upon the Spot, and three more were so lamed, that they fell about 20 or 30
Yards from them.
As soon as we had fired, they set up the horridest Yell, or Howling, partly
raised by those that were wounded, and partly by those that pitied and condoled
the Bodies they saw lye dead, that I never heard any thing like it before or
since.
We stood Stock still after we had fired, to load our Guns again, and finding
they did not stir from the Place, we fired among them again; we killed about
nine of them at the second Fire; but as they did not stand so thick as before,
all our Men did not fire, seven of us being ordered to reserve our Charge, and
to advance as soon as the other had fired, while the rest loaded again; of which
I shall speak again presently.
As soon as we had fired the second Volley we shouted as loud as we could, and
the seven Men advanced upon them, and, coming about 20 Yards nearer, fired
again, and those that were behind having loaded again, with all Expedition,
follow'd but when they saw us advance, they run screaming away as if they were
bewitched.
When we came up to the Field of Battle, we saw a great Number of Bodies lying
upon the Ground, many more than we could suppose were killed or wounded, nay
more than we had Bullets in our Pieces when we fired; and we could not tell what
to make of it; but at length, we found how it was viz. that they were frighted
out of all manner of Sense; nay, I do believe several of those that were really
dead, were frighted to Death, and had no Wound about them.
Of those that were thus frighted, as I have said, several of them, as they
recovered themselves, came and worshipped us (taking us for Gods or Devils, I
know not which, nor did it much matter to us) some kneeling, some throwing
themselves flat on the Ground, made a Thousand antick Gestures, but all with
Tokens of the most profound Submission. It presently came into my Head, that we
might now by the Law of Arms take as many Prisoners as we would, and make them
travel with us, and carry our Baggage: As soon as I proposed it, our Men were
all of my Mind; and accordingly we secured about 60 lusty young Fellows, and let
them know they must go with us; which they seemed very willing to do: But the
next Question we had among our selves, was, how we should do to trust them, for
we found the People not like those of Madagasar, but fierce, revengful and
treacherous, for which Reason we were sure, that we should have no Service from
them but that of meer Slaves, no Subjection that would continue any longer than
the Fear of us was upon them, nor any Labour but by Violence.
Before I go any farther, I must hint to the Reader, that from this time forward
I began to enter a little more seriously into the Circumstance I was in, and
concern'd my self more in the Conduct of our Affairs; for, tho' my Comerades
were all older Men, yet I began to find them void of Counsel, or, as I now call
it, Presence of Mind, when, they came to the Execution of a thing. The first
Occasion I took to observe this, was in their late Engagement with the Natives,
when, tho' they had taken a good Resolution to attack them, and fire upon them,
yet when they had fired the first time, and found that the Negroes did not run
as they expected, their Hearts began to fail, and I am perswaded if their Bark
had been near Hand, they would every Man have run away.
Upon this Occasion, I began to take upon me a little to hearten them up, and to
call upon them to load again, and give them another Volley, telling them that I
would engage, if they would be ruled by me, I'd make the Negroes run fast
enough. I found this heartned them, and therefore, when they fired a second
time, I desired them to reserve some of their Shot to an Attempt by it self, as
I mentioned above.
Having fired a second time, I was indeed forced to command, as I may call it.
Now, Seigniors, said I, let us give them a Chear; so I open'd my Throat, and
shouted three times, as our English Sailors do on like Occasions; and now follow
me, said I to the seven that had not fired, and I'll warrant you we will make
Work with them ; and so it proved indeed: For as soon as they saw us coming,
away they run as above.
From this Day forward they would call me nothing but Seignior Capitanio; but I
told them, I would not be called Seignior. Well then, said the Gunner, who spoke
good English, you shall be called Captain Bob, and so they gave me my Title ever
after.
Nothing is more certain of the Portuguese than this, take them nationally or
personally; if they are animated and hearten'd up by any body to go before, and
encourage them by Example, they will behave well enough; but if they have
nothing but their own Measures to follow, they sink immediately: These Men had
certainly fled from a Parcel of naked Savages, tho' even by flying they could
not have saved their Lives, if I had not shouted and halloo'd, and made rather
Sport with the thing, than a Fight, to keep up their Courage.
Nor was there less need of it upon several Occasions hereafter; and I do
confess, I have often wonder'd how a Number of Men, who, when they came to the
Extremity, were so ill supported by their own Spirits, had at first Courage to
propose, and to undertake the most desperate and impracticable Attempt that ever
Men went about in the World.
There were indeed two or three indefatigable Men among them, by whose Courage
and Industry all the rest were upheld; and indeed those two or three were the
Managers of them from the Beginning; that was the Gunner, and that Cutler
whom I
call the Artist; and the third, who was pretty well, tho' not like either of
them, was one of the Carpenters. These indeed were the Life and Soul of all the
rest, and it was to their Courage that all the rest ow'd the Resolution they
shewd upon any Occasion. But when those saw me take a little upon me, as above,
they embraced me, and treated me with particular Affection ever after.
