Captain Singleton

by Daniel Defoe

which I did; at which all the Prisoners fell flat on the Ground, and rising up

  again, made the oddest, wildest Cries that ever I heard.

  I think it was the first time in my Life that ever any religious Thought

  affected me; but I could not refrain some Reflections, and almost Tears, in

  considering how happy it was, that I was not born among such Creatures as these,

  and was not so stupidly ignorant and barbarous: But this soon went off again,

  and I was not troubled again with any Qualms of that Sort for a long time after.

  When this Ceremony was over, our Concern was to get some Provisions, as well for

  the present Subsistence of our Prisoners, as our selves; and making Signs to our

  Prince, that we were thinking upon that Subject, he made Signs to me, that if I

  would let one of the Prisoners go to his Town, he should bring Provisions, and

  should bring some Beasts to carry our Baggage. I seemed loath to trust him, and

  supposing that he would run away, he made great Signs of Fidelity, and with his

  own Hands tied a Rope about his Neck, offering me one End of it, intimating,

  that I should hang him, if the Man did not come again. So I consented, and he

  gave him Abundance of Instructions, and sent him away, pointing to the Light of

  the Sun, which it seems was to tell him, at what time he must be back.

  The Fellow run as if he was mad, and held it till he was quite out of Sight, by

  which I supposed he had a great Way to go. The next Morning, about two Hours

  before the Time appointed, the Black Prince, for so I always called him,

  beckoning with his Hand to me, and hollooing after his Manner, desired me to

  come to him, which I did, when pointing to a little Hill about two Miles off, I

  saw plainly a little Drove of Cattel, and several People with them; those he

  told me by Signs were the Man he had sent, and several more with him, and Cattel

  for us.

  Accordingly by the time appointed, he came quite to our Hutts, and brought with

  him a great many Cowys, oung Runts, about 16 Goats, and, four young Bulls,

  taught to carry Burthens.

  This was a Supply of Provisions sufficient; as for Bread we were obliged to

  shift with some Roots which we had made use of before. We then began to consider

  of making some large Bags like the Soldiers Knapsacks, for their Men to carry

  our Baggage in, and to make it easy to them; and the Goats being killed, I

  ordered the Skins to be spread in the Sun, and they were as dry in two Days as

  could be desired; so we found means to make such little Bags as we wanted, and

  began to divide our Baggage into them: When the Black Prince found what they

  were for, and how easy they were of Carriage when we put them on, he smiled a

  little, and sent away the Man again to fetch Skins, and he brought two Natives

  more with him, all loaded with Skins better cured than ours, and of other kinds,

  such as we could not tell what Names to give them.

  These two Men brought the Black Prince two Lances of the sort they use in their

  Fights, but finer than ordinary, being made of black smooth Wood, as fine as

  Ebony, and headed at the Point with the End of a long Tooth of some Creature, we

  could not tell of what Creature; the Head was so firm put on, and the Tooth so

  strong, tho' no bigger than my Thumb, and sharp at the End, that I never saw any

  thing like it in any Place in the World.

  The Prince would not take them till I gave him Leave, but made Signs that they

  should give them to me; however I gave him Leave to take them himself, for I saw

  evident Signs of an honourable just Principle in him.

  We now prepared for our March, when the Prince coming to me, and pointing

  towards the several Quarters of the World, made Signs to know, which way we

  intended to go; and when I shewed him pointing to the West, he presently let me

  know, there was a great River a little further to the North, which was able to

  carry our Bark many Leagues into the Country due West. I presently took the

  Hint, and enquired for the Mouth of the River, which I understood by him was

  above a Day's March, and by our Estimation we found it about seven Leagues

  further; I take this to be the great River marked by our Chart-Makers at the

  Northmost Part of the Coast of Mozambique, and called there Quilloa.

  Consulting thus with our selves, we resolved to take the Prince, and as many of

  the Prisoners as we could stow in our Frigate, and go about by the Bay into the

  River; and that eight of us with our Arms should march by Land, to meet them on

  the River-side: for the Prince carrying us to a rising Ground, had shew'd us the

  River very plain a great Way up the Country, and in one Place it was not above

  six Miles to it.

