As soon as this storm was blown over, I was remanded to my former post of cow-keeper. I had a great deal of trouble sometimes with these cattle, for they are very unruly; and notwithstanding they are larger beasts than any I ever saw elsewhere of the kind, they are so nimble that they will leap over high fences like a greyhound. They have an excrescence between their shoulders, somewhat like that of camels, all fat and flesh; some of which will weigh about three or four score pounds; they are also beautifully coloured, some are streaked like a tiger, others, like a leopard, are marked with various spots. They do not give so much milk as our cows in England, nor will they ever suffer themselves to be milked till their calves have first sucked; so that they keep one calf for every cow all the year, or till the cow is pregnant again, and they seldom miss a season. Here are also some sheep with large heavy tails, like Turkey sheep; they are not woolly as ours, but more like a goat. Here are also a small number of goats, like those in other countries. They bring up no hogs, though there are enough in the country; for they are so mischievous to the plantations, that we are forced to set traps to catch them; but in this country of Anterndroea nobody eats them, except the very refuse of the people.
Whilst I was peaceably tending my cattle, and all things seemed perfectly quiet and easy, the scene of our affairs was changed at once by some sudden news, and my master was summoned to war in good earnest.
It is a common practice for parties to stroll out and surprise their enemies by night, when least they expect them: on these expeditions it is customary for every man to carry a piece of meat in his hand, and when they have entered a town in the dead of night they throw the meat to the dogs, in order to prevent their barking. When they are all got in, one fires a musket, but makes no other noise; the inhabitants thereupon being alarmed, and hastily creeping out of the doors of their low huts in a stooping posture, are stabbed with lances: as to the women and children they take them captive, and drive away with them all the cattle they can find, set the town on fire, and return home by private unpractised ways. In this manner did my master, his brother, and some others belonging to deaan Crindo, enter several of the king of Mefaughla’s remote and defenceless towns; whereupon, in order to retaliate the indignity offered him, the injured king mustered up an army of three thousand men, and entered Anterndroea, with a firm resolution either to fight the deaan in the field, or attack him in his own town, called Fennoarevo; and by fire to lay it level with the ground: accordingly he sent a messenger to deaan Crindo, to tell him that he should soon feel the weight of his just resentment. To which he answered, he would not stir out of the town but wait for him there; and defied him to put his purpose in execution.
Deaan Crindo, therefore, summoned all his people to his assistance, and to be ready at hand in Fennoarevo, or the adjacent villages. He had four sons who were chiefs of towns, besides nephews and grandsons. His sons were deaan Mundumber, deaan Frukey, deaan Trodaughe, but deaan Chahary was unfortunately gone with five hundred able men to traffic into Feraignher; which is Augustine-bay country.
It is a constant custom amongst them in time of war to conceal their wives, children, and cattle in remote and secret places in the woods, that the enemy when they plunder the country may not be able to find them; but the women and children are never with the cattle, lest their bellowing should discover them. The women for the most part secure themselves, by trailing a bough after them as they go to their recess; which prevents their track from being followed. Thus did my master and his people secure their wives, children, and cattle. I was left with the latter; for that reason am incapable of giving an exact account of this war, knowing no more of it than what was told me at their return; which in general was to the following effect.
That deaan Woozington, the king, and his son Chemermaundy, with Ryopheck his nephew, a gallant man who commanded the army of Merfaughla, entered the country without the least opposition; for deaan Crindo having received his menacing message, took care in the first place to secure the families and cattle belonging to his people, and then drew up all his armed men in the town, resolving to wait for his coming; but deaan Mundumber, Frukey, and the younger chiefs, had not patience to hear of his passing without resistance; so they prevailed on the king, though against his will, to let them go out with two thousand men and obstruct his march. Deaan Crindo, however, was resolute and would not stir out of the town. This army was commanded in chief by deaan Mundumber and Frukey; who behaved themselves with great courage and conduct, first sending word to deaan Woozington, that they were come by their father’s command to give him a suitable reception into their country, and hoped he would not fail to meet them. To which he answered, he would most assuredly pay them a visit and make himself welcome; and was as good as his word. They joined battle, and Mundumber was obliged to retire, which he did in good order after a sharp and obstinate fight; in which deaan Woozington’s son was dangerously wounded. Deaan Mundumber returned to his father with eight hundred men, and used his utmost endeavours to prevail on him to go out with his forces, and give deaan Woozington battle; but the old king persisted in his first resolution. So Mundumber continued at home with him, and fortified the town as well as the time would admit.
After this, deaan Frukey and Trodaughe made themselves masters of a pass between two hills, and cut down several large trees to defend them; by which means they entirely stopped deaan Woozington’s progress, notwithstanding he attacked them in the most vigorous manner, and was as gallantly repulsed: at last, Ryopheck, by the direction of a man who was well acquainted with the country, got behind them, and deaan Woozington, at the same time, with Ryopheck charged them again. Frukey, however, and his brethren, were obliged to retire, which they did with great resolution, even through Ryopheck’s party. In this action Ryopheck, who was always in the hottest place, with much difficulty escaped.
Though deaan Woozington at last arrived at Fennoarevo, and attacked it in a vigorous manner, yet he was as bravely repulsed; deaan Crindo and his sons resisting till they were overpowered, and when their enemies were got within the town, they even disputed every inch of ground, till deaan Crindo himself was obliged to cut down several trees, which are their walls, to make a way for their escape. He so much depended on his own courage and conduct, that he kept his wife and daughter in his own house, notwithstanding all the other women and children were sent away long before; these unhappily fell into the hands of deaan Woozington, and were made his captives. The town was reduced to ashes, as soon as they had plundered it of such trifles as their treasures consist in, the principal of which are beads; these they often conceal in holes: so that there is nothing to be got but iron shovels, hoes, earthen and wooden dishes, spoons, &c. some cattle, indeed, they found, which were brought into the town for their necessary subsistence during the siege; and in such cases these cattle live well enough upon the thatches of their houses. They had also filled a great many tubs with water.
Deaan Crindo was inconsolable for the loss of his wife and daughter, and like a distracted man; when his sons told him if he would now join them, as he should have done at first, they were yet able to deal with deaan Woozington. And accordingly they mustered all their forces into one army, and made a number equal to their enemies. Deaan Woozington having no intelligence of this, was detaching a thousand men to plunder the country, and bring in all the women, children, and cattle they could find; which is their constant practice after a complete victory. Just at this juncture deaan Crindo appeared with his potent army, and sent messengers to acquaint him that he must either deliver up the queen and princess with the other people and cattle he was possessed of, or immediately decamp and give them battle. Deaan Woozington in answer thereto, assured him he had no thoughts of detaining his wife and daughter, neither did he come for slaves or cattle, he having plenty of both; but since deaan Crindo had sent him a challenge boasting of his superior strength, and bidding defiance to all the kings on the island, on account of the number of white men that were his friends, he came to see them; but as he could find none, he hoped that the proud deaan Crindo was sufficiently mortified; so he was ready to send him his wife and daughter again: but as to the few slaves and cattle which he had taken, his people should detain them to make themselves some compensation for the robberies which Mevarrow, and some others, had committed in his country.
At last a peace was concluded, and sworn to by the generals on both sides, with the usual formality of killing an ox, and eating a piece of the liver from off the point of a lance; each general wishing at the same time, that whoever first fired a gun might die upon the spot. The ceremony being over, public rejoicings were made on both sides; deaan Woozington returned into his own country, and deaan Crindo to rebuild his shattered town, which was finished with the utmost expedition, and all his chiefs with their people repaired to their respective homes.