This Gunner was an excellent Mathematician, a good Scholar, and a compleat
Sailor; and it was in conversing intimately with him, that I learnt afterwards
the Grounds of what Knowledge I have since had in all the Sciences useful for
Navigation, and particularly in the Geographical Part of Knowledge.
Even in our Conversation, finding me eager to understand and learn, he laid the
Foundation of a general Knowledge of things in my Mind, gave me just Ideas of
the Form of the Earth and of the Sea, the Situation of Countries, the Course of
Rivers, the Doctrine of the Spheres, the Motion of the Stars; and, in a Word,
taught me a kind of System of Astronomy, which I afterwards improv'd.
In especial Manner, he filled my Head with aspiring Thoughts, and with an
earnest Desire after learning every thing that could be taught me; convincing
me, that nothing could qualify me for great Undertakings, but a Degree of
Learning superior to what was usual in the Race of Seamen; he told me, that to
be ignorant, was to be certain of a mean Station in the World, but that
Knowledge was the first Step to Preferment. He was always flattering me with my
Capacity to Learn; and tho' that fed my Pride, yet on the other Hand, as I had a
secret Ambition which just at that time fed it self in my Mind, it prompted in
me an insatiable Thirst after Learning in general, and I resolved, if ever I
came back to Europe, and had any thing left to purchase it, I would make my self
Master of all the Parts of Learning needful to the making of me a compleat
Sailor; but I was not so just to my self afterwards, as to do it when I had an
Opportunity.
But to return to our Business; the Gunner, when he saw the Service I had done in
the Fight, and heard my Proposal for keeping a Number of Prisoners for our
March, and for carrying our Baggage, turns to me before them all, Captain Bob,
says he, I think you must be our Leader, for all the Success of this Enterprize
is owing to you. No, no, said I, do not compliment me, you shall be our Seignior
Capitanio, you shall be General, I am too young for it; so in short, we all
agreed he should be our Leader; but he would not accept of it alone, but would
have me join'd with him, and all the rest agreeing, I was oblig'd to comply.
The first Piece of Service they put me upon in this new Command, was as
difficult as any they could think of, and that was to manage the Prisoners;
which however I chearfully undertook, as you shall hear presently: But the
immediate Consultation was yet of more Consequence; and that was, First, Which
Way we should go, and Secondly, How to furnish our selves for the Voyage with
Provisions.
There was among the Prisoners one tall, well-shap'd, handsom Fellow, to whom the
rest seem'd to pay great Respect, and who, as we understood afterwards, was the
Son of one their Kings, his Father was, it seems, killed at our first Volley,
and he wounded with a Shot in his Arm, and with another just on one of his Hips
or Haunches. The Shot in his Haunch being in a fleshy Part, bled much, and he
was half dead with the Loss of Blood. As to the Shot in his Arm, it had broke
his Wrist, and he was by both these Wounds quite disabled, so that we were once
going to turn him away, and let him die; and if we had, he would have died
indeed in a few Days more: But as I found the Man had some Respect shew'd him,
it presently occurred to my Thoughts, that we might bring him to be useful to
us, and perhaps make him a kind of Commander over them. So I caused our Surgeon
to take him in Hand, and gave the poor Wretch good Words, that is to say, I
spoke to him as well as I could by Signs, to make him understand that we would
make him well again.
This created a new Awe in their Minds of us, believing that as we could kill at
a Distance by something invisible to them (for so our Shot was to be sure) so we
could make them well again too. Upon this the young Prince (for so we called him
afterwards) called six or seven of the Savages to him, and said something to
them; what it was we knew not, but immediately all the seven came to me, and
kneel'd down to me, holding up their Hands, and making Signs of Entreaty,
pointing to the Place where one of those lay whom we had killed.
It was a long time before I or any of us could understand them; but one of them
run and lifted up a dead Man, pointing to his Wound, which was in his Eye, for
he was shot into the Head at one of his Eyes. Then another pointed to the
Surgeon, and at last we found it out, that the Meaning was, that he should heal
the Prince's Father too, who was dead, being shot thro' the Head, as above.