  It was my Lot to march by Land, and be Captain of the whole Carravan: I had

  eight of our own Men with me, and Seven and Thirty of our Prisoners, without any

  Baggage, for all our Luggage was yet on board. We drove the young Bulls with us;

  nothing was ever so tame, so willing to work, or carry any thing. The Negroes

  would ride upon them four at a Time, and they would go very willingly; they

  would eat out of our Hand, lick our Feet, and were as tractable as a Dog.

  We drove with us six or seven Cows for Food; but our Negroes knew nothing of

  curing the Flesh by salting and drying it, till we shew'd them the Way, and then

  they were mighty willing to do so as long as we had any Salt to do it with, and

  to carry Salt a great Way too, after we found we should have no more.

  It was an easy March to the River Side for us that went by Land, and we came

  thither in a Piece of a Day, being as above not above six English Miles; whereas

  it was no less than five Days before they came to us by Water, the Wind in the

  Bay having failed them, and the Way, by Reason of a great Turn or Reach in the

  River being above fifty Miles about.

  We spent this time in a thing which the two Strangers, which brought the Prince

  the two Lances, put into the Head of the Prisoners; (viz. ) to make Bottles of

  the Goats-Skins to carry fresh Water in, which it seems they knew we should come

  to want; and the Men, did it so dexterously, having dried Skins fetched them by

  those two Men, that before our Vessel came up, they had every Man a Pouch like a

  Bladder, to carry fresh Water in, hanging over their Shoulder by a Thong made of

  other Skins, about three Inches broad, like the Sling of a Fuzee.

  Our Prince, to assure us of the Fidelity of the Men in this March, had ordered

  them to be tied two and two by the Wrist, as we handcuff Prisoners in England;

  and made them so sensible of the Reasonableness of it, that he made them do it

  themselves, appointing four of them, to bind the rest; but we found them so

  honest, and particularly so obedient to him, that after we were gotten a little

  further off of their own Country, we set them all at Liberty, tho' when he came

  to us, he would have them tied again, and they continued so for a good while.

  All the Country on the Bank of the River was a high Land, no marshy swampy

  Ground in it, the Verdure good, and Abundance of Cattel feeding upon it,

  wherever we went, or which Way soever we look'd; there was not much Wood indeed,

  at least not
near us, but further up we saw Oak, Cedar, and Pine Trees, some of

  which were very large.

  The River was a fair open Channel about as broad as the Thames below Gravesend,

  and a strong Tide of Flood, which we found held us about 60 Miles, the Channel

  deep; nor did we find any Want of Water for a great Way. In short, we went

  merrily up the River with the Flood, and the Wind blowing still fresh at E. and

  E. N. E, we stemm'd the Ebb easily also, especially while the River continued

  broad and deep; but when we came past the Swelling of the Tide, and had the

  natural Current of the River to go against, we found it too strong for us, and

  began to think of quitting our Bark; but the Prince would by no means agree to

  that, for finding we had on board pretty good Store of Roping made of Matts and

  Flags, which I described before, he ordered all the Prisoners which were on

  shore, to come and take hold of those Ropes, and tow us along by the Shore Side;

  and as we hoisted our Sail too, to ease them, the Men run along with us at a

  very great Rate.

  In this Manner the River carry'd us up by our Computation near 200 Miles, and

  then it narrowed apace, and was not above as broad as the Thames is at Windsor,

  or thereabouts; and after another Day, we came to a great Water-fall or

  Cataract, enough to fright us, for I believe the whole Body of Water fell at

  once perpendicularly down a Precipice, above sixty Foot high, which made a Noise

  enough to deprive men of their Hearing, and we heard it above Ten Miles before

  we came to it.

  Here we were at a full Stop, and now our Prisoners went first on Shore; they had

  worked very hard, and very chearfully, relieving one another, those that were

  weary being taken into the Bark. Had we had Canoes, or any Boats which might

  have been carried by Mens Strength, we might have gone 200 Miles more up this

  River in small Boats, but our great Boat could go no farther.

