Sam having made an end of his story, to which every body listened with the utmost attention, we parted and went with heavy hearts to our respective quarters, which were under the bushes. It was very late, and we endeavoured to repose ourselves as well as we could; the pieces of muslin served us to spread on the ground for beds; but as for my own part, I could not close my eyes to rest. I now began to reflect on my former obstinacy and perverseness; the thought of my tender mother’s begging me on her knees not to go to sea, gave me the most distracting torture. I could now see my error and repent; but who could I blame but myself? Here were many poor men, who had no other way to live; but I was reduced to no such necessity: I ran headlong into misery, and severely felt the effects of it. Tears I shed in plenty; but could not with any justice, complain of fate or Providence; for my punishment was but the natural result of my own ill conduct.
We were all up by daylight, and most of my fellow-sufferers got as little rest as I; for the man’s relation had made us give over all hopes of relief, and nothing but sorrow, distress, and despair appeared in all its dismal forms in each man’s face, according to his different constitution. We could save neither arms nor ammunition, the want of which completed our ruin; for near one hundred and seventy of us would have made our way through that part of the country we wanted to travel, had we but wherewithal to defend ourselves; but fate had ordained it otherwise, which was in all respects as bad as bad could be. So that we had only our lives left us, for no other purpose than to be conscious of pain, misery, and perpetual slavery; which was no more than we could reasonably expect.
About one o’clock in the afternoon, the king came down with about two hundred negroes. They brought no fire-arms with them, lest we should seize them by force; but they were armed with lances. As soon as we saw them approaching us, we all stood together in a body, with our captain at the head of us. When they drew near, he called Sam, which was the man’s name he sent to us, and asked him, who was our captain? As soon as he was informed, he came up to him and took him by the hand, and said in a familiar manner, “salamonger, captain;” which is a term of salutation, much like our saying “your servant, sir.” The captain returned the compliment; Sam having informed him before in what manner he should behave himself to the king. His majesty brought with him four large bullocks, six calabashes of toake, ten baskets of potatoes, and ten pots of honey; all which he presented to our captain, and gave us moreover two or three earthen pots to dress our victuals in: we immediately roasted the potatoes. He stayed two hours with us, before he withdrew to the cottage, where he proposed to lodge that night; and asked several questions about our ship, and the manner of her being lost. He told the captain he was heartily sorry for his misfortunes, though in my opinion that was nothing but a compliment; for as I found afterwards, he was more brutish and dishonest, than most of the other kings on the island; and his whole nation was clothed for many years out of the effects they saved from our wreck. At this time he took no notice to our captain of carrying us up to his own residence.
The next morning he paid us another visit, and then he told us that he expected we should prepare to go along with him to his town; and there we should want for nothing the country could afford us. Captain Younge ordered the interpreter to acquaint the king, that he returned him a thousand thanks for the civilities he had already received; and that he was not only unable to make him satisfaction, but very unwilling to put him to further trouble, and charge of maintaining so great a number of people. The king replied, that if we were as many more he should not think us either a burthen or a charge; since he should look upon it as an honour to have so many white men in his dominions.
The captain, by this last artful speech, perceived his whole intention; which shocked him to that degree, that he could scarce tell what to say to him; but after a little reflection, and looking wishfully on Sam, he directed him to say that we have wives, children, and relations, who are impatient to see us, and we are as desirous of seeing them; that it was impossible for us to live here always; and for that reason, we begged he would permit us to go to some port where we might meet with ships and return to our native country. The king paused awhile before he made any reply; but at length he ordered Sam to tell us, that we should stay in his country till some ships should come there to trade; and that then we should go home. The captain knowing there was no port in his dominions, nor any harbour for a ship to put into, took it to be artifice all, and a mere compliment, for we might stay for ever before a ship came there with the view he proposed. He therefore desired Sam to tell him he would think of it, and return an answer the next day; upon this the king departed and gave us no farther trouble at that time.
As soon as he was gone the captain called us all together, and in a very pathetic speech addressed himself to us in the following manner:—“I am now on an equality with the meanest man here present, my fortune is as low and my life is as little to be regarded: I do not pretend, therefore, to command, but to consult with you what is most expedient to be done in the present unhappy situation of our affairs. However,” said he, “I am happy in this, that though my life and liberty are lost as well as yours, yet this misfortune is not any ways chargeable on me, for I would rather have kept on my course to the Cape of Good Hope, and relied on Providence in a leaky ship, than put in here, but you strenuously opposed it; for death, in my opinion, is to be preferred to our present slavery, and the consequences that will naturally attend it. In death our sorrows will have an end, but now, who can tell the troubles and torments we shall yet undergo; (at this the tears stood in his eyes.) Consider, gentlemen,” said he, “we have neither arms nor ammunition wherewith to defend ourselves; and I have endeavoured to prevail on the king to give us a passage through his country to a seaport, but in vain; think of it, therefore,” says he, “and consult your own safety as well as you can; be but of one mind, and I am ready to comply with any thing you would have me: as for my own life, I set no value upon it; it would not now be worth preserving, but for the hopes I have of being serviceable to my friends. Remember I must return an answer to-morrow morning, and I will advise nothing, nor do any thing without your concurrence.”
We went together and consulted, as the captain advised, and came soon to an agreement; for the matter in debate lay within a small compass; the king had refused to give us leave to go to a seaport, and we had no arms to fight and force our way, if we could have found it; we therefore determined to go quietly up the country with the king, to the place of his residence, where we were in hopes of seeing and conversing with captain Drummond, captain Steward, and the other people, who (being gallant and courageous men, and by this time somewhat acquainted with the natives) might probably be capable of giving us more proper and seasonable advice.
We then acquainted the captain with our resolution, and he seemed to be very well contented with it; for indeed, he was not over solicitous what became of himself since he had in so unhappy a manner lost his ship and fortune, and despaired of ever getting off the island.
Next morning the king paid the captain a visit; they saluted each other in their usual manner, and sat down together upon the sand, whilst we all stood round them; soon after the king ordered Sam to ask the captain if he was ready to go, for it would be best to walk in the cool of the morning and rest at noon. The captain observed that he did not ask whether he was inclined to go or not, as might reasonably be expected since he pretended to give him time to consider of it, but peremptorily asked, if he was ready to go.
As the captain saw there was no avoiding it, and having our consent, it signified nothing to dispute it; so he told him we were ready to wait on him when he pleased. At this the king seemed fully satisfied, and ordered Sam to tell us he would breakfast first and advised us to do so too, that we might be the better enabled to perform our journey.