by Daniel Defoe
other River that run into the Rio Grand Northward, or down to the Gold Coast
Southward, and so both direct our Way, and shorten the Labour; as also, because,
if any of the Country was inhabited and fruitful, we should probably find it
upon the Shore of the Rivers, where alone we could be furnished with Provisions.
This was good Advice, and too rational not to be taken; but our present Business
was, what to do to get out of this dreadful Place we were in; behind us was a
Wast, which had already cost us five Days March, and we had not Provisions for
five Days left to go back again the same Way. Before us was nothing but Horrour
as above, so we resolv'd, seeing the Ridge of Hills we were upon had some
Appearance of Fruitfulness, and that they seemed to lead away to the Northward a
great Way, to keep under the Foot of them on the East Side, to go on as far as
we could, and in the mean time to look diligently out for Food.
Accordingly we moved on the next Morning; for we had no time to lose, and to our
great Comfort we came in our first Morning's March to very good Springs of fresh
Water; and least we should have a Scarcity again, we filled all our Bladder
Bottles, and carried it with us. I should also have observed, that our Surgeon
who made the salt Water fresh, took the Opportunity of those salt Springs, and
made us the Quantity of three or four Pecks of very good Salt.
In our third March we found an unexpected Supply of Food, the Hills being full
of Hares; they were of a kind something different from ours in England, larger,
and not so swift of Foot, but very good Meat. We shot several of them, and the
little tame Leopard, which I told you we took at the Negroe Town that we
plundered, hunted them like a Dog, and killed us several every Day; but she
would eat nothing of them unless we gave it her, which indeed in our
Circumstance was very obliging. We salted them a little, and dried them in the
Sun whole, and carry'd a strange Parcel along with us, I think it was almost
three Hundred; for we did not know when we might find any more, either of these,
or any other Food. We continued our Course under these Hills very comfortably
eight or nine Days, when we found to our great Satisfaction, the Country beyond
us began to look with something a better Countenance. As for the West Side of
the Hills, we never examin'd it till this Day, when three of our Company, the
rest halting for Refreshment, mounted the Hills again to satisfy their
Curiosity, but found it all the same; nor could they see any End of it, no not
to the North, the Way we were going; so the tenth Day finding the Hills made a
Turn, and led as it were into the vast Desart, we left them, and continued our
Course North; the Country being very tolerably full of Woods, some Wast, but not
tediously long; till we came, by our Gunner's Observation, into the Latitude of
8 Degrees, 5 Minutes, which we were nineteen Days more a performing.
All this Way we found no Inhabitants, Abundance of wild ravenous Creatures, with
whom we became so well acquainted now, that really we did not much mind them. We
saw Lions and Tigers, and Leopards every Night and Morning in Abundance; but as
they seldom came near us, we let them go about their Business; if they offer'd
to come near us, we made false Fire with any Gun that was uncharged, and they
would walk off as soon as they saw the Flash.
We made pretty good Shift for Food all this Way; for sometimes we killed Hares,
sometimes some Fowls, but for my Life I cannot give Names to any of them, except
a kind of Partridge, and another that was like our Turtles. Now and then we
began to meet with Elephants again in great Numbers, those Creatures delighting
chiefly in the woody Part of the Country.
This long continued March fatigued us very much, and two of our Men fell sick,
indeed so very sick, we thought they would have died; and one of our Negroes
died suddenly. Our Surgeon said it was an Apoplexy, but he wondered at it, he
said, for he could never complain of his high Feeding. Another of them was very
ill, but our Surgeon with much ado perswading him, indeed it was almost forcing
him, to be let Blood, he recover'd.
We halted here twelve Days for the sake of our sick Men, and our Surgeon
perswaded me, and three or four more of us, to be let Blood during the time of
Rest, which with other things he gave us, contributed very much to our continued
Health, in so tedious a March, and in so hot a Climate.