  All this Way the Country looked green and pleasant, and was full of Cattel, and

  some People we saw, tho' not many; but this we observ'd now, that the People did

  no more understand our Prisoners here, than we could understand them; being it

  seems of different Nations, and of different Speech. We had yet seen no wild

  Beasts, or at least none that came very near us; except two Days before we came

  at the Water-fall, when we saw three of the most beautiful Leopards that ever

  were seen, standing upon the Bank of the River on the North-side, our Prisoners

  being all on the other Side of the Water. Our Gunner espy'd them first, and ran

  to fetch his Gun, putting a Ball extraordinary in it; and coming to me, now

  Captain Bob, says he, where's your Prince, so I called him out, now, says he,

  tell your Men not to be afraid, tell them they shall see that Thing in his Hand,

  speak in Fire to one of those Beasts, and make it kill it self.

  The poor Negroes looked as if they had been all going to be killed,

  notwithstanding what their prince said to them, and stood staring to expect the

  Issue, when on a sudden the Gunner fired; and as he was a very good Marks-Man,

  he shot the Creature with two Sluggs just in the Head. As soon as the Leopard

  felt her self struck, she rear'd up on her two hind Legs bolt upright, and

  throwing her Fore-Paws about in the Air, fell backward, growling and struggling,

  and immediately died; the other two frighted with the Fire and the Noise, fled,

  and were out of Sight in an Instant.

  But the two frighted Leopards were not in half the Consternation that our

  Prisoners were; four or five of them fell down as if they had been shot, several

  others fell on their Knees, and lifted up their Hands to us; whether to worship

  us, or pray us not to kill them, we did not know; but we made Signs to their

  Prince to encourage them, which he did, but it was with much ado that he brought

  them to their Sense; nay, the Prince, notwithstanding all that was said to

  prepare him for it, yet when the Piece went off, he gave a Start as if he would

  have leap'd into the River.

  When we saw the Creature killed, I had a great Mind to have the Skin of her, and

  made Signs to the Prince, that he should send some of his Men over to take the

  Skin off. As soon as he spoke but a Word, four of them that offered themselves

  were untied, and immediately they jump'd into the River, and swam over, and went

  to work with him: The Prince having a Knife that we gave him, made four wooden

  Knives so clever, as I never saw any thing like them in my Life, and in less

  than an Hour's time, they brought me the Skin of the Leopard, which was a

  monstrous great one, for it was from the Ears to the Tail about seven Foot, and

  near five Foot Broad on the Back, and most admirably spotted all over; the Skin

  of this Leopard I brought to London many Years after.

  We were now all upon a Level, as to our travelling; being unshipp'd, for our

  Bark would swim no farther, and she was too heavy to carry on our Backs; but as

  we found the Course of the River went a great Way farther, we consulted our

  Carpenters, whether we could not pull the Bark in Pieces, and make us three or

  four small Boats to go on with. They told us, we might do so, but it would be

  very long a-doing; and, that when we had done, we had neither Pitch or Tar to

  make them sound, to keep the Water out, or Nails to fasten the Plank; but one of

  them told us, that as soon as he could come at any large Tree, near the River he

  would make us a Canoe or two in a Quarter of the Time, and which would serve us

  as well for all the Uses we could have any Occasion for as a Boat; and such,

  that if we came to any Water-falls, we might take them up, and carry them for a

  Mile or two by Land, upon our Shoulders.

  Upon this we gave over the Thoughts of our Frigate, and hauling her into a

  little Cove, or Inlet, where a small Brook came into the main River, we laid her

  up for those that came next, and marched forward. We spent indeed two Days

  dividing our Baggage, and loading our tame Buffloes and our Negroes: Our Powder

  and Shot, which was the thing we were most careful of, we ordered thus: First

  the Powder we divided into little Leather Bags, that is to say, Bags of dried

  Skins with the Hair inward, that the Powder might not grow damp; and then we put

  those Bags into other Bags made of Bullocks Skins, very thick and hard, with the

  Hair outward, that no Wet might come in; and this succeeded so well, that in the

  greatest Rains we had, whereof some were very violent and very long, we always

  kept our Powder dry. Besides these Bags which held our chief Magazine, we

  divided to every one a Quarter of a Pound of Powder, and Half a Pound of Shot to

  carry always about us; which as it was enough for our present Use; so we were

  willing to have no Weight to carry more than was absolutely necessary, because

  of the Heat.