We presently took the Hint, and would not say we could not do it, but let them
know, the Men that were kill'd were those that had first fallen upon us, and
provoked us, and we would by no Means make them alive again; and that if any
other did so, we would kill them too, and never let them live any more: But that
if he (the Prince) would be willing to go with us, and do as we should direct
him, we would not let him dye, and would make his Arm well. Upon this he bid his
Men go and fetch a long Stick or Staff, and lay on the Ground. When they brought
it, we saw it was an Arrow; he took it with his left Hand, (for his other was
lame with the Wound) and pointing up at the Sun, broke the Arrow in two, and set
the Point against his Breast, and then gave it to me. This was as I understood
afterwards, wishing the Sun, whom they worship, might shoot him into the Breast
with an Arrow, if ever he failed to be my Friend; and giving the Point of the
Arrow to me, was to be a Testimony, that I was the Man he had sworn to; and
never was Christian more punctual to an Oath, than he was to this, for he was a
sworn Servant to us for many a weary Month after that.
When I brought him to the Surgeon, he immediately dress'd the Wound in his
Haunch or Bottock, and found the Bullet had only graz'd upon the Flesh, and
pass'd, as it were, by it, but it was not lodg'd in the Part; so that it was
soon healed and well again: But as to his Arm, he found one of the Bones broken,
which are in the Fore-part from the Wrist to the Elbow; and this he set, and
splinter'd it up, and bound his Arm in a Sling, hanging it about his Neck, and
making Signs to him that he should not stir it; which he was so strict an
Observer of, that he set him down, and never mov'd one Way or other, but as the
Surgeon gave him Leave.
I took a great deal of Pains to acquaint this Negroe what we intended to do, and
what Use we intended to make of his Men; and particularly, to teach him the
Meaning of what we said: Especially to teach him some Words, such as Yes and No,
and what they meant, and to innure him to our Way o
f Talking, and he was very
willing and apt to learn any thing I taught him.
It was easy to let him see, that we intended to carry our Provision with us from
the first Day; but he made Signs to us to tell us we need not, for that we
should find Provisions enough every where for fourty Days. It was very difficult
for us to understand how he express'd Forty; for he knew no Figures, but some
Words they used to one another that they understood it by. At last, one of the
Negroes, by his Order, laid fourty little Stones one by another, to shew us how
many Days we should travel, and find Provisions sufficient.
Then I shew'd him our Baggage, which was very heavy, particularly our Powder and
Shot, Lead, Iron, Carpenters Tools, Seamens Instruments, Cases of Bottles, and
other Lumber. He took some of the things up in his Hand to see the Weight, and
shook his Head at them; so I told our People, they must resolve to divide their
Things into small Parcels, and make them portable; and accordingly they did so,
by which means we were fain to leave all our Chests behind us, which were Eleven
in Number.
Then he made Signs to us, that he would procure some Buffloes, or young Bulls,
as I called them, to carry things for us, and made Signs too, that if we were
weary, we might be carry'd too; but that we slighted, only were willing to have
the Creatures, because at last, when they could serve us no farther for
Carriage, we might eat them all up if we had any Occasion for them.
I then carry'd him to our Bark, and shewed him what things we had there; he
seem'd amaz'd at the Sight of our Bark, having never seen any thing of that Kind
before, for their Boats are most wretched things, such as I never saw before,
having no Head or Stern, and being made only of the Skins of Goats sewed
together with dried Guts of Goats and Sheep, and done over with a kind of slimy
Stuff like Rosin and Oil, but of a most nauseous, odious Smell, and they are
poor miserable things for Boats, the worst that any Part of the World ever saw;
a Canoe is an excellent Contrivance compared to them.
But to return to our Boat: We carried our new Prince into it, and help'd him
over the Side, because of his Lameness. We made Signs to him, that his Men must
carry our Goods for us, and shewed him what we had; he answer'd, Ce Seignior,
or, Yes Sir, (for we had taught him that Word, and the Meaning of it) and taking
up a Bundle, he made Signs to us, that when his Arm was well, he would carry
some for us.
I made Signs again, to tell him, that if he would make his Men carry them, we
would not let him carry any thing. We had secured all the Prisoners in a narrow
Place, where we had bound them with Matt Cords, and set up Stakes like a
Palisado round them; so when we carry'd the Prince on Shore, we went with him to
them, and made Signs to him, to ask them if they were willing to go with us to
the Country of Lions. Accordingly he made a long Speech to them, and we could
understand by it, that he told them, if they were willing, they must say, Ce
Seignior, telling them what it signify'd. They immediately answered, Ce
Seignior, and clapt their Hands, looking up to the Sun, which the Prince
signify'd to us, was Swearing to be faithful. But as soon as they had said so,
one of them made a long Speech to the Prince, and in it, we perceived by his
Gestures, which were very antick, that they desired something from us, and that
they were in great Concern about it. So I ask'd him as well as I could, what it
was they desired of us; he told us by Signs, that they desired we should clap
our Hands to the Sun (that was to swear) that we would not kill them, that we
would give them Chiaruck, that is to say, Bread, would not starve them, and
would not let the Lions eat them. I told him we would promise all that; then he
pointed to the Sun, and clapt his Hands, signing to me, that I should do so too,
