We took the three men, and having tied their hands behind them, delivered up the prince. He shook hands with our captains, and went to the army; as soon as his brethren saw him at a distance they ran to meet him, as did also many others, who seemed to be more transported with joy for his deliverance, than they were before for his father’s.
We proceeded on our journey as well as men could without provisions, and were too soon convinced of captain Younge’s mistake; for the negroes instead of retiring approached nearer to us, and some marched before us; so that we expected every minute when they would attack us. We had a young lad in our company who lost his leg at Bengal. Notwithstanding he was well recovered, and supplied with a wooden one well fitted, yet it cannot be imagined that he should be able to keep up with us; for being now surprised by their surrounding us, we doubled our pace; and, in short, were obliged to leave this poor lad behind us. We saw the barbarians come up with him, take off his wooden leg, and first insult him; then they thrust their lances into his body, and left him wallowing in his blood. Being eye-witnesses of this act of inhumanity, and apprehensive of the like treatment, we hurried on as fast as our feeble limbs could carry us till sunset; when we came to a large tamarind tree, the leaves whereof, as they were sour, we chewed to moisten our mouths. The fruit itself was not then in season.
The three negroes whom we had taken as hostages, observing what had passed, and thinking their lives in danger, called to Sam and the captains, and told them they had a scheme to propose which would be for the safety of us all, which was this:—that as soon as it was dark we should keep marching on as silently as possible all the night. The captains approved of this proposal, and ordered none of us to sleep, but to be ready as soon as the watchword was given. This was very grievous considering how tired we were the day before; but we submitted cheerfully to any thing which gave us hopes of escaping from the violent hands of those bloodthirsty barbarians. As soon as it was dark enough to conceal our flight we assembled together, and took a considerable quantity of muslins and calicoes and hung them upon the bushes, that the spies, who we knew watched us, might not any ways mistrust our sudden removal.
We walked off accordingly undiscovered by them. Captain Drummond, however, being taken so ill that he could not walk at all, none of us being strong enough to carry him, we resolved to make the three negroes perform that office by turns. After we had thus travelled most part of the night, we came to a thicket among some cotton trees, where the man who had the charge of captain Drummond, pretending to ease himself, threw the captain upon the ground, ran away into the wood, and we never saw him more. Upon this we had a more watchful eye over the other two and led him whose turn it was to carry the captain with a rope about his neck.
Weak as we were, we travelled a great many miles that night, and were glad when the day broke in upon us; for the negroes had told us before, that if we walked hard all night we should be at Manderra river betimes in the morning. And their information was just; for as soon as we came to a little hill, the sun then just rising, we had a prospect of the river, though at a considerable distance; however, the hopes we had of coming to it in a short time, and of getting water to quench our thirst, gave us no small pleasure, and our spirits began to revive at the very sight of it. It was some comfort to us likewise to think that the king’s dominions extended no farther; notwithstanding there were no inhabitants to protect us within several miles on the other side. Some of our people, who were more tired than the rest, took liberty to sit down to refresh themselves; as taking it for granted, that the negro army would never come in sight of us again.
But this vain notion of being safe and secure too quickly vanished; for as soon as they missed us in the morning, they pursued us like so many greyhounds; and before we got within a mile of Manderra river overtook us. Thereupon they began to butcher our men then resting under the trees, striking their lances into their sides and throats. Though I was one of those who could not travel well, yet there were twenty behind me; the woman, whose life was preserved in our ship, was next to me. I seeing them kill our people in this barbarous manner, threw off my coat and waistcoat, and trusted to my heels, for the foremost of our people having passed the river, and I not being far off took courage; but hearing the report of a gun, I looked back, and saw the poor woman fall, and the negroes sticking their lances in her sides. My turn was next, for the same negroes pursued me, and before I was got to the brink of the river they fired a gun at me; but I jumped in. Our men who had got safely over, made a stand, in order to defend those who were behind; and notwithstanding the negroes followed me so close, I could not refrain from drinking two or three times out of my hat, let the consequence prove what it would.
However I got over safely, and whilst we were on the bank and faced them, they never attempted to follow us. Our captains asked me, if I thought there were any of our companions still behind us? I answered, I believed that there were none alive. We waited a while, and then marched forwards. We had a wood to pass through, and the negroes as soon as they saw us quit the banks, immediately pursued us. They got into the woods, and firing behind the trees every now and then, they killed three or four of our men. We had not travelled above two miles in this wood, before we came to a large sandy plain, to which we could see no end, and here they determined to stop our progress; since if we went much farther, we should be within hearing of king Samuel’s subjects, who were their mortal enemies, and would readily assist us. They divided themselves, therefore, into several bodies, in order to break in upon us on all sides; and we being apprized of their designs, were resolved to sell our lives and liberties as dearly as possible. Hereupon our captains put us in as good a posture of defence as they could, and divided our men who bore arms into four classes: one under the command of each of our three captains, and the other under Mr John Bembo; such as had no arms or were disabled, were covered in a little valley; and with them were the two negro hostages.
We had not above six and thirty fire-arms amongst us all, and not many more persons fit to fight; so that we were a poor handful to withstand an army of two or three thousand. When they found we made a stand, they did so too; and according to their wonted manner (where it could be done) three or four of them in a place threw up the sand before them, and being also beneath us, we could see only their heads: their shot flew very fast over us, and we kept them in play from noon till six in the evening; by which time all our ammunition was spent. Those of us who had money made slugs of it; their next shift was to take the middle screws out of their guns, and charge their pieces with them. When they had used all these means, they knew not what to do farther: now we began to reflect on those who advised us to deliver up first the king, and afterwards his son; since the keeping of them would have been our principal safeguard. The two negroes in our custody expected, no doubt, every minute to be killed, as very justly they might; but as their death would be of no service to us, we did them no injury.
At length it was unanimously agreed, that Dudey and her husband should be sent to them with a flag of truce, not only to prolong the time, but to know what they farther wanted: so we tied a piece of red silk to a lance, and despatched them away. They kept firing at us all this time, not knowing what we meant by not returning it. They shot at those who carried the flag, but perceiving that they were not armed, the prince ordered them to cease. Dudey was interpreter, and told them that our captain was inclined to make peace with them, and to deliver up the two hostages with the guns and ammunition we took with us, as soon as we were advanced a little farther into the country. They said they would suffer us to go in the morning, in case we would deliver up our arms and the men; but not that evening, because it was dark. Their true reason was this, they knew if we got away that night, we should send some of king Samuel’s people, who were their utter enemies, to be revenged on them for the ill treatment we had met with.
We were at a loss what determination to come to: we were willing, indeed, to let the two men (whom they called generals) go; but loath to part with our arms: most of us, as well as our captain, were of opinion, that they followed us for nothing else, and were for delivering them up; but captain Drummond, captain Steward, and their people, with Mr Bembo, and some of our men, opposed it. Captain Drummond, in particular, expressed a great concern to see us so easy to be imposed upon; and told us that it was too visible their words were not to be relied on: most voices, however, carried it, and captain Younge being of the opinion it was best to resign them, it was agreed; and in short, soon actually performed; for Dudey having orders to acquaint them with such resolution, they sent proper messengers immediately to receive them.