In this March we pitched our matted Tents every Night, and they were very
comfortable to us, tho' we had Trees and Woods to shelter us also in most
Places. We thought it very strange, that in all this Part of the Country we yet
met with no Inhabitants; but the principal Reason as we found afterwards was,
that we having kept a Western Course first, and then a Northern Course, were
gotten too much into the Middle of the Country, and among the Desarts: Whereas
the Inhabitants are principally found among the Rivers, Lakes, and Low-Lands as
well to the South-West, as to the North.
What little Rivulets we found here, were so empty of Water, that except some
Pits, and little more than ordinary Pools, there was scarce any Water to be seen
in them; and they rather shewed, that during the Rainy Months they had a
Channel, than that they had really any running Water in them at that time: By
which it was easy for us to judge, that we had a great Way to go; but this was
no Discouragement so long as we had but Provisions, and some reasonable Shelter
from the violent Heat, which indeed I thought was much greater now, than when
the Sun was just over our Heads.
Our Men being recovered, we set forward again, very well stored with Provisions
and Water sufficient, and bending our Course a little to the Westward of the
North, travelled in Hopes of some favourable Stream which might bear a Canoe;
but we found none till after twenty Days Travel, including eight Days Rest, for
our Men being weak we rested very often; especially when we came to Places which
were proper for our Purpose; where we found Cattel, Fowl, or any thing to kill
for our Food. In those twenty Days March, we advanced four Degrees to the
Northward, besides some Meridian Distance Westward, and we met with Abundace of
Elephants, and with a good Number of Elephants Teeth scatter'd up and down, here
and there, in the Woody Grounds especially; some of which were very large. But
they were no Booty to us; our Business was Provisions, and a good Passage out of
the Country; and it had been much more to our Purpose, to have found a good fat
Deer, and to have killed it for our Food, than a hundred Ton of Elephants Teeth;
and yet as you shall presently hear, when we came to begin our Passage by Water,
we once thought to have built a large Canoe on purpose to have loaded her with
Ivory, but this was when we knew nothing of the Rivers, nor knew anything how
dangerous, and how difficult a Passage it was that we were like to have in them,
nor had considered the Weight of Carriage to lug them to the Rivers where we
might Embark.
At the End of twenty Days Travel, as above, in the Latitud
e of three Degrees,
sixteen Minutes, we discovered in a Valley, at some Distance from us, a pretty
tolerable Stream, which we thought deserved the Name of a River, and which run
its Course N. N. W. which was just what we wanted. As we had fixt our Thoughts
upon our Passage by Water, we took this for the Place to make the Experiment,
and bent our March directly to the Valley.
There was a small Thicket of Trees just in our Way, which we went by, thinking
no harm, when on a sudden one of our Negroes was very dangerously wounded with
an Arrow, shot into his Back slanting between his Shoulders. This put us to a
full Stop, and three of our Men with two Negroes spreading the Wood, for it was
but a small one, found a Negro with a Bow, but no Arrow, who would have escaped;
but our Men that discovered him, shot him in Revenge of the Mischief he had
done; so we lost the Opportunity of taking him Prisoner, which if we had done,
and sent him home with good Usage, it might have brought others to us in a
friendly Manner.
Going a little farther, we came to five Negro Hutts or Houses, built after a
differing Manner from any we had seen yet; and at the Door of one of them, lay
seven Elephants Teeth piled up against the Wall or Side of the Hutt, as if they
had been provided against a Market: Here were no men, but seven or eight Women,
and near twenty Children: We offered them no Uncivility or any kind, but gave
them every one a Bit of Silver beaten out thin, as I observed before, and cut
Diamond fashion, or in the Shape of a Bird; at which the Women were over-joy'd
and brought out to us several Sorts of Food, which we did not understand, being
Cakes of a Meal made of Roots, which they bake in the Sun, and which eat very
well. We went a little Way farther, and pitched our Camp for that Night, not
doubting but our Civility to the Women would produce some good Effect, when
their Husbands might come Home.
Accordingly, the next Morning, the Women, with eleven Men, five young Boys, and
two good big Girls, came to our Camp; before they came quite to us, the Women
called aloud, and made an odd screeking Noise, to bring us out, and accordingly
we came out, when two of the Women, shewing us what we had given them, and
pointing to the Company behind, made such Signs as we could easily understand
signified Friendship. When the Men advanced, having Bows and Arrows, they laid
them down on the Ground, scraped, and threw Sand over their Heads, and turned
round three times with their Hands laid up upon the Tops of their Heads. This it
seems, was a solemn Vow of Friendship. Upon this we beckon'd them with our Hands
to come nearer; then they sent the Boys and Girls to us first, which, it seems
was to bring us more Cakes of Bread, and some green Herbs, to eat, which we
receiv'd, and took the Boys up and kissed, them, and the little Girls too; then
the Men came up close to us, and sat them down on the Ground, making Signs, that
we should sit down by them, which we did. They said much to one another, but we
could not understand them, nor could we find any way to make them understand us;
much less whither we were going, or what we wanted, only that we easily made
them understand we wanted Victuals; whereupon one of of the Men casting his Eyes
about him towards a rising Ground that was about half a Mile off, starts up as
if he was frighted, flies to the Place where they had laid down their Bows and
Arrows, snatches up a Bow and two Arrows, and run like a race Horse to the
Place: When he came there, he let fly both his Arrows, and come back again to us
with the same Speed; we seeing he came with the Bow, but without the Arrows,
were the more inquisitive, but the Fellow saying nothing to us, beckons to one
of our Negroes to come to him, and we bid him go; so he led him back to the
Place, where lay a kind of a Deer, shot with two Arrows, but not quite dead; and
between them, they brought it down to us. This was for a Gift to us, and was
very welcome, I assure you, for our Stock was low. These People were all stark
naked.
The next Day there came about a Hundred Men to us, and Women, making the same
aukward Signals of Friendship; and dancing and shewing themselves very well
pleased, and any thing they had they gave us. How the Man in the Wood came to be
so butcherly and rude, as to shoot at our Men, without making any Breach first,
we could not imagine; for the People were simple, plain, and inoffensive, in all
our other Conversation with them.
From hence we went down the Bank of the little River I mentioned, and where I
found we should see whole Nations of Negroes, but whether friendly to us, or
not, that we could make no Judgment of yet.
The River was of no Use to us, as to the Design of making Canoes, a great while,
and we traversed the Country, on the Edge of it about five Days more, when our
Carpenters finding the Stream encrease, proposed to pitch our Tents, and fall to
work to make Canoes; but after we had begun the Work, and cut down two or three
Trees, and spent five Days in the Labour, some of our Men wandring further down
the River, brought us Word, that the Stream rather decreased than encreased,
sinking away into the Sands, or drying up by the Heat of the Sun; so that the
River appeared not able to carry the least Canoe, that could be any way useful
to us, so we were obliged to give over our Enterprize, and move on.
In our further Prospect this Way, we march'd three Days full West the Country on
the North Side, being extraordinary mountainous, and more parched and dry than
any we had seen yet; whereas, in the Part which looks due West, we found a
pleasant Valley, running a great way between two great Ridges of Mountains: The
Hills look'd frightful, being entirely bare of Trees or Grass, and even white
with the Driness of the Sand; but in the Valley we had Trees, Grass, and some
Creatures that were fit for Food, and some Inhabitants.
We past by some of their Hutts or Houses, and saw People about them, but they
run up into the Hills as soon as they saw us; at the End of this Valley we met
with a peopled Country, and at first it put us to some doubt, whether we should
go among them, or keep up towards the Hills Northerly; and as our Aim was
principally, as before, to make our Way to the River Niger, we enclined to the
latter, pursuing our Course by the Compass to the N. W. We march'd thus without
Interruption seven Days more, when we met with a surprizing Circumstance, much
more desolate and disconsolate than our own, and, which, in time to come, will
scarce seem credible.
We did not much seek the conversing, or acquainting our selves with the Natives
of the Country, except where we found the Want of them for our Provision, or
their Direction for our Way; so that whereas we found the Country here begin to
be very populous, especially towards our left Hand, that is, to the South, we
kept at the more Distance Northerly, still stretching towards the West.
In this Tract we found something or other to kill and eat, which always supplied
our Necessity, tho' not so well as we were provided in our first setting
out;
being thus, as it were, pushing to avoid the peopled Country, we at last came to
a very pleasant, agreeable Stream of Water, not big enough to be called a River,
but running to the N. N. W. which was the very Course we desired to go.
On the farthest Bank of this Brook we perceiv'd some Hutts of Negroes not many,
and in a little low Spot of Ground some Maise or Indian Corn growing, which
intimated presently to us, that there were some Inhabitants on that Side, less
barbarous than what we had met with in other Places where we had been.
As we went forward our whole Carravan being in a Body, our Negroes, who were in
the Front, cry'd out, that they saw a White Man; we were not much surprized at
first, it being, as we thought, a Mistake of the Fellows, and asked them what
they meant; when one of them stept to me, and pointing to a Hutt on the other
Side of the Hill, I was astonished to see a White Man indeed, but stark naked,
very busy near the Door of his Hutt, and stooping down to the Ground with
something in his Hand, as if he had been at some Work, and his back being
towards us, he did not see us.
I gave Notice to our Negroes to make no Noise, and waited till some more of our
Men were come up, to shew the Sight to them, that they might be sure I was not
mistaken, and we were soon satisfied of the Truth; for the Man having heard some
Noise, started up, and looked full at us, as much surprized, to be sure, as we
were, but whether with Fear or Hope, we then knew not.
As he discovered us, so did the rest of the Inhabitants belonging to the Hutts
about him, and all crouded together, looking at us at a Distance: A little
Bottom, in which the Brook ran, lying between us, the white Man, and all the
rest, as he told us afterwards, not knowing well whether they should stay, or
run away: However, it presently came into my Thoughts, that if there were white
Men among them, it would be much easier for us to make them understand what we
meant, as to Peace or War, than we found it with others; so tying a Piece of
white Rag to the End of a Stick, we sent two Negroes with it to the Bank of the
Water, carrying the Pole up as high as they could; it was presently understood,
and two of their Men, and the white Man, came to the Shore on the other Side.
However, as the white Man spoke no Portuguese, they could understand nothing of
one another, but by Signs; but our Men made the white Man understand, that they
had white Men with them too, at which they said the white Man laught. However,
to be short, our Men came back, and told us they were all good Friends, and in
about an Hour four of our Men, two Negroes, and the Black Prince went to the
River Side, were the white Man came to them.
They had not been half a Quarter of an Hour, but a Negro came running to me, and
told me the white Man was Inglese, as he called him; upon which I run back,
eagerly enough you may be sure with him, and found as he said, that he was an
Englishman; upon which he embraced me very passionately, the Tears running down
his Face. The first Surprize of his seeing us was over before we came, but any
one may conceive of it, by the brief Account he gave us afterwards of his very
unhappy Circumstance; and of so unexpected a Deliverance, such as perhaps never
happened to any Man in the World; for it was a Million to one odds, that ever he
could have been relieved; nothing but an Adventure that never was heard or read
of before, could have suited his Case, unless Heaven by some Miracle that never
was to be expected, had acted for him.
He appeared to be a Gentleman, not an ordinary bred Fellow, Seaman, or labouring
Man; this shewed it self in his Behaviour, in the first Moment of our conversing
with him, and in spight of all the Disadvantages of his miserable Circumstance.
He was a middle-aged Man, not above 37 or 38, tho' his Beard was grown exceeding
