When I saw the servant returning with the cup our captain had refused, I took out my silver one, and presented it to him; after we had all drank out of it, the king desired to see it, and was so wonderfully pleased with it that he desired to keep it. But the captain informed him that it was none of his, but belonged to a lad that was behind him. I called to Sam and desired him to acquaint the king, that since so many people had drank out of it, I humbly conceived it could not be fit for his use. At this he and the people round him laughed heartily. He ordered me to stand up that he might see me; however I saved my cup this time. Night drawing on he withdrew, ordering us a bullock for our supper. Notwithstanding his courteous reception of us, he would not trust us all to lie within the gates of the town; our captain, Mr Prat, our chief mate, Mr Bembo, our second mate, and myself, were the only persons that were so far indulged. We had a hutch ordered us next to captain Drummond and his companions, but the rest of the people lay without the gates under the trees.
In this manner we lived for some few days; what particular amusements some of our people found out to pass away their tedious hours I know not, but there occurred to me an affair of a most agreeable and surprising nature, which some would have improved, and made use of to advantage.
This king had a daughter about thirteen or fourteen years of age who would talk to me sometimes an hour or two together, though I did not comprehend one word she said. Though she seemed to be very desirous I should know her meaning, yet she was very modest, and used no indecent gestures to intimate any vicious inclinations, neither did I entertain any idea of an intrigue, so that our conversation on my side aimed at nothing; this she at length perceived, and sent Sam to me one day to desire I would come to her nurse’s house where she was educated, and partake of a small entertainment. I went along with him, and as soon as we entered I found a mat spread on one side of the house, on which she desired us to seat ourselves, and ordered one of her attendants to boil some guinea corn and milk and roast some beef. She sat down over against me, and though I had no notion of love, yet I could not help observing a particular softness in the tone of her voice; and when she inquired of Sam about our misfortunes, she showed abundance of concern for us; and looked at me with a more than common pleasure, as people of taste do at pictures which please them; and, in short, stared me almost out of countenance. I imagined she was resolved to know me again, by her narrow observance of every motion. She was extremely courteous and obliging, and often sighed with pity at the sense she seemed to have of our deplorable condition. I looked upon her as a good-natured creature, and that curiosity more than love had made her fond of conversing with a white man, which is a novelty in their country.
We were just entering into the best part of the conversation, and our interpreter had begun, at her request, to acquaint me with the reason of her extraordinary complaisance and observance of me, when her mother came to the door, and desired her to take a walk with her without the gates to see the white men. I was a little nettled at this interruption, and she seemed much more concerned at it herself; however it would have been an act of the highest disobedience in her to have refused her mother’s request; so she complied with a seeming readiness, and we returned.
Sam told me he had private orders from her to inform me, that she was in love with me; but laid her commands upon him to say nothing of it to any person whomsoever, either white or black. I was strangely startled at this open declaration, and that this was the private motive that induced her to be fond of my company and conversation. Since I came to be a man, I have stood astonished at my own stupidity in putting a modest young lady of her birth and character to the mortification of acquainting me with her love, and exposing herself to the censures of another man. I have nothing to plead in my excuse, but that being a lad scarce sixteen years of age, the discovery of so important a secret created in me more fear than affection; lest the consequences of so dangerous an affair might prove fatal to me. She sent again for me that very night, and I attended her accordingly; and behaved myself with all the decency and good manners, as common prudence and gratitude for her civilities obliged me to. I knew she was the king’s darling, and therefore dreaded to disoblige her, lest she might tell her father what story she thought proper and destroy me in a moment. At length I perceived she was equally afraid of her father’s knowledge of her passion; so that I looked upon myself in danger on both sides: for which reason, when Sam informed me that she desired my company again the next night, I pretended to be very sick and unable to go abroad; so that this affair, which might have proved highly agreeable to some warmer persons, proved to me, in the circumstances I was then, a matter of vexation and fatigue; but two days after, our amour, if I may call it so, was totally disconcerted.
Every morning we went, as was expected, in a body to visit the king; but one morning he ordered Sam to inform us, that he had an inveterate enemy to the westward, who had hitherto proved too powerful for him; but since his gods had been so indulgent as to send some white men into his dominions, he would embrace so favourable an opportunity once more to try his strength with our assistance; but in the mean time he should be obliged to distribute us among his sons, who lived at distant towns, not only for the convenience of providing for such a number of us, (there not being room enough in this town,) but to ease himself of a charge which was too great and burthensome for him to support alone. He also sent to me this night to beg the silver cup before-mentioned, with which request (knowing it was in his power to take it by force if he thought fit) I readily complied. This unexpected separation was a terrible blow to us, and we returned to our cottages with heavy hearts, well knowing, if we could not find out some way to prevent it, there were no hopes of ever getting off the island.
Hereupon the three captains, viz. Drummond, Steward, and Younge, with some of the chief of our people, entered immediately into a consultation about what was proper to be done in this emergency; and to make some bold attempt for our lives and liberty. Captain Drummond, as I heard afterwards, was the man who proposed to take the king prisoner; and by that means to make their own terms with the natives. Now captain Drummond and some others were men of experience and undaunted resolution: our captain, indeed, had courage enough, but he was too young. However, the proposition was universally approved of, and the time and manner of the execution was fixed. I was too young to be admitted as one of the council; therefore I shall not pretend to relate what reasons were produced either for, or against the proposal; though I was told afterwards: that night, however, I was wholly ignorant. I observed captain Younge and Mr Bembo to talk with great earnestness, but in whispers, and with the utmost precaution. As I was then a stranger to that design I slept soundly, till I was roused in the morning by a great and sudden noise in the town, occasioned by the plot being put into execution. Our people went, as usual, betimes in the morning to pay their compliments to the king; and whilst some of them were at the prince’s house the signal was given by one of captain Drummond’s men firing a pistol; at which the king was seized, and his son at the same instant.
This instantly alarmed the whole town. I started up without my shoes, being frighted at the sudden outcry. Not knowing what was the matter, and seeing the negroes flocking out of the town, I ran with them, till I was taken notice of by one of our men, who called me back; and I was as much amazed as the natives to see the king, his consort, and one of his sons, with their hands tied behind them, under the guard of our people. They soon plundered the king’s mansion-house, and every other place where they could find any agreeable plunder. We happened to find about thirty small arms, a small quantity of powder and shot, and a few lances. The natives (as I observed before) ran out of the town, but they did it with no other view than to procure assistance; for they soon alarmed the country, and returned with great numbers from all the adjacent towns; and immediately besieged us. They fired in upon us, and wounded one of our men in the groin; on which captain Younge ordered Sam to tell the king if they fired any more they would kill him that very moment. The king hearing their resolution, called to his men, and desired them to desist if they had a mind to save his life.
This attempt, indeed, was bold and hazardous, and some perhaps may censure it as criminal; I shall not say much in its defence: but since I have arrived to years of maturity, I cannot forbear reflecting that if nature, even in a christian country, will rebel against principle, what will it not do for life and liberty under the tyranny and oppression of a barbarous and savage nation!
However, at length we put ourselves in a posture of defence and marched out of the town. Six men under arms marched in the front, and in the body where the king was, six went armed before him and six behind; three before his son and three behind him; and six brought up the rear, in which were the Lascars. Captain Younge, out of compassion, would have released the queen, and let her go wherever she pleased, but she would not abandon her husband.