  We kept still on the Bank of the River, and for that Reason had very little

  Communication with the People of the Country; for, having also our Bark stored

  with Plenty of Provisions, we had had no Occasion to look abroad for a Supply;

  but now we came to march on Foot, we were obliged often to seek out for Food.
r />   The first Place we came to on the River that gave us any Stop, was a little

  Negro Town, containing about 50 Hutts, and there appeared about 400 People, for

  they all came out to see us, and wonder at us. When our Negroes appeapeared, the

  Inhabitants began to fly to Arms, thinking there had been Enemies coming upon

  them; but our Negroes, tho' they could not speak their Language, made Signs to

  them, that they had no Weapons, and were tied two and two together, as Captives;

  that there were People behind who came from the Sun, and that could kill them

  all, and make them alive again, if they pleased; but that they would do them no

  Hurt, and came with Peace. As soon as they understood this, they laid down their

  Lances, and Bows and Arrows, and came and stuck twelve large Stakes in the

  Ground, as a Token of Peace, bowing themselves to us in Token of Submission. But

  as soon as they saw white Men with Beards, that is to say, Mustachoes, they run

  screaming away as in a Fright.

  We kept at a Distance from them, not to be too familiar; and when we did appear,

  it was but two or three of us at a time. But our Prisoners made them understand,

  that we required some Provisions of them; so they brought us some black Cattel,

  for they have Abundance of Cows and Buffloes all over that Side of the Country,

  as also great Numbers of Deer. Our Cutler, who had now a great Stock of things

  of his Handy-work, gave them some little Knick Knacks, as Plates of Silver and

  of Iron, cut Diamond Fashion, and cut into Hearts and into Rings, and they were

  mightily pleased. They also brought several Sorts of Fruits and Roots, which we

  did not understand, but our Negroes fed heartily on them, and after we had seen

  them eat them, we did so too.

  Having stock'd our selves here with Flesh and Roots as much as we could well

  carry, we divided the Burthens among our Negroes, appointing about 30 to 40

  Pound Weight to a Man, which we thought indeed was Load enough in a hot Country;

  and the Negroes did not at all repine at it, but would sometimes help one

  another when they began to be weary, which did happen now and then, tho' not

  often: Besides, as most of their Luggage was our Provision, it lighten'd every

  Day like �sop's Basket of Bread, till we came to get a Recruit. Note, when we

  loaded them, we untied their Hands, and tied them two and two together by one

  Foot. The third Day of our March from this Place, our chief Carpenter desired us

  to halt, and set up some Hutts, for he had found out some Trees that he liked,

  and resolved to make us some Canoes; for as he told me, he knew we should have

  Marching enough on Foot after we left the River, and he was resolved to go no

  farther by Land than needs must.

  We had no sooner given Order for our little Camp, and given Leave to our Negroes

  to lay down their Loads, but they fell to Work to build our Hutts; and tho' they

  were tied, as above, yet they did it so nimbly, as surprized us. Here we set

  some of the Negroes quite at Liberty, that is to say, without tying them, having

  the Prince's Word pass'd for their Fidelity; and some of these were ordered to

  help the Carpenters, which they did very handily, with a little Direction, and

  others were sent to see whether they could get any Provision near Hand; but

  instead of Provisions, three of them came in with two Bows and Arrows, and five

  Lances. They could not easily make us understand how they came by them, only

  that they had surprized some Negroe Women, who were in some Hutts, the Men being

  from Home, and they had found the Lances and Bows in the Hutts or Houses, the

  Women and Children flying away at the Sight of them, as from Robbers. We seem'd

  very angry at them, and made the Prince ask them, if they had not kill'd any of

  the Women or Children, making them believe, that if they had kill'd any Body, we

  would make them kill themselves too; but they protested their Innocence